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6 illustrations of monsters can teach us a valuable lesson about empathy.

comedic artist, monsters, creativity, empathy, life lessons
All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

Sometimes hair can be completely unmanigable.

There are two sides to every story. Yep, even in monster movies.

Have you ever stopped to wonder "Why?" Why does the Kraken destroy sea-faring ships? Why does Godzilla lay waste to city after city?

Why doesn't Medusa just get a haircut already?


Artist Teo Zirinis has wondered.

In a hilarious and poignant set of illustrations he calls "Monster Issues," he sets out to give us the answers and show us what it's like to put ourselves in someone else's shoes — no matter how slimy or smelly they might be.

"It all started with Cthulhu," he told me.

fantastical creatures, H.P. Lovecraft, illustrations, monsters with weird names

Is it harder to spell or look at?

All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

Cthulhu, the monstrous creation of H.P. Lovecraft, is said to be part octopus, part man, and part dragon.

"It's a name that's pretty hard to spell. I pictured him trying to write it down and failing miserably every time and thought it would be a fun idea to illustrate."

(No wonder Cthulhu is so grumpy; only a few paragraphs into writing this piece, my spellcheck burst into flames.)

More monsters soon followed.

Like Bigfoot, the hairy, lumbering oaf who just wants someone to believe in him:

Looking for Bigfoot, laser hair removal, monsters

I thought you were a successful commercial actor?

All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

Then there's the mystical cyclops.

technology, movies, 3D-glasses, cyclops monster

These 3D-glasses don't fit.

All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

Poor guy. Unfortunately the visual effect of 3D doesn't work for everyone.

And Godzilla!

Godzilla, Japanese cinema, monster movies

The real secret behind Godzilla's rage.

All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

Turns out he's really just an architecture snob. "This skyscraper is so derivative," I imagine him saying as he topples one to the ground.

Finally, there's Nessie, aka the Loch Ness Monster.

Loch Ness monster, unique vacation destinations, illustrators

Is it a monster or is it a branch?

All images from Teo Zirinis/Hands Off My Dinosaur, used with permission.

She might be the most famous monster on the planet, yet there's not a single good photo of her to be found. How do you think that makes her feel?

"It turns out their lives are harder than they seem," Teo says.

Guess I'd never thought of it that way, but you know what? He's right.

And maybe that's what Teo is really getting at in these illustrations. Yeah, his subjects are monsters, but they could just as easily be the guy who just cut you off in traffic or an anonymous stranger on the sidewalk.

Everyone has a story. If we look closely enough, they might just surprise us.

Teo plans to continue the series — after all, there are so many more monsters to cover, including some of Teo's favorites like the Wolf Man and Frankenstein. (Spoiler alert: Wolf Man must be itchy like all the time.)

Keep up the great work, Teo, and thanks for showing us that things we don't understand aren't always as scary as we imagine.







Fowl Language by Brian Gordon


Brian Gordon is a cartoonist. He's also a dad, which means he's got plenty of inspiration for the parenting comics he creates for his website, Fowl Language (not all of which actually feature profanity).

He covers many topics, but it's his hilarious parenting comics that are resonating with parents everywhere.

"My comics are largely autobiographical," Gordon tells me. "I've got two kids who are 4 and 7, and often, what I'm writing happened as recently as that very same day."


Gordon shared 15 of his oh-so-real comics with us. They're all funny 'cause they're true.

Let's get started with his favorite, "Welcome to Parenting," which Gordon says sums up his comics pretty well. "Parenting can be such tedious drudgery," he says, "but if it wasn't also so incredibly rewarding there wouldn't be nearly so many people on the planet."

Truth.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

1.

parenting, comics, humor

“Welcome to parenting."

via Fowl Language

All comics are shared here with Gordon's express permission. These comics are all posted on his website, in addition to his Facebook page. You can also find a "bonus" comic that goes with each one by clicking the "bonus" link. Original. Bonus.

2.

food allergies, fussy, picky eaters

Eating is never fundamental.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

3.

sleep deprivation, children, isolation

Adjusting the coping mechanism.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

4.

ducks, birds, fowl

I used to be cool.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

5.

naps, popcorn, movies

Naps happen.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

6.

politics, advice, education

Rolling with the punches.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

7.

emotions, therapy, emotional maturity

Tears happen.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

8.

insomnia, sleep deprivation, kids

It’s time to get up.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

9.

psychology, toddlers, family

The benefits of experience.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

10.

babies, diapers, responsibility

Is it gas?

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

11.

sociology, grief counseling, dads

Everyone gets therapy, yea.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

12.

moms, dress up, costumes

Everyone has a role to play.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

13.

doctor, medicine, pediatrics

What’s up doc?

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

14.

sports, competition, aggression

Everyone gets a participation ribbon.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

15.

theatrics, advice, Dan Gordon

Perception shifts.

via Fowl Language

Original. Bonus.

I love Gordon's comics so much because they're just about the reality of parenting — and they capture it perfectly.

There's no parenting advice, no judgment, just some humor about the common day-to-day realities that we all share.

When I ask him about the worst parenting advice he's ever received, Gordon relays this anecdote:

"I remember being an absolute sleep-deprived wreck, sitting outside a sandwich shop, wolfing down my lunch quickly beside my 1-month-old son, who was briefly resting his lungs between screaming fits.

A rather nosy woman walked up to me and said, all smugly, 'You should enjoy this time while they're easy.' It was the exact worst thing anyone could have said to me in that moment and I just wanted to curl up on the sidewalk and cry."

Who hasn't been on the receiving end of totally unneeded and unwanted advice? That's why Gordon's comics are so welcome: They offer up a space for us to all laugh about the common experiences we parents share.

Here's to Gordon for helping us chuckle (through the tears).


This article originally appeared on 07.11.16

Pop Culture

Women share things men do that men think are attractive but are actually a turnoff

"There's such thing as too confident. Also don't order my meal for me."

You don't have to put down other women to compliment a woman.

Despite having billions of samples to study, the science of what attracts humans to one another is a bit of a mystery. There are so many factors that can come into play, from appealing to the physical senses to intangible qualities that people can't quite put their finger on.

One person's hot is another person's not, so sweeping generalizations about what's attractive and what isn't don't really work. However, there are social forces that portray certain qualities and behaviors as making someone more desirable when in reality they have the opposite effect on most people.

Someone on Reddit asked women to share one thing that men think is attractive but is actually a turnoff, and the responses offer a helpful guide for men who might need some help in the dating department.


Here are the top answers to "What's one thing men do that they think is attractive, but actually isn't?"

Elevating themselves by putting down other men

"Put down other men to try and elevate their image to me. It does the opposite to their desired effect."

"Literally went on a first date last night with a guy who talked about how dumb all his guy friends are. 😂 I just sat there like... bro I don't think you realize what that all says about YOU because of the company that you keep lmao."

"This is a huge red flag in a man. I am a man and I can relate to that.

My sister told me this: When guys hype each other in front of a girl, that's a huge turn on for a girl."

"On the flip, had a few dates with a man who spoke very positively of other men he casually knew. He was a genuinely nice person who wished the best for everyone. He was also always so kind to everyone and anyone who approached him. Some people are so cold toward and assume the worst of others (I get it, living in a big city), but I was so impressed by how warmly he treated everyone, even if he had to gently redirect them or get them to move along. He was a really good dude. People in the neighborhood adored him. Every woman had the biggest crush on him. I’d watch girls throw themselves at him constantly at the bar we used to frequent, lol. Didn’t work out for reasons, but I still think so fondly of him and respect him for his unconditional kindness."

"On my first date with my now fiancé, during first date talk conversation, he spent probably like an hour speaking positively about other men in his life and it really drew me to him. Our male bartender was really friendly and my guy said something along the lines of “people like him always make my day, I hope to be like that for other people” and I was just locked in after that. He’s wonderful on all other fronts of course but I thought it was so sweet how tender and positive he was towards other men as a straight man."

Putting down other women in an attempt to compliment a woman

"If you try to suggest I’m better than other women I will assume you either don’t know how to give a compliment or are a misogynist."

"Yup. 'You're not like other girls' is not the compliment you think it is, bud."

"When I hear that phrase it sounds like 'other women were smart enough to reject me but I think I can get you.'"

"It’s like yeah, you just insulted a group that contains both me and some of my favorite people in the world and you expect me to take it as a compliment? That’s wild."

"Ewww, I had a guy comment on a group picture of mine 'looks like you're the hot friend in the group 😍' and didn't understand why I was LIVID with him, it's so gross."

"'You’re not like other girls' …my guy, I am an amalgamation of every girl I’ve ever liked or admired- I am exactly like other girls."

"Similarly, if every girl that they have ever dated was 'crazy,' run don't walk away from that situation..."

Bragging about success, money or sexual prowess

"Brag about how successful they are with women. It always comes across as desperate and not really believable."

"I know a guy who saves every girl they 'dated' photo on their phone and brag how they get those girls. Its so weird to have girls you 'dated' photo saved on your phone. The guy is obviously insecure too."

"My ex when I was still dating him, 'I could get any girl I want.' That man is still single to this day and that was 7 years ago 🤣"

"This one guy bragged to me that he can go on for 10 hours...I'm like no thanks bruv, I like my sleep."

"Brag about how much money they make or what they own."

"Bragging about ANYTHING is so unattractive."

Overconfidence and trying to be an "alpha male"

"When they act over-confident and 'manly' - just be yourself! it’s okay if you make mistakes or show your emotions, I honestly find those things endearing. and awkward guys are ADORABLE."

"When they trying hard to act cool. Nah. I like when men are comfortable enough to show their vulnerability."

"Changing their voice to sound more like strong or alpha something like that lol"

"Some guy misjudged how wolves socialize back in 1947 and now I have to listen to some dude with no personality talk about why he's superior (plot twist: he isn't)."

"I had one very attractive boyfriend who very much knew it and he would practically pose on the lounge waiting for compliments … it was so off putting."

"There's such thing as too confident. Also don't order my meal for me."

"Talk over people in a group and always try to be the loudest/most dominate person in conversation. It makes you look like a rude a__hole."

"Conversely, making space for the quiet folks in a group to be heard seems to be an attractive pursuit based on what I've seen."

Trying to start fights with other men

"Trying to start fist fights w other guys for dumb reasons."

"Ugh I went on a first date with a guy I’d worked with for a while (super chill and seemed lovely) who noticed someone checking me out and asked me, mid meal, if he should go over and f---k that guy up for me. Like no, I want to get a second glass of wine going? I hadn’t even really noticed anything but my date and food but at that moment I was 100% done and turned off. He spent the entire meal talking about how he’d f--k up anyone for me and it was deeply, deeply unsettling."

"Hi, my name is Bob. I'm 36, a software developer and prone to violent rage outbursts.

...Two hours later:

Would you like to go on a second date?

No but I'd like my first restraining order."

"Violence is a huge turn off."

"You know what's hot af? Defusing a fight. Exuding confidence, respect, and control in a situation, and the wherewithal to work through it. Love me some mediator boys."

"This is so true!!! guys who keep everyone calm and remain collected are so attractive."

Sending unsolicited lewd photos

"I don’t understand why they think a random, poorly shot image of their penis will be more persuasive than charm and humor."

"As a gay dude, I feel you here. I honestly didn't get the point, and it was even worse when the person seemed normal, and it appeared out of nowhere mid conversation."

"An ex would do this in random conversations, it would actually make me vomit in my mouth a little. I simply ignored the message and continued the conversation at hand."

"I saw a joke recently that perfectly sums it up. Dick pics are like a dead mouse a pet brings you. I can see you are proud, but I am not touching that."

Naturally, some women may disagree and actually love some of these things, but generally speaking, the basic character qualities of kindness, positivity and humility as well as being a calm, mediating presence are much more desirable than the opposite. Some prominent male "influencers" will try to say otherwise, but if you want to know what women actually find attractive, it's a good idea to listen to women, not men who claim to know what women want.

Family

Heartbroken wife files for divorce after DNA test reveals 2-year-old son isn't hers

She first became suspicious when her son didn't have blue eyes.

A woman in distress contemplates her future.

It’s pretty common to hear a story about a man whose life is turned upside down after a DNA test proves that he’s not the father of a child he thought was his. However, hearing a mother dealing with the same scenario is rare. That’s why a recent post on Reddit has so many people talking.

A user named ThrowRA-3xbetrayal claims that a DNA test shows her husband is the father of the 2-year-old boy they’ve raised but she isn’t the biological mother.

The story began 6 years ago when the couple tried to conceive but had no luck. The woman then discovered she had a “medical condition” that meant she couldn’t bring a baby to term, which resulted in a partial hysterectomy. The woman, who refers to herself as the family’s “breadwinner” took on multiple jobs to pay a surrogate to have their child.


“I still had my ovaries so we started looking into cost of a surrogate. It is really expensive! My close friend since college who'd already had 2 kids of her own, offered to serve as the surrogate for us to cut down on costs. After two disappointing IVF sessions that did not result in pregnancy, she became pregnant on the 3rd try and carried a boy to term for us,” ThrowRA-3xbetrayal wrote.

The couple was over the moon after the birth of the boy and the surrogate became a bigger part of their lives.

dna test, paternity test, maternity testA woman in distress being comforted.via Liza Summer

“My friend and my husband started talking more and I would sometimes come home from my weekend job to find her already hanging out at our house when my husband was there,” ThrowRA-3xbetrayal wrote. “I chalked it up as innocuous and it's good for her to know my husband better since she was in the process of hopefully carrying our child for us. I was grateful to have someone helping us have a child.”

But the mother became suspicious because the baby’s eyes were brown when she and her husband’s were blue.

The mother took the child to a doctor’s appointment and she received some devastating news. She discovered that her son’s blood type is B+ while his father’s is O+ and She is A+. The doctor said it was “biologically impossible” for her son to have that blood type given his parents’.

ThrowRA-3xbetrayal thought the fertility clinic made a horrible mistake. She took a DNA test and found that her husband was the boy’s father, but she was not the mother. “Then my husband confessed that he'd slept with my friend (our surrogate) on a few different occasions during our struggle to have her get pregnant with our embryos,” ThrowRA-3xbetrayal wrote. “This means what I thought was our son conceived by IVF and carried with a surrogate isn't my son at all and was, in fact, conceived the old-fashioned way, which I can't ever do.”

The woman says that the terrible news felt like a triple betrayal. The woman has decided to divorce her husband and wants to give up any parental rights to the child. Her husband, the surrogate and her family all believe that she’s wrong to give up rights to the child that she’s raised for 2 years.

She asked Reddit’s AITA forum to tell her if she was in the wrong and the community responded with overwhelmingly positive support, affirming her tough decision.

dna test, paternity test, maternity testA happy toddler playing on the beach. via Taryn Elliott/Pexels

The most popular commenter said that she should sue the surrogate for taking her money without having her baby. “One of the things that gets me is that you were working extra jobs to pay for the surrogacy which I am assuming included her medical bills and financially supporting her. I would speak to a solicitor about suing her for your money back. She knew that if she was having sex then there was always a chance that the child was biologically hers,” they wrote.

Another affirmed the wife’s decision to leave her husband and to surrender any parental rights. “He cheated... it's not yours. I will absolutely tell you what I tell men posting this. It would be wonderful if you love the kid enough to stay, but if you're in shock and damaged too much to do so, you aren't the A**le for walking away,” they wrote.

Another pointed out that if a man were in this position, no one would judge him for giving up his parental rights. “If these roles were reversed and you were a man saying that his wife had cheated and had another man’s baby, people would have no problem telling him that he’s within his rights to leave and have nothing to do with the child if he doesn’t want to,” the commenter wrote.

If the story that ThrowRA-3xbetrayal wrote tells is true, it’s an incredible tragedy. She fought so hard to have a child only to realize she was living a lie two years later. So, let’s hope she found some solace in the hundreds of people who supported her decision to move on with her life while also sharing some great advice on going forward.

Joy

Grown woman and 10-year-old girl share a flight and become BFFs in the most adorable way

After watching "The Parent Trap" and "playing Sephora" these two were inseparable.

A grown woman and a 10-year-old girl become unlikely friends after sharing a two hour flight together.

We’ve heard plenty of airplane horror stories as of late, with a good chunk of those having to do with screaming babies and kids acting out. It’s enough to make anyone finding out they’re traveling next to a kid tense up a bit.

Luckily, this “kid on a plane” story is nothing like that.

Back in June, realtor Samantha Purnell found herself on a flight sitting next to Jazzy, a 10 year old girl flying alone. What could have been two awkward hours of silence (or worse) instead became the most wholesome friendship ever, and it was all caught on video.


In a now-viral TikTok clip, we see that the pair watched “The Parent Trap,” “played Sephora” (meaning Purnell let Jazzy peruse her makeup stash), and shared a snack of hard boiled eggs—that last part because Jazzy "wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

There was even a sweet moment when Jazzy called herself “ugly” and Purnell stepped into giving sisterly advice without missing a beat.

“Don’t you ever say that! You’re stunning. Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever say that to yourself,” she told her new bestie.

Watch below and tell me this doesn't have major sleepover vibes.


@sammypur A seat buddy match made in heaven 🥹
♬ Funny - Gold-Tiger

Viewers were quick to note how this flight would probably be a positive core memory for Jazzy.

“She will remember this forever!!! You gave her a massive confidence boost at a really important stage in her life!!” said one person.

“This is every little girl’s dream,” added another.

The clip even made its way to Jazzy’s aunt, who wrote, “This is my niece and HER mom and I are very grateful for you! Jazzy was nervous to fly and you truly helped her so much!! Thanks for being there and being such an angel!! 😘😘😘🥰🥰”

But wait, there’s more!

Purnell conspired with Jazzy’s mom to make a surprise reunion happen. Jazzy was told she’d be going on a fishing trip with her day, when in reality Purnell was going to scoop her up to spend the entire day together. How sweet is that?!?!?

In that video, Jazzy screams with delight, saying “I’m so happy!” while tears flow.

The girl’s day then consisted of a Starbucks trip, more Sephora makeup (obviously), dancing, and fashionista fit check.

At one point, Jazzy even got to share her side of how they became BFFs.


“I felt really nervous. I started crying. I thought the plane was going to crash or something because the plane started shaking so much, and I said ‘Okay, I’m going to tell you my whole life story.’ And then we just started talking and then we became best friends,” she said.

Sometimes sisters are born into the same family, and other times they simply appear in each other’s lives…or in this case, on their flights. And we are so so here for this unexpected sisterhood.

Gen X shares unbelievably wild tales on how they got their scars

Scars are something that just about everyone has. Some scars serve as memories from our childhoods while others occurred as adults from surgeries or other accidents. Either way, the permanent scars on our bodies tell a story, but the stories Gen Xers have to tell may not be for those with a weak constitution.

A woman that goes by Anxietay13 on social media is a Millennial married to a Gen Xer. Recently she shared a video expressing her horror in learning about how her husband got some of his scars. The mom proposed that other younger generations make it into sort of a game to find a random Gen Xer and point to any visible scar to ask how they received it.

Her prediction is that this middle aged generation will take inquirers on a truly wild expedition through their childhood that seems so far fetched that it sounds made up.

"Here's a fun little game you can play with your nearest Gen Xer the next time you get bored but trigger warning, it's not for the weak," the woman exclaims.


The given directive is to locate a scar, any scar and ask them how they got it, "and then just sit back and enjoy the chaos because they're never going to end the story with, 'and then I went to the doctor.'"

The Millennial's rant about Gen X scars was like a homing beacon because Gen Xers came out of the woods with a box of Little Debbie's in one hand and a good walking stick in the other to spin tales about their childhoods.

One woman shares, "big scar on my knee from 1st or 2nd grade. Wiped out in the gravel on the playground, teacher sprayed something on it, mom gave me a bandaid. Like 2 weeks later the scab came off and gravel fell out."

Nothing like walking around with tiny rocks in your knee for a couple of weeks, but that's not the most unhinged thing someone shared with the flabbergasted Millennial.


@anxietay13 I’m gonna start drinking from the hose…there’s something to it 🤔 #genx #genxersoftiktok #agegapcouple ♬ original sound - Anxietay13


"I drilled my index finger in high school metals class. They cleaned it up, put a band aid on it and never called my parents," another says.

"Oh this one on my forehead, my sister hit me in the head with 2 by 4 an it had a nail in it," one person explains.

"Broke my arm on the monkey bars at school. Rode the bus home. Mom gave me an ace bandage. Went to school trip next day to Carter Caves," someone else shares.

Gen X has some stories to tell. One Gen Xer, The Geek Preacher, responded with a video of his own explaining how he was being chased by his older brother when a board fell out of the ceiling plunging a rusty nail in his arm. There was no trip to the doctor or updated tetanus shot but it was the gem he dropped at the end that he might have wanted to lead with.

"I'm sorry what...... you drop that last part so casually...... you said your brother SET YOU ON FIRE?!," a commenter asks.



The 80s and early 90s was a different time for sure and while one person jokes that, "in fairness, most of us thought we would never make it to 30," we're all glad they did. Who else would tell childhood stories so outrageous that they cause you to question your own sanity.

So, Gen X, what's your craziest scar story?