As fans roared at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 12, they weren’t just cheering on the fighters entering the Octagon. The thousands of people in attendance at UFC 314 were taking part in a sport that has gripped Americans — especially young men — through traditional courage and patriotism.  The UFC has surged in popularity in recent years, not just as the premier MMA organization in all of combat sports, but as a cultural force to be reckoned with. Unbridled athleticism and the ferocious skills of its fighters are the initial draw, but that’s only the beginning. The UFC’s unapologetic embrace of courage and patriotism resonates deeply with a growing fanbase, especially as other sports leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, fell prey to woke BS. The sport celebrates physical and mental toughness above all else. Fans are drawn to the unfiltered intensity. Promos showcase blood, sweat, and stoicism as warriors stare down their opponents. The UFC resonates with Americans who have grown tired of cultural leftism disparaging manliness and dismissing traditional male virtues to exhaustion.  The UFC isn’t afraid of honoring the United States of America and its military veterans, first responders, and values either. Even in a sport that has representation from countries across the globe, respect for the United States is paramount. Fighters often wrap themselves in their nation’s colors, and post-fight interviews are peppered with shout-outs to the troops or expressions of national pride. This overt patriotism strikes a chord with fans who see the UFC as a bastion of unapologetic love for country.  President Donald Trump adds to this allure. During UFC 314, the president walked into the packed arena to the chants of “USA!” as he appeared on the big screen. Trump’s appearances at UFC fights are not just celebrity cameos — they’re symbolic endorsements of the UFC’s ethos. For many fans, seeing Trump in the octagon reinforces the UFC as an arena where their values are celebrated, not challenged. It’s no surprise that Jeremy’s Razors is proud to be the official razor partner of the UFC. Americans deserve to participate in a sport that makes them proud of their heritage and values, and they deserve a razor that will give them a quality shave without nicks, cuts, or criticisms of their hard-fought beliefs.

Zebra sharks are listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The shark fin trade and loss of habitat have decimated zebra shark numbers. ReShark is a worldwide collective group working to restore populations of endangered sharks and rays. The global partnerships are working together to increase populations through the Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery (StAR) Project. The West Papua Provincial Government and the Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia are working together to lead the StAR Project. The project works with aquariums to transplant aquarium-bred egg cases to protected hatcheries in Raja Ampat. @georgiaaquarium The journey of ! This is one of our coolest conservation efforts. #georgiaaquarium #zebrashark #ocean ♬ Dream Away – Ramol The Georgia Aquarium is a founding member of the StAR Project and is proud to assist in the reproductive efforts of the zebra shark. After assessing the viability of the eggs, the aquarium collects zebra shark egg cases, also called “mermaid purses.” The eggs are sent to hatch near the reefs of Raja Ampat. Raised within the reefs, specialists monitor the sharks until they reach the right size and age. The animals receive tags before release into the Indian Ocean. Zebra sharks are generally docile and harmless to humans. They can grow to approximately 12 feet in length. Adult coloration is tan with dark spots, although some may appear almost white with very light spots. The name “zebra shark” originates from its distinctive coloration during the juvenile phase. They are typically dark with yellow bars, making them resemble the stripes of a zebra. Zebra sharks eat small fish and a variety of invertebrates, including sea urchins, shrimp, crab, and snails. They prefer a sandy seabed near coral reefs. They are nocturnal and spend their days resting on the sandy ocean floor. Please share this amazing replenishment project. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post “Come Along With Us As We Take A Zebra Shark Egg To The Ocean!” appeared first on InspireMore.

McDonald’s announced that McCrispy Strips will be on the menu permanently at the Golden Arches beginning May 5! And to make things even more exciting, we’ll also get a new Creamy Chili Dip to bathe the strips in. View this post on Instagram A post shared by McDonald’s (@mcdonalds) McDonald’s McCrispy Strips Will Be The First New Permanent Item In Years According to a release, McDonald’s hasn’t released a new permanent menu item since 2021 in the United States and they are very excited for us to try McCrispy Strips. “Since stepping into my new role as a leader of the U.S. business this year, I’ve been excited for fans to get to experience our additional chicken offerings,” Alyssa Buetikofer, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s, said in a release. “The demand for chicken strips has been remarkable to see across the industry, so we knew we had to deliver something so craveable that it was worth the wait. We took our time, listened to our fans and created a product we knew they would crave. And the best part is we’re just getting started.” McDonald’s McCrispy Strips will be available in three- or four-piece servings. Fans can dip them in the new Creamy Chili Dip or McDonald’s other sauces. “When we introduce a new menu item like McCrispy Strips, we know we have a big promise to fulfill to meet our customer’s expectations,” Cesar Piña, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at McDonald’s shared in a release. “From the farms we source from to how food is prepared in our restaurants, bringing new products to our fans requires collaboration across suppliers, franchisees, and company staff. We hold ourselves to the highest standard and aim to bring fans nothing less than greatness.” Just to be funny, McDonalds ended their release with a quip, “And that’s a wrap…at least for now!” Does that mean what we think it means? We can’t wait to find out! This story’s featured image is by Kristi Blokhin via Shutterstock. The post McDonald’s Is Permanently Bringing Back This Fan Fav! appeared first on InspireMore.

The world of punk rock just jolted back to life with the news that Black Flag—one of the most influential and volatile bands in American hardcore—has officially reunited. The announcement has unleashed a surge of anticipation among fans, and with a new lineup, new music, and tour plans underway, the band’s story enters an audacious new chapter. Founded in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California, Black Flag was the brainchild of guitarist Greg Ginn, whose relentless creative drive set the band on a path of uncompromising intensity. Black Flag quickly developed a reputation for their abrasive sound, furious live shows, and The post Black Flag Roars Back: Punk Icons Announce Reunion with New Lineup appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Looking back at the Saturday morning cartoon of the '80s based on the iconic Mr. T. The post Saturday Morning Memories: Mr. T appeared first on The Retro Network.

By the Author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica Find the previous chapter here. Dear Diary, It’s me, Jessica. Mom, Rae, and I were on our way to Four Corners to trade when they took us.  I don’t know how long they had been waiting for us.  Hours?  A day?  Two?  They ambushed us before we even knew they were there.  Before I could even unsling my rifle, a closed fist hit me upside my head, and that was the last I remembered.   When I woke up, my hands and feet were bound, I was gagged and a sack was over my head, lying on my side on the cold ground.   I stirred and tried to sit up.  Someone roughly helped me up by the neck.  The sack was removed, and I blinked in the sunlight.  I looked up to see the man holding me by my neck.  He had a tattoo of a skull on half his face.  He smiled down at me in a way that made my blood run cold. It was the leader of the “Gang.” Entry two I quickly looked around.   Rae was several feet away from me, bound and gagged like me, sitting upright on the ground.  The look on her face, her eyes screamed rage.  Behind her was Mom, laying on her side a sack over her head.  I could not tell her condition.   “Jessica,” the gang leader said as he pulled my neck back and brought his face closer to mine.  “I know your name is Jessica.  And behind me, is Rae.  The other one, I do not know her name.  What is her name?” I could not help it, but I panicked.  It was my mother.   “Ah!” he said and stood more upright.  “So, someone you truly care about.  More so than even Rae.  All the better!  You will tell me what I want.  You will give me what I want.”  He leaned down again, close to my face, and whispered, “I.  Want.  Jack.  And you are going to be the one who will give him to me.” Rae gave me a slight, almost imperceptible shake of the head, indicating not to give him anything.  No information.  Not to cooperate whatsoever.   But this is my own mother we are talking about.   Without a doubt, he would hurt me and Rae.  But he had so much leverage over me with my own Mother.  And he knew it.     One of his men said they needed to go, to get off the road and away from Four Corners. The gang leader looked annoyed but nodded in agreement.  They hauled us all up on our feet.  Mom was awake now and looked scared.  I did my best to tell her with a look that everything was okay, but she still looked scared.   I glanced around to see we were on the side of the road, at about the halfway point to Four Corners.  Including the gang leader, there where six of them.  All armed, wearing body armor, helmets with those radio headsets they wore in the Battle of Four Corners. One of the men kept repeating something into his radio a few times.  He looked to the leader and shook his head, nodding toward the hills to the North of us.   They formed up with three of them in the front, Rae, Mom, and me in the middle, the gang leader behind me, and the other two bringing up the rear.  They led us into the woods.  They meant to avoid the road and hump it to wherever we were going cross country using what looked like a game trail.  It was going to be slow going. After an hour of humping, we topped the first hill.  It was not easy for us going uphill, but it was even harder for the gang with their gear and body armor.  They stopped for a rest break, a few of them were winded from the effort and openly sweating.  They forced us to sit on the ground while they drank water.  They did not offer us any water. After a few moments to catch their breath, they tried the radios again.  This time, they got a response.  The gang leader walked several yards away while he spoke to someone else on the radio for a few minutes.   When he returned, he told his men that everything was “okay,” but they would have to move faster if they were to make it before nightfall.  He said he did not want to have to spend the night in the woods and suggested monsters would be lurking about with a grin.  His men chuckled at the idea.   We set out again, but I did not feel the pace was any faster than before.  I noticed Rae was slightly limping, dragging her foot as if she had hurt her leg.  Going down the hill was just as bad as going up it.  I could feel my shins on fire as we climbed down.  One of the gang slipped and fell, rolling down the hill before a tree stopped his momentum.  By the time we reached him, he was slowly getting up.  The gang leader scolded him to be careful.  If he had broken something, he would have left him there for the monsters.  This time, no one laughed.  The gang leader really would have left him there, and they knew it. In the lowlands between hills, the woods canopy made it seem later in the day than it was.  Only when we were halfway up a hill or at the top could we see the sky and the sun, as the trees thinned out.  I guessed we were to the East, parallel to North Old River Road, past Four Corners Northern barrier, but still a ways from the homes the gang used as a base before the Battle of Four Corners. We had just topped another hill. Everyone was breathing heavily from the exertion.  Even I was sweating heavily.  This time, they did not have to tell us to sit down on the ground as Rae, Mom, and I all but fell down.  They took off their helmets and began to drink water in gulps.   That is when the monster appeared.   Entry three I was sitting up, looking around for a possible way to escape.  Both Mom and Rae lay back in some of the grass on the ground, resting as some of the gang sat on logs or old tree stumps as they drank water.   I made eye contact with the gang leader and tried to say “water” through the gag without much success.  Still, he understood what I had said, “You will get some water when we get there.  If you are lucky, maybe even something to eat,” he grunted.  He turned and walked away to use the radio again. I looked back at Rae when I heard one of the gang swear softly.  His eyes were wide in fear.  I looked in the direction he was looking in to see it standing there.  The monster.  It was not there a moment ago and suddenly there it was.  Covered in long green, black, and dark brown hair, it was vaguely human-shaped, but there was no face.  Just a black void.  Sunlight could not penetrate the void.  Except the gang leader who was on the radio and did not hear the one swear, all the others looked to see the monster.   For a moment, no one moved.  Then the monster did.  In a fluid, almost graceful movement, it pointed one arm at the nearest of the gang.  And shot him in the face.   Nearly as one, three more shots rang out and four of the gang were down.  I turned in time to see the gang leader and one other disappear down the hill. Entry four Mom, Rae, and I did not move.  We watched in fear as the monster walked around the dead bodies and walked up to us.  It seemed to regard us with a slight tilt of the head, then the other arm reached up and pulled off its own head.   It was Jack. Mom fell back into the grass in relief.  Rae was talking through the gag, and I just stared.   Jack pulled out a knife from beneath the “hair,” and cut the gags from us, then the rope tying our hands. Rae rubbed her wrists and choked out, “How?” Jack grinned. “HAM guy.  He has this passive scanner-like thing attached to his radios.  He picked up on their transmissions from them back to their base.  Their radios are not encrypted.  They gave away their position and I was able to get a general idea of what path they were taking.  Me and three others ran the entire way to get here and set up an ambush.  It was no picnic, but we did it.  I was to be the distraction in the ghillie suit while the others targeted the gang as they sat in confusion.” Without a word, Rae gave Jack a big hug.   “Whoa, Rae!  You might crack a rib!” Mom and I then hugged him and Rae, too.   Entry four Jack and his team took us back on the path they had come in on.  At the bottom of the hill, they lead us west through a winding lowland path to North Old River Road.  It was a lot easier and once on Old River Road, we hump it South to Four Corners.   I told Jack what the gang leader said to me about giving him Jack.  Jack just nodded and stared into the distance as the Four Corners Northern barrier appeared, his eyes thinking.   “This time, things are going to be different,” he said.  “He is out there,” Jack nodded behind him to the North.  “He knows more about me and Four Corners.  He is going to be waiting for us.  You, Rae, and your Mom were supposed to be the bait to draw me out.  That failed.  But he is still there.” “Can’t we just avoid or ignore him?” “No.  He would just launch hit and run attacks on the Northern barrier.  Maybe even attacks from the East if he comes across the hills.  We don’t have the manpower to guard both.  Especially the hills.  It is a logistical issue for both him and us.  From what I have seen, they are not nearly as adapted to living off the land as we are.  We need to take the fight to him.  Will he have the defensive lines like we did in the Battle of Four Corners?  I don’t know.  I would expect him to learn, though.  He will be on the defensive.  We will be on the offensive.  It may cost us lives.  Lives we cannot afford to lose if we are to survive as a community.  I am going to need some real recon, real intelligence, and to come up with a plan to mitigate their defensive lines.  But he wants me.  We can use that to our advantage.” Diary, I do not know how I feel about that.   About 1stMarineJarHead 1stMarineJarHead is not only a former Marine, but also a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter. He currently resides in the great white (i.e. snowy) Northeast with his wife and dogs. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, occasionally hogs, cows and sometimes ducks. He grows various veggies and has a weird fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys reading, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, target shooting, and is currently expanding his woodworking skills. The post Dear Diary, It’s Me, Jessica: Chapter 9 (Book 2) appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

By the Author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica Find the previous chapter here. Dear Diary, It’s me, Jessica. Mom, Rae, and I were on our way to Four Corners to trade when they took us.  I don’t know how long they had been waiting for us.  Hours?  A day?  Two?  They ambushed us before we even knew they were there.  Before I could even unsling my rifle, a closed fist hit me upside my head, and that was the last I remembered.   When I woke up, my hands and feet were bound, I was gagged and a sack was over my head, lying on my side on the cold ground.   I stirred and tried to sit up.  Someone roughly helped me up by the neck.  The sack was removed, and I blinked in the sunlight.  I looked up to see the man holding me by my neck.  He had a tattoo of a skull on half his face.  He smiled down at me in a way that made my blood run cold. It was the leader of the “Gang.” Entry two I quickly looked around.   Rae was several feet away from me, bound and gagged like me, sitting upright on the ground.  The look on her face, her eyes screamed rage.  Behind her was Mom, laying on her side a sack over her head.  I could not tell her condition.   “Jessica,” the gang leader said as he pulled my neck back and brought his face closer to mine.  “I know your name is Jessica.  And behind me, is Rae.  The other one, I do not know her name.  What is her name?” I could not help it, but I panicked.  It was my mother.   “Ah!” he said and stood more upright.  “So, someone you truly care about.  More so than even Rae.  All the better!  You will tell me what I want.  You will give me what I want.”  He leaned down again, close to my face, and whispered, “I.  Want.  Jack.  And you are going to be the one who will give him to me.” Rae gave me a slight, almost imperceptible shake of the head, indicating not to give him anything.  No information.  Not to cooperate whatsoever.   But this is my own mother we are talking about.   Without a doubt, he would hurt me and Rae.  But he had so much leverage over me with my own Mother.  And he knew it.     One of his men said they needed to go, to get off the road and away from Four Corners. The gang leader looked annoyed but nodded in agreement.  They hauled us all up on our feet.  Mom was awake now and looked scared.  I did my best to tell her with a look that everything was okay, but she still looked scared.   I glanced around to see we were on the side of the road, at about the halfway point to Four Corners.  Including the gang leader, there where six of them.  All armed, wearing body armor, helmets with those radio headsets they wore in the Battle of Four Corners. One of the men kept repeating something into his radio a few times.  He looked to the leader and shook his head, nodding toward the hills to the North of us.   They formed up with three of them in the front, Rae, Mom, and me in the middle, the gang leader behind me, and the other two bringing up the rear.  They led us into the woods.  They meant to avoid the road and hump it to wherever we were going cross country using what looked like a game trail.  It was going to be slow going. After an hour of humping, we topped the first hill.  It was not easy for us going uphill, but it was even harder for the gang with their gear and body armor.  They stopped for a rest break, a few of them were winded from the effort and openly sweating.  They forced us to sit on the ground while they drank water.  They did not offer us any water. After a few moments to catch their breath, they tried the radios again.  This time, they got a response.  The gang leader walked several yards away while he spoke to someone else on the radio for a few minutes.   When he returned, he told his men that everything was “okay,” but they would have to move faster if they were to make it before nightfall.  He said he did not want to have to spend the night in the woods and suggested monsters would be lurking about with a grin.  His men chuckled at the idea.   We set out again, but I did not feel the pace was any faster than before.  I noticed Rae was slightly limping, dragging her foot as if she had hurt her leg.  Going down the hill was just as bad as going up it.  I could feel my shins on fire as we climbed down.  One of the gang slipped and fell, rolling down the hill before a tree stopped his momentum.  By the time we reached him, he was slowly getting up.  The gang leader scolded him to be careful.  If he had broken something, he would have left him there for the monsters.  This time, no one laughed.  The gang leader really would have left him there, and they knew it. In the lowlands between hills, the woods canopy made it seem later in the day than it was.  Only when we were halfway up a hill or at the top could we see the sky and the sun, as the trees thinned out.  I guessed we were to the East, parallel to North Old River Road, past Four Corners Northern barrier, but still a ways from the homes the gang used as a base before the Battle of Four Corners. We had just topped another hill. Everyone was breathing heavily from the exertion.  Even I was sweating heavily.  This time, they did not have to tell us to sit down on the ground as Rae, Mom, and I all but fell down.  They took off their helmets and began to drink water in gulps.   That is when the monster appeared.   Entry three I was sitting up, looking around for a possible way to escape.  Both Mom and Rae lay back in some of the grass on the ground, resting as some of the gang sat on logs or old tree stumps as they drank water.   I made eye contact with the gang leader and tried to say “water” through the gag without much success.  Still, he understood what I had said, “You will get some water when we get there.  If you are lucky, maybe even something to eat,” he grunted.  He turned and walked away to use the radio again. I looked back at Rae when I heard one of the gang swear softly.  His eyes were wide in fear.  I looked in the direction he was looking in to see it standing there.  The monster.  It was not there a moment ago and suddenly there it was.  Covered in long green, black, and dark brown hair, it was vaguely human-shaped, but there was no face.  Just a black void.  Sunlight could not penetrate the void.  Except the gang leader who was on the radio and did not hear the one swear, all the others looked to see the monster.   For a moment, no one moved.  Then the monster did.  In a fluid, almost graceful movement, it pointed one arm at the nearest of the gang.  And shot him in the face.   Nearly as one, three more shots rang out and four of the gang were down.  I turned in time to see the gang leader and one other disappear down the hill. Entry four Mom, Rae, and I did not move.  We watched in fear as the monster walked around the dead bodies and walked up to us.  It seemed to regard us with a slight tilt of the head, then the other arm reached up and pulled off its own head.   It was Jack. Mom fell back into the grass in relief.  Rae was talking through the gag, and I just stared.   Jack pulled out a knife from beneath the “hair,” and cut the gags from us, then the rope tying our hands. Rae rubbed her wrists and choked out, “How?” Jack grinned. “HAM guy.  He has this passive scanner-like thing attached to his radios.  He picked up on their transmissions from them back to their base.  Their radios are not encrypted.  They gave away their position and I was able to get a general idea of what path they were taking.  Me and three others ran the entire way to get here and set up an ambush.  It was no picnic, but we did it.  I was to be the distraction in the ghillie suit while the others targeted the gang as they sat in confusion.” Without a word, Rae gave Jack a big hug.   “Whoa, Rae!  You might crack a rib!” Mom and I then hugged him and Rae, too.   Entry four Jack and his team took us back on the path they had come in on.  At the bottom of the hill, they lead us west through a winding lowland path to North Old River Road.  It was a lot easier and once on Old River Road, we hump it South to Four Corners.   I told Jack what the gang leader said to me about giving him Jack.  Jack just nodded and stared into the distance as the Four Corners Northern barrier appeared, his eyes thinking.   “This time, things are going to be different,” he said.  “He is out there,” Jack nodded behind him to the North.  “He knows more about me and Four Corners.  He is going to be waiting for us.  You, Rae, and your Mom were supposed to be the bait to draw me out.  That failed.  But he is still there.” “Can’t we just avoid or ignore him?” “No.  He would just launch hit and run attacks on the Northern barrier.  Maybe even attacks from the East if he comes across the hills.  We don’t have the manpower to guard both.  Especially the hills.  It is a logistical issue for both him and us.  From what I have seen, they are not nearly as adapted to living off the land as we are.  We need to take the fight to him.  Will he have the defensive lines like we did in the Battle of Four Corners?  I don’t know.  I would expect him to learn, though.  He will be on the defensive.  We will be on the offensive.  It may cost us lives.  Lives we cannot afford to lose if we are to survive as a community.  I am going to need some real recon, real intelligence, and to come up with a plan to mitigate their defensive lines.  But he wants me.  We can use that to our advantage.” Diary, I do not know how I feel about that.   About 1stMarineJarHead 1stMarineJarHead is not only a former Marine, but also a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter. He currently resides in the great white (i.e. snowy) Northeast with his wife and dogs. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, occasionally hogs, cows and sometimes ducks. He grows various veggies and has a weird fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys reading, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, target shooting, and is currently expanding his woodworking skills. The post Dear Diary, It’s Me, Jessica: Chapter 9 (Book 2) appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Living Hell?