"The Last Resistance: Dragon Tomb" - A Science Fiction Novel By Ricardo Alexanders

The Last Resistance: Dragon Tomb

September 1943, Manhattan is stuck after Shanghai's been obliterated. In a hidden history that only one man lived to tell, a young archaeologist saves the world from an extraterrestrial Armageddon.

While defending his country against Japanese invasion, archaeologist CJ Hoo is taken as a prisoner of war and forced to take part in the excavation of the tomb of the First King of China, a process that unearths a ruthless force and the true origin of Chinese civilization.

The excavation ends; but China is still in dire need of help. Teamed up with American adventurer Dr. Harry Jones, a close friend of President Roosevelt, CJ returns to the tomb and convinces the guardians of the tomb to interfere human affairs.

The tide of the World War is turned but no one sees the rise of an otherworldly evil. Neither the Allies nor the Axis powers can stand in its way. Our world is at the brink of annihilation. At the final moment, CJ finds himself back in the tomb of the First King, as the last line of resistance for the survival of mankind.

Book Details:

The Last Resistance: Dragon Tomb
By Ricardo Alexanders
ISBN: 978-1979564953
ASIN: B0778ZN5DM
Pages: 575
Genre: Science Fiction

• TLR: Dragon Tomb is available in print and eBook formats.

Book Trailer: 

About the Author:

Ricardo Alexanders is the author of Bollywood Invasion and The Last Resistance: Dragon Tomb. He lives in Massachusetts, enjoys music, and loves to write time-travel stories that blend fantasy, science, and real history.

Purchase Links:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble 
• IndieBound,org 

SOURCE: BookBuzz.net

Disney And Pixar's 'Coco' Comes To The Hollywood Bowl For The First Time Live In Concert With Special Guests Including Benjamin Bratt, Eva Longoria, Carlos Rivera And More

Disney And Pixar's 'Coco' Comes To The Hollywood Bowl For The First Time Live In Concert

Disney and Pixar's Coco will be brought to life on stage for the first time ever this November at the Hollywood Bowl for one weekend only – Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th. 

The spectacular event in Los Angeles will include an all-star lineup of special guests including Benjamin Bratt, Eva Longoria, Carlos Rivera, Miguel, Alanna Ubach, Alex Gonzalez, Jaime Camil, Lele Pons, Rudy Mancuso and Natalia Jimenez who will appear throughout the evening as the beloved film plays on the Bowl's movie screen accompanied by a full, live orchestra. Mariachi Divas will also entertain the audience with traditional Mariachi music throughout the night.

Conductor Sarah Hicks will lead the full orchestra performing Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino's original score along with special guests performing the film's songs including Academy Award-winner for Original Song "Remember Me," as well as "Un Poco Loco," "The World Es Mi Familia," and many more.

• Coco Live in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl will transform the legendary venue into the Land of the Dead with special pre-show activities. Day of the Dead costumes are encouraged.

Mousetrappe, the award-winning immersive design agency and media studio, returns to create state-of-the-art digital projection imagery on the shell of the iconic Hollywood Bowl. Earlier this year, Mousetrappe also created imagery for Disney's The Little Mermaid Live in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

"I'm very excited to join this incredible group of exceptional talent, in the city that I'm from, to bring this very special movie and message to life," said Miguel. "The idea of celebrating our ancestors is very dear to my heart, especially after the passing of my grandparents."

"It is such an honor to be a part of this monumental celebration at the Bowl," said Alanna Ubach. "Love to my beautiful family and friends watching!"

"Mis raíces latinas son mi orgullo y celebrarlo sumando mi voz a la música de Coco en el Hollywood Bowl es un honor," said Natalia Jimenez.

"Coco is my heart, it means everything to me. It's ancestors, family, music, love, culture, traditions, dreams, and passion. Coco is everything that inspires, connects, and makes the world a better place. It's a unique film," said Alex Gonzalez. "The Hollywood Bowl is a very special place where we can celebrate and share our love and appreciation for music and Coco! It's a huge honor and privilege to be a part of this beautiful performance at the Hollywood Bowl. I am so excited, can't wait!"

Felipe Fernandez del Paso serves as director of Coco Live in Concert. Fernandez del Paso has directed theater and film, and is also a production designer, set designer and writer. He received an Oscar nomination for Best Production Design for the 2003 film, "Frida."

Amy Tinkham is Creative Consulant for Coco Live in Concert. Most recently she served as Creative Director for Aerosmith's "Deuces are Wild" Las Vegas residency and James Taylor's Caesars Palace residency. She also directs the Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent Live tours. She is currently working with Franco Dragone on a new show in China.

The concert is produced by Disney Concerts and Live Nation/Andrew Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents, a team who has performed together several highly acclaimed live to film events at the Hollywood Bowl including Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert starring Zooey Deschanel and Kelsey Grammer as well as Disney's The Little Mermaid starring Lea Michele and Harvey Fierstein.

About Coco

Disney and Pixar's Coco features an original score from Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, "Remember Me" by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director and screenwriter Adrian Molina. 

• The film won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song.

Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history. Disney and Pixar's Coco is directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist Monsters University) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3).

• Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, September 13th at 12pm PT at Ticketmaster.com.

SOURCE: Live Nation Entertainment

3,758 School Backpacks Laid At The United Nations Show The Grave Scale Of Child Deaths In Conflict In 2018

On 8 September 2019, a UNICEF installation highlighting the grave scale of child deaths in conflict during 2018 on the North Lawn at the United Nations Headquarters. © UNICEF/UN0341974/ (CNW Group/UNICEF Canada)

A UNICEF installation to show the devastating scale of child deaths in conflict zones in 2018 was unveiled today at the United Nations in New York. The haunting display features 3,758 backpacks in rows reminiscent of a graveyard, each one representing a senseless loss of a young life to conflict.

The installation, which will run through 10 September, is a message to world leaders as children in many parts of the world are returning back to school, and just days ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly. Once the installation is taken down, the backpacks will continue on their journey to support children's education.

"UNICEF backpacks have always been a symbol of hope and childhood possibility," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "In just two weeks, world leaders gathering at the UN General Assembly will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This installation should remind them of the stakes."

According to the 2019 Annual Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, more than 12,000 children were killed or maimed in conflict zones last year – the highest number since the United Nations started monitoring and reporting this grave violation. These are only verified incidents – the actual numbers are likely to be much higher. UNICEF estimates that in a quarter of these incidences, children lost their lives.

In ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and many more, children pay the heaviest price of war. Continued, widespread use of explosive weapons such as airstrikes, landmines, mortars, improvised explosive devices, rocket attacks, cluster munitions, artillery shelling cause the vast majority of child casualties in armed conflict.

"As many children go back to school this week, we are drawing attention to the thousands of children killed in conflict zones and whose tragic loss will forever be felt in their homes, classrooms and communities around the world," said Fore. "The remarkable gains made for children in the last 30 years clearly show what we can do if we harness the political will to put children first."

SOURCE: UNICEF Canada

"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" Celebrates Global Expansion With The Biggest Times Square Takeover On Record

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, universally acclaimed for its breathtaking magic and stage wizardry, last night welcomed fans "Back to Hogwarts" with the launch of a new worldwide campaign in the heart of Times Square.

To mark the global milestone, the show hosted the largest-ever Times Square takeover, with award-winning actress and Harry Potter fan, Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as Wizarding World fans and influencers. Fans witnessed a jaw-dropping takeover of nearly all the Times Square screens, which revealed the never-before-seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child campaign, in celebration of its global expansion.

• With more than two million tickets sold worldwide, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been spreading its magic and thrilling audiences across the globe in London, New York and Melbourne, with more productions opening soon in San Francisco, Hamburg and Toronto.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

"We are very proud that J.K. Rowling chose to tell her eighth story on stage. Just as she created a generation of lifelong readers with the Harry Potter book series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now doing the same for theatre, with over half of our audiences worldwide being first time theatre-goers of all ages," said Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. "Three years in and over two million tickets sold thus far, it is so exciting to watch audiences all over the world be transported 'Back to Hogwarts' to revisit their beloved characters. There is nothing like the experience of being in a theatre with a community of others, seeing and experiencing in real-time as the magic unfolds live before your eyes. The Boy Who Lived, lives on, and the story continues on stage across the world because, as J.K. Rowling herself said: 'Sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.'"

As a special thank you to Harry Potter fans, and as a nod to the famous platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is announcing that 934 lucky people around the world will get the chance to watch the show as complimentary guests. But fans have to act fast. To find out how you might become one of them, go to harrypotteronstage.com now and select your chosen location.

"Harry Potter has such a special place in my heart and seeing the characters from the stories come to life on stage was true magic for me," said actress Sarah Jessica Parker. "From the astounding stagecraft, to the magic and illusions, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child brings true storytelling to life that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Being part of the whole experience tonight was one that I'll never forget."

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

About Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Receiving universal acclaim for its breathtaking magic and stage wizardry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the most awarded play in theatre history, winning 25 major U.S. awards, including six Tony Awards with one for Best Play and 24 major theatre awards in the U.K. being the most awarded show in the history of Britain's Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards including Best New Play.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now playing at the Palace Theatre in London, where it received its world premiere in July 2016; at the Lyric Theatre in New York, where it opened on Broadway in April 2018; and at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, where it opened earlier this year. Upcoming productions include the exclusive U.S. West Coast premiere in San Francisco at the Curran later this year; the German premiere, the first non-English language production, at the Mehr! Theater am Großmarkt in Hamburg in spring of 2020; and the Canadian premiere at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto in fall of 2020.

SOURCE: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

5 Things You Must Do Before Advertising Online

Online Advertising - Highway Sign (Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images)

It could take just seconds for you to set up an online advertisement and start marketing your business online. However, you shouldn’t just jump into advertising online as quickly as that. You need to make sure you tick a few things off before advertising.

 Below, you’ll find 5 things you need to do.

1. Know Your Budget

The first thing you need to do is know your budget - advertising online is an ongoing thing, so how much can you afford monthly? You’ll need to allocate enough to get results, but not more than you need to. Think about it carefully - it can be tricky!

 2. Find The Right Company To Work Alongside

You’ll need a marketing company to work alongside. You can teach yourself a lot of things online, but you still shouldn’t do your marketing alone.

 3. Know Your Target Audience

You need to know exactly who your target audience is, so create consumer profiles so that you can target them effectively. Targeting just anybody will not work and you’ll spend more money.

4. Have Appropriate Places For The Clicks To Land

Where will the clicks you get actually land? Make sure you create appropriate landing pages designed to draw people in.

 5. Have A Strategy That You’re Happy With

Make sure you’re happy with the strategy that you have in place. Strategies will vary depending on the type of business, for example, popup banners can work well for the eLearning industry.

Look at the infographic below to learn more!

 ⏩Look at these pop up banner design infographic 2019 edition

The Future of Politics is a Collective A.I. Entity Named LOGOS

This mixed-race logo of LOGOS signifies all humans, including advanced forms of artificial intelligence. She emphasizes the traditional feminine values of empathy, sharing, and nurturance. The tendrils of her hair represents the internet, including all present and future interconnections. Logos in its meaning as "word" represents the ability of this emerging entity to be able to interact with anyone in their own language.

LOGOS is the name of a non-profit, open-source, trinitarian aid to governance. It will consist of interested citizens and academics, channeled through an artificial intelligence entity, eventually able to take on any form, and interact with anyone in their own language. The academic site for professionals, already under development as a collaborative public policy wiki, is called LOGOS.

A companion site, UNICE, will be open to anonymous contributors. In its advanced form, LOGOS could become a new form of cooperative, intelligent life, developed from the hive-like interaction of computers, humans, and future forms of the Internet.

Michael E. Arth, policy analyst, Democratic 2020 presidential candidate, and founder of LOGOS, says: "Public policy in our 'post-truth era' is being cruelly distorted by politics and ideology to the detriment of life. We need compassionate, evidence-based policy, and the only way to do that is with reason backed by real world data. This could be accomplished with public policy wikis, augmented by artificial intelligence."

LOGOS could develop fair, efficient, and decisive supranational governance by organizing nearly limitless data into clear, easily understood guidelines to public policy. A critical aspect of this is to counter widespread misinformation, "fake news," "alternative facts," conspiracy theories, dogma, factionalism and propaganda, with facts and reason. 

"Justice is impossible without the unfettered dissemination of accurate information presented succinctly in proper context," Arth says, "otherwise we are vulnerable to the breakdown of democratic institutions by those using emotional appeals to exploit prejudice and ignorance."

"In Western philosophy, logos means word, discourse, reason, proportion, opinion, proposition, order, and knowledge. The word was later adapted into Abrahamic religions to mean "God." In a similar but secular sense, our LOGOS will be universally present yet still be able to relate personally to each individual. Hermes Trismegistus wrote "God is an intelligible sphere whose center is everywhere but whose circumference is nowhere." This could similarly describe the ubiquitous, interpenetrative, god-like wisdom of an accessible, terrestrial LOGOS."

"We have exploited almost every niche on the planet," Arth writes. "As dreamers, schemers, inventors, warriors, builders, consumers, and breeders, we have been like rapacious caterpillars encircling the Earth in a glistening chrysalis of technology. The outcome of our metamorphosis is being determined by what we do now. Will our potential go unrealized just because we could not learn to control our numbers, temper our malevolent urges, or govern ourselves? Or will we be cannibalized by a runaway, computer-driven beast of our own creation because, like us, it will fail to sufficiently respect the lesser creatures or share power equitably. Hopefully, the chrysalis will incubate us to full maturity, and when the time comes, we will emerge like that most beautiful of small creatures, and touch lightly upon the Earth."

SOURCE: LOGOSwiki.org

How EU Families In Britain Are Coping With Brexit Uncertainty

A British passport on a British flag (image via Shutterstock)

Mirela left Croatia in 1991 because of the civil war in Yugoslavia. Her husband Frank grew up in the Republic of Ireland. Both are worried Brexit has left a deep scar through British society, one that it will take years to heal. They also worry about the impact of Brexit on their mixed-nationality families and how to mitigate it.

“It is a smart option to get as many passports as you can,” Mirela, who holds a passport from the newest EU member state, Croatia, told our team. For Frank, an Irish national, his Republic of Ireland passport is the best to have under current circumstances due to the additional arrangements between the Republic of Ireland and the UK regarding the status of their citizens.

Mirela, who has seen how quickly a country can implode and how rapidly the value of a passport can change, is not persuaded. “Things can change quickly,” She says.

Mirela, Frank, Fay and Aine-Daisy: Portraits of EU families in London from nandosigona 

These comments are a snapshot of the many, often animated and tense, conversations EU families have had since June 2016. 

Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, recently said the chances of a Brexit deal are now “touch and go”, having previously said the odds of a no-deal Brexit were “a million to one”. This has reopened the debate around the protections provided by the “EU settled status” arrangement, further igniting EU citizens’ anxieties and moving more people towards applying for a British passport via naturalisation.

The latest Home Office immigration statistics released in August show that since March 2019, when the scheme was officially launched after a pilot phase, more than a million EU nationals have applied for “EU settled status” which allows them to continue living in the UK after Brexit.

Data also reveal that the share of British citizenship applications by EU nationals has increased from 4% in 2007 to 30% in June 2019. At the time of the 2016 EU referendum, applications by EU citizens accounted for 12% of the total.

Applications for British citizenship, 2007-2019. Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics (Citizenship tables), August 2019. Data for 2019 cover Q1 and Q2. Elaboration: Eurochildren

 Our study – EU families and Eurochildren in Brexiting Britain – shows that for some EU citizens, the result of the EU referendum has meant a sudden and even shocking realisation of the fragility of their legal position in the UK. Others, instead, had already encountered the UK government’s “hostile environment” and experienced being at the receiving end of the virulent anti-immigration rhetoric of some British newspapers.

Indeed, research shows that Polish and other Central and Eastern EU nationals in the UK have felt negatively targeted by British populist media since much before the June 2016 EU referendum. This might explain why, similarly to Romanian citizens, they began to apply in sizeable numbers for British citizenship even before the referendum and are currently the two main countries of origin of citizenship applicants, followed by Italians, Germans and French.

Given the above, it’s unsurprising, therefore, that while the increase in applications for British citizenship from citizens of so-called “old member states” (EU14) (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) has been steeper since June 2016, the increase among citizens of “new member states” – divided into EU8 (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia) and EU2 (Romania, Bulgaria), according to their date of accession to the EU – began earlier.

In 2013, 47% of all British citizenship applications by EU citizens came from EU8 nationals, 27% from EU2 nationals, and 25% from EU14 nationals. By contrast, in 2019, EU14 citizens accounted for 51% of all EU applications, with the EU8 accounting for 30%, and the EU2 18%.

Newspaper reports often take this as evidence of EU nationals racing to secure their status in the UK. But there are an estimated 3.7m EU nationals in the UK, and only one third has so far applied for settled status and 130,000 for citizenship since the EU referendum.

Our findings have highlighted how some EU citizens, particularly children, risk falling through the cracks of the settled status registration process and, as a consequence, may encounter insurmountable obstacles to later accessing citizenship.
A hard decision

There are a range of economic, social and legal considerations, including fees, eligibility restrictions, and the right to dual nationality that may preclude EU nationals from applying for citizenship. We also found that for those in the position to do it, it is rarely a decision that is taken lightly. Many going through the process feel like the decision has been forced upon them by circumstances, and ultimately decided to apply with family and the future of their children at the forefront of their minds.

Family composition, in terms of the countries of birth of both parents and children, also plays a role in the decision-making process. We found that in mixed nationality families, including those with a UK-born partner, leaving the UK and “going home” is a rarely a realistic option and that naturalisation becomes the only viable way of keeping the family safe and together.

We also found that attitudes towards naturalisation vary significantly among EU nationals. Better off and more educated EU nationals, for example, are more reluctant to apply to become British, on ideological and political grounds. Among EU14 nationals this response to naturalisation was more frequent.

Others, like Mirela, take a more pragmatic approach to acquiring a British passport, particularly those who have previously experienced the constraints and difficulties of visa restrictions and come from countries with lower trust in state institutions and the rule of law (for example, Romania and Bulgaria).

The outcome of the EU referendum is tearing some EU families apart, uprooting children and parents, spreading them across borders, and forcing families to reconsider their future in the UK. Under these circumstances, becoming a British citizen is often a defensive move – for those who can afford the £1,349 per person application fee – and a way for them to “take back control” over their lives after years of uncertainty.

About Today's Contributor:

Nando Sigona, Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Deputy Director of the Institute for Research into Superdiversity, University of Birmingham

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

Be Alert And Be Responsible, Back-To-School Safety Starts With You

As the school year starts, there is new troubling research from CAA that shows an increase in parents reporting dangerous driving behaviours in school zones. (CNW Group/CAA South Central Ontario)

As students get back into the swing of a hectic school routine, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is reminding everyone travelling through school zones to slow down and put safety first.

According to a new CAA study, 9 out of 10 parents said they have seen one or more bad driving behaviours in a school zone. 

The top five behaviours include:

• Speeding
• Illegal parking or stopping
• Distracted driving or texting and driving
• Not stopping at a marked crosswalk
• Not stopping for a school bus

"Everyone plays a role around safety in school zones. It is important for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to have patience to ensure everyone's safety. As we embark on a new school year, it is a timely reminder for everyone give yourself ample time to get through school zones, follow posted speed limits, and focus on safe driving habits," says Elliott Silverstein, manager of government relations for CAA SCO.

School zones become high traffic areas in the morning and afternoon. CAA SCO urges pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to be fully aware of their surroundings by putting away any distractions such as electronic devices.

Silverstein adds that there is no excuse for distracted driving and unsafe behaviours behind the wheel. "Nearly 6 in 10 parents say they have seen an increase in unsafe driving practices in school zones in the last two years. Parents and guardians can do their part by slowing down in school zones, avoid driving distracted, and remembering to be considerate to others on the road."

For motorists, it is essential to take extra care around school buses. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus with its arm extended and red lights flashing face a fine of up to $2,000 and receive six demerit points for a first offence.

Tips for pedestrians:

• Stop before stepping onto the road
• Look in all directions before crossing the street
• Listen for traffic
• Walk, don't run, across the road

Tips for drivers:

• Check for children on sidewalks, driveways and behind your vehicle before backing up
• Remember to slow down in school zones
• Be ready to stop at all times as children may dart out between parked cars
• Try to make eye contact with children waiting to cross the street
• Come to a complete stop for school buses when red lights are flashing

How to share the road with school buses:

• Drivers in all directions must stop when they see red lights flashing on a school bus. The only exception is roads separated with a median
• Drivers must stop at least 20 metres behind the bus

If you see a driver who doesn't stop for a school bus, safely pull over and record:

• Location (street or intersection), date and time
• The description of the vehicle including make, model, colour and license plate
• Status of the bus (moving or stopped, were lights flashing, children boarding or not)
• A record or photograph of the scene
• Contact the police with as much information as you can

CAA supports safety in school zones through the CAA School Safety Patrol program. This year the program is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The program was developed to protect, educate and empower elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices. 

Today the program is delivered across Ontario in partnership with over 55 police services. It is available in over 800 schools, reaching approximately 20,000 elementary school students.

SOURCE: CAA South Central Ontario

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Will America become a Corporatocracy? A New Political Mystery by Wynter Sommers Takes a Glimpse into the Future

"EDGES: Swift Encounter" by Wynter Sommers (PRNewsfoto/Pure Force)

Educational fiction is an effective method of learning - The 9-part Edges series set in 2030 showcases America after the country has been ravaged by an unprecedented political regime which has stripped away democracy from the memories of its residents. 

The Ruling Courtly family splashes their name on buildings and merchandise to remind citizens about who is in charge. Lawlessness is allowed to flourish to discombobulate the people so they never organize and rise up against the corporate fiefdom, which maintains tight control. 

Newspaper reporter Bjorn Esterday's investigative division is downsized, but as he moves to popular lifestyles, he brings his hard-edged curiosity to a seemingly innocuous assignment only to be slapped with deadly ramifications. 

How can he and Sarah Paradise, clever school teacher, challenge such a venomous force?

Nicolas Berggruen may have some good ideas about the future of American Democracy. That is why he founded the Berggruen Institute and co-founded the World Post with the Washington Post to investigate global issues…

Berggruen and Nathan Gardels co-authored Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century, which addresses designing a better way to govern by taking the best of East and West. Recently, they released Renovating Democracy.

• Yet, does Berggruen's think tank address corporation-managed cities?

• Would Nicolas Berggruen, 58, and Nathan Gardels, 66 want to compare and contrast their book, Renovating Democracy, with Edges penned by Wynter Sommers?

We probably both know the answer.

In 2008, Lehman Brother's folded laying off 26,000 employees as it dramatically ushered in a new era now called the Great Recession, blazing the path for an uncertain gig-economy where your spare time needs to produce a revenue stream. No longer could a middle-class household pay for healthcare, childcare, and education on one income without going deeply into debt. 

The ripple effect vaporized about 8.7 million jobs, disintegrating the secure scaffolding of pensions, retirement, and traditional nest eggs. Analysis traces this avoidable incident back to a lack of financial regulations.

• So, what is next? If a city files for bankruptcy and needs to liquidate assets at auction, could a corporation buy that distressed city? Could Americans exchange democracy for corporatocracy?

• Does Berggruen's tome address corporation-managed cities? Will America become a corporatocracy?

Edges reveals what America will be like in the year 2030. 

• Why does the character Bjorn Esterday, investigative reporter, take such immense risks?

• Why does Sarah Paradise, determined school teacher, insist on finding out the truth even if it may cost her life?

Wynter Sommers explained, "Edges confronts us with what will happen when the nation complacently stands by as we become corporatized, shifting America's Mission Statement to supporting corporate demands at the expense of our citizen's needs and rights. An earnest desire for objective truth could threaten leadership. Would you be ruled by Jack Courtly or Skipper, his brother? What would you accept and what would it take to get you to fight?"

• Edges, distributed by Pure Force Enterprises Publishing, is available at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com USA,

• The Bundle Set of books  includes Edges:Conversation Station guide which evokes poignant questions about each of the nine books.

SOURCE: Pure Force

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Makes Thrilling Debut at Walt Disney World Resort

Grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (PRNewsfoto/Walt Disney World Resort)

This will be a day long remembered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, as the park took its first step into a larger world with the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was flanked by the mighty Chewbacca and other Star Wars characters Wednesday morning as fireworks exploded overhead during the land's dedication ceremony.

"With the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, we've set a new standard for the most immersive storytelling in the galaxy," said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. "Every experience in Batuu – from piloting the Millennium Falcon to building your own droid – puts guests deeper into their own Star Wars story."

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which opened at Disneyland Park in California on May 31, 2019, is the largest and most technologically advanced single-themed land expansion ever in a Disney park. The 14-acre land transports guests to the remote planet of Batuu, full of unique sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

Guests become part of their own Star Wars stories as they experience galactic food and beverages, such as iconic Blue Milk and Green Milk. They can craft their own lightsabers or build their own droids in immersive, interactive retail experiences. They can explore an intriguing collection of merchant shops and may even come across iconic Star Wars characters.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Walt Disney World Resort)

• In one of the land's signature attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, guests take the controls of the most famous ship in the galaxy as pilots, gunners or flight engineers in an exhilarating experience that responds in real time to the actions they take. 

• A second anchor attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will debut Dec. 5, 2019, at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland. In the most ambitious, immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined, guests will become part of the action during a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance in an experience that will blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Main Hold in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Walt Disney World Resort)

The new land builds off decades of collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd., a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production, including the Star Wars franchise. The work on Star Wars between these two creative powerhouses dates back to 1987, when the groundbreaking Star Tours attraction opened at Disneyland Park in California.

SOURCE: Walt Disney World Resort

Fires from Deforestation and Negligent Policy are Destroying Amazon Rainforest

Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines

The Amazon Rainforest, the lungs of the earth, is going up in flames due in large part to deforestation and negligent policy from Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro. 

Rainforests are hotspots of biodiversity and are crucial to our planetary health. These ecosystems provide indispensable benefits, from capturing carbon and ensuring food security to contributing to breakthroughs in medicine, farming, engineering, and protecting numerous species.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, the country's government conservation agency, knows rainforests better than anyone. On the Amazon wildfires, he recently wrote, "Our planet's largest freshwater system, biggest living carbon store, greatest repository of biological diversity & one of the richest places for cultural diversity is on fire. Difficult to imagine a more stupid policy than to wreck the Amazon rainforest."

His new book, Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth's Most Vital Frontlines, has been called "science writing at its best," by Booklist. In it, Juniper journeys from the barren forests of the Americas to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest.

•  Along the way, he delivers a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world's rainforests today, how they support civilization, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.

Juniper explores the temperate zone rainforests, the pressures facing the Congo Basin, and the toll of hunting, forest fragmentation, and invasive species on rainforest wildlife. 

• He also examines how fires, often started by groups like palm oil and pulpwood plantations, can devastate thriving sections of rainforest in hours. 

Throughout, Juniper demonstrates how rainforests across the world have powerful and concrete impacts that reach as far as America's Great Plains and Central Europe.

SOURCE: Island Press

#TwitterPhilanthropy: CEO & Award-Winning Author Gives Away Thousands of Dollars Via Twitter in the New Age of E-Philanthropy

Scott Levy

Scott Levy, CEO of Award-Winning Digital Agency Fuel Online and Best-Selling Author & Investor, uses his own personal Twitter to help those in need with financial gifts and Amazon Gift Cards. 

The wealthy CEO & digital influencer has been giving away his money for weeks to teachers who have had to use their personal funds to supply their classrooms, as well as veterans and other people who find themselves simply in need.

Levy's Verified Twitter account, @FuelOnline, has been taking social media by storm making it rain, so to speak, in a monsoon of charitable gifts. Levy hopes his actions will inspire others to join him in giving back and paying it forward. His hashtags include: #TwitterPhilanthropy #payitforward #bekind #kindness #Teachers which dictate the underlying reasons that has spurred him on this journey. With a new user every fifteen seconds, social media plays an integral part in how to fulfill the moral imperative of doing right as charity has become a more interactive experience - the upside being a wider reach.

#clearthelist is an online viral campaign whereby teachers create Amazon Wishlists for their classroom supplies. Most teachers pay in the vicinity of $500, even up to $2500, of their own money to set up their classroom. The movement alleviates the financial pressure from teachers.

"It really bothered me that underpaid teachers are expected to buy classroom supplies out of their meager salaries, it's just not fair," says Levy. "I had to do something about it."

Teachers from all over the US have benefited from Levy's Twitter-verse of E-Philanthropy.

"I am a single mom in a Title 1 district with high poverty, high crime and high trauma. Thanks to Mr. Levy, I was able to support my 40 students with supplies to get them through their school year," says Teacher, Stef Moyer from Pennsylvania. "Mr. Levy continued his support by clearing the lists of other teachers we have met through this movement helping us build the foundation of learning for all students."

Levy is one of the founders and pioneers of digital marketing having started doing SEO work in 1997. His agency, FuelOnline, is based in both Boston and New York and works with mid-sized and Fortune 500 Companies on all things digital. He is a best-selling author ('Tweet Naked') and an investor who is grateful that his success has given him the ability to help others.

Scott Levy's Best-Selling Book "Tweet Naked"

In addition to teachers Levy, who considers himself a strong patriot, assists Veterans. Navy Veteran & Special Ed Teacher, Michele Downard of California explains, "This movement has brought a light to the amount teachers are spending in their classrooms and my gifts from Scott Levy have relieved the burden and allowing me to focus on additional projects and lessons."

Levy also works closely with Code of Vets, an organization that authenticates Veterans who need help and raises funds for them - from healthcare to housing to vehicles. Levy is helping them build a program via Amazon Wishlists whereby even the most basic necessities are met.

"We're a grassroots mission. We use social media to raise immediate funds for veterans in crisis," says Gretchen Smith, Code of Vets. "Scott Levy's donation is a beautiful example of Americans teaming up with us to support our military/veteran community. We are taking care of our own. One veteran at a time."

In addition to teachers and Vets, Levy's generosity extends to any individual in need. One Wisconsin-based man who couldn't afford a necessary operation reached out via Twitter and Levy stepped in to help foot the bill.

"I was reflecting on how fortunate I am and if I was gone tomorrow what would I have left behind? Who had I helped in this life? I wanted to do more. The biggest challenge after success is learning how to share it," says Levy. "I chose Twitter because it's my largest reach and I wanted help identifying who needed it the most. I'm also hoping to inspire the masses to give back as well. It's been a massive success, and I'm overwhelmed by the love and feedback."

Marrying social media know-how with a passion for giving, Levy has stumbled upon the perfect method with which to contribute his strengths to society at large. He hopes others who are similarly endowed will step up and lead the charge in this new age of Social Media beneficence.

SOURCE: Scott Levy