 |
|
|
|||||
A comedy festival in the capital of Saudi Arabia has provided golden material for comedians who declined the offer on principleor wouldve done, if theyd received an invite in the first place. The debut Riyadh Comedy Festival, running Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, bills itself as the biggest comedy festival in the world. In the line up of more than 50 comedians, some like Bill Burr and Pete Davidson, whose firefighter father was killed in the 9/11 attacks, came as a shock and disappointment to fans. The irony is also not lost that many of these same comics, who have publicly railed against cancel culture and preached about freedom of speech, sold out to a regime that allegedly provided a list of deal terms for appearing at the event, including forbidding any criticism of religion or the Saudi royals. Online, fellow comedians quickly jumped on the bit. Sometimes in order to fight the power, you need to be paid by the power, quipped comedian Vinny Thomas, who often goes viral for his social media skits. New York-based comedian Gianmarco Soresi wrote on X: If you do the Riyadh Comedy Festival and dont tell a joke that gets you imprisoned by the monarchy then what was even the point of having Trump on your podcast? Shaan Baig, who regularly posts impressions on TikTok, offered one of comedian Aziz Ansari. At first I was like oh noooo, he says. But then they showed me the money and I was like, um, who cares about dead journalists? Get me to the desert. Representatives for Ansari, Burr, and Davidson did not respond to request for comment at the time of publication. Marc Maron, host of the WTF podcast, joked that it was easy for him to take the high road on this one given he was not asked to perform. He also questioned how the festival would be promoted. From the folks that brought you 9/11, he riffed in a stand-up bit posted to Instagram last week. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, dont miss it. Jokes aside, Human Rights Watch called on the performers who chose to partake to publicly urge Saudi authorities to free unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists, suggesting that the Saudi government is using the festival to deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations. But, as comedian Zach Woods said on Instagram: Name one comedian who hasnt whored themself out to a dictator.
Category:
E-Commerce
Below, Michelle MACE Curran shares five key insights from her new book, The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower. Michelle spent over a decade as a fighter pilot and served as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Forces elite demonstration team. She has nearly 2,000 hours of F-16 flying time and flew combat missions in Afghanistan. Known for her upside-down maneuvers, she has inspired audiences at airshows and flyovers like the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and Indy 500. Whats the big idea? Mace spent years operating in high-pressure environments, from combat situations to performing high-speed maneuvers in front of millions of people. But what also came with that career were the moments behind the scenes of self-doubt, the struggle to find her identity, the near misses, and the mental battles that came with the job. Much of what she learned to persevere and triumph as a fighter pilot applies to winning at life. 1. Your inner critic is just a voice, not a verdict. When I was a young, inexperienced fighter pilot, I lived with this constant fear that I didnt belong and wasnt good enough. Id walk into a briefing room and feel like everyone else had it together. Meanwhile, I was hyperaware of everything I said and did as I tried to live up to my idea of what the perfect fighter pilot was. This voice lives in all of usthat inner critictelling you that youre not ready, not enough, or dont have what it takes. It may sound a whole lot like the truth, but that voice is often just fear in disguise: fear of being seen, fear of failing, or fear of finally succeeding and not knowing what to do with it. I had to learn that my inner critic wasnt a signal to stop. It didnt mean I was in the wrong place. It was a sign that I was pushing into something that matteredsomething that was difficult, but worth doing. I used to think that courage would show up, make me feel ready, and then Id act. But courage comes after the action. So, when that inner critic chimes in, pause, acknowledge it, and then take one small, bold step despite it. Courage isnt the absence of doubt. Its action in the presence of it. It was a sign that I was pushing into something that matteredsomething that was difficult, but worth doing. I didnt get rid of my inner critic. I just stopped letting it drive. Even now, it still shows up before big decisions or at the start of new chapters, but Ive learned to recognize its tone. Its never curious. Its never kind. It always speaks in absolutes: youll never, you cant, you shouldnt. When I hear that voice now, I take it as a clue, not a command. Its a sign that Im stretching into something that matters. 2. One minute, one hour, one month. During an airshow in Columbia, I was flying my Thunderbird jet at 400 miles per hour, just a couple of thousand feet above a forest. Suddenly, I saw a flash of light, heard a loud thud, and felt the jet shake. I had just hit a bird. Later, Id find out it was a vulture with a six-foot wingspan, but in that moment, all I knew was that this was serious. I didnt know how bad the damage was. Was the engine okay? Would the aircraft keep flying? My adrenaline spiked, but I didnt panic. I fell back on a mental checklist that we drilled from day one in training: Maintain aircraft control (dont make it worse). Analyze the situation (what do I know?). Take proper action (what can I do about it?). First, I focused on flying the jet, checking my instruments, and communicating with the rest of the team. Not fixing, but assessing, then acting. I still use that same process when things go sideways in life, but I translate it like this: What do I need to do in the next one minute, one hour, and one month? One minute: pause, breathe. Just let yourself feel it. Ground yourself in your body. One hour: analyze, gather facts. Get support. One month: adjust your habits, actions, and mindset. Whether its a breakup, a layoff, or a deal falling through, you dont need to solve everything all at once. When a bird hits your jet or life just hits you hard, start with the next minute because how you respond in small windows determines how you navigate the big ones. That bird strike could have gone very differently. If I had let panic set the tempo, I could have turned a bad moment into a catastrophic one, and I think we do that in life, too. We try to sprint through things that need a steady walk. When something goes wrong, dont just ask, What should I do? Ask what matters most in this moment? What can wait, and what can I shift long-term? Thats how you lead yourself through pressurenot perfectly, but with purpose. 3. Wiggle your toes. Air refueling is when one airplane takes gas from another while flying alongside each other at over 300 miles per hour, thousands of feet in the air. It is a skill that requires practice and finesse, and it is stressful to learn. As a newbie pilot with little experience attempting this task, I was tense. My hand was going numb and I was gripping the stick like it owed me money, and every time I got close to the position where our airplanes would actually touch, Id overcorrect, become unstable, and be told to back up and try again. After one particularly bad flight, my instructor gave me this piece of advice: Mace, when you get close, dont forget to wiggle your toes. It sounded silly considering we were trained combat pilots flying $30 million aircraft, but on the next flight, I gave it a try. As I felt the stress build, I consciously moved my toes inside my boots, and it worked. That tiny movement disrupted the tension in my body. It made me breathe, relax, and refocus. When pressure rises, your instinct might be to grip tighter, but sometimes the best move is to loosen your hold. Wiggling my toes became a ritual, and not just in the jet, but anytime. Stress made me want to control everything too tightly. When pressure rises, your instinct might be to grip tighter, but sometimes the best move is to loosen your hold. Try wiggling your toes. Its a physical disruptor. It breaks the stress spiral. It buys you a moment to respond with intention instead of reacting under duress, and sometimes thats all you need to regain control, not by force, but by presence. 4. Call signs are earned, not chosen. In the fighter pilot world, we have nicknames that we refer to as call signs, and you do not get to pick yours. Its given to you, usually after a mistake you made as a young pilot. Mine came during basic fighter maneuvering. I got so focused on the wrong thing that I accidentally broke the sound barrierI was supersonic when I wasnt supposed to be, and didnt even realize it. I didnt even understand what had happened until after we landed and watched the cockpit recordings during our debrief. Not long after, I was officially named Mace (an acronym for MACH at circle entry). This wasnt a compliment. It was a reminder of a rookie mistake, and I onestly felt a lot of shame around it. Then I thought about how every single pilot in my unit had a call sign, even the most respected, the best, the most experienced. I realized that when youre doing something hard, no one gets by unscathed, and it wasnt perfection that led to success, but persistence. Our identities are often shaped by how we recover from missteps, not how we avoid them. That moment became part of my growth. I eventually owned it. I learned from it, and I flew smarter because of it. You might not get to control how every chapter of your story starts, but you do get to decide how it ends. I used to carry so much shame around that call sign, but then I realized it meant I was in the game. You dont get a call sign if youre sitting on the sidelines. You get one by showing up, getting it, and still coming back for more. All the people I looked up to had a moment theyd rather forget. Confidence doesnt come from never falling. It comes from proving to yourself that you can rise after you do. 5. Whats your go/no-go criteria? In aviation, we use the concept of go/no-go decisions. This is something you decide before the mission ever begins, not when things are falling apart. Before every flight, especially ones that push limits, you set your criteria. If the weather drops below a certain level, no go. If fuel hits this mark, go home. If the system isnt functioning, abort the mission. Why? Because once youre in the air, the variables increase, and so does the pressure. Youre emotionally invested, and thats when people make poor decisions. They press forward toward an objective and into danger because theyre already in motion. A great example from mountaineering is summit fever, when a team pushes ahead because that summit is so close, even though theyve already passed their turnaround time. Go/no-go keeps you honest and calm so that when chaos hits, you dont have to figure it out. You just follow the plan. Youre emotionally invested, and thats when people make poor decisions. Ive used this concept in my personal life. Whether business, relationships, or big goals, I try to set my limits and values before investing time, money, and energy. What am I willing to compromise on? When will I walk away or shift course? This is where the sunk cost fallacy kicks in. We tell ourselves that weve already come this far and invested too much to quit now, but that logic traps us in bad decisions. The time, energy, or money youve already spent is gone. What matters is whether continuing is still aligned with your values, safety, and mission. Go/no-go protects you from doubling down just to justify your investment. It gives you a way to honor your effort without letting it dictate your future so that when things deviate from the plan, you dont have to scramble to find clarity. Bold doesnt mean reckless, and quitting isnt the same as failing. Draw those go/no go lines before you need them because decisions made in calm are what guides you in chaos. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Category:
E-Commerce
For the ladies of the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, its time to leave it all on the court. The 2025 WNBA finals start tonight (Friday, October 3) at 8 p.m. ET. Notably, this is the first year that the WNBA finals are a best-of-seven games format. The Aces may be favored to win, but dont count out the scrappy Mercury squad. Lets take a deeper look at how these two teams got here, their strengths, and how to tune in. A season and playoffs recap The WNBA consists of 13 teams, with the top eight moving onto the postseason playoffs. This year, the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Golden State Valkyries, Indiana Fever, and Seattle Storm got the chance to battle it out in a bracket-style tournament consisting of three rounds, including the finals. In the regular season, the Aces went out on a high note, winning their last 16 games. The team traveled a bumpier path to the finals and fought hard to earn their spot. In Game 5 of their semifinal series, the women defeated the Indiana Fever in overtime, 10798. Coach Becky Hammon joked, “Our road has been broken. It’s been a twisty, windy one but here we are,” as ESPN reported. The Aces are no strangers to the finals, having participated in four of them in the last six years. They were victorious in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first team since the Sparks to win back-to-back championships. On the other side of the coin, the Phoenix Mercury entered this season with almost all new players. This roster thrived in the playoffs as the underdogs. They first took on defending champions New York Liberty and came out victorious. Next, they defeated No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx. The franchise has not won a championship since 2014, but was present in the 2021 battle. Coach Nate Tibbetts embraced the team’s darkhorse standing. “No one has had expectations for us except ourselves,” he mused, according to to ESPN. “The pride and the togetherness for such a new group, it’s pretty impressive.” Strengths and weaknesses Each team has their own unique power plays and pitfalls. The Aces greatest assets come in a trio. Center A’ja Wilson, guard Jackie Young, and guard Chelsea Gray are at the top of their respective games. They have experience winning two previous championships together and have helped mentor newer player NaLyssa Smith. The Aces will also have the home court advantage for games 1, 2, 5, and 7 because they are the higher seeded team. A potential Achilles’ heel is relying too much on their star players. Wilson and Young cant score all the points themselves. They need backup from their teammates, and without it might not get the results they so desperately want. Their opponents have their own set of advantages and vulnerabilities. Phoenix is on a roll, and this momentum could help them win it all. They are not afraid to go all-in. Their defense is going to have to continue to bring the heat to defeat the Aces, just like they did against the Lynx. A failure to do so might just end up in a loss. Travel searches to Phoenix and Las Vegas skyrocket Fans are preparing for an epic showdown and appear willing to travel to see it live. This is evident in data from Booking.com, the WNBA’s official travel partner. The site has seen a 103% increase in travel searches for Phoenix for October 810, and 166% increase for October 15, Booking.com shared with Fast Company. Aces fans have also gotten in on the action, with Las Vegas searches increasing 67% for October 35 and 127% for October 17. Overall, searches for Las Vegas sustained increased searches during the entire series. How can I watch or stream the WNBA finals? If you cant make the trip to see the players in person, never fear. To see game 1 of the 2025 WNBA finals, tune into ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. You can also catch the action on ESPN.com and the ESPN app, but you will need a traditional pay-TV subscription to watch it this way. The easiest way for cord-cutters to see it all is to sign up for a live-TV streaming service, including: Hulu+Live TV Fubo Sling TV YouTube TV. The entire series will be broadcast across ESPN and ABC. Below is the full WNBA finals schedule, per the WNBA’s website. If one team dominates the first four games, the last three could be unnecessary. Game 1: Mercury at Aces (Friday, Oct. 3, 8 ET, ESPN) Game 2: Mercury at Aces (Sunday, Oct. 5, 3 ET, ABC) Game 3: Aces at Mercury (Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 ET, ESPN) Game 4: Aces at Mercury (Friday, Oct. 10, 8 ET, ESPN) Game 5: Mercury at Aces (Sunday, Oct. 12, 3 ET, ABC) Game 6: Aces at Mercury (Wednesday, Oct. 15, 8 ET, ESPN) Game 7: Mercury at Aces (Friday, Oct. 17, 8 ET, ESPN)
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||