Month: August 2023

This story originally appeared on 05.07.22

In the 1988 Disney classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” the titular character is in an unlikely relationship with his voluptuous wife Jessica. Roger is a frantic, anxious rabbit with a penchant for mischief, while Jessica is a quintessential ’40s bombshell who stands about a foot and a half taller and isn’t “bad,” just “drawn that way.”

When private investigator Eddie Valiant asked Jessica what she sees in “that guy?” she replies, “He makes me laugh.”

This type of couple may seem like something we only see in the movies, but don’t underestimate the power of humor when it comes to attractiveness. A new study published in Evolutionary Psychology found that being humorous is the most effective way to flirt for both men and women.

“People think that humour, or being able to make another person laugh, is most effective for men who are looking for a long-term relationship. It’s least effective for women who are looking for a one-night stand. But laughing or giggling at the other person’s jokes is an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes,” says Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology.

“It is not only effective to be funny, but for women, it is very important that you show your potential partner that you think they are funny,” Rebecca Burch, a co-author from SUNY Oswego in New York, added.

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on heterosexual couples.

For men, showing off their sense of humor was found to be the most effective way to flirt whether they were looking for a short-term or a long-term relationship. For women, being funny was the most effective tactic when looking for a long-term relationship. For people looking for a short-term fling, appearing available was the most effective tactic.

According to the study, humor is effective regardless of one’s attractiveness. “Individual differences in age, religiosity, extroversion, personal attractiveness and preferences for short-term sexual relationships had little or no effect on how effective respondents considered the various flirting tactics to be,” says study co-author Prof. Mons Bendixen.

If you see someone you like but don’t think you’re good-looking enough for them, give it a shot. You may still have a chance if you can make ’em laugh.

The most effective tactics for those looking for a long-term relationship:

For women:

1. Makes him laugh

2. Shows interest in conversations

3. Spends time with him

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Kisses on mouth

For men:

1. Makes her laugh

2. Spends time with her

3. Shows interest in conversations

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Smiles

The study is proof that looks aren’t everything and shows that having a good sense of humor isn’t just about making someone laugh. A great sense of humor is evidence that someone is intelligent, wise, perceptive, confident, can see things from new perspectives and has good intuition. It also helps people quickly build bonds and share experiences, which is a great way to get close to someone in a fast and fun way.

So why wouldn’t Jessica be with Roger? The guy is hilarious.

The first thing you need to know about Charlie the golden retriever is that he loves Mr. Quackers.

Mr. Quackers is Charlie’s stuffed yellow duck. Charlie carries him around everywhere, he loves him so.

@charliethegolden18

I always so happ to see my lil bro 😋 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever

Anyone who’s had a dog with a favorite stuffy knows that it’s a bit like a child with a favorite stuffy. As long as the stuffy is there, all is well. If stuffy goes missing, all hell breaks loose. Nobody take the stuffy away. Nobody lose the stuffy. Nobody mess with the stuffy.

Where they go, their stuffy goes.

Where Charlie goes, Mr. Quackers goes.

That’s just the way it is.

@charliethegolden18 Happens every..single..time 😂🙈 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever ♬ Quirky – Oleg Kirilkov

The attachment is real. Watch what happens when Charlie’s buddy Buddy tries to mess with Mr. Quackers.

@charliethegolden18

Ain’t nobody touching my Mr. Quackers 😋 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever

“There, see it!” Oh, Charlie. His love for Mr. Quackers is unrivaled, which is why his owner decided to pull an incredible pet prank and dress up as Mr. Quackers himself.

@charliethegolden18

When your husband finds a costume that looks identical to your dogs favorite duck toy 😂 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever

The things we do for our dogs, indeed.

And when Charlie got to meet the life-sized Mr. Quackers? So. Much. Joy.

@charliethegolden18

Dressed up as our dogs favorite duck toy. Full video on FB & YouTube. Link in bio. #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever

Charlie practically wagged his tail right off his body. And he never let go of the original Mr. Quackers the whole time—at least on TikTok.

The extended video on YouTube shows Charlie dropping Mr. Quackers and trying to get a hold of Huge Mr. Quackers by the neck. Not in an aggressive way—more like in a “Hey, lemme carry you around like I do Mr. Quackers!” kind of way.

And then the slow discovery that Huge Mr. Quackers smells an awful lot like his hooman … just too precious.

Animals can bring such joy to our lives, especially when we take the time to play with them. Thanks, Charlie’s parents, for sharing this moment of adorable delight with us all.

Follow more of Charlie and Mr. Quackers’ adventures on TikTok and YouTube.

This article originally appeared on 03.30.22

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—public libraries are the greatest idea humanity has ever come up with.

Seriously, a quiet place to read or study, access to tons of books you can take home and knowledgeable experts on hand to help you find whatever you need—all for free? What kind of unimaginable utopia is this? How are we not marveling all day long about the awesomeness that is the public library?

Librarians get it, and one young librarian is highlighting that awesomeness by sharing the heartwarming stories he witnesses at the library on social media. Mychel Threets, a supervising librarian at Solano County Library in Nothern California, recently shared a story on Instagram of how a young kid wanted their dad to read a book they’d chosen, but the book was in Spanish and the dad didn’t know how to read it.

From there, the story turns hilariously sweet as a kid who says they think they know Spanish (even though they actually don’t know a word) offers to help. And it just gets better and better from there.

Watch and enjoy this wholesome chain of encounters:

See on Instagram

Understandably, people are loving this example of libraries bringing people together.

“In tears; I am an immigrant and libraries and public schools were my gateway to America,” wrote one Instagram commenter.

“It takes a village! and why did my eyes just leak a wee bit of happiness 🥲,” wrote another.

“’He doesn’t know Spanish. He just really likes people.’ Same, buddy, same, ❤️ ” shared another. “Love this story. It would make a great children’s book!”

Another person added, “I love these stories of real people excited about reading and helping each other. Thank you so much for sharing. Libraries hold a special, vital place in our communities. ❤️”

Even Jennifer Garner chimed in with a simple, enthusiastic “YES.”

Libraries are truly magical places filled with wonderful stories—both within the pages of books and in the real-life interactions that happen there.

Follow Mychal Threets on Instagram for more wholesome, heartwarming library stories.

There’s no shortage of stories out there showing how emotionally distant or out of touch some baby boomers can be. Younger generations are so fed up with it that they have their own catchphrase of frustration, for crying out loud.

The disconnect becomes especially visible in parenting styles. Boomers, who grew up with starkly different views on empathy, trauma and seeking help, have a reputation for being less than ideal support systems for their children when it comes to emotional issues.

But even if they often have a different way of showing it, boomer parents do have love for their children, and many try their best to be a source of comfort in some way when their kid suffers.

Occupational therapist Jacqueline (@jac.rose8) recently shared a lovely example of this by posting a video of her boomer dad helping her through a divorce in the best way he knew how.

Turns out, it was the perfect thing.

“My husband just said he’s divorcing me and my dad came over and I was non-functional in bed,” Jacqueline wrote her video, adding that “…boomer dad didn’t know what to do, so he played his favorite song, the Dua Lipa ‘Rocket Man’ remix 😂”

In the clip, Jacqueline’s dad never really looks at her, but shifts the focus by describing what he imagines while listening to the song and performing the sweetest dad dance ever.

Watch:

@jac.rose8 #divorcetok #divorcesucks #divorcesupport #divorcesupportforwomen #divorcesupportsquad #supportivedad #disabilitytiktok ♬ original sound – Jacqueline

The heartwarming moment served as a great reminder that words aren’t always necessary.

‘“I am CRYING. This is so precious, he is trying his hardest to be there for you in any capacity. How pure ❤️,” one person wrote.

Another added, “This would instantly make me feel better.”

Even Jacqueline shared in the comments that her dad “didn’t know what to say but he was there and helped me in such a sweet way. He’s the best 🥰”

Proving that he has multiple love languages, Jacqueline later shared that her dad also went out to Home Depot to replace her lightbulbs. Not only that, but her mom also made Jacqueline’s favorite dinner. Maybe boomers are okay after all.

Really, it goes to show that great parents can be found in every generation. Part of what makes them great is knowing that they don’t need to be perfect in order to show up when things are hard. Being there and sharing their love is enough.

This article originally appeared on 6.12.23

It feels safe to say that many, if not most people hail Drew Barrymore as the “Queen of Candid.” She can seemingly talk to absolutely anyone about anything in a way that’s consistently warm and authentic.

That even goes for when she experiences her first hot flash in front of a live television audience, apparently.

While speaking with guests Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler on her talk show, Barrymore abruptly appears flustered, fanning herself and removing her jacket.

Without missing a beat, she says, “I am so hot, I think I’m having my first perimenopause hot flashes.”

“Oh, I feel so honored!” Jennifer Aniston quips as she fixes Barrymore’s mic, which is a sweet moment in and of itself.

“I’m so sorry!” Barrymore continues, laughing through it all. “Do you feel this?!” she says, placing Aniston’s hand just below her neck. “Or maybe I’m just excited!”

@drewbarrymore I either had my first perimenopause hot flash or got really exciting! Maybe both? @thedrewbarrymoreshow ♬ original sound – Drew Barrymore

Sandler, then reaching for Barrymore’s palm, assures her, “Yeah you got a hot hand.”

“Well, I’m so glad I have this moment documented!” Barrymore exclaims.

One viewer on TikTok gushed, “I don’t know that I have ever heard a celebrity talk about a hot flash in the moment. Thank you for being so real.”

Another echoed, “Drew, we have a whole generation (X) entering the change. Let’s normalize it. Just wait until you’re soaked with sweat, then cold lol.”

One person commented on the exchange between Aniston and Barrymore, noting how refreshing it was to see two “beautiful, authentic, powerful women my own age to look up to.”

Only a week prior, Barrymore had again been an unofficial spokeswoman for perimenopause when she sat down with Gayle King of “CBS Mornings” to share more of her personal experiences, including having a period “every two weeks.”

“One doctor also just told me this could last, in the worst-case scenario, 10 years. And I was like, ‘I will never make it 10 years like this!’” she told King.

@cbsmornings How did Drew Barrymore know she was in perimenopause? She tells Gayle King and Nikki Battiste one of the main symptoms she experienced. Watch their full conversation tomorrow on #CBSMornings. #drewbarrymore #gayleking #menopause #perimenopause #fertility #health ♬ original sound – CBS Mornings

Considering that every woman who lives past their 40s will probably go through at least some version of this—even earlier, for some—one would think that there should be more conversations about this pivotal life chapter. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so daunting.

Or at the very least, there might be less stigma around it. As Barrymore eloquently put it in her interview, “The way menopause has been branded is, ‘You’re old, you’re done.’ That’s not it.” Instead, she feels that in reality, “more women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are looking so attractive, feeling so vibrant, living their best lives.”

Imagine that—life getting better as you grow older. What a radical thought.

This article originally appeared on 3.30.23

This article originally appeared on 10.05.17

Ever wondered what goes on in a library’s dark corners, where you aren’t allowed to go?

Wonder no more, thanks to The Society of American Archivists’ Ask an Archivist Day.

On Oct. 4, 2017, university, corporate, and museum archivists around the world dug out the coolest, rarest, and weirdest items in their collections, photographed them, and put the results on Twitter.

They didn’t disappoint. Here’s just some of what they had in storage.

1. Small items. Very small items. Like a Bible so tiny that it has a magnifying glass with it for reading.

u201c@HornbakeLibrary We have this New Testament from 1895 with its case and magnifying glass in our collection. #AskAnArchivistu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507129340

2. And a barely-bigger-than-a-quarter book about birds, published during the deadliest year of the Civil War.

u201cQ: What’s one of the smallest items in our collection? A: This tiny book, “Bird Stories,” published in 1863! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchivesu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507129340

3. Or this one of three women in West Virginia, rocking the slickest hats of 1908.

u201c@AlabamaArchives We’re partial to hats. West Virginia History OnView | WVU Libraries https://t.co/VSMTWTQEpU #AskAnArchivist #WVRHC #ArchivesFashionu201d

— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History)
1507135579

4. A folding chair used by Barack Obama.

u201cNewest acquisition? That would be this folding chair that @BarackObama sat in during his #Rutgers250 commencement address. #AskAnArchivistu201d

— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives)
1507132827

5. Dirt from the grave of a well-known American writer.

u201cQ:What’s a spooky item in your collections? A:Here’s a pine coffin owned by Katherine Anne porter & dirt from her grave site #AskAnArchivistu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507149032

6. A Roman-era coin, depicting either a man in a helmet or a curious understanding of human anatomy.

u201cWhat is our oldest item? A Didrachm coin minted between 280 B.C.E.-276 B.C.E.nn#AskAnArchivist #RomanCoinsu201d

— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives)
1507129302

7. A photo of a sailor whose ship vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918.

u201cHamilton Beggs is also part of the Gold Star Files. He was on the USS Cyclops when it disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. #askanarchivistu201d

— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History)
1507136852

8. And one of of other World War I sailors giddily posing on top of two ginormous battleship guns.

u201cHow many photographs are there in the archive and how can we find these? https://t.co/udBOw9b36d #AskAnArchivistWW1 #AskAnArchivist #WW1u201d

— Today’s Document (@Today’s Document)
1507139116

9. A child’s sketch of a groundbreaking concept car — complete with a built-in kitchen and a 300 mph top speed.

u201cThis child’s car drawing sent t @ford from the 1960s has a stove, icebox, seat belts, and can go 300mph! #askanarchivist THF268169u201d

— The Henry Ford (@The Henry Ford)
1507137015

10. A legal document drawn up in 14th century France.

u201cQ: What’s the oldest item in our collection? A: This French legal document dated 1334. Check out that wax seal! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchivesu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507143664

11. A pioneering, ultra-glittery work of feminist art.

u201cWhat is the most glittery object in our collection? That would be this untitled drawing by Miriam Schapiro. nn#AskAnArchivistu201d

— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives)
1507122040

12. A photo of fashion designer Ann Lowe, the woman who designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress.

u201c#ArchivesFashion #AskAnArchivist Did you know that Alabama native Ann Lowe designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress?u201d

— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History)
1507137183

13. A script for a rarely heard “Empire Strikes Back” radio play.

u201c@KBtheLib @nprchives Our #StarWars radio dramatization is an institutional favorite! #AskAnArchivistu201d

— NPR RAD (@NPR RAD)
1507064825

14. An image of rows and rows of classic radiator shells waiting to be installed at a Depression-era Pontiac plant.

u201cQ: What are these?nA: Pontiac radiator shells, circa 1937.nQ: Where is this photo?nA: @HBSBaker n#AskAnArchivist nhttps://t.co/UuOV1KJeH6u201d

— Working Knowledge (@Working Knowledge)
1507135835

15. A handwritten letter from Sigmund Freud.

u201cCool KSHS collection: Menninger Foundation archives include Sigmund Freud letters. https://t.co/SgKrkCXYZh #AskAnArchivistu201d

— Kansas History (@Kansas History)
1507135195

16. Ancient technology.

u201cQ: Do you have floppy discs in the archives? A: Yes! Our e-records archivist helps preserve data on lots of outdated formats #AskAnArchivistu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507136506

17. Proof that Queen Elizabeth II is apparently a secret football fan.

u201cYou voted & the results are in! Who’s #UMD’s most famous visitor? Queen Elizabeth II – shown here at a football game in 1957 #AskAnArchivistu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507125652

18. A memo warning campus police about an upcoming Ozzy Osborne concert, citing the singer’s involvement with “abuse of animals” and “alleged satanic groups.”

u201cQ:What’s the coolest thing you found in the archives lately? A:How about a 1983 police memo when Ozzy Osborne played at UMD! #AskAnArchivistu201d

— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl)
1507123820

19. And why, if you want to see more, you’ll have to visit a library or archive in person.

u201c#AskAnArchivist When people ask “so is everything digitized?” I usually reply with a photo of our caverns, which I hope answers the questionu201d

— UMN Libraries (@UMN Libraries)
1507128190

You can happily scroll through dozens more like this using the #AskAnArchivist hashtag.

u201cQ: Describe the role of an archivist in haiku form: nArchivists connectnus between the record ofnthe past and present n#AskAnArchivistu201d

— M+ (@M+)
1507101297

No appointment necessary.

This article originally appeared on 10.05.17

Update 10/9/2017: The headline was changed to reflect that archivists and librarians differ, in part by the type of materials handled.

You gotta hand it to AMC and the Daryl In Paris team, including showrunner David Zabel, exec producer Greg Nicotero, and star/exec producer Norman Reedus. The least likely core cast member of The Walking Dead to end up in France is heading there, and he’s got no clue how he washes ashore. Once on the scene, footage has shown that Daryl seems to be hating his “vacation,” so to speak. He’ll spend the first season of this spinoff series (a second season has already been greenlit) attempting to get home, but first, he must end up in several states of peril and figure out how to navigate without speaking the language.

You didn’t think that Daryl spent a summer abroad in France while in high school or college, did you? No way. The series has already promised to make this a barrier, and as seen in the below teaser, a young woman drags the hell out of the stranger in a walker-filled-strange land: “Ay! You American guy. I speak English very good. Was crackin’ noob.”

Gotta hate-love it. Fortunately, we’ll have a double dose of Reedus on AMC beginning on September 10, when we’ll also see him blaze through Utah with Keanu Reeves in Ride With Norman Reedus. My unwashed boo is having his day in the post-apocalyptic sun. Some new slices of key art put the resulting haze on display:

Needs more Dog. And here’s another teaser, in which Daryl attempts to stay hopeful in his own crotchety way while toting a crossbow through the lush countryside and various urban landscapes. They are gonna trash The Louvre in this series, and I am ready to watch.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres on September 10.

Tom Cruise sure loves to catapult himself into theaters over the summer months. Last year, he took over Hollywood/air space by returning to theaters in Top Gun: Maverick, and this summer he was able to return to the big screen as Ethan Hunt for the seventh installment in the Mission Impossible series alongside his IMF team. It seems like the missions have been possible after all.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One hit theaters in July, with part two coming sometime in 2024. But if you can’t quite get enough of Cruise and his action-packed stunts, you might have to tune in from the comfort of your own home. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One is a Paramount production, which means it will head to Paramount+ after it has its time in theaters.

There is no planned release date at the moment, and it depends on just how many people head to the theater to see Mr. Hunt hunt down some secret weapons. Most Paramount movies, for instance, head to the platform about 45 days after release. But Tom Cruise hits like Top Gun: Maverick took over 200 days (!!!) to head to streaming, so it could be a while. We can only hope it will appear on the streamer by the end of the year, just in time to enjoy it while eating some coconut cake.

The good news is that every other Mission Impossible movie is now streaming on Paramount+, so you have six other movies to scratch that Cruise itch. You can also pre-order the DVD on Amazon, though the release date has not been announced yet. At this point, Tom Cruise really just does things his own way.

At one point, Jenna Ellis was a loyal MAGA soldier as she joined Donald Trump’s legal “Strike Force” and went to battle attempting to prove the former president’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen. Now, Ellis has been indicted in Georgia alongside her old boss and Strike Force members Rudy Giuliani and Sydney “The Kraken” Powell.

Like Giuliani, Ellis is struggling to pay her legal bills despite dutifully doing the bidding of Trump, a supposed billionaire. However, while Rudy reportedly flew down to Mar-a-Lago to beg the former president for money, Ellis has gone a different route: Crowdfunding.

Via NPR:

Ellis posted a link to her crowdfunding campaign on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday evening with a quote from attorney Mike Melito, who she says is representing her.

“We will fight for Jenna. If you would like to help support our efforts please consider donating by clicking the link below,” the quote reads. “America and the profession of law are worth the fight.”

Since her work on Trump’s “Strike Force,” Ellis has admitted to making “misrepresentations” about the 2020 election, and more recently, she’s become a vocal supporter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the upcoming Republican primary.

According to unconfirmed reports, endorsing DeSantis has allegedly prompted Trump to refuse to help Ellis with her legal bills stemming from the Georgia indictment. However, Newsweek has been “unable to independently verify” those claims.

(Via NPR, Newsweek)

Janelle Monáe’s The Age Of Pleasure Tour kicks off later this month, and today, the non-binary icon revealed the tour’s openers. In addition to Monáe’s longtime collaborator Jidenna, the tour will also receive support from viral breakouts Flyana Boss, Chicago singer-songwriter Dreamer Isioma, and rapper/producer Nana Kwabena. Anticipation for the tour is high thanks to the hedonistic, NSFW rollout for The Age Of Pleasure, so each of these acts will certainly benefit from the extra exposure.

Monáe embraced a different kind of exposure as they prepared to release their well-received candidate album of the summer, showing off plenty of skin the videos for songs like “Lipstick Lover” and “Water Slide.” They attributed their newfound tendency to get their kit off to being “much happier when my titties are out,” which certainly ruffled feathers in certain corners of the internet. However, Janelle received support from fellow musicians like Cardi B, who posted an NSFW tweet of her own in response, SZA, who offered a message of approval, and Jason Isbell, who registered his confusion that there’d be any backlash in the first place. In any case, none of the criticism has slowed the singer, who lived up to her promise that you cannot police her by flashing the audience at Essence Fest.

Check out the dates for The Age Of Pleasure Tour below.

08/30 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
08/31 – Vancouver, BC @ UBC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
09/02 – Portland, OR @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
09/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
09/07 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/09 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
09/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/13 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
09/14 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
09/17 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
09/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
09/20 – Montreal, QB @ Mtelus
09/21 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/24 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
09/26 – New York City, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
09/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/02 – Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/03 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/04 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Atlanta
10/09 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/10 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
10/11 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater
10/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
10/18 – Inglewood, CA @ YouTube Theater