A trend appears when looking at the generational battles over the past decade. Millennials (1981 to 1996) are trying to create a more equitable world and repair the damage done by the generations before them. However, they have an uphill battle because baby boomers (1946 to 1965) still hold power in many aspects of American life. Millennials grew up in an era impacted by 9-11, the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cultural awakening that happened after the George Floyd murder. It’s wrong to paint an entire generation with the same brush. Still, millennials have favored progressive politics with a strong interest in helping to reverse the effects of climate change and fighting for equality. Culturally, millennials have preferred authenticity, whether it's the hipster movement or their love for craft beer, farmhouse decor, and all things chuegy. @marilyn_mckenna Baby boomers need to pass the baton of leadership to Millennials. Do you agree? #boomers #millennials #millennialsoftiktok #fourthturning #generationtheory #genx #genz What type of generation are the millennials?Marilyn McKenna, 62, an intentional aging expert, says all of this makes sense given their generational trajectory. In a video with over 300,000 views, she says that, according to Neil Howe's 1997 book The Fourth Turning, millennials are considered a hero generation. In Turning, the authors postulate that every 80 to 100 years, there is an archetypal generational cycle in the order of prophets, nomads, heroes, and artists. Therefore, millennials are heroes whose job is to rescue America from a crisis that shakes it to its core. “Hero generations come of age as community-based young adults during a Fourth Turning Crisis,” Alden Guzman writes. “If the outer world crisis is handled well, the hero generation is active participants in the building and championing of new values and institutions to face the crisis at hand.” A climate change protest. via Linh Do/Flickr McKenna believes millennials have a significant job ahead of them, but there’s one big problem: it isn’t the task at hand; it’s baby boomers. "Whether in politics, media, corporate leadership, or the economy, boomers still occupy the majority of decision-making roles," McKenna said. "Many are reluctant to make space for new voices—not just millennials, but also Gen X and Gen Z. There's an unwillingness to acknowledge that the world has changed, and that old solutions aren't working." Unfortunately, she believes that millennials are “screwed” because the boomers won't concede their power. She adds that boomers could play an essential role in changing society if they finally decided to step down. "It doesn't mean disappearing—it means mentoring, stepping back from dominance, and actively helping to prepare and elevate the next generation of leadership. But, too often, boomers have mistaken staying relevant for staying in control," McKenna continued. A group of people marh in the streets.via John Smith/Flickr McKenna says that the problems we face today stem from a crisis in agency because those who want to help are being stifled. "The historical patterns may be interesting and instructive, but they don't soften the day-to-day experience of living through a crisis. People are burned out, isolated, and losing faith in institutions,” she told Newsweek. “It's hard to know how to motivate people when they feel they have no real agency, and that's where I think we're stuck."

ChatGPT and other AI search engines can be a game changer for some people by doing time consuming menial tasks in a matter of seconds. Need meal prep ideas on a budget, all you have to do is tell ChatGPT how much money you want to spend and foods to avoid and it'll write out meals you can prepare for the whole week. Want to see what your cat would look like as a person, run it through AI, but apparently some people aren't just using ChatGPT for silly pictures or grocery lists.People have started using ChatGPT for things that seem well beyond the intended purpose of the AI program. Clare Watson recently asked, "tell me the most insane thing you've used ChatGPT for. I'm not talking about 'write my resume' or 'dinner ideas' I'm talking fully unhinged." Well, she asked, people answered and I don't think anyone was prepared for some of the responses she received. Maybe we've all been using ChatGPT wrong. A group of people sitting around a laptop computer Photo by Mushvig Niftaliyev on Unsplash There are things ranging from getting someone out of jail to leaving an abusive relationship. One person was able to have ChatGPT connect her symptoms which led to an accurate diagnosis. But one that was amusingly shocking was this professor that says, "I got sick of my college students using ChatGPT to write their essays, so I used ChatGPT to grade them."Another person reveals they used the program against itself, "I forgot to unsub yearly ChatGPT plus. ChatGPT wrote a letter to ChatGPT for a Refund. I got it back haha." Customer Service Manager GIF by Ryn Dean Giphy The AI program once helped upgrade a crush to a relationship, "Told it every single detail of every interaction i had with my crush so we could analyze if he liked me or not. When we started dating chatgpt was so excited for me."Playing with new technology can be fun but humans will always push the limits to see what it can do. Sometimes the limit pushing is for something noble and other times it's to try to get away with doing as little work as possible, like this student, "I got in trouble for using ChatGPT on my essay, and my teacher made me re do it. I asked ChatGPT to write me an essay with 0 ai detection. I got 97% on my “new” essay. teacher never knew." F Failing GIF by FX Networks Giphy You know, maybe bringing back those blue writing books with #2 pencils isn't a bad idea. Think of all of the improved handwriting and comfort in knowing your students really did absorb the information you spent weeks teaching. On the flip side of using ChatGPT to write an essay for you, someone made it write an essay against itself, "Asked chatgpt to write an essay on 'How gpt ruins education and why it should be banned.'"Some things ChatGPT helped with are much more serious than others showing the versatility of the AI program with one person writing, "Chat GPT helped me leave an abusive marriage. Crafted a safety plan. Helped me come up with a budget. Encouraged and motivated me. Answered every what if I had," though seeking support from a domestic violence shelter in situations of abuse is still advised. @clareewatson I need to know the fully unhinged chat moments #storytime #chat #chatgpt #fyp #story #unhinged ♬ original sound - NYES | Fashion One person shares, "I let chat gpt destroy all my legal arguments by asking him/her/it to be opposing counsel ? That way I’m prepared and able to strengthen my arguments in advance."Another admits, "My brother had to go to jail. Chat gpt found a loop Hole in the law… my brother is Free now," while another got a suggestion to answer her medical mystery. "All the doctors told me there was nothing wrong with me. Wrote down my symptoms and Chatgpt told me it could be MCAS. Found a doctor specialized in that disease. Chatgpt was right," the woman writes. While some admit they find themselves relying on ChatGPT too much, others simply find it as a source of entertainment and treat it as such. One person used it to create a drama filled Love Island episode using her favorite cast members from different seasons. In the end, ChatGPT has the last word, "Did a rap battle with ChatGPT. I criticized it's ability to draw hands and said I might as well use Google. It reminded me it'll be around way longer than me."

Notorious lovable grouch, Hugh Grant, might have had a bit of a 'bad-boy' reputation in the past. And he doesn't often hold back in terms of what's really on his mind. But when it comes to 1960s musicals about an Austrian family, he has quite the soft spot.On numerous occasions, Hugh has been asked to reveal his favorite film. His answer never wavers and it's unequivocally The Sound of Music. Based on the 1949 real-life story of Maria von Trapp's memoir, this became a Tony Award-winning Broadway hit in the late fifties, followed by the film adaptation in the mid-sixties. It follows the life of Maria Rainer, who while training to be a nun, is sent to be the governess of seven children of a widowed father - all on the cusp of the second World War in Austria. On a recent Q and A for Outstandingscreenplays.com, however, Hugh added that his love for this film has become a bit of an issue. @outstandingscreenplays #HughGrant was playing a girl in #SoundofMusic and now it's his Favorite Film ever ? #screenwriting #screenwriter #screenplay #fyp #shorts #filmtok #author #writer #films In various clips put together for the site, Hugh explains, "I was a von Trapp daughter in The Sound of Music at the age of 12. I was Brigitta. I remember very well my white dress with blue satin sash. And I remember my line: 'I'm Brigitta. I'm 12. And all I want is a good time.'" This is followed by laughter, with Hugh adding, "I was rather good."He then charmingly shares, "It's a difficult situation. I'm married to a Swedish woman. She comes from the north of Sweden, where men are REALLY men. They're so manly, they hardly speak. And they chop wood. What they don't do is watch The Sound of Music in the afternoons and sing along with the Mother Superior when she sings 'Climb Every Mountain.'And they certainly don't cry when the father is touched by his children singing and then joins in." The clip then cuts to a quick clip of Christopher Plummer singing as Baron von Trapp. Hugh buttons it up by assuring, "But I do cry." - YouTube, Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music www.youtube.com Hugh's wife, Anna Eberstein, is a Swedish producer, who also happens to be the daughter of an extremely accomplished Swedish politician. She and Hugh share three children, and he has gushed over her in the many years they've been linked.The comment sections seem to adoringly swoon over both Hugh's love for the movie and the playful ribbing of his wife. A common theme? He's too irresistible to ever not admire. "He's just so adorable (however much he pretends not to be)." Another: "I've tried not to love him, but he keeps pulling me back in." This TikToker has a wish, which frankly seems rather attainable: "I'd love to see Hugh Grant meet Julie Andrews." Julie Andrews spins in the Sound of Music Giphy The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization Others can relate to his unapologetic adoration of the film . "To be fair, it's impossible not to cry on that scene. LOVE The Sound of Music."One person jokingly comments, "Actually accurate—in northern Sweden, people don’t talk, they just inhale air to communicate. True story." But there's pushback on the notion that a man can't love this musical AND chop wood. "I made my Irish husband come live with me in north Sweden. He loves Sound of Music. He also chops wood."

School lunch in the United States has a complicated history. While many of us who grew up in the 80s or 90s are nostalgic for some of the menu items we remember fondly (rectangle pizza, anyone?), some of the serving choices were bizarre. We really grew up with someone handing us a tray of pizza, french fries, chocolate milk, and soggy green beans every morning at 10:30am.The offerings have improved somewhat over the years, but everything's still so... beige. The main choices are typically pizza, chicken nuggets, or some form of questionable ground beef like burgers or meatloaf. Some people are stunned when they find out that school lunches from around the world can look very different.A photo of lunch served at a school in South Korea recently went viral and had everyone's mouth watering.A user on Reddit posted the photos to r/pics where they immediately racked up over 17,000 upvotes.The colors on the tray stick out immediately, most notably the noodles covered in creamy red sauce. But it's really the stuffed lobster tail that's the star of this particular tray; potentially lobster thermidor.You expect to see some cultural differences in the food offerings in different countries. Korean food is inherently different than American food in a number of ways. But Americans love lobster! Yet can you imagine American schools serving lobster tail to kids under any circumstances?Take a look at the mouth-watering spread here: from pics The response from mostly-American users was fascinating. Some were in awe while others rightly pointed out why a lunch like this would never fly in the USA.One of the main sentiments was that school lunches in other countries often put ours to utter shame:"I used to teach in Korea and the lunches were always amazing, the beef and quails egg stew was a constant highlight.""I studied in Korea for 6 months on uni exchange. The food at the uni cafeteria looked just like this, and was 10/10. My private room at the uni lodge was $500USD for the WHOLE semester, and included unlimited food.""I live in Spain and my kid's school invited the parents to taste lunch one day. It was fantastic. Also, at the end of each month they share a calendar of the meals that will be served during the next one, day by day. They're all balanced, and prepared with proximity food. They prepare specific meals for every kid with allergies/intolerances/any kind of dietary restriction, e.g. restrictions related to religion. They also share a list of dinner suggestions - again, for the whole month - so you have ideas for dinners that are healthy, easy, cheap, and tasty for kids. It's a public school.""I am from a third world country where many public schools lack a ton of funding and even we have better more healthy lunches than the slop that’s given to US students. I know because I went to school in the US and also in my home country.""America hates its f*cking kids. It will always mistreat them and deny them opportunities.""Lobster as a school lunch??? I need to go back to elementary school... I'll quit work for education and a lunch like that!" Now here's a balanced and nutritious meal. Giphy Others, while impressed with the selection, had their doubts about if American schools could ever adopt something like this:"This lunch is orders of magnitude better then US school lunches. And most American kids would utterly hate it.""American kids have no palette! It’s all chicken nuggets and mac & cheese! ... I know some kids that would starve rather than try anything on that tray."Some pointed out that those metal chopsticks would likely be used as a weapon almost immediately, and discontinued ASAP.Americans, as a whole, have a dreadful diet devoid of enough nutrition and it causes catastrophic health problems in the longterm. For clues as to why, you can look at what we feed our kids — and why. It's normal for kids to be picky eaters. When it continues into adulthood, it can be a root cause of health problems. Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash No, most American kids probably wouldn't like lobster tail. But there is a lot that goes into how our palette develops that might help explain it.For starters, fresh produce and lean proteins are extremely expensive in America. It's far more cost-effective to pump people full of cheap, empty calories and sugar. School lunch used to be cooked fresh every day in the schools before major government budget cuts forced districts to more heavily on lean on frozen or reheated options. Kids get used to chicken nuggies all day every day from a young age!The irony is that school lunches in American, while not overly exciting, at least meet some basic nutritional guidelines. But they're not free for everyone, and even kids who qualify for free or reduced lunch may not end up participating due to stigma or red-tape. When parents on a shoestring budget have to buy their own lunch supplies, things can get a lot worse than meatloaf and green beans. We all knew a few kids in school who had Pop Tarts for lunch every day. To be fair, we were all jealous at the time.And finally, Americans sure love to get fired up about our "right" to eat like crap. When Michelle Obama tried to clean up the school lunch program, she ran into massive pushback. RFK Jr. wants to do his own version of it, and we'll see how that goes.The viral photo from South Korea shows what might be possible with a few key cultural and political shifts. Treating feeding our kids more like "preventive medicine" versus a cost to manage would definitely be a start.

“In retrospect, I rather regret that.”

The greatest.

"It embarrasses me."

"I didn’t want to go through puberty on TV," added Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady.

While some in the media attempted to portray the bomber of the Palm Springs fertility clinic as a right-wing anti-abortion zealot, the person taking credit for the bombing, Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of Twentynine Palms, describes himself on X as a “pro-mortalist” which is an ideology that celebrates death and opposes the creation of all new life. Pro-mortalism is the antithesis of the pro-life perspective. Unlike the pro-life viewpoint, which values all life as sacred from conception until natural death, the pro-mortalist believes that it is best for any human being to die as soon as possible. In fact, the true believer of this extreme example of the culture of death maintains that they are doing good works when they eliminate themselves and others. (RELATED: A Miracle Baby Is Surviving His Mother’s Brain Death, and the Left Is Outraged) In fact, in his manifesto, Bartkus wrote: “I think we need a war against the pro-lifers. It is clear at this point that these people aren’t only stupid. They simply do not care about the harm they are perpetuating by being willing agents for a DNA molecule.” He continued: “I’m very against [IVF], it’s extremely wrong. These are people who are having kids after they’ve sat there and thought about it. How much more stupid can it get?” For the pro-mortalist, every new human being only adds to the inevitable suffering on the planet; therefore, all births should be prevented. A fertility clinic is anathema to the true pro-mortalist because it is a site of the creation of new life. And although the Trump administration, which has promoted IVF, appears that it may not have thought through the profound complexities of this type of fertility treatment, Catholic teachings warn against in vitro fertilization (IVF) due to ethical concerns about manipulating the process of conception as well as decrying the commodification of creating life in this form. Faithful Catholics decry the routine disposal of “extra” embryos in the creation of life through IVF. Acknowledging the importance of the lives of the embryos in his clinic, Dr. Maher Abdallah, the owner of the Palm Springs fertility clinic, reassured prospective parents that “the embryos are safe.” A website for the office listed fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization and egg freezing, among its services and describes its work helping LGBTQ couples have children: “Fortunately for us, our staff was unharmed and the IVF lab is intact, untouched, unharmed. The embryos are safe.” Even the deranged clinic bomber acknowledged that there were indeed thousands of embryonic human beings to be killed inside that fertility clinic awaiting implantation. That was his true goal — to kill as many as possible before they were allowed to be born. Pro-mortalism is truly the endgame of a culture of death that began with the unlimited right to abortion for any reason, at any stage of pregnancy, through the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which ushered in a culture of death that eventually allowed late term abortion, and “born alive” abortion to occur. Roe opened the door to some of the most depraved practices including the selling of the aborted products of conception to medical research labs, and to the “late term” practice of severing the spines of aborted late term fetuses with surgical scissors to ensure “fetal demise” by some of the most notorious abortion providers like Kermit Gosnell. (RELATED: America’s Abortion Blind Spot: How Liberals Convinced Americans to Ignore the Fetus) The pro-mortalist ideology is the logical extension of a culture of death, which views life as a burden rather than a gift. Bartkus is not a “lone wolf” in this ideology. There is an online community that Bartkus was part of that shares this same perspective. While the sub-group efilism — that Bartus was a part of — is the extreme form of the pro-mortalist community and has been banned on Reddit following the bombing, the ideology will continue to live on, seducing vulnerable, depressed individuals who believe that their lives are not worth living. There are currently more than 12 thousand followers of Efilism on Reddit alone. Efilism (life spelled backwards) is simply a negative utilitarian philosophy that attempts to minimize suffering by ending life. It is the logical extension of the euthanasia culture we seem to be embracing in this country. Indeed, when asked why he chose now to bomb the fertility clinic, Bartkus wrote that although he knew for a few years that he was not going to allow himself to live past his 20s, his best friend, Sophie, killed herself (Bartkus said that she got the guy she was living with to shoot her while she was sleeping, her preferred method), and was distraught over her death. Bartkus wrote: “I did not really know how much it was going to affect me. I’ve never related to someone so much, and can’t imagine I ever would again.” We were both anti-sex misandrists. VegAntinatalist, negative utilitarians.” The father of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill, wrote in 1863 that “The ultimate end is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments.” Today’s negative utilitarians have given up all hope for any enjoyment in life, and that is the greatest tragedy of all. In their deranged minds, they believe that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking their lives and the lives of others. For them, that is the greatest good they can perform. READ MORE from Anne Hendershott: Washington DC Cardinal McElroy Creates Confusion Over Immigration JD Vance Knows That Catholic Charities Has Lost Its Soul Super Bowl Ad: We Know ‘He Gets Us’ but Others May Not The post Fertility Clinic Bomber Provides a Glimpse of the True End Game of the Culture of Death appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.