Category: News

Dr. Anthony Fauci has been in his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the 80-year-old longtime physician at the National Institute of Health a household name. Among the much more minor revelations to come out of the last year-plus is that Fauci was a point guard and captain of the Regis High School basketball team in the 1950s.

Late last month during an interview on All In with Chris Hayes, Fauci joked with the host — himself a former high school basketball player, albeit much more recently than 1958 — that he would “destroy” Hayes in a game of 1-on-1 should they play, which they could safely being both vaccinated.

This was a funny moment that got some thinking, namely the good fellas over at the No Dunks podcast, about whether Fauci stood a chance in a game of 1-on-1 with Hayes. On Tuesday, Hayes joined the No Dunks crew to set the record straight about how a 1-on-1 game with Fauci would go, and offer an update on whether it will happen — and why they will likely go in the direction of HORSE rather than 1-on-1.

As Hayes says, he would “physically injure” Fauci if they played 1-on-1 and that’s a big reason why he wants to play HORSE, because he can’t be the guy that hurts the director of the NIAID while playing basketball during an ongoing pandemic. It’s a funny conversation and Hayes tells a great story about how Barack Obama took an elbow from someone during a pickup game in his first term in office, which led to the end of Obama’s presidential pickup runs because the president can’t be getting hurt hooping. When pressed again he says there’s “literally no chance,” which while most likely true would make it even funnier if they played make-it-take-it and Fauci just caught fire from deep and ran Hayes off the floor.

At some point, the score must be settled and, honestly, Hayes runs a much bigger risk of getting washed in a game of HORSE because I have a feeling Fauci has some trick shots in his bag that he’s ready to unleash on the MSNBC host.

It’s a shame that many of us never truly appreciate what we have until it’s gone. But this flaw seems to be hardwired into the human condition. We always long for what we don’t have, instead of appreciating what we do.

Eddie Jaku, 101, has given himself the title of “happiest man on Earth” because, after living through the harrowing circumstances, he was able to appreciate what really matters in life.

On November 9, 1938, a night that would be forever known as Kristallnacht, or “the night of broken glass,” Nazi forces burned synagogues and destroyed Jewish stores, homes, and property. So, Jaku, a Jewish teenager, living in Germany, returned home to an empty house.

The next day he was terrorized by Nazis, who shot his dog, and took him to Buchenwald concentration camp.

Eventually, he and his family would be taken to the most notorious Nazi camp. “I was finally transported to my hell on Earth, Auschwitz,” Jaku said according to Today. “My parents and my sister were also transported to Auschwitz, and I was never to see my parents again.”

In 1945, he was sent on a “death march” but escaped into the wilderness, surviving on snails and slugs until he was discovered by American forces.

The ‘Happiest Man On Earth,’ Shares His Wisdom

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After the war, Jaku got married but still had a hard time shedding his painful past. However, after having his first son, he went through a powerful transformation.

Becoming a father inspired him to make a pledge that he’s kept to this day. “I made the promise that on that day, until the end of my life, I promised to be happy, smile, be polite, helpful, and kind. I also promised to never put my foot on German soil again,” he said in a 2019 TED Talk. “Today, I stand in front of you, a man who has kept all of those promises.”

Jaku also came to the realization that he will never truly be happy as long as there is hate in his heart. “Hate is a disease that may destroy your enemy, but will also destroy you in the process,” Jaku said.

As someone who lost a lot of family in the Holocaust, he derives an incredible amount of joy from his marriage, children, and grandchildren. He wants everyone to know that happiness is all about living in the now and embracing what you have, instead of waiting for happiness to come around the corner.

The happiest man on earth: 99 year old Holocaust survivor shares his story | Eddie Jaku | TEDxSydney

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“Today I teach and share happiness with everyone I meet. Happiness does not fall from the sky, it’s in your hands,” he said.

“Tomorrow will come, but first enjoy today,” he added.

“For me, when I wake up, I am happy because it is another day to enjoy,” he said. “When I remember that I should have died a miserable death, but instead I’m alive, so I aim to help people who are down.”

Jaku’s wisdom is especially important as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us who haven’t lived through traumatic events now know what it’s like to be disconnected from the things that really matter.

Hopefully, the positive lesson we can all take from the pandemic is to appreciate the simple things we couldn’t do such as hugging a parent or spending time with friends. It’s also a reason to appreciate your health.

“If you are healthy, you’re a multimillionaire,” Jaku said.

Jaku wants to remind people that there’s nothing better than being a friend.

“Remember these words,” he concluded his TED Talk. “Please do not walk in front of me, I may not be able to follow. Please do not walk behind me, I may not be able to lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

During Young Thug’s recent second appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast, the Atlanta trap mad scientist covered a lot of topics, from clearing the air regarding his Jay-Z Verzuz comments to recalling a bet he made with a peer over whether the notorious Tekashi 69 would testify against his former comrades in the Nine Trey Bloods set.

It turns out, it was a pretty safe, “friendly” bet (in Young Thug’s words), as Tekashi did eventually end up testifying for a reduced sentence — a move that benefitted him personally, but left him essentially persona non grata among rap peers who believe he violated street code. Although Thug himself doesn’t subscribe to this belief, he said he simply believes in loyalty and was brought up not to spill his friends’ secrets.

Detailing the bet itself, Thug refused to share who it was with (see above), but still shared enough to back up the story. “I can’t say his name, but I bet another rapper,” he recalled. “I don’t know where he from. I think the West Coast…. bet another rapper that 6ix9ine [would] tell before he told. I’m like, ‘He gon’ tell.’ Me and him bet a friendly $5,000…. I bet $5,000 that he’d tell and he bet $5,000 that nothing is gonna happen to him. I bet $5,000 that something was gonna happen to him, too. I don’t know why I had that belief. I really believed he gon’ think he gangsta, he gon’ try to step out, and somebody gon’ do somethin’. Even if it’s on some humble sh*t.”

Of course, to date, nothing serious has happened to Tekashi, although he’s kept up his trollish antics. Part of that may be due to the pandemic that shut down most public life over the past year and part of it may be due to the security guards he seemingly has around him at all times, but either way, it looks like Thug only gets to collect on half that bet for the time being. Considering he recently claimed to have lost nearly a million dollars in one night in Vegas, maybe he should consider leaving the gambling to the professionals.

Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

While touring the Ford Motor Company’s Michigan plant on Tuesday, President Joe Biden surprised reporters by pulling up in the new electric Ford F-150 Lightning truck, rocking his trademark Aviator shades, of course. Biden stopped to chit-chat with the press pool for a bit but he couldn’t resist the urge to open the truck up outside the facility. As a noted fan of muscle cars, Biden floored the vehicle after promising to top out at 80. When he returned to the pool, the president was clearly impressed.

“This sucker’s quick,” a grinning Biden told reporters after tearing down the track. You can see some of the footage below:

Of course, it didn’t take long for social media to remember the last time a president was behind the wheel of a big truck, and it was notably less badass. In fact, it was anything but, as Donald Trump oddly screamed and yelled while pretending to drive an 18-wheeler parked outside of the White House. Trump even wore an “I Love Trucks” button, which again, was basically the exact opposite of Biden’s badass test drive.

The new Ford F-150 Lightning reveal was not on the books, but the motor company apparently jumped at the opportunity to show it off when Biden arrived at the facility. According to CNBC, the updated version of the Ford truck won’t be on sale until next year, but it’s expected to drive the sale of electric vehicles as pickups are “the bestselling vehicles in the country.” In fact, don’t be surprised to see one parked outside the White House in the near future.

Cruel Summer (Freeform, 9:00pm) — This new series heads into Week Two. The story goes down in the 1990s and follows the aftermath of a popular teen going missing. When a seemingly unrelated shy student suddenly becomes massively popular, well, things look pretty strange. This week, Jeanette’s case is threatened by a deposition while Cindy starts to suspect her own daughter of deeds that she never imagined possible.

Chad (TBS, 10:30pm) — SNL veteran Nasim Pedrad takes on the title role, that of a 14-year-old boy, and this week, Chad has a real shot at hanging with the popular kids at a boys’ weekend getaway.

Black-ish (ABC, 9:00pm) — The urban marketing team makes Dre feel pigeonholed, all while Lido’s looking for a career change, and Junior’s having trouble with the twins.

Mixed-ish (ABC, 9:30pm) — New bicycle memories are the name of the game in 1980s flashbacks as Adult Rainbow, Johan, and Santamonica look back through different lenses.

Prodigal Son (FOX 9:00pm) — “The Woodsman” serial killer might be the key to hitting very close to home for the NYPD.

The Flash (CW, 8:00pm) — Barry’s working on a new training system that’s not exactly foolproof, and Iris is at her wit’s end while digging for the truth about Psych.

Superman & Lois (CW, 9:00pm) — Clark wrestles with whether or not Jordan should play football, and Lois is still digging into Morgan Edge, where she must choose to trust an unlikely ally.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Chris Rock, WILLOW

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Nick Jonas, Sam Jay, Sec. Deb Haaland, Brian Frasier-Moore

In case you missed these streaming picks:

Those Who Wish Me Dead (Warner Bros. movie on HBO Max) — Angelina Jolie’s in a straight-to-streaming movie, y’all. She portrays a smoke jumper in Montana who is used to a life full of danger, but soon, she’s dealing with riskier situations than she ever signed up to handle. Part of this has to do with attempting to save the life of a skittish boy, who’s being chased by killers for some reason, and then an inferno goes completely haywire. This is an intense one, and Jon Bernthal and Nicholas Hoult co-star.

Love, Death & Robots: Volume 2 (Netflix series) — Two years ago, Netflix previewed this adult-animated series from co-executive producers David Fincher and Tim Miller, with the “messed up audiences only” label. Comfortingly, it sure looks like not a whole lot has changed for the show’s vibe. As with the Emmy-winning first season of this show, this trailer tells us to expect more existential “robots-gone-wild” but fewer of them (along with “naked giants” and “Christmas demons”), as the series included eighteen short films in the initial round but will crank out eight more for this second batch. All will keep the seemingly infinite number of animation styles going, including a very simple-looking installment that, uh, involves a poop-scooping robot.

Video games have gone through a number of changes over the decades, but few things have impacted the industry as much as crowdfunding. Thanks to tools like Kickstarter, potential video game developers can create whatever game they want, so long as enough fans had an interest.

It’s also why something that started off as a small demo on Newgrounds.com is quickly on its way to becoming its own game. Friday Friday Night Funkin’ was a small rhythm game Ninjamuffin99, PhantomArcade, evilsk8r, and KawaiSprite created in the style of games like PaRappa The Rappa. First released in late 2020, it has earned cult hit status with rhythm game fans everywhere singing its praises. The devs of the game initially made small updates so fans could check in and play the new levels, but with each new addition, it became clear they had something special on their hands.

Eventually, places like YouTube started to become full of people covering the killer soundtrack. It’s become one of the most played games on Twitch. This cult hit is slowly gaining popularity and by year’s end could become one of 2021’s most popular games. The developers began a Kickstarter so they could turn this into a bonafide released title, and as of this writing, Friday Night Funkin: The Full Ass Game has funded $2 million.

Friday Night Funkin wouldn’t be the first game from Newgrounds to become its own title — indie hits like Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers were born out of Newgrounds. But Friday Night Funkin‘s rise is an example of how the industry of video games is changing thanks to crowdfunding. We haven’t seen a game in the style of Friday Night Funkin in years and we can only assume it’s due to studios feeling there wasn’t a reason to put money into that kind of project. It’s an unfortunate gap from AAA developers that indie games are managing to fill.

The message from fans, though, is clear: Friday Night Funkin is a great game and they want to see more of it. For anyone that wants to give it a try, they can still play it on Newgrounds. It’s a fun game worth playing for the soundtrack alone and a ton of work has already gone into it. The best part is that it’s very likely the final product is even better. With the money being raised through its Kickstarter, we might have a game of the year contender on our hands.

For nearly 15 years now, T-Pain‘s been primarily recognized by his signature hit, “Buy U A Drank(Shawty Snappin’).” The song, which reached the No.1 spot on the Hot 100 in May 2007 and was sampled in T-Pain’s latest single, “I Like Dat” featuring Kehlani, has since seen a recent resurgence thanks to its popularity on TikTok. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it formed the inspiration for T-Pain’s latest endeavor: a book of cocktail recipes, cheekily titled Can I Mix You A Drink?

Written with the input of God Save The Queens author Kathy Iandoli and mixologist Maxwell Britten, the title bills the book as 50 cocktail recipes from T-Pain’s life and career. T-Pain told Billboard, “Years back, I got up with my friend, [author] Kathy Iandoli, and told her I wanted to do some innovative s–t, so this was a concept we had in mind for a while, where I could combine my music with my love of drinking. She and I worked on this for a while, and then we both were busy with other stuff, then we came back together and finished this up.”

Can I Mix You a Drink? is due September 14, 2021, and is available for pre-order in both hardcover and Kindle editions here.

Questlove and Black Thought both keep themselves plenty busy outside of The Roots, and now the pair is teaming up for yet another new endeavor. This time, it’s Rise Up, Sing Out, a series of animated shorts they’re making with Disney Junior.

The series, which is set to premiere later in 2021, will feature music from the pair. Press materials describe the show, “Presenting important concepts around race, racism and social justice for the youngest viewers, the series consists of music-based shorts that are designed to provide an inspiring and empowering message about noticing and celebrating differences and providing a framework for conversation.”

In a joint statement, Questlove and Black Thought said, “It is an honor to work with the Disney Junior team to help create a series of shorts that will empower and uplift the future generations in the way we know best, through music. We hope these shorts will encourage the young audience to recognize and celebrate our differences as human beings while learning the tools to navigate real-world issues of racial injustice.”

Joe D’Ambrosia — senior vice president, Original Programming and general manager, Disney Junior — also said, “We recognize that many kids are experiencing a multitude of feelings around what’s happening in our world today and know that many families are struggling with how to discuss sensitive issues around race. Our goal with these shorts is to open up the conversation and provide families with the tools and knowledge to address these important topics with their preschoolers in an age-appropriate manner through music and relatable kid experiences.”

Some people watched The O.C. for Sandy Cohen’s fatherly advice and glorious eyebrows (me), others watched it for the wildly entertaining teen drama (everyone else). And much of that drama came from Marissa Cooper, the prototypical Southern California rich girl played by Mischa Barton. Marissa was one of the show’s core four characters, along with Ryan (Ben McKenzie), Seth (Adam Brody), and Summer (Rachel Bilson), until — mmm, whatcha say? I say SPOILER ALERT — the season three finale when she was killed off. That episode aired 15 years ago today on Fox, and in honor of its anniversary, Barton discussed what led to her exit.

“It’s a bit complicated. It started pretty early on because it had a lot to do with them adding Rachel [Bilson] in last minute as, after the first season, a series regular and evening out everybody’s pay — and sort of general bullying from some of the men on set that kind of felt really sh*tty,” Barton told E! Online. She still loved the show and the character, however, so she built “up my own walls and ways of getting around dealing with that and the fame that was thrust specifically at me… I just felt very unprotected.”

Looking back now, Barton feels things started to fall apart during season two, “when we started doubling up on episodes and shooting [became] so much harder… I look back on it pretty fondly, but there’s stuff I think people did wrong and the way they handled it.” Barton didn’t “feel I could keep going,” so she was given an option:

“The producers were like, ‘Well, do you want your job and to sail off into the sunset and potentially you can come back in the future in some bizarre TV scenario or we can kill your character off and you can go on with your career that you want and what you want to do?’ I was getting offers from big films at the time and having to turn them down. I had always been supporting in The Sixth Sense and any of those things. My dream was to be offered those lead roles, so that’s what happened. It just felt like it was the best thing for me and my health and just in terms of not really feeling protected by my cast and crew at that point.

Barton did not have the easiest time while on The O.C., but she’s happy that Marissa was given “this epic death and that it ended like that because it’s memorable and it’s not just another flash in the pan.” You can read the rest of the interview here.

(Via E! Online)

London, UK seven-piece band Black Country, New Road turned heads with their jazz-infused experimental indie rock sound. After releasing their debut album For The First Time back in February, the band now shares a very stripped-down version of the album opener “Track X.”

“Track X” is Black Country, New Road’s most-streamed song off their debut album with over 1.3 million plays on Spotify alone. Their new version, titled “Track X (The Guest),” takes the song back to it’s origin with a warm-toned acoustic guitar and wavering vocals.

Describing why they’ve chosen to share the alternate version of the track, Black Country, New Road vocalist Isaac Wood says the acoustic version is how the song was originally written:

“This version is where the lyrics for ‘Track X’ originally came from. It’s an old story, with some simple guitar playing and has the extra lyrics in the chorus. It’s ‘The Guest’ version, written about 2 years ago in this format and we thought it would make for a good accomplice to the album.”

“Track X” is the first song Black Country, New Road ever worked on when they formed in 2018. Despite it’s popularity, “Track X” never made it into their live performances, but they decided to rework it into a fuzzy experimental track in the studio while recording For The First Time.

Listen to “Track X (The Guest)” above.

For The First Time is out now via Ninja Tune. Get it here.