Forget what you've heard: Pit bulls make excellent pets.
When it comes to puppies, pit bulls are pretty perfect.
No matter what you've heard, pit bulls are actually a really friendly, loving breed of dog. They just get a bad rap.
Some cities (and even entire countries) have at one point or another tried to deter ownership of pit bulls on the basis that the dogs were vicious, aggressive, or otherwise dangerous. At its peak, more than 700 cities and towns in the U.S. had pit bull bans. For a while there, the outlook wasn't so positive for our four-legged friends.
"You're afraid of me? But I'm so tiny and adorable and I'll love you forever and ever." Photo from iStock.
Over time, though, it became clear that banning pit bulls didn't actually do much to reduce the number of dog bites being reported, and the problem was less with the breed itself and more with how the dogs are cared for and socialized.
The Obama administration even weighed in on breed-specific bans, stating its opposition.
"We don't support breed-specific legislation — research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources," reads the response to a 2013 "We the People" petition.
As we all know, President Obama has a bit of a soft spot for cuddly dogs — but then again, who doesn't? Photo by Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images.
The response concluded that "any breed can become dangerous when they're intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive" and it provided a list of steps put forward by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the risk of dog bites.
But stigma continues to go along with pit bulls. That's why pit bull owners have taken to Twitter to #ShowUsYourPits.
Again, that's "pits" with a "p." If you misread that hashtag, you're probably going to be really disappointed with the rest of this post. Sorry.
Mary shared a photo of her two rescues, Hazel and Brisket.
This goofball is named Chico.
Andre here is a 5-month-old pit bull/Jack Russell mix from Second Chance Rescue. Oh, and also a New York Mets fan, but I can forgive him for that (go Cubs!).
And Roscoe is just too cool for his own good.
The #ShowUsYourPits hashtag was started by Animal Planet to promote the return of its show "Pit Bulls and Parolees."
Pit bulls, somewhat similarly to people recently released from prison, can have a hard time finding a second chance in society — hence the show's name.
The show follows the story of dog trainer and founder of New Orleans' Villalobos Rescue Center Tia Torres. She and a crew made up of people out on parole work to rehabilitate and help find homes for abused and abandoned dogs. The show bills itself as "a chance at redemption for both man and man's best friend."
Do you have a pit bull? Add a photo of your buddy to social media with the hashtag and help fight the stigma!
SO CUTE. SO CUDDLY. SO HAPPY. Photo by iStock
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids… 
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie? 
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."