New York City authorities are stepping in to make sure Central Park’s famous Mandarin duck survives the winter … TMZ has learned. Meghan Lalor, Chief of Staff for NYC Parks, tells TMZ… the Urban Park Rangers are monitoring the colorful…
Showing posts with label Central. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Central. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2018
NYC"s Famous Mandarin Duck Being Monitored By Central Park Rangers This Winter
New York City authorities are stepping in to make sure Central Park’s famous Mandarin duck survives the winter … TMZ has learned. Meghan Lalor, Chief of Staff for NYC Parks, tells TMZ… the Urban Park Rangers are monitoring the colorful…
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Cardi B Performs in Central Park Without Duct-Taping Her Breasts
Cardi B revealed 2 important things to our photog Saturday night in NYC after rocking the Global Citizen Festival. She was scared to appear on stage, and her nipples were duct-tape free. Cardi performed in front of a massive crowd in Central Park…
Monday, July 30, 2018
Conor McGregor Squats a Human Man In Central Park
Conor McGregor took his Monday workout to the next level — throwing a grown ass man on his back for a set of squats in Central Park … and TMZ Sports has the footage. The UFC superstar is still out in NYC after his court hearing last week…
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Conor McGregor Takes Family Rowboating in Central Park
Conor McGregor is sticking to his family-friendly tour of NYC … and this time he kicked his Dad skills up a notch. Conor was spotted rowing away from The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park Saturday with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their cute…
Monday, February 5, 2018
Kourtney Kardashian, Penelope and North West Hit up Central Park Ice Rink
Kourtney Kardashian was holding on to her dear life in NYC … her dear life named Penelope. Kourtney’s mommy & me day with Penelope in Central Park Sunday also included North West. They skated to “Redbone” by Childish…
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Ozzy Osbourne"s Ozzfest Sues Over Central Park"s OZY Fest
Someone’s trying to make a buck off Ozzy Osbourne’s name and his long-running concert festival … according to a new lawsuit. Ozzy’s company’s unleashing their lawyers on a Central Park music event called OZY Fest — short for OZY Fusion Fest –…
Ozzy Osbourne"s Ozzfest Sues Over Central Park"s OZY Fest
Someone’s trying to make a buck off Ozzy Osbourne’s name and his long-running concert festival … according to a new lawsuit. Ozzy’s company’s unleashing their lawyers on a Central Park music event called OZY Fest — short for OZY Fusion Fest –…
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Pro-Trump Protesters Interrupt "Julius Caesar"/Donald Trump Play in Central Park, One Arrested
A pro-President Trump tag team of protesters disrupted the production of “Julius Caesar” — where Caesar is portrayed as Donald Trump and stabbed to death. Laura Loomer, who works for an alt-right website, crashed the stage Friday night and shouted…
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Jill Duggar & Derick Dillard: Why Their Central America Update Has Us Deeply Worried
Judging by their most recent update, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are facing some pretty harrowing situations down in Central America.
For a variety of reasons, this has left us alarmed.
They’ve been back in the mission field for several weeks now, and after they finally checked in with their fans last week, worry set in.
Working with a short-term team, they’re “traveling a lot between different countries doing ministry traveling throughout Central America.”
This is different from the Arkansans’ previous mission trip there, in which they remained in one location – El Salvador – almost exclusively.
As usual, Derick and Jill have asked for fans’ prayers and money as they’ve been ministering people they hope will come to know Jesus.
The people they speak of live hard lives, make no mistake.
Jill said that one young teenage girl she came to know had died a tragic death from a seizure and a fatal fall, after living a tough existence.
Her mom had been in prison, and as Jill said later:
“Most people say she died of a broken heart.”
Derick also relayed a scary moment after he offered a ride home from church to an older woman who started “wheezing and coughing loudly.”
The Dillards pulled over to help tend to her.
Jill shared that “because we live in a rural area,” their options were limited with the elderly woman’s life hanging in the balance that day:
“They decided it was best to have the local medical person come check her out first, instead of [going] to the hospital, which is over an hour away.”
Terrifying. So what happened to her?
Thankfully, an inhaler helped and she bounced back from the coughing, likely due in part to the dust from the dry season in that region.
Stories like these are sad, but also worrisome.
Jill and Derick want to save the world, or at least do their small part in making it a better place, which is both selfless and commendable.
Still, you can’t help but wonder about the impact on her health, on Derick’s, on her toddler son, and the baby she’s currently making.
If she doesn’t take care of herself and her own family first, then she won’t be able to help anyone else in an unstable, developing world.
This isn’t some far-fetched concern, as some fans have openly wondered if Derick Dillard’s health has once again become an issue.
Perhaps to allay those concerns, Jill added that Derick recently “participated in a basketball tournament with guys from the local town.”
As for little Israel, Jill says her son is making the most of his international upbringing, adding that he is making friends and happy there:
“Israel loves it and so do we! Last week, we were able to host the children from church in our home for children’s church and snacks.”
Jill concluded her missive by assuring fans that all is well, writing, “We are excited to be back doing the work our hearts love so much.”
The Dillards hope that they can help “all peoples of the world” naturally “come to repentance and put their hope in the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Again, though, is she risking their lives to do it?
One fan asked simply: “What is wrong with Jill?”
It’s a valid point, considering “she nearly died in childbirth last time. I know we are to trust the Lord but He gave us a brain with common sense.”
Again, a fair argument, especially with Zika.
El Salvador has advised residents not to pregnant until at least 2018 due to the mosquito-borne disease linked to infants’ brain damage.
“Why would they bother returning for just a couple of months,” another fan asked, given the virus’ range and “especially with Jill pregnant?”
Beyond the risk of the virus, there’s a lack of adequate prenatal care (especially with a high-risk VBAC delivery, which she plans to have).
Even flying home late in pregnancy is risky.
“Why don’t they just wait another 6 months for the baby to be born and Jill to have time to recover after the delivery?” another fan wondered.
“Think about your children’s safety first!”
Beyond medical problems, they have lamented the kidnapping, rape and murder that are surprisingly routine in this region of the world.
“Every week, it seems like there would be different instances,” Jill recalled of the sometimes dangerous conditions they would encounter.
Dillard has asked for prayers for her own safety numerous times, and thank goodness no one has been seriously hurt or sick thus far.
Nevertheless, the longer they’re down there, the closer she gets to her due date, and the more alarming their stories seem to become.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Jill Duggar FINALLY Updates Fans From Central America!
The Dillards have once again gone abroad, but that’s not stopping them from communicating with fans!
Yes, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are back in Central America after a returning to the states to reconnect with family in their native Arkansas.
of course, these days, Jill and Derick are no longer just a couple, but a rapidly-growing family of three.
Jill is pregnant with her second child, and she’s expected to return to the US to give birth in July.
But until that day comes, it looks like the Duggars are happy to be back in El Salvador working closely with the less fortunate.
Jill posted an update on the Dillard family’s personal website earlier this week:
“Thank y’all so much for supporting and praying for us! We’ve had a busy few weeks, lately!” Jill wrote in a blog post on the Dillard family website on Wednesday.
“We have a short-term team here with us right now and we have been traveling a lot between a few different countries doing ministry traveling throughout Central America with this team.”
Some fans were beginning to grow concerned as the Dillards – who usually maintain regular contact with fans, even when they’re abroad – had not posted anything to their social media pages in over a week.
Some even went so far as to suggest that Derick Dillard’s health had once again become an issue.
Fortunately, Jill says her husband is doing better than ever and making the most of his time in Central America:
“Derick has been able to go out every week with one of the pastors from a local church and visit homes to share the gospel and is continuing to preach weekly,” she writes.
Perhaps to allay concerns about his recent health issues, she added that Derick recently “participated in a basketball tournament with guys from the local town.”
As for little Israel Dillard, Jill says her son is making the most of his international upbringing:
“Israel loves it and so do we!” Jill writes.
“Last week, we were able to host the children from church in our home for children’s church and snacks.”
She added:
“We also enjoyed meeting new friends at the playground in town while Papi (Derick) played basketball with some of the guys. We ended the evening with a yummy pupusa dinner at home.”
Jill concludes her missive by assuring fans that all is well with her young family:
“We are excited to be back to the work our hearts love so much.
“From the early stages of our lives, the Lord has put a deep love and care in both of our hearts for all peoples of the world that they would come to repentance and put their hope in the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Watch Counting On online for more on the globe-trotting Dillard clan.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Jill Duggar: I"m Back in Central America! Give Me Money!
If you watch Counting On online, you know that Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, spent much of 2016 performing missionary work in Central America.
The Dillards returned to Arkansas last summer, but they made it clear from the start that they were itching to get back to what they consider their life’s work.
We guess they don’t find reality TV stardom quite as fulfilling as the rest of the family.
Anyway, despite the fact that Jill is pregnant with her second child these days, the couple headed back toward the equator this week, announcing their departure from the States only after they had arrived in El Salvador.
The Dillards revealed that they would be returning to missionary work last week in a blog post published on their personal website:
“Through our ministry and your support, we can help support local churches, and impact hundreds of lives on a daily basis,” Jill and Derick wrote.
“Once a week we go into villages hit hard by violence, and provide various skills training for adults, Bible study, kids programs, and crafts.”
They added:
“On average we help over 40 adults and children every week.”
Of course, the blog post provided not only an opportunity for Jill and Derick to pat themselves on the back, but also a chance to hit fans up for donations.
“We hope you’ll consider partnering with us in this mission. In addition to the ministry outreach expenses, there are always monthly expenses for groceries, utilities, fuel, healthcare, etc.” they wrote.
“For example, if only 600 families were willing to donate a one-time gift of $ 40, it would completely cover our remaining ministry expenses for this term.”
Oh, is that all?
Any way we can just cut out the middleman and send the cash directly to the impoverished citizens of El Salvador?
Jill and Derick were initially vague about the details of their plan, but they posted this photo last night, revealing that they’re once again traveling abroad:
The image appears to show Derick preaching to a congregation of El Salvadorans.
“We are so happy to be back in Central America!” Jill captioned it.
As for when they’ll return to Tontitown, Jill assures People magazine that she and Derick will return to attend to one very important matter:
“We will come back for the birth of the baby,” she tells the magazine.
No word yet on Jill’s due date, but Duggar watchers believe she and Derick will come back to the US some time in late spring.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Derick Dillard, Jill Duggar Return to Central America, Hit Up Fans For More Money
A few days ago, the pregnant Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard announced they would be returning to Central America for mission work.
They also hit up fans for money. Again.
Along with their toddler son Israel, Jill and Derick are off to Central America, where they’ve spent the better part of their son’s life as is.
Many worried Duggar fans are not happy that Jill has chosen to return to a Zika virus hot zone while pregnant with her second child.
We don’t imagine those same fans will be happy to be hit up for money pronto, as Jill and Derick have asked for help with their expenses.
“We hope you’ll consider partnering with us in this mission,” the Dillards wrote in their plea for fans to cover their costs in El Salvador.
“In addition to the ministry outreach expenses, there are always monthly expenses for groceries, utilities, fuel, healthcare, etc.”
They insist that all money is just for basic needs.
“We have always purposed to live a frugal lifestyle and continue to do so in the mission field,” the married couple of three years continued.
“When you give a donation to our ministry, you are helping our family cover living expenses [and] helping reach so many precious lives.”
To reach those precious lives, the Dillards explained that they need about $ 24,000 to cover the expenses of this portion of their mission.
All of the donations are funneled through Dillard Family Ministries, the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization Jill and Derick set up in 2015.
Jill and Derick have taken a lot of criticism for their request for, and use of, funds provided by fans through their tax-emept group before.
Transparency has not been their strong suit.
Even the Duggar family’s typically supportive fans did not react well to the blog post, calling into question whether Jill needs the money.
They are, after all, famous reality TV stars.
Does anyone think that Jill and Derick Dillard are rolling in dough and trying to cheat people? No, but they’re likely better off than most.
So why asking their fans for donations?
“I am in no way trying to start something, be critical, and am not a ‘hater,’ but why do the Dillards need donations,” asked one follower.
Another questioned why they need cash “for the next couple of months when they have been living free for the last 6 months?”
It’s a fair point, as are these others:
“They also receive very nice paychecks from their TLC appearances and magazine articles,” another member of Duggar Nation said.
“Sorry Dillards, but I don’t want to hear your moaning about having to take donations, when TLC is sending your wife checks for being on camera.”
Others have pointed out the Arkansas family’s famous frugality.
It’s one of the tenets upon which Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar created their brood, their compound, and their (once) wholesome reputation.
If they’re quasi-rich and such good savers, this doesn’t add up.
“Her parents are those famous debt-free millionaires,” another wrote. “Plus you have the physical ability to work! Not everyone does.”
This is not the first time Derek and Jill have been called out for this, and not just because of Internet haters questioning the principle of it.
In 2015-16, some fans who donated to Dillard’s charity accused the couple of misusing donations to travel back and forth to the U.S.
So that they could fly in and attend various family functions, in other words, rather than using the money to help fund their actual mission.
The duo responded by offering to give donations back to anyone who felt they were treated unfairly, though it’s not clear if that materialized.
The fact that Jill is pregnant again, coupled with Derick’s health problems and the obvious risks of living in the area, on top of this controversy?
Let’s just say it’s not the best PR week for the Dillards.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard: Off to Central America!
As promised, Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard have said goodbye to life in Arkansas and are officially off to Central America.
The decision, while previously announced by the Counting On star, is sure to revitalize criticism of whether or not this is a good plan.
After all, Jill Duggar is pregnant with her second child.
Jill, 25, and Derick, 27, are parents to one 22-month-old son, Israel David Dillard (above), and are expecting another baby boy in July.
They returned to the U.S. in August after wrapping up a year-long mission trip in El Salvador, but the return ended up being short lived.
The Dillards’ return to Central America was rumored last week, then confirmed by the couple on their family website shortly after that.
Jill also took to Instagram to share a photo of Israel in the terminal of an airport looking out at a plane, captioned, “We are headed out!”
When will Izzy and his parents next see America?
It doesn’t sound to us like they’ll be back anytime soon.
“After returning home for a short period, we are excited to announce that we are now returning to Central America!” they wrote in a blog post.
“We are excited to be back to the work our hearts love.”
“From the early stages of our lives, the Lord has put a deep love and care in both of our hearts for all peoples of the world,” they added.
The Dillards want to help those peoples, whom they feel will “come to repentance and put their hope in the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Their post announcing the big decision continued:
“Through our ministry and your support, we can help support local churches, and impact hundreds of lives on a daily basis.”
“Once a week we go into villages hit hard by violence, and provide various skills training for adults, Bible study, kids programs, and crafts.”
“On average we help over 40 adults and children a week.”
Nice as that sounds, fans are all over them for it, accusing Jill of putting her children at risk due to health and other risks in the region.
Duggar fans have already been deeply concerned about Derick’s health problems and the impact of living in a third world nation on him.
Now, with Jill pregnant again, and headed back to the epicenter of the Zika virus, which has been linked to devastating birth defects?
Let’s just say the couple gives its fans a lot of anxiety.
Nevertheless, they’ve concluded that this is worth it.
In August 2015, when they first traveled abroad in the wake of the Josh Duggar scandals, they photos posted of their mission trip online.
The duo worked with fellow missionaries on projects including building a basketball court and the locals were seen playing with Israel.
In November 2015, Jill gushed about what a wonderful experience it was to be visiting families in their area and learning to speak Spanish.
Perhaps that familiarity is why she’s okay with it now.
“There’s a level of ease that comes with your second pregnancy,” she said. “Derick and I have been down this road, so we’re comfortable.”
“I’m just going to see how it goes, try to be healthy and prepare as much as I can,” Jill adds. “But this time I know that labor is unpredictable.”
Unpredictable enough that they’ll be back this summer.
Prior to their second child’s due date in July, the reality star says she plans to fly back to Arkansas in order to ensure a safe delivery.
“We will come back for the birth of the baby,” Jill said.
Sigh of relief breathed.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Jill Duggar: Returning to Central America While Pregnant?!
The Duggars are no strangers to controversy, but Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have mostly avoided the taint of the Josh Duggar sex scandals in part because they physically re-located to another country.
Now, however, the couple’s ties to Central America are resulting in further criticism.
As you may have heard, Jill Duggar is pregnant with her second child.
Currently, she and Derick are back living in Arkansas after several months performing missionary work in El Salvador.
Some fans breathed a sigh of relief when the Dillard clan returned to the States, many of them citing the fact that Jill and Derick were lving in a Zika virus hot spot with their infant son as a serious concern.
Their fears were compounded when reports of Derick experiencing serious health problems began to circulate online.
Now, those same fans have seem deeply troubled by news that Derick and Jill plan to return to El Salvador prior to the birth of their second child.
In a recent interview with People magazine, Jill opened up about her current pregnancy and revealed that she and Derick have no intention of slowing down in their missionary work.
“We are planning to go back very soon, Jill said when asked about a return trip to El Salvador.
“Then we will come back for the birth of the baby.”
Yes, it sounds as though Jill and Derick intend to fly back to Central America in the coming weeks and then return to the States just prior to the start of her third trimester.
The delivery of Jill’s first baby was complicated by a number of issues, and while she had planned on a home birth, she wound up being rushed to a nearby hospital and delivering there.
Jill says she’s well aware of the risks of traveling to a poverty-stricken nation while pregnant, but she assures fans there’s no cause for concern:
“There’s a level of ease that comes with your second pregnancy,” Jill says.
“Derick and I have been down this road together, so we’re comfortable. I’m just going to see how it goes, try to be healthy and prepare as much as I can. But this time I know that labor is unpredictable.”
Will that ease the minds of worried Duggar obsessives?
Absolutely not, but it sounds as though Jill knows what she’s doing.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Omarosa in Hospital ... Central Casting
Omarosa, the Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of the Public Liaison, has gone to the hospital for a bum leg. Omarosa was injured last month … her leg was placed in a walking boot. We’re told she went from…
Omarosa in Hospital ... Central Casting
Omarosa, the Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of the Public Liaison, has gone to the hospital for a bum leg. Omarosa was injured last month … her leg was placed in a walking boot. We’re told she went from…
Monday, December 12, 2016
Jill Duggar: Did She Lie About Returning to Central America?!
When the Duggar family returned to television with Counting On, it was unclear if they would be able to find an audience.
Their first reality series was beloved by millions, but many of those fans turned their back on the family in response to the horrors of the Josh Duggar sex scandals.
The family’s new show has cobbled together decent enough ratings to remain on the air for three seasons, but it’s widely believed that many of the new viewers are “anti-fans” who “hate-watch” Counting On.
For the most part, we imagine that it’s all the same to the Duggars, so long as people are tuning in.
However, on several occasions, they’ve experienced the downside of their new anti-fan base:
These people are quick to pick up on and point out any and all deceptions or questionable behavior revealed on the series.
The latest has to do with Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s missionary work in Central America.
After ten months in El Salvador, Jill and Derick made a temporary return to Arkansas earlier this year, but they assured fans that they would be returning to Central America in due time.
Several months later, the couple is still in Arkansas and planning to spend the holidays at home with their families.
Which would be fine – were it not for the fact that they’re still collecting donations for their mission work.
Last week, Derick tweeted about being at the San Francisco airport on a layover en route to somewhere else.
The Facebook page Duggar Family News: Life is Not All Pickles and Hairspray pointed out that he doesn’t seem to be headed to Central America – and he seems to have no shortage of travel funds.
“The Dillards said they would be back in Central America by now. They lied,” wrote the page’s administrator.
“For some reason Derick flew to San Francisco on his way to somewhere else. I didn’t do great in geography but I’m pretty sure you don’t fly from Arkansas to San Francisco to get to Central America.”
The page added:
“He doesn’t think he needs to give his donors any information about how he spends their money. He’ll drop clues but he won’t come entirely clean.”
If the family issues any statement on this at all (big if), they’ll likely dismiss it as overly-concerned nit-picking from some obsessive fans.
But misappropriation of charitable donations is a huge deal, and while it may not prevent you from getting elected president, it cold signal the start of yet another Duggar scandal.
Watch Counting On online to remind yourself of just how much the family has swept under the rug in recent years,
Monday, November 23, 2015
Jill Duggar Opens Up About Raising Her Son in Central America
We’re just a few weeks away from the premiere of Jill and Jessa: Counting On, and the Duggar sisters are promoting the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff by reaching out to fans through social media and their own personal websites.
Jessa Duggar just welcomed her first child, but this week all eyes are on Jill, as for the first time in over a week, she took to her blog to offer fans an update on her life as a new mom living in Central America.
It seems these days Jill’s life consists of learning Spanish, interacting with locals and enjoying all the “new tricks” that baby Israel is learning
“Last week, we were able to have my Spanish teacher and her two young sons (10 and 8 yrs. old) over to our place to watch, “Cuarto de Guerra” (“War Room”) and to have one of our favorite dinners, ‘Chicken Etti,"” Jill wrote in an blog entry posted earlier today.
“We talked about the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We were able to give her a Bible and she asked if she and I could study it together one hour a day in class.”
It’s interesting that Jill mentioned that she and Derick are taking Spanish classes, as their lack of linguistic knowledge was one of the reasons the Dillards were deemed unfit for missionary work the first time they applied.
They were reportedly instructed to take language lessons before they embarked on their mission, but they failed to do so. Better late than never, we guess!
Of course, the Dillards’ life isn’t all Bible study and conjugating verbs. Jessa says she and Derick are thoroughly enjoying life as first-time parents:
“Israel has been busy this week showing us new tricks! Every day for the last three days he has learned something new! First it was clapping, then crawling, pulling up into a standing position and waving!
“He is about to cut his first two teeth, so recently he has been a little fussier than normal. He is usually happy though and loves exploring new areas in the house now that he can move!”
Sounds like the Dillards are having quite the experience down there.
Based on Jill’s updates, a spinoff about her family’s life abroad is something we could get behind!
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Return to Central America For Missionary Work
Well, this is unexpected. Just a few days ago, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard refunded money to fans who felt that they’d been scammed out of donations that were meant to fund the couple’s non-existent missionary work.
Then, last night, the Dillards took to their personal blog to refute claims that they’ve permanently returned to Arkansas:
Yes, Jill and Derick announced that they’re headed to El Salvador (Again!) with the above photo and the following statement:
“We had a great visit recently to the States and as always it was a little hard to say goodbye! We are headed back to Central America. In the weeks ahead language school will become much more intense as we work to become fluent in Spanish.
“It will be many months before we are able to make a short visit back to the States again. Here’s a few pics as we left this weekend. Please keep praying for us—we are praying for you!”
Jill and Derick’s last “short visit” home went on for so long that it was rumored they’d been deemed unsuitable for missionary work.
It’s worth noting that they still have yet to deny that rumor, which means it’s likely that Jill and Derick were turned down by the International Mission Board, and decided to simply fund the trip themselves.
The Dillards still have yet to complete any of the educational coursework that was required of them (language school is not on the list), so it’s unlikely that the IMB and the Southern Baptist Convention simply had changes of heart.
In any event, we’ll see how long Jill and Derick last in Central America this time around.
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