Month: August 2020

Juice WRLD’s legacy received a new chapter this year after his estate and labeled worked together to give fans the late rapper’s first posthumous album with Legends Never Die. The album was received well by fans, selling over 497,000 units in its first week to land the No. 1 position on the Billboard albums chart. Juice WRLD’s reign would continue atop the charts thanks to as second well-performing week. With promises of another posthumous Juice waiting to be fulfilled, the late rapper’s team came through with a dream collaboration Juice WRLD hoped to fulfill in his career.

Back in late 2019, Juice WRLD sent out a tweet expressing his desire to work with The Weeknd on what would be a smash hit saying, “me and The Weeknd would make a diamond record.” While the record never came to fruition before Juice WRLD’s untimely death, the record finally came to live nearly nine months after his passing as The Weeknd lends his vocals for their “Smile” collaboration.

The new single arrives after Juice WRLD made Billboard history by becoming the first artist to have five songs debut in the top ten on the singles chart. Shortly after Legends Never Die released, Lil Bibby, who works on the board of Juice WRLD’s label confirmed more content from Juice WRLD would be released in the future. “I don’t think the albums are gonna stop,” he said. “It’s plenty of music. So, yeah.”

Press play on the video above to hear “Smile.”

Scanning the last half-decade of hip-hop, Megan The Stallion and Cardi B both enjoyed lengthy moments in the spotlight upon their arrival to mainstream music. Cardi’s moment came in late-2017 with the rising success of her “Bodak Yellow” single and continued throughout 2018 thanks to her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy. Megan Thee Stallion’s success would begin at the top of 2019 as her Tina Snow standout, “Big Ole Freak,” was released and began her mainstay on the singles charts with efforts like “Cash Sh*t” and “Savage.” Fast-forward to the present and Cardi and Megan are both two of music’s most popular acts, so it’s only right they join forces for a new anthem.

Announced earlier this week, Cardi and Megan’s “Wap” touches down right on schedule, becoming the two rappers’ first collaboration. Fans first became aware of the possibility of the Cardi and Megan working together after DJ Khaled revealed a single existed between the two artists. Days after the announcement and less 48 hours before the song released, fans crashed Cardi B’s website as they all rushed to grab a copy of a vinyl picture disc, or other versions of the song, one of which included a limited edition signed by Cardi.

The single marks the third time Megan has collaborated with one of music’s most popular female acts following her “Hot Girl Summer” track which featured Nicki Minaj and her chart-topping “Savage” remix with Beyonce. Both artists are hard at work on their upcoming albums with “Wap” serving as the lead single for Cardi’s upcoming sophomore effort. As for Megan, she recently revealed her album will address the Black Lives Matter movement and arrive by the end of the summer.

Listen to “Wap” in the video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In March of 1986, Rambo: First Blood Part II won five Razzie awards, including two for Sylvester Stallone for acting and writing – dragging poor James Cameron down with him, who got a credit on the film, even though his version of the script doesn’t look much like the final film. (By the way, I do not like the Razzies. I wrote many, many words about this back when I worked at Movieline, but that site is now long gone. The gist was I wish the Razzies would truly find the worst movies of the year, those peculiar oddities that aren’t the second-biggest movie of 1985, like Rambo was. Though, having said that, Frank Stallone very much deserves his Razzie for the end credits song “Peace in Our Life.” It’s truly a remarkable piece of work.)

For being the second-biggest film of 1985, Rambo: First Blood Part II doesn’t have much of a cultural footprint today (though the Rambo character itself somehow still does), even though most of the blockbusters from that year – Back to the Future, The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, and Stallone’s own Rocky IV certainly still do.) There are probably a few reasons for this. First, Rambo returning to Vietnam, inflicting carnage, isn’t really an idea that’s going to fly today for a whole host of reasons. And even beyond that, if you look at the Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies that still have a cultural footprint today – the Terminator movies, Predator, Total Recall, and even the resurgence of Last Action Hero – they all have a sci-fi genre background to them. It’s fascinating that Schwarzenegger was savvy enough as an actor to attach himself to these types of films, because these types of films have a tendency to last. When Stallone did action, he had a tendency to forget about this part. (And, yes, Demolition Man is the exception that proves the rule.)

I haven’t watched Rambo: First Blood Part II since I was a little kid as it was making its nonstop rounds on cable. But quarantine has sure changed a lot of my viewing habits, so here we are. Now, before we get into the sequel, I do want to point out that I think First Blood is a great movie. I’ve seen this film numerous times in recent years and watched it again in full before I watched its sequel. Stallone strikes just the right balance between dangerous and sympathetic. And he gives a truly emotional monologue at the end of the film about how the U.S. government has abandoned him and so many Vietnam vets and how society has shunned them. If you haven’t seen First Blood because you think you know what it is, you should probably watch First Blood because it’s not what you think it is.

So, before watching Rambo: First Blood Part II, my feeling about it was that it was a big, dumb, patriotic pro-Reagan shoot ‘em up with John Rambo marching into Vietnam and rescuing American POWs. And if you read the reviews of the time, a lot of them seem to agree with this assumption. And the thing is, the imagery of the movie – Stallone screaming and firing rocket launchers – kind of supports this. But what’s weird it, the actual nitty-gritty of the plot doesn’t support this at all. In fact, Rambo is betrayed in the movie, by none other than Ronald Reagan.

The actual plot of the movie hinges on the U.S. never paying war reparations to Vietnam. It’s basically one line in the movie and it’s pretty easy to miss if one is not actively paying attention to the dialogue of a Rambo movie. But the point is there’s a swelling outcry to investigate if Vietnam is still holding American POWs. The U.S. government sends John Rambo back to Vietnam to take photographs of a camp the U.S. government already knows is abandoned. It’s a fake mission. What the U.S. government wants is Rambo to come back with photos showing there are no POWs, which will quell the outcry for proof. The last thing the U.S. wants is to find actual POWs because then it will come out that the U.S. reneged on paying Vietnam war reparations, which is why Vietnam is still keeping POWs. (There is truth to this plot point. It’s pretty complicated, but you can read about it here.) When John Rambo finds a POW at the camp that is no longer abandoned, what does the U.S. government do? It aborts the mission and leaves Rambo to be captured by enemy forces.

It’s Charles Napier’s character, Murdock, who gives the order to abandon Rambo. When pressed, he keeps talking about how this order comes from the top and he himself is just following orders. It’s insinuated this fake plan comes from the President himself, who is never mentioned by name. But Murdock has a big picture of Ronald Reagan pinned to his wall. So in the Rambo universe, either Reagan is President, or Murdock is just a huge fan of this aging actor.

Look, even I am having some problems making a case that Rambo: First Blood Part II is some sort of secret, misunderstood American protest movie, because it’s so ingrained in American culture that the second Rambo movie is this big patriotic spectacle, not a movie about unpaid war reparations to Vietnam. But the plot is the plot. It’s right there. The characters tell us this is what it’s about as we, once again, are betraying a Vietnam Vet because it benefits the U.S. government to do so.

I couldn’t help but think of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” a song so famously misinterpreted that it’s now pretty much common knowledge that it’s a protest song. But back then it wasn’t. Originally slated for Springsteen’s haunting Nebraska album (if you’ve never heard that version, well, here you go), it instead became the title song of Springsteen’s best-selling album. The melancholy anger of the original version was replaced by booming synth. The album was so successful, Springsteen started touring in full-on stadiums, which created imagery of American excess as Bruce screamed he was born in the U.S.A. – of course this song was misinterpreted.

Then people started paying attention to the actual lyrics, about a man who is given the option to go to jail or go to Vietnam, then when he gets back there are no jobs and now, 10 years later, he has nowhere to go. Honestly, the song might as well be about First Blood. And it’s not surprising that that song and Rambo: First Blood Part II were released within months of each other. As Rambo played in theaters, “Born in the U.S.A.” played on the radio. Both were pieces of popular culture that were used as American propaganda, but both told a dark tale of an abandoned Vietnam veteran. The only difference seems to be that Springsteen made it clear what his song was about. The movie seemed fine with whatever interpretation brought them success, but that doesn’t change the fact the plot is about American betrayal. In the film, even Rambo saves most of his rage for Murdock.

Rambo’s last words in the movie are literally that he wants “our country to love us as much as we love it.” In retrospect, it’s a very strange movie to interpret as a “pro-Reagan, patriotic movie.”

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

As they’ve done for the past four months, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’s Verzuz platform returned with yet another highly anticipated battle, this time between Rick Ross and 2 Chainz. Many fans gathering around to see if their favorite would pull away with the win, while others showed up simply to pass almost two hours of their time with good music. At the end of the battle, the general consensus was that Rick Ross pulled away as the winner in tonight’s bout. However, as the battle came to a close, Ross decided to share a treat with fans in the form of an unreleased verse.

Dating back to 2016, Ross shared an unheard verse he had on Kanye West’s 2016 track “Famous” off The Life Of Pablo album. The track — which was released with verses from West, a hook by Rihanna, and background vocals from Swizz Beatz — faced a large amount of ridicule thanks to its Taylor Swift reference, one that was worsened when West displayed a nude sculpture of Swift and others in the song’s video. For what it’s worth it may have better for Ross to stay out of the mess that followed with the official version of the song, but fans were still upset that his verse was removed from the song as they took to social media to share their reactions.

Press play on the video above to hear the unreleased verse.

The race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference continues and, with a handful of teams jockeying for position, every game matters for those in pursuit of a playoff berth. With that in mind, the Portland Trail Blazers needed a win against the current 3-seeded Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening, and Terry Stotts’ team was able to get one as a result of a spectacular performance from Damian Lillard. The All-NBA guard finished the evening with 45 points and 12 assists and, along the way, Lillard tied his career high with 11 made three-pointers on 18 attempts.

Lillard’s onslaught began in the first quarter, when he produced 14 points on seven shots, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

While the second quarter was his quietest of the night, Lillard still managed to knock down a pair of long-range offerings to keep Portland in a comfortable position.

Coming out of the locker room, Lillard continued his barrage, including his ninth (!) three-pointer with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter.

By the end of the third period, Lillard had 35 points, seven points and three steals, but the game was far from over. In fact, the Nuggets slashed the margin late in the third quarter and, with a 6-0 run early in the fourth period, Denver actually claimed the lead. Much of the work was done by Michael Porter Jr., who finished the night with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Porter Jr.’s strong play wasn’t enough, however, as Lillard and the Blazers had another gear on this night. With more than four minutes remaining, Lillard buried his 11th three-pointer of the game, tying his career high set earlier this season in a 61-point performance against the Golden State Warriors.

The Blazers used a 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead with three minutes remaining and, down the stretch, the Nuggets weren’t able to mount a full-blown charge. While Lillard was unbelievable throughout, he wasn’t the only part of Portland’s success. Gary Trent Jr. knocked down 7-of-10 from three-point distance off the bench as he remains a huge contributor for this Blazers team, with Jusuf Nurkic adding 22 points and seven rebounds. Beyond that, Portland set a franchise record with 23 three-pointers (on 39 attempts) and it was a memorable night for the Blazers.

With this victory, Portland is now 4-1 in the bubble and within a half-game of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed. There is more work to do but, in a flash, the Blazers have closed a sizable gap and, in the end, it helps to have one of the game’s best on full display in Damian Lillard.

Things are weird right now, everywhere, in a lot of different ways. We’ve all been stuck inside for months, some of us alone, some of us with our families, neither option ideal. People are shouting at each other about masks, online and in person. Our political discourse is the equivalent of two circus animals heaving rotten produce at each other. You have every right to be fried extra crispy right now, to be stressed, to need something to slow your brain down a little and give you a few fleeting moments of peace. We all do. You can find lots of suggestions for how to do this (deep breathing, taking a walk, etc.), but here’s another one if you need it: Maybe you should just chill out for a while and binge the Harley Quinn animated series.

Are you familiar with the Harley Quinn animated series? I’ll forgive you for now if you aren’t. It premiered last November on DC Universe, a more niche streaming service tailored to fans of the DC Comics. The second season came out in April. Critics love it, as you can see by taking a quick scan through the reviews at the time of its premiere, but if you’re not the type of person who wants to plop down $8 a month for content from one specific comics brand, it might have slipped under your radar. That’s a shame because the Harley Quinn animated series is very good. And this is a very fixable problem, especially now, today, because both seasons of the show came to HBO Max at the beginning of this month. You might have access to it and not even realize it. What an exciting development for you.

You should check it out if you can, too, because it is really very fun and good. The show is smart and funny and powerfully strange at times. It’s dark and violent and silly. It’s the kind of show where someone’s Nana might get killed with a shotgun in one scene and a hulked-up supervillain like Bane might be holding a coffee mug that says “CAFFEINE IS MY RECKONING” a few minutes later. This, to be clear, is exactly the kind of show I need in my life sometimes.

It’s also an interesting take on the character of Harley, one we’ve all become very familiar with recently thanks to Margot Robbie’s live-action portrayal in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. This version, voiced by Kaley Cuoco, has broken up with The Joker — portrayed here as equal parts toxic boyfriend and supervillain — and is setting out to form her own crew, with the help of Poison Ivy, who never actually joins the crew but serves as a kind of emotional and physical support system as Harley’s best friend. There are moments between the two that are legitimately touching. The show has layers.

It also has an incredible voice cast. Cuoco is properly unhinged as Harley. Lake Bell gives Poison Ivy a touch of exasperated Voice of Reason. Tony Hale plays a cackling Dr. Psycho. Ron Funches plays a sweet but menacing King Shark. Alan Tudyk plays like half a dozen characters, including Joker and Clayface, the latter a member of Harley’s crew who can shapeshift into anything and is very pleased to give it more theatrical flair than necessary. Jason Alexander is in there, too, as are Andy Daly and Wanda Sykes and Giancarlo Esposito and about two dozen other recognizable voices. J.B. Smoove plays a murderous houseplant names Frank. It’s upsetting how long it took us, as a society, to make that happen.

My favorite character on the show, though, is Bane, voiced by James Adomian as a well-meaning doofus who sometimes wants to blow up service workers who get his name wrong on a takeout order. Here, look at my sweet evil boy.

Everything on the show is like this, tilted maybe 30 degrees off of what you know and expect from characters you’ve seen in other DC projects. The Legion of Doom — the villainous collective that features Joker, Bane, Lex Luthor, and more, and which Harley is at times desperate to join on her own — is shown as a bureaucratic mess, middle-managed out the wazoo, with forms that need filling out and mandatory meetings and break rooms with microwaves and refrigerators. Jim Gordon is an unshaven wreck who likes playing with the Bat signal. Batman shows up every once in a while and it barely ever matters, which is actually refreshing in a way. Creators Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker have refocused the whole world through Harley’s eyes, making you root for a series of mini-triumphs for a sociopath who loves her friends and doing crimes pretty much equally.

The show works so well as a binge, too. The episodes are like 25 minutes each and flow so well from one to the other that you can easily lose four hours in its world. You don’t even need to be super-familiar with the comics to get into the action. I had zero clue who King Shark was until I Googled him halfway through the first season and I still love him anyway. If you’ve seen the Dark Knight trilogy and are generally familiar with Harley Quinn, you’ll be fine and get the vast majority of the jokes.

And again, it’s very good. It’s one of my favorite shows of the last year or so, one I only refrained from shouting about because it wasn’t accessible to a lot of the people I wanted to shout about it to. But again, it’s on HBO Max now. And you probably need the mental vacation a show like this can provide. And I really think you’ll like it.

So, once again: Maybe you should just chill out for a while and binge Harley Quinn. I promise it can’t hurt.

Though neither side was at full strength due to the absences of Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley and Seth Curry, Thursday’s matchup between the L.A. Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks likely qualified as a playoff preview. After all, the Clippers and Mavericks are widely projected to occupy the No. 2 and No. 7 spots in the Western Conference, respectively, pitting the two teams against each other later this month. If a postseason series is in the offing, Thursday’s tilt provided optimism for entertainment value, and the Clippers secured the victory by a final score of 126-111.

For the most part, the first quarter was sluggish, especially when compared to the offensive baselines of the two teams involved. The Mavericks and Clippers rank as two of the top three offenses in the NBA this season, but neither scored even one point per possession and both struggled to maintain efficiency.

There were a few highlights, though, including a big-time dunk from Kristaps Porzingis over Ivica Zubac.

Both Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic got off to slow starts, but that didn’t last. Doncic connected on a step-back three late in the second quarter, before finding Porzingis for a dunk that prompted all kinds of celebration.

Almost immediately, Leonard retaliated by scoring 12 points in the second quarter to lead the Clippers to a one-point halftime lead.

The Clippers continued their upward trajectory to begin the third quarter, spurting to an 11-2 run to take a double-digit lead. While Leonard and George were crucial, Ivica Zubac also made a tremendous impact, posting a double-double by the middle of the third quarter.

Eventually, L.A. built a 12-point edge but, to their credit, the Mavericks battled back. By the end of third period, Dallas slashed the margin to four points and, with 6:41 left, Maxi Kleber connected on a three-pointer to tie the game. Unfortunately for the underdogs, though, the Clippers threw a counterpunch.

The Clippers scored the next nine points, with a timeout from Dallas in the middle of the run with the game teetering.

With L.A. leading by ten points with three minutes remaining, Doncic did connect on a deep three-pointer to pose something of a threat. Still, that was too little, too late, as George answered with a three-pointer of his own to put things on ice.

Predictably, Leonard (29 points, six rebounds, five assists) and George (24 points, seven rebounds, six assists) were tremendous for the Clippers. With that said, Zubac’s performance was potentially enlightening for L.A. in this matchup. The starting center didn’t miss a shot, converting all ten attempts, and he finished the night with 21 points and 15 rebounds in 24 minutes. Beyond that, Dallas started Bojan Marjanovic but, after six minutes, he never returned, and Dallas leaned heavily on Trey Burke in a smaller lineup.

Overall, it isn’t terribly surprising to see the Clippers outlast the Mavericks, even in a game that didn’t mean all that much for either team in the grand scheme. In the sense of a playoff preview, however, there were things to take away and, if L.A. gets the kind of performance from Zubac they did on Thursday, they will be difficult to beat.

This week, viral photos from the first day of school in various Georgia counties showed students crowded together with few masks in sight. Schools in the same area had to shut down entire classrooms due to positive tests after the first day back, quarantining students and teachers for two weeks.

In these counties, students are “encouraged” to wear a mask at school, but they are not required. Mask-wearing is referred to as a “personal choice.”

This week, a private Christian college in a town near where I live announced that is planning to resume in-person classes this fall. The school has decided that students will not be required to wear masks, despite the fact that the town itself has a mask mandate for all public spaces. “No riots. No masks. In person. This fall,” the college wrote in a Facebook post advertising the school last month.

The supposed justification for not requiring students to wear masks is that it’s a “personal choice,” and that students have the freedom to choose whether to wear one or not.

That’s a neat story. Except it is totally hypocritical coming from schools and school districts that have no problem placing limits on personal choice and freedom by mandating stringent dress codes for students.

In Cherokee County school district in Georgia, students must wear pant legs that don’t touch the ground, shirts that completely cover the shoulders, and skirts or pants without frayed edges. But they don’t have to wear masks in the middle of a literal pandemic.

The dress code for New Saint Andrew College dictates that male students must wear button-up shirts (but no polos), dress pants and dress shoes at all times. Women must wear dresses, dress shirts and dress pants or skirt, dress shoes, and “at least one extra item (scarf, visible and dressy jewelry, dressy jacket, blazer, cardigan, etc.).” But they don’t have to wear masks in the middle of a literal pandemic.

A few other choice details from the college’s dress code:

– “Students must maintain good hygiene and grooming, both for the sake of the student’s appearance and for the comfort of others nearby.” (Umm, doesn’t good hygiene include not keeping germs to yourself in a pandemic? I know that would make me comfortable.)

– “Students must keep their shoes on at all times.” (Sooo, shoes on at ALL times. Masks on during a pandemic only if you feel like it. Got it.)

– “Black academic robes (available for purchase from the college bookstore) are required at disputatio, convocation, commencement, and oral finals for matriculating students who have earned 32 credits toward their degree program. Robes do not replace proper dress and must be worn over top of correct clothing as required by the dress code.” (So you have to wear the black robes in these instances. As in, no personal choice in the matter. But making students wear masks to mitigate a contagious novel virus spread is too much to ask.)

It’s pretty clear that the refusal to mandate masks is not about personal freedom; it’s about political statements. Because too many of our leaders and too much of our hyperpolarized society insist on turning everything under the sun—including basic science—into a partisan argument, somehow mask-wearing has become something political.

Public health is not a partisan thing. It shouldn’t even be a political thing. The pandemic doesn’t care about your political beliefs. Period.

Presumably, dress codes are in place to protect students in some way, right? To keep the environment safe and conducive to learning? How is mandating masks to keep students and teachers safer in a pandemic any different?

The only way I can see that it’s different is that masks actually have science to back up their use, they’re recommended by public health officials, and they’re useful in helping not only the students, but the entire community at large.

Seriously, you can’t enforce a dress code under normal circumstances and then turn around and say that you won’t enforce mask-wearing in a pandemic because of “freedom.” If schools were really concerned about personal freedom when it comes to putting things on your body, students wouldn’t be required to keep their shoulders covered or wear shoes. The blatant hypocrisy is ridiculous.

I took my 16-year-old to the store the other day, and as we walked in, she said, “It makes me so happy to see all these people wearing masks.” We live in a state that requires masks in public. And I agreed with her; it’s a relief to know that everyone will be masked when you go into a store or other public place. We know that masking is most effective if everyone does it. Our governor has taken heat from the “but my freedom” folks over the mandate, but I’m grateful for the clarity and decisive action based on public health recommendations. Too many people have already proven that they won’t wear masks if they are not required. My state has gone from having the first outbreak in the nation to #23 for total cases, and I credit the requirements the government put in place to keep spread under control.

If schools are going to open, masks should absolutely be part of the strict, required safety protocol to keep the pandemic as controlled as possible. Letting it be a “personal choice” won’t work, as evidenced by what we’ve already seen in Georgia. While keeping masks on little kids is a whole other question, high school and college students can handle it. Toughen up and save lives. It’s really that simple.

Over the past few years, there has been a growing movement to fight back against some of the everyday racism that exists in America.

The Washington Redskins of the NFL have temporarily changed their name to the Washington Football Team until a more suitable, and less racist, name is determined.

The Dixie Chicks, a country band from Texas has decided to change their name to The Chicks to avoid any connotation with slavery, as has Lady Antebellum who now just go by Lady A.

(Although they stole the name form a Black woman who has been using it for over 20 years.)

At a time when people are trying to expunge the Earth of racism, NASA has cast its eyes to the stars to look for offensive names that it’s given to objects in space.

So far, the Space Administration has found two objects that have offensive names, first is the planetary nebula NGC 2392 which commonly goes by the nickname the “Eskimo Nebula.”

Photopoesie / Flickr

According to NASA, the term “Eskimo” is a “colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions.”

The name has been used to refer to Inuit and Yupik people in Alaska for ages, and is seen by many as offensive.

“This name is considered derogatory in many other places because it was given by non-Inuit people and was said to mean ‘eater of raw meat,'” the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska told CNN.

NASA will also stop referring to NGC 4567 and NGC 4568, a pair of spiral galaxies in the Viro Cluster, as the “Siamese Twins Galaxy.”

via Astrobin.com / Twitter

The term “Siamese Twins” is derived from a 19th-century freak show starring Cheng and Eng, conjoined twins from Thailand (once known as Siam.) These days, the appropriate term for twins who share body parts is “conjoined,” because they can be born anywhere on the planet, not just Thailand.

via Wikimedia Commons

“I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters, Washington.

“Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and we’ll proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that,” he added. “Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value.”

The Agency will be working with diversity, inclusion, and equity experts in the astronomical and physical sciences to provide guidance and recommendations for other nicknames and terms for review.

“These nicknames and terms may have historical or culture connotations that are objectionable or unwelcoming, and NASA is strongly committed to addressing them,” said Stephen T. Shih, Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity at NASA Headquarters. “Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so this means we must make it inclusive.”

If space is truly the final frontier, then it should be a place we can journey while leaving the troubles we’ve created on Earth behind. Kudos to NASA for its new effort to make space a little more comfortable for all mankind.

In 2016, Kobe Bryant signed a pair of shoes for Devin Booker and, in doing so, the legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard told Booker to “be legendary.” Four years later, Booker is enjoying the best stretch of basketball in his NBA career and, after a buzzer-beater to knock off the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns star keyed his team to another victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.

Following the game, Booker shared that Bryant is still in his mind as he players.

“Kobe’s with me every day,” Booker said. “You guys see what I put on my shoes, the ‘be legendary.’ That’s a reminder for me. Even without that reminder, it comes, through 24 hours, at least two or three times a day it crosses my mind, if not more.”

As Booker notes, he still writes “be legendary” on his shoes and it is clear that Bryant left an enormous impact on him, both on and off the floor. He is certainly not alone in the NBA world, but Booker’s willingness to share this sentiment is certainly interesting, especially within the bizarre circumstances of the bubble environment.

While the team success has not yet arrived for Booker, his game has matured tremendously in the last two seasons, with an uptick in efficiency and tangible improvement on the defensive end. Everything is coming together at an even higher level in the bubble as well, with the Suns posting a 4-0 record and flashing some of the team-wide upside they possess for the future.