A Couple’s Wedding Photo Captured the ‘New Normal’ of Wildfires in California

A couple’s California wildfire wedding photo has gone viral in a huge way, as it’s the perfect example of the “new normal” for many Californians.

California is once again being ravaged by multiple fires across the state, including the Getty fire, the Hill fire, the Maria fire, and the Easy fire.

One of the largest fires is the Kincade fire in Sonoma Country. It has blazed over 77,000 acres worth of land and destroyed at least 352 structures so far.

On Saturday, a couple from Chicago got married at the Chateau St. Jean vineyard in Sonoma County, just miles away from the Kincade Fire. Photographer Karna Roa took this photo at their wedding.

In the photo, Katie and Curtis Ferland wear masks to protect their lungs from the smoke. The wildfire is seen blazing in the background in hues that resemble a dystopian sunset.

“I immediately thought of the American Gothic painting from the 1930s and how that couple at that time represented the normal America,” Karna told ABC 7. “And all of a sudden, in a very strange way, this has become our new normal of the wine country.”

Karna says this is the fourth wedding in three years that she’s photographed that was threatened by wildfires.

The wedding vendors had to evacuate hours before Katie and Curtis’ wedding, forcing their wedding planner to re-do the entire event on the fly. Somehow, they pulled the wedding off.

The next morning, the newlyweds evacuated too, along with all of their guests.

They say the now-viral wedding photo is a reminder of all the people who came together to make this wedding happen. For Karna, it’s a possible way to draw attention to the wildfires in Northern California.

“As long as it can bring more attention to the wildfires and the problems that Sonoma and Napa County and Northern California are facing, then I would love more people to see it,” Karna said.

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This Is Why You Cry More Easily on Planes

Are you an emotionally stable person? Someone who doesn’t cry easily?

But what about when you’re on a plane? Have you noticed that you tend to tear up over nothing?

Recent research shows that this is absolutely normal. There are scientific reasons why you might suddenly be overcome with emotion – and not just because flying can be scary.

Let’s break it down. The main reason is altitude. It’s not often you’ll find yourself at 30,000 feet in the air, so when you do fly, the altitude makes your body react differently to how it usually does. While cabin pressure  make passengers a little more comfortable, it doesn’t fix everything – including the emotional aspect.

Kate Sullivan, MSc, Head of Experience at Secret Fares told Reader’s Digest, “It’s a bit like having climbed a pretty high mountain.”

Oxygen is thinner the higher the elevation. So for someone like a mountain climber (or airplane passenger), there is a lower amount of oxygen in the bloodstream.

“With less oxygen available, your body goes into conservation mode,” Sullivan explains. “It takes care of essential functions first, like your circulatory and respiratory system, and ramps down some of the less crucial functions…including emotional regulation.”

But that’s not all. The air is extremely dry while flying. This can cause dehydration. Send in the drink cart!

“Because the air circulated in the cabin is very dry…we get pretty darn dehydrated on a plane,” Sullivan says.

And yes, the stress of flying itself can cause emotional disruption. Maybe you almost missed your plan or you said good-bye to a loved one before boarding. Whatever the reason, your nervousness may heighten, leaving you tired. And once you’re in the air, the altitude strips your body of some of its normal capabilities for regulating emotions.

Photo Credit: Unsplash, Bambi Corro

“From a psychological perspective, the mere act of flying can make you more likely to cry,” Sullivan says. “Even if you’re not afraid of planes, it’s a stressful situation.”

There are ways to combat stress and emotions, though. Drinks lots of water before and during the flight. Staying hydrated may mean more trips to the teeny tiny flight bathroom, but – hey – at least you’re not crying in the aisle to get there. You can also break out a sudoku or crossword puzzle to keep your brain occupied. And, lastly, kick back with in-flight entertainment. Watch movies that are light-hearted and comedic (your emotional side will thank you).

So no matter the reason for pesky tears to surface, know it is okay! This totally normal.

Everything is under control.

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts a Wild Winter This Year

After you read this year’s weather forecast, you might not feel so prepared for winter….

The Old Farmer’s Almanac — a traditional source of weather predictions that was founded in 1792 — says that this winter is going to be a real mess.

The Almanac was first created to help farmers anticipate how the weather would impact the upcoming growing season. Today, it remains a remarkably reliable source of weather predictions for each season; last year’s predictions for winter were 80.5% accurate.

The publication recently released a press release with its winter 2019 predictions, and it’s slightly fear-inducing, to say the least.

Photo Credit: Pexels

The press release says that this winter, there will be “no escape from shivers, snowflakes, and slush.”

There will be “no fewer than seven” major snowstorms this year. The snowstorms are predicted to hit Washington state, plus other northern states all the way to Michigan. Other areas of the country, like the Deep South and New England, will have slush and sludge instead of snow.

Plus, “bone-chilling cold” is a major theme across the country. Even Hawaii is expected to have cooler temperatures and heavy rain.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

To make matters worse, the winter chill is expected to last well into March – even into the first days of spring.

“Is this the winter that never ends?” the Almanac asks.

By the end of winter, we’ll probably be aching for warmer temps…

But the Almanac says that summer 2020 is going to be hell, too, with “scorching” temperatures. Sigh. I’ll just stay inside until further notice, thanks!

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10 Random Facts About All Sorts of Stuff for You to Ponder

We’re serving up some good facts for you here today!

So sit back, relax, and let’s learn about a bunch of different subjects together.

Start now!

1. Do you know anyone who might need this?

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2. That makes sense…

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3. Placebo sleep.

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4. I’ve always wondered about that…

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5. This can’t be real!

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6. You’re not alone, fruit flies…

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7. Two kinds of nostalgia.

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8. I love this!

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9. I did not know that!

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10. Please don’t tell me this.

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Nothing like a good fact set. NOTHING.

Please feel free to share with your family and friends…it might do them some good.

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The New Nickelodeon Theme Park Is Now Open to the Public

Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park officially opened to the public on October 25, and it’s sure to become a new crowd favorite.

Unlike that other major theme park, Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park is located entirely indoors. At 8.5 acres large, it’s the largest indoor theme park in the Western Hemisphere – it even trumps the size of the former Nickelodeon theme park at the Mall of America in Minnesota.

The new park is located in American Dream, a 3-million square-foot entertainment and shopping center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is under 5 miles from New York City.

There are over 35 rides, rollercoasters, and attractions at the theme park, all of which are family-friendly and perfect for kids.

Standouts include the Spongebob-themed Bikini Bottom Crosstown Express, Blue’s Skidoo, the Rugrats Reptar Go-Round, and the Nickelodeon Slime Streak, which affords riders a bird’s-eye view of over half of the park.

There’s also Nickelodeon’s Skyline Scream, the world’s tallest indoor spinning drop tower.

Between all those rides, kids can spot SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, and other popular Nickelodeon characters in the “flesh.” There will also be a live entertainment stage, which will definitely involve some buckets of slime.

Tickets for the first few days of the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park sold out quickly, but at $49.99 for all-access and $39.99 for general access, they aren’t unreasonable at all.

The Nickelodeon park isn’t the only thing drawing new crowds in American Dream. The center is also opening Dreamworks Water Park in November 27, which will feature a 142-foot-tall body slide — the world’s tallest. The center also just opened an NHL-sized ice skating rink.

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15 People Share How They Got Their Scars

I have a couple of memorable scars on my body. One is from when a kid on the school bus in 8th grade (he shall remain nameless) cut me on the hand with his homemade wooden knife. Another is from getting burned by a piece of plastic that melted onto my right-hand ring finger. That was about 25 years ago, and it still looks fresh! (PS: we were really smart kids).

AskReddit users tell us the stories behind the scars on their bodies.

How did you get your scars? Share your stories in the comments.

1. A black eye for Christmas.

“I have a scar on my eyebrow from when I was an asshole 4 year old. I threw a tantrum and tried to pick up a small plastic kids table to throw it over my head. Instead I dropped it, the leg hit me with a sharp broken edge on the eyebrow/eye, I started bleeding, and I had a black eye for Christmas.”

2. X marks the spot.

“I was making a paper plate mask in grade 3 and stuck a pair of scissors through the plate for eyes… Right into my other hand.”

3. Hockey scars for life.

“I have like 5 or 6 deep ones in both eye brows from hockey and hair doesn’t grow there very well so they look all weird.”

4. Didn’t work out so well.

“I was four. I was bouncing on a beachball. My mom told me to go upstairs to bed, so I thought I could bounce up the stairs on the beach ball. I missed the first step and got stitches in my forehead. That’s kid logic for ya.”

5. Very unsightly.

“When I was 15 I had keyhole surgery for appendicitis. Three barely noticeable scars, one of which is in my belly button. Unfortunately, something was left inside me and the morning after being discharged I woke with a fist-sized cyst on my abdomen.

I had gone septic and had to have whatever was left inside of me removed via non-keyhole surgery which left me with a neat straight line scar about 12cm long. Also had to have a drain into my lower abdomen so I’ve got a big ol’ hole about 6cm below my belly button. Unsightly as hell.”

6. Cat scratch fever.

“I have a pretty noticeable scar on the right side of my neck that often gets mistaken for a really bad hickey. The story I tell everyone because I’m sick of explaining is that I was stabbed in the neck with a knife. The real story is that when I was 5, I had been scratched in my eye from one of our house cats while I was asleep. The scratch had infected lymph nodes in my neck, causing it to become extremely swollen, where it was difficult for me to even breathe.

Doctors were baffled by what it was, where I spent several weeks/months in and out of the hospital. They speculated it was lymphoma at the time. I had my neck drained from the fluid from massive syringes that I still have nightmares over, and also have a paralyzing fear of needles. The scar ultimately came from me undergoing 3 separate surgeries where they removed infected lymph nodes from my neck, and late discovered I suffered from a very severe case of cat scratch fever. Yes it’s a Ted Nugent song, and yes it also my anthem.”

7. That’s a bummer.

“Got shingles on my face as a teenager. Do not recommend. The bonus though is that the scar kind of looks like a love heart.”

8. Probably not a great idea.

“Catching a peacock. They have sharp talons.”

9. Boys will be boys.

“My brother and I were playing WWF in the house (even though we weren’t supposed to!). He grabbed the back of my head and slammed my forehead into the “turn buckle” which was the wooden corner of the arm rest on our couch. Blood started running down my face, he ran and hid under his bed. I got 7 stitches in my right eyebrow.”

10. What’s next for you?

“I have what I lovingly refer to as “Jesus Scars”.

When I was 13, I was trying to pry something apart with a chisel and stabbed myself in the right hand by accident.

When I was 23, I was using my box cutter at work to separate some boxes and cut my left hand in almost the exact same place.

Cant wait to see what stupid thing I do at 33.”

11. A whole list of them.

“Needle piercing my cheek during mother’s labor

Forceps tore the ish outta my face

Flint rock on my bare foot at 3, many stitches

Face smash, concrete

chicken pox

lawn mower muffler

angry rabbit”

12. Lucky to be here.

“I have a big scar down the center of my chest, and 2 little “star scars” right under it.

I had just turned 3 and I was at my grandparents’ house with my family. My older cousin was spinning me around in a swivel chair. I fell off of the chair and landed on my side, on top of my grandmother’s knitting stuff that was sitting in a basket by the chair. A knitting needle went through my side and pierced my heart. My aunt thought the needle was just caught in my shirt, and ripped it out of me. I went unconscious almost immediately.

By time I got to the hospital, I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors basically told my parents to prepare for the worst. Luckily, there was a badass heart surgeon there that performed emergency open heart surgery and saved my life! The star scars are from feeding tubes that were hooked up to me post surgery.

Very thankful!!”

13. Quite a story.

“Two scars on my left arm:

On my wrist from a bicycle wreck

On my bicep from when my arm was blown open by a homemade pipe bomb.

I was working a sketchy, under the table semi truck washing job. This job is typically done on a weekend when the trucks are home, usually on an unsupervised lot or farm.

A person we worked with, Person A, loved pranks. Their favorite, was to stuff some Piccolo Pete fireworks into a plastic 2 liter bottle and toss it at someone. Being plastic, the bottle would melt, and just make a super loud bang, scaring the shit out of someone.

Well, Person A had someone working him him, Person B. Person B also loved pranks, and tried to mimic Person A’s prank, but with PVC pipe instead of a plastic bottle. r/whatcouldgowrong

Person A tossed it my way. How neither of them knew PVC pipe would frag out instead of melt, is beyond me. So I’m washing this truck wheel, when out of nowhere, I get flashbanged Call of Duty style. Loud bang, vision went white, and all I could hear was ringing. I remember screaming “what the fuck”, but not because I heard myself say it; because I felt my vocal chords vibrating so hard.

Anyways, I come to, and my arm is just red. Completely red. I try to spray it off, but my boss is sheared and spewing water everywhere. My buddy nearby was also coming to, and saw what happened, so now we’re both in panic mode. I end up getting rinsed off, and I can see into the muscle of my arm. We get a towel wrapped around it, and get me to the hospital.

The wound itself was somewhat of a lightning bolt shape (Like Harry Potter’s scar, or the Metroid logo). So the doctor had to cut out the jagged inside to create a clean hole to stitch up. Fucking gnarly. 8 stitches. Being a stupid 19 year old with no money or understanding of how a lawsuit would work, I didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it and told Person A, you either pay for all of this and we leave it at that, it I sue the shit out of you. They paid all my medical expenses, and we left it at that.

And 6 years later, the story lives on through Reddit.”

14. Avoid the grill.

“I backed my arm up against a barbecue grill when I was younger. I was the perfect height to get my entire upper arm. Elbow up to shoulder. I still have noticeable scars 20 odd years later.”

15. This is interesting.

“Ben Carson looked at my brain.

Had craniosynostosis when I was born and he went in to put some bolts in my head. 152 stitches across the top of my head.

His politics are whack but dude saved my life.”

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Here Is Every Western Literary Movement in History Summed up with Single Sentences

Are you a history and literature buff?

Well, whether you do (and will know what we’re talking about here and probably feel a bit superior about the whole thing) or don’t (who has time for that stuff, anyway?) there’s a good chance you’ll get a chuckle out of these “layman’s” summaries of histories literary movements.

Courtesy of World Circus.

Please. Enjoy.

Old English

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Middle English

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Elizabethan

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Jacobean

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Late Renaissance

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Age of Enlightenment

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Sturm und Drang

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Romanticism

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Victorian

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Transcendentalism

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Gothic Literature

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Post-Colonialism

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Literature of the Absurd

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Realism

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The Beat Generation

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The Lost Generation

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The Harlem Renaissance

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Modernist

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Surrealism

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Post-Modernism

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Magical Realism

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There you have it – don’t you feel smarter now? I know I do!

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10 Simple Ways You Can Help out the Environment

There are always little things you can do to help out the environment. Even if they seem inconsequential to you, taking small steps adds up – especially when countless other people are out there doing the same thing.

So try to implement these habits into your daily lives, and we’ll all be better for it in the long run.

Cause we’ve got a crisis on our hands, and every little bit helps.

1. Turn down the brightness on your monitor.

Desk Upgrade

You can save up to 20% of your monitor’s energy just by adjusting your brightness from 100% to 70%. Go on and do it now…I’ll wait.

2. Think about your music streaming.

Headphones

A study says that today’s music streaming might produce up to double the greenhouse gas emissions as compared to music streaming in the early part of this century. Consider downloading music instead of streaming and do a little research about which streaming companies use cleaner energy.

3. Streaming devices are important, too.

RCS_7989 - IPad - Game Changer

A gaming console might use 30 to 45 times as much power to stream a movie than a regular media player.

4. Order more.

Package

If you buy things online, order more than one item at a time. This cuts down on delivery and packaging in the long run.

5. Search engines matter.

Search engine optimization

Different search engines give back to the environment in different ways. For instance, Ecosia donates ad revenue to plant trees and, according to their website, they run net carbon negative. Do some research and see which ones are doing green work.

6. Unplug it.

Apple...Unplugged

When you’re not using your charger, unplug it. Simple as that. Phone and laptop chargers draw electricity even if you’re not actively charging a device, so give those breakers…a break.

7. Or use a surge protector.

Surge protector

Surge protectors with an On/Off switch are a good option too for those hard-to-reach plugs.

8. Get on that bike.

Kamilah on a Bike

Biking may actually be faster than driving a car in some American cities, so hop on that bicycle of yours to get to where you’re headed.

9. Spam is bad.

email-spam

Roughly 62 TRILLION spam emails are sent each year. Something you may not think about often: sending email actually has a carbon footprint from servers working. Which means those spam emails equal about 20 tons of CO2 each year. So go ahead and hit the “Unsubscribe” button, please.

10. Buy used and vintage clothes.

Thrift Store

According to The Economist, “From the pesticides poured on cotton fields to the washes in which denim is dunked, making 1kg of fabric generates 23kg of greenhouse gases on average.” Seems like kind of a waste, doesn’t it? So consider heading to the thrift store instead of grabbing a new flannel.

 

Give us some of your tips as well in the comments!

We’re in this together, so let’s all do our part, okay?

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Playgrounds for Elderly People Increase Activity and Decrease Loneliness

As people get older, they become more isolated. After all, it’s just harder to get out an about, and the people you know have the same trouble.

It’s also a face that often times aging people exercise less, if at all.

So how do we solve the problem? Playgrounds!

I have yet to see one of these in person, but I have to say, I think this is an amazing idea.

The phenomenon of playgrounds for adults is still kind of new in the United States, but the original concept dates back to 1995 in China.

They proved to be very popular in China, and soon spread across the globe to Europe, Canada, Japan, and the U.S. The trend has become especially popular in Spain, where the city of Barcelona alone has more than 300 adult playgrounds.

Playgrounds for older adults feature low-impact exercise equipment that’s designed to improve flexibility, balance, and core strength among users, all key attributes that undoubtedly lead to better overall well-being for elderly people who take advantage of these spaces. Some of the parks even feature group exercise classes so older folks don’t have to work up a sweat all by themselves – plus, they get the opportunity to meet people.

Cedric X. Bryant, president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, says, “[Playgrounds for elders] focus on promoting balance, flexibility, and range of motion, all of which can help with the functional capabilities of older people and allow them to do more of the things they want to do.”

Some park are strictly for adults, while some allow seniors to play along with their grandchildren. Right now, there are 53 “multigenerational” parks in the United States.

Here’s a video of some older folks taking advantage of such a park in Colorado.

I’d like to see these all over the country!

No, all over the world!

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People Who Wish for More Self-Control Actually Wind up with Less. Here’s Why.

I have some bad news for people who desperately need more self-control in their lives. Research shows that wishing for more self-control actually has the opposite effect.

In a 2017 study, psychologists measured participants’ desire to increase their self-control. Then the volunteers rated their current level of self-control. Lastly, they had to complete either an easy or a difficult assignment.

The volunteers who performed best on the challenging assignment were the least likely to say that they wanted to have more self-control. Those who did the worst were the most likely to wish for more self-control.

The desire for self-control had no effect on the volunteers’ performance on the easy assignment.

Photo Credit: iStock

These results could simply demonstrate that people with a lot of self-control perform better on hard tasks — they don’t wish for more self-control because they already have it.

But in a follow-up experiment, the psychologists managed to manipulate people’s desire for more self-control by asking them to write an essay about why self-control was a good thing OR how it could cause problems. This time, those who were prompted to see self-control as desirable performed worse on the difficult task. Those who were prompted to see self-control as problematic performed much better.

Consciously wishing for more self-control may seem like a positive thing — how are you supposed to become more disciplined unless you try? But in reality, this desire makes you focus on what you don’t already have, psyching you out in the process.

Photo Credit: iStock

So instead of just passively wishing for more self-control, try taking concrete steps to accomplish the specific things that you want to accomplish. For example, don’t just think to yourself, “I wish I had the self-control not to check Instagram every day” – actually install an app on your phone to limit your social media use.

The researchers also recommend reframing your thinking. Self-control isn’t something that people simply have or don’t have. It’s an unlimited resource, and you can tap into it at any time, regardless of what you’ve done before.

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