The following article, Did Kamala Receive Sample Questions Ahead of Debate?, was first published on Conservative Firing Line. There are several theories floating around the internet as to the reason the Trump/Harris debate was so one-sided. (See below). One of those could destroy the ABC network, as well as David Muir, and Lindsey Davis: an ABC whistleblower alleges that Kamala’s camp was given sample questions that were essentially the same ones that the … Continue reading Did Kamala Receive Sample Questions Ahead of Debate? ...

Most of us have things we're willing to try and other things we swear we'll never do. Some of those "nevers" are actually smart boundaries—definitely shouldn't knock "never" entirely—but some things we unnecessarily omit from the list of possibilities simply because we think they aren't for us or that we won't actually enjoy them. However, "never say never" is a saying for a reason. How many of us thought we'd never like a food that we've actually grown to love? How many hidden talents or interests have we discovered by trying something we assumed wasn't our thing?Someone on Reddit asked, "What’s something you thought you’d never do that you found out is actually really enjoyable?" and people's responses are surprisingly inspiring. If you've ever thought any of these things wouldn't be up your alley, take a look at what others say about their experiences. Maybe it really isn't for you, but maybe—just maybe—you'll discover a new love when you start letting go of some "nevers." Being a workout person"Going to the gym regularly - hated it at first, but now it’s my therapy.""One of my few discoveries too. Staying active and working out really does clear your head and also pumps me up enough to have energy throughout the day.""Yes!! I go to a hard-core class 4x a week now and I feel better!""I hated it at first as I felt lost in regards to exercise selection and hate eating (eating in a calorie surplus is necessary for building muscle) but once I noticed I was no longer the skinniest guy in the room and had a decent (not huge) amount of muscle I kept at it."via GIPHY"I never thought I'd say this, but going to the gym has actually become something I really enjoy! I was trying to lose weight last year and I met a really nice trainer who taught me a lot of tips. And now I lost 20 pounds, have a healthier body, and strength training even makes my nasolabial folds lighter.""Weightlifting, who knew taking out my anger on some heavy barbells would make me feel EXCELLENT, keep my weight low, make me strong looking, and give me a place and activity to hang with my friends that wasn’t a bar?"Gardening"Gardening. I was raised a city kid. Rented a house for a bit in a neighborhood where people took real pride in their yards, so out of respect, I tried to spruce the yard up a bit with plants.Very little in life has such solace and reward. Not everything you plant works out, but it's peaceful digging the hole and putting it in the ground and months later, if it lives and blooms, you know you did that. You made that happen. And every spring that flower will return and brighten your day and you know that you put it there and it lived.""This for me as well. I love spending hours pottering around my garden and spending a fortune growing food that mostly gets eaten by the critters. Massively beneficial for my mental health."via GIPHY"This is my 2nd year having a small veggie garden, and last year I struggled a lot. Most things died besides my green beans and my cayenne peppers. This year has been so much better. My pride and joy is my Scotch Bonnet plant that I grew from seeds that I almost killed and thought for sure wasn't going to make it. It's thriving and I just harvested a bunch of peppers. It's very rewarding to me.""I hated it too until I finally realized - I don’t hate gardening, I hate being dirty. I got proper gloves and waterproof clogs and I’ve transformed my yard into a paradise.""I thought gardening was just for retirees and super serious people. Turns out, digging in the dirt while talking to plants is surprisingly therapeutic and makes you feel like a horticultural wizard with magical plant-growing powers!"Giving up alcohol or other addictions"Give up drinking. It wasn’t easy, but damn are my weeks, nights and days better without alcohol.""Amen. I needed rehab but I’m 7 months and 1 day sober. Never thought I’d quit, figured it would kill me someday. February 8th this year I decided I was done and needed help. I asked for it and I got it. Life is so much better. Even the bad days are handled so much more constructively. Best thing (and scariest) I’ve ever done."via GIPHY""Never thought I’d quit, figured it would kill me someday." yeah man i'm just shy of 4 months, I feel that IN MY BONES. its funny how bad things that would have been the end of the world earlier are now just inconveniences.""This 100% I'm going on 4 months now after drinking nearly every day for the last 14 years. It's like I was asleep all that time. Life is completely different for the better.""Keep going my man! Addiction is a curse. I had the same problem with weed. Since I stopped, my life took a U turn."Hiking and kayaking"Hiking/walking trails. It was terrible the first few times I did it and had terrible soreness in my feet days after. Now, I can do 6 miles a day with virtually no pain.""I used to hate hiking because I always thought it was just "Walking but with added challenge". Then I started going on more hikes in places I had never been before and I understood. It's not about getting to somewhere specific, it's about enjoying the walk itself!""Going hiking! I thought it’d be boring, but it’s actually so refreshing and fun. Totally changed my view!"via GIPHY"Yes! I thought I was too weak and delicate to go hiking, but one year later, I hiked up a mountain! It's a daily view on my commute, and I can't help but smile whenever I see it.""Kayaking. Being that far from civilization is the closest I’ve ever felt to free and at peace:)""Kayaking is really soothing and fun!""My wife and I just started kayaking last summer, and it allows me to clear my mind and paddle. I am far far from being fit, but I've learned that it's both relaxing and a great workout."Miscellaneous honorable mentions"I’ve recently picked up cooking and painting. Didn’t think I was talented enough to paint but it turns out I can- I just paint abstract things""Public speaking. I used to hate it, but now I find it exhilarating!""Meditating. I was convinced I could not shut off my brain (it's still a challenge). But just sitting quietly with my thoughts for 10 or 15 minutes really does remind me that whatever's weighing heavily on my mind really isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things."via GIPHY"Being openly honest about my feelings, insecurities, faults, etc, in somewhat of a humorous, self deprecating way. I found out that when you’re open about those things that others will almost immediately start agreeing and opening up themselves about the same issues. I learned that I’m not nearly as alone as I thought I was, and most of those feelings are pretty common among other people. It’s quite liberating!""Basket weaving! I was at a medieval market and some guy sat there doing a presentation of it and letting people have a go. I tried it too and enjoyed it greatly! The repetitiveness of the work really lets you unwind and relax your mind.""Driving a school bus for a living. I swore it was the one job I'd never do. Now I'm 5 years in and, as far as jobs go, I find it extremely rewarding and pretty fun."All of these answers show that you just never know. Maybe one of your "nevers" will become a beloved activity if you give it a try.

The great thing about the internet is that it allows us to interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of other minds to find the best ways to handle everyday experiences. As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one, but with social media, that can be expanded to thousands. A recent post on the AskReddit subforum asked people to share the life hacks that they “can't believe other people don’t do” and received many responses. Over 13,000 people shared their hacks or commented on the popular ones shared by the group of Redditors. The cool thing is that at Upworthy, we’ve done many life hack stories and this thread had many that we had never heard before. Examples include the Redditor who only opens bags of chips on the opposite end and another who drives around with a camping chair in the back of their car, just in case it’s time to sit and enjoy the view. We looked at the list and chose 17 of the best life hacks people “can’t believe that other people don’t do.” Hopefully, these make your life a bit easier and more enjoyable.1. Shortcut we can all use"I have a keyboard shortcut on all my devices where @@ automatically enters my email address. On an iPhone you set it up by going to settings, general, keyboard, text replacement."2. Be prepared... to sit"Keep a camping chair in your trunk. You never know when an opportunity for a good sit might arise.""This is a great one. We've started leaving a giant picnic blanket in the car and have made use of it when we are out with the dog. We find ourselves with some coffee or food and feel like sitting outside somewhere."3. Flower deal"Two color-matched £10 flower bouquets ($13) combined are normally more varied and bigger than a £20 ($26) bouquet."4. The 5-minute rule"If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it right when you think about it. Flip laundry, respond to an email you left in the inbox, load the dishwasher, change that bulb in the vanity you've been looking at forever, etc...""This is the most effective way for me to deal with my ADHD. If I think of something, I have to either do it right then or set an alarm to do it on my phone at a time when I know I’ll be free to do it. I finally feel like I have some control of my life after years of being completely dysfunctional."5. Do favors for "tomorrow you""Car getting low on gas? Do tomorrow you a favor and get it on the way home. It's almost bedtime, but there are dishes in the sink. Do them as a favor to your future self. While you're at it, get tomorrow's clothes together and get your lunch packed when you're not rushed. Tomorrow you will love you for it! And, when today you is enjoying all the things that yesterday you did to make your life easier, remember to thank yourself for doing it. I know it sounds silly, but this really helped motivate me to get stuff done promptly instead of at the last moment."6. Set 'do not disturb' hours on your phone"Set nightly 'do not disturb' hours on your phone (mine is 11P - 7A). You can allow notifications from favorite contacts like spouse, children, et al.""I don’t get why so many people don’t do this. That’s literally why the feature exists. You still get woken up during genuine emergencies but don’t get random people spamming your phone up with memes at 2am."7. Need or want?"Do I need or do I want. If I need it, I get it. If I want it, I wait for a few weeks, do some research, see if I can fit it in and if I still want it a month or two later then I might go get it. Turns out my wants are not always there after a while waiting. It’s new for me but has changed my mindset drastically.""I learnt to do this because my parents (mostly my mum) fell victim to this. Also, just because it’s on sale, doesn’t mean I have to buy it. I’m not saving money if I didn’t need nor want it in the first place."8. Zip-lock junk drawer"I use zip lock bags in my 'junk drawer.' It’s not organized, it’s just a hand full junk filled bags. It makes looking through the junk easier. Instead of shifting through a bunch of junk and loose items I’ll pick up a bag and inspect it for something I’m looking for. Junk bags inside a junk drawer."9. Stock up on essentials"For household essentials, buy more than you need right away. Example: I have two packs of toilet paper rolls. One is 'Now,' and I store it in the bathroom. The other is 'Later,' and I store it in a closet. When Now is empty, I get out Later. Later becomes the new Now, and next time I go shopping, I buy a replacement Later. That way, I very rarely run out of anything."10. Change first"When handing someone their change, give them the coins before the bills. This allows them to hold the coins in their palm while using their fingers for the bills. Otherwise, they have to do this careful balancing act before they pocket the money."11. Clean your fridge"Clean out your fridge before grocery shopping! Eliminates mystery Tupperware and always reminds you of something you need to pick up."12. Just because"Buy her 'just because' flowers. Seriously, apology gifts always have the stank of the original mistake all over them. 'Just because' gifts actually make her smile every time she looks at them and not think of the dumb thing I did.""When dolphins are trained, they get a fish every time they do a trick or exhibit good behaviour. But, you also have to give them a fish every once in a while that they didn't earn, because they need to know that the trainer's relationship to them isn't purely transactional. My family has always had a policy that we need to occasionally give each other 'unearned fishes' because it's important to that we know that we care for each other."13. Flip your chips"Open bags of chips upside down! All the seasoning settles on the bottom.""This is an especially good tip for when you are pouring out all the chips into a bowl (like for a party). All the crumbs from the bottom of the bag end up in the bottom of the bowl, and the pretty, perfect chips are at the top of the bowl."14. Parking photo"I take a quick photo of where I park my car in large parking lots. Saves so much time wandering around looking lost!""I drop a pin in Google maps when I get out of my car. Not only do I have the exact location on the map, I get step by step directions to it."15. Chop sticks"Eating finger foods with chopsticks to avoid getting my keyboard, mouse, phone, or game controllers dirty.""This was me when I ate a bag of hot Cheetos at my wedding, in my white gown."16. One sock solution"Only ever buy on kind of socks that way I never have to match them after the wash, just throw them all in the drawer. And if one gets hole in it you dont need to throw out the pair, just throw it away and stock up on more of the same sock when running low. I really hate folding socks."17. Use your points"Get a credit card with good rewards and use it for everyday purchases, then immediately pay down your credit card every week or so to avoid interest rates. My husband and I almost exclusively use our credit card and have been able to use the points to book flights, rental cars, hotels, spa services, lots of things we wouldn’t normally splurge on.""You don't have to pay it weekly to avoid interest, you just need to pay the full balance at each monthly due date. You only owe interest if you carry a balance over to the next month."

There are some things that you just can't believe unless you see it with your own eyes. Sometimes even after seeing it, you still can't wrap your head around what you just witnessed. But usually when it comes to artwork, you don't need to understand how it's made to appreciate the beauty of the piece. That is until you come across something that combines the awe that comes with witnessing something beautiful and the awe that comes with seeing something unbelievable. It's like a double whammy to the senses where your brain has no idea what to make of it. Willard Wigan is one of those artists that will leave your mouth agape as you try to reconcile everything that goes into what he creates.Wigan creates tiny art. Scratch that. Wigan creates microscopic art in the form of sculptures that aren't visible to the naked eye. Take a minute and let that sink in. The sculptures he creates are so small that you cannot see them with the human eye but people can't stop staring at them.Wigan and his itty bitty sculptures have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records twice. Once for a 24 carat gold motorcycle in 2013 and again in 2017 for his sculpture of a human embryo made out of a carpet fiber placed inside a strand of Wigan's hair. The embryo sculpture measured 0.05388 mm according to Guinness Book of World Records. Recently the artist went viral after Max Klymenko featured Wigan in a video on social media. Klymenko interviewed the sculptor to find out about his process of creating such tiny fragile art. They go through the sculptures from largest to smallest which most people would think the largest sculpture would be something you could easily distinguish from a piece of fuzz, but alas, it wouldn't be microscopic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Willard Wiggan MBE (@willard_wiggan)The largest sculpture Wigan has created is of a woman playing the violin and the entire sculpture fits inside of the eye of a needle. The microscopic violinist measures at a whopping 0.08 mm. He had to use loose fibers he dusted from his shirt in order to make the violin strings before using an eyelash as a paint brush.Wigan even had a chance to delight Queen Elizabeth with a sculpture he made of her royal carriage before she died. The carriage was painted gold with just as many intricate details as the real thing. Queen Elizabeth had to use a microscope to look at the sculpture and even though she saw it, she couldn't believe that it was real. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Willard Wiggan MBE (@willard_wiggan)"One mistake and it won't look like it was supposed to look like. I work between my heartbeat. So then I stop when it stops then I move when it stops, then I move," Wigan says.Believe it or not, the sculptor wasn't always great at creating these micro-mini works of art. Back in 2012, Wigan spoke with Modern Art explaining that when he was working on sculpture of Alice in Wonderland he had a catastrophic miscalculation, telling the publication, "There was a tragedy when I first tried making this piece…I inhaled Alice!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Max Klymenko (@maxoklymenko)Since the pieces of art are so small, it's highly unlikely that he had to seek any medical treatment for inhaling the fictional character. Soon Wigan learned to create his sculptures between breaths, demonstrating in the video with Klymenko his unique ability to hold his breath for long periods of time. People were extremely impressed by his ability to sculpt out of things as small as a speck of dust. Wigan shares with Klymenko that he is autistic, which seems to be the missing piece that explains his eye for the micro art according to several commenters, but most were simply awestruck. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Willard Wiggan MBE (@willard_wiggan)"How do you even paint with dust! super impressive," someone shares."Watching this video I'm like how the f**k can someone focus so intently that they can move in between their heart beat consistently? 30 seconds later: autism ahhhh lol," another writes."So many hours and so many pieces and he’s got nothing to show for it unless you look through the microscope in all seriousness… he blew me away when he talked about paining in between heartbeats," one person admires. "Wow!! Incredible patience and self-control, as well as other things (steadiness/accuracy etc). Plus a pretty unique thought process (I'm calling it "thinking outside the matchbox" ? coz of the miniature aspect ratio of his art) when it comes to what materials/medium etc he could use. Amazing," someone else gushes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Willard Wiggan MBE (@willard_wiggan)One commenter can't believe someone could reach that level of artistic talent without first losing their minds, "There HAD to have been a time when he went clinically insane then pushed past it to reach this."There seems to be something for everyone in his collection, that is if you can see it. He's got historical figures, cartoon characters and even a gold ring mounted on an eyelash to pay homage to Beyoncé. You can check out his work on his website where no microscope is required. But if you ever get the chance to see something he sculpted in person, do him and other art admirers a favor...don't sneeze!

A mother's urge to care for a baby is one of the strongest instincts in the animal kingdom, but sometimes something somewhere along the line goes haywire. Occasionally, a mom will reject its offspring, refusing to nurture or feed or care for it in any way.That's what happened to baby Beau, a lamb born to a sheep on Olivia Akers' farm. "Beau’s mom didn’t want to be a mom. I don’t have an exact answer as to why," Akers shared on Instagram. "I tried EVERYTHING under the sun to get her to accept Beau. Rubbing the placenta for scent, also tried with her milk, giving them time in close quarters. She got progressively more violent, telling me she didn’t want to do this. So I listened."While Beau had to be bottle-fed by humans, she wasn't left completely unnurtured by her four-legged counterparts. The family dog, Max, took an immediate liking to her, and according to Akers, it was like "love at first sight." "The second Max laid eyes on Beau, it was HER baby," Akers wrote. "She protected her, cleaned her, played with her…and most importantly, Max loved her."The two became inseparable, romping around in the pasture together, grooming and snuggling with one another. Beau spent so much time with Max that she started developing dog-like traits. (Max is a "super mutt," according to Akers—a mix of Blue Heeler, Pitbull Terrier, German Shepherd, and Husky—so no particular breed's traits.) Finally, Beau grew up enough to go live with the other sheep, but she and Max have remained close pals. Watch: @oliviajaneakers Reply to @2crazymuppets Max and Beau forever ?......#maxandbeau #oddcouples #bestfriends#sheep #lamb #ram #ewe #babysheep #babydollsheep #oldeenglishbabydoll #thedodo #dodo #baby #babyanimals #animals #cute #cuteanimals #picoftheday #animalsofig #minisheep #miniaturesheep #farm #farmlife #farmanimals #farmher #homestead #minifarm #farmstead People love Max and Beau's story. "Beau is no longer sheep, Beau is now a good dog," wrote one commenter."I had a dog when I was really little that was taken from his mom too early and our rabbit adopted him and they always snuggled at night," shared another."This is so cool! I have a week old black sheep and my black dog Maxine aka max does this same thing!!! Her mother died in child birth," shared another."Yay Max!!!!!! Beau is so lucky to have you!" wrote another.Sometimes mothers in nature will reject babies when there's something wrong with them, but sometimes there's not a clear reason. No one knows why Beau's mom refused to care for her, but everyone is so happy that Max stepped into her place.Max and Beau still play together, and it's pure joy to see them frolicking around on the farm. Max & Beau Part 2 has more footage of Beau all grown up and still pouncing around with her high energy friend, Max. @oliviajaneakers Pt.2 of the most beautiful friendship I’ve ever witnessed. Per request, more adorable videos of these two ?......#maxandbeau #maxandbeauforever #fyp #unlikelyfriends #adopt #sheep #lamb #ram #ewe #babysheep #babydollsheep #oldeenglishbabydoll #thedodo #dodo #baby #babyanimals #animals #cute #cuteanimals #picoftheday #animalsofig #miniaturesheep #farm #farmlife #farmanimals #farmher #homestead #minifarm #farmstead Those little hops at the end, though. Too, too sweet.You can follow Max and Beau and the other animals on Akers' farm on TikTok and Instagram. This article originally appeared on 3.31.24

The Norwegian government is spearheading a significant initiative to prohibit students from having smartphones in schools. This move comes in the wake of compelling studies demonstrating the positive impact of removing these devices from students’ hands and allowing them to focus more on their learning. The effects have been particularly beneficial for girls. Over the past few years, smartphone bans have cropped up in several school districts throughout Norway, allowing researchers to study how the bans affected students. Sara Abrahamsson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, analyzed students at 400 middle schools and found that the bans had psychological and academic benefits.The Norwegian Institute of Public Health published the results.1 Girls made fewer appointments for psychological helpThe study found that there was a significant decrease in the number of visits that girls made to see a psychological specialist for mental health issues. “Relative to pretreatment this is a significant decline by almost 60% in the number of visits,” Abrahamsson wrote in the study.2. Steep drop in bullyingThe study shows that girls experienced a 46% reduction in bullying after smartphone bans were enacted and boys had a 43% reduction.3. Improved grades for girlsThe study revealed that introducing a smartphone ban at the beginning of middle school improved girls' GPAs and increased their chances of enrolling in an academic-oriented high school track versus a vocational study. On the other hand, the ban appeared to have no notable effect on boys’ GPA, teacher-assigned grades, or likelihood of pursuing an academic high school track.4. The ban had a more significant effect on economically disadvantaged girlsThe study found that the ban resulted in greater benefits for economically disadvantaged girls regarding academic performance, appointments for psychological symptoms and the probability of attending an academically focused high school.The positive impact that the bans have on girls is significant, given the fact that studies show they’ve been the most deeply affected by the rise in mental health issues amongst young people that have coincided with smartphone adaptation. One of the most disturbing trends is the dramatic rise in suicide rates among girls in developed nations.Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” and advocate for banning smartphones in schools, explained why smartphone use is more damaging for girls than boys.“There is a special relationship between social media and girls,” Haidt told “The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie” podcast. “When boys get together … they're likely to organize themselves into groups to compete [on multiplayer video games].”“Girls are much more interested in talking about relationships. Who is on the outs with whom? Who's dating who? They have a more developmental map of the social space,” Haidt continued.When there is conflict within peer groups, social media poses a much greater threat to girls.“Boys' aggression is ultimately backed up by the threat of physical domination and punching or pain, " Haidt continued. “Girls' aggression is equal in magnitude, but it's aimed at relationships and reputation. It's called relational aggression. Video games, if anything, prevent boys from getting in fights. … The platform settles everything. But girls' relational aggression is amplified. The worst year of bullying is seventh grade. I'm really focused on middle school.”This article originally appeared on 4.25.24

There are a few big reasons why 70% of divorces in the United States among heterosexual couples are filed by women. Women have more economic opportunities than in decades past and are better positioned to care for themselves and their children without a husband’s income.Another big reason is that even though the world has become much more egalitarian than in the past, women still bear the brunt of most of the emotional labor in the home. Gilza Fort-Martinez, a Florida, US-based licensed couples’ therapist, told the BBC that men are socialized to have lower emotional intelligence than women, leaving their wives to do most of the emotional labor.Secondly, studies show that women still do most of the domestic work in the home, so many are pulling double duty for their households.A TikTokker with two children (@thesoontobeexwife) shared why she decided to leave her husband of two decades and her story recounts a common theme: She did all the work and her husband did little but complain.The video, entitled “Why women leave,” has received over 2 million views. @thesoontobeexwife Y’all I laughed when I realized he truly does treat me better now then when he was trying to be in a marriage with me. How is this better?? How did I ever think before was ok?? #toxicrelationship #divorce #mentalloadofmotherhood #divorcetok #divorceisanoption #chooseyou #mentalhealth #mentalload #fyp #mentalload #emotionallabor “So for the men out there who watch this, which frankly I kind of hope there aren’t any, you have an idea maybe what not to do,” she starts the video. “Yesterday, I go to work all day, go pick up one kid from school, go grocery shopping, go pick up the other kid from school, come home. Kids need a snack–make the snack. Kids want to play outside – we play outside.”Her husband then comes home after attending a volunteer program, which she didn’t want him to join, and the self-centeredness begins. “So he gets home, he eats the entire carton of blueberries I just purchased for the children’s lunch and asks me what’s for dinner. I tell him I don’t know because the kids had a late snack and they’re not hungry yet,” she says in the video.She then explains how the last time he cooked, which was a rare event, he nearly punched a hole in the wall because he forgot an ingredient. Their previous home had multiple holes in the walls. Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist and host of the Power of Different podcast, says that when punch walls it’s a sign that they haven’t “learned to deal with anger in a reasonable way.”“Anyway, finally one kid is hungry,” the TikTokker continues. “So I offered to make pancakes because they’re quick and easy and it’s late. He sees the pancake batter and sees that there’s wheat flour in it and starts complaining. Says he won’t eat them. Now I am a grown adult making pancakes for my children who I am trying to feed nutritionally balanced meals. So yes, there’s wheat flour in the pancake mix.”Then her husband says he’s not doing the dishes because he didn’t eat any pancakes. “Friends, the only thing this man does around this house is dishes occasionally. If I cook, he usually does the dishes. I cook most nights. But here’s the thing. That’s all he does. I do everything else. Everything. Everything.”She then listed all of the household duties she handles.“I cook, I clean the bathrooms, I make the lunches, I make the breakfasts, I mow the lawn, I do kids’ bedtime. I literally do everything and he does dishes once a day, maybe,” she says. @thesoontobeexwife I HAVE OFFICIALLY FILED FOR DIVORCE ? #divorce #divorcetok #toxicrelationship #divorceisanoption #fyp #mentalhealth #chooseyou #iamenough #iwillnotbeafraid #mentalloadofmotherhood #emotionallabor The video received over 8700 comments and most of them were words of support for the TikTokker who would go on to file for divorce from her husband."The amount of women I’ve heard say that their male partners are only teaching how to be completely independent of them, theirs going to be so many lonely men out there," Gwen wrote. "I was married to someone just like this for over 35 years. You will be so happy when you get away from him," BeckyButters wrote."The way you will no longer be walking on eggshells in your own home is an amazing feeling. You got this!" Barf Simpson added.This article originally appeared on 5.21.23

Molly, an adorable, affectionate 10-year-old pit bull, found herself tied to a tree after her owners had abandoned her. According to The Dodo, Molly had “always been a loyal dog, but, unfortunately, her first family couldn’t reciprocate that same love back,” and so when the house was sold, neither Molly nor the family’s cat was chosen to move with them. While the cat was allowed to free roam outside, all Molly could do was sit and wait. Alone.Luckily, the young couple that bought the house agreed to take the animals in as part of their closing agreement, and as soon as the papers were signed, they rushed over to check in.In a TikTok video, April Parker, the new homeowner, walks up to Molly, who is visibly crestfallen with teary eyes. But as soon as Parker begins cooing, “Baby girl…you’re gonna get a new home,” the pitty instantly perks up—all smiles and tail wagging.“We are going to make her life so good,” Parker wrote in the video’s caption. “She will never be left all alone tied to a tree.” @geaux75 The people that sold our house to us left behind their 10yr old dog they had since it was a puppy. I was so stressed we wouldnt get the house and something bad would happeb to her. We are going to maje her life so good. She will never be left all alone tied to a tree. ??@roodytoots ♬ Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) [2018 Remaster] - Kate Bush The video has been seen upwards of 4 million times. Countless people commented on how enraging it was to see a dog treated so carelessly. “I’ve had my dog since she was 7 weeks old. She just turned 10 a few days ago. I literally cannot imagine doing this,” one person wrote.” Another added: “The tears in her eyes…she doesn’t understand why they could just leave her, it breaks my heart. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to be pet owners.”Subsequent videos show Parker freeing Molly from her leash and introducing the sweet pup to her husband, with whom she was instantly smitten. It’s clear that this doggo was both relieved and elated to be taken in by her new family. Since being rescued, Molly has accompanied her new mom and dad everywhere. @geaux75 Replying to @ohitscourtney ♬ Lucky Girl - Carlina “She’s sticking to our side,” Parker wrote. “She won’t stop following us around. It’s so sweet.”Parker has created an entire TikTok channel documenting her newfound pet’s journey, aptly named “Molly’s New Life,” showing Molly enjoying warm baths, plenty of treats, cuddles…all the finer things in life.But what Molly seems to enjoy most of all is car rides: @geaux75 Taking Molly to get a treat! Stay tuned!! #mollysnewlife #goodgollymissmolly ♬ original sound - Mollysnewlife ??? And in case you’re wondering, the kitty is doing well, too, though it still prefers to stay outdoors. Molly also has two indoor cat siblings who instantly welcomed her into the family. The video below shows one of them, Joofus, comforting a trembling Molly with kisses during a thunderstorm. @geaux75 We had a big storm this morning and Molly was having a hard time. Joofus got on the bed and started comforting her. It was the sweetest thing. They got snuggled up and Molly went to sleep. Animals are amazing. #mollysnewlife #petsarefamily ♬ I Won't Let Go - Rascal Flatts It seems that Molly has gotten the safe, loving home she’s deserved all along. We know that animal abandonment is fairly common. According to The Zebra, almost 4 million dogs are either given up to shelters or abandoned each year. And still, it’s really hard to fathom how humans can treat such innocent creatures with such blatant disregard when they provide so much pure joy. Thankfully, there are folks out there like the Parkers who know that taking care of animals like Molly is one of life’s most precious offerings. Stay up-to-date with the rest of Molly’s journey by following her on TikTok.This article originally appeared on 5.31.23

Sometimes you see something so mind-boggling you have to take a minute to digest what just happened in your brain. Be prepared to take that moment while watching these videos.Real estate investor and TikTok user Tom Cruz shared two videos explaining the spreadsheets he and his friends use to plan vacations and it's...well...something. Watch the first one: What in the wealth is thispic.twitter.com/NTPTKT5CZG — Karim Alammuri (@Karim Alammuri) 1629292830 So "Broke Bobby" makes $125,000 a year. There's that.How about the fact that his guy has more than zero friends who budget $80,000 for a 3-day getaway? Y'all. I wouldn't know how to spend $80,000 in three days if you paid me to. Especially if we're talking about a trip with friends where we're all splitting the cost. Like what does this even look like? Are they flying in private jets that burn dollar bills as fuel? Are they bathing in hot tubs full of cocaine? I genuinely don't get it.To be crystal clear here, the top 5 friends on the Forbes list are willing to spend more than double what the guy at the bottom of the Welfare 10 list makes per year on a 3-day guy's trip. I don't know what to do with this information.But that's not even the full spreadsheet. It might make sense if this guy was just rich, had always been rich, only knew rich people, and therefore having multiple millionnaire friends was his normal. Surely that's some people's reality who were born into the 1%.That's not the case here, though, because Cruz also has a Welfare 10 list. He says this group of friends who make less than $100K a year call themselves that, and perhaps that's true. (If I were a part of this group, I might call myself a welfare case too because everything's relative and some of these dudes spend more in an hour of vacation than I spend on my mortgage each month.)It's like we can see our society's wealth gap all laid out nice and neatly in a spreadsheet, only these people aren't even the uber-wealthy and uber-poor. This is just the range of this one guy's friends.I have nothing against people who build success and wealth for themselves, and even $5 million per year is hardly obscenely wealthy by billionaire standards. But Cruz says he's known most of his "welfare" friends since college, which presumably means most of those guys have college degrees and are making pittance in comparison with the Forbes list. One could claim the guy making $5 million a year just works harder, but does he really work 100 times harder than the guy making $50,000? Doubt it.Money makes money, and after a certain threshold of wealth or income, it's actually quite easy to get and stay rich without actually "earning" more money, assuming you're reasonably wise and responsible. So maybe the guys who are willing to shell out $125,000 for a week-long trip should offer to pay the travel expenses of the friends they "hang out with regardless of income" who don't even make that in a year, since that's probably just the interest they're making on their wealth anyway.But what do I know? This is like an entirely different world to me and probably 99+% of Americans, as evidenced by some of the responses.Naturally, there will be a range of incomes in any group of people, but 1) most of us don't actually know how much our friends make, and 2) even fewer of us make spreadsheets with that information in order to rank our friends and figure out who can go on which vacations.People are just endlessly fascinating. That's all I've got.This article originally appeared on 08.20.21