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Warning: This post contains some mild spoilers about the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the show that catches up with Ewan McGregor’s now-middle-aged Jedi, premiered over the holiday weekend, and the first two episodes alone managed to cram in some familiar faces (and some new ones). We saw Jimmy Smits’ Bail Organa, Joel Edgerton’s Uncle Owen, to say nothing of a certain, unexpected, major character. Even C-3PO made an appearance. There’s still four more episodes left, and there will be more where that came from — with a catch.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes TV (as caught by ComicBook.com), Deborah Chow, the show’s director, teased that there will be more surprises. “I don’t think it would be Star Wars if we didn’t have some Easter eggs, and we didn’t have some cameos. So there definitely are some to come,” Chow said. Just don’t expect them to be of the lazy, mere fan service variety. “I think for us, what we do have in the show, it needed to come out of character for us. We didn’t want to just put things in for the sake of it.”

In other words, Chow and team have tried to make any cameos organic to the show, not just to score some viewer gasps. The distinction between organic and cheap cameos was well-explained by /Film:

For example, when Denis Lawson shows up for a few seconds as Wedge Antilles in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” it’s really just an Easter egg. On the other hand, when Max Rebo (RIP?) appears in “The Book of Boba Fett,” it both acts as an Easter egg and subtly fills us in on what became of Jabba the Hutt’s old crew after his death.

New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi drop on Thursdays on Disney+.

(Via Rotten Tomatoes TV and ComicBook.com)

Earlier this year, Draymond Green became the first active NBA player to ink a full-time media deal with Turner Sports, joining the Inside the NBA crew as a regular contributor after previously jumping on set for some spot duty during the postseason the past two years.

Green is now no longer alone in the active player ranks with a full-time media deal, as Pelicans guard CJ McCollum will be joining ESPN on a similar deal as an NBA analyst for the network, starting with Game 1 of the NBA Finals on their ESPN2 simulcast, as well as launching a podcast with ESPN, joining the ever-growing list of players entering the podcast business.

“I am excited to bring what I feel is my unique perspective, based on my vast knowledge of the game that I’ve gained during my nine years as a player in the NBA,” McCollum said in a statement. “To have an opportunity to put my journalism background to use on the largest stage with the many talented professionals at ESPN is a dream come true.”

McCollum, famously, was a journalism major at Lehigh University and has long been on the path to a post-playing career in media, but now he gets a head start on that, getting some reps doing game analyst work during Summer League and on Finals megacasts, launching a podcast, and also joining ESPN’s various studio shows throughout the year. It’s part of the ever-changing landscape of sports media, where active players are not just starting their own media operations, podcasts, and TV shows, but joining league network partners in official, full-time capacities, which can lead to some very interesting situations.

We’ve already seen this postseason how that can get a little awkward or a little spicy, whether it be Patrick Beverley’s victory lap on ESPN after Chris Paul and the Suns were eliminated by the Mavericks or the Heat getting mad about Draymond Green proclaiming the Warriors would face Boston in the Finals after Game 5 on the TNT set (which, ultimately, was correct). As more players work out these deals and this becomes a more regular thing, but we’ll see how long it takes for McCollum to voice opinions on a topic that rubs someone the wrong way elsewhere in the Association.

For several seasons, a singular question has swirled around the Boston Celtics: Can Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown win a championship together? The two star wings have redundant skill types that don’t necessarily amplify one another on a roster that lacks high level playmaking.

The noise got even louder after the Celtics started 16-18 and fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference, with plenty of fans and media wondering aloud whether Boston should pick one to build around and move the other at the deadline. Well, Jayson Tatum heard the noise and he said it fueled he and Brown all season after the Celtics’ Game 7 win over the Miami Heat moved Boston into the NBA Finals.

“I think all of those things have helped. From saying that we need to split the group up or get rid of somebody or me and JB cant play together. That fueled us to figure it out and not run from it. That you know we’re obviously going to be here for awhile and that we trust in each other and that we have to be better. So yeah, I think instead of separating, we became closer and that’s shown throughout the season.”

It turns out that deploying two 6’8 shot-creating wings who defend at a high level works really well in the playoffs. Boston dismissed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, endured seven games of Giannis hell, and overpowered a resilient Heat team all behind the leadership of Tatum and Brown. The duo now has a sneaky long playoff resume and an Eastern Conference trophy to display. The noise around their ability to play with one another always felt a bit premature and the duo has all but silenced that with their run to the Finals.

The existence of the Hulu documentary Look At Me: XXXTentacion is sort of perplexing. XXXTentacion was an artist who was almost excessively documented. Blogs, magazines, and newspapers covered what seemed to be his every move — starting with the move that kickstarted his infamy. Oddly enough, with all that documentation, it seems the enormity and repugnance of that initial move were never truly reckoned with, despite the Florida-born artist emerging at the height of an era in which nearly everyone can obsessively and thoroughly document their own lives, in real-time for audiences of thousands (the film seems pretty disinterested in doing so, as well).

Against those circumstances, the new documentary raises more questions than it answers, and the one hovering over all of them is: Who is this for? Produced by XXXTentacion’s manager, his mother, and the co-founder of The Fader magazine, the two-hour production functions at first as a biography. There are interviews with pivotal figures in X’s early career such as his former manager and friends like Ski Mask The Slump God. However, early problematic behavior like beating up another young man for a live stream on Periscope is characterized as simply marketing tactics or the reckless behavior of an exuberant personality. That’s the first sign of which way this documentary seems to be heading.

The tension increases upon the introduction of Geneva Ayala, the young woman who dated X shortly after some of his initial success — and who he nearly beat to death in horrific instances of alleged domestic abuse that were again recounted in lurid detail in court documents that surfaced in the years-long case that was never resolved. Ayala describes herself as “lost” as she continued her troubling, controlling relationship with XXXTentacion. It takes nearly an hour for the film to finally address the elephant in the room, and then strategically placed title cards seem to cast doubt on Ayala’s assertion that she was pregnant when X attacked her. She also admits to infidelity, which you can’t tell me isn’t another strategic move to undermine Ayala as a victim.

This is where XXXTentacion’s story highlights the grotesque of the entertainment industry. As X languishes in jail but receives heightened attention as a result of the gruesome charges against him, labels come calling, looking to capitalize on the publicity — no matter what it implies about their prospective partner. And while scenes recounting his record deal negotiations rightly reflect X’s business acumen at such a young age, they also — perhaps unintentionally — indict those who looked at him as a cash cow rather than a troubled young man who needed a different kind of help.

The movie reverts back to an examination of his album recording process for 17 and the album’s resulting success. Throughout the course of this act of the documentary, recordings are dredged up to reflect XXXTentacion’s fractured mind state — his paranoia, depression, and anxiety. It’s almost like the film is begging for sympathy for him, as if his talent and his mental illness could justify or excuse his behavior. While the filmmakers never shy away from the things he did or deny them, it’s hard to shake the sense that the producers — the people closest to him, who benefitted from his career the most, even as they likely had the most responsibility to get him into counseling or encourage him to restore his victims — are bargaining for absolution for themselves.

That sense comes through strongest in a round table scene toward the tail end of the film in which X’s aunt laments that X’s abuse hung over his head and defined him as much as his music. “How do you fully redeem yourself if every time, on every corner, it just keeps popping up?” his mom wonders. An off-screen interviewer counters, “How do you redeem yourself without ever admitting that you did something wrong?” The answers are as vague as X’s own responses on the issue; a focus on judgment, on his sense of personal accountability, the potential of his lost life. X’s mom offers her belief that he would have changed if he’d only gotten the chance — but would he? And what does it say about his fame that so many were so willing to excuse him if he didn’t?

That’s the true tragedy of a life cut as short as XXXTentacion’s was: We’ll never know. Yes, with more time, he could have turned his life around, perhaps in prison, perhaps on probation, perhaps years or even decades later after much therapy and self-reflection. But the flip side of that, the one this movie and X’s fans and the whole entertainment apparatus that benefitted from covering his blowups, his meltdowns, his triumphs, his failures, and yes, even his untimely demise can’t seem to acknowledge is that he could have stayed the same. He could have gotten worse. That’s the “complex” part of having a “complex legacy.” Look At Me, which seems to be as much for Jahseh’s closest associates to salve their guilty consciences as anything else, never really wants to look at that.

Jane’s Addiction guitarist and former Red Hot Chili Peppers member Dave Navarro is an important figure and personality in rock music and television, where he hosts the show Ink Master. So, fans are upset about his since-deleted Instagram post detailing his struggles with long COVID, which he has been battling since December of last year.

The statement mentions that he’s sharing this information so others dealing with the same struggles can feel less alone; he also describes his ways of getting through it, which include meditation and yoga. Read it below.

So yeah, I’m one of the ones who came down with the ‘long haul covid’. Been sick since December and supposedly will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long.

If there are any of you who are still suffering long after your negative results, I’m just saying you aren’t alone. The fatigue and isolation is pretty awful but try to spend your time with the ones you love and stay creative. That’s how I’m trying to get through this thing. Also lots of spiritual practices, meditation and yoga have been very helpful. I’ll be ok, just don’t know when.

PS I’m not sure why I chose this picture to say all this. Maybe because who really cares and you gotta find fun somewhere? Or at least some levity. Love and laughter are wonderful antidotes for a sickness that you really can’t track.

Anyway thanks for listening and don’t worry about me. All indicators are pointing to a full recovery at some point!

There’s really no more to say on the matter so I’d appreciate not receiving a bunch of DMs or texts. Not out of disrespect for you guys, I’m just so tired of talking about this, I’m sure you can imagine!

Sending you all love and light. Even to those of you who are stoked I’m sick!

The ‘Mona Lisa,’ arguably the most famous work by polymath Leonardo da Vinci, has attracted its fair share of eccentricities. Perhaps you recall the petition to get Jeff Bezos to buy and consume the painting. (Da Vinci himself has inspired action movies.) But on Sunday, it caused something truly unexpected: a cake attack.

As per The New York Times, a man disguised himself as an elderly woman in a wheelchair so he could get close to the Louvre’s most popular attraction. He then proceeded to spring into action, standing up and smearing a cake onto the protective glass that shields it from such assaults.

His motive appears to be environmental. After attempting to smash the glass, he screamed about “people who were destroying the planet,” saying “that’s why I did it.” He was tackled by security, escorted out of the museum, and turned over to the police.

Images and video surfaced on social media of the defaced glass, which made it look like a big, white smudge had taken up real estate on the bottom half of the painting.

It’s not the first time the Mona Lisa has drawn attackers. In 1956, a man threw a stone at the painting, causing a chip of paint to fall off. (He later said he did it because he was homeless and hoped to be jailed for the winter.) In 2009, a woman threw a teacup, which was shattered upon impact with the protective glass. As for, da Vinci, he can rest easy knowing that a few years ago one of his paintings, a portrait of Jesus Christ, sold for more than any other painting in history.

(Via NYT)

Reading is a fundamental tool of learning for most people, which is why it’s one of the first things kids learn in school and why nations set literacy goals.

But even those of us who are able to read fluently might sometimes struggle with the act of reading itself. Perhaps we don’t read as quickly as we wish we could or maybe our minds wander as our eyes move across the words. Sometimes we get to the end of a paragraph and realize we didn’t retain anything we just read.

People with focus or attention issues can struggle with reading, despite having no actual reading disabilities. It can be extremely frustrating to want to read something and have no issues with understanding the material, yet be unable to keep your mind engaged with the text long enough to get “into” what you’re reading.

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But what if there were a font that could help you stay focused? That could help you not only read faster but better retain what you’ve just read?

That’s what the creators of Bionic Reading claim is possible with their font tool.

“Bionic Reading revises texts so that the most concise parts of words are highlighted,” the Swiss company’s website reads. “This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly.”

Give it a try:

The gist is that our eyes don’t need to focus on the entire word because our brains can fill in the rest for us. By bolding the first part of the word, we’re more quickly able to move from word to word.

“Bionic Reading aims to play a supporting role in the absorption of volume text,” states the website. “We see technological progress as an opportunity for all those who want to increase the pleasure of reading in a noisy and hectic world in a focused way and without distraction.”

While there are no studies cited on this method of reading, there are plenty of anecdotes about it being helpful. The example shared by @WhattheADHD on Twitter got people’s attention and many people responded with enthusiasm at how much easier the bionic reading text was for them to read.

“This is amazing! I have ADHD and I didn’t even realize that I was having trouble fixating when I read,” wrote one person. “My eye latches right on to the bold face. Can’t wait to try reading a book again. It’s been all audiobooks for a while.”

“It’s incredible how reading this feels like finally unlocking 100% of your brain,” wrote another.

However, not everyone was impressed or thrilled with the sample. Some people said that they had a harder time reading the bionic text or that it distracted or slowed them down. Both positive and negative responses came from a diverse pool of people. Some who described themselves as neurodivergent said that they loved it and some said it was harder. The same went for people who said they were neurotypical, so it’s hard to say who this tool may specifically help the most. Everyone’s brains work differently, and different people will find different things helpful.

Bionic reading might be a game-changer for some, but it’s not the only tool of its kind. There are speed-reading programs that train you to stop reading each word and allow your brain to read visually instead of auditorily. There are also various methods of making reading easier by adjusting how your eyes move across the text.

For instance, check out this “space reading” technique:

Bionic Reading has a free text converter on its website that you can use to try out its font changes. A YouTube clip from the company also shows possibilities for how the font can be adjusted to individual preferences, making more or less of the initial letters bolded.

And again, if this doesn’t work for you, then it’s probably not made for you. For people who struggle with reading, something like Bionic Reading could make a huge difference.

Three cheers for technology being used to help people overcome difficulties and make learning easier and more efficient.

Teenagers face mounting pressure to not only perform but to outperform their peers in academics and athletics. Getting to play sports at the collegiate level has been turned into a ceremony that resembles a professional draft. It’s a big deal—being on top secures you cameras and attention and scholarships at the most prestigious universities. We rarely talk about the immense pressure these student athletes face starting at a young age. It’s easy to forget that these athletes don’t pop up overnight. Many have been playing since they could walk without their large toddler heads causing them to tumble over themselves. Elite athletes are created from a combination of natural talent, dedication and enough internal and external pressure to create a diamond.

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These superhuman expectations can wreak havoc on the still developing brains of teenagers and young adults, causing anxiety and depression. This year alone there has been an uptick in student athletes dying by suicide. These deaths are occurring in teens and young adults who are at the top of their game playing a sport they likely loved. It’s patently clear that the pressure on these students is immense. That’s why when Noah Melick, a University of Wisconsin soccer player, decided to take a step back from a sport he excelled at, his actions garnered support from across America.

Melick shared in a letter that he posted to Facebook explaining why he was giving up a sport that had secured him a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin. He wrote “After unimaginable concussions that left me disabled for a while, which led to mental health scares that could’ve taken my life, I have finally decided to hang ’em up,” he wrote. “It’s not worth the risk.”

The risk to a child’s physical and mental well-being is often forgotten about until an injury occurs. With Melick experiencing multiple concussions, it’s clear he had his fair share of physical pain. The star soccer player went on to say “pulling myself from my scholarship and school was the hardest decision of my life but could’ve been one of the smartest decisions I have ever made … because I’m still here.”

Later in the letter, Melick recognizes that it looked like he had everything but he was in a constant state of struggle due to his mental health. He encouraged other student athletes to do what they need to better themselves if they’re hurting or struggling. He continued his letter by saying “mental health is an injury that needs to be treated like any other injury,” and closed his resignation letter by recognizing three college student athletes that died by suicide this year with the reminder that “our identity isn’t our sport.”

Melick’s letter should serve as a reminder that although these kids are good at the sport they play, they’re still human and, in many cases, still children. Their mental health should come first above all else, because there’s no game or scholarship worth someone’s life. If you’re a parent of a student athlete, this letter should spark a conversation within your family about the seriousness of mental health and ways to address it in a healthy way. These athletes need our support and going on the comments under Noah’s letter, it seems like the support is out there. We just have to acknowledge the hurt.

If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (273-8255) or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line: 741741.

The number 143 was very special to Fred Rogers. To the star of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” it meant, I love you. “It takes one letter to say I and four letters to say love and three letters to say you. One hundred and forty-three,” he was fond of saying.

He even tried to maintain the weight of 143 pounds by swimming every day at a pool in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Three years ago, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared May 23, the 143rd day of the year, to be 1-4-3 Day in the state, celebrating Rogers’ commitment to kindness. “Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person,” Rogers once mused.

Rogers grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and his television show was produced at WQED Pittsburgh.

The governor’s office recommends that the state’s residents celebrate in three ways:

1. Embrace the spirit of the kindest Pennsylvanian, Fred Rogers
2. Do something kind for your neighbors
3. Spread the love by using hashtag #143DayInPA

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In its third year, the holiday seems to be catching on, especially in Pennsylvania schools, where one class celebrated by wearing cardigan sweaters, just like Mister Rogers did. It was also celebrated by incarcerated individuals at SCI Laurel Highlands, who raised over $7,000 for Cambria County Children and Youth Services.

Here’s how other people celebrated throughout the state on May 23, 2022.

Today is 143 Day, a statewide day of kindness in honor of Mister Rogers! Wyland Elementary students wore cardigans — a tribute to our special neighbor’s iconic attire ❤️ #143DayinPA pic.twitter.com/GGlE7Jadmq

— Hampton Township SD (@Hampton_Talbots) May 23, 2022

Today is 1-4-3 Day — A Day meaning “I Love You”, that was made popular by PA’s very own Fred Rogers, better known throughout the neighborhood as Mr. Rogers!

We decided to share our most recent 1-4-3 act from our volunteer day where we partnered with “Good Works”! #143DayinPA pic.twitter.com/AzXImMEOV5

— Senator John Kane (@SenatorJohnKane) May 23, 2022

Happy #143DayInPA, SCI! 🤗 Take some inspiration from Mr. Rogers himself and celebrate kindness today! pic.twitter.com/xOuO6Wp0hh

— School of Computing and Information (@SciPitt) May 23, 2022

In honor of #143DayInPA, incarcerated individuals at SCI Laurel Highlands donated $7,000 to Cambria County Children and Youth Services from money raised through various hoagie, pastry, soda, protein and ice cream sales. pic.twitter.com/d5JzXTeGBj

— PA Department of Corrections (@CorrectionsPA) May 23, 2022

Fogelsville is celebrating 143 day! I came back to my gym to find some great messages that made my day. #fvfoxes #143DayinPA pic.twitter.com/jcBhbv1ngc

— Mr. Webster 🦊 (@MrWebsterPE) May 23, 2022

Happy 1-4-3 Day, world! Today, I will strive to do at least 143 acts of kindness throughout my day, and let me just start by saying, “You look marvelous!” #143DayinPA #143Day #FredRogers #MrRogers pic.twitter.com/afVX8gNul5

— Noel Sufrin (@NoelSufrin) May 23, 2022

#143DayInPA ❤️ https://t.co/5LU7HmjEKs

— visitPA (@visitPA) May 23, 2022

Happy #143DayinPA, neighbors! Happy #143Day, everyone! pic.twitter.com/yhiPPUC8Pl

— Gregg Behr (@greggbehr) May 23, 2022

Ready for #143dayinpa … pic.twitter.com/54mfvBqnJi

— Dr. Shelly Bucci (@bucci_shelly) May 23, 2022

Fred Rogers is one of the most admired Americans of the past century and his message of kindness is sorely needed now more than ever. That’s why some are advocating for making 1-4-3 Day a national holiday so that Rogers’ values will be celebrated in communities across the country.

Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, co-authors of “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids,” made a compelling case for 1-4-3 Day becoming a national holiday in Time.

A recent study by Pew Research shows that Americans believe we could use a lot more neighborliness, too.

At a time when Americans’ trust in each other and its institutions is waning, 86% of us still believe it can be rebuilt with greater community cooperation. Who better to inspire us to reach that goal than America’s favorite neighbor, Mister Rogers?

While many of us look at Washington for solutions to our country’s problems, so much could be fixed if we simply took action in our local communities. A 79-year-old woman polled by Pew offered a simple but powerful solution to the country’s problems. “Seek common ground that engages as many as possible in the community and organize around a project that addresses that common concern,” she said.

“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” first aired nationally on PBS in 1968 and just about every child born since was taught about simple human kindness by Fred Rogers. Sadly, some of us have forgotten that lesson as we’ve grown older, so a national 1-4-3 holiday would be a perfect way for every American to reflect on those important values and to recommit to being the neighbors that Mister Rogers taught us to be.

The saying “waste not, want not” can be very valuable. However, as with most idioms of wisdom, it can be taken too far. Especially if it means putting up with severely unpleasant experiences simply to save a buck or two.

A person on Reddit by the username @Bull56Dozer recently asked the online community to share their own “well I paid for it, not letting it go to waste” moments and their question received a ton of responses. As it turns out, many, many humans would prefer to endure the uncomfortable (even consume the questionable) rather than potentially waste money.

A lot of the anecdotes were, perhaps unsurprisingly, food related. Considering that food inflation is at nearly 10% as of April 2022, it makes sense that people might want to milk every penny, even if that means drinking milk past the expiration date.

Plus, we do have a huge food waste issue. According to the World Food Programme, nearly one-third of all food currently produced globally is wasted each year … enough to feed 2 billion people. With those alarming statistics, I find myself choking down cereal that’s flavor is … interesting at best.

Of course, money fears could also be at play. Finances is a major source of stress for many people, if not manifesting into a full-blown phobia. Even those who are currently secure could still have been affected by growing up in poverty. As Leah Brookner, MA, MSW, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Social Work at Portland State University, explained in an article for Health, the trauma of childhood poverty—even when experienced well into young adulthood—can negatively shape the way we think. Luckily, she adds that with awareness, this is a challenge that can be overcome.

Maybe by making light of some of the measures we go through in the name of frugality, we can bring in some of this awareness, while still keeping our spirits lifted. After all, when given an optimistic spin, these moments can make for some funny stories. And time spent laughing is never wasted, right?

Without further ado, here are 14 of the best responses:

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1. How could Oprah lead them astray?

“The worst cake I ever had was $30 for two slices…It was my mom’s birthday and she wanted to go to this gourmet cake place that was every girl’s tea party fantasy on the inside. The cakes were even Oprah recommended which was the reason my mom knew about it. We go to eat it, and the cake is…..awful. And it’s not just, oh it’s not my taste, like the cakes just tasted bad….”

“…We still ate them because they were $30 but I had to buy my own frosting to get through it.” – @signaturefox2013

2. When cheapness leads to closure

“Planned a weekend away with the guy I was dating, it was for his birthday. We would go to a theme park and stay in a hotel. But in the meantime we decided to break up. We still got on that trip, cause we already booked. At first I thought it was going to be a bit awkward, but it turned out to be really fun and a nice way to close things off.” – @vonne_F

3. …and all they got was this lousy T-shirt

“Ran a marathon where I hit the wall at 25k. The remaining 17k I was just repeating to myself that I had paid for this and I was going to get my finisher T-shirt no matter what. Absolutely miserable 2 hours.” – @donut-or-do-not

4. Did somebody order a free feline piercing?

“My cat was pissed at me (I may have been egging him on) and bit my ear. In fact, he pierced my ear. My daughter cleaned it up for me and added a nice diamond-stud earring…I’m not a guy for earrings, but as long as I had a piercing, I’ll wear an earring for a little while at least…the hard part was done.” – @Southern_Snowshoe

5. In dad’s defense … should the turkey die for nothing?

“My dad burnt the thanksgiving turkey to the point were if he had left it 5 more minutes he would’ve burnt the whole house down… still forced us to eat it tho… worst thanksgiving to this day…” – @MemeVY

6. When the term “cheap date” becomes a little too literal

“Went on a date for Valentine’s Day and they offered to buy me a coffee beer at the restaurant. Horrible. I’m pretty sure they just made it with half black coffee, half stout and mixed it together in the glass. If I had purchased it myself, I would have noped out, but I managed to choke it down.” – @CONFETA

7. Mom never has to know

“I decided to try making a big batch of slow-cooked shredded pork tenderloin with smashed potatoes because my parents had this huge tenderloin in their freezer that they weren’t going to use. I had never cooked pork before, I’d never thawed meat before, I’d never used a slow cooker before…. What could possibly go wrong?

I severely messed it up …the pork came out tough and way, way over-seasoned with pepper, to the point that was its only flavor, and the worst part was that there was enough meat for ten work lunches, most of which I had to freeze so they wouldn’t go bad. I kept forgetting to thaw them in advance, which often resulted in the potatoes still being cold in the middle after reheating because I didn’t want to hold up the microwave at work.

So for two whole weeks, I had over-seasoned, tough shredded pork and cold, under-seasoned potatoes for lunch at work. Why did I not stop this chain of events at any point or throw the food out, you may ask? Because I knew my mom would lecture me about it…and I’ve always been too cheap to pay for delivery.” – @RinTheLost

8. When you’re a bookworm on a budget

“When I was younger not only would I compulsively finish any book I started, but I would also finish any series it was a part of.” – @tehKrakken55

However, this person did have a one-time caveat:

“I read Twilight to see what the fuss was about, and got a third of the way into whatever the hell the third book is before I looked at myself in the mirror and said ‘You do not have to finish books you don’t like.'”

9. Sticking to the bitter, bitter end

“I try to be very careful with my money. So I usually only get coffee from Dunkin or Starbucks as a treat to myself lol. I order the same thing every time. French vanilla cold brew with cream and no cold foam. Today for some reason, it was so bitter and terrible I could barely stand it. No cream, no French vanilla and even a bit of the coffee grounds were still floating around in there. I paid 3.50 for it …so I drank it. Lol.” – @ItchyInvestigator174

10. Yay?

“Current college course. 7 and a half grand in debt for almost the rest of my life and I’m just there for the experience.” – @_Frog_Enthusiast_

11. When thriftiness leaves you feeling salty

“Overly salty peanut butter chocolate cake…..I can still feel the salt burns on my tongue after just the first slice. No amount of milk, whipped cream or fruit helped but that salt. Ate every last crumb of that cake. Took me only two weeks. It was a 6” cake.” – @GeneticExperiment626

12. Because those pants WILL come back in style!

“Most of the items of clothes in my closet unfortunately. I don’t like them so I don’t wear them but I can’t bring myself to throw them out because, well, I paid for them.” – @agentPheasant

13. When it affects you’re health, there’s a problem

“Medication for my ADHD. On paper, should’ve been a great fit, but it turned me into a zombie. And I don’t say that lightly, I couldn’t tell you what happened those few months…At the time i also had undiagnosed Generalized Anxiety, which can be severely exasperated by high doses of many ADHD meds. I was taking a 35 mg does which is pretty high for ADHD meds. So when I wasn’t a zombie, I was having serve panicking attacks. The anxiety and zombification was so bad it counteracted the benefits of the medicine. Yet, I kept with it for FOUR MONTHS because they were expensive. Stupidest thing I’ve done. Four months I’m never getting back. Btw I got a better much lower and effective does now.” – @Agitated-Salad-894

14. Saved the happiest ending for last

“My mom bought me a 1 year gym membership ( I was 16 ) I didn’t want to go to the gym at all . But she told me try it out once and see what happens , I was angry at the time but I figured ‘well I cant cancel it and the money’s already been paid, I’ll see what happens.’ Here I am talking to you, 100 pounds lighter. I love my mom.” – @Mission-Pickle-2846