You might not believe this, but Tom Cruise wasn’t always a death-defying action star. In fact, he’s mostly doing the action star thing in reverse. Despite Top Gun — in which he’s mostly sitting down — he didn’t really do action movies until the first Mission: Impossible, when he was in his mid-30s. Before that, as a young, strapping Adonis, he mostly did dramas. Did you know he’s been Oscar-nominated for his acting three times? Now that he’s, well, in his 60s Cruise reportedly wouldn’t mind going back to misspent youth, doing movies where he doesn’t have to literally put his life in danger to entertain — a thing, mind you, he didn’t really start doing until he was nearly 50.
Buried in a sprawling piece about Warner Bros. Discovery by Variety is a bit about Cruise, who’s teamed up with them to make movies in an un-exclusive manner, despite the company having a nasty habit of deleting completed films to save a couple bucks. Variety reports that Cruise doesn’t just want to make big, splashy franchise movies with them. He’d also, the article claims, “like to return to working with auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson.”
Indeed, Cruise’s most recent acting nomination is for 1999’s Magnolia, Anderson’s third feature and his first after Boogie Nights. Cruise went well against type to play sleazy, repulsively confident but secretly self-loathing proto-MRA motivational speaker T.J. Mackey, one of the movie’s ensemble of San Fernando Valley sadsacks who aren’t sure what to do when it suddenly [spoiler!] starts raining frogs.
Back in the day Cruise made a lot of serious movies for adult moviegoers. Believe it or not! After his breakthroughs Risky Business and Top Gun, he worked with no less than Martin Scorsese, shooting pool to Warren Zevon in The Color of Money. His first Oscar nomination was for Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, though he should have netted that honor for the previous year’s Rain Man. Cruise held his shouty own with Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, and he was at his arguable best in Jerry Maguire, his second Oscar nom. (And he’s excellent, apparently riffing on his fear of aging, in his and Cameron Crowe’s underrated reunion, Vanilla Sky.) Even after Cruise crossed over into Ethan Hunt Land, he would still do things like going gray and psychotic for Michael Mann’s more serious actioner Collateral or spend over a year shooting with Stanley Kubrick for the once semi-maligned, now beloved Eyes Wide Shut.
Anyway, point is, Tom Cruise, serious thespian is something the movies have been missing. Put the guy in a suit, make him stand in rooms talking to other humans, and you’ll see he can make that as cinematically thrilling as hanging off the Burj Khalifa, maybe even moreso. More importantly, maybe it’ll be him who can finally vanquish WBD cartoon villain David Zaslav.
Montréal’s Osheaga Festival is returning this year. SZA, Noah Kahan, and Green Day will headline the fest, which is being held at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 2-4. Hozier, The Smashing Pumpkins, Justice, Reneé Rapp, Dominic Fike, Skepta, Martin Garrix, Melanie Martinez, Lil Tjay, Jungle, Hamza, Still Woozy, and more will also be performing throughout the weekend.
Given that the lineup was just revealed, fans of any of the artists playing might be wondering how they can lock down tickets. Here’s what to know.
What isn’t on sale just yet, however, are the single-day passes. If you are an American Express cardholder, you can access the presale for these right now until tomorrow, February 22 at 10 p.m. ET. From there, these will open to the general public on Friday, February 23 at 10 a.m. ET.
For more information about Osheaga Festival 2024, visit their official website.
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Hozier recently continued his Unreal Unearth Tour by playing the first of two nights at the Pepi Center WTC in Mexico City. With his second performance taking place Wednesday, February 21, and more shows scheduled around the globe, it seems he’s going to have another busy year.
Hozier is also set to make appearances at many festivals along the way, including Lollapalooza Argentina, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and more all while playing regular shows too. For those looking to know what to expect song-wise, below is what he’s been playing.
Throughout his recent show, Hozier treated fans to some of his biggest hits, including “Cherry Wine” and “Take Me To Church.” This follows his run of shows last year, when he completed the European and North American legs of the tour.
Continue scrolling to view Hozier’s Mexico City setlist for an idea of what to expect, according to Setlist.FM. A complete list of upcoming shows, along with more information, can be found here.
Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour Setlist 2024
1. “De Selby (Part 1)”
2. “De Selby (Part 2)”
3. “Jackie And Wilson”
4. “From Eden”
5. “Francesca”
6. “To Be Alone”
7. “Dinner & Diatribes”
8. “Movement”
9. “Cherry Wine”
10. “I, Carrion (Icarian)”
11. “Like Real People Do”
12. “Abstract (Psychopomp)”
13. “First Time”
14. “Would That I”
15. “Almost (Sweet Music)”
16. “Eat Your Young”
17. “First Light”
18. “Take Me To Church”
19. “Nina Cried Power”
20. “Unknown/Nth”
21. “Work Song”
Nothing beats late-night churros coated in chocolate after a night of drinking and dancing at the local clubs or partying at Mad Cool Festival (2024 dates are July 10-13). And while that might sound like a fun rarity on American soil, dancing + churros are like… an average Wednesday in Madrid. A lowkey night, TBH.
As anyone who has been there knows — and Uproxx goes a lot — the energy in Madrid truly can’t be beat. In a city full of exciting nightlife, incredible paella, interesting shops, and more, Spain’s capital is the ideal location if you’re looking to experience… it all. The city really offers so much for travelers. Especially travelers who like to party — as the streets of Madrid are busy well into the night, with locals heading to meet their friends for late dinners, travelers exploring the markets, and people looking to experience the city’s hedonistic side.
From restaurants and nightclubs to markets, art, and (after a whole lot of late nights) where to stay, here are some of the best things to do and see while you’re in Madrid.
When it comes to choosing the right place to stay in Madrid, location is a huge factor. Of course, you’ll want a nice hotel with proper amenities, but a great location makes it super convenient to explore the city on foot and can save you a fortune on Ubers or Bolt rides.
The Hotel Montera in Madrid dates back to the 1920s, tying a little history into the boutique hotel. Although it was built nearly a century ago, it’s filled with all of the modern amenities you crave while traveling like strong Wi-Fi, plenty of plugs and charging stations, and a comfortable bed. It’s within walking distance from plenty of cute neighborhoods and things to do, including some local boutique shops, seasonal markets, restaurants, cafés, and more.
In the suites, guests get a nice view of the city and a clawfoot soaking tub, perfect for warming up after a night of exploring. The fridge is even stocked with high-quality jamon and caviar in case you’re feeling boujee AF…because macadamia nuts and mini cans of Pringles won’t cut it.
If you’re looking for something a little more local, this 19th-century mansion turned-boutique hotel is set in a beautiful area of Madrid called Salesas. Their design stuck out to me big time with colorful walls, bold design choices, carefully selected art, and a lot of character. No shocker here — the property won big in the design category at the 5th annual World Boutique Hotel Awards. They have your everyday amenities, as well as some unique ones like the Thai Wellness Room, where they offer wellness treatments from around the world with inspiration from Bali, India, Thailand, and more.
If you splurge for a suite, some of the rooms have giant soaking tubs, which is such a bonus in my opinion that it makes the expense well worth it. There’s nothing quite like soaking in a tub with some bubbles at the end of a long day.
Admittedly, I’m not always a fan of the hotel bars and restaurants. Sometimes they can just be really basic, and you end up with a room-temperature burger and soggy fries. La Braserí delivers delicious food like tenderloin, perfectly cooked and topped with foie gras and tuna belly. They have an extensive list of local wines (I’d suggest the Navaherreros Garnacha de Bernabeleva 2021) and cocktails, like a negroni or an old fashioned, to pair with your meal, too.
It’s a great option, especially if you’re just flying in and looking for something both convenient and tasty.
For breakfast or even a late-night snack, head over to San Ginés for an order of their chocolate and churros. They’ve been around since the 1890s, serving some of the best in Madrid. Their perfectly crisp churros dunked in rich chocolate are a real treat.
If you like variety, the San Miguel Market is a great spot to taste a selection of tapas. The market has been around since the early 1900s, dishing out everything from freshly made mozzarella and burrata, to seafood tapas and pickled goodies. To drink, you’ll find a stocked spritz bar (La Spritzeria), Estrella Damm (a famous lager around since the 1870s), and countless Spanish wines.
Street Food & Shop Fare
While visiting Madrid, there are plenty of places to experience the local cuisine. If you’re a fan of calamari, don’t leave without trying the bocadillo de calamares (essentially a calamari sandwich). Lhardy Restaurante is the ideal place to try the city’s famous Madrileño stew loaded with beans, veggies, and plenty of meat like sausage and Iberian bacon.
Of course, the local wines are always a great choice (ask your server for suggested pairings), but they also have cocktails like their famous whiskey sour or a gin fizz. If you’re looking for good paella, Casa de Valencia has a delicious seafood option, definitely big enough for two.
Exploring the streets of Madrid
PART III — What To Do
City Center
Plaza Mayor, Madrid
Explore the city center on your own or with a guide. I highly recommend getting a private guide, especially if you’re interested in history and architecture. If it’s a private tour, it can be tailored to your interests and preferences. Stroll through the city center to see the Royal Theater and Palace, centenary shops, and various neighborhoods.
If you’re looking for something unique, Medias Puri is a different kind of experience. It looks like a basic haberdashery, but at night it turns into a raging nightclub full of dancing and a party atmosphere, with cocktails flowing.
Both a restaurant and a club, Panthera has a bit of a Japanese twist and plenty of incredible cocktails. After a couple of drinks, you can spend the night dancing to anything from modern hits to cultural music.
Teatro Barcelo has been popular since the 80s and is known for their packed calendar of events and concerts. They offer a late-night dance club and often host concerts and rock shows within the venue for guests to dance to.
Gunilla is on the newer side in Madrid, compared to some of the other nightclubs that have been around for a while now. It has a cool vibe with towering ceilings and unique light fixtures, giving the ambiance a touch of elegance. Spend all night dancing to house music and sipping on drinks, or splurge for VIP access if you want to ball out. You’re worth it.
If you’re looking to go out, but you’re not feeling a club environment tonight, the Jungle Jazz Club is a great option. Not only are they known for their good drinks and food, but they usually have live music like soul, flamenco, and more.
PinkPantheress recently kicked off The Capable Of Love Tour, performing the first show at Dublin, Ireland’s 3Olympia Theatre on Tuesday, February 20. Tomorrow night, she’s set to continue the European leg of her tour in Manchester, England before eventually heading to London, Amsterdam, Paris, and more.
For those who have tickets to see PinkPantheress at an upcoming performance, there might be questions about which songs one can expect to see performed. According to Setlist.FM, most of the setlist from her Dublin show were selections from her recent album, Heaven Knows. (Yes, “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” does get played.)
Fans familiar with her earlier work are also in luck, as she included tracks like “Break It Off” and more from her 2022 record, To Hell With It.
More information about getting tickets can be found on her website. Continue scrolling to view her setlist from opening night.
PinkPantheress’ The Capable Of Love Tour 2024 Setlist
1. “Break It Off”
2. “I Must Apologise”
3. “Mosquito”
4. “Pain”
5. “Passion”
6. “Just For Me”
7. “Where You Are”
8. “Capable Of Love”
9. “The Aisle”
10. “Take Me Home”
11. “Attracted To You”
12. “Bury Me”
13. “Feel Complete”
14. “Angel”
15. “Another Life”
16. “True Romance”
17. “Reason”
18. “Blue”
19. “Picture In My Mind”
20. “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2”
21. “Internet Baby (Interlude)”
22. “Nice To Meet You”
PinkPantheress is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
New York City may be the greatest metropolis in America, but to some it recently did a bad bad thing. On Friday, a Manhattan judge ordered Donald Trump to pay the whopping sum of $354.8 million (plus interest) after being found liable of fraud. There’s already been talk of a backlash by truckers who’d refuse to delivery goods to Trump’s hometown (though so far that one hasn’t materialized). Now it seems like — dry your eyes — Fox News could be driven down south.
Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld: “Trump is below the law… Trump is 100% innocent in this.”
He then explicitly tells his network to move out of New York because of the Trump verdict.
On Wednesday’s episode of The Five, Greg Gutfeld went off on a semi-comprehensible rant against state Attorney General Letitia James, who said the money would be “paid to New Yorkers.” “What does she mean by that?” he scoffed, which fair enough. (Though presumably she meant that would go into the city’s budget, which could help those school programs and libraries whose budgets were slashed by Mayor Eric Adams.)
There was more in Gutfeld’s soliloquy, but the most sense he made was when he threatened to skip town:
“This is why we all need to move to Florida, Fox, because I never thought that my politics and political choices would affect my privacy, my speech, and my livelihood, but that’s how it is these days. They’re gonna do what they did to Trump, they’re gonna do to you and me, and how soon before I get arrested for public indecency? And this time, I will be innocent.”
This is a common line about Trump’s various alleged crimes, this “if they can do it to him, they can do it to me” canard. As always, the only response is: What are you talking about? Almost none of Trump’s supporters have done anything like what he’s done, in this case lying about his fortunes to get better loans. Or mishandling classified government documents. Or helping foment a failed insurrection. Not even Fox News’ late night comedy king has done any of these things, so he’s fine.
During his monologue, Gutfeld also claimed Trump was “below the law,” not “above” it, as his detractors keep reminding us. Not sure what that one means. Ditto the claim that Trump is “100% innocent in this,” which apparently not.
So, New Yorkers, make sure you enjoy Fox News HQ on Sixth Avenue while they’re there. Should they pack up and leave for a permanent home at Mar-a-Lago, they’ll leave behind so many memories, like that time someone torched their Christmas tree.
You can’t turn back the hands of time and so it’s impossible to avoid being labeled “old” by younger generations, no matter how hard you try. For many of us, our names are tied to the times when we were born and can start to sound really dated, no matter how fashionable they were at one point.
TikTokker Amber Cimotti found this out the hard way when her daughter noted that she has an “old” person’s name.
“My daughter told me the name Ashley or Amanda — or my name is Amber — are like old people names and I never thought about it this way,” Amber explained in a video with over 3 million views.
“She’s like, ‘Yeah, my teacher’s names are like Miss Erica, Miss Samantha, there’s Amandas and Ashleys, and she’s like, ‘Those are just old people’s names.’ Whereas young people names like my daughter is Scarlett, there’s Charlotte, there’s Olivia, there’s Penelopes, there’s Isabellas, there’s Bellas, there’s Ellas, those are young people names,” she continued.
The mom realized what was once young and hip is now just a big red flag that screams “Millenial” to the younger kids.
“So basically, ‘Ashley’ is always going to be my friend from elementary, so it just seems like a kid name to me but it’s not. Ashley, Amanda, Amber — all of these names are like basically the new Margaret or Barbara,” she continued.
“If you got a shout-out in Mambo Number 5, congrats you now have a granny name lol,” Christina commented, making a reference that most Gen Zers will never get, but Millenials and Gen Xers know instinctively.
Sorry, Ashleys, but the facts don’t lie, according to Mama Natural, Ashley was the 3rd most popular name for American babies between 1991 and 1996. In 2021, it was ranked 154.
You always hear about a “bad dog,” giving the furry goofballs a reputation for getting into mischief, but what about bad cats. Not all cats are angels just lounging around the house until someone gives them food while fanning them with a giant palm leaf. Some cats have a sketchy “catigree” and every once in a while they let that wild streak show. When that happens, what is a cat owner to do?
A cat mom that goes by the user name Lambo Licia on Instagram posted a video showing exactly how she gets her cat in line when he’s misbehaving. No, it’s not with a spray bottle. She shows him what life is like in “the trenches.” You know, the area of town where homeless cats roam and cat burglars have real whiskers and thumbs that don’t work, leaving a strange fish smell wherever they lurk.
If Scared Straight: Cat Edition was an actual thing, Mega, the orange tabby would be the first to turn his life around. He looks absolutely petrified from all of the unruly cat behavior he sees out the window and his mom’s commentary.
“You be in the kitchen begging me for food. You see those cats over there? They ain’t eat at all, they ain’t eat at all. There’s cats out here struggling and you stressing me at home like I don’t feed you,” Licia pretends to cry to the cat. Commenters can’t get enough of Mega being shown the bad side of cat town and share their own ungrateful cat stories.
“I take pictures of the less fortunate cats to show mine how good she really has it. Another cat got in our house and played in her toy bin and she was pissed! I told her some cats don’t have toys and she needs to share idc if the neighborhood cat came over. She’s been an indoor cat since,” one cat mom writes.
“Scared Straight: Cat Edition!!! I’m here for it. You is a Cat of God in a black household… you know better. Now stop this foolishness and be great. My speech to my orange tabby, Toby Jawan Walker,” someone else laughs.
“Cat: Wait, they really out here living like this!!! Oh no, take me home now,” another commenter jokes.
One thing is for sure, Mega will never forget his ride to the wrong side of town and hopefully will start having a more grateful attitude. Watch the entire video below:
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E., it buried entire cities in volcanic materials. While Pompeii is the most famous site affected by the natural disaster, the nearby villa of Herculaneum was also laid to waste—including over 800 precious scrolls found inside Herculaneum’s library, which were carbonized by the heat, making them impossible to open and recover their contents.
Which brings us to the Vesuvius challenge, started by computer scientist Brent Seales and entrepreneurs Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross in March 2023. The contest would award $1 million in prizes to whoever could use machine learning to successfully read from the scrolls without damaging them.
On February 5, the prize-winning team was announced.
The team consisted of three savvy college students— Youssef Nader in Germany, Luke Farritor in the US, and Julian Schilliger in Switzerland—working with each other from across the globe.
Each student had a prior individual accomplishment in the challenge before teaming up. Farritor first deciphered a word from the scroll ((ΠΟΡΦΥΡΑϹ, or “porphyras,” which means “purple” in ancient Greek), after which Nader was able to read multiple column from the scroll, in addition to Julian Schilliger creating 3D map renderings of the papyrus.
Nader, Farritor and Schillinger eventually combined their talents to train machine-learning algorithms to decipher more than 2,000 characters. Contest organizers estimated a less than 30% success rate for even less characters.
So, what exactly did the scrolls say? Turns out, the ancient cultures were just as curious about what makes us truly happy in life as we are today.
The translated text, thought to be written by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, appears to be a philosophical discussion on pleasure, and how it’s affected by things like music and food. And quite possibly “throwing shade” as stoicism by calling it “an incomplete philosophy because it has ‘nothing to say about pleasure.”
“We can’t escape the feeling that the first text we’ve uncovered is a 2,000-year-old blog post about how to enjoy life,” the Vesuvius Challenge website writes.
The first Vesuvius Challenge resulted in 5% of one scroll being read. For 2024, the goalpost has been moved to being able to read 90% of all four scrolls currently scanned, and to lay the foundation to read all 800 scrolls, and possibly other texts found at the Herculaneum library.
“Some of these texts could completely rewrite the history of key periods of the ancient world,” Robert Fowler, a classicist and the chair of the Herculaneum Society, told Bloomberg. “This is the society from which the modern Western world is descended.”
Using artificial intelligence to create a future has been a prime topic of conversation as of late, but this story is a great example of how AI can give us rare glimpses into the past as well. It’s pretty incredible to think about how many ancient mysteries could be solved as technology continues to advance in the years to come.
But no matter how much knowledge we gain, it feels safe to say that pleasure might always an enigma.
Fame comes with a lot of challenges, but it also comes with some pretty obvious perks. There’s the money that frequently follows fame, of course, but there’s also the special treatment people automatically offer you.
Some famous folks might revel in that special treatment and some might even express gratitude for it. But occasionally, you find a celebrity who refuses it altogether.
Shaq has been known to share his wealth with the average Joe without any expectation, just out of the goodness of his heart. He also has a refreshingly down-to-earth attitude about his own importance compared to other people, which he shared in an interview.
Not only does Shaq give generous tips to McDonald’s workers out of appreciation for their service, but he said he can’t even bring himself to skip to the front of the line when he knows he could—a fact that always blows the mind of people he goes to restaurants with.
“I know I’m ‘the Shaq’ and I can eat free, I just can’t i can’t do it. Because remember, these people right here make this world go around, not me. But it’s my job to entertain them, and then when they pay, that’s how I get paid. So it’s all a certain ecosystem that can never be broken. A lot of people break it…but you got to protect the people that make you who you are.”
Watch:
It’s a refreshingly humble attitude from someone who could easily take advantage of his fame, and people in the comments love to see it.
“A true gentleman,” wrote one person. “The more I see of him..the more I respect him.. Thank you for being a great person!!”
“Shaq is the kind of man who should be one’s role model,” shared another.
“‘You gotta protect the people who made you who you are’ that’s why this man is respected by all,” offered another.
“This is why Shaq is my fav! He never let the fame kill the goodness in his heart. He stayed pure,” wrote another.”
Some people shared their own personal encounters with Shaq as further examples that he genuinely is as he describes himself—no entourage, no perks expected or accepted, generous to the people serving him.
“I saw Shaq at a ice cream shop in a Boston suburb and he was alone and didn’t expect any special treatment and was very personable to everyone. His humility was incredible! He’s someone that kids should look up to! He’s a true gentleman!”
“I can personally vouch that Shaq is 100% correct here. I met him at a Subway in Florida. Shaq got in line waited while people was taking pictures of him and I started a conversation with him. He ordered his food and tip both workers $100 each. Very humble guy.”
Humility is a quality that people who aren’t in the spotlight don’t always develop, much less people who are showered with attention and accolades all the time. Many people said Shaq’s parents raised him right, but whether it’s a result of nurture or nature or both, his attitude is one we can all take inspiration from.
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