Thanks to the coronavirus, comedians are now trapped at home like the rest of us, so we decided that while we’re all self-quarantining, we’d do something a little different from our usual “Follow Friday” column. Instead of interviewing up-and-coming comedians we love on Twitter, we’re going live on Instagram every week to check in on some of our favorite people in comedy to get a firsthand look into how they’re handling the pandemic. So welcome to our new version of the column, now titled “Follow (From a Safe Distance) Friday.”
This week, Eva Victor (Comedy Central, Billions, every viral front-facing Twitter video you’ve seen since last year) took time out of her busy quarantine schedule to chat with me about how she’s doing in month three of New York’s stay-at-home order. She gave us an excellent recipe for making halibut, showed us the frankly impressive product of two weeks of her knitting a sweater, and shared some incredibly thoughtful opinions on the future of comedians getting paid for their comedy. She also clued us in on her social-media goals for the near future. She wants to take over TikTok: “It’s a really upsetting place to be, but I’m having a good time.”
Seven-year-old boy from Kinistino sharing facts and fun with YouTube series
By Angie Rolheiser
A Kinistino boy is making the most out of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic with a YouTube channel that entertains and educates other kids.
Jack Larson started his own video series Daily Facts with Jack about a month and a half ago and is already on episode 19.
“It has been really fun to make it,” Jack said. “Especially the funny intros.”
The seven-year-old started off with an episode titled Moons and Tides, and his two most recent videos focus on stress and mindfulness.
But how did this all begin and where did the idea come from?
“Well I always tell a bunch of facts to my family all the time and then one day I was telling my dad a fact and then he actually had the idea to put it on YouTube,” Jack said.
His facts come from a website called BrainPOP which he referred to as “amazing” because they have so many topics.
He takes his favorite facts and puts a unique spin on each with a fun intro that often times feature his sister Kate as well making it a family project.
Jack’s father Sheldon helps him out with the editing process but said Jack is learning the ropes of that too.
“He really has just always come to us to tell us some obscure facts that we didn’t know that he read or saw online and then we just thought let’s use it for something,” Sheldon said.
Jack’s mother Sarah said it has been a fun thing for him and the rest of the family to work on while hopefully bringing some brightness to others who may tune in.
“He is out of school and so getting him to learn something new each day and put it online and maybe someone else can enjoy it too,” Sarah said. “We are really proud of him and it’s really great to see him have so much fun with it.”
When asked if he expected to see the number of followers go up each day, Jack confidently replied, “actually, yes.”
“I was really surprised especially with this last one with so many new people seeing it and reaching people from different parts of the province, not just from Kinistino,” Sarah said.
Jack is in Grade 2 and has been part of supplemental learning while schools are closed but luckily both of his parents are teachers.
“I thought we would only do it for a week or two and he would lose interest but he keeps wanting to do it and I think it is a good extension of his online learning,” Sheldon said.
The video on stress has been Jack’s favourite to date but he has some other ideas that he is already working on for his followers.
If you’re a fan of Bitmojis you may be happy to learn you can now use a customized avatar on Facebook or Messenger. The social media giant just rolled them out for users in the U.S.
As Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards famously once said, “Don’t press send.”
That was advice that former ASU wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk didn’t heed on Wednesday night when he tweeted, “I’m cooking Herm in his prime,” jabbing at his former coach who was a cornerback in the NFL for 10 years.
Aiyuk, who had a breakout season in 2019, was excellent after the catch and eluded defensive backs often. He was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft last month, going 25th overall to the San Francisco 49ers.
Edwards, meanwhile, played college football at San Diego State and went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams. In 10 seasons, Edwards started all 16 of his team’s games seven times. In 1978, he had a career-best seven interceptions for 59 yards to go with a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Edwards finished his career with 33 interceptions and two touchdowns.
He went on to coach the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs after his playing days, and is now entering his third season at Arizona State after a career in media at ESPN.
We tried a bunch of at-home YouTube workouts: Here are 7 we loved especially
Short on time? These are all fairly quick, seemingly effective
Most people are at home a lot more than they were before the coronavirus pandemic began, and they’re certainly not making it to the gym.
And even once gyms re-open, will everyone go right away? Seems like that’s a “maybe not.”
But people will always be looking for ways to stay active and in shape.
Instead of suggesting popular YouTube workouts, we wanted to try a good handful for ourselves, then choose our favorites.
I’ll bring you the first few suggestions:I’m Michelle and I’ve always been fairly athletic, although the past decade or so has been filled with spurts of activity and then other periods where I’m not in the groove of things at all (or I’m chasing my kids instead — I had two of them in four years). When I work out, I like to make it quick: a LOT of bang for my buck, so lately, I’m super into HIIT (high intensity interval training). Related/unrelated, when life *was* in session, I swore by hot yoga, so now you know I’m a sucker for pain and making myself purposefully uncomfortable. Yes, those are 90-minute sessions in 105-degree heat. OK, now I’ll tell you what I’ve been loving!
1.) This 20-minute HIIT class
I lovvvve that this high-energy class is only 20 minutes. It’s four rounds of five exercises, and you don’t need any equipment — just your body and some open space! Seriously, if you’re anything like me, you’re going to do rounds one and two and be all, “What’s the big deal here?” and then start sweating profusely during round three and you’ll be spent by four. The instructor says if you’re just getting into HIIT, you don’t need to do all of them, for what it’s worth. That felt like a dare to me, so you better believe I finished! And on the flip side, if you’re up for a challenge, add in an extra round or two if you’re really looking to kick your own butt.
2.) This full-body kettlebell workout
First things first, yes, as the title of this workout video indicates, you do need a kettlebell in order to get the maximum benefit from this class. I forgot how much fun a kettlebell could be, so I dug mine out of the basement and was eager to see what kind of “get in, get out” HIIT-style kettlebell workout I could find online.
This is set up kind of like the first video — this time, we go 40 seconds “on” with 20 seconds of rest in each exercise. It gets hard quickly, and well, that’s likely based on the fact that you’ve got some equipment in hand this time around! Take it easy here, because even though you’d assume it’s your arms that’ll take the brunt of the work (holding said kettlebell), I found my thighs burning up and extremely sore in the days that followed. Regardless, I’ll definitely be making this class a regular!
My tip: Use a properly sized kettlebell, or you might have to make some adjustments and modifications. (Like me!) And if you don’t own a kettlebell, perhaps there’s a free weight you could use or something similar — I do that during virtual barre class all the time. If you want to buy a KB, Amazon has quite a few options for you. I just spotted one as cheap as $15, although most quality-looking bells seem to be in the $50 range.
3.) Core Fusion
When I was “shredding for the wedding,” as they say, back in 2011, I owned one or two of these Core Fusion workout DVDs — and I’d actually use them again, if I had any idea where my DVD player was. I’ve thought back on my Core Fusion days as of late, and realized I’ve really always wanted the same thing from a workout: it should be fairly quick, effective and make me sweat profusely.
You can only imagine, I was elated to find some of the segments on YouTube.
Admittedly, the instructors can sound a little too chirpy at times and get on your nerves, but the classes are still great. The arms and abs work brought me back to my tiny California apartment, and all these years later, the exercises seem to work just as well. You do need free weights (light ones, whatever that means for you), and a resistance band for some classes, but like I said: improvise, or find your own ways to make it a challenge, if you’re without those items.
Dawn here! ?The suggestions above are fantastic, but if they still don’t hit the nail on the head of what you’re looking for, stay with me.
I like to think I’m a well-rounded athlete, and aside from a year of pregnancy and postpartum chaos, I’ve kept a pretty steady regiment of workouts. I’ve done half-marathons, have a love affair with martial arts-style workouts and am a huge fan of lifting heavy, but I also love to throw in some spin. Having said that, I wanted to find a variety of workouts to offer up.
I tried many on YouTube, but here were four of my favorites.
4.) Athletic speed workout
This workout lasts every second of the 60 minutes it claims. Sydney Cummings has a great attitude, and she pushes you with the most positive of vibes.
The workout has full-body movements — and all with no weights. One thing I love about watching Cummings is, it feels like you’re actually working out with her. She works hard through the entire video, and at times even has to pull back for one move, but she keeps going, and encourages you to do the same.
5.) Les Mills Body Combat
Full transparency, this is my absolute favorite online workout. It can take a few times to master some of the moves, but if you have a lot on your mind, need a getaway, or just need to get some feelings out, this is the way to do it.
The trainers talk you through every move — and the whole workout.
Inspired by martial arts, it works every single muscle in your body, but CONSTANTLY your core. You punch, kick, jump, squat, lunge, and more. I should mention that you are provided with options that don’t create so much impact, so you can come at it from different fitness levels.
As someone who works out anywhere from five to six days a week, this one still gives me a fantastic workout and burns the calories.
6.) Killer 40-minute HIIT workout
This was my first introduction to a Heather Robertson workout. I started it around 5:30 a.m., and honestly, it was a nice pace at that hour. Don’t get me wrong, it was a phenomenal workout, but it wasn’t crazy loud, thumping music — and there really wasn’t much impact.
Robertson’s moves are intentional, and while she’s doing one move, there’s a smaller screen with a preview of what’s coming. It’s straight forward, with 45 seconds of work and then a 15-second break. There are no surprises.
7.) 10-minute booty-shaping workout
Sometimes I like to tack on a short glutes or abs workout after a run or ride. This did not disappoint.
Admittedly, I started the workout like, “No big deal, it’s 10 minutes.” Um, I was wrong. I had to take a couple of breaks because THIS WORKOUT IS HARD.
If you’re looking to add on a little something, or if you really just have 10 minutes to work some muscles, try this. You will be glad you did.
Fast-casual chicken favorite creates experiential dine-in audio for home-bound fans
Zaxby’s, the fast-casual restaurant known for its chicken fingers, wings and signature sauces, has uploaded a custom collection of ambient restaurant sounds to SoundCloud, the world’s largest open audio platform. The idea behind the playlist, which features five tracks dedicated to popular restaurant dayparts, is to bring Zaxby’s particular dine-in experience to brand fans with sounds unique to Zaxby’s. The soundtrack can be played at home or in the car to accompany drive-thru and pick-up meals.
“In the midst of shelter-at-home mandates and social-distancing recommendations, many of our customers are missing the familiarity of Zaxby’s authentic dining experience,” said Zaxby’s CMO Joel Bulger. “We want brand fans to be able to close their eyes and imagine they’re in our restaurants with their families and friends.”
The Zaxby’s SoundCloud playlist features music dedicated to four popular dayparts (lunch, dinner, late night and Sunday) complete with appropriate ambient noise and dialogue. The fifth track is purely ambient sounds, allowing listeners to create their own dialogue. Loyal fans of Zaxby’s will recognize familiar sounds like orders being called out, the fizz of a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine (which includes beloved pellet ice pouring out), sauce packs being opened and more.
Zaxby’s recently launched a new menu option specifically designed to meet the needs of families sheltering at home. Zax Family Packs include 20 Chicken Fingerz or 30 boneless wings with shareable sides to feed four people at a value price point of $24.99, available at participating locations while supplies last. Delivery prices and fees may vary.
An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s serves fresh, prepared-at-order, hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz and wings made in a variety of nine sauces. The menu also features four Zalads and eight sandwiches along with complementary Shareables including Fried White Cheddar Bites, Tater Chips, Spicy Fried Mushrooms, and, for a limited time, Fried Pickles.
Zaxby’s has over 900 locations in 17 states, which will likely reopen in waves, pursuant to state and federal guidance, so the playlist will be the next best thing for many customers for several more weeks.
The internet is very often a terrible place. Sure there are cat videos, and goat videos, weird videos, and more cat videos, but there are many horrible people saying and doing horrible things. If you know your way around the net, you can avoid much of this grossness. But for some people, that’s not an option, and it’s their job to moderate the very worst of the net. And now, some of them are getting compensated for the very real trauma and PTSD that job brought one.
The settlement covers over 11,250 moderators, who were contracted from a variety of outside firms after the 2016 election. (The fact that these were subcontractors and not even Facebook employees is a whole OTHER issue). In the face of criticism for how Facebook handled their content, these moderators were brought in from across the country and given the unenviable job of removing offensive content from the site.
According to The Verge, which ran a big story that brought many of the Facebook contractor moderation issues to light, moderators for one of the firms, Cognizant, were paid as little as $28,800 annually to view images of rape, murder, suicide, and more. This was, to say the least, a terrible job and a dangerous environment for moderators who were expected to view this content daily with no regard for their mental health, and were subject to difficult working conditions.
So in September of 2018, Selena Scola led the first class action against Facebook, alleging that having to sift through content which included “broadcasts of child sexual abuse, rape, torture, bestiality, beheadings, suicide, and murder” caused PTSD in Scola so severe she could be triggered by a computer mouse. And she wasn’t the only one who had to do this.
Now, Facebook has agreed to compensate all members of the class with a minimum of $1,000, but moderators who can show a mental health diagnosis related to the unsafe environment which Facebook allowed can receive more. Anyone with mental health diagnoses can receive up to $6,000 and those who submit evidence of other injuries and costs could get up to $50,000.
This settlement is important, not just because it compensates the people who were traumatized by this work, but because it acknowledges that moderation and exposure to this kind of content is traumatic. Even today, it’s too easy for people to say something like “it’s just the internet, it’s not real,” but viewing and moderating an endless stream of horrors and hate is a very real danger to mental health and is not a job that anyone would have to do without proper counseling and safety measures in place.
What the Facebook moderators had to see, and likely what they still have to see is sickening, but not surprising given, well, everything about the internet. It’s a mirror of all of the world, including the very worst parts of it. And people who look into that horrible pit need to be protected and compensated for it.
Music icon Stevie Wonder turns 70 years old today. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s career kicked off at the tender age of 11, when he was signed to Motown’s Tamla Records. He had his first No. 1 hit at the age of 13, and has accumulated a total of 10 No. 1s and 28 top 10 singles in total. He’s the only artist to have won the Album of the Year honor at the Grammy Awards for three consecutive projects, and earned 25 Grammys throughout his lifetime (so far).
An extraordinary career deserves to be honored justly, and not even a quarantine will stop this historic musician from getting his cake. Questlove, D-Nice, Gilles Peterson, DJ Tara, Natasha Diggs and DJ Spinna are each doing four-hour sets for the #24HoursOfStevie Instagram Live concert to commemorate the life and career of this extraordinary man.
Per The L.A. Times, the concert has already begun: it kicked off at midnight this morning, and will continue until 11:59 p.m. tonight. We’re definitely tuning in, and if you’re headed out to this virtual party, here are the set times:
Questlove: Midnight- 4 a.m. ET
Gilles Peterson: 4 a.m.-8 a.m. ET
DJ Tara: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
Natasha Diggs: 12 p.m-4 p.m ET
D-Nice: 4 p.m-8 p.m ET
DJ Spinna: 8 p.m.-12 a.m. ET (but maybe even longer!)
INSTAGRAM Instagram Introduces A New Sticker In Support To Small Businesses
Instagram is introducing a new sticker for Stories to “Support Small Business” that lets you shout out your favorite small business.
Instagram has made a point in showing up to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most small businesses have been forced to close shop and have lost a huge amount of their revenue in light of stay-at-home and lockdown measures.
The announcement was made by Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram: “Today we’re launching a “Support Small Business” sticker in Stories so you can shout out your favorite small biz.” He added: “We want to make it as easy as possible to support amazing small businesses right now.”
The “Support Small Business” sticker is available in Stories. When you use it, your photo or video will be added to a shared story where friends can see which businesses you love.
Instagram has been very active during the pandemic. After launching the “Stay Home” and “Thank You” stickers, the company has also introduced stickers to make it easy to order from restaurants a few weeks ago.
