Month: January 2021

James Harden, in case you forgot, is still unhappy. We know because in his post-game after the Rockets lost to the Lakers Tuesday he reminded everyone again. Harden’s specific brand of unhappiness is like falling on your sword until you get the best angle and biggest audience and with a blockbuster trade to the Nets taking place less than 24 hours later, that have followed it appears he finally nailed it, though the man is now rife with self-inflicted sword wounds.

Around the same time on NBA Twitter, albeit from a different time zone on the other side of the world, Steven Adams was on a show I’m ashamed to say I’ve just learned existed called “Kiwis Abroad.” He talked about worms. Specifically, farming them. Specifically, obtaining compost worms to start a compost worm farm, that he watches closely under a microscope.

In a segment of the show that did not become as newsworthy a subject as where James Harden — the man who is as much his own immense boulder as he is Sisyphus — will go or what he hopes to do there, Adams was asked, sincerely, by host Simon Hampton how he’d been keeping busy between “games and training” considering the necessary movement restrictions players and teams have to follow in accordance with the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Basically, how he’s finding it living in a world turned never-endingly linear. Adams mulls the question, his brain likely expanding into to the similar state of static all of us experience when trying to recall the differentiation of one day to the next. But then he lands on something, some beautiful memory, and brightens like the sun rising on the proud island nation of New Zealand.

“Ah,” he gives a confident nod, “I got a worm farm now!”

“At my house,” he quickly adds for context. “Bought some worms the other day, some compost worms. I also got a microscope so I can check out all the little bugs in the soil and whatnot. Just real nerdy stuff.”

Before Hampton is able to ask about the worms directly, Adams furrows his brow and says firmly, “I’m going a bit mad.”

Then quieter, plaintive, “Help me.”

Recovering, Hampton asks in a casually charming Kiwi turn of phrase if the “worms are going well” and Adams confirms they are, for the most part, but that it might be a little cold for them at the moment.

Let’s turn from the worms and begrudgingly return to Harden, a man who could desperately use some time alone with a microscope if only he could slide his whole self under it. Adams went abruptly to New Orleans in a trade this year after six seasons, his entire NBA career, spent with the Thunder. Did he see it coming? Not likely. Did he have his doubts? Definitely. Is he enjoying the state of the world? Not really. But the man made due. He bought himself a worm farm. There are worthwhile lessons to be found digging in the dirt of oneself as much as ones compost worm farm, and Harden might be helped by that kind of molecular breaking down.

You can watch the full interview here.

When it comes to giant franchises you can always expect video games to follow them, but one IP that has seemingly escaped the video game replication formula is Indiana Jones. The well known adventurer hasn’t had a video game of any kind since 2009, unless you count the 2011 Facebook title, and while not the most popular Lucasfilm title, there are droves of fans that have been wanting to see him and his whip on modern hardware.

These fans may finally be getting their wish. On Monday, Bethesda put out a short teaser trailer for a brand new Indiana Jones title made by Wolfenstein developer MachineGames. The trailer features Jones’ iconic hat being lifted up, and if you still weren’t sure, his whip lays on the table ready for a new adventure.

This teaser is all we know of the game right now, and development of video games is never easy, but a modern Indiana Jones game is something that everyone should be excited about. Think about how much video games have changed since the last title in 2009. That game was made for the PlayStation 2 and Wii. This means we never got to experience an Indiana Jones adventure in HD, let alone the 4K capabilities we have now.

The question is what kind of game is this going to be like? One would immediately assume something like an Uncharted or maybe the modern Tomb Raider, but the heavy emphasis on guns in those two franchises might not fit in perfectly with the Indiana Jones franchise. It’s not that Jones can’t use a gun, but do we really want to see him mowing down an army with an assault rifle Nathan Drake style?

Of course, this doesn’t mean they can’t take inspirations from those two franchises to make a modern Indiana Jones title. The feelings of exploration, puzzles, and the mystery in those titles are something that a modern Indiana Jones game should strive for and is well within the capabilities of MachineGames. Anyone that enjoys a good adventure should be excited about the potential of this.

James Harden’s time in Houston is over … well, kind of. Harden, who has wanted a move from the Houston Rockets for weeks, was traded by the franchise to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday afternoon in a monster trade that reunites him with Kevin Durant and pairs him up with fellow high-scoring guard Kyrie Irving. It’s obviously exciting for basketball fans, because that is one heck of a trio of talent on a team with legitimate championship aspirations.

Still, Harden spent years in Houston and was the face of that franchise for years, so it’s not like his ties to the city are gone forever. In fact, despite the fact that he’s no longer a member of the Rockets, Harden has business to take care of in the city, as he’s opening a restaurant in the city next week.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Harden’s restaurant, Thirteen, is slated to open in Houston on Jan. 22. It was described as “one of Houston’s most high-profile restaurant openings this year,” and according to Eater, the menu looks pretty good!

As far as the menu at Thirteen is concerned, look forward to decadent, upscale riffs on comfort food dishes like fries spiced with Old Bay and drenched in Maryland crab cream sauce, deep-fried red snapper, and a Harden-inspired dish called the Sun Devil, which involves roasted oysters topped with creamed collard greens and candied bacon.

All of this sounds tasty! It is unclear of the Rockets organization would trade this restaurant for a restaurant opened by Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets, four first-round pick swaps from the Brooklyn Nets, and a 2022 first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks. Anyway, Brooklyn has a game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland that day, so it appears unlikely Harden will be able to make it to the grand opening.

On January 16 of 2020, President Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Less than a year later, on January 13, 2021, it happened again, this time for inciting an insurrection. The vote came exactly a week after a large claque of his supporters, whipped-up by fiery speeches, including one of his own, stormed the Capitol, armed with guns and even zip ties, resulting in five deaths. It was a horrifying ordeal, a coup that came too close to being successful. And just as the continuing round-up of its perpetrators was met with therapeutic jokes, so too was Trump’s number two.

They came in all shapes and sizes. But one was more frequently deployed than most: Trump got impeached twice. It’s an achievement none of the 44 presidents that preceded him had accomplished. It’s almost impressive! And especially since the first time did not end with his removal by Congress — and may not this time either — people had sequel jokes.

Some had high hopes that the sequel would be better than the original.

There was also other movie jokes.

Or other two jokes.

He even scored a Goodfellas-esque nickname.

Some rounded up other stats.

And milestones.

And other, more grim stats.

Some got cosmic, reflecting on how the future will look back on today.

In the meantime, let’s hope there won’t somehow be even more Trump impeachments in the future.

It wasn’t that long ago that Star Wars video games were everywhere. With RPG’s, third-person shooters, action games, racing games, flying games, movie tie-in games, if there’s a genre then there’s probably a Star Wars game of it. You could even argue “Star Wars game” was a genre in itself. However, since LucasArts was purchased and shut down by Disney in 2013, the Star Wars IP has been stagnant. Exclusive rights to develop games with the IP was given to EA and the results since have been four Star Wars games total.

That is going to change soon, though. On Tuesday, Lucasfilm Games made a surprising announcement that Ubisoft, not EA, would be developing a story driven open world Star Wars game. This means that when the exclusivity license EA possesses for Star Wars reaches its conclusion in 2023, it will be open season for Star Wars games.

“And by “this moment,” Reilly is referring to a new direction and era for Star Wars and Lucasfilm gaming overall, as Lucasfilm Games is now opening the doors to developers that want to come play in the galaxy far, far away. “We’re looking to work with best-in-class teams that can make great games across all of our IP. We’ve got a team of professionals here at Lucasfilm Games who can work with the developers, shape the stories, shape the creative, shape the games, to make them really resonate with fans and deliver across a breadth of platforms, genres, and experiences so that all of our fans can enjoy the IPs that they know and love,” he says.”

This is massive news in the video game community. The last console generation was not good to the Star Wars franchise with Star Wars titles receiving more headlines for loot boxes and buggy releases than it did for the quality of their titles. This also may be why EA is losing out on its exclusivity. It’s hard to believe the consistent negative press surrounding their titles was doing them any favors with Disney or Lucasfilm. Of course, for any fans of the Star Wars games that EA has made, this doesn’t mean that they’re going to stop making games in that universe.

While this is a definite loss for EA, this news can only be seen as a win for fans of video games. Star Wars is a universe with endless possibilities and some of the best games ever made used that world as a base for their creation. The more people that can get their hands on it the better chance we have at something incredible being made.

We’re now in our second full week of 2021 and we’re already having to make some hard purchasing choices. Not only will a hotly anticipated eight sneaker collection drop — the Nike Raygun pack — but we’re also getting a double Yeezy drop, and a brand new Supreme collaboration. That’s a lot of shoes! It’s a good thing too because on the apparel end offerings are still looking light, as brands continue to shed their winter collections heading towards spring.

It’s still a little too early to start unveiling Spring/Summer 2021 collections, but thankfully this week brings a dope link-up between Awake NY and Los Angeles-based BornxRaised, as well as a cool collection from the always-fun Chinatown Market to satiate our desire for new fits. Because it’s a light week, we’ve also made the call to end this article with a new SNX DLX addition we’re calling “Dud of the Week,” … we’re still working on that name, but it should be self-explanatory.

Let’s dive in!

Supreme Nike Air Max Goadome

These new boots out of Supreme are giving us serious Berlin club kid vibes. It seems like a million years since we’ve entertained the idea of going into a club, but that day will come… eventually. For now, we might as well get our club fits laid out and we can’t think of a better way to complete your outfit for the next underground house show you attend than with a pair of these red or black Goadome boots.

The boots feature a glam-inspired scaly snakeskin upper that look designed to catch the lights emitting from the DJ booth. Or maybe we’re just getting nostalgic for the days of going out!

The Supreme Nike Air Max Goadome is set to drop on January 14th for a yet to be announced price. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Supreme online store.

Nike Roswell Rayguns Collection

Nike’s fictional basketball team, the Roswell Rayguns, are proof that more brands should make real clothing for fictional teams. Seriously. Despite the Rayguns growing out of a Nike ad campaign and not actually existing, they’ve got an amazing track record for dope alien-themed Nike colorways that far exceed the tired college colors the brand continually dips into.

This pack, launching on January 15th, consists of a whopping eight sneakers. For visual SNX consistency, we’re not going to showcase all eight, but the full line consists of a low top Air Force 1, a Nike Air Raid, Air More Uptempo, Blazer Mid, Kyrie 7, Flight ’89, Chuck 70 Hi and Converse Pro Leather all dressed in the signature Roswell Rayguns colors.

The Nike Rayguns Pack is set to drop on January 15th with a retail range of $85-$145. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app, or the Converse web store, and StockX.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 380 Yecoraite

Nike may be releasing an eight sneaker collection literally themed around aliens, but the most futuristic alien-like sneaker this week comes out of Yeezy brand. The 380 is Yeezy brand’s weirdest looking sneaker silhouette — unless you’re counting the Foam Runner as a shoe. (Which… is it?)

The Yecoraite, which features a reflective polar earth-toned upper reminiscent of the landscape of an alien planet, is dropping in the Asia Pacific market but is likely to garner fans worldwide, as this is one of the freshest colorways the 380 has ever had.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 380 Yecoraite is set to drop on January 16th for a retail price of $240. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore, via Yeezy Supply, and the aftermarket.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 700 v3 Safflower

The Yeezy 700 v3 Safflower launched globally in November of last year but is only now making its stateside appearance this week. Featuring a glow-in-the-dark RPU cage over a yellowed Primeknit atop a BOOST midsole, the Safflower is a continuation of a great sneaker lineage that first began with the 700 Wave Runner.

The 350 may be Yeezy’s most popular silhouette, but we believe the 700 will go down in history as the most influential silhouette out of the Yeezy family, and the Safflower is a great entry to the story of this silhouette.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 700 v3 is set to drop on January 16th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore.

Adidas 4D Fusio

Adidas forward-thinking 4D line is becoming more and more accessible, and that’s a good thing. When Adidas first started experimenting with new sneaker technology in an effort to move running shoes forward technologically, they did so at a pretty prohibitive price. Since those early days the retail price of the 4D line has been cut in half, from an average of $400 to a much more manageable $200, and while they’ve been getting cheaper, they’ve also been getting cooler.

The 4D Fusio features a wild ‘90s inspired Primeknit upper with a heel pull lace closure atop a 3D printed 4D lattice midsole with a vibrant TPU belt wrap. The colorway combines core black, two of Adidas’ custom grey shades, Grey Six and Dove Grey.

The Adidas 4D Fusio is set to drop on January 14th for a retail price of $243. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore or select retailers like 43einhalb.

Awake NY x BornxRaised

This East meets West workwear-inspired collection brings together streetwear labels Awake NY and the Los Angeles-based BornxRaised and mines both New York and LA street culture for an expansive collection of streetwear essentials. Featuring dual-branded t-shirts, hoodies, and outwear, as well as a few pieces made in collaboration with Carhartt WIP, this collection reimagines ‘90s street fashion as a harmonious mixing of sensibilities, which is a pretty dope move!

The highlight of the collection is easily the chore coats, which act as a perfect encapsulation of both brand’s design strengths.

The Awake NY x BornxRaised collection is set to drop on January 15th at 12 pm PST at the BornxRaised webstore.

Chinatown Market

Chinatown Market has not stopped dropping random collections since this year began and we’re totally here for it. Following a drop of 1-of-1 pieces made from upcycled L.L. Bean apparel, Chinatown Market has done a refresh of their Grateful Dead crocs, which we’re sure are already sold out and will be launching a “drop with a legendary streetwear brand” at 2 pm PST today!

We’re not sure what they have in store but given their track record this year, it’ll be fun and the opposite of whatever you expect. Shop the drops at the Chinatown Market webstore.

Dud of the Week — Louis Vuitton SS21 Men’s Accessories Collection

Louis a dud? Yeah… Virgil, seriously what the hell is this? Abloh is set to drop a seven sneaker Nike collection soon, he’s rumored to be working on a follow up to “The Ten” called “The Twenty,” and he’s probably live-streaming a DJ set right now!

Take a break, bro. Let the creative juices refresh!

This accessory collection features signature Louis Vuitton bags adorned with embroidered cartoon characters from Virgil Abloh’s experimental ‘Zoom with friends’ Louis Vuitton concept. We’re down with the cartoon characters, the art style is seriously dope, but slapping them on a few classic Louis V bags and calling it a day are a clear sign that Abloh is simply spreading himself too thin.

With reports already out that Katie Couric and Aaron Rodgers will be acting as Jeopardy! hosts as the show tackles the daunting task of replacing the late Alex Trebek, the show has officially announced its next roster of guest hosts, but this time, it will have a charitable twist. In a tweet from the official Jeopardy! account 60 Minutes’ Bill Whitaker and The Big Bang Theory‘s Mayim Bialik have been confirmed as guest hosts along with Couric and Rodgers. “As a part of each guest host’s appearance, a donation will be made to a charity of their choice,” the show also announced.

You can see the official tweet below:

Each of the hosts will fill in for a week’s worth of episodes, and the cumulative winnings of the contestants during each host’s respective week will be donated to charity. Via TVLine:

“Alex was a legend, revered by all of us,” said [Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike] Richards in a statement. “I want to thank our guest hosts, who will not only help all of us celebrate his great legacy, but also bring their own touch to the show.”

Since Trebek’s passing, Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings has been filling in as host and is one of the top contenders to serve as a permanent replacement. Although, Jennings recently revealed that doing Trebek’s job was way more challenging than he ever imagined.

“I thought I had studied the man and had understood just what a remarkable job he was doing keeping the game going, mastering the sense that he understood all the clues, because he did. Explaining it to the audience,” Jennings explained in an interview for the Jeopardy! YouTube Channel. “And I thought ‘ah, I understood it all.’ And when I had to do it I realized he was doing 10 things I wasn’t aware of for every one I saw. It’s a very demanding job and he was just the best.”

(Via Jeopardy! on Twitter)

James Harden is a Brooklyn Net. And Victor Oladipo is a Houston Rocket. And Caris LeVert is an Indiana Pacer. And Jarrett Allen is a Cleveland Cavalier.

Basically, a lot happened on Wednesday afternoon in the NBA, and when something as monstrous as the four-team James Harden deal takes place, it is Adrian Wojnarowski’s job to deliver the details to the masses both on the internet and on television. Usually, Woj pops up on The Jump or SportsCenter to talk NBA gossip and break down a trade like this, but in this instance, ESPN simply cannot wait to have him explain how a deal that sends a former MVP to play with another MVP and involves eight (8) draft picks and swaps and an All-Star going from a surprise fourth team back.

As it so happens, this trade broke just as the crew from NFL Live was settling in to discuss the upcoming Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs and took a detour to let a clearly giddy Woj break some NBA news in the midst of ESPN’s top NFL show.

Woj isn’t known for being exactly effervescent as a personality, but this seemed like as happy a moment as he’s had on TV, getting to talk about a big NBA trade on, as he said, his favorite NFL program. Woj figures to be a busy man for the rest of the day as he’ll surely show up on SportsCenters for the rest of the night, but his debut on NFL Live will surely be the highlight of his day.

Nearly a year into the deadliest pandemic in a century, the U.S. is still battling not only the virus, but Americans living in denial of reality as well.

Take this video of a group of anti-maskers who stood in front of a Trader Joe’s entrance and tried to argue that they had every right to shop there without masks. The woman narrating the video states that they have “a right to commerce” (they don’t—there’s literally no such right), that Trader Joe’s doesn’t have the right to require masks (they do—it’s their store), that the mandate to wear masks in public places can’t be enforced because it’s not a real law (it can—), and that they were not there to demonstrate, but just to buy groceries (umm, right).

The manager, to his credit, did what he could to calmly talk with these people while also making it clear that they were not going to enter the store without a mask.

“The point you’re trying to make isn’t going to be made with us,” he said. “It can be made with your government…I am not here to debate policy. I totally respect for you to think anything you want to think…my job, as manager of the store is to enforce the mandate, whether you believe in it or not.”

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The anti-maskers complained when the manager allowed masked customers to enter the store, asking why they were allowed to shop. The feigned innocence and insincere bafflement is really something. The demonstrators blocked the entrance to the store, preventing other shoppers from entering, then sent some of their group around to the back of the store when they found out that mask-wearing customers were being let in through the back door.

The whole thing is incredibly stupid, but the Trader Joe’s employees standing their ground with superhuman patience and diplomacy are incredibly impressive.

(Check out the subtle shade moment at 1:52 when a masked shopper gives a sassy little foot kick as she enters the store.)

TJ 1 9 21 Salem OR

www.youtube.com

The Oregon Health Authority has made it very clear that the state’s mask mandate is binding for all. In the Q & A section of its website, the question of whether there are even any health exemptions is addressed:

“If a person with a disability cannot wear a mask, face covering or face shield, a place of public accommodation, such as a business or space open to the public, will need to work with that person to provide a reasonable modification. Some common reasonable modifications are: free curbside pick-up, free delivery or an appointment by phone or video. A reasonable modification does not include allowing a customer inside without a mask, face covering or face shield.”

Also, governors have the right to enact emergency powers, so yes, a public health mandate is legally binding during a public health emergency.

In addition, Trader Joe’s is a private business, which has the right to enact and enforce its own rules for shopping there. We’ve lived with “No shoes, no shirt, no service” signs for decades without demonstrators claiming that they have every right to shop barefoot. Shopping at a specific grocery store is not a constitutional right. These people aren’t just annoying, they’re wrong about everything they are saying. They’re also putting others at risk by refusing to wear a mask in public.

This isn’t hard. The science behind mask mandates has been clear for many months at this point, and further backed up by data from places that tracked the virus before and after mask mandates were implemented. But the key to success is compliance. If people would just wear them because it’s the right thing to do to protect everyone and to enable us to live some semblance of normal life without killing millions, that would be great. The irony is that mask mandates only become necessary when people don’t do that.

The U.S. is drowning in COVID-19, and these people are flipping over the lifeboats because they’re uncomfortable. And the entitlement of believing a business has to serve you when that’s what you’re doing? Ridiculous. Good for these Trader Joe’s employees for not backing down.

A hip-hop national monument is in danger of going out of business as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dilla’s Delights, the Detroit donut shop named for the late producer J Dilla and owned by J’s uncle Herman Hayes, has closed its doors. On Sunday, during a heartfelt Instagram Live session, Hayes announced that the closure is permanent and official, although he is still looking for a new location to keep the business alive.

“It’s official — the donut shop is closed in that location,” he admitted. “We don’t quite know which direction we’re gonna go in and where we’re gonna be, but we’re working on some things. That location at 242 John R Road is no longer open and we will not open back up at 242 John R Road and we are looking for a home. We’re homeless — we’re looking for a home and the possibilities are out there, let’s put it that way. We may want to open up somewhere else. I don’t know. We gotta figure it out.”

However, he remained optimistic. “We’re definitely gonna keep donuts alive, Dilla’s legacy alive,” he assured his followers. “We’re gonna come back bigger, better, and just be creative.”

Dilla’s Delights was founded in 2016, inspired by the iconic Detroit producer and his favorite snack, for which he named 2006 second studio album, Donuts. After Dilla passed away — just three days after the release of his album — Hayes began planning to open the store, overcoming a decade of funding issues to finally open in the Ashley building, where Dilla once resided. The store was a focal point for the hip-hop community, where Rolling Stone noted the opening day was packed with well-wishers and fans.

However, the ongoing COVID crisis forced the shop to close in March of 2020. While Hayes was able to continue selling snacks with pop-up opportunities around the city and merch inspired by the work of J Dilla, it wasn’t enough to renew the lease with the Ashley location.

Watch the hour-long live stream detailing the foundation of Dilla’s Delights and Uncle Herm’s fight to keep Dilla’s memory alive above.