As the world becomes more interconnected, globalization has become a daily reality for people in every corner of the globe. But while globalization, described by the Peterson Institute for International Economics as “the growing interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures and populations,” can have positive effects on economies, there are also concerns about its impact on the environment and workers in the world .

Pro: Globalization stimulates the economy

In general, globalization “expands business activity worldwide and is facilitated by communications, technological advances, and socioeconomic, political, and environmental developments,” according to Investopedia. This can help reduce both manufacturing costs and the cost of goods for consumers.

On Conan O’Brien’s podcast, Jon Stewart recalled an early comedy sketch that almost got his MTV talk series The Jon Stewart Show canceled. Stewart replaced Arsenio Hall on the network’s late-night network and hosted The Jon Stewart Show from 1993 to 1995.

“After two weeks, we do a little bit: I thought it would be funny if Dave Attell, one of our writers at the time, dressed up as Hitler and came out like he was a guest on the show,” Stewart told O’Brien . “Like, ‘Hey, everyone’s wondering what happened to Hitler.’ I think you brought a clip!’ and it is he in Nuremberg.”

Stewart said he “didn’t think anything of” the obviously provocative sketch. “We’re laughing our asses off because any idea that comes to mind… It’s 2 a.m. and you think it’s hilarious because you’re sleep deprived.”

When Stewart and Attell attempted the sketch in front of the show’s live audience, Stewart said, “Our first guest is very surprising. No one has heard from him for many, many years. We are very honored that he chose to do this show first. Ladies and gentlemen, Adolf Hitler!”

Then Attell – who, like Stewart, is Jewish – came out in full Nazi regalia, doing the Sieg Heil salute and holding a bagel full of insults, saying: “I don’t know what I was so afraid of, these are delicious.” !”

“What I didn’t realize is that the crowd would rightly boo him. It’s Hitler!” Stewart told O’Brien. “The whole thing is evolving. I see in the control room that there is an immediate pause. The stage manager comes out and says, ‘Uh, they need to see you in the control room.'”

While “The Jon Stewart Show” was filming in New York, executives at Paramount (which owns MTV and syndicated the program) watched via live broadcast in Los Angeles.

“The phone is ringing. It’s just one guy, and he says, “This will never see the light of day.” This will never air. “You’ll never do that again,” Stewart recalled.

The 23-time Emmy-winning comedian and “Daily Show” host said this moment in his career was “revealing” because it made him realize he should “enjoy the shit out of it” and not care about it, people to appease.

“The downside to the story is that they canceled the show pretty soon after,” Stewart said with a laugh.

Watch the full clip from “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” below.

Florida’s homeless law is now in effect. On Tuesday, sleeping and camping on public lands was banned in the state and campgrounds must be set up to accommodate the homeless community.

Bill 1365, formerly House Bill (HB) 1365, will make it illegal for people struggling with homelessness to sleep outside on public property.

“HB 1365 prohibits counties and municipalities from authorizing or permitting individuals to regularly sleep or camp on public property, in public buildings or their grounds, or on public rights-of-way within their jurisdiction,” said county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. in a memorandum sent to the Board of County Commissioners in September.

Millie Bobby Brown is known as a lover of the arts of acting and singing. The 20-year-old has been seen as Eleven in the hit Netflix series for almost a decade. Stranger Things. But she has also worked on other projects that have proven that she can do anything.

Becoming the icon that she is was never an easy task as her family has been through a lot to get her to where she is now. These days, however, Brown is an extremely hard-working person. But what does she do in her free time? Does she behave in front of the mirror? Maybe write their own scripts? Let’s find out!

Millie Bobby Brown is addicted to The Sims 4 and Fortnite

Well, gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years and is also recognized as a sport in many countries. We often come across celebrities, musicians, and athletes talking about how much they love gaming outside of work. Millie Bobby Brown is part of that herd.

During an interview with WiredBrown revealed that she is a big fan of The Sims 4 And Fortnitetwo games that continue to be very relevant despite the ever-evolving video game industry.

She mentioned that she loves building houses, which both games are more or less known for. Brown also added that she tends to “camp out in the bush” until all the enemies in it die out FortniteShe then hands the controller over to someone more skilled to get her a Victory Royale.

However, that is Godzilla: King of the Monsters Star claimed that she is not a gaming fan despite being addicted to these two games. She claimed that she wasn’t really good at these games either.

But considering she likes it The Sims 4Recent leaks regarding a possible fifth installment of the game could cause her to stop playing for good.

Possible The Sims 5 leaks that are causing a stir

There has been a lot of talk about a possible expansion to include a fifth part The Sims Franchise. It has been 10 years since the release of the fourth part and there are currently around 80 million live users worldwide.

According to PC Leaks, a Reddit user posted screenshots of “Project Rene,” a codename EA is using for an upcoming Sims release, believed to be the fifth installment. In these screenshots, options like “Create a Sim” and outfits that can normally be purchased with in-game currency were not available.

While these options were available in The Sims 4they were not featured in the playtest. It could be difficult for the franchise to retain the fan base it has had over the last 10 years.

However, EA confirmed that they will not be releasing any further part of the Sims game. They will just make updates The Sims 4 in terms of graphics, or perhaps even the occasional tweak to gameplay with new features or missions.

EA stated that it did not want to add a fifth installment because it would result in the loss of a decade’s worth of gameplay. And since they already have a large number of live players, they don’t want to hit the reset button and start over with a new game. EA’s “Project Rene” could potentially be a teaser for this Sims Online.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs enter Week 5 of the regular season as one of two undefeated teams in the NFL, and a big reason for that is their ability to hold onto the lead in the fourth quarter or take games that are often deadlocked at stake.

The Saints, who travel to Kansas City on Monday night, are 2-2, thanks in part to their inability to accomplish the same thing.

New Orleans opened the season with losses to Carolina and Dallas and then had to duel Philadelphia and Atlanta for four quarters. In the first, they allowed Saquon Barkley to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:01 left an eventual 15-12 loss. And in the latter case, Alvin Kamara gave the Saints the lead with his TD run with a minute left, only to watch the Falcons set up Younghoe Koo’s 58-yard field goal with two seconds left 26-24 defeat.

Those disappointments are why the theme in the Saints locker room this week has been that the style points from wins in Weeks 1 and 2 say less about the club than their failures in trying to close out more competitive contests.

“When you play a lot of football in this league, you realize that kicking people out and doing all that stuff doesn’t matter,” Kamara said. “I don’t care if we beat a team 80-0. We have a lot more football to play against better teams.”

Teams like the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

All four games were on the line, and all four times Patrick Mahomes and Co. finished the job. That includes a Week 1 win over Baltimore that was only decided when a review showed the Ravens’ Isaiah Likely caught a pass out of bounds as time expired that could have forced overtime. It continued with Harrison Butker’s 51-yard game-winning strike against the Bengals and a 22-17 win in Atlanta against the Chiefs’ defense preserved with a quart-down stop about another minute.

Last week in Los Angeles, the Chiefs overcame the loss of star wide receiver Rashee Rice due to a knee injury by rallying from a 10-0 deficit and eventually getting the go-ahead touchdown from Samaje Perine with six minutes left in their 17:10 win.

“You just know everything is on the line here,” Mahomes said. “But at the same time, you need to go back to your normal process.”

Mahomes knows how to do this because the Chiefs have a lot of experience with it. Six of their last seven playoff victories have come by a touchdown or less, including their Super Bowl triumphs over Philadelphia and San Francisco.

“I think the experience I’ve had in these games makes it to a point where it’s not too big, where it looks like I’m not trying to make a crazy play happen,” Mahomes said . “I have learned from my experiences, the good and the bad, and from knowing how to succeed in those moments and not make it bigger than it is.

“All you can do is focus on that one play and then try to find a way to make it happen.”

Playing without Rice

The Chiefs will play without leading wide receiver Rashee Rice for the first time on Monday night. He injured his knee last week in Los Angeles when Mahomes fell while trying to make a tackle after an interception. The Chiefs will look to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson to fill the void.

Bring on Kamara

Derrick Henry of the Ravens, Zack Moss of the Bengals, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and JK Dobbins of the Chargers combined for 55 carries for just 143 yards against Kansas City. That’s an average of 2.6 yards per attempt. Next up is Kamara, who averages 4.5 yards per carry and poses an additional threat when she catches the ball.

A head-to-head race

Between games on Monday night, many eyes will be on their cell phones as the Royals play the Yankees in Game 2 of their AL Division Series in New York. The first pitch is scheduled for about an hour before kickoff. Arrowhead Stadium is located a few hundred yards from Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals where Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary) will take place.

The Hill Factor

The presence of tight end and former QB Taysom Hill has helped the Saints keep opposing defenses off balance, especially in short-yardage situations. But Hill has left two of his four games with upper-body injuries, including the last one after scoring two touchdowns against Atlanta, and his status against Kansas City was uncertain this week. The Saints scored just 10 points against the Falcons after Hill left and failed to score on a first-and-goal situation.

“I definitely feel like we’re impacted by not having him available,” Saints coach Dennis Allen began, adding, “I still think we have the ability to be an effective offense .”

___

AP NFL:

The post Joker: Folie à Deux fails Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn: Review appeared first on Consequence.

On paper, Joker: Folie à Deux promised to be an unforgettable experience, even for those who weren’t necessarily a big fan of Todd Phillips’ 2019 joker. The first film found an enthusiastic fan base for its nihilistic take on the Clown Prince of Crime and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for his portrayal of the miserable Arthur Fleck. And the sequel boasted musical numbers and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn – insane choices for a film of this nature and therefore all too apt.

Unfortunately, while this follow-up provides the musical numbers in which Lady Gaga largely does her best, Phillips’ sequel proves to be a confused love story that falls apart due to its inability to express anything thematically substantial or original. There are parts of this film that prove to be truly compelling, but they rely largely on the passionate commitment of the leads. Phoenix and his HR Giger-inspired shoulder blades are back, and this time… he’s dancing! Much like this film dances around its points.

Slide for two The film opens with a Looney Tunes-style cartoon (complete with the official Warner Bros. logo and classic theme music), which initially suggests that it is a recap of the first film. But no, it actually raises the big question that hangs over the sequel: Is Arthur suffering from a form of dissociative identity disorder as manifested in his “Joker” persona? Or is he just a sad and abused man who uses violence against the world? There are a lot talk about this question, but Slide for two never delves deeply enough into the moral questions it raises to say anything of substance.

Slide for two Thanks to the always reliable structure of a courtroom drama, the film offers a little more plot dynamics than the first film: it takes place relatively close to the events of jokerThe backbone of the sequel is Arthur’s trial for all the murders he committed in the first film. However, this only adds a little to the pacing, as the film is more interested in its musical numbers, most of which exist entirely in Arthur’s head, as he processes his newfound love for that sweet blonde mental patient in Arkham’s less secure ward.

Ultimately, the problem is that while it’s billed as a two-handed device, Slide for twoHis energies are focused much more on Arthur than on “Lee Quinzel”, with much of the latter’s screen time rooted in Arthur’s fantasies of them together. And the moments that supposedly represent reality don’t do much to flesh her out as a character, even scenes where Lee sings about her love.

While joker was consumed by its grungy Scorsese-esque vibes and musical nature Slide for two borrows more from Bob Fosse, albeit clumsily; The playlist is heavily based on old standards and musicals from before 1981, including songs like “That’s Entertainment” by The band wagon and (of course) “The Joker” by The Roar of Grease Paint – The Smell of the Crowd.

Lady Gaga brings her own voice and physicality to Lee, a performance with plenty of fresh nuances, but despite her best efforts, this version of Harley Quinn unfortunately remains largely in cipher territory. The changes in the character’s backstory simultaneously give her more and less agency – somehow she falls in love with Joker before she even really gets to know him and becomes completely dedicated to his cause. But at a certain point, nothing is required of her except her unwavering support for her husband.

Joker: Folie a Deux (Warner Bros.)

The lyrics of Gaga’s two original songs on the soundtrack, “Folie à Deux” and “Happy Mistake”, reveal the lack of development that Lee experiences: the first is a song about how Lee is “madly in love” with Joker, and Bei Secondly, it’s a breakup song that says: “I’m feeling bad. If I could fix the broken parts, then I would make a happy mistake.” The new accompanying album harlequin does a good job of portraying the character’s entire arc throughout the film – in the context of the film, it’s just not that much of an arc, other than someone thinking she’s in love and then deciding she’s not.

Slide for two is actually a strange viewing experience for any long-time fan of Harley Quinn, as it harkens back to every previous incarnation Batman: The Animated SeriesHe was more successful in bringing out Harley’s inner life. Here is her very first appearance TASin which the cartoon Harley quickly turns out to be more than just a random friend. Although she is devoted to Mr. J, she also likes to commit crimes for the sheer joy of it.

Yes, severe abuse is ingrained in Harley’s classic origin story, but that only adds pathos to the character if she’s been able to deal with it. Slide for two removes the abuse aspect, which is a striking decision that should arguably strengthen the character more, but instead Lee is reduced to the role of superficial superfan whose involvement with Joker feels more like a whim than a truly substantial relationship.

While it’s disappointing that Lady Gaga’s interpretation can’t match the performances of Arleen Sorkin, Margot Robbie or Kaley Cuoco, it’s at least reassuring to know that there are still more convincing versions of the character. And in fairness Slide for twoit shows some signs of understanding a female point of view. Perhaps the sharpest scene in the film is the return of Zazie Beetz as Sophie, Arthur’s former “dream girl,” who must testify in court about how her life turned out after she was publicly linked to Joker.

The short version: Sophie and her daughter had to leave town after being harassed by Joker fans and blamed for his actions. She is worried about her safety. If it were 2024, she would have deleted all her social media accounts a long time ago. The fear in her voice is the fear of every woman who has been the subject of a violent, angry mob in recent decades. It’s the closest the film comes to conveying a true point of view and showing real awareness.

At the end, while Phoenix is locked up when it comes to playing Arthur, Slide for two suffers from the same lack of depth as its predecessor; a pastiche of smarter and larger films that at least has some fun stylistic touches before coming to an unsatisfying conclusion. His worst crime, however, is becoming forgettable – and ultimately failing.

Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on Friday, October 4th.

Joker: Folie à Deux fails because of Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn: review
Liz Shannon Miller

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Fifteen years ago, an Apple advertising campaign praised the triumph of the smartphone: There’s an app for thatit said. Today, that message sounds less like a promise and more like a threat. Is there an app for this? If only that didn’t exist.

Apps are now everywhere around us. McDonald’s has an app. Dunkin’ has an app. Every chain restaurant has an app. Also all food delivery services: Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Chowbus. Every supermarket and wholesale market. I currently have 139 apps on my phone. These include: Menards, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Joann Fabric, Dierbergs, Target, IKEA, Walmart, Whole Foods. I recently re-downloaded the Michaels app while at the Michaels checkout just so I could redeem a $5 coupon that the cashier couldn’t read from the app anyway.

Even if you don’t have a business-specific app, you can use your apps to pay via app. All you have to do is figure out (or remember, if you ever knew) whether your gardener or hair salon uses Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or one of the new banking services like Zelle and Paze.

It’s enough to drive you crazy, a process you can also track with mental health apps like Headspace and Calm. Many apps aim to help you feel your best. My iPhone has Apple Health installed, but you might also find yourself on Garmin or Strava, or maybe Peloton if you’re into that, or the app you need to scan into your local gym, or Under Armour, a polyester shirt app also a jogging app. MyChart app can help you reach some of your doctors and check some of your medical test results. As for the rest? Various apps!

The tree of apps is constantly growing and always sending out its seeds. I have an app for every airline I’ve ever flown with. And every place I go, I use new apps to get around. In New York, I just scan the subway with my phone, but the subway app tells me which lines are out of service. For DC I have the SmarTrip app. At home, in St. Louis, I have a physical Metrolink card, but if I want to buy a ticket for my child, I have to use the transit app. For renting a car, I have the Uber app, which works almost everywhere, but I also have the app for Lyft and Curb for taxis, just in case. Also, parking: I have ParkMobile, PayByPhone and another app that I can’t remember the name of because it doesn’t sound like a parking app. (The app is called Passport. I spent many minutes searching on my phone to figure this out.)

If you have kids, you know they are the Johnny Appleseeds of mindless apps. An app can connect you to their school to access their schoolwork or connect with their teachers. The only thing is, you might be assigned a different app every year, or different apps for different kids in different classes. It could be Class Dojo, Brightwheel, Bloomz or TalkingPoints. It could be ClassLink, SchoolStatus or PowerSchool. The school bus may also have an app you can use to track it. And if your kids play sports, God help you. A friend has an app, SportsEngine, that describes itself as “the only app that does it all.” And yet it also has a few other youth sports apps.

Let’s talk about the office. Yes, there is an app for that. There are thousands of apps for that. Google Docs has an app, as do Google Sheets, Slides, Mail and Search. Microsoft is highly app-enabled and has separate apps for Outlook, Word and Excel. Then of course there are the groupware apps that you can use to coordinate with colleagues, such as Slack, Teams, Zoho and Pumble. And the office infrastructure apps your employer may use to make your work easier: Workday, Salesforce, Notion, Zendesk, Jira, Box, Loom, Okta.

Read: The app that monetizes doing nothing

And what about all the other apps I haven’t touched on yet that may now be cluttering up your phone? What about Doova, Nork, PingPong and Genzillo? These aren’t actually apps (as far as I know), but we all know that could be, and that’s my point. Apps are now so numerous and ubiquitous that they have become a kind of nonsense.

Your premise is, of course, entirely reasonable. Apps replaced clunky mobile websites with something clean and tailored. They helped companies build more direct connections with their customers, especially when push notifications came onto the scene. They also enabled new types of services, such as: Such as geolocating nearby stores or restaurants and scanning your items with a camera for self-checkout. Apps could also serve as branding, as their icons – which are also company logos – could be seen on your smartphone screen. And apps allowed companies to collect far more data about their customers than websites ever did, including users’ locations, contacts, calendars, health information, and what other apps they might use and how often.

By the time Apple began taking measures to curb this data collection in 2021, the app economy was already well established. Smartphones were so common that companies could assume that every customer probably had one. This meant they could use their apps to provide relief. Instead of printing boarding passes, Delta and American Airlines encouraged their passengers to use their apps. At Ikea, customers were able to pay for items in advance in the app, making it quicker to check out. At Chipotle or Starbucks, an app allowed each customer to specify exactly what salsa or what type of milk they wanted without stopping people. An apartment building that adopted a laundry app (ShinePay, LaundryView, WASH-Connect, etc.) has saved itself the hassle of managing payments to its ATMs.

In other words, apps have become bureaucratized. What started as a source of fun, efficiency and convenience became an integral part of everyday life. Now it seems like every ordinary activity has been turned into an app, while the usefulness of these apps has diminished.

Parking apps are an example of this change. Before ParkMobile and the like, you might have had to insert coins into a street meter. Some of these meters had credit card readers, but you couldn’t expect to find one (or one that worked). Parking apps have eliminated these annoyances. They can also remind you when your parking time is up and, in some cases, allow you to extend your parking session remotely. Everyone seemed to win: individuals, businesses, communities and of course the app-driven services that had their share. But like everything, app parking became more creaky as it got older. Different parking apps took over in different places as cities chose the providers that gave them the best deals. These days I use ParkMobile in some parts of the city and Passport in others, a detail of the world that I have to keep an eye on if I want to base my vehicle in it. The apps themselves have also become more complex, with greater customization and control at the user and community level. Sometimes I can use Apple Pay to park with ParkMobile; Sometimes I can’t. Street signage has changed or disappeared, so I now rely on the app to determine if I even need to pay after 6pm on weekdays. (Confusingly, sometimes an app will report that there is no parking available when it actually means that payment is not available – because no payment is required.) The apps sometimes log me out and then I have to use my password manager app to log back in. Or, worse, my phone may have “unloaded” the parking lot. I need the app because I haven’t used it for a while and therefore need to download it again before leaving the car.

Similar frustrations arise with many apps that you can – or must – use to live a normal life. Even activities that once seemed easy can find you stuck in the thicket of competing apps. I used to open the Hulu app to watch streaming content on Hulu – an app equivalent of an old TV channel. Hulu recently became part of Disney+, so I now watch Hulu through the Disney+ app instead. When HBO launched a premium service, I got the HBO Go app so I could stream the shows. Then HBO became HBO Max, and I got that app before HBO Max became Max, a situation so tricky that HBO had to publish an FAQ about it.

I would like to believe that this hellscape is temporary. If the number of apps multiplies beyond all logic or usefulness, won’t people start resisting them? And if platform owners like Apple tighten their privacy restrictions, won’t companies adapt? Don’t rely on it. Our app ocalypse has already progressed far too far. Every crevice of modern life has been colonized. In every area of ​​your life and with every new responsibility, apps will continue to emerge on your phone. You can’t escape them. You won’t escape them, not even if you die, because of course there’s an app for that too.

Eminem killed him Alter Ego Slim Shady with his latest album, but he’s making room for a new nickname: Grandpa.

The rapper announced that his daughter Hailie Jade is pregnant in a touching music video that pays homage to their relationship. Home videos from 1999 and photos of the father-daughter duo, as well as videos from their wedding in May, are accompanied by the emotional song “Temporary” in the video released on Thursday.

In a clip from a recent home video, his daughter presents Eminem with a jersey with the name “Grandpa” and the number 1 emblazoned on the back. She also gives him ultrasound photos and he looks shocked.

The social media influencer confirmed the news of her pregnancy with a comment just hours after posting the video on Thursday Instagram post. “Mom & Dad due in 2025,” she captioned the post.

Representatives for Eminem, 51, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Temporary,” from Eminem’s latest album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” is written as a comforting message to his daughter after his death. “I’m watching you right now, baby, I vow/I’ll ​​protect you, your guardian angel,” he sings on the track, which was released in July.

The “Lose Yourself” artist has always had a soft spot for his daughter, frequently mentioning her in his songs and even writing full-length tributes to her such as “Hailie’s Song” and “Mockingbird.”

In “Mockingbird,” a fan favorite, Eminem sings, “What Daddy Always Tell You?” “Stand up, little soldier,” a lyric he returns to in “Temporary.”

Jade is Eminem’s only biological daughter, whom he had with his ex-wife Kim Scott. He also adopted two of Scott’s daughters from previous relationships.

Social Security’s 2025 cost of living adjustment (COLA) will be announced this month — and it will affect more than 65 million Americans who receive benefits.

The Social Security Administration adjusts benefits each year based on the cost of living. The changes announced in October will take effect in January and are likely to result in an increase in benefits.

The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) estimates that Social Security benefits will increase by 2.5% in 2025. Currently, retirees receive an average of $1,920.48 per month. TSCL estimates monthly payments will increase by $48 per month.

What is the COLA?

The COLA is determined using a special formula set forth in Social Security law to ensure that benefits keep pace with inflation.

This formula uses increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Office Workers (CPI-W), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates monthly. The COLA adjustment formula uses the percentage increase in CPI-W from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next year.

Last year, benefits increased by 3.2%, giving recipients an additional $50 per month.

When will it be announced?

Because the COLA calculation uses third quarter inflation figures, it is often announced in the fall.

While the Social Security Administration says the announcement will come sometime in October, reports say the agency is expected to release cost-of-living adjustment amounts on October 10.

However, the benefits will not change until the new year. Social Security benefits will be adjusted in December and paid to beneficiaries starting in January.

Why is it important?

Cost of living adjustments are important for benefit recipients trying to keep up with inflation.

Inflation has risen sharply since the pandemic, driving up prices for essential goods such as food, clothing and housing. For many social security recipients, the benefits are no longer enough to live on alone. Without COLA, the purchasing power of these benefits would diminish.

Social Security benefits rose to their highest level in two decades in 2023, driven by inflation that peaked in June 2022.

One criticism of cost of living adjustments is that they often lag behind the curve during periods of high inflation because they are calculated based on the third quarter of the previous year. The Senior Citizens League estimates that the value of Social Security benefits has declined 20% over the past 14 years.

HOUSTON (AP) Josh Allen never said a bad word about Stefon Diggs. As the Buffalo Bills prepare to face their former star receiver in Houston on Sunday, he insists the two have parted ways on good terms.

And the quarterback didn’t change his stance a week ago and didn’t want to get upset when asked about the Bills’ success early in the season with their spread-the-ball motto on offense.

He later explained that he spoke out after reading comments on social media that attempted to turn the “Everyone Eats” motto into something aimed at Diggs.

Allen understands why it’s a big deal that Buffalo is taking on Diggs for the first time since a blockbuster trade sent him to Houston this offseason. He raved about his former teammate.

“I have great love for him. I still do,” Allen said. “The things he did for me in my career and the things he did in a Buffalo Bills uniform won’t soon be forgotten, especially by me… (but) when I get to the seventh Class, I understand the business and that aspect of what this league is all about, and again, I just try to focus on what we have going on in this building.”

Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, is second on the Texans with 25 receptions for 233 yards. He has two receiving touchdowns and had the first rushing score of his career last week against the Jaguars. He spent the last four seasons in Buffalo, where he averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards each year, highlighted by an NFL-leading rushing rushing season and a career-high 1,535 receiving yards in 2020.

He didn’t address Allen directly this week when discussing his time in Buffalo. While Diggs said his tenure with the Bills was “amazing,” he is now focused solely on his future and is not interested in rehashing the past.

“A lot of other people will have an opinion or a lot to say about X, Y, Z, and I’m not mad about it,” he said Wednesday. “Football is a very emotional sport. I’m going in there wearing my heart on my sleeve and I’m not going to stop, but for myself I’m blocking out the noise.”

“No one will run the routes except me,” he continued. “No one but me will watch the tape. I try not to get caught up in people’s opinions or feelings all the time. I have a job to do; I’m trying to make it happen.”

Diggs has helped the Texans get off to a 3-1 start and Allen hasn’t missed a single attempt without him. The Bills are also 3-1, although they are trying to bounce back from last week’s 35-10 loss to the Ravens.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans certainly knew how talented Diggs was when he arrived in Houston, but said he was pleasantly surprised to see his passion for the game.

“He loves football … you can see it in the way he practices, the way he plays the game,” Ryans said. “He loves the ball, he plays with effort and that’s all you want.”

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was still smarting that he ordered a trick play that backfired and ended any chance of a Buffalo rally in the loss to Baltimore.

After opening the second half with a TD to cut the deficit to 21-10, the Bills were facing second-and-7 at the Baltimore 44 when receiver Curtis Samuel took a direct snap and threw the ball to Allen. The Ravens weren’t fooled, forcing a fumble that led to a TD six plays later.

“I probably can’t say it over Zoom,” Brady said when asked to summarize the call in one word. “There are no excuses. I can justify why it was on the call sheet, but ultimately the timing wasn’t what it should have been and it was costly.”

While Diggs has been mostly focused on playing with his former team this week, Houston’s offense has been one receiver so far this season. Nico Collins posted a career-best performance of his third 100-yard game of the season against the Jaguars: 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. He leads the NFL with 489 receiving yards and is the first player in franchise history to have more than 450 receiving yards in the first four games.

“He’s a strong, physical, fast, big receiver,” Ryans said. “That’s an easy target for CJ (Stroud) and Nico showed up every time we needed him.”

In keeping with the Bills’ “everybody eats” motto on offense, Samuel had difficulty finding a regular spot at the table. The eighth-year player, who had his best season in Carolina under Brady as Panthers coordinator in 2020, was limited to eight catches for 48 yards. What’s even stranger is that Samuel was only on the field for 68 of 230 total offensive snaps.

“We would like to get him playing whether Khalil is here this week or not,” Allen said, referring to receiver Khalil Shakir, who is dealing with a right ankle injury. “So we’re going to go back to his number and he’s got to step up and make some plays where we have no doubt about his ability.”

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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed to this report.

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