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When these scientists battled it out to identify the world's cutest animals, we all won.

An intense competition dubbed the #CuteOff flooded Twitter feeds.

Hundreds of people — scientists and laypeople alike — posted photographs of creatures they found worthy of the title of cutest animal on earth. National Geographic reports that the starting gun was a tweet by ecologist Anne Hilborn.


Apparently, Hilborn was also the catalyst for the famed #JunkOff from the week prior, in which scientists shared photos of rarely seen animal genitalia. But we'll spare you those images.

The event even spawned factions, with groups rooting for bugs (#TeamEntomology), birds (#TeamOrnithology), reptiles (#TeamHerpetology), fish (#TeamIchthyology), and mammals (#TeamMammal) hashtagging their alliances.

People may have treated the #CuteOff like a contest, but with this digital deluge of dorbz, we're all winners.

Without further ado, please enjoy a sampling of some of my favorite entries.

Tiny domestic turtle. Check.


A frog waving like a human? There's a frontrunner.


OK, I see you bugs. You can be cute, too.


Tiny fish, you're all right in my book.


Ugh. Stop it. Really? OK, don't.


Clearly, I'm a sucker for common DNA.


Please stay a baby. Forever.


These guys are maxed out on cuteness.


Do not touch the animals ... unless you're tickling this baby penguin.


Uhhh ... I'm not sure, but ... yes. Please. Thank you.


It's not beauty rest. It's cutey rest. (Yes I did.)


And finally, my favoritest of the bunch. How can you not want to squeeze it into nothingness??? Scratch that. They're endangered.


Can you believe the world is filled with stuff like this? Let's try to keep it that way, eh?

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3 organic recipes that feed a family of 4 for under $7 a serving

O Organics is the rare brand that provides high-quality food at affordable prices.

via Becca Tapert/Unsplash

A woman cooking up a nice pot of pasta.

Over the past few years, rising supermarket prices have forced many families to make compromises on ingredient quality when shopping for meals. A recent study published by Supermarket News found that 41% of families with children were more likely to switch to lower-quality groceries to deal with inflation.

By comparison, 29% of people without children have switched to lower-quality groceries to cope with rising prices.

Despite the current rising costs of groceries, O Organics has enabled families to consistently enjoy high-quality, organic meals at affordable prices for nearly two decades. With a focus on great taste and health, O Organics offers an extensive range of options for budget-conscious consumers.

O Organics launched in 2005 with 150 USDA Certified Organic products but now offers over 1,500 items, from organic fresh fruits and vegetables to organic dairy and meats, organic cage-free certified eggs, organic snacks, organic baby food and more. This gives families the ability to make a broader range of recipes featuring organic ingredients than ever before.

“We believe every customer should have access to affordable, organic options that support healthy lifestyles and diverse shopping preferences,” shared Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal.”

With some help from our friends at O Organics, Upworthy looked at the vast array of products available at our local store and created some tasty, affordable and healthy meals.

Here are 3 meals for a family of 4 that cost $7 and under, per serving. (Note: prices may vary by location and are calculated before sales tax.)

O Organic’s Tacos and Refried Beans ($6.41 Per Serving)

Few dishes can make a family rush to the dinner table quite like tacos. Here’s a healthy and affordable way to spice up your family’s Taco Tuesdays.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 packet O Organics Taco Seasoning ($2.29)

O Organics Mexican-Style Cheese Blend Cheese ($4.79)

O Organics Chunky Salsa ($3.99)

O Organics Taco Shells ($4.29)

1 can of O Organics Refried Beans ($2.29)

Instructions:

1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned; remove any excess grease.

2. Add 1 packet of taco seasoning to beef along with water [and cook as directed].

3. Add taco meat to the shell, top with cheese and salsa as desired.

4. Heat refried beans in a saucepan until cooked through, serve alongside tacos, top with cheese.

tacos, o organics, family recipesO Organics Mexican-style blend cheese.via O Organics

O Organics Hamburger Stew ($4.53 Per Serving)

Busy parents will love this recipe that allows them to prep in the morning and then serve a delicious, slow-cooked stew after work.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 7 hours

Total time: 7 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 ½ lbs O Organics Gold Potatoes ($4.49)

3 O Organics Carrots ($2.89)

1 tsp onion powder

I can O Organics Tomato Paste ($1.25)

2 cups water

1 yellow onion diced ($1.00)

1 clove garlic ($.50)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano

Instructions:

1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned; remove any excess grease.

2. Transfer the cooked beef to a slow cooker with the potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic.

3. Mix the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder and Italian seasoning in a separate bowl.

4. Drizzle the mixed sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix thoroughly.

5. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the potatoes are soft. Dish out into bowls and enjoy!

potatoes, o organics, hamburger stewO Organics baby gold potatoes.via O Organics


O Organics Ground Beef and Pasta Skillet ($4.32 Per Serving)

This one-pan dish is for all Italian lovers who are looking for a saucy, cheesy, and full-flavored comfort dish that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 27 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 can O Organics Diced Tomatoes ($2.00)

1 can O Organics Tomato Sauce ($2.29)

1 tbsp O Organics Tomato Paste ($1.25)

2 1/4 cups water

2 cups O Organics Rotini Pasta ($3.29)

1 cup O Organics Mozzarella cheese ($4.79)

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.

2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder

3. Add tomato paste, sauce and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir in water and bring to a light boil.

4. Add pasta to the skillet, ensuring it is well coated. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the lid, sprinkle with cheese and allow it to cool.

o organics, tomato basil pasta sauce, olive oilO Organics tomato basil pasta sauce and extra virgin olive oil.via O Organics

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Pop Culture

Watch Lucille Ball repeatedly tell a host to take his hands off female audience members

People laughed every time she told him 'hands off,' but she was stone cold serious.

CBS Television (Public Domain)

Lucille Ball was a powerhouse both on screen and off.

According to her daughter, Lucille Ball never considered herself a feminist, but there's no question she blazed many a trail for women. A working mother in real life, she depicted issues facing housewives with her brilliant television comedy and became the first female studio head in Hollywood. She broke glass ceilings but wasn't particularly outspoken about women's rights. In fact, in a 1980 interview with "People," she said, “They can use my name for equal rights, but I don’t get out there and raise hell because I’ve been so liberated, I have nothing to squawk about.”

Ball empowered women by example—and by speaking her mind. Carol Burnett shared a story on PBS about how Ball was unhappy with a script for her new show, but women at that time didn't raise concerns about such things. Men could express criticism and demand changes, but women simply didn't. Ball did—and firmly—despite being non-confrontational by nature. Later she told Burnett, "Kid, that's when they put the 's' at the end of my name."

A video has been circulating on social media showing Ball's no-nonsense way of speaking up when she felt the need to, and people are gushing over it.

In 1978, Ball participated in a Q & A session with UCLA theater arts students on the television program "America Alive!" The viral clip shows Ball repeatedly telling one of the hosts, David Sheehan, to take his hands off of female audience members when they were asking a question.

Watch:

@femalequotient

We love Lucy ❤️

People laughed every time, but Ball didn't so much as crack a smile during her clear, simple, repeated "hands off" admonitions. For 1978 especially, her advocacy for the women in the audience was extraordinary. Sheehan wasn't touching these women in a lewd or sexual manner, but he was touching them in a way that he wouldn't have touched a man who was asking a question. Most people wouldn't have thought much of it at the time, but Lucille Ball immediately noted it and didn't let it stand.

"I love that she didn't even laugh when the room was," shared one commenter. "She was not joking."

"'Take your hands off her, David,' should be a sound AND a t-shirt," wrote another.

"He kept trying. She kept telling him. Love her," shared another.

"Lucille Ball always reminds me of my grandma," offered another. "She hated to be seen as delicate, and she hated men that would touch her even more. She would say, stone-faced, 'Get your paws off.'"

Even if Sheehan was casually touching those women out of habit and not ill intent, it's laudable that Ball made a point of making him aware of it. Unfortunately, women are still having to deal with men touching them without being invited to, but seeing Lucille Ball's serious face while calling it out is a good reminder that women have been fighting this battle for a long time. Good for her for using her microphone and the respect afforded her to speak up for the young women in her audience.

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Now's your chance to help someone doing good in your community win $1000 towards the charity of their choice

Upworthy and P&G are back with the #ActsOfGood Awards.

Images provided by P&G

Three winners will be selected to receive $1000 donated to the charity of their choice.

True

Doing good is its own reward, but sometimes recognizing these acts of kindness helps bring even more good into the world. That’s why we’re excited to partner with P&G again on the #ActsOfGood Awards.

The #ActsOfGood Awards recognize individuals who actively support their communities. It could be a rockstar volunteer, an amazing community leader, or someone who shows up for others in special ways.

Do you know someone in your community doing #ActsOfGood? Nominate them between April 24th-June 3rdhere.Three winners will receive $1,000 dedicated to the charity of their choice, plus their story will be highlighted on Upworthy’s social channels. And yes, it’s totally fine to nominate yourself!

We want to see the good work you’re doing and most of all, we want to help you make a difference.

While every good deed is meaningful, winners will be selected based on how well they reflect Upworthy and P&G’s commitment to do #ActsOfGood to help communities grow.

That means be on the lookout for individuals who:

Strengthen their community

Make a tangible and unique impact

Go above and beyond day-to-day work

The #ActsOfGood Awards are just one part of P&G’s larger mission to help communities around the world to grow. For generations, P&G has been a force for growth—making everyday products that people love and trust—while also being a force for good by giving back to the communities where we live, work, and serve consumers. This includes serving over 90,000 people affected by emergencies and disasters through the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program and helping some of the millions of girls who miss school due to a lack of access to period products through the Always #EndPeriodPoverty initiative.

Visit upworthy.com/actsofgood and fill out the nomination form for a chance for you or someone you know to win. It takes less than ten minutes to help someone make an even bigger impact.

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Millennials reveal the phrases they heard growing up that kids are never going to hear today

A fun trip down memory lane on "the information superhighway."

Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels

Do kids these days even know what "rewind" means?

Every generation has its slang and catchphrases that eventually become outdated. But in the modern age, there are also some totally normal, everyday phrases that become totally obsolete by the time the next generation comes along.

Millennials are still viewed as young by a lot of the boomer generation, but they're solidly hitting the middle age stage where the Gen Zers and Gen Alphas don't know what they're talking about when they reference their own childhood in the 90s: "What do you mean your phone was attached to the wall when you were a kid? And you really had no idea who was calling you?" Yep and yep, youngsters.

In the digital age, with technology moving incredibly fast, this generational phenomenon has become even more marked. Just for funsies, millennials on Reddit are sharing phrases they heard growing up that kids today will never hear, and it's quite a nostalgic trip.

"We'll look it up when we get home." – Wazzen

Ah, the days before smartphones and cellular data. That's right, kids. We only had internet at home and at internet cafés, so if we were curious about something, we had to wait to look it up. (And we also had to wait for the dial-up internet to connect, complete with the screechy-scratchy garbley noise we'll never forget.)

Speaking of which:

"You've got mail!" – Nate16

There was a whole movie based on this phrase, which was how AOL (America OnLine—one of the big internet companies of the 90s) let you know that you had email in your inbox after you got connected to the internet. A cheery voice announced, "You've got mail!" Can you even imagine? So quaint.

man on a landline phone

Cell phones as we know them were just a futuristic idea.

Photo by Jimmy Jimmy/Pexels

"“I got it!!!” When the house phone rang. – KatyDid749

See, the "house phone" was the landline telephone—the one connected to the wall—that the whole family shared. When we knew a friend was going to call, we'd clamor to be the one to answer because otherwise your friend had to go through the mortifying experience of saying, "May I please speak to so-and-so?" Saving our friends from such horror was a mark of true friendship. Plus if it was a love interest that called, there's no way you wanted your mom or dad to answer.

Someone is "calling long distance" – shakeyjake

Back in the olden days of the 90s, if you wanted to call someone outside of your town, you had to pay extra money for it. And the farther away they were, the more expensive it was. It was called "long-distance calling," and it was a standard feature of our lives. Want to call someone internationally? Might have to sell a kidney to pay for that. The ability to not just call but video call people in other countries, and without paying anything extra, the way we do now? We barely even dared to dream we might see something like that in our lifetimes.

Describing the internet as an "information superhighway" – TheKnightsTippler

Oh, we had several ways to refer to the internet: the information superhighway, the Worldwide Web (or just "the web"), cyberspace, etc.. If we could go back and tell ourselves that in the future the kids would just call it the internet, we could save ourselves some now cringey phrases.

"Gotta check the want ads for jobs" - Didntlikedefaultname

Yep, jobs were listed in the newspaper in the "classified ads" aka "want ads," and that's how you found out who in your local area was hiring. Some localities had a separate publication just for such a purpose, while in other places it was part of the standard newspaper.
ash tray full of cigarette butts

Smoking used to be ubiquitous

Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash

"Smoking or non-smoking seats?" – heatherista2

This might be one of the biggest shifts from the 90s to now in terms of being out in public. It used to be that every restaurant had a smoking and non-smoking section, frequently only separated by a wall of glass that didn't even go to the ceiling. Smoking was allowed on airplanes, too, up til it was phased out from 1988 to 2000. Yes, we used to inhale a heck of a lot of second-hand smoke and considered it just part of life. Wild times.

"Did you remember to print the directions to our destination?" – dexterstrife

Ah, MapQuest, the revolutionary direction-creating website that marked the beginning of the end of road atlases and fold-out maps, but preceded Google Maps and real-time GPS. It was a specific era some of us will always remember fondly.

"Check the Yellow Pages" – muchlovemates

I think the Yellow Pages still exist most places, but kids these days likely never see them. Every business in town was listed in the Yellow Pages under different categories. So if you wanted to find out what movies were playing at the local theater, you'd open the Yellow Pages, look under "movies" or "theaters," find the theater and get the phone number. Makes you appreciate how much easier the internet has made our lives.

vcr with vhs tapes piled on top of it

If you didn't rewind your video rental, you sucked.

Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels

"Be kind, rewind." – Gubble_Buppie

Oh my. The days of the VCR and renting VHS tapes from Blockbuster. Not only did we have to physically take ourselves to the movie rental store to rent a movie on tape, but if you watched the movie and didn't rewind it before turning it back in, you were deemed a bad person. Period.

"You won't always have a calculator." – Wizard_of_Claus

This phrase was drilled into kids in math class and turned out to be the biggest lie of the 20th century. Who knew?

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Modern Families

Domestic labor isn't kindness: Wife shares the 7 things she doesn't do for her husband.

He's a grown man, after all.

via SheIsAPaigeTurner/TikTok (used with permission) and Sarah Chai/Pexels

Paige Connell on the 7 things she doesn't do for her husband.

Paige Connell is a working mom of four and a popular social media personality who discusses moms' mental load and advocates for equality in relationships. Recently, she struck a nerve on TikTok with a video where she admitted she doesn’t do her husband’s laundry and said it “brings out big feelings in people.”

Paige says she isn’t being petty. It’s “just how it functions” in her home.

She took things a step further in a follow-up video, listing all of the things that she doesn’t do for her husband. "You all know I don't do his laundry," she said in the video. "He can do that himself."

"He cooks dinner every night. I do breakfast and lunch for us and our kids," she continued. "I don't pack him a lunch. If he's hungry, he'll figure out what he's gonna eat for lunch the same way that I do." She added that she doesn’t make his doctor’s appointments, pack his clothes for vacation, or buy him new underwear when it gets holes.

"Is it my job? Absolutely not," she said. "All of those are things that he's a grown man and he can do himself."

@sheisapaigeturner

Replying to @rafael it’s important to show your partner, love and kindness. And I believe in small acts of kindness for a partners. However, expecting your partner to do your laundry and all of the cooking and all of the cleaning, is not the same qe small acts of kindness. All of those things are domestic labor and then when add it up, create a lot of work. #domesticlabor #actsofkindness #actsofservice #marriagegoals #fairplay #millennialmom #mentalload #laundry

However, she doesn’t want to confuse her refusal to take care of her husband’s domestic responsibilities with a lack of kindness. "That's domestic labor. Those are chores; those are not acts of kindness," she says.

She adds that she does plenty of kind things for him outside of the home such as buying him vinyl records or picking up a new non-alcoholic beer that she thinks he would like.

Her main point: "Small acts of kindness that are mostly domestic labor just add up to work at the end of the day."

Paige's post has resonated with many, garnering over 2.5 million views and a wave of support from the commenters. “Preach. Parentifying your spouse is such a turn-off,” wrote Nicki, echoing Paige's sentiments.”'Exactly, a lot of men think that having a wife is like having a personal assistant. If that’s the case, pay me by the hour,” added iloveme_011.

Some women say that they still do their husbands' domestic chores as a sign of love. "I do all these things because acts of service are my love language, but after a while of no reciprocation, you start to become resentful," Soph wrote in the comments. “Times have changed for sure. I take pride in doing all of those things for my husband. In fact, I’ll do it for my grown children, too!" Brenda Castro added.

Upworthy contacted Paige to find out what her husband thinks about the arrangement. “We are in alignment on sharing the load equitably. We believe in striving for a partnership where we are both supported and neither one of us takes on more than the other when it comes to our home and kids. We work hard to share the load as equally as possible!” she told Upworthy.

She also shared why some women equate domestic labor with kindness. “I believe many women have been taught that doing labor for someone else shows your love to them. It is ingrained in us in so many ways in our society that we are raised to believe that is how you show love when in reality there are many ways to show love and doing domestic labor does not have to be one of them,” she told Upworthy.

Paige’s video proves that we all have different ways of expressing our love for our significant others and that for women, it can be a lot more than taking on more of the domestic load. As Paige notes in the video, what starts as kindness can quickly devolve into a job and then resentment.

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Groom surprises wife with brilliant "I'm Just Ken" parody at their wedding

All the green flags with this guy.

@lexnielson/TikTok

He's just groom.

Coles Prince stood up in front of his wedding guests and announced that his bride, Jordan, told him that she would like to be serenaded by him once on their big day.

And because his mom “didn’t raise no fool,” he happily obliged with a completely groom-ified version of “I’m Just Ken,” famously sung by Ryan Gosling in the “Barbie” movie.


A clip showing the performance was captured and posted to TikTok by the ceremony’s photographer and videographer team, Lex & Trev Photo + Film, and it has quickly become an internet sensation.

Complete with a sparkly cowboy hat, backup singers, and some impressive wordsmithing, this groom left no stone unturned when it came to delivering an unforgettable performance.

Watch:

@lexnielsen IM JUST GROOM 🤵🏻‍♂️📢🤠 #weddingtiktok #imjustken ♬ original sound - Lex Nielsen

Isn’t that the greatest thing ever? Others thought so too.

"This is glorious, glorious Kenergy," one person praised.

"Marry him again" added another.

Prince shared with Good Morning America that he chose “I’m just Ken” as his cover song because it “conveyed what it was like to get married, specifically from the groom's point of view."

"Being Ken is very similar to being [a] groom. I think I can make this work. So I started by changing the lyrics 'I'm Just Groom, number two person in the room' and it kind of took off from there," he told GMA.

Seems like Prince has some pretty good instincts here, because his song brought so much joy not only to his bride, or his wedding party…but to thousands of strangers as well.

And now the real question on everyone's mind: how can we get Gosling to see this?

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Joy

Viral image has people trying to figure out who 'deserves' the seat the most.

Who is the most deserving?

via Reddit

Who deserves the seat?

A thought-provoking meme is going viral on Reddit that has people debating over who to give your seat to on a train: a mother holding a baby, an elderly woman with a cane, or a man on crutches. The poor guy dealing with the dilemma appears to be traveling to or from work with a briefcase in his hand.

As everyone knows, it’s a common courtesy on a packed train or bus to give up your seat to people with babies, the elderly and those who are disabled or injured. So, in this scenario, everyone has a right to the seat; who is the most deserving?

The woman with the baby has her hands full and her little one is sleeping. It’d be nice for the man to give her a stable seat to take a load off and help the baby sleep throughout the ride. Plus, nobody wants to ride the train next to a cranky baby.

The elderly woman also deserves the seat because she is probably tired and needs to take a load off. She gets extra points because, as a society, we tend to go out of our way to help seniors. What would happen if she fell while standing on the moving train?

Finally, the guy with the crutches also deserves the seat because he has to expend a lot of effort just to stand up and his arms have to be tired from helping him get around with the bum foot.

funny memes, reddit, moral dilemma

Who deserves the seat?

via Reddit

One guy thought the man should let the 3 people looking to take his seat decide. "It's better to just get up and let them fight amongst themselves,” Kron123456789 wrote. "Leave the seat and leave the decision to the three,” Aggravating-Pound598 added.

Others thought that the 3 people staring at the seat appear angry and don’t deserve the seat. "If they're looking at me like this, they better keep standing 'cause I ain't going anywhere,” falsebaby8268 wrote. "They don't have any right to the seat, it's only out of generosity that someone can offer the seat. You are not obligated to generosity in general and towards hostile people in special,” gerMean added.

Some thought that all things being equal, the person with the best attitude should get the seat.

"The politest person gets the seat,” Logical_Dragonfly_92 wrote. "If they all look at me with such arrogant expressions of entitlement, I'd keep my seat for myself. Otherwise, I give it to the person that seems most in danger or in pain of them,” AhmedAbuGhadeer added.

There were more than a few people who thought the man on crutches was most deserving of the seat but were weirded out by his uncanny resemblance to Adolph Hitler. "Honestly, crutches Hitler probably needs it most, from a medical POV. Falling on a broken leg is no bueno. Mamma and grandma got 2 feet,” BadluckBrians wrote. "If you don’t want to fall on a broken leg, you probably shouldn’t have attacked Poland in 1939," Understepped added.

This person may have the best response.

"I'd offer to a lady with an infant as this will help two people," Barneyishere1 suggested.

The man's dilemma in the meme seems like the Kobayashi Maru on “Star Trek,” a test that Starfleet Academy cadets take to determine how they would behave in a situation without a solution or a “no-win” scenario. "The purpose [of the test] is to experience fear, fear in the face of certain death, to accept that fear and maintain control of one's self and one's crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain,” Mr. Spock once said.

According to Spock, behaving correctly and maintaining control is the key to coming out ahead in a situation where you can’t win. If we extend that logic to the problem our friend on the train faces, being that there is no right or wrong answer, the key is to handle it with as much poise as possible. And then hop off the train at the next exit.

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