Month: August 2022

Shelby’s video shows her putting on a server apron, having just landed from her secret flight. The amount of trickster glee showing on her face is palpable.

The camera quickly cuts to Patricia sitting at the table, who instantly recognizes her granddaughter and shrieks.

“I almost gave her a heart attack,” Shelby wrote.

Patricia’s initial shock quickly wears off, and all that’s left is pure joy.

The heartwarming video hit people right in the feels. The comments section was filled to the brim with grandma love.

“This made me cry! I miss my grandma so much! Love her and spend as much time with her as you can,” one person wrote.

“This breaks my heart in the best way 🥲 I grew up with my grandma and haven’t seen her since the beginning of the pandemic – wish I could do this,” added another.

This isn’t the first surprise Shelby has concocted. After learning about Patricia’s passion for the Rockettes, Shelby gave them both a date to New York to watch them perform.

@shelbyhoefling #answer to @spidermark790 ♬ original sound – Shelby Hoefling

Sometimes, Shelby is guilty of pulling straight-up pranks with Nanny. And it’s hilarious.

@shelbyhoefling APRIL FOOLS #fyp ♬ original sound – Shelby Hoefling

Other times—as with the TikTok “tortilla slap” challenge—Shelby tries to get her grandma in on the mischief.

@shelbyhoefling I think thats a no? #tortillachallenge ♬ original sound – Shelby Hoefling

Nanny politely declined from this one as she is a class act through and through.

Shelby knows a lot about keeping healthy relationships with grandparents—she literally wrote the book on it. She created “Grandma’s in the Phone” to help kids maintain meaningful communication with their grandparents during the pandemic after finding them helpful herself.

She also has an amazing podcast called “Words of Wisdom with Shelby” where she speaks with seniors of all walks of life to hear their stories and gather any knowledge they might have.

With “Call Your Grandma” as one of her well-known catchphrases, Shelby is basically the ultimate wholesome ambassador for older generations.

And with the amount of fun shared between these two souls, it’s easy to see why she’s such an advocate. Not everyone can have this sort of sweet relationship with their grandparents, but for many, this untapped loving resource might be a lot closer than they realize.

Grandparents help us remember that life is short, and therefore precious. They might come from a different generation, but the memories created with them are timeless.

This story originally appeared on 01.28.22

Any time conversations about wealth and poverty come up, people inevitably start talking about boots.

The standard phrase that comes up is “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” which is usually shorthand for “work harder and don’t ask for or expect help.” (The fact that the phrase was originally used sarcastically because pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps is literally, physically impossible is rarely acknowledged, but c’est la vie.) The idea that people who build wealth do so because they individually work harder than poor people is baked into the American consciousness and wrapped up in the ideal of the American dream.

A different take on boots and building wealth, however, paints a more accurate picture of what it takes to get out of poverty.

Author Terry Pratchett is no longer with us, but his writing lives on and is occasionally shared on his official social media accounts. Recently, his Twitter page shared the “Sam Vimes ‘Boots’ Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness” from Pratchett’s 1993 book “Men At Arms.” This boots theory explains that one reason the rich are able to get richer is because they are able to spend less money.

If that sounds confusing, read on:

u2026 He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of okay for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollarsu2026n2/5

— Terry Pratchett (@Terry Pratchett)
1643144843

Pratchett wrote:

“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.”

In other words, people who have the money to spend a little more upfront often end up spending less in the long run. A $50 pair of boots that last five years essentially cost you $10 a year. But if you can only afford $10 upfront for a pair of boots that last six months, that’s what you buy—and you end up paying twice as much over a five-year period.

There are so many areas in which this principle applies when you’re poor. Buying in bulk saves you money over the long run, but you have to be able to afford the bulk cost up front. A reliable car that doesn’t require regular repairs will cost more than a beater, but if the beater is all you can afford, that’s what you’re stuck with. You’ll likely spend the same or more over time than if you’d bought a newer/higher quality car, but without the capital (or the credit rating) to begin with, you don’t have much choice.

People who can afford larger down payments pay lower interest rates, saving them money both immediately and in the long run. People who can afford to buy more can spend more with credit cards, pay off the balances, build up good credit and qualify for lower interest rate loans.

There are lots of good financial decisions and strategies one can utilize if one has the ability to build up some cash. But if you are living paycheck to paycheck, you can’t.

Climbing the financial ladder requires getting to the bottom rung first. Those who started off anywhere on the ladder can make all kinds of pronouncements about how to climb it—good, sound advice that really does work if you’re already on the ladder. But for people living in poverty, the bottom rung is just out of reach, and the walls you have to climb to get to it are slippery. It’s expensive to be poor.

When people talk about how hard it is to climb out of poverty, this is a big part of what they mean. Ladder-climbing advice is useless if you can’t actually get to the ladder. And yet, far too many people decry offering people assistance that might help them reach the ladder so they can start taking advantage of all that great financial advice. Why? Perhaps because they were born somewhere on the ladder—even if it was the bottom rung—and aren’t aware that there are people for whom the ladder is out of reach. Or perhaps they’re unaware of how expensive it is to be poor and how the costs of poverty keep people stuck in the pit. Hopefully, this theory will help more people understand and sympathize with the reality of being poor.

Money makes money, but having money also saves you money. The more money you have, the more wealth you’re able to build not only because you have extra money to save, but also because you buy higher quality things that last, therefore spending less in the long run. (There’s also the reality that the uber-wealthy will pay $5,000 for shoes they’ll only wear a few times, but that’s a whole other kind of boots story.)

Thanks, Terry Pratchett, for the simple explanation.

This story originally appeared on 04.08.22

Warning: The following video contains disturbing imagery.

Security camera footage out of Thailand is a warning to people everywhere about the importance of making sure children are safe around pools. It’s also a wonderful story about a toddler being brave and looking out for her younger sister.

Kana Kanuengnit, 3, and 2-year-old Kaning were hanging around their family’s pool in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand on Friday, April 1 when the incident happened. Their father, 29-year-old Apisit, was watching the kids while their mother was inside the house.

“I was sweeping near the pool and my wife was cooking in the kitchen behind the house,” he said according to Yahoo. “We weren’t planning for any pool activities so I didn’t notice what was happening. But after a moment of me sweeping with my back to the pool, my younger daughter fell into the pool.”

Kaning fell into the 4-foot-deep pool and immediately struggled to keep her head above water. Her older sister, Kana, realized she was in danger and immediately called out to her father, whose back was still turned while he swept near some patio furniture.

The girl screamed to her father that Kaning was in the pool and quickly sprang into action.

“I didn’t know what to do, I forgot to think about my phone and things in my pocket. I threw it all and just jumped in the pool,” Apisit said. The father was fast on his feet and pulled his daughter out of the pool before she sank to the bottom. We’re pretty sure the father could care less about his phone knowing that his daughter is safe.

Apisit hopes that the harrowing video serves as a warning for parents everywhere. “I think this is a great example to remind people that you cannot take your eyes off even for a split second when there are children and water,” he said.

“I want to stress this to parents with small kids and a pool to put up a barrier around the pool if not, they should always be careful,” he added.

The story brings to mind one that Upworthy covered in the 2020. A 3-year-old boy named Henrique in Rio de Janeiro snuck away from his parents and was playing poolside with another child his age named Arthur.

In the video, Henrique is seen stretching to grab an inflatable toy and then falls into the pool. For 10 seconds Henqriue struggles to keep his head above water until Arthur bravely extends his hand and pulls the boy up. If Arthur didn’t have the strength, he could have fallen into the pool and both boys may have died.

Esse vídeo serve de alerta…

Summer is coming up and kids will be playing in or around pools. Every year, around 400 children aged 15 and younger die in a pool or spa incident. Three-quarters of those deaths involve children younger than 5, and 83% of those occur in residential pools.

Three rules every parent should follow:

1. Never leave a child in or near water unattended.

2. Make sure there are barriers around your pool or spa to prevent unsupervised children from getting into the water.

3. Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults.

Hours after the release of DJ Khaled’s new album God Did, #HOVDID is trending on Twitter as rap fans marvel at Jay-Z’s four-minute verse on the album’s title track. Firmly re-establishing the 30-year veteran as rap’s GOAT, the verse finds Jay in top form, rattling off his billionaire accomplishments, expressing his astonishment at not just surviving but thriving as a Black man in America, and flexing his work in social justice.

He also clears the air regarding his standing with his friend and frequent collaborator Meek Mill. Earlier this year, after Meek expressed discontent with music industry standards, from fiddling with first-week sales numbers to issuing opaque contracts to wrest ownership of music away from young artists, the Philadelphia rapper parted ways with Jay’s Roc Nation management company, prompting speculation that a rift had formed between them. Meek’s comments also had fans wondering about his standing with MMG label founder Rick Ross, who denied that there was any friction between the two artists.

Jay’s new verse may put those rumors to bed for good as he clarifies, “Me and Meek could never beef,” and explains why: “I freed that n**** from a whole bid.” This refers to Jay’s assistance in securing an end to Meek’s incarceration for a parole violation in 2018. After having Meek’s original arrest revisited and his conviction thrown out, the two later partnered on a number of social justice initiatives to help other victims of the carceral justice system such as REFORM Alliance.

Check out “God Did” below.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dolly Parton, who has her own official day in Ohio as of recently, and Kelly Clarkson are teaming up for a reimagined version of Parton’s 1980 hit “9 To 5.” The announcement comes today, Aug. 26, which is also National Women’s Equality Day. The song will arrive September 9th.

This new version is produced by Shane McAnally, Sasha Alex Sloan, and King Henry. It was made for the forthcoming documentary Still Working 9 To 5. This new version can be heard briefly in the trailer for the documentary.

“I was blown away when I heard what Shane had done with my song,” Parton said. “This arrangement shows how differently a song can be done and the story can be told in a whole new way. A special thanks to Steve Summers for getting the ball rolling on this whole musical venture.”

Miley Cyrus recently divulged to Seth Meyers that Parton communicated with her through fax. “It was amazing because she was doing it for the phones, yet every time I coordinate and communicate with Dolly, it’s still through fax,” she said, surprising the audience and making them laugh. “So I don’t know what she’s talking about. She’s rarely on the phone.”

Watch the trailer for Still Working 9 To 5 above.

Harry Styles is a busy dude and he’s about to get a lot busier. That’s because the “As It Was” singer just added an entire slate of international concerts to his Love On Tour in support of his new album, Harry’s House. He also added an extra couple of shows in the US for good measure.

Styles just added Love On Tour stops throughout Mexico and South America in November and December 2022, plus an extra stop in Austin on October 3rd and an additional date in Chicago on October 15th. Then in 2023, the Love On Tour goes truly global with full runs throughout Europe and Australia. Wet Leg is the new support act for those 2023 dates.

Check out the complete list of Harry Styles’ Love On Tour dates below and get tickets here.

08/15/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena is Harry’s House^
08/16/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena is Harry’s House^
08/20/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
08/21/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
08/22/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
08/26/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
08/27/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
08/28/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/01/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/02/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/03/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/07/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/08/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/10/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/14/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/15/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/21/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden is Harry’s House*
09/25/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~
09/26/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~
09/28/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~
09/29/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~
10/02/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~
10/03/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center is Harry’s House~!
10/06/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/08/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/09/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/13/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/14/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/15/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center is Harry’s House#
10/23/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
10/24/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
10/26/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
10/28/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
10/29/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
10/31/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/02/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/04/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/05/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/07/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/09/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/11/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/12/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/14/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/15/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum is Harry’s House+
11/20/2022 — Guadalajara, MX @ Arena VFG *
11/22/2022 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey *
11/24/2022 — Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol *
11/25/2022 — Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol *
11/27/2022 — Bogota, CO @ Parque Salitre Mágico *
11/29/2022 — Lima, PE @ Estadio Nacional *
12/01/2022 — Santiago, CL @ Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida *
12/03/2022 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio River Plate *
12/04/2022 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio River Plate *
12/06/2022 — Sao Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque *
12/08/2022 — Rio de Janerio, BR @ Área Externa da Jeunesse Arena *
12/10/2022 — Curitiba, BR @ Pedreira Paulo Leminski *
12/13/2022 — Sao Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque *
02/20/2023 — Perth, AU @ HBF Park !
02/24/2023 — Melbourne, AU @ Marvel Stadium !
02/25/2023 — Melbourne, AU @ Marvel Stadium !
02/26/2023 — Gold Coast, AU @ Metricon Stadium !
03/03/2023 — Sydney, AU @ Accor Stadium !
03/04/2023 — Sydney, AU @ Accor Stadium !
03/07/2023 — Auckland, NZ @ Eden Park, Mt Smart Stadium !
05/13/2023 — Horsens, DK @ CASA Arena ! )
05/17/2023 — Munich, DE @ Olympiastadion !
05/22/2023 — Coventry, UK @ Coventry Building Society Arena !
05/26/2023 — Edinburgh, UK @ BT Murrayfield Stadium !
06/01/2023 — Paris, FR @ Stade de France !
06/05/2023 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff ArenA !
06/10/2023 — Slane, IE @ Slane Castle !%
06/13/2023 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium !
06/14/2023 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium !
06/20/2023 — Cardiff, UK @ Principality Stadium !
06/24/2023 — Werchter, BE @ Festivalpark !
06/27/2023 — Dusseldorf, DE @ Merkur Spiel-Arena !
07/02/2023 — Warsaw, PL @ PGE Narodowy !
07/05/2023 — Frankfurt, DE @ Deutche Bank Park !
07/08/2023 — Viena, AT @ Ernst-Happel Stadium !
07/12/2023 — Barcelona, ES @ Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company !
07/14/2023 — Madrid, ES @ Nuevo Espacio Mad Cool !
07/18/2023 — Lisbon, PT @ Passeio Maritimo Alges !
07/22/2023 — Reggio Emilia, IT @ RCF Arena !

^ with Madi Diaz
* with Blood Orange
~ with Gabriels
# with Jessie Ware
+ with Ben Harper
! with Wet Leg

Today is a major day for Britney Spears, as she is just hours removed from releasing “Hold Me Closer,” her new collaboration with Elton John and first new music since the end of her conservatorship. People around the world are thrilled to see Spears returning to music and that includes Drew Barrymore.

On TikTok today, Barrymore shared a video of herself listening to the song and she was clearly moved by it. The video is of her listening to the chorus and upon hearing Spears’ voice, Barrymore is nearly moved to tears as she smiles and closes her eyes before smiling wider and letting out a laugh.

Barrymore’s caption also celebrates the positive reception the song has so far received, as it reads, ‘Hold Me Closer’ is out today and it’s #1 in 33 countries!!”

Earlier this year, Spears called Barrymore one of the “most beautiful” celebrities she’s met. Barrymore offered an emotional reaction to that, saying, “I just have to choose my words carefully. It is such a moment for me. I have so much… I have so many feelings towards her, so much profoundness. So how do you encapsulate that in a post? She managed to do it, now I’ve got to figure it out. But really, when you put your words out there, Britney Spears, we’re all listening. So I’m really excited for your book. I really am.”

Barrymore later said she’d love to have Spears on The Drew Barrymore Show. Spears has shown hesitancy towards doing interviews, but if she did want to do one, it feels like Barrymore’s show would be one of Spears’ top options.

While Donald Trump doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would ever really let you know how he’s truly feeling about any particular situation, he does have some pretty obvious tells. One of them being that when the walls begin closing in all around him — which seems to happen pretty often — he takes to social media and starts posting… and posting and posting and posting. Which is exactly what he did on Thursday.

As Raw Story reports, the former president went on a bit of a posting spree on his own TRUTH Social to proclaim his innocence following the FBI raid on his home at Mar-a-Lago, and take a few potshots at the current president. In a series of posts, Trump declared:

Even though I am as innocent as a person can be, and despite MY campaign being spied on by the Radical Left, the FISA COURT being lied to and defrauded, all of the many Hoaxes and Scams that were illegally placed on me by very sick & demented people, and without even mentioning the many crimes of Joe and Hunter Biden, all revealed in great detail in the Laptop From Hell, it looks more and more like the Fake News Media is pushing hard for the Sleaze to do something that should not be done!

He followed that up with:

Joe Biden said he knew nothing about the Break-In of Mar-a-Lago or, the greatest political attack in the history of the U.S. Does anybody really believe this???

Then got a little wordier:

The Radical Left Democrat prosecutors are illegally trying to circumvent, for purely political gain, the Presidential Record’s Act, under which I have done absolutely nothing wrong. It can not be circumvented, for me or any other President. They illegally Raided my home, and took things that should not have been taken. They even broke into my safe, an unthinkable act!

Followed by:

PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT!

And finished up his rant with:

The Justice Department and FBI are “leaking” at levels never seen before – and I did nothing wrong!!!

While ALL CAPS are a signature Trump move, the triple exclamation points seem to indicate that he realizes an FBI investigation isn’t something he can just brush off or make go away. Nor did he do himself any favors by recently leaking a letter that made him seem even more guilty. On the other hand, he has managed to use the raid as a way to grift about $1 million per day from his supporters, so who knows — it could turn out to be a financial windfall for Trump Inc.

(Via Raw Story)

After guiding the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA’s best record at 26-10 and the Commissioner’s Cup crown during the regular season, Becky Hammon has been named 2022 Coach of the Year. Hammon was hired this past winter to replace Bill Laimbeer after a lengthy stint as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Aces entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and quickly dispatched the Phoenix Mercury in the first round, 2-0. They’ll kick off their second-round matchup against the Seattle Storm on Sunday; the winner of that series heads to the Finals. Since relocating from San Antonio to Las Vegas in 2018, the Aces have made the playoffs three times in four seasons, including a Finals loss in 2020. Hammon is hoping to lead the franchise to its first title across its 26-year history.

Las Vegas is headlined by stars such as A’Ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. Hammon’s Coach of the Year trophy could kick off a prosperous awards season for the Aces, too. Wilson is vying with Breanna Stewart for MVP, which would be her second in three years, while Young is a favorite for Most Improved Player.

Under Hammon, Las Vegas posted the league’s top offense and dramatically increased its three-point volume. It ranked first in three-point percentage (36.1) and third in attempts per game (26.4). During Laimbeer’s four seasons, the Aces ranked dead last in three-point attempts per game every year. Hammon’s arrival helped modernize their offense, a significant reason they’re six wins away from the franchise’s first championship.

Rema shared the upbeat dance jam “Calm Down” in February of this year ahead of his album Rave & Roses. In music, some songs are so great that they have to be remixed and add another voice, which came in the form of Selena Gomez joining the “Calm Down” remix on Thursday (August 25). Their voices paired together to breathe new life into the record, and the Disney Channel star could not help but express her gratitude for the opportunity.

In a tweet on Monday, Gomez promoted the record with a minute-long video showing her on the way to a Rema show. In the video, she plays the “Calm Down” remix while applying makeup, sings along to her verse in a car, and says, “I’m really excited to see the person that asked me to be on a song that I couldn’t be more honored to do. The song’s fun, I hope people like it. That’s all I want.”

The video continues with Rema entering a room and hugging Selena Gomez. Rema shares in the excitement for this collaboration as well, saying, “I’m so happy, I’m literally shaking right now,” before Gomez encourages him to have a good show. The moment is clearly a big deal for both of them.

Listen to the “Calm Down” remix above.