Category: Viral

The Boston Celtics led by as many as 17 points in the first half on Thursday evening, seemingly putting themselves in a fantastic position to even the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. It was not meant to be for the Celtics, however, as the Heat charged back, regained control and picked up a 106-101 victory to zoom to a 2-0 series lead.

With that as the backdrop, here are three takeaways from the action.

1. Game 2 was full of runs and Miami made the last one

NBA games are often chock full of runs and this was no exception. In fact, this was a contest marked by its runs.

First, the Celtics took control in the first half. Boston started the game with hot shooting, knocking down 12-of-18 shots in the first quarter. From there, the Celtics used a 21-11 run to take a 13-point lead midway through the second quarter, helped by the surprising contributions of Enes Kanter.

Boston led by as many as 17 points in the first half, and Kemba Walker led the way with 14 points (on 6-of-10 shooting), five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block before the break.

Miami had a counterpunch prepared, though, and it arrived midway through the third quarter with a 15-2 run. Things were kickstarted by Bam Adebayo, with a four-point play from Jae Crowder and a banked-in three-pointer from Kelly Olynyk.

The Heat weren’t done there, closing the third quarter on a 27-8 overall run and seemingly taking control of the festivities. Of course, the Celtics wouldn’t die, with a 15-2 run of their own to grab a 94-89 lead with four minutes remaining. Still, Miami had the last laugh, and a ridiculous defensive effort from Jimmy Butler helped to spur their final push.

All told, it was a 13-1 run by Miami in crunch time, flipping a deficit into a 102-95 lead in short order. Things did get a little bit dicey for the Heat in the final seconds, thanks in large part to back-to-back threes from Jaylen Brown, but the Heat managed to hold on and, in the process, the pre-series underdogs assumed command with a 2-0 lead.

2. Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson made all the shots

As noted above, Butler made big plays in crunch time and, in general, Miami’s leader did what he needed to do. However, it wasn’t an especially prolific night from the All-Star wing, with just 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting. In addition, it was an uneven night from Tyler Herro (4-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-8 from three) but, fortunately, the Heat could rely on Dragic and Robinson.

Early in the game, it was Robinson getting on track after a rough Game 1. The sharpshooting wing connected on his first three attempts from long distance (in just four minutes) and Robinson knocked down 4-of-6 from three-point range in the first quarter.

He did slow down from there, but Robinson finished with 18 points in 32 minutes, knocking down six triples and putting constant pressure on Boston’s defense. Elsewhere, Dragic continued his absolutely stellar play from the postseason.

The veteran guard finished the night with an efficient 25 points (on 10-of-19 shooting) and five assists, making big play after big play with the game on the line. In fact, it was Dragic that ultimately converted the would-be dagger, stretching Miami’s lead to five and swinging things in their favor in a way that Boston was unable to match.

Dragic didn’t have the same kind of decisive advantage against his counterpart, Kemba Walker, in Game 2 that he did in Game 1. However, Dragic held up his end of the bargain, and the Heat needed every bit of the perimeter-based contributions from Robinson and Dragic on this night.

3. Bam Adebayo was absurd, particularly in the third quarter

The Heat were completely dominant in the third quarter. Miami outscored Boston by 20 points in the period and, in forcing seven turnovers, the Heat sped the Celtics up in a way that was exceptionally fruitful for the team that ended up winning the game. There was plenty of credit to assign but, in that quarter, Adebayo was the best player on the floor.

The All-Star big man scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 9:14 of court time in the quarter, using his athleticism and force to make things difficult on the opposition.

Adebayo, who is also well-known for his defensive prowess, added a block and steal in the third quarter and, overall, he finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in the game. It isn’t a surprise that Adebayo is the best big man in this series but, on a night when Daniel Theis provided very little for the Celtics (in a game in which he finished -15 in 32 minutes), the star-level impact of Adebayo stood out.

This is a series that is far from over, even as the Heat assume a 2-0 lead and force the Celtics to win four of the next five games to execute a comeback win. Still, this was a pivotal win for Miami, and it was on-brand in that the Heat received high-level contributions from all over the roster and made every play when it mattered.

The Boston Celtics, for the second straight game, blew a double-digit lead to the Miami Heat and now find themselves trailing 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

On Thursday night, Boston held a 17-point first half lead, but saw that evaporate in the third quarter as Miami went on a 32-10 run at one point to take control of the game going to the fourth quarter. The Celtics would claw their way back to take a three-point lead in the fourth quarter, but saw that evaporate as they continue to be unable to consistently score on the Heat’s zone defense. Down three in the closing seconds, Jaylen Brown had a shot to tie the game and force overtime for a second time that went begging, and after the game tensions were apparently high in the Boston locker room.

Multiple reports from Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe and Malika Andrews of ESPN pointed to Marcus Smart as being very vocal with his frustration after the game, yelling in the locker room and leaving angrily while saying, “y’all on that bullsh*t,” while someone else seemed to be throwing things in the locker room.

It’s not exactly a great sign for a team that has carried such good vibes throughout their run to this point, but it’s also the kind of thing that happens a lot given the competitive nature of NBA players — we just don’t typically hear about it because locker rooms in NBA arenas aren’t usually within earshot of where reporters stand. It’s possible this is the kind of thing that can galvanize a group that has simply been outplayed and out-willed late in two straight games — something they aren’t accustomed to. They know that a 2-0 series deficit isn’t insurmountable, but losing Game 3 would all but seal their fate. As such, they have two days to figure things out, namely how to be more productive offensively when the Heat go zone, and the reality of being in a perilous situation seemed to set in quickly after their Game 2 loss.

Smart didn’t speak to the media after the game, but Jaylen Brown was asked about Smart’s frustration and said the Celtics “needed that” and it’s one of the reasons they love Smart as a teammate.

Enes Kanter and Kemba Walker took different approaches to the situation, denying it happened in the case of Walker and, for Kanter, firing back against the idea that the team was “crumbling” as Washburn said.

Whatever took place in the locker room, the question now is whether Boston will respond in the way they need to, particularly late when Miami has simply been dominant.

After striking success in 2019 thanks to his guest feature on Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III compilation album, Young Nudy is back in action in 2020 with his brand new single, “All White.” The single comes with a new video that finds the Atlanta rapper at what appears to be a kickback with a few of his homies, which includes 21 Savage, who makes a cameo appearance in the video, and plethora of women who all seem to be having a great time.

Moving inside the house, Young Nudy lays off some quick-paced bars before return to the backyard to join his friends.

The new song comes after Young Nudy kicked off the year with his Anyways tape. Led by tracks like “Understanding,” which he debuted a journeying music video for, the Atlanta rapper debuted 16 tracks on the entirely solo effort. In addition to the new mixtape, Nudy appeared on fellow Atlanta rapper Deante Hitchcock’s debut album, Better, with “Attitude” and earned his first platinum plaque of his career thanks to Revenge Of The Dreamers III, an album that also gave him his first Grammy nomination. His 2019 also included the joint album Sli’merre with Pi’erre Bourne, which sported highlight songs like “Extendo” with Lil Uzi Vert and “Shotta” with Megan Thee Stallion,

Watch the “All White” video above.

Many television owners who have an HBO subscription are eager for another season of Succession or Euphoria, but while they wait an energetic mix of both just might satisfy them in Industry. The trailer for the HBO drama dropped on Thursday and appears to be marketing itself as the Euphoria of Wall Street, full of ambition, drugs and, presumably, obscene wealth.

Industry is apparently slated to chronicle not the present, but the not-so-distant past of the financial sector in the post-2008 global economic crash. There’s a lot of pill consumption timed to the beat of a swelling dance track, some brief actual dance and party scenes and what appears to be some in-office sexual escapades. Or at least some considerable tension, both sexual and violent.

“I only want to be judged on the strength of my abilities,” Myha’la Herrold, playing Harper, says in the trailer. The series looks to follow a group of young bankers as they navigate the stressful environment of the banking world, including the intense pressures of the work and the highs of finding success, no matter what the cost. It doesn’t look like the most welcoming of workplaces, if we’re being honest, but the drama will be high from the start.

“Do not forget how this feels right now,” a voice says as what appears to be our main protagonist peers out from a high floor on a skyscraper.

Industry premieres on November 9 on HBO and HBO Max.

Earlier this week, a now-former radio host made derogatory comments about the on-air appearance of ESPN reporter Maria Taylor. In the aftermath, Taylor’s colleagues came to her defense and provided support, with a national conversation rekindling about the way women are treated in the sports world.

On Thursday afternoon, Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker was asked about Taylor, especially through the lens of her own work as a television analyst with Turner.

“I reached out to Maria. I posted about it. It’s ridiculous, the scrutiny that women commentating sports go through,” Parker said. “I’ll just be honest with you. When you look at the camera, you immediately look not at what they’re saying but what they’re wearing and their appearance. Either we gotta change the way we look at women, or we gotta start scrutinizing guys, and I don’t think it’s the latter. I’m proud of people standing behind her, but at the same time, there is so much ignorance in the world. And I think nowadays you’re not able to hide from it, and it’s becoming clear and apparent. The people that choose to ignore it, and say it’s not there, are lying to themselves and they’re delaying what’s gonna happen.”

Parker wasn’t done there, relating everything back to her on-air experience and the fact that she should be judged on her words and analysis, rather than her appearance or the fact that she is a female commentator.

“I always say this; if you don’t like my commentating, talk about my commentating. Do not come at me and say ‘this woman.’ Don’t like me because of what I say or my viewpoints…. Don’t immediately use me being a woman as some sort of negative comment. I think we have a long way to go and there are some people that are going to be behind. And, you know, the world is constantly moving forward, so you better get on the train.”

Parker and the Sparks take on the Connecticut Sun in a second-round matchup in the WNBA Playoffs on Thursday evening. Just hours before that game, though, Parker added eloquence to the discussion and, given her experience both on the court and in the booth, it isn’t a surprise to see her providing relevant and thoughtful views on the subject.

21 Savage first jumped to mainstream success thanks to his 2016 Savage Mode project with Metro Boomin. It spawned some of 21 Savage’s most successful singles including “No Heart” and “X.” Looking to recapture some of the energy the project presented, 21 Savage announced back in the summer of 2019 that project’s sequel effort was on the way.

“Savage Mode 2 on the motherf*ckin way,” he said at a tour stop at The Shrine in Los Angeles. A full year has passed since this announcement, however, and fans have yet to receive Savage Mode 2. As a result, they made a petition to push for its release.

Creating it on the petition platform, Change.org, the petition titled “Get 21 Savage to drop Savage Mode 2” has earned more than 15,000 signatures at the time of writing this post. The petition also shows a number of reasons for fans signing the petition, one that reads “been waiting for this for over a year they need to STOP CAPPING AND DROP THAT SH*T” and another that says “Savage too busy trappin he started cappin. DROP SAVAGE MODE 2 NOW.”

Despite the wait for Savage Mode 2, 21 Savage has slowly increased his activity elsewhere in the music world as he’s previously lended verses to Mulatto’s “Pull Up” and Gucci Mane’s “Nasty” with Young Nudy. He also dropped his “Secret” single with Summer Walker earlier this year. You can find the Savage Mode 2 petition here.

Brandy is having a moment. Not only is its rich cultural history gaining a wider understanding, but its flavors and combination of fresh ideas and old-world techniques are garnering appreciation too. Companies like Bertoux and Copper & Kings are leading the brandy parade in the US and getting lots of love in the process.

For those who don’t know, brandy is a spirit made by distilling wine grapes (and sometimes other fruits). Oftentimes referred to as eau de vie (or water of life), the style extends to spirits like cognac, Armagnac, calvados, pisco, obstler, Brandy de Jerez, and a few others. In recent years, pisco, a brandy produced in Chile and Peru, has grown increasingly popular in the US.

Brendan Bartley, head bartender and beverage director at Bathtub Gin in New York City tries his best to turn guests onto the unique flavor notes of this South American brandy.

“I’d really like Pisco to get more notice in the general consumer field,” he says. “As I see a rise in the Latin and South American spirits categories, Pisco should be getting a little more spotlight.”

With the desire to give pisco and other brandy variants a little shine, we asked well-known bartenders for their picks for the best bottles to crack this fall.

Hennessy VS

Mitchell Cochran, bar manager at Shades Bar & Grill in South Walton, Florida

Hennessy is the best-known brandy for a reason. With a very competitive price point, it is easy to drink neat for a warm feeling going down.

I prefer their VS because of its combination of high-quality and reasonable price.

Grand Marnier

Marla White, lead bartender at Lona Cocina & Tequilera in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The best brandy to drink this fall and why? You can’t go wrong with Grand Marnier. Technically a liqueur, it’s a combination of cognac brandy, bitter orange, and sugar. It’s the must-have topper/floater for any hand-crafted margarita.

Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Depending on your intentions for the evening, you can pick any bottle from the Martell portfolio and be in good spirits. The Cordon Bleu is a great bottle that stands out as a bold blend of individually well-produced spirits that come round out into a worthy pour.

Germain-Robin Alembic Brandy

Evgeny Anisimov, bartender at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa in San Diego

I believe that Germain-Robin Alembic Brandy is one of the best-kept secrets of American brandy. With its silky and rich texture and well-balanced notes of fruit and oak, it is on my list of must-try.

Germain-Robin would be a beautiful way to enjoy spectacular California sunsets this fall.

Hennessy XO Cognac

Molly Safuto, bartender at Mila Rooftop Bar in Glendale, California

An all-time favorite is Hennessy XO, the flavor is rich and interchangeable. If you’re willing to spend the money, it’s definitely worth it.

Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac

Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

The best for my money is Pierre Ferrand 1840. With enough complexity to enjoy on its own, but at 90 proof, it has the bones to stand up in any cocktail. Try it with a sidecar, old fashioned or my personal favorite, cognac stinger over some freshly crushed ice.

Caravedo Mosto Verde Pisco

Brendan Bartley, head bartender and beverage director at Bathtub Gin in New York City

I’m a big fan of Caravedo Pisco, in particular the Mosto Verde. Great fall brandy. On the nose, it’s crisp and clean, with notes of honey, apple, melon, and then on the palate, some deeper flavors of baking spice, blossoms, and citrus.

Western Grace Brandy

Max Stampa-Brown, beverage director at Borrachito in New York City

Western Grace Brandy is wildly versatile and special. We have it on the back bar at The Garret’s East Village location and I describe it to guests as “vanilla caramel sunshine in a glass.” Those guys started the company out of an apartment on Avenue C and I’m glad they did. They captured this warmth from La Mancha that is crazy delightful.

Germain-Robin XO Brandy

Gavin Humes, bartender at Scratch | Bar & Restaurant in Encino, California

I’ve got to rep California for this one. Germain-Robin is a really beautiful example of a great brandy company. I love their XO. While all their lines are great, the XO is the perfect combination of price and complexity. I dig sipping some of that whenever I can find the time.

Argonaut Fat Thumb Brandy

Dave Purcell, beverage director at The Waterfront Venice in Venice, California

The brandies of Argonaut represent a very localized expression of the yield of this fruit, focusing on highlighting the grapes from these seasons, and taking a very American approach to the construction of these flavor profiles, rather than classic European sensibilities. The pale golds and auburn colors of these brandies reflect fruit that you rarely find distilled, and the blended combinations tonally represent light and delicate orchard fruits that entirely convey what I’d imagine a California cornucopia would contain.

The Fat Thumb expression is my absolute favorite. It combines high creamy tones in its golden base and finishes with hints of tart red fruit, accented with toasted wood sugar and spice. For its price point, this is a versatile option to have simply neat or with still or sparkling water, but backboned enough to stand up to medium-bodied vermouth or mixed citrus in a cocktail. I usually drink the brandy and read the back label’s blend breakdown — forgetting just enough with each sip to start the cycle over again, resulting in a pleasantly repeating routine that empties the bottle way faster than I ought to.

After four weeks being moved around due to hockey and basketball, AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT are finally back on the same night, which means the premise of this column finally makes sense again. So let’s look at the highlights from both shows.

Nefarious Heel Behavior: The Young Bucks just randomly attack referees now

Dynamite opened with Jurassic Express in the ring, ready for their match with FTR. Then Matt and Nick Jackson came out in street clothes and superkicked the referee. Then they went straight to the back and tossed Tony Khan a wad of cash for the fine. So I guess they’re bad guys now, huh? It’s interesting that we’re all expecting a Heel Elite situation, but the stuff with the Bucks is still being kept relatively isolated from what’s going on with Kenny, even when they share scenes.

It’s also worth noting that so much current wrestling discourse, including stuff we’ve heard from AEW, regards the boundary between face and heel as no longer particularly relevant. “Just cheer for who you like and enjoy the stories,” people say. But when a team goes from not randomly attacking officials for no reason to doing that whenever they feel like, I don’t think we can deny that they’re heels now in the most traditional sense.

And honestly, who are we kidding anyway about AEW not having traditional heels? They’ve got Chris Jericho, MJF, and Britt Baker, for a start. They’ve got Lance Archer and Kingston’s faction beating up randos from the crowd just for fun. And now the Young Bucks are heels too, something they were always great at on the indies. That means we’ll need heroes to challenge them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s when Jurassic Express finally cashes in their underdog story.

Runners Up

In addition to all the audience member beatings this week, we saw Jake Hager employ Floyd the Bat to help get win for himself and Jericho over Private Party. That’s exactly the kind of win those two should be getting in the Tag Team Division, especially against such a promising young team.

MJF’s new gimmick, since Jon Moxley cheated in their title match, is to demand that he be called “The Undefeated, Undisputed, Uncrowned AEW World Champion of AEW Wrestling.” The extra “AEW” in there, which he repeated more than once, is a great comedic touch. He’s also hinting that he wants a faction of his own, which could lead somewhere interesting.

Over on NXT, Johnny Gargano was shopping online for a new TV to replace the one that got broken in the fight with Tegan Nox last week. Candice, meanwhile, was trying to cut a promo on Tegan, but Johnny kept interrupting to talk about TV specifications. I think anybody who lives with a male partner understands what a Husband Heel Move this was.

Emerging Hero: Hangman Adam Page

Former tag team champion Adam Page is a singles wrestler now, and this week he fought Frankie Kazarian in a match that turned out to be really good even though it had no stakes outside of Hangman proving himself as a solo act. He definitely seems more promising in that regard now than he did when they first tried to slot him in at the very beginning of All Elite Wrestling.

Now that he’s gotten over with fans in a tag team, I think he really can become a top singles guy, although I hope they don’t rush it. This feels like the beginning of something big for Page.

Runners Up

Also on Dynamite, new AEW signee Will Hobbs came to the aid of Jon Moxley against the combined forces of Taz, Jake Roberts, and their guys. Next week, Hobbs will join Moxley and his youthful ward Darby Allin against Lance Archer, Brian Cage, and Ricky Starks. Getting a rub from Mox seems like a big deal for Hobbs, and I hope it means we’ll see big things from him soon.

Kushida is making a habit out of beating up the NXT guys that fans are turning against for real-world reasons. I don’t know if that’s planned (seems unlikely) or just coincidence, but beating up Velveteen Dream and now demolishing Austin Theory in a squash match ought to win some people over to Kushida, if there’s anyone left who hasn’t already realized how cool he is.

Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter are making a name for themselves as tag wrestlers in NXT, which is cool. This week they beat Jessi Kamea and Xia Li. It was a fun little face vs face match, but Xia got really mad and stormed out after the finish, which may lead to something new for her. In the meantime, I’d love to see Kacy and Kayden get a match against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Titles.

Best Promo: Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston is one of the best talkers in the business, and I’m already enjoying his work in AEW way more than I ever did in Impact. He comes out with three points to make: He didn’t really lose the Battle Royal, his faction is a family, and the Blade needs to get his house in order. I assume that last bit has something to do with Allie. She’s married to the Blade in real life, but suddenly making that part of the show when she’s been kayfabe dating QT Marshall for months seems like a weird move. Still, I’d probably rather see Allie join the Kingston Family than continue with the Nightmares. We’ll see where it goes.

The point is that this was a really good promo, and I’m enjoying this whole angle. Honestly, any situation that involves Eddie Kingston giving inspirational but heelish speeches on a regular basis is one I’m here for.

Runners Up

We briefly saw Kip Sabian and Miro on Dynamite, who of course were lifting weights and talking about gaming. Miro wants to get in the ring and be a beast, but Kip says it’s not time yet. I’m curious if Miro will turn Kip Sabian babyface just by being next to him and insanely charismatic, or if they’ll break up the team once there are enough people in the crowd to make it clear that nobody thinks of Miro as a bad guy. He proved that in WWE, and now he’s in a company that occasionally listens to crowds.

Finn Bálor and Austin Theory both had pretty good promos on NXT, but nothing really dramatic. It was cool to hear Finn talk about being champ again after so many years, and how much the brand has changed. Back on Dynamite, Jake the Snake got weirdly sexual again, which despite my affection for him is something I could live without.

Best Match: The Best Friends vs Santana and Ortiz in Parking Lot Mayhem

This was probably my favorite match in a parking lot of all time, or at least of the modern era. We got to see a new, brutal side of the Best Friends, which is a fascinating evolution for them. Santana and Ortiz have always been hardcore guys, but they seemed caught unawares when Trent and Chuck showed up to play. At one point Ortiz was laid out under the hood of a car, and Chuck Taylor jumped on top of the hood. Then he does it again. Being an adult who knows how wrestling works, I keep trying to work out in my head how that wouldn’t hurt like hell, and I just can’t come up with it.

Orange Cassidy had a great cameo, popping out of a trunk and delivering a chain-enhanced superpunch. I liked how it was reminiscent of those early Cassidy spots, before he started wrestling, when he would just appear in some random place for a laugh. But now when he appears in a random place, he can unleash a devastating attack, so I guess it makes sense that his best friends the Best Friends have become badasses too.

Runners Up

Thunder Rosa and Ivelisse had a banger of a match on Dynamite. And as fun as that was, it led to an attack on Rosa from Ivelisse’s partner Diamante and a save by Hikaru Shida, which means the two Women’s Champions are teaming up against Ivelisse and Diamante next week. I’m really glad they’re getting the most out of Thunder Rosa’s visit. I do wish they’d announce the signing of Ivelisse and Diamante, though. They’re only the closest thing AEW has to Women’s Tag Team Champions.

The other best women’s match of the week was Shotzi Blackheart challenging Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship. Of course Io retained, as we all knew she would, but Shotzi came out of this match looking like a star with real main event potential, which is exactly what she needed. This match gives me hope that we will eventually see Shotzi as Champion, despite how crowded with talent the NXT Women’s Division can get.

Breezango defeated Imperium in a rematch for the NXT Tag Titles, in a really strong match. Breezango are the ultimate foils for Imperium, because they’re silly and irreverent, but then they’re also great wrestlers, so Imperium’s usual “I beat you up to prove I’m right” technique doesn’t work.

Damien Priest and Timothy Thatcher had a good main event for the NXT North American Championship, but I have to admit that neither of these guys is quite doing it for me yet. I’m honestly not sure if that’s on me for not giving them the attention they deserve (especially in the months before I started covering NXT, when I only watched sometimes), or if it’s a problem with either of them. I’m going to pay attention and give it some thought, and we’ll see if my opinion evolves.

That’s all for this week. Next week we have a special AEW Dynamite on Tuesday (which I’ll probably cover separately) and then both shows in their regular slots on Wednesday. NXT’s having a women’s battle royal and Orange Cassidy is fighting Mister Brodie Lee for the TNT Championship, so it should be a good week.

Who would have thought that giving the world access to all human knowledge via the internet, the ability to follow and hear from experts on any subject via social media, and the ability to see what’s happening anywhere in the world via smartphones with cameras would result in a terrifying percentage of the population believing and spouting nothing but falsehoods day in and day out?

Those of us who value facts, reason, and rational thought have found ourselves at some of our fellow citizens and thinking, “Really? THIS is how you choose to use the greatest tool humanity has ever created? To spew unfounded conspiracy theories?”

It’s a marvel, truly.

Between Coronavirus/Bill Gates/5G conspiracies and QAnon/Evil Cabal/Pedophile conspiracies, I thought we were pretty much full up on kooky for 2020. But apparently not. The massive fires up and down the West Coast have ignited even more conspiracy theories, some of which local law enforcement and even the FBI have had to debunk.

Can we please get off this timeline of insanity?

Thankfully, there are voices of reason out there. Pretty much any rumor you hear or see gets fact checked pretty quickly, so unless you’re so far gone that you think every single fact checking website is “in on it,” it’s not too hard to find the truth.

And sometimes, the truth comes in brief, refreshing, not-unattractive packages.

A firefighter who goes by the TikTok handle @wildlandmike shared a quick response video to a young woman’s ridiculous conspiracy-laden video about the Western fires. His delivery is perfect, and Twitter users are going gaga over it.

It doesn’t hurt that Wildland Mike fits the “hot firefighter” stereotype, and many of the responses were…well…thirsty. (As a colleague asked this morning, “Do they not let ugly people become firefighters or something?”) Good-looking experts spewing facts is a double whammy of attractiveness in the disinformation age. It is what it is.

But the comments also highlighted the unfortunate fact that this girl making the conspiracy video has an actual reach.

Just for funsies, I looked her up on TikTok. She has 2.6 million followers, SO THAT’S NEAT. Most of her content doesn’t appear to be this off the wall crazy, which actually makes it worse. Kids are going to follow her to see her talk about her dog or her having lived in an amusement park and then get hit with a conspiracy theory video. It’s also entirely possible that she makes conspiracy theory videos for a joke or as satire or something, but DON’T YOU KNOW SATIRE IS DEAD AND PEOPLE BELIEVE BATSH*T CRAZY THINGS IN 2020, @cierra_mistt???

Seriously, is there some kind of humanity reset button somewhere? Has anyone looked for one in earnest? Maybe it’s hidden under the edge of Flat Earth or on the belly button of Sasquatch or something.

At any rate, more firefighters fighting fiction with facts, please. It’s the content we all need right now.

Dear JK Rowling,

I am writing this letter to say a big thank you to you. You may think it strange that a gobby trans woman such as me would wish to thank you after all your recent transphobic outpourings, but let me explain…

I certainly don’t thank you for your lengthy essay last month where you describe the abuse you have suffered (for which you have my sympathy) and in which you stated that you do not hate trans people, while at the same time peddling even more anti-trans mis-information. Sadly, your diatribe directly caused some trans children to self-harm and other to attempt suicide.

I certainly don’t thank you for your latest book in which I am told (as I have no intention of buying a copy) that a central character is a man who dresses up as a woman in order to abuse women. Apparently, at one point he talks about being “pre-op”, a term that would be used for transgender people, not crossdressers.Either way, your key message in the story is that crossdressers or trans people are dangerous people, which in reality, couldn’t be further from the truth!We are not a threat to anyone.We just want to live our best lives in peace.

What I do thank you for is for the inspiration that you give me, as every time I see a transphobic message from you, it spurs me on with my mission to reach out to other trans people to let them know that it’s OK to be trans and also to educate as many non-trans people as I can to show them that trans people are just ordinary people who want to be safe, loved and happy – just like everyone else.

Happiness and peace can only come from within and I found both 2.5 years ago when I admitted to myself that I am a transgender woman, after living for 48 years as a man and living with gender dysphoria since the age of 3.I only hope that you may one day find the same inner peace and happiness that I have found by finally being able to live my truth and that you will no longer feel the need to cause harm to a group of people who you clearly do not understand.Even though there is a small minority of very noisy anti-trans campaigners who feel the same way as you, thankfully, the vast majority of people in the UK are hugely supportive of trans people and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Love from,

Katie x

This article originally appeared on Cool 2b Trans. You can read it here. Katie Neeves is a writer and activist. You can read her full bio here. You can find more from Katie via the links below:

Website: www.cool2btrans.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-neeves-trans-ambassador-43626814/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cool2btransTwitter: @cool2btrans

Instagram: cool2btrans

TikTok: @cool2btransYouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/Cool2BTrans