Month: December 2022

The Inglaterra 66 solo recuerdo el ondear de banderas británicas y alemanas enblanco y negro. De México 70 nunca olvidaré aquel equipo formado por Félix;Carlos Alberto, Brito, Piazza; Everaldo, Clodoaldo; Jair, Gerson, Tostao, Peley Rivelinho. De Alemania 74, el fútbol total de la Naranja Mecánica de JohanCruyff. De Argentina 78 recuerdo las serpentinas de las gradas en una copa enla que no podía dejar de apoyar a los argentinos a pesar de los militares.España 82 la pasé disfrazado de brasileño en Sarrià y allí vi a Brasil ganar aArgentina ya Italia tumbar a Brasil. De México 86 uno solo puede invocar unnombre: Maradona. Italia 90 es el Mundial que Inglaterra creyó que ganaría yque nos enseñó que los hombres también lloran. The Estados Unidos 94 me quedala cara ensangrentada de Luis Enrique. De Francia 98 siempre me preguntaré quéhabría pasado si Ronaldo (el Fenómeno) hubiera jugado la final en condiciones.De Corea/Japón 2002 no puedo olvidar lo bien que me caían los coreanos hastaque empezamos a sospechar que habían comprado no uno, no dos, al menos tresárbitros para asegurarse el éxito. De Alemania 2006 no puedo olvidar que Messiera suplente y el mal perder de Zidane. The Surafrica 2010, todo; lo recuerdotodo. The Brasil 2014 prefiero no recordar nada. The Russia 2018 Veo a Modric.

The Qatar 2022 me quedo con muchas cosas. La más grande: Messi besando por finla copa después de la más colosal de las finales, probablemente la mejor detodos los tiempos aunque eso es muy fácil decirlo en caliente. Coronación deun Mundial muy distinto y que deja las puertas más abiertas al conjunto delplaneta, sin cuestionar por ello la superioridad de Europa y Sudamérica en elcésped.

Además de Messi, de Mbappé, de la final, me quedo con muchas otras cosas.Desde luego, con Marruecos: por su fútbol, ​​por su entrega, por su público,por la alegría que le han dado a millones de marroquíes tanto dentro comofuera del país, por sus celebraciones en las calles españolas sin apenasproblemas. Eso último me parece muy importante. Sobre todo después de queMarruecos eliminara a España, triste protagonista de uno de los desplomes másespectaculares en un Mundial.

Lo siento, pero no puedo dejar de recordar con malsano gusto (el otro díahablé de la “ Schadenfreude ”…) el mundial de Cristiano Ronaldo, un granjugador siempre superado por su narcisismo que no ha cumplido ninguno de susobjetivos personales en Qatar, ha pasado por el calvario de ver cómo marcabaun hat-trick el jugador que le ha llevado al banquillo y debe haber sentidocomo una puñalada en el corazón el triunfo de su gran rival de los últimos 15años, Messi.

Me quedo también con la nueva generación, joven y diversa, que ha irrumpido enel fútbol mundial. Ya no solo Francia es diversa (lo lleva siendo muchos añosy al final de la final sus 10 jugadores de campo eran de origen africano ocaribeño). Tambien lo son Inglaterra o Alemania. E incluso España, donde lainmigración empezó bastante más tarde pero tiene ya a muchachos como Ansu,como Nico Williams, como Balde.

Me sabe mal que el éxito de este Mundial se pueda ver como un triunfo de laFIFA y de su modelo de supuesto apoliticismo, que como es bien sabido es unade las posiciones más políticas que existen. Espero que la propaganda que hasupuesto para Qatar ayude a abrir más el país y no a propagar su cerrazón. Nohay que olvidar que en Occidente es muy fácil pedir el boicot a Qatar 2022 yolvidar que seguimos comprando su petróleo; que la valla de Melilla frente ala que murieron en junio al menos 23 inmigrantes era española; que loshomosexuales iban a la cárcel en el Reino Unido hasta 1967 y que uno de suscerebros más brillantes y presunto salvador de miles de vidas en la II GuerraMundial, Alan Turing, se suicidó en 1957 tras someterse a la castraciónquímica que le evitó la prison por ser homosexual; que los negros vivíansegregados de los blancos por ley en amplias zonas de Estados Unidos hasta1964; o que la totalidad de las mujeres no tuvieron el pleno derecho de votohasta 1957 en Francia, hasta 1962 en Mónaco y ¡hasta 1990 en un cantón suizollamado Appenzell Innerhoden!

RoyaltyThe feud between Meghan Markle (41) and her half-sister Samantha (58)is reaching a new height. In the Netflix documentary series ‘Harry & Meghan’,the other half of the British prince has razed her family to the ground forthe umpteenth time. “The series is full of lies and is a big PR stunt,”Samantha said in an interview on Fox News.

In the much-discussed six-part documentary series, which can be viewed in fullon Netflix, Meghan said that she is disappointed in her half-sister. “Suddenlyshe was all over the media, even though I had barely seen her for a day and ahalf in ten years,” it sounded indignant. “I don’t know her middle name, don’tknow her birthday, but she says she raised me and calls me a ‘pushy princess’.I haven’t broken up with her. We had no connection at all. And I still wanteda sister so badly.”

Those statements angered Samantha, who first responded to the documentaryseries in an interview with TV channel Fox News. “A lying PR stunt that madethem $ 100 million,” she described the Netflix series. “It’s almost comical.”

Meghan’s statements about their grandmother in particular went down the wrongway. “I loved having a grandmother again with Queen Elizabeth,” Harry’s wifemused in the series. “It reminded me of my own grandmother, whom I loved tosee. In fact, I took care of her intensely during the last years of her life.”“Complete nonsense,” said Samantha. “Grandma would turn in her grave if shesaw those images. Meghan didn’t take care of her at all. She came to visitoccasionally, that’s all. This is all very painful for my family, and ofcourse for the royal family. King Charles must take strict action againstthis. That documentary sets a dangerous precedent.”

Hope for reconciliation

According to The Sunday Times, Harry and Meghan have meanwhile set theirsights on meeting the most important members of the royal family. It shouldtake place just before the coronation of King Charles in May. The Duke andDuchess of Sussex would hope for some kind of reconciliation at the familycouncil. They want the palace to “take responsibility for the pain and damage”they have suffered in recent years in a conversation.

The court also immediately put things in order last week after a lady-in-waiting had treated a guest at a reception racist. The black woman was askedseveral times where she was “originally” from, although she stated that shewas born in Great Britain. A conversation took place at the palace on Fridayand the woman received an apology. The Sussexes think their story is alsoworth at least a conversation, according to a source.

The couple made a number of sensitive statements in the documentary series.For example, they claimed that stories were deliberately brought out and thatthey were never protected by the palace. Buckingham Palace has so far declinedto comment. British media previously wrote that King Charles and PrinceWilliam are silent to remain a “united front” as a family. The Telegraphreported on Saturday that despite everything, Harry and Meghan are simplyinvited to Charles’s coronation.

LOOK ALSO. Harry & Meghan’s bumpy journey in a minute and a half:

Read also:

“My job is to expose the exploitation and bribery”: Harry and Meghan say thisin Netflix documentary

“Never been kissed as much as by him”: Prince Harry’s mistress embarrasses himeven more (+)

LOOK ALSO. King in crisis consultations after the much-discussed Netflixdocumentary by Harry & Meghan

Y luego todo lo que vino después. No, no recuerdo final como esta, con tantocontenido, con tanta leyenda, con tanta emoción. Primero, ese duelo Messi-Mbappé traía envueltos otros dos paralelos, el Messi-Maradona y el Mbappé-Pelé, sobre los que se empezaban a establecer comparaciones apresuradas. Siganaba Francia, Mbappé tendría dos mundiales con 23 años, los que tuvo Pelé alos 21, y podría postularse para, con tanto tiempo por delante, mejorar suplusmarca de tres. Pero sobre todo latía el de Messi con Maradona. El de Messicon o sin ese Mundial del que entre todos hemos hecho algo así como un exam deSelectividad que puntuara tanto como toda su carrera previa. Messi no fue aQatar deseando este Mundial, sino necesitándolo. Lo ha jugado con unaconcentración extrema, con fe de iluminado, con una capacidad de arrastre sinigual. Y con toda su ciencia.

El diagnóstico de la mayoría de analistas que presenciaron la final delMundial de Qatar 2022 fue que el enfrentamiento entre Argentina y Francia,saldado con la victoria de la Albiceleste en los penaltis después de seisgoles, es el mejor último encuentro que se ha disputado jamás for la Copa delMundo. “Qatar, el Mundial de la vergüenza, […] dejó un partido de ensueño, unafinal imposible, la mejor de la historia de la Copa”, escribió Manuel Jabois.“A este Argentina-Francia no le faltó una coma, una tormenta de incertidumbre,emociones incontenibles y un maravilloso aroma a fútbol antiguo”, destacóSantiago Segurola. Hemerotecas andantes como Alfredo Relaño no han encontradocomparación a lo sucedido el domingo en Lusail. “No, no recuerdo final comoesta, con tanto contenido, con tanta leyenda, con tanta emoción”, sentenció.

Tales convicciones se apoyan en dos pilares: el emocional, con un partido deida y vuelta cargado de una tremenda simbología, y el puramente empírico, alque tampoco le faltaron argumentos gracias a los tres goles de cada uno y lasmúltiples ocasiones que tuvieron para hacer el marcador aún más abultado. Elprimero siempre pesará más que el segundo, pero las estadísticas señalan aesta última final como la más igualada de las 22 que se han disputado en lahistoria, con los dos equipos rozando un nivel altísimo durante largos tramosdel partido. Francia se convirtió en el primer equipo que no consiguió la Copadespués de anotar tres goles en la final. Como en Estados Unidos 1994 yAlemania 2006, el título se decidió en los penaltis, pero esta vez después deseis goles, la segunda mayor anotación de una final -igualada con la de 1930,1938, 1966 y 2018- tras la de Suecia 1958 (Brasil 5 – 2 Suecia).

A pesar de sus seis goles, la final entre Argentina y Francia estuvo lejos deser el partido por el título con más producción ofensiva de la historia. Laprimera edición de la que hay datos disponibles es del Mundial de Inglaterra1966, cuya final, disputada entre los Three Lions y Alemania (4-2), dejóunbalance de casi 80 remates, 40 de ellos entre los tres palos. SoloInglaterra disparó aquel día en más ocasiones (40) que las que hubo en todo elpartido en Qatar (30). Incluso la final de Sudáfrica 2010, que terminó con lavictoria de España ante Países Bajos por un gol, tuvo más ocasiones que elArgentina-Francia.

“¿ Stremar? Uf, no, yo no me veo como streamer. Me ha gustado porqueaporta cercanía, pero yo no sé ni cómo funciona esto del Twitch…”. Dice DavidFerrer (Xàbia, Alicante; 40 años) que no se ve siguiendo los pasos de LuisEnrique, pero recursos no le faltan. Ha sido tenista profesional durante 19años, después probó en el banquillo del alemán Alexander Zverev, luego tomólas riendas del Godó y reccientemente ha dirigido las Finales de la CopaDavis. Ahora, cada vez más desmarcado del Ferrer jugador y con un perfil másejecutivo, su trayectoria da otro giro y departe con EL PAÍS tras serpresentado como nuevo capitán del equipo español para los tres próximos años.Habla el Ferrer técnico, relevo de Sergi Bruguera y entrenador de consenso.

Mas informacion

Pregunta. Los jugadores están felices y usted también. ¿Qué tal la toma decontacto?

Respuesta. La primera impresión ha sido buena. Hasta septiembre no van ajugar [España ha recibido una invitación para acceder directamente a la fasede grupos], pero les he comentado en qué torneos voy a estar y les he dichoque para cualquier cosa que puedan necesitar, ahí voy a estar yo. Lo bueno esque conozco mucho a todos ya sus respectivos entornos, y eso siempre favorece.Estoy realmente contento de tener esta oportunidad porque las mayoresemociones que he vivido en toda mi carrera han sido en la Copa Davis.

P. El hecho de conocerlos tanto y de compartir amistad en algunos casos,¿puede suponer un estímulo extra en términos de compromiso?

R. Creo que al haber jugado la Davis y al haberla vivido desde dentro, taly como la van a vivir ellos, puede aportar. Esta competición tiene uncomponente añadido que es la presión de jugar para un equipo y por un país, yhay quienes la asumen mejor y otros a los que les cuesta más. Sobre todo,intentaré ayudarles emocionalmente. Creo que el saber como juegan y el habercompetido con ellos puede ayudar en todos los aspectos. No hubiera aceptadoesta capitanía si ellos no hubieran estado de acuerdo, era algo primordial.

El liderazgo es que te sigan sin imponer, dar ejemplo, tener mano izquierda> y tratar de convencer

P. En sentido inverso, va a tener que tomar decisiones difíciles, hacerdescartes.

R. Si, lo voy a hacer. Al final, cuando asumes la capitanía tienes unaserie de responsabilidades y debes entender que vas a tener que decir que no ajugadores que conoces o que han sido compañeros tuyos. Al final, si no juegaste duele, porque todo el mundo quiere jugar. Yo he sido jugador y endeterminadas ocasiones me he quedado fuera, y siempre te duele, pero asumo esaobligación. Trataré de hacerlo con argumentos profesionales y deportivos.Seguro que tendré que tomar decisiones difíciles a la hora de poner a uno uotro.

P. Pasa al banquillo tras su etapa reciente como jugador y de pasartambién por los despachos, en un intervalo de solo tres años. ¿Se considerainquieto?

R. Me gusta estar vinculado al tenis, pero a la vez hacer cosas que nuncahabía hecho. He probado la experiencia del Godó [conserva el cargo]antesestuve con Zverev durante un año [entre 2020 y 2021] y ahora he disfrutado dela experiencia de dirigir las Finales de la Copa Davis. Me gusta y me motivaaprender cosas nuevas, moverme y probarme; esto significa asumir unaresponsabilidad ya mi las responsabilidades me gustan. Afortunadamente, entodo lo que he hecho he tenido la oportunidad de contestar sí o no, y en estecaso es un privilegio. Intentaré seguir igual que siempre, dando lo mejor demí.

P. ¿Qué es más complicado?

R. Cada parcela es diferente, pero en la pista es donde vives todo con máspresión, lo más difícil. Sin duda. Al final, cuando estás en un despacho odiriges un torneo es muy importante lo que aprendes, pero también tienes a unequipo a tu alrededor, y en la pista no es así. No hay ninguna responsabilidadni presión similar a la de estar sobre la pista.

¿Nadal? Voy a intentar que vuelva al equipo. No tiene un calendario fácil,> pero no se ha descartado

P. ¿En qué medida puede ayudarle la polivalencia?

R. Ya ha pasado cierto tiempo desde que me retiré, y ahora no solo tienesla perspectiva del jugador, sino una diferente. Eso me ha permitido ver tododesde otro ángulo, ya la vez comprobar como han ido creciendo y evolucionandolos jugadores. Cuando eres jugador estás centrado sobre todo en ti mismo y entu trabajo, y ahora es distinto. El deporte ha cambiado, el tenis ha cambiadoy todo ha cambiado; todo es más rápido y los jóvenes de ahora tienen otraforma de pensar.

P. Acostumbra a leather. ¿Ha buceado en libros sobre liderazgo?

R. Si, ahora estaba leyendo Habitos atomicos y me ha gustado. Pero másque de liderazgo, me gusta learn sobre autoayuda, nutrición, buenos hábitos…

P. En cualquier caso, ¿qué es para usted el liderazgo?

R. Intentar que te sigan pero sin imponer, siempre con mano izquierda ytratando de convencer. Lo mejor de un líder es el ejemplo que pueda transmitira los demás y el hecho de que puedas hablar con el resto con cercanía, perosin barreras de por medio. A mi me gusta la autoridad silenciosa, como en sudía la tenía Tim Duncan [exjugador de la NBA] o incluso el propio Rafa, que esotro buen ejemplo; al final, lo seguías porque él daba ejemplo constantmente yeso es fundamental a la hora de ser una referencia.

Ferrer, and el CSD durante su presentación.Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)

P. ¿Cuál es la radiografía del buen capitán?

R. Me quedo con un poco de todos. He tenido grandísimos capitanes comoAlex Corretja, Albert Costa y Sergi Bruguera, que son los que más me hanmarcado. Me quedo con la táctica del primero, la cercanía del segundo y lainteligencia y la personalidad del último; Sergi me dio la oportunidad depoder jugar mi último partido, en Valencia, yademás tan importante… [4h 51mcontra el alemán Philippe Kohlschreiber]. De todos ellos aprendí y aprendomucho, porque mantengo el contacto, y si en un momento dado tengo que pedirconsejo, lo haré.

Tweakers.beHave you received your year-end bonus and do you want to invest itin a new television set? Or do you want to surprise a loved one for Christmaswith a brand new one? Expert Eric van Ballegoie from technology site Tweakersselects the 3 best models of 2022 for a budget of less than 500, 1,000 and1,500 euros. He always opts for the – most chosen – 55 inch format.

By Thomas Rosseel, in collaboration with Tweakers 12/19/22, 11:01

Latest update: 12/19/22, 11:41 Source: Tweakers.be

Up to 500 euros: Samsung TU7020 55″ – from 469 euros

“This TV has been on the market since October 2020. That’s a long time for aTV, but it just does a really good job. This Samsung is a great television fora competitive price.

There is nothing exciting about this device and do not expect too much fuss.For example, the device does not have a 100Hz screen, but you will not findthat in this price range. This television does offer excellent all-round imagequality, and that for less than 500 euros.”

Up to 80 euros cheaper : via the comparator of Tweakers.be you can seewhere you can find this television at the best price.

Samsung TU7020 55″ Black. © Tweakers.be

500 to 1000 euros: LG A2 55″ – from 869 euros

“This is LG’s entry-level OLED. You will also find this TV in the B, C and themuch more expensive G series. You see the C series from LG most often, but itis also a lot more expensive than this A2. The A2 has a 50 Hz instead of a 100Hz screen and does not have an HDMI 2.1 connection, but HDMI 2.0. Thistelevision therefore works less well with a new PlayStation5 or Xbox Series X.You can then not handle the higher ‘refresh rates’ of those new consoles. Butthat is the main difference.

This remains a very good OLED panel with very nice image quality. Theadvantage of OLED is that the viewing angles are perfect, just like thecontrast. Black is really black. The plus point with this device is that youstay well under 1,000 euros.”

Don ‘t pay a euro too much for this top device? Tweakers.be lists the bestprices in a handy comparator.

LG A2 55″ Black. © Tweakers.be

More than 1,000 euros: Samsung OLED QD QE55S95BA – from 1,289 euros

“This first QD OLED television from Samsung received the Ultimate Award fromTweakers.be. This device combines high brightness with perfect contrast,excellent viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. Thanks to the QDOLED panel, the S95B is brighter than regular OLED TVs and the colorsaturation is maintained even at high brightness. This device is also verysuitable for gaming, because it does have HDMI 2.1 and can go up to 144 Hz.

The price of Samsung’s S95B is also considerably lower than the Sony A95K, theonly other QD OLED currently available, while the performance of both modelsis comparable. You buy this TV for less than 1,300 euros and that is just avery competitive price for such image quality.”

Save up to hundreds of euros : via the comparator of Tweakers.be you willfind the best prices for this device.

With the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar, the very last episode of The__Orange winter a fact. A season that, in addition to football analyses,mainly guaranteed a lot of vulgar chatter. A good moment to look back on this,so in last night’s episode the gentlemen are presented with the question: whatwas the most vulgar comment?

The World Cup is over. Argentina and France were allowed to decide last nightwhich country took home the World Cup, and in the end it was the Argentineswho won after penalties. According to many, this was ‘Messi’s World Cup’, afootball player of which Johan Derksen was extremely critical several times.Even after the final won, the mustachioed analyst still doesn’t really want toback down, but René van der Gijp was full of praise: “Then you are the very,very greatest. When you have to do it, you do it.”

Most common comment De Oranjewinter

It is referee Bas Nijhuis who is bombarded as a quizmaster by presenterWilfred Genee and asks the question to the gentlemen: “What is the mostordinary remark that has taken place at the table during Orange winter?”“That must be René,” Derksen thinks. “No”, laughs Hélène Hendriks. “That’syou.”

Genee: “It is the one from last week, when Johan said that he was eating pussyand that there was all sorts of pubic hair…” Van der Gijp has another commentin mind. “It was when Johan gave her (Hendriks, ed.) that vibrator and said:’You are used to mine.’” Nijhuis: “I have the answer, but I will say: I havenothing to do with that jury . I don’t want anything to do with this either,but we’ll give you the answer.”

Genee turns out to be fine: it was Derksen’s comment about pubic hair. Here itis: “That’s because you guys have no experience with pubic hair, but in my daythey still had old-fashioned pubic hair. You sat there in the morning at workwith all those black hairs between your teeth.”

The discovery of the season: Noa Vahle

This season of The Orange Winter not only resulted in a succession ofhilarious moments, but also a rising TV talent: Noa Vahle. The 22-year-olddaughter of Linda de Mol was allowed to do the reporting from Qatar for theprogram and received a lot of praise for it. This is of course brieflydiscussed in the last episode. “How did you experience it, Noa?” asks Genee.”I have to tell you: I don’t think I’ll be going back to Qatar anytime soon,but I really thought it was a wonderful experience,” says Vahle. “Weexperienced very beautiful moments. This was of course a real highlight, adream to be present at such a competition. So it was an honor to do it foryou. Thank you for the trust and for the opportunity. I thought it was reallybeautiful, but now it’s time to go home.”

“Then you are 22 and you have already experienced such a World Cup final,”notes Genee. “It doesn’t get any better,” thinks Hendriks. Genee: “What elsecan you strive for but in this life?” Derksen: “Now it is a difficult periodfor her, because she is really overloaded with praise. She now has to chooseher programs very carefully.”

Genee asks Derksen what he would advise her, “as John’s right hand”. “I willhave a very good conversation with her first,” he replies. “I have a very goodrelationship with that girl. Then I will advise her.” He already gives one ofhis advice: “Certainly do not sit at this table.” In a more serious tone:“That girl does not need to be advised, because she will get there anyway. Sheshouldn’t be fooled. Now all those talk shows and show programs are going tocall her, you have to put the handbrake on that. But I think there is someonein her family who knows a little bit about television. It cannot be seen inthe programs, but they will be there.”

You can watch the last episode of De Oranjewinter or via KIJK.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to have themselves aromantic little Christmas.

The couple appeared on Mondays Drew Barrymore Show in what was their firstjoint interview on daytime TV. They talked about his sweet Christmas gifttradition — and the enduring love between them after 45 years of marriage.

“One thing that Joe gives me every year is a poem,” the English and writingprofessor, 71, told Barrymore. “He has a book that he bought for me and everyyear he writes a poem.”

Barrymore asked if the president, 80, personally writes it, and he replied,”Of course I do. There’s a lot to write about,” grabbing his wife’s hand.However, he quipped that the poem “doesn’t quite do it,” as he buys her gifts,as well. She said that he once got her a “a full rose garden” for one of herbirthdays, adding, “He pretty much gets it right.”

Of not getting a perfect score when it comes to gift giving, he said, “Oh,man. Everybody knows I love her more than she loves me.”

The couple traveled back in time, counting how they met. He was a widowerafter his first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, died in the 1972 car crashthat his young sons, Beau and Hunter, survived. Meanwhile, Jill had divorcedher first husband. The future POTUS and FLOTUS were set up on a blind date byJoe’s youngest brother in 1975 — and he proposed five times before she agreedto marry him, which she did in 1977.

Drew Barrymore interviewed president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden forthe Dec. 19 episode of her talk show. (Photo: The Drew Barrymore Show /AshBean)

“When I went out with her the first time, I knew this was the woman. I reallydid,” he said. “Only twice in my life have I ever fallen in love. Both times Iknew immediately. I’m not joking.”

He said Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, and Hunter were instrumentalin Jill saying yes to the Delaware Senator. “My boys—our boys—were young[about 6 and 7] and they came in and said … ‘Dad, we were talking. We think weshould marry Jill.’ Swear to god,” Joe recalled.

Story continues

After striking out four times, the winning proposal took place after hereturned from trying to see Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

“I came back, got off the plane in Philadelphia, drove straight to herapartment, knocked on the door,” he remembered. “[She] said, ‘Oh, Joe, come onin.’ I said, ‘No … You got my Irish up …I’m asking you one more time … Youdon’t have to say when, but if you say no, I understand, and that’s it.’ Ilooked at her and said, ‘Will you marry me?’ She goes [after taking a minute],”OK.” Swear to God.”

Joe said he learned from his sister, who was friends with Jill, what made Jillchange her mind. “‘She told me she fell in love with the boys,'” he recalledhis sibling saying.

Jill said her hesitancy was because, “I had to make absolutely sure that thismarriage was going to work because [the brothers] had lost their mother andthey had lost their sister. I knew that it had to work because they had lostso much. They had to feel secure that this marriage would work.”

The first lady gave Barrymore a tour of the White House holiday decorations.(Photo: The Drew Barrymore Show /Ash Bean)

Joe said that prior to marrying Jill, he asked her how she could marry himknowing how much he had loved his first wife. “She said, ‘Because you lovedthat deeply, you can love that way again,'” he recalled. “I’ll never forgetit.”

Joe said the June 1977 wedding, at the United Nations Chapel in NYC, involvedthe two boys.

“When we were sitting there and [the officiant] said, ‘Who takes this woman?’Both the boys got up and walked to the altar spontaneously,” Joe said. “Itwasn’t planned … We both we surprised and pleased.”

She added, “We got married as a family.”

They all spent the wedding night together too — the couple took the boys tosee Annie.

“She’s also my best friend,” he added. “For real. You can tell her anything.She’s got a backbone like a ramrod. She does. You don’t want to mess with mewith this woman [by my side].”

Later, the pair participated in the show’s “The Final 5” segment, which sawJill answer questions and Joe have to guess her responses. Some things welearned: Her favorite place in the White House is the Truman Balcony. A snackshe likes to sneak into the White House kitchen is French fries — though heguessed wine and stuck by his answer. (“I think you consider wine a snack,too,” he said to the first lady.) Jill said her husband’s most annoying habitis leaving his reading light on at night.

Keeping it light, it ended with who said “I love you” first in theirrelationship — and that was Joe, of course.

“Oh, that’s easy — me,” he said. “I said it first, second, third, fourth,fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth.”

Shirley Watts, who was married to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie from 1964until his death last year, has died after a short illness, according to astatement from her family. She was 84.

More from Variety

The statement reads: “It is with great sadness that Seraphina, Charlotte andBarry announce the death of their much-loved mother, grandmother and mother-in-law Shirley Watts. Shirley died peacefully on Friday December 16 in Devonafter a short illness surrounded by her family.

“She will be also sadly missed by her sisters Jackie and Jill, and her brotherStephen. Reunited now forever with her beloved Charlie.”

The couple became a symbol of maritime stability in the freewheeling rockworld, even as Charlie drummed for a band that was the most famously ribaldband in music history. His low-key demeanor always contrasted with that image,rarely more so than in his home-loving habits — which to him always meantShirley, whom he met in 1961 when both were studying at the Royal College ofArt and married, initially secretly, three years later.

Marriage was a kiss of death for pop stars in the early 1960s and Wattsinitially kept the nuptials secret even from his bandmates, who were furiouswhen they first found out.

“He didn’t want the band to know because he was scared of Andrew and allthat,” said longtime Stones bassist Bill Wyman in Paul Sexton’s recent Wattsbiography “Charlie’s Good Tonight.” “So they kept it secret for about threeweeks, [then] the press released it. He still denied it for the first coupleof days, and then he owned up and that was all right.”

As for the public, Wyman recalled Charlie being confronted by a reporter fromEngland’s Daily Express. “I emphatically deny I am married,” he replied. “Itwould do a great deal of harm to my career, if the story got around.” However,Shirley decided not to lie. “We have wanted to marry for about a year, andjust didn’t dare,” she said. “The months went on and we decided we couldn’tlive separately any longer. I’m terribly happy being Charlie’s wife. It’s justwonderful.”

Story continues

Watts was hardly the heartthrob type and the marriage was never an issueafterwards. The pair suffered problems when Charlie battled substance abusesurprisingly late in his career, during the 1980s, but told Sexton severalyears later, “Now, luckily, thanks to my wife, I’ve stopped [using]everything.”

Born Shirley Ann Shepherd, she studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art,where she met Watts, who was studying graphic design while also working as apart-time jazz musician. Their only child, daughter Seraphina, was born in1968 and the family moved to a rural home in Devon (and lived in France duringthe band’s tax-exile years), where Shirley founded a world-class horse farm.She became a renowned breeder and show person of Arabian horses.

“She is an incredible woman,” Charlie is quoted in the book as saying ofShirley. “The one regret I have of this life is that I was never home enough.But she always says when I come off tour that I am a nightmare and tells me togo back out.”

Indeed, the family’s longtime friend Tony King says in the book, “Shirleyalways kept him in line. He was never allowed to get too big for his boots ifshe was around. She would very quickly call it. She didn’t flinch about sayingsomething to pull the rug from under his feet.

“I remember she wrote me this brilliant letter in the early days when theywere touring America, around Altamont time,” he continued, speaking of theband’s galvanizing 1969 American tour.

“She said, ‘Charlie came home at the weekend, full of concept about being amember of the Rolling Stones. So I made him clean the oven.”’

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It seemed like such a good year for Wim Henderickx, Belgium’s most prominentcontemporary composer. His opera was performed at Opera Vlaanderen in May Theconvert premiered, based on Stefan Hertmans’ 2016 novel of the same name. Itbecame the opera house’s best-attended contemporary production in twentyyears. Two months earlier, the premiere of his beautiful, yoga-inspired bassetclarinet concerto sounded in Glasgow Sutra , which was also released on CD.But on Sunday evening the news that Wim Henderickx died at home that afternooncame completely unexpectedly. He was sixty years old.

The news was brought out by Muziektheater Transparant, the company whereHenderickx had been house composer since 1996. Transparent calls Henderickx”perhaps the most enthusiastic artist Flanders ever had”, in the Facebookmessage: “With his far too early passing, the Flemish and international artworld loses a figurehead.”

Henderickx started his music career as a drummer in jazz and rock bands, thenstudied percussion and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp andsonology at the IRCAM in Paris and at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Hewas a timpanist with the New Belgian Chamber Orchestra and has been composingfor all Belgian orchestras since 1990. In addition to being house composer ofMuziektheater Transparant, Henderickx has also been artist in residence withthe Antwerp Symphony Orchestra since 2013.

Detached kind

Of canzone in 2008 he composed the compulsory work for the Queen ElisabethCompetition for singing for voice and piano. In 2019, his orchestral work went_Enigma VIII_ (2019) premiered at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall inLondon, by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins,who championed Henderickx’s music and conducted many of his performances.

Henderickx explores “sound worlds of the more detached kind,” wrote NRC in2020 on the CD recording of Sacred places III. Building bridges and mixinginfluences were a constant in his oeuvre: sound research, electronics, old andtraditional music, lyrical beauty, it’s all there. Non-Western musictraditions and Eastern philosophy inspired Henderickx to write his highlydiverse, seven-part tantric cycle (2004-2010).

In the Netherlands, Henderickx did not have the fame he enjoyed in Belgium,but his music could still be heard here regularly. His cello concerto wasperformed during the 2018 Amsterdam Cello Biennale Sangit premiered, withJean-Guihen Queyras as soloist and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra conducted bythe then 22-year-old Klaus Mäkelä. In the 2011 Holland Festival it wasorchestral work Tejas (2008), called ‘a spectacular symphonic work’ in thisnewspaper, premiered.

Crown on his oeuvre

Muziektheater Transparant and Cappella Amsterdam toured in 2017 with theritual music theatre Revelations , about the mystic Hadewijch. “The factthat Revelations lasts is due to the music. Oriental spiced flute and violinmelodies, crystalline vocalises and renaissance-like choral singing onspherical soundscapes (Jorrit Tamminga) are intersected at exactly the rightmoments by temperamental percussion and piercing quarter vocals”, concluded_NRC_.

Of The convert Henderickx now appears to have put the crown on his oeuvre.As soon as he read Hertmans’ novel, he said he knew that the story wouldbecome his ‘great opera’. From June 18, the opera could be seen for free onthe Operavision platform for six months – exactly until last Sunday. Therewere still several projects in the pipeline, but they have now been broken.

On Friday 20 January, the Residentieorkest and soloist Annelien van Wauwe willplay the Dutch premiere of the basset clarinet concerto in The Hague Sutra ,the first part of which is called ‘Breath of life’. The program will be in atotally new light.