Jayson Tatum is headed to Tokyo. The Boston Celtics’ star is among the 12 players who will represent the United States in the men’s basketball tournament a little later this month, and after his involvement in the U.S. team that crashed and burned in the World Cup in 2019, Tatum will be eager to achieve international redemption.
This tournament also holds quite a bit of significance for Tatum. A well-documented Kobe Bryant fan, Tatum will wear the No. 10 when the United States takes the floor in Japan, which was also the number that Bryant wore during his international basketball career. On Wednesday, Tatum was asked about this, and made clear that wearing his favorite player’s number is something he holds near and dear to his heart.
Tatum went on to say that he’s cognizant of the fact that this is the first Olympic Games since Bryant’s passing in early 2020, making this a little more significant to him, and then recalled another time in his life when he got to wear this number right after the 2012 Olympics.
“I remember that first team when I was hoping, wishing, that I got No. 10,” Tatum said. “Kobe, everyone knows that was my favorite player. I was 15 years old and got to wear the number of my favorite player. It just felt like I had some level of connection with him.”
The United States will begin its quest for a fourth consecutive gold medal on July 25. Its group includes the Czech Republic, France, and Iran.
After capturing our attention with the Greenhouse EP last year, Congolese songwriter Miloe — real name Bob Kabeya — is back with a new rendition of “Solo,” from fellow Congolese artist Lous And The Yakua. The track arrives in honor of Congolese Independence Day, and also serves as a call-to-donate to the victims of the recent volcanic eruption in Goma (Eastern Congo) that destroyed several homes and left many displaced.
To celebrate the new track, Kabeya sat down to talk Noname, chilling out, and memory in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
A Good Fucking time.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I hope that people associate my music with positive life experiences and the songs could be a gateway to tap into those memories and emotions again.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
So far Minneapolis is my favorite city to play in. It might have to with the fact that we haven’t played in many other places and a majority of the people i know and love live here.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
My parents have inspired my work the most i think, they’ve filled my whole life with so much music and have supported me every step along the way.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
I’m not sure if I’ve had one meal that stands out but an Oreo McFlurry after an eventful night out or show is bliss.
What album do you know every word to?
I often forget to listen to the lyrics of most music that i listen to but ive been loving Telephone by Noname again and Songs by Adrienne Lenker.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Low-key some of the best shows I’ve been been to are DIY Basement shows in Como, Minneapolis. However, I got to see the 100gecs, Slowthai, Brockhampton tour which was mad. also Imagine Dragons when I was 14 went pretty hard.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
I think the best performance fit is something mobile, breathable and makes you feel empowered. you wanna feel confident but you don’t wanna be restricted or too sweaty.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I like following noname on Twitter other than that both apps generally stress me out.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“TOP” by Playboi Carti is often blasted as we enter the city were going to gig in.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
I Googled “free printable posters” because the walls of my room are lifeless right now. I wanna get a space-themed poster.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
I think gifting someone music that reminds you of them could be cool.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
N/A
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
None.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
I’ve been hearing Arlo Parks on the radio more and more and I love that. Also not turning off Charlie XCX, 1975, or that new Willow Smith song.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
No answer.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
I would tell myself at 18, to chill out on worrying and overthinking. To detach from being in my head so much and enjoy being.
What’s the last show you went to?
The last show I went to was a backyard show a few weeks ago by an MPLS band called Kids Ski Free.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
I would finish Megamind if it were on TV.
What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?
I would cook Fufu and Mpondu for President Obama and he’d love it.
The viral pop up-and-comer will release her highly anticipated sophomore album in just a few days via Fader and Republic Records. Prior to that, she’s laid the groundwork for a huge summer 2021, with a gentle acoustic ballad “Blouse,” which she recently performed on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Plus, she just lent backing vocals to Lorde on her latest single “Solar Power” (also featuring Phoebe Bridgers). Not only that, she’s tapped the ubiquitous Jack Antonoff to produce Sling. Have another peek at the tracklist below.
When “Blouse” came out earlier in the summer, Clairo shared a message about the single on social media, writing, “Joanie, my dog, opened up my world in ways I didn’t think were capable. By caring for her, it forced me to face my own thoughts about parenthood and what it would mean to me. stories as lessons, regrets as remorse.. thinking about something/someone before yourself. It’s a glimpse into a world where I found that domesticity is what I was missing.”
Monsters at Work: Season 1 Premiere (Disney+ series) — Twenty freaking years ago when Monsters Inc. came out in theaters, Pixar films’ very existence still felt like a revelation, given that adults could straight-up dig these kid-geared movies, too. These days, that’s no longer a novel concept, but this franchise has persisted with a prequel and a few shorts, and now, John Goodman and Billy Crystal return as James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski. They have both been promoted, and a new crop of monsters (voiced by Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Ben Feldman, and Alana Ubach) are doing the harvesting. The twist here is that although the franchise is going back to basics, the franchise is trading scares for laughter after realizing that — surprise — laughter generates so much more energy for Monstropolis than screams can produce.
Loki: Episode 5 (Disney+ series, releasing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning) — Tom Hiddleston has an absolute blast playing the mercurial trickster of the MCU, and we shall reap the benefits while he helps (or hinders) the Time Variance Authority during the process of cleaning up the timeline. This week, we’ll see more cleanup following Sylvie and Mobius and Loki, and there are too many Lokis, but hey, it’s all good. We’re also closing in on season finale time.
Dogs: Season 2 (Netflix series) — The best friend of man everyone (who knows what’s good for them) is here to stake a claim on you. In this four-episode season, four lucky humans — an astronaut, a priest, a military contractor, and a university mascot handler — tell stories of these remarkable creatures and how they’re truly family.
Cat People: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Well, some people side with the felines, rather than the canines, in the battle for human hearts. This show will explore exactly why “cat people” are so devoted even in the face of negative stereotypes while also revealing their powerful bonds with these somewhat stuffy and frustratingly independent creatures.
The War Next-door: Season 1 (Netflix series) — A cash-poor-rich-on-live woman wins raffle tickets that gift her a house, but her neighbor is a total nightmare and actually the rightful raffle-ticket owner. Get ready for a knock-down/drag out rivalry for these two women, who both believe that they’re doing the right thing for their families.
In case you missed this pick from last week:
America: The Motion Picture (Netflix film) — Channing Tatum voices a very profane (and buff) George Washington in this series that’s directed by Archer‘s Matt Thompson and produced by The Mitchells vs. the Machines‘ Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Washington declares that he wants to “start a f*cking revolution,” and he’s accompanied by a beer-guzzling Sam Adams, an angry Geronimo, Paul Revere, and Thomas Edison as they decide to take on Benedict Arnold and King James. In the synopsis, Netflix promises, “[T]hese are not your father’s Founding… uh, Fathers.”
When the next line of the Nintendo Switch was announced to the world it was kind of disappointing. It made some definite improvements for anyone that likes to play their console as a mobile device, but it lacked that true upgrade feel that everyone knows the Switch needs to be considered a modern console. As we move further into this next generation with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S it feels like the Switch is just being left behind. However, it only feels like that if we assume this is the only update the Nintendo Switch will be receiving.
Rumors are to always be taken with grains of salt, but most of the rumors leading up to the next Switch was that it would be a more powerful device. This Switch is in every way, except the screen and speakers, not a more powerful device. It won’t run games any differently, as confirmed by Verge, and Wired confirmed that the controllers weren’t much sturdier. Is it an upgrade? For anyone that wants to play it as a mobile device, yes. However, it’s impossible to sell anyone that already owns a Switch as this being an upgrade to their current one.
That’s probably because this isn’t the new Switch that we kept hearing rumors about. If we look at how Nintendo has handled a lot of their mobile devices in the past, especially the 3DS and DS, we’ll notice that they’re no strangers to releasing multiple updates within a mobile console’s lifespan. The Switch may be considered a home console first, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t receive any updates to it. Nintendo is going to take any chance to sell people on a new console of some kind. Especially one that’s been as successful as the Switch has.
So what about those rumors we kept hearing about a new more powerful Switch? Most likely it’s still in development. Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser told the Washington Post that they don’t want to just release a console for the sake of technology. They want to “improve the gameplay” experience. In other words, until they themselves start making games that need to utilize that 4K resolution with the latest specs they don’t feel the need to release a Switch that can do that.
“We are always looking at technology and how technology can enhance gameplay experiences. It’s not technology for technology’s sake,” Bowser tells The Washington Post. “It’s how specifically can technology enhance a gameplay experience. And then where do you apply that technology? Do you want to apply it on current existing hardware or platforms, or do you want to wait for the next platform? And then what’s the right gameplay experience with that? There’s a host of factors that goes into it, and it’s something we’re always looking at.”
We’ve also seen reporters like Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat saying that the timeline of a Switch upgrade didn’t match up with 2021. Grubb himself said he heard 2022 as the timeframe for when the more powerful Switch could be released, but since he’s not officially reporting it let’s not take that as more than a guestimation.
I still have only ever personally heard 2022 for a Switch Pro. And if that still happens, I’ll continue to speculate that will have 4K output with a significantly more efficient chip with DLSS.
Anyone think this is the last Switch from the company that released 6 3DS models? https://t.co/TuJJGucDdc
What all of this information does tell us though is that a new more powerful Switch could absolutely still be in development. For the sake of Nintendo, we should hope one is because the current Switch just isn’t powerful enough to compete with modern-day hardware. Forget the 4K resolution for a second and focus on the chip that runs the console. From the day the Switch launched there have been complaints of games having inconsistent framerates and not being powerful enough to run some of the more elaborate games on it. This hasn’t been too much of a problem for the Switch yet, but third-party games are going to start shifting development to focus on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. If the Switch wants to continue having third-party support it will need more powerful hardware that can support running these newer games. Otherwise, they’re going to run out of games they can feasibly port to the console. The Switch needs a power upgrade desperately.
Lucky for fans of Nintendo a lot of signs point to the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) not being the final Switch. If anything their history of releasing multiple models of mobile devices in the past tells us that we’ll be getting plenty of Switches to choose from. Technically, the OLED model is actually the fourth Switch. The first update to the Switch happened in 2019 to address battery life problems. There is also the Switch Lite for players who want to experience the Switch as only a portable console. We are not done with updates, not by a long shot.
According to Star Wars legend, George Lucas invited his filmmaking buddies to his house to watch an early cut of the classic film that would go on to spawn a multi-billionaire franchise and a merchandising juggernaut. Among that group was longtime Lucas buddy Steven Spielberg, as well as Francis Ford Coppola and Brian De Palma. As the story goes, only Spielberg got what was Lucas trying to accomplish, a throwback to old Buck Rogers serials with a dash of Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films. Over the years, Spielberg also told people that De Palma was particularly critical, and now, De Palma is finally setting the record straight.
During a recent appearance on the Light the Fuse podcast, De Palma shot down Spielberg’s version of events, and made it clear that he definitely saw the potential in Star Wars. Via The Wrap:
“They always portray me as the guy that says the worst thing that drives everybody crazy, but if you’re gonna show me something, I’m gonna tell you what I think about it,” De Palma continued. “Why am I there unless I’m gonna give an honest appraisal of what I’ve seen? And in this case, the fact that Steven says that only he saw the possibilities of ‘Star Wars,’ that’s not really true.”
According to De Palma, “we all saw it as a terrific thing that George had done.” However, he does admit that he did offer some feedback that Lucas wisely ignored. Specifically, that “The Force” wasn’t the best name for the Jedi’s power. “Needless to say, I had a lot to say about The Force, which obviously I was terribly wrong about.”
Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, went on a racist tirade against a Black neighbor on Friday, and video of the incident went viral.
During the altercation, Mathews hurls epithets at his neighbor calling him a “monkey” and the n-word. Mathews also bumps chests with the man who pushes him back. At one point, Mathews told the Black man to “Learn your laws… it’s not Africa.”
“I was born in America,” the man replied.
This was a racist incident in Mount Laurel, NJ. This POS name is Edward Cagney Matthews, he’s been harassing his Bl… https://t.co/YjlQhcWGDo
Eventually, police showed up at the scene and broke up the altercation. Mathews is then seen challenging the person who filmed the incident to “come see me” and to “bring whoever.” He also provided his address.
Three days after the incident, people followed Mathews’ directions and showed up in front of his house. By Monday morning, dozens of protestors were outside chanting “We want Edward!” That evening, the protest had drawn over 100 people.
Many were angry that he was allowed to return home after the police were called on him.
Protesters chanting outside the home of Edward Matthews, the South Jersey man captured on video in a racist rant. T… https://t.co/LGRIBqiKBH
“He said to pull up. We pulled up,” Aliya Robinson, 43, who lives near Mathews, told the Inquirer. “We’re not going to tolerate this anymore.”
The response by the protestors was a wonderful display of solidarity for the Black neighbor that Mathews harassed. It was also an example of how people will no longer tolerate the racial harassment that’s been commonplace in this country for as long as anyone can remember.
“This is America, we all live here, we cannot put up with this,” Robinson told CBS News. “I’m literally in fear all the time living with my son, like what am I supposed to do?”
Mathews emerged from his house briefly to apologize to the crowd but the protesters were far from satisfied. Police later handcuffed Mathews and escorted him out of the house. On his way to the car, he was pelted with water bottles and food.
Bias-crime suspect Edward Cagney Matthews is arrested on new charges, this time in front of demonstrators who prote… https://t.co/xqPqQQcX9Z
The Mount Laurel Police Department said that Mathews has been charged with harassment, biased intimidation, and assault.
Since the incident went viral, at least ten of Mathews’ neighbors have said they’ve been racially harassed by him in the past. “He used a BB gun to shoot their windows out, he smeared dog feces all over their car,” one neighbor said.
Mathews apologized for his behavior in a phone interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. He claims the incident was caused by a dispute over the homeowners’ association. “I certainly wasn’t expecting an encounter like that and certainly wasn’t expecting to disrespect anybody,” Mathews said. “Let me be clear: That is no excuse for what I said, but I lost my temper.”
The community’s reaction to the racist tirade is a great example of how communities can stand together to stamp out racists who refuse to live peacefully with their neighbors. Let’s also hope that it also works as a wake-up call to racists, letting them know their harassment will no longer be tolerated.
The country of Iceland has released the analysis of its 4-day work week experiment and the results speak for themselves.
The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government took place from 2015 to 2019 and included about 1% of Iceland’s working population, making it the world’s largest shortened workweek trial to date. The findings show that paying people the same amount to work fewer hours per week results in a happier, healthier workforce with similar or increased productivity. Who knew?
Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, a UK think tank that co-conducted a study of the trials, said in a statement: “This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week in the public sector was by all measures an overwhelming success. It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks—and lessons can be learned for other governments.”
So what are those lessons we can learn?
1) There’s nothing magical about a 40-hour workweek.
Most of the workers in the trial reduced their hours from 40 hours per week to 35 or 36, without any decrease in productivity. In fact, the study found “Productivity and service provision remained the same or improved across the majority of trial workplaces.”
Forty hours is an arbitrary number that was initially instituted in the U.S. as a response to the inhumane factory hours workers were forced into at the dawn of the industrial age. And this isn’t the first study to show that working fewer than 40 hours isn’t some magical, ideal number of working hours. A New Zealand company that cut its hours to 32 hours a week had similar results as this Iceland trial—happier employees and no loss in productivity.
2) Paying people more for their time may actually make them more productive.
It’s not just that people worked fewer hours in this trial—they worked fewer hours but still made the same amount of money, effectively upping their per-hour wage. Iceland already boasts one of the highest average income levels in the world, so a higher hourly wage may not have had a huge impact there, but since productivity didn’t decrease despite the fewer hours, it’s possible that people work more efficiently when the value of their time is reflected in their pay.
Considering the debates over a living minimum wage in the U.S., seeing the correlation between pay and productivity is interesting, to say the least.
3) Happier, less stressed humans make better, more efficient workers.
This should really be a no-brainer, but it’s good to see additional data to back it up. Happy workers are better workers.
U.S. work culture tends to reward “the grind,” and celebrates people who “go the extra mile” at work, but studies like this one keep showing that overworking is not the way to increase productivity. As the Autonomy study points out:
“Worn down by long hours spent at work, the Icelandic workforce is often fatigued, which takes a toll on its productivity. In a vicious circle, this lower productivity ends up necessitating longer working days to ‘make up’ the lost output, lowering ‘per-hour productivity’ even further.”
And conversely, the study states:
“Countries with greater productivity per hour usually have fewer hours of work. Furthermore, not only does greater productivity usually correlate with shorter work hours, but as productivity increases, working hours tend to go down over time.”
4) A healthier work-life balance actually makes people like their jobs more.
Are people unhappy at work because they don’t really like their work, or because they are simply working too many hours? According to the Iceland trial, working less made people enjoy their work more (which probably also contributes to greater productivity).
“[Workers] kind of had a greater energy on the job and actually enjoyed their work a bit more, which sounds very rosy,” Stronge told CBC Radio’s “As It Happens.” “But that is what comes out of a lot of these trials, is that people feel actually more attached to the job. In a way, they feel rewarded by having more time.”
Naturally, there are a few caveats here. These trials were conducted on public sector jobs, so they may not be perfectly applicable in all industries. However, the public sector makes up approximately 15% of the workforce in the U.S., which is nothing to sneeze at. Direct country-to-country comparisons are also tough, considering variations in economies, demographics, lifestyles, cultures, etc., but some lessons are simply universal. A healthy work-life balance is a human need, not an Icelandic one, and we can all benefit from creating a culture where family time, rest time, personal creative time, and leisure time are considered just as valuable as our work time.
Thanks, Iceland, for the push to move in that direction.
Robert Downey Sr., who directed the 1969 advertising world satire Putney Swope and 1972’s utterly unique Greaser’s Palace and later appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights and Magnolia, died Wednesday morning in his sleep at home in New York City. He was 85 years old. Following the news of his death, his son, Robert Downey Jr., shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
“RIP Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021… Dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s.. he was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe star wrote. “According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Downey’s ashes will scattered by the family at Rockaway Beach near Gildea’s pub where — he liked to say — he misspent his youth. Downey Sr. achieved early success during a career that spanned more than five decades as a writer and director of independent films that offered commentary on the era and contributed to the counterculture movement.
Downey Sr. is survived by his wife, author Rosemary Rogers, who told the Daily News that her husband “was a New Yorker through and through from Greenwich Village to Queens to Chelsea to Waterside Plaza, where he spent the last 23 years of his life.”
It’s been a few weeks since Britney Spears publicly addressed her “abusive” conservatorship for the first time, and members of her team are leaving. The financial institution set to act as her co-conservator reportedly backed out, and earlier this week, her longtime manager and court-appointed lawyer stepped down from their roles. Without a lawyer and a manager, Spears is now allegedly scrambling to find a private lawyer to help end her conservatorship — and now her mom is helping out.
According to a report from TMZ, Lynne Spears, the singer’s mom, is asking a judge to allow her daughter to hire her own private lawyer. Lynne’s lawyer filed court documents saying Britney is now able to care for herself, which may not have been the case 13 years ago when the conservatorship was enacted.
The court documents filed by Lynne’s lawyer state Spears has “had to perform in front of millions of people, has had to manage hundreds of performances, has had to use her artistic and creative talents to prepare for shows by choreographing each and every move for and interacting with many co-performers, and has had to rehearse and perform for many thousands of hours over the years.” The documents also list ten demands that Spears made in her public appearance, but firstly request that Spears be able to choose her own lawyer, or at lease approve one that the court appoints.
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