Here’s why you shouldn’t post your negative COVID test results on social media
Look, we get it. That suspiciously stuffy nose is giving you anxiety. Have you really lost your sense of smell? Maybe it’s just congestion? You start kicking yourself. Was the grocery store trip to get Haagen Dazs really worth it? To ease the worry, you do the next responsible thing: you get tested. Hooray! It’s…
Look, we get it. That suspiciously stuffy nose is giving you anxiety. Have you really lost your sense of smell? Maybe it’s just congestion? You start kicking yourself. Was the grocery store trip to get Haagen Dazs really worth it?
To ease the worry, you do the next responsible thing: you get tested. Hooray! It’s negative! Your instinct to announce the good news to the world is both urgent and insistent.
However, that negative test result you post to social media might have some less-than-positive outcomes.
A warning has been issued that negative test results posted online are being used to supply fake COVID-19 passes. And doctoring them is quite easy.
One man reported to a local British newspaper (the Lancashire Telegraph) that he was given a negative test by a friend, and then it was only a matter of changing the name and birthdate before that COVID-19 test passed as his own. Even the date can be edited to better reflect the required time limit.
“People are doing this as you can’t get a Covid test if you have to travel to Pakistan in case of an emergency. It is difficult to get one unless you are a key worker,” he told the Telegraph.
For some, this is an attempt to avoid the exorbitant prices being charged for legitimate tests through private clinics.
Shabaz Ilyas, who paid to have an authentic PCR test, told the Telegraph:
“This is in addition to the extortionate prices the airlines are already charging…As usual, a mini industry has been created to exploit people. This is just another example of discriminating against the poor, who are already facing financial problems.”
These counterfeit tests have become the new fake IDs — sold for somewhere around £50 (about $68) in the U.K. — and can be used to enter venues and, as mentioned, travel. Which, of course, defeats the purpose of getting tested in the first place and risks the safety of those in close proximity to the person using the black market results.
bart simpson episode 20 GIF <a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/season-7-the-simpsons-7×20-xT5LMv7a1uHTeS0Ims">Giphy</a>
Shahzad Ali, CEO of security training platform Get Licensed, marked the use of fake COVID-19 passes as “inevitable” according to Wales Online, saying that “there is obviously going to be a market…because there will be people who want to go about their life like normal and not have to take Covid tests for things they didn’t have to before.”
And it’s not like similar situations haven’t been happening already. Stories of fake vaccination cards made from social media posts have been making headlines since early 2021. Though it’s a disappointing aspect of humanity, this is certainly nothing new.
“Whilst grossly unethical and potentially very dangerous, it is also illegal to use/supply/distribute fake Covid passes and could see you rack up a fine of £10,000 should you be caught,” he added.
In order to avoid this “new complication,” Ali’s advice is, of course, to avoid posting on social media. Not as cathartic, perhaps. But infinitely safer.
Forbes also shared that another travel solution in the near future might be using an app called CommonPass, which gives users a secure digital health pass, including a private COVID-19 test status.
Forbes writes:
“After downloading the app, a traveler can get a Covid-19 test at a participating lab and pull the results right into the app. The traveler can also complete any additional screening questionnaires required by the destination country. Finally, CommonPass confirms that the traveler is compliant with all entry requirements and generates a QR code which can be scanned by airline staff and border officials.”
As always, social media can be a force for good and for ill. As this pandemic continues, so too does the motto, “stay safe.” That includes online.
In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.
It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.
The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?
Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.
MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.
Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.
Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.
A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission
Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.
But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.
The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.
You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.
Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil
Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.
“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.
But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.
Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.
“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”
Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria
Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.
“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”
When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.
Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.
Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”
“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”
From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
First off, audiences knew they’d instantly be in for a treat when Sagi and Rhythm recreated the band’s famous pose for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” But it only got better from there in a routine that featured a mash-up of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
Roni and Rhythm performing to Queen.
The dance duo wowed judges and audiences alike with synchronized steps, turns, flips, and even a cool bridge pose trick (seriously, this was a dog owner’s dream come to life). Simon Cowell jokingly asked “How do we know the dog is a real dog?” because Rhythm was just that good. The duo went on to finish as runners-up in the Season 19 finale, with Simon Cowell calling their semifinal performance a perfect “10.”
Roni and Rhythm in the AGT semi finals.
Rhythm is a dancer
Sagi would later end up sharing that Rhythm earned his name from an early age, already tapping his little feet on her bed at only 6 weeks old. By that point, Sagi had already had experience training therapy dogs, which undoubtedly gave her a good foundation for working with her little “tornado storm.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise that Rhythm is so gifted. After all, border collies are notorious for being able to pick up skills quickly, and there have been several border collies that have broken world records—including records for intelligence, balance, and skateboarding (yes, really).
But Sagi seems to credit their chemistry less on Rhythm’s species traits, and more on his individual personality. “It’s so much fun to have a partner that wants [to perform] as much as you,” she said. “He wants to do it all, and he wants to do it now, and he wants to do it as good as he can.”
High praise in the comments section
“This was the most amazing dog act I’ve seen!” one person wrote.
“That precious dog Rhythm is SO talented and smart!!! I don’t understand how he knows what to do when his back is to her?!! This dog is truly dancing and just extremely talented!!!” added another.
Another said, “This dog is the most energetic and enthusiastic I’ve ever seen.”
Of course, Rhythm wasn’t getting all the love. One person wrote, “I don’t usually like dog acts, but this was impressive. Roni is very creative with what she does and obviously a great dancer herself and trainer.”
“Unbelievable…those steps omg.”
“It’s how the dog is ACTUALLY running around HAPPY!”
“That doggie deserves a million treats. Fantastic!”
“Yet I have to say to my dog sit 87 times before he actually sits, probably also from being tired of standing not because I said it.”
Even when they’re just rehearsing and dancing together at home, watching Rhythm and his human move together so harmoniously is truly incredible to watch:
Artemis II began its mission to orbit the Moon on April 1. The four-person crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen—has captured global attention, documenting their 10-day journey around the Moon for Earthlings back home.
Even hundreds of thousands of miles away, the crew has brought humanity to outer space. Glover delivered a moving Easter message that touched people around the world.
The crew also rallied behind Commander Wiseman in an act of kindness that brought them to tears. Wiseman, a father of two daughters, honored his late wife, Carroll, by naming a lunar crater after her.
In an emotional video shared by NASA, Hansen is surrounded by his fellow astronauts as he explains that the mission has revealed “relatively fresh craters on the Moon” that have yet to be named. He adds that there are two craters the crew would like to name.
For the first crater, Hansen says, “If you were to look at Orientale on the far side and then draw a line straight up to Ohm on the far side, relatively in the middle is an unnamed crater and we would like to suggest it be called Integrity in the future.”
But it’s the second crater that holds special significance. Hansen adds that “at certain times of the Moon’s transit around Earth, we will be able to see this from Earth.”
He continues, his voice breaking as he is overcome with emotion: “We lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katey and Ellie…[The crater is] a bright spot on the Moon, and we would like to call it Carroll.”
Hansen spells it out for mission control, with Wiseman seated beside him. Wiseman is visibly emotional, wiping away tears. He reaches out to touch Hansen’s shoulder. Koch also wipes away tears, and the entire crew then embraces in a group hug.
Viewers respond
The heartwarming moment and expression of love touched many viewers, who shared their reactions in the video’s comment section:
“Sounds like Carroll was loved to the Moon and back, literally 😭.”
“The farthest from Earth humans have ever cried, grieved, and held each other. It was a privilege to witness from afar. I cried with them.”
“These are the moments from this mission people will remember forever. We will all remember Carroll now when we look up at the Moon.”
“So, we were all crying, right? 😭😭😭😭”
“In the last five days, I have heard more messages about love from these astronauts than I could have imagined. They are currently the four best humans on the planet, but off the planet!”
“This part made me tear up, beautiful crew, the best of us got sent up there ❤️🥲”
Who was Carroll Wiseman?
According to Wiseman’s official NASA biography, Carroll “dedicated her life to helping others as a newborn intensive care unit Registered Nurse.”
She passed away on May 17, 2020, after a five-year battle with cancer, according to her obituary. Carroll was born in Virginia Beach, and had two sisters and a brother. She attended James Madison University and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Wiseman told Baltimore Magazine in January 2026 that his wife encouraged the family to stay in Houston and supported his role as an astronaut.
“When my wife started getting sick, I wanted to move towards family. But she said, ‘No, this is where you work and you love your job. And we should not give that up for this,’” he shared. “Also, I want my kids to know that you can still achieve and go on and pick yourself up. I think when I said, ‘This is something that I want to go do, it’s important to me, and I think I can do a good job at this,’ they were aligned very quickly.”
Antarctica has no permanent residents or Indigenous populations. The only people who live there do so temporarily, either to conduct research or to serve as support staff. And yet, even in the most isolated place in the world, an accent could be forming.
At least, that was the conclusion of a 2019 study in which 11 participants, known as “the winterers,” were recorded saying common, everyday words every few weeks. The group consisted of eight Brits, one American, one German, and one Icelandic participant. Most of the words were ones they used regularly in daily life and contained vowel sounds known to vary across English accents, including “food,” “coffee,” “hid,” and “airflow.”
The researchers found that, over their six-month stay, the winterers began shifting their vowel pronunciations, gradually sounding more similar to one another.
How the Antarctic accent came to be
Part of this phenomenon has to do with accommodation, a linguistic term describing how we adjust our speech to be as clear as possible to the person we are speaking to, often adopting their pronunciation. That person, in turn, instinctively does the same, and a new dialect can begin to take shape, often through what’s known as a vowel merger. Vowel mergers occur when two distinct vowel sounds merge into one, causing words that historically sounded different to be pronounced identically (think: “Mary,” “marry,” and “merry”—which once had slightly different pronunciations).
The study’s researchers also found that the “ou” vowel sound (as in “sew,” “flow,” and “code”) began “fronting,” meaning it was pronounced farther forward in the mouth. This finding was particularly interesting because none of the speakers’ native accents featured this trait, suggesting it did not arise from accommodation. In other words, they developed it spontaneously.
Scientists call this linguistic innovation, the process by which social interaction, technology, and cultural shifts create new language patterns. Slang falls into this category.
Why you won’t be seeing an Antarctic accent anytime soon
There are, however, a few caveats. For one, Jonathan Harrington, a professor of phonetics and speech and an author of the study, told the BBC that the accent shift was “very subtle” and couldn’t technically be heard. Instead, researchers observed the change in recorded acoustic waves.
Second, Harrington noted that “for accents to develop to the point where they are noticeable, it really takes a generational change.” Considering that people stay in Antarctica for only six months at most, any accent that forms is likely short-lived.
The bigger takeaway
Still, this experiment provides larger insight into how new accents, dialects, and even languages develop when communities grow in isolation. It also helps explain why American English has diverged so much from British English.
And if you really want to sound Antarctic, it’s all in the slang, apparently. Here are a few examples of words known among those who live on “the ice” (as dwellers call it, rather than Antarctica), courtesy of Bernadette Hince’s The Antarctic Dictionary and the Cool Antarctica website:
Picking up rubbish or debris to keep the airfield and base safe.
Big Eye
Insomnia caused by a lack of sunlight disrupting one’s circadian rhythms.
Toasty
Brain fog caused by perpetual darkness, as well as low temperatures and discombobulating altitudes. The term can also be used for other general misdemeanors committed around camp.
Ice Shock
As one Antarctica-based blogger put it, this is what happens when “you get back to the rest of the world and realize that no matter how insane Antarctica is, the real world is FAR nuttier, and that you can no longer function in it.”
Greenout
A riff on “whiteout.” As The Antarctic Dictionary defines it, “greenout” is “the overwhelming sensation induced by seeing and smelling trees and other plants after spending time in Antarctic regions.”
Beaker
Scientist. There are also nicknames for specialists, including “fuelies” (in charge of fueling equipment) and “wasties” (who deal with, well, waste).
City Mice/Country Mice
Personnel who work at main research stations, as opposed to crews who move among different camps across the continent.
Freshies
Shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables that provide a welcome culinary respite for those on the ice.
Poppy
Alcohol served over Antarctic ice, which makes a satisfying popping sound as it releases long-pressurized gas.
All of this goes to show that even at the very edges of the world, humans will continue to reshape the way they connect with one another.
Life can feel confining at times. With every freedom to enjoy there seems to be a limitation. However, after watching a submariner’s TikTok, many people are grateful for the life they have. They were also amazed at how a person lives on a nuclear submarine.
Former U.K. Royal Navy submariner Paul McNally shared what life was like for him during a seven-month long patrol inside a submarine. He introduced the video with, “Everything I’m about to say sounds fake, but it’s completely normal underwater.”
People sounded off in the comments remarking about the day-to-day reality of being underwater in a metal tube:
“I panicked and realized I don’t ever have to do this.”
“This sounds absolutely miserable, thank you for your service.”
“Wow, this just made me really grateful for my silly little life.”
Here are some of the odd realities McNally shared about living in a submarine for an extended period of time:
‘Fresh air smells disgusting when you’re back on land’
McNally shared that, over time, many submariners get so used to the purified recycled air within a sub that “regular” air stinks when they return to the surface. This is because the air within submarines is made through a reverse osmosis process and electrolysis. Reverse osmosis removes salt from ocean water surrounding the vessel to create pure water. Electrolysis turns that pure water into breathable hydrogen and oxygen. This air is free of the usual air pollution and scents that typically exist outdoors. The air is also recycled and filters out any contaminants throughout the voyage.
They drink ‘demin’ water
“Demin water” is shorthand for “demineralized water.” Like how a submarine gets its air, it also gets its water through reverse osmosis. While pure water does sound clean, it’s not necessarily good on its own. Much of our drinking water contains healthy, helpful minerals whether you drink it from the tap or a purchased bottle through a store. This means that submariners are encouraged to take extra supplements and vitamins to make up for it.
‘No contact with the outside world for seven months straight’
In the TikTok, McNally mentions the long span of time without contact with the outside world, limiting communication between sailors and family members to one email per week, printed. Patrols and mission protocols can vary, but for most submariners email is the primary way to communicate with the outside. This can be due to technological limitations or mission priorities that call for limited communication between the vessel and other areas.
There may even be protocols that prohibit certain messages, such as the death of a family member, be withheld until the submariner is back on shore. This can be due to mental health and morale reasons, along with the reality that the person usually cannot leave mid-patrol to address their loss.
‘Daytime and nighttime don’t exist’
Since sunlight cannot peek into submerged submarines and there needs to be 24/7 alertness to keep the vessel moving safely, there is no “day” or “night.” McNally shared that he worked two six hour shifts per day on his vessel. Since submarines only have artificial light, submariners have to take vitamin D supplements to help offset the lack of sun exposure.
Many submariners have ‘coffin dreams’
Due to living in such cramped quarters, many submariners have “coffin dreams,” nightmares in which the submariner believes they’re being buried alive, even after they wake. This is due to the confined coffin-like bunks and the reality that they’re technically buried underwater.
‘Showers are limited to 16 seconds’
While the reverse-osmosis of seawater helps create breathable air and drinking water for the submarine, it also is the water supply for other needs on the vessel. This includes cooking and showering. It’s also very limited in supply.
Because of the greater need for air and drinkable water, showering is less of a priority. This means shower time is extremely limited in order to save clean water. Most showers allow a person to spray water on themselves to get wet, turn off the water to lather up their body with soap, and then spray the lather off quickly.
It can ‘rain’ inside a sub
It’s not that rain clouds form inside of a submarine, but it’s not far off either. The interior of the sub is impacted by the water temperature of the ocean outside of it. If the temperature outside of the sub causes the temperature inside to drop, it can lower to the dewpoint. This creates condensation “sweat” that could “rain” in parts of the sub.
They entertain themselves the best way they can
Recreation is necessary when living in a tube with 130 people, but the options are limited compared to on land. Movie night and video games help pass the time between shifts. Card games, especially cribbage, are considered the traditional and time-honored way people on the submarine bond.
Different submariner vessels also have various playful “rites of passage” not unlike fraternities and sororities. On “Halfway Night,” for example, the submariners celebrate the halfway point of their deployment. This can include various activities including throwing cream pies at their ranking officers. Some vessels allow submariners to receive “halfway box” care packages from loved ones to celebrate being halfway done with their tour.
For nearly 20 years, Disney World has been hosting an annual event that helps teens get closer to their dreams. Recently, the park hosted its 19th Disney Dreamers Academy, flying in 100 high schoolers from around the country along with a parent or guardian. The weekend was jam-packed with workshops, celebrity mentorship, and, of course, fun-filled days at the parks.
The teens were able to meet and spend time with the celebrities who committed their time to helping them succeed. Malia Baker, actor on the series Descendants, is a Disney Dreambassador, and just one of the many celebrities who spent time with the teens.
Disney star Malia Baker, Princess Tiana, and Disney Dreamers Academy students Joshua Anikwue (Brooklyn, NY) and Claire Jefferson (Warner Robins, GA) served as grand marshals in a magical parade at Magic Kingdom Park on March 26, 2026. The parade marked the kickoff of the multi-day mentorship program, bringing together 100 high school students from across the country at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Mark Ashman, photographer)
Las Vegas Aces basketball star A’ja Wilson surprised one basketball fan with a ride on Tiana’s Bayou. It ended with a splash. Dance Mom alum Nia Sioux also spent time helping the teens with a video project that flexed their creative skills.
These celebrities didn’t just hang out to make memories with the teens; they also gave heartfelt advice about overcoming setbacks. A’ja Wilson advises that anyone experiencing a setback should take the time to feel their feelings.
Las Vegas Aces basketball superstar A’ja Wilson reacts after riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during Disney Dreamers Academy on Friday at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Wilson surprised the students by experiencing the attraction with them. (Mark Ashman, photographer)
The WNBA star says, “I think sometimes we get so caught up in ‘this isn’t what it was supposed to be, or this is not how I imagined it.’ Sometimes it’s exactly what it needs to be. Even though it feels uncomfortable, even if it doesn’t feel well, you gotta go through it to grow through it, and that is so key to me.”
Judges handpicked the teens from thousands of Disney Dreamer applicants. This unique program not only provides networking opportunities, it also offers scholarships and the opportunity to intern in an area of interest. The students range from 10th to 12th grade, and several were already doing outstanding things in their communities.
Disney Dreamer, Angel Ajish-Yohann. Courtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Dreamer Angel Ajish-Yohann, shares with Upworthy, “I’m a student president of this really amazing organization called Friendship Circle Life Town.” In addition, she volunteers at the pediatric center at her local hospital as a Child Life volunteer. Ajish-Yohann also recently earned her EMT license.
Ngoc Ho from Houston, Texas, is going into International Relations. She’s using this opportunity to add to her already full resume. “I am a student activist, so I do a lot of protests and organizing for advocacy days, especially for SEAT, which is Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, as well as for Alief Votes,” Ho explains to Upworthy. “I’m the communications director over there for Alief Votes, and I’m the programs associate for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.”
Disney Dreamer, Ngoc Ho Courtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Micah Dixon, another high schooler chosen for the unique opportunity, is ready to put in the work. He’s using his time as a Dreamer to network with others in the industry. The student is planning to go to Morehouse College.
“In the fall, I’ll be a Poli-sci major on the prelaw track, so my industry will be law and judicial,” Dixon says. He then adds words of encouragement to others who may feel stuck. “Don’t let your current situation impact your future situation. Remember, in order for you to have testimony, you have to go through a test.”
Disney Dreamer, Micha Dixon Courtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Throughout the weekend, the teens participated in skits, roundtables, and motivational speeches. They were able to learn from the celebrity mentors and take in their advice on handling disappointment. Malia Baker shares that having a good support system is key while dealing with disappointments.
“I think having a community, whether that’s you, your journal, and your guitar, or whether that’s you and a couple of headphones, or the people in your life. I think that’s really important,” The Descendants star says. “To be able to do that with a community that you love and can also remind you of who you are. Those reminders of who you are keep you sane in this world.”
In many families, the wife often does the bulk of the grocery shopping. But as younger generations of men take on a more active role in day-to-day household management, there can be a learning curve. One man is trying to get ahead of that by teaching young boys how to shop for groceries on a budget using their own instincts.
King Randall founded The X for Boys, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged boys access the resources they need to succeed. The organization also teaches life skills they may not be learning at home. In a recent video posted to Instagram, Randall is seen in a grocery store with another man and a group of boys, introducing the idea of men grocery shopping for their families.
Randall explains that the boys should come to the grocery store prepared with a list and a strategy. As they shop, items should be checked off, even if the list isn’t organized by where things are located in the store.
“So in order to lessen our time in the store, what we’re going to do is, we’re going to categorize these,” he says.
After one of the boys grabs a shopping cart, Randall explains they have a $150 budget before asking what section of the store they’re in.
“We’re in the produce section, right?” he asks. “So what we’re going to do is we’re going to go down our list, and we’re going to go one by one and see what’s in produce.”
The boys enthusiastically agree and follow along. Randall adds that they’re shopping for a family of four, then shows them how to compare prices as they look for apples their family would eat. They continue through the produce section, checking off items along the way. Throughout the grocery run, Randall uses an imaginary wife in his examples, joking that when they’re newly married, they may need to call and confirm certain products.
Commenters thought the grocery store run was an important experience for the boys. Many viewers of the now-viral video praise him for putting effort into teaching young boys how to be helpful using their own instincts throughout.
One person says, “I absolutely love this. This is definitely needed in our community. All young men need to learn these skills to develop their young lives ~ It will last them their lifetime!”
Another writes, “As an educator, MORE OF THIS!!! Life skills! Executive functioning and money management, family planning, communication-I want to hear the debrief. What did we learn? When can we apply this? What transferable skills can we identify? Bravo”
Someone else chimes in, “Sir, you have no idea of the ripple effect you are making on future generations. May God bless you and give you favor.”
“I am so obsessed with this,” another person writes. “These kids won’t forget this lesson!! They’re so engaged and listen so well.”
“I love this!!! Keep this up sir!” a commenter adds. “And key…when youve been married a while and knowing what is needed will go a long way in the home with lowering your wife’s mental load. Glad you mentioned being newer to married and after been married you would know. This teaches to not use weaponized incompetence.”
This isn’t the only life skill Randall is teaching. His program also teaches the boys how to iron, order at a restaurant, pump gas, and more. They’re learning skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.
Coming of age at the same time as the Internet is a wild experience that can be hard to explain to younger generations. At a recent stand-up event, comedian Josh Johnson found himself in a mixed-age crowd discussing early Internet use. He quickly realized just how difficult it would be to explain how people got online in the early 2000s.
For one, the process of getting onto the World Wide Web would likely sound made up to anyone under 30. And honestly, is there anyone who fully understands how it worked? Still, the comedian gives it his best shot, and hilariously struggles through it in a clip shared on his Instagram.
“When I got the Internet, it was on CD,” Johnson reveals. “To this day, I don’t know how that worked. What…what…what is on the CD? What is that, because I thought you had to have…”
That’s when he realizes he’s going to struggle with the explanation. Johnson warns the audience the process is going to be annoying, drawing even more laughter from those watching.
“Some of you are young, and this is going to sound fake, but you used to…” he says before pausing to laugh with the audience. “No. You used to get Internet…okay…you would get an offer in the mail. They would mail you Internet. You would open the mail, and it would be Internet in the mail, but it would be a CD.”
He then explains that a CD is a compact disc, and that Internet companies like AOL would send them through the mail as free trials. They could also be picked up at grocery stores near the checkout lanes.
The comedian says that when you received the CD, “you would put it in the computer and for whatever reason, you got like 30 hours of Internet, which was a lot back then. I know y’all use it up in a day, today, but 30 hours used to be a lot of Internet, and you would surf the web. It was called surfing. We had a name for the World Wide Web, that’s where the WWW comes from. Do you want to hear any other facts that sound like they’re from the Middle Ages?”
The more he explains, the more ridiculous it sounds out loud. With the Internet now easily accessible through Wi-Fi—not weird discs that mysteriously connect you—the old way feels almost unbelievable. But it’s true. There are likely storage boxes and landfills full of free Internet trial discs, long forgotten after cable Internet replaced dial-up.
People can’t get over how the world worked in the early days of the technology boom.
“Wait until the youths find out Netflix used to send DVDs to rent through the actual mail,” a commenter writes.
Another person writes, “Not to mention we would have several different internet providers because of all the ‘free trial’ disks. Each month or whenever you ran out of internet from the previous disk…what a time to be alive.”
Someone else jokes, “They weren’t just mailed. They came flying in like letters to Harry Potter’s front door…”
One person says, “My frugal midwestern mom had us on dialup for ages bc she hoarded all the AOL free trial CDs. I will hear that dialup tone on my death bed good lord.”
“And had bout 8 different email addresses so you could keep getting multiple free trials,” another person writes.
Removing a corn husk can be an annoying task when cooking dinner. After peeling the “jacket” layers off the delicious vegetable, you’re stuck pulling fibers out for what feels like an eternity. But there’s a simple trick that stops you from having to go through the whole fiber-finding mission, and a woman named Bella Devereux just revealed the secret to her grandmother.
Recently, the woman spent time with her grandmother and decided to share an easier way to de-husk a corn cob. Devereux filmed the interaction and uploaded the video to social media, sharing the hack with everyone.
In the video, the granddaughter unrolls a corn cob from a wet paper towel. The cob is on the counter after microwaving it for four minutes. It still has the husk. She then takes a paper towel to hold the corn cob in place while she cuts off the bottom. Once the bottom is cut, she uses the paper towel to stand the cob up, then squeezes it from the top.
The corn smoothly slides out of its green jacket, still standing. No stringy fibers are seen hanging onto the golden vegetable. The ease with which the corn cob came out of the husk amazed the grandmother.
“Oh, for goodness sake, I never thought of doing that! And it comes out perfect every time!” the grandma exclaims. “Why hasn’t anyone told us about that before? Because by the time you do this with each piece, then you’ve got to go pick all the bits off of it. Ahhh!”
Devereux’s grandmother can barely get out another sentence due to her bewilderment. She asked how long Devereux’s mother had known about this hack and how. The grandmother says, “It couldn’t be better. That is amazing!”
Eventually, they heat another piece of corn to give the grandmother a chance to do it herself.
“I cannot believe it. It was so clean,” the grandma says before she excitedly does her own corn cob. “I cannot believe that it’s as easy as that. How many years have I struggled to get it all off, and then I’ve had to go and do this and take off all the hair. Where have I been all this time?”
Devereux’s grandmother isn’t the only one gobsmacked by how easily the corn came out of the husk. Others simply cannot get enough of how excited the grandma is with her new discovery.
“Thank you for actually letting us witness her get a chance to do it as well,” someone says.
“Oh my, I love this so much,” another writes.
One person chimes in, “Amazing life hack and a wonderful reaction.”
Someone else admits, “Her reaction speaks for all of us!”
This person came across the video a week too late, writing, “I just fixed corn on the cob last week. I would have loved knowing this as I cleared those numerous corn silks.”
One viewer adds, “I love how excited she was. I also did not know this trick.”
“This is brilliant & who in this world came up with this hack first,” another asks.
