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When you start listing the kinds of animals people keep as pets, “octopus” may not even make the list. But some people do try to keep the smart cephalopods as pets, and some pet stores do sell them.

YouTube science and engineering educator Mark Rober found this out first hand when he procured his pet octopus, Sashimi, from a pet store. After some research, he found out that octopuses (yes, “octopuses” is just as acceptable as “octopi”) are not bred in captivity, which means Sashimi was taken from the ocean. As he says, he was “hit with the startling realization” that he had unintentionally become “the bad guy from Finding Nemo.“

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To make things right again, Rober found out from the pet store exactly where Sashimi had come from and set out to determine whether she would be able to go back home and live in the ocean again after becoming accustomed to being hand-fed at the pet store. Returning her to the wild wouldn’t exactly be thoughtful or kind if she couldn’t feed herself, so Rober constructed a maze for Sashimi with some delicious shrimp—her favorite food—at the end to see if she could figure out how to get to them.

“The idea was that if she could figure out and remember how to solve an obstacle course maze, then I would be assured that she could figure out and remember her early days hunting in the ocean and we could send her back home with confidence,” shared Rober.

So in classic Mark Rober fashion, he constructed a complex underwater maze for Sashimi to navigate. And as he explained how she figured out each obstacle in the course, he also shared some fascinating facts about octopuses, such as:

– Their ability to color and shape-shift is unmatched in the animal world, with the ability to mimic larger, more predatory animals

– Their blood is blue because it’s cooper-based, which is more efficient in cold water environments.

– If they lose an arm, they can regrow it completely, and you won’t be able to tell it’s any different than the original.

– Octopuses are the closest thing we have to intelligent alien life on Earth, in that octopus intelligence evolved independently of the vertebrate creatures we associate with animal intelligence.

– They have twice the number of neurons as a cat, but only a third of them are in their brain. The other 2/3 are in their arms, giving them the ability not just to taste and smell but also to think and act with their arms, independently of their brain.

Watch Sashimi make her way through Rober’s maze, which took her about a month to master.

Rober’s ability to educate and entertain at the same time without overdoing either one is part of why he has nearly 30 million followers on YouTube. But his willingness to drive 8 hours to return Sashimi to her home so she could live out the rest of her short life in the wild is part of it, too. It’s one thing to study an octopus in a maze simply for the fun of it; it’s another to know it’s being done in service to the animal itself.

Well done, Sashimi. We hope you find plenty of shrimp to nosh on now that you’re home once again.

You’re in the store, trying to gather the last of your items and head to the checkout counter before your toddler really starts losing it. You can see the meltdown coming—maybe you forgot snacks or it’s too close to nap time or your wee one is just feeling particularly prickly for no apparent reason—but there’s not much you can do other than hope you can get out of the store before the tornado hits.

But then it hits. Your child is wailing, you’re already at the checkout, people are staring (while pretending not to stare) and you wish you could just curl up in a ball and disappear.

It’s hard to describe the stress and anxiety of trying to manage a toddler in a tantrum while also trying to get through the checkout lane, but it’s real. Most moms have been there and know the helpless feeling, which is what makes the simple act of a Dollar Tree employee all the more wonderful.

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Mom and Instagram user @maremare711 shared the video showing Fatimah, a Dollar Tree clerk, holding her daughter and letting her help scan her items.

“This ANGEL at the Dollar Tree in West Orange, NJ scooped my daughter up in the midst of an UPPY meltdown,” the mom wrote. “She saw my hands were full while we were checking out and my patience was THIN.”

“There is nothing more anxiety inducing than a check out line and a screaming toddler,” she continued. “She instantly changed our moods for the better. Mare got to feel special. And I got to experience this total act of kindness.”

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She also shared that that Dollar Tree location was closing and that Fatimah was hoping for a good transfer.

“I never post stuff like this but I just want this woman to have the world!” the mom concluded.

People in the comments were clear about what they thought of Fatimah’s kindness.

“People like this make the world so much easier for us moms. Motherhood can feel so lonely and isolating— everyone needs to take note of this lovely worker!! Once I had a Panera worker comfort my screaming toddler and help me walk him to the car. Literally changed the whole trajectory of our day!” shared one mom.

“Gosh, people don’t realize how much moments like this mean the absolute world to us moms out here with littles” wrote another. “When so many feel annoyed by a child’s mere existence, it’s so refreshing to see beautiful acts of kindness, understanding, and patience like this towards our babies. ❤️❤️❤️”

“Hoping this goes viral and this woman get offered a great job where her kindness is valued,” shared another commenter.

“If Dollar Tree doesn’t promote her immediately we riot,” one person quipped, to which dozens of people responded with variations of “Tell us where and when and we’ll show up.”

Dollar Tree did see the original video on Instagram and commented, “Thank you for sharing this sweet experience! Go Fatimah! Way to go above and beyond. 💚 We’ll be sure to share this with field leadership so they’re aware of the Fatimah’s hard work and amazing spirit.”

People like Fatimah truly make a difference in the world, seeing someone’s struggle and immediately taking action to try to alleviate it. Many people might want to help in a situation like this but feel awkward about it, like they might be overstepping or something, but this is a good example that when the intention is sincere and there’s something we know we can do, it’s best to at least try.

Thanks for the heartwarming boost of faith in humanity, Fatimah.

It is very easy to bet on things that are not sports. Think about all the times where you and a friend made an innocuous bet on, like, how many hot dogs you can eat over the course of an entire baseball game or something. Heck, there’s lots of money that moves around every single year based on how long it takes for the person to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

As it turns out, Shaquille O’Neal is the kind of person who likes to bet on things other than sports. As he explained on a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq told the story about how he used to watch one particular television show and throw down large sums of money on, well, if you’ve seen an episode of Maury you can probably guess where this is going.

“Every morning at 10 a.m., we’d wake up with thousands of dollars and we’d watch The Maury Povich Show,” Shaq said. “And we’d make bets on who the father is … Every day. So, like, we watch it, we let them talk, and then we pause and then we pull that money out. ‘I’ll bet you a thousand he’s not the father!’ So, that was my thing.”

There is no thing I want more than for the next episode of Inside the NBA going off the rails at, like, 1:28 a.m. EST because Charles Barkley cannot stop asking Shaq about this.

Victoria Monét had quite a breakthrough year with her debut album, Jaguar II, which featured the hit single, “On My Mama.” But over the course of the past decade, she’s worked behind the scenes as a songwriter, penning tracks for the likes of Chloe X Halle, Blackpink, and Ariana Grande.

One of Grande’s hits, on which Monét has a co-writing credit, is the Thank U, Next fan favorite, “7 Rings,” which was inspired by a shopping spree during which she purchased rings for her besties, including Tayla Parx, Tommy Brown, and Monét herself.

In a recent interview with People, Monét revealed that she actually has two of Grande’s titular rings — but for a surprising reason.

“I have two of them, because at one point I had lost one,” Monét said, “and I was so devastated because I’m sometimes a bit irresponsible. That was the old me, this is the new me, but Ariana felt so bad she got another one.”

But after Monét was gifted the other ring, she made another surprising discovery.

“Then I found the other one,” Monét said. “So she’s like, ‘Just keep both,’ so I have two, and I wear them stacked.”

Considering the fact that Monét has given Grande some of her biggest hits, these rings are certainly well-deserved.

Lil Nas X continues to tease his upcoming second album. Over the past month, the “That’s What I Want” hitmaker has taken to social media, sharing that he’s in his “Christian era,” but that won’t stop him from enjoying — um, certain activities. Earlier in the week, Lil Nas X launched a parody website teasing the album, modeled after those of Christian conspiracy theorists.

Today (December 27), Lil Nas X shared a more direct update on his impending new era, hinting that an upcoming music video from his album will have a personal touch to it.

“I wrote AND directed my own music video for the first time,” he tweeted, “excited for y’all to see. it’s the best one yet!”

The singer/rapper has remained fairly mum about the album. But earlier this year, Lil Nas X teased the album in an interview with Vogue, noting that he is changing up a lot of things — including his sound, his wardrobe, and his aesthetic.

“I’m working steady,” he said. “I’m in this next phase of figuring out who this next person is for me. I’m not going out in the same clothes as my last era, or the one before that. I’m figuring that out, and learning to trust my own instincts.”

If you’re a parent you’re likely in one of two categories: parents who have never heard of pinworms or parents who shuttered at the headline. Parents are not really given any sort of warning for all of the eyebrow raising situations that occur in childhood and one dad has found out that there was a lot left out of that non-existent parenting handbook.

Justin, a dad that runs the TikTok page drumbeatlane took to social media to tell the world of the current nightmare fuel parenting situation he was experiencing. He’s also doing parents on social media a solid by giving them a heads up on the disturbing secret plaguing the parenting world–pinworms.

The viral video starts out with no trigger warning before he says though clenched teeth, “my son has worms in his anus.” Yeah, you read that right. It’s a thing. A slightly terrifying but totally normal thing.

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“No one tells you about this stuff when you’re thinking about being a parent but apparently it’s like super normal for a child to just have worms in his booty hole,” Justin says.

Dr. Cerissa Key, a pediatrician, chimed in on Justin’s disturbing revelation and assured him and every parent watching that pinworms are a common thing that happens in young children. But she also dropped some info that other’s including Justin may not have been ready to hear.

“Justin, sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But if your son has worms in his booty hole, sir, politely and respectfully, you also have worms in your booty hole,” Key reveals.

Key goes on to explain that kids are “disgusting” and don’t wash their hands well so pinworms spread easily if a child at school or daycare has them. She advises that parents stock up on the chalky banana flavored medication that clears them up and to wash everything on hot while being sure to vacuum your floors well.

@drumbeatlane

Parenting truly is just one surprise after another. But the biggest surprise to me every time something crazy happens is that it is usually super common, just no one talks about it. So I’m warning you. Your child might get worms in their anus. #justinkellough #dadsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #parentingadvice #parenting @Justin

People in the comment section of both videos were horrified that this was an actual thing while others commiserated with the stressed dad.

“I have no kids and now I’m paranoid I have pinworms with no symptoms,” one person writes.

“I’ve raised 4 kids and never had this happen. Tomorrow this will be my entry on my gratitude journal,” a mom confesses.

“Do I have kids? No…Do I even work around kids? Also no…do I still have the urge to take this medicine just in case anyways? 100000%,” someone says.

@therealdrkey

#stitch with @Justin Allllll about pinworms! It your kid has them, YOU have them. 😩 #pinworms #pinworm #pediatrician #momlife #itchybottom #itchyvulva #pinwormssuck #parenting

Not everyone was stressed, some were thankful for the information. “Thank you! We haven’t experienced pinworms yet, but super informative and helps to make parenting normalized,” another commenter writes.

Key suggests that if your child has pinworms that the entire family should take a dose of the medication two weeks apart to make sure any left over newly hatched eggs are also killed. While you may not have been warned about pinworms, no one ever said parenting would be glamorous. It just seems people weren’t prepared for how unglamorous it could get.

If you’re a parent you’re likely in one of two categories: parents who have never heard of pinworms or parents who shuttered at the headline. Parents are not really given any sort of warning for all of the eyebrow raising situations that occur in childhood and one dad has found out that there was a lot left out of that non-existent parenting handbook.

Justin, a dad that runs the TikTok page drumbeatlane took to social media to tell the world of the current nightmare fuel parenting situation he was experiencing. He’s also doing parents on social media a solid by giving them a heads up on the disturbing secret plaguing the parenting world–pinworms.

The viral video starts out with no trigger warning before he says though clenched teeth, “my son has worms in his anus.” Yeah, you read that right. It’s a thing. A slightly terrifying but totally normal thing.

---

“No one tells you about this stuff when you’re thinking about being a parent but apparently it’s like super normal for a child to just have worms in his booty hole,” Justin says.

Dr. Cerissa Key, a pediatrician, chimed in on Justin’s disturbing revelation and assured him and every parent watching that pinworms are a common thing that happens in young children. But she also dropped some info that other’s including Justin may not have been ready to hear.

“Justin, sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But if your son has worms in his booty hole, sir, politely and respectfully, you also have worms in your booty hole,” Key reveals.

Key goes on to explain that kids are “disgusting” and don’t wash their hands well so pinworms spread easily if a child at school or daycare has them. She advises that parents stock up on the chalky banana flavored medication that clears them up and to wash everything on hot while being sure to vacuum your floors well.

@drumbeatlane

Parenting truly is just one surprise after another. But the biggest surprise to me every time something crazy happens is that it is usually super common, just no one talks about it. So I’m warning you. Your child might get worms in their anus. #justinkellough #dadsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #parentingadvice #parenting @Justin

People in the comment section of both videos were horrified that this was an actual thing while others commiserated with the stressed dad.

“I have no kids and now I’m paranoid I have pinworms with no symptoms,” one person writes.

“I’ve raised 4 kids and never had this happen. Tomorrow this will be my entry on my gratitude journal,” a mom confesses.

“Do I have kids? No…Do I even work around kids? Also no…do I still have the urge to take this medicine just in case anyways? 100000%,” someone says.

@therealdrkey

#stitch with @Justin Allllll about pinworms! It your kid has them, YOU have them. 😩 #pinworms #pinworm #pediatrician #momlife #itchybottom #itchyvulva #pinwormssuck #parenting

Not everyone was stressed, some were thankful for the information. “Thank you! We haven’t experienced pinworms yet, but super informative and helps to make parenting normalized,” another commenter writes.

Key suggests that if your child has pinworms that the entire family should take a dose of the medication two weeks apart to make sure any left over newly hatched eggs are also killed. While you may not have been warned about pinworms, no one ever said parenting would be glamorous. It just seems people weren’t prepared for how unglamorous it could get.

For the first time in 47 years, the Adams County SPCA met the holidays with silence. Not a creature was stirring—not even a mouse.

Because this year, every kennel was empty. All the animals had either been adopted or reunited with families, thanks to what the organization called a “true Christmas miracle.”

To celebrate, the Adams County SPCA shared a photo of its employees and volunteers smiling alongside all the empty kennels, and thanked the community for its continued support.

“This year we have adopted out 598 animals and reunited 125 strays with their owners! WOW! It has been a busy year!” the post read.

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This miracle comes despite the shelter “discouraging” potential pet owners from adopting pets during Christmastime, as there is a long-standing belief that animals adopted during this season as gifts are more likely to be returned weeks later. (TODAY)

While this belief is certainly warranted (there are plenty of tragic stories of Christmas pets being returned once the novelty wears off), studies show that might not necessarily be the case. In fact, a lot of research has found the opposite—that animals given as gifts are far less likely to be returned to shelters.

And to add to that optimism, several people responded to the Adams County SPCA’s post with pictures of their own fur babies adopted from the organization, showing them in happy, healthy homes.

“Happy Jack who was named Briscoe, is excited to hear the great news!”

“Toulouse (adopted 16 years ago) says Meowy Christmas and congratulations”

“Harper was adopted 4 years ago from Adams County SPCA. So grateful for all you do. Merry Christmas!”

The shelter also regularly adds “happy tails” of adopted animals living their best lives, including Bootsie the cat, adopted in November.

As Bootsie’s new parents can attest, the sweet feline is “adored” by all, but has been a “game changer” for their autistic daughter, hope.

“Hope cuddles Bootsie when she’s upset instead of having full blown meltdowns, cuddles him and practices her verbal expressions of compassion, love and affection. Thank you so much for all you do!” their post read.

So maybe, just maybe, we can really believe this was a well deserved miracle after all.

But still, the work continues. As the organization explained in a subsequent post on Dec 26th, other overwhelmed shelters in the state have reached out in need of support. Right now resident owner surrenders still take priority, but they are branching out to surrounding counties when able.

In their words: “We are going to do the best we can to help as many animals and people [as] we can.”

Magic tricks and illusions never fail to fascinate us, even in the age of the internet when the secrets how many of them work are available to anyone with reasonably good Googling skills. But even when we know how a trick works, it’s still delightful to witness a flawless execution that allows our minds to sit in that sweet suspension of disbelief for a bit.

There are still some tricks that true masters of illusion have managed to keep completely secret, but you don’t have to get that complex to wow your friends and family. In fact, with just some cardboard and gift wrap and a little practice to get the timing down, you can make a child seemingly appear out of nowhere.

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In a split-screen video shared by @MindBlownMagicIllusion on YouTube, a dad and child demonstrate what the audience sees during the trick and what’s happening behind the scenes to create the illusion at the same time.

In the audience view, the man opens a door on a gift-wrapped box, revealing nothing inside of it. Then he walks around the back and opens the back door, showing that no one is behind it, either. He walks through the opening, then back around the whole thing, closing both doors. Then he walks around to the back of the box, opens the front door, and voila! There’s a kid inside!

Watch the “Front View” on the bottom of the screen first to see what the audience sees, then rewatch again focusing on the “Back View.” It’s quite simple, but the effect is impressive nonetheless.

It wouldn’t take much work to build a box like this and could be a fun little party trick at friend and family gatherings. And it doesn’t need to be Christmas-themed, either. The kid just needs to be old enough to know the cues and move in such a way that people won’t see them, but it’s not terribly complicated.

People in the comments loved the family fun as much as they did the magic. There’s just something about seeing a dad and kid doing something like this together, taking the time to get it down and enjoying the heck out of the whole process, that is surprisingly touching.

“This is the most wholesome family moment I have ever seen I love this a dad and son having fun is so precious,” wrote one person.

“This is the wholesome content I need in my life. Thanks for sharing,” wrote another.

“That is truly one of the best dads in the world. You can tell with the look on the child’s face that he was having an awesome time,” wrote another.

“Just imagining the planning and preparation for this moment gives me so much joy. You know they loved it the whole way through,” shared another.

Here’s to awesome dads, willing kids and the joy and wonder of magic. Follow @MindBlowingMagicIllusions on YouTube or visit mindblownmagic.com for more free magic trick and sleight-of-hand tips.

Magic tricks and illusions never fail to fascinate us, even in the age of the internet when the secrets how many of them work are available to anyone with reasonably good Googling skills. But even when we know how a trick works, it’s still delightful to witness a flawless execution that allows our minds to sit in that sweet suspension of disbelief for a bit.

There are still some tricks that true masters of illusion have managed to keep completely secret, but you don’t have to get that complex to wow your friends and family. In fact, with just some cardboard and gift wrap and a little practice to get the timing down, you can make a child seemingly appear out of nowhere.

---

In a split-screen video shared by @MindBlownMagicIllusion on YouTube, a dad and child demonstrate what the audience sees during the trick and what’s happening behind the scenes to create the illusion at the same time.

In the audience view, the man opens a door on a gift-wrapped box, revealing nothing inside of it. Then he walks around the back and opens the back door, showing that no one is behind it, either. He walks through the opening, then back around the whole thing, closing both doors. Then he walks around to the back of the box, opens the front door, and voila! There’s a kid inside!

Watch the “Front View” on the bottom of the screen first to see what the audience sees, then rewatch again focusing on the “Back View.” It’s quite simple, but the effect is impressive nonetheless.

It wouldn’t take much work to build a box like this and could be a fun little party trick at friend and family gatherings. And it doesn’t need to be Christmas-themed, either. The kid just needs to be old enough to know the cues and move in such a way that people won’t see them, but it’s not terribly complicated.

People in the comments loved the family fun as much as they did the magic. There’s just something about seeing a dad and kid doing something like this together, taking the time to get it down and enjoying the heck out of the whole process, that is surprisingly touching.

“This is the most wholesome family moment I have ever seen I love this a dad and son having fun is so precious,” wrote one person.

“This is the wholesome content I need in my life. Thanks for sharing,” wrote another.

“That is truly one of the best dads in the world. You can tell with the look on the child’s face that he was having an awesome time,” wrote another.

“Just imagining the planning and preparation for this moment gives me so much joy. You know they loved it the whole way through,” shared another.

Here’s to awesome dads, willing kids and the joy and wonder of magic. Follow @MindBlowingMagicIllusions on YouTube or visit mindblownmagic.com for more free magic trick and sleight-of-hand tips.