#Tony Savio

[ronnydeschepper]

Domenico Modugno (1928-1994)

Het is ook al dertig jaar geleden dat de Italiaanse zanger en acteur Domenico Modugno op 66-jarige leeftijd aan een hartaanval is overleden in Lampedusa (tiens, waar heb ik die naam nog gehoord?). Zijn “Volare”, dat eigenlijk “Nel blu dipinto di blu” heette n.a.v. een schilderij van Marc Chagall, werd op de allereerste Grammy Awards bekroond zowel als beste plaat van het jaar als als beste…

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.6

Holidays

Adhesive Postage Stamp Day

Army Day (Bulgaria)

Arrival Day (Guyana)

Condom Day (Japan)

A Day Without Homework

Emancipation Day (Cayman Islands)

Freud Day

Globeflower Day

Great Lakes Awareness Day

Hellshire Day (Eugene, Oregon)

Hıdırellez begins (Turkey)

Infantry Day (Ukraine)

Infidelity Hurts Awareness Day

International Blowing Bubbles Day

International Coaching Day

International Management Accounting Day

International No Diet Day

Jimmy Buffet Day (Mississippi)

Joseph Brackett Day

Mark A. Groh Cardiothoracic Surgeon Appreciation Day

Martyrs’ Day (Gabon, Lebanon, Syria)

National Aidan Day

National Azulejo Day (Portugal)

National Day to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

National Hentai Day

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day

National Nurses Day (a.k.a. National RN Recognition Day)

National Tony Day

National Tourist Appreciation Day

No Homework Day [also Last Friday in March]

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Peg Day (UK)

Phi Day (Southern Hemisphere)

Police Day (Republic of Georgia)

Prayer Day (Denmark)

Refrigerator Day

Rubber Day (Japan)

Salad Burnet Day (French Republic)

Saviour's Day

Senior Citizens’ Day (Palau)

Shepherd’s and Herdsman’s Day (Bulgaria)

Simple Gifts Day (a.k.a. Joseph Brackett Day)

Steel Plow Day

Teachers’ Day (Jamaica)

Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day

Wishbone Day

World Accordion Day

World Kids Coloring Day

World Moyamoya Awareness Day

World Philately Day

Yale Lock Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Crepe Suzette Day

National Beverage Day

Russell Stover Candies Day

Sauvignon Blanc Day (UK; Commonwealth countries)

Independence & Related Days

Arkansas (Seceded from the U.S.; 1861)

The Kikkian Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

First Monday in May

Bank Holiday (UK)

Great Lakes Awareness Day [Monday of 1st Full Week]

Labour Day Holiday (Many Counties outside North America) [1st Monday]

Melanoma Monday [1st Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day [Monday of 1st Full Week]

National Testing Coordinator’s Day [1st Monday]

Open Farm Day (Ireland) [1st Monday]

School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day [1st Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 6 (1st Full Week)

Air Quality Awareness Week (thru 5.10)

Economic Development Week (thru 5.10)

Mental Health Week (Canada) [1st Full Week]

Mental Illness Awareness Week (Canada) [1st Full Week]

National Children’s Book Week (thru 5.12)

National Nurses Week (thru 5.12)

National Safety Stand Down Week (thru 5.12)

National Sun Safety Week (thru 5.12)

National Wildflower Week (thru 5.12)

Puppy Mill Action Week (thru 5.12)

Screen-Free Week (f.k.a. TV Turnoff Week; thru 5.12) [1st Full Week]

Teacher Appreciation Week (thru 5.12) [1st Full Week]

World Cocktail Week (thru 5.13)

Festivals Beginning May 6, 2024

Food Safety Summit (Rosemont, Illinois) [thru 5.9]

Frankfort Elberta Restaurant Week (Frankfort & Elberta, Michigan) [thru 5.12]

Melbourne Writers Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 5.12]

Tartu International Literary Festival Prima Vista (Tartu, Estonia) [thru 5.12]

A Taste of Talent (Andover, New Jersey)

Trondheim Jazz Festival (Trondheim, Norway) [thru 5.11]

WasteExpo (Las Vegas, Nevada) [thru 5.9]

Feast Days

Alexander (Positivist; Saint)

Ancestor Day II (Pagan)

Beverage Day (Pastafarian)

Bruces Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Charles Drouet (Artology)

Connect with the Land Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Đurđevdan (Festival for the Roma People of the former Yugoslavia)

Eadbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne (Christian; Saint)

Enlightenment of the Buddha (Buddhism)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (Artology)

Evodius of Antioch (Roman Catholic Church)

Food (Muppetism)

François de Laval (Christian; Saint)

George (Eastern Orthodox Church) a.k.a. ... 

Đurđevdan (Gorani, Roma)

Gergyovden  (Day of Bravery or Army Day; Bulgaria)

Police Day (Georgia)

Shën Gjergji (Albania and Kosovo)

Yuri's Day in the Spring (Russian Orthodox Church)

Gerard of Lunel (Christian; Saint)

Guinness (The Stout) Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Harry Martinson (Writerism)

Jeffery Deaver (Writerism)

Long Island Church of Aphrodite (Everyday Wicca)

Lucius of Cyrene (Christian; Saint)

Petronax of Monte Cassino (Christian; Saint)

John before the Latin Gate (Christian; Saint)

John Demascen (Christian; Saint)

Munichia (a.k.a. Mounikhia; Ancient Greek Festival to Artemis)

Nestor Basterretxea (Artology)

Prudence (Christian; Virgin)

Remembrance  for Eyvind Kelve (Asatru/Norse Pagan)

The Sixth Day of May (Shamanism)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Easter Monday (Orthodox Christian) [Day after Orthodox Easter] (a.k.a. ... 

Memorial Day (Georgia)

Doua zi de Paste (Moldova)

Doua zi de Pasti (Romania)

Orthodox Easter Monday

Vtor den Veligden (Macedonia)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [17 of 32]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [25 of 60]

Premieres

Alias the Saint, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories; 1940) [Saint #6]

At Folsom Prison, by Johnny Cash (Live Album; 1968)

Backstreet Boys, by Backstreet Boys (Album; 1996)

Call for the Dead, by John le Carré (Novel; 1961)

Captain America: Civil War (Film; 2016)

Chernobyl (TV Documentary Series; 2019)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Film; 2022)

The Double Helix, by James Watson (Memoir; 1968)

Highwayman, by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (Album; 1985)

The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart (Novel; 1973) [Arthurian Saga #2]

The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound (Animated TV Special; 1988)

I Got You (I Feel Good), by James Brown (Song recorded; 1965)

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice (Novel; 1976)

Into You, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2016)

Kingdom of Heaven (Film; 2005)

La Bohème, by Ruggero Leoncavallo (Opera; 1897)

The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Off-Broadway Musical; 1982)

Metropolis (Film; 1927)

Mickey’s Trailer (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Million Dollar Cat (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1944)

New York Herald Tribune (Daily Newspaper; 1835)

Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1966)

Railroaded to Fame (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1961)

Rock and Roll Music, recorded by Chuck Berry (Song; 1957)

Rocket Man, by Elton John (Song; 1972)

Son of Batman (WB Animated Film; 2014)

The Stainless Steel Rat, by Harry Harrison (Novel; 1961)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Film; 1980)

Swooner Crooner (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

Take This To Your Grave, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2003)

The Thanatos Syndrome, by Percy Walker (Novel; 1987)

This for That (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1996)

Thor (Film; 2011)

Thugs with Dirty Mugs (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny (Song; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Godehard, Jutta, Sigrid (Austria)

Irina, Mira (Bulgaria)

Anđeo, Hilarije, Maksim (Croatia)

Klaudie (Czech Republic)

Gothard (Denmark)

Loit, Loomet (Estonia)

Maini, Melina, Melissa (Finland)

Judith (France)

Gotthard, Jutta, Sigrid (Germany)

Efraim, Efrem, Eirene, Eirini, Eirinaios, Irene, Irini (Greece)

Adrián, Györgyi (Hungary)

Angelo, Massimo, Pellegrino, Penelope (Italy)

Gederts, Gerhards, Ģirts, Gothards (Latvia)

Angelas, Anielius, Barvydas, Gintaras, Pijus (Lithuania)

Guldbrand, Gullborg (Norway)

Irena, Ita, Pius, Teodor, Waldemar, Zdzibor (Poland)

Irina (Romania)

Lesana, Lesia (Slovakia)

Amador, Ángel, Hilario, Máximo (Spain)

Erhard, Gotthard (Sweden)

Irene, Myroslav, Myroslava (Ukraine)

Morna, Mya, Myah, Myrna, Orson, Prudence (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 127 of 2024; 239 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 19 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Wu-Chen), Day 28 (Geng-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Nisan 5784

Islamic: 27 Shawwal 1445

J Cal: 7 Magenta; Sevenday [7 of 30]

Julian: 23 April 2024

Moon: 3%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 15 Caesar (5th Month) [Junius Brutus]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 49 of 92)

Week: 1st Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 17 of 31)

[brookston]

Holidays 5.6

Holidays

Adhesive Postage Stamp Day

Army Day (Bulgaria)

Arrival Day (Guyana)

Condom Day (Japan)

A Day Without Homework

Emancipation Day (Cayman Islands)

Freud Day

Globeflower Day

Great Lakes Awareness Day

Hellshire Day (Eugene, Oregon)

Hıdırellez begins (Turkey)

Infantry Day (Ukraine)

Infidelity Hurts Awareness Day

International Blowing Bubbles Day

International Coaching Day

International Management Accounting Day

International No Diet Day

Jimmy Buffet Day (Mississippi)

Joseph Brackett Day

Mark A. Groh Cardiothoracic Surgeon Appreciation Day

Martyrs’ Day (Gabon, Lebanon, Syria)

National Aidan Day

National Azulejo Day (Portugal)

National Day to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

National Hentai Day

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day

National Nurses Day (a.k.a. National RN Recognition Day)

National Tony Day

National Tourist Appreciation Day

No Homework Day [also Last Friday in March]

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Peg Day (UK)

Phi Day (Southern Hemisphere)

Police Day (Republic of Georgia)

Prayer Day (Denmark)

Refrigerator Day

Rubber Day (Japan)

Salad Burnet Day (French Republic)

Saviour's Day

Senior Citizens’ Day (Palau)

Shepherd’s and Herdsman’s Day (Bulgaria)

Simple Gifts Day (a.k.a. Joseph Brackett Day)

Steel Plow Day

Teachers’ Day (Jamaica)

Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day

Wishbone Day

World Accordion Day

World Kids Coloring Day

World Moyamoya Awareness Day

World Philately Day

Yale Lock Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Crepe Suzette Day

National Beverage Day

Russell Stover Candies Day

Sauvignon Blanc Day (UK; Commonwealth countries)

Independence & Related Days

Arkansas (Seceded from the U.S.; 1861)

The Kikkian Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

First Monday in May

Bank Holiday (UK)

Great Lakes Awareness Day [Monday of 1st Full Week]

Labour Day Holiday (Many Counties outside North America) [1st Monday]

Melanoma Monday [1st Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day [Monday of 1st Full Week]

National Testing Coordinator’s Day [1st Monday]

Open Farm Day (Ireland) [1st Monday]

School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day [1st Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 6 (1st Full Week)

Air Quality Awareness Week (thru 5.10)

Economic Development Week (thru 5.10)

Mental Health Week (Canada) [1st Full Week]

Mental Illness Awareness Week (Canada) [1st Full Week]

National Children’s Book Week (thru 5.12)

National Nurses Week (thru 5.12)

National Safety Stand Down Week (thru 5.12)

National Sun Safety Week (thru 5.12)

National Wildflower Week (thru 5.12)

Puppy Mill Action Week (thru 5.12)

Screen-Free Week (f.k.a. TV Turnoff Week; thru 5.12) [1st Full Week]

Teacher Appreciation Week (thru 5.12) [1st Full Week]

World Cocktail Week (thru 5.13)

Festivals Beginning May 6, 2024

Food Safety Summit (Rosemont, Illinois) [thru 5.9]

Frankfort Elberta Restaurant Week (Frankfort & Elberta, Michigan) [thru 5.12]

Melbourne Writers Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 5.12]

Tartu International Literary Festival Prima Vista (Tartu, Estonia) [thru 5.12]

A Taste of Talent (Andover, New Jersey)

Trondheim Jazz Festival (Trondheim, Norway) [thru 5.11]

WasteExpo (Las Vegas, Nevada) [thru 5.9]

Feast Days

Alexander (Positivist; Saint)

Ancestor Day II (Pagan)

Beverage Day (Pastafarian)

Bruces Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Charles Drouet (Artology)

Connect with the Land Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Đurđevdan (Festival for the Roma People of the former Yugoslavia)

Eadbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne (Christian; Saint)

Enlightenment of the Buddha (Buddhism)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (Artology)

Evodius of Antioch (Roman Catholic Church)

Food (Muppetism)

François de Laval (Christian; Saint)

George (Eastern Orthodox Church) a.k.a. ... 

Đurđevdan (Gorani, Roma)

Gergyovden  (Day of Bravery or Army Day; Bulgaria)

Police Day (Georgia)

Shën Gjergji (Albania and Kosovo)

Yuri's Day in the Spring (Russian Orthodox Church)

Gerard of Lunel (Christian; Saint)

Guinness (The Stout) Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Harry Martinson (Writerism)

Jeffery Deaver (Writerism)

Long Island Church of Aphrodite (Everyday Wicca)

Lucius of Cyrene (Christian; Saint)

Petronax of Monte Cassino (Christian; Saint)

John before the Latin Gate (Christian; Saint)

John Demascen (Christian; Saint)

Munichia (a.k.a. Mounikhia; Ancient Greek Festival to Artemis)

Nestor Basterretxea (Artology)

Prudence (Christian; Virgin)

Remembrance  for Eyvind Kelve (Asatru/Norse Pagan)

The Sixth Day of May (Shamanism)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Easter Monday (Orthodox Christian) [Day after Orthodox Easter] (a.k.a. ... 

Memorial Day (Georgia)

Doua zi de Paste (Moldova)

Doua zi de Pasti (Romania)

Orthodox Easter Monday

Vtor den Veligden (Macedonia)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [17 of 32]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [25 of 60]

Premieres

Alias the Saint, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories; 1940) [Saint #6]

At Folsom Prison, by Johnny Cash (Live Album; 1968)

Backstreet Boys, by Backstreet Boys (Album; 1996)

Call for the Dead, by John le Carré (Novel; 1961)

Captain America: Civil War (Film; 2016)

Chernobyl (TV Documentary Series; 2019)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Film; 2022)

The Double Helix, by James Watson (Memoir; 1968)

Highwayman, by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (Album; 1985)

The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart (Novel; 1973) [Arthurian Saga #2]

The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound (Animated TV Special; 1988)

I Got You (I Feel Good), by James Brown (Song recorded; 1965)

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice (Novel; 1976)

Into You, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2016)

Kingdom of Heaven (Film; 2005)

La Bohème, by Ruggero Leoncavallo (Opera; 1897)

The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Off-Broadway Musical; 1982)

Metropolis (Film; 1927)

Mickey’s Trailer (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Million Dollar Cat (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1944)

New York Herald Tribune (Daily Newspaper; 1835)

Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1966)

Railroaded to Fame (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1961)

Rock and Roll Music, recorded by Chuck Berry (Song; 1957)

Rocket Man, by Elton John (Song; 1972)

Son of Batman (WB Animated Film; 2014)

The Stainless Steel Rat, by Harry Harrison (Novel; 1961)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Film; 1980)

Swooner Crooner (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

Take This To Your Grave, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2003)

The Thanatos Syndrome, by Percy Walker (Novel; 1987)

This for That (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1996)

Thor (Film; 2011)

Thugs with Dirty Mugs (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny (Song; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Godehard, Jutta, Sigrid (Austria)

Irina, Mira (Bulgaria)

Anđeo, Hilarije, Maksim (Croatia)

Klaudie (Czech Republic)

Gothard (Denmark)

Loit, Loomet (Estonia)

Maini, Melina, Melissa (Finland)

Judith (France)

Gotthard, Jutta, Sigrid (Germany)

Efraim, Efrem, Eirene, Eirini, Eirinaios, Irene, Irini (Greece)

Adrián, Györgyi (Hungary)

Angelo, Massimo, Pellegrino, Penelope (Italy)

Gederts, Gerhards, Ģirts, Gothards (Latvia)

Angelas, Anielius, Barvydas, Gintaras, Pijus (Lithuania)

Guldbrand, Gullborg (Norway)

Irena, Ita, Pius, Teodor, Waldemar, Zdzibor (Poland)

Irina (Romania)

Lesana, Lesia (Slovakia)

Amador, Ángel, Hilario, Máximo (Spain)

Erhard, Gotthard (Sweden)

Irene, Myroslav, Myroslava (Ukraine)

Morna, Mya, Myah, Myrna, Orson, Prudence (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 127 of 2024; 239 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 19 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Wu-Chen), Day 28 (Geng-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Nisan 5784

Islamic: 27 Shawwal 1445

J Cal: 7 Magenta; Sevenday [7 of 30]

Julian: 23 April 2024

Moon: 3%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 15 Caesar (5th Month) [Junius Brutus]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 49 of 92)

Week: 1st Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 17 of 31)

[jonfarreporter]

Award-winning Mime Troupe Spotlights San Francisco’s Homelessness Crisis

Founded over six decades ago, the Tony-Awarded San Francisco Mime Troupe has always been at the forefront of the pulse of the City and the issues of the day. SFMT opens its 64th season on July 1 with a new musical called: “Breakdown - Sometimes it’s not all just happening in your mind.”

Directed by Michael Gene Sullivan, Breakdown features a five-person cast, with original music & lyrics by Daniel Savio.

The musical reflects what is currently happening in San Francisco as homelessness continues amid a stressed-out economy from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation. The story/plot of this musical is how can we help those struggling with actual mental illness? And who is driving the country insane?

The main character, portrayed by Kina Kantor is a homeless woman named Yume. She lives on the San Francisco streets of an increasingly intolerant urban landscape. Yet that doesn’t mean all her issues can be solved by a passionate social worker, named Saidia, portrayed by Alicia M.P. Nelson.

In the City “by The Bay” San Francisco seems to have more bureaucracy and paperwork than compassion. Help is always just around the Kafkaesque labyrinthine corner!

But that doesn’t mean San Francisco is the hellhole of progressivism as an up-and-coming Fox News commentator, named Marcia Stone, portrayed by Jamella Cross, seeks to present San Francisco that way to the rest of the country.

As playwright/director Sullivan and music composer/lyricist Savio strive to illustrate…whether it’s an individual, a bureaucracy, or a national sanity, everything is headed for a…”Breakdown!”

While SFMT’s initial inspiration was and is rooted in mime, as Sullivan explained.

“We use the term ‘mime’ in its classical and original definition,” he said.

"The exaggeration of daily life in story and song." “It is a form of popular theater that is as old as the marketplace itself,” he said.

Similar to SFMT is Theatre in Paris, in France. Upon hearing the news about the upcoming 64th season and SFMT’s new musical, Carl de Poncins, one of the founders of Theatre in Paris agreed with Sullivan, saying…

“Yes…The history of mime relied on elaborate movement and gesture but also incorporating speech and some song.” Pointing to mime’s universality as an art form, de Poncins noted…

“variations of the practice also found their way into ancient aboriginal, Indian, and Japanese theatrical heritages, all of which feature performances that blend music and dance with a narrative told through a stylized gesture and facial expression.”

“The Japanese Noh tradition of masked theatre, in particular, is another example, said de Poncins, and Noh would go onto influence many contemporary French theorists of mime.”

Co-founders of Theatre in Paris, Christopher Plotard and Romaine Beytout, like de Poncins are very pleased and excited for SFMT as they present an entirely new production. Bringing live theatre directly to the people in public places such as parks is what they are all about. They applaud the work SFMT is doing.

Following much of the basic commedia dell'Arte format, SFMT revels in the ability for art to enhance and improve people’s lives. Adding further, Sullivan said. “From the ancient Greek and Roman farces to the Renaissance/Shakespearean era to modern Chinese Opera, we are using archetypes comically to illustrate people's issues.”

“This is a time honored worldwide tradition,” said Sullivan just as de Poncins mentioned. “Our broadly drawn characters are instantly recognizable allowing the audience to immediately engage in the action,” he said.

BREAKDOWN - A New Musical, opens July 1 at Cedar Rose Park in Berkeley and continues with a showing at Dolores Park in the Mission District on July 4. Shows will continue throughout the Bay Area in SF, Marin (Mill Valley), Ukiah (Mendocino), Cotati (Sonoma), East Bay, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Jose, and Davis, until September 4.

All performances are free of charge unless otherwise listed. Some performances will require an RSVP.

Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier, BREAKDOWN - A New Musical has been made possible by contributions from The Don Stevens Laugh and Love Fund; California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts; and Individual Donors. For a complete schedule and more information, visit sfmt.org or call 415-285-1717. (Photos by David Allen Studio, Courtesy of SFMT).

[marveladdictx]

If you don't respect Tony Stark why are you even in the MCU?

[artisticlegshake]

The Dance Awards Live 2020 Results

MINI MALE TOP 20: Mason Gallenero - DANCE INC Sebastian Mancini - BOBBIE’S Vincent Gerzon - EDX Joshua Colburn - BONI’S
Tony Parrelli -HACKWORTH Jakey McCullough - CAPITAL CITY Quinn Powers - CDU Jacob Barrow - EVOKE Lincoln Russo - PULSE Hudson Abbott - CDC

MINI MALE TOP 10: Anthony Juo - DANCE COLLECTIVE Payton Reed - EXCEL Tristan Redly - THE NINE Eric Poor - CITYDANCE Keenan Mentzos - PULSE Michael Cash Savio - STARS Noah Johnson - PRODIGY Gabe Johnson - NOLTE Ethan Ferrante - THE NINE Emerson Santos - CDC

[blackkudos]

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American-Canadian actor, producer, businessman, retired professional wrestler, and former professional football player. He was a professional wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) for eight years prior to pursuing an acting career. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time.

Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami, with whom he won a national championship in 1991. He initially aspired for a professional career in football and entered the 1995 NFL Draft, but he went undrafted. As a result, Johnson signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL), but was cut from the team in the middle of his first season. Shortly after, he began training as a professional wrestler.

In 1996, Johnson secured a contract with the WWF and was promoted as the first third-generation wrestler in the company's history, as he is the son of Rocky Johnson and grandson of Peter Maivia. He rose to prominence after developing a charismatic persona of a boastful trash-talking wrestler named The Rock. He subsequently won his first WWF Championship in 1998 and helped usher the WWF into the "Attitude Era", a boom period in the company's business in the latter 1990s and early 2000s which still hold professional wrestling records for television ratings. In 2004, he left the WWE to pursue an acting career and went on a seven-year hiatus before returning in 2011 as a part-time performer until 2013, before wholly retiring in 2019.

Considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers and biggest draws of all-time, The Rock headlined the most-bought professional wrestling pay-per-view event ever, WrestleMania XXVIII, and was featured in among the most watched episodes of WWE's television shows, WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown. He has won several championships, being a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time tag team champion, and a ten-time world champion. He was also a Royal Rumble match winner and WWE's sixth Triple Crown champion.

Johnson had his first acting role in The Mummy Returns (2001), and played his first lead role in The Scorpion King (2002). He has since starred in numerous successful films, including The Game Plan (2007), Get Smart (2008), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Tooth Fairy (2010), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Hercules (2014), San Andreas (2015), Central Intelligence (2016), Moana (2016), Rampage (2018), and Skyscraper (2018). Johnson's most successful box office role has been Luke Hobbs in The Fast Saga films. He first appeared as the character in Fast Five (2011) and helped catapult the film series into one of the top-grossing movie franchises in history. He starred in the sequels, Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), and The Fate of the Furious (2017), as well as the spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw (2019). Another notable franchise starring Johnson is Jumanji, and he has appeared in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).

Johnson starred in the HBO series Ballers, on which he was also a producer, starting in 2015. The show ran for five seasons and was ranked as HBO's most watched comedy in six years. He has also attained success as a television host, author, and producer. In 2000, he released an autobiography titled The Rock Says... which debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2012, he founded the entertainment production company Seven Bucks Productions, which has since produced several films. Consistently ranked among the world's highest paid actors, Johnson made the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list in both 2016 and 2019.

Early life

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California, to Ata Johnson (née Maivia; born 1948) and former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles; 1944–2020). Growing up, Johnson briefly lived in New Zealand with his mother's family, where he attended Richmond Road Primary School in Grey Lynn before returning to the United States. He then attended Montclaire Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina before moving to Hamden, Connecticut, where he spent a couple of years at Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Hamden Middle School. Johnson spent his high school years at President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, Glencliff High School and McGavock High School in Nashville, Tennessee, and Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was arrested multiple times for fighting, theft, and check fraud before the age of 17. Johnson also began playing sports, joining his high schools' gridiron football, track and field and wrestling teams.

Johnson is half-Black (African) and half-Samoan. His father was a Black Canadian, from Nova Scotia, and part of the first Black tag team champions in WWE history along with Tony Atlas. His mother is Samoan and the daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a pro wrestler. Maivia's wife, Lia, was the first female pro wrestling promoter, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband's death in 1982, until 1988. Through his grandfather Maivia, Johnson is considered a non-blood relative to the Anoa'i wrestling family. In 2008, Johnson inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Football career

Johnson was a promising football prospect and received offers from many Division I collegiate programs. He decided on a full scholarship from the University of Miami where he mostly played defensive tackle. In 1991, he was on the Miami Hurricanes' national championship team. After suffering a number of injuries, he was later replaced in the starting lineup by future Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp.

After Johnson graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies in criminology and physiology, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as a linebacker. He was assigned to the practice roster but was cut two months into the season.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1996)

After his football career, Johnson decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler. Veteran wrestler Pat Patterson got Johnson several tryout matches with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1996. Under his real name, he defeated The Brooklyn Brawler at a house show on March 10. and lost matches to Chris Candido and Owen Hart. After wrestling at Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Association as Flex Kavana and winning the USWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Bart Sawyer in the summer of 1996, Johnson signed a WWF contract. He received additional training from Tom Prichard, alongside Achim Albrecht and Mark Henry.

World Wrestling Federation/EntertainmentDebut and Intercontinental Champion (1996–1997)

Johnson made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father and grandfather's ring names, although his real name was acknowledged by the announcers. He was initially reluctant to take this ring name but was persuaded by Vince McMahon and Jim Ross. He was given the nickname "The Blue Chipper" and his lineage was played to on TV, where he was hyped as the WWF's first third-generation wrestler. Maivia, a clean-cut face character, was pushed heavily from the start despite his wrestling inexperience. He debuted on Monday Night Raw as a member of Marc Mero's entourage on November 4, 1996. His first match came at Survivor Series, on November 17, in an eight-man elimination tag match; he was the sole survivor and eliminated the final two members of the opposing team, Crush and Goldust. On February 13, 1997, he won the Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on Monday Night Raw. Maivia then successfully defended the title against Helmsley at In Your House 13: Final Four. He had his first WrestleMania match at WrestleMania 13 where he was victorious in his Intercontinental Championship defense against The Sultan. WWF fans started to reject his character and push from the company. He defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a title defense on the March 31 episode of Raw is War. Behind the scenes, Hart mentored Johnson for his first year in WWF and refused to be booked to take the title from him. On April 20, at In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, he lost to Savio Vega by countout but retained the title. Audiences became increasingly hostile toward Maivia, with chants of "die, Rocky, die" and "Rocky sucks" being heard during his matches.

The Nation of Domination (1997–1998)

After losing the Intercontinental Championship to Owen Hart on the April 28, 1997 episode of Raw Is War and suffering a legitimate knee injury in a match against Mankind, Maivia returned in August 1997 and turned heel for the first time in his career by lashing out at fans who had been booing him and joining Faarooq, D'Lo Brown and Kama in the stable called the Nation of Domination. He then refused to acknowledge the Rocky Maivia name, instead referring to himself in the third person as The Rock, though he would still be billed as "The Rock" Rocky Maivia until 1998. The Rock would then regularly insult the audience, WWF performers, and interviewers in his promos.

At D-Generation X: In Your House, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock in under six minutes to retain the Intercontinental Championship. The next night on Raw Is War, Austin was ordered by Mr. McMahon to defend the title in a rematch, but forfeited it to The Rock instead, handing him the title belt before hitting him with the Stone Cold Stunner. The Rock feuded with Austin and Ken Shamrock through the end of 1997 and beginning of 1998. On January 19, 1998, at Royal Rumble, The Rock defeated Shamrock by disqualification to retain the Intercontinental title. Later that night, he entered the Royal Rumble match and lasted until the final two before he was eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. On March 29, at WrestleMania XIV, he defeated Shamrock by disqualification once again to retain the title. The next night, on Raw is War, The Rock debuted a new Intercontinental Championship design and would later overthrow Faarooq as leader of the Nation of Domination to spark a feud between the two. He then successfully defended the Intercontinental title against Faarooq at Over the Edge: In Your House on May 31. The stable would then refer to themselves as simply "The Nation".

The Rock and The Nation then feuded with Triple H and D-Generation X, with the two stable leaders first meeting in the quarter-final of the 1998 King of the Ring tournament, which The Rock won. At King of the Ring, The Rock defeated Dan Severn in the semi-final match and lost to rival Ken Shamrock in the final. The Rock then resumed his feud with Triple H, as the two had a two out of three falls match at Fully Loaded: In Your House for the Intercontinental title, which The Rock retained in controversial fashion. This led to a ladder match at SummerSlam, where The Rock lost the title.

The Rock saw a big uptick in fan support during this time, causing him to be booked in a feud with fellow Nation members Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown, turning babyface in the process. Henry defeated him at Judgment Day: In Your House, after interference from Brown, effectively breaking up the stable.

WWF Champion and rise to superstardom (1998–2000)

The Rock was then entered into the "Deadly Game" tournament for the vacant WWF Championship. The finals occurred at Survivor Series, where The Rock defeated Vince McMahon's associate, Mankind, to win his first WWF Championship. A "double turn" then occurred as The Rock turned heel again after allying with Vince and Shane McMahon as the crown jewel of their stable, The Corporation, after the McMahons betrayed Mankind. On December 13, 1998, at the pay-per-view named after him, Rock Bottom: In Your House, The Rock had a rematch with Mankind for the WWF Championship. Mankind appeared to win the match when The Rock passed out to the Mandible Claw submission move, but Vince McMahon ruled that since The Rock did not tap out, he retained his title.

The Rock continued to feud with Mankind over the WWF Championship, which was traded back and forth between them. First, in the main event of the January 4, 1999 episode of Raw Is War, Mankind defeated The Rock after interference from Stone Cold Steve Austin. Then at the Royal Rumble on January 24, The Rock regained the title in a brutal “I Quit” match, a type of match that only ends if one of the combatants says “I quit” on a microphone. Intended to show a vicious mean streak in The Rock's character, this match went horribly wrong as at the end of the match The Rock hit Mankind in the head with a steel chair eleven times instead of the scripted five- five shots already being a risky amount (most wrestling matches in the Attitude Era involving steel chairs had at most 2 or 3 shots to the head). After the 5th shot, Mankind was still at ringside instead of being two-thirds up the entrance ramp where he was supposed to be, and after the eleventh shot which knocked a bloodied Mankind out, a recording of Mankind saying "I Quit" from an earlier interview was played over the PA system. On January 31, during an episode of Sunday Night Heat, The Rock and Mankind participated in an Empty Arena match, a match that took place in an arena with 22,000 empty seats where any part of the facility could be used to contest the match. After 20 minutes of chaotic brawling in the ring, the stands, a kitchen, the catering area, an office, the arena corridors and finally a basement loading area, Mankind pinned The Rock using a forklift truck to win the WWF title. This match was referred to as "Halftime Heat" as it was televised during halftime of that year's Super Bowl. The two faced off again, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House, in a Last Man Standing match which ended in a draw, meaning Mankind retained the title. Their feud ended on the February 15 Raw Is War, when The Rock won his third WWF Championship in a Ladder Match after Big Show interfered on his behalf. The Rock then lost the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XV.

The Rock's popularity continued to grow and audiences still cheered for him even though he was a heel. He then lost the title rematch against Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash: In Your House after he was betrayed by Shane McMahon, turning him face again and starting a feud with Triple H, The Undertaker and The Corporate Ministry. On April 29, 1999, WWF aired the pilot episode of SmackDown!, a term derived from one of The Rock's catchphrases. In the episode, The Rock continued his feud with The Corporate Ministry. This led to a match with Triple H, at Over the Edge, which The Rock won, and a match for the WWF Championship against The Undertaker, at King of the Ring, which The Rock lost. The Rock then lost a number one contender's match to Triple H, at Fully Loaded, after interference from "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn. The Rock then defeated Gunn in a Kiss My Ass match at SummerSlam.

Shortly after SummerSlam, The Rock began teaming with former opponent Mankind and the two became known as The Rock 'n' Sock Connection. They became WWF Tag Team Champions for the first time after defeating The Undertaker and Big Show for the titles on the August 30, 1999 episode of Raw is War. The two performed a number of critically acclaimed comedic skits together, including one called "This Is Your Life", which saw Mankind bring parody versions of people from The Rock's past on television, such as his high school girlfriend and his high school football coach, only to have The Rock insult them. The segment earned an 8.4 Nielsen rating, one of the highest ratings ever for a Raw segment. The two lost the titles back to Undertaker and Big Show on the September 7, 1999 episode of SmackDown! and won them back from them on the September 20, 1999 episode of Raw is War. Rock and Mankind then lost the titles to The New Age Outlaws on the very next episode SmackDown!. Rock and Mankind would win the tag titles for the third and final time after beating the New Age Outlaws on the October 12, 1999 episode of SmackDown! before losing the titles to The Holly Cousins on the October 18, 1999 episode of Raw is War.

At Royal Rumble, on January 23, 2000, The Rock entered the Royal Rumble match and was one of the final two remaining, along with Big Show; In an attempt at a "false finish", Big Show intended to throw The Rock over the top rope in a running powerslam-like position, before The Rock countered the move on the ring apron, sending Big Show to the floor before re-entering the ring as the winner. However, The Rock's feet accidentally hit the floor during the reversal attempt although those watching the event on TV did not see that. This was played up in the storyline as Big Show provided additional video footage showing this fact, and claimed to be the rightful winner. The Rock's number one contendership for the WWF Championship was then put on the line against Big Show at No Way Out, which Big Show won after Shane McMahon interfered. The Rock then defeated Big Show, on the March 13 episode of Raw Is War, to regain the right to face the WWF Champion, Triple H, at WrestleMania 2000 in a Fatal Four-way elimination match, also including Big Show and Mick Foley. Each wrestler had a McMahon in his corner: Triple H had his wife, Stephanie, Foley had Linda, The Rock had Vince and Big Show had Shane. The Rock lasted until the final two but was eliminated by then-reigning champion Triple H after Vince betrayed him by hitting him with a chair.

Record-breaking world champion (2000–2002)

In the following weeks, The Rock continued his feud with Triple H and eventually won his fourth WWF Championship, which he won on April 30, at Backlash, after Stone Cold Steve Austin intervened on his behalf. The following night on Raw, he successfully defended his title against Shane McMahon in a Steel Cage match. On May 21, at Judgment Day, The Rock faced Triple H in an Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. With the score tied at five falls each, and with seconds left on the time limit, The Rock was disqualified when The Undertaker attacked Triple H, thus giving Triple H the 6–5 win and the title. The Rock won the WWF Championship for a fifth time at King of the Ring on June 25 by scoring the winning pin in a six-man tag team match, teaming with Kane and The Undertaker against Shane McMahon, Triple H and Vince McMahon, whom he pinned. The Rock successfully defended the championship against Chris Benoit, on July 23, at Fully Loaded. The next month, he successfully defended his title against Kurt Angle and Triple H at SummerSlam. The Rock had another successful title defense against Benoit, Kane and The Undertaker, on September 24, at Unforgiven.

The Rock then lost the WWF Championship to Kurt Angle, at No Mercy, in October. The next month, The Rock feuded with Rikishi and defeated him at Survivor Series. The Rock wrestled a six-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship, at Armageddon, which Angle won to retain the title. On the December 18 episode of Raw, The Rock won the WWF Tag Team Championship with The Undertaker, defeating Edge and Christian, before losing it back to them the next night at a SmackDown! taping. In 2001, The Rock continued to feud with Angle over the WWF Championship, culminating at No Way Out in February, where he pinned Angle to win the WWF Championship for a sixth time. The Rock then feuded with the Royal Rumble winner, Stone Cold Steve Austin, whom he lost the title to at WrestleMania X-Seven after Austin allied with Vince McMahon, who interfered on his behalf. On the next night's Raw Is War, during a steel cage title rematch, Triple H attacked The Rock, allying with McMahon and Austin and helping Austin retain the championship. Austin and Triple H then formed a tag team called The Power Trip, while The Rock was indefinitely suspended in storyline. Johnson used this time off to act in The Scorpion King.

The Rock returned in late July 2001, when the WWF was feuding with rival promotions, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), during what's known as The Invasion storyline. In reality, WCW and ECW were purchased by Vince McMahon and the WWF. Many former WCW and ECW wrestlers were then brought onto WWF television and formed The Alliance to compete with WWF in storyline. The Alliance and Vince McMahon then both attempted to persuade The Rock to join their team. The Rock then aligned with McMahon and the WWF. The next month, The Rock defeated Booker T, at SummerSlam, to win the WCW Championship for the first time. He later lost the title to Chris Jericho at No Mercy. The next night on Raw, he teamed with Jericho to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from The Dudley Boyz. The two then lost the tag titles to Booker T and Test on the November 1, 2001 episode of SmackDown!. The Rock defeated Jericho on the November 5 episode of Raw for his second WCW Championship.

As part of the WWF's battle against The Alliance, The Rock wrestled in a "winner takes all" five-on-five elimination tag team match at Survivor Series where the losing team's company would be dissolved in storyline. He was a member of Team WWF along with Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and Big Show. The Alliance's team consisted of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon. In the end, it came down to a one-on-one between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock seemed to have the upper hand, until his teammate Jericho entered the ring and attacked The Rock. Austin tried to capitalize on this by pinning The Rock, but Kurt Angle revealed his true allegiance by attacking Austin. The Rock then pinned Austin, giving Team WWF the victory and forcing The Alliance to disband. The Rock's WCW Championship was renamed the unbranded "World Championship" following the Alliance's loss. At the next pay-per-view, Vengeance, The Rock lost the World Championship to Jericho, who would then unify the WWF and World titles later that night. The Rock then unsuccessfully challenged Jericho for the now Undisputed WWF Championship at Royal Rumble.

At the next pay-per-view, No Way Out, The Rock defeated The Undertaker in a singles match. The event also saw the WWF debut of the famed WCW faction New World Order, which at the time consisted of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. This later led to a match between The Rock and Hogan at WrestleMania X8. The match was billed as "icon versus icon", with both men representing the top tier of two generations of wrestling; ultimately The Rock pinned Hogan at WrestleMania X8. Despite The Rock portraying a heroic character and Hogan a villain, a portion of the crowd attending the SkyDome was rooting heavily for Hogan. In an interview in 2013, Hogan said he and The Rock changed the style of the match on the fly based on the crowd's response. After the introduction of the first-ever brand extension, the WWF held a "draft lottery" on the March 25, 2002, episode of Raw. The Rock was the number one overall pick, going to the SmackDown brand before taking a sabbatical from wrestling.

The Rock made a surprise return on a June episode of Raw before going to his assigned brand of SmackDown. There, he was named the number one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship, which he won for a record-setting seventh time at Vengeance, on July 21, by defeating Kurt Angle and then-champion The Undertaker in a Triple Threat match. The Rock successfully defended the title at the Global Warning event in Melbourne, Australia, against Triple H and Brock Lesnar after pinning Triple H. On August 25, at SummerSlam, after interference from Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman, The Rock lost the WWE Undisputed Championship to Lesnar along with the record for the youngest WWE Champion, which he had set in 1998. In 2018, writing for ESPN.com, Sean Coyle noted in a retrospective review of the event, that following his victory over Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8, The Rock "started to see a dip in fan support" and "that dip turned into a plunge" by the time Rock had his match with Lesnar at SummerSlam because fans knew he was leaving WWE to pursue an acting career. This was evident by the fact that he was met with a negative crowd response during his match against Lesnar. After the event ended, The Rock was visibly angry at the crowd reaction. When he tried to do a post-show speech for the crowd, the fans attending the Nassau Coliseum would still boo him. The Rock then took time off to kickstart his acting career.

Final feuds and first retirement (2003–2004)

The Rock returned on the January 30, 2003 episode of SmackDown! to set up another match with Hulk Hogan at No Way Out. Because of negative fan reaction during his previous couple of matches as a result of his budding acting career, The Rock turned heel again. The Rock then defeated Hogan at No Way Out before assigning himself to the Raw brand. There, he had various small feuds, including one with The Hurricane. He also began performing "Rock Concerts", segments in which he played the guitar and mocked WWE performers and fans in song.

After failing to win a number one contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship, The Rock went into another program with Stone Cold Steve Austin. This led to a match at WrestleMania XIX, which called back to their previous two WrestleMania encounters, both of which Austin had won. The Rock won after delivering three consecutive Rock Bottoms, ending their long-running rivalry in what turned out to be Austin's final match. The next night, Raw was billed as "The Rock Appreciation Night", in honor of his victory over Austin. That night, he was attacked by a debuting Goldberg. At Backlash, Goldberg defeated The Rock, who then briefly left WWE to film Walking Tall.

Throughout the rest of the year, The Rock made occasional appearances, reverting to a face character. In 2004, The Rock aided Mick Foley in his feud against Evolution, leading to a reunion of The Rock 'n' Sock Connection. They lost against Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista in a handicap match at WrestleMania XX, when Orton pinned Foley after an RKO. This would be Johnson's final wrestling match until November 2011. The Rock appeared in WWE sporadically following WrestleMania XX. He made returns to provide support for Eugene against Jonathan Coachman, made a cameo in his hometown of Miami and helped Mick Foley against La Résistance. Later in 2004, he hosted a pie-eating contest, as part of the WWE Diva Search, and ended the segment by giving Coachman a People's Elbow. The Rock's contract with WWE then ended and he started his full-time acting career.

Return to WWENon-wrestling appearances (2007–2009)

On March 12, 2007, The Rock appeared on a WWE show after nearly three years, via a pre-taped promo shown during Raw. He correctly predicted that Bobby Lashley would defeat Umaga at WrestleMania 23 in Donald Trump and Vince McMahon's "Battle of the Billionaires" Hair vs Hair match. On March 29, 2008, Johnson appeared to induct his father and grandfather Peter Maivia and Rocky Johnson into the WWE Hall of Fame. Johnson's next appearance was via a pre-taped promo on October 2, 2009, during the Decade of SmackDown.

Feud with John Cena (2011–2013)

On February 14, 2011, The Rock was revealed as the host of WrestleMania XXVII, appearing live on Raw for the first time in almost seven years. During a lengthy promo, he addressed the fans and started a feud with John Cena. After numerous appearances via satellite, The Rock appeared live on the Raw before WrestleMania XXVII to confront Cena. After he and Cena exchanged insults, The Miz and Alex Riley appeared and attacked The Rock; he fended off Miz and Riley, only for Cena to blindside him with an Attitude Adjustment.

On April 3, at WrestleMania XXVII, The Rock opened the show by cutting a promo. After appearing in numerous backstage segments, The Rock came to ringside to restart the main event between Cena and The Miz as a No Disqualification match, after it had ended in a draw. As revenge for the Attitude Adjustment Cena had given him on Raw, Rock hit Cena with the Rock Bottom, allowing The Miz to pin him and retain the WWE Championship. After the match, Rock attacked Miz and hit him with the People's Elbow. The following night on Raw, The Rock and Cena agreed to a match at WrestleMania XXVIII the next year. They then worked together to fend off an attack by The Corre, which at the time consisted of Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and Ezekiel Jackson.

The Rock appeared live on Raw in his hometown of Miami to celebrate his 39th birthday. On September 16, WWE announced The Rock would wrestle in a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series tag team match, teaming with Cena at Survivor Series in November. However, on the October 24 episode of Raw, Cena instead suggested The Rock be his partner in a standard tag team match against The Miz and R-Truth, a team called Awesome Truth, which Rock agreed to the following week. On November 14, during the special Raw Gets Rocked, The Rock appeared live, delivering Rock Bottoms to Mick Foley, who had been hosting a "This Is Your Life"-style segment for Cena, and later both members of Awesome Truth. The Rock and Cena defeated Awesome Truth on November 20 at Survivor Series, when The Rock pinned The Miz. After the match, The Rock gave Cena a Rock Bottom.

Leading up to WrestleMania, The Rock and Cena had several verbal confrontations on Raw. On the March 12, 2012 episode of Raw, The Rock hosted his first "Rock Concert" segment since 2004, mocking Cena in his songs. On April 1, at WrestleMania XXVIII, The Rock beat Cena in the main event after countering Cena's attempt at a People's Elbow into a Rock Bottom. This event broke the record for biggest professional wrestling pay-per-view buyrate. The following night on Raw, The Rock praised Cena, calling their match "an honor". He then vowed to once again become WWE Champion.

On July 23, at Raw 1000, The Rock announced he would wrestle for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. During the show, he encountered then-reigning WWE Champion CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and John Cena, all of whom expressed a desire to face him. The Rock later saved Cena from an assault by Big Show, only to be laid out by CM Punk. On the January 7, 2013 episode of Raw, The Rock returned to confront his Rumble opponent CM Punk. On January 11, he made his first SmackDown appearance in ten years, getting into an altercation with Team Rhodes Scholars, resulting in him delivering a Rock Bottom to Damien Sandow and a People's Elbow to Cody Rhodes. The Rock closed out the 20th-anniversary episode of Raw, on January 14, with one of his "Rock Concerts", leading to a brawl with CM Punk. The following week on Raw, The Rock was attacked by The Shield. Vince McMahon then asserted that if The Shield attacked The Rock in his title match with CM Punk, Punk would be stripped of the WWE Championship.

On January 27, at Royal Rumble, CM Punk would seemingly defeat The Rock after the arena lights went out and someone attacked The Rock. Vince McMahon then came out and was about to strip Punk of the championship, however, at The Rock's request, he instead restarted the match. This culminated in The Rock defeating Punk to win his eighth WWE Championship. Punk received a title rematch with The Rock, at Elimination Chamber, with the added stipulation that if The Rock was disqualified or counted out, he would still lose the WWE Championship. The Rock would pin Punk to retain the championship. The following night on Raw, The Rock unveiled a new WWE Championship design, with a different center plate and removable customizable side-plates which had his "Brahma Bull" logo. The Rock then resumed his rivalry with John Cena, who won that year's Royal Rumble to set up a rematch of the previous WrestleMania match between the two at WrestleMania 29, only this time with the WWE Championship on the line.

On April 7, at WrestleMania 29, Rock lost the WWE Championship to Cena, ending his reign at 70 days. Despite being advertised for the Raw after WrestleMania, where it was stated that The Rock was still entitled a rematch for the WWE Championship, The Rock did not appear because of a legitimate injury sustained during his match with Cena, in which his abdominal and adductor tendons tore from his pelvis. Johnson underwent surgery on April 23 to reattach the torn tendons.

Sporadic appearances (2014–present)

In April 2014, The Rock appeared in the opening segment of WrestleMania XXX along with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan. On the October 6 episode of Raw, The Rock made a surprise appearance to confront Rusev and Lana; this resulted in the Rock clearing Rusev from the ring.

The Rock appeared at the 2015 Royal Rumble event during the main event match, where he helped his relative Roman Reigns fend off Big Show and Kane after Reigns eliminated them from the match. Reigns then won the match and The Rock endorsed him in the ring. The Rock appeared at WrestleMania 31 alongside Ronda Rousey, getting into an in-ring altercation with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rock and Rousey prevailed after he attacked Triple H and she overpowered McMahon. On June 27, The Rock appeared at a live event in Boston where he confronted Bo Dallas and gave him a Rock Bottom.

On the January 25, 2016, episode of Raw, The Rock was in a segment that saw him converse with The Miz, Big Show, Lana and Rusev before he and his relatives, The Usos, got into an altercation with then-WWE Tag Team Champions, The New Day. The Rock appeared at WrestleMania 32 where he announced that WWE had broken the all-time WrestleMania attendance record before being interrupted by The Wyatt Family. The Rock got into a verbal back-and-forth with Bray Wyatt before having an impromptu match with Wyatt Family member Erick Rowan. The Rock won after giving Rowan a Rock Bottom and pinning him in six seconds, which set the record for the fastest win in WrestleMania history. The Rock was then aided by a returning John Cena to fend off Wyatt, Rowan and Braun Strowman. On the February 20, 2017 episode of Raw, The Rock made an untelevised appearance after the broadcast had gone off the air, where he promoted and filmed a scene for his then-upcoming film Fighting with My Family.

On August 3, 2019, The Rock officially announced his retirement from professional wrestling. On September 30, 2019, after weeks of speculation, The Rock announced that he would be making an appearance on SmackDown's 20th Anniversary on October 4, marking his first appearance on SmackDown since October 2014 and his first televised appearance since April 2016. At the event, he would cut a promo with Becky Lynch before they were interrupted by King Corbin. After attacking Corbin, The Rock and Lynch celebrated in the ring.

Independent circuit (2009)

On September 30, 2009, The Rock appeared at a World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) show to support the pro wrestling debut of Sarona Snuka, the daughter of his long-time friend and mentor Jimmy Snuka.

Mainstream crossover

The Rock appeared on Wyclef Jean's 2000 single "It Doesn't Matter" and in its music video. He also recorded "Pie" with Slick Rick for WWF The Music, Vol. 5.

In 1999, Johnson appeared on That '70s Show as his father, Rocky Johnson. The next year, he was on Star Trek: Voyager as an alien wrestler that used The Rock's famous moves.

In 2000, he hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) for the first time. Fellow wrestlers Triple H, The Big Show, and Mick Foley also appeared on the show. Johnson has stated the success of that episode is the reason he began receiving offers from Hollywood studios. He has since hosted SNL another four times.

In 1999, The Rock was listed No. 5 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 12 Entertainers of the Year. In 2000, Access Hollywood ranked him number six in their list of the Top 10 Celebrities of 2000. That year, Rock was also listed in the Forbes Celebrity 100 and People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People.

The Rock was listed Entertainment Weekly's 101 Most Influential People in both 2000 and 2001. In 2001, he was also listed on E!'s 20 Top Entertainers. In 2002, The Rock was listed on E!'s 25 Toughest Stars. In 2003, he was listed in VH1's 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons and was No. 13 in People Magazine's 50 Favorite TV Stars.

The Rock made a surprise appearance at the official Xbox unveiling during Bill Gates's keynote speech at the ongoing Computer Electronics Show in 2001.

Johnson's motion picture debut was as The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001). The movie broke a two-year record for the highest-grossing single day in film history by earning US$28,594,667. The movie's financial success led to Johnson's first leading role, in the spin-off The Scorpion King (2002). He received US$5.5 million for the role and Guinness World Records named him the record-holder for highest-paid actor in their first leading role.

The Rock has appeared on the covers of many magazines, including Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, and TV Guide. He has also appeared in, and been the cover athlete for, several video games.

As of September 2019, his Instagram account is the fourth most-followed in the world.

Legacy in pro wrestling

The Rock has been listed as one of the all-time greatest professional wrestlers as well as one of the top draws in wrestling history. Many have placed The Rock on their "Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling", including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and John Cena. In "Cable Visions: Television Beyond Broadcasting", The Rock was described as "for a long time, the WWE's biggest star and probably held the greatest international appeal". R. D. Reynolds stated in his book "The WrestleCrap Book of Lists" that The Rock was "the biggest star for WWE from 1999 until 2004".

The Rock main-evented the most bought pay-per-view worldwide in WWE history (WrestleMania XXVIII), the most bought pay-per-view domestically in WWE history (WrestleMania X-Seven), the highest rated Raw in history, the highest rated SmackDown in history, and was part of the highest rated segment in WWE history. His return in 2001 did a 7.1 rating which was the highest rated segment of the entire year. The Rock was also part of the highest rated match of the 21st century. His WWF Championship defense, on May 1, 2000, against Shane McMahon did an 8.3 rating on the regular time and a 9.1 on the overrun making this match the second most watched professional wrestling match in the United States of this millennium, only behind a 12 minute long match between The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin which drew a rating of 9.5 which is the highest rated segment in Raw history.

In 2011, The Rock's return to an episode of Raw generated an average of 4.7 million viewers in the United States, with 7.4 million tuning in during his promo. Raw 1000 was the highest rated Raw episode of 2012 and his segment with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan was the highest rated segment of the show. In 2013, the night after The Rock won the WWE Championship for the first time in over a decade, at Royal Rumble, Raw got its highest rating of that year.

Derived from one of his catchphrases "lay the smackdown", WWE introduced its second flagship program WWE SmackDown in 1999 which later became television's second longest-running weekly episodic program in history. The term "smackdown" was instituted in Merriam-Webster dictionaries since 2007.

The Rock holds the record for most Raw shows main-evented in one year (38 in 2000), most SmackDown shows main-evented in one year (36 in 2000) and tied with Stone Cold Steve Austin (in 2001) for most PPV shows main evented in one year (12 in 2000).

Film career

Johnson entered Hollywood and the film industry, becoming a star initially through his wrestling popularity and noted work ethic. Over his acting career, he has become one of the highest paid and most successful actors in Hollywood. He began his acting career on television while wrestling. In his first television acting job, in 1999, he played his own father in an episode of That '70s Show called "That Wrestling Show". Nearly a year later, he appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Tsunkatse" as an alien wrestler who fought popular character Seven of Nine. While Johnson was away from WWE, the company continued to sell "The Rock" merchandise, and he continued to be featured prominently in the opening montages of their television shows.

Johnson began his theatrical career in The Mummy Returns (2001), The Scorpion King (2002) the action-comedy The Rundown (2003) and the Walking Tall (2004). He played a supporting role in Be Cool (2005) and was the primary antagonist in Doom (2005). Roles in Gridiron Gang (2006) Reno 911!: Miami (2007) Southland Tales (2007). He played a cocky famous American football player in The Game Plan (2007) and Agent 23 in Get Smart (2008). He presented the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 80th Academy Awards.

Johnson became known for reinvigorating film franchises after portraying Marvin F. Hinton / Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and reprising his role as Luke Hobbs in Fast & Furious 6; while also starring in true-story films Pain & Gain and Empire State (all released in 2013). That same year, he hosted and produced the TNT reality competition series The Hero, and won the Favorite Male Buttkicker Award at the 2013 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. In May 2013, it was announced that he would executiveproduce and star in Ballers, an HBO comedy-drama series about NFL players living in Miami, Florida. By December of that year, Forbes named Johnson the top-grossing actor of 2013, with his films bringing in $1.3 billion worldwide for the year. Forbes credited the success of Fast & Furious 6, which grossed $789 million globally, and Johnson's frequent acting work as primary reasons for topping the list.

Johnson starred as the title character in Hercules (2014) and reprised his role as Luke Hobbs in Furious 7 (2015). He hosted another reality series for TNT in 2014, entitled Wake Up Call, which saw him "lending a helping hand to everyday people who were facing enormous challenges in their lives" alongside guest experts such as Rocco DiSpirito, Jillian Michaels, and Josh Shipp. It was announced that he would executive produce and star in the horror film Seal Team 666, and is set to play Nick Schuyler in the drama film Not Without Hope. In 2016, Johnson co-starred with Kevin Hart in the action-comedy Central Intelligence and had a lead voice role in the Disney animated film Moana, in which he voiced the Polynesian demigod Maui. He reprised his role as Luke Hobbs in The Fate of the Furious, which was released in 2017. Johnson starred in two other blockbuster movies that year, Baywatch and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as Mitchell "Mitch" Buchannon and Dr. Smolder Bravestone, respectively. In 2018, he starred in two action films, Rampage and Skyscraper.

In 2019, he produced and appeared as himself in Fighting with My Family, a comedy drama about WWE superstar Paige and her family, who are also professional wrestlers. Johnson's role within The Fast and the Furious franchise continued with Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, co-starring Johnson and Jason Statham. David Leitch directed the project from a script co-written by franchise-writer Chris Morgan, and Drew Pearce. The film began principal photography in September 2018, and was released on July 26, 2019. Though initially believed to be a part of Fast & Furious 9, Johnson has since stated that he will not appear in the film; instead, opting to begin developmen on a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw. Johnson reprised his role as Bravestone, in Jumanji: The Next Level. With the critical and financial success of Welcome to the Jungle, production on the movie began in early-2019, with a scheduled release on December 25, 2019.

Johnson will star in Netflix's upcoming Red Notice, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. It will be the third time the two collaborate, following Central Intelligence and Skyscraper. The film co-starring Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, will begin production in fall of 2019. Production on Black Adam is slated to follow thereafter, in mid-to-late 2020. A film centered around Teth-Adam / Black Adam, a part of the DC Extended Universe, was announced to be in development January 2017. Originally cast in the role as early as September 2014 as the antagonist, in a film centered around the superhero Billy Batson / Shazam, his villainous role for Shazam! was re-worked into two separate films. Though Johnson would not appear in Shazam!, he served as a producer and his likeness was used through special effects in flashback scenes. Johnson will co-star with Emily Blunt in The Walt Disney Company's Jungle Cruise, as Frank and Lily Houghton, respectively. Cast in the role in August 2015, the film was announced to be based on the themepark ride of the same name. Jaume Collet-Serra serves as director, with a script by Michael Green from a previous co-written by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. In addition to his work on the film, Johnson assisted with re-designing the titular ride for all Disney theme parks. Jungle Cruise is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2020.

Noted for his busy schedule and for developing multiple projects at once, a sequel to the box-office hit San Andreas was announced to be in the pre-production stage with director of the first film, Brad Peyton returning as director along with the main cast (marking the fourth collaboration between the actor and filmmaker following Journey 2, San Andreas, and Rampage respectively). Though originally attached as producer and star, Johnson will now serve solely as the former on a film adaptation of The Janson Directive. John Cena will fill the leading role, with Akiva Goldsman attached as screenwriter. Additionally, he will produce and star in a Netflix exclusive film titled John Henry & The Statesmen, as the titular folklore hero. The film will be directed by Jake Kasdan, from a script co-written by Kasdan and Tom Wheeler. With the first official teaser trailer released in October 2018, the project marks Kasdan and Johnson's third collaboration, following Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level.

Johnson will co-produce and star in The King, a film about king Kamehameha Kūnuiākea, founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. The project will be directed by Robert Zemeckis from a script written by Randall Wallace. The movie will be comparable to Braveheart in tone, given Wallace's work on both films, and will depict the king's role in resolving the wars among the islands of Hawai'i. The King will begin production in 2020. Johnson is also attached to produce/star in a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China, as well as project under development with Shane Black focusing on a new interpretation of Doc Savage. In April 2018, he announced that he is working on a film that will include Chris Pratt as his co-star. On November 14, 2019, Johnson announced a December 22, 2021 release date for the standalone Black Adam film.

Other work

In 2000, Johnson published his autobiography, titled The Rock Says..., which he co-wrote with Joe Layden. It debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list and remained on the list for several weeks. In 2012, Johnson founded his production company, Seven Bucks Productions.

In 2013, Johnson hosted and produced the TNT reality competition series The Hero. In 2014, he hosted another TNT reality series entitled Wake Up Call. In 2019, Johnson started hosting an NBC competition series called The Titan Games.

In March 2016, Johnson partnered with the American fitness apparel manufacturer Under Armour to release "Project Rock". The first item in his partnership with Under Armour, a gym bag, sold out in a couple of days. His second item, a black T-shirt sporting his signature "Brahma bull" sold out after being worn at WrestleMania 32. Johnson also released an alarm clock app as part of "Project Rock" that received more than one million downloads in its first week of release. Since then, they have released sneakers, headphones, and other apparel.

In 2016, Johnson started a YouTube channel titled "The Rock" with the help of online personality Lilly Singh. His first video was called "The YouTube Factory" and featured several internet stars.

In 2019, Johnson announced he would be launching his own competitive bodybuilding show, alongside business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia, called "Athleticon" set to rival other long-standing bodybuilding shows such as The Arnold Classic and Joe Weider's Mr. Olympia. The show is set to debut October 9–11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Personal life

Johnson married Dany Garcia on May 3, 1997. Their daughter Simone was born on August 14, 2001. On June 1, 2007, they announced they were splitting up amicably. Johnson then began dating Lauren Hashian, daughter of Boston drummer Sib Hashian. They first met in 2006 while Johnson was filming The Game Plan. Hashian and Johnson were married on August 18, 2019, in Hawaii. They have two children.

As of 2014, Johnson has a home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, as well as Los Angeles, California. He also owns a farm in Virginia. In 2009, he gained Canadian citizenship through his father. Though he was previously registered as a Republican, he voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 United States presidential elections. He did not vote in the 2016 U.S. election, and is an independent voter as of 2017.

In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson had the noble title of Seiuli bestowed upon him by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there in July 2004. He received a partial Samoan pe'a tattoo on his left side in 2003, and, in 2017, had the small "Brahma bull" tattoo on his right arm covered with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull's skull.

In February 2020, the WWE announced that Johnson's daughter Simone had begun training at the WWE Performance Center, making her the first-ever fourth-generation WWE Superstar.

Activism and philanthropy

Johnson attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention as part of WWE's non-partisan "Smackdown Your Vote" campaign, which aimed to influence young people to vote. He also had a speaking role at the 2000 Republican National Convention that same year.

In 2006, Johnson founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, a charity working with at-risk and terminally ill children. On October 2, 2007, he and his ex-wife donated $1 million to the University of Miami to support the renovation of its football facilities. The University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor. In 2015, Johnson donated $1,500 to a GoFundMe to pay for an abandoned dog's surgery. In 2017, he donated $25,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2018, Johnson donated a gym to a military base in Oahu, Hawaii. After the 2018 Hawaii floods, he worked with Malama Kauai, a nonprofit organization, to help repair damages caused by the floods. Johnson has also worked with Make-A-Wish Foundation on a number of occasions.

Championships and accomplishments

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

United States Wrestling Association

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE/World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation

Match of the Year (1999) vs. Mankind in an "I Quit" match at Royal Rumble

Match of the Year (2002) vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1999, 2000)

Wrestler of the Year (2000)

Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000

USWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bart Sawyer

Best Box Office Draw (2000, 2011, 2012)

Best Gimmick (1999)

Best on Interviews (1999, 2000)

Most Charismatic (1999–2002, 2011, 2012)

Most Improved (1998)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

WCW Championship (2 times)

WWE Championship (8 times)

WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)

WWF Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Mankind (3), The Undertaker (1), and Chris Jericho (1)

Royal Rumble (2000)

Sixth Triple Crown Champion

Deadly Games WWF Championship Tournament (1998)

Slammy Award (9 times)

Best Actor (2014)

Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with John Cena

Guess Who's Back or: Return of the Year (2011)

LOL! Moment of the Year (2012, 2013) – insulting John Cena using the history of Boston, Massachusetts, Rock Concert on the 20th anniversary episode of Raw

Match of the Year (2013) – vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29

New Sensation (1997)

"Tell Me You Didn't Just Say That" Insult of the Year (2014) – insulting Rusev and Lana

"This is Awesome" Moment of the Year (2015) – with Ronda Rousey

[dargeereads]

Today we have the release blitz Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly. Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today! 

Title: Twisted Hearts 

Author: Cora Reilly 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

About Twisted Hearts: 

Savio Falcone has a few non-negotiable rules when it comes to girls. They need to be hot as f*ck. Spread their legs without much prompting. And leave as soon as the fun is over. Preferably minus any bitching or tears. With his easy-going bad boy attitude, a last name that rules over Las Vegas and a body to die for, girls have always been at Savio’s disposal. Unfortunately, the hottest girl in Vegas comes with a price Savio isn’t willing to pay. For Savio to get Gemma he’d need to seal the deal and put a ring on her finger. Settling down is out of the question, no matter how hot a piece of ass waits at the altar. Gemma Bazzoli has had a crush on Savio from the first moment she came face to face with his arrogant smile, but for him she was always his best friend's annoying little sister—until her hard-earned curves catch even his attention. But Savio likes it easy, and Gemma is anything but. When she’s promised to another man, Gemma resigns herself to the fact that the man she’s wanted all her life, doesn’t want her badly enough. Savio has to decide how much work he’s willing to invest, because bending the rules in his usual style might not be enough to get the girl that haunts his wet dreams. - Can be read as a standalone-

 Get Your Copy Today: 

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AppleBooks | B&N��

 Read The Camorra Chronicles Now! 

Twisted Loyalties 

Twisted Emotions 

Twisted Pride 

Twisted Bonds 

 Exclusive Excerpt: 

Savio shook his head. “I think you’re really trying to kill me, Gem. That bikini is a joke.”

I hid a pleased smile by putting my sunglasses on.

He leaned over me. “Tell you what. I’ll get changed and then we’ll take a dip.” After a quick kiss, he stalked away. I turned on my stomach, trying to decide if swimming was the best idea. I needed every layer of clothing I could get between Savio and me to resist his charm.

A few minutes later, a familiar shadow fell over me.

“Did you know that you have the prettiest dimples…” Savio began.

I didn’t bother to turn around. “I don’t—”

“…above your perfectly shaped ass.”

I snapped my mouth shut. “What are you talk—”

His hot breath ghosted over my lower back. “Right here,” he said in a low voice that sent a pleasant shiver through my body. His mouth touched a spot right above my ass. Shock shot through me, then indignation, and I was about to whirl on him. Then he began to suck the spot and my limbs turned to mush. What was happening? Heat pooled in my belly. Oh my God. What was he doing with his lips?

He released my skin, then dragged his lips along my lower back. “And here.” He latched onto my skin again, sucked and licked. The heat of his body ghosted over my thighs as he leaned over me.

I should tell him off. Throw my drink in his face and smash my knee into his balls, but I couldn’t move. Savio’s mouth was a weapon in more than one way. I’d heard it from more girls than I cared to recount, but this bordered on insanity. How could he render me motionless by touching his cursed lips to my lower back?

I could hardly breathe, was waiting for my lungs to stop working because every other part of me had.

And then finally, Savio released my skin and stretched out on the lounge chair beside mine. He reached out and slowly pushed my sunglasses up so he could see my eyes. His mouth tipped up in a lazy smile. “That good, hmm?”

If my tongue hadn’t still been tied, I would have given a clever comeback. Instead, heat shot into my head. It had been good, so good that I couldn’t think about anything but the fact that he would see how good if he took a closer look at my bikini bottoms.

Savio chuckled. “If this got you this hot and bothered, Gem, just imagine what my mouth would do between your legs?”

I was trying very hard not to, but of course I did. Toni had once mentioned something along the lines until I’d asked her to never mention her activities with my brother again.

Savio’s smile widened because he knew. He leaned closer and I held my breath. “I know you’re stubborn as fuck, but you’re punishing yourself, not just me. We’re all alone. You don’t even have to say a word. Just close your eyes and I’ll take it as permission to part your legs and bury my face in your pussy. No sex, just my tongue, Kitty.”

Don’t close your eyes, Gemma. Do not dare closing your eyes.

I closed my eyes.

 About the Author:

Cora Reilly is the author of the Born in Blood Mafia Series, The Camorra Chronicles and many other books, most of them featuring dangerously sexy bad boys. Before she found her passion in romance books, she was a  traditionally published author of young adult literature.

Cora lives in Germany with a cute but crazy Bearded Collie, as well as the cute but crazy man at her side. When she doesn't spend her days dreaming up sexy books, she plans her next travel adventure or cooks too spicy dishes from all over the world.

Despite her law degree, Cora prefers to talk books to laws any day.

 Connect with Cora:

Goodreads | Facebook | Website | Instagram | Author Group 

Enter the Giveaway: 

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[tasksweekly]

[TASK 143: TIMOR-LESTE]

In celebration of Asian American Heritage Month, here’s a masterlist below compiled of over 110+ East Timorese faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever faceclaim or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Sandra Pires (1969) East Timorese / Portuguese, Austrian - singer.

Jen Shyu (1978) East Timorese / Taiwanese - singer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, producer, and composer.

ChiChi (1995) East Timorese - model (instagram: chichi_95s).

Manuela Antonia / Manuela Antonia Astorga Da Costa (1996) East Timorese / Chilean - model.

Maria Vitoria (2001) East Timorese - singer and model.

Raine Montalvao (?) East Timorese, Portuguese - model.

Dalia Kiakilir (?) East Timorese - actress, singer, writer, and artist.

Irim Tolentino (?) East Timorese - actress and screenwriter.

Shirlene Lai Allison (?) East Timorese, Chinese, Native Hawaiian, French, English - actress and model.

Bety Reis (?) East Timorese - actress and filmmaker.

Lili Ribeiro (?) East Timorese - singer.

Teresa Lee / Li Mulin (?) East Timorese, Chinese, Portuguese - tv host and model.

F - Athletes:

Aguida Amaral (1975) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

Mariana Diaz Ximenez (1983) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

Luisa Marques (1984) East Timorese - footballer.

Francelina Cabral (1985) East Timorese - cyclist.

Engracia Fernandes (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

Juventina Napoleão (1988) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

Bernardina Mousaco (1992) East Timorese - footballer.

Cindy Lay (1994) 3/4 East Timorese, 1/4 Chinese - footballer.

Nelia Martins (1998) East Timorese - middle-distance runner.

M:

Luís Cardoso (1958) East Timorese - writer.

Ego Lemos (1972) East Timorese - singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist.

Anuku Lorosae (1990) East Timorese - rapper.

Jose da Costa (?) East Timorese - actor and filmmaker.

Agusto Quintao (?) East Timorese - actor.

Jano Viegas (?) East Timorese - rapper.

Coco Jah (?) East Timorese - singer.

Teo Batiste Ximenes (?) East Timorese - singer.

Sico Mulohy (?) East Timorese - singer.

Tony Pereira (?) East Timorese - singer.

Jordan Monteiro (?) East Timorese, Cape Verdean, Portuguese - model (instagram: djordanmonteiro).

Felix Jd’s (?) East Timorese - model (instagram: felix_jds).

M - Athletes:

Victor Ramos (1970) East Timorese - boxer.

Eduardo Pereira (1972) East Timorese - footballer.

Martinho de Araújo (1973) East Timorese - weightlifter.

João Bosco Cabral (1975) East Timorese - footballer.

Miro Baldo Bento (1975) East Timorese - footballer.

Alfredo Esteves (1976) East Timorese - footballer.

Eric / Helder Mota Ricardo (1977) East Timorese - footballer.

Calisto da Costa (1979) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

Branco / Cipriano Branco (1980) East Timorese - footballer.

João Kik / José João Pereira (1981) East Timorese - footballer.

Gil da Cruz Trindade (1982) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

Emílio da Silva (1982) East Timorese - footballer.

Lino / Marcelino Da Costa Fernandes (1983) East Timorese - footballer.

Adriano Quintão (1984) East Timorese - footballer.

Migi / Miguel Soares (1984) East Timorese - footballer.

Luzinho / Zico Luzinho Ingles Casimiro (1985) East Timorese - footballer.

Entil / Vicente Ramos Freitas (1985) East Timorese - footballer.

Ze Martins / Zeferino Martins (1985) East Timorese - footballer.

Nando (1985) East Timorese - footballer.

Ebi / Eusebio de Almeida (1985) East Timorese - footballer.

Adi / Ady / Diamantino Leong (1986) East Timorese, Chinese - footballer.

Quito / Chiquito do Carmo (1986) East Timorese - footballer.

Salvador Carlos (1986) East Timorese - footballer.

Leonel / Leonel da Silva Araujo (1986) East Timorese - footballer.

Carlos Mateus Ximenes (1986) East Timorese - footballer.

Augusto Ramos Soares (1986) East Timorese - long-distance runner.

José Vide (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

De Jesus / Elijeu De Jesus Belo Soares (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

Idelfonso da Silva (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

Juvitu / Juvitu da Silva (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

Adélio Guterres / Adélio Maria Costa (1987) East Timorese - footballer.

Raul Isac / Raul Tyson Isac Dias Monteiro (1988) East Timorese - footballer.

Murilo de Almeida (1989) East Timorese - footballer.

Alan Leandro (1989) East Timorese - footballer.

Jesse Pinto (1990) East Timorese - footballer.

Wellington Rocha (1990) Brazilian [East Timorese, Possibly Other] - footballer.

Emerson Cesario (1990) East Timorese - footballer.

Antonio Marcos Sousa (1990) Brazilian [East Timorese, Possibly Other] - footballer.

Ricardo Sousa da Cruz Maia (1991) East Timorese - footballer.

Nazario / Nazario do Carmo (1992) East Timorese - footballer.

Lamberto Gama (1992) East Timorese - footballer.

Bertolomeu Verdial (1992) East Timorese - footballer.

Edit Romanos Cristovão Savio (1992) East Timorese - footballer.

Pedro Henrique / Pedro Henrique Oliveira (1992) Brazilian [East Timorese, Possibly Other] - footballer.

Juliao Monteiro (1993) East Timorese - footballer.

Lin Jong (1993) East Timorese / Chinese - footballer.

Anggisu Barbosa (1993) East Timorese - footballer.

Silveiro Garcia (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Ramos Maxanches (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Yohan Goutt Goncalves (1994) East Timorese, French, Estonian - alpine skier.

Nilo Soares (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

José Fonseca / José Carlos da Fonseca (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Boavida Olegario (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Ricky / Nidio Ricardo Ferreira Alves (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Jeca / Raimundo Sarmento (1994) East Timorese - footballer.

Nelson Sing (1995) East Timorese, Chinese - footballer.

Cácio de Souza Costa (1995) East Timorese - footballer.

Nataniel Reis / Nataniel de Jesus Reis (1995) East Timorese - footballer.

Filipe / Filipe Oliveira (1995) East Timorese - footballer.

Ady / Adelino Trindade (1995) East Timorese - footballer.

Nidio Neto / Nidio das Dores Neto (1995) East Timorese - footballer.

Ezequiel / Ezequiel Fernandes / Ezequiel Fernandes dos Santos (1996) East Timorese - footballer.

Frangcyatma Alves (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Aderito Raul Fernandes (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Domingos Ramos Freitas (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Jorge Sabas Victor (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Armando Varela (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Henrique Cruz / Henrique Wilsons Da Cruz Martins (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Fagio Augusto (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

José Oliveira (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Agostinho / Agostinho da Silva Araujo (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

Carlos Magno (1997) East Timorese - footballer.

José Guterres (1998) East Timorese - footballer.

Rufino Gama (1998) East Timorese - footballer.

Julião / Julião Dos Reis Mendonça (1998) East Timorese - footballer.

Nelson Sarmento Viegas (1999) East Timorese - footballer.

Ervino / Ervino Soares (1999) East Timorese - footballer.

Abílio Vieira (1999) East Timorese - footballer.

João Pedro (2000) East Timorese - footballer.

João Panji (2000) East Timorese - footballer.

Pedro Correia De Almeida (?) East Timorese - footballer.

Manuel da Costa Soares (?) East Timorese - footballer.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.6

Holidays

Adhesive Postage Stamp Day

Crepe Suzette Day

A Day Without Homework

Hellshire Day (Eugene, Oregon)

Hıdırellez begins (Turkey)

Infidelity Hurts Awareness Day

International Blowing Bubbles Day

International Management Accounting Day

International No Diet Day

Jimmy Buffet Day (Mississippi)

Joseph Brackett Day

Mark A. Groh Cardiothoracic Surgeon Appreciation Day

Martyrs’ Day (Gabon, Lebanon, Syria)

National Aidan Day

National Day to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

National Hentai Day

National Nurses Day (a.k.a. National RN Recognition Day)

National Tony Day

National Tourist Appreciation Day

No Homework Day [also Last Friday in March]

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Peg Day (UK)

Phi Day (Southern Hemisphere)

Police Day (Republic of Georgia)

Refrigerator Day

Rubber Day (Japan)

Saviour's Day

Shepherd’s and Herdsman’s Day (Bulgaria)

Simple Gifts Day (a.k.a. Joseph Brackett Day)

Steel Plow Day

Teachers’ Day (Jamaica)

Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day

Wishbone Day

World Accordion Day

World Kids Coloring Day

World Moyamoya Awareness Day

Yale Lock Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Crepe Suzette Day

National Beverage Day

Russell Stover Candies Day

1st Saturday in May

Beer Pong Day [1st Saturday]

Big Brew Day [1st Saturday]

Bladder Cancer Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

Childhood Stroke Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

Clun Green Man Festival begins (UK) [Saturday before 1st Monday in May]

Fête de l'iris (Brussels Region Day; Belgium) [Begins 1st Saturday]

Free Comic Book Day [1st Saturday]

Global Marijuana March Day [1st Saturday]

Green Up Day (Vermont) [1st Saturday]

Holland Tulip Time Festival begins (Michigan) [1st Saturday]

International Drone Day [1st Saturday]

International Female Ride Day [1st Saturday]

International WOmen’s Mountain Biking Day [1st Saturday]

J-Day (Dunedin, Scotland) [1st Saturday, from High Noon until 4:20]

Join Hands Day [1st Saturday]

National Auctioneers Day [1st Saturday]

Kentucky Derby Day [1st Saturday]

Learn to Ride a Bike [1st Saturday]

Lemonade Day [1st Saturday]

Mariachi Day [1st Saturday]

National Auctioneers Day [1st Saturday]

National Bombshells’ Day [1st Saturday]

National Childhood Strike Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

National Explosive Ordinance Disposal Day [1st Saturday]

National Fitness Day [1st Saturday]

National Front Yard Cookout Day [1st Saturday]

National Herb Day [1st Saturday; also Last Saturday in April]

National Homebrew Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Scrapbooking Day [1st Saturday]

Pilates Day [1st Saturday]

Print Day in May [1st Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Start Seeing Monarchs Day [1st Saturday]

Wildlife Community Preparedness Day [1st Saturday]

World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day [1st Saturday]

World Beer Pong Day [1st Saturday]

World Fischbroetchen Day (Germany) [1st Saturday]

World Labyrinth Day [1st Saturday]

World Naked Gardening Day [1st Saturday]

Independence Days

The Kikkian Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Alexander (Positivist; Saint)

Ancestor Day II (Pagan)

Beverage Day (Pastafarian)

Bruces Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Đurđevdan (Festival for the Roma People of the former Yugoslavia)

Eadbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne (Christian; Saint)

Enlightenment of the Buddha (Buddhism)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (Artology)

Evodius of Antioch (Roman Catholic Church)

Food (Muppetism)

François de Laval (Christian; Saint)

Gerard of Lunel (Christian; Saint)

Guinness (The Stout) Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucius of Cyrene (Christian; Saint)

Petronax of Monte Cassino (Christian; Saint)

George (Eastern Orthodox Church) a.k.a. ... 

Đurđevdan (Gorani, Roma)

Gergyovden  (Day of Bravery or Army Day; Bulgaria)

Police Day (Georgia)

Yuri's Day in the Spring (Russian Orthodox Church)

John before the Latin Gate (Christian; Saint)

John Demascen (Christian; Saint)

Munichia (a.k.a. Mounikhia; Ancient Greek Festival to Artemis)

Remembrance  for Eyvind Kelve (Asatru/Norse Pagan)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [17 of 32]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [25 of 60]

Premieres

At Folsom Prison, by Johnny Cash (Live Album; 1968)

Backstreet Boys, by Backstreet Boys (Album; 1996)

Captain America: Civil War (Film; 2016)

Chernobyl (TV Documentary Series; 2019)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Film; 2022)

The Double Helix, by James Watson (Memoir; 1968)

Highwayman, by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (Album; 1985)

I Got You (I Feel Good), by James Brown (Song recorded; 1965)

The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Off-Broadway Musical; 1982)

Metropolis (Film; 1927)

Mickey’s Trailer (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1966)

Rock and Roll Music, recorded by Chuck Berry (Song; 1957)

Rocket Man, by Elton John (Song; 1972)

Son of Batman (WB Animated Film; 2014)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Film; 1980)

Swooner Crooner (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

Take This To Your Grave, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2003)

The Thanatos Syndrome, by Percy Walker (Novel; 1987)

Thor (Film; 2011)

Thugs with Dirty Mugs (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny (Song; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Godehard, Jutta, Sigrid (Austria)

Irina, Mira (Bulgaria)

Anđeo, Hilarije, Maksim (Croatia)

Klaudie (Czech Republic)

Gothard (Denmark)

Loit, Loomet (Estonia)

Maini, Melina, Melissa (Finland)

Judith (France)

Gotthard, Jutta, Sigrid (Germany)

Efraim, Efrem, Eirene, Eirini, Eirinaios, Irene, Irini (Greece)

Adrián, Györgyi (Hungary)

Angelo, Massimo, Pellegrino, Penelope (Italy)

Gederts, Gerhards, Ģirts, Gothards (Latvia)

Angelas, Anielius, Barvydas, Gintaras, Pijus (Lithuania)

Guldbrand, Gullborg (Norway)

Irena, Ita, Pius, Teodor, Waldemar, Zdzibor (Poland)

Irina (Romania)

Lesana, Lesia (Slovakia)

Amador, Ángel, Hilario, Máximo (Spain)

Erhard, Gotthard (Sweden)

Irene, Myroslav, Myroslava (Ukraine)

Morna, Mya, Myah, Myrna, Orson, Prudence (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 126 of 2024; 239 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 18 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Bing-Chen), Day 17 (Jia-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 15 Iyar 5783

Islamic: 15 Shawwal 1444

J Cal: 5 Bīja; Fiveday [5 of 30]

Julian: 23 April 2023

Moon: 98%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Caesar (5th Month) [Polybius]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 48 of 90)

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 17 of 30)

[brookston]

Holidays 5.6

Holidays

Adhesive Postage Stamp Day

Crepe Suzette Day

A Day Without Homework

Hellshire Day (Eugene, Oregon)

Hıdırellez begins (Turkey)

Infidelity Hurts Awareness Day

International Blowing Bubbles Day

International Management Accounting Day

International No Diet Day

Jimmy Buffet Day (Mississippi)

Joseph Brackett Day

Mark A. Groh Cardiothoracic Surgeon Appreciation Day

Martyrs’ Day (Gabon, Lebanon, Syria)

National Aidan Day

National Day to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

National Hentai Day

National Nurses Day (a.k.a. National RN Recognition Day)

National Tony Day

National Tourist Appreciation Day

No Homework Day [also Last Friday in March]

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Peg Day (UK)

Phi Day (Southern Hemisphere)

Police Day (Republic of Georgia)

Refrigerator Day

Rubber Day (Japan)

Saviour's Day

Shepherd’s and Herdsman’s Day (Bulgaria)

Simple Gifts Day (a.k.a. Joseph Brackett Day)

Steel Plow Day

Teachers’ Day (Jamaica)

Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day

Wishbone Day

World Accordion Day

World Kids Coloring Day

World Moyamoya Awareness Day

Yale Lock Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Crepe Suzette Day

National Beverage Day

Russell Stover Candies Day

1st Saturday in May

Beer Pong Day [1st Saturday]

Big Brew Day [1st Saturday]

Bladder Cancer Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

Childhood Stroke Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

Clun Green Man Festival begins (UK) [Saturday before 1st Monday in May]

Fête de l'iris (Brussels Region Day; Belgium) [Begins 1st Saturday]

Free Comic Book Day [1st Saturday]

Global Marijuana March Day [1st Saturday]

Green Up Day (Vermont) [1st Saturday]

Holland Tulip Time Festival begins (Michigan) [1st Saturday]

International Drone Day [1st Saturday]

International Female Ride Day [1st Saturday]

International WOmen’s Mountain Biking Day [1st Saturday]

J-Day (Dunedin, Scotland) [1st Saturday, from High Noon until 4:20]

Join Hands Day [1st Saturday]

National Auctioneers Day [1st Saturday]

Kentucky Derby Day [1st Saturday]

Learn to Ride a Bike [1st Saturday]

Lemonade Day [1st Saturday]

Mariachi Day [1st Saturday]

National Auctioneers Day [1st Saturday]

National Bombshells’ Day [1st Saturday]

National Childhood Strike Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

National Explosive Ordinance Disposal Day [1st Saturday]

National Fitness Day [1st Saturday]

National Front Yard Cookout Day [1st Saturday]

National Herb Day [1st Saturday; also Last Saturday in April]

National Homebrew Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Scrapbooking Day [1st Saturday]

Pilates Day [1st Saturday]

Print Day in May [1st Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Start Seeing Monarchs Day [1st Saturday]

Wildlife Community Preparedness Day [1st Saturday]

World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day [1st Saturday]

World Beer Pong Day [1st Saturday]

World Fischbroetchen Day (Germany) [1st Saturday]

World Labyrinth Day [1st Saturday]

World Naked Gardening Day [1st Saturday]

Independence Days

The Kikkian Empire (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Alexander (Positivist; Saint)

Ancestor Day II (Pagan)

Beverage Day (Pastafarian)

Bruces Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Đurđevdan (Festival for the Roma People of the former Yugoslavia)

Eadbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne (Christian; Saint)

Enlightenment of the Buddha (Buddhism)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (Artology)

Evodius of Antioch (Roman Catholic Church)

Food (Muppetism)

François de Laval (Christian; Saint)

Gerard of Lunel (Christian; Saint)

Guinness (The Stout) Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucius of Cyrene (Christian; Saint)

Petronax of Monte Cassino (Christian; Saint)

George (Eastern Orthodox Church) a.k.a. ... 

Đurđevdan (Gorani, Roma)

Gergyovden  (Day of Bravery or Army Day; Bulgaria)

Police Day (Georgia)

Yuri's Day in the Spring (Russian Orthodox Church)

John before the Latin Gate (Christian; Saint)

John Demascen (Christian; Saint)

Munichia (a.k.a. Mounikhia; Ancient Greek Festival to Artemis)

Remembrance  for Eyvind Kelve (Asatru/Norse Pagan)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [17 of 32]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [25 of 60]

Premieres

At Folsom Prison, by Johnny Cash (Live Album; 1968)

Backstreet Boys, by Backstreet Boys (Album; 1996)

Captain America: Civil War (Film; 2016)

Chernobyl (TV Documentary Series; 2019)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Film; 2022)

The Double Helix, by James Watson (Memoir; 1968)

Highwayman, by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (Album; 1985)

I Got You (I Feel Good), by James Brown (Song recorded; 1965)

The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Off-Broadway Musical; 1982)

Metropolis (Film; 1927)

Mickey’s Trailer (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1966)

Rock and Roll Music, recorded by Chuck Berry (Song; 1957)

Rocket Man, by Elton John (Song; 1972)

Son of Batman (WB Animated Film; 2014)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Film; 1980)

Swooner Crooner (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

Take This To Your Grave, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2003)

The Thanatos Syndrome, by Percy Walker (Novel; 1987)

Thor (Film; 2011)

Thugs with Dirty Mugs (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Un Verano Sin Ti, by Bad Bunny (Song; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Godehard, Jutta, Sigrid (Austria)

Irina, Mira (Bulgaria)

Anđeo, Hilarije, Maksim (Croatia)

Klaudie (Czech Republic)

Gothard (Denmark)

Loit, Loomet (Estonia)

Maini, Melina, Melissa (Finland)

Judith (France)

Gotthard, Jutta, Sigrid (Germany)

Efraim, Efrem, Eirene, Eirini, Eirinaios, Irene, Irini (Greece)

Adrián, Györgyi (Hungary)

Angelo, Massimo, Pellegrino, Penelope (Italy)

Gederts, Gerhards, Ģirts, Gothards (Latvia)

Angelas, Anielius, Barvydas, Gintaras, Pijus (Lithuania)

Guldbrand, Gullborg (Norway)

Irena, Ita, Pius, Teodor, Waldemar, Zdzibor (Poland)

Irina (Romania)

Lesana, Lesia (Slovakia)

Amador, Ángel, Hilario, Máximo (Spain)

Erhard, Gotthard (Sweden)

Irene, Myroslav, Myroslava (Ukraine)

Morna, Mya, Myah, Myrna, Orson, Prudence (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 126 of 2024; 239 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 18 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Bing-Chen), Day 17 (Jia-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 15 Iyar 5783

Islamic: 15 Shawwal 1444

J Cal: 5 Bīja; Fiveday [5 of 30]

Julian: 23 April 2023

Moon: 98%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Caesar (5th Month) [Polybius]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 48 of 90)

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 17 of 30)

[downinpink]

🌹💔💙💤

🌹 -bumbleby. kacchako. Rogue x gambit. White rose. Rapunzel x Flynn Rider. Ichigo x Orihime... Etc

💔-Ruby x Penny. Savio x Neo. Tony x Pepper

💙 - When I was younger I thought Harley Quinn and Joker with the power couple on the Batman the Animated Series but till I grow older and realize it was a toxic relationship I drop it.

💤-hmm. I think that all I could think of is Nancy and Jonathan from stranger things.

[lamilanomagazine]

Verona, al via la terza settimana del Mura Festival 2022

Verona, al via la terza settimana del Mura Festival 2022. Anche nella terza settimana di luglio prosegue un ricco programma alla manifestazione ideata e promossa dal Comune di Verona, nei quartieri di San Zeno, Veronetta, Borgo Trento e Torricelle, nel contesto della cinta magistrale, patrimonio dell'Unesco. Tante saranno le novità anche in ambito culinario: i sapori messicani dei burritos di Branchie e gli irrinunciabili panini di Peach Burger. Tornano le polpette gourmet di La Mia Polpetta, Celestino Food Truck con pizza fritta, parmigiana burger e arancini di riso che ci porteranno con la mente in Sicilia e le deliziose croccanti proposte di Siamo Fritti. L'area food truck è attiva dal martedì alla domenica dalle 18 alle 24.   Musica Martedì 19 luglio prosegue "Listen & Buy incontra Vinili su Tela", attività di ascolto, selezione e mercatino del vinile. Dj selettore questa settimana sarà Tony Franchi insieme a Marco Roldo, accompagnati dall'artista Stephanie Ocean Ghizzoni e le sue opere d'arte live. Mercoledì 20 ritorna "Gin 'n' Jazz" alle 20.30 con il gruppo RMB Quartet, con Simone Rigoni alla tromba, Francesco Bozzola alla chitarra, Thomas Dal Cappello al basso e Luca Manfredi alla batteria. Giovedì 21 luglio alle 20.00 terzo appuntamento con Brand New Verona, il format che promuove la rete culturale veronese. Protagonista l'esplosività degli Stalla's People, artisti new generation del collettivo discografico La Stalla. Presenti Michael, Vince, Suaje, Hatelander e Cherry, tra sonorità hip hop, funk, alternative new wave e cantautorato contemporaneo. Venerdì 22 luglio alle 21.00 la musica reggae arriva al freak stage del Bastione di San Bernardino, con l'esplosiva band riminese dei Devon & Jah Brothers, capitanata dal produttore e cantante nigeriano Devon Miles, un gruppo la cui musica mira a inviare un messaggio potente di speranza alle masse grazie all'unione delle differenze. Sabato 23 luglio dalle 21.30 protagonista il magico mondo dei Beatles, con l'energia contagiosa della Magical Mystery Band, che propone un vero e proprio live concept dall'impatto sorprendente per l'eclettismo, la carica e la cura nella reinterpretazione dei brani. Domenica 24 luglio alle 20.30 si rinnova l'appuntamento di "Aperitivi al tramonto 100 note in rosa" sulle note dello speciale "Io vivo come te – Tributo a Pino Daniele" del performer Massimo Coppola.   Teatro Doppio speciale appuntamento questa settimana con il teatro, nella rassegna Bastioni in Scena, organizzata al Teatro dell'Orecchione del Bastione di San Zeno da Teatro Scientifico. Mercoledì 20 luglio alle 21.15, "Ben Hur", una storia di ordinaria periferia) di Gianni Clementi. Una commedia che, pur se in maniera molto divertente, si misura con la scottante attualità. Un confronto di vissuti virtualmente opposti, di tre diverse forme di solitudine destinato a un finale sorprendente. Venerdì 22, sempre alle 21.15, in scena il Teatro Scientifico - Teatro Laboratorio con "Vida", una drammaturgia che evoca sentimenti gioiosi e di speranza. Uno spettacolo di teatro e canzone che parla di rinascita, di ritorno alla vita. Il testo, muovendosi con leggerezza tra prosa e canzoni, inneggia al risveglio dei sensi.   Sport e kids Sport per tutte le età e per tutti gusti al Bastione di San Bernardino: il pilates con Silvia Barbieri il lunedì sera alle 19.15 e il mercoledì alle 13.15. Il giovedì, alle 18.45, sempre con Barbieri attività di pilates/tone up. Lunedì e martedì alle 19.00, il venerdì alle 13.30 e il sabato alle 11, e martedì anche alle 7, appuntamento con yoga Vinyasa, il mercoledì sera alle 18.30 con Odaka Yoga e sempre mercoledì alle 19.00 con il Anukalana Yoga di Eleonora. Jumping fitness con Pierpaolo Savio la domenica alle 11.00, e alle 11.30 Pilates e stretching posturale. Giovedì 21 luglio, nel pomeriggio, proseguono le proposte dalla Palestra Optima, rivolte sia ai giovanissimi che ai più grandi: Yoga per bambini dalle 17.30 e psicomotricità per la terza età dalle 18.30. Il sabato mattina nuova proposta con Music together babies di La chiave Magica alle 10.00 e Musica Together mix-ages alle 11.15. Tutto il calendario di appuntamenti e attività - in continuo aggiornamento - è consultabile al sito: www.murafestival.it L'ingresso all'area della manifestazione è sempre gratuito.... Read the full article

[pointone]

Champions League last: The Genuine Madrid children ready to take over from club legends

As Real Madrid's aging celebrities seen on from the touchline while their younger counterparts saw out an amazing Champions League semi-final triumph, it was evidence that the club's instant and longer term future may remain in much better shape than numerous critics have suggested.

None of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos or Casemiro got on the pitch as the final whistle took place a 6-5 aggregate success over Manchester City that gained Carlo Ancelotti's side an area in Saturday's final against Liverpool.

Rodrygo created his name right into Actual folklore with 2 late objectives to take that connection to extra time, Eduardo Camavinga moved across the lawn making the Bernabeu his own and also Federico Valverde's engine was still whirring after 120 mins.

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior, whose tally of 51 appearances this period is greater than any one of his team-mates, racked up a fantastic solo effort in the first leg as well as lasted until 5 minutes from time in the 2nd.

In lots of means - regardless of the disappointment at falling short to land Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain and also the problems that may develop from that - this Champions League run has seen head of state Florentino Perez's transfer technique of the past couple of years involve fruition, with the skilled potential customers he has purchased supplying on their possibility at essential minutes to place Actual on the verge of a 14th European Cup triumph.

It has also supplied a glance of the evolution at the La Liga champs as Modric as well as Benzema enter their golden years complying with a years at the club in which they helped deliver 4 Champions Leagues.

Together With Kroos and Gareth Bale, they are the celebrities continuing to be from the early years of Perez's second period in which the 'Galactico' technique that characterised his first job as head of state continued.

In the very early 2000s, the arrival of Luis Figo from rivals Barcelona was followed by prominent purchases of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham and Michael Owen. On Perez's return in 2009, it was Kaka and also Cristiano Ronaldo to kick points off.

Given that James Rodriguez's arrival after the 2014 World Mug, the only real Galactico company Madrid have done was splashing an initial ₤ 89m on a 28-year-old Eden Risk from Chelsea.

The rest of their employment has focused mainly on younger potential customers - albeit never economical - or free transfers.

Last summertime David Alaba's free transfer from Bayern Munich and the ₤ 28m move for adolescent Rennes midfielder Camavinga were the only incomings, complying with a period of no signings.

Previous Genuine employer Jorge Valdano evaluated the circumstance in 2017. "Did Florentino alter?" he asked. "No. The market changed. Now it's exceptionally tough for the club to be able to await a talent to mature into a Ballon d'Or champion and then get them even if you're Real Madrid."

Real's pursuit of Vinicius highlighted their technique of trying to scoop the best young players on the planet, with chief precursor Juni Calafat - that also found Rodrygo and defender Eder Militao - taking a trip to Brazil to secure Vinicius' signature when he was only 16 as well as had played only 17 minutes of senior football for Flamengo.

Vinicius completed his move to Madrid in an offer worth ₤ 39m once he transformed 18 in July 2018. "Vinicius as well as I made the dive from Flamengo to Genuine Madrid. But there is a big distinction," says previous Brazil winger Savio, that checked in 1997.

"I left Flamengo when I was 23, virtually 24. I left with a bit more experience. I found out a great deal of things in the initial season, mainly in regards to transforming nations, football, strategies.

"Yet Vinicius was 18 years of ages, a really young gamer. He virtually leaps from Flamengo, from the young people groups, to the first team. So there were still points to learn, to require to the join in terms of strategy as well as techniques”.

"Genuine Madrid is a very big change. In the first period as well as second season he got to know the club much better - just how they play - since between South Football and European football is a huge adjustment. It was a concern of time to be familiar with the techniques, the design of play, the style of the club".

That transfer is bearing fruit, especially this period with 21-year-old Vinicius generating his ideal go back to date - racking up 21 times in all competitors, signing up 20 aids and also forging a powerful collaboration with respected 34-year-old Benzema.

"With all the change as well as with all the difficulties he has actually had in the initial few seasons, he never ever quit being the Vinicius I saw in Flamengo," says Savio. "That is the one-on-ones, the individual top quality. This year he is showing more and more of his prospective and skill".

The heir to Modric's throne?

One question mark for Real is that will prosper the long-standing midfield trio of Modric, Kroos and Casemiro, that are 36, 32 and also 30 specifically.

Previous Real defender Fernando Hierro, Ancelotti's aide during his initial spell at the club, believes 19-year-old France global Camavinga and 23-year-old Uruguayan Valverde - authorized from Penarol 6 years ago - have the top quality to fill that void.

"Modric is ageing like great white wine. Let's hope he can do at this degree for a couple of even more years," states Hierro. "Adapting to a club like Real Madrid is hard as well as Camavinga as well as Valverde are truly prepared to action in".

Ex-Real playmaker Guti concurs. "Fede is really an extremely skilled gamer," he says. "He should simply show it on the pitch, more so than he has actually done so far due to the fact that he has actually obtained a great skill.

"Camavinga is truly another extremely skilled gamer. Naturally it is hard to replace a person like Modric. If you give them time, those two will truly expand and do extremely well at Actual Madrid."

Camavinga got here as one of the most sought-after leads in Europe as well as Ancelotti has explained him as "the here and now as well as the future of the club", contacting his young midfielders to gain from the skilled professionals around them.

"They are competing with the best in the world and they have to evaluate as well as comprehend that in the future they will certainly be the ones playing there," Ancelotti informed Spanish paper AS.

"Camavinga has tremendous top quality as well as power, but he has to discover and also get experience and also expertise for the placement in which he plays. He doesn't have it yet, but he's just 19 years of ages.

“Each day that he trains with Modric, Kroos or Casemiro is a master's degree - I make certain he learns more from what he sees his team-mates do in training than from what I tell him”.

On Valverde, that has also been deployed as a right-sided onward, Ancelotti said: "Valverde is showing all his qualities. Whenever he has the possibility, he has to shoot since he can fire incredibly well.

He additionally brings physicality and also verticality, which is uncommon in a modern midfielder”.

That is not to claim there will not be any financial investment this summer - Actual have been greatly related to 22-year-old Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as well as no question there will certainly be key signings after losing out on Mbappe.

But Ancelotti is positive about the future. "We have the excellent alleviation for these legends of the club," he stated.

[cinquecolonnemagazine]

Premio d'Aponte per cantautrici: vince Isotta

È Isotta (da Siena) a vincere il Premio Bianca d’Aponte 2021, insieme alla menzione per la migliore musica, mentre a Miriana Faieta di Chieti è andato il premio della critica “Fausto Mesolella” e il riconoscimento per la migliore interpretazione. La menzione per il miglior testo se l’è aggiudicata invece Giove (da Torino). La finale della 17a edizione dell’unico contest italiano riservato a cantautrici si è svolta il 22 e 23 ottobre al teatro Cimarosa di Aversa, con Radio 1 Rai in veste di media partner. Madrina di questa edizione è stata Chiara Civello, che nella serata finale ha interpretato “Erbe ed erbacce” di Bianca d'Aponte (la cantautrice a cui la manifestazione è dedicata), insieme ad alcuni suoi brani. A lei anche il compito di presiedere la giuria. Molti i riconoscimenti in palio. Alla vincitrice assoluta va una borsa di studio di € 1.000, la partecipazione come ospite alla prossima edizione del Premio, tre concerti di presentazione prodotti da Doc Live e la possibilità di partecipare al Premio dei Premi del Mei di Faenza. Per il Premio della Critica è prevista una borsa di studio di € 800 e il servizio di ufficio stampa per un anno da parte di FreeCom. Ma come sempre ci sono stati diversi altri premi assegnati direttamente da realtà esterne all’organizzazione o da singoli giurati. Novità di quest’anno sono due borse di studio per il Cet di Mogol da parte della ‘Fondazione Jacqueline e Totò Savio’. Ad assegnarle è stata la stessa Jacqueline, che ha scelto Alessandra Pirrone di Catania e Vitto di Vinci (Firenze). A quest’ultima anche il premio dell’etichetta Suoni dall’Italia di Mariella Nava, con la proposta di una possibile collaborazione artistica. Ad Anna e l’appartamento di Verona va un premio di Soundinside Basement Records consistente nella realizzazione di un video live in studio e una proposta per un anno di assistenza legale e manageriale da parte di SIEDAS. Valentina Polinori di Roma si è meritata invece il “Premio ’Na stella” (titolo di una canzone di Fausto Mesolella, storico direttore artistico della manifestazione) del Virus Studio, con l’incisione di un brano con la produzione artistica di Ferruccio Spinetti, direttore artistico del Premio Bianca d’Aponte. In gara c’erano anche Roberta De Gaetano di Messina, Olivia XX di Civita Castellana (Viterbo) e Claudia Salvini di Montevarchi (Arezzo). La vincitrice Isotta Carapelli, in arte Isotta, nasce a Siena nel 1992. Dai 16 anni ha iniziato ad esibirsi dal vivo con svariate formazioni musicali, si è poi laureata in Economia per l'Ambiente per lo Sviluppo. Negli ultimi 3 anni ha lavorato su un disco che uscirà nei prossimi mesi e che conterrà “Io” e “Tecniche di sopravvivenza”, i due brani che ha proposto al Premio Bianca d’Aponte. La manifestazione ha visto salire sul palco anche molti altri personaggi di primo piano della musica del nostro Paese. Ad aprire entrambe le serate è stata Monica Sannino, vincitrice della precedente edizione del concorso. Venerdì 22 si sono alternati Giovanni Truppi, il trio Cantautrici (Rossana Casale/Grazia Di Michele/Mariella Nava), il giovane Marco Martinelli e il duo Still Life, a cui è andato il Premio Bianca d’Aponte International. Inoltre, un gruppo di alunni del liceo classico e musicale Cirillo di Aversa hanno omaggiato Bianca d'Aponte eseguendo un suo brano, “Ninna nanna in re”. Momento di particolare intensità è stata la consegna del “Premio alla carriera” della Città di Aversa a una figura storica della canzone italiana, Peppino di Capri. Nella serata finale, gli ospiti sono stati Alessandro Mannarino, Cristina Donà, Tony Canto, Carlo Marrale e Francesco Tricarico & Jennà Romano, oltre a Chiara Civello. In apertura, a sorpresa, un omaggio a Fausto Mesolella con un suo brano, "Quello che non voglio" (su testo di Stefano Benni), cantato da Giuseppe Anastasi. La conduzione delle serate era affidata a Carlotta Scarlatto e Ottavio Nieddu, mentre in veste di giurati, come ogni anno, c’erano importanti cantautori, autori, compositori, giornalisti del settore, organizzatori di festival, addetti ai lavori e operatori culturali, suddivisi in due diverse sezioni: quella per il premio assoluto e quella per il premio della critica. Nel primo caso la giuria, presieduta da Chiara Civello, era composta da Giuseppe Anastasi (cantautore), Tony Canto (cantautore), Rossana Casale (cantautrice), Mimì Ciaramella (musicista e compositore), Sergio Delle Cese (Antenna Music Factory), Cristina Donà (cantautrice), Piero Fabrizi (produttore), Kaballà (cantautore), Saverio Lanza (musicista e compositore), Elena Ledda (cantautrice), Alessandro Mannarino (cantautore), Carlo Marrale (cantautore), Alfredo Rapetti Mogol (paroliere), Mariella Nava (cantautrice), Luca Nottola (Arealive), Brunella Selo (cantautrice), Tricarico (cantautore), Roberto Trinci (Sony edizioni). La giuria del Premio della Critica “Fausto Mesolella”, presieduta da Enrico de Angelis (critico musicale e storico della canzone), vedeva presenti Roberta Balzotti (Tgr Rai), Salvo Battaglia (ImusicFun), Angiola Codacci Pisanelli (L’Espresso), Giorgiana Cristalli (Ansa), Mauro De Cillis (Rai Isoradio), Giuliano Delli Paoli (Ondarock), Angela Garofalo (Cronache di Caserta e Napoli), Nicola Iuppariello (DiscoDays), Annino La Posta (storico della canzone), Elisabetta Malantrucco (Rai Radio Techete’), Michele Monina (critico musicale), Duccio Pasqua (Rai Radio1), Leonardo Pascucci (L’isola che non c’era), Timisoara Pinto (Gr Rai), Alessia Pistolini (critico musicale), Ivan Rufo (Festival Botteghe d’Autore), Marcella Sullo (Gr Rai), John Vignola (Rai Radio1). Read the full article

[enjoymusicandbeauty]

meraviglia di genialità

Documentario su Gli Squallor

Award winning documentary. Napoli Film Festival 2012 short version. Language: Italian with English subtitles. Duration: 85".

Produced and directed by Michele Rossi Written by Carla Rinaldi Music by The Squallor D.O.P. by Alessandro Abate Sound by Simone Costantino Post-production by Diego Fatone Audio Post-production by Sound Art 23

Cast:

Diego Abatantuono Roberto Freak Antoni Renzo Arbore Oscar Avogadro Don Backy Orietta Berti Giancarlo Bigazzi Stefano Bollani Achille Bonito Oliva Claudio Bonivento Nino Buonocore Caparezza Vinicio Capossela Antonio Capuano Alfredo Cerruti Gigi D'Alessio Tullio De Piscopo Gennaro Della Volpe Nino Frassica Enzo Gragnaniello Claudio Gregori Mara Maionchi Gianfranco Marziano Gianni Nazzaro Daniele Pace (archive footage) Giuliano Palma Pasquale Petrolo Massimo Ranieri Vincenzo Restuccia Totò Savio (archive footage) Nina Soldano Rocco Tanica Little Tony Federico Zampaglione

Distributed by CNI