Month: July 2022

The Fourth of July weekend ended on a tragic note. There were a number of mass shootings across the country on Monday alone, including the deadliest: the 21-year-old who ambushed a parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven and wounding 30. Much as what happened after the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, the incidents have — once again — prompted talk of ramping up gun control. And as usual, the GOP are doing their best to get in the way of progress. But one lawmaker took her objections in an even stranger direction than Marjorie Taylor Greene did.

Arizona representative Debbie Lesko — who in the past has tried to go the Greene/Lauren Boebert route of making wacko, incoherent claims — took the floor of the House this week, where she railed against, as she argued, punishing law-abiding gun owners, therefore making them less safe from others who have guns.

“I have five grandchildren,” Lesko said. “I would do anything—anything—to protect my five grandchildren. Including, as a last resort, shooting them, if I had to, to protect the lives of my grandchildren.” She accused Democrats of trying to “take away my right to protect my grandchildren” and “the rights of law-abiding citizens to protect their own children.” (Or, again, shooting them themselves.)

Lesko’s comments found themselves making the way through social media, earning her a mix of condemnation and confusion. She eventually responded to the backlash, but not by denying that she would, you know, shoot her grandkids. Instead she went after her critics.

“It never ceases to amaze me the lengths gun control zealots will go!” she tweeted. “They turned my speech about protecting Second Amendment rights and my right to protect my grandchildren from violent criminals into a claim I would harm my own grandchildren. Absolutely ridiculous!”

You can watch Lesko talk about shooting her grandkids in the video embedded above.

To the surprise of no one, Lesko has railed against things like vaccines, even metal detectors on Capitol Hill after the Jan. 6 riot. She’s up for re-election this fall, and she has Trump’s endorsement.

(Via The Daily Beast)

The ever-evolving music industry will see its latest shift come this fall in Fort Mifflin, a National Historic Landmark and the oldest fort in military use in the United States. It is the only base in use that predates the Declaration of Independence and, now, a brand new music festival named Making Time, focused on the electronic genre, will make its way to the area on September 24 and 25.

The lineup includes some major names, such as Four Tet, Bicep, LSDXOXO, Floating Points and Sherelle. TSHA, named one of EDM.com’s Best Music Producers of 2021, will also make an appearance. Making Time’s first event will be produced in collaboration with Klip Collective, a well-known Philadelphia-based studio specializing in storytelling through lighting, animation, and sound design.

Other names on the lineup include Omar S, Interstellar Funk, Infinity Machine, Moon Rabbit In The Powder Magazine, Phil Yeah, Zillas on Acid, and many more. The Philadelphia area already hosts major festivals such as Made In America, Roots Picnic, and Philadelphia Folk Festival so the City of Brotherly Love is surely excited to add yet another spectacle, especially one focused specifically on electronic music.

Check out the full Making Time festival lineup and purchase tickets here.

On a 2019 episode of British comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, Sean Lock (RIP to a real legend) and Jon Richardson faced off in the first-ever game of Carrot in a Box. The game is a simple bluffing game, just like the one Vizzini and Wesley play in The Princess Bride, only someone gets a carrot instead of being poisoned. Unless Jimmy Carr put poison in the carrot.

It seems easy enough. One person gets to look into their box and then, somehow, the other person has to figure out if they want to switch or not. Fortunately for everyone on the entire planet, Locke got to look into his box first.

The clip went viral thanks to a Reddit post calling it the “Best bluff I’ve ever seen in my life.” Accurate title! Watch it before you read further, otherwise it’s just me explaining how jokes work, which is profoundly anti-funny.

Okay, yeah? Good? Good.

The absolute best thing about Locke’s phenomenal bluff is that he’s still selling it even after Richardson has made his choice. Immediately after he decides to switch, Locke tries to goofily stroll off with the box and then doubles down by asking if there will come a time where he gets his box back. Obviously, he wins from the outset by pretending not to understand the game, but his last bit is like icing on an already-iced cake. Meanwhile, you can tell Carr is genuinely losing it because he’s laughing silently instead of his trademark showy “Ha HA!” and Roisin Conaty (obligatory Taskmaster shout-out) gets bonus points for trolling Carr at exactly the right time.

Oh, and if you want to get really nerdy about the game theory in The Princess Bride, Cornell University has you covered. Just pretend you’re reading about who gets a carrot.

UPDATE: There was a rematch.

In writing up Emily the Criminal as one of his favorites from Sundance 2022, Vince Mancini described the plot of John Patton Ford’s tense feature debut as a “student-loan debt-saddled Uncut Gems.” The trailer looks excellent, showcasing star Aubrey Plaza‘s dark intensity. The quiet, obsessive powder keg of rage she’s displayed in Ingrid Goes West and Black Bear are on full view here, solidifying her even further as a black comic indie star.

Plaza plays Emily, a former art student weighed down by loan debt and trapped in a series of crappy jobs because of a criminal record. Out of desperation and a quarter life crisis, she gets in on a credit card scam, but her initial amuse bouche of outlaw life drags her into an all-you-can-eat Los Angeles underworld where bad people and people forced to do bad things fight over their cut.

The movie also stars Megalyn Echikunwoke (aka Megalyn E.K.), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), and Gina Gershon (no stranger to taut crime thrillers herself).

Emily the Criminal was a major breakout at Sundance, boasting a bit of hyper-topical social commentary in a gritty heist flick. It hits theaters August 12th, which is also hopefully the day people stop being surprised at how good Plaza can be.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Sixteen-year-old Corion Evans was passing by the river when he saw a car drive off the road and into the river with three girls inside, and without hesitation, the teen stripped down to his shorts and jumped in to save them. Amber Spradley at WLOX in Mississippi originally reported on the story.

Evans said the car sunk so quickly that he could only see the top of the vehicle sticking out of the water when he went to rescue the other teens. He wasn’t alone—his friend Karon “KJ” Bradley jumped in as well to help the girls get to safety. Recalling the brave rescue, Evans told WLOX, “I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. They need to get out the water.’ So, I just started getting them. I wasn’t even thinking about nothing else.”

u201cHeroic 16 Year Old Mississippi Student Corion Evans saves 3 teenage girls and an officer after the girls drove their car into the River. Corion we salute your efforts and sacrifice! May your compassion & bravery serve as an example to others!u201d

— Black With No Chaser (@Black With No Chaser)
1657004517

The fast-acting teen not only saved all three girls but in the chaos of the event, he heard someone else calling for help. It turned out to be a police officer who had swam out in response to the scene. After realizing the officer was now in trouble, Evans swam out to bring the officer to shore. How this teen had the stamina to rescue not one, but four people in the dark murky water of the Pascagoula River is beyond comprehension.

If you’re from Mississippi then you know that some bodies of water in the state have some grumpy residents that don’t take kindly to being disturbed. You’re taking your chances on bumping into anything from a jumping carp to an alligator depending on what water you’re in, but Evans didn’t take the time to consider that he could wind up someone’s snack. He was in full hero mode, and the rescued swimmers are thankful.

In his interview with WLOX, Evans explains that he has been swimming since the age of 3 but that early morning he had to put his skills to the test. He told the news station, “I was behind them trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time.” Later in the interview the teen went on to say, “25 yards out, so it was a lot of swimming. My legs were so tired after. Anything could’ve been in that water, though. But I wasn’t thinking about it.”

Thanks to the teens’ swimming skills and quick thinking, all four people rescued survived. They were taken to a local hospital and treated. Chief Brandon Ashley of Moss Point Police Department released a statement to WLOX saying, “The police department and I commend Mr. Evans’s bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his own safety to help people in danger. If Mr. Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically instead of all occupants rescued safely.”

This kid deserves all of the summer snacks. Heck, he deserves a car and a full scholarship! Pulling four people to safety couldn’t have been an easy feat. A summer job as a lifeguard should certainly be in order. It’s in his blood. If you’re wondering, yes, Evans’ mom is extremely proud and the city of Moss Point honored him with a Certificate of Commendation for his actions.

Chet Holmgren’s Summer League debut put all of his incredible talents on full display, as the No. 2 overall pick dominated on both ends of the court in his first pro game, earning high praise from none other than Kevin Durant in the process.

On Wednesday afternoon in Salt Lake City, Holmgren was on the floor once again, but this time he faced a unique challenge from the Grizzlies, who trotted out Kenneth Lofton Jr., who they signed to a two-way after the Louisiana Tech star went undrafted. Lofton and Holmgren played together on the U19 Team USA squad that won the World Cup in 2021, and it appeared that Lofton remembered a thing or two about how to bother Holmgren from those practices.

At 6’7, 280, Lofton was giving up six inches to Holmgren, but had a sizable weight advantage and he put that to good use, moving Chet wherever he wanted to in the post with that low center of gravity, carving out space to finish at the rim despite the long arms of Holmgren.

Lofton wasn’t just using straight bully ball to do work against Holmgren, as he also showed off his terrific footwork, a quick first step, and a hot hand from deep on Wednesday night, as the full repertoire was on display as he went off for 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

For Holmgren doubters, Lofton’s ability to get where he wanted in the post provides some confirmation bias on how Holmgren might struggle against stronger bigs that get into his body on that end in the NBA. But while Chet wasn’t able to get as hot as Tuesday night, he still put forth a solid 11-point, 11-rebound, two-block effort, as he showed that, even when guys try to bully ball him, he’ll come back and attack them too.

The initial reaction to Holmgren’s debut was to rightfully be wowed at his immense talents, because when he’s hot from deep he’s unstoppable offensively. He also can pile up the blocks, and isn’t deterred by guys going at him physically, as any though he’s soft is quickly dispelled by watching him. However, a big, strong guy who is decisive and assertive can get buckets on him, as Lofton showed, and there will be nights like this for Holmgren. The good news is he still was a positive impact on the Thunder while out there, but every time this happens, given all the talk about his frame, it’ll create some buzz.

For me, though, this is more about Lofton showing that he’s got legit NBA skills. The big fella certainly isn’t all the way there as an NBA player, but he has a ton of offensive skill and is an intriguing player. I also am holding out hope that as we get more long, skilled bigs in the league (like Chet and Victor Wembanyama), one potential counter is the sturdier, skilled post player who can use a low-center of gravity to offset the length of the opposition. We’ll see if that becomes an actual trend, but for one night in Salt Lake, bully ball made a return to glory.

Although Nic Cage isn’t involved, there are still several reasons to get excited about Disney+’s National Treasure series. Their continuation of the story from the quintessential Oh-that’s-on-TBS-right-now? movie stars Lisette Alexis (We Need To Do Something) as DACA recipient Jess Morales who, like Cage’s Benjamin Franklin Gates, is hunting both for treasure and for answers about her family’s past. The young cast also includes Jordan Rodrigues, Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Jake Austin Walker, with Justin Bartha returning to his role as comedic relief/tech whiz Riley Poole. Catherine Zeta-Jones will play a billionaire, the nation’s most beloved type of person.

According to Collider, Disney+ will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the series at an upcoming Comic Con panel (it’s almost that time again!). They’ve also revealed that the show’s full title is National Treasure: Edge of History. With its evocative title in place, the series has the blessing of the film series’ original screenwriters, The Wibberleys, and its original director, Jon Turtletaub. All three are on board as executive producers, with Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) directing. It’s definitely going to aim for a younger audience, but the old guard’s presence signals a desire to keep the films’ style and sensibilities in tact. Anodyne action, witty quips, and Da Vinci Code-like clues without all the violent religious zealotry. What’s most exciting about the project is the potential to explore elements of America’s past beyond the white wigs and masonic patterns. The films already showcased the Liberty Bell and the Resolute Desk. It’s high time we dig into other icons, and Edge of History has that chance.

(via Collider)

Doja Cat has racked up major accomplishments in her short time as an artist. This week, Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart showed that “Get Into It (Yuh)” climbed from No. 7 to No. 5, making it her fifth track from her June 2021 album Planet Her to crack the top five of that list. The LP now joins a very elite company as just the seventh album to include at least five top ten hits.

This news comes just under a week after the 26-year-old was reported to have earned 22 new RIAA certifications spanning across her albums Planet Her, 2019’s Hot Pink and 2018’s Amala. This achievement allows her to stand alongside rap titan Nicki Minaj at 14 Platinum singles, the second-most ever for a female rapper, and just behind Cardi B, who has 17. Of the aforementioned 22 new certifications, “Say So” is now five-times Platinum and the SZA-assisted “Kiss Me More” is four-times Platinum.

These achievements continue to show that, despite previous controversies, hard work and good music can conquer all for the “Juicy” artist. Fans will have to wait to celebrate with her as she will miss her upcoming shows due to tonsil surgery, but this just leaves more time for more accomplishments before she’s back tearing up stages again.

Check out the full list of Doja Cat’s RIAA certifications here.

Dr. Dre was a hot commodity in the’90s, co-founding Death Row Records and being pivotal in the label releasing multiple multi-platinum albums, including his own debut The Chronic. While his story is well-documented, things could have played out very differently for the West Coast legend, as recently revealed by his lawyer Peter Paterno.

During a visit to Samson Shulman’s Connection Is Magic podcast, Paterno revealed that Disney was willing to throw him $4 million after The Chronic topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and racked up two Hot 100 hits. Paterno, previously the president of Disney’s Hollywood Records from 1990 to 1993, said “We’d have these music meetings every week with Michael Eisner at Disney, and Michael Eisner came by and he sees the record’s at No. 1 and he goes, ‘I thought you had a relationship with this guy?’”

Upon digging further into Dre’s lyrical content — and the fact The Chronic‘s cover art featured a marijuana leaf — Eisner decided against pursuing the rapper-producer any further. In hindsight, Eisner likely regrets that move, as Dr. Dre went on to launch Aftermath Entertainment and release his successful solo album 2001 before earning space in the 2016 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction class alongside N.W.A.

Check out the clip of Peter Paterno telling the story on Connection Is Magic above.

There’s no such thing as a normal billionaire, but none are more eccentric than Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX honcho, who may or may not still be buying Twitter, seems to really like making the news, even though it’s often not exactly flattering. For instance, one of his daughters disowned him, saying she no longer wants to be related to him “in any way, shape or form.” Now it’s revealed he had even more kids than has been reported.

As per Insider, Musk had twins back in November — not with Grimes, his on-again-off-again wife, but with Shivon Zilis, a top executive at the neurotechnology firm, Neuralink, which he co-founded and chairs.

The twins just happened to be born mere weeks before Musk and Grimes had a baby daughter by surrogate. That child was also kept a secret from the public, and was only discovered when a Vanity Fair reporter who had been sent to profile Grimes heard the baby in another room.

The twins bring Musk’s brood to nine. Zilis, meanwhile, might be Musk’s pick to run Twitter should the $44 billion deal ever go through. In any case, it’s yet another surprise from a very wealthy figure who’s so out-there he even inspires embarrassing gaffes in others.

(Via Insider)