Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware®

In my first post about the ways that predatory companies attempt to ensnare unwary writers who are searching for publishers, I discussed fake publisher-matching websites. In my second, I exposed the scammy Google ad tactics of vanity publisher Austin Macauley.

In this third post, I'll talk about an equally insidious practice: providing misinformation or even outright lies about traditional publishing, in order to make self- or vanity publishing appear superior.

Yesterday on Twitter, someone tweeted this chart, which purportedly compares traditional publishing and self-publishing.


If you're even slightly savvy about publishing, the inaccuracies are easy to spot. Trad pubs often pay royalties on retail price (not "net sales"), or pay a higher percentage (higher royalties are especially common in the small press world). Trad pubs that pay advances don't withhold them from less popular authors, and they don't require authors to make "certain minimum orders" or to buy thousands of copies of their own books. And while it's often true that smaller traditional publishers don't provide much in the way of PR or marketing support, and larger houses invest more marketing in more popular books and authors, they don't simply ignore 95% of their output (this makes no sense; what business markets only 5% of its products?)

As for author rights...trad pubs do license exclusive rights from authors, sometimes for a period of years, sometimes for the life of copyright (with reversion usually happening well before then). But they don't gain ownership of them (as "all rights are with the publisher" implies), because the author retains copyright--plus, authors can often negotiate to keep some of their subsidiary rights. And although self-publishing is typically non-exclusive, allowing authors to publish on multiple platforms if they wish, they do still have to license publishing and distribution rights to whichever platform or service provider they choose--otherwise, the platform couldn't legally produce and sell their books.

The chart comes from this how-to-self-publish article, which is really just a long ad for PublishEdge, which is (surprise!) a paid publishing services provider.


PublishEdge is a "division" of Zaang Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which, unlike the Philippines-based scams I've been covering so much lately, is based in India. The range of services it sells aren't priced as high as some of the scammers', but there are still plenty of warning signs: no information about who is providing the services on offer (so you have no idea who they are or if they're qualified); no cover or website design samples (so you have no idea what you'd be getting for your money); and this pitch for ghostwriting services, which invites you to "Discover the simple secret to how celebrities and busy professionals get their books published without actually writing", courtesy of "our book writing experts", who (judging from the description of the service) basically type up a Skype interview into a chapter book. Most likely these unnamed "experts" are hired on Upwork or Fiverr or a similar jobs site (holy plagiarism scandal, Batman!).

PublishEdge isn't alone in misrepresenting traditional publishing in order to make itself look more attractive. Among other alternative facts, this chart from Morgan James, a vanity publisher with an author purchase requirement, claims that "many major houses" require authors to buy 5,000 copies or more of their own books (doesn't that make MJ's 2,500 purchase requirement seem appealing?), and that trad pubs provide no PR or marketing support for 94% of their books and authors. (Hmmm. Could PublishEdge have borrowed a little something there?)

Here's another misleading comparison, from Union Square Publishing, a self-styled hybrid (read: vanity) publisher. It too borrows heavily from Morgan James's chart, with several of the same dubious claims. Here's another one--this time from Success Publishing, which sells Chicken Soup-style anthology slots.

This one, from "custom" publisher Momosa Publishing (packages start at $5,900), doesn't tell quite so many fibs, but encourages you to believe that trad pubs cap their royalties at 6%, and don't market their books to libraries. And then there's this from Atmosphere Press, another so-called hybrid, which wants to convince writers that a $5,000 publishing fee will save them from the "raw end of the deal" they'd get from a trad pub, "losing not just their royalties but also the rights to their material and to their control over their art." Not addressed: the likelihood of ever making that $5,000 back.

These are just a few examples; there are many more. If you use the internet as part of your publisher search, you're very likely to encounter them (in some cases, disseminated by self-styled experts who ought to know better). It's a great argument for a step that many writers skip: learning about publishing before diving into the quest for publication. As with all aspects of publishing, knowledge is your greatest ally and your best defense: the more you know about the way things really work, the better protected you will be against the disinformation described above.

Final note: I know that many writers have had bad experiences with traditional publishers--I've had some myself. Especially in the small press world, many traditional (at least in the sense that they don't charge fees) publishers engage in nonstandard and author-unfriendly business practices. There's plenty of discussion of that on this blog. I'm not trying to paint trad pub as perfect, or argue that it's necessarily a better choice for any given writer.

But deliberate distortions like those described above don't help anyone, even if you don't take into account their obvious self-serving agenda. Tarring an entire segment of the publishing market with a broad negative brush--especially where some of the supposed negatives are demonstrably false--is as irresponsible as arguing (as some people still do) that only traditional publishing is a worthwhile path. 

Kylie Jenner. Pic/Santa Banta 

As far as versatility goes, there aren't many clothing items that can contest with a good denim jacket. From cowboys in the early 20th century to urban commuters and Hollywood stars, the denim jacket makes for a durable yet a timelessly fashionable companion for everyone.

And as far as denims go, Levi's has forged a cult like image among consumers. Being the pioneer of the modern age copper-riveted jeans, the German immigrant-Levi Strauss founded company has been in the business since 1853. One of the most timeless of all denim jackets is the Levi's Trucker Jacket, which has been an indispensible wardrobe essential for stars and fashion-heads alike for years.

Just look at Emily Ratajkowski's casual airport appearance, or Lily Aldridge's recent denim jacket-styled look, as recorded by People, the jacket has been like an eternal go-to for the glam girls, fit for any occasion. 'This is Us' star, Milo Ventimiglia rocked his trucker jacket with a chambray shirt and navy pants, totaling in a neat look, proving that the denim jacket isn't restricted to be rocked by just the women of Hollywood.

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Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Tuesday shared an inspirational video message by Jackie Shroff talking about his life's philosophy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The 65-year-old actor took to Twitter and shared the video in which he talks about the balance of life and said that he has his son and daughter with him, and lost his parents and brother, and "this is how life balances itself." He said, "If we have a look on people around us and the sorrow, the pain they are going through, we are very blessed."

The 'Saaho' star went on to add, "We shouldn't cry over little things, as things stay at their place," and gave an example of flowers in a pot and a bouquet saying, " these flowers were meant to be cut and formed as bouquet while the one in flower pot stays the same."

à¤Âœिस सादà¤Â—à¥Â€ à¤Â”र बिà¤Â‚दासपन सà¥Â‡ मà¥Â‡रà¥Â‡ दà¥Â‹सà¥Âत à¤Âœà¥Âˆà¤Â•à¥Â€ शà¥Âरà¥Â‰फ़ नà¥Â‡ à¤Âœà¥Â€वन à¤Â•à¥Â‡ फ़लसफ़à¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ यहा बताया हà¥Âˆ à¤Â•ि à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â€ मà¥Âˆ à¤Âœितनà¥Â€ तारà¥Â€फ़ à¤Â•रà¥Â‚à¤Â à¤Â‰तनà¥Â€ हà¥Â€ à¤Â•म हà¥Âˆ। à¤Âà¤Â• à¤Â‡à¤Â‚सान à¤Âœà¥Â‹ à¤Âœ़िà¤Â‚दà¤Â—à¥Â€ à¤Â•à¥Â€ भावनाà¤Â“à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ महसà¥Â‚स à¤Â•रता हà¥Âˆ, à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â‡ हà¥Â€ à¤Â…à¤Â‚दर सà¥Â‡, à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â€ à¤Â…à¤Â‚तरà¤Â†तà¥Âमा सà¥Â‡ हà¥Â€ à¤Âसà¥Â€ फिलà¥Â‰सफà¥Â€ निà¤Â•ल सà¤Â•तà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ। धनà¥Âय हà¥Â‹। à¤Âœ़रा सà¥Âनियà¥Â‡ @bindasbhidu à¤Â•à¥Â‹।🙏 pic.twitter.com/v2jHwVvLuW

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) April 28, 2020

Jackie added, "Everyone has sorrows in life, but we shouldn't be sad and crying." Shroff advised, " We should create positive energy around us so that people get inspired. Always keep a smile on your face and maintain your smile and health even in the toughest situations, and keep the spine straight."

The 'Devdas' actor asked people to stay tension free and to stay away from depressing and psychologically upsetting things.

Taking to the captions, Kher appreciated the 'Border' star's philosophy towards life and wrote, "Jis Saadgi aur Bindaspan se mere dost Jackie Shroff ne jeewan ke falsafe ko yaha bataya hai, uski main jitni tareef karu utni hi kam hai. Ek insaan jo zindagi ki bhawnao ko mehsus karta hai, uske hi andar se, uski antar atma se hi aisi philosophy nikal sakti hai. Dhanya ho. Zara Suniye, @bindasbhidu ko."

The post on the micro-blogging site garnered more than 8.2k likes within an hour of being posted.

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Even as Lockdown 3.0 has been implemented, it is clear that the Govt is keen to get the economy back on track. Jackky Bhagnani commits to a completely sanitized film set to ensure the safety and health of its cast and crew whenever film shoot is allowed by the Govt after the lockdown is completely over.

Veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani believes that the new normal is here to stay and the sooner the fraternity readies itself for change, the better. "The film industry has come to a halt, whether in India or outside. Yes, parts of the world are showing signs of recovery from the virus and while India has done remarkably well to flatten the curve and keep fatalities low, we must now get ready to be back on the set. As and when the lockdown is lifted, we want to be in a position to resume work immediately. But this resumption will be as per health guidelines stipulated by the Govt. We don't want to take any chances."

Some of the ground rules Jackky Bhagnani is mulling include using larger tents with portable ACs for shooting, limiting people on the sets, sanitizing all common areas, making masks and gloves compulsory for all staff, continuously disinfecting equipment, medical assistance on the sets at all times among other things.

Jackky Bhagnani says that it is imperative that stringent measures are put in place. "If there is one thing the lockdown has taught us it is to value human life and our health. Nothing comes before that. Every person on the set will be looked after and given the same attention. We are also mulling closed door studios for those of our films that will go on the floors immediately. While it is available abroad, we need to see if the same can be replicated in India."

Deepshikha Deshmukh adds, "It is only natural that we take care of the team who are our family and ensure their safety while on the sets. I am quite sure we are not alone in realizing the first big lesson from this lockdown - health comes first. Every parameter will be double-checked before the cameras start rolling."

Pooja Entertainment has a slew of movies on its roster. From Coolie No 1 starring Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan which is complete and ready for release; it is also going to go on the floors with Bell Bottom with Akshay Kumar. There are many other projects that the production house is waiting to announce. With so much in store for the production house, prompting a set of guidelines in the current pandemic is not only vital but also judicious. Echoing the words of the Prime Minister, the founder of the ace production house, Vashu Bhagnani says, 'Jaan hai toh Jahan Hai' - perhaps indicating the thought process behind the charter.

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"Jackie", portrayed by Janelle Monae in the hit series, has taken over Monae's Instagram account and debuted the trailer for the second season. Follow her as her character unravels this new mystery!

The critically-acclaimed series Homecoming returns for its second season with a fresh new mystery and an exciting new star, Janelle Monae. Her character wakes in a rowboat adrift a lake, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is. Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming Initiative.

Watch the trailer of Homecoming Season 2 here:

The second season finds Stephan James reprising his role as Walter Cruz, who is trying to build a new life following the traumas of war and the Homecoming Initiative when he begins to realize that there's an even more insidious version of the program underway – if only he can remember. Hong Chau returns as Audrey Temple, an anonymous underling at Geist who finds herself thrust into unexpected positions at the top of the corporate ladder. Joining the cast for season Two are Oscar-winner Chris Cooper as Leonard Geist, the company's eccentric founder; and Emmy-winner Joan Cusack as Francine Bunda, an equally eccentric military woman.

Homecoming's co-showrunners and executive producers are Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, who are also the creators of the Gimlet Media podcast upon which the show is based. All episodes of the second season are directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, who also serves as Executive Producer.

Homecoming is co-produced by Amazon Studios and UCP, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, and executive produced by, in addition to those already named: Julia Roberts through her production company Red Om Films, Sam Esmail through his production company Esmail Corp, Chad Hamilton of Anonymous Content, and Chris Giliberti, Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber of Gimlet Media.

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Jackie Shroff and Rishi Kapoor have starred in a film together, but surprisingly, they have never shared a frame or had scenes together. With Rishi Kapoor’s untimely passing, the industry mourns the massive loss we suffered last week. Rishi Kapoor’s colleagues have taken the time out to share how special and jolly he was around others and would always care for others.

In his recent interaction with another portal, Jackie Shroff said that his dream of sharing the screen space with Rishi Kapoor will never come true now. He recalled how Rishi Kapoor would tell him that he wanted to do a film with him since they had never faced each other on camera. Being Jackie’s senior, he obviously wanted to be in the same frame as the legendary actor. He was upset that it can no longer come true and that the industry has lost a piece of jewel from the crown.

Jackie Shroff further recalled how he first saw Rishi Kapoor after Bobby’s release and was completely awestruck by his presence and personality.

Also Read: Imtiaz Ali reposts a video of Rishi Kapoor dancing at former’s brother’s wedding in Kashmir

Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds quipped that actress Deborra-Lee Furness should "hang in there" as she and her actor husband Hugh Jackman marked their 24th anniversary.

Jackman shared a post that read: "These 24 years have been the best of my life! And, as far as I can see, we keep getting better. I love you Debs with every fibre of my soul. Happy anniversary. #24," reports femalefirst.co.uk.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

These 24 years have been the best of my life! And, as far as I can see, we keep getting better. I love you Debs with every fiber of my soul. Happy anniversary. #24

A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) onApr 11, 2020 at 5:42am PDT

To which, Reynolds commented: "Hang in there, Deb." Reynolds and Jackman have had long tongue-in-cheek fake fights, with the Deadpool star even branding Jackman a "fraud" and not even Australian.

The two close friends frequently take playful jibes at each other in interviews and on social media and Reynold's latest comments come after "Greatest Showman" actor mocked him while congratulating musician John Legend on being named People's Sexist Man Alive.

Jackman warned the 43-year-old singer he needed to "fall in with the right crowd" now he has joined the "very, very prestigious" group to have been given the title and couldn't resist taking a swipe at his friend as he did so.

Jackman shared a video on Instagram of himself and Reynolds looking at the 2008 Sexiest Man Alive cover and gave a cheeky caption.

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Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson says he had auditioned for the part of the popular character Jack Reacher, which he lost out to actor Tom Cruise.

He made the revelation during a Q&A session on Instagram. Through a seven-minute video, Johnson said he really wanted the role in the 2012 action movie, adding that losing it opened another door for him, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"Business is business and I'm happy (Cruise) got it," he said. The action star said he was confident about getting the part as he believed his physical attributes were perfect for the character, which has been created by author Lee Child.

"In Hollywood, actors are kind of like in-a-box. There are actors that can vie for a particular role because it allows for them to have a certain look, skin colour, size, etc. Fortunately, for me, there aren't a lot of guys at all who look like me. So, all of my roles, from the beginning of my career, I've been a lucky son of a b***h that they've been created and designed for me -- except Jack Reacher," he said.

At that time, Johnson said that Cruise was "biggest movie star in the world".

"I got the call saying 'Hey, you didn't get the role'. Look, I didn't even know if I had a shot for it, but the people around me at that time made me think that I did. I felt like I did, I felt like 'Why not me?'" he said.

"I'm positive that the role of Jack Reacher, because it was an established character, an IP that was well known and beloved around the world, that I wouldn't have had the creative space to do what I wanted with the character. I look back in gratitude that I didn't get Jack Reacher," he added.

Later, Johnson got a chance to essay the role of Luke Hobbs in the fifth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise.

"The universe works in funny ways though, as when that door shut on me, another door opened with the opportunity to create a character from scratch that was of my DNA," he said.

Today, Johnson is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and has iconic films, including The Mummy Returns, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Hercules, Snitch, Moana, revamped Jumanji franchise and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, under his belt.

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Hollywood star Hugh Jackman says he won't return as Wolverine in any of the future "X-Men" films. Jackman, who tasted international stardom as Wolverine in his first Hollywood movie, admitted he departed the franchise at the right time.

He added that he is looking forward to some other actor take up the character of the adamantium-clawed mutant in a potential new take. "It was the right time for me to leave the party ¿ not just for me, but for the character. Somebody else will pick it up and run with it. It's too good of a character not to," Jackman told The Daily Beast.

The actor played Wolverine in the X-Men film series from 2000 to 2018, for which he holds the Guinness World Record for "longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero". His last turn as the mutant was "Logan", the 2017 sequel to "The Wolverine". The 51-year-old star said though a comeback sounds good, he would rather not return.

"It's kind of like, you're on your way home and your friend rings you and goes, 'Oh, dude, a new DJ just came on and the music is awesome, are you going to come back?' "And you say, 'Sounds good but¿ no.' They're fine with someone else," he said.

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The late king of pop Micheal Jackson once got mad at pop diva Madonna for asking him to dress up like a girl for his "In the closet" music video. During Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' Instagram Live battle with Teddy Riley, the former spilled some hot goss on Michael Jackson, reports aceshowbiz.com.

In between songs, Edmonds recalled what Jackson told him: " 'Babyface, can you believe she wants me to dress like a girl?' He was like, 'I'd never do that.' He said, 'She was trying to change it all up. It was crazy.' "

The record producer then mentioned that the "Heal the world" hitmaker "was really mad about it", to the point where he decided to replace Madonna with Naomi Campbell. Produced by MJ and Teddy Riley, "In the Closet" was released in April 1992 as the third single of his eighth album "Dangerous".

The song was originally conceived as a duet between MJ and Madonna.

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Khalnayak is one of the most respected films made by Subhash Ghai, despite the controversies that revolved around it. From Sanjay Dutt’s arrest post shooting for the final scene to Madhuri Dixit’s famous song, ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai’, there were a number of controversies that came to light. However, after the film released, it became a blockbuster and was even recognized internationally. Subhash Ghai, in an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, spoke about how he ideated the sequel of this film after Sanjay Dutt wrote to him from jail.

He said, “We’re working on Khalnayak 2 from the past 2-3 years now. Sanjay Dutt has always been a dear friend of mine and even when he was in jail, he used to write to me. So, in those letters, he would always write to me saying that whenever he entertains here, they hand him the mic and ask him to sing as well. The most famous song there was ‘Nayak Nahi Khalnayak Hu Main’, and Khalnayak was a very popular film there and they loved him for the character Ballu Balram, so why don’t we make a sequel for it?”

He further continued and said, “So, he wrote it to me in a letter and that’s when I thought that it’s possible to make a sequel. It would revolve around Ballu Balram returning from jail after completing his sentence and then he would come across Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff’s characters that have gotten married and have kids. Then I narrated it to Sanjay and he said that we will definitely make this film, that’s when we started working on the script and it has been close to two years now and the script is ready. God willing, we will soon take the film on floors. The story will revolve around Ballu Balram’s older and younger version. Sanjay will portray the older version and the younger one will be portrayed by a new-age star.

He further confirmed that Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff will also be a part of the film. Watch the entire segment right here.

Also Read: Sadak 2: Sanjay Dutt says Mahesh Bhatt still seeks perfection in every shot

Michael Jackson

In the last few days, neurosurgeons Dr Sandeep Mohindra, Dr Manjul Tripathi and Dr Nishant S Yagnick, have all become mini celebrities at Chandigarh's Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGMIR). In between attending to OPD and other hospital duties, Mohindra and Yagnick have been fielding press questions, while Tripathi, currently in the UK pursuing a short course, has recorded a video to offer his version should the media approach. And, all this fuss is thanks to a 683-word paper that the trio submitted four weeks ago to The Journal of Neurosurgery which has been able to answer the question that many generations have pondered over: How did Michael Jackson manage his gravity-defying moves?

Blood on the Dance Floor
Mohindra, 45, and Tripathi, 39, have been working together for the last seven years. While Mohindra is an Additional Professor, Tripathi is an Assistant Professor and Yagnick, a registrar, has been with the institute for three years. Mohindra says the team of neurosurgeons at the institute had been reporting a lot of dance injuries — kids or amateur dancers coming in with spinal injuries from trying to copy dance moves off YouTube videos.

Dr Nishant S Yagnick and wife Shweta are amateur dancers, and regulars at contests and reallity shows

"While our textbooks have mechanisms of injury for certain sports or postures — say if you play cricket, this is the injury you are most prone to get, or this is how you will hurt yourself if you ride a bike without a helmet — not much research has been done in the field of dance. There are people turning on their heads and B-Boying, and when they come in with injuries, we wonder how they fractured these many vertebra in this specific way?"

The study began six months ago when Tripathi called in Yagnick, asking him to participate in a research to understand the bio-mechanics of certain moves. They zoomed in on MJ's anti-gravity lean which debuted in 1987.

Smooth Criminal
In the seventh minute of the video, Smooth Criminal, in which Jackson (then 29 years old), dressed in his trademark outfit, along with a group of dancers, leans forward — without bending his legs or taking any support — at an angle of 45 degrees. For the average human, this range is 20 degrees. "Medical science," says Mohindra, "fails when Jackson starts dancing."

The first thing that the trio found out was that a patent, registered under Jackson's name, made the move partially possible. "Along with fellow inventors, MJ developed a special shoe that had a slot in the heel. The triangular slot could engage a hitch member (a metallic peg, which emerged from the stage floor at just the right time), allowing the dancer to obtain the right amount of extra support to be able to lean forward beyond physiological limits. Alas, MJ's move was an illusionary trick." Yet, says Yagnick, even with this extra support, not everyone can do an MJ.

Dr Manjul Tripathi and Dr Sandeep Mohindra

Yagnick and his wife Shweta are both amateur dancers. While he has taken training in jazz and hip hop, his wife has added ballet, modern contemporary and Indian contemporary, to her repertoire. The couple regularly participates in reality shows, in fact in February they won a Punjab state-level contest. When the research idea was mooted, the couple tried to replicate the MJ lean, but realised that even with the support of the shoes, it was impossible. "We tried the angulation against the wall. Even when we held each other's feet and legs, we could not get his angulation," says Yagnick.

Speed Demon
There was then more to this. While studying various videos and trying to replicate the move, the doctors studied the muscles that come into play. To put it simply, when the human body leans forward, it's the core muscles (or the erector spinae muscles) that act like cables to support the suspended spinal column during the forward shift, preventing the body from toppling over. However, when the body leans further, the weight is transferred from the core to the to the ankle joints, "and strain is shifted to the Achilles tendon". The paper states: "This allows for a very limited degree of forward bending from the ankle joints, while keeping a stiff straight posture — unless you are Michael Jackson. Most trained dancers with strong core strength will reach a maximum of 25° to 30°..."

A] Drawings showing the "antigravity tilt" (>45° forward bend), the dance move introduced by Michael Jackson, in comparison to the normal limit of a human tilt (20° forward bend), as well as the conceptualized shoe designed by MJ and co-inventors. B] Shift of the fulcrum from the sacrum to the Achilles tendon in MJ's antigravity tilt; the pic on the right show MJ do the tilt in Smooth Criminal. Courtesy/Journal of Neurology

What then allowed Jackson to manage what few could? Several years of training and special exercises, not unlike perhaps what sprinters such as Usain Bolt perform daily. "If you see Bolt preparing for the 100 m dash, you will see the same forward bend," says Mohindra, adding, that for the most famous dancer in the world, the idea would have been to make his Achilles Tendon so strong that the two legs could hold his 60 kg weight when he shifted his weight on them. While the average tendon can hold 10k to 15 kg, for Jackson that weight almost doubled.

Heal The World
It could take months for a paper to get accepted by the Journal of Neurosurgery, but the curiosity of the gravity-defying lean is such that the journal's editor accepted it within 24 hours of submission. Not just that. Yagnick says they have been asked to continue the research with other dancers in order to understand where injuries originate and how some people, defy the spine. Hrithik Roshan, for instance, says Mohindra has scoliosis of spine i.e. an abnormal curve. "Yet, he is one of best dancers one has seen. He has, obviously trained his muscles to challenge these bio-mechanics."

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Remembering the loss at the hands of South Africa in Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Sunday shared a picture of his jacket that he used in the event.

Taking to Twitter Ponting posted a picture and captioned the post, "Found my jacket from the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. One of the few occasions we weren't good enough in a big tournament, South Africa outplayed us in the gold medal game."

Found my jacket from the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. One of the few occasions we weren't good enough in a big tournament, South Africa outplayed us in the gold medal game. pic.twitter.com/8Mh6jJ1XP3

— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) May 3, 2020

In the gold medal match, Shaun Pollock led side outclassed Australia by four wickets with 24 balls remaining.

Proteas won the toss and asked Aussies to bat first. The team from Down Under was only able to post a total of 183, thanks to skipper Steve Waugh's unbeaten knock of 90 runs. Ponting failed to leave his impression on the scoreboard and was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just two runs.

Chasing 184, Mike Rindel and Jacques Kallis guided South Africa to a comfortable victory in 46th over. Rindel amassed 67 runs while Kallis scored 44 runs. Australia settled with a silver medal in the competition while New Zealand bagged the bronze medal.

For the first time, cricket was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Matches were played over 50 overs and had List A status rather than full One Day Internationals.

However, now in Birmingham CWG 2022 women's T20 cricket has been included and eight teams will compete for the coveted gold medal.

The ICC will be responsible for the competition terms and the conduct of cricket, by way of providing match officials and ensuring matches are played as per the laws of the game.

The Birmingham 2022 Games will take place in England from July 27 to August 7, 2022, and will see 4,500 athletes competing at across 18 sports.

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