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There have been plenty of over-the-top reactions to Donald Trump’s escalating legal woes. There’ve been calls for civil war, or at least, as per Kari Lake, a “fist fight.” Others, like his wife, have simply brushed it off. Others are simply cringe-inducing. Perhaps the biggest face-palm of a reaction to Trump being arrested and booked in Georgia last week, complete with a mugshot, came from the MAGA network One America News, who aired a rap video so embarrassing even staffers are appalled.

The video in question finds notoriously self-owning Trump rapper Forgiato Blow joining forces with OAN star Dan Bell for the song “Real America.” Over an epic two minutes, Blow raps things like, “If questioning the outcome of the election is a crime then give me life!” He does so, of course, while wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with Trump’s mugshot. At one point 83-year-old OAN owner Robert Herring shows up, bearing sunglasses and, for some reason, a flak jacket.

The Daily Beast spoke to some OAN staffers, and they didn’t like it much either. Some of them walked out during filming, which was done last minute, prompting those that stayed to simply roll with it.

But the reviews afterwards from the staff weren’t very fresh. Some of the vitriol was directed at the host that let it happen. “I need to leave OAN ASAP! I am sick and tired of Dan Ball’s antics, and so are so many others,” another OAN anchor told the Beast.

Others, including both current and former staffers, were so appalled by the “bizarre” video they said they were “officially taking OAN off my resume after watching this.”

But at least in terms of metrics, it was a success. In a statement Ball gushed, writing, “We’d like to thank all the American Patriots out there who downloaded the song ‘Real America’! Within the first 24 hours of the songs release we reached #11 on the Top 100 ITunes billboard charts in the Rap/Hip-Hop genre, all thanks to you! God Bless you.”

You can watch the video below, if you dare.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Wow. I never thought about how rare this is before, but many people literally can go their whole lives without experiencing the vastness of space and their own smallness.

It used to be something that everyone saw any evening when they walked out their door.

It used to be that when you looked up at the night sky, you would see deep into the farthest reaches of space and time, but now…

Nope.

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Not anymore. We’re lighting up our cities like never before.

Over 99% of Americans in the continental U.S. live in areas that are considered light polluted.

Most of them have no idea what the night sky is even supposed to look like.

Looking up at the night sky helps us remember how tiny we are. The sight of the Milky Way stretching out into the deep distance has inspired philosophy, science, and poetry for literally all of human history. Until really recently.

Luckily, something as simple as flipping a switch can instantly end light pollution. Even using different kinds of lights can help.

Here’s how Los Angeles decreased its light pollution by switching to LEDs.

Are you scared of total darkness?

This article originally appeared on 02.12.15

When dad and blogger Mike Julianelle compared a photo of himself to a photo from 10 years ago, he noticed a big difference.

Yes, he looked a little older — after all, a decade had gone by. But there was something else: a deep, deep look of utter exhaustion.

Life has a way of asking a lot of us. How we cope and manage the moments at work, our personal goals, the friendships, and our loved ones.

All these daily routines navigated that bring the best and ask the most. But what was that other thing which had changed over those 10 years?

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Julianelle had two kids.

You’ve probably seen all sorts of before and after concepts on your social media feeds. If you missed this one, you’ll see why they all became a “thing.”

See on Instagram

When he posted the side-by-side comparison on Instagram, it was an instant hit. So he invited other parents to share their own “before and afters.”

The results were hilarious and oddly inspiring. They also revealed a bunch of important truths about what happens to you when you become a parent.

Like…

After kids, a blanket becomes your favorite outfit.

See on Instagram

You are frequently at risk of getting accidentally walloped in the nose.

See on Instagram

Your glasses become a favorite toy.

See on Instagram

So does your entire face, actually.

See on Instagram

When your baby decides to take a nap, thou shalt not move.

See on Instagram

Alcohol can go from an indulgence to a necessity.

See on Instagram

Did we mention you’ll be tired? Like really, really tired?

See on Instagram

Most days, doing your best is all you can really do.

See on Instagram

But, at the end of those days, it’ll all be worth it (at least, most of the time).

See on Instagram

The project went viral, with Julianelle receiving hundreds of submissions from other parents via Instagram.

While not everyone has been brave enough to publicly share their no-sleep, just-got-barfed-on selfies with him, Julianelle says the response has been hugely positive.

“I hope people take away a few laughs and a little solidarity,” he writes in an email. “Parenting is awesome but it also sucks and there shouldn’t be any shame in admitting that.”

And as the photos show, he’s absolutely right. Parenting is hard but rewarding work, at its best. It’s also exhausting, frustrating, frightening, and anxiety-inducing.

Julianelle sums it up perfectly in an interview with Huffington Post: “Kids are the worst best thing that’s ever happened to us. If we don’t laugh about the havoc they wreak we’d have to cry instead.”

You can see more hilarious before and afters over on the Got Toddlered Instagram account.

Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, may be a massive star, breaking streaming statistics and Guinness World Records. Unfortunately, his musical success hasn’t yet translated into his budding television career. According to Deadline, HBO has officially canceled his original series The Idol.

A spokesperson for the network released a statement regarding the decisions, saying, “The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response. After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers, have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”

Before the show’s release, rumors surrounding it quickly turned many fans off. The Weeknd spoke out against the criticism and even clapped back at people online who shared negative opinions on the series. But, it was all in vain, as The Idol went on to earn the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes for any HBO series ever.

The Weeknd later opened up about the “bumpy journey” it took to arrive at the show’s finale. The series’ other featured actors, including Blackpink’s Jennie, Troye Sivan, and Lily-Rose Depp, have not yet released any public statements.

If the Pope thinks you’re “backwards,” you’re almost certainly doing something wrong. Granted, Pope Francis is a lot more open-minded than most predecessors. He’s on Instagram and he goes to record stores. He’s also slammed actual fake news — not the Trumpist variety but the nonsense he and his cronies spread. Now, in a new statement, he’s extending his vitriol to American conservative Catholics in general.

As per Associated Press, the Pope effectively picked a side in the ongoing American culture/political war, unloading on the nation’s conservatives while in Lisbon during a private meeting with Portuguese Jesuits. One of them told Francis that he’d recently had a sabbatical in the United States, during which he found many local Catholics criticizing his 10-year reign.

Francis shrugged them off, saying there’s “a very strong, organized, reactionary attitude” among many American Catholics, who he saw as “backward.” He made a distinction between conservative “backwardness” and believing in tradition, as he does, being the Pope.

“Doing this, you lose the true tradition and you turn to ideologies to have support. In other words, ideologies replace faith,” Francis said. “When you go backward, you make something closed off, disconnected from the roots of the church.”
He added, “I want to remind these people that backwardness is useless, and they must understand that there’s a correct evolution in the understanding of questions of faith and morals,”

It’s not the first time Francis has admonished American conservatives. When asked about rightwing attacks on his papacy, he’s said it’s an “honor” to be attacked by them.

(Via AP)

When Doja Cat returned from her brief musical hiatus with a new single, “Attention,” few could have expected the wave of controversies that would soon follow. For weeks, the public has criticized Doja for her rumored relationship with J Cyrus, her latest body art, and more. But even after losing over $250,000 followers on Instagram, she has no regrets. In fact, she recently revealed that she finally feels free to be her true self.

Despite this, Doja’s remaining fans’ concerns have continued to grow. Her newly announced single and her reported new tattoo aren’t helping to ease any of their anxiety. Following her previously shared track, “Paint The Town Red,” Doja is reportedly gearing up to drop her next single, titled “Demons,” soon. In the cover art for the song, Doja appears to be sporting black body paint from head to toe as she walks a ceiling.

After Doja shared images of her anatomical bat tattoo, fans called the piece demonic. Doja quickly clapped back with a history lesson before replying, “Your fear is not my problem.” To troll people who continued to criticize her, in her video for “Paint The Town Red,” she appeared side-by-side with the grim reaper. A screenshot captured by Saycheese showed another new tattoo, this one of a scythe behind her ear.

Fans immediately chimed in after the images were shared by the outlet. One wrote, “She needs to stop at this point.”

Another said, “She’s not even looking healthy, and she’s continuously making herself look more scarier.”

“Someone should check on her,” added another.

Doja Cat hasn’t spoken about her latest body modification, but with The Scarlet Tour starring her set to start soon, don’t be surprised if her extensive collection grows further.

Remember your senior yearbook quote?

I remember mine. Like you (probably), I spent weeks wracking my very teenage brain about something special and clever to put down.

And then I had it: My school’s quote had to do with what students’ future plans were and, thinking myself particularly smart and charming, I’d written, “Mark plans to outwit cartoon animals.” Not that great, right?

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But it got even worse. Because my handwriting was so bad, the person in charge couldn’t read what the heck I’d written. And so I spent the next two weeks trying to explain to anyone who’d listen that “Mark plans to go out with cartoon animals” was an embarrassing typo that did not at all speak to my social interests.

Sometimes yearbook moments don’t turn out right. But one student recently got her clever quote completely perfect. She nailed it.

I hesitate to use the word “internet icon” more than once or twice a month — they come and go so fast! — but if anyone deserves the title, it’s Krysta Montoya, an 18-year-old from New Mexico who went all in on her quote. I promise you, it is very good.

If you’re not familiar with “Grey’s Anatomy,” it’s that show about the hospital you probably shouldn’t go to because everyone’s too busy fighting and staring at each other sexily to actually save lives. (Sorry, but it’s true.)

And because it’s so rife with drama, this heavily coded message could be about any number of truly fantastic events that have happened in the show’s many seasons.

Does it refer to the time that Christina Ricci unexpectedly showed up as a guest star? Or the time there was a ghost haunting the hospital? Or the time — OK, I might be remembering this incorrectly — someone actually stole a heart so she could keep the man she loved alive?

This quote is about so much more than that. And it’s actually a beautiful message of self-love and acceptance.

No, you don’t need to go through the entire series for the answer (could be fun, though). After people started asking, Montoya revealed on Twitter what the line actually meant.

And here’s what I mean about it being iconic: It’s meaningful, but it’s also sassy AF, which is what the kids are saying these days, I think.

u201cJust because everyone keeps asking me what my quote is. Here ya go.u201d

— Krysta Annud83eudee0 (@Krysta Annud83eudee0)
1525116026

The scene is one in which character Erica Hahn realizes she’s a lesbian. But Montoya wasn’t using the quote to come out — or, as “Queer Eye” culture expert Karamo Brown would say, “let people in.” Montoya, who often posts tweets of herself and her girlfriend, has been open about her sexuality since her freshman year.

But an opportunity to reaffirm herself using her favorite show? She wasn’t going to let that pass by.

“I chose this as my quote because I feel some people do not accept who I am. I just wanted to basically make a bold statement,” she told Business Insider. “I’ve lost some friends over my sexuality, but my family has always supported me.”

The response to the quote has been overwhelming. And Montoya’s using the opportunity to spread the word about living your best life.

Overall, Montoya is surprised by the reaction she’s gotten. She says that she chose to code her message so school officials wouldn’t cut it from the yearbook, but she didn’t really expect anyone else to care. “A lot of friends I don’t talk to came out and told me how cool and awesome it was!” Montoya tells Upworthy.

As for her peers who may not be so accepting? Montoya isn’t bothered. Though she told BuzzFeed that her statement was bold in that it threw subtle shade at those who have never accepted her sexuality — some, she’d said, told her she’d be dating a guy by senior year — she believes that one can’t live and die by the acceptance of others.

“I don’t really need anyone’s acceptance, just my family’s,” she says. “I’m happy with who I am. If my peers don’t believe so, that’s their choice.”

And she’s got a message for others who might be struggling with their own identities or figuring out how to be themselves: “Live your life, be happy,” she says. “You are not living in this world to make anyone else happy but yourself. You deserve to be you, and you deserve to be the happy version of you.”

Man, that would make a great senior quote, too.

This article originally appeared on 05.03.18

Monday marks three years since Chadwick Boseman’s unexpected passing. The beloved actor was only 43, with what seemed like a long and bright future ahead of him, when he died of colon cancer, which he had kept secret from all but those closest to him. One of the many esteemed thespians he worked with was Lupita Nyong’o, who used the third anniversary of his death to pay him moving tribute.

In the post, the Oscar-winning actress reflected on the “singular pain” she experienced upon learning of Boseman’s passing. The confusion was so profound that it took months to trust the feeling of joy again,” she wrote.

The post contained a photo of Boseman that Nyong’o had taken after they arrived in South Korea, back in 2018. “We had just learned to do the baby heart with our fingers,” she recalled, noting that in Boseman’s version of it, as seen in the picture, he’d added his “suave flare.”

“Death is hard to understand, maybe even harder to accept. But the love generated from the life he lived will fuel every anniversary marking his absence,” Nyong’o wrote. “Chadwick may no longer be in our photos, but he will always be in our hearts.”

Nyong’o and Boseman only got to act together that once, in the first Black Panther. She returned as Nakia, warrior and T’Challa’s ex-lover, in the sequel, which was in part an epic tribute to the series’ gone-too-soon star.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Imagine what it must be like to be hated by your favorite artists. If you’re a member of today’s Republican party, you don’t have to imagine. Ted Cruz is famously despised by Cary Elwes, the star of his favorite movie, The Princess Bride. Musicians are constantly telling Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his rallies. Now a first-time GOP candidate joined their ranks.

As per The Daily Mail, Eminem has asked copyright licenser BMI to send a cease and desist to Vivek Ramaswamy, the businessman and pharma bro who’s joined the dozen or so Republicans trying to wrestle the party away from Donald Trump (or at least get a cushy job in his potential second administration).

In a letter to Ramaswamy’s team dated Aug. 23, a BMI representative says they “eceived communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions (the ‘Eminem Works’) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”

The letter added that “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.”

Ramaswamy doesn’t play Eminem’s music at his campaign rallies; he raps them. Earlier this month he was caught butchering “Lose Yourself” in front of a crowd who probably counts few rap fans to begin with.

There’s an upside to this: If Ramaswamy is getting shade from an artist he loves, that means he’s officially made it in the GOP. Congrats? On the other hand, it means “My Name Is” will never sound the same to him again.

(Via The Daily Mail)

Imagine what it must be like to be hated by your favorite artists. If you’re a member of today’s Republican party, you don’t have to imagine. Ted Cruz is famously despised by Cary Elwes, the star of his favorite movie, The Princess Bride. Musicians are constantly telling Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his rallies. Now a first-time GOP candidate joined their ranks.

As per The Daily Mail, Eminem has asked copyright licenser BMI to send a cease and desist to Vivek Ramaswamy, the businessman and pharma bro who’s joined the dozen or so Republicans trying to wrestle the party away from Donald Trump (or at least get a cushy job in his potential second administration).

In a letter to Ramaswamy’s team dated Aug. 23, a BMI representative says they “eceived communications from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions (the ‘Eminem Works’) and requesting that BMI remove all Eminem Works from the Agreement.”

The letter added that “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.”

Ramaswamy doesn’t play Eminem’s music at his campaign rallies; he raps them. Earlier this month he was caught butchering “Lose Yourself” in front of a crowd who probably counts few rap fans to begin with.

There’s an upside to this: If Ramaswamy is getting shade from an artist he loves, that means he’s officially made it in the GOP. Congrats? On the other hand, it means “My Name Is” will never sound the same to him again.

(Via The Daily Mail)