Posts made in June 2020

How Your Home Benefits from Basement Waterproofing

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Homes with basements have an added advantage over homes that do not have a basement. This extra space can prove invaluable in terms of improving the practicality of your home as well as boosting the value and condition of your property. Anyone that has a basement also needs to keep in mind that a neglected basement can have the opposite effect and cause all sorts of issues in and around the property.

Finding an experienced and reliable professionals means that you can look forward to the many basement waterproofing benefits. When you have this type of work carried out, you will be able to look forward to a better living environment as well as other benefits. In this article, we will look at some of the ways in which your home can benefit from basement waterproofing.

What Are the Benefits?

So, what are the benefits of having your basement waterproofed by a professional? Well, there are many key benefits to consider, some of which are:

Adding Value to Your Home

One of the major benefits that can come from having your basement waterproofed is that it can boost the value of your home. A waterproofed basement means you have an additional usable room in the home, which will add value. If you also decide to convert the room into something practical or an exciting new addition such as a games room, it can add a significant amount to the value of the property. This is one of the huge benefits that can come when you have your basement waterproofed.

Giving You Usable Space

Another key benefit you can look forward to when you have your basement waterproofed is having extra usable space to do whatever you want. You can use the basement to create all sorts of wonderful new rooms in your home such as a home gym, a theater room, or a games room. You can turn it into a space that the whole family can enjoy whenever they want to.

Boosting Conditions in Your Home

A basement that is left in a neglected, poor condition can have a negative impact on the condition of your home. It can lead to a bad smell, damp, mold, and low air quality to name but a few of the problems. When you have your basement waterproofed, you can avoid these issues, which means you can look forward to healthy living conditions and a pleasant and attractive home environment.

Boosting Salability

If you decide to put your property on the market in the future, you may find that your basement waterproofing helps to boost the chances of a sale. This boost in salability means that your home will be on the market for less time, and you will be able to get a better price for your property due to the additional boost in value.

These are just some of the benefits that you can look forward to when you have your basement waterproofed by a professional.

Amazon Under Fire

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By Eamonn Burke

The online shopping megacorp Amazon is under heavy criticism following an insensitive stunt on Juneteenth, the day that slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom.

Rather than honor this day with a paid day off, Amazon offered chicken and waffles to their employees in a Chicago warehouse yesterday. The senseless gesture was accompanied by a statement:

“We stand in solidarity honoring the black community by supporting local black businesses. We are happy to share an authentic meal crafted by Chicago’s Chicken + Waffles.”

The warehouse employees, a largely African American demographic, condemned the “celebration” as racist, and felt that it reinforced the very message that Amazon was seemingly denouncing. A spokesperson for Amazon claims that the intention was to support a local black-owned business.

“So much for supporting your Black/African American employees. Where’s the Solidarity in that?” said an employee. “We demand a paid holiday, not some damn chicken.”

This is part of a continuing criticism of Amazon for poorly treating warehouse workers and subduing their attempts to unionize. These motives were revealed in a shocking video intended for Whole Foods managers that leaked. In addition, a November petition that demanded better working conditions was signed by over 600 employees. The complaints constricted breaks, lack of transport assistance, and high risk of injury.

JUNETEENTH

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Today marks the 155th Juneteenth since June 19, 1865, a historic date the United States on which the news of the Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was delivered to slaves in Texas, declaring them free.

Even though the news got to the slaves in Texas more than two years after the Proclamation was passed, they still rejoiced and celebrated. The date became an annual celebration, as African Americans engaged in popular food like strawberry soda, events like rodeos, and prayer, along with guest speaks to educate the masses.

With the beginning of the 1900s, the tradition of Juneteenth faded, largely being suppressed by the white education system – the lives of slaves were not taught in the white washed curriculums of schools. Sometimes celebrations were even directly stopped with restrictions on public spaces. However, the celebration was revived in the 1950s and 60s as the Civil Rights Movement took hold in America. Student demonstrators and the Poor Peoples March to Washington brought the date back to significance. It later became a state holiday in Texas.

In modern times, Juneteenth makes yet another resurgence during the current revolution for black rights under the movement Black Lives Matter as the world fights for police reform and racial justice. The date is being selected as a powerful time to release songs like Beyoncé’s Black Parade. There are calls to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

ICYMI Historical Win + Upcoming Events

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The Supreme Court ruled Monday that existing federal law forbids job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status, a major victory for advocates of gay rights and for the nascent transgender rights movement — and a surprising one from an increasingly conservative court. By a vote of 6-3, the court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person’s sex, among other factors, also covers sexual orientation and transgender status. It upheld rulings from lower courts that said sexual orientation discrimination was a form of sex discrimination.

Construction Services Showcase LAGLCC Supports ACA 5 One Billion in Contract Dollars Lost Annually by Businesses Owned by Women, People of Color Due to Prop. 209 ACA 5 will allow Californian voters to remove an outdated and antiquated law that restricts local and state leaders from minimizing inequality, and promoting economic fairness. This measure seeks to prevent continued discrimination against women and people of color by allowing gender, racial and ethnic diversity to be considered as one of many factors in public employment, public contracting, and public education. California is one of only eight states to have an anti-equal opportunity ban. ACA 5 has passed the State Assembly and is currently headed to the Senate. Add your name to the list of endorsers at Opportunity4All.org Join our Slack Community Information on new economic relief, events and other resources is fast-moving. Join our Slack channel message board to get information in real-time. You will also be able to join interest-specific channels to ask questions and share resources with other LAGLCC members. You may have been unable to sign up for our slack due to an expired link in a previous email but you can navigate directly to our slack at laglcc.slack.com EID Loans & Advance Program Re-Opened To further meet the needs of U.S. small businesses and non-profits, the U.S. Small Business Administration reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program portal to all eligible applicants experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19 APPLY NOW Individual, Institutional, and Structural Racism: Policing Join our partners at Culver City Chamber of Commerce, Culver City Ad Hoc Equity Subcommittee, and Culver City City Council Members Lee and Sahli-Wells, for an ongoing series of teach-ins and conversations around individual, institutional, and structural racism.

The series aims to meet the urgency of the moment by listening to community voices and recognizing how racism shows up in interpersonal interactions, institutions, and cultural, historic, and ideologicalstructures. Together we will talk about, seek to understand, and address the root causes of the racial inequities we see today. Each conversation will focus on how racism shows up in healthcare, education, employment, policing, housing, and other systems. The first conversation focuses on policing and will take place on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 5PM. June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, holds incredible significance by commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. We will begin our discussion with recognition of this special day.

Upcoming Virtual Committee Meetings & Networking Events

June 16 – Young Entrepreneurs Committee (Register)

June 17 – LAGLCC Virtual Luncheon (Register)

June 25 – Construction Suppliers Showcase Event (Register)

June 30 – Virtual HH for LGBTQ Entrepreneurs of Color (Register)

July 2 – Online LAGLCC Networking Mixer (Register)

July 7 – How to Drive Sales through Corporate Storytelling (Register)

July 8 – How B Corps are Creating Shared Prosperity (Register)

July 17 – Ask a QuickBooks Online Proadvisors (Register) Historical Victory!

Aretha Franklin Never Gonna Break My Heart Video

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RCA Records, RCA Inspiration and Legacy Recordings collaborate to release a never-before-heard solo version of “Never Gonna Break My Faith” by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, featuring The Boys Choir of Harlem. Co-written by award-winning singer/songwriter Bryan Adams, the Grammy Award winning song was originally released as a duet with Mary J. Blige for the 2006 film Bobby. Over a decade later, the song’s lyrics are as urgent and poignant as ever.

Clive Davis, Sony Music’s Chief Creative Officer and longtime friend/producer of Ms. Franklin states, “The world is very different now. Change is everywhere and each of us, hopefully, is doing the best he or she can to move forward and make change as positive as possible. Music can play a major role here and Aretha’s performance is chilling. When you read the song’s lyric, and its relevance to what is happening today, it will shake every fiber in your body. Everyone should hear this record. It deserves to be an anthem.”

“When I wrote this song, I was channeling Aretha, never thinking that she’d ever actually sing the song,” says Adams. “The thought was to write a hymn, something that would try and articulate the feeling of faith, and that even though you might have lost something, there would always be an inner light to guide you. When the song was demo’d, I told the producers that Aretha would be the one to sing this – and sing it she did. This solo version has been sitting on my computer for years, and when I heard Clive was making a film on Aretha’s life, I sent this version to him. The world hasn’t heard her full performance and it really needed to be heard. I’m so glad it’s being released, the world needs this right now.”

About Aretha Franklin

She is both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known the world over simply by her first name: Aretha. The undisputed “Queen Of Soul” has created an amazing legacy that spans an incredible six decades, from her first recording as a teenage gospel star, to her last studio album, ARETHA FRANKLIN SINGS THE GREAT DIVA CLASSICS (RCA Records).

Her many countless classics include “(You Make Me Feel Like) A NaturalWoman,” “Chain Of Fools,” “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)”; her own compositions “Think,” “Daydreaming” and “Call Me”; her definitive versions of “Respect,” “I Say A Little Prayer” and “Rolling In The Deep”; and global hits like “Freeway Of Love,” “Jump To It,” “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”- her worldwide chart-topping duet with George Michael, and “A Rose Is Still A Rose.”

The recipient of the U.S.A.’s highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal Of Freedom, eighteen GRAMMY Awards, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement and GRAMMY Living Legend awardee, Aretha Franklin’s powerful, distinctive gospel-honed vocal style has influenced countless singers across multi-generations, justifiably earning her Rolling Stone magazine’s No. 1 placing on the list of “The Greatest Singers Of All Time.” One of the best-selling female artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide, Ms. Franklin’s incomparable voice and remarkable career have left an indelible mark on the lives of many and will never be forgotten.

Coronavirus * Carhops

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A lot has been made of the fact that COVID-19 has accelerated a new normal void of handshakes, crowded spaces, and traditional workplaces, but has the virus actually sent us back in time rather than forcing the future?

If trends in fast food are any indication, COVID might be more of a blast from the past than a harbinger of things to come. Since mid-March (when the spread of COVID became front-page news) Sonic–known for its 1950’s-esque drive-in style carhop service–has cemented its place as the preferred fast food destination for diners who have ventured outside their homes.

Regional favorites such as Culver’s (WI) and Popeyes (LA) still have a loyal following in their respective home states and Taco Bell remains a popular choice, but it is clear that Sonic’s unique service model has likely played a role in pandemic-weary travelers looking for a bite to eat.

Flo Milli * New Release

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FLO MILLI RELEASES NEW TRACK “LIKE THAT BITCH” HO, WHY IS YOU HERE? EP DUE OUT IN JULY VIA RCA RECORDS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Today, 20-year-old rising Mobile, Alabama rapper, Flo Milli releases her new track “Like That Bitch” via RCA Records. The track is currently featured on today’s Spotify New Music Friday billboard in Times Square which is part of the monumental New Music Friday Black Music Takeover for Juneteenth.

Flo Milli also announces the release of her debut EP, Ho, Why Is You Here? is due out next month in July. On the release of the EP, Flo explains: “This project is introducing a revamped newer me. A newer version of myself that I’m still discovering. This phase of me comes with an ego and an attitude. This is setting the tone for what I have to come in the future, I want everyone to feel the energy I’m coming with.”

The EP will include “Like That Bitch” and previously released tracks including “Eat It Up,” “Not Friendly” and “My Attitude,” which was met with great critical acclaim upon release with The New York Times including in the track in “The Playlist” and describing her as “A clever, cheerful lyricist” and explaining, “‘My Attitude’ might be her best to date, a persistently tough blend of aw-shucks sexual candor and eye-rolling dismissals.”

The track also received a rave review from NYLON and its video premiered on The FADER who describes her, “Aside from her flows and lyrics, Flo Milli has a good sense of melody and knows where to sprinkle it in.” Flo Milli first broke onto the scene in 2019 with her track “Beef FloMix” which landed on the Spotify US Viral 50, peaking at #2. The track then began taking off on TikTok with thousands of original videos, with Rolling Stone covering its success on the platform and NPR Music naming the track “5 TikTok Songs From 2019 We’ll Actually Remember.

With “Beef FloMix” and the release of her follow up track “In The Party” she became a TikTok sensation with over half a million videos created with millions of views. Combined she has amassed over 100 million streams worldwide.

All of the success led to co-signs from the likes of Halle Berry, SZA, and Cardi B on Instagram, as well as Lil Nas X and PAPER Magazine using her lyrics on an Obama meme. Complex has also included her in their “20 Rappers to Watch in 2020” list Listen to “Like That Bitch” and keep an eye out for more on Ho, Why Is You Here? coming soon.

Listen to “Like That Bitch” HERE and keep an eye out for more on Ho, Why Is You Here? coming soon.

Listen/Watch: “Eat It Up”

Listen to: “Not Friendly”

Listen: “My Attitude”

Watch: “My Attitude”

Keep Up with Flo Milli:

Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | Website

Teyana Taylor * New Album

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TEYANA TAYLOR RELEASES THE ALBUM TODAY VIA G.O.O.D. MUSIC/DEF JAM RECORDINGS.

THE ALBUM FEATURES SPECIAL GUESTS RICK ROSS, ERYKAH BADU, QUAVO, MISSY ELLIOTT, FUTURE, BIG SEAN, MS. LAURYN HILL & MORE.

LISTEN HERE

Teyana Taylor has dropped her highly anticipated third LP, THE ALBUM, today via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings. THE ALBUM features special guests Rick Ross, Erykah Badu, Quavo, Missy Elliott, Future, Big Sean & more.

Stream THE ALBUM HERE

Tapped by Pitchfork as one of the “most anticipated albums of the summer, THE ALBUM also features Teyana’s new graduation anthem “Made It,” pegged by NPR as a “a triumphant, isolation-proof anthem for the Class of 2020,” the Janet Jackson-approved viral sensation “Bare Wit Me” the Kanye West-produced “We Got Love.” and “How You Want It? (HYWI?)” featuring King Combs.

Since 2018’s KTSE, Teyana’s star has continued to rise; from her successful career as video director and continued investment in her production company, The Aunties, to her acting and modeling career, to a string of scintillating self-directed singles and videos, including “Morning” with Kehlani. THE ALBUM is poised to take her to the next level.

THE ALBUM is the highly anticipated successor to K.T.S.E. (June 2018), Teyana’s second album, one of the five G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam albums produced by Kanye West during his 2018 sojourn in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. K.T.S.E. (acronym for Keep That Same Energy) set off an 18-month chain reaction for Teyana, starting with its summertime Top 10 R&B smash “Gonna Love Me.” She performed “Gonna Love Me” (in a medley with “Rose In Harlem,”another K.T.S.E. track) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Hip-hop audiences embraced the “Gonna Love Me” remix featuring Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Raekwon, whose video was directed by Teyana. K.T.S.E. spun off a hot new single and video for Teyana in early 2019, the explicit “WTP (Work This P***y).”The video was nominated for “Best Dance Performance” at the 32nd annual BET Soul Train Awards. The third single from K.T.S.E. was the evocative “Issues/Hold On.” After slaying the audience with the song live on Ellen in April 2019, Teyana was surprised on-air when Ellen presented her with the RIAA gold award plaque for “Gonna Love Me,” bringing it all full circle.

About TEYANA TAYLOR:

Being a jack of trades has enabled Teyana Taylor to become a master of all. From her smoky melodic vocals to her dynamic dance moves, the R&B superstar entertainer dips in dives between her talents as singer, songwriter, producer, director, dancer/choreographer, actor, fitness guru, model, and mother. When it comes to describing herself, the Harlem native can only think of one word: Everything.

“I literally can do everything. I never look at anything as being impossible,” she explains. “I exhaust all options to make what happen when I need to make happen.” Her mantra made her an early favorite to artists like Pharrell, who she signed her first deal with, and later choreographed videos for artists like Beyoncé and Jay-Z. In 2014, Teyana’s love for the arts and R&B earned her the title of the first woman signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.

Between R&B’s identity crisis in the 2010s, Teyana dropped her debut album VII, with tracks like “Maybe” (featuring Yo Gotti and Pusha T) and the sultry “Just Different” shaping her musical persona. The critically acclaimed album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2014, cementing her position in today’s modern R&B field. “I fought for that raw, hood necessary R&B and now I feel like it’s better than ever,” she says.

After spicing up the R&B charts, Teyana was blessed with the arrival of her daughter Junie with husband and NBA star Iman Shumpert in 2015. “I do all of this for my baby. She’s who I do it for,” she says about Iman “Junie” Tayla Shumpert Jr., her main source of inspiration. “I always show her how to be a leader and a businesswoman. I want her to believe that she can be anything she wants to be and it not be a shocker that she’s a female doing it all.” Soon after, Teyana went on to star in the internet-breaking video for Kanye West’s “Fade,” and scored her first MTV Moonman for “Best Choreography” at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.

But it wasn’t until the release of her second album project K.T.S.E.(released June 2018) that the world caught up with Teyana’s talents. With her all-female production company The Aunties, Teyana self-directed videos for “WTP,” the RIAA gold-selling single “Gonna Love Me,” (whose remix features Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Raekwon), and recently, “Issues/Hold On.”

Teyana has also directed videos for her peers like T.I. (“You”), Monica (“Commitment”), and Lil Duval (“Pull Up” featuring Ty Dolla $ign) with fans like Ms. Lauryn Hill and Elton John praising her boss moves. Part of what makes Teyana stand out from the rest is her ability to move with precision and poise in everything she does.

From the studio to the stage, every idea is a project with the singer front and center with a vision all her own. With her musical inspirations like Aaliyah, Teena Marie, Mint Condition and Janet Jackson speaking to her soul, Teyana is aware her mission is larger than life. “I’m working on me every day and I think that’s my purpose,” she says, comparing her life to a never-ending book. “I’m still going, still mastering and being a better me.”

FOLLOW TEYANA TAYLOR:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

SBE Ribbon Cutting

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Commemorating the reopening of its portfolio in Miami, SBE Entertainment hosted a blue ribbon cutting ceremony at SLS Brickell with Area Vice President Marco Selva and Commissioner Eileen Higgins as well as an evening ceremony at SLS South Beach with Area Vice President Simon Sorpresi and Commissioners Michael Gongora and Mark Samuelian.

The hospitality company’s luxury-lifestyle portfolio includes SLS Brickell, SLS LUX Brickell, SLS South Beach, Hyde Midtown Miami and Shore Club as well as restaurants and bars such as The Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya, Fi’lia, SAAM Lounge, Diez y Seis, Hyde Beach and Sky Bar.

Roger Guenvuer Virtual Discussion

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Immediately following a free coordinated Netflix screening of his Bessie Award-winning solo performance RODNEY KING, Roger Guenveur Smith will engage in conversation with Sarah Bellamy, Artistic Director of St. Paul’s Penumbra Theatre, where the play was produced in 2015, and Rohan Preston, lead theatre critic of the Minneapolis StarTribune.

Bellamy, Preston, and Smith will discuss theatre as an essential public service, and its historic and contemporary response to civic crisis. Smith has a longstanding alliance with Twin Cities institutions which also includes the Guthrie Theatre, the Walker Arts Center, Macalester College, and the Eastside Freedom Library.

Mr. Smith will address the impetus and continued influence of what Mr. Preston describes as a “mesmerizing” tour-de-force, directed for the screen by Mr. Smith’s longtime colleague Spike Lee. Calling King “the first reality tv star,” Smith recounts his savage videotaped beating by four LAPD officers in 1991, the murderous fracture of Los Angeles after the officers were found not guilty of assault charges in 1992, and King’s tragic navigation of notoriety which ended in 2012, when he drowned in his backyard swimming pool.

In commemoration of Eric Garner, killed in custody of the NYPD in 2014, and in eerie premonition of George Floyd, killed in custody of the Minneapolis Police Department in 2020, Smith appends their final words to King’s “Can We All Get Along” speech:

“I Can’t Breathe.”

Complimentary viewing courtesy of Netflix

MEET THE PANELISTS

SARAH BELLAMY

Artistic Director for Penumbra Theatre Company, St. Paul Minnesota.

ROHAN PRESTON

Writer and critic Rohan Preston has covered performing arts in the Twin Cities for the Star Tribune since 1998.

ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH

Award winning actor, writer, and director.