ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places Television Life lessons in ‘Stillwater’ Author Chopra brings ‘mindfulness’ to kids NEW YORK, Jan 6, (AP): When the producers of the new animated children’s series “Stillwater” asked Mallika Chopra to be the show’s “mindfulness con- sultant,” the meditation expert, author and speaker said she was immediately on board. “What an amazing title to have, right?” Chopra recounted in a recent interview with The Associated Press. Children’s television has evolved since the days of Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner smashing Wile E. Coyote with a hammer. “Stillwater” - which started streaming on Apple TV+ last month - aims to teach subtle life lessons through a wise panda who forges a special friendship with the family next door. The stories are based on the character Stillwater from the beloved children’s book series “Zen Stories” by Jon J. Muth. With beautiful animation and a quiet approach, “Stillwa- ter” organically teaches kids to meet disappointment and frus- tration with patience and kind- ness. Apple hired Chopra help translate the vibe and lessons of “Zen Stories” to a television audience. Chopra has written several books geared toward children Chopra and has a new book coming out in March: “Just Be You: Ask Questions, Set Intentions, Be Your Special Self and More.” She’s also the daughter of alternative medicine and wellness expert Deepak Chopra, so meditation and wellness has dominated both her personal and profes- sional lives. She is the founder and CEO of Intent.com, a life- style website. It was created to use social media to In this May 25, 2019, file photo, Neil Young performs at the BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival at Napa Valley Expo in Napa, Calif. Young has become the latest connect people from around the world to improve artist to strike gold with his song catalog. (AP) their own lives, their communities and the planet. Earlier in 2000, she had co-founded the dotcom my- potential.com along with her father Deepak Chopra. She is also the president of Chopra Media LLC and sits in the board of directors of Liquid Comics (previ- Music ously known as Virgin Comics). She also blogs for Beliefnet and Huffi ngton Post. She has taught at events like TedXBerkeley, Ideac- ity, Business Innovation Factory, the Green Festivals, LOHAS, The California Women’s Conference, The Shmurda to be eligible for release in February Prevention R3 Conference, and many more. Lessons Her varied background includes launching the Heal Young sells 50pct stake in his songs The World Foundation in the 1990s with Michael Jack- son, being part of the initial team to re-launch MTV in NEW YORK, Jan 6, (AP): Neil video games and advertising. Shmurda, whose legal name is India, and serving as a Health Ambassador for the Pepsi Young has become the latest mu- The latter use has been a sticking Ackquille Pollard, was sentenced to Refresh Everything Project in the US – an initiative that gave millions of dollars to individuals, non-profi ts and sician to strike gold with his song point for Young, whose 1988 song seven years after pleading guilty to companies to for projects in their communities. Mallika catalogue, selling a 50 percent stake “This Note’s For You” sharply criti- conspiracy and weapons possession is also co-founder of The Chopra Well, a YouTube chan- in his music to a British investment cized artists who leased their music charges in connection to what pros- nel she launched with her brother, Gotham Chopra, and company in a deal announced on for advertising campaigns. The ac- ecutors said was a leading role in the father, Deepak Chopra. Wednesday. companying video parodied ads that GS9 gang, The New York Times The younger Chopra helped launch the show by The Hipgnosis Songs Fund said featured Michael Jackson and Eric reported. GS9 is an offshoot of the reading scripts and offering her special expertise. it had acquired half of the copyright Clapton. Crips in the East Flatbush neigh- “They have done the most incredible job of storytell- Director Bryan Fogel, (left), and and income interests in some 1,180 In the song, Young sang: “Ain’t borhood of Brooklyn. ing and building characters and then sharing the les- Hatice Cengiz pose for a portrait to songs written by the 75-year-old singin’ for Pepsi, ain’t singin’ for Authorities arrested Shmurda in late sons in this way, which is just not kind of didactic or promote ‘The Dissident,’ a film about rock star, composer of “Heart of 2014 after he left a recording studio slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, dur- Coke. I don’t sing for nobody. ‘how-to.’ It’s joyful and really magical,” Chopra said. Gold,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” Makes me look like a joke.” near Radio City Music Hall, only days The show’s executive producer and writer Rob ing the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan 24, 2020. (AP) and “Cinnamon Girl.” In the years since, it has become after he performed “Hot Boy” for a na- Hoegee, says Chopra helps communicate the psychol- Details on Page 12 Terms were not disclosed. much more common for musicians tional television audience on “Jimmy ogy of preschool children and their needs. “One of the The deal comes a month after Bob to earn income through advertis- Kimmel Live.” Investigators found great things Mallika has been able to do for us now Dylan sold publishing rights to more ing campaigns. But at least through two handguns and a small amount of that the show has launched is be able to better contex- than 600 songs to the Universal Mu- crack cocaine in a car in which he was tualize what mindfulness is, how it’s important to us 2016, Young continued to resist hav- and how the show can fi t into that,” Hoegee said. sic Publishing Group for a reported ing his music used this way, accord- riding, authorities said. The producers incorporated coping skills like fortune of between $300 million and ing to Rolling Stone magazine. Shmurda was denied parole in breathing deeply and the sound and calmness of nature a half billion dollars. Stevie Nicks It was unclear whether the September, in part for disciplinary into the storylines, which Chopra says is a great tool to sold an 80 percent stake in her music Hipgnosis deal augers a change in actions taken against him while emphasize experience in the moment. to Primary Wave for a reported $100 that policy. incarcerated, and subsequently or- “There’s a clip where they’re outside getting a new million. In Wednesday’s announcement, dered to his maximum sentence perspective on the rain. And it’s such a beautiful clip Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Mercuriadis said that his company until Dec. 21, 2021. He is currently of changing perspective. But also, in that clip, there’s Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, said and Young “have a common integ- incarcerated at Clinton Correctional the sound of the rain. This is the experience you can that he bought his fi rst Neil Young rity, ethos and passion born out of a Facility in Dannemora, New York, have of imagining the smell of rain,” she said. Roberts Dickey album when he was seven years old. belief in music and these important according to the Department of Cor- Aside from work on “Stillwater,” Chopra has been “’Harvest’ was my companion songs. There will never be a ‘Burger rections inmate database. busy this year trying to help others cope in the pan- and I know every note, every word, of Gold’ but we will work together A review by the Department of demic. She’s been challenging people to get comfort- every pause and silence intimately,” to make sure everyone gets to hear Corrections later restored his credit able with uncertainty. Variety he said. “Neil Young, or at least his them on Neil’s terms.” for good behavior. “What I can offer is just moments where we can music, has been my friend . ever Shmurda is eligible for condition- connect through breaths, be accepting of anger, frus- Young has released some 70 al- since.” bums as a solo artist and with bands al release as of Feb. 23, with the re- tration, and fear with our kids. You know, they’re feel- NEW YORK: Tanya Roberts, who ing that. But we, as parents, are feeling that as well. The businessman also said like Buffalo Springfi eld, Crazy mainder of his sentence to be served captivated James Bond in “A View to a Young’s late manager, Elliot Rob- on parole. So a lot of what I’ve been talking to groups about this Kill” and appeared in the sitcom “That Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & year is... accepting that it’s OK to feel angry, it’s OK erts, was equally an idol to him. Young. “I’m glad he’s coming home,” ’70s Show,” has died, several hours after In an industry where music sales said Alex Spiro, a lawyer who repre- to be fearful and sad,” Chopra said. she was mistakenly declared dead by her Also: “The other thing is we haven’t had the ritual of publicist and her partner. She was 65. have dwindled and the concert in- sented Shmurda in the criminal case. mourning and grief. And that also isn’t anchoring us Lance O’Brien, her companion of dustry is on hold due to the coro- DANNEMORA, NY: Brooklyn rapper In the years since his arrest, as a society,” she said. “That’s something we’re go- nearly two decades, told The Associ- navirus pandemic, song publishing Bobby Shmurda will be eligible for Shmurda has become something ing to have to process over time because we’re not ated Press on Tuesday that Cedars-Sinai is seen as an increasingly valuable release from prison next month, the akin to a folk hero in hip-hop; his re- processing it right now.