Look, you’re busy. You’ve got stuff that needs to be done today. Do you really have time to watch tiny baby goatsjump in slow motion? Will that really add anything of value to your life?
These little guys hail from Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, where 60 (yes, 60) goats are born each year. Sunflower Farm promises that even if you didn’t love goats before, you will after watching videos from its Youtube channel showing the wee babes run, play, hop and snuggle. I mean, there’s another video showing the goats in pajamas…what’s not to love?
But back to this one. In the video’s description, Sunflower Farm writes, “The amount of effort a baby goat puts into each hop is astounding, and only fully observed by slowing down their motion so you can see every twist and turn clearly. They leap so bravely forward. Even the youngest six, who are one week old, are full of twists and turns and side kicks.”
Yep, in the clip you can definitely see boundless energy and fearlessness in their leaps. Which, let’s be honest, might not always result in the most graceful move. And yet when you slow that action down and put on a little Tchaikovsky, it suddenly becomes a riveting ballet nonetheless.
Check it out:
The farm added that the goats aren’t merely hopping around to learn how to avoid predators. They are also simply doing it for the “joy of it.” Play in the animal kingdom is as nuanced as it is for humans, with many experts noting that some species actually don’t engage in play to develop any sort of motor or cognitive skills. They do it, seemingly, just cause.
In other words, these goats “leap because they can.” And that’s that.
Folks who watched the video seemed to agree that their spontaneous, unbridled joy was contagious.
“OMG, the sheer joy! I had no real understanding of how random their movement was! That is probably the best thing I’ve seen in months!” one person comments.
Another added, “These kids are simply experiencing the sheer joy of life bursting out of them. Absolutely wondrous to watch.”
Sure, it’s a silly little goat ballet, but Sunflower Farms argues that humans could learn a thing or two from it.
“Humans could benefit so much by practicing being more nimble, fluid, and joyful. It is so easy to get stuck in our ways, to feel heavy, and weighed down by the world. The goat kids show us that there is another way,” the video description read.
Indeed, life might feel heavy at times. But take it from a group of baby goats…jumping around for no reason at all can be the best pick-me-up. No kidding.
History has many heroes, but few human beings have left a direct mark on children’s lives like Fred Rogers did. In a time when television had become a staple in American households, prompting fears over its potentially pernicious influence, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood shone like a beacon of wholesome delight.
Fred Rogers’ conviction that educational television could make a positive difference in the lives of children has been proven true again and again. Countless people have shared how Mr. Rogers’ messages of love and compassion and self-worth influenced them during their formative years, and for many, his presence provided a calm and stability that were missing in their own households.
The video includes so many examples of what made Fred Rogers so special, from his ability to talk to anyone to his selfless and humble Lifetime Achievement Award speech to how he responded when he felt he’d been too harsh with one of his grandsons. (That story is so beautiful—can you even imagine Mr. Rogers being harsh?) He also shared a conversation with children about a stuffed animal’s ear coming off in the washer that exemplified how much better he understood children than most adults do.
“Mr. Rogers was one of those people who impacted multiple generations—young, old—so many people were inspired by Mr. Rogers,” said Stanley in the video. “His messages transcend race, gender, how much money you make—it doesn’t matter. Everyone was inspired by Mr. Rogers.”
Soulja Boy and Blueface’s feud, which was kind of funny when it was just about which of the two rappers has more mainstream hits, has continued long enough that we’ve reached the “death threats” portion of the program. While Blueface did try to escalate the beef to the point of physical altercation a few weeks ago (a week before Christmas, no less), it ultimately came to nothing, but it sounds like Soulja Boy is willing to take things even further.
During an Instagram Live stream, Soulja denounced the back-and-forth on the internet, inviting Blueface to a shootout instead. Blueface took the opportunity to mock his would-be rival in a Twitter response, posting a circus tent emoji and offering some baby talk.
The dramatic response may seem outsized when you consider that this all started during an interview in which the LA native suggested he could win in a Verzuz hits battle with Soulja, prompting an aggrieved comeback from the Atlanta rapper. “You gon’ perform bust down ‘Thotiana‘ five times in a row?” he taunted. “Don’t make me go into the vault and start pulling sh*t out with Bow Wow… You know how many songs I got, buddy? I got songs with Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Trey Songz, Omarion, DJ Khaled.”
The two rappers seem to like the attention they’ve been getting for this “beef,” but let’s hope that Soulja Boy ends up disappointed.
Lil Nas X has been pushing Christian themes during the rollout for his upcoming single “J Christ,” and the whole time, he has been straight-faced in his insistence that he’s, in his words, “not making fun of sh*t.” He put his money where his mouth is once again, this time by sharing nearly two minutes of new music, snippets of a demo titled “1-800-CALL-GOD.”
On his Instagram Story today (January 9), he posted a couple of snippets of the song: one of the track’s first minute, and then another 45-second snippet that starts after jumping ahead a few seconds from where the first snippet ended. Sure enough, the track sees Nas singing over an instrumental featuring piano, organ, and a backing choir.
The opening verse of the first part goes:
“Yuh, I’m way too grateful for it
I go the limits to keep every acre, Lord
I’ll bend over backwards to pave the way forth
I’ll go out of my way to make a way, lord
Huh, oh man, God damn
It’s just me and myself and these verses
Me and my faith verses, them generational curses
Me and my faith verses, well, whatever emerges
You can’t just get this sh*t from walkin’ inside of them churches
Oh man, I’ve seen it all even though I didn’t
I give my all the best stars, all you n****s just wishin’
I’m Star Walkin’ like the lights in my roof
Know who I was, now I finally got the proof
I said ‘I love you’ to myself, I love you too! (I love you too!)”
He shared the samples seemingly to bolster his case that he really isn’t making fun of Jesus and Christianity with his new era like some have claimed. Over the first part of the video, he wrote, “i like how the world decided i am mocking, when i literally have been working on a gospel album??” He wrote over the second part, “Like be fr?”
Nearly a year and a half after the Harry Styles/Chris Pine Spitgate drama gave us a reason to believe in the internet again, The Golden Globes have gifted us its successor.
Over the weekend, the A-list-littered awards show spawned a flood of memes and threads on social media — most were related to Jo Koy’s bomb of an open. But, during a commercial break, a keen-eyed cameraman emerged as an unexpected hero, breaking through the monotony of rich celebrities congratulating each other on doing their jobs well to give us a juicy plot twist. Selena Gomez — an artist/actress fans are convinced would thrive in an office setting — was caught spilling tea in the ear of her friend, pop superstar Taylor Swift while Keleigh Sperry looked on in shock.
I’m obsessed with this clip of Selena Gomez gagging Taylor with whatever tea she just spilled pic.twitter.com/v4Bfhwk2o0
The timeline went wild with speculation that Gomez was relaying her interaction with PDA-happy lovebirds Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner. Fans filled in the gaps, claiming Gomez had asked Chalamet for a picture and was quickly rebuffed by Jenner — the two have been involved in feud rumors in the past. Think pieces were constructed, lip readers were drafted, and a melee of the silliest and most satisfying type of low-stakes drama ensued.
But now, Chalamet is here to ruin the fun.
According to the Willy Wonka actor — who was chased on the streets of Beverly Hills by TMZ last night — there’s absolutely no beef between Gomez and his new girlfriend. When asked if he and Gomez were cool, Chalamet responded, “Yeah, of course.” He also added that the trio were “all good” and affirmed nothing had happened at the awards show over the weekend. A source also told People that Gomez “was absolutely not referencing anything about Timothée or Kylie” in the clip that’s been making its rounds on social media.
Many travelers find themselves in Scottsdale, Arizona for its very non-desert-ish golf courses, vibrant nightlife, pro sporting events, and luxurious resort pools. But this arid escape is a hub for outdoor adventure, too. I recently got a taste of some of the nature-filled, adrenaline-fueled experiences on offer in Scottsdale and found myself surprised and thrilled.
From off-roading through majestic desert landscapes speckled with cacti to crawling the Old Town district bars to soaring through the clear skies in a hot air balloon, Scottsdale and its surrounding areas will satisfy travelers’ craving for adventure. Check out my favorite experiences below.
Desert Dog Outdoor Adventures
Chloe Caldwell
If you want to feel like a badass, book a tour with Desert Dog Offroad Adventures. You’ll drive an 800cc 2-seat ATV through the Sonoran Desert, taking in the desolate yet uniquely beautiful scenery while handling your sand buggy like a boss. Your tour guides will lead you on a track through rock gardens (it gets bumpy, but that’s the fun part), sandy washes, canyons, and past cacti and native flora and fauna. The tour lasts about two hours and the starting location is just outside Scottsdale.
This tour was incredibly fun and it’s great for all levels of adventure seekers. I couldn’t help but sing “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire throughout the tour as we were literally “ridin’ dirty” — ATVing our way through the dusty desert landscapes. And you will be covered in dust from head to toe by the end, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting trashed for the day.
Tip: It’s hot out there in the open desert, and you’ll be in direct sunlight for the full two hours. Bring sunglasses and wear plenty of SPF. The Desert Dog team will provide you with a bandana to barricade the dust — it’s a branded bandana, so you can go home with a souvenir. Plus, they’ll provide you with a water bottle and snacks to hold you over.
Imagine watching the sun steadily ascending from behind a distant mountain as you overlook the expansive desert floor speckled with green cacti, big boulders, and the occasional Joshua tree. Pretty damn beautiful, right? If that sounds up your alley, book a sunrise tour with Hot Air Expeditions.
There are a few things to keep in mind before booking your balloon ride. For one, you need to be prepared for an early wakeup call. Since most hot air balloon rides happen at sunrise, the team will have to pick you up from your hotel or Airbnb by about 4:30 a.m. I also recommend booking your tour for the first day of your trip, as cancellations are pretty common due to weather conditions. I know from first-hand experience what a bummer it is to wake up at 4 a.m. just to be told that the one travel experience I’ve had on my vision board all year is, in fact, not happening. Sigh.
But if you book your ride at the beginning of your trip and it gets canceled, you’ll have every morning after that to try again (as long as there’s room). And don’t worry, if the weather keeps you from riding at all, you’ll get fully refunded. The bottom line, though, is that the chance of soaring through the sky in a giant balloon and the awe-inspiring views that come with it are worth the early wake-up call and risk of disappointment.
There is no shortage of hiking trails in the desert, but if you want to immerse yourself in nature and take the path (slightly) less traveled, make your way to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. This is a protected, sustainable desert habitat in Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountains and the Sonoran Desert. There are more than 10 trailhead locations and more than 225 miles of trails across 35,500 acres. But the main entrance to the preserve is at the Gateway Trailhead, a 4.5-mile loop with an elevation gain of 650 feet. (Trailhead address: 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. Scottsdale)
It’s a moderately difficult trail, but hikers of all levels can enjoy the wildflowers and wildlife found throughout the preserve. And if you’d rather go out in the wilderness with an experienced local, you can also opt for a guided hiking tour.
Learn more about trails and safety at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve here.
Wander Through Old Town Scottsdale
Chloe Caldwell
Walking through Old Town Scottsdale is an adventure of its own. Whether you’re perusing boutique shops, bar hopping through the bustling nightlife scene, checking out local events, or testing out the diverse selection of restaurants, Old Town offers the ultimate downtown experience but with a more intimate feel. It swaps massive skyscrapers for rustic, western buildings.
Go wine tasting at Merkin Vineyards, a rock & roll-inspired wine room created by Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of Tool. Search for crystal jewelry and spiritual healing at Earthen Rare. Or opt for a boozy brunch at Farm & Craft, which serves healthy and sustainable food. (You know, to balance out your breakfast cocktail.) You certainly won’t get bored wandering through Old Town, no matter what time of day it is.
There’s nothing like a full belly and a strong cocktail to end a day in the desert. Located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, The Mission serves modern Latin cuisine. Led by renowned Chef Matt Carter, the menu is a fusion of flavors with influences from Spain, Mexico, Central America, and South America. It’s confusing and utterly satisfying all at once. Of course, you have to order the tableside guac, but The Mission’s dishes go far beyond your typical Mexican-American classics.
I reluctantly trusted my waiter’s recommendation of the Duck Carnitas Empanada, which is filled with duck confit, foie gras, orange habanero glaze, oregano, mushroom, and queso Oaxaca. I know…it’s quite the concoction. This isn’t something I’d normally order but I’m so glad I did. I also tried the Almejas Al Vapor, a Peruvian clam stew of rock shrimp, chorizo, ají amarillo, and roasted corn. You can also enjoy a selection of tacos, traditional entrées, and sides.
After a day full of non-stop adventure, it’s nice to have somewhere serene to wind down and recover. That’s what you’ll find at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa, which was originally a Spanish Colonial Revival villa. The moment I checked into my room, I felt immediately calm thanks to the quiet atmosphere, desert florals, the subtle sound of trickling fountains, and the property’s earthy Mediterranean aesthetic. Coming back here after hours in the sun each day felt like a cleansing exhale.
During your stay, you’ll have to take a dip and lounge by the pool, where you’ll get poolside service, frozen cocktails, and a full menu of appetizers, entrees, and sweets. If you want some major post-adventure relaxation, head to the spa and bask in the healing properties of the desert. You can choose from a variety of massage options, facials, and other body treatments. Royal Palms also offers weekend yoga classes if you need some mindful movement and recovery.
Wednesday has been a juggernaut hit for Netflix, and the streamer is acknowledging that fact by giving the Jenna Ortega series an exceedingly rare honor that it’s only bestowed upon Stranger Things and The Witcher: A physical home video release.
According to Gizmodo, Wednesday Season 1 will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on March 26. Normally, Netflix is in the business of keeping its original series exclusive to its platform, but in this case, a physical release makes sense. Wednesday has been a smash hit and widening its audiences will only benefit Netflix down the road when the highly anticipated Season 2 finally arrives.
Granted, Wednesday Season 2 is a ways off thanks to the writers and actors strike delaying production until Spring 2024, but a spiffy home video release is one way to tide fans over until they’re reunited with Ortega’s gothic little mystery solver.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Wednesday is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
Wednesday Season 1 scares its way onto Blu-Ray and DVD on March 26, 2024.
Tina Fey is reuniting with longtime collaborators Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield for a new series called The Four Seasons, not to be confused with that other place. The series, co-created and starring Fey, was given an eight-episode order on Netflix.
This will be Fey’s first starring role since Liz Lemon was seen sulking around 30 Rock, but she is no stranger to Netflix, where she co-created Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Season three of Girls5Eva,executive produced by Fey, is also heading to the streamer this year. She’s had various appearances in other comedies over the years, including Only Murders in the Building and a particularly gut-wrenching episode of Bob’s Burgers.
The series will be an adaptation of the 1981 movie of the same name starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. According to the official logline of the original film: “Three couples vacation together every season. After one divorces, feelings of betrayal and more spawn criticisms of one another, but the things that keep them together are stronger than those which might pull them apart.”
No other casting announcements have been made at this time, but let’s consider the options! Fey frequently enlists Jon Hamm for her projects, so maybe we’ll get to see him after he wraps up his stint on Fargo. Of course, we can always hope for a Fey/Poehler reunion, which is sure to happen one of these days, right? And maybe she’ll call in Matt Damon, just for some laughs.
Come March, the duo will receive the grand musical tribute they deserve. On March 20, the Sinéad & Shane tribute concert is set to fill out New York’s Carnegie Hall. Shortly after the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, musicians Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Dropkick Murphys, The Mountain Goats, Amanda Palmer, and David Gray will honor the late Irish entertainers with covers of their past works.
Others slated to perform include Bettye Lavette, Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming, Kat Edmonson, and the Resistance Revival Chorus. Event organizers have teased that the all-star lineup is set to grow. Further performer announcements will be released closer to the event.
In alignment with the musicians’ activism work, the organizers also noted that all net proceeds from the tribute will be donated to the organization PEN American. Tickets are on sale now. Find more information here.
Everything seems to be coming up Barry Keoghan these days. The Irish actor-bloke nearly died from flesh-eating bacteria before earning an Oscar nomination for The Banshees Of Inisherin. He did a salacious bathtub thing and danced naked at the end of Saltburn, which you shouldn’t watch with your parents. He will soon apparently star in a movie with The Weeknd (along with Jenna Ortega), which could be… controversial, given that The Weeknd co-wrote the project, and surely, you’ve heard about The Idol. Keoghan also has a prominent role in Apple TV+’s upcoming Masters Of The Air.
Additionally, Keoghan isn’t too far removed from his brief turn as a particularly horrific looking Joker in the Robert Pattinson-starring The Batman. Speaking of which, there were *three* Jokers (including Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto, and Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan did reference Heath Ledger during an acceptance speech, too) present at this year’s Golden Globes ceremony, and two of them posed together. Courtesy of Keoghan’s Instagram, here he is “[j]ust havin’ a laugh” with a clown emoji and Phoenix, who will soon star in Joker: Folie à Deux with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn:
It’s simply a quick, casual photo with a fellow actor who happens to portray the same DC-based comic-book character. No biggie, right? Except that there was also the Leto/Suicide Squad joker floating around, too, and the omission feels notable. Leto did, however, star in a screencap that went viral.
To recap: Phoenix’s Joker will arrive again in theaters on October 4. Leto recently climbed the Empire State Building and dressed up like a giant cat. And Keoghan will be seen next in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s Masters Of The Air, launching on January 26. Whew.
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