Posts made in February 2021

Lewis Brice x “It’s You”

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Lewis Brice celebrates love with a “subtle yet goosebump inducing music video” (says Tricia Despres) for his endearing single “It’s You.” People exclusively premiered the video for the “perfectly romantic love song” (says Alison Bonaguro), which was co-written by Brice with Ben Simonetti and Niko Moon, and co-produced by Lee Brice and Simonetti. The single has been one of Brice’s most successful to date, amassing more than 15 million streams since its release.

The song’s sweet sentiment effortlessly comes to life in the intimate video which features Brice’s girlfriend, Denelle Manzer. The video was directed by Chase Lauer (Sam Hunt, Lee Brice, Brett Young, Trace Adkins) and Becca Heup (Mitchell Tenpenny, Walker Mcguire, Filmore, Jerrod Niemann) at the Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville.

“When I envisioned the video for ‘It’s You’ in my head, I saw something simple and sweet, no big crowds or anything over the top,” shared Brice. “This song is a personal one and has a lot of meaning to me so it was important that the video stayed true to the message of the song. I don’t need anything else, it’s you I need.”

“It’s always so much fun to get in the studio and work with my brother on his music,” said Lee Brice. “I’m proud of ‘It’s You’ and how well it has done and was honored to co-produce it with Ben Simonetti. It’s such a special song that comes from the heart.”

“It’s You” has seen tremendous streaming success. In addition to garnering more than 15 million streams, the single has been added to key country and all-genre playlists, most recently Amazon’s Country Heat. Additionally, the single has spent four weeks on the Spotify Daily Viral 50 Charts and three weeks on the Spotify Weekly Viral 50 Charts, garnering around 870k streams weekly across all streaming services. The love song was co-written by Brice with Ben Simonetti and Niko Moon. Ben Simonetti also produced the track, which has been featured on pivotal playlists including Spotify’s Global Viral, Hot Country, US Viral, Breakout Country and New Boots, Apple Music’s Breaking Country, Pure Country Radio, Pandora’s New Country Radio playlists, and many more. Fans can watch Brice perform this single and more fan favorite hits during his weekly Monday night Happy Hour, “Live with Lewis,” at 5 p.m. CST on his Facebook and Instagram.

Here’s an overview of playlists including “It’s You”:

Spotify Hot Country

Spotify New Boots

Spotify Wild Country

Spotify New Music Nashville

Spotify Next From Nashville

Spotify Breakout Country

Apple Music Soundcheck

Apple Music Country Lovin’ (Canada)

Apple Music Breaking Country

Apple Music Light My Fire

Apple Pure Country Radio

Radio Disney Country Playlist

YouTube Country Paradise

Pandora New Country Radio

Spotify Global Viral 50

Spotify US Viral 50

Spotify Country Songs 2020 – Best Country Music Playlists 2020

Spotify May 2020 Monthly Country Music Hits

Spotify Country Top Tracks

Spotify Canada Viral 50

Spotify Viral

Spotify As 50 virais do mundo

Apple Country Risers

Sirius XM On the Horizon

Pandora Country Love Songs

Pandora Emerging Artists

Amazon Fresh Country

For more information and the latest news on Lewis Brice, follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit his website.

ABOUT LEWIS BRICE:

Lewis’s debut self-titled EP, produced by himself and his brother Lee Brice, was released via Pump House Music on July 14th, 2017 to glowing reviews, landing at No. 11 on the US iTunes Country chart. Since then, Lewis has been named one of Rolling Stone Country’s “New Country Artists You Need to Know” and Billboard’s “Country Artists to Watch in 2018”. Tracks from the EP were featured on SiriusXM The Highway, CMT Music, and Spotify’s New Boots & Wild Country playlists, and its lead single ‘Best Ex Ever’ reached the Top 40 of MusicRow’s Country Breakout radio chart. The next chapter of Lewis’ music was unveiled with “Blessed” as the first single from his forthcoming second collection of songs, which was introduced to the world by a special Thanksgiving acoustic performance premiere with his brother, Lee Brice. The single was also recognized internationally when Brice received a British Country Music Award for International Song of the Year. Following by “It’s You,” a huge streaming success, which amassed more than 14 million streams since its release and placement on key playlists including Spotify’s Global Viral, Hot Country, US Viral, Breakout Country and New Boots, Apple Music’s Breaking Country, Pure Country Radio, Pandora’s New Country Radio playlists and many more, Brice’s streaming continues to flourish as his music garners more than 30 million overall streams. With more new music on the horizon, 2021 promises to be the best year yet for Lewis Brice!

Remote Learning Tips for Parents

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While remote learning can negatively impact motivation, engagement, and curiosity, there are ways to help stressed out students.

Emily Greene suggests 5 things that parents can proactively do at home to help their kids better manage the challenges of the disruption to schooling, and for some, the partial return to in-person learning.

As she writes in her book, “School, Disrupted”, parents can help to uplift and inspire their kids by trying these things, which in turn will also help teachers!

1) Make sure your child has free time/down time every day. This is necessary to activate an important brain network called the Default Mode Network (DMN). Scientists know that the DMN is intricately tied to curiosity, creativity, and imagination which can help boost engagement and motivation in these challenging times.

2) Curate their curiosity. Asking questions stimulates curiosity, which is directly tied to engagement and joy in learning. Parents can help jostle our children out of the “circle the correct choice” mindset and make way for open-ended questions that are vital to learning. As parents, we can be too quick to provide advice, opinions, and answers. To foster curiosity, try to hold back, ask questions, and listen. In an article for the Harvard Educational Review, Susan Engel of Williams College argues for the promotion of curiosity in schools, calling for a “shift in the way we see the traditional role of a teacher from one who answers questions to one who elicits them.” Let this be your guiding principle–eliciting questions will uncover a treasure trove of curiosity.

3) Encourage kids to get hands-on. Ask them what they want to create, make, or build. Doing activities that are off the computer and are hands-on engage them in learning in new ways. Other ways to get hands-on are to go outside. Or, take a virtual field trip!

4) As parents, we can also help teachers come up with ideas to integrate more fun and engagement into Zoom-based lessons. Teachers have a tough job right now trying to engage both in-person and remote learners. Sharing Zoom Boosters, (found in Emily’s book) shows that you care and are engaged in being part of the solution.

5) Encourage your child to get creative with their assignments–for example, by self-advocating for choice in projects. If the teacher plans to give a multiple-choice unit test, urge your child to ask if they can make a poster, a brochure, or a podcast covering the subject matter instead. If they are uninspired by the list of writing prompts for a class paper, encourage them to ask the teacher about selecting a personalized prompt that they are more excited to write about. When they are given an assignment, encourage them to ask the teacher, “Can I make a short film for my final? Can I write a short story? Can I put on a play? Can I build a contraption that would demonstrate this principle of physics?” The worst that can happen is the teacher says no—but more often than not, teachers appreciate the initiative because they know it shows a passion for learning during a very tough time due to the pandemic.

Emily Greene (www.emilygreene.com) is author of School, Disrupted: Rediscovering the Joy of Learning in a Pandemic-Stricken World in which she shares her experience educating her children inside and outside of traditional schools. She developed the Kiddovate program, working with hundreds of teachers and students. She also is cofounder of VIVA Creative, where she and her team create live and digital experiences. When the pandemic shut down the event industry, Greene co-led VIVA in rethinking how to bring people together in a global pandemic. In 2020, she received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award recognizing innovation during adversity.

Planet Classroom Reflects on The Holocaust

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In the new Planet Classroom podcast, young filmmakers reflect on the Holocaust and lessons to be learned about anti-semitism, racism and dehumanizing people of different races, religions and sexual identities.

The Holocaust survivors somehow got through one of the darkest periods in human history. Six million Jewish people were killed. GenZ are the last generation with the privilege to meet survivors. Young filmmakers Eva Suissa, Hank Schoen and Ian Kim joined Planet Classroom’s virtual host, Orb, to speak about lessons learned while making their film, “Hold the Sun in Your Hands: The Erika Jacoby Story”. The film, which won the Best Student Documentary at The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, is now screening on the Planet Classroom Network YouTube Channel.

Filmmaker Eva Suissa struggles with how anyone could have let the Holocaust actually happen, and believes that only art has “the unique capability” to express this “traumatic and horrible” chapter in human history. Her Co-Director, Hank Schoen, says the rise of white supremacists and politicians who support them scares him because people “still haven’t learned the lessons about anti-semitism and racism, about scapegoating and dehumanizing people of different races, religions or sexual identities.” Schoen believes however that their film offers “hope” and “a belief in people’s ability to change and redeem themselves.”

About The Planet Classroom Network

The Planet Classroom Network, organized by CMRubinWorld, brings together musicians, dancers, video game creators, filmmakers, learning innovators and emerging technologists from all over the world to entertain, educate and engage youth, and to provide a rich cultural experience at a time when art and learning institutions everywhere are not accessible. Curators and content contributors include Global Nomads, Global Oneness, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Commffest, KIDS FIRST!, Dream a Dream Foundation, OddWorld Inhabitants, Psyon Games, Challenge 59, LXL Ideas, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Creative Visions Foundation, Battery Dance, SIMA Classroom, Young Voices for the Planet, Bard Conservatory, Taking It Global, Materials for the Arts, Book Creator, XTalks, NFFTY, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace, Ryan Wong Classroom, The Global Search for Education, Voice America, Rocketium and Brandartica. Young people from around the world played a significant role in conceptualizing, creating, and producing the network’s vision and programming.

Visit the Planet Classroom Network YouTube channel

SHEPPARD x “KALEIDOSCOPE EYES”

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The band celebrates the release of their third studio album streamed worldwide from Brisbane this February!

Just 2 weeks away from the release of their highly anticipated album “Kaleidoscope Eyes”, Australian pop-powerhouse Sheppard have unveiled plans to broadcast their very special one-off live show in their hometown of Brisbane, to celebrate their third full length release!

Under strict Covid restrictions, a live audience of only a 1000 will share in this magical live experience. For fans around the world, from Tokyo to Los Angeles, London to Berlin and all of Australia who are unable to see the show live-and-in-person, Sheppard have unveiled details on where you can tune in and see the one-off performance in its entirety, from the comfort of your couch!

Thanks to the genius minds at Youtube, fans around the world will be able to tune in and see the new album in its entirety live at the following times:

Brisbane – 13.00 Saturday 27th Feb
New Zealand – 16.00 Saturday 27th Feb
Philippines – Saturday 10.00 am Feb 27th
Tokyo – 12.00 Saturday Feb 27th.
Los Angeles – 19.00 Friday 26th Feb
New York- 22.00 Friday 26th Feb
London –03.00 Saturday 27th Feb
Europe Central Time – 04.00 Saturday 27th Feb
South America – 12 midnight Friday 26th Feb

“We didn’t want anyone to miss out on the show, so we’re going to be streaming the entire performance online for anyone in another state or country! As it is our only live show, we have built an amazing production”

– George Sheppard

The release of “Kaleidoscope Eyes”–which officially drops on Friday, February 26^th, comes off the back of a rollercoaster of a year; one that included a global pandemic, a performance to millions at the AFL Grand Final and an entire year’s worth of singles and music videos landing each month for Sheppard’s fans.

Supported by Mason Watts
THE FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL | FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY, 2021

ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Thought, Drake, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives, Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, Lava Records, XO, Young Money, among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with Universal Music Latin Entertainment (J Balvin and Karol G). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse) and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises. Extending further into the worlds of film, television, and content, Republic launched Federal Films in order to produce movies and series powered by the label’s catalog and artists. Its first production was the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness for Amazon Prime Video.

WoW Classic: The Big Finale

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Measuring Success

With all of the original content being added to World of Warcraft (WoW), and the next possible Classic expansion pack being announced in a manner of weeks, it’s a good place to look back at all of the experiences we’ve had with the game. It’s not a question of if the game is worth it or not because, of course, it is worth it. It’s more of a question of: Did this version of the Vanilla game patch live up to your expectations? The experience of playing this game was a rollercoaster, and not everything went well with the first try. That being said, you have to admit, it was pretty epic. The game stood the test of time these past 12 months, though many had doubted that the hype would last, even the game’s own developers.

The legendary server queues lasted for a while. Respected forum experts had predicted that it would only take a month until the masses will stop flooding into the game, when their first month of subscription ends. However, the experts and prophets were wrong–huge queues lasted until November 2019, when they finally began to thin out. By that time, the developers opened up a few new servers, which, weirdly enough, nobody really visited. They also increased the server’s capacity to accept more players. Still, the hype hasn’t faded away for some time, it was revived for a second wave when the quarantine kicked in. All responsible workers who moved to work from home often mistook the WoW shortcut with other work-related shortcuts on the desktop, which also increased its popularity. Based on all of those factors, the experiment with reviving Vanilla Wow was successful.

The Spirit of Vanilla

What a lot of players liked about experiencing this older version of the game is the feeling of playing a true RPG. All of the older mechanics in the game that made it more difficult and not very player-friendly at the same time encourages players to really get in the shoes of their chosen characters. It’s hard to get the same feeling in Retail (another WoW expansion) with all of the systems and mechanics that make the game’s interaction with the fantasy world as seamless as possible. The Classic game mode feels nostalgic, while also giving gamers lots of new memories like taking part in the server’s opening, or realizing what it means to farm yourself to sleep. Many gamers witnessed the opening of the Ahn’qiraj Gates opening for the first time, which in itself was one of the most essential events in the history of this game. The paradox of the spirit of Vanilla is an interesting one.

On the one hand, you have the turtle-like speed of leveling in Vanilla, an almost meditative gameplay that creates a unique experience. On the other hand, in 2021, not a lot of us are ready to spend time in something as calm and tranquil. If 15 years ago, this game had too much content, today, it doesn’t have quite enough. We constantly desire to be entertained every second. That being said, there are a lot of ways to speed up the boring routine. One of the best methods to do so is using a WoW Classic boosting that speeds up the progress only when gameplay starts to feel like a drag, making World of Warcraft truly special.

Plastic Surgeon × Breast Reconstruction

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Specialist Dr. Constance Chen Offers Practical Tips on Putting a New Nipple on a Reconstructed Breast

Reconstructing the nipple-areola complex completes the sense of restoration that helps some women put cancer behind them.

More and more women who have lost a breast to mastectomy now choose breast reconstruction. Reconstruction can be performed either at the time of the mastectomy, called “immediate reconstruction,” or later, called “delayed reconstruction.” Breast reconstruction can also be performed either via breast implants or with a woman’s own natural tissue. Using her own tissue to fashion a new breast, a procedure known as “autologous reconstruction,” results in a soft, warm, natural breast that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from a woman’s original breast, especially when a woman has had a nipple-sparing mastectomy. For women who cannot undergo nipple-sparing mastectomy, it is possible to reconstruct the nipple-areola complex. “Having a new breast with a nipple is important to many women,” says plastic surgeon and breast specialist Dr. Constance M. Chen. Reconstructing the nipple-areola complex completes the sense of restoration that helps some women put cancer behind them.”

Women who are considering a mastectomy that preserves the nipple-areola complex must be evaluated to ensure that there is no tumor tissue near the nipple and no symptoms such as discharge that might indicate the presence of disease in the nipple itself. Those who are not candidates for nipple-preserving surgery can consider nipple reconstruction, which folds and sutures a flap of skin from the surrounding breast tissue to form a mound in the shape of a nipple. Nipple reconstruction typically also requires tattooing several months after surgery to add color to the healed reconstructed nipples.

For women who would like to bypass surgical nipple reconstruction, there are also tattoo artists who specialize in tattooing the nipple-areola complex directly on the breast mound. This less invasive procedure has become increasingly popular as the techniques have become increasingly sophisticated, even creating a realistic three-dimensional effect. 3-D tattooing may be performed in the surgeon’s office or by a trained tattoo artist in a shop or specialized medical center. It is generally performed several months after breast reconstruction surgery when surgical scars are completely healed.

“While a nipple tattoo cannot create an actual projection, a high-quality, detailed tattoo, designed for each woman, can appear to have dimension as well as the shading, shadows, and coloration of a natural nipple,” Dr. Chen says. The practitioner consults with each patient to determine how to best match the nipple to her skin tone and to create the appearance she wants. The inks used are mixed to create the best color for each woman. When the tattoo is to be applied to only one breast, it can be designed to match the appearance of her natural breast.

Depending on how much sensation a woman has in her reconstructed breast, the tattooing procedure may be completely painless or may be performed with a local anesthetic. Healing takes a week to ten days.

Finally, a prosthetic nipple can be used to place an extremely realistic nipple-areola complex on the breast. Usually made of silicone, the prosthetic nipple-areola complexes come in many different colors and projections, and are glued onto the breast mound. Women can swim and take showers with the prosthetic nipple on their breast, and then take them off to wash them with soap and water if they start attracting lint. They can then be reglued to the breast mound.

“The results achieved with prosthetic nipples can be truly impressive,” says Dr. Chen. “For women who aren’t candidates for a nipple-preserving mastectomy or who want to avoid the additional surgery of nipple reconstruction, a prosthetic nipple is a straightforward, non-invasive procedure that completes the breast reconstruction that restores a woman’s self-image as she moves confidently forward.”

Constance M. Chen, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon with special expertise in the use of innovative natural techniques to optimize medical and cosmetic outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction. She is Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College and Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) at Tulane University School of Medicine.

2021 Valentine’s Day Drink List

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Valentine’s Day is always a day full of romance, love and of course, alcohol. 360 Magazine has curated a list of the most divine drinks for this season of intimacy. Making these drinks for a loved one is a sure way to show your adoration.

D’USSE Between the Sheets

Glassware: Coupe

Ingredients:

1 ½ parts D’USSE VSOP Cognac
1 part Bacardi Superior Rum
1 part Orange Curacao
½ part fresh lemon juice

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass

Sandra Guibord’s Wine Picks

Sandra Guibord, Founder of Sandra’s Wine Life, has affordable and approachable wine recommendations for you to consider this Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day.

Sandra’s Top Bottle Recommendations for this Day of Love:

For a Sparkling Wine Try: Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut
For a White Wine Try: Domaine Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 2018
For a Red Wine Try: Zorzal Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc 2018

Elysian Brewing’s Fuzzduster

Made by combining two of the company’s most popular beers – Space Dust IPA and Superfuzz Pale Ale – Fuzzduster is the love child of the two, boasting bright and bitter notes that complement one another nicely and bring out each other’s best qualities.

Fuzzduster can be whipped up in a matter of seconds and is the perfect concoction to create with your significant other (or by yourself, more power to you!) before sitting down for Valentine’s Day festivities at home. All you have to do is combine half a glass of Space Dust and half a glass of Superfuzz with one another, sip and enjoy!

Elysian is also hosting a sweepstake throughout the month of February, where one lucky winner will win a $2,000 Airbnb gift card – to enter, just text “FUZZDUSTER” to 78896 between 2/1 and 2/28.

Cavit Collection Wines

Cavit Sweet Red: A new, lusciously sweet red wine cultivated in vineyards in Vallagrina and Veneto with pronounced cherry and raspberry notes. This delectable beverage pairs well with red meat dishes and are excellent with spicy foods, along with grilled meats and vegetables. The wine has an ABV of 10.5% and is available in 750ml and 1.5l.

Cavit Rosé: It’s never too early for Rose season…especially during a global pandemic. Cavit’s Rosé features beautiful aromas of fresh strawberry and cherries and comes from a blend of native Trentino red grapes. The wine is best served with fish dishes and white meat.

Cavit Moscato: This sweet wine features delicious notes of apricot, white peach and sage, a true Italian gem. Cavit’s Moscato is best served with flavorful appetizers, cheeses, spicy dishes, and fruit and chocolate. The wine has an ABV of 7.5% and is available in 750ml and 1.5l.

Winter Moscato Cocktail (Source: Cavit Collection Wines and Honest Cooking)

INGREDIENTS
- 2 parts Moscato wine
- 1 part cranberry juice
- 1 part ginger beer/ale
- sugared cranberries
DIRECTIONS
- Shake wine and juice together with ice, strain into glass (no glass preference from client) and top with ginger beer/ale.
- Garnish with a toothpick of sugared cranberries.

Las Vegas-Based Tour Provider

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When Bindlestiff Tours owner Rachel Urban opened the Las Vegas-based adventure tour company nearly 10 years ago, she sought to offer adventurers the most immersive experiences throughout the Southwestern United States, Alaska and Western Canada. In the days leading up to the pandemic, Bindlestiff Tours was doing just that. Business was booming and the company welcomed thousands of international visitors each year.

Then borders closed, shutdowns began and the international tourism industry dried up. As reservations were cancelled and trips delayed, many tour operators opted to close their doors entirely. Yet, Bindlestiff made the bold, yet tough, decision to remain open last year as one of the only fully operating national park tour companies in Las Vegas during the height of the pandemic. Today, Bindlestiff continues to fight challenges created by the pandemic while still welcoming drive-market travelers to keep the business afloat.

“Like many small businesses in the tourism industry, we’re fighting every day to keep our operation running while safeguarding our staff and customers’ health and well-being,” said Urban.

With group size limits, mask enforcement rules and social distancing guidelines differing state by state, Bindlestiff’s high operating and cleaning costs for their spectacular multi-state tours through Nevada, Arizona, Utah and California have risen while the number of guests they are able to accommodate continues to remain restricted.

Navigating which national parks and campsites are open also presents another obstacle for Bindlestiff Tours. A spike in COVID-19 cases often leads to sudden park or campsite closures or limited access to certain destinations which creates challenges in how Bindlestiff times tours, according to Urban.

Last-minute tour reservations and cancellations also add to the company’s dilemma of planning how many guests they are able to welcome on a given day.

“While it certainly has been difficult to accommodate travelers visiting Las Vegas on a whim, it brings us such gratitude knowing there are still domestic tourists searching to get away and immerse themselves in nature,” said Urban.

The immersive tour operator celebrates the small victories such as welcoming travelers from neighboring states, even if group sizes remain small, and continues to offer flexible booking conditions, value tour pricing and additional traveler options.

Among these additional options are Bindlestiff Tours’ new multi-day, self-driving camping tours and private, custom single- or multi-day tours from Las Vegas.

The self-drive camping tours, also available with hotel upgrades, offer travelers an opportunity to socially distance under the stars. According to Urban, these tours are designed for guests interested in driving to the national parks of the American Southwest on their own, while still receiving expert guidance and an immersive, personalized adventure.

Guests are provided with all the necessary camping equipment and tour guides assist with camp set-up in scenic locations. Expert tour guides meet guests at key locations throughout the tour and escort groups on remote hiking trails to spectacular viewpoints while providing live interpretive wildlife and nature content throughout the adventure.

According to Bindlestiff, guides also facilitate evening campfires and locally sourced, fully catered al fresco dining options at camp or for hotel guests.

To enhance the self-drive experience, Urban says guests can download the recently reconfigured Bindlestiff Tours mobile app. Now featuring tour narrations in English for domestic travelers in addition to multiple languages for international visitors, the app allows travelers to access additional details, instruction and information.

For families or groups of friends of four or more interested in experiencing national parks in a more intimate setting, Bindlestiff also offers private, custom tour options. These tour packages are pre-made and offer exclusive one-on-one attention from a dedicated, expert local guide. Guests may select day tours or multi-day outdoor camping tours or the comfort of hotel accommodation. Guides escort groups on a completely private tour throughout the experience. Guests have the option to choose from classic itineraries or request a custom-tailored tour and add on other areas of interest, according to Urban.

Despite the overall decrease in travelers resulting from the pandemic, Bindlestiff Tours understands the importance of continuing to provide vacationers with spectacular opportunities to visit some of the country’s most breathtaking national parks when they are ready to travel again.

“During the height of the shutdown last year, we were one of the only fully operating tour providers in Las Vegas,” said Urban. “We understand the importance of offering travelers expert guides for incredible experiences they’ll never forget, especially during such a difficult time. It truly brings our team joy.”

As Bindlestiff continues to expand its tour offerings when more people begin to travel again, the challenges of remaining viable and laying the foundation for recovery in a post-COVID economy remains present. This year, Bindlestiff is excited to launch “glamping” tours that allow families and private groups the peace of the great outdoors paired with more elevated living accommodations.

According to Urban, the tour company remains hopeful about the future. She said guests booking trips with Bindlestiff this year have felt reassured about their health and safety – some even going as far as sharing their uplifting experiences on social media.

“Our company is beyond grateful we have remained open throughout these challenging times to welcome those searching to get out of their houses and into the wilderness,” said Urban.

For more information about private custom tours and self-drive tours, visit www.bindlestifftours.com.

Catfishing During COVID

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A new study expects there to be an unprecedented rise in online romance scams this Valentine’s Day, with scammers praying on lonely and isolated people during the pandemic.

Americans lost $201 million to romance scams in 2019, more than any other type of scam. Virginia had the eighth most victims in the nation.

When the FTC releases the final totals for 2020, they are likely to increase in correlation with surging dating app usage due to more Americans turning online for human connection.

Bumble saw an 84% increase in video calls and Match Group, which owns 60% of the market including Tinder, saw subscriptions increase by 15%.

SocialCatfish.com released a study, Catfishing: A Growing Epidemic During COVID-19, using the most recent data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. It also includes an exclusive seven-minute video interview with a Nigerian scammer, and a 20-page leaked playbook.

The study warns of 5 tactics scammers are using:

1. Cannot Meet Because of COVID: The hallmark of a catfish scammer is to come up with excuses of why they cannot meet, such as pretending to be in the military overseas. The pandemic gives them a built-in excuse not to meet. Be careful.

2. Will Not Video Chat: The oldest excuse in the book… they cannot video chat with you because their video camera is supposedly “broken”, or they do not have the best access to Wi-Fi. These are red flags.

3. They Ask You for Money: Once they form an emotional connection with lonely victims, they ask for money. During COVID-19, scammers have begun saying they are sick and need help with treatment, or are low on food, water, and other supplies.

4. Poor Grammar: If the person claims to be American but has terrible grammar, they may be a scammer.

5. Confesses Love Quickly: If you are stuck in your house with limited contact with your loved ones, then someone else’s sweet words can win you over. Scammers know that the sooner they win your trust, the sooner they can drain your bank account. Beware of someone who is moving too fast.

5 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Victim:

1. Never Give Money: Do not give anyone you meet online money, no matter the reason.

2. Meet or Video Chat: Do not form a relationship with someone who will not video chat with you or meet you in person.

3. Do Not Give Personal Information: Scammers can use basic information to commit identity fraud, get access to your banks and steal your money.

4. Conduct Thorough Background Checks: Do not take someone’s word for it. Use reverse look-up sites to verify information, images, email addresses, phone numbers and online profiles.

5. Take Things Slow: If you like someone online, do not let them rush you. Nigerian romance scammers will be pushy about falling in love right away. If that is the case, know something is not right.

C.S. Armstrong – “Crazy” & “Welcome To America”

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With a fascinating journey as a child prodigy turned preacher and army veteran turned soul-shaking artist, C.S. Armstrong shares a pair of new recordings today. First, he serves up a bluesy and bold cover of the Gnarls Barkley classic “Crazy.” The video highlights the intensity of his delivery with intimate closeups as he sings in the studio.

Watch “Crazy”—HERE.

Then, there’s “Welcome To America” with Black Thought. He joined forces with the legendary Roots co-founder and elite rapper for this standout from the Judas and the Black Messiah Soundtrack—available now.

Listen to “Welcome To America”—HERE.

Be on the lookout for more from C.S. Armstrong soon.

ABOUT C.S. ARMSTRONG

Born to a single mother in the service with a preacher grandma in his corner, C.S. Armstrong traveled an unbelievable road one step at a time. At 10-years-old, he preached in church as an ordained minister. At 16-years-old, he earned respect in the streets with his fists. At 18-years-old, he enlisted in the military to serve his country. Eight years later, he rolled into New York and lent his voice to one hip-hop banger after another. His instantly recognizable vocals shined on Statik Selektah’s “In The Wind” [feat. Joey Bada$$ & Big K.R.I.T] and Bun B, Prodigy, and Remy Bank’s “Where’s Your Leader.” His voice also coursed through Action Bronson’s tastemaker-approved Billboard Top 200 chart-topping Mr. Wonderful, in addition to joining the star on the road. Settling in Southern California, he powered Book’s “Last Man Standing” for the official Call of Duty: WWII trailer and dropped a pair of critically acclaimed independent projects, namely Truth Be Told [2019] and The Blue Tape [2020]. His voice echoed on Black Thought’s “We Could Be Good (United)” [feat. C.S. Armstrong & OSHUN] from the critical favorite Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cain & Able. Along the way, Dr. Dre became his “uncle,”Republic Records signed him, and he distilled gospel, blues, hip-hop, and rock into a sound as intoxicating and biting as aged whisky. Streamed millions of times and championed by Billboard, A COLORS SHOW, and more, OnesToWatch claimed, “The music is something to grow old with.” Now, he tells the story with no filter on a series of singles for Republic Records.

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