It’s been a long time since we’ve had a country act perform at the Super Bowl, with Shania Twain being the last country artist to headline the show in 2003… so it’s been over 20 years. Right now, country music is as popular as it has ever been, and with options like Luke Combs, Post Malone, and Morgan Wallen, so I think there are plenty of great options who could realistically put on a show that connects with a majority of the 100+ million Super Bowl viewers. I mean, Ella Langley is close to having the #1 song in the country right now. This year, Bad Bunny is the controversial Super Bowl halftime headliner as the NFL looks to try and expand its empire into more Spanish-speaking countries. However given the hyper political climate in the country right now, specifically surrounding ICE and President Trump’s efforts to curb rampant illegal immigration, the decision hasn’t been very popular with NFL fans. It also hasn’t been very popular with players, executives and owners… no matter what Roger Goodell says. Of course, many country artists have been tapped for the National Anthem as of late like Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and Reba come to mind right away, but that’s simply not the same and can honestly hurt more than it helps. Obviously, Stapleton’s was legendary, but generally the anthem is more of a risk than it’s worth, especially on that type of scale. But there was one country performance that I always like to go back and watch as we approach the Super Bowl, and that would be the 1994 edition that featured some of country music’s biggest 90’s country stars, including Clint Black, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Travis Tritt and Tanya Tucker, teamed up for a kicka** show, officially (and rightfully) billed as “Rockin’ Country Sunday.” Clint Black opened the concert with “Tuckered Out,” and Tanya Tucker followed him with “It’s A Little Too Late,” before Travis took the stage with his hit “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” That was a highlight, and I am still obsessed with his blue fringe outfit. Wynonna then performed solo for “No One Else On Earth,” and was joined by Naomi (which was a surprise to the crowd) and the rest of the group for “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which was another beautiful standout moment. It was The Judd’s first major appearance together since their Farewell Tour of 1991, and the whole entire show was incredible from top to bottom. If we’re being realistic, and a country act was to headline again, I think you’d have to have some sort of combination of Morgan and Posty, and I actually wouldn’t be mad about… from a commercial standpoint, that makes the most sense, and they both put on high-energy live shows, so I think it would it would translate well in that type of setting. It honestly would be hard to top 1994, though, and fans in the YouTube comments seem to agree… and there’s plenty more like this if you scroll through quickly: “Need more Super Bowl halftime shows like this.” “Ahh…back when country music was on top! The early 90’s were such an amazing time for the genre (and it actually sounded like country music, too), and this was around the tail end of that era. If only country music and halftime shows could still be this good.” “I’ve never heard such a roar of applause as when the Judd’s sang together.. it’s because we all just want love. Well sang girls.” “That was the best half time there ever has been, up to date.” “I wish they’d do another halftime show like this one!!! All great artists!!!” “Now that’s a halftime show!!!” “Back when the halftime shows were great and made sense.” It’s so true… what I would give to go back in time and be in the stadium for this: And Shania’s was awesome too… check it out:  The post Greatest Halftime Show Ever? Why Fans Are Revisiting The 1994 “Rockin’ Country Sunday” Super Bowl Performance first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The commie mayor of New York told people today that they should look to Islam in order to embrace illegal immigration or something. Here’s the video: Leftists always claim they are loving . . .

Heathcliff’s origins have puzzled readers for generations. Discover the textual and historical clues Emily Brontë left behind in "Wuthering Heights."

Our love for the ocean runs deep. Does yours? Enter here!This Valentine’s Day, we're bringing back our favorite giveaway with Ocean Wise. You have the chance to win the ultimate ocean-friendly date. Our recommendation? Celebrate love for all your people this Valentine's Day! Treat your mom friends to a relaxing spa trip, take your best friend to an incredible concert, or enjoy a beach adventure with your sibling! Whether you're savoring a romantic seafood dinner or enjoying a movie night in, your next date could be on us! Here’s how to enter: Go to upworthy.com/oceandate and complete the quick form for a chance to win - it’s as easy as that.P.S. If you follow @oceanwise or donate after entering, you’ll get extra entries!Here are the incredible dates: 1. Give mom some relaxationShe’s up before the sun and still going at bedtime. She’s the calendar keeper, the lunch packer, the one who remembers everything so no one else has to. Moms are always creating magic for us. This Valentine’s Day, we’re all in for her. Win an eco-friendly spa day near you, plus a stash of All In snack bars—because she deserves a treat that’s as real as she is. Good for her, kinder to the ocean. That’s the kind of love we can all get behind.Special thanks to our friends at All In who are all in on helping moms! 2. Jump in the ocean, together Grab your favorite person and get some much-needed ocean time. Did you know research on “blue spaces” suggests that being near water is linked with better mental health and well-being, including feeling calmer and less stressed? We’ll treat you to a beach adventure like a surfing or sailing class, plus ocean-friendly bags from GOT Bag and blankets from Sand Cloud so your day by the water feels good for you and a little gentler on the ocean too.Special thanks to our friends at GOT Bag. They make saving the ocean look stylish and fun! 3. Couch potato time Love nights in as much as you love a date night out? We’ve got you. Have friends over for a movie night or make it a cozy night in with your favorite person. You’ll get a Disney+ and Hulu subscription so you can watch Nat Geo ocean content, plus a curated list of ocean-friendly documentaries and a movie-night basket of snacks. Easy, comfy, and you’ll probably come out of it loving the ocean even more. 4. Dance all day!Soak up the sun and catch a full weekend of live music at BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, May 1–3, 2026, featuring Duran Duran, The Offspring, James Taylor and His All-Star Band, The Chainsmokers, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid, and Sheryl Crow. The perfect date to bring your favorite person on!We also love that BeachLife puts real energy into protecting the coastline it’s built on by spotlighting ocean and beach-focused nonprofit partners and hosting community events like beach cleanups.Date includes two (2) three-day GA tickets. Does not include accommodation, travel, or flights. 5. Chef it up (at home)Stay in and cook something delicious with someone you love. We’ll hook you up with sustainable seafood ingredients and some additional goodies for a dinner for two, so you can eat well and feel good knowing your meal supports healthier oceans and more responsible fishing.Giveaway ends 2/15/26 at 11:59pm PT. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email from the Upworthy. No purchase necessary. Open to residents of the U.S. and specific Canadian provinces that have reached age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence at the time. Please see terms and conditions for specific instructions. Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram. More details at upworthy.com/oceandate

Hundreds of years ago, on the island of Guernsey off the northern coast of England, fishermen donned tightly woven wool sweaters before heading out to sea. These sweaters, often knitted by their wives, were designed specifically for the work they did on their boats, with each element serving a specific function. The Guernsey sweater, also known as a gansey sweater, is still around, though finding hand-knit ones is not as common as it once was. But as the textile expert behind The Iron Snail on YouTube shares, what makes these sweaters an interesting historical artifact also makes them a durable, desirable garment for modern use. Watch: - YouTube www.youtube.com "This is one of the most genius sweater designs of all time," he says, "because every single tiny detail is for a specific reason." For instance, a gansey sweater is almost always fully reversible, making for longer wear between washings. They are also usually knit in the round, which means no side seams, making them more durable and easier to repair. The knit is very tight, making them more water-resistant. They usually were made with Seaman's Iron yarn, a 4 or 5-ply, tightly woven yarn high in lanolin, which resists pilling and also adds to the water-resistance and durability as well. If you look at old photos of fishermen, it seems like the sleeves of their sweaters aren't long enough—but the short cuffs were purposeful. If cuffs were longer, they'd get snagged on things as the fishermen worked, and also rub against their wrists. (Seaman's Iron is called Seaman's Iron for a reason. Ouch.) Flamborough Marine is one of my favorite producers for handknit sweaters. They make in a fisherman style known as the guernsey (sometimes spelled gansey), which has identical panels from front-to-back and features a high neck collar and dropped shoulder seams. pic.twitter.com/DK2kMzI8SM— derek guy (@dieworkwear) November 30, 2024 As for the diamond-shaped armpit gussets, that's a particular bit of genius. "Fishermen wanted a slim sleeve that didn't get caught on gear," the gansey enthusiast said, "but at the same time they wanted to be able to lift their hands up over their head and not have their sweater ride up to their belly button. And so the diamond gusset allowed that to happen." He also explained that the top of the sweater is patterned for greater warmth while the torso was left plain to keep from snagging and for easier repair. It also saves yarn. @sew.est Did you know ganseys were so highly prized by fishermen, that when a new vicar banned ganseys from a church in Cullercoats, the fishermen erected their own church?

Making ends meet can be a struggle right now, especially as some areas of the country see staggering increases at the grocery store. But some moms are making the best of it by normalizing utilizing local food banks to fill in the gaps left by inflation. In search of a remedy for grocery money not going as far, food pantries are becoming vital for young families. Some moms are trading clothing hauls for food bank hauls, proving that asking for help isn't a moral failing. The food received can not only make full meals, but also supplement what's missing, and they're sharing the message via social media for all to see. One mom is even showing how she's giving back after becoming more financially stable, making the transition from needing help to giving help visible. In one video, a stay-at-home mom on a low budget films herself as the food bank workers give her options to choose from. Xye Rayno uses her social media account to show the reality of living and cooking on a tight budget. When accepting donated food from a local food pantry, the options vary from week to week. During this particular visit, Rayno had more options than usual that would make several high-quality meals for her family. @xyerayno First foodbank haul of the year.. what do you think I’m gonna make with these goodies??

In ball sports, it's common for an errant ball to hit a target an athlete didn't mean to hit. If that unintended target happens to be a person, the athlete will usually apologize for the accident. And if that athlete is Japanese volleyball player Yuji Nishida, the apology will be one for the ages.Nishida was serving in an all-star volleyball tournament in Kobe, Japan, when his serve went awry and hit a courtside judge in the back, according to The Guardian. Before the judge even had time to react, Nishida sprinted across the court, dove under the net, and slid headfirst on his belly to her feet. He remained outstretched on the court, his forehead and nose pressed to the floor, before standing up and bowing deeply and repeatedly to the smiling judge. She laughed and bowed in return, letting him know it was all good. Nishida's over-the-top apology appears to be a comically dramatic version of a "dogeza," a formal apology in Japan that is reserved for the most egregious offenses. A dogeza involves prostrating yourself in front of the person you are apologizing to, with your hands and forehead on the ground to indicate deep contrition. Companies in Japan have even been known to require employees to perform dogeza apologies to customers, sometimes surprisingly often.Though it is used seriously in Japan, the dogeza has also inspired comedy skits, such as the viral "Apology Olympics," which may have served as inspiration for Nishida's running belly slide: - YouTube www.youtube.com Japan's culture of apology is about courtesy, respect, and social cohesionOne of the first phrases people learn when studying Japanese is "sumimasen," which translates to a mix of "excuse me" and "I'm sorry." It is also an indispensable phrase to know if you ever plan to visit Japan, since it is used by nearly everyone, all the time, as a way to show humility and respect. Japanese culture places a high value on courtesy, which includes apologizing for both minor inconveniences and major offenses.There are multiple ways to apologize in Japan, and as Japan Intercultural Consulting points out, apologies there carry a different connotation than they do in the United States:"In the United States, an apology often determines fault and liability, so we are reluctant to apologize. In the Japanese context, an apology is less of an admission of guilt than as a mature acknowledgement that errors were made, and an interest in working to make things right. It shows a 'kaizen mind' that reflects on errors and works to prevent recurrences. An apology clears the air and repairs what was broken. Apologies permit all parties to let go of the past and move forward. Apologize, regardless of who is at fault. If you really cannot make yourself do this if you are not at fault, you can say, 'I’m really sorry this happened.'"The general rule in Japan when something goes wrong is this: don't make excuses or place blame, just apologize. A person performs a dogeza-like bow in front of another person.Photo credit: CanvaIs it possible to apologize too much in Japanese culture?There is more risk of under-apologizing than over-apologizing in Japan, according to Japan Consulting Office: "It is better to give too many apologies rather than even one too few. Remember you are not taking any real responsibility here but are simply defusing the situation by saying, 'I too want to help solve the issue.'" Apologizing is a way to clear the air and move forward, not to admit fault or take responsibility.Understanding the expectations and norms of one another's cultures can help prevent awkward misunderstandings and unintentional offense. While no one would expect a sliding dogeza apology like Nishida's, his repeated bowing after the accident is a clear reflection of how highly Japanese culture values a solid apology, regardless of intent. The fact that his apology was also entertaining is just icing on the cake.

Railroad tracks run all across America. It's nearly impossible to drive through a town, no matter how small, without coming across a set of railroad tracks. But have you ever looked down and wondered why every railroad track you see has the same rocks surrounding the tracks? There's never a variation of colors, shapes, or sizes. You never see railroad tracks surrounded by pebbles or sitting atop the bare ground. If the tracks aren't encased in between metal and asphalt so cars can drive over them, they're surrounded by these rocks. Turns out, there's a very specific reason for this that even a quick Internet search may not explain without you having to peruse multiple sources. Popping this question into a search engine will yield the result that the rocks are used for the expanding track, which is true. But there's so much more. These stones aren't just across America, they're under railroad tracks in any country that operates the fast-moving cargo and people haulers. The YouTube channel Simple Things - Surprising Histories shares some of the many reasons train tracks are surrounded by those grey rocks in one of their recent episodes. Sunlit railway track stretching into the distance.Photo credit: Canva"A loaded train is incredibly heavy. We're talking about millions of pounds of steel and cargo. If you place that much weight directly onto the ground, the intense pressure would crush the soil. The tracks would sink, buckle, and the eventual train would derail," the video explains before revealing that the stones are actually called "track ballast."As the host moves along, they share that the entire thing is in layers, working together to allow the train to move smoothly along the tracks without sinking into the dirt. The very top layer is the metal track, followed by the horizontal beams, evenly spaced, called "sleepers." Those sleepers sit on top of the ballast, otherwise known as grey rocks, which act as a cushion for the weight of the train. "It takes the immense concentrated weight of the train and spreads it out over a wide area. It dissipates the pressure so the ground underneath doesn't get crushed," they say. "But here is the fascinating part. The tracks are not fixed to the ground. If you look closely, you'll see the tracks are floating on the stones. They aren't bolted into the earth deep below. They rely on friction and the sheer weight of the ballast to stay in place. This flexibility allows the track to slightly absorb the vibration of a roaring train rather than snapping under the tension."The type of rocks used to make ballast is also important to keep the train running smoothly. Jagged, rough rocks won't slide away from each other from the vibration of a moving train like smooth rocks would. According to Strasburg Railroad, ballast stones are a combination of crushed stones, rocks, and gravel used to prevent vegetation from sprouting and drain water from the tracks. The type of stones that traditionally make up a ballast are limestone, granite, basalt, and quartzite, which help disperse the high heat generated by a heavy, fast-moving train. Who knew those stones were doing so much heavy lifting? Holding down the railroad track, absorbing the heat created, keeping weeds from growing, and allowing the track to expand to keep the train from sinking into the ground. Viewers were fascinated. Train traversing lush greenery.Photo credit: Canva"I had no idea that the tracks aren’t actually bolted into the ground. Amazingly interesting," one person says. "I had no clue why I clicked on this video, but glad I did!!! Great info about something I never even considered. Thank you for sharing!!!" writes another."Grew up with tracks in my backyard. I grew up throwing these ballast stones. I could bullseye a target at a good distance. Never once considered their importance. Thanks!!" someone else chimes in.