Few things are as heartwarming as humans helping one another, whether it’s something practical, like assisting with a flat tire, or something more existential, like offering a kind word when someone’s feeling down.
This week’s list of things that made us smile has several examples of the latter—times where someone’s support or words of encouragement made a difference. It’s a good reminder that we’re truly all in this together and that a connection between human hearts is really the most smile-worthy thing there is.
Hope you enjoy this week’s collection!
1. A shared journal between a mom and her child is a touching reminder of a mother’s love
Do you need space? Do you want me to be near you? That’s how it’s done. Just the willingness to sit with someone in their dark moments is so big sometimes.
3. Comedian gets Gen X giggling with song about life in the 90s
A hilarious trip down memory lane. Read the full story here.
4. Jon Batiste demonstrates his musical genre bending abilities with some Beethoven blues
Mitchell Robinson’s got a heart of gold. (He has 19 dogs, too.)
10. Find a friend who will joyfully pull you around in the snow like this doggo
😊
ud83dude0a
— (@)
That’s what friends are for, right?
Hope you found some smiles in this week’s list! If you’d like to receive posts like this one in your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
What on earth could be better than a dog in a collar and tie? A dog that dresses for business as he sets out to free all the dogs in the neighborhood who look like they may want to help him run a muck–that’s what. Recently Ailea, a TikTok user uploaded a video talking about a dog in her neighborhood trying to start a cult with the other dogs.
Ailea has two dogs of her own which is how she came to notice the dapper dog. But it wasn’t until she was attempting to get an explanation from the furry dog boss that she realized he had a neighborhood operation going on.
“I see that he’s wearing a tie. Very distinguished. So I’m like, cool. I’m going to go out front and I’m going to talk to this dog, have a rational conversation with this dog in a tie,” Ailea says. “Maybe find out where he lives, help him find his way home, you know that sort of thing.”
That’s when the story takes a bit of a turn. As she’s attempting to reason with the dog so she can get his address or human’s number, an angry woman stops her car to give the dog a piece of her mind. The woman yells at the dog to go home after questioning what he was doing. When Ailea asked the woman if it was her dog, she revealed the well dressed dog’s not so secret, secret.
“No, but he keeps coming to my house and opening the gate and letting my dogs out to roam the neighborhood with him,” the woman explains to Ailea. “He does this to everybody’s dog. He just lets them out and lets them roam the neighborhood with him.”
Fair warning, the neighbor’s confrontation with the dog does have adult language included but it’s not until the second video that you get the see the well-dressed canine up close.
I’ll buy whatever this well dressed dog is selling. #mlm #cult #dog #travelingsalesman #takemymoney
Ailea doesn’t have an issue with her own dogs getting out because she keeps her gate locked, other neighbors are not so lucky. But how could anyone be angry at a dog in a tie just looking for buddies to burn off some energy with? Hopefully whoever the dapper pup belongs to reminds him that he has to ask permission before going on playdates in the future.
Below you’ll find a list of health and fitness-based gifts — from dynamic training tech to state-of-the-art recovery modalities — that are perfect for the wellness and health-focused person in your life. They span all price ranges because when you’re talking about a change of lifestyle, no amount of improvement is too small… or too big. Sure, companies can sometimes overpromise, but that’s why we test everything thoroughly.
Every item featured today has been properly road-tested by the crew here at Uproxx over the span of months, not just a few hours. If we didn’t love it we wouldn’t include it. Period.
Check out the game-changing gear below. You might just decide to treat yourself to an item or two as you shop!
GR1 GORUCK BACKPACK
Courtesy
Price: $335
The Company Line:
GR1 — built to thrive in Baghdad and NYC — has proven itself the world over. That’s why any change, any modification of any kind is a huge deal to us, requiring extensive testing and a strong why. We have now updated GR1 — our flagship rucksack, Built in the USA — and this is our first significant update to GR1. You’re going to like it better because it’s even more versatile now, no matter how you plan to use it. And we hope you use it hard, and all over the world. Proven to Special Forces standards, GR1 is synonymous with the best of American Manufacturing. Each GR1 is built to last and comes with our Scars Lifetime Guarantee.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
In today’s on-the-go environment, there’s no gift more practical or useful than a great backpack. But let’s be honest, practicality isn’t exactly what you want in a great gift. The GR1 may look like any old backpack, but in reality it’s also an awesome piece of training equipment. Rucking, the practice of carrying weight in a pack for long distances, has long been used by the military as a fitness test. This bag is specially designed with pouches where you can put weight plates to turn it into proper rucking equipment.
Give your friend or family the coolest backpack in the room with the GR1.
Hailed as King of the upper-body workout, the chin-up and pull-up will catapult your biceps, back, and shoulders into the next dimension. Uniquely engineered parallel and angled hand grips allow countless hand positions for targeting of specific muscles. The only wall mounted multi-grip chin-up rack available with knurled hand grips to assist in providing a sure grip, even during the most intensive workouts. Unlike other units which are bolted together, the support frame of the XM-9025 is welded together making this unit solid.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
For anyone who has put up a pull-up bar in their own home, there is always a lingering fear that the unit is going to get ripped out the wall and leave you getting injured. That’s why this bar is the right pick. As the product description says, the frame is welded together so that there is extra confidence in the piece while you are pushing (or pulling) yourself to the limit. The other bonus to this piece is the multiple grips available to that you can work out several different muscle groups in your arms and back.
Designed for a combination of versatility and comfort, the adjustable angle expands up to 90 degrees, accommodating a plethora of workouts. It showcases 9 backrest, 4 seat, and 4 leg-hold-bar position adjustments. The workout bench boasts an exceptional weight capacity of up to 1000 lb. Constructed with superior heavy-duty commercial-grade steel from our 2023 upgrade and featuring a unique triangular support structure with a widened base, this bench ensures the utmost safety of users. The build quality not only adds to its durability but also ensures impressive stability, minimizing wobbling during workouts. Our incline bench features an exclusive dragon flag handle design, offering a unique way to target your abdominal and arm muscles further enhancing your workout. This feature adds remarkable value to our press bench.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
If you’ve been to a gym before, you know how difficult it can be to snag a bench. So why not give the gift of a sturdy bench that is available 24/7?
Paired with a couple of dumbbells or a barbell, the bench can offer a variety of exercises to put muscle mass on the upper body. This is another piece of gear that you are going to want to buy on the sturdy side, because it’s meant to handle your body weight plus free weight. The specialized handles also give the chance to work out the core with leg-ups.
The Kane Revive is made with RestoreFoam, created from Brazilian sugarcane. A renewable resource, sugarcane helps reduce greenhouse gases by capturing CO2 as it grows. Kane’s unique RestoreFoam provides the ideal balance of cushioning and support to help the body renew. A transformative, sustainably designed injection molded sneaker for active recovery.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These recovery shoes are much more stylish than other options on the market, and they were created in collaboration with a sports podiatrist, so the science behind them is sound.
Coming from a running shoe mold, they also make fantastic travel shoes or leisure shoes. The excellent breathability makes them that much more comfortable after a sweaty workout or run. There are several colorways, so you can pick one perfect for your loved one. If your giftee happens to be a college football fan, they just released a NCAA collection featuring schools like the Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide.
LinkBuds S are smaller and lighter than other noise-canceling earbuds. Silicone earbud tips provide a comfortable fit that stays in place. With LinkBuds S, you’re always connected. Wear them comfortably around the clock, staying in touch with people and places without having to pause your playlist. When you are ready to tune out the noise, LinkBuds S offers premium noise canceling to help you focus on your favorite playlist or podcast. Link your worlds as LinkBuds S switches seamlessly between superlative noise canceling and natural ambient sound. Smart features and settings learn from your behavior and automatically adjust sound settings to provide the right sound for the moment.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These Bluetooth headphones are super low profile and super light, which makes them easy to carry around or have in the ear. They fit tight and don’t have protruding pieces like other headphones. They are also able to connect to multiple devices at a time, so for people who want to go from their training to checking their voicemail on another device, it’s super simple.
The long battery life is also a plus, and anyone who’s had their headphones die mid-workout knows there’s no bigger vibe killer.
The Venom Go by Hyperice is a revolutionary heat and vibration wearable with unmatched versatility and customization. Choose from nine combinations of heat and vibration to soothe sore muscles in an instant. Place the Venom Go wherever your body needs it most and remove it with ease. Venom Go brings the same innovation athletes and everyday wellness enthusiasts have loved from the Venom line into a wearable that can be applied anywhere on the body. Heat and vibration spot treatment to loosen and relax muscles stress and tension has never been more convenient – the magic of Venom is ready to go anywhere.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
There’s something special about giving people the ability to treat those random aches and pains that pop up and can tank a training routine. This unit can be put on any part of the body, and soothe soreness no spa appointment is required. It delivers healing vibration and heat directly to the area causing pain. The low profile piece is light and can worn while knocking out chores or just watching shows on the couch. The battery life is long enough to give a full hour of treatment on the move.
The Ultra takes the essence of the nutribullet you know and love and advances it forward, refining its design with 1200 watts of power, an intuitive illuminated interface, and enhanced blade durability. It’s engineered to produce sound at a lower frequency than previous models, making it our quietest single-serve blender yet, and its Tritan Renew blending cups bring sustainable strength to the table. It’s sleek, it’s powerful, and it delivers the highest quality blends, time after time.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
The blenders from nutribullet are a game changer and have been for years. This new model is a strong upgrade from previous versions, which means that no matter what your friends or family have, this is a level up. For people who don’t have a smoothie maker in their life, you will be giving them the gift of healthy, fresh smoothies made in minutes.
It could not be easier to use these units or easier to clean them for the next round.
Ice Shaker Bottles are made from premium, kitchen-grade stainless steel that will not absorb odors or stains. They are also are double-wall vacuum insulated to prevent condensation from building up on the outside of the bottle, keeping your water ice cold for more than 30 hours. Ice Shaker’s Shaker Bottles come with a patented, noise-free agitator that twists onto the bottom and ensures a perfectly blended drink every time. The convenient carry handle built into the lid makes this cup easy to carry when your hands are full. Take your Ice Shaker anywhere you go!
Why They’re Great Gifts:
These bottles are perfect for keeping healthy beverages and water nearby at all times. Odds are a lot of people have blender or water bottles, but not as strong or sleek as the Ice Shaker. There’s a reason it’s become a fast favorite amongst athletes and performed well on the market after appearing on Shark Tank. The tapered bottom makes it easy to fit your shaker into most cup holders, which isn’t as standard as you’d like to think. Their noise-free blender ball makes it possible to mix a drink without that annoying clang that usually comes with making a shake.
The SMRTFT adjustable dumbbells are the most innovative offerings of their kind on the market. They feature the convenience of all-in-one adjustable pieces that can range between 5-50 pounds depending on the setting. They have superior durability thanks to their machined steel-weight plates. Complete with a knurled handle and pancake-style disks, they feel like a heavy-duty barbell that you would find at most commercial weightlifting gyms.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
Dumbbells of an adjustable nature became quite the commodity over the last few years as everyone started to build their home gyms. Not only are they space savers for people who don’t want to make room for a whole dumbbell rack, but they are also cost-efficient, given the fewer materials needed. These are great options, well-made, and sleek-looking for those who want a sharper aesthetic in the workspace.
Since your giftee may be stuck in the house this season due to the frigid temperatures, this brings the gym to them.
CastleFlexx is a patented upper and lower-body stretching and strengthening device. It is the ONLY device in the world that does not give you rope burn. Unlocks your lower back by addressing the root cause of back pain by releasing the tightness in your legs and hips. This product can be used any time of the day for all purposes. It is great for a pre-workout stretch, post-workout long stretch, or for a midday mobility session. It is versatile and easy to roll up and carry around to help you achieve your flexibility, strength, and mobility goals.
Why They’re Great Gifts:
My absolute obsession with flexibility might be the oldest thing about me, but I’m not gonna change. Mobility and flexibility are crucial and the second you stop focusing on them, your body starts to tighten up (most studies say that your body is trying to become less flexible by the time you hit 22). I love the CastleFlexx because it’s so intuitive. These days, when I think about getting fitness equipment, the first thought is “Will I have to watch a YouTube tutorial to figure out how this works?”
CastleFlexx is simple and portable and — call me a nerd if you want but — it comes with me just about everywhere. Yes, I’m totally that guy stretching his calves between pickup games at the park. In short, I am very into these and have seen results with a quickness.
The funeral for Pogues singer Shane MacGowan, who died last week at 65 years old, was held on Friday at St. Mary’s Of The Rosary Church in (where else?) Ireland. Attendees include Bono, Johnny Depp, and Nick Cave, who performed “A Rainy Night In Soho.” Father John Gilbert called MacGowan “a poet, lyricist, singer, trailblazer” who “reflected life as lived in our time, calling out accepted norms that oftentimes appear unacceptable.”
The most chilling moment of the funeral came when Glen Hansard, of Once fame, and singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill covered MacGowan’s masterpiece, “Fairytale Of New York.” It provided “a moment for mourners to clap and cheer as they celebrated the singer’s greatest work,” according to Sky News. MacGowan went so far as to call it the Pogues’ “Bohemian Rhapsody” (the boyfriend and boyfriend’s brother of a certain pop star would agree).
You can watch the cover below.
Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill performed “Fairytale of New York” to close Shane MacGowan’s funeral today.pic.twitter.com/bG7mCSusmC
Pogues band member and “Fairytale Of New York” co-writer Jem Finer discussed the song’s origin in a 1988 interview with NME. “I had written two songs complete with tunes,” he said. “One had a good tune and crap lyrics, the other had the idea for ‘Fairytale’ but the tune was poxy, I gave them both to Shane and he gave it a Broadway melody, and there it was.”
Maine is, in reality, a place. But in theory, it’s the main character in most of Stephen King‘s novels, probably because it seems like a mystical place with big trees and nobody minds that the town is filled with ghost clowns or a demonic Skarsgard (I have actually never been to Maine). But Maine, and Derry in particular, is the setting for a handful of King’s novels, like It, the worst title since the invention of SEO.
Welcome To Derry is Max’s upcoming prequel series based on the It franchise. It will be a direct prequel to 2017’s It and 2019’s It Chapter Two, starring Jaeden Martell, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard and — you’ll never believe it–the same Skarsgard! But in a different role. If you are not familiar with It (or learned just how hard it is to look up It) then here is a quick rundown.
In Derry, Maine, where kids often go missing, a group of pre-teens nicknamed “The Losers Club” are stalked by an evil clown/being while also facing their own inner demons, like puberty. The prequel is being developed by Andy Muschietti, who directed the two films based on King’s novel. The first installment covers the first half of the book, while Chapter Two brings in the adults, played by James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and Jessica Chastin, and of course, our demon friend Pennywise/Bill Skarsgard.
Now that you’re up to speed, here is everything we know about Welcome To Derry, which is not a Derry Girls sequel, unfortunately.
Plot
Even though Welcome to Derry takes place in the Stephen King-verse, King actually hasn’t written an It prequel, so this one isn’t based on a book. While we don’t have many details, according to Variety, the prequel will take place in the ’60s and tell the origin story of Pennywise the Clown and wherever he got that silly little outfit.
Cast
The confirmed cast includes Madeleine Stowe, Stephen Rider Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar.
Release Date
The series initially had a Halloween 2024 release date, though it seems that has changed. Earlier this month, HBO confirmed that the show would be pushed to 2025, alongside The White Lotus. We do know that the first two episodes will be directed by Muschietti, so he is pretty familiar with the Derry area and all of its haunted inhabitants.
Trailer
While there has been no official trailer, HBO included a first look at the series in the 2024 preview, even though it will likely premiere in 2025…one can dream! From the first look trailer, you can see that Derry is still the number one place for red balloon sales in the US. You can watch below:
Today (December 8) is Nicki Minaj’s day. It’s her birthday. It’s Pink Friday 2release day. The Barbz are thriving in Gag City, and Cardi B’s fans are happily raining on their parade. Clearly, they didn’t get the memo from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift that powerful women don’t have to be pitted against each other.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), #WeWantCardi is trending. There are several potential reasons as to why that is trending. First, stanning is a full-time job. But also, Cardi B still hasn’t dropped her follow-up to 2018’s Invasion Of Privacy, and patience is running thin.
Why Is ‘We Want Cardi’ Trending On Twitter?
An initial cursory scroll through the #WeWantCardi trending topic would suggest that the Bardigang are relishing in the perception that Pink Friday 2 is “flopping” (their word, not mine). Some are claiming that Invasion Of Privacy is superior to Pink Friday 2 — and Cardi, the superior rapper — going out of their way to stream Invasion Of Privacy and (seemingly) prevent Pink Friday 2 from ascending the charts, or at least revive Invasion Of Privacy so Cardi is right next to Minaj on the charts.
According to the X fan account @CardiBCaviar, the goal was to “bring Invasion Of Privacy to No. 1 on iTunes,” and as of this writing, it had reentered the top 10 in the US (per Chart Data). See some of the posts below.
So proud of Bardigang, we really did that without Cardi even being active nor asking us to do any of that. It’s true love and true talent that always wins #InvasionOfPrivacy#WEWANTCARDI
David Letterman has joked about how he wishes he could be The National’sMatt Berninger. But for a spell, Berninger had a hard time being himself: During a sit down with the former late-night host, Berninger opened up about his battle with depression.
As the pair sat down to discuss the band’s latest bodies of work (First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track), Letterman posed the question, “Which of the albums represents your state of depression?”
“Well, the two records that we put out this year were started as songs around the same time. It was about a year into the pandemic and the shutdown where I went into even more of a depression. I wasn’t writing at all, but [the band] kept sending lots of music [over]. I don’t think they realized quite how debilitated I was. I also didn’t tell them how bad it was,” replied Berninger.
The musician has spoken and written about his mental health at great length. However, in their chat, he revealed that during the COVID-19 lockdown, he had a breakthrough.
“I was hard to be around,” he said. “I didn’t want to do anything. At first everyone was relieved because I kind of been manic for a long time doing a lot of projects. I was burning out. I was spinning out. So when the lockdown happened and everything shut down, when I had to put down a lot of projects, there was a phase in that when it was a huge relief. Everything slowing down was good for a long while. Then, after a little while without getting together with the band, and without getting out to do any touring, without actually getting together in the studio that and putting down all those other projects, I started to feel like, I don’t know if this is ever going to come back and I don’t know if I even want to come back because that state I was in before I wasn’t really that happy.
Watch the conversation between Berninger and Letterman above.
Earlier this week, Barbie writer/director Greta Gerwig gave fans hope that there could be another Barbie movie after star Margot Robbie shut down talk of a sequel. During an interview with 60 Minutes, Gerwig tipped her hand that she and her writing partner/husband Noah Baumbach might be working on a Ken spinoff. Realizing they may have said too much, the couple quickly clammed up, and Ryan Gosling had a similar response when asked about the project.
The actor and Barbie co-star America Ferrara were on-hand for an event at the London’s BFI Southbank where they noticeably ducked a fan question about a future Barbie movie.
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere near that,” Gosling said. “We really know nothing.”
Ferrara gave a similar response and even referred back to Robbie’s previous comments. However, she couldn’t resist teasing a Ken spinoff as well.
“We have no information,” Ferrera added. “I will say, what Greta and Margot have said is they did not set out to make a franchise. They put it all out on the table. Every bit of it that they loved and that they knew to do, they did. Which is refreshing, right? We’re not setting it up for 20 years of ‘Barbie’ movies. But then again, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years [of ‘Barbie’]… or a Ken spinoff?”
Realizing his Ken return is looking more and more inevitable, Gosling made one request.
“Can it be a husky Ken?” Gosling joked. “Can I play Husky Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I play that Ken next time?”
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to the inaugural In-Season Tournament finals. Los Angeles ran the New Orleans Pelicans off the floor in Las Vegas on Thursday night, 133-89, behind a ridiculous performance from LeBron James. In only 23 minutes of work, James put up 30 points on 9-for-12 shooting with eight assists and five rebounds, operating in total control of his environment to earn a matchup with the high-flying Indiana Pacers on Saturday evening.
Not only was James getting the job done on offense, James put his body on the line on defense, as the soon-to-be 39-year-old took multiple charges on the evening.
It’s not often that you see older dudes put their body on the line like this, and after the games, James got asked why, exactly, he’s letting someone as big and physical as Zion Williamson bowl him over. The answer — and this will not be surprising for anyone who is aware of how famously cheap James is — revolves around money.
“I mean, listen, man,” James said when asked if he’s too old to take charges. “Not for that $500,000, I ain’t.”
As Giannis Antetokounmpo learned earlier this week, players win money based on how far their team advances in the Tournament. So far, James has accrued $50,000 for making the quarters, $100,000 for making the semis, and $200,000 for making the final. The winning team on Saturday will take home an additional $500,000 for each player.
On November 6, Nicki Minaj noticed #LetMeCalmDown was trending on X (formerly known as Twitter) asked her Barbz to weigh in on who she should recruit to feature on the then-unreleased song. “It needs to be a spitter,” she wrote. “A rapper rapper.” Fast forward to this morning, December 8, and Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 is finally here — with “Let Me Calm Down” featuring J. Cole, who definitely qualifies as a rapper rapper.
How Did Nicki Minaj And J. Cole’s ‘Let Me Calm Down’ Come Together?
In a post-Elon Musk buying Twitter world, Minaj had enough room to write a very detailed post about the moving pieces behind “Let Me Calm Down.” See it below.
“Hey- thank u guys for posting.
This man J. Cole had a 2 hour talk with me. 2. Two!!!! Didn’t realize I was sitting on a therapist couch but ummm 2 days later I heard this verse & couldn’t stop crying.
The end.
In a world where we know EXACTLY how & WHEN to tear each other apart, there are still Kings & Queens who know how to put ppl back together. Patch them up. Heal them. Empower them. Understand them. Listen to them. Make them do the most beautiful thing a human being can do.
Smile.
After having #papabear I couldn’t wait for the day he’d smile @ me. First smile? It was one day when I blew a kiss @ him. I said ‘papa mmuuuaahhhhh!!!!’ then? Time froze. Froze. He smiled? He smiled. At Me? Looking directly in my eyes? Yes.
Me? Held back the tears & just kept doing a billion more times. I cried later.
I’ve been trying to make him smile every day since…lol he actually makes me crack up laughing all the time. No idea where he got all that personality from but y’all pray for me
Anyway,
Cole…
It’s been a long time coming, but the barbz welcome you with open arms to #GagCity
We appreciate you.
We hope you stay [fingers crossed emoji]
#PinkFriday2
#LetMeCalmDown”
Hey- thank u guys for posting.
This man J. Cole had a 2 hour talk with me. 2. Two!!!! Didn’t realize I was sitting on a therapist couch but ummm 2 days later I heard this verse & couldn’t stop crying.
Pink Friday 2 is out now via Republic Records. Find more information here.
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, created from Brazilian sugarcane. A renewable resource, sugarcane helps reduce greenhouse gases by capturing CO2 as it grows. Kane’s unique RestoreFoam
(@CardiTheQueenB) 
