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On Wednesday afternoon, Twitter — a service now owned by a guy whose electric cars keep malfunctioning and causing accidents — started acting funky. Starting around 4:45pm EST, users started noticing they could no longer post messages on one of the world’s most popular social media service. There was a workaround to get tweets live again, and once people discovered it, the jokes started flying well before the problems had mostly but not completely subsided.

Mid-afternoon, people who tweet a lot — or just happened to be tweeting then — got a strange message when they hit the “tweet” button: “You are over the limit of sending daily tweets.” The problem affected not only people who tweet too much but even those who had tweeted once or even zero times that day.

There was a fix: Instead of clicking on “tweet,” people could simply schedule their post for a minute later (provided they selected the correct date). Soon Twitter was alive again, mostly with people complaining about how it was broken.

To make matters fishier, the outage happened the same day as a splashy — and ultimately fruitless — House oversight committee hearing led by the MAGA wing of the chamber into Twitter’s alleged suppression of Hunter Biden dick pics. There was a lot of shouting, sometimes by elected lawmakers who had repeatedly heckled President Joe Biden at his State of the Union address the night before. But by the end of the day they had, as Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin put it, “turned up absolutely nothing.”

It’s unlikely the two incidents are related, but since, again, Twitter owner Elon Musk owns Tesla, some speculated on a connection.

It was bad timing in other ways, too.

Direct messages were also suddenly AWOL.

Some pointed out Twitter isn’t the only unreliable Musk product.

Those who figured out the workaround were quick to fling jokes.

Even Dictionary.com threw some shade.

Surely, some pointed out, the Musk die-hards weren’t giving up on their hero.

A bit before 6pm EST, things started getting back to normal.

Which prompted more jokes.

Of course, it’s unclear who saved the day.

As it happened, the outage happened mere hours after MAGA lawmakers, who failed to prove the government had coerced them into burying dick pics of the current president’s son, singled out Musk for saving Twitter from…well, from not having weird outages.

Last year, Phoebe Bridgers was in the UK playing Glastonbury upon the tragic news of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “Who wants to say ‘F*ck the Supreme Court’ on three?” she said onstage to the crowd, leading a controversial chant. Now, she called for another one while in Australia, this time for Margaret Court.

Performing at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, she had to address that the famous tennis player is homophobic. “So, Margaret Court,” Bridgers said. “F*ck that stupid-ass, dumbass b*tch. F*ck that stupid c*nt. Change your name!” She then prompted a chant: “F*ck Margaret Court!”

She added, “I think hate is undervalued. I think it’s like a f*cking weird, white supremacist idea that hate is bad, or something? You know what I mean? It’s like hate is what moves things throughout history. I hate that stupid b*tch! Hate is like how you protect yourself. What, are you never supposed to be angry, ever?”

Meanwhile the “Kyoto” singer is preparing for the release of The Record, her album in the supergroup Boygenius, whose other members are Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. The singles “$20,” “True Blue,” and “Emily I’m Sorry” are out now.

The Beyhive is justifiably upset that Beyoncé didn’t win Album Of The Year for Renaissance at the 2023 Grammys on Sunday night, February 5, while simultaneously fighting for tickets to her forthcoming Renaissance World Tour. Fans’ attention spans will be tested even further this week when Beyoncé and Adidas drop a new Ivy Park collection.

According to Adidas’ official press release, the “Park Trail” collection “is inspired by the resilience of the outdoors, the spirit of the streets, and the possibilities of the future.” The online release is set for tomorrow, February 9, and select partner stores will begin selling the collection on Friday, February 10.

Here are the basics, as written in the press release:

• 56 apparel styles (including inclusive sizing), 12 accessories, 3 footwear styles (with one tyle, the TT 2000, in two colors)
• Unisex regular and oversized fits
• Men’s regular and tight fits
• Women’s tight, regular and oversized fits
• Sizes from XXXS-XXXXL

But as with anything Bey-related, there’s one big question: How much will this cost? The good news is that the low end of the price range is $30. The bad news is that pricing tops out at $600.

The “Park Trail” rollout dates back to last month when Ice Spice and Offset were revealed as two of the campaign’s faces.

It was reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier today, February 8, that Adidas’ projected Ivy Park to net $250 million in sales last year but earned $40 million in 2022 instead.

Check out how Ivy Park is setting the tone for 2023 below.

So, it’s the end of another football season and your team didn’t make it to the show. Why not direct your frustrated energy toward giving your team another virtual chance at the Lombardi trophy?

That’s why, on this edition of Uproxx Recon with Ray Apollo and Noelle Miller, we’re talking about football video games.

Football has been part of video games culture since the very beginning on home consoles like the Atari 2600 and in arcades with 1978’s Atari Football. America’s true pastime has been a visible part of video games through all of its innovations like online play, rosters that can update in real-time, and even virtual reality. Quite a jump.

When we think about football video games, we think about super sims like the Madden franchise and the ghost of the NFL2K franchise that some fans just can’t forget about. This is why we’re talking about those games in this episode and arcade-style games like NFL Street that opened up football to more casual fans while twisting the most basic rules of the sport and turning them into a whole new experience, proving that fun can be had with football games that let you do things you could never do on the gridiron without getting a hefty fine.

Check out the episode and let us know about your favorite football video game moments.

Trevor Lawrence came into the NFL with high expectations, as the former Clemson star had been elite at every level of football since he was a kid, almost predestined to be a top overall pick.

His first year with the Jaguars didn’t go as planned, and coming into his second year there were questions about how much of the Jaguars struggles fell on his shoulders, and how much came from the internal turmoil of Urban Meyer’s disastrous season at the helm in Jacksonville. Lawrence got to answer a lot of those questions this year, leading the Jags to the AFC South title at 9-8, a thrilling Wild Card win over the Chargers in which they erased a 27-point deficit, and a Pro Bowl nod.

It wasn’t perfect, but it proved optimism in Jacksonville that they do in fact have their franchise quarterback, as he flourished in his first year under Doug Pederson. On Wednesday night, Lawrence will trade a football for a ping pong paddle as part of P&G’s Battle of the Paddles (7 p.m. ET on Twitch), as he represents Head & Shoulders — a fitting sponsorship considering his long, golden locks — in the 8-man tournament on Super Bowl week.

Ahead of that, we got to talk with Lawrence over Zoom about his ping pong skills, just how much ping pong got played in Jacksonville this year now that they were allowed to have a table, his development from Year 1 to Year 2, and the lessons learned in his first postseason experience.

How was the Pro Bowl experience and your first time out there? And what do you think of the new format with flag football and the mini game style style format y’all got to do?

Yeah, I mean, I had a great time. Obviously, it’s a huge honor to be selected for that and represent my team and all that. So, I mean, I had a great time. I like I like the new format. Obviously, I never experienced the old one. But just from what I hear and then experiencing two full seasons now, especially going to the playoffs, it’s kind of tough — like I can imagine it’d be not what you want to do to like play another game. So I think guys like that. I don’t know about from the outside view or fan perspective. You know, I think it’s kind of, people are always gonna have something to say. So I think that’s a little bit tough to manage, but I think guys had a good time. It was a good mix of interacting with the fans and doing stuff to put on a little bit of a show, and then also having free time and being able to hang out and meet all the guys. It was fun.

You’ve got the Battle the Paddles coming up this week. I got to talk to Jared Goff yesterday and he said you got him on the table at the Pro Bowl. Do you feel like you’re coming into this as as the favorite in the tournament?

Um, I don’t want to be [laughs]. I want to be under the radar. So I’m hoping that no one knows how much ping pong that we played in our locker room because if people knew how often we played, people would probably expect a lot from me. So I’m hoping that I’m not the favorite, but I don’t know. No, I’m excited. I’m excited to play seems like we got a good group. So it’s gonna be fun.

I don’t think fans quite realize, like you said, how much ping pong gets played in locker rooms. Like, I do a lot of NBA stuff and it’s the same, where every NBA locker room has a table. I know a lot of NFL locker rooms do. Like, can you kind of give us a peek behind the curtain how much ping pong gets played?

It’s a lot. I mean, we we didn’t have one last year so this is new. It all depends on like who your staff is, if they’re alright with it — like you kind of have to clear a few levels. But you know, our coach was cool with it. Our equipment guys were cool with it. So we got us a table and we play [a lot]. The specialists play more than anyone because they have the shortest meetings, they get in from practice early and all that. So they play the most, but then I’d say we [the QB room] were a close second. Really any break before practice or lunch or whatever. After practice, like while everybody’s still in there, we’re like right up on the table right away. So between meetings, we’ll have 20-30 minutes, we’ll hop on for a game or two. Like we play a lot.

You mentioned getting the new staff in this year. What was the biggest thing that you felt playing for Doug Pederson and playing in that offense did for you as a quarterback and getting you settled in so you could make this leap that you did in your second season?

Yeah, I think there’s a lot of factors. It’s not just one thing. I mean, the offense is really I think quarterback friendly. It gives us a lot of options, you know. It lets me — I feel like our staff did a really good job of maximizing what I do well, and also our game plans were great every week. And it puts us in a position I feel like gives me a lot of answers based on what the defense is doing. It just opens up a lot of things. First, lets me get to a lot of our checks, all that. And then also we brought in a lot of really good players and I think that’s what the game is about is the players. And so Christian [Kirk] and Zay [Jones] and Evan [Engram], Brandon Scherff up front, Luke Fortner, we got Travis [Etienne] back, just all the new guys along with the guys that we had last year as well that played played great — Jawaan [Taylor] had a great year — and just guys like that. It all kind of came together at the right time and our chemistry really started to click a few games into the season. But it’s all that. It’s the offense. It’s the guys. It’s just the culture that we’re building. Everything kind of plays together.

What were the things you feel like you took a step forward in from year one to year two? What are the things when you look back, you’d say I’m most proud of from year one to year two?

Yeah, I mean, I think obviously — I’m not a big stats guy — but statistically, like my turnovers went down, which was something I really wanted to improve on. Especially interceptions like that went down this year, significantly from last year — especially in the regular season — and then still want to get better with ball security. Some of the fumbles and stuff, but there’s always gonna be things to work on. And then I think just managing the game. Situational football, all those things I feel like it did a much better job, especially the second half of the season. You know, we were able to win — one thing that was cool about our season was we were able to win probably five out of the last eight or whatever games that we won were by one score. So it was just really a testament to how much better we got as a year went on, because we lost those games early in the season. I think we had five straight losses by one score. So it was cool to see that improvement from myself and from our offense and being able to do whatever it takes to win and in those key moments making the plays. I think that gives myself and gives guys a lot of confidence moving forward is in the biggest moments we’ve already shown we can do we should have that confidence. I think that really carried on as the season went.

What’s the biggest lesson you take away from from your playoff run? Obviously getting two games in the postseason for the first time and seeing what that’s all about because everything is so much more magnified. The mistakes are magnified. The big plays are magnified. Everything matters just that little bit more, and what are the things you can take away from that experience?

Yeah, it was a great experience. Obviously the first game was crazy, just that whole roller coaster in the Wild Card game at home here against the Chargers. That game was insane. And that’s a cool one to look back on, and just to be a part. Like that’ll be one that that people will remember for a long time. So and thenjust the experience from being down 27 points, having a really, really bad first half and still finding a way to win the game. Again, like I was talking about the other stuff in our season that taught us a lot, I think that’s something that you will always remember and you’ll keep in the back of your head. And when things aren’t going well — It’s going to happen again, I mean, hopefully not that bad to that extent, but it’s going to happen again when we’re down by a few scores. Maybe I’ve thrown a couple picks in the first half or whatever it is. And you’ll always remember what we did that playoff game against Chargers and then the guys that are going to be together next year that played this year together, we’ll always remember all those experiences. So I do think it is valuable moving forward, but in the playoffs it’s tough. Usually the team that makes the least amount of mistakes wins and you see, you know against the Chiefs, we were right in that game and just had a couple more mistakes and they played a cleaner game and were able to pull it out. So it’s stuff like that, that you learn from too is you know the wins and losses, and you figure out how to give yourself the best chance to win and you got to play really clean, especially in the playoffs to win.

(SPOILERS for this week’s BMF episode will be found below.)

In episode five of season two of BMF, titled “Moment Of Truth,” Meech and Terry have finally arrived in Atlanta. They touch down in the city, with the goal of finding cocaine to bring back home and sell in order to make up for some losses gained during the drought and following Meech’s shooting. During this trip, Meech and Terry are forced to work together more than they have so far this season and it leads to a life-altering decision for Terry, which is one Meech hoped he’d make for a long time.

The aforementioned events in the fifth episode of BMF season two, titled “Moment Of Truth,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them belong as well as details about the scenes that they are heard in.

The following records were provided thanks to the Starz Public Relations team.

The Winans — “Are We Really Doing Your Will?”

This record plays at the beginning of the episode, around the 0:44 mark, as Terry and Meech make their way to Atlanta. It begins with a flashback to their childhood as the duo rides in the car with Nicole, Charles, and Lucille as this same song plays.

Precise x Sam Hook x Fredro — “Lyrical Genius”

At the 03:27 mark, Meech and Terry presumably make a stop in Cleveland to confront James for stealing money from them. It’s here that Meech beats him up and steals his car.

50 Cent — “Wish Me Luck” Feat. Charlie Wilson

This is the theme song of BMF. It plays at the 04:02 mark in “Moment Of Truth.” While it’s only 50 Cent and Charlie Wilson’s voices that are heard in this moment, the song also features Snoop Dogg and Moneybagg Yo.

Budda — “CPT”

At the 06:38 mark, Meech and Terry are finishing their drive to Atlanta. During the ride, Meech discovers that Terry has brought his school textbook with him on the ride. Meech throws it out of the window and scolds Terry for not being focused on the task at hand.

Crown — “‘80s Dance”

Around the 09:52 mark, this record can be heard as Meech and Terry enter an Atlanta strip club to meet a woman we eventually learn is Goldie. During this moment, Meech learns that Terry has feelings for someone but he doesn’t reveal that it is Markeisha.

Colon — “Celebrity”

A short time later, at the 11:35 mark, Meech and Terry enter a back room to meet Goldie. Terry requests a dice game with the hope that he and Meech can win some money to buy more cocaine, but as newcomers, Terry and Meech are cheated out of their game and lose $7,500 out of the $15,000 they had to their name.

Roger — “Love Ain’t Enough”

This record can be heard as Charles is fixing a cabinet at Mabel’s house. Before he can leave the house, Mabel invites him to a party she’s planning, and while Charles is initially hesitant to attend, he eventually accepts the invite.

LL — “HBCU Lacey Change 222″

Meech and Terry make their way to a high school game to meet an old friend from Detroit at the 21:03 mark. At this moment, their old friend tells them to meet him at his house later and Monique calls Meech to let him know that Denise will take on the drug charge in exchange for them paying for her son’s college tuition.

Arman — “One Dance”

Right around the 30:24 mark, Charles’ troublesome ways continue as he and Mabel dance together at a party that she’s throwing. At this point, it remained to be seen whether or not he will fall for Mabel’s trap, but we all know it didn’t take too long for that to happen

Crystal — “You Sent Him Over”

Just minutes later at the 34:54 mark, Charles officially falls for Mabel’s trap as the two have sex in a hallway of her house after the party. The scene was a quick one as it ended with Charles shamefully rushing out of the house and Mabel looking lustfully at him as he walked out.

City — “Smoke That”

At the 35:45 mark, Terry and Meech arrive at the dice game that they forced Goldie to bring them to in order to win back the money they lost playing a dice game at Goldie’s club. Terry and Meech enter the game under fake names with the goal of tricking their competitors into thinking that they’re not on the same team.

Extreme — “Serious”

This song briefly plays at the 38:25 mark as Charles reminisces on having sex with Mabel. Lucille and Nicole have also returned from their retreat and Lucille apologizes for her errors in their strained relationship.

Art of Noise — “Moments in Love”

After talking to each other, Lucille and Charles have their own sex scene at the 41:57 mark. Charles seems a bit hesitant to engage in an intimate moment with Lucille, especially with it being so soon after he had sex with Mabel, but here we are.

Marlon Osi — “Fresh White Sneakers”

At the 44:36 mark, B-Mickie beats up Kevin’s bully for Detective Bryant. B-Mickie approaches the three boys outside their school and starts punching one of them while daring the other two to defend their friend. This came after Bryant failed to get help from the school, or his reluctant son, to find a way to stop the bullying.

Travon — “We Gon Get Through This”

Travon’s “We Gon Get Through This” plays at the 48:53 mark to close the episode. It rings off after Lamar made a surprise visit to the Flenory house, something that could’ve ended very badly if it were not for some quick and hopeful thinking from Lucille.

New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.

Sure, you might find an adventurous 3-year-old who enjoys sushi and salads from time to time. But generally speaking, toddlers are notoriously picky eaters. If a meal strays even an inch beyond the comfort zone of french fries and grilled cheese, it’s a hard no. Followed by tears. Or maybe screaming. Or both.

However, Emma Hubbard, a pediatric occupational therapist, is convinced that even the finickiest kid can be coaxed into expanding their palate with just a few simple yet effective tweaks.

As Hubbard mentions in her video, new food isn’t just unpleasant for toddlers—it’s downright scary. “Toddlers have a genuine fear of trying new food,” she said, which explains why they have such a visceral fight-or-flight reaction and “become overwhelmed and run away, have a tantrum, or shut down.”

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That’s why Hubbard suggests introducing foods in a way that feels non-threatening. Some ways of doing this include serving the new food with food the toddler already deems as “safe” or combining them with condiments/dips they already like, such as hummus, ketchup, sour cream, etc.

Similarly, Hubbard recommends presenting the food in a fun and creative way. It doesn’t have to be a “work of art each time.” Something as simple as using a cookie cutter to make fun shapes or using different cutlery could do the trick.

Another tip is to reduce the amount of snacking and instead do five meals a day, spaced roughly 2.5 hours apart, serving only water in between those meals, not juice or milk. Experiencing true hunger makes toddlers more willing to try new foods.

Hubbard also noted that when parents sit down and eat the same foods with their toddler, they are far more likely to participate with their parents, seeing it as positive reinforcement. That makes sense since kids love mimicking all kinds of adult-centered activities.

Of all her tips, Hubbard says the most important is persistence. Repeatedly exposing toddlers to new food without putting pressure on them to eat will make them more comfortable, which gets them one step closer to actually eating it.

Watch:

The video resonated with a lot of parents. Many shared how these tips have already helped. Others shared their own changes that led to success.

“Normally it takes a long time to get kids to eat lettuce or veg and such but since our kid sat with us watching us eat things like pico de Gallo, sope, tacos, posole and etc. He eats any veggies we put in front of him so long as they are diced or seasoned. He’ll even eat cabbage and spinach if it has chamoy on it. Anything daddy eats is gold to him and he has to have it,” one parent commented.

Another suggested giving very small, less overwhelming portions of new foods, and only giving the toddler positive attention when they do eat the new food, rather than when they refuse to eat. “A lot of times kids act out to see the reaction of caregivers. If we don’t give a reaction, she’s less likely to do it again. But positive reactions when she eats it will make her want to eat it again, or at least try things,” they wrote.

Getting toddlers to broaden their food choices might be a challenge, but like all aspects of parenting, it seems like a little bit of patience goes a long way. Hopefully these tricks can help little ones savor everything that life has to offer.

Maggie Perkins loves teaching, loves teachers and loves students. In fact, she loves them so much that working on her Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice. Her research is focused on teacher attrition, examining why quality, experienced teachers quit the profession—something she understands all too well since she recently became one of them.

The former educator now works at Costco and she says she’s never been happier. Her migraines are gone. Her anxiety has improved. She sleeps through the night. As an entry-level employee, she makes less money than she did teaching, but not enough less to make a difference in her financial situation. She goes home from work happy at the end of the day.

Perkins has been sharing the contrast in working conditions between the classroom and Costco on her TikTok channel and it is eye-opening, to say the least.

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To be fair, Costco is known for employee satisfaction. They take good care of their people with solid wages and benefits, and as a result, they have an impressive 94% retention rate for employees who stay longer than a year. That’s incredible for a retail business. And it’s not just about their comparatively generous compensation package. Perkins has shared in several of her videos how she feels respected and valued as an employee at Costco—far more than she did as a teacher working in various schools, teaching various grades in two different states.

People often assume that the biggest reason teachers quit is inadequate pay, but compensation is just one piece of the teacher exodus puzzle. Perkins makes it clear that teachers should definitely be paid more, but attrition isn’t just about money. It’s often a result of burnout caused by a multitude of factors, including lack of time and support to do the job they are trained to do, the twisted way the teaching profession is viewed and valued by society and the pile-on of additional duties teachers are assigned to do besides teaching.

@millennialmsfrizz

Today I was on Varner & Co with 🦊. This is the full segment. It feels short, but they managed to squeeze me in between a study about it cheese causes nightmares and the woke 👮‍♀️ adding pants to a root beer mascot. It was my pleasure to make a contribution.

Let’s look at the time element alone. Planning is a big part of teaching, especially if you’re trying to meet individual students’ learning needs, yet teachers are rarely given the amount of planning time they need. On top of that, the time they do have is often usurped by other things.

“Let’s say you have a fight in your classroom,” Perkins tells Upworthy. “Well, then you just lost 45 minutes of your planning because you’re going to have to be in the front office doing documentation, calling people. You just lose your day. There’s so many different ways to lose your whole day, and then you end up either taking work home or making hard choices about what to let go, like you’re juggling glass and rubber balls and you have to figure out which ones are glass and which ones are rubber. Like, what can you let drop?”

@millennialmsfrizz

Tonight when I walked out of work, I felt happy. I felt happy because I enjoyed my work, my coworkers and felt good about my job. When I was a teacher I only felt good leaving work *because I was leaving* the building. Yes, of course, there were *things* I enjoyed about the job, but being a teacher was so much more than teaching, and the anxiety inducing parts of the job were shredding me. Education as a whole is an environment of scarcity. From the resources to the ways teachers are treated. Costco is run in a way that operates from a place of generosity and genuine care. It’s amazing to me that a multi billion dollar company can exude this for its members and employees but the education system cannot. #formerteacher #teacherquittok #costcotiktok #retailworker #exteachertiktok #formerteacher #scarcitymindset #costcodoesitagain

A big misconception some people have about teaching is that it’s easier than other professions because you have long holiday breaks and summers off. Some even go so far as to use the word “cushy.” Plenty of teachers have refuted that notion, showing how many hours they actually work outside of official work hours or how they have to work two jobs to not be living paycheck to paycheck.

“If you’re coming at teachers being like, oh, you have a cushy job, then you work it,” says Perkins. “If you think it’s so soft and so cushy, it has so many amazing benefits, then come on over and work this job. More of us should be lining up for it.”

“But if we have a teacher shortage, how can it be that cushy of a job?” she adds. The reality is that people who have never worked in a classroom have no idea how relentless and stressful it can be on multiple levels, even when you love teaching and love your students.

Here Perkins describes what it was like working a 7-day shift during the holidays instead of having that cushy winter break:

@millennialmsfrizz

I used to be a teacher and now I work at Costco. This is my first year not having a winter break. I do not miss it at all. My pace of my work life now is so much better, I am not sick or exhausted like I used to be when I was a teacher. When I was a teacher I used my winter break basically to recover and go into the next semester of just surviving. #f#formerteachert#teacherquittokc#costcotiktokr#retailworkere#exteachertiktokc#careertransitiont#teachersonbreak

Perkins points out that we don’t actually have a teacher shortage, but rather a teacher exodus. There are plenty of qualified, credentialed teachers who have simply given up trying to make the career they love actually sustainable.

Many people have put forth suggestions for various school reforms, but those who have seen the problems from the inside know they are layered, widespread, systemic and deeply ingrained. Perkins tells Upworthy she believes the school system needs a complete overhaul.

“I think we will be forced into it,” she says. “But I don’t think that’ll happen for at least 10 years. I think things are going to get much worse before they get better.”

@millennialmsfrizz

If you are new to this account, you should know that the issues I discuss are things I’ve experienced at several schools, grade levels and in different states. These are systemic issues, and are getting worse, not better. But, welcome, I suppose, and I hope you feel seen, known and appreciated because you are. #teachersoftiktok #formerteacher #teacherquittok #educatedexit #KAYKissCountdown #educationcrisis #teachershortage

She says focusing more on teachers and students would help alleviate some of the “crash and burn” she sees coming, or perhaps even help prevent it. But some major changes would have to take place for that to happen.

“A teacher who has six class periods with 35 students in them? That person cannot possibly deliver quality instruction to all of those students all day. And then have one planning period to grade, plan, et cetera. It’s just it’s impossible.”

She says reducing class sizes, increasing planning periods and eliminating extra duties such as carpool duty, hallway duty and other seemingly small things that chip away at a teacher’s time are immediate changes that can and should be made. But school administration is often more focused on testing, data, and resources than on what students and teachers themselves need to create a healthy, sustainable learning environment.

Then there’s the issue of how teachers are viewed. Outright disrespect is one thing teachers face, but even well-meaning people who think they are supporting teachers can contribute to the problem.

For instance, Perkins explained in a video that she doesn’t call teachers “heroes” anymore because it’s a loaded term that leads to a martyrdom mindset. After all, heroes fulfill the mission, no matter how hard it gets, right? Heroes are ready and willing to sacrifice it all for the cause. Most people who refer to teachers as “heroes” do so as a compliment, but when you really break down what that term means, it sets an expectation that teachers will do the job no matter how bad it gets, sacrificing themselves and their own well-being because their profession is a “noble” one. That’s not just unfair; it’s abusive.

@millennialmsfrizz

Teachers are called heros. Teaching is regarded as a noble profession, a higher calling. Teachers should be able to work in conditions that do not require heroic sacrifice. Teachers should be able to do their job in a normal way without suffering, sacrificing, defend for themselves etc. #teachersoftiktok #teacherquittok #teachersareheroes

“The thing that I most want to communicate in my videos is that teaching is not a ‘noble profession.'” Perkins tells Upworthy. “It’s a job, and people should be paid for the job that they do and respected for the work that they do, and that by attributing nobility to the profession, you assign to teachers this emotional labor of the whole culture, of the whole society.”

“When we do that, we add to them additional responsibility above and beyond their actual jobs,” she adds. “And then that allows people to degrade the profession by saying basically we pay you with emotion. Like we say, ‘You’re heroes!’ and we get in the cycle of praising them for what they do, and then gaslighting them for what they fall short on. But what they’re falling short on is stuff that was never their job in the first place.”

Perkins also wants teachers to know that they have transferable skills and that they don’t have to put up with a poor quality of life when they can find a higher one in a different profession.

“I see so many teachers like myself even feeling trapped or feeling limited, like teaching is the only thing we can do,” she says. “And then when they go into other professions, they’re wildly successful. They rise to the top in their career fields. They are good employees and they enjoy the quality of their life as well.”

“I want to communicate to teachers—you’re not stuck, you don’t have to be afraid, your quality of life matters, and it’s not selfish to transition your career, because a lot of teachers stay in it, too, because they don’t want to feel like they’re failing the students.”

To hear more of Perkins’ perspective on working at Costco and on what teaching can and should be, check out her TikTok channel @millennialmsfrizz.

One of the most beloved franchises in the entire history of Nintendo is Metroid. Its gameplay style of exploring to fill out a map, gathering new powers, and then backtracking to access new areas of the map eventually spawned an entire genre built off that formula. Eventually, it was taken to a 3D environment when Metroid Prime was released on GameCube. Loved by fans and critics, it’s a favorite in the entire franchise. Despite this, Prime has been kind of forgotten without a new game in the series since Metroid Prime 3, and the announced Metroid Prime 4 is still nowhere to be seen.

On Wednesday, to the surprise of pretty much everyone, a remaster of Metroid Prime was suddenly stealth launched to the Nintendo eShop. Announced during a Nintendo Direct, Metroid Prime: Remastered is a new way to experience the game with new controls and cleaner graphics. While most fans were probably expecting and hoping to see Metroid Prime 4 get shown off during this Nintendo Direct, they will happily take a new way to experience a long-time favorite like Metroid Prime.

It’s not often that an absolute classic like this gets stealth dropped as an eShop title, but we’ll happily reap the rewards until we finally hear something new about Metroid Prime 4.

As the 2023 NBA trade deadline approaches in less than 24 hours, there has been a bit of a stalemate around the league, with the notable exception of Kyrie Irving being sent to Dallas after a sudden trade request over the weekend.

After this summer where Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Dejounte Murray all got dealt in trades where three or more first round picks (plus at least one pick swap) were sent out, there seems to be a gulf between what teams are demanding for players and what teams are willing to give up, particularly in terms of draft assets. Seemingly every rumor that’s come out this trade season has been about how X team wants at least a first round pick for X player — the Pistons reportedly want an unprotected first rounder for either of Saddiq Bey or Bojan Bogdanovic, and the Hornets, at least initially, allegedly pushed for a first for Mason Plumlee.

Unsurprisingly, that’s caused things to move very slowly, as the only thing that can get teams to move off of their demands is the time crunch of the deadline. The Toronto Raptors are the team everyone expects to be a big seller, but unsurprisingly, they are asking for a lot in return for the four players most widely reported to be on the market. OG Anunoby, who wants a larger role but has not yet proven to be an All-Star caliber player, is going to apparently require a team to move three firsts and more for him. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are likewise on the market with lesser asking prices and, thus, seem more likely to be moved, while Pascal Siakam is the potential blow it all up maneuver, but a team will seemingly need to move heaven and earth to get him.

When surveying the landscape of playoff hopefuls and contenders who could be interested in those players, it’s hard to see a lot of teams being willing to meet that kind of asking price. The Suns have apparently registered interest in Anunoby, but their best package is more player-focused than pick-centric. The Hawks have already exhausted their picks stash to get Murray, and are once again shopping John Collins in vain at the moment. The Miami Heat pop up in rumors every year, but seem rarely willing to make a splashy deal happen. Considering that Anonoby apparently would like a larger role, it would make sense that a team is hesitant to pony up the picks for a player that might remain unhappy if he’s asked to fill a similar role to what he’s doing in Toronto.

There is, however, one team that can check all of the boxes and could swoop in on deadline day with little competition if they want to take a big swing: the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have spent years building up the resources to meet any asking price in terms of draft capital and still have plenty of first round picks to spare. There is plenty of room for someone to step into the No. 2 role alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and they have ample cap space to re-sign a player to a big deal. As a bonus, they have put themselves so firmly in the play-in hunt that turning on the tank again to bottom out for lottery odds, as they have at the deadline in the past, is not tenable — the San Antonio Spurs, which have the third-worst record in the league, are 12 games behind Oklahoma City in the standings.

The hardest part for the Thunder will be matching salary in a trade. They have 10 guys on rookie deals, and only two total who make more than $10 million a year — SGA on a max and Luguentz Dort on his new deal that pays him just over $15 million annually. This makes it a bit tricky to make a deal without having to send three or four players in return for one. Even so, there are plenty of salary combinations they could use to make a deal work, particularly if they could find a third team to help facilitate a trade.

Anunoby, in particular, would be a fascinating addition for the Thunder because it would provide him with the green light he craves and a far more open and fluid offensive system to work in, compared to the fairly restrictive halfcourt offense run by Nick Nurse in Toronto. Offensively, Anunoby is something of a mystery box. He flashed tremendous growth over his first four years, peaking in the 2020-21 season, but has stagnated since. There’s a genuine question of whether he’s tapped his potential or if that stagnation is because his role has not expanded — his offensive usage rate has not changed at all in the last three years. In Oklahoma City, there’s a creative void beyond Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, which would be an opportunity for Anunoby to show if that’s a skill he could continue to develop, as he seems to believe he can.

While offense is the question mark that determines Anunoby’s upside, there’s little question he would fit their general ethos of playing stout defense. No matter the combination of players that they send out, Oklahoma City still would have a number of strong wing defenders to pair with Anunoby (and Shai at the point of attack) to make life miserable for opposing ball-handlers and have plenty of versatility in terms of switchability 1-4. Mark Daigneault has gotten the buy-in from this team on the defensive end, and there’s little concern about Anunoby’s ability to slot in to what they do and further the cause.

There is obvious risk for Oklahoma City in there being no guarantee Anunoby would flourish in a larger role, but that’s mitigated for a pair of reasons, one of which is fairly unique to OKC. For one, we have a pretty good sense that Anunoby’s floor is a solid starter on a good team who is a positive defender, solid spot-up shooter and cutter, and a tertiary creator when needed. That’s something the Thunder could use, even if that wouldn’t be what they’re trying to trade for. For the Thunder in particular, they’re also a team that has so many assets it’s worth taking a risk to swing on some potential. From 2024-2026, the Thunder hold ten first round picks, not to mention some swap opportunities in 2025. If they sent out one from each year, they’d still have seven firsts at their disposal for whatever they saw fit over those three years.

If not Anunoby, Collins would also make a lot of sense in Oklahoma City, particularly as a long-term fit alongside Chet Holmgren, and would cost considerably less than Anunoby in terms of assets — but cost more annually on his current contract. Collins has been lost in the shuffle in Atlanta, as offensively he wants to occupy much of the same space as Clint Capela, but has to be a floor spacer instead. He is a roll threat that the Thunder simply do not have on their roster, and could flourish in pick-and-rolls with Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey. He’s a capable shooter, but that does not need to be a huge point of emphasis as the Thunder have plenty of fives who can pivot out, including Holmgren when he makes his debut. On the other end of the floor, Collins has become a very solid defender and has some positional versatility. His physical strength would be a boost next to Holmgren, who could use a four-man next to him that’s able to take on some post defense responsibilities, allowing Chet to act as a helpside rim protector with his outrageous length.

As always, trades take two to tango and the Thunder still have to piece together a coherent offer that meets the teams’ demands. The Hawks are apparently requesting a “quality player” in return for Collins but no longer mandating a first round pick, with picks, ironically enough, being more expendable for the Thunder than players. Still, one has to think that with a chest of picks bursting at the seams in a market that has teams scoffing at high asking prices, the Thunder could stand to be one of the few teams to benefit from the sudden inflation of value in terms of draft assets being sent out for players. They have picks to burn and a team that has taken a full-blown tank out of the equation.

There isn’t an established star out there to cash picks in on, but the Thunder are still early enough in their build that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They can afford to take a swing on a lesser-proven commodity, and show fans and the rest of the team (namely Shai) that they believe in what they’re doing enough to invest a little bit of their future capital now to try and make another leap.