GoneTrending

Trump Steaks. Trump Airlines. Trump Vodka. Trump: The Game. Tour de Trump. A second Donald Trump presidential term. These are but a handful of the former Apprentice star’s many failures. But what of Truth Social, his rinky-dink attempt at a Twitter clone? It’s lasted over a year-and-a-half, which ain’t bad. But there’s a chance it won’t be around for much longer.

As per The Washington Post, the far-right social media service faces a key vote this coming week. When Truth Social was announced in October of 2021, its future hinged on the merger of Trump Media & Technology Group and the Miami-based Digital World Acquisition. The latter managed to raise some $300 million off investors and the two companies vowed to merge within 12 to 18 months.

It’s now almost two years. And on Tuesday, shareholders who invested in the venture will meet to vote on whether they can extend the merger by another year. If they vote no, Digital World will have to return the $300 million. It will also “cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up.” Trump Media & Technology, meanwhile, will be left with nothing.

What on earth is taking the two companies so long to fuse? Well, it’s complicated:

Digital World’s efforts to merge with Trump Media have been troubled almost from the start, beset by allegations that it began its conversations with the former president’s company before they were permitted under SPAC rules.

Then, in the past year, its issues became more pronounced: Its chief executive was terminated by the board, a former board member was arrested on charges of insider trading, and the company agreed to pay an $18 million settlement to resolve charges that it had misled investors and given false information to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The merger has “been pretty much unprecedented in terms of all of the glitches,” said Jay Ritter, a University of Florida finance professor who studies stock markets. “The deal does seem to be running out of time. You can’t just keep getting extensions forever.”

Should funding for Truth Social suddenly dry up, will it cease to be? Or will Trump once again beg his supporters for enough scratch to ensure he has a place to drop dozens of weird videos a day or further incriminate himself? Nevermind that he already has two big money sucks right now: his third presidential campaign and all those court cases he’s racked up because he potentially did crimes.

(Via The Washington Post)

On May 28, 2014, 13-year-old Athena Orchard of Leicester, England, died of bone cancer. The disease began as a tumor in her head and eventually spread to her spine and left shoulder. After her passing, Athena’s parents and six siblings were completely devastated. In the days following her death, her father, Dean, had the difficult task of going through her belongings. But the spirits of the entire Orchard family got a huge boost when he uncovered a secret message written by Athena on the backside of a full-length mirror.

---

After removing the mirror from the wall, Dean discovered a 3,000-word letter written all the way down its backside in black pen. “She never mentioned it, but it’s the kind of thing she’d do,” her father told People magazine. “She was a very spiritual person, she’d go on about stuff that I could never understand – she was so clever.” The moving letter revealed her deepest feelings about her fight with the dreaded disease. “Every day is special, so make the most of it, you could get a life-ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day,” she wrote. “Life is only bad if you make it bad.”

Although Athena is gone, the mirror now serves as a powerful memory of her undying spirit. “We’re keeping the mirror forever, it is a part of her we can keep in the house, it will always be in her room,” her mother, Caroline, said. “Just reading her words felt like she was still here with us, she had such an incredible spirit.”

Athena’s full message:

“Happiness depends upon ourselves. Maybe it’s not about the happy ending, maybe it’s about the story. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. Happiness is a direction not a destination. Thank you for existing. Be happy, be free, believe, forever young. You know my name, not my story.

You have heard what I’ve done, but not what I’ve been through. Love is like glass, looks so lovely but it’s easy to shatter.

Love is rare, life is strange, nothing lasts and people change. Every day is special, so make the most of it, you could get a life ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day. Life is only bad if you make it bad. If someone loves you, then they wouldn’t let you slip away no matter how hard the situation is. Remember that life is full of ups and downs.

Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about. I want to be that girl who makes the bad days better and the one that makes you say my life has changed since I met her!

Love is not about how much you say I love you – it’s about how much you can prove it’s true. Love is like the wind, you can feel it but you can’t see it. I’m waiting to fall in love with someone I can open my heart to. Love is not about who you can see spending your future with, it’s about who you can’t see spending your life without… Life is a game for everyone but love is the prize. Only I can judge me.

Sometimes love hurts. Now I’m fighting myself. Baby I can feel your pain. Dreams are my reality. It hurts but it’s okay, I’m used to it. Don’t be quick to judge me, you only see what I choose to show you… you don’t know the truth. I just want to have fun and be happy without being judged.

This is my life, not yours, don’t worry about what I do. People gonna hate you, rate you, break you, but how strong you stand, that’s what makes you… you!

There’s no need to cry because I know you’ll be by my side.”

This article originally appeared on 04.15.19

There are creative, romantic proposals, and then there’s this one.

Lee Loechler recently proposed to his girlfriend, Sthuthi David, by taking her to a packed theater to see her favorite Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty. Little did she know that Loechler had spent six months altering the animation of the film’s most iconic scene, changing the characters to look like the couple themselves and altering the storyline to set up his Big Question. And that’s only the beginning.

Watching David’s face during the scene change is sheer delight, as her confused look proves that she has no clue what is about to happen.

---

The set-up is great, but the magical moment when Loechler’s illustrated self tosses the engagement ring to his real-life self? That’s when we all toss up our hands and say, “OKAY, man. You win at proposing. Everyone else must bow before you now.”

The whole proposal—the re-illustrations, the heart jokes (David is a cardiologist), and the bride-to-be’s surprise when she finds herself surrounded by friends and family—it’s all perfection. Just watch:

Amazing, right? Lee Loechler set the bar ridiculously high, but even the most cynical among us have to give him props for his creativity.

Reddit users’ responses to the video were hilarious, and reflect what we all feel watching this masterpiece.

“Welp this guy went and did it, theres no point in any of us proposing now he’s out done us all.” – XXLpeanuts

“I was just gonna propose to my girlfriend in the Starbucks parking lot where I first told her I loved her. Welp, that ain’t gonna do anymore…” – mattrva

“I proposed to my wife in front of Disney Castle in Orlando and I’ve never felt less proud about it than after watching this video lol. For real though this is one of the best proposals I’ve ever seen, bravo.” – thenaniwatiger

“I thought I was smooth with my bridge and lilyponds on a blacksand beach in Hawaii….. this guy just went and rewrote theatrical history, broke the forth wall, made a 4th dimensional joke and timed it perfectly, made a highbrow doctors joke, conspired with the internet, and filled a theater with family and friends.” – ooooopium

“Goddamn I am cold, cynical bastard and you just warmed my heart with how hard you just crushed it, my dude. I’ll say it. I am flat out envious.” – Dr_Frasier_Bane

Congratulations and best wishes to the lovely couple. May you truly live happily ever after.

This article originally appeared on 01.09.20

When Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi both landed their high jumps at 2.37 meters, they were in the battle for Olympic gold. But when both jumpers missed the next mark—the Olympic record of 2.39 meters—three times each, they were officially tied for first place.

In such a tie, the athletes would usually do a “jump-off” to determine who wins gold and who wins silver. But as the official began to explain the options to Barshim and Tamberi, Barshim asked, “Can we have two golds?”

---

“It’s possible,” the official responded. “It depends, if you both decide…” And before he’d even told them how sharing the gold would work, the two jumpers looked at each other, nodded, and then launched into a wholesome and joyful celebration guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Just watch:

None

— (@)

(If you are unable to view the video above, check it out on NBC’s YouTube channel here.)

The two jumpers have been competing against one another for more than a decade and are friends on and off the field, so getting to share the gold is a win-win—literally—for both of them. It’s also a historic choice. According to the BBC, the last time competing track and field Olympians shared the gold medal podium was in 1912.

The friendship and camaraderie between the two athletes are palpable and their immediate decision to share the gold truly embodies the Olympic spirit.

“I look at him, he looks at me, and we know it,” Barshim said, according to the CBC. “We just look at each other and we know, that is it, it is done. There is no need.”

“He is one of my best friends,” he added, “not only on the track, but outside the track. We work together. This is a dream come true. It is the true spirit, the sportsman spirit, and we are here delivering this message.”

Barshim was the silver medalist in the event in the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Tamberi suffered a career-threatening injury prior to those games, which took him out of medal contention.

“After my injuries, I just wanted to come back,” Tamberi told CNN. “But now I have this gold, it’s incredible. I dreamed of this so many times. I was told in 2016 just before Rio, there was a risk I wouldn’t be able to compete anymore. It’s been a long journey.”

What a beautiful display of sportsmanship, excellence, and genuine human connection. This is what the Olympics are all about. Love to see it.

This article originally appeared on 08.02.21

When a couple has their first child, they start out with the greatest of intentions and expectations. The child will only eat organic food. They will never watch TV or have screen time and will always stay clean.

But soon, reality sets in and if they have more kids, they’ll probably be raised with a lot less attention. As a result, first-born kids turn out a bit differently than their younger siblings.

“Rules are a bit more rigid, attention and validation is directed and somewhat excessive,” Niro Feliciano, LCSW, a psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, told Parents. “As a result, firstborns tend to be leaders, high achievers, people-pleasing, rule-following and conscientious, several of the qualities that tend to predict success.”

---

However, it’s not just laziness that makes parents change their M.O. As parents gain experience, they learn not to sweat the small stuff and to have a bit more faith in their children.

Tova Leigh is a writer and performer who creates funny sketches on TikTok about parenting and feminism. To point out the differences between new and veteran moms she made a series of funny sketches with fellow mom Riona O Connor.

In the first video, the two mothers deal with fighting children. The new mommy uses a sweet voice and quietly suggests, “Oh honey, no, no fighting, sweetie. Gentle hands” to the brawling kids. When that doesn’t work, the veteran mother screams, “We said stop fighting!”

@tova_leigh

We’re all doing a great job, some of us just do it a little louder (or with a hose) 😂 which one are you?! with @rionaoconnor_ #fyp #funny #parenting #momsoftiktok

The video must have hit a nerve with parents everywhere because it went viral, racking up more than 3 million views. “As a mum of 5… this is 100% accurate,” Lora Bora wrote in the comments. Kira agreed saying, “I got 4…. And I felt this in my soul.”

While the video was funny, it should also provide some comfort to young mothers who feel overwhelmed by the pressure to be perfect. As blogger Constance Hall points out, the need to be perfect can rob us of precious time with our kids.

“We are only half present for them all of the time due to the constant pressure to have everything perfect,” Hall wrote in a viral Facebook post. “To go to the gym, answer that email, pay that bill, cook that organic kale, blend it, get it into a patty so no one knows it’s kale, get to the doctors…. Make the kids lunches cos if you order them again you will be JUDGED!”

In the second video, the two mothers have very different approaches to making a puree.

@tova_leigh

We’re all doing a great job, some of us just do it with a happy meal 🤪 which one are you? With @rionaoconnor_ #funny #fyp #momlife

In a third video, the two parents express their Christmas spirit in very different ways.

@tova_leigh

#ad AD We are all doing a great job, some of us just do it with less Christmas spirit 😉 Which one are you?! Did you recognise any of the lines? They are all from our favorite movies available on @SkyTV this Christmas. What’s your favorite? With the amazing @rionaoconnor_ TAG A FRIEND #ChristmasOnSky #fyp #funny #momlife #momsontiktok #newmomvsveteranmom #ad

Kids grow up fast and if you blink an eye, you just may miss it. So regardless if you’re a new mom or a veteran mom, take a page out of these mothers’ books, relax a bit and have fun being a parent. Your kids will probably forget your vegan kale puree, but they’ll always remember the time you spent just being present.

This article originally appeared on 05.18.22

There was a massive jump in credit card fraud in America in 2021 due to the pandemic. According to CNET, fraud involving credit cards jumped 69% from 2020 to 2021, affecting 13 million Americans and costing $9 billion.

In a world where online transactions are part of everyday life, it’s hard to completely protect your information. But, by staying vigilant and monitoring your accounts you can report fraud before it gets out of hand.

A TikTok user by the name of Lauren (@absolutelylauren) from San Diego, California, got a notification that there was a $135 charge on her card at Olaplex’s online store that she hadn’t made. Olaplex sells products that repair excessively damaged hair. Before reporting the charge to her credit card company she asked her family members if they used her card by mistake.

“I don’t wanna shut my card down if it’s just my mom ordering some shampoo,” Lauren said in the video. “Definitely not my two younger brothers, they’ve got good hair but they don’t color it.”

---

After realizing the charge was fraudulent, most people would have called their credit card company and had their card canceled. But Lauren was curious and wanted to know who stole her information and used it to buy hair care products. So she concocted a plan to get their information. She called Olaplex’s customer service line asking for the name and address of the purchaser to see if it was made by a family member.

“Hey, can you help me with something?” Lauren asked Tanya, the Olaplex customer service agent. “If I can give you the time and date, purchase amount and card number and whatever could you let me know who placed an order?”

Tanya had no problem helping Lauren with her request.

@absolutelylauren

olaplex customer service is top tier 😤 #creditcardscam

“At this point, I’m willingly giving Tanya enough info to steal my card as well — she could have very well taken advantage of me in that moment but she didn’t,” Lauren said. “She comes back — tell me why she gave me the little scammer their full government name and address.”

Tanya revealed that a guy named Jason in a modest suburb in Texas used her card to buy a gift for his wife. “They also did it on Black Friday so at least they got a deal I guess, it was the gift set,” Lauren continued.

Lauren then called her credit card company and shared the information she had on the fraudster. The card company is currently investigating the situation.

One commenter thought that Olaplex wasn’t supposed to share that information with Lauren. “For some reason, I don’t think olaplex was supposed to give that info,” Arae270 said.

“I definitely gave them the option, but I explained that it was an unauthorized purchase, and if the name did not match anyone that I knew that I would just tell them to cancel the order and refund me, I told the girl that they would probably save everyone, a headache!” Lauren replied.

People should use utmost caution before deciding to track down a credit card thief. But kudos to Lauren for being clever enough to track down the person who stole her card information to help the authorities with their investigation. She didn’t put herself in harm’s way and if someone follows up on the tip, maybe they can prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.

This article originally appeared on 1.11.23

This year’s Burning Man festival has quickly turned into a hellscape. Following storms near the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, where Burning Man takes place each year, thousands of attendees were forced to shelter in place and conserve food and water.

While fans are currently in distress, a prolific musician and an esteemed actor/comedian managed to make an escape. Amid the disaster, DJ and producer Diplo shared an update with fans via Twitter, letting them know that he and Chris Rock are safe and well.

“just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up,” he said.

Embedded in the tweet is a video of Diplo, Rock, and a group of fans laughing and having a good time.

However, their escape has sparked mixed reatctions

“Anyone wondering what wealth privilege is? While many are trapped at Burning Man, no surprise the wealthy get out,” said one Twitter user.

“Whats happening at burning man is crazy, and this is right up there with it,” said another.

Other than their brief appearances in the video clip, neither Diplo nor Rock have offered further commentary on the matter.

At the time of writing, over 70,000 attendees are still stuck at the festival grounds.

The Oregon Duck has had to do a whole lot of push-ups over the years. In a tradition that has gone on for some time, the mascot has needed to do one push-up for every point the football team has after each score, and in games where the team really runs it up, it can get a bit out of hand.

Well, the Ducks really let things get out of hand on Saturday evening. In the team’s season opener against Portland State, Oregon ran up the score en route to an emphatic, 81-7 win. That is the most points that the Ducks have scored in the modern era, and they’re the first team since 2015 to put up 80-plus in a game.

The problem is that turns into a whole lot of push-ups. The official tally is 546, and we know this, because the Duck kept churning them out until the game came to its merciful end.

Unsurprisingly, after finishing up, the poor soul in that costume just wanted to lay down.

The mere thought of doing 546 push-ups has just about every muscle in my upper body crying out in agony. Anyway, Oregon threw for four touchdowns, ran for another seven, and converted one field goal. That is, however you slice it, a lot of points.

Attending Burning Man is always a risk — a chance for the well-off to rough it in the desert while Diplo DJs a set from a hot air balloon. (That really happened this year.) Alas, this year’s festivities were rudely interrupted by Mother Nature.

As per SF Gate, on Friday a freak storm turned Nevada’s Black Rock Desert into a muddy hellscape. The conditions have made driving, even biking difficult if not impossible, meaning only emergency vehicles were allowed in or out of neighboring Black Rock City. Burns scheduled for Friday night were cancelled. The gate and airport were closed.

As for the 73,000 attendees, who ventured out to the desert to get away from it all, they were told to shelter in place and to conserve food and water. Some Burners took to prayer, chanting, “Playa gods, please stop, we want to go home.”

Things sound bleak for the many trapped in the desert. One person claimed that the flooding has made it impossible to empty the port-o-potties.

To make matters worse, AccuWeather is predicting the return of rain on Saturday night, and more on Sunday. It’s estimated that even one-hundredth an inch of rain can disrupt the festivities. It’s expected that Sunday alone will bring .33 inches.

Burning Man is scheduled to run through Monday, with the traditional capper being the torching of a giant wicker man.

(Via SF Gate)

The focus after AEW’s All In in London was supposed to be on a historic event for the still young wresting promotion, but instead much of the conversation was about yet another backstage altercation involving CM Punk.

Punk and Jack Perry got into a fight prior to Punk and Samoa Joe’s opening match, with Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reporting recently that Punk went after Perry after a preshow segment and (while there are conflicting reports about the actual actions in the fight) sucker punched Perry and tried to choke him — all in front of boss Tony Khan. (h/t Cageside Seats)

Right after Perry came to the back, Punk went nose-to-nose with him aggressively and asked him if he had a problem. That person said Perry said he was just looking to get heat as a heel. Punk shoved him hard, Perry got in his face and in that version Punk sucker punched him and went for a choke. People immediately broke it up and [AEW owner Tony] Khan was yelling at Punk to let him go.

That person said that once they were separated, Punk lunged in Khan’s direction but a number of people got in his way while Punk was yelling ‘I Quit.’ Monitors were knocked down during all this. Joe was very upset and went to calm Punk down.

After a weeklong investigation into the matter, Khan and AEW announced on Saturday that Punk had been fired with cause following his latest backstage incident, with Khan saying it was in the “best interests” of the talent and staff to let Punk go.

It is a sudden and fairly stunning end to Punk’s tenure in AEW that saw him immediately skyrocket to champion and, unsurprisingly, become a fan favorite as he was in WWE, but included more than a few backstage controversies, headlined by his fight with the Elite last year that earned him a suspension. There were rumblings Punk might end up fired after that but AEW allowed him to return, but it seems this latest incident was the final straw and has led to his firing.