upworthy
Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button
Most Shared

A fan jokingly asked Nicki Minaj to pay his tuition. Her response was A+.

One fan's joke sparked some wonderfully unexpected generosity.

"Well you wanna pay for my tuition?" a fan jokingly asked rapper Nicki Minaj on Twitter.

Minaj was promoting a contest on Twitter for a fan to join her at the Billboard Music Awards, and cheekily announcing that she has enough money to fly any fan from any country to the show, when she was hit with the unexpected question.

While the original tweet was about attending the Billboard Music Awards, Minaj's Twitter contest quickly  morphed into something entirely different.

Any fan who could show her they were getting straight As, Minaj would pay their tuition, as long as she could verify it with their school. "Who wants to join THAT contest?!?!" she tweeted. "Dead serious."

Hundreds of requests rolled quickly rolled in, and the 10-time Grammy nominee selected more than a dozen lucky scholars to help.

TMZ was able to confirm reports that at least a few of the payments had already been made. While the request was for students with straight As, it looks like Minaj offered a little leeway there, picking up the tab for some prospective students and others doing their best.

People on Twitter were freaking out over Minaj's outpouring of generosity, and the whole thread was one big gratitude fest.

The plight of student debt in the U.S. is no joke, and that's what makes Minaj's generosity so freakin' goddess-like.

The average student loan debt in the U.S. is more than $30,000 per borrower for 2015 graduates, and 68% of students exit school carrying a loan balance.

Obviously, "find a wealthy celebrity and ask for help" isn't the most reliable way out of debt, but it's awesome to see people in positions of wealth and power using those resources to help others.

Minaj did her student loan giveaway, Chrissy Teigen recently paid off a fan's tuition to beauty school, and Chance the Rapper cut a $1 million check to help floundering Chicago public schools. Celebrities are people too, and some of them really know how to be awesomely generous and empathetic people.

GIF from "Freedom," via Nicki Minaj/YouTube.

Most of us don't have Nicki Minaj-type money laying around, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look for ways to help others. You don't need to be a multimillionaire to make a difference in someone's life (though it sure helps). You just need to have a warm heart and an open mind.

Though Minaj's giveaway came to a close early Sunday morning, she hinted that she might be back some time in the next couple of months for an encore.

If you're one of the tens of millions of Americans with outstanding student loan debt, you might want to give her a follow. Just saying.

Most Shared
Community

85-year-old woman in senior home brings down the house with Fleetwood Mac 'Landslide' cover

There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Cecily Knobler

A woman sings "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac at karaoke.

On a hot Sunday in July, Carole Wade took the mic at a Dallas senior living facility where my mom lives. I happened to be visiting for the karaoke event, and the list of residents who couldn't wait to put their stamps on their favorite tunes was so long, the event had to be extended. ABBA's "Mamma Mia," David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo"—you name it, they sang it.

When it was Wade's turn, the microphone was brought to her table. She took it in her hands as though it was an extension of her fingers as the music cued up. Then, as she began to effortlessly sing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, the room got still. Frozen. All eyes were on her, and most of those eyes were wet. The lyrics, so beautifully fitting:

"Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you.
But time makes you bolder,
Even children get older,
I'm getting old too."

A man sitting at our table took notice of how emotional I had become. He leaned over to say, "Never stop feeling the music."

I had the honor of chatting with Wade, who at 85, has been singing nearly her whole life. She got started in the business as a backup singer in Elvis impersonator groups in Dallas and surrounding areas. In and out of bands, playing Deep Ellum clubs and local hotels, she shares, "I've been singing since I was a small child. I've loved music all my life."

As luck would have it, she was at a jam session when she started harmonizing with other musicians. They would soon form her most recent band, Psychedelic Oatmeal. They officially stopped playing gigs when she was in her 70s, but they remain close. (She notes her bandmates were all much younger.)

 bands, carole wade, music, old friends, singer Carole and her band mates.Carole Wade

They covered classic rock tunes from Stevie Nicks, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin. Songs like "Me and Bobby McGee," "Seven Bridges Road," and "Whole Lotta Love." She laughs that most of the men in the band couldn't hit those Zeppelin high notes made famous by Robert Plant, so she took on the challenge—with great success.

They even branded themselves at gigs, making little Ziploc bags of oatmeal and glitter, which they would throw to the audience at shows. That is, until a club owner asked them to stop, as the oatmeal was mixing with spilled drinks, "creating goo."

Rare footage of Psychedelics Oatmeal.

  The band Psychedelic Oatmeal plays in Dallas.  www.youtube.com  

Wade makes clear that music is her therapy. "If you're down on a certain day, it will bring you up." She has lived a full life, with two grown sons who are both excelling in life. But music, and the friends with whom she makes it, brings her that extra piece of joy and purpose.

Michael Hatcher, the Resident Services Director at The Reserve at North Dallas (the senior facility in which this event was held), has seen firsthand how music soothes seniors. It reconnects them to their purest selves, no matter how hazy their memories might become. Hatcher shares, "They remember the music, and the time. It's a vessel for anyone of age. It can be used to bring someone out of the deepest sun-downing and back to life."

A man sings "Just a Gigolo" at The Reserve karaoke day.

@cdk213

Senior living karaoke! Fabulous! #seniorlivingcommunity #justagigalo #dallas

There is much research to support this. Bannerhealth.com quotes music therapy coordinator Tammy Reiver for Banner Hospice in Phoenix: "Music holds the power to increase dopamine levels (happy hormones), decrease symptoms of depression and pain, and improve a person’s quality of life. Pleasing music plays an important role at every age, but for aging adults, the benefits are even greater.”

As for Wade? She jokes that she and a few other musicians at the senior home have plans to start their own band. She certainly has the chops for it—and the fans.

From Your Site Articles
fleetwood mac
CommunityJoy
Parenting

Dad hears stepson tell his mom to 'chill.' His calm but firm response is causing a stir.

"We believe in consequences for our kids in addition to conversations. 💛"

@raisingmaletich /Instagram (with permission)

Parents Katie and Dustin (@raisingmaletich) are going viral for sharing a vulnerable parenting situation.

Being a parent is not an easy job, especially when it comes to discipline. But an Oregon couple with four kids, Katie and Dustin (@raisingmaletich) is going viral for sharing a video of a vulnerable parenting moment they had with their son.

In the video, their young son can be heard telling his mom Katie to "chill" after being told he can't use her phone. The comment is heard by his stepdad, Dustin. Immediately, Dustin makes it known that it is okay. Dustin asks his young stepson if he did in fact tell his mom to "chill". And when he replies 'yes', Dustin asks him to start doing pushups (and to "count 'em"). After doing 10, he says Dustin, "How many? I can't do anymore." Dustin replies, "Keep going." He hits 14 reps, and Dustin encourages him to do 2 more, telling him that he can do it.

Once he hit 16 reps, Dustin tells him to stand up to do a series of squats. After he finishes up his squats, Dustin asks him, "Do we tell our mom to chill out?" Their son replies, "No," and Dustin adds, "Absolutely not. I will not let you talk to her like that. I wouldn't let anyone else talk to her like that, so you don't get to talk to her like that, okay?"

After this, Dustin opens his arms to hug him, and their son walks towards Katie as he says, "Sorry, mom." Katie says, "Thank you, buddy." And Dusting tells him, "Hey. I love you," before he goes to him for another hug and a kiss on the head.

"I will never stop being grateful to be raising kids with a real man who knows how to be a father, especially to his boys. This is masculinity," they wrote in the video's caption, with more detail about what led to the scenario. "I was trying to send a work email while making breakfast for my family and my son kept asking me to use my phone after I had repeatedly told him 'no, you need to wait.' His dad overheard him tell me to 'chill' and here is how he handled it."

 

The video went viral, with many viewers showing support for how both Dustin and Katie handled the situation. "That’s a great dad right there. Calm, collected and knows how to do a punishment and still show compassion to his child," one commented. Another supportive viewer pointed out, "my favorite part is watching his sister rest her head on Daddy even while he’s mid-discipline! yes it is funny sibling behavior, but more than anything it speaks to Dad’s character. this is a home where everyone feels safe, and because of that, because there’s no yelling, hitting, cursing, etc, all the children can now benefit and learn by witnessing this. TERRIFIC parenting!!!"

Others praised Katie for not interjecting. "My favorite part is the the mom letting the dad BE A DAD," one wrote.

One viewer was curious if the couple would use the same style of discipline with their daughters, asking, "What’s the equivalent discipline for girls? Same thing?" And they responded, "Pretty much the same :) sometimes our girls require a bit of extra verbal communication and some extra extra tenderness 💛."

However, many viewers criticized the couple's handling of discipline with exercise. One viewer commented, "Yes, but don’t use exercise and forms of self improvement as punishments." Another added, "I love the words, but he’s at risk of teaching his kid that exercise is punishment and something you HAVE to do when you’ve done something wrong. That said, it’s a perfect example of why boys need a good male role model in their lives too." And another commented, "He doesn’t need to be humiliated… a conversation would solve the problem. He’s not in the army… I’d hate if my husband did that to my boy."

To address concerns and elaborate further about why they are okay with using physical exercise to discipline, the couple created a follow-up video.

 

In the video, Dustin says that he addressed his stepson's behavior in a "stern and immediate way", before addressing how they believed the pushups and squats would not later make their son associate physical exercise with punishment. "We both don’t really like the term 'punishment' and much prefer to describe any parental corrections as a disciplinary consequence. We aren’t perfect at it but our main goal in parenting is to always be intentional and not reactionary," they wrote in the video's caption.

The couple was asked if they had permission from their son to share the video with their followers. "we absolutely talked with him about it before we shared it and made sure he was completely okay with it," they wrote in the comments. "He was, in fact he was really excited to share it. Asks me every day how many views it has now haha. We have ring security cameras inside our house and that’s how the footage was captured :)."

Viewers expressed their thoughts once again. "You also hugged him and told him you loved him! GREAT JOB DAD👏👏👏👏👏," while another wrote, "Physical exercise gives him a chance to collect himself and burn off energy. Always a good move 💪."

Other had contradicting views. "I would keep the punishment shorter like 5 push ups and go… you want him to get the message… that’s it…" Another shared, "It's not even that you did had him do push ups, it's that he said he couldn't do anymore, and you told him to continue. My son truly enjoys working out because I've never used it as a form of punishment for him. How about you f*cking talk to your kid."

Katie also shared another follow-up video about criticism she received for not stepping in during her husband's discipling.

 

Katie says in the video, "Why wouldn't I let him step in and be the authority figure that I need him to be in order to raise strong, confident, good kids? I could not imagine not respecting him enough to not let him step in and be 'dad' in the way that he feels he needs to be."

And viewers shared their thoughts in the video's comment section. "It’s apparent that you guys act as a team and not as competitors 👏," one wrote, while another added, "It’s not necessarily the Mom 'letting' him step in. I admire you for not taking over but I have much respect for him stepping up and taking that role. Most men look the other way and force Mom to be the disciplinarian. I love that you two parent together and not against each other. ❤️"

Other viewers disagreed. "Shame on you. You both have taught him to be fearful of the dad and that's all that's been taught," one wrote. And another also added, "That’s a very immature comment. U could have achieved the same result of 'respect' with out fear and intimidation. Do better!"

From Your Site Articles
disciplining kids
ParentingFamily
Internet

If you see a person and two dogs in this photo, look again. It's an optical illusion.

It takes a while to see it, but there aren't two dogs in the photo.

@Rainmaker1973/X, @farhadge/X

If you see a man and two dogs, look again.

Optical illusions are wild. The way our brains perceive what our eyes see can be way off base, even when we're sure about what we're looking at. Plenty of famous optical illusions have been created purposefully, from the Ames window that appears to be moving back and forth when it's actually rotating 360 degrees, to the spiral image that makes Van Gogh's "Starry Night" look like it's moving.

But sometimes optical illusions happen by accident. Those ones are even more fun because we know they aren't a result of someone trying to trick our brains. Our brains do the tricking all by themselves.

The popular Massimo account on X shared a photo that appears to be a person and two dogs in the snow. The more you look at it, the more you see just that—two dogs and someone who is presumably their owner. Turn the photo every which way and it's still the same conclusion. That's a person and two dogs, right?

 

But there are not two dogs in the photo. There are actually three dogs in this picture. Can you see the third?

Full confession time: I didn't see it at first. Not even when someone explained that the "human" is actually a dog. My brain couldn't see anything but a person with two legs, dressed all in black, with a furry hat and some kind of furry stole or jacket. My brain definitely did not see a black poodle, which is what the "person" actually is.

Are you looking at the photo and trying to see it, totally frustrated? The big hint is that the poodle is looking toward the camera. The "hat" on the "person" is the poodle's poofy tail, and the "scarf/stole" is the poodle's head.

Once you see it, it fairly clear, but for many of us, our brains did not process it until it was explicitly drawn out. This outline helps somewhat:

 

As one person explained, the black fur hides the contours and shadows, so all our brains take in is the outline, which looks very much like a person facing away from us.

People's reactions to the optical illusion were hilarious. One person wrote, "10 years later: I still see two dogs and a man."

 

Another person wrote, "I agree with ChatGPT :)" and shared a screenshot of the infamous AI chatbot describing the photo as having a person in the foreground. Even when asked, "Could the 'person' be another dog?" ChatGPT said it's possible, but not likely. Ha.

 

One reason we love optical illusions is that they remind us just how very human we are. Unlike a machine that takes in and spits out data, our brains perceive and interpret what our senses bring in—a quality that has helped us through our evolution. But the way our brains piece things together isn't perfect. Even ChatGPT's response is merely a reflection of our human imperfections at perception being mirrored back at us. They say seeing is believing, but when what we interpret what we're seeing incorrectly, we end up believing things that might not be real.

Sure is fun to play with how our brains work, though. Also a good reminder that what we think we see, even with our own eyes, may not be an accurate picture of reality.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles
optical illusions
InternetPop Culture
Health

Understanding your 'social battery' life is a great way to know when (or when not) to go out

Some people's batteries go forever, others are like an old laptop.

via Canva/Photos

A woman lying on a table at a party hat.

One of the big ways in which people differ—but we don’t talk about very much—is their social stamina. Some people love being around others morning, noon, and night. While others show up to a party at seven p.m. and quietly slip out the front door at nine. Although it’s not an official medical term, therapists like to call this the “social battery,” and we can all benefit from learning how often ours need to recharge to avoid running on empty.

What is a social battery?

Introverts and extroverts have very different social batteries. Extroverts have full batteries that take a long time to wind down. Introverts have smaller batteries that lose their charge quickly, so they have to be careful about how they plan their social interactions and who they spend their time with.

One isn’t better than the other, but it’s essential to learn where we stand on the social stamina spectrum so that we can get the most out of our social engagements. It’s important to connect with people, but if you have limited resources to devote to social situations, you must be intentional with how you spend your time.

This is what happens when a husband and wife are at a wedding and they both have very different battery lives.

@justice_777

She usually the one ready to go. #weddingtiktok #weddingday #bridetok #fatherofthebride #dadsoftiktok #dadjokes #weddingvibes #socialbutterfly #introvert #extrovert

What are some signs your social battery is running low?

  • You feel weary
  • You’re less interested in talking to people than you were before
  • You’d like to be in a quiet, familiar place
  • You’re ready to retreat into your inner world of books or creativity
  • You’re overwhelmed by crowds or excess noise

Here’s what it looks like when someone with a low social battery throws a party.

@jordan_the_stallion8

#fyp @Aimy Avila

How to socialize without draining your battery

Mental health advocate Kyrus Keenan Westcott says that with a little planning in advance, people with low social batteries can get the most out of social functions.

1. Prioritize Meaningful Interactions: Spend time with those who uplift you, minimize time with those who are draining.

2. Create a Comfortable Space: If you’re hosting an event, create a place for you to relax and recharge during the event so that you can return to it with more battery life.

3. Set Clear Boundaries: If you need to leave at a set time or are feeling drained, don’t let anyone force you to stay.

4. Balance Social and Alone Time: Make sure to schedule enough time for yourself to recharge in between social events.

Ultimately, taking a good look at how your social battery functions can be a big help when planning your weekend or how you interact with coworkers. You’ll want to make sure that you spend the right amount of time on meaningful interactions, so you don’t waste your time on people and activities that aren’t fulfilling. It’s also great to understand your battery so that when it does feel low, you don’t feel bad that you’re being antisocial. You’ve just given all you can to the people who truly matter in your life.

From Your Site Articles
mental health
HealthMental Health
Pop Culture

The 'Law & Order' theme song now has its very own signature line dance on TikTok

It took 35 years but it was worth the wait.

@jonas_sjv/TikTok

Just when you thought this song couldn't get any more iconic.

Even if you’ve never seen one single episode of Law & Order in your entire life, you’ll undoubtedly recognize its theme song. And now, there’s a viral TikTok dance every bit as iconic as the theme song itself.

A dancer named Stephon Vann (@jonas_sjv) got together with his crew and came up with a truly epic line dance, perfectly punctuating every ‘dun-dun,’ drumbeat and guitar riff with signature moves and smooth shuffles.

Once you watch it, it's easy to see why this has taken the Internet by storm with over 13 millions views (and counting)!

 
 @jonas_sjv DC: ME brought friends and Michael @bee @Itsdevarian @Murky @Bethany @Spaidtheway #lawandordersvu #dundun #viral #fyp ♬ The Theme of Law & Order - Mike Post 
 
 

SO SATISFYING. Right?!

The comments it inspired (many L&O-themed) were just icing on the pop culture cake:

“The people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The dancers who slay and the dancers who eat. These are their stories.”

“Law and Order ‘Special Dance Unit.”

“Fighting crime one dance at a time. Law and Order the musical coming soon.”

This is why I par for internet.”

“Awa & Hours d’oeuvres bc y’all ATE.”

“‘This is what the law looks like’ 😂😂😂”

“It just occurred to me that THIS is what my body wants to do during the intro. Than you for demonstrating.”

“We about to start doig the Law and Order dance at all the gatherings, parties, weddings, etc. 😂😂😂😂.”

“…I did NOT have dancing to the Law and Order theme song on my bingo card.”

“Bro, Imma need part two when you hit that saxophone.”

It wasn’t long before others began recreating the routine. It even appeared at a WNBA game. Nothing like watching an elephant mascot do these moves.

This catchy, just-dark-and-eerie-enough tune has been synonymous with Law & Order since the show’s 1990 debut, and was created by famed television composer Mike Post—the man behind other hit TV themes like the original Quantum Leap and Magnum, P.I., as well as countless other well-known crime procedurals of the time period besides L&O.

In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Post shared that he read the pilot and loved it, but still asked show creator Dick Wolf for guidance on what was needed. Wolf’s answer? “Write some music that defines NYC.” Post then created the slick, gritty, neo-noir tune we all know and love.

Wolf later asked Post to come up with a “special” sound for when the scenes changed and title cards appeared. Though Post felt this was more a job for the sound effects team, he nonetheless obliged. And thus, the legendary “dun dun” sound, aka “the Clang,” was born. According to the That’s a Trademark blog, it’s actually comprised of several different sound samples including a jail door slamming, a hammer hitting an anvil, different drum noises, and 500 Japanese men stomping their feet on a wooden floor, just to name a few.

Over the past three-and-a-half decades, the instantly recognizable theme song has been referenced or parodied in other shows.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  


 
 @movieclips Law & Order Song - Ted 2 (2015) - TM & © #UniversalPictures Ted (Seth McFarlane) and John (Mark Wahlberg) sing the Law & Order theme song. Click the link in bio to watch the full movie. #ted #tedmovie #ted2 #sethmacfarlane #markwahlberg #milakunis #movieclips ♬ original sound - Movieclips 
 
 

And now, the theme song breathes new life once more. Best get to learning those steps!

From Your Site Articles
music
Pop CultureTelevision
Trending Stories