Category: Worldwide

A mother’s exasperated reaction to getting Christmas gifts from her family in 1988 shows that things haven’t changed much for mothers in 35 years.

Jordan Alvillar, 36, was transferring his family’s old camcorder footage when he found this goldmine of footage of his mother. “I digitized my family’s home videos from the ’80s,” Jordan Alvillar, 36, captioned a TikTok video. “Here’s my mom’s soul leaving her body on Christmas Day!”

The shining moment is when Alvillar’s mother, Susan, opens up her gift, a Kitchen-Aid mixer. “It’s a mixer!” Susan says to the camera in a sarcastic deadpan. “Boy, oh boy, I can’t wait to use that to make my husband a wonderful meal.”

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“Just think of the tasty treats I can make my family with this mixer,” she continued. Even though she asked for the mixer, there’s something a little sad about giving a woman a kitchen appliance as a gift.

@jordielaura5

I digitized my family’s home videos from the 80s. Here’s my mom’s soul leaving her body on Christmas day! #familyvideos #homevideos #christmas #snarkyhumor #familymemories #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged

“Isn’t this just a wonderful holiday season? I’m so glad I’ve been able to cook and clean and just do things like a regular housewife should!” Susan says later in the video, to which her husband jokingly responds: “A woman’s work is never done!”

Women in the comments applauded Susan’s timeless performance on Christmas 1988.

“It’s like those clips you see on True Crime. ‘She seemed like a normal housewife. But she was about to murder them all,’” Bonky wrote. “I am a Mom in 2023 & I strongly feel every word she’s saying. Exhausted & overwhelmed Moms are timeless,” Erin added. “So moms have always been like this. I love it!” Milli commented.

The NBA is typically a one-way door. When a player leaves for another league, it signals that they no longer meet the demands of the league or teams no longer view someone as an NBA-caliber player.

That’s what makes Dante Exum’s reemergence particularly interesting. Exum was taken fifth in the 2014 NBA Draft by Utah as a 6’5, dynamic point guard who could both run the show and fill in the gaps as an off-ball player. Exum never actualized his talent in Utah due to a litany of injuries that took his entire second season and limited his contributions moving forward. He would only play 215 games through five seasons before being traded to Cleveland in 2020, where he would play just 30 games through the 2021 campaign.

In Exum’s first NBA stint, his skills as a disruptive driver who doubled as a connective passer popped off the screen. He also became an infamous point of attack defender in the 2018 playoffs, when Utah deployed the devious plot to defend James Harden from behind on pick-and-roll actions. Utah could only deploy that scheme because Exum was long enough to disrupt Harden and quick enough to potentially get back in front of him on drives. Somewhere in Exum was a high-level basketball player, but injuries mixed with an inconsistent jumper prevented that player from ever coming to fruition.

In 2021, Exum went to the Europe to play for FC Barcelona, where most would assume that he would become a Remember Some Guys All-Star. But something happened while he was abroad: He sharpened his best basketball traits while improving the jumper that plagued him in the NBA. Exum shot 52 percent from on just over one attempt per game in his first EuroLeague season and then followed up by shooting 42 percent on over two attempts per game the following year. The shooting uptick was encouraging, but certainly not a big enough swing to guarantee a return to the NBA.

However, the Dallas Mavericks signed Exum to a minimum deal last offseason after bringing on former Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey as a consultant — Lindsey drafted Exum in 2014 and played a large role in the signing. Entering the season, Exum had a small bench role as the third point guard behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. It was unclear as to how much Exum would play due to those two needing the ball and the team’s desire to get reps for young guards Josh Green and Jaden Hardy. But as the season has progressed, Exum has gone from a guy who positively impacts the game in small stretches to an important part of the team’s rotation.

In 13 November games, Exum averaged just 11 minutes a night and shot a pedestrian 26 percent on threes, but he had an 8.7 net rating in his time on the floor. Most importantly, Exum flourished next to Doncic and Irving by initiating sets and allowing both of them to enter their pick-and-roll actions on the move. Dallas has quietly made the offense less taxing on its biggest star by allowing other players to bring the ball up the floor and initiate sets, thereby reducing the amount of time the ball is in Doncic’s hands. Exum, Doncic, and Irving have logged 40 minutes together this season and have a plus-49.8 net rating in that small sample size.

Just as Exum was hitting his stride alongside that duo, the Mavericks were hit with injuries to both Irving and Green, which forced Exum into a secondary ball-handling role. The role elevation led to the best stretch of Exum’s career. In eight December games, Exum is averaging 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on 62 percent from the field and a ridiculous 53 percent on threes. This included a 26-point performance in a nationally televised win against the Lakers where Exum splashed seven threes — the Lakers game planned to leave Exum open and he made them pay.

The three-point shooting has been the headliner for Exum’s game, but he has also shown the finishing skills that made him a top-5 pick. Exum’s length and quickness allowed him to consistently get into the paint early in his career, but he often got into the paint without a plan or didn’t have the strength to finish around the rim. This season, Exum is shooting 73 percent within five feet of the rim. It’s a welcome sight for a Maverick team that struggles to create consistent rim pressure outside of Doncic and Irving. Exum caffeinates the Maverick offense, and when he gets to the rim, it’s a high percentage shot. When Exum is on the floor, the Mavericks pace is 102.75. Last season, they ranked 28th in pace at just 97.2.

Exum won’t maintain his hellfire three-point percentage, but if he can settle into being a consistent option, he has all the tools to be one of the best role players in basketball. He’s a big, high IQ guard who can make both Irving and Doncic better while also filling in if either misses a game. Exum’s first stint in the league didn’t go as plan, but he went to Europe, refined his game, and came back as a player who will have a role in the NBA for some time.

Many people dream of somehow being able to pay their parents back for the sacrifices made for them during childhood. Whether that’s something physical, like paying off their mortgage, or simply being the best version of ourselves to make them absolutely proud.

For Lindsay Moore, it was finding a “prized possession” her dad once gave up to help the family, and returning it to him once again.

Moore still vividly remembers being only seven years old when she saw her father walk into a comic book store to sell a Dan Marino rookie football card from his first season with the Miami Dolphins.

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In a now-viral TikTok, Moore’s father is seen reliving this memory as he holds onto a Christmas bag and a family member reads a card out loud.

“Money was tight, so you were selling your most prized possession – at least I viewed it as that,” Moore wrote. “I felt your sacrifice and it taught me that I would do whatever necessary to ensure my future family never needed anything. It was a lesson that has stuck with me since that moment.”

It was also the moment she became “determined” to pay her father back. Cut to thirty years later, and her father is her Secret Santa. It was the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise.

“I will never be able to fully repay that debt,” her note continued. “Seven-year-old me would be so elated to see that I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. Thank you for everything.”

As he listened, Moore’s dad began tearing up. Sure enough, he opened his gift to see it was the cherished card he sold all those years ago.

The video concludes as Moore and her father enjoy a warm embrace.

@lindseyswagmom

Im not crying, you’re crying

♬ original sound – Lindsey Moore

The sweet exchange certainly struck a chord online.

“When he started crying I LOST IT,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Something about bringing a grown man to tears always gets me.”

A few parents shared their own stories of sacrificing prized possessions.

“As someone who has sold his prized Gretzky rookie to provide for his kids, I appreciate and respect this a lot,” commented one person.

“Just had to sell my signature MacKinnon jersey to pay bills. Sucked so much but kid comes first,” echoed another.

On the flip side, some shared their one experience of getting to repay their parents. One wrote:

“I got to do this for my mom last year. She won a [Dolce & Gabbana] purse one year at work and sold it to buy my prom dress and never thought twice. She never [got] name brand anything. So this year I took her to get her very first name brand fancy hand bag or her picking, my treat.”

But perhaps the best comment belonged to this person, who astutely pointed out: “The card wasn’t the real gift to him. It was hearing his impact on you. Priceless.”

We might not all get to reclaim what our parents sacrificed. And that’s okay. There are so many other ways to share just how much of a positive impact they made on our lives. Even saying how much we appreciate them can be an invaluable reward. Yes. Really.

A mother’s exasperated reaction to getting Christmas gifts from her family in 1988 shows that things haven’t changed much for mothers in 35 years.

Jordan Alvillar, 36, was transferring his family’s old camcorder footage when he found this goldmine of footage of his mother. “I digitized my family’s home videos from the ’80s,” Jordan Alvillar, 36, captioned a TikTok video. “Here’s my mom’s soul leaving her body on Christmas Day!”

The shining moment is when Alvillar’s mother, Susan, opens up her gift, a Kitchen-Aid mixer. “It’s a mixer!” Susan says to the camera in a sarcastic deadpan. “Boy, oh boy, I can’t wait to use that to make my husband a wonderful meal.”

---

“Just think of the tasty treats I can make my family with this mixer,” she continued. Even though she asked for the mixer, there’s something a little sad about giving a woman a kitchen appliance as a gift.

@jordielaura5

I digitized my family’s home videos from the 80s. Here’s my mom’s soul leaving her body on Christmas day! #familyvideos #homevideos #christmas #snarkyhumor #familymemories #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged

“Isn’t this just a wonderful holiday season? I’m so glad I’ve been able to cook and clean and just do things like a regular housewife should!” Susan says later in the video, to which her husband jokingly responds: “A woman’s work is never done!”

Women in the comments applauded Susan’s timeless performance on Christmas 1988.

“It’s like those clips you see on True Crime. ‘She seemed like a normal housewife. But she was about to murder them all,’” Bonky wrote. “I am a Mom in 2023 & I strongly feel every word she’s saying. Exhausted & overwhelmed Moms are timeless,” Erin added. “So moms have always been like this. I love it!” Milli commented.

Many people dream of somehow being able to pay their parents back for the sacrifices made for them during childhood. Whether that’s something physical, like paying off their mortgage, or simply being the best version of ourselves to make them absolutely proud.

For Lindsay Moore, it was finding a “prized possession” her dad once gave up to help the family, and returning it to him once again.

Moore still vividly remembers being only seven years old when she saw her father walk into a comic book store to sell a Dan Marino rookie football card from his first season with the Miami Dolphins.

---

In a now-viral TikTok, Moore’s father is seen reliving this memory as he holds onto a Christmas bag and a family member reads a card out loud.

“Money was tight, so you were selling your most prized possession – at least I viewed it as that,” Moore wrote. “I felt your sacrifice and it taught me that I would do whatever necessary to ensure my future family never needed anything. It was a lesson that has stuck with me since that moment.”

It was also the moment she became “determined” to pay her father back. Cut to thirty years later, and her father is her Secret Santa. It was the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise.

“I will never be able to fully repay that debt,” her note continued. “Seven-year-old me would be so elated to see that I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. Thank you for everything.”

As he listened, Moore’s dad began tearing up. Sure enough, he opened his gift to see it was the cherished card he sold all those years ago.

The video concludes as Moore and her father enjoy a warm embrace.

@lindseyswagmom

Im not crying, you’re crying

♬ original sound – Lindsey Moore

The sweet exchange certainly struck a chord online.

“When he started crying I LOST IT,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Something about bringing a grown man to tears always gets me.”

A few parents shared their own stories of sacrificing prized possessions.

“As someone who has sold his prized Gretzky rookie to provide for his kids, I appreciate and respect this a lot,” commented one person.

“Just had to sell my signature MacKinnon jersey to pay bills. Sucked so much but kid comes first,” echoed another.

On the flip side, some shared their one experience of getting to repay their parents. One wrote:

“I got to do this for my mom last year. She won a [Dolce & Gabbana] purse one year at work and sold it to buy my prom dress and never thought twice. She never [got] name brand anything. So this year I took her to get her very first name brand fancy hand bag or her picking, my treat.”

But perhaps the best comment belonged to this person, who astutely pointed out: “The card wasn’t the real gift to him. It was hearing his impact on you. Priceless.”

We might not all get to reclaim what our parents sacrificed. And that’s okay. There are so many other ways to share just how much of a positive impact they made on our lives. Even saying how much we appreciate them can be an invaluable reward. Yes. Really.

The Dry January challenge as we know it has around since the early 2000s, but the idea of taking a break from alcohol the first month of the year actually has its roots in World War II. To save resources, the Finnish government initiated “Raitis Januar,” or Sober January, in 1942, encouraging people to stop drinking alcohol entirely for at least that one month.

The modern Dry January has become more and more popular as people recognize the health benefits of abstaining from alcohol and acknowledge the impulse to cut back after the indulgent holidays. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, 19% of millennials, 14% of Gen Xers 12% of baby boomers say they plan to participate in Dry January 2024. That’s about 31 million Americans.

Some people find it easy to stop drinking for a month, while others find it more challenging. If you’re going to try to have a Dry January, here are some tips for a successful and satisfying month.

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Get clear on your ‘why’ and remind yourself of it often.

If you’ve decided to try Dry January, there must be a reason. Maybe you’re on a mission to take better care of your body. Maybe you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol. Maybe you feel like it’s a good self-discipline exercise. Maybe you read the WHO statement that no amount of alcohol can be considered safe or healthy.

Whatever your “why” is, keep it front and center in your mind—maybe even write it down someplace—so that you can call on it if or when you’re tempted to drink.

Find some yummy substitutes for your favorite drinks.

When you’re trying to cut something out, it can be helpful to have something to replace it with. Decide ahead of time what you’re going to order in a restaurant instead of wine or a beer. Lots of establishments offer non-alcoholic alternatives to those things, but you might also just choose a favorite soda or even just water. It’s just good to go in with a plan, rather than relying on whatever sounds good in the moment because what sounds good in the moment will likely be the alcohol drink you’d normally get.

You might even decide to treat yourself to a yummy mocktail so that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on the festive element of drinking. Mocktails have grown in popularity so it’s not an unusual request.

Read other people’s success stories.

Sometimes a little inspiration can be helpful, so reading about other people who’ve successfully completed a Dry January can help.There are plenty of success stories from people who have done Dry January at least once, but many who have done it each year. Testimonials like these ones from a Reddit thread can help keep you going:

“It was worth it. It was an effort to drink less, lose weight, sleep better. I lost 4 lbs, slept better, and generally had more energy and focus in the morning.”

“I’ve done it the past few years and love it. Honestly the hard part is the social side and less the alcohol side. I love a beer or a whiskey when hanging but the value of a clear head in the morning is increasing with my age. I find a reset helps me temper how much I drink in general. Like, the casual couch drink on a Tuesday goes away for a while after Jan. since it’s pretty worthless.”

Track how you feel (especially after the first week, which might suck).

One of the things people who complete Dry January often share is how much better they physically feel. Better sleep, less grogginess, more energy, better digestion, lowered blood pressure, weight loss and more are commonly reported. Some people experience these benefits right away, but for some it might take a bit to feel those benefits as your body adjusts to not processing alcohol. Stick with it and pay attention to how your body and brain feel without it as you go through the month.

(A word of warning: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome can occur in heavy drinkers who stop suddenly and can be dangerous, so watch for symptoms that are concerning. According to Harvard Health, mild withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, shaky hands, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and insomnia. Severe symptoms can include hallucinations, delirium, racing heart rate, and fever, and often occur within two or three days after you stop drinking. Seek medical assistance immediately if you experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.)

Make it a group effort.

You can go through Dry January alone, but you probably don’t have to. Who among your friends and family might want to do it with you? Even if you find just a couple of people who agree to support you, that can make a big difference in how you feel about the challenge. Not drinking for a whole month can be hard if alcohol is a regular part of your life, especially your social life. Ask for help from your loved ones to provide non-alcoholic alternatives and not to put any pressure on you to drink, and if anyone is available and willing to do it with you, all the better.

If you slip up, don’t quit, just pick back up the next day.

The beauty of sobriety is that it truly is a daily (or hourly, or minute-by-minute) choice, so if you do find yourself with a drink in your hand, you haven’t ruined anything. Just pick it back up the next day and move forward. No need to beat yourself up. No need to give up completely.

For some people, Dry January is a welcome break for overall wellness. Others find it eye-opening when it’s a lot harder than they anticipated and use it as a wake-up call that leads to life-changing—and in some cases, life-saving—shifts in alcohol use.

Dry January may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it can be a great tool to throw into your health and wellness toolbox if you’re up for it.

There was drama at the Denver Zoo after the birth of a baby orangutan named Siska. The zookeepers didn’t know if the father was 16-year-old Jaya or 30-year-old Berani. So, to learn the truth about Siska’s paternity, they found the perfect man for the job, Maury Povich.

For 31 years, Povich was the host of his eponymous daytime talk show, where one of the highlights was his paternity tests, where he dramatically explained, “You are the father” or “You are not the father.

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In a video shared by the zoo on December 19, Maury announced the truth of Siska’s paternity to the world.

— (@)

“We want to thank the Denver Zoo for everything they do, but this is really important,” said Povich, dressed in a tuxedo. “When it comes to the orangutan—4-month-old Siska—Berani, you are the father,” he continued as photos of both orangutans in question were superimposed on the screen.

Povich’s name is synonymous with paternity tests, even though he began his career as a serious journalist. Povich started as a news anchor in the ’60s, before becoming the host of “A Current Affair” from 1986 to 1990.

His wife, journalist Connie Chung, set the record straight when Povich won the Lifetime Achievement award at the Daytime Emmy Awards on December 16.

“I know that you think he’s been determining the paternity of every child in America all his life,” Chung said, according to ABC News.

“But no, in his 67 freaking years in television, he’s been a news reporter and a news anchor and old fashion talk show host interviewing world leaders, politicians, members of Congress, authors, movie stars and even Julia Child,” Chung continued.

The Dry January challenge as we know it has around since the early 2000s, but the idea of taking a break from alcohol the first month of the year actually has its roots in World War II. To save resources, the Finnish government initiated “Raitis Januar,” or Sober January, in 1942, encouraging people to stop drinking alcohol entirely for at least that one month.

The modern Dry January has become more and more popular as people recognize the health benefits of abstaining from alcohol and acknowledge the impulse to cut back after the indulgent holidays. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, 19% of millennials, 14% of Gen Xers 12% of baby boomers say they plan to participate in Dry January 2024. That’s about 31 million Americans.

Some people find it easy to stop drinking for a month, while others find it more challenging. If you’re going to try to have a Dry January, here are some tips for a successful and satisfying month.

---

Get clear on your ‘why’ and remind yourself of it often.

If you’ve decided to try Dry January, there must be a reason. Maybe you’re on a mission to take better care of your body. Maybe you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol. Maybe you feel like it’s a good self-discipline exercise. Maybe you read the WHO statement that no amount of alcohol can be considered safe or healthy.

Whatever your “why” is, keep it front and center in your mind—maybe even write it down someplace—so that you can call on it if or when you’re tempted to drink.

Find some yummy substitutes for your favorite drinks.

When you’re trying to cut something out, it can be helpful to have something to replace it with. Decide ahead of time what you’re going to order in a restaurant instead of wine or a beer. Lots of establishments offer non-alcoholic alternatives to those things, but you might also just choose a favorite soda or even just water. It’s just good to go in with a plan, rather than relying on whatever sounds good in the moment because what sounds good in the moment will likely be the alcohol drink you’d normally get.

You might even decide to treat yourself to a yummy mocktail so that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on the festive element of drinking. Mocktails have grown in popularity so it’s not an unusual request.

Read other people’s success stories.

Sometimes a little inspiration can be helpful, so reading about other people who’ve successfully completed a Dry January can help.There are plenty of success stories from people who have done Dry January at least once, but many who have done it each year. Testimonials like these ones from a Reddit thread can help keep you going:

“It was worth it. It was an effort to drink less, lose weight, sleep better. I lost 4 lbs, slept better, and generally had more energy and focus in the morning.”

“I’ve done it the past few years and love it. Honestly the hard part is the social side and less the alcohol side. I love a beer or a whiskey when hanging but the value of a clear head in the morning is increasing with my age. I find a reset helps me temper how much I drink in general. Like, the casual couch drink on a Tuesday goes away for a while after Jan. since it’s pretty worthless.”

Track how you feel (especially after the first week, which might suck).

One of the things people who complete Dry January often share is how much better they physically feel. Better sleep, less grogginess, more energy, better digestion, lowered blood pressure, weight loss and more are commonly reported. Some people experience these benefits right away, but for some it might take a bit to feel those benefits as your body adjusts to not processing alcohol. Stick with it and pay attention to how your body and brain feel without it as you go through the month.

(A word of warning: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome can occur in heavy drinkers who stop suddenly and can be dangerous, so watch for symptoms that are concerning. According to Harvard Health, mild withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, shaky hands, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and insomnia. Severe symptoms can include hallucinations, delirium, racing heart rate, and fever, and often occur within two or three days after you stop drinking. Seek medical assistance immediately if you experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.)

Make it a group effort.

You can go through Dry January alone, but you probably don’t have to. Who among your friends and family might want to do it with you? Even if you find just a couple of people who agree to support you, that can make a big difference in how you feel about the challenge. Not drinking for a whole month can be hard if alcohol is a regular part of your life, especially your social life. Ask for help from your loved ones to provide non-alcoholic alternatives and not to put any pressure on you to drink, and if anyone is available and willing to do it with you, all the better.

If you slip up, don’t quit, just pick back up the next day.

The beauty of sobriety is that it truly is a daily (or hourly, or minute-by-minute) choice, so if you do find yourself with a drink in your hand, you haven’t ruined anything. Just pick it back up the next day and move forward. No need to beat yourself up. No need to give up completely.

For some people, Dry January is a welcome break for overall wellness. Others find it eye-opening when it’s a lot harder than they anticipated and use it as a wake-up call that leads to life-changing—and in some cases, life-saving—shifts in alcohol use.

Dry January may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it can be a great tool to throw into your health and wellness toolbox if you’re up for it.

Yasiin Bey announced that he’s holding a truly special show in Paris, which will be held for one night only at La Cigale Paris on January 18. As for what else will make it unique, he will be doing a tribute to the late MF Doom by covering his songs during the concert.

“Yasiin Bey always showed admiration to the rhymes of who’s been called Viktor Vaughan, The Villain, King Gheedorah or simply DOOM,” the description on the social media reveal read. “He will perform some of his favorite tracks from the Masked One.”

For those looking to attend, tickets for Yasiin Bey’s concert went on sale today. As of Friday afternoon, there are still passes available for €45.

A few years ago, during an interview with Vulture, Questlove shared a heartfelt story about how Yasiin Bey was the one to introduce him to MF Doom’s music.

“I was preparing myself for some kind of deep talk, but he just started preaching the gospel of DOOM,” Questlove said at the time. “I’m talking a 40-minute monologue, almost something like a Jehovah’s Witness would preach, trying to convert me to a new religion. He was like, “Do you understand the majestic gift that is Operation: Doomsday?”

More information about his MF Doom tribute show can be found here.

Nicki Minaj’s new album, Pink Friday 2, has only been out for a few days — but it seems the rapper has some thoughts about how it compares to her past records. Today, she took to Twitter to share her ranking regarding her discography. And fans had a ton of reactions to the placements.

Given its recency and her love for it, Minaj put Pink Friday 2 at the top spot. After that, in second place, she had her 2014 album, The Pinkprint.

To round out the top five, Queen came at No. 3, the original Pink Friday was at No. 4, and Minaj’s Pink Friday Roman Reloaded (The Re-Up) was No. 5. She also made a point to note that anyone’s rankings are valid.

“But I truly respect all gag city resident opinions,” Minaj tweeted. “What the albums mean to you is your own truth based on where you were in your own life.”

Some fans agreed that The Pinkprint deserved one of the higher spots. “queen above pink friday is CRAZY but thank god there’s democracy in gag city cause pinkprint still sitting pretty at the top,” one wrote.

And others reiterated that they felt her 2018 album, Queen, should’ve been lower. In the end, as Minaj mentioned, the Barbz were very divided.

Continue scrolling for some more fan opinions on Nicki Minaj ranking her albums.