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Boston Will Not Have Al Horford Or Marcus Smart For Game 1 In Miami

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will begin the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, but both teams will be without some very important players.

For the Heat, Kyle Lowry remains out with a hamstring injury he suffered in the first round against the Hawks and aggravated against the Sixers. For Boston, both Marcus Smart and Al Horford will be out for Game 1 after Smart suffered a sprained foot in their Game 7 win over Milwaukee, while Horford has entered health and safety protocols.

Losing the Defensive Player of the Year is obviously a major blow to Boston on that end of the floor, but Smart has also become one of their more reliable spot-up shooters and is their best offensive initiator outside of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. One would expect Derrick White, who was terrific in the conference semis against the Bucks, to step into the starting role and play major minutes in Smart’s absence.

Horford has likewise been huge for the Celtics, effectively winning them Game 4 in Milwaukee and playing some of the best defense of his career this postseason. Horford allows Boston to go 5-out on offense and switch everything defensively, and without him they will have to rely on Robert Williams (now fully back from his knee injury) and Daniel Theis in their center rotation, with Grant Williams likely getting some small-ball center minutes when they want to be more switchable. The Horford-Grant Williams pairing had been their most successful defensive frontcourt against Giannis Antetkounmpo and the Bucks, and losing that option for the opener, if not longer, is a big blow.

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Ian Sweet Relishes In The Joyful Comfort Of An Ace Karaoke Dive Bar In The ‘Fight’ Video

Last year’s Show Me How You Disappear, was yet another arresting album by Ian Sweet filled with sparkling guitars and emotionally-charged lyricism. The project of LA’s Jillian Medford, Ian Sweet, has now released her second track since the excellent album, in the beaming song, “Fight.” The band has also announced a slew of upcoming North America and Europe tour dates

Medford says “Fight” is about a pandemic relationship that didn’t quite pan out in the end; a reminder that, hey, a lot of people went through that super recently. In a statement, Medford said the track harkens back to the feelings of, “Spending every day with someone, doing everything together, not knowing if the world was going to end. Leaning on someone with such heaviness, putting our entire weight and being onto each other, because it’s all we had. The song plays into both the monotony of the relationship and the catastrophe that I went through after it ended. I felt so content in the relationship but then my entire world fell apart when it ended and I didn’t know how to pick myself back up and move forward.”

The feverish outpouring is captured in the karaoke dive bar-set video by director Lucy Sandler. Medford and friends, take to the stage of Santa Monica Blvd’s Prime Time Pub, to sing “Fight” and each person on the mic feels the song’s purpose in their own way. Meanwhile, Medford’s “I Love Pain” t-shirt, is an omnipresent reminder of the constant flux of relationships, especially in less than ideal times.

Watch Ian Sweet’s video for “Fight” above and check out the full list of tour dates below.

05/18 — Tilburg, NL @ Skatecafe
05/19 — Groningen, NL @ Vera
05/20 — Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
05/22 — Manchester, UK @ YES
05/23 — Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
05/25 — Liverpool, UK @ Zanzibar Club
05/26 — London, UK @ The Grace
05/28 — Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
05/29 — Nottingham, UK @ Dot To Dot Festival
05/31 — Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
06/22 — 06/24 — Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
07/27 — New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right #
07/28 — Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
07/29 — Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
07/31 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
08/01 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
08/02 — Toronto, ON @ Baby G #
08/04 — Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
08/05 — Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo #
08/06 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry #
08/08 — Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge #
08/09 — Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar #
08/11 — Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge #
08/12 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court #
08/14 — Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar#

#= with Bnny

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The ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Season Two Trailer Has Even More Murder

The best comedy trio of the year (not them) is finally back to their various shenanigans and may or may not be murderers. The trailer for the second season of the hit Hulu series Only Murders In The Building has dropped, featuring your favorite two old guys and a millennial solving crime in a swanky Manhattan apartment building.

Starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, the second season of the acclaimed show will dive deeper into what’s really going on at The Arconia. As per the official description: “Following the shocking death of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger, Charles, Oliver & Mabel race to unmask her killer.” The second season brings in some new cast members, including Cara Delevingne, Michael Rapaport, and Amy Schumer.

In season one, the main characters first bonded over a fictitious true-crime podcast, All Is Not OK In Oklahoma, before joining up to start a podcast of their own, and eventually becoming suspects in a murder investigation.

Gomez hosted Saturday Night Live last weekend and even starred in a short alongside Martin, who has hosted SNL fifteen times. Martin Short was also a cast member in the 80s before Gomez was born. A dream team!

The second season of Only Murders In The Building airs on June 28th on Hulu. Check out the trailer above.

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Seth Green Is Imploring People Not To Buy His Stolen NFTs After Falling Victim To Phishers

Digital content hasn’t been doing so hot. Last week, numerous forms of cryptocurrency crashed big-time, so much so that Matt Damon’s Super Bowl crypto ad got dragged online all over again. The week before, the NFT market seemed to collapse, thanks in part to — you guessed it — Elon Musk. Now some phishers have come for Seth Green’s collection of non-fungible tokens.

The Buffy and Austin Powers alum announced on Tuesday that scammers had swiped two high-profile NFTs from his crypto wallet. Three, of course, were apes — one Bored, two Mutant. The other was from the Doodles collection. He advised people away from buying or trading them. He also reached out to someone who bought one of his stolen apes to set things right.

“Well frens it happened to me,” Green tweeted. “Got phished and had 4NFT stolen. @BoredApeYC @opensea @doodles @yugalabs please don’t buy or trade these while I work to resolve: @DarkWing84 looks like you bought my stolen ape- hit me up so we can fix it.”

Green is one of many celebrities who’s gotten into the NFT game, even launching his own collection, called Pizzabots, with the magazine Heavy Metal. He’s even planning an NFT-linked animated series with crypto promoter Steve Aoki.

Of the NFTs stolen from Green, hackers have already sold two of the NFTs: the Bored Ape for over $200,000 and one of the Mutant ones for $42,200. The remaining two are worth a combined $70,000, though they, like Green’s account, have since been flagged as suspicious by the NFT marketplace OpenSea.

In the meantime, Madonna is releasing her own NFT, featuring, of course, her vagina giving birth to various forms of nature.

(Via Vice)

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Patrick Beverley Insists He’d Have Gotten The Lakers To The Conference Finals This Year Because They Lacked Leadership

Patrick Beverley has spent the last few days rifling through takes about NBA things on ESPN. Most notably, Beverley has had a whole heck of a lot to say about the Phoenix Suns no-showing in Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks, with a whole lot of hating on Chris Paul mixed into what he’s had to say.

Plenty of folks around the game, like Damian Lillard and Matt Barnes, weren’t a fan of how Beverley used the time to go after Paul on Tuesday. But ESPN brought Beverley back for a few more appearances on Tuesday, and during a cameo on Stephen A’s World, Pat Bev had some things to say about the Los Angeles Lakers.

“If I was a free agent and I played for the Lakers, [we’re] going to the playoffs, goin to the Western Conference Finals,” Beverley said.

Smith got Beverley to say that he could have helped the Lakers get there if they were the exact same team, and expressed that he believed he’d bring one specific thing the team lacked.

“And no discredit to LeBron James, but he’s doing so much, who’s the leader?” Beverley asked. “They had success cause there was a leader there. [Rajon] Rondo was there [for the 2020 championship], at the time he was the leader. Who’s the leader?”

Beverley believes the team lacked someone who would tell James where he had to be and what he had to do “on a consistent basis,” and that he’s willing to say those sorts of things to anyone.

“It’s not about me scoring 20, it’s not about me having 15 dimes, I wanna win,” Beverley said.

The Lakers ended this season 33-49, good for 11th place in the Western Conference.

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Study shows your cat probably knows your name and those of their feline friends

Cats are often seen as being aloof or standoffish, even with their owners. Of course, that differs based on who that cat lives with and their lifetime of experience with humans. But when compared to man’s best friend, cats usually seem less interested in those around them, regardless of species.

However, a new study out of Japan has found that cats may be paying more attention to their fellow felines and human friends than most people thought. In fact, they could be listening to human conversations.

“What we discovered is astonishing,” Saho Takagi, a research fellow specializing in animal science at Azabu University in Kanagawa Prefecture, told The Asahi Shimbun. “I want people to know the truth. Felines do not appear to listen to people’s conversations, but as a matter of fact, they do.”

How do we know they’re listening? Because the study shows that household cats often know the names of their human and feline friends.


The researchers studied 48 cats that live with at least two other pets either in a family home or at a café. Each cat was played a recording of their owner calling the name of a cat they lived with that was accompanied by a feline photo. Sometimes the photos were of the correct cat, other times they were not. The household cats spent a longer time looking at photos of the incorrect cat—a common reaction when animals are surprised.

“These results indicate that only household cats anticipated a specific cat face upon hearing the cat’s name, suggesting that they matched the stimulus cat’s name and the specific individual,” the authors explained.

The researchers also tried the same experiment with their owner’s name being said alongside an accompanying photo that was either correct or incorrect.

The results show that some house cats stared longer at the monitor when the face didn’t match the name, suggesting they knew the human’s name. But they were more familiar with the names of the cats in the home. The study found that cats that lived in a larger human family “attended for longer to the monitor in the incongruent condition” as well as those who had lived with the family for a longer period of time.

Researchers hypothesize that the cats are more familiar with the names of their feline counterparts than their human families because there is competition for food. “A cat might receive food when the owner calls her name but not when she calls another cat’s name,” the researchers wrote.

Unfortunately, café cats that are used to interacting with a greater number of strangers aren’t as familiar with the names of their fellow felines or human friends.

“These results indicate that only household cats anticipated a specific cat face upon hearing the cat’s name, suggesting that they matched the stimulus cat’s name and the specific individual,” the study says.

The authors believe that household cats may learn the names of other cats and humans but they aren’t sure why and “could not identify the mechanism of learning.”

“It is still an open question how cats learn the other cats’ names and faces,” researchers note. Because, of course, a cat is never going to tell you everything.

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Students hold their own ‘diversity day’ after school board voted to cancel the tradition

In elementary school we had a day where everyone would bring a cultural dish, come dressed in their culture’s traditional garb and present to the class about where you came from. The day was always a mix of kids talking about their German, Italian or Polish traditions while the Black kids were left a bit uncomfortable because the link to our heritage had been broken. Sure we brought food that some of us looked up in the encyclopedia. You know, back before the days of the internet. I remember being slightly mortified when my mom suggested bringing cornbread or collard greens because I knew none of the other kids would be bringing southern staples that day.

While the school attempted to check off the box for diversity, it was not a well-thought-out plan and caused a bit of embarrassment and harm. So when a school works to get it right and use their diversity day to discuss social issues and include interactive activities, you want to see it succeed. Turpin High School in Anderson Township, Ohio, had a tradition of holding diversity day where they did just that. Students and staff talked about hard topics and participated in activities where students were required to opt in with a permission slip from their parents. But this year, the school board postponed the much-anticipated day less than 24 hours before the event was to take place and then canceled it altogether.


It was later revealed that the school board took issue with certain language, activities and content of Turpin’s diversity day. One school board member, Sara Jonas, called diversity day offensive to Black families that she knows in the district and offered an alternative. Her solution? Share foods and music from different cultures instead of discussing social justice issues. The students at Turpin High were not interested in her suggestion and were upset that the event many students were looking forward to was canceled at the last minute.

The itinerary was changed to address the concerns raised but the school board didn’t budge on its decision and a protest broke out at the meeting, where parents joined students in chanting. The school board sent out a newsletter officially canceling the event, making the decision final despite the joint efforts to reinstate it.

Instead of accepting the fact that diversity day wasn’t going to happen, students decided to take the event into their own hands. Claire Mengel, a senior at Turpin High School, told WKRC Local 12, “I am scared to ask a teacher to go to the bathroom during a test, but I think there are some issues you have to take a stand on.”

Mengel went on to say, “If authority isn’t protecting your needs or listening to you, then they shouldn’t be in authority.” The students have planned to hold their own diversity day off campus on May 18 as well as hold a peaceful demonstration on the same day. These kids are hoping their efforts will bring about meaningful change and their community will be better for it.

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Spain set to join a handful of countries offering paid ‘menstrual leave,’ for workers

How people experience menstruation can run the gamut, from minor inconvenience to debilitating pain and discomfort to everything in between. For some, it’s a few extra bathroom trips and maybe a little moodiness for a few days. For others, the symptoms can include migraine headaches, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and cramps that make it nearly impossible to get out of bed.

Societies and cultures around the world have taken different approaches to menstruation, from stigmatizing ostracization to celebration and respect. And generally speaking—other than perhaps putting period product machines in women’s restrooms—the professional world simply pretends that menstruation doesn’t exist. Employers aren’t about to ask about it and considering the uphill battle to get women accepted in many professional settings, most women aren’t going to openly talk about it.

But globally, women make up nearly 40% of the labor force, and in the U.S. that percentage climbs to nearly 50%. With so many women participating in the workforce, and with a good percentage of people who menstruate experiencing significant pain and discomfort, it seems logical that menstruation would at least be a consideration of some sort in terms of employment policies.


A handful of countries have officially recognized menstruation as a reason to take time off of work, including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Zambia and parts of China and India. According to CBS 8, these countries offer anywhere from 30 extra minutes of break time to multiple days off with full pay for employees whose menstrual symptoms interfere with their work. In South Korea, an ex-CEO made headlines last year when he was fined for refusing to allow an employee menstrual leave, which is protected by the country’s employment laws. But the concept isn’t new. Japan’s menstrual leave policies have been in place since 1947.

Now, Spain is positioned to become the first Western nation to offer people paid time off during their periods.

According to Euronews Next , the Spanish government is expected to endorse a reproductive health bill that includes three to five days of menstrual leave per month for those with painful periods.

The outlet reported that Irene Montero, Spain’s equality minister, wrote on Twitter: “We are making progress so that it is no longer normal to go to work in pain and to put an end to the stigma, shame and silence surrounding menstruation. We are making progress on rights.”

However, the push for menstrual leave is not without controversy. Members of Spain’s government as well as its main trade unions have differing opinions on the measure, with some questioning what constitutes a “painful period” and some expressing concern that menstrual leave will ultimately stigmatize women even more, making it less likely that employers will want to hire women.

Such debates are reflected in discussions among the general population as well. A Reddit post about Spain’s pending legislation prompted some lively debates about whether menstrual leave is a positive or negative thing for women in the workforce.

“On one hand I think it’s fantastic a woman can take a few days off when she’s got her period, I know I’d hate to work with cramps and stuff” wrote one commenter. “But I do worry that it might make business less likely to hire women, and/or women less valuable.”

“I’d imagine in the same way that having a kid makes some companies not want to hire women, having them taking 3 days off will further push them to the side of let’s find a reason not to hire them,” wrote another.

“I don’t think codifying the ridiculous idea that women are 10% less productive than men is a good thing,” wrote another.

However, it appears the policy is not meant to be a blanket few days off for all people who menstruate, but rather for those who suffer from severe symptoms.

“It is important to clarify what a painful period is, we are not talking about a slight discomfort, but about serious symptoms such as diarrhea, severe headaches, fever,” Ángela Rodríguez, Spain’s secretary of state for equality and against gender violence, told El Periódico newspaper, according to Euronews Next.

In addition to concerns, there was compassion on Reddit for women who suffer from painful periods as well.

“Seems good in theory. Women have the option to use it, but don’t have to if their periods aren’t bad,” wrote one Reddit commenter. “It’s a pro-labor market right now, so this is the right time to push for these sorts of programs. My wife gets terrible cramps prior to her cycle. I would like for her to at least have the option to take a day or two off so she can take some Pamprin and curl up in a ball.”

“I’m a guy I don’t get periods but I know my mom and my sister particularly my sister gets it so bad she has to stay home from school when that time of the month comes around,” wrote another. “And I guess from how I understand it every woman’s period is different from another so I hope this helps those who have severe pain and such.”

The post also prompted discussion about how paid sick leave varies from place to place. Some people were shocked to hear that paid sick leave isn’t guaranteed in some places (ahem, the United States) and some were surprised that in some places where paid sick leave is unlimited, a doctor has to send a note to your employer for it to count.

Some people felt that if you don’t work, you don’t deserve to get paid, period. Some felt that an employer has no right to know what your medical status is and if you are sick, you should just be able to say you’re sick and be believed. Some complained that people go to work sick and make others sick because they’re afraid of losing their jobs.

Fundamentally, if someone is not feeling well enough to work, whether it’s due to illness or period pain or other health issues, they should be able to take time off without worrying about their livelihood. That’s simply humane. A menstrual leave law may have pros and cons in practice, but at the end of the day, the acknowledgment that some periods can leave people suffering for a few days a month is a good thing, and ensuring that those people have the ability to care for themselves is the right thing to do.

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Artist makes gorgeous headpieces as a way to celebrate her Filipino culture

Artist Mar Velicaria is giving a renaissance to Filipino culture. Her beautiful handmade golden headdresses are taking over TikTok, and not just because they are stunning to look at.

Velicaria currently has four different crown designs, all inspired by a key part of the Filipino flag: the Philippine sun. The image of the sun invokes a lot of different things for a lot of different people. But it has a particular meaning in Filipino culture.

Located in the center of the flag’s white triangle, the sun—which originally had a face on it—is meant to symbolize the “brightness of the Filipino mind,” according to The Philippines Today. Each of the sun’s eight rays represent the provinces that rebelled against Spain to defend freedom.

filipino sun crown


commons.wikimedia.org

In addition, it features three stars surrounding the sun, which carry two different meanings. First, they represent the three groups of islands that make up the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. But each star also carries more specific context: Luzon represents diligence, Mindanao preserving nature and Visayas the importance of a happy personality.

Velicaria used her impressive skills to shine a spotlight on this rich heritage in a truly creative way and people are loving her for it.


Below is her first design, simply called the “Reyna.”

@marharlika

POV you’re just trying to live out your mom’s dream of being in a Philippine teleserya 🇵🇭🤪

♬ It’s All Coming Back To Me Now – Céline Dion

Velicaria told “Good Morning America” that the idea came to her after watching the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme of “heavenly bodies.” What started out as a fun creative hobby soon became a meaningful way to support and celebrate her community.

“I hope my products inspire you to learn more about your family, your culture, your people and yourself,” she told GMA.

Below is a slightly different but just as beautiful crown called the “5 Ray Reyna.”

@marharlika

I didn’t expect this version of headpiece to be as popular as it is, but I’m happy that y’all like it 💖🥰🇵🇭

♬ T a l k i n g t o t h e P l a y D a t e – MidnightDrives

This one is my personal favorite, called the “Sunpaguita.”

@marharlika

POV you fall asleep during class and dream of sunny days ☀️

♬ Howl’s Moving Castle – Merry-Go-Round of Life – Vitamin String Quartet

The Sampaquita is the national flower of the Philippines, though oddly enough it isn’t native to the area. The flower symbolizes purity, simplicity, humility and strength.

Last but not least, there’s the lovely “Maria,” showing up at the very beginning of this video:

@marharlika Since so many class of 2022 grads wanna see what the headpieces looked like in a cap and gown 🎓✨🇵🇭👑 #classof2022 ♬ Get Up (feat Chamillionaire) – Ciara

Mary, aka “The Blessed Mother,” is a major icon in Filipino Catholic tradition. Several days throughout the year are dedicated to honoring her, as she is seen as a living connection to the sacred.

It’s not just glamorous crowns either; Velicaria offers all kinds of accessories and jewelry inspired by Filipino culture. And with every lovely trinket she creates, she brings in more representation.

“There’s this saying [in Tagalog] called ‘Isang Bagsak,’ which means ‘One Down,” she said to GMA. “It basically represents this idea in Philippine culture that if one of us falls, we all fall. And if one of us rises, we all rise.”

If you want to check out more of her work, or even purchase a few items, you can find her Instagram and website here and here.

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People are sharing the ’90s trends they totally want back and it’s an oasis of nostalgia

There are a lot of reasons to feel a twinge of nostalgia for the final days of the 20th century. Rampant inflation, a global pandemic and political unrest have created a sense of uneasiness about the future that has everyone feeling a bit down.

There’s also a feeling that the current state of pop culture is lacking as well. Nobody listens to new music anymore and unless you’re into superheroes, it seems like creativity is seriously missing from the silver screen.

But, you gotta admit, that TV is still pretty damn good.

A lot of folks feel Americans have become a lot harsher to one another due to political divides, which seem to be widening by the day due to the power of the internet and partisan media.


Given today’s feeling of malaise, there are a lot of people who miss the 1990s or, as some call it, “the best decade ever.” Why? The 1990s was economically prosperous, crime was on its way down after the violent ’70s and ’80s, and pop culture was soaring with indie films, grunge rock and hip-hop all in their golden eras.

The rest of the world was feeling hopeful as globalization brought prosperity and Communism fell in Europe and Asia.

The mood in America would swiftly change at the turn of the century when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and the 2001 9/11 attacks would lead to the never-ending “war on terror.”

A Reddit user by the name purplekat20 was clearly feeling some ’90s nostalgia on May 16 when they asked the online forum to share “What ’90s trend would you bring back?” A lot of people noted that it was a lot cheaper to get by in the ’90s, especially considering gas and rent prices. Others missed living in the real world instead of having one foot in reality and the other online.

Here are 17 things people would love to bring back from the 1990s.

1. 

“Inflatable furniture and transparent electronics.” — Dabbles-In-Irony

2.

“Hope.” — DeadOnBalllsaccurate

To which HowardMoo responded: “I hate this despair thing that’s all the rage these days. I miss optimism.”

3. 

“The ’90s web was the best web. People actually made their own home pages. Now it’s all social media.” — IBeTrippin

4. 

“Affordable housing.” — Amiramaha

5. 

“Ninety nine cent per gallon gas.” — Maxwyfe

6. 

“The ‘mean people suck’ statement everywhere. People seemed generally a lot happier and kinder back then. It was a nice reminder to be kind.” — simplyintentional

7. 

“Being detached. Not being attached to an electronic gadget every minute of every day.” — SuperArppis

8. 

“Calling fake-ass people ‘poser.’ The state of social media and ‘reality’ tv demands that this word be taken out of retirement.” — rumpusbutnotwild

9. 

“Grunge music.” — ofsquire

10. 

“I want movies to be the same caliber as ’90s.” — waqasnaseem07

Cremmitquada nailed it on the head with their response, “Everything has been redone. It’s all recycled ideas now.”

11. 

“Pants that didn’t have to be super-tight to be in style.” — chad-beer-316

12. 

“People really expressing themselves. Very few people take any risks with style anymore, or they do something ‘different’ that’s just enough to still conform. In the ’80s and ’90s there were people doing crazy things with hair and piercing and just didn’t give a fuck. I don’t think I’ll ever see that come back.” — FewWill

13. 

“Great animated TV. Spongebob started in the 90s (99 but it counts), Hey Arnold, X-Men, Batman, Justice League, Dexter’s Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Boomerang cartoons… the list goes on.” — Phreedom Phighter

14. 

“Fast food restaurant interiors.” — Glum-Leg-1886

15. 

“Hypercolor shirts and neon puff paint designs on t-shirts. But here in a few months, that’ll be changed to abortion and voting rights, probably.” — TheDoctorisen

16. 

“News that was news instead of rage bait.” — nmj95123

17. 

“We had a stable country with a vigorous economy. In fact, we drew a budget surplus some of those years.” — jeremyxt