People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably there will be times when your child’s feelings are hurt so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter’s classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn’t prepared for what came next. The classmate’s mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia’s daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it too.

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That may seem like a small thing to some, but the small gesture healed a little bit of Soogia’s inner child. Growing up as a Korean kid in California, Soogia’s experience was a bit different than what her children are now experiencing.

“I guess I just never thought that my kids would be the generation of kids that could go to school and not only just proudly eat, but share their food with other kids that were just so open and accepting to it,” Soogia says through tears. “Knowing that they don’t sit there eating their food, feeling ashamed and wishing that their fried rice was a bagel instead or something like that. And I know, it sounds so small and it sounds so stupid, but knowing their experience at school is so different from mine in such a positive way is just so hopeful.”

Soogia’s tearful video pulled on the heartstrings of her viewers who shared their thoughts in the comments.

“Soogia! It will never be small. Your culture is beautiful & the littles are seeing that every day. You’ve even taught me so much. I’m grateful for you,” one person says.

“Beautiful! I can see your inner child healing in so many ways,” another writes.

“Welp. Now I’m sobbing at the airport. This is beautiful,” someone reveals.

“These Gen Alpha babies really are a different, kinder generation. I love them so much,” one commenter gushes.

You can hear the entire story below. You may want to grab a tissue.

@soogia1

These kids, man. They’re really something else. #culturalappreciation #breakingbread #sharing #

According to sales guru and business expert Mike Manzi, there is a subtle but powerful difference between the attitudes of people he deems “high” or “low” performers, whether in academics or their professional lives.

He shared the observation in a video he recently posted to TikTok. “I just overheard someone and, even in a 10-second conversation, I knew they were a high performer,” Manzi started his video.

“They were some kid in college and they just were like, ‘You know, I don’t get it. As long as you just go to class, study, listen to what they’re talking about, and then try to apply it to your own personal life, how do you not get an A?’” he continued.

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How to spot a high performer by eavesdropping 

@officialsalesleadertips

How to spot a high performer by eavesdropping #highperformer #highperformancehabits #salesleader #sales

Manzi believes the underlying message is to “Do every single thing and do it well.” The high performer sees operating on a high level as “normal,” whereas the low performer sees doing the basics, such as studying or going to class, as a chore. It’s the difference between having a genuine interest in success and being satisfied with doing the bare minimum.

Just about everyone in the comments agreed with Manzi.

“Yes, and when you inevitably run into a roadblock, you don’t say ‘It’s hard, I can’t do it’; you figure out what key part you misunderstood, get help if you need it, then move on,” Messnabout wrote. “Truly!! Bc then you’re in the workforce and everyone acts like doing the bare min is pulling teeth. Just do the bare min and then a little extra and managers stay off your back…easy,” Sherri added.

If you ever find yourself ini Pennsylvania in need of auto repair and self care, look no further than Girls Auto Clinic.

At GAC, customers can not only get the usual car services—like oil changes, tire rotations, figuring out the reason behind a check engine light, etc.—they can enjoy free WiFi, snacks and beverages, countless books, and even a mani-pedi at the “Clutch Beauty Clinic” nail salon while they wait.

Plus, their services are done by an all-female repair team, aka “shecanics.” Honestly, what’s not to like?

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The auto shop-beauty parlor hybrid is the brainchild of Patrice Banks, who began taking mechanic classes to protect herself from getting ripped off. Her feelings are not unfounded—men are statistically more likely than men to be condescended to or get overcharged. Shocking, I know.

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“I was tired of feeling helpless and having to go talk to a guy,” she told the Int. Business Times. “I was afraid I was going to be taken advantage of.”

Having no luck in finding a female mechanic, she decided to become one herself. So she enrolled in night classes that would allow her to continue working as an engineer at DuPont.

Eventually, Banks would leave that job behind to start her own business to make auto repair less of a “chore.”

And that’s where the mani-pedis come in. Banks explained to NPR that “me and my girlfriend that I worked with at DuPont would go to this specific Jiffy Lube on our lunch break because there was a nail salon next to it. We’d drop our cars off and we’d walk next door and get our nails done while we waited.” And thus, the idea to combine the two was born.

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But GAC also offers women more than a safe place to get a tune up and some pampering. It also offers car care memberships, car care education classes, and hands-on mechanic workshops for women looking to learn the skills for themselves. That way no one has to feel helpless.

For Banks, the biggest priority is making sure her customers feel safe. And her primary strategy for this is simple, transparent communication, knowing that if a mechanic can “hear, see, feel and smell” what’s going on under the hood, the customer can too.

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“People are coming in, especially women, with that guard up. In order to get them to trust you, you have to let that guard down. So No. 1 is just listening to them and respecting their opinion. Looking at them when they’re talking to you. … Stand in front of them and talk to them, and I make sure they don’t leave without feeling comfortable about spending their money,” she told NPR.

While Banks’ business idea might be one-of-a-kind, it is part of a bigger trend. More women are entering the auto repair industry than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up only 1.4% of the industry in 1999. In 2022, it shot to 12%. Just like with all things regarding gender inequality, there is still progress to be made. But we have made some pretty great strides.

While we’re at it, enjoy Banks’ Tedx Talk about disrupting the auto industry:

Ridley Scott’s first Alien film terrified audiences in 1979, and James Cameron’s 1986 followup, Aliens, forever cemented fearsome “facehuggers” within the public lexicon. Those iconic early films made effective use of claustrophobic settings within space ships, and from what we have seen thus far, 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus will take the franchise back to those horrific roots, where atmosphere is as vital as any character in the story. The franchise also includes less well-received movies witinin the original series, along with multiple Alien Vs. Predator movies and a pair of Prometheus installments.

Additionally, FX is currently filming an Alien prequel series from Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley. That show’s cast includes Timothy Olyphant, Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, and Essie Davis, and the story is set in Thailand (where Xenomorphs arrive and presumably run amuck) as a prequel that begins 70 years before the 1979 film. That story stands separately from Alien: Romulus, a film arriving this year and the topic of our discussion today.

Plot

Alien: Romulus is directed by Fede Álvarez, the master of seat-handle-gripping suspense with 2016’s Don’t Breathe and a horror king in his own right with 2013’s Evil Dead (both films starring Jane Levy in scream-queen mode). That should tell everyone plenty about how well he will navigate the ship-based confines of this interquel that takes place in between the first two Alien movies. Ridley Scott is onboard as producer, and the synopsis is chilling in its brevity: “Young people on a distant world find themselves confronting the most terrifying life-form in the universe.”

Yep, a new generation beyond Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and colleagues have become the main focus of Xenomorphs in space. Álvarez recently told Entertainment Weekly that “[t]he characters are very blue collar, like the best versions of these movies, but they’re way younger than before.” He added that this idea came to him while “watching the extended cut of Aliens, where you can see a bunch of kids running around the corridors of one of the colonies and go, ‘wow, what it would it be like for those kids when they turned 20? Growing up in a place with no future? Would they want to stay there and do what their parents did, or leave that place?’”

Álvarez also pointedly took pains, along with production designer Naaman Marshall, to take the franchise back to the cinematic feel of the original Alien movie, so get ready to be scared out of your wits, people. 20th Century Studios must have had great faith in the project, too, given that the original plan was to release this movie on Hulu before switching to theatrical mode.

Cast

Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) leads the cast with Isabela Merced, Aileen Wu, Archie Renaux, David Johnson, and Spike Feam also confined in the infested ship.

Release Date

Alien: Romulus face-hugs into theaters on August 16.

Trailer

Try not to hold your breath while watching this trailer. Not possible!

Chris Paul‘s evening came to an early end on Friday night. With six seconds left in the Golden State Warriors‘ 123-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Paul had a seemingly innocuous back-and-forth with referee Tony Brothers that led to him getting sent to the locker room just before everyone else. Paul didn’t protest all that much, so it’s easy to think this one was deserved.

The story behind all of this, it turns out, is pretty hilarious. Paul explained what happened after the game, and it all revolved around calling Brothers a name.

“Ah, man, old Tony,” Paul said. “He’s talking to me, I talk back. I called him a TikToker and I got a tech.”

Paul explained that this earned him the first tech, and that he didn’t do anything other than call Brothers a TikToker.

“The second one, I just said that’s too much power,” Paul continued. “Gave me another tech.”

When asked to clarify what a TikToker meant, Paul said that Brothers is “the judge, the jury, and all that.” It’s a bit of a strange thing to call a referee, but fortunately, Paul explained everything when he posted a TikTok of a podcast appearance Brothers did where he called himself this to his Instagram Story.

“I don’t even really care too much for basketball,” Brothers says in the clip. “I’m the judge, the jury, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, everybody.”

This is some absolutely hilarious behavior by Paul to not only have this clip all loaded up in the event Brothers tossed him from the game, but to do all the stuff that he did leading up to it. Paul’s not exactly known for having the friendliest relationship with referees, but this is on another level.

Tyla told a hilarious story about meeting Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, during a pre-Grammy gala last month. The “Water” musician did an interview with People Magazine about the night they met, where she revealed she was very confused by the encounter.

“I had no idea,” she shared. “I didn’t know who she was, honestly, but I think she may have known [me] because she asked to take a picture with me.” The photo of the two soon made the rounds online, which left many wanting to know the backstory.

“I was like, ‘OK, cool,’” Tyla added. “She held my hand, and I was like, ‘Are you sure we should hold hands?’ Because I didn’t know. I was kind of feeling a bit tight, but she was like, ‘Hold my hand, hold my hand.’ It was cute.”

Throughout the rest of that party, Tyla also met Cher — and freaked out because she knew her as one of her idols. “I was like, ‘What the heck?’ I was literally in so much shock. I love her,” Tyla dished. “She’s always been an inspo… I can’t wait to even tell my kids, that’s how much of a good time I had.”

Check out the wild full photo of Tyla and Nancy Pelosi at the Grammy Awards below.

And now, a brief reminder of some of the ridiculous Victor Wembanyama highlights that we have blogged over the first 61 games of his NBA career:

1. That time he just stole the ball from Jeremy Sochan in mid-air and dunked.
2. He had a reverse alley-oop but barely jumped.
3. There was a stretch of 45 seconds against the Lakers where he morphed into a God.
4. This one-legged three from 30 feet out.
5. This, and this, and also this.

That’s just a collection of them! Wembanyama is a highlight machine, as it’s clear NBA teams have no clue what to do with him sometimes as things have started to click for him. So let’s fast forward to Friday night’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies and see if he does anything wild … oh, cool, there’s this.

Pretty good! Anyway, let’s keep watching the game and GOOD LORD WHAT IS THIS?

So, here, we have Victor Wembanyama enveloping an attempted layup by GG Jackson, starting the break, passing the ball to Devin Vassell, continuing to run, taking off from outside of the restricted area, catching a lob, adjusting in mid-air, and throwing down an absolutely hellacious alley-oop. Another angle on the dunk:

Yeah, the rest of the league is doomed.

Cypress Hill will make another prediction from The Simpsons come true, after teasing it last August. Well, sort of. According to Consequence, the cartoon series included a scene about the rap group booking the London Symphony Orchestra to play with them, all because they were high. Although the joke happened decades ago, and some might not remember it, it seems the band hasn’t forgotten.

They recently announced a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on July 10. The “Insane In The Brain” band will also be accompanied by a 71-piece orchestra. Arrangements of the band’s songs will be conducted by LSO’s Troy Miller.

Fans previously saw Cypress Hill getting even closer to The Simpsons joke last year after they had a similar orchestral backing for some San Diego performances. And while this isn’t exactly the London Symphony Orchestra, it is an orchestra that will be in London, so it’s close enough.

Those looking to attend Cypress Hill’s London show can register to participate in a ticket pre-sale that takes place at 10 a.m. (presumably London time) Tuesday, March 26. The general sale will then open to the public at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27. Registration for the pre-sale will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 25.

For more information about Cypress Hill’s London orchestra show, visit AEG here to register for tickets or the official Royal Albert Hall website for the general sale.

Cardi B, in typical fashion, did not hold back on the haters of her being on Flo Milli’s remix of “Never Lose Me” alongside SZA. During a recent Instagram Live, Cardi walked around and had some words for her followers.

“When the Flo Milli remix came out, b*tches were acting like they were so mad that I was on it,” she said. “‘Cardi not even gonna sound good on this.’ And then when it came out, you know the haters — some of them didn’t even hear it. They was like, ‘She just don’t go with the song.’ And now there’s over 10,000 TikToks of people talking about, ‘B*tch could never be me in her life!’”

“And the artist — which is Flo Milli — said she f*cking loved the verse,” Cardi added. “And she’s a real b*tch. She ain’t gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah I love it!’ just because she wanted me on the song. She loved it. And SZA loved it, b*tch. I wanna say this why you can’t listen to no f*cking body.”

Flo Milli had dropped the remix of the song a few days earlier, as part of her Fine Ho, Stay album.

Check out a clip of Cardi B’s Instagram Live here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Future, Metro Boomin, Big Sean, and more.

Poor Big Sean. He’s got a new single out, his first in two years, and it’s really good, but once again, Kendrick Lamar stepped on his moment with a world-shaking, competition-baiting verse.

Now, it seems a lot of the oxygen is being taken up by discussion about Kendrick’s declaration of war against Drake and J. Cole — even for the album on which it appears, Future & Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You. Still, there were other notable releases in hip-hop this week.

Bryson Tiller made his comeback with “Calypso,” the first single from his upcoming self-titled album.

J. Cole teased his new music (and his upcoming sneakers) with another installment of his “Might Delete Later” vlogs.

Lil Yachty continued his global takeover with Nemzzz on “It’s Us.”

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending March 22, 2024.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Cakes Da Killa — Black Sheep

Sometimes, catching a wave in rap is just a matter of timing — and the timing is working in Cakes Da Killa’s favor. A longtime advocate of the hip-house subgenre, his latest 11-track offering has arrived in a much more receptive climate than his early mixtapes, as the dance music space has turned once again to the inner cities where the genre was founded. Hip-hop and house have long been linked but as the bond has strengthened in the past year, Black Sheep sits in a prime position to skyrocket Cakes to stardom.

Future X Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You

Once you get past the elephant in the room, the long-awaited joint album turned out to be well worth the wait. In addition to standout guest turns from the likes of Playboi Carti, Rick Ross, Travis Scott, and of course, the devastating Kendrick Lamar verse. Metro and Future push each other in ways unique to their working relationship, even beyond the great stuff they’ve turned out alongside other artists. We Don’t Trust You is one of those rare moments everything comes together.

Joyner Lucas — Not Now I’m Busy

The Massachusetts rapper put a few years of distance between his last full-length album, ADHD, and the growth is evident right away. While he has spent the past four years releasing sporadic singles to show off his creativity and rhyme acumen — notably, through tracks with A-listers like J. Cole, Future, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk — he’s clearly taken the lessons learned since then to build a more cohesive creative sensibility Not Now is the first real indication that Eminem’s anointed has a long and consistent future in front of him.

Singles/Videos

Kash Doll — “Pressin’” Feat. Tee Grizzley

Two of the hottest names in Detroit team up for a straightforward street stomper. Kash Doll hasn’t been super prolific since releasing her debut album Stacked in 2019, but with her DJ Drama mixtape Back On Dexter last year and now this new single, it looks like she could be warming up for a strong comeback — just in time to rub metaphorical elbows with fellow rising women rappers like GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and more.

Lil Mosey — “Life Goes On”

Second chances don’t come along often in the music business. Lil Mosey’s current attempt at a career reset comes after some uncomfortable implications but he hopes to bounce back and regain some of the momentum he accrued early in his career with “Blueberry Faygo.” “Life Goes On,” with its somber, reflective lyrics and grunge-rock leanings, is a nod toward the growing up he’s had to do in such a short time.

Roc Marciano — “Gold Crossbow”

Roc Marci has long been one of underground rap’s premiere wordsmiths, and he’s got a new album, Marciology, on the way. “Gold Crossbow” is a solid first single that deftly sets the stage for the full project, which will feature Jay Worthy, Larry June, and more.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.