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We all know there’s an air of elitism that accompanies the health and wellness industry. It’s a privilege to have the money, time, and resources to take care of one’s self, even in an advanced nation like the United States. …

Like most folks who wear its clothing or use its outdoor gear, The North Face is a big fan of our national parks. This week, the company announced a new way it’s helping […]

The post The North Face Turned Recyclables From National Parks Into Clothing appeared first on Geek.com.

As I mentioned in my last recap, Ash Vs. Evil Dead was on the bubble at Starz. Today, the bubble popped, as Starz has officially canceled the show. Sorry, fellow screwheads.

The show has been plagued by declining ratings this season, which saw it move from its former home on Fridays to Sundays against the AMC juggernaut, The Walking Dead (though that show has had declining ratings as well). As reported by Variety and other media, Ash Vs. Evil Dead dipped to a 0.08 rating in the adults 18-49 metric, which translates to 177,000 viewers per episode. By contrast, the season 8 finale of The Walking Dead had 8 million viewers.

Adding to Ash Vs. Evil Dead’s struggles were some behind-the-scenes drama last season with the exit of showrunner Craig DiGregorio, and it being “the most illegally downloaded show” out there (this according to a comment during a fan Q&A in October 2017 from star Bruce Campbell).

Campbell has released the following statement: “Ash vs. Evil Dead has been the ride of a lifetime. Ash Williams was the role of a lifetime. It was an honor to reunite with Evil Dead partners Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi to give our tireless fans another taste of the outrageous horror/comedy they demanded. I will always be grateful to Starz for the opportunity to revisit the franchise that launched our careers.”

Starz’s Carmi Zlotnik, President of Programming, also released a statement regarding the show: “Ash vs. Evil Dead has taken audiences on a wild ride for three seasons thanks to the fantastic performances and creative efforts of Sam, Bruce, Rob and the entire cast and crew. We are proud to send the show out with a bang…and a splat.”

Fans of the show have been campaigning since the premiere date, which had been in October the first two seasons, was pushed to February 25, 2018 for this now-final season. The hashtag #bringbackboomstick was used on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as a way to get Starz to see how passionate the fanbase is, and also directed at Netflix and Hulu to pick up the show should it get canceled by Starz. Interested fans can follow @AshSeason4 on Twitter to join the still-going campaign.

The Nerd Element will bring you my last two recaps for the final episodes, to air April 22 and April 29, 2018, respectively. Both Campbell and Dana DeLorenzo, who plays Kelly, have also Tweeted and/or posted statements on Facebook about this decidedly un-groovy news:

The post Starz Officially Cancels “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” appeared first on The Nerd Element.

Fresh off the heels of Beyoncé’s legendary, record-breaking performance at Coachella, one California-based church is getting in formation by honoring the superstar singer and philanthropist with her own designated mass service. Grace Cathedral recently announced that its contemporary worship service, the Vine, will host Beyoncé Mass on Wednesday, April 25, to highlight the “Halo” singer’s music, specifically as it relates to Black female spirituality. Though everyone is still buzzing about Queen Bey’s headlining set at the music festival and what she has planned for her second performance, the idea for this mass was conceived long before Beyoncé blessed the stage. In fact, the concept was born when Sam Lundquist, a pastoral intern for the Vine, took a class led by assistant professor Yolanda Norton at San Francisco Theology Seminary entitled “Beyoncé and the Hebrew Bible.” “This is not a service deifying Beyoncé,” Professor Norton tells ESSENCE. “This is a service that uses Beyoncé’s music as a tool to engender positive, empowering conversation about Black women. The premise of this work [Beyoncé and the Hebrew Bible] is that if we look at the personal life, career trajectory, music and public persona of Beyoncé, so much of her life reflects aspects of Black women’s stories.” According to Reverend Jude Harmon, founding pastor of the Vine and director of innovative ministry for Grace Cathedral, the Beyoncé Mass will be a mixture of her classic songs and signature hits, as well as Bible readings, preaching, praying and Communion. But Harmon also notes the mass is “the beginning of a much larger and long overdue conversation.” “To that end, women of color are leading every part of the worship service they can, from singing and reading Scripture to lamenting and protesting the structural injustices of our world — Professor Norton will preach,” Harmon explains to ESSENCE. “We are so grateful to her for sharing her vision with us, and for agreeing to let us lift her and other female voices of color up in this service.” The Beyoncé Mass is part of a three-part series to be held at the Nob Hill church called “Speaking Truth: The Power of Story in Community.” The series was created with the intention of lifting up the voices of those largely marginalized and oppressed by the Church, particularly women, skeptics and communities of color. On the surface, including an artist who is, arguably, more famous for her secular music than she is from her humble beginnings singing in the choir in Houston, seems odd for Grace Cathedral. However, upon delving deeper into the artistry of the 36-year-old musical icon, the deliberate imagery of spiritual deities sprinkled in her televised performances and interspersing of religious odes at her concerts have always been present throughout the course of Beyoncé’s 20-year career.   There was her awe-inspiring Grammy performance in 2017, where she embodied African goddess Oshun, as well as her recent rendition of the African-American hymnal, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at #Beychella. Not to mention, her pregnancy photos and the captivating portrait of her newborn twins posted on Instagram in July 2017 drew comparisons to the Black Madonna and challenged the traditional acceptance of the white Virgin Mary. “Over the course of her career, people have judged her body, clothing, marriage and motherhood,” Professor Norton says. “She is expected to be superhuman while simultaneously being underestimated. Every product that she has released, every performance that she has done has been beyond everyone’s expectations. Why are people still surprised when she excels? Simultaneously, when she succeeds people of various ilk are quick to dismiss or disparage her.” “All of these things are a part of Black women’s stories,” Norton adds. “We are dismissed, used, underestimated, and asked to perform Herculean tasks. In spite of all these things, Beyoncé, like most Black women, have found mechanisms for survival and thriving — found our own God language and developed strong agency.” [brightcove id=5318547826001] The Beyoncé Mass is just one of many programs and services Grace Cathedral has implemented to elevate the conversation surrounding Black women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community. “I am committed to leading a community that is not afraid to engage hard conversations about what it means to walk with God in a world still beset by structural injustice,” Reverend Harmon tells ESSENCE.