Paris Jackson sounds nothing like dad Michael on new album ‘Wilted’
You gotta hand it to Paris Jackson — the 22-year-old heiress to the King of Pop’s throne.
There is not one single Michael-esque moment on her debut album, “Wilted,” which arrives on Friday as if out of nowhere.
It’s like she never once heard “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” or “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” in her life, let alone grew up in Neverland. Nor will you hear any hints of Auntie Janet or any of that Motown stuff her uncles grew up singing on Saturday morning cartoons.
There is a dreamy wooziness, a sultry touchiness, a haunting moodiness to “Wilted” that is part Lana Del Rey, part Norah Jones, part “Folkore”-era Taylor Swift.
Her record sounds nothing like you’d expect, partly because if you don’t even know it’s coming, there’s nothing to expect.
Let’s be clear: This album is not any kind of game-changer. But it is a revelation in its own way, coming from a young woman who has spent most of her life carefully choosing what she would reveal and how.
Jackson co-wrote nine of the 11 tracks — the other two she wrote by herself — with Andy Hull, leader of the indie-rock band Manchester Orchestra, who also produced much of the album.
And with its hushed, confessional intimacy, this is about as indie-sounding as you could get from an album on Republic Records — also home to the likes of Ariana Grande, Drake and The Weeknd. But the low-key vibe works in Jackson’s favor, because you completely forget about her famous kinfolk.
Instead, you just lose yourself in the soothing, alt-folk atmosphere of tunes such as “Cosmic,” first single “Let Down” and the Damien Rice-esque “Eyelids,” which sometimes melt into each other without you even noticing one track ended.
As for Jackson’s voice, it’s airy and alluring — definitely more Janet than Michael on the power scale — but it’s used more to ooze through the mix rather than to make some kind of big pop-star statement.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/13/paris-jackson-sounds-nothing-like-dad-michael-on-new-album-wilted/
Photo Credit: Janell Shirtcliff
UPS ends ban on beards and natural Black hairstyles
(CNN) — UPS is lifting several of its longstanding strict rules on the personal appearance of its employees who interact with the public — mostly its army of delivery drivers.
The changes loosen the previous strict limits on facial hair (no beards for most employees, and mustaches limited to above the crease of the lip), how long men could wear their hair (nothing longer than collar length) and hairstyles (no Afros or braids). While styles still must be business-appropriate and not pose a safety concern, those specific limits have been eliminated.
Wednesday’s announcement also includes the lifting of gender-specific regulations, including rules like the length of the uniform’s shorts. The new rules, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were posted on an internal company web site for employees.
“These changes reflect our values and desire to have all UPS employees feel comfortable, genuine and authentic while providing service to our customers and interacting with the general public,” UPS said in a a statement, adding that the company is “determined to continue to make UPS a great place to work for all of our more than 500,000 employees around the world.”
UPS is also surely motivated by its scrambling to add the staff needed to handle the increase crush of packages associated with the surge in online shopping brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our CEO, Carol Tomé, listened to feedback from employees and heard that changes in this area would make them more likely to recommend UPS as an employer,” said UPS in its statement.
Tomé, the first woman to lead UPS, told investors on a recent conference call that the company had increased its employee training, including to combat unconscious bias and promote diversity and inclusion, “to ensure our actions match our values.”
UPS had faced criticism that its appearance rules, particularly the hair guidelines, amounted to a form of discrimination. In 2018 it agreed to pay a $4.9 million fine and enter into a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to allow greater freedom to wear beards and long hair by those who filed for a religious exemption.Shop Macy’s Lowest Prices of the SeasonSave on select furniture, rugs and mattresses now through November 15th!Ad By Macy’s See More
“The EEOC alleged … UPS failed to hire or promote individuals whose religious practices conflict with its appearance policy and failed to provide religious accommodations,” said the EEOC at the time, which also alleged that “UPS segregated employees who maintained beards or long hair in accordance with their religious beliefs into non-supervisory, back-of-the-facility positions without customer contact.”
The company then moved to allow religious and medical exemptions for facial hair.
But Wednesday’s announcement addresses a broader problem of unconscious bias that the rules reflected, according to Lucinda Duncalfe, founder and CEO of AboveBoard.com, an executive hiring firm that promotes diversity.
“These policies are hold-overs from a different era and reflect the biases that hold back progress, and performance,” said Duncalfe, who praised the change as “great news.”
“It never made sense that “natural’ hair was impermissible,” she added.
Nearly 300,000 UPS employees are represented by the Teamsters union, and the former rules applied to many of them. The union praised the change.
“We are very pleased about it,” said Teamsters’ statement. “The union contested the previous guidelines as too strict numerous times over the years through the grievance/arbitration process and contract negotiations. We have proposed neatly trimmed beards during several previous national negotiations.”
It’s been a busy year for UPS. The volume of packages UPS handled increased 13.5% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier, and the company hired 39,000 permanent new employees in the second quarter of 2020, and it intends to hire more than 100,000 additional seasonal employees for the peak holiday season.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/ups-ends-ban-on-beards-and-natural-black-hairstyles/article_db7de8b5-77de-5437-bf95-c98212cc9bb8.html
Photo Credit: Photo by Noam Galai
North Carolina mom charged after toddler found with missing fingernails
A North Carolina mom is facing criminal charges after hospital staffers found her 20-month-old child with multiple missing toenails and fingernails, authorities said.
Nikki Manning, 30, of Greenville, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of felony child abuse inflicting serious physical injury after the toddler was taken in early October to a hospital where the disturbing injuries were noticed, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Staffers at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville notified child welfare workers about the child’s missing fingernails and toenails – and noted that the toddler tested positive for narcotics, sheriff official said.
The child, whose gender was not specified by authorities, tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, according to an arrest warrant obtained by WCTI.
Manning, who was booked into the Pitt County Detention Center, was released after posting $75,000 bond, sheriff officials said.
It’s unclear if Manning has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf. Attempts to reach her early Thursday were not immediately successful.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/mom-charged-after-toddler-found-with-missing-fingernails-toenails/
Photo Credit: Pitt County Sheriff
Stepdad killed 2-year-old who interrupted him watching porn
A vile UK man beat his 2-year-old stepson to death after he interrupted him watching porn — then called his dealer as the toddler lay dying, a UK judge said as he handed him a life sentence.
Keigan O’Brien had already been repeatedly brutalized in his short life, with previous injuries including a broken spine, broken ribs and a broken arm, Sheffield Crown Court heard, according to the Doncaster Free Press.
Stepdad Martin Currie, 36, then killed him in January when he flew into “a fit of temper” after the tot disturbed him as he “lay in bed looking at porn,” Judge Jennifer Eady told his sentencing Wednesday, the paper said.
The youngster died from a brain bleed, possibly from his head being slammed against a hard surface — with blood splatters found on a wall near his highchair, Yorkshire Live reported.
Keigan’s mom, Sarah O’Brien, was dropping off her other kids at school at the time of the attack — but even when she returned home, neither she nor Currie raised the alarm for at least two hours, the reports said.
During that time, the youngster’s heroin-addict stepdad instead searched online gambling sites — and called his drug dealer, according to phone records used in evidence.
Keigan’s death came just four days after his second birthday, prosecutor Jill Brookes told the court.
“He was killed in his own home — the place where he should have been safest from harm,” she told the court. “The desperately sad and shocking outcome of this case is that Keigan’s life ended before it had barely begun.”
Currie was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder, with Eady ordering him to serve a minimum of 22 years, the Free Press said.
O’Brien was cleared of killing her son but sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of child cruelty and causing or allowing the death.
The court heard that she ignored previous beatings, and that she and Currie referred to the tragic youngster as “w—stain” and “s—head” in messages.
Keigan’s extended family previously said they would “miss him every day for the rest of our lives,” YorkshireLive said.
“We will never forget Keigan. Fly high with the angels little man.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/stepdad-killed-2-year-old-who-interrupted-him-watching-porn/
Photo Credit: South Yorkshire Police (2)
Nevada Mom Accused of Killing 2 Young Daughters, Telling Their Dad Organs Were Worth a Lot of Money
A Las Vegas woman is accused of two counts of murder after police say she drowned her two young children — and told the father that the babies’ organs would be “worth a lot of money.”
Amanda Sharp-Jefferson was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of Open Murder. She is being held without bond and will be appointed a public defender. She has not yet entered a plea.
According to an arrest report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Fox 5, the children’s father, Jaykwon Singleton, called 911 on Friday afternoon after discovering the children’s bodies.
Singleton said he arrived home and wanted to check on his children, but Sharp-Jefferson “shushed” him, saying the children were asleep. He told police he eventually checked on the children and realized they were cold and not breathing.
“[Sharp-Jefferson] kept shushing him and at one point, made a statement that their organs were worth a lot of money,” the arrest report alleges.
On the 911 call, a distraught Singleton can be heard asking Sharp-Jefferson, “What did you do?”
After a brief silence, he tells the 911 dispatcher, “she drowned them.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they allegedly found the children stacked on top of each other on a baby swing in the couple’s living room.
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Police also allege that she later claimed she had no children and she lived in the apartment alone. Then her story changed again, and she allegedly said she discovered the dead children in her living room, but took a shower instead of calling 911. “I like showers,” she allegedly said, according to the police report.
Singleton told police he had been in a relationship with Sharp-Jefferson since 2018. He said that the relationship fell apart a few weeks ago, when Sharp-Jefferson accused him of cheating on her “with his spirit wife.” Singleton went to visit his grandmother the night before the children were found dead, but says nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
In an interview with Fox 5, Singleton says Sharp-Jefferson seemed to be losing her grip on reality.
“She was going through a spiritual and soul type of thing,” he told the station, “where she thought she wasn’t in this reality, she was in the spiritual and soul reality.”
Despite it all, Singleton says he forgives her.
“I forgive her,” he told the station. “I love her. If I walk around with hate/anger, I’m not going to be able to get through this situation. I have to act like they’re still here because the only way I can carry on their legacy is to stay positive.”
Sharp-Jefferson is due in court on Thursday afternoon to determine whether she can be released on bond.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/nevada-mom-accused-killing-2-153826618.html
Photo Credit: newsbreak
Usher Shares the First Photo of Newborn Daughter Sovereign and How Astrology Played Into Her Early Birth
It was just two months ago that the Grammy winner shared the exciting news he was a father again. Back in September, he and his girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Sovereign Bo Raymond.
And while the couple kept the baby news tight-lipped throughout Jenn’s pregnancy, it looks like Usher is ready to open up about his first few months with his little one.
During a virtual appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the singer shared the first image of his newborn daughter while also discussing her early birth in a candid interview.
“She looks like a little porcelain doll. She doesn’t even look real,” Ellen DeGeneres said, marveling at Sovereign’s baby photo. However, Usher cheekily reminded the talk show host that his little one is cute “until you have to change her diaper.”
The “Bad Habits” singer also quipped that his daughter is already calling the shots. But he mentioned he’s not too surprised by this since he and Sovereign share the same zodiac sign.
As he put it, “She came out early. She was scheduled to be a Scorpio but decided she had a different plan. Libras, you know, they kinda have their minds made up on what they wanna do.”
“It’s funny because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her wrists,” he added. “So she’s pulling the thing, like, ‘Pull me outta here, it’s time to go!'”
Sovereign’s early arrival isn’t just leaving a sweet impression on her famous father. Usher revealed that his sons, Usher Raymond V, 12, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 11, “are excited about being big brothers.”
“As they get older, I’m less cool of a dad,” Usher explained of how his sons see him these days. “So now I’m starting this whole cycle over again and I’m kind of the apple of her eye right now.”
The superstar shares his two kids with his ex-wife Tameka Foster.
Usher’s mom is also over-the-moon over his baby girl. He admitted that she’s already redecorating her place to make room for Sovereign.
“My mom, with all of the kids, she gives them their own room,” he told Ellen about his children and niece. “I’m like, ‘Mom, you’re kind of out of space, what are you gonna do?’ She’s like, ‘Oh no no no no, she’s gonna have her room. She’s just gonna take your room.'”
“She’s kicking me out,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sleeping on the couch and Sovereign, she now has my old bedroom. But it’s cool.”
In late September, Usher shared the heartwarming news that his bundle of joy arrived early.
“We are feeling blessed and full of love with the arrival of our beautiful baby girl, Sovereign Bo Raymond,” he captioned his Instagram post. “‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Stevie Wonder on repeat.”
A few weeks before his daughter’s arrival, the father of three raved about the baby news during an interview with James Corden. “It’s been a tough time for everybody, so I’m really excited to have this incredible news,” he told the host. “This new arrival. I’m really anticipating it.”
Now, the singer’s little Libra is here and making everyone swoon.
Article via EOnline
After Johnny Depp Was Fired From Fantastic Beasts, Fans Petition For Amber Heard’s Removal From Aquaman 2
Article via CinemaBlend
Becoming a celebrity is a tricky thing. Because fame can result in notoriety and a major payday, things like personal relationships also become public events. Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard know this all too well, as their divorce proceedings and legal battle have been making headlines as the two actors throw abuse allegations at each other. Depp was recently fired from his gig as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and now there’s a petition gaining momentum or Heard to also be removed from DC’s Aquaman.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been battling in court for months, most recently with Depp suing The Sun after the publication referred to him as a “wife beater.” The judge ultimately sided with The Sun, resulting in Warner Bros. asking the actor to step away from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movies. And now nearly 1 million moviegoers have signed a petition for Heard to be fired from her role in the Aquaman franchise.
The petition in question is on Change.Org, titled “Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.” At the time of writing, the online campaign has been signed by a whopping 903K people and counting. The organizers maintain that Heard should have a similar fate to Depp in regards to his firing from Fantastic Beasts. Warner Bros. is in control of both the Wizarding World and DC Extended Universe, so it’s ultimately the same studio heads that can make this decision.
The online calls for Amber Heard’s firing are largely based on the various allegations that have been thrown her way over the years. While she’s testified in court about Johnny Depp’s reportedly abusive behavior, her ex-husband presented his own slew of wild stories during his libel suit with The Sun. And it’s for that reason that the nearly 1 million participants in the petition have been making their voices known.
Given the timing of Johnny Depp’s departure from Fantastic Beasts 3, it’s clear that Warner Bros.’ decision to part ways with the actor was influenced by the results of his loss in court. The legal system in the U.K. ruled on the side of The Sun, which was seemingly a victory for Amber Heard. Of course, the two actors’ will have their own legal battle to continue in the states.
There’s currently no indication that Warner Bros. plans on releasing Amber Heard from her contract playing Mera in the Aquaman franchise. In fact, it was announced that the 34 year-old actress was actually participating in reshoots for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. But if Johnny Depp’s case against Heard is won, it should be interesting to see if the studio pulls a similar move regarding Heard’s role in the DCEU.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently set to arrive in theaters on July 15th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
UPS ends ban on beards and natural Black hairstyles
The shipping company is lifting several of its longstanding strict rules on the personal appearance of its employees who interact with the public — mostly its army of delivery drivers.
The changes loosen the previous strict limits on facial hair (no beards for most employees, and mustaches limited to above the crease of the lip), how long men could wear their hair (nothing longer than collar length) and hairstyles (no Afros or braids). While styles still must be business-appropriate and not pose a safety concern, those specific limits have been eliminated.Wednesday’s announcement also includes the lifting of gender-specific regulations, including rules like the length of the uniform’s shorts. The new rules, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were posted on an internal company web site for employees.
“These changes reflect our values and desire to have all UPS employees feel comfortable, genuine and authentic while providing service to our customers and interacting with the general public,” UPS said in a a statement, adding that the company is “determined to continue to make UPS a great place to work for all of our more than 500,000 employees around the world.”
UPS is also surely motivated by its scrambling to add the staff needed to handle the increase crush of packages associated with the surge in online shopping brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.”Our CEO, Carol Tomé, listened to feedback from employees and heard that changes in this area would make them more likely to recommend UPS as an employer,” said UPS in its statement.Tomé, the first woman to lead UPS, told investors on a recent conference call that the company had increased its employee training, including to combat unconscious bias and promote diversity and inclusion, “to ensure our actions match our values.”
UPS had faced criticism that its appearance rules, particularly the hair guidelines, amounted to a form of discrimination. In 2018 it agreed to pay a $4.9 million fine and enter into a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to allow greater freedom to wear beards and long hair by those who filed for a religious exemption.
“The EEOC alleged … UPS failed to hire or promote individuals whose religious practices conflict with its appearance policy and failed to provide religious accommodations,” said the EEOC at the time, which also alleged that “UPS segregated employees who maintained beards or long hair in accordance with their religious beliefs into non-supervisory, back-of-the-facility positions without customer contact.”The company then moved to allow religious and medical exemptions for facial hair. But Wednesday’s announcement addresses a broader problem of unconscious bias that the rules reflected, according to Lucinda Duncalfe, founder and CEO of AboveBoard.com, an executive hiring firm that promotes diversity.
“These policies are hold-overs from a different era and reflect the biases that hold back progress, and performance,” said Duncalfe, who praised the change as “great news.” “It never made sense that “natural’ hair was impermissible,” she added.Nearly 300,000 UPS employees are represented by the Teamsters union, and the former rules applied to many of them. The union praised the change.”We are very pleased about it,” said Teamsters’ statement. “The union contested the previous guidelines as too strict numerous times over the years through the grievance/arbitration process and contract negotiations. We have proposed neatly trimmed beards during several previous national negotiations.”It’s been a busy year for UPS. The volume of packages UPS handled increased 13.5% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier, and the company hired 39,000 permanent new employees in the second quarter of 2020, and it intends to hire more than 100,000 additional seasonal employees for the peak holiday season.
Chipotle To Open Its First Digital-Only Restaurant
via Chipotle.com
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced its first-ever Chipotle digital-only restaurant called the Chipotle Digital Kitchen. Located just outside of the gates to the military academy in Highland Falls, NY, the restaurant will open this Saturday for pick-up and delivery only. The new prototype will allow Chipotle to enter more urban areas that wouldn’t support a full-size restaurant and allows for flexibility with future locations.
The Digital Kitchen concept is focused on accelerating the digital business in non-traditional locations. It is unique because it does not include a dining room or front service line and guests must order in advance via Chipotle.com, the Chipotle app or third-party delivery partners. Orders can be picked up from a lobby that is designed to include all of the sounds, smells and kitchen views of a traditional Chipotle restaurant. The Digital Kitchen will also service large catering orders available for pick up in a separate lobby with its own dedicated entry.
“The Digital Kitchen incorporates innovative features that will complement our rapidly growing digital business, while delivering a convenient and frictionless experience for our guests,” said Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer of Chipotle. “With digital sales tripling year over year last quarter, consumers are demanding more digital access than ever before so we’re constantly exploring new ways to enhance the experience for our guests.”
Cultivate Center
Chipotle’s new design concepts and menu innovation are envisioned at the Company’s Cultivate Center in Irvine, California. Located minutes from Chipotle’s corporate headquarters, the new 22,000 square foot facility features the same natural aesthetic with ecofriendly materials and designs found in Chipotle restaurants. To pay homage to its heritage, the original sign from the first Chipotle restaurant opened in 1993 in Denver, Colorado dons the entryway.
The Cultivate Center is home to Chipotle’s official test kitchen, where its culinary team utilizes real, responsibly sourced ingredients to test recipes and concoct future menu items. The space also includes a production studio for filming commercials and developing creative concepts as well as a room for restaurant training and development. The Cultivate Center is home to the Center of Excellence for Design and Construction and houses a fully equipped development lab, metal cutting and woodworking machinery to build and test new prototypes before rolling it out in a restaurant environment. Additionally, the space includes a consumer research center to allow for focus groups and gathering critical insights. The conference rooms and event spaces will be utilized for Board meetings, group gatherings and special events in the years to come.
“The Cultivate Center is a best-in-class space that will allow us to push the boundaries of innovation while delivering on our mission of cultivating a better world,” said Tabassum Zalotrawala, Chief Development Officer of Chipotle.
The rudest state in the United States
Article via bgr
We’ve seen a lot of state rankings lately, and that’s mostly thanks to the site BestLife cranking them out left and right. I’m not complaining, because I usually use them as a test to see how sharp I am on my own perceptions of the states here in the US. The latest one, however, is a real gimme, and I bet you can guess the number one state without much effort.
This latest ranking is a list of states based on their “Rudeness Score,” which BestLife came up with by combining previous rankings for rudest cities, the percentage of people who live in the cities deemed rude, the number of rude drivers based on reports by Insurify, and data from a survey of 2.5 million social media users that asked which state is the most “unfriendly.” They topped off that pile of data with an analysis of how often people from each state cursed during live chats with LivePerson, which is a live chat support company.
That’s a whole lot of data, and while you could call into question the legitimacy of any one data set, the overall picture from the various sources should produce a pretty reliable ranking. So, without further ado, let’s dive in. As usual, let’s start with the least rude states. This is the list as though it were flipped, with the 50th rudest state being the #1 least-rude state:
- Minnesota
- South Carolina
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Tennesee
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- Vermont
- Texas
- Kentucky
Okay, so this seems to make sense for the most part. As a Wisconsin resident, I’m constantly berated by tales of how nice people are in Minnesota, and I assume that’s probably true for the most part. I know that Hawaii tends to be a pleasant place to go, so I’m sure it’s earned its spot on the list, but the only time I was ever in Colorado a very pushy guy tried to get me to sign up for a credit card as soon as I got off the plane, so I’m not sure about that one.
Now, let’s see the flip side of the list. These are the rudest states in the country:
- New York
- Virginia
- Washington
- Iowa
- Alaska
- Utah
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- California
- Idaho
Everyone act surprised that New York showed up in the top spot! Just kidding, we all knew it would. Whether NYC’s reputation for having high-strung, rude people on every square foot of sidewalk is earned or not, it appears to have driven the entire state to the top of the list. California also isn’t a shock, as there’s a lot of very important people in very big hurries in that state. Some of the others are a bit more puzzling, like Alaska, which I wouldn’t assume has a lot of rude people in it, and Idaho, which I assumed had a lot of very friendly farmers.
Whatever the case, these are the extremes of the list, and if you don’t see your state that means it falls somewhere in the middle. Check out the full list for the rankings of all 50 states.