The following article, Are They Drunk? The Kamala and Walz Clown Show, was first published on Conservative Firing Line. Tim Walz chose to adjust himself in front of a bunch of college students after flipping a Trump supporter the bird at a football game. Whatta piece of work. Then crazy Kamala staged a photo with earphones that weren’t plugged into the phone. They are a total clown show. The Walz Clown show If you’re … Continue reading Are They Drunk? The Kamala and Walz Clown Show ...

Although I don't support graffitiing a Police car, it's still funny to watch...

Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old, Grace. Sadly, Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor."I didn't get one dance," Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. "And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said, 'Dad, if you embarrass me, I will never talk to you again.' But what she did do is she hung out with me."No matter who your dad is, especially if you're a 10-year-old-girl, you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school '90s Marky Mark moves.However, Wahlberg couldn't help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.Let's not forget, he didn't get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the "Good Vibrations" video.Being that Wahlberg's time as a pop star was three decades ago, he couldn't believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance."[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage, by the DJ. And then I'm sitting there with one other dad and I'm like, 'This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I'm like no good,'" he said."I told the DJ and he's like, 'Oh, I thought it was.' I said, 'What are you doing?' I'm hearing F-bombs and this and that's not okay," Wahlberg said.He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version, but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society," said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in," Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity," Frisby said."For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version, but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society," said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in," Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity," Frisby said."For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."This article originally appeared on 03.03.20

"Fit check" is something you've probably heard multiple times if you've spent any amount of time on social media over the past year. It's something like the red carpet question of "who are you wearing?" which prompts the celebrity to rattle off their designer labels for the night. Except now it's a trend for regular folks to share info about their outfits.It's pretty helpful if you see an influencer wearing something cute. But this grandpa has got to have the sweetest "fit check" ever and people on social media agree. Liam Ryan , who's 86, made a guest appearance in his granddaughter's TikTok, where 24-year-old Grace Pettit coaches her gramps through the process.The video is filled with giggles from Pettit as her grandpa tries to make sure he hits all his articles of clothing. The people need to know where Gramps got his fit. When the video starts, Ryan stands in front of the camera and says, "Hi, I'm Gramps. We're doing a fit check."Turns out, if we want to find an outfit as cool as Ryan's we have to wait for the perfect gift. After the intro, Ryan gives us the details we've been waiting for: "My jeans are a Christmas gift. My shirt is a Christmas gift. My sweater, my brother gave me. And my sneakers…" he trailed off before Pettit jumped in to assist. After she held him steady so he could show off his shoes, Pettit did her own quick fit check. The interaction is warming commenters' hearts. One person wrote, "He is the cutest thing in the entire world." Another commenter wrote, "Gramps is easily the coolest person I've ever seen on this app.""I hope when I'm old, my grandkids love me like this. This is so sweet," another user wrote. Clearly the internet has adopted a new grandpa, and he just happens to have the coolest outfit. Pettit captioned the video, "This is my new favorite video ever." Watch the adorable video below: @pettitgrace This is my new favorite video ever. This article originally appeared on 1.4.23

When Ron Milburn came across a tiny, hairless creature the size of his thumb in his driveway, he had no idea what it was. So he took it inside, wrapped it up to keep it warm and started Googling. After figuring out it was a newborn squirrel that had probably fallen out of its nest, he put it back outside in a shallow box and waited to see if the mom would return for it. She did come to check it out, but then left it again. (Later, Milburn would find out that the baby squirrel had a mouth deformity which most likely made it unable to suckle properly.)Milburn didn't think the wee one would survive, but he decided to do his best. He took it back inside and began feeding it puppy formula with a syringe every three hours, around the clock. He said it was "like having a newborn baby in the house." It worked. The squirrel grew and grew and they began to bond. Once Milburn knew the babe was going to make it and could identify it as a male, he named him Bobby. (Robert T. Squirrel, to be precise—the T is for "The"). Milburn shared the story of Bobby's rescue and their relationship with Newsner's We Love Animals channel, and I feel a duty to warn you that the video will almost-pretty-much-for-sure make you want a pet squirrel. Milburn shared the video on his TikTok channel dedicated to Bobby, where it has collected more than four million views. Watch: @robertsquirrel From an interview on Newsner who has 30 million followers in 11 languages But that's not where the story ends.Bobby has a family now out in his little squirrel house. He and his squirrel wife, Barbara Ann, are the proud parents of four youngsters—Peepers, Jeepers, Creepers and Sneekers. "Peepers seldom ventures from the treehouse, and Jeepers is a bit more adventurous. Creepers creeps out further, and Sneekers sneaks into other trees," Milburn shared on his website, bobbysquirrel.com.Milburn's @robertsquirrel Tiktok channel has a trove of sweet videos like this one, in which Bobby came inside because he was scared of a thunderstorm. @robertsquirrel Scares #bobbysquirrel #storm #thunder #throwbackthursday #fyp #nature He knew just where to go for safety and comfort. Too sweet. Bobby is totally comfortable going back and forth from his outdoor home to his human's home—and his human's pockets. @robertsquirrel Pocket Squirrel #bobbysquirrel #squirrel #fyp #nature #funny #love In fact, Milburn shares, Bobby comes to visit him inside almost every day.Unfortunately, Milburn has run into some trouble with his HOA, which informed him that he needed to stop feeding the squirrels in his yard as they were considered a "nuisance." But who could watch Bobby listening to his story being told in the video below and tell us he's a nuisance? Come on now. @robertsquirrel Happy time #bobbysquirrel #throwbackthursday #squirrel Milburn has been asked if squirrels make good pets, and he has clarified that raising one as a newborn is very different than trying to domesticate a wild squirrel. Squirrels do have sharp teeth and long claws, he pointed out in a video with this face covered in Band-Aids. (He shared that he's been working on building a friendship with Barbara Ann, who grew up in the wild, and while it's slow-going, he feels he's making progress.) Milburn has also created a children's book called "Bobby and Friends," which includes 10 short stories for children ages 2 to 11 and an accompanying coloring book. People can't get enough of Bobby the squirrel, and who can blame them? He's the pet squirrel most of us wish we could have—one who has a full outdoor life as he should, but who also likes to come in for some cuddles with his people. This article originally appeared on 1.21.23

Content creator Freddy Wong has a brilliantly easy way to find authentic Chinese food. As he reveals in a mega viral video that’s racked up 9.4 million views on TikTok and 7.7 million views on Twitter, the trick (assuming you live in a major metropolitan area) is to “go on Yelp and look for restaurants with 3.5 stars, and exactly 3.5 stars." Not 3. Not 4. 3.5. He then backs up his argument with some pretty undeniable photo evidence. First, he pulls up an image of a Yelp page from P.F. Chang’s. With only 2.5 stars, one can tell the food is “obviously bad.” Alternatively, Din Tai Fung—a globally recognized Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant—has four stars. Sounds good right? Wrong. In this case, “too many stars” means that “too many white people like it,” indicating that the restaurant is being judged on service rather than food quality. According to Wong, if “the service is too good, the food is not as good as it could be.”He then pulls up the Yelp page for a couple of local Chinese restaurants, both of which have 3.5 stars. The waiters at these establishments might “not pay attention to you,” he admits, adding that they might even be “rude.” But, Wong attests, “it’s going to taste better.” @rocketjump Why I only go to Chinese restaurants with 3.5 star ratings ♬ original sound - RocketJump "The dumplings here are better [than Din Tai Fung's]. I've been here," he says of the 3.5 star Shanghai Dumpling House. Considering his Twitter profile boasts a “James Beard Award winning KBBQ Gourmand'' title, it seems like he knows what he’s talking about.So, why is this 3.5 rule the “sweet spot”? As Wong explains, it all comes down to different “cultural expectations.” “In Asia, they’re not as proactive. They’re not going to come up to you, they’re not going to just proactively give you refills, you need to flag down the waiter,” he says, noting the different interpretations of service."People on Yelp are insufferable,” he continues, arguing that “they're dinging all these restaurants because the service is bad,” but the food is so good that it balances out the bad service. Hence, a 3.5-star rating. His reasoning is arguably sound—people do often give absurdly scathing reviews that in no way accurately reflect a restaurant’s food quality. “A good Yelp review doesn’t mean it’s a good restaurant — it simply means the restaurant is good at doing things that won’t hurt their online rating,” Wong said in an interview with Today, adding that “highly rated Yelp restaurants are often those with counter service and limited menus, minimizing potential negative interaction with staff.”He also added the caveat, “I don’t have anything against those places, but I think people who only eat at the ‘highest rated’ restaurants on online review sites are only eating at the most boring restaurants.”A ton of people in the comments seem to back Wong’s theory. this gels with my experiences in socal, i actively look for reviews like 'too spicy' or 'hostess was rude' that's the good stuff right there— permanent handle (@chakazula) September 13, 2022 Plus, the theory seems to not be limited to just Chinese restaurants, further implying that maybe there’s more of a cultural misunderstanding, rather than any real lack of quality.One of the gifts that our modern world provides is the opportunity to truly experience and appreciate other cultures. Since food is easily one of the most accessible (and enjoyable) ways to do that, perhaps we should prioritize seeking authenticity, rather than rely on a flawed and superficial rating system.As Wong told Today, “I hope it encourages people to go out and eat more food from not only Chinese restaurants, but restaurants representing the whole world of cultural cuisines.”This article originally appeared on 9.30.22

Parenting isn't easy. In fact, it's really freaking hard. Raising humans through the various stages of development, navigating their unique needs and personalities, helping them develop the tools and skills and qualities they will need to be contributing members of society, all while feeding, clothing, housing and making sure they're getting an education? It's a lot. And unfortunately, many people weren't raised with good parenting examples to learn from. Abuse and neglect of varying degrees are incredibly common, so a lot of people find themselves floundering when it comes time to raise their own kids. So often, people want to do things differently than their parents did but don't know what to do instead. Positive discipline has been around a long time, but many people don't really understand how it works. Some may see it described as "gentle parenting" or "soft parenting" and assume it's lackadaisical in some way. Some may think of it as weak or ineffectual. Really, nothing could be farther from the truth. A mom on TikTok known as LauraLove has gained millions of followers sharing her positive parenting adventures with her two young sons, Jonah and Carter. It's not all sunshine and roses—she's clear about how much work and repetition gentle parenting takes, and she's honest about when she herself slips into reactive habits. A recent viral video shows some of the results of this parenting approach.In the video, LauraLove shares how she responds to several different parenting scenarios, then shows how her kids handle them weeks or months later. As she states, gentle parenting doesn't always yield immediate results (because it's not based on fear) but being consistent and patient pays off over time. Check it out: @lauralove5514 Gentle parenting doesnt always yeild immediate reaulya because it is nog fear based BUT if you are consistent, you WILL see them actively use what they learn ♥️ Be patient! #fyp #foryou #toddlermom #parenting #gentleparenting #breakingthecycle #positivediscipline #respectfulparenting #viral Of course, that compilation doesn't show the whole story. She also shared a video that went into more detail on the spilled coffee scenario. She was initially upset so she modeled staying quiet until she had calmed herself, which also helped her son understand that the spill was a problem without shaming him. The natural consequence was that he had to clean up the mess, but he also got to learn about why it wasn't a good idea to slide it and how it impacted the person who was drinking it. @lauralove5514 Reply to @mairenicadhla As requested, here is the whole video & how I responded ?? #gentleparenting #foryou #fyp #PassTheBIC #viral #toddlermom #momlife #parenting #positivediscipline And yes, she did say "that really yummy coffee that you made for me." Her kids make food all the time, as is pretty normal for young kids being raised in a Montessori educational model. @lauralove5514 Visit TikTok to discover videos! (Don't worry, that knife is a toddler chopper, which cuts through fruits and vegetables but not through skin.) Some of her most popular videos are when she gives her older son something from the fridge and sees what he does with it. His cooking skills are impressive. Just watch: @lauralove5514 SO many request for another one of these! Luckily Carter told me in the morning he felt like cooking today so I surprised him after nap time with some onions ?? #takeaNAIRbreak #foryou #viral #fyp #viral #montessori #cooking #recipe #toddlermom ("Where's my seasoninoningoning?" shall be my main kitchen mantra from here on out.)Parenting is a long game, and positive discipline takes full advantage of that fact. Rather than seeing undesirable behavior as a character flaw to be squashed, gentle parenting looks for the underlying needs not being met, feelings not being expressed, or lessons not being understood and addresses those things. Positive parenting recognizes that children are simply learning and that harsh punishments will often lead to worse outcomes later on, even if they stop a behavior in the short term. Thanks to LauraLove for showing what respectful parenting can look like and how effective it really can be. This article originally appeared on 7.8.22

Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1979, are America's goofy middle children sandwiched between the much larger Baby Boomer and Millennial generations. Gen X prides itself on being individualistic, nonconformists committed to a D.I.Y. ethic whether that means writing a punk 'zine or launching a tech start-up.(If you just asked yourself "What's a 'zine?" you're clearly not a member of Gen X.)It's a generation marked by an aloof cool where any personal slight can be written off with a "whatever" that's deathly afraid of taking anything too seriously. It's a generation that was so put off by the corporate, commercial culture of the '80s it rebelled by wearing second-hand clothes and ironically embracing low-brow '70s culture.It's the generation of hip-hop, Tiger Woods, Quentin Tarrantino, the re-birth of punk rock, John Cusak movies, and Atari.A big reason Gen X is so self-reliant is that it's the generation hardest hit by divorce. According to a 2004 marketing study it "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history."Gen X was the first generation that experienced both parents working outside the home. But, unfortunately, at the same time, childcare centers and afterschool programs had not yet emerged to a significant extent.Now, the "Coolest Generation" finds itself somewhere between 42 and 56 and is hitting middle age. Unfortunately, that means it's now the most stressed generation in America. Although, in true Gen X fashion, many refuse to let anyone see they're stressed.An extensive study by Penn State showed that stress began to hit Gen X sometime in the last decade. The 2012 study discovered that Gen X had an average stress level of 5.8 (out of ten) while Millennials (3.4) and Baby Boomers (4.4) were a lot calmer.A study from earlier this month shows that the trend hasn't changed. In 2021, 22% of Gen Xers admitted to daily struggles with stress followed by Millenials (17%), Gen Z (14%), and Baby Boomers (8%).A big reason for the stress is having to take care of multiple generations. Many Gen Xers have to care for their aging parents as well as their children who are just starting to make their way in the world.Gen X may have aged its way into the most stressful part of its life, but things could be a lot worse. There's no group of people better equipped to deal with stress. When executives at Nike studied Gen X it found the generation's hallmarks are "flexibility," "innovation," and "adaptability." "They have developed strong survival skills and the ability to handle anything that comes their way," the study says. Gen Xers may think that's just a bunch of corporate B.S. However, it's true. Gen X grew up during the AIDS epidemic, the end of the Cold War, the Challenger disaster, the late '80s and early '90s crime wave, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19, and managed to survive after "My So-Called Life" was canceled.We've survived tough times and we'll make it through these as well. Just got to follow the advice of Gen X's poet laureate, Tupac Shakur: "And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please, you got to keep your head up."We can also look forward to grabbing a big box of popcorn and enjoying the massive Millennial meltdown that happens when they hit middle age. It's not going to be pretty.This article originally appeared on 4.8.21

“The record didn’t sell." The post The Smashing Pumpkins album Billy Corgan called “public suicide” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.