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Pop Culture

Melanie Lynskey has perfect response after being told her body didn't fit her 'The Last Of Us' role

"I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for."

Last of Us Wiki/ Twitter

"I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for."

In HBO’s “The Last of Us,” actress Melanie Lynskey plays Kathleen—a tough, formidable villain and ruthless leader of a rebel alliance, not to mention apocalypse survivor.

Do these attributes require any particular sort of body type? Common sense screams no. And yet, outdated views dictate that the answer must be yes.

Case in point: former "America's Top Model'' winner Adrianne Curry recently criticized the legitimacy of Lynskey for the role solely because of her naturally soft body frame, implying that only someone toned and athletic could pull it off.

Referencing a photo of Lynskey in a dress for InStyle Magazine, Curry tweeted, "her body says life of luxury...not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord. where is linda hamilton when you need her?"

Lynskey, who is no stranger to standing up to body critics, had some choice words to say in response.

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Community

Georgia school board refuses the resignation of outed superintendent. Community in full support.

"Cheers erupted among hundreds of students and other community members and colleagues who gathered in support."

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Georgia school board refuses the resignation of outed superintendent

It should go without saying that having your private business shared with people you didn't consent to hearing about it can be upsetting. But imagine having it shared publicly, with the entire town after you took on a prominent role. It would be devastating. Except what happened to Dawn Clements, interim superintendent of Ben Hill County Georgia, was even more upsetting. Someone publicly outed her as gay.

Coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community is something that someone does on their own time in the way they feel most comfortable. It can take years for someone to build up the courage to do it, and some people never feel comfortable enough to share that part of themselves with the world. But no matter when or if someone comes out, their existence within and outside of the queer community is still valid.

And while many people respect that the decision to come out is deeply personal, not everyone does and Clements was on the receiving end of hateful behavior. According to LGBTQ Nation, Danny Pate wrote the letter outing Clements as gay and sent it to local pastors before the letter began circulating the community. This led to Clements handing in her resignation.

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georgia
Pets

Rescue dog saves her blind sister from drowning and it was caught on video

This pup deserves a trophy and unlimited treats.

Sassy Facebook screenshot

Rescue dog saves her blind sister from drowning.

Who's a good dog? That's a question dog owners ask often just because their dogs merely exist. Of course, the answer will always and forever be, "You are!" to whatever dog you're speaking to. But some dogs take their status of good girl or good boy to a whole new dimension, elevating them from just a good dog to the goodest dog.

Yes, I know goodest isn't a word, but dogs don't know that. Dogs don't speak our language and certainly don't understand the rules of grammar, but that doesn't stop them from being the best full-body-wagging companions there are, and it doesn't stop them from claiming their "goodest dog" title.

Today that title goes to Caipirinha, the rescue dog who saved her blind sister after she fell into the pool.

Luna is a 14-year-old blind dog who recently started to become disoriented according to her owner, Dustin. While the family was inside the house, Luna lost her orientation and fell into the pool. If you've never had a blind dog, it may be surprising to know that they can get around pretty well so long as you don't change the layout of your home or backyard set up often.

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Education

Alabama community rallies around author after school district cancels Black History Month event

“How many teachers want those students to be able to have that opportunity to see themselves reflected in the people that we bring in?”

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Alabama community rallies behind author after school district cancels his Black History Month event.

There's something special about having a book read to you by the actual author. It means a lot to adults, so one can only imagine how children feel when they find out that the person preparing to read them a story is the person who wrote it. It's a small piece of childhood magic that never really goes away.

That's exactly the treat that several classrooms were primed to get when award-winning children's book author Derrick Barnes was scheduled to read to students at three schools in the Hoover City Schools public school district near Birmingham, Alabama. It's an event that was inquired about back in April 2022, nearly a full year in advance to ensure the author would be available for February. But just days before the start of Black History Month, the superintendent of Hoover City Schools abruptly canceled the scheduled readings.

The cancellation came as a surprise to Barnes, his team, as well as the parents and teachers within Hoover City Schools. The superintendent of the school district, Dee Fowler, cited one parent's concerns about the visits and the author's "controversial ideas." Fowler also stated there were contract issues, according to CNN.

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Health

Experienced 747 pilot reveals the worst time of day for anxious people to fly

The less turbulance, the better.

via Pixabay

A pilot flying over New York City.

It’s normal to get a little nervous before boarding an airplane. Hurtling through the air at 600 miles per hour, 30,000 feet off the ground isn't a natural human experience. According to Stratos Jet Charters, up to 40% of all people experience some anxiety when it comes to flying.

The good news is that they have little reason to be afraid. Only one in 20 million flights result in a passenger’s death. Whereas the average American's lifetime odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 101.

I think that solves the "Should we fly or drive?" debate.

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air travel
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

David M. Bird/Facebook, @papa.n.pepe/Instagram, @gainsbygaines/Instagram

Looking for a reason to smile? Here are 10.

Need a little dose of joy? How about 10?

Welcome to this week's roundup of delights, which includes an inspiring haka, a gorgeous duet between Pink and Kelly Clarkson, the sweetest little pancake maker, the most adorable acorn people you've ever seen and more.

If you're looking for some reasons to smile, we've got you covered. Enjoy!

1. The magical world of "Becorns" taps right into our childlike wonder.


David Bird was a toy designer at LEGO before he started creating the acorn characters he dubs "Becorns." The scenes he creates by setting up Becorns and waiting for wildlife to find them are peak joy. They even have their own names and personalities! See more and learn about how the idea came about here.

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