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These 3 Birth Months Start Getting the Break They Deserve
If you’ve been feeling worn out lately, you’re not alone. But for people born in the following three months — February, June, and November — the current cosmic energy may finally offer some much-needed breathing room. According to astrologers, the next two weeks provide relief.
EXPAND: The Most Naturally Lucky Birth Dates, Ranked
February — You Can Finally Slow DownPeople born in February tend to stay one step ahead. As an innovative Aquarius or idealistic Pisces, you’re often thinking about what needs to happen next, one step ahead of everyone else. You’re known for trying to solve problems before they become problems, and making sure everything is taken care of. While that can make you incredibly capable, it can also make it difficult to truly relax.
The astrological forecast reminds you that you may not need to be quite so overprepared for everything. What you’ve been carrying can take care of itself for a moment, functioning on routine and autopilot. Most of all? You don’t have to constantly stay in motion to prove your worth.
During the coming few weeks, you’re ready to start giving yourself permission to slow down. Put off the email until tomorrow. Say no to plans when you’re tired. Give yourself an afternoon with nothing on the schedule. Rest doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. It means you’re giving yourself a chance to recharge before moving forward, replacing exhausted brain fog with revitalized clarity.
MORE: These 4 Birth Months Have What It Takes to Thrive Off the Grid
June — You Don’t Have to Prove YourselfPeople born in June are often used to being the person others can rely on. You show up, get things done, and know how to keep everything moving, even when you have plenty on your own plate. That can make it all too easy to feel like you always have something to prove. Born an intellectual Gemini or intuitive Cancer, you must remind yourself that even the most successful people know when to remove some pressure from their plate.
As you navigate the current cosmic weather, take notice of the quiet, background pressure you put on yourself to be impressive all the time. You don’t need another accomplishment or another reason to justify taking a break. Give yourself permission to do something simply because you enjoy it, without worrying about whether it’s productive or worthwhile. June-born, you’re allowed to enjoy your life without trying to make the most of every moment.
READ: If Your Birth Date Were an Autumn Cocktail, This Would Be It
November — You Can Leave a Few Things UnfinishedNovember-borns often have a strong need for closure. You want to finish what you started, resolve the issue, and tie up every loose end before you can fully relax. But not everything or everyone needs to be handled immediately. Sometimes, it takes divine timing for things to fall into place, wounds to heal, and for clarity to hit.
Some projects can wait, pressing conversations can happen later, and most of all, your burning questions don’t need an answer right away, no matter how urgent they feel. Giving yourself a moment to pause may mean accepting that some goals will remain unfinished for now.
Reprioritizing your limited energy isn’t being irresponsible. Rather, recognizing that you don’t have to solve everything at once allows you to be more committed and mindful of what matters most. Let the mysteries play out unresolved for a little while longer. You can come back to it when you have more energy. For now, give yourself grace to step away from what’s only exhausting despite best efforts.
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1968 Folk Song, Written by Joni Mitchell, Is Still a Generational Hit 58 Years Later
Few songs understand the passage of time quite like “Both Sides Now.”
Joni Mitchell was still in her early 20s when she wrote the song after reading Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King on an airplane. Looking out the window at the clouds beneath her, she began musing about how differently the same thing can appear, depending on where you stand. From there, the idea expanded from clouds to love, and finally to life itself.
It was Judy Collins, however, who first turned Mitchell’s extraordinary meditation into a mainstream hit. Collins included “Both Sides Now” on her 1967 album Wildflowers, but it wasn’t released as a single until the following year. And when it was, the song didn’t explode onto the charts so much as steadily find its audience.
“Both Sides Now” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 74 on Nov. 9, 1968, then began an impressive climb as radio stations and listeners embraced it. By Dec. 21, it had reached its peak at No. 8, giving Collins her first Top 10 pop hit. But the song’s staying power may be just as telling as its peak: It spent 11 weeks on the Hot 100, including nine weeks in the Top 40 and six in the Top 20. Collins won the 1969 Grammy for Best Folk Performance for the recording.
There is something fitting about the song’s gradual ascent. “Both Sides Now” was never built like a conventional pop smash. There was no thundering chorus or irresistible dance beat — just Collins’ crystalline voice delivering a remarkably sophisticated song about the way life experience changes everything we thought we knew.
When asked in a recent Sirius XM interview how the song found its way to her, Collins shared the first time she heard the song. Her friend, songwriter and record producer Al Kooper, called and woke her up at three in the morning, having met Mitchell earlier that evening at a club and having just heard Joni Mitchell’s song for the first time.
“…The phone rang, and it was Al [Kooper], and I said what’s the matter? Can I help you? Are you in trouble?” Collins told Andy Cohen. “And he said, ‘No you’re in trouble’….So he put Joni Mitchell on the phone…and she sang me ‘Both Sides Now’ and I said, ‘Oh…my…God, I’ll be right over.’ ”
Collins’ version is considerably more polished than the stark recording Mitchell would make for her 1969 album Clouds. Joshua Rifkin’s elegant arrangement surrounds Collins’ crystalline vocal with orchestration and harpsichord, giving the song an almost weightless quality that suits its opening images of clouds and “ice cream castles.” But underneath all that beauty lies something much more complicated: the recognition that experience can dismantle nearly everything we once thought we understood.
That contradiction may explain why “Both Sides Now” has never belonged to one generation.
Over the years, it has been recorded by a vast array of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Anne Murray, Pete Seeger, Herbie Hancock, Seal and Carly Rae Jepsen. Mitchell herself returned to the song in 2000, recording a sweeping orchestral version in a voice transformed by age and experience.
Critical admiration has endured along with it. Rolling Stone placed “Both Sides Now” at No. 225 on its updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, while Pitchfork has described it as perhaps Mitchell’s “first perfect song.” After Mitchell performed it at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, Pitchfork marveled at how words written by someone so young could accumulate entirely new meaning when sung decades later.
“A poet, or a songwriter, is an observer of her own life as well as a participant, eyeing each situation as possible material even as she’s experiencing it,” wrote Pitchfork. “The Joni Mitchell of ‘Both Sides Now’ relishes observation but also recognizes its limits: she’s looked at life from both sides, and admits she knows little about actually living.”
And the song is still living in the present. Mitchell performed “Both Sides Now” again at the 2025 FireAid benefit for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires, where The Washington Post noted how its images of obscured skies and uncertainty suddenly carried yet another layer of meaning.
“Here, Mitchell’s classic evocation of cloud-dappled skies surely flashed the mind’s eye back to the media footage that began funneling out of Southern California on Jan. 7,” wrote The Washington Post, “the smoke from these vicious wildfires making it impossible to know whether you were looking at night or day, let alone from above or below.”
Perhaps that is why “Both Sides Now” has only grown more powerful with time. Mitchell was barely into adulthood when she wrote about the humbling realization that the more we experience, the less certain we become about what we know.
Judy Collins recognized something extraordinary in those words the first time she heard them and carried them into the mainstream. Nearly six decades later, generations of listeners have lived enough life to understand them for themselves.
And somehow, “Both Sides Now” keeps giving us another side to see.
This $23 Chocolate Brown Faux Suede Bag Nails the Luxe Look for Less in Fall’s ‘It’ Color
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Color takes on even more importance during this time of the year, and right now the spotlight is shining on chocolate brown. Swapping out the light and bright shades for this rich tone can have a striking impact on your everyday looks, especially if you weave in just one key accessory instead of making it the focal point. A great example is the Lramkuy Faux Suede Bag, a lush and roomy companion just made for everyday use.
View this post on InstagramOn top of offering a classic hobo silhouette with just a touch of trendy modernity to make it feel fresh, the bag comes with a handy matching pouch. You can pick up both pieces for just $23 at Amazon right now, an awesome deal for a bag that’s versatile enough to carry to work, on weekends, and everywhere in between.
Lramkuy Faux Suede Bag, $23 at Amazon Shop at AmazonYou aren’t limited strictly to chocolate brown, either. There’s a lighter brown for $23 and a dark coffee version for $24, giving you plenty of variety if you love this deep and dramatic hue. What’s great about chocolate is that it’s warm and classy — a beautiful alternative to more harsh neutrals like black and charcoal, yet versatile enough to complement virtually anything from jeans and a sweater to a dress and heels.
At 14.7 inches wide, it’s generously sized with plenty of room to stash your everyday essentials, including a wallet, tablet, and so much more. With a magnetic closure that snaps right into place and an interior zippered pocket, it’s exactly the kind of workhorse bag that can help you get through busy days with everything you need.
It also has an adjustable strap that extends from 11.8 inches to 27.6 inches, so you can easily customize it according to your styling preferences. And odds are you won’t find yourself searching endlessly for smaller items either. The pouch comes in at 9.8 inches, a great size for keeping makeup, keys, or other compact pieces in their own separate space.
One person praised the bag’s overall “comfy and cute” feel and texture, adding that it “looks more expensive than it actually is.” Another person noted that it also comes with a handy dust bag, and that it brings a “chic and high end” touch to fall and winter outfits.
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With chocolate brown a forever fall favorite, the Lramkuy Faux Suede Bag is perfect for quickly updating your seasonal wardrobe without going over your budget. Snag it now in your favorite color for a steal of a price at Amazon.
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Sarah Paulson, 51, and Holland Taylor, 83, Look So in Love in Rare Red Carpet Appearance Together
Acclaimed actresses Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor look so in love in a rare red carpet appearance together.
Paulson, 51, is an acclaimed actress who has tackled roles ranging from Marcia Clark in the FX limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story to Nurse Ratched in the thriller series Ratched. Taylor, 83, is best known for diverse roles ranging from Judge Roberta Kittleson on ABC’s The Practice to Evelyn Harper on Two and a Half Men. The duo, who have been together since 2015, hit the red carpet premiere of Apple TV’s Brothers at the Hammer Museum and looked absolutely stunning together. Holding hands, the duo smiled for the cameras.
Eric Charbonneau / Getty Images
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Paulson Shocked as Serial Killer Aileen WuornosPaulson’s transformation into serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the upcoming trailer for Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is utterly shocking.
In the trailer for Monster, helmed by her frequent collaborator Ryan Murphy, Paulson undergoes a massive makeover (or make-under) to become Wuornos. Charlize Theron famously played the serial killer in the 2003 film Monster, for which Theron won an Academy Award.
Take a look at Paulson as Wuornos below in Monster, which stars Ella Beatty, the daughter of famed actors Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, as axe-wielding Lizzie Borden. The series tells the legendary story of Borden, who was tried and acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, MA.
First look at Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos in Ryan Murphy’s ‘MONSTER: THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY.’
Premieres September 17 on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/14UjB0Gomf
Watch the entire trailer for the series, in which Beatty wields an axe over her head and is drenched in blood.
Official trailer for Ryan Murphy’s ‘MONSTER: THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY.’
Premieres September 17 on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/1mhPwAuQeQ
In a recent interview with Variety, Paulson shared that she didn’t feel like she received a ton of offers after appearing in The People v. O.J. Simpson. That was a sharp contrast to her colleagues on the series, Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance, who starred in major blockbusters like The Mummy and Black Panther after the series.
“No, I did not feel a wild influx [of roles],” Paulson told Variety . “Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance both got big movies after and I did not.”
When asked to elaborate, Paulson said, “The only thing I can attribute it to is that I’m a woman, and I was a woman of a certain age already then — I was 41 — and I was playing a woman who was not hyper-sexualized and a character who potentially was —depending on how it hit you — unlikable,” she added.
7 Things Adult Children Wish Their Parents Would Stop Doing, According to a Psychologist
“Toxic traits of parents of adults” is trending on social media, especially among Gen Z and Millennials, who are forming separate lives (which may include partners and kids). While the word “toxic” may get overused and induce eye rolls these days, there are absolutely things that parents of adult children should stop doing (or at least never start).
Sometimes, enmeshment psychology is at the root of troubled parent-adult child relationships, a psychologist says.
“In enmeshed relationships, boundaries have become blurred,” Dr. Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, PMH-C, a psychologist and founder of Phoenix Health, tells Parade. “There’s no respect for what’s mine and what’s yours.”
Dr. Guarnotta explains that parents in this position don’t see their child as a separate person.
“In this type of relationship, the parent and child might feel responsible for each other’s emotions, especially their happiness,” she says. “Adult children might need to seek approval before making decisions and fear disappointing their parents.”
Importantly, enmeshment is not the same as closeness in a relationship.
“You can have a close relationship with your parents without the boundaries being blurred,” she states.
And, yes, she says that it’s important to set boundaries with parents as an adult, even if there is no codependency or enmeshment.
“Boundaries involve defining what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not in a relationship. They are not about punishing your parents or pushing them out of your life,” she shares. “Boundaries actually protect relationships.”
Whether boundaries are blurred by enmeshment or something else, it’s worth understanding the pain points in parent-adult child relationships. To help, Dr. Guarnotta shares seven things parents of adult children should stop doing. She also explains how to communicate with difficult parents (and how to ditch these “toxic traits” if you have them).
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7 Things Adult Children Wish Their Parents Would Stop Doing, a Psychologist Shares 1. Giving unsolicited advice on parenting or careersGetting unsolicited advice from parents can be highly triggering to a grown-and-flown kiddo. And parents? It’s one way you may be treating adult children like little kids—even if you mean well.
“Unsolicited advice around career or parenting is often unwelcome because it subtly communicates, ‘I don’t trust your judgment,'” Dr. Guarnotta says. “It takes away an adult child’s opportunity to make their own decisions. This is especially true when a parent is giving an adult child parenting advice or financial advice.”
How to communicate with your parentDr. Guarnotta explains that, in this instance, it’s important to set boundaries with parents as an adult. However, she generally suggests starting by assuming the best intentions.
“Parents often genuinely believe that they are helping when giving unsolicited advice,” she reports. “Keeping this in mind can help adult children respond.”
She adds: “When a parent gives unwanted advice, setting a boundary like ‘I appreciate that you’re trying to help, but I’m going to make this decision for myself ‘ can be effective.”
If it isn’t, the psychologist says you might need to get firmer, such as by saying, “I don’t want to discuss this any further.”
How to break the habit if you’re the parentWhen parents have the urge to give unsolicited advice, Dr. Guarnotta suggests that they ask a question first. You might say, “In this situation, do you want my advice, or do you just want me to listen?” She says the question conveys respect for an adult child’s autonomy and decision-making.
“It’s then on the adult child to decide if they would like to accept the advice or not,” she explains. “Parents also need to remember that their child’s choices don’t have to match their own. They are their own person and capable of making their own decisions, whether those are consistent with yours or not.”
Sometimes, she notes that the most supportive thing you can tell an adult child is, “I trust you to figure this out.”
2. Using guilt to demand time and attentionParental guilt-trips aren’t the family vacation an adult child wants to take.
“Some parents use guilt as a form of pressure to get their adult children to spend more time with them,” Dr. Guarnotta states. “This could sound like, ‘You never call me anymore’ or ‘I guess you don’t have time for me.’ The adult child is left feeling responsible for their parent’s emotions.”
She clarifies that these parental guilt-trips differ from a parent expressing needs, such as “I miss you and wish that I could see you more.”
“That’s communicating a feeling and making a request,” she notes. “When it’s said in a way that makes the adult child feel responsible for their parent’s happiness, it’s guilt-inducing.”
How to communicate with your parentDr. Guarnotta says that even if the guilt-trip works and you feel bad, it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.
“You can also acknowledge your parent’s feelings without taking responsibility for fixing them,” she explains. “For example, you could say, ‘I hear that you’re disappointed that I can’t come this weekend. I’m not available then, but I would love to talk on Sunday.'”
How to break the habit if you’re the parentIn these cases, Dr. Guarnotta suggests taking the direct route.
“Instead of saying, ‘You never spend time with me,’ state what it is that you want, like ‘I’d really love to spend more time together,'” she shares. “Also, it’s important not to take an adult child’s busyness as a form of rejection, but to come from a place of understanding that they may be juggling multiple hats.”
3. Criticizing their parentingThis one is more overt—and often less well-meaning—than unsolicited advice from parents of adult children.
“Parenting is an area [where] many adult children feel especially vulnerable,” Dr. Guarnotta explains. “As new parents, they are learning and navigating uncharted territory. Constant feedback or criticism can make new parents feel incompetent. It can also create conflict between parents and grandparents.”
How to communicate with your parentWe’re going back to boundaries on this one. Dr. Guarnotta says a boundary-setting statement with a parent who criticizes your parenting is, “I appreciate your thoughts, but I don’t want feedback on this issue.”
“Boundaries may need to be set multiple times and firmly to be effective,” she adds.
How to break the habit if you’re the parentDr. Guarnotta urges parents of adult children to remember that they need support—not lessons on how to parent—unless they explicitly ask.
“Many parents today are doing things differently than previous generations, and that’s OK,” she says. “Rather than taking it personally, see it as a positive that your adult child wants to learn and grow in this area.”
4. Expecting immediate access to adult childrenIn today’s society, when we keep communication devices in our pockets, Dr. Guarnotta has noticed that parents sometimes interpret delays in responding to texts or calls, or limited availability, as a sign that their adult child doesn’t care.
Reminder: “Adults today are juggling jobs, partners, children, friendships and responsibilities,” she states. “Many of them have little to no downtime for themselves.”
How to communicate with your parentClarity and practicality rule the day when setting boundaries with parents who want on-demand access to you. Dr. Guarnotta recommends something like, “I don’t answer my phone during the workday, but I will respond to you in the evening.”
How to break the habit if you’re the parentDr. Guarnotta suggests parents reframe their perspective and remember that two things can be true at the same time.
“Parents can stop by not associating availability with love and not taking this behavior personally,” she notes. “Your child can love you and still not be available whenever you call.”
5. Making their adult child’s life about themDr. Guarnotta says that the problem with this habit is that the parent constantly turns a child’s news into a conversation about themselves. Promotion? The parent talks about their own career advancement. If a child is having a challenge or is in a difficult situation? The parent explains that “they had it worse.”
“This leaves the adult child feeling unseen,” she points out.
How to communicate with your parentShifting the conversation from the past to the present can help adult children regain focus. Dr. Guarnotta recommends saying, “I’d really like to stay with this for a moment because it’s something that I’m struggling with.”
How to break the habit if you’re the parentCuriosity might have killed the cat, but it can breathe new life into parent-adult child relationships. First, Dr. Guarnotta suggests pausing and noticing your urge to relate to the story without jumping in. From there, you can lean into the idea that getting to know your child is an exercise in lifelong learning.
“Get curious about your adult child’s experience by asking follow-up questions, expressing empathy and keeping the focus on the topic at hand,” she says.
6. Refusing to accept their adult child’s life choicesThis is a classic “toxic trait of parents of adults.” It can lead to a situation where your adult child’s radio silence is actually personal.
“When parents criticize a partner, career, lifestyle, parenting choice or other major life decision, the adult child feels unsupported and may distance themselves from the relationship,” Dr. Guarnotta explains. “If they feel like they can never attain a parent’s approval, they may stop trying altogether.”
How to communicate with your parentThere’s no need to be vague or beat around the bush: you deserve better.
“Adult children can cope by making it clear that these are their choices, and while a parent doesn’t have to agree with them, they do have to respect them,” Dr. Guarnotta says.
How to break the habit if you’re the parentKeep in mind that kids are their own people who have to live with themselves.
“It’s not inherently a bad thing that their child makes different choices,” Dr. Guarnotta states. “Your child can be happy and successful even if their choices look different.
7. Refusing to apologize or take responsibilityNo one is perfect—not even parents. Dr. Guarnotta explains that healthy relationships are bound to involve conflict at times, “but they are always followed by acknowledgment and repair.”
“If one person is always expected to move on or issues are swept under the rug, the relationship can’t ever be fully repaired,” Dr. Guarnotta notes.
How to communicate with your parentSorry, but we can’t force apologies.
“Rather than trying to get a parent to apologize, adult children should focus on what they can control, like their own boundaries and availability,” Dr. Guarnotta states.
How to break the habit if you’re the parentMemo from Dr. Guarnotta: “Apologizing doesn’t mean that you’re a bad parent,” she emphasizes.
She emphasizes that it’s OK and often necessary to acknowledge when you hurt someone you love.
“This is key to rebuilding trust,” she explains.
Up Next:
Related: 7 ‘Old-School’ Parenting Phrases Boomers Still Use That Can Come Across as Dismissive
Source:- Dr. Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, PMH-C, is a psychologist and the founder of Phoenix Health.
Will 'Resident Evil' Stream on Netflix? Explaining the Streaming Window
While Resident Evil is one of those flicks to see in theaters, you’ll also want to watch it at home. Theatrical releases head to streaming platforms, and that’s no different for the Zach Cregger horror.
The question for many is where it will stream. Will Resident Evil come to Netflix, or will you need something like HBO Max or Hulu? We have the full details because the production studio gives everything away.
‘Resident Evil’ Will Head to NetflixThe good news is that this 2026 reboot will make its way to Netflix first. It’s a Sony Pictures movie, and Sony and Netflix have an exclusive deal for 2026 releases. Everything released goes to Netflix first.
In most cases, Netflix has waited 120 days between theatrical release and the streaming date. That respects the 90-day exclusivity window that movie theaters had before the pandemic, and it allows more time for the streaming giant to hype up the release. With that in mind, we’re looking at Resident Evil arriving on Netflix around Jan. 16, 2027.
A U.S.-Only DealWhat is important to note is that the deal only applies to the United States releases. International territories have different agreements and licensing rules, so if you’re in the UK, Canada, Australia, etc., you won’t necessarily see Resident Evil on Netflix. Many of these territories have individual agreements with movies and not with the production studios.
It can take six months to a year for some of the movies to find streaming homes. You’ll need to keep an eye out in your own locations.
Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Already Has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes ScoreWe all know there’s a risk in watching horror reboots in theaters, but out of all the directors out there, Cregger is cementing himself as one to watch. This release follows Weapons and Barbarian, and Resident Evil already holds a strong Rotten Tomatoes score. It’s Certified Fresh with a 96% score from the critics.
In fact, it’s unusual for a horror to be rated so highly. The audience gives it a lower score right now, sitting at 91%!
For those worried about the video game adaptation, critics have strong praise for the release, saying, “In the running for one of the most compelling video game adaptations of all time, Resident Evil is designed to thrill and frighten.”
Another shared: “Rather than putting the viewer in the shoes of a gamer, Resident Evil takes its main character and rips the joystick out of his hands. After all, that’s what nightmares do.”
The best way to see Resident Evil is in theaters, so now is the time to head there.
The 1971 'Surf's Up' Song Known as The Beach Boys' Most Polarizing Track
The early 1970s brought a period of quiet reinvention for The Beach Boys, culminating in their celebrated 1971 album Surf’s Up.
Yet while the band was eager to push artistic boundaries, Brian Wilson wasn’t entirely sold on every experiment. In fact, he openly worried that the song “Student Demonstration Time” didn’t sound like a Beach Boys recording at all.
In the official liner notes for the 2000 Capitol Records CD reissue of Sunflower/Surf’s Up, Wilson said, “‘A Day in the Life of a Tree’ was a very spiritual number. It had some spiritual love to it. But ‘Student Demonstration Time’, I didn’t like that. I didn’t like the lyrical content. I thought it wasn’t Beach Boys enough.”
Additionally, the Beach Boys’ manager Jack Rieley was quoted in the liner notes stating that the song “had Carl Wilson and I blushing with embarrassment.” He added that Dennis Wilson was “thoroughly disgusted” and that Brian said the song was, overall, “too intense.”
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The song stands out as one of the most polarizing tracks in The Beach Boys’ entire catalog. Featured on their 1971 album Surf’s Up, the song was Mike Love‘s attempt to tackle the heavy political turbulence and anti-war movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Rather than writing a brand-new musical backing, Mike Love took the arrangement of the 1954 Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller classic “Riot in Cell Block 9” (originally recorded by The Robins) and rewrote the lyrics to fit contemporary campus protests occurring during that time.
The song references real-world tragedies and clashes between students and authorities, including the May 1970 Kent State shootings, the Jackson State killings, and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations at UC Berkeley, reported Rolling Stone Australia, who listed the tune at No. 7 on their list of 50 terrible songs on great albums.
The outlet wrote, “The Mike Love of 1971 was significantly less politically inclined, but eager to jump on the anti-war bandwagon and find a way for the Beach Boys to be relevant in the era of Kent State and the Weather Underground.”
Rolling Stone cited the song’s lyrics which read, “‘America was stunned on May 4, 1970/When rally turned to riot up at Kent State University. They said the students scared the Guard/Though the troops were battle dressed/Four martyrs earned a new degree/The bachelor of bullets.’”
Their critique concluded, “This reads like some sort of parody, but those are the actual lyrics. Even 54 years later, it’s hard to listen to the song without cringing. And it mars a truly excellent Beach Boys album.”
Though the 1970s forced the Beach Boys to constantly redefine who they were, history has ultimately validated the band’s overall perspective in the song “Student Demonstration Time.” It remains widely regarded as the most polarizing song in the group’s entire catalog, while the album itself endures as a masterpiece of late-era Beach Boys magic.
Four-Time Emmy Winner Matthew Rhys Says Dustin Hoffman Left Him Waiting Backstage at His 2000 'Graduate' Run: 'It's Every Actor's Insecurity'
Days before he opened as Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate in London’s West End, Matthew Rhys knew whose shadow he was standing in.
“The film is almost an institution in itself,” the 25-year-old told said in March 2000. “Everyone has either seen it or heard of it or heard that Dustin Hoffman played the role.”
Hoffman came to a performance. He never stopped backstage afterward, Rhys told the Why Are You More Successful Than Me? podcast in an episode released Wednesday.
The Hottest Ticket in LondonTerry Johnson adapted and directed the Gielgud Theatre production, which opened April 5, 2000. Sales jumped once word spread that Kathleen Turner, then 45, played her seduction scene nude. Anne Bancroft had kept her clothes on in Mike Nichols’ 1967 film.
Turner vouched for the newcomer opposite her. “You know if an actor is good or not and he is good,” she said.
‘And He Never Came’Turner had also been teaching him the backstage custom.
“Tom Hanks is in tonight. Come down for a glass of champagne,” she would tell him. Rhys would ask whether she knew Hanks. She did not. “This is what they do. They just come backstage,” she said.
Then Hoffman was in the house, and the cast waited. “Oh my God, he’s going to come, he’ll come backstage!” Rhys recalled thinking. “And he never came.”
What Rhys Told HimselfHost Richard Bacon asked whether that bothered him. “Wildly,” Rhys answered. He assumed the worst. “I just thought he must have sat there going, ‘Well, he was s—,'” Rhys said. “It’s every actor’s insecurity because we’re so wildly self-obsessed.”
Rhys allowed that Hoffman may simply have had dinner plans, then landed on the darker read anyway: “There’s something about my performance he does not like.”
The Part That Made HoffmanBenjamin Braddock had launched Hoffman. He was working off-Broadway and taking small film and television parts when Nichols cast him, and the role brought him an Oscar nomination and stardom.
Rhys got there the long way. On Monday, the 51-year-old became the first performer to win two lead acting Emmys in one night, for The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay, and Martin Short appeared to tear up his speech after losing to him. With his 2018 win for The Americans, Rhys has taken all three lead acting prizes. Widow’s Bay also won Best Comedy, which he shares as an executive producer. That makes four.
Rhys never did get his hello.
'70s Rock Legend's New Music Video Draws Attention to ‘Young Sheldon’ Star
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ newly released song has gotten people talking after the band featured Young Sheldon star Iain Armitage in their music video.
Ahead of the rock band’s celebration of its 50th anniversary, the group, previously fronted by the late music icon, unveiled a new music video featuring the track “Parade of Loons.”
While the full music video was officially shared on YouTube, followers on Instagram were treated to a glimpse of it starring the teen actor.
Viewers got a major dose of nostalgia as Armitage portrayed a high school student who drifts into a dream while sitting in class.
According to the band, the imaginative video transports viewers into an animated world centered on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ fans, celebrating the band’s enduring fan culture.
“This imaginative new video takes us into an animated world of Heartbreakers fandom. The previously unheard track is an outtake from the Heartbreakers’ 1978 studio album ‘You’re Gonna Get It!’, and is the opening track of ‘No Sleep Til L.A.,’ the first disc of the ‘Origins 1971-1978’ box set. Unearthed from 70s archives, “Parade of Loons” is one of 27 unreleased, live, extended and hidden gems in the box set,” the caption reads.
Not only did the band offer a fresh look at the beloved rock legend’s enduring musical legacy, but the music video also sparked interest in the former child star’s transformation.
Iain Armitage poses at the opening night of the Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Tracy Letts play “BUG” on Broadway at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 8, 2026While some of the reactions included playful comments about Sheldon Cooper returning to high school again, a role Armitage portrayed in the hit CBS series, others commented on the teen star’s striking appearance.
“He looks unrecognizable,” one wrote.
“@iain is soooooo handsome!” a commenter said.
The same goes for a fan who compared him to a Hollywood A-lister, saying, “Young Tom Cruise but more handsome.”
“Sheldon is serving looks!” a follower remarked.
“Seen Grown Young Sheldon and it had me hyped and ready to watch a new series that I knew nothing about!” a fan echoed.
View this post on InstagramThe single “Parade of Loons” will be part of the band’s upcoming compilation album No Sleep Til L.A., scheduled for release in November.
The song was an unreleased track by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers that was originally recorded in 1978 but was shelved due to “technical issues,” according to BIG 105.9 Miami.
The release comes as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers celebrate their 50th anniversary and reunite onstage, with surviving members Mike Campbell (lead guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Ron Blair (bass) and original drummer Stan Lynch coming together for their first full reunion in 24 years.
The quartet was later joined by bandmates Steve Ferrone and Scott Thurston.
The band received a lifetime achievement award and performed together for the first time in decades following Petty’s death in 2017.
During the performance, the band was joined by Chris Stapleton, and they performed iconic hits like “American Girl.”
Related: ‘Young Sheldon’ Star, 17, Stuns Fans With His Mature New Look
NY Times Praises Marlon James' New Book 'The Disappearers' As 'The Novel of the Decade, If Not the Century' in Glowing Review
Marlon James’ critically acclaimed new novel, The Disappearers, has officially arrived to bookshelves. And if the initial reaction is any indication, readers won’t want to miss James’ unforgettable new book.
Set in 1980s Jamaica, The Disappearers follows eight gay men who suffer an extreme act of violence while rehearsing a play one night. As they attempt to get their lives back on track, each of them deal with the trauma in different ways, with some attempting to move on, others contending with rage and pain and some disappearing entirely.
A return to the nuanced literary nature of James’ equally acclaimed A Brief History of Seven Killings from 2014, The Disappearers has quickly won renown among critics and mainstream readers.
“Why not just say it? With this novel about gay experience and murderous homophobia in Jamaica and elsewhere during the 1980s and ’90s, James has written a masterpiece, the novel of the decade and possibly of the century thus far,” deemed The New York Times.
In another illustration of just how greatly The New York Times felt about James’ new book, the outlet continued by writing, “It occurred to me around Page 350 that The Disappearers places him near the front of the line, a decade or two from now, for the Nobel Prize.”
Other reviews shared their similarly positive response when it came to The Disappearers.
“James makes room for the contradictions of queer life, its intimacies, estrangements and hungers, in utterly indelible ways,” wrote The Guardian. “His prose is a consistent triumph: bitter and hilarious, lyrical, bawdy, pugnacious and scorchingly, ravishingly queer. The Booker judges have described this novel as a ‘reckoning’; it is incontestably also a haunting.”
Further adding to the book’s acclaim is its recent addition to the longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize, the same award James won for his Bob Marley-centric thriller, A Brief History of Seven Killings.
The Request the Royal Family Denied at Princess Diana’s Funeral
Tragedies can sometimes bring fractured families together, or they can tear them further apart. After Princess Diana‘s untimely death, tensions were understandably high, and her brother, the Earl of Spencer, was left with the unenviable task of acting as a bridge between her family and the royal establishment.
In an excerpt published on Daily Mail and covered by PEOPLE, from his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer recalls the difficult days surrounding his sister’s funeral and one simple, personal request he says the royals rejected.
Diana’s sisters knew she had always wanted Mozart’s Requiem to be played at her funeral – a wish Spencer dutifully passed along. The response was swift and definitive: “No part of a requiem can be played at a Church of England funeral.” Spencer later discovered this wasn’t true. “That was the first of several untruths that the authorities would push my way at that time,” he wrote.
The tension extended to one of the funeral’s most iconic and agonizing images: the sight of a 15-year-old Prince William and 12-year-old Prince Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin. Spencer was fiercely opposed. “It was a suggestion that struck me as utterly barbaric, and quite out of the question,” he recalled, noting that Diana had left him as her sons’ guardian and “would never have wanted to put them through anything so ghastly.”
Diana’s coffin is carried into Westminster Abbey.His pushback led to a furious phone call from then-Prince Charles, who invoked his own experience walking behind Lord Mountbatten’s coffin. Spencer’s response was quietly devastating: “But you were 30, sir, and he wasn’t your mother.”
Buckingham Palace has since issued a rare response, suggesting that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory.”
While the excerpt includes several contentious recollections about the royal family’s involvement in Diana’s funeral, Spencer’s account of the music offers a more intimate detail: a composer he says Diana herself chose for the end of her life. And according to her brother, even that final request became a point of disagreement.
‘The Matrix’ Star Carrie-Anne Moss Stuns on the Red Carpet With Gray-Streaked Hair 27 Years Later
Carrie-Ann Moss may be best known as Trinity in 1999’s The Matrix opposite Keanu Reeves, but the stunner is back on the red carpet with an exciting new project.
Moss, 59, made a serious mark on the film world in the Matrix series. Now starring in YAGA, the beauty hit the red carpet at the premiere during the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario. Wearing a black dress and sporting amazing gray streaks in her dark hair, the star made it clear she’s only getting better with age.
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Yaga is an exciting new project alongside Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams, and the trailer looks seriously steamy. The half-hour mystery thriller, from the Canadian streamer Crave and set to air on AMC+ in the U.S., follows a private investigator, Rapp, played by Noah Reid. He heads to a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of Henry Park, played by Williams, the young heir to a powerful fishery, The Hollywood Reporter shared. Moss plays “a charismatic university professor with a taste for younger men.” Now that sounds good!
Check out the teaser trailer below:
Moss Almost Watched The Matrix on a Recent FlightLast year, Moss revealed that she almost sat back and watched The Matrix while on a flight to Los Angeles.
“I seriously almost watched it, but I didn’t want anyone on the plane to think I was watching it to watch myself,” Moss told Business Insider. “I just love the story.”
However, she decided to watch her beloved co-star Reeves in John Wick instead. Still, Moss said she has fond memories of the iconic film.
“‘The Matrix’ is one of those movies where, as you grow in your thinking, it becomes something different,” Moss continued. “There is so much in it that I know I haven’t received yet in terms of storytelling.”
What’s Carrie-Ann Moss up to These Days?While Moss scaled back her workload in her forties to raise her children, she’s excited to be working at full speed again in her fifties, the previously mentioned piece continued. She had a very memorable role as Jeri Hogarth in Netflix’s Jessica Jones opposite Krysten Ritter, who played a former superhero who opens her own private investigator agency. She made an appearance as a Jedi Knight named Indara in the 2024 Star Wars Disney+ series, The Acolyte, and stars alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the second season of his Netflix series, FUBAR.
Metallica Launches New Fan Experience for a Good Cause With Chance to Win Lars Ulrich Replica Drum Kit
Metallica fans have a new reason to roll up their sleeves, and one lucky fan could walk away with a pretty spectacular piece of gear.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band is once again joining forces with the American Red Cross, this time for the Red Cross x Metallica Blood Donation Experience, an immersive pop-up opening Sept. 28 at Fashion Show Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.
The experience, sponsored by Delta Air Lines, will run through March 19, 2027, giving fans an opportunity to donate blood while Metallica is in Las Vegas for its residency.
And this isn’t an ordinary blood drive.
The backstage-inspired experience will give donors the opportunity to sit behind a replica drum set similar to one used by Metallica co-founder Lars Ulrich. Everyone who comes to give blood will also receive a limited-edition T-shirt designed by Squindo, while supplies last.
There’s an even bigger prize on the table.
Donors will automatically be entered for a chance to win the replica TAMA drum kit, which is similar to a kit specially made for Ulrich for Metallica’s WorldWired Tour. After donating, fans can also head to the Delta Backstage Lounge for refreshments.
The unusual experience is the latest chapter in a partnership between Metallica, the Red Cross and the band’s All Within My Hands foundation that began in April 2025.
Since then, Metallica fans have contributed more than 25,000 blood donations across the United States and approximately 93,000 worldwide, according to the Red Cross.
Behind those numbers are patients like Jamilah Bourdon, whose connection to Metallica took on a new significance following a devastating accident.
In 2021, Bourdon was hit by a truck while riding her bike. She lost her right leg and underwent 13 surgeries during more than two months in the hospital, receiving five blood transfusions along the way.
Metallica’s music became one of the things that helped her through the ordeal.
“I didn’t have access to music for the first month, so I replayed ‘One’ in my head,” Bourdon said, adding that the band’s music became a significant part of her healing.
Darren Irby, executive director of National Partnerships for the American Red Cross, said Bourdon’s experience illustrates the person behind every donation.
“What makes this partnership with Metallica so special is its ability to turn the passion their fans have for their music into lifesaving action,” Irby said.
Metallica has made charitable work a significant part of its efforts away from the stage. The band established All Within My Hands in 2017, and the foundation has since raised more than $29 million for causes including career and technical education, food insecurity and disaster relief.
Fans interested in taking part in the Las Vegas experience can make an appointment through the American Red Cross beginning with its Sept. 28 opening.
Related: ’80s Rock Band Is Suddenly Climbing the Charts 35 Years After No. 1 Hit
1967 Rock Song, Inspired by Marianne Faithfull, Became a Major Billboard Hit
The Hollies’ 1967 hit “Carrie Anne” reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but the story behind the song was kept secret for decades.
The British band wrote the song as a tribute to singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, using the name “Carrie Anne” so the real inspiration would not be obvious.
Written by Hollies members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks, “Carrie Anne” was recorded on May 1, 1967, at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. The song was released as a single that same month through Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and Epic Records in the United States.
The song also became a major hit in other markets. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 9 in Canada, No. 4 in Ireland and the Netherlands, and No. 3 in New Zealand. It also reached No. 7 in Australia and Norway and No. 8 in West Germany.
English pop group The Hollies posed circa 1967.Photo by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns
For years, however, listeners did not know that “Carrie Anne” was connected to Faithfull. Graham Nash later revealed the story in a 1995 documentary.
The Hollies’ ‘Carrie Anne’ and Marianne Faithfull ConnectionAccording to Nash, the song began as a song about Faithfull. The group had seen the singer and were attracted to her, but they did not want to use her real name.
“I must admit that ‘Carrie Anne’ started out to be a song about Marianne Faithfull,” Nash said in an interview. “She was unbelievably attractive. She was an incredibly sexy woman but we just didn’t have the courage to say ‘Marianne,’ because it would have given away the fact that everyone wanted to make love to Marianne Faithfull.”
Nash added, “So we made up this girl’s name, ‘Carrie Anne.’ It seemed to work.”
The choice of name was meant to hide the song’s real subject. According to Songfacts, Faithfull had dated Hollies singer-guitarist Allan Clarke for a short time. Clarke was one of the song’s three writers, along with Nash and Hicks.
The song tells the story of a woman remembered from school days who later became interested in older boys. The lyrics then move into a more grown-up conversation between the singer and Carrie Anne.
The three writers also shared the lead vocals, with Clarke, Hicks and Nash each taking a verse.
Musically, “Carrie Anne” stood out because of its vocal harmonies and unusual instrumentation. The introduction was strongly influenced by the Beach Boys, while the recording featured a steelpan solo.
The instrument was an unusual choice for a pop record at the time, and sources describe the song as possibly the first commercial pop recording to use steel drums.
The identity of the musician who played the steelpan has also been debated. Trinidadian Ralph Richardson is often identified as the likely player, while another account suggests Mario Gibbins may have performed it.
The recording itself was completed quickly. The Hollies recorded “Carrie Anne” in only two takes at Abbey Road Studios on May 1, 1967. The first take was a false start and later appeared on the compilation The Hollies at Abbey Road: 1966 to 1970.
“Carrie Anne” arrived during one of the Hollies’ strongest periods. The band had already built a long run of successful singles, including “Bus Stop,” “Stop Stop Stop” and “On a Carousel.”
The Hollies were known for their tight harmonies and catchy pop-rock arrangements. Their success continued on both sides of the Atlantic, and “Carrie Anne” became another important entry in their 1960s hit run.
The song was released with “Signs That Will Never Change” as its B-side. That song had previously been recorded by the Everly Brothers and appeared on their 1966 album Two Yanks in England.
“Carrie Anne” also remained part of popular culture after its original chart run. It appeared on the soundtrack of Michael Apted’s 1974 film Stardust and was later used in HBO’s The Sopranos, during a flashback in the episode “Down Neck.”
One unusual piece of the song’s legacy is connected to actress Carrie-Anne Moss. The Matrix star was named after the Hollies song, which was on the charts around the time of her birth in August 1967.
For the Hollies, “Carrie Anne” remains one of the songs that helped define their successful 1960s period.
Related: 1976 Folk Song, Recorded in Two Victorian Houses in Toronto, Became a Major Billboard Hit
2007 Hit, Reimagined by Amy Winehouse, Is Now the No. 1 Karaoke Song of 2026
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t dread a certain song after hearing it butchered at karaoke or simply played way too often.
Cue “Friends in Low Places” and “Sweet Caroline”—or so you might think.
It’s not Garth Brooks “blaming his roots” or Neil Diamond “ba-ba-ba-bing” his way to the top of the list of most-requested karaoke songs for 2026.
It’s actually late singer Amy Winehouse taking the cake. While her highest-charting song is “Rehab,” which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s her own reimagining of U.K. indie-rock band The Zutons’ song “Valerie” that’s taking the top spot—and it oddly enough has some rehab-like ties to it.
“Valerie” was written about a real person named—you guessed it—Valerie Star. The Zutons’ lead singer Dave McCabe met her during a tour run in Florida, where the pair became close, but couldn’t visit each other since Star was in legal trouble for driving under the influence.
Being a Brit herself, Winehouse was a fan of the band and suggested putting her own spin on the song with producer/songwriter Mark Ronson.
That turned out to be one of the best decisions of her career, as their soulful rendition reached No. 2 on the U.K. singles chart.
For 2026, “Valerie” is the most requested karaoke song, with aforementioned “Sweet Caroline” in second place and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” rounding out the top three—though the biggest surprise may be mainstream newcomer Olivia Dean with “Man I Need” coming in fifth.
Walmart's 'Super Cute' $30 Rattan Table Lamp Set WIll Look 'Beautiful' on Any Tabletop
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Already anxiously awaiting adding Halloween decor and holiday cheer to your home? We are too — but first, we’re focusing on curating the perfect everyday furniture collection that makes our space feel just right. If you’re looking for a home refresh on a budget like we are, then Walmart’s got you covered. One of our current favorite finds is the Natyswan Rattan Boho Table Lamps Set, which is 25% off now.
The lamp set originally cost up to $40, but has been marked down to as low as $30 during a limited-time sale. The cool part about this offering is that you can purchase it in five unique designs that fit the style of your home. The coastal blue and white retro lamps are at the lowest $30 sale price, while the rattan lamp is just $33. Each serves a different purpose, with the rattan lamps being perfect for bohemian style homes.
Natyswan Rattan Boho Table Lamps Set, From $30 (was $40) at Walmart Shop at WalmartThe set includes two matching ceramic lamps that are 13.5 inches tall and come with a 4.9-foot electric cord that you can easily plug into the wall. They would look stunning on an entryway table, television stand, side table, or pretty much any tabletop that you can hide the cord behind if you prefer not to see it. The lamps come with a beige lampshade that would look seamless in minimalist and contemporary homes or bring clean lines to more maximalist ones.
The best part about these lamps, aside from the artsy sculpted base, is that there’s three brightness levels you can adjust to your liking. All you have to do is choose an LED bulb that has different color temperatures and you can create the perfect ambience. There’s an easy push switch that turns the lamps on and off, so there’s no hassle when you’re closing down for the night.
Shoppers described the set as “beautiful,” “pretty,” “super cute,” and “just right” for bedroom end tables. Reviewers also particularly loved the lamps for small apartments and limited areas because they offer the perfect amount of light without being an overwhelming size that takes up a lot of space. The base is cited to be on the heavier side, making them look and feel all the more luxurious.
Shop More Deals- Oneach Farmhouse Floor Lamp, $59 (was $110) at Walmart
- My Texas House Isla Outdoor Area Rug, $50 (was $87) at Walmart
- Lomyolo Decorative Couch Throw Pillow Covers, $20 (was $35) at Walmart
This sleek bohemian-inspired table lamp set will make your home look intentional and polished, but at an affordable price. Take advantage of Walmart’s unbeatable $30 now, before it’s too late!
Related: Walmart’s 5-Drawer Dresser Comes With LED Lighting and a Built-in Charger for Under $50
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NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Friday, September 18, 2026
Today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle covers ways to describe being ahead, football punting terms, HBO sports series and Indianapolis Colts players.
Get excited—there’s another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who already play Wordle, Connections, Strands and the Mini Crossword now have Connections Sports Edition to add to the mix.
So, if you’re looking for some hints and answers for today’s Connections Sports Edition on Friday, September 18, 2026, you’ve come to the right place.
New York Time
What Is Connections Sports Edition?Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it’s a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It’s up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.
This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.
As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you “group sports terms that share a common thread.”
Related: The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You’ll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle
Hints for Today’s Connections Sports Edition Categories on September 18, 2026Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.
- Yellow: In front of.
- Green: Associated with punting.
- Blue: HBO sports series.
- Purple: Indianapolis Colts.
OK, time for a second hint…we’ll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!
- Yellow: IN FRONT OF
- Green: ASSOCIATED WITH PUNTING
- Blue: HBO SPORTS SERIES
- Purple: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
If you’re looking for the answers, no worries—we’ve got them below. So, don’t scroll any further if you don’t want to see the solutions!
The answers to today’s Connections Sports Edition #725 are coming up next.
Related: 15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day
- IN FRONT OF: AHEAD, LEADING, ON TOP, UP
- ASSOCIATED WITH PUNTING: COFFIN CORNER, FAIR CATCH, FOURTH DOWN, HANG TIME
- HBO SPORTS SERIES: BALLERS, EASTBOUND & DOWN, HARD KNOCKS, WINNING TIME
- INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: DOWNS, GARDNER, KEY, PIERCE
Don’t worry if you didn’t get them this time—we’ve all been there.
Up next, catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.
Related: NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Thursday, September 17, 2026
English Singer, Known for the 1981 Hit ‘Don’t You Want Me,’ Turns 64 Today
Joanne Catherall is one of three singers in the English band, The Human League. They are most well-known for their 1981 hit, “Don’t You Want Me,” which rose all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained there for three weeks.
In a 2011 interview, Catherall spoke about the band’s first record deal. “Our first record deal was for ten albums, which is just unheard of today, but the catch was, we were told in no uncertain terms, we could not make Dare! the way we wanted to. But we decided we had nothing to lose really by ignoring them (Virgin), I mean none of us owned a house or any of that, and so broke as we were, we went ahead and made the record that we had in our heads, and it obviously became very successful. But we made Dare! almost in direct opposition to what the label wanted us to do.”
She also spoke about their first major hit, “The Sound Of The Crowd,” which did not chart in the US but became well-known in the UK. “I was genuinely thrilled that people reacted so strongly to that song,” she said. “I mean, it’s very unusual in a lot of ways, and honestly, Susan [Ann Sulley] and I didn’t think it was going to be a hit at all, but our careers really did take off because of that song.”
Related: 1974 Hit Country Song, From an Artist Who Wrote Elvis’ Biggest Hits, Is Still Relevant Today
In an interview with The Quiet Us, she talked more about their fame. “It was only when the album came out and ‘Don’t You Want Me’ went huge that it went silly. Then we couldn’t go to a clothes shop without having to have the door locked behind us because there were so many people trying to get in after us.”
The Human League was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983 and won a British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards. The band is still together to this day. They currently have tour dates across Australia and New Zealand scheduled.
Tom Cruise Dishes on Taylor Swift at Kansas City Chiefs Game
What does a Hollywood legend say to the reigning queen of pop at a Kansas City Chiefs game? Apparently, he listens and takes notes.
Digger star Tom Cruise, 64, opened up about his conversation with Taylor Swift, 36, when the pair were spotted chatting in a suite during the Kansas City Chiefs’ first game of the 2026 NFL season on Monday, Sept. 14.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, Sept. 17, host Jimmy Fallon asked Cruise what happens when “the biggest movie star in the world” sits next to “the biggest artist in the world.”
“She was schooling me on football,” Cruise replied.
Cruise wasn’t kidding. “She’s a genius,” he told Fallon. “She’s funny, she’s got such a great sense of humor. Brilliant writer, brilliant musician, and director.”
He added that Swift – who once leaned on Kelce’s patience to learn the game – now simply knows her stuff. “She’s just bringing it,” Cruise said.
The conversation wasn’t limited to football, either. Cruise said he and Swift also talked about music and movies, while he continued to praise the singer-songwriter.
Swift was at the game supporting her husband, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as Kansas City faced the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. The outing marked Swift’s return to the stands for the new NFL season after she became a regular presence at Kelce’s games during their relationship.
The Chiefs beat the Broncos 31-10, with Patrick Mahomes returning to the field after suffering season-ending ACL and LCL tears in December 2025.
But honestly, the real story was that although Cruise may be one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, Swift was the one with the advantage in their suite that night.
‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ Season 2 Premiere Explains Henry’s Tragic Fate After Craigh na Dun
After a debut season filled with forbidden romances, family betrayals and impossible choices, Outlander: Blood of My Blood returns with both of its central love stories hanging in the balance. The Season 1 finale left viewers with more questions than answers, setting the stage for another chapter that spans centuries.
In 18th-century Scotland, Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) fled Castle Leoch after Colum MacKenzie (Seamus McLean Ross) broke his promise to allow them to marry. Their escape turned deadly when Brian killed Malcolm Grant (Jhon Lumsden) in self-defense, forcing the couple to flee together as fiery crosses burned across the Highlands, signaling the start of the 1715 Jacobite uprising.
Meanwhile, in the 20th century, Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) reached Craigh na Dun hoping to escape through the standing stones before Mr. Bug (Terence Rae) could catch them. The finale deliberately left their fate unresolved, while a glimpse of a young Claire with her parents and Uncle Lamb (George Kemp) served as a reminder that the events of Blood of My Blood are laying the foundation for the story Outlander fans already know.
Here’s our spoiler-filled recap of what happened in the Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 premiere.
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What happened in the Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 premiere?The Season 2 premiere, “Remembrance Day,” wastes little time answering one of the Season 1 finale’s biggest cliffhangers. The episode opens in 1924 with Henry, now going by Henry Grant, confined to the Inverness Lunatic Asylum in a straitjacket. A flashback reveals the family’s attempt to travel through the standing stones ended in disaster. As Mr. Bug caught up to them, he stabbed Henry during a fight and slammed his head against the stones. Henry managed to fight him off long enough to check on Julia and Claire before he was unexpectedly pulled through time alone, leaving his family behind.
Back in 18th-century Scotland, Brian and Ellen take shelter in a remote hut while the MacKenzie clan searches for Ellen. With Brian bound by oath to return to Castle Leathers and answer the Jacobite call to arms, the couple realize they can no longer remain together. Left with few safe options, Ellen returns to Castle Leoch, believing she still has one last bargaining chip before Colum locks her inside the chapel. Meanwhile, Malcolm MacKinnon Grant (Simon Merrells) confronts Colum and Dougal (Sam Retford) over his nephew’s death. While furious over Malcolm Grant’s killing, he’s more than willing to assume his new role as laird, even as the marriage between Dougal and Maura (Bobby Rainsbury), keeps the MacKenzies and Grants politically linked.
Bound by his oath to his clan, Brian returns to Castle Leathers with Murtagh (Rory Alexander), where Lovat (Clive Russell) orders him to begin gathering men for the coming Jacobite campaign. Julia also returns to Castle Leathers, where she finally confides in Davina (Sara Vickers) that she and Henry are time travelers. Rather than dismissing the unbelievable story, Davina believes her and agrees to help Julia seek out the mysterious Seer in hopes of learning more about Craigh na Dun and the stones. At the same time, Julia quietly encourages Lord Lovat to join the Jacobite cause, believing the coming war may provide the best chance to free herself from his control. Or better yet, remove him from the picture entirely.
Near the end of the episode, Henry’s situation grows increasingly bleak as doctors subject him to repeated electroshock treatments, convinced his stories about time travel are delusions. The treatments begin erasing his memories of Julia and Claire, leaving him desperate to hold onto the life he lost. After a reverend shows him a rare act of kindness, his kindhearted housekeeper, Mrs. Graham (Emma Hartley-Miller), pays Henry a visit and quietly reveals she believes his impossible story.
Is Mrs. Graham also a time traveler?Given everything Henry has endured, it’s understandable why doctors at the Inverness Lunatic Asylum dismiss his story as the delusions of a deeply traumatized war veteran. Mrs. Graham, however, has a very different reaction. Despite never having met Henry before, she seeks him out, tells him she believes him and even offers him a glimmer of hope after everyone else has written him off.
That raises an intriguing question: Why? It’s certainly possible Mrs. Graham is simply a compassionate housekeeper who recognizes Henry needs someone in his corner. But Outlander: Blood of My Blood has already established that time travelers don’t always reveal themselves right away. Whether Mrs. Graham is another traveler, someone with prior knowledge of Craigh na Dun, or simply far more perceptive than everyone around her, the premiere makes it clear she’s destined to play a much larger role in Henry’s story.
Related: ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ Finale Recap: Shocking Deaths and Major Cliffhangers
How did Henry get through the stones?The Season 2 premiere answers one mystery but immediately creates another. Viewers now know Henry made it to 1924 alone while Julia and their baby remained behind. The episode, however, never explains why the standing stones suddenly worked for Henry after failing just moments earlier.
Longtime Outlander fans know traveling through the stones isn’t as simple as touching them. Did Henry unknowingly come into contact with a precious gemstone during the struggle? Was there one hidden in Mr. Bug’s knife? Or is there something unique about Henry that allowed him to make the journey by himself? After all, viewers never did see how he made it through the stones the first time in Season 1. For now, “Remembrance Day” offers plenty of theories but no definitive answers, making Henry’s trip through Craigh na Dun one of Season 2’s biggest mysteries.
Henry’s horrific medical treatmentOne of the premiere’s more surprising moments is Henry’s repeated electroshock treatments. While they resemble electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the real-life treatment wasn’t introduced until 1938, roughly 14 years after the events of “Remembrance Day.”
Whether Outlander: Blood of My Blood is taking creative license or depicting an experimental precursor to ECT isn’t clear. Either way, the scenes are an effective reminder of how, during the early 20th century, people suffering from severe psychological trauma—or simply exhibiting behavior doctors couldn’t explain—were often institutionalized. According to the Mayo Clinic, electroconvulsive therapy is still used under general anesthesia to treat certain severe psychiatric disorders. The modern procedure, however, bears little resemblance to the frightening treatments depicted in Outlander: Blood of My Blood.