As Klaus Schwab exits the World Economic Forum, many are naively claiming that globalism is dead.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  The WEF is very much alive and is joining forces with the United Nations in advancing digital IDs in Australia. Investigative journalist Alex Newman has more on this development. The World Economic …

That’s a hell of an intro. Rock the Country is in full swing, bringing headliners like Kid Rock, Nickelback, Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd to small towns around the country for a two-day party that celebrates all things country music and America. The idea for Rock the Country, which is now in its second year, came from the folks behind the popular Rock the South festival in Cullman, Alabama who wanted to bring a major festival to small towns that don’t get as many concerts or festivals close to them as major cities. Speaking with Tucker Carlson about the festival’s mission, Kid Rock said it was an opportunity for folks in small towns to come out and party with other hardworking people who love our country: “I see a need for a big portion of this country that’s underserved entertainment wise. And that’s pretty prevalent when you see the success of shows like Yellowstone and Duck Dynasty, things like that. People are just starving for it. So we wanted to go out and give hard-working people that love this country a music festival. Something for them. Come show your patriotism, just like they do at my shows, but do it with a force of people.” The first year of the festival, which featured headliners Kid Rock and Jason Aldean along with an incredible lineup of artists in each town, was a massive success. And this year they decided to do it even bigger, expanding to 9 small towns with an incredible lineup of artists that features Kid Rock and Nickelback at each stop, but also includes headliners Bocephus and Lynyrd Skynyrd along with a stacked lineup of artists like Tracy Lawrence, Travis Tritt, Ella Langley, Treaty Oak Revival and many, many more. Rock the Country kicked off this year in Livingston, Louisiana earlier this month, and this past weekend the party rolled into Knoxville, Tennessee – where things may have gotten a little muddy thanks to a lot of rain, but it didn’t slow folks down from having the time of their lives. @shelbryogers Rock the Country 2025 #rockthecountry #kidrock #lynyrdskynyrd #country #mud #redneck #musica #festival #boots ♬ Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd Hell yeah. And everybody who braved the elements to make it out to the show was greeted by a special message ahead of Kid Rock’s headlining performance. The country rocker has become good friends with President Donald Trump, even appearing in the Oval Office last month with Trump while wearing the most American suit I’ve ever seen. Kid Rock joins @POTUS in the Oval Office for the signing of an Executive Order to crack down on unfair ticket scalping. 'Thank you, Mr. President, because this has happened at lightning speed… thank you for making this happen so quick.' – Kid Rock pic.twitter.com/M4dT3nNsDU — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 31, 2025 And he even managed to get POTUS to record a video greeting for fans ahead of his shows, with President Trump “Hello to everybody at the Kid Rock concert. He’s my favorite, he’s fantastic. It’s your favorite president, Donald J. Trump, and everyone at this wonderful event is united by the same timeless American values. We love our freedom, we protect and defend our Constitution, and we love the great American musical tradition, rock n’ roll.  This amazing crowd here today must be the most patriotic group in rock history. Thank you all for coming out to take part in this, really a great renewal of the American spirit. My administration is working tirelessly to make our country strong and rich and great again, and I’ll tell you what, every single day this is what I think about. It’s fight, fight, fight and win, win, win for the American people. So have a fantastic evening, have a fantastic day, we love you all, and Kid Rock is as good as they get. Enjoy the concert, I wish I could be there with you, and someday I’ll be able to. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.”  The crowd roared at the message from the President as Kid Rock took the stage for his full-throttle set, capping off a wild two days filled with country music and freedom. @dianne_kay_1.0 #trump#knoxville #greenback #tennessee #kidrock @rockthecountry ♬ original sound – dianne_kay_gen_x The next stop for Rock the Country will be May 9-10 in Ocala, Florida, and with 7 shows left on the schedule, you still have plenty of opportunities all around the country to get out and party with some freedom-loving Americans to some killer country music. For more information about Rock the Country, and to get tickets for yourself and your patriotic friends, head over to RockTheCountry.com for everything you need. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Peachtree Entertainment (@peachtreeentertainment) The post Donald Trump Greets The Crowd At ‘Rock The Country’ Ahead Of Kid Rock’s Headlining Performance first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

A territorial woodpecker has broken dozens of car mirrors in a bizarre springtime rampage.

It's no secret that Jewel has been a mental health advocate for more than 20 years. The singer has been open about her own struggles with anxiety, often highlighting music and songwriting as one of her strategies for managing the condition. In 2009 she released Lullaby an album of soft melodic tunes that seem to not only calm a sleepy infant, but anxious adults. It's been more than a decade since the album's release and it's still her most downloaded album.Year after year people share how listening to the album helps them reign in their anxiety. Armed with that information, Jewel decided to play the album live for a four week series for Mental Health Awareness Month. The artist spoke with Upworthy about the details of this unique event that culminates with an in-person community event at Greenhouse in Las Vegas, on May 25. Photo by Dana Trippe courtesy of Shorefire MediaJewel explains about the surprising anomaly of the Lullaby album, "It's been an interesting thing to watch lullaby become this really sort of underground hit that people keep returning to over and over to support their mental health and their anxiety. The stories I hear of college kids using it to study, I have high-powered execs that come home and unwind, listening to the album," she says."And it's so interesting because I wrote the album for my mental health like, "Angel Standing By," "Circle Song," a lot of of those songs I wrote myself when I was really anxious to help regulate my own nervous system so it's been really neat to see people find the album and use it for that reason and it's what really inspired me this year just sort of shine a spotlight on it. Just because there's a lot of tension in the world and I think if we can all find things that help us regulate our nervous system and build community that it can only be good." Photo by Dana Trippe courtesy of Shorefire MediaThe singer songwriter started having panic attacks in her teens which led her to discovering that she could help to regulate herself by writing and singing this lullaby type music. "I moved out when I was 15 and I started having panic attacks at that age, but I didn't know what they were called. You know the word mental health, regulating nervous systems. None of that existed–trauma. There were not those words. I just knew this overwhelming terrifying thing happens to me and I was trying to figure out what do I do about it and I just started writing songs and so it especially would hit me at night."It was then that she wrote "Angel Standing By" as a means to soothe her own nervous system, and now that very song is helping others do the same. Being on her own at an early age left her with no one to guide her with what to do with the feelings she was having so she wrote the song to tell herself all the things she needed to hear in those hard moments. "I would I just write myself what I felt like I was needing to hear it was sort of like making your own medicine and it really worked and I would just sing myself that song over and over and it would really calm me down and then I remember parents telling me that they would have their kids listen to the first album of mine, which was so interesting," she recalls to Upworthy before adding, "There's a lot of material on there that I wouldn't think little kids would be good for. It's a bit adult, but something about the sound of my voice was very soothing, and I just remembered that and so when it was time to make this album, I wanted it to be something that was soothing for adults and children that would would help them.""Lullaby Sundays," which will be live streamed every Sunday in May is meant to target audience members of all ages and will be available for replay on her own Instagram page as well as the Inspiring Children Foundation’s channels, a foundation that Jewel has been supporting for more than 20 years. The foundation focuses on the mental health of children and was started by Ryan Wolfington at a time when there wasn't such a focus on childhood mental health, which is one of the reasons Jewel got involved, she explains. Photo by Dana Trippe courtesy of Shorefire Media"I wanted to build new habits and that's how we focus working with the kids and we have tremendous outcomes and we found music to be really powerful and helping because it really can hack your nervous system. And give you and put you in a different frame of mind," the artist shares. "I'm starting to study it and study the effects of my voice on peoples nervous system and it's been fascinating to see that it works. You know it's not...it's not just antidotal. I'm actually able to start showing that this type of music and the music I'm creating really is affecting people's nervous system."Jewel is hoping that people who participate in the livestream events will take away a sense of community, connection and empowerment that we all have the tools to help calm our own nervous systems. If you want to check out her livestream the anticipated schedule is as follows:Sunday, May 4, 2025 @ [2:30PM PT] – Lullaby Sunday #1: A Lullaby listening party, featuring stories behind each song from Jewel and a discussion on how music affects the nervous system. RSVP here. Sunday, May 11, 2025 @ [2:30PM PT] – Lullaby Sunday #2: A conversation with Jewel about managing mental well-being while raising children. RSVP here. Sunday, May 18, 2025 @ [4:30PM PT] – Lullaby Sunday #3: A conversation between Jewel and a mental health expert to discuss their personal mental health journeys, as well as tools and practices they use in their daily lives. RSVP here. Sunday, May 25, 2025 @ [2-5PM PT] – Lullaby Sunday #4: An in-person event at Greenhouse Smoothie Bar & Eatery in Las Vegas to foster a conversation about mental health, community support, and emotional resilience. RSVP here.

Prom is one of the most memorable parts of high school. But for student Justin Etienne, an 18- year-old senior at Salem High School in metro Atlanta, it was a milestone that was missed by a just a few weeks. Etienne, a victim of gun violence, passed away in March 2025.Etienne had planned to go to prom with his date, Reyaa. In an emotional new video shared by Etienne's family (@justice_4justin), his mom, Tierra Neil, followed through to deliver the corsage Etienne had picked out for her for their special night weeks before his passing. "My heart goes out to all the moms and families mourning loved ones lost? Justin’s mom went to see his prom date off to prom and to give her the corsage he got for her??️?‼️?," the caption of the video reads. See on Instagram In the video, Neil arrives at Reyaa's home with the corsage in her hands. She knocks on their door, and after her family opens it, Neil is immediately overwhelmed with emotion. She is met with a hug, and comes inside the home.Reyaa is waiting for her in a stunning pink gown that has Etienne's face on the front of it. Reyaa is wiping tears away from her eyes as she and Neil share a long hug together. See on Instagram Neil takes a moment to look at Reyaa's dress and the photo of Etienne. Then she bravely takes the corsage out of the box, and places it on her wrist. Neil tells her, "You look so pretty," and continues to admire her gown that was designed specially for her by her uncle, Kyle Robertson.The tearjerker video received an overwhelming response from viewers in the comment section. "When she sees the picture on the dress! She knew her son chose a good one which brings on a whole new hurt. Bless these women," one wrote. Another added, "The fact that she found the strength ???." Another shared, "My heart breaks in a million pieces for his mom. Justin should be here going to prom getting ready to graduate! ?"In another post, Etienne's family shared more details about Etienne and Reyaa. "Before Justin passed he asked this beautiful young lady to prom and she said YES!! Her designer made her prom dress with his picture on it and even her nails has his name on it!!!" they wrote. See on Instagram In another post shared on her Instagram, Reyaa also opened up about her experience at prom honoring Etienne. "A Night I’ll Never Forget With a Person I’ll Always Remember??️," she wrote. "And thank you for the encouragement and push to follow through with this for Justin...And Justin, mann we DEFINITELY showed out in our rose gold! I miss you so much man so much, but I know you were with me?!"Etienne's family has started a GoFundMe account to support his memorial and parents during this difficult time, and shared more about who Etienne was. "Justin was one of the kindest souls you could ever meet—quiet, funny, always full of joy, and never one to argue or cause trouble. He had a bright future ahead of him, and his life was stolen far too soon."

At one point or another, we all saw the videos in health class that explained how babies are made. A pivotal scene in these educational films is the inevitable race between sperm as they make their way through the cervix and uterus in a frantic rush to reach the egg before they're destroyed. It's really wild to think about—out of hundreds of millions of sperm released during sex, only one (1!) will successfully penetrate the outer layer of the egg and achieve fertilization.And even that is not guaranteed. Successful conception requires the right timing and environmental factors in the woman's body, and it also requires strong, healthy, mobile sperm. The odds are long, and only the best can survive!It's a wonder it took someone so long to come up with the brilliant idea: Sperm races! And they're off to the races! Giphy A 17-year-old "student and entrepreneur" from California named Eric Zhu recently had the idea to pit men against each other to see who had the healthier, stronger sperm.The whole thing has the atmosphere of a supercharged UFC fight. There's a live crowd, a pre-match weigh in, professional hype crew. There's music and lights. Apparently, if you attend a bout, you can even bet on the results of the race.After the contestants provide a, uh, sample, the sperm are introduced onto a tiny track that mimics the shape of the female reproductive system complete with "chemical signals, fluid dynamics, and synchronized starts." Using a sophisticated series of microscopes and high-tech cameras, every movement of the sperm are tracked as the two contestant's quite literally race to the finish line.The "athletes" recruited even train before the big showdown by honing in on their diets, workout routines, and mental discipline.You can watch a real-life, down-to-the-wire sperm race right here: — (@) It's complete insanity. But it's insanity for a good cause. Zhu launched Sperm Racing to start a broader conversation around male fertility, which is seeing an alarming decline.Around the globe, men's sperm quality and counts are suffering, in part due to environmental factors, diet, and more. Fertility is so often seen and discussed as a women's issue, but more men need to know they play an important role. Certain factors are out of our control, but diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and more can actually play a massive role in sperm quality.Male infertility is responsible for about half of all infertility, which is what you would expect. But did you know that sperm quantity and quality also play a major role in embryo development, miscarriage risk, birth weight, fetal health, and likelihood of other pregnancy complications? If not, you're not alone. We don't talk about this nearly enough. Having healthy sperm is way more important than most people realize. Giphy There are some fair criticisms of Sperm Racing, to be clear. Some commenters find the whole thing gross and off-putting, and it's worth questioning why we need to wrap men's health in this hyper-macho, sports-like packaging for people to take it seriously. There's talk on the official Sperm Racing website of setting up an official league, the best competitors becoming professional athletes. "Where legends are born," the eye-rolling manifesto reads. It reeks of the same men who won't get their regular prostate exams because they think it's "gay" (yes, that's really a thing).Then again, the whole thing is just so absolutely, absurdly ridiculous that it can't help but generate headlines and grab attention. And maybe that's exactly the point. Having a salad and going for a run to improve your sexual health isn't overly exciting. But training for a chance to win the Sperm Racing championship belt? Now that's guaranteed to get a few reluctant dudes up off the couch, even if they have no real intention of competing.

Many people find making small talk to be an excruciating experience. They think it’s boring to talk with a stranger about the weather, sports, or weekend plans. They may also feel like they don’t have anything to contribute to the conversation, or they don’t understand the point of having one in the first place.However, those who excel at making small talk have a tremendous advantage in their professional and romantic relationships, as well as in forming new friendships. Most importantly, small talk is a window to transition into medium talk or, eventually, deep, meaningful conversations. The problem is that many people get stuck in small talk, and things stall before progressing to something beneficial. A man and woman chatting.via Canva/PhotosHow to get better at small talkThe great thing is that, like anything, making small talk is a skill that we can all improve by learning some simple conversation techniques. One technique that is great for keeping a conversation going, like hitting a ball back and forth past a net in tennis, is a simple statement: It reminds me of…”A redditor named IsaihLikesToConnect shared some great examples of how the phrase can be used to turn a mundane topic, such as the weather, into something much more fun.Them: "It's been really rainy, huh?"You:Option 1 (Personal Story): "Yeah, it reminds me of a time I went on a run in the rain and nearly got hit by a car."Option 2 (Music / Pop Culture): "It reminds me of every Adele song. When I'm driving, I feel like I'm in a music video."Option 3 (Family): "It reminds me of my dad, he used to love playing with us in the rain as kids."Option 4 (Thing you watched / World News): "It reminds me of this documentary I saw where they're trying to make it rain in the Sahara Desert.”Option 5 (Place you lived): “It reminds me of when I lived in Australia, it barely ever rained there. I actually love this weather.” Coworkers having a conversation.via Canva/PhotosYou see in this example that using “It reminds me of…” opened up the conversation to five potential new and more exciting topics. The “You” in the story could have responded with, “Yeah, it sure is rainy,” and the conversation would have ended right there. But instead, branching off the topic of rain into something a bit deeper took the conversation to the next level. You get extra points if you can take the “reminds me of” into a topic that you assume the other person will be interested in. Coworkers having a conversation.via Canva/PhotosWhat’s a polite way to change the topic in a conversation?Using “this reminds me of…” is also a polite way to move the topics in another direction, especially when it's a topic that you don’t want to discuss or one that makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. Or, if it’s a situation where the other person is monologing on one topic for a very long time, this makes it easy to transition away from their diatribe.Ultimately, the phrase is an excellent way for you to save the person you’re talking to from being stuck in the small talk rut as well. It shows you understand that when someone brings up the weather, they are merely getting things started with something both of you have in common. They probably don’t want to talk about the weather for 30 minutes, unless they are a meteorologist. “It reminds me of…” is an invitation to go a bit deeper and shows the other person that you’d like to learn more about them.

This world is filled with all kinds of people, each a mixed bag of qualities and quirks, virtues and vices. This "being human" business is complex and none of us has everything figured out, but sometimes a person comes along who's able to tap into the magical, wonder-filled side of life and express it in a way that touches people universally. Darby Hudson's mom—hereby known as "Mum"—was one of those people, and we're all getting to know her posthumously through her delightful "Alive things Mum said to me before she died" quotes shared by Hudson. Gems like this:"Darby, love, there's so much sadness in the world yet I'm always falling in love with the day. There's almost too much to fall in love with.""Darby, love, I'm struggling to fit this one life into this one life. But sometimes I feel this weightless heaviness for all the lives I wish I'd lived. But then I think in all those lives I'd have still seen the same moon at night." All of Mum's quotes begin with "Darby, love…"Courtesy of Darby Hudson/Instagram"Darby, love, sometimes I think I'm just too alive. Is there such a thing as being too alive?""Darby, love, there is so much beauty in the world. Also, I hope you've been keeping up with the politics in this country, terrible things are happening. Oh, look at that cloud, it looks like a pelican! Do you see it too, love?!""Darby, love, when you go for a walk remember to tell things you love them aloud: trees, clouds, fire hydrants. Tell all the things you love them.""Darby, love, life is a walk in the park. But with rabid stray dogs and someone going to mug you. But on a beautiful day, of course, and that's all that matters." See on Instagram Some of the quotes are breathtakingly beautiful snippets of reflective wisdom, like "Darby, love, everything you need is inside of you. How do you look inside of you? When you no longer have a choice." And some of them are a whole different kind of wisdom, such as: "Darby, love, never apologise then fart." Hudson tells Upworthy that his mom loved books, especially mythology, poetry, and the classics. She had been a librarian, a high school teacher, and then a barrister (a lawyer, for the Americans reading). "She was a bit of a dreamer yet strangely operated in the brutal world of logic," Hudson says, adding, "Barristers need to turn sentences into a form of algebra to be able to argue." He thinks her being Irish helped her in that work.Like many people who shine brightly, Hudson's mom could also fall into deep despair. As their relationship grew closer in adulthood, Hudson learned how he could tap into her bright side to help pull her from the darkness. "See which emotion wins."Courtesy of Darby Hudson/Instagram"She lived like a bit of a hermit and a local eccentric into her old age," he tells Upworthy. "She was a little sideways and taught me a lot about how to view the world and we often completed each others' thoughts. Later in life, I felt like she was less my mum and more my 'sister' and that's when our relationship got a lot better! As long as I could lure her into a sense of play, she would move from her darkness and hopeless view of the world and into a sense of magic. We all have those two sides—one of politics and one of magic. Her magic side was beautiful!"Hudson collected all of her quotes in a book, "DARBY, LOVE..." which he said came to him during the time between Christmas and New Year's, when "days of the week don’t exist and you could feel politics drop away and magic return." He wrote in the introduction:"Mum was a stranger to this world – she belonged to one of magic and dreams. On her good days, she was unstoppable, pure spirit. And while her darkness was pure despair, almost out of necessity, it was countered with the most incredible light. And in these current times – a world that can feel so dark – I wanted to share mum’s brightest self. These pages hold the truth of most of what mum did and said – but they’re also an inspired love letter to her voice, channelling and capturing the spirit of the strangest, most poetic soul I’ve ever known. Some of the most 'famous' people I’ve ever met have no followers, no audience. Mum was one. I was lucky to call her mum, even if her lingering spirit still drives me up the wall sometimes." See on Instagram People have been moved by both Hudson's mum's words and his celebration of her "magic.""Darby love, this is the single most beautiful thing I’ve encountered on my device today. I’m going to jump offline now, for fear of ruining this magic - will return tomorrow for more musings (and after I’ve told the lizards on my walk that I love them).""What a blessing to have a mother with such a lovely spirit, so funny yet full of wisdom. My favorite: 'Darby, love, I often get the feeling that there's something very wrong with me and then another feeling comes rushing in from behind saying there's something very right with me.' That says it all about her personality ?✨ Thanks for sharing! She must be tremendously missed, but you're keeping her essence alive!""Your mum’s thoughts sound so beautiful. How often have I thought to myself 'I’m struggling to fit this one life into this one life' so perfectly stated.""I’ve never missed anyone I’ve never met before. How bout that!" "Don't let it explain the magic away."Courtesy of Darby Hudson/Instagram"I am pretty sure I love your mum. These are some of the best things I’ve ever read. Being a mother myself. In my mind possibly with the same colorful, mysterious and beautiful outlook on life and hope to have my 'legacy' of expression passed down to my children ?""Your mum's words are like a eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup while being held. I want to smile and cry at the same time.""The best thing I’ve ever read in a long time. Darby, love, you got lucky with that one."What better way to honor the unique light a loved one brought to the world than to share glimmers of their everyday brilliance? Thank you for sharing your mum's words with us, Darby. May we all take her magical whimsy and beautiful perspective on life to heart. See on Instagram You can find more of Darby Hudson's work on Instagram and find his book, "DARBY, LOVE…" here.

Astronauts must undergo extensive training before they can enter space. They have to learn spacecraft operations, survival skills, robotics, physical fitness, how to walk in space, and emergency protocols in case something goes wrong. They also need extensive training on how to use the toilet.How do astronauts go to the bathroom in zero gravity?Astronaut Chris Hadfield, a former commander of the International Space Station (ISS), says that astronauts must learn to recognize that the urge to go feels different in zero gravity. “How do you know when you have to poop on earth? It's actually because of the weight of the poop inside you. Tells you, hey, it's time to poop,” Hadfield says. “Well, if you're weightless, then your body's not gonna tell you it's time to poop. So you almost have to learn this new sort of fullness symptom that tells you it's time to poop.” @_cosmic_enigma How to poop in Space #astronauts #space #poop #iss #internationalspacestation #astronaut Hadfield goes onto explain the rather ingenious of fans in space station toilets that mimic gravity for you. "Taking the place of gravity to pull the poop into the toilet is airflow," Hadfield explains. The fans work to suck the waste down once it leaves the body (this goes for urine as well, notes Hadfield). Though an impressive workaround, Hadfield certainly appreciates the effects of gravity after returning to Earth since it makes it a lot easier to go poop. “You're counting on gravity, cause gravity is gonna pull it away from you,” Hadfield said. “And without gravity, even when you're done pooping, the the poops just gonna stay sort of sticking to you. So we wear a rubber glove. And sometimes you have to, like, physically separate the poop from your body.”Thank goodness for gravity. Space Shuttle toilet on display at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.via Svobdat/Wikimedia CommonsUsing air instead of water to suck waste into a space toilet makes things a lot less messy, too. You don’t want to flush your urine and feces in zero gravity. That would be a horror show. Being in space also does strange things to your poop. When astronaut Scott Kelly returned home after spending a year aboard the ISS, researchers found that his gut microbiome changed significantly from those typically found on the ground. It took a few months after Kelly’s return to Earth for his gut to return to normal. The International Space Station.via NASA/Wikimedia CommonsWhere does the poop go when astronauts use the bathroom in space?When Kelly was on the ISS, the urine was transformed into reusable water aboard the space station. The feces, for which he produced over 180 pounds during his 340-day stay in space, is collected into bags and put on a small craft that is launched into space. Much like a shooting star or meteorite, the waste eventually burns up as it reenters the atmosphere, so you don’t have to worry about astronaut poop landing on the roof of your house.Astronauts must be cautious about when and where they use the restroom while in space, so a diaper can be a valuable asset during their mission. There’s nowhere to go on a spacewalk, so astronauts wear diapers to avoid aborting their mission if nature calls 250 miles above the Earth's surface. They also wear a diaper during takeoffs and landings because it’s too dangerous to get up and walk around the cabin.You have to master an incredible number of skills to be able to make it into space as an astronaut. You need to know science and engineering, but also possess a good sense of self. You must learn new ways of interacting with your body, and one of the most important values you can cultivate while exploring the final frontier is humility.