In case you’ve been living under a coffee-free rock this week, Starbucks is making headlines with their cups.
Allow me to refresh your memory:
Earlier this week, Starbucks released its holiday coffee cups. In past years, the cups have had a little bit more holiday flair decorating their exterior.
Image Credit: WP Engine
However, in the name of holiday inclusion (and possibly to stir the waters of the public relations pool), Starbucks opted for a blank red cup this year:
Some like Raheem Kassam of Breitbart London ironically poked fun at the bland holiday cup with a piece such as this one about the “war on Christmas.” While others may have read Kassam’s sarcastic piece, interpreted it as a serious problem, and then ran with their own rage-fueled internet rampage.
Image Credit: Giphy
We’re not really sure what happened at that point, but it seems the majority of people are not outraged by this slightly festive cup. However, it certainly makes for good conversation and people have been talking.
The story found its way to Ellen DeGeneres, who weighed in with hilarity only she can pull off. Naturally, it’s a video worth watching because, I mean, is there anything Ellen does that isn’t worth watching?
I assure you the video is well worth your time:
Gosh we love this woman. Forget about nominating Donald Trump or some other dancing buffoon as the Presidential candidate. I think this dancing buffoon is the only one we need.
Some people make hotel bookings based only on the quality of the pool…
And while you might think that’s crazy, just wait till you see these amazing hotel pools… Then you might understand why some people book a hotel just for the pool.
Summer may have been and gone for another year, but its aways sunny somewhere in the world! Before you book your next getaway, check out 16 of the most stunning hotel pools, so that you can make an informed decision before you book…
Social experiments like the one below use fake circumstances to garner incredibly raw reactions. It’s easy to do the right thing when someone is watching, but it’s interesting to see people’s true morals when they think no one is watching.
In this social experiment, Johal decides to test the honesty of strangers by pretending to be blind, and asking random people on the street if the lottery ticket, which he knows has won $500, is a winner or not.
At first, Johal goes to an affluent neighborhood to test the honesty of people on the street.
Photo by Johal
When asked if the lottery ticket is a winner, the people either run off with the ticket, or tell him it’s not a winner and take it from him after realizing he’s blind and all alone.
Then Johal visits a poorer neighborhood, and asks the same question. Surprisingly the people who are most in need are the most honest people, and congratulate him for winning.
Photo by Johal
Watch the entire video below to see the surprising reactions from the strangers.
What would you have done in this situation if you thought no one was watching? Share with us in the comments below.
While most cats like to be left alone and are aloof, this 5-year-old cat living in Norway is the exact opposite. According to her owner, the Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest cat mix named Nala loves nothing more than seeking attention when their focus is on the television instead of her.
Owner Alexander Fredrikson decided to compile a hysterical video of all the ways Nala likes to interrupt his video game playing as she reminds him who’s boss.
The minute Alexander sits back on his couch, Nala comes running in to ruin his game time.
Photo by Alexander Fredriksen
She even makes sure to fully block his vision of the TV by rubbing her puffy tail in his face.
Photo by Alexander Fredriksen
Watch the entire video below to see all the ways Nala manages to disrupt her owners attempts to play video games.
What would you do if your pet did this to you every time you sat down to relax? Share with us in the comments below.
You shouldn’t laugh…Really, you shouldn’t but these 20 hysterical construction fails are bound to make you snigger…
We know construction isn’t easy. And that it takes a lot of meticulous planning and design way before the sweat and hard work start. But these 20 construction fails prove that it’s more about the design than the execution.
Then again, having seen this lot, we wonder if there was even a designer involved in these projects. And if there was, he or she needs to be fired and go look for a new vocation in life.
It’s cruel to laugh, but when you see these hysterical construction fails, you’ll find it hard not to….
Call me paranoid, but I am not okay with these products.
It’s happening! The future is officially here and its encroaching more and more each day. Whether its the hint of hoverboards or cars that drive themselves, the future is coming at us with rapid speed. We can now add a new item to our growing list of science-fiction technology, and this one is a doozy.
Fisher Price’s Smart Toy Bear is an interactive Teddy Bear that contains artificial intelligence and will “help your child grow socially and emotionally,” according to the toy’s Amazon page. It connects to WiFi and cell phones to keep your child engaged and adventurous.
Here’s the commercial for the Smart Toy Bear:
But Teddy Bears aren’t the only terrifying Chucky/Skynet combo toy.
Barbie is getting in on the intelligent action too. Hello Barbie, an interactive Barbie doll that uses WiFi technology to communicate with her user, is another smorgasbord of all our horror movie fantasies. She was displayed at the New York Toy Convention in February 2015.
Barbie has learned a few new tricks since her creation in 1959:
Here’s how the doll works:
According to Portland Press Herald, Hello Barbie uses a combination of technologies to have an actual conversation with a child. She has a microphone to record conversations, which are transferred to a computer server via WiFi. Voice-recognition technology then figures out what the child said and uses an algorithm to determine how to respond.
The average user of the toy is between ages 3 to 9, and conversations with Hello Barbie can involve as many as 200 exchanges. With each exchange, the toy becomes more personalized and it learns its users interests and desires.
2015 comes with a Teddy Bear that takes us on adventures and a Barbie that replaces a best friend.
Obviously, there is nothing wrong with this technology and we are slowly working our way towards an artificially intelligent society. But, as our trusty neighborhood Spider-Man tells us, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
According to the University of Michigan, the average 2-year-old spends 32 hours a week in front of the television. That’s over 4 hours a day spent in front of a device that does not contribute to a child ability to learn, play, or grow. While these toys don’t have a screen to placate children, they certainly step in for normal social skills.
Is it really a good idea to socialize our children with an artificially intelligent Teddy Bear in one hand a television in the other?
I don’t have kids and I feel I can’t answer this question. I can say, however, that I would like the younger generation to be filled with kids that know how to talk to people, not kids that prefer to talk to toys.
The great philosopher Justin Bieber recently came out with the most provocative and relevant piece of art of our day:
Just kidding….
In his new music video, an apology to the general public for acting like a douche lord, Bieber has gathered a bunch of scantily-clad Hipsters to dance like Miley Cyrus. Perhaps he’s an artist of our times expressing irony in his own pseudo-artistic way. (It’s also possible Bieber is simply trying to top himself and he doesn’t know how.)
Regardless of the Bieb’s intentions, we found a group of dancers who made a video far more entertaining than the one Justin put out.
Hoverboards, which are actually just Segways without handle bars, have been making headlines these days with the dancers who ride them to catchy pop songs. An all-girl group of acrobats is on point with their Hoverboard dance skills. They not only did handstands on Hoverboards, they did handstands in unison on Hoverboards. They did handstands on handstands on Hoverboards. They did handstands in unison on other girls while girls stood on their hand and Hoverboarded in circles around them. Does that make sense? You’ll probably understand better when you watch the video.
Justin should really consider hiring this group of gals fir his next video:
Unfortunately, all three of those girls are walking a runway in Paris while the rest of us sit here and wonder how we can possible hide our roots as they start to show.
If you have an oddly shaped head like me, then wearing a hat is all about finding what style works for you. While I can’t guarantee all these styles will prevent your head from looking like a potato, I can guarantee with the right amount of confidence, you could rock that potato-shaped head of your all the way to Paris.
Wide-brimmed hats with flowing floral prints or cozy sweater knits give off a cool vibe that we’re totally feeling. Throw in a piece of statement jewelry for an added kick to make your outfit pop.
2. Pull out the baseball cap on more than just game day:
A photo posted by Leah and Pearl Boutique (@leahandpearl) on
Your hat should be part of your outfit, not a hastily added side note. A colorful hat can offset a neutral coat and a black pair of slouchy pants. Play with the color scheme.
A fall-appropriate outfit can work for a night of getting drinks with a friend and in an office setting too (providing you work in a somewhat casual office). Take the basic blazer-and-jeans combo to new heights by adding a comfortable touch.
Contrary to popular belief, modesty is actually quite sexy. Wear an outfit that show just a hint of skin. For example, the woman above chose to show a flash of thigh, however she covered her torso with a cozy sweater, leaving enough to the imagination. Top it off with a floppy hat for an air of mystery.
A photo posted by Two of Wands • Alexandra Tavel (@twoofwands) on
The uniform is the go-to outfit you wear on those days when you sleep too late or don’t have any clean clothes. For me, it’s often a long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. If you find yourself repeating your uniform too many days in a row, throw on a fancy-ish hat the spruce up your look.
In between our very busy days and hectic schedules, we often don’t take time to care for the most important person- ourselves.
What we often don’t realize is that neglecting our minds can run over into our work life, family life, and in every other aspect.
Taking a little time everyday to cater to ourselves is really all we need, and these super convenient apps can do just the trick.
1. White Noise Lite (Web, iOS, Android, Free)
Image Credit: White Noise Lite
Proven to block out distractions from crying to phones ringing, white noise is widely used in offices, hospitals and homes to improve focus and induce calm. White Noise Lite offers over 40 sounds from the sounds of rain showers to even an oscillating fan.
2. Calm (Web, iOS, Android, Free)
Image Credit: Calm
While white noise helps some people relax, it annoys others. If you are one of those people, try Calm instead. As opposed to static-like noise, Calm offers serene musical notes with calming imagery.
3. MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android, Free)
Image Credit: MindMeister
Before you can clear your mind, you must identify exactly what’s cluttering your thoughts. This app encourages mind mapping, which is a technique that creates visuals of your thoughts, and helps unclutter whatever is creating a mental traffic jam.
4. Breathe2Relax (iOS and Android, Free)
Image Credit: Breathe2Relax
This app is good for anyone who wants to practice deep breathing, called diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress while inducing calm.
5. Memoires: the Diary (Android, Free)
Image Credit: Memoires- the Diary
Keeping a journal is a great way to clear your mind, and psychologists have been recommending it for decades. This app melds traditional diary-like qualities with the digital advancements of today, and allows you to record daily text or audio entries, keep tabs on the weather and attach files or photos to diary notes.
6. Diaro (Web, iOS, Android, Free)
Image Credit: Dario
For a diary app that works on any device, look no further than Diaro. Diaro allows you to tag notes, add photos and tag locations, and is available in 30 different languages.
7. Headspace (Web, iOS, Android, Free)
Image Credit: Headspace
Headspace’s free version includes ten 10-minute meditation sessions and an introductory course on meditation. It’s perfect for anyone new to meditation to try it out and see what it’s really about. Headspace also address certain areas of life associated with relationships and health, by integrating mindfulness meditation.
Rest & Relax is a guided meditation app designed to help you unwind at any time of the day. It helps users reduce stress and improve sleep by focusing on calming sounds and breathing.
Are there any other calming and relaxation apps that we missed? Share with us in the comments below.
James Wright had the most incredible reaction after eating Patti LaBelle’s pie yesterday.
Early last month Patti announced she would be selling a collection of frozen sweet potato pies at Walmart. While many were probably eager to try the pie, no one was more excited than James Wright.
James took to his YouTube channel to share his review and reaction after eating Patti’s sweet potato pie.
Image Credit: James Wright YouTube
After having his first bite…
Image Credit: James Wright YouTube
He started hitting the high notes just like Patti, singing, “On my own.. Why did it end this way…”
Image Credit: James Wright YouTube
“I turned into Patti.. You’ll turn into Patti after eating this,” James said. “You’ll be cheerful like Patti LaBelle after eating this.”
Hopefully Jame’s incredible reaction is enough to encourage Patti’s pies to fly off the shelves at Walmart.
James even took to his Facebook to say, “Patti LaBelle I have to say girl you did this with pie!” He was in utter shock after eating the delicious sweet potato pie.
Watch Jame’s hysterical reaction here:
Will you be trying Patti’s pies after watching this? Share with us in the comments below.
Corgis might not be the fastest runners, but it seems those short, stubby legs are actually perfect for riding a skateboard.
In the video compilation below, this Corgi rides, runs, and jumps on his skateboard, and proves he’s definitely the coolest dog in the neighborhood.
This Corgi, named Sir Ernst Bunnybottom shows off his skateboarding skills Anyone who has ever tried to learn how to ride a skateboard knows just how difficult it can be to stay balanced.
Photo by Sirbunnybottom
Sir Ernst Bunnybottom’s low stature may not be helpful for running, but it gives him a low center of gravity, which helps as he zooms past the camera.
Photo by Sirbunnybottom
Watch the entire video below to see this impressive corgi’s skateboarding skills.
Were you impressed by this dog’s talent? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Nashville actress Clare Bowen is making headlines after cutting off her long blonde hair to send a message to young cancer sufferers that hair, and looks in general, don’t define a person or make them beautiful.
Clare was diagnosed with end stage nephroblastoma, a kidney cancer, when she was four years old. After losing her hair from chemotherapy treatments, she learned that physical appearances don’t define a person.
“I was really inspired when I heard a story about a little girl who said she couldn’t be a princess because she didn’t have long hair, and I wanted her, and others like her to know that’s not what makes a princess, or a warrior, or a superhero,” Clare explained in a Facebook Post. “It’s not what makes you beautiful either. It’s your insides that count… even if you happen to be missing half of them.”
Whether by choice, or by circumstance, these 11 women prove that hair isn’t what makes someone beautiful.
Meet Goliath, the adorable baby cow who’s convinced he’s a dog.
Goliath was rescued about two months ago from a dairy farm that was planning on slaughtering him, and now lives with 17-year-old Shaylee Hubbs and her family on a ranch in Danville, California.
Although Goliath was so weak and small when they got him, the family has nursed him into a healthy 8-week-old calf.
The only thing is, Goliath doesn’t think he’s a cow at all.
Image Credit: Shaylee Hubbs
“I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s a dog,” says 17-year-old Hubbs.
“He was raised with our three dogs, and he’s around them every day. They chase and play together, he watches how they eat their dog food and drink water from their bowls and copies them and he even lays in their dog beds. He even loves scratches on his neck around his ear.”
Image Credit: Shaylee Hubbs
Most recently, Goliath has learned how to get into the house and sit on the couch, thanks to the family’s 2-year-old Great Dane named Leonidas.
Hubbs tweeted this photo of Goliath on the couch, and it went viral:
Hubbs adds: “He’s best friends with Leo, and so he used to watch Leo push down the door handle and come and sit on the couch.”
Leo even took to mothering the little cow when he was first brought in. He would lick the little cow on the face and try to nudge him to stand up,” she said. “He would lay down with the sick, little cow for hours just to keep him company.”
Goliath has even tried to “nurse” with Leo, thinking Leo was his mother.
Image Credit: Shaylee Hubbs
Hubbs said she and her family are so overjoyed with the attention Goliath is getting, and he is a beloved “pet and family member” here to say.
The family named him Goliath because he was so strong, and he grew and prospered in the warmth of their love.
Watch this incredible video of Goliath the cow:
Goliath also enjoys time on the ranch with several horses, sheep, goats, alpacas and chickens.
In a touching letter, one young, single dad from Las Vegas opens up about the struggles he’s faced raising his 10-month old daughter, and the wonders that have kept him going.
Richard Johnson, 21, posted his letter to Life of Dad, a Facebook group for fathers, which was the first thing that gave him hope that he would be able to take care of his young daughter, Persephone. Since the letter was originally posted to the page, it has garnered worldwide attention, and received over 15,000 likes and 551 shares so far.
In the letter, Johnson explains that Persephone’s mother left a month after she was born because of suspected post-partum depression issues. In the first few weeks alone with his daughter, Johnson was terrified of the daunting task, and wasn’t sure he would be good enough.
“I had read every ‘new parent’ book I could find and clocked in over 1000 hours in YouTube videos from everything to braiding hair and painting nails to theories on how to deal with common parental issues. I then started to watch your page more closely and saw that there were other fathers out there who were in similar predicaments as me. The page started to turn into a major confidence booster and really helped me through all of this.”
Photo by Richard Johnson
Johnson explained that he and his daughter had come a long way since the beginning, and thanked the social media page for giving him examples of other great dads in similar situations.
After receiving so much positive feedback, Johnson explained in another post how surprised he was by the attention his letter is getting.
“You truly can’t understand how much everyone’s words mean to me. I am constantly criticizing myself on how I can be a better father and this was just the right medicine I needed. When I got the message from Life of Dad stating they had uploaded my message I was more than eager to see it. Never in my wildest dreams would I suspect so many of you would see it. Let alone how many of you would comment on it.
“I come from a family of divorce and was raise by a single mother. When my father left when I was 6 I didn’t know I wouldn’t see or hear from him again until I was 21. So being that I never had a father it was truly frightening to become one. Even more so when I was going to do it alone. I didn’t have time to be worried though because that beautiful little girl needed a parent who could be her rock and would love her to pieces. In my mind there was no other option.”
Photo by Richard Johnson
Johnson describes the countless nights he spent in tears as he help his little girl because he wan’t sure if he was going to make it another day. When Persephone crawled up to him one night, laid her hand on his cheek, and stared into his eyes, he decided that his days of crying were over. Instead, he would fight everyday for the both of them to be happy, and has kept true on his promise.
Were you impressed by this young dad’s dedication to being a great father? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
14When given a safe a loving home, dogs can bring so much joy into your life, and offer unwavering companionship. Yet even dogs who have been neglected or mistreated can blossom when shown what it’s like to have a loving family.
In the video below, Jill Stafford brings Millie the Bull Terrier home as they wait for someone to give Millie a forever home. After a lifetime without a loving family, Millie couldn’t contain her happiness and excitement when given a safe and loving home.
There are no details of what Millie’s life was like before being rescued by Pibbles & More Animal Rescue, but it appears that she may have spent most of her life in a crate and may have been used for having puppies.
Photo by Jill Stafford
For the first time in her life, Millie got to experience what it was like to have a home. When Millie finds her way onto the bed, she can’t contain her excitement.
Photo by Jill Stafford
Watch the whole video below to see how excited Millie gets when she experiences a real bed for the first time in her life.
Can you believe how excited this dog gets about a bed? Share with us in the comments below.
“Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and answer to, all of life’s problems.” — Matt Groening
I’ll drink to that. And while we’re at it, let’s have a very important discussion about that good old habit of having the “drunchies.”(For those who are unaware, drunchies are drunk munchies.) We did it in high school after swapping our parents peach schnapps. We did it in college after dancing on the bar, and now we’re doing it again at whatever the heck this stage of life happens to be.
After an alcohol-fueled night, we often find ourselves making bad choices. You could call your ex-boyfriend trying to explain that you still love him, but like as a friend and not romantically. A better option is eating an entire box of Cheeze-Its at 2am like they’re going out of style (preferable to the former, though not by much). An even better option is making neither of these poor choices.
While I have no direction to give on the former, I can certainly give some advice on dealing with the latter.
Eat a real dinner:
Alcohol is filled with calories, as is food. It might sound reasonable to skip dinner and go straight to the alcohol. Not only will you get drunk faster (which means less money), that also means less calories in the long run, right?
Actually, no. While skipping a meal may save you pennies on the alcohol front, you’ll likely eat more calories in the long run.
You go out on an empty stomach, drink everybody under the table, get super wasted, and now you want tacos. Naturally, drunk you is going to go straight for those tacos.
This is what you look like after a night at the bar on an empty stomach:
Image Credit: Giphy
Fill your stomach before you go out to both keep you level-headed longer and keep you full. Your stomach and your dignity will thank you for it.
Bring cash:
Waking up a hundred dollars poorer after a night you don’t even remember is a terrible feeling. You can’t spend a hundred dollars if you only have a twenty in your pocket. That’s eighty imaginary dollars sitting in the back where it belongs.
At the start of the night, set a limit on how much you’ll spend. Bring that with you in cash, spend it all at the bar (because you already know you will), and then there’s no way you can possibly spend money on tacos as you walk home. See, problem solved.
Keep healthy food in the house:
Say you eat a full meal before you go out and you also manage to bring enough cash with you to have a good night but not so much that you buy the entire Pizza Hut on the way home. You still risk running to the fridge.
The solution to this is one that most adults should probably comply with. Keep healthy food in the house, not just for those late night drunchies, but also because you are a real-live rent-paying adult and potato chips will never count as a suitable option.
Get a friend in on this one with you:
(Even better if it’s a roommate.)
Girls work better in packs (that’s why we’ll never be caught going to the bathroom alone). If you have support and somebody who’s encouraging you to stay away from the munchies too, you can make through the night much easier.
Go straight to bed:
As soon as you get home, you may want to watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians because the only acceptable time to watch that heinous show is when you’ve had copious amounts of alcohol.
However, if you start filling your mind with the television equivalent of junk food, soon you’ll want to fill your stomach with it too. Do society a favor and go to bed. Go straight to be, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Don’t drink too much:
*Gasp*
“What did she just say?”
“I think she implied it would be best to keep the drinking to a minimum. Why would she say a bizzare thing like that?”
Yes, friends, that is absolutely what I implied. Do your waistline and your liver a favor. If you want to have a healthy night out, keep the drinks down low. Please tell me you aren’t so much of an alcoholic that you can’t go out and have a good time without being plastered.
This not only solves the issues of having the drunchies and spending tons of money, it also fixes the problem with texting the ex.
We all play Tetris in our little cubes. We say we don’t and we’re “getting that work done,” but I know all of us hide behind our computer screens from time to time and play that fantastically simple game of shifting shapes.
Well, cat and Tetris-lovers alike, we can now bring that game home with us and play it with our cats because some genius (aka Papercut Lab) just invented Katris, a form of furniture that both entertains your cat, and probably entertains you too.
Their website tells us, Katris is “a cat tree, a bookshelf, a cat scratcher, and a coffee table, for both you and your cat.”
You need furniture. Your cat needs to play on your furniture. You might as well hit two birds with one stone and buy furniture for the both of you.
Here’s how it works:
Image Credit: Papercut Lab
The furniture is made of cardboard blocks that are durable (as durable as cardboard can be when your cat is playnig on it), nontoxic and eco-friendly. The best part is that the blocks come in whatever shapes and sizes you want (shaped like the classic Tetris letters I, L, O, T, and Z).
You can buy the blocks individually for $49.95 or buy them by the bunch and get five for $235.95.
Image Credit: Papercut Lab
This set can be assembled and reassembled using reusable clips to fit a range of spaces and styles. Each piece is made from durable, recyclable cardboard and can withstand over 300 pounds of force. Even if you don’t have a feline friend of your own, Katris can make unique, customizable storage for books, shoes, and other human-exclusive items. And if you do share your home with a cat, this could finally be a coffee table you won’t mind getting scratched up. You can buy your own set from Amazon.
Whether you love them or hate them, the Kardashians – and all their drama- are addicting. Go to the comment section of any article written about the family, and you’re guaranteed to read complaints about how people are sick of seeing and reading about them. However, this begs the question, if you can’t stand them, why click on them?
Because people can’t seem to understand that in the world of online media, what you click on is essentially what you’re voting to see more of, apps like KardBlock and Kardashian Filter are trying to instigate a widespread Kardaishian withdrawal.
Last may, 21-year-old marketer James Shamsi set out to block all things Kardashian with his browser extension KardBlock. In an interview with The Daily Beast Shamsi explained:
“Basically, what was happening was that there were Kardashians everywhere, and I wanted to do something about that. But for me, when I follow pages, I am not doing it to get a constant stream of updates on the Kardashians.”
Shamsi was frustrated that Kardashian news crushed the deeper, more important issues he actually cared about on practically every platform. However, the Kardashians are just the start for these topic blocking browser extensions.
“Our ultimate goal is even bigger than just that. We are looking to disrupt the entire digital advertising space. We want to replace all advertising with donation links and important news widgets,” Shamsi explained.
Unfortunately, in the few months following KardBlock’s release, the app received terrible ratings, with users complaining the extension didn’t work. Yet those who still want to silence all the Kardashian noise, are now turning to chiralsoftware’s Kardashian Filter browser extension.
With the Kardashian Filter extension applied, a website would look like this:
Photo by Kardashian Filter
Will you be deleting all the Kardashian gossip from your news feeds? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
