Monthly Archives: May 2022

Events in partnership with Dr. Opal Lee the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" and Hope & Wonder Juneteenth Capsule Collection Will Benefit Unity Unlimited

LEWISVILLE, Texas, May 23, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JCPenney today unveils a multipoint celebration of Juneteenth honoring Dr. Opal Lee - the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" - and affirming the company's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivitya tradition that hails back to the companys earliest days. Founded on the principle of The Golden Rule, JCPenney continues its emphasis on serving communities and diverse, working American families. For Juneteenth, JCPenney will put that mission into action with a mix of events, products and philanthropic commitments to honor the holiday and benefit the work of Dr. Opal Lee in Fort Worth and across the country.

"We are so honored to celebrate Juneteenth with special events and a new Hope & Wonder collection that allows us to give back and help Opal Lee spread her message of freedom and unity," says Val Harris, senior vice president, design, brand management and trend at JCPenney. "These efforts are the result of creative collaboration across many parts of the organization and JCPenney is so pleased to come together to honor this moment."

JCPenney has announced several initiatives to mark this years Juneteenth. Events to commemorate Juneteenth kicked off on May 17 with a virtual event featuring Opal Lee herself called, "Walking for Freedom: A Juneteenth Discussion with Dr. Opal Lee." The conversation reflected on the significance of Juneteenth and its designation as a federal holiday, Dr. Lees ongoing advocacy and community work, and the freedom journey that continues to this day. The broadcast streamed live on Facebook and YouTube and a replay can be viewed here.

On Saturday, June 18, a day before Juneteenth itself (Sunday, June 19), JCPenney will join Dr. Lee in Fort Worth, TX for Opals Walk for Freedom, building on a tradition she began in 2016 with 2.5-mile walks representing the 2.5 years it took Emancipation Proclamation enforcement to reach Texas. Now a nationwide event, Opals Walk for Freedom will be organized by community organizations in select cities across the country. JCPenney will also sponsor a "virtual" Opals Walk with JCPenney associates in other locations who want to join in with a self-directed 2.5-mile walk of their own.

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"JCPenneys Juneteenth Hope & Wonder Collection and national sponsorship of Opals Walk for Freedom speaks volumes about their commitment to diversity and inclusion," said Dione Sims, Executive Director of Unity Unlimited, Inc. the producers of the Walk and granddaughter of Dr. Lee. "Their generous donation will go a long way in supporting our mission to educate the country about the significance of Juneteenth as a national holiday that can bring people together and start the healing of America."

JCPenney will also mark the holiday with the launch of a new Juneteenth collection from Hope & Wonder, a private label brand of collections designed to engage the community in a positive way and bring key cultural and seasonal moments to life. Hope & Wonder is a multifaceted private brand that leverages the Companys national platform to raise awareness, celebrate diversity and uplift our communities. This brand empowers our associates to design and create a product that best represents the moment, play a key role in selecting our nonprofit partners and even participate as models in marketing material. JCPenney donates 100% of net profits from the four cultural moment collections to nonprofit partners; the Juneteenth collection supports Opal's Walk for Freedom, presented by Unity Unlimited.

Introduced in January 2022, Hope & Wonder, a private brand exclusively at JCPenney, is the latest JCPenney initiative designed to make a positive impact on families and communities. In recent months, the Company has announced purpose-driven offerings and programs including the fully inclusive JCPenney Beauty, a shop-in-shop experience featuring products by Black and Brown founders with Thirteen Lune, the Young, Gifted and Black Design Challenge for HBCU students, a long-term charitable partnership with Muhammad Ali Enterprises and Thereabouts, an inclusive brand for kids that celebrates diversity of shapes, sizes, styles, and abilities. JCPenney will continue to be inspired by the uniqueness of its customers to create experiences and products that make a difference.

About JCPenney

JCPenney is the shopping destination for diverse, working American families. With inclusivity at its core, the Companys product assortment meets customers everyday needs and helps them commemorate every special occasion with style, quality and value. JCPenney offers a broad portfolio of fashion, apparel, home, beauty and jewelry from national and private brands and provides personal services including salon, portrait and optical. The Company and its 50,000 associates worldwide serve customers where, when and how they want to shop from jcp.com to more than 650 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

In 2022, JCPenney celebrates 120 years as an iconic American brand by continuing its legacy of connecting with customers through shopping and community engagement. Please visit JCPenneys Newsroom to learn more and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Unity Unlimited

Founded in 2000, Unity Unlimited, Inc. is a non-profit organization that embodies the values and life service of Opal Lee throughout her seven decades as an educator, volunteer, civic leader, civil rights organizer, and national advocate for the Juneteenth National Holiday movement. The organizations main mission is providing educational activities and resources to foster unity and harmony within the community, the city, the state, the nation, and the world regardless of race, culture or denomination. Today, Unity Unlimited operates at the intersection of grass-roots social services, running programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area such as the Ft. Worth Juneteenth celebration, Opals Farm, Your Voice Unleashed musical programming, Secret Santa, and Opals Walk for Freedom (national).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220523005384/en/

Contacts

Nina Quatrino - Corporate Communications, JCPenneyjcpnews@jcp.com

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JCPenney Builds on Long-standing Tradition of Diversity and Inclusion with Juneteenth Celebrations - Yahoo Finance

Dr. Williams Holmes

On the morning of May 17, 2022, Dr. Williams C. "W.C." Holmes Jr. of Fort Smith, AR passed away at 92 years old. Williams was born to Dr. Williams C. Sr. and Mary Philomene Holmes in 1929 in Mobile, AL. He grew up in Foley, AL and later attended St. Stanislaus Catholic Boarding School for Boys in Bay St. Louis, MS. During his time in Bay St Louis, he met the love of his life, Rose Mary Dick. They were married in 1950 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis. Williams studied medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham where he was a member of the DKE fraternity and attended the undergraduate program at University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. He performed his surgical internship under Alton Ochsner, Sr., M.D. in New Orleans, LA. Williams served two years in the United States Air Force at Sheppard ABF in Wichita Falls, TX performing surgery for the duration of his service. Williams and Rose Mary moved their family to Fort Smith in 1964 where he joined the Cooper Clinic medical group. He was a general surgeon with Cooper Clinic and retired from St. Edwards Mercy Medical Center in 1996.

During his time living in Fort Smith Williams was a supporter of education and the arts, and at one time was president of the Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra. In his retirement Williams enjoyed sailing the Atlantic Ocean solo, with friends and family and performing as a charter captain. He enjoyed scuba diving and underwater photography. He was an avid listener of classical music and a fan of college football. He was a devout Catholic and attended mass at Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith, AR where he also served as a eucharistic minister. Williams was a volunteer at the Golden Rule Clothes Closet and a supporter of higher education through the scholarship program at Girls, Inc. He enjoyed swimming and exercise classes at Mercy Fitness Center as well as socializing and playing bingo with his fellow residents and staff at Brookdale Senior Living.

Williams is preceded in death by both parents, Williams and Philomene, his wife Rose Mary, and daughter Amy Schluterman. He is survived by two brothers, James S. Holmes of Slidell, LA and Broox G. Holmes of Mobile, AL; three children, Sibley Holmes-Pennington of Fort Smith, Mark Holmes of Abita Springs, LA, David Holmes of Fort Smith; 6 grandchildren, Desiree Williamson (Anthony), Heather Tarrant (Andy), Clayton Holmes (Victoria), Zachary Schluterman, Dustin Pennington (Renee), Leila Chavez (James); 4 great-grandchildren; Hadlie Schluterman, Kailyn Tarrant, Felix Williamson, Grace Lipham; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation for friends and family will be held on Wednesday, May 25 from 5:30-6:30pm at Edward Funeral Home, 201 N 12th St, Fort Smith, AR, followed by the Rosary at 6:30pm. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, May 26 at 11:00am at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 22 N. 13th St., Fort Smith, AR followed by a funeral procession and interment at Calvary Cemetery. Reception to follow at Immaculate Conception.

Memorial contributions in Dr. W.C. Holmes Jr.'s memory can be made to Immaculate Conception church for mass said in his memory or Girls Inc. of Fort Smith.

To view the online guestbook, please go to http://www.edwardsfuneralhome.com

Posted online on May 23, 2022

Published in Southwest Times Record

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Dr. Williams Holmes Obituary - Times Record - SWTImes

This story is part of CNBC Make It's One-Minute Money Hacks series, which provides easy, straightforward tips and tricks to help you understand your finances and take control of your money.

As summer approaches, you might start looking toward your next vacation, and in some cases, setting your sights on a faraway destination. Roughly 50% of millennials and Gen Z are planning to travel internationally in 2022, according to Expedia's 2022 Travel Value Index outlook.

But whether you are taking a quick weekend trip or jet-setting across the world, the recent rise in inflation might put a damper on your plans.

If you want to maximize your trip budget, the golden rule of travel is typically to plan your trip well ahead of time.

With flights, typically the earlier you book, the more money you'll save. But with hotels or Airbnbs, it can be unclear how far in advance you should reserve a room to get the best deal.

One tip: If you're flexible, willing to wait or simply easy-going with travel planning, you could save on lodging by booking at the last minute. That's right, it can be cheaper to book your next home-away-from-home only days before you leave.

The ideal amount of time to book a hotel room is only 15 days before your trip, according to a 2021 NerdWallet study.

Looking at more than 2,500 hotel room rates between 2019 and 2021, NerdWallet found rates were about 13% cheaper when booked 15 days before compared to four months before.

On average, travelers saved about $30 per night by booking last-minute, which can really add up.

The savings were even higher for luxury hotels: About 22% cheaper when booked 15 days out.

However, if you're traveling to a popular destination or during a busy travel season, you risk not snagging your first-choice hotel. You may get stuck at a hotel further away from your destination the beach, Disney World or a sporting event may be a little harder to get to if you wait too long to book.

But with skyrocketing travel prices, booking your hotel at the right time could mean the difference in how much cash you have in your pocket for the rest of the trip.

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Here's exactly when to book a hotel to get the best deal - CNBC

Phil Jackson and his theory might have the Golden State Warriors as clear as the NBA champions of 2022.

Theres hardly any coach in the NBA who comes close to Phil Jacksons success, excluding Red Auerbach, who had something else in that 10x Champion Boston Celtics team.

Greg Popovic is the closest thing when you consider the fact that Phil only got success when he coached a team full of the best players in the league in multiple positions. Thats it, thats the list.

Also read: Yeah, I remember facing Steve, he had Michael Jordan: Jason Kidds hilarious response on facing the Warriors coach during their playing days

And when coaches of that stature use some tactics on a regularity that is comprehensible by the rest, it becomes something like a mathematical theorem.

Their tactics and theories used by them regularly in games get iced in basketball fanatics minds forever, as they get into the Basketball Hall of Fame. One such, Jacksons theory about a certain number of wins to start a season has given the NBA 36 of its last 40 Champions.

Thanks to a Redditor that got our attention to it the Golden State Warriors are the only team that could win the championship this season by Jacksons theory, which states that:-

If your team reaches 40 wins before it loses 20, they are contenders.

For the last 40 years, every championship-winning team has hit this mark except 4.

1995 Rockets

2004 Pistons

2006 Heat

The Redditor forgot to mention last years champion the Milwaukee Bucks who lost 24 games before they could win 40.

Of the teams left in the playoffs, Golden State is the only team left to have hit that mark. As of February 1st, when Miami lost its 20th game, the team records were as follows.

Miami Heat (32-20)

Boston Celtics (27-25)

Golden State Warriors (39-13)

Dallas Mavericks (29-22)

Lets see if it really turns out to be true. But we must again remind you that last year Milwaukee Bucks won the championship. Meanwhile, there were three teams in the West who started by Phils rule and couldnt win it all.

Also read: Love to go on the road, hit a bucket, and silence the crowd: Luka Doncic talks about facing Warriors X Factor, the Chase Center crowd

See the rest here:

"Only team left that can win it all by Phil Jackson 's rule - Golden State Warriors": NBA Reddit comes up with... - The Sportsrush

Ted Nugent has once again blasted Dee Snider for seemingly celebrating the fact that the controversial rocker was diagnosed with coronavirus.

After Nugent went public with the fact that he was battling COVID-19 in April 2021, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick shared a couple of headlines highlighting the fact that Nugent was previously spreading false information about the pandemic, only to contract the virus himself and become severely sick. Snider, who tested positive for COVID-19 last summer despite the fact that he was fully vaccinated, shared Skolnick's tweet and included the following message: "It's just...so...beautiful!"

Nugent, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the vaccine, touched upon Snider's comment during his May 20 YouTube livestream. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Dee Snider a nice guy, I thought. But if you make fun of someone getting sick, you're not a nice guy, Dee. What happened to you? We always got along. And then you celebrated my sickness. And you don't know how rotten that is? Why don't you know how rot Dee, you're not a rotten guy.

"Dee, if you have a problem with Ted Nugent, there's only one person you should discuss that with: Ted Nugent," he continued. "If I have a problem with Dee Snider, I'm addressing you, Dee; I would like to talk to you.

"What caused that nasty, nasty hate? 'Well, you said bad things about [former U.S. secretary of state] Hillary Clinton.' Because Hillary Clinton destroys everything she touches," Nugent explained. "She's a dishonest, tyrannical, oath-violating criminal. That's not mean; that's the truth. 'Well, you said [she should] suck my machine gun.' Dee, Dee, my friend have you ever said 'F.U.' to someone but not really intentionally pursuing sex with that person? Are you kidding me? Do you think I would ever want her lips anywhere near my firearms? You're not aware of street terms? You must be. You must be. 'Cause I understand you're a good father and a good husband. So why were you such a prick at that moment? I just don't get it."

Nugent previously addressed Snider's comment about his COVID-19 battle in a December 2021 interview with Sofa King Cool. At the time, Ted said: "What is that thought process? [Dee] and I have been friends. What horrible human impulse horrible, rotten, hateful, soulless impulse must exist in horrible people to take pleasure and celebrate a fellow man's illness. It went viral across the globe where the left said I got what I deserved. How did I deserve that? 'Well, you called it a hoax.' I never, ever used the 'H' word. I never used word 'hoax'; I never called it a hoax. I called [top infectious diseases doctor Anthony] Fauci a scam artist. I called [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, Fauci and [former U.S. president Barack] Obama at the Wuhan lab with our tax dollars to cultivate a communist Chinese weaponized virus? That's not a Ted Nugent supposition. We have the footage. And they took glee.

"A guy like Dee Snider how can you abandon your humanity and take pleasure in another person's sickness?" he continued. "What a horrible, horrible manifestation of societal human abandonment. So, I pray for the Dee Sniders to allow themselves to be that rotten. I expect Marxists and leftists, but not a Dee Snider and not otherwise reasonably decent people, 'cause he's a good guy. But, boy, he really showed a rotten, horrible side when he did that. And it didn't impact me at all because I know that there's always been bad, nasty people.

"So, if Dee Snider's watchin, Dee I think it was a hiccup; I don't think that's what you are," Ted added. "But when you're ready to be a man and apologize, I will expect and accept your apology, because that was a rotten moment in an otherwise nice life.

"How do you just decide to be a prick one day? It's sad."

Nugent went on to say that wishing people ill based on party politics or any other factors is never acceptable. "So, the little boys and girls that are getting leukemia, do they deserve that?" he said. "Are you kidding me? I suppose when someone gets cancer and they keep smoking and drinking and eating food that isn't food, I suppose at some point you do deserve that, because you know that that's bad for you and you keep doing it; that's when you deserve something. But what kind of mindless idiot would take pleasure in anybody, even if they hate my politics And if you hate my politics, you've gotta be a real dirtbag, 'cause my politics are freedom; my politics are self-evident truth based in God-given individual rights, God, family, country, the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, Declaration Of Independence, work ethic, law and order, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule. You have a problem with that? That's the foundation of America. So if you have a problem with Ted Nugent's politics, you are a bad, bad person."

Ted continued: "Even a guy like Tom Morello, who I love, and [Carlos] Santana, who I love, wearing a Che Guevara shirt? So you're a supporter of genocide? You're a supporter of a guy that would have killed you. Che would have killed Santana and Tom Morello if he had a chance. What the fuck? How many mind-altering chemicals do you have to consume to be that fucking stupid? What the fuck? Wearing a Che Guevara shirt is like wearing an Adolf Hitler shirt. What is wrong with these people? You can't explain it. You have to literally take your soul and put it in the garbage to be that stupid."

Last October, Nugent appeared on "Off The Record" where he once again said that he wouldn't take the COVID-19 vaccine because the shots that were available in the United States were developed in less than a year are probably fake.

"It's not a vaccine," he said. "It's an experimental shot. Now the FDA was forced to authorize it recently, but they were jabbing people with an experimental shot right up until that fake authorization.

"I don't believe it's a vaccine," he reiterated. "Most of America doesn't believe it's a vaccine. The only ones that are taking it are either gullible or being forced because they're gonna lose their job, lose their life and lose their livelihood."

Asked what he would say to the people who believe it's a worthwhile vaccine and it's saving lives, Ted said: "I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the people that went ahead and got the jab. I speak their language. I will speak to them thusly: Baaaaaah," he said, imitating a sheep. "Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah. Baaaaaah. They understand that."

When senior Capitol correspondent Tim Skubick asked Nugent point blank if he believes that the millions of people who got the shot are "just stupid," Ted replied: "Yup."

In April 2021, Nugent talked about the darkest days of his battle with COVID-19, saying that he had "never been so scared" in his entire life. The 73-year-old pro-gun activist, who had previously claimed the virus was "not a real pandemic," said: "It was really scary. I didn't think I was gonna make it. I literally couldn't function for about 20 hours, and then they came and they rescued me The six-foot-two, 225-pound headache [this time] was like nothing I have ever experienced. I mean, from my tip of my toes to the top of my hair, I literally was dizzy and weak and struggled to get up to go to the bathroom. And I would lay in the bathtub a couple of times a day with the water as hot as I could take it just to divert."

Ted also said that he was being treated for COVID-19 by a group of doctors who made a video in 2020 calling for the use of hydroxychloroquine to battle the novel coronavirus, despite warnings from public health experts. Nugent went on to detail his clinical management of COVID-19, saying he was taking hydroxychloroquine, "a proven drug for 65 years," as well as ivermectin, "another proven drug."

In the past, Nugent, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" America's 45th president. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

Read more:

TED NUGENT Wants To Know Why DEE SNIDER Celebrated His Sickness: 'What Caused That Nasty, Nasty Hate?' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Once again, beachgoers have been seen standing far too close to seals that have come on shore to rest. Friends of Horsey Seals has taken to its social media to educate Norfolk beach visitors about seal safety and the advice to give these beautiful animals their space.

Yesterday (23 May) a photo was taken of a group of people on an undisclosed Norfolk beach. Adults and children stand and sit just in front of a large group of native seals that have come onto the shore to rest.

The adults can even be seen building sandcastles with the children just in front of the seals and are taking up-close photos of them.

Read more: Save Our Seals

Friends of Horsey Seals said: "Seals are beautiful wild creatures who come onto our lovely Norfolk beaches to rest and moult their old fur off at this time of year. The golden rule is to please stay more that 10 metres away from them at all times. That is 30 feet in old money and the length of a bus to put it another way.

"Get any closer and you risk scaring them back into the sea. If you want to enjoy the beach, play sand castles, have a picnic or sunbathe please bear this distance from the seals in mind when you throw your beach towels down.

"Then you can enjoy yourselves watching the seals as well without invading their space." They added, "This is rather too close."

Read more: The eight-year-old hero doing his bit to keep Norfolk's beaches clean

This comes shortly after Norfolk Police has had increased pressure to do more to protect Norfolk's native grey seals. The discussion follows several recent reports of seals being disturbed by members of the public. In February, Ben Garrod, an academic at the University of East Anglia, pulled an unleashed dog off of a seal.

And last year, police were called to reports that a group of people were attacking a seal on Great Yarmouth beach with stones. It is no surprise that Friends of Horsey Seals expresses its frustration every time beachgoers come too close to the vulnerable animals.

Have your say in the comments below or join the conversation on social media.

Link:

Beachgoers caught invading space of resting seals on Norfolk coast - Norfolk Live

More people are getting married this year, which means more wedding guestsand more dilemmas over what to wear.

Celebrating your loved ones is often a blast, but that excitement can easily be derailed by the eternal question: What outfit? Many of us know the unique challenge of decoding the appropriate attire as a wedding guest.

So Insider spoke to wedding fashion experts Samantha Brown, a celebrity stylist, and Julie Sabatino, the founder of wedding styling company The Stylish Bride, for all the inside tips on every type of dress code.

The dress code listed on an invitation or the wedding website is your best indicator for what you should wear to a wedding. Beyond that, Sabatino and Brown recommend taking a sneak peak at the wedding venue before you pick an outfit. It's as simple as googling the website for pictures of the property.

"It's always important to look at the venue because dress codes and venues should be somewhat in alignment," Brown said. "Let's say it's a barn wedding that's black tie. That's probably not your New York City hotel black tie because maybe you'll be on grass and maybe you'll be somewhere a more country."

That goes for casual attire too. It could imply two totally different visions based on where the wedding location.

"If it says 'casual' for the Thursday night clambake and you're on the beach, you can certainly show up in khaki shorts and a button down or a polo," Sabatino said. "But if it says 'casual' and you are in New York City at a restaurant, then the dress is different."

If you are invited to a casual wedding, appropriate attire includes dresses, jumpsuits, khakis, and lightweight jackets, according to Brown and Sabatino. Not included? Denim jeans.

"Regardless if a wedding is casual or formal, it's respectful to dress nicely for your hosts," she said. "I would not wear something that you're going to hang out in on Saturday afternoon."

Brown suggests a sundress or other look that feels breezy. The trick is to style it more elevated than day-to-day casualwear.

"Something in a floral would be really lovely, especially in spring and summer," Brown said. "You could also go for a linen suit or a lightweight tropical jacket. It's something you could style with a t-shirt underneath, instead of doing the button down or tie. You can loosen it up and even pair it with a sneaker."

It's a broad range, but comes with a stipulation: Sabatino recommends avoiding everyday fabrics like denim to show respect to the couple.

Although they have different titles, semi-formal and cocktail weddings basically call for the same type of outfit, say both Brown and Sabatino. It means dressy and stylish.

"That's when you can go a little bit more glitzy," Brown said. "Instead of a cotton sundress, you can look for more luxurious fabrics or fun jewelry to take it up from casual attire."

Sabatino agreed, recommending guests wear "a nicer dress or a nicer pant ensemble" to a cocktail or semi-formal wedding, though a dress wouldn't need to be floor-length.

"There are a lot of cute jumpsuits out there these days, so I don't want to rule out the pants entirely," she added.

Men can don a button down shirt with a suit. You don't need a tie, Brown said, but it could be accessorized with a pocket square or trendy loafers.

Like cocktail and semi-formal, formal and black-tie optional weddings imply similar levels of dress, according to Brown and Sabatino.

"Black-tie optional means that you can wear a tux or a gown, but you won't be underdressed if you wear a formal cocktail dress or a suit," Brown told Insider. "But definitely, it means suit and tie, if not a tuxedo."

Sabatino also said tea-length dresses are appropriate for a black-tie optional wedding.

"I wouldn't go super short, but ankle length or tea length are more appropriate today than they have been in the past," Sabatino said.

Also welcome? Costume jewelry, glam makeup, and pocket squares.

Black tie means black tie, and you risk being a fashion faux pas if you don't stick to the dress code.

"Traditionally, black tie means a gown and a tux," Brown said of the attire for women and men.

The gown should be floor-length for women, and men should don a tuxedo. It's what differentiates it from a black-tie optional wedding, Sabatino explained.

But that is changing as guests put their own spin on their fashion choices. Brown noted that weddings have become less formal as a whole.

"Nowadays the interpretation has become a looser," she said. "You see people wearing shorter hemlines or wearing dressier suits that aren't tuxedos," she said. As long as it's hinting at glamorous and luxurious, you should be in the clear.

White-tie is the most formal attire possible for a wedding, but it's a rare choice today.

"It means you're supposed to wear tails," Sabatino said. If you're wearing a gown, you'll be expected to wear white gloves with it, she added.

Both Brown and Sabatino said white-tie weddings are very uncommon, in part because it puts stress on your guests.

"It's tricky, because in the States you can't really rent white tie," Sabatino said. "What that means is that you would have to buy the jacket with the tails, the white vest, and a white tie. It makes it hard on your guests because they don't really have access to that kind of thing."

The 2022 Met Gala dress code was white tie.

If you are invited to a themed wedding, Sabatino recommends turning to the engaged couple for advice on what to wear.

"If you are going to do that as the host, you need to be specific in what you're expecting people to wear," she said.

But as a general rule, Brown recommends against attending in full costume. "You never want to show up to a wedding, even if it's a theme wedding, feeling like you're in a costume," Brown said.

She suggests embracing the theme through accessories rather than a full ensemble.

"I had a bride who wanted to do a country Western rehearsal dinner because she and her fiance had met in Santa Fe," Brown said. "So we accessorized a very cute dress with white boots, a cowboy hat, and turquoise jewelry."

Beach weddings typically have a relaxed dress code because they take place outsideand in sand.

Brown advises light fabrics like cotton or linen, and you can wear a suit, sun dress, or even shorts if the wedding is during the day.

"You want to be mindful of the fabrics that you choose because you're going to be in the sun," Brown said. "Beach weather is unpredictable in terms of the moisture and the humidity."

Plus, keep in mind your shoes. You'll be standing in sand, so some footwear is just impractical. (Ahem, stilettos.)

Rules for attire and customary clothing for many non-Western weddings is different from Western weddings. For instance, you might be expected to wear a lehanga to an Indian wedding, while it's inappropriate to wear red at a traditional Chinese wedding.

Both Sabatino and Brown said that if a couple expects you to wear clothing that is traditional for their culture, their invitations will likely specify as such.

"If the bride and groom are hoping that their guests will wear traditional clothing, they should add resources on their wedding website for what is specifically requested," Sabatino said.

If the couple has not specified a dress code on their invitation or wedding website, Brown suggests talking to the couple about what they're hoping attendees will wear.

"When you've been invited to a non-Western wedding and the dress code hasn't been specified, it's always best to check in with the bride or groom to inquire about the appropriate attire," Brown said. "When in doubt, don't make assumptions. A simple email or text on the preferred dress code for an upcoming event will always provide clarity."

If you're unsure where to find customary clothing, Brown recommends asking the couple about that too. "You can always ask for recommended retailers," she said.

Although attire will vary for different types of weddings, Brown and Sabatino do have one golden rule for all guest attire: you should not wear white at a Western wedding.

"You should never wear white to someone else's wedding ever, or any of the surrounding events," Sabatino said.

"It's the bride's moment to have that color for the night," Brown added. "I don't even recommend a white base, even if it has a colorful, floral pattern. Anything that's in question should be avoided."

If you have any doubts, Sabatino said, don't do it.

Similarly, try not to wear a color similar to the wedding party, if you happen to know the shade.

"Don't show up in something that looks like you're a bridesmaid, mostly because it's difficult for the guest," she said. "People might ask you questions or approach you thinking that you're part of the bridal party. That's uncomfortable."

View post:

What guests should wear at every type of wedding 2022 - Insider

When it comes to Royal dining, there are several rules in place for health and safety reasons - as well as for the personal preferences of the family. These include avoiding certain delicacies that carry the risk of food poisoning as well as food that could prove to be a bit messy.

One type of food that is always avoided by the Royal Family on their travels is rare meat, to minimise the risk from E. coli or salmonella, MyLondon reports. For similar heath risk reasons, shellfish is also avoided by the royals.

And you're not likely to see The Queen tuck into food which has a lot of tomato sauce, to avoid it being spilled down her clothes in front of dignataries and potentially the world's Press. However, is well-known that Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Charlotte often break one of The Queen's most important food rules.

Her Majesty is also said to steer clear of foods that contain a high amount of starch, including pasta, rice and potatoes - a rule that Kate chosen to follow too. Former royal chef Darren McGrady said: "The Queen does not care much for pasta and bread and likes to eat meals containing fish or meat and vegetables instead."

While Kate typically follows the rule of avoiding starch-heavy meals, she admitted that her and Princess Charlotte have broken this rule on numerous occasions as they both love pasta. During her visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2018, the Duchess chatted to young Rafael Chana who was waiting for a heart transplant.

Rafael said he liked olives, to which the Duchess replied: "I used to eat lots and lots of olives when I was little as well." The young patient then added that he also likes pasta and Kate replied: "Charlotte likes pasta too."

While visiting Lavender Primary School, Kate also shared that her children love to help their mum out in the kitchen and enjoy getting their hands messy and working together.

Their speciality is cheesy pasta, which they all have designated jobs in making. One stirs the flour, one puts the milk and butter in, Matthew Kleiner-Mann, chief executive of the Ivy Learning Trust, said after a visit to the school in 2019. "She was telling us how much her children love cooking and how they cook for her, he added.

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The food loved by Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte that breaks The Queen's golden rules - Wales Online

As NFTs exploded in popularity, scammers also jumped on the hype. Watch out for counterfeit NFTs, rug pulls, pump-and-dumps and other common scams plaguing the industry.

Looking back at 2012, colored coins were the first hint of what we now call non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or nifties for some. Ten years later, these blockhain-based assets that can represent pretty much anything are on everyones lips, especially in the worlds of arts, sports and videogames.

The NFT market began to pick up steam in 2020, having grown by more than 300% from the previous year and moving millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. By the first week of May 2022, however, the sale of these tokens plunged 92% to 19,000 from its high of 225,000 last September. The number of active wallets fell about 88% to about 14,000 from 119,000 in November.

Even so, the market is still driving thousands to millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies, offering plenty of opportunities for scammers and bringing a lot of concerns over the safety of this asset. To steal an art piece, a thief would previously have to go through several barriers and cameras inside a museum; now, a digital wallet can be cracked open using malware or social engineering techniques.

When digital artist Qing Han died in 2020, scammers took advantage of the moment to sell her artwork as NFTs, on her behalf. Last September, renowned graffiti artist Banksy got his website hacked, showing an ad for the sale of what was supposed to be his first NFT; a collector paid $336.000.

The lack of regulation of the NFT market makes it a place of opportunity for all types of scams. Several companies, such as Adobe, are trying to create authentication stamps that will make it easier to verify the legitimacy of a token. Despite some anti-fraud barriers, this is a fast-paced space heavily dependent on users behavior.

Here are some common scams involving NFTs you should be aware of and how you can avoid falling victim.

Discord holds quite some allure for cybercriminals and there are various ways of scamming users. The platform is divided into communities called servers where people can talk, stream and play games together.

Last December alone, 373 members of a Discord server run by the recently launched gaming NFT marketplace Fractal saw their digital wallet authentication compromised, losing a total of $150.000 worth of Solana.

Other ways of being scammed on Discord involve sending direct messages (DMs) duping users into believing that theyre actually being contacted by a brand, artist or influencer. Essentially, the larger a Discord network, the higher the chances of receiving scam messages. You should be wary of clicking on links sent by strangers or answering any requests for money. By the same token, dont let yourself be caught out by new NFT opportunities or projects without checking that the offer is legitimate.

Fake social media profiles looking to attract NFT creators

Social media users, be it on Twitter or any other social media platform, need to be constantly aware of potential fake profiles. Often, these are copies of real profiles, and a little attention to detail might be enough to distinguish them sometimes one letter is all it takes to tip you off to a scammer.

At the same time, bots that prompt users to react to messages or tech support scammers use social media to interact with users and request information that can give them access to crypto wallets. While the bad actors may not always succeed, a small percentage of scammed users might mean big payouts.

Additionally, cybercriminals might try to reach users by sending messages where they act as if they wanted to chat or sought advice. Some red flags might help spot a fraudster, including the number of followers, the number of tweets and retweets, or whether the account lacks original content.

Website impersonating the OpenSea NFT marketplace

Fake website preying on NFT wallets

Another fake site posing as OpenSea

Another attempt taking aim at a crypto wallet

Another common tactic is copying websites and apps of perfectly legitimate brands. Replicas of NFT marketplaces or fake crypto wallets are shared on Discord, Twitter and forums, as well as via email. The level of resemblance with the real companies is impressive, and it takes a keen eye to spot small differences in the URL or general layout.

For this reason, it is always essential to check the URL of a link before clicking, especially when websites require personal information. We should always remember the golden rule and never give seed phrases or passwords to anyone outside our NFT wallets.

Once you confirm the website is genuine, the next step is to confirm the veracity of an NFT. Check the background of the seller and previous sales, but also check if the NFT is original and not being sold in other markets, especially when buying expensive crypto art in high demand. Speaking of expensive, suspiciously low prices should always raise eyebrows as scammers tend to sell copies on the cheap.

Apart from Banksy and his scammed website story, other artists have been through similar situations. Tyler Hobbs, the artist behind the Art Blocks project Fidenza, denounced the platform SolBlocks for using his code to sell replicas of his works. The artwork of Derek Laufman was also being sold by a fake account using the artists name, getting even a verified icon.

The list of similar scams is long, prompting artists to act by commenting, reviewing and denouncing fake profiles for the unauthorized sale of their art.

The closest to NFT speculation, this kind of scam involves a person or a group of individuals buying a large number of NFTs (or cryptocurrency) and selling them back to themselves in order to artificially create a false sense of the asset being in high demand. This way, market forces will increase the reselling profits.

On the buyers side, this scheme seems to be validated by influencers who share the NFT on their profiles, making it seem like a great opportunity. Ultimately, these buyers expect to resell at a higher price, which never happens as the scammers clean up their footprints after getting their money.

A typical crypto scam inherited by the NFT market. Rug pulls have been quite common, benefiting from its main feature: when the scam is revealed, it is generally too late.

Like pump-and-dump scams, the scammers will hype up a project, solicit investment and, without notice, abandon it. This usually happens once they believe they have drained the investors to the full, withdrawing all funds from an NFT wallet and deleting their profiles from marketplaces and social media.

One of the most famous cases dates back to Squid Game and the cryptocurrency inspired by the TV show Squid. This token went up in value to $2,800 within just a few weeks when, suddenly, it vanished. All its social media accounts and its website disappeared with no trace. The scammers, meanwhile, are believed to have stolen $3.3 million.

Fake bids in NFT auctions are one of the most common scams. These occur when a real seller tries to auction off an NFT. The seller indicates the cryptocurrency in which they want to be paid, but a scammer can manage to change the currency of their offer to one with a lower value.

Another way this can work is by adding and removing an NFT listing from a market, moving the decimal one number to the right. Without noticing the change, a buyer might end up paying much more than the amount they looked at initially. Just like in real life, looking at the price before paying is a must.

Fake offers and giveaways are a great way to pique users interest (not just) on social media. Surprisingly, they may even come from well-established user accounts. The reality, however, is that often enough, these accounts have been hijacked by scammers to promote fraudulent schemes.

Once a user tries to access the fake offer, they are requested to insert their passwords or personal information, giving away their details and getting nothing in return.

In these schemes, fraudsters airdrop NFTs to the wallets of influencers, making it appear as though the celebrities had actually minted the NFTs on the blockchain. This is because many buyers monitor specific wallets for new activity in order to anticipate mass interest and a spike in the value of an NFT.

These scams involve elements from most techniques mentioned earlier, including artist impersonation to pump-and-dump fraud. According to OpenSea, the biggest NFT marketplace, more than 80% of NFTs created for free on its platform were fake, plagiarized from other artists, or spam.

There are many scams to be aware of when diving into the NFT world and, as usual, scammers never pass up a golden money-making opportunity. Its, therefore, important to always be attentive a healthy dose of skepticism will save you some headaches further down the road.

Here are a few quick tips for how to stay safe while using NFTs:

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Common NFT scams and how to avoid them - We Live Security