Posts made in July 2018

ComplexCon Returns

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT…HAPPENS HERE

COMPLEXCON RETURNS FOR ITS 3RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL & EXHIBITION

NOVEMBER 3-4, IN LONG BEACH, CA

Pre-Sale Tickets Are Available Friday, July 20 For Groundbreaking Festival that Mixes Music, Art, Fashion, Innovation and Food into Powerful Enriching Experiences

ComplexCon, the world’s largest gathering of visionary pop culture enthusiasts, returns for its third annual event on November 3-4, 2018, in Long Beach, California for a weekend of exclusive sneaker drops, musical performances, bleeding edge streetwear, and fashion, and the return of ComplexCon(versations) bringing together icons, influencers and celebrity speakers.Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami return as host committee chairs again this year. Additional host committee members, panel discussions, performance line-ups, programming and activations will be announced in the coming weeks. A limited supply of pre-sale tickets for the festival are on sale Friday, July 20 at 3 pm Eastern/12pm Pacific at ComplexCon.com.

The two-day festival is the epicenter for tens of thousands of the most active, influential and engaged individuals in the world. ComplexCon mixes concert performances, retail pop-up shops, in-depth panels and conversations, art, food, brand activations, interactive technology and much more into a one-of-a-kind experience that brings together creators and audiences to celebrate culture, spark creativity, and forge new collaborations.

This year, ComplexCon is focusing on the enlightenment and empowerment of the individual, reflecting the issues and conversations that permeate and influence culture today from entertainment to art to politics. ComplexCon unveiled a new logo, which incorporates Murakami’s modern interpretation of the ensō, an ancient zen symbol that represents the cycle of all creativity and life, from chaos to growth to enlightenment.

“There is a cycle to everything – art, culture, design, life – it’s always moving from present to future. ComplexCon has this cycle, where so many ideas are swirling, the atmosphere is charged with potential and from that energy, amazing ideas, new interpretations, and collaborations are formed and the cycle continues,” said Takashi Murakami. “There is chaos in the world right now but also an incredible movement of young people rising up to create something better and from that energy new ideas and movements are forming ripples through everything in culture. It was important to embrace this at ComplexCon this year.”

Fans told us and we listened! This year, ComplexCon is catering to fans with bigger, bolder, better experiences and activations. This third annual festival and exhibition will feature even more panels and speakers as part of the popular ComplexCon(versations) track in which today’s most significant cultural figures tackle the most important topics of our times. Also new for this year, the Pigeons & Planes Stage is moving into the larger arena space so fans can be fully immersed in the musical experience. The ComplexCon footprint is also expanding this year as we take over the Rainbow Lagoon next to the Long Beach Convention Center for an elevated food court hosted by First We Feast.

A limited number of pre-sale tickets for ComplexCon are available on Friday, July 20th at 12pm PST, or while supplies last, for our most passionate attendees to secure their spot early. The tickets give attendees access to brands and organizations on the show floor, panels and discussions, daytime performances, merchandise and shops, food trucks, and more. A very limited number of VIP packages are available again this year, giving fans early access to ComplexCon to shop first, a special concert viewing area, VIP lines for entry into the festival, select booths, food trucks and exhibits and more.

Pre-Sale Packages include*:

Saturday 1-Day Ticket $55
Sunday 1-Day Ticket $55
2-Day Tickets $90
VIP Package $300

(*ticket prices do not include fees.)

Launched in 2016 by Complex Networks and ReedPOP, the two-day event has become a must-attend for fans, brands and cultural icons. Last year over 50,000 fans, 200 leading cultural figures converged for the two-day festival including performances from N*E*R*D*, Gucci Mane, M.I.A., Young Thug, DJ Khaled, SuperDuperKyle, A$AP Ferg, Jaden Smith, Virgil Abloh, iamOTHER: #BeGreat Party ft. Kap G X Bia X WatchtheDuck, Ski Mask The Slump God; exclusive retails experience fromPuma, Colette, Billionaire Boys Club, Human Made, Union Los Angeles, Modernica, Off-White, Nike, Undefeated, Concepts, RSVP Gallery, New Balance, Pintrill, Adidas andClot; and cultural icons Andre 3000, Cam’ron, Chelsea Handler, Lavar Ball, Don C, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Jerry Lorenzo, Rick Ross, Roy Choi, Wale and more leaders.

New Medicare Cards

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Next week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be automatically mailing new Medicare cards to more than 3.5 million people with Medicare in New York State.

People with Medicare in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont will also be receiving their new card. People with Medicare in these states and New York, should receive their new card by the end of August and can begin using it right away.

Key features of the new card and rollout process:

Social Security Numbers have been replaced with new unique identifying numbers.
Social Security numbers are no longer on the new Medicare, helping protect people with Medicare from identity theft and CMS fight fraud.
The new Medicare card is free. Avoid scammers by knowing that CMS will not call people with Medicare asking for any personal information, your Social Security Number, bank information, or to pay for the new Medicare card.
People with Medicare can sign up for email notifications on when the new cards will be mailed to their area by going towww.medicare.gov/newcard.
There are no changes to Medicare benefits. Once you receive your New Medicare card, you should destroy your old Medicare card by shredding or cutting it up with scissors.

You can also access new Medicare card fact sheets, graphics, b-roll, images and other resources here.

MagnaReady × Stylish Options × Disabilities

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There are over 50 million adults in the United States with a disability or health condition that limits their mobility in some way.

As we age tasks that used to be simple that we could complete without thinking twice about it become more challenging. Just turn on late night or early morning television and you will see dozens of informercials for gadgets that make it easier to hear, read, open jars, you get the idea. Until recently though, no one had come up with a practical way to make it easier for arthritic hands, someone who is missing an arm or fingers, or someone with another type of limitation to their mobility to grip and maneuver buttons into buttonholes.

There are those loop gadgets you can use to snag the button and pull it through a buttonhole, but those are not necessarily a time-saver and can still be very hard for some people to use. Unfortunately, it took a diagnosis or Parkinson’s disease to create an alternative option. Maura Horton created her patented magnetic closures for clothing after her husband, who was a college football coach, started to struggle with the buttons on his dress shirts. Because his job required him to travel with the team, Maura could not always be there to help Don. Instead of buttons, she thought why not magnets that would essentially be able to button his shirt for him?

It took some time to research and find the right type of magnets and perfect the design, but eventually Maura was able to create a dress shirt that looked no different to the unknowing eye, but that could restore independence to someone with upper body mobility challenges. Now, the patented MagnaReady magnetic closure technology is used in pants, polos, long sleeve dress shirts and short sleeve camp shirts, creating clothing options that are an intelligent and stylish choice for seniors or people with mobility difficulties of any age.

Sarunas Jackson and A$AP Ant In Home Court Series

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Under Armour Basketball’s new inaugural series, Home Court: Baltimore is now live on YouTube! This first season spotlights UA’s home base of Baltimore, Maryland, and explores the cultural impact basketball, style, food and music rooted in Charm City. Sarunas Jackson, star of HBO series Insecure and a former hooper, takes viewers on a journey of discovery, where he meets up with locals at iconic establishments within various inner-communities for an intimate view of B’more’s unique culture.

Episode 3 [HERE] is centered around food and casts a spotlight on local delicacies and the very best spots that are only known by locals. Sarunas sits down with Eric Williams, the 21-year-old owner of Nacho Bangers, a restaurant that is giving back to the city of Baltimore through Eric’s love of food. Sarunas also chops it up with A$AP Ant, to shed light on his cutthroat approach to music—bred from his experiences growing up in Baltimore—and shares where you can get the best value meal in the city.

Directed by Shomi Patwary—a filmmaker known for his work with A$AP Mob, Beyoncé and Pusha T—this season of Home Court also has Sarunas meeting up with the likes of local basketball legends Aquille Carr and Terry Hosley along with Team Thrill, a program founded by NBA figure Will Barton; Mike Tribb at his Barbershop for the ‘Cruddy’ shape up; as well as local music duo Bond St. District and legendary producer DJ Blaqstarr. Episode breakdown includes:

• Segment 1: Ball-timore, where to hoop and how they ball

• Segment 2: Camera Ready, style on and off the court

• Segment 3: Grub City, local eats around the neighborhood

• Segment 4: That Baltimore Sound, the music scene coming out of the city

Rootstock Festival 2018

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The 2nd edition of the Rootstock Festival 2018 took place this weekend bringing together more than 1,600 festival-goers from all over Europe and the United States, in the heart of the vineyards of Château de Pommard.

From July 13 to July 15, Château de Pommard opened the doors of its domain and its magnificent gardens arranged for the occasion around two areas: one dedicated to the young talents of the label Rootstock and a main stage where succeeded Jungle, Breakbot and Keziah Jones, the three headliners of the 2018 edition.

Worried about the environment and the ecology for the production of their wines, the Carabello-Baum family, owner of the Château since 2014, also had a Pop-Up Hotel installed, consisting of nine luxury tents. Some festival-goers were able to stay in the heart of the Festival and enjoy beautiful country picnics or, like all the participants, bike rides, yoga classes, wine tastings and also the World Cup Final Game thanks to a giant screen installed in the main courtyard of the property.

Château de Pommard will host the 3rd edition of the Rootstock Festival next summer and will open a New School of Oenology in September 2018 composed of three new experiences to learn the secrets of tasting, agreements and wine selection.

CHANCE THE RAPPER × VALEE

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CHANCE THE RAPPER BROUGHT OUT VALEE AT OPENMIKE CHICAGO LAST NIGHT

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

LISTEN TO “WOMP WOMP”:

http://Valee.lnk.to/WompWomp

LISTEN TO GOOD Job, You Found Me

http://Valee.lnk.to/GOODJobYouFoundMe

1. Juice & Gin

2. I Got Whatever

3. Miami ft. Pusha T

4. VLONE

5. Skinny

6. Shell

FOLLOW VALEE:

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Niall Horan Kicks off US Tour Tonight!

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NIALL HORAN BRINGS FLICKER WORLD TOUR TO U.S. AND CANADA

Run Launches Tonight At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion In Texas And Includes Two-Night Stand At Los Angeles Greek Theatre In August

Horan’s Chart-topping Debut Album, Flicker, Includes Platinum Hits This Town And Slow Hands Plus Current Single On The Loose

Tonight, Niall Horan kicks off the U.S. and Canadian leg of Flicker World Tour 2018 with a concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX. The outing will include shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (August 7 & 8), Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO (August 20) and the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY (September 12). Country superstar Maren Morris will support. She is featured on Seeing Blind, a track from Horan’s debut solo album, Flicker. See below for itinerary. Tickets are available at http://www.niallhoran.com.

Flicker (Capitol Records) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 61 countries. It includes the Platinum-certified hit singles This Town which has sold more than three million track equivalent units globally and Slow Hands, which went straight to No. 1 in 44 countries and topped Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 chart. On The Loose, the album’s opening track, is Horan’s current single. The accompanying video, which was directed by Jake Jelicich (Martin Garrix, Dua Lipa), was praised by Rolling Stone as a mesmerizing visual accompaniment to the witchy, Fleetwood Mac-style vibes of On the Loose. View the official video HERE and check out Horan’s alternate version of the song HERE.

Finally Free a new original song from Horan is the first single from the soundtrack to the animated adventure Smallfoot, opening in theatres on September 28 with an all-star cast led by Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya and Common. From Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group, a Zaftig Films production, Smallfoot will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The Smallfoot soundtrack will be released on September 21.

Horan, who has sold over 70 million records as part of the all-conquering One Direction, was the winner of the 2016 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Breakout Artist, claimed the American Music Award for Best New Artist and kicked off 2018 by winning Best New Pop Artist at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.

Niall Horan 2018 North American Tour

Date | City | Venue

7/18 | The Woodlands, TX | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

7/20 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion

7/21| Rogers, AR | Walmart AMP

7/23 | Nashville, TN | Ascend Amphitheater

7/25 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center

7/26 | Tinley Park, IL | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

7/28 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center

7/30 | Salt Lake City, UT | USANA Amphitheatre

7/31 | Nampa, ID | Ford Idaho Center Arena

8/2 | Auburn, WA | White River Amphitheatre

8/4 | Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre

8/5 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre

8/7 | Los Angeles, CA | Greek Theatre

8/8 | Los Angeles, CA | Greek Theatre

8/17 | Chula Vista, CA | Mattress Firm Amphitheatre

8/18 | Las Vegas, CA | The Pearl Concert Theater

8/20 | Morrison, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8/22 | Kansas City, MO | Starlight Theatre

8/23 | St. Paul, MO | Minnesota State Fair

8/25 | Maryland Heights, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/26 | Noblesville, IN | Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center

8/28 | Clarkston, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre

8/29 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Blossom Music Center

8/31 | Bristow, VA | JiffyLube Live

9/2 | Allentown, PA | The Great Allentown Fair

9/5 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage

9/7 | Darien Center, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater

9/8 | Mansfield, MA | Xfinity Center

9/11 | Camden, NJ | BB&T Pavilion

9/12 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

9/14 | Hartford, CT | XFINITY Theatre

9/15 | Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center

9/17 | Raleigh, NC | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

9/19 | Charlotte, NC | PNC Music Pavilion

9/20 | Alpharetta, GA | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park

9/22 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds

9/23 | West Palm Beach, FL | Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the S. Florida Fairgrounds

Andre Haddad

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ANDRE HADDAD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Haddad has created a business model that benefits Turo hosts and users alike. An industry disruptor, Turo costs about 35% less than normal rental car companies. Haddad’s mission behind Turo was to put billions of cars to better use and fundamentally change the economics of car ownership around the world. In 2017, the average Turo host made an extra $625 a month, which allowed for hosts cover their car payments in as little as nine days. (Data can be found here)

Currently, Haddad and his team have raised over $200,000,000 to date to build this multibillion dollar travel company. Car enthusiasts and travelers have the choice between 850+ makes and models in more than 56 different countries.

Andre loves cars, the consumer web, and the environment, and Turo brings all three of his passions into perfect harmony. Before joining Turo as CEO in September 2011, Andre was CEO of Shopping.com, the leading online comparison-shopping network that eBay acquired in 2005 for $600 million. Prior to Shopping.com, he was Senior Vice President, Product at eBay, where he was responsible for product management, design, and research at eBay’s global marketplace business. Andre played several roles during his time at eBay, including GM in Europe, VP, International Operations, and VP, User Experience and Design.

Before his eBay days, Andre co-founded iBazar, a leading European auction marketplace, which was acquired by eBay in 2001 for $140 million. Andre was COO at iBazar, overseeing Product, Marketing, Operations, and International. Prior to iBazar, he was brand manager at Procter & Gamble and a consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton. He graduated from HEC Paris.

South African Airways

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SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS HONORED FOR “BEST AIRLINE STAFF IN AFRICA” AT THE SKYTRAX 2018 WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS

South African Airways (SAA), the leading airline from the U.S. to South Africa with the most daily flights, was honored with the “Best Airline Staff in Africa” award at the 2018 World Airline Awards hosted by world renowned aviation experts Skytrax™. The award presented at a special ceremony held at the Farnborough International Airshow attributed South African Airways’ success to the efforts of all the ground and inflight staff in excelling to achieve high product quality and standards across all categories.

Skytrax™ is known worldwide as the leading, independent research authority on airline quality and service. The awards are based on a consumer satisfaction survey conducted each year by Skytrax™, giving travelers an opportunity to rate their experiences in the air and on the ground with over 200 airlines worldwide and ultimately serve as a global benchmark of airline excellence. “We are thrilled to, once again, be the proud recipient of the Best Airline Staff in Africa award from Skytrax” said Todd Neuman, executive vice president – North America for South African Airways. “This award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of SAA employees globally as we showcase the very best in African hospitality. We will continue to strive to provide our customers with sterling service in our effort to maintain our standing as Africa’s most awarded airline.”SAA’slow cost carrier, Mango Airlines also secured the top spot for the “Best Low-Cost Carrier in Africa” for the third time at this year’s prestigious awards. SAA was also noted for “Best Business Class Lounge in Africa”, “Best Cabin Crew in Africa”, and “Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness in Africa”.

Earlier this year, Skytrax™, also awarded SAA with the 4-Star rating for the 16th year consecutive year, following detailed service audits of SAA Premium Business and Economy Class product and service across all customer-facing categories. For reservations and information, customers should visit www.flysaa.com or contact South African Airways at 1-(800) 722-9675.

About South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA), South Africa’s national flag carrier and the continent’s most awarded airline, serves over 75 destinations worldwide in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost carrier Mango. In North America, SAA operates daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Accra, Ghana and Dakar, Senegal) to Johannesburg. SAA has partnerships with United Airlines, Air Canada JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which offer convenient connections from more than 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada to SAA’s flights. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the Skytrax 4-star rating for 16 consecutive years.

Like South African Airways on Facebook here

Follow South African Airways Twitter here

Victoria Cruises Brings Back 2-For-1 Pricing

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Pioneer of luxury river cruising on China’s Yangtze River, Victoria Cruises is once again offering 2-for-1 pricing on its popular Three Gorges Highlights program between Chongqing and Yichang for reservations booked directly with the cruise line by August 31, 2018.

River cruisers will enjoy 2-for-1 rates starting at $680 per couple, based on double occupancy, for a private balcony Superior Stateroom. In order to qualify for the discount, travelers must book the shore excursion package which is also available at 2-for-1 pricing.

A comprehensive shore excursion package costs an additional $90 per person ($45 per person after discount) featuring three standard excursions including a guided tour of the Three Gorges Dam and tranquil sampan excursion along one of the Yangtze’s scenic tributaries. A third excursion will take passengers to Shibaozhai’s famous red pagoda or the Jade Emperor Scenic Area overlooking Shuangguishan National Forest.

For passengers interested in exploring additional treasures along the Yangtze, optional excursions-such as the “Ghost City” of Fengdu, Tribes of the Three Gorges or White Emperor City-can be purchased onboard starting at $45 per person, per optional excursion.

Guests may also opt to experience China’s engineering prowess with the introduction of the world’s largest ship elevator capable of elevating ships up to 3,000 tons along with a volume of water roughly equivalent to four Olympic-sized swimming pools. A newly introduced optional excursion allows passengers to experience the new ship lift on a specially-designed sightseeing boat on day two of upstream cruises and on day four for passengers sailing downstream.

Victoria Cruises was the first luxury passenger cruise line on to the Yangtze to incorporate the new ship elevator into its river cruise program.

Authentic cultural activities and demonstrations allow visitors to learn about acupuncture/acupressure, Tai Chi lessons and a variety of Chinese art forms, while nightly entertainment options such as traditional Chinese dance and musical performances round out the onboard experience.