Month: June 2024

Islam Makhachev (26-1) submitted Dustin Poirier (30-9) to retain the lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 302 from Newark, New Jersey.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1797133788947816856/video/1

Poirier landed a strike or two to open the fight, but it was Makhachev who landed a forward combination and went right for the takedown, successfully moving to side mount. The champ had Poirier in danger with a Kimora, but Poirier escaped, giving up his back midway through the round.

In the second, a leg kick from Poirier resulted in nearly a takedown in the first minute. Back on their feet, Poirier kept his distance, but Makhachev was relentless looking for an opening for a takedown. Aware of the takedown threat, Poirier ate shot after shot on his feet. Makhachev shot again midway through the round, pushing him against the cage until Poirier got his back to the center of the Octagon and pushed the champ back to trade shots. Poirier appeared to stun Makhachev slightly, but he found his footing and earned a takedown to end the round.

Makhachev opened the third with a big knee before taking Poirier down yet again. He took the challenger’s back and eventually moved to full mount. Poirier escaped out the back and moved back to his feet, looking much more aggressive on his feet by walking down the champ. With 10 seconds to go, Poirier threw big shots to end the round.

Poirier came out refreshed in the fourth, opening a gash on Makhachev’s forehead with an elbow in the championship rounds. He worked the jab and found openings at the body, eventually stuffing a takedown attempt. Makhachev found his own openings with a nice one-two, then set up a takedown attempt with a big left hand. Poirier posted in the corner, then slid out again with a reversal, landing huge body shots against the cage.

The fifth saw Poirier escape another takedown attempt followed by a big shot. He followed with a big left hand that didn’t faze Makhachev. The champ earned a quick takedown, but Poirier made it back to his feet. Eventually, Makhachev earned another takedown and the submission victory.

Makhachev has steamrolled through the UFC, winning the lightweight championship in 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira and defeating Alexander Volanovski twice heading into Saturday night’s main event.

Poirier’s journey to finish his story came with another twist with his matchup against Makhachev. He held UFC gold once in his career, winning the interim lightweight belt against Max Holloway in 2019 before ultimately falling at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov in their unification bout. Poirier has chased gold since, beating Conor McGregor twice before yet again failing in his shot at gold against Charles Oliveira. With wins against Michael Chandler and Benoit Saint-Denis, Poirier came into Saturday hoping third shot would be his best.

Just when you thought the wave of rap feuds were over, another duo has reentered the fray. Cardi B and BIA’s ongoing beef is sizzling.

After several subliminal online spats, yesterday (May 31) Cardi B took to the booth with a direct jab at BIA via her verse on GloRilla And Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be” remix.

Following the track’s release, it appears BIA subtly responded to the call on. “B*itches is wack,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “B*tches is trash. I should hang b*tches right over my knee, the way I be puttin’ my belt to the ass .”

Days before, it seems that BIA shaded Cardi B over her use of songwriters on her records. “The quality of features I have, shows how much of a fan I am of real writers ,” she wrote.

Read Cardi B’s lines on “Wanna Be” remix directed at BIA below.

“Guess I’m a teacher since you wanna sub me / She did one had no idea / Thought she was on the shelf Ikea / Hope she talk like that when I see her / B*tch please don’t nobody wanna be her (BIA) / Cheap lookin’ ass ho, weak lookin’ ass ho / Great Value me lookin’ ass ho / Girl, these bitches be pussy
Delete every tweet lookin’ ass ho”

Last week, Amber Smith from Warwickshire, England, revealed something about herself that many of her Facebook friends didn’t know:

She suffers from crippling panic attacks.

Smith shared her story by posting two completely different pictures of herself and the powerful imagery has been shared over 7,500 times.

“Top Picture: What I showcase to the world via social media. Dressed up, make-up done, filters galore. The ‘normal’ side to me.”

“Bottom picture: Taken tonight shortly after suffering from a panic attack because of my anxiety. Also, the ‘normal’ side to me that most people don’t see.”

Full post:

God knows why I’m doing this, but people need some home truths..

Top picture: What I showcase to the world via social media. Dressed up, make up done, filters galore. The ‘normal’ side to me.
Bottom picture: Taken tonight shortly after suffering from a panic attack because of my anxiety. Also the ‘normal” side to me that most people don’t see.

I’m so sick of the fact that it’s 2016 and there is still so much stigma around mental health. It disgusts me that so many people are so uneducated and judgmental over the topic. They say that 1 in 3 people will suffer with a mental illness at some point in their life. 1 in 3! Do you know how many people that equates to worldwide?! And yet I’ve been battling with anxiety and depression for years and years and there’s still people that make comments like ‘you’ll get over it’, ‘you don’t need tablets, just be happier’, ‘you’re too young to suffer with that’

F*** YOU. F*** all of you small minded people that think that because I physically look ‘fine’ that I’m not battling a monster inside my head every single day.

Someone actually said this to me one day ‘aren’t you too young to be suffering with anxiety and depression? What do you actually have to be depressed about at your age?” Wow, just wow.

I’m a strong person, I’ve been through my fair share of crap in life (the same as anyone else) and I will be okay. I have the best family and friends around me and I am thankful everyday that they have the patience to help and support me.
To anyone who is going through the same, please do not suffer in silence. There is so much support around – Don’t be scared to ask for help.

This is why I can’t stress enough that it costs nothing to be nice to others. Don’t bully others, don’t put others down and the hardest one of them all (as we have all done it at some point) don’t judge another person. We’re all human regardless of age, race, religion, wealth, job. So build one another up instead of breaking each other down.
Peace & love guys

Smith’s before-and-after photos perfectly symbolize how panic attacks feel, because they often come on without any warning. People suffering from attacks can experience shortness of breath, heart palpitations, trembling, hot and cold flashes or myriad other debilitating symptoms.

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, over four million Americans suffer from panic attacks, and although they are emotionally debilitating, they can be overcome through cognitive/behavioral therapy. According to Thomas A. Richards, Ph. D, “Today, panic attacks and agoraphobia can be treated successfully with a motivated client and a knowledgeable therapist.”

This article originally appeared on 09.26.17

PawsLikeMe might know you better than you know yourself.

Hello from the other siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!! I’m a dog and I love youuuuuuuu!!!

Because PawsLikeMe knows about your dreams.

Your DOG dreams, that is.

How? A dog-human personality quiz!

A sophisticated one, too! From their website:

“The personality assessment is based on 4 core personality traits that influence the human-canine bond; energy, focus, confidence, and independence.”

It also takes into account environmental factors and other special circumstances as well.

It’s not uncommon for dogs that are adopted to be returned because they just aren’t compatible with their owner’s life.

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PawsLikeMe aims to stop dog-owner mismatch by playing dog matchmaker! Its goal is to help people find the right dog for them.

Need a dog that’s friendly with kids but loves learning tricks and is also house-trained? DONE. Have other specific requirements? DONE!

Ya got options.

When you go on the website, you can opt to just answer the four most important questions in a dog owner’s life:

1. What’s your energy level?

2. What kind of parties do you like?

3. What kind of dog personality do you want?

4. What is your personality like?

After those four questions, you can begin searching for a doggie match.

Or you can opt for the full questionnaire (you should) … and basically feel very, VERY understood.

I took the full PawsLikeMe quiz, and when I saw the results I was kindof taken aback:

PawsLikeMe GETS ME!

Then I was the whisked away to dogs who are just ready to love me.

Listen. My apartment in NYC doesn’t allow dogs. But if it did? I’d be 91% ready to adopt Carli. She’s perfect, and I love her. CUE ADELE and her songs of lost opportunities to love!

With all the 80 gajillion personality quizzes out there in the world, this one is hands down THE BEST.

Take it for yourself! You won’t regret it.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

“So just recently I went out on a Match.com date, and it was fantastic,” begins Dr. Danielle Sheypuk in her TEDx Talk.

If you’ve ever been on a bunch of Match.com dates, that opening line might make you do a double take. How does one get so lucky?!

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But don’t get too jealous. Things quickly went downhill two dates later, as most Match.com dates ultimately do. This time, however, the reason may not be something that you’ve ever experienced.

Intrigued? I was too. So here’s the story.

She’s a licensed clinical psychologist, an advocate, and a model — among other things. She’s also been confined to a wheelchair since childhood. And that last fact is what did her recent date in.

On their third date over a romantic Italian dinner, Sheypuk noticed that he was sitting farther away from her than usual. And then, out of nowhere, he began to ask the following questions:

“I’ve been thinking, how are you gonna be a mother? How are you gonna do the duties that’s gonna be required of you? And even as wife — how … I’m not sure how this is gonna work.”

Used to this line of inquiry, she had the perfect quippy reply: “Well that’s simple: I’m just gonna hire someone like every other New Yorker.”

But despite her witty answer, he’d already made up his mind. She never heard from him again.

“I tried to convince myself that this was like any other relationship, but deep down I knew the reality. Who wants to date someone in a wheelchair?”

Dr. Sheypuk knows that that single question is evidence of a really serious problem —not just on the dating scene, but in society in general.

Society has factored out an entire group of potential romantic partners: people with disabilities.

In her words:

“We are completely left out of the dating picture. Society, media included, seems to ignore the fact that we have the same emotional needs and desires as everyone else. Is this injustice born out of the concept of the poster child and his or her duty to induce pity to raise money?

Or maybe it’s a conclusion drawn form mainstream porn where we have actors performing, like, gymnastic stunts with the stamina that none of us have of bucking broncos and jackrabbits.”

Um, yes. So much yes. She continues:

“The silent message: The more in shape your body, the better the sex. The unspoken conclusion: If you have a disability, you are too sick to have sex.

The silent message: The more in shape your body, the better the sex. The unspoken conclusion: If you have a disability, you are too sick to have sex.

“Now let’s look at the continuum in our society where sexual is measured. On the one hand, we have humans that are the ultimate sex appeal object. So on that end, we have Victoria Secret models, Playboy centerfolds, people like that.

On the complete opposite end, we have people with physical disabilities. And it seems like the more we deviate from this ultimate sex icon, the more desexualized we become, the more taboo the topic, and the more damaging the consequences.

Now, for most people there are quick fixes, right? We have Hair Club for Men, Botox, Spanx, butt implants. But for people with disabilities, there are no quick fixes. There is no magic pill.”

“And we are hit hard.”

Watch the rest of Dr. Sheypuk’s talk to hear her important insights about what dating and relationships are like when a person has a disability — and how much of society is limiting itself.

This article originally appeared on 07.22.15

Each year that I teach the book “1984” I turn my classroom into a totalitarian regime under the guise of the “common good.”

I run a simulation in which I become a dictator. I tell my students that in order to battle “Senioritis,” the teachers and admin have adapted an evidence-based strategy, a strategy that has “been implemented in many schools throughout the country and has had immense success.” I hang posters with motivational quotes and falsified statistics, and provide a false narrative for the problem that is “Senioritis.”

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I tell the students that in order to help them succeed, I must implement strict classroom rules. They must raise their hand before doing anything at all, even when asking another student for a pencil. They lose points each time they don’t behave as expected. They gain points by reporting other students. If someone breaks the rule and I don’t see it, it’s the responsibility of the other students to let me know. Those students earn bonus points. I tell students that in order for this plan to work they must “trust the process and not question their teachers.” This becomes a school-wide effort. The other teachers and admin join in.

I’ve done this experiment numerous times, and each year I have similar results. This year, however, was different.

This year, a handful of students did fall in line as always. The majority of students, however, rebelled.

By day two of the simulation, the students were contacting members of administration, writing letters, and creating protest posters. They were organizing against me and against the admin. They were stomping the hallways, refusing to do as they were told.

The president of the Student Government Association, whom I don’t even teach, wrote an email demanding an end to this “program.” He wrote that this program is “simply fascism at its worst. Statements such as these are the base of a dictatorship rule, this school, as well as this country cannot and will not fall prey to these totalitarian behaviors.”

I did everything in my power to fight their rebellion.

I “bribed” the president of the SGA. I “forced” him to publicly “resign.” And, yet, the students did not back down. They fought even harder. They were more vigilant. They became more organized. They found a new leader. They were more than ready to fight. They knew they would win in numbers.

I ended the experiment two days earlier than I had planned because their rebellion was so strong and overwhelming. For the first time since I’ve done this experiment, the students “won.”

What I learned is this: Teenagers will be the ones to save us.

Just like Emma Gonzalez, the teen activist from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, my students did not back down nor conform. They fought for their rights. They won.

Adults can learn a lot from the teens of this generations. Adults are complacent, jaded, and disparaged. Teenagers are ignited, spirited, and take no prisoners. Do not squander their fight. They really are our future. Do not call them entitled. That entitlement is their drive and their passion. Do not get in their way. They will crush you.

Foster their rebellion. They are our best allies.

This story originally appeared on Medium and is reprinted here with permission. It was originally published on 2.21.18.

Amazon delivery drivers don’t have the easiest job in the world. Sitting through traffic, working in extreme temperatures, hauling boxes … not exactly a fun time. So when a driver goes out of their way to be extra considerate—people notice.

One delivery driver has gone viral for the way she delivered a little bit of safety education, along with some lighthearted advice. The TikTok video of the encounter, which now has more than 4 million views, was shared by Jessica Huseman, who had only recently moved into her new house.

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The clip shows the doorbell cam recording of the driver approaching the house. As the delivery driver makes it to the front door, she sings, ”Hello … I hope your Monday’s going well. You have no markers on your house that says what number you are.”

From there, the driver’s song quickly changes tune, going from funny jest to helpful PSA.

“And that is hard to find your house my dude, and it’s unsafe, honestly,” the driver continues, adding, “what if you needed medical assistance and the paramedics didn’t know your town well? Come on.”

@_jesshopehuse We just moved in and this happened today…she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers. #amazondelivery ♬ original sound – Jessica Huseman

“Have a great day!” she says happily before walking off.

Huseman added the caption: “We just moved in and this happened today… she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers.”

The driver’s observation was clearly on point. Several medical pros commented to back her up.

“As someone who works in EMS I can verify house numbers are necessary! BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EASILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET AT NIGHT,” wrote one person.

Another replied, ”yes! Medic here, we’ve had to call dispatch and ask for them to get [the] caller back on the phone and get [the] description of [the] house because there [are] no numbers.”

Besides her information being vital, people were mostly in love with the driver’s friendly attitude. Here are just a few of the compliments:

“Honestly, give them a raise. That’s awesome vibes right there.”

“She’s a whole friken mood, I love her she gives me pink vibes.”

“I need to meet this Amazon driver!!!! I love her!!”

The delivery driver (named Kelsey) eventually saw her viral video and decided to do a follow-up, where she added other unsafe things she’s seen on the job—primarily unclear entrances and exits—along with an additional sweet message:

@queenofconsent #stitch with @_jesshopehuse ♬ original sound – The Queen K

“Crisis management and prevention education is essential and literally a part of my soul. So anytime I do go out and deliver packages … if I see something, I say something. Cause that’s how bystander intervention works. But keeping in mind that it’s more than that. It is about reminding each other that we are enough, and being there for one another.”

Whether it’s packages or something to smile about, Kelsey is a master of delivery.

This article first appeared on 6.15.22.

Most superheroes (and villains) have a close affinity with a furious animal. After a recent run-in with a typically nocturnal mammal, Taylor Momsen’s story could easily be turned into a comic book series.

On May 29, during the band’s opening set for AC/DC’s Power Up Tour in Seville, Spain, The Pretty Reckless frontwoman was bit by a bat. Yesterday (May 31), Momsen took to X (formerly Instagram) to issue a statement after videos of the incident on Estadio La Cartuja’s stage surfaced online.

“Rock and roll moment,” she wrote. “In Sevilla, [on] Wednesday, during ‘Witches Burn’ a bat clung to my leg. In the moment, I was performing and had no idea until the crowd kept screaming and pointing. Yes, he bit me. So, rabies shots for the next two weeks .”

She went on to joke about the nickname medical professional gave her following the encounter. “Thanks to the staff at the hospital,” she wrote. “Who dubbed me #BatGirl after seeing it on the local news.”

Momsen is living the rock star lifestyle on the tour and as a member of the band. But she first gained popularity thanks to her roles in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Gossip Girl. Now, users online are hoping that Taylor Momsen would return to the small screen, even if it was for a comedic skit about the freak accident.

In the United States, June represents national Pride Month. But Troye Sivan decided to kick his personal celebration off a day early.

Yesterday (May 31), the “Angel Baby” singer took to the stage of Primavera Sound Festival 2024. During Troye’s set, he treated attendees to a steamy NSFW performance that would make Madonna blush.

From sexually explicit gestures with the microphone, a sensual make out session with a dancer, and steamy choreography, Troye surely spiked the temperature in Barcelona, Spain.

Fans online praised Troye for his showmanship. “Australia’s not ready for a Troye Sivan show,” wrote on user. “An absolute masterclass of performance, electricity and gay sh*t. Troye Sivan, you are a SUPERSTAR. This is the highlight of primavera sound 2024.”

Thankfully for Troye, Spain has some of the most progressive LGBTQ laws in the world. So, he was allowed to complete his performance without interruption. This wasn’t the case for The 1975.

After their set at Good Vibes Festival 2023, The 1975 were reportedly arrested following frontman Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald’s onstage kiss.

Troye has continued to use his fame to raise awareness to LGBTQ injustices and his music to create displays of queer love, including his album Something To Give Each Other‘s cover and the gender-bending video for “One Of Your Girls.”

So Troye’s onstage actions at Primavera Sound 2024, isn’t anything new for him and his Something To Give Each Other Tour provided that.

Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer Tour is supposedly two hours of unfiltered fun. Unfortunately, fans in the greater-Atlanta area can’t share their thoughts on the show just yet.

Yesterday (May 31), the “Big Ole Freak” rapper was forced to cancel her scheduled concert in the city.

“Unfortunately, we will need to reschedule tonight’s show at State Farm Arena due to the massive water main break that The City of Atlanta is experiencing ,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Upset by the news, ticket holders took to the social media platform to express their frustrations with Atlanta’s elected officials, including Mayor Andre Dickens, for the alleged lack of care placed on the city’s infrastructure.

“@CityofAtlanta, hurry up ,” wrote one user.

“It would be nice if the Mayor’s protocols prioritized new water infrastructure instead of a ‘Cop City,’” chimed another.

“Mayor Dickens will crumble,” penned another.

“The country’s infrastructure is just falling apart cause this kinda thing is happening more and more regionally smh” wrote one user. “I hope my ATL moots are able to get clean water, and it’s not too hot down there.”

“This why Atlanta will always be on my opp city list,” penned another. “They knew she was announcing the album tonight and had to come up with something quick to sabotage her!”

The concert originally scheduled for May 31 has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 2. All refund details were sent out via the point of purchase. However, the show, slated for tonight (June 1) in Atlanta, will go on as previously planned, according to Megan’s latest Instagram post.