Posts made in March 2019

Pedal On the Pier

Leave a reply

HAROLD ROBINSON FOUNDATION RETURNS WITH THE 9TH ANNUAL “PEDAL ON THE PIER” FUNDRAISER IN SANTA MONICA ON SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2019

High Energy Outdoor Cycle, Red Carpet, Food, Music and Fun Festivities on the Iconic Santa Monica Pier Benefiting LA’s Underserved Youth

WHO

Harold Robinson Foundation 501(c)

WHAT

The Pedal on the Pier fundraiser transforms Santa Monica Pier into a high energy outdoor cycling studio to raise money for the foundation’s Camp Ubuntu, which provides LA’s underprivileged children with a unique camp experience. The lessons and experiences these children learn at Camp Ubuntu enrich their lives and empower them with necessary skills needed to better themselves at home, across their communities and throughout life. Pedal on the Pier raises over a million dollars each year, totaling over six million dollars, and hopes to far surpass those numbers this year.

With the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop, Pedal on the Pier’s 5-hour spin-a-thon features teams riding on indoor cycling bikes provided by Stages Cycling, live musical performances, DJs, spin instructors from Revolution Fitness Santa Monica, celebrities, athletes, food and drinks from local restaurants, influential brands and fun festivities in the sun. Sponsors include iHeart Radio and Tito’s Vodka.

In order to participate as a rider you can join a team or start a team. Each team must raise a minimum of $2,500 for the Harold Robinson Foundation to have a bike reserved. Registered riders will receive a free T-shirt, swag bag and a meal ticket and access to the 21 and over lounge with hosted alcoholic beverages from sponsors. There will also be a limited number of $100 spectator tickets which includes access to the festivities and hosted food and beverages from local vendors, as well as a cash bar with beer, wine and cocktails.

In past years, Pedal on the Pier has attracted celebrities such as Hilary & Haylie Duff, Steve McQueen Jr., Evander Holyfield, David Duchovny, Rosanna Arquette, Molly Sims, Craig Robinson, DJ Mustard, MC Hammer, Debbie Allen, Flea and Luc Robataille. This year should be equally fun and exciting – their motto is WE SPIN, KIDS WIN!

Here is the promo VIDEO for this year’s event.

WHEN

June 2, 2019

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Red carpet begins at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE

Santa Monica Pier

200 Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica, CA 90401

TICKETS

Participants can register as a “Team” (1-5 riders) with a minimum fundraising commitment of $2,500 per bike or purchase a spectator tickets for $100 which includes access to the festivities and hosted food and beverages from local vendors, as well as a cash bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Tickets and registration are available here and click on REGISTER.

About The Harold Robinson Foundation

The Harold Robinson Foundation is a 501(c) founded in 2009 by Jeff Robinson, Joyce Hyser Robinson and David Moss. It began with an idea from Jeff Robinson, almost 20 years ago; that every child should have the same opportunities he had as a kid, no matter where they stand on the socioeconomic ladder. The foundation is named for Jeff’s late father. The Harold Robinson Foundation provides the funding and resources to send Los Angeles’s less fortunate children to camp, in a safe and nurturing environment, far away from the stress that most of them face on a daily basis. The foundation also runs a summer day at the Markham Middle School in Watts, CA.

For more information, visit here.

Kosher Wine Releases

Leave a reply

PASSOVER 2019: PERFECT TIMING FOR EXCITING NEW WINE RELEASES

WINE EXPERT GABRIEL GELLER SHARES HIS TOP PICKS FOR PASSOVER SEDERS AND FESTIVE MEALS

Kosher for Passover Spirits
What Makes Wine Kosher
Royal Wine Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Kosher Wine Generates Upwards of $10 Million in Sales

According to Royal Wine’s Gabe Geller, some outstanding new 2018 rosé wines were released in time for Passover 2019, and the new vintage is promising. “I enjoy starting the Seder with a glass of cold, fresh rosé, so the timing is perfect.”

Wine is essential to Passover, when Jewish people around the world gather with family and friends to recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt and share a festive meal. It is customary for all (adults) to drink four cups of wine at the Seder. That’s a lot of wine for one meal!

This year Passover begins on the night of April 19, which is somewhat later than usual. But it’s great news for wine lovers, according to Royal Wine’s PR Director, Gabriel Geller. In the runup to Passover 2019, Geller recommends new bottlings to explore for the “Feast of Freedom” – the commemoration of the redemption of the Jewish people, some 3,500 years ago, from centuries of slavery in Egypt. His suggestions pair exceptionally well at the Seder table or any other special occasion, and run the gamut of varieties and price points.

Promising Rosés

According to Geller, some outstanding new 2018 rosé wines were released in time for Passover 2019, and the new vintage is promising. “I enjoy starting the Seder with a glass of cold, fresh rosé, so the timing is perfect.”

Smooth and easy to drink, rosés are best consumed young and fresh. He cites the Herzog Lineage Rosé from Clarksburg, CA (SRP $19.99) as a delicious, fruity, and herbal complement to light starters. Other good bets include Gush Etzion and Flam (SRP $24.99 and 34.99 respectively). These wineries, both located in Israel’s Judean Hills, were among the first out of the gate with their new rosés this year.

Complex Reds

“As soon as the main course is served,” Geller said, “I will typically move on to a more multi-layered wine such as the Carmel Limited Edition 2014 (SRP $79.99), a Bordeaux-style blend from Israel.” Also of note is Domaines Rollan de By, owned by Jean Guyon. The extravagant designer just released the first-ever new kosher run from his estates: Chateau de By Medoc 2016 (SRP $27.99). “Well-balanced and medium-bodied, this Bordeaux from an exceptional vintage is silky in the mouth and pairs well with many types of dishes,” claims Geller. “It would be a good choice for the Passover Seder.”

Lineage Choreograph a field blend of more than a dozen different grapes comes from an experimental plot on the Herzog estate vineyard — the wine is soft and inviting while at the same time complex and flavorful, and very reasonably priced (SRP$20.00)

Herzog Wine Cellars also recently released Herzog Special Reserve Quartet 2015, a blend of varieties grown in prime regions of California. The wine, as its name indicates, comprises 4 grape varieties: Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Full-bodied, rich, complex, and spicy, it impresses with its remarkable balance, while showcasing the unique characteristics of each variety (SPR: $39.99).

Geller also noted that Italian wines have been gaining in popularity among kosher consumers. Wine Spectator recently awarded the Terra di Seta Chianti Classico Riserva (SRP $34.99) an impressive 93 points. Now that the 2013 has made its way to the shelves, Geller predicted that this superior vintage will outperform its predecessor.

Sweet Endings

A long meal such as the Passover Seder also requires some fine dessert wine to end the night on a sweet note. Chateau Guiraud, which was absent from the kosher scene since 2001, recently made a comeback with two new wines available for the first time in a kosher version.

G de Guiraud 2017 (SRP $39.99) is a satisfying, dry blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, while the chateau’s second Sauternes, Petit Guiraud 2017, is a luscious, wonderful dessert wine (SRP $74.99). Herzog Late harvest Orange Muscat 2018 – don’t be fooled by this wine’s orange tinge and floral near orange aromas. Its 100% Orange Muscat Grape has great lively acidity and sweetness, all rolled into this floral, long-lasting luscious wine (MSRP $22.99).

New Kosher for Passover Spirits:

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Anejo

Sotol is from the northern state of Chihuahua in Mexico. Sotol is not made out of Blue Agave like tequila, but Dasylirion wheeleri, otherwise known as Desert Spoon, or Sotol in Spanish (My wife translated that for me).

This Anejo Sotol is rich and smoky with slight hints of Grapefruit.

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Reposado

Like a typical Reposado from Mexico this is aged only for 6 months. A special uniqueness to Sotol is the oak used for ageing the product is Virgin oak unlike tequila which does used bourbon barrels. The fresh oak gives added tannins and spice to this tasty item.

Zachlawi Dry Arak

Arak, which means perspiration in Arabic, is the spirit drink of choice in the countries of the middle east. Abe Shrem, founder of Zachlawi, brought his family’s old Syrian recipe back to life here in the USA. Bold Anise aromas shine through with delicious licorice finish.

Elite Arak

Elite Arak is one of the leading Israeli producers of this centuries-old spirit. Every Friday afternoon, a day off for many Israelis, men and women sit outside together with friends while sipping a cold shot of Elite Arak.

Alouf Arak

The most popular Arak in Israel, Alouf Arak is silky smooth with notes of sweet anis and fig.

Godet Fine de Cognac

A wonderful blend of eau-de-vie from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne growing regions. These two growing regions have very chalky soil which helps to make a very aromatic eau-de-vie, which is distilled to make this special cognac.

What Makes Kosher Wine Kosher:

There’s a common ‘urban legend’ that wine is rendered kosher after being blessed by a Rabbi – that is incorrect. Actually, for a wine to be made kosher there are strictly supervised purity guidelines that need to be followed from the moment the grapes enter the winery to when the wine is bottled.

To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must supervise and sometimes handle the entire winemaking process, from the time the grapes are crushed until the wine is bottled. Any ingredients used, including yeasts and fining agents must be kosher.

Some Kosher wines are processed as Mevushal, which means ‘cooked’ in Hebrew. Some wineries produce their Mevushal wines by heating the must (grape juice) prior to fermentation, while others apply that procedure on the final product, prior to bottling.

When kosher wine is produced, marketed and sold commercially, it will bear kosher certification granted by a specially-trained rabbi who is responsible for supervision from start to finish.

About Royal Wine/Kedem

Founded in 1848, NJ-based Royal Wine Corp. has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking roots go back eight generations to its origin in Czechoslovakia.

Today, Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand and Argentina.

Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought-after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.

The company owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, a state-of-the-art-facility featuring guided wine tours, a fully staffed modern tasting room, gift shop and catering facilities. Additionally, the winery houses the award-winning restaurant Tierra Sur, serving the finest, Mediterranean-inspired, contemporary Californian Cuisine.

We Reign As One Campaign

Leave a reply

NEW ERA CAP CELEBRATES THE START OF 2019 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON WITH “WE REIGN AS ONE” CAMPAIGN

Campaign Features New Brand Ambassadors Francisco Lindor, Justin Turner, Didi Gregorius, Christian Yelich, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jay Rock

Today, New Era Cap Co., Inc., the official on-field cap of Major League Baseball, launches “We Reign as One,” the next chapter in a powerful and inspiring cross-cultural multi-platform campaign. Ushering in the start of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, the campaign features the iconic New Era Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® Fitted as a badge that connects all baseball fans together.

“The new ‘We Reign As One’ campaign is a celebration of the start of the 2019 MLB Season,” said Mark Maidment, Senior Vice President, Brand at New Era Cap. “We wanted to spotlight how baseball and the New Era Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® Fitted have the power to connect us all, whether you’re a kid from Queens or a professional baseball player.”

Created in partnership with creative agency 72andSunny New York, “We Reign As One” also unveils New Era’s 2019 MLB Ambassador roster, including Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and 2018 National League Most Valuable Player Christian Yelich; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor; Atlanta Braves outfielder and 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuña Jr., and Grammy award-winning rapper, Jay Rock.

“The New Era Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® Fitted cap lives at the intersection of sport and street fashion,” said Bryan Rowles, Executive Creative Director and Partner, 72andSunny New York. “The launch of ‘We Reign As One’ is a cultural creative opportunity to remind people that the city letters stitched on the Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® cap represent common ground, city pride and team allegiance that connects all of us, no matter our background, profession or beliefs.”

Returning this year as New Era 2019 MLB Ambassadors are Houston Astros second baseman and six-time MLB All-Star José Altuve and Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Báez. Throughout the year, each ambassador will serve as an extension of the brand, helping to tell the story behind the caps both on and off the field. They’ll also help highlight special occasions such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

As the official on-field cap of MLB, the New Era Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® Fitted is a lightweight, flexible athletic fitted cap that easily transitions on and off the field. To join the millions celebrating Opening Day, fans can purchase the New Era Cap Authentic Collection 59FIFTY® Fitted with their team logo of choice at www.mlbshop.com, www.neweracap.com and authorized retailers around the country. To view the new “We Reign As One” video click HERE and to view stills click HERE.

Supermarket Soundtrack

Leave a reply

LOGIC “DIVES INTO NEW GENRES” WITH SURPRISE RELEASE OF MELODIC SOUNDTRACK TO HIS DEBUT NOVEL “SUPERMARKET”

ORDER THE BOOK & LISTEN TO THE SOUNDTRACK HERE!

LOGIC EMPLOYS GUITAR-DRIVEN, LIVE BAND SOUND ON MELODIC NEW SOUNDTRACK, TEAMS WITH MAC DEMARCO ON SEVERAL TRACKS

“I wanted to use my novel as an opportunity to challenge myself musically diving into a completely new genre”

“Bobby Hall has crafted a mind-bending first novel, with prose that is just as fierce and moving as his lyrics. Supermarket is like Naked Lunch meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—if they met at Fight Club.” —Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Ready Player One

From one of the greatest creative voices of this generation, Bobby Hall—aka Logic, the Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling recording artist—comes a dazzling debut novel: SUPERMARKET (Simon & Schuster; Publication Date: March 26, 2019). With this publication, Bobby Hall proves that his incredible artistic talents extend far beyond the walls of a recording studio.SUPERMARKET is a fresh, funny, and deliciously dark thriller that stands on its own as a propulsive and entertaining excursion into madness and creativity.

SUPERMARKET opens with Flynn: depressed, recently dumped, and living at his mom’s house. When he gets a job at Muldoon’s, the local supermarket, he hopes that his boring suburban existence will get a spark of inspiration. A diverse group of eccentric coworkers await him. As Flynn gets accustomed to his new gig and makes some friends, his creative juices start to bubble again—just what he needed to jumpstart his novel based on the people he meets on the job. He even finds himself falling for a colleague who may restore his faith in love.

When Flynn arrives at work one day to a crime scene, he discovers that nothing about the supermarket is what it appeared to be, and the secrets of his tortured mind are revealed as his world collapses. Something seems to be after him at the supermarket, but Flynn isn’t sure that he wants to confront it.

Crackling with dark humor, extraordinary twists, and larger than life characters, SUPERMARKET is a compulsively readable thriller with echoes of work by Quentin Tarantino, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. Bobby Hall flexes his tirelessly creative muscles to create a world that feels so real, you believe you can reach out and touch it. Who knew that you could find sex, drugs, and murder all in aisle nine?

About the Author

Bobby Hall a.k.a. Logic, the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist, quickly established himself as one of the most original young stars in music. Through a streak of hit records, Logic has cemented his status as one of the greatest MCs at work, hailed for his lyricism, cinematic storytelling, and inspiring message of peace, love, and positivity. His music touches on societal issues that affect us all, including anxiety, depression, and race. SUPERMARKET is his first novel.

The Midday Slump

Leave a reply

5 Tips to Get Through Your Midday Slump

We have all felt it. After lunchtime, you’re lethargic, tired, and constantly checking the clock waiting for the day to be over.

But, fear not! Your day will no longer be ruined by the afternoon lull. Here are some quick tips to avoid the midday slump and allow you to end your day rejuvenated!

Spend 5 Minutes in Nature

According to a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2019, just 5 simple minutes sitting in nature, improves moods, decreases negative feelings and increases your sense of being awe and wonder at being a part of something bigger than yourself. If you have more time, combine being in nature with exercise. This can include hiking of simply taking a walk through the park lined with trees. This can reduce your heart rate and improve your ability to recover from stressful events.

Bring the Outdoors In

Feeling overwhelmed and can’t leave the building? Hang paintings of nature scenes on the walls, look out a window or a nature scene on your video device. It seems that even the picture of nature had the potential to reduce feelings of stress.

Break Out That Adult Coloring Book

Can’t absorb any new information? Take a break and take out the adult coloring book you have not taken the time to use. This distraction gives the brain the space it needs to tackle the problem while you focus on the joys of choosing the colors that make you feel better. Pro tip: Choose yellow and other bright colors if you need a pick me up.

Incorporate Natural Mid-Afternoon Boosts

Grab some green tea, it is high in antioxidants, contains a small amount of caffeine and also has an ingredient that can help create a sense of calmness. If you combine this with a little aromatherapy, either peppermint or lemon to quick lift or lavender to keep the calm going, you might find yourself feeling better after a quick 10 minute break.

Quick Exercises to Do At Your Desk

Here are 2 quick exercises that helps to release stress, restore a sense of calm while improving moods. Do any exercise that helps bring the heart rate up a little bit to get blood pumping while also releasing the energy of frustration. First, so some quick tricep extensions using a chair. Then follow with a stretch that helps to relieve the tension. Shrug shoulders up to ear and gentle rotate forward then backwards. Follow this with an open stance arms open wide and slightly raised as if to open myself up to receive warmth, love and support, then simply cross your arms around your shoulders and give yourself a hug. Cross your arms until you feel the muscles in the upper back gentle stretch and start relieving some of that built up tension. After all, we do tend to carry a lot of stress in the upper back and neck. Bonus, hugs help to relieve stress and improve moods.

Laugh & Breathe

It is as simple as laughing. It decreases cortisol levels and improves moods. A simple way to watch a funny clip or even more simple, record a baby’s laughter and listen to it. That sound of pure joy and wonder can bring a smile back to your face and do wonders for your mood. Lastly, practice stopping and breathing. 4 counts in, hold for 4 and release for 4. Do this about 4 times and feel the stress slowly ebb away.

About Eudene Harry MD

Eudene Harry is the medical director for Oasis Wellness and Rejuvenation Center, a wellness practice devoted to integrative holistic care. She is a veteran physician with over 20 years of experience. Dr. Harry earned her medical degree and performed her residency at Thomas Jefferson University.

Dr. Harry is the author of three books designed to empower the individual to get started on their path to optimal health. She has published extensively on the topics of reducing stress, healthy lifestyle choices, and regaining youthfulness. Her most recent book, Be Iconic: How to be Healthy and Sexy at Any Age is now available on Amazon. She regularly contributes to television and radio shows nationwide.

Connect with Dr. Harry on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. To learn more about Dr. Harry please visit, www.drharrymd.com.

Stem Cells & Transitional Medicine

Leave a reply

Study is first to indicate impact of donor age on stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries

The potential for stem cells to reduce damage, regenerate tissue and promote functional recovery after a spinal cord injury (SCI) is being tested in several ongoing clinical trials. However, a new study released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM) indicates that donor age-dependent stem cell therapy could help optimize cell treatment strategies for clinical translation.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare mesenchymal stromal cells derived from different donor ages and sources, and the first to identify similarities and differences between how these cells affect tissue regeneration and key functional parameters after a traumatic SCI,” said Michael Fehlings, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Fehlings led the team of investigators from the University of Toronto and Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network in conducting the study.

Every year as many as 500,000 people worldwide suffer a SCI, according to the World Health Organization. Damage to the circulatory system after such an injury can trigger a cascade of secondary events, including inflammation and scarring. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) — which are stem cells isolated from bone marrow, adipose and other adult tissue sources, as well as the umbilical cord, that can differentiate into a variety of cells types — also possess characteristics common to pericytes (cells that support blood vessel integrity). These features add up to make MSCs ideal candidates for treating SCI. As such, several clinical trials are currently underway testing how infusions of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) affect SCI.

What was not being investigated until the study reported on in SCTM, however, is whether the age of the cell donor can have an impact on treatment outcome. Clifford Librach, M.D., FRCS(C), also a professor at the University of Toronto, whose team did the pioneering work on the use of early pregnancy umbilical cord-derived human umbilical perivascular cells (HUCPVCs) for regenerative therapy, approached Dr. Fehlings with the novel idea to use these cells in his rodent model of SCI. This developed into a unique collaboration between a reproductive biologist and a neurosurgeon/neuroscientist. On this project Dr. Fehlings’ team tackled this question using HUCPVCs collected at two different stages – full-term and first trimester, provided by Dr. Librach’s team. They then compared them to adult BMSCs and a control vehicle. The team chose HUCPVCs for their study as they tend to exhibit greater proliferative potential in culture and, once implanted, have better rates of survival, migration and integration with the host’s central nervous system than BMSCs.

The team conducted their test on adult rats, starting the cell infusions an hour after the animals had undergone a spinal cord injury. The results, taken 10 weeks later, showed that the younger the cell source, the better the outcome. Both HUCPVC age groups outperformed the BMSCs and the control.

“By examining the effects of donor cell age and source, this study brings us closer to understanding the ways in which mesenchymal stromal cells work to improve outcome after spinal cord injury and maximising their therapeutic potential.” said Reaz Vawda, Ph.D., co-author of the study.

When it came to reducing neurovascular disruption, astrogliosis and scarring, the first trimester HUCPVCs slightly outperformed the full term HUCPVCs. “As far as improving the animals’ functional ability, the first trimester HUCPVC was the only cell type that resulted in lasting chronic effects in forelimb function and weight gain,” said Dr. Librach.

“This study demonstrates a clear age-related difference in cell efficacy after SCI, with first trimester cells outperforming term cells,” Dr. Fehlings reported. “Additionally, we applied an innovative ultrasound technique to accurately measure acute lesional volume and, later, cavitation (whereby a SCI can expand in size leading to a scar-encapsulated cavity many times the size of the initial injury) in live animals.

“Together, this minimally invasive and effective approach to cell therapy has significant implications on the treatment of traumatic cervical SCI and other central nervous system injuries,” he added. “These results can help to optimize cell treatment strategies for eventual use in humans.”

“Outcomes from this first-of-its-kind study are advancing what we already know about mesenchymal stromal cells and their healing potential for traumatic spinal cord injury by comparing different donor ages and sources, providing new information about their therapeutic efficacy,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “We look forward to seeing how these results impact treatment strategies for clinical translation to ultimately help the half million people worldwide who suffer this type of injury.”

The full article, “Early intravenous infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells exerts a tissue source age-dependent beneficial effect on neurovascular integrity and neurobehavioural recovery after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury,” can be accessed here.

About Stem Cells

Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation.

About AlphaMed Press

Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS® , celebrating its 37th year, is the world’s first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist® also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 24th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.

About Wiley

Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company’s website can be accessed at here.

About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF)

The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honoring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives.

D.G Adams “Nest of Vipers”

Leave a reply

Vancouver alt folk songwriter D.G. Adams drops an intense, heartfelt new full-length album titled “Nest of Vipers”, featuring visionary cover artwork (Painting by Irina Miroslava, Graphic design by Jo Bates). “While writing this record, which I had already titled ” Nest Of Vipers”, near Cancún, Mexico, someone asked me if I knew what Cancún meant in the Mayan language. Nope. “Nest of snakes.” That got me fired up!”

It may surprise more than a few listeners to learn that “Feminine Endings”, the title of D.G. Adams debut album, is a Shakespearean reference. Those who know that Adams has spent the past thirty-three years as a classically-trained actor and Shakespeare teacher will not be surprised. (For the curious: a feminine ending refers to the eleventh, unstressed syllable in a line of iambic pentameter! In poetic terms, the presence of the feminine ending may indicate that there is too much thought or emotion in the line to be contained in ten syllables.) In the acting world, D.G is known as Donald Adams, and he now plays leads in films and television.

Since the age of fifteen, Adams has quietly been writing music and lyrics, but only sharing his work with a handful of friends. Fast forward to the year 2000 when he met his best friend Torquil Campbell (of the Montreal band Stars) at Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival in Vancouver, where both were working as actors. Campbell listened to one of Adams’ compositions backstage and said, “Donny, it’s so great when your friends don’t suck at stuff!” Adams took this as encouragement, if not high praise, and kept on writing and home-recording his songs. Fast forward to the summer of 2011, when Adams finally felt ready to record his first album of twelve originals, in no small part due to Campbell’s ongoing support.

“Feminine Endings”, which Adams describes as “rootsy folk-rock…about longing, lust, love and enlightenment”, is firmly rooted in the singer-songwriter traditions of his heroes Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. But, with the addition of a dash of exotica and political activism, one hears echoes of Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, and CSNY. While Adams still appears in movies and on television (his recent credits include Fox’s “Alcatraz”, Lifetime’s “Merlin and the Book of Beasts”, and MGM’s “The Betrayed”), and occasionally acts and directs for theatre, his main passion is now the music, one of the few things in life without which, Adams says, he “could not live.” “Feminine Endings” was only the beginning for D.G. Adams. He released “Vajra” (2014) and “The Old Heart” (2017), produced by Torquil Campbell, which received huge critical acclaim. Upcoming: “Nest Of Vipers” (2019).

Stream and share on Spotify

Artist Links

Music Videos

This Song Is Not True (2017):

Brain Hacking

Leave a reply

Understanding the Growing Fad of Brain Hacking

Brain hacking is a growing trend around the world and something that people of all ages are looking into. It involves attempting to improve one or more functions of the brain, such as mood, reasoning, clarity, focus or energy and can be done in a variety of ways. Some people see brain hacking as a negative; however, there’s actually nothing unsafe or bad about the practice. Plus, when you think about it, even puzzle games like Sudoku can be seen as a form of brain hacking as they stimulate the mind and are proven to provide long lasting benefits.

While puzzles are one way of improving the brain, science has actually provided us with many more options. In fact, optimizing your gray matter can be achieved through the use of supplements. Often called cognitive enhancers or smart drugs, these supplements are safe and work a lot quicker than playing games like Sudoku. To help you understand how they work, we have described the most popular below.

Nootropics

Nootropics is a Greek word that means ‘mind altering’ or ‘mind bending’, however it’s not as scary as it sounds. This commonly used type of supplement has been proven to improve the brain’s neural functions and can help to take your mind to a whole new level. As one example, take a look at the nootropic uridine monophosphate which is described on the VitaMonk blog. This nootropic can help with everything from improving mental clarity and cognition to memory loss and reaction times. There are plenty of other options available too, each with its own benefits.

When choosing a nootropic, it’s important to consider what mind-altering benefits you want to receive. Each has a different potency and a different effect on the brain, although they are in no way dangerous. Pick one that aligns with your brain hacking goals and don’t be afraid to switch it if it doesn’t work as intended. You can also stack nootropics to find the perfect balance for you.

Stacking

As briefly mentioned above, stacking is a good option for those who want to take brain hacking to the next level. The idea has been around for a while in the weight training industry and basically involves using a variety of different supplements to achieve the desired benefit. The same is true of nootropic supplements; users can take supplements that are complementary to each other to achieve the greatest gain.

It’s recommended that you don’t start out with stacking. Instead, use one nootropic and see how it benefits you and where it is lacking. When you feel more comfortable, you can add extra supplements to your stack to suit your needs. It’s also possible to buy nootropics boxes which provide a mix of supplements in one pill.

Stimulants

Stimulants are something that most of us have heard of, thanks to caffeine, but they’re also a popular supplement in the world of brain hacking as well. While they aren’t intended to boost your mood or memory loss, they can help to keep you awake, improve your mental clarity, and get rid of brain fog.

Stimulants are not a type of nootropic that should be used every day, especially if they are being used instead of sleep, however they can be beneficial when you need to promote wakefulness and alertness on occasion. Adrafinil and modafinil are the two most popular nootropics in the stimulant category.

With so many different options available, brain hacking doesn’t have to be hard. It also doesn’t have to be a long drawn out process. Best of all, it’s completely safe.

King Design at LA Fashion Week

Leave a reply

by Tara McDonough

Now a permanent feature on the international fashion week circuit, LA Fashion Week held their three-night event at the Petersen Automotive Museum this past weekend, March 22 through March 24. On the third and final night of LA Fashion Week, the events began with the unveiling of King Designs Fall/Winter Collection by female designer Jessica King.

Billie Eilish’s “Bury A Friend” vibrated through the speakers as the first two models made their way down the runway in both black and green versions of King’s Python One Shoulder Swimsuit.

The collection is full of waterproof holographic and reflective prints, python reminiscent patterns, hand dyed bralettes, leather bottoms, velvet and chains. The line combines streetwear, swimwear and sportswear in a unique and enthralling way. The body types of each model varied, reflecting the clothing line’s range of sizes from X-small to X-large and the designers inclusive views on fashion. No two models looked alike, bringing a fresh air of diversity to the runway.

Jessica King herself graciously received her applause at the end of the show in an all black ensemble featuring a one shoulder top from the Fall/Winter collection and chainwork hanging from her belted ankle-length skirt.

Shop Fall/Winter 2019 HERE.

About LA Fashion Week

LA Fashion Week® is an organization dedicated to raising the profile of fashion in the United States with focus on the emergence of Los Angeles as one of the most important cultural cities in the world. It is a leader in supporting the growing community of artists and designers that are a part of the cultural renaissance in Los Angeles and bringing them to the world stage. Based in Hollywood, LA Fashion Week hosts shows unlike any other fashion events on the international calendar- as a leader in edgy Streetwear, Red Carpet Looks, & Custom Contemporary, it represents a fashion authority on the West Coast of the United States.

Follow King Design on Instagram

A VAN GOGH

Leave a reply

A Van Gogh, Without a Doubt

The Wadsworth Atheneum’s Vase with Poppies, c. 1886 is Authenticated

After nearly 30 years of doubt, the Wadsworth Atheneum’s painting, Vase with Poppies, by Vincent Van Gogh, has now been fully authenticated by specialists at the Van Gogh Museum. While the painting came to the Wadsworth in a bequest from the writer and French Impressionist collector Anne Parrish Titzell in 1957 along with works by Renoir, Monet, and Redon, Vase with Poppies has been difficult to confidently attribute since questions about Van Gogh’s practice remained unresolved. Experts in Amsterdam following scientific and art-historical inquiry have determined that the painting technically and stylistically concurs with Van Gogh’s documented work in 1886. This new finding means that the Wadsworth is home to two Van Gogh’s, Vase with Poppies will join Self Portrait, both painted during his Paris period 1886-1887 atop earlier paintings.

Vase with Poppies fits stylistically with a group of works the artist made shortly after arriving to Paris in the spring of 1886. Van Gogh took advantage of the easy access to flowers as he reinvented his stylistic approach after two years of depicting peasant life in Nuenen. His embrace of a more vibrant palette and light filled renderings of humble subjects–flowers, nuts, fruit–is evident in this simple composition of cut poppies in a plain cylindrical vase. In his words in an 1886 letter to fellow artist Horace M. Livens, “And now for what regards what I myself have been doing, I have lacked money for paying models else I had entirely given myself to figure painting. But I have made a series of color studies in painting, simply flowers, red poppies, blue corn flowers and myosotys, white and rose roses, yellow chrysanthemums–seeking oppositions of blue with orange, red and green, yellow and violet seeking les tons rompus et neutres to harmonize brutal extremes.”

Concurrent to the physical examinations by the team at the Van Gogh Museum, recent investigations uncovered that the painting was exhibited at the watershed 1913 Armory Show in New York City. These new investigations were all prompted by the Wadsworth conservation lab using newly acquired imaging equipment through the generosity of the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. Digital x-ray and advanced infrared reflectograms revealed with greater clarity than ever before the presence of an earlier painting beneath the current composition. These early forensic findings made sending Vase with Poppies to the Van Gogh Museum for advanced study the logical next step. Their work–analyzing the paint, materials, linen, style–enabled a level of professional scrutiny and artist specific context to arrive at this new judgement of authenticity with great confidence.

“It was a pleasure for our museum to work together with the Wadsworth Atheneum on this particular project,” says Louis van Tilborgh Senior Researcher, Van Gogh Museum, and Professor of Art History, specializing in Van Gogh, University of Amsterdam. “When in 1970 Van Gogh’s oeuvre catalogue by De la Faille was published, it was seen by many as a progress report. It contained too many “floaters” in terms of both dating and authenticity to admit that a firm, unequivocal, authentic oeuvre had been established, to quote the eminent art historian Ronald Pickvance. Now, almost fifty years later, one can say that slowly but surely, real progress is being made in Van Gogh studies. Some of these floaters even turned out to be firmly anchored in Van Gogh’s oeuvre, and Vase with Poppies, I am happy to say, is one of them.”

“This extraordinary collaboration and harnessing of technology and professional discernment simply not available until now is a reminder of the opportunities today to both enrich discourse in the field and take stock in our collections,” says Director and CEO of the Wadsworth Thomas J. Loughman. “These studies have revealed just how much we still need to learn about Vincent and his growth as a painter, new to Paris and exploring new avenues for his art.”

The painting will return home to the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut just in time for the opening of the 38th Annual Fine Art and Flowers on Friday, April 26, 2019. Vase with Poppies will next go on loan to Europe for The Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany’s exhibition Van Gogh: Still Lifes (October 26, 2019 to February 2, 2020) where it will join a number of these transitional works, allowing the public and scholars alike, access to this exciting development through side-by-side display.

About the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Founded in 1842, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the United States. The museum’s nearly 50,000 works of art span 5,000 years, from Greek and Roman antiquities to the first museum collection of American contemporary art. The Wadsworth Atheneum’s five connected buildings–representing architectural styles from Gothic Revival to modern International Style–are located at 600 Main Street in Hartford, Conn. Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11am-5pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10am-5pm Admission: $5-15; discounts for members, students and seniors. Free admission for Hartford residents with Wadsworth Welcome registration. Free “happy hour” admission 4-5pm Public phone: (860) 278-2670; website: thewadsworth.org.

Image:Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890), Vase with Poppies, c. 1886. Oil on canvas. 21 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. Bequest of Anne Parrish Titzell. 1957.617