It's hard to beat the dating allegations when you have stage chemistry like this. Since their first duet, "You Look Like You Love Me," which earned Ella Langley and Riley Green their first CMA Award, they have been fighting an uphill battle to convince the public they are not together. Given that they followed that hit duet with another slow and soft love ballad about letting a past lover back into your life, the thought is still there that something must be going on between them. Riley Green recently re-confirmed the two are not together when sitting down on The Viall Files podcast: “Yeah, I mean, Ella’s probably too smart to date me anyway. But I think that’s kind of the country music fan, like, they love the Tim McGraw and Faith, and the George and Tammy. And when we fist started having the success we did with that song, I kinda told Ella, I was like, ‘There’s gonna be a lot of things said, but I mean, you don’t really have to play into it or not play into it, its gonna be something people enjoy the same way we do when we go listen to those songs.’ It’s cool to have that one and have that moment onstage with her every night. The title track to my album is called ‘Don’t Mind If I Do,’ and that’s a really big song, so it’s cool to have that one with her, and that’s a completely different type of song.” However, that statement was quickly followed by a rather... romantic? performance of, "Don't Mind If I Do," on NBC's The Voice finale. Que up romantic rumors once again... While I do believe Riley Green when he said nothing is going on between these two, when you put them on a candlelit stage singing a romantic song about wanting a lover back in your life...it's setting them up to be talked about like a couple. Not to mention, their stage chemistry is out of this world. For the finale of the singing competition, the show invited Green and Langley to perform their hit duet "Don't Mind If I Do" during the show. The performance was, as usual, sensational. Green begins the song solo on a dimly lit stage filled with candles. While supporting musicians are in the background, the focal point is Green and his guitar, who deliver the words of missing his former lover. After the first verse, Ella Langley walks out on stage, joining Green as if she were the lover and making her way back into his life as she, too, missed his company. "And I don't mind if I doDrink up the nerve and show up at your houseIf you wanna know the truth, it's killin' me not holdin' you right nowI'm one memory away from fallin' all the way apart'Cause I might still love youAnd I hope you don't mind if I do..." These two sound nearly flawless during this performance, laying it down just as they did during the studio version. No matter how often I hear them perform together, I will never get over how well their voices pair. It must be something in that Alabama twang they both process, but it coats your ears hypnotizingly. It might be my new favorite live performance from these two. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiC3TZ32c2g

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people took toilet paper—especially its availability—for granted. Everyone who experienced those hectic days probably has a new appreciation when they roll down the aisle of their local supermarket and see fully stocked shelves of TP.A new trend shows that people aren’t only appreciating their toilet paper but finding new ways to use it that go beyond its traditional use: keeping toilet paper in their refrigerators. The most common reason is that it is an effective and affordable way to keep them smelling fresh and clean. It seems that TP’s absorbent qualities go far beyond the bathroom.The new practice has been popularized on TikTok, where most new life hack trends seem to be springing up these days.In late September 2023, TikTok user @Ezenwanyibackup shared a toilet-paper-in-the-fridge hack, and it received over 1400 views. The hack involves creating a paste out of baking soda and applying it to the top of the roll. "Now, just stick it in your fridge," the TikToker said. "This simple hack is going to neutralize all the smell and moisture that messes up your fridge, keeping your food fresh and tasty for way longer." @ezenwanyibackup Just put a roll of toilet paper in your fridge, and you won't have that problem anymore! #ezenwanyibackup #foryoupage #homemaderemedies #healthy #homemaderecipes #foryou #diy #naturalrecipes #recipe #fypシ゚viral @ezenwanyibackup @ezenwanyibackup @ezenwanyibackup @This Recipe @Queen ezenwanyi1 Smartfoxlifehacks has also helped promote the new trend in kitchen cleanliness with his video, where he shares how he keeps toilet paper in his fridge. He recommends that people change their rolls every 3 to 4 weeks. He claims the "trick" comes from the hotel industry because the toilet paper “absorbs odors." @smartfoxlifehacks This is a secret Trick from Hotels… ?? #lifehack #tipsandtricks #cleaningtricks #cleaninghacks Another TikToker, @Drewfrom63rd1, has a unique use for the toilet paper in his fridge. He chills it and then uses it as an ice pack to keep his food cold. “You can use this as an ice pack,” he says, pulling a roll out of his fridge. “It does really work. It lasts about 8 hours.” @drewfrom63rd1 Replying to @wgez So, how does it work?House Digest explains why toilet paper is so effective at keeping your fridge smelling fresh:“For obvious reasons, toilet paper is designed to be extremely absorbent,” Brooke Younger writes at House Digest. “However, it doesn't just absorb liquids on contact; it can also pull them from the surrounding air. If you've ever touched your bathroom's toilet paper roll after a steamy shower, you might notice that it feels a bit damp. Placing a clean toilet paper roll in your fridge will absorb some of the internal humidity and, with it, those stinky particles.”The site adds that toilet paper can also help keep dark, damp parts of your house, such as a closet or basement, stay fresh, too.The toilet paper hack is effective, and it’s also a great way to save money. According to The New York Times Wirecutter, a roll of TP costs around $5—$7 on average in the US, which is much cheaper than a refrigerator deodorizer that can set you back between $10—$20, depending on the brand.Now, for the sake of all the people who love this hack, let’s hope that word spreads so that no one gets any side-eye for having stacks of TP in their fridge. But, we should also hope it doesn’t become so popular that people start hoarding toilet paper again. That wasn’t fun the first time.This article originally appeared last year.

Death is the last great mystery that all of us face. We don’t know when we will go or can really be sure what comes next. So there’s understandably a lot of fear and uncertainty that most of us feel around death, whether we’re thinking about ourselves or a loved one. That’s why Julie McFadden's work is so important. As a palliative care nurse in the Los Angeles area, who has seen over a hundred people die, her TikTok videos shed light on the process to make us all a bit more comfortable with the inevitable.McFadden is also the author of the bestseller, “Nothing to Fear.” The nurse’s experience helping people in their final stages has given her a unique perspective on the process. In a recent video, she shared how she can see the first symptoms that someone is going to die a natural death about 6 months before they finally do.Interestingly, she can determine that someone only has half a year left to live when most of us have no idea they have entered the final stages of life. @hospicenursejulie Replying to @Mariah educating yourself about scary topics will help decrease fear. ✨Nothing to Fear ✨- my book- out june 11th #hospicenursejulie #hospicenurse #caregiversoftiktok #medicaltiktok #learnontiktok #nothingtofearbook What are the symptoms of dying at the 6-month mark?McFadden adds that people who are dying are usually placed in hospice care when the symptoms begin to appear around the 6-month mark."You will have very generalized symptoms. Those symptoms will usually be, one, you will be less social. So you'll be more introverted than extroverted," McFadden said. "Two, you will be sleeping a lot more. And three, you will be eating and drinking a lot less. Literally, everyone on hospice, I see this happen to." A Ray of light over a mountain. via PIxbay/Pexels What are the symptoms of dying at the 3-month mark?You are going to notice more debility,” McFadden continues. “They will be staying in their house most of the time. It's going to be difficult getting up and just going to the bathroom. Again, sleeping a lot more and eating and drinking a lot less.”What are the symptoms of dying at the 1-month mark?Something usually begins to happen in the final month of someone’s life. They start to believe they are in contact with others they have lost. It’s like they are there to make the dying person feel comfortable with their final transition. "Usually around the one month mark is when people will start seeing 'the unseen', they have the visioning. They'll be seeing dead relatives, dead loved ones, dead pets, old friends who have died,” McFadden said. “Again, not everyone — but many, many people will start seeing these things at around one month." An angel with a trumpet.via PixaBay/PexelsAngela Morrow, a registered nurse at Verywell Health, agrees that people in the final stage of life often hear from those who have passed before them. Morrow says we should refrain from correcting the patients when they share their stories of talking to people and pets who have died. "You might feel frustrated because you can't know for sure whether they're hallucinating, having a spiritual experience, or just getting confused. The uncertainty can be unsettling, but it's part of the process," Morrow writes.At the end of the video, McFadden says that the most important factors palliative care nurses look at to determine the stage of death are eating, drinking and sleeping. “Most people, a few weeks out from death, will be sleeping more than they are awake. And they will be barely eating and barely drinking,” McFadden said. i.giphy.com In the end, hospice nurses “allow the body to be the guide” as they help their patients transition from life to death.McFadden’s work has brought a lot of peace to her followers as they go through trying times. "My mom is in hospice right now and she’s currently, I think, hours or days from death. YourTikToks have helped me out tremendously," Deb wrote. "My grandma passed away in February, and she experienced all of this. this page brings me peace knowing everything she went through was natural," Jaida added."Thanks, Julie. I volunteer in a hospice end-of-life facility, and this helps educate the families. Your posts are wonderful," Grandma Nita wrote.One of the things that makes death so scary is the number of unknowns surrounding the process. That’s why it’s so important that McFadden shares her stories of helping people to the next side. She shows that death is a natural process and that hospice nurses are here to help make the transition as peaceful as possible.This article originally appeared in September

Summer Boismier didn’t set out to be a teacher, and certainly not a “trouble-making” one. But over the past couple of years, as conservative states have enacted legislative restrictions on access to books in public schools, trouble making became an opportunity to take a stand. And take a stand, she did. Boismier, who had been teaching English in Oklahoma for nearly a decade, drew national attention (and vitriol) back in 2022 for covering part of her classroom bookshelf in red tape that bore the words “Books the state didn’t want you to read.”This was in response to her and other teachers in the English department being advised to restrict or remove student access to their classroom libraries, as to not violate Oklahoma’s new “divisive concepts” law, HB 1775. They received this warning mere days before the school year would begin.?1/6: Two years ago I did the most brat thing I could & stood against soft censorship & state-sanctioned bigotry in the least demure way possible. I had substantial privilege in doing what I did. And as l've said before, my only regret is I didn't do it sooner. I stand by that. pic.twitter.com/onVdcBfewI— Ms. Boismier, M.Ed. (@MsBoismier_ELA) August 20, 2024 Boismier also gave students a QR code link to the Brooklyn Public Library, which provides access to a variety of banned books. In an email interview with Upworthy, the 9-year teaching veteran said that though she knew there would be consequences, “it was important to me that my new students knew unequivocally where I stood on the state-sanctioned bigotry coming from the capitol.”Cut to August of 2024, and Boismier got the retribution she had suspected might be coming for her. The Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE) voted unanimously to formally revoke her teaching license, stripping her livelihood. It’s worth noting that Boismier had already resigned from her original position in Oklahoma and began working at the Brooklyn Public library after receiving threats on social media.?1/15: Five days later &, good grief, I honestly still don't know what to say. I've never had a teaching certificate revoked before last week, let alone revoked for informing HS Ss that libraries exist online too. pic.twitter.com/MKENvmRNIq— Ms. Boismier, M.Ed. (@MsBoismier_ELA) August 28, 2024 And yet, this has not tempted Boismier to give up on her cause to fight censorship…a subject on which she does not mince words.“Censorship makes the world smaller; it makes the world scarier. It teaches us to fear experiences and ideas different from our own. Censorship is a thief. It divides and conquers; it steals the possibility and opportunity that come from community, from what happens when we put our collective heads together. Plus, censorship is just so darn tired. Empathy and understanding are far more interesting, far more worth fighting for because we already know where fear leads, but joy …?”Repeatedly throughout our email conversation, Boismier states that her mission is “not about the books” themselves, but rather “the lives they reflect and represent and reify.” She has seen firsthand how students—especially those from LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC communities–are feeling the loss of stories “that speak to the fundamental parts of themselves,” and the empowerment those stories provide. And this is why she continues advocating for them, license or no. She also encourages others to treat the situation not as a “red-state only” issue, but more of a “all-hands-on-deck five-alarm fire.” "Ultimately, it’s not about the books, though. It’s about the lives they reflect and represent and reify, or as Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop describes, 'mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.” —Summer BoismierPhotos courtesy of Summer BoismierHow YOU can helpBoismier has made a handy list of organizations working to defend intellectual freedom that you can promote, including: EveryLibraryUnite Against Book BansBrooklyn Public LibraryRun for Something You can also download and share The Brooklyn Library’s media kit, which includes a flyer, a printable sticker sheet, the official Books Unbanned artwork, Brooklyn Public Library's logo and a QR code, here.In addition, Boismier urges people to use public libraries, call legislators, attend and speak at school board meetings, correct mis- and disinformation and last, but certainly not least this election year…vote responsibly.As she so eloquently put it: “It is up to us to keep the words, keep the faith…and keep it up.”This article originally appeared in September

The notion of living without an internal monologue is a fairly new one. Until psychologist Russell Hurlburt’s studies started coming out in the late 90s, it was widely accepted that everyone had a little voice narrating in their head. Now Hurlburt, who has been studying people's "inner experience" for 40 years, estimates that only 30-50% of the population frequently think this way. So what about the other 50-70%? What exactly goes on inside their heads from day to day?In a video interview originally posted in 2020, a woman named Kirsten Carlson gave some insight into this question, sharing how not having an inner dialogue affected her reading and writing, her interactions with others and how she navigates mental challenges like anxiety and depression. It was eye-opening and mind-blowing."Reading isn’t a particularly enjoyable activity," Carlson admitted, explaining that rather than seeing images of characters and landscapes, she only sees words.“In my head, every sentence has a shape so you can see the shape of a sentence. Keywords will pop out and I can file those away into my concept map, so at the end of reading something I can have a concept map of the main topics that I read about. It's not images, it's just the words."That said, she is apparently a “very fast” reader.This concept alone was hard for viewers to grasp. As one person wrote, “She's broken my mind. I don't even understand what I'm not understanding. I've never visualized a sentence in my life.”While she “never daydreams," Carlson does dream at night. However, she doesn’t recall any dialogue in those dreams. Carlson also shared that her alone time is always spent doing stuff like cleaning, cooking, watching Netflix, or studying. I can only imagine the things I’d accomplish if I didn’t get sidetracked with existential questions like “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” If only. While Carlson’s way of thinking might seem vastly different from the norm, there are several commonalities. Like most people, she has stores of information that she can pull up at any time. Thoughts still can keep her up at night, even if she does picture her endless to-do lists rather than hear them. And not having an inner monologue offers no protection against things like anxiety or depression, which Carlson explains manifest physically for her. This is known as Somatic Anxiety. Rather than feeling mental overload, Carlson's hands will start shaking, her stomach might get nauseated, and she’ll feel physically fatigued or disinterested in life.Watch the video below: As our understanding (and appreciation) of neurodiversity becomes more evolved, it’s likely that we’ll have even more fascinating conversations to absorb. No two people interpret the world that same way. Celebrating these differences reminds us that there is no one “right” way of thinking. This article originally appeared last year.