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Guy shares the reason viral gym videos need to end, and it's so spot on

"If you can’t respect other people in a shared space, you don’t belong filming at all.”

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“This sense of entitlement has gotten out of hand."

Gyms are supposed to be communal spaces where people can come to improve their health, fitness and/or overall well-being. However, it’s no secret that many gyms have also become a production studio of sorts where influencers can set up a tripod to demonstrate the most cutting-edge squatting technique or where the average Joe can take that obligatory gym selfie to prove that the workout did, in fact, happen.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of these activities. However, they have sparked a new kind of behavior in gymgoers where they feign extreme frustration if folks walk from one machine to the next or grab a piece of equipment and, heaven forbid, enter the frame.


Take for instance a video shared to Reddit by u/ASTATINE_628, where we first see several cuts of a young woman at the gym, seemingly perturbed that people are continuously walking through her frame in her video.

The clip then cuts to a guy who breaks down what’s wrong with this scenario in a very clear and concise way.

“This sense of entitlement has gotten out of hand,” he said, noting that “for you to get upset because there’s people simply in your video going about their workout, not bothering you, minding their own business, is ridiculous.”

To act like she owns the gym.
by u/ASTATINE_628 in therewasanattempt

He certainly has a point. Of course, when personal space is actually being infringed upon, like when someone is facing harassment, that’s a different story. But in this case, as the man stated, there is no wrongdoing by simply existing.

The man then summed it all up with a short and sweet reminder about common decency. Or maybe not-so-common, since we’re needing reminders.

“Unless your name is on that gym, your filming is never a priority over other people. They pay the same gym membership that you do. If you can’t film responsibly, if you can’t respect other people in a shared space, you don’t belong filming at all,” he said.

Really, this behavior stems from something larger than modern-day gym culture. We film ourselves a lot these days, and often in public. This has undoubtedly caused a shift in how we view personal boundaries in the outside world, with both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, it can be fun and self-esteem-boosting to treat your life as one big video diary. On the other hand, we bring strangers unwillingly into our orbit, treating them as punching bags, entertainment, or, in the case of the miffed gymgoers, nuisances. We vainly stop treating other people like fellow humans sharing life on this crazy blue planet. No video seems worth forgetting that.

Even for those who have never set foot into a gym and never will, this is a poignant reminder to not lose our humanity as our relationship with social media grows. It’s perfectly fine to tap into “main character energy.” Let's just keep in mind that really, we’re all part of the same story.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Expert says there's only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what's being washed

Straight from Patric Richardson, the "Laundry Guy" himself.

Representative image from Canva

Because who can keep up with which laundry settings is for which item, anyway?

Once upon a time, our only option for getting clothes clean was to get out a bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing. Nowadays, we use fancy machines that not only do the labor for us, but give us free reign to choose between endless water temperature, wash duration, and spin speed combinations.

Of course, here’s where the paradox of choice comes in. Suddenly you’re second guessing whether that lace item needs to use the “delicates” cycle, or the “hand wash” one, or what exactly merits a “permanent press” cycle. And now, you’re wishing for that bygone bucket just to take away the mental rigamarole.

Well, you’re in luck. Turns out there’s only one setting you actually need. At least according to one laundry expert.

While appearing on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist, said he swears by the “express” cycle, as “it’s long enough to get your clothes clean but it’s short enough not to cause any damage.”

Richardson’s reasoning is founded in research done while writing his book, “Laundry Love,” which showed that even the dirtiest items would be cleaned in the “express” cycle, aka the “quick wash” or “30 minute setting.”


Furthermore the laundry expert, who’s also the host of HGTV’s “Laundry Guy,” warned that longer wash settings only cause more wear and tear, plus use up more water and power, making express wash a much more sustainable choice.

Really, the multiple settings washing machines have more to do with people being creatures of habit, and less to do with efficiency, Richardson explained.

“All of those cycles [on the washing machine] exist because they used to exist,” he told co-hosts Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson. “We didn’t have the technology in the fabric, in the machine, in the detergent [that we do now], and we needed those cycles. In the ’70s, you needed the ‘bulky bedding’ cycle and the ‘sanitary’ cycle ... it was a legit thing. You don’t need them anymore, but too many people want to buy a machine and they’re like, ‘My mom’s machine has “whitest whites.”’ If I could build a washing machine, it would just have one button — you’d just push it, and it’d be warm water and ‘express’ cycle and that’s it.”
washing machine

When was the last time you washed you washing machine? "Never" is a valid answer.

Canva

According to Good Housekeeping, there are some things to keep in mind if you plan to go strictly express from now on.

For one thing, the outlet recommends only filling the machine halfway and using a half dose of liquid, not powder detergent, since express cycles use less water. Second, using the setting regularly can develop a “musty” smell, due to the constant low-temperature water causing a buildup of mold or bacteria. To prevent this, running an empty wash on a hot setting, sans the detergent, is recommended every few weeks, along with regularly scrubbing the detergent drawer and door seal.

Still, even with those additional caveats, it might be worth it just to knock out multiple washes in one day. Cause let’s be honest—a day of laundry and television binging sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

To catch even more of Richardson’s tips, find the full podcast episode here.


This article originally appeared last year.

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A distraught boy couldn't find his dad. Then the entire crowd started chanting his name.

The chanting, the clapping, the song—this is what community looks like.

Photo credit: Canva

Sometimes a crowd can be a collective good.

As anyone with children can attest, losing your child in public is a terrifying experience for both a kid and parent. You could be at the zoo or a theme park and take just a few seconds to look at a map, scan the horizon for a bathroom sign, pay for a snack, or attend to another child, and suddenly the kid who had been right there by your side is nowhere to be seen. You frantically search the crowd, having no idea which way they might have gone, and worse case scenarios flash through your head.

Chances are, the child briefly got distracted or disoriented and then swallowed up in the moving crowd. It happens so fast, and it unfortunately, it usually takes far more time to find a kid than to lose them. Often, a kind stranger or two will step in to help, but in the case of one little boy who got separated from his dad in Argentina, and entire crowd stepped up and pitched in the best way to make sure they were reunited.

A video shows a man at a street fair holding a distraught boy on his shoulders. A voice on a microphone explains that the boy, Juan Cruz, is looking for his dad, Eduardo. Soon the people in the crowd start clapping in unison, chanting, "Eduardo! Eduardo!" Then the band starts singing an improvised song that translates as "Eduardo, come and find Juan Cruz," and it's a serious jam.

Watch:

Isn't it remarkable how a little goodwill and a little music can bring people together to solve a problem? According to several Argentinians in the comments, this practice of collectively helping a lost child is seen frequently at the beaches in Argentina—at least the chanting and clapping part.

"This is a common occurrence in Argentina. Mostly at beaches, every time a child would get lost, people around them would start chanting and clapping loudly so everyone can check on their children. If you are missing one you know it's yours lol."

"In Argentina everybody claps in this situation, it's an unwritten code and easier to sustain the search for longer time! Relatively normal in the beach, not that much in urban settings."

"This is the norm on Argentine beaches. Kids will get lost and someone will put the kid on their shoulders and the people around the kid will start clapping until the parent(s) show up."

People from all over celebrated the wholesome humanity of the video, praising the sense of community inherent in it.

"The funny celebratory chorus of Eduardo as they reunite is what humanity is about."

"So much love in the crowd to help the little boy find his Dad. I'm so glad they were reunited. 🩷"

"This is how it should be. Everyone should come together as a community for a lost child. I wish the world wasn’t so scary at times for kids and parents."

"Heartwarming and hilarious."

"People are mostly good."

Some also shared their stories of getting lost as a child or losing their own kid temporarily, illustrating how common an occurrence it is and how no one should judge if they haven't experienced it.

"When I was a young kid, my dad took me to some festival. He stopped at a vendor to buy me a cookie. He turned around for a second to pay the vendor, turned back, and I was gone. 30m later security found me because I had walked on stage with a band and started dancing."

"I insist to this day that I had permission to go look at the paintings 'over there' at an art festival when I was six. Family disappeared. I reasoned that they couldn't leave without the car, so I walked several city blocks and got bored waiting in the car for my frantic parents. They'd never imagined I'd head to the car."

"Best I could do was getting lost in a cemetery. I was gonna fill the watering can, went the wrong way and got lost. Looked for the exit but someone I asked for help send me in the wrong direction. Was found a couple minutes later, by my very upset mother."

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in situations like this it could not be more true. (And if you find yourself bouncing along to the band's song, do a search for "Eduardo, Veni a Buscar a Juan Cruz" on Spotify. You won't be disappointed.)


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Strangers rally to cry for help for 22-year-old mother given just four months to live

In 24 hours, people flooded the family with donations to hopefully buy Rachael Burns some time with her 1-year-old daughter, Raeya.

www.gofundme.com

Rachael Burns was given a dire prognosis as her daughter turned one.

Being given just a few months to live is a daunting prognosis for anyone, but when you're a 22-year-old mother with a 1-year-old daughter, it's particularly tragic. Your adult life has just begun. You are the world to your young child. Your partner is suddenly looking at losing you and becoming a single parent, all in one fell swoop.

Rachael Burns of Belfast, Northern Ireland, is facing that exact reality. Eight months ago, she began experiencing headaches, dizzy spells, and irritation in her eyes, according to Belfast Live. At first, doctors chalked it up to dehydrated eyes and she considered them migraines, but after an emergency trip to the hospital in early June 2024, Burns was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma brain tumor—brain cancer with a rare, aggressive mutation that is spreading down her spine.

Because of its size and where it's located, doctors said there is no way to even attempt an operation on it. Consultants told her that anyone who came in with her symptoms and that diagnosis generally had 9 to 12 months to live.

"I’ve shown symptoms for the last eight," Burns told Belfast Live. “I was told to assume that that was the case and try to make the most of the next four months.

“I left that appointment with no real hope and I didn’t know how to tell my mum and the rest of the family, I didn’t want them to get upset. It felt like everything had just been taken away from me at that point."

Facing such a dire prediction, Burns began writing years' worth of birthday cards for her daughter, Raeya, who just had her first birthday. The only option appeared to be six weeks of radiotherapy, which would do little to help.

But research into experimental therapies unveiled a ray of hope to buy more time with her family.

"We've identified a potentially life-extending treatment in Germany, under the name of ONC201," the family shared on GoFundMe, "but it comes at a significant cost. Should Rachael qualify, we need funds to pay for travel costs, accommodation and the drugs themselves.

"We refuse to let financial worries hinder Rachael's fight for her life or deprive her and her daughter of precious time together. Our goal is to ensure their comfort should the worst come to pass. No one should go from celebrating their child's first birthday to facing a terminal illness so swiftly."

Not only did the local community of West Belfast turn out for this young family but people around the world did as well. In less than 24 hours, they'd raised £30,000 (approximately $38,000 U.S.).

mom and dad holding baby in front of a birthday cake

Donate to Support a young mother battling terminal cancer, organized by Rachael Burns.

www.gofundme.com

“I’m just totally overwhelmed by the response that we have got so far,” Rachael said. “Belfast is such a small place but you never think that people from all over would show as much kindness as they have done for me and my family. It is a scary time to be going through all of this but this has given me more hope that I can spend some more time with my family.”

Burns told The Irish News that the treatment she's seeking in Germany has extended the life of people with her diagnosis by as much as 22 months. That may not sound like much time, but in the life of a small child, it's hugely significant.

“My Raeya will always know just how much her mummy fought with everything in her power for even a quick glimpse of watching her grow into the beautiful, strong and kind girl I know she will be in this world," Burns said. “Situations are what you make of them and I refuse to just be another statistic.”

While the future is uncertain for the Burns family, the money that's been raised gives her the best chance for a miracle. Any funds that don't go to Rachael's treatment will go into a bank account for young Raeya "to support her in life for if the time comes when she loses her mother."

As of December 2024, Rachael made an update to her GoFundMe to share that, miraculously, her most recent MRU showed that the tumor was stable and had not grown since her initial diagnosis. Even better, the cancer seems to have vanished from her spine:

"Hi everyone it’s Rachael, haven’t posted an update since July so thought I’d come on and let use know how I’m getting on. I had my most recent MRI at the end of October and I was very grateful to find out my tumour was stable and had not grown since my diagnosis in May. They also discovered the cancer seems to have disappeared from my spine which is incredible news.

After hearing I may of only made it to October and now being here for Christmas shows just how well I’ve been looked after, I want to thank you all for allowing me to have access to private health care and treatment. I’m still a bit wobbly but I’m now able to walk without assistance and make memories with my family and friends and I can’t thank you all enough for allowing me the opportunity for more time.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, love Rachael x"
Woman holds baby

Rachael and Raeya at Christmastime

www.gofundme.com

Rachael and her family are still taking donations through their GoFundMe and have come close to their goal. Access it here and be sure to spread the word. Every little action counts.


This article originally appeared last year.

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