The following article, “Whitewashed” – Jasmine Crockett Issues Another Cringe Statement, was first published on Conservative Firing Line. Apparently, Rep Jasmine Crockett doesn’t just hate disabled people, she hates interracial marriage as well. During a recent podcast, she slammed black rep Bryon Donalds (R-FL) for marrying a white woman, calling him “whitewashed” and referring to him as “skin folk that are not our kinfolk.” If THIS is the “face of the Democrats” they … Continue reading “Whitewashed” – Jasmine Crockett Issues Another Cringe Statement ...

Comedic actors know how to deliver lines in just the right way with just the right timing to make an audience laugh. But true comedians are often funnier when they’re allowed to go off-script and let their gift for spontaneous humor shine. Enter Billy Crystal, whose ad-libbed scene in “The Princess Bride” was so funny it took nearly 30 hours of work to get five minutes of usable footage. Cast members of the cult classic film have shared what happened when director Rob Reiner decided to take the reins off of Crystal, telling him, “Forget the lines, just go for it,” according to actor Cary Elwes. That invitation to improvise would prove to be one of the best—and worst—decisions he could have made for the film. In the scene, Crystal plays “Miracle Max,” a crotchety old apothecary who argues with his wife (played by Carol Kane) and brings the "mostly dead" Westley back to life with his chocolate-covered magic pill. There were lines written for his character, but he didn't need them. He could—and did—ad-lib for hours, but it proved to be a bit of a problem because the cast and crew just couldn't stop laughing. - YouTube www.youtube.com The sound department had to start banishing people off of the set because they were ruining takes with their giggles. Reiner himself, who has a big, boisterous laugh, was one of the first people to go because he couldn't keep it together during the filming. Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya and wasn't able to leave, shared that he sustained his only injury in the entire making of the film during the shooting of that scene—a bruised rib from holding in laughter. Elwes said Reiner told him he needed to lie perfectly still and hold his breath in the scene, but Crystal's "medieval Yiddish stand-up" proved too hilarious and Elwes had to be replaced with his rubber dummy for much of the shoot. Patinkin said that Reiner nearly threw up from laughing so hard, and people in the cast and crew had to bite their hands to keep quiet. Production was nearly shut down for the day and the scene became one of the most expensive scenes in the movie because it used so much film, according to InCinematic. And the vast majority of what was filmed never got seen. "Unfortunately, there's so many spoiled—brilliantly hilarious takes that we all spoiled," said Elwes. He also wrote in his book about the movie that Crystal never said the same thing or delivered the same line twice. Crystal's improv resulted in some of the most memorable lines from the film, such as the classic, "Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world—except for a nice MLT–mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean…" Even the look of Miracle Max was from Crystal's brain child. He told his makeup artist that he wanted the character to look like a mix between Casey Stengel, former manager for the New York Yankees, and Crystal's grandmother. Casey Stengel served as inspiration for the Miracle Max character in "The Princess Bride."Public Domain People loved hearing about Crystal's comedic genius, wishing the footage that couldn't be used would be released. "You can't plan a movie like The Princess Bride, when you've got the right people sometimes it just happens." "Nothing greater as an improvising-comedian actor than hearing the words; 'Forget the lines, just go for it.'" "Three straight days of Billy off the cuff is pure gold. I would've loved to have been on that set lmao." "When the comedy is so good, you bruise your OWN RIB tryna hold it in." "Release the tapes, raw and uncut. The people demand it." We may not have access to the unseen footage of Crystal's improvised hilarity, but we can at least enjoy the scenes that did make it into the film by rewatching "The Princess Bride," which many fans do annually. The film even returned to theaters briefly for its 30th Anniversary in the fall of 2023, much to the delight of people who yearned to see it on the big screen again. - YouTube www.youtube.com This article originally appeared in January

I've always really liked cliches, idioms, proverbs, and common phrases that we like to use over and over. They can get repetitive at times, but they're crucial tools in communication. They allow us to convey so much meaning in so few words — a commonly understood shorthand that can get complex points across quickly.The only problem is that many of the most popular idioms in common use date back hundreds of years. In that time, they've either become outdated, or seen their words adopt new meanings. In some cases the idioms have been shortened or reversed, losing important context. So when someone tells you to "bite the bullet," you may inherently know what they mean — but if you really stop and think about it, you have no idea why it means what it means.If you're a word nerd like me, you'll be absolutely fascinated by the origin and evolution of some of these common idioms, and how they came to mean what they mean today.1. Sick as a dog / Working like a dog Giphy Ever have a cold and tell someone you're "sicker than a dog?" Kind of rude to dogs, in my opinion, and a little strange. I've had dogs my whole life and can't remember any of them coming down with the flu.Sick as a dog actually originates hundreds of years ago, if not longer. Some explanations say that in the 1700s, stray dogs were responsible for the spread of many diseases, along with rats and other gutter critters. There are also references as far back as the Bible to dogs eating their own vomit — sounds pretty sick to me.What about working like a dog? Dogs are the laziest creatures around! For this one you have to remember that dogs as "pleasure pets" is a relatively recent phenomenon, and before that they had to earn their keep by working tirelessly on the farm to herd and protect the animals.2. Sweating like a pigThis is an extremely common idiom that we all use and accept. There's just one problem with it. Pigs don't sweat!So... what gives? You might be surprised to hear that 'sweating like a pig' actually has nothing to do with farm animals.According to McGill University: "The term is actually derived from the iron smelting process in which hot iron poured on sand cools and solidifies with the pieces resembling a sow and piglets. Hence 'pig iron'. As the iron cools, the surrounding air reaches its dew point, and beads of moisture form on the surface of the 'pigs'. 'Sweating like a pig' indicates that the "pig" (ie iron) has cooled enough to be safely handled. And that's a "pig" you wouldn't want to eat." A person holds a plate with bulletsImages via Canva3. Bite the bulletBiting the bullet refers to sucking it up and doing something hard, something you don't want to do but is necessary, and accepting the difficult consequences and/or pain that comes with it. But what does that have to do with biting a bullet?There are different theories on this. One common explanation is that in the olden days it was common for soldiers on the battlefield receiving surgery to bite down on a lead bullet. You've probably seen people in moving biting down on a piece of wood or leather strap. Since lead is a softer metal, it would give just a little bit between their teeth and not damage them. So the idiom 'biting the bullet' means, okay, this is going to suck, just bite down and get through it. A horse making a funny faceImage via Canva4. Healthy as a horseThis one has always confused me. As a layman, it seems like horses are prone to injury and have trouble recovering when they hurt themselves. More research shows that horses can not vomit, which means they are highly at risk for deadly colic episodes. Doesn't sound super healthy!The best explanation I can find for healthy as a horse is that, again, in the olden days, horses were symbols of health and strength and vitality. Which checks out — they're really powerful, majestic creatures. A baby with glasses sleeping on a moon pillowImage via Canva5. Slept like a babyTo many parents, this common idiom is rage-inducing. If babies sleep so well, why am I so exhausted all the time?!Yes, babies are notorious for waking up every few hours or at the first sign of hunger or a dirty diaper. It puts their parents through the wringer (another strange idiom!). But to the outside observer, a sleeping baby is pure bliss. They are so innocent and blissfully unaware of anything going on around them — after all, if they're not sitting in a dirty diaper they really don't have too many other things to worry about. Also, despite all their shenanigans, babies do sleep a lot — around 17 hours a day or so. When you put it that way, the idiom starts to make a little sense. Ocean Seafood GIF by Lorraine Nam Giphy 6. Happy as a clamClams are a lot of things. Some people find them delicious, others disgusting. One thing I think we can all agree on is that clams don't seem particularly happy, which makes this idiom a bit of a conundrum.The truth is that this phrase is actually derived from the full version: "Happy as a clam at high water."At low water, or low tide, clams are exposed to predators. At high tide, they're safe in deeper water. That's about as happy as mollusk can get! Giga Pudding Snack GIF Giphy 7. The proof is in the puddingHey, we all love pudding. But what the heck does this mean? If you're not familiar, it refers to judging something based on the results it generates — but what that has to do with pudding is a bit of a mystery to most people.This is another example of a shortened idiom that makes more sense when you read the full, original line: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."According to Dictionary.com it "originated as a reference to the fact that it was difficult to judge if the pudding was properly cooked until it was actually being eaten. In other words, the test of whether it’s done is taking a bite." Giphy 8. Don't look a gift horse in the mouthI've always been a big fan of this idiom, which basically means that it's rude to over-analyze or criticize something you got for free, especially when it was a nice gesture from a friend or loved one.But here we go with horses again! This phrase likely originated from the fact that you can determine a horse's age and health by looking at its teeth. So if someone were to give you a horse as a gift, it would be rude to immediately try to see how "good" it was by looking in its mouth. A young boy blows a whistle Image via Canva9. Clean as a whistleWhistles are objectively disgusting. They collect spit and germs every time they're used. I certainly wouldn't hold them up as a beacon of cleanliness.So what gives with this idiom? There are several possible explanations that have been proposed.First, a whistle won't work, or won't work very well, if it has debris blocking up its inside. So you can think of "clean" in this case as being "empty or free of clutter." Another possibility is that, in this idiom, clean refers to sharpness — as in the sharp sound a whistle makes — and that inference has been lost over time. Two women laugh looking at a laptop screenImage via Canva10. Pull yourself up by your bootstrapsThis phrase is commonly use to describe someone who was "self-made" and built themselves up into a success from nothing. Imagine lying on the floor and hoisting yourself to your feet using only the straps on your boots.The only problem is... that's impossible! And that's exactly the point. This idiom is actually meant to be sarcastic and to imply that "socioeconomic advancement... was an impossible accomplishment," according to Useless Etymology.11. Have your cake and eat it too Giphy Why bother having a cake if you can't eat it? That's the mystery of this extremely common idiom or proverb (sometimes worded "you can't have your cake and eat it, too")The explanation is actually really simple. "Have" in this case really means "keep" or "hold onto." So, in that case, it makes perfect sense that you can't eat your cake and also still have it. "You can't have it both ways," would be another way of saying it.12. Head over heelsVery rarely do people describe being deeply in love without using this phrase. But it's a confusing one, because isn't your head always over your heels? That doesn't seem to be an extraordinary state of being.The idiom here has actually been flipped over time for unknown reasons. Originally, it went "heels over head", implying upside down. Some say it may also reference certain sexual positions... Two women at a gym push an oversized envelopeImages via Canva13. Pushing the envelopeWhen I think of radical, risky, or pushing the limits of what's possible, sliding an envelope across a table just somehow doesn't quite capture it for me. But an envelope doesn't have to be just a paper container that you put other paper in. It can actually refer to different parts and practices of an aircraft."Push the envelope comes from aeronautics, where it refers to a set of performance limits that may not be safely exceeded," according to Merriam Webster. Now that's more like it!

Car enthusiasts speak the same language and connect through their love of all things auto, especially Porsche owners. And for Instagrammer Jacob Zander's (@jacobzander_) love for the car brand, in particular the Porsche 911, found him striking up a new friendship with a total stranger. In a touching video shared on Instagram, Jacobs shares the story of how he met Lyman, a fellow Porsche 911 owner. Although the two are complete strangers, this car created a connection that both will remember forever."So this morning I was walking around the Carmel farmer's market, and you're not going to believe what happened. So I saw this cool (Porsche) 911, and I was like, 'Oh I should take a picture of it. So I take a picture and this guy was walking towards it and he opened the door, and I was like, 'Cool car!' and he said, 'Thank you,'" as Jacob shared that he just got himself one as well. "Then he asked if I want to get lunch tomorrow," he shares, before adding that Lyman had a few other Porsche's he had in storage that he wanted to show him. See on Instagram The video pans to Jacob grabbing lunch with Lyman, before the two head to a large garage to check out Lyman's Porsche collection. "I'm excited," he says, before Lyman adds, "I'll be the star of your show," to the camera. Jacob explains that their connection is special because he is currently on a road trip from Eugene, Oregon, to Los Angeles, and he only stopped in Carmel for a few days. The video then shows the two men checking out Lyman's cars, lifting up the hood to check out engines and admiring interiors. "After that, he was like, 'Hey Jacob, do you wanna drive?' So we took a drive, and he let me drive all around Carmel. He told me I was taking it a little bit too easy, and he wanted me to try the turbo out. He said let's get on the freeway so you can test it out," he says. See on Instagram The next clip is of Jacob putting the car into turbo and really working the engine, as he simply says, "Wow!" The video ends with the two continuing to cruise to the coast, taking in a gorgeous sunset.In the comments, Jacob added, "You never know where something might lead if you say hi to someone you don’t know!! My favorite part: 'I’ll be the star of your show'." Car Drifting GIF Giphy And viewers love the new friendship between Lyman and Jacob. "This made me cry, if someone did this to my dad, it would literally make him the happiest man. My dad has so many cool old school cars in his storage that he wants to show off but you just can’t trust people. He’s been taken advantage of before and he’s very timid. Thank you for being so kind to this man and allowing him to have this moment," one wrote. Another shared, "He found someone who appreciates his passion, sweet." And another viewer added, "Love this!! When you’re open to strangers being nice, you start to see true human connection ?."

Defeating him on acoustic guitar.

"Integrity and passion."

What would you guess Guy Fieri drinks in the morning to fuel up for the day ahead? It turns out the Mayor of Flavortown likes to keep it simple.

In your pursuit of the best french fries to make at home, you might be wondering whether the oven or air fryer is better. We put both appliances to the test.