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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, created artwork for an essay book compiled by an anti-Israel activist who has described Jewish people as “vampires,” “demons” and “ghouls” – and celebrated the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. Duwaji, a Syrian American artist and first lady of New York City, drew the lead graphic for “A Trail of Soap,” an essay published by Susan Abulhawa in the Slow Factory’s latest issue of “Everything Is Political” magazine, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Thursday. Abulhawa is a staunch critic of Israel and has been criticized by the Anti-Defamation...

The 2026 Oscars have been placed on high alert following the FBI’s warning about a potential “surprise attack” from Iran. This year’s Oscars ceremony is due to take place on Sunday evening in Los Angeles, and is expected to be attended by an array of Hollywood A-listers including Timothée Chalamet, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman. According to an alert reported by ABC News, the FBI notified law enforcement across California in recent days that Iran could potentially retaliate for American military actions by launching drones toward the West Coast. “We want everybody to feel safe and...

Timothée Chalamet is under fire this week and losing traction in the best actor Oscar race for saying just about the most obvious thing in the world: Nobody cares about ballet or opera in 2026. Here is the exact quote from the "Dune" and "Marty Supreme" star during a recent CNN town hall: "I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.' All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there." The backlash was swift and severe. According...

From the beaches of Galápagos to the forests of Cameroon. In the Congo Basin, two groups of wild western lowland gorillas encounter photographer Hugo Hebbe. One group is familiar with humans, reacting with indifference to the attention. The other remains cautious, scamping off when humans approach. The images captured during the encounter (seen below) document “an evolving story of fear, patience and trust,” the photographer explains. The images, part of a series called “Guardians of the Jungle,” were honored at the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards, Professional division.

Phil was the youngest brother of Australian motorsport legend Peter Brock and affectionately known as ‘Split Pin’ due to his lofty stature. The Brock brothers won the 1976 Sandown 400 in a Holden Torana, beating Allan Moffat’s Ford Falcon by two laps. Brock raced with his brother in the Bathurst 1000 on two occasions in 1976 and 1977, finishing third and then fourth. ‘Split Pin’ was perhaps best known for missing out on winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1983 in controversial circumstances. That year, the leading #05 Holden Commodore of Peter Brock and Larry Perkins blew its engine just eight...

I have an outline for an original musical called "Judas Iscariot the Musical." Possible subtitle "Can We Escape Hell?" If you have any ideas on it, let me know.1. Jesus dies a horrible death on the Cross, goes to Hell (Apostle’s Creed), and can't remember who he is. He says, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Something that is also a reference to a passage in the Psalms. 2. He meets Judas in Hell, who helps him remember that he is not just a man but the Messiah, the Savior. 3. Judas is actually a good guy...

In Nevil Shute's 1957 novel On the Beach there's a scene set in the "Pastoral Club" in Melbourne – a fictional combination of the real-life Australian Club and Melbourne Club, relics of the country's "more British than Britain" men's social clubs. John Osborne, a scientist, is visiting with Peter Holmes, a lieutenant in the Australian navy, and they encounter John's great-uncle, Sir Douglas Froude, a commander of the country's army during the last war. The old man tells the two younger men that "three years ago my doctor told me that if I didn't stop drinking the club port he...

I am thinking about doing a podcast on different topics. Here is an example called "Tips on Guitar Playing" that I would address. Are there any points missed that you can add? Tips On Guitar Playing 1. When you buy a guitar, get one that feels comfortable over one that looks great. 2. When choosing a guitar in a music store, let the guitar choose you. Guitars are like women, and if they like you, they will do everything to help you play the music. If they don’t like you, you will have a hard time trying to play them....

CLEVELAND — Here we go! As the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland gears up to welcome the class of 2026 later this year, we're getting a first look at who could soon join rock 'n' roll royalty as the list of performers nominated for induction were just announced. And the nominees are... 2026 ROCK HALL INDUCTION NOMINEESThis year's list features 17 nominees -- including 10 who have landed on the ballot for the first time! Check the list to see if your favorites made the cut... The Black Crowes Jeff Buckley (first-time nominee) Mariah Carey Phil Collins...

Here's probably the best piece he wrote:Waltz For DebbyAnd here's probably his best performance:The Bill Evans Trio playing “My Foolish Heart”

McNaughton with another timely Trump sketch!

The band also included a pro-Palestinian song in the group of six new songs, titled “The Tears of Things,” ripping Israel for putting violent Hamas terrorists “into a cage” and hinting that the band thinks Palestinian “rage” is justified. “If you put a man into a cage and rattle it long enough,” Bono sings, “A man becomes the kind of rage that cannot be locked up.” Irish rockers U2 have released a short album on Ash Wednesday titled Days of Ash, with a track celebrating radical anti-ICE activist Renee Good and ripping Trump supporters as “the people of the lie.”...

I once predicted that the improvements in the realness of video games would never stop. That video games will look and act so real that we wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a game and real life. We will ask is that a real footbal game we're watching or is that a sports game being played? AI has delivered on that prediction to an astonishing way. Here is an example of how far AI has come. https://youtu.be/jciMPgEI9dY Now my question is will Hollywood ever produce new films from dead actors? Will there be new Humphry Bogart movies? Will...

Aside from Damon, who leads the proceedings as King Odysseus, The Odyssey boasts a star-studded supporting cast. The additional lineup features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, and Travis Scott, among others. Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated fantasy epic, The Odyssey, may be months away from its theatrical release date, but the movie’s first review has already come out. In a recent discussion, Jonathan Nolan, the brother and frequent collaborator of The Dark Knight director, provided his assessment of the upcoming Matt Damon-led drama, stating that...

Director Steven Spielberg, whom I introduced last week [in 2012] at Gettysburg at ceremonies marking the 149th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s greatest speech, said he was deeply humbled to be delivering an address on that history-making spot. *** … Daniel Day-Lewis gives the definitive portrayal of our time, perhaps ever, of Honest Abe. For people like me, who have spent their lives studying Abraham Lincoln, the film is chilling — as if he’s really come to life. Day-Lewis does it by avoiding the traps most Lincoln actors fall into, the stoic, “Hall of Presidents”-esque stereotype that probably most Americans imagine....

From a tender moment between a crane and her chick to a heartbreaking image of a polar bear cub’s final moments, the finalists for the Nuveen People’s Choice Award of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest stun. Photographers from 113 countries and territories submitted more than 60,000 images for consideration. A judging panel of photography, wildlife, conservation and science experts whittled the finalists list down to 24 photographs that are now competing for votes from the public. “No matter where you are in the world, it’s time to join the jury and vote in the Nuveen People’s Choice Award...

He provided warm bass vocals on such hits as “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” and “Wedding Bell Blues” and was a photographer and author as well.LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of The 5th Dimension and a longtime celebrity and sports photographer whose images graced magazines including Jet, Ebony and Harper’s Bazaar, has died. He was 90.McLemore died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas, a publicist announced. He suffered a stroke several years ago.With The 5th Dimension alongside Florence LaRue, Ron Townson and married couple Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, McLemore helped bring...

What do you all think?

Tourists are flocking to view the partially frozen Niagara Falls, despite frigid temperatures, with visitors praising the winter spectacle as a striking sight.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington will close for roughly two years to allow for extensive renovations, President Donald Trump said Sunday. Trump said on social media he determined that the closure, slated for July 4, “will produce a much faster and higher quality result” as he seeks to rebuild the complex. Trump said the move is pending approval by the center’s board, whose members were picked by the president. “This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both...