+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy
Pop Culture

Paul McCartney hints the ‘final’ Beatles song is coming soon. Here’s what it may sound like.

Technology is bringing John, Paul, George and Ringo together again for one last time.

beatles, beatles new song, john lennon demo

A trade ad for The Beatles taken in 1965

In 1994, the surviving members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, reunited to record new music for the “Anthology” multimedia project. The “Threatles” came out of the sessions with two new tracks based on late-'70s John Lennon demos, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.”

The songs were seen as a bit of curiosity at the time because the group used digital technology to allow all four Beatles to play together 14 years after Lennon’s death.

During the sessions, the group also tinkered with another Lennon demo given to them by his widow, Yoko Ono, called “Now and Then.” Unfortunately for Beatles fans, their work on the song has never been heard. But after a recent McCartney interview with the BBC, people are speculating that “Now and Then” may finally see the light of day.


“So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles record—it was a demo that John [Lennon] had that we worked on, and we just finished it up and will be released this year—we were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this AI so that then we could mix the record as you would normally do,” McCartney told the BBC.

McCartney’s mention of the term “AI” had many afraid that he and Starr were digitally recreating Lennon’s voice, a controversial practice in today’s music industry. However, McCartney probably refers to the same learning technology used for The Beatles' “Get Back” documentary that can separate different sounds recorded on the same track.

“They tell the machine: ‘That’s a voice, this is a guitar, lose the guitar.’ And he did that. So it has great uses,” McCartney told the BBC. The same technology was also used on the latest Beatles re-release of the “Revolver” album, where engineers used AI to create a greater separation of individual instruments.

The belief that the song is “Now and Then” was given additional credence when what appears to be a renewed song copyright was posted on Reddit’s Beatles forum.

Here’s a demo Lennon performed of “Now and Then” in 1978.

If the song is “Now and Then,” it’s unclear whether Harrison, who died in 2001, made significant contributions to the recording. However, a 2005 story in The Washington Post claims that he is on the track. According to The Beatles Bible, the three only worked on the song for two days, producing a “rough backing track.”

The mystery surrounding McCartney’s cryptic claim that there’s another Beatles song on the way, aided by AI, has got Beatles fans speculating over what they're going to hear. But that’s always been one of the fun parts about loving The Beatles. Their legacy is filled with enough mystery, trivia, speculation and debate that it’s kept fans interested for over 60 years. Regardless of what the track will be, how it happened or how great it will sound, half the fun is just trying to suss out what Paul and Ringo are doing and how Harrison and Lennon are involved.

Yes, school lunches CAN be easy, healthy and inexpensive.

Parents, let’s face it: prepping school lunches can feel like trying to solve a complex math equation. It's got to be nutritious, appealing, fast, and let's not forget…within budget. But what if we told you there’s a secret weapon that can make this whole ordeal a breeze? Enter: O Organics from Albertsons.

O Organics offers a wide range of affordable, USDA organic goodies that are perfect for school lunches. From crunchy apple slices to delicious, creamy greek yogurt, they've got you covered. Plus, their prices won’t break the bank, proving that healthy eating doesn’t have to be a luxury.

Now, let’s get down to the good stuff: the food! Here are some simple, kid (and wallet) friendly lunch ideas—made entirely with O Organics ingredients—to help you ditch the processed junk and give your kids the fuel they need to conquer the classroom:

1. Pasta Salad

  • Main: A cold pasta salad made with O Organics whole-grain rotini pasta, O Organics chopped vegetables (like cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes), and Italian dressing. Add protein with chickpeas or a three bean blend.
  • Side: O Organics apple slices.
  • Snack: A serving of O Organics Greek yogurt, with some granola for a fun topping.

2. Egg Salad Sandwich

  • Main: A sandwich using whole wheat bread filled with a mixture of O Organics hard boiled eggs, mayo (or Greek yogurt for extra protein), mustard, dill, onion powder, salt and pepper.
  • Side:O Organics tortilla chips and salsa.
  • Snack: A pack of O Organics fruit strips.

3. Peanut Butter Apple Wrap (great for toddlers)

  • Main:O Organics peanut butter spread on a couple of flour soft taco tortillas, topped with thinly sliced apples. Drizzle some O Organics honey, roll it up and voila!
  • Side:O Organics baby-cut carrots with a side of hummus.
  • Snack:O Organics cottage cheese.

4. Quickie Quesadilla

  • Main: A tortilla filled with O Organics Mexican Style Shredded Cheese, black beans, and a sprinkle of chili powder.
  • Side: A couple of hard boiled O Organics eggs.
  • Snack: Ants on a log.

5. A Hot Dog…that stays hot

  • Main: You know the drill. Hot dog (we recommended the O Organics Beef Franks). Mustard. Cheese. Bun.
  • Side: A colorful side salad with spring mix, cherry tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing.
  • Snack:O Organics banana chips.

But how the heck do you keep the hot dog hot? We’ve got just the tip, courtesy of Allrecipes.com:

Step 1

  • Preheat an insulated beverage container by filling it with boiling water. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Right before leaving, dump out water and replace with more boiling water. The preheating keeps it hot for a longer time. Place the hot dog into the water and close the lid.

Step 2

  • When your child is ready for lunch, they can take the hot dog out of the container and place it on the bun.

Remember: This list is just a starting point. You can totally customize it to your kid’s needs and preferences. You can even involve your kiddos in the lunch-packing process to make it more fun for everyone. Let them help choose the menu, make a shopping list, pack their lunches…even grow their own veggies! If you’re feeling ambitious, that is.

No matter how you choose to give your kids the best possible start to their day, making small changes and taking advantage of resources like O Organics can help make it happen in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

So, what are you waiting for? Shop O Organics now exclusively at Albertsons, Safeway or any sister store. Your kids' bodies (and taste buds) will thank you.

A dad got a sweet note from a fellow father after camping with his kids.

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you're doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you're conscientious enough to even wonder if you're a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there's always a lingering voice in your head saying, "What if you're really screwing this whole thing up?"

Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.

"You are killing it as a dad."

Someone on Yosemite Reddit thread shared a photo of a handwritten note with the caption, "To the man who left this thoughtful note on my windshield at Lower Pines Campground this weekend, I extend my heartfelt gratitude; your acknowledgment of my efforts to be a good father means a great deal to me."



The note reads:

"Bro,

I camped in the spot behind you last night. Let me just say, you are killing it as a dad. First off, I watched your wife guide you in as you backed up your trailer and nailed it on the first try without any yelling. Then your kids unloaded from the truck and were mild-mannered and well behaved. You told stories around the campfire and I had the pleasure of listening to the sounds of giggles and laughter.

From one dad to another, you are killing it. Keep it up.

P.S. Whatever you cooked for dinner smelled delicious!"

How often do we share these thoughts with strangers, even if we have them? And who wouldn't love to get a surprise bit of praise with specific examples of things we did right?

Everyone needs to hear a compliment once in a while.

So many people found the note to be a breath of fresh air and a good reminder to compliment people when we feel the urge:

"That would make any daddy's eyes water."

"It’s always nice, as a guy, to get a compliment."

"I complimented a guy's glasses at work (I'm also a guy, and btw they were really cool glasses, I wasn't just being nice) and now he keeps trying to tell me where he got his glasses and how I should get some. But I'm just having to be polite because I already have glasses and I'm not in the market. I finally had to tell him I'm not going to buy them lmao I just like them on him.

Made me feel like that's the first compliment he's had in years because he can't stop talking about it. Also I mainly liked the glasses because I think he's cute but he really thinks it's just the glasses haha jokes on him that cute bastard."

"I was in the store with my wife and one of our 'adopted nephews' yesterday (we’re close friends with his parents and we’ve known him and his brother since they were newborns and 2yo, respectively). A woman came up to me at checkout while my wife was running out to the car and said 'I’m not sure what your family relationship is here, but I just have to tell you how nice and refreshing it is to hear all the laughter and joy from the 3 of you. You both seem like such a good influence on him and it warms my heart.' It’s such a small thing but as a dude, I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a compliment in public and it made my freaking day."

"10/10 letter. The and not yelling part gave me a good chuckle lol."

"We need so much more of men getting such heartfelt and sincere compliments. Thanks for sharing. ❤️"

"I’ve never considered leaving a note, but when I see a harmonious family with good parenting, it’s healing for me. My childhood was awful."

"Such an awesome compliment! Even though I don't have children myself, I like to remind my friends too that they're doing great & it brings them happy tears."

"This made me cry. I love that you are getting your 'flowers.' My dad sucked, I’m so glad you are one of the good ones."

"This made me cry too. It’s so hard to be a human. Let alone a parent. Getting a good job sticker every now and then really means a lot these days."

"I'm a big bearded guy and I would cry if I got this note. More people like this, please."

The best part of this story is that no one knows who the dad who wrote the note is, not even the dad who shared it. It wasn't written for clout or notoriety, it wasn't to get attention or make himself look good. No name or signature, just an anonymous act of kindness to uplift a stranger whether he needed it or not.

We all need to hear or read kind things said about us, and sometimes it means even more coming from an anonymous stranger who has nothing to gain by sharing. A good reminder to share it when you feel it—you never know how many people you may move and inspire.

@officialnutterbutter/TikTok

What did we just watch??

Nutter Butter, as any cookie aficionado knows, is sweet, salty and a little bit nuts. Apparently, it’s TikTok account is much the same.

While brands adopting an edgier persona on social media to attract a younger, hipper audience isn’t unheard of—just take it from Wendy’s or Duolingo— Nutter Butter’s marketing tactics are so unhinged that it has folks wondering “is Nutter Butter okay?”

This was the question posed by Cassie Fitzwater, who posted a now-viral video talking about how the page was freaking her out.


“If you guys have not seen Nutter Butter’s official account on here, I need you to stop what you’re doing and go look at it, because I had to, and I think you should, too,” she said in the clip. “I’m concerned. Nutter Butter, are you guys okay? Are you doing alright?”

The content is…surreal, to say the least. Every video feels like something out of a bad fever dream. Distorted voices, creepy retro commercial footage, dystopian imagery, jumps scares, unsettling cries for help…

Here’s a small sampling. Watch at your own peril.



@officialnutterbutter tales of nutter butter in suits of new. sumwher in the distance, a laugh. the sky!
♬ original sound - nutter butter

Yup. Straight up nightmare fuel. Sort of makes that one Quiznos commercial (you know the one) seem tame by comparison.

Understandably, people and companies alike who have bravely wandered onto the Nutter Butter accounts have some pretty strong feelings.

“This crosses a boundary I didn’t know I had,” commented one viewer.

“I heard there was ✨unhinged chaos✨ from my favorite snack’s TikTok. I was not disappointed 🤣🤣,” wrote another.

“I love nutter butter! (please release my family),”someone quipped.

Meanwhile 5 Hour Energy’s page wrote, “Even I don;t know what to do with this energy.”

“im logging off,” Wheat Thins commented.

What’s more, the page also appears to be some kind of recurring narrative taking palace, centered perhaps around a mysterious Nutter Butter-headed doll named Aidan, along with a black cloud named Nadia, and a masked clown with a top hat known simply as the Nutter Butter Man, who (much like his Skibidi Toilet predecessor) does not seem to be a benevolent character, by any means.

In a lengthy post shared to the r/GameTheorists subreddit, one person theorized that "Aidan’s tragic past involves his son being murdered by an intruder in their home," adding that "Nadia [is] likely Aidan’s wife. Hints of a wedding and the similarity of her name to 'Aidan' suggest she plays a significant role in the story."

The Nutter Butter Clown, who originates from old commercials where he gave sweets to children, promoting the idea of accepting candy from strangers” the added. “Now, he symbolizes chaos and menace in the TikTok content.” Wow. Meta.

To that, at least, there are some answers. According to AdWeek, digital advertising student and Nutter Butter "superfan" Aidan Moloney left comments containing only his name on Nutter Butter's TikTok posts for a year straight, which eventually became so popular they were incorporated into the brand’s market strategy. Who knows–maybe he’s even the mastermind behind all of this.

Whoever that mastermind was, it seems like they did it with Gen Alpha's signature band of perplexing, complex and mildly disturbing meme culture in mind. And to great success, given that many haven’t even thought about these cookies in decades.

“Last time I had a Nutter Butter was after standardized testing in middle school. I’m in my 30s, I bought one today at a gas station because I remember their TikTok. So it's working.”

And that, ladies and gentleman, is what good marketing is all about.

Sustainability

Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.

30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.



When disposed of improperly, the waste can cause serious damage soil and water sources.

However, a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence has found that coffee pulp isn't just a nuisance to be discarded. It can have an incredibly positive impact on regrowing deforested areas of the planet.

via British Ecological Society

In 2018, researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii spread 30 dump trucks worth of coffee pulp over a roughly 100' x 130' area of degraded land in Costa Rica. The experiment took place on a former coffee farm that underwent rapid deforestation in the 1950s.

The coffee pulp was spread three-feet thick over the entire area.

Another plot of land near the coffee pulp dump was left alone to act as a control for the experiment.

"The results were dramatic." Dr. Rebecca Cole, lead author of the study, said. "The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses."

In just two years, the area treated with coffee pulp had an 80% canopy cover, compared to just 20% of the control area. So, the coffee-pulp-treated area grew four times more rapidly. Like a jolt of caffeine, it reinvigorated biological activity in the area.

The canopy was also four times taller than that of the control.

Before and after images of the forest

The forest experienced a radical, positive change

via British Ecological Society

The coffee-treated area also eliminated an invasive species of grass that took over the land and prevented forest succession. Its elimination allowed for other native species to take over and recolonize the area.

"This case study suggests that agricultural by-products can be used to speed up forest recovery on degraded tropical lands. In situations where processing these by-products incurs a cost to agricultural industries, using them for restoration to meet global reforestation objectives can represent a 'win-win' scenario," Dr. Cole said.

If the results are repeatable it's a win-win for coffee drinkers and the environment.

Researchers believe that coffee treatments can be a cost-effective way to reforest degraded land. They may also work to reverse the effects of climate change by supporting the growth of forests across the globe.

The 2016 Paris Agreement made reforestation an important part of the fight against climate change. The agreement incentivizes developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, promote forest conservation and sustainable management, and enhance forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

"We hope our study is a jumping off point for other researchers and industries to take a look at how they might make their production more efficient by creating links to the global restoration movement," Dr. Cole said.


This article originally appeared on 03.29.21

via Canva

A woman writing her to-don't list.

There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Even if there were, who’d have enough energy to do it? Most people spend their days caring for their family and trying to earn a living and by the end of the day, there isn’t enough time to spend on themselves.

On top of that, if you’re living in most of the developed world, hustle culture also suggests you have a hobby that you’re trying to turn into a career. There’s also the pressure to spend a few hours a week volunteering at your kid's school while having a regular workout routine and ensuring you drink 64 ounces of water before lunchtime.

It can all be ridiculous. That’s why therapists suggest that in addition to writing to-do lists every morning, we should write “to don’t” lists to ensure that we aren’t wasting our time and energy on things that don’t matter.


Dr. Amantha Imber, an organizational psychologist, recently told ABC News that the cult of hyper-productivity can be “flawed.”

"It leads to feelings of guilt, exhaustion and burnout, because, essentially, time is finite. Yet, we're always adding more things to our to-do list in the hope that it will get us ahead," Dr. Imber says. "The purpose of a to-don't list is to reflect on habits you want to break or things you want to do differently.”

to-do list, to-don't list, productivityA man writing a list.via Ivan Samkov/Pexels

How to write a to-don't list

Dr. Imber suggests that we examine the tasks we can stop doing and put them on our to-don’t list. Examples include overcommitting to social engagements, needing to do chores while working from home, or packing your kid an elaborate lunch in the morning when what they’re serving in the school cafeteria is fine.

The key is to be realistic about the amount of time and energy that you have.

It’s also essential to think about the daily habits that prevent you from getting everything done, such as scrolling through TikTok, going to a coffee shop instead of brewing it at home, taking unnecessary meetings and responding to emails that aren’t a top priority. "It's hip to focus on getting things done, but it's only possible once we remove the constant static and distraction. If you have trouble deciding what to do, just focus on not doing," Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Work Week,” said, according to Mindjournals.

If the average person removed one social media app from their phone, they could probably develop a life-changing meditation habit.

to-do list, to don't-list, productivityA woman writing a list.via Thirdman/Pexels

How to write a successful list

The key to success with your to-don’t list is to write it down. A study by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. That works even if your goal is not to do something.

Here’s an example of a to-don’t list:

1. No social media until lunchtime

2. Get my kid velcro shoes (no tying, no knots)

3. Don’t respond to memes sent by friends until after work

4. Worry about the news when you are done with work

5. No playing games on the phone

6. Say no to meetings that could be emails

7. Make coffee at home instead of going to the drive-thru

8. Go out to lunch with the co-worker who is an energy vampire

9. Don't worry about the kid being late to soccer practice

10. Don't to everything

11. Plan a dinner that needs to be marinated during the day

The cool thing is that once you commit to a to-don’t list, you will quickly begin to notice all the things you would love to eliminate from your day so you can make more room for the things that make you happy.





Grapepinky/Wikimedia Commons

Hanson playing at the Melbourne Zoo in 2019

In 1997, the catchy earworm "MMMbop" by the brother trio Hanson spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The band members were 16, 14 and 11 years old at the time, but even younger when they wrote it two years prior, and their hit song felt seemed to be a reflection of the optimism and innocence of their youth.

But the upbeat, do-woppy chorus—which is what most people remember about the song—belies how deep the rest of the song actually was. Many millennials are just now learning about the song's poignant-but-hard-to-make-out lyrics, and hoo boy do they hit hard during the full-on-adult years.


Millennial digital creator Erin Miller shared a video on Instagram that captures how it feels to find out that "MMMbop" is a song about the existential uncertainty of relationships and wondering who's still going to be there for us in our old age.

Yes, really. Watch:

Hanson's "MMMbop" is surprisingly deep.

If you go back and listen to the song, you'll forgive yourself for not recognizing any of these lyrics because it's genuinely hard to hear the words they're actually singing. But when you look up the lyrics, whoa.

People are shook and sharing their feelings in the comments.

"Holy shhhh... It's just Poetry Disguised as a throwaway pop song."

"You forgot my favorite part: 'Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. You can plant any one of those. Keep living to find out which one grows. It’s a secret, no one knows.' 🤯"

"Damn. Hanson coming in with the existential dread veiled under catchy major chords. It's giving the same vibes as Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind."

"*Runs to listen to the full original track and simultaneously read the lyrics*......... *Realizes this reel is accurate AF 😅🥲🥹🤣😂🤣😭* ...... Because 8 yr old me in 1997 thought this was the jolliest song EVER! 🤸🏽♀️😂"

"Remove the arrow from my heart immediately. I will not recover from this!"

"Yes! the words are shockingly deep for a song whose refrain is gibberish."

"I’ve been singing this song for 25+ years - and know zero of the words. 😮"

Zac, the band's drummer and youngest of the three Hansons, explained that "MMMbop" itself means a snippet of time and acknowledged that the song is actually really sad.

"The thing about 'MMMBop' is, obviously, it's a made up word," he told MTV. "It means a frame of time, but it also intentionally kind of is lighthearted, I think, in a way that disguises some of the meaning. It's kind of sad. It's kind of sad to hear a young person singing, like, most things in life are gonna pass. Most of the things you're going through won't matter. Most of your friends are gonna leave you or be gone 'cause in an mmmbop, it's all gonna be over."

Yeah…thanks, Zac.

The Hanson brothers were 14, 12 and 10 when they wrote "MMMbop."

The eldest Hanson, Isaac, shared with The Guardian in 2018 how the brothers came up with the song:

"I was 14, and my brothers Taylor and Zac were 12 and 10 respectively. We listened to a lot of doo-wop, which influenced the chorus of MMMBop. We were trying to write a part for another song and came up with this catchy hook, but it didn’t really fit. Much, much later, I said to the guys: “Remember that hook? It really sticks in your head. We need to find a way to use it.” Then, as we were getting ready for bed, we all sang it together in the bathroom.

A few days later, Taylor was sitting at the keyboard with an intense look on his face. 'I have an idea,' he said. 'We can make this song about life – and all the rejection we’re feeling.' And he played what became the first verse and a half of MMMBop: 'You have so many relationships in this life / Only one or two will last / You go through all the pain and strife / Then you turn your back and they’re gone so fast.'

The chorus might be effusive – 'Mmmbop, ba duba dop / Ba du bop, ba duba dop' – but the song is about how in an instant you will be old and grey, so you have to make decisions you feel good about before it is too late."

Pretty darn astute for kids who couldn't even drive yet. Sheesh.

The original tempo of "MMMbop" was more reflective of its meaning.

So why does the song have such an upbeat feel when it's about something so serious and profound? Isaac Hanson explained that the original version of the song was "slower and more brooding" but that version wasn't landing with record companies until one saw potential in it as a hit pop song and sped it up. Thus the version we all bop along to was born, and the rest is history.

Hanson is still making music and still performing their breakout hit more than 25 years later. If you're still processing the lyrics of "MMMbop" and need a little help, here's the trio sharing more about how they got their start and how the song became what it is:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com