In the 2004 Pixar movie The Incredibles, when Dash gets caught once again using his super speed to torment his elementary-school teacher, his mother admonishes him to try to fit in.

Harvard University officials have recently raised the alarm on grade inflation. More than 60% of grades awarded to students have been A's. That's up 25% from two decades ago.

Earlier this fall, Harvard University released a report from its Classroom Social Compact Committee. Among other things, it noted that rampant grade inflation allowed students to regularly skip classes. (The fact that the school, astonishingly, allows students to register for more than one class that meets at the same time probably is not helping.)

Universally, there are two things people strive to do: save money and improve their lives. There have been past articles about how folks have tried to save money by developing cheap habits to help them during leaner times whether they’re now rich or middle class. But what if they kept doing the cheaper habits not because they save money but because their lives are healthier or more enriched because of them?People have been sharing their frugal habits in the Reddit thread r/Frugal that they keep doing not because they’re cheaper (while that’s still true) but because they found their lives and health have improved because of them. These are habits that can boost the lives of anyone of any income level. Here are some the best ones we’ve found:YouTube: The ultimate school for exercise, art, cooking, and more“About 100 bucks in [auto mechanic] tools and YouTube will get you where you need to be.”“Watch a lot of cooking YouTube, Frankie Celenza's struggle meals series is great for basic techniques and recipes.”“I just sat down with the [sewing] machine, some YouTube tutorials, and some fabric scraps and tried to just learn to put pieces of material together.”“I have honestly learned so much off of watching others' work like on YouTube. I have fixed my dryer, mowers, tractor, and several small appliances just by watching videos.” @khalidwarsa Learn anything from YouTube. @khalidwarsa #youtube #learnfromyoutube #youtubeisauniversity #university #learntocode #howtocde #learnhowtocode #selftaughtdev While you may want to double-check a YouTuber’s credentials and check the comments section to make sure what they’re teaching is at a professional/expert level, there are plenty of vetted YouTubers who can offer you advice and step-by-step instructions on nearly any subject at no cost to you. This can help you save money on cooking classes/books, basic mechanical repairs, painting/sculpting classes, and many other things. If you want, you can even invite friends over to watch and learn new stuff together in your own little “home school” class hangout. Even if you have money for professional courses, you can explore many hobbies and learn many skills without leaving your home via YouTube.Riding a bike to work and beyond“Riding my bike to work. It's good for your health. Also, on the ride home you tend to "forget" the issues of the day and are ready to be home with family when you get there.”“Started to do trips and errands by bike in stead of car. Found a new bike boy friend. More bike trips, bike weekends together, less car. Married. Bought more bikes. Car went to rare mode (freight trips, hospital trips and far away family trips only).” @jasminrostock Trying to influence everyone to get a bike?‍♀️ #melbourne #australia #bike Many people benefit from riding their bikes to work, the grocery store, and for other commutes, and it’s not just because it saves on gasoline and other car-related expenses. The League of American Bicyclists claim that the average bike commuter loses 13 pounds within their first year of cycling to work. Using a bike as the main method of transportation also provides automatic exercise without a gym membership to get your body moving and blood flowing. Who knows? For you it could turn from a necessity to a welcomed, healthy hobby like it has done for others.Drinking water in place of other beverages“Drinking water in place of pretty much anything else. Basically free, no sugar, no carbs, no calories. It really is just better in every way.”“Switched to water and my bank account legit started breathing again. Wild how dropping one habit makes you feel like you hacked life.”“Drink 2 L of water. Weight stabilized. Blood pressure stabilized. Sleep better Didn't feel sick all the time The amount of copays saved.”“Water is the true adult beverage.” @lonefreewolfe let's be apart of the solution and not the problem! This is a great CHEAP way to consume your water and love our earth too! #lonefreewolfe #eco #ecofriendly #ecofriendlyproducts #ecoliving #amazon #amazonfinds #amazonmusthaves #water #amazonstorefront #earth ##earthfriendly #earthfriendlyproducts #loveourearth Subbing soda, alcoholic drinks, and nearly any other beverage for water helps both your wallet and your body. Some financial experts estimate the average American could save around $1,800 per year by switching to water, especially if they make a habit of carrying a reusable water bottle around. Health researchers frequently tout that plain water is best for hydration while also promoting weight loss, lubricating joints, and other benefits.Unintentionally budgeting into a plant-based diet“I switched to primarily plant-based proteins about three years ago…I would estimate that each meal is between $.50 and a dollar.”“Eating frozen broccoli… by the pound. It’s a cheap meal, throw it in a pan with a lid and some Cajun seasoning for 7-10 mins, covered. Your colon will thank you for the insoluble fiber and so will your wallet.”“Eating beans regularly. They are so good, cheap, healthy, and once you get a preparation rhythm going very easy.”“It's been very good for me, health-wise as well. It’s strange how I have both more energy but also have lost weight in the process. I used to have blood pressure problems. I used to be on two different medications, and my doctor was talking about putting me on a third. Now I am off of all meds altogether.” @livekindly Better for the environment too ?? #ecofriendly #groceryshopping #groceryhaul #plantbased #sustainableliving #cooking #mealprep No one is saying you shouldn’t eat meat if that’s your preference, but those who needed to save a few bucks by having a mostly plant-based diet also saw health benefits from it. Saving money by focusing on dry goods and the produce section can help lower the risk of heart issues, diabetes, digestive issues, and many other ailments.Using the library for… well, everything“Going to the library. It’s the closest thing these days to going to a video store and browsing the stacks, seeing a movie you weren’t thinking of and taking it home. My local library also loans out instruments, guitars, keyboards, violins, can take something home and see if it’s a good fit instead of shelling out cash for something that’s going to collect dust when the phase passes.”“I get physical books, ebooks and audio books, and my library hosts lectures and classes, too.”“Many libraries can hook you up with services you can use at home to stream movies and TV shows, listen to audiobooks, etc.”“They also offer a lot of kid services…There are much grander libraries than my local branch, but they still offer some toys and puzzles and activities all the time and set programming on a regular basis.”Did you know that your library offers more than just books and movies to check out? In addition to these things, libraries offer streaming services for popular movies, TV shows, and audiobooks, which means you can access all of those for free without even leaving your house. Along with media to enjoy and events and classes for library patrons, some libraries allow people to check out board games, baking pans, and even some power tools. It’s worth looking into what your local library can offer before you decide to put money down on any item or hobby you want to try. @attn Some libraries even give out passes to things like museums or zoos. These are often on a first-come first-serve basis so don’t sleep on it. #library #publiclibrary #libraryresources #booktok #todayilearned #fyi It also allows you to access movies you’d likely not see, books you may not initially think to read, or activities you haven’t thought to pursue because of the cost involved. Your library can create openings to new experiences without the price tag being an issue at all.

Socializing often requires small talk, but many people hate it because it can feel forced and unnatural. However, using one simple phrase may be the key to making small talk flow more smoothly.In a discussion about social skills on Reddit, people explored how to make small talk easier by using a simple four-word phrase recommended by Patrick King, author of Better Small Talk: Talk to Anyone, Avoid Awkwardness, Generate Deep Conversations, and Make Real Friends."One of my favorite tricks for keeping a conversation flowing is to use the phrase 'It reminds me of...' because it lets you jump from one topic to a whole range of others seamlessly," one person noted. - YouTube www.youtube.com They went on to explain how peppering in this small talk phrase can keep the conversation going."For example, take the conversational wasteland that is talking about the weather. Usually it goes...Them: 'It's been really rainy huh?' You: 'Yeah it's not too bad'.? - enter awkward silence - ?," they wrote. "But with 'It reminds me of...' you have unlimited options to turn a boring or dying conversation into one that's unexpected and interesting."From there, they described how differently the conversation can go using the example prompt: "Them: 'It's been really rainy huh?'" Here are five fresh ways to direct the chat with, "It reminds me of": @faganchelsea Small talk Option 1 (Personal Story)"Yeah, it reminds me of a time I went on a run in the rain and nearly got hit by a car."Option 2 (Music / Pop Culture)"It reminds me of every Adele song. When I'm driving I feel like I'm in a music video."Option 3 (Family)"It reminds me of my dad he used to love playing with us in the rain as kids."Option 4 (Thing you watched / World News) "It reminds me of this documentary I saw where they're trying to make it rain in the Sahara Desert."Option 5 (Place you lived)"It reminds me of when I lived in Australia it barely ever rained there. I actually love this weather." - YouTube www.youtube.com However, it may not come that easy or natural for some—so they also offered a simple exercise to try to get better at it."Open a dictionary at random, pick a word, and for 30 seconds try to write down 5 things it reminds you of, no judgement, just write what comes to mind even if the link feels shaky," they explained. "Then review your answers and how you got there and do the exercise two more times. If you do that once or twice a day you'll soon get better at making connections in conversations!"People working on their social skills commented that this method has helped them feel more comfortable with small talk."For real! I started using this recently and not even consciously, I was just trying to continue conversations and started using this," one noted. "I started using this because someone I study teaches socializing with 'say what you think', and so when something reminded me of something, I started saying that. This helps a ton ?."Another person deemed using the phrase the "Family Guy Method," explaining that it reminded them of the TV show Family Guy: "It's how they do cutaway gags. A character will say something in the main story and another will say 'yeah like that time...' and they'll cut to a new scene where that's acted out before coming back to the main story again."However, one person noted it may take some tact to utilize the phrase well. "Careful. Responding to their story with a story of your own might make them feel like you're trying to one-up them, and that you don’t care about their story," they added. "This might also lead to you hogging the conversation and worst case: being in their ear telling a story they were never interested to hear."

His hero. The post Jack White’s favourite guitarist of all time: “The ultimate expression” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Steered the path. The post The greatest country song of all time, according to data science first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Costco is known for its diverse range of products, but not all of them are hits. Here are the Costco items members recommend steering clear of.

If you've found yourself stuck at the meat counter trying to understand the difference between cuts of steak, this advice from steakhouse chefs will guide you.