Monthly Archives: May 2022

Viridian Therapeutics to Report First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on May 12, – Benzinga

Posted: May 3, 2022 at 10:13 pm

WALTHAM, Mass., May 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. VRDN, a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases underserved by current therapies, today announced it will report its financial results from the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, after the financial markets close onThursday, May 12, 2022.

The Company's management team is scheduled to host a conference call at4:30 p.m. ETonThursday, May 12, 2022. To access the call, please dial 1-877-270-2148 in theU.S.or 1-412-902-6510 outside theU.S.and ask for the Viridian call. To access the live webcast, please visit the "Events" page in the Investors section of the Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. website. Following the live webcast, an archived version of the call will be available on the website.

Thursday,May 12@4:30 p.m. ET

About Viridian Therapeutics

Viridian Therapeuticsis a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases but underserved by today's therapies. Viridian's most advanced program, VRDN-001, is a differentiated monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), a clinically and commercially validated target for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED). Viridian's second product candidate, VRDN-002, is a distinct anti-IGF-1R antibody that incorporates half-life extension technology and is designed to support administration as a convenient, low-volume, subcutaneous injection.TED is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fibrosis within the orbit of the eye which can cause double vision, pain, and potential blindness. Patients with severe disease often require multiple remedial surgeries to the orbit, eye muscles and eyelids. Viridian is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Investor and Media Contact:John JordanViridian TherapeuticsVice President, Investor Relations& Corporate Communications617-272-4691IR@viridiantherapeutics.com

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Viridian Therapeutics to Report First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on May 12, - Benzinga

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Achilles, Lister & Jesse Lee Thetford Link For New Take On Trance Classic As The Rush Comes’ – CULTR

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Taking on a trance classic is no easy feat, but for Australian producers Achilles and Lister, theyve taken it in their stride and given the iconic anthem a fresh new spin, with help from US based vocalist Jesse Lee Thetford.

As The Rush Comes, was originally released in 2003 by Motorcycle (trance duo Gabriel & Dresden with vocalist Jes) and was a sure fire hit within the dance music world and beyond, with the original track still receiving attention today, almost 20 years on.

Achilles and Lister inject a vibrant and hard hitting feel into the classic anthem, managing to hold onto the lively, uplifting nature of the original, whilst subsequently polishing the record with their own flavor. Starting off with a hard hitting main room trance drop that perfectly complements Jessies vocal, the break is the zenith of the track, as it builds with the vocal and travels into a goosebump-inducing lead and future rave-esque final drop, resulting in a grand, climactic close.

Achilles and Lister, both being in Melbourne, saw their similarities and passion when it came to music and immediately got working. As The Rush Comes is just the first of many records the talented pair have cooked up in the studio. Between the artists, theyve recently been supported by the likes of Hardwell, Tisto, Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, W&W and Afrojack.

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Achilles, Lister & Jesse Lee Thetford Link For New Take On Trance Classic As The Rush Comes' - CULTR

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Lessons of Trump’s Unknown 1st TV Project – The Washington Spectator

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Is it still acceptable to be fixated on Donald Trumps iron grip on millions of Americans? While most people seem to have moved on, Id argue that getting to a true understanding of his appeal is still of vital interest. Indeed, peoples lives may depend on it. Election officials continue to receive death threats for challenging his election lies. A large-scale violent insurrection appears plausible if he loses again in 2024.

We should not buy into simplistic explanations like Theyre all racists or He starred in a hit reality TV show. Something much more profound is at work. One half of the country perceives Trump to be an incompetent and psychologically troubled man of dubious achievements. The other half sees him as the only human being on the planet who could ever solve their problems. Many of these appear ready to kill and die for him.

To understand this astonishing perceptual divide, we need to revisit what we think we know about television as a medium. When we talk about reality TV, we owe it to ourselves to investigate our conceptions of reality and TV, both of which have evolved significantly in the last decade or so. Trumps impact on television audiences is related to profound changes in the medium itself. These changes have occurred slowly enough to escape serious notice by people who want to understand how a talented performer like Trump can gain such influence over people. While television is not the only factor that explains Trumps grip on his supporters, it is arguably the most important, especially when assessing his early popularity with voters.

The roots of todays competing realities lie in the evolution of reality television itself and its effects on viewers brains. This is a story that starts in the early 1960s; a story I participated in as my career progressed from producing made-for-TV movies to serving as Social Software Evangelist at IBM.

In the summer of 1960, the French filmmaker Jean Rouch, who had spent the previous decade making documentaries about African tribes, took his portable clair Cameflex 16-millimeter movie camera out onto the streets of Paris to interview real people in their daily lives. The resulting film, Chronique dun t (Chronicle of a Summer) was both a technical and artistic breakthrough. The equipment was revolutionary. No sound camera had ever been so portable. Also revolutionary was the idea of making a movie about regular people just casually talking about the issues of the day, such as the French colonial war in Algeria. It was one of the first cinema verit films.

The whole purpose of cinema verit was to be real. The filmmaker would always have a point of view, and there is no such thing as true objectivity, but the goal was to record reality as it was, with as little interference as possible.

This cinema of truth or observational cinema existed mostly in the realms of public television and art house documentaries, with a few breakouts like Michael Wadleighs Woodstock and PBSs An American Family achieving popular success. At the same time, the verit technique was establishing itself in the mind of the audience as a window onto reality. The effect emerged mostly from the use of the verit style in television news, with portable cameras bringing us film at 11. This perception, that informal filming of real people reflected reality, would have major implications for television as a mediumand also, as we would later discover, politics.

My involvement with verit came 25 years after Jean Rouch hit the streets of Paris with his clair camera. After studying with some of cinema verits most celebrated practitioners, I took a job in primetime television. My mentor was Edgar Scherick, the fiery-tempered former president of ABC. In the 1950s, Edgar had created The Wide World of Sports. He went on to produce dozens of television movies and feature films like The Stepford Wives and The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. Later, hed brought an unknown 19-year-old New York casting director named Scott Rudin to Hollywood.

By 1988, when I joined his production company as a cigar-fetching assistant, Schericks main gig was dramatizing true stories as made-for-TV movies. This was a format that, in retrospect, was a bridge between traditional, completely fictitious television and what we now consider reality TV.

Though now extinct, the true crime movie of the week was a reliable source of high ratings in the 1980s and early 90s. Every network made it a staple of their programming schedules. No one could adequately explain why the audience was so hungry for true crime docudramas. One theory, which I am skeptical of, was that people tended to feel guilty about watching TV, so they rationalized consuming endless gore and dramatizations of depraved behavior with the excuse that they were informing themselves about the news of the world.

I suspect audiences were actually getting trained to view docudramas as inherently true. The barrier between reality and fiction, what I would call the fifth wall of onscreen programming, was beginning to crumble. Most films and TV shows respect the three walls of the stage set, with the fourth wall functioning as an invisible barrier between the camera and the action. Sometimes, an actor will break the fourth wall and speak directly to the camera. This is common in reality TV, but more and more, as time went on, the fifth wall also began to deteriorate.

Probably the first serious erosion of the fifth wall came in 1989 as the cinema verit genre enjoyed its first major primetime hit with Cops, on the Fox Network. Scherick worked on a project with the producers of Cops. It was in this context that I learned Cops was betraying cinema verits most sacred rule of not interfering in the subjects life.

This bothered me, though its hilarious in retrospect that I was upset that Cops was staging confrontations between real people to get tape of entertaining arguments. What did I expect? This was hardly the Cinmathque Franaise. This was TV, produced for commercial entertainment and beholden to no rules about telling the truth.

The problem was that Cops looked like pure, unaltered real life. The audience got to ride along in cop cars and see the police at home with their families. The audience learned that an exciting TV show could be about real people, taped living their everyday lives. The show was trading on the belief that unposed, poorly lit and seemingly unscripted video reflected real life. It had the film at 11 look, so it had to be true, right?

I dont mean to imply that TV viewers are so ignorant that they cant tell the difference between fiction and reality. Subsequent reality programming has been transparently fake, with ordinary people set in highly contrived and obviously scripted scenarios. Its called scripted reality programming, an oxymoron that bothers no one. The audience today knows it is watching real people staging fake scenes. At the level of brain function, however, the distinction has been blurred.

This insight is critical if you want to understand Trumps power over his audience, especially early in his rise. If youve ever felt dizzy watching a car chase scene, youll understand that our brains tend to process events on a screen as if they were really happening to us. This is a well-documented neurological phenomenon. Jean Rouch called it the cin trance a state of mind where your brain is in the scene youre watching. You really are there, walking with him on the streets of Paris in 1960.

The verit trend in reality television also eroded the boundaries of exploitation and voyeurism in the medium. Watching dramatizations of true crime stories whetted the audiences appetite for voyeuristic glimpses through the curtains of their unfortunate neighbors. The reality TV movement served the main dish: a voyeuristic spectacle of sadism. Americans might have once felt guilty about enjoying a show like The Apprentice, which reveled in humiliating people, or American Idol, which glamorized the abuse of the weak. As the reality trend wore on, audiences were given permission to enjoy others misery as entertainment and protagonists like Trump were given a pass for being ruthless and denigrating. Trump is a true master of this art form.

Rouchs cin trance is a nave notion compared with the immersion in manufactured reality that American TV audiences experience today. News channels are designed to entertain. Theyre bracketed by hours of scripted reality on the programming schedule, and its all punctuated by commercials that feature unreal effects like talking batteries. The cin trance has morphed into a permanent TV trancea state of mental suspension in which the action on screen is perceived as reality, and therefore true, even if the conscious mind is aware that its fictionmade up and manipulative.

The experience of watching TV has also fused with reinforcing technology habits such as Twitter and Facebook. Audience members continuously trigger addictive centers in their minds with integrated loops of television programming and follow-on tweets and social media posts. YouTube and Instagrams ubiquitous mobile phone videos compound the effect. Were addicted to media stars we know are fake but neurochemically perceive to be real.

Trump was a force in this trend, as well as one of its main beneficiaries, as are Oprah, The Rock, and other fantasy presidential candidates who present fictional projections of themselves in the media. By 1990, Trump had become interested in being on television. Having gone bankrupt from the failure of his Atlantic City casinos, with creditors and law enforcement nipping at his heels, he needed a new way to make money. It was time for him to become rich by being famous, as he could no longer get famous from being rich.

Trumps attorneys reached out to Scherick, then one of the highest-profile go to people in the industry, and struck a deal for one of Donald Trumps first TV projects. It was to be called Trump Tower, a nighttime soap opera on NBC pitched as Dynasty meets the Algonquin Round Table.

We hired Clare Labine, co-creator of Ryans Hope, to write the pilot, which would take the form of a four-hour miniseries. The idea was to present a byzantine melodrama among sophisticated New Yorkers who lived in Trump Tower: major artists, prominent authors, tycoons...all sleeping with each other while hatching diabolical plots of sadistic revenge and schadenfreude for past betrayals.

In the background would be Donald Trump, playing a fictitious character named Donald Trump. He would be Donald Trump, the well-known real estate magnate, but with his lines written for him. He was envisioned as a sort of quiet Machiavellian character, moving the chess pieces of peoples lives around without their knowing it.

After the project began, Scherick got another call from Trumps lawyers. There was an actress named Marla Maples who would need to have a role in the series. The mistress, Edgar had murmuredThe lawyers hadnt said it out loud, but their intent was clear.

The show never got on the air, but from the perspective of 2022, its an informative missing link in Trumps biography. He later landed a hit with The Apprentice, which again featured him playing a fictional version of himself. This characterization of Donald Trump was of a powerful, decisive, and competent leader, a father figure who always knew the right thing to dodemonstrably the opposite of his true nature.

This is the Donald Trump his supporters admire. His characterization on The Apprentice differentiates him from other political figures who perform well on TV but simply cannot muster the audience buy-in that Trump easily commands. Its entirely a false persona, but the audience was never fully clued in on how much of the show was fabricated versus how much of it was real. And given the TV trance that had taken effect, it apparently didnt matter. People loved the show. They loved Trump and the tough, can-do character he played. Whatever their rational minds might have told them, their brain chemistry had them solidly believing he was the resolute, infallible master of their collective destiny. He was real, in their brains, even if they knew he was not. And he delivered the delicious helpings of sadistic voyeurism the audience so craved.

We know what happened next. Today, the country confronts a politician whose base thinks he can do no wrong. I suspect that they are to a large degree in the grip of the TV trance. Their deep brain functions are convinced that Donald Trump, the fictional TV character, is a real person with immense, unique powers, despite what observable reality might tell them.

As to what should happen now, I dont have any clever ideas. I do think that if there is to be any effective movement against Trump, it should consider the brain connection he has with his television audiences. Screaming youre a racist at his followers is not the answer. Instead, it might be more useful to engage and explore why they feel hes real in their hearts while they know hes not real in their heads. Such an approach would at least be moving along a path to the truth and to deconstructing the paradox of Trumps verit.

Hugh Taylor is a technology analyst and author of the book Digital Downfall: Technology, Cyberattacks and the End of the American Republic. Prior to working in the tech field, Hugh was a script development executive in primetime television.He studied filmmaking at Harvard University.

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Paul Oakenfold: I’ve always been about trying to push the boundaries – We Rave You

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Paul Oakenfold recaps his career and the changes in the industry on The Spout PodcastLegendary Paul Oakenfold spoke to The Spout Podcast about his early career and said being challenged by the film industry was a real moment for me.

Paul Oakenfold is one of the most mythical figures in electronic music in the UK and the rest of the world. The three-time Grammy-winner is one of the most relevant players in trance and although he was part of the early chapters of the industry, today he continues to make his mark in the art that he seeks to preserve. Maybe none of this information is news to you, but did you know that it was the movie industry that helped Oakenfolds career to prosper? It was about this, and more, that the legendary artist spoke on The Spout Podcast.

The Spout Podcast is a weekly show where famous people talk about what made them famous and their passions beyond music. Its meaningful conversations that give you close access to the lives and careers of your favourite artists. The Spout Podcast is distributed to every major podcast platform, including Spotify, Google, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts. Paul Oakenfold was one of the most recent guests on the podcast and spoke with host Nick Major about his career, his new album and how he embraces the changes in the industry.

The music industry is where he belongs and where he has built an incredible career as a DJ, producer and trendsetter in dance music. However, the first steps were taken in the movie industry but not as an actor, make no mistake. Paul Oakenfold was challenged to write a song for a film that didnt exist yet and the result was the big hit Ready. Steady, Go which ran in the movies and was part of his debut album Bunkka in 2002:

Its a real moment for me () I was like, let me see if I can come up with an idea that works for a trailer, a film because Im a fan of films. So much so, that song appeared in Bourne Identity. I did a reworking of it for CollateralIts still being played now, and then it was in commercials. It was one of those songs. It just connected and happened.

In this interview, Paul Oakenfold also spoke about his recent album Shine On and how the pandemic turned out to be an opportunity for the British artist to complement his career with another brilliant piece of work. Prior to the pandemic creating in the studio was an almost impossible challenge, but the opportunity came out of the lockdowns:

Theres something positive that you can take from COVID because it was tough for all of us. And for me, it was time I had time to be in the studio to focus and work, and really think because there was nothing else to do.

Oakenfold also revealed some very interesting details about why he called his new album Shine On and much more, If you want to find out all of this, listen to the full interview below.

Paul Oakenfolds career is transverse to the analogue and the digital. The legendary artist has seen major changes in the industry in the last four decades, especially those related to technology. Oakenfold embraces the changes, always defending the importance of keeping the DJ art form alive. Beyond the technological revolution, he supports emerging artists, bringing many of them to his record label. But while change is necessary, one must be careful not to distort the industry:

I think youve got to embrace change. First of all, change is around us every day. Generally, we like to be in our comfort zones and we dont like change. You dont always like whats coming at you, especially technology was, I mean, the true art of DJ, and I always say to the young DJs who are signed producers or who I signed to my label that they really should go out and experience and see some of the greatest DJs out there.

Paul Oakenfold further adds that:

Ive always been about trying to push the boundaries. We can take the music out of the traditional setup. It doesnt just have to live in nightclubs.

Travel back in time with the legendary trance master as Paul Oakenfold recaps his sparkling career here below:

Paul Oakenfold (Press / via Insomniac)

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Our 10 favourite new vinyl releases this week – The Vinyl Factory

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Santiago jazz, proto trance, and a spot of psychedelia.

This weeks rundown is by VFs Will Pritchard, alongside Alice Whittington, Annabelle Van Dort, Emily Hill, and James Hammond.

(Subtext Recordings)

Buy

Marking something of a departure from KMRUs soft soothing outings (see Peel or Jar), this sinewy three-tracker, in collaboration with French sound designer Aho Ssan, leans in a more brutal, even confrontational direction: industrial shimmers, scratchy synths, and a heavy undertow are the order here. Its tense, densely emotive, and utterly absorbing. WP

(Dead Oceans)

Buy

On his seventh album under his Toro y Moi moniker, multi-instrumentalist Chaz Bear trades the ambient electronic explorations of his early records for full-blown psychedelia. In interviews, Bear has spoken about his desire to create a psychedelic record that paints a timeless picture for everyone. Though undoubtedly ambitious, Mahal stands as a realisation of this vision. He sets out his stall on opener The Medium, as the growls of a car engine reverberate with an anticipatory energy and distorted twangs of electric guitar and glimmering Rhodes keys blur into a heady, kaleidoscopic haze. This careful balance of innovation and pastiche continues throughout, as Bear crafts an aural collage of modern psychedelia while retaining that distinctive Toro y Moi flair. AVD

(Timedance)

Buy

Timedance head honcho Batu engages his melodic muscle on this, his debut LP. Breathy vocals and ethereal pads are deployed alongside the immaculate drum punctuation thats made his club sets over the years such a draw, and on tracks like Eolith and Emulsion Of Light organic field sounds and instrumentation take centre stage. This is an expansive, impressive offering from a producer whose sound continues to grow in distinction and singularity. WP

(Blue Note)

Buy

Having honed her craft playing in Santiagos jazz clubs as a teenager, Melissa Aldana, the hugely talented Chilean saxophonist and composer, has joined the legendary Blue Note label. 12 Stars, with its name inspired by tarot reading, explores Aldanas relationship with herself and her gradual acceptance of life-changing events in the last two years. From the recent riots in Chile, to break-ups, and a love letter to an imagined child of hers, its expressed through Aldanas incredible mastery of the saxophone and band leadership. AW

(FXHE)

Buy

Omar S returns with a surprise new album, Cant Change, released via his own FXHE label. On his first album since 2020s Simply (Fuck Resident Advisor), the legendary Detroit DJ and producer is as enigmatic as ever, shifting effortlessly between genres and styles, warping conventions in his wake. From the uplifting gospel house of Start This Over Again, through the disjointed Bmore of Bend Who and high energy ballroom Miss Hunnnay, Cant Change is both a playful and highly disciplined homage to contemporary dancefloor sounds further cementing Omar S as one of electronic musics most uncompromising auteurs. AVD

(Beyond Electronix)

Buy

Beyond Electronix snap up two tracks from a couple of the drumnbass scenes most in-demand acts. Known for both their inventive output and prowess behind the decks, Tim Reaper and Dwarde step up with two high-octane drum stompers. Sweeping liquid synths slide alongside classic breaks for Dwardes Not Afraid, while Reaper experiments with the jungle formula, darting between driving percussion and supple soundscapes. EH

(First Light Records)

Buy

Flora Yin Wong takes a heady amount of Welsh mysticism and mythology as the spark for a transportive collection of spectral field recordings and electronics on this four-track EP. As with her 2020 debut LP, Holy Palm, space and place are at the fore of this work but as the product of an artistic residency in Machynlleth, North Wales, the focus here is more singular. Keeping an abstract lens on the history, folklore and listening environment of Machynlleth, The Sacrifice unveils layers of sound within its field recordings, and isnt afraid to turn up the heat and scorch some of its darkened hues. JH

(Strut)

Buy

With a career spanning more than 60 years, iconic Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim reminds us of her prowess as she returns with a brand new studio album featuring fellow luminaries such as Jos Neto and her longtime husband Airto Moreira. The album crosses between jazz fusion, classic Latin rhythms, blues and even a little electronica, and fresh compositions find themselves mingling among modern interpretations of some of her greatest songs. Favourite track: Dandara, for that smooth bossanova hit with its satisfyingly harmonised vocals. AW

(Safe Trip)

Buy

Proto-trance fans have been waiting on the edge of their seats for the second instalment of Young Marcos Early Transmissions compilation on his heralded Safe Trip imprint. The latest edition dives deeper into the heady sounds that form the trance genres foundation, casting a wide net and connecting the dots between interconnected styles. Including works from the early portfolio of Sven Vth through to the euphoric stylings of The Moody Boyz and beyond, its an exciting and epic voyage for those dedicated to the sound of trance. EH

(Vampisoul)

Buy

Leading on from their reissue of Bem Vinda Amizade, Vampisoul return with another blast from Jorge Bens early 80s assimilation of samba, funk, disco, and boogie thats packed with ebullient grooves and some neat reworkings of some of his biggest hits. Known for the porous boundaries of his work from embraces of rock and R&B in the late 60s, experimentation in the 70s, and other cross pollinations throughout his career 1983s DDIVA keeps its dancefloor-moving intentions clear from the outset. JH

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‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is Extravagant, Messy, and Over-the-Top Crazy – TIME

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Even though Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are now generally made by either big-name directors or young upstarts with an indie hit under their belt, its still hard to discern auteurist fingerprints on any given project. The action scenes always have a directed-by-committee feel, because they basically are: you need serious technicians to orchestrate all those characters flying to and fro, opening portals into new worlds with their laser eyes, or with lightning bolts jabbing forth from their fingertips, or with a can opener, a leaf blower, whatever theyve got handy. Still, there are good reasons for terrific directors to take on these movies, which are the same reasons so many actors want to be in them: theyre the chief currency of the culture right now, and if an artists goal to is to reach people with a work of the imaginationeven if that vision is essentially run through a Play Doh Pumper before it reaches the screenwho wants to be left out?

The best thing you can say about the moderately entertaining, if predictably excessive, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is that if you squint and concentrate really hard, you can tell its a Sam Raimi movie. (The script is by Michael Waldron, the writer-producer behind the Loki TV series.) Theres a scrappy, gifted junior heroine who doesnt yet know how to control her powers: her name is America Chavezshes played by Xochitl Gomez, of the recent iteration of The Baby-Sitters Cluband she wears a jean jacket printed with faded stars. Every time a character utters a line like Weve got to save America! everyone in the audience, regardless of political persuasion, can agree. Still, as over-obvious metaphors go, shes a good one, a representative of democratic principles in sneakers and a ponytail.

Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

And even in the midst of its typically (for Marvel movies) convoluted plot, The Multiverse of Madness has a Raimi-like sense of bleak humor: Dr. Stephen Strange, a flawed superhero who often does the wrong thing for the right reasons, is again played, as in the 2016 movie preceding this one, by Benedict Cumberbatch. Again, he plays the character with one eyebrow perpetually arched, as it should be. This time, our surgeon-turned-superhero learnsfrom an encounter with America, whom he must save from a massive one eyed-octopus who has dropped from nowhere onto the streets of New Yorkthat theres not just one universe, the one we currently live in, but many. Who knew? Thusly, there are many different iterations of Doctor Strange, all of them decked out in the trademark sentient red cloak, but not all of them nice. In the universe in which The Multiverse of Madness opens, Stephen Strange must watch his sometime girlfriend, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), walk down the aisle to marry another guy. With his acerbic temperament, and his unwieldy ambitions, hes lost her. Maybe, in another universe, he can get her back?

Thats not the chief preoccupation of Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, but it sets the stage for the movies best scenes, the ones in which Cumberbatch and McAdams, both charming and perceptive performers, get to interact with one another as human beings rather than as place markers in front of a green screen. Their finest moment occurs late in the film, a moment of bittersweet romantic reckoning for both of them. But before that, there is much trouble caused by a grim little objet called The Dark Hold, a.k.a. The Book of the Damnedyou know this thing is no darn good. Apparently, Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), the semi-villainous incarnation of mom and homemaker Wanda Maximoff, has gotten a hold of it and is attempting to use it to control every possible universe, so as to preserve the one in which her two young sons are still alive. Like those moms who spontaneously gain superhuman strength to lift 10-ton trucks off their toddlers, her motto is Im not a monster, Im a mother.

Both domineering and seductive, Scarlet Witchwho spends part of her time trance-floating in the Lotus positionis using a forbidden technique known as Dreamwalking to further her aims, and she must be stopped. The usual. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange faces off against numerous adversaries, like his old nemesis Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and another who shall not be named. In the movies most exquisite, inventive action scene, these two pluck glowing musical notes from the air and hurl them at one another; minims, crotchets, and semiquavers zing back and forth like Ninja stars. Now and then, reigning Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) shows up with a dry wisecrack, but the movie could use more of him.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios' DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Because not even a Sam Raimi Marvel movie can be an actual Sam Raimi movie, in which all the available tools are used to best advantage. The tools arent the problem; its the requirements for using them, which are limiting to any director. Raimis long and robust resume includes three more-or-less delightful Spider-Man movies, a spicy western starring Sharon Stone (The Quick and the Dead), and the justly legendary zombie movie Evil Dead (1981), which has spawned several sequels and a remake. Among Raimis numerous gifts as a filmmaker is his sardonic touch, though he never gives in to empty cynicism. That vibe, at least, permeates this Doctor Strange, even if most of the actionextravagant, messy, so over-the-top crazy that it ceases to be amazingis business as usual in the Marvel world.

The studio behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse, Disney, has strongly cautioned those writing about the film against revealing spoilers, cameos, character developments and detailed story points, with the aim of giving audiences around the world the opportunity to enjoy their movies to the fullest, as opposed to just enjoying them moderately, which wouldnt do at all. At the risk of angering the dark overlords who rule every conceivable universe, and even some inconceivable onesIm talking more about Marvel fans here than I am DisneyI shall reveal to you, with the imperious solemnity of Scarlet Witch meditating upon her invisible cushion, that one of these secret cameos belongs to Bruce Campbell. Those who know know. Everybody else is living in another universe, presumably the wrong one.

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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Is Extravagant, Messy, and Over-the-Top Crazy - TIME

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Darren Tate and Above & Beyond’s Jono Grant unite for new project JODA – We Rave You

Posted: at 10:11 pm

Jono Grant & Darren Tate team up for new JODA projectActing as two of the most influential acts within the dance scene, Jono Grant and Darren Tate have joined forces once more, as they bring to life a brand new and fresh project, entitled JODA. Debuting on Anjunabeats, We Find Ourselves marks the beginning to something special.

Bringing fresh new energy to the table, Jono Grant and Darren Tate have teamed up for a musical project like no other, entitled JODA. Having impacted the dance scene in more ways than none, both when venturing together, and of course in their solo endeavors, this latest pairing is one for the history books, as fans alike are more than set on embarking on the the most thrilling of journeys, courtesy of our scenes most influential of acts. Best known as one third of Above & Beyond, Grant has left a lasting impact as part of one of the biggest electronic groups, whilst Tate has been elevating trance music through a variation of projects during his prosperous career.

Having blessed us all back in 2003 with their joint venture(s), tracks such as Let The Light Shine In and Nocturnal Creatures, act as a clear indicator of what we should be expecting now that JODA has been brought to life, with this project more than set on leaving a lasting legacy of its own. With their musical chemistry proven on numerous occasion(s), it only makes sense that both of these legendary acts would be joining forces, and in turn, writing yet another golden chapter for not only themselves and their personal careers, but also for the dance industry as whole. Hitting the studio during the early days of the pandemic, the JODA project was well and truly in the works, with Grant stating the following on the main inspiration behind their reunion;

Darren had the idea of using the Arp Odyssey for the bass sound and it sounds very retro. We were listening to stuff like the Drive soundtrack by Kavinsky. So the tempo of the track actually comes from that style of music. We wouldnt have ended up at 110 BPM if it wasnt for listening to that kind of music.

Recently, Darren Tate also participated in our recent We Rave You Classic Mix Marathon series, and you can replay his unforgettable set below.

Debuting their project in the most spectacular of fashions, the pair have released a brand new track on Above & Beyonds very own label, Anjunabeats, as We Find Ourselves, is the beginning to something more than special. Be sure to check out this certified hit in all its glory below, and we will most definitely be keeping a close eye on the JODA project and all the future endeavors that await. Enjoy!

Image Credit: Above & Beyond (via Instagram)

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Darren Tate and Above & Beyond's Jono Grant unite for new project JODA - We Rave You

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What does Walmart do for local communities?

Posted: at 10:10 pm

Walmarts approximately 2.3 million associates live and work in local communities around the world. Strong, vibrant towns and cities that provide convenient access to healthier food, stable jobs and support in times of disasters are essential to building strong local economies. Over the years, Walmart has been intentional about leveraging our strengths, associates and other resources to build resiliency in communities.

Through collaboration and philanthropic funding, were working to strengthen the charitable meals system, provide emergency relief in the face of disasters, and support more than 10,000 communities our stores, clubs and facilities serve.

In FY21, total global cash and in-kind donations from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation was $1.4 billion, including $43 million to support our COVID-19 response.

Walmart has a long history of stepping up in times of disaster to help communities with relief and recovery. Since 2016, Walmart, Sams Club and the Walmart Foundation have provided more than $108 million in cash and in-kind donations to support community preparedness and relief efforts for disasters including COVID-19. Additionally, during the same time period, we have raised $44 million in donations from customers to support hurricane relief. In FY21 alone, $50 million was dedicated to disaster recovery and preparedness.

We aim to strengthen the health of our communities, not only by providing products, services and jobs through our retail business, but also by facilitating associate volunteerism, local donations through stores and customers, and support for diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community cleanup projects. In FY21, our stores and clubs provided $43 million in local grants. Examples include donating truckloads of supplies to hospitals, donating tablets to a senior living facility to allow family communication during quarantine and providing Chromebooks to schools to support distance learning.

Additionally, we recently announced an initiative called Walmart Rise, which is a new way for us to support our neighborhoods. To kick it off, we gave an additional $5,000 to every Walmart store and distribution center nationwide in 2019 about $23 million total. This initiative empowers associates and customers locally to connect with non-profits and support them in a range of ways such as: Walmart store/club/DC grants and in-kind donations; non-profit charitable gift registries on Walmart.com; matching funds for associate volunteerism and giving; fundraising campaigns in our stores and eCommerce; matching grants from Walmart or the Walmart Foundation; and by providing Walmart space such as store entrances for use by non-profits.

Lastly, we know that hunger is a reality for many families around the world. In 2010, we made our first public commitment to fight hunger. Since FY2015, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have funded nutrition education programs reaching 4 million people, a milestone achieved in 2019. Building on this milestone, in FY2021 alone, the Walmart Foundation provided additional funding to reach over 500,000 people with nutrition education. In FY21, Walmart stores, clubs, and distribution centers in the U.S. donated more than 627 million pounds of food, 66 percent of which was fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats. This work is done in collaboration with groups like Feeding America and local food banks. In 2020 alone, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed more than $13 million in grants to support Feeding America.

Learn more about Walmart.orgs community programs.

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What does Walmart do for local communities?

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Statement of recognition and pursuit of reconciliation for Vermont’s Abenaki People – Vermont Biz

Posted: at 10:10 pm

Vermont Business Magazine On April 29, 2022, Governor Phil Scott released a proclamation recognizing the first week of May as Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week. The Vermont Department of Mental Health recognizes that celebrating identity through culture is a vital part of mental well-being.

For thousands of years, the Abenaki people have lived on the land that we now occupy. Through their resilience and strength, they have worked through losses, and hardships. Accessing culturally informed mental health services continues to be a challenge today.

The Department of Mental Health would like to highlight the importance of establishing working relationships with the Missisquoi, Nulhegan, Koas, and Elnu Tribes, as well as intertribal organizations such as the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center, the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, and the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs.

Active engagement between the department and Abenaki Leadership will facilitate work to help address the mental health needs of these communities. The Department hopes that, through ongoing conversations, intentional services and supports, and inclusion in new projects, the process of repairing damage to Abenaki communities will continue.

More work is needed to create space for all Vermonters, especially those who are most vulnerable. Acknowledging the needs of high-risk groups is an essential part of addressing mental health needs across the state. Explicit recognition of Abenaki identity and culture is a critical aspect of overall wellness.

The department will work to continue recognizing and meeting the needs of our Abenaki neighbors.

Waterbury, Vt. Governor

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Statement of recognition and pursuit of reconciliation for Vermont's Abenaki People - Vermont Biz

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Cantine’s Island and the Hudson Valleys CoHousing Movement – Chronogram

Posted: at 10:10 pm

By consensus, Friday evenings on Cantines Island are a jolly affair. Each week, from 5 to 6 pm, residents of the cohousing community gather for happy hourone of many regular get-togethers designed to strengthen the bonds of this flourishing intentional community which is one part lifestyle, one part old-fashioned neighborhood. Sharing almost 10 quiet acres enveloped by a meander of the Esopus Creek, the communitys 19 privately owned homes, as well as commonly owned outbuildings and green spaces, were designed to strike a balance between privacy and interconnection.

Attending the weekly gathering isnt mandatory, but it is enticing. On a recent mild spring evening, the variety of the communitys residents, and the deep bonds theyve formed over years of building their thriving cooperative neighborhood, are on full display. OG retirees, some of them residents since the association first broke ground on the site in 1997, gather around a table on the propertys common patio. Children take advantage of the warm spring weather, setting up a ping-pong table or playing on the central green space ringed by 12 of the original single-family homes. Other children dart into the communitys six acres of preserved woodlands. A few parents play with the children, while others take a break to socialize with their neighbors.

Its also the site for the multiple committee meetings it takes to run this community harmoniously. Cohousing is not a commune, says Dorothy Lagana, the chairperson of Cantine Islands community living committee. We sharebut not in everything. We are also not a spiritual or eco-village, though we do work as a community to make decisions in line with caring for the future. The modern cohousing movement began in Denmark in the 1960s and eventually spread to the United States where its estimated there are now more than 160 communities. While there are multiple models for this lifestyle, typically, members own their own homes and share ownership of common buildings and resources according to their location and needs. Cantines Island is legally structured as a homeowners association and along with the common house, green, and nature preserve, residents also share a garden, a parking lot, certain large appliances such as lawnmowers and a communal washer-dryer, as well as a beach along the Esopus, and a resident boathouse with shared kayaks and canoes.

One thing it doesnt have is a president or board. Rather, the community is committed to governing through consensus and members participate in committees overseeing everything from architectural changes to site maintenance to, even, parenting in the community. While there are some official requirements to become a new member, it seems the number one unofficial requirement is a combination of patience and compromise. More than anything, we trust each other, explains Peter Poccia, one of the groups founding members. If we voted on something and I win the vote, but my neighbor losses, Id be happy and my neighbor would be unhappy. But wed still have to live together. Its worth the time it takes to find solutions that work for everybody.

Finding Fellow Travelers

Formed a year ago, their exploratory group has been delving into ways cohousing can become a more prevalent reality in the Hudson Valley. Right now, the group meets regularly on Zoom to discuss issues surrounding the movement and to get the word out to others who may be curious about living in an intentional community. They also regularly visit other cohousing communities throughout the Northeast. In the end, its really about the journey, explains Cohen. Its not for the faint of heart. However, through the process of coming together, figuring out what the structures will look like, facing the obstacles and weathering the ups and downs of the process actually forges the community required to see it through. Its almost necessary to the process.

How it Started

Murphy and Poccia often travelled to the Hudson Valley as members of the Clearwater committee and already loved the area. In 1990, on one of their trips upstate, they saw a classified notice about a Saugerties based cohousing community that was forming. The sites 10 acres had been donated to the group with the provision that the creekside area would remain preserved land and could never be sold piecemeal. Poccia and Murphy attended a meeting and went to see the site. I was like, bingo! There it is!, she says. I realized this is what I needed to do for myself and my husband agreed. The couple bought a car and came up every other weekend to attend meetings.

It actually took seven years, she says. In that time, other members came and went, but Murphy and Poccia remained. With an eye toward sustainability, the community eventually decided on building 12 modular homes and a common house, all designed to blend in with the surrounding environment. Working with architect Raym de Ris, each structure was carefully planned to balance the needs of the family with the whole ethos of the shared property. Just around 1,000 square feet, Murphy and Poccias home includes an open-concept living room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor as well as a guest room. The couples large primary bedroom, bathroom, and ample closet space are upstairs. Eventually, the community expanded, buying two adjacent properties, renovating one home and building others for a total of 19.

How Its Going

Eventually Novak left the house and brought her son, now 12, to one of the communitys weekly dinners. As soon as she walked in the door, arms went up asking to hold her baby, offering to give her a break. It was really like the angels started singing, she says. As a new mother, I never felt isolated or alone. Over the years, as a working parent, the benefit of having weekly shared meals has helped Novak balance the modern-day dilemma of having both a family and a career. Learning to work with other parents to compromise when parenting styles clash has deepened her compassion for her neighbors and different ways of thinking in general. Living here has spurred both great personal and professional development, she says.

Novak believes learning to live in the community has been a blessing for her children as well. Not only do her children have the benefits of friends to grow up alongside, she loves watching the cross-generational relationships that evolve between the children and the founding residents. They have older neighbors to learn skills from and to take care of, says Novak. My 10-year-old routinely takes in groceries for an older neighbor and also does random chores for another. They benefit from being around others and learning how to give back to others.

In this busy life, its so nice to have community right outside your door, she adds. Its like an old neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, works and plays together, learns from each other, and cares for each other.

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Cantine's Island and the Hudson Valleys CoHousing Movement - Chronogram

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