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Nerds unite! The American Jedi movement wants to take the country back from the Dark Side.

Join the battle to take back the galaxy from dirty politics and money.

"I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Those were the words famously spoken by one Luke Skywalker on that fateful day, right before he returned home to his uncle's farm and ... well, you know the rest.

It's also, according to The Washington Post, why less than half of American citizens exercise their right to vote — despite the fact that no one seems particularly happy with the state of things.



GIF from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope."

Most people agree that there's something wrong in Washington. But instead of trying to change it, we end up fighting with each other — which is exactly what they want.

How much of your day-to-day discourse (read: Facebook memes) deals with minimum wage or welfare costs or health care or anything else relating to the struggles of the working class?

Regardless of your personal opinions on any of those issues, you have to wonder why we're all so concerned with the people right around us and not the ones at the top of the chain — who both caused those problems and have the power and money to fix them.


The greatest GIF ever from "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi."

It's like we all forgot how Emperor Palpatine conquered the galaxy in the first place: by inventing a war in which he was pulling strings on both sides.

He created conflict where there was none, pitted the people against each other, and used the resulting chaos to feed his insatiable hunger for power.

Sound familiar?


GIF from "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

And that's not the only way the world outside our windows is looking more like a galaxy far, far away.

Marginalized people continue to suffer while Hutt-like criminals are given free reign to regulate the economy as they see fit. It may have been Grand Moff Tarkin who said that, "Fear will keep the local systems in line," but I can name more than a few politicians who have taken that lesson to heart. After all, we are fighting a never-ending war against an abstraction of "terror."

We don't need to lose any more Bothan lives to figure out the plans behind this evil battle station either.


GIF from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope."

When you don't have a Death Star, dollars will do.

It's not quite as glamorous as midi-chlorians a mystical energy field created and shared through all living things, but in the real world, money can do all the things that the Force can. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us all together, whether we like it or not.

And money, like the Light Side of the Force, can be used to help the people. Or it can serve the selfish interests of the individual — a path which leads only to corruption.


I'm not saying that the Koch Brothers are Sith lords or that ALEC is their red-armored Royal Guards. But it's worth noting that are two of them, just like there are always two Sith lords, so take that as you will. GIF from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back."

But there's a new hope on the horizon — one that could awaken the force of the people.

Created by Andrew Slack, a fellow at Civic Hall (and the same dude who worked with an amazing team to create The Harry Potter Alliance), the U.S. Rebel Alliance is a new organization uniting the people under their Jedi pledge to help free the Republic from the Empire of Palpatine Big Money.

The truth is that our political lives should be just as accessible as "Star Wars."We CAN overthrow the Empire of Big Money. We CAN put the power back in the hands of the people. But it's all too easy for us to get so bogged down by the weight of the Dark Side that we forget one of the greatest lessons that the saga tried to teach us:


GIF from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back."

And if we just do nothing, then the Empire's already won.

Right now, the Alliance is just building its numbers, with a live webcast 7-10 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. But as the 2016 election year gains momentum, I'm sure we'll see some more action from these righteous Rebel troops.

In the meantime, you can check out and share the video below for more information, and join the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Darren Criss, and others by signing the American Jedi Pledge today.

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

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Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

“ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don't believe me? Let me walk you through it."

Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

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Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

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Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

Kanaka immediately wanted to help him adjust so he would feel comfortable enough to eat and eventually get adopted. The dog appeared scared of his new location and had actually rubbed his nose raw from anxiety, but everything changed when Kanaka came along.

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She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

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Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


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Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

"The results of these digitally enhanced recordings are arresting, almost unbelievable. The idea of hearing the voices of actual slaves from the plantations of the Old South is as powerful—as startling, really—as if you could hear Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee speak." - Ted Koppel

Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

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