Now THAT is certainly a take... A man on social media by the name of Jimmy Ridge woke up a couple of days ago and decided that he was going to fire up some people online. There's no better or more efficient method of riling up individuals than to throw a controversial take into the void that we know as social media and wait for the comments to come flooding in. This guy had the gall to say that country music is a seasonal genre, and that it can't be thoroughly enjoyed outside of the summer months. Of course, he's not the first bozo to try and make this argument, and her certainly won't be the last, but it also ignores the obvious... what if you're in the south? December in Florida looks a lot different than December in Wisconsin. Specifically, he used the popular meme format (that is actually Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" painting) of posting an image of a man standing up alone in a crowd with the message: "Country music doesn't hit in the winter. Really can only listen to in the spring or summer." https://twitter.com/jmoney122874/status/1864136878569513211 EXCUSE ME? What an absolutely awful take. Tell me you know don't know ball without telling me you don't know ball. As you might imagine, a post like that opened the flood gates for country music fans to swoop in and start proving him wrong. It was actually cool to see a lot of social media users politely offer up some suggestions that could perhaps change his mind - like Tyler Childers, the Turnpike Troubadours, and the always enjoyable Merle Haggard. Unfortunately, not everyone was so nice about Jimmy Ridge's hot take: You aint ever been whiskey drunk on a cold night belting out Neon Moon. — Joe D (@joed7) December 4, 2024 People who think this also think that Zach Bryan is peak country music — thomas (@4PF_teidpod) December 4, 2024 Turnpike Troubadors on a cold winter night/evening with a good stir drank is the most elite of times. Absolutely horrid take. https://t.co/8ejljaLPFH — Millie Strings (@heylittlemillie) December 4, 2024 Jmoney have to disagree. I don’t think you’ve ever experienced the magic of listening to Hank Williams Jr. on a crisp, chilly night by the fire with a good bourbon in hand. — JPW (@swettyballs26) December 4, 2024 He 100% is a luke bryan or morgan Wallen fan https://t.co/hpcBSwPXku — Brandon (@CrazedHawkeye82) December 6, 2024 You sir, are not listening to the right kind of country music. — DJ (@dj_s2468) December 6, 2024 Sir there is nothing as cold as a murder ballad as told by Tyler Childers or Jason Isbell. Tis the season. https://t.co/w638i76kgz — Brad Luttrell ? (@bradluttrell) December 6, 2024 oh my god brother has never listened to this https://t.co/Rarmqrl5RO pic.twitter.com/Tw0v8R9AIn — Zane Bearden (@ZaneBearden) December 5, 2024 Old/Sad country in the cold weather is timeless. YOU don’t know ball — Mark (@marko501polo) December 4, 2024 And since that one guy brought Tyler Childers up... Jimmy, if you are reading this, listen to this song below as soon as possible. Like right now... don't wait another second if you haven't already heard this one: "Matthew" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7rDklbIq2Q&pp=ygUWbWF0dGhldyB0eWxlciBjaGlsZGVycw%3D%3D

Anti-Israel Gunman Targets California Christian Kindergarten In Violent Attack [WATCH]

After Helping Trump Win PA, Scott Presler Sets His Sights On Flipping This Blue State [WATCH]

Mental Illness Is Making A Case In The Supreme Court, We Voted Against The Nonsense | John Gillette

Flying can test anyone’s patience, but for u/Safe_Ad_9314, one recent flight turned into a surprising lesson in setting boundaries. They had reserved a window seat—an intentional choice aimed at making their journey just a bit more enjoyable. But as soon as they settled in, a family boarded, and a conflict began brewing. After several attempts to calm her, the father turned to the man and asked if they’d give up their seat for the child, adding, “She’s just a kid.” Yet, he gently stood his ground, explaining that the window seat was not a random perk, but something they had deliberately arranged—and even paid extra for. The family’s six-year-old daughter quickly grew upset that she didn’t have the coveted window view. Her frustration was clear: "I want the window! I want the window!" — the child via GIPHY Eventually, the mother distracted the child with a tablet, and the flight continued. But as everyone deboarded at their destination, the mother shot a lingering remark at u/Safe_Ad_9314: "Some people just have no heart." — the mother That stung. It’s never easy to feel judged—especially when you’ve tried to be polite. Unsure if they’d done the right thing, u/Safe_Ad_9314 turned to the online community for feedback. The response was overwhelmingly supportive, reframing the encounter into a conversation about how we teach children empathy, respect, and understanding of life’s little disappointments. Boundaries Matter—Especially in Public Do we cave at the first sign of a tantrum, or do we help kids learn that not every wish can be granted? The community weighed in: "You teach your kids how society works and that not everything is at their disposal all the time." — u/hierosx People pointed out that giving in to every demand might soothe tears in the moment, but can set unrealistic expectations for the future. If having a window seat was so important, some said, parents could plan ahead and book one. After all, this wasn’t about denying a child joy, but about showing them how to handle disappointment gracefully. Why Tantrums Don’t Work Many commenters stood behind the idea that it’s kinder in the long run to help children learn healthy boundaries: "I learned when my kids were toddlers that the best policy was 'we do not negotiate with tantrumists.'" — u/BeBearAwareOK Setting clear limits doesn’t mean being cruel. It means showing kids that while it’s okay to feel upset, not every feeling must be instantly gratified. Nobody Owes You Their Seat Tip for parents: If you kiddo wants this view, book the right seats. Photo by Francesco Ungaro At the core, many commenters reminded readers that random strangers aren’t responsible for resolving someone else’s poor planning or appeasing a meltdown: "It’s not your responsibility to accommodate someone else’s poor planning or their child’s tantrum." — u/experiment_ad_4 Others emphasized that saying “no” isn’t heartless—sometimes it’s a necessary act of kindness to the child, who learns that people have their own boundaries and can’t always bend. "I am a mum of three. Kids get explained that they can’t have that seat as it’s already occupied, end of it." — u/Sure_Freedom3 Instead of feeling guilty, u/Safe_Ad_9314 received a gentle reminder that upholding personal boundaries is part of living in a shared world. When we calmly stand our ground, we help create an environment where everyone learns that respect and empathy go both ways—even at 30,000 feet. In the end, that’s what makes these moments matter. When we model healthy limits, we’re not just keeping a seat—we’re showing kids that there’s a bigger picture out there, one where kindness and fairness guide us all.

If you’ve ever thrown on a pair of fresh Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers, you might have noticed an unusual feature—felt soles. While Converse might want you to think this odd layer of fabric is for things like “shape retention” and “quieter usage,” the real reason behind it all comes down to exploiting legal loopholes for the bottom line. Converse is part of Nike, which imports its products into the U.S. from China. Back in 2018, the Trump administration imposed large new tariffs on a wide range of US imports from China, but some items had heftier price tags than others. As Nicholas Mortimer of the Strategic Sourceror explained, sneaker imports are subject to a 37.5% tariff.Slippers, on the other hand, have a measly 3% tariff. And lucky enough for Nike, the legal requirement for a shoe to be considered a slipper is having a fuzzy sole. Meaning that by slapping enough felt to the bottom—which eventually deteriorates with a few wears—the company was able to save a ton of money on import taxes. Interestingly enough, if you look at the images associated with the Converse Chuck Taylor patent, they look a lot more slipper-esque than the sneakers you’ll see on their website. A sneaker in slipper's clothing. patentimages.storage.googleapis.com This also kind of explains how Converse can boast of the slip resistance of their shoes, when anyone who’s worn a new pair of Chuck Taylors in the rain—and proceeded to bust their ass—can tell you that is definitely not true. For that issue, GearPatrol suggests using sandpaper to slough off “the hairy bits.”The whole fuzzy sole loophole is a prime example of “tariff engineering,” which, unlike, say, tax evasion, is a legal way of avoiding higher import rates, usually by redesigning a product—like tweaking the materials or structure, or breaking it into smaller values to qualify for a tariff exemption. @let_me_ask_you_this #let #me #ask #you #this #trivia #question #fun #facts #fact #Converse #all #star #Chuck #Taylor #felt #tarrif #taxes #import #slippers #converseallstar ♬ original sound - ScottJCarroll An even stranger example of tariff engineering is brought to you by Disney. As explained in Slash Film, the company, which owns Marvel, had its X-Men action figures classified as toys representing “non-human characters,” since apparently human “dolls” are taxed at a higher rate. A bit of an odd move, considering the entire overarching theme of X-Men. But probably not Disney’s most egregious sin committed in order to make more money.As Donald Trump’s second term approaches, tariff talk, and its potential consequences, has been all a flutter. The President-elect has said the goal would be to impose a 25% tariff on all items imported from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China, possibly affecting electronics, clothing, household appliances, furniture, footwear and travel goods. Considering that Jonathan Gold, Vice President for supply chains and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, mentioned tariffs for toys specifically would be going from a "practically 0% tariff rate” to upwards of 36% to 56%, it seems that the X-Men are going to feel a much bigger blow than any sneakers will. Although, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Disney and various other companies finding more clever ways of skirting the system as to not upset their profits. Cause after all, isn’t that what capitalism’s all about?

Musical and cultural mashups can be a blast, with some combos you'd never think to put together creating a whole new and delightful experience. We've seen "Carol of the Bells" mashed up with "Pirates of the Caribbean" on harp, Dr. Seuss mashed up with Dr. Dre beats, Irish step dancing to Beyonce's country music and now, Radiohead's "Creep" with classical Indian music.Avie Sheck has played and sung in bands his whole life while his mother is trained as classical Indian singer. India has a rich musical tradition that goes back some 6,000 years, stemming from sacred Vedic scriptures and chants, and while the pairing of it with Radiohead may be unexpected, the result is quite extraordinary. Check this out: See on Instagram People are raving over the mother-son mashup using words like "stunning," "exquisite" and "sublime," with many people saying it unexpectedly brought them to tears. "As a Creep cover snob, this is the very best cover I’ve ever heard.""I feel like I am floating in space right now while listening to this rendition of creep.""One of those rare covers that I actually welcome that hit right. ?""I can’t even explain it, I got full body chills. Your mom is ?? literally stopped in my tracks.""Bro I’d pay to listen to this live. Amazing!!""Watching this live would melt me.""I am crying … this has tugged at something ????"Clearly, they struck a nerve with this one. Believe it or not, Radiohead's "Creep" wasn't a huge success when it was first released in 1992. It was rarely played on the radio because it was considered too depressing for angsty early 90s musical tastes, and it topped out at #78 U.K. Singles Chart. The BBC even banned it for a while due to the f-bomb lyric, but when that word was changed to "very" and the song re-released in 1993, it found its audience and climbed to No. 7 on the U.K. charts. Since then, it's been covered many times, its sad lyrics about yearning for someone out of your league and feeling like you don't belong hitting people where it hurts (but in the best way) for over 30 years. See on Instagram Sheck's mom shared what her part of the song meant in a follow-up video on Instagram. She explained that it's about a mother waking up her son to take care of the cows because his friends are already up and about and wondering where he is. But the deeper meaning, she explains, is "You belong here. You belong to the Earth, the people around you, the animals around you. Stop that sadness." What a perfect complement to "Creep." Classical Indian music has its own sound, structure and feel that make it unique, but it also blends beautifully with other musical styles when creative people make it happen. For instance, at a wedding blending Indian and Scottish cultures, instruments from both countries—bagpipes and the dhol drum—were combined with a perfectly joyful result. Much like this classical Indian/Radiohead mashup, putting two unexpected musical genres together sometimes works far better than people might imagine. People have asked if the song can be found on Spotify, Apple music, etc., but Sheck explained that he can't share it there because it's an interpolation, not a straight cover, which involves a lot more complicated legal details. The full version can be found on YouTube, however, and he said he may put it on Soundcloud.You can follow Avie Sheck on Instagram for more and find the full version of the "Creep" cover on Sheck's YouTube channel: - YouTube www.youtube.com

In recent years the Land Back Movement has come into public consciousness, it doesn't always necessarily mean physically return the land, but to return the stewardship of the land. Some Indigenous communities work with local government officials to care for the land in a way that will restore lost ecosystems and help the land thrive.But in some recent instances, land has been physically returned to the local Indigenous communities. One example of physically returning land is California's governor Gavin Newsom returning 2,820 acres of ancestral land to the Shasta Indian Nation in Northwestern California. This move will help restore the natural environment to the area and allow the Shasta members to access sacred ceremonial ground. a body of water surrounded by lush green trees Photo by Michael Sanchez on Unsplash In Louisiana a small Indigenous community acquired some of their ancestral lands after the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana started working with the Takapa Ishaq Chawasha tribe to protect the coastline with recycled oyster shells. But in order to move forward with their project they need to know who owns the property. After some searching, the group discovers the coastal area known as Lemon Tree Mound is owned by St. Pauls Episcopal Church. A parishioner willed the land to the church after his death in the 80s and after the discovery that the land previously belonged to the tribe, the church has recently given it back. Indigenous People Thanksgiving GIF by INTO ACTION Giphy "We at the Episcopal church have strong commitments these days to restorative justice and to creation care. Maybe it's been a while in coming but better late than never," St. Paul's vestry member Greg Williams shares with WUVE Fox 8.It's not just the local tribe that is excited for the land to be returned but their sister tribes have been expressing their excitement as well, tribal member Rosina Philippe tells the station, "even some of our sister tribes, you know. I got emails from different people saying, you know, doing that AH YEE YEE YEE YEE YEE in the email, spelling it out knowing that they're rejoicing and dancing with us."The church leaders say they never hesitated to with the thought of giving the church back to the Indigenous tribe, calling the act "a very small thing" for the church. But that small act for the church was a huge thing for the Indigenous community in Louisiana."We're filled with gratitude first of all, and we're rejoicing to be connected to the land, to be tied into the land and you know, to have the land returned to the tribe. It's a rematriation, so connecting the tribe back to mother earth is more significant. You know, in that respect they may think it's a little thing but to us it's one of the best things that the church could ever have done. We're rejoicing. We're so very, very happy. It's a very big thing, a big thing," Phillipe says. While the lemon trees are long gone, the oral history of how the land helped feed their ancestors and served as higher ground during flooding has been a memory passed down for generations. Since the land has been in the hands of the tribe for care, the recycled oysters used to build a barrier to protect the land's edge has grown coral and new oysters are beginning to thrive.