UTL COMMENT:- Oh FFS here we go again.... If your country has signed its medical sovereignty over to the WHO, then you're possibly fucked....

We’ve probably all (especially moms and wives) have had it up to here with stories of men not being able to really pull their weight in partnerships. So when I present to you a story about a husband leaving behind a sink full of dirty dishes for his wife to find, you’d probably sooner roll your eyes and contemplate hopping over to Instagram instead than give this one a read. But hold on just a second, because this story has a surprising hopeful twist. In a now-viral TikTok post, a wife named Susan shows the mess she woke up to the morning after her husband had friends over to watch a game. She was initially fuming as she approached the disarray. That is, until she saw the note her husband left behind, saying “I got it!”For Susan, this changed everything. Her husband acknowledged his mess, communicated that awareness with his wife, and didn’t leave it assuming someone else would take care of it. Which, in turn, made her feel seen and looked out for. “I just love that he acknowledges that [he] left a mess in the sink, and don't worry, he'll take responsibility for it, but anyways, we've come so far,” Susan says in the clip. @susandoingsusanthings Leaving a simple note instantly made me not care about the dishes in the sink!! I love communication and we have come so far!! #susandoingsusanthings #marriedlife #marriage #marriagehumor #marriagegoals #marriagecomedy #marriagelife ♬ original sound - SusanDoingSusanThings Many viewers agreed that this small shift made a world of difference. “I love this. Like he was tired and didn’t want to do it but knows you shouldn’t have to. What ace communication and all it took was a post-it” one person wrote. Another echoed, “It’s that easy!!! Like do I want to do the dishes after hosting? Heck no. Let me sleep and I’ll do it in the morning. But the note changes it ALL ?.”On the other hand, many people were still left frustrated, arguing that expectations were still far too low if this simple gesture is receiving such applause.One person even lamented, “That big sigh and you’ve come so far, I wonder how many fights it took ?,” to which Susan replied, “We’ve been together for 20 years… Fight = growth.”She also reiterated that the purpose of the post was to show in real-time how healthy, thoughtful communication between partners can help transform even the most menial task into a positive, even relationship-fortifying, experience. And that is probably the biggest, most beneficial takeaway to lean into here. Ongoing communication difficulties is listed as the number one cause of divorce, even beating out infidelity. Yes, of course, moms are tired of being the default parents and wives are tired of pulling double duty, but if this story is any indicator, they are also yearning for their partners to meet them halfway on the communication front as well. And as we can see, even the smallest gestures make big impacts. In case anyone was wondering: Susan's husband did do the dishes the next day ❤️This article originally appeared on 1.6.24

Stay-at-home moms work round the clock performing myriad duties, both physically and emotionally demanding, all for zero compensation. But even more dismaying than the lack of monetary gain is the lack of recognition these full-time moms get for what they accomplish day in and day out. That’s where Donald Schaefer comes in. Schaefer, a man who seems to be upwards of 80 and living in Florida, is a bit of an unexpected influencer in the mom corner of social media. But nonetheless, his Instagram and TikTok are full of videos meant to offer financial tips, recipe ideas and emotional support specifically for this demographic. One video in particular is making stay-at-home moms, aka SAHMs, feel so seen. In his “special message to stay-at-home moms,” Schaefer offers SAHMS the rare gift of being told what an “incredible job” they’re doing, saying that their “dedication, hard work and love are the cornerstones of your family’s well being.” Watching his daughters and granddaughters with kids, Schaefer says that he’s “amazed” at what accomplished every day, and because of that, he was inspired to remind all SAHMS that “what you’re doing matters immensely.” “Sometimes in the midst of the chaos of daily routines and endless chores it’s easy to forget how important your role is, but every meal cooked, every scraped knee kissed, every bedtime story read, it all adds up to shaping the future generation,” he said. @magicman1942 Special message for the stay at home moms. #stayathomemom #personalgrowth #inspiration #stayathomemomstruggle #workingmom #personal ♬ original sound - Don Schaefer went on to say that it’s “perfectly normal” to get overwhelmed or exhausted with all the responsibilities and isolation that come with the job. That’s what makes self care so necessary.“Whether it’s stealing a few moments for yourself during nap time, indulging in a hobby you love, or simply just taking a relaxing bath at the end of the day if you can find the time. Prioritize your well being,” he urged. He then encouraged SAHMs to carve out moments to celebrate the small victories and appreciate the joys of motherhood, whether that looks like “a successful day of homeschooling” or “simply seeing your little one smile.”Finally, Schaefer brought it all home by reiterating that even if it doesn't always feel like it, a SAHM’s value is “immeasurable.” “Trust me. You are the heart and soul of your family and your efforts create a warm and nurturing environment where everyone can thrive. Keep shining your light and know that you are appreciated, loved and admired more than you’ll ever know. You’re doing an amazing job, and the world is a better place because of you,” he concluded. Understandably, viewers were moved.“Made me tear up!! What man takes the time to encourage moms? None I’ve known. Thank you,” one person wrote.“This definitely made me cry,” another echoed. “Thank you for such kind words and taking the time to make this video. It touched my heart so much.”One commented, “I’m not even a SAHM, and I still felt this! ALL moms can relate I think…thank you sir!” And still, another simply wrote, “Needed this.”For every SAHM (or any stay-at-home parent, for that matter) may these kind words help bolster your spirit, and remind you that what you do is important indeed. You deserve that, and so much more.For more of Schaefer's content, find him on Instagram and TikTok. This article originally appeared on 6.7.24

Despite a short-lived pandemic baby boom, birth rates are at an all time low in the US. There are, of course, myriad factors contributing to this complex issue, but when those factors are flattened down into bite-sized conservative talking points, it is the generational selfishness and disrespect to traditional American values of millennials that’s really to blame. However, one heated millennial is countering that for many folks in their age group, having kids is simply not financially possible. Twenty-nine-year-old Charlie Fitzgerald (she/they/he) didn’t hold back as they declared "it absolutely baffles me that the government is pretending like they don't know why we're not having kids because, frankly, it is glaringly obvious.” In the now-viral clip, Fitzgerald noted how heavily inflation has affected basic necessities for families like groceries, baby formula, diapers, childcare. Giving birth in the United States, they noted “averages at around $14000.” According to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health System Tracker, that average is more like just a few bucks shy of $19,000. As Fitzgerald pointed out, for the 73% of millennials already living paycheck to paycheck from mostly entry level work, likely also paying off college debt which in no way, shape or form guaranteed them gainful employment…this is pretty much impossible. And since poverty traps do exist, those who are born into struggling families often have a much harder time getting access to education and other resources that can actually help them escape poverty. Or, as Fitzgerald put it, “when you're born poor in this country, you're probably gonna die poor, and your kids are gonna be in the same boat. I don't want that for my kid."Viewer, be warned. There are a few f-bombs dropped here and there. @jimmyego Why aren't millennials having kids? #millennial #4B ♬ original sound - Definitely Not Charlie Fitzgerald also went into the lack of maternity leave offered for new parents, saying that many jobs don’t offer adequate leave time, or parents can’t afford to take the time off. "Then you've got to pay for childcare, which is outrageous. In the state that I live in, the average cost of just daycare is $15.77 an hour," they said. "When you are making as little money as millennials are, childcare is literally inaccessible." And sadly, not being able to afford to take care of a kid gets labeled as “neglect”, resulting in severe consequences, including families getting separated. "Say baby formula wasn't available in your area, so you couldn't afford to feed your kids, so you get slapped with neglect charges. That company that couldn't provide the baby formula faces absolutely no repercussions." One of Fitzgerald’s final points is a fairly basic one: the housing crisis. "How many millennials do you know who own their own house?" they asked, saying that most folks of their age group "are renters or live with our parents or live with a pile of roommates." And with no real certainty that things will change, their stance is "I don't wanna bring a child into a situation where I'm not sure I'm gonna have somewhere to live in a year." Fair, fair. In conclusion, Fitzgerald said, "It's not that we don't wanna have kids. A lot of us do. In fact, I would love to have a kid with my wife, but I'm not gonna have a kid in this country right now. I'm not." And they are certainly not alone in that sentiment. Tons of comments came rolling in from people who shared similar thoughts and experiences. Below is just a small snippet. “People ask me whether I want kids and I’m like ‘that’s irrelevant because I can’t afford to make that choice. It’s been made for me.’” “I had a coworker come back to work 3 days after she gave birth. She couldn’t afford the time off.” “The only millennial I know with a house AND kids? They have a supporting family and generational wealth. Most of us don’t get that.” “My parents always screamed ‘if you can’t feed em, don’t breed em’ my entire childhood. Ok, bet.” “When people say ‘money doesn’t solve your problems’ I’m gonna show them this video.” Of course, there are plenty of folks who have chosen to go childfree because they are happier that way. But, as Fitzgerald and many other millennials can attest, many simply don’t have the choice to anymore.

Depending on what generation you belong to, when you hear the name Tiffany, you might think of the famous jewelry store, the teen singer from the 80s or the less-in-the-spotlight daughter of the former president. Most likely, you don't think of a woman who lived in the Middle Ages. In fact, if you were listening to an audiobook set in medieval times and the narrator introduced a character named Tiffany, you'd probably get yanked right out of the story as your brain would say, "Wait, why is there a Tiffany in this story? Isn't that a much more modern name?"It's actually not, which is exactly why The Tiffany Problem is called The Tiffany Problem. The Tiffany Problem refers to the fact that people in modern times will sometimes see something as anachronistic when it's not. It's something writers, filmmakers and other storytellers have to be aware of, as it can feel like there's a historical problem even if there isn't an actual historical problem.Abraham Piper explains the dilemma and how it was coined: See on Instagram As Piper shares, fantasy author Jo Walton coined the term "The Tiffany Problem" and explained it:"Your readers are modern people and know what they know, which is fine except when what they know isn’t actually right. For instance, the name Tiffany sounds extremely modern to us. It feels jarring when we read it as a character name in a historical setting, where we’d be quite happy with names like Anna and Jane. But our instinct is wrong, because Tiffany is a form of Theophania, and it was fairly common in medieval England and France. It went out of fashion later, and it’s because we don’t have seventeenth to nineteenth century examples that it feels modern. But you still can’t use it in a fantasy novel set in the exact time and place when the name would have been historically accurate, because it will jerk the reader out of their reading trance. They know it’s wrong and you can’t tell them that what they know is wrong."Piper had also shared that "ha ha," which seems like a casual, modern colloquialism, is actually very old, with the first known use coming from a monk 1,000 years ago. He also mentions "OMG," which was used by a World War I admiral in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917. And "hubby" as a slang term for husband? That goes way back to the 1680s. Who knew?It's a bit ironic that writers who strive to ensure their historical fiction works are historically accurate can find themselves stymied by people being just flat-out wrong about what's accurate and what's not. Humans are interesting creatures, aren't we? For more info about the name Tiffany than you ever thought you wanted to know but will be delighted to learn, CGP Grey created a whole video about the name that has 4.7 million views. Tiffany exploded the 1980s, but CGP Grey goes all the way back to the year 300 to uncover the origins of the name. It's genuinely entertaining. Watch: - YouTube www.youtube.com If you're still here and want to take an even deeper dive into the history of Tiffany, this other video from CGP Grey is an incredible rabbit hole that will make you appreciate the work historians do and marvel at how much digging Grey actually did to provide the original Tiffany history video. We're talking trips to the deep dark corners of The British Library, the largest library in the world, and hours and hours of paging through books just to find the original source of this one poem that includes the name "Tiffany." It's a journey, but a fascinating one.Enjoy "Someone Dead Ruined My Life… Again": - YouTube www.youtube.com

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