The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) warned in a briefing on Monday that the communist regime of Cuba is looking to actively interfere in America’s 2024 election, not only influencing votes for president but seeking to aid pro-communist candidates in local and congressional races. “Havana almost certainly has considered influence efforts targeting some candidates,” an unnamed ODNI official told reporters. “Havana may be, as it has done in previous cycles,...

New experimental data support the idea that people tend to assume the information they have is adequate to comprehend a given situation, without considering that they might be lacking key information. Hunter Gehlbach of Johns Hopkins University and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on October 9, 2024. When navigating alternative perspectives, people may demonstrate psychological biases that influence their ability to understand others' viewpoints...

In between Donald Trump and his running mate Senator JD Vance spreading misinformation about hurricane relief and lying that FEMA money had gone to undocumented migrants, their campaign called on North Carolina to expand voter access in areas where Hurricane Helene hit disproptionately hard. Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles called on Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat and an ally of Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Republican-controlled state legislature to make sure that...

When it comes to parenting, the second most important decision—after whether to have a child or not—is choosing a name for the kid. Even though we live in times where parents are getting more and more creative about picking a name for their children, those with a more common name have a greater chance of being socially accepted than those without.According to Psychology Today, grade-school kids with highly unusual names or names with negative associations tend to be “less popular” than those with more “desirable” names. Later in life, people with “unpopular or unattractive” names have more difficulty finding romantic partners.A 23-year-old mother-to-be wanted to name her son Gaylord and had her family's full, passionate support, but her husband, 24, and his side of the family were firmly against the idea. The woman was looking for validation and posted about the dilemma on Reddit's AITA forum.“In my family, our genealogy is extremely important. The firstborn son since the 1800's has been given this name. I'm well aware it's a stigmatized name today, so that's why I have agreed to using a short form,” the woman wrote.Understanding that her son would be bullied for being called Gaylord, she decided that it would be his legal first name, but could go by Gail. Her family believed that it was acceptable for him to be known as Gail initially, but as society grows more tolerant, will be called Gaylord when he gets older.“They see the backlash over the name today as a fad that will eventually disappear, and I agree seeing how accepting each generation tends to become,” she continued. “When society stops being so immature about it, he can start using the full name.”The father wouldn’t even consider naming his son Gaylord, or Gail, for that matter. His family went a step further and said that naming him Gaylord or Gail would be “abusive.”"My in-laws are telling me that even Gail isn't an acceptable boy's name and that I need to 'get with the times' and choose something more appropriate," she continued. “What happened to respecting our elders and traditions? His family doesn't have any naming traditions, so it should fall to my family that does. How could I be expected to break a centuries-old family tradition?”The commenters were overwhelmingly against the mother’s decision."Use your imagination. A boy named Gaylord goes to his first day of school. The teacher does the roll call. ‘GAYLORD SMITH?’ Class breaks into giggles. Embarrassed boy says, ‘It's Gail.’ Class giggles some more, since Gail is usually a girl's name. Boy has no chance of fitting in with his classmates. His fate is sealed. He is a social pariah for life. Don't do this to him. Please,” one user wrote."Your name is the first thing people know about you. It’s the cover page of how people perceive you. Even if you think Gaylord will just appear on the birth certificate, you’re wrong. His legal name will have to be used on official documents, at school, on his license and passport. It will appear at the top of every resume he hands out. It’s not as simple as putting a name on paper. It’s how he is going to appear to the whole world. Gaylord is totally stigmatized and has been for decades. It’s not going away, sorry." Elinbeth added.“Some traditions reach the point where they are no longer suitable for modern times. This is 100% that time. Pick another name," CashieBashie wrote.After the post went viral, the mother shared that both sides of the family have tentatively agreed on a name.“We managed to work out that Gale Gaylord would be a reasonable compromise, with Gale being the complete first name, and Gaylord being the middle name,” the woman wrote. “My husband can then add a second middle name after Gaylord if he wants. Grandpa is especially not impressed that it's being demoted to a middle name, but he did say he understands the pressure I'm facing here.”This article originally appeared on 2.14.24

Not the same kind of visceral reaction. The post “Very questionable”: The live song Brian May thought didn’t sound right first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

"Then she turned to go." The post What is the only Led Zeppelin song with a female vocalist? first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

A pitch black take on rock and roll. The post “One of the greatest”: The artist Bruce Springsteen considered underground masters first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Getting far too overblown. The post “You start to look like a jerk”: The solo that made Robert Plant resent Jimmy Page first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Shaken Baby Syndrome typically affects children under the age of 5, with the highest risk occurring in those under 1 year old. According to official sources, the syndrome is a severe and […]

Dark cuisine isn't about a food's history, but the way it appeals (or doesn't appeal) to the senses. It is so outlandish that something about it pulls you in.