#to generalize about her reception in america vs the rest of the world is also super stupid

[britneyshakespeare]

"you guys have been tryin to give us cher lloyd way too many times for us to act like this statement ain’t complete and total horse shit" But that still doesn't explain why many Americans consider a below par artist to be "groundbreaking", whereas the rest of the world believes otherwise.

don’t know why you’d come on anon to my inbox to respond to my comment on a pop culture confessions blog but like, alright… keep having your weirdly nationalized opinions of popular musicians. that’s all i’m saying. i don’t really care what anyone thinks of taylor swift’s talent or lack thereof. artists do well or poorly in domestic or foreign markets for reasons that have nothing to do with “talent.” art under capitalism doesn’t thrive for being “good” but sometimes it just happens to be.

[kevrocksicehouse]

Notes on The Godfather – 50 years later.

A breakdown of one of cinema’s greatest achievements half a century later.

1) “I believe in America.” Such an audaciously pretentious opening line and it takes all of one shadowy conversation to make it perfect. The darkness. The undertaker’s anguish only barely hiding his condescension. The Don’s old world courtliness expressing contempt at the man’s naivete – only a fool believes in America.

2) The Wedding. One sixth of the three-hour movie, this introduces the Corleones – volatile Sonny (James Caan), quiet thoughtful Michael (Al Pacino), spoiled princess Connie (Talia Shire),  weak and stupid Fredo (John Cazale),  and adopted consigliore Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) -- and we see them literally in their best light, in the glow of a raucous Italian wedding reception. We see them as a close-knit family. We also see Michael tell his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton) gruesome stories about what his family has sanctioned and when he goes too far, says “That’s my family Kay – it’s not me,” another badly portentous line that Pacino injects with just enough self-doubt to make it seem poignant.

3) Pacino vs. Brando. It’s generally accepted these days that Brando’s Best Actor Oscar nomination (and win) and Pacino’s Best Supporting nom should be reversed. Brando’s screen time is considerably smaller (he spends most of the movie’s middle third in a hospital bed) and Michael’s acceptance of his family and rise to power is the movie’s main arc. But Brando’s performance suffuses the movie with the Don’s world view, his ethics (such as they are) regrets and defiance set against the newer, more ruthless (or at least less romanticized)  criminal world that encircles them and that will engulf Michael. Brando’s old world courtliness seduces us into the Corleones world while Pacino carries Michael’s own seduction as  the film’s tragedy. Which actor is better is ultimately a dull question as the transition of the film from one to the other is one of the greatest achievements of movie acting in film history.

4) The horse’s head. Tom is dispatched to Hollywood to fulfill a request for Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), a Sinatra-like crooner being denied a plum acting role by blustery studio head Jack Woltz (John Marley). In a small short story within the movie Duvall and Marley play out a drama pitting Hagen’s bland, corporate dispassion against the mogul’s coarse irascibility as the lawyer makes him an offer he doesn’t know he can’t refuse. Part of the film’s seduction of us is that Woltz is so crassly off-putting that we see Hagen as a reasonable man, and even seeing the act of horrific violence that ends the sequence (and gets Fontane the part) we half-buy the movie’s mantra: It’s just business, not personal.

5) Luca Brasi. The Corleones are being muscled by New York’s other four families into dealing drugs and the Don’s refusal may threaten war, so he asks the thuggish Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) to feign treachery and infiltrate a rival gang. What looks like a major subplot is soon revealed as a red herring. The violence was a big deal (and a big selling point) at the time and watching it we understand. It’s not gory, but shocking and sudden. 

6) The Bells of St Mary. Michael and Kay come out of a movie theater talking about the film, and let’s just enjoy for a second the last moment either of them will have a moment’s peace.

7) The Hospital. After Vito is hit, Michael rushes to see him in the hospital to find it almost deserted and his father unguarded. Coppola lets us put together what happens as Michael does and his quick thinking (which also calls in a wedding favor) saves Vito from a hit and cements his loyalty to the family (“I’m with you now”). That his conversion occurs in a moment that justifies his paranoia will color Pacino’s performance in the sequel.

8) Michael’s choice. After Michael comes out of the bathroom he takes his sweet time making a choice which will decide the rest of his life. If he’d waited any longer we might have suffocated.

9) The news. Two of the greatest moments in Brando’s career involve Vito getting the news about his sons – when one of them is killed and when one has returned to the fold. I’ll leave it to you to decide which is the cause of more grief. 

10) Sicily. Michael, hiding out, falls in love and gets married in the film’s second wedding. This time we see the ceremony. Only one of each married couple will live past the movie.

11) Sonny. Santino was a bad Don because he took everything personally and his enemies knew how to exploit that, and for all his infidelities and his monster of a temper he was the fullest human being in the film. When James Caan leaves the movie something vibrant is gone and the rest of the film follows the machinations of hushed, closed-in men.

12) The Peace. The Don half-capitulates on drugs and of all the lines quoted in the films, I rarely hear “They’re animals anyway, let them lose their souls”, spoken by Don Giuseppe about the decision to “keep the traffic in the dark people, the coloreds.” Aside from the casual racism of the statement it is the only time it is inferred that the gangster’s “business” impacts innocent people. There’s never any mention of the rent money thrown away by gamblers or the corruption of the labor unions the mob controls. At the time there were a steady stream of Blaxploitation movies that flowed from the Harlem drug scourge that would come from that decision – and its reasons. What if that line had been spoken by Vito? Or by Michael?

13) Vegas. The first humiliation of Fredo which would have disastrous consequences in the next film. And Moe Green (Alex Rocco), ditto.

14) The Orange Peel. Almost entirely improvised by Brando and one of the great death scenes. An old man playing with his grandson succumbs almost peacefully in a beautifully shot garden on a sunny day. Who wouldn’t want to go that way?

15) “Today I settle all family business”. The baptism of Connie and Carlo’s firstborn child, intercut with repeated assassinations of all the other Dons, along with Moe Green (you don’t say no to the Corleones). Michael caps it all by browbeating a confession for setting up Sonny’s murder, promising to let him live and then almost immediately having him garroted to death. We’ve seen why these men deserve their death but as Michael renounces Satan as his men kill repeatedly from his orders his hypocrisy, and our implication in it, are laid bare.

16) Michael lies. Confronted by Connie about the murder of her husband Michael lies about it and when Kay calls him out he says that “This one time, this one time, I’ll let you ask me about my affairs.” Then he lies about everything and then shuts his door on her. Fade to black. Credits. The scene echoes the last shot of John Ford’s the Searchers but where John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards closes the door to exile himself from a community he is unworthy of, Michael shuts out Kay, the world, us to retreat into a darkness he will not escape. If a blockbuster film has ever had a more disturbing ending I can’t think of it. And I believe in America.

[yournycdollar-blog]

Breadmaker Baking vs Buying to Lower Food Expenses

Greetings Gothamites! Several weeks ago, I impulsively purchased a Zojirushi Breadmaker, under the ruse it would help lower monthly food expenses. Living in New York City (NYC), most expenses are inflated versus other localities, including groceries, restaurants, and, sadly bars too. First, let’s touch on the conclusion, then my own food-related expenses, which were the partial catalyst that prompted this purchase, and finally we’ll move to the actual cost of homemade breadmaking.

Conclusions First 

Baking bread with a breadmaker at home might help lower monthly food expenses, but a low-cost machine is necessary and your commitment. The Zojirushi Breadmaker is high cost and you're unlikely to meaningfully lower your food expenses quickly or recoup the expense vs. buying. Lower-cost alternatives such as Hamilton Beach, or buying via Goodwill are more frugal options to lower your monthly food bill. Like most New Yorkers, you're probably constantly constrained for time, so your best option may be simply buying the damn loaf. My Food & Restaurant Expenses Are Disgustingly High The simple truth is, our monthly food and restaurant expenses are disgustingly high, even by New York standards. For July 2018, food and dining expenses for our household were $2,418.63, or 26% of the total, according to our Mint.com data. It was the second-largest expense category coming in just behind the home at 33%. Within that food and restaurant expense category 63% was allocated towards restaurants and bars! There’s nothing frugal about that spending. But, what can I do about it? This is NYC, it’s expensive, right? Print  CSV  Excel  Copy   Enter the Breadmaker, the Solver of All Food-Expense Related Problems One fine rain-soaked commute into work via the wonderful NYC subway, I was drowning out the background noise of a mother yelling at her children and another young man kind enough to introduce everyone to reggaeton, listening to a ChooseFI podcast. I believe it was episode 007 (America’s Food Obsession | How To Crush Your Grocery Bill) wherein partway through commenting on food preparation at home somewhat they nonchalantly mentioned using a breadmaker, at a cost of $0.18 per loaf! This planted the seed. What an excellent way to lower monthly food expenses! On the commute home my obsessive-compulsive persona was frantically pondering if a breadmaker would help lower monthly food expenses. It appealed to me, and why not? At $0.18 per loaf it was cheap relative to buying from the local grocery that could cost $2.00-3.00 for bargain-priced options, but in practice, over $5.00 for a whole wheat multigrain. I liked the idea of automation and timesaving elements of using a breadmaker too. To me, optimization is key alongside lowering expenses on my path to financial independence. My partner was receptive to the idea of making bread at home. In fact, more supportive than I anticipated given it could possibly lower monthly food expenses, but more importantly, provide a preservative-free vegan option too. I’ll come back to this later. So Why the Zojirushi Breadmaker? Ultimately, we chose to purchase the Zojirushi Breadmaker, which also happened to be about the most expensive option ($$$$). I liked the fact that it provided a heating element at the top of the machine which provides a more even browning versus alternative breadmakers. Perhaps more importantly, it also bakes a two-pound loaf that is similar in size and shape to store-bought bread. The runner-up was the Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker, also fairly expensive ($$$), but with the added automated fruit and nut dispenser. Beyond that, lower price point alternatives that were intriguing included the Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker ($$) that utilizes convection heating technology and the more budget-friendly Hamilton Beach ($). Honestly, for the more budget-conscious consumer who may want to simply test the Kool-Aid first, your best bet may be purchasing a used breadmaker via your local Goodwill store, Craigslist or eBay. I get the distinct impression most breadmakers purchased new are often regifted or left off at their local Goodwill. But, if breadmaking is so inexpensive and healthier, why are people dumping their breadmakers? Look, like starting anything from scratch, including breadmaking, it takes some commitment and diligence to achieve the end result. Using a breadmaker at home is no different. When you dig into the actual cost and effort associated with homemade breadmaking it is more expensive than we initially anticipated as we’ll touch on next. The Vegan Low Carb Criteria Conundrum There are two key criteria to our homemade bread recipe; 1) it needs to be vegan and 2) also low carb. Here’s where opposites attract I suppose. Myself, I try to generally limit carb intake, which lends itself to a protein-rich diet and I was previously not a big bread consumer as a result. My partner, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of this spectrum. Vegan. Engaging the help of Google, I was able to find a proper recipe wherein our universes overlapped. The recipe for low carb vegan bread below was derived from Gabi's World-Famous Bread, but modified with added stevia and salt for taste. It is vegan and at around 3.4 net carbs per slice, passes as low carb too. Low Carb Vegan Bread Recipe – 2lb Loaf Begin with adding yeast plus agave syrup (or sugar) and stevia to the bottom of your breadmaker. Pour warm water (90-100°F) over and then give it a few minutes to see if the mixture is bubbling (reacting); this is proofing. Concurrently, in a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients. Once the wet mixture is proofed, add olive oil, then add your dry ingredient mixture to the breadmaker. Set it and forget it after that, the breadmaker will take it the rest of the way! Ingredients Measure Units Dry Yeast - Rapid tsp (or 2 pks) 4 1/2 Sugar or Agave tsp 1 Olive Oil Tbsp 6 Baking Powder tsp 3 Salt tsp 3 Stevia pks 10 Vital Wheat Gluten Flour cups 2 Oat Flour cups 1/2 Soy Flour cups 1 1/2 Flaxseed Meal cups 1/2 Wheat Bran Unprocessed cups 1/2 Water cups 2 1/4 For our initial foray into breadmaking, we purchased a limited amount of ingredients via Amazon. We were able to buy small packages of dry yeast, baking powder, vital wheat gluten flour, oat flour, soy flour, flaxseed meal and wheat bran unprocessed. Other items we previously had on hand or bought from Costco. There would be no economies of scale with this initial venture! More excited than a college student comped a free drink, we hurriedly mixed the ingredients upon arrival and tossed them into the new Zojirushi Breadmaker. Pressing the start button after closing the machine, we looked with anticipation pondering what would happen next. Not much, in fact. Breadmaking is boring, and it was several minutes before the machine proceeded to do anything. The whole process takes several hours and we moved on to other matters; this was the optimization we were paying for, right? After about three hours the process was complete. What came out (based on half the ingredients listed above for a one-pound loaf, sans the stevia and about half the amount of salt), was a Franken-Loaf looking hunk of bread. It had knots characteristic of those you’d see on a disfigured tree limb and wouldn’t pass for something in the discount bin of your local grocery. It was pigeon food! The taste, that’s what matters, I told myself. After cooling, we cut some slices and bite into the still-warm bread; cardboard. Was it worth eating cardboard to lower monthly food expenses? Our next experiment turned out markedly better, with added sweetener in the form of stevia plus about 50% more salt than the original recipe called for. This made for a notable improvement in the taste that was similar to store-bought bread. After finding a palatable recipe that worked, like any individual on their path to financial independence, I wanted to dig into lower the cost. Hindsight 20/20, this should have been the first step before even purchasing the Zojirushi Breadmaker! Only a New Yorker Can Make an $8.00 Loaf of Bread at Home Leave it up to a New Yorker to figure out a way to make at homemade bread at $8.00 per loaf. And, no, it does not have avocados on it or truffle oil in it! After scouring Google a bit more, I was able to find a local place called Bakers Authority that sells most of the items I needed for our low carb vegan bread recipe. Here I was able to purchase semi-bulk sizes of key ingredients including vital wheat gluten and soy flours, among other items. Purchasing in five-pound bags from here was notably cheaper than Amazon. It is worth noting, that costs could be reduced by purchasing 50-pound bags of select items that have extended shelf lives (such as wheat gluten where the cost per pound could be -40% less!). So, how do we arrive at our $8.00 per loaf cost for homemade bread? Let’s take a step back to your microeconomics class of yesteryear. Remember your production cost formulas of total costs equals fixed plus variable costs? That’s okay, neither do I most of the time. But, in essence, that’s one of the key costs we’re concerned with when considering the expense of breadmaking at home. We have our variable costs including our ingredients, energy and labor, plus our fixed cost, the breadmaker. For simplicity of our analysis I’ve excluded labor, but your time (labor) is something to be mindful of! The closest substitute product for our low carb vegan bread recipe comes in at around $8-10 per loaf. The table below breaks down the variable cost components for the recipe based on most of the ingredients purchased from Bakers Authority and Costco. Electricity data was pulled from our Wemo (assumes $0.275 per kWh, about the monthly average thus far for NYC in 2018). The graph following provides a breakeven of how many loaves we’d need to bake at home before breaking even with store-bought substitutes at $8.00 per loaf for low vegan low carb and $2.25 for plain white bread. Ingredients Measure Units Cost per Loaf Dry Yeast - Rapid tsp (or 2 pks) 4 1/2                0.20 Sugar or Agave tsp 1                0.07 Olive Oil Tbsp 6                0.82 Baking Powder tsp 3                0.10 Salt tsp 3                0.03 Stevia pks 10                0.39 Vital Wheat Gluten Flour cups 2                2.27 Oat Flour cups  1/2                0.33 Soy Flour cups 1 1/2                1.32 Flaxseed Meal cups  1/2                0.53 Wheat Bran Unprocessed cups  1/2                0.17 Water cups 2 1/4                0.00 Electricity kWh 0.35                0.10 Cost per Loaf Total                6.32 The variable cost of making a two-pound loaf of low carb vegan bread is about $6.32. Add another $1.68 per loaf to account for the fixed cost of the breadmaker assuming 191 loaves baked (the breakeven assuming a ~$320 breadmaker cost), and your total unit cost per loaf is now $8.00. Not so cheap, right? It is also worth noting, due to the Zojirushi's high upfront (fixed) cost, even in the event you baked 300 loaves at home, that last loaf would only save you about $0.61 versus buying. Under a different scenario if one were to make homemade white bread with the Zojirushi, the variable cost component is significantly less. Based on the recipe below with ingredients purchased from Costco, the variable cost is about $0.61 per loaf, with the fixed cost estimated at $1.64 (195 loaf breakeven), bringing the total unit cost to $2.25. Baking beyond the 195 loaves one would actually start to save a small amount per loaf versus buying. It is worth noting the disparity if an individual had purchased the lower fixed cost Hamilton Beach breadmaker. At only 37 loaves made with the Hamilton Beach of plain white bread, you're already at breakeven versus buying a low priced alternative at the grocery (assuming a ~$60 breadmaker cost for this analysis) Contrast that with the higher cost Zojirushi wherein you're not at breakeven until 195 loaves! Ingredients Measure Units Cost per Loaf Dry Yeast - Rapid tsp (or 2 pks) 4 1/2                0.20 Sugar Tbsp 4                0.06 Vegetable Oil Tbsp 8                0.19 Salt tsp 3                0.02 White Flour cups 6                0.04 Water cups 2 1/4                0.00 Electricity kWh  0.35                0.10 Cost per Loaf Total                0.61 Does Homemade Breadmaking Save Money? Time Will Tell It remains to be seen if my impulsive purchase of the Zojirushi Breadmaker will help lower monthly food expenses. At $8.00 per loaf, on the surface, this seems unlikely. However, taking a step back to your microeconomics class, perhaps you recall substitute goods? Ultimately, our goal is to lower our food expenses in NYC. Previously, maintaining a low carb high protein diet wasn’t the cheapest option. A homemade meal of baked organic chicken and brussels may cost $4-5 per serving (still significantly cheaper than buying out). While the $8.00 homemade bread is expensive, spread out over eight sandwiches (~16 slices per loaf), plus the cost of meats and condiments, the cost of per serving is likely $2-3. At this time, I don’t have an answer for you if the breadmaker will help lower our monthly food expenses here in NYC. It will take time and commitment, like most things on the path to financial independence. Six months down the road if we are still committed breadmakers, there are incremental options we can use to lower costs and improve optimization. We can buy bulk 50-pound bags of key ingredients with long shelf lives lowering several variable costs by as much as 40%. Periodically we can also pre-mix dry ingredients in canning jars to make the weekly breadmaking process less time consuming during the hectic workweek. Is homemade breadmaking something worth pursuing yourself? There are a number of positives and negatives with the process. You may be able to lower your costs if you consume a significant amount of bread in your family. But be mindful, the breakeven with a high-cost Zojirushi Breadmaker could be 3.7 years or longer (assuming ~52 loaves per year). If you buy secondhand or a lower cost breadmaker, you could significantly reduce that payback period and lower your breakeven point. Using the lower price point Hamilton Beach model your breakeven drops to 0.7 years (37 loaves)! Other immeasurable benefits such as the absence of preservatives in homemade bread and perhaps your love of cooking and trying new recipes may be offsetting factors to the hard math associated with breadmaking costs. All of that said, if you’re like most New Yorkers, you’re endlessly busy and constantly time constrained; go buy a damn loaf of bread and call it a day! Read the full article

[thornburgrealty]

Just remaining steady for straw rest of last advised

The facts suggest he had some game, huh? This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Curveballing Lugo almost certainly get some starts as well. He’s been insisting for the past several weeks that his commitment to Ohio State is solid, but the tide be turning. That wasn’t the case…at least initially… He now heads to the division-rival Vikings where he’ll likely take a backup role behind starters Robison and Everson Griffen. Share with Us. Now Clippard has always been a fly-ball pitcher, but he has gradually become a bit more hittable and -prone over the past few years. We have offer right now for a small acquisition that I cannot name.

By nike nfl jerseys wholesale clicking Create Account, I hearby permission to Postmedia to use account information to create account. He’s been given the platform to be a leading and he’s taken it with a vengeance and I’m happy for him. Army was the best Ball State single game performance Briggs Orsbon’s 10 vs. Dec 6th to 5 Assuming Te’o was not on it by this point, did not any of these earlier tweets, and nobody made him privy to the earlier tweets, then we go to Dec. Scored the first touchdown of the Maroon-White game on a 4-yard reverse … Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed, but Washington had been signed through the 2013 at league minimum base salaries of $540 2012 and $630 next . He’s elite closer but also not the surest of bets given the way he faded down the stretch last year under all those innings and appearances. After getting up under his own power, Stepan originally went to the Christopher Tanev Youth Jersey bench, but was called off by NHL officials nfl jerseys free shipping to go through the new concussion protocol. To have the http://www.wuhu80.com/derek-newton-jersey-c-2_40.html opportunity to really celebrate that milestone basketball jerseys for sale and to kind of commemorate it on outerwear was awesome. 11, Arcada Theatre, 105 E. explores the skullduggery that might just have gone on behind the scenes, from the steppes of Russia to the UK and across to America, with a global cast of characters, from world leaders to spin doctors and journalists. – West Attorney General Patrick Morrisey knew Tuesday that before the ink was dry on President Donald Trump’s executive order rolling back the Clean Power Plan, environmentalists who solar and wind power as the future were preparing for more legal wrangling.

a desperate Dalvin Cook Womens Jersey attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth. That’s quite the compliment. Then we heard , whose strong hands gripped more than 500 receptions his career, including arguably the most memorable NFL history, struggles today… The nike nfl jerseys wholesale more you’re around, the more you the NBA game, the more you can nike nfl jerseys wholesale study it, the better you’ll get, Jones said. I’ll give you a blanket ‘yes’ that all those discussions have taken place. advised that he and Tyrique http://www.authenticramssale.com/jamon-brown-jersey-c-2_31.html wrestled to the floor, at which time the defendant jumped on his back and proceeded to strike on the back of his head. Mattingly enjoyed almost instant success the minor leagues, http://www.authenticpackersstores.com/jacob-schum-jersey-c-1_46.html hitting .349 with the Oneonta Yankees of the Class-A New – League 53 1979. I was born Worcester about 50 west of Boston. I think he’s shown he’s certainly capable of playing. It’s getting harder to say that definitely nfl jerseys free shipping move to left tackle next because is playing reasonably well and the combination of and Tunsil Authentic Hines Ward Jersey is paying dividends. Holliday slipped her his cellphone number, and they have been texting ever since – exchanging tips on shaved-head haircuts and swings. Ginobili was integral part of the 2004 Olympic squad that finished ahead of USA and won gold.

When radio tv talking head Fred Roggin, unabashed shill for both the Rams and Chargers, introduced Rams CEO Demoff, he pleaded, Treat this man with respect. calmly avoided the swipe try of after splitting the double cleverly, whipped a perfect no-look pass back and behind himself to the left to open , who had been recklessly abandoned by Earvin. I can’t be saying, ‘ ‘s got a billion dollars his bank account, I want to live like .’ All I can worry about is what’s mine, and how I can take care of family, and have fun with it. Kurkjian I voted for nine players. All the moments, high and low, are well-documented. Not only does play nike nfl jerseys wholesale for himself and his family, he also plays for his deceased brother Karols Acker. For a fresh start, we renamed him . Not only that, but Verlander’s reputation has now been publicly soiled for the rest of his career. Some high school data is courtesy McWater. EPA Estimates Only. It was right there, it was grasps with six minutes left the ballgame and then Bradshaw made two great throws wholesale jerseys and Stallworth went up and made some tremendous plays and they beat us 31. Hey, this is more the FSL box scores basketball jerseys for sale we have known to love over the years!

But not a complete understanding. He is still bummed that Holliday is leaving the Cardinals. what is it like … You wholesale jerseys know, the book I’m reading about you didn’t watch football on TV growing up. nfl jerseys free shipping A gunslinger is embroiled a war with a local drug runner. Tkachuk, who scored the overtime basketball jerseys for sale winner to help the London Knights wholesale jerseys win the Memorial Cup, has spent the taking a out of his father’s workbook. According to Brown, he and his wife, , have other plans that not allow him to continue as mayor next year. Only four teams the league used fewer possessions the post last , per Synergy Sports. He’s running very well.

from WordPress http://www.thornburgrealty.com/2018/06/27/just-remaining-steady-for-straw-rest-of-last-advised/

[lavotha]

The rebirth of golf in the Principality

The 2ndsuccessful edition of the Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup presented by H.S.H. Prince Albert II, saw the US and Europe teams compete at the legendary Monte-Carlo Golf Club from June 15-18, 2018, with another victory by Team US whose honorary captain is no other than Prince Albert II.

The centenary legendary Monte Carlo Golf Club, located in Mont Agel in La Turbie, was designed by Willie Park, Jr. and opened in 1911, offering an 18-hole golf course in an idyllic setting between the sea and the mountains! The golf course has a rolling terrain that requires extreme precision. (Photo below: View of Monte-Carlo Golf Course, Mont Agel, La Turbie)

The 1st edition of the Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup took place in June 2016 at Royal Mougins Golf Club, where Team USA won over Team Europe 10-5 on a Match Play. Monaco became part of the 2018 Ryder Cup France initiatives, as the first ever-amateur celebrity Ryder Cup event sanctioned by both the 2018 Ryder Cup France Chairman, and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.

The Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup was created to bring back to life the once famous Monte Carlo Open officiated by Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Princess Grace.  This annual golf tournament played from 1984 to 1992 gained international popularity with the participation of many celebrities from the U.S. and Europe.  , taking place at the Golf National, a few kilometers away from central Versailles, September 25-30, 2018.

The goal of the Monaco U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup Association is to organize and protect the brand of the world’s most prestigious amateur celebrity Ryder Cup event held every two years in the Principality.

An idea whose time has come

It was always interesting to know how a budding idea discussed among friends became a reality. Susan Feaster, Chairperson of the Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup, shared with Monaco Reporter that the proposition to revitalize golf in Monaco was proposed to her by former French Ambassador H.E. Hugues Moret, during a dinner at Philippe Laik legendary Chateau Tardieu, while visiting Monaco working for Ryder Cup France 2018. Moret believed that an event could be organized in Monaco connected to the Ryder Cup France. Susan reponded that Ryder Cup France involved US and of course France but not Monaco, to what Moret enthusiastically replied: “But the Monte-Carlo Golf Club is on a French mountain!” So Susan agreed to consider his suggestion and the rest is history.

Susan explains: “The idea was to have a Celebrity event in Monaco between well known personalities who happened to be excellent and passionate golfers.  We would honor Ryder Cup France 2018 and follow the real Ryder Cup “experience” as close as possible for amateur golfers.  Only professional golfers can play in a Ryder Cup Match, so this event gave amateur celebrity golfers the experience to play golf and represent their countries on Team USA or Team Europe.”

Susan added: “This became a non European Tour event serving as the private golf event for H.S.H. Prince Albert II.   The official title is “The Monaco U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup Presented by H.S.H. Prince Albert II”

Of course you require a team of committed people on both sides of the ocean, plus the contribution from generous sponsors, to advance this great idea and make it into a reality, but above all you need a passionate and relentless chef d’orchestre like Susan to bring everybody together and go for it! Susan is grateful for the ongoing help of everybody involved, including her two children Nicole and Nicolas, because she believes that as a leader you are as strong as the team around you!

Of golf, trophies & philantrophy

The Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup run over four days with a plethora of events:

Thursday, June 14 – Welcome Reception on a Fraser Super Yacht in the port of Monte-Carlo hosted by Roberto Giori & Fraser Yachts

Prince Albert and Pascal Grizot golfing with fish balls from Frazer yacht Saint Nicolas with Susan Feaster looking on @Nancy Heslin

Prince Albert and Pascal Grizot on board Fraser yacht Saint Nicolas for Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup @Nancy Heslin

Friday, June 15 – US and European Celebrities Pro Am, followed by a “Fish”Ball Golf Challenge at the Yacht Club of Monaco (YCM) where USA Captain Prince Albert and European Captain Pascal Grizot hit fish balls into the sea from a yacht (Fish balls are biodegradable, non-toxic EcoBioBalls, filled with fish food that begin to dissolve after 24 hours, fish begin eating the food inside after 36 hours before the balls fully dissipate after 28 days.). The day culminate with the America’s Got Talent Party at the YCM, hosted by ICON Golf, Fort Worth, Texas

Saturday, June 16 – Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup Match – Team USA vs Team Europe Celebrities at the Monte-Carlo Golf Club, followed by a Junior Monaco US Golf Cup Match sponsored by Ryder Cup Trust, and ended up with the Monte-Carlo Casino Night Cocktail in the Terrace of the Cafe de Paris, hosted by Eric Brundage and Monaco Life.

Sunday, June 17 – Awards Gala at the Yacht Club of Monaco

The U.S. Monaco Celebrity Cup trophy was presented by H.S.H. Prince Albert II to the winning U.S. team, of which himself is the 2018 Honorary co-captain, during the Awards Gala Dinner at the Yacht Club of Monaco on Sunday, June 17, 2018. On this occasion the Chairman of Ryder Cup France 2018 Pascal Grizot, who is also the event’s European Team captain, received the Life Time Achievement Award from the hands of Prince Albert.

Prince Albert unveils Award during Gala Dinner @Nancy Heslin

Presentation by John Elway of the US team winners of Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup 2018 @Nancy Heslin

Over the weekend, Grizot commented, “A golf game is the best school of life. One day you’re on top of the summit and the next, at the bottom.” Grizot was also named Personality of the Year on March 16 for his leading role in France’s candidacy for the 2018 Ryder Cup.“I am very proud,” said the Vice-President of the French Golf Federation (FGF). “This winning bid was a great moment and I think having the chance and honour to host the Ryder Cup in our country will help us develop golf. An adventure that would never have been possible without the support of clubs and licensees.”

The Master of Ceremonies of the Awards Gala Dinner was no other than world famous saxophonist Kenny G, who delighted the guests with his music and was one of the celebrity players in this top class golf event.(Photo: Susan Feaster presenting Kenny G during Gala Dinner@Nancy Heslin)

Kenny G’s testimonial sums it all up: “The Monaco U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup is an experience like no other. For us amateurs who watch the Ryder Cup and dream about what it would be like to represent your country in an event like that, the Monaco U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup is the event that let’s us experience this! And the atmosphere of camaraderie sets the stage for making invaluable relationships with our European counterparts in the entertainment, business and Sports World. “

As a result of the success of the sponsorships, H.S.H. Prince Albert II presented a check on behalf of the Monaco U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup in the amount of €50,000. In addition, a “Green Golf” gift was presented to the Prince Albert II Foundation for environmentally enhanced golf course construction and sustainability. (Photo: Prince Albert with Kenny G and Pascal Grizot, Chairman Ryder Cup France 2018 presentation @Nancy Heslin)

Susan further explained: “Like the Ryder Cup, the golfers (Celebrities) are not paid to play in this event and win no prize money.  It is the Highest of Honors in Golf.  Higher than an Olympic honor, the golfers (Celebrities) must be invited to play based on their skill of golf and their personal integrity as a sportsman.  The Ryder Cup is the only golf event that is a Team event, not an individual sport.”

Gala Cocktail at Yacht Club of Monaco during Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup @Nancy Heslin

Guests at Gala Dinner for Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup @Nancy Heslin

Bravo to all celebrities & amateur players for their participation! 

Susan Feaster with Team Europe, Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup 2018 @Nancy Heslin

Team USA selfie @Nancy Heslin

The European and US teams, Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup @Nancy Heslin

US and European teams during Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup @Nancy Heslin

Monaco US Celebrity Pro AM Saturday, June 16, 2018

Team USA                             Team Europe

Grant Fuhr                           Pascal Grizot

Jerry King                            Marco Simone

Larry Fitzgerald                   Andriy Schevchenko

Josh Scobee                        Nicolas Colsaert

Kenny G                               Ian Randell

Ilija Djurdjevic                       Joe Miller

Piers Ward                            Nemanja Vidic

Brett Hull                               Jean-Francois Calmes

Jay Feely                              Alexandre Peclier

John Elway                           Thierry David

Patrick Peterson                    Mark Foster

Brian Baumgartner                Iain Balshaw

Monaco US Celebrity Pro AM Friday, June 15, 2018

Pairings Team USA

Celebrity Grant Fuhr teaming up with David Matheson, Andre Champagne, Steve Kerns

Celebrity John Elway teaming up with Mike Burke, David McDonald, Jim Bridges

Celebrity Brett Hull teaming up with Jeff Goodsell, Karl Overman, Doug Hesse

Celebrity Brian Baumgartner teaming up with Nicole Feaster, Gary Gueye, Thibault Cayzac

Celebrity Kenny G teaming up with Eric Brundage, Antony Torriani, Shane Heminway

Celebrity Jay Feely teaming up withPiers Ward, Mike Powers, Thomas Werup

Celebrity Jerry King teaming up with Doug Goldman, Jason Goldman, Mathew Goldman

Celebrity Ilija Djurdievic teaming up with Gustav Vic, Mrs. Chang, Tom Connor

Celebrity Josh Scobee, Tim Latiolais teaming up with Robert Silva, Howard Baker

Pairings Team Europe

Celebrity Pascal Grizot teaming up with Gaetan de Chezelles, Vincent Bribosia, Reto Bodmer

Celebrity Ian Randell teaming up with Thierry David, George Gros, Pierrick Devic

Celebrity Marco Simone teaming up with Andriv Schevchenko, Juri Tikhomiron, Emin Afaev

Celebrity Joe Miller teaming up with Mo Iqbal, Steve Urquhart, Laurent Genal

Celebrity Iain Balshaw teaming up with Alexandre Peclier, Matthieu Louppe, Jean-Francois Noaro

Celebrity Mark Foster teaming up with Elisabeth Boisson, Gregoire Stourdza, Mireille Mueller

Celebrity Nemanja Vidic teaming up with Giuseppe Biggi, Daniela Risso, Paolo Risso

Celebrity Jean Fancois Calmes teaming up withWerner Peyer, Jean Paul Gally, Suzanne Peyer

Celebrity Nicolas Colsaert teaming up with Quentin d’Ursel, Roger Shine, Eddie Jordan

Today’ Quote

“Success in the game of golf depends less on strength of body than strength of mind and character.” Arnold Palmer

Ryder Cup Trophy back in Monaco celebrating victory by Team USA with Prince Albert as captain The rebirth of golf in the Principality The 2ndsuccessful edition of the Monaco US Celebrity Golf Cup…