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Here we are at the end of another year on this beautiful rock hurtling through space and, as always, it’s been an eventful one.

We started the year with everyone obsessed with Wordle, then congratulated the guy who created it for his million-dollar deal with The New York Times. Russia invaded Ukraine and we witnessed the world rally behind the Ukrainian people. We said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s second-longest reigning monarch. We said hello to galaxies we’d never seen before, thanks to the James Webb telescope.

As we head into 2023, let’s remind ourselves that, no matter what the people who profit off of polarization try to sell us, there is far more that unites us than divides us. Our human family may have hard problems to solve, but look how far we’ve come. There’s so much we can do when we recognize our oneness and work together to make our world a better place.

One thing that makes the world a better place is joy. That’s why we pull together these weekly roundups—there’s positive power in a smile spreading from person to person.

So enjoy and share your favorites, whether it’s with a stranger, a friend or a grumpy uncle. Everyone can use a little shot of wholesome joy.

1. 3-year-old Emi teaches us the real meaning of friendship.

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A person you can run to who makes you laugh and makes everything better and better? That’s true friendship right there. Preschoolers seriously make the best philosophers. Read the whole story and catch more of Emi’s commentary about friendship here.

2. Iceland’s lovely tradition of Jólabókaflóð is like holiday heaven for introverts and book lovers.

Literally translating to “Christmas book flood,” this Icelandic tradition dating from WWII involves everyone gifting books and then cozying up to read them together on Christmas Eve. With hot cocoa, no less. Sign me up. Read more about Jólabókaflóð here.

3. Andrés Cantor calling the winning goal for his home country of Argentina is pure joy.

u201cIncredible: Witness Andres Cantor, Buenos Aries born Argentinan-American Broadcast legend calling the penalty which won World Cup for Argentina. All that is good about sports and life ud83cudde6ud83cuddf7ud83cudf99ufe0fud83dude4cu201d

— roger bennett (@roger bennett)
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The Argentine-American sports announcer has been waiting for this moment for decades. He conveyed the emotion of an entire nation and it couldn’t be sweeter. Read about Andrés Cantor and the incredible World Cup final here.

4. Young Lionel Messi fan dancing before World Cup is the energy we all need.

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Smooth, little man. Smooth.

5. Daughter ‘pranked’ her dad during their wedding dance, then he surprised everyone.

@nancylestock

When everyone thinks you’re pranking your dad….and then he joins in 🕺💃🏻 #wedding #fatherdaughter #surprisefatherdaughterdance #fatherdaughterdance #surprise

Noice. Love a fun daddy.

6. Parrot plays peek-a-boo with neighbor’s cat and it’s hilarious (sound up).

@tyla

This is way too cute 🥹 But we all know the cat’s real intentions 😅 #funny #petsoftiktok #parrot #cat #cattok #cosy #cutie #foryoupage #cuteanimals #fypシ

What do we think the cat is thinking here?

7. Mariah Carey celebrated a boy’s joyful performance of her iconic Christmas song.

u201cYour kid IS everything!!!!!! Knox, you made my day. Your JOY gives me and everyone watching JOY. THANK YOU for reminding me why I wake up in the morning and do what I do. I love you u2764ufe0fu2764ufe0fu2764ufe0fu2764ufe0fu2764ufe0fu201d

— Mariah Carey (@Mariah Carey)
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Knox is autistic and his mom shared the video with the caption “#AutisticJoy on full display! My kid is everything! I hope Mariah sees this!!” And she actually did. Read the full story here.

8. This ‘Little Drummer Boy’ performance is probably unlike any you’ve ever seen, but definitely worth watching.

Big sound. Big drums. Epic, epic version of an old classic from For King & Country. Read more about it here.

9. Check out this doggo who loves looking at Christmas lights.

Upworthy on Instagram: “Look at that face 😍😍😍🎄⠀
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(Via u/pacmaneatsfruit on Reddit) ⠀
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Seriously, that face though.

10. Let’s get ready to roll into 2023 like…

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(Always helpful to have a friend to give us a nudge. :))

Hope that brought some smiles to your face and joy to your heart!

If you’d like to have these roundups and other highlights of humanity delivered right to you, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Today is December 23, which might be a day on which some of you reading this realize that there’s somebody in your life for whom you forgot to get a Christmas present. Christmas is just two days away, but thankfully, Wu-Tang Clan have come through with a last-minute gift: Legacy, a new coffee table book that only costs a cool $360,000.

The book measures 21 inches by 21 inches and has over 300 color pages “showcasing rare and unseen images of the band by leading photographers including the legendary Danny Hastings, PROTIM PHOTO, Kyle Christy and Andy Cantillon as well as friends and family of the Clan.” Don’t worry, though, because $360K will also get you “a striking bronze-encrusted black steel chamber” made from “400 lbs of steel and bronze” to encase the book. Each chamber is “individually designed by the sculptor Gethin Jones (protégé of Antony Gormley)” and “inspired by the ancient past and the bronze ritual bowls of the Zhou Dynasty whose first ruler was King Wu-Wang.” They “consist of Spun Mild Steel bowls while the raised ridges, base and logo are furnished in solid brushed brass.”

These things are likely to move quickly given their accessible price point, so if you’re eyeing one of these, act fast, since only 36 are being made. Maybe Bob Dylan will grab one.

Learn more in the video above and on the Legacy website.

After recently winning the World Cup with Argentina’s national team, Rodrigo De Paul was a special guest last night (December 22) at his girlfriend’s concert. Argentine pop star Tini celebrated De Paul coming home with the golden trophy.

Tini was present for the first three games that Argentina won to cheer on her boyfriend, De Paul. Her fans gave her the nickname “Amuletini,” considering the singer to be a good luck charm. After winning the World Cup against France, Argentina’s national team returned home to their country earlier this week. Tini closed out her tour last night at the Campo Argentino Del Polo in Bueno Aires. The concert was streamed live around the world.

Tini brought out De Paul as a special guest. He emerged with the World Cup trophy in his hand. He also put his golden medallion from the competition around Tini’s neck. After singing “Dale Campeón” with the audience, De Paul thanked Tini for her love and support.

“I have by my side the woman of my life,” De Paul said in Spanish. “I love her with all of my heart. I learn from her everyday. She shows me how to be better, to work hard, and to not give up. And I believe a part of what I achieved is because of her. In my worst of my life, she appeared and brought love and light.”

After the concert, De Paul showered Tini with more words of love in an Instagram post. In a comment, she responded, “What a beautiful moment. I admire and love you too, Rodrigo. Thank you for being in my life and making me happy.”

Rick Rubin doesn’t do things conventionally. He has always refused to work in an office space, and prefers going green as opposed to plastic packaging. In a new interview with Maxim, The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. discussed the experience of working with him.

“I don’t think if I told you what it looked like and what it was,” Hammond said, “you’d fully understand the ‘magical-ness’ of where we were and how it was to record like that.” He added, “It felt really touching that one of his favorite recording experiences was this one he just had right now.”

This follows Rubin’s discussion of the experience recording with the band in Costa Rica. “We rented this house up on the top of a mountain and set the band up outside,” Rubin said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “So they’re playing… It’s like they’re doing a concert for the ocean, on the top of a mountain,” he continued. “It was incredible. And we did that every day, playing out in the [open], and they didn’t want to leave. It was, like, the best experience.”

Details about the new LP are still forthcoming; their most recent record was 2020’s critically-acclaimed The New Abnormal.

It’s been hard to pin Lizzo down this year. Whether she was on the road as part of her successful world tour, hosting events to promote her Love, Lizzo documentary, making an appearance on national television, or attending award shows, the “About Damn Time” singer has refused to let up. Now that Christmas is just days away, the Emmy Award winner is ready to unplug from work to spend time with her family at home for the holidays.

Despite a TikTok troll’s attempt to make the songwriter feel guilty about her recently purchased California mansion, Lizzo refused to let that stop her from being proud of the accomplishment. In a preview clip of her upcoming appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, the singer shared just how important the title homeowner is to her.

As correspondent Tracy Smith joins Lizzo in her festively decorated living room, Smith says, “Just ten years ago, you were sleeping in your car.”

While reflecting on what Smith said, Lizzo emotionally responds, “Yeah, yeah. And, like,” she deeply exhales, “Staying in, like, people’s rooms and sleeping on their couches. And now, on this past tour, which I was blessed to, you know, stay in really nice places, but I was like, ‘I miss my house. Like, I can’t wait to come back to my own home and to my bed.’ And I was like, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever said this.’”

Purchasing a home, let alone your first home is a big deal for anyone but as Lizzo put it, “It’s a milestone for me,” as the Grammy winner spent a decade battling homelessness.

The full interview will be broadcast on Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25) on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. In the meantime, watch the preview clip above.

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

Twitter under its new owner Elon Musk has been mostly going after progressives, or at people who aren’t far right. But on Thursday Musk changed things up. The social media platform deleted a post by no less than Don Jr., who had dropped one of his questionable joke tweets, this time about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Ordinarily that would have been fine, but this one crossed the line: It featured a Hunter Biden nude.

As per The Washington Examiner, Don Jr., one of many on the right mad at Zelensky, had posted an image of him addressing Congress, which he did to raucous applause from, well, almost all lawmakers. But Jr. had added something to it: A nude pic of the president’s son standing next to him, minus clothes.

The tweet was taken down, though Twitter brass did not make public which rule it had violated. It likely violated the platform’s law against posting “intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent.”

The post was a likely nod to Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine, which prompted Jr.’s dad, during his sole term in the White House, to pressure Zelensky to dig up dirt for him in a quid pro quo deal. Zelensky refused, Trump was later impeached for the attempted blackmail, which made him even angrier, and which led the right to turn Biden’s son into an unlikely bête noir.

Musk-era Twitter wasn’t the only regime that had to deal with the far right posting Hunter nudes. The first wave of Musk’s nothingburger “Twitter Files” dumps wound up mostly being about how the service kept deleting conservatives publishing naked images of Hunter, because they contained naked images.

Anyway, it takes one failson to recognize another.

(Via Washington Examiner)

Wanna feel old? That ‘70s Show debuted almost a quarter century ago. Meanwhile, in That ‘90s Show, less than two decades have passed. The original, which bowed in 1998, began in 1975 and ended (eight seasons later) in 1979. Its belated follow-up, That ‘90s Show, unfolds over the summer of 1995. The passing of time can be a bear, and in the first trailer for the forthcoming show sequel, it’s bananas seeing its original cast all grown up — and having kids of their own.

The original gang are not the stars of the show, and most of them are only making “special” appearances. They’re barely in the ad, which instead focuses mostly on Leia (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Topher Grace’s Eric and Laura Prepon’s Donna. She’s been carted off to stay with the grandparents (Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, who are part of the main cast), where she makes some friends in the days before smartphones — when the information superhighway was only starting to take off with the public, when clothes were baggier, and when people owned scores of space-hogging VHS tapes. (You can spot the two-tape set for Ben-Hur in the basement.)

Only towards the end do we see the old gang. There’s Eric and Donna, who miraculously still have the same ‘70s ‘dos, as well as Kelso and Jackie, who do not. Wilmer Valderamma’s Fez looks fantastic, having become a fashionable hairdresser with his own salon. Even Tommy Chong is back, looking slightly more haggard.

Should Kelso and Jackie really have gotten married. Despite being married to Kutcher, Kunis doesn’t think so. “You know what, I called BS,” Kunis told Access Hollywood earlier this year. “I was like, ‘My character would be with Fez.’ I think that I ended up with Wilmer’s character. And I was like, ‘Why are you and I together?’” She also confirmed to Vanity Fair that a longtime rumor: that she lied about her age to get on the show. Good for her.

That ’90s Show premieres on Netflix on January 19, 2023. You can watch the trailer in the video above.

(Via Variety)

Billie Eilish has always been open about her vegan lifestyle and interest in activism. In 2021, she was PETA’s Person Of The Year, the youngest to ever earn that title. Her activism hasn’t stopped since, whether that’s through incentivizing fans to help the environment through offering them free concert tickets or addressing climate change in an advertisement.

Now, the “Bad Guy” singer is a supporter of Veganuary, a “non-profit organization that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond,” according to the about page on their website. The company posted a picture of Eilish on their Instagram page, writing in the caption, “Join Veganuary’s newest supporter, @billieeilish in giving the Earth a fighting chance by signing up for Veganuary 2023 at the link in our bio!” The picture includes a quote from Eilish that reads, “By replacing meat consumption with plant-based foods, together, we can give the earth a fighting chance.”

In November 2021, the Happier Than Ever performer urged her followers to stop eating turkey with an Instagram post. “Turkeys are some of the most gentle creatures in the world,” Eilish wrote. “And 46 million of them are killed every Thanksgiving. I know it’s hard to change traditions but just keep it in mind :).”

Recording artist Steve Lacy is living life like a true rockstar, and apparently, that was always written in the stars for him. The Grammy-nominated singer has come a long way since bursting onto the scene as part of the band The Internet. Now, as a chart-topping, sold-out headlining tour solo act, the guitarist has found an artistic lane for himself that blends the sounds fans have come to know him by as well as what made him want to be a musician in the first place. The songwriter sat down with The Guardian to share what musicians inspired his irresistible sound and more.

Beginning his career in alternative R&B, Lacy shifted to an indie rock-influenced sound with his breakout single, “Bad Habit.” When asked by journalist Shaad D’Souza about this genre blending, Lacy replied, “I’ve always loved doing that — if I have a rocky beat, putting a soulful melody on it. Like ‘Dark Red’ and all those types of songs. It’s a way to play and introduce new ideas into things that we know already.”

He later added, “Growing up playing [the video game] Guitar Hero put me on to a lot of rock and guitar music. As I got older, artists such as Paramore raised me. Mac DeMarco, Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend. Even Weezer’s ‘Undone’ is one of my favorite songs ever.”

The singer did not hold back from gushing about Paramore’s Hayley Williams, sharing, “Hayley’s voice and melodies are crazy because she takes the rock thing and makes it soulful.”

As for what he loves about Weezer, Lacy said, “With Weezer, I love the wit and humor. The dissonance of the chord progression of ‘Undone’ is truly just weird. For something like that to exist was super important for me in my musical journey, to be, like: ‘Oh, wow, you can make this sound fun and dope.’”

Other muses of Lacy include late musical icons Prince and Jimi Hendrix. “When I make music, I take a small piece of everything that I love – I’ll take certain melodic approaches from Prince, but I’ll play it as if someone else was mimicking Prince, like if Jimi Hendrix tried to be Prince,” he said. “But I like to mix different approaches together. It happens naturally. I’m never doing it all purposely. It’s just inside of me.”

Lacy concluded his inspiration list by shouting out about indie act Faye Webster, calling her “dope.”

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

Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin’s “Hanukkah Sessions” have been full of excitement. Each night contains a new surprise — one had Tenacious D and Inara George for a performance of “The Things We Do For Love,” and another with Pink to play “Get The Party Started.”

For the fifth night, Beck joined the pair for “E-Pro.” The performance is nothing short of electrifying and invigorating with every participant putting all of their energy into it, making every second of the jam session worth it. At nearly four-and-a-half minutes, it’s for headbanging all the way through.

Another night included an appearance from Judd Apatow. Grohl and Kurstin wrote on the Foo Fighters YouTube page: “A little blood and plenty of schvitz went into this year’s Hanukkah Sessions– but the only tears you’ll be shedding will be tears of nachas when you hear Judd Apatow sing ‘Spinning Wheel’ by Blood, Sweat & (No) Tears!”

There was also a night when Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter Violet joined them for a cover of “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian on an acoustic guitar. She also performed at the Foo Fighters’ Los Angeles Taylor Hawkins Tribute concert, opening the show with “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.

Watch Grohl and Kurstin perform “E-Pro” with Beck above.