Month: August 2023

With LaMelo Ball under contract until next summer and Brandon Miller arriving in Charlotte prior to the start of the season, the most pressing bit of business involving a player who could leave this free agency period revolved around fifth-year forward P.J. Washington. A consistent piece of the team’s starting unit for most of his tenure in the Queen City, Washington entered restricted free agency this summer, and was among the more productive players to hit RFA market.

Washington was a difficult player to gauge heading into free agency, as it stood to reason that both the Hornets would not let him go and he could attract interest from other teams. While most of the other top RFAs inked deals early on, Washington saw cap space dry up around the league without a clear path to a deal. The result was nearly a two-month wait, but on Saturday, Washington finally agreed to a long term deal to stay in Charlotte, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

The No. 12 overall pick out of the University of Kentucky in the 2019 NBA Draft, Washington has been one of the building blocks in Charlotte during the early portion of his career. His best season as a pro came in 2022-23, when he started all 73 games in which he appeared. Washington averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game with 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 32.6 minutes per game, while connecting on 44.4 percent of his attempts from the field and 34.8 percent of his shots from behind the three-point line.

Donald Trump’s base may find his historic mugshot weirdly erotic, but not everyone’s seeing his fourth indictment as a win. When the former president showed up for his latest arraignment, one detail jumped out to many: He reported his weight as only 215 pounds. He’s (according to him!) 6’3”, which means he’s technically overweight. But that’s still fewer pounds than many anticipated. Indeed, someone who’s reluctantly shared a bed with him is also calling bull.

“Mmmkay! And I’m 110lbs and a virgin!” tweeted Stormy Daniels, the porn star and alleged recipient of a Trump hush money payment. “I’m not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215lb men and Tiny was not one of them.”

As it happens, Daniels is one of the people responsible for Trump’s first indictment. Back in March he was charged with 34 counts relating to falsifying business records, some involving alleged payments to people he wanted to keep quiet ahead of his 2016 presidential run.

But that was almost half a year ago. Since then Trump’s racked up three more indictments, for a total of 91 charges. Has being an alleged crook caused the alleged party of law and order to turn on him? Of course not! In fact it’s so helped his polls that he openly asked for a fourth indictment. Has getting his wish made him happy? You bet your ass it hasn’t.

It’s been almost a year since Blink-182 announced a return to music with their classic line-up—consisting of Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, and Travis Barker. Last October, the band dropped a new single, “Edging,” and announced they were going on tour and working on a new album.

While the tour has proven to be a hit among fans, the fans are still waiting for a new Blink album. But it looks like we won’t have to wait much longer.

Yesterday (August 25), Delonge took to Twitter to share an update, hinting that a new Blink-182 era may finally be underway.

“@blink182 music video(s) and album are only weeks (days) away,” said Delonge. “We are finally here.”

So far, “Edging” is the only single Blink has released since announcing their return to music, however, they’ve had a great year. On top of a new single and a high-grossing tour, the band performed a medley of their greatest hits at Coachella back in April. The video for “Edging” — which was directed by Cole Bennett — is currently nominated for Best Alternative at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, which is set to take place on September 12 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

On Thursday, Donald Trump scored yet another record: He became the first American president to get a mugshot. To some, it was a new low. To his base, it was a new high. While detractors dwelled on a former commander-in-chief being charged with trying to overturn an election, his supporters fell over each other trying to make it seem like a win. Few went as over-the-top as Fox News’ Jesse Watters.

“I am now going to book the Fulton County photographer for my Christmas card,” said Watters during Friday’s episode of The Five. “Because judge, and I say this with an unblemished record of heterosexuality, he looks good. And he looks hard.”

It’s perhaps the most emblematic moment of the Trump era: a homoerotic fit from someone also indulging in gay panic, over a guy whose best years are far, far behind him (and whose prowess gets mocked by someone who’s shared a bed with him).

Watters isn’t the only one in gross denial of Trump’s physical fitness. When arraigned, big guy himself claimed that he was 215 pounds — a line only the biggest, weirdest sycophants could ever believe.

Trump’s fourth indictment may do wonders for his polls, but it all may be for naught. Even conservative legal scholars have begun arguing that even without a guilty verdict he’s ineligible to run for president again thanks to that whole inspiring an insurrection thing.

It wasn’t always pretty, but USA Basketball was able to take care of business in its first game at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Despite going down by double-digits in the first quarter to a feisty New Zealand side, the Americans were able to rally, get their feet under them, and pick up a decisive 99-72 win in Manila.

The starting lineup for the Americans really struggled to get into the flow of the game. Between some hot shooting and a feisty full-court press by the Tall Blacks, the United States saw itself fall into a 14-4 hole early. But fortunately, the American bench was able to inject some energy into things, with Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Haliburton, and Austin Reaves all flashing in the game’s first half.

This allowed some of the starters, particularly Anthony Edwards and Jaren Jackson Jr., to grow into the game, and as a result, the United States went into halftime with a 45-36 lead. The third quarter ended up being much of the same, in part because Banchero was able to score 12 points in the frame and really establish himself as a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor.

The fourth quarter was essentially a formality, as the Americans were able to keep New Zealand at arm’s length due to the lead they built up in the second and third.

Banchero was the star of the show for the U.S., as the Orlando Magic standout scored a team-high 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting with four rebounds and four blocks. Reaves and Haliburton were likewise excellent off the bench — the former had 12 points, six assists, three steals, and two rebounds; the latter went for 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Edwards had 14 points and seven boards, while Jackson had 12 points, four rebounds, and a block.

Next up for the United States is a game against Greece on Monday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:40 a.m. EST on ESPN2.

Drake fans have been anxiously awaiting his ninth studio solo album, For All The Dogs. At the time of writing, not much is known about the album, though some have theorized that it may be an R&B album, as Drake teased a return to the “old Drake” upon the initial announcement. Fans were expecting For All The Dogs to arrive this past week, as Amazon Music had accidentally tweeted, then later deleted an announcement that contained a release date for August 25.

When the album didn’t drop, fans, of course, expressed their disappointment. Last night (August 25), during the Seattle stop on the It’s All A Blur Tour, Drake shared an update on For All The Dogs with the fans.

“I know you’re probably upset because I didn’t drop the album last night. I didn’t say it was dropping last night, so don’t be mad at me” said Drake. “I just said it’s coming soon. It’s not going to be that much longer, trust me. I’m finishing it up. You know I’ve got shows every night. But I promise you, For All The Dogs is on the way.”

Drake wrapped up his sentiment, teasing that the album may be similar to some of his earlier work.

“If you’ve ever loved anything I’ve ever done in the past, I promise you this album will be for you,” he said. “I promise you it will be worth the wait.”

You can see a clip from the show above.

Last night (Aug. 24), Sabrina Carpenter joined Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Mexico City for her first show as an opening act. In honor of this feat, she opened up in an interview with Billboard about just how much the opportunity meant to her.

“That is one of my main inspirations ever since I was a little girl, and now to just be able to watch that show every night is going to be so special,” Carpenter said.

“It’s so funny, I’ve been growing up with her advice in her songs because it’s very much a how-to book on how to survive as a young woman, which is really special,” she continued. “Watching her in and of itself is how you learn. I admire her work ethic and her talent and she’s just so amazing.”

Carpenter has been a longtime Swiftie. Just before her performance, she played a clip of her younger self performing a cover of Swift’s “Picture To Burn” — giving the audience a chance to see a very heartfelt full-circle moment.

During the interview, Carpenter also discussed her recent remix of Fifty Fifty’s “Cupid” which fans are loving. “They’re some of the most talented people I’ve ever met,” she gushed about the K-Pop group.

Check out a clip of Carpenter’s Eras Tour cover intro here.

Fifty-Fifty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sometimes it feels like moms can’t win. We’re supposed to give our all for our kids, sacrifice ourselves for motherhood, fulfill the various responsibilities of child-rearing, and do it all under two unwritten but well-understood rules: 1) Never mess it up, and 2) Never complain.

It’s the second rule that feels particularly cruel since the first rule simply isn’t possible anyway. (Moms mess up motherhood all the time, even if we don’t admit it.) But when we vent about the hard parts, the response is often dismissal, as if we don’t have the right to complain or as if doing so means we’re not grateful to have our kids.

A viral video from My Kinda Mum illustrates the absurdity of the way people respond to mom complaints with a little script-flipping roleplay.

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The video opens with a man coming home and complaining about traffic, only to be met with “Well if you didn’t want to deal with traffic, you shouldn’t have learned how to drive.” And when he tries to explain that he likes driving, but sometimes it’s annoying when traffic gets bad, the response is “Your choice. Live with it.”

Sounds silly, right? But moms are told that all the time when we dare to point out parts of motherhood that are frustrating.

Next up comes a business owner who won an award for “Start-up of the Year,” who mentions that it’s been hard work with all the drama of managing people. “If you didn’t want to manage a business, you shouldn’t have started one,” is the response, which of course, no one ever actually says to business owners when they vent about parts of their work because it sounds…well, ridiculous and dismissive.

Watch the various scenarios that look downright silly but reflect the kinds of responses moms get frequently.

Watch the video below: 

Many moms in the comments felt seen.

“Love this couldn’t believe my ears when I was told it was your choice to have kids .. yes and they’re my world but once in a blue moon I still need a tiny bit of me time,” wrote one commenter.

“This is 100% spot on. Thank you for making this video. Single mom here so this hits hard sometimes,” wrote another.

“This is how my siblings talk to me,” shared another. “Like I absolutely love my kids, I wanted to be a mom. None of that changes because I’m having a difficult time.”

But it wasn’t just moms who saw themselves in this video. Several people in service jobs said they also get that kind of dismissal of their experience whenever they share struggles.

“It’s happened to me as a nurse too. I’ve heard this soooo many times, especially during COVID,” wrote one commenter.

“Same for teachers,” wrote another. “‘You chose it. You knew the salary. You have summers off. Do it for the children.’ Being a mom is hard. I hate comments like these to anyone!”

“I’m a teacher and my ex used to dismiss and invalidate my tiredness at the end of each day like this all the time,” shared another. “Kids are hard work. We teachers get it. Hats off to all the mums and teachers in the world!”

Dismissing anyone’s difficulties when they share them is unkind. Just because someone is letting off steam about some aspect of their work doesn’t mean those difficulties weren’t expected or that they don’t love what they do. Let’s practice letting people vent without making them feel like they don’t have a right to complain. We all deserve the space to share our struggles and the grace to not be judged for them.

Have you ever tried giving birth? It’s not for the weak. In fact, the entire process leading up to birthing an entire human out of your body isn’t for the weak. Being pregnant changes and stretches parts of your body you didn’t know existed. Even the volume of blood that pumps through your heart increases.

Your joints loosen, your hips spread and for some reason, your nose and lips can spread, too. And even though your nose looks big enough to stick your fist into, you can’t breathe through it efficiently. Pregnancy is a lot. But birth, whether vaginally or via cesarean is like running a marathon with little to no training. Then come the hormones, sleep deprivation and healing.

But if you’re working in America when you happen to go through that life-changing experience, you can hang up any thoughts of having adequate time to heal and bond with your baby. In many instances, you’ve got six weeks—and those weeks may or may not be paid. (The U.S. is one of the only countries that doesn’t federally guarantee paid maternity leave, and most states don’t mandate paid maternity leave, either.)

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Anna Gantt uploaded a video to TikTok expressing her frustration at America’s maternity leave policies. In her video, Gantt is walking her dog and her newborn child in disbelief that new moms generally get six weeks of paid maternity leave in the United States when other countries get up to 18 months.

“I live in Georgia, in the United States, and it’s not legal to separate a puppy or a kitten from its mother until they are 8 weeks old,” Gantt vents. “So how, how is it okay to leave a human at 6 weeks old? My body is not even healed. I just now can go on a walk with my dog and my infant.”

She makes some pretty good points. Humans who birth babies aren’t cleared to return to normal light activities until a minimum of six weeks but it can be longer if you have complications. Maybe it’s time for the United States to address its maternity leave issue.

Watch her entire video below:

@annavgantt

American maternity leave is actually insane…… because WHO decided six weeks was even close to acceptable for an infant and mom to be seperated? WTF #maternityleave #fyp #fypシ

What do you do when you or a loved one becomes terminally ill? When the inescapable end all but sends a morbid telegram announcing its arrival? Do you “go gentle into that good night,” filling the final days with solemn reverence and aching nostalgia? Or do you go out with a bang, choosing instead to savor whatever else life still has to offer?

For Heidi Satterthwaite, the choice was obvious.

Her sister, Jenna Satterthwaite, shared on BBC’s “Woman’s Hour” that Heidi had been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer known as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which occurs when blood-forming cells found in bone marrow are abnormal, back in 2018.

Before her death, Heidi made a heartfelt request to her sister—that they throw a party with all of their family and friends.

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Jenna was happy to fulfill her sister’s wish and began sending out invitations. To their surprise, 200 people showed up, many traveling long distances and canceling plans to show up and say their goodbyes.

The “massive event” was very akin to a wedding, Jenna recalled, filled with the merriment of dancing, an “explosive playlist,” heartfelt speech and catered food. Heidi and her husband even closed out the night by dancing to the same song they danced at for their own wedding.

“It was just this magical and pain-filled celebration of her life,” Jenna told BBC. “I would describe it as an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. The sentence of her life.”

After Heidi’s death, Jenna took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to share a touching poem titled “Advice for the Dying,” created in part to encourage others with “the curse of advance notice,” to host a party, not a funeral, because funerals aren’t as “fun.”

I wrote this Thursday, about the death of my sister last August. She had a living funeral, died at home, and we kept her body home for 3 days–a process that was soothing in the inevitable torment, and which I wish more people knew IS an option. ❤️

Advice for the Dying
(a poem) pic.twitter.com/zmYZYf5gHa

— Jenna Satterthwaite (@JennaSchmenna) March 5, 2023

As Alexandra Keeler, contributor for Big Think, brilliantly lays out, the concept of “living funerals” might not exactly be mainstream, but it has been around for a long time. Though the exact origins are unknown, living funerals have historical roots both in indigenous and ancient Japanese cultures, who would use the tradition to gain closure, make amends, show respect and generally provide ease of passage.

The idea was also incorporated in Mitch Albom’s popular “Tuesdays with Morrie.” As Morrie reflects on his colleague’s passing, he says, “What a waste. All those people saying all those wonderful things, and Irv never got to hear any of it.” So Morrie decides to gather a small group of friends and family to honor their beloved Irv.

As religion takes on less significance for many, it’s not surprising that more and more people are taking an interest in creating their own customized rituals for saying goodbye, whether that’s trading the formality for more festive, personal traditions during the funeral itself, or conducting a living funeral that allows the ailing person (and the ones they’ll leave behind) some measure of autonomy and joy during an otherwise bleak and gloomy situation.

For Jenna, giving Heidi a living funeral “was a moment to pause and acknowledge a beautiful life.”

“We don’t do that often. We’re bad at celebrating. We’re always looking to the next thing and shifting goalposts,” she said. “So it was really special to come together and kind of close that sentence as a group and say, ‘This was her life, she lived it well.’ Exclamation point.”

It’s no easy task to say goodbye to a loved one, but choosing to make it an event can be helpful for everyone.