the unbearable notice is; that you've to make up your mind to be the difference and not the other way round else people will misjudge you even though you're not that person.
A Global Citizen from Nigeria, Jeremiah, reminisced on how the $Twitter crackdown impacted the community:
“The sudden ban of Twitter, now referred to as X, several years ago sent shockwaves through communities, significantly affecting not only individuals’ ability to connect and share but also disrupting businesses and revenue streams dependent on the platform.”
He added: “It highlighted the interconnectedness of individuals and businesses in the digital realm, where disruptions to online platforms can have far-reaching consequences on livelihoods.”
In 2024 Senegal is experiencing Nigeria’s history, as civil society organizations are taking the Senegalese government to the ECOWAS court regarding internet shutdowns that took place in June, July, and August 2023 as presidential elections were meant to be en route and popular opposition leader (and fierce critic of President Macky Sall) Ousmane Sonk was criminally charged and held in custody.
The blackouts not only limited the right to access information and the freedom of expression of everyday citizens, but it also limited the work of journalists on the ground.
Speaking to Global Citizen on the internet blackout in Senegal, the African head of the International Federation of Journalists, Louis Thomasi said: “Political interference is really putting a dent in qualitative journalism.
If you look at what’s happening in Africa all over, it is now a norm that during election periods, the internet will be cut off.
Even yesterday again [13 Feb. 2024] in Dakar, in Senegal, the internet was cut off.”
“It’s a deliberate attempt to suppress freedom of expression and media freedom in general,”
Louis Thomasi/African head of the International Federation of Journalists
Internet shutdowns and crimes against humanity
We’ve already mentioned that there’s an ongoing war in Sudan and the country has had its internet cut off several times in the face of the civil war.
Sudanese Global Citizen, Mazen, explains what having online access means to them: “Nowadays, the Internet means life.
It makes you aware and connected with the world.”
Internet blackouts in the country have heavily impacted people’s lives, but their impacts are a lot worse than you can imagine.
The loss of the internet has also meant that conflict-related atrocities can continue without being reported.
Advocacy organization, Access Now, has consistently kept tabs on the violent impacts of shutdowns in Sudan.
The organization noted that in 2021, the day before a pro-democracy protest was to take place, the internet was cut off along with phone and SMS services.
The protest continued regardless.
With citizens having no ability to transmit information inside or outside of Sudan, authorities took the opportunity to crack down physically on protesters.
At least 17 people were killed, and 250 people were injured as a result.
“The internet blackouts are doing their job and providing cover for the military’s violent takeover and hijacking of a possible democratic future for Sudan,”
“I have experienced natural disasters such as earthquakes, social unrest causing violent protests, terrorist attacks, all sorts of events that caused or forced involuntary internet shutdowns,”
“The one thing I missed the most in any of those instances was critical services and the ability to connect with my loved ones. This is what the internet means to me.”
Rwandan Global Citizen Gabriel
It’s futile to deny the importance of online access to people across the continent.
However, for as long as the internet exists, there will be ways to exploit it for the use of harm towards everyday citizens in African countries, and around the world.
Since 2011, the United Nations has called for universal internet access as a human right, however, this has not been implemented across countries despite the growing call for it
Right now what Global Citizens can do is remain informed about internet shutdowns and their impacts on communities, and spread the word about them so that their impacts do not go unnoticed and underreported.
Right now, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under growing scrutiny.
Some companies are pulling back from DEI initiatives amid nervousness around shareholder activism and possible investor or customer pushback.
The So What
Highlighting the benefits of DEI to an organization’s performance and the wellbeing of employees is the best way to address this negativity, according to Nadjia Yousif, BCG’s Chief Diversity Officer.
“This isn’t about taking sides, but rather making the most of the opportunities to enhance business and societal value. DEI raises standards for everyone by improving innovation, performance, and the workplace experience across the board.”
INSIDERNOTES
DEI initiatives can boost financial performance, according to BCG research based on data from more than 27,000 employees in 16 countries.
Attracting talent. In a world where companies are reporting significant talent gaps, it makes sense to recruit from a more diverse pool. BCG research shows that almost one-third of people from underrepresented groups choose not to apply for or accept a position in companies that do not have inclusive work cultures.
Reducing attrition. Leadership that prioritizes inclusion in the workplace can slash attrition risk by 50%. That’s because employees who witness or experience discrimination, bias, or disrespect are nearly 1.4 times more likely to quit their job.
Increasing motivation. When employees believe that DEI programming is a corporate leadership priority, the number of all employees who are happy increases by 31 percentage points, while the number of those who feel motivated increases by nearly 25 percentage points.
Companies with above+average diversity on their management teams also report innovation revenue 19% points higher than companies with below+average leadership diversity.
“Diversity in business is not about hitting quotas, it’s about assembling the best teams with different backgrounds and perspectives. Just think about developing products or services, for example. A broad range of backgrounds and views will fuel innovation and be better attuned to the diversity of your customer base,”
Yousif
Now What
Measure the leading indicators of diversity and inclusion, not just the outcomes.
Approach DEI as any other business initiative, with KPIs that are measurable and have a set timeframe.
Review the success of different initiatives and learn from what works.
Keep track of your recruiting statistics, and ensure there is equity in pay, promotion, and retention.
It’s also important to measure employee inclusion to ensure underrepresented groups feel included in the workplace keeping in mind that this leads to higher levels of motivation, ambition, and retention.
Communicate what works–and what doesn’t.
Be transparent when communicating the impact of DEI initiatives to staff, the board of directors and/or shareholders.
Be open about areas where it’s taking longer to make progress, and where there’s been success. Using data to demonstrate the impact of DEI initiatives on company performance is the best way to address criticism.
Lead from the front. Senior leaders should openly and publicly commit to the importance of DEI as well as equipping direct managers with the tools to practice empathetic leadership.
Companies also need a clear feedback loop and escalation mechanism to quickly address any instances of discrimination, bias, and harassment that can undermine progress.
Influence your network.
Companies can influence a wider ecosystem beyond their own workforce.
They can expand supplier diversity, for example, and improve the customer experience (and revenues) through more inclusive product design or marketing materials that avoid stereotypes.
By embedding the importance of DEI into all aspects of a company’s operations, organizations can drive broader societal change often an element of organizational purpose statements.
“DEI isn’t a nice to have for companies. In an increasingly complex and competitive market, business leaders need to access and nurture the best talent, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, or disability status. But it’s not just a business imperative, there’s also a moral imperative to ensure all human beings have a chance to flourish and thrive,”
Our World
Beyond the impact we can drive through our client work, we use our expertise, partnerships, and networks to catalyze change, amplifying commitments within industry and investing in diverse communities and customer segments.
The COP28 climate summit in Dubai, November 2023. Here’s what you should know.
Many countries had their representatives at the COP28, and still yet are with less or zero knowledge about what really went down well, here’s a brief recap if you fall into this category just a two minute read.
Flooding in India, Cameroon, and Libya. Extreme heat across the US, Europe, and Asia.
A cyclone in Myanmar. A tropical storm hitting Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The list goes on.
This is not exactly the kind of sentence you’d expect from a qualified climate expert, a group that prefers the more austere language of hard facts.
Yet, these days, “climate scientists are struggling for words,” writes climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.
Instead, she’s started replying to questions about the latest extreme weather event or report about how dire things are with: “I am running out of original things to say.”
This year’s COP is a significant milestone: the first assessment of how countries are faring against emissions cutting commitments made at Paris in 2015 (known as the Paris agreement).
When the Paris agreement was signed in 2015, it was agreed that every five years countries would return with more ambitious plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and tackle global warming.
The #COVID19 pandemic caused COP to be canceled in 2020, making COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021, one of the “big COPs.”
The “small COPs,” held in the intervening years, tend to focus on laying the groundwork for negotiations.
COPs usually open with a ceremonial opening meeting.
This is then followed by days of world leaders on stage talking about climate change, generally concentrating either on what their countries intend to do about it or on the dire consequences they are experiencing.
The remaining days have themes such as finance and energy and see politicians and business leaders stepping up to announce various new promises, pledges, coalitions, and projects.
But outside the doors, activists usually rage against superficial commitments and rally against political inaction.
This time, there’s been significant outrage after it was leaked to the Guardian that the UAE’s state oil company has been able to read emails to and from the COP28 climate summit office and was consulted on how to respond to a media inquiry.
Remind me, what was agreed at Paris?
Under the landmark Paris agreement at COP21 in 2015, nations committed to holding global heating to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, and preferably limiting warming to 1.5 degrees.
Though the deal is legally binding, the commitments that countries have made to cut their emissions are not, unless they are enshrined into national or regional legislation.
INSIDERNOTES
Who takes part?
The attendees at COP are dignitaries and Heads of State and Government as well as tens of thousands of government delegates and representatives of civil society, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and the media.
There are 197 parties which are broadly organized in five regional groups: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and Other States (including Australia, Canada, and the US).
At the cluster of COP side events, climate change leaders, experts, and influencers gather to share their stories and solutions at panel discussions, exhibits, cultural events, and more.
What happened at COP27?
After two weeks of fraught negotiations, a “historic pact” was struck at COP27 in which developed countries, which are historically responsible for the climate emergency, agreed to provide climate finance to help poorer countries experiencing climate-related disasters, known as a loss and damage fund.
Alok Sharma, the UK President of COP26, was more scathing about how the conference fared.
“I said in Glasgow that the pulse of 1.5 degrees was weak. Unfortunately, it remains on life support,” he said.
What do we want to happen at COP28?
An End to Fossil Fuels
That means support for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty from world leaders to ensure a Just Transition away from fossil fuels, an end to fossil fuel subsidies, and robust taxing of remaining fossil fuel production.
Cough Up the Climate Finance
Now isn’t the time for baby steps, it’s time to go big: fund a Just Transition in all countries, help countries adapt to climate change, and fund loss and damage.
Protect Climate Activists and Environmental Defenders
Almost 2,000 environmental activists have been killed over the past decade.
We need a human rights approach to all aspects of climate action.
For me, this will always be the year I became a grandparent.
It will be the year I spent a lot of precious time with loved ones whether on the pickleball court or over a rousing game of Settlers of Catan.
And 2023 marked the first time I used artificial intelligence for work and other serious reasons, not just to mess around and create parody song lyrics for my friends.
This year gave us a glimpse of how AI will shape the future, and as 2023 comes to a close, I’m thinking more than ever about the world today’s young people will inherit.
In last year’s letter, I wrote about how the prospect of becoming a grandparent made me reflect on the world my granddaughter will be born into.
Now I’m thinking more about the world she will inherit and what it will be like decades from now, when her generation is in charge.
I can begin to picture it: the tools she will use, the ways she will stay in touch with her loved ones, the problems these innovations will help solve.
We now have a better sense of what types of jobs AI will be able to do by itself and which ones it will serve as a copilot for.
And it’s clearer than ever how AI can be used to improve access to education, mental health, and more.
It motivates me to make sure this technology helps reduce and doesn’t contribute to the awful inequities we see around the world.
I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of innovation to offer every child an equal chance to survive and thrive. AI is no exception.
Of course, AI is far from the only defining feature of 2023.
We are just at the beginning of this transition right now.
This is an exciting and confusing time, and if you haven’t figured out how to make the best use of AI yet, you are not alone.
I thought I would use AI tools for the foundation’s strategy reviews this year, which require reading hundreds of pages of briefing materials that an AI could accurately summarize for me.
But old habits are hard to break, and I ended up preparing for them the same way I always do.
Millions continue to experience unbearable grief as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine and in the aftermath of the war in Ethiopia.
My heart is broken for the continued suffering of Israelis and Palestinians, as well as for the people of Sudan.
At the same time, more people are being forced to endure hardship as a result of more frequent extreme weather events caused by climate change.
And families around the world continue to be hit hard by rising inflation and slow economic growth.
There’s no question these are challenging times, but I remain optimistic about the future. The speed of innovation has never been faster.
We’re making big strides on tough problems like Alzheimer’s, obesity, and sickle cell disease that will improve the lives of millions of people.
My friend the late Hans Rosling used to say that
“things can be bad and getting better.”
INSIDERNOTES
It’s a good reminder that progress is not only possible but happening every day.
The team at CAPRISA in South Africa is using data to improve treatments for patients infected with both HIV and tuberculosis.
That’s why I remain dedicated to making sure that, even in the face of setbacks, the world continues to do more to help the poorest people.
I do the bulk of this work through the Gates Foundation, where my colleagues remain dedicated to improving global health, education, gender equality, and more.
While I could write a thousand pages about the incredible work they’re doing with our partners, this letter focuses on just a few of the most exciting breakthroughs.
I also write about why I’m optimistic about the world’s climate progress.
Most of my climate and energy work is done through Breakthrough Energy, although the Gates Foundation is helping people in low- and middle income countries adapt to a warming world.
I also continue to privately fund research into other areas like Alzheimer’s disease.
And I still get to advise Microsoft, which gives me insight into what’s coming down the pipeline and how it can be used to make the world a more equitable place.
I’m lucky that my work gives me insight into all the ways the world is getting better.
The challenges we face feel a lot less daunting when you understand what exactly it will take to tackle them.
In this letter, I will share just a few reasons I am optimistic about the year ahead.
I hope they make you as excited about all the progress to come as I am.
AI Is About To Supercharge The Innovation Pipeline.
My work has always been rooted in a core idea: Innovation is the key to progress.
It’s why I started Microsoft, and it’s why Melinda and I started the Gates Foundation more than two decades ago.
Innovation is the reason our lives have improved so much over the last century.
From electricity and cars to medicine and planes, innovation has made the world better.
Today, we are far more productive because of the IT revolution.
The most successful economies are driven by innovative industries that evolve to meet the needs of a changing world.
My favorite innovation story, though, starts with one of my favorite statistics: Since 2000, the world has cut in half the number of children who die before the age of five.
How did we do it? One key reason was innovation.
Scientists came up with new ways to make vaccines that were faster and cheaper but just as safe.
They developed new delivery mechanisms that worked in the world’s most remote places, which made it possible to reach more kids.
And they created new vaccines that protect children from deadly diseases like rotavirus.
In a world with limited resources, you have to find ways to maximize impact. Innovation is the key to getting the most out of every dollar spent.
And artificial intelligence is about to accelerate the rate of new discoveries at a pace we’ve never seen before.
One of the biggest impacts so far is on creating new medicines.
Drug discovery requires combing through massive amounts of data, and AI tools can speed up that process significantly.
Some companies are already working on cancer drugs developed this way.
But a key priority of the Gates Foundation in AI is ensuring these tools also address health issues that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest, like AIDS, TB, and malaria.
“We’re taking a hard look at the wide array of AI innovation in the pipeline right now and working with our partners to use these technologies to improve lives in low- and middle income countries”
Bill Gates
In the fall, I traveled to Senegal to meet with some of the incredible researchers doing this work and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the foundation’s Grand Challenges initiative.
When we first launched Grand Challenges the Gates Foundation’s flagship innovation program it had a single goal: Identify the biggest problems in health and give grants to local researchers who might solve them.
We asked innovators from developing countries how they would address health challenges in their communities, and then we gave them the support to make it happen.
Many of the people I met in Senegal were taking on the first-ever AI Grand Challenge.
The foundation didn’t have AI projects in mind when we first set that goal back in 2003, but I’m always inspired by how brilliant scientists are able to take advantage of the latest technology to tackle big problems.
It was great to learn from Amrita Mahale about how the team at ARMMAN is developing an AI chatbot to improve health outcomes for pregnant women.
Much of their work is in the earliest stages of development there’s a good chance we won’t see any of them used widely in 2024 or even 2025.
Some might not even pan out at all. The work that will be done over the next year is setting the stage for a massive technology boom later this decade.
Still, it’s impressive to see how much creativity is being brought to the table. Here is a small sample of some of the most ambitious questions currently being explored:
Can AI combat antibiotic resistance? Antibiotics are magical in their ability to end infection, but if you use them too often, pathogens can learn how to ignore them. This is called antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, and it is a huge issue around the world especially in Africa, which has the highest mortality rates from AMR. Nana Kofi Quakyi from the Aurum Institute in Ghana is working on an AI-powered tool that helps health workers prescribe antibiotics without contributing to AMR. The tool will comb through all the available information including local clinical guidelines and health surveillance data about which pathogens are currently at risk of developing resistance in the area—and make suggestions for the best drug, dosage, and duration.
Can AI bring personalized tutors to every student? The AI education tools being piloted today are mind-blowing because they are tailored to each individual learner. Some of them like Khanmigo and MATHia are already remarkable, and they’ll only get better in the years ahead. One of the things that excites me the most about this type of technology is the possibility of localizing it to every student, no matter where they live. For example, a team in Nairobi is working on Somanasi, an AI-based tutor that aligns with the curriculum in Kenya. The name means “learn together” in Swahili, and the tutor has been designed with the cultural context in mind so it feels familiar to the students who use it.
Students interact with an AI tutor in a classroom in Nairobi, Kenya.
Can AI help treat high-risk pregnancies? A woman dies in childbirth every two minutes. That’s a horrifying statistic, but I’m hopeful that AI can help. Last year, I wrote about how AI-powered ultrasounds could help identify pregnancy risks. This year, I was excited to meet some of the researchers at ARMMAN, who hope to use artificial intelligence to improve the odds for new mothers in India. Their large language model will one day act as a copilot for health workers treating high-risk pregnancies. It can be used in both English and Telugu, and the coolest part is that it automatically adjusts to the experience level of the person using it whether you’re a brand-new nurse or a midwife with decades of experience.
Can AI help people assess their risk for HIV? For many people, talking to a doctor or nurse about their sexual history can be uncomfortable. But this information is super important for assessing risk for diseases like HIV and prescribing preventive treatments. A new South African chatbot aims to make HIV risk assessment a lot easier. It acts like an unbiased and nonjudgmental counselor who can provide around-the-clock advice. Sophie Pascoe and her team are developing it specifically with marginalized and vulnerable populations in mind—populations that often face stigma and discrimination when seeking preventive care. Their findings suggest that this innovative approach may help more women understand their own risk and take action to protect themselves.
Could AI make medical information easier to access for every health worker? When you’re treating a critical patient, you need quick access to their medical records to know if they’re allergic to a certain drug or have a history of heart problems. In places like Pakistan, where many people don’t have any documented medical history, this is a huge problem. Maryam Mustafa’s team is working on a voice-enabled mobile app that would make it a lot easier for maternal health workers in Pakistan to create medical records. It asks a series of prompts about a patient and uses the responses to fill out a standard medical record. Arming health workers with more data will hopefully improve the country’s pregnancy outcomes, which are among the worst in the world.
Tonee Ndungu whose team is developing Somanasi shows off the latest version of their personalized education tutor.
We can learn a lot from global health about how to make AI more equitable.
The main lesson is that the product must be tailored to the people who will use it.
The medical information app I mentioned is a great example: It’s common for people in Pakistan to send voice notes to one another instead of sending a text or email.
So, it makes sense to create an app that relies on voice commands rather than typing out long queries.
And the project is being designed in Urdu, which means there won’t be any translation issues.
If we make smart investments now, AI can make the world a more equitable place.
It can reduce or even eliminate the lag time between when the rich world gets an innovation and when the poor world does.
21’s birthday was on Friday, and he celebrated with a major Freaknik-themed bash in the ATL. You might’ve seen the awesome fire red pickup truck Thug gifted to his homey — but what you didn’t know, until now, is the whip cost $150k!!!
Young Thug is about that big spender lifestyle — especially when it comes to his pal 21 Savage … who just hit 29, and YT went all out for his very pricey gift … some very expensive wheels.
Roadshow International — a luxury car dealership in Atlanta — tells TMZ … the truck itself is a Dodge Hellcat TRX, new models of which can range anywhere from $60k to $72k right off the lot.
“It also has a “21” emblazoned across the door”
TRISTANJAMESJR
But, watch this video showing all the truck’s features and you’ll see why Thug paid way more than that.
Not just that, but the interior bears 21 Savage’s face too … a rendering of himself is stitched right into the upholstery of some of the seats — so there’s no question whose ride this is.
Herm, who owns Roadshow Int’l, says he had 3 days to work on the truck, and sure enough … he got it done in time for the big birthday party. Talk about a good friend, and talk about some nice nice things.
Comedian Hannah Gadsby unleashed the wrath of Dave Chappelle after she criticized his Netflix special The Closer. Now people are coming to her defense.
The jab at Gadsby—who has Netflix specials of her own in Nanette and Douglas—come after the comedian responded to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, after he defended Chappelle’s special using her own work as an example.
“does dave chappelle not get that he is hannah gadsby for guys”
INSIDERNOTES
“Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chappelle’s fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial world view,”
Dave Chappelle told a “joke” about assaulting a lesbian in his stand up special and now demands that trans people “admit that Hannah Gadsby isn’t funny” in case any cis lesbians are confused, people who hate trans people hate you too. They do not make a distinction.
Hannah Gadsby is living rent free in the heads of every male comedian is existence—and absolutely EATING THEM UP inside—and for that (among other things) I love her very much.
“Hannah Gadsby is funny af, also brilliant, also I am desperate to take an art history class from her”
INSIDERNOTES
Hannah Gadsby is HILARIOUS and smart as hell. She is also a lesbian and neurodivergent so I see Dave Chappelle is still punching down on people I love. What a waste of his talents.
First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end,” Chappelle said. “You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing, and thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”
Kate and William announced the birth of their first child, Prince George on 22 July 2013, making him heir apparent to the throne.
His younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, will be the “spare” siblings, which could lead to them not having a defined role as royals.
Charles has also reportedly been in plans to drastically “slim down” the monarchy to a team of just seven working royals.
“Royal commentator Angela Mollard spoke to the Australian morning programme Sunrise hosts about the young royals”
INSIDERNOTES
Ms Mollard said: “They’re talking about reducing their kid’s involvement in royal duties.”
It would also mean that less royals would be reliant on the tax-payer-funded Sovereign Grant, and would have to find other means of income
First, it was the ‘Princess Diana Effect’, then it was the ‘Kate Middleton Effect’ and now it’s the royal children’s turn. From gorgeous knitted jumpers to adorable shoes, the royal children have been proclaimed style icons with parents everywhere eager to dress their children just like the Cambridges.
The easiest pick for Metro was his frequent collaborator, Future. Metro said he has “got to be” in his top five. His Savage Mode II partner, 21 Savage, was also an easy selection for the producer.
Metro did add that Savage “don’t give a fuck about being considered, like, the top five artists from Atlanta.”
Metro Boomin listed his top five artists from Atlanta on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Sunday. The legendary producer named 21 Savage, Future, T.I., Gucci Mane, and Young Thug as the best to do it, but admitted it was a difficult choice.
“don’t give a fuck about being considered, like, the top five artists from Atlanta.”
Earlier in the podcast, Metro spoke about his chemistry with Savage, explaining, “The way me and Savage work, it’s easy…but at the same time it’s challenging.
Not challenging in a bad way, it’s just I feel like we challenge each other so much.”
He added: “I feel like with him, it’s always easy for us as a whole, but at the same time he challenges me. But I need that, though, so that’s a blessing$.
While fans were undoubtedly happy to see him bring back his most famous role on the Disney streaming service, there is also a lot of chatter about him appearing in a different Disney Plus series. And that is none other than Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian.
He recently reprised that role when he co-starred with Anthony Mackie in Disney Plus‘ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Sebastian Stan is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today. A stalwart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has portrayed Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in a plethora of MCU installments, starting all the way back in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.
“Fans were left shocked by this incredible image of Sebastian Stan suited up as Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian”.
INSIDERNOTES
The tales of Stan portraying a young Luke Skywalker are legendary at this point, and it has inspired a ton of fan art in the process. On that note, allow us to appreciate one incredible piece today.
This amazing piece from digital artist ApexForm was first posted back in 2019, and it has become a constant reminder of how amazing Sebastian Stan would look in the role of Luke Skywalker.
Naturally, CGI of that extent would be unfeasible for a long-term project, so it got the internet talking, with many fans suggesting that Lucasfilm should make a Luke Skywalker prequel starring Stan in the titular role because of his resemblance to a young Mark Hamill (or have him show up in The Mandalorian season 3).
“Sebastian Stan is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today”.
INSIDERNOTES
Of course, the reason that so many fans think Stan would be perfect for the role is his uncanny resemblance to Mark Hamill (who, of course, portrayed Luke in the original Star Wars movies) and this artwork highlights their resemblance a great deal.
Gabrielle Union became a major success commercially when she reprised the role of Syd Burnet in Bad Boys 2.
This 2003 movie grossed over $273 million and was a worldwide hit. It placed Gab squarely in the pantheon of the most sought-after actresses in the industry.
However, like many other actresses before her, Union’s first choice wasn’t always acting in movies. She revealed this on the latest episode of JJ Redick’s ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast.
“Gabrielle Union revealed how her acting career took off as she began auditioning for roles as a video actress, resulting in an audition with Tupac”.
INSIDERNOTES
Gab has become one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood over the past 2 decades and change. Her first television series role was in a 6th-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Gabrielle Union became a major success commercially when she reprised the role of Syd Burnet in Bad Boys 2.
This 2003 movie grossed over $273 million and was a worldwide hit. It placed Gab squarely in the pantheon of the most sought-after actresses in the industry.
After Fat Joe called DaBaby the 2Pac of 2021 in an interview with Rap City ‘21, DaBaby has finally gotten wind of the praise and issued a response on Instagram.
On the program, which aired prior to the 2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards, host Big Tigger began to play a word association game with Fat Joe, where he would list off a legendary MC, and Joe would have to give the rapper’s 2021 equivalent.
When 2Pac’s name inevitably came up, Joe paused for a moment before answering. “I should know the 2Pac one.” He continued, “I don’t know, it’s hard to be these guys.
“Joe’s answer had many take to social media to give their two cents, with many pushing back.”
INSIDERNOTES
DaBaby hasn’t been the most popular rapper as of late. He’s still experiencing some fallout following the homophobic comments he made over the summer.
However, the backlash hasn’t slowed DaBaby’s career, as he just released a new song with Lil Wayne titled “Lonely,” where he alludes to the criticism he recieved.
The track is his first official release after a series of freestyles this summer, including his “Essence” freestyle, in which he said he believed people were trying to assassinate his character.
“I don’t mind demonstratin’. I don’t mind exercisin’, you dig what I’m sayin’?”
INSIDERNOTES
I just feel like, you know, when situations like this present themselves, man, and people try to, you know, assassinate your character, man, assassinate who you are, man, and everything you put that hard work in for, man—sometimes you gotta demonstrate, you know, that’s how I came in
The event hiltedbup at the FCT, in one of the biggest and happening areas, of the city (Maitaima) in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Nigeria.
The celebrant was surrounded by employees of the sect company(agis) as they gave her what was seen or considered a blessed birthday.
Mrs. Rowena is a Mother, and a wife with two blistering kids to herself and family.
The party started as soon as the ‘Boss’ had arrived the office, check clips below.
Early hours of Thursday, the 13th, of August, 2021.
“Happy blessed birthday to the most beautiful Boss”
QUEENKALU
One of the company’s finest staff Mrs. Queen Kalu, who has been a very good and a close friend to the celebrant has described the event as mentioned a memorable event and with more other compliments marks the world biggest day for the company staffs.
See more clips below,
Queen and Co. Expressing their gratitude to God for blessing them with such a big & a coordinated madame, as their Boss.
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But, in the comics, a lot of fans say that August 10th is the “real” Spidey day because his first appearance is listed on that date. All of this gained even more steam on social media because of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Tom Holland’s last adventure in the MCU showed off his passport, which listed the big day as August 10th, 2001.
It’s a fun little detail that has exploded into its own day on the web. With all the clamoring for a trailer exploring what the heck is going on in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s easy to see why the character’s birthday is exploding this year. Still, it’s a good time, and people can dream of what this wild trailer for the multiversal adventure will look like.
“happy birthday peter parker!¡”
TRISTANJAMES
Until then, grab a slice of cake and check out some of these fun messages down below:
Happy Birthday to Peter Parker! No matter where he is, he’s still Spider-Man.
happy birthday to my comfort character, peter parker! ❤️🤟🏻🕸️
when they release the spiderman no way home trailer for peter parker’s birthday
Happy Birthday, Peter Parker. (Did I do this right?)
Subscribe to our link for update bumps and many more…👇👇👇
Queen, 26, is a philanthropist and aspiring politician. She hails from Akwa Ibom State and has a mom she adores and three beautiful siblings that she loves.
She is a Tansian University graduate and an international beauty queen.
Queen describes herself as “beautiful, courageous, and fearless” and reckons being raised by a single mother taught her a lot about life.
An ambitious and driven person who values everyone around her, she considers herself a true leader and an excellent communicator who is very calculating, loyal, and peaceful.
“A bad boy with magnetism” and “open minded”, are some of the words Ebuka uses to describe himself.
This 28-year-old musician and aspiring filmmaker was born in Lagos, then moved to the United States of America as a teenager – but is currently based in Abuja.
Calling himself a “curious participant of life”, Ebuka likes to explore interests and people with an open mind and maintains he is dedicated to growing into the best version of himself.
He believes being the product of two different societies; America and Nigeria, has created an interesting perspective on life that many viewers will be able to relate to.
In his free time, you will find Ebuka writing, creating music or pursuing his interests in cinematography.
Even movie stars need to declutter sometimes. Tom Hanks, for example, has decided he no longer needs his 1992 Airstream travel trailer, which has been a part of his movie-making experience since he bought it in 1993.
Hanks used the trailer on 18 movie sets over the decades, including Sleepless in Seattle and Forrest Gump in the ’90s to movies like The Circle in 2017.
“I got it in the days when movies moved slower,”
BONHAMsMAGAZINE
Four vehicles used by Tom Hanks will be auctioned off later this month at the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction, including his on-set Airstream trailer and the 2010 Ford F-450 Super Duty used to tow it, a customized 1980 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, and Hanks’ personal 2015 Tesla Model S P85D.
Hanks used the Airstream trailer as a place to rest while shooting 18 movies between the 1990s and 2010s, including Forrest Gump and The Circle.
Hanks ordered the trailer as an upgrade to the standard on-set cast trailers, and it has a full-size sofa inside that had to be customized in order to fit through the door.
“Over the years, Hanks also added stickers to the windows showing which movie locations the trailer was used on.”
INSIDERNOTES
See photos below,
TOYOTA LANDCRUISER
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Employers in the U.S. face an interesting challenge ahead how to fill nearly 10 million job openings with about a million fewer workers than there are positions available.
How successful they are will go a long way in determining whether the recent strong of outsized job gains can continue.
“This likely will have to continue as the Covid19 pandemic changes the jobs market, perhaps permanently”
CNBC
KEY POINTS TO NOTE
1. There are 8.6 million people considered out of work in the U.S. and nearly 10 million job openings.
2. Employers are using a number of incentives, including pet insurance and signing bonuses, to fill those positions.
3. “One of the biggest factors is employers are essentially having to buy back job applicants’ Covid lifestyle,” said one HR executive.
The Department of Labor reported Friday that there are some 8.7 million potential workers who have been looking for jobs and are counted among the unemployed.
At the same time, job placement site Indeed estimates there are about 9.8 million job vacancies as of July 16, or just a few days after the government’s sample period for the monthly numbers.
“This is one of the most complex labor markets in recent memory,”
SCOTTHAMILTON
A just-released survey from Gallagher shows the extent to which employers are willing to go to entice workers in the pandemic era.
Job growth has been surging in recent months, with July’s number, reported Friday, showing an addition of 943,000, the biggest spike since August 2020.
That came on top of respective gains of 938,000 and 614,000 in the previous two months, for an impressive three-month average of 832,000.
De9jaSpirit Talent Hunt is a show organized to discover and showcase amazing talents in Nigeria.
You have the skills, and you’ve got all it takes to compete with the larger world out there? Then the floor is open for you! Showcase your talent and win amazing prizes.
“We are looking out for the next set of Global Superstars”
Interested participants should note the following;
(“Contest Participant(s)”) shall submit their entry by registering online and sharing the contest video with the Contest Organizer using required format approved the organizers only.
The Contest shall be open for participation from May 24th, 2021 and for the further details on the last date entry and other announcement u can contact @De9jaspirit Limited directly on given number or details published on the official website. https://dth.de9jaspirit.com/
Therefore, this competition will be continuing by the batch size of 100 participants to camp till eviction.
Contest Organizer shall select a total of one (1) (“Winner”), one (1) 1st runner up, one (2nd) runner up from respectively from amongst the shortlisted 100 qualified entries submitted based on our judges’ decision and online votes received process.
The Contest Winner shall be declared on each batch of 100 participants filled and contest for few days accordingly through the offline Platform or on such other date as may be notified by Contest Organizer.
The contest winners and recipients of runners up and consolation awards/ prizes shall receive the same directly from the Associate Partners without any direct involvement of the Contest Organizer.
Mandy Rose was involved in a romantic storyline with Otis last year which was nearly sabotaged in the beginning by Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville.
Ziggler and Deville plotted to keep the two stars from seeing each other so that the former could swoop in and win Mandy’s heart.
“And 2nd best, my little silver medal [Mandy Rose]” tweeted Ziggler.”
DOLPH
However, their plans ended up failing after it was revealed that they intentionally caused Otis to arrive late to his first date with Mandy, which ignited a feud between the Fire and Desire teammates.
Otis went on to battle Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36 and won the bout after Rose hit Ziggler with a low-blow.
“Dolph Ziggler, however, is still hopeful that he will get together with Mandy Rose, although he keeps getting turned down by her.”
INSIDERNOTES
Mandy Rose made a surprise return to NXT last month and was recently involved involved in an angle with Franky Monet. Otis currently competes on the blue brand as a tag team with Chad Gable known as The Alpha Academy.
He recently got a new look and turned heel for the time in his WWE career.
The director seemed to walk back earlier comments he’d made to The New York Times, and said that he regrets not putting his thoughts across like this:
Nothing if not the uninhibited creative expression of one man. Collider’s own Matt Goldberg wrote in his review that Gunn’s
“sensibilities are all over this film from the gory violence to the pitchblack sense of humor to the concept of found family among a group of rejects”
COLLIDER
In that NYT interview, Gunn said that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige “gives more notes” and is “way more involved with editing than people are at Warner Bros.”
The director tipped his hat to the new brass at WB, and said that he was given unprecedented creative freedom.
And it shows. The Suicide Squad performance…
“Gunn was sort of poached by WB in 2018 after he was fired by Disney for unearthed inappropriate tweets from a decade ago, for which he has apologized.”
MARVEL
This led to a delay in the third Guardians movie, the script for which Gunn had already written and turned in.
In 2019, he was rehired by Disney to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3after sustained fan pressure and a public vote of confidence from the franchise’s cast. The film is now slated for a May 5, 2023 release.
MTV Awards, and Holland has previously teased Mackie for not having his own Marvel movie. Even though it’s been a while since they shared the screen in Civil War, the feud appears to be alive and well.
Spider Man raider Web Slingers,
There’s no word yet on how Holland will choose to respond to this, but one has to hope he’ll step up to the plate.
TOMHOLLAND
Anthony Mackie issues a challenge to Tom Holland: Beat his Spider-Man score at Avengers Campus.
Ever since Holland joined the MCU in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, there’s been a playful rivalry between him and Mackie.
It’s become common for the two, along with Sebastian Stan, to poke fun at each other on social media and at various fan conventions.
“Both Mackie and Holland are contributing to Marvel’s massive 2021”
ANONNYMOUS
For example, Mackie recently called out Holland in his acceptance speech at the MTV Awards, and Holland has previously teased Mackie for not having his own Marvel movie.
45'MEDIA 