Parenting can be a little stressful. There’s no checklist for how to do it perfectly.
As the father of two young daughters, Doyin Richards has a lot of experience in that department. Like most parents, he hopes he’s doing it right. And like most parents, he has a little voice in his head that sometimes makes him second-guess his choices.
What if he’s doing it wrong?
On his 3-year-old daughter’s first trip to the dentist, Doyin was pretty worried she would freak out about the treatment. Of course, it turns out that the only person who lost their composure that day was him — when he realized she was totally fine and able to handle things herself.
Which made him realize that despite all his fears, he might actually be OK at this whole dad thing.
Watch Doyin try to hold it together while his daughter is totally chill at the dentist in this episode of “What Dads Do”:
It’s set up just like a normal library: You check out a “book” on a certain topic and have an allotted amount of time with it. Only at the Human Library, the book is, well, a human.
People who volunteer to become “books” make their experiences open and available, usually on issues that people tend to have a difficult time discussing. “Readers” are encouraged to ask questions freely, and they’ll get honest answers in return. It’s brilliant.
What kind of books can you borrow there?
1. Borrow a person with autism.
With 1 in 68 kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) today, there’s no better way to learn about it than by interacting with someone who has it.
2. Borrow someone who has modified their appearance.
Ever make assumptions about people with lots of piercings and tattoos? Here’s an opportunity to stop judging a book by its cover and get to know the inside.
3. Borrow a refugee and hear their story.
You’ve heard about the Syrian refugee crisis in the news. Why not put the media on hold and talk to an actual refugee?
4. Borrow someone who is transgender.
Perhaps you’ve always had questions about being transgender but didn’t know how to ask them. Go ahead. Get your questions ready.
5. Borrow a homeless person.
What stories do they have of a life you may never know?
6. Borrow someone with deaf-blindness.
Just because they communicate differently doesn’t mean their stories are less.
7. Borrow someone who is obese.
Society loves to put people in categories. Break through those boundaries to get a fuller picture.
You can borrow a police officer. A veteran with PTSD. A single mom. A Muslim. Someone in a polyamorous relationship. A former gang member. A sex worker. A welfare recipient. A teacher. The list goes on.
The libraries are bringing people who would otherwise never interact together in a way that many communities long for.
That’s what Ronni Abergel has sought to do since the library’s launch in 2000. During a four-day test run at the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen, organizers and festival attendees were stunned at the event’s impact.
“The policeman sitting there speaking with the graffiti writer. The politician in discussions with the youth activist and the football fan in a deep chat with the feminist. It was a win-win situation and has been ever since,” Ronni said on the Human Library’s site.
A no-judgment zone is one key to its impact.
“It’s meant to be a safe space to ask difficult questions and not to be judged,” he told Upworthy. “To try and gain an important insight into the life of someone you think you know something about, but…”
You don’t.
In our quick-to-judge, increasingly polarized world, it’s no wonder these events are growing in size. We need them.
When asked what has changed since these events started, Ronni responded, “The world has changed, for the worse.”
He points to there being less tolerance, less understanding, and less social cohesion than when he first had the idea back in 2000. And unfortunately, he’s right.
There’s so much to learn about one another. A group of readers here borrowed a nudist.
It’s time to face our fears and confront our stereotypes. To embrace the diversity of this world will allow us to feel more secure in it.
“When you meet our books, no matter who you are and where you are from or which book you will be reading, in the end, inside every person, the result will say: we are different from each other, we see things differently and we live life differently. But there are more things that we have in common than are keeping us apart.” Truth.
If there’s one immediately impactful way to bring communities together, a Human Library might just be it.
Stan Lee will almost certainly go down as the most influential figure in comic book history.
With his passing, people are celebrating his long and illustrious life. A World War II veteran, comic innovator and someone who truly pushed the needle forward on social progress, here are some of the legendary quotes and deep thoughts that helped define his life:
His timeless quote made famous through the pages and films of Spider-Man:
“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain people, you’re doing a good thing.”
Lee’s X-Men characters were defined by the post World War II legacy. Even series villain Magneto, a survivor of the Holocaust in the original comic storyline, used the hatred of others to define his worldview:
“Your humans slaughter each other because of the color of your skin, or your faith or your politics — or for no reason at all — too many of you hate as easily as you draw breath.”
Lee was still a creative force in the 60’s and 70’s when the Free Love movement was taking hold. He wasn’t above sharing a bit of New Age wisdom of his own:
“There is only one who is all powerful, and his greatest weapon is love.”
Despite creating some of the most iconic superhero characters ever, Lee was deeply humble about his own life:
“Someone wants to do a movie of my life now and he’s writing a script, and I said to him, ‘What the hell could you do? I’ve never been arrested, I haven’t taken drugs, I’ve had the same wife for 54 years… where’s anything of interest to people?’”
And he had a lot of perspective about his own mortality:
“You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior.’ That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory.’ It’s on the seal of the state of New York. Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.”
From awkward phone calls and impostor syndrome, to depression and anxiety, at some point all of us have experienced challenging feelings and self-doubt.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, those worries and fears can strike at any moment.
That’s why Beth Evans’ comics feel so familiar and honest.
The 26-year-old from the Chicago area started doodling and drawing in college and now works on her comic full-time. Through uncomplicated line drawings and simple stories, Evans reveals a slice of her daily life, including some of her anxieties, brushes with self-doubt, and small victories. Working on the comic has helped Evans manage some of these thoughts and feelings too.
“Sometimes I’m not always able to express those feelings in my real life,” she says. “Sometimes it’s easier just to say ‘Here’s the awful emotion of the day, we’re just going to put it down, put it out there. Maybe someone else feels that way so we can feel awful together.”
Her work has clearly struck a chord, as she’s amassed more than 216,000 followers — including some fans so dedicated that they’ve gotten tattoos of her work.
Evans is flattered by the gesture, though she’s a little nervous too. “I just hope they like it,” she says.
Her mindset speaks to the honesty and authenticity of her work — just like the rest of us, Evans experiences feelings of self-doubt. The common feeling just seems to be part and parcel of life as an adult. If we can’t make it go away completely, at least we can commiserate together.
Here are 15 more of Evans comics that may have you saying, “It me.”
1. When you make plans at night versus when you wake up.
2. You still earn a ribbon, even if you have nothing to show for it.
3. And don’t get me started on impromptu small talk.
4. If you can limit the internal screaming to 5%, you’re ahead of the curve.
5. This is how it goes down every. single. time.
6. Just in case you needed a reminder.
7. Though compliments can bring their own kind of anxiety.
8. Adulting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, kids.
9. And why is saving money so, so hard?
10. You know what’s more awkward than feeling all the feelings? Talking about the feelings.
11. But it’s good, especially if you need to.
12. Raise your hand if you’ve played any of these before.
13. Even the love chart is easy to love.
14. It’s totally OK not to know, btw.
15. And, finally, don’t forget to give yourself a break.
No matter your worries, fears, “weird” thoughts, or wild ideas — remember, you’re not alone.
Talk it out, or keep it to yourself. Feel free to laugh, cry, scream, or do something in between. Just remember you are enough, and you are pretty darn great right this second, OK?
And if you enjoy Evans’ work, be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Robert Bush Sr. is an avid outdoorsman who runs a Facebook page called “Bob’s Pennsylvania Wildlife Camera.”
He set up a secret camera on a log that lays across a steam to capture footage of all the different animals that walked across it. The result is a relaxing video featuring all sorts of wildlife including a black bear, chipmunk, coyote, turkey, and great horned owl.
Bush is very active recording wildlife videos, which he shares on his Facebook and YouTube pages.
In the introduction to his Facebook page he captures his philosophy that is welcoming to all, with a few ground rules:
“I love the outdoors and wildlife and I am not anti-hunting, this page is not about hunting and I will not post any hunting pictures or videos on this page, this page is about the wildlife in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Please do NOT post hunting pictures in the comments, and do not comment about killing the animals or about hunting at all, and do not bash hunters or talk about anti-hunting … just enjoy the videos.”
Well said, Robert. And now, on to the first video:
You may have noticed the video is called “The Log 2.” Well, here’s the original.
Things could be going better for the Charlotte Hornets right now. While the team won five of its last six heading into Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, the Hornets will have to go through the stretch run of the year without the services of LaMelo Ball, who is out for the rest of the season due to an ankle fracture. Beyond that, the team has the fourth-worst record in the NBA, which is both a tough pill to swallow and means they aren’t in a position to maximize their odds of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
But regardless, the season continues on unabated, and on Friday, the team had a special guest sitting courtside, as Hornets owner Michael Jordan joined the team on the bench. It could have gone better for Charlotte, as the team trailed by more than 20 points in the third quarter. The cameras actually caught Jordan right before a Markelle Fultz free throw made Orlando’s lead 23, and unsurprisingly, he wasn’t especially enthused.
There was, however, a fun moment a few seconds later. Rookie center Mark Williams checked out of the game and gave out a number of high fives on the bench. He actually did not see Jordan sitting there wanting some love, and while Williams eventually remedied that, it did make the Hall of Fame inductee laugh.
Funny moment: Mark Williams unknowingly disses Michael Jordan just to realize, ah hell that’s the goat! pic.twitter.com/GBcoqq8KjQ
Niall Horan‘s new music has everyone talking. As his new single “Heaven” is garnering much buzz, fans are hotly anticipating his new album The Show, which is set to arrive this summer. Of course, as we are months away from The Show, Directioners have already shared their theories about a potential reunion of One Direction, Horan’s former boy band.
While Horan has neither confirmed or denied these theories, he did break down the meaning of the album’s lead single. In an interview with SiriusXM, Horan explained what “Heaven” means to him.
“To me it’s very simply like not conforming to society,” Horan said. “Basically, you know, we live our lives and then we’ve also got other people telling us that we need to do this at this age and that, that age, hitting milestones and stuff like that. And basically then people in turn, people feel like they’ve failed if those milestones weren’t hit at those ages or whatever. So I’ve always been one of those people that like, I’m a cruiser. I just cruise through it and cross that bridge when I come to it, type guy. So that’s what ‘Heaven’ is about.”
You can check out the full interview above.
The Show is out 6/9 via Capitol. Find out more information here.
Suki Waterhouse has had a truly massive week. Not only is she starring as Karen in the new Amazon Prime show, Daisy Jones & The Six, that premiered last night, but she also dropped some new solo music for her fans.
The romantic new “To Love” proves she’s head-over-heels into a new era, as the song is seemingly about her longtime relationship with Robert Pattinson.
“Is there a universe / Where our paths never crossed? / Where I caught your eye / But then someone arrived and we both forgot,” she wonders on the dreamy opening lines.
As she describes, she also couldn’t keep this song on hold for long.
“‘To Love’ is a song that I wrote really recently that I was going to wait to put out on my second album,” Waterhouse said in a statement, via Rolling Stone. “But I felt like it is a very distinct portrait of my heart right now that I wanted to share. I started performing it on tour and got so excited that I wanted to share it with everyone.”
Waterhouse, who has most recently been on tour, hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down when it comes to new songs. In the past year alone, she put out her debut album, I Can’t Let Go, and a follow-up EP, Milk Teeth.
Surprise! There’s a debate going around social media, specifically TikTok, about mothers who would choose to save their own lives over their baby’s life if complications arose during birth. Apparently, the internet is having some big feelings, and surprisingly—or maybe not surprisingly—it’s coming from other women.
Honestly, when I first saw the videos going around about this very heated debate, I didn’t think much of it. But the conversation continued to grow and the judgment of moms who would choose themselves was abundant, so I decided to have a look-see. The debate started after Anabel Morales went viral on the platform for posting a video with a text overlay.
“To my husband: If I’m giving birth, and the doctor says you need to pick between me or the baby. Please save me. I don’t want Ethan to grow up without a mom, & I don’t want you to have to raise two babies alone while also grieving your wife,” Morales wrote.
Unsurprisingly, many moms agreed, myself included. The thought of leaving behind children to grieve the loss of their mother while being cared for by a father who is also grieving his wife seems unfathomable to some when there’s a choice involved. But to others, the clear choice is on the other end of the spectrum because they couldn’t imagine living without their child. Currently, the 6-second video has 6.6 million views and over a half million likes.
“My mom sadly passed away because it was either me or her. But no one understands how hard it was for me and my dad. Having him raise me alone and me having to grow up without a mom. So I will choose myself no matter how forced I am to choose the baby. Because I don’t want the baby going through what I did. It sucks,” one commenter shared.
“I used to say save the baby not me. Now that I have a daughter I think so differently,” another mom wrote.
“I had these feelings during my third pregnancy and felt so guilty. I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way,” someone else commented.
On the other side of the camp, plenty of people said they would choose their baby. While some were more respectful in their word choice than others, the sentiment was clear.
What you would do in a situation where the choice is between you and your soon-to-be Earth-side baby is completely personal. It’s something discussed in hopes that the choice never has to be made, but for some families it does, and it’s one of those instances where there’s no right answer. The choice between grief and grief feels impossible because no matter what, everyone will hurt.
Jon Stewart is a unicorn among interviewers, masterfully striking a balance between calm questioning and insisting on interviewees providing answers. Not deflections. Not pivots or side steps. Actual, direct answers to the questions he’s asking.
Anyone who has interviewed a politician knows how hard striking that balance can be. Politicians are rhetorical magicians, saying lots of words that seem like an answer to a question, without actually answering it at all. Sometimes their avoidance methods are obvious, but usually, they know how to manipulate and control a conversation, deftly steering it in the direction they want it to go. If allowed to, they will not only avoid directly answering a question, but they will manhandle the entire interview, filling the air time with their own messaging. Politely letting them talk allows them to pull all of their favorite tricks.
As such, if you want to make a politician actually answer a question, interrupting them is unfortunately necessary. While interrupting can seem rude sometimes, when it’s done to bring a lawmaker back to a question they haven’t actually answered or to point out a flaw in their argument before they move on to something else, it’s simply calling them on their b.s.
And few do that more effectively than Jon Stewart. One reason is that he is simply unfazed by politicians. He knows their game and looks at them like a parent whose child is clearly trying to pull a fast one. Another reason is that he thoroughly does his homework before the interview and can predict how they’re going to respond, so he’s able to catch them in their own web of illogic or hypocrisy in real time.
“State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-OK) has penned several bills loosening gun restrictions, including the nation’s first anti-red flag law,” the caption of the clip reads on Twitter. “He thinks these bills protect the Second Amendment—and that they make us safer. We think it’s probably one or the other.”
The main premise of Sen. Dahm’s argument is “More guns make us safer.” Stewart challenges him to defend that point, given the basic facts about gun violence statistics.
Stewart points out that “More guns make us safer” flies in the face of what law enforcement officials have claimed. “When the police go to a house filled with guns, why don’t they breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this Second Amendment that shall not be infringed is being exercised so fruitfully in this home?” Stewart asks. Good question.
Stewart also shows Dahm how his argument about people, not guns, being the problem doesn’t make sense considering the fact that he shoots down all attempts at regulations that would help ensure those problematic people don’t have easy access to guns.
u201cState Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-OK) has penned several bills loosening gun restrictions, including the nationu2019s first anti-red flag law. He thinks these bills protect the Second Amendment u2013 and that they make us safer. We think it’s probably one or the other. Watch it on @AppleTVPlus.u201d
— The Problem With Jon Stewart (@The Problem With Jon Stewart) 1677841200
Can we have Jon Stewart interview all politicians on all issues, please?
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
