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Carbon emissions are now growing faster than before the pandemic

Despite talk of a green recovery, global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise as the world emerged from coronavirus lockdowns




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Some wildfires are growing twice as fast as they did two decades ago

In the western US, the average maximum growth rate of fires has more than doubled over the past two decades




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Your gut bacteria are at war - and force their enemies to switch sides

Rival tribes of bacteria armed with poison darts are fighting it out in your gut, with armies of traitors often winning the day




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Lakes are losing winter ice cover at an astonishing rate

Fewer lakes are freezing over each winter compared with past years, posing environmental and economic consequences around the world




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Chimpanzees will never randomly type the complete works of Shakespeare

The infinite monkey theorem states that illiterate primates could write great literature with enough time, but the amount of time needed is much longer than the lifespan of the universe




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We've seen particles that are massless only when moving one direction

Inside a hunk of a material called a semimetal, scientists have uncovered signatures of bizarre particles that sometimes move like they have no mass, but at other times move just like a very massive particle




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COP29: Clashes over cash are set to dominate the climate conference

The focus is on finance at the UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, this month, but countries are a long way from any kind of consensus




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More people are living with pain today than before covid emerged

Chronic pain has increased among adults in the US since 2019, which could be due to a rise in sedentary lifestyles or reduced access to healthcare amid covid-19 restrictions




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We are a long way from pregnancy being safe on Mars

Dangerous radiation reaches Mars at levels we aren't exposed to on Earth, which makes the Red Planet a particularly dangerous place to be during pregnancy




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Audio AIs are trained on data full of bias and offensive language

Seven major datasets used to train audio-generating AI models are three times more likely to use the words "man" or "men" than "woman" or "women", raising fears of bias




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Red kites and buzzards are being killed by misuse of rat poisons

Campaigners are calling for stricter controls on rodenticides after finding that birds of prey in England are increasingly being exposed to high doses of rat poison




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where are the noms?




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20 Snuggly and Silly Cat Memes for Cat Parents Embracing Blanket Season

Take a deep breath, everyone. It's Sunday morning, it's autumn, it's blanket season, our favorite season, and it feels like we have never felt quite so content. No work, no alarm clock, blankets that enwrap us in the best feeling in the world, and our cats beside us, enjoying these blankets just as much as we do. There is not a lot that can make this morning even better, but there is one thing. Because is always one thing that can make our mornings better, and that is, of course, a whole bunch of pawsome cat memes

Staring any morning with a good bunch of cat memes is a good thing for us, but there is something about giggling at cat memes in bed, under those heavy blankets, with our cats, that just… hits different. It hits better. So, we hope that you enjoy these memes, friends, and that you have just as much fun scrolling through them as we did bringing them to you. 




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A Happy Helping of Kittens That Are As Smol As They Are Awwdorable

Greetings and salutations. Today is another day in this crazy beautiful thing we call life. It ain't all sunshine and flowers, but it sure is meaningful when you get to share your time with people you love. People, or cats, that is. We recommend spending some special quality time with your sweet feline companions, they grow up so fast. And they sure are extra sweet when their smol little babies just learning their way in the world. 

Over here at the ICanHasCheezburger editorial office, we are big fans of all things feline. We swipe through silly cat memes all day, even during lunch breaks. That's why we are so especially moved when we come across a happy helping of kittens that are as smol as they are awwdorable. Here's a delightful compilation of cute kitten pictures to inspire you to look through your photo albums and find your own cats' baby pictures. 




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Glorious Orange Cat Bleps That Are Every Bit As Hilarious As They Are Endearing

Hey all, we're probably well familiar with the idea that orange cats are known to share one collective brain cell and are, how can we put this, not the brightest bulbs in the tanning bed, but utterly endearing in their own right. We often refer to them as 'Cheeto puffs'.  A cheeto puff is a soft, tender friend, a cheeto puff will always be there for you in good times and in bad. An orange cat will always be your best friend if you can provide some treats occasionally and treat them like the precious beings that they are. 

One of the more amusing gestures that we often find our orange feline companions demonstrating is something that we in the cat-loving community lovingly refer to as 'blepping'. Those who know, know, and are unfamiliar are about to experience a whole bunch of glorious orange cat bleps that are as hilarious as they are endearing. You are welcome in advance. 




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Universal Studios Japan to Open Donkey Kong Country Area on December 11

Shigeru Miyamoto previews games, Golden Temple ride, more in Direct video




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On Fascism–Things Are Different Now

In the late 60s and early 70s there was an epidemic of “everything I hate is fascism.”  We seem to be back to that again.  But there are differences, and they are important. We warned then, and it is worth repeating now, that we use a narrow and precise definition of fascism because it is … Continue reading On Fascism–Things Are Different Now




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Comic [1609] "it's rare, but it happens."

Chapter 13: "Redemption" comic 1609
[read...]
[permalink]




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Cakes That Are Almost, But Not Quite, Entirely Unlike Pizza

October is Pizza Month, minions, so this is a great time to go over a few reminders.

 Ahem hem hem.

Bakers, repeat after me.

"Pizza crust is not shiny."


Bakers repeating en masse: "Pizza crust is not shiny."

"Pizza crust is not held aloft by piles of poop."

"Pizza crust is not held aloft by piles of poop."

"If people can't tell my cakes are supposed to be pizzas, then I should stop making pizza cakes."

"If people can't..."

Bakers' Spokesperson, interrupting: "But what if we printed the pizza on the cake?"

::brief silence::

"No."

"What if we make the cake a slice of pizza?"

"NO."


"What if we made the cake brownies instead of cake?"

"HOW IS THAT BETTER"

"Ok, ok, fine. We won't make pizza cake."

"Excellent! Wait. Why am I suddenly nervous?"

"BOOYAH!!!!"

::sigh::

"I'm out."

Thanks to Anony M.,  Robyn, Heidi L., Carole D., Anony M., & Bartley I., for giving us a hand. Also are those pickles? Because I would totally eat pickles on pizza. Just me? 

*****
Here's an extra toasty way to celebrate Pizza Month:

Double-Sided Pizza Throw Blanket

It's hard to put a price on a blanket that makes you believe you ARE a pizza, but apparently the going rate is about $27. :p

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:




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These Ghosts Are SO COOL

Sure, Halloween gets all the hype, but did you know TONIGHT is actually the spookiest night of the year?

That's right, minions, tonight... is Haunted Refrigerator Night.

DUN

DUN

DUUUUUUN

::scream::

How do you know if your fridge is haunted? EASY. Just peek inside, and if you see the doorway to Gozer's temple, it's totes haunted.

But what about the refrigerated cases in bakeries? Can THOSE be haunted?

I'd call that a big "yes."

In fact, sometimes if you listen closely to the display case, you'll hear messages from the beyond:

Those poltergeists, such pranksters. 

You know how in scary movies there's always a face in the bathroom mirror?

This one's eyes even follow you! No really. Try leaning waaaay over in your chair. 

Now the other way. 

Has anyone asked what you're doing yet? 

No? Rats. Never mind.

Or how about that thing in movies where someone notices something odd from across the room, and moves closer to investigate?

Oh heck no, I know a Hell Mouth when I see one. [yelling through megaphone] BACK AWAY FROM THE CHOCOLATE CAKE.  ...AND LEAVE A FORK.

So remember, minions, tonight is all about keeping your cool. And if you DO see anything suspicious in your fridge:

Just do what I do: close the door and tell John we're getting pizza. In fact, your safest course is to do that ANYWAY, really. So go, save yourself! Eat pizza!

Thanks to Alacia E., T.B., Lucy M., Erin, I.B., & Tara U. for our weirdest excuse to get take-out yet. I can't wait to explain this one to John.

Oh, and if you need help convincing your SO the fridge is haunted, then I've got just the thing. Have you seen those magnetic poetry words? Well, it turns out there are soooo many more varieties beyond "poetry."

Magnetic Poetry Kit

There are more obscene options - and really sweet ones, too! - but "whoop ass" will never not be funny to me. Plus I'd invent a whole back story of a tiny belligerent ghost that lives in our crisper drawer and judges our food choices. Ha! Ohh, look out, John, I feel a new hobby coming on.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:




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Cover Snark: Reptiles are an Unintentional Theme

Welcome back to Cover Snark! From Rachael: I have so many questions: Does she not want him to save her from what looks to be an alligator? Is that alligator okay? His hips seem off. Should his gun be that close to the water? Why are they casually having a moment in this clearly dangerous water??!! Did they keep their shoes on? Sarah: She’s a shifter. So is the gator. That’s her brother and she … Continue reading Cover Snark: Reptiles are an Unintentional Theme



  • Covers Gone Wild! (Non-Snoop Dogg Edition)
  • cover snark

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Area Denial

Brat Benatar




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Career Day

apologies to the real life Dr. Burnell




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The Discovery Of Self-Care

Video james




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Heirs Apparent

Anh is just awful (writing awful people is fun)




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Barely Survivable Affection




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pick your career

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: pick your career


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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are you a bot

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: are you a bot


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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alivecels are seethin

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: alivecels are seethin


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




are

tired of taking care of yoursel

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: tired of taking care of yoursel


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




are

humans arent real sorry

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: humans arent real sorry


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




are

are you melting down

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: are you melting down


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!





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20 In-Law Memes To Help Prepare You for the Holiday Season

Let's face it: Some of us are blessed with really sweet, endearing in-laws, and the rest are faced with parents-in-law who seem to possess a likeness of an underworld ruler. There is simply no in-between. Whether you said something they disagreed with and have written you off as a lost cause or they are simply entitled individuals who care more about their happiness rather than their child's, in-law qualms are more common than not.

To ring in the holiday season, we thought what better way to get festive than to prepare folks for the hectic and chaotic scenes they enter every year during November and December. Though you can't change who your in-laws are, there's no shame in poking fun at your sticky situation. You can love your partner to the ends of the earth and it still wouldn't be enough to combat some families. Know that you've done your best, and your best bet is to take a sip of a yummy drink and watch the fire from the couch this Thanksgiving. Sit this one out, folks! Scroll below.




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'She has a temper [...] I hate her': 16-year-old girl refuses to tutor her terrible 15-year old sister despite parents' threats of punishment

We're often taught that we have an obligation to love our family and that "blood is thicker than water." While this is overly simplistic, I think it remains true that we should try harder to make things work with our family than we would with other random people. We should seek to resolve issues that reasonably can be resolved with a higher obligation than we would with friends and acquaintances. But even with family, there is a point where cutting ties becomes the only option.

Still, these sisters may come to find they grow closer as they grow older and as whatever chip this younger sister has on her shoulder subsides and she matures—or they may never come to find common ground, with old deep cuts festering and becoming impossible to resolve and move past. But, for now, it's hard to say that the older sister is wrong for not wanting to help her sister out. Siblings are going to fight, but there's a point where things go way too far, and the parents desperately need to intervene. Perhaps the parents would be better off just hiring a tutor to help her with the subjects she's falling behind in.




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Prying Karen criticizes a baby-faced 20-year-old mom at the store and lectures her about 'teen pregnancy,' the mom snaps and teaches her a lesson of her own: ‘I made her regret it’

Moms are usually an infinite pit of mercy, grace, and patience, but when a new mom is just released from the hospital post-birth and some old bat at the store decides to give her a hard time about her precious tiny human, the gloves might come off a little.

Perhaps a mother's grace is earned throughout their child's life. Untrained in the ways of well-grounded motherhood, this 20-year-old mom, u/Feathers137 the original poster (OP) of this story, was in the grocery store trying to buy some formula for her newborn when an older woman came over to her. Expecting the older lady to coo over her new baby–as many older folks do–she smiled and allowed her to approach, but what this uncouth Karen said in return shocked everyone standing in Aisle 18. 

Quite frankly, if anyone said this sort of comment to me (unprompted) in public, I think I'd need to be escorted out of the premises by security to avoid some sort of physical altercation. But maybe that's because I don't possess that uber-top-secret mom patience potion yet… So when OP encountered the rudest, most shamelessly abrasive woman in the world who was fixated on forcing her beliefs on a new mom in the dairy section, she dropped an epic comeback that made this Karen cry over spilled milk.




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'Hang up the phone, Karen': Entitled couple brake-checks catering delivery vehicle, blames the driver and tries to get free catering out of it

It's always shocking when people who are so clearly in the wrong forcibly double down on their behavior. Of course, that kind of entitlement among the Karens and Kevins of the world comes as no surprise, and yet to see this kind of audacity unfold in real-time is still a sight to behold.

Here, we have an entitled couple that brake-checked a catering delivery vehicle. The driver reported the incident to his supervisor, and the camera footage that was captured clearly showed that the couple was at fault. And yet, the couple willingly called up the catering service to accuse the driver of wrongdoing, threatening to call the policy and sue the company unless they got free catering for an upcoming event they were hosting. Thankfully, the supervisor did not fall for this entitled behavior and proceeded to show them the footage that was captured. Let's just say that Karen and Kevin quickly hung up after the evidence presented itself.

For more stories like this, check out this post about an entitled boss whose behavior caused their new hire to quit immediately.




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'My dad’s beautiful brain started thinking': Karen neighbor insists HOA remove neighbor's boat from view, neighbor maliciously complies with her demands

Minding your business? This woman has never heard of such a thing. She's being a rather nosy neighbor, as u/Ok-One-3240 shared in their family's story of malicious compliance

Some people just can't help being busybodies. They have too much time on their hands, and they're going to make it everyone else's problem, too. This person shares that their family enjoyed living in a gated community, and they spent a good amount of time using their boat. Each weekend, they'd take the boat out for a few days, then store it again for the rest of the week. As long as the boat wasn't within view of the street, their local HOA had no problem with it. That's a common issue that people seem to have with their HOAs… who cares if you can see someone's boat? It's a pretty frivolous rule in the first place, and this person mentions that their HOA didn't really enforce the rule too strongly.

Then along comes this busybody neighbor who decides to make it her mission to bug the boat family. Read the whole dramatic story below. 

Up next, read about what happened when this 17-year-old babysat her aunt's kids and helped herself to a piece of cake… from a dessert that cost $90! 




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14-year-old daughter asks her mom to tell her the truth about how she looks, 39-year-old Karen mother does not mince her words: 'I told her she was average-looking'

Sure, honesty may seem like the best policy, but this Karen of a mother took things way too far.

At first, when reading about her seemingly genuine concern over her teenage daughter's body insecurity, one might think that this is an attentive, caring, and decent parent. However, when her daughter asked her to honestly tell her the truth about how she looks, this Karen thought it would be a good idea to tell her that she is, in fact, only average-looking. Her supposed point was to inform her daughter that most people in the world are average-looking, but as one might expect, this "truth-telling" moment did not sit well with a 14-year-old. 

When the mother shared her side of the story on Reddit, people eviscerated her in the comments section, and rightfully so. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from other mothers and daughters. For more, check out this post about a husband and wife's heated argument over money.




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'McDonalds Karen yells at my kid': Top Karens of the Week (November 10, 2024)

One thing remains true: the Karens of this world will always be lurking around, ready to pounce as soon as they feel entitled to do so.

On one level, how could you not envy the complete lack of a filter and the audacity to start drama without any fear of consequences? But of course, on another level, who wants to carry that much negativity around with them at all times? This week, we have compiled a brand new collection of amusing Karens pulling the same old tricks. We've got the classic Karen who parked her car in the wrong space, a fast-food Karen customer who threw a temper tantrum at a child, and even a Redditor who didn't realize she was a Karen until folks in the comments section gave her a reality check.

Keep scrolling below for the top Karens of the week. For more compilations like this, take a look at this list of employees who got petty with their entitled customers.




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Sneaky landlord enters residence without tenant's approval and steals some items, demands another month's rent after tenants accuse him: ‘What are our rights?’

Just like landlords, tenants have rights. When a conniving landlord decides that they are above the law and impede on your rights as a tenant, there landlord can't expect you to keep quiet.

When something seems fishy, it likely is. Always trust your intuition, but even more so, trust the evidence you have and do something with it. The more power that landlords have, the more they're willing to do whatever it takes to pull a fast one on you and every other tenant they have in the future.

The tenant in this story is moving out of their unit and it is their last month paying rent. They noticed their cleaning supplies were gone from their apartment, in addition to two set of blinds and a shelf they had installed in their closet for storage purposes. They first thought their neighbor might've taken their belongings, but they noticed their landlord posted an advertisement of their unit and they had never approved of him coming in and taking photos to post on apartment-seeking websites. When they confront him, instead of fessing up, he demands they pay another month's rent. Scroll to read.




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‘I got extra pay, a box of chocolates, [and] an apology': Karen gets fired after screaming for 40 minutes at a customer service rep because they refuse to break company policy

Is it really so difficult to be kind to the customer service person trying to troubleshoot your problem over the phone? I get it, everything's falling to pieces on your end, but it doesn't make any logical sense to be unsavory to the one person who can actually help you.  

This Karen in our next story proved that being aggressive over the phone doesn't get you everything you want, and sometimes it can get you fired…. Or maybe even investigated by the Feds. 

Imagine, this customer service employee was about 15 seconds from clocking out for the day–it was Friday at 4:59:45 PM and they were grabbing their coats on their way out and the blasted phone rang. Seeing that the number was from an internal caller, as in, someone within their company, the employee thought this would be a simple thing to solve and that they could make quick work of their coworker's problem. Except, the woman on the other end of the line wasn't looking for solutions, she was looking for a customer service rep to break the rules for her. 

Keep scrolling to see how a 40-minute IT support call turned into an apology letter, a box of chocolates, and an immediate, dishonorable resignation. 




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'He was a nightmare': Employee's savage review after quitting exposes entitled boss, leads to their termination

When you're applying for jobs, you're probably checking out every online review you can find to dodge any potential red flags. After all, who wants to go through multiple interviews only to discover that the company's run by an entitled boss who thinks coworkers should act like "family"? Hard pass. Sites that let employees rate companies are a goldmine for honest feedback—sometimes with details that make you grateful for the warning.

Well, after one employee spent six grueling months working under a new VP, they tried to clue in the higher-ups about just how awful the new boss was. When the owner didn't take their concerns seriously, they took things a step further, leaving a brutally honest review that laid everything bare. The best part is it worked. The entitled boss eventually got the boot, and the company's culture finally went back to normal. Unfortunately, the original employee who exposed the mess had already quit—but at least they left with a story of sweet, well-deserved karma.




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Employee refuses to respond to boss's email asking to reconsider their resignation, instead decides to air out everything they think about their boss: ‘[You] are useless’

There is an episode in How I Met Your Mother where Marshall gets yelled at by his terrible boss, and he doesn't know how he should react. His friends all give him different advice, some saying he should ignore it, while others said he should kindly confront his boss and put him in his place. Eventually, Marshall unexpectedly explodes at his boss and screams back at him with everything he thinks of his job and the management, and at the end of this screaming fit, Marshall quits.

While it is just a TV show, many employees encounter moments like these in real life, where they just can't keep everything in, especially regarding their bosses. The employee in this Reddit story had considered doing exactly what Marshall did after they resigned. They sent their notice in an email to their boss, and after the boss asked them to reconsider, they debated whether they should give said terrible boss a piece of their minds.

Keep scrolling to read the full story. After you are done, click here for a story of a feud between a boss and a former employee over forgotten passwords.




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Stepsisters hide 18-year-old's passport so she would miss the family vacation and take care of the kids, father retaliates by cancelling the whole trip: 'I was livid'

There is a lot of irresponsible parenting in this story. First, let's start with the stepsisters in question. This is a pair of 25 and 28-year-old single moms who were so reliant on the Redditor's 18-year-old daughter to babysit their kids that they couldn't possibly get a real babysitter to take care of them. So when it came time for a family vacation, the stepsisters tried to convince the Redditor's daughter to stay behind, despite the fact that she wanted to partake in some much-deserved time off as well.

Then, there's the Redditor's wife, who tried to defend her fully-grown daughters for trying to sabotage the 18-year-old's ability to join the family on the trip. These ladies stole her passport, leaving the 18-year-old and her father scrambling just hours before their flight departure. Tension was so high between all the members of the family that the Redditor decided to cancel the entire trip. Looks like his stepdaughters would have to take care of their own kids for a change.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about a Thanksgiving meltdown.




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30 Bold Eyebrow Choices That May Not Work but Are Certainly Iconic

People are, of course, entitled to their own fashion sensibilities, even when said sensibilities are not exactly the choices you would make. To each their own, as they say!

When we think of oddball fashion choices, the first thing we tend to consider is a bizarre outfit or haircut, but let us not forget about the impact eyebrows can have on the whole picture. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the eyebrows are the curtains that frame those windows… and let's be real: anyone who has been to their grandmother's home knows what an odd choice of window curtains can do to the entire aesthetic.

Here, we have a collection of bold eyebrow choices that may not entirely work, but they are, at the very least, difficult to forget. Keep scrolling below for the full compilation, and when you're done, check out this list of amusing exam fails from students who didn't exactly study.




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'I am not allowed to do anything': Retail worker faces down angry parents after colleague sells parents the wrong computer for kid's gaming ambitions, prevented from helping them by silly company policy

Working retail is a hectic and endless stream of customer interactions that balance on a knife's edge, with any one of them threatening to teeter off into a full-blown customer meltdown with possibly little to no cause. It's a way of living that leaves you emotionally drained and completely exasperated, while weekends end up giving you just enough time to self-isolate and prepare for your next shift.

Meanwhile, despite claiming to have the customer's best interest at heart, upper management makes decisions that only serve to maximize their own bonuses and profit, putting you directly in the firing line for even more hostile interactions with customers. They'll enact some broad-sweeping policy that flies in the face of logical reason and expect you to follow it to the letter, vaguely implying serious consequences should you not blindly obey and refuse to listen to the insistence of everyone that their plan is a bad one. Then, acting like it's the worker's fault when they receive customer complaints about their policy. That's what this retail worker shared experiencing when they recounted this story from their days in retail, facing down belligerent customers whilst handling bizarre directives from their superiors.




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What happened to the Share button in Zoom?

Zoom has always included a clickable button/badge at the top left of its primary meeting interface window. Click the badge to copy the URL of that meeting. You can then, with just one more click in any messaging system, send that URL to the other meeting participants. Fast. Simple. Drop-dead easy. Elegant. It comes in […]

The post What happened to the Share button in Zoom? appeared first on Zeldman on Web and Interaction Design.




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My parents went without to feed me, says Treasury minister

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones talks to the BBC about his childhood.




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Crash dummies and robot arms: How airline seats are tested

Building hi-tech airline seats has become a huge business in Northern Ireland.