Dec 28, 2020

The author of numerous bestselling espionage novels, died on December 12, 2020 in Cornwell, England.

Karnataka's renowned Sanskrit scholar and Kannada poet Bannanje Govindacharya died at the age of 84.

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist known for "The War Between the Tates" and the comedy of Americans abroad "Foreign Affairs," died on December 3, 2020 at age 94.

The popular Telugu poet, writer and journalist succumbed to ill health in a Hyderabad hospital on 21 November 2020.

The veteran Marathi writer and playwright passed away on May 18 2020 at the age of 81. The author is considered a pioneer of the children's drama movement in Marathi.

Three weeks after the eminent Malayalam poet was conferred with the Jnanpith award, he passed away at a hospital on October 15 morning, said family sources.

The celebrated journalist, historian, world traveler and fiction writer who in middle age became a pioneer of the transgender movement, has died at 94 on 20 November 2020.

Author of the vastly popular Magic School Bus book series, passed away on 12th July 2020 at the age of 75.

The eminent Delhi-based activist, writer, columnist, filmmaker passed away on August 5, 2020 after a two-year long brave battle with metastatic breast cancer.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer whose stories and novels told of both the dark secrets and the beauty of the Deep South died. on August 3, 2020. She was 91.

The noted Urdu poet and lyricist passed away on August 11, 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19 a day before. At 70, with a career spanning over five decades, Indori was best known for his Bollywood songs.

The Spanish novelist best known for The Shadow of the Wind passed away on 19 June 2020 at 55.

The guiding light of Indian sociology, passed away on May 10, 2020. He was 87. Singh played a seminal role in reorienting and modernising Indian sociology as a discipline.

The eminent Kannada writer passed away in Bengaluru after prolonged illness on 3 May 2020. He was 84. He was a prolific writer and penned poems, plays, short stories and novels.

Journalist, author and historian, Ronald Vivian Smith was the renowned chronicler of Delhi, every lane of it. He passes away on April 30, 2020

Follow this link:

Authors who bid goodbye in 2020 - Times of India

Slant

December 24, 2020 Zehra Jumabhoy on Tantra at the British Museum

IF YOU WENT TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM EXPECTING SEX,youd be disappointed, says Conor Macklin, director of Londons Grosvenor Gallery. He sounds a little disappointed. After all, if one braved Covid-19 to see a British Museum extravaganza, titillatingly titled Tantra: enlightenment to revolution, then surely sex was part of the deal? Curator Imma Ramos begs to differ. Ramosthe guiding light behind the show (which opened on September 24, 2020 and runs through January 24, 2021)hopes to uncouple Tantra from cheesy associations with carnal black magic.

Ramoss spiritual nemesis was Tantra: The Indian Cult of Ecstasy, staged at Londons Hayward Gallery in 1971. Equating Tantrawith sexual deviancy, Haywards survey propounded stereotypes that Ramos strove to subvert. Her show seeks to present the first historical exploration of tantric visual culture from its origins in India to its reimagining in the West.1 It does so by collating over one hundred and thirtyartifacts sourced across a vast geographical terrain (India, Nepal, Tibet, Japan, and the United Kingdom), hopscotching from the seventh century to the present day. Museumgoers journey from the earliest tantric texts in existence (such as the Nectar of the Thunderbolt Tantra, a palm leaf from Nepal dated to 1162) to a medieval sculpture of the Goddess Chamunda: Her face skeletal, her eyes staring, she wields a sword to battle the forces of darkness. She finds her counterpart in a nineteenth-century statue of a dancing Kali, also adorned with human heads. Visitors learn that this dark-skinned Hindu Goddess already enjoys a fan base in Britain: Kalis bloodied protruding tongue was repurposed by Mick Jagger as the Rolling Stones logo. At the heart of the show is a womblike atrium suffused with violet light, a recreation of a tenth-century Yogini temple in Odisha. Such sites are usually roofless, open to the heavens to facilitate divine visitations. The British Museums ceiling assumed the guise of a star-spangled sky, emblazoned with projected images of soaring Yoginis.

In Ramoss chronicle of corporeal spirituality, women are generally on top. The Sanskrit tan means to weave, extend or compose, so Tantra denotes an interweaving of rituals and practices associated with Goddess worship. As this valorization of divine feminine power (Shakti) swept across India, it enabled the ascendency of women as deities and gurus. Images of tantric goddesses combine references to motherhood and death. Such a conflation made them potent symbols for Indian revolutionaries in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, encouraging a form of devotional nationalism in which the body politic was configured as a terrifying Mother Goddess who required the martyrdom of her sons. Intriguingly, the exhibition explored Shaktis subversive role in the subcontinents Independence movements, as Kali became a mascot for anticolonial resistance, particularly in Bengal. In nationalist propaganda, she appears on the rampage: her mouth full of blood, her neck decorated withsevered male heads, dripping gore.The Black Goddess of Deathinfamous for trampling her consort, Lord Shiva, during her frenzied dance of destructionis also a figurehead for South Asian feminists. In British artist Sutapa Biswass painting Housewives with Steak-Knives, 1985, the gigantic Bringer of Bedlam sports four muscled arms (sprouting armpit hair), one of which clutches the head of a hapless male. She is flanked by another tantric heroine: Bharti Khers All theWhile the Benevolent Slept,2008, a fiberglass mock-up of the decapitated Goddess Chinnamasta. Her neck spurting jets of coppery blood, Khers dark dame holds a porcelain teacup in one hand, a grinning skull in the other. Is she innocently enjoying a cuppa, or contemplating carnage? Is she reminding visitors that Britains genteel predilection for teatime is a relic of a ruthless imperial past?

In fact, Ramos uncovers the British Museums complicity in Empires rapacious distortions of Tantra. The institution holds one of the worlds largest collections of tantric objects, many of them courtesy of Britains imperial adventure. Some of this booty was hidden by the squeamish Victorians in The Secretumcreated in 1865 to store obscene artifacts. Among those secreted away was an eleventh-century maithuna sculpture (the Sanskrit term refers to sexual coitus). Until the 1960s, it was kept under lock and key and available only to a chosen few (read: male, white) to have a scholarly peep. Though visitors can now gaze freely at the copulating couple, the story of their acquisition, possibly from Maharashtras Elephanta Caves (now protected by UNESCO), remains shrouded in mystery. Will they ever go home?

The path to liberation is a tricky trek. How to treat the once-colonized Other as an equal? A currently popular method within Euro-American institutions is to allow them entry into a redefined notion of modernism as a global (rather than a Western) category. This is the route Ramos took. Indian abstract painters who were beguiled by Tantras sacred geometrythink kundalini circles, throbbing vermillion mandalas and yonic triangleswere lumped together as flag bearers of global modernism. The museum already possessed Neo-Tantric paintings by G.R. Santosh and Biren De, but acquired two more by London-based Prafulla Mohanti and Munich-based Mahirwan Mamtani especially for the show. According to Ramos, these artists were influenced by the writings of collector Ajit Mookerjee in the 1970s, and valiantly sought to reclaim Tantra from its colonial-era association with hedonism and black magic. But Ramos spin glosses over the fact that the Neo-Tantrics never established a coherent, self-consciously modernist movement with a revisionist agenda (in the way that Bombays Progressive Artists Group did in 1947). De and Santosh belonged only to what can at most be deemed a fairly typical trend in Indian painting spanning the 1960s to the 80s. Moreover, the doyenne of Indian art history, Geeta Kapur, cast aspersions on their doingsmocking the so-called neotantrics for peddling a pastiche of the rhetoric of Indianness, and many of the tendencys most prominent exponents (including De himself) distanced themselves from the activities of their brethren.2 Thus Ramoss shoehorning runs counter to Des own wishes but, more importantly, it evades the question of the Neo-Tantrics status within Indian Modernismeven as it unwittingly rubberstamps market-driven categories.3 Artistic practices organized into identifiable collectivesespecially those sheltered under the banner of modernism (a term associated in Indian art history, thanks to Kapur, with an avant-garde)are safe commercial bets. So excited was Sothebys by Ramoss assemblage of Neo-Tantrics that a 2020 auction in New York beat her to the punch by inducting Santhosh, De, and Mamtanis pulsing paintings into a section called Neo-Tantra as Liberation.

One could argue that Ramoss inability to account for the complexities of Indian modernismand the place that Tantra played within itare forgivable given the ambitious remit of this blockbuster exhibition, which covers everything from the medieval to the modern. But then, why aspire to such a feat? Century-spanning extravaganzas revealing the colonial spoils of Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism are par for the course in Anglo-American intuitions. Are such showshowever sophisticatedthe product of a neocolonial tendency to subsume the Other under the banner of inclusive programming? However, it seems unfair to rebuke Tantra for exhibiting a propensity that is prevalent in Western museums, and it is certainly better for these institutions to try to represent the multitudinous cultural production of the formerly colonized world, despite the attendant problems and pitfalls, rather than ignore them. In any case, Ramoss daredevil path to Moksha deserves applause. Her nods to Tantras syncretic history as a conjoining of the mystical strains of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism provide a vital counternarrative to the chauvinism of Indias right-wing politicians. Thanks to the rise of the Hindu Right, Tantra has been stuffed into a straightjacket, its multireligious antecedents obliterated as Hindu fundamentalists don the garb of Orthodox tantric monks. Tantra was never a monolithic religion, but rather an adaptable sacred tradition that was incorporated into and appropriated by other belief systems, Ramos bravely insists. As her dancing Devis, menacing Mothers, and skull-sporting Goddesses alternately berate and beguile, we must concede that Ramoss rebellious beauties do enlighten us, dispelling some murky misconceptions along their way.

Zehra Jumabhoy is an art historian and curator specializing in modern and contemporary South Asian art.

NOTES

1. Email Interview by the author with Imma Ramos, 9/11/20.

2. Geeta Kapur, When Was Modernism: Essays on Contemporary Cultural Practice in India, Tulika Books: New Delhi, 2007, pp. 307-309.

3. Interview by the author with Siddhartha V.Shah, Curator of South Asian art, at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, 16/11/20. The museum contains De, Santosh, and Mohanti as part of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, renowned as one of largest collections of modern Indian art in the world. Shah has currently been researching these holdings for a rehang of the Herwitzs bequest in PEMs new South Asia Galleries. According to Shah, who interviewed Des wife, the artist steered clear of the term Neo-Tantric.

Go here to read the rest:

Zehra Jumabhoy on Tantra at the British Museum - Artforum

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Board has released the Classes 10, 11 and 12 routine 2021 for board exams. As per schedule, theory exams of Class 10 will be conducted from June 1 to 10, 2021 followed by Classes 11 and 12 exams. WBCHSE will conduct 11th and 12th Class exams from June 15 to July 2, 2021.

Students can download Class 10, 11 and 12 exam routine from official websites, wbbse.org and wbchse.nic.in, respectively. Alternatively, they can access West Bengal Madhyamik and HS exam routine 2021 PDF through the links given below:

Click here to download West Bengal 10th routine 2021

Download West Bengal 11th and 12th routine 2021 here.

Along with this, the board has announced Classes 11 and 12 practical exam dates. The practicals will be conducted from March 10 to 31, 2021. Click here to download official notice.

WB Class 10 routine 2021

Date

Subject

June 1, 2021

First languages

June 2, 2021

Second languages

June 3, 2021

Geography

June 5, 2021

History

June 7, 2021

Mathematics

June 8, 2021

Life Science

June 9, 2021

Physical Science

June 10, 2021

Optional Elective Subjects

WB Class 12 routine 2021

Date

Subject

June 15, 2021

Bengali (A), English (A), Hindi (A), Nepali (A), Urdu, Santhali, Odia, Telegu, Gujarati, Punjabi

June 17, 2021

English (B), Bengali (B), Hindi (B), Nepali (B), Alternative English

June 18, 2021

Healthcare, Automobile, Organised Retailing, Security, IT, and ITES Vocational Subjects

June 19, 2021

Biological Science, Business Studies, Political Science

June 21, 2021

Mathematics, Psychology, Anthropology, Agronomy, History

June 22, 2021

Computer Science, Modern Computer Application, Environmental Studies, Health & Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts

June 24, 2021

Commercial Law and Preliminaries of Auditing, Philosophy, Sociology

June 26, 2021

Physics, Nutrition, Education, Accountancy

June 28, 2021

Chemistry, Economics, Journalism & Mass Communication, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, French

June 30, 2021

Statistics, Geography, Costing & Taxation, Home Management & Family Resource Management

Also read:

Write to us at news@careers360.com

More From Team Careers360

Continue reading here:

West Bengal Classes 10, 11 and 12 exam routine 2021 released; Download here - Careers360

PALM SPRINGS, CA - JANUARY 03: Will Smith attends Variety's Creative Impact Awards and 10 Directors ... [+] To Watch Brunch at the Parker Palm Springs on January 3, 2016 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images,)

Lofi hip-hop is here to stay. The instrumental blend of traditional hip-hop and jazz has notably made its mark on Spotify, where the Lofi Fruits playlist by indie record label Strange Fruits Music alone attracts almost four million followers seeking mellow beats to help them focus, study, relax and sleep.

The music genrerepresented by bands likeChilledCow, ChilledBeats, Chillhop Music and College Musichas also inspired a tight-knit community including the likes of Will Smith, who this past summer released his second quarantine mixLo-Fi Summertime Beats to Social Distance Toon YouTube.

As lofi hip-hops relaxing soundscapes continue to grow in popularity, they are debunking the unwritten rules of hip-hop and leading the music industry into unchartedterritory where new forms of musicare likely tocome about in 2021.

My focus wasnt necessarily on producing music myself and putting it out, says Ryan Celsius, an established YouTube and lofi artist who, as a music fan, began following emerging artists by creating hip-hop playlists on YouTube before lofi began taking form in 2017. It was really around this whole community, this idea that there is an entire ecosystem of music and artist interconnectivity that people werent aware of.

Celsius, who was recently hired by the indie record label and digital music distribution service Amuse to build the companys lofi division, says that many lofi artists likeSnw, Monty Datta, smartface, M!NT and Homieunculusare now creating their own playlists, labels and merch. They are also hosting live events and leveraging social media platforms to engage with the genres steadily growing fanbase.

The low barrier to entry and high accessibility and replay value of lofi hip-hop makes it a welcoming space for budding artists. Canadian singer and songwriterIsaiah Faber, known asPowfu, broke into lofi with his hit Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head) on TikTok where it totaled more than 4.1 billion plays during March and has been featured in more than 5.5 million videos this year.

Lofi hip-hop labels like Puebla Vista, Chill Children and Promoting Sounds are also expected to expand in the next year. Music producers are also exploring the space since discovering that, unlike traditional hip-hop music, lofi does not require collaborations with prominentand expensiverappers.

Our engagement inloficulture is a testament to the idea upon which Amuse was foundedto use music consumption data to find emerging independent artists, says Diego Farias, co-founder and CEO of Amuse. Over the past several years, our streaming data has shownlofihip-hop artists resonating with audiences, even at a very early stage in their careernowlofi is exploding in popularity and creating new models for the music industry."

As lofi hip-hop continues to debunk the unwritten rules of the music industry, Celsius explains that the age of the superstar will soon give way to new genres and ways of producing music. The industry is leaning towards a world in which music consumers are more concerned with the actual sound and accessibility of a beat rather than the method by which it was produced.

As new sonic standards takeover traditional music business rules, Celsius adds, new waves of artists and gatekeepers will come about. A more diverse creative space will actively flip the industry and provide new monetization opportunities and growth initiatives for most players. Major record labels will adapt successfully, he says, especially considering the opportunity to tap millions of loyal lofi listeners supplying streams.

ZOD1AC, an instrumental hip-hop artist based in Akron, OH who draws influences from a diverse mix of genres, including jazz, boom bap, ambient, shoegaze, downtempo and classical in addition to contemporary production styles, has found support in the lofi hip-hop community. His ties to other lofi artists grew stronger this year after lockdown abruptly put a pause on his prolific streak of new releases and live performances including opening forhip-hop record producer Blockhead.

The pandemic caused me to focus more on reconnecting with the beat community on a deeper level,ZOD1ACsaid. I have since forged a close bond with many more musicians (beatmakers, MCs and instrumentalists), and I look forward to continuing to build upon the success we've found so far, as well as helping my colleagues in the scene to navigate the ever-evolving online ecosystems that come with the territory of being an artist.

Celsius manages his own lofi channel, Ryan Celsius Sounds, with 507,000 subscribers on YouTube and 170,507 monthly listeners on Spotify. This year his streams jumped from 2.5k per day before lockdown to a daily average of 10k in July and 31k by November. This year he also worked with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smiths Westbrook Inc. media venture this year to curate and mix thelofihip-hop playlist featuring more than 36 artists to accompany Wills summertime concept.

Originally posted here:

How Lofi Hip-Hop Will Inspire New Music In 2021 - Forbes

This story originally appeared on solasalonstudios.com

For salon owners, the time between Thanksgiving and the new yearare often about everyone else: long days pampering your guests followed by gift wrapping and trying to squeeze in quality time withfamily.Winding down from a stressful season (and an even more stressful year)doesnt happen overnight, soIts important to give yourself a few days of rest and relaxation to gain back control of your life and find your much-needed zen. So take a few tips from the below list and allow the madness to settle. And, it wouldnt hurt to cultivate a few of these habits to take with you into the New Year...

1. Clear the books.Take a few days to slow down before the next rush hits.Its OK to say no to plans and prior commitments. Take a staycation and enjoy a few days taking care of numero uno.

Get inspirational trends, techniques, tips, education and the latest beauty news delivered right to your inbox! To read on the go, sign up today to get weekly beauty news and updates.

2. Catch some zzzs.Turn off that dreaded alarm and get a few extra hours of sleep at night. Maybe even treat yourself to a nap! When youre working 12-hour days and entertaining nonstop during the holidays, its nearly impossible to get a full nights sleep. So take a few lazy vacation days when you can and allow your body to recover.

3. Power down.Were willing to bet, if you haven't already, you'll bespendingmuch of the holidays showcasing all your beautiful work on social media and connecting with clients, friends, and family with nonstop texts, calls, Facetimesand Zooms. Shut down your devices for a couple of days, or even just a few hours,to reconnect to yourself. Too much screen time can take its toll! With the right systems in place, likeSolaGenius, you can keep booking appointments while youdisconnect.

4. Get outside.Take in a bit of nature with a brisk hike or spend a few minutes making snow angels. Fresh air and a few minutes with Mother Nature is a surefire way to lower your stress levels.

5. Utilize essential oils.Essential oils are a natural stress reliever and do wonders for calming your mind. Create an essential oil roller with jojoba oil and a few drops of lavender, lemongrass, tulsi and ylang ylang. Roll it onto your wrists and temples to totally shift your head and heart space. Inhale, exhale, and enjoy.

6. Take a coffee break.How many cups (ahem, carafes) of coffee do you consume during the week, let alone when the holiday rush hits? Its proven that warm beverages soothe the body, so try a relaxing cup of tea. Sipping some tea is a great way torelieve stress while boosting energy, immunityand digestion naturally. With a bit of honey, youll get an extra antioxidant boost to improve your immunity.

7. Soak it up.A hot bath is a perfect ritual to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Toss in a bath bomb and remember to breathe deeply while you soothe your tired muscles and detox your mind.

8. Get a massage.Plenty of research shows that massage therapy is an ideal stress relief tool. Book an appointment with your favorite Sola massage therapist or order one up at home with the Soothe app. Either way, you deserve to treat yourself before all the pampering you'll be doing for others this holiday season!

9. Create a calming environment.Your physical environment plays a major role in your overall mood. Take a break from bright lights with a few candles and by using dimmers in the evening. Add to the peaceful ambiance by turning on some relaxing music.

10. Practice gratitude.Its pretty simple: Being grateful can actually reduce stress. Create a gratitude list for everything you are thankful for and say "thank you"to those who make your life amazing. Refocusing your thoughts on what you have instead of what you dont have will cause a noticeable change in your overall mentality and mood.

Once youve allowed yourself to recoverand youve found that much-needed zen, youll be ready to set your intentions for asuccessful holiday season and new yearno matter what curveballs are thrownyour way.

See the original post:

10 Ways to De-stress During the Holidays - American Salon

With COVID-19 and election season, game recommendations for total escapism are sorely needed.

Its probably safe to say that 2020 has not been a good year for most of us. Between the never-ending isolation and political debates that have gone along with COVID-19 and the always-infuriating election process, stress has been unbelievably high for months. Though this dumpster-fire of a year is coming to a close, and the election is finally over, it is still likely that things wont get back to normal for quite a while yet.

Escaping into video games is not a new concept. Tons of us have been doing this for years on end, regardless of whats been going on in the world around us. Because lets be honestthe worlds inside our video games have always been more entertaining (and usually more aesthetically pleasing) than the real world. But with 2020 being dramatically terrible, finding the best games to play that are immersive enough to keep your mind in another world for hours on end seems invaluable right now.

Cyberpunk 2077

Given its current popularity, it seems almost silly to even mention this one. But then again, not mentioning Cyberpunk 2077 on a list of immersive games that are perfect for escapism would be doing the game a disservice. And yes, there are tons of bugs, especially on the console version of this game. That being said, the bugs will hopefully be gone in the near future. Tons of people have loved the feel of the game at least, with it being an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City. The people in this place are obsessed with power, glamor, and body modification. As you play, the choices you make affect how the story goes, so it truly feels like youre living a different life.

Related:10 Best Cyberpunk Games, Ranked

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Speaking of living a different life, that is the primary focus of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I was so skeptical when I picked up the game, as it looked like the equivalent of something a five-year-old would be into. But lo and behold, playing the game felt like taking a nice vacation, aside from the part where you spend most of the time in debt to a capitalist raccoon. But with relaxing music playing in the background, you get to build your own island however you want toand customizeyour house. Living on a beautiful island where everyone is (usually) happy and making it whatever way you desire is as good as it sounds.

Stardew Valley

Speaking of living a different life, Stardew Valley is one of the best games for pretending you live in an alternate reality. You inherit your grandfathers old farm plot, and now its up to you what you want to do with it. Not only can you customize your farm, but you can also learn to live off the land, join in your local community, find someone to start a family with, explore caves, customize your own house, and more. Bewareonce you get started with this game, you will not be able to stop, so make sure youre ready for a new addiction.

Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler is a retro, turn-based RPG. Eight different heroes are all on their own journeythough they travel togetherand you can choose which characters to focus on and which places you want to go. The world isnt as huge as Skyrim, but there are tons of different places to explore or visit, and many battles to fight, including secret bosses. Most importantly, the art and music of the game give it a relaxing, fully immersive feel, which is what so many of us need right now, in light of the world around us.

Skyrim

Skyrim absolutely needs a mention on this list. Though many have already played this game, the music and atmosphere are debatably superior to any other game if youre looking to escape reality. This open-world, fantasy RPG is built to immerse you in a world full of magic, dragons, other creatures, and of coursealmost endless quests for you to complete. You can decide what race and build you want and then set out to explore the world while returning to visit your husband or wife at home every so often. Luckily, even if youve played this game before, its one of the most replayable games out there. And if youre looking to give this beloved game a new twist, you could always try it with a little bit of Mary Jane.

Next:Reasons Why Ill Do A New Build This Time Rarely Happens With Skyrim Replays

One Cyberpunk 2077 Player Has An, Erm, Creative Solution For Photo Mode Lighting

Excerpt from:

Best Games To Play If You Want To Immerse Yourself In Escapism From Your Depressing Reality - TheGamer

Denver has some marvelous events lined up this week. Kick it off by taking a deep breath at a Dig Deep Online Power Yoga Class and end it relaxing at We Begin Again: Yoga and Bullet Journaling. Wherever the week takes you, make sure to take a glance at this roundup of events happening in Denver.

Reminder, masks and social distancing are mandatory at any of these in-person events. Also due tocurrent restrictions, they can only be attended with members of your household.

Photo Courtesy of Urban Sanctuary Denver on Facebook

When: December 28, 9 10 a.m.

Where: Online

Cost: Varying prices register here

The Lowdown: Urban Sanctuary Denver helps you let go of that holiday stress with Dig Deep Online Power Yoga Class. You can stretch out on a mat and breath deeply to relieve your body of lingering tension.

Photo Courtesy of 9NEWS Parade of Lights on Facebook

When:December 28 31

Where:Starts at Denver Pavillions, 500 16th St. Mall, Denver

Cost:Free admission

The Lowdown:The annual9News Parade of Lights is back for the holiday season. This year the parade is a multi-day event with floats stationed all around downtown Denver starting at Denver Pavillions and ending at Denver Union Station. You can experience an amazing array of lights and stay socially distanced.

Photo Courtesy of Denvers Dangerous Theatre on Facebook

When:December 28 31

Where:Online

Cost:$10 $25 get tickets here

The Lowdown:Get a giggle on during Drunk Storytime: Drink-Along-Comedy show. You can choose from stories such as Dr. SeussOobleck, Cat & Sneetches,Gilligans Island Whats in the Box?andMission to Zolbott, A tale about the misfit crew of the Conundrum and a disco loving drag queen alien. The adults-only streaming features drinking cues with the narrator Caroline for a boozy night of laughs.

Photo Courtesy of Christmas in Color on official website

When: December 28 January 3

Where:Bandimere Speedway, 3051 S. Rooney Rd., Morrison

Cost:$30 per vehicle get ticketshere

The Lowdown: Step into the holidays during Christmas in Color Morrison. You can drive through 1.5 million glittering lights spun around Bandimere Speedway with the sound of holiday tunes in the background to set the mood for the perfect socially distant holiday activity.

Photo Courtesy of Denver Zoo on Facebook

When: December 29 January 1

Where: Online

Cost: Free admission

The Lowdown: Have a chance at snagging free tickets to the Denver Zoo during a Free Ticket Lottery. Denver Zoo is releasing 125 free ticket vouchers for select dates. You can win up to five tickets during the auction transactions.

Photo Courtesy of Eventbrite on Facebook

When: December 29, 6:30 7:30 p.m.

Where: Online

Cost: Bids start at $1 here

The Lowdown: Spectra Art Space hosts a Live Art Auction. You can purchase works from artist Kayla Lees during the virtual auction. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Spectra Art Space and its programs.

Photo Courtesy of Eventbrite on Facebook

When:December 30, 6 7 p.m.

Where:Online

Cost:Free $17.50 get tickets here

The Lowdown:Get your crafting skills warmed up for Laugh Your Craft Off. You can take part in a clay wall hanging making workshop with instruction from artist Melissa Piazza and comedic commentary from comedian Hannah Jones as you create during the virtual session.

Photo Courtesy of Denver Sushi House on Facebook

When:December 30, 6:30 7:30 p.m.

Where:Online

Cost:$80 get tickets here

The Lowdown:Denver Sushi House partners with Colorado Sake Co. for a Dim Sum Folding Date Night. You can learn how to create four different types of dim sum at home with a live stream guided by chef Taylor while imbibing on sake throughout the evening.

Bassnectar on 12/30/2019. Photo by Brandon Johnson.

When: December 30 31

Where: Online

Cost: Free

The Lowdown: Get your party on during a Decadence Colorado Festival live stream. You can dance all night in the safety of your own home while jamming to some poppin music.

When: December 30, 12 5 p.m.

Where:Prismajic, 2219 E. 21st Ave., Denver

Cost:$14 get ticketshere

The Lowdown:Dive into the fantastical world of Natura Obscura duringShiki Dreams. The 1,500 square-foot interactive exhibition allows you to explore the magical home of the yeti named Shiki with otherworldly experiences, sounds and more.

Photo Courtesy Childrens Future International on Facebook

When: December 30, 6 7:30 p.m.

Where: Online

Cost: Free register here

The Lowdown: Bear Creek Distillery teams up with Childrens Future International for a Virtual Fundraiser and Cocktail Making Class. You can learn how to create three different cocktails with the guidances of Bear Creek Distillery mixologists raise funds for Childrens Future International in the Zoom event.

Photo Courtesy of Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado on Facebook

When:December 31, 7:30 9 p.m.

Where:Online

Cost:Free $21 register here

The Lowdown: Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado keeps you centered going into the New Year with an Alternative New Years Eve Event & Fundraiser. You can hear a discussion about compassion and help support the center into 2021.

READ: 25+ New Years Eve Dinners To Ring in 2021

Photo Courtesy of Midnight Tyrannosaurus on Facebook

When: December 31 5 p.m. 3 a.m.

Where: Online

Cost: Free admission

The Lowdown: Get your body moving during the Midnight Tyrannosaurus and Friends NYE. You can rock out to beats from Algo, Mother Lotus, Strangr and more throughout the evening on Twitch.

Photo Courtesy of Wildermiss on Facebook

When: December 31, 4 9 p.m.

Where: Number Thirty Eight, 3560 Chestnut Pl., Denver

Cost: $50 $420 get tickets here

The Lowdown: Number Thirty Eight hosts a New Years Eve celebration with an outdoor performance from Wildermiss and Brianna Straut. You can party out the year while rockin to the socially distanced show.

Photo Courtesy of Itchy-O on Facebook

When: December 31, 10 p.m.

Where: Online

Cost: Varying prices check here

The Lowdown: Itchy-O teams up with Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas and Legion M to present the Sypherlot NYE Uncaged Interactive Experience. You can participate in an interactive musical experience with a virtual recreation of the Austin-based Lamar theater in a parking lot while maintaining social distancing safety measures.

Photo Courtesy of Factotum Brewhouse

When:January 1, 12 8 p.m.

Where:Factotum Brewhouse, 3845 Lipan St., Denver

Cost:Free registerhere

The Lowdown:Factotum Brewhouse hosts its Sixth Annual New Years Day Tamales and Brewskis. You can celebrate the start of 2021 with a take-home kit filled with eight tamales and a four-pack of Factotum brews. Make sure to order by December 28 at 11:59 p.m

Photo courtesy of Denver Union Station.

When: January 1 3, 5 p.m. 10 p.m.

Where:Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver

Cost:Free admission

The Lowdown: Denvers Union Station hosts its Merry & Bright Lights. The light show features works from local artists projected onto the exterior of Union Station. Artists such as Estee Fox, Maya Dite-Shepard and WAVEFORM.exp. will have their works projected onto the building. For more information check here.

Photo Courtesy of CORE New Art Space

When: January 1 17

Where: CORE New Art Space, 6851 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood

Cost: Free admission

The Lowdown: CORE New Art Space hosts a CORE All Member Show. You can experience a myriad of art from realism to ceramics to fiber arts and more. Works that are featured within the show will be available for purchase as well as prints and small pieces.

Photo Courtesy of Eventbrite on Facebook

When: January 2, 3 5 p.m.

Where: Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver

Cost: $10 $40 get tickets here

The Lowdown: Larimer Lounge hosts Arily Michele of Viewfinders. Michele is singer and songwriter with pop vibe similar to Lana Del Rey or Stevie Nicks. You can watch her perform and stay socially distanced within the lounge.

Photo Courtesy of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance

When: January 2

More here:

22 Things To Do in Real Life and Virtually This Week in Denver - 303 Magazine

Ghost lights are kept burning in many theaters when they are empty. A ghost light is a single bulb that remains illuminated so, in theater lore, vexatious spirits are kept at bay when actors are not treading the boards and spectators are not taking in their work.

As the coronavirus pandemic has raged for the last nine months, ghost lights have been switched on around the clock in theaters around the world as in-person productions have been shut down, with no clear indication when they will resume.

Marya Sea Kaminski, artistic director for Pittsburgh Public Theater, explained there have been times she has walked through the empty expanse of the Pittsburgh Public Theaters auditorium and felt wistful about the productions that have gone unstaged there.

But even if there is nothing that quite matches the immediacy and spontaneity of live theater, Kaminski is one of many theater professionals who has been trying to devise ways to keep actors and crews working and audiences interested when the playhouse doors have remained locked.

To do that, theyve been turning to the internet, staging readings of new and classic plays or even recording fully-staged productions with actors in different locations.

Its not quite film or TV, and its not quite theater, but a hybrid that lands somewhere in between.

Its a salvation to be able to do this, both for the artists and audiences who are hoping for some sort of connection, Kaminski said.

Small theater groups, like Little Lake Theatre outside Canonsburg, have been giving it a whirl, as have internationally-renowed companies like the Old Vic in London. Others have been dusting off performances from yesteryear that survive on video or film and putting them online.

Were on a steep learning curve to find out what works, said Steven Breese, artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University.

Some companies have opted for the simplicity of using the video conferencing platform Zoom, or turning to YouTube. Others have turned to sites like On Stage Streaming, Broadway on Demand and ShowTix4U.

Even in the best of times, live theater is constrained by money, space and available talent, and that holds when the audience is wearing sweatpants and watching on their laptops. Actors practicing social distancing or not even performing in the same room at the same time limits the types of plays that can be chosen presenting a sprawling musical like, Miss Saigon or The Phantom of the Opera would be tough on Zoom. Instead, intimate, more small-scale productions have largely been the order of the day.

As Halloween approached this fall, many theater groups presented readings of works by Edgar Allan Poe. With Christmas looming, some companies will be dipping into their Santa sack to extend some holiday cheer. Little Lake Theatre, for example, will be presenting A Very Little Lake Christmas at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 on Zoom. It will bring to life favorite holiday stories and memories submitted by patrons.

We thought sharing family stories would be a lovely way to celebrate, according to Jena Oberg, Little Lakes artistic director.

Once it became clear the remainder of Little Lakes 2020 season would have to be scrapped because of the pandemic, Oberg and the Little Lake staff starting pulling together plans for the virtual productions. Almost everything is done virtually, she said, from read-throughs to rehearsals.

This has also presented challenges getting props and costumes to actors, since no one is ever in the same space. Little Lake has had to create duplicates of many props so it can appear actors are passing the same object back and forth. As a director, Oberg also has to determine what lighting levels are best in each actors home to support a plays visual presentation.

As a director, I have had to find new and inventive ways of focusing a scene and directing where we want the audiences eye to go, Oberg said. On stage, you can do this through movement, lighting, other characters focus. But on Zoom, it becomes much more difficult. We have been discovering ways to use the Zoom borders and movement within the Zoom frame to accomplish this.

Helping an audience understand what is happening as a play unfolds is another challenge Oberg has had to confront. When Little Lake presented the George Bernard Shaw comedy Arms and the Man this month, an actor was assigned to read the stage directions, like the floating voice of Shaw, she explained.

Pittsburgh Public Theater started presenting online productions almost as soon as the shutdowns started in March. There have been readings of new plays this fall, and in the first part of 2021, fresh adaptations of The Three Musketeers, Romeo and Juliet, and Cyrano de Bergerac are scheduled. If theres an upside to presenting plays online, its allowed her to make more adventurous choices, Kaminski said.

Its given me a little more bandwidth, she said.

Kaminski pointed out theater companies have had to confront knotty issues of licensing when choosing plays to present online, since streaming rights are not attached to some of them.

Its taken a while to figure out licensing, Kaminski said. That has absolutely been a factor.

In December, the Pittsburgh Playhouse presented Picasso at the Lapin Agile by comedian and musician Steve Martin, and the holiday chestnut Its a Wonderful Life was done in the style of a vintage radio play. Also on tap was the musical Ordinary Days, which, according to the description provided by the Playhouse, brings theater and film together in a new multimedia hybrid experience. The Pittsburgh Playhouse has presented both plays and dance productions online, and its program has been quite robust since the start of the pandemic, Breese said.

I dont know of anyone trying to do exactly what were trying to do, he added. Weve been able to do things that other theater companies are not doing.

Putting resources into the online presentation isnt just a way for the Pittsburgh Playhouse to soldier through the pandemic, according to Breese, but also an investment in the future.

We need to be able to do this very well, he said.

More here:
Theater groups present plays virtually to stay connected to audiences - Uniontown Herald Standard

Syed Badrul Ahsan | Published: December 28, 2020 20:43:10

Reading the memoirs of Andrei Gromyko does something cheering to the soul. In the first place, it takes one back to the rather energising days that symbolised the Soviet Union before its collapse in the Gorbachev era. In the second, it reinforces the idea of how statesmen, especially communists, happened to be voracious readers, and right from their young days. Gromyko, a diplomat who served for decades as his country's foreign minister, is quite frank about the way his mother inspired him into reading books. The rich results of his wide reading are evident in this work, the English translation of it giving it the title 'Memories'. His sweeping view of the history of his times is a boon for anyone curious about the ramifications of the Second World War and the Cold War that was soon to come in its wake.

Reading habits in statesmen in our times have consistently been reflected in the many ways in which they have conducted themselves in carrying out their public responsibilities. When Charles de Gaulle was once asked about the biggest influence on his life and career, he wasted no time in coming up with a telling response. 'Do not ask a lion how many lambs it has eaten', he said. 'I have been reading books all my life.' The statement was blunt, but it made its mark. We now know of the sheer intellectual prowess which guided de Gaulle in his administration of France even as he dealt with the world, on his terms.

Joseph Stalin, we understand through studies of the man, read profusely and could copiously quote Shakespeare and Goethe, among so many other writers, at dinner with his party colleagues. There was cruelty in him, to be sure, as evident from the innumerable purges of his real and imagined enemies. But that did not detract him from his fascination for books. Ironically, it was some powerful writers and poets he went after, individuals like Osip Mandelstam and Anna Akhmatova. But that did not interfere with his reading of history and the classics. Adolf Hitler was no statesman, of course. But the mass murderer in him too spent a considerable time reading, a truth borne out by the huge personal library he built at home.

Politicians are often ruthless, depending on where they happen to be at given points of history. Mao Zedong, without whom the history of China would be different from what we know of it today, wrote poetry of a defining sort. 'Beauty lies at the top of the mountain', he declaimed. His study was piled chaotically with books, all of which he had read and the results of which reading came through in his interaction with foreign leaders. Richard Nixon, himself an avid reader and writer of informed articles and books, especially on foreign policy, was suitably impressed when he met the Chairman in February 1972 in Beijing. And there was too Zhou En-lai, the urbane scholar whose association with reading constantly manifested itself in his interaction with visitors humble and great, local and foreign.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was an ardent reader, as his library at his Dhanmondi home has shown. He admired Bertand Russell and George Bernard Shaw. On his last night alive, he was reportedly reading the latter's 'Man and Superman'. His readings of Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill were detailed. He was also conversant with Dostoyevsky's 'Crime and Punishment.' In an earlier time, Jawaharlal Nehru epitomised political leadership which rested on scholarship. His letters to his daughter, coupled with his authorship of 'The Discovery of India', are instances of the wide reading which went into the development of his personality as a political figure. Gandhi remains another example of a politician whose individuality was enriched by a lifelong habit of reading and, yes, writing.

In the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a fast reader, rushing through a thousand words a minute. Books were among his fascination, but he was to be clearly upstaged here by two future presidents. Bill Clinton has had the reputation of reading five books at a time. Barack Obama's brilliance, and expansive reading habits, have shone through the books he has written (Audacity of Hope, Dreams From My Father and A Promised Land). In the 19th century, Abraham Lincoln's reading clearly shaped him for the leadership he was to provide his country during the Civil War. He simply stretched out on the floor, leaning against an upturned chair (which irritated his wife to no end) and read on.

Tajuddin Ahmad was a profound reader, proof of which was to be found in his political and intellectual discourse throughout his career. His diaries in his youthful days between the late 1940s and early 1950s are even today pointers to the remarkable Bengali nationalist he was to become. Francois Mitterrand, a voracious reader, would slip away from the Elysee in his presidential days and go off to the many bookshops in Paris looking for copies of rare books to add to his collection. He enjoyed power; and he enjoyed reading more. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, for all his arrogance and insensitivity to people around him, was a good reader. His library at his Clifton home in Karachi is rich, with a good number of works on Napoleon Bonaparte, a man he admired hugely. Harold Wilson and Michael Foot in Britain were fond of books, losing themselves in reading all their lives.

Politicians generally remain busy dealing with statecraft. But administering nations or dealing with people is infinitely lifted to a higher plane when politicians read, when they make it a habit to read. Intense, focused reading transforms politicians into statesmen, provided they can prevent hubris from infecting the statesmanship with its poison.

Reading teaches humility. Think here of India's poet-politician Atal Behari Vajpayee.

[emailprotected]

Read more here:
Politicians and statesmen . . . and their reading habits - The Financial Express

SHE gained an army of fans after playing sexy Bond girl Strawberry Fields but Gemma Arterton says she prefers her latest role wearing a nuns habit.

Gemma also had to have part of her hair shaved off for the role in tonights hotly-anticipated BBC One drama Black Narcissus.

7

The three-part series is about a 1930s religious group that sets up a school and hospital in an abandoned palace in the Tibetan Himalayas.

Gemma said: I have this weird hairstyle. I was very grateful that I didnt have to shave it all off but I did bits and bobs.

Im still growing it out actually, Ive got short bits all over the place. I loved wearing the habit, though.

The role of a nun couldnt be further from MI6 agent Strawberry in 2008s Quantum Of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as 007.

Despite beating 1,500 other hopefuls to become a Bond girl, Gemma has admitted shes had criticism for the role.

She has said: At the beginning of my career, I was poor as a church mouse and I was happy just to be able to work and earn a living.

7

I still get criticism for accepting Quantum Of Solace, but I was 21, I had a student loan, and you, know, it was a Bond film.

But as I got older I realised there was so much wrong with Bond women. Strawberry should have just said no, really, and worn flat shoes.

Gemma grew up on a council estate in Gravesend, Kent, with her mum, Sally-Anne, who runs a cleaning business, and her younger sister Hannah.

Her parents split when she was very young but Gemma is close to her dad Barry, a welder.

She won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at 18 and has gone on to star in St. Trinians, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, Clash Of The Titans, Kingsman: The Secret Service and BBCs Tess Of The DUrbervilles.

Gemmas extraordinary success means she can now pick and choose new roles.

7

7

In one interview, she said: Im at a point in my life where if Im going to take on a project, it has to be really something great. I dont simply want to work for the sake of working.

In Black Narcissus she plays Sister Clodagh, who leads a group of nuns to their new home on a remote mountain top in Nepal, only to discover it is a former harem filled with tragedy and dark secrets.

The psychological drama, based on the 1939 novel of the same name by Rumer Godden, was filmed before the pandemic.

Production was split between Pinewood Studios in London and three weeks in the Himalayas, ending two days before Christmas last year.

She said: Im so proud of the work we did on this. We put our hearts and souls into it.

We all went to Nepal and it took us three flights and a week to get there. We were in the middle of nowhere in the Himalayan mountains and it was a really special bonding experience.

These things dont come along very often at all. There was something really magical about this and the shoot itself for me was one of the highlights of my career so far.

However, filming in a village 8,900ft above sea level doesnt come without its disadvantages.

As well as freezing temperatures, Gemma says the high altitude made them all hyperactive one night.

She said: We were well looked after, we had blankets, but its extreme. The temperatures drop dramatically at night and you are out there on your own, the altitude gets you.

"I remember we had a party one night and we were all dancing outside and none of us had had anything to drink. But we all got really hyperactive because the air is so thin, you just get really dizzy.

Despite its remote location, the cast and crew were delighted to find a familiar-sounding Yac Donalds restaurant, which serves happy meals made from the local long-haired cow called a yak.

7

Gemma said: You have Yac burger and Yac cheese and its quite well known, this place. People come from all over the world to go there. We got quite excited about it.

Black Narcissus is the latest in a string of gritty parts for Gemma.

In 2009 noir thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, she played a kidnap victim, who was handcuffed, gagged and tied to a bed for much of the film.

There was 2017s largely improvised drama The Escape, about a bored and desperate housewife, and in this years Summerland, her character Alice is a recluse whose life is dramatically changed by a child war evacuee.

As well as avoiding decorative roles, Gemma wants to help bring about a shift in Hollywood.

She set up her own production company Rebel Park in 2013, focused mainly on female talent, and has been a vocal campaigner for equal pay in the film industry.

She has said: I have my own production company which is all about giving women an opportunity in film.

Its [the industry] getting better but it definitely isnt there yet.

I struggled with that a little bit at first but Ill keep making suggestions to people.

The down-to-earth, straight-talking star says she has learned from the mistakes she made in her early career and intends to act for as long as she can.

Gemma said: I look forward to getting older and wiser. My role model is my grandfather. Even in his mid-nineties he gave the impression of being in his twenties.

He was very sharp-minded and looked like Clark Gable with his moustache and hair. He was still sexy a really hot guy. I secretly hope Ive inherited his genes.

7

She has certainly inherited her familys grafter work ethic.

Gemmas latest blockbuster, The Kings Man, is directed by Matthew Vaughn and due for release in February.

She is also voicing two animated movies and is set to star alongside Colin Firth in 1930s theatre drama, Curtain Call.

The Kings Man is the third film in the Kingsman series and also stars Ralph Fiennes and Djimon Hounsou.

Gemma is again playing a secret agent but, unlike her Bond girl, Polly is funny and a bit different.

She added: I remember telling Matthew she is Mary Poppins but more rock n roll. She runs this global network of spies. Pollys incredibly quick and smart.

7

Away from the cameras, Gemmas personal life couldnt be better.

She married Peaky Blinders and War & Peace actor Rory Keenan, 40, in a private ceremony in Co Wicklow, Ireland, last year.

The pair began dating shortly after appearing together in West End play Saint Joan, by George Bernard Shaw, in 2016.

During lockdown Irish Rory wrote and made two films, while Gemma took up painting.

The pair both love cooking and, as a huge fan of The Great British Bake Off, Gemma has even considered what she would make if she was given the chance to be a contestant.

During an interview on the Table Manners podcast, she said: I really like a Gypsy Tart which is a Kentish tart. If I went on GBBO, I would do that as its such a guilty pleasure.

Acting, film production, campaigning, baking . . . is there anything Gemma cannot do?

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

Excerpt from:
My Bond girl should have turned down sex with 007, says Gemma Arterton - The Sun