Image: Mashable, Bob Al-Greene Amy Dickinson doesn’t think herself a know-it-all, and she doesn’t pretend to be. That’s why she’s so good at her job. She’s been a popular advice columnist for “Ask Amy” for more than a decade. She’s funny, self-aware and more open than you’d ever expect. Her responses to personal letters reach millions in syndication throughout the U.S. But what makes her qualified to give advice? She’s just like you and me. “I have a bachelor’s degree in English literature,” Dickinson laughs. “But aside from that, you might learn I have five children, I have grandchildren, I’m a stepmother, I was a single mom, I grew up in poverty … I’ve really been paying attention.” Dickinson is part of a crop of modern-day advice columnists who follow in the grand tradition of people like “Dear Abby” and “Ann Landers” — pseudonyms that entered people’s homes in the 1940s and ’50s and quickly became family legacies and national institutions. But as we hurtle deeper into the Internet age, today’s most popular columnists — from “Ask Amy” to “Dear Sugar” to “Dear Prudence” — are entering the field in totally different ways. And they’re all evolving the advice column for a contemporary audience hungry for intimacy and tough love. In this letter, Dickinson lets a woman have it for not inviting her sister out, simply because her sister didn’t fit in and wasn’t an avid churchgoer: Dear Sad: First, let’s establish that I agree with your sister: You are a horrible person. Obviously, you can do whatever you want and associate with — or exclude — whomever you want, but you don’t get to do this and also blame the person you are excluding for not “fitting in.” The only way your sister would ever fit in would be for you to make room for her. You are unwilling to do that, and that is your choice. But her being upset is completely justified, and you’ll just have to live with that. Perhaps this is something you could ponder from your church pew, because despite your regular attendance, you don’t seem to have learned much. Today’s columnists aren’t trying to be experts; in fact, they’re transparent about their flaws. At the end of the day, that might be their greatest qualification. Prepping to take calls on Thanksgiving tomfoolery for @onpointradio #butterballhotline pic.twitter.com/W4NgeqxlPc — Amy Dickinson (@AskingAmy) November 26, 2014 Dickinson had a variety of jobs before she became one of the foremost advice columnists in the nation: NBC producer, freelance writer, TIME columnist focused on family living. When that column discontinued, she applied to take over “Ann Landers,” the popular Chicago Tribune advice series run by the late Eppie Lederer. To stand out from the hundreds of unsolicited applications, Dickinson wrote sample clips and became the clear favorite for the job. The Trib ran her first column on July 20, 2003. Her first decision: no pseudonym. She admits attaching her real name to the column was a little self-serving […]
Image: Christina Ascani/Mashable Samsung‘s Gear S smartwatch, initially unveiled in August, will be available in the U.S. “this fall,” the company announced on Wednesday. In a short press release, Samsung added that the watch will be available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless — and that’s pretty much all the info we’ve got. There was no word on pricing, but Samsung says more info about the Gear S will come “soon.” The Gear S sports a 2-inch SuperAMOLED screen, 3G connectivity, and it doesn’t require a Samsung smartphone nearby to operate. On Tuesday, Samsung also announced the pricing and availability for its Galaxy Note Edge, Gear S and Gear VR in Australia. They’re all going down under in November, while the Note 4 is coming in October. The price for the Gear S is $A499 or approximately $443. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/09/24/samsung-gear-s-u-s-this-fall/
Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter (rear) with forward Dirk Nowitzki of Germany during an NBA game against the Washington Wizards in January 2013. Image: Nick Wass/Associated Press When the 2014-2015 NBA season tips off this fall, the league’s official game ball will still be that familiar orange-brown hue. It will still be made by Spalding and will still have the same feel as last year. But the ball will come with one change — a minor one, but one that speaks volumes to how heavily the NBA has adopted and benefitted from social media in recent years. The NBA announced that it will imprint its social media handle — @NBA on all major networks — on official game balls, proclaiming the move a pro sports first. The NBA’s official game ball will feature its social media handle for the first time. Image: NBA It may not seem like a huge deal, but the NBA’s new marketing twist does signify the increasingly intertwined digital and physical segments of the pro sports world. It’s also appropriate for a league that has found success on social media like few, if any, of its peers. “First and foremost, it’s really about acknowledging our social media-savvy fans,” Melissa Rosenthal Brenner, the NBA’s senior vice president of digital media, told Mashable via email. “The ball is the instantly-recognizable symbol of our game, and now our fans have a place there too, where they belong.” The NBA claims 660 million social media followers, rolling together league, team and player accounts across networks and countries. The league says its official @NBA accounts have 25 million Facebook fans, nearly 11 million Twitter followers, over 3 million Instagram followers and 72 million total followers on Chinese social networks. LeBron James, not surprisingly, is the league’s most popular player online. With more than 20 million Facebook fans, 13 million Twitter followers and 6 million Instagram followers, he outpaces the league on the latter two social networks. So how did the league and its players amass such a massive social following? “It’s probably a combination of things,” Brenner told Mashable. “First, it is our tech-savvy and prolific players; second, we work very hard to provide our young and passionate fans with all the information, stats and highlights they tell us they want; and third, it is our leadership — starting with our commissioner Adam Silver — that encourages us to use new tools in order to continually enhance the fan experience.” Those millions upon millions of fans will be represented in NBA games starting this fall. Social media handles have become ubiquitous in arenas and stadiums in every sport, but don’t be surprised to see more leagues follow the NBA’s lead and stamp them on actual game balls in the future. 15 YouTube Videos of NBA Stars Dominating in High School 1. Derrick Rose The Chicago Bulls point guard starred at the Windy City’s Simeon Career Academy in high school before playing one season of college ball then getting picked first overall […]
Everyone who has ever helped plan a wedding knows how many exhausting hours go into ensuring that the day goes off without a hitch. The amount of people who have to be hired months in advance — like caterers, florists, tailors, and planners — is staggering. One of the most important decisions that every couple has to make centers around picking the perfect photographer. But Addie and Marshall Burnette decided to avoid that issue completely. That’s because they had a less conventional photographer at their disposal…and she happened to be of the four-legged variety. YouTube / Marshall Burnette This adorable pair decided to strap a GoPro to their Siberian husky, Ryder. She captured their entire wedding day. YouTube / Marshall Burnette Ryder filmed every special moment from a completely unique perspective, bringing the occasion and its beautiful backdrop to life. YouTube / Marshall Burnette It took Addie and Marshall hours to pore over Ryder’s footage, but the end result is absolutely stunning. Check out the beautiful video in its entirety below: What a great way to incorporate their favorite pup into their wedding day! How cute is it that her little ears show up in every frame? When it comes to unique touches, this couple’s wedding takes the tiered cake. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/dog-films-wedding/
Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper got some flack for using a hilariously fake baby doll in a pivotal scene. Maybe the Hollywood legend’s production team could have used some help from Millennium FX. This group, among other things, specializes in creating animatronic babies with creepily realistic movements. I almost want to console these mechanized little monsters! Even though it looks like a baby Terminator without its skin, you have to admit that it’s way more realistic than Bradley Cooper subtly moving a doll’s lifeless hand while trying to deliver an Oscar-nominated performance. (Just don’t tell these people about the invention.) Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/cyborg-babies/
You’d think Samsung would have waited until it was out of the San Jose courtroom with Apple, where it is currently locked in battle over charges of infringing patents, before it launched this. In downtown Sydney, the Korean electronics giant has just launched the first of its new line of “experience” retail stores — an experience not unlike one you’d have in say, oh, I don’t know, an Apple store. To be clear, there are other prominent downtown Samsung retail stores in the world — one in New York at the Time Warner center, for example. But the Sydney store that opened Thursday is a new style entirely. Let’s take a peek inside: What Is Copying Anyway? Now to be fair to Samsung, it’s hard to patent the kind of similarities here. A store is a store. Just because it happens to be spacious, spartanly attired in wooden tables, generously staffed with smart young people in blue outfits — well, we doubt Apple has a patent on all of that. (We know they have patents on the external design of the Apple store.) But they could win the legal battle on this one without a shot being fired, and still lose the wider PR war. The store launch may have come too late to influence the jury in San Jose, but there’s still the jury of public opinion. Which is, arguably, what you need to win in a retail environment. So let’s get the conversation started. Watch the video of the store from Australian TV above, then take a look at this classic video from 2001, where a relatively young-looking Steve Jobs introduces the original Apple store, complete with original iMacs: What’s your vote? Would you shop at a version of that Samsung Store near you? Can it compete? Let us know in the comments. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/23/samsung-copy-apple-store/
The release of Pokémon X and Y has made catching ’em all a more daunting task than ever before. From Accelgor to Zweilous, the latest batch of Pokémon games brings the franchise up to a total of 718 pocket monsters. This updated Pokérap offers a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Poké Culture of yore, putting the pure volume of modern Pokémon into perspective. If you can get through all nine minutes of Pokélists, you may have what it takes to become a true Pokémon Master. BONUS: 20 Pokémon GIFs That’ll Make You a Better Friend Lessons Pokemon Can Teach You About Friendship 1. Treat your friend’s accomplishments like they’re your own. When your friend wants to celebrate something big, like a new job or an impressive win against a gen-II Pokemon, get excited with them. You’ll want the same fanfare when it’s your moment, too. Image: Adventuretime.wikia Superxgame 2. Stand up for each other. Someone picking on your best bud? Not on your watch. Let that jerk know you follow the “you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us” mentality. Squirtle’s killer shades help, too. Image: Giphy 3. Friends don’t always tell the truth. Just because they’re your friend doesn’t mean they can lie, hypnotize you or take advantage of your gullibility. Friends should always feel like equals. Image: Tumblr tm64 4. Offer a kind gesture in times of stress. Friendship isn’t all sunshine and daisies, you know. There are going to be days when your BFF loses a fight, and those are the days you need to be waiting with a pat on the back, a tub of ice cream and very large beer to cheer them up. Image: Giphy 5. A little competition can be a good thing. Friends push each other. So when your friend is looking buff after a little extra time at the gym, and is getting more attention when you two go out, channel that jealousy into the motivation you need to step up your game. Image: Giphy 6. Everything is more fun when your bestie is doing it with you. Because let’s face it, you have no idea what’s happening at this sporting event. You guys are just here because you wanted to wear a kimono and carry pom-poms. Image: Giphy 7. Sometimes a boost of confidence is all your friend needs. When your best bud is struggling, sometimes all it takes is an encouraging word from you to make them find their voice and feel better. Image: Giphy 8. Challenge each other. Pikachu clearly doesn’t even lift, bro. But that doesn’t mean that Sandshrew isn’t going to push him to try. Image: Imgur, adiltroll 9. Watch out for each other. Don’t take this one quite as literally as the others, but you see what we’re getting at here. 10. You’re not always going to get along. There’s going to be a day when the two of you will be spitting fire at one another. Don’t worry — every pair […]
What this artist can do with water and paint is mesmerizing. The Turkist artist Garip Ay uses paint and water in a very unique way to create works of art. By dripping paint into the water, he’s able to swirl the colored surface into a downright masterpiece. He was even able to produce Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Self Portrait in water! Not only are the results beautiful, but the video itself is mesmirizing. Your jaw will drop when you see what he can do. It would be easy to watch him work all day. If you’d like to see more of Garip’s work, follow him on Facebook! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/van-gogh-starry-night-water/
This weekend, many parts of the U.S. were slammed with record low temperatures for this time of year. What followed the cold plunge was the typical moaning and groaning on social media. While I’m not saying people shouldn’t have the right to complain about the weather, what I want to call for is a little perspective. For example, at least the weather wasn’t an Antarctic “condition one.” A condition one is called when wind speed is over 62 miles per hour, visibility is less than 98 feet, and windchill is below −99 °F. During a condition one, outside travel is not permitted. Curious about what a condition one looks like? Here you go… (via WILX) Just imagine getting caught outside in those conditions. There’s no possible way a human would make it back to safety in one piece. So remember, the next time you’re complaining about the cold, at least it’s not a condition one. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/antarctica-condition-one/
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTAT_ATF’); }); Theft is something that every retail store on Earth has to deal with. Yes, that even includes gun shops. You’d think that trying to steal something from a store full of guns and potentially armed patrons would dissuade criminals from trying to shoplift, and it does, to an extent. Some thieves are just braver than most. That’s why they prefer the flashy smash-and-grab approach over stealthy shoplifting. Just check out this security camera footage from a particularly over-the-top break in at a gun store in Houston, Texas. Back in early March, a group of 10 masked men used a truck to literally pull the gate off of a gun store in the early morning hours. #War SHOCK: Massive Gun Store Robbery In Houston Caught On Camera… https://t.co/rviCZeOzf3 pic.twitter.com/kQtYhq9dta — Warfare (@warfarenyc) April 7, 2016 The organized group of men then proceeded to ransack the store, smashing display cases and grabbing rifles off of the racks. Organized group pulls off Houston gun store heist via /r/WTF https://t.co/9fe6yNstzE pic.twitter.com/tQy1PJ6d1a — me (@not_actuallyme) March 31, 2016 The robbers made off with 85 guns in total. In the days that followed, many of them were caught trying to flip those guns on the black market. Three Suspects Under Arrest in Houston Gun Store Heist – https://t.co/6qAS9wJUkS pic.twitter.com/cERUzaLvAK — telegraph-24 (@telegraph_24) March 4, 2016 googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’); }); By mid-March, local authorities working with the ATF had arrested three suspects and recovered about half of the stolen weapons. Arrests made in Houston gun store smash-and-grab caught on video https://t.co/mXcLMSwgm4 pic.twitter.com/6GGWfNF8wm — 48 Hours (@48hours) March 3, 2016 Presumably, some of those guns (and the men that stole them) are out there somewhere. Let’s just hope they’re caught before they strike again. Carter’s Country gun store in SW Houston still closed after smash & grab Tues. Employees hope to reopen later today. pic.twitter.com/xP7kZoHg8m — Adam Bennett (@AdamBennettKHOU) March 3, 2016 (via ABC News) The scary thing is that robberies like this happen all too often, and it’s depressing because so little can be done to stop them. It’s just uniquely awful when they happen in stores full of deadly weapons. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/gun-store-robbery/
