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In just a few days, Netflix will kick off the official fifth season of Love Is Blind with a new round of episodes. Just six months after Love Is Blind launched for season four in Seattle, the show brought its talents to Houston for season five. Per usual, viewers can expect dramatic, fun, romantic, and emotional moments throughout the 10-episode of season five. So, before the new season arrives, here’s everything you should know.

Release Date

Love Is Blind season five begins with new episodes on Netflix on September 22. The first four episodes will appear on the platform that day, episodes 5-7 on September 29, episodes eight and nine on October 6, and the tenth and final episode on October 13. Each will first appear on Netflix at 3am EST/ 12am PST.

Cast

The cast members for Love Is Blind season five are all from Houston as it’s where the season was filmed for the most part. Here is the list of cast members according to Netflix Tudum:

• Aaliyah (29); ICU Travel Nurse
• Carter (30); Construction
• Chris (28); Project Manager for Commercial and Retail Development
• Connor (31); Geoscientist
• Efrain (27); Software Sales
• Enoch (27); Financial Advisor
• Erica (27); Marketing Manager
• Ernesto (32); Supply Chain Manager); Oil and Gas
• Estefania (30); Teacher/Dancer
• Izzy (31); Sales
• Jared “JP” (32); Firefighter
• Jarred (34); University Director
• Johnie (32); Lawyer
• Josh (32); Sales Rep
• Justice (28); Personal Trainer
• Linda (32); Talent Acquisition Recruiter
• Lydia (32); Geologist
• Maris (30); HR Specialist
• Mayra (25); Minister
• Milton (25); Petroleum Engineer
• Miriam (32); Scientist
• Paige (32); Stylist
• Renee (32); Veterinarian
• Robert (30); Special Education Teacher
• Shondra (32); Flight Attendant
• Stacy (34); Director of Operations
• Taylor (26); Teacher
• Uche (34); Lawyer / Entrepreneur

Plot

Here is the official synopsis for Love Is Blind season five:

The fifth season of the cultural hit reality series returns with a new group of Houston singles ready to hit the pods and find love. As the experiment continues to expand, each participant’s individual journey, emotional growth, and ability to embrace a new approach to dating is key — whether they find love outwardly or within. In the most shocking season yet, the singles face new challenges, unexpected twists, and surprising turns that will test their personal resolve, and the strength of their connections, more than ever before. Even if the couples can forge a strong enough bond to get engaged sight unseen, can their love survive the challenges waiting for them in the outside world — including protective families, skeptical friends, and the exes they thought they’d left behind?

Trailer

You can watch the trailer for Love Is Blind season five below:

‘Love Is Blind’ season 5 is available to stream on Netflix on September 22 at 3am EST/12am PST. Season 1-4 available now to stream on Netflix.

For months, Flyana Boss’s “You Wish” viral videos have been inescapable on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Twitter (“X” is a dumb name and I am never calling it that). Then, ahead of the release of the official music video, the duo dropped a slick remix featuring Kaliii and one of their greatest forebears in OG “weird Black girl” icon, Missy Elliott.

Today, Missy got in on the viral video action, sharing a Reel of her performing her verse from the remix. Rather than all-out sprinting through her shoot location, though, Missy goes maximal, sauntering coolly toward the camera as controlled chaos swirls around her. She even does a wardrobe change, going from a multicolored T-shirt and parachute pants to a black jumpsuit with a chain adorned by a pendant of her own head from her breakout “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” video. She also throws on a monogram-print jean dress with a matching hat.

Flyana Boss — who are currently on tour with Janelle Monáe — sent their approval in the comments on Instagram, writing, “Obsessed!!!! We adore youuu!!!” with a UFO emoji. Missy wrote back, “Much love & Continued Success for you both.” That’s one way to pass the torch.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

While the United States is undeniably one of the most culturally dominant countries in the world, its depth and complexity go far beyond what most people understand before seeing it for themselves.

The U.S. is a melting pot of diverse cultures, histories and landscapes, creating a rich and complex national tapestry that takes time and travel to truly comprehend. Heck, even Americans ourselves have a hard time understanding each other from time to time.

It’s a place where every state can feel like its own little world, each with its own traditions, accents and cuisines. So, it’s understandable that when many people from around the world visit for the first time, there are some things they probably wished they had known ahead of time.

To help people better understand America’s unique quirks, a Reddit user named AlainasBoyfriend asked the online forum, “What should a foreigner avoid while visiting the United States?” While it’s reasonable to assume the comments would be about avoiding dangerous neighborhoods or tourist traps, the conversation was a lot more positive. It was centered around the vastness of the U.S. geography and the regional differences that people from another country may not expect.

The big takeaway is that America is a huge place where our states can be as different as most countries. Any place with regions as diverse as Hawaii, Oklahoma, Alaska and New York will be hard for most people to grasp on the first visit.

Here are the 13 things foreigners should “avoid” when visiting the U.S.

1. Watch for wildlife

“If you go to the national parks, don’t attempt to take selfies with the wildlife. A full grown bison will throw you through the air like a crumpled piece of paper.” — Juergen2993

“I want to really emphasize this. There are US Park Rangers who are full-time employees of the National Park Service. Their job is to protect the park, the wildlife, and visitors. Take the posted signs seriously and listen and do what rangers advise. Yearly, a dozen or so people die in the Grand Canyon National Park, often tourists who go hiking without enough water or food and are not aware of how treacherous the terrain and weather can be. Same for Big Bend NP in Texas.” — aaby-rose

2. Don’t underestimate the ‘rural-ness’

“If you are visiting a more rural area, like Montana where I live, don’t underestimate the rural-ness. You might not be able to get a hotel in a small town and there are plenty of places where there aren’t any hotels or accommodations. You can take the highway and run out of gas because there aren’t any gas stations for 70 miles. Also, if it is a dirt road, and there are a lot of them in the rural U.S., don’t ever assume that you will have cell/GPS reception or that the dirt road goes anywhere besides 50 miles into the mountains where you can get stuck or break down.” — Violet624

3. America is huge

“The flight from London to New York is only about an hour longer than the flight from New York to Seattle.” — UnspecificGravity

“And we don’t have any kind of sensible train infrastructure connecting cities.” — NobodyCool1234

4. You can’t drive from NY to LA

“We had an exchange student from France staying with us (NY). One day, we saw her with a map of the US, said she was going to take a bus to California because she had heard so much about it on television. We had to sit down and explain it was going to take a week, each way.” — MedicinalTequila

“Lol I have some German friends who flew into Texas and wanted to make a day trip to Los Angeles during the week they were in the US. After that first trip, they planned much better and now visit the country by regions and give themselves more time.” — MarbleousMel

5. Give us space

“I find a lot of foreigners have about 2 1/2 inches of a personal space bubble, while us Americans value our space. Keep at least a 2-3 feet distance when conversing with strangers. I’ve had an Italian guy come so close I thought he was going to kiss me. Very uncomfortable for someone who isn’t used to a lack of personal space.” — MasterPip

6. Forget the stereotypes

“Leave all your stereotypes about America home, it’s a hugely diverse country and your experience in one part of the US will be very different to your experience in another. Keep an open mind and have fun.” — Zerbey

“But.. Murica!!! Seriously I try to get this across to people. The United States is not one place. Or even 50 places. It’s huge and a cultural melting pot like no other. There is absolutely no way to stereotype ‘America.’ Remember guys, Hawaii, Florida, New York, Alaska and Oklahoma, etc, are vastly different places. And they’re all their own unique thing, different from the next state over.” — BlueIsBlackbird

7. Don’t travel with pot

“Taking weed across state lines. It’s not legal everywhere.” — Gromit801

8. Avoid the chains

“Don’t go to the big chain-type places. Go to the mom-and-pop little restaurants and coffee shops and specialty shops. You will usually find new cool things you enjoy.” — Election Proper8172

“To add to this: FOOD TRUCKS!!!” — OpeusPopeus

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9. Avoid sensitive topics

“When visiting the U.S., it’s best to avoid discussing sensitive topics like politics and religion with strangers, even if they bring it up.” — Vexina1997

“I’m a huge fan of Bill Burr’s catch-all non-committal response: ‘Hey, fair enough!’ You just say, ‘Hey, fair enough’ to any baiting comment.” — Heretic Jones

10. Be sure to tip

“Generally, you should tip at sit-down restaurants with full service (ie waiter comes and takes your order, brings food, refills drinks and clears your dishes). At these places, traditionally the minimum is 15%, but most people I know tip closer to 20% standard.” — Heliawe

11. Don’t get the large

“Ordering a large at a restaurant, or especially a movie theater. I don’t care how hungry you think you are, you will not eat/drink it all in one sitting.” — Amazing_Excuse_3860

12. Buy travel insurance

“Medical travel insurance that goes into the 7 digits. Someone from my country had the misfortune of having a stroke in the USA. 150k+ in expenses. When I went there it was my number 1 concern: getting insurance.” — N0t_N1k3L

“Underrated comment. You can run, but hospital debt might find you unable to return. Use a fake name. Get a fake name and a story ready now. You do not speak English nor any modern language. When discharged, run. This also applies if you have health insurance.” — univ06

“Avoid a hospital visit. Whatever you think it costs, it’s more.” — pug_fugly_moe

13. Be careful around police

“Don’t interact with the police unless you absolutely need to.” — Snackdoc189

“If you didn’t call them, don’t talk to them, at all.” — Shastadakota

“Yeah they’re honestly not there to help you, and some will be annoyed if you ask for so much as directions.” — Honestnt

Double H Canine Academy in Louisville, Kentucky is a place where dog owners can take their rambunctious pets and have them turned into respectable members of the family.

However, as you can tell in this hilarious video, not all dogs are meant to follow orders.

Ladies and gentleman, meet Ryker.

Double H Canine Training Academy… Epic Service Dog Training Failure

Ryker giving it his all before flunking our of Service Dog Training School

As you can see below, Ryker is living his life to the fullest. While he may never be the world’s greatest service dog, he continues to provide an invaluable testament to being true to one’s self.

RYKER “The Purpose Driven Dog”🐕……..

This article originally appeared on 02.26.20

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

When disposed of improperly, the waste can cause serious damage soil and water sources.

However, a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence has found that coffee pulp isn’t just a nuisance to be discarded. It can have an incredibly positive impact on regrowing deforested areas of the planet.

In 2018, researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii spread 30 dump trucks worth of coffee pulp over a roughly 100′ x 130′ area of degraded land in Costa Rica. The experiment took place on a former coffee farm that underwent rapid deforestation in the 1950s.

The coffee pulp was spread three-feet thick over the entire area.

Another plot of land near the coffee pulp dump was left alone to act as a control for the experiment.

“The results were dramatic.” Dr. Rebecca Cole, lead author of the study, said. “The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses.”

In just two years, the area treated with coffee pulp had an 80% canopy cover, compared to just 20% of the control area. So, the coffee-pulp-treated area grew four times more rapidly. Like a jolt of caffeine, it reinvigorated biological activity in the area.

The canopy was also four times taller than that of the control.

The coffee-treated area also eliminated an invasive species of grass that took over the land and prevented forest succession. Its elimination allowed for other native species to take over and recolonize the area.

“This case study suggests that agricultural by-products can be used to speed up forest recovery on degraded tropical lands. In situations where processing these by-products incurs a cost to agricultural industries, using them for restoration to meet global reforestation objectives can represent a ‘win-win’ scenario,” Dr. Cole said.

If the results are repeatable it’s a win-win for coffee drinkers and the environment.

Researchers believe that coffee treatments can be a cost-effective way to reforest degraded land. They may also work to reverse the effects of climate change by supporting the growth of forests across the globe.

The 2016 Paris Agreement made reforestation an important part of the fight against climate change. The agreement incentivizes developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, promote forest conservation and sustainable management, and enhance forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

“We hope our study is a jumping off point for other researchers and industries to take a look at how they might make their production more efficient by creating links to the global restoration movement,” Dr. Cole said.

This article originally appeared on 03.29.21

A new trend in treasure hunting called magnet fishing has blown up over the past two years, evidenced by an explosion of YouTube channels covering the hobby. Magnet fishing is a pretty simple activity. Hobbyists attach high-powered magnets to strong ropes, drop them into waterways and see what they attract.

The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.

Fifteen-year-old George Tindale and his dad, Kevin, 52, of Grantham, Lincolnshire in the U.K., made an incredible find earlier this month when they used two magnets to pull up a safe that had been submerged in the River Witham.

George has a popular magnet fishing YouTube channel called “Magnetic G.”

After the father-and-son duo pulled the safe out of the murky depths, they cracked it open with a crowbar and found about $2,500 Australian dollars (US$1,800), a shotgun certificate and credit cards that expired in 2004. The Tindales used the name found on the cards to find the safe’s owner, Rob Everett.

Everett’s safe was stolen during an office robbery in 2000 and then dumped into the river. “I remember at the time, they smashed into a cabinet to get to the safe,” Everett said, according to The Daily Mail. “I was just upset that there was a nice pen on my desk, a Montblanc that was never recovered.”

The safe was stolen in the year 2000 nn#magnetfishinghttps://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/teenager-finds-safe-containing-thousands-of-dollars-9250637/u00a0u2026

— Grantham Journal (@Grantham Journal)
1650615191

The robber, who was a teenage boy, was apprehended soon after the crime because he left behind a cap with his name stitched inside.

The father and son met up with Everett to return his stolen money and the businessman gave George a small reward for his honesty. He also offered him an internship because of the math skills he displayed in the YouTube video when he counted the Australian dollars. “What’s good about it is, I run a wealth management company and… I’d love him to work for us,” Everett said.

Although the safe saga began with a robbery 22 years ago, its conclusion has left Everett with more faith in humanity.

“I was just amazed that they’d been able to track me down,” he said. “There are some really nice and good people in this world. They could have kept the money, they could have said they attempted to get hold of me.”

“There’s a big lesson there. It teaches George that doing good and being honest and giving back is actually more rewarding than taking,” Everett added.

Treasure hunting isn’t the only allure of the hobby for George. His mother says the hobby has taught him a lot about water pollution and its effects on local wildlife. “George is very environmentally conscious. He always has been since primary school,” she said. “When he first started to do this, he was after treasure. Everything ends up in the rivers and canals.”

This article originally appeared on 04.25.22

Most episodes of “Saturday Night Live” are scheduled so the funnier bits go first and the riskier, oddball sketches appear towards the end, in case they have to be cut for time. But on the February 4 episode featuring host Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”), the final sketch, “Lisa from Temecula,” was probably the most memorable of the night.

That’s high praise because it was a strong episode, with a funny “Last of Us” parody featuring the Super Mario Brothers and a sketch where Pascal played a protective mother.

In “Lisa from Temecula,” Paul, played by Pascal, takes a few friends out for dinner, played by Punkie Johnson, newcomer Molly Kearney and breakout star Bowen Yang. The trouble comes when Johnson’s sister Lisa, played by Ego Nwodim, orders her steak “extra, extra well done.”

The sketch is a play on the notion that it’s a faux pas to order well-done steak, especially in a fancy restaurant. However, Lisa doesn’t care and won’t tolerate “one speck of red” on her steak.

The sketch is one of the rare moments on “SNL” where things are so funny that the cast breaks character. Pascal has difficulty getting through his lines and Yang has to cover his face because he can’t stop laughing. But Nwodim only has one small break in the scene and keeps it together as the sketch’s comedy core.

“Lisa from Temecula” got a lot of attention on social media and Nwodim later thanked the sketch’s writers Alex English, Gary Richardson and Michael Che.

u201cwe have @alex3nglish + Gary Richardson and Che to thank for Lisa. love them 4Life.u201d

— Ego Nwodim (@Ego Nwodim)
1675645093

This article originally appeared on 2.6.23

When you live in the same country your whole life, it’s easy to think of things as “normal” simply because it’s the way they’re always done. One of the best ways to divest yourself of that notion is to go live in another country for a while, because very quickly, you start to see things you thought of as a given—or never thought about at all because it never dawned on you that they could be different—are actually cultural norms that don’t exist everywhere.

An American teacher who lives in Japan offers a perfect example of how the norms of different countries can contrast sharply.

On her TikTok channel, @hito.bito, the teacher shared a video called “Things about my Japanese school that could send Americans into a coma,” and the differences she described are mind-blowing.

She begins with, “We all have to change from outdoor to indoor shoes as soon as we enter the school. And no, I’ve never seen any love notes or confessions in the shoe cubbies.” She shows herself changing into comfy slippers after entering the school. Definitely a good way to keep the floors cleaner.

Not that cleanliness is an issue for schools in Japan, since the students—not janitors, the students—clean the whole school daily.

“You don’t know clean until you’ve been to a Japanese school because these kids clean the school from top to bottom every single day,” she shared.

People familiar with the Montessori approach to education are familiar with the idea, but it’s not at all the standard practice of most public schools in the U.S. Perhaps it should be?

Another difference she pointed out was the lunch kids are served—or rather that they serve themselves. Usually, it’s some kind of rice, vegetables and protein, and it all looks delicious.

Of course, not every difference is a positive.

“Now, what sends me into an absolute spiral almost daily is that they leave the windows open and there’s no heating or cooling in the hall so I have to walk around in a coat,” she shared, showing herself wearing a parka indoors. This practice probably has more to do with Covid and air circulation than a cultural norm (I lived in Japan 20 years ago and don’t recall this being a regular practice), but even taking proactive steps to keep the air clean is a far cry from schools here, even in the Covid era.

She also shared some hair, makeup and piercing rules that are far stricter than most schools in the U.S. (She stated in a later video that the reason for the low ponytail rule is that kids are required by law to wear helmets when biking and most Japanese kids bike to school, so the hairstyle rule allows for safe helmet use.)

Watch:

@hito.bito

Had a stroke when the school lunch was this good #japantravel #japanlife #gingerinjapan #japaneseculture

People in the comments loved certain parts of Japanese school protocol, but others not so much. The consensus is that the cleaning habits are awesome—pretty much everyone felt that American kids should be cleaning their schools as well. The shoe change was a popular idea, too. Several Canadian commenters said they do that up north as well.

The hair, make-up and piercings, however, people were not so fond of. Americans do treasure our individuality and freedom to express ourselves. That’s a norm that’s pretty unshakable here.

We all have things that we can learn from one another, and when we share our customs and norms, sometimes we can find ways to improve or enrich our own culture. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out how to make the kids-cleaning-the-school thing happen in the US…

Everyone knows that cats are interesting pets to own. Or maybe I should say live with because there doesn’t seem to be any “owning” cats. They do what they want, whenever they feel like it and lucky for their human roommates, they’re essentially born litter box trained.

As long as you scoop their poop, give them exactly 2.5 strokes on their heads at a 45 degree angle every fortnight, and keep them from ever seeing the bottom of their food bowl…they’ll let you play owner. The second you deviate from their reasonable expectation of living conditions, they’ll bite you. Given that cats do what they want no matter what their human says, it makes perfect sense that one woman found herself giving in to her cat’s daily burglaries.

Cleo is a domestic black cat that has taken it upon himself to break into people’s houses and cars to remove items he wants for himself.

Does a cat need expensive shape wear? No, because they don’t wear clothes, but if you ask Cleo, he might just have plans to wear that cute dress he stole the week before. But the mischievous cat didn’t always steal other people’s belongings. Jean Weeks, the cat’s human explained that he didn’t start confiscating other people’s belongings until they went on vacation.

“This summer we were traveling and he got pretty crazy about stealing,” Weeks tells KNS 5. “A couple of the neighbors have told me that he’s climbed into their house through their window.”

Nothing seems to deter the furry thief, either. He’s been caught on video, he’s been scolded and even had a visit to the big house (aka the vet’s office), to no avail. Now his human has a box of shame she keeps all of the things Cleo has collected inside so the neighbor’s can stop by and get their stuff.

Check out the culprit below:

It’s been said that politicians are really failed theater kids. Rarely has that felt more applicable than with today’s GOP-led House. Since Republicans took over in January, chaos has reigned, thanks to MAGA brats like Matt Gaetz, who kicked off things off by almost singlehandedly dragging out Kevin McCarthy’s becoming Speaker of the House. Gaetz even nearly got his block knocked off! Recently Gaetz been threatening to get him booted from the gig, which he might have almost done the other day, if a motion discovered in a bathroom is to be believed.

As caught by The Daily Beast, on Tuesday journalist Matt Laslo stumbled upon a curious document on the baby changing table in a restroom located under the House floor. It was a draft resolution from Gaetz himself calling for McCarthy’s ouster unless he agrees to “immediate, total compliance” with his demands.

The motion is dated Sept. 15, so that obviously never happened. But that is the day after McCarthy blew up on Gaetz, daring him to “file the f*cking motion.”

Did one of Gaetz’s underlings accidentally leave it in the bathroom, hoping someone would find it? Did the potential future gubernatorial candidate do it himself, in a dramatic attempt to spook McCarthy? Whatever the case, it’s yet another reminder that today’s House Republicans are a creatively weird mess.

(Via The Daily Beast)