Sunshine Seasoning

From VegNews - 

THERE’S NOW A BLACK MARKET FOR TABITHA BROWN’S MCCORMICK SUNSHINE SEASONING

The going rate for vegan influencer Tabitha Brown’s popular McCormick seasoning—which sold out in 39 minutes—is more than $120 per two-pack. 

by ANNA STAROSTINETSKAYA

On July 8, vegan influencer Tabitha Brown released her limited-edition Sunshine All Purpose Seasoning in partnership with spice brand McCormick—which promptly sold out of the salt-free spice blend in 39 minutes. McCormick plans to restock Brown’s seasoning in the fall but in the meantime, a black market of sorts is forming to bring fans the in-demand seasoning. On Ebay, several listings for the seasoning are currently live, with some bids reaching upwards of $120 for a two-pack of the spice blend. The lowest starting bid for the seasoning pack is currently $14.94. However, that listing comes with a $69.00 shipping fee, putting the price astronomically higher than the seasoning’s original price of $14.95 per pack of two.

For those that can get their hands on Sunshine seasoning, on the black market or otherwise, Brown developed several recipes to showcase its summery Caribbean-inspired flavor profile, including Sunshine Shick’n (shiitake mushroom-based vegan chicken stir-fry coated with a sweet and savory sauce); Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges; and Chicky Farro Bowl (farro bowl topped with roasted chickpeas coated in Sunshine Seasoning).

https://vegnews.com/2021/7/tabitha-brown-mccormick-sunshine-seasoning

Overrated Cities

From Buzzfeed - 

People Are Calling Out The Most "Overrated" Cities They've Visited, And There Were Some Big Surprises

Paris is so underwhelming to some tourists that they literally named a syndrome after it.

by Stephen LaConte

A viral thread on Reddit has people calling out the most overrated cities they've visited or lived in — and y'all, all I can say is I'm very sorry if your hometown is on this list. (Mine is!)

1. "Las Vegas. I once ordered four drinks and my tab was $117. Then there’s the heat. And the noise. And the creepy men lingering, well, everywhere."

Myloupe / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

3. "Dubai. It's the clickbait of the world. 'We have the biggest/tallest/most expensive...' and 'YOU WON'T BELIEVE when you see THIS...' It's hot as fuck, everything's a man-made tourist trap, labor exploitation and racism are rampant, and they try so hard to prove to the world how modern and Westernized they are. Really, it's just government propaganda."

Tom Dulat / Getty Images

https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephenlaconte/most-overrated-ciites-reddit

Blue Porch Ceilings in the South

From Hunker - 

What It Means if You See a Blue Porch in the South

By ANNA GRAGERT 

When it comes to blue porch ceilings, you'll typically find them in the American South. Why? This design choice comes from a Gullah Geechee tradition that was started around 200 years ago.

According to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, the Gullah Geechee people are "descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo, and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast." Because of their location on island and coastal plantations, the Gullah Geechee developed their own distinct culture with West African roots.

Part of the Gullah Geechee culture involved folklore believing that ghosts called "haints" were unable to cross over water. So, to keep evil haints away from their homes, the Gullah Geechee began painting their front porch ceilings blue as a way to recreate the color of water. This color became known as "haint blue," according to ​Taste of Home​, and many would also use it to paint their doors and windows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lowcountry Gullah (@lowcountrygullah)

https://www.hunker.com/13767522/what-means-blue-porch-south

Know Your Rights!

 

@ourrightsmatter714

Officer Looks Confused #1stAmendment #KnowYourRights #FreeEducation #CopGetsOwned #Viral #NationalCity #MoreOfThis #Fyp #ForYouPage #ForYou

♬ original sound - OurRightsMatter714

The World’s Very First 3D-Printed Bridge is Open in Amsterdam | Mashable

17-year-old Black girl makes color changing sutures that detect infection

https://blavity.com/a-17-year-old-created-a-potentially-life-saving-sutures-concept-to-prevent-post-surgery-deaths?category1=news

Allow Athletes to be Human

From the Hollywood Reporter - 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Let Athletes Lead the Way on Mental Health

Instead of demanding perfection from sports stars who get candid about their health, viewers should admire their perseverance — and take cues from their coping skills.

BY KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

Kevin Love, Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps. MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES;
MARK BRAKE/GETTY IMAGES; LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

When four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open and Wimbledon because of anxiety and depression associated with compulsory press interviews, many fans were shocked at her bold confession. While most professional athletes rallied to support her “bravery,” some critics dismissed the player, who will represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, as a “diva” and “narcissistic.” The same thing happened in 2018 when NBA star Kevin Love wrote an essay in The Players’ Tribune about his anxiety and depression despite his fear that others, especially his teammates, would see it as a “form of weakness that could derail my success in sports.”

Within the past few years, dozens of celebrities and athletes — among them Adele, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Emma Stone, DeMar DeRozan, Michael Phelps and Dwayne Johnson — have openly discussed their struggles with mental health. Richard Sherman, arrested July 14 after his family called 911 during a domestic incident where he threatened to harm himself, promised to get “the help I need” in an Instagram post.

Yet the stigma of somehow being damaged, tainted, a diva or unable to perform lingers because the public perception is that, unlike with a sprained ankle, people can’t heal from or cope with mental health issues. They forget that these people have been dealing with these challenges at the same time they’ve risen to elite athlete or star celebrity status. Rather than cautionary examples of weakness, they are often models of strength and perseverance.

~~~~~~~~~~

The problem is the desire for the public to hold up performing artists and athletes as paragons of perfection and then punish them when they are anything less. They see mental health issues as a character issue — to suffer is to be weak. This despite the statistics: one in four adults and one in five teens experiences a diagnosable mental disorder. Rather, the public should admire public figures’ perseverance and character strength for all they’ve accomplished despite their challenges — and learn coping skills from them. Actually, it’s a reflection of our own character whether we choose to be supportive or derisive, because that reflects either our capacity for compassion — or the depth of our own personal fears.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/kareem-athletes-mental-health1234985129-1234985129/

What Does It Mean To Be 'Black Famous?' The #BlackMainstream Sounds Off

Triple Crown

From Hypebeast - 

The Antetokounmpo Siblings Become First Brother Trio to All Win NBA Championships

Back-to-back NBA champs. 

By Joyce Li

Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

The Milwaukee Bucks have officially claimed the title as the 2021 NBA Champions, giving brothers Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo their first championship ring in the league. The two siblings are now on the same level as younger brother Kostas Antetokounmpo, who previously won the 2020 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. The historical feat marks the first trio of brothers in the NBA to all win a league title.

Post-championship game, Giannis said during an on-court interview, “A lot of people was making jokes last year when Kostas won his championship with the Lakers. Obviously at the dinner table it was awkward a little bit because he had the ring before me. But now me and Thanasis have ours. But now me and Thanasis have the ring too, so we’re happy.”

Giannis' reaction to him, Thanasis and Kostas all being NBA champs 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/njD2vxW8pa

— ESPN (@espn) July 21, 2021

https://hypebeast.com/2021/7/antetokounmpo-siblings-first-brother-trio-all-win-nba-championships

A Classy Gesture

From the Irish Mirror -  

Olympics 2021: Huge amount of goodwill for Ireland's Olympians after classy gesture during opening ceremony

Aren't we a great bunch altogether?

BY DAVID KENT

The whole Irish team bowed in unison towards the Japanese welcoming party in what was a lovely nod to the different culture they are immersed in for the duration of these Games.

And that gesture in particular has got huge praise online.

You have done us proud @Kelly64kg @weerooster @TeamIreland @PattyFblp 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Y30u9XWSu4

— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 23, 2021

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/olympics-2021-huge-amount-goodwill-24604744.amp 

Mr. SOUL! Trailer

From Rolling Stone - 

‘Mr. Soul!’ Documentary Chronicles History of ‘Black Tonight Show’

Award-winning film will be available on HBO Max starting August 1st

By CLAIRE SHAFFER

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/mr-soul-documentary-trailer-1200947/

Pulled His Car Over to Have Some Fun

 

I just pulled my car over, and served these girls 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/cBLjrQ7o6A

— Julian King (@itsjulianking) July 19, 2021

Love Has No Labels | Diversity & Inclusion | Ad Council

Eric. Eric. Eric.

From HuffPost - 

Eric Clapton Says He Won’t Perform Where Vaccine Is Required, Gets Feedback

“I reserve the right to cancel the show,” the “Tears in Heaven” singer wrote in defiance of Boris Johnson’s vaccination order.

By Ron Dicker 

Veteran rocker Eric Clapton declared Wednesday he would not perform where proof of vaccination is required, defying U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s order on large indoor gatherings.

Britain, where the delta variant of COVID-19 is threatening pandemic recovery, eased coronavirus restrictions this week. But Johnson said nightclubs and concert venues must require verification of inoculation status.

Eric Clapton: “I won’t perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present.”
Also Eric Clapton: pic.twitter.com/LgPjGTe8Fs

— Tony Rossi (@toeknee_rawsee) July 21, 2021

I'm sure Eric Clapton and all the Republicans claiming it’s their right not to prove they’re vaccinated in a pandemic—because of “liberty”—won't mind the people serving their food in restaurants deciding not to wash their hands after using the restroom—because of “freedom.” https://t.co/JaLNLr942V

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) July 21, 2021

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eric-clapton-vaccine-concert_n_60f92b68e4b0ddf0097ba9de?ncid=NEWSSTAND0001

I Love Bear!

From HuffPost - 

Watch This Viral TikTok Singer Blow Minds In The Most Unexpected Place

Bear Bailey had given up on his dream of being a singer. Then TikTok and his local gas station changed everything.

By Josephine Harvey

At age 33, Bear Bailey thought his dream of being a singer was dead. Then TikTok and his local gas station helped bring it back to life.

Bailey has gained more than a million TikTok followers in less than two weeks since he started posting videos from the Super Serve station near his home in Houma, Louisiana. In the viral clips, the cashiers make song requests and Bailey serenades them at the checkout counter, provoking heartwarming (and often hilarious) reactions from surprised shoppers around the store. 

“Bear! I’ve been waiting for you,” cashier Melissa McGee, known to locals as Mama, shouts in one clip as Bailey walks in and breaks out into a cover of John Legend’s “All of Me.”

@bearbailey1

All Of Me by @johnlegendofficial #cover #foryou #foryoupage #tiktok #adayinmylife TikTok muted the sound on last one! #viral #letsgo #tag him yall!

♬ original sound - Bear Bailey

@bearbailey1

Night shift by the ##commodores ##cover ##foryou ##foryoupage ##adayinmylife ##gasstation ##letmeknow ##unity

♬ original sound - Bear Bailey

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tiktok-singer-bear-bailey-gas-station_n_60f76b4ce4b0d1bafbf83b00

 

15 Scariest Bridges In The World

Sell Your Old Tech. Here's How.

From Readers Digest - 

If You Have This at Home, You’re Losing out on $264

By Carrie Madormo

Anyone up for making a quick $200? Go ahead and sell these items you aren't even using. We'll show you how!

When was the last time you upgraded your smartphone, tablet, or laptop? OK, now try to remember what you did with your old tech once the shiny new products arrived. Chances are, you stuffed them in the kitchen junk drawer or in the basement—where they’re now collecting dust. Yep, that’s what most of us do…because we don’t know what to do. We can’t just throw them away, and we’re not sure how to recycle them. Luckily, there’s a third option, and it comes with cash. Selling your old tech items is a way to give them new life while clearing out your clutter and making some extra money.

According to Decluttr.com, the average American household has about $264 worth of old tech items just sitting around. It can feel intimidating to jump in and start selling those items, though. We sat down with Decluttr CMO Liam Howley to learn the fastest, easiest ways to start cashing in on your old tech. 

https://www.rd.com/article/old-tech-thats-worth-money/

Shocked But Not Surprised

From The Nation - 

Our ‘Racial Reckoning’ Is Turning Out to Be a White Lie

Black demands for full citizenship are being treated as entitlement and calls for racial accountability redefined as white persecution.

By Kali Holloway

With inevitable regularity, racial injustice and violence lead to moments of national conflict when even white Americans can no longer ignore the issue. And just as inevitably, instead of addressing this country’s pervasive racism and anti-Blackness, white Americans locate the problem somewhere within Black people themselves.

We’re in yet another of those moments, as last summer’s promised “racial reckoning” turns out to be a white lie. Black demands for full citizenship and equality are being treated as entitlement, calls for white racial accountability redefined as white persecution, and anti-racism falsely construed as anti-whiteness. To reestablish unchallenged white dominance, a movement of white resistance, or anti-anti-racism, is working tirelessly to blot out what it sees as a problematic presence—purging Black folks from democracy by stripping voting rights, erasing Black struggle from history by banning the teaching of slavery and its legacy, and prohibiting protest that threatens the white supremacist status quo.

We can be shocked, but certainly not surprised. This nation has a long history of counterbalancing any move toward Black liberation with the insistence that Black existence is better wholly removed or more tightly controlled. In an 1814 missive addressing the prospect of African American emancipation, Thomas Jefferson advocated for Black expatriation to another country, contending that without the yoke of slavery around their necks, African Americans were “pests in society.” Abraham Lincoln, even as he drafted the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, told a delegation of Black leaders invited to the White House that “your race suffer very greatly…by living among us, while ours suffer from your presence,” and placed the blame for “white men cutting one another’s throats” on Black folks requesting equality, claiming “but for your race among us there could not be war.” Lincoln suggested the solution was for Black people to “sacrifice something of your present comfort” by picking up stakes and relocating abroad, an idea the president would support until days before his assassination.

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/black-lives-matter-backlash-2/

The Rock is Small Compared to . . .

 

He's 6'5! But Charles Barkley makes the Rock look small, and Shaq makes him look like a shrimp! pic.twitter.com/xjogU83L51

— JustLizzy🖤🤍💜 (@LustJizzy) July 17, 2021

Stand Here for Dance Party