The US withdrawal from the World Health Organization formally takes one year, but the country has already stopped sharing influenza surveillance with the international body, which could impact the efficacy of the next flu vaccine Source link
Music is often described as the most abstract of all the arts, and arguably the least visual as well. But these qualities, which seem so basic to the nature of the form, have been challenged for at least three centuries, not least by composers themselves. Take Antonio Vivaldi, whose Le quattro stagioni, or The Four Seasons, of 1718–1720 evoke not just broad impressions of the eponymous parts of the year, but a variety of natural and human elements characteristic to them. In the course of less than an hour, its listeners — whether of the early eighteenth century or the early twenty-first — “see” spring, summer, autumn, and winter unfold vividly before their mind’s eye. Now, composer Stephen Malinowski has visualized The Four Seasons in an entirely different way. As previously featured here on Open Culture, he uses his Music Animation Machine to create what we might call graphical scores, which abstractly represent the instrumental parts that make up widely loved classical compositions in time with the music itself. On this page, you can watch …
Bob Ross the man died nearly thirty years ago, but Bob Ross the archetypal TV painter has never been more widely known. “With his distinctive hair, gentle voice, and signature expressions such as ‘happy little trees,’ he’s an enduring icon,” writes Michael J. Mooney in an Atlantic piece from 2020. “His likeness appears on a wide assortment of objects: paints and brushes, toasters, socks, calendars, dolls, ornaments, and even a Chia Pet.” Here in Korea, where I live, he’s universally called Bob Ajeossi, ajeossi being a kind of colloquial title for middle-aged men. It’s quite an afterlife for a soft-spoken public-television host from the eighties. Ross quickly became a pop-cultural figure in that era, starring in semi-ironic MTV spots by the early nineties. But over the decades, writes Mooney, “the appreciation of Bob Ross has morphed into something nearly universally earnest.” It helps that he has “the ultimate calming presence,” which has drawn special appreciation here in the twenty-first century: “More than a decade before most therapists were telling clients to be mindful and …
Cheers to Robbie Williams. The English singer-songwriter who made the leap from boy band to tabloid target to record-breaking solo artist has delivered once again. Better Man is a biopic that folds in hits from across his career — including “Angels,” “She’s the One,” and “Rock DJ” — to bolster the artist’s highs and lows. But Williams — in collaboration with writer/director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) — has done something daring in the space of the music biopic, which has too often proved achingly clichéd, pandering, or downright dull. He’s turned himself into a literal dancing monkey. Better Man unfurls a tale of Williams’ hardscrabble youth in Stoke-on-Trent, his bad-boy years in the British group Take That, his substance abuse issues, rocky romance with a fellow pop star, celebrity feuds, and family dramas, all while portraying the singer as a CGI chimpanzee in the vein of the Planet of the Apes reboots. At first, it might seem a cheeky gimmick (or cheeky monkey) meant to hook audiences with the sheer oddness of the choice. But Gracey nurtures …
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails The announcement that 911: Lone Star has been canceled has left fans devastated. The Fox drama, a spin-off of 911, focuses on first responders in Austin, Texas. It stars Rob Lowe and Gina Torres and has run since January 2020. Deadline reported earlier today (September 5) that the upcoming fifth season of the show will be its last. The news was met with sadness on social media. One fan account, @Save911LoneStar, had been lobbying for the show’s survival. They wrote: “I know this is not the news we wanted, and I wish more than ANYTHING that it wasn’t true, but now is a time to mourn our show, the show that gave us so much, means so much to us and the characters that allowed us to recognise ourselves and become part of our lives.” Another fan added: “I can’t …
After 12 seasons, Eamonn Walker is leaving Firehouse 51. Original cast member Walker has portrayed Wallace Boden, the beloved fire chief, since Chicago Fire‘s premiere in 2012. Boden began as Battalion Chief of Battalion 25 before being promoted to Deputy District Chief in season 10 and is currently competing for the role of Deputy Fire Commissioner. Although the British actor will be stepping away as a series regular on the hit NBC series, he may still appear in future episodes. A source told Deadline that Boden “is still very much alive and well” and “is expected to return to the show in a recurring capacity in the future.” Walker made the decision to depart the firefighting drama on his own, according to the site. He isn’t the only one to exit the series. Over the years, there have been multiple cast changes on the show. Most recently, Blake Gallo, portrayed by Alberto Rosende, departed Chicago Fire. Additionally, Sylvie Brett, played by Kara Killmer, and her love interest Matt Casey, played by Jesse Spencer, both left …
Chicago Fire is losing its leader after it was confirmed that Eamonn Walker is stepping back from his role as boss Wallace Boden. Deadline reported the news that Eamonn will no longer be a series regular on the NBC series after 12 seasons with the One Chicago franchise. The outlet says his character won’t be killed off and will return in some capacity down the line. You may also likeWATCH: Season 12 trailer teases plenty of excitement for Firehouse 51 Fans of the show will know that Wallace’s character has been on a leave of absence to deal with family matters, but they won’t know more about his circumstances until the May 22 finale, “Never Say Goodbye”. The season closer has been teased as: “Boden makes a decision that impacts the race for Deputy Commissioner. A tense call brings up painful memories for Carver [Jake Lockett] and Damon [Michael Bradway]. Mouch [Christian Stolte] struggles to adjust to the new Truck.” © NBCEamonn Walker is stepping back from Chicago Fire Eamonn has enjoyed a successful career in …
It’s spring! Time for baby lambs, plants and trees blooming around us and, uh, the weirdest dreams happening almost every night?! I thought it was just me but according to Martin Seeley, sleep expert and CEO of MattressNextDay, this is actually very common. Seeley said: “A study found that we experience the most disruption to our sleep in the spring season. This is because our wake times are earlier – due to the longer daylight hours – and, therefore, our sleep duration decreases. “It’s also been recorded that our time asleep is shorter when there are longer days.” This same study also found that during spring, our time asleep is reduced by 25 minutes, even if we go to bed two minutes earlier than in winter. Seeley explained: “This could be attributed to melatonin production, which is a hormone that helps you sleep. “Melatonin is regulated by light and darkness; when there is more light (such as in spring and summer), you don’t produce as much melatonin. With less light, you produce more.” The most …
Coquettish ballet pumps and mesh Mary Jane flats have been doing the street style rounds, but for devoted casual dressers, the retro-inspired trainer silhouette still refuses to quit. One of our favourite celebrity style muses Emily Blunt loves a sneaker moment, and her latest laidback Los Angeles street style moment is a case in point. © GettyThe star wore a casual monochrome look for Jimmy Kimmel Live! After all the glitz and glamour of awards season, the Hollywood star is back on the promo circuit. The 41-year-old has temporarily retired her gowns and glam squads in favour of chat show-appropriate ensembles with a decidedly more casual feel. Emily made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, during which she plugged her latest film, The Fall Guy. The actress stars in the action-comedy alongside none other than Ryan Gosling – the Barbenheimer crossover we didn’t know we needed, right? MORE: Watch the iconic The Devil Wears Prada reunion at the 2024 SAG Awards READ: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s war of the words onstage at Oscars 2024 is everything …
Last Week Tonight fans hankering for their John Oliver fix this week won’t have a new episode to satiate them, but the show is making up for that by offering the first season for free on YouTube. The show’s official X (formerly Twitter) account posted the news on Friday. “There’s no new episode this week!” the X post read. “But we still have current events. From 10 years ago. This Sunday we’ll be dropping all of season 1 for free on YouTube!” The post added that subsequent seasons will drop on YouTube the next time there isn’t a new episode of Last Week Tonight. “Seasons 2-8 to come, whenever we don’t have a new episode. Trust us, some of this is still completely relevant. Some,” continued the post, which was accompanied by a video of highlights from the show’s first season, which focused on topics including Gaza, immigration, the Supreme Court, climate change and the death penalty. Of course, he’s revisited those topics numerous times on the show, which is now in its 11th season. …
