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14 compliments that have nothing to do with looks and everything to do with being an amazing human

I might use some of these. You wanna join me?

Artist Caroline Caldwell is my new favorite human being.

She decided that people needed some ideas for how to compliment each other on things besides looks and physical appearance.

Why? Well ... the whole looks-complimenting thing is kinda played out dontcha think?


So she collaborated with fellow artist-writer Van Nguyen and bam.

Here are her non-physical appearance ideas, and I love them.

Used with permission from artist Caroline Caldwell. By the way, getting permission is a great way to compliment an artist! Just sayin'. Caroline's other fabulous works that I INSIST you check out are on her website Dirt Worship.

Just read these through a couple times and enjoy, then head on over to her site. Go on. I'll wait.

I'm writing them all out (with her permission, natch) so we can memorize them all and make the world a more fun place. You in?

Here we go.

COMPLIMENTS THAT ARENT ABOUT PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

1. You're empowering.

2. I never thought fannypacks could look cool 'til you.

3. You're strong.

4. I'm so happy you exist.

5. It's nice to see such kindness.

Can I just say if anyone told me this, I would do an emotional cartwheel???

6. I hope we know each other for a long time.

7. I bet if Britney Spears knew you, 2008 would've gone a lot differently.

Oh man. This one hits me (baby, one more time) close to home and my 2008 heart. <3 you, Brit!

8. I would trust you with my passwords.

9. You call your grandmom the exact right amount.

10. You inspire me to be a better person.

11. Your ideas matter.

12. You have great taste in ______.

Sandwiches? Friendly baristas in your neighborhood? Weird American tourist spots? You get me.

13. You're so fun to talk to.

Especially if you're giving these amazing compliments! Geez!

14. I bet you're amazing at chess.

I'm so bad at chess but I like that you think I'd be good at it. Yes, I'm responding to this art like it's a person, so what?! :)

Ahhh. That felt good. We all deserve to be seen (and complimented) like this.

Imagine what it would feel like to be walking down the street and get one of these?

Better yet, imagine what it would feel like to give one? Well, you don't have to imagine. You have the words, you have the heart, you have the power, you have the force!

Go on out there and get to complimenting! Who knows what might happen.

And be on the look out for these compliments. Here's hoping we hear many more of them. <3

Pop Culture

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I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

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Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

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Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

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drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

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Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

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A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

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However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

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Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

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Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

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