Al Roker has a message for people worried about him covering Hurricane Ida
2023-03-27 05:42:03author：dointy.com
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Al Roker has a message for people worried about him covering Hurricane Ida
Famed reporter and weather forecaster Al Roker is down in Louisiana doing his job as Hurricane Ida approaches the U.S. Gulf Coast. And hey, guess what? He'd like you to keep your ageist concerns about that to yourself.
A clip — really, multiple clips — of Roker reporting from the shores of Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain went viral on Sunday as people from all over voiced concern for the 67-year-old weather expert. Yeah, it's wild weather all around him in this footage. But don't forget, this is Roker's job. He's really good at it.
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You don't need to search for long on Twitter to see how people are feeling about Roker's situation.
"Al Roker is too old for this shit. Get that man into a hotel. He can tell me about the weather from there," one user wrote. Another said: "What did #ALRoker do to piss off NBC? Making him get pummeled in a Hurricane seems harsh."
Just a whole, big pile of well-intentioned but deeply misguided ageist commentary. There are scores of other, similar tweets. I'm not linking to them because the people who posted them don't need to hear any grief from you. They only need to hear it from the man himself.
And so they did. It reached such a fever pitch that Roker, who should really be focused on the job of informing the public and not people worrying about his ability to do his job, was compelled to respond.
Speaking with Jonathan Capehart on MSNBC's The Sunday Show, Roker explained to the world exactly how he's feeling about his work and what people who don't know him are assuming about said work.
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"I volunteered to come out here. This is what I do. I've done this for 40 years," he explained with the patience of a person who has probably had to say the same thing before. "We all make sure we're safe, we're not going to do something that's gonna put ourselves in harm's way. As much as I love the weather and I love NBC, not gonna risk my life for it."
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He also had a direct response to those who think he's "too old" to do what he's doing: "Hey, guess what? Screw you! Keep up. Keep up. These young punks. I will come after them. I will drop them like a bag of dirt."
There you have it. Al Roker, taking absolutely none of your ageist bullshit while he reports on this historic storm.
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The internet made sooooo many jokes about Trumps fake news trophy tweet
Perhaps the biggest bummer about Twitter's new 280-character limit is that it allows the current president to compose tweets like this one:
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On Monday morning, President Donald Trump hit Twitter to suggest a "FAKE NEWS TROPHY" for whichever news network he deems produces "the most dishonest, corrupt" coverage of his presidency. As usual, Fox was excluded from Trump's media rage.
In the same tweet, Trump referred to himself as the American people's favorite president with a parenthetical "(me)." According the most recent Gallup(opens in a new tab) poll, the self-described "favorite" president's approval rating currently sits at 37 percent.
Naturally the internet jumped all over Trump's first tweet of the day. Some even have a solid suggestion for Trump's proposed "FAKE NEWS TROPHY":
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Project Entrepreneur expands accelerator program to help more women entrepreneurs build scalable companies
Since launching in 2015, Project Entrepreneur(opens in a new tab) — a media partner of Mashable — has trained more than 1,200 aspiring entrepreneurs representing 131 U.S. cities. Its annual venture competition has yielded an alumnae community of nearly 400 women entrepreneurs, with the 2016 finalists reporting $10+ million raised in seed and pre-seed funding.
Now entering its third year, Project Entrepreneur (PE) — an initiative from the Rent the Runway Foundation and UBS Elevating Entrepreneurs(opens in a new tab) — is expanding the number of winning companies in the accelerator from three to five.
“We are so excited to continue working with UBS in providing women with the tools they need to create high-growth companies, and see their visions through,” said Jennifer Hyman, CEO and Co-Founder of Rent the Runway. “Past participants in our accelerator continue to inspire us with their incredible progress, including closing rounds of funding. We are eager to provide the next class of talented female founders with the tools and support they need to scale, and to see the disruption their companies bring to various different industries.”
PE's annual venture competition is open to female founders who are in the prototype or beta stages, have their first paying customers, or are generating revenue. The top 200 applicants will be invited to attend the PE Intensive in New York City on April 13-14, 2018, a free two-day event comprised of in-depth workshops, expert speakers and a pitch competition. The five winning founders will each receive a $10,000 grant, a spot in the five-week accelerator program at Rent the Runway’s New York office and mentorship and engagement with UBS executives, entrepreneurs, and investors. Founders interested can apply online(opens in a new tab); but don’t wait, as the deadline is December 1st!
Last year’s winning companies included: New York-based LOLI Beauty(opens in a new tab), the first BIY (Blend It Yourself) clean and green beauty brand; Scottsdale-based The Touchpoint Solution(opens in a new tab), a neuroscience wearable that alleviates stress by altering the body’s stress response in as little as 30 seconds; and San Francisco-based Lace & Liberty(opens in a new tab), merging direct-to-consumer convenience with luxury bespoke bridalwear. Two additional New York-based companies were hosted by The Knot/XO Group Co-Founder Carley Roney and designer Rebecca Minkoff: Repeat Roses(opens in a new tab), a sustainable floral waste removal business that gives back to people and planet, and Reboundwear(opens in a new tab), athleisure wear with a purpose, respectively.
“The caliber of companies we're seeing through Project Entrepreneur further validates what we've always believed — that there is an incredible population of talented female founders in cities and towns across the country,” said Lori Feinsilver, UBS Head of Community Affairs & Corporate Responsibility, Americas. “Being able to reach these women and provide them with access to resources and support that will help fuel their growth gives us confidence that we can indeed level the playing field.”
Visit projectentrepreneur.org/apply(opens in a new tab) for details on Project Entrepreneur’s Venture Competition, and check out PE’s resources including #theTools podcast(opens in a new tab), blog posts(opens in a new tab) and educational modules(opens in a new tab).
This article is part of a media partnership between Mashable & Project Entrepreneur. For more information, visit here(opens in a new tab).
Two people trying to run the same government agency makes for a really awkward first day
Revolutionaries, take note -- if you're planning a government takeover, please use high quality breakfast pastries.
That's a lesson that White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney(opens in a new tab) apparently hadn't learned when he stepped into the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau today. He was there to take on an additional job as the agency's director.
The only problem? The agency's acting director, Leandra English, refused to cede it to him, in the workplace drama of the decade.
As a Trump appointee, Mulvaney wasn't exactly welcomed at at the job, so he brought crappy Dunkin' Donuts as a way to "ease" himself into an agency he's expected to destroy.
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On Friday, Director Richard Cordray(opens in a new tab) stepped down, leaving English to serve as acting director. Last night, English filed a lawsuit claiming that she is the "rightful acting director" of the agency. English has asked the court to impose a temporary restraining order to prevent Trump from appointing anyone, arguing that she is entitled to her position under the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform Law(opens in a new tab).
Mulvaney brings donuts to his first day at CFPB. Couldn’t hurt. pic.twitter.com/BpKJ2nd1L0(opens in a new tab)
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
None of that stopped Mulvaney. On Monday, the Budget Director stepped into the CFPB, ready to take on his new job.
This is how English responded in an email sent to 1,600 staff.
"I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving in mind, I wanted to take a moment to share my gratitude to all of you for your service,” English said(opens in a new tab), signing the note with her title, "Acting Director."
And that, my friends, is what we call a death drop.
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Here's how Mulvaney responded:
“Please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as acting director.” Mulvaney said(opens in a new tab). “I apologize for this being the very first thing you hear from me. However, under the circumstances I suppose it is necessary. If you’re at 1700 G Street today, please stop by the fourth floor to say hello and grab a doughnut.”
If Mulvaney, a budget hawk, thinks he can sway members of an agency whose jobs he's poised to eliminate with Dunkin' Donuts, he's out of his mind. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau(opens in a new tab) was explicitly designed to protect consumers from banks and credit card companies. Mulvaney once famously called the agency "sad" and "sick." He is not, as members of the agency likely know, their friend.
And dude, if you're going to try and win your staff over with breakfast pastries, at least go for something slightly more delicious than Dunkin'. Some suggestions:
Krispy Kreme
Entenmann's Coffee Cake
Savory bacon cheddar scones
Literally anything else
The case is currently being decided. In the meantime, here's Twitter's majority opinion on the issue:
We actually have two people claiming to be the CFPB acting director and this is *not* a romantic comedy where they fall in love at the end. pic.twitter.com/R80kPJdQrN(opens in a new tab)
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
Donuts were a big hit at cfpb. Like they always are. @MickMulvaneyOMB(opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/zgX5Y1Rlt3(opens in a new tab)
— john czwartacki (@CZ) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
If there's a Trump strategy here, it's to sideline her as a CFPB messenger by starting round 10,000 of the stupid "Pocahontas" story
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
what if i went to the cfpb with bagels and was like "i am your new king, follow me"
— Matt Levine (@matt_levine) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
we should find out who is the real acting director by threatening to cut the CFPB in half
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
Chef José Andrés, the man who single-handedly served 3 million meals to Puerto Rico post Hurricane Maria, had the best response of them all.
@CFPB(opens in a new tab) team members! i know is confusing. To have two bosses? Please bring a proof you work there to any of our DC restaurants and first drink is on us...
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) November 27, 2017(opens in a new tab)
Woman posts video of crocodile attack, and it is heartstopping
Welp, this is a close call.
A tourist was bitten on the leg by a crocodile on at Cape Tribulation in Queensland, Australia on Monday night, while standing on a creek bank close to the waters edge.
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A Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) spokesperson said in a statement the crocodile was estimated to be 2 to 2.5 metres (78 to 98 inches) long.
A video posted on the Facebook page of Ally Bullifent shows the crocodile attack, which comes out of nowhere. It'll be sure to give you a shock.
The EHP said it would carry out a site assessment of the area on Tuesday, and will possibly target the crocodile "for removal" as it has displayed dangerous behaviour in a designated area. This means it'll be moved to a crocodile farm or a zoo, according to the Cairns Post(opens in a new tab).
For authorities, it also serves as a reminder about staying safe in areas where crocodiles might be around. Earlier this year, an 18-year-old boy was attacked by a crocodile while reportedly trying to impress a girl.
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Town crier who announced Prince Harrys engagement to Meghan Markle is 100% fake
England, with its quirky traditions and old-fashioned customs, is a land of endless fascination for outsiders, nominally for people from the former colony of the U.S.
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The most adorable revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first interview
So it's understandable why a town crier -- with his elaborate, red and gold robed dress and tricorn hat -- attracted people's attention on social media when he was depicted in an ABC News video as he announces the news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement outside of Buckingham Palace:
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"Oyez, oyez, oyz!" He yells in the video. "Buckingham Palace is proud to announce the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. God save the Queen!"
It can't get any more British than this.
Business Insider posted a similar video, calling him "the Royal Town Crier":
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However, it turns out the eccentric guy is not officially appointed by the Queen, nor is he a real town crier. His real name is Tony Appleton, from Romford, east London, and he's been making royal announcements for years, bell and scroll on hand.
In 2013, he fooled prominent American broadcasters(opens in a new tab) including Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper when he announced the birth of Prince William and Kate's firstborn, Prince George, outside St. Mary's Hospital.
"I'm a royalist. I love the royal family," he told (opens in a new tab)AP(opens in a new tab), while acknowledging he had no official royal role. "I came unannounced."
Still, many Americans fell for it:
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Cheeky theory is the best explanation yet for the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement
News of the engagement between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle caught Americans' imagination just like any other story about the British royals -- births, anniversaries, celebrations, jubilees, and so on.
SEE ALSO:
'Town crier' who announced Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle is 100% fake
But what if behind the jolly facade of a couple in love wishing to declare their commitment before God and the nation there's an actual conspiracy to reclaim a former colony, lost in a never-forgotten, embittered war?
That's the joke Greg Pollowitz, editor at Twitchy.com, dug up to explain the royal announcement:
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Meghan Markle is American, so the future offspring will be Americans! Da-daam! Boom! Mic drop!
via GIPHY(opens in a new tab)
It was just a cheeky tweet, but it went absolutely viral and people just loved it:
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There was the obvious Brexit reference:
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As well as the Trump one:
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Some conjectured a crossover between two incredibly popular TV shows:
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But in general the tweets reacting to the joke were just hilarious:
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While someone took it a bit too seriously:
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Dog, sick and tired of waiting in car, slams his paw on the horn
It will be a long time before America finally grants dogs the right to drive.
Until then, dogs will have to do what they can to keep themselves entertained. Take this pup, who was recently left alone in a parking lot in " target="_blank">Nanaimo, British Columbia(opens in a new tab), and slammed its paw on the car horn out of exhaustion. And then it kept it there. For a long time.
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The video was captured by Joris Wiggers and posted on Facebook by Elizabeth Herman(opens in a new tab). It's not entirely clear that the dog knows how to get his paw off the horn, but no problem, doggo, that's what driver's permits are for.
Arbys bought Buffalo Wild Wings, so heres what a combined menu would look like
On Tuesday it was announced that Arby's owner Roark Capital will acquire(opens in a new tab) Buffalo Wild Wings for $2.4 billion (or roughly(opens in a new tab) 162,271,805 orders of BWW House Samplers).
Per Reuters(opens in a new tab), though the wings restaurant will become property of Arby's, it'll still operate on its own.
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We think this is a huge mistake.
Consider the disturbing menu possibilities a marriage of Arby's meats and BWW wings might afford us.
Our suggestions for this menu full of abominations below:
A half-pound Beef 'N Cheddar sandwich dipped in Bourbon Honey Mustard sauce, rolled in Desert Heat seasoning and deep fried
An entire smoked brisket coated in Blazin' hot sauce and served whole on a bed of deep-fried Cheddar Cheese Curds
Potato cakes drenched in Wild sauce
Beer-battered roast beef tacos
An Arby's House Sampler, featuring 12 classic Roast Beef sandwiches stacked in a pyramid
A Crispy Chicken Farmhouse Salad dressed with Hot BBQ sauce
Boneless Wings coated in Cheddar Cheese sauce
A Corned Beef 'N Cheese Slider cut up into pieces and sprinkled over Buffalo Mac & Cheese
A Cheese Curd Bacon Burger with a Pizza Slider speared on top
Every Arby's slider stacked in a tower and adhered to each another with smears of Parmesan Garlic sauce
The pastry shell of an Apple Turnover, filled with the B-Dubs Blender shake flavor of your choice
A large Ultimate Chocolate Shake blended with a slice of Chocolate Fudge Cake and drizzled over a plate of Dessert Nachos
Cheesecake Bites
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Cops share photo of a driver that went a little too hard with their Christmas tree
Look, if you want to cut down a massive Christmas tree, and stick it up inside your two-story living room, go for it. But maybe don't endanger anyone's life in the process.
Police in Massachusetts put up a post on their Facebook page on Friday, reminding people to please transport their Christmas trees safely. They really shouldn't have to do this, but here we are.
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Upside down Christmas trees are trending, and the internet is outraged
"One of our officer's stopped this vehicle on Route 20 today," the cops said on Facebook(opens in a new tab), posting a photo of what appears to be a Prius topped with a Christmas tree.
The tree is so large, it completely obstructs the view of the side and rear windows. It's not clearly visible, but we're also guessing that it wasn't tied down very well.
While the tree transport was outrageous to say the least, most people in the comments were upset that the police decided to call the tree a "holiday tree" instead of a Christmas tree.
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2017 was the year Congresswoman Maxine Waters was elected president of All in With Chris Hayes.
From the moment she declared that the director of the FBI had "no legitimacy" and then death dropped in front of a gaggle of shellshocked reporters, 79-year-old Auntie Maxine has had our blood loyalty. Every floor she walked on in 2017, whether it was in the Capitol or at the MTV Movie Awards, became her stage and ultimately, a property in her empire.
More so than any other "deplorable" president with a Ziploc bag of fleas for a brain, Maxine Waters was the de facto leader of the free world/MSNBC in 2017.
SEE ALSO:
Interview: Maxine Waters thinks millennials can change politics for everyone (yes, everyone)
Congresswoman Waters gave us so many viral gifts in 2017. Here are just a few of them.
1. The time she accused James Comey of having no credibility and then just walked on out
2. When she revealed that she was "never going to go" to Trump's Inauguration because, "I don't honor him, I don't respect him and I don't want to be involved with him."
3. The time she was asked what she would do once she was done impeaching Trump, and she replied: "Impeach Pence."
4. When she delivered MTV's first ever "Best Fight Against the System" award, did a plié, and got a standing ovation.
5. When she tweeted that it was time for our "racist throwback" Attorney General to go back "to the plantation"
Sessions doesn't remember what he said, when he said it, & where he was when he said it. Don't blame him. Time to go back to the plantation.
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) November 3, 2017(opens in a new tab)
6. Her "Bye, Felicia" moment
Tillerson's plans are backfiring. Russia sanctions still in place, State is in shambles, & he discovered his boss is a moron. Bye Felicia!
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) October 6, 2017(opens in a new tab)
7. When she busted out this stunner of jean jacket, rose pants ensemble at the Tax March
Credit: tom williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.
8. When she started railing against Trump and told a room full of supporters, "We've got to stop his ass"
9. The moment she just said it:
Maxine Waters on Trump: "I think he's the most deplorable person I've ever met in my life" https://t.co/25utCvqtAh(opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/pLADTiE9l1(opens in a new tab)
— The Hill (@thehill) August 4, 2017(opens in a new tab)
10. And the tweet that did it too:
Trump asked what Blacks had to lose. It was apparently healthcare, housing, college admission, & freedom after Sessions locks everyone up
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) August 2, 2017(opens in a new tab)
11. That day Bill O'Reilly tried to humiliate Auntie Maxine and just ... lol, sorry bro. She can't be intimidated.
12. When she "reclaimed her time" from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
13. So the internet did too
14. And the Women's March made "Reclaiming my time" the theme of a whole convention
Credit: rachel woolf/The Washington Post/Getty Images
15. When Congresswoman Maxine Waters finally passed on her torch to the generation that needs it the most.
These kids dressed up as Maxine Waters for Halloween to #ReclaimTheirCandy(opens in a new tab)https://t.co/BbSP1haf5c(opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/8jI1fHSw6W(opens in a new tab)
— Mashable (@mashable) October 31, 2017(opens in a new tab)
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This photo of Prince George at the royal wedding has officially got the meme treatment
An image of Prince George at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding has been given the meme treatment with My Chemical Romance and Draco Malfoy references abound.
Wearing his all-black pageboy outfit for the big day, George was pictured by photographer Brian Lawless walking down the steps outside St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
SEE ALSO:
The best memes from the Royal Wedding
One of the memes suggested that his facial expression and closed fist made him look like Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter.
"My father will hear about this Potter," tweeted Marc Snetiker(opens in a new tab), a reference to a famous Malfoy quote.
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Two of the memes suggested there was something distinctly My Chemical Romance-esque about Prince George.
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A tweet by journalist Marie Le Conte cited lyrics from "Welcome to the black parade" by My Chemical Romance.
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Even Cersei Lannister made her way into the memes.
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Most of the memes seemed pretty innocent and in good humour. Although it's still worth bearing in mind that Prince George is only four years old.
Given that the next royal wedding could very well be Prince George's, we'll have to find a lot more than memes to tide us over until the next wedding comes around.
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Video shows tiny unseen details in Priyanka Chopras wedding dress
OK, so obviously we're all obsessed with Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. How could you not be?
And, boy, do we have a treat for you. Ralph Lauren has released a video revealing unseen details from the stunning wedding dress and footage of one of the fittings.
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The video features a close-up of the lacework on the dress, into which two rather lovely details have been stitched. The date of the pair's wedding — Dec. 1 2018 — is embroidered into the dress, along with the word "love."
How romantic.
In the video, you also see a glimpse of Priyanka trying on her dress during a fitting. And, her facial expression says it all, frankly.
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Just stunning.
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How to make your masturbation session as pleasurable as possible
May is National Masturbation Month, and we're celebrating with Feeling Yourself, a series exploring the finer points of self-pleasure.
So you've decided to masturbate. Congrats!
If you're new to masturbation or haven't enjoyed it in the past, creating comfortable conditions for self-pleasure can be daunting. Should you put music on or keep the room quiet? What about lighting? Should you use toys or no? It's understandable to have a lot of questions or to be unsure where to begin.
The great news: You can basically do whatever you want, because this is all about you. "The best thing about masturbation is that you don't have to be concerned about anything other than pleasing yourself," says Lisa Finn, brand manager and sex educator at the sex toy boutique Babeland(Opens in a new tab). "Since it's only you and your body, there's no pressure to please someone else, to worry about what you may look or sound like, or to navigate if trying something new may not work." The world is your oyster; you just have to find out what feels good for you.
Finn does recommend that, no matter what, you silence your phone before you get started. "Getting inundated with Slack notifications right as you're getting hot and heavy is a very easy way to kill the mood," she says.
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If you live with other people, creating a space free of distractions can be a bit more complicated. If your door has a lock you should lock it, obviously, but if your housemates are a little too comfortable walking into your room, it's worth having a conversation about respecting personal space when your bedroom door is closed. If you want, you can even tell them(Opens in a new tab) you've taken up meditation. (Also a great pursuit!) And it's important that you respect your roommates' space, too: If you'll be watching porn or listening to audio erotica, use headphones.
Elsewhere in the room, it really depends on what turns you on in particular -- and Finn emphasizes that you should give yourself space to discover your preferences down to the tiny details. Is there a song you always find arousing when it comes up on shuffle? Try playing a Spotify radio station based on that track. Does bright overhead lighting remind you of your extremely unsexy workday? Consider turning off the lights and opting for soothing candles instead. There are even candles that double as(Opens in a new tab) (not-too-hot) massage wax.
SEE ALSO:
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'You don't have to be concerned about anything other than pleasing yourself.'
Finn also notes that you might find it easier to reach orgasm if you're warm. "Try touching yourself under the covers, or even in a warm bath or shower," she says. You can also take warmth into account when deciding what (if anything) to wear, but it's worth considering what kind of clothing makes you feel sexy, too. "If you're playing with fantasy, throw on some lingerie or even a costume," Finn says. "If you just want to focus on being comfortable, break out those cozy boxer shorts or wear nothing at all."
Then there's the matter of accessories. Above all, Finn recommends using lube. "Whether you're using hands or a toy, lube is going to add sensation and make everything slicker and more pleasurable," she says.
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As far as sex toys go, the right one for you depends -- once again -- on your personal needs. If you're worried about your hands getting tired or if you already know you need a lot of stimulation, Finn recommends using a powerful, wand-style vibrator like the iconic Hitachi Magic Wand Plus(Opens in a new tab). If you're interested in internal stimulation, she suggests a "firm dildo for finding or hitting the G-spot or prostate," like the NJoy Fun Wand(Opens in a new tab).
Of course, while orgasms are good (lol), Finn stresses that they're not the only good thing about touching yourself. "Masturbating is a great way to explore the body and learn what works and what doesn't for you," Finn says. "Instead of focusing on a 'finish line,' enjoy all of the wonderful sensations that your body can feel, and enjoy taking time to get in touch with your physical self."
Sounds good to us.
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The small corner of Instagram dedicated to temporary wallpaper is uncommonly magical
This post is part of Hard Refresh, a soothing weekly column where we try to cleanse your brain of whatever terrible thing you just witnessed on Twitter.
When I was in middle school I begged my mom to let me redecorate my room. I wanted light blue walls, realistic-looking clouds painted on the ceiling, and adhesive glow-in-the-dark star decals scattered around so that when I went to sleep at night it would feel like I was looking up at the sky.
My design plans were admittedly a bit ambitious — I only ended up with the blue walls. But I did have a formative conversation with my mom about wallpaper along the way.
When deciding on a paint color, I asked my mom if anyone still used wallpaper. She explained that while some people still liked it, she personally thought it was a bit dated. After she reminded me of the hideous yellow-and-burnt-orange-patterned paper that used to be in our kitchen, I, too, decided I was anti-wallpaper.
Nearly every piece of wallpaper I've seen since then has been a real eyesore, so for most of my adult life I've remained confident in my opinion. Until the day I was scrolling through Instagram and a bold floral print atop a subtle blush background caught my eye. In an instant, everything changed.
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The photo of the Instagram-worthy wall above was shared by my friend Danielle Tullo, who had recently redecorated her apartment after enlisting the help(Opens in a new tab) of Jessica McCarthy, a Decorist(Opens in a new tab) interior designer.
"I wanted my rental to feel like mine, regardless of the fact that I don't own it," Tullo said. She now finds "nothing more tranquil than returning home to a space that's as vibrant yet relaxing" as her new, wallpapered living room.
Tullo's living room glow up was so undeniably gorgeous that it sent me down an Instagram rabbit hole. After scouring the site for other patterned accent walls, my negative opinions about wallpaper began to peel away — and I started to feel compelled to give my rooms some extra sprucing.
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As I explored hashtags like #temporarywallpaper(Opens in a new tab), #removablewallpaper(Opens in a new tab), and #peelandstickwallpaper(Opens in a new tab), I became increasingly soothed. Those colorful patterns, flecks of gold, and illusions of marble or wood can entirely transform a room and really leave it with a newfound sophistication or sense of warmth.
The colorful patterns, flecks of gold, and illusions of marble or wood can entirely transform a room.
It wasn't long until Temporary Wallpaper Instagram became one of my favorite social media havens. Now, I turn to the aesthetically pleasing home designs whenever my eyes need a break from consuming news (like, always).
Tullo suggests anyone who plans on living in a rental unit for more than a year try out temporary wallpaper. If you're going to splurge on a redesign and aren't the most handy person in the world, she also recommends hiring someone to apply the paper. She got some help from TaskRabbit and though it cost a bit more, she feels it was "absolutely worth it" to ensure her bubble-free peace of mind.
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"It just really made the space feel like a home," Tullo said of the temporary wallpaper. "It's low-lift, affordable, and transforms a space. I genuinely feel happier and more relaxed since installing [it]."
Want your own Insta-worthy wall to gaze at? You can try Etsy, where Tullo purchased her paper(Opens in a new tab). There are also options ranging from temporary wallpaper companies(Opens in a new tab) like Tempaper(Opens in a new tab) to larger retail stores like Target(Opens in a new tab).
One day I plan on taking the plunge and investing in some temporary wallpaper myself. Until then I intend to live vicariously through the Instagram community like any other resourceful, social media-dependent human being would. Happy scrolling!
Star Wars same-sex kiss is a dispiriting reminder of how far we havent come
Light spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead.
In what's become an annoyingly familiar pattern over the past several years, a blockbuster franchise has touted "LGBTQ representation" in an upcoming installment, only to deliver the barest minimum imaginable.
This time, the film in question is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the exclusively gay moment is a kiss between two female Resistance fighters.
One of the characters is a speaking role — Commander D'Acy, played in TROS and The Last Jedi by Amanda Lawrence. The other is just some lady; if we've ever seen her before, I don't remember it. Their embrace plays out in the background and is over so quickly, you might have missed it if you reached for your popcorn at the wrong moment.
It's bullshit that this is the best Star Wars can do in 2019.
The timidity of this scene did not stop J.J. Abrams from talking it up to Variety(Opens in a new tab) weeks before TROS' release. In the same interview where he confirmed Finn and Poe would not be boyfriends, Abrams hinted at the possibility of other queer characters coming to Star Wars and stressed that he wanted the world of his film to reflect the real-world population.
“In the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they’re being represented in the film,” he said at the time.
The tiny smooch in TROS echoes the unnamed gay support group attendee in Avengers: Endgame(Opens in a new tab), the two men making eye contact in Beauty and the Beast, the two dudes standing next to each other in Star Trek Beyond, the girlfriends who never even touch hands in Deadpool 2, the husbands with blink-and-you'll-miss-it wedding rings in Alien: Covenant, and the superheroine who didn't go out of her way to deny her "girlfriend troubles" in Power Rangers.
In each case, the amount of self-congratulation on display seemed wildly out of proportion with the content of the supposed LGBTQ representation itself. (And that's not even getting into characters whose sexualities were mentioned by their performers and writers offscreen but never acknowledged at all onscreen, like Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story.)
Finn and Poe: Still not gay.Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.
It's worth acknowledging that, yes, the lesbian couple in TROS is indeed a first for Star Wars. Yes, it's a step forward. Yes, it's better than nothing. Yes, it surely means something to someone. That does matter.
And yes, I'll even grant that it's an improvement on other examples of this trend — like Beauty and the Beast, which never actually confirms that Lefou is gay, just halfheartedly implies it.
But after a while, those yeses feel less like markers of progress than of the lack of it.
LGBTQ characters shouldn't have to be relegated to the sidelines of our culture's biggest, most beloved stories.
The relative insignificance of these particular characters is a reminder that more prominent characters like Poe and Finn can't be canonically gay because, as Oscar Isaac put it, "it's a time when people are too afraid." The briefness of the women's embrace reflects the studio's desire to keep even this meager bit of LGBTQ representation contained within a tiny box that they can throw out of the plane if the going gets too rough. Indeed, The Hollywood Reporter(Opens in a new tab) writes that that's exactly what Disney has done in Dubai, where the kiss was edited out altogether.
And the fact that it still "counts" as an historic first speaks poorly of this franchise and others like it. Even as explicitly queer films from Call Me By Your Name to Love, Simon have wowed critics and cleaned up at the box office, the decision-makers behind Hollywood's biggest blockbusters remain too timid to offer up more than a tiny peck between minor characters.
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It may not be the end of the world that Star Wars won't make StormPilot canon, or Disney won't give Elsa a girlfriend, or Fantastic Beasts won't explore Dumbledore's sexuality, or what have you. There's no shortage of queer characters and queer stories to be found outside these gazillion-dollar properties in 2019; even major movie studios have proven willing to get on board with LGBTQ characters as long as they're not part of a $400 million action-adventure sequel.
But LGBTQ characters shouldn't have to be relegated to the sidelines of our culture's biggest, most beloved stories. It's bullshit that this is the best Star Wars can do in 2019, and even more bullshit that this is the second version of this story I've written this year, following Endgame. Make it so I don't find myself rehashing this story yet again in 2020 or 2021 or 2022, Hollywood, and then we'll talk.
Heres your chance to post to an Instagram account with a million followers
Influencers have faced newfound scrutiny in the past year for a variety of tone deaf moves like throwing ragers while their city is locked down(Opens in a new tab) or simply trying to sell during a pandemic-fueled economic downturn.
Despite the backlash, however, the influencer market is booming(Opens in a new tab).
The "influencing" industry is like many others in that a select few reap the rewards. But what if influencing was more democratized? What if anyone could be an influencer, or at least have a million Instagram followers?
MSCHF, the group behind stunts like attaching a paintball gun to Boston Dynamics's robot dog, wants to answer these questions with Death of the Influencer(Opens in a new tab). The titular death is of a fictional, unnamed Influencer, the "son of Andy Warhol and Paris Hilton," who was apparently killed by a password reset. RIP.
We can't bring our Instagram account or followers into the after life, so the Influencer has willed them to us. MSCHF's manifesto reads that the Influencer "leaves behind an empty account with no trace of meaning beyond its outsized follower count." Indeed, there's a real @deathoftheinfluencer(Opens in a new tab) account that has one million followers and no posts as of publication. (Don't worry, MSCHF didn't buy the followers, just the account.)
Credit: screenshot by the author
"Any hope for influence now rests in your hands," says the manifesto. With the goal of a more egalitarian influencer landscape, MSCHF wants anyone to post on the account.
While there's no guarantees, text 646-853-3611 with a photo and it might end up blasted to one million (plus) followers. There's no information about how long MSCHF plans on posting to the account — but knowing their past drops, you'll want to get in on it ASAP.
This new FDA-approved Apple Watch band measures the electricity in your heart
The Federal Drug Administration just cleared a new band for the Apple Watch that monitors the electrical rhythms in your heart.
After a two-year process to satisfy the FDA's stringent requirements, AliveCor announced today that the Kardia Band(opens in a new tab) is now available for purchase for $199. It's a mobile electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures a heart's electrical activity and has traditionally been used by doctors to identify abnormal cardiac rhythms.
"It’s a regulated measure of physiology by the FDA. Doctors can recognize over 100 conditions when they see an EKG," AliveCor CEO Vic Gundotra told Mashable.
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But unlike conventional EKGs, this is one that you wear on your wrist. The heart rhythms display on the Apple Watch, and it takes about 30 seconds to collect the electrical signals. What's more, the watch will notify the user when they might potentially be experiencing a common heart arrhythmia called Atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
"It used to take a cardiologist, and you'd have to take off your shirt," said Gundotra. "Now you can do it while at your kid's soccer game. You can know in half a minute what’s going on in your heart."
After being scrutinized by the FDA, Gundotra is confident the device accurately and reliably measures electrical heart activity.
"We had to prove that our algorithms are effective as a board of human cardiologists," he said, noting that the stack of FDA regulatory papers "might be taller than me."
We had to prove that our algorithms are effective as a board of human cardiologists
The Kardia Band can be especially useful for patients who suffer from AFib, Gordon Tomaselli, chief of the division of cardiology at John Hopkins University, told Mashable. "AFib may not be dangerous, however, it is associated with increased risk of blood clots in hearts," he explained. "It also turns out to be a common cause of stroke that occurs for no obvious reason."
"I think it’s a useful adjunct and useful for some patients," he added. "And there are some people that want to know [they're experiencing AFib] -- and for those folks this is a great solution."
Still, Tomaselli cautioned the Kardia Band might not be the best option for every single patient.
"I think if you have a serious cardiac disease you should not be completely reliant on this to make a diagnosis," said Tomaselli. "It is always best to make sure that your health care provider has a look at the rhythms."
Most of all, he emphasized, "If you don’t feel well, you need to see someone. Symptoms trump any recording."
Besides watching for AFib, the Kardia Band is also infused with AI technology, a deep-learning tool the company calls "SmartRhythm Monitoring." This program, however, doesn't monitor heart rhythms. Instead, it watches your heart rate. The AI system checks your heart rate every five seconds, and will, based up your activity over the previous 30 minutes, notify you when your heart rate is pumping abnormally fast.
For instance, the Kardia Band will alert you if your heart rate spikes, even though you might be idly sitting in a car.
"It worked on me when a cop pulled me over," said AliveCor's CEO, Gundotra. "We’re looking for things that don’t match our predictions."
So for anyone that's interested in better understanding their heart -- both it's rhythms and heart rate behavior -- the Kardia Band can serve as a helpful tool.
"It’s neat technology and there’s going to be more and more of this," said Tomaselli. "I think some of this is going to be very useful not just in diagnosing things but helping, for those interested, to maintain their best cardiovascular health and fitness."
And AliveCor's Gundotra, after working through a tedious FDA approval process, feels the system validates this new technology. "We are very lucky to have such a strict regulatory body," he said. "You can't make ridiculous claims in this country."
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As weeks on TikTok go, this one felt abnormally quiet. But thanks to Julia Fox and an emerging class of TikTok poets (including Guy Fieri?!), a few trends cut through the mundane.
Sadly, we also lost a TikTok icon this week, Pot Roast the cat — and it has sent everyone, including the Mashable newsroom, into an emotional tailspin.
Uncut Jahmz
TikTok is not immune to the internet's fascination with Julia Fox. A soundbite from the Uncut Gems actor's appearance on Call Her Daddy is circulating the app and inspiring copycat videos. The clip was first posted by Spotify a week ago(Opens in a new tab). In the clip, host of Call Her Daddy, Alexandra Cooper, asks Fox, "Would you consider yourself Ye’s muse?" Fox replies, "Yeah, a little, maybe." Cooper follows up with "what is a muse?" to which Fox says, "I mean, I was Josh Safdie's muse when he wrote Uncut Gems [which she pronounces like Jaaahmz]. Do you know what I mean? You know things like that."
Despite being a true New Yorker(Opens in a new tab) — are you from New York even — in this clip she speaks with the vocal fry and cadence of a California girl. The pacing and way Fox talks makes this audio so addictive. It scratches an itch in my brain I didn't know I had. The star of the show is her pronunciation of "gems"; it's a mesmerizing manipulation of the English language.
So far over 14,200 videos have been made using the sound, and that number doesn't include TikTokkers making their own imitations of the sound. These TikToks range from people acting the interview out, to California girls gushing about proper representation(Opens in a new tab), and some creative geniuses have even choreographed dances to the sound(Opens in a new tab).
If you’re out and about this weekend prepare to hear a lot of people exchanging "Uncut Jaaahmz."
My younger self
On Jan. 27, @sentimentallyill posted a touching poem(Opens in a new tab) about how we always carry our younger selves and mothers with us. The poem is set to "When I Get My Hands On You" by The New Basement Tapes, and it was initially so successful it received over a million views. The poem inspired other users to mediate and post their own versions of the poem. A couple hundred people posted their take on @sentimentallyill's poem to the same audio.
The trend-inspiring poem!Credit: TikTok / sentimentallyill
The trend has since evolved: Now users are writing lists of how their younger selves would feel now and posting them to "Motion Sickness" by Phoebe Bridgers. It's a lovely change of pace to see a trend that inspires reflection gain popularity on the platform. The trend peaked with Guy Fieri’s participation(Opens in a new tab), which has since received over 2.2 million likes and over 12 million views. Can't say I saw the mayor of FlavorTown writing TikTok poetry coming!
Mayor of PoetryTown.Credit: TikTok / flavortown
RIP Pot Roast
Pot Roast, TikTok's most beloved cat, has died. And the app is in mourning.
On the morning of Feb. 17 the account @potroastsmom(Opens in a new tab) wrote, "My little bird flew away at 11:47 a.m. this morning. When I saw Pot Roast this morning I could feel that she was done fighting and even though I wasn't done fighting for her I let her go. She went to sleep in my arms."
RIP Pot Roast.Credit: TikTok / potroastsmom
Pot Roast had over 950,000 followers, and the account has accumulated over 65 million likes. My colleague, and Pot Roast fan, CJ Silva attributes Pot Roast's popularity to the internet's love of weird-looking animals. "Pot Roast looked fully taxidermied at any given moment and her owner leaned in [to that in] short videos," Silva explained to me.
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Another colleague of mine, Chase DiBenedetto, appreciated that Pot Roast always looked void of any and all emotion. "She was just so over it. So over everything. But that was somehow beautiful," DiBenedetto told me.
Pot Roast's account was filled with silly, relatable videos made by her owner, each one featuring the feline's signature unimpressed face. And in so many ways, her unbothered gaze spoke to all of us who are feeling misanthropic and over it.
Pot Roast's content also managed to avoid the common trap most pet content falls into on the app in that it was never cringe. All hail our unproblematic, unbothered queen. She will be dearly missed.
Keke Palmer not knowing Dick Cheney is the new meme for ignoring your ex
Keke Palmer's reaction to Dick Cheney is, frankly, pure art.
The former Nickelodeon star-turned-Hustlers power woman took a lie detector test for Vanity Fair(Opens in a new tab) on Wednesday, where she answered questions about her birth place, her real name, and her dating preferences. When asked whether her character on the Nickelodeon show True Jackson, VP was a better VP than Vice President Dick Cheney, she balked.
"I don't know who this man is," she said, shaking her head. "He could be walking down the street and I wouldn't know a thing. Sorry to this man."
Iconic. According to the lie detector, Palmer was telling the truth when she said, with her whole chest, that she did not know Dick Cheney.
The clip was posted by MTV video producer Matt Gehring the day the video went up, and it went viral on Twitter.
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Since Wednesday, the clip of Palmer saying "I don't know this man" has been used as a reaction to running into exes, Biblical references, and dealing with student loan debt.
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Pete Souza had the perfect reaction to Trumps like, really smart tweets
Donald Trump had one of his most unforgettable series of tweets Saturday morning, touting his own mental stability, claiming that he's, "like, really smart," and calling himself a genius.
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Pete Souza, the former photographer for the Obama White House who has become one of the internet's foremost Trump shade-throwers, had the perfect reaction(opens in a new tab) to the tweets:
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In a three-tweet thread on Saturday morning, the 45th President of the United States decried the fact that people were questioning his mental stability and intelligence, claiming that he was, in fact, mentally stable and smart. Trump's tweets likely had something to do with the recently released book Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff, which contains a handful of bombshell quotes and anecdotes from those arrayed around the president, including some from his inner circle.
The tweet that Souza quoted along with the picture of Barack Obama looking downtrodden and disappointed contained the line: "Throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart." It's so bad that it sounds like a joke, but I assure you: It's not.
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That picture of Obama, eyes cast downward and one hand on his solemn face, is the perfect encapsulation of what everyone is feeling: Is he serious? He can't be serious. Did he really type that tweet out and hit send?
He did. He tweeted that. That's the Commander in Chief of the United States, and he decided to push back against insults to his intelligence by saying he's, "like, really smart."
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