Onion rings are a staple fast-food item. Yet you’re unlikely to find them at McDonald’s, one of the most recognizable fast-food chains in the world. However, once upon a time, Mickey D’s did experiment with its own version of the side item, and it’s easy to see why the idea was short-lived. It was the 1970s, and by then, allegedly thanks to a Texas-based drive-in restaurant called The Pig Stand, onion rings were already a popular fast-food item. However, McDonald’s’ entire brand is centered around efficiency and profit, and compared to fries, onion rings would have been more time-consuming to make and less cost-effective. Enter: Onion Nuggets  Photo credit: Wiki.com – A vintage ad for McDonald's Onion Nuggets. According to Mental Floss, the rather baffling idea came from Rene Arend, McDonald’s first executive chef, who would later develop the somewhat controversial McRib. And get this: they actually predate chicken nuggets. Rather than cutting onions into thin rings, food workers would batter and deep-fry onion bits. However, it soon became clear that customers, especially children, didn’t enjoy this particular vegetable-to-batter ratio. You can almost picture the confusion at the counter: someone opens the box expecting a familiar crispy ring and instead finds a pile of tiny fried onion clusters. Technically accurate, sure. Emotionally satisfying? Eh, that’s another story. By 1984, they were discontinued. Alas. @mcdonalds should Mike tell us about McPizza next? #mcnuggets #mcdonalds ♬ original sound – McDonald’s How Onion Nuggets brought us Chicken McNuggets But Arend was then instructed to apply the concept to a chicken-based product, and voilà—the Chicken McNugget was born, and we were never the same. So you could say onion nuggets walked so chicken nuggets could run! Interestingly, McDonald’s could take Burger King’s approach, which essentially makes “rings” out of minced onions. According to Tasting Table, “The goal isn’t to recreate the diner-style onion ring, but to offer a salty, crunchy side that’s cheap, uniform, and easy to churn out by the millions.” However, some have criticized this recipe as more like “tiny onion flavored doughnuts.” Honestly, not seeing the problem there. There have been far worse mess-ups And when you think about McDonald’s’ long history of bizarre menu failures, including the 1960s Hula Burger (a pineapple slice with cheese), McSpaghetti, and Seinfeld-inspired Muffin Toppers, deep-fried onion bits don’t sound too strange. Some folks are even nostalgic about it and would love to see its glorious return. While the odds are never zero, they are quite low.  That’s not to say the restaurant won’t ever sell proper onion rings. But Mike Haracz, a former McDonald’s manager of culinary innovation, explains in a TikTok video that they would likely only ever be a “limited-time offer” so as not to compete with their “over-the-top profitable” French fries. @chefmikeharacz Replying to @mikeyday00 Former #McDonalds corporate chef explains why they won’t have onion rings anytime soon. #mcdonaldssecrets #McDonaldssecret #mcdonaldslife #McDonaldsMenu #mcdonaldsfries #mcdonaldsfrenchfries #mcdonaldsfriesaresogood #mcdonaldsfriesmhmm #FastFood #FastFoodSecrets #FrenchFries #Fries #FYP ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz If you’re jonesing for some McDonald’s onion rings, they’re occasionally served in places outside the United States, such as Turkey, Greece, Israel, and even Australia. Just as Haracz predicted, they’re limited-time items. We can probably all agree that if any menu item deserves a comeback, it’s the Apple Fritter. The post A failed ‘nugget’ experiment explains why you’ll never find onion rings at McDonald’s appeared first on Upworthy.

The butternut tree, (Juglans cinerea) a close relative of black walnut prized for its pale wood and wildlife value, is on the brink of disappearing from North American forests. But a new study from Virginia Tech offers hope that the species could regain its foothold with help from modern data science. By mapping climate and […] The post Scientists Track Where Butternut Tree has Resisted Deadly Disease–So Better Reforesting Can Follow appeared first on Good News Network.

If you’re a Gen X-er or a Millennial, ask yourself how many Jennifers did you grow up with? How about Brians? Stephanies, maybe? It seems like it might be time for those baby names favored in the ’70s and early ’80s to make a comeback. After all, like most things in the world, the popularity of names is cyclical. Once something reaches its height of popularity, the pendulum swings back into another era. But if given enough time, all pendulums will pop right back with force, and everything Gen X will be “now” again. View this post on Instagram The 100 year rule In a recent article for The Every Mom, Senior Editor Kathy Sisson mentions the “100 year rule for baby names.” The theory goes that names re-circulate every century, and perhaps that’s now why there seems to be a resurgence of “vintage” names from the 1920s. (Think Hazel, Arthur and Evelyn.) She adds this fun fact: “Some expectant parents even wander cemeteries looking for vintage baby name inspiration on the headstones.” But some experts claim that people are most definitely not waiting a century to bring back popular names. In a 2025 piece for Good Housekeeping, Senior Parenting and Relationship Editor Marisa Lascala specifically compiled a list of “19 vintage 1970s baby girl names that are becoming popular again.” At the top of that list were “Angie, Deborah, Jamie, Leslie and Bonnie.” According to Lascala, “Gen X was born in a period of great change, and the baby names of the era were no exception.” Perhaps it’s the modern times we’re living in that are accelerating a need to go back to an era that felt more manageable. (This is all subjective and relative, of course.) @namingbebe Calling all Jennifers Michelles & Melissas #babynames #girlnames #1970s ♬ original sound – Colleen Time for a comeback This seems to be quite the popular topic. On the subreddit r/namenerds, someone posted a thread entitled “’Dated’ names you think are due for a resurgence.” They expound, “A lot of vintage names are quite popular these days – eg. Henry, Theodore, Josephine. But what about names that aren’t quite old enough to be cool again that you think are due for a resurgence? I’m thinking names around Gen X and Millennial eras, where the vast majority of people with these names are going to be between 30 and 60. Names too recently popular to be vintage, while old enough to be considered dated… some eventually will come around back into being stylish. Do you have any bets on what presently unpopular “dated” names will be popular again soon enough?” The OP adds that they simply love the name Todd, for example. “Controversial opinion, I really love the name Todd even though a lot of folks think it’s a boring white guy/dad name. I think it has all the makings of a popular name and I’m placing my bets it will come back in style soon. I’m also really fond of the name Heather.” @70skid80steen #70s #boysnames #babynames #70snostalgia #70sthrowback ♬ Should I Stay or Should I Go (Remastered) – The Clash Feeling nostalgic Over a thousand people chimed in on this post to share the names that resonated for them back in the day. Names frequently mentioned on the thread included “Emily, Lisa, Laura, Nicole, and Erin” for girls. For boys, “Brian, Ryan, Evan, Justin, Jeremy and Eric” came up time and again. Of the extremely popular name Lisa, one commenter shared that in some way, it fits with current trends, at least in the UK. “Lisa fits in with current UK trends (soft, short, L + S + ee sound), but it’s pinnacle Gen X/Millennial, so won’t make a comeback for a while. I hope it does make a resurgence one day though! I’d like Cynthia to come back now that people are likely to associate it with Erivo.” Some even recall well-loved ’70s/’80s names, but add a modern spin. “Vanessa, but call her Nessa.” And, a few point out that some older names that seem to have disappeared for one culture are still going strong in others. Take, for example, the name Camille. This Redditor shares, “Camila is crazy popular with Latino families and Latino-adjacent families, so this wouldn’t surprise me.” And of course, as people re-watch classic movies from the 1980s, certain names will reappear in the zeitgeist. So for better or for worse, we’ve probably got quite a few “Heathers” on the way. (And/or perhaps maybe a “Veronica.”) The post People swear these Gen X and Millennial names are ‘due for a resurgence’ appeared first on Upworthy.

Job interviews can be stressful for even the most prepared job seekers. For some, one common question adds to the pressure: “Can you explain this gap in your resume?” Panic can easily set in. “What if they don’t understand how I lost my last job?” “What if being a homemaker for those years hurts my chances?” Many other questions can run through your head. Anna Papalia, a career coach, says the gap-in-resume question is usually asked for a different reason than most interviewees think. @anna..papalia Employers do—and should—care about large gaps in employment. Since they invest major time and resources in screening, onboarding, and training new employees, companies must be selective about who they hire. A resume gap could signal you had trouble finding a new job after a job loss, or that you have difficulty making a commitment. They may wonder what you were doing while unemployed and whether you’re trying to hide something. If you have gaps in your resume, hiring managers want to know the “why” behind that period of unemployment. More importantly, they want to be sure your absence from the workforce doesn’t imply behavioral patterns or attitudes that might make you a risky hire.   What is considered a big gap in employment? According to Indeed.com, any break over six months is considered significant.   How to answer “Why is there a gap on your resume?”      Be honest. It can be tempting to conceal gaps in your work history when you’re trying to present yourself in the best light possible to employers. But lying on your resume is never a good idea. Since they review so many of them, hiring managers are skilled at spotting inconsistencies and other red flags on resumes. Most verify work history and may even perform background checks. If you’re untruthful about employment dates, it’s likely you’ll be found out eventually—and you could even lose your job over it. Honesty is always the best option.      Explain employment gaps in your cover letter. In general, there’s no dedicated place on your resume to detail the reasons you were out of work for an extended period. This is where your cover letter comes in handy. Address resume gaps proactively by calling them out in your cover letter. Summarize the reasons for your hiatus—one or two straightforward sentences will do. Don’t get too wordy, since you want to keep the focus on your relevant experience and attributes and why you’re the right choice for the job. extra hard to illustrate the value you bring to a potential employer.      Highlight what you did accomplish while out of work. You may have been out of the workforce for a bit—but that doesn’t mean you sat around twiddling your thumbs. If you took on any unpaid roles or noteworthy projects during that period, be sure to say so on your resume. This shows you stayed active and engaged even though you weren’t formally in the workplace. Volunteer or caregiver roles should be listed on your resume just like a paying job. Any degrees completed or courses taken can be noted in the Education section of your resume. For example:     ◦    You volunteered for your community food bank.     ◦    You went back to finish your degree.     ◦    You brushed up on your technology skills by taking a course.     ◦    You were the sole caregiver to an ailing family member.     ◦    You pursued a side project important to you.     ◦    You traveled extensively and explored new cultures.     •     Consider any transferable skills or perspectives you gained and how they make you a stronger candidate for the job. For instance, maybe you came up with a successful fundraising idea for a charity you volunteer for. Or you managed the event committee at your church and gained valuable leadership skills. Don’t hesitate to think outside of the box! #interview #howtoanswerinterviewquestions #resume #jobsearch #careertips #unemployed ♬ original sound – Anna Papalia In a TikTok video, Papalia explains that hiring managers are primarily asking this question to weed out candidates who don’t need a job. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but they want to verify that you’re not just quitting every time you get frustrated,” she says. Papalia says the interviewer wants to make sure the person wouldn’t just leave the job because they have a trust fund or a wealthy family member to fall back on. It’s to ensure the interviewee wants or needs the job, so they can say, “Great! We need a reliable person who needs a job, so this works out.” Gaps in a person’s resume and career have become more common. It’s very likely that the interviewer has spoken with several candidates who have career gaps. They may have had one or two gaps on their own resume as well. So the stigma of having a gap in a resume is less of a red flag than in previous years. How to answer “Can you explain this gap in your resume?” While the insight Papalia provides may calm some fears, many may still wonder how to answer the resume gap question. Having an answer prepared ahead of time is still recommended. There are many reasons for gaps in a resume, but there are also some guidelines career experts recommend. Keep it short and honest No matter the reason for a gap in your resume, it’s better for both the interviewer and the job seeker not to dwell on it. For one, the interviewer doesn’t want or need your life story, and a detailed answer could be too personal. Secondly, the interviewee wouldn’t want to waste the limited time in the interview instead of focusing on what they can bring to the role, the job description, and the company environment. Give a brief explanation—one or two sentences that get to the point. The best answers don’t go into unnecessary detail or leave room for second-guessing. Here are some common reasons for career gaps and stronger ways to respond: Don’t: “I was laid off because…” Do: “Unfortunately, I was affected by the company’s restructuring, and my role was eliminated.” Don’t: “I wasn’t working because I was a full-time parent/caregiver and now I need a job.” Do: “I took time away from my career to care for my young children/family member.” Don’t: “I was fired but it wasn’t my fault because…”  Do: “I learned a lot in my last role, but it turned out to be challenging in unique ways and it wasn’t a good fit. While it didn’t work out, it was a good experience and taught me to be careful of the next role I accept.” There may be different reasons, but overall, the advice is to keep it brief, impersonal, and focused on the positives. Redirect the conversation to what you can offer Another reason to keep your explanation short is to allow you to shift the focus from what happened then to what you can offer now. After your one- to two-sentence answer, spend most of your time discussing why you’re excited about the role you’re interviewing for. If it applies, share any relevant classes or certifications you acquired during your time away from full-time employment. If you did any freelance or volunteer work during that time away, bring it up. It shows the interviewer you’ve been proactive and preparing for a full-time position rather than sitting around. It can be especially helpful if the work is relevant to the role. Redirecting the focus to the job itself shifts the conversation back to the role rather than why you didn’t have one. Remove the gap in the first place Another way to answer, “Can you explain this gap in your resume?” is to remove the question entirely. Simply include a section explaining why you weren’t working during that time frame. Much like with a verbal answer, it can be brief and avoid personal details. “Family care leave” is a valid answer. It can apply to childcare, caring for a sick loved one, or even yourself. Just be sure to make it clear that you’re ready and motivated to get back to full-time work. @greglangstaff Even if you were taking care of yourself… you’re a part of your family so it’s still family care leave. Also, sharing our own health issues or other challenges can activate biases in the hiring managers. We do not need to share details. ANOTHER IMPORTANT TIP: you don’t need to explain every gap. I usually say that if it’s more than a year ago or less than a year, just leave it be. #resume #cv #career #jobsearch #learnontiktok #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Greg L. – Career Coach Gaps in employment that are under six months usually don’t require an explanation. That said, you should still have an answer prepared if your resume includes multiple short gaps.Eliminating those gaps preempts the question, and most interviewers will respect your privacy. It also reinforces that you’re proactive and intentional in your job search. Those searching for work should mind the gaps, but there’s little reason to feel too tripped up about them.  The post Career coach reveals the reassuring reason job interviewers ask about gaps in resumes appeared first on Upworthy.

Halloween has come a long way since the 70s and 80s, when Gen X kids donned the worst mass-produced costumes known to man to go out and ask strangers for candy that we were sure was laced with poison or razor blades. Those sure were good times, though, weren’t they? Social media creator Kelly Manno shared a video describing what Halloween was like for kids who grew up in “the forgotten generation,” and holy moly is it accurate. First, Manno showed a photo of someone dressed in an “80s costume” for Halloween, with neon colors, legwarmers and big hair, and said, “Absolutely nobody looked like that in the 80s, especially on Halloween. We looked like this.” Then she showed a grainy photo of kids in the plastic masks and poorly printed costumes that were the hallmark of the age. View this post on Instagram “Every single member of Gen X can smell this photo,” she said. “It’s like a vinyl, like plasticky paint smell.” Manno explained that our parents only took a few photos of us per year, and Halloween was always one of them. “You knew, before you went out trick-or-treating, that you had to line up with your cousins in front of the fireplace, in your highly flammable costumes, with your mom chain-smoking Virginia Slims.” How about those masks Oh, those masks were the worst inventions ever. The eyeholes never lined up properly, so you were constantly trying to adjust them to be able to see even a little bit. “We would push our tongue through the slit in the mask. It would cut our tongue, but then we’d keep doing it again because we were eaten up with OCD and ADD and nobody cared.” Then Manno described the “garbage bag costumes” we had, which were basically trash bags printed with whatever character it was supposed to be. So janky. So sweaty. So crinkly when we walked. But somehow still socially preferable to your mom making your costume from scratch. “Look at us, we were terrifying,” Manno concludes. “No wonder people tried to poison us.” A stroll down ‘That actually happened’ lane  Her descriptions of what it felt like to trick-or-treat in those costumes and haul our own bodyweight in candy are spot on, and people who lived it are feeling the nostalgia. “So much truth in one video! I just saw, heard, and smelled my childhood.” “You are literally making me laugh so damn hard, cause you described it exactly as it was, but my mom smoked Winston’s!” “It was always freezing on Halloween that the vinyl/plastic suit would crack and tear halfway through the night.” “Or the rubber band breaking at the second house and you had to hold it up on your face at the door the rest of the night. Good times.” “The tongue thing is on point. I can still feel it. “ “I can totally smell that picture lol. I remember the steam from inside the mask would have your lashes and eyebrows covered in dew then after a couple streets of running house to house the crotch would tear out. We would stay out until everybody turned their lights off and the pillow case was full.” “Yes!!!! And we used a pillow case for our candy. And no adult supervision.” “My mom made me really nice homemade costumes, but I remember begging for the plastic Strawberry Shortcake garbage bag one. So, she bought it for me one year. That was a terrible, sweaty experience. “ “Let’s not forget having to inspect every piece of candy for razor blades. I swear I lost half my haul to my father in that clean up. “ Kids these days have no idea, with their official city trick-or-treat hours and their parents walking around with them and their costumes that actually look like the thing they’re trying to be. The 70s and 80s were a wild time, and as funny as it is to reminisce about those Halloweens of old, most of us would agree that the experience has been much improved for our own kids. Pillowcases still make the best trick-or-treat bags, though. Some things do not change. This article originally appeared 2 years ago. It has been updated. The post Gen X woman describes what Halloween was like in the 80s with perfect accuracy appeared first on Upworthy.