Read Together book announced – and it’s ‘that octopus book’

Arts & Culture, Books

A best-selling novel about a woman’s friendship with a giant Pacific octopus has been named the 2024 Read Together Palm Beach County book.The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County announced the selection of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, published in 2022, during the group’s annual Mayors’ Literacy Initiative Luncheon on Thursday at the West Palm Beach Marriott.More than 2 million copies of the novel have been sold, and it spent a total of more than a year on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller list. In the two years since its debut, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” has had 30 reprintings, and the novel received the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize. It also was a “Read with Jenna” pick for the Today Show’s book club.The novel tells the story of a 70-year-old widow who cleans the aquarium where the octopus, Marcellus, lives. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” earned the nickname of “that octopus book,” so much so that the U.K. edition of the novel features that tagline across the top of its cover.This marks the coalition’s 14th Read Together campaign, a “one-book, one-community” event that aims to bring together adults throughout Palm Beach County to read the same book at the same time, the Literacy Coalition said. Past books in the biennial campaign include “The Story of Arthur Truluv” by Elizabeth Berg in 2022 and “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead in 2020.”Read Together brings our community together,” said Kristin Calder, the Literacy Coalition’s chief executive officer. “As we discuss themes and the story of a book, we make connections over shared experiences while also learning different perspectives. The book this year is about love, loss, family, second chances, and there’s even a little mystery to be solved. It’s a heartwarming, easy read that is surprisingly narrated in parts by an octopus.”As part of the Read Together campaign, the Palm Beach County Library System and the coalition’s community partners will host book discussions and events throughout November.Van Pelt will attend and speak at the Read Together Finale on Nov. 18 at Palm Beach State College’s Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth Beach.It was announced in August that the novel is being adapted into a film, with actor Sally Field reported to be on board as the lead.”Remarkably Bright Creatures” is available in hardcover and audio at local libraries and bookstores. Copies of the hardcover book are available from the Literacy Coalition for a $20 donation.The Literacy Coalition on Thursday also announced that the 19th annual Read for the Record book this year is “Piper Chen Sings” by Phillipa Soo. The event, scheduled this year for Oct. 24, brings together leaders, businesses and volunteers who distribute hundreds of books to Palm Beach County schools and child care centers and then read to tens of thousands of local students.Municipalities throughout Palm Beach County also engage in a friendly competition to see which can read to the most students on the day of the Read for the Record. Last year’s winners were Wellington in the large municipality category, Palm Springs as the mid-size municipality and Lantana as the small municipality.For more information, go to literacypbc.org.Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

Yudhra Box Office Collection Day 1: Siddhant Chaturvedi And Malavika Mohanan’s Film Opens With Rs 4.50 Crore

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

A still from Yudhra.(courtesy: YouTube) New Delhi: Siddhant Chaturvedi’s Yudhra got a promising start at the box office. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, the film debuted in theatres on September 20. On its opening day, the movie made ₹4.50 crore at the box office, reported industry tracker Sacnilk. With 46.54% occupancy for Hindi screenings on its…

UK overhauls tourist entry rules

Travel

Beginning January 8, anyone who wishes to visit the United Kingdom would have to register ahead of time in a specialized digital system and pay £50 per person; ‘Digitization allows for a seamless experience for the millions crossing the border annually,’ says senior official

Business Beat: Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers coming to Longview

Business News

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is planning to open a location in Longview.The city of Longview has received an application for a development permit that shows the restaurant would be built at 513 E. Loop 281, opposite Chick-fil-A where a bank of trees is currently located.Freddy’s serves a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and more, with the website saying, “Each patty is pressed thin to create deliciously crispy edges and finished with Freddy’s Famous Steakburger and Fry Seasoning. Every steakburger is cooked-to-order with your choice of toppings, served steaming hot, and just the way you want it.”#placement_588479_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}Freddy’s is also known for its frozen custard.Freddy’s, which is based in Wichita, Kansas, was founded in 2002 and has more than 400 locations.It is named for Freddy Simon, who grew up in Colwich, Kansas, and served in World War II. His sons, Bill and Randy Simon and their friend and business partner, Scott Redler, started the restaurant, the company’s website says. Workforce office movingWorkforce Solutions East Texas will open its new workforce center on Oct. 1 in the Park Place Shopping Center, at 1905 W. Loop 28, Suite 40, just west of Gilmer Road.The workforce center will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.”Workforce Solutions East Texas is a community partnership providing no-cost recruitment and employment services to businesses and job seekers in the East Texas area,” information provided by the organization says.The chief elected officials in the region, the Workforce Solutions East Texas Board, and the board administrative agency — the East Texas Council of Governments — elected to lease the 25,712-square-foot facility. The five-year lease includes five one-year extension options.Upgrades to the facility are in progress, and the new location will open in phases.@import url(https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=ibm-plex-sans:400,600);

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Doug Shryock, Workforce Solutions East Texas’ Executive Director, said, “We’re excited to offer employers and prospective employees a tremendous facility. It allows ample space for recruitment of skilled workers, interviewing, training, and enhancing respected skills, and to receive the resources necessary to become valued, long-term assets to the Longview business community and the surrounding area. I believe employers will see this facility as a force multiplier to ongoing work in building their businesses. Employees will see this as a critical link between their hard work in preparation and the job in which they’ll excel. Together, we’ll set the stage for the next generation in Longview’s economic development.”The current Workforce Solutions East Texas—Longview office at 209 S. Center St. will be closed Sept. 23-30 to prepare for the move. Customers who need assistance during that time should call 1-844-ETWORKS.

Roost Chicken Salad & Cafe Thursday, September 12, 2024. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

New ownershipGreenbriar Partners has acquired the Roost Chicken Salad & Deli brand, as well as two locations of The Catch seafood restaurants in Tyler and Longview, in a merger with owner Robert Means. Longview native Conner Cupit is Greenbriar’s managing partner and CEO. Greenbriar has been a consulting partner with the Roost brand, collaborating with Means on every aspect of the business. Cupit has much in store for the Roost brand, with the first new Roost location slated to open in Athens soon and further developments on the horizon, according to information the company provided.

The Catch Thursday, September 12, 2024. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

“I am very excited to bring our work with Roost to the next level and to focus on the expansion of the brand into new markets,” Cupit said. “Growing up in East Texas, I am passionate about bringing great food served in a family-friendly environment to the area, and Roost is the perfect brand to do just that.”Roost, which has locations in Lufkin and New Braunfels as well, serves breakfast, sandwiches, soup and salads in addition to chicken salad.“After working with the Greenbriar team for over a year now, it was evident this was the right group to really take the Roost brand into the future,” Means said. “They have worked tirelessly to create an even better iteration of Roost, I look forward to this partnership and seeing the growth that lies ahead.”

Sports exhibit coming to Buffalo Museum of Science

Science and Health

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Have you wondered about the science behind sports?
The Buffalo Museum of Science on Friday announced plans for a new sports-focused science exhibit. The museum is teaming up with the Buffalo Bills and Sabres for the project.
Visitors will be able to measure the how loud fans cheer, translate sports statistics, and design their own mascot.
“There’s a connection between living in Buffalo and liking sports. It’s what we do here, and so if we can connect that to science and connect that to STEM education, that’s a win-win,” State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said on Friday.
The new exhibit is set to open next fall.

Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif’s New Ad Has Fans Demanding a New Movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Hrithik roshan and katrina Kaif’s New Ad Has Fans Demanding a New MovieWhat happens when two of Bollywood’s biggest stars come together? Pure magic. hrithik roshan and katrina kaif, known for their captivating performances in films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Bang Bang, are back in the limelight with a new advertisement for swiss watch brand Rado. Their sizzling chemistry in the ad has sparked excitement among fans, who are now eagerly wishing for a new film featuring this dynamic pair.The official Rado instagram account shared a striking image from the ad, showcasing Hrithik in a stylish all-black kurta-pyjama set with a matching jacket. katrina looked stunning in a red embellished saree paired with a sleeveless blouse, enhanced by glamorous makeup, flowing hair, and exquisite diamond earrings with rubies. In the photo, katrina gently places her hand on Hrithik’s shoulder, flashing a smile his way, while he appears mesmerized by her gaze, highlighting their undeniable chemistry.Katrina further fueled fan enthusiasm by sharing the post on her instagram Stories, complete with a heart GIF. The reactions from fans poured in quickly.One user remarked on their characters from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, saying, “Laila and arjun after marriage.” Another fan commented, “We need a new movie with these two ASAP.”“This is what chemistry looks like,” another user wrote. Others chimed in with playful comments like, “Laila and arjun are at work after living in Morocco” and “Please cast them together. So good to see them back together.”Since their first collaboration, Hrithik and katrina have developed a close bond that fans have noticed. A memorable moment was when katrina shared her iconic dance moves from “Sheila Ki Jawani” with Hrithik.On the professional front, Hrithik was last seen in fighter and is currently preparing for war 2. Katrina’s recent projects include Merry Christmas, with Jee Le Zaraa also on her agenda.In addition to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Bang Bang, katrina made a cameo in Hrithik’s Agneepath, while he had a special appearance in her 2023 film tiger 3.

Is the information age a ‘Crisis of Narration’? This book says yes

Arts & Culture, Books

The Crisis of Narration

Byung-Chul Han

100 pages; Polity

$16.95

We live, we often hear, in a world full of information, deracinated data stamping out all the humanity from our lives. The Catholic Korean-born German philosopher Byung-chul Han, recently hailed as an internet sensation, offers one such account in The Crisis of Narration. The slim volume of essays suggests that the real harm of information is that it has displaced a more essential practice of human life: narration.
This argument, Han recognizes, might sound odd, because we seem to hear about narrative all the time. Corporations hire writers for data storytelling. Cognitive behavioral therapists and self-help gurus invite patients to investigate the stories they tell themselves. News media and elected officials construct political narratives to keep supporters in their orbit.
But The Crisis of Narration suggests that these are narratives in name only; they don’t have the world-making power of myth or religious ritual. True narration, for Han, “unites things and events, even trifling, insignificant or incidental things, into a story.” In other words, it infuses the world around us with meaning.
We don’t live in that kind of world, the book argues; we live in a world where disjointed, inhuman information saturates social media platforms, smart devices and news media. In contrast to narrative, which enters into human experience, information is “unavailable,” “disenchanting,” “fragmenting” and “mechanical.”

Social media is Han’s most frequent target. Though platforms like Instagram brand their content as “Stories,” they contain only “information adorned with images — information that is briefly registered and then disappears.”

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The Crisis of Narration is written in the same style as Han’s previous books (most famously Psychopolitics and The Burnout Society): aphoristic, terse, more like a German Romantic philosopher than a contemporary academic. Few sentences run long; almost no paragraphs take up more than a few lines.

The benefit is that Han’s writing is fairly readable. The downside is that there’s little nuance to his ideas, which becomes increasingly clear as the book progresses. Each chapter spends about half its length liberally quoting a small cadre of 20th-century existentialist philosophers, then drawing tenuous connections to the present world.
The result is less a critical dialogue and more a regurgitation. Han cites Martin Heidegger, peppers in a paragraph about smartphones, then wraps things up.

It isn’t necessarily a problem to draw on decades-old thinkers (many of Han’s touchstones, like Walter Benjamin, offer prescient accounts of contemporary society). But Han is an abler reader of interwar philosophy than he is of modern digital life. As he attempts to integrate 20th-century philosophy into an account of the present, critiques become half-baked screeds: Snapchat is fleeting; Facebook and Instagram are disingenuous; selfies are shallow; children search for “digital Easter Eggs” instead of wonderment; photographs cut us off from the world.

There might be something worth exploring in each of these arguments, but Han eschews evidence and nuance in favor of superficial clichés. Nowhere is this more evident than his blithe assertion that humans have transformed from homo sapiens into “phono sapiens.” His arguments are only slightly more polished versions of underinformed technophobia.

An especially curious element of Han’s writing in The Crisis of Narration is his romanticized vision of Christianity, particularly medieval Catholicism. For Han, the Middle Ages represent a moment in which the world was saturated with narrative meaning and everything, every “nook and cranny of life,” was given significance by Christian ritual. Truth was not “contingent, exchangeable, and modifiable” as it supposedly is now, because religion (he says) “narrates contingency away.”
“An outbreak of the plague was not pure, simple information,” he argues elsewhere. “It was integrated into the Christian narrative of sin.”
Han has clarified that he does not believe in “reactivating” the “Christian narrative,” since it has “lost power” in the Western world. But it’s difficult to read his antimodern jeremiad outside the context of resurgent traditionalism. To be sure, Han is citing Jean-Paul Sartre, not G.K. Chesterton. But the core of his argument is that the (so-called) premodern faith in narrative has decayed into a superficial culture that lacks the “rituals” that might give life meaning. We live, he insists, in a depraved world.
In this postlapsarian angst, Han holds tight to the idea that there were halcyon days where people used religion to make meaning instead of tweeting. But this account of premodern Christianity is questionable. 

Certainly, Christianity was a powerful cultural force. But much writing of the period, like the ribald and often anticlerical humor of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales or the profound anxiety of William Langland’s Piers Plowman, reflect that the Christian narrative never really “narrated contingency away.” Uncertainty has always existed — Christian doubt is as old as Christianity itself. 

These kinds of activities represent the heart of Christian practice: finding God in the world that we’ve found ourselves in. 
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On the flipside, Han’s romantic approach to narrative prevents him from seeing how modern narrative practices, especially Christian ones, are engaging with the world of information.

An Instagram image might seem fragmentary, but the act of sharing can itself be a meaning-making ritual — as when a candid selfie of a sleep-deprived mother can become a site for sharing honest conversations about parenting and cultivating the beloved community virtually.
A Twitter timeline might seem to render world news as rarefied facts, but, as in the case of the obscene violence of the invasion of Gaza, these facts can also be transmuted into stories, holy icons and rituals.
A scroll of random video reels might seem disjointed, but reflective prayer — the act of narrativizing one’s experiences before God — can illuminate the Holy Spirit’s movements through the touching personal humor or novel knowledge or immense frustrations of social media.
These kinds of activities represent the heart of Christian practice: finding God in the world that we’ve found ourselves in. It’s true, information poses new challenges. We need thoughtful discernment and the courage to find new ways of narrativizing the human relationship with God. But even in the world of information, humans continue to narrate graced meaning.
Han’s argument might be compelling if you already believe everything he says before you start reading the book. But his reactionary logic misses the vibrant narrative activity that continues to pulse through our digital lives. 

Mystery of ‘alien song’ heard in one of the deepest points in the ocean finally solved after baffling scientists for 10 years

Science and Health

Noises in the Mariana Trench that left researchers scratching their heads have finally been solved, and it’s not what you think.OK, so when you hear terms like ‘alien song’, you’re going to conjure up some sort of sci-fi Fifth Element scene of an actual alien singing, but this isn’t the same thing.The 36,000ft deep trench is home to a range of weird and wonderful creatures, but apparently, one of those things could be an alien…Well, that’s what some have thought for the last 10 years after hearing a strange noise deep at the floor of the Pacific Ocean.It all began in 2014 when sounds were recorded coming from the trench which lasted around 2.5 and 3.5 seconds.Because researchers had absolutely no idea what these sounds were, they called them ‘biotwangs’ (unidentified sounds) and left it at that.However, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have decided to re-examine the files to finally get to the bottom of this mystery, and what they found was nothing short of a pleasant discovery.So, before we continue further – I’m going to hold your hand and tell you that there was no alien crooning out songs down the bottom of the Mariana Trench.It should be obvious, but just to be sure, no alien lives down there.The Mariana Trench is the deepest point in the sea (Xinhua)Instead, they found something unexpected.The team of researchers used underwater gliders to conduct acoustic surveys in the deep water.That’s when they could hear deep moaning sounds which came out at around 38 and 8,000 hertz, leaving scientists confused again.It was only in 2016 that the first idea was thrown out there, proposing that the sounds were likely being created by a baleen whale, and that this was some sort of new call.Sharon Nieukirk, senior faculty research assistant in marine bioacoustics at Oregon State University (OSU), explained: “It’s very distinct, with all these crazy parts.“The low-frequency moaning part is typical of baleen whales, and it’s that kind of twangy sound that makes it really unique.“We don’t find many new baleen whale calls.”Bryde’s whales are the culprit (Getty Stock Image)But now that researchers have re-examined the noises using the acoustic data as well as visual data, it’s not a far-off idea.The new study, which was led by Dr Ann Allen, figured that while it’s not a baleen whale call, it was the call of Bryde’s whales.The findings, which have been published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal, explained: “It was assumed to be produced by a baleen whale, but without visual verification it was impossible to assign a species.“Using a combination of visual and acoustic survey data collected in the Mariana Archipelago, we determined that biotwangs are produced by Bryde’s whales.”To figure out that it was them that were creating the call, researchers used artificial intelligence to confirm their findings.The study stated: “We used a combination of manual and machine learning annotation methods to detect biotwangs in our extensive historical passive acoustic monitoring datasets collected across the central and western North Pacific.“We identified a consistent seasonal presence of biotwangs in the Mariana Archipelago and to the east at Wake Island, with occasional occurrence as far away as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and near the equator (Howland Island).”Dr Allen explained to Popular Science: “It’s possible that they use the biotwang as a contact call, a sort of ‘Marco Polo’ of the ocean.“But we need more information before we can say for sure.”

‘Apartment 7A’ Movie Review: Paramount+ Prequel To ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Is Unsurprisingly Bad

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Prequels to horror movies are a common practice. Based on audience reactions, a filmmaker’s interest, or the production house’s lust for the big bucks, some character or element from the original film is picked up and fleshed out via a story set in the narrative’s past. And the results are always very hit or miss. Final Destination 5 mostly played out like a standalone film and only revealed that it was a prequel at the end, thereby surprising everyone. Paranormal Activity 3, despite its insane box-office run, felt like an unnecessary addition to the franchise. Prey was so good that it almost surpassed the quality of Predator. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist was a huge mess. The First Omen impressed critics and audiences but seemed pretty unoriginal to me. Orphan: First Kill was straight-up bad. Prometheus was lambasted for being an unnecessary addition to the Alien franchise but has recently gotten a lot of praise. Pearl was pretty pointless. Insidious: The Last Key was alright, and so was The Nun. So which way has the proverbial pendulum swung for Apartment 7A? Let’s find out.

Natalie Erika James’ Apartment 7A, written by Natalie, Christian White, and Skylar James, tells the story of Terry Gionoffrio. Yes, that’s the same Terry Gionoffrio who briefly met Rosemary Woodhouse in Rosemary’s Baby and then plummeted to her death a few moments later while wearing the tannis root pendant on her neck. So, you already know what’s written in her destiny. Still, you follow her as a budding dancer trying to break into the cutthroat industry of, well, dancing. To make things worse, Terry gets badly injured while practicing a complex move, due to which she is rejected from every audition. Desperate to impress a popular figure in her profession, Alan Marchand, Terry follows him to the Bramford but falls ill due to the medications she is taking to ease her pain and collapses at the apartment’s doorstep. She is taken in by Roman and Minnie Castevet, thereby bringing her closer to Marchand and also solving a major chunk of her financial issues (because rent in New York is high). Things even start to look up after a “dinner” with Marchand. However, eventually, Terry begins to realize that her ambition and dreams are about to cost her heavily.

I think I should make this one thing very clear before saying anything about Apartment 7A because it needs to be put out there: My appreciation for Rosemary’s Baby and my criticism of Apartment 7A is not an endorsement of Roman Polanski. With all that said, yes, Apartment 7A is plain bad. I don’t usually talk about films based on whether or not they’re necessary because that’s usually not how art is created. I say “usually,” because there are instances where production houses forcefully make a film to retain the rights to the IP. Regardless of the reason why this horror prequel has been made, its existence feels insanely unnecessary. Did I watch Rosemary’s Baby and wonder what happened to Terry Gionoffrio? No, I didn’t. Has the prequel somehow enriched Rosemary’s Baby? No, it hasn’t, because the character of Terry is essentially an amalgamation of Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, and Terry’s character arc is very similar to that of Rosemary. So, what’s even the point?

The thing about the unexplained parts of Rosemary’s Baby is that they are self-explanatory. We don’t need origin stories for the Castevets, Doctor Sapirstein, or the Satanic cult because everything that they do in that original film is enough to ignite our sense of imagination. So, delving into all that in the most uninspired fashion possible makes Look What’s Happened To Rosemary’s Baby seem innovative and original (yes, I have watched the sequel to Rosemary’s Baby with my own two eyes). Apartment 7A falters in the one place where it could’ve surpassed the original: the visuals. Rosemary’s Baby was made in the late ‘60s and it seemingly feels timeless. While the possession sequence and the musical scenes are decent, the rest of the prequel looks like garbage. I mean, there are moments where you can clearly see that the lighting between the physical and CG sets don’t match or the coloring hasn’t been done properly. I don’t know how this has been released in such an irresponsible fashion. Also, what is Natalie Erika James saying that hasn’t been said before? What’s the point of retreading old ground while also messing with the continuity of the original film?

Coming to the performances in Apartment 7A, Julia Garner is fantastic. She is too good to be pouring her talent into this movie. Her vocal inflections, her body language, and the transformation she goes through—she feels like a bona fide movie star. There’s a close-up shot of Garner where she is looking at the poster of her upcoming theatrical performance, and it made me gasp. If that shot would’ve been in a better movie, it would’ve been one of the most iconic shots in film history. But now I don’t think anyone will notice it. Thankfully, Garner has been working with Leigh Whannell, Matt Shakman, and Zach Cregger, who will hopefully give the actress the story that’ll make her shine properly. Everyone else in the film is horribly miscast. Dianne Wiest is one of the best actors of all time, and there’s no doubt about that. However, she isn’t Minnie Castevet. Earlier this week, I was watching Agatha All Along, and I think Debra Jo Rupp would’ve been better in this very role. Kevin McNally is an excellent actor and has several fantastic roles under his belt. As Roman Castevet, it seems like he is bringing nothing to the table. Jim Sturgess is in the movie, and of course his talent is utterly wasted. The rest of the supporting cast is fine, I suppose.

When I learned about the existence of Apartment 7A, I kept wondering why it was being made. Despite my admiration for the craft, story, and acting in Rosemary’s Baby, it’s not a movie that I like to re-watch because of its association with Roman Polanski. So, making a whole prequel around that movie confused me. At one point, I thought that it was actually going to be a meta commentary on what Rosemary’s Baby stands for, and maybe it was going to wrestle with the film’s complicated legacy. But no, it was just a tired rehash of that original film that didn’t even utilize the acting skills of its talented cast or provide horror fans with some memorable visuals. Additionally, I think the themes and tropes of Rosemary’s Baby have already reached a point of saturation. This year alone, we got Immaculate and The First Omen, which are not only similar to each other but also take a leaf out of Ira Levin’s novel. Meanwhile, films like Mother!, False Positive, Delivery: The Beast Within, and Prevenge have taken Levin’s material and given it their own relevant spin. Apartment 7A has nothing going for it, and you’re better off watching the made-for-TV sequel (which is apparently available on YouTube for free), Look What’s Happened To Rosemary’s Baby.