Five Non-Invasive Ways to Treat Arthritis

 Old hands typing (Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay)

Arthritis is a common health problem among many people. Recent statistics indicate approximately 22.7% of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of this condition.

If you’re one of them, you know how important it is to be familiar with various remedies and treatments. The following natural options are particularly worth your attention. They’ll help you relieve your arthritis discomfort without turning to medicine or invasive treatment.

Lose Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for many reasons. Reducing arthritis pain is simply one of them.

When you’re obese, excess weight puts your joints under significant stress. Losing weight reduces the stress, thus reducing your pain as well.

Sticking to a nutritious diet is part of losing weight. However, you should also develop a safe exercise routine. Engaging in physical activity has been shown to alleviate pain and stiffness in people with arthritis. Just make sure you’re coordinating with a professional if your arthritis is particularly severe.

You may even want to contact a physical therapist in your area. For example, if you’re based in New York, direct access to physical therapy can put you in touch with nearby experts. This is a convenient way to learn how to combat your condition, especially because you want to make sure all exercises you perform are safe.

Use Topical Remedies

Traditional topical pain remedies have been shown to be ineffective at treating arthritis. However, new remedies have been developed for the specific purpose of alleviating arthritis discomfort. Although it’s too soon to tell how effective they are for the average patient, these anti-inflammatories may help you manage your condition. They are certainly worth trying.

Apply Capsaicin Cream

Capsaicin cream, when applied topically, has helped reduce discomfort in patients struggling with a range of chronic pain conditions. It’s also available without a prescription.

Researchers aren’t sure why it has this effect. Currently, one theory proposes that capsaicin may interfere with the transfer of pain information from the nerves to the brain.

Consider Acupuncture

Don’t dismiss acupuncture as a “fake” treatment. Studies have indicated it can relieve discomfort in people with arthritis. While results may vary on a case-by-case basis, you should consider trying it to find out if it works for you as it has for others.

Electrostimulation

Again, it’s important to coordinate with professionals when working to treat and manage your arthritis. Doing so offers many key benefits. For example, you may get access to treatment options you wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

Consider electrostimulation. Physical therapists sometimes use this technique to reduce pain and swelling by targeting key nerves with electricity. It’s another natural remedy that may deliver the results you seek.

Keep these in mind if you’re looking for ways to reduce arthritis pain while staying away from treatments that may cause you to experience unpleasant side effects. Although you should always listen to your physician’s advice when you have this type of condition, you should also consider all your options. One or more of these may help you.

Brexit Britain's Weakness Exposed in US Trade Deal Documents

Taking a tough stance. (EPA/Peter Foley)

The US has published its objectives for a proposed trade agreement with the UK – and its thinking highlights just how weak Britain’s bargaining position will be in the post-Brexit global economy.

The US trade representative outlines many of the usual ways to increase trade between the two countries – namely, reducing tariffs and ensuring both sides share the same standards and regulations. But the emphasis is very much on the UK aligning itself with US standards. This will have major implications. It will move the UK away from the EU standards it currently has, which will harm trade with its most important trading partner and generate potential hurdles in a future trade deal with the EU.

The US is taking a tough line from the outset on a number of issues. With a population of 66m and GDP of roughly US$3 trillion, the UK is dwarfed by the bloc it is leaving – the EU’s population is 500m and has a combined GDP of US$20 trillion. Plus, the UK has a transparent need to both replace existing EU trade agreements and create new ones.
In Britain, concerns over food safety have been at the heart of debate over a potential US-UK trade agreement. The expectation of American chlorine-washed chicken entering British markets as part of a deal quickly became politically contentious, splitting Theresa May’s cabinet twice in 2017.

⏩ Read more: Chlorine-washed chicken Q&A: food safety expert explains why US poultry is banned in the EU

But the quandary facing the British government extends well beyond concerns over the consumer safety implications of US mass production methods. With US agricultural imports would also come US agricultural and sanitary and phytosanitary standards, which are in place to protect against diseases. This will create hurdles for British agricultural exports heading to the EU, as it will no longer meet EU standards.

For British farmers, the wholesale removal of trade barriers with the US may also come at a time when the industry is particularly vulnerable. Following Brexit, British agriculture will lose access to the EU subsidies it receives through the Common Agricultural Policy. While the UK government has promised to replace these, questions about its ability to fund its many post-Brexit promises remain.

Beyond agriculture

British manufacturers face the same demands to harmonise their regulations from the US trade representative, creating similar difficulties for exporters targeting the EU. Then, when it comes to services, US demands are much more dramatic.

Britain’s service sector brings in a substantial trade surplus – something the US will be loath to add to its growing trade deficit. Central to US plans will be to privatise and deregulate British services, such as healthcare provision or utilities and infrastructure, to enable easy market access for internationally-engaged American enterprises. These same corporations are actively engaged in the trade agreement process on the US side.

There’s a lot more than just chickens at stake in a US-UK trade deal.(Shutterstock)

American ambitions for bringing UK regulations in line with its own also extends to trade of digital goods and services, potentially causing a tremendous shift away from EU regulations, which concern everything from intellectual property rights to data protection and digital privacy.

Beyond trade

As part of the deep integration objectives, the US-UK trade agreement will cover additional non-trade issues. These include labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption measures – all areas where the UK arguably is currently tougher than the US.

It is telling that the wording of the US objectives focuses explicitly on the UK obligations in upholding these kinds of standards. In contrast, US objectives for negotiations with Japan refer to both “parties”, rather than specifically Japanese obligations.

Perhaps the differences in wording is a result of different teams writing the documents. But it could also reveal the extent to which the UK is viewed by the US team as the weaker party to their deal, which will likely have extensive effects on the concessions the UK negotiating team can manage to extract from the US opening position.

Relinquishing control, not taking it back

Rather than taking back control, the starting point for US-UK trade negotiations is one where the British government cedes sovereignty over a wide range of issues. Britain’s size and detachment from the EU single market limits its bargaining power with large trade partners, whose governments will have no concern for the effects on the British public.

While harmonising standards with the US will pose a barrier to future trade with the EU, the deal could also increase limitations on British foreign policy more broadly. The US is also pursuing a clause that allows it to withdraw from a US-UK agreement if the UK agrees to an agreement with certain countries such as China. Similar terms are included in the US-Japan trade agreement objectives, as the Trump administration tries to limit China’s economic influence across the globe. There is also a section in the US objectives that is designed to limit Britain’s independence over its Middle East foreign policy.

The hard line taken by the US, along with the wide range of concessions demanded of the UK clearly point to the UK’s weakened bargaining position outside the EU. And the US is not the only trading partner seeking significant concessions in exchange for a deal. India, Japan, and South Korea have all signalled similar expectations in preparations for their own deals. All of this sits in stark contrast to the Brexit campaign’s promise to “take back control”.

About Today's Contributor:

Michael Plouffe, Lecturer in International Political Economy, UCL

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Emerging Collective Unveils New Art Space in Atlanta with Installation on Police Brutality by Activist Artist Ann Lewis

Ann Lewis with her installation, ...and counting, in Emerging Collective's new art space in Decatur, Atlanta.

On the anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination, artist Ann Lewis will present her acclaimed work, …and counting, as the debut exhibition in Emerging Collective's new space in Downtown Decatur.

Lewis' chrono-reactive installation of 1,093 toe tags presents the details of each police-related death in the United States during 2016. 

"That year saw several reactions to police brutality – Colin Kaepernick's viral protest, the strengthening of the Black Lives Matter movement, and a multitude of news coverage," said Lewis. "…and counting was my way of trying to document this pervasive epidemic and through the process garner a greater understanding of the issue. My practice centers on using creativity to offer opportunities for solution-centered discussions on social justice and environmental issues."

Curated by Emerging Collective, this show is a call to action in response to the ubiquitous tragedy of deaths at the hands of police. From afar, the installation's beauty lies in its simplicity and symmetry. However, up close, viewers benefit from an experiential opportunity to confront the details of each stolen life. 

Completing the installation is Lewis' A History of Assault, a brooding 24-minute audio track summarizing life in the modern American police state.

"It's incredible to have our own space in Atlanta, a city that is in hyper demographic flux and well positioned to be a center of cultural change," said Raj Udeshi, Founder of Emerging Collective. "Our departure from New York is just more evidence of the larger creative exodus. It's clear that people in Atlanta are hungry for our kind of visual arts programming."

Programming:

The exhibition will run from 12 March to 12 April 2019, at 115 North McDonough Street in Decatur, across from Decatur High School. 

An artist reception will take place on Thursday 04 April from 7-10 p.m., including a panel discussion with Ann Lewis and Atlanta artist Fabian Williams, whose activist mural depicting Colin Kaepernick and Muhammad Ali was destroyed just in time for the Atlanta Superbowl. 

⏩The panel discussion will be followed by an open mic townhall, for those who wish to put forward ideas on solutions to police brutality.

On Friday 05 April, Emerging Collective will host a dinner, where local art patrons and activists will get the chance to engage with Ann Lewis, and discuss her crossover between activist and fine art. 

On Saturday 06 April, Emerging Collective will host a daytime activation with youth participants from neighboring schools followed by a screening of The Hate U Give, the polemic 2018 film which confronts police brutality head-on.

About Ann Lewis:

(Via Emerging Collective)

Ann Lewis (American) is a multidisciplinary activist artist using painting, installation, and participatory performance to explore themes related to American identity, power structures, and justice. She often creates these works in our public spaces. In early 2014 the artist garnered national media attention when she installed an oversized police tape banner that read ‘GENTRIFICATION IN PROGRESS’ at the former graffiti mecca 5 Pointz in Queens, New York. She exhibited at the White House in the fall of 2015 during the Obama Administration's reflection on mass incarceration. 

Most recently her mural See Her reflecting upon the humanity of incarcerated women received an Americans for the Arts 2018 Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review Award. Her work has been acquired by the New York Historical Society Museum and the US Library of Congress. 

Since receiving her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, her art has been reviewed in Hyperallergic, Artnet, Interview Magazine, The LA Times, The Guardian, and The New York Times. She has exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the US and abroad including shows at Petzel Gallery in New York, Seyhoun Gallery in Tehran, Iran, and Truth to Power during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia...

About Emerging Collective:

Emerging Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting artists working at the intersection of activism and the avant-garde. 

Pioneering the concept of Art NGO, Emerging Collective promotes fine art that advances political + social dialogue. 

Its aim is to catapult the most promising activist creatives, empowering them to serve as agents of cultural change.

SOURCE: Emerging Collective

Experience The Cult Horror Game, "White Day," Through VR In The Latest Title: "White Day: Courage Test"

Experience the cult horror game, "White Day," through VR.

Initially released in 2001, White Day -- A Labyrinth Named School, is a renowned cult horror classic game, which is now making a comeback as a VR game. Sonnori has announced that it will be launching a new title in the White Day series: White Day: Courage Test.

The White Day series was initially released as a PC game in 2001. It was also released as a paid mobile app, which has had over 600,000 downloads. The White Day series was also released for PS4 and Steam.

• Specifically designed for VR theme parks, White Day: Courage Test has been developed using the latest Unreal Engine and VR optimized game play to be a motion-based game providing an extremely immersive experience.

When the game begins, the player is a student who has entered the school at night as a part of a school club's test of courage. He/she explores the school, looking for various hidden items, while also trying to find the way out of the school. Strange things begin to happen during game play.

With a focused composition optimized for VR theme parks and programmed "randomness," White Day: Courage Test offers fresh entertainment for repeat players. 

Also, the visual and sound effects that perfectly recreate a school at night provide horror-filled fun that differentiates White Day from other VR horror games.

White Day: Courage Test features a tutorial that guides the player from the start about how to play the game, eliminating the need for training staff and making game operation in VR theme parks a lot easier.

• White Day: Courage Test differs from normal VR theme park games because only one person can wear the VR head-mounted display (HMD). However, in White Day: Courage Test, users can interact with other players during game play. Secondary players can hide or move objects in the game via a wirelessly connected tablet PC, getting in the way of the main player or challenging the main player to a battle of wits. 

White Day: Courage Test is a new game that aims to maximize the attraction of the White Day series. Its quality outranks any horror game that may be enjoyed in the general VR theme park. Users can uniquely interact with other users through the "dual play" setting. 

An official at Sonnori said, "Currently, we are focusing on sales of the B2B version for the VR theme park. We have tested it in Korea over the past year and it has been upgraded into a more stable version. We will work with our international partners to distribute the game globally."

⏩ Visit the White Day: Courage Test Introduction Page for more info.

SOURCE: Sonnori

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Madame Tussauds Orlando Reveals Two Exciting Additions to Justice League: A Call for Heroes

The Flash and Cyborg (Image via ScreenCrush

Madame Tussauds Orlando's action-packed Justice League: A Call for Heroes experience is growing at... err... lightning speed with the addition of, not one, but two new DC Super Heroes. 

⏩ On April 12, the all-star cast from the blockbuster film Justice League will finally be reunited with the debut of Madame Tussauds latest wax masterpieces: Ezra Miller as The Flash and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. 

Designed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC, each figure has been recreated to identically mirror the DC Super Heroes' appearance and costumes from the film, including authentic replica props, and each figure will also have its own thrilling mission for guests to complete inside the exclusive experience at Madame Tussauds Orlando.

• Half-man, half-robot, Cyborg's wax figure portrayal will be equally dynamic and interactive with his bionic pose! In the experience, guests must locate a hidden code and transmit it to Cyborg through a nearby keypad. Cyborg will then harness the power of technology to project a hologram revealing the location of the device Lex Luthor has used to wreak havoc on the city.

• Racing to join forces with Madame Tussauds' epic lineup of DC Super Heroes, The Flash will fight crime in an alleyway that features original artwork from the Justice League film. Positioned in his iconic running pose, guests will race alongside The Flash and see if they have what it takes to be a Super Hero at lightning speed! As they run in place a speedometer shows your speed as you run alongside The Flash.

"We are ecstatic that the Justice League: A Call for Heroes experience now unites the ENTIRE DC Super Hero cast!" said Madame Tussauds Orlando General Manager James Paulding. "With the two new heroes, guests will become totally immersed in the epic saga as they race alongside The Flash, harness Cyborg's power of technology and join the rest of the Justice League to save the world."

Justice League: A Call for Heroes (Image via LoupDargent.info)

Justice League: A Call for Heroes debuted exclusively inside Madame Tussauds Orlando and Sydney last year and continues to offer an unrivaled experience for fans of the iconic DC Super Heroes. 

 Part of a seismic shift within the Madame Tussauds brand, the experience features special effects that include a series of hands-on, interactive missions and a larger-than-life-set where fans can become the stars of their favorite stories. 

The attraction also marked the first-time-ever that super fans could get up close and personal with some of their favorite DC Super Heroes including Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman, as they fight to save the world from Lex Luthor's evil corporation, LexCorp. 

Madame Tussauds Orlando is issuing a challenge to the bravest of Justice League fans (Image via LoupDargent.info)

⏩ For tickets and more information, please visit madametussauds.com/orlando.

SOURCE: Madame Tussauds

Related Stories:

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood Announces New Aquaman Exhibit
• Madame Tussauds Orlando Reveals Jason Momoa as Aquaman!
• Royal Canadian Mint Launches Justice League Coin Collection at 2017 Central Canada Comic Con
• Who Cares About Batman Vs Superman? Wonder Woman Finally Steals The Show

Marvel Music And Hollywood Records Present Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Captain Marvel artwork

Marvel Music/Hollywood Records are releasing Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel digital soundtrack, featuring an epic orchestral score by award-winning composer Pinar Toprak. Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel opens in U.S. theaters today.

Toprak's diversity as a composer is evident in her body of work ranging from the jazz-inspired score for "Purl" a new Pixar SparkShort, the TV series "Krypton," the hugely popular video game "Fortnite" to "The Wind Gods" documentary.

The film's directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck said, "We loved that Pinar was willing to take some wild swings with her music in her early demos. Not all of it is in the movie, but it was her fearlessness and playfulness and the emotional resonance in the music that really surprised us. Her ability to balance all of that while still managing to make a cohesive, singular score is what most impressed us."

On working with Boden and Fleck, Toprak commented, "We clicked from the start and wanted to find the right sound for the Cosmic scenes and how we can bring the 90s Earth feel into the score...our sensibilities really did match and it's been a wonderful collaboration."

Toprak's score is a blend of electronics and orchestra, and was recorded with 90 musicians at London's Abbey Road Studios. 

 On her theme for "Captain Marvel," Toprak said to Variety, "She's one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but she's also very human. Emotions don't take away from her strength. She's strong yet sensitive. I wanted to hear the humanity instilled in the hero."

About Pinar Toprak:

From epic orchestral scores for superhero sagas to custom created sounds for one of the world's most popular video games, composer Pinar Toprak brings versatile stories to life by creating a unique sound and mood to her projects across medium, genre and tone.

Pinar's most recent work is for Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson. Additionally, Pinar composed the jazz inspired score for the Pixar SparkShort, "Purl" about an earnest ball of yarn who gets a job and finds herself asking how far she is willing to go to fit in and get the acceptance she yearns for.

Having studied and practiced music from a very young age, Pinar earned a degree in film scoring and a master's degree in composition at age 22 before working alongside legendary composers including Hans Zimmer and William Ross. 

Pinar then went on to make a name for herself scoring dozens of projects across many mediums including the massively popular video game "Fortnite," Syfy TV series "Krypton," thriller "The River Murders," period drama "The Lightkeepers" and additional music on box office hit "Justice League." 

Her additional credits include the films "Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil," "The Challenger," "Breaking Point," "Light of Olympia," "Say It in Russian," "The Angel," and "The Wind Gods," video game "Ninety-Nine Nights," and TV series "Falling Water."

About Captain Marvel:

Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.

The film stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Rune Temte, Algenis Perez Soto, Mckenna Grace, with Annette Bening, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.

Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck. Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patricia Whitcher and Stan Lee are the executive producers. 

The story is by Nicole Perlman & Meg LeFauve and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and the screenplay is by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

SOURCE: Marvel Music/Hollywood Records

Captain Marvel Related Stories:

• Citizen Watch Sponsors World Premiere Of Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel And Unveils Official Captain Marvel Timepieces
• Higher, Further, Faster: Marvel's First Female Cinematic Superhero
• Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" to be Released in ScreenX
• Marvel Studios' First Female-Lead Super Hero Captain Marvel Takes To The Skies With Alaska Airlines

Facebook And Google Veteran Marissa Orr Uncovers The Truth About Women, Power And The Workplace In Upcoming Book, "Lean Out"

Marissa Orr to release new book titled “Lean Out: The Truth About Women, Power, and the Workplace” via HarperCollins Leadership on June 11

Marissa Orr, Facebook and Google veteran, will release her debut book "Lean Out: The Truth About Women, Power, and the Workplace" on June 11, 2019 via HarperCollins Leadership (available for preorder now).

More than half a century since the equal pay act, the wage gap still hovers at 80%. Half a billion dollars are spent annually on corporate diversity programs, yet only 5% of CEOs in the Fortune 500 are women. "Lean Out" is an ambitious attempt to answer the question few dare to ask: what have we've gotten wrong about women at work?

Based on in-depth research and personal experiences, "Lean Out," follows the journey of Orr, a single mom of three trying to find success in her 15-year career at the world's top tech giants. In an eye-opening account, Orr exposes the systemic dysfunction at the heart of today's most powerful corporations and how their pursuit to close the gender gap has come at the expense of female well-being.

"Fewer women at the top is a clear signal that the system is broken," says Orr. "With female-dominant strengths such as empathy and consensus-building being the future of business, the headlines forecast that women will dominate the future generations of corporate leaders. But that won't happen until we stop mistaking empathy for weakness and realize that female success shouldn't hinge on us being more like men."

The antithesis to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In," Orr's "Lean Out" provides a new and refreshingly candid perspective on what it's really like for today's corporate underdogs, while challenging modern feminist rhetoric and debunking the philosophy that suggests everyone has to be the same in order to be equal. 

Offering a compelling new argument for the reasons more women don't make it to the top, "Lean Out" is not simply a retort to Sandberg's premise, which Orr believes is based on a male worldview, but a revolutionary path forward to change the trajectory of the lives of women in the corporate world and beyond.

Featuring key chapters such as The Leadership Ambition Gap, The Confidence Gap, The Power Reward, and Well-Being vs. Winning, "Lean Out" is divided into three sections and addresses the significant need to reexamine the business world's paradigm of a "successful leader." 

Part one unravels the current "conventional wisdom" on women in the workplace, part two offers a new model of understanding for the causes of the corporate gender gap, and part three suggests a new way forward for women individually and corporate America at large.

"Right now, we are on the precipice of change," says Orr. "And with 'Lean Out,' I hope to provide a fresh voice for a new generation of thinkers."

Marissa Orr (image via MarissaOrr.com)

About Marissa Orr:

Marissa Orr began her Google career over 15 years ago as a founding member of Google's Sales Operations & Strategy team, after which she worked as Vertical Marketing Manager at Facebook. She has conducted talks and workshops for thousands of people at diverse organizations across the globe. 

Originally from Miami, she now lives in New Jersey, with her three children.

SOURCE: HarperCollins Leadership

eBay Teams Up with Influential Women in Comics to Launch Superheroine HQ, the World's First All-Female Superhero Store

eBay launches “Superheroine HQ” – the world’s first online shop dedicated to female superheroes offering rare and right now comics, collectibles and merchandise all in one place  ("Superheroine HQ" by comic illustrator Cat Staggs)

Female superheroes are more popular than ever and a force of leading ladies are taking off in Hollywood and on eBay - one of the world's largest destinations for comics and collectibles. 

To celebrate this moment, eBay partnered with legendary writer Gail Simone and notable comic illustrator Cat Staggs to launch the world's first online shop dedicated to superheroines. 

Legendary comic book writer Gail Simone

The new destination, "Superheroine HQ," offers a curated selection of comics and memorabilia featuring female superheroes.

Beginning today, fans and collectors can shop thousands of female superhero comics, collectibles and merchandise all in one place at "Superheroine HQ." 

Top items include: 

• Wonder Woman #1 CGC 8.0 ($149,950.00) 
• All Star Comics #8 CGC 5.0 ($87,495.00) 
• Ms. Marvel #1 CGC 9.8 signed by Stan Lee ($4,350.00)  
• Batman Adventures #12 CGC 9.8 - 1st Appearance of Harley Quinn ($1,949.99) 

Newly released, limited edition Captain Marvel: Braver & Mightier #1 comic book 

⏩ Additionally, eBay is offering a newly released, limited edition Captain Marvel: Braver & Mightier #1 comic book with an exclusive variant cover designed in collaboration with eBay, Marvel and eBay seller MyComicShop.

Fandom for superheroines is at an all-time high. eBay has seen a 63 percent spike in sales year-over-year for Captain Marvel and a 34 percent jump in sales year-over-year for female superheroes overall. With the launch of the store, eBay and industry power team Simone and Staggs are working together to put superheroines at the forefront.

"Spotlighting the amazing spectrum of women in comics has long been my passion, both the characters in the books, and the writers and artists who create them," said Gail Simone, writer of such titles as Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Domino. "I believe these fantastic women can inspire readers everywhere to the limits of their imagination and creativity. That's why I'm teaming up with eBay to bring more attention and accessibility to comics featuring strong female characters of past and present."

Additionally, Staggs, who has worked on popular titles, including Smallville Season 11, Adventures of Supergirl, Wonder Woman '77, and Orphan Black, celebrated the launch with original artwork showing the power of comics. Staggs' eBay Superheroine HQ poster illustrates a young girl discovering her passion for comics and imagining herself as a future superhero.

"With the rising popularity of superheroes like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel from comic books to the big screen, we've seen this same interest resonate on eBay," said Sam Bright, Vice President of Merchandising, eBay North America. "We're proud to encourage a more diverse and evolving marketplace among not only our millions of buyers and sellers, but also the merchandise that we offer, giving everyone access to rare, iconic, and exclusive inventory that puts a spotlight on female superheroes."

SOURCE: eBay Inc.

Citizen Watch Sponsors World Premiere Of Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel And Unveils Official Captain Marvel Timepieces

Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel

Citizen Watch was a proud sponsor of yesterday's highly anticipated premiere of Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel, a cinematic look at Marvel's biggest female superhero.

For the occasion, Citizen welcomed its Marvel ambassador, Josh Peck, to unveil three new Captain Marvel timepieces. Peck unveiled the brand's inaugural Marvel Collection at Comic Con New York in 2018. Together with Peck, Citizen celebrated the official e-commerce availability of the entire collection, which are the first light powered and eco-friendly timepieces featuring the iconic Marvel Studios' characters.

Captain Marvel Timepiece by Citizen.

The novelty Captain Marvel assortment offers three distinct designs reminiscent of Captain Marvel's iconic suit, featuring star detailing and gold piping.

Fans were invited to tune into Marvel's social media channels to countdown to premiere time, courtesy of Citizen.

Leading up to the premiere, Citizen lent its support to non-profit organization, We Have Stories, and their 'Captain Marvel Challenge,' a program aiming to send a few young ladies to the March 8th theatre premiere of Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel. 

• To lend your support, visit: gofundme.com/CaptainMarvel.

Citizen Marvel Ambassador Josh Peck at Captain Marvel Premiere (Credit: Getty)

About Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel:

Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.

The film stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Rune Temte, Algenis Perez Soto, Mckenna Grace, with Annette Bening, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.

Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patricia Whitcher and Stan Lee are the executive producers. 

The story is by Nicole Perlman & Meg LeFauve and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and the screenplay is by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet. 

Captain Marvel - Poster (Image via LoupDargent.info)

• "Captain Marvel" opens on March 8, 2019 in U.S. theaters.

SOURCE: Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.

Higher, Further, Faster: Marvel's First Female Cinematic Superhero

Introducing Captain Marvel: she’s a smartass fighting intergalactic evil. (Chris Reid and Marvel)

“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry sort of sucks, but it doesn’t suck any more than being a woman in the world. My advice? Be terrifying.” — Kelly Sue DeConnick, Captain Marvel comic book writer. 

When the Captain Marvel movie opens on March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day, it will be Marvel Studios’s first female-superhero led film and many people will be lined up to see this much anticipated flick and to enjoy one of Captain Marvel’s trademark specialties: fighting galactic evil.

But more than just fighting aliens, Captain Marvel represents a strong female superhero with an intricate and complicated past. She struggles with anger issues as well as a sense of purpose. She’s also a sparkle-fisted smartass.

In the last decade, Captain Marvel has become a prominent character in Marvel comics. She’s a member of the Avengers, was the face of one side of the second superhero Civil War, and is a mentor to the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. In the hands of writers DeConnick, Margaret Stohl, Michele Fazkas, Tara Butters and Kelly Thompson, Captain Marvel has a rich context for cinematic success.

A new hero for a new era

“Let’s rewrite some history, shall we?” — Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)

The Carol Danvers character was originally created by Thomas and Gene Colan in 1968 as a regular person in the U.S. Air Force. Almost a decade later, she gained her powers through an accident and turned into Ms. Marvel. But the Captain Marvel we’ll be seeing on the screen is highly indebted to comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick’s narrative. There are even rumours that DeConnick has a cameo in the film.

In 2012, DeConnick created something of a masterpiece when she breathed new life into Captain Marvel. The female superhero first appeared in 1977, and originally named Ms. Marvel as a nod to the iconic feminist magazine, Ms.. She was a minor character but with DeConnick’s writing, Captain Marvel was re-developed to become one of the central characters in the Marvel Universe.

DeConnick’s reboot was also accompanied by a new look — leaving behind thigh-high boots, a swim suit and a mask for shorter hair, a Chuck Yeager jumpsuit and sensible footwear.

DeConnick’s comic book narrative begins with a touching tribute to Carol Danvers’s mentor and fellow air force pilot Helen Cobb — stressing the importance of inspiring female role models. Readers find out that Captain Marvel has tremendous powers drawn from her half human, half Kree DNA. Soon, Danvers is transported back in time and joins the Banshee Squadron, an all-female fighting unit in the Second World War doing battle and using Kree technology to advance the fight.

Carol Danvers also winds up being present at the moment of her superhero origin. Instead of following the 1977 narrative, where she was the victim in an explosion that would give her powers, DeConnick re-writes the narrative as a choice.

Danvers has the opportunity to prevent the explosion but chooses to let the past unfold in alignment with her current desire to be a superhero. This gives Captain Marvel’s reboot a compelling edge. She’s chosen her own destiny to become “the stars we were always meant to be.”

A poignant and hilarious character

Captain Marvel was part of the Ultimates, a mini-series about superheroes preventing cosmic threats (they transform the planet-eating Galactus into a golden fertility god), and became the “boss of space,” taking up residence with Canadian supergroup Alpha Flight on the Alpha Flight Space Station. Captain Marvel also joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and was part of A-Force, an all-female Avengers.

DeConnick’s run was poignant and hilarious and if the movie can keep pace, audiences will be in for a treat. We may also see something special from her cat Goose. (In the comics, Goose is known as Chewie — Captain Marvel is a huge Star Wars fan.) In the movie, Goose will likely steal a scene or two.

As the trailers for the film have shown, Captain Marvel will be punching aliens and blowing stuff up and we’ll definitely see why she has the moniker “Earth’s mightiest hero.” The movie is set in 1995, borrowing elements from Roy Thomas’s comic, “Kree-Skrull War” (originally published as Avengers #89–97 in 1971), and follows Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel is Marvel Studios’s 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first with a female-led superhero. Captain Marvel will also make a highly anticipated appearance in Avengers: Endgame, to be released in April, where she will no doubt square off against cosmic threats.

About Today's Contributor:

Kenneth MacKendrick, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Manitoba

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

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UNICEF: 'Alarming Global Surge Of Measles Cases A Growing Threat To Children '

On 9 February 2019 in Yemen, children vaccinated in Aden during a mobile Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign. © UNICEF/UN0284426/Fadhel (CNW Group/UNICEF Canada)

UNICEF warned today that global cases of measles are surging to alarmingly high levels, led by ten countries accounting for more than 74 per cent of the total increase, and several others that had previously been declared measles free.

Countries with ten highest increases in cases between 2017 & 2018

1. Ukraine: 30,338
2. Philippines: 13,192
3. Brazil: 10,262
4. Yemen: 6,641
5. Venezuela: 4,916
6. Serbia: 4,355
7. Madagascar: 4,307
8. Sudan: 3,496
9. Thailand: 2,758
10. France: 2,269  

Globally, 98 countries reported more cases of measles in 2018 compared to 2017, eroding progress against this highly preventable, but potentially deadly disease.

"Vaccines work. They save millions of lives a year and are an important reason why more children today survive," said David Morley, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada.

Ukraine, the Philippines and Brazil saw the largest increases in measles cases from 2017 to 2018. In Ukraine alone, there were 35,120 cases of measles in 2018. According to the government, another 24,042 people were infected just in the first two months of 2019. In the Philippines so far this year, there have been 12,736 measles cases and 203 deaths, compared to 15,599 cases in the whole of 2018.

"This is a wake-up call. We have a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine against a highly contagious disease – a vaccine that has saved almost a million lives every year over the last two decades," said Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF's Executive Director. "These cases haven't happened overnight. Just as the serious outbreaks we are seeing today took hold in 2018, lack of action today will have disastrous consequences for children tomorrow."

Measles is highly contagious, more so than Ebola, tuberculosis or influenza. The virus can be contracted by someone up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. It spreads through air and infects the respiratory tract, potentially killing malnourished children or babies too young to be vaccinated. Once infected, there is no specific treatment for measles, so vaccination is a life-saving tool for children.

In response to a recent outbreak of measles in British Columbia, Morley added: "Canada must invest in comprehensive monitoring and reporting to close the data gap in vaccination rates and identify populations at risk during outbreaks. We applaud the commitment in mid-February by Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, to tackle misinformation around vaccinations."

UNICEFs global response

In response to these outbreaks, UNICEF and its partners are supporting governments to urgently reach millions of children in countries around the globe. For example:

• In Ukraine, UNICEF has provided ongoing support to accelerate routine immunization across the country and address vaccine hesitancy, including additional efforts to stop the most recent outbreak that has claimed 30 lives since 2017. In February, the Ministry of Health, with UNICEF's support, launched an immunization drive at schools and clinics in the worst-hit Lviv region in western Ukraine, where negative attitudes toward immunization, and previous shortages in vaccine supply, have resulted in low vaccination rates.
• In the Philippines, the government, with support from UNICEF and partners, will conduct a campaign to vaccinate 9 million children against measles across 17 regions. Using social media, campaigners plan to encourage apprehensive parents, and health workers.
• In Brazil, from August to September 2018, the government carried out a campaign against polio and measles, targeting more than 11 million children under five. UNICEF encouraged people to get vaccinated, and trained health monitors working in migrant shelters for Venezuelans. UNICEF has included the measles vaccine as part of the Municipal Seal programme that covers 1,924 municipalities.
• In Yemen, where years of conflict led to an outbreak, local authorities with support from UNICEF, WHO and GAVI vaccinated more than 11.5 million children in February.
• In Madagascar, from 3 September to 21 February, 76,871 people were infected by measles and 928 died, a majority of which were children. In January, the government, with support of partners including UNICEF, launched an immunization campaign to target all 114 districts. Over 2 million children were immunized in 25 districts. In February, 1.4 million children were vaccinated, with another 3.9 million more to follow in March.

"As one of the largest donors of vaccines in the world, Canada has long shown its leadership for immunizing children, which plays a key role in preventing life-threatening illnesses such as polio, pneumonia, tetanus and diarrheal disease," added Morley.

Notable reported measles cases in 2018 in countries with no reported cases in 2017

• Brazil: 10,262
• Moldova: 312
• Montenegro: 203
• Colombia: 188
• Timor-Leste: 59
• Peru: 38
• Chile: 23
• Uzbekistan: 17

Poor health infrastructure, civil strife, low community awareness, complacency and vaccine hesitancy in some cases have led to these outbreaks in both developed and developing countries. For example, in the United States, the number of measles cases increased six-fold between 2017 and 2018, reaching 791 cases. More recently, the U.S. has seen outbreaks in New York and Washington state.

"Almost all of these cases are preventable, and yet children are getting infected even in places where there is simply no excuse," said Fore. "Measles may be the disease, but, all too often, the real infection is misinformation, mistrust and complacency. We must do more to accurately inform every parent, to help us safely vaccinate every child."

To fight measles, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, health care providers, and parents to do more to contain the disease by:

• Understanding that vaccines are safe and effective and can save a child's life
• Vaccinating all children between the ages of six months to five years during outbreaks
• Training and equipping health workers so they can provide quality services
• Strengthening immunization programmes to deliver all life-saving vaccines

About the Measles and Rubella Initiative:

UNICEF is part of the Measles and Rubella Initiative, a private-public partnership of five global partners including WHO, CDC, United Nations Foundation and American Red Cross that has been spearheading a global push towards measles and rubella elimination.

SOURCE: UNICEF Canada

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