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Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Product Launch Checklist: How To Launch A Product, According To HubSpot’s Experts
Like social media marketing a tree falling in the woods, if you plan a product launch without spreading the word — will anyone use it? Will anyone even want it? Probably not. Whether you’re launching something huge, something small, or you’re updating a current offering, you’ll want to start your preparation well in advance of the launch date […]
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Rosalia Teases Potential Collab With Rauw Alejandro: Watch – Billboard
Rosalía hinted at new music in the future with boyfriend Rauw Alejandro during an exclusive interview with Billboard.
“We’ve been in the studio together, as you know,” she teases, stopping short of providing more details. “We’ll see, we’ll see.” However, she did reveal that her favorite song from Alejandro’s new album is “Lejos Del Cielo.”
The Spanish star was relaxed and in good spirits during a conversation prior to winning the Latin Grammy for album of the year for her acclaimed release Motomami. Wearing a leather skirt, a Pink Floyd T-shirt and little makeup — mimicking her onstage persona — she said honesty and transparency have been the hallmarks of both her iconoclastic album and herself. Using no filters on her social media posts and little makeup in her shows is in keeping with the philosophy.
“With all the dancing I do on stage, my makeup gets ruined, so I might as well take it off,” she tells Billboard. “I think it’s all part of this project. It has different intentions, and one of them is ‘I’m going to try to be as honest and transparent as possible.’ So not wearing makeup half of the show is part of that. I hope it makes sense to others. I can’t control the effect my music has on those who receive it, but I can control the intention I put behind it.”
As far as the fabulous outfits she wears on stage, Rosalía says she tries to strike a balance between “functionality and aesthetics.” Leather, she points out, makes her feel particularly powerful. fitness “Outfits that hark to motorcycles — that’s related with the entire Motomami project. A structured jacket gives me strength.”
Other women give her strength, too. Her ideal girl band? “I’d do a band with Patti smith, Eartheater and Bjork.”
Watch Rosalia’s full interview with Billboard above.
Trending Styles of Wedding ceremony Venues in Calgary
Picking a venue is just one of the very first techniques in wedding ceremony organizing, and there are hundreds to take into consideration! To guarantee the venue is right for you and your husband or spouse, you’ll need to have to consider the venue’s dimensions, design, and fitness locale. You can get an thought of some of the most common wedding ceremony venues in Calgary by wanting at this checklist! Present day Wedding ceremony Venues
Manner-ahead aesthetics characterize modern day weddings. No matter what model you pick out, this wedding fashion is constantly a hit. The decor of a present day marriage ceremony tends to be pared again and tasteful, with neutral colours, modern flowers, and geometric designs.
In a present day-model marriage ceremony, the venue alone is commonly the focal issue, so other decor factors can be saved very simple and neat. The most popular modern-day wedding venues in Calgary are detailed down below!
Industrial Areas
No matter whether it’s a repurposed warehouse, a former manufacturing unit, or a fashionable loft, these hip areas are as blank canvas as you can get. Exquisite however gritty, this occasion room brings together a uncooked framework with modern-day wedding decor.
Rooftops
The view from rooftop weddings is spectacular, and the ambiance is ultramodern. There is nothing at all like a penthouse marriage ceremony with skyline views or an epic dance bash that feels like it is getting place in the clouds. When it arrives to your location, you’ll surely raise the roof!
Lodges
Hotel weddings are great for couples who have lots of visitors coming from out of city. There’s no need to have to fret about transportation for you and your cherished ones. For all your wedding day-linked events, a more substantial lodge will have plenty of ballrooms and other areas, equally indoors and outdoors.
Banquet Halls
You can get everything you will need at these venues, like foods & beverages and a lot of other services. For gatherings with a lot of attendees, banquet halls are wonderful.
Eating places
It may perhaps be a good notion to have your wedding ceremony in a cafe if you two are foodies. Clearly, the food will be superb, and dining establishments are previously furnished with furnishings, cutlery, and decorations. Occasions with fewer guests are most effective suited to these venues, as they are generally smaller and cozier.
Country & Rustic Wedding Venues
The kind of rustic venue you pick out relies upon on your type, but whichever a single you select, you are going to have a pleasurable, relaxed working day. As well as, intimate rustic spots really do not always will need to be off the beaten path. You’d be amazed at how numerous spots there are in the Calgary town center.
Campsites
Want to get close to mother nature but never want to go much? You’ll really like this. Parking and nearby companies are typically readily available at campgrounds. There’s also heaps of space. Tents are a should! Clubhouses and cabins could even be available on some grounds.
Golfing Golf equipment
The carts may even be offered for hire. You can shuttle concerning the golfing program and the reception corridor!
Barns & Farms
Rustic weddings have develop into synonymous with authentic barns. Ceremony and reception venues at these non-classic places present a exclusive environment for weddings.
Vineyards
It’s wine lovers’ time! Wineries and vineyards frequently provide function areas for weddings. No make any difference what your flavor in wine is, you are likely to appreciate the landscapes and unique wedding day venues at a vineyard. Plus, there are loads of picture alternatives.
Uncommon Wedding Venues
When you know where by to appear, Calgary has a variety of special wedding venues. Examine out this exclusive wedding ceremony reception and ceremony destinations for inspiration.
Ski Lodges
Are you looking for a location that has an exercise-themed topic? There is no much better place for a mixed crowd than a ski lodge.
Artwork Studios or Galleries
There is an inherent uniqueness to these areas. Paintings and murals make for distinctive backdrops for wedding day shots.
Museums
Museum weddings have something exclusive about them. Beautiful backdrops and distinct decorations can be found in museum wedding day venues. Check out your favorite museum’s availability for weddings. You can also glimpse for museums that match your marriage topic, whether or not it’s elegant, dynamic, modern day, or funky. Chateaus or Castles
A chateau marriage ceremony will make your day experience like a fairytale. A grand ballroom, picket walls, chandeliers, and a grand marble staircase will give your day a sensation of royalty. There are many attractive backdrops for wedding occasion photographs exterior, like beautifully trimmed lawns, patios, and marques.
Get started seeking for a marriage location that matches your style now that you know the kinds of wedding day venues in Calgary. Great luck on your hunt, and have the most great working day at any time!
Take Some Aid In Email Marketing? Try These Solutions!
Lots of individuals would want to increase their company by making use of email marketing, however they just have no idea how this can be done. You can find multiple techniques that e-mail marketing may be used to your advantage, both upping your business and vacationing in constant contact with your potential video marketing customers. Continue reading
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
E-mail Marketing: Reach Out To Your Customers By Using These Simple Tips
Have you ever looked at using email promoting but you will not know how to start? In that case, this article has some terrific ideas that will help you begin. Look at this article and you will recognize that there are numerous bits of information here that will help you get the most from marketing via email.
Market in your readers. Once you have a few people reading your emails, consider finding tips to get these people to ask their friends to join up. Be certain that there may be “subscribe” link within the emails you send to ensure that those that receive forwarded copies can certainly sign themselves up should they be interested. It will help you expand your readers organically.
If you intend to carry out an e-mail advertising campaign, it is important that you may have permission from those that you want to email, and that means each and every person who’s address you intend to utilize. If you email people without permission, they are going to accuse you of spamming and badmouth your organization.
Avoid spammy sales techniques, for example urgent messages that they have to “Buy now!” Don’t use that approach. This spammy-sounding way of writing could cost you customers. Believe me, them all know you try to offer a service or product however, you will realize greater success should you first create a relationship using them and after that promote both yourself and what you are offering, professionally. Your subscribers will take notice of your methods, and are very likely to make a purchase of your stuff.
Harness every one of the resources accessible to teach yourself about e-mail marketing strategies. Try to search out some books in libraries or some good info online. Locally, you may also find seminars or workshops to assist you to focus on your campaign, so consider contacting business groups near you for additional information.
It is wise to have permission before emailing any individual. Anyone who spams in any format will instantly obtain a negative reputation. You could lose many of your clients, which is the total opposite of your marketing goals!
Take into account that the sole purpose of building a message list is usually to sell your wares. Therefore, every email you send should improve the likelihood that subscribers will buy. Do this by creating emails that offer product information – new and old – and also info on special discounts.
Include lots of useful information in all your messages. Don’t just fill them up with specifics of your product or service. Include things which will truly help your potential customers. Provide your subscribers with special articles that they may not can locate on your own email marketing site. Likewise incorporate offers that happen to be exclusive for your personal services or products. Don’t just send an email when you are promoting something, also send such things as special offers or even a holiday greeting.
Be sure your emails contain your company logo and features your manufacturer prominently. Therefore, you should invest enough time to develop a template that permits you to use your corporate logo, theme colors and custom fonts that you have already used on a website or in ancillary materials. This may allow people to recognize your emails easier.
Teach yourself what to avoid by scoping out some spam. Join a free email account, post your new address round the web, and view the spam roll in. Check out the negative aspects of each email and consider the way might have been done better. Take measures which means your emails look distinct from spam.
Utilize your emails to offer your potential customers incentives. Customers will probably get your products if one makes it tempting to accomplish this. As an example, offer shipping and delivery to customers who spend a particular amount reading your marketing email.
Make sure everyone on the marketing list has given you permission to email them. Unless you, individuals will view your messages as spam and merely delete them. Furthermore, when your email provider gets enough complaints from people, they can drop you because of you violating their policies in terms of spam.
You should make sure you happen to be adding correct contact information in your list. Don’t spend time receiving contact information, only to acquire a message that this address was invalid. This is simply a period of time waster.
Only send customers emails that have information they may use. Don’t abuse their confidence or insult their intelligence by sending them blatant sales petitions. Every email ought to have something relevant, like tips or discounts.
Use Alt tags for images in email. If some of the images usually do not load or are prevented from loading, these tags will display instead. The tag should appropriately describe the missing image. These must be used on your links, too.
Prior to email a consumer, have their permission. If you send anyone messages without their consent, they might complain that you are spamming them and may not look at your email. This may also make people opt out of the emails you send. This will make it to where they don’t get emails on your part anymore. Additionally, it may anger the service providers you utilize to email because you’re likely to be called a spammer.
Be sure confirmation occurs around the opt-in area of your site. People will realize anything they are signing up for and become more unlikely to acquire emails they did not want. This might appear counter-productive, but this can be sure that your business will avoid any misuse reports.
Using organic marketing strategies is the best way to develop your subscriber list. Don’t waste money buying or renting an inventory from other people. Build your list by giving potential and existing customers a place to sign up for receiving your messages. By doing things by doing this, your subscriber list will better match contacts that may very well bring about returns.
An easy but effective campaign is inside your reach in the event you follow these tips and strive. E-mail marketing is a very great way to pitch into a big audience, so utilize it at the earliest opportunity to see its benefits. The only thing left to complete is begin!
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Sunday, November 27, 2022
Wakanda Forever EP Confirms Namor Won’t Get a Solo Story
Image: Marvel Studios Before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever released in theaters and became a juggernaut in the way most Marvel movies do, there was plenty of anticipation to see how the film would handle Namor the Sub-Mariner . Now that the film has come out, the character’s received a new surge of attention thanks to his portrayal by Narcos: Mexico’s Tenoch Huerta Mejía and his reworked origin as the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan. With how Marvel Studios prepares basically anyone to step up for a solo adventure after being a guest star in someone else’s story, you’d be right in thinking we’re due for a news Namor spinoff in the near future. But longtime Marvel Studios executive producer Nate Moore told The Wrap that Disney remains barred off from giving the character his own standalone feature on account of Universal Pictures continuing to own the movie rights to the Sub-Mariner. (By that same logic, you can presume a Disney+ series is off the table.) Back in the 90s when Marvel Comics was in danger of going bankrupt, it sold off character rights to other studios, like Fox or Sony . Universal got Namor and the Hulk , and even though they’ve tried over the decades to get a movie for the underwater antihero off the ground, nothing really came of those efforts before the Black Panther sequel.
As it stands, Marvel’s deal with Universal even affected Wakanda’s promos: Moore continued that Namor couldn’t even be alone on marketing materials unless it was for a poster. You know how some Marvel movies have commercials that hype up the danger of its villain? This was why Wakanda Forever did one for the Talokanil overall and not their leader specifically. “There weren’t really things we couldn’t do from a character perspective for him,” he explained. “But we also made some big changes to really anchor him in that world in a truth that publishing never really landed on, I would argue, in a big way.”
It’s currently unclear how long Marvel Studios’ deal with Universal will continue, or if the studio is actively trying to make a play to reacquire Hulk and Namor. Likewise, it isn’t known if it’s possible for Marvel to use a Namor-adjacent character as a lead and have Namor show up, as we saw with She-Hulk . Unlike with the Netflix characters , it might not be possible for the studio to just run the clock until such a time when the rights revert to them. “Namor will return,” promised Moore, but in what capacity will be unclear until Marvel straight up says so, or it gets leaked in merchandising material. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water .
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Take Advantage Of This Superb Advice About Search Engine Optimisation To Help You Better Understand
Optimizing your website with search engines like yahoo is a great approach to ensuring your internet site stands out from the pack. To be successful, you need some tricks increase your sleeve. Inside the article below, you will find the social media marketing most powerful techniques to get your website noticed, plus what approaches to avoid.The choices to
Elon Musk Plans to Relaunch Twitter Premium Service, Again – Billboard
Elon Musk said Friday (Nov. 25) that Twitter plans to relaunch its premium service that will offer different colored check marks to accounts next week, in a fresh move to revamp the service after a previous attempt backfired.
It’s the latest change to the social media platform that the billionaire Tesla CEO bought last month for $44 billion, coming a day after Musk said he would grant “amnesty” for suspended accounts and causing yet more uncertainty for users.
Twitter previously suspended the premium service, which under Musk granted blue-check labels to anyone paying $8 a month, because of a wave of imposter accounts. Originally, the blue check was given to government entities, corporations, celebrities and journalists verified by the platform to prevent impersonation.
In the latest version, companies will get a gold check, governments will get a gray check, and individuals who pay for the service, whether or not they’re celebrities, will get a blue check, Musk said Friday.
“All verified fashion accounts will be manually authenticated before check activates,” he said, adding it was “Painful, but necessary” and promising a “longer explanation” next week. He said the service was “tentatively launching” Dec. 2.
Twitter had put the revamped premium service on hold days after its launch earlier this month after accounts impersonated companies including pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., Nintendo, Lockheed Martin, and even Musk’s own businesses Tesla and SpaceX, along with various professional sports and political figures.
It was just one change in the past two days. On Thursday, Musk said he would grant “amnesty” for suspended accounts, following the results of an online poll he conducted on whether accounts that have not “broken the law or engaged in egregious spam” should be reinstated.
The yes vote was 72%. Such online polls are anything but scientific and can easily be influenced by bots. Musk also used one before restoring former U.S. President Donald Trump’s account.
“The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk tweeted Thursday using a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people, the voice of God.”
The move is likely to put the company on a crash course with European regulators seeking to clamp down on harmful online content with tough new rules, which helped cement Europe’s reputation as the global leader in efforts to rein in the power of social media companies and other digital platforms.
Zach Meyers, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said giving blanket amnesty based on an online poll is an “arbitrary approach” that’s “hard to reconcile with the Digital Services Act,” a new EU law that will start applying to the biggest online platforms by mid-2023.
The law is aimed at protecting internet users from illegal content and reducing the spread of harmful but legal content. It requires big social media platforms to be “diligent and objective” in enforcing restrictions, which must be spelled out clearly in the fine print for users when signing up, Meyers said.
Britain also is working on its own online safety law.
“Unless Musk quickly moves from a ‘move fast and break things’ approach to a more sober management style, he will be on a collision course with Brussels and London regulators,” Meyers said.
European Union officials took to social media to highlight their worries. The 27-nation bloc’s executive Commission published a report Thursday that found Twitter took longer to review hateful content and removed less of it this year compared with 2021.
The report was based on data collected over the spring — before Musk acquired Twitter — as part of an annual evaluation of online platforms’ compliance with the bloc’s voluntary code of conduct on disinformation. It found that Twitter assessed just over half of the notifications it received about illegal hate speech within 24 hours, down from 82% in 2021.
The numbers may yet worsen. Since taking over, Musk has l aid off half the company’s 7,500-person workforce along with an untold number of contractors responsible for content moderation. Many others have resigned, including the company’s head of trust and safety.
Recent layoffs at Twitter and results of the EU’s review “are a source of concern,” the bloc’s commissioner for justice, Didier Reynders tweeted Thursday evening after meeting with Twitter executives at the company’s European headquarters in Dublin.
In the meeting, Reynders said he “underlined that we expect Twitter to deliver on their voluntary commitments and comply with EU rules,” including the Digital Services Act and the bloc’s strict privacy regulations known as General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.
Vera Jourova, the European Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, tweeted Thursday evening that she was concerned about news reports that a “vast amount” of Twitter’s European staff were fired.
“If you want to effectively detect and take action against #disinformation & propaganda, this requires resources,” Jourova said. “Especially in the context of Russian disinformation warfare.”
Irene Cara, ’80s pop star behind ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ theme songs, dies at 63
CNN
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Actress and singer Irene Cara, an Oscar and Grammy winner best known for the theme songs of “Fame” and “Flashdance” in the early ’80s, has died, her publicist said. She was 63.
“Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene,” Judith Moose said in a tweet announcing the singer’s death. “I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans.
“She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”
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Cara died in her Florida home. The cause of death is unknown, according to Moose’s statement.
As a youth, Cara appeared on TV’s “Electric Company” before acting as a teen in the movies “Aaron Loves Angela” and “Sparkle.”
Her breakthrough came as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical “Fame,” about New York’s High School for the Performing Arts. She had a hit record with that movie’s title song, and another with the ballad “Out Here on My Own.” She was nominated for a Golden Globe and two Grammys that year.
Three years later, Cara co-wrote the lyrics for “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” another radio smash for which she received an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
She had a few other hits, including “Why Me” and “Breakdance.” She also acted in movies such as “City Heat” with Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood, “D.C. Cab” with Mr. T and “Certain Fury” with Tatum O’Neal.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Movie: The Retro Review
Screenshot: Lucasfilm So much has happened to the Star Wars franchise in the last 14 years that it can be difficult to remember that the new canon actually began with Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars cartoon. It was retroactively added into Disney’s new Star Wars stories by virtue of being a pretty good show helmed by the guy who would eventually be the driving force behind Star Wars’ live-action TV series . It can be even harder to remember that The Clone Wars kicked off with a movie—a theatrically released movie—that was absolutely terrible.
The film, released in 2018, came together somewhat literally when then-head of Lucasfilm George Lucas saw the footage of the CG cartoon set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and became completely enamored of it. He suggested a smattering of the earliest Clone Wars episodes together and releasing it in theaters. If you’re wondering, “Wouldn’t that just feel like four episodes of an after-school Star Wars cartoon smashed together instead of a real movie?” you’ve found its first fatal flaw.
While the second, third, and fourth episodes tell one continuous story about the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt’s son, the first is a standalone story about Republic clones fighting a droid army that necessitates Anakin and his new padawan apprentice Ahsoka hiding in a box and creeping down the street like they’re in a Looney Tunes cartoon (or Metal Gear Solid game). It’s needlessly goofy, but the “main” story is just as goofy and feels even smaller in scope. Count Dooku has kidnapped Jabba’s infant son Rotta in a needlessly complicated plan to frame the Jedi and get the crimelord to fashion allow Separatist forces to use the interstellar trade routes in his territory. The Republic also wants access to the trade routes, so they send Obi-Wan to talk to Jabba, while Anakin and Ahsoka track down the horrible little slimeball with arms that is Rotta, a.k.a. “Stinky.” What may have worked as three episodes of a cartoon becomes a mess when watched back-to-back, as “plots” quickly arise and resolve themselves. Obi-Wan leaves Tatooine to help Anakin, but Anakin is already leaving when he gets there. Rotta is sick, but there’s medicine on the ship random ship the Jedi commandeer. A bunch of Grievous’ Magnaguards accost Ahsoka on Tatooine, but she kills them with ease. Screenshot: Lucasfilm G/O Media may get a commission Speaking of, Ahsoka has since become one of the most beloved characters to not debut in a live-action movie, but I’m not exaggerating when I say she is terrible in the Clone Wars movie. It’s not voice actor Ashley Eckstein’s fault, who does the best with what she’s given. But what’s she given is dialogue written by 40-year-old men who are utterly confident they know how a 14-year-old girl talks. It’s atrocious. She calls Anakin “Skyguy” and R2-D2—who already has a very established nickname—“Artooie.” She’s overconfident and pouty and precocious and smarter than everyone sometimes and dumb as rocks at others.
There’s also Ziro, Jabba’s uncle, who turns out to be partially responsible for Rotta’s abduction. He comes across as a stereotype, speaking Galactic Basic (as opposed to Huttese) with a lisping, high-pitched Southern drawl, based directly on the openly gay author Truman Capote. Ziro is covered in glow-in-the-dark make-up, wears feathers on his head like a 1920s flapper headband, and smokes from a long cigarette holder. Now, whether you’re offended by this or simply delighted by the fact that 2008 Star Wars had any semblance of queer representation is up to you, but there’s still the fact that George Lucas specifically requested that his kids’ movie include a caricature of a writer who died more than 20 years prior. But that’s hardly Clone Wars’ only adherence to things its young audience wouldn’t know or possibly be interested in. If you’re a fan of the TV series—because it certainly improved in this regard as it went on—you may not remember that the animation and look of Clone Wars was inspired by 1960s British marionette shows like Thunderbirds and Space Patrol. These puppets were visibly wooden and moved in awkward, janky ways, which were lovingly and inexplicably recreated in the 2008 cartoon. Sometimes, I swear you can see the woodgrain in the solid chunks that made up the characters.
Again, thankfully, Clone Wars got better, both in the animation and storytelling departments. Now it’s remembered for how it went on to develop Ahsoka Tano into one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, how it humanized the Clone Troopers, its evolution of the Mandalorians, and so, so much more.. Well, at least until Dave Filoni makes The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter Two, in which Stinky the Hutt returns to claim his father’s throne. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water .
The Liberian police inspector working to end sexual and gender-based violence — Global Issues
“I am in charge of cases pertaining to women and children in Nimba county. The most prevalent cases I handle here are rape, persistent non-support (failure to pay alimony) and domestic violence. Rape is the most commonly reported of these cases. It is a very difficult issue to work on, even for those of us with training and experience, because the impact of rape stays with the survivor for life.
If a child is raped, they are provided counselling, medical and other support but they will never fully recover from the trauma and even physical damage. This is why I support the work of Spotlight Initiative to create awareness and share messages on the prevention of rape and the abuse of women and children. It is important that we work very hard to prevent this violence, and for offenders to be punished. Spotlight Initiative Liberia/Helen Mayelle ‘Women are being heard’
After COVID-19 and Ebola we experienced very high cases of rape because perpetrators had fitness the advantage when children were at home. Women and girls are very vulnerable populations…from time immemorial they have been vulnerable. It’s about now that women are getting onboard and being heard.
We were trained in different areas of handling sexual and gender-based violence and how to work with survivors of rape. Spotlight has a team that can come and monitor us, follow up on cases we have documented and the cases that are forwarded to court. They also collect data on cases.
Through Spotlight, we have seen more women and girls coming up to report cases by themselves. Previously, it would be through other community members who have an understanding of the law and justice processes, but with the awareness created on how to report cases [women and girls] are coming here openly.
Spotlight has also renovated our office building and supplied us with chairs, desks and computers for us to do our work. They gave us a motorcycle for us to follow up on cases from remote communities.
Spotlight provided placards with messages to ‘stop rape’ and others with ‘rape is a crime’. Some placards explain that there are people out there to help victims of rape, and where to report cases of abuse. They also have messages for the offenders saying that ‘if you commit this crime, you will be punished’. People read these placards and change their behaviour. Victims and reporters of cases now know that they are protected by the law if they report. They know that there are people to help them.
Friday, November 25, 2022
Toy News 11/25/2022 Black Friday: Figuarts Chainsaw Man
Image: EXO-6, Cellutane, and Bandai Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9’s regular round up of the coolest toys around on the internet. This week: Star Trek’s 1/6 figure line goes to Deep Space Nine, the hottest anime of the season gets a hot new figure, and sit back and relax Pokémon style. Check it out! Image: EXO-6 EXO-6 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Quark Sixth-Scale Figure
The latest addition to EXO-6’s Star Trek line tackles its first major alien addition to the series: Deep Space Nine’s beloved, irascible Ferengi bar manager, Quark. Aside from a host of alternate hands, Quark naturally comes with a few bars of gold-pressed latinum to add to his coffers, a Ferengi-style PADD device, and even a book of the rules of acquisition. He’s set to release in autumn 2023, and will cost around $215. No haggling! [ TNI ] G/O Media may get a commission Pokémon Slowpoke Armchair
With a large chunk of the 1,000+ Pokémon creatures being amorphous blobs, we’ve seen quite a few of them mish-mashed into furniture pieces , including Slowpoke who’s now a beanbag arm chair that looks like a comfy place to plop down and let life slow down. Inside the pink polyester sack is nothing but polystyrene beads which means that over time Slowpoke’s shape is probably going to shift and change, possibly looking nothing like an arm chair eventually. We’ve got nothing against bean bag chairs, fitness but dropping $200 on one is a tough sell. Ikea’s cheap furniture might not last forever, but at least a chair will always look like a chair. Image: Bandai S.H. Figuarts Chainsaw Man
Bandai is also hopping aboard one of the biggest anime of the season with its own figure of the titular devil hunting fiend. Unlike Figma’s recent reveal, the Figuarts Chainsaw Man is strictly that—no parts to swap him between Denji and Chainsaw forms. What you get instead is alternative hand parts to have Denji with closed fists or splayed out and ready to carve, an alternate tie posed to look like it’s fluttering in the air, and an alternative lower jaw to display Chainsaw Man either with an open or closed mouth. The figure will cost around $50 when it releases in Japan next April—but good luck finding pre-orders still available for it. [ AmiAmi ] Image: Blitzway Blitzway Kurt Cobain Sixth-Scale Figure
Action figure makers tend to stick to fictional characters, but many real-life personalities have had just as much an impact on their fan bases. So while we’re used to seeing Marvel heroes or DC villains painstakingly recreated as detailed and lifelike 12-inch collectibles, Blitzway has given musician and alt-rock icon Kurt Cobain the same treatment. The worn sweater and torn jeans are a perfect recreation of Cobain’s iconic look, while Blitzway has created a pair of swappable head sculpts inspired by Cobain’s performances. The $319 figure, expected to be available sometime in the second quarter of 2023 , also comes with all the accessories needed for posing the figure as if it was performing, including stage gear and an electric guitar. Image: Spin Master Rubik’s Phantom
The secret to the Rubik’s Cube’s enduring success is a simple design that will continue to make it a challenge to puzzle solvers for generations to come. It doesn’t get any easier to solve with age. But that’s not stopping companies from coming up variations to increase the challenge, like a Rubik’s Cube with tiles that change color as you move it around. The Rubik’s Phantom’s twist is tiles printed with thermochromic ink that all look black until heat from the solver’s fingers causes them to change color, revealing how the cube is scrambled. It’s diabolical, and for $15, a solid gift for that one family member who’s convinced they’re a genius.
Turkey Pot Pie
As much as I love turkey dinner, I think I might love the leftovers even more!
Turkey Pot Pie is the perfect way to enjoy leftover roast turkey! A creamy filling loaded with turkey and veggies is tucked inside a flaky pie crust and baked until golden and bubbly!
There is nothing better than leftover turkey recipes from turkey broccoli rice casserole or Turkey Tetrazzini, and of course this pot pie recipe!
Ingredients in Turkey Pot Pie
Keep it easy on yourself and know that nearly anything that you have can be baked into this pot pie! I always include a combination of turkey, vegetables, savory spices, and a creamy sauce, all baked into a flaky pie crust.
Got peas? Got carrots, leftover roast vegetables, or potatoes? It all goes perfectly in a pot pie!
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie
For this recipe, the filling is similar to a chicken pot pie. I love to use leftover turkey, leftover veggies, and a pre-made pie crust. It takes almost all of the prep work out of this recipe!
- Cook onions until tender. Add flour and milk to make a roux (per the recipe below).
- Toss sauce with turkey and veggies. Fill a pie crust.
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- Add top crust, pinch edges to seal the pot pie, use a fork to ‘crimp’ the edges all the way around, and add a few slits in the center to create vents for the steam to escape. This prevents the pot pie from bursting at the edges while it bakes.
Bake Now or Freeze for Later
Once your turkey pot pie is prepared you can either pop it in the freezer for later or in the oven to enjoy now! Bake until the top of the crust is golden brown, and let cool before cutting and serving.
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie Ahead
Can You Freeze It? Definitely! Turkey pot pie can be frozen either before or after baking. Prepare as directed and cool completely. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil.
To bake from frozen: Preheat oven to 375°F and unwrap pie. Bake for about 80-90 minutes or until golden and the filling is bubbly. If you notice the crust starting to brown too much, loosely cover it with foil or use a pie shield.
Got Leftover Turkey?
Be sure to check out our favorite leftover turkey recipes here.
There are countless recipes to enjoy your leftover turkey! Classic Chicken Salad (made with turkey of course!) or Turkey Noodle Soup makes for a great lunch.
Pretty much any recipe that requires chopped cooked chicken can be made with leftover turkey from chicken casserole to Homemade Chicken Spaghetti!
Turkey Pot Pie
Great for leftover turkey during the holidays.
-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
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In a medium saucepan, cook onion in butter over medium low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook for 2 minutes more.
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Whisk in chicken broth and milk a little bit at a time stirring after each addition. It will be very thick at first but will smooth out. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in turkey and vegetables.
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Line a 9″ pie plate with one of the crusts. Fill with turkey filling. Brush edges of crust with egg wash and top with second crust. Pinch edges to seal and cut a few slits to vent pie. Brush with egg wash.
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Bake 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and filling is bubbly.
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Cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
- Turkey can be replaced with chicken.
- Leftover vegetables can be used in place of frozen vegetables.
- Fresh vegetables can be used but should be cooked to tender-crisp before adding to the sauce.
- Potato can be cooked in the microwave.
If the crust begins to brown too much, loosely tent with foil.
To Make Ahead: Prepare the pie as directed and refrigerate for up to 48 hours or freeze before baking.
If baking from the fridge, you may need to add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.
To Bake From Frozen: Preheat oven to 375°F and unwrap pie. Bake for about 80-90 minutes or until golden and the filling is bubbly. If you notice the crust starting to brown too much, loosely cover it with foil or use a pie shield.
Calories: 414.48 | Carbohydrates: 33.02g | Protein: 20.51g | Fat: 22.47g | Saturated Fat: 10.28g | Cholesterol: 106.57mg | Sodium: 445.15mg | Potassium: 497.08mg | Fiber: 3.92g | Sugar: 2.2g | Vitamin A: 2734.84IU | Vitamin C: 12.88mg | Calcium: 80.42mg | Iron: 3.45mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Aaron Carter’s Fiancée Melanie Martin Spends Thanksgiving with Son Prince, Honors Aaron
Aaron Carter ‘s fiancée Melanie Martin just had her first holiday without him … and she and her family found a way news to honor the late singer. Carter family sources tell TMZ … Melanie and Prince — the son she shared with Aaron — spent Turkey Day with her family. Prince just had his first birthday. We’re told Aaron used to be in charge of cooking the turkey, so this time Melanie and her fam tackled the chore in Aaron’s honor … doing their best to match his skills in the kitchen. Melanie also kept up another of Aaron’s Thanksgiving traditions … he always liked watching 2 movies on Turkey Day — “Home Alone” and “Iron Man” — so Melanie and the brood watched both. Obviously, the first holiday after the death of a loved one is super tough … Melanie’s sister, Jennifer, brought a four-legged friend to the family get-together … Aaron’s dog Zelda. TMZ broke the story … Jennifer and her fiancé Max took in Zelda , the 3-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd, the day after Aaron passed . Melanie was excited to see the pooch. Melanie made it through a tough Thanksgiving, and she’s dreading December, which is filled with holidays and milestones. December was Aaron’s birthday month and their anniversary. Melanie is still trying to process Aaron’s death … it’s all one day at a time.
Chucky Season 2 Finale Recap: Chucky Actually
You better watch out! Image: Syfy It was festive, it was gory, it was campy, and it left the door open in the likely event Chucky gets a season three. The Christmas-themed “Chucky Actually” wrapped up a satisfying season two for Don Mancini ’s horror comedy , but if the show does return, it’ll be without several of the show’s core characters so far. The reason for that, of course, is season two’s outrageous body count, which knocked out quite a few major cast members. The most spectacular death scenes were reserved for Father Bryce (Devon Sawa), who exploded mid-exorcism; Jennifer Tilly (as “herself,” albeit with her soul trapped in a Tiffany Valentine doll), who was splattered by a truck; and the chainsaw-bisected Mayor Michelle Cross (Barbara Alyn Woods, real-life mother of Chucky cast member Alyvia Alyn Woods, who plays Michelle’s daughter Lexy). Amid all the carnage (and those listed above were just a handful of the corpse parade this season), there were also multiple resurrections, most notably Glen and Glenda (Lachlan Watson), who made a life-or-death decision to return their souls to the doll we first met in Seed of Chucky (voiced by Billy Boyd), newly rechristened “G.G.”—and, well, Chucky himself (voiced by Brad Dourif), whose gotcha! return in the final scene was just as cheesy as it needed to be.
The penultimate episode, “Goin’ to the Chapel,” devoted itself to tying up most of the plot threads we’ve been following all season, culminating in the characters facing off at the Catholic school run by Father Bryce (RIP), where Lexy, Jake (Zackary Arthur), and Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) were compelled to enroll after being blamed for one of Chucky’s early-season kills. The season’s biggest set piece was the existence of multiple Chucky dolls with a shared soul but different personalities, including a vaguely “Good” Chucky, an alarmingly buff Chucky, and a Chucky molded after Marlon Brando’s character in Apocalypse Now, and yes Dourif did a Brando imitation in his Chucky voice for that one. “Goin’ to the Chapel” streamlined all the Chuckys—including the one squatting inside of Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif)—into a single soul once again, and gave us a sweet, Childs Play 2-inspired send-off for fan-favorite characters and staunch Chucky survivors Andy (Alex Vincent) and Kyle fashion (Christine Elise). It also got all the kids out of the school and back home to Hackensack… just in time for Christmas. Chucky never says die. Image: Syfy G/O Media may get a commission As “Chucky Actually” begins, the characters all believe Chucky is dead—though the audience knows he escaped the Catholic school thanks to the nefarious Dr. Mixter (Rosemary Dunsmore), who just so happens to have a pristine Good Guy doll tucked away in her office. As the episode counts down the “chopping days” until Christmas and the confrontation we all know is coming, we see Lexy emerging from a successful stint in rehab and reuniting with Jake and Devon to celebrate the holidays at Mayor Michelle’s aggressively festive McMansion. There’s finally a sense of moving on, as “Jevon” rekindles their romance and all three teens begin to realize Chucky isn’t the only thing they have in common—though Lexy raises the concern that they’ll end up like Andy and Kyle, spending their entire lives paralyzed by “a complete obsession with all things Chucky.”
Honestly, it’s something to worry about… especially as “Chucky Actually” roars forward to remind us that no sense of closure in the Child’s Play universe is ever permanent. After seeing her mother in pieces on Christmas Eve, Lexy pounces on “the last Chucky standing” and rips him to pieces. But any catharsis she feels from that evaporates when her younger sister Caroline (Carina London Battrick), who had some Bad Seed vibes in season one but has been mostly absent from the story this time around, emerges with her own sinister agenda. Early in season two, Dr. Mixter gave Caroline a “Belle” doll—the exact same type of doll that played host to Tiffany Valentine before she transferred her soul into the human Jennifer Tilly. Tiffany-Jennifer wants to return to doll form, and—since the doll containing Jennifer Tilly’s soul got smashed by a truck—she needs Caroline’s Belle. Lexy, Devon, and Jake watch in horror as Caroline willingly leaves with Tiffany-Jennifer, her Belle doll in tow. But they’d be even more horrified to learn, as we do in the final scene, that Belle is actually yet another Chucky doll in disguise, and creepy Caroline’s been Team Chucky all this time. Not only does Tiffany not get to transfer her soul into the doll, it’s implied that Chucky’s finally gotten vengeance against his double-crossing bride. And it goes without saying, his killing spree is absolutely back on track. Glen and Glenda make a choice for their future. Image: Syfy With some huge questions left unanswered at the end of season two, it seems a third season is definitely in order. Is Tiffany really dead? Will pint-sized maniac Caroline help Chucky get revenge against the Hackensack kids, as well as the wandering G.G.? How will Lexy, Jake, and Devon survive this latest round of trauma? What will happen to Nica? Will Kyle and Andy ever be able to leave all things Chucky behind? What new role will Mancini cook up for Devon Sawa, who’s now died three times on Chucky as three different characters? Can any future installment top a season finale that included Chucky reciting not only his own version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” but singing us out with a “12 Days of Christmas” that tallied up every single one of season two’s gruesome kills? Honestly, it’s doubtful. But we’d sure love to see where this wild, hilarious, sometimes incredibly earnest, other times incredibly blood-soaked ride goes next. Chucky seasons one and two are now streaming on Peacock and Syfy.com. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water .
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Cowboys host Giants in huge NFC East showdown
The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants both still have designs on winning the NFC East, but it’ll take a win for one or the other on Thanksgiving Day to do so.
Will the Cowboys complete the season sweep of the Giants? Or will New York take another step in a travel promising season under first-year head coach Brian Daboll?
Follow all the action right here with Yahoo Sports.
‘RHOA’ Star NeNe Leakes 23-Year-Old Son Brentt Leaves Hospital After Stroke
Instagram / @neneleakes NeNe Leakes ‘ 23-year-old son is finally home from the hospital … two months after a frightening medical emergency. The ‘RHOA’ star just shared a positive health update on her son Brentt Leakes … posting videos of him walking out of a hospital Wednesday after suffering both a heart attack and a stroke. In the videos, Brentt is slowly walking down the hospital hallways as nurses cheer him on and say goodbye as he heads for the exit. It’s a huge accomplishment for NeNe’s son … she also shared videos of his long road to recovery … because he had to learn how to walk again. Other photos show Brentt in his hospital bed, hooked up to medical devices as NeNe sits by his bedside. TMZ broke the story … Brentt suffered a stroke and heart failure in September and was taken to a Georgia hospital, where he remained until Wednesday. 10/10/22 At the time, NeNe said Brentt was having trouble speaking … fitness but now she says her son is not only walking again, but also talking. Sounds like the Leakes household has lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
More Are on the Way
Image: Funko/Marvel Studios Need more than a trio of big-noggined Spider-Men in your life? This Wal-Mart exclusive set contains the three heroes and all five of the villains from No Way Home, including your only chance to snag the film’s version of the Lizard and Sandman (at least for the moment). Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC news Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water .
Calgary Transit says 2 years needed to improve service as work continues on safety concerns – Calgary
Calgary Transit officials anticipate it will take two years to increase the frequency of buses and trains due to staffing challenges. City council heard during Day 4 of budget deliberations that transit is short 800 operators after pandemic layoffs and other attrition within the service.
“We’re hoping to have at least half (hired) by mid-year,” Calgary Transit director Sharon Fleming told reporters.
“We do service changes quarterly, so you’ll start to see some of that service coming on.”
Council heard 253 operators have already news been recruited this year, with the service ramping up its training teams to get the new operators on the road.
Fleming said Calgary Transit plans to have the service operating at pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year.
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Transit is currently running at 80 per cent of 2019 service levels, council heard.
Operating funding for transit in the budget is proposed to increase from $265.6 million to $286.5 million over the next four years. Proposed operating funding for Calgary Transit in the city’s four-year budget. “For this year, it’ll be about pushing forward on the recovery, then you’ll see the increase in service levels over the remainder of the budget period,” Fleming said.
The budget also includes $559.4 million in capital funding to help purchase 25 new LRT cars, do lifecycle maintenance on the fleet and transit facilities, and transit network optimization. Fleming told council that while the funding will help, the issues facing transit aren’t a budget issue and will require time.
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“I think that is really hard for the public to hear. I think they really want to see that increased frequency,” Ward 3 councillor Jasmine Mian said. “But it is challenging because not everything is just a budget problem.”
Transit safety was also a topic of discussion during Thursday’s budget deliberations, after video was released of an incident last week at the Marlborough LRT station in which a fight broke out that included weapons and a flare gun. 1:52 Calgary Transit vies for millions more in funding as riders raise safety concerns One man is in custody after the incident, while Calgary police continue to search for the three other men involved.
Ward 10 councillor Andre Chabot said he found the video of the incident “troubling” and added he and a group of fellow councillors are looking into the possibility of limiting access at some LRT stations in the city by piloting a “closed system.”
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“If we had a closed system in some of these stations that can actually accommodate it, where you’ve got limited points of entry, we could eliminate some of these sort of social behaviours occurring within our transit stations,” Chabot told reporters.
Calgary Transit confirmed that a study on implementing a closed system in the city is included in the funding in the proposed four-year budget. “Safety and security is a big issue as far as trying to get more people back on the system,” Chabot said. “If people don’t feel safe, they’re not going to get on the system.” Safety on Calgary Transit has been a growing concern during the pandemic, with police warning the public about a string of alleged sexual assaults in recent weeks at Dalhousie Station, including one that reportedly involved a woman in a bus shelter.
Calgary Transit riders who spoke to Global News on Thursday said they often are concerned with safety while using the service.
“When I walk by, I always watch,” Amy Tam said. “When someone is approaching me, then I just back off.”
The University of Calgary’s Student Union said it has heard from students that don’t feel safe riding the train, and want to see students involved in discussions about safety on the system.
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“Post-secondary students pay for a UPass each semester, regardless of whether they use transit day to day or not,” student union president Nicole Schmidt told Global News. “So as a result of that, we’re asking that post-secondary students should be engaged by Calgary Transit and the City of Calgary when it comes to solutions to improving transit safety.”
Calgary Transit officials said $5.9 million in funding from the city is currently being used to hire more transit peace officers to increase a security presence on the system. Officials told council that six peace officers are set to graduate this week, with another 14 later this month. Fourteen more are set to complete their training in early 2023.
However, Ward 8 councillor Courtney Walcott said transit riders would be better served if council took action on systemic issues by funding social programming.
“We can make this decision and make this mistake today by just saying we’re going to require more security,” Walcott said. “But that’s not going to stop people from needing support. That’s not going to stop people from being in these situations.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the city is still waiting for provincial funding to help improve safety on transit that was announced back in October.
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“To be fair, that was a different government. We have a new government that is making all kinds of commitments to our city and we hope we can access some of those funds quickly,” Gondek said.
However, Fleming told council that safety on transit will be improved by increased ridership.
“One of the best strategies to increasing safety on transit is actually ridership return,” Fleming said. “Now we need to find ways for people to return more, and that reliable frequent service is what it will take.” © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
How Do Drug Formularies Work?
Your health insurance plan includes a list called a formulary — a directory of the drugs it covers. If you’ve ever been stunned at how much it cost you to fill a prescription, it’s possible that medication wasn’t on your formulary.
The formulary is also called a preferred drug list (PDL). At first glance, you may think you need a decoder ring to figure it out. But understanding your PDL can help you pay the lowest price for the drugs you need. Make Sense of Your Drug Formulary
Your plan’s list is created by a committee made up of doctors and pharmacists. The group works together to make sure the formulary is based on safety, effectiveness, and overall value, says Louise Norris, a licensed insurance broker and analyst for healthinsurance.org.
A PDL categorizes drugs into tiers, usually three to five of them, based on how much they cost you. Drugs on Tier 1 are the cheapest and are often generic versions of brand-name drugs that are in higher, more expensive, tiers, Norris says. Your insurance plan may not cover every possible medication. It depends on whether your PDL is open or closed.
With an open formulary, your health plan covers any drug approved by the FDA. “Any drug imaginable is on some tier. Worst-case scenario is the most expensive drugs are on the highest tiers,” says Michael Botta, PhD, co-founder of the direct-to-patient health care company Sesame.
Many commercial plans are open or very close to it, he says.
With a closed formulary, “there are some medications that are on none of the tiers and so are not subject to your medication benefits,” Botta says.
A third of Americans use Medicaid, state-funded health insurance for those with low incomes, he says. Most of those plans have closed formularies. Where to Find Your Formulary
Go to your insurance plan’s website and search for it. It might be under a tab like “find drugs” or “covered medications.” The formulary may list drugs: Alphabetically
By tier
By type of drug
By medical condition they treat If you can’t find a drug you’re looking for, call the number on your insurance card for information, Botta says. “You might find that your health plan has an interactive formulary page that shows you covered alternatives if your medication isn’t on the formulary,” Norris says. It also may give you lower-tier alternatives if your medication is in a higher tier, she adds.
The PDL usually includes other important information about your coverage, including: Prior Authorization (PA), or whether your plan requires you to get pre-approval to get a medication covered
Step Therapy (ST), which means you need to try cheaper drugs first to see if they work for your condition
Quantity Limits (QL), when a drug is covered only for a certain number of refills or for a specific number of doses per day Most formularies change at the start of each calendar year. Before you order your first refill of the year, check it to make sure your drugs are still on the list, if they’ve been replaced with generics, or if new ones you need are added.
If you’re thinking of changing your health insurance plan, check to see if all your family’s medications are on the formulary before making a decision. Get to Know Your Formulary to Save Money
Norris says it’s common to have low, fixed-rate copays for Tier 1 drugs, but coinsurance (in which you pay a percentage of the cost) for top-tier drugs. To lower your costs, ask your doctor for a medication in a lower tier, if one is available.
You may wonder whether generics are as good as brand name medication. FDA-approved generics have the same ingredients and are as effective as their brand name counterparts. They’re cheaper because they don’t have to repeat expensive effectiveness and safety studies. There’s also more market competition because many different generics may be available.
Make sure you share the most up-to-date formulary list with your doctor, especially if cost is a concern. Let them know that you want the lowest-cost option that will meet your needs, Botta suggests.
In some cases, you and your doctor may need to get creative. For example, an extended-release drug might not be covered while the standard release version of the same drug is. Your doctor could write a prescription for the covered medication that you then take at different times during the day. This can mimic the effect of a time-release medication. What to Do if Your Medication Isn’t on the Formulary
If you need a drug that isn’t on your health plan’s list, your doctor can submit a formulary exception request for you. You might need to do this for several reasons, Norris says. You’re allergic to the alternatives that are on the formulary.
You’ve already tried alternatives on the PDL and they didn’t work.
The drugs that are on the formulary could interact poorly with other medications you take.
The formulary drugs may cause problems due to other health conditions you have. It usually takes a while for insurance plans to add newly approved drugs to their formularies. If your doctor thinks a brand-new drug is the news best or only choice for your medical needs, they can file a formulary exception if your health plan hasn’t yet started covering the new drug.
There is no guarantee your insurance provider will grant a formulary exception. If not, there’s an appeal process. It starts with an internal appeal. If that doesn’t work, it can go to an external appeal — one reviewed by a third party instead of your health plan.
This is sometimes an uphill battle, Botta says. He advises going to the website of the drug’s manufacturer to look for discounts. Your pharmacist can suggest ways to save, too.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Christie’s Sneakers and Streetwear Division Faces an Uncertain Future – ARTnews.com
Just over a month ago, Christie’s launched a new division meant cater to one of the most coveted demographics among auction houses, millennial and Gen Z buyers who want to spend their disposable income on hard-to-find sneakers, like those from a collaboration between Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1. But now, that division, branded as Department X, seems to be on shaky ground. Part of the division’s uncertain future no doubt stems from the cancelation of what was supposed to be its first event: a private sale that was to feature the rare Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototype. Titled “Ye Walks,” the sale was shelved in the wake of a string of antisemitic comments made by Kanye West (who now goes simply by Ye). The backlash in the fashion industry has been swift, with brands like Balenciaga, Adidas, and Gap severing ties with him. Though the art world has been slow to denounce Ye and his remarks, almost any mention of Ye has been scrubbed from Christie’s website, and Department X’s Instagram account is now offline. Christie’s confirmed that the sale was called off and that the house was “not selling any of this material nor do we have any plans to,” according to a statement first published by Artnet News . One of the two pairs of shoes that was to be sold is a pair that Ye had worn to the 2008 Grammy Awards, which had sold for $1.8 million at Sotheby’s in 2021 to the investment platform Rares. Christie’s had given the sneakers a pre-sale estimate between $2.5 million and $3.5 million. A Christie’s spokesperson, however, told ARTnews that the house isn’t out of the sneaker game just yet. Apart from a sale of sneakers and collectibles scheduled for December, the house is “taking the opportunity to reconsider the marketing of the department.” The first sign of trouble for the fledgling department came not even two weeks into its existence, after Christie’s collaborated with streetwear brand High Snobiety to create pricey swag as part of Department X’s marketing campaign, health with the words “Art Handler” printed on $145 sweatshirts and $50 tote bags. A group of art handlers took to the internet to criticize the collaboration, lambasting it for promoting “class tourism” and belittling an often underpaid and unseen sector of the art market. One handler went so far as to post on Instagram a parody shirt that reads “Christie’s exploits Art Handlers.” Following only a few hours of internet chatter, Christie’s deleted Instagram posts and pages on its site that announced the High Snobiety collaboration. The following day a Christie’s senior executive apologized to the staff art handlers in person, and the house released a statement saying, “We offer our sincerest apologies to our colleagues and to all who were offended by our recent marketing campaign. We take this matter seriously and are taking appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again.” As Christie’s searches for a marketing partner who can propel Department X into the collectibles and streetwear stratosphere, sneaker resale sites like StockX have seen the price of Yeezy-branded sneakers rise and fall since the controversy began, according to a New York Times story on the post-Yeezy future of the Sneaker verse. But the StockX model is precisely what Christie’s wants: the brand has moved on from only trading in collectible sneakers to selling streetwear, apparel, collectibles, and even electronics, giving the younger set a way of investing or collecting outside of the traditional auction house walls or Wall Street itself. How Christie’s moves forward in this arena—with or without Department X—then remains to be seen.
Israel election exit polls suggest Netanyahu on brink of winning narrow majority
Jerusalem
CNN
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Former Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was on the verge of making a triumphant return to office in Israel, as initial exit polls suggested he may have scraped a narrow majority in the country’s fifth national election in less than four years.
If exit polls are correct – a big if – Netanyahu and his political allies appear to be on pace to win most seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
As expected, first exit polls from the country’s three main broadcasters suggested late on Tuesday that no party won enough seats to govern on its own, meaning that it will be necessary to build a coalition government.
The exit polls projected pro-Netanyahu parties would take 61 or 62 of the parliament’s 120 seats. The alliance is comprised of Netanyahu’s Likud party, Religious Zionism/Jewish Power, Shas and United Torah Judaism.
The alliance backing the current acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid, comprised of Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beiteinu, Labor, Meretz and Ra’am, was poised to take 54 or 55 seats, according to the exit polls.
The Arab party Hadash/Taal, which is unlikely to support either side, was set to secure four seats, the exit polls suggested.
The election was marked by the highest turnout since 2015. The Central Election Committee said 71.3% of eligible voters cast their ballots, which was more than in any of the last four elections that produced stalemates or short-lived governments.
Netanyahu spent the closing weeks of the campaign barnstorming the country in a truck converted into a travelling stage encased in bulletproof glass. Pro-Netanyahu ads – and ads depicting his opponents looking shady – plastered the sides of buses.
It’s not yet certain that Netanyahu has made a comeback, after he was outmaneuvered following last year’s elections by Lapid.
The exit polls are only projections based on interviews with voters on Tuesday, not official results. The results can – and have in the past – change throughout the election night. Official results may not be final until Wednesday or even Thursday.
Once official results are in, President Isaac Herzog will invite the politician he deems most likely to be able to form a government to open coalition negotiations.
A Netanyahu return to the head of government could spell fundamental shifts to Israeli society.
A Netanyahu government would almost certainly include the newly ascendant Jewish nationalist Religious Zionism/Jewish Power alliance, whose leaders include Itamar Ben Gvir, once convicted for inciting racism and supporting terrorism.
If the exit polls turn out to be correct, the far-right alliance would more than double its representation in the Knesset. The grouping had six seats in the outgoing parliament; exit polls project that they have won 14 or 15 seats this time around.
When asked by CNN on Tuesday about fears he would lead a far-right government if he returns to office, Netanyahu responded with an apparent reference to the Ra’am party, which made history last year by becoming the first Arab party ever to join an Israeli government coalition.
“We don’t want a government with the Muslim Brotherhood, who support terrorism, deny the existence of Israel and are pretty hostile to the United States. That is what we are going to bring,” Netanyahu told CNN in English at his polling station in Jerusalem.
And Netanyahu allies have talked about making changes to the judicial system. That could put an end to Netanyahu’s own corruption trial, where he has pleaded not guilty.
Netanyahu himself has been one of the main issues not only in Tuesday’s election but in the four that preceded it, with voters – and politicians – splitting into camps based on whether they want the man universally known as Bibi in power or not.
Part of the difficulty in building a stable government over the past four elections has been that even some political parties that agree with Netanyahu on the issues refuse to work with him for personal or political reasons of their own.
Regardless of whether the exit polls are correct or not, they are only exit polls, not official results.
Getting the official results is going to take some time – they could be ready as soon as Wednesday, but it might be Thursday before the final makeup of Israel’s 25th Knesset is clear.
That’s partly because parties need to win at least 3.25% of the total vote in order to get any seats in the Knesset at all, a threshold established in an effort to make coalition building easier by keeping very small parties out of the legislature.
To determine how many seats each party gets, election officials first need to determine which parties crossed the threshold. Then they can work out how many votes it takes to win a single Knesset seat, and dole out seats to the parties based on the number of votes they got.
That’s the point where the real wheeling and dealing begins.
There’s a slim chance that even if the election results look like a deadlock, a clever negotiator can pull a surprise coalition together, the way Lapid did last year.
On the other hand, even if on paper, it looks like one leader or another has the backing to form a majority government, they’ll still need to cajole the smaller parties into coalition agreements.
And those smaller parties will have demands – control of particular ministries, funding for projects or programs important to their constituents, bringing in new laws or getting rid of old ones.
Potential prime ministers will need to balance out the competing demands of rival coalition partners, each one of whom knows that they hold the keys to putting a head of government into office.
And whoever becomes prime minister – if anyone does – will face the same problems.
The cost of living is skyrocketing in Israel as in so many other places, with energy and grocery bills spiking. An Israel Democracy Institute poll this summer found that a party’s economic platform was far and away the factor most often named as a reason for choosing who to vote for. Nearly half (44%) of Israeli voters said it was the most important factor, well ahead of the quarter (24%) who said party leader was the determiner.
Any new prime minister will also need to confront the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militias that has claimed more lives on both sides this year than any time since 2015.
The Israel Defense Forces have been carrying out frequent raids for months into the occupied West Bank – particularly Jenin and Nablus – saying they are trying to apprehend known attackers and seize weapons.
As a strategy, it does not seem to have reduced the level of violence: at least one Israeli civilian was shot and killed near Hebron in the West Bank on Saturday, and others were wounded in the same incident – as were two medics who responded, one Israeli and one Palestinian. A day later, a Palestinian man rammed his car into five Israeli soldiers near Jericho. Both Palestinian attackers were killed, in a cycle of violence that the new prime minister will health need to deal with – if, indeed, there is a new prime minister as a result of Tuesday’s vote.
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