Month: November 2022

Despite months of giddily prepping for a “red wave” during yesterday’s midterm elections, a Republican triumph failed to materialize, and many people are already blaming Donald Trump and the immense baggage he brings with him for the devastating blow. But, as CNN’s Jim Acosta reports, the former president isn’t about to take the blame — despite the fact that many of this latest election’s losers were cherry-picked by Trump himself (and typically election deniers).

Acosta took to Twitter to share snippets of his conversation with an unnamed Trump advisor, who told the CNN anchor that “Trump is livid” and “screaming at everyone” over the results of the midterm elections. While many of the candidates who lost their bids were specifically Trump-approved, the same adviser is now claiming that the reason for their losses is that “they were all bad candidates” and also, brilliantly, that “Candidates matter.”

No sh*t!

While any logical person — especially one with an ego the size of Trump’s — might want to press pause and take the temperature of the country before forging ahead with another presidential campaign for 2024, Trump is not a logical person. He acts on impulse and will do whatever he believes is least embarrassing to him personally. And in this case, as Acosta learned, that apparently means barreling forward with what many suspect will be his official announcement that he’s running for president again, which is set to happen on November 15th.

According to the same adviser, delaying the expected announcement would be “too humiliating” for Trump. Though some would say that losing the presidency for a second time in a row would be even more humiliating. But since when has Trump ever looked that far ahead?

As Mediaite notes, Trump isn’t likely to be any happier when he learns that someone within his inside circle is sharing intel with Acosta, with whom he regularly sparred while in office. At one point in 2018, The White House suspended Acosta’s press badge, though a federal judge quickly ruled that it must be reinstated.

(Via Mediaite)

The vibes surrounding the Seattle Seahawks are pretty good right now. After the team decided to trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos over the offseason, the expectation was that they’d need a little time to get back to the top of the NFC West. Instead, the team sits 6-3 and has looked like one of the most dangerous squads in the conference.

A big reason is, funny enough, quarterback play, where Geno Smith has been a revelation since taking over for Wilson. Smith has been flat-out better than Wilson this year, and more broadly has been one of the NFL’s most efficient and productive passers. And during a radio appearance on Monday, Pete Carroll praised one small thing that Smith does to help guide the offense while making it a point to mention that it’s a new addition to the process.

“If you notice, Geno’s going off the wristband, and that’s a big help,” Carroll told Seattle Sports 710 AM, per Pro Football Talk. “It’s smoothed things out, sped things up, cleaned things up. And that’s part of it, too. We never did that before. There was resistance to that, so we didn’t do that before.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Wilson was the only person who did not like calling plays off of a wristband. But seeing as how Wilson’s not wearing one in Denver, either, it certainly seems like that isn’t his preference in how to go about running an offense.

John Wick: Chapter 4 was originally scheduled to come out on May 21, 2021, which was [checks Tick Tock Man watch] awhile ago. The fourth film in the John Wick series was delayed due to the pandemic and star Keanu Reeves being busy being filming The Matrix Resurrections, but it’s coming out soon — and the trailer is coming out sooner.

Lionsgate uploaded a “JW4 Countdown” video to its YouTube channel, with an hourglass and ticking clock to tomorrow and a phone number to text. I messaged the number (yeah, my phone plan includes unlimited texting, no big deal) and got the following reply: “Welcome. Click the link to become an esteemed member and be the first to receive a classified John Wick: Chapter 4 update. There isn’t much time left…”

After clicking the link and filling in my personal information (I’m sure a big corporation won’t use it for any nefarious purposes), you’ll get a second message that reads, “We now have your number saved. You will be rewarded when the sand runs out.” What’s the reward coming tomorrow? It’s hopefully a link to the John Wick: Chapter 4 trailer.

Also, John Wick’s personal number.

I am going to send John Wick so many Venmo requests.

John Wick: Chapter 4 also stars Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, and Ian McShane, the Nick Fury of the Wick-verse.

(Via YouTube)

After sweeping nominations during award season and topping the charts for eight weeks, Bunny’s album, Un Verano Sin Ti, continues to earn the international recording artist acclaim.

As if his year couldn’t get any better, reggaeton star Bad Bunny has just been named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year. This marks the first time a Latin artist has earned this honor (according to Billboard). With “Moscow Mile” still holding the record for all time by first-day streams worldwide for a Latin song, simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 chart, and having the top three Latin album slots by first-day streams as his highlights for the year, this decision was a no-brainer.

Vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser, sang the Puerto Rico native’s praises, stating, “We’re thrilled to celebrate the achievements of Bad Bunny, whose influence on every corner of culture could not be ignored in 2022.”

Schusser added, “Watching Bad Bunny ascend from an Apple Music Up Next artist in 2018 to our Artist of the Year this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. We congratulate him on his record-breaking year and for continuing to bring Latin music to a massive global audience.”

When asked about his feelings on receiving the honor Bad Bunny humbly replied, “I’m grateful for everything I’ve accomplished and everything I’ve experienced. The Latin music movement has grown so much. I would never take full credit or say, ‘It’s because of me.’ No, it’s every one of us. A whole generation. Our energy and presence are always felt.”

To commemorate the occasion, Bad Bunny curated an exclusive playlist, La Fórmula, on the streamer. The playlist features tracks from Myke Towers and Rauw Alejandro, to name a few artists. To listen, click here.

When Avatar: The Way of Water finally splashes into theaters, the heavily-anticipated sequel will be packing a serious long runtime. Clocking in at a whopping three hours and 10 minutes, The Way of Water is nearly as long as Titanic. It misses the cut by a scant four minutes. Granted, the first Avatar was considered a lengthy film at two hours and 41 minutes, but that’s almost par for the course in today’s modern age of mammoth superhero films.

In a new interview, writer/director James Cameron justified ballooning the runtime for the sequel that’s been 13 years in the making. “We didn’t spend as much time on relationship and emotion in the first film as we do in the second film, and it’s a longer film, because there’s more characters to service,” Cameron told Total Film. “There’s more story to service.”

The iconic director then made a comparison that only James Cameron would dare to make:

Above all, however, The Way Of Water is a family story. This is because, 14 years after falling in love, Jake and Neytiri are now the proud parents of five children. “People say, ‘Oh my God, a family story from Disney? Just what we want…’ This isn’t that kind of family story,” Cameron clarifies. “This is a family story like how The Sopranos is a family story.”

While Cameron seems full of his usual bombast by comparing The Way of Water to one of the greatest TV shows of all time, the writer/director has been noticeably hedging his bets about the sequel’s box office potential. He recently revealed that he’s prepared to pull the plug and end the series with Avatar 3 if The Way of Water underperforms.

While citing that we’re in a “different world” thanks to streaming and the pandemic, Cameron is not immune to having doubts about audiences flocking to a new Avatar movie after so long.

“Maybe we’ll remind people what going to the theatre is all about. This film definitely does that,” Cameron mused to Total Film. “The question is: how many people give a sh*t now?”

(Via Total Film)

Eminem was recently inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as part of the 2022 class. “I know that I’m a rapper, and this is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and there’s only a few of us right now who have been inducted in already,” he said during his speech as he paid tribute to those who paved the way in rap and hip-hop.

This list of rappers that are currently in the Hall Of Fame includes Jay-Z, Run-DMC, Biggie Smalls, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, N.W.A., Tupac, Public Enemy, and Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five. During Eminem’s acceptance, he rattled off a giant list of his biggest influences — some of which were prior rappers in the Rock Hall Of Fame.

He also took the time to recognize some other notable artists who deserve a future spot, from Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Queen Latifah, Outkast, and at least a hundred in total.

“Those were my rock stars, man,” Eminem said after finishing his list. “And I just want to say those are just a few of the names that I hope will be considered in the future for induction. Because without them, a lot of us wouldn’t be here. I know I wouldn’t.”

“So, that’s all I have to say, man. I know this induction is supposed to be me talking about myself and sh*t, man, but f*ck that,” he continued. “I would not be here without them. I’m a high school dropout, man, with a hip-hop education, and these were my teachers. And it’s their night, just as much as it is mine. So thank you.”

View Eminem’s full induction speech here.

Although much of the attention surrounding 21 Savage and Drake’s new joint album Her Loss has focused on Drake’s controversies, there is a growing contingent of fans online who have expressed concerns over 21’s half of the album. Savage is known for his violent lyrics, which some fans have criticized in light of the recent shooting death of Migos member Takeoff. 21 Savage addressed these concerns in a recent interview with DJ Akademiks, explaining why the duo chose not to delay their project out of respect for their fallen peer.

“It was just so much going on, so much negative, sad energy,” he said. “We was just like, ‘Maybe this will give motherf*ckers a smile or a lift-up, give the world a lift-up, something to look forward to. Cause at first we was saying we was gonna push it back, but it was like, ‘Well, sh*t. What’s that gonna do? Just keep motherf*ckers in this mind-state for a little longer?’ Versus trying to move forward.”

Savage also explained why Takeoff’s death was “the worst one” for him. “I don’t know if it’s ’cause I know him more than I know them, but this is one of them ones where it’s like, ‘Damn! Him?!’”

You can watch the clip below.

It’s a strange time over in England, though Americans have their fair share of weirdness happening here, too. While King Charles III was visiting York on some royal business, a spectator decided to share his disapproval of the king…by throwing eggs at him.

Now, these weren’t some soft-boiled eggs or your grandma’s famous deviled eggs, these were hard, raw eggs that shattered on the ground next to Charles’ (probably very expensive) shoes. The culprit threw three eggs which all missed the royals, though some reports suggest he threw up to five (!) eggs at the new king, who didn’t seem at all fazed. He probably would have been more affected if the man threw some holy water and garlic bread instead.

The King also didn’t seem to notice when the civilian shouted “this country was built on the blood of slaves” and “not my king” at him and his wife Camilla.

The man was swiftly taken into police custody while King Charles was served an egg sandwich later on, by pure coincidence of course. It’s also a coincidence that the fifth season of Netflix’s hit royal drama The Crown premieres on the streamer today, so perhaps this is how fans are trying to celebrate.

Season five of The Crown will follow the family in the early ’90s, focusing on Princess Diana’s strained relationship with the royals and King Charles being a giant jerk. Maybe the egg thing is a good distraction!

(Via The Guardian)

It takes a big person to admit defeat — or sometimes it just takes Lindsey Graham. Late Tuesday night, as Mediaite reports, a visibly deflated Graham spoke with NBC News in the midst of Election Night and was forced to acknowledge that the possible “Red Wave” we’ve been hearing about for months now did not happen. (But Michael Moore already knew that.)

The South Carolina senator beamed into a chat with the NBC News team, including Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie, though he looked as if he’d rather be undergoing dental surgery. Guthrie didn’t waste any time getting right down to business and suggesting that they talk about the senatorial race in New Hampshire, where incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan kept her seat with 54 percent of the vote, whereas Republican challenger/election denier Donald Bolduc scooped up just 44.1 percent of the votes.

“Here’s one where Republicans were feeling kinda good recently,” Guthrie said. “But you do have General Bolduc who — it was controversial, election denier, from that wing of the party. How are you reading these tea leaves?”

Graham, who seemed a little bit at a loss for any positive words, simply replied that, “If you run that far behind your governor candidate, you probably made a mistake, so… Uh, General Bolduc served this country well, but [incumbent Republican governor Chris] Sununu won big.. But definitely not a Republican wave, that’s for darn sure.”

But the reporters weren’t about to let Graham get off that easily — or ignore what Holt described as The Donald Trump Effect. “There have been a couple of conversations around this table as it’s become apparent there’s not going to be a wave here,” Holt said. “And the question of whether his appearances along the way have actually hurt Republicans. Do you give that any credence?”

“Not really,” Graham replied, seemingly desperate to not have to discuss the T word. “I think it was a referendum on Biden. You know, if we take back the House and we get the Senate majority, that’s a very good night. A wave would have been like New Hampshire and Colorado. So, you know, hats off to the Democrats. They performed well in a lot of these swing districts… But at the end of the day guys, if we take the House and the Senate, we’re going to have to sit down as a country and figure out what to do with it.”

Graham also had a piece of “unsolicited advice” for Joe Biden:

If we do take the House and we do take the Senate, let’s all go to the border and see if we can find a way to fix it. I’ve got a bill with Elizabeth Warren, believe it or not, to regulate social media and maybe we could do something in the energy and the energy space. So if it’s a divided government, maybe something good can come of it.

Yes, because that has worked out so well in the past.

You can watch the full segment above.

(Via Mediaite)

Innovation is awesome, right? I mean, it gave us the internet!

However, there is always a price to pay for modernization, and in this case, it’s in the form of digital eye strain, a group of vision problems that can pop up after as little as two hours of looking at a screen. Some of the symptoms are tired and/or dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain¹. Ouch!

Eye strain from staring at devices is a widespread issue. Most people work, play, and maintain relationships through screens, which averages out to 6 hours and 35 minutes per day (and that’s in addition to work or school)! That translates to 46 hours and 5 minutes per week, or 2,402 hours and 55 minutes per year.²

With numbers like these, attention to eye health is more important now than ever; our dependence on technology certainly isn’t going anywhere. And just like innovation brought us technology, innovation also holds the key to combating the effects it has on our bodies. Here are some key suggestions from eye care professionals to help reduce common symptoms of digital eye strain. Spoiler alert: none of them involve wearing glasses!

Follow the 20-20-20 rule.

You can find some relief by taking a 20-20-20 break: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s easy to remember because we all want 20/20 vision, and it’s a good excuse to look out the window.

Adjust your workspace screen to be slightly below eye level and about an arm’s length away.

This simple tweak to your work area can really improve your posture, as well as the amount of strain on your eyes. A win-win!

Adjust the brightness of your device.

Brightness levels also play into how hard our eyes have to work. Our screen brightness should match our surroundings, especially during the evening hours.

Say hello to Biofinity Energys^® contact lenses!

These contact lenses are specifically made to address eye dryness and tiredness caused by digital devices. Digital Zone Optics^® lens design and Aquaform^® Technology are two innovations that when combined help with the tiredness and dryness that can be caused by digital eye fatigue.

Additionally, Biofinity Energys^® monthly replacement contact lenses are designed to help our eyes better adapt for a more comfortable wearing experience³. This part is tricky because contacts can be hard to adjust to, and trust me—no one wants what feels like gritty sandpaper in there. Comfort is key!

If you’re sick of wearing glasses all the time and feel ready to do something new, visit biofinityenergys.com to learn more and to get your free trial certificate.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6020759/
2. Asurion-sponsored survey by Market Research Firm Solidea Solutions conducted August 18-20, 2019 of 1,998 U.S. smartphone users, compared to an Asurion-sponsored survey conducted by market research company OnePoll between Sept. 11 – 19, 2017 of 2000 U.S. adults with a smartphone.
3. Biofinityenergys.com