Month: January 2023

Blindness touches people’s lives around the world and YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, more popularly known as MrBeast, is trying to do something about it. Donaldson made it his mission to help 1,000 people regain their eyesight with the help of Dr. Jeff Levenson, an ophthalmologist and surgeon in Jacksonville, Florida.

Levenson has been operating a program called “Gift of Sight” for over 20 years. The program provides free cataract surgery to uninsured people who are legally blind for free, so long as they meet certain criteria. Levenson had never heard of Donaldson, and he almost hung up on him when the YouTube star called to ask about a partnership.

“I had never heard of MrBeast so I almost hung up. But gratefully did not hang up,” Levenson told CNN.

After figuring out that Donaldson was indeed a real person who wanted to help others, the duo called around the Jacksonville area to determine the people who needed help the most. They got their list of clients from free clinics and homeless shelters, which covered the United States portion of the surgeries.

Donaldson and Levenson were able to provide surgery to 40 people in Florida, and if you know anything about MrBeast, you know that some of those folks left with more than just their eyesight. Several of the patients, who were just thrilled to have their eyesight back, were gifted with thousands of dollars. In the video, one woman fell to the floor when Donaldson told her that he was also giving her $10,000, and another family burst into tears when he handed over a $50,000 check for college tuition. One teen was given his first car, a Tesla.

The enormous act of kindness didn’t stop with Florida. Levenson is also the chief medical officer of SEE International, an organization that provides free eye care internationally. It was through this nonprofit that Donaldson was able to help other patients in need in several countries including Mexico, Jamaica, Vietnam and Brazil, among others.

Not all blindness is curable, but in the video, Levenson tells Donaldson, “Half of all blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery.”

This means that those who don’t have the means to afford this surgery may simply have to resign themselves to being blind, even though there’s a quick cure. And Levenson knows firsthand what it feels like to lose your vision due to cataracts because he also had to have the surgery years ago, which sparked his passion for helping others see again.

Donaldson is known for his generosity and has amassed over 130 million subscribers on his YouTube page, so it’s not a surprise that he would try to team up with Levenson to do more good. After all the surgeries were complete, Donaldson had achieved his goal of curing 1,000 people of blindness, but he had one more gift in store.

At the end of the video, MrBeast was back in Florida with Levenson when he dropped unsuspected news on the doctor. Donaldson had donated $100,000 to Levenson’s organization.

“It’ll bring sight to thousands of people,” Levenson replied with his hand over his chest.

Watch the moving video below:

A parenting influencer who goes by the name @ellethevirgo on TikTok has shared a brilliant hack that can turn a simple box of Cheerios into a fun sensory sand experience. The great part is that the sand is edible, so you don’t have to worry if your child puts some in their mouth, which they will inevitably do.

The recipe for Cheerios sensory sand is pretty simple:

1. Grab a box of Cheerios (avoid honey nut flavor unless you want your kid to have a sticky sensory experience).
2. Grind the cereal by dumping it into a blender or food processor. You can also get a rockier texture by putting it in a sealable bag and grinding it with a rolling pin.
3. Pour the sand into a bin and add some scoops and containers for the full sensory experience.

Now, here’s where we’ll include our mandatory disclaimer: Children should only play with the sensory sand under adult supervision. Always make sure the bin is clean and the sand is replaced before every use.

Parents on TikTok couldn’t believe they hadn’t heard of the hack before.

“Yess!! So if she accidentally eats the sand it’s ok bc it’s freaking Cheerios,” Nelly Gomez wrote.

“Wait, what? Holy hell this is genius,” Momma Cusses added.

@ellethevirgo

🌞🐠🌴 #fyp #sensoryplay #upcycling

A few commenters were concerned that the sensory sand may encourage small children to eat real sand. This is a legitimate criticism because, according to doctors, sand can be a choking hazard. “Isn’t she going to be trained that all sand will taste like Cheerio dust now?” Eric asked.

Tennis isn’t always the most entertaining sport to watch, especially if you’re not particularly interested in seeing a ball get slapped across a net at 1,000,000 mph approximately 17,000 times. You could probably get whiplash or eye strain if you focused too hard on it. While some people love the sport, others need a little more than grunts and sneaker sounds to capture their attention.

If you’re in the group of people who need to be entertained, look no further than Gaël Monfils, a professional French tennis player that has earned the nickname, “The Entertainer.” Monfils turned pro in 2004 and has multiple championship matches under his belt, and yet he still takes the time to be…extra while playing.

In a compilation video uploaded to TikTok, we see the 36-year-old tennis player dancing after hitting the ball across the net just out of his opponent’s reach. But of course, he also doesn’t hit the ball like your average player, either. In one part of the video, Monfils jumps up extremely high and bicycle kicks as he hits the ball with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Nearly every hit he makes is either over or under-exaggerated—there doesn’t seem to be an in-between—and the showboating after scoring a point seems to make the crowd go wild. In a different video, even the announcers sound entertained by his shenanigans. If nothing else, it’s clear that Monfils is having a great time on the court, delighting himself and others.

His impromptu dances are especially interesting because there’s no music on the court, but that doesn’t stop The Entertainer from busting a move. If you’re one of those people that just isn’t into tennis, he may make you want to watch a match or two.

Check out the compilation below:

@tennis.legend

The Entertainer @Gaël Monfils ! ❤ 🎥 @ATP Tour | @Tennis TV #tennis #tennislegend #tennistiktok #tennisplayer #tenis #tennistv #atptour #atp #atpworldtour #gaelmonfils #monfils #tennispro #tennismatch #tennispoint #tennisfans #tenis

D Smoke may hail from a musical family, but that hasn’t stopped him from diving head-first into establishing an acting career. For many fans, seeing the Inglewood, California native on their television screens is nothing new, thanks to his appearance on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow. However, the “Say Go” rapper is trading in his reality competition roots for original scripted programming.

Appearing on season two, episode three of Paramount+’s series Mayor Of Kingstown, D Smoke is all in. In the role of Raphael, an intimate, the entertainer plays a vital part in the thriller show’s plot. Led by actor Jeremy Renner (in the role of Mike McLusky), D Smoke shared the screen with series regular Tobi Bamtefa (in the role of Bunny).

The episode is described as follows, “Mike, Bunny, and Raphael, along with Executive Producer Stephen Kay discuss Bunny’s attempts to restore balance in the prison camp even while putting himself in danger. Additionally, they elaborate on the waning trust Bunny has in Mike. Finally, Iris (played by Emma Laird) gives insight into Iris’s emotional return to Milo and how it may be what pushes Mike over the edge.”

Watch the full exclusive clip featuring D Smoke as Raphael below.

New Mayor Of Kingstown episodes are uploaded exclusively to the Paramount+ platform every Saturday. To watch the series, click here.

When JID isn’t being a comedian using throwaway bars to poke fun at his peers, he’s actually quite the skilled rapper. The Dreamville Records representative is showcasing his lyrical skills on the road alongside Smino as part of the Luv Is 4ever Tour.

The Atlanta, Georgia native’s third studio album, The Forever Story, is a culmination of his introspective work over the years perfecting his craft to which his live sets have directly benefited. With his journey on the road just getting started, thanks to an unofficial fan page, those looking to snag a ticket to a stop on the tour can sneak a look at the musician’s rumored set list.

Setlist.FM has listed the confirmed setlist from his set. Take a look below, where you will also find the remaining tour dates, below.

1. “2007”
2. “NEVER”
3. “Off da Zoinkys”
4. “Raydar”
5. “Dance Now”
6. “Crack Sandwich”
7. “Bruddanem”
8. “Sistanem”
9. “Kody Blu 31”
10. “Workin Out”
11. “Stars”
12. “Just in Time”
13. “Off Deez”
14. “Down Bad” (Dreamville cover)
15. “Surround Sound”
16. “151 Rum”
17. “Stick” (Dreamville cover)

01/31/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
02/02/2023 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA San Diego
02/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
02/08/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
02/10/2023 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
02/13/2023 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
02/14/2023 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
02/15/2023 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
02/16/2023 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
02/18/2023 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
02/21/2023 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
02/22/2023 — Miami, FL @ Oasis Wynwood
02/24/2023 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
02/26/2023 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
03/01/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
03/03/2023 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/07/2023 — Wallingford, CT @ Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theatre
03/09/2023 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
03/12/2023 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
03/15/2023 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
03/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
03/18/2023 — Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
03/21/2023 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
03/23/2023 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
03/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis
03/25/2023 — Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
03/28/2023 — Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
03/29/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works

Last year, Thursday’s Geoff Rickly spoke to us about the through-line he sees connecting literature to heavy music: “I think the post-genres like post-punk and post-hardcore are both very concerned with deconstructing things, and there’s a certain academic slant to it,” he said. After studying the classics in college and writing hard-hitting lyrics in bands for years, he’s publishing his debut novel.

The musician announced today that Someone Who Isn’t Me is arriving in July on author Chelsea Hodson’s new press, Rose Books. The summary describes it as “a feverish journey through the psyche of someone who no longer recognizes himself,” grappling with themes such as substance abuse and self-confrontation. Read the full description of the book below.

Geoff Rickly’s debut novel Someone Who Isn’t Me is a feverish journey through the psyche of someone who no longer recognizes himself. When Geoff hears that a drug called ibogaine might be able to save him from his heroin addiction, he goes to a clinic in Mexico to confront the darkest and most destructive versions of himself. In this modern reimagining of the Divine Comedy, survival lurks in the darkest corners of Geoff’s brain, asking, will he make it? Can anyone?

Someone Who Isn’t Me is out 7/25 via Rose Books. Pre-order it here.

Mike Lindell has been humiliated so much it’s almost as though he enjoys it. For the last two years, the MyPillow guy has burnt up a chunk of his fortune attempting to prove the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. He hasn’t. Lindell even tried to get elected as head of the RNC, which comically backfired. Not content with that embarrassment, he can’t wait to return to yet another place where he suffered a massive public failure.

The Daily Beast spoke with Lindell about his returning to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, on an episode that also features Pam Anderson. Lindell did the show back in 2021 and though it could have been worse, it did not go well.

“He said I can come, but I got to go in the claw game because I’m not vaccinated,” Lindell claimed, referring to one of Kimmel’s favorite on-air games. He added, “I am trying to save our country.”

Lindell even said he’d be “safer in the claw game with everybody shedding,” alluding to a (baseless, of course) conspiracy theory claiming vaccinated people can infect other people because it contains a “live virus.” (It does not.)

When asked if he thought he’d disgraced yet again, Lindell said he’s sure he will be. “But I am willing to be humiliated to help save our country,” he replied. At least when asked if he’d consent to being tested for COVID-19, he said, “100% I am going to do that.”

You can watch Lindell’s second go with Kimmel on Tuesday night’s episode starting at 11:35pm on ABC.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Nigerian music star Asake is back and is using his music to search for spiritual security.

The musician saw a great deal of success last year thanks to his breakout album, Mr. Money With The Vibe, released in September. The 12-track project donated the charts resulting in several sold-out shows. Unfortunately, in December, at one of his sold-out shows at the O2 Academy Brixton, fans rushed the barricades, which resulted in two deaths and several dozen injuries.

Shortly after, Asake took to Twitter to address the tragedy, and his new single, “Yoga,” produced by Magicsticks, is a visual continuation of that search. Directed by TG Omori, Asake explores Dakar, Senegal for much-needed tranquility as reality TV figure Alexis Skyy serves as a trusted champion.

In a statement, discussing the inspiration behind the track, Asake said, “[Yoga] is about minding my business and guarding my peace so no one can disrupt it.”

This isn’t the first time Asake’s spiritual journey has been the center of his art or even a post featured on his social media profiles. On New Year’s Eve, he wrote on Twitter, “Too many ups and downs, trials, and tribulations, but God is forever the greatest. Thanks to everyone who made 2022 awesome for me, Words can’t explain. May God bless 2023 for us. Blessings and Glory.”

Watch the full video above.

The tragic death of Tom Verlaine shook the music world on January 28. The Television founder was 73, and his passing was announced by Patti Smith’s daughter, who said he died “after a brief illness.”

The latest to pay tribute to the legend is Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. On an episode of The Tweedy Show last night, January 29, the indie singer was joined by his son Spencer and the pair performed a thoughtful cover of Television’s “Venus” from the band’s iconic 1977 LP Marquee Moon.

“That was not easy,” Tweedy said after the performance. “I just wanted to play that. Obviously, I’m not doing the guitar parts justice. But the main point is he gets a lot of accolades for changing the way a lot of people look at a guitar, but he changed a lot of the way I look at writing songs. And that’s a perfect song. I can’t imagine writing a song that good.”

The tributes to Verlaine are in abundance. Michael Stipe of R.E.M. shared on social media: “Bless you, Tom Verlaine, and thank you for the songs, the lyrics, the voice,” he said. “And later, the laughs, the inspiration, the stories, and the rigorous belief that music and art can alter and change matter, lives, and experiences. You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down.”

If fans thought Yves Tumor’s 2022 tour for their surprise EP The Asymptotical World was epic, then Tumor’s upcoming tour for their forthcoming album Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) could only be described as otherworldly.

Launching at Coachella, the To Spite Or Not To Spite Tour will feature a mix of performance types, including festival appearances. The tour will feature not only stops in the United States but in the United Kingdom and Europe as well. With support from musical acts Nation, Pretty Sick, Izzy Spears, Frost Children, Nation, and Evanora Unlimited, the shows are sure to be a highly sought-after live experience. Tickets will go on sale beginning on February 3 at 10 am local time. To purchase tickets for any of the dates listed below, click here.

Here’s the full tour schedule.

04/14 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-21 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04/25 — Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee ^$
04/27 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live ^$
04/28 — Austin, TX @ Austin Psych Fest $
04/29 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory ^$
05/01 — New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater ^$
05/02 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern ^$
05/04 — Washington, D.C. @ Echostage *$
05/05 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall *$
05/06 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom *$
05/07 — Montreal, Quebec @ M Telus *$
05/09 — Toronto, Ontario @ History %$
05/10 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic %$
05/12 — Chicago, IL @ The Riviera %$
05/13 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave %$
05/15 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre %$
05/17 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House $
05/18 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre #$
05/20 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo #$
05/21 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #$
05/23 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield #$
06/02 — Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
06/04 — Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
06/07 — Madrid, Spain @ Shoko
06/09 — Madrid, Spain @ Primavera Sound
06/10 — Porto, Portugal @ NOS Primavera Sound
11/07 — Prague, Czech Republic @ Roxy !
11/09 — Warsaw, Poland @ Progresja !
11/11 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan !
11/12 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega !
11/14 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso !
11/17 — Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys !
11/21 — Paris, France @ Elysee Montmartre !
11/24 — Manchester, England @ New Century Hall !
11/26 — Glasgow, Scotland @ O2 Academy Glasgow !
11/27 — Dublin, Ireland @ 3Olympia !

! with Nation
$ with Pretty Sick
^ with Izzy Spears
* with Frost Children
% with Nation
# with Evanora Unlimited

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is out 3/17 via Warp Records. To pre-save, click here.