Content for Thursday, May 27
Toothpaste Tablets Are Going Viral
People are now using toothpaste tablets. Toothpaste tablets are basically toothpaste in a powdered form that's pressed into a pill-sized tablet. Using them requires chewing a single tablet and letting it dissolve into a paste with a little help from saliva, or a swig of water before brushing. The tablets are becoming more popular because they are more eco-friendly than the plastic tubes toothpaste usually comes in.
How Good are Your Parallel Parking Skills?
YouGov posed the question: Do you think you are good or bad at parallel parking? Overall, 28% of respondents said they were ‘very good’. 10% said that when it comes to parallel parking, they are ‘very bad’. It looks like men, overall, scored themselves higher than women, with 38% rating their skills at ‘very good’, compared to 19% of women. The West Coast seems to think highly of their skills. 33% of respondents from the West Coast rated their skills as ‘very good’.
New American Status Symbol: Fancy Backyard Living Rooms
For many Americans, the backyard has become the ultimate family room, a place to be decorated with stylish stuff. During the past decade, decks transformed into major design statements. Patios mimic hotel lobbies. Backyards are stage sets, with dramatic lightscaping. Pools are excuses for furniture and conversation areas. Bottom line: interior design has come to the outside. People want being outdoors to be as sophisticated as an indoor living room, complete with luxury grills, elaborate sound systems, and weather-durable televisions. Exterior decorating really ramped up during coronavirus shutdowns. Investment in the outdoors makes sense when you consider how much time people were spending at home. On top of that, people ran out of rooms to upgrade inside their homes.
People Are Calling Out "Normal" Parenting Tactics That Are Actually Toxic
Recently, redditor u/TheYeet56 asked the internet a very important question: "What is a normal parenting tactic that shouldn't be considered normal?" 1. "Apologize to your children when you're wrong. Admit you don't know something when asked. Change your mind when your child gives you a valid reason. I grew up in an authoritarian household. ... It only teaches kids they have no voice." —u/TXJessi 2. "Comparing them to their siblings. The good old, 'Why can't you be more like your brother/sister?' does nothing for their self-esteem and really can keep them from becoming their own person. That's all they should be anyway — themselves, not their siblings." —u/llcucf80 3. "Telling your kids your personal problems. Like, 'Your dad is horrible; he didn’t even do the dishes. I hate my marriage.' Your kids are not your therapist. Also, they can’t do anything to solve your problem. Instead, address your issues with your spouse and a therapist." 4. "Getting mad for 'disrespect' or 'talking back' when their kids win an argument." —u/Turtle_Lurtle37 5. "Saying that a kid has a boyfriend/girlfriend any time they are close friends with a child who isn't the same gender. On top of reinforcing the idea that boys and girls can't ever be strictly platonic friends, it's so creepy to project adult ideas of romantic relationships onto kids who are practically still toddlers.” 6. "Gaslighting their children into believing things that are simply not true in order to defend themselves." —u/talkingtothemoon1 7. "'You can tell me, and I won't be mad' followed by punishing them for whatever they admit. Then they wonder why their kids never talk to them." —u/SinkTube 8. "Taking away their privacy. Unless your kid has a serious drug or self-harm problem, violating their privacy will almost certainly do more harm than good to their mental health, trust, and their relationship to you. It doesn't matter if it's installing spyware on their phones, tracking their movements, or taking away their bedroom door.” —u/SinkTube 9. "Less of a parenting tactic and more of a tactic parents use: contriving a video (featuring their kid) to post to social media. It's super common, and I don't understand how so many people are fooled into thinking they're genuine." —u/TopScruffy 10. "Using humiliation and embarrassment as a punishment." —u/SubOptimalGoat 11. "Being overly protective. If you don't let your kids fail or protect them too much, they'll be less capable of doing so once they've left home. Failure is good; just provide a safety net.” 12. "Not explaining their decisions. Like, 'You have to do this because I'm your mom/dad, and I say so. End of discussion!' Instead, you can bring your kids on board with sooo many of the decisions you make for them if you take the time to explain your reasoning to them. Kids understand more than a lot of parents think — just give them a chance." —u/Pohjoiset_Revontulet
(TOPIC STARTER)... "When Getting to Know a Girl, What's The Biggest Red Flag You Ignored Because She Was Attractive?"
Reddit suer u/krzysztofgetthewings asked: "When getting to know a girl, what's the biggest red flag you ignored because she was attractive?" Replies include: "I dated a girl that had two different cell phones that represented two different personas. She was herself on her main cell phone, but had a burner phone that she used and would pretend she was someone else." "I had a woman I was sort of dating who flat out told me she has a tendency to walk all over people if they let her. I made a note of that and at a certain point of our interactions I could see it materializing. Her being way too demanding asking way too much. So I put my foot down, I reminded her of what she told me and said she was being very unreasonable." "Yea that didn’t go too well with her haha. Turns out she wasn’t giving me a heads up to call out her behavior. She was letting me know the kind of dynamic she was expecting." "I had an X tell me that she doesn't stay with men long and she tends to have a new boyfriend lined up ready, no idea why I thought I was different, turns out we got together 2 weeks after her last split instead of two months like she initially said and when we split a couple of years later she was in a relationship before the week was out with one of her 'online friends'." "She admitted: "My parents sent me to reform school. I totally deserved it. My best friend just dumped me because she says I'm a terrible person. Oh, by the way, my husband who I told you I was divorced from? We're still married and I'm cheating on him with you." "I was a complete... idiot." "When I was going to propose to my now ex-wife I did the traditional "get the parents blessing". Her dad looked me in the eyes and without any explanation said "are you sure you really wanna do that?" "I laughed... He didn't.... Should've listened... "Looking back, substance abuse, extreme jealousy, and violence. I apparently make bad choices." "Constantly on cell/social media and can't get through a meal without external validation." "When she omitted information that she really should've mentioned before trying to sort out her issues. And also being a lesbian. Nothing wrong with that except I'm not her target demographic."
Kelly Clarkson Taking Over Ellen's Daytime TV Slot in 2022
Kelly Clarkson's talk show will replace Ellen DeGeneres' in its time slot on NBC when the latter's show ends its 19-season run in 2022. "The Kelly Clarkson Show," which is owned and produced by NBC, launched in September 2019. According to an NBC executive, ”By 2022, The Kelly Clarkson Show will be the star of our daytime entertainment schedules and an asset to our early afternoon newscasts.”
More Than Half Of All US Moviegoers Will See Five Or More Films This Summer
More than half of moviegoers in the US plan on seeing five or more films this summer. A Fandango poll of 4,000-plus ticket buyers found 64% will watch a movie or more movies in a theater and 96% will see multiple movies. When it comes to what movies they want to see, “Black Widow” topped the list followed by “A Quiet Place Part II” which comes out on Friday and “F9.”
(SAD Sign Of The Times)... 30 Percent of Americans Often Feel Unsafe in Public as Crime Rages in Cities
Thirty percent of Americans sometimes feel unsafe in public as crime rages in American cities. An AP-NORC poll asked, “How often would you say you feel unsafe in public because of your race or ethnicity?” Thirty percent of respondents said they often or sometimes feel unsafe, while black Americans felt the most unsafe at 63 percent. Homicides have drastically increased from 2020: 22 Percent Increase in Chicago 127 Percent Increase in Los Angeles County 113 Percent Increase in Minneapolis 132 Percent Increase in Oakland 800 Percent Increase in Portland
Cicadas Are Making It Rain … With Their Pee
Brood X cicadas pee quite often — particularly on warmer days. Scientists claimed that cicadas’ pee is similar to watery tree sap. However the pee is harmless, “just like the cicadas that squirt it out.” A professor of entomology at the University of Maryland explains, “It feels like when a rain just starts, and you get a small drop or two and say, ‘Is it starting to rain?’ Instead, now you say, ‘Is that cicada pee?’ So little specks of wet, and it never gets any stronger than that.” Scientists said simply wearing a hat while taking a hike in the woods or walking underneath heavy trees will provide enough protection. Another professor from the University of Maryland said cicadas pee so much because, “As adults, cicadas are active on the hottest days because they can tap into the dilute, watery xylem fluid of deciduous trees." “Evaporation of moisture cools their bodies by as much as five to 10 degrees, just as humans sweat and dogs pant, but an excess of fluids forces them to pee liberally.”
One McDonald's is So Desperate For Workers It's Giving Away iPhones
A McDonald’s restaurant in Illinois is offering iPhones to try to attract new workers. A viral tweet shows the red and yellow poster outside the store. The sign reads, "McDonald’s Now Hiring. Free iPhone." The fine print says: "After 6 months employment & meet employment criteria." The sign is at a McDonald's in Altamont, Illinois. The global fast-food chain is competing with other restaurants that are hiring nationwide. Another McDonald's in Florida offered $50 to people just to show up for a job interview. The service industry has been facing a worker shortage.
Today's AUDIO:
Topic Starters: What was your favorite childhood toy or game?
The Kelly Clarkson Show
A 96-Year Woman Hit On Prince William
Julianna Margulies On A Creepy Encounter With Steve Seagal
Kim Kardashian Fails 'Baby Bar' In Quest To Become A Lawyer
Akon's 911 Call Released After His Car Was Stolen
Today's SOCIAL CONTENT:
