Actually, it’s almost inevitable that lightning will strike the same place twice. As soon as a lightning bolt hits the ground, a new one is not deterred in any way, shape, or form from hitting the same spot again. A good example is lightning hitting tall buildings. Take a look at this video from the tallest building in Chicago, now known as the Willis Tower.
That night the Willis Tower was hit by 10 bolts of lightning. According to storm chaser Dan Robinson, tall buildings are most likely to be hit by multiple lightning strikes.
And what about human beings? Can they be hit more than once? The story of park ranger Roy Sullivan proves that yes, this phenomenon can occur. I remember seeing poor Mr. Sullivan in the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid for his unfortunate encounters with lightning.
Sullivan was a park ranger in Virginia who was struck by lightning an incredible 7 TIMES between 1942 and 1977, more than any other human being on record. So be careful out there during thunderstorms. You may think you’re safe, but you never know…
It’s still surprising and shocking that beloved chef, writer, and TV host Anthony Bourdain is gone. Tributes poured in from celebrities, but often the stories from regular, everyday people are the ones to really highlight how special a person was.
Shared on Twitter, comes a story from a man who only met Bourdain once, and it will make you appreciate the traveling chef even more.
YouTube is the new TV. In fact, they’ve even launched their own version of the standard cable TV subscription that lets you watch live TV via YouTube. And with billions of views across all its videos YouTubers are cashing in.
All this is to say that there’s no doubt that YouTube has become a major launchpad for tomorrow’s celebrities (Justin Bieber was famously discovered on YouTube). If you’re at the top of your game, there are major bucks to be made in the form of YouTube partnerships, endorsements, and exposure to new opportunities.
The list below features 15 of YouTube’s most popular independent stars (as opposed to mainstream music artists, etc.), as compiled by SocialBlade. These stars aren’t just reaching millions of people worldwide – some are also making millions of dollars in the process.
Brazilian vlogger and comedian Felipe Neto has the distinction of being the first Brazilian YouTube channel to hit 1 million subscribers. He also released a Netflix special in 2017.
Yuya is a beauty vlogger who posts all kinds of beauty tutorials on her main channel. Her popularity has earned her features in Vogue and on TV in her native Mexico.
NigaHiga (Ryan Higa) was one of the earliest breakout stars of YouTube, producing a variety of content from comedy sketches and music videos to musings on pop culture.
Vegeta777 (Samuel de Luque) is a popular Spanish gaming YouTuber who is best known for using video games to create elaborate narratives of his design, including dubbing his own voiceovers.
VanossGaming (Evan Fong) is a gaming YouTuber from Canada. His signature style features the masterful use of editing to compress hours of footage into a single engaging moment.
Comedy duo Smosh (comprised of Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla) was another one of YouTube’s earlier stars. Recently, Padilla left Smosh to start a solo account.
Jacksepticeye (Seán William McLoughlin) is an Irish gamer and YouTuber who found fame after getting mentioned by PewDiePie (featured later in this list). I particularly like his videos due to his energetic narration and charming Irish accent.
Dude Perfect was started by a group of friends and former athletes who all knew each other from college at Texas A&M. Their videos often revolve around sports and trick shots, with a fun, casual style.
ElRubiusOMG (Rubén Doblas Gundersen) is a Spanish YouTube sensation. As with many of the other entries on this list, his main focus is video game reviews, walkthroughs, and commentaries.
HolaSoyGerman (Germán Garmendia) is arguably the biggest YouTube star in Latin America. The Chilean comedian and musician can boast having not one, but two YouTube channels in the top 20 list – the main one listed here and another, gaming-focused channel called JuegaGerman.
You know you’ve made it when South Park is spoofing you. PewDiePie (Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg) is a Swedish YouTuber whose boisterous video game commentary and playthroughs have earned him widespread fame and a sizeable fortune.
I know, right? This means you could waste fewer of them because you’re not going to use them before they turn brown and yucky, but it also means you can stock up while they’re on sale and tuck them away for a rainy, guacamole-less day.
The mind-blowing hack comes Natasha Labarriere-Mueller, stay-at-home mom of two, and it went viral after she posted it on Facebook.
“They do not brown, they do not lose their texture, they come out perfect when thawed…and last up to 4 months in the freezer.”
She educated everyone at Costco that day and then returned home to share her life-changing knowledge with all of us. She even includes a handy how-to link on Instagram.
Go ahead and learn all about history the old-fashioned way. Read book after book, show up to that 8 am for yet another pop quiz by your professor who looks like Jeff Goldblum. Or, you could have an infinitely better time scrolling through these memes. I know I’m a lot more likely to remember Julius Caesar through dank memeage than an over-priced textbook.
One of the most popular memes this year is the “Distracted Boyfriend” meme. There was a solid month or so where it was being widely shared in its various iterations all over social media.
In case you’ve somehow missed it, it’s a meme that’s based on this stock photo of a young man who clearly has eyes for other women, even though he’s out with his girlfriend.
Obviously we all know that people cheat on their boyfriends, girlfriends, and spouses. And a lot of us have heard of the stupid games that people play in relationships, such as ghosting and others. Now it’s time to add a new phrase into the complex intimate relationship: micro-cheating.
Dating expert Melanie Schilling describes micro-cheating as “a series of seemingly small actions that indicate a person is emotionally or physically focused on someone outside their relationship.” People addressed the issue on Twitter.
With the exception of thin Oreos, I’m pretty much a purist when it comes to this favorite cookie. The thin Oreos have a tendency make me feel like I’m being “smart”, and Halloween Oreos, the orange ones, I swear taste better than any of the other colors.
If you’re not a purist about Oreos, though, and totally into all of the different wacky flavors Nabisco squeezes into America’s favorite store-bought cookie, then this subscription box is going to be just for you.
The Cookie Club boxes ship out with a decorated box filled with two snacks, a recipe card, and an Oreo-inspired gift. The January box contained cinnamon Oreos (color me intrigued), chocolate hazelnut Oreos, Oreo hot cocoa mix, Oreo socks, and a recipe for cinnamon Oreo mug cake.
The subscription can be purchased through Amazon in a 3, 6, or 12-month package and, at $20 a month, costs more than simply buying yourself cookies (obvs). That said, if you’ve got an adventurous Oreo-lover in your life, what could possibly be a better gift?
