DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ I just don’t get Taylor Swift
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

I just don’t get Taylor Swift. Again, I respect the Taylor Swift lovers. The Cut recently published a piece by a woman who ended a relationship with a friend who didn’t like Taylor Swift. However, the days of Taylor Swift as an ultimate cultural barometer may be waning. If you don’t love Taylor Swift, if you don’t hate her; if she is simply not something that affects your life whatsoever, it’s probably safe to come out now.

Persons: Taylor Swift, it’s, Taylor, Swift, Kat McKenna, there’s, “ Cardigan, Stanley, Said, Travis Kelce Organizations: CNN, Department, The Spectator, BBC, Spotify, Paste Magazine, Kansas City Chiefs

☆ Two strangers swooped in to save a couple’s wedding day
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ezequiel Marcellini BodasOh, and there were tears. Then, the officiant asked for their wedding rings to seal the deal. Once they realized what was wrong, the Argentinian couple offered their own wedding rings without a second thought. Photographer Ezequiel Marcellini captured images of the unexpected wedding encounter. The two couples exchanged “thank yous” and “congratulations,” and posed for a few pictures that will undoubtedly have a special place in the Jackson’s wedding album.

Persons: Shannon Jackson, ” Calivé Jackson, “, vivre, —, “ Shannon, ” Jackson, Shannon, Calivé Jackson, Ezequiel Marcellini Bodas, Ezequiel Marcellini, “ We’ve, yous ”, ” Organizations: CNN, Jacksons Locations: Playa Del Carmen, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico

☆ What putting up a bird feeder can lead to
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Blame the bird feeders — all three of them (plus a bird bath and a hummingbird feeder, of course). It’s hard to describe what happens, but it comes upon you like a cascade of feathered dopamine: You get a bird feeder. Then, the birds start to come to your bird feeder! While you can certainly outfit your bird community with top-of-the-line accoutrement, it’s not that expensive — and just as satisfying — to just have a single feeder. Even the most humble sparrow or house wren has its own little personality, its own little dramas and peculiarities.

Persons: can’t, I’ve, Cardinal, I’m, It’s, birdsong, you’re, it’s Organizations: CNN, Bravo

☆ The politics of religion as Trump sells Bibles and Biden is criticized over Easter eggs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump is literally selling religion to his followers in the form of commemorative Bibles, while President Joe Biden is being criticized by Republicans for allegedly disrespecting the Easter holiday. The version of the Bible Trump is selling also includes the US Constitution and other founding documents. “The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter—which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. More than 30% of Americans might qualify as sympathetic to Christian nationalism when it is defined within the idea that America was meant by God to be a Christian nation. People sympathetic to Christian nationalism are also more likely to condone the idea that political violence may be justified.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, ”, CNN CNN’s AJ Willingham, Jemar Tisby, Willingham, “, ” Tisby, Sen, Raphael Warnock, CNN’s Dana Bash, Warnock, Feedback Sen, CNN Biden, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Gregory, ’, ” Gregory, “ The, Jesus Christ, Mike Johnson, Easter, ” Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Robert Jones Organizations: CNN, Bible Trump, Georgia Democrat, Ebenezer Baptist Church, “ The Biden White, Conservative, Pew Research Center, PRRI, ”, Republican Party Locations: Ebenezer, Atlanta, Washington, America, Massachusetts, Oregon, North Dakota, Mississippi

☆ Opinion: Trump videos send wildly different messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In a video promoting the Bible, Trump said, “Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country. … we need to bring them back.”On Good Friday, Trump posted a very different kind of video. It showed an image of President Joe Biden lying sideways and tied up in the bed of a pickup truck. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign can’t win, but it could swing the presidency to former President Donald Trump,” Begala wrote.

Persons: Matthew Arnold, Homer, King James, Donald Trump, ”, Lee Greenwood’s, AJ Willingham, Trump, Joe Biden, Drew Sheneman, MAGA, Biden, Fareed Zakaria, ” Zakaria, Candida Moss, he’ll, he’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Julian Zelizer, ” “, …, ” Clay, “, Obama, “ Obama, CNN Trump, —, Attorney Alvin Bragg, “ Trump, Stormy Daniels, ” Norman Eisen, Andrew Warren, James Antle III, stoked, Letitia James, Dali, Francis Scott Key, Tasos Katopodis, Richard Timme, ” Timme, Salvatore R, Mercogliano, ’, Jalal Baig, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Baig, Paul Hockenos, “ It’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nicole Shanahan, Eric Risberg, Paul Begala, Ross Perot, George H, Bush, “ Robert F, can’t, ” Begala, ” Shanahan “, Sergey Brin, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Ro Khanna, Lee Drutman, Mark Osler, Jill Filipovic, Lisa Murkowski, Obeidallah, Johnson Ronna, Ronna McDaniel, Justin Sullivan, McDaniel, ” McDaniel, David Zurawik, Jack Ohman, Walt Handelsman, Tim Hubbard, Dennis Muilenburg —, Max, David Calhoun, ‘, ” Hubbard, Annelle, ” Sheline, ” Don’t, Frida Ghitis, Putin, Howard Fischer, Keith O’Brien, Pete Rose, Nick Anderson, Agency Sara Stewart, Mary Ziegler, Patrick T, Brown, shouldn’t, Emma Firth, Carter ’ Parkwood, Roxanne Jones, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé, ” Jones Organizations: CNN, Oxford University, New, Trump, Nasdaq, NYPD, Hollywood, Biden, Cupp, Obama, Manhattan, Attorney, Democratic, US Coast Guard, Baltimore, Federal Highway Administration, RFK Jr, RFK, Google, The New York Times, Republican National Committee, NBC News, “, Press, NBC, MSNBC, Content Agency Boeing, Notre Dame, Boeing, US State Department, Israel, Tribune, Agency, Sony, AP Locations: Independence, New York City, America, New, Manhattan, Queens, New York, Baltimore, Coast, Suez, Port, China, Argentina, Red, Gaza, Wales, Northern California, California, Israel, Columbia

☆ Why some Christians are angry about Trump’s ‘God Bless the USA’ Bible
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

He says things like the “God Bless America” Bible overlook the many, many Christians who do not agree with Trump’s politics or the blending of patriotism with faith. He was among the imprint’s writers who tried to discourage them from publishing the “God Bless the USA” Bible when the idea was first introduced. “I am reminded of how we closed every Marine Corps boot camp chapel service with Lee Greenwood’s ‘God Bless the USA’,” he told CNN. The FAQ section of the “God Bless America” Bible website clarifies that no proceeds from the sales of the Bible will go towards Trump’s presidential campaign. CNN has reached out to EliteSource Pro, the marketing company behind the “God Bless the USA” Bible, for more information.

Persons: Donald Trump, Lee Greenwood’s, ”, ” Trump, Jesus, It’s, Lee Greenwood, Benjamin Cremer, X, Jason Cornwall, it’s, Jemar Tisby, “, ” Tisby, —, Trump, MARK RALSTON, Guthrie Graves, Fitzsimmons, ’, ” Graves, pushback, James, Tisby, we’re, ” Singer Lee Greenwood, Marsha Blackburn, Alex Wong, David W, Peters, Donald J, ” televangelist, Pat Robertson Organizations: CNN, Christian, Reformed Theological Seminary, Getty, BJC Center for Faith, Justice, Reconciliation, Union Theological Seminary, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, HarperCollins, Trump, Zondervan, Marine Corps, Corps, Republican, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures, EliteSource, Episcopal Locations: Independence, South Carolina, America, Jackson , Mississippi, AFP, United States, New York City, Franklin , Tennessee, Pflugerville , Texas, Iraq, Trump's

☆ The symbolism in Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album has fans talking
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Beyoncé knows how to get people talking, and her new album “Cowboy Carter,” had tongues wagging long before its release date on March 29. “Cowboy Carter” is the much-anticipated followup to her 2022 album “Renaissance” and her 2016 album “Lemonade,” both of which injected the culture with paradigm-shifting art and symbolism. This is Black American culture.”“Beyoncé’s album cover makes complete sense to Black Texans” guest columnist Taylor Crumpton wrote for Bloomberg. Of course, a new Beyoncé album is bound to ignite all sorts of conversations. The discourse is part of the experience as much as any cowboy hat, and “Cowboy Carter” is already taking fans to school.

Persons: CNN — Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter, ”, Cowboy Carter ”, Carter ”, Beyoncé’s, Carter, Azaelia Banks, Banks, “, Vanessa Vaillareal, Tory Shulman, Beyoncé, Napoleon, George Washington, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Angelou, ” Baldwin, Taylor Crumpton, Randy, ” Beyoncé, ” Kacey, John Shearer, Jim Crow, Linda Martell, Martell Organizations: CNN, Sony, AP, YouTube, Daily, Black Texans, Texans, Bloomberg, ”, Los Angeles Magazine, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Parkwood, Columbia, American, Texas, Houston, Los Angeles , California

☆ Madison Tevlin, star of the Down Syndrome awareness ad, smashes assumptions about her condition
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —What happens when others assume people with Down Syndrome can’t hit hard, aim high or drink a darn margarita? A new Down Syndrome awareness ad cuts right to the philosophical heart of this often-misunderstood condition, reminding us that the way we treat people with Down Syndrome can help smash false limits — or reinforce them. So you serve me a margarita, so I drink a margarita,” says actress Madison Tevlin in the now-viral ad. ASSUME THAT I CAN | World Down Syndrome Day 2024The ad, created by an Italian Down Syndrome organization called Coor Down, was released in recognition of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, March 21. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, one in 772 babies in the US is born with Down Syndrome.

Persons: margarita, ”, Madison Tevlin, —, ” Tevlin, I’m, Caleb Prewitt, it’s, Tevlin, “, ” CNN’s Taylor Galgano, Krista Bo Organizations: CNN, Down, Syndrome Society, YouTube, Hijinx Theatre, Syndrome Locations: margarita, Wales

☆ Conspiracies around Catherine, Princess of Wales have reached a fever pitch
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —The public absence of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has grown from a niche royal watcher concern to an international punchline in a matter of weeks. Droves of amateur detectives have crafted timelines and deep dives into the princess’ movements over the last few months, combining real concern with outlandish conspiracy. The uproar, the theories, the analyses, the jokes and, yes, the serious concern — they all show the multitude of ways people interact with and view the royal family. “Not [the royal family] specifically, just anyone in that kind of position.”Catherine, Princess Of Wales is seen during the opening of Evelina London's new children's day surgery unit on December 5, 2023 in London, England. Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesMore dire than the growing transatlantic comedy routine is the apparent dissolution of trust between some media outlets and the royal family.

Persons: Catherine , Princess of Wales, That’s, Kate, hasn’t, CNN It’s, it’s, ”, who’s, “, unrelatable, I’ve, Susan Graves, subreddit, Diana, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Carly Wainsworth, “ It’s, Graves, Wainsworth, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, King Charles ’, Princess Diana —, they’re, ” Wainsworth, ” Catherine, Princess, Ian Vogler, Kate truthers, Kate Middleton ”, kate, don’t, Pete Davidson, Singer, Stephen Colbert, Stephen Colbert , goss, Cillian Murphy, ” Prince William , Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Chris Jackson, Catherine, you’re, we’ve, Phil Chetwynd, Prince William, Mark Borkowski, ” Borkowski, Rosa Prince, Barbie Organizations: CNN, Daily, Dublin Airport, Getty, AFP, BBC, British Press Photographers ’ Association, ”, The Daily Mail, Royal, “, ” Politico Locations: Kensington, Brazilian, Birmingham, Wales, London, England, Buckingham

☆ Rachel Dolezal fired from teaching job over OnlyFans account
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As of publication, a link to an OnlyFans account is accessible through a bio in Dolezal’s verified Instagram account. The linked OnlyFans account, updated as recently as February 14, blocks images for non-subscribers but contains identifying information and captions alluding to adult and “nude” content. Her apparent OnlyFans account bears the name Rachel Dolezal. OnlyFans is a social media platform where creators post photos and videos and can charge users a fee to access it. Its rising popularity has led to innumerable instances of people being fired from their jobs for being OnlyFans creators, including several teachers.

Persons: Rachel Dolezal, Dolezal, Julie Farbarik, ” Farbarik, ” Rachel Dolezal, Nicholas K, Nkechi Amare Diallo, ”, Josephine Beall Willson Bruce Organizations: CNN, National Association for, Advancement of Colored People, Catalina Foothills School District, KVOA, Social Media, District Employees, NAACP, Human Rights Education Institute, Guardian Locations: Arizona, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene , Idaho

☆ A guide to the Super Bowl, in Taylor Swift lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Aj Willingham | Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Story highlights Some Taylor Swift fans may be watching the Super Bowl for the first time Here's a guide to the Chiefs and the 49ers, using lyrics from Swift songs “You know I love the players and you love the game.”CNN —This year’s Super Bowl viewership can be neatly divided into four segments: Those who like football and Taylor Swift, those who only like football, those who only like Taylor Swift, and those who like neither but are, for whatever reason, watching anyway. For all the Swifties who are choosing to care about the Super Bowl for the first time — and all the football fans who need a crash course in Taylor Swift — here is a look at Sunday’s game as seen through Swift’s lyrics. The two rivals faced each other in Super Bowl LIV in 2020, when the Chiefs dealt the 49ers a devastating loss, 31-20, giving Kansas City its first Super Bowl victory since 1970. Fans and analysts alike have already begun comparing Mahomes to Tom Brady, who has seven Super Bowl rings to his name. As Swift says in her song “Blank Space,” “You know I love the players / and you love the game.”

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, there’s, Brock Purdy, Ezra Shaw, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, he’s, ”, we’re, Travis Kelce, let’s, she’s, Patrick Smith, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Williams, Purdy, There’s, — Organizations: Super Bowl, Chiefs, 49ers, CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl LIV, Kansas City, San Francisco, Niners, Seattle Seahawks, Getty, NFC, AFC, NFL, Baltimore Ravens Locations: Super, San, Santa Clara , California, Las Vegas, —, Baltimore , Maryland

☆ Elmo asked people online how they were doing. He got an earful
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But he comes from “Sesame Street,” which is no place for lies. “How is everybody doing?”Thousands of replies and a few interventions from his “Sesame Street” pals later, and it was pretty clear: The people are not doing well, Elmo! Many young Americans are struggling with anxiety and depression as the country faces a well-documented mental health crisis. Elmo’s query also led to some heartwarming conversations about emotional health and the importance of checking in with friends. Elmo is glad he asked,” Elmo posted less than two days later, employing the most rhetorically loaded “wow” imaginable.

Persons: “, Elmo, ”, It’s, “ Elmo, ” “ Elmo I’m, ” “ Elmo I’ve, “ Elmo I’m, ” Elmo, Katherine Tarleton, gravitate, ” Tarleton, Tarleton, it’s Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Government, Mental Health America, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, Big, South Carolina, United States, United Kingdom

☆ Police arrest California woman for allegedly stealing 65 Stanley cups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Police responding to a retail theft call in a California city discovered what is likely the most 2024 thing ever: A Sacramento woman allegedly stole about five dozen Stanley cups valued at a whopping $2,500. After a search of the car, the police recovered 65 Stanley cups. The inexplicable allure of Stanley cups has led people to go to extreme lengths to collect them. “The Roseville Police Department remains committed to stopping retail theft.”The Stanley cups were stuffed in the suspect's trunk. Once the cups took off on social media, Stanley’s annual sales reportedly jumped from $75 million to $750 million in 2023 alone.

Persons: Stanley, “, ”, Stanley Quenchers, William Stanley, Jr, Terence Reilly, CNN’s AJ Willingham Organizations: New, New York CNN — Police, Roseville Police, Facebook, Stanley Locations: New York, California, Sacramento, Target, Roseville

☆ Why Princess Poppy was dressed as a green troll at the Emmy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

There are looks, there are looks, and then there’s whatever Princess Poppy was serving at the 2024 Emmy Awards. RuPaul took the moment to advocate for LGBTQ rights in a speech so earnest one hardly noticed the green troll standing in the background. As for Princess Poppy, she’s had a mixed relationship with fame since being voted off Season 15 of the show last year. “I’m obsessed with Princess Poppy,” one X user said alongside a video of the drag queen dancing in full troll look during the event. “Princess Poppy you will always be famous,” one fan wrote.

Persons: Poppy, Don’t, Li Shen Ooi, Bryn, “, ”, Sasha Colby, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, Irene Dubois, Robin Fierce, Jax, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Aura Mayari, Salina EsTitties, Neilson Barnard, RuPaul, Princess Poppy, she’s, wasn’t, didn’t, “ I’m Organizations: Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, Times, Getty, CNN Locations: Spice, Sugar, Malaysia, Salina

☆ Stanley cup craze, explained: Why do we love these tumblers so much?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On social media, Stanley collectors show off shelves of their rainbow-hued, stainless steel treasures or gush over stickers and silicone doohickies to accessorize their favorite cups. It’s no secret that good marketing — largely to women, through social media — has been behind the cups’ recent surge in popularity. Empty shelves after a sold-out Stanley cup release at a California Target in January. The habitual meets the aspirational when social media posts add a shiny, new Stanley cup to a lifestyle marked by clean, responsible, well-hydrated order. It’s a favorite cup, a new cup, a go-to cup, the cup everyone is jealous of, the cup that will solve all of life’s problems and get us closer to our ideal selves.

Persons: Stanley, —, Charles Lindsey, “, Lindsey, Brian van der, Terence Reilly, it’s, “ It’s, ” Lindsey, Ricardo Torres, they’re Organizations: CNN, Stanley, University, Buffalo School of Management, ”, California Target, Los Angeles Times, Starbucks, Milwaukee, USA Locations: California, Milwaukee

☆ What it’s like to work with ADHD
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Aj Willingham | Brook Joyner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

I used to think I had done it all in spite of my ADHD, which was officially diagnosed eight years ago. One of the sad ironies for people who have ADHD is that we crave the order we can’t seem to create. A common tip for people with ADHD is to break down a task into manageable bits: Stand up. It’s certainly more important, which is why I’m writing this instead of shuffling downstairs repeating the phrase “Laundry and trash bag, laundry and trash bag” like a Druidic incantation. READ MORE: Signs of ADHD can be different in girlsThe stigma around ADHD and other learning differences is starting to crack as we discover more about what makes such brains tick.

Persons: AJ Willingham, vacantly, I’m, Brook Joyner, I’ve, Willingham, It’s, “, you’re, it’s, ” Organizations: CNN, National Association of Black Journalists Locations: you’re, Atlanta

☆ ‘Girl math’ was a fun social media joke. Then ‘boy math’ came along
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“You call it Girl Math, we call it the Labor Day sale,” a recent promotion from clothing brand Lane Bryant read. From this tangle of overly serious criticism and brand interference, the idea of “girl math” stretched far past its original intent. After all, if “girl math” exists, what is “boy math”? “I think the great equivalent to girl math for boy math is the fact that all of us dudes think we could land a plane,” a man in one popular TikTok posited. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is one of the big names to wade into the "girl math" trend.

Persons: influencer Imani Barbarin, It’s, it’s, “, commenter, ”, Lane Bryant, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Kevin Lamarque, Dane Cook, Kelsi Taylor, Kevin McCarthy, y’all, Mary Louise Adams, gamely, ” Adams, can’t Organizations: CNN, Labor, Democratic, New York Democratic Rep, Republican, Queens University Locations: Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Kingston , Ontario

☆ More than 130 taxidermied animals in a South Dakota museum were found to contain arsenic. Nobody knows what to do with them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

TenHaken’s plan is to have the collection legally declared “surplus,” allowing the city to get the animals out of the museum. Dioramas at the Delbridge Museum. He donated the collection to the city, and it has been housed at the Great Plains Zoo since 1984. The Great Plains Zoo, which included the Delbridge Museum when it was open, attracts about 250,000 visitors a year. A Great Plains Zoo official told CNN proper display of the animals was a condition of the original donation.

Persons: they’ll, Paul TenHaken, “, Becky Dewitz, ” Dewitz, ” TenHaken, Henry Brockhouse, C.J, Dewitz, ”, KELO, it’s, ” Paloma Strong, Strong, Brockhouse, Charles Darwin, John Edmonstone, “ Taxidermy, ” Strong, taxidermy Organizations: CNN, Delbridge, Facebook, Sioux Falls, Plains, Sioux, Plains Zoo, Angeles, Society, Indiana Historical Society Locations: Sioux Falls , South Dakota, Sioux Falls, Sioux, China, taxidermy, South Dakota, Delbridge, Guyana, Scotland

☆ The ‘Barbie’ movie has people buying ‘emotional support’ dolls. Psychologists say that’s a good thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The “Barbie” movie is a bona fide cultural moment. Some videos show people carefully roaming toy aisles to pick out dolls that speak to their careers, identities or just their sense of whimsy. In one popular TikTok, a daughter surprises her mom with a Dia De Muertos Barbie, and no one comes away dry-eyed. Greene thought the idea of an emotional support Barbie was a little silly at first, but she found herself in a Target one weekend and caved. When Flora saw the “Barbie” movie with her daughter, she says nearly the whole audience was decked out in pink, sparkles and sunglasses, bubbling over with excitement.

Persons: Barbie, it’s, ”, “ Barbie, ” “, Muertos, “, Kristin Flora, she’s, ” Flora, Cameron Greene, Greene, Justin Sullivan, Flora, Pat Cafaro, tutu, ” Cafaro Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Pictures, Warner Bros ., Dia, Franklin College in, “, Retailers, rec Locations: Franklin College in Indiana, Lanham , Maryland, Corte Madera , California, Sarasota , Florida

☆ Shrek Crocs are officially real
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —In the distant future, archaeologists will happen upon a Shrek Croc, its soft vinyl unsullied by the ages, and they will have questions. Crocs, the brand behind everyone’s favorite unapologetically ugly shoe, has collaborated with DreamWorks to craft an extremely important cultural artifact: The Shrek Croc. Green, freckled, and just a little scary, the Shrek Croc (or Shroc, if you will) has long been a dream for some Croc lovers. There actually is a 2018 Change.org petition floating around to “Make Shrek Crocs Real.” The good people at Crocs know what’s up too: In the run-up to the shoe’s launch on September 13, the official Croc X account retweeted 20 identical messages from an account called “Shrek Crocs,” all reading “Make Shrek Crocs real.”“The wait is over for the most wonderfully hideous Classic Clogs,” the shoe’s description reads. There are Pop Tarts Crocs (Croc-Tarts), Lisa Frank Crocs, Barbie Crocs, Crocs with fanny packs and even scented Crocs Jibbitz — a combination of words commanding almost as much dark energy as “Shrek Crocs.”Most reactions to the Shrek Crocs fall into one of two categories: “I need them immediately,” or “If you wear these in public I will perform a citizen’s arrest.” If your thoughts lean toward the former, you may want to hurry.

Persons: Margaritaville, Crocs, Lisa Frank Crocs, Barbie Crocs, fanny Organizations: CNN, DreamWorks

☆ The first Bob Ross work from ‘The Joy of Painting’ is on sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It’s hard to quantify the value of painter and all-around cultural icon Bob Ross, but $9.85 million is a good start. The very first on-air painting from the very first episode of Ross’ beloved series “The Joy of Painting” is looking for a new owner after being kept safe for decades by one of the show’s early volunteers. It has been verified as authentic by Bob Ross Inc.A close-up of the work shows Ross' iconic signature. Modern ArtifactModern Artifact owner Ryan Nelson said Ross’ work has seen increasing demand over the years. “The driving force behind the increased demand for Bob Ross paintings seems to be collectors themselves,” Nelson said in a statement.

Persons: CNN —, Bob Ross, Ross ’, Ross, ”, Ryan Nelson, ” Nelson, Nelson, it’s, ” Ross Organizations: CNN, Virginia PBS, Bob Ross Inc, PBS Locations: Minneapolis, Falls Church, Virginia

☆ Colleen Hoover is the hottest author in America. She also may be the most controversial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Colleen Hoover books always leave me speechless and in tears,” one TikTok reader said. However, Hoover’s work, she says, blurs that line with the addition of painful – and decidedly non-aspirational – narrative arcs. She pointed out what she saw as a pattern in Hoover’s books of women who endure disturbing behavior from their partners. Probably not.”Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are set to star in the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's book "It Ends With Us." Hoover’s books are cloaked in bright, fashionable colors, and her author website offers boutique-style merchandise with flowers and calligraphy and inside jokes from her books.

Persons: doesn’t, Colleen Hoover, Hoover, ”, Blake Lively, Stephen King, It’s, “ Colleen Hoover, Lily Bloom, Atlas Corrigan, Ryle Kincaid, Lily, Ryle, –, influencer Whitney Atkinson, Atkinson, Colleen Hoover's, AJ Willingham, CNN Atkinson, ” Atkinson, “, ” Hoover, “ I’ve, Jenna Bush Hager, ” Amanda Diehl, Smart, “ I’m, Jennifer Prokop, ” Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Critics, ” Prokop, — that’s, problematically, Chick, ” Diehl, Diehl, that’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Trade, YouTube, ” CNN, “ Trade Locations: Texas

☆ Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Examples and explanation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? “Human needs arrange themselves in hierarchies of pre-potency,” Maslow wrote in the 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Needs,” which first described the model. Level 2: Safety needsWith basic needs fulfilled, the next level of needs moves to safety. Examples of Maslow’s hierarchy of needsAside from its psychological application, countless disciplines have found Maslow’s model to be a useful teaching tool. Common challenges to Maslow’s model argue that it is too arbitrary, or that humans needs exist more as a cascading spectrum.

Persons: Abraham Maslow, Maslow, ” Maslow, “, —, aren’t, wasn’t, isn’t, Scott Barry Kaufman, mindbodygreen, “ Maslow, Charlie Huntingon, ” Organizations: CNN, YWCA, Berkeley

☆ More women are aiming to become church leaders. Together, they could change American Christianity
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

How the presence of women church leaders has grownStudents pray at the opening of a women's ministry class at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 2021. However, numbers across different denominations reveal the same pattern: More women in training, more women being ordained. How women can change the church that isPeople at a pro-women ordination demonstration in New York City, circa 1970. FPG/Getty ImagesFuller Theological Seminary, where Abernethy works, is one of the largest seminaries in the US and one with a noted history of championing female faith leaders. So women and women of color have never really served just one function or one role.

Persons: —, They’ve, ”, Alexis Abernethy, “, LM Otero, Let’s, Eileen Campbell, Reed, FPG, Abernethy, that’s, “ I’ve, Linda Barnes Popham, Christiana Botic, Emily Badgett, Emily, ” Badgett, Badgett, it’s, Suzie Sang, “ It’s, Sang Organizations: CNN — Christian, Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist, Fuller Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, ELCA, United Church of Christ, CNN, “, Fern Creek Baptist Church, New York Times, Candler School, Theology, Emory University, Women, Fuller, Southern Baptist Convention, The Methodist Locations: Southern, Pasadena , California, Fort Worth , Texas, New York City, it’s, Fern Creek, Atlanta, Christianity

☆ Analysis: Country music is at a crossroads. Two of its most viral songs show why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The struggle for the soul of country music is on full display now as two very different songs have been making headlines. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesThese two songs, so differently received yet recorded under the same big country umbrella, are an embodiment of the crossroads where country music currently stands. Like all musical traditions that fuse, evolve and splinter, country music and its legions of fans are engaged in a negotiation for the genre’s main identity. When the Dixie Chicks spoke out against the Iraq War in the early 2000s, their popularity in country music circles never fully recovered.. Small towns, fast cars and American values are as essential to country music as four chords and the truth.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman, Chapman, Combs, ”, Tracy, ” Chapman, “, Luke, Bryan Bedder, they’ve, Aldean, Little Richard, Otis Redding, ” Aldean, —, Holly G, Morgan Wallen, Michael Loccisano, foremothers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, ” Combs, it’s Organizations: CNN, CMT, Billboard, Singer, Amarillo, Black Opry, Washington Post, Texas Democrat, country’s, Dixie, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Copenhagen, underrepresentation, Aldean, Macon , Georgia, Iraq

Search resuls for: "Aj Willingham"

25 mentions found