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Pop Culture

Someone added J.R.R. Tolkien's narration to epic Lord of the Rings battle scene

'The Ride of the Rohirrim' has never looked and sounded so good.

Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien narrates the famous scene alongside Peter Jackson's film.

John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien is widely considered the father of modern fantasy. Way back in the 1950s, Tolkien wrote a trilogy of books that has gone on to sell more than 150 million copies. If you haven’t put it together yet, that’s a lot of reading (and movie watching) from one collection of source material.

A video has surfaced that mixes an audio recording of J.R.R. Tolkien himself reading an excerpt from his books mixed with the Ride of the Rohirrim scene from the 2002 "The Two Towers," the second film of the trifecta.


The audio of Tolkien is most definitely old-timey and yet you can’t help feel the enthusiasm of what’s been unsheathed from his words and splashed across the screen in a visual feast of color and action.

Tolkien narrates the Ride of the Rohirrim

Maybe you waited in line and joined the millions of people who rushed to the theaters to witness the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy of movies Maybe you completely avoided Director Peter Jackson’s massively successful series of films, which garnered 17 Oscar wins and a staggering $3 billion in box-office sales. Nevertheless, it's hard to deny the lasting influence of this artistic endeavor, which has delighted generations the world over.

The story behind the audio recording is interesting too. In 1952, George Sayer presented his good friend Tolkien a curious new technology called a recorder. Apparently Tolkien wasn’t immune to the magic of one’s own voice and so he recorded excerpts from the then unpublished manuscript of "The Lord of the Rings."

Why the sudden interest in a fantasy writer from long ago and some audio tapes?

The empire that is Amazon is releasing a new online series “The Rings of Power” as a prequel based on Tolkien's epic fantasy books. Amazon Prime has invested a record budget into the show, which premieres online September 2, 2022.

If you enjoyed listening to one of the most successful fantasy writers in modern history, find more audio recorded outtakes here.

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ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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Can we bring back some 50s fridge features, please?

There are very few things that would make people nostalgic for the 1950s. Sure, they had cool cars and pearl necklaces were a staple, but that time frame had its fair share of problems, even if "Grease" made it look dreamy. Whether you believe your life would've been way more interesting if you were Danny Zuko or not, most would agree their technology was...lacking.

All eras are "advanced" for their time, but imagine being dropped off in the 50s as someone from the year 2023. A recent post by Historic Vids on Twitter of a 1956 commercial advertising a refrigerator, however, has some people thinking that when it came to fridges, maybe they were living in the year 2056. I don't typically swoon over appliances, yet this one has me wondering where I can purchase a refrigerator like this.

Of course, there's no fancy touch screen that tells you the weather and asks how you'd like your ice cubed. It's got more important features that are actually practical.

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A Chihuahua and a Great Dane

A basic rule throughout nature is that larger animals tend to live longer than smaller ones. Elephants saunter into their sixties and whales can cruise the ocean for centuries, whereas mice live about a year or two and the common house fly won’t make it past a month.

The major reasons for the discrepancy are slower metabolisms and reduced risks from predators. However, there is a disconnect when it comes to man’s best friend. On average, smaller dogs tend to outlive larger ones.

For instance, petite Chihuahuas can live up to 15 years, outliving their significantly larger counterparts, Great Danes, by a solid 8 years. What’s to account for the huge difference in lifespan?

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Pop Culture

'Bluey' creators have perfect response after 'Exercise' episode sparks concern from parents

Several claimed the episode perpetuated harmful messages about exercise and body weight.

@laceyjadechristie/TikTok

Bandit, Bluey's dad, laments his weight and says he needs to exercise.

The Australian kids' cartoon “Bluey” is pretty universally loved by young and old audiences alike. People appreciate the show’s unique way of blending wholesome humor with mundane or even difficult situations in a way that feels both mature and whimsical.

On a recent “Bluey” episode titled “Exercise,” Bluey’s father, Bandit, becomes disappointed after stepping on the bathroom scale, grabbing his tummy and declaring he needs to start exercising.

"Oh man...I just need to do some exercise," Bandit laments.

"Tell me about it," Bluey's mother, Chilli, chimes in before stepping on the scale herself and shares a similar reaction to her own numbers.

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Two kids wearing backpacks walk to school together.

Over the past 40 years, a sea change has occurred in how kids get to school. Throughout most Western countries, an increasing number of children are driven to school instead of walking or taking a bike. In a new video called “Why did kids stop walking to school?” About Here’s founder, Uytae Lee, cites the U.S. Department of Transportation statistic that in 1969, 48% of kids walked or biked to school, and that number has plummeted to just 11%.

Uytae Lee is an urban planner and videographer passionate about sharing stories about our cities. The video was produced in partnership with TransLink, Metro Vancouver's regional transportation authority.

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Canva

The innovative procedure is performed in utero and guided by ultrasound.

Fetal surgery is undoubtedly a complicated and delicate procedure, with both physical and ethical implications. It’s rarely even an option for treatment, only being done for a select number of conditions and only for pregnant women who meet certain criteria.

And still, doctors at two Boston hospitals stepped forward to repair a malformed blood vessel in a baby girl’s brain two days before she was born, succeeding in the first ever surgery of its kind.

The baby, named Denver Coleman, suffered from vein of Galen malformation (VOGM), a rare abnormality where blood vessels connect directly to veins rather than capillaries, affecting the blood vessels’ ability to carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. The resulting surge of blood pressure can lead to major health issues like congestive heart failure, losing brain tissue or an enlarged head.
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Family

Parents see their lives in hilariously relatable end-of-school-year 'Maycember' parody

The Earth, Wind & Fire "September" parody is a hit with harried parents.

"Maycember"—busy like December but without the fun holidays.

For parents of school-aged kids, May is absolute mayhem and there are very few ways around it. May is the culmination of everything—concerts, recitals, award ceremonies, finals, end-of-school-year picnics, spring sports and a dozen other things that seem to sneak up on you until one day you look at your calendar for the month and weep.

Oh, and by the way, have you signed your kids up for summer camps yet?

May is just…a lot. It's akin to the busyness of the December holiday season, but without all the pretty lights and holiday spirit to carry you through it.

In their signature style, The Holderness Family has captured the reality of "Maycember" in a video parody of Earth, Wind & Fire's "September." The Holdernesses have brought us many funny and relatable videos about a range of realities, from people's mid-pandemic Wordle obsession to GenX welcoming millennials to the over-40 club, and now they've got their fingers on the pulse of parents pulling their hair out with end-of-school-year scheduling.

Check out "Maycember":

No wonder they put Mother's Day in May. (Although it's a little hard to enjoy it when you're up to your eyeballs in all the things.)

Judging by the comments, they hit the nail on the head.

"Oh hi there, I see you made a documentary about my life right now! 🤪"

"Great video. Plus, all of the spring yard chores. When is there time for pickleball?"

"Yep facts! 💯! Everything is true and accurate scary accurate. Thanks for the camp reminder 😁"

"The BEST one yet! I didn't know if I should laugh or cry....maybe a little of both. Good to know our family isn't going thru this alone! POWER TO THE PARENTS!!! (and teachers....thanks for all you do!)"

"My kids are grown and have moved out but oh my goodness do I remember the month of May all through their school years. Everything is packed into that one month. I always remember how busy we were. There are days I don’t miss it but there are days that I do! Well done!"

Hang in there, parents. May may be mayhem, but it'll be over soon. (And seriously, get on those summer camps now if you haven't yet. Those things fill up in a blink.)