In a significant escalation of religious restrictions, Chinese authorities have detained dozens of pastors from one of the country’s largest underground Christian churches, marking the most severe action against Christians since 2018. The arrests, which targeted leaders of Zion Church, have sparked international condemnation and raised concerns about worsening religious persecution under President Xi Jinping’s […]

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Ever notice how so many classic cartoon characters from your childhood had one oddly consistent fashion choice?Fred Flintstone had that bright blue tie. Yogi Bear had his iconic green one, which, given that Yogi is indeed a bear with zero use for business-casual, he certainly didn’t need. Similarly, there was Huckberry Hound’s red bow tie, Quick Draw McGraw’s bandana, and so on…It’s not that animators in the ‘60s were weirdly passionate about men’s neck accessories. Nope, these were all part of a clever animation hack. Like Yogi, Hanna-Barbera animators were smarter than the average bear. media4.giphy.com Back in the mid-20th century, studios like Hanna-Barbera were churning out TV cartoons on tiny budgets and impossible schedules. While Disney made a name for itself enlisting entire armies of artists to work on ultra-smooth, hyper-realistic feature films that took years to perfect, Hanna-Barbera had to produce weekly TV shows with a fraction of the time, money, and people.That’s where “limited animation” came in, a revolutionary technique first pioneered by animators Chuck Jones and John Hubley. While Jones and Hubley approached limited animation as more of a style choice, heads of Hanna-Barbera saw it as a way to save time without sacrificing personality.Instead of redrawing an entire character for every frame (like Disney did, but more on that later), animators would reuse as much of the drawing as possible, usually by keeping the body still and only moving the mouth, eyes, or head.But there was one small problem: if a character’s head was moving and their body stayed still, how could you hide that awkward line where the two met? Enter the humble necktie, collar, scarf, or necklace. Basically any neck covering that created a distinct visual separation would do. This made it easy to swap in the actual moving parts without it looking weird. Even though these creative choices were primarily for practical reasons, they nonetheless gave Hanna-Barbera cartoons a signature aesthetic…one that you simply can’t unsee once you know it’s there Yep, this checks out. media0.giphy.com So does this one. media2.giphy.com And this one. media3.giphy.com And this one. media0.giphy.com And this one! media0.giphy.com Take a look a Tom and Jerry, who seem to be the outliers, but really just have no necks to speak of. - YouTube www.youtube.com Limited animation would expand beyond Hanna-Barbera as well. The style became very popular in Japanese anime, which certainly complimented the comic book (aka manga) vibes that make anime so distinct. Here’s an example from Miyazaki's 2001 film, Spirited Away. A clip from Spirited Away media1.giphy.com Even Disney would end up using this trick on occasion. Many think this is the reason why so many classic Disney characters wear gloves. This is only part of the story, however. Gloves also made it easier for animators to make their characters’ hand movements visible against dark backgrounds. (Remember, OG cartoons were black and white.) Not to mention that hands are famously tricky to draw. Gloves solved this issue, while also making the characters feel a little more human.Plus, no one needs to see Mickey Mouse with bare hands. - YouTube www.youtube.com So, next time you spot Mickey’s bright white gloves or Yogi Bear’s jaunty green tie, remember: they weren’t just accessories. Both of these feats show that sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention. A little ingenuity can turn the steepest budget cuts into something iconic. Especially when you don’t include AI slop.

Connecting with kids after long days of school can be tough for parents. And the default question, "How was school today?" can often fall flat. But asking kids questions beyond boring go-to's can deepen your relationship and help you feel closer to one another—and it can take less than one minute.On the Reddit subforum r/Parenting, parents shared their tried and true "mini ritual" that they have developed with their nine-year-old to help other parents connect with their kids. @queenn_gee What questions do you ask your kid(s) when they’ve been away for awhile? (Example, school, kids church, grandmas house) #backtoschool #involved #invest #mom "After dinner our kid sprints to homework or play and real conversation disappears. We tried long debriefs and they fizzled," they shared. "What finally clicked was a tiny ritual at the sink while brushing teeth."Then they shared exactly how they initiate their check-in. "Three prompts, one each night on a loop. Rose. Thorn. Seed," they wrote. "One win, one hard thing, one thing to try tomorrow. It stays short and somehow we get the real stuff."The easy ritual resonated with other parents. "This is great! Thanks for sharing!" one commented. Another added, "We do this too!" Other parents were asked to share their mini-rituals, and they offered many heartfelt responses. These are a few other ways parents have found success connecting with their kids through conversation.Model truthfully"For me the key was the realization that I need to model telling the things I want them to talk about, not just ask about their day. When I started sharing my day's ups and downs, they gradually followed suit. Dinner table talk is not just adults connecting with our kids, it's us connecting as a family," they shared. "'Gee, I'm tired today, I had a really tough meeting where I had to tell people bad news...' or 'I'm quite proud that I managed to finish a job I've struggled with...' or 'I don't really feel like going to the gym though it's my gym day, hmm...' or 'Mom called today and told me her garden is almost ready for winter...'. Of course, I keep it about age-appropriate; this is family chat, not me venting on them." - South_Industry_1953"For a while we used dinner conversation to discuss the mistakes mom and dad made that day and how we fixed them or moved on. It's tough for kids to see how to resolve problems if it's not modeled for them, and it is tough to model making mistakes!" - UnfairCartographer88Focus on their internal lives"I can only share with you what I did when my kids were small... and that was after brushing teeth, I would have a quiet conversation with them and simply ask them how was their day, what was the most important thing they thought they had accomplished, and whether there was anything on their mind, or whether they were feeling anything in particular that they wanted to talk about now or tomorrow, perhaps. Personally speaking, the rush of daily life and the collaborative management of everybody's schedule made these sorts of conversations difficult to have, in particular as a family. But what I found was that my kids really responded positively when I showed them that I was interested in their internal emotional and psychological lives... even if that was for only five or 10 minutes before bedtime. I also found that these conversations continued on the weekends, when, for example, I might be in the car with my kids together doing various chores." - Expensive_Magician97 - YouTube www.youtube.com Asking about the good, the bad and the surprising"We do Good Thing, Bad Thing at dinner each night. We take turns at going first (6yo job is remembering whose turn it is). We do good things first to celebrate wins and then when it's bad things we either listen and commiserate or brainstorm solutions. It's a lovely way to encourage conversation at dinner time." - maps_mandalas"Hi-Lo-Buffalo. What was the highlight of the day? Low? Surprise of the day?" - mrfreeeeze"We do apples and onions at the dinner table so everyone gets a turn to talk to everyone. ETA: apples are good things, onions are not so good things." - UnfairCartographer88

Small actions lead to significant results. Take Nischa Shah, for example, who left her six-figure investment banking job and built a million-dollar content business instead. Her viral YouTube video, “17 Habits That Made Me Rich,” has racked up nearly 3 million views, in which she divulges the practical daily habits that gradually transformed her finances. - YouTube www.youtube.com “The key to getting rich isn’t life at the extreme, like waking up at 4 a.m.,” Shah explains at the video’s start. “It’s about forming micro-habits: tiny habits that you follow consistently. These small habits compound over time and not only have a big impact on your finances, but also on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.”Shah's approach is refreshing. Her success stems from manageable, everyday practices that anyone can adopt, rather than radical lifestyle changes or complex strategies. She recommends smart, consistent habits that seem minuscule in the moment, but add up over time. Read on for Shah’s top tips:17 game-changing financial habits, according to Nischa Shah1. Create more than you consumeShah highlights research from Thomas Corley’s Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, which shows that 67% of wealthy people watch less than an hour of TV daily, while 77% of those struggling financially watch significantly more.Another interesting stat from Corley: only 6% of the wealthy watch reality television, compared to 78% of the poor. Wealthy couple strolls away from helicopter.Photo credit: Canva“The wealthy are not avoiding watching TV because they have some superior human discipline or willpower,” he writes. “They just don’t think about watching much TV because they are engaged in some other habitual daily behavior — reading.”The takeaway here is that active creation trumps passive consumption. Whether it’s launching a YouTube channel, writing stories, or learning to code through interactive apps, spending even 15 minutes daily on creative activities builds valuable skills and experience.2. Create distance from negative peopleMotivational speaker Jim Rohn claims that we are “the average of the five people we spend the most time with,” meaning that we are greatly influenced by those around us. - YouTube www.youtube.com Shah recommends keeping your distance from negative people who gossip, complain constantly, or bring toxic energy to the table, as these influences can subtly derail your process. Instead, surround yourself with like-minded people who discuss building wealth and solving meaningful problems.3. Create an 'I can do this' fileOver the past two years, Shah has developed a powerful habit: creating a personal “motivation archive.” Every time she achieves something significant, she writes everything down in painstaking detail, from the nerves that paralyze her beforehand to the admiration she receives afterwards.She keeps a dedicated tab in Notion (this could work equally well in any other digital workspace) called “I can do this,” where she documents her achievements, milestones, and moments when she pushed through fear. By recording these experiences, she’s created a personal evidence file that reminds her of her own resilience whenever self-doubt creeps in.4. Practice gratitudeShah swears by gratitude journaling for boosting motivation and happiness. Though initially skeptical, she changed her mind after learning from Sophia Godkin that appreciation is fundamental to happiness. Every night at 8 p.m., Shah opens the Day One app to record the day’s highlights and things she’s grateful for, often adding a photo to capture the moment.via GIPHYResearch shows that daily gratitude leads to meaningful reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, improved sleep quality, enhanced mood and happiness, and increased life satisfaction. In fact, daily gratitude practices even benefit physical health, with studies showing increased cardiovascular health, improved longevity, an immune system boost, and stress reduction.5. Automate saving and investingIn this segment, Shah advocates for the “pay yourself first” principle, which automatically stashes money in savings and investments before you can spend it. She automates transfers to saving and investment accounts on payday to ensure that her money grows steadily without requiring willpower or manual effort. This efficient system builds wealth while also naturally curbing impulse purchases.Investopedia describes the “pay yourself first” method as simply building a retirement account, creating an emergency fund, or saving for other long-term goals, such as buying a house.6. Get specificWhen setting financial goals, Shah recommends being ruthlessly specific. Rather than vaguely promising to “save more,” she suggests concrete targets with straightforward math. For instance, “I’ll save $30,000 by the end of 2027 by setting aside $1,250 each month.” This precision transforms abstract financial goals into actionable items. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Diary Of A CEO. (@thediaryofaceopodcast)7. Audit spending into three bucketsShah breaks down expenses into three practical buckets:Fundamentals (housing, food, utilities)Fun (dining out, travel, entertainment)Future (investments, savings)She reframes budgeting not as a restriction but as a tool for clarity: a reasonable budget is like a financial dashboard that shows exactly where your money goes. This practice can be quite liberating! Shah shares her secret—a free spending tracker that helps identify patterns and pinpoint areas of unnecessary spending.8. Learn something new about money weeklyFinancial literacy is an ongoing journey. Your relationship with money began at a young age, and these early experiences shaped everything—from whether you feel confident investing to the jitters you get when you check your bank balance. Luckily, you can rewire these patterns with persistent learning. Master a new investing app, negotiate your salary with confidence, and read up on tax strategies. Dedicate time each week to learning about investing, personal finance, and entrepreneurship. Even 20 minutes a week can lead to significant knowledge over time. Learning about finances is a life-long journey you should enjoy. Photo credit: Canva9. Stop caring about other people’s opinionsShah stresses that other people’s judgments about your financial choices can derail your progress. Worrying too much about what others think is a common problem, but Shah offers a surprisingly practical tip. When someone’s opinion starts to drag you down, ask yourself: Does this person’s point of view align with where you’re headed? If the answer is no, then redirect that energy back into your own financial goals. This simple filter has allowed her to take significant risks and put herself out there more often, without getting paralyzed by irrelevant criticism.10. Understand and avoid a ‘yes’ trap“The Yes Trap is a subtle yet powerful force that pulls us towards overcommitment,” writes Robert Puff. “It’s that nagging feeling that we should always say ‘yes’ to requests, invitations, and opportunities, even when our plates are already overflowing.” Puff explains that this habit stems from people-pleasing instincts, the fear of missing out, and discomfort with saying "no."Shah wholeheartedly agrees, calling out the yes trap for what it is: a reflexive tendency to agree to every request, even when you’re already stretched thin. Sure, saying yes feels like the easier option in the moment—less friction—but it quietly leads to burnout, resentment, and the erosion of your agency. How can one avoid this trap? Get clear on your goals and what you’re trying to accomplish; when your destination is sharp and specific, it becomes easier to recognize distractions and politely decline them.11. Invest in yourself regularlyAn overarching theme in Shah's video is the idea of investing in yourself—not just with money, but also with time and attention. The best investment you can make is backing yourself and dedicating yourself to your own skills, knowledge, and capabilities. Shah recommends starting with a platform like Brilliant, which breaks down intimidating subjects like computer science, statistics, and algorithms into bite-sized interactive lessons that you can tackle on your phone. It’s a tool that makes learning feel like a breeze, rather than homework.via GIPHY12. Build multiple income streamsMillionaires don’t rely on a single paycheck; they stack income streams. Welcome to diversification, which means spreading your money across a mix of investments to smooth out your returns. The idea is that different types of investments perform differently over time, so it’s critical to invest across the three main asset classes (a.k.a. asset classes): cash, fixed income, and equities. For Shah, that looks like money pulled from brand deals, affiliate commissions, YouTube ads, investments, and selling her own products. This way, if one stream dries up, the others are there to keep you afloat. Don’t know where to start? She advises beginning with one stream that matches what you’re already good at or genuinely curious about, then slowly adding new streams.13. Simplify decision-makingIt’s time to stop making the same decisions over and over. The path to financial freedom is paved with discipline: set clear rules for spending, saving, and investing, then let those guidelines do the heavy lifting. Shah seeks to reduce decision fatigue by optimizing her life in small ways. Instead of agonizing over what to wear each morning, she maintains a slight rotation of work clothes. Apply this principle to any area of your life where you’re burning mental energy on autopilot tasks.14. Network with intent and add valueShah points to Chris Donnelly, the founder of Verb Brands. This digital marketing agency works with luxury brands like Jimmy Choo and Creed Fragrances. Within his first year, Donnelly pulled in $10 million, and largely credits the "who factor." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nischa Shah (@nischa.me)“He went through a phase where he was reaching out to 50 or more people a month, or asking other people to introduce him to someone,” Shah explains, recounting a recent conversation with Donnelly. “He stressed the importance of the Who Factor in everything that we do.”15. Take action before feeling readyMaking mistakes is how you learn, and waiting around until you suddenly feel “ready” is a lost cause. Most of the time, that moment of clarity never really arrives. Successful people start before they’re ready and figure it out as they go. Trust your gut and take that first step, even if you’re winging it.via GIPHY16. Have open money conversationsWhile 66% of Americans believe that open conversations about money are the key to financial freedom, over six in 10 Americans (62%) don’t talk about money, according to Empower. In addition, the financial site finds that people would rather discuss politics (43%) and death (32%) than their own finances (24%). Seemingly, there’s no one to open up to: 75% of respondents say they don’t discuss finances with their friends, family (63%), or even their spouse/partner (46%). Shah encourages people to talk about money: break the taboo and share what’s working for you and what isn’t. The point is to normalize the conversation so it stops feeling like an off-limits topic.17. Apply the 1% progress ruleThere’s no need to overhaul your entire financial life; just aim to get better by 1% each month. Save a little more, spend a little less, earn a little extra. While none of this feels dramatic in the moment, these tiny improvements add up to real financial momentum. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nischa Shah (@nischa.me)Your financial transformation starts nowShah's journey from corporate burnout to millionaire content creator proves that financial freedom is real, tangible, and within your reach. Which habit will you start with today?

Move over Christmas, Halloween decorations just got more competitive—and spookier! For Aubrey, Texas residents Kendell Aden and Anthony Michael Lumpkins-Hood (and their respective families), it's almost a competitive sport—though truly, everyone wins.It began–like many Halloween stories–with skeletons. The Aden family had recently moved into their new home when they noticed a giant skeleton hanging in a neighbor's front yard across the way. (Their backyard actually faces the neighbor's front.) Inspired, they jumped right in. See on Instagram Aden narrates a now-viral Instagram video, "The people behind us put out their 12-foot skeleton. So of course we had to put out ours and add a little sign that said, 'Is that all you got?' So we were hoping to see that they'd retaliate. This was yesterday. Well, today we look out there and this is what they had to say back."We flash to the giant skeleton holding a sign that reads, "More? You want more? I will play. How 'bout u?" She adds jokingly, "So this has turned into a full-on war."This video alone got close to 300,000 likes on Instagram and nearly 2,000 comments. People got invested. "I can't wait to see what happens next!" one eager Instagrammer wrote. Another declared, "Finally, a battle I'm willing to follow. Let's go!!"(One shadily asked, "How old are you?" with an eye-rolling emoji, to which Aden directly answered in earnest, "I'm 30.")Turns out this particular neighbor, Anthony Michael Lumpkins-Hood (who goes by the handle @thechickennuggetz on Instagram), definitely recognized that the gauntlet had been thrown. One look at Hood's social media and you'll see Halloween decorations (and scary movies) are his fortes.After the initial battle lines had been drawn, Hood gave a "sneak peek" of what was to come. See on Instagram Here, too, the commenters were excited and supportive. One asked, "I wonder if traffic is slowing down in our neighborhood." Hood responded, "Yeah, we've definitely had quite a few people slow down or stop in the street to take a look!"After People Magazine covered the story a couple of weeks ago, both friendly neighbors have stepped up their game, creating an even more magical and creative wonderland of horror. See on Instagram Upworthy had a chance to chat with both Aden and Hood, who gave us insight into their fun shenanigans. Looks like this all started in early September. Are people putting up decorations earlier than usual?Aden: "We're always early birds. We always put it up early. So whenever we saw that our neighbors put theirs up, we jumped in immediately. Because that was honestly late for us! I don't think people are getting earlier (with putting stuff up), but I wish they would. I think Halloween should be September 1st to November 1st. And then Christmas November 1st onward." Has Halloween always been big for you and/or your family?Aden: "Once my son was about two, he would make us go to Home Depot just to look at the Halloween decorations, and that's when we really jumped in on it—because he loved it so much."Hood: "Christmas was my favorite until I met my husband. Halloween is definitely his holiday, but he's pulled my excitement in, especially with the decorations!" Do you think your neighbor inspired you to step up your game?Hood: "Most definitely! Nice to have something friendly to do!"Aden: "It's hard because ours is our back fence facing theirs. So our front yard is pretty crazy. We had already been going all out and now we just have to go all out in the front and the backyard. They definitely inspired us to decorate our backyard." See on Instagram What's the next move in the decorations plan?Aden: "We try to feed off each other, obviously. And so our next move is definitely going to be relevant to what they said with saying 'look at their pet.' So it's gonna have something to do with a pet." See on Instagram She adds, "But it's getting expensive. A lot of the comments say, 'Oh this is what rich people look like,' but it's so funny because I'm a teacher's aide and my husband is in sales. We don't make a ton of money, so to the people who say we must be rich—no, we just spend our money on Halloween decorations."Hood: "Can't spoil anything, just know that we plan to keep this going through Christmas!" Has anyone else in the neighborhood joined in and tried to 'one up' you? Aden: "Definitely some houses whose yards look awesome. I don't know if it's because they're trying to compete with us. I think it's just them being in the spirit!"Has this brought you closer to your neighbors-in-battle?Hood: "Yes! Before the Halloween skeleton war started, they had just moved in and we didn't know them. We've been in our home for a couple of years now. Now, we talk to them almost every day!" He adds, "With all that's going on in the world right now, it's very nice to see the positive connection and the excitement we get from people on social media in regards to our decorations. Making people smile, telling us they are so invested in the skeleton war!"