Category: News

The disparity between what Donald Trump and his fans think he is and who he really is has always been a source of comedy/enragement. He and MAGA heads believe he’s a tough guy with good jokes who won election twice. His detractors think he’s a coward, a charlatan, a liar, and much else besides. There’s a lot of questionable fan art out there (and NFTs, released by the big guy himself, with more to come) depicting him as things that he’s not, including as a superhero, as a cowboy, and as both Rambo and Rocky. Now there’s AI art, and it sure is weird/offensive.

As per Mediaite, new AI images show Trump as something he really isn’t: a soldier. In reality, the younger Donald received draft deferments during the Vietnam War five separate times. One excuse was that he had bone spurs, a calcium build-up in the heel that causes protrusions. It wasn’t unusual for men of wealthy families to get doctors to claim they suffered from such maladies, but most of them don’t become Republican presidents (who also insult POWs).

The images were shared by big time MAGA world figures, which prompted both mockery as well as offense, especially from veterans who didn’t like that they were being lumped in with a guy who insults military leaders and never served.

The modern version of AI is still in its early days, though one of its pioneers has already — quite belatedly — warned of its copious dangers. No doubt there will be plenty more artificially-rendered Trump images and videos, and more ridiculous than these.

(Via Mediaite)

Following back-to-back years as runner-up, Joel Embiid was named 2022-23 NBA MVP on Tuesday nightly. Shortly after the news was announced, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Twitter account released a video of Embiid, surrounded by his Sixers teammates, learning he won the award watching TNT’s broadcast, with Charles Barkley breaking the news. The video is quite heartwarming and full of tender and silly moments, which more or less begin when all of his teammates start chanting MVP for the big fella.

The smirk into a full-on smile from Embiid is pure. Tobias Harris’ elation while sitting inches from Embiid is a fun tidbit. Tyrese Maxey shaking De’Anthony Melton to his core while putting him in a subtle headlock and filming Embiid from afar is hilarious energy. He also continues to roll the camera when he darts over to Embiid and places his hand on Embiid’s shoulder in congratulations.

Then, there’s James Harden wrapping his superstar teammate in not one, but two, bearhugs and playfully yelling “he’s crying” as Embiid is moved to tears absorbing the gravity of his MVP selection. After the initial antics, everyone gives him some space to take in everything. It’s all very sweet to see how much the moment means to Embiid and the absolute joy him winning brings his teammates.

Strange Ranger are known for being quite adventurous. They were praised for their 2021 album Remembering The Rockets. It looks like their memorable flair is not changing any time soon. The Portland, OR-based indie-rock band announced the impending arrival of their new album Pure Music on Tuesday, May 2, and the lead single “She’s On Fire” is a singular, hallucinatory track that couldn’t have been predicted.

“When you’re young, it feels like life has a kind of arc to it and up ahead in the future, there’s some point where all your experiences converge and this fog of confusion will lift and you will have arrived,” vocalist and guitarist Isaac Eiger said about the song. “This is definitely not true and increasingly, music is the steadying hand I lean on when looking for meaning. It provides a spiritualism that feels absent from much of life and I want to be as close to that feeling as possible.”

Listen to “She’s On Fire” above. Find the album artwork and tracklist below.

1. “Rain So Hard”
2. “She’s On Fire”
3. “Dream”
4. “Way Out”
5. “Blue Shade”
6. “Blush”
7. “Wide Awake”
8. “Ask Me About My Love Life”
9. “Fantasy”
10. “Dazed in the Shallows”

Pure Music is out 7/21 on Fire Talk Records. Find more information here.

The 2023 NBA MVP award was one of the most hotly-contested in recent memory. Between Nikola Jokic’s quest to become the fourth player in league history to go back-to-back-to-back, Joel Embiid’s efforts to take the award home for the first time, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s two-way excellence with an eye on winning the award for the first time since 2020, this year’s MVP race had a trio of deserving finalists.

Ultimately, as we learned on Tuesday night, the award is heading to Philly. As the Inside the NBA crew announced, Embiid has joined the pantheon of superstars to be named NBA MVP.

Embiid has the most productive season of his professional career. The Philadelphia 76ers’ star center led the NBA with 33.1 points per game and chipped in 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and one steal in 34.6 minutes per game while shooting a career-best 54.8 percent from the field. Currently, Embiid and the Sixers are in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics. The team holds a 1-0 series lead, although Embiid was unable to play in Game 1 due to a knee injury.

Jokic put forth one of the most efficient seasons in NBA history, as he scored 24.5 points per game on a ridiculous 63.2 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent shooting from three. He narrowly missed averaging a triple-double, too, as Jokic went for 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 33.7 minutes per game. The Denver Nuggets are in the midst of playing the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals and have a 2-0 series lead.

Antetokounmpo was, as usual, a force for the Milwaukee Bucks on offense and defense. While he was limited to only 63 games in the regular season, Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 32.1 minutes a night while playing some of the most ferocious defense in the NBA. Unfortunately for Antetokounmpo, he is the only MVP finalist who is no longer playing, as he was hampered by a back injury in the Bucks’ first round series against the Miami Heat, which Miami went on to win in five games.

The majority of 11-year-olds are perfectly content balancing the pre-teen life with Barbie dolls and tinted lipgloss. But one pre-teen is busy breaking records. Victory Brinker is an 11-year-old opera prodigy who was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s youngest opera singer in 2019 when she was almost 8 years old.

If you like opera—or even if you don’t—hearing her vocal range of three octaves and voice control is impressive. When it comes to singing, control of your breath, pitch and tone can be difficult, especially when you’re without years of classical training. Victory’s skill is so impressive that when she appeared on America’s Got Talent last year, she was given the “golden buzzer,” which sends you straight to the finalist round in Hollywood.

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Her impressive chops have also landed her trips around the country, an opportunity to sing at the Steelers game and even a couple of flights across the globe.

“I’ve gone to Paris. I’ve gone to Milan, Italy,” Victory told ABC4. As for the Steelers game, she said it was cold.

Victory is one of 11 children, and while the rest of the world is just finding out about her talent and want to hear more from her, her siblings would like for her to cut back on the singing. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since most siblings are less impressed by what their brother or sister can do than people who don’t have to live with them.

Victory’s siblings being over her constant singing doesn’t deter the pint-sized opera powerhouse; she simply sings to her stuffed animals. The singer is also able to sing in multiple languages, so when she’s done annoying her siblings in English she can choose from a list of languages to sing in.

“English, of course. Latin, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean and Ukrainian,” Victory revealed to ABC4.

Listen to Victory belt out a familiar opera tune below:

A viral video showing a woman preparing nachos for her “picky” spouse after he refused to eat the salmon dinner she cooked has sparked a contentious debate on TikTok. The video was shared on April 26 by Brianna Greenfield (@themamabrianna on TikTok) and has since earned over 2.5 million views.

Brianna is a mother of two who lives in Iowa.

The video starts with Brianna grating a massive hunk of cheese with a caption that reads: “My husband didn’t eat the dinner that I made…So let’s make him some nachos.”

“If I don’t feed him, he literally won’t eat,” she wrote. “This used to irritate me. Now I just blame his mother for never making him try salmon,” Greenfield wrote. The video features Meghan Trainor’s single “Mother” playing in the background.

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At the end of the video, she hands her husband a huge plate of nachos while he lies on the couch under a blanket.

The video received over 11,000 comments on TikTok, primarily people saying that she shouldn’t have made a second meal for her husband and that he appears to be entitled.

@themamabrianna

Moral of the story: always serve your kids allllll the food, even if they say they dont like it after the first time. 25 years from now your child’s spouse will thank you. 😉 #momsoftiktok #momtok #momlife #workingmom #sahm #marriedlife #marriage #marriagehumor #wifelife #wivesoftiktok #happywifehappylife #pickyeater #pickyhusband #nachosfordinner #wivesoftiktok #cuisinartairfryer #humpday #guesswhatdayitis🐪 #guesswhatdayitis #eattherainbow

“If my husband came home after I cooked dinner and told me he wasn’t eating it to make something else I’d laugh in his face,” Rebecca Rose wrote. “This ain’t a marriage it’s a caretaker internship,” Ad Trèz added.

“It got worse with him wrapped in the blanket being served,” Lauren Becker wrote. “Ohhh…now I know what people mean when they refer to ‘the ick,'” Tara Townsend commented, referencing the moment when people realize that their attraction to someone has turned to repulsion.

However, Brianna believes that people are missing the point of her video. “Moral of the story: always serve your kids allllll the food, even if they say they don’t like it after the first time. 25 years from now your child’s spouse will thank you,” she captioned the post.

Brianna wasn’t trying to paint her husband as infantile but call attention to the fact that when parents don’t expose their children to different types of food, they can wind up with a relatively unsophisticated palette. She knew he didn’t like salmon when she made the dinner for her and her kids, so it wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t want it.

“If you have parents who don’t really like to try anything new, you will also be exposed to fewer new foods,” Marcia Pelchat, Ph.D. told Self—adding that the reverse is also true. When we have positive experiences with new foods, we are more likely to try unfamiliar tastes in the future.

Even though many took shots at Brianna and her husband, they took it all in stride and aren’t bothered by people who don’t know them.

“Thankfully, my husband and I have an excellent sense of humor and know the truth (that he is a wonderful husband and even better father), so we just think the reaction is genuinely entertaining,” she told Newsweek. “Some of the rude comments are hilariously clever!”

After the first video went viral, she posted another where she serves him macaroni and cheese, while he lays on the couch, under a blanket with numerous electronic devices around him.

@themamabrianna

Brianna on TikTok

Claud had a great start to their career with their 2021 debut album Super Monster. Since then, they’ve shared the song “Tommy,” covered “Welcome To The Black Parade” with Phoebe Bridgers and the rest of the Saddest Factory crew, and they’re opening for Boygenius on some tour dates.

Much more is in store. On Tuesday, May 2, Claud announced Supermodels, their sophomore record, would arrive in July. The single “Every F*cking Time” is out now, and it’s an emotional ballad recounting a one-sided relationship: “By the way I’m playing next Friday / I want you there but I know you’ll miss the train / And you’ll show up at the last song / But tell me you were there all along,” they sing devastatingly.

The song comes with a music video, which Claud talked about the making of in a statement. Here’s what they said:

“I wrote ‘Every F*cking Time’ two summers ago. It was hot and sticky in New York, so naturally I was spending a lot of time at home, overthinking everything… and this song was born. Even as I was writing ‘Every F*cking Time’ I had flashes of what I wanted the music video to look like. The songs details and specificity came straight from me, so it only felt natural to write and direct the music video too. This was my first time directing, which was scary, but came easily because my vision for this song was so strong. The video wouldn’t have been the same without my co-star, Grace Kuhlenschmidt. We met on the internet early in the pandemic. I was a big fan of her comedy, and I watched every single video she posted. We quickly became friends and have been wanting to collaborate for a while, and I wrote this video concept with her in mind. Being on set with Grace was a dream come true because I got to work with my favorite comedian and a good friend all at once.”

Watch the video for “Every F*cking Time” above.

Supermodels is out 7/14 on Saddest Factory Records. Find more information here.

The Writers Guild Association began their strike on Tuesday. While the effects on the movie industry won’t be felt for a while, for TV the change was all but instantaneous. One late night chat show after another announced they were going on hiatus, meaning starting that night their respective networks will air reruns. (SNL, too, had to drop this weekend’s episode featuring returning vet Pete Davidson.) But there is one such show that won’t go dark for the foreseeable future, and of course it’s on Fox News.

As per The Wrap, Gutfeld!, the more comedy-oriented conservative show that airs on Fox News’ 11pm slot, will not be sending its entire staff home. The reason? Because its writing staff are not members of the WGA. Therefore they won’t have to go out and picket for better pay and the other demands laid out by the guild.

The show, hosted by The Five cast member Greg Gutfeld (who’s also likely the only Fox News on-air talent who digs indie rock and Gwar), is actually one of late night’s biggest draws, and the only one that doesn’t regularly go after the 45th president and cronies.

But there is one chat show featuring mostly progressive hosts that will remain on air, just not during the late night hours: The View will continue taping, albeit without its writing staff, prompting Whoopi Goldberg to joke that their banter will be a little less funny until all is resolved.

(Via The Wrap)

Cinco de Mayo is rapidly approaching. You know, the day when everyone celebrates Mexico’s defeat of France in the Battle of Puebla and definitely not Mexico’s Independence Day. On May fifth, whether or not we understand the historical significance or not, many of us will enjoy classic, cheesy, meaty, delicious Mexican food, maybe some tequila, a margarita, Oaxacan old fashioned, or two, and (hopefully) a lot of Mexican beer.

But they say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? So, after all those Coronas, Modelos, and Tecates, why not also save room for a bottle or two of Mexican-style lager as well? There are myriad options available and they’re all better than that one aforementioned, well-known Mexican pale lagers — most of which require the addition of a lime wedge to be serviceable.

Below, you’ll find eight great examples of Mexican-style lagers well suited to complement your tacos, burritos, and general Cinco de Mayo merriment. Even if you don’t know what you’re celebrating, at least you won’t be thirsty after enjoying one (or more) of these beers.

8) Stone Buenaveza

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This easy-drinking, “Baja-Inspired” Mexican-style lager gets the michelada treatment with the addition of lime and salt. The result is a thirst quencher highlighted by bright citrus and a gentle salinity throughout. Simple, easy to drink, and perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

Tasting Notes:

The nose features cereal grains, some yeast, and a ton of lime and salt. It’s a little generic on the nose and continues on the palate. It’s not overly exciting in the taste department either. It tastes like a sweet, corny, cheap lager with salt and lime added to it. It’s refreshing, but that’s about it.

Bottom Line:

This beer isn’t bad, but it also isn’t that good. It’s a simple, fairly boring, easy-to-drink beer that will help wash down your heavy nachos.

7) Great Lakes Mexican Lager With Lime

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 5.4% ABV Mexican-style lager is pure refreshment through and through. Brewed with Mt. Hood hops, 2-row base malt, and flaked corn, it gets its unique, citrus-filled flavor profile from the addition of both lime peel and lime puree.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a ton of corn on the nose and this is by design. Also, caramel malts and lime zest, but not much else discernable. The palate continues this trend as there are notes of sweet corn, cereal grains, hay, lime peel, and lightly bitter hops. Overall, a very refreshing, no-frills lager.

Bottom Line:

This is the beer for fans of sweet, corny lagers that are accentuated by the addition of citrus flavors. If that’s not your style, move along to something else.

6) SKA Mexican Logger

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Not relying on the addition of salt or lime juice, SKA’s Mexican Logger is a crisp, thirst-quenching take on the classic Mexican lager. Brewed with malts, yeast, water, and Saaz hops, it definitely deserves a place alongside your favorite Mexican dishes.

Tasting Notes:

Biscuity-like malts, sweet corn, lime zest, grass, and floral hops make up a fairly welcoming nose. Drinking it reveals flavors of lime peel, lemon zest, bready malts, sweet corn, cracked black pepper, more grass, and lightly floral hops. The finish is lightly bitter and very crisp.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t the greatest lager you’ll ever drink. But it’s totally crushable and has enough balance and flavor to stand up to the spiciest Cinco de Mayo foods.

5) Sun King Pachanga

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

You won’t need a pinata on Cinco de Mayo because this beer can is also ready adorned with one. This Mexican-style lager is brewed with Bravo hops as well as Six-row and Pilsner malts. The result is a classic, crisp, crushable lager well suited for spring.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all cereal grains, sweet corn, grass, light citrus, and floral, earthy hops. The palate is filled with notes of pilsner malts, sweet corn, grass, yeast, honey, citrus peels, and floral, lightly spicy hops. The finish is crisp and dry and leaves you wanting more.

Bottom Line:

Another beer that’s not overly exciting, but… that’s kind of the point. It’s supposed to be an easy-drinking, no-frills Mexican-style lager and that’s exactly what it is.

4) Three Notch’d Andale

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This crisp, easy-drinking Mexican-style lager was brewed with Pilsner malt, non-GMO yellow corn, Vienna malts, and Carapils malts as well as Hallertau hops. It gets its unique flavor profile from the addition of lime, salt, and agave,

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of sweet corn, bready malts, honey, grass, lime, and noble, floral hops. The palate is all sweet corn, cereal grains, honey, agave, lime, and light sea salt. The finish is crisp, floral, and lightly bitter. Overall, a pretty decent, unique Mexican-style lager.

Bottom Line:

The addition of salt, lime, and agave gives this beer flavor that differentiates it from the pack. It’s sweet, crisp, crushable, and highly memorable.

3) Cerveceria Colorado Venga

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 5% ABV lager was crafted to taste like a traditional Mexican lager. It’s cold fermented with Mexican lager yeast to give it a sweet, refreshing, crisp flavor you won’t soon forget. The brewers recommend either adding your own lime and salt or drinking it on its own.

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of sweet corn, lemongrass, lime, grass, honey, cereal grains, and floral, herbal hops are prevalent on the nose. The palate continues this trend with notes of citrus peels, flaked corn, cereal grains, honey, grass, and a nice, crisp, dry finish featuring floral, earthy, herbal, lightly piney hops.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to sessionable, Mexican-style lagers, you’ll have a tough time finding many more classic, balanced, and crushable beers than this one.

2) Lone Tree Mexican Lager

ABV: 5.3%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Brewed with malt, hops, water, yeast, and flaked corn, this 5.3% ABV beer was crafted to have the authentic taste Mexican lager fans crave while also having more substance. It’s simple, elegant, crisp, and extremely refreshing. It’s the kind of beer you’ll want to drink all day.

Tasting Notes:

Flaked corn, cereal grains, orange, lime, grass, and floral, earthy, lightly spicy hops make for an interesting nose. Drinking it brings forth flavors of flaked corn, honey, barley, citrus zest, bready malts, and floral, earthy hops. The finish is dry, lightly bitter, and effortlessly crisp.

Bottom Line:

This is the epitome of a no-frills lager done right. Everything from the malts, flaked corn, and hops are in perfect unison.

1) AleSmith Clásico Mexican Lager

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $14 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 5.2% ABV, yeast-round Mexican-style lager gets its flavor from the liberal use of German and Vienna malts. It also has traditional flavors of sweet corn and floral hops. It’s a crushable, thirst-quencher you’ll want to fill your cooler with on Cinco de Mayo and all through the spring and summer.

Tasting Notes:

Classic aromas of freshly baked bread, yeast, flaked corn, cereal grains, honey, citrus peels, and floral, lightly piney hops make up an epic, memorable nose. On the palate, you’ll find even more corn sweetness that moves into bready malts, lemon peels, orange zest, light spices, honey, and floral hops. The finish is a mixture of sweetness and bitterness that leaves you craving more.

Bottom Line:

Good luck finding a better example of a Mexican-style lager than AleSmith’s version. This aptly named beer is truly a classic.

Tuesday was the first full day of the Writers Guild Association strike — their first in 15 years. Tensions between the group and the studios and streamers that employ their members had reached a fever pitch. At heart of the former’s fury is that pay had not changed during the streaming era, leaving many writers struggling to get by, all while CEO salaries skyrocketed. Things are so heated that when one notable WGA member went on CNN, he wound up calling out the network’s top boss’ own take home pay.

Adam Conover, best known for truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything, did a remote chat with CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, who was probably not ready for her guest to roast the man who runs the company that owns her home network.

“David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars,” Conover said. “That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively, alright. So I would say if you’re being paid $250 million — these companies are making enormous amounts of money. Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty.”

Zaslav wasn’t the only CEO that targeted by Conover’s ire. He also called out Ted Sarandos, the Netflix honcho, whose salary jumped 32% from 2021 to 2022, earning him a whopping $50.3 million.

“When the writers who are making their shows, some of them are not able to pay their rent or mortgages — I know writers who have to go on assistance,” Conover railed. “If you look at these companies, they’re making more money than ever. The people who make the shows for them are making less.”

Sidner ended the segment with a joke about Conover tearing apart her top boss on her watch. “Thank you so much for coming on because you ruin everything,” she said. “You may have just ruined my career, but I don’t mind.”

It’s unclear how long the WGA strike will last, but don’t expect to see your favorite late night chat shows any time soon, or that Pete Davidson episode of SNL that was supposed to go down this weekend.

(Via Variety)