Pete Davidson, 31, has earned the reputation as one of Hollywood's most prolific ladies' men for dating some of the most beautiful A-list women over the past several years. However, there are a lot of people out there who don't understand the "Saturday Night Live" star's appeal. Davidson is tattooed from head to toe. He suffers from Crohn's disease, has done multiple stints in rehab, describes himself as looking like a "crack baby" and only recently moved out of his mother's basement on Staten Island.But he's also been one of the most popular cast members on "SNL" for the past seven years and co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed, "The King of Staten Island." The future generations of sociologists and psychologists will write about how Pete Davidson was able to consistently date women way out of his league — Hamad (@Hamad) 1636137705 Pete Davidson pulling all these hot women just goes to show how far being funny will get you — n. (@n.) 1636160356 how pete davidson manages to get the hottest women out there i will never understandpic.twitter.com/WZ2OnDnzL7 — nat is inactive (@nat is inactive) 1635864444 Here's a brief rundown of Davidson's romantic ties over the past few years.Ariana Grande (2018)Davidson and the pop megastar revealed they were in a relationship at the end of May 2018 and quickly got engaged. The pair called off their engagement and broke up in October 2018 after just five months together.Kate Beckinsale (2019)The two were caught kissing at a New York Rangers game in January 2019, but the pair broke up that April because Davidson had to go to rehab and Beckinsale was busy making movies.Margaret Qualley (2019)Davidson and the "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" star had a brief relationship at the end of 2019. Her mother, Andie McDowell, called their flirtation "nice."Kaia Gerber (2019-2020)After Qualley, Davidson moved on to Cindy Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber. Four months later, the couple broke up while Davidson was dealing with addiction and mental health issues.Phoebe Dynevor (2020)Davidson and the "Bridgerton" star saw each other for about six weeks, but things eventually soured because Dynevor was geographically undesirable.Kim Kardashian (2021)Davidson and Kardashian were spotted holding hands while riding a Halloween roller coaster together, leading some to believe they were romantically involved. However, Page Six sources say they're "just friends." The pair shared a kiss in an "Aladdin" sketch on SNL when Kardashian hosted in October.In a Monday appearance on "Late Night With Seth Meyers," model Emily Ratajkowski explained Davidson's appeal and it's pretty easy to understand."He's a professional," Ratajkowski said about Davidson. "First of all, you should know that about Pete." She added, "Pete—he's got the height. Obviously women find him very attractive.""I feel like only other men feel [that he isn't attractive]. Guys are like, 'Wow. What's that guy got?' And I'm like, I mean, he seems super charming," she said. "He's vulnerable. He's lovely. His fingernail polish is awesome. He looks good!" Further, he has a "good relationship with his mom." She concluded, "We love it. It's hard to find them."Beckinsale recently affirmed a similar statement about Davidson by liking an Instagram post that read:"I love how every time Pete Davidson starts dating another beautiful celebrity everyone's like 'wtf is happening how did he do this what is this mystery???' and everybody refuses to entertain the possibility that he might have a nice personality."Evidently, Davidson is a really attentive boyfriend, too."My love language, when I'm in a relationship, is I treat the person I'm with like a princess,'' he told Paper. "I try and go as above and beyond as possible," he said, "because that's what you're supposed to do? If you're in a relationship with someone, you're just supposed to make that person feel as special as possible."The fact that women everywhere are in love with Davidson actually says something pretty awesome. It goes to show that even in the glamorous world of Hollywood there's something irresistible about someone who's funny, attentive, vulnerable, charming, down-to-earth and loves his mother.This article originally appeared on 11.11.21

Photographer James Balog and his crew were hanging out near a glacier when their camera captured something extraordinary. They were in Greenland, gathering footage from the time-lapse they'd positioned all around the Arctic Circle for the last several years.They were also there to shoot scenes for a documentary. And while they were hoping to capture some cool moments on camera, no one expected a huge chunk of a glacier to snap clean off and slide into the ocean right in front of their eyes.It was the largest such event ever filmed.For nearly an hour and 15 minutes, Balog and his crew stood by and watched as a piece of ice the size of lower Manhattan — but with ice-equivalent buildings that were two to three times taller than that — simply melted away.As far as anyone knows, this was an unprecedented geological catastrophe and they caught the entire thing on tape. It won't be the last time something like this happens either.But once upon a time, Balog was openly skeptical about that "global warming" thing.Balog had a reputation since the early 1980s as a conservationist and environmental photographer. And for nearly 20 years, he'd scoffed at the climate change heralds shouting, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!""I didn't think that humans were capable of changing the basic physics and chemistry of this entire, huge planet. It didn't seem probable, it didn't seem possible," he explained in the 2012 documentary film "Chasing Ice."There was too much margin of error in the computer simulations, too many other pressing problems to address about our beautiful planet. As far as he was concerned, these melodramatic doomsayers were distracting from the real issues.That was then.In fact, it wasn't until 2005 that Balog became a believer.He was sent on a photo expedition of the Arctic by National Geographic, and that first northern trip was more than enough to see the damage for himself."It was about actual tangible physical evidence that was preserved in the ice cores of Greenland and Antarctica," he said in a 2012 interview with ThinkProgress. "That was really the smoking gun showing how far outside normal, natural variation the world has become. And that's when I started to really get the message that this was something consequential and serious and needed to be dealt with."Some of that evidence may have been the fact that more Arctic landmass has melted away in the last 20 years than the previous 10,000 years.Watch the video of the event of the glacier calving below:This article originally appeared nine years ago.

People just can't stop finding new ways to drive each other crazy on airplanes. Whether it's using kids as an excuse to try to switch seats, eating smelly food, standing and block the aisles immediately after landing, or having phone calls on speakerphone, airplanes have become hotbeds of bad behavior. The unique cocktail of travel stress, cramped spaces, alcohol, and altitude seems to have a big effect on our judgment for some reason.One passenger recently went viral for some interesting behavior during a long flight. And let's just say, her fellow passengers couldn't stand it.Richard Duong posted a video on TikTok of a passenger several rows ahead of him on a flight. The caption: "Lady stood on my flight the ENTIRE 7 hour duration watching her movie."Although the video is short, it definitely backs up his claim. Through several clips stitched together, we see a blonde woman standing in the aisle staring at her back-of-seat screen. Lights on? She's standing there. Lights go off? Still standing there.Duong mentioned in a comment that she did return to her seat when the pilot turned on the seatbelt light, but otherwise, she was standing the entire time.He also mentioned that passengers on the flight were definitely annoyed. People asking to squeeze by to get to the bathroom, and even the flight attendants trying to serve drinks, were less than thrilled that she was blocking the aisle for so long.I can imagine it made the passengers around her uneasy, too. Have you ever sensed someone standing over you and felt a sort of unexplainable anxiety? It must have driven the people seated near this woman absolutely bonkers!We've heard of people having too much to drink or taking their socks off during a flight, but standing the entire time has to be a new one. @envisionaries #onthisday Commenters on the video — unlike some passengers on the flight — had a lot of empathy for the mysterious standing woman.Apparently, there are a lot of reasons someone might want to stand for *checks notes* seven hours straight.Some people suggested the woman had a clotting disorder and couldn't sit down for long.Others speculated about back issues like sciatica, a broken tailbone, severe motion sickness, a herniated disc, or fibromyalgia. Someone said the woman probably had restless leg syndrome. Alev Takil/UnsplashThe theories just kept coming — to date, the video has racked up nearly a million views and 800 comments.Duong, who posted the video, probably had the most likely explanation: "I thought she was standing just to stand."It's true — some people just like to stand! Maybe they read an article about the dangers of sitting and leading a sedentary lifestyle, or maybe it just feels good and relaxes them. The mystery woman could very well have restless legs or a back injury, but maybe she just felt like standing except when she was specifically told not to.What I loved about the response to Duong's video was the outpouring of empathy. People were really willing, and even eager, to excuse the woman's admittedly pretty obnoxious behavior by justifying it with a medical reason. It was honestly really refreshing to read the incredibly laundry list of possible medical conditions that could make someone want to stand for an entire flight. We're often so quick to assume the worst in people — that mom trying to switch seats with her kid is just trying to take advantage, people who stand up right away after landing are just being jerks, etc. It's rare that we stop to think and realize that we don't know their story, their medical history, what happened to them earlier that day, what they're really like as a person.In a follow up video, Duong clarified: "Yes she would get out of the way (for passengers and crew), she was very polite, no fuss or anything, but it did impact the flight." "The video was not meant to be mean or judgmental. The video was never about her as a person. It was a funny, unexpected event. A woman standing on a flight for seven hours, you don't see that every day."

Losing a loved one is difficult. It feels exceptionally more difficult when the person you've lost is your parent but you do what you can to keep their memory alive. Everyone has their own way of doing this. It could be that they've planted a tree to put their ashes around or they wear their loved one's favorite sweater on rough days. There's no right or wrong way of paying tribute to someone that has passed as it's usually a personal decision. When Robin Epley, a writer for the Sacramento Bee lost her mother Cynthia in 2019, she and her father went with a bench design for her grave marker so they could sit with her. The bench is made of stone with her mother's picture emblazoned on the front.On a more recent visit to the memorial bench, the pair decided to leave balls of yarn as a tribute since the mom was an avid crocheter, teaching Robin the craft at just six years old. The small act of remembrance was just that, a tiny gesture that meant something that a passerby may not understand. After leaving, the pair didn't think much of it until they returned for another visit only to find a surprise waiting for them on that very bench. pink and green flower bouquet on brown concrete wall Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash Someone had taken the yarn and knitted a scarf out of it, draping it over the area of the bench that displayed Cynthia's name. There was no note left with the handmade gift. Just a scarf created by someone that decided to turn a family's tribute into a piece of wearable love and a couple of bouquets of flowers. Robin shared a photo of the bench with the knitted scarf visible on X, explaining how the scarf got there, writing, "im sobbing: My mom was a big crocheter, so on her bench at East Lawn, my dad and I left one of her balls of yarn as a tribute. He just went back today after a few weeks to tend to the site, and someone had used the yarn to knit mom a scarf."im sobbing: My mom was a big crocheter, so on her bench at East Lawn, my dad and I left one of her balls of yarn as a tribute. He just went back today after a few weeks to tend to the site, and someone had used the yarn to knit mom a scarf ????? pic.twitter.com/LSnzuAitpa— Robin Epley (@ByRobinEpley) August 5, 2024 People were moved by the act of kindness by a stranger with some even suggesting possible culprits to the artistic endeavor, one of which caught Robin's attention. In a follow up comment, the grieving daughter writes, "I don’t know who did it, though someone has suggested it was the wonderful staff or volunteers at @EastLawnSac, a group which my mom was a part of. I just hope this is a reminder to everyone that the simplest act of kindness from you can completely brighten a stranger’s day."Others chimed in to share their own stories of loss and ways of coping, while also admiring what this anonymous knitter did for the family of Cynthia. My mom taught me how to crochet around the age of 6 and I’ve never stopped crafting since! Here she is in 2015 fixing the twin-sized baby blanket she made for me as a child, which was affectionately referred to in our house as the “My-Mommy-Loves-Me Blanket” ????? pic.twitter.com/oWeTX2HaS5— Robin Epley (@ByRobinEpley) August 5, 2024 One person writes, "Oh that is so special. I wear the joggers my mom wore the last time I saw her. I remember she had them on backwards because I could see the pockets. She laughed her familiar laugh for me one last time. That was two years ago. It's getting easier. Thanks for sharing."Someone else gives their guess on who might have done such a kind gesture, "This is so sweet. I know there are a lot of regular visitors and volunteers who like to care for the memorials, but my money is on a staff member having done this. The staff and leadership at East Lawn are very special people." Cry Hug GIF by Hollyoaks Giphy Robin and her dad may never find out who made the scarf using the yarn they left behind, but that act of kindness will stay with them both for years to come, and Cynthia would approve."Knowing someone out there who didn’t even know my mom cared enough to do this has me in total shambles. honestly, it’s totally something my mom would have done for someone else, karma is real," Robin says in response to another commenter.It doesn't always take a lot to be kind to others but it can turn someone's day around. Sometimes people just need a reminder that someone out there cares, even if it doesn't always feel that way. Acts of kindness can go a long way.

Former President Jimmy Carter is known for being one of the most beloved former presidents in American history for his resolve to use his talents to help others, whether it was eradicating the Guinea worm or his work with Habitat for Humanity into his late 90s. Carter says that his faith is the big reason for his resilience. “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something,” he said. “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.” The man who held the presidency from 1977 to 1981 went into hospice in February 2023 but has lived much longer than most expected. Carter has made 2 public appearances in that time, the first in November 2023 for the funeral of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn and on October 1, 2024 for his 100th birthday. When Carter was wheeled into his wife’s funeral, some family members expressed shock and worry about Cartter’s appearance. — (@) Since beginning hospice care, Carter has appeared frail and gaunt without expression and mouth agape. It shouldn’t be shocking for a person who has reached the age of 100 to appear so fragile, but it’s right to be concerned that he may be uncomfortable in such a state. However, Julie McFadden, also known as Hospice Nurse Julie, settled a lot of people’s fears in a TikTok video where she explained Carter’s appearance and why he’s most likely comfortable during his transition. McFadden has assisted over a hundred people in their final days and is the author of the bestseller, "Nothing to Fear." @hospicenursejulie #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen Jimmy Carters 100th birthday! #hospicenursejulie #hospicenurse #jimmycarter #education What is Jimmy Carter's condition?“I have been tagged in this Jimmy Carter turns 100 years old today video,” she begins her viral TikTok with over 600,00 views. “So many times people asking me, why does he look like this? Is he okay? Does this mean anything? As a hospice nurse, this video was not alarming to me. Jimmy Carter, to me, looks just like someone who was 100 years old on hospice and getting towards the end of their life.” She then speculated on what his life is like at age 100. “Jimmy Carter is likely sleeping 20 to 22 hours a day. He is likely not really eating and drinking, which is all normal and to be expected at the end of life. So that's why he looks so thin. He looks cachectic. His body is slowly shutting down and the more we just let his body be the guide, the better he will be.” A lot of people are concerned about the way that Carter’s mouth seems to be permanently open. McFadden says that is due to muscle wasting. “His mouth is hanging open because it takes muscles to keep your mouth shut. And at the end of life, those muscles relax. So he is likely so relaxed that when he's sleeping, which is most of the time, even when he's in a wheelchair, he's asleep, and his muscles relax, so his mouth hangs open.” McFadden also addressed many people's concerns: Should Carter have been brought outside to celebrate his birthday with his family in such an advanced state? Should he have been in front of the cameras? “In my opinion, it's up to the family. The family knows that person best,” McFadden said. “From what we know of Jimmy Carter, he was a family man who loved being around his family. So why not be around him and celebrate his one hundred? One-hundredth birthday and bring family around, bring him outside. They know his personality. They must think he would love this. So let's do it. We don't have to keep dying people hidden away.” McFadden is such an incredible gift because we tend to lock away the dying and talking about death and hospice is a very uncomfortable topic for most. This lack of information leads us to believe that someone in Carter’s position suffers. But, according to McFadden, he’s probably comfortable and relaxed. McFadden knows that when people better understand Carter’s condition, they will probably feel better about their final days as well.

When kids are growing up, they often see their mother in one dimension—just "Mom"—without much thought for the life she lived before kids or who she is outside of that role. It's usually not until we reach our own adulthood that we recognize, "OH, Mom is much more than just my mother," and if we're lucky, we then get to know her in a whole new light and celebrate all that she is.Jake Bley is lucky to be getting to know and celebrate his mother, Nicki—but in a very different way than most people do. Nicki Bley was only 46 when she died after a year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2014. Jake, one of Nicki's five children, was in his early 20s when she passed. Jake as a toddler and as an adult with his mom, NickiPhotos courtesy of Jake Bley"As a young mother, our relationship was closer to a friendship than a usual mother/son relationship," Jake tells Upworthy. "I could go to her about anything, and she was always supportive…she was one of my best friends."Shortly before she died, Nicki gave each of her kids a special gift. To Jake, she handed over her collection of handwritten diaries she'd kept from the time she was 8 years old."When she gave each of her children our gifts she was very sick," he says. "But she told me she gave me the diaries and other sentimental items because she knew I would value them, and I could process her thoughts throughout the years. Get to really know who she was and value that. The good and the bad.""It has been 10 years since she passed, and I only started really looking at the items recently," Jake shares. "It has been too hurtful to explore them until now. That's when I found the little red Collins from 1989, the year I was born. From there, I flicked to the day I was born and that was when I saw her entry—'only a little fellow.'" — (@) Jake had been born prematurely, weighing only 5.7 pounds at birth, and Nicki had jotted "Only a little fellow" as a note beneath his statistics. "The second I saw it I thought to myself, 'Oh my god, these were her first thoughts about me," Jake says. "I couldn't stop thinking about it."As part of his healing journey, Jake decided to tattoo the phrase on his leg, in his mom's handwriting, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of her passing.Since this has reached so many people, I wanted to update saying that I’ve started going through the note, diaries, documents and photos my mum left me. I found this photo of her and she was so damn cool. There’s so much to read and preserve.(Sorry I’m a yapper) pic.twitter.com/LPiXM1bG0W— Jake (@jakebley) June 28, 2024 "I took the day off work, very nervous, and I walked into a local tattoo artist studio with no booking," he says. "Up until then I didn't feel like I could commit. My tattoo artist Riley was incredible. I told her the story, and she took the 1989 Red Collins diary and copied the handwriting on to a transfer for the tattoo.""I love meaningful tattoos," she told him. It was Jake's first time getting a tattoo, but he says that all of his nerves instantly vanished when he saw the final product. "It was perfect. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and it was a happy moment. When I got back to my car I cried happy tears, because for the first time in a very long time I was letting myself feel my emotions."He shared a video documenting the tattoo experience on TikTok: @jakebley TW: GRIEF. I know shes watching over me. #Tattoo #Grief #griefjourney ❤️ Jake says his grief over his mother's death has been complex. "It's not until years later that I started to understand the impact of losing a parent, and the need to not only experience, but feel my emotions," he says. "Taking the time to rediscover my mother, and getting this tattoo a decade later has been part of my healing journey."Jake's story has gone viral on social media, with people offering their words of comfort and their own experiences with remembering their loved ones, which has given a whole new dimension to Nicki's legacy. "It has been so wonderful seeing the love pouring out from the community," Jake tells Upworthy. "The thought that 10 years on my mother's handwriting, love and memory not only lives on but is celebrated by so many truly fills my heart."This article originally appeared in July.

With temperatures rising worldwide, it's essential to know how to stay cool by reducing your body heat. It’s important to keep hydrated and wear breathable clothing, but if you want to cool off quickly, the military has a trick to reduce body temperature in minutes.According to a CBS report, research shows that submerging your forearms and biceps in ice-cold water can help prevent overheating. That’s why the military uses arm immersion tables when training in hot weather or stationed in places where the heat is unbearable and it's impossible to get to an air-conditioned room. "It's low-tech, it's inexpensive, it's easy to implement," Lt. Col. Dave DeGroot, who runs the Army Heat Center at Fort Moore, told CBS. "It's a bucket of water." Arm immersion tables are long, narrow troughs filled with ice-cold water that stand on four legs.To cool down, soldiers place their hands, arms, and wrists in the cold water for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, they raise their arms above their heads. This allows cooled blood to circulate throughout the body, lowering its temperature. It also allows the water to drip down their arms, cooling their core from the outside.After conducting the #SC22 stress shoot it’s time to conduct arm immersion. Man it’s hot ? @FortBenning. These crew members are smoked!!! @ChiefofArmor @ArmorSchool @316CAVBDE @USAARMSTB7 @TRADOC @FORSCOM @18airbornecorps @iii_corps pic.twitter.com/rudccyF0Vj— Peter Glass (@PeteGlassArmy) May 5, 2022 Soldiers who practice the technique say that while their arms are submerged, they feel the cold water circulate throughout their body, starting in the chest and then moving to their back. "Your car has a radiator. Well, so do we. It's our skin," DeGroot said. "Our blood is going to cool off and circulate back to the core and eventually, with several minutes of exposure, bring the core temperature down.”Arm immersion tables cool approximately 13% of the body, enough surface area to transfer body heat to the water. According to TechLink, immersing one's arms in cold water can reduce core body temperature by 2° F in 3 to 10 minutes. Two degrees may not sound like much, but considering that the average body temperature is usually between 97 and 100 degrees, it makes a huge difference. Arm immersion! Participating and observing every POI helps effectively plan, resource and implement training. #RockSteady #Brave&Bold #ItWasCold!!!! #GAHeat pic.twitter.com/QrCyQ6i8PL— Dysha Harrison (@BarcliffDysha) June 17, 2022 In severe situations where hot soldiers appear pale, wobbly, or mentally incapacitated, the military uses ice sheets to cool them down. "An ice sheet is nothing more than a simple bed sheet that we use," Fort Jackson safety specialist Vinson Washington told the U.S. Army. “We submerge these in ice, and when a casualty overheats, we wrap them in these to cool them down until we can get medical personnel on the scene.""We put them in a human taco, basically," 1st Sgt. Brendan Cain, an Air Assault School instructor, added. In the event a soldier goes down with a heat injury, they use the sheets to "cool down the (soldier's) core temperature," then "it's an automatic call to 911."Arm immersion tables and ice sheets work because, according to TechLink, the heat transfer of water is 25 times greater than that of air. So, to cool someone off, it’s much more effective to immerse them in water than to place them in front of a fan.There's no need to worry if you’re looking to beat the heat and don’t have a military-grade arm immersion tank. You can make something similar by taking a large cooler filled with ice water and placing it on a table or by filling your kitchen sink with water and adding some ice. This article originally appeared in July.

Many Americans dream of being able to pack up and move to another country—be it as a more affordable way of living, or just for the thrill of being fully immersed in another culture. But no matter what pulls you across the globe, it is good to venture with a solid foundation of facts so that you have realistic expectations. After all, life will have its ups and downs, no matter where you happen to be living it. Recently, X user @Bunburyyōdō, who happened to be an expat living in Japan since the early 2000s, shared some advice for those who wanted to live there and fully enjoy it. Some of their suggestions are bits of good ol’ common sense, and others are a bit more obscure. But all of them cut through a lot of assumptions Westerners might have about the Land of the Rising Sun.I've been living in Japan since 2006 and I enjoy living here. Here's a thread of 20 things to consider if you want to have a good life in Japan.— Bunburyōdō (文武両道)拳 (@bunburyoudoujp) December 11, 2024 1. Think about other job options besides teaching English Many people consider teaching English in Japan to be an “easy” way of making income since it’s in fairly high demand. However, there’s still competition for this type of work, especially in major cities like Tokyo, plus potentially longer work days and commutes, plus somewhat low salaries and not a lot of upward mobility. @Bunburyyōdō encourages folks to consider this kind of job temporary. Use it “to get a visa and a paycheck for a few years then move on.” And consider learning other marketable skills and obtaining higher education/professional certifications is equally crucial to really thrive. 2. Learn the language. Just do it. While English may be a common language in other areas of the world, it isn’t in Japan. And while learning Japanese isn’t easy, not learning it essentially cuts you off from a large portion of society, which is obviously not ideal long term. “Your life improves the more Japanese you can speak,” @Bunburyyōdō says.via GIPHY3. Prepare to always be treated as a minority No matter how long you live in Japan, you will still be considered a “gaijin,” or outsider. But the intent behind it isn’t malicious. Japan is just less of a melting pot culture than the U.S. So folks not from there tend to stick out more. Again, this is where learning the language can help. And one person shared, “If people seem standoffish, it’s often because they’re not sure if they can communicate. Once they realize that you can speak some Japanese, they’re likely to open up.” To that point, @Bunburyyōdō advises “rolling with the stereotypes” that might come your way. “I'm British but I hate football. Guess what everyone wants to talk to me about when they meet me for the first time and realize I'm British?” he quips. 4. Discrimination laws are lax, especially with housingThis is a less and ideal truth, but a truth nonetheless. Part of the issue stems from foreigners deliberately leaving the country without notifying their landlord, thereby prompting landlords to refuse renting their properties to foreigners to hopefully avoid dealing with such situations. While this might seem unethical, @Bunburyyōdō says “having this attitude won’t help you find a place to live,” unless you magically know how to change the country overnight or can afford to buy your own property. Instead, he suggests enlisting the help of an agent to find landlords that do work with foreigners. Photo credit: Canva 5. Don’t put off getting a visa. And maybe avoid doing a green card marriage. This should be your “number 1 priority,” according to @Bunburyyōdō. While there a variety of different available visas, each with different requirements, in general you will need to have lived in the country for 10 consecutive years, be able to prove a stable income (no fixed amount here, but around 3 million yen is a good place to start from), maintain “good conduct” (meaning no criminal record and taxes paid on time), having a guarantor, and of course having loads of different documentation. And while getting married simply to obtain a visa is certainly a thing, @Bunburyyōdō warns that, besides it having legal consequences, prompts a “power imbalance” which is “toxic.” “There are too many stories of inept foreign men with, ‘crazy Japanese wives.’ Don't be one of them,” he says. 6. Get a hobby This might seem a little general, but apparently Americans assume “being in Japan” is in itself the hobby. It is not. However, its worth noting that Japan offers hobby options that aren’t as prevalent in America, especially in the realm of arts and sports. You think Colorado is the crème de la crème of rock climbing? Guess again. 7. Avoid Vending Machines There are over 5.5 million vending machines in Japan—with a population of 125.7 million, that means there’s one vending machine for every 23 people. You can practically find them everywhere, offering everything from cakes in cans to hot, fresh ramen to novelty horror trinkets and even, ahem, more adult items. Of course this can be alluring and fun to try, @Bunburyyōdō warns that the prices are marked up and should only be used in a pinch.via GIPHY8. Watch out for ATM fees Japan is not a cashless country, and there will be times when you need it,menaing you’ll need to visits an ATM every once in a while. @Bunburyyōdō admits that he learned about Japanese ATM fees “the hard way,” and notes the importance of learning which ATMS to use and which to avoid. According to Wise.com, 7-Eleven stores, of which there are a plethora of in Japan, do not charge a fee and are a reliable go-to.9. Don’t try to force Japan to emulate your country of origin Japan is not England or America, and short of colonization, will never be. So trying to insert viewpoints about how things are done elsewhere is a fool’s errand. “You aren't obliged to stay in Japan if you think it's awful.” 10. Think of finding “good cheese” like going on a treasure hunt While there’s plenty of delicious food in Japan, cheese is not one of those readily available products. And Japanese grocery stores likely won’t have an “ethnic” section where you can find it. That doesn’t mean it can’t be found anywhere, but you’ll have to consider it a specialty item, and find a store that provides those types of luxuries.11. Don’t get out of shape. No, really. While staying healthy through diet and exercise is good advice anywhere, in Japan it’s considered you “social responsibility, says @Bunburyyōdō. “If you are noticeably ‘over-nourished’ in Japan people are going to comment on it.” So enjoy all the goodies that the country has to offer, but don’t overdo it. via GIPHY12. Don't take yourself too seriously @Bunburyyōdō’s last piece of advice is “go with the flow” and “learn to smile.” Yes, you’ll make mistakes. Yes there will be an awkward transitional period. But “just go with it.” Japan is majestically scenic, with a rich cultural heritage. But moving there (and this goes for any major move really) requires a desire for growth and transformation. “If you come to Japan with the knowledge that you are going to need to grind and improve yourself in order to be happy with yourself you’ll have a better time than someone who came on a ‘working holiday’ and found it to be not as fun as they expected.”

Once again, Upworthy is proud to share the winners of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, honoring the funniest in wildlife photography from around the globe. This year saw the largest number of entrants in the contest's 10-year history. Over 9,000 images were entered from professional and amateur photographers vying for the top prize. This year's winner is a hilarious shot of a red squirrel stuck in a tree trunk taken by Milko Marchetti of Italy.“I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels in various situations over the years in Italy, but this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position. It captured the exact moment when the squirrel was detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide. Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explodes with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!” Marchetti said in a statement.As the overall winner, Marchetti wins a once-in-a-lifetime safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian. "We are thrilled to celebrate Milko Marchetti's outstanding achievement in the Nikon Comedy Photography Awards 2024. His image, 'Stuck Squirrel,' brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting," Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager of Marketing at Nikon Europe, said in a statement. "This year's competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion. We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards."The photo competition was started in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, professional photographers who wanted to promote the importance of conservation while enjoying some laughs at the same time. Here are the big winners of this year's contest.1. Overall Winner: "Stuck Squirrel" (red squirrel) by Milko Marchetti, Italy That's one stuck squirrel.© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 "The photo was taken on April 23, 2022, in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo – Ravenna – Italy. It is a park open to the public and schools, but from October to March, it is closed to visitors, and I am allowed (in exchange for photographs for educational and promotional purposes) to use a fixed photographic hide to photograph passerines, woodpeckers, hawks, and even 3-4 squirrels that come to visit the photographic set consisting of a small lake, and the surrounding vegetation.Generally, in Italy, especially in the area where I live, in the Po Delta Regional Park, it is very difficult to see and photograph squirrels (they are very rare) but here in the park they are quite confident.A few meters from the hide, an old cut tree has a hole (an old woodpecker's nest), and here the squirrels (2 years ago there were 4 specimens) sometimes come out of curiousity to check out the old hollow tree. have taken several photos of squirrels in many situations, but the shot I choose to participate in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife immediately struck me for the strange position assumed by the squirrel that seems to be stuck halfway in the hole in the tree, but in reality it is the moment in which it is detaching the support on its hind legs and enters the hole.This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot in the moment that I clicked the button, and during my evenings of slideshows and nature videos that I often hold at photography clubs and theaters, the audience always explodes in energetic laughter when I show this photo. I knew I had to enter it into the competition." — Milko Marchetti2. Insect Category Winner: "Mantis Flamenca" (mantis mediterranea) by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina, Spain A dancing mantis.© Jose Miguel Gallego Molina/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend, the Flemish Mantis, for the first time. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand." — Jose Miguel Gallego Molina3. Reptile Category Winner: "Frog in a Balloon" (frog) by Eberhard Ehmke, Germany A frog stuck in a bubble of his own design.© Eberhard Ehmke/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell." — Eberhard Ehmke4. Aquatic Animals Category Winner: "Unexpected Role Swap" (bald eagle and bream) by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, Poland A blad eagle appears to be chased by a fish.© Przemyslaw Jakubczyk/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle." — Przemyslaw Jakubczyk5. Bird Category Winner: "Whiskered Tern Crash on Landing" (whiskered tern) by Damyan Petkov, Bulgaria A whiskered tern has a crash landing.© Damyan Petkov/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"Whiskered tern head hit the rock when try to land." — Damyan Petkov6. Nikon 16 and Under Junior Category Winner: "Smooching Owlets" (spotted owlets) by Sarthak Ranganadhan, India Owlettes sharing a smooch.© Sarthak Ranganadhan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"Our parents always find a way toembarrass us, I guess that's also true in the case of spotted owlets. It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin and shut eyes." — Sarthak Ranganadhan7. Nikon Junior 25 and Under Category Winner: "Awkward Smiley Frog" (frog) by Kingston Tam, Australia © Kingston Tam/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"I’ve always been interested in photography since I was about 10. And I started out just taking snapshots of little things like flowers, pretty skies on my cousin’s point and shoot, just like any other 10 year old would. When I was about 16, I got super interested in star trail photography and started doing it on the Nikon p900 since it has a star trail mode for dummies. Slowly, it evolved to proper wide angle landscape and astrophotography (Milky Way and deep sky) and that’s when I invested in a bit of gear and really dived into learning about the technical and creative side of photography, trying to do better every time I go out shooting. I also decided to pick up photography for my high school art class and dabbled in some street photography. In 2022 I moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study wildlife science and my friends got me into ‘herping’ (looking for reptiles and amphibians in the wild) and through that, I met a bunch of amazing photographers who specialise in taking photos of these critters and I started doing it as well. And that’s how I ended up photographing critters. My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and that’s been my motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.This award is by far my biggest photography achievement yet. I never thought an accomplishment this scale would be achievable but I’m grateful that this photograph has been recognised by the judges and many others. This award would be a reminder to me that I should keep my passion up because someone out there appreciates my work and hopefully it can encourage people to show some love to not just the fluffy animals but also the slimy and scaly friends." — Kingston Tam8. People's Choice Category Winner: "Shake Ruffle Rattle and Roll" (white-tailed eagle) by Tapani Linnanmäki, Finland That's a very fluffy eagle.© Tapani Linnanmäki/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024"In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9's autocapture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series." — Tapani Linnanmäki9. Portfolio Category Winner: "Dancing To The Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting" (squirrel) by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, Britain A rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 A rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 A rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 A rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024Highly Commended Winners"Hide and Seek" (cheetah and topi) by Leslie McLeod, Kenya That topi is in for the shock of a lifetime.© Leslie McLeod/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 "Alright Mate Back Off, This is My Bird" (king penguin) by Andy Rouse, South Georgia "Back off, man!"© Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 "You're Not My Mother" (screech owlet and red-bellied woodpecker) by Randy Herman, U.S.A. "Please don't peck my head."© Randy Herman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 For a full list of winners, visit Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

It’s been the “Revenge of the Nerds” era for a while now. What used to be grounds for bullying—a preference for intellectuals, having some social awkwardness, an intense love of comic books and Dungeons & Dragons, etc.—easily falls under the mainstream attractive category today. So much so that some parents are trying to conjure up these qualities in their baby name selections. Baby name consultant Colleen Slagen, who previously shared girls names from the 80s that did not age well (sorry, Heathers), was recently asked to come up with a list of “Hot Nerd" boy names. Just what is a “Hot Nerd Boy"? Slagen gave the example of Seth Cohen from the O.C., played by Adam Brody. Brody himself, who was recently dubbed the ultimate millennial crush for his role as an adorkable hot rabbi in Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, is pretty much the poster child for this nebbish yet lovable trope. But Slagen also noted Cameron James (10 Things I Hate about You, played by James Gordon Levitt) and Matty Flamhaff (13 Going on 30, played by Mark Ruffalo), just to give you the full scope. Wink Noah Roklov GIFfrom Wink GIFs With that in mind, here are the “Hot Nerd Boy” names Slagen came up with, along with little lighthearted predictions about their personality: Dexter, Calvin, Ambrose: "These guys are reading books but have pretty big muscles."Clark, Spencer, Lyle: "These guys were wearing Crocs and socks before it was cool."Marshall, Simon, Gideon: "These guys are confidently inviting you to the D&D party they host every Friday night."Perry, Anson: "They were picked last in gym class, but they have six figures in their bank account from their online poker winnings."Samuel (not Sam), Art (not Arthur): Slagen didn’t note personally for these, but clearly these guys are above nicknames. Adrian: "He was invited to the party but instead spent the night reading a Reddit thread about AI." @namingbebe Inspo by Seth Cohen. #babynames #nametok #nameconsultant #boynames #pregnant #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Colleen Desmond: Instead of driving to work, he "takes his old Razor scooter to the Metro where he has a 1-hour long commute" in an "effort to reduce his carbon footprint."But will giving a child a “Hot Nerd” name really shape their personality? Not necessarily. But research has shown that people can make all kinds of assumptions about someone’s personality based on their name—as well as their culture background, level of income, etc—which no doubt could affect how someone operates in the world. Slagen herself told Upworthy that while she doesn't believe names influence our personality, she does think that names carry a certain vibe or aesthetic that may lead you to make assumptions, especially with less common names. “Soleil sounds very chic, Sinclair sounds very preppy, Prudence sounds old money, Mary Cameron sounds southern, Juniper sounds like she could be from the Pacific Northwest,” she said. She also noted that more than anything, the name choice says something about the parent’s personality. For example, she said that parents who are outdoorsy might want to give their children outdoorsy names like Cedar, Aspen, Cove and Wren.When you put it that way, it’s really interesting to think about how we carry a little part of our parents along with our first names. Not just the family name, but their actual passions and interests. Of course, kids who get less than stellar names probably don’t appreciate this so much. But interesting nonetheless. As for the sons “Hot Nerd" names…it seems pretty clear what moms interests are.