Month: May 2022

The second round series between the Warriors and Grizzlies has not been lacking in drama on and off the court, with the two teams taking turns accusing each other of foul play in the first three games of the series that has seen Golden State take a 2-1 lead into Monday night.

Looming over Game 4 was the question of Ja Morant’s availability after suffering a knee injury in the Game 3 loss, with not a lot of optimism about his status after he did not participate in shootaround — and later it was confirmed he would not be able to play. On the Warriors side, word broke late on Monday that there will be a surprising absence from their bench, as the team announced Steve Kerr had tested positive for COVID-19 and would not coach in Game 4.

Mike Brown, who was officially named the Sacramento Kings head coach earlier in the day, will move up a seat on the bench and take over head coaching duties for the game and, possibly, for Game 5 as well. As to how this will impact the Warriors, one would think there wouldn’t be a ton of changes with Brown taking over, as this is a coaching staff that has been together for a long time — Brown is in his sixth season as an assistant to Kerr — and the players on the floor are quite experienced in postseason play, which should help mitigate any issues with their coach being out. Still, it’s not an ideal situation in an important game, as the Warriors have a chance to take a commanding series lead with a win, and will now have to navigate life without their head coach at least for a game and possibly longer.

Lil Baby was not kidding when he said he planned to take over 2022. The rapper has been relentless over the past couple of months as he prepares to release his upcoming yet-to-be-titled third album. Last month, Baby kicked things off with a pair of singles, “Right On” and “In A Minute,” which officially launched his 2022 campaign. He continued with the recently-released “Frozen,” a record that captured his laser-focused approach to the world. For his latest act, Baby teamed up with Memphis Grizzlies’ star point guard Ja Morant and Beats By Dre to preview a new song in a recent commercial.

The commercial was released prior to the Grizzlies game three playoff game against the Golden State Warriors. The 90-second black-and-white ad is soundtracked by Lil Baby’s unreleased track, “Dark Mode,” which the Atlanta rapper uses to comment on his position in the game while keeping his eye on the prize and keeping his family close.

“Ja has been one of my favorite players to watch,” Lil Baby said in a press release. “We’ve been locked in. This is not my first time partnering with Beats, but we took it up a notch with this original song. The world gets to experience ‘Dark Mode’ for the first time in a way that’s crazy!”

It remains to be seen whether or not “Dark Mode” will appear on Baby’s upcoming third album.

You can listen to “Dark Mode” in the video above.

In the era of the mega-billionaire, much has been made of how such gargantuan wealth is built and what kind of taxes on wealth are fair and unfair.

The intricacies of economics can make such questions a bit tricky both practically and ethically, but there’s no question that billionaires get enormous tax breaks through loopholes in our tax system and through straight-up tax legislation favoring the wealthy.

For the average American who will never see so much as one percent of a billion dollars in our entire lifetime, wrapping our minds around the financial workings of extreme wealth is like trying to learn another language. The whole “here’s how much money I earn, here’s what I can write off, here’s what I pay in taxes” thing is pretty straightforward, but not how the uber-rich life works. Wealth doesn’t equal money in uber-rich-land—except when it does.

In a Between the Scenes moment, Trevor Noah highlighted the weird way billionaire wealth sometimes counts as money and sometimes doesn’t in a segment on The Daily Show. In his signature funny-but-smart way, Noah broke down the hypocrisy of billionaires being able to treat their stock shares as money when it comes to buying businesses, but not when it comes to paying taxes.

“I’m by no means an economist, nor am I an expert on stock markets and all things finance-related, but you have to admit, a lot of what happens on Wall Street seems like a scam,” he began.

He talked about how the stock market went up one day because of what Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell said about raising interest rates, then plummeted the next day because of people misinterpreting what he said.

“First of all, how does that happen?” he asked. “How are markets changing because somebody didn’t read something or understand—and all of you at the same time? And secondly, why do markets do that?”

He said the nature of stock markets going up and down feels “scammy,” and somehow we’re supposed to be convinced that the stock market is good for us.

“I get it for people’s retirements, and I get it for 401Ks and I understand those aspects of it,” he said. “But I’ve realized there are so many things that are designed in such a slick, scammy way.”

He gave Elon Musk’s pending purchase of Twitter as an example.

“People argue that you cannot tax billionaires on the shares that they hold in a company because it is an ‘unrealized gain,” he said. Then he explained that he understands that argument because the shares haven’t been sold, so there’s no actual money in hand. “So you’re worth the money, but you don’t have the money…and it could also crash, and then you have nothing, so we can’t tax you on it.”

“You can’t tax the people on a thing because they don’t have it, it’s just there,” he says. “Okay fine.”

Then he talked about Elon Musk’s offer to buy Twitter, in which Musk put up his shares of Tesla stock as collateral. Noah explained how using his Tesla stock as collateral to get banks and investors to put up the cash for him to borrow to buy Twitter.

“So you can buy a thing based on what you have, yes. But when we want to tax you, you can say ‘I don’t have it,'” said Noah. “It’s such a fun game that billionaires get to play because all their money is in that.”

Noah points out how we can’t fudge around with the IRS due to where our money is located. “You can’t be like, ‘That money’s in the bank, I don’t have that money. What money? It’s in the bank. Only when I take it out, then you can tax me. For now, it’s in the bank, IRS.”

That’s not something the IRS would accept.

“But if you have billions in shares, you can then use that as money, to then get more money, but not get taxed on any money, because you ‘don’t have money.'”

Noah said he’s not suggesting that we tax people on unrealized gains.

“But I am saying, it seems to me that you then shouldn’t be able to use a thing that’s unrealized as collateral,” she said.

That last point is worth restating. Noah isn’t saying that billionaire wealth in the form of stock shares should be taxed like liquid money. He’s questioning whether people should be able to use their untaxed wealth as collateral to get liquid money loans to avoid having to liquidate their own wealth (which they would then have to pay taxes on).

Food for thought. Watch:

This from Trevor Noah on taxing billionaires is u2026 pretty perceptive!pic.twitter.com/8hv4HKZLtQ

— Teddy Schleifer (@Teddy Schleifer)
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Last week Dave Chappelle was attacked at the end of a set he was doing at the “Netflix is a Joke” festival. It raised concerns about the safety of stand-ups after what Will Smith did to Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars. It also prompted a lot of jokes. But if you weren’t physically present at the show, which was held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, then you’ll probably never see it beyond some rinky-dink bootleg.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix used the festival in part to generate content. Some of the sets will one day appear on the streamer. There will even be a “Best of the Festival,” rounding up highlights from the prolific fest, which featured 336 comics doing 228 shows at 35 venues. Alas, Chappelle’s explosive set won’t be one of them.

Mind you, it’s not because of the attack. Chappelle’s set was never one of the ones Netflix was going to film with professionals for later airing. There is footage of it, though, filmed by Chappelle’s own team, for his private use, as comics often have their shows taped for later consultation. Even if he ever made the footage available to the public, it likely isn’t the kind of slick, multi-camera production you get with most stand-up specials. Then again, the world has already seen its shocking conclusion.

(Via THR)

Singer and guitarist Phill Celeste, better known by his stage name Life On Planets, is a man on the move who recently made his debut on the Do Lab Stage at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he found his passion for music within the city’s vibrant scene and inclusive community. He started with street performing and worked his way up to playing at clubs and recording with electronic music producers.

Local success opened the door for Planets to travel for festivals and gigs in major U.S. cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. The artist’s unique sound — an eclectic blend of soul, R&B, and house — eventually sent him international to Japan, Romania, Russia, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and beyond. But while traveling and playing shows in destinations far and wide is an exciting venture, there’s nothing quite like going back to your roots.

“Baltimore was an amazing place to get my start in music,” Planets says. “You can catch everything from B’more club, new hip hop, experimental music, and incredible art any time of the year.”

To learn more about what makes Baltimore worth a visit, we asked Life on Plents to share everything a first-time tourist should see, do and eat.

“Meet artists, medical professionals, filmmakers, diehard Ravens fans, farmers, nomads, and more communing together at its bars, cafes, clubs, markets, gardens, parks, and warehouse parties,” he says. “Get to know the folks and the culture and you’ll find that although the city is small, it has everything you need to agree with the city benches that read ‘The Greatest City in America.’”

Not convinced to book your flight yet? Check Life on Planets’ full guide to his city, below.

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North Avenue Marketplace

The North Avenue Market has food, drinks, an arcade, and a live music venue where you can check out new directions in dance music from artists like Mateyo. From here you can also walk over to the Maryland Institute College Of Art, MICA, to see some of the student artwork as well.

The Crown

I used to go to The Crown seven nights a week! There are dope Korean munchies, interesting people, and epic dance parties. Everything from comedy shows, hip hop, and house music under one roof. Bmore is a city that celebrates its BIPOC/Queer community, and I found The Crown to be the most diverse in its artist bookings and in its patrons.

Loved coming through and meeting people and just catching the vibe of the diverse crowd. Definitely stop through for Karaoke Tuesdays.

Metro Gallery

Metro Gallery offers an upscale vibe while delivering the local flavors for Bmore music. Catch hometown legends like Future Islands, DDm, or James Nasty and take home some of the art on the wall. Hit The Charles Theatre across the street for an indie film before the show.

R. House

Baltimore is a super walkable city and Remington is becoming more and more of a hub. With options for every type of foodie (vegan and vegetarian friendly!) I would visit R. House often for a good meal or one of their many special brews on tap. Hit it for some Instagrammable bites and drinks before or after the Baltimore Museum of Art.

The Wyman Dell down the street is also a great place to relax, dog watch, and take your food for a picnic. Take a stroll through the Johns Hopkins campus to walk off the grub.

Washington Monument

They say Washington himself is buried deep below…who knows. The Washington Monument is surrounded by beautiful parks and architecture. I used to come here to do a little yoga or pluck out tunes on the guitar. Super chill area. Nearby you’ll find the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Conservatory, and plenty of dope shops and restaurants along Charles St.

Visionary Art Museum

See the world through some of the most creative and eccentric minds in the Visionary Art Museum focused on creations from self-taught artists. The exhibitions feature works collected from mental asylums, street artists, and even pieces by Alex Gray. Very enlightening and inspiring. On the way take a walk by the Inner Harbor and catch the more frequent hangs like the Aquarium and the mall for shopping.

33rd St Farmers Market

I used to busk at the 33rd St Farmers Market on Saturdays. Get the Black Sauce Kitchen biscuits for an otherworldly experience and catch the live music from different street performers. Also, load up on local coffee from Zekes and fresh veggies from Baltimore farms. Afterward, stop by Normals for dope esoteric books and vinyl.

If there’s one inanimate object that’s having a great 2022 so far, it’s Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza. The food chain’s beloved item was removed from their menu towards the end of 2020, a move that upset many, but less than two years later, it’s set to make its return later this month. At the end of her Coachella set last month, Doja Cat announced that she successfully convinced Taco Bell to bring back the Mexican Pizza. Additionally, she revealed that the Mexican Pizza would make its official return on May 19. Now, it appears that Dolly Parton will join in on the Mexican Pizza fun.

The legendary country singer and 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee announced on her Instagram page today that she will star in a TikTok musical about the Taco Bell item and it will premiere later this month. “I’m making #MexicanPizzaTheMusical with @TacoBell,” Parton wrote in the post, which features a photo of the screenplay for the musical. That post also reveals that the musical is “based on the true story of the Internet losing its mind” presumably after Taco Bell removed it from their menus almost two years ago.

According to NBC News, the musical is inspired by the viral video TikTok star Victor Kunda released in March. In it, she parodied what a rehearsal of the musical would look like, based on the song Doja Cat made for the menu item, which the “Need To Know” singer said was “contractual.”

The Taco Bell Mexican Pizza musical will be released at 8 pm EST on May 26 through the social media platform.

You can view Parton’s post above.

Past attempts to create a Dirty Dancing Extended Universe have not gone so well. A prequel, released in 2004 and set in Havana on the cusp of revolution, was a resounding flop, while a proposed remake never made it to the screen. (A stage musical, mounted a decade later, fared much better.) But in our revival-happy days, the blockbuster IP is getting a third-time’s-the-charm attempt, with a sequel set to take place some three decades after the original.

As per Deadline, Jennifer Grey will reprise her beloved turn as Frances “Baby” Houseman, last seen shocking her uptight father (Jerry Orbach) by hoofing with a studly dancer named Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). The sequel, though, hops all the way to the 1990s, focusing on another younger character. Though details are currently scant, Deadline describes it as a “coming-of-age romance centered on the experience of a young woman at the summer camp, but Baby’s own journey will intertwine with this to create a multi-layered narrative.”

The as-yet-untitled sequel will be helmed by a director known for comedies (and sometimes horror-comedies): Jonathan Levine, he of Warm Bodies, Long Shot, and the movie where a long-haired Ben Kingsley makes out with Mary-Kate Olsen. On top of getting Grey to return the role that made her a household name, Levine told Deadline they’re “going to try to involve as many people from the original as is appropriate.”

Levine also said the music will be a mix of songs from the original and ‘90s hip-hop. Then again, some of the songs from the original — including the decidedly ‘80s “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” and “Hungry Eyes,” sung by Swayze himself — didn’t exactly scream 1963.

(Via Deadline)

Would you want to work for the same company for most of your life? Usually, after a handful of years, people are ready to move on to something new; it’s a perfectly normal occurrence. But for one Brazilian man it wasn’t. That’s right, there’s a man out in the world who has spent the vast majority of his life not only working, but working for the same company. Guinness World Records shared the story of record breaker Walter Orthmann, who has been working at the same company for 84 years and 9 days, verified on January 6, 2022.

It’s important to note that Orthmann broke his own record, first set in 2019 when he had been working for 81 years and 85 days. Can you imagine?

Orthmann, who turned 100 years old in April 2022, started working for Industrias Renaux S.A. (now known as RenauxView), a textile company based in Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 1938. He was 15.

His family had fallen on tough times and young Walter was tasked with finding a job. Because he was born in Brusque, a small town in Santa Catarina with a large German population, he could speak pretty good German, which made him stand out to his future employer.

“Back in 1938, kids were expected to work to help support the family. As the oldest son of five, my mother took me to find a job at the age of 14,” Orthmann said.

Even though he got a job out of absolute necessity, he was eager to get started. His willingness to learn and prove himself led to him moving swiftly up the ladder at RenauxView. He started as a shipping assistant, then was promoted to a position in sales and eventually became sales manager.

Obviously, Walter Orthmann has seen a lot in his life—not just at his job, where you can imagine a lot has changed since 1937, but also in the world around him. He credits his long tenure at the company to his willingness to adapt with the times.

Interestingly, it seems that Orthmann continues to work because he wants to and not out of any necessity. Why would a 100-year-old man still need to work? He loves what he does and doesn’t really see the point in stopping if he’s still able to do it. Although the idea of working until the age of 100 seems absolutely ludicrous to most of us, some older people like to find ways to keep busy. Personally, gardening sounds like a better option, but if Walter’s happy, I’m happy for him.

“I don’t do much planning, nor care much about tomorrow,” Orthmann said, sharing his belief in remaining in the present. “All I care about is that tomorrow will be another day in which I will wake up, get up, exercise and go to work; you need to get busy with the present, not the past or the future. Here and now is what counts. So, let’s go to work!”

Trans youth continuously have to fight for their right to exist in the world. Living in a country where states are actively working to dismantle rights and protections for trans children and their families is stressful for trans youth, a section of the population that has alarmingly high rates of attempted suicide. Whether it’s things like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, squabbles over which bathroom to use or banning trans kids from sports that fit their identified gender, these kids face a plethora of challenges on top of trying to just be kids. It’s imperative that there’s time for joy, friendship and feeling like they belong to counterbalance the negative messaging they’re receiving from the adults in charge.

Shira Berkowitz has answered the call to provide a place for LGBTQ+ children to feel like they belong. Berkowitz is one of the founders of Camp Indigo Point, a summer camp specifically for gender nonconforming youth. The camp was inspired by their own experience as a camp program director—they were relieved of their duties after it was discovered that they were queer and the powers that be found it inappropriate for them to be a director for girls. Berkowitz told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency it “was really harmful to my identity. I went back in the closet for a few years.”

Eventually Berkowitz went on to work at Camp Sabra, Missouri’s biggest overnight camp. They found the environment much more accepting, but the experience at the other camp continued to motivate them to build an even more inclusive community. Even though Camp Sabra is accepting, at the time it only employed two other members of the LGBTQ community. Berkowitz and a friend from Camp Sabra, Daniel Bogard—a rabbi and parent who is raising a transgender child—thought up the idea for Camp Indigo Point last year, around the time that Missouri introduced multiple anti-trans bills, several of which are aimed at children.

It felt important to Berkowitz and Bogard to have a place where trans kids could feel safe and accepted. Camp Indigo Point is open for one week in June. When registration opened, it filled up within weeks—93 children from 27 states have filled the available spots. There are currently more than 50 children on the waitlist and more than 130 people vying for the 29 staff positions available.

Camp Indigo Point isn’t only available to Jewish trans youth, it’s open to all gender nonconforming youth in America. The lucky kids that will get to spend a week there will certainly be in for a treat, having a space designed just for them that allows them the freedom to simply be.

The ability to exist fully within yourself as you were meant to be is something that many people take for granted. At this camp, these kids will finally be able to focus on what summer camps are designed for: being silly and having fun.

Max, a three-year-old black Labrador retriever is being hailed as a hero for standing by his lost owner with dementia for three days and alerting authorities to find them.

Sherry Noppe, a 63-year-old mother with early-onset dementia, took Max for a walk on Tuesday, May 2, through George Bush Park in Katy, Texas, just outside of Houston. The 7,800-acre park hosts a large soccer field, shooting range, and numerous pavilions, playgrounds, ponds, and jogging trails which are surrounded by forest and swamps.

While on their walk, Noppe accidentally wandered off into the forest with Max and couldn’t find her way out of the dense woods.

Having a family member with dementia wander off and get lost is a frightening thing and sadly, it happens far too often. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once; many do so repeatedly.

A rescue team was on the lookout for Noppe and Max for three days until they located them early Friday morning at 3 am. When the rescue team got close, Max started barking, alerting authorities to their location. The intriguing thing is that Max isn’t known for making much noise.

“He’s not a barker, and I think something was coming, and he was like I got to protect her,” Courtney Noppe told KHOU. “When they actually found her, they heard him growling and barking,” Justin Noppe added.

Constable Ted Heap is relieved to report Sherry Noppe, missing since Tuesday, has been found in George Bush Park. She was located at approx. 3am Friday by a group of tireless volunteers and deputies who were alerted by the sound of her dog, Max, barking in the woods. #hounewspic.twitter.com/ZKOOjldJ94

— Harris County Pct 5 (@Harris County Pct 5)
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“As they got closer to her, I think that’s what caused him to bark because he was protecting her. So I do think his barking is what led those people to hear him and go in that area and find her. So yes, I do believe he saved her life,” Justin said.

The incredible thing is that when they found Max he wasn’t wearing a leash or a collar. He had stuck by the grandmother for three days voluntarily.

“I think she was hiding. I think she was disoriented, paranoid, and just was hiding, and didn’t want to be found. And so no, I think if Max wasn’t there, she would not have been found,” Justin said.

Sherry’s family says she doesn’t remember much of what happened after getting lost in the trees and then feeling disoriented. The good news is that when Sherry was found she only had a few minor cuts and bruises and a mild case of dehydration. Max is also doing well, with the family promising him a steak dinner for his behavior.

While Max’s dedication to his owner is remarkable, it’s not that shocking for his breed. According to The Scotsman, Labrador retrievers are one of the most loyal dogs one can get. Brandi Hunter Munden, vice president of the American Kennel Club agrees, saying the breed is a “great choice for families with young kids or other dogs, Labs get along with everyone and love their owners endlessly.”

The Noppe family can attest to that.

“I think it’s amazing what he did. It’s honestly a miracle for him to have stayed with her for 3 days and not left her side,” Courtney said.

We do not deserve dogs.