During this period of social distancing, many parents can be left scratching their heads trying to find educational things to do with their kids to help pass the time. We're trying to help you out a bit with a series of weather-related activities you can do right at home!

Today, we're going to teach you how to build your own thermometer. The best thing about this is most, if not all of the items necessary to build the thermometer can be found in your home already, so you most likely won't even need to leave the house!

Here are the things you'll need to make your thermometer. - A clear bottle (a bottle of white vinegar or a 20oz bottle of pop works great)- A clear straw- Red food coloring- Scotch tape- An index card- Modeling clay or Play Doh

You'll start by filling the bottle about 75-80% of the way with water. It's important not to fill it to the top! Add your food coloring to the water. Place the straw into the bottle about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down. From there, wrap the Play Doh around the straw and plug the hole in the bottle. Tape the index card toward the top of the straw. That's it! Your thermometer is ready to go!

You will notice as temperatures warm, the red liquid will rise, as temperatures cool, the liquid will fall in the straw. You'll want to grab a marker or a pen, along with a functioning thermometer, so you can mark your index card when the temperature reaches 60, 65, 70, and so forth.

Did you know that the first attempts to measure temperature took place in the year 170 A.D.? Did you know when the modern-day thermometer was invented? For more fun facts about thermometers, check out our series of graphics below!

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Weather at Home - How to Make Your Own Thermometer - WIFR

Channel 4's new bizarre - and extreme - dating show Five Guys A Week sees yet another cringey moment as a woman only attracted to ginger men surrounded by her potential suitors in her living room.

The programme has already resulted in a number of eye-wincingly awkward moments, from one man projectile vomiting in a kids' bedroom to awful serenading.

Hope, a project coordinator from Manchester, welcomes five red-headed men into her house - who quickly notice they all look strikingly similar.

They jokingly point out that she clearly "has a type" and initially she denies it - before admitting that she fancies Prince Harry and Ron Weasley.

As the latest contestant, Matt, is welcomed into the house, he looks stunned as he walks into the room with three other ginger men in it and quips: "We all look very similar!"

Another admits it is "very bizarre" as he wasn't used to having so many red-heads being in a single room.

One of the men asks Hope: "You clearly have a type, right?"

"You know what, I don't think I do," she stumbles as the men burst out with: "What?!"

Hope backtracks, saying: "I do like guys with red hair, I like Prince Harry, I love Ed Sheeran, I like Ron Weasley!"

One of the men with glasses looks very pleased with the last addition, threading a hand through his hair.

But the five men won't only have to impress Hope, but her mother as well.

Who will be able to win her heart and become her Prince Harry?

*Five Guys A Week airs Tuesday at 9.15pm on Channel 4

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Five Guys A Week: Awkward moment woman only attracted to ginger men is surrounded in lounge - Mirror Online

A Black mother of three, Ebony Lumpkin, has revealed that she is struggling to convince people that her son who genetically has red hair, is her biological son.

According to the Daily Mail, the Virginia Beach resident said she has even faced police questioning her after a bystander accused her of kidnapping her seven-year-old son, Matthew. Both Ebony and Matthews father, Patrick Tebbe, who is white, have no evidence of red-heads in their family tree.

Her son once asked if he was biologically related to his family because his red-hair stood out among them. To make her son feel more included, Lumpkin and Matthews older brother Adam, briefly dyed their own hair to make him feel more a part of his family.

He once spent a whole week asking every red-haired woman if they were his real mummy after school kids told him I am not, she recalled.

Lumpkin says that a five-minute errand run with her son typically turns into an hour because people are amazed by Matthews striking hair color.

They are always complimenting his hair but then look twice at me and make speculations, she told the Daily Mail. I cant count how many times I have had to explain Im his mother, not nanny nor is he adopted.

She later added, I understand it is rare to see a black mother with a white child who has red- I was shocked when I first saw him too.

Ebony recounted that a trip to the grocery store took a turn for the worst after police showed up after receiving a tip that she kidnapped her son from a white lady. Luckily she had Matthews birth certificate on hand after they visited the doctor earlier that day.

It was the most terrifying thing I have experienced, she said.

Despite the negative comments and encounters, Matthews Instagram page has over 3,000 followers who love every inch of his fiery locs.

Research shows that Matthews parents have to each carry the MC1R gene that is connected to having red hair. Only 1-2% of humans have red or orange hair in the world, making it the rarest natural hair color.

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Black Mom on Why She Was Accused of Kidnapping Son With Red Hair - BET

Believe it or not, the MC1R genes that cause red hair are also responsible for other physical characteristics that make redheaded sex the best ever.

Whether you love a redhead or youre a redhead yourself, those vibrant tresses can actually translate into a wild bedroom experience.

The genes responsible for red hair also cause redheads to respond differently to physical stimuli than men or women with other hair colors. Redheads feel hot and cold temperatures more rapidly and respond to pain differently than blonds or brunettes. This heightened sensitivity can easily translate into exciting sexual play with hot and cold lubes, ice cubes and even sex toys that trigger heightened physical responses. With faster and fuller physical responses, many redheads report that it doesnt take much effort to reach the big o.

In 2012, Danish researchers discovered that redheads sensitivity may be even more complex redheads may be tougher than we give them credit for, reacting less to a burning sensation in the skin. You can only imagine what this might translate to in the bedroom.

Redheads exude sexiness from their very pores. In his book The Redheaded Encyclopedia, author Stephen Douglas asserts that redheads have a sweet and musky scent on their skin as a result of pheromone production. These pheromones, in turn, drive would-be suitors absolutely mad with desire. Online forums dedicated to the sexiness of redheads (yes, they exist, and it only takes a quick Google search to find them) further support the claim that redheads smell like sexiness in all the right ways.

And if youre wondering just how special the inner makeup of a redhead really is, the answer is very. In the year 2000, researchers pinpointed the exact gene responsible for red hair, the mutated MC1R protein that may only manifest as fiery locks in as little as 1 to 2 percent of the population.

As it turns out, the stereotypical lusty redhead isnt too far from the truth. The most compelling argument for hot redheaded sex is the simple fact that gingers have more sex than their blond or brunette counterparts. A University of Hamburg sex researcher found that women with red hair, whether theyre single or in a committed relationship, participate in substantially more sexual activity than other women. If theyre hitting the sheets all the time, its bound to be pretty hot, right?

It doesnt hurt that redheads have the highest orgasm rate of all hair types at 41 percent.

Were all familiar with the stereotype of the hot-tempered redhead. Some theorists purport that redheads are emotional and volatile because of their heightened sensitivity to pain and other physical stimuli. A redheads reputation for being passionate and opinionated can certainly pay dividends when it comes to sex, and theres some research to support the sexy redhead concept, too. Red has long been known to be the color of arousal. Think red lipstick, red wine and naturally red hair, and youre on the right track.

A passionate lover is always a fabulous thing, especially when he or she knows how to say loudly and convincingly, Touch me there!

A version of this story was published February 2016.

Whether you have a partner or not, here are some of our favorite positions for great solo sex:

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3 Reasons Sex With Red Heads Is Simply the Best - SheKnows

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday he has authorized city department heads to take "any action necessary within their budgets" to obtain materials, construction equipment, services and anything else that can help keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

"This might sound small, but this is a big deal," Garcetti said.

"We haven't just reduced red tape. We've completely eliminated it. That means that (Recreation) and Parks staff at emergency shelters can get hand sanitizers more quickly. It means that workers at (Los Angeles International Airport) can get vital personal protective equipment as they interface with travelers coming in from around the world."

Local news from across Southern California

Garcetti said the city has no plans to lay off any of its staff, saying such a move would only exacerbate the crisis. The state of California announced Wednesday that more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment since the Safer at Home orders were issued.

More than 1,000 city employees have been working during the pandemic as part of the Los Angeles Disaster Service Worker Program, Garcetti said.

Garcetti said based on data he's received, Los Angeles is about six days from seeing the same or similar coronavirus numbers that have been reported in New York City, which has been dubbed by health professionals the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.

"I want to be clear, the worst days are still ahead," the mayor said. "It's a tough thing for me to say, but we look at these projections and...it's coming here. We've taken actions earlier and swifter, but nobody is immune from this virus."

A $2 trillion federal stimulus package will provide Los Angeles with about $400 million to assist LAX operations, $700 million for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, "tens of millions" in local assistance for areas with low-income residents and $32 million in emergency homeless assistance.

Garcetti acknowledged the details of the package are still being worked out and it doesn't address assistance for immigrants, but he said he is willing to spend whatever it takes in city funding to help with outbreak prevention efforts, with anticipation that the city will be reimbursed.

Excerpt from:

Mayor Clears Red Tape, Tells City Departments to Take Actions Against Coronavirus - NBC Southern California

It is becoming clear to people all around the world that the leaders of our society the presidents and prime ministers, the billionaires and boards of multinationals, the celebrities and talking heads have few solutions to the twin crises of the coronavirus and the economic slowdown. In most countries the response to pandemic has been too little, too late, and the masses are paying the price.

The incompetence of the ruling class stands in sharp contrast to the heroism and creativity of the workers of the world. With many non-essential workplaces closed or people working from home, social media has been full of praise for the medical, service, sanitation, transit, retail, and other workers who are slugging away under terrible conditions and risk to provide necessary goods and services.

In Argentina, there is a tradition of worker-controlled factories that emerged from the crisis in 2001. In that year, as companies shut down, workers took control of 200 plants and restarted production. In the years following, these initial examples were taken up by workers in various industries fighting against closures and layoffs. But not only did these struggles mean the continued employment of workers who would have otherwise been on the street they provided proof that bosses could be replaced by workers management. Now, many of these factories became integral parts of their communities.

In this time of the coronavirus, these recuperated factories are doing their part to stop the pandemic. They offer a peek of what production for need, instead of greed, might look like.

The textile factory Traful in Neuquen was put under workers control in 2017 after the owners, the Huerta brothers, removed most of the machines in the dead of night. This was not as easy as it sounds, as the workers were tipped off beforehand and blocked the road going into the factory. They were joined by their fellow workers from the Zanon factory, which has beenunder workers control since 2001. It was only with a police escort after many hours of stand off, that the Huertas was able to transport machines at around 3AM.

The workers inherited a mostly empty shop. Though disappointed, they were not defeated and went to the community. The industrial washing machines that were left were used for laundry. Sewing machines were donated, and when workers armed with signs and banners took to the highways and roads to ask for donations, they were overwhelmed with support.

Now, they are returning the favor with the production of face masks and scrubs. Though practicing social distancing, they are risking infection in order to produce badly needed supplies. In their press statement, they explain that they are convinced that in the face of this crisis, it is we, the workers, who must intervene with concrete measures in health and economic initiatives to confront the pandemic. They demand that the government fund a production plan while keeping non-essential workers home and paid. By their statements and actions, they demonstrate that good health should not be held hostage by speculation and profit-motive.

A factory that once supplied police uniforms to the provincial government is now under workers control and producing the supplies needed to stop the coronavirus.

In the U.S., healthcare workers at Providence St. Joseph Health in Washington likewise aremaking masksto protect themselves while they work on the frontlines against the pandemic.

Worker-controlled laboratories and food processing plants are producing badly needed sanitizer, such as at FarmaCoop in Buenos Aires province and La Terre in Mendoza province.

Even in workplaces not yet recuperated, the workers are producing vital supplies. The workers of the state-owned shipyards Astillero Ro Santiago, who have long been under revolutionary socialist leadership, announced that they will use their laboratories to produce sanitizer.

In the city of Rosario, the teachers at San Jose Technical School have utilized the many laboratories to produce over 40 kilograms of sanitizer. Unfortunately, provincial authorities are making it difficult to distribute the sanitizer.

Technical schools in Mendoza are following the examples of San Jose. In Jujuy, teachers and students at the Institute of Higher Education No. 11 are producing the much-needed face masks while the response of the authorities has been purely punitive with no plan for health and welfare.

Capitalism has produced the means to make so many things easily and efficiently. And yet, the system is finding difficulty in the simple things such as putting face masks in the hands of healthcare workers and sanitizer in the hands of people trying to stop a pandemic.

Originally published at Left Voice.

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Workers' control against the pandemic William Lewis 25 Mar - Red Flag

It feels strange to see some of our Schitts Creekers in New York, doesnt it? And not just because of, you know, the current hellscape were living in, but also because aside from Teds video chatting in the Galapagos and a few moments spent in the Roses old mansion, weve never really seen these people out in the world. Theyve been safely tucked into small-town life all this time. Johnny, Stevie, and Rolands journey to Manhattan to pitch the Rosebud Motel Group to a venture-capitalist firm is a jarring reminder that there is life outside of Schitts Creek. Not only is that on our minds, but throughout The Pitch its exactly what all of the Roses are grappling with, as well. What does life outside of Schitts Creek look like?

Clearly, Moira is the most desperate to find out. As the gang sends the Rosebud Motel Group off to hop on the private jet sent by Johnnys old assistant and interested investor Mike Morrison for them to take to their meeting in New York, Moira is trying to temper her desperation for this deal to happen. She isnt great at covering. We are all relying on no, we are cheering you on! she yells as the team heads out. Not long after, without even a small update from the New York contingent, Alexis finds her mother packing her suitcase. You see a few cherished items being neatly folded into a piece of luggage and you immediately leap to conclusions, Moira tells her daughter, who wants to know why shes preparing to leave the motel. Moira cant help herself she wants to be prepared to get the hell out of Schitts Creek the moment the deal goes through. She assumes that New York will be the base of operations and she and Johnny will be moving there immediately. Alexis is upset over being left out for maybe 15 seconds, but then remembers that Interflix, also headquartered in New York, has been courting her. Shell go there, too! This is the answer to her succulent-in-a-small-pot dilemma. This is great news.

Then, when David shows up because hes on a break from work (he forgot his phone, keys, and wallet), Alexis fills him in on the big family plans. Shes already looking at apartments for her, David, and Patrick to share. David actually asks the question everyone should be asking: What if the deal doesnt go through? But Alexis explains: You would have no way of knowing this but usually when someone sends a jet for you, it means hes very interested. Trust me. And Tiger Woods.

And so it doesnt take very long for David to jump on the were all moving to New York! bandwagon. Hes completely forgotten about the fact that no deal has been signed yet. In fact, when he tells Alexis that there are a lot of what ifs to cover, he means less what if this doesnt work out and more what if we dont agree on the same candle fragrance for the apartment. All the Roses are full-steam ahead they are ready to leave Schitts Creek in the dust.

David does find one potential problem: Patrick isnt into this idea of moving at all. David is so excited to tell him about their plans, he doesnt stop to think about how insane it might sound to lay that news on someone. He cant even fathom the idea that someone might want to stay in Schitts Creek over New York. Not even his offer of half a muffin helps ease the tension. At least he knows how to read the room. Once he sees Patricks reaction, he reminds him that this is all contingent on the deal going through. If it doesnt, this was just a big waste of time and frown lines. They put in a pin in this very alarming conversation until they have more information. And probably more muffins. Theyll need a lot of muffins to get through this.

So what does happen with the big pitch meeting? It does not start off well. Johnny, Stevie, and Roland are greeted in the lobby by Ruth, Mike Morrisons assistant, with some less-than-stellar news: Unfortunately, Mike had a last-minute meeting in South Africa, so he wont be there today. She does at least soften the blow by telling Johnny that she grew up going to Rose Video and is a big fan of his work. The guys in the pitch meeting are much less flattering. From the start of Johnnys presentation, they are pretty much making fun of him to his face. Its a disaster. Well, Johnnys great, but Stevie is unbelievably nervous and Roland why anyone would bring Roland to this meeting is truly stretching the limits of suspension of disbelief. Eventually, the presentation freezes and Roland knocks over a pitcher of water and everyone decides it might be best for a five-minute break.

They go back into the meeting reinvigorated. Johnny takes over and he is wonderful. He is selling the charm of motels like no one ever has in the history of motels. Or selling things. They leave the pitch meeting feeling like theyve nailed it. But when Roland realizes he left his briefcase (it was empty, used only to make himself look intimidating), he walks back into the boardroom to find everyone ripping apart the pitch and Johnny. Its awful. Finally, Roland serves a purpose: He reminds them all that Johnny is a legend and they have no right to treat him that way. Shame on you! he tells them. Roland is a good friend? This is wild.

When he meets up with Johnny and Stevie in the lobby, theyre in celebration mode, but he tries to temper their expectations. And then something great happens: Ruth reappears, tells them that the guys up in that boardroom are idiots, and she and some junior partners are defecting and opening their own firm next month. Its all set up and they are looking for clients just like the Rosebud Motel Group.

You guys: They have an investor. This! Is! Happening!

They wait until theyve returned from New York to tell their families all anxiously sitting outside the motel waiting for them to arrive. Johnny steps out of the car, gives his family a little smile and nod (Eugene Levy is an angel!!), and lets them know that the deal went through. Everyone is ecstatic! There is a huge group hug and demands to pop open some Zhampagne! All of their dreams are coming true.

Well, except for Patrick and David who, judging by the look on Patricks face in that group hug, have maybe just stepped into a nightmare scenario. I mean, lets be honest: These two are getting their happy ending this is a show full of joy, after all. But before they say their I dos theres sure to be some tough conversations about their future and, if I had to wager a guess, the Roses are going to have to say some very emotional good-byes before this thing wraps up.

To convince someone to watch Schitts Creek honestly, it blows my mind that people might need convincing perhaps show them the scene in which Moira commands her children to join her on the floor and hold hands while sending positive energy Johnnys way. She starts this prayer-but-not-prayer exercise out with a To whom it may concern and even gives whatever higher power might be listening a physical description of Johnny so that they know who she is talking about. Finally, she asks this power to forward the following message to Johnny: John, my macho man, you dont deserve another failure. It is both wildly hilarious and lovingly heartfelt, which is exactly how I would describe this show in general.

Oh, Moira repeatedly forgetting who Grace is at Graces own farewell party, which she mistook for her own, made me giggle. When shes asked how she could think this party was for her when the cake clearly says Goodbye Grace on it, Moiras reply is: I thought you were singling out one of my notable attributes. The whole scene is just so good and so perfectly Moira.

Aw, when they learn the good news David hugs Stevie and says, Youre like a businesswoman now, and she responds, proudly, Damn right I am. Stevie! She finally found her calling.

Okay, now we all want to see Kerry Washington and Elle Fanning star in a Broadway all-female revival of 12 Angry Men. Why even dangle that idea in front of us?

Any time someone questions why I need more space, I will forever be using Alexiss explanation for why she would get the master bedroom in an apartment shed be sharing with David and Patrick: But I have a lot of coats.

Keep up with all the drama of your favorite shows!

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Schitts Creek Recap: A Day in the Big Red Delicious - Vulture

A MEMBER of the Parr Hall team is to appear in a new reality TV programme dubbed the Come Dine With Me of dating shows.

Unlucky in love Paul Howard will be in episode three of Channel 4s Five Guys A Week on Tuesday at 9.15pm.

The show throws out the dating rulebook by bringing together five men who are welcomed into the home of a single woman.

Throughout the course of a week, the suitors must compete for her affection and go everywhere with her as she eliminates them day-by-day until there is a last man standing.

Paul, marketing manager for Parr Hall, said: Its a once in a lifetime experience thats how I saw it. It was just really bizarre to start with but super exciting at the same time.

At first youre really aware of everything but you soon settle in and you become yourself after that. There was romance, there was bromance there was all sorts of stuff going on in there.

Pauls relationship came to an end in January 2019. He had been single for about six months when he saw an appeal for contestants for the dating show on Instagram.

He was persuaded by colleagues to go for it and after the application and various interviews he got the call to say he had been chosen by Hope, a 30-year-old project coordinator.

Paul said: I was one of her five guys and Ive never looked back from there. Its kind of like a virtual Tinder we saw pictures of her, she saw pictures of us. There had to be that mutual attraction before you got to that point. It wasnt just a case of throwing five guys in someones house and hoping that it works out.

But as well as living with four other blokes, the snag was that Paul would also be sharing with Hopes mum and stepdad.

He added: The most bizarre moment was literally taking a deep breath and stepping through the door knowing from that moment everything you do and say would be documented.

Youre there with a potential love interest, four rivals and then her mum and stepdad. It was as crazy as it could have been.

Luckily Paul was not eyed with suspicion by Hopes mum.

The 34-year-old said: I think the mum is integral to any relationship but she was lovely to us all to be fair. I think shell be the star of the show.

Obviously going to live with a load of strangers is an experience in itself but then having the cameras all over the place and having a microphone 24/7 brought it to another level.

It was every man for himself in

trying to find somewhere to sleep and the queue for the bathroom.

We were in a two-up, two-down home plus the cameras so it was a squeeze which probably makes it more entertaining. Its strange how quick you adapt and accept something as a new norm.

Pauls experience was filmed over a week but is condensed for viewers into one episode.

At the end of each day, Hope who has a thing for red heads had to break up with one of the potential suitors.

Paul, who remains tight-lipped on how he did in the show, added: It is a brutal process it is kind of like Big Brother someone was going each day. Each day it got to that point where wed sit down and we knew Hope would be telling us one of us was going.

It was a horrible 10 or 15 minutes full of butterflies and anxiety.

But I really enjoyed the experience. There has been a lot of talk about how people are treated on reality TV but I was really well looked after. They always checked how I was doing throughout the process.

I always saw myself doing Big Brother but didnt have the guts to apply but with this I jumped in. I thought it would be a bit of fun.

You come out of there and you learn a lot about yourself. Id be a lot more confident about dating in the real world once youve lived with a girl and four other guys I dont think any other dating experience is going to phase you.

It was filmed a good few months ago so Im excited that its finally going to be out there. Ive been sat on this secret for a while now.

Paul features in episode three of Five Guys A Week on Tuesday at 9.15pm on Channel 4

Excerpt from:

Unlucky in love Parr Hall team member to appear on dating show Five Guys A Week - Warrington Guardian

LEGO introduced the Minifigures theme back in 2010, and over the past decade the theme has wandered as far and wide as the Simpsons and a German football team. But it returns every once in a while to the lineup of strange characters and professions that started it all. The latest wave is the 20th classic numbered series, and 71027 Collectible Minifigures Series 20 will release April 19, 2020, with 16 unique figures drawing inspiration from fiction, history, and a wide variety of walks of life. Theyll retail for US $4.99 each, setting a new high-water mark for a non-licensed series. We got a brief in-person look at Series 20 at Toy Fair New York back in February along with official images earlier this month, but now weve got our hands on a full case to bring you a proper review.

Its no surprise that the figures come packed in a retail case of 60 individual blind bags, this time sporting a monochrome sunburst design across the entire package. Back in 2013, to celebrate the release of Series 10, LEGO themed the packaging with gold, and famously introduced the ultra-rare Mr. Gold as a chase figure. This time around, the blind packs are silver mylar, and Im happy to report theres no sign of a chase figure to make you fret about getting a complete set.

Speaking of getting a complete set, our case included three full sets of the 16 characters, with a total between 3 and 5 per case for all of the figures. The distribution is the same as some previous series like the DC Super Heroes line, with five each of three figures, four each of six figures, and three each for the remaining seven. Heres the exact breakdown that our case yielded:

Be sure to watch for our Collectible Minifigures Series 20 Feel Guide, coming soon.

The default black minifigure stands return again, with one included with every minifigure. Unlike the previous DC Super Heroes line, the small clear angled stand is not present with every figure. Only the Breakdancer and Sea Rescuer get them so that they can be posed more dynamically. Three of the figures have parts packaged in an inner bag for protection: Piata Boy, Viking, and Athlete.

Starting in at number 1, the Piata Boy lends a bit of Latin-American flair to the series. While a fun character, like many previous CMF characters he brings up some concerns that LEGO is only portraying non-European/American regions through the lens of cultural stereotypes (where is the Hispanic doctor, or Japanese snowboarder?). Case in point: the Piata Boy brings back the large sombrero for a fourth color (medium nougat), following the green hat from the Series 2 Mariachi, the red one in The LEGO Movies Taco Tuesday Guy, and the black one from the Series 16 Mariachi. Like the original Mariachi, Piata Boy wears two short capes to make the poncho. He also includes a brown Bar 3L for a stick, and of course, the piata, which is a new element for a tiny, blocky donkey molded in light yellow and printed with vibrant colors. The piata is about the size of a LEGO dog and similarly spans three studs. The Piata Boys white torso is unprinted, and his head is single-sided. An extra brown Bar 3L is included.

The Breakdancer features LEGOs first flat-bill baseball cap, and its incorporated into a flowing dark red hairpiece. The Breakdancer coral torso is printed on both sides with a cropped top, and her legs are dual-molded black and white, and printed with lots of details on the front. Despite the back of her head being completely hidden by hair, the head is single-sided, which is a bit of a miss on LEGOs part. She includes the boom box element in a new color (teal) and new print with a gold waveform pattern between the speakers. The Breakdancer also gets a clear angled stand along with a black 12 jumper tile to mount it, so that she can perform her moves. An extra clear stand is included.

Costumed figures have long been among the most popular of LEGOs Collectible Minifigures, and theres no sign of stopping now. Enter the unlikeliest of costumes, the pea pod. Then again, LEGO already introduced a slice of watermelon and a corncob, so perhaps this isnt so far out. At any rate, the green pea pod slides over the minifigure just like other costumes, with a hole in the third pea for the minifigures face. The three peas are printed lime green. The pea pod appears to have no other System connection pointsthe stem, at least, should have been bar diameter. Beneath the costume, the pea pod girl wears a green shirt with a salad bowl print, and she carries a red apple. Her green-lipsticked face is double-sided, with alternate grin and chewing expressions.

Decked out in bright light orange and black with dark red highlights, the Tournament Knight cuts a sharp figure, standing out compared to many of the other historic figures from the CMF line. The knights torso is bright light orange and printed in quadrants on both sides, with a chain hauberk showing through at the top. He has dark red hands, and the legs are dual-molded bright light orange and pearl dark grey, and printed on both the front and sides. The knight is topped with a bucket helm in pearl dark grey (a common color for it), along with a dark red plume, which is the first appearance in that color. He carries a new broadsword element, which is a lovely design thats a bit more historically accurate than most of LEGOs previous swords. Hes protected by a standard triangular shield, printed with a black raven facing left. Beneath the helm, the knight has a trim beard and mustache and a placid expression on his single-sided head. An extra plume is included.

Just in time for the new 21322 Pirates of Barracuda to mark the return of Pirates, the CMF line gets another pirate. This female pirate sports a new tricorne/long hair element, and although it was undoubtedly developed for this character, it actually arrives in the Pirates of Barracuda Bay first on Robin Loot. This one is dual-molded with a black hat and medium nougat hair, unlike the brown/tan combo on Robin. The red plume may be iconic, but its unfortunate that we couldnt get another new color to join the Knights dark red (dark azure, anyone?). The Pirate Girls white torso is printed with leather belts on both sides over the loose frilly shirt, and her black breeches are striped in dark red down the front and sides. Shes got a slight gap-tooth and wears alternate grinning/scowling expressions on her double-sided head. She carries a classic pirate sword, of which an extra is included, along with an extra plume.

What kind of space? Doesnt matter. NASA? Check. Model rocketry? Check. Classic Space LEGO? Check. The Space Fan adores it all. She proudly advertises her LEGO love with her long-sleeve baseball tee showing set 918 One-Man Spaceship from 1979. Her space ballcap is coral with a black ponytail, which is a new color for the combo element thats been around for a few years. Her dark blue legs have several space-themed patches sewn on. In one hand she has a dark grey spanner, which adds a fifth color for that piece. She also carries a 23 tile printed with plans for her next big project, a model rocket. Look closely at the diagram, and youll see that the rocket is marked out with dimensions, which are the accurate measurements of the rocket next to her in millimeters. And the actual rocket, of course, is made of three common LEGO elements, but amazingly this is the first time the 11 rocket base has appeared in red since it was introduced 36 years ago. The 11 round brick in the center is printed with the NASA logo, which I believe is the first time a real, non-LEGO-IP logo has appeared on a non-licensed CMF series. Her alternate expression has safety goggles on for when she launches the model rocket. The Space Fan is the sort of character thats both great fun and a wonderful encouragement to kids, showing them that girls revel in awesome science and nerdery just as much as any guy.

Its 2020, and Llamas are in. To the best of my knowledge, LEGO has never before produced anything Llama related, but heres a Llama costume to go along with the four varieties of Llamas you can get from the new Friends sets. And I do have to admit, the Llama is pretty adorable. How long before someone makes Emperor Cuzco? This minifigure is pretty simple, dressed in all tan except for dark tan hands (hooves?). The torso is printed with a white wool spot on the belly, and a zipper up the back. The legs have hoof prints on the feet. Llama Girls head is double-sided with smirk and grin expressions, and she carries a standard carrot, for which an extra top is included.

Its only taken the Danish company 10 years worth of CMF lines to create an accurate Viking. Back in Series 4 we had another Viking, and Series 7 brought a Viking Woman, but both were crowned with horned helms and represented stereotypical Vikings rather than historical depictions. This Viking, however, looks like he was researched at the Kongernes Jelling Viking museum, which perhaps not so coincidentally is just down the road from LEGOs headquarters in Billund, Denmark. Instead of the horned helm, we get a new element of a more plain helm with protection over the upper half of the face. Its a drastically more accurate representation. There is a plume hole at the top in case you feel like adding back some decorations, though. The rest of the Vikings outfit is similarly accurate (at least as far as minifigures go) with an olive green tunic and a short printed under-cloak with a gold brooch. Both the arms and legs are double-molded with dark brown lower halves. Hes got a blue cloth cape over top and carries a spear and shield with a new design. The Vikings orange beard is an existing design but in a new color. Beneath the beard, the Viking has a handsome, groomed orange beard and mustache. An extra beard is included.

For those of you asking for LEGO to pick up the Power Rangers license, good news!Puts on glassesOh, my mistake. This is the non-IP-infringing Power Rangexcuse me, I mean, Super Warrior! The Super Warrior has an all-red suit, except for the white boots thanks to dual molding. His helmet is a new element thats molded in red and then painted gold and black. Beneath the helmet, he has an incredibly generic, single-sided face. He carries only a jagged-edge sword, which is trans-green with a white core, a new color for that element. This figure feels like filler for Series 20, especially with a single accessory. Im sure it will be popular with kids, but it could have been much more interesting with a new accessory and perhaps a standard LEGO helmet with a new visor element that incorporates the horns.

When I first got a brief look at Series 20 in New York, the Martial Arts Boy was the figure that excited me most, for one simple reason. I spied a Bar 2L in the nunchucks. After all, the Bar 3L made its first appearance with the Series 1 Magician. Alas, I was fooled. The nunchucks are a single element all the way through, with the handles and chains all permanently connected with overmolding. And while theyre not the long-awaited appearance of the 2-length bar, they are still quite cool. Besides the nunchucks, the Martial Arts Boy wears a generic gi with his black belt printed down onto the hips and legs. It also really highlights how much I wish LEGO would do printing on torso sides, since the abrupt stop at the front edge is jarring. The Martial Arts Boys center-parted hairpiece has previously appeared on Professor Flitwick, among others, but black is a new color. His head is double-sided with smiling and determined expressions.

A classical athlete, the Series 20 Athlete is skilled in the discus and javelin, and is apparently quite good having earned a gold medal. The medal makes its first return since 2012, where it appeared first on the Series 7 Swimming Champion and then on each of the Team GB Olympians. The Athlete has a commonsense outfit of sportswear with a bib on both front and back numbered 0937 (to unravel the numbers significance, turn the figure upside down). Judging by the logos on her legs, she appears to be sponsored by AdiI mean, sponsored by mountains. Her Javelin is a classic spear (in the new, square-bottomed style) which is a first in white, and the discus is a light grey 22 tile printed in silver and green, with a tiny black dot at the center. The Athletes hair is an exceedingly common dark brown ponytail, but her head is double-sided with an elated expression on one side and sweaty exertion on the other. An extra medal is included.

Series 20 has been a bit short on new animals, but thankfully weve got a super adorable sea turtle with the Sea Rescuer. (Neither the piata nor stuffed rabbit are creatures.) The sea turtle is a dual-molded olive green and medium nougat element with a single anti-stud on the bottom. The turtle is exactly 3 studs wide and 3 long. The Sea Rescuer (whos not a diver, since she has no airtanks), wears a wetsuit with a tiny turtle logo printed in coral. Her sleeves are dual-molded with dark azure and yellow, and her legs dual-molded black and yellow. She wears a standard helmet and snorkel mask, and carries a bright green stem. She gets about with the help of dark azure flippers, and can strike a fluid pose thanks to a trans-clear angled stand mounted upside-down on a black nipple element. Youll get an extra stand, nipple, and stem.

Heres the mascot of Series 20, carrying the placard celebrating 10 years of collectible minifigures! OK, yes, its a bit underwhelming, but at least its not a rare chase figure that scalpers will hoard to sell for thousands. The Brick Costume Guys costume is identical to the Brick Costume Boy and Girl from Series 18, except for color. Speaking of color, its actually bright green, which is interesting because LEGO doesnt produce 23 (or 22, or 24) bricks in bright green. Brick Costume Guys hair is a rare element introduced last year thats so far only appeared once in an Overwatch set, and is new here in medium nougat. His celebratory sign is a light grey 22 tile printed with the silver and grey sunburst pattern and the number 10.

Lets go back to a glamorous time when big hair and synthesizers ruled the land. Oh yes, and also keytars. Because no instrument is so iconic for 80s rock as the keytar. OK, thats probably not true, but the keytar does emblemize a certain schlocky aspect of the decades music that LEGO is keying into with this character. The keytar is, of course, a new element that can be gripped with both hands like previous guitars, and is printed with the keyboard on the front. The musician himself proudly wears a black leather jacket and a white tee with a pink lighting bolt. The back of the jacket, however, is a work of art that Ill leave you to admire rather than describing it. Hes got pink pants that are printed with a black belt. The musicians dark tan hair is a new long hair element, and his face is double-sided with expressions for rocking out and smiling. Is it just me, or when hes smiling he looks just like James May?

Way back in 2012 Series 6 brought us Sleepyhead, a little boy dressed in pajamas and clutching a teddy bear. 8 years later, and were finally getting his counterpart, Pajama Girl (or Pyjama, depending on where youre from). Dressed in a bright pink outfit covered in tiny, Peeps Rabbit-like bunny heads, the girl is grasping a stuffed rabbit rather than a teddy. The tan rabbit is a new element that can be grasped on either arm, and has an anti-stud in the bottom. Her sleepy bed hair is courtesy of Hermiones hairpiece, which appears here in light yellow, the first time in a color besides brown. Her bright pink short legs are also a new color.

A modern hobbyist, the Drone Boy has a pretty sweet camera rig on a quadcopter and a hefty controller. The Drone Boy sports a plain teal ballcap (a new color for it) and a bright green jacket open to a T-shaped logo, along with plain dark blue legs. The jacket looks an awful lot like an opened version of the ubiquitous winter jacket from City sets. TBB reader Jimmy has pointed out that the partially hidden logo on his shirt is a reference to the classic Town monorail 6399 Airport Shuttle. The boy is licking his lips with determination, no doubt reassessing things after a run-in with the drones blades which necessitated a bandaid. The drone is made of a white Overwatch gun, a trans-black 11 round tile for the lens, a new drone chassis element, and four black beanie propellers. The chassis is a little smaller in every dimension than 3x3x1, and each of the propeller mounts is a plume hole on both top and bottom and rod diameter on the outside. The middle of the chassis has an anti-stud on the bottom, and is completely smooth on top. The drones controller is a white 22 quarter circle tile printed with control pads and a screen. Im pretty interested to see what fans will do with the drone chassis element, as its a cool piece with a weird shape. I do wish it had a stud or rod hole on the top, though. An extra propeller and 11 tile are included.

Pulling from a broad swath of culture, history, and fiction, every CMF series has its hits and misses, with opinions of the characters often revealing more about the viewer than about LEGOs design. And sure enough, not every figure here tickles my fancy. I can hardly imagine a use for a Pea Pod Costume in my own creations, but its certain to be popular, as all the wacky costumed figures are. Nevertheless, there are some standouts here, with the Vikings historical accuracy earning high marks along with the Sea Rescuers turtle and Space Fans geekiness, while the Green Brick Costume Boy and Super Warrior both feel underwhelming. However, at $4.99 a pop, its hard to get too excited about any of them. Its one thing to swallow the higher price for a solo figure when theyre licensed Disney or Harry Potter characters, but paying $5 per figure for a blind pack of an unlicensed minifigure seems excessive (many of which have only a single accessory). Even if you get no duplicates (which will mean feeling the bags or splitting a case with a few friends) youll need to shill out $80 to get the full set. My recommendation? Wait until these inevitably go on clearance.

71027 LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series 20 are available April 19, 2020, from the LEGO.com for $4.99 USD each.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71027 Series 20 celebrates the themes 10th anniversary [Review] - The Brothers Brick

It's relatively rare to see a redhead just 1% to 2% of humans are natural gingers. So, you might do a double-take if you see a man sporting a reddish or even a full-blown red beard, even though he is clearly not a carrot top.

What's the science behind these curious beards, especially among men with dark, blond or even graying mops?

This follicular fluke hasn't escaped the notice of researchers like Nina Jablonski, professor of anthropology at Penn State University, whose research has focused on the biology of hair hues. "I have observed many, especially younger, men with red beards and red hair and some with reddish beards and light brown, blond or red-blond hair," she told Live Science.

Related: Why do men have facial hair but women don't?

Most redheads live in Celtic countries such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales, followed by England and the Nordic nations, according to The Telegraph. Perhaps predictably, these red tresses exist because of a genetic mutation. Specifically, a mutation in a gene known as "MC1R," which controls pigment production in hair cells, among other things such as fair skin, poor tanning ability and pain perception, which may explain why a local anesthetic is less effective for redheads.

Hair color is determined by the ratio of two different pigments; eumelanin is responsible for black tones and pheomelanin causes red ones. People with black or dark brown hair will probably have only eumelanin, or at least it will be the dominant pigment. Blonds, meanwhile, have less of both types of pigment than their darker-haired and redheaded friends. And redheads, of course, have mostly pheomelanin.

One role of the MC1R gene is to code for a protein called melanocortin, whose job is to convert the red pigment into the black one. But if a person has a double mutation in this gene, its resulting proteins aren't as effective, which lead to red locks.

So, what happens when a person has a red beard, paired with a brown head of hair? The answer has some curious genetics at play, according to Jablonski.

"This will almost certainly be due to the differential expression of MC1R in the follicles of beard hair versus scalp hair resulting in the production of a different mixture of dark brown eumelanin and yellow-red pheomelanin," Jablonski said.

In other words, the same gene is behaving differently in different parts of the body and that's probably because there's just a single mutation of the MC1R gene, rather than a double mutation meaning that the person is effectively a carrier of the redhead gene.

The phenomenon also occurs in some men as they age usually as they pass their 40th birthday, which is probably because the pigment-producing cells in scalp hair and beard hair age at different rates, Jablonski said.

So you don't have to be young and ginger to have a red beard, but it certainly helps.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Why do some men have red beards, but not red hair? - Live Science

Former All-American Red Heads player reflects ahead of Hall of Fame induction

Updated: 4:34 PM CDT Mar 14, 2020

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IN BASKETBALL. 40/29S MITCH ROBERTS HAS HER STORY. WILLA FAYE MASON FROM SILOAM SPRINGS... WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE ARKANSAS ''SPORTS'' HALF OF FAME THIS WEEKEND... SHE PLAYED FOR THE ALL-AMERICAN REDHEADS. A GLOBE-TROTTERS TYPE TEAM... FOR WOMEN ONLY. WILLA FAYE MASON FROM SILOAM SPRINGS PLAYED FOR AMERICA'S ''FIRST'' PRO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM. THE ''ALL-AMERICAN'' RED HEADS... PLAYED AGAINST WOMEN & MEN. STARTING IN 1936.... ENDING IN 86. SHOOTING STARS BACK THEN...NOW HALL OF FAMERS. ''Oh, it's the big weekend for the All-American Redheads. We're being inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in Little Rock. We're having a reunion to coincide with the induction.'' THE RED HEADS ARE ''ALREADY'' MEMBERS OF THE NAISMITH AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMES. BEING A BASKETBALL ''PIONEER'' WAS FUN, BUT NOT GLAMOROUS. TRAVELING IN A CAR PACKED WITH ''RED HAIRED'' HOOPERS... NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.... GAME AFTER GAME. ''The whole story is amazing. The way it was all organized and the way we played it. We played every night for six months.'' FAYE STARTED W/ THE REDHEADS IN 19-48 AND PLAYED FOR SEVEN SEASONS. ALSO COACHED KANSAS STATE, AND NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA IN TALLEQUAH. BUT IT WAS THE ALL- AMERICAN RED HEADS...THAT MADE HER A HALL OF FAMER ''We played about thirty games a month. The season lasted six months. So that would be about 180. Many times we'd play a double-header on Sunday.' WILLA FAYE IS NOW 90 YEARS YOUNG. HAPPY TO BE GOING.... INTO YET ''ANOTHER'' HALL OF FA

Former All-American Red Heads player reflects ahead of Hall of Fame induction

Updated: 4:34 PM CDT Mar 14, 2020

Willa Faye Mason from Siloam Springs played for one of the nations first professional womens basketball teams, the All-American Red Heads. The team was inducted into the 2020 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Watch the video above for more information.

Willa Faye Mason from Siloam Springs played for one of the nations first professional womens basketball teams, the All-American Red Heads. The team was inducted into the 2020 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Watch the video above for more information.

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Former All-American Red Heads player reflects ahead of Hall of Fame induction - 4029tv

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One word: wowzers!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harryare proving once again why they're couple goals... and fashion goals.

On Saturday, the famous pair turned heads and dropped jaws, as they made a grand (and unforgettable) entrance at the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall event in London, England.

The dynamic duo certainly stole the show when the both they sashayed into the room, hand-in-hand, in matching red ensembles.

For the special occasion, the former Suits starlit up the room in aregal red Safiyaa gown that featured a floor-length cape, puffed sleeves and a dainty back slip that put her toned legs on display.

She accessorized with statement pieces that matched her apple red design. Meghan rocked drop-earrings by Simone Rocha,Stuart Weitzman pumps and Manolo Blahnik clutch.

Prince Harry also cleaned up nicely for the event, as he donned ared embroidered coat and military regalia.

And this celebration is a bittersweet one, as it's Harry's last engagement as the Captain General of the Royal Marines, a role he was given in December 2017.

This wasn't lost on attendees, as the couple received a long round of applause and a standing ovation from the crowd as they took their seats in the royal box, per the PA Wire.

Aside from having a little date night, the couple attended the event for a good cause, asit helps to raise money for the Royal Marines Association.

Considering this isthe one of the couple's final appearance as "senior members" of the royal family, it's safe to say they are ending it on a high note. Starting on March 31, the two will transition out of theirroyal duties.

Fans may recall that in January, the couple made the shocking decision to step back from their royal duties.

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the statement from thetwobegan. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."

"It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages," their statement continued. "This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."

While the couple hasn't shared what plans they have set in their future, theymaking an upcoming appearance at theannual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.

Originally posted here:

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Match in Red at Royal Albert Hall Event - E! NEWS

Bands led by Celtic redheads, Rymestone and 0Stella, perform at Jasper Legion on St Patricks Day, March 17. | Supplied photo

Fuchsia Dragon | publisher@fitzhugh.ca

Get set for an all-Irish blowout at Jasper Legion this St Patricks Day.

Irish Jasperite Roisin Seifert is bringing a taste of her motherlands festivities to town this March 17 a day traditionally celebrated with community festivities and plenty of Guinness.

St Patricks Day is kind of a big deal for me, she said.

I want to bring the town a flavour of the warm, lively, creativity and friendship focused aspect of Irish culture that I miss.

Seifert said St Patricks Days back in Belfast meant live music and hanging out with friends. She said she is on a mission to bring some genuine Irish craic to Jasper this St Patricks Day, to counter all the green beer, which she insists is uncouth and only became a thing in Ireland due to demand from rowdy American tourists in Dublin who expected the Liffy River that flows through the city to run green.

But what is the craic? According to Seifert, the craic means fun but with overtones of camaraderie and shenanigans.

And she certainly plans to bring it to the Legion next week.

Seifert has booked two indie-rock acts fronted by red-headed celtic femmes.

Rymestone, a genre-defying high-energy guitar-driven act currently on tour from the Prairies, is led by singer Emma Jean Anderson, whose mom immigrated directly from the Scottish Highlands.

And Dubliner-turned-Edmontonian Liz Pomeroy is bringing her indie-rock fiddle driven solo project 0Stella.

Plus, Jaspers own Group du Jour will emerge from the woodwork to support those out-of town acts.

Seifert will be dishing up homemade Irish stew with soda bread and lashings of butter, and the Legion will have Guiness promotions.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, with music starting at 7:30 p.m. and a $10 cover.

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Bringing the craic to Jasper this St Patrick's Day Jasper's source for news, sports, arts, culture, and more - the fitzhugh

90 year old Willa Faye Mason played for the All- American Redheads, the first pro women's basketball team for seven seasons starting in 1948. Mason will be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame on March 14, 2020 in Little Rock. Mason said the All- American Redheads are also having a reunion that weekend to coincide with the induction. The team is already a member of the Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fames. Mason said, "The whole story is amazing. The way it was all organized and the way we played it. We played every night for six months.'' The All- American Redheads played against men and women. The team started playing in 1936 and ended in 1986.

90 year old Willa Faye Mason played for the All- American Redheads, the first pro women's basketball team for seven seasons starting in 1948.

Mason will be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame on March 14, 2020 in Little Rock. Mason said the All- American Redheads are also having a reunion that weekend to coincide with the induction.

The team is already a member of the Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fames. Mason said, "The whole story is amazing. The way it was all organized and the way we played it. We played every night for six months.''

The All- American Redheads played against men and women. The team started playing in 1936 and ended in 1986.

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90 year old Siloam Springs woman to be inducted into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame - 4029tv

Italy says its halting most travel and public gatherings to try to restrain the outbreak.

The Italian government on Monday night extended restrictions on personal movement and public events to the entire country in a desperate effort to stem the coronavirus outbreak an extraordinary set of measures in a modern democracy that values individual freedoms.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced in a prime-time news conference that public gatherings were banned and that people would be allowed to travel only for work or for emergencies.

[Read: For Italians, dodging coronavirus has become a game of chance.]

Those restrictions had been placed on the red zone created in northern Italy, covering about 16 million people, but Mr. Conte extended them to an entire nation of 60 million.

We all have to renounce something for the good of Italy, said Mr. Conte, saying that the government would enact more stringent rules over the entire Italian peninsula

President Trump says he will discuss economic measures with Congress.

President Trump announced on Monday that he would work with Congress on measures to bolster the economy following the steepest market drop in more than a decade, fueled by fear over the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House that he would meet with Senate leaders and House Republicans on Tuesday to discuss a very substantial payroll tax cut and legislation intended to protect hourly wage earners who may have to miss work because of the virus. He also said he would ensure that the Small Business Administration extends more loans.

This was something that we were thrown into, and were going to handle it, and we have been handling it very well, Mr. Trump said. He added, The main thing is that were taking care of the American public, and we will be taking care of the American public.

At the same news briefing, Vice President Mike Pence said that more than a million coronavirus tests have been distributed, and that another four million tests would be distributed by the end of the week.

Neither Mr. Pence nor Mr. Trump has been tested. The presidents spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said on Tuesday night that Mr. Trump would not be tested because he has neither had prolonged close contact with confirmed patients nor does he have any symptoms.

Asian markets open mixed on Tuesday after financial rout.

Asian markets opened mixed on Tuesday, in an apparent sign that investors were trying to regain their footing one day after the worst financial rout in years. Stocks in the United States had suffered their worst single-day decline in more than a decade on Monday, as the coronavirus and an oil price war fueled concerns about the global economy.

[Update: Trumps unilateral travel ban leaves Americans in Europe scrambling to get home.]

The S&P 500 fell 7.6 percent on Monday, falling so swiftly in early trading that trading was briefly halted early in the day a rare occurrence meant to prevent stocks from crashing. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 2,000 points, or 7.8 percent.

The S&P index ended the day 19 percent below the peak it reached last month. A decline of 20 percent from that high would be seen as marking the end of the bull market that began exactly 11 years ago.

Tokyo fell more than 1 percent in early trading on Tuesday, and shares in China opened nearly 1 percent lower. But Australian shares were up nearly 1 percent and Hong Kong opened more than 1 percent higher. Futures markets were predicting that Wall Street and Europe would open higher later on Tuesday.

Oil prices rose about 6 percent, though they remained well below levels from last week, before Saudi Arabia announced it would slash prices amid a dispute over supplies with Russia. Futures tracking the price of gold, long seen as a safe haven for nervous investors in times of trouble, fell in Asian trading.

Mondays drop was the worst for stocks in the United States since December 2008, when the country was still reeling from the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the housing crisis that dragged the economy into a recession.

At the Seattle-area nursing home linked to 19 deaths, 31 more residents have tested positive.

Test results have come back on 35 more residents of a locked-down nursing home in the Seattle suburbs that is already linked to 19 coronavirus deaths, and nearly all of them are infected, officials said on Monday.

Tim Killian, a spokesman for the home, Life Care Center of Kirkland, said 31 out of 35 residents tested positive but none of them had symptoms serious enough to require hospitalization. He said test results were still pending on 20 more residents.

Vanessa Phelps said she got a phone call from Life Care late on Monday afternoon telling her that her 90-year-old mother, Fiona, had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Her mother has severe chronic lung disease, Ms. Phelps said. She needs to get out of there and be in a hospital, Ms. Phelps said. She has the disease. She has the virus.

Residents have been pleading for days to be tested. Mr. Killian said on Saturday that the facility had received enough test kits to check all its residents, but not all its employees, dozens of whom are showing symptoms of illness.

In addition to the 19 known coronavirus deaths, at least one other resident connected to the home had already tested positive before Monday. There have been 11 more deaths at the home since Feb. 19, for which the facility has no post-mortem test results.

The cruise ship isolated off the California coast docks.

A cruise ship isolated off the coast of California amid a coronavirus outbreak has docked at the Port of Oakland, and officials are preparing to quarantine the thousands of people who have been stranded on board.

Passengers who had been stuck inside their cabins for days cheered and smiled as the ship passed under the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday. Were home, one passenger said.

They waved from their balconies as they approached the port, where portable hand-washing stations and a crew of employees in khaki uniforms awaited them.

State and federal agencies had been putting together a detailed plan for how to contain coronavirus cases from the vessel, which is carrying 2,421 passengers and 1,113 crew members. Last week, 45 people on the ship were tested for coronavirus and 21 tested positive, 19 of them crew members.

Everyone on the ship, the Grand Princess, will be quarantined for 14 days, with the majority being held at military bases or on the ship itself.

It is expected to take two to three days to clear the ship, with priority given to the patients who tested positive and other people who need medical care.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, in response to a potential coronavirus case, on Monday required a part of its staff to stay away from the agencys Washington headquarters and advised all other employees there to work from home as well, a person briefed on the matter said. The move was reported earlier by The Washington Post.

An email that the agency sent to workers said the requirement applied to those on the ninth floor of the headquarters, the person confirmed. The email said a doctor had told an S.E.C. employee with respiratory symptoms earlier that they could be because of the coronavirus.

Federal health officials are urging older Americans and their families to take a host of precautions against infection.

In addition to the basics recommended for everyone like washing hands often, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on Monday that people over 80 should:

Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated areas;

Stock up on medications, groceries and other necessities now;

Have a backup plan for health care if they are homebound;

Try not to make contact with high-touch surfaces in public areas;

Forget about traveling aboard a cruise ship.

Older adults with additional health conditions are far more likely to become severely ill or die from a coronavirus infection than younger people are. According to a study of more than 72,000 patients in China, the death rate was less than 1 percent of those under 50, but rose to 8 percent for those in their 70s and 15 percent for those in their 80s.

The United States faces an accelerating pace of new coronavirus case reports as well as the prospect of more sweeping measures to fight the spread of the virus. On Monday, the national total of infections surpassed 700 and the death toll hit 26; it was the seventh consecutive day with more diagnoses than the previous day.

A number of new cases have raised concerns about transmission in public places.

In Kentucky, a patient who tested positive had worked at a Walmart in Cynthiana, near Lexington, officials said. In Washington, D.C., a church rector who gave communion and shook hands with parishioners at Christ Church Georgetown was identified as a patient, prompting officials to urge hundreds of parishioners to self-quarantine. The church organist later tested positive, a church spokesman said Monday night.

Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington said he was considering mandatory measures to keep people apart. School districts in several states have shut down, universities are moving classes online, companies are telling employees to work from home, and houses of worship are limiting services.

The Army announced on Monday that the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, Lt. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, along with several members of his staff, had been exposed to the coronavirus and would self-quarantine as they wait to see if they develop symptoms.

In Georgia, the Fulton County school system, covering suburbs of Atlanta, announced it would close on Tuesday the largest U.S. district to do so after an employee tested positive.

But U.S. officials are not yet talking about locking down whole cities, as China and Italy have done.

I dont think you want to have folks shutting down cities like in northern Italy we are not at that level, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the leading American expert on infectious diseases, said in an interview. Social distancing like in Seattle is the way to go.

Boston calls off its St. Patricks Day parade.

The coronavirus outbreak has prompted the cancellation of one of Bostons iconic events: the citys St. Patricks Day parade.

This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution, to ensure that we are doing what is needed to keep the residents of Boston safe and healthy, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said on Monday.

The parade, which draws thousands to South Boston, was scheduled to take place next Sunday, the weekend before the holiday.

Twenty-eight coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Massachusetts, and another 22 cases across the country have been traced to a recent business conference in Boston.

Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida and Doug Collins of Georgia said on Monday that they had interacted, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, with a person who had tested positive for the virus and would isolate themselves voluntarily. Also putting himself into isolation was Mark Meadows, the presidents newly designated White House chief of staff, who tested negative for the coronavirus after coming into contact with the same person.

The presidents spokeswoman said Mr. Trump would not be tested because he had no symptoms and no prolonged close contact with confirmed patients.

Two other Republicans, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona, said on Sunday they would self-quarantine after coming into contact with the same conference attendee.

[Update: Sophie Grgoire Trudeau, wife of Canadas leader, tests positive for coronavirus.]

Mr. Gaetz boarded Air Force One with Mr. Trump on Monday before announcing that he had been tested. A flamboyant ally of the president, he turned heads last week when he wore a gas mask on the House floor before a vote on an emergency virus-related spending bill.

Mr. Collins interacted directly with Mr. Trump on Friday, shaking the presidents hand and standing directly behind him as he toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

New York has 142 confirmed cases, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday, and one of them is the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton.

The cluster of cases in Westchester County has grown to 98 cases, Mr. Cuomo said. Nineteen cases are in New York City, 18 are on Long Island (all but one in Nassau County), and four are in Rockland County. Three cases are farther upstate: one in Ulster County and two in Saratoga.

In New Jersey, where 11 cases have been confirmed, Gov. Philip D. Murphy declared a state of emergency and a public health emergency on Monday, effective immediately.

Mr. Cotton is one of the most prominent public officials in the United States to have contracted the virus. The agency he leads operates the metropolitan areas three major airports, as well as numerous other transportation facilities including bridges and tunnels, bus terminals and seaports.

Colleges in the Northeast and West shift classes online.

University of California, Berkeley, and New York University are among the latest schools to suspend in-person classes and move to an online format. Amherst College announced that students will need to move off campus completely by next Monday.

N.Y.U. said that it would move to online learning on Wednesday, and that students could leave campus early for spring break if they want to take remote classes from home. After the break, N.Y.U. will continue to hold classes online through at least March 27.

Princeton University has said it would make a similar move starting on March 23, after its spring break.

The schools join a snowballing list of colleges and universities that have suspended in-person classes, including the University of Washington, Stanford, Columbia, Barnard, Juilliard, Rice, Fordham University and Yeshiva University.

The number of infections in Europe continued to surge at an alarming pace, more than doubling in three days to more than 14,000 confirmed by Monday, with more than 520 deaths.

Italy, with 9,172 cases and 463 deaths by Monday, surpassed South Korea over the weekend to become the country with the second-largest outbreak, after China.

Irelands government canceled all St. Patricks Day parades, including Dublins.

Germany, France and Spain each have well over 1,000 cases, and Frances culture minister, Franck Rister, announced that he had tested positive for the virus. Switzerland, the Netherlands, Britain, Sweden, Belgium and Norway each have more than 200.

The French government announced a ban on almost all public gatherings with more than 1,000 people, and said that the Champions League soccer game between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday would be played without fans in the stadium. A France-Ireland rugby game scheduled for Saturday was postponed.

Germanys status as the only country with a large outbreak but no fatalities came to an end, with its first two coronavirus deaths.

Saudi Arabia shut off air and sea travel to nine countries in an effort to slow transmission of the virus as the kingdom grappled with a simultaneous blow to its economy from a severe plunge in oil prices.

Effectively isolating itself from its neighbors, Saudi Arabia closed air and sea travel to the Arab states of Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, as well as to Italy and South Korea. The kingdom had already closed its land borders, and travel to and from neighboring Qatar has been banned since 2017 because of a political dispute.

The kingdom has also suspended pilgrimages to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The virus outbreak is presenting challenges during the U.S. election season.

Washington State, the state hardest hit by the virus, is holding its 2020 primary on Tuesday. It votes by mail, which eliminates most concerns about viral transmission.

Looking ahead to November, Congress should right now be considering federal legislation that would address potential voting trouble, said Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California-Irvines law school. The closer we to get to the election, the harder its going to be to come up with rules that look fair, he said.

Public health officials have said adults over 60 are most at risk and should avoid crowds. Joseph R. Biden Jr. is 77, Bernie Sanders is 78 and Mr. Trump is 73.

Mr. Sanders, asked by the CNN host Jake Tapper whether the three candidates should all limit their travel and avoid crowds, replied: In the best of all possible worlds, maybe. But right now, were running as hard as we can.

Reporting was contributed by Mitch Smith, Sarah Mervosh, Thomas Fuller, Jim Tankersley, Alan Rappeport, Anemona Hartocollis, Peter Baker, Roni Caryn Rabin, Elisabetta Povoledo, Declan Walsh, Matthew Haag, Carlos Tejada, David Kirkpatrick, Marc Santora, Steven Lee Myers, Claire Fu, Alissa J. Rubin, Gillian Wong, Jason Horowitz, Emma Bubola, Ellen Tumposky, Neil Vigdor, Russell Goldman, Eric Schmitt, Kirk Johnson, Campbell Robertson, Richard Prez-Pea, Katie Benner, Patrick McGeehan, Isabel Kershner and Nicholas Fandos.

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Trump to Discuss Economic Steps; Italy Halts Most Travel; Stocks and Oil Prices Plunge - The New York Times

Violence becomes him. Stalking through the wild grass and brutalist concrete wilderness of Tarkov, hes implacable, the unstoppable force youve always secretly wanted to see come up against an object that claims to be immovable. He sees an enemy unaware. He snarls. The sights come up instinctively. In the pause before the man drops, you can see the Doc smile and his mouse twitch.

If youve ever seen an action movie, you already know Dr Disrespect (no dot because, if what I overheard is correct, the medical profession does not like those outside it stealing its valor). The army boots. A jet-black mullet wig and a dyed mustache. Mirrored sunglasses. A villain thats as familiar as he is menacing. We know him. We know what he wants. And thats why hes probably the most important persona in the internets extended streaming universe: the Doc is the future of live entertainment.

Currently, the Doc is in a nondescript building in Glendale, California. Over the course of two days, the cockpit of a helicopter has taken shape in the middle of a very large soundstage, an assemblage of 80s-era buttons and dials and a generous amount of black paint. Its all because Doc is here to shoot a hype video for his latest announcement: hes re-signed to Twitch for an exclusive two-year contract for a lot of money.

The precise figures havent been disclosed. Heres what he has to say about it: Lets just say, when I first started streaming, was something like this fathomable? If it was, youre dreaming really, really big. To me, its pretty shocking, and its very obviously life-changing, rewarding.

When the mullet wig comes off, the man underneath has fashionably cropped salt-and-pepper hair. This is Herschel Guy Beahm who stands 6 feet, 8 inches, taller than a 2017 Toyota Sienna. Or a pony. As Dr Disrespect, Beahm is somehow even taller, though that could just be the army boots.

You could sum up Docs appeal with one of his catchphrases: Violence! Speed! Momentum! Twitch, on the other hand, is harder to explain. Its a platform that lets anyone stream themselves doing just about anything that falls within the companys terms of service which is to say, if youre following all applicable local laws, youre probably just fine. (Though nudity, even if its partial, is frowned upon by the powers that be.)

But if you log on to Twitch right now, what youll mostly see is people playing video games. The view counts vary, but the basic visual format is pretty much the same: most of the screen is taken up by the game. And then, in an unobtrusive corner, you can see the streamer, live, wherever theyre broadcasting from. Most people are playing themselves.

Beahm, on the other hand, is playing the Doctor, which means theres a real distance between the mustache and the man behind it. As the character, his broadcasts combine a mix of over-the-top CG graphics, played over a series of green screens in his house; they show a nightmarish cyberpunk-y landscape, all blacks and grays and reds, where Doc seems to live. Theres a sinister sports stadium with a locker room that Doc hangs out in; he sometimes appears to drive a 1990 Lamborghini Diablo VT, though it never goes anywhere, not really. The landscape is totally devoid of other people, and it is always night. It looks like an adolescent boys id.

And as a character, Doc is purely id. Hes based on the bad guys, on one bad guy more than any of the others: Fender Tremolo, the archvillain of 1989s Cyborg. Fender leads a gang of pirates; hes ripped but not roided out, with dreadlocks and intense blue eyes that peer from behind blacked-out sunglasses. He has authority, and he uses it to literally crucify Jean-Claude van Damme. It was like a post-apocalyptic world and hes the one that dominated this world. There was just something about him, Beahm says.

In the end, Fender dies impaled on a meat hook. Ive always wanted a movie where the bad guy came out on top. It would shock the world. Dr Disrespect is the villain who could finally win.

Over the last four-ish years, the Doc has risen through Twitchs charts to become one of the biggest streamers on the platform. He performs to a live audience of more than 20,000 people during any one of his regular streams, which is good enough to make him the 10th-most-watched channel on Twitch, according to Twitchmetrics, a site-wide stat tracker. Hes racked up nearly 4 million followers there since he joined the site about four years ago, and his streams have landed him a TV development deal with Skybound.

That leaves Beahm and Steven Stev Lawson, Beahms manager and a business development executive at Boom.tv, dreaming about the characters potential. I think the brand is going to become the Batman of the future generations in 10, 15, 20, Lawson says. Now I dont know how long its going to take to get there, but thats where I see the brand going.

The Docs rise, however, couldnt have taken place without online streaming. He has a long history with Twitch; he joined as a viewer when it was called Justin.TV to watch Call of Duty pros throw down. (The name change occurred in February 2014.) Historically, Twitch has been the best place for people to live-stream themselves playing video games twitch referring to the term twitch gameplay, which is gaming that tests a players reaction time and their lives, too. In the beginning, Justin.TV was a place where the founder, Justin Kan, streamed himself live just about every minute of every day. By the time of its acquisition by Amazon in August 2014 for nearly a billion dollars, Twitch had focused entirely on capturing the nascent live-streaming market.

Of course, Twitch isnt the only live-streaming platform, and lately, its been fielding some real competition. Theres Mixer, a streaming service Microsoft acquired in 2016 back when it was called Beam. Theres Facebook, which has begun to throw its weight around in Facebook Gaming; Fox has backed another competitor called Caffeine. DLive is a blockchain-based platform that doesnt yet make sense as a business, a value proposition for creators, or a place for audiences that appears to be going after the segment of audiences who like to hodl. And then theres the real elephant in the room: YouTube Gaming, which already gets most live-streamed content from creators as VODs uploaded to those creators channels.

Demand for streamers, naturally, has shot up, which has kicked off a war for talent. And Microsoft fired the first shot.

In August 2019, Tyler Ninja Blevins, the most famous gamer in the world, announced he would stream exclusively on Mixer, reportedly for a figure between $20 and $30 million. Felix PewDiePie Kjellberg, the most famous YouTuber in the world with 103 million subscribers, signed an exclusive deal with DLive in April 2019. YouTube Gaming stole Jack CourageJD Dunlop from Twitch at the beginning of November, and Facebook Gaming picked up Jeremy DisguisedToast Wang at the months end.

Streamers are valuable because they make everything people want to consume on a platform. That means the stakes are existential for platforms. Twitchs default partner contract has an exclusivity clause, but when those contracts expire, anything goes. Many of the biggest names on Twitch have left for greener pastures literally. Besides Ninja, Cory KingGothalion Michael, Michael Shroud Grzesiek, and Soleil Ewok Wheeler have also departed after being offered extravagant sums of money.

In January, reporting in Kotaku broke some of the secrecy around these deals. For Blevins, Twitch counter-offered $15 million for a three-year commitment; Mixer and Facebook, on the other hand, came in around $20 million per year. Grzesieks deal was worth less than Blevins but was still worth tens of millions. In response, Twitch has been re-signing its own streamers, Doc included. Imane Pokimane Anys, one of the most popular variety streamers on the entire site, re-signed with the platform for a reported $4.5 million. It also kept Ben DrLupo Lupo, Timothy TimTheTatman Betar, and Saqib Lirik Zahid all huge names who draw big audience numbers whenever theyre live.

Sometimes it seems like anyone whos amassed a following can get themselves to the bargaining table and then win or at least cash out. That brings us to Beahm: if Dr Disrespect didnt re-sign with Twitch, it would have been a real sign of the companys vulnerability.

Beahm is important to Twitch because hes important to millions of people around the world, and that makes his decisions worth millions of dollars. Twitch is also important to Beahm. Its the platform of my choice simply because its embedded, he says. Beahm was approached with a partnership relatively early, in February 2016, a little under a year since his first stream on Twitch, which was in May the year before. He cites it as a sign of mutual respect. They just saw the potential of this guy, he says, meaning his spirited alter ego. Because, again, hes such a different type of streamer. Hes unique, hes over the top and can feel like he might be a little threatening or dangerous, in terms of an investment.

Thats true; the character does feel dangerous, even if that danger is mostly to the flow of brand dollars on the platform. Last year, the Doc got banned from Twitch for two weeks and had his E3 pass revoked after he ventured into a bathroom while he was live on Twitch. While he was live, it didnt even cross his mind that streaming live from a bathroom was wrong; now, Beahm says he understands why what he did was wrong, even if he didnt intend to do anything wrong. If my kid was in there, I wouldnt want him to be filmed by this guy and his camera crew, and it actually goes out, its a live stream. It could have been a lot worse. It could have been. It was also solidly on-brand for the Disrespect persona; transgressing is something that fans of the character like. And its their feelings that propel the character.

His fans send Doc donations on Twitch with notes attached; some tell him that hes helped with their depression, anxiety, and PTSD, he says. I think they see a lot of confidence in him. I think they feel empowered by him, Beahm says. Theres something there where they see this guy and hes so cocky, so confident, so over the top, but he can still relate to you. The streams are a safe space. The reality that the character of the Doctor means a lot to a lot of people, however, does seem to take Beahm aback. Its hard to gauge that, because Im sitting in my room all alone... Screaming.

Among the Docs fans are two of the actors on set, Mike Ferguson whose card calls him a scumbag for hire and Will Mann. Ferguson, a grizzled, tattooed graybeard, is playing the seasoned PILOT (50s); Mann, fresh-faced and seraphic, is his starry-eyed CO-PILOT (30s).

After lunch, Ferguson steps outside for a pre-take cigarette. This isnt his first time working with the Doc: in a commercial for G-Fuel, an energy drink that sponsors a lot of big streamers, he loses an arm-wrestling match to Disrespect. His kids are fans of the Doc character, too. Ferguson on Dr Disrespect: Hes the fucking man. He dont give a fuck. You know what Im saying? Literally, he doesnt give a fuck.

Mann loves Twitch because he grew up watching his brother and friends play video games and finds watching gameplay comforting. The 26-year-old is also a Disrespect fan. I guess he provides a little more escapism for Twitch, because a lot of the times youre just watching a real dude play a game, which is great, he says. But you go in there and its kind of like, oh theres this character dude, thats obviously like a character. But you get to watch him for like five hours do his thing and kind of get invested in that.

On set, everything has been built around Dr Disrespect. Lena Lollis, the red-headed costume designer, has sourced each piece of Docs costume individually aside from the wig, sunglasses, and custom headset, which the Doc has generously provided himself. The hardest thing to find, though, was a copy of Docs red flak vest. As Lollis points out, red is not a popular color because, generally, you dont want your camouflage or armor to be seen by the enemy.

Once Doc has left hair and makeup, he heads to the part of the cavernous studio where hes been rigged up in a harness. (The Doc does his own stunts.) He is floating above a blanket-covered crashpad in a faux-wingsuit that Lollis made by hand out of neoprene, black with red elastic detailing. He looks relaxed; it seems like hes done this before. Tim Hendrix has directed the shoots director of photography, Powell Robinson, to get a close-up of Docs snarling face after hes punched a hole in the helicopters roof and then jumped out as hes soaring through the night sky.

Hendrix got the job because he got an email out of the blue from a creative consultant at Twitch in the middle of December. I came in knowing very little about the Doctor or Twitch, he says. As Hendrix describes it, Docs idea was fairly complete creatively the character was going to jump out of a helicopter and fly down to a purple-hued city so his task was to figure out the execution.

It seemed an interesting challenge for Hendrix, whose background is mostly in music videos. (Hes most famous for directing the music video to Panic! At The Discos Dont Threaten Me With A Good Time, which features an interesting take on tentacle porn.) Directing music videos and directing a hype video for a streamer are similar because theyre about taking performers who are known quantities and showing them in a new light.

There is one crucial difference, though: Twitch pays better. Its very different from music videos in that this will actually let me eat, Hendrix says. A person in the room points out that Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! At The Disco, also streams on Twitch. Oh, Hendrix says. Maybe someday hell pay me a living wage, too.

The next day, Beahm performs the Dr Disrespect character in 90-second chunks, over and over and over again, because Hendrix wants coverage but also because its hard to get everything right. Watching him in the monitors behind the helicopters cockpit, the character feels undiluted. I can see why his manager is comparing him to Batman: it might be that the characters real essence is meant for the big screen not lots of little ones.

Guy Beahm, the man behind the mullet and the mustache, is 37, and his first two loves are sports and video games. His grandfather gave him his first computer when he was in second or third grade. At the time, his favorite game was Asteroids, which changed after his grandfather bought him a NES. He was online at an early age, an only child looking up cheat codes on Prodigy when he wasnt hanging out with his parents and their friends. Beahm went to college because he wanted to play basketball, and the team he played on at Cal Poly Pomona was good. (Education, he says, was secondary, though he did study business and marketing.) After college, he took a few random jobs because he wasnt sure what he wanted to do. He was a temp administrative assistant at Stanford, a sales rep for a roof tile company, and a mortgage consultant, all in quick succession after he graduated.

Dr Disrespect was born during that time as a disembodied voice in Halo 2s lobbies and in its proximity chat. Even then, it was clear hed hit on something special; other players wanted to be on his team, after witnessing him barreling through his enemies and then roasting them when they died.

In his first video posted a full decade ago Docs first words, spoken directly to camera, show an unpolished Disrespect, though the character is nevertheless familiar: People have gotta understand you gotta attack. Attack. Attack. But dont get it mistaken. Certain individuals you dont attack. You run from. Aggression radiates from behind his mirrored sunglasses. The video cuts to him playing Call of Duty.

The YouTube videos continued, and subscriptions began to roll in. At first, it was one or two videos a month; Beahms real goal was to get into game development. Eventually, he found a role as a community manager at Sledgehammer Games, a studio that had just finished developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and from there, he became a multiplayer level designer on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.

After the games release in 2014, Beahm began work on the next Call of Duty game and then had a moment of clarity. From there, as he saw it, the future was pretty mapped out: hed go from associate level designer to level designer to senior level designer. It was a career, sure, but one that he wasnt so certain he wanted to pursue. I saw the path in the next five, 10, 15 years. I just was like, I dont know if this is it. I decided to just like, you know what? Let me look somewhere else. Beahm quit and went looking for other jobs in the industry. Eventually, he managed to wrangle an offer from another big game developer.

That was when his current business partner, Sumit Gupta, came to him with an offer to work at his startup Boom.tv where he was developing some new streaming tech based around VR. But it wouldnt be a desk job; Beahm would be helping Gupta figure out the streaming landscape, starting with setting him up to stream on Twitch. And so Gupta said: Hey, what do you think about reviving your old Doctor character?

He was in his 30s; he wasnt a kid anymore. He was choosing between another Triple-A job and an as-yet-unknown momentum, and the week Gupta gave him to decide was up. Ive already offered this. Either youre on board or not, Beahm recalled him saying. And its like, fuck all right.

The gambit worked, and the fans began to trickle in, which is the hardest part of doing anything on the internet; that goes double for Twitch. Finding an audience there is a mysterious business, maybe more than anywhere else online. Part of that is because you have to convey the force and depth of your personality to other people, live, and part of it is because its exceedingly difficult to get people to care about what youre doing until youre already far enough along that it doesnt matter. You have to bet on yourself, again and again and again. And even then, it might not work. You almost never get to quit your day job.

Reflecting on what hes accomplished so far, Beahm says he feels like hes getting closer to what he wants to do. The pistons are moving. The momentums you can feel it, right, but were not there yet, he says.

The problem with being a villain is that the hero always wins. See, after Doc punches a hole in the helicopters roof and jumps through the glass as the pilots cackle themselves into a tailspin, the rotorcraft is supposed to crash.

A few weeks after Doc leaves the soundstage, Kobe Bryant was flying with his daughter to his youth basketball academy in a helicopter that never made its destination. The day after the tragedy, I get a call from Docs publicist: the announcement is going forward, but his original video will never see the light of day. (Eventually, a modified version is released, months later, featuring a military-grade spacecraft.) No one wants to make light of a real death.

This makes sense. Beahm is a father, too. And though Disrespect is what hes famous for, Beahms alter ego exists to let him do things he cant do as himself. Personally, theres no way I could sit here as Guy Beahm, and sit in front of a camera and stream, he says. Not that I cant do it; Im not interested in it. When hes out of character, Beahm is a little fidgety, and his voice is pitched just a bit higher. The Doctor, on the other hand, doesnt fidget; hes almost unnaturally still, except for when hes baring his teeth. There is a barely suppressed rage in him, as though hes waiting to strike or be struck.

On his stream that day, the day after Kobe Bryant died, was the first time Ive ever not known whos on camera whether the man speaking on stream was Guy Beahm or Dr Disrespect. He addresses the situation with his hype video shoot obliquely, while hes not playing anything at all: I dont even know if that video will ever make it out simply because of the content thats involved. But that got me trippin, man, he says, though its clear that the ultimate fate of the video isnt whats bothering him. Im a little upset today. Im upset. Im sad and Im getting upset.

The donations keep flowing in, all $8.24 in honor of the numbers Bryant wore while he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, and he reads nearly every one: theyre all about people who are gone now, both loved ones and celebrities. Docs stream that day is a site of collective mourning. Finally, he boots up Escape From Tarkov. On-screen, his boots crunch as he steps out into the maps wildness. And then his figure stills as he begins to perform.

Read this article:

Twitch star Dr Disrespect on life-changing money, gaming, and being a villain - The Verge

[Spoiler alert: The Bachelor Season 24.] The Bachelor Season 24 finale was the most dramatic ending weve seen but it certainly wasnt for the right reasons. In the March 10 episode, Peter Weber got engaged and broke up with Hannah Ann Sluss. The 28-year-old then showed up at the After the Final Rose live taping head-over-heels in love with Madison Prewett. So what happened to the supposed love story we were promised when the season started? Recently, Hannah Ann shared her breakup timeline with Weber, including how The Bachelorettes Hannah Brown fit into the puzzle. And quite frankly, the whole debacle has us stunned.

As you may know, Webers final rose ceremony on The Bachelor was filmed on Nov. 17, 2019. Pilot Pete proposed to Hannah Ann and she accepted. However, the model was unaware of Webers feelings toward Madison.

Two days prior to the couples engagement, Madison left The Bachelor. The next day, Weber had his final date with Hannah Ann and noted his heart was still being torn in two. He did not say anything about Madisons self-elimination. Then when Weber proposed to Hannah Ann, he briefly explained what happened.

So Madison, she actually left two days ago, Weber said. But was that all the bachelor said about Madisons exit? According to Hannah Ann, yes.

When speaking with Becca Kufrin and Rachel Lindsay on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Hannah Ann broke down the timeline of her breakup with Weber. And the 23-year-old shared Pilot Pete did not delve deeper into his split with Madison.

It was completely downplayed, didnt give me the courtesy or respect to have a sit-down conversation, Hannah Ann said. [He] just told me that very quickly and downplayed it. And then immediately went to, But my heart chooses you. Youre the love of my life.

Nevertheless, Hannah Ann still said yes to the engagement. My instincts were telling me I wasnt getting all the information I needed to make a decision with Peter, she explained. And should I have stayed in that bed in Australia? Absolutely. But I wasnt going to give up on someone that I loved.

Hannah Ann continued: The last words he told me on our last-chance date was he was going to make a decision that was best for both of us and to trust him. When youre with someone, you trust their word. And thats why I showed up. I was going to trust his words and follow through.

During The Bachelor finale, Weber met up with his family when he returned from Australia. Peter Sr. revealed it had been about a week since they last met. So what was Weber doing all this time? In the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Kufrin revealed the winning couple gets to spend a few days together before heading back home. But even at this time, Weber did not explain the Madison situation.

Hannah Ann said whenever Madison was brought up, Weber would not delve deeper. He insisted the Auburn alum was in the past. And ultimately, Weber gave Hannah Ann hope.

He always made sure to reassure me I was his person, that I was the love os his life, and that he would always choose me, she said. However, as the season started in early January 2020, things werent quite adding up.

When The Bachelor Season 24 premiered on Jan. 6, 2020, Hannah Ann and Weber were still together. But sometime in early January, Hannah Ann experienced her first red flag.

Beginning of January was when he approached me he needed to speak with Hannah Brown. That was the first red flag, she said. He was trying to convince me that I should feel comfortable with that.

Hannah also revealed she wasnt aware of what happened between Weber and the former bachelorette during the group date in the premiere. I was not on that group date with Hannah Brown, she said. I had not seen that episode of them all cozy up on the couch, crying, her possibly coming back in the house.

In the end, Weber wanting to reach out to Brown showed Hannah Ann the bachelor wasnt ready for any kind of commitment, let alone an engagement. She added, I was questioning my own self because he was trying to convince me that was something he needed. I didnt feel settled with that.

Still speaking with the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Hannah Ann revealed the split with Weber happened a week after he approached her about contacting Brown. However, as Hannah Ann mentioned during After the Final Rose, she was blindsided.

Weber mentioned having unresolved issues when re-watching the first few episodes of The Bachelor as it aired on ABC. However, the on-camera breakup was a surprise.

When I showed up to the breakup, that was the first time I heard him say, I cant give you my whole heart,' Hannah Ann said. And it seems the model even asked the bachelor to give her a heads up beforehand if he planned to end their relationship.

I told him before I even went out there, I said, Hey, if youre wanting to end things, can you give me a little bit of a heads up? Ill be fine, trust me. Ill cry, but just give me a heads up,' she said. We actually had talked that morning that we werent going to break up, that we were going to work through it.

Hannah Ann also added Weber spoke with her parents after the breakup, explaining he didnt know how to process his emotions.

Now it seems Hannah Ann is over Weber after watching The Bachelor unfold live on-air.

I dont exactly what happened. Nothing really surprises me by Peter, she told Kufrin and Lindsay. Watching back the season has been really helpful for me. Its helped me work through any unresolved feelifngs I had towards him. Im able to see how he is consistently indecisive and confused. And who wants to be with that?

Hannah Ann then noted Webers actions didnt make her feel secure in their relationship. Its really helped me move forward because I know I deserve more than someone just half-loving me, she said. I deserve someone whos going to give me 100 percent.

She continued: I felt like me being so clear and not playing mind games with him that he would give me that in return. But really, he was just reckless with my heart.

Read more: The Bachelor: Hannah Anns Instagram Posts Are Like Her Breakup Speech to Peter Weber, Part Two

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'The Bachelor': Hannah Ann Sluss and Peter Weber's Breakup Timeline Fills in Every Red Flag - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Skelton wears a dress by Prada and jewelry by Coomi.

Philip Friedman

On the day of Sophie Skeltons final Outlander audition, nothing went as planned. You know how people say bad things come in threes? the actress remembers. She had caught a cold on the flight from the UK to L.A. that left a ringing in her ears; her Uber got into an accident; and on top of everything else, it was pouring down rain.

Everyone kept saying, It never rains in L.A. But that seems to be my thing now. Anytime I go to Los Angeles it rains. I always bring that with me, she says.

Skelton doesnt recall much about the meeting, just that it was a chemistry test with actress Caitriona Balfe, who was already starring in the show as Claire Randall Fraser, a WWII-era nurse who had traveled back in time to 18th-century Scotland. Skelton was up for the role of her daughter Brianna, and the audition felt natural, which is funny because in audition rooms, things never feel natural, she says.

Often when you do a take and you can't remember it, when its a blur, that's when it's the best performance because you're just in it. I can't really remember too much about that day, only that my trip to L.A. had been a bit of a mess."

But she kept telling herself, Everything that goes wrong, something right has to come out of it. And by the time Skelton returned to the UK just a few days later, she had the part.

Aimee Spinks

The news was especially sweet for Skelton, who had first auditioned for the show years before, but didn't hear back.

I think the first time I auditioned for Brianna was about 2014, and then I didn't hear anything for a year. There aren't many times where you really feel protective over the role. For some reason, I really did for Brianna. You go on so many auditions and often you don't hear anything, and that's fine, but this one actually really hurt, she says.

Turns out, producers weren't ignoring herthey had just decided not to bring Brianna into the story until a later season. It was a huge relief for Skelton to learn that. "I was like, Oh. Sometimes it can be as simple as that. You have to have such a thick skin because there are so many cogs turning that you don't know about.

"There aren't many times where you really feel protective over the role. For some reason, I really did for Brianna," says Skelton of her first audition for Outlander. Here, she wears a Chanel dress and jewelry by Jacob and Co.

In Diana Gabaldons Outlander books, which serve as the source material for the Starz series, Brianna is described as being exceptionally tall, almost Amazon-like, with "thick red hair" and "deep blue eyes"a physical reminder of her father, a fiery 18th-century Highlander named Jamie Fraser (played on the show by Sam Heughan).

But sitting across from me in a conference room in Town & Countrys New York City office, Skelton couldnt be more than 5' 8''. She's wrapped up in a robe, her brown eyes adorned with glossy charcoal-colored shadow, and her almost-black hair slicked back for her impending photoshoot. Today, she's trading in her 1770s-era dresses (and the sheer floral turtleneck and high-waisted jeans she arrived on set in) for bold styles from Chanel, Prada, and Olivier Theyskens.

In terms of her physical appearance, she isn't a perfect match for Gabaldon's Brianna, but that was far a dealbreaker for Outlander's executive producer Maril Davis.

"There just aren't a lot of 6-foot-tall redheads. We sent the book description along [to casting director Suzanne Smith], but at the end of the day we wanted the best actor for the role," Davis tells me over the phone. After a difficult search, Skelton emerged as the clear choice.

"Obviously, Sophie's not 6 feet tall and doesn't have red hair, but Sam Heughan doesn't have red hair either, and that's a hurdle we overcame," Davis says. "And we were really blown away by her performance. There was a strength to her and a steeliness, but she was also able to bring some warmth to Brianna that I think is necessary because Brianna is a very strong character, but you want that strength to come across in a way that you're rooting for her."

So the Outlander hair and makeup team set out to turn Skelton's brown hair red. At first, they tried to dye her strandsto somewhat disastrous results.

Aimee Spinks

They had to bleach it, but then it got bad. It became like straw and then it just kind of fell out, she says. I remember one of the first days when we went to the salon and the head of hair and makeup was in there. They put all that foil on, and I never really dyed my hair, so I had the foil, and then they took it off and all I could hear was someone behind me go, Oh my God.

These days a wig gives Bree her iconic red hair, while a practiced American accent hides Skeltons English roots. Skelton was raised near Manchester in a village called Woodford, the youngest child in a family with two older brothers. I was always running around the fields and going on lots of walks and horse riding. I think all that came in handy for Outlander, she remembers.

A classically trained dancer, Skelton had started ballet lessons by the age of three, and her love of performing eventually led to an interest in acting. You get a wonderful rush when you go on stage, but you have to make everything really, really big, she says. I love the truth to screen. You somehow feel more in the room with someone when you're watching them on TV than you do in a theater. And I just went into the acting world from there.

Skelton's parents, independent toy inventors who have created games for brands like Hasbro and Disney, have always been cautiously supportive of their daughter's pursuit of the arts. They even let her defer university a year to try acting full time. Theres one thing my parents really warned me about when I said that I was interested in acting. They were like, Being self-employed is not easy, she says. I think they're just proud and relieved that it worked.

The risk paid off. Less than a year after deferring her acceptance to school, Skelton booked Outlander, and the show has been a real turning point in her career, spring-boarding her from small parts in long-running British TV series like Casualty and Doctors to the kind of fame that only comes from starring in a show with a large, incredibly passionate fanbase.

Michael Kovac

While at times she says it feels like her life hasnt changed that much (in Glasgow, where the show films for the bulk of the year, it's not a big deal), in certain circles in the States and corners of the internet, Outlander is a very big deal. As in, people are willing to sleep on the streets of New York City in order to meet the stars kind of big deal.

Skelton, like the rest of the Outlander cast, only has kind things to say about the shows legion of adoring fans, who discuss every detail of the series on social media, though she did admit that the community can sometimes be intense. Still, she says, "the intensity is what's driven the show.

Without those fans, we wouldn't be where we are. I think it's brilliant. I love how passionate they are about something. I don't think there was ever a show where I was that sort of fanatic about it. Some women in the community even feel protective of the character of Brianna, and at times, of Skelton herself.

Philip Friedman

But Skelton has also faced criticism from Outlander fans, perhaps more so than other actors on the series. Her character, Brianna, isnt as universally admired as Skeltons on-screen parents, Jamie and Claire. And Brees relationship with her now-husband Roger MacKenzie (played by Richard Rankin) is rockier and less idyllic (and some might say more realistic) than the aspirational time-and-space-defying romance at the heart of the series.

People sometimes equate you to the character, and it's like, Dude, I didn't throw a fire poker through a window, she says, referencing a rage-filled scene in Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber book.

For those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Outlander plot, Brianna has had something of a rough go of it over the past few seasons. Conceived in the 1740s, but born in the 1960s, she had a difficult relationship with her mother, Claire. Bree, as she's known to friends and family, was closer with the man she believed to be her dad, Frank Randall (played by Tobias Menzies, one of Skeltons favorite people to work with). But when Frank died, Claire revealed the truth about both her time-traveling journey and Brianna's biological father, Jamie.

Claire then returns to the 18th century in hopes of reuniting with Jamie, and Brianna eventually follows after her, attempting to warn her parents about a historic deadly fire. In season four, after traveling through time and across an ocean to pre-Revolutionary North Carolina, Brianna finally meets Jamie for the first time, but not before being brutally raped at the hands of Stephen Bonnet, a sadistic pirate played by Downton Abbey-alum Ed Speleers.

"Just give the girl a break," Skelton says. I feel very protective of Brianna and I feel like she gets some bad press, but she's really the female Jamie. I think what people think looks very sexy and brooding on an 18th-century 6-foot-whatever Highlander, once you put that on a 16-year-old girl, people just think, oh, she's bratty and mean and rude. But, you know what? She's had a tough life.

When Outlander first premiered in 2014, it was heralded as a more feminist alternative to Game of Thrones. Both were fantasy shows on premium cable with explicit violence and sex, but unlike Thrones, Outlander didnt feature gratuitous female nudity. If anything, it played to the female gaze, and celebrated romance and female pleasure. Middle-aged womenlong fans of Gabaldons books and severely under-served by TV programming for yearsflocked to the series, which steadily amassed a sizable audience.

Simon Mein

But as the seasons continued, and the #MeToo movement forced Hollywood to take a look at rape culture both on and offscreen, Outlander began to receive criticism for its depictions of sexual violence, and more specifically, how its often used as a device to move the action of the show forward. Brianna's sexual assault is a key plot point from Gabaldon's books; to leave it out would completely alter the Outlander story, but it's also one more rape on a show that has already had many.

"Deep into its fourth season, its beginning to feel like Outlander is as much a story about sexual violence as it is about anything else, and in spite of that topics immense importance, its frustrating that Outlanders characters apparently have few other ways to experience sudden emotional turmoil," Vulture's Kathryn VanAredonk wrote at the time.

But Bonnet's attack on Bree in season four represents a shift in how the show handles sexual violence. The scene is depicted offscreenheard, but not seen. Davis says the scene wasn't a direct response to criticism, but rather a choice specific to the storyline.

Aimee Spinks

"Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of rape in these books," she says. "We approach each one differently and try to decide what's best for that scene and also what's best for the season and that character."

With Brianna's rape, the showrunners wanted to show that people could hear her struggling and screaming and crying, but they didn't step in to stop Bonnet. "I think people sometimes watch this series from a contemporary viewpoint. [The ask,] 'Why didn't anyone call the police and why didn't anyone do anything?' I think that's what we're trying to show that this is a different time period," says Davis. "Things were different. People's viewpoints of things were different. How they treated women was different. It wasn't right, but it was the reality."

And as with Jamie's rape in season one, the aftermath of sexual trauma continues to affect Brianna; it isn't something that happens one episode and is forgotten the next. More than in the book we have carried her PTSD through from season four, which is something I fought for, Skelton tells me. It's not just like it happens in one episode and we're done with it. We show the brutality of rape and the aftermath, the trauma, and the PTSD. We never glorify it.

Skelton feels a huge responsibility to rape survivors to get her performance right, and she continues to research both the stories of women who have gone through what her character has, and the biological impact of PTSD. She also recognizes that Outlanders violent storylines can be hard for some people to watch.

Ahead of the season five premiere, which featured a flashback to her attack, for example, she tweeted a trigger warning about the episodes content complete with the number for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline.

It is a shame in a way that that there is so much [sexual violence in the show] because I do think it must be tremendously difficult for some people to watch, but I think the way Outlander handles it is ultimately good, she says.

She believes the show can function as a cathartic outlet for viewers, and hopes that watching Brianna's journey provides solace to sexual assault survivors in real life. I think we live our traumas and our joys through characters, she says. I just hope that it helps more than hinders people.

Book readers know that Brianna's healing is far from done, and Bonnet remains a threat both to her and to her son Jemmy. But Davis was tightlipped about what to expect this season from Brianna, saying only that Skelton's performances are heartbreaking.

There are episodes we haven't gotten to yet but she's incredibly powerful, Davis says.

Skelton, too, was careful not to spoil what's to come for her character. When asked about the possibility of a future confrontation between Brianna and Bonnet, she simply said, Brianna's work is not done.

Outlander airs Sunday nights on Starz.

Originally posted here:

Sophie Skelton Interview About Outlander, the Fan Response to Brianna, and Her Character's PTSD - TownandCountrymag.com

An elderly lady called the hospital switchboard and asked in a soft and gentle voice: "Could someone please tell me how a patient is doing?

The operator said, Ill be glad to help. Whats the patients name and room number?

The elderly lady, talking oh so sweetly, said, Her name is Alma. Shes in room 319.

"Let me place you on hold while I check with her nurse, the operator said.

A couple minutes later, the operator returned to the phone and said, "Oh, I have good news. The nurse just told me Alma is doing very well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back as normal; and her doctor has scheduled her to be discharged on Thursday."

The elderly lady thanked the operator, telling her, I had been so worried. I appreciate the wonderful news.

The operator asked, Is Alma your daughter?

No, Im Alma, the elderly lady said, her voice not so soft and gentle now. I called you because these knot heads up here never tell me anything.

Wed likely all agree that it would be unacceptable for nurses and doctors to withhold good news from patients. In fact, nurses and doctors should be excited to share good news with those theyre responsible for. They should rush to their patients as quickly as possible to let them know they have found a treatment for the condition, so that they can be made well.

Nurses and doctors arent the only ones who have good news to deliver. Christians have the best news of all. They know a cure that can prevent sin from destroying people eternally, and Christians have been given the great privilege to share that good news. In fact, Jesus told us: Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Gospel, of course, means good news.

Were all thrilled to receive good news. But isnt it wonderful to share good news. How many times have we hoped for good news? Words like: Its not cancer, or Weve finished the surgery and hes doing fine, or, Im from Publishers Clearing House, and youve just won a million dollars.

All those things would be welcome news, but for a person who is carrying the guilt and shame of sin, there can be no better news than that, through Jesus, your sin can be forgiven and you can be made new.

Im reminded of Isaiah 1:18, which says, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

In that hospital, Alma received good news that she was doing well and would soon be released to go home. In this world, when sin has taken hold and we feel like were weighed down with a heavy load, the best news of all comes straight from the mouth of Jesus:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Roger Alford is pastor of South Fork Baptist Church. Reach him at P.O. Box 673, Owenton, Ky. 40359 or 502-514-6857.

See the original post here:

ALFORD: Sometimes 'knot heads' don't tell you what you need to know - The Sentinel-Echo

NOTHING about the Belfast Knee Clinic suggests that it is what it is. Tucked up a residential side street just off the Lisburn Road, its red brick exterior and bright red door blend in with the houses either side.

Oran Sludden is fed up looking at its inside. Two months ago, on January 14, the former Tyrone minor and Dromore senior footballer slid through and climbed to shake hands with Chris Connolly.

Ulsters foremost knee surgeon is not a man you want to be on first name terms with. But Sludden is coming in for his third cruciate knee ligament operation.

Its the second on his right leg, having first done his left in 2016 at the age of 17.

The youngest brother of Tyrone senior star Niall, Oran was a championship winning captain at U16 level with Dromore, and on the Tyrone minor squad a year early, coming off the bench that year in Celtic Park.

Injury struck and he was only just back when he came on against Derry again the following summer.

He was back establishing himself in Dromores senior setup and the clubs under-21s were just embarking on an adventure that would see them become the clubs first ever adult Ulster club champions.

Training on a Friday night two weeks before Christmas, the hard work is already done for the evening. The game at the end of the session on their 3G pitch is in full flow when Sludden comes to collect a ball. Turns to go and pop.

The pain was horrific. My first one, I played on, so I knew this was serious. I remember roaring and screeching until you took a couple of breaths and calmed down.

Conciliatory tones fall on deaf ears. He knows himself what it is. Within days, the same balloon of swelling has grown over the top of his knee. The scan is only a formality.

If it was only a knee problem that began that night, he could have coped. But over the next 12 months, the absence of football sees Sluddens life spiral down the plughole.

Without sports structure, drinking and gambling co-exist. The light starts to get shut out, the walls close in and in the space of six weeks between Halloween and early December 2019, Oran Sludden attempts suicide twice.

Hes adamant there will be no third time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FROM the chieftains, as he calls them, Kevin and Colette (ne McAnenly from Glencull), through sister Cara (29) and brothers Niall (27), Ruairi (25), Tiarnan (22) to 20-year-old Oran himself, to famous former refereeing uncle Martin, theres an entangled connection with the GAA, both club and county.

Every evening, every weekend, his social circle, his holidays, his girlfriend, every conversation, it was all football.

For as long as it loved him, he loved it.

But with that twist of the knee in late 2018, the relationship became fractured.

The timing was particularly bad. It had been nine months since Dromore won the Tyrone U21 title. While his team-mates are just after beating Magherafelt and earning their place in the Ulster final, hes preparing to hop on to the hospital bed for surgery.

That night, they go off on a bus to celebrate in Belfast and try to persuade him to go too, but he heads home to Dromore instead.

I went back down the road, and the power of social media, the lads get a few drinks and it starts flowing. You feel lost because you think it should be you too.

He stopped going to training up until the Friday night before the final against Carryduff. Sludden and fellow knee victim Jack McShane travel on the bus with the team, theyre in the changing room, but they dont go into the team photo before the game.

It just didnt feel right. Travelling on the bus didnt feel right. Everythings going past you, youre nearly in a daydream. Youre happy for them but theres that sense of hurt that you didnt take part.

That night the team goes back to Dromore to a heroes welcome. All Sludden can think of is putting enough drink into himself that he can slip away early.

He joins the team in Belfast for the week, where hes studying Liberal Arts at St Marys, and returns home the following Wednesday barely fit to walk with his knee.

Days in the city played out behind another red door of another red brick building 48 Damascus Street where he lived with brother Tiarnan and another couple of Dromore lads.

He found himself going out during the week and then lying in bed the whole next day, missing class and sinking deeper into depression.

I was making the excuse of not being hungover and not making class, but the real fact was I was depressed and I wasnt able to get out of my bed.

You just wanted to pull the blanket back over you. I was lying in bed until 3 or 4 oclock in the day, getting up then, no breakfast, no lunch and going back down to the pub then.

I knew there was something wrong but you couldnt put your hand on it.

Hed been diligent after his first cruciate but this was very different. The appetite to go at it again just isnt there.

There were days I was going to the gym, standing there for 40 minutes and walking out again.

I missed that freedom of taking a bag of balls to the pitch for an hour and kicking about. To just kick the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

Id have been telling ones I was doing rehab but I was down here doing that.

And yet he needs football. As with so many young players, it is a central pillar in his life. The drinking continues, and the gambling starts to get its claws into him.

What started with 10 on a few teams at the weekend grew as the wires of his connection to playing frayed.

Trips to the Irish Grand National and a student day at the May Day races at Down Royal both end up with him spending all his money on drink and horses.

That turned to sitting on his phone at night, adding random ice hockey or NFL or Brazilian soccer teams to a betslip that hed know nothing more about until he checked his balance in the morning.

There was always some measure of control in that he never borrowed money to gamble, but when he was sitting alone at home in Dromore one sunny evening last June, it came to a head.

There was a four-horse race in Sligo. I had 125 left in my bank account. The favourite was 6/5, the second favourite was 6/1. I knew nothing about it other than maybe Davy Russell was on it, but I put the whole 125 on it.

The horse came last out of the four. I had 40p left in my bank. The only thing saved me was working wages coming in the next morning.

He went on a lads holiday to Greek island Kavos soon after and spilled his guts about the gambling to his friends. When he came home, he headed straight for Dunlewey Addiction Services.

Its been largely under control since then, and he still visits once a month.

But when the rest of his life started to slip again in early October, he found himself sneaking out of St Marys to run down to the bookiesand throw money he didnt have on a horse he didnt know.

By that stage, it had become a symptom rather than a cause. His demons were getting the better of him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

AUGUST 24 was the date for the comeback. Hed played a half against Clonoe reserves the week before, and then came off the bench against Carrickmore for his first senior game back.

It was just six months after surgery and he knew the work wasnt near done, but everything behind closed doors was eating so far through him that he had to try anyway.

He scored three points from play, but within 10 minutes, hed planted his right foot to push off and felt the wobble in the knee. Another 10 minutes passed before he had to give in and come off, already dreading what was inevitably to follow.

The following week, it was confirmed that hed wrecked the right knee again. Dromore was gone, Tyrone was gone, Sigerson with St Marys was gone.

For Halloween, he went back to Belfast. Out on the Sunday night. In bed until 3pm on Monday, up and straight back to the pub, drinking doubles.

He and girlfriend Tara returned to the house to get ready for the evening and as she was doing her make-up in a bedroom upstairs, Oran paced the kitchen.

I walked to the drawer, pulled it open and lifted out a big knife for cutting bread. I pinched it to my stomach and it wasnt gonna do any harm, so I put it back.

The only other thingI could see was a small chopping knife. I took it out, pinched it to my stomach and knew it would go through.

All he remembers from there is the sound of the ambulance coming, and then being in a haze, screaming at the top of his lungs on a hospital operating table.

In stabbing himself in the stomach, he missed all his major organs and arteries. Within 10 days the stitches were out, but more crucially, within 24 hours he had given him the all-clear to go home.

I dont blame anybody for it but the mental health team came to assess me and they just made me feel like it was normal teenager behaviour.

I probably didnt release as much emotion as I could have, and they maybe just felt it was an impulsive thing that happened and that itd go away with a wee bit of counselling.

Inside, he was desperate for help. After the clubs gala dinner two weeks later, where there were 500 people in the function room of the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran who all knew what had happened, Sludden confessed to Tara that he wanted to end his life.

I went back to the room and completely broke down.

On December 8, they went to Sallys nightclub in Omagh.

That morning, he and Tara had been due to do the Rudolph 10k run in Eskra but he pulled out, instead heading to Castle Archdale and embarking on his own jog to try and clear the mind.

I ran for 35 minutes and when I got back in the car, nothing had changed.

Come midnight, hes telling Tara hes going home, but she instinctively knows. By the time she catches up, hes hanging over the railings of the Sacred Heart Bridge, which runs over the Omagh-Derry bypass.

That state of mind is black, total devastation.

There were tears. I just felt at that stage it was the right thing to do, to just end it all there. Ones were ringing and texting in a panic. I text my Mum and Dad and said I love you all. That sent them into a complete panic.

I climbed the rail with tears flooding out of me. I couldnt see any way out. I was hanging to the rails, a couple of people came, Tara came and theyre trying to talk you out.

I let go and youre just in freefall. I remember hitting the ground and that was it until I woke up in Altnagelvin the next morning.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THE dam busts. For three days in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, Oran Sludden cried.

The physical pain was remarkably minor. Having come down on his feet, the 30-foot drop on to a main road had resulted in just a couple of minor fractures in his foot and his hand.

Mentally, though, hed taken all he could take.

He refused to leave until hed been signed in somewhere that could properly deal with his mental health problems. After Altnagelvins assessment, they recommended hemoveacross to Gransha Hospital.

The ambulance moved him just after midnight on December 10. He resolved to tell the professionals every single thing that came into his head.

Nothing was held back. Seven days later, the Sludden family got their boy back. There would be no empty chair at Christmas.

Gransha will always be close to my heart for kick-starting my recovery, he says, speaking with a composure and confidence that belies his incredibly tender years.

His knee injuries were the root cause of a depression that spiralled to depths that he kept hidden from view for almost a full year.

Not being able to fulfil his dreams of playing on big summer days for Dromore, perhaps even Tyrone, threatened to consume him.

Hed drank to cover the pain, gambled for the sensory deprivation caused by not playing. But in being able to recognise that in himself, and to remove himself from the vicious worlds Instagram and Snapchat, the first steps back to comfort and happiness were made.

Attending a cognitive behaviour therapist every week has changed his way of thinking.

Hes taught me that mental health doesnt define Oran Sludden, and not to dwell on the past. He also changed my outlook on the pressures of the GAA, which played with my head at the worst times.

Im a lot healthier now. I would have been an avid Tyrone fan, gone to every game. I havent watched a Tyrone game this year, havent gone to a game, and it doesnt bother me.

There was a time I could see nothing other than football. Id have been planning everything around it.

This year, if Dromore have a league game and theres something else on, Im gonna go and do it.

I know Ill be happier doing the other thing than going down to watch the football.

My attachment to the GAA, compared to what it was, is day and night. Ive completely changed my outlook on football.

Im happier.

And so when he walked through that red door on Ulsterville Avenue two weeks ago, part of him almost wanted Chris Connolly to tell him it was over. And part was relieved when the surgeon said that, off the back of his third cruciate operation in January, it was salvageable if he really wanted.

Right now, he doesnt. Time might change that.

It's not what's behind the red door that counts any more.

Every day is recovery of the mind, not just the knee.

A healthy, happy, rejuvenated Oran Sludden, hopping out of his bed in the morning again, is what matters.

Originally posted here:

Learning to live without football - The Irish News