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'Jeopardy' contestant with Parkinson's stuns the crowd with a historic win

It was a victory 24 years in the making.

Jeopardy!/Youtube

“Your life isn’t over when you get this diagnosis.”

Instilled with what he calls a “voracious curiosity,” New York based attorney Harvey “H-bomb” Silikovitz has three major passions: karaoke, travel, and trivia. Naturally, that latter interest turned into a dream of one day competing on the trivia show of all trivia shows—Jeopardy!

This was a dream Silikovitz had been trying to realize since 2001. Then in 2019, after nine auditions throughout the years, he had missed the call finally welcoming him onto the popular quiz show. By the time he had finally found and heard the voicemail, the seasons had already wrapped.

The year would prove to be a challenging one, as five months later Silikovitz was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. But still, he kept going after his dream, “relentlessly” expanding his knowledge base and sharpening his buzzer timing skills in hopes of one day landing that coveted spot.

Then, in January 2025, it finally happened. In October 2024 had gotten an email from the show, and this time he didn't miss it. A few months later, Silikovitz hopped on a plane to California.

And not only did H-Bomb compete, he won, taking home a total of $23,200. He even ended another competitor’s eight day winning streak. Plus, he made history as the first Jeopardy! contestant to play with Parkinson’s.

“I wouldn’t recommend that as a preparation strategy for doing well on the show,” Silikovitz joked to Jennings during the episode’s Q&A portion. “But after living with Parkinson’s for five and a half years, it’s no longer just about wanting to do well for myself—I would like to give hope and inspiration to the people who are living with chronic illnesses.”

Claire McNear, who had followed Silikovitz’s journey while writing her 2020 Jeopardy! book, Answers in the Form of Questions, covered his recent win in an article for The Ringer. In it, Silikovitz shared his hope that someone else with Parkinson’s might see this moment and be inspired to think “your life isn’t over when you get this diagnosis.”

This is a real life story of resilience. No matter what setback came upon his path, Silikovitz persisted with optimism and his signature curiosity. We all have moments of challenge in our lives, and while a good attitude certainly isn’t a cure-all, keeping some sort of dream or purpose alive within us can make a huge difference in overcoming those challenges. Even for those with chronic illness, goal-setting can have an empowering effect, since it helps them remain an active participant in their own life.

Bottom line: we rarely deserve the obstacles that life throws our way. But sometimes we can transmute them into powerful parts of our overall story.

By the way, you can watch H-bomb defend his title on Jeopardy’s March 1 episode.

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Joy

17 Gen X memes for the generation caught in the middle

Gen X is so forgotten that it's become something of a meme. Here are 17 memes that will resonate with just about anyone born between 1965 and 1980.

Photo from Reddit

Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z

"Generation X" got its name in the early '90s from an article turned book by Canadian writer Douglas Coupland. And ever since, they've been fighting or embracing labels like "slacker" and "cynic." That is, until Millennials came of age and all that "you kids today" energy from older generations started to get heaped on them. Slowly, Gen X found they were no longer being called slackers...they weren't even being mentioned at all. And that suits them just fine.

Here are 17 memes that will resonate with just about anyone born between 1965 and 1980.

Gen X basically invented "Whatever."

gen x memesSOURCE: TWITTER

Until recently, Generation X has been sitting back and watching as Millennials and Boomers eat at each other with an amused, non-confrontational attitude. But recently, Millennials and Gen Z became aware of their presence, and dubbed them "The Karen Generation."

They seem to be embracing the Karen thing.

SOURCE: X

While I'm pretty sure the "Karen" thing is not complimentary—as BuzzFeed puts it, it's meant to communicate someone who is "the middle-aged white mom who is always asking for the manager and wondering why kids are so obsessed with their identities,"—lots of people landed on a different Karen to represent the generation: the martini-guzzling, wise-cracking Karen Walker.

Get it right!

SOURCE: X

Well [expletive] me gently with a chainsaw, she's right. The 1980s cult classic starring Winona Ryder and Shannen Doherty really is the Mean Girls of the '80s and a much better term than Karen.

The disdain is mutual...

The Breakfast Club

SOURCE: X

Most of my Gen X friends have Gen Z kids and they are intergenerationally very chill with each other. However, Gen X is the generation most likely to have Boomer parents and younger millennial kids, and this meme seems to be resonating a bunch with Xers of a certain age.

A lot of Xers are enjoying the "OK boomer" squabble.

SOURCE: X

The media tends to ignore Generation X as a whole—as a few tweets coming up demonstrate—and that's nothing new. After all, they're used to it. They were latchkey kids whose parents both worked long hours, so they're used to being somewhat neglected.

"No one cares what we think anyway..."

via GIPHY

This GIF of Janeane Garofolo mocking her classmates at the high school reunion is basically a whole Gen X mood and definitely captures how a lot of this generation caught in the middle feels about the "OK boomer" wars.

A whole mood.

SOURCE: X

Gen X: "Look, don't pull us into this. You'll make me spill my beer."

Gen X: Get used to it.

SOURCE: X

Perhaps Gen X's blasé attitude to the generation wars has something to do with being called "Slackers" for a full decade.

Pass the popcorn.

SOURCE: X

Aside from this whole "Karen generation" blip, Gen X continues to be largely overlooked, and that fact—as well as their silent delight in it—is possibly one of the most Generation X things to happen.

Pay no attention to the man behind the venetian blinds.

SOURCE: X

Back in the '90s, Gen X bore the same kind of criticism Boomers tend to heap on Millennials and Gen Z now. It's not necessarily that they want to watch a cage match. It's just they're so relieved the heat is aimed elsewhere.

See?

SOURCE: TWITTER

Although this chart doesn't list the generation names, the approximate age ranges are all there...except for a big gap between the ages of 35 and 54 where apparently no humans were born? Poor Gen X (and some elder Millennials) apparently don't have political beliefs worth examining.

Don't you forget about me...

SOURCE: X

If Millennials are the "burnout generation," I guess Gen X is truly the invisible generation. I'm starting to feel inspired to write a science fiction novel where everyone born from 1965 to 1980 inhabits a totally different dimension.

There are perks to being invisible...

SOURCE: X

Being overlooked can be an advantage when you just want to sit in the corner and be immature.

Party on.

SOURCE: X

Before Brené Brown was telling us all how to dare greatly, Gen X got their inspirational advice from a different kind of Ted and his pal Bill, who taught us all how important it is to learn from history and be excellent to each other.

Too late and yet too early.

SOURCE: X

Romance—or getting lucky—was never easy for Generation X. They were the generation most impacted by the AIDS epidemic when it comes to anxiety about casual sex. Whereas Boomers had the free love of the late '60s, Gen X was about safe sex, which usually meant less sex. And even when having safe casual sex, singles in the '90s had to meet people the old-fashioned way or, if they did meet online, they felt shame over it. Now online dating is the norm.

When Gen X replaces the Boomers.

SOURCE: X

This is probably an optimistic view—because the truth is there are "Boomers" in every generation, and many of them tend to find their way into powerful positions. Let's call this a best case scenario, though.

The Nihilism Generation

SOURCE: X

There is no generation more over it than Gen X. They are ready for the apocalypse, but don't expect them to, like, help or anything!

Now we have Generation Alpha to contend with, so let's hope they're more chill about the generation wars than their predecessors. And as of 2025, an even newer generation is starting: Generation Beta. Hopefully, the fighting will have died down.


This article originally appeared five years ago.

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Fans binge Tom Holland and Zendaya's epic 2017 lip sync battle to celebrate their engagement

NO ONE expected this performance from Tom Holland.

Image credit: Lip Sync Battle/YouTube

Tom Holland and Zendaya competed on Lip Sync Battle in 2017.

Every once in a while, a celebrity will pull out a surprising talent that hasn't really been showcased in their work, like Jake Gyllenhaal having a lovely singing voice or Steve Martin playing the banjo or Mark Ruffalo being able to ride a unicycle. But few celebrity surprises have delighted fans as much as Tom Holland's unabashed dance talent in his epic Lip Sync Battle performance against Zendaya.

The couple went head-to-head on Lip Sync Battle in 2017, the same year they met and first began dating. With the official announcement of Holland and Zendaya's engagement, fans have been binge-rewatching Holland's number, calling it a pivotal moment in his and Zendaya's relationship. Whether that's true or not, it's definitely a must-see, as the Spider-Man actor's unexpected moves and 100% commitment to the act still has people marveling years later.

After Zendaya held her own with a "24K" Bruno Mars impersonation in the Lip Sync Battle episode, Holland started his off with "Singin' in the Rain." Donning a classic suit and fedora and dancing with an umbrella, he appeared to be going for an ode to Frank Sinatra's original performance. But after about 20 seconds, Holland ducked behind a group of open umbrellas at the back of the stage, a group of backup dancers came out, and the music suddenly changed to Rihanna's "Umbrella."

When Holland burst back onto the stage in fishnet tights, a leotard, and a wig, the whole vibe shifted drastically, and it's safe to say no one expected the performance that was to come. Watch:

The confidence. The commitment. The slapping of the water. The backflip. Holland comes from a theater and dance background, so his stage talents shouldn't come as too much of a shock, but even Zendaya appeared floored by the sheer boldness and how Holland owned that dance number. Since their engagement was announced, some fans have pointed to Zendaya's delighted reaction as the moment she knew he was "the one."

"He owned this performance. And her reaction is so cute."

"He did the mating dance ritual, it was set in stone."

"She killed it with Bruno Mars then he comes out like this. It was insane. They both went all in. Go big or go home. They are perfect for each other."

"For many women, seeing a man be that secure and confident in who he is not be stupidly preoccupied with what others may think of his masculinity is very much a turn on."

"This felt like a man that would do anything to make his woman smile and that my friends, is what we call a keeper."

You can watch the entire Lip Sync Battle, including Zendaya's performance, here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

People have been enamored with Holland and Zendaya's relationship for years. Despite trying to maintain some privacy in their personal lives, their genuine adoration for each other comes across clearly in the way they speak about one another publicly.

The couple started off as friends during the filming of "Spider-Man: Homecoming," with Zendaya helping Holland navigate his burgeoning fame.

"We are like the best of friends. She's so great and amazing," Holland told People magazine in 2017. "I'm a little worried [about dealing with fame … but] Zendaya is super famous and she's been through this, and I just call her up and say, 'How do I manage being famous?' I'm very glad I have a friend like her."

The two began dating in secret and have attempted to shield their relationship from the pitfalls that come with the public eyes, which isn't easy to do in the age of paparazzi and social media.

""Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible," Holland told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. "We don't think that we owe it to anyone, it's our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers."

Fair enough. Fan do enjoy seeing them make each other laugh in interviews together, though, and the engagement news has been met with lots of congratulations and good wishes. Here's to the happy couple—may they continue to delight and surprise one another for years to come.

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A costume designer’s horrific monster becomes this child’s best friend

Just a girl and her “dinosaur” being pals

https://www.tiktok.com/@spiritwalker

A little girl reminded costume designer Brandon Johnson and everyone online that you can’t judge something from the outside. A TikTok video making the rounds across the internet showcases Johnson’s fierce-looking “Spirit Walker” costume/puppet befriending with young Evona on the street.

Johnson brought his towering, four-legged Ghoul creature on the street to show off his creation to the public and drink in the shocked reactions from the passers-by. While the majority of the pedestrians were impressed or freaked out by the sharp fanged creature, little Evona just grinned and waved her hands.After such a wholesome interaction, Johnson reached out to Evona’s mother, Eboni, and set up a surprise playdate between her daughter and his “dinosaur,” as Evona affectionately called the puppet. After reuniting with smiles, kicking around a ball, and some playtime, Evona’s excitement doubled when she received a plush Spirit Walker “dinosaur” for her to take home.

@spiritwalker

Replying to @dustyzoogs she was the first person to get the plush in person. Meet Evana- thanks @eboniibishop for being a wonderful mother #spiritwalker #ghoul #cute #fyp #found


Commenters on Reddit loved the connection between the beast and the toddler.

“This little girl is so adorable! She proves that what one person sees that is frightening another can see the joy in.”

“Kids see what's inside, not just what's on the outside!”

“It's unfortunate we get older and lose that innocence.”

Fear is a natural instinct and response. Per the National Library of Medicine and several other scientists, it’s partially how humans as a species have been able to survive and thrive. It’s not a bad trait but can provide hurdles and limits for some.

For many people, fear has created lost opportunities, whether it is fear that’s holding you back at work, fear of other people’s opinions, or just fear of the unknown in general. What makes this interaction so special, viral, and interesting is that by all reason this little girl should have been terrified, crying, and running to her mom upon seeing Johnson’s creation. In fact, that’s the intended response Johnson was trying to get from adults.

Yet instead of fear, Evona chose curiosity. Through her curiosity, she was able to touch not the exterior creature but what was truly inside of it (in this case, it was Brandon Johnson). Because she approached a situation with curiosity, she got a fun afternoon and plush toy to enjoy rather than yet another unknown to add to her list of fears.

Choosing to be curious rather than scared isn’t just beneficial to cute and naive children. Per a BBC report, curiosity can help your brain naturally create new neural pathways and lead to better success at work and understanding others. There is even a study that suggests that it can actually help you live a longer life.

Obviously, the things you probably fear aren’t actual living, breathing monsters or even fake costumes or puppets of ones. It’s understandable to look away from something that isn’t “normal.” Shying away from something new or foreign is relatable. Feeling uneasy to ask a person out is totally natural. It’s you thinking that you’re protecting yourself. No shame in that.

But not asking a person out could rob you of a potential love, or at least a potential quality friendship. Not trying the new scary thing could rob you of your brand new hobby or vocation. Choosing to look away could rob you of a new path or opportunity that previously hasn’t come your way.

We can all learn something from little Evona. Sometimes opportunities and quality connections can come if we just control our fears, let curiosity guide us, and look into the beady-eyed, sharp-toothed mouth of an unknown experience and say, “Hello, dinosaur!”

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