Month: September 2023

Keanu Reeves has been a lot of things in his life: a spontaneous bus driver, a time-traveling rockstar, and even a real-life rockstar. But there is one thing he’s never been: wrong. So we have to listen when he says things.

For instance, when Reeves finished John Wick Chapter 3, he and director Chad Stahelski thought that maybe there was more to the story. “We did the third movie and then we were really done. We’re like, ‘We’re done,’” Stahleski said on a recent episode of Happy Sad Confused. “And then again, it was a year later, Keanu and I both felt like we kind of let everybody down with the ending of number 3,” he added. Reeves is not one to let people down, so he knew that they had to come back for a fourth one, which became John Wick Chapter Four. Again, he’s never wrong, so the movie became a hit. He is only been on one (1) bad movie( we’re not going to talk about that), so the man knows what he’s talking about.

Now that the dust has settled and John Wick Chapter 4 has made its cultural (and financial) impact, the ultimate question remains: Will they be back for a fifth? It seems pretty likely, and Reeves is on board. The only thing is that after the events of Chapter 4, the crew might have to get creative. While a possible sequel had previously been announced, Reeves himself had remained silent, but Stahleski has been talking and confirmed that Reeves is ready and willing.

“Yeah, Keanu and I’ve talked,” Stahelski admitted on the same episode. “Keanu, if you ask him right now, ‘Would you do John Wick 5?’ He’d be, ‘F*** yeah!’ But then he’d look and go, ‘Well, what is it? I have no f***ing idea.’ And believe me, it’s not like, ‘We’re going to figure it out today.’” Even if they aren’t going to figure it out today, Reeves has no problem waiting a few decades in between franchise installments. Exhibit A, B, and C. Also D.

Stahleski added that there are a lot of ideas floating around, they just have to find the right one. “We have a lot of set pieces, we have a lot of ideas, we have a lot of things that we didn’t go or didn’t do before. I have no doubt that we’d come up with a lot of great pieces. It just, ‘What’s the main threat?’ We’re about myths. It’s like a fable. What’s the message in the fable? What’s the moral of the story?’” What is the moral of the story? Quite simply, it’s that we should let Keanu Reeves star in as many iterations of the same character as he wants and raise his pay every time. This man has hair gel to buy.

(Via Happy Sad Confused)

Back in 2018, a survey found that Americans are more in favor of a female CEO than a female head of government. According to the TheReykjavik Index for Leadership, which was conducted by data and consultancy company Kantar in order to measure how people feel about women in leadership, 65 percent of Americans feel “very comfortable with the idea of a female CEO, but only 5 percent feel the same way about a female head of government.

The survey also highlighted the difference in opinion between genders. Not surprising, more women were in favor with a woman in power, with 70 percent of women stating they felt “very comfortable” with a female CEO, and only 55 percent of men stating the same thing. Only 45 percent of men expressed they felt this way about a female head of government.The results were published at the Women Political Leaders Global Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland.

u201cThis is a fascinating, frustrating and important new index: u201cThe evidence shows that we have a long way to go before equality in leadership between men and women is the social norm.u201d Reykjavik Index For Leadership n#equality #womenleadersu201d

— Women’s Forum of New York (@Women’s Forum of New York)
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The study was conducted between September and October, and interviewed over 10,000 people in each of the G7 countries.

u201cDiscussion of the u201eReykjavik Index For Leadershipu201c at the Women Leaders Global Forum. There is so much more to do to tackle unconscious bias as well as explicit bias that prevent gender equality become reality. u2069#WomenLeadersIceland #Diversity #Leaders #Poweru201d

— H D Werner (@H D Werner)
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Interestingly, the United States ranked third in comfortability with a female head of government, but first with a female CEO.

Here’s how the G7countries ranked in terms of feeling “Very comfortable” with a female head of government:

1. United Kingdom, 58percent

2. Canada, 57 percent

3. United States, 52 percent

4. Italy, 42 percent

5. France, 40 percent

6. Germany, 26 percent

7. Japan, 23 percent

And how the G7 countries ranked in terms of feeling “Very comfortable” with a female CEO:

1. United States, 63 percent

2. Canada (tied), 59 percent

3. United Kingdom (tied), 59 percent

4. France, 44 percent

5. Italy, 42 percent

6. Germany, 29 percent

7. Japan, 24 percent

It looks like your daughter stands a chance of becoming the next Theresa May in England, but in America, she’d be better off striving to become the next Indra Nooyi.

With that said, the study has been lauded as a step in the right direction for increasing the transparency of public opinion.

23%of german men feel comfortable with having a womanceo…

THIS IS SO 1950

Check out theReykjavik Index for Leadership.#PowerTogether#WomenLeadersIceland@WPLGlobalForum@Kantarpic.twitter.com/Q2y8Stz1AW

—Henrike von Platen (@henrikeVplaten) November27, 2018

u201cThe Reykjavik Index for Leadership: @Michel1eH presents @Kantar research on perceptions values and attitudes towards men and women being seen as equally suitable for leadership in #G7 – Panelists : keep quotas as a permanent nudge for structural changes to lead to cultural changeu201d

— Anne Tamara (@Anne Tamara)
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This article originally appeared on 12.23.18

LA tag team Blxst and Bino Rideaux dropped their new mixtape, Sixtape 3, today, and with it, the video for one of its standout tracks, “Doin Yo Stuff.” In the video, Bino and Blxst are a pair of thirsty personal trainers at an all-women gym. While the members lift, stretch, and (of course) twerk it out in the exercise room, the two rappers croon-rap some encouragement, telling the girls’ their “ass got fatter” — which is a good thing, in rap parlance.

Fans of the duo’s first and second Sixtapes won’t be disappointed here. Their chemistry remains intact and their beat choices remain excellent as they sling seductive come-ons over laid-back funk instrumentals. The fittingly titled six-track tape is a smooth ride from beginning to end, depicting the highs and lows of life in South Central LA, slotting right in alongside the first two installments (an 18-song vinyl release wouldn’t go amiss, fellas, I’m just saying).

Sixtape 3 is Blxst’s second project of the year after the NBA 2K23 soundtrack he curated, and he’s got one more in the works after this, so he’s having a pretty good year. Bino, who’s considerably accessible online, has put all his efforts behind promoting this one, but he’s only about a year or so removed from Sorry 4 Tha Wait II, so expect to hear from him soon. They’ve also got a sold-out mini-tour coming to four West Coast cities this month, likely preceding a longer tour later on.

Watch the “Doin’ Yo Stuff” video above. Sixtape 3 is out now via EVGLE/Red Bull and Def Jam.

The latest artist to surf the club wave is Baby Tate, whose fittingly titled new single “Jersey” employs a thumping Jersey club beat with a catchy melodic hook and a lyrical tale about rejection. Tate sing-raps an open letter to a f*ckboy in her life, lambasting him for his lack of commitment. “Damn, we coulda really had a ball,” she laments. “Painted me a picture, but I saw / You only wanted the drawers.”

With so many artists adopting the Jersey sound — including Baby Tate’s fellow ATLien Kaliii — Tate is one of the ones who really lands it. She’s already got a record of experimenting with different sounds, so she doesn’t sound out of pocket here, the stripped-down Jersey beat doesn’t sound gimmicky or too busy, and unlike some of her contemporaries, Tate’s lyrics stick to the script conceptually. The effect is something like PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s breakout hit “Boy’s A Liar” but with Tate performing both the singing and rapping halves.

On the hook, she sings, “I’m in the middle of New Jersey cryin’ in the club.” This ties the theme of the song more closely to the beat. Meanwhile, in the accompanying visualizer for the track, Tate visits her old elementary school, which suggests the innocence of young love (and an easily broken heart), while during the breakdown, she actually ends up in a club with her homegirls, dancing their cares away. It’s cute and a lot of fun, and honestly, it’d be great if more artists jumping on this trend put this level of effort in.

Watch Baby Tate’s “Jersey” visualizer above.

Baby Tate is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Despite court orders warning the former president about his incendiary rhetoric, Donald Trump went on one of his patented late-night rants against the judge overseeing his third indictment in Washington D.C. anyway. The former president is facing election interference charges stemming from his actions up to and including the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

Thanks to the aggressive tactics of his lawyers, Judge Tanya Chutkan set a trial date for March 4, 2024, just one day before Super Tuesday, and Trump has been pissed about it ever since. To prove that point, the former president threw a 3 a.m. tantrum on Truth Social.

“I am being ‘railroaded’ by a highly partisan and corrupt system of INJUSTICE, headed up by an opponent who is losing in the polls and, simultaneously with all of this, destroying our once Great Country!” Trump ranted while touting his latest interview with Mark Levin.

“Keep Indicting your Political Opponent, it makes no difference for what, or why,” he spouted minutes later. “Keep him off the ‘campaign trail’ and in the courthouse instead. Don’t think of his Rights, the Constitution, or Liberty. Sit back and WATCH AMERICA CRUMBLE!”

Swinging back to his favorite theme, Trump accused the justice system of being “rigged” against him. According to Mediaite, the former president concluded his rant by reposting Levin, who called Chutkan “another judge from a Marxist family.” Trump has been repeatedly warned about targeting the judge and court officials, but clearly, he’s not getting the message.

(Via Mediaite)

Have you ever been stuck in a traffic jam, and when you reached the point where everything cleared up, there didn’t appear to be any reason why traffic stopped in the first place? You swear to yourself that you must have missed the accident or the obstruction in the road.

However, the truth is that sometimes traffic jams occur when there doesn’t appear to be any real reason. These are called “phantom” traffic jams. Citing research from MIT, “Fun Fact” influencer Dougie Sharpe says tailgaters are a real reason for these phantom jams.

​Sharpe explains that when one driver tailgates another, the one being followed will naturally slow down, which causes a dreadful chain reaction in which every car behind them decreases its speed, too.

@dougiesharpe

The solution to stopping phantom traffic jams is for people to stop tailgating and maintain an equal distance to both the car directly in front of and behind them. #trafficjam #phantomtrafficjam #traffic #tailgating #interestingfacts #amazingfacts #interestingfactsforyou #interestingfactshub #amazingfactsforyou #amazingfactsministries #coolfacts #coolfactz #coolfactsyoudidntknow #coolfactsforu #randomfacts #randomfactstiktok #randomfactsforyou #randomfacts4u #facts #factz #factsyoudidntknow #factsontiktok #factsdaily #factsoftheday #funfacts #funfactstoknow #funfactsoftiktok #funfactsoftheday #funfactsyoudidntknow

Even though the tailgater assumes they are improving traffic conditions by forcing the person ahead of them to speed up, they are doing the opposite. Researchers at MIT say that if every car maintained an equal distance between the vehicle in front and behind them, the number of cars traveling down the freeway per hour would double.

“Our work shows that, if drivers all keep an equal distance between the cars on either side of them, such ‘perturbations’ would disappear as they travel down a line of traffic, rather than amplify to create a traffic jam,” MIT professor Berthold Horn says.

So, if you want traffic to move at the quickest pace possible, it’s best to give the car ahead of you some space. It’s a zen idea: If you want to go faster, go slower.

NBA legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson has so much love for his son E.J., who came out in 2013.

In a 2017 appearance on “The Ellen Show”, Johnson talked about the moment E.J. (a rising star in his own right) came out to to him and his wife, Cookie. They had what can only be described as the ideal reaction: They supported their son from the get-go.

“When my son came out, I was so happy for him and happy for us as parents,” Johnson said. “And we love him. And E.J. is amazing.”

Ellen asked what advice Johnson would give other parents who find themselves in the same situation. His advice was spot-on.

“I think it’s all about you not trying to decide what your daughter or son should be, or what you want them to become,” he answered. “It’s all about loving them no matter who they are [or] what they decide to do.”

Family acceptance and support is important to all kids, but it’s vital for the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth.

“You gotta support your child,” Johnson wants parents to know. “It’s so many people who try to discriminate against them, so they need you to support them. ‘Cause if you don’t support ’em, who’s gonna support ’em and love ’em?”

There’s enough bigotry and discrimination in the world. No child deserves to hear it at home.

The data doesn’t lie: “LGBT young people whose parents and caregivers reject them or try to change them are at high risk for depression, substance abuse, suicide and HIV infection,” said Caitlin Ryan, faculty member at San Francisco State University and director of the Family Acceptance Project. “LGBT young people whose parents support them and stand up for them show much higher levels of self-esteem and greater well-being, with lower rates of health and mental health problems.”

If you’re a parent or family member supporting someone who just came out, you don’t have to go it alone.

Check out PFLAG for more information, including local meet-ups for parents and resources to build and foster safe communities. Groups like Parents for Transgender Equality, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and Believe Out Loud are also great places to start.

Need more inspiration? See more of Magic Johnson’s appearance on “Ellen.”

This article originally appeared on 04.19.17

Did you know that August 26 was National Dog Day? I’m more of a cat person, but I do appreciate other people’s good doggos, and we have a whole collection of sweet pupper videos as just one of our 10 things that made us smile this week!

We also have a hilarious wedding album mishap, an adorable twin baby reunion, a mom’s delightful prank on her college freshman, a try-not-to-laugh Magic Flute Challenge and more.

We could all use more reasons to smile, so kick back, relax and enjoy this week’s roundup of joy!

1. Mom’s mishap with her daughter’s wedding album has everyone in stitches

@niki_nibs

Our mother is single handedly the most hilarious person we know, and its usually completely on accident. Favorite wedding gift EVER!!! @shutterfly #shutterfly

This will be hilarious for as long as they both shall live. Check out the full story here.

2. Dapper British man offers strangers “devastatingly effective’ compliments

@troy_hawke

Complimenting strangers in Notting Hill. Try it for yourself with Compliments on @Bumble #troyhawke #nottinghill #bumble #ad #compliments

What if we all perfected the art of the compliment? Read more about Troy Hawke here.

3. Scroll through some pupworthy adorableness from our National Dog Day roundup

See on Instagram

So much doggo love.

4. Baby twins were separated for the first time ever and their nighttime reunion was so sweet

@thattwinmama_

Will forever make me😭… cant think of anything stronger than the #twinbond ❤️ #twinsoftiktok #twins #twinsisters #babylife #twinlove #sisterlove #feelgood #babiesoftiktok #sharethelove #newmom #4u #sistersforever

There’s no bond like a twin bond. Read the full story here.

5. Mom pranks her college freshman son with a full-size cutout of her for his dorm room

@jillwagner81

@Hakin Wagner Dad and i are always with you😂 #maryville #moveinday #college

I mean, he did say he wanted posters. Tee hee. Read the full story here.

6. Someone felt guilty that their birth played a role in their mom’s passing, and a mom offered the best response

See on Instagram

Speaking as a mom, YES. Exactly that.

7. Try not to laugh at this Magic Flute Challenge video (sound up from the beginning)

How long would you last? I lost it at the strangled rooster 😆
by u/enacheionut1991 in ContagiousLaughter

Watch each person’s face. So dang funny. See more Magic Flute Challenge fun here.

8. Teacher gets his students’ attention with the most awesome call-and-response prompts

@primrosetheband

Gotta find creative ways to get them to listen! #teacher #musicschool #teacher #primrose

WRESTLE WITH JIMMY! Weezer simply has to be part of a well-rounded education. Read the full story here.

9. She was about to go live when a kid interrupted for the cutest reason

See on Instagram

Aw, kids are the best. Everybody needs a hug sometimes.

10. Glide your way through the weekend like this loon landing on a lake

— (@)

Seriously, that’s one of the most satisfying videos I’ve ever seen in my life.

If you loved this roundup, I have some fabulous news. You can get these posts delivered to your inbox each week simply by signing up for The Upworthiest, our free newsletter, here.

Keep smiling, everyone!

Plastic has been taking over our world for a while now.

You may not think too much about it, but plastic is a global crisis. A recent rundown in The National Review reveals that more than 8 million tons of plastic is regularly deposited in the ocean. It’s killing sea life, endangering coral reefs, and affecting the fish we eat because of the toxins they ingest.

So much for a happy, carefree day, right?

But there’s some good news on the horizon: Scientists have found a mutant bacteria that eats plastic.

Of course, this mutant bacteria isn’t exactly like the kind of mutants you see in movies and comic books. Although, I’ll admit I initially thought, “Good! Someone’s finally getting Storm to handle this whole climate change business.” How cool would that be?

So maybe Professor X isn’t coming out of hiding to help us with our global problems, but the reality of this news is just as exciting. According to The Guardian, an international team of scientists have mutated a bacteria’s enzyme to fully break down plastic bottles.

The plastic-eating bacteria was first discovered in 2016 in Japan. Researchers studying plastic pollution — specifically polyethylene terephthalate or PET — discovered a colony of bacteria that fed on the plastic, breaking down strong chemical bonds as a means of survival. The bacteria back then, though, was eating through highly crystallized PET — the material plastic bottles are made of — at a slow rate. Researchers knew it would take a while for the bacteria to evolve into the environmental savior we need.

Scientists started studying the bacteria’s evolution and discovered they’d unintentionally made it stronger.

“It’s alive! It’s alive!” they screamed. That’s how I imagine the discovery of this mutated bacteria enzyme went, with all the blinking lights and klaxons of a superhero movie. That’s what happens in labs, right?

Well, that’s how it should have gone. Because this is exciting! After viewing a 3D model of the bacteria, scientists discovered that small modifications could make its enzymes much more effective. The BBC reports that PET takes “hundreds of years” to break down on its own, but with the modified enzyme, called PETase, the same process begins within a matter of days. The enzyme breaks down PET to its original building blocks, meaning that the plastic can be reused again without losing quality.

Here’s why this is important: You may think plastic bottles are recycled into new plastic bottles and that every bottle you drink from had a rich and beautiful life before it came to you, but that’s not true. In 2017, BuzzFeed reported that Coca-Cola sourced only 7% of its plastic from recycled material and only 6% of Nestle’s bottles were made from recycled plastic. The rest of all that single-use plastic being dumped is turned into other fibers like carpet and clothing.

This is because plastics degrade as they’re recycled. “Bottles become fleeces, then carpets, after which they often end up in landfill,” the BBC notes.

But PETase makes it possible to use PET in its original form over and over again.

We’re only at the beginning of this development.

On one hand, PETase could bring us closer to true recycling (producing much less plastic and using much less fossil fuel) than ever before. But the research has only started. The breaking down process still needs to be made faster, so it could be years before PETase or anything like it is used on an industrial scale.

While scientists keep working to make PETase a worldwide plastic problem-solver, we can all do our part by reducing our reliance on plastic. Little things — like a reusable bottle for the gym, keeping metal utensils at work, and reusable bags and totes for trips to the store — can help keep the Earth clean, save animals, and make us a little less reliant on mutants (er, mutant enzymes) to save the day.

Curious to learn more? Watch the video below:

Brené Brown has something important (and interesting) to teach us about blaming — something you might not have considered before.

You can watch the video at the end of the article: But here is the quick recap.

She begins with a funny story depicting the first time she realized the extent to which she was a “blamer.”

She’s in her house, wearing white pants, drinking a big ol’ cup of coffee. Then, all of a sudden…

…and the very first thing that comes out of her mouth, without hesitation?

Yup. That’s right: “Damn you, Steve.”

You see, Steve is Brené’s husband. And he came home a little bit later than expected last night. As a result, she went to bed later than usual and therefore needed a second cup of coffee this morning … a cup of coffee she ended up spilling all over herself. Because Steve.

Oh, dear. Poor Steve.

Brené explains why she reacted this way — why so many of us are quick to find someone or something to blame when we’re frustrated.

“How many of you go that place when a bad thing happens? The first thing you want to know is whose fault is it.
I’d rather it be my fault than no one’s fault. Because why? Why? Because it gives us some semblance of control.”

“Here is what we know from the research. Blame is simply the discharging of discomfort and pain. It has an inverse relationship with accountability. Accountability by definition is a vulnerable process. It means me calling you and saying, ‘Hey my feelings were really hurt about this.’ And talking is not blaming. Blaming is simply a way that we discharge anger.“

“People who blame a lot seldom have the tenacity and grit toactually hold people accountable. Because we’ve spent all of our energy raging for 15 seconds and figuring out whose fault something is.”

“Blaming is very corrosive in relationships, and it’s one of the reasons we miss our opportunities for empathy.“

Let’s recap: Blaming is essentially unleashing our anger, pain, and discomfort onto whatever we can find (e.g., Steve) to make us feel more in control … when, in reality, that’s the opposite of what happens.

Instead of gaining control, we are losing the ability to have happy, healthy, and empathetic relationships.

That’s huge. And definitely something that I’ll remind myself of the next time I start to say, “Look what you made me do.”

If you want to share this video with your friends, go for it. But if that’s not your style, I don’t blame you.

This article originally appeared on 02.20.15