InterviewShanice van de Sanden reflects on ‘crazy week’ and LFC Women’s win over Brighton Shanice van de Sanden expressed her delight as she capped an emotional week with a goal as Liverpool beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 in the Barclays Women’s Super League. The Netherlands international helped Matt Beard’s side return to winning ways in style, with Gemma Bonner, Ceri Holland and Sophie Roman Haug also on the scoresheet at Prenton Park. For Van de Sanden, it was the perfect end to a week in which she and her partner welcomed a new-born baby girl into the world – a moment reflected in the 31-year-old’s goal celebration. “It’s been crazy!” she told Liverpoolfc.com post-match. “I’m so, so happy. “I can’t wait to see my baby girl again. My flight is tonight, and I can’t wait to just hold her in my arms again. “It’s a perfect day. Obviously the celebration is for my baby girl. I can’t be more happy than today.” Liverpool came into the game having suffered back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Manchester United, but responded impressively, delivering a performance that left Van de Sanden smiling. “I think we did really well,” she said. “I think it was our best performance of the season so far, and we have to keep that up. “We all go to our national teams now, hopefully we come back fit and then focus on the next one.” She added: “At half-time we said, ‘Girls, we are 2-0 up but it’s not finished yet, so we need to be ready in the second half.’ And I think as soon as we came out of that changing room we were all ready. Look at all the chances we created, it should be 5-0 or 6-0. “I am so proud that we won this game. I’m proud of everybody and everyone who came on as well. Leanne [Kiernan] was brilliant when she came on. We need to keep doing that, [because] we have a great squad.” Reflecting on her goal, which was fired home to make it 2-0 two minutes before half-time, Van de Sanden paid tribute to Roman Haug, who provided the assist with a fine through ball. “I am so happy that she gave me that ball!” Van de Sanden said. “I was like, ‘Give me it now, I want to score!’ but she gave it at the right time. I’m happy to help the team.” On Roman Haug, who capped off the win with her first home WSL goal, Van de Sanden added: “She really deserves it. I think she did great today – the whole team did – and I am very pleased for her because we need those goals and assists.” Get 20% off everything* in LFC Retail’s Black Friday sale: Online store | LFC Store app (*T&Cs apply)
Archives for December 2023
Robin Williams Made Koko Laugh For 1st Time Since Her Best Friend Died
After her childhood playmate passed away, Koko the gorilla fell into a deep depression, deeply worrying her handlers. However, when Robin Williams came to visit, everyone was astounded to see him make the gorilla laugh for the first time in six months.
Beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams lived to make others laugh. With his high energy and remarkable talent for capturing the depth of every emotion, he possessed the innate ability to connect with people on a deeper level both on-camera and off. Incredibly, this gift also transcended the human race.
When the Gorilla Foundation in California invited Williams in 2001 to visit Koko, a gorilla who uses American Sign Language to communicate with her human handlers, they had hoped the meeting would cheer up the primate. Koko had just lost her best friend, a gorilla named Michael, who she had known since childhood. Little did they know that Williams would change Koko’s life forever.
Koko had recently watched a movie starring Williams, which her handlers hoped would familiarize her with the actor’s face. When he walked into the enclosure, no one knew what to expect. The comedian sat down in a chair next to the massive ape and introduced himself. Almost instantly, the pair connected on an emotional level.
Koko immediately grabs Williams’ hand and guides him to sit next to her on the floor. She then inspects the actor, sniffing his hand and removing his glasses, which she cleverly tries on.
“I recently had a mind-altering experience communicating with a gorilla. Her name is Koko,” Williams said of his visit.
Sensing his sincerity, Koko quickly warms up to Williams, signing to him to “tickle” her, which was one of her favorite activities before her friend died. Of course, Williams obliges, tickling the 280-pound gorilla as if he were playing with a child. Koko then did something she hadn’t done in six months.
“We shared something extraordinary — laughter,” Williams said. “Koko understands spoken English and uses over 1,000 signs to share her feelings and thoughts about daily events, life, love, even death. It was awesome and unforgettable.”
Koko’s handlers were stunned. In just minutes, Williams did what they had been trying to do for months, Today reports.
“Robin’s ability to just ‘hang out’ with Koko, a gorilla, and in minutes become one of her closest friends, was extraordinary and unforgettable,” said Dr. Penny Patterson, Koko’s mentor and surrogate mother. “Notice that Robin made Koko smile — something she hadn’t done for over six months, ever since her childhood gorilla companion, Michael, passed away at the age of 27.”
Williams was right to say that the encounter was “unforgettable.” His impact on the gorilla’s life was evident after Williams’ passing in 2014. When Koko was informed of his death, she was instantly grieved. She then signed the word “cry” to express her emotion.
“Koko became very somber, with her head bowed and her lip quivering,” her handlers said.
After more than a decade, Koko remembered her encounter with Williams. She was so impacted by the actor that she considered him one of her closest friends and grieved his death.
Williams was so charismatic and genuine that the effects of his character spanned the animal kingdom. He truly cared for those struggling with the despair of existence, and he spent the rest of his life bringing happiness to others.
Robin Williams left behind an unmatched legacy that is still felt throughout the generations. Incredibly, his greatest wish was to bring joy and laughter to everyone, and as Koko expressed, he undoubtedly succeeded.
Esteemed team owner, Indy Funny Car winner Don Schumacher passes away
Esteemed team owner, Indy Funny Car winner Don Schumacher passes away NHRA team owner and Funny Car pioneer Don Schumacher passed away Dec. 20. Schumacher had spent the past several months privately battling lung cancer before succumbing to illness-related complications. Schumacher, who was 79 at the time of his passing, leaves a lasting legacy on not only the NHRA community, where he etched his name as one of the sport’s most successful team owners and a champion for the advancement of safety innovation, but on the motorsports community as a whole. Schumacher’s contributions to the auto racing industry reach far beyond drag racing and have been widely recognized. In November 2022, Schumacher was honored at the NHRA Awards Ceremony where he was presented with the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach,Fla.,, and in May 2013, he was enshrined into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala. He also joined a prestigious list of straight-line racing legends when he was invited into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2007. A fierce Funny Car match racer in the 1960s and ‘70s who fielded multiple entries with top-notch drivers to fulfill the demand for bookings of his Stardust Funny Cars, Schumacher took a departure from motorsports in the early 70’s to grow the family business, Schumacher Electric. While operating Schumacher Electric, he grew the family business into a global corporation. Schumacher increased the company value more than ten-fold and employed thousands of people around the globe. He was known as a fierce and compassionate leader to all who worked with him. In 1998, he returned to NHRA Drag Racing to build a team with son Tony Schumacher. Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) made its competition debut at the 1998 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, and by the time the 1999 season had wrapped, DSR had clinched its first of many championship titles. Soon after, the single-car team exploded into a multi-car powerhouse. As the patriarch of DSR, Schumacher was a force to be reckoned with. More than 25 drivers have raced for the legendary team owner. He created champions, introduced new personalities to the sport, and was responsible for the resurgence of several careers. Schumacher is the only team owner to have wins from each of NHRA’s four professional categories. He was also successful in the Factory Stock Showdown Series, winning the 2018 title in only his second year of campaigning cars in the category. His teams have amassed 19 NHRA world championship titles and 367 Wally trophies, including the five he won while behind the wheel of a Funny Car. During his driving career, he contributed cutting-edge safety innovations for the new Funny Car category including a roof-mounted escape hatch that allowed drivers to quickly exit when all-too-frequent fires occurred. He was also the first to mount the lever that activated a fire suppression system on his Funny Car’s brake handle so the driver could apply both while keeping one hand on the steering wheel. As a team owner, he funded and spearheaded a project to develop a protective, enclosed canopy for Top Fuel dragsters, which has since been adopted by multiple NHRA teams.Schumacher was also intent on utilizing his team’s fleet of race cars to raise money and awareness for various charities. Each year ahead of the U.S. Nationals, DSR hosts a pre-race event at its Brownsburg, Ind. headquarters to benefit Riley Hospital for Children, and for seven seasons, Schumacher, along with Terry and Doug Chandler, campaigned ‘giving cars.’ The program enabled non-profits, such as the Infinite Hero Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and MD Anderson Cancer Center to be recognized through a dedicated tribute livery at no cost to the organization. The impact Schumacher had both on and off the race track is undeniable. In more recent years, Schumacher turned his focus to growing Don Schumacher Motorsports, more commonly known as DSM Precision Manufacturing and DSR Performance. DSR Performance is considered one of the sport’s leading race engineering and aftermarket parts brands. DSM Precision Manufacturing is a successful precision manufacturing supplier for the motorsports, defense, and aerospace industries. These entities will continue to honor the business legacy of Schumacher. When not at a race track or leading his teams of employees, Schumacher enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, fishing, and golfing. Arrangements, including a celebration of life ceremony, will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Every Negative Side Effect Of BLACKPINK Lisa’s “Crazy Horse” Appearance
During September, BLACKPINK‘s Lisa made history as the first K-Pop artist to be featured at the historic Crazy Horse Cabaret, a nude performance venue.
While many netizens supported Lisa’s ventures, there have been some negatives for Lisa and others stemming from her performances. Here are the negative side effects that have been reported following her performance.
1. K-Netizen’s Shaming
Before and after Lisa‘s first performances, Korean netizens were overly negative over her time at Crazy Horse, with many shaming not only the women who perform at the lounge but traditional strippers as well.
- Can’t believe she’s promoting a real strip show that shows nipples. There are so many fans who are minors. What a great influence for them. They said such shows are common in Thailand. In the future, I hope she removes her K-Pop title and just promotes as a Thai person.
- I wonder why she just has to commercialize herself sexually, acting as a part of the strip show, when she’s so successful already.
- She covered all the important bits while she wants to stand as part of the same show. And they said it’s an artistic show… Isn’t this so contradictory?
- They said they’re showing women’s freedom by stripping, but the women with true power and capabilities don’t take their clothes off. It’s so funny because it’s true in the end that power is not stripping. I read this somewhere and am sharing it here because I agree.
- An Asian woman who hit the top as an idol, is ultimately participating in a strip show. And even in the strip show, there’s a divide between how those with money and fame strip less, and those who don’t who strip more. The entire thing is disgusting.
- Why is BLACKPINK’s direction turning to exposure when they’ve hit the top? Jennie and Lisa too, I don’t get it.
2. Angelababy’s Blacklisting
There were many celebrity attendees at her performances, and one spotted among the guests was Angelababy.
According to the rules published by the China Association of Performing Arts, attendance at shows like this would be forbidden.
Entertainers are prohibited from the following:…
4. Organize, participate, or promote illegal activities, such as those related to obscene and explicit content…
— China Association of Performing Arts
Netizens found proof of the blacklist, with the Weibo account run by China Central Television (also known as CCTV) deleting a video of her Mid-Autumn Festival performance. This was practically confirmed by the removal of her Weibo account in late October, along with actress Zhang Jia Ni‘s.
3. Lisa’s Weibo Account Deletion
Under the same guidelines that led to Angelababy’s account being deleted, Lisa’s suffered the same fate, becoming unavailable to netizens.
4. Brands Distancing
According to TV Report, several brands Lisa works with have been deleting or hiding photos with the idol.
According to the report, the CEO of BVLGARI has deleted pictures of himself and Lisa. Additional reports state that CELINE and BVLGARI accounts in China have hidden or deleted all posts of Lisa.
This is likely due to China holding a large portion of the luxury goods market.
Christopher Judge’s Call of Duty campaign joke didn’t land with some developers
Christopher Judge’s Call of Duty campaign joke didn’t land with some developers “Tough to hear given all the circumstances of development.” God of War actor Christopher Judge made another memorable appearance at last week’s The Game Awards, this time to present an award rather than receive one – and to make a joke at Modern Warfare 3’s expense. (Or perhaps he never really left the stage, and simply continued last year’s infamously-long acceptance speech?) This year, Judge raised eyebrows and prompted sounds of shock from the audience when he compared the length of his 2022 speech to this year’s short Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign. “My speech was actually longer,” he joked. The quip did not land well with some on social media, however, including members of the Modern Warfare 3 development staff. Modern Warfare 3’s development at studio Infinity Ward was reportedly far shorter than normal, in a bid to ensure the expansion-turned-full release was ready for Activision to launch this year. “Funny,” said ex-Infinity Ward staff member Ajinkya Limaye, in a social media post that has now been deleted. “But yeah, the metrics that Call of Duty absolutely destroys all of the God of War games (probably combined to be honest) is also equally laughable (if not more).” Limaye later followed up with a further message: “Deleted the tweet as it was causing unnecessary attention and was meant as backhanded response to a joke that felt quite tough to hear given all the circumstances of development. Not conveyed well and so apologies for that! Obviously no hate towards GoW! Peace ✌️” “Honestly, as Call of Duty developers, we’ve heard way worse,” wrote another Call of Duty developer, who later also removed their initial social post after stating they had subsequent received abuse and death threats. “But I stand by this completely,” they continued. “The chronic overworking, brutal deadlines and ruthless layoffs that is absolutely rampant in our industry, in the name of making profit, regardless of the human cost, is an absolute fucking disgrace.” “This has been a labour of love to lead the first ever back-to-back sequel in Call of Duty,” Sledgehammer Games boss Aaron Halon said in response to reports about the game’s shortened development. “We have worked hard to deliver on this vision which has been years in the making. Anything said to the contrary is simply not true.” Eurogamer’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign review noted that the game had been “clearly rushed to market”.