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SXSW has found itself in a bit of a controversy this year, as some artists have pulled out of the festival due to some of this year’s sponsors, including the US Army. Texas governor Greg Abbott relished in this news, though, tweeting yesterday (March 12), “Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”

SXSW then issued a statement on social media, making it clear they do “not agree with Governor Abbott,” though. The statement explains their decision to have the Army as a sponsor, and it reads in full:

“SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott.

We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.

Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It’s more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues.

The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.

The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.

We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”

Find SXSW’s tweets below.

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The “over or under” question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a “correct” way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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First, let’s be clear about what we’re even talking about here with a visual. In the image below, left is “over” and right is “under.”

So which one is the right way? According to health experts, “over” is the way to go.

“One key to maintaining a hygienic washroom is minimising contact between people and surfaces,” Dr. Christian Moro, associate professor of health sciences and medicine at Bond University on Australia’s Gold Coast, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Depending on the type of roll holder, [hanging the toilet paper “over”] often lowers the chance that a user will touch the wall behind when fishing for paper, leaving germs behind on that surface which can be spread to the next user.”

Picture it: Grabbing the end of the toilet paper when it’s hung “over” means you only touch the part of the toilet paper you’re going to use. When it’s “under,” you sometimes have to fish for it or scrape your fingers on the wall in order to grab the loose end. In addition to whatever might be on people’s hands already, think about all the people who wipe twice, potentially transferring fresh fecal matter or other bacteria to the wall on the second pass, which then get picked up by other people who inadvertently touch that wall when trying to grab their TP.

Theoretically, we all should have become better hand washers during the pandemic, scrubbing with soap for the full 20 seconds it takes to remove bacteria. But I wouldn’t be willing to bet on it.

And touching any surface in a bathroom is pretty nasty, according to a study from the University of Colorado. As Inc. reported: “Using a high-tech genetic sequencing tool, researchers identified 19 groups of bacteria on the doors, floors, faucet handles, soap dispensers, and toilets of 12 public restrooms in Colorado — six men’s restrooms and six women’s restrooms. Many of the bacteria strains identified could be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces.”

Bacteria means things like e.coli, which is a common source of food poisoning and one of the most common bacteria found on bathroom surfaces in the study. If you’ve ever had a bout of food poisoning, I’m sure you’ll agree that a toilet paper roll hanging preference isn’t worth risking it.

But sanitary health concerns aren’t the only argument for the “over” camp. After all, the original patent for the toilet paper roll, issued in 1891, clearly shows the TP in the “over” position. Thank you for the clarity right from the get go, Mr. Wheeler.

Now, before the “under” folks come running with their pitchforks, there are some understandable exceptions to the “over” rule. Namely: cats and kids.

If you have a furry friend or a tiny toddler who likes to unroll the toilet paper roll, “over” makes it super fun for them, while “under” stops them in their tracks. For many people, cats and kids are the primary motivator of their TP hanging habits.

That doesn’t change the fact that “over” is actually the “correct” way to hang toilet paper according to health science and the inventor’s intention, of course, but “under” is certainly preferable to having a pile of TP on the floor.

Now go forth, do that with information as you will, and try to make peace with your over vs. under rivals.

After playing the entirely of the first quarter during Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kawhi Leonard went to the bench and eventually made his way into the back. Not long after, Leonard changed out of his uniform into street clothes and left the arena altogether, according to Stephanie Ready of TNT.

Further footage showed that Leonard appeared to say something to Ty Lue prior to the start of the second quarter.

While the two teams were in the locker room for halftime, Leonard was unsurprisingly ruled out for the remainder of the game with thoracic spasms.

At the time of his departure, Leonard had six points on 2-for-4 shooting from the field with two rebounds and two assists.

Long viewed as the poster child of the NBA’s load management era, Leonard has been quite durable for the Clippers during the 2023-24 campaign. Tuesday night’s game against Minnesota was Leonard’s 58th of the year, which is officially the most that he’s played in a single season since joining Los Angeles in the summer of 2019.

We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes public about Leonard’s injury and whether he’ll need to miss any time going forward.

Abbott Elementary is a Wednesday show, but this week was a bit different. Instead of airing its sixth episode on its normal day, it got bumped to that Sunday, airing right after the Oscars. That meant it had to follows such headline-nabbing events as a nude John Cena, John Mulaney doing a leftfield Field of Dreams rant, and a most welcome dog. It even had some carry-over: Bradley Cooper’s Maestro was shut out of its seven nominations, but at least he got to guest-star on Abbott.

But what does that mean for Episode 7? Will that get delayed till next week? Or will Abbott heads be rewarded with two episodes in only a few days? And when will that one drop on Hulu?

The answer is: Episode 7 is going right back to normal, airing on its usual weekday, i.e., this Wednesday, March 13, a mere four days after Episode 6 aired. That means the episode will be available on Hulu on Thursday, March 14, at 3am EST.

On Episode 6, the titular school was named a Philadelphia historical landmark, but the celebration went awry. Here’s what happens in Episode 7, per the IMDb: “Janine [Quinta Brunson] spearheads a pilot program that brings a librarian to Abbott; Melissa [Lisa Ann Walter] and Jacob [Chris Perfetti] deal with some big changes at home.”

To recap: Hulu subscribers can watch Abbott Elementary, Season 3 Episode 7 starting at 3am on Thursday, March 11. Of course, it’s a school night, so best to catch it that morning at the earliest.

It is not easy coming to grips with all the stuff Victor Wembanyama can do on the basketball court. We’ve written about insane highlights of his over and over again throughout his rookie season in the NBA, because while the San Antonio Spurs are not very good, he has somehow been better than advertised — remember, he came into the league having to clear the very high bar of being the best prospect since LeBron James, which he’s done to this point in his career.

There is just no answer for some of the stuff he’s able to do because of his mix of length, skill, and athleticism. Here’s an example from the Spurs’ game against the Houston Rockets, where Wembanyama had the ball on the low block and dunked after he just kinda scooped the ball with one hand and then went full extension. My words cannot describe it nearly well enough to sum up how crazy it is, so I apologize for wasting your time up to this point. Here it is:

Seriously, how are you supposed to stop him from doing this other than just tackling him out of bounds? Anyway, we hope you have a great rest of your night, and we will be sure to let you know if Wembanyama does any other insane stuff.

Bill Moczulewski is a 57-year-old hardworking janitor at Walmart in Cabot, Arkansas. He works the night shifts from Tuesday through Friday, 10 pm to 7 am. Bill lives 5 miles from his job, and he has to walk there and back every day, no matter the weather conditions.

The entire walk, round trip, takes about 2 hours a day.

According to GoFundMe, Bill used to ride his bike to work but was struck by a car one day, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from returning to his job. He’s such a hard worker that he still made it to work using a walker. A few years later, Bill was struck by a car again.

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A long walk like that could be troublesome for most people, but Bill is legally blind, which makes the trek even more dangerous. “I don’t call out,” Bill told CBS News. “I want to work.”

A couple of years ago, Christy Conrad saw Bill on his daily walk and offered him a ride. The two struck up a friendship and she vowed to give him a ride whenever she could. “He’s going to go to work no matter what,” Christy said. “I picked him up in nine degrees the other morning.”

Unfortunately, Christy couldn’t always be there for Bill, so she created a Facebook group called Mr. BIll’s Village to build a team to help Bill get to work and back. Now, group members drive around looking for Bill and give him a ride if they can. It’s like Cabot has its own game of “Where’s Waldo” going on in the streets. Village members watch for Bill, pull over and give him a ride if he needs one.

The group is a way for members to come together to ensure that Bill can get around and members also pick him up meals from time to time, too.

Today, the group has nearly 4,000 followers and Bill just about always has a ride to work. “It’s never the same person from one day to the next. There’s a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know,” Bill said.

To help with Bill’s commute, Chris Puckett, a local auto dealer, offered to give Bill a car. But given his vision problems, a car wouldn’t do him much good. So he gave the gift to Christy.

The group has also established a GoFundMe campaign to help Bill with his expenses. Christy has been using the money to get him a bite to eat from time to time. They recently enjoyed some Domino’s pizza Bill hadn’t had in quite a while.

The story of Bill Moczulewski and the village that supports him is a wonderful example for all to share. If you work hard, you can inspire others to work hard for you. “It’s never the same person from one day to the next. There’s a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know,” Moczulewski said.

Neil Young‘s music is officially coming back to Spotify. The singer-songwriter revealed today (March 12) via his newsletter Neil Young Archives that he made the executive decision to put his music back on the platform after it was no longer the exclusive home for The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Though Young didn’t call out Rogan or the podcast in the letter, he previously had removed his entire catalog from Spotify due to Rogan spreading misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and preventative vaccines and measures.

The Joe Rogan Experience is also now available on Apple and Amazon streaming platforms.

“My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY,” Young said. “I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it.”

You can read Young’s full statement below.

Spotify, the #1 streamer of low res music in the world – Spotify where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again.

My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY. I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it. Qobuz and Tidal, where my music is presented, are all High res as well.

I hope all you millions of Spotify users enjoy my songs! They will now all be there for you except for the full sound we created. Hopefully Spotify will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone.

Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and the listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!

Thanks for your support folks!

Neil

Nearly a year after dropping his fourth studio album, Timeless., Davido is still riding the high. After all, the music has proven to align with the album’s title — timeless. Today (March 12), the Nigerian superstar shared the video for “Away,” a fan-favorite song from Timeless

In the video for “Away,” Davido reaps the fruits of his later. As one of the biggest names in Afrofusion, he has certainly earned the right to party. Throughout the clip, Davido flies across the world in private jets and parties at some of the most lavish clubs.

Afrofusion and Afrobeats music has seen a boom across the world, with several artists within the realm dominating streaming charts. In an interview with Ebony, Davido credited the spread of Afrofusion to social media. And through it all, he has his team and his day ones by his side.

“We have social media now and it’s easier to find stuff,” said Davido. “It’s easier to connect the two cultures. The two cultures are the Western culture and African culture. So I feel like Afrobeat is that bridge right now that’s really bridging the gap between the two cultures and bringing both cultures together.”

IYou can see the video for “Away” above.

The 2024 NFL free agency class looked to be loaded at the top with defensive line talent, both on the inside and on the edge, but unsurprisingly as the deadline to keep players from hitting the open market approached, teams got to work locking up some of the top stars on the defensive front.

Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike landed lucrative long-term deals to stay in Kansas City and Baltimore respectively, while Josh Allen and Brian Burns each got the franchise tag from the Jaguars and Panthers. That meant the top available EDGE rusher was unquestionably Danielle Hunter, as the Vikings star pass rusher was coming off of a season in which he racked up 16.5 sacks along with four forced fumbles and 83 combined tackles.

Hunter has reached double figures in sacks in each of his last four healthy seasons (he missed 9 games in 2021), proving himself as a consistent threat to put heat on opposing quarterbacks. That is something every team is looking for, and he figured to find a fairly robust market for his services once free agency opened.

The team that moved in to land Hunter was the Houston Texans, who gave him a two-year, almost fully guaranteed $49 million deal to form a formidable pass rush duo with the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Will Anderson.

It is effectively a defensive end swap, as the Vikings signed Jonathan Greenard to a long-term deal to replace Hunter, and the Texans responded in kind by going out and signing Hunter. Anderson and Hunter figure to give opposing tackles nightmares, and it’s little surprise Houston would look to the defensive side of the ball for a splash signing to further bolster DeMeco Ryans’ group.

Abbott Elementary is having quite a star-studded third season. In the first six episodes alone, the Award-winning sitcom has had guest spots from Josh Segarra, Casey Frey, Sabrina Brier, Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, and most recently Bradley Cooper. It seems like everybody who’s anybody is vying for a spot on Abbott — including one St. Louis rapper.

Today (March 13), “Skee-Yee” hitmaker Sexyy Red expressed interest in appearing on the show.

“How I get on Abbott elementary?,” said the rapper in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Though she didn’t expand upon this, nor has the show’s creator Quinta Brunson responded, it wouldn’t be the first time a rapper has guest starred on Abbott Elementary. Last season, Vince Staples had a multi-episode arc.

Plus, this is all part of Sexyy’s plan to become a household name, as she previously revealed in an interview with Billboard.

I’m going to just be getting richer, bigger, more trendier. I’m going to be everywhere,” she says. “I’m going to be in it for the long haul, [but] not even on purpose, though. Even if I try to stop rapping, they’re going to take some sh*t, turn it into something, put me on the blogs, make it something it doesn’t even have to be, so Imma be here for a minute.”