#mega millions live drawing

[usanews24the]

Mega Millions jackpot soars to an estimated $1.15 billion for holiday drawing.

[yctnewsusa]

Mega Millions Jackpot Surpasses $1 Billion for Christmas Eve Drawing

The Mega Millions lottery has garnered national attention since its jackpot increased to an estimated $1 billion for the Christmas Eve drawing on December 24, 2024. It is the seventh time that the jackpot in the game reached the billion-dollar threshold. The winning numbers drawn are 11, 14, 38, 45, and 46 and Mega Ball 3; no winning ticket matched the six winning numbers. So, once again, the…

[brekingnewsusa]

Mega Millions Jackpot Surpasses $1 Billion for Christmas Eve Drawing

The Mega Millions lottery has garnered national attention since its jackpot increased to an estimated $1 billion for the Christmas Eve drawing on December 24, 2024. It is the seventh time that the jackpot in the game reached the billion-dollar threshold. The winning numbers drawn are 11, 14, 38, 45, and 46 and Mega Ball 3; no winning ticket matched the six winning numbers. So, once again, the…

[glowbstory1]

Powerball jackpot hits estimated $1.23 billion. Here's when the next drawing is

Another Powerball drawing, and another day without a winner of the more than $1 billion jackpot.

There was no big winner on Wednesday night's drawing for $1.09 billion pushing the latest jackpot to the game's fourth largest drawing of all-time and making it eighth largest lottery prize in the U.S. after no one matched all six numbers. It is also one of the longest running streaks without a jackpot winner, according to powerball.com. The last jackpot was won on New Year’s Day in Michigan.

Take a look at the winning numbers for the Wednesday, April 3, and when you have another chance of winning it big.

Powerball winning numbers 4/3/24 The winning numbers for Wednesday night's drawing were 11, 38, 41, 62, 65, and the Powerball is 15. The Power Play was 3X.

Did someone win the Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, April 3? No one woke up to the $1.09 billion win, but nine tickets did match all five white balls in last night’s Powerball drawing to win $1 million prizes. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in California (2), Georgia, Massachusetts (2), Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Washington.

more

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Daniel Marans at HuffPost:

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) lost her Democratic primary on Tuesday, shrinking the ranks of the House’s left-wing “Squad” and delivering another major victory to the pro-Israel and business-friendly groups that backed her challenger. Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County prosecutor, defeated Bush. Since Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, which includes all of St. Louis and many of its northern and western suburbs, is overwhelmingly Democratic, Bell is all but assured of a seat in Congress come November.

Bell’s victory over Bush marks the second “Squad” member in recent months to fall to a challenger heavily funded by pro-Israel groups. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who, like Bush, ousted an incumbent in 2020, lost his race to Westchester County Executive George Latimer this past June. Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that backed Bush’s first successful run, cast the race as yet another referendum on the power of big money to decide elections. “This race is about the future of our democracy and the soul of our Democratic Party, frankly,” Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, told HuffPost on Monday. “This is a question about whether we want to let a handful of Republican mega-donors dictate the outcome of Democratic primaries, or do we want to move forward to elect more nurses and everyday people to represent the community’s best interests.”

Bush, an ordained pastor and registered nurse, indeed faced a massive fundraising deficit. As Andrabi noted, Bell had the support of some local Republican donors — and many national megadonors from both parties, through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Super PACs supporting Bell outspent those supporting Bush by a more than 3-to-1 margin. Spending by pro-Bell groups included about $8.6 million from AIPAC’s United Democracy Project, $1.5 million from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman’s Mainstream Democrats PAC, $1.4 million from the crypto-industry-backed FairShake PAC, and nearly $500,000 from the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. Bush made national waves with her July 2021 sit-in on the U.S. Capitol steps to draw attention to the expiration of the federal government’s COVID-19-era eviction moratorium. Her action got results; President Joe Biden responded by extending the policy, though the Supreme Court stopped it a few weeks later. Later that year, in a bid to shore up support for abortion rights, Bush spoke on national television — and in a House hearing — about her experience getting an abortion after being raped at age 17.

Bush’s allies — and she retains the support of many local elected officials — see her as an authentic tribune of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was born in Ferguson, Missouri, following the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014. Unlike many other Democrats in Washington, Bush continues to embrace calls to “defund the police.” Bell, who also got his political start during the Ferguson protests and unseated a more conservative incumbent prosecutor in 2018, has, by contrast, disappointed many of his former fellow activists. They fault him for declining to prosecute Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Brown, and for not more rapidly reducing the county’s jail and prison populations, even as he points to the creation of a conviction review unit and the expansion of drug diversion programs.

[...] Finally, Bush has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress, particularly after Israel invaded Gaza in response to Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7. She was not only an early advocate for a ceasefire, but has also accused Israel of genocide ― a charge that remains highly disputed. And in an interview with The New York Times out on Monday, Bush expressed ambivalence about describing Hamas as a terrorist group, though her campaign later walked it back. “Would they qualify to me as a terrorist organization? Yes,” Bush told the Times. “But do I know that? Absolutely not.” Bush’s stances cost her the support of Susan Talve, a progressive St. Louis rabbi who leads the only synagogue in Bush’s district. But they also unsettled some other allies who see her national profile as a distraction from the needs of the high-poverty, majority Black district.

In the battle of activists rising from the Ferguson protests in #MO01, incumbent Rep. Cori Bush (D) goes down in defeat to AIPAC-backed St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell (D) in the Democratic Primary. Bell is favored to win this November.

[starscream-is-my-wife]

Hi Sky//star anon here again

Well, I think most ships suffer from fandom ooc, maybe it's a little more obvious with Starscream because he is well... Starscream lol (Fandom stop woobifying him challenge)

Either way, I also enjoy Mega//star. Wouldn't call it my otp but I see the appeal, I like how you draw them

Also the idea that Skyfire and Megatron have little reunions were they talk about Star's murder attempts is so funny lmao

While in the topic, what ships do you like besides the ones we see on your blog?

Thanks again anon! I think I would pretty much would ship anything if I find it funny enough? Transformers also live for like, over a million years and that's an entire humanities worth of drama multiple times over all in one bot, so they all should have something that would connect them and give them some chemistry. Megastar and optiratch just makes me go wild. I like wavewave too, oh man I can't really think of alot rn but I'll make it very obvious if another ship sinks its claws in my brain, optiratch is a pretty recent obsession so there's always room for more

I can also flip flop between dynamics pretty easily, do I like the command trine as triplets? Yeah, and I also like them in another universe as a threesome, same with Bumblebee, Frenzy, and Rumble, as much as I like making them younger, alot if the time in canon they're pretty much as old as the rest of the crew. I avoid incest and underage though.

Uhh, couple of crackships here: I remember way back I shipped Skelethor and Starscream cause I thought it would be funny (they are both my fav characters in their shows), and when deltarune 2 came out I was like damn spamton and starscream would be a really good scamming couple. If they don't kill each other first lol

[mysunshine-youremoonlight]

okay before i tell you about the dating sim, i need to establish: i heard of this creator from a smaller dating sim. like a silly dating sim about dating jerks whose fanbase is mostly constrained to tumblr rp blogs and the occasional shitpost blogger. i'm friends with the guy who has the most fics written for this game on ao3. so like. i'm a fan of these guys for this very niche thing right

and then they go ahead and make insane mega-hit dating sim. it is literally the top rated dating sim and visual novel on itch.io. it might be the top rated game on the site period.

i spend several years terrified to try it because it's so much. like it's not even that i'm scared it won't live up to the hype i am scared because i worked with ren'py. i have an idea of how they did certain things and it scares me. you did not have to go this hard for game about growing up alongside and potentially smooching ur neighbour/childhood friend

i could make a list of all the things that scare me about this game but it would be a list of the game's features. like

over one million words with all the dlc. but the base game alone is several hundreds of thousands of words long

the main love interest, cove, has several appearances and they draw this in the cgs

there's extensive character customization. they remember if you say you have freckles and what colour your nails are and add those to cgs

cove has five different personalities and five different interests/hobbies so there are . so many possibilities.

the game's entire thing is that they will remember things and call back to them later. there's an incomplete list of all the times the game calls back to previous moments in the story and it's almost 40 pages long

at one point there is a moment where cove will give you your favourite drink based off of a drink you bought much earlier in the story. if the protag picked a milk drink at that earlier point and then became vegan, cove will get you a vegan alternative

your relationship with cove is insanely complicated on account of: three different protag personalities, four different relationship levels, and the game remembers what affection levels you were at before

so basically you can play this game 100 times and still discover new things and i'm scared. and i haven't even mentioned the sequel they are making currently right now

are. are you talking about Our Life? bc i put like 60hrs in that at one point (probably less i used to just idly keep it open while doing other stuff sometimes lmao)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, April 13th

FRED: We're still working on a plan, but so far, it involves being sent to prison and becoming somebody's bitch. ANGEL: Nobody's going to jail, Fred. I told you, a heist like this, I've done it a million times. (beat) OK, maybe twice, but I'm good at it, I swear.

~~Ground State~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Weekly Drabbles #112 — Scaredy-cat by veronyxk84 (Buffy & Dawn, PG-13)

No Biggie by NotASlayer (Buffy, Riley, T)

Anne by MissKitty28 (Buffy/Spike, G, in French)

An Old Friend by TannaraMoonvale (Giles, True Blood crossover, T)

Debrief by MadeInGold (Buffy/Riley, M)

Hope by itsalwaysteatimeinwonderland (Spike/reader, not rated)

[Giles and Willow texting about Amy] by scooby-group-texts (not rated)

Heaven Can't Help Me Now by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Raven, Chapter 11 by sparrow2000 (Xander & Spike, G)

… A Stranger I Go Hence, Chapter 12 by MalkMcJorma (Faith/OC, M)

Thirty-ish Days (and Thirty-ish Years), Chapter 26 by Dynapink (Buffy/Giles, T)

but this love is ours, Chapter 14 by ripslayer (Buffy/Faith, M)

Best in me, Chapter 16 by DancingAngel0013 (Buffy/Giles, E)

Xander Harris and the Little Pink Pill, Chapter 7 by Kylia (Xander/Cordelia, E)

Dawn Rising, Chapter 57 by Luna_delCielo (Buffy ensemble, Tolkien crossover, T)

Wish Granted, Chapter 6 by faewm (Anyanka, Harry Potter crossover, T)

Three Slayers at the Same Time, Chapter 2 by In_the_universe (Buffy/Kendra, G)

Raven, Chapter 11 by sparrow2000 (Xander & Spike, G)

I Don't Want to Be the One, Chapter 10 by pommedapi (Buffy/Spike, T)

Slayer No More, Chapter 20 by jsaint34 (Buffy/Pike, M)

Buffy & Giles Drabbles, Chapter 2 by DancingAngel0013 (Buffy/Giles, M)

The Boring Stuff: Reptile Boy, Chapter 3 by missfiggy (Buffy/Angel, M)

Come Hell or Whatever, Chapter 2 by TheActuallyKid (Buffy, Batman crossover, M)

The Witching Hour: Chapter 5 by TheLightdancer (Willow/Tara, E)

If I Could Turn Back Time, Chapter 2 by Tropicmorningnews (Buffy/Angel, M)

Valkyrie vs. Cordelia, Chapter 6 by Nonkosherian (Fauth/Willow, T)

It's Easy Time, Until It's Not, Chapter 32 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Love Lives Here, Chapter 48 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Boyfriend Swap, Chapter 6 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Because the Night, Chapter 4 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Wilderness Retreat OR Super Mega Happy Kill-A-Rama! Chapter 4 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Hello Cutie, Chapter 4 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Celebrating You, Chapter 11 by DeamonQueen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Afterburn: In The Dark, Chapter 1 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Death Is Buffy's Next Great Adventure, Chapter 118 by Sharie (Buffy/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter crossover, FR15)

Coming Through, Chapter 56 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Service Unit, Chapter 11 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

What the Drabble? Vol. 2, Chapter 12 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Anything But Ordinary, Chapter 7 by Harlow Turner (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Bathroom Wall, Chapter 1 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Buffy, Spike, Clem by frenchublog (worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy and Spike by isevery0nehereverystoned (worksafe)

Fan trailer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Smallville intro style) by Meowity

Fanvid: Angel | Cold Cold Cold by genericaces

Fanvid: Spike | I'll Keep Coming by genericaces

Fanvid: Buffy + Dawn - You wouldn't like me by Faith Victoria

Fanvid: Buffy + Angel - I love me more by Faith Victoria (anti-Bangel)

Fanvid: BTVS || HUH, YOUR FATHER. IT IS YOUR FATHER, RIGHT? ||HUMOR by ZNellyZ

Artwork process video: Kristy Swanson Buffy the Vampire Slayer iPad Procreate Drawing Timelapse & Talk by kcsnipes (worksafe)

Artwork process video: Alexis Denisof Timelapse #Wesley by Sadiq's Solitude (worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Occult-PRAISING Joss Whedon's Atheism: Willow Rising Part 1 by Examining Kubrick Craven Halloween

Video: Was The Initiative From Season 4 Of Buffy A Good Idea Or A Bad Idea? by CrasHNburN

Video: Witch Switch | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Witch s1 ep3 by Nerdy Investigations

Video: Gone-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Podcast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Movie Review | Forever Fangirls | EP #103 by A Reel Review with Forever Fangirls

[Fandom Discussions]

i desperately need to kno how spike and harmony met by leechjam

It is insane to me that this show wants us to believe that everyone just left Faith to rot in that motel room by nicnacsnonsense

I think it would have been REALLY funny if Buffy at one point had been like NO! no…. I cannot date another Vampire! In crush by raisedbythetv89

It’s crazy to think Buffy lost Kendra and Angel in one night by theredpharaoah

Another issue I had with "Lies My Parents Told Me" by finalgirl1984

The Angel-Cordelia-Doyle dynamic was so fucking good by sunnydalebimbo

Rewatch thoughts and questions continued by GoSpuffy and multiple other posters

Spike and the first continued by multiple posters

Reasons for being the Slayer continued by AbercornBay

4x7 [Apocolypse Nowish] is the best episode in the show until the last two minutes… by ukcountrylover

When do you feel Cordelia was first possessed? by ukcountrylover

The Magic Bullet episode by Organic-Mistake-2223

I don't really feel sad about.... [Anya's death] by LightBlueSky55

Has anyone read the Tales of the Slayer short stories? by kmf-89

S3 E2 [Dead Man's Party] by No-Intention-1948

TIL The name of the club [The Bronze] is a pun by IsNYinNewEngland

What "Day in the life of" would you like to see? by threefeetoffun

What is your favorite pairing/duo of the series? Mine is Willow & Xander by AceItaliano

Most un-realistic part of the show? by Slayerette444

What would've happened if Faith didn't jump off the building? by SafiraAshai

Corporate needs you to find the difference between this picture and this picture by Randy_Giles1880

Use a line from any character in the Buffyverse to describe Buffy Summers by PristineSituation498

Joss Whedon brand of feminism by sadhungryandvirgin

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[2dieavirgin]

how do you manage to stay so inspired to draw the same character a million times in a million different ways..... if i cant get it right first go i always just give up on them and they end up just smashing around my brain forever with no outlet :(

autism. no im just kidding (im not) but if i dont do it who else will!!!! thats my carrot on a stick. i HAVE to draw chase as mary magdalene because nobody else is crazy enough to do it for me. and its also fun to see how the interpretation of the character changes! my first chase drawings on paper look. honestly very little like chase. but thats half the fun of it! seeing how it slowly improves, or maybe it doesnt look like him at all the longer i draw him but it looks like how i feel he should look. if that makes sense. i dont think my chase drawings look like jesse spencer half of the time, but as long as i can kinda convey what i was going for im like hell yeah!

its soooo easy and normal to get frustrated with art, especially when something just Wont come out right. but, to me, the important thing is that you don't let that stop you from creating! art is about the process too, not just the result! you don't like how it came out the first time? that's fine! try again later, maybe on a different medium, or at a different place, or with a different reference, and you would not believe how much that helps. there's been times where i thought i'd be art blocked for LIFE and all i had to do was just.. maybe draw on my living room instead of drawing on my bed, or use colored pencils instead of pens. you know just keep the creative water flowing so you dont cultivate a swamp in your brain.

i think i got mega sidetracked but that's basically it.t o be fair tho it is mostly the autism that just makes me so attached to characters . chase isn't the first, or last time that this has happened. i'm just a big fan of putting guys in situations

[barkbarkboy]

uh so i wanted to analyze boy division a million years ago..... i saved the lyrics but i never actually finished it. oh well. heres my queer/trans focused analysis of all the lines i can draw meaning from. its so layered!!!!! like i swear i'm gonna lose my mind this song is so good. u don't even know. CW: i talk about death transphobia and rape culture a little bit. no graphic details but yeah

If all my enemies threw a party, would you light the candles? / Would you drink the wine while watching television? / Watch the animals and all the tragedies if all my enemies (bigoted people) "threw a party" - as in celebrate or make fun of any form of minorities (with the queer/trans community as a heavy focus in this song), or some tragedy affecting those groups, would you join in? would you support them? or would you be on the side of letting people do what makes them feel happy and free and let them be themselves (such as being openly gay/trans despite the bigotry you face) Sell your arteries and buy my casket gown / (Well) It better be black, (Well) it better be tight, (Well) It better be just my size i'm not sure what "sell your arteries" means, but like, could be alluding to selling your soul for shitty beliefs and friends, or selling your heart since your arteries are part of the circulatory system. this choice is possibly sacrificing those minorities' lives in the process due to these shitty, ignorant people learning and perpetuating bigoted beliefs from these other shitty, ignorant people. the writer calls out these people for this and thus placing them (and the queer community as a whole) on death's doorstep before they are forced to confront their own internalized trans/homophobia. the writer asks why these lines must be drawn and why these lines, like the cuts of the gown they wish to wear when they die, shouldn't be cut to fit all people and not just one arbitrary gender. they're demanding it be cut just for them, and thus the label of "queer" to fit more people, not to build a new box, but to get rid of the box entirely, and let those people speak for their experience themselves.

I'm not asking, you're not telling / He's not dead, he only looks that way i'm not asking, you're not telling is clearly a nod to the phrase don't ask don't tell, about queer soldiers. in the "story" of the song it may allude to a phase in the writer's life where they pretended to not be gay to blend in and by proxy survive. this masking causes damage however, it makes them look dead, ether because that was their look at the time, or because they are mega depressed and feel unable to be themselves, so of course they're not going to be enthusiastic about life and look "dead". and the average person doesn't notice this, they just excuse it as being mentally ill, because being queer is not the norm and its not normalized enough in society.

I buy my enemies rope to hang me and the knives to gang me / You can watch them stab me on your television the writer wishes to intentionally provoke people, hoping they change people's minds, and risk their life in the process. so many queer killings go on day by day and some of them don't even make news. the writer is calling out that these bigoted people are purely ignorant to how this affects the community and thus telling it to them straight: queer killings still happen and they're awful. this community is vulnerable and needs protection. Stalk the halls because the bathroom walls / Would have a lot to say about the lines you're putting down this line? fucking GENIUS. where do i even start. first of all, bathroom debate? waaayyy before that was even a topic of discussion for mainstream audiences? they fucking saw the future ok. divine fucking visions. not only this but i think this line alludes to the fact that there are bathrooms at your home, and there are public bathrooms. for history reasons, public bathrooms are gender segregated. its considered taboo to use bathrooms that arent aligned with your agab, even though its a mostly private experience where no one has to see any of that shit. on the other hand, your at-home bathroom? not gender segregated. theres a million arguments about why public gender segregated bathrooms should continue to exist but the majority of them are rooted in patriarchy, misandry, and rape culture. the last thing is, a rumor about public bathrooms.... sometimes gay shit goes down in there. sometimes straight shit goes down in there! basically, if the bathroom walls could talk, they would say they see a lot of shit go down, and its happening behind closed doors whether you like it or not, and trans people just want to fucking piss. so leave them the hell alone and let them piss in peace! another point is "the lines you're putting down", as in, the line between the "male and female" sex and the "man and woman" gender is a lot more blurry than mainstream society thinks. someone will see someone masc presenting and automatically call them he pronouns for example, even though that person might be a she and just dressing comfortably. this gatekeeps people who don't pass well from using bathrooms at all, because they're afraid of getting hate crimed in there or because they just don't know/can't find the space that fits them.

(Well) It better be white, (Well) it better be cut (Well) It better be just my size now we've had a black line drawn, and this is the white line, alluding to black and white thinking, which is how a lot of people view being cis and perisex. however, you can be perisex and still have features that confuse you for another gender. the box is not fitting, and it never will fit the entire world's population of men, women, or enbies no matter how cis/perisex they may be. the writer demands the same thing of the lines being drawn as he asked for the black casket gown, that it fits everyone on the planet, and not just one specific kind of queer person. Until my capillaries burst of boredom / I'll be waiting this line of thinking is obvious to the writer, but its not obvious to everyone, especially mainstream society. they're willing to wait for the future, when one day all of this is normalized, and they and other queer people around the globe don't have to be afraid to be themselves anymore. the wait is frustrating and long, but they're pushing through to the end, hoping for a better, more safe future. I'm not laughing, you're not joking / I'm not dead, I only dress that way how often have you been here? someone made an off-color joke, and you just can't laugh because its not fucking funny? its just offensive? genius. i also like adding "you're not joking" because its so fucking true. people who say stuff like this and then pass it off as a joke when you get mad usually are trying to dogwhistle or seem chill/aloof by acting nonchalant about hate speech. furthermore, it seems the writer is embracing the way they dress now at least, and making it their own. theres also this idea of looking pretty when you're dead, so if you dress like you are dead 24/7, and you feel good about it and feel like you look pretty, you know how good you'll look when/if that time comes, which we know the writer has on their mind bc they know queer people die all the time and get hate crimed all the damn time. Wherever you are, wherever you are / Whoever you are, whoever you are 'Cause we got the bomb, we got the bomb, let's go / We got the bomb, we got the bomb, let's go / We got the bomb, we got the bomb, let's go / We got the bomb, we got the bomb, let's go We got the bomb / We got the bomb / We got the bomb / We got the bomb i think this is a rallying cry for all the queer community, whoever and wherever they are, to keep fighting. i think this information, which mainstream society has yet to understand, is compared to a bomb, because its going to blow the whole structure apart before putting it back together, hopefully in a healthier, safer, and more inclusive way.

[rockislandadultreads]

Nonfiction Thursday: Food for Thought

Salmon Wars by Douglas Frantz & Catherine Collins

A decade ago, farmed Atlantic salmon replaced tuna as the most popular fish on America’s dinner tables. We are told salmon is healthy and environmentally friendly. The reality is different. Almost all salmon sold in markets and restaurants are raised in floating feedlots that pollute our oceans and risk our health.

In Salmon Wars: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Fish, investigative journalists Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins document how a handful of multinationals transformed salmon farming into our generation’s version of Big Tobacco by concealing health risks and attacking critics. The authors go beneath the water’s surface where millions of salmon are crammed into parasite-plagued cages and fed a chemical-laced diet. The authors document the spread of diseases that threatens the declining population of wild salmon. They take readers inside hatcheries, where young salmon are treated like garbage, and to the farms that threaten our fragile coasts. They draw vivid portraits of characters like the big salmon farmer who poisoned his own backyard, the fly-fishing activist who risked everything to ban salmon farms in the Puget Sound, and the American researcher driven out of Norway for raising alarms about dangerous contaminants in salmon. Finally, the authors chart the future of a salmon farming industry that does not harm the environment or ourselves. What’s at stake, Frantz and Collins explain, is our health, the health of our children, and the health of our planet.

See You in the Piazza by Frances Mayes

The Roman Forum, the Leaning Tower, the Piazza San these are the sights synonymous with Italy. But such landmarks only scratch the surface of this magical country's offerings. In See You in the Piazza, Frances Mayes introduces us to the Italy only the locals know, as she and her husband, Ed, eat and drink their way through thirteen regions—from Friuli to Sicily. Along the way, she seeks out the cultural and historic gems not found in traditional guidebooks.

Frances conjures the enchantment of the backstreets, the hubbub of the markets, the dreamlike wonder of that space between lunch and dinner when a city cracks open to those who would wander or when a mind is drawn into the pages of a delicious book—and discloses to us the secrets that only someone who is on intimate terms with a place could find.

Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World by William Alexander

The tomato gets no respect. Never has. Lost in the dustbin of history for centuries, accused of being vile and poisonous, subjected to being picked hard-green and gassed, even used as a projectile, the poor tomato has become the avatar for our disaffection with industrial foods — while becoming the most popular vegetable in America (and, in fact, the world). Each summer, tomato festivals crop up across the country; the Heinz ketchup bottle, instantly recognizable, has earned a spot in the Smithsonian; and now the tomato is redefining the very nature of farming, moving from fields into climate-controlled mega-greenhouses the size of New England villages. 

Supported by meticulous research and told in a lively, accessible voice, Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World seamlessly weaves travel, history, humor, and a little adventure (and misadventure) to follow the tomato's trail through history. A fascinating story complete with heroes, con artists, conquistadors, and—no surprise—the Mafia, this book is a mouth-watering, informative, and entertaining guide to the food that has captured our hearts for generations.

The Cuban Sandwich by Andrew T. Huse

How did the Cuban sandwich become a symbol for a displaced people, win the hearts and bellies of America, and claim a spot on menus around the world? The odyssey of the Cubano begins with its hazy origins in the midnight cafes of Havana, from where it evolved into a dainty high-class hors d'oeuvre and eventually became a hearty street snack devoured by cigar factory workers. In The Cuban Sandwich, three devoted fans--Andrew Huse, Barbara Cruz, and Jeff Houck--sort through improbable vintage recipes, sift gossip from Florida old-timers, and wade into the fearsome Tampa vs. Miami sandwich debate (is adding salami necessary or heresy?) to reveal the social history behind how this delicacy became a lunch-counter staple in the U.S. and beyond.

The authors also interview artisans who've perfected the high arts of creating and combining expertly baked Cuban bread, sweet ham, savory roast pork, perfectly melted Swiss cheese, and tangy, crunchy pickles. Tips and expert insight for making Cuban sandwiches at home will have readers savoring the history behind each perfect bite.

[idolskpop]

Im Siwan reveals why he joined ‘Squid Game’ Season 2

Im Siwan, the versatile actor and singer who has been impressing fans with his back-to-back blockbuster projects, has recently opened up about his casting story for the mega hit Netflix show ‘Squid Game’. ‘Squid Game’ is a South Korean survival drama series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. It revolves around a secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial trouble, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a ₩ 45.6 billion prize. The series’ title draws from a similarly named Korean children’s game.

(Photo : Dispatch Korea) The first season of ‘Squid Game’ was released worldwide on September 17, 2021 and became Netflix’s most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks. It has also received numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for O Yeong-su, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung, respectively; all three were also the first Korean actors to win in those categories. The first series received 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first non-English-language work to be nominated in this category; Lee won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series, the first time an Asian actor won the award for a non-English part. A second season was officially announced in June 2022. Filming for the second season began in July 2023.

Im Siwan’s role in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2

Im Siwan is one of the new additions to the cast of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, along with Park Gyu Young, Kang Ha Neul and more. His role has not been revealed yet, but fans are already speculating that he might play a VIP guest, a masked man, or a new player.

(Photo : Im Siwan's Official Instagram) In an interview with The Korea Herald, Im Siwan candidly revealed why he didn’t hesitate to confirm his appearance in the second season of ‘Squid Game’. - “I have no doubts about the show. It’s a genre that I want to explore and own as an actor.” He also shared that he was drawn to the show by his admiration for Lee Byung Hun, who played the mysterious Front Man in the first season. - “It’s an honor to work with him in a renowned show. He is a senior actor that I look up to.” Im Siwan expressed his excitement and nervousness about joining the global phenomenon that is ‘Squid Game’. - “I’m looking forward to working with the talented cast and crew. I hope I can contribute to the success of the show and meet the expectations of the viewers.”

(Photo : Netflix)

Im Siwan’s other projects

Im Siwan has been busy with his back-to-back projects that showcase his versatility as an actor and singer. He recently starred in the sports thriller film ‘Road to Boston’, which depicts the lives of Korean athletes who participated in the Boston International Marathon in 1947, the first international marathon held since World War II. He played Yun-Bok Suh, a runner who overcame many hardships to achieve his dream. The film was released theatrically on September 27, 2023 coinciding with Korean holiday.

(Photo : Lotte Entertainment) He also starred in two drama series in 2022: ‘Summer Strike’, where he played An Dae Beom, a former baseball player who becomes a coach of a high school team; and ‘Tracer’, where he played Hwang Dong Joo, a former detective who investigates cold cases. In addition, he is set to star in another drama series in 2023: ‘Boys’ Generation’, where he will play Jang Byung Tae, a high school student who forms a band with his friends in the 1980s. Im Siwan is also known as a member of the South Korean boy band ZE:A and its sub-group ZE:A Five. He debuted as a singer in 2010 and has since released several albums and singles with his group. He has also pursued a solo career as a singer and has participated in various OSTs for dramas and films.

(Photo : ENA Channel Instagram)

Netizens’ reactions

Netizens have been showing their support and anticipation for Im Siwan’s role in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2. Here are some of their comments: - “Im Siwan is such a talented actor. He can pull off any role. I can’t wait to see him in Squid Game.” - “I’m so happy for him. He deserves to be in such a popular show. He has worked hard and proven his skills in many projects.” - “He is one of my favorite actors. He always chooses interesting and challenging roles. I’m sure he will surprise us with his performance in Squid Game.” - “I’m curious about his role. Will he be a good guy or a bad guy? Will he survive or die? I hope he will have a lot of screen time and interactions with the other actors.” - “He is so handsome and charming. I hope he will also sing in the show. His voice is amazing.” Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

[comicaurora]

If anything, the centralization of the internet into mega-sites like Tumblr and Twitter rather than a million independent and unconnected blogs and sites means it's never been simpler to get eyes on a niche webcomic. Back in the day you just had to hope people found your website URL through word of mouth or something. Discoverability is way higher now - hell, I learned about 17776 through Tumblr in the first place. Webcomics are not being quality-gated; nobody will stop you from posting it on free platforms like this one. There has never been a better time to get a million strangers to see your art.

That's not to say the standards by which webcomics are judged hasn't changed. Professional-quality webcomics have always existed - one of the first was Girl Genius, a comic that was literally being traditionally published before its creator Phil Foglio decided to give this funky internet thing a try instead - but the number of gorgeously drawn ready-to-print webcomics has increased, and I think that makes a lot of people feel like their webcomic must live up to that standard before it "deserves" to be seen.

But that's not a webcomic-specific issue. Artists of all stripes have a tendency to unfavorably compare themselves to the Good Art they see around them, and the more Good Art they're exposed to, the more they typically worry about measuring up.

Webcomics haven't been gentrified, we're just seeing and hearing more about ones that have unbelievably impressive print-ready art, and that can make it feel Not Okay for us to draw our own goofy, sketchy, bizarre vision. The most important thing I've learned about art is that no artist should ever wait to be given permission.

People don't like to admit it bcs cringe or w/e but Homestuck really did revolutionize the webcomic as a storytelling medium and I am endlessly frustrated that before webcomic artists could really stretch our legs fucking webtoonz swooped in, set a new, more restrictive standard, and then monetized and monopolized the ever living fuck out of the concept of The Webcomic until it drove away anyone who couldn't be a professional quality manga artist for free, and now the only webcomics that actually feel like spiritual successors to Homestuck are so obscure they're basically cult classics that you have to beg people to read.

Like it's just so wild to be in high school and see Homestuck be like "we're using like fifteen different artistic mediums to tell this story bcs we can" and be really fucking inspired by that, only to grow up and see basically every webcomic ever have to conform to One Single Standard or fucking perish.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Ami — the 14 year-old French brand known for its mix of heart-emblazoned sweaters and more discreet, well-cut wardrobe pieces — has grown its sales ten-fold in 4 years to more than €300 million ($312 million). Leveraging a network of 75 stores and 700 points of sale in over 100 countries, Ami has won over an international clientele ranging from shoppers seeking bold symbols of identity to those who seek to free themselves from overly visible codes, preferring sober lines and a quiet allure. Powering Ami’s seemingly irresistible ascent, there’s the backing of Chinese fund Sequoia Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 2020. And a vision: for a friendly, optimistic brand that draws inspiration from its Parisian roots while steering clear of snobbery and “posturing.” “Ami is a promise kept between the commercial reality of a garment—its price, its quality—and the values it conveys. It’s a joyful, reassuring simplicity,” Mattiussi said in an interview at his Place des Victoires headquarters ahead of the brand’s autumn-winter 2025 runway show in Paris Wednesday. “After four years of hyper-growth, we want to strengthen the foundations,” CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil said. The brand is pulling back its exposure to online wholesale and taking steps to project a more consistent brand image. The brand has headroom to invest in preparing its next steps, having achieved a double-digit profitability in 2024. Five years after launching womenswear, the category remains a key opportunity for growth, making up 15 percent of sales.“We’ve rethought our offer to make it clearer. We want to have the same message for both retail and wholesale. We want to be masters of our own destiny, to create a story that makes sense,” Santi-Weil said. Ami’s new collection championed relaxed, fluid tailoring, with a palette of matcha greens punctuated by the occasional floral print and styled with leather bags that echoed the return of ultra-classic pocketbooks at many brands this season. Stars including Whoopi Goldberg and Catherine Deneuve counted among some thousand guests in attendance. But the show, which was accompanied by tranquil piano music, still felt like a softer expression of the brand than recent spectacles like a star-studded runway show on the Buttes Montmartre or the brand’s marketing coup in season 3 of “Emily in Paris”. After all, as Sacha Guitry said: ‘To be Parisian is not to be born in Paris, it is to be reborn there.” This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Laurence Benaïm: Fourteen years after creating Ami, how would you define yourself? Alexandre Mattiussi: I love doing, creating, producing... I’m an entrepreneur who looks at AMI’s worldwide figures every morning before his coffee. Nothing gives me greater pleasure. I’m a retailer, and I’m proud to be able to maintain the same enthusiasm and passion every day. LB: How do you explain Ami’s worldwide success? AM: Ami is a promise kept between the commercial reality of a garment--its price, its quality--and the values it conveys. It’s a joyful, reassuring simplicity: a rib in the right place, a sweater that doesn’t puddle, a fit that’s just right, a cut that doesn’t play tricks. We don’t mock our customers by raising prices and not the quality. Did you feel you’ve made some mistakes along the way? Yes, with products that weren’t right, that didn’t live up to my passions. Or with mega-runway shows. The worst was the Sacré Coeur show, in June ‘22, at the top of the Butte Montmartre. I got caught up in something that wasn’t me. And yet you continue to assert this image of Paris and the Parisian woman through your collections...Yes, but since then I’ve come to understand that Paris shouldn’t be just a postcard. Of course, when I open an AMI café in Tokyo and people queue for two to four hours for a cappuccino with a milk foam heart, yes: Paris is Disneyland, let’s not hold back. It’s bingo.But Paris shouldn’t be oversimplified. Paris is an attitude, a look. And that’s what I’m trying to convey through Ami today.How has AMI’s style evolved since the brand was created in 2011?In 2011, after years of consulting, I decided I wanted to create a brand. I remember calling loyal manufacturers and [marketing expert] Jean-Jacques Picart. At first there were two employees, but today we are over 700. Fourteen years later, there are fewer effects, fewer tralalas. We’re refocusing on attitude, on clothing, on an increasingly precise and identifiable wardrobe. A blue poplin shirt, a camel coat, a little navy sweater, a blazer, two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, pleated pants. The idea is to recreate desire every time. It’s like an orchestra playing the same music—but the interpretation has evolved. Ami is a wardrobe that evolves with moods and desires. As for next winter, with camels, soft oranges, aniseed, jackets reduced to jacket structures, tee shirts like blouses, satin cut on the edge, coats both enveloping and ultra-airy, knitwear like milk... It’s the lightest winter collection we’ve ever done. You’ve done more than 20 runway shows now for Ami. What motivates you to keep coming back to the catwalk every season? WhatI’ve loved since I was a kid is telling stories. And what could be more beautiful than an evening show? Lights up, music plays, the first exit. It’s a vital 10 minutes for me. The show offers an augmented reality, a staging that I absolutely need. I love the idea of the troupe, the troubadour side of this profession. Even if I’m sure I won’t be doing it all my life. How do you see yourself fitting in to the world of luxury and fashion? Between the good guys who have become bad guys, and the bad guys who’ve signed a pact with the devil, I don’t recognize myself anywhere. I feel apart, even if the appointment of Mathieu Blazy at Chanel and Louis Trotter at Bottega Veneta gives me hope that fashion is evolving in the right direction: away from posturing. I’ve been offered corporate jobs, and I’ve said no every time. Why would I give my body and soul to a third party who won’t thank me in the end? The fashion world has become an empire of fatal liaisons, with exhausted, jaded people, condemned to produce in quantity, six times a year, to justify the existence of a system that has reached its breaking point.Do you have any motto? I’ll always remember the one that Remo Ruffini, the chairman of Moncler, passed on to. He told me: “Don’t get too big too fast”. Our aim now is to improve and structure our image, marketing and communication. Is it true there’s an Ami fragrance on the way?We’re working on it. I can’t give a date, but it will be made from the heart. At the moment I wear Shalimar by Guerlain, Musc Ravageur by Frédéric Malle, Bois d’Argent by Dior, Eau de Cologne by Helmut Lang for special occasions.Your heart logo is such an important signature for the brand, but you almost never see it on Ami’s runway. Why don’t you choose to play with or celebrate the logo in this context? This little heart is not a logo, but a symbol, a story, who I am: It’s how I’ve signed things since I was eight years old. So I want to protect it in a way. We can push it sometimes—on a cappuccino, for “Emily in Paris”—but mostly I want to keep it safe. This heart is already copied so much it can make you dizzy.At one point you could have fooled me into thinking that this heart was a trap. But it’s my signature, my “number 5,” so to speak. I’ll never give it up. Additional reporting by Robert Williams. Source link

[norajworld]

Ami — the 14 year-old French brand known for its mix of heart-emblazoned sweaters and more discreet, well-cut wardrobe pieces — has grown its sales ten-fold in 4 years to more than €300 million ($312 million). Leveraging a network of 75 stores and 700 points of sale in over 100 countries, Ami has won over an international clientele ranging from shoppers seeking bold symbols of identity to those who seek to free themselves from overly visible codes, preferring sober lines and a quiet allure. Powering Ami’s seemingly irresistible ascent, there’s the backing of Chinese fund Sequoia Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 2020. And a vision: for a friendly, optimistic brand that draws inspiration from its Parisian roots while steering clear of snobbery and “posturing.” “Ami is a promise kept between the commercial reality of a garment—its price, its quality—and the values it conveys. It’s a joyful, reassuring simplicity,” Mattiussi said in an interview at his Place des Victoires headquarters ahead of the brand’s autumn-winter 2025 runway show in Paris Wednesday. “After four years of hyper-growth, we want to strengthen the foundations,” CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil said. The brand is pulling back its exposure to online wholesale and taking steps to project a more consistent brand image. The brand has headroom to invest in preparing its next steps, having achieved a double-digit profitability in 2024. Five years after launching womenswear, the category remains a key opportunity for growth, making up 15 percent of sales.“We’ve rethought our offer to make it clearer. We want to have the same message for both retail and wholesale. We want to be masters of our own destiny, to create a story that makes sense,” Santi-Weil said. Ami’s new collection championed relaxed, fluid tailoring, with a palette of matcha greens punctuated by the occasional floral print and styled with leather bags that echoed the return of ultra-classic pocketbooks at many brands this season. Stars including Whoopi Goldberg and Catherine Deneuve counted among some thousand guests in attendance. But the show, which was accompanied by tranquil piano music, still felt like a softer expression of the brand than recent spectacles like a star-studded runway show on the Buttes Montmartre or the brand’s marketing coup in season 3 of “Emily in Paris”. After all, as Sacha Guitry said: ‘To be Parisian is not to be born in Paris, it is to be reborn there.” This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Laurence Benaïm: Fourteen years after creating Ami, how would you define yourself? Alexandre Mattiussi: I love doing, creating, producing... I’m an entrepreneur who looks at AMI’s worldwide figures every morning before his coffee. Nothing gives me greater pleasure. I’m a retailer, and I’m proud to be able to maintain the same enthusiasm and passion every day. LB: How do you explain Ami’s worldwide success? AM: Ami is a promise kept between the commercial reality of a garment--its price, its quality--and the values it conveys. It’s a joyful, reassuring simplicity: a rib in the right place, a sweater that doesn’t puddle, a fit that’s just right, a cut that doesn’t play tricks. We don’t mock our customers by raising prices and not the quality. Did you feel you’ve made some mistakes along the way? Yes, with products that weren’t right, that didn’t live up to my passions. Or with mega-runway shows. The worst was the Sacré Coeur show, in June ‘22, at the top of the Butte Montmartre. I got caught up in something that wasn’t me. And yet you continue to assert this image of Paris and the Parisian woman through your collections...Yes, but since then I’ve come to understand that Paris shouldn’t be just a postcard. Of course, when I open an AMI café in Tokyo and people queue for two to four hours for a cappuccino with a milk foam heart, yes: Paris is Disneyland, let’s not hold back. It’s bingo.But Paris shouldn’t be oversimplified. Paris is an attitude, a look. And that’s what I’m trying to convey through Ami today.How has AMI’s style evolved since the brand was created in 2011?In 2011, after years of consulting, I decided I wanted to create a brand. I remember calling loyal manufacturers and [marketing expert] Jean-Jacques Picart. At first there were two employees, but today we are over 700. Fourteen years later, there are fewer effects, fewer tralalas. We’re refocusing on attitude, on clothing, on an increasingly precise and identifiable wardrobe. A blue poplin shirt, a camel coat, a little navy sweater, a blazer, two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, pleated pants. The idea is to recreate desire every time. It’s like an orchestra playing the same music—but the interpretation has evolved. Ami is a wardrobe that evolves with moods and desires. As for next winter, with camels, soft oranges, aniseed, jackets reduced to jacket structures, tee shirts like blouses, satin cut on the edge, coats both enveloping and ultra-airy, knitwear like milk... It’s the lightest winter collection we’ve ever done. You’ve done more than 20 runway shows now for Ami. What motivates you to keep coming back to the catwalk every season? WhatI’ve loved since I was a kid is telling stories. And what could be more beautiful than an evening show? Lights up, music plays, the first exit. It’s a vital 10 minutes for me. The show offers an augmented reality, a staging that I absolutely need. I love the idea of the troupe, the troubadour side of this profession. Even if I’m sure I won’t be doing it all my life. How do you see yourself fitting in to the world of luxury and fashion? Between the good guys who have become bad guys, and the bad guys who’ve signed a pact with the devil, I don’t recognize myself anywhere. I feel apart, even if the appointment of Mathieu Blazy at Chanel and Louis Trotter at Bottega Veneta gives me hope that fashion is evolving in the right direction: away from posturing. I’ve been offered corporate jobs, and I’ve said no every time. Why would I give my body and soul to a third party who won’t thank me in the end? The fashion world has become an empire of fatal liaisons, with exhausted, jaded people, condemned to produce in quantity, six times a year, to justify the existence of a system that has reached its breaking point.Do you have any motto? I’ll always remember the one that Remo Ruffini, the chairman of Moncler, passed on to. He told me: “Don’t get too big too fast”. Our aim now is to improve and structure our image, marketing and communication. Is it true there’s an Ami fragrance on the way?We’re working on it. I can’t give a date, but it will be made from the heart. At the moment I wear Shalimar by Guerlain, Musc Ravageur by Frédéric Malle, Bois d’Argent by Dior, Eau de Cologne by Helmut Lang for special occasions.Your heart logo is such an important signature for the brand, but you almost never see it on Ami’s runway. Why don’t you choose to play with or celebrate the logo in this context? This little heart is not a logo, but a symbol, a story, who I am: It’s how I’ve signed things since I was eight years old. So I want to protect it in a way. We can push it sometimes—on a cappuccino, for “Emily in Paris”—but mostly I want to keep it safe. This heart is already copied so much it can make you dizzy.At one point you could have fooled me into thinking that this heart was a trap. But it’s my signature, my “number 5,” so to speak. I’ll never give it up. Additional reporting by Robert Williams. Source link