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The Succession Report Card is a weekly recap feature where we attempt to assign grades to the important people, things, and themes from each episode of Succession. The grades are entirely subjective and the criteria for scoring will change from week to week and occasionally mid-week. Someone might get detention. It’ll probably be Roman.

Tom

Let’s check in with Tom Wambsgans

• Is researching prisons he might end up in
• Has seen his status level with Greg flip-flop and is handling it by making convoluted analogies to Nero and castration and what have you
• Is falling apart everywhere and flailing and is just kinda sweaty and jittery a lot, mumbling about toilet wine

It’s not great.

GRADE: F

MUST IMPROVE: Most things, honestly

Mark Ravenhead

Man is a pompous haircut who got steamrolled. I hate him already. I hope someone whips a pie at him.

GRADE: F

MUST IMPROVE: Integrity, face, etc.

Hikes, generally

Hikes are now and have always been overrated. You’re just kind of milling about outside through some hills or some woods, exposing yourself to the elements and various poisonous leaves and maybe coyotes or snakes, all for the purpose of… what, exactly? At least with golf or something there’s a purpose and a whacking of things and maybe beers to drink. It’s all completely foreign to me. You can do anything with that time. You could watch television or sit in a park with a book or go find some dogs to pet on a flat surface that is not infested with ticks. You have options.

Here’s what I’m saying: If someone came up to me and was like, “Hey, wanna go on a hike?” the fact that I am in a wheelchair and do not do bumpy wilderness terrain well would be about fourth on the list of reasons I would decline.

Hikes. Get outta here.

GRADE: F

MUST IMPROVE: Bugs, bumps, lack of electrical outlets

Roman

Weird week for Roman, which is somehow both true and a massive understatement if only for the thing where he was just, like, barefoot in Gerri’s office for a while, jealous but not jealous over the date she very much enjoyed telling him about, like it’s a new twist on their always-evolving mommy/slime-puppy relationship. And then there was the saga of Tattoo Man…

Good: They found him

Bad: He’d had the tattoo removed

Good: He accepted $1 million for a picture of the tattoo

Bad: Roman didn’t even think to realize it would tank his own reputation, too

Once again: Roman is a little boy. He does little boy things. I half expect him to be playing in a sandbox next week

GRADE: D-

MUST IMPROVE: Wear shoes in the office, guy

Connor

Look at Connor with his stupid little American flag pin, acting like he is or might be someone important, making threats and demanding things like anyone has ever cared about a single word that has ever come out of his mouth. Adorable.

GRADE: D

MUST IMPROVE: Setting realistic goals

Logan

You know, outside of uttering multiple slurs and getting dragged out to the beach by an investor he resents and continuing his petty feud with his son to the degree that they took separate helicopters to separate airplanes to get there and the thing where he’s starting a war with the President and the thing where he almost died from walking and the thing where his almost dying might put him in a tough spot with the investor he resented anyway, I mean… pretty solid week.

GRADE: D+

MUST IMPROVE: Stamina, general bigotry, etc.

Shiv

On one hand, it’s pretty clear that no one in the office respects her or wants to listen to her and most of them seem to look at her as a kind of combination mascot/showcase person that Logan put in there for optics and the little girl they’ve known since she was a baby who is in way over her head.

On the other hand, she did handle the editorial crap Tom couldn’t, which was the kind of results-getting Logan values and also just a revolting state of affairs, ethically. Which is also something Logan values. Mixed bag here.

GRADE: C-

MUST IMPROVE: Being a little nicer to her loser prison-bound husband

Various Karls, Franks, and Karolinas

I like Karl. And I like knowing that Karl likes being liked because it means me liking him will make him happy. I suspect he — unlike Frank, who is a lifer here — is counting down the days to retirement and planning to move to Florida and play tennis and/or golf every day. Karl is cool.

GRADE: C

MUST IMPROVE: Talking with his mouth full

Gerri

Let’s see…

• Went on a date and rubbed Roman’s face in it a little, which probably satisfied their various kinks in separate and disturbing ways
• Shot down the Tattoo Man thing to protect Roman, which you know Logan would not have done
• Kept her head down and away from most of the chaos for a week

About as good as can be expected under the circumstances.

GRADE: C+

MUST IMPROVE: People wearing shoes around her

Josh Aaronson

So, here’s the thing: We all, just generally, agree that Josh set up this long weird hike as a kind of sick test of Logan’s health, right? Like, he made them come to him because his daughter was “sick,” but then we saw her diving in the pool. They went to the beach for a seafood boil but barely ate any of it. They took the “quick” way back but “sometimes it takes longer.” And then there’s his whole vibe, the business with the “I’m a chill billionaire in a hoodie who likes walks but also I will grill the hell out of you and I’m going to use this to get concessions or make more money and I don’t really care about your family hooey one bit even though I’ll smile and pretend we’re friends” routine.

He’s a vulture and a putz and he’d be an even better character on Billions than he is on this show. I think I love him.

GRADE: B

MUST IMPROVE: Cleaning his plate

Tattoo Man

Tattoo Man made out pretty well, all things considered. He’s trying to get his life together. He’s got the tattoo of Kendall’s initials mostly removed and hidden behind some floppy emo bangs. And now he’s got $1 million cash, which he acquired for an embarrassing picture that doesn’t look like it’ll even be used after all. This is, kind of, in a way, the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Good for the Tattoo Man.

GRADE: B

MUST IMPROVE: My guy definitely needs a better haircut once he gets that tattoo scrubbed clean for good

Kendall

Lot going on here. Pretty much everyone regards him as an idiot. His dad is calling him Judas and a fraud and saying stuff like “he’s a good kid and I love him” right in front of his face to an investor as part of a ruse they both see right through, which is cruel on about six levels considering they have never once had a sincere conversation like that in their entire lives, I suspect. Greg might have flipped on him to go live in a magical castle. His leverage bobs up and down like a buoy in the ocean every time the tide changes. He thinks he’s smarter than he is and it’s going to be a problem.

But still. Stood up for himself a bit at the meeting. Didn’t, like, let his father die in the weeds. Has a rabbit now. Not all bad.

GRADE: B

MUST IMPROVE: Planning, carrying water in case the people around him become ill on long surprise walks

The Beatles

Please take 30 seconds today and picture Logan Roy listening to the Beatles.

GRADE: B+

MUST IMPROVE: Longevity

Stewy

We saw Stewy for about three seconds while he was giving Josh a little high-five and bro hug and it made me so happy for reasons I do not fully understand and am a little uncomfortable with seeing as Stewy represents everything I hate in the world.

A conundrum for me. One I will not be addressing until next week at the earliest. I love him.

GRADE: A-

MUST IMPROVE: I have too much to consider here to make an objective evaluation

Jess Jordan

RABBIT CAM

RABBIT CAM

RABBIT CAM

GRADE: A

MUST IMPROVE: RABBIT CAM

Cousin Greg

There are two things of equal importance happening here.

The first is that I love my sweet awkward boy, in every way, starting with him worrying about “goons, stooges, and roughjacks” coming after him and moving to him chugging a rum and Coke while meeting with Logan because he has no clue how to handle himself in a business setting and is just flailing around like an empty straw wrapper in a stiff breeze.

The second is that he saw his leverage and appears to have used it to score a promotion and raise and the admiration of Logan, who had a tiny twinkle of pride in his eye when Greg tip-toed into making his play. And then there was the casual way he said he was going to come in, “kill Ray,” and continue moving up. Kill Ray!

Greg is slicker and more ruthless than people give him credit for. It is now my position that he ends up running all of Waystar. It will be hilarious. I need it.

GRADE: A+

MUST IMPROVE: Pacing himself with drinks

Appearing on the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast, OG West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg had plenty to say with regard to the state of the region’s hip-hop scene — and the place within that scene for the pioneering label that originally helped open the door for LA’s dominance in the wider rap culture.

Addressing the diminished importance of Death Row Records in recent years, Snoop was adamant that he could not only bring it back but also make it the hub for the biggest artists in West Coast hip-hop again. “I think all of Death Row should be in my hands,” he asserted. “I should be running that sh*t. Just like I’m [in] a position at Def Jam, Death Row means more to me because I helped create that. I think they should give me that and let me run that shit with the merchandise out, with the music all over the world. [Add] some new West Coast acts.”

He even posited that were he in this position previously, he’d have been able to sign many of LA’s premiere acts, including Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla Sign, and YG.

But the real kicker is that he believes he could secure ownership of the label soon. “A little birdie told me it may fly my way and if it do, you’ll get everything that I told you,” he said. “If I can get Def Jam poppin’, what could I do with Death Row? Just imagine that.”

Four films from Japan have won Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. That’s fourth most among countries after Italy, France, and Spain, although none since Departures in 2009. Drive My Car hopes to be the fifth.

Based on author Haruki Murakami’s short story from the Men Without Women collection, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car is described as a “haunting road movie” about a widowed actor and his chauffeur. The nearly three-hour film won three awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including Best Screenplay. It also has a Paddington 2-worthy 100 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s the official plot summary:

Two years after his wife’s unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There, he meets Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), a taciturn young woman assigned by the festival to chauffeur him in his beloved red Saab 900. As the production’s premiere approaches, tensions mount amongst the cast and crew, not least between Yusuke and Koji Takatsuki, a handsome TV star who shares an unwelcome connection to Yusuke’s late wife. Forced to confront painful truths raised from his past, Yusuke begins – with the help of his driver – to face the haunting mysteries his wife left behind.

Drive My Car opens in limited release on November 24.

The list of nominees for this year’s American Music Awards was unveiled last month. It’s a star-studded list, and so far, the list of artists set to perform at the Cardi B-hosted ceremony (which airs on November 21 on ABC) packs a punch, too. Organizers announced its first batch of performers this morning and the list includes Megan Thee Stallion, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, and Bad Bunny.

Megan and BTS will be performing together to give their “Butter” remix its television debut. It’s not clear what song(s) Rodrigo will deliver for her AMAs debut, but Bad Bunny is set to perform “Lo Siento BB:/.”

More performers are expected to be announced soon, but one who won’t make the cut is Morgan Wallen. He’s up for two awards due to his performance on the charts, but AMAs organizers noted last month, “Morgan Wallen is a nominee this year based on charting. As his conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting). We plan to evaluate his progress in doing meaningful work as an ally to the Black community and will consider his participation in future shows.”

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

Los Angeles isn’t exactly known as a hub for successful music festivals. Sure, there’s Coachella a solid two hours out of the city, but within the county lines (and neighboring Orange County), the reputation is a bit more scattershot. Events like FYF, Burgerama, and Beach Goth have all (rightfully) gone the way of the dodo after various levels of controversy, while fests like Made In America, Detour, and Festival Supreme couldn’t quite survive in the competitive atmosphere. Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw is the class of the town, and its producer Goldenvoice has been further dabbling into more niche events in the area of late. These can make you feel old (the aughts indie-celebrating Just Like Heaven), make you feel really old (the ’80s nostalgia brandishing Cruel World), or, as over the past weekend, make you feel like a part of something bigger than yourself, at 88 Rising’s Head In The Clouds festival.

Head In The Clouds debuted as a single-day event in 2018 and 2019 at Los Angeles Historic State Park, drawing more than 20,000 fans and necessitating this more fully-realized version. The ethos is pretty simple yet crucial: a celebration of Asian music and culture, both from the Asian continent and from Asian-Americans. Speaking with the LA Times earlier this year, 88 Rising (and festival) founder Sean Miyashiro said, “We just want the best of Asian music, so we can invite anyone. The last two fests were scrappy but monumental for us. This one is literally the live interpretation of everything we stand for.”

The resulting festival felt like a revelation. For cultures that often note that they feel invisible within American society, which was only underscored by the Covid crisis that saw them the subject of violence and scorn, this couldn’t be more important, especially as the event highlighted the depth and breadth of their influence. This could feel hyperlocal, like the San Gabriel Valley homage that was the 626 Night Market, to ocean-spanning, like a massive set from K-pop legend CL. During her sunset performance, rap star Saweetie highlighted her own heritage (Black, Filipino, and Chinese) while also shining a spotlight on the “Asian kings and queens” in the audience. If the audience didn’t feel seen in their day-to-day lives, Head In The Clouds was sure that Asian people wouldn’t feel that way on the festival grounds.

It’s a concept that makes more sense as the music world becomes more global. Festivals highlighting music from Africa and Latin America are becoming more common, while micro-festivals around specific cultures are beginning to leave the shadows for the mainstream. Diversity in the major music festivals is also more common, where occurrences like Blackpink’s appearing at Coachella and J Balvin’s dominance of the festival circuit are paving the way for more like them in the future, with international music treated like less like a curiosity and more like a pillar of popular music.

The majority of the big acts at Head In The Clouds wouldn’t feel out of place at a Coachella of Lollapalooza, like Japanese Breakfast, whose “banger after banger” performance proved why Michelle Zauner is one more music’s most exciting personalities, and Saturday headliner Rich Brian, whose earnest bars come across even better live than they do on record. But for someone like CL, who despite a new album that saw a big Rolling Stone feature and an appearance on Lil Dickey’s Dave remains unknown to many outside of Asian circles, the festival provided an argument for why that needed to change asap. The training that went into her K-pop career as a member of 2NE1 was on display as she danced, sang, rapped, and gave her all in such a manner that should put all American pop stars on notice that they need to up their game, immediately.

Taking place just a day after the tragedy at Astroworld in Houston, there was a clear reaction from the festival, with waters being distributed at a frantic rate and security responding to calls for help with prompt and thorough assistance. But still, the events of the day before hung heavily on Head In The Clouds, and I imagine it will over festivals for a long time. But Head In The Clouds was a reminder that this kind of event can be so much more than the party atmosphere that many are reduced to. Festivals can be meaningful celebrations, and here’s to hoping that Head In The Clouds keeps growing and assuming its place as Los Angeles’ next great music festival.

Check out some more photos from the event below.

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

Saweetie

CL

Japanese Breakfast

Rich Brian

The tragic shooting that took place while filming the movie “Rust” shocked the world. Even if it wasn’t Alec Baldwin himself who pulled the trigger that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the fact that a gun used in a movie was able to kill anyone during filming is beyond comprehension.

Much has been made of the people involved, the protocols ignored, and the safeguards that could have and should have prevented such a terrible accident. Part of those discussions is the question of why film productions use real guns in the first place. Obviously, authenticity is desirable in a movie—we viewers expect films to look as realistic as possible. But in the day of digital enhancement, computer-generated special effects, and post-production editing tools that can do almost anything, are real guns necessary to achieve realism?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says no. In an interview with Variety, The Rock said that his film production company, Seven Bucks Productions, will not use real guns in any of its films or television shows moving forward.

“We’re going to switch over to rubber guns,” he said. “We’re going to take care of it in post. We’re not going to worry about the dollars.”

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.@TheRock pledges to end the use of real guns on all Seven Bucks Productions sets, following the death of Halyna Hutchins: “We’re going to switch over to rubber guns. We’re going to take care of it in post. We’re not going to worry about the dollars.” https://bit.ly/3ELUZmiu00a0pic.twitter.com/owKGyg18m0

— Variety (@Variety)
1635999876

“It just sucks that it had to happen like this for us, on our end—and I can’t speak for anybody else—but for us to wake up,” he said.

He said that within two hours of learning about Hutchins’ death, he was on the phone with his team to discuss how they could make productions safer.

Several people in the industry shared the dangers of guns on set—even prop guns that fire blanks.

But because this prop gun had a plugged barrel, that means all the blast u2014 1/2 the gunpowder required to propel a bullet beyond the speed of sound u2014 comes out the SIDE of the gun.nnIt blew a hole in the paper and lit it on fire.nnProp guns are guns. Full stop.

— David Slack (@slack2thefuture)
1634871572

Television David Slack wrote on Twitter:

“When I was in college, we were lucky to have a teacher who was REALLY good about prop gun safety. He did a demo where he hung a piece of paper from a c-stand and then fired a prop gun BESIDE it, not even pointed at the paper.

But because this prop gun had a plugged barrel, that means all the blast — 1/2 the gunpowder required to propel a bullet beyond the speed of sound — comes out the SIDE of the gun. It blew a hole in the paper and lit it on fire. Prop guns are guns. Full stop.“

Movie armorer SL Huang also chimed in on Twitter with a thread about how many safety protocols were obviously missed or ignored.

(and horrified that I am stumped because it means this was likely so bad, and the failures here likely so unfathomably huge and many)

— SL Huang u9ec4u58ebu82ac (@sl_huang)
1634970565

Huang also shared that “prop guns” are not guns that fire blanks. A prop gun is fake, a replica often made out of rubber. A blank fire gun is a real gun. “Sometimes real guns are used ‘cold’ (unloaded) if either there’s no matching prop gun or if they want a closeup (the props are usually not as nice looking in detail),” she wrote.

However, she reiterated, there are so many measures and checks and protocols that should have prevented this incident many times over.

Sometimes real guns are used “cold” (unloaded) if either there’s no matching prop gun or if they want a closeup (the props are usually not as nice looking in detail), but for wide shots props are fine

— SL Huang u9ec4u58ebu82ac (@sl_huang)
1634970576

Some may feel that The Rock’s pledge to not use any real guns on set is overkill, considering the fact that strict safety protocols, when followed properly, can prevent incidents like the one that killed Halyna Hutchins. But if the same effect can be achieved without the use of real guns, why not go the safer route?

Perhaps it’s worth considering how often guns are used in our entertainment industry. According to research from Ohio State University, gun violence in PG-13 movies nearly tripled between 1985 and 2015. Is Hollywood fueling an obsession with guns, or is America’s obsession with guns fueling Hollywood’s choices? Who knows. But considering the fact that 2020 saw 20,000 Americans die from gun violence (more than double that if we include suicide), which is the highest number in at least two decades, perhaps it’s worth examining.

Move over caviar, there’s a new luxury dish in town. And it goes by the name of dishwasher steak.

CBS News correspondent Michael George revealed hidden–and innovative–culinary talents on Twitter after showing a video of his ingenious hack for cooking the perfect medium rare sirloin.

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Omg it actually worked! I cooked a steak in the dishwasher and it came out AMAZING! @MGEatsTheWorld pic.twitter.com/A3ZuiFM0dL

— Michael George (@MikeGeorgeCBS) November 1, 2021

The video shows Michael placing the meat in a vacuum sealed bag (after seasoning, of course), and then placing it into his dishwasher for 96 minutes. It was the top rack, for anyone wanting to try this at home. Not sure if that’s important, but Michael seems to know what he’s doing. Might as well copy him to the T.

Fast forward to Michael lifting his creation out from the steam and voila! Out came a delectably juicy, undeniably medium rare, restaurant worthy–and yes, definitely cooked–steak.

So how does it work? Michael tells all.

“A dishwasher immerses dishes in 130 degree hot water…that’s basically a giant sous vide machine,” he posted on Twitter.

I COOKED A STEAK IN THE DISHWASHER!?!

A dishwasher immerses dishes in 130 degree hot water…that’s basically a giant sous vide machine, right?! The steak came out a perfect medium rare! It just needed 2 minutes in the pan to brown the outside! #steak #MikeGeorgeEatsTheWorld pic.twitter.com/AR0hc7t80U

— MikeGeorgeEatsTheWorld (@MGEatsTheWorld) November 1, 2021

I had no idea what a sous vide machine was, so I looked it up. If you’re not up-to-date with fancy kitchen appliances, here’s the low down: “sous vide,” French for “under vacuum” is basically the high falutin way of saying that you cooked your food by bathing it in a bag. There, now you’re in the leagues of Gordon Ramsey.

This is not the first successful endeavor of the meat-in-dishwasher cooking method. Check out Tom Scott’s perfectly poached dishwasher Salmon:

For those who have watched the video and wonder why Michael then tossed the steak into the frying pan, he says that’s mostly for aesthetics, explaining that, “with most ways of cooking steak, you put it in the pan for 2 min just to brown the outside.”

He then assured us that “all the internal cooking was done in the dishwasher!”

Some of you might be wondering what would motivate Michale to try such a thing. The question certainly came up on Twitter. And for this, Michael has a simple reply: “for science.”

The quirky cooking discovery led to some fun responses. Most were totally onboard.

Greg Pollowitz of Twitchy admitted, “it…does look good.”

it…..does look good. https://t.co/KihcJoxAyr

— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) November 1, 2021

Another person posted the meme “I don’t know how, but you used the wrong formula but got the correct answer.”

https://t.co/RYUqSFpDOP pic.twitter.com/xB0Rvb6mq2

— LouLou 🐾🐾 (@Flaaaaalala) November 1, 2021

“Interesting. Kinda like *steam-cooking* it in a microwave,” wrote one person. I mean, yeah sure but where’s the fun in that? Nothing from a microwave is worth posting online. Except for maybe that coffee cup you didn’t know would create sparks.

Not all were behind the idea though. As with most feats of genius, the dishwasher steak did create some controversy.

In addition to many posting “but why” (which we’ve already answered:science!), one person also commented, “just throw it on the grill and stop looking for attention.” Yikes. Can’t a guy just throw a piece of raw meat into his dishwasher then post about it without accusations?

One person asked Michael “have you started a food TikTok yet????” To which he sadly replied “Yes! It has like no followers lol.”

But if you’d like to change that, his TikTok handle is @mikegeorgeeatstheworld. So far he’s posted videos of the squid ink pasta, cubed french toast, and apple swan garnishes, just to name a few.

This article originally appeared on 05.27.16

Pregnant.

There it was, clear as day, two blue lines staring back at me from the small pregnancy test I had just purchased.

I double-checked…

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One line = not pregnant.

Two lines = pregnant.

Photo via iStock.

Yup, I was definitely pregnant.

My heart was pounding.

My head was spinning.

My stomach was churning.

I was nervous, excited, scared, and ecstatic all at the same time.

This was actually happening! After years of dreaming, preparing for, and anticipating this day, it was finally here. I was going to be a mother.

Photo via iStock.

Little did I know that in nine short months, I would begin the most exhausting, life-changing, heart-wrenching, but indescribably rewarding journey of my life.

In nine months, I would learn the price of motherhood firsthand. I would know exactly what it takes to be a mother. I would gain a whole new understanding of and gratitude for the beautiful woman I call Mom.

I would learn about things mothers experience that their children often know very little about.

Here are 10 things your mom never told you.

1. You made her cry … a lot.

She cried when she found out she was pregnant. She cried as she gave birth to you. She cried when she first held you. She cried with happiness. She cried with fear. She cried with worry. She cried because she feels so deeply for you. She felt your pain and your happiness and she shared it with you, whether you realized it or not.

2. She wanted that last piece of pie.

But when she saw you look at it with those big eyes and lick your mouth with that tiny tongue, she couldn’t eat it. She knew it would make her much happier to see your little tummy be filled than hers.

3. It hurt.

When you pulled her hair, it hurt; when you grabbed her with those sharp fingernails that were impossible to cut, it hurt; when you bit her while drinking milk, that hurt, too. You bruised her ribs when you kicked her from her belly; you stretched her stomach out for nine months; you made her body contract in agonizing pain as you entered this world.

4. She was always afraid.

From the moment you were conceived, she did all in her power to protect you. She became your mama bear. She was that lady who wanted to say no when the little girl next door asked to hold you and who cringed when she did because in her mind no one could keep you as safe as she herself could. Her heart skipped two beats with your first steps. She stayed up late to make sure you got home safe and woke up early to see you off to school. With every stubbed toe and little stumble, she was close by; she was ready to snatch you up with every bad dream or late-night fever. She was there to make sure you were OK.

She stayed up late to make sure you got home safe and woke up early to see you off to school.

5. She knows she’s not perfect.

She is her own worst critic. She knows all her flaws and sometimes hates herself for them. She is hardest on herself when it comes to you, though. She wanted to be the perfect mom, to do nothing wrong — but because she is human, she made mistakes. She is probably still trying to forgive herself for them. She wishes with her whole heart that she could go back in time and do things differently, but she can’t, so be kind to her and know she did the best she knew how to do.

6. She watched you as you slept.

There were nights when she was up ’til 3 a.m. praying that you would finally fall asleep. She could hardly keep her eyes open as she sang to you, and she would beg you to “please, please fall asleep.” Then, when you finally fell asleep, she would lay you down, and all her tiredness would disappear for a short second as she sat by your bedside looking down at your perfect cherub face, experiencing more love than she knew was possible, despite her worn-out arms and aching eyes.

7. She carried you a lot longer than nine months.

You needed her to. So she did. She would learn to hold you while she cleaned; she would learn to hold you while she ate; she would even hold you while she slept because it was the only way she could sometimes. Her arms would get tired, her back would hurt, but she held you still because you wanted to be close to her. She snuggled you, loved you, kissed you, and played with you. You felt safe in her arms; you were happy in her arms; you knew you were loved in her arms, so she held you, as often and as long as you needed.

Her arms would get tired, her back would hurt, but she held you still because you wanted to be close to her.

8. It broke her heart every time you cried.

There was no sound as sad as your cries or sight as horrible as the tears streaming down your perfect face. She did all in her power to stop you from crying, and when she couldn’t stop your tears, her heart would shatter into a million little pieces.

9. She put you first.

She went without food, without showers, and without sleep. She always put your needs before her own. She would spend all day meeting your needs, and by the end of the day, she would have no energy left for herself. But the next day, she would wake up and do it all over again because you meant that much to her.

10. She would do it all again.

Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do, and it will take you to your very limits sometimes. You cry, you hurt, you try, you fail, you work, and you learn. But, you also experience more joy than you thought was possible and feel more love than your heart can contain. Despite all the pain, grief, late nights, and early mornings you put your mom through, she would do it all again for you because you are worth it to her.

So, next time you see her, tell your mom thank you; let her know that you love her. She can never hear it too many times.

This article originally appeared on 04.15.16

What are women up to when no one is watching?

Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.

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Well, take a look at Sally Nixon’s illustrations and you’ll see.

The subjects in her artwork aren’t aware we’re looking at them.

And that’s the point. They’re living in a world free from the pressures that exist in the real one.

“I like drawing girls doing their everyday routine — just hanging out, not worried about what others are thinking,” Nixon told Upworthy. “They’re usually alone or with other girls. Their guard is down.”

Editor’s note: An image below contains partial nudity.

Capturing her subjects in this liberated light wasn’t intentional at first, she explained.

But when she started a 365-day challenge last April to create one art piece a day, the work started reflecting the nuances of her own life away from prying eyes — “I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m brushing my teeth, so I’ll draw that.'” — and a theme began to form.

Her illustrations show how women look, away from the exhausting world where they’re often judged more harshly than men.

You also might notice none of the girls in her illustrations are smiling.

According to Nixon, that’s a deliberate choice.

“I don’t sit around smiling to myself,” Nixon said, noting the double standard that exists in thinking women should always appear cheerful.

“I’ve been told, ‘You need to smile more.’ It’s so infuriating. I wanted to show the way girls actually look, comfortably.”

The theme of friendship is also an important one in Nixon’s drawings.

“I have four older sisters, so female friendship has always been a big part of my life,” Nixon told The Huffington Post. “You gotta have someone to talk about periods with, and dudes just don’t get it.”

Creating relatable scenes was key to Nixon, too — from the details of women’s lives to the physical shapes of their bodies.

“It’s important that the women I draw aren’t rail thin with huge boobs,” Nixon said. “I think there are enough images of bodies like that out in the world. The ladies I draw typically have small-ish, droopy breasts and thick thighs. They’re kind of lumpy but in an attractive way. Just like real people.”

The women in Nixon’s work aren’t real, but she hopes their stories are.

“One of my absolute favorite comments [on my work] is, ‘Oh my God, it’s me!'” she explained of the depictions.

“There’s a little bit of beauty in [everyday life] and I wanted to bring that out.”

You can view more of Nixon’s artwork on her website and check out her prints for purchase on Etsy.

Chicago rapper Saba didn’t take long after announcing his third album to follow up with the dates for his upcoming world tour in support of the album, the Back Home Tour. The tour will launch in March 2022 in Europe and the UK before coming to the US in April.

Saba’s tour dates in Europe will be supported by a pair of local artists: English rapper/signer Enny, and Dutch-Sudanese R&B singer Gaidaa. When he returns to North America, Saba’s openers will be Dreamville rapper Lute (Saba appears on Lute’s new album Gold Mouf) and the Los Angeles singer Amindi. Tickets will go on sale at 10 am local time on November 12 at sabapivot.com. You can catch Saba onstage before the tour at Day N Vegas this Saturday, November 13.

See below for the full tour dates.

3/1 — Dublin @ Academy
3/3 — Manchester @ Manchester Club Academy*
3/5 — London @ Forum*
3/7 — Birmingham @ Institute 2*
3/9 — Brussels @ Botanique / Orangerie
3/10 — Cologne Luxor
3/11 — Paris @ FVTVR
3/13 — Zurich @ Dynamo
3/14 — Vienna @ Grelle Forelle
3/16 — Milan @ Circolo Magnolia
3/18 — Amsterdam @ Melkweg Main Hall
3/19 — Hamburg @ Gruenspan
3/20 — Berlin @ Yaam
3/22 — Copenhagen @ Amager Bio
3/23 — Oslo @ Parkteateret
3/24 — Stockholm @ Debaser

North America Dates with Lute and Amindi
4/11 — Phoenix @ Van Buren
4/14 — Dallas @ House of Blues
4/15 — Houston @ House of Blues
4/16 — Austin @ Emo’s
4/19 — Orlando @ Celine
4/20 — Atlanta @ Centerstage
4/21 — Charlotte @ Underground
4/22 — Pittsburgh @ Roxian Theatre
4/25 — Brooklyn @ Brooklyn Steel
4/27 — Washington D.C. @ Fillmore
4/28 — Philadelphia @ TLA
4/29 — Boston @ Paradise
5/1 — Toronto @ Phoenix
5/3 — Detroit @ El Club
5/6 — Minneapolis @ First Avenue
5/7 — Lawrence @ Granada
5/9 — Denver @ Cervantes
5/12 — Seattle @ Showbox
5/13 — Portland @ Crystal
5/15 — Vancouver @ Vogue
5/19 — San Francisco @ Regency
5/20 — Santa Cruz @ Catalyst
5/21 — Los Angeles @ Novo