Texas judges who refuse to perform same-sex marriages based on "sincerely held religious beliefs" do not violate the state’s rules on judicial impartiality and won't be sanctioned for it, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on Friday. The court's decision, which was added to the state's judicial conduct code on October 24 effective immediately, follows years of debate in Texas after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages in the country in 2015. In 2019, Waco Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley was accused of violating the canon for refusing to marry a same-sex couple, citing her Christian beliefs. At the time, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a public warning against Hensley, rejecting the idea that she should be entitled to "religious exemption," as she claimed.

Judges in Texas may refuse to marry same-sex couples if doing so would violate their “sincerely held religious beliefs,” according to a new judicial rule quietly enacted by the Texas Supreme Court last week. On October 24, the high court issued an order modifying the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, which lays out rules for judges in the state. The Code states that a judge’s “extra-judicial activities” should not “cast reasonable doubt on the judge's capacity to act impartially as a judge.” But the Court’s newly adopted comment creates an exception to that rule specifically for marriage rights, stating that “[i]t is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.” The comment effectively protects Texas judges from official sanctions if they say their religion prohibits them from marrying a same-sex couple.

The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) has amended the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct by adding a comment that would protect judges based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” On October 24, SCOTX added this comment to Canon 4 of the Code: “It is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.”

Most episodes of Saturday Night Live are scheduled so the funnier bits go first and the riskier, oddball sketches appear towards the end in case they have to be cut for time. But on the February 4, 2023 episode featuring host Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us), the final sketch, “Lisa from Temecula,” was probably the most memorable of the night.That’s high praise because it was a strong episode with a funny “Last of Us” parody featuring the Super Mario Brothers and a sketch where Pascal played a protective mother. - YouTube www.youtube.com In “Lisa from Temecula,” Paul, played by Pascal, takes a few friends—played by Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and breakout star Bowen Yang—out for dinner. The trouble comes when Johnson’s sister Lisa, played by Ego Nwodim, orders her steak “extra, extra well done.”The sketch is a play on the notion that it’s a faux pas to order well-done steak, especially in a fancy restaurant. However, Lisa doesn’t care and won’t tolerate “one speck of red” on her steak. - YouTube youtu.be The sketch is one of the rare moments on SNL where things are so funny the cast breaks character. Pascal has difficulty getting through his lines and Yang has to cover his face because he can’t stop laughing. But Nwodim only has one small break in the scene and keeps it together as the sketch’s comedy core.“Lisa from Temecula” got a lot of attention online, sparking articles, posts, and lots of praise. Shout out the sketch's writers Alex English, Gary Richardson, and Michael Che.Sadly, Nwodim announced she was exiting SNL after seven seasons in September 2025. Her announcement came on the heels of a shocking cast shake up where showrunner Lorne Michaels announced a slew of departures, including fan favorite Heidi Gardner. "It's always hard when people leave..." Lorne told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet of the 2025 Emmys, "...but change is good." - YouTube www.youtube.com This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

Teresa Kaye Newman, a teacher, knows a lot about how to deal with children. So she created a list of 11 things she agrees with baby boomers on when it comes to raising kids.Newman believes she has credibility on the issue because she has 13 years of experience dealing with “hundreds and hundreds” of other people’s kids and has seen what happens when her so-called “boomer” parenting principles aren’t implemented.Of course, Newman is using some broad stereotypes in calling for a return to boomer parenting ideas when many Gen X, millennial and Gen Z parents share the same values. But, as someone who deals with children every day, she has the right to point out that today’s kids are entitled and spend too much time staring at screens. @teresakayenewman 11 Things I agree with boomer parents on raising children, as a #teacher and soon to be mom. Here are the 11 things that Newman agrees with boomers on when it comes to raising kids:1. No iPads“All I’m going to say is my kid has a whole world to explore and none of that has to do with being stuck in front of a tablet.”2. No smartphone until high school“Kids that are younger than that age do not know internet safety to a point where I feel comfortable letting them have free reign of the internet.” 3. Teaching the value of education“What I’m going to teach them is [education] has nothing to do with how much money you’re making or how successful you’ll be professionally. But you will still value it, nonetheless. You will go with it as far as you possibly can, and then once you’re done with it, you can do whatever you want.”4. Respect your teachers and treat them well“This may be biased because I am a teacher, but everyone who has gone through a professional degree program and has put in the time and is there, giving you the quality education, deserves some type of attention and deserves to be treated well.” media3.giphy.com 5. Be kind to elderly folks“If they’re on public transportation and they’re sitting down and there’s an old lady standing next to them and there are no other seats available, my child will know to stand up and give that lady his seat.”6. Yes, ma’am“It does not matter your age or status in society, as long as they are respecting their pronouns, that’s how we’re gonna be talking to other people.”7. Greetings and gratitude“Simple greetings and simple terms of gratitude are just not being taught like they used to. I think it’s really sad.”8. Consequences for poor behavior“If they’re neglecting their schoolwork and not doing what they’re supposed to do, they get their technology taken away. … Simple things like this are pretty common sense and I’m not sure why they’re not being done anymore.”9. Respect adult conversations and spaces“They don’t get to interrupt 2 adults speaking to each other. They don’t get to come and butt in at an inappropriate time when 2 people are talking to each other."10. Clean your mess“My child is going to put as much work in the house as we are regardless of whether he’s paying rent out of his own pocket or not. That’s because when my son becomes an adult, I want him to be a partner or a spouse or a roommate that someone is proud to have around.” media3.giphy.com 11. Bedtime“I don’t care how old my kid is as long as he is living under my roof as a minor; he’s gonna have some sort of bedtime. But this staying up until 3 or 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning or pulling all-nighters like kids are used to … is absolutely not normal. And I’m not going to have a kid that’s staying up that late and then not waking up the next day.”This article originally appeared on 12.20.23

As recently as a few generations ago, parents had pretty clearly defined roles with the dad generally being the breadwinner and the mom being the homemaker and stay-at-home mother in a large majority of families. Then, in 1848, the women's rights movement in the United States began with a powerful second wave coming in the 1960s and 70s, empowering women in the workplace, ushering in the era of two working parents, and producing an entire generation of "latchkey kids."Now those Gen X latchkey kids are parenting Gen Z, with the pendulum of working motherhood having swung somewhat to the middle. We were raised to believe we could be anything we dreamed of being and that we didn't have to choose between being a mom and having a career. Gen X also became mothers during the heyday of parenting self-help books that impressed upon us the importance of attachment and hands-on childrearing, as well as the era of super-scheduled kids, whose activities alone require a full-time manager.As a result, those of us in our 40s have raised our kids straddling two worlds—one where women can have all of the career success we desire and one where we can choose to be stay-at-home moms who run seemingly effortless households. At first, we were told we could have it all, but when the impossibility of that became clear, we were told, "Well, you can have it all, just not at the same time." But as many moms are finding as their kids start leaving the nest, even that isn't the full truth.In 2023, a Facebook post by Karen Johnson, aka The 21st Century SAHM (short for "stay-at-home mom") nailed the reality many stay-at-home moms in their 40s are facing as they find themselves floundering with the glaring gap in their resumes."This is for all the moms in their 40s who put their careers on hold to do the SAHM thing because you knew you couldn't do both—career you loved and motherhood—and do both WELL, so you picked, saying to yourself, 'This is just for now and we'll see,'" Johnson wrote. "But now it's 15 years later and so much has changed in your career field that you know you can't go back. So really, when you 'took a break' all those years ago, you gave it up."Johnson explained that yes, moms know they should be grateful for the time they've had with their kids. Most are. That's not the issue. Whether a woman chose to be a stay-at-home mom because she really wanted to or because childcare costs didn't work in the financial equation of the family, the transition out of it feels like completely uncharted waters."Okay, so you're looking for a 'career' with part-time hours and a 100% flexible schedule because you're still Mom-on-duty but you do have *just* enough hours during the day to reflect on the fact that you *do* have a college degree (maybe even 2) and although being a mom is the greatest and most important job in the world, you *might* actually want something more to your life than folding laundry and running hangry children to 900 events and remembering that they're all due for dental cleanings," she wrote.Yup. The "default parent" role is real and weighted heavily toward moms as it is. For stay-at-home moms, it's 100% expected, and that doesn't suddenly end when it's time to start thinking about joining the workforce again.And, of course, moms barely have time to try to figure all of this out. - YouTube www.youtube.com So, as Johnson says, "But for now, you cram yourself into the only pair of jeans you have right now that fit and find a t-shirt on the floor that isn't clean but isn't dirty and will pass for the 4 hours of mom-taxiing you're about to do and you tell yourself, 'I'll figure it out another day. Right now, I gotta get the kids to practice.'" Oof.Johnson's entire post is worth a read, as it resonates with so many women at this stage of life. But just as telling are the comments from women who not only see themselves in Johnson's description but who feel like they were sold a bill of goods early in their motherhood. So many of us were led to believe that the skills and experiences of managing a family would be valued in the workplace simply because they should be and that the gap in their resume wouldn't matter."This hits hard. I am right there too. And all those volunteer hours & leadership positions people said would look good on my resume when I once again applied for jobs? Those people all lied. It means squat," wrote one person."Thank you! You spoke my heart. 42 this year, resigned from teaching almost 12 years ago, and never been more confused about my personal future, or exhausted in my present," shared another."I’ve never related to a post more in my life! THANK YOU. Your words perfectly summarize the loneliest, most important job in the world and how that perspective shifts in your 40s. It is confusingly beautiful," wrote another.Some moms have chosen to see their post-stay-at-home era as a fresh start to learn something new, which might lend some inspiration to others.For better or worse, sometimes starting over is the only option after a long resume gap. Sometimes, that's frustrating and demoralizing. Other times, it's freeing. — (@) There is hope in the comments, too."I went back for my master’s degree at 47 years old. I’m now 50 in a new career I love and my husband is doing just fine pulling his weight with after school/carpool/dinner. Happy for the years I stayed home, happy with this new season too," shared one person."Yuuuup. I decided to go back to grad school at 45. It’s insane but every term I complete I’m like - omg I’m doing it! So don’t let sweaty out of shape bodies and carpool fatigue stop you. I take naps and write grad school papers and have meltdowns where I cry from the frustration of it all - but dammit I’m doing it!" wrote another.One mom who is past this stage also offered some words of encouragement:"So incredibly well written. I feel all these things and did throughout my 40s. Now I'm in my early '50s and I'm so glad I was able to stay home with my kids, but the guilt! The guilt of not using my education, the judgment of people who don't understand why someone would stay home with their kids, the social engineering... We just eat each other alive sometimes don't we? I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it is a very lonely road and one you always question. I can tell you that all three of my kids were so grateful to have a full-time parent. I might not have always been the best, but they were glad to always have someone to talk to if they needed it. It's hard to fill other people's buckets when your bucket isn't full, but the rewards do come back when the kids tell you thank you for everything that you've done. "Being a mom is hard, period. Working moms have it hard, stay-at-home moms have it hard, moms who have managed to keep one foot in the career door and one foot in the home have it hard. There's a lot that society could do to support moms more no matter what path they choose (or find themselves on—it's not always a conscious choice), from providing paid maternity leave to greater flexibility with work schedules to retirement plans that account for time away from the workplace. Perhaps that would at least make the many choices moms have today feel more like freedom and less like choosing between a rock and a hard place.This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

Alan Rickman was known and beloved as a film star, most famous for his over-the-top villainous Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, his semi-villainous Snape in the Harry Potter series, his arguably villainous husband to Emma Thompson's character in Love Actually, and other roles that highlighted his ability to set an audience on edge. But we wouldn't know Alan Rickman as the film icon he was without his first feature film role as the insatiably villainous Hans Gruber in the original Die Hard. Prior to being cast in Die Hard, Rickman had mainly acted on stage, racking up theater credits and accolades through the 1970s and '80s. He added some British television and radio performances to his resume as well, but his Hollywood debut didn't come until he was 41 years old and the role of Hans Gruber came knocking. His performance in the film would catapult him to fame, and he truly earned it. Here are seven fun facts about Rickman in that role that made him an instant and enduring icon. - YouTube www.youtube.com 1. He almost turned down the roleRickman had just finished a theater run in New York in 1987 when he went to Los Angeles to learn about a possible film role. “I didn’t know anything about LA. I didn’t know anything about the film business," Rickman shared at a Bafta celebration honoring his work. "I went to meet some casting directors. I went to meet some producers. And I think it was two days after I got there, I was offered Die Hard. I'd never made a film before, but I was extremely cheap." The classically trained actor said that after seeing the script he thought, “What the hell is this? I’m not doing an action movie.”However, his agent and others told him that being offered a film role that quickly was practically unheard of and encouraged him to take it. Alan Rickman Cast GIF Giphy 2. He changed the character's wardrobeOriginally, the script had Hans Gruber wearing terrorist tactical gear, not the classy, tailored suits that we see him wearing in the film. "I was being fitted for all this terrorist gear in the early days of putting of the film together, and I said, why would I be wearing this when I've got all these huge hulks who are going to do all the dirty work?" Rickman explained. He left a note for producer Joel Silver suggesting the character wear a suit instead, which was initially met with a "You'll wear what you're told." But when he came back to set, the script had been changed to reflect his suggestion.3. Pretending to be one of the hostages was his ideaThere's a scene in Die Hard where Gruber puts on an American accent and pretends to be one of the hostages. Bruce Willis' character hadn't seen Gruber, he'd only heard his voice, so Gruber was able to fool him by acting like a hostage when confronted. That idea was part of Rickman's reasoning for wanting to wear a suit instead of terrorist gear, and Silver ended up adding it to the script. - YouTube www.youtube.com He nearly injured himself out of the role on the first shootThe pretending to be a hostage scene was the very first shot Rickman filmed, and he hurt himself on the first take."I thought I had ripped a ligament on the very first shot," he told Empire in 2015. "Turned out I’d torn a cartilage, but I knew enough to go downstairs and see the doctor. I said, 'I think I heard something crack in my knee.' I was jumping down from a small ledge. He said, 'You may have torn a ligament. If you have, you’re out of action for six months.' I hadn’t even shot a scene! I was still in my costume, and I said, 'Could you pull the trouser leg down over that splint thing?' I went back up to the 33rd floor and carried on shooting. But the doctor said, 'Don’t put any weight on that leg!'" Rickman worried he was out of a job, but the next day a fluid test revealed it was just cartilage, not a ligament, so he was able to continue shooting. He was so good on first takes the director had to be better preparedRickman told Empire that he hadn't ever planned to have a career in film and didn't really know what he was doing when he started filming Die Hard. "All I knew was that I could only take my theatre experience to the job," he said. "And John McTiernan (the director) said fairly early on, 'I’ve learned with you I’ve gotta be ready for the first take.' I didn’t know what take two, three, four and five and six were all about. We’ve just done it! But of course, he hadn’t got his lights right or he hadn’t got his camera moves right, or whatever. I knew nothing about any of that." - YouTube www.youtube.com The stunt coordinator tricked him to get a genuine look of panic in the final fall sceneGruber's slow-motion fall to his death from the skyscraper was the last scene Rickman filmed, and there's a bit of lore that goes along with how it was filmed. Rickman did the stunt himself on a soundstage, being dropped from a height of 40 feet onto a crash pad. Rickman was attached to a rope held by a team who would release him on the count of three. However, the stunt coordinator, Charlie Picerni, reportedly told the stunt guys, "Let him go on one." Rickman has said he didn't remember the countdown, but he did say the producers were "slightly incredulous" when he said he would do the stunt himself. He appreciated how 'witty' and 'revolutionary' the Die Hard script wasAs much as Rickman initially scoffed at making his film debut in an action movie, he praised the quality and longevity of the script in his interview with Empire in 2015. "As time has borne out, that script wasn’t stupid," he said. "Stupider films have been made trying to be it since. It’s genuinely witty and every black character is strong in it."“Not to get a sledgehammer out to it, but every single black character in that film is positive and highly intelligent,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “So, 28 years ago, that’s actually quite revolutionary and quietly so.”As beloved as Rickman was as a movie villain, those who worked with him spoke highly of his sweetness and kindness in real life. We can all be grateful he agreed to take the role in Die Hard, as it enabled us to enjoy many years of his iconic performances on the big screen.

Unmatched... The post The two drummers that Metallica’s Lars Ulrich called “God” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

The peak of rock excellence. The post The “most powerful band” Eddie Van Halen ever saw first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

"I dig his work like mad." The post The one performer Otis Redding called the greatest: “My favourite singer now first appeared on Far Out Magazine.