Month: November 2020

While many of us have understandably let the challenges of 2020 get under our skin and bring us down, a young man from Florida was securing his place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete a full triathlon.

For the majority of people, a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride or a 26.2 mile run would be difficult on its own. The Ironman competition requires participants to complete them all in one grueling race. In a statement, Special Olympics Florida President and CEO Sherry Wheelock called Chris “an inspiration to all of us.” She continued, “We are incredibly proud of Chris and the work he has put in to achieve this monumental goal. He’s become a hero to athletes, fans, and people across Florida and around the world.”

Nikic’s journey to become an Ironman started off as a challenge far less lofty. He and his father, Nik, created the “1 percent better challenge.” The idea was to keep Chris motivated during the pandemic and beyond. According to The Washington Post, the idea was for Chris to improve his workouts by one percent each day because he “doesn’t like pain” but loves “food, videos games and my couch.” The plan was to keep building strength and stamina while keeping his eye on the grand prize of completing a triathlon. Nik told the Panama City News Herald, “I was concerned because after high school and after graduation a lot of kids with Down syndrome become isolated and just start living a life of isolation. I said, ‘Look, let’s go find him something to get him back into the world and get him involved,’ so we started looking around and we were fortunate that at the same time Special Olympics Florida started this triathlon program, and I thought, ‘What a great way to get him started, get him in shape and get him to make some friends.'”

The day before the race, Chris posted on social media, “Tomorrow I wake up and go from being a boy with Down syndrome to an Ironman.” And that is exactly what he did. Chris was required by state race officials to be tethered to a guide during the running and swimming portions of the competition. Despite facing the adversity of falling off his bike and being attacked by ants at a nutrition stop as reported by CNN, he still crossed the finish line under the 17-hour cut off to make his time official.

Shane Facteau, the Ironman Group’s COO says that Nikic played an important role in keeping spirits up and moral high during a time when it has been difficult to hold large scale competitions such as the Ironman race.

As Facteau told the Panama City News Herald, “I can say on an individual level that he has had a huge impact on our team. It’s been a rough year in a lot of ways. We had to move a lot of races, and I think he may not understand this but the positive impact he has had on individuals in our organization has been tremendous. It’s so good to see the team be around him and feel the positive energy. He’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. He’s putting himself out there, and that’s something people need to understand,” Facteau continued. “He’s taking the opportunity, and there’s always risk in that there’s the chance of success or failure. We love to see people of all shapes and sizes do that.”

In an interview with Runners World last month, it appears that Nikic sees the Ironman competition as a stepping stone to greater heights. “My dream is to buy my own house, buy my own car, [and] get a smoking hot blond wife from Minnesota.”

In the words of the great John Mellencamp, “Ain’t that America.”

We probably wouldn’t have The Beatles without Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. And we wouldn’t have rock and roll as we know it without The Beatles. If you agree with the school of thought that we build off the accomplishments of our predecessors, then Cecelia Payne is as rock and roll as they come.

In a Facebook post making the rounds again after the original went viral two years ago, Cecelia Payne is once again having a light shined on her accomplishments. And yet, it still doesn’t seem close to what she deserves.

Born in 1900 in Wendover, England, Cecelia was always fascinated by the stars. According to Harvard Magazine, when in high school she actually approached a local bookbinder in London to put a fake cover that read “Holy Bible” on the book she was supposed to be studying so she could pursue her true passion, which was science. Her silent defiance would eventually get her kicked out of school. After being accepted at the St. Paul School for Girls, she recalls walking through the doors and thinking to herself “I shall never be lonely again. Now I can think about science!” In 1919 she was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University, which had only recently started to accept women. And while they accepted women, they were a far cry from taking them seriously in the field Cecelia uncontrollably passionate about.

One night, after hearing Arthur Eddington, head of the Cambridge Observatory, give a lecture regarding Einstein’s theory of relativity, Payne raced back to her dorm. She thought, “For three nights, I think, I did not sleep. My world had been so shaken that I experienced something like a nervous breakdown.” And if nervous breakdowns get you into Harvard, then we should all start taking crazy pills, because that is where she would continue her studies.

During her tenure at Harvard, astronomers were trying to answer the riddle that had evaded them and everyone before them: what are stars made of? As they were staring at the stars, befuddled as they looked through their high tech telescopes, Cecelia Payne figured it out. Using a jeweler’s loupe.

What she discovered was that hydrogen was a million times more present in the universe than anyone had realized. When she presented her thesis, the famous Russian-American astronomer Otto Struve called it “the most brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy.” Henry Norris Russell, dean of American astronomers and head of the Princeton Observatory did not agree.

In response to Payne’s book Stellar Atmospheres, Russell called her hypotheses “clearly impossible” and that her results were “almost certainly not real.” Four years later, after using his own methods, Russell came to the same conclusion as Payne’s original idea. He then took the credit giving her an unceremonious honorable mention. Heaven forbid he said, “She was right and I was wrong.” It is kind of like reading someone’s book idea and saying there is no way that would work, and then coming up with that same book idea four years later and calling it brilliant.

Cecelia Payne, you were way ahead of your time. You are the Nina Simone of astronomy.

With all the uncertainty we’ve faced in 2020, many have turned to their favorite classic movies to provide comfort. Along with revisiting old characters, one of the best parts about re-watching older movies is the soundtracks, especially when the film features an actor performing an original song written for the script. People on Twitter shared their thoughts about the best “fake” songs made for TV and movies Monday — and there were some great mentions.

It all started when a Twitter user asked people on the platform to name the “best fake song” that appears in a movie or a TV film. The tweet went viral instantly and saw a wide range of responses.

One person mentioned the song “That One Night” from a cringe-worthy episode of The Office where Pam and Jim are subjected to a terrible dinner party with Michael Scott and Jan.

A few songs from the cult classic Spinal Tap also got cited.

Jason Segel’s delivery of a song from his Dracula play in Forgetting Sarah Marshall was namedropped, too.

How could you forget Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s iconic track “Boats ‘N Hoes” from Step Brothers?

Of course, the iconic 2004 EuroTrip song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” was one of the most popular answers. But the song’s inclusion didn’t go without a debate. Some thought the fact that “Scotty Doesn’t Know” landed a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart meant it was “real,” but others disagreed because it was originally penned for the film.

Check out some of the best “fake” songs above.

It has been an interesting offseason for the Houston Rockets to say the least. Russell Westbrook levied a trade request after just one year in Houston and that was followed shortly by James Harden likewise pushing for a trade, specifically to the Brooklyn Nets.

For now, both Westbrook and Harden remain on the Rockets and the team has said publicly it is happy to start the season with both despite the potential for it to be uncomfortable and awkward — in honesty, this is the only position they can take to maintain any semblance of leverage in trade talks. Still, the moves they’ve made since have been in the unenviable position of maximizing assets and trying to thread the needle between starting a rebuild and not putting a big “Fire Sale” sign out front.

They’ve dealt Robert Covington to the Blazers and flipped two-thirds of the return to the Pistons (Trevor Ariza and the 16th overall pick) to give them a pair of future, protected first round picks. From there they’ve signed Christian Wood in free agency, and added another big man in DeMarcus Cousins on Monday on a non-guaranteed one-year deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1331010683136303105

Cousins himself confirmed the news to Marc Spears of the Undefeated shortly after Charania’s initial report.

The question with Cousins is, of course, with his health after having suffered an Achilles tear and a ruptured quadriceps tendon. Still, it’s a low-risk move, similar to what L.A. did with Dwight Howard’s non-guaranteed deal last year, by a Rockets team that could use some upside — and there’s also the possibility that the discussed Westbrook-John Wall deal could get done reuniting the good friends and Kentucky teammates in Houston.

Though it’s difficult at this point to count or keep track of all the brilliant visual performances Beyonce has given us over the years, a few do stand out in recent memory. One of which is her performance of “Drunk In Love” at the 2014 Grammys. The set included dark lines of shadow and light as Beyonce writhed and crawled around on a table and chairs, in a black catsuit with her hair stringy and wet. Well, last night in her performance at the 2020 AMA’s, Jennifer Lopez adopted a lot of verrrrry similar visual cues for her rendition of Pa’ Ti” and “Lonely” with Maluma.

Sure, there’s no copyright on black catsuits or certain hairstyles, or even lighting cues or dance moves, but it was the presence of all four elements in a super recognizable format that had fans a little surprised that Lopez would not even consider how the performance might come off. And yes, Jennifer Lopez is a great performer in her own right, but the sheer force of cultural momentum that Black women are responsible for creating, and somehow never received proper credit and recognition for, is unparalleled. If she was going to draw on Bey as an inspiration, she should’ve credited her — and to say that performance wasn’t partly an inspiration for her AMA’s appearance just doesn’t seem to ring true. Check out more thoughts from fans below.

Following the news of his brother Glenn Johnson’s death earlier this month, DaBaby penned the poignant EP My Brother’s Keeper (Long Live G) as tribute. Now further honoring his family bonds, the rapper dropped a video alongside his track “More Money More Problems” which co-stars his adorable daughter.

Directed by Gemini Vision, DaBaby’s “More Money More Problems” video offers a glimpse at the rapper’s home life. It’s filmed in his opulent home and shows DaBaby spending a wholesome day with his daughter Renny. The dad and daughter team enjoy each others’ company as they count stacks of money, play dolls in Renny’s princess-themed room, and goof around in DaBaby’s home theater.

Along with featuring his daughter, DaBaby dedicated the visual to his late brother. “In loving memory of Glenn Allen Johnson,” the rapper wrote in the visual’s caption.

DaBaby’s 8-track project My Brother’s Keeper is his third release of the year and features the likes of Meek Mill, Polo G, NoCap, and Toosii. The EP follows his recently released album Blame It On Baby and its subsequent deluxe reissue, further cementing DaBaby’s prolific reputation.

Watch DaBaby’s “More Money More Problems” video above.

My Brother’s Keeper (Long Live G) is out now via South Coast/Interscope. Get it here.

Ken Jennings will officially take over as host of Jeopardy! following the death of legendary host Alex Trebek. For now, that is.

The syndicated trivia titan of a game show announced Monday that it would resume taping episodes following Trebek’s death from pancreatic cancer, with Jennings as the first of what’s apparently a series of guest hosts continuing the season while the show searches for a permanent replacement.

The news came as part of a larger announcement about what the show will do to honor Trebek in the wake of his death. New episodes with him as host will air in syndication until December 25, and on Monday news came that there would be a greatest hits of sorts also airing in tribute to Trebek.

“Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement. “We will honor Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”

Jennings will take over as Jeopardy! host on November 30, when the show begins to tape again. And the news makes it sound more like a trial run for Jennings as host than an official announcement that he’s taking over full-time, as many have speculated. Whether that becomes official seems unclear right now, but Jennings is a logical solution both in the long and short-term. He already works on the show behind the scenes, and he certainly is recognizable among fans as the official Greatest Of All Time after his win in the Jeopardy! GOAT Tournament, which aired in January.

When Netflix’s Red Notice starring Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and The Rock shut down during the pandemic, like most productions, there was a huge question mark around whether or not the film would quickly back on track. The Atlanta-based crew managed to get back to work, but under some particularly strict COVID-19 restrictions that required crew members to stay quarantined on set for months. That meant not seeing their families until shooting wrapped in early November.

While Gadot and Reynolds made public statements addressing the hard work and resilience of the crew for making Red Notice happen, what no one knew until now is that Reynolds privately sent videos to over 400 crew members and their family members. In some instances, he even sent videos to their dogs just to keep morale up and show his appreciation for their dedication during the unusual circumstances. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Contacted by THR, Reynolds confirmed the gesture of gratitude and added that for those who didn’t have family, “I made videos for their dogs,” he said. “Morale was so low because everyone was in lockdown. They couldn’t go anywhere but work or the hotel. In some cases, their families were at home less than a mile away. I can’t imagine that kind of longing.”

Earlier in the month, Reynolds posted an Instagram photo celebrating Red Notice‘s wrap, and he made it a point to call out the crew members who powered through the unorthodox production. “Not all heroes wear capes,” Reynolds wrote. “Some wear masks. And visors. And have cotton swabs shoved up their noses every day.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

The Dallas Cowboys have had a dreadful season to this point, but Sunday brought a rare bright spot in the form of a 31-28 upset win over the Vikings in Minnesota to move to 3-7 and, somehow, just a half game behind the 3-6-1 Eagles for the NFC East division lead.

It was the best the Cowboys have looked in the post-Dak Prescott injury season, with Andy Dalton playing well in his return to the field from a concussion, and the defense, while it allowed 28 points, mostly bottled up star running back Dalvin Cook who had been running wild on teams over the past month. Apparently, that uptick in defensive effort from a team that’s been among the league’s worst in just about every defensive metric can be attributed to a rather colorful team meeting at the hotel on Saturday night before the game.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, embattled head coach Mike McCarthy decided to fire up the troops with some good old fashioned prop comedy, smashing watermelons with a sledgehammer to the delight of his players while calling out the week’s focus points.

I never thought I would hear “the players were roaring, McCarthy’s pants were soaked” in a positive frame of reference on television, but here we are. This is the type of thing you can spin as inspirational after a win, but would’ve been tragically hilarious had they lost. It did seem to get the guys fired up, with DeMarcus Lawrence apparently asking to smash the Dalvin Cook watermelon himself. I look forward to this becoming a weekly tradition as Cowboys staffers frantically scour local grocery stores for fruits McCarthy can smash to rally the team each Saturday.

On this week’s People’s Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with legendary New Orleans producer, rapper, and the architect of the Cash Money label sound, Mannie Fresh. The extensive interview covers everything from Mannie’s early days in New Orleans to watching Lil Wayne evolve as a lyricist to the beginnings of Cash Money. Towards the end of the interview, Mannie speaks to the fallout and criticism he received after his Instagram Live Verzuz Battle with fellow super producer Scott Storch after many fellow producers and fans said he went too hard on Storch.

“I mean honestly, it was a battle… this is what goes on in hip-hop. Hip-hop is the story of your life. Nobody gave me the memo that this is the new hip-hop.”

Mannie came to the battle prepared, explaining that he did his homework on Storch in order to put together his skits and burns, which included light-hearted jokes like making fun of Storch’s iconic glasses, and more personal jabs about Storch’s struggles with drug abuse and specifics about his personal life. The pushback from friends and fans was enough to lead Mannie to reach out to Storch to explain his attacks were all love and in good fun and the spirit of hip-hop.

“I came to win… I don’t have no bad feelings about Scott Storch. I love him like a brother. But if you want to be a part of hip-hop you’ve got to open up your good and your bad. You don’t have a day where you can say ‘nah ya’ll can’t say that about me.’ This is what hip-hop is… We came to battles we didn’t come to kumbaya.”

While Storch and Mannie Fresh are still tight, the pushback was enough to turn Mannie off from ever competing in a rap battle again, which is an absolute shame if you actually caught the battle itself.

Check out the full chat on this week’s People’s Party with Talib Kweli above and watch Mannie detail the “controversy” in the clip below.