About Skyler Johnson

Dining Out for Life Fundraiser

Leave a reply

The last two years have curtailed most public events, but Dining Out For Life^® hosted by Subarusoldiered on by helping partner restaurants fill take-out or gift card orders while their own fundraising was severely limited. This year, nearly all of the 50+ Dining Out For Life licensed health care organizations are planning to host an event, inviting supporters to partake in a meal that will be meaningful to all involved.

Now in its 26^th year, Dining Out For Life is magnificent in its simplicity: Dine at a participating restaurant and that restaurant will donate a generous portion of the day’s proceeds to a local health organization providing essential services to those affected by HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. The 2022 fundraiser will be held on Thursday, April 28 in cities across North America. The event is traditionally held on the last Thursday in April, while some markets have alternate dates. To learn more about your region’s event and to make a reservation, click HERE.

Sixteen years ago, Subaru of America, the automaker committed to helping those in need, teamed up with the Dining Out For Life organization, along with spokespeople including Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped!; Mondo Guerra, Project Runway All Stars designer and HIV advocate; and film and television actor Pam Grier (Foxy Brown/Jackie Brown), who said: “While many of us may be limited in what we can donate, we can contribute our time to causes we care about. Consider sharing what you can by becoming a volunteer!”

Since 2006, Dining Out For Life has raised more than $52 million dollars with support from Subaru, thousands of restaurants and hundreds of volunteers.

“Subaru and our retailers are committed to caring for our communities nationwide, and over many years of partnership, we’ve been privileged to support the HIV/AIDS community through Dining Out For Life,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America, Inc. “We’re excited to bring Dining Out For Life back to cities across North America and invite people to sit down for a meal and show their support for their neighbors who are currently living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.”

How to participate:

Visit their website to find a Dining Out For Life event in your community.
Support participating restaurants – make a reservation, order takeout, or purchase gift certificates.
Donate directly to Dining Out For Life service organizations to support the continued work they do to make communities healthier.

Beyond King Tut

Leave a reply

Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience, a new exhibition developed in partnership with the National Geographic Society, commemorates the 100th anniversary of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Beyond King Tut will mark its world premiere with the start of its North American tour in spring 2022.

The world premiere showings include a special installation at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. (June 2022-February 2023) and SoWa Power Station in Boston (July 8-September 18).

Beyond King Tut will take visitors on a time-traveling journey flooded with sight, sound and intrigue through the world of King Tut—the boy who reigned as Pharaoh of Egypt more than 3,000 years ago—and the discovery of his tomb and treasures in 1922. The discovery of the intact tomb of King Tut captured the imagination of the world, and the mysteries surrounding the tomb still resonate to this day. Drawing from the storied archives of the National Geographic Society, the exhibition combines the power of cinematic storytelling and soaring imagery made possible with state-of-the-art projection mapping to invite visitors into the golden king’s world like never before.

“Beyond King Tut will be a must-see for anyone interested in Egypt and the history of King Tut,” said Kathryn Keane, vice president of public programming for the National Geographic Society. “New technologies are making it possible to fully immerse people like never before in important stories from our past, allowing us to develop connections and understand history’s influence on our present and future generations.”

Beyond King Tut is produced by Paquin Entertainment Group and Immersive Experiences. Paquin Entertainment Group’s exhibition portfolio includes the acclaimed Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet exhibitions that have attracted more than 3 million visitors around the world.

The North American debut of the award-winning virtual reality experience “Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb” will be presented alongside Beyond King Tut in select venues, including SoWa Power Station, as an optional add-on experience. Created by immersive cinematic storytelling company CityLights and voiced by lauded English actor Hugh Bonneville, the groundbreaking experience whisks guests through a photorealistic version of King Tut’s tomb and all its treasures, just as archeologist Howard Carter and his financier Lord Carnarvon found it when they first peered inside in 1922.

In addition to the premiere of Beyond King Tut, National Geographic is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in November 2022 with content including a documentary and a National Geographic magazine feature.

Prospective Beyond King Tut guests can sign up for tour date announcements and waitlist registration for priority access to tickets HERE.

Sunburst Nurseries × California Lightworks

Leave a reply

Sunburst Nurseries is known for cultivating dragon fruit, a mildly sweet flavored fruit often described as a blend of pear and kiwi. The fruit grows on a climbing cactus called hylocereus, which is typically found in tropical regions around the world. To grow dragon fruit in California, it is imperative that growers have the environment and lighting carefully designed and operated.

Sunburst Nurseries recently installed the California Lightworks’ MegaDrive® LED Grow light system in their Central Valley facility that distributes dragon fruit throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. The MegaDrive is a cost-effective LED lighting system for indoor grow operations that is simple to install yet highly effective in increasing both crop quality and yield.

“In summer, we are mostly growing outdoors, but for new plants and rooting the plants, we need to grow these plants indoors. That’s why we chose MegaDrive lighting—these tropical plants need meticulously crafted climate controls,” said Jose Acosta, with Sunburst Nurseries. “With MegaDrive we are able to grow plants faster—they take off. We are very impressed with these lights.”

The name “dragon fruit” has been used since around 1963, apparently resulting from the leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes on the fruit’s exterior.

“The MegaDrive installations are great because you can have the system that powers and controls the lights, installed outside of the grow room. This makes it so that the lighting system is resistant to the high humidity levels needed for the dragon fruit plants,” added California Lightworks CEO George Mekhtarian. “The system is able to be carefully turned for spectrum and intensity. The lighting can simulate sunrise and sunset, and the lighting intensity can be dialed up and down as necessary. With all the power electronics removed from the fixtures, the lights become very robust and ideal for high humidity environments.”

Controlling the MegaDrive is also incredibly easy: an entire crop’s life-cycle can be programmed from a single touch screen, and can be saved & repeated for all future crops. Every aspect of the yield can be adjusted from this one point, which can control an unlimited number of lights.

“Aside from a streamlined grow process, the MegaDrive also makes indoor set-up a breeze, with the ability to chain up to 27 fixtures from a single driver,” added Mekhtarian. “Our technology leads to a great reduction in heat, and with less drivers to power, it all adds up to significant savings and energy efficiency.”

“You will notice that if you walk around, the plants under the MegaDrive lighting are growing thicker and faster,” added Acosta. “The automation and reliability offered by California Lightworks is a game-changer for us.”

About California Lightworks

Since 2008, California Lightworks has been a pioneer in advanced technology LED lighting for horticulture. All products are designed, manufactured and supported in their Southern California factory and they stand behind every product they’ve ever made. From small-scale home grow to large-scale indoor and greenhouse applications, they offer optimal lighting solutions. California Lightworks has reduced carbon emissions by 465,813 metric tons.

Mike Bahìa Award Nominations

Leave a reply

After the successful result with his tour Amantes Tour ATT: Amor, Mike Bahìa is nominated in two award shows, showcasing how far the artist has come from his humble beginnings in Cali.

On March 22, the nominees in the 11 categories of the Nuestra Tierra Awards were announced, where Mike Bahìa earned two nominations, for “best pop artist” “best pop song” for “La Rutina,” which has currently accumulated more than 19 million views on YouTube.

This announcement has not only left his followers happy but Rutina himself. The jury will choose a winner Tuesday, March 29, 2022. You can vote in both categories by entering Premios Nuestra Tierra.

In addition, Mike Bahìa is also nominated for “Best Pop Artist,” “Best Andean Region Artist” and “Best Collaboration” for “La Mitad” at the Heat Awards 2022 where they recognize the best of that year’s Spanish Music.

The ceremony of the seventh edition of the Heat Awards will be held in Cap Cana on June 2. Currently, the artist is working on what will be his new musical project and hopes to continue taking his music to all corners of the world.

About Mike Bahìa

Mike Bahìa is a Colombian reggae singer and actor. Playing guitar since he was eight years old, he earned a degree in business before becoming a musician. He got his start appearing in La Voz Colombia, the Colombian version of The Voice, and is known for such hits as “Estar Condigo,” “Buscándote,” and “La Muñeca.” He also acted in The Girl and participated in Mira quién baila, the Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars.

Savannah Ré – Fiji

Leave a reply

JUNO Award winner (and three-time nominee) Savannah Ré released her new song “Fiji“. Savannah Ré is one of the first Canadian artists to be selected for the global #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022. Look out for more brand-new music from Savannah in the coming weeks!

Savannah Ré has become one of R&B’s brightest new voices by making music with an unyielding intention: to craft songs that forfeit polished stories for authentic ones. It’s this carefully refined formula for songwriting that has brought Savannah Ré under the mentorship of Grammy Award-winning producer Boi-1da and has made her the go-to collaborator for R&B’s upper echelon having written with artists like Babyface, Jessie Reyez, Normani, and Wondagurl.

Opia, Savannah Ré’s remarkable debut project, is a testament to her dedication to her craft. Acclaim for Opia has been abundant. FADER, BET, American Songwriter, HYPEBAE, and ELLE Canada among several others have championed Savannah Ré over the past year.

Ré has been honored with several accolades following the release of Opia including being nominated for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, the Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award, and the Polaris Music Prize. Both her “Solid” and “OPIA EXPERIENCE” music videos earned nominations for the 2021 Prism Prize. Savannah’s undeniable talent has earned her a place in Canadian music history as the first artist to ever be nominated for both the Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year JUNO Award (“Where You Are“) and the Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (“Solid”) JUNO Award. Last year, Savannah Ré became a first-time JUNO Award Winner when she was awarded the Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, making Canadian music history a second time as the first artist to ever receive the Award. Last week, she was nominated for a 2022 JUNO Award in the category once again for her song “24hrs.”

Bad Bunny Becomes AirBNB Host

Leave a reply

With a body of work masterfully dismantling cultural norms and amassing over 9.1 billion plays on Spotify, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and actor (and occasional wrestler), Bad Bunny keeps making history in his latest endeavor as an Airbnb Host.

After staying in Airbnbs himself in the past year, the chart-topping artist is becoming an Airbnb Host for the first time, inviting select fans to spend a night aboard his larger-than-life, matte black big rig—a one-of-a-kind truck with a 53′ trailer, following the last stop on his sold-out El Último Tour Del Mundo 2022 tour in Miami.

“Being on tour has reconnected me with my fans and the energy they give me during each show in every city we visit is incredible” the artist said. “I’m hoping that by hosting guests in my truck I can give them a chance to feel like they’re on tour with me. This truck has played such a big role in the concept of my tour and my last album that I want to share this unique experience with them.”

The West Coast Customs-designed rig with chrome flames, customized grill and lights, and all leather interiors is inspired by the influential role that trucks have played in Bad Bunny‘s musical success, even appearing on his latest album cover and taking center stage during the opening sequence of his set on tour.

The trailer will offer a glimpse inside the artist’s deeply personal space, with inspiration drawn from some of his most popular music videos including a bedroom decked out in florals like “YO PERREO SOLA,” and other spaces with nods to “LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE,” and “SI VEO A TU MAMA.”

Bad Bunny will open the doors to his big rig for three individual one-night stays occurring on April 6, April 7 and April 8 for two guests each at only $91 a night—a nod to his record-breaking 9.1 billion Spotify streams in 2021. Guests will have opportunity of a lifetime to experience a space that explores Bad Bunny‘s past, present and future, both on and off the stage, including:

VIP tickets to his sold-out tour in Miami ahead of the stay (travel and lodging not included) and a virtual greeting from Bad Bunny himself upon arrival
Nods to Benito’s Puerto Rican culture and his familial roots, including a kitchen designed to make you feel like you’re in Puerto Rico.
A photoshoot with the big rig to live out guests’ inner superstar fantasies
A sound system so you can play (or sing yourself) Bad Bunny’s hottest tracks
A tour of Bad Bunny’s favorite Miami stops
a recorded virtual greeting by Bad Bunny upon arrival

To honor the Puerto Rican community, Airbnb will make a one-time donation to the Fundación Good Bunny, which works to improve the quality of life in Puerto Rican youth through the support of youth arts and sports initiatives.

Those hoping to stay in Bad Bunny’s big rig should note that this stay’s rules require following applicable local, state, and federal rules and guidelines as well as Airbnb’s COVID-19 Safety Practices, which will include wearing a mask and practicing social distancing when required by local laws or guidelines. On-site staff will also comply with local rules and guidelines while on-site and will abide by our five-step enhanced cleaning process.

Guests are responsible for their own travel to and from Miami and for any travel and lodging to attend the concert.

Avengers Forever Infinity Comic One

Leave a reply

On Wednesday, March 23, “Avengers Forever Infinity Comic #1” launched on Marvel Unlimited! Written by Jason Aaron, with art by Kev Walker and colorist Dean White, this tie-in to the current Avengers Forever series expands on the Multiverse Avengers story playing out in comic shops now. Before reading “Avengers Forever #1” hitting Marvel Unlimited on March 28, readers should set the stage with the Infinity series that also builds on Aaron’s landmark Avengers (2018). New issues of the 4-part series will be available weekly on the app.

Across the whole of creation, a war is being waged—between the Multiversal Masters of Evil, a collection of the greatest scourges in the Multiverse, and the forces of Avenger Prime, who leads an organized resistance against their destruction from Avengers Tower at the heart of the God Quarry. This…is Avengers Forever!

Marvel Unlimited is a one-stop destination for over 29,000 comics spanning the entire Marvel Universe. The app is available for iPhone®, iPad®, Android devices™ and on the web. For more information on Marvel Unlimited comics, please click HERE.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

Tesla’s Record High R&D

Leave a reply

Tesla spends more on research and development (R&D) than any other automaker. According to data presented by StockApps, the firm spends $2,984 on R&D per car produced. That’s thrice the industry average and higher than the collective R&D budgets of Ford, General Motors (GM), and Chrysler per car.

Commenting on the report, StockApp’s Edith Reads had this to say.” Tesla spends more than any other carmaker on R&D in order to maintain its lead in EV technology. And if you ask them about it, they’ll tell you this is the key to keeping their customers happy—which is what keeps them in business.”

Tesla’s investment in R&D is paying off

Its vehicles are not only making strides in environmentalism, they’re also safe, fast, and excellent at technology integration. Elon Musk‘s commitment to spending time developing new products and services is what makes Tesla successful.

Tesla is famous for its ambitious production goals. So if anyone is going to invest in making those dreams a reality, it’s them. And you can see why: while most carmakers focus on marketing themselves as a brand first and foremost, Tesla is focusing on making every car a piece of innovative engineering.

No Advertising Spending

Further, Tesla’s spending proves they are future-focused, unlike other manufacturers. While Tesla spends $0 on advertising per car, the industry average is $485. This further illustrates that consumers want to buy vehicles for their functionality and rely on testimonials for brand awareness rather than beautifully crafted commercials.

The company’s lack of an advertising budget is even more impressive than its R&D spending. Tesla’s unique business model becomes clear when we consider what its competition spends per vehicle on advertising. Ford and Toyota spend $468 and $454 per car respectively.

Despite not spending anything on advertising, Tesla is technically a marketing magnet. That’s why it is one of the world’s fastest-growing brands. The firm dominates the press and social media engagements. Most of that comes from widely popular Elon Musk.

Pirelli Electric Vehicle Tire

Leave a reply

Pirelli announced the introduction in North America of its first replacement tire developed specifically for electric vehicles: the P Zero All Season Plus with Elect marking.

The Elect marking offers a number of advantages. First and foremost is low rolling resistance, designed to increase the driving range while reducing consumption. Compared to a non-elect P Zero All Season Plus product, the new Pirelli tire has shown a reduction of 15% of rolling resistance, which translates to a direct improvement in the battery life of the vehicle.

Another key advantage of the Elect marking is noise reduction, for ultimate comfort and to emphasize the quiet inside the cabin. In electric cars, the engine is no longer the primary source of noise, so reducing sound frequencies produced by the tires is key to increasing driving comfort.

Finally, there’s an immediate grip designed to bite into the asphalt instantly, putting the power down for a quick getaway. Another feature worth mentioning: a special structure designed to support the weight of a battery-powered vehicle.

The new P Zero All Season Plus also features the Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS): a technology designed to reduce interior vehicle noise thanks to a sound-absorbing material applied to the inside circumferential wall of the tire that offers significantly improved driving comfort, a feature much appreciated by those who own electric cars. Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS) equipped P Zero All Season Plus Elect has shown a 5% decrease in cabin noise versus the leading original equipment competitor.

With the introduction of this new product, Pirelli confirms once again to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, after having been the first tire manufacturer to homologate a dedicated technology for electric vehicles and having the highest number of homologations of tires for EVs.

“Developing a tire specifically for electric vehicles requires a number of considerations you do not encounter when working with internal combustion engines,” said Ian Coke, Chief Technical Officer at Pirelli North America. “Electric vehicles are heavier, have more powerful and faster acceleration off the line and require lower rolling resistance.”

Tires play a crucial role in EV performance as they are a key safety, performance, and range optimizer. The new P Zero All Season Plus Elect offers a number of advantages for electric vehicles, thanks to the use of innovative compounds, profiles and structures.

Thanks to a new compound formulation that increases the abrasion resistance of the tire to compensate the high torque and the overall vehicle weight, the new P Zero All Season Plus Elect is built to offer long-lasting performance in every condition. The new Pirelli tire offers improved traction in line with the intense demands from the high torque produced by an EV. As electric motors deliver the maximum torque available immediately when accelerating, they need tires that can bite into the asphalt instantly. The adoption of functionalized polymers in the compound brought an improvement in wet grip and handling.

The new P Zero All Season Plus Elect will fit some of the most popular EV high-performance models and will be available from 18 to 20 inches. In addition to the clear EV vehicle benefits, the new P Zero All Season Plus Elect comes with a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty.

Deante’ Hitchcock – Alone

Leave a reply

Grammy-nominated Atlanta rapper Deante’ Hitchcock released “Alone,” his new single out now via ByStorm Entertainment/RCA Records. The slow cut, driven by the sensuous strum of guitar strings, finds Deante’ weighing the risks of letting his guard down for a potential love interest or whether they are both better off alone.

“We’re so busy trying to be understood we forget how to be understanding,” said Deante’. “Everybody’s trying to figure this thing out, but it’s so hard, man. On one end, it’s like I’m better off alone, so I don’t have to deal with anyone else’s shit, but it’s also like damn, I’m better off alone to not have to deal with my shit either. But I’m trying, ya know.”

The latest in a run of relationship-driven releases set to come from Deante’ this year, “Alone” follows his Valentine’s Day-themed EP Everyday The 14th in February, which received critical acclaim. Featured by XXL, Hypebeast, HipHopDX, Okayplayer, and more as one of the ‘Best New Releases of the Week,’ Lyrical Lemonade praised the project, noting that it “further solidifies Deante’ Hitchcock’s immense skill and versatility as an artist,” while The Source called the EP a “tight, solid listen for returning fans and newcomers alike.”

Last week, Deante’ also announced the launch of The Mother God Project in partnership with local Atlanta nonprofit Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc. (ACE) Women’s Business Center. Powered by Deante’, The Mother God Project will provide assistance to 100 women within the community in order to successfully launch their own businesses. The selected participants will each have the opportunity to obtain their own LLCs within Atlanta, in addition to receiving one-on-one coaching and training.

About Deante’ Hitchcock

Introspective. Talented. Lyricist. These are just a few words to describe Grammy-nominated Atlanta artist Deante’ Hitchcock. After dropping out of Georgia Southern University, Deante’ decided that rap was his only option and began working harder than ever by releasing mixtapes and videos that created an undeniable buzz. His witty, charismatic social media freestyle videos generated attention, leading him to open for acts such as Lil Uzi Vert and Yo Gotti, and eventually led to a recording deal with Mark Pitts’ ByStorm Entertainment.

With several impressive EPs under his lyrical belt (Good, So Much for Good Luck, Just A Sample, Just A Sample 2), in 2019, Deante’ secured a highly coveted spot on the Grammy-nominated J. Cole and Dreamville compilation album, Revenge Of The Dreamers III, which is currently RIAA-certified Platinum. He released his debut album BETTER on ByStorm Entertainment/RCA Records in 2020, featuring the single “How TF” feat. 6LACK and collaborations with JID, Young Nudy, Miguel, and St. Beauty. Following suit with the deluxe version of BETTER later that year, which featured appearances from Guapdad 4000, Kenny Mason, Ro James, and more, the project solidified Deante’ as a must-watch artist within the next wave of Southern rap, garnering critical acclaim and ‘Best of 2020’ placements across Complex, NPR, XXL, and UPROXX.