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No matter what you call it, Gag City of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour, Nicki Minaj is ready for global domination. The 37-date run, which includes headlining appearances at Rolling Loud California and Dreamville Festival 2024, will kick off on March 1 in Oakland, California. Now that the exclusive presale has begun with the general sale starting soon, fans of the “Fallin 4 U” rapper have questions. Near the top of the list is, will Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour have a meet and greet option?

As of today (December 12), a meet-and-greet option hasn’t been announced. However, there is a considerable demand for it. Conversely, due to the COVID epidemic, most artists have done away with face-to-face exchanges with fans as an add-on option.

However, the VIP packages are stuffed with other goodies to potentially make up for the absence of a meet-and-greet option. VIP ticket holders can access the Call of Duty gaming station, Pink Friday press-on-nail station, photo backdrop moments, exclusive merch, tour poster, and official VIP laminate.

View the tour schedule for the Pink Friday 2 World Tour below.

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour dates

03/01/2024 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/03/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/08/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/10/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/13/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/15/2024 — Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California*
03/18/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
03/20/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/22/2024 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
03/26/2024 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
03/28/2024 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/29/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/30/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
04/01/2024 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
04/02/2024 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
04/04/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/05/2024 — Hartford, CT @ XL Center
04/07/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival*
04/10/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
04/12/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
04/13/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
04/17/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/20/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/24/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/27/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/02/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
05/09/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/12/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/25/2024 — Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
05/26/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
05/28/2024 — London, UK @ The O2
06/01/2024 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
06/02/2024 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
06/05/2024 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/07/2024 — Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena

George Yionoulis is pretty much your typical 9-year-old.

The fourth-grader from Raleigh, North Carolina, loves “Harry Potter,” making art, and eating tacos.

Oh, and he loooooooves dancing. The kid has some serious moves.

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While it’s pretty easy to understand why George loves tacos (who doesn’t?), there are some things George does that aren’t quite as easy for people to understand. That’s because when was 2 years old, his parents discovered has an autism spectrum disorder.

George’s autism makes it harder for his classmates at Douglas Elementary School to relate to him. So he used a class project to help them understand him a little better.

George wrote, narrated, edited, and produced a video called “My Autism” and even created an original score to accompany the six-minute clip.

“Hi, everybody. My name is George,” George begins his voiceover as text reading “GEORGE … and AUTISM” flashes across the screen before cutting to footage of George dancing.

“Let me tell you a little about myself,” he continues. “I have fun dancing, I have fun making music, I love to draw and make art, and … wait for it … I have this thing called autism.”

In the video, George shares some of his unique quirks — things he knows his classmates have noticed about him but maybe haven’t had the courage to ask about.

Like the fact that he has trouble making eye contact with people when they speak to him, though he says he’s gotten better about it. “I might not have been looking, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t listening,” he explains.

“Speaking of listening,” he continues. “I can hear and see a lot of things and sounds all at the same time, which sometimes makes it hard to focus on any one sound or thought. That’s why it might take a little more time to answer you when you ask a question.”

He also has trouble with metaphors and figures of speech, which is common for kids with autism, and advises his classmates to be as literal and clear with him as possible.

“If you say ‘take a seat,’ you might find one less chair in your classroom,” he jokes.

George also opens up about some of the challenges he faces and hopes the video will help his friends understand why he sometimes gets angry, cries, or yells.“

I sometimes get frustrated when I get interrupted or when something doesn’t go as planned,” he admits. “Or when something unexpected happens. Or when I make a mistake.”

In a courageous peek behind the curtain, George even includes video of himself — at a much younger age — throwing a tantrum at a book reading as well as audio of himself stumbling with his words while recording the narration for the video and becoming audibly frustrated. “But I messed up!” he cries.

“(Some of those) are just kid things to get frustrated about, and I’m a kid just like you,” he says. “All us kids are different in our own ways, right?”

At the end, George asks his classmates to come talk to him, ask him questions, or invite him to play — even if it seems like he might not want to.

“I like having fun, just like you. So if you ever see me playing by myself, it doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t want to play with you, too,” he tells them. “I always want to play with you.”

His heartwarming honesty and larger-than-life on-screen personality are so compelling, it’s no wonder the video has gone viral. Shortly after the video went up on YouTube and Facebook, it racked up tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments.

Initially, it was only meant for George’s 21 elementary school classmates.

“The feedback we’re getting is, ‘I showed this to my 6-year-old who has autism, I showed this to my 12-year-old who has autism,’ and they’re going, ‘Me too, and we could be friends!'” his mother, Lisa Jolley told Raleigh-Durham’s WTVD/ABC11.

In a world where people with autism aren’t often given the chance to speak for themselves, it’s both really cool and really significant that George has taken control of his own life story and experience and is sharing them in his own words. At only 9 years old, he’s already making huge strides in helping the world better understand a condition that affects about 1 in 68 kids in the United States.

Watch the full video below, and you’ll probably learn something new yourself.

At the very least, you’re bound to fall in love with this charming and courageous kid.

George’s journey with autism at 9 years old. This is the video he shared with his fourth grade class to help them understand why he behaves the way he does…

In every relationship we’ll ever have, there’s going to be a final conversation. Before the digital age, these interactions were usually face-to-face or over the telephone and could only be recorded in our memories. But now, just about every relationship leaves a paper trail of text messages, social media interactions, and voice messages. Sometimes the final communication is a heated breakup, and other times, it’s a casual interaction shortly before a person’s death.

Now, there’s a blog that collects these haunting final messages. The Last Message Received contains submissions of the last messages people received from ex-friends or ex-significant others as well as from deceased friends and relatives. Here are some of the blog’s most haunting posts.

“My good friend’s dad died around Thanksgiving. Two weeks later he drank himself to death.”

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“This is the last text I got from my mom before she died of Stage IV brain cancer at the age of 53. It left her completely paralyzed on the left side of her body, hence the typos in the texts. What she was saying was, ‘You’re missing music therapy.’ Almost as good as Good Friday church giggles.’ A few years prior to this, we went to the Good Friday service at our church. The choir was absolutely horrendous and couldn’t sing whatsoever. She and I sat there, in the most serious, somber church service of all, laughing hysterically, unable to stop for the life of us. She sent me this text while she was in hospice and I was at school.”

“This happened a few months back. He was my best friend and my boyfriend of 7 years. He stuck with me when I fell pregnant at 16 after I was raped. He became an actual dad to my son. He was my everything. A few months before this message, things started to change, we drifted apart and he was telling my 5 year old son to lie to me about his whereabouts. One night he beat me, I ended up in hospital for a few days. He begged for forgiveness, I stayed. It happened again a few days later, he was at work when I text him. I took my son and left. This is the last text I received from him. I heard last week that he’s just been sent to prison for crimes involving violence and drugs. I hope he gets the help he needs.”

“My dad died 6 weeks later flying the plane in this picture.”

“The last text he sent me. The next day I got a call from his daughter that he was still very much with his wife and I wasn’t the only one he was cheating on her with.”

“She had sent me a message earlier asking me not to contact her anymore. I woke up to one last message. We’d dated for 3.5 years and when I came out as trans, the relationship fell apart. I still think about and miss her every day.”

“I sent this to my grandpa on thanksgiving. Two days later he unexpectedly had a heart attack and passed. He was my favorite person in the world and nothing has been the same since. I refuse to delete this message.”

“I would have fallen in love with her if distance and timing hadn’t gotten in the way. I’m ignoring her because I need to let her move on.”

This article originally appeared on 05.25.19

Sabrina Benaim’s “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is pretty powerful on its own.

But, in it, her mother exhibits some of the most common misconceptions about depression, and I’d like to point out three of them here.

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Misconception #1: Depression is triggered by a single event or series of traumatic events.

Most people think depression is triggered by a traumatic event: a loved one dying, a job loss, a national tragedy, some THING. The truth is that depression sometimes just appears out of nowhere. So when you think that a friend or loved one is just in an extended bad mood, reconsider. They could be suffering from depression.

Misconception #2: People with depression are only sad.

Most people who have never experienced depression think depression is just an overwhelming sadness. In reality, depression is a complex set of feelings and physical changes in the body. People who suffer from depression are sad, yes, but they can also be anxious, worried, apathetic, and tense, among other things.

Misconception #3: You can snap out of it.

The thing with depression is that it’s a medical condition that affects your brain chemistry. It has to do with environmental or biological factors first and foremost. Sabrina’s mother seems to think that if her daughter would only go through the motions of being happy that then she would become happy. But that’s not the case. Depression is a biological illness that leaks into your state of being.

Think of it this way: If you had a cold, could you just “snap out of it”?

No? Exactly.

These are only three of the misconceptions about depression. If you know somebody suffering from depression, you should take a look at this video here below to learn the best way to talk to them:

This article originally appeared on 11.24.15

If you just got married, chances are lots of people think they know what your life is like.

These people are totally well-meaning! And also, mostly wrong.

Being married isn’t exactly like it used to be. Which is great, as there are so many different, amazing ways to be newlyweds than ever before. But it’s also occasionally frustrating, as we newlyweds are frequently forced to dispel a lot of myths about our relationships.

So let’s get them out of the way in one fell swoop.

Here are the most common (but mistaken) assumptions strangers make when you’re a newlywed couple, and what our lives are really like.

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Assumption #1: We went on our honeymoon already, and we left right after the wedding.

Reality: In our dreams, we definitely did — and we had a great time!

In real life, however, most of us can’t just take a week (or more) off work at will. The office is hella busy, and on top of that, we live in the only wealthy country in the world that doesn’t mandate any paid vacation. Many of us were barely able to get the day of our actual wedding off (ultimately, we compromised with our manager and took a half-day).

We’re planning to get to it … eventually. But it might be a while. We promise we’ll send pictures!

Assumption #2: We’re going to have babies ASAP.

Reality: We love being married! But, you know, we actually haven’t decided? About babies? We’re just enjoying being married right now. But we’ll let you know when it happens. We promise.

Assumption #3: We’re going to move out of “the city” one day.

Reality: It makes sense to assume that, like so many newly married couples in generations past, we’re already planning our escape from our local metropolis to a less population-dense area TBD. But many of us who live in the city really, really like it! The city is great. There are good schools here. We can get nachos delivered at 3 a.m.! From either the good nacho place or the OK-but-cheap nacho place.

Sure, some of us are planning to one day move to the ‘burbs for more space (and many already are), but many of us aren’t. And still others of us who already live in the suburbs are making the suburbs more like the city.

Having a yard is really nice, but so is not having car insurance payments.

Assumption #4: We feel superior to our second-cousin Frieda whose boyfriend of 19 years still hasn’t proposed.

Reality: Even though we’re feeling pretty good about being married, Frieda and Richard are adults and get to make their own decisions — no matter what Aunt Cindy thinks. Maybe they have financial reasons. Maybe they decided a long time ago they don’t want to be married. Maybe they believe marriage is an oppressive, archaic, patriarchal institution that they don’t want to participate in, and also they’re vegan now.

In any case, leave Frieda and Richard alone.

Assumption #5: We’re going to have babies soonish.

Reality: So, yeah. Like I said. Really haven’t decided about babies. Keeping our options open. But probably not soon? You know?

Assumption #6: One of us changed our last name.

Reality: There’s totally nothing wrong with couples who decide that one partner will take the other’s last name, of course. But not all of us do. At least 1 in every 5 women decide to keep their maiden names, according to a New York Times survey. And if you haven’t taken your partner’s last name, it’s kind of frustrating to constantly hear yourself referred to as Mr./Mrs. Someone Else (for opposite-gender couples, this pretty much applies exclusively to women).

If you’re not sure what last name to use, just ask! We’ll tell you what the deal is.

Assumption #7: We’re having Guinness Book of World Records amounts of sex.

Reality: For those of us who waited to have sex until marriage — which is, of course, totally cool — you might need a supercomputer to tabulate. But lots of us have been together for a long time already and may even have been living together already, so we’re probably having whatever amount of sex is normal for us. It’s just a regular part of our lives that throwing a wedding doesn’t really have a magical impact on.

After many years in a relationship, most of us take “Netflix and chill” quite literally. And seriously.

Assumption #8: We’ve finished all our thank-you notes.

Reality: Never. We’ll be writing these until the end of time.

Assumption #9: Hanging out with one of us means hanging out with both of us.

Reality: We’re still different people. Each of us is a self-sufficient being with free will. And we’re probably totally down to hang out with you, even if our spouse isn’t available.

Except you, Greg. We’re totally avoiding you.

Assumption #10: We’re going to have babies ever.

Reality: So um, like I said, there’s actually a chance we might never have babies? We might decide we don’t want them after all. We might find out we can’t — in which case, these questions might become extremely invasive and painful. We might adopt a child … who’s not a baby. We haven’t figured it out yet.

At the end of the day, It’s kinda up to us, you know?

Assumption #11: We never use the garlic press you got us.

Reality: We use it all the time! Thank you so much!

Assumption #12: One of us is going to stay home and take care of the house from here on in.

Reality: Some of us might want to be a housewife or husband. Others of us shudder at the thought of giving up our careers, or urging our spouse to give up theirs. Still others of us might want to, but might not be able to forfeit the second income. There’s really no right — or standard — way to do it anymore.

Assumption #13: We both have all the same likes, dislikes, preferences, outlooks, and opinions now.

Reality: My wife will never convince me to like jazz. And I will probably never convince her to like “Captain Phillips” fan fiction. And you know what? We’re OK with that.

For the things that matter, we’re committed to presenting a united front. But we’re still individuals with different thoughts, feelings, and opinions about what Tom Hanks was up to two weeks before the Somali pirates attacked, ’cause honestly, that’s where the real drama of the story probably is.

Assumption #14: We wear wedding rings.

Reality: Some of us like wearing a physical symbol of our connection and duty to our spouse. Some of us don’t as much. So we don’t wear them. But don’t worry! We’re still extreme double married 5000.

Assumption #15: Making us a pink cake that says “baby” on it is going to change our mind about babies.

Reality: It won’t. But we will definitely eat that cake.

Assumption #16: Our lives are a lot different now.

Reality: Beginning roughly seven seconds after we say, “I do,” lots and lots and lots of well-intentioned people ask: “How does it feel?!” seemingly expecting to hear: “So much has changed! We got matching ponies! Being married really is a whole new world!” It feels like we’re disappointing them when we answer, “Pretty much the way we did the day before the wedding.” Which is silly, since there’s no shame in that.

For some couples, life is a lot different after marriage, and that’s great. But if stuff is kinda sorta the same, that’s OK too! Life was great before. That’s why we decided to get married.

Assumption #17: If we’re not going to lay out a precise plan for having babies, at least we’ll probably get a pet.

Reality: OK. This one is true.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

There are some people who live under the illusion that everything they say is deeply interesting and have no problem wasting your time by rambling on and on without a sign of stopping. They’re the relative, neighbor or co-worker who can’t take a hint that the conversation is over.

Of all these people, the co-worker who can’t stop talking may be the most challenging because you see them every day in a professional setting that requires politeness.

There are many reasons that some people talk excessively. Therapist F. Diane Barth writes in Psychology Today that some people talk excessively because they don’t have the ability to process complex auditory signals, so they ramble on without recognizing the subtle cues others are sending.

It may also be a case of someone who thinks they’re the most interesting person in the conversation.

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For others, it’s a symptom of a disorder. Michelle C. Brooten-Brooks, a licensed marriage and family therapist, writes that excessive talking can also be a symptom of, among other things, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or anxiety.

“Anxiety can cause someone to speak excessively,” Brooten-Brooks writes at Very Well Health. “While many with social anxiety may avoid social interactions, some may inadvertently talk excessively when in social situations out of nervousness and anxiety.”

So what do we do when we’re stuck in a situation where someone just keeps talking? A Reddit user by the name of Spritti33 asked for some advice about how to “politely end a conversation with a person who won’t stop talking” and received some very practical and funny responses from members of the online forum.

A lot of folks pointed out that it’s not impolite to walk away from a person who is incessantly talking because they are being rude by disrespecting your time. Others shared how, in some cultures, there are ways of shutting down a conversation while allowing both parties to save face.

Here are 19 of the best responses to Spritti33’s question, “How does someone politely end a conversation with a person who won’t stop talking?”

1. 

“In Flanders we have a word for it, ‘bon,’ and then you say something ‘I have work to do,’ ‘It’s time to go home,’ ‘It’s time to get drinks.’ And people realize the other person wants to leave without being mean,” — ISuckAtRacingGames

2. 

“In Ireland we do like a little clap/slap our thigh/clap the person’s shoulder and say ‘Right! Shur look, I’ll let you go…’ as if we’re being polite and letting the other person off the hook, but actually, it’s like get me the fuck out of here haha!” —funky_mugs

3.

“If they keep talking over polite cues, I have found there really isn’t a polite way to exit the conversation,” — Binder_Grinder

4. 

“This is so true. People that do this don’t care whether you’re into the conversation or not, they’re talking simply because they want to. I’ve gotten better at just interjecting (even mid-sentence if I’ve already tried everything else) with, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go. (start walking away at this point) It was nice talking to you.’ Don’t give any excuses or reasons for leaving, just do it otherwise they’ll try to talk about your reasons.” — PSSaalamader

5. 

“As a teacher, I have learned how to interrupt people who do not leave any pauses when they’re speaking: start nodding and verbally agreeing with them, ‘Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh…’ You can’t interrupt these people, but you can start agreeing while they speak, then raise your voice and say, ‘Yeah, wow, excuse me but I must go,'” — Janicegirlbomb2

6. 

“Remember that it is them who is being impolite by talking incessantly about things of no interest to their audience,” — Orp4mmws99

7. 

“Source: am a therapist. What you do is recap their last story and in the same breath add a goodbye.

I.e. ‘Sounds like you guys found a bunch of great deals at the mall, that’s awesome! Thanks for meeting with me, you’ll have to tell me more next time we run into each other. It was great to catch up!'” — pikcles-for-fingers

8. 

“Just start coughing these days it’ll clear a whole room in seconds,” — Sinisterpigeon

9. 

“People who are like this expect folks to just walk away from them while they are talking because that’s the only way the conversation ends. It’s not rude to them, it’s normal. So, it’s entirely okay to say, ‘all right this has been great, see you later,’ and then just walk away smiling,” — Underlord_Fox

10. 

“If you can practice this, start to train one of your eyeballs to slowly drift off whilst the other eye remains locked on theirs. That should do the trick,” — The-Zesty-Man

11. 

“At 62, I just walk away. My bullshit filter has disappeared,” — Negative_Increase

12. 

“You gotta realize that everyone else they talk to just walks away. They’re used to that. They think a conversation is you just talk at someone til they walk away. It’s not weird to them,” — DelsmagicFishies

13. 

“I don’t know why some people are so afraid of this. It is not rude. You don’t need to lie. ‘We can speak more other time. Goodbye,’ is fine,” — Kooky-Housing3049

14. 

“On a more serious note, I typically do an ‘oh shit’ type of face like I’ve just remembered I had something important scheduled. I say ‘Sorry, what time is it? check the time Ah crap, I hate to cut you off but if I don’t head out now I’m going to be late for ____.’ Then I scurry away like I’m really in a rush. If you’re in a situation where you can’t straight up leave, I swap ‘gotta head out’ for ‘I told someone I’d call them at [time] and they’re waiting on my call’ and then make a fake phone call,” — teethfairie

15. 

“‘Wow, you have a lot of opinions about this subject…’ and then never stop angling the conversation back to how weird it is that they’re still talking,” — Ordsmed

16. 

“Had a friend who would put his hand gently on your shoulder and kindly say, ‘I love you , but I just don’t care, good (night/day),'” — Think-Passage-5522

17. 

“While not exactly polite, my Aunt Sophie had a great way of ending a conversation. When the monologue got too much she would nod her head like she was listening and then at the slightest pause she would go, ‘The end.’ And walk away.

She mostly did it with kids who didn’t realize they were yabbering on about Thundercats too long. (It was me, I was yabbering on about Thundercats too long.)” — theslackjaw727

18. 

​”Change your stance, instead of facing them head on turn 90° your body language will end the conversation quickly without being rude,” — Zedd2087

19. 

“Where possible, I’ve always found it best to tell these people up front that you have somewhere to be 15, 30, 45, etc minutes from now. If that’s not realistic, I’ve found that if you can usually find a gap to say you need to run if you focus on doing only this for 3-5 minutes,” — Pretend_Airline2811

This article originally appeared on 06.22.22

It seems like so many iterations of unfettered joy from our childhood haven’t made it to the modern age, and playgrounds are no exception.

Gone are the days of metal slides that scorched the derriere in the summertime, seesaws that doubled as human catapults and the notorious merry-go-rounds that separated the weak from the strong. Good old fashioned character building—safety be damned!

As it turns out, a few of these old relics are still standing. And footage of kids playing at one of these bygone parks is filling adults—particularly Gen Xers—with sweet nostalgia.

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Dubbing it the “Last Gen X Playground” by Ronda Schofield filmed a video of the local haunt in all its rusted glory.

As the iconic 80s song “Maniac” plays in the background, we first see some kiddos swinging on a very odd contraption that sports a generic clown face.

Then the camera pans out to reveal a metal slide weighted down by a concrete cinder block (classic), dilapidated rocking horse swings, and a spinning seesaw that’s certainly seen better days.

But you know what? The kids today seem to like it just fine.

@over40_slbmom Last GenX Playground!❤️ #genx #genxtiktokers #over50 #bestgenerationever #genxkid ♬ Maniac (Flashdance Version) (Re-Recorded / Remastered) – Michael Sembello

While plenty of these staples have been replaced by safer alternatives, viewers on TikTok couldn’t help but reminisce about their childhood favorites.

“The lunch ladies at my elementary school would give us waxed paper so we would slide faster down the slide,” one person recalled.

The horse swings were my favorite,” add another. “Impossible when you get bigger, no knee room!”

One even quipped “Metal slides on a hot summer day… getting blinded and burnt at the same time.” Ah yes, a simpler time.

As people shared their recess war stories, it became all the more clear why many of these fixtures are no longer around.

“Broke my leg on the spinning thing and got stitches in my chin from the teeter totter,” one person joked.

Still, folks definitely felt their childhood come alive again after Schofield’s clip. Many felt it should be restored and kept a historic landmark of sorts.

The pre-internet days might have been a little rough around the edges, but there was an undeniable rugged charm about it all. In many ways, it was easier for kids to just be kids, allowing for social interaction, reckless abandon and learning that a few knee scrapes doesn’t signal the end of the world.

Those days might be behind us—and probably for the better, ultimately—but it’s still nice to hop back in from time to time.

Now, where’s the vintage mall with cheesy glamor shots, vinyl shops, video game arcades and RadioShacks?

This article originally appeared on 9.21.23

The music of Queen has a profound visceral effect on everyone. Few pieces of art can cause complete strangers to put aside their differences and come together in song, but by golly, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of them. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so absolutely beautiful.

This pertains even to non-English-speaking countries, it appears. Recently, thousands of Harry Styles concertgoers in Warsaw, Poland, began cheering as those iconic beginning piano notes penetrated the air.

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It wasn’t long before the entire stadium was singing along to that beloved tune and acing every single lyric. As one person commented on YouTube, even though most people in Warsaw don’t speak English, “they sing Queen.”

The passionate impromptu performance serves as a reminder of how special both Queen and the late Freddie Mercury remain today.

“No other band will ever come close to Queen. They were lightning in a bottle and Freddie was a whale in a teardrop. Once people keep singing his words, FM will live on forever,” another YouTube viewer wrote.

Indeed, seeing an entire stadium come alive with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you can’t help but feel Mercury’s soul return to the mortal plane, as if we’ve all been transported back to that historic Live Aid concert in 1985 when he had the entirety of Wembley Stadium wrapped around his finger for 21 glorious minutes.

Watch below, and try not to sing along. Scratch that—sing your heart out.

This article originally appeared on 7.14.23

As the great Peanuts creator Charles Schultz once wrote, “In life, it’s not where you go. It’s who you go there with.” To the seasoned traveler, nothing is more true.

A vacation where everything goes wrong can be a joy when you go through the coaches with the right people and trips that were supposed to be spectacular can be ruined by the wrong company.

To further complicate things, even though someone may be your best friend or favorite family member, they may not be the best person to take on vacation. The best folks to travel with are flexible, full of energy and enjoy the same types of adventures you do. They’re also patient during the unexpected and always ready to share a laugh, no matter what complications you face.

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In a viral post with over 1.8 million views, TikToker Ben Keenan further explored this topic by calling out the types of people that you should “absolutely not go on a trip with.” Keenan is a travel influencer with over 135,000 followers on TikTik and the blogger behind the “I’ve Been Traveling” Substack.

Here’s his list of people you want to avoid taking on your next vacation.

My opinions on this are extensive #traveltiktok #travelinspo

@ivebentraveling

My opinions on this are extensive #traveltiktok #travelinspo

1. People who require bed rest

“People that need to recharge their battery in the middle of the day and force you to go back to the hotel or Airbnb to do that,” Keenan said. I’m sorry you’re telling me you can’t not speak to me in a park or at a café, or with a glass of wine somewhere outdoors? You have to be in your bed?”

2. People who sleep in

“Unless you have been up until 4 in the morning, there is absolutely zero reason that you need to be sleeping in until 10:30 or 11 every single day. I can absolutely promise you I did not pay for this trip to New York for you to lay in bed,” Kennan said.

3. Picky eaters

Keenan has a real problem with those who want to eat at the place where they are staying instead of going out. “Having food on hand is fine, but the people who actually want to go to the store and pick up, like, pasta supplies and then go back to your Airbnb and cook at home instead of going and trying local restaurants,” he said. “That’s an immediate no for me, dog.”

​4. People who are unclear about the budget

“If you know you cannot spend more than $100 a day, let me know that upfront,” Keenan said. “I don’t mind reducing what I’m spending or I don’t mind increasing what I’m spending if I’m capable of doing that and keeping up with your idea of this vacation. But don’t surprise me with a budget that is really high or a budget that’s really low once we’re there and I spent months planning everything that I want.”

He finished the video by adding that people with specific names are better depending on where you travel.

“If you’re going international, anyone named Rachel. If you’re staying domestic, anyone by the name of Brad or, Chad, or Thad,” Kennan said.

Getting teens to stop smoking seems to be an unending battle for parents. Just as the allure of cigarettes began to fade away after the year 2000 or so, e-cigs took on the “cool status” among Gen Zers—especially when they got a candy coated makeover and became hyped up by celebrities and influencers.

Now, vaping is as prevalent as ever among younger generations, despite overwhelming evidence showing the health risks and environmental damage, not to mention government crackdowns. But while none of these factors have convinced teens to kick the habit, social justice might actually do the trick.

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Now, vaping is as prevalent as ever among younger generations, despite overwhelming evidence showing the health risks and environmental damage, not to mention government crackdowns. But while none of these factors have convinced teens to kick the habit, social justice might actually do the trick.

Currently there’s an online movement happening on TikTok where Gen Zers are encouraging each other to stop vaping in order to help support people in the Democratic Republic of Congo—where cobalt is mined to produce lithium-ion batteries which power a large portion of the world’s electronics…including major single use vape brands like Juul, Elf Bar and Geek Bar.

As young people discovered the inhumane working conditions cobalt miners faced in DCR, likened to “modern day slavery” by the BBC, a viral boycott was born.

Twenty-five-year-old Kristina amassed 1.8 million views for her passionate video plea.

@itskristinamf #freecongo ♬ original sound – Krizztina

“I’m genuinely disgusted,” she says in the clip, having recently learned about DRC’s business practices, and realizing that of all her cobalt-utilizing electronics, her disposable vape was the only item that she consumed regularly enough to really contribute to the issue.

“If you look up what’s going on in congo right now, and you look at your vape, I swear to god you will never see it the same.”

Kristina’s sentiments are reflected in several other people her age who have made efforts to raise awareness of DRC’s plight and share how the knowledge has completely changed their perspective.

@kissuonurforehead @Sincerely Awa @simplysimone #cobalt #vape #foryoupage #fyp #tiktok #congo ♬ original sound – zoe elizabeth 🇵🇸

@iyjonah I love how yall are quitting for Congo 🫶🏾🇨🇩 #congolaise🇨🇩 #freecongo #democraticrepublicofthecongo #congogenocide ♬ original sound – Iyjonah

@chris.crochets #stitch with @Sèrge ♬ original sound – Chris🍄

If these videos are any indicator as to what kids these days really care about, freedom appears to be paramount. Several Gen Zers chimed in to say that previously, they would thwart quitting for health purposes using the mantra of “my body, my choice.” However, learning that so many continue to endure in the Congo without choice made it impossible not to be the vape pen down for good.

Empathy-focused action is another major factor. Gen Zers appear to be more engaged in activism than in previous generations, and TikTok is a major platform used to ignite deep conversations about social injustices. Basically, Gen Zers know how to use the voice, and tend to want to use it to stop suffering.

And while this movement might mean a resurgence of teens smoking cigarettes, the wrongdoings in that industry are no secret either. So maybe this time, we can all get on board with something that does a little good for everyone.

With a story that highlights some not-so-good aspects of humanity, it’s nonetheless heartening to see that generations to very well might be able to unite thanks to shared compassion.