Category: News

John Oates seems to be maintaining a positive attitude despite Daryl Hall, his Hall & Oats bandmate, suing him. At first, the litigation was “under seal,” as first reported by Axios Nashville’s Nate Rau on November 17, but The Associated Press later reported that Hall sued Oates under the argument that “[Oates’] plan to sell off his share of a joint venture would violate the terms of a business agreement the Hall & Oates duo had forged.” A temporary restraining order was also involved.

Still, Oates spoke highly of Hall while on the Behind The Velvet Rope podcast on Wednesday, December 27.

“You can’t ignore the fact that the Hall & Oates catalog of hits and the 50-year career will always trump almost anything that Daryl does on his own or I do on my own, which is OK because I’m very proud of that music,” Oates said toward the beginning of the episode. “I’m really proud of what Daryl and I created together. I think we made music that will stand the test of time — that, hopefully, will live on forever.”

He continued, “But, at the same time, I’m not very nostalgic. It’s interesting. I make the analogy of — you know what it’s like when you go to a great museum, and you’re really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be? And then near the end, your feet start to hurt, and you say, ‘You know what? I can’t wait to get out of here.’ That’s kind of how I feel about it.”

Later, Oates, added, “I have moved on. It’s just a matter of living in my present.”

Similarly, Entertainment Weekly recently asked Oates about whether he’d still be open to performing with Hall again in the future. He responded, “Oh, you know what, I never say never to anything. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just want — right now, I’m focused on where I am in life and leading the best life I can and moving forward.”

Regardless of Oates’ amicable public comments about Hall, court documents indicate at least some animosity between the iconic pop duo.

On November 29, The Associated Press shared that Hall’s court declaration included his statement alleging that Oates committed the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by intending to sell their joint venture without his consent. Oates’ court filing expressed disappointment in Hall’s “inflammatory, outlandish, and inaccurate statements about me.”

“Over the years, Daryl has consistently and publicly been adamant about being perceived as an individual rather than as part of a duo or group,” Oates said in his declaration. “Thus, he has insisted on our being known as ‘Daryl Hall and John Oates,’ rather than the more commonly known ‘Hall & Oates. On this point, I agree. I now must act with truthfulness and make decisions that are right for myself, my family, and my artistic future.”

In September, Variety reported that Cher had been accused “of employing four men” to kidnap her son, Elijah Blue Allman, from a New York hotel room in November 2022. Variety cited a court declaration signed by his estranged wife, Marieangela King, which was “made public as part of the couple’s ongoing divorce case,” as the publication explained at the time.

“That rumor is not true,” Cher told People in October. And that was seemingly that. But on Wednesday, December 27, TMZ reported that Cher “filed for a conservatorship to control access to” Allman’s money.

“In documents filed Wednesday, Cher claims her 47-year-old son is ‘substantially unable to manage his own financial resources due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues,’” TMZ relayed. “The documents state Elijah is entitled to regular payouts from a trust set up by his late father, legendary musician Gregg Allman, but Cher is concerned the money will immediately go toward drugs rather than basic living necessities.”

As per TMZ, Cher also stated that she “is in the best position to serve as conservator” because she is Allman’s mother and “two of Elijah’s siblings have nominated her” to do so.

People additionally reported that Cher is “seeking to be the sole conservator of her son’s estate,” with a court hearing for a temporary conservatorship scheduled for January 5, 2024 before the hearing regarding permanent conservatorship on March 6, 2024.

It has to be incredibly frustrating to be a deaf child who can’t tell Santa exactly what they want for Christmas. That’s why a community’s work to ensure that Emily Andrews, 4, from East Yorkshire, England, had a British Sign Language (BSL) translator at a Santa event was so special.

A video shared by Southwest News Service shows Andrews speaking to Santa with the help of Melanie Boyeson, also known as Holly the Elf, who knows BSL. Through Boyeson, Emily could tell Santa that she wanted a doll, a stroller, earrings and a ring on Christmas morning.

“It was just a magical experience. Emily being able to communicate freely with the elf and tell Santa what she wanted was just amazing,” Tanya Ansrews, the girl’s mother, told SWNS.

Deaf girl meets Santa properly for first time – thanks to signing elf 🥰🎅🎁 | LOVE THIS

The moment was even more meaningful because on 4 occasions the family had been promised that a sign language worker would be present to help the young girl communicate with Santa, but it never worked out.

Emily’s brother goes to Airmyn Park Primary School, and when the head teacher, Natalie Dodd, heard about her struggles, she reached out to the community to find a translator for their school’s Santa event.

“Through the power of Facebook, we found Holly the Elf, whose real name is Melanie Boyeson, and she volunteered to visit our grotto and interpret for Emily,” Dodds said. “Even though Emily isn’t a pupil here, she is part of our extended school family. As a small school, we are privileged to be able to embrace the wider school and village community, and we wanted to provide this experience for Emily.”

Tanya told the BBC that there should be more holiday events with BSL interpreters for deaf children. “Everyone should be treated equally,” she said.

In 1986, The Guardian, a mainstream left-wing newspaper in the UK, created a campaign to show the importance of having as many perspectives on world events as possible. The ad focuses on what appears to be a skinhead wrestling the briefcase out of an older man’s hands.

The ad was recently resurfaced on X by Massimo, a popular account that curates videos on science, art and technology. The video received over 150,000 views in a single day.

“An event, seen from one point of view, gives one impression,” the narrator says, as we see a skinhead running towards a man in what appears to be an attempt to steal his briefcase. “Seen from another point of view, it gives quite a different impression,” the narrator says as the angle shifts to show that the skinhead’s motivation is much different than most initially assumed.

When we see the incident from both angles, the skinhead saves the older gentleman from being hit by a load of bricks falling off a broken scaffolding above his head. “It’s only when you see the full picture that you can really understand what’s going on,” says the voiceover.

The ad is one of the most influential in UK history because it’s a dramatic reminder for people to reevaluate their prejudices, remain open-minded and see things from other people’s points of view.

Speaking of perception, it’s worth noting that there is a difference between UK and American skinhead cultures. In the UK, skinheads are a working-class subculture that is not traditionally racist. However, there are racist factions, as opposed to the US, where the subculture is synonymous with white racism.

Wednesday night’s NBA slate includes a pretty fun game atop the Eastern Conference, as the Philadelphia 76ers made their way down to Orlando to take on the Magic. Both teams currently sit in the top-4 of the East and have aspirations of playing a lot of basketball once the postseason rolls around, and Wednesday is the first time all season that the two sides are going up against one another.

A fun subplot to this game revolves around Sixers reserve big man Mo Bamba, who spent the first 4.5 years of his NBA career in Orlando before getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last February. This marks the first time since that trade that Bamba has gone up against his old team, and apparently, one of his old teammates wants to make sure that he doesn’t feel too much love while the game is going on.

It is unclear how much Anthony is going to fine his teammates or coaches in the event that anyone says anything to him, but this is certainly a fun way to bust an old teammate’s chops. At least Bamba can take some solace knowing that he’ll be able to chop it up with people once the game comes to an end.

The Denver Broncos swung for the fences last offseason when it acquired Russell Wilson and, eventually, signed him to a contract extension worth up to $245 million. It was quite the statement of intent from Denver, which gave up a ton to acquire one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, but things haven’t worked out as anyone hoped, as the Broncos went 5-12 last year and currently sit at 7-8 with an outside shot of making the postseason.

While Wilson has been better this year, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks he looks like the guy who led the Seattle Seahawks to multiple Super Bowl appearances. And on Wednesday, the Broncos decided to go in a different direction down the stretch, as the team decided to bench Wilson and make him the backup to Jarrett Stidham.

As it turns out, Wilson doesn’t just think he’s getting put on the bench for a few weeks. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Wilson expects to be released following the 2023 campaign.

Russini also became the latest NFL insider to report that the Broncos wanted Wilson to adjust the injury guarantees in his contract, and went as far as to threaten to bench him earlier this year if he did not.

Stidham’s first game under center will come on Sunday against the Los Angeles Charges.

Offset rewarded everyone for their patience in October. He finally released Set It Off, his sophomore solo LP and followup to 2019’s Father Of 4. The album was well-received, making Uproxx’s “Best Album Of 2023” list and peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Unfortunately, headlines have not been about Offset’s music since early December, overtaken by salacious rumors and Cardi B, his wife of five years, confirming she had “been single for a minute now.”

Most recently, Cardi and Offset spent Christmas together but don’t appear to be reconciling. Is it anyone’s business? Nope. Will people continue to pry? Yup. So, understandably, Offset is trying to steer the focus away from his personal life.

Is Offset Dropping New Music?

On Wednesday, December 27, Offset teased new music on X (formerly Twitter). First, the former Migos rapper posted a portrait alongside “Studio mode.” Six hours later, he posted another photo of himself — this time, wearing a gas mask with a very swanky tuxedo — with the message, “War zone ….. [three musical notes emojis].” And one hour after that, Offset made it even more explicitly clear that he’s working on something, writing, “New music…. [several musical notes emojis].”

So, after the exhaustive investigative reporting of scrolling Offset’s X (Twitter!) account, I can confirm that he’s working on new music. He probably has a lot to get off his chest. Will he drop new music anytime soon? Who knows. But something tells me we won’t have to wait another four years.

On Wednesday, December 27, Glock confirmed the death of its namesake, Gaston Glock, on its website’s homepage. The Austrian inventor was 94 years old. Several reputed outlets, such as ABC, Reuters, and The New York Times, offered detailed obituaries. But many people were more interested in Key Glock‘s reaction.

“RIP UNK,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter) — a very simple message that has since gone viral. Born Markeyvius Cathey, the Memphis rapper has previously explained how he got his Key Glock stage name. When asked about it for Gutta TV’s YouTube channel in September 2017, he said, “Right here where you’re standing, in these streets of Memphis. I ain’t gonna go into details, but I got that joint.”

Glock’s post earned several clever responses. “rip to the real OG GLOCK,” the X user @sincerelydylan wrote. Someone going by Spiffy Global chimed in, writing, “Just heard they giving you the company gang. Congratulations.” Meanwhile, many other people suggested that Key Glock should drop a song in honor of Gaston Glock. Someone even tossed out the not-so-bad idea of a future album titled Glockfather.

As per ABC News, Glock founded his handgun company in 1963.

Reuters added:

“The Austrian won loyal followings among police and military across the world with the weapons that bore his name. Forbes estimated his and his family’s fortune at $1.1 billion in 2021. His rise began in the 1980s when the Austrian military was looking for a new, innovative weapon. Up until then, the Glock company had made military knives and consumer goods including curtain rods. But he assembled a team of firearms experts and came up with the Glock 17, a lightweight semi-automatic gun largely made of plastic.”

It’s the holidays, which means Home Alone and its near-copycat sequel Home Alone 2 have been in heavy rotation for the last handful of weeks. But the latter has a sight more disturbing than the part where poor Daniel Stern gets nails shot into his face: Donald J. Trump. (At least he loves it.) Recently the film’s director, Chris Columbus, once again talked about how that cameo only came about because the future 45th president demanded it or he wouldn’t let them film in the glorious Plaza Hotel, which he then owned. Now, of course, Trump is furiously denying that.

“30 years ago (how time flies!), Chris Columbus, and others, were begging me to make a cameo appearance in Home Alone 2,” Trump posted on his rinky-dink social media service. He claimed he “was very busy, and didn’t want to do it.” But they were “persistent” and “the rest is history!” (Verily.)

Trump also claimed the cameo “helped make the movie a success,” which seems a stretch considering it was a sequel to the second highest-grossing movie of 1990.

He also questioned whether Chris Columbus is his real name. (It is. His name is Christopher Joseph Columbus.)

As usual, it’s not hard to spot a Trump lie. When he owned the Plaza, he had a habit of insisting productions that wished to shoot there would include him in a cameo. Usually they would film them then never put them in the final cut.

One such film was Scent of a Woman. Matt Damon, who appeared in the film, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that to film at the Plaza the crew had to “waste a little time” filming Trump and then-wife Marla Maples getting out of a limo.

“You have to waste an hour of your day with a bulls*** shot: Donald Trump walks in and Al Pacino’s like, ‘Hello, Mr Trump!’ – you had to call him by name – and then he exits,” Damon recalled. “You waste a little time so that you can get the permit, and then you can cut the scene out. But I guess in Home Alone 2 they left it in.”

Chris O’Donnell, one of the film’s leads, verified that they filmed a Trump-Maples cameo that never made the finished product.

But Trump knows that his die hards will buy anything he tells them, hook, line, and sinker.

(Via The Daily Beast)

You’ve probably heard the Dies Irae dozens of times, even if you don’t recognize it by name. The iconic melody can be found in The Shining, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (and others in the Harry Potter franchise), The Lord of the RIngs and other films with scenes that evoke a sense of terror or tragedy

It’s technically only four notes, though the films above may embellish or extend it in their themes. Meaning “day of wrath” in Latin, the Dies Irae comes from a 13th-century Gregorian requiem—a Catholic mass traditionally sung at funerals.

Many classical composers used the Dies Irae in their famous requiems. You can get a sense of the dark, intense melody from Mozart in 1791 here:

As Vox explains, we’ve been associating the Dies Irae with death for almost 800 years, thanks to Gregorian Catholic monks. From the very beginning of cinema, when silent films were accompanied by live orchestras, the Dies Irae was used to create the dark intensity a filmmaker was going for. And here we are today, still using it.

What is it about four simple notes that evokes a sense of dread in us? Berklee College of Music professor Alex Ludwig explains that those notes are in “Dorian mode,” which is a minor mode, with notes right next to each other on the keyboard. The notes are also descending.

“Minor music has always had this connotation of sadness, of darkness,” Ludwig says. “Our ears are trained not to like those sounds together. Musical lines that descend are sad, whereas music that ascends, that rises, is much happier.”

Once you hear the Dies Irae, you’ll recognize it in so many movies. Watch Vox’s explanation of how it works: