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The full list of All-Star Saturday Night participants is set.

In the the Taco Bells Skills Challenge, the league will test out a new format. Three teams — the Antetokounmpos, the Cavs, and the Rooks — will square off in four-round competition. On the Antetokounmpos, obviously, are the three of the four Antetokounmpo brothers: Giannis and Thanasis from the Bucks and Alex from Raptors 905 in the G League. Representing the Cavs are All-Star Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Lastly, representing the rookie class, are Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes, Pistons rookie and No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, and Thunder rookie Josh Giddey.

Eight players make up the field in the Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest: Raptors guard and All-Star Fred VanVleet, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, Clippers guard Luke Kennard, Bulls guard and All-Star Zach LaVine, Nets guard Patty Mills, Wolves big man and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, soon-to-be Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum, and Hawks guard and All-Star Trae Young.

In the evening’s main event, the AT&T Slam Dunk, are Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, Magic guard Cole Anthony, Knicks forward Obi Toppin, and Rockets rookie Jalen Green. Other than Toppin, everyone participating in the competition are newcomers.

All-Star Saturday night is scheduled for Saturday, February 19 starting at 8 p.m. EST at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The event will air on TNT.

To his credit, rather than double down and join the far right, as so many attacked by progressives do, Joe Rogan did apologize, twice. When he caused Spotify, the streamer with exclusive rights to his massively popular podcast — where he’s spewed COVID misinformation and repeatedly dropped the N-word — to lose artists and billions in stock, he recorded heartfelt mea culpas and pledged to do better. It’s a low bar but it’s something. But now he’s fighting back.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, on the first episode of The Joe Rogan Experience since this weekend’s controversy, the NewsRadio alum-turned-podcaster addressed the negative press he’s received, starting with the supercut video in which he repeatedly uses a racial epithet rather than censoring it, as he later claimed he should have.

“In a lot of ways, this is a relief,” Rogan told his guest, comic Akaash Singh. “That video had always been out there. This is a political hit job. They’re taking all this stuff I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushing it all together. It’s good because it makes me address some stuff that I really wish wasn’t out there.”

Rogan’s ire wasn’t reserved for those on the left. He also attacked those on the right — like Donald Trump — who gave him heat for apologizing at all. “You should apologize if you regret something,” he said, though he made sure to add, “I do think you have to be careful not to apologize for nonsense.”

In his first apology, namely for episodes in which he and certain guests spewed dangerous nonsense about a once-in-a-century public health crisis that’s still going strong, he vowed to do better, including inviting on guests who were, let’s say, more knowledgeable about medical issues than others have been. He’s also so far ignored a $100 million offer to decamp for Rumble, the far right video platform.

(Via THR)

After a highly encouraging start to the 2021-22 season, the Charlotte Hornets hit a rough patch to begin the month of February. The Hornets are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, including a 15-point home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Making matters worse, Charlotte forward Gordon Hayward left Monday’s loss after only six minutes of court time and, on Tuesday, the Hornets made it official that, while an X-Ray was negative on Hayward’s left ankle, he has sprained ligaments and is out indefinitely.

Hayward has appeared in 48 of the first 55 games for the Hornets, and Charlotte is 26-22 when he appears. The 31-year-old veteran is no longer the No. 1 option for the Hornets after the emergence of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, but Hayward is a versatile, intriguing piece for Charlotte, averaging 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season.

In Hayward’s absence, the Hornets could turn to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a larger role, and he played 38 minutes on Monday. Charlotte also has versatility with Bridges’ ability to swing to the 3 and P.J. Washington as an option at the 4, but the Hornets don’t have overwhelming depth when it comes to proven options.

At the time of the announcement, the Hornets hold a two-game lead over the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 9 spot in the East and, with a muddled field behind them, Charlotte still projects as a play-in team at the very least. Still, this is a blow for the Hornets, particularly if Hayward’s absence extends for weeks and months.

Kanye West and Julia Fox have been dating for a little over a month now. The two met on New Year’s Eve in Miami, and ever since then they’ve been inseparable. They’ve enjoyed multiple dates together, including one where West set up an impromptu photoshoot for her in the middle of a restaurant. In a written piece she submitted to Interview Magazine, Fox wrote, “I don’t know where things are headed but if this is any indication of the future I’m loving the ride.” Well, thanks to a new report, it seems like their future together will be of the non-traditional kind.

According to Complex, which cites Page Six as a source, Kanye and Julia are in an open relationship. It’s unknown if their relationship status has always been like this or it’s the result of a recent change, but the absence of both “jealousy” and “bad vibes” has been noted as a positive aspect of it. The two were also described as “evolved beings,” appearing to make it possible for them to co-exist in an open relationship. This report comes after Kanye was recently seen with a woman that many believe looks a lot like his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

In other news, Kanye recently demanded that Drake narrate his upcoming documentary, Jeen-Yuhs, despite the fact that it’s set to drop in a little over a week. He also appeared in Pusha T’s music video for his new single “Diet Coke.”

Nearly a year after she dropped her last single, “Seeing Green” featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj kicked off the new year with her latest release: “Do We Have A Problem?” alongside Lil Baby. The track was delivered with a cinematic music video that shows Nicki and Baby as criminals. She recently confirmed that her highly-anticipated fifth album will arrive at some point this year. Luckily for her supporters, she announced its next single is coming very soon.

In a post to Twitter, Nicki revealed that the song, “Bussin,” will be available at the end of the week. “Next week we pushin B for Bussin btch WTF IS GOOD,” Nicki wrote, referencing Gunna’s viral slogan from his No. 1 album DS4EVER. She added that Lil Baby will also appear on the song. Nicki shared a preview of “Bussin” at the end of her music video for “Do We Have A Problem?”

The news comes after Nicki delivered an awesome Adele impression and explained why “New Body,” her viral song with Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign, never came out.

You can view Nicki’s announcement above.

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

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As any cat parent would agree, the money was well worth it.

“It’s great to see him so happy because you’ve got to stimulate their brains. It’s definitely been worth the money,” Krieger told Daily Mail.

She added, ”You spend that much on a TV and this is like a TV for cats. As soon as we feed the fish, he comes running. He’s living the dream.”

@jasperthecatfish

♬ Hello, Goodbye – The Beatles Revival Band

There’s no shortage of visual delights for Jasper. The 4 ft x 2.5 ft saltwater tank is home to several tropical fish, including the parrotfish.

See on Instagram

…which looks exactly like you expect them to.

@jasperthecatfish Eyes of the World#cats #catsoftiktok #fishtank #gratefuldead #funny #eyesoftheworld #catmom #aqauarium #jasper ♬ Eyes Of The World (Live at Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA, 8/26/2018) – Dead & Company

None of these fish seem to really mind Jasper getting up close and personal.

@jasperthecatfish Willow wants a turn…#catsoftiktok #fishtank #jasper #funny ♬ Cute – Tik Tok

The only downside apparently is having to share his next-level aquarium with his sister Willow. Ah, the common sibling conundrum.

@jasperthecatfish #jasperthecatfish #catdaddy#cats #catsoftiktok #fishtank #catmom #cutecat #jasper #catlover #catlovers #catlove ♬ WOW – Zara Larsson

Even cat guru and feline behavior expert Jackson Galaxy was impressed, and reposted Jasper’s video. Galaxy is a well-loved top tier resource for kitty supplements, toys and activity ideas. For dog people, imagine if your pup made it into one of Cesar Millan’s Instagram stories. That’s some pet publicity right there.

As Galaxy will tell you, environmental enrichment is key for a cat’s happiness. Part of that enrichment is visual stimulation. A major, yet often overlooked, aspect of the hunting process is stalking prey. All cats have this instinct, and not having an outlet can lead to major (not to mention messy) behavioral problems, like furniture scratching and not using the litter box.

Pretty soon, the viral video had others asking, “where can I purchase this tank?” Aquatics and Exotics, the company that made the innovative aquarium, might have an influx of custom orders on their hands.

As the mother of two cats myself, I can’t help but look for corners in my tiny Los Angeles apartment that might be prime fish tank real estate.

Luckily, you don’t need to have a state-of-the-art aquarium to keep your cat stimulated. Experts recommend using something as simple as a bird feeder or window perch. There are even YouTube videos with hours upon hours of curated cat content.

Still, seeing the amount of effort that Jasper’s family put in for the sake of his enjoyment is certainly inspiring.

Our pets provide us so much heartwarming bliss, simply by existing most of the time. Finding ways to pay back that kind of unconditional love is a gift unto itself.

Generally speaking, funerals are thought of as solemn occasions. Even when someone requests that their send-off be a celebration of their life, people still cry and express sadness at the loss. Nothing wrong with that—it’s hard to say goodbye to someone we care about.

Sometimes, though, a person manages to break through the heaviness of their own passing to make their mourners laugh. It takes some forethought—and a unique personality—to pull off such a feat, but when it happens it’s delightful.

One such feat was expertly executed by Shay Bradley, a Dublin grandfather and a prankster who literally had the last laugh when he prerecorded a message to be played while his family and friends gathered at his gravesite.

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As mourners stood around the burial plot into which Bradley’s casket had been lowered, bagpipes started to play. Then suddenly, a voice called out “Hello?” followed by a knocking sound—seemingly coming from the casket.

The knocking continued, as Bradley called out “Hello? Hello? Let me out, it’s f*cking dark in here! Let me out. Is that the priest I can hear?”

Bradley’s f-bomb-laced recording making it sound like he was alive in his casket made his loved ones laugh. And when he launched into a rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Hello Again,” even those who appeared reticent to laugh at least cracked a smile.

Bradley’s daughter Andrea originally shared the video on Facebook, writing “My dad’s dying wish, always the pranksters, ya got them good Poppabear. And gave us all a laugh just when we needed it!!”

Bradley’s wife, Anne Bradley, told Bored Panda that he had made the recording over a year before he died, but she didn’t know about it until the day before the funeral. Only the closest family members knew it was going to happen, so most were caught by surprise.

“Shay was a prankster, always thought outside the box and wanted to leave his family laughing,” Anne said. “He was a larger than life character and sadly missed by anyone who knew him,” she concluded.

The video originally went viral in 2019 but has gotten new life thanks to shares on TikTok and Reddit this week. People love the story for the message it sends: Go out making people smile.

“This dude gets it,” wrote one Reddit commenter. “I want my funeral to be a party so people remember the good times.”

“He went out with laughter,” wrote another, “that’s a gift not every person can have.”

“This made me cry because it is such a selfless act to want to comfort your loved ones with humor one last time,” wrote a TikTok commenter. “I’m sure they miss him deeply.”

Indeed. Humor can help people cope with grief. What a gift to his friends and family to make them laugh in remembrance as they bid him farewell.

Nearly a year after she dropped her last single, “Seeing Green” featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj kicked off the new year with her latest release: “Do We Have A Problem?” alongside Lil Baby. The track was delivered with a cinematic music video that shows Nicki and Baby as criminals. She recently confirmed that her highly-anticipated fifth album will arrive at some point this year. Luckily for her supporters, she announced its next single is coming very soon.

In a post to Twitter, Nicki revealed that the song, “Bussin,” will be available at the end of the week. “Next week we pushin B for Bussin btch WTF IS GOOD,” Nicki wrote, referencing Gunna’s viral slogan from his No. 1 album DS4EVER. She added that Lil Baby will also appear on the song. Nicki shared a preview of “Bussin” at the end of her music video for “Do We Have A Problem?”

The news comes after Nicki delivered an awesome Adele impression and explained why “New Body,” her viral song with Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign, never came out.

You can view Nicki’s announcement above.

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

How To with John Wilson is one of the more improbable and hard-to-describe TV successes of the modern age: a show that’s nothing but a guy and his small camera tooling about New York City (and occasionally other places, like Florida, Vegas, Cancún or Pennsylvania), shooting strange stuff. Sometimes it’s a weird sign; sometimes it’s a woman placing a live pigeon in a Duane Reade bag like it was produce. Whatever it is, it’s likely never been on television before. And now even more of it will be coming to TV in the future.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, HBO has greenlit a third season of the show, which purports to be tutorial — episode titles include “How to Make Small Talk” and “How to Cook the Perfect Risotto” — but wind up snaking in strange and philosophical directions. Last season found our host learning about real estate, wine, and what to do with dead batteries. But those were just jumping-off points for what amounted to half-hour long essay films that veered into deep and often strange directions. (One episode featured a most unexpected cameo from future convicted cult leader Keith Raniere.)

In the meantime, Wilson has another several months to wander around the city in which he lives and who knows where else, miraculously stumbling upon the unexpected and inexplicable, and gifting us with TV’s best awkward voice that doesn’t belong to Joe Pera.

(Via THR)

James Gunn doesn’t take kindly when major auteurs speak ill of superhero movies. After all, he’s made a few of them. In the past, he’s repeatedly clapped back at no less than Martin Scorsese, the king of comic book movie critics. But he had a more gentle response when Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh claimed that the genre has a despairing dearth of sex.

In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Soderbergh was asked if he — brains behind the Ocean’s and Magic Mike movies — was ever approached to do, say, a Marvel movie. He said he wasn’t, and that even if he was he wouldn’t know what to do with them. Not only is he not sure how to handle their more outlandish aspects, he pointed out that “there’s no f*cking. Nobody’s f*cking! Like, I don’t know how to tell people how to behave in a world in which that is not a thing.”

Not quite, Gunn wrote the following day. In a post featuring images from last year’s The Suicide Squad and the new show Peacemaker, showing superheroes in compromising positions, he wrote, “With all due respect, Steven Soderbergh, some people are f*cking.”

Gunn pointed to the other directors who’ve made superhero movies featuring shtupping. Zack Snyder (Watchmen), Tim Miller (Deadpool), and Chloe Zhao (Eternals) all feature on-screen boudoir antics. Some of them are even R-rated. (He also cited Richard Donner, whose Superman: The Movie invented the serious comic book blockbuster, but perhaps he meant Superman II, from which he was booted mid-shoot and which features some post-coital lounging between Lois and Clark.)

When one person chimed in with an all-too-common refrain — that sex scenes aren’t “necessary” in the comic book movies — Gunn responded, “It isn’t necessary in any single story. But to have an entire antiseptic sexless film universe is a denial of who we are as human beings (and how every single one of us got here).”

Still, considering how many superhero movies there are, the batting average of ones that do feature superheroes knocking bedposts is not exactly high.

(Via IndieWire)