GoneTrending

In Meet Cute, Kaley Cuoco is a time traveler who keeps having the same first date with a dude named Gary (really? Gary?), played by Pete Davidson. That Groundhog Day-like premise is still a less-weird set of circumstances than the star’s real-life first encounter.

“He was attached to this film way before I was. And so when I actually attached, obviously everyone was like, ‘You guys need to meet. We hope that there’s chemistry.’ So, we get in contact, and he was in L.A. for a few days, and I was like, OK, maybe we should meet up for a coffee,” the Harley Quinn star said on Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show (you can watch the interview above).

Instead of getting a coffee or tacos, like a normal person, Davidson suggested meeting at an escape room. “You know what, Pete? Not everyone has to end up on TMZ,” Cuoco replied. “I’m like, ‘Why can’t anything be normal?’” Meeting someone for the first time in a room where they can’t leave — what’s not normal about that? But she and director Alex Lehmann went through with his idea, which proved to be a good choice. “You really can learn a lot about someone in an escape room,” she said. How ominous.

Here’s more on Meet Cute:

When Sheila and Gary meet, it’s love at first sight – until we realize their magical date wasn’t fate at all. Sheila’s got a time machine, and they’ve been falling in love over and over again. But when the perfect night is never quite enough, Sheila travels to Gary’s past to change him into the perfect man.

Meet Cute is out on Peacock now.

Earlier this month, Russians began to flee the country in a mass exodus amid Vladimir Putin’s dismal war in Ukraine. And seven months ago, he drop-shipped his first batch of troops without telling them why they were fighting, and Ukraine’s pushback has been immense (and successful) in recent weeks. All the while, Russian soldiers have been resisting while threatening to blow up a commander and doing anything, including grievously injuring themselves and hiding out in disguise, to escape the conflict.

Putin recruited from prisons for awhile, but now, he’s growing truly desperate. As The Atlantic points out, his Wednesday morning Kremlin speech shows off how the leader has grown erratic and is making harsh moves. He made noises about using nukes, and Putin decided to call up 300,00 reservists to fight in Ukraine. That’s a lot of bodies, even when one considers that (in 2020) Russia’s population stood at 144 million. Now, Russians are fearful for solid reason, and they’re attempting to flee on one-way flights.

As Reuters reports, the price of these flights skyrocketed upon Putin’s speech, and they’re nearly sold out because no one knows whether males who are considered to be of “fighting age” will have another chance to leave. That’s particularly scary since half of Putin’s army lost their lives by late July in Ukraine. Via Reuters, there’s Putin-fueled chaos now running amuck:

“Reports of panic spreading among Russians soon flooded social networks. Anti-war groups said the limited airplane tickets out of Russia reached enormous prices due to high demand and swiftly became unavailable.

Some postings alleged people already had been turned back from Russia’s land border with Georgia and that the website of the state Russian railway company collapsed because too many people were checking for ways out of the country.

Social networks in Russian also surged with advice on how to avoid the mobilization or leave the country.”

It’s hard to imagine what life must be like over there, long after the war’s early days saw trivial stories about McDonald’s alternatives being a concern. These days, Russians must feel like their very lives are on the line and not of much value to a leader who’s chasing silly imperialistic dreams to build a legacy. Unfortunately, that legacy was already a mess due to world leaders laughing at Putin’s shirtless horseback photos and an endless Botox supply. Now, Putin’s regime is one of death, and Russians are largely having none of it.

(Via Reuters)

Lizzo is kicking off The Special Tour this week! She will be touring across North America starting September 23, with Latto appearing as a special guest opener for the shows. In support of her recent album Special, fans can expect to hear Lizzo’s anthem “About Damn Time” and other songs from the record.

Produced by Live Nation, Lizzo’s tour will run through the fall, as she visits a number of arenas across the country – from Madison Square Garden to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. With releasing and now touring the album, Lizzo has had a busy year. She also shared the stage with Harry Styles at his Coachella set in April.

“I’m so excited because I’ve been a fan of Latto for a long time and now I’m so excited to go on with her!” Lizzo told LA’s 104.3 MYfm following the April announcement.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of Lizzo’s The Special Tour dates.

09/23 — Sunrise, FL @ FLA Live Arena
09/24 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
09/27 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
09/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
09/30 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/02 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/06 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
10/07 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
10/11 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/14 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
10/16 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
10/18 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/20 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
10/22 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
10/23 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
10/25 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
10/26 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/28 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/31 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Arena
11/04 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
11/07 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
11/09 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
11/12 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
11/18 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

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

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will miss the beginning of the team’s training camp, according to the team. The Thunder are slated to begin training camp on Sept. 27. They kick off their preseason schedule on the road Oct. 3 against the Denver Nuggets. Their regular-season opener is Oct. 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This marks another unfortunate setback for Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s endured a tumultuous 2.5 years of injuries. He’s missed a combined 63 games since the start of 2020-21. Despite those afflictions, the talented 24-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 58 percent true shooting the past two seasons.

Earlier this summer, the Thunder lost No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren for the season, due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Hopefully, Gilgeous-Alexander makes a speedy recovery and avoids missing any regular-season outings.

Oklahoma City is set to embark on year three of its rebuild and Gilgeous-Alexander sits at the heart of its youthful core. He’ll look to find improved health this season and notch his first career All-Star appearance. Back in 2020-21, prior to his plantar fascia tear, he garnered legitimate All-Star buzz, thanks to his blend of elite self-creation and budding passing chops. The outline of an All-Star guard exist. Ideally, he can easily shrug off this minor setback and return to those ways.

Donald Trump and his “three adult children” have been hit with a $250 million lawsuit for alleged fraud. The suit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James who has been conducting an exhaustive investigation into the Trump Organization’s finances. Along with seeking damages, James aims to permanently bar Trump, Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka from serving as a director of business in the state of New York.

According to the lawsuit, Trump and his children allegedly deceived lenders and insurance companies with fraudulent financial records for a wide variety of properties including golf courses. Via CNN:

“This conduct cannot be brushed aside and dismissed as some sort of good-faith mistake,” James said at a news conference in New York.

“The statements of financial condition were greatly exaggerated, grossly inflated, objectively false, and therefore fraudulent and illegal,” she added. “And as a result of that we are seeking relief, and Mr. Trump, the Trump Organization, his family — they should all be held accountable.”

Predictably, Trump has lashed out at the lawsuit on Truth Social and accused James of being “racist.” (It should be noted that James is a Black woman and Trump is a white guy, albeit an extremely orange one.)

As news of the lawsuit bounced around social media, people couldn’t help but notice that Tiffany Trump was not accused of business fraud. In fact, she’s not even mentioned at all. Granted, that’s par for the course for Tiffany, but this time around, being the forgotten one really paid off.

You can see Twitter having a field day over Tiffany below:

(Via CNN)

Fontaines DC has shared the video for “The Couple Across The Way,” the latest single from their album, Skinty Fia. In the video, directed by Polocho, Fontaines DC’s lead vocalist Grian Chatten sits in a windowsill playing the accordion. As he plays, he can’t help but spy on literal couples across the way.

In the beginning, Chatten witnesses an older couple arguing. Later in the video, he sees a younger, loving couple embracing each other in what seems to be their first place together.

Chatten revealed that the concept for the video was inspired by true events he witnessed with his girlfriend in their home.

“I was living in a tiny little flat in North London with my girlfriend and there was this Hitchcock-esque view of an elderly couple across from us,” said Chatten in a statement. “They had these blazing arguments that sent pigeons flying around, and after each one the man in the couple would come out onto this little balcony he had and just breathe for about 10 minutes. I couldn’t help but imagine it as a reflection of myself and my girlfriend in years to come, and ourselves as a reflection of a younger, happier version of them.”

Check out the video for “The Couple Across The Way” above.

Following Omar Apollo, Girl Ultra is the latest artist to take over NPR’s Tiny Desk series. In the intimate performance that was released today (September 21), the Mexican singer-songwriter sang hits like “DameLove” and “Punk.”

To celebrate Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), NPR brought back the El Tiny series, which will feature Latin artists performing in the Tiny Desk studio. Apollo kicked off the series last week. Representing Mexico, Girl Ultra was next in line to bring her alternative edge to the studio.

Mariana de Miguel, who goes by her stage name Girl Ultra, is one of the artists leading the Latin R&B movement. She established herself as a force in the emerging genre with her breakthrough album, 2019’s Nuevos Aires. In her latest EP, El Sur, Girl Ultra expanded her sonic palette with elements of rock and house music in the mix. The EP’s title is a nod to south of Mexico City where she embraced these new sonic influences.

Girl Ultra is a revelation in her El Tiny desk performance. The four-song set spans her career, from the twinkling R&B of “Bombay” to the aptly-titled “Punk,” where she pulled out her guitar to rock out with her band. Girl Ultra also performed a stripped-down version of “DameLove,” her haunting collaboration with Mexican-American singer Cuco. For her grand finale, she flipped her R&B ballad “Ella Tú y Yo” into one of the set’s electrifying moments.

Tokischa, Carla Morrison, Jessie Reyez, and Trueno will be the next Latin artists to be featured in the El Tiny series.

Watch Girl Ultra’s Tiny Desk above.

This article originally appeared on 01.27.21

Menstrual taboos are as old as time and found across cultures. They’ve been used to separate women from men physically — menstrual huts are still a thing — and socially, by creating the perception that a natural bodily function is a sign of weakness.

Even in today’s world women are deemed unfit for positions of power because some men actually believe they won’t be able to handle stressful situations while mensurating.

“Menstruation is an opening for attack: a mark of shame, a sign of weakness, an argument to keep women out of positions of power,’ Colin Schultz writes in Popular Science.

---

The big problem with menstrual taboos is the way that males are educated on the subject leaves them with a patchwork of ideas that don’t necessarily add up to the whole picture. First, there’s the information they get from growing up with women in the house.

Then, there are the cryptic descriptions of menstruation seen in advertising and the cold, scientific way the topic is taught in sex education.

“Boys’ early learning about menstruation is haphazard,” a 2011 study published in the Journal of Family Issues reads. “The mysterious nature of what happens to girls contributes to a gap in boys’ knowledge about female bodies and to some negative views about girls.”

Unfortunately, the gaps in the average man’s understanding of a complex female health issue can put women in a difficult position. Whether it’s denying them positions of power or a failure to understand their discomfort.

That’s why it’s so important for men to become better educated about menstruation.

A group of women on TikTok are helping the men in their lives better understand the subject by showing them how tampons work on the inside of their bodies by dousing them in water. They call it the Boyfriend Challenge. Some of the guys’ reactions are clearly over-the-top, but it’s also obvious that many of them have no idea how tampons function.

A video by the Demery family has gone viral attracting nearly eight million views. It’s fun to watch, but it also shows men how tampons function and what women go through during their monthly cycle.

Rachel’s man just uttered the phrase “vagina parachute.”

Paulina’s man was completely flummoxed by the inner workings of a tampon. “You’ve been carrying this like, inside of you?” he asks. “The whole day?”

This guy thinks it’s “like a butterfly.”

Amani’s boyfriend was so astounded by the revelation he let out a massive expletive then apologized for the agony she must go through.

Ryley just blew her BFF’s mind.

This guy was amazed by the absorbancy.

This article originally appeared on 03.29.21

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

When disposed of improperly, the waste can cause serious damage soil and water sources.

---

However, a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence has found that coffee pulp isn’t just a nuisance to be discarded. It can have an incredibly positive impact on regrowing deforested areas of the planet.

via British Ecological Society

In 2018, researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii spread 30 dump trucks worth of coffee pulp over a roughly 100′ x 130′ area of degraded land in Costa Rica. The experiment took place on a former coffee farm that underwent rapid deforestation in the 1950s.

The coffee pulp was spread three-feet thick over the entire area.

Another plot of land near the coffee pulp dump was left alone to act as a control for the experiment.

“The results were dramatic.” Dr. Rebecca Cole, lead author of the study, said. “The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses.”

In just two years, the area treated with coffee pulp had an 80% canopy cover, compared to just 20% of the control area. So, the coffee-pulp-treated area grew four times more rapidly. Like a jolt of caffeine, it reinvigorated biological activity in the area.

The canopy was also four times taller than that of the control.

via British Ecological Society

The coffee-treated area also eliminated an invasive species of grass that took over the land and prevented forest succession. Its elimination allowed for other native species to take over and recolonize the area.

“This case study suggests that agricultural by-products can be used to speed up forest recovery on degraded tropical lands. In situations where processing these by-products incurs a cost to agricultural industries, using them for restoration to meet global reforestation objectives can represent a ‘win-win’ scenario,” Dr. Cole said.

If the results are repeatable it’s a win-win for coffee drinkers and the environment.

Researchers believe that coffee treatments can be a cost-effective way to reforest degraded land. They may also work to reverse the effects of climate change by supporting the growth of forests across the globe.

The 2016 Paris Agreement made reforestation an important part of the fight against climate change. The agreement incentivizes developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, promote forest conservation and sustainable management, and enhance forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

“We hope our study is a jumping off point for other researchers and industries to take a look at how they might make their production more efficient by creating links to the global restoration movement,” Dr. Cole said.

Nilüfer Yanya has released a brand new cover of PJ Harvey’s “Rid Of Me.” Her rendition maintains the haunting vocals that make the hit song so compelling, while slightly switching the instrumental once it reaches its peak. Yanya’s cover comes complete with a video visualizer also.

“‘Rid of Me’ haunted me for many years after I first heard it, but in a comforting kind of way, like I knew it was always there for me,” she said about the decision to release a cover. “It comes across defiant, alien, and twisted, but it is a perfect song. I actually think it’s very romantic despite what some of the lyrics get at.”

Earlier this year, the London-based musician put out her sophomore studio album Painless via ATO Records and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Yanya is also set to play a handful of international dates, starting in October at California’s Desert Daze Festival.

Watch Nilùfer Yanya’s cover of “Rid Of Me” above. Continue scrolling for her upcoming tour dates.

10/01 — Perris, CA @ Desert Daze Festival 2022
10/10 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Arena (supporting Roxy Music)
10/12 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena (supporting Roxy Music)
10/14 — London, UK @ O2 Arena (supporting Roxy Music)
10/19 — Istanbul, Turkey @ Babylon
10/20 — Ankara, Turkey @ Milyon Performance Hall
10/22 — Prague, Czech Republic @ Rock Café
10/23 — Budapest, Hungary @ Turbina Kuulturális Központ
10/25 — Milan, Italy @ Circolo Magnolia
10/26 — Bologna, Italy @ Locomotiv Club
10/28 — Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz 3
10/29 — Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick Club
10/30 — Valencia, Spain @ Loco Club
11/18 – Benidorm, Spain @ Primavera Weekender