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Three centuries ago, a little known, but extraordinary military operation was pulled off in Sweden. It entailed transporting a fleet of large naval ships across miles of inhospitable terrain — with the help of hundreds of men, horses and greased logs — in order to orchestrate a surprise attack against Norway. Now, evidence of the daring overland odyssey has been discovered. Using ground-penetrating radar technology, archaeologists have uncovered the path that the fleet took, which was previously unknown, according to a Dec. 20 news release from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. The excavation was carried out in the town of Blomsholm, located on the east coast of Sweden, just a few miles from the Norwegian border. The overland odyssey In 1718, King Charles XII of Sweden instructed his military to haul 12 ships from Strömstad to Iddefjorden, a distance of about 15 miles, per the release. The purpose was to stage an unexpected attack against a Norwegian fortress in Iddefjorden, which was situated on a fjord that was inaccessible from the sea. Transporting the ships, some of which weighed 30 tons, required a massive and lengthy operation, according to the release. The journey, which began on June 26, involved hoists, horses, 800 soldiers and greased logs — over which the vessels were pulled. The labor was “backbreaking” and the terrain was difficult, as it was covered in wetlands and inhabited by mosquitos and flies , according to the Borderland Ecological Museum in Norway. But, eventually, after several months, the ships made it to Iddefjorden and were used to wage war against Norway. However, after two months of combat, Charles XII was shot in the head and killed, bringing the campaign to a halt, according to the museum. New discovery In December, archaeologists deployed a georadar-equipped vehicle over a swath of land near the battlefield, according to the release. This survey revealed multiple linear structures that ran parallel to one another and which matched up with historical accounts of the ship transport route. The structures are believed to be the remains of logs which were laid down along the route. They measure up to 500 feet long and up to 26 feet wide, archaeologists said. In addition to these structures, they discovered the remains of prehistoric burial mounds and settlements. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. Lines on medieval cell wall aren’t ‘graffiti’ — it’s a game board, experts say. See it Floors made of bone and ancient crime scenes — take a look at these recent discoveries Tomb of ancient hero — filled with gold and statues — found in Greece. Look inside

Varo Bank Introduces Zero Fee Cash Deposits at Participating CVS LocationsNORTHAMPTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- High-speed internet provider Gateway Fiber connected its first Northampton home internet customers this week, marking a significant step forward in expanding reliable, high-speed internet access across underserved communities in western MA and beyond. “We are thrilled to bring Northampton into the Gateway Fiber family and light our first home internet customer in the area, so they can experience the revolution of truly high-speed internet,” said Gateway Fiber CEO Chris Surdo. “In today’s internet-dependent world, having reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. And we’re proud to bring that level of connection to Northampton.” With symmetrical internet speeds up to 2 gigabits per second (Gbps), Gateway Fiber’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service is designed for seamless video streaming, online gaming, remote work, and quick upload and download for cloud services. This new fiber service offers residents and businesses in Northampton a welcome alternative to traditional cable. Gateway Fiber’s fast and reliable network enhances productivity, supports smart home technology, and ensures a smooth online experience for multiple users and devices. “Gateway Fiber is a revelation,” said Northampton resident and new Gateway Fiber customer Will A. “Their customer support is great, and their technicians were skilled, thorough, and conscientious during installation. They brought their own disposable shoe covers to avoid tracking mud into the house, and that alone says a lot about the kind of company they are. Oh, and the internet is blazing fast! Our previous internet was marketed as the same speed (300mbps), but in reality, Gateway Fiber got us way faster speeds for a cheaper price. There's no comparison. Gateway Fiber is the best internet and the best internet company in Northampton.” Gateway Fiber not only provides incredible high-speed internet to both homes and businesses, but the company is also investing heavily in the Northampton community and surrounding area by hiring local team members and opening an office in nearby Chicopee. “Our commitment to the area goes much deeper than just providing fast internet,” said Sarah Lang, Gateway Fiber’s GM of Massachusetts. “By building a robust fiber optic network starting in Northampton, we not only support the local economy but also empower residents and businesses to achieve more with a service that is built to meet their needs, today and moving forward.” For more information about Gateway Fiber internet, visit gatewayfiber.com or @gatewayfiber on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Looking for a career in fiber? Check out the Gateway Fiber career page: gatewayfiber.com/careers About Gateway Fiber Gateway Fiber is on a mission to positively impact communities through a better internet. As data requirements for residences and businesses continue to expand, Gateway is creating a leading, national fiber-to-the-home platform to serve this critical unmet need. Gateway provides faster, more reliable internet with a simple pricing model and industry-leading customer service. For more information, visit gatewayfiber.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220667267/en/ CONTACT: For more information, press only: David Workman PR & Communications Manager 314-265-8974 David.Workman@gatewayfiber.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NETWORKS INTERNET TECHNOLOGY CARRIERS AND SERVICES TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Gateway Fiber Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 01:25 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 01:26 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220667267/en

Trump warns BRICS nations against replacing US dollarWhen it (bourbon in particular), there are a lot of well-known, household names. We’re talking , Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and others. All of these brands make a wide . Some are (gasp) overrated. But that also means that they, and many other smaller brands, make a lot of underrated expressions as well that are just waiting to be discovered. How do you and undervalued? To us, it’s the idea that something doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Specifically, if we’re talking about bourbons. It doesn’t mean that the whiskey expression is unknown or not popular. It simply means the bourbon isn’t valued as high as it should be. If you were to ask us, there are quite a few expressions that fit this parameter. Now that you learned a little about the idea of what defines an underrated bourbon in our book, it’s time to find some to add to your home bar car. Lucky for you, we did the hard work for you. Below, you’ll find ten of the most underrated bourbons on the market. Some are popular and some are not. All deserve more acclaim than they get. Keep scrolling to see them all. As the Dude says in ‘The Big Lebowski’, if you don’t like our picks, “Well, you know, that’s just like uh, your opinion, man.” 10. Old Grand-Dad Bonded 50% You might not think that Old Grand-Dad Bonded is underrated, but when it comes to the price-to-quality ratio, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of this 4-year-old, 100-proof whiskey. This high-rye, spicy, memorable whiskey is surprisingly inexpensive but works well as both a mixing bourbon and a rainy-day sipper. On the nose, you’ll find notes of toasted vanilla beans, toffee, charred oak, and a ton of spicy cinnamon candy, The palate is a mix of raisins, plums, vanilla beans, peppery rye, butterscotch, and a lot of cinnamon sugar. The finish is warming, lingering, and loaded with brown sugar, oaky wood, and a final kick of wintry spices. Old Grand-Dad Bonded is always reasonably priced. The low price and this whiskey’s versatility for mixing and sipping is why it’s one of our favorite underrated bourbons. 9. J Rieger Bottled in Bond 50% If you’ve never heard of J Rieger Bottled in Bond, now is the time to try this memorable Kansas City-made whiskey. This award-winning, non-chill filtered 100-proof bourbon was made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. It was matured for a full six years to give it a nuanced, complex, balanced flavor profile. Nosing this whiskey reveals notes of maple candy, lemon zest, orchard fruits, caramel, and vanilla beans. Sipping it reveals notes of dried cherries, raisins, pipe tobacco, sweet corn, caramelized sugar, honey, and cinnamon. The last sip is a warming, lingering mix of toasted vanilla beans, salted caramel, and gentle spices. J Rieger Bottled in Bond is underrated for the obvious reason that it doesn’t have the name recognition of many of the well-known expressions even though it’s balanced, complex, and highly flavorful. 8. Old Ezra Barrel Strength 7 Year 58.5% You might not have ever heard of Old Ezra Barrel Strength 7 Year and that’s a shame. This whiskey deserves much more acclaim than it gets. This 117-proof whiskey is matured in charred American white oak barrels for seven years. Bottled at barrel strength, it’s bold, balanced, and deserves a spot on your home bar. The nose is a mix of caramel candy, dried fruits, cinnamon, oak, vanilla beans, and gentle baking spices. The palate is centered around vanilla beans, toffee candy, cinnamon, brown sugar, oak, and light spices. Lingering, warming, and filled with brown sugar, oak, and peppery spice, the finish is very memorable. If you’re a fan of cask strength bourbon, you have to try this 7-year-old expression from Ezra Brooks. It’s memorable and nuanced and deserves much more praise. 7. Old Forester 1920 57.5% Old Forester 1920 gets its name because it was distilled to pay tribute to the high-proof Prohibition-style bourbons. Made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley, this 115-proof was matured to perfection in new, heavily charred American oak barrels. It’s big, bold, and highly underrated. Dried cherries, sticky toffee pudding, maple candy, charred oak, cracked black pepper, and vanilla beans are prevalent on the nose. Complex flavors of cracked black pepper, oaky wood, caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, dried fruits, fresh leather, and baking spices highlight the palate. Rounding out the flavor profile is a finish of dark chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, oak, and light smoke. This is the epitome of a throwback whiskey. This potent, rich, memorable high-proof sipper is a must-have for bourbon drinkers. 6. Michter’s US-1 45.7% Michter’s is a well-respected whiskey brand. But its Michter’s US-1 Bourbon still manages to be underrated. This memorable 91.4-proof bourbon was matured in fire-charred, new American oak barrels. Truly a small batch whiskey, it’s batched in a holding tank that fits only twenty barrels. On the nose, you’ll find notes of cracked black pepper, raisins, brown sugar, oak, vanilla beans, and wintry spices. Mellow, sweet, and complex, this whiskey’s palate is loaded with cinnamon candy, dried fruits, vanilla beans, toffee, pipe tobacco, and oak. The finish is a warming, sweet, and spicy mix of dried fruits and cracked black pepper. This whiskey remains underrated because it deserves more credit than it gets for being a balanced memorable mix of sweetness and spice. 5. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond 50% Evan Williams is one of the most underrated whiskey brands in general. You can make a case for any of its bourbons. But we think its 100-proof bottled-in-bond bourbon is by far the most underrated. It’s surprisingly inexpensive and extremely versatile. The nose is a gentle mix of toasted vanilla beans, pipe tobacco, treacle, charred oak, and toffee candy. Drinking it brings forth notes of candied orange peels, vanilla, caramelized sugar, dried fruits, oak, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long, warm, sweet, spicy, and effortlessly dry. This is the most inexpensive bottle on our list. And if you blindly tasted it with the others, you wouldn’t really know that. It’s one of the best value bottles on the market. 4. Early Times Bottled in Bond 50% Don’t sleep on Early Times Bottled-in-Bond. This surprisingly well-balanced, flavorful 100-proof whiskey was made to pay homage to the 75th anniversary of the original recipe for Early Times bottled-in-bond bourbon. This throwback to a bygone era should be much more popular than it is. Candied orange peels honey, toffee, vanilla beans, and lit baking spices make for a very welcoming nose. Take one sip and you’ll be immersed in a world of caramel corn, toffee, pipe tobacco, fresh leather, vanilla beans, toasted marshmallows, and peppery rye spice. The finish is a nice warming, lingering mix of brown sugar sweetness and cracked black pepper spice. If you like bottled-in-bond bourbons with a nice balance of corn sweetness and cracked black pepper rye spice, this is the whiskey for you. 3. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 54.1% It’s a bit of a toss-up between Wild Turkey 101 and Wild Turkey Rare Breed to determine which one is the most underrated. We’re going to give it to Rare Breed because it doesn’t get as much attention as its 101-proof sibling. This 116.8-proof banger is a mix of six, eight, and 12-year-old bourbons. The nose is a mix of candied orange peels, oak, butterscotch, vanilla beans, and light rye spice. The palate is centered around notes of fresh leather, maple candy, vanilla beans, toffee, cracked black pepper, and charred oak. Take a moment to enjoy the last sip and you’ll be treated to a symphony of toffee, peppery rye, and vanilla. You’ll have a hard time finding a more well-rounded, reasonably-priced bourbon of this caliber. This is the kind of whiskey you buy once and continue to stock in your home bar forever. 2. Bib & Tucker 6 Year 46% Bib & Tucker 6 Year has begun to gain in popularity, but it’s still underrated. Also known as the “Classic Six”, this 92-proof award-winning whiskey is matured for a minimum of six years in new, charred American oak barrels. The result is a mellow, flavorful small batch bourbon you won’t soon forget. A lot is going on with this whiskey’s nose. There’s a ton of toasted vanilla beans, oaky wood, pepper, and baking spices. Complex flavors of candied pecans, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, pipe tobacco, treacle, oak, and spices make for a very exciting palate. It all ends with a finish of warming candied nuts, vanilla, and cinnamon spice. This flavorful whiskey is surprisingly mellow for the fact that it has so many different flavors intermingling. You need to try it. 1. Russell’s Reserve 10 45% Ever since it was first launched in 1998, Russell’s Reserve has been cranking out award-winning, memorable whiskeys. One of our favorites and a surprisingly underrated gem is its Russell’s Reserve 10. This 90-proof bourbon is matured for a decade in No. 4 alligator char American oak barrels. A fragrant nose of vanilla beans, maple candy, orange peels, brown sugar, and oak greets you before your first sip. Sipping it is an indulgent trip into a world of toasted vanilla beans, tobacco, citrus peels, salted caramel, cracked black pepper, dried fruits, and charred oak. It ends with a final flourish of sweet, spicy heat that leaves you craving more. It might not seem like Russell’s Reserve 10 is underrated, but it is. For the price, you won’t find a better bottle of ten-year-old bourbon.

A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump’s lock on the is legendary, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. As it turned out, Trump won by decisive margins, but his campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states. Voter surveys such as exit polls, which canvass broad swaths of the electorate, aren’t able to gauge the impact of such microtargeting, but some backers say the effort was worth it. Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt. He saluted their “Steadfast Faith in God, Perseverance through Centuries of Persecution and Love for this Great Country.” “This was the first time seeing a major U.S. presidential candidate address the community in this manner,” said Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian and research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. “It was really a profound moment.” She said many Copts share the conservative social views of other Christian groups in the Republican constituency, and they may already have been Trump supporters. But the posting reinforced those bonds. Coptic bishops sent the president-elect congratulations after his victory and cited their “shared social and family values.” Some Assyrian Christians — another faith group with Middle Eastern roots — similarly bonded with Trump, whose mispronunciation of created a viral video moment and drew attention to their support. Sam Darmo, a Phoenix real estate agent and co-founder of Assyrians for Trump, said many community members cited the economy, illegal immigration and other prominent voter issues. They echoed other conservative Christians’ concerns, he said, on issues such as abortion, gender identity and religious expression in public. But he said Trump supported various Middle Eastern Christians recovering from the Islamic State group’s oppressive rule. Darmo also credited Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, for mobilizing various Middle Eastern Christian groups, including Chaldean Catholics, and other voters, particularly in Michigan, such as Muslims. “He brought all these minority groups together,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue that relationship.” But members of Middle Eastern-rooted Christian groups, and their politics, are far from monolithic, said Marcus Zacharia, founder of Progressive Copts, a program of Informed Immigrants, an organization that promotes dialogue on sensitive topics among such groups in the United States and Canada. He said many younger community members question Trump’s stances on issues such as immigration, and sense that conservatives sometimes tokenize them by focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East while neglecting wider issues of repression in countries there that the U.S. supports. He said there needs to be more informed dialogue across the political divide in these communities. “There is no more high time than these next four years to have that way of conducting conversations,” he said. Republicans also made an aggressive push for , particularly in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where they are most numerous at about 92,000 (many below voting age). The GOP has made similar efforts in the past, even though researchers have found that less than 10% of them typically vote, due to their separatism from society. But Republicans used billboards, mailers, ads and door-to-door campaigner to drive turnout in Lancaster County, home base to the nation’s largest Amish settlement. On Election Day, Amish voters Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife Lillian Stoltzfus said they were supporting Trump, citing their anti-abortion beliefs. “We basically look at it as murder,” Stoltzfus, 31, said outside a polling center in the Lancaster County community of New Holland, where dozens of other members of the local Amish community voted. Trump has wavered on the issue, dismaying some abortion opponents, though many have said Republicans still align more closely to their views. Stolzfus added: “Make America great again and keep the moral values,” he said. “Let’s go back to the roots.” Steven Nolt, a history professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster College who studies the Amish and their voting patterns, said that while it’s too early to say definitively without further research, he doesn’t see evidence of a larger turnout this year. Lancaster County as a whole — most of which is not Amish — is a GOP stronghold that Trump won handily, though both parties’ votes edged up from 2020, according to unofficial results posted by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Trump’s biggest increases were in urban or suburban areas with few Amish, while some areas with larger Amish populations generally saw a modest increase in the Trump vote, said Nolt, director of the college’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Bottom line, percentage-wise, not much change in the parts of Lancaster County where the Amish live,” he said. Trump directly reached out to members of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism. Related Articles On Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, Trump made a symbolically resonant the burial site of the movement’s revered late leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Wearing a yarmulke, the traditional Jewish skullcap, Trump, who has Jewish family members, brought a written prayer to the Ohel and laid a small stone at the grave in keeping with tradition. The site in New York City, while particularly central to Chabad adherents, draws an array of Jewish and other visitors, including politicians. About two-thirds of Jewish voters overall supported Trump’s opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. But the Trump campaign has made a particular outreach to Orthodox Jews, citing issues including his policies toward Israel in his first administration. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowitz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida said it was moving for him to see images of Trump’s visit. “The mere fact that he made a huge effort, obviously it was important to him,” he said.

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Alex Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal-scoring record is on pause as the Russian forward has a broken left fibula and is expected to miss four to six weeks, the Washington Capitals said on Thursday. Ovechkin, who is 27 goals away from breaking Hall of Famer Gretzky's record of 894 career goals, sustained the injury on Monday on a leg-to-leg collision with Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain. The 39-year-old Ovechkin entered the 2024-25 NHL season 42 goals shy of breaking Gretzky's all-time mark which was once considered unapproachable but made a fast start and has a league-leading 15 goals in his first 18 games. According to NHL.com, the absence will be the longest in the career of Ovechkin whose previous longest time out of action was when he missed six games due to an upper-body injury in 2009. Sign up here. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size For decades, it was all about Margaret. Sure, Norma, Joyce, Betty and Beryl had their moments in the sun, but in mid-20th century Australia, Margaret was overwhelmingly the most popular girl’s name. There was barely a year between 1929 and 1952 when Margaret wasn’t top of the heap for newborn girls. Worldwide, too, it was the era of Margarets: Thatcher (the PM), Windsor (the princess), Attwood (author of The Handmaid’s Tale ), Olley and Preston (artists), Court (tennis star) and, at a pinch, actress Ann-Margret (of Bye Bye Birdie fame – YouTube it ). Then, in 1953, this incredible reign just ended. Having already slipped to second spot in NSW, in Victoria the drop was precipitous. Margaret pushed aside by Susan, Christine and Jennifer. By 1956, according to state records, Julie and Karen were more popular too; the year after, Debra and Wendy squeezed Margaret further down the ranks. Just over a decade later, she couldn’t make the top 50, buried in a sea of Lisas, Sharons, Susans and the new frontrunner, no doubt inspired by the Beatles song of the same name from 1965, Michelle . Margaret occasionally made the top 100 – just – in the early 1970s and mysteriously popped up in Victoria’s top 50 in 2000, incongruously surrounded by her Generation-Z cousins Taylah, Mia, Chelsea, Zoe and Maddison. And then she was gone from the top of the charts for good. Audrey, an ancient Anglo-Norman name, similarly prevailed through the 1930s only to vanish, notwithstanding the popularity of Audrey Hepburn’s 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s . Yet despite being sent to Siberia for decades, Audrey suddenly reappeared in 2007 and last year, hers was the 26th-most popular baby name in Victoria and 33rd in NSW. Why do names fall in and out of favour? Why do some get “upcycled” through the generations (Daisy, Jack, William, Ruth) while once “It” names like Donald, Phyllis, Doreen, Roslyn, and Frank don’t so much? How much does your own name date you? Princess Margaret had one of the most popular first names of her generation. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Did we have names when we were living in caves? If you believe the 1966 Hollywood caveman epic One Million Years B.C. , whose promotional material confidently promised “this is the way it was”, prehistoric people had names such as Tumak, Sakana and Nupondi. In her breakout role, Raquel Welch played the animal-skin-clad tribeswoman Loana. It’s not completely outlandish, evolutionary social psychologist Francis McAndrew tells us from Knox College in Illinois. “There really is no historical record that goes back far enough to document this,” he says. “In our early prehistoric societies, everyone knew everyone else personally, so names would not have been necessary to identify someone in the modern sense. However, there had to be some way of referring to individuals when they were discussed, so some sort of naming had to occur pretty early.” Advertisement First, or single, names (think Madonna, Maradona, Plato, Elvis) were the norm by the time writing was scratched into clay tablets in Egypt, China and Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. Some historians cite the first mention of a name as probably that of a public servant in the Mesopotamian city of Uruk (in present-day Iraq) who “signed” their tablets “Kushim” in cuneiform script . Tablets from the Sumerian empire of 3100 BC record the names of slave owner Gal-Sal and slaves Enpap-x and Sukkalgir. Raquel Welch as Loana and English John Richardson as Tumak in One Million Years B.C. in 1966. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Those may have dropped out of common usage (actually, why not Enpap-x?) but a handful of ancient monikers are still relatively common: the Greek names Alexander and Alexandra are in records kept by the Hittites around 1280 BC; Theodora dates from at least this time; in Scandinavia you might have met a Freya (named for the Norse goddess of love, fertility, battle and death). Susan is believed to have its origins in the ancient Egyptian word for water lily, sSn, possibly via the Hebrew Shoshanah and the ancient Greek Sousanna. Noah, the second-most popular boy’s name for babies born in NSW in 2023 and the most popular name in several European nations, dates back to the ark, of course. Single names today are usually the preserve of celebrities, either because they adopt their own (Rihanna, Sting, Bono, Morrissey) or that’s how they become known (Bowie, Jagger, Adele). Brazilian soccer players, too, commonly choose to go by a single name, or mononym (Ronaldo was born Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima; Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento). In 1970, a Brazilian child was named Tospericargerja after the football team that won the soccer World Cup that year: “Tos” from Tostão, “pe” from Pelé, “ri” from Rivelino, “car” from Carlos Alberto, “ger” from Gérson, and “ja” from Jairzinho.) In everyday life, a person who changed his birth name to a mononym tells us, a single name can be problematic – filling out forms online, for example, usually requires two names in two boxes. “Every system should cope with the full variety of naming practices that exist in Australia, and most don’t,” says Stilgherrian, a freelance journalist and commentator from Sydney, who legally changed his name decades ago. “I get into lots of conversations about, where did it come from? One of the most popular guesses is that it’s Armenian. If nothing else, it’s a conversation starter.” The widespread adoption of surnames arrived much later, possibly first in ancient China, around 2000 years ago, to facilitate census-taking. The Romans, too, favoured multiple names, which might relate you to your clan or tribe. He of Brutus fame was Marcus Junius Brutus; a fellow assassin, Gaius Cassius Longinus. By the early Middle Ages in the Arabic-speaking world, it became common to take a surname that referenced both your lineage – “son of” – and your origins, perhaps from a famous ancestor or place. It’s believed the Norman conquest of 1066 popularised the idea of surnames to the early Britons; the invading Frenchmen referenced their home towns in a surname. Advertisement Meanwhile, as the human population grew, along with growth in trade and the desire to collect taxes, it grew increasingly difficult to identify people by their first names alone – “John who?” Says McAndrew: “Many, if not most, surnames developed as a way of identifying people either by occupation or by the geographical location from which they came.” Think Hill or Craig, from crag, or de Porta. And, at least in English-speaking lands, Archer, Baker, Cook, Constable, Farmer, Fisher and Hunter. “It seems like people had to start talking about John the carpenter to distinguish him from John the tailor or John from Kerry.” Francis’ own surname, McAndrew, derives from one of his ancestors being the “son of Andrew”. Et tu, Brute? Assassins Gaius Cassius Longinus, played by John Gielgud, and Marcus Junius Brutus (James Mason) in a 1953 MGM production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted What are the rules and customs about names? Some countries and cultures are relatively laissez-faire about names. In Australia, while rules vary from state to state, you can be pretty creative – with a few caveats. In both NSW and Victoria, for example, you can choose whatever you like as long as it is not obscene or offensive; not more than 38 characters long (in Victoria) or 50 (in NSW); does not contain characters that are unpronounceable, such as “A!3xand3er Brown”; and is not misleading, such as “Commander” or “Duke of Edinburgh”. (The singer Prince would have failed on several counts, especially when he changed his name to an indecipherable symbol.) In both states, the registries of births, deaths and marriages can scotch “impractical” names, such as “Alexander is the Best Brown” or “A.L.E.X.A.N.D.E.R Brown”. Overseas, Chinese first names traditionally consist of one or two characters that are given to symbolise the parents’ aspirations for a child’s characteristics, such as 欣妍 (Xīn yán, meaning “vitality or beauty”) and 可欣 (Kě xīn, “merits admiration”). It’s not uncommon for Chinese nationals to change their given names several times during their lifetime nor for younger people, particularly students of English, to adopt a Western-sounding nickname, such as Eric or Wellington. “I have had students who change nicknames three times in one year,” says Peyman Sabet, who teaches at Curtin University in Perth. “It’s as simple as, one morning, they will say they’re changing their nickname.” ‘Names given to girls often drew inspiration from resilient plants such as pine, cedar, bamboo and chrysanthemum, symbols of strength, health and longevity.’ Arabic names are generally divided into three parts: given, middle and family. The middle names reference forebears: the Saudi ruler commonly known as “MBS” has the full name Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (“bin” meaning son of). Many Muslims will give their sons Muhammad (or variant spelling) as a first name, then, to distinguish them from other Muhammads, a second name they use in daily life, such as Muhammad Firas or Muhammad Hosni. Muhammad is the most common name in the world, but only recently began to chart in the most popular names in Australia; it’s now the 36th-most popular boy’s name in NSW, and 27th in Victoria. Arabs might also be known by their kunya, an alternate name that references their oldest child, traditionally the eldest son (but not necessarily today). This follows the style “Abu (father of) Ali” or “Umm (mother of) Fatima”. Advertisement In Japan, naming can prove controversial. There was outrage in 1993, for example, when parents wanted to call their daughter Akuma, meaning devil; and, in 2019, an 18-year-old named Prince told interviewers his life had been filled with shame and embarrassment as a result of his parents’ decision. The government has recently clamped down on unconventional choices. Parents’ choices have reflected societal changes, says Ivona Baresova, a Czech researcher who has studied Japanese and Taiwanese naming conventions. “At the end of the 19th century, names given to girls often drew inspiration from resilient plants such as pine, cedar, bamboo and chrysanthemum, symbols of strength, health and longevity, which were vital in an era marked by high infant mortality and challenging living conditions. Today, plant-inspired feminine names reflect a different ideal. Modern names often feature flowers like jasmine, cherry, or apricot blossoms, evoking an image of beauty, affection and kindness, qualities appreciated in contemporary life.” Brazilian footballer Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, signs autographs in 1970. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Parents can run foul of naming regulations in Scandinavia, too. In 1999, Finns Mika and Jaana Johansson named their son “Axl Mick” but were refused by the Population Registration Authority as the spelling did not comply with Finnish naming practice. The couple pursued the authority through the courts, arguing that Axl was common in Denmark and Norway (usually as Aksel or Axel) and was pronounceable in Finnish. In 2007, the European Court of Human Rights found that their rights had been breached and the name was acceptable, despite it missing its usual vowel. “The name was not ridiculous or whimsical, nor was it likely to prejudice the child.” Terhi Ainiala, professor of Finnish language at the University of Helsinki, tells us many rules apply to name-giving in Finland. “It is forbidden to give a name that is clearly of the surname type as a first name,” Ainiala says, of one rule. In Iceland, surnames are usually either parents’ first name, followed by -son (son of) or -dottir (daughter of) ... Singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir is the daughter of Guðmundur. Which brings us to Iceland. Surnames there are not fixed but are usually either parents’ first name, followed by -son (son of) or dottir (daughter of). As in: Ólafsson (son of Olaf) or Jónsdóttir (daughter of Jon). Singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir is the daughter of Guðmundur. Inga Arnadottir, Iceland’s honorary consul-general to Australia, is Inga, “daughter of Arni” (Arna is the feminine case of Arni). So, how do Icelanders know each other’s lineage? Well, they might not, says Arnadottir: “How do people know which family you’re from and who you’re related to? I mean, it is a small country, less than half a million people there now.” Though she notes: “You meet a guy at the bar and ... and you think, well, I just wonder how related we are.” (Icelanders can check their genealogy on a database going back to the 9th century .) Advertisement Choosing a first name can be complex. To protect Iceland’s cultural heritage, the Mannanafnanefnd (Human Names Committee) maintains a register of some 4200 allowable names (based on grammar, spelling and whether they may cause the bearer harm) and meets to adjudicate on the introduction of new ones. (The Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters, including the unique characters Þ, ð and æ, which can produce some confounding names for the unfamiliar, such as Blær, Snævarr and Álfdís.) In July, the committee approved six new names: Núri and Foster for boys, Roj, Ana, Ahelia and Maríabet for girls. Björk Guðmundsdóttir’ is the daughter of Guðmundur. Why do some names get recycled over generations? Amelia, an ancient name with Latin roots meaning industrious or fertility, was popularised with the birth of Princess Amelia in 1783, the 15th and last child of England’s King George III. Alas, by the 20th century, Amelia had all but vanished. Yet in Australia, she reappeared in the 1980s, creeping on to the top 100 register in Victoria in 1988 in 99th place. By 1999, she was in the top 50, had hit the top 20 by 2004, and today is regularly first or second in both NSW and Victoria, usually accompanied by her similarly revived cousins Audrey, Charlotte, Matilda, Ruby and Ava. Meanwhile, Oliver, another ancient name (Oliver Cromwell brought it into disrepute in the 17th century), regularly claims the top spot among boys’ names these days, but didn’t even begin to chart in the top 100 until the late 1980s. It’s all about timing, says Ainiala. “Parents generally do not want to give their children the names of their own generation or their parents’ generation, as they feel too familiar and worn out and may be associated with unpleasant personal images,” she says. “Instead, these older-generation names are seen as fresher alternatives.” Not that long ago, you’d find several children in a classroom sharing the same name – David, Mary, Susan, Kylie, perhaps. It’s less likely today, says Jean-Francois Mignot, who researches demographic trends at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. “More and more parents are choosing relatively original, distinctive and individualising first names for their children, which allow them to appear unique or to stand out from the crowd,” he tells us. Amelia enjoyed a renaissance a couple of centuries after the naming of Princess Amelia, born in 1783. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Advertisement It’s a long-running trend. In the 1810s, most newborns in France were given one of the top 10 most popular names (Jacques, Marguerite); today, there is much more variation: think Lina and Romy, Gabriele and Jules. From the 1900s to the 2010s, the number of different first names given at least once to each sex at the French civil registry increased from about 1500 to about 6500 per year. “Fashion for first names has also been changing more quickly since the early 20th century,” says Mignot. This is just as true in Denmark, says Birgit Eggert, a linguist at the University of Copenhagen, with “fewer people having the most common names and more people having very rare names and alternative spellings of names”. At the same time, she says, “A kind of wave motion in name fashion can be seen, such that many names reappear in every third generation. Newborn children are thus often given names that are known from their great-grandparents’ generation.” Perhaps, as Andrew Colman from the University of Leicester concluded in his 1983 study on the attractiveness of names: “When names are either very unfamiliar or very familiar, they are not generally liked very much, but at some intermediate level of familiarity they achieve peak popularity.” Increasingly, parents are also choosing names that translate internationally, Iceland possibly being an exception, linguist Anna-Maria Balbach tells us from Yale University in the United States. “In most European countries, especially in Central and Western Europe, there is a strong trend towards common name favourites and thus a strong internationalisation of the most popular first names in Europe.” Sofia is currently top across several nations (or Sophia, Zofia, Sofija) followed by Mia. For boys, Noah, again, is in first place in five countries, with Luka (or Luca) second. Biblical names, in particular, travel well: Adam, Eve, Noah, Daniel, Luke and Mia (from Mary). Russell Crowe plays Noah in the 2014 movie: Noah is a hardy perennial among name favourites. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Katrine Kehlet Bechsgaard, also at Denmark’s University of Copenhagen, tells us the educational background of parents can factor in name choices. In one study of naming motives, she found “parents with longer educations tended to choose more historically established names whereas parents with shorter educations were more likely to choose less established names.” In Australia, too, parents are travelling back through time to seek unusual names, such as Maxwell, Elliot, Theodore, Eleanor and even Harriet, observes Mark McCrindle, a demographer who has studied naming practices in Australia for decades. “People are going for more traditional names,” he tells us. “So they’re reaching back to their grandparents’ era, which is quite interesting, rather than using the very contemporary names. It’s a trend that’s emerged in the last decade, and it’s amazingly consistent.” Victorian-era botanicals are popular right now: Ivy, Daisy, Rose, Poppy, Lily, Jasmine and Violet (though Heather, Iris and Hyacinth, not so much). Falling out of favour, says McCrindle, are those creative or phonetic spellings, such as Taylah, Charli and Maddison, that emerged in the early 2000s. “These new names died off quite quickly. And we suddenly discovered some history. Partly it’s that people recognise that their children are going to live for a long time and that contemporary trends might eventually seem old and dated. And people realise this is a tricky name to spell the non-traditional way, [and] they’re going to be forever spelling it out.” Absolutely, says Pierre-Louis Plumejeau-Wilby, who grew up in Australia and is the son of a French father and English mother, now working as a parliamentary assistant in Britain. “I reckon I still get asked once a week, ‘How do I pronounce your surname?’” he tells us from London, explaining that his double-double-barrelled name is a result of his parents taking an old family name, Pierre, from his father and adding to it his mother’s choice, Louis, in a compromise deal – while also combining their surnames. If he eventually has a son of his own, he says he will maintain the “Pierre” tradition, if not the double-double barrel. “Especially since my dad died. I just think it’s good to continue it.” Oh, and he has a middle name, too – John. A classic botanical name, albeit a contraction of Emilie, not Lily: Lillie Langtry, born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, in 1885. Credit: Getty Images, digitally tinted Can your name determine your future? Viennese psychoanalyst Herbert Silberer wrote: “A man’s name is like a shadow ... it follows him all his life.” But what effect does it have on your destiny? The concept of nominative determinism , how your name might determine your life’s path, is believed to have first appeared in a humorous article in New Scientist magazine in the mid-1990s, no doubt to debunk the idea that a baby with the surname “Taylor” would be fated to endure a lifetime of cutting cloth. Yet hunt around, and you can find some famously appropriate examples of the name fitting the career: urology researchers Splatt and Weedon; polar author Daniel Snowman; the high jumper Nathan Leeper; a firefighter called Les McBurney. Cardinal Sin was a Filipino cleric, and there’s the Bulgarian Olympic gymnast Silviya Topalova. Earlier this year, science author Jesse Singal did a deep dive into the notion for The New York Times , uncovering research that suggested people’s names not only influenced their decisions about which professions to go into but also about where to live, drawing them to towns and streets with names similar or identical to their own. But he also found a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who comprehensively dismantled the idea, showing that “implicit egotism” was more likely at fault. Still, writes Singal, “the continued interest in the idea – across centuries and, arguably, against the evidence – is in itself revealing, highlighting humans’ deep-seated desire for order in a chaotic universe and the role science plays in satisfying that need ... In a strange, mystical way, isn’t it comforting to think that you ended up in San Francisco not because of the vicissitudes of geography and employment but because you’re named Fran?” Most popular names given in Australia in 2023 Isla, Amelia, Charlotte, Olivia, Mia, Ava, Matilda, Harper, Lily, Hazel. Oliver, Noah, Henry, Leo, Theodore, Hudson, Luca, William, Charlie, Jack. – from McCrindle, Australian state and territory records Either way, parents have, for millennia, sought advice before naming their children. The ancient Romans believed “nomen est omen”, the name is an omen. In China, parents might go to a fortune teller for guidance, says Shuge Wei, a senior lecturer at ANU. “They try to fix what might be in difficulty in the future, and try to fix that problem by giving a name then addressing that effect. [There’s a] huge industry behind it.” In Taiwan, says Ivona Baresova, “a poorly chosen name is thought to bring misfortune to the bearer’s future life. When asked about the origin of their name, many Taiwanese simply state that it was chosen by a fortune teller.” Hindus traditionally choose a name through the elaborate ritual of the Barasala. In the first few days after the birth of a child, a birth chart is plotted by astrologers to select the initial syllable of the child’s name, explains Thilagavathi Shanmuganathan in Names, the International Journal of Onomastics (the study of names). Then, on an auspicious day, “rice grains are spread on a bronze dish, and the father writes the chosen name on the rice grains using a stick rolled in gold wrapper while chanting the name of the main deity. This is drawn from the traditional saying that in every grain of rice, your name is written. The baby’s father then whispers the selected name into the child’s right ear thrice and says a prayer. The need to repeat the name three times symbolises the three main deities in Hinduism.” Researcher Jean-Francois Mignon calls himself Jeff in English ‘because in English, Jean is a female first name, and because this first name is hell to pronounce for English speakers.’ In the West, religious or spiritual aspects of naming might have waned, but many parents still agonise to the extent they will hire a professional naming expert. Social media has only added to the anxiety, says Colleen Slagen, a US-based naming consultant who charges up to $600 for a consultation (note that an Australian-based rival charges up to $4999 for a “bespoke” package that includes Zoom calls, ongoing naming support and unlimited revisions for up to three months). “If someone posts that they had a baby named Eloise, even if they’re not someone you interact with in person, it may feel ‘taken’,” Slagen tells us. “Social media has also sped up the exchange of ideas and the speed with which trends come and go ... This can cause a paradox of choice that makes it harder to settle on the one .” Conversely, some parents, particularly in the United States, don’t bother picking a name at all, instead just adding “jnr” or “III” to the father’s name: Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump Jr, William Randolph Hearst III. It can be advantageous, says Francis McAndrew, and can strengthen the bond between fathers and their kids, although it can also carry “high expectations for the son on the part of the father”. Some people change their own names to increase a family bond: in Britain, TV presenter Dawn Porter switched to Dawn O’Porter after marrying actor Chris O’Dowd, and Brooklyn Beckham took his wife’s surname as a new middle name. It was a common migrant experience, meanwhile, in the 1950s and 1960s to Anglicise or change a Greek or Italian name to assimilate or simply end the torturous ritual of explaining pronunciations. Indeed, researcher Jean-Francois Mignon calls himself Jeff in English, he says, “because in English, Jean is a female first name, and because this first name is hell to pronounce for English speakers”. People are so aggrieved by mispronunciations, says cultural diversity consultant Fiona Swee-Lin Price, that she is contracted by universities to correctly read out the names of students at graduation ceremonies. Awkward mispronunciations are hard to avoid, though, Price says, as it’s essentially trying to speak an unfamiliar language. “There’s a lot of preaching going on and not a lot of teaching. I think people are a bit too quick to make it an individual’s responsibility to get someone’s name right.” Loading Research suggests employers still discriminate on the basis of names. In a study in 2023, Monash University economist Andreas Leibbrandt and a colleague sent 12,000 job applications to over 4000 job advertisements in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, using identical resumes but with confected names drawn from six different ethnic groups. The results showed ethnic minorities received 57.4 per cent fewer callbacks for leadership positions than applicants with English names. “If you look at the impact of the name in the Australian context and compare it to international studies in other countries,” Leibbrandt tells us today, “it’s certainly one of the most pronounced differences as compared to other countries.” It’s unsurprising, then, that in Australia’s Muslim community, some people still feel pressure to change their names or go by names that are easier for Anglo-Australians to pronounce, says Adel Salman of the Islamic Council of Victoria. “People do it for various reasons, just to fit in, for fear of being teased at school, because they believe it will increase their job prospects or their prospects of securing rental accommodation,” he tells us. “Some people in their work life, they’re called ‘Mo’, but in their family and social circles, they use the proper name, ‘Mohammed’.” And, no, Adel’s name is not pronounced like that of the English singer Adele. “For a lot of my life, he says, “People would call me ‘Adele’, and I never corrected that. But maybe 15, 20 years ago, I actually started to tell people, ‘Actually, no, it’s pronounced AH-dull.’” Our new Explainer anthology, Why Do People Queue for Brunch? The Explainer Guide To Modern Mysteries is in bookstores December 3. It’s also available for pre-order and subscribers are being offered a 25 per cent discount (full price is $32.99) until December 12. See here for details . Credit: Let us explain If you'd like some expert background on an issue or a news event, drop us a line at explainers@smh.com.au or explainers@theage.com.au . Read more explainers here .“Emilia Pérez”, la película escrita y dirigida por el francés Jacques Audiard ha provocado reacciones extremas y con mucha razón. Por un lado, están los que la bautizan como un musical “audaz” sobre la historia de un renacimiento o una película “visionaria” llena de actuaciones célebres, hasta un filme que presenta la mirada transexual en el cine. Se alaba sobre todo, que tenga a tres latinas como protagonistas. Y por el otro lado, están los que destacan el detalle más importante que está siendo ignorado: que su problema principal es que a pesar de que su historia se desarrolla en México, con una trama y personajes mexicanos, de mexicana no tiene casi nada. “Emilia Pérez” se estrenó el 18 de mayo de 2024 en la 77a edición del Festival de Cannes y fue seleccionada para competir por la Palma de Oro en su sección de competencia principal. En dicho festival ganó el Premio del Jurado y su elenco femenino ganó colectivamente el premio a Mejor Actriz. Siendo mexicana, estaba intrigada por “Emilia Pérez”, su representación y sus alcances. Al estar ya disponible en la plataforma Netflix eso fue sencillo. Confieso que lo hice por inercia, al leer los titulares de que según algunos críticos —sobre todo estadounidenses anglosajones y españoles— era una obra maestra, pero también lo hice motivada un tanto por la curiosidad de ver qué tanto podía hacer por una narrativa mexicana un realizador francés. La vi antes que se anunciaran las nominaciones a la 82a edición de los Globos de Oro, con las cuales arrasó. Tiene diez nominaciones, entre ellas Mejor Película Musical o Comedia, Mejor Película de Habla no Inglesa, Mejor Actriz en una Mejor Película Musical o Comedia —para Karla Sofía Gazcón—, Mejor Actriz de Reparto —en la que están Zoe Saldaña y Selena Gómez—, Mejor Director y Mejor Guión. “Emilia Pérez” no es la primera vez, ni será la última, que un extranjero cuente su visión, real o imaginada, de lo que es o cree que es México. Esto es algo recurrente, donde parece que la cultura se “eleva” o es “salvada” cuando es vista a través de los ojos de otros. Históricamente, el director ruso Serguéi Eisenstein lo hizo en su filme no terminado, “¡Viva México!” (1930), o el mismo Luis Buñuel en “Los Olvidados” (1950) —que también tuvo críticas y cuya versión original fue censurada y se tuvo que grabar un final alternativo— ya se habían atrevido a presentar su visión de México; en sus casos, también hubo controversia, pero con buenos resultados. Esto porque tanto Eisenstein como Buñuel lo hicieron con conocimiento de causa del México de la época en que vivieron en el país, no en lo que inventaron a la distancia. En sí, de entrada, la trama e historia de “Emilia Pérez” no es para nada mala, todo lo contrario, pero es su tratamiento y la apropiación cultural hecha tan mal. Se centra en la historia de Rita Mora Castro, interpretada por la actriz dominicana Zoé Saldaña, quien un día recibe una oferta inesperada: ayudar a Juan “Manitas” del Monte ( interpretado por la actriz española Karla Sofía Gazcón), un temido jefe de un cártel mexicano a retirarse de su negocio y desaparecer para siempre, convirtiéndose en la mujer que él siempre ha soñado ser haciéndose llamar Emilia Pérez. Si bien, como hombre “Manitas” es un narco verdugo, como mujer Emilia se vuelve la santa patrona y salvadora de los desaparecidos, llegando casi al nivel de una santa, virgen y mártir, con claros rasgos europeos, como las imágenes de todos los santos usadas en el adoctrinamiento. Pero lo que sí es muy extraño es el tratamiento de la historia de “Emilia Pérez” que, pese a desarrollarse en México y con personajes supuestamente mexicanos, no representa bien la cultura y sí presenta una visión equivocada de México y su realidad. Se podrá argumentar que un buen director y un buen actor pueden realizar y actuar lo que se les dé la gana, que es parte del oficio, pero eso aplica a cuando hay un conocimiento de causa y cuidando la autenticidad de la historia. Tampoco es nada nuevo que un español interprete a un personaje mexicano, sobre todo en Hollywood. Por citar un ejemplo, Antonio Banderas lo hizo varias veces, aún cuando hay actores de origen mexicano. Esto en filmes mexicanos también ha pasado, como fue en su momento la actuación del actor español Óscar Jaenada en 2014 en la película semi biográfica sobre “el mimo de México”, Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”. Aunque actoralmente fue una interpretación que se basó en el parecido físico y el actor de alguna manera dio la talla, a la distancia de una década, puedo decir que su origen ocasionó que la representación de un icono mexicano no tuviera ni diera las referencias culturales de Cantinflas por ser un actor español ya que, efectivamente, pese a todo, es apropiación cultural. Como diría el mismo Cantinflas: ahí está el detalle. Es por eso que “Emilia Pérez” no hace nada por México; sólo se apropia de la cultura y de la identidad en tiempos que hablamos y reforzamos que la identidad y la autenticidad de los contenidos es lo más importante, una conversación sobre todo necesaria en Estados Unidos. Sobre todo en Hollywood, donde los latinos seguimos siendo representados desde una visión eurocentrista que niega la raíz de los pueblos originarios con su color de piel más “café”, con los rasgos nativos y, en algunos casos, afrolatinos, esos que han prevalecido a través de los siglos y donde seguimos siendo retratados como un estereotipo. Se habla mucho de la importancia de “verse” en los contenidos, pero no en cómo somos retratados y por quién. Eso también importa y mucho. Decir que esta película es protagonizada por tres actrices latinas no es lo correcto. Gascón es española, Saldaña dominicana y Gómez de raíces mexicanas. Usar los términos en forma intercambiable no es correcto. “Hispano” se refiere a una persona nacida en un país donde se habla español o que tiene ancestros hispanos y “latino” a una persona nacida en Latinoamérica o que tiene ancestros latinoamericano y también hace eco a las raíces de los pueblos originarios de América. Sin embargo, los brasileños no pueden identificarse como “latinos” porque su idioma es el portugués y los españoles son hispanos, pero no latinos. En su contexto más amplio, el término “hispano” sigue dando una representación que no va con la myor parte de la identidad mexicana y latina. Si bien somos mestizos por aquello de la conquista, la identidad real tiene más de los pueblos originarios que de los españoles y aunque nuestros apellidos no sean “nativos”, nuestros rasgos y nuestro origen lo son mayoritariamente dejando a un lado mitos como eso de que en la conquista “le mejoraron la raza” a los pueblos originarios. En el caso de la protagonista de “Emilia Pérez” el origen y aspecto de la actriz, cae en el sistema de castas que en México fue impuesto desde el tiempo de la Conquista para dar dominio al “conquistador”, porque “Emilia” no es lo que llamamos en México una “güera de rancho”: es una “tía” muy europea. Recientemente el que estuvo en el foco de la crítica fue el actor, comediante y director mexicano Eugenio Derbez por criticar el desempeño actoral de la actriz y cantante de origen mexicoestadounidense Selena Gómez , en especial por su acento al hablar español. Su “osadía” le valió incluso perder seguidores en redes sociales. Aunque por un lado, su acento es lo único que puede considerarse auténtico de este filme, es el acento “pocho” de Selena interpretando a Jessi Del Monte, la mujer del “Manitas” y madre de sus hijos, que no es preciso en ese contexto. Jessi es como Selena, nacida y criada en Estados Unidos, pero aún así, su interpretación no es natural. Suena tan falso como forzado. Entonces ¿cuáles son los “peros” que se le ponen a Emilia Pérez? Empezaré por lo básico: sus diálogos en un español para nada mexicano. ¿Quién los tradujo? ¿Acaso la inteligencia artificial o Google translate? No tiene nada de malo usar las herramientas de traducción, agilizan el trabajo. Pero lo que se pasó por alto fue la edición de alguien que hablara el español mexicano, con sus propias palabras y diálogos. Seguimos con el casting. Si bien se aplaude la actuación de Carla Sofía Gascón, al ser ella española no da la mexicanidad necesaria del personaje. En las escenas de “Emilia Pérez”, a Gascón a la hora de hablar se le escapa el seseo, que es la característica fonético-fonológica propia de España y que no se calcó en México durante los años que fue colonia. También está el acento de Zoé Saldaña que, aunque su personaje aclara en una escena que es originaria de República Dominicana y se mudó a Veracruz siendo niña, ya en la edad adulta y madura en la que se encuentra hubiera perdido el acento. También el acento de Selena Gómez. En el caso del idioma, si bien el español no es igual, varía del país y región en el que se habla. Lo que hablamos y la manera en la que cada país lo habla se le denomina de manera un tanto despectiva, “dialecto”, pero refleja una cultura, una historia, un modo de vida. El español que se habla en “Emilia Pérez” no llega ni al supuesto español neutro. Y no olvidemos que por ser una historia supuestamente mexicana, debería notarse que en “Emilia Pérez” se habla mexicano y no es el caso. A pesar de que es muy importante, lo de los acentos no es lo más grave de “Emilia Pérez”. Lo más peligroso y problemático es su romantización de un México inventado y que maneja temas tan delicados como el narcotráfico y los desaparecidos. Que otros se dediquen a contar nuestras historias sin ni siquiera tomarse el tiempo para estudiarlas y representarlas como se debe, por simple respeto, es demasiado problemático. Si el realizador de “Emilia Pérez” se hubiera dedicado a investigar más sobre el idioma mexicano, los usos, costumbres del país y sobre todo, no abordar tan a la ligera temas que son problemáticos para México, otro gallo le cantaría. Y traer a tema a “Emilia Pérez” en Estados Unidos, importa y mucho. Los mexicanos somos la mayoría del tan llamado “mercado hispano” ya que somos más de 37 millones de los 50 que integran ese mercado, según las cifras del Pew Center . Por lo tanto, el mercado es más latino. Sin embargo, aunque a Estados Unidos y Hollywood les encanta nuestra cultura y no se diga nuestra comida, parece que no les gusta cuando nuestras historias y nuestras tradiciones son presentadas o representadas por nosotros. En sí, les gusta México, pero no que venga con mexicanos. Posiblemente “Emilia Pérez” gane más premios, pero a costa de la apropiación cultural y de representar una vez más, mal a México y a la identidad mexicana. Debemos aprender de la diferencia de nuestras culturas, esas que nos hacen quienes somos y aprender del otro, no querer imponernos. Somos capaces de contar nuestras historias, con todos sus matices e identidades y la historia de “Emilia Pérez” no es mexicana ni latina ni las representa, aunque tenga de protagonistas a una española y dos latinas.

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Rivalry Closes Non-Brokered Private Placement Of Approximately $2.0 MillionWASHINGTON , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with deep sadness that Universities Space Research Association (USRA) announces the passing of Dr. Berrien Moore III , an internationally recognized leader in Earth Science and an invaluable member of the USRA Board of Trustees. Dr. Moore passed away on December 17, 2024 , in Norman, Oklahoma . He was the Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences and Director of the National Weather Center at the University of Oklahoma . Dr. Moore was elected to the USRA Board of Trustees in 2019 and re-elected for a second term in 2022. He served in multiple leadership capacities on the Board, including Chair of the Compensation Committee, inaugural Chair of the University Engagement Committee, and, since 2021, Vice Chair of the Board. Gen Lester Lyles , Chair of the USRA Board of Trustees said, "We are profoundly grieved by the loss of Berrien Moore , a treasured member of our Board. Berrien was a strong leader and a dedicated advocate for Earth Science. With his wit and charm, Berrien was more than just a colleague, he was a true friend to everyone. On behalf of the entire Board, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Berrien's family and loved ones during this challenging time." Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson , President and CEO of USRA commented, "At USRA, we are deeply saddened by this news. This is a terrific loss for our Association, but we are grateful to have had the privilege of working with Berrien and are indebted by his many contributions. All of us at USRA extend our heartfelt condolences, prayers, and support to his family." Dr. Moore served in several capacities with NASA including as Principal Investigator of NASA's Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCarb) mission that placed University of Oklahoma at the forefront of climate research. He also served as chair of NASA's Space and Earth Science Advisory Council, as a member of the NASA Advisory Council, and was on several other committees. As a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he contributed to the body of work that garnered the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. His honors include NASA's highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal for outstanding service, the NOAA Administrator's Recognition Award, and the 2007 Dryden Lectureship in Research medal by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Moore is survived by his wife Lucia and his daughter Leila. About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs. It is an association with 121 university members. It engages the broader university community, employs in-house scientific talent, and offers innovative research, development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu . PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi sfarukhi@usra.edu 443-812-6945 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usra-mourns-the-loss-of-dr-berrien-moore-iii-a-distinguished-member-of-the-board-of-trustees-302337533.html SOURCE Universities Space Research Association

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TOPEKA — School districts across Kansas will receive a 20-page report containing guidance on cell phones that recommends daytime cell phone bans, mental health awareness and bolstered parental oversight. The Kansas State Board of Education hasn’t mandated digital device policies, instead deferring to local districts and schools to create their own. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the report’s recommendations and directed Kansas Department of Education staff to send it to local districts. “Prior to the vote, Board Chair Melanie Haas of Overland Park emphasized the State Board accepting the report was an acknowledgement of the task force’s work, not an endorsement of the recommendations,” said Denise Kahler, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Education, in a Tuesday news release. The 36-member task force consisted of state board members, district officials, school employees, students, parents and legislators who crafted 22 recommendations for locales. They met weekly between late August and early November and divided their recommendations into three categories: personal devices in school, screen time and mental health and parental oversight of district-owned devices. State education officials proposed the task force in July, envisioning it as a way to examine how students use cell phones and other digital devices and the toll social media takes on their mental health. It was a way to help districts distill research into clear guidelines that they can use if they choose to create local policies, said Randy Watson, state education commissioner, at Tuesday’s meeting. “This is not the state board telling any local district what you shall do,” he said. Initial recommendations suggest districts should mandate K-12 students’ personal cell phones be powered off from the beginning of the school day to the end, including during lunch and passing periods, and stored in an off-limits location. Such restrictions are called bell-to-bell policies. “A 2024 study reveals 72% of high school teachers, 33% of middle school teachers, and 6% of elementary school teachers say students distracted by cell phones in class is a major problem,” the report said. Some studies also link screen time and school performance, the report said. The task force also recommended districts create personal device policies for school staff, develop safety and emergency procedures that don’t rely on students’ personal devices and identify a district’s technology gaps so students aren’t forced to use their own devices. Parental oversight had the lengthiest list of recommendations, with 13 items. The task force suggested policies should allow families to have stronger oversight over their students’ district-owned devices Some included broader parental controls, full access to student devices, the ability to block certain websites and the use of systems that let families see a mirrored view of a student’s screen. About 47% of voting task force members opposed the screen mirroring recommendation, and 45% opposed the recommendation suggesting districts allow families to manage and request additional blocked websites on district-owned devices, according to the report. The task force also endorsed stronger educational efforts to help parents understand how they can manage and monitor student devices. Under mental health and screentime, the task force recommended districts implement independent, research-based guidance on online use and its effects on mental health, regular breaks from screens throughout the school day and means of communication with students and families outside of social media platforms. About 40% of voting members opposed the recommendation for communication outside of social media.US data-center power use could nearly triple by 2028, DOE-backed report says

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