Month: October 2021

While TikTok’s “for you” page might be filled with countless content creators making things the algorithm knows you love, the popular social media app is making it even easier for you to branch out and find users and types of content you never even knew existed. Earlier today, TikTok revealed its new “creator discover list,” a feature spotlighting the app’s various “icons, innovators, foodies, change-makers, and originators.” For those wondering just how the content creators who made the cut were rounded up, the list was reportedly compiled by examining metrics such as a creator’s “engagement, views, video creations, account growth, likes,” and “interactions with followers” as well as by evaluation which “creators and content have sparked conversations both on and off the app,” according to a TikTok spokesperson (via The Hollywood Reporter).

While using metrics in order to promote certain creators has always been a hot issue on the internet — namely over on YouTube, where the metrics used have been criticized for shifting frequently or being a bit, well, arbitrary — if we’re to trust TikTok’s process, the new feature also helps fix a glaring issue TikTok’s had for quite some time: giving credit where credit is due. While stars like Addison Rae, Tabitha Brown, Bella Poarch, and countless others have notably helped the app rise in popularity and created some of the internet’s most popular trends, many have questioned whether TikTok has been giving the stars their due credit for their work on the site. Thanks to their new “creator discover list,” it seems like the app is finally drawing attention to the biggest names drawing people over to the app.

As of the new feature’s debut, there are five potential categories highlighted creators can fall into: icons, innovators, originators, foodies, and change-makers. Over on their official site, TikTok broke down what each category means, explaining that icons are creators who are “well-known up and down the [for you page] and outside of TikTok” (such as the aforementioned Brown and Poarch), innovators are “pioneers in their fields” that are “constantly pushing boundaries,” and originators are creator’s who have “started viral dances, sounds, aesthetics, and more.” Lastly, the foodie category shows off chefs adding a “creative spin” to food-related content, while change-makers are advocates and educators who aren’t afraid to “speak up and speak out.”

While TikTok has yet to announce how frequently (or if) the list will be updated, there’s no denying it’s a big step for the platform and could help their creators find greater success. If you’re looking for new folks to follow, the complete creator discover list is below:
Icon Creators
Boman Martinez-Reid, @Bomanizer
Leo Gonzalez, @LeoGonzall
Christina Najjar, @tinx
Challan Trishann, @challxn
Mark Gaetano, @snarkymarky
Christopher Olsen & Ian Paget, @chris & @Ianpaget_
Juliana Olaleye, @flossybaby
Brittany Broski, @Brittany_Broski
Tabitha Brown, @iamtabithabrown
Bella Poarch, @bellapoarch

Innovator Creators
Billy Yue, @8illy
Kyne Santos, @onlinekyne
Devon Rodriguez, @devonrodriguezart
Jasmine Chiswell, @jasminechiswell
Shaquille Edwards, @PiffMarti
Mikayla Nogueira, @mikaylanogueira
Science Akbar, @king.science
Parker Locke, @parkerlocke
Maddi Winter, @maddiwinter
Wisdom Kaye, @Wisdm8

Foodie Creators
Jonathan Kung, @Chefjonkung
Violet Witchel, @Violet.cooks
Ahmad Alzahabi, @Thegoldenbalance
Hajar Larbah, @moribyan
Joanne Molinaro, @thekoreanvegan
Newton Nguyen, @newt
Ana M Regalado, @saltycocina
Gabrielle Williams, @gabby.jaye
Sulhee Jessica Woo, @sulheejessica
Robert Lucas, @thesweetimpact

Changemaker Creators
Jesús Morales, @juixxe
Taylor Jones, @taylorcassidyj
Alexis Nelson, @alexisnikole
Joel Bervell, @joelbervell
Zachary & Patrick Valentine, @valentinebrothers
Ebony & Denise Nunez, @Team2Moms
Shirley Raines, @Beauty2thestreetz
Scarlet May, @Scarlet_may.1
Remi Bader, @remibader
James Jones, @notoriouscree

Originator Creators
Jalaiah Harmon, @jalaiahharmon
Joseph Davidson, @supvano
Antonio Neville, @HeyTonyTV
Tracy Joseph, @Tracy.oj
Ronald Michel, @Rony_boyy
Katherine Florence, @katieflorence
Keara Wilson, @keke.janajah
Wayne Mears, @natures_food
Makayla Did, @makayladid
Antoni Bumba, @antonibumba

Jeff Tweedy is tireless. After numerous recent releases, the Wilco leader will start wrapping up the band’s pre-pandemic re-scheduled tour dates at the end of October, and then be gearing up to release the deluxe edition of 2020’s fantastic expressionist folk solo album, Love Is The King. The album itself feels like nothing short of an extension of the Wilco catalog, but with more pared-down arrangements of equally splendorous material. Point blank, Tweedy is as prolific of a songwriter as they come and multiple vessels are needed to fill the magic that emanates from the Chicagoan’s brain.

Out in December, the deluxe album features the reissued original, plus a second disc of live versions of each song — titled Live Is The King — and a new cover of Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz,” performed by Tweedy and a full band of Chicago all-stars. Recorded in Chicago at Wilco’s studio, The Loft, and at local venues The Hideout and Constellation, the live versions feature Tweedy’s sons Sammy and Spencer, as well as Liam Kazar, James Elkington, and Sima Cunningham of Ohmme. The swell rendition of “The Old Country Waltz” is notable, because Tweedy is not only backed by the album’s players, but also because they will all (along with Ohmme’s Macie Stewart) be accompanying Tweedy for the winter tour supporting the release in late 2021 and early 2022.

Listen to “The Old Country Waltz” above, and below, find the Live Is The King art and tracklist, as well as Tweedy’s upcoming tour dates.

1. “Love Is The King (live)”
2. “Opaline (live)”
3. “A Robin Or A Wren (live)”
4. “Gwendolyn (live)”
5. “Bad Day Lately (live)”
6. “Even I Can See (live)”
7. “Natural Disaster (live)”
8. “Save It For Me (live)”
9. “Guess Again (live)”
10. “Troubled (live)”
11. “Half-Asleep (live)”
12. “The Old Country Waltz (live)”

12/22/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
12/23/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
12/28/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ Largo *
12/29/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ Largo *
12/30/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ Largo *
01/01/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Largo
01/02/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Largo
01/05/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
01/06/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore

*Jeff Tweedy solo

Love Is The King/Live Is The King is out 12/10 via dBpm Records.

When news broke on Monday that Colin Powell, the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff who also served as secretary of state during the presidency of George W. Bush, had passed away, the main takeaway—if you just watched Fox News—was that Powell died from COVID-19, despite being vaccinated. And it didn’t take long for anti-vaxxers, fearmongers, and propagandizers to use his death to yet again question the efficacy of the approved COVID vaccines.

As usual, Fox News was one of the loudest voices singing out in this anti-vaxx chorus, with Will Cain choreographing a whole song and dance about how Powell’s “family has made a point on their post on Facebook this morning that Colin Powell was fully vaccinated,” but not once mentioning Powell’s age (84) or health status (a prostate cancer survivor with Parkinson’s disease who was undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer). John Roberts, meanwhile, immediately took to Twitter to question the efficacy of our vaccines—then deleted the tweet, then explained why he deleted the tweet but swore there was nothing anti-vaxx-y in his original tweet. This is the original tweet:

What made the whole situation even more awkward, as The Wrap noted, is when Roberts and his America Reports co-host Sandra Smith welcomed Fox News medical expert Dr. Nicole Saphier to the show later in the day (just a few hours after Roberts had deleted his original tweet). While she did not address Roberts’ tweet directly, Dr. Saphier made it clear that using Powell’s death as a way to further any anti-vaxxing agenda was just plain ol’ ignorant.

“While you can see people all over social media trying to use this anecdotal report of Secretary Powell dying from a COVID breakthrough, why don’t we just stick with what we do know and we’ll leave it at that,” Dr. Saphier said. “So we have an 84-year-old man who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, had been previously treated for prostate cancer, and was also undergoing treatments for multiple myeloma,” she said.

Dr. Saphier went on to explain the obvious: That Powell’s age and health issues would give him both “a decreased ability to fight off infections, as well as a decreased ability to mount an immune response after a vaccine.”

After speaking for more than five minutes about COVID hospitalizations and how the vaccines work, Saphier dropped one final thought/shot before signing off, which—whether intentional or not—seemed squarely pointed in Roberts’ direction:

“It’s very upsetting to see that people [are] taking Colin Powell’s death a using it as ‘the vaccine didn’t work.’ This is a very specific situation, and to use someone’s death to try and make a point that really doesn’t carry a lot of weight to it is very frustrating.”

You can watch the full interview on Mediaite.

(Via The Wrap)

One of the biggest challenges deployed service members face is the feeling of being separated from their families, especially when they have children. It’s also very stressful for children to be away from parents who are deployed for long periods of time.

For the past four years, the USO has brought deployed service members and their families closer through a wonderful program that allows them to read together. The Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program gives deployed service members the ability to choose a book, read it on camera, then send both the recording and book to their child.

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Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program

www.youtube.com

The program was created through a partnership between the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation and the USO. Hope was one of the most beloved comedians of his generation, and he traveled the world for over six decades, putting on USO shows to boost the morale of the nation’s service members.

In 2019, families shared more than 39,000 stories through the program.

The program has been an incredible way for U.S. Army Captain Justin Meredith to connect with his young son Jayden and express himself creatively. Just before he was set to be deployed to the Middle East, he checked into the local USO center where he was introduced to the program. At first, he felt a little awkward in front of the camera but soon took a real shine to making the videos.

When he arrived, he became a regular at USO Camp Buehring in Kuwait where he’d show up every day to read a new book to his son. He began to really liven things up by adopting funny voices, wearing costumes, and using props.

“The zanier that I am on the camera and the goofier the voices, the characters, the props, the more he just really engages with it,” Justin said. “My son is so engaged, and he’s so happy and he lights up seeing me.”

Justin’s nightly readings to Jayden had a profound effect on the family by keeping them close while he was away.

Justin Meredith’s son and extended family members ended each day by listening to the latest book recording in their custom-made “Just-In-Time Center” while Justin was on deployment in the Middle East.via Courtesy Photo

“It became a life-changing thing, a better way to stay connected, and it was great because while my wife [was] technically raising him [while I was deployed], I could use the books to help influence and mold and help him out with some of the initial things that he’s going through,” Justin said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Pimentel is a father of three and uses the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program to connect with his family while he’s deployed. He loves that the recordings will live on long after he’s returned from his service overseas.

“I know I’m not there, but I’m able to connect with my family. Even when I’m 60 years old, I’ll be able to look back and see myself reading to my kids. It’s a family heirloom,” Pimentel said.

Sgt. Nick Masi reads a book to his four children while stationed in Afghanistan.via USO

The program is especially popular during the holidays. In 2019, the USO held a special event where service members read “The Night Before Christmas” in front of a festive, fake fire in a costume of their choice.

Sgt. Nick Masi, a father of four, thought the program helped him feel close to his loved ones during the holidays.

“It felt as though the reading program had transported me to be with my family, even if just for one story,” he said.

The USO had to temporarily shut down in-person events in centers last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop service members from keeping the tradition of reading to their families alive. Service members who are USO volunteers at USO Erbil in Iraq outfitted the back of a pickup truck with a trifold to make a “room” for them to read to their families.

A service member reads a book to his child in the back of a pickup truck. via USO Erbil

The USO team decorated their makeshift set, grabbed some books, and set up a chair.

Then, they hit the road, sharing their studio with service members on-base, stopping at popular places as well as remote areas. The USO’s goal was to reach as many service members as possible.

Deployment is hard on service members and their families, but they do it so we can all enjoy peace and freedom at home. So, it’s our job to keep them as happy and comfortable as possible during their times of sacrifice.

Click here to see how you can contribute to the USO and support services like the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program, which has helped over 100,000 service members and their families be together, or share a story, when they’re miles apart.

The New York Knicks spent their offseason aiming to rectify the playoff pitfalls that buried their joyful 2020-21 campaign on a sour note. Outside of All-NBA forward Julius Randle, New York’s options for creation were severely limited last year. In the first round, the Atlanta Hawks were fully cognizant of that, so they swarmed his airspace on every touch and coaxed other guys to beat them. Randle forced some shots, struggled with his jumper and everyone else couldn’t pick up the slack when presented the chance. The result was a 4-1 defeat in which none of the final three games were particularly close.

Alongside anticipated growth from RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, a pair of former Boston Celtics, Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, have come to the Big Apple in hopes of New York now having the requisite offensive firepower to supplement its stifling defense. Fournier begins his Knicks tenure on a four-year, $73 million as one of the higher-profile free agents of last summer. New York wanted him and invested heavily in his services.

Walker, meanwhile, begins his Knicks tenure following an injury riddled 2020-21, brief excursion as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and a buyout that saw an early termination of the max contract he signed back in 2019 and led to him inking a two-year, $17.8 million deal with New York.

Despite the gulf in salaries and divergent paths from Boston to New York, both Fournier and Walker will be central to the Knicks’ intentions of building upon last season’s resurgence. Fournier, though, feels a little more solidified in what he will bring. He’s 28, doesn’t have Walker’s recent string of unfortunate health concerns, will offer valuable floor-spacing, and touts some on- and off-ball scoring chops. Walker is a good player, but his contributions are in flux.

He was good last year, but was clearly diminished from his pre-injury self. Did the offseason revitalize him or will he continue to decline as he approaches his 32nd birthday? He also only played 43 games last season. How much can New York expect of him? His pull-up shooting, playmaking and off-ball versatility will invigorate the offense and provide traits this team either lacked or needed more of to avoid its demise last season.

But how much can the Knicks rely on him without overextending him and jeopardizing his health? Finding that balance is a pressing factor. He makes life easier offensively for Randle, Barrett and other foundational players, yet that’s only if he’s available to suit up. This isn’t to say he won’t be, but the last year and a half paint a dubious outlook for a small guard on the wrong side of 30 who backpacked a huge offensive workload for nearly a decade.

The spectrum of outcomes for Walker’s health and performance this season is wide and where exactly he lands on that spectrum has massive implications for determining where New York settles among the crowded middle class of the Eastern Conference.

Ben Simmons is back in Philadelphia, but his trade demand saga is far from over. The three-time All-Star is only back with the team because he has to be, and he has made it clear in his first couple days of practice that he is not very invested in being with the Sixers right now.

That led to Simmons getting kicked out of practice on Tuesday for not being engaged, as Doc Rivers said he felt he was “a distraction,” and the team suspended him for the opener in New Orleans for conduct detrimental to the team shortly after practice. It’s clear this is a situation that’s only going to get uglier, and adding fuel to the fire is Hall of Fame instigator Joel Embiid. The Sixers All-NBA big man has apparently had enough of taking a diplomatic approach to the Simmons situation and let his true feelings be known on Tuesday after the practice Simmons got booted from.

Embiid told reporters “I don’t care about that man,” expressing his frustration with what he clearly feels is selfish behavior from Simmons.

He continued to bury Simmons by saying its not his job or the rest of the team’s job to “babysit” Simmons, and as such he’s focused on the guys who are invested and want to win games.

So, yeah, everything’s great in Philly! If there is a good thing for the Sixers in all of this, it’s that Embiid might, through sheer force of will, keep this train on the tracks because for however disruptive Simmons wants to be, no one thrives in the chaos quite like Joel.

In another boon for paradise-seeking travelers, Fiji just announced that their nearly two years of isolation from tourism are about to end. While this is great news for Fiji’s travel industry, it only applies to a handful of countries and, of course, comes with a few caveats.

Before we get into what you’ll need to do to visit paradise, let’s look at what Fiji has done to reopen. Back in July, the island’s government implemented the “no jab, no job” initiative. That’s pretty clear messaging and, now, 96.6 percent of those over 18 have had their first dose of the vaccine (over 80 percent are double dosed). The government feels that this measure — along with refitted hotels, an updated airport, app tracking, and a short quarantine period — will be enough to ensure the safety of the island’s largely Indigenous population.

When it comes to you traveling to Fiji, there are a few things you need besides getting two doses of a covid vaccine. You’ll be required to present a negative PCR test before travel that’s less than three days old. You’ll also receive a rapid antigen test upon arrival at Nadi International Airport. Tourists will have to undergo a ” two or three-day hotel confinement,” according to reporting in The Guardian, which seems pretty standard since resort stays are why most tourists are there.

All of this is set to begin on November 11th (though the first international flight doesn’t arrive until December 1st) for fully vaccinated citizens from 14 countries — including the U.S. — and most of the Pacific Island nations. You’ll also need to prebook a hotel stay (which you’d do anyway) at a “Care Fiji Commitment” resort that has been fitted out to deal with you in case you do get sick (remember, incubation for COVID-19 is 5-6 days). Lastly, you’ll need to download the careFIJI contact tracing app and keep it activated and connected to Bluetooth the whole time you’re traveling around the island(s).

Hopefully, these tactics will help ensure that Fiji can remain open to tourism and get its economy back up and running. Until then, enjoy these Instagram images from the island!

While the lyrics on “Ex For A Reason” are vindictive, the beat for the new single is upbeat and fun, so naturally, Summer Walker’s video for the Still Over It single splits the difference between these two moods. Ultimately, though, it settles on a carefree note as the Atlanta singer hangs out with her girl JT preparing for a wild house party complete with a stripper pole, a strong sisterhood vibe, and a slightly incompetent DJ who barely manages not to ruin the festivities.

Summer’s been rolling out Still Over It, the aptly titled follow-up to her 2019 debut Over It, over the past month, announcing its imminent release after skipping the BET Hip-Hop Awards, then sharing a trailer and a tracklist teasing a narrative structure for the album and its songs that reflects on the past two years and shares Summer’s triumphs and troubles with love, relationships, and learning to value herself over her bond with a man.

Walker certainly has enough material to tell a compelling, soapy story full of twists and turns. From having her first child to starting her own label — not to mention, the various drama she’s had with ex London On Da Track — Summer’s seen her share of life changes over the last two years. Fans will finally get a window into those changes on November 5.

Watch the “Ex For A Reason” video above.

Megan Thee Stallion may be in a committed relationship, but that doesn’t mean the “Thot Sh*t” rapper couldn’t enjoy Hot Girl Summer. Though Megan went public with her relationship with fellow rapper Pardison Fontaine in February, she and her boo celebrated their one-year anniversary on Monday. They took to social media to commemorate the special date, which they posted about in two very different ways.

Megan marked the date with some cheeky (pun intended) photos of her and Pardi having fun in the sun. Some of the pictures were adorably playful, like them jumping on a trampoline or getting off a private airplane, while others were a little more NSFW.

On the other hand, Pardi opted to show Megan some love on their anniversary in a more romantic way. He edited an adorable video that stitched together various photos and videos of them spending time together. The video featured a spoken word poem about being in love along with John Legend’s tear jerking track “All Of Me.” The tribute included Instagram Live sessions between them, press clippings about their relationship, and some never-before-seen footage of even more adorable moments.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After taking a week off from his Sirius XM radio show, Howard Stern returned in full force as the shock jock proceeded to unload on NBA star Kyrie Irving, who has become a “hero” to the anti-vaccination crowd (including Marjorie Taylor Greene) in recent weeks. The Brooklyn Nets player has refused to get the COVID vaccine, which has put him in violation of a New York state mandate, eseentially forcing his team to bench him. It’s a decision that Stern didn’t hesitate to label as “stupidity” as he blasted Irving for giving up millions to protest a life-saving vaccine. Via Mediaite:

“He’s my favorite dude who’s putting his money where his mouths is,” Stern added of Irving. “In terms of idiots, he’s gotta be the top idiot in the country right now. Guys got a chance as a young man to make millions of dollars, all he’s gotta do is get vaccinated.”

What baffled Stern and co-host Robin Quivers even more is that Irving hasn’t personally explained (even though he’s vaguely addressed the matter) why he refuses to get the vaccine. However, reports have indicated that he’s allegedly bought into several online conspiracy theories, which would not be a new experience for Irving.

“This guy’s got a history of being stupid,” Stern said. “He’s one of those guys who is a flat-earther too. And he doesn’t know anything, his mind works in a very strange way. He says, ‘I can’t figure out gravity, so it doesn’t exist.’”

Stern went on to praise the Nets for benching Irving, and he wishes whoever runs the team was running the whole country so it could put more “douchebags” in their place for not getting the vaccine.

(Via Mediaite)