Show Breaking News BarCloseFeatures Michelle Morgan ORLANDO will be back in Central Florida this weekend to host the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida’s 32nd Annual Charity Poker Tournament and Gala UCP Central Florida is hosting a Celebrity Poker Tournament at the Caribe Royale Orlando with all proceeds going to UCP’s education and therapy programs the Annual Gala will bring even more excitement News 6 meteorologists Michelle Morgan and Julie Broughton will also be joining the celebrity guest crew for the poker tournament This year’s gala celebrates 70 years of empowering children directly benefiting UCP’s programs that support over 3,500 children and families across the region has been a dedicated advocate for UCP for years Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 3 years old he didn’t let anything stop his acting career landing iconic roles in shows like “Breaking Bad,” “Weeds,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Switched at Birth.” Mitte’s message is clear: your disability is not a limitation “Don’t let the perceptions of others dictate who you are or what you’ll become,” he said His advocacy focuses on leading by example and showing people the power of being seen Tickets are on sale now — don’t miss out on an unforgettable weekend for a great cause! Click here to purchase your tickets online Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved Michelle joined News 6 as a meteorologist in May 2023 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group The Prospector Theater has paid $26 million in wages to employees with disabilities—and sparked a movement celebrating 10 years of changing the lives of those with disabilities The Prospector Theater celebrates 10 years of making a real difference and State Senator Julie Kushner pose for a photo.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell Prospect Tom Gollogly and RJ Mitte pose for a photo together.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell Prospector Production member Gabe Kavookjian holds a camera as he looks over his shoulder.Sarah Elizabeth Farrell A question no one knew they needed answered Do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on Cat owners sometimes have unique questions that even Google doesn't always have the answer to This is probably the sole reason cat forums exist but one kid who needed a 6th grade science project decided to skip the cat forums for answers and instead use the scientific method bravely pondered a question few (if any one) has been brave enough to ask: do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on Since cats do whatever the heck they want training them not to jump on kitchen counters is a feat even Hercules struggles to complete These fierce felines don't care if you're cooking dinner or trying to get comfy in bed The thought of cat butts on that expensive Serta pillow designed to feel like you're sleeping on a cloud can gross people out you no longer have to wonder if the butthole itself is also making contact The curious sixth grader is homeschooled and well-versed in the scientific method thanks to her mother's PhD in animal behavior with a concentration in feline behavior the science experiment was pretty straightforward (and directly impactful) bought non-toxic lipstick and applied it to each of their cat's anuses "Non-toxic lipstick was applied to their bum-bums they were then given a series of commands (sit Side note: Both cats have been trained since kittenhood with a variety of commands and the lipstick was removed with a baby wipe once we collected our data in just under 10 minutes," Hyde wrote in a Facebook post cat buttholes do not touch every surface cats sit on let's all take a collective sigh of relief while we go over the details Kaeden's experiment covered long-haired and medium-haired cats (if your cat is hairless you better stock up on Clorox wipes just in case) "His results and general findings: Long and medium haired cat’s buttholes made NO contact with soft or hard surfaces at all Short haired cats made NO contact on hard surfaces But we did see evidence of a slight smear on the soft bedding surface if you have a short haired cat and they may be lying on a pile of laundry then their butthole MAY touch those surfaces!" Hyde shares Now every curious cat owner can rest easy knowing that as long as their cat has hair their bare bottom balloon knot is not touching the majority of surfaces in their home The amusing experiment caught the Internet's attention "This is probably the most useful information I’ve learned from a science fair project." "Good to know!...I can now eat my sandwich left on the counter with confidence!" another writes "A+++!!! Whew!! I am very grateful for your sciencing on this subject. My fears from walking in on my cat sitting on my laptop keyboard and subsequently being grossed out and cleaning furiously in a hyper-ocd manner have been somewhat allayed and now maybe I won’t have to use QUIIITE so many wipes." someone chimes in Someone answers the important questions!!" The school alerted her mom to the hilarious voicemail Kindergartener calls school impersonating dad to pull a Ferris Bueller The only problem is she didn't her parents Instead, Lyric decided to call her elementary school the evening prior to her self-scheduled mini vacation and impersonate her father She left a very clever voicemail in the attendance office informing them that she would not be attending school the following day she spoke as deeply as possible and hoped that would do the trick The only problem with her genius plan was that she's not in charge of taking herself to school Episode 7 No School GIF by South ParkGiphy Skipping school, or in this case, attempting to skip school is nothing new. Students have been skipping out on classes since the first school house was built because, even before iPads, playing with a ball in a cup was more exciting than classwork for most students. The 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off is all about a kid who decided to skip school though Ferris was a wee bit older than a kindergartener Lyric's mom had no idea her daughter attempted to get out of going to school until she was called into the office about the voicemail Lyric's school wasn't upset with her The elementary school officials found the voicemail amusing and wanted to share the unbelievable impersonation with her mom Ferris Buellers Day Off Film GIFGiphy "I don't know what I did to deserve a daughter like mine but let me tell y'all what just happened," Tyonda starts to explain in her video uploaded to TikTok we we received a message last night,." Tyonda already suspected the message was from her daughter It's like the element of surprise with her My daughter tried to act like her daddy and call herself out of school What in the Ferris Bueller is going on here You can listen to Lyric's attempt at her dad's voice here: the girl's impersonation of her father's voice is much deeper voice than his actual voice which is pretty impressive for a six-year-old girl People found Lyric's antics highly amusing with some issuing warnings for the girl's teenage years the next 13-14 years bout to be wild." "I’m expecting a teenager a KINDERGARTENER???!!!" one person writes "We need to hear daddy’s voice before we can say if it was or wasn’t him," another jokes Sunglasses Hiding GIF by Soul TrainGiphy the voice and a mission," someone shares "But wait yall have to drop her off at school where was she gonna go if that worked?" another commenter asks Lyric was unconvinced that she did not sound exactly like her dad In a follow up video the little girl insists that she sounds like her father and reveals she was able to get the number to the school from Apple Maps on her iPad It also seems that Lyric has zero regrets and plans to continue her shenanigans well into high school This method uses 97 percent less land and up to 90 percent less water than conventional farming A new way to grow strawberries with less land how many people could a 200-acre strawberry field feed providing enough strawberries for half a million people could be grown on just one acre instead of 200 Indoor vertical farm company Plenty Unlimited knows a lot about growing up Instead of the sprawling fields that traditional farming methods require vertical farms have a much smaller land footprint Plenty has used vertical farming methods to grow greens such as lettuce but now it boasts a vertical berry farm that can yield a whopping 4 million pounds of strawberries on a little less than an acre as what plants really need is water and nutrients which can be provided without soil (and with a lot less water than soil requires) Being able to carefully control water and nutrients means you can more easily control the size taste and uniformity of the berries you’re growing But when a highly controlled environment means not having to use pesticides and using up to 90% less water than traditional farming Plenty even uses AI in its strawberry farm “Every element of the Plenty Richmond Farm–including temperature light and humidity–is precisely controlled through proprietary software to create the perfect environment for the strawberry plants to thrive The farm uses AI to analyze more than 10 million data points each day across its 12 grow rooms adapting each grow room’s environment to the evolving needs of the plants – creating the perfect environment for Driscoll’s proprietary plants to thrive and optimizing the strawberries’ flavor Plenty even has its own patent-pending method of pollinating the strawberry flowers that doesn’t require bees Even just the fact that this enormous crop of strawberries will be coming from Virginia is notable since the vast majority of strawberries in the U.S Traditional strawberry farming takes up a lot of land.Photo credit: Canva Plenty's Richmond farm is currently growing strawberries exclusively for Driscoll’s we can deliver the same consistent flavor and quality our customers love — now grown locally This new innovative farm is a powerful step forward in continuing to drive category growth in new ways for our customers and consumers.” The more we grapple with the impact of climate change and outdated the more innovative ideas we’ll need to feed the masses If they can get 4 million pounds of strawberries out of an acre of land This article originally appeared in February Having our beloved fur babies cross the rainbow bridge is devastating, but it’s a blessing when we are able to say goodbye in an intentional way setting up a special place for one last cuddle visiting one of their favorite haunts…these little rituals don’t necessarily take the pain away but they do help us feel like we did our part to thank our beloved creatures for a lifetime of pure love For the family of Nala the Golden Retriever that meant taking her to the yard she created so many childhood memories in for one last bask in the sun she seemed to “know what was going on,” and was letting her family know that “she was going to be okay.” you don’t have to know a thing about Nala to feel moved by this video because any pet owner who’s lost a fur baby knows exactly how bittersweet these final moments are “losing a dog is a different kind of pain.” Another echoed Others were quick to offer some words of encouragement “I think she got a glimpse of just how many snackies are waiting for her in doggie heaven!” her family has received support in many lovely ways we see a special box for her ashes made by a friend across the country with the words to the “Rainbow Bridge" poem printed on top We sign on to be pet parents knowing that heartbreak is inevitable That’s why it’s so vital to fill those limited days with as many precious memories as possible for our little angels to take with them onto the other side those can be simple things: a car ride here go give your fur baby the biggest hug possible A man who hasn't dunked a basketball in several decades wants to see if he can still do it A 79-year-old recently decided he wanted to try to dunk a basketball he's documenting the whole thing on YouTube Charlie Gross in six months.Giphy He's a husband and grandfather who's always managed to stay fit "I would say for a 79-year-old I'm physically active and mentally in pretty good shape," he says Gross says the last time he was able to dunk a basketball on a regulation hoop He remembers a volleyball game in the early '80s where he grabbed the volleyball and was able to dunk it That was the last time he pulled it off successfully but those numbers are typically for people much younger An 11-inch vert at almost 80 years old is already impressive Gross was teaching and training some of his students to increase their vertical leap and he got the idea to see if any of the tips would work for him "Just seemed like kind of an interesting challenge to take on," he noted to create a mini "documentary" for YouTube For reference, Gross is 5' 10". He's in generally good physical health but, like anyone his age he's been through some challenges including a partially torn rotator cuff and a bout with prostate cancer Dunking a basketball is an enormous challenge With a light jogging start and after a couple of attempts Gross can replicate his 11-inch vertical in real-world conditions - YouTubewww.youtube.com In a follow-up video about two weeks later He's super cognizant of not pushing too hard and hurting himself Gross is well aware that his age makes him an injury risk if he works out too strenuously or engages in too much high-impact training Another real-world test out in the driveway basketball court clocked Gross at about a 13-inch vertical The update finishes up with Gross attempting to dunk on an eight-foot rim - YouTubewww.youtube.com Gross posted his first video just two weeks ago as of this writing and today he already has nearly 15,0000 subscribers and over 300,000 total views on his two updates Commenters can't get enough and are so excited to root for him on his journey: "The fact that you're 79 and you still have this lively and joyful mindset and that your body is in remarkably good condition is just awesome "Yeah this man is who everyone should aspire to be like when they are older Physically and mentally active at 79 is no easy feat "I DO NOT CARE WHETHER YOU SUCCEED OR FAIL...YOU ARE ALREADY A LEGEND FOR THIS!" The physical benefits for people Gross' age when it comes to staying active are obvious Regular movement and exercise can do wonders for your longevity He's 79 and so full of life he honestly seems decades younger But the best thing we can take from Gross' example is his willingness to try something new and set a challenging goal for himself According to Pacific Angels Home Care goal setting is especially important for seniors It gives seniors control over their lives and allows them to reflect on what is important to them and what interests them They can determine what will motivate them and give them purpose." The mental boost from working to achieve a goal helps fight off the depression that's so common in seniors trying new things and challenging ourselves is a crucial part of being alive Gross quotes Spock from Star Trek: "Live long and prosper," he says Carol of the Bells paints a touching picture that is part holiday movie and part family story known for his role in the smash hit Breaking Bad portrays a young man with a troubled past who embarks on a journey to find his biological mother only to discover that she is developmentally disabled The film was produced by Inclusion Films in partnership with Futures Explored and Options for All with 70 percent of the crew members having developmental disabilities GRB Media Ranch is taking the title out globally Mitte sat down with World Screen Weekly to talk about how Carol of the Bells is both intensely emotional and heartwarming in a way that is perfect for the holiday season but transcends the tropes of a traditional Christmas movie MGM+ is set to make a James Bond collection of 25 films available across 32 countries for a limited time beginning on June 1 World Screen Newsflash is the leading source of daily news for the international media industry research reports and personnel appointments World Screen is the leading source of information for the international media business This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Berlin Hotel de Rome has got history. A nineteenth-century manse, originally built as the headquarters of Dresdener Bank, was transformed in 2006 by Rocco Forte into what is now probably the grandest hotel in Berlin. Part of the Leading Hotels in the World you don’t really get better than this in terms of location; it’s on Bebelplatz one of the city’s most beautiful squares which is oddly peaceful even when it’s crammed with tourists and tour guide groups. You’re waking up to a serious view if you get a front-facing room. The 145 rooms are flat-out plush with polished wood heavy bathrobes and underfloor heating in the bathroom Having left my multiple chargers strewn out on the desk I came back to find them wound up neatly with a Hotel De Rome branded velcro cable tie It’s that kind of turn down service. For dinner, head to onsite restaurant Chiaro for upscale Milanese dishes – scallop ceviche cacio e pepe with lobster – or opt for the €38 lunch deal The restaurant space extends out into a leafy garden Mornings are particularly peaceful out here and the breakfast buffet is spectacular: the dedicated smoked salmon station features a whopping great tin of Forellen caviar so big that I couldn’t help but imagine a group of men prizing it open with spades each morning. moreish Italian bar snacks and out-there cocktails (like the whiskey chamomile and chocolate combo for €16) But the real magic happens at the very bottom which is accessed by a beautiful old staircase That’s where you’ll find Hotel De Rome’s spa where you can pass a number of old vaults from the building’s bank days some of which they’ve never found the key to and remain locked forever which feels a bit like being in Harry Potter (but much more relaxing). You’re quite literally in the thick of it here one of the city’s best neighbourhoods The whole area is good for tourists – it’s probably best known for its many many museums and number of luxury hotels. Deutsche Staatsoper (Berlin’s Opera House) is on your doorstep but you’re only about a 20-minute walk from Berlin’s best sights including the Reichstag Building, the Topography of Terror and the Natural History Museum. 1. Jewish History Museum: A 25-minute walk from the hotel (but a very pretty one) it’s well worth visiting one of the best and most important museums in Berlin 2. LIU 成都味道面馆 Nudelhaus: A lip-smackingly good spot serving up saucy rumour has it you can request an off-menu level four spice 3. KW Institute for Contemporary Art: A non-profit gallery space that’s been around since the 1990s Perfect for when you’ve done enough of the history museums and fancy a bit of art. For anything further than a 20-minute walk many E-bikes. You’re a 10-minute cycle from Tiergarten where you should spend an entire day. Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! About us Contact us Berlin is made up of an eclectic mix of districts From history-rich Mitte to the hipster heaven that is Kreuzberg and laid-back Treptow each of the city’s neighbourhoods offers something different to the curious urban explorer The Friedrichshain area also has a variety of DIY cinemas and outdoor screening venues, like B-ware Ladenkino and Durchsfenster whose name means “through the window cinema”; indeed you’ll need to climb through a window on the ground floor to visit but you’re spoilt for choice with cute bars and cafés in this neighbourhood Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Home to an industrial complex boasting a host of eclectic underground music spaces and clubs Treptow’s Ziegrastrasse is quickly becoming one of the most interesting spots for Berlin nightlife On the other side of the city is another calm and cleaner area, the heart of old West Berlin. As this area is quite large, not only a quieter crowd, but shopaholics and food addicts will also enjoy it here in Charlottenberg With Berlin’s equivalent of Oxford Street in the shape of the famous Ku’damm shopaholics will be in heaven on this busy street Foodies will equally be spoiled for choice in the surrounding area with a multitude of restaurants and plenty of al fresco dining a famous meeting point for artists and musicians and a popular local picnic spot once spring is in the air where you can relax in a well-maintained garden home to Neo-Baroque statues cascading fountains and a sweeping stone staircase get a tap beer in trendy bar Alter Roter Löwe Rein people-watch and observe epic sunsets – it’s only a short walk away from Volkspark Hasenheide which hosts an annual funfair in May and offers open-air cinema screenings in the summer with a focus on World War II air-raid shelters and tunnels – and the stunning 70-hectare Rehberge Park ArTono / Shutterstock An area that was once home to the likes of David Bowie, Christopher Isherwood and Marlene Dietrich Schöneberg is historically known for being the trendy center of Berlin To this day it remains the most liberal part of an already famously liberal city and a thriving center of modern art this picturesque area also happens to have recently welcomed many refugees Marzahn is where to go to see seemingly never-ending blocks of concrete and Communist architecture. You can get a real taste for the old east here but luckily artworks, colourful paint and nature add some much-needed life. Recommended by Megan King Adlershof in the south east of the city is where Berlin’s students of technology hang out This article is an updated version of a story created by Megan King See & Do Germany's Most Beautiful Abbeys and Monasteries See & Do A Guide to River Cruises in Germany: What to Know See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer Design The Most Beautiful Churches in Berlin See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July See & Do How to Spend the Perfect Day in Bernkastel-Kues See & Do The Best Weekend Trips From Heidelberg See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd Welcome to IPE Real Assets. This site uses cookies. Read our policy Lender Erste Group has announced that it has provided a €320 mln refinancing facility to a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) for Wien-Mitte a multi-use trophy property located in the centre of Vienna. Erste Group acted as sole underwriter and arranger which is its single largest real estate financing to date Wien-Mitte comprises 63,000 m2 of modern offices and a 28,000 m2 shopping centre called 'The Mall' Acquired by an investment fund managed by MSREI in 2015 Wien-Mitte is fully let on a long-term basis to anchor tenants such as the Austrian Ministry of Finance multinational packaging and paper group Mondi Wien-Mitte is a green building with ESG credentials such as a DGNB Platinum certification and an ÖGNI Green Building status in line with EU taxonomy.Erste Group was the sole underwriter and arranger of the refinancing and also acted as facility and security agent the refinancing for Wien-Mitte is Erste Group’s largest single real estate loan to date 'Erste Group is proud to have financed as sole underwriter in its home market such a large and high-quality trophy asset as Wien-Mitte This transaction marks a continuation of Erste Group’s strategy to finance super prime green buildings that are owned and managed by high quality sponsors with strong asset management track record,' said Wolfgang Molnar executive director for Commercial Real Estate at Erste Group 'MSREI is delighted to have completed the refinancing of this landmark trophy asset with Erste Group We have been investing in quality properties in Austria for the past decade and we continue to like the fundamentals of the Austrian real estate market,' said Oriol Espinet Copyright © 1997–2025 IPE International Publishers Limited Site powered by Webvision Cloud CELEBRATING THE BEST OF TV, MOVIES, AND COMICS Flynn White is ready to take up his father’s legacy In 2013 Heisenberg’s criminal empire ended but maybe there’s someone waiting in the wings to continue the family business Breaking Bad followed the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a meth dealer to pay for his medical expenses. As the series progressed, White descended deeper into the dark side, until he alienated his family, friends, and ultimately lost his life. Since Breaking Bad concluded, viewers have been hungry for a sequel. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie revealed the fate of Walter White’s former partner Jesse Pinkman, while Better Call Saul revealed the secret history of Heisenberg’s former attorney Saul Goodman. But will we ever get a true Breaking Bad sequel, and if we did, what would it be about. After all, Heisenberg is dead. However, the cast have an interesting idea for the direction of any potential Breaking Bad sequel. Speaking to a crowd at Awesome Con 2024, the cast began riffing about New Mexico, which led them down an interesting path. “In New Mexico you can try that blue meth. Very good,” Luis Moncada, who played the hitman brothers Daniel and Luis Moncada, joked. “It’s not blue anymore, I can tell you that,” says Walter 'Flynn' White Jr. actor RJ Mitte. ”I forgot to tell you guys,” Moncada said, pointing at Mitte. “Breaking Bad 2, when he [Mitte] takes over the Heisenberg empire …what’s it going to be, Flynn 3.0?” ”No .0, I’ll tell you that. They are all originals,” Mitte proudly answered. Mitte's Flynn spent most of the series unaware of his father’s criminal activities. The series ended with Flynn estranged from his father. Could Flynn follow in his father’s footsteps as a drug kingpin in a Breaking Bad sequel? Probably not, but the cast loved exploring the idea. “Flynn is flinging meth,” Steven Michael Quezada, who played DEA agent Steven Gomez, said with excitement. “What does 3.0 mean anyway,” Moncada asked, referring back to the original statement. ”3.0 is an update,” Mitte answered. “So that’s a good thing,” Moncada asked. “It’s a great thing,” Mitte proudly said. Could a Flynn White sequel to Breaking Bad be a great thing too? The premise doesn’t sound likely, but if series creator Vince Gilligan ever goes through with it, the cast seem like they’re up for it. Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to: Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing Popverse is owned by Reed Exhibitions, a division of RELX Inc. d/b/a ReedPop © 2025 Reed Exhibitions, a division of RELX Inc., 401 Merritt 7, 5th Floor, Norwalk CT, 06851. All rights reserved. No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission. There’s no need to head east after dark – Mitte’s best bars include stylish speakeasies elegant wine bars and atmospheric beer lounges Bar Saint Jean is among Berlin’s best LGBTQ-friendly bars inclusive and welcoming to everyone who steps through its door The bar itself is striking – a minimalist wooden art piece where chic patrons stand to order classic and innovative cocktails but Bar Saint Jean’s charm is in its Gallic vibe electro music and an elegant crowd make it comparable to a bar in Paris’s posh Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood visit any night it’s open except for Fridays when the bar allows smoking >> Or you can go past Bar Saint Jean on this off the beaten path tour! cold foamy beer from tap into glass at bar with multiple beer dispensers Bar Tausend Beneath the arches of Berlin’s Friedrichstraße railway station is an unmarked door, and if you knock on it, you may get to enter Bar Tausend – the bouncer ultimately decides A stylish Roaring Twenties-style speakeasy the bar features a large dance floor that shakes whenever a train runs overhead – a unique experience while flexing your moves – and the bar offers a creative menu that takes inspiration from neighbourhoods from around the world The bar is popular with theatregoers and makes for a unique and elegant experience that will have you returning to visit its restaurant People cheering cocktails in bar | guys_who_shoot / Shutterstock Neue Odessa Bar Not many places exemplify the trendy Berlin-Mitte bar experience like Neue Odessa. It’s a place where both tourists and residents revel in the top-notch craft cocktails and romantic decor – beginning with the sparkling canopy at the entrance rich yet relaxing colour scheme and maximalist bar area Neue Odessa contrasts with the edgier party spots out east It’s another venue popular with the creative types Barkeeper at a Cocktailbar | SBPhotografia / Shutterstock just basic Bavarian brews – and it is strictly cash only Art 10 Masterpieces You Can Only See in Munich Das Lokal comes from fine heritage: formerly Kantine a cult pop-up of sorts which had occupied a space earmarked for demolition in David Chipperfield’s architectural office Their relocation to a permanent location on Linienstrasse sees the restaurant decorated with beautiful furniture handmade from wood salvaged from the forests around Berlin Das Lokal flies the flag for Portland-style locavore cuisine using only the most sustainable of ingredients for its changing menu of German staples The Mitte location makes it a popular lunch spot for local media types who come to talk shop over roast veg with salad or gulasch soup mussels in broth or asparagus croquettes all designed to demonstrate the superior flavour of well-sourced produce The kitchen is an oasis for offal dishes and game with which Berlin’s surrounding forests abound – a welcome sight in today’s age of cheap industrial farming After being diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young child RJ Mitte learned to view his differences as a source of strength rather than a setback and not letting the judgments and other people define who you are The UGBC Council for Students with Disabilities hosted Mitte best known for his role as Walter White Jr on AMC’s award-winning television show Breaking Bad his perception of his diagnosis of cerebral palsy was positively influenced by the physical disability his grandfather lived with “I grew up seeing people like me—I grew up with my grandfather who was in a wheelchair from a stroke,” Mitte said as something that was different from anyone else I thought everyone is experiencing challenges An important lesson Mitte learned was that he could decide what he was and was not capable of doing in life “The one lesson that my grandfather on my mother’s side taught me—that echoes with me today that I hope I can instill in your mentality—is that ‘can’t’ is a decision,” Mitte said Mitte said he learned from a young age to form his personal identity independently of others’ opinions what they think your abilities are—that is their perspective,” Mitte said Mitte said when he started going to school but that he recognized it stemmed from their lack of understanding “I never let those people get to me because I knew they did not see who I am and what I’m truly capable of,” Mitte said Mitte said he learned that being open to communication with others helped reduce the misunderstandings and conflicts “Communication is such a powerful tool,” Mitte said Are they gonna do this?’ [affect you]—being who you are will open a lot of doors.” Mitte said he began his journey with Breaking Bad when he was only 13 years old auditioning for his role five times over the course of six months so we have a plane booked for you for tomorrow at 6:00 a.m “‘You’re going to do one final audition.’ And so I got on the plane he and the Breaking Bad cast were unaware of how big the show would become when they began filming the first season along with the realities of truth we were able to tell through this journey.” Mitte said being on Breaking Bad helped him gain a platform that he now uses to advocate for disability rights on and off the stage “I’m very lucky—I’ve traveled all over the country,” Mitte said “I was just working in Romania with disability rights advocacy seeing different walks of life and realizing we’re all facing the same challenges Mitte said his character provided a more holistic representation of someone living with disabilities we are very lucky that representation is a key component in society and especially in media we didn’t really have a character that wasn’t just disabled,” Mitte said I saw him as the young man that wants to make a life Mitte concluded the talk by encouraging the audience to learn what helps them better understand those around them “Sometimes we don’t know what that something is learning to understand it will help you understand others NEWS SPORTS ARTS MAGAZINE NEWTON OPINIONS MULTIMEDIA best known for playing Walter “Flynn” White Jr on the series “Breaking Bad,” will discuss living with cerebral palsy and the impact it has had on his career during a talk at noon on Wednesday in the Compton Union Building Junior Ballroom The event is free and open to everyone on the Pullman campus The presentation will not be livestreamed. will be followed by a meet-and-greet where students “I am super excited for this event,” said Matthew Jeffries director of campus climate and community building in the Division of Student Affairs “This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that students will remember when they look back on their college experience.” Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3; after his diagnosis doctors put his legs in casts for 6 months to straighten his feet He used leg braces and crutches for most of his childhood until his body became strong enough to walk without them Mitte looked for acting opportunities that would educate people about his disability He landed the role with “Breaking Bad” in 2008 and starred in the series until it ended in 2013 That year the Screen Actors Guild recognized him for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series and he received a Media Access Award Mitte has served as the Screen Actors Guild’s spokesperson for actors with disabilities and advocates for people with disabilities in the media and arts In addition to his role in “Breaking Bad,” Mitte played a lead role in the 2011 horror film “Stump” and appeared in “House of Last Things” the same year He also worked as the executive producer for the documentary “Vanished: The Tara Calico Story.” Mitte’s appearance is taking place in lieu of the Access Center’s annual Disability Awareness Symposium which was placed on hold this year due to staffing challenges and competing priorities and staff will come away from Mitte’s presentation with a realization that we all have unconscious biases that influence the decisions we make in life “It takes these kinds of learning opportunities to become cognizant of them and to be able to chip away at them,” he said the more we can recognize our own ableist practices – we can deconstruct them and build something better.” a WSU Pullman senior and an intern in the Access Center said she is excited for the opportunity to learn more about how disabilities are portrayed in the media “I believe attendees will gain a better understanding of how disabilities are portrayed on screen and the effect that has on people with disabilities,” she said “I love that we have an opportunity to learn from someone that is so prominent in the industry.” and more — listen to podcasts from Washington State University About WSU: A selection of programs about Washington State a centrist member of the National Council from the canton of Basel-Landschaft does not want to become president of the Center Party the 61-year-old told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Monday Mitte Schweiz needs a personality in the presidency who can focus fully on political business party strategy and cantonal and national presence I would like to continue to assume my responsibilities in foreign policy and the economy with full strength and conviction - and therefore rule out a candidacy," Schneider-Schneiter continued Campus Life'Breaking Bad's' RJ Mitte to kick off fall 2016 Distinguished Speaker SeriesRJ Mitte will kick off the fall 2016 Distinguished Speaker Series at 8 p.m. on Sept. 28. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — The Student Programming Association's (SPA) fall Distinguished Speaker Series will feature RJ Mitte on Sept on the Emmy-winning AMC drama "Breaking Bad," will kick off the series at 8 p.m 28 in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Alumni Hall Also known for his roles on "Hannah Montana," "Everybody Hates Chris," and "Switched at Birth," Mitte will enlighten students about people with disabilities and talk about his own experience living with a disability He spent most of his childhood in both Austin where he learned to overcome many of the challenges presented by the group of neurological disorders that appear in the early stages of childhood and permanently affect one’s muscle coordination Penn State students with a valid student ID will be able to pick up a pair of tickets for the event beginning Sept in collaboration with the Center for Women Students Traveling the United States and other countries as an organizer and lecturer Steinem is a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality She is particularly interested in the shared origins of sex and race caste systems gender roles and child abuse as roots of violence and organizing across boundaries for peace and justice a Japanese American who is best known for his narration and voiceover talent Takei has worked on films like "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "Mulan," "Batman Beyond: The Movie," "Spider-Man" and "George Lucas' Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Takei is an outspoken supporter of human rights issues and a passionate community activist which stems from his four-year imprisonment in two U.S internment camps during World War II when he was only 4 years old is also a passionate advocate for social justice He has served as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project," and he was cultural affairs chairman of the Japanese American Citizens League Ticket information for Steinem and Takei will be announced closer to the events. Watch SPA's Facebook or Twitter accounts for updates or visit the SPA website seats will be made available to the general public one week before the event In this episode, Dr. Nath sits down with actor RJ Mitte to discuss his experience in the entertainment industry as an individual with cerebral palsy RJ also shares his journey in finding confidence despite the bullying that he endured throughout his childhood pediatric neurologist and director of Boston Children’s Hospital Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention and Advocacy Collaborative co-director of Boston Children’s Hospital Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Center Raffalli and Barkoudah speak about bullying in the cerebral palsy community and provide coping strategies for those experiencing it and tips for parents and educators Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Libsyn See Episode Transcript Correa:We're two neurologists and fellow brain geeks hosting The Brain and Life Podcast and website are all brought to you by the American Academy of Neurology We'll be here each week for conversations and interviews with community members and experts on brain health and living with neurologic conditions I got to speak with the star of Breaking Bad to see him kind of get to grow up as an actor I'm really interested to see how he's incorporated his experiences with cerebral palsy into his acting and everything that he does Nath:He spoke about what bullying was like as a child with his physical disabilities did you experience bullying when you were a kid and I spoke Spanish and my parents taught me some English And of course we learned it as part of our school but then we moved to Colorado Springs for my kindergarten Colorado Springs not a whole lot of Spanish speaking people in that community My accent in English made the teachers treat me differently The teachers really just saw me as somehow less intelligent and kind of categorized me that way in the classroom And they told my parents that I couldn't learn both languages at once and tried to pressure my parents into only teaching me English Kids can absolutely learn more than one language Nath:Do you think that having gone through that experience where your intelligence was underestimated has that changed your perspective or made you more empathetic with your patients who have physical disabilities I went through a period of time myself when I was younger where I felt very much like I had to assimilate and not speak with an accent and not stand out as Latino to be successful But over time I've embraced those unique things about myself And I think those experiences have helped me really have an opportunity to understand that everyone comes from a different place brings many different and exciting perspectives And then within our patients and the family members that we help take care of just having a more understanding for all the different things that they may be going through and how the things that they live with whether it's a neurologic condition or anything else impacts how they interact with the community and the world around us We here at Brain and Life are thrilled to be speaking with movie star Many of us know RJ from his role as Walt Jr in the smash hit and Emmy Award winning show Breaking Bad But he is also the founder of Cut the Bull which advocates for inclusion of people with disabilities in arts and media and celebrity ambassador for the organization United Cerebral Palsy and he's co-hosted coverage of the Paralympic games He's now acting in a superhero series on Netflix called Guardians of Justice He's accomplished all of those things and isn't even 30 years old yet but I want to start with something basic that maybe people ask you about all the time The casting call for your role in Breaking Bad was looking for a teenager with and mild cerebral palsy." So for those listeners who haven't seen RJ was that something you had been waiting for your whole life RJ Mitte:You don't really know what you've been waiting for your whole life until you have it or it hits you with it I only had been acting for a little over a year and many other shows and movies as an extra worker And it was something that I was really into when I got the opportunity to start an acting career and work in the media And I was auditioning for a bunch of shows There was nothing that really described really me but really didn't fit the role until this role "You got this," and everyone around me was like RJ Mitte:And just the one thing that I have learned over the years of working in the industry and actually just any job that you're going to be working in is that if you have the mentality of I got this.. four in Los Angeles and once in New Mexico against many other people with cerebral palsy and not and they called me about hour later saying that I had the role and to fly back to LA and pack my bags because I will be filming for the next six months How do you keep your confidence up or did you have any strategies to keep you from just being mired in self doubt keeping your confidence and kind of staying positive about the role when you really don't know Can I be a part of this business?" Whatever that may be And I find the biggest thing is just enjoying what you're doing it could be working at McDonald's or whatever And that's what I go into all my jobs with is that enjoyment of am I going to make the impact that I want Am I going to leave this work and this job better than I found it RJ Mitte:And that mentality for a lot of it's what keeps me going It doesn't necessarily mean I always have the confidence or the belief in myself that I'll do it but it doesn't mean that I'm not capable of doing it or I don't believe I have the power of doing it And so a lot of times it's okay not to be confident and I find that you have to always want the best for it but that takes a lot of knowing who you are as a person which I work with a lot of children who definitely struggle with that and a lot of adults who really struggle with that and kind of hide behind different titles or different things It is all about mindfulness and giving it all of yourself I'm curious about how you got that strength you've spoken about bullying in a lot of your advocacy work and I was going back and reading about your own background as a kid with a visible disability you sustained physical injuries from assaults as a child How did you go from that and being literally physically beaten down to having such a strong core of self RJ Mitte:I think they're related in many capacities you make two decisions when you're faced with certain challenges You either run from them or you face some head on I was very lucky I grew up with some very strong grandparents on both sides of my family.. RJ Mitte:Who instilled mentalities in me that helped me be who I am today and one of those was don't take crap from anyone RJ Mitte:And be myself and if someone doesn't understand it A lot of people attack people or see people from lack of understanding They have this image of what they see of you and they project their insecurities or their disbelief that they have about themselves onto other people that I was very lucky at a young age to find they may be attacking that you walk funny or you talk funny or whatever it may be but it's because they have that same dilemma within themselves And no matter how much they try to break you down you still go home and sleep and have your life and they have to go back to whatever life gave them that idea or that mentality RJ Mitte:And so you have to realize don't hate yourself for how other people see you Don't devalue who you are as an individual just because someone else doesn't see you as valuable a lot of people look at disability as a liability and there's a neurological connection to those two words that we've put into society the way that I grew up was disability is an asset A lot of my grandparents had diabetes or polio or stroke and the thing was is I never saw them as disabled I actually don't even see myself as disabled but what I do see of myself is the opportunity and the knowledge that my disability gave to me the opportunities that I had through physical therapy and so on and so forth of everything that comes with it Nath:I find it interesting that you've walked in so many different spaces which is not the kind of place where I would normally think of there being somebody with a physical disability What's it like to be walking a runway in Europe with a bunch of able bodied people or it could be you're blonde instead of brunette but you have to learn how not to beat yourself up We are our own worst enemy when it comes to our mental health and then that carries over to our physical health that this wasn't meant for you at that moment or you do whatever you feel that you need to do to be that better person or whatever it is that you're going for And whatever you may feel self-conscious about RJ Mitte:If you may have missing appendages something visual that you're self conscious about or you have a neurological issue where you stutter learn how to utilize that for your interest Learn how to actually control it in a way where it doesn't inhibit you from doing your job And that's what I've learned through my disability Nath:You mentioned the unforgiving industry that is movies and TV and modeling Do you think that you and your role as Walt Jr Do you think you see now more roles for people with disabilities millions of working artists with disabilities around the world and did Breaking Bad help lessen the stigma on working with people with disabilities or just how people viewed people with disabilities I've definitely seen a great change in the industry when it comes to diversification and representation Nath:I think that you are now in people's living rooms and in people's homes as an example of someone they know I think you used crutches and things that you don't actually necessarily need to use in person Nath:But they now have that image in their mind I want to ask you about your more recent project which I think my husband is watching right now but a little off the wall and a little abstract Can you tell us a little about your character I don't really necessarily know if this series is child appropriate and I play a character named Mind Master who is kind of a bad guy I have mind control and can do a couple other things that I'm not going to do Nath:Everyone has to watch and see what he does even including within the superhero universes which is kind of a fascinating concept to push the boundaries there but it is interesting that even people who are given the gift of flight and infinite strength aren't allowed to be themselves And that's something that we should be dismantling now And I think it's awesome that you're the one doing it and turning upside down what is normal or what is beautiful in media Is there a particular social media where people can see what you're up to Instagram is definitely one of those things that I actually work very easy on Instagram And going back to the view and turning that view and experiencing that no matter what part of your life and where you are in it you have the opportunity to make it better but always be yourself and expressing yourself on your views and who you are no matter what is so important And that a lot of times the wrong people get the opportunity to do that RJ Mitte:And if more people were to do that I think we would live in a much better world Please come back and visit us again when you're doing something even more off the wall abstract than what you're doing now I'm a fan of the magazine and everything that y'all do and awareness of what y'all bring to the community And I really believe that it's so important to provide this type of information and to put myself out there as well as y'all are to really change the face and the focus of what it is to have neurological disorders or whatever it may be you're facing and normalize it there's a lot of people in this world that don't even know they have these types of issues just be strong and learn that you can overcome anything Nath:We'll follow you on Instagram and stay in touch To help us all understand more about cerebral palsy and the effect bullying has on people with this condition To learn more about cerebral palsy and the issue of bullying amongst pediatric neurology patients I caught up with two pediatric neurologists at Boston Children's MD runs the bullying and cyber bullying prevention and advocacy collaborative team MD is a neurodevelopmental neurologist who specializes in the care of patients with cerebral palsy these two were both my attendings back when I was a resident and two of the sweetest people I know what sorts of adaptive activities have you heard about that they can participate in to help boost confidence This has been an overarching question that has been there from the start of time You can imagine that activities would be based off of functional abilities and so those who have more functional abilities have a wider berth of options available to them but a lot of sporting associations or communities are getting smart at figuring out creative ways there is a fencing club here in Boston who has an adaptive fencing league or group Barkoudah:I think it's amazing how they do it in wheelchairs Barkoudah:And how they figure out how to make it as even as possible based on abilities has been great at opening up options where people can visually see You can do all sorts of activities with the right equipment those who live in bigger cities have more opportunities because there are more facilities than somebody who lives in rural United States Barkoudah:So I think there are definitely factors and layers that impact this But if you ask me from the time I started in the cerebral palsy world to now and we oftentimes are spanning them out to our patient population so that they know The CP community is very tight knit as well So there's a lot of word of mouth when somebody finds adaptive skiing- a group or a program and then the challenge then becomes is the balance between want and availability starts becoming problematic so you run the bullying clinic at Boston Children's Neurology RJ Mitte told us about his experiences with bullying he had just a lot of physical violence against him Do you find that these attacks appear to be proportional to a patient's degree of motor disability Raffalli:I don't think there's any data on whether or not it definitely follows the degree of disability I think the kids with intellectual disability sometimes get bullied a little bit less because they're isolated in the school often in substantially separate special ed classrooms Raffalli:So they don't have that exposure to the other peers but I think the kids who are very functional but in wheelchairs or with crutches or whatever it is that makes it stand out that they have a disability clearly their risk is very high and much higher than the general population And we've seen this with all sorts of disabilities across the board This was one of the reasons that I started this clinic was because I was constantly being asked about bullying of my patients and I had had an interest from the very get go the increase in aggression among children and adolescents that the AAP the American Academy of Pediatrics has been reporting on now for many years Raffalli:And so I came up with this idea to do this clinic and since this inception of BACPAC there's been an explosion in studies and bullying And one of the clear conclusions that's come out of many studies is that clearly any kind of medical problem increases your risk for bullying but unfortunately when kids see a kid with a difference has a tendency to be a domineering personality who lacks empathy skills Actually the personality trait they most demonstrate is that they're kind of callous and unemotional and not empathetic And so they see a difference in another kid and they make fun of it Raffalli:So the kids with the disabilities but it's amazing to me how kids with CP get bullied You would think that you would lay off a kid that can't walk or that has difficulty one of the first groups that I was asked to speak to was from our neuro-oncology division to a brain tumor survivor group And they were finding that as they tried to assimilate back into schools they were getting bullied at a high frequency because their appearance was different after radiation or whatever they went through And I never would've thought that anybody in their right mind would bully somebody with a brain tumor Do they report to you that they are bullied more in person or do they ever mention to you cyber bullying as well I don't think it's reported unless somebody goes and asks Barkoudah:And it takes a very savvy provider or support member to actually bring it up before somebody actually says yeah." And sometimes when I frame it to the kids does anybody ever say this to you or does anybody ever do this?" They actually start saying that does happen." So I don't know if understanding the true definition of bullying is grasped Barkoudah:If you asked me back when I was younger what I would've interpreted as bullying and we didn't quite know what the definitions were and what they meant and bringing it to awareness is definitely needed So I think that's one step away from what your original question was Then you have to actually picture the spectrum of what cerebral palsy presents like So if you have patients with CP who are able to communicate very efficiently with you that's a much different level of engagement and information that you're going to obtain which is completely different than somebody who has communication difficulties Nath:You run this bullying and cyber bullying clinic and for all the people out there listening that are not in a city that has a pediatric neurology bullying clinic what are some of the strategies that you use with your patients and before I get into the strategy to help them I often don't use the word bullying when I ask in my regular clinic because in the bullying clinic obviously we're meeting for that purpose but when I'm seeing patients in the general neurology clinic Do you ever see anybody picking on somebody else?" And then I finally say avoiding the bullying word because that hooks people Raffalli:And then I think she makes this excellent point that if you're kind of gentle about it there is this one kid on the bus that keeps..." So it becomes more apparent that there's a problem And the other thing that she pointed out that's very important and worth repeating is you have to think of it and you have to ask a lot So we try to get primary cares to get more involved in that and actually having like they screen for other pediatric health hazards to actually try to include at least one question as to whether or not they're having any troubles with peer victimization at school As far as what we advise when we are in the bullying clinic first thing we tell them is that mediation has been shown in studies to be detrimental in bullying situations Raffalli:Bringing the victim and the bully together for what I call a cup of coffee and a handshake is not going to help And the alleged perpetrator or the offender takes that as that he was told on and then blames the victim the opposite is separation and that's the mainstay of the advice we give you're going to notice that none of the advice that has we base it on the research that's been done as to what works and what doesn't work We try to convince the schools to keep them apart Raffalli:If the bullying is really egregious and particularly if it's middle school where somebody could get seriously hurt or violent that it would be good if they're not putting the same cluster or same grade group so that they don't share classes you can separate them by distance so they're just not close enough for the kid to take jabs and That's not appropriate." If somebody has to switch a classroom because there's a dysfunctional relationship it should be the person who's doing the bullying that should have to change Raffalli:And the other thing we try to tell them to do is to have a safe person which means an adult that's fairly consistently present at the school and who is willing to play that role for the child It has to be somebody of the child's choosing because the paramount thing is it has to be somebody the kid trusts and is comfortable talking to So if the school principal picks somebody as his safe person So we want him or her to pick it and then that person is there to listen on short notice if there's a problem And then also willing to advocate for the victim at the level of the principal's office and actually in all of the states in the United States we happen to have a subsection of the bullying law for kids with special needs the spirit of these laws is to put the onus on the schools to identify bullying and to intervene and to get it to stop when it's happening and so we remind the parents of all of this information because it usually just gets the victim in trouble leaving the situation and finding the nearest adult rather than trying to argue with the bully or bully back So basically separation and then a trusted adult to advocate what do we do about cyber bullying and Instagram comments Nath:They could be in a different part of the country or what have you been telling people about that do stipulate that cyber bullying is still under the school's jurisdiction Raffalli:If it involves schoolmates and if it's having a negative impact on the victim's school life what we tell people is don't delete the negative messages They're hoping to get you emotional and to say something and then to continue the abuse You don't want to delete it because you may need it as evidence later if you have to go further with it If it gets really bad and you have to go to a police report or something or you may just want to have them to show the school so that the school believes you "Don't take away their internet privileges to tell them that they can't use their media is just not fair to them We do tell them to block the person who sent them the nasty email and anybody else who joined in We tell them that they themselves should not join in on bashing of others So if they see that a bunch of the friends they're talking with start bashing on somebody they should just not comment and just don't get involved there is always the report tool where you can report to the domain inappropriate behavior by another member and then sometimes the domain will investigate and shut that person's account down if they find that it was abusive kids with CP that I've seen in the bullying clinic definitely get cyber bullied and if you think about it they often depend a lot on technology for communication and so on Raffalli:And so they're especially on the internet for the kids with cerebral palsy that may be listening to this show in all parts of the country is there anything that you want to tell them The patients that I get to be involved in their life I have patients who know that their job for me is to come in with a new joke I have a few patients who I hire them to make me something and I'll give them a couple choices of things that I'm interested in and I want them to have the opportunities that any of us or any of our children have which I recognize is not equal in this country but I view them as the world is their oyster We just have to figure out a way to make it work for that particular person just since I'm trying to cover the bullying front what I tell every kid that I see in the bullying clinic is It was really courageous for you to be willing to talk about what's happening But I also tell them that it's extremely important that they understand that bullying is never the victim's fault and they're going try to make you feel like it's your fault I could be the most annoying person in the world I don't deserve to be abused and neither to you Your parents will always be your best advocates and your doctors I know that you worry that if you tell adults that it'll get worse the studies show that doing nothing doesn't help they sort of feel like maybe they're justified because nobody's doing anything to stop them but the adults certainly want to protect you and will be upset that you're being harassed or taunted And they're going to want very badly to work to try to make it better for you thank you both so much for speaking with me and our listeners about this topic Correa:Thank you for joining us today on The Brain and Life podcast Follow and subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss our weekly episode You can also sign up to receive The Brain and Life Magazine for free at brainandlife.org you can find out how to connect with us and our guests along with great resources in the show notes You can also reach out by email at BLPodcast@BrainandLife.org and The Brain and Life Magazine at your preferred social media channels Nath:Special thanks to The Brain and Life team our executive editor for education and news publications Correa:Daniel Correa joining you from New York City and online @NeuroDoctorCorrea beaming in from Texas and on Twitter @AudreyNathMDPhD Correa:Thank you to our community members that trust us with their health and everyone living with neurologic conditions We hope together we can take steps to better brain health and each thrive with our own abilities every day Nath:Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Correa:We really appreciate it if you can give us five stars and leave a review Correa:This helps others find The Brain and Life Podcast Back to Top RJ Mitte is an actor who is best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC series "Breaking Bad." Like the character on the show, Mitte struggles with cerebral palsy in real life. He will be in Pensacola for Pensacon 2023 Support Local Stories. Donate Here Hunter Morrison: For those out there that don't know you and as a teenager you moved to Los Angeles Was it the environment that you were living in or was it an interest that you've always sort of had RJ Mitte:It was more of an environment that I was living If you moved to California and you didn't go to school I started acting to meet kids my own age and it ended up turning into a career for me most people know you for your role as Walter Jr in the TV show "Breaking Bad." What was going through your head when you first started that role And did you ever anticipate how well-received the show would be Mitte:I think what was going through my head What is happening?' It's just a big whirlwind when you work on a show I've worked on quite a few shows over the years It's one of those things that no matter what you're doing Are people going to like it?' You just kind of have to go through it What you may see on the set as awesome the audience might not like it So I think the big thing for me was to just keep my head down and keep pushing forward if you were to Google 'top 100 actors working in Hollywood today,' your "Breaking Bad" co-star Bryan Cranston is one of the hits that comes up He also happens to be one of my favorite actors What was it like working with him as well as everyone else on the show I would say even if you Google 'top ten' he's in that bracket He just was so kind and caring and generous When you've been working professionally as long as he has you build up a rapport with what you have to do as number one and it definitely is amazing to see how he carries himself on a set and conducts his work Morrison: Do you have a favorite memory from working on the TV show I actually used to live in Albuquerque way back in the day You have some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world that are in New Mexico it's a really high altitude city with mountains all around and high desert for all you can see to the sunset It's one of those places that just cinematic everywhere you look A lot of places you have to catch the light and you have to angle certain ways to make sure you get that shot six months out of the year for seven years while I was living in California It's one of those places where I want to move back You don't really have that here in Florida you got the beach and you have great fishing you were diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three Tell me about some of your struggles with it growing up and how you worked to overcome those struggles I was in casts for six months out of the year I look at my cerebral palsy as such a blessing when it comes to my everyday life and who I am today because I believe that disabilities are a personal challenge to an individual to overcome things that most people could not I try to use my platform the best I can to promote and to bring positivity towards the perception of people with disabilities I think to anyone that is listening that has a disability don't let other people's perception of you define who you are as an individual and grow from it is what it means to be human Morrison:In addition to some of the other roles that you've played the character that you play in "Breaking Bad" also struggles with cerebral palsy What would you say is the importance of visibility and representation of this disability in television and movies as we've seen over the last ten years with the growth of representation on television Having positive influences of individuals with disabilities TV really brings communities together in a way that you might not realize through social outlet I think that can really inspire individuals and that can do wonders for confidence and self-esteem If you see a character that's going through the same struggle as you it can help inspire you to get that extra push you've overcome adversity and have made quite a name for yourself but also in your activism and in working towards representation for those with disabilities What would you say to someone who might be listening to this who is struggling with some sort of disability and they feel that their disability hinders or defines them Mitte:It only defines you as much as you let it but really what it comes down to at the end of the day is believing in yourself and it's your decision to make that possible Do you have any roles or projects you're currently working on or will be a part of in the foreseeable future Mitte:Yeah! I've got a couple of projects right now. One is called "The Oak Room," I want to say it's on Amazon. I have, another show called "Guardians of Justice" on Netflix I'm working on two movies that will be coming out very soon RJ Mitte will be a celebrity guest at Pensacon 2023 Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Brooke Savage “Breaking Bad” is returning to Central Florida on Saturday He’ll be hosting United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida’s 31st annual charity gala with Cheryl Hines and Rachael Harris Mitte has cerebral palsy himself, and has been a strong supporter of the organization for many years He was first diagnosed with it at the age of 3 Mitte has appeared in many TV shows along with the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning “Breaking Bad,” including “Weeds,” “Everybody Hates Chris’' and “Switched at Birth.” watching his father’s descent into the drug manufacturing business but Mitte had to learn how to walk on crutches and slur his speech to create a more dramatic version of his own disability “I’m very lucky that I’m part of a community that there’s not just hundreds of us but thousands of us that are all trying to achieve the same goal and that’s better quality work that’s the opportunity to even get the job and that’s providing understanding and new ways to see people with disabilities that most people don’t get the opportunity to see,” Mitte said Since his life-changing role in “Breaking Bad,” he’s also appeared in many indie films and most recently starred in the movie “Triumph,” which is available on digital platforms Despite his challenges with cerebral palsy he sets his sights on joining the high school wrestling team and finds support from his coach Mitte talked about how important it is to have representation of people with disabilities in the media “I find a lot of people with disabilities don’t get out much being able to bring people out and being seen in the public 90% of what I see in the industry is exposure and if you’ve never been exposed to someone with a disability you’ve never talked to someone with a disability your likelihood of understanding individuals with disabilities isn’t very high,” Mitte explained The film will be donating a portion of the proceeds to UCP of Central Florida and UCPA National The annual charity gala starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Caribe Royale Orlando Check out every episode of Riff On This in the media player below: Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved Brooke is a news producer and has been with News 6 since January 2018 She grew up in Coral Springs and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. When the Wall fell, Berlin Mitte looked as if the Second World War had just ended. People squatted in empty houses and turned basements into clubs which existed only for a few months. The young and creative enjoyed the freedoms of a place which, for a while, felt like the realisation of what the American countercultural writer Hakim Bey had described as a “temporary autonomous zone”, where at any given moment an excessive party was waiting around the corner. With an East German government in transition, Mitte in the early 1990s presented itself as a space of possibilities, not unlike the inner city areas of New York before they were gentrified, or east London, which was being transformed in parallel with Mitte. To say that art was part of everyday life in post-Wall Mitte would be a romantic exaggeration of the plain fact that in those days a lot of time and energy went into the creation of artistic situations. A lot of the things produced were mere design items: people would pick up stuff from the streets which had been declared rubbish, reassembling them to create ever more extravagant interiors in which to gather and to party. Artists like Daniel Pflumm were quite ingenious in combining their art with specific locations and social situations. Pflumm had started to re-create logos of multinational corporations on his computer. He edited them into short video clips which he showed in his former studio on the ground floor of a squat in Mauerstrasse. It led to a small club he called “Elektro”, because that’s what the sign on the storefront read—DJs would spin their records from Thursday to Sunday. Pflumm’s friends in the “Elektro Music Department” would record soundtracks for his videos, which before long were also on display also in the more conventional white-cube space of Galerie Neu. The art scene in Mitte was inextricably connected with House and Techno music—no opening was complete without a DJ. While Biesenbach became a key figure in putting Berlin back on the map of the international art scene, the powerful Cologne galleries opened branches in Mitte one by one. Only in the late 2000s did the Mitte hype die down—the real estate market had made it an expensive area. The number of galleries in Berlin had multiplied from a few to a few hundred by then and many moved to the former West. Recently Mitte has seen a small comeback. Galerie Neu, which opened in 1994 in Auguststrasse—one block east of Kunstwerke—returned this spring to the same street, moving into a former heating station. But Tacheles, that great emblem of Mitte’s early dynamism, is unlikely to return to being a venue for art. The building and the huge empty space surrounding it have been sold to an investor. No doubt we’ll see a shopping mall there soon. • This article was first published in November 2014 under the headline: Right there, right then, all at once analysis8 November 2019Since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has established itself as the artists' capitalDespite not being rich the city has a large percentage of professional creatives and a booming gallery scene One of H&M’s specialty stores, Mitte Garden in Berlin, is launching a clothing rental service that uses blockchain. SPIN uses IoT and blockchain to track the rented clothing that costs from €5 to €9 per item per day In addition to tracking the product’s origins by scanning a barcode, the concept is people can share what they looked like while wearing the fashion item We can’t wait to see how H&M Mitte Garten community will create stories by “SPINning” their fashion,” said Eliana Kuo A select group of items are available for rent until the end of the year “I am very excited to exclusively try out this blockchain based rental service in our Berlin Mitte Garten Store We have a unique community and customer base – they love to explore new things to experiment with their style and looks in a fashion-forward sustainable and affordable way,” said Stiliana Stoyanova of Mitte Garten. Lablaco started out with a focus on tracing the sustainable origins of fashion items and is backed by the founder of co-founder of Net-a-Porter Many may not appreciate that the clothing sector is one of the most polluting Data firm Quantis estimates that apparel makes up 6.7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions That’s almost four times the estimated emissions from the airline sector. Lablaco’s LPLUS solution tracks the origins and sustainability and also helps to ensure the item is not counterfeit The company also organizes the Circular Fashion Summit What happens to bar stories when all the bars are shut claustrophobic hangouts; the troubled characters of Cody Callahan’s new twisty raconteur noir spin their unsettling yarns after closing time Following a year of lockdown and separation in reality there’s something timely in the isolated locals and empty barstools portrayed on-screen who returns to his hometown after years of distance He didn’t even come back for his father’s funeral much to the ire of Paul the landlord (Peter Outerbridge) Steve begins to tell a story set at another bar opening a tense can of worms that builds steadily over the next 90 minutes Each storyteller brings their own wounds and gripes to their tales and you never know when someone is ‘goosing the truth’ RJ Mitte has always felt a sense of responsibility He was financially responsible for his mother and sister from the age of thirteen He took on odd jobs and extra work to scrape cash together until he was cast in his breakout role as Walt Jr in HBO’s Breaking Bad Mitte has grown into a unique voice in Hollywood both in his performances and behind the scenes He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at a young age but has stated his diagnosis empowered him to be better Using his platform – as he believes we all should – he’s been vocal about both positive and negative representations of disability in media from the power of the Paralympics to Robert Zemeckis’ recent adaption of The Witches and its problematic depictions of disability We caught up with RJ while he was skiing in Deer Valley “With everything that people are going through now this film definitely talks to a lot of the isolation and loneliness.” “I like to tell stories so the taller the better.” and Shriners [Hospitals for Children Open] and the other groups I work with not something you’re going to watch on a video It’s real people that need real help and they’re getting it How can we deliver the message that these kids and these young adults don’t need to live with doubt or disbelief To be able to face those challenges that they can’t see themselves facing What’s key in our industry is that we’re in a position to actually affect those people The Oak Room is available on Digital Download from 26th April in the UK from April 27th in Canada (Black Fawn Distribution) and from 28th April (also Lightbulb Film Distribution) in Australia and New Zealand known for his portrayal of Walter White Jr (“Flynn”) in the award-winning television series “Breaking Bad,” will speak at ECU from 7 – 9 p.m Mitte will present “Overcoming Adversity: Turning a Disadvantage to an Advantage,” followed by a question and answer period He will speak about bullying and overcoming obstacles to develop a career in acting had to learn to portray a character with a much more advanced condition in the role of Walter White Jr. He had to learn to walk with crutches and slow his speech down for the role Mitte suffered mild brain damage at birth and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 3 years old He moved to Los Angeles with his family in 2006 where he soon became a regular on the popular Disney television show The ECU event is sponsored by the Student Activities Board but attendees should be prepared to present an ECU OneCard RJ Mitte has had a front row seat at the Paralympic Games and Hollywood Both have shown quite the contrast in displaying disability Famously known for his role as Walter White Jr. in the US television series 'Breaking Bad', Mitte joined British broadcaster Channel 4 as a presenter for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Speaking on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) podcast 'A Winning Mindset: Lessons from the Paralympics', Mitte reflected on four years ago saying We were at this pinnacle of athleticism event,” the 28-year-old recalled He was only 13 when he began playing Breaking Bad’s Walter Jr. a character with cerebral palsy who develops to become the man and protector of his family after the father goes astray Mitte did not realise what 'Walter White Jr.' meant for the disability community He also came later to realise that there was not much of a positive display of disability in Hollywood The closest person I had to relate to was Forrest Gump But it didn't cross my mind,” Mitte explained to look at and to not just be a disabled person “As we're seeing more diversity growth now set a tone for what we are striving for in the arts and media.” Mitte would see able-bodied actors playing characters with a disability He would wonder why he did not know there was a casting call for that project “When it comes to people with disabilities and the lack of opportunity for individuals to audition We just don't have the ability to really cast properly,” Mitte said the same people getting hired for the same roles and the reason why isn't because of their great talent; it's because they're consistent They know these people are consistent so they consistently hire them And I think when it comes to people with disabilities and the lack of opportunity for individuals to audition it isn't that they can't do the job; we just don't have the ability to really cast properly.” Warner Bros.’ latest film ‘The Witches’ caused a stir for its negative portrayal of disability leading to the film’s star Anne Hathaway and its producers to apologise noting it was not their intention to offend anyone Mitte hopes this leads to change and awareness in the industry “When it comes to showing people with disabilities as a hero it's a case of look at that person overcoming adversity,” Mitte said “The only time you see a disabled hero is when they're in a wheelchair and then walking “There's so many of those that we need to go away from and strive for better and have people that may have a disability The complete transcript with RJ Mitte can be found on the IPC website. "Breaking Bad's" RJ Mitte was at Marquette University Thursday night My family and Facebook friends know too well that I'm not just a "Breaking Bad" super-fan I'm the annoying guy who's been evangelizing to anyone within earshot to watch this spectacular drama since the pilot premiere in 2008 But now many of my previously irritated friends are thanking me for the addiction the best drama in television history period.So I was thrilled to attend actor RJ Mitte's speech Thursday night at Marquette University's Varsity Theater/ he wisely cautioned his audience to use the medium for the betterment of others as hurtful remarks tend to come back around What happens on the internet stays on the internet 8) The cast of Breaking Bad developed a life-long bond with each other and the adult actors were very protective of Mitte.9) Mitte is a good sport He signed box after box of breakfast cereal hammed it up during the meet and greet and happily posed for every cell phone pic requested.10) Spoiler Alert: When I complimented Mitte on his tackling ability in last week's gut wrenching episode he said this: He got so worked up on the first take that he literally threw Bryan Cranston (his dad Walter White) across the room and felt bad for his over aggressiveness The Spoon Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution a maker of countertop mineral water machines announced this week that they would begin shipping their first product The Berlin-based company will ship first to new customers and Kickstarter backers in Germany and plans to begin selling the water-mineralizer in the US in the spring of 2022 filters and mineralizes the water using a two-step process The water is filtered using activated charcoal the water seeps through calcite and magnesite rocks to add calcium and magnesium The system uses a cartridge system for filtration and mineralization The machine also uses replaceable CO₂ cylinders to add the fizz The Mitte Home can be controlled by an app The app also allows users order new cartridges and CO₂ cylinders The original Mitte product offered via the company’s Kickstarter campaign included water distillation, but this version only provides filtration. According to the company’s update on Kickstarter a premium model called the Mitte Home Plus will include distillation and will ship in 2-3 years The company is offering backers the option get a Mitte Home While the Mitte comes to market over three years late, backers of the Kickstarter can take comfort in the product actually shipping. Hardware-based crowdfunding campaigns are notoriously high-risk, many products never ship, and those that do are usually late. The company’s ability to persist was no doubt in part due to a $10.6 million funding round in 2018 was significantly more than the $317 thousand raised as part of its crowdfunding campaign If you live in Germany and would like to order a Mitte while those who live outside of Germany can add themselves to the waitlist Just enter your email and we’ll take care of the rest: and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Feed your mind! Subscribe to one of our podcasts! © 2016–2025 The Spoon Unless you’re a sponsored cyclist — or just have plenty of expendable income — buying a bike for every sub-discipline isn’t realistic That’s likely why 8bar’s MITTE has become its most popular bike The flexible rig can “transform” from a road bike to a gravel setup meaning cyclists can purchase one bike that works in both kinds of terrain the Berlin-based bike company has decided to offer another version of its Swiss Army Bike — this time in titanium “After the MITTE has been successfully placed on the market for several years in the aluminum as well as steel version it was time for the titanium version,” the company said in a press release The bike-maker calls titanium the “perfect material” for an all-around bike like the MITTE because it’s both lightweight and durable over the long-term this 2-in-1 bike comes with a frame with adjustable chainstay length and two fork options That lets owners pick their poison of the day be it smooth rides on asphalt or bumpy ones on gravel “Fully-internal cable routing not only gives your bike a much cleaner look but also prevents dirt from getting stuck on your bike,” 8bar wrote “We have decided to completely abandon the possibility of mounting mechanical groupsets This makes the look even cleaner without ugly soldering points and empty cable inputs and outputs.” Una publicación compartida por 8bar bikes (@8barbikes) the titanium version of the MITTE bike or frame is currently available during the pre-order period the frames will be ordered and customers can “probably” expect a delivery in October “This date is not fixed and can also be postponed a bit,” the company added in the press release 8bar-bikes Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed that’s a decent price for a frameset like that but ditching all mechanical stops means it definitely aint for me ….and if you’re not a sponsored cyclist you definitely don’t need fully internal cable routing Actually… if you’re not sponsored you may even want to work on your own bike I’m not a sponsored cyclist and I would love to work on a frameset like that with internal routing Not the geometry for me but fully integrated cables looks fantastic on Ti bikes internally routed cables makes cleaning your bike a joy so I’m all in Brothers do a nice fork – https://www.brothercycles.com/shop/forks/brother-carbon-gravel-fork-v2/ They think a rider will swap the forks but the bike has stem-to-headset internally routed hydraulic brakes Am I missing something that makes that a quick job gravel and 2 in 1 fork which has a flip chip Given the frame dropout you could just have the flip chip fork but I suppose it’s easy to offer fork options Andrew or others – do you know if the headset has special routing for the “fully internal routing” for this bike/build used with a specific Chris King Aero 3 headset and special Enve stem have a fully internal routed set up as well and I believe the fork has a hole in the steerer tube just above the taper to route the front brake line from the head tube down to the caliper mount but don’t want to deal with solvents Simpyfast claims their Lube Cube is the easiest way Peak Performance expands on their MTB specific clothing with new pants Apparently that’s an option when you’re designing products for the GOAT We spotted Cofidis racing an all-new prototype wireless 13-speed Campagnolo Super Record 13 WRL SC road groupset Canyon Bicycles is now selling select models directly through Amazon.com Want wireless shifting but don’t want to have to buy a whole new drivetrain Be protected from the sun with the new UV Hooded Trail Shirt… OrNot The new Van Nicholas Astraeus is a beautiful titanium road bike that’s limited to just 50 frames 8bar’s versatile alloy Mitte v3 has just simplified its transition from road to gravel then back again thanks to a unique set of dropout flip chips Now all you need is two dedicated wheelsets to go from everyday road riding on 28mm tires to weekend gravel exploring on 45mm knobbies with just about a minute with a multi-tool to swap from one mode to the next… Developed in Berlin, the Mitte has been one of the most adaptable & affordable road, all-road, cross, gravel, and bikepacking bikes since it came onto the scene five years ago While that initially involved interchangeable forks and a lot of adjustment going back-and-forth Now it’s as simple as turning around a set of flip chips at each axle why-didn’t-I-think-of-that 8bar secret is their new Twist thru-axle flip chips The 2-position adjustable alloy inserts at both the front & rear thru-axles move each wheel 10mm towards your brake pad meaning once you flip them around you don’t even need to adjust your brakes You just have one set of wheels for road riding with road tires and a separate gravel set for off-road riding with up to 45mm tires Swap back & forth as quick as you can unthread two axles Instant shorter chainstays & wheelbase and 1/2 degree steeper head & seat angles when going from gravel to road modes The 2in1 Mitte v3 keeps most of the same features that made the original versatile 8bar’s classic triple-butted 6061 aluminum tubing keeps the frame reasonably light at a claimed 1700g The new bike features a tapered headtube & internal headset for a 1.5″ tapered steerer It gets internal cable routing in the main triangle and three sets of water bottle bosses (3-pack on the toptube although only the dedicated gravel fork has its own fender tabs 8bar offers three full carbon fork options depending on what you want to do with your Mitte The 500g 2in1 fork is the most versatile & most expensive with the Twist flip chips to swap geometry back & forth The regular fixed axle Gravel fork weighs the same and adds fender tabs and a pair of cage bosses on each leg The regular fixed Road fork has a slimmer tapered leg design that weighs less with the shorter axle-to-crown length & no extra bosses and costs the same as the fixed Gravel fork or a regular fork if you won’t go back & forth from road to gravel on separate wheelsets The all-new alloy 8bar Mitte v3 is available now in as many options as you can dream up via their online configuration tool The alloy 2in1 Mitte v3 frame itself sells for just 599€ in matte black or raw polished aluminum and custom colors are even available for 200€ more The full Carbon 2in1 fork adds another 400€ or either regular fixed axle carbon fork for 250€ Complete 2in1 bikes start around 2020€ with a Shimano GRX 400 2×10 and alloy wheels A more premium Ultegra build can have you easily pushing 3500€ or more adding a second wheelset to complete the 2in1 option is an extra 600€ fully set up Frames & framesets in five sizes (XS-XL) are in stock & available now in limited numbers shipping out essentially as quickly as 8bar can get them out the door Complete bikes are built one at a time and everyone is swamped so 8bar says current lead time is 8-12 weeks if you order today 8bar-bikes.com Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com Cory has been writing about mountain bikes gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years even before the industry created some of these names Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability has designed bike shops & bike components Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes meeting with key European product developers industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new “unique set of dropout flip chips” Rondo has been doing fork flip chips like these for years and I think some other manufacturers have done them since as well Cervelo did it with the original Aspero’s front axle as well (they called it the “Trail Mixer”) The catch with that application was that you needed to move the front disc brake mount accordingly 8bar seems to have gotten around this by specifically requiring riders to run two wheelsets with different size rotors a road set with 140 mm rotors and a gravel set with 160s I feel the road geometry is still very gravel/endurance Not what most people look for in a road bike (certainly not me) It’s not a “racing” geo more an endurance road bike combined with a gravel bike People who are invested into more than one wheel set for a bike aren’t typically riding cheap aluminum frames Road bikes and some gravels bikes have become too short and twitchy these days Not that I want long and slack like an mtb but still not every race frame needs to handle like a squirrel on crack “The 2-position adjustable alloy inserts at both the front & rear thru-axles move each wheel 10mm towards your brake pad meaning once you flip them around you don’t even need to adjust your brakes.” “You just have one set of wheels for road riding with road tires and pop in the second set of wheels.” The unique thing about our dropouts is that you don’t need to readjust the brake Just swap wheels with 160mm for gravel and 140mm rotors for road 28 mm road tyres on a bike that’s made for 45 mm gravel tyres just don’t look right Will look right by shortening chainstay lenght (possible with this frame) and the same applies at the front Wide forks are a trend in specific road bikes and it doesn’t involve a terrific aesthetic compromise News & Analysis for the Beverage Industry 30-Aug-2018 Last updated on 18-Jul-2019 at 11:42 GMT was founded in June 2016 with its system that turns plain tap water into mineralized water at home Its smart home water system does this by purifying water with a proprietary distillation-based method and enhancing the water with essential minerals The brand says it wanted to respond to growing concerns about plain tap water quality around the world; and its mineral cartridges are designed to replicate the mineralization process of natural and pure water flows It also allows users to personalize their daily drinking water with different cartridges with varying levels of natural minerals as well as offering an alternative to plastic bottles Last week PepsiCo, which owns bottled water brands such as Lifewtr and Aquafina, announced it would acquire Israel-based SodaStream, another brand seeking to transform tap water in the home and tackle plastic bottle waste healthy water means two things; free of contaminants and full of minerals that are known to be essential for humans “We are confident that Mitte’s positive impact will affect every aspect of the way people consume water the environment and make an impact on the hydration industry as a whole.” Danone is the #2 producer of packaged waters by volume worldwide Despite Danone’s firm position in packaged water, Laurent Marcel, managing director of Danone Manifesto Ventures, says Mitte offers a ‘strong strategic fit’ as it aligns with its goal of health through hydration. Instead of viewing Mitte as a competitor he calls Mitte a ‘complementary solution’ that will contribute to the overall growth of the water category. For Mitte, the partnership made sense for a number of reasons: “Danone Manifesto Ventures has significant expertise with premium water brands globally, is aligned with Mitte’s core values, and is focused on a business sustainability agenda,” the company told this publication. The financing round will support Mitte’s expansion plans, notably in the US where it ran a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2017 (the campaign was overfunded by 360%). Matthieu Vermersch, founder and partner of VisVires New Protein Capital, an Asian venture fund which is also investing in Mitte as part of the financing round, sees particular promise for the technology in Asia. “Mitte offers a highly sustainable alternative to the burgeoning issue of plastic pollution, a phenomenon faced globally but notably in Asia where concerns over safe drinking water have been traditionally addressed via the purchase and consumption of bottled water," he said. How to create a prebiotic soda that meets European flavor expectationsPaid for and content provided by esarom How to meet consumer needs for indulgencePaid for and content provided by Agus RTD coffee: Convenience and energy boosting - but what comes next?Paid for and content provided by esarom the acting industry realised ‘people want to see real people on television’ RJ Mitte is speaking at Sydney Opera House on Monday, 12 October and at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on Tuesday