Latest news with #BlackPearl
NDTV
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: Therapy Horse Plays Keyboard To Wake Girl From Anaesthesia
A short video of a miniature horse, Black Pearl, "vigorously" playing a keyboard to wake up a girl from anaesthesia at the Shriners for Children Medical Centre in Pasadena, California, is going viral on social media. With her innovative method of treating post-anaesthesia anxiety, Black Pearl, from the NGO Mini Therapy Horses, is making waves online for her special role in post-surgical recovery. The Black Pearl moment has sparked both adoration and scepticism online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mini Therapy Horses (@minitherapyhorses) "Well... We can't get you Harry Styles... but we've got the next best thing!" one comment read. "I too want to be woken out of a coma by every key on the keyboard played at once over and over again by a small horse," read another comment. In the now-viral video, Black Pearl is briskly stroking a small keyboard while the young patient gradually wakes up. The video perfectly captures the idea of employing the soothing presence of miniature horses to divert attention and offer emotional support during delicate times in hospital settings. An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the clip on the platform and wrote, "Losing it over this therapy horse that vigorously plays the piano to wake kids up from anaesthesia." Losing it over this therapy horse that vigorously plays the piano to wake kids up from anesthesia — elina ???? ???? (@bogwitchbooks) July 20, 2025 "I can't speak for kids coming out of anaesthesia but this would absolutely kill it with the general elementary school crowd," commented one X user. I can't speak for kids coming out of anesthesia but this would absolutely kill it with the general elementary school crowd — Meghan McCarthy (@MeghanMcCarthy_) July 21, 2025 "I would think I died and this is what's next... until I am finally stable enough to comprehend things," quipped another. i would think i died and this is whats next... until i am finally stable enough to comprehend things ???? — Toast (@TunedupToast) July 21, 2025 The Los Angeles-based organisation, founded in 2008 by Victoria Nodiff-Netanel, has trained these amazing animals for more than 15 years to visit hospitals, trauma centres, veterans' facilities, and disaster areas across Southern California. The MTH staff aims to provide a sense of peace, comfort, and joy, whether it be meeting with a veteran who simply wants to sit quietly and share space with one of the horses or soothing youngsters at the bedside as they wake up from anaesthesia following surgery. Besides Shriners for Children Medical Centre in Pasadena, Mini Therapy Horses frequently visits the Department of Children and Family Services Juvenile Court, UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Centre, UCLA Santa Monica Hospital, the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, L.A. Family Housing, among others.
Express Tribune
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Miniature horse ‘Black Pearl' goes viral for waking child from anaesthesia with keyboard performance
A video featuring a miniature therapy horse named Black Pearl waking a child from anaesthesia by playing a keyboard has gone viral on social media, amassing millions of views. The moment took place at Shriners for Children Medical Center in Pasadena, where Black Pearl regularly visits as part of the Mini Therapy Horses programme. The widely shared clip shows Pearl playing a keyboard with her muzzle next to a recovering child, drawing smiles and amazement from hospital staff and viewers alike. Founded in 2008 by Victoria Nodiff-Netanel, Mini Therapy Horses is a nonprofit organisation that uses trained miniature horses to bring comfort and support to children, veterans, and trauma survivors. Pearl, a long-standing member of the team, is known for her unique ability to entertain and soothe patients, especially through her surprising talent at the keyboard. Her long record of service includes 14 years of weekly hospital visits, recognition as Volunteer of the Year by the Greater Los Angeles VA, and appearances in the Rose Parade and various media outlets. She remains one of the most beloved members of the therapy team. To support the ongoing work of Mini Therapy Horses and heroes like Black Pearl, the organisation welcomes donations of any size.
Qatar Tribune
13-07-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
China's luxury hotels sell street food to survive tough business climate
Agencies Catering at luxury hotels typically involves high-end banquets and formal entertainment, with exquisite decor and masterfully crafted dishes often seen as worth the high price tag. But for many consumers in China, that is changing. In July, the five-star Zhongwu Hotel in Changzhou, Jiangsu province – ranked second among 10 luxury hotels in the city on – surprised observers when it launched a street vendor service offering budget meal boxes prepared by its catering team. 'You must first solve the problem of survival. If you can't even solve your own problems, what else can you talk about?' said Chen Yonghua, Zhongwu Hotel's manager. The decision reflects a sluggish business environment for China's high-end hospitality sector, as cautious consumers tighten their belts amid concerns about a slowing economy. Priced between 20 yuan and 100 yuan (US$3 and US$14), the boxed meals are a far cry from the several thousand typically charged for a banquet table. Offerings include popular night market favourites like braised dishes, spicy crayfish, a selection of dim sum and other delicacies. The move is part of the hotel's efforts to weather mounting challenges facing the industry. According to Hotel House, a Chinese data provider offering insights on hotels, the average room rate in mainland China was 118 yuan in 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 9.7 per cent. Occupancy fell to 58.8 per cent, a 2.5 per cent decline year-on-year. Catering services – another pillar of hotel revenue – are also shrinking. Data from the Beijing Hotay Grand Ceremony Hotel showed that in 2024, full-service upscale hotels earned an average of 10.21 million yuan (US$1.4 million) from catering – down from the 12.37 million yuan recorded in 2023 and a 38.3 per cent decline from 2019. Despite government efforts to spur domestic spending, uncertainty about the future and declining salaries have pushed consumers towards affordable options over luxury. In megacities like Shanghai and Beijing, the fine dining sector has suffered a severe downturn in the past few years. High-end restaurants have closed one after another as diners tighten their budgets. Zhongwu Hotel's street vendor initiative quickly went viral this month. After just seven days, the hotel had set up 20 WeChat groups – each capped at 500 members – to share menus and operating hours. A behind-the-scenes video showed the executive chef, a Black Pearl award winner – China's equivalent to the Michelin Guide – cooking fried rice later sold for just 28 yuan. Fans have rushed to pre-order dishes, which typically sell out within five minutes. Each afternoon, the hotel hands out 100 tickets for on-the-spot purchases.
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Pirates of the Caribbean fans are realising 'dark' secret about Jack Sparrow
Even though it's been years since the movie franchise came to an end, Pirates of the Caribbean fans are only just discovering a very "dark" secret about Captain Jack Sparrow If you've ever watched Disney's five part movie franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, you'll be familiar with Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp. The first movie, called Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, follows pirate Jack Sparrow and the blacksmith Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, as they attempt to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann, portrayed by Keira Knightley. After premiering in 2003, the film was a massive box-office success where it grossed $654.3 million (£480.5 million) worldwide. Since then, four more movies were released in the franchise, with stars now teasing that a sixth movie might be in the works. Despite it having been over 22 years since the first movie was released, fans are just learning the reason why Jack became a pirate and the Captain of the Black Pearl ship. In a deleted scene from the third movie, called Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Jack is seen speaking to Lord Cutler Beckett, who is the chairman of the East India Trading Company and is on a mission to eliminate piracy. During the scene, it becomes apparent that Jack had once worked for Lord Beckett, as he expresses his disappointment in Jack. "We had a deal, Jack," Lord Beckett said to the pirate. "I contracted you to deliver cargo on my behalf. You chose to liberate it." To this, Jack coldly replied: "People aren't cargo, mate." "Your good deed cost me, Jack," Lord Beckett replied, to which Jack said: "And you have spared me any possibility of ending up as anything other than what I am." This deleted scene was discussed on the Sunday Cooltee podcast, where the hosts went on to explain how this had to do with the reason the Black Pearl became cursed. "The whole reason that Jack Sparrow's ship was black," one of the hosts, named Andy, started. He went on to mention the deleted scene in question, where it becomes apparent that Jack had freed the slaves he was ordered to 'deliver' to Lord Beckett. "Apparently, Jack Sparrow worked for the East India Trading Company forever ago, and the Black Pearl was given to him under contract from Beckett to be running goods from these places," he said, before explaining how one of cargos he'd been assigned were slaves. Jack went on to free all the slaves, using the Black Pearl which wasn't black at the time. Beckett then catches up with Jack and lights the Black Pearl on fire, making it burn down and sink. "And so he literally lost his ship, turned to pirating because he freed slaves," the podcast host explained. This later lead to Jack having to make a deal with Davey Jones to bring his ship back. "And that's why also people are terrified when they see the Black Pearl. Because it shouldn't exist," another co-host named Joshua said. People were amazed to learn this unknown detail of the backstory, and many fans were quick to wonder why the scene wasn't in the original version. "This story would make great prequel," one person commented, while a second person said: "He became a pirate through a good deed." "I still can't believe we were robbed of this," a third person added. Another person also shared: "Also why Jones makes Sparrows life worth 100 souls as that's roughly how many slaves he freed."
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cipher Mining (CIFR) Skyrockets 15.9% as Mining Capacity Exceeds Targets
Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) is one of the . Cipher Mining rallied by 15.92 percent on Wednesday to close at $5.68 apiece following news that it exceeded its self-mining capacity guidance for the second quarter of the year. In a statement, Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) said that the first phase of Black Pearl successfully delivered 3.4 EH/s, exceeding its earlier guidance of 2.5 EH/s, putting its total self-mining hash rate to 16.8 EH/s. A close-up of a laptop with a Bitcoin ecosystem monitor running in the background. 'The company maintains its expectations to scale to ~23.1 EH/s upon completion of the installation,' it sai, adding that hash rate will continue to increase through the third quarter of the year as new mining rigs continue to be delivered in scheduled batches, gradually replacing legacy units. Additionally, Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) said it was able to mine 160 Bitcoins last month, putting its total ownership at 1,063 after selling 58 during the period. While we acknowledge the potential of CIFR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
