It was a true chess match.
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‘Celebrities are crazy,’ basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal declares: ‘I denounce my celebrity-ness’
Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal told the New York Post that he is denouncing his “celebrity-ness.”
“Celebrities are crazy,” he said. “How they treat people, what they do, what they say.”
But Shaq noted, “That’s never been me,” and said that he does not want to be viewed in that way.
O’Neal does not believe that his wealth and success make him better than other people. He described himself as a “regular person,” who “made it.”
“But just because I made it don’t mean I’m bigger than you,” said the 7-foot-1 NBA legend. “Just cuz I have more money than you don’t mean that I’m better than you. I’ve never been that way and I never will be that way.”
Shaq said “celebrities are goin freakin crazy,” noting, “I don’t wanna be one. I denounce my celebrity-ness today.”
Shaq is retiring from celebrity status | New York Post
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His down-to-earth take could be refreshing to many Americans who have grown weary with celebrity culture in the U.S. and the haughty spirit exhibited by some stars.
And while Shaq has been tremendously successful in the NBA and beyond, he has also been very generous with his wealth, doing many random acts of kindness for strangers.
“I’m just trying to make people smile… That’s all.”
@SHAQ helped a young man out at a local jewelry store by pay… https://t.co/KuHLBBXTyH
— NBA on TNT (@NBA on TNT)
This Saturday, the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation is hosting a fundraising gala in Las Vegas that will feature performers, including Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, and others.
“For as long as I can remember, giving back has been instilled in my family. When I started my Foundation in 2019, I wanted to help kids in need by giving them resources, opportunities and most importantly, hope. This past year has been especially tough on our youth. But we can change that,” Shaq said in a letter posted on his foundation’s website.
“Join me on October 2nd for The Event, the inaugural fundraising gala for The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. Be a part of our history as we mark this unforgettable occasion. We have an incredible evening in store, with performances you won’t see anywhere else. Your support will impact the lives of underserved children in Las Vegas, Atlanta and beyond. Together we will raise funds for a great cause, but we will also have a great time doing it,” Shaq said.
A Turtle With a Permanent Smile Was Brought Back From Near Extinction – The New York Times
Around the same time, a live specimen turned up in a market in Hong Kong and subsequently found its way to an American collector, who still has it in his possession.
“When the species showed up in a pet shop in Hong Kong, it raised a lot of eyebrows,” said Rick Hudson, president of the Turtle Survival Alliance. “There were a number of local dealers smuggling star tortoises out of Burma at that time, so we just assumed it had been smuggled out by the same traders.”
Encouraged by these developments, Gerald Kuchling, a biologist now at the University of Western Australia, secured permission to initiate a joint expedition with the Myanmar Forest Department to survey the upper Chindwin River, where an American expedition in the 1930s had collected Burmese roofed turtles.
When the summer monsoon grounded the team in Mandalay, Dr. Kuchling killed time by visiting the turtle pond at a Buddhist temple. Gazing out at the murky water, he suddenly saw three smiley heads pop up. They bore an uncanny resemblance to photos of Burmese roofed turtles he had seen in old natural history catalogs.
Dr. Kuchling returned the following day and lured the three turtles to the edge of the pond with a bit of grass. In the seconds before the guards began shouting for him to back away from the animals, he was able to confirm that they were indeed the long-lost species.
“I was very excited, and definitely flabbergasted,” he said.
Dr. Kuchling and his Burmese colleagues worked with the temple’s board to transfer the rare reptiles, a male and two females, to the Mandalay Zoo.
The species’ luck was just beginning. Dr. Kuchling found several additional surviving individuals in the Dokhtawady River, a tributary of the Irrawaddy, and arranged for their transfer to the Mandalay Zoo. The timing was fortunate: a major damming project soon after destroyed all suitable nesting habitat for the turtles in the area.
UN leaders laugh at Trump
This post has been updated with Trump’s reaction.
But on Tuesday, Trump got subtly called out for a whopper he often tells — and by his fellow world leaders, no less.
“In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said.
The assembled world leaders gave a bit of an audible response, and Trump was caught off-guard.
“America’s — so true,” he said with a smile.
The buzz at that point became audible laughter.
Trump chuckled and said, “Didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s okay.”
Then more laughter, accompanied by some applause.
The laughter was not 100 percent at Trump’s expense. Some in the audience seemed to genuinely appreciate his quip about being surprised at the response. But the whole thing clearly started with audibly expressed skepticism about one of Trump’s more hyperbolic and fabulist claims. It was, at its core, about Trump making a ridiculous claim.
The German delegation’s response: more laughter.
The fact that world leaders laughed is kind of funny and frivolous. But it is worth emphasizing the sensitive diplomatic setting in which this occurred. There are cameras in the room that are recording all of this. They caught the German delegation laughing at Trump. The leaders have to know such reactions could be recorded or observed — and possibly even used against them by Trump. They did it anyway.
It is exactly, in fact, the kind of thing Trump once said should be unacceptable for a U.S. president.
We need a President who isn’t a laughing stock to the entire World. We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2014
Update: There’s always a tweet, Part 2 (a tweet from exactly six years ago today):
“Trump to Liberty U Students: ‘The World is Laughing at Us'” http://t.co/s4XyK8HP Via @Newsmax_Media
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2012
Another update: Trump claims (rather implausibly) that this was *intended* to elicit laughter. Except that he has said a version of it dozens of times, clearly not for laughs. And except that he said, after the laughs began, “I didn’t expect that reaction.”
Trump on laughter at UN during speech: “Oh it was great. Well that was meant to get some laughter, but it was great.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 25, 2018
Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell shares a gorgeous photo of daughter Grace’s big smile | Daily Mail Online
Chandler Powell is loving every minute of fatherhood.
The first-time dad and husband of Bindi Irwin shared a gorgeous father-daughter moment with six-month-old Grace Warrior to Instagram on Monday.
In the image, both Chandler and Grace wore huge smiles as they posed in front of an orange tree.
Doting dad: Chandler Powell shared a gorgeous father-daughter moment with six-month-old Grace Warrior to Instagram on Monday
Powell captioned the post, ‘Our faces after having a conversation with an orange tree’.
‘This little smile is my favorite part of every day,’ he concluded.
The beautiful photo-op comes just days after he shared a heartfelt tribute to his wife Bindi.
The women in his life: The beautiful photo-op comes just days after he shared a heartfelt tribute to his wife Bindi (pictured with Grace)
On Saturday, the former professional wakeboarder shared a photo on Instagram showing himself cosied up with Bindi, 23.
Chandler, 24, joked in the caption: ‘Loving photo or falling asleep standing up?’
He said: ‘I love you more than anything, @bindisueirwin, and being on this adventure together is my favourite part of life.
Perfect for each other: The young couple are proud parents to Grace Warrior who they welcomed back in March
‘We make the best team together,’ the American added.
Bindi appreciated the sweet post and added a laughing emoji directed at his joke in the caption.
The Wildlife Warrior added: ‘Love you babe. Forever and forever.’
First love: The couple met in November 2013 when Chandler, who hails from Florida, was touring Australia for a wakeboarding competition
Bindi first met Chandler in 2013, when the American ex-wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland.
The pair married in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo in March 25, last year.
They welcomed daughter Grace Warrior in March 2021.
Just married! The young couple were married on March 25, in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo, just before Covid pandemic lockdown
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Bindi Irwin’s husband Chandler Powell shares a gorgeous photo of daughter Grace’s big smile
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