List of All Articles with Tag 'viral'

A CEO has explained why he fired his colleague whose advice meant he didn't get on a 9/11 plane. On 11 September 2001, Bill Ellmore was booked to fly on United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco - one of the four flights hijacked by terrorists. But writing on Twitter, he explained how his co-worker told him to get another flight to save time - meaning he was spared from tragedy - only to get the sack. The CEO of Solomons Global Executive Services wrote: "I was booked on United Flight 93 on 9/11, 2001, flying nonstop from Newark NJ to San Francisco CA. Around midnight the night before, a coworker called me urging me to change my flight to fly into San Jose instead." He didn't want to change flights because he would have to give up his first class seat and the flight to San Jose left 20 minutes later with a stopover in Denver. However, his co-worker explained that the commute from San Francisco to Mountain View - where he was attending a meeting - would make him late for the meeting and traveling from San Jose would be much quicker. He continued: "When I got to the airport, I watched people boarding flight 93 and I was upset that I was not leaving earlier, in my 1st class seat on a direct flight," he said. "I didn’t notice or care about the people as they were boarding, only myself." He finally boarded his plane but as the flight was a few planes away from taking off, the pilot told passengers to look out the windows on the right side of the plane because it appeared the Twin Towers had been hit by a plane." They were grounded and Ellmore said the experience changed him. "I now take every opportunity to watch and if possible, get to know the people I’m boarding a plane with," he wrote. "I never hesitate to give up my seat for a later flight if requested. "I’ve had two children since 9/11 and went to multiple mission trips to war torn countries. Every day I wake up breathing is another gift from God." He finished his astonishing story with the words: "Never forget." So what happened to his co-worker? When asked about her, Ellmore responded: "Sad to say, I ultimately had to fire her for poor performance. It was difficult." He continued: "The reason I was originally booked on Flight 93 was due to her performance issues. These issues didn’t improve afterwards and I delayed letting her go until my boss insisted it happen." That's capitalism for you... Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman has revealed the lengths her mother went to to get her childhood bully off her back. Posting in the Petty Revenge subreddit, the woman opened up about a moment in her childhood when her mum came to her defence and got revenge on her daughter’s behalf by paying two other kids to 'beat up her bully'. In a since-deleted post, the woman explained that she was in the third grade and being bullied by a kid in the same class who also lived in her neighbourhood. One day when she was walking to her friend’s place, she a girl “fly across the room” and informed her mum, who called Child Protective Services (CPS). The kids, including her future bully, were taken away but soon returned to their parents. She wrote: “Well when he got back he somehow found out my mom called CPS so at the bus stop before school he sucker punched me, I was down on the ground. “Everyone saw it but didn’t say anything to anyone. Our teacher happened to be a close friend of my mom and her husband works with my dad so if I said something my parents would’ve found out instantly.” Though the OP didn’t inform their parents, someone else did. She revealed her mother went to the “worst area” of Detroit and paid two kids $20 each to beat up the boy who punched her daughter. Some Redditors in the comments couldn't help but be impressed with her mother’s protective instincts and joked that she was like some sort of mafia boss. “Damn she literally hired them for their first mercenary job,” someone commented. Another wrote: “Now this is a mob story I can get behind. Your moms is a bad ass. You also did the right thing trying to help that family.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A man has gone viral on TikTok for sharing his candid thoughts on paper straws, and he certainly didn't hold back. In the clip, Tom (@tom.daddario) states that while he cares about the planet, the notion of paper straws "f***ing p***es" him off. "This paper straw is going to fall apart and make your drinks suck halfway through," he passionately continued, adding: "But the thing that makes me mad about it is that it came in a plastic cup, with a plastic cover! This ratio must be 20:1! How about you give me a plastic straw and a paper f***ing cup, that way, we can help the planet and I can enjoy my f***ing drink!" This isn't the first time the paper straw has caused a debate online, with many snubbing the straw across X/Twitter. "Paper straws…one of the stupidest things going," one person wrote, while another called them "the worst." A third added: "I appreciate that paper straws are good for the environment but I must say I truly despise using them." @tom.daddario Had to put this here #tomdaddario #fyp #foryoufage #viral #pancakesandsyrup #fypppppppp #fypシ #fypppppppp #comedy #comedyvideos #newyork #nyc #lgbtq #standup #comedian #standupcomedy It comes after scientists at the University of Antwerp found chemicals called PFAs (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances) in 90 per cent of paper straws, 80 per cent of bamboo straws, 75 per cent of plastic straws, and 40 per cent of glass straws. Meanwhile, none were found in steel straws. PFAs are "known to be potentially harmful for wildlife, humans, and the environment" over time, and while they found that the chemical level was low, researchers suggested health risks could build up over time. Dr Thimo Groffen, one of the scientists carrying out the study, said: "Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic. "However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true." While he suggests investing in a steel straw, he said it might be an idea to "avoid using straws at all". Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

TikTok is a breeding ground for inspiration, trends, and hacks – especially when it comes to food. Now, a former McDonald's chef has opened up about a secret burger hack, and people can't get enough. In a viral clip shared on the platform that's racked up thousands of views, Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) shared his inside knowledge on the "10.35 burger". Mike responded to a question which asked whether there was "some sort of secret menu or item that's served between breakfast and lunch." The chef went on to inform viewers that there is, and some people refer to it as the "10.35 burger". "You can get a burger with an egg on it," he said, adding that it would be more likely if the customer is familiar with the restaurant, or knows the staff working there. Mike said that he pushed for eggs on burgers to be a thing, and has data to prove the burger was in demand – but his idea was later reportedly shut down. @chefmikeharacz Replying to @staticprevails1 Former #McDonalds corporate chef talks about the 10:35 burger. #mcdonaldshacks #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldsdrivethru #mcdonaldsworker #mcdonaldshack #mcdonaldslife #McDonaldsMenu #mcdonaldsmenuhack #McDonaldsMenuHacks #DoubleCheeseburger #EggMcMuffin #McDouble #FYP His video was inundated with comments from fellow TikTokers, with one writing: "Love an egg on a burger! McDonald’s missed out." "As a former Corp Kitchen Manager you are 100 per cent right about the egg and burger! Nice margins on a $1 add egg as well," a second added. Many more noted how their local McDonald's already sell the burger. "In New Zealand Mcd's we have a limited-run burger called the kiwi burger. It has an egg on it and is very popular," one said, while another commented: "What's crazy is they put eggs on burgers in Japan. I don't know why they would say no to adding them to American menus. Another claimed: "In Maderia Portugal, egg on burgers is normal, as an upgrade." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A popular blogger and OnlyFans star has sparked a fierce debate online after praising her boyfriend for giving his “honest opinion” about her looks. The commentator, who goes by the name Aella, revealed her partner’s blunt assessment of her appearance in response to a tweet from another content creator. In her message, @ThePostsOffice wrote: "Being a girl’s boyfriend is all about committing to the bit that she is a 10/10 and the most beautiful woman you have ever seen." But Aella, a polyamorous former escort, admitted this hadn’t been her experience, replying: “One of my partners once was like 'you're not that pretty' during a tender moment. I rolled over in the fetal position and groaned for like an hour.” However, she continued: “He went and made me an I'm sorry card out of construction paper and markers and stickers.” Alongside her tweet were two pictures of the homemade apology letter, in which the man wrote: “I’m sorry I told you you’re not that pretty during a tender moment and that I made you doubt that I ever desired you. “Before forsaking my cultural wisdom, I should have considered how it would feel and been ready with [kisses].” Aella’s post racked up more than 17.2 million views and 7,100 retweets in a week, as fellow X/Twitter users shared their horror at the partner’s comment. “If any ‘partner’ of mine said that to me in bed I'd kick them out of the door immediately and never allow them to see me again,” one wrote. “Life is too short to tolerate a ‘lover’ who feels like you're anything less than the prettiest person they've ever seen.” “Omg he doesn't even say 'sorry for my cruel attempt at humour, you are the most attractive girl I've ever seen',” noted another. “He says 'sorry I forsook my cultural wisdom and told you the truth'... OUCH boy!” “Where is he getting the idea that this is the objective truth?” asked a third. Aella responded by defending her man (who she's still dating), writing: “To be fair he said it in response to me mourning that [people] are not incentivized to be honest about each other's physical appearances, he was trying to be helpful by giving me his honest opinion since I wanted [people] to be more honest.” She then added: “He's one of the kindest, most caring men I've dated! He was trying to be honest with me when he thought I really wanted that, he was genuinely trying to help me. I appreciate that and I find the entire event pretty endearing. “[In my opinion] people who don't say true things out of love because they're afraid of hurting me are more cowardly and I prefer not to date those people. I'm very much a ‘seek out the painful truth and sob’ kind of person both in general and in relationships.” She then shared a text message the boyfriend sent her in response to the public outcry over his behaviour, in which he wrote that he had “half a mind to [...] include a non-makeup’d photo of [her] and be like ‘look, she is fairly pretty and very attractive and gorgeous when she tries, but that’s different from being effortlessly pretty all the time as some girls in fact are.” He went on: “Lying injures everyone’s ability to trust truthtelling and the thing where lots of women are deeply insecure about their appearance in an inconsolable way is *built out of* all your lies.” However, he conceded: “I admit error both in misunderstanding what she was asking for and in offering it without triple-checking first and in offering it without a bunch of support and reassurance prepared in advance.” Yet, his defence did little to assuage people’s concerns and disapproval. In a lengthy rebuttal, one commentator pointed out: “Beauty is subjective. Everyone has wildly different tastes and things they find attractive. But he’s applying black-and-white thinking to your beauty and speaking from a place of ‘truth’ (during an intimate moment, no less) when in reality… It’s not *the* truth, because there isn’t one truth for beauty. It’s *his* truth.” “There are other men who’d be 100 per cent honest, sharing *their* truth, that they find you stunning.” The woman, called Elle Beecher, continued: “I take major issue when people excuse their careless comments under the guise of ‘truth,’ like they’re some omniscient narrator who can speak from an objective place. You’re ‘not that pretty’ to him. He can’t speak for anyone else. “My gut reaction is that there are so many men who’d happily fulfil your needs and find you stunning, and tell you that in full honesty… so why date a guy who doesn’t?” Concluding her monologue, Elle added: “I support you and your choices fully. But this story makes me sad. I understand that you want to be with someone truthful (as do I), but I wonder why that can’t be with someone who says you’re beautiful and means it.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The nation's beloved bear Winnie the Pooh and friends will return to screens, with yet another terrifying makeover on the way. Following the success of the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey horror film earlier this year comes a sequel, and this time the focus is on the bear's loveable friend, Tigger. The character did not feature in the first film due to the fact it wasn't part of the public domain at the time. But now, Tigger is set to enter the public domain in January 2024 – a month prior to Blood and Honey 2's release date. Producer Scott Jeffrey spoke about the grisly new take on the character, telling IGN: "Tigger is incredibly violent. He loves to torture his victims before killing them. Despite having a budget of $100,000 to produce the first film, it is said to have racked up a staggering $5.2 million at the box office. Jeffrey added that the sequel has "a substantially higher budget so Rhys is really able to create a shocking, explosive and gore-filled movie. I truly think people will really dig what we are creating." The publication exclusively revealed a first look at the terrifying character – and it's safe to say, it's a thing of nightmares. Speaking about the first film, Waterfield told indy100 that the production took around 10 days to create. The plot follows Pooh and Piglet, who become increasingly "hungry and feral" due to Christopher Robin "cutting them off due to his new girlfriend and University." "Eventually, they had to eat Eeyore to survive," Waterfield added. "Christopher returns and discovered his old feral friends are no longer what they seem. Pooh and Piglet continue their rampage and target a rural cabin, where a group of girls from university are staying." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

People online are stunned to learn a diner was charged 'a**hole tax' on his food bill – but it's not all what it seems. In a popular Reddit thread that racked up over 40,000 upvotes, the man claimed his "dinner receipt had a message" at the Oregan restaurant. A photo of the bill showed a seemingly innocent string of meals, followed by "You're an A**hole" with a $15 "fine". Fellow users were quick to share their shock, with many hospitality workers expressing their interest in implementing the so-called fine into their workplace. "I wish we could charge customers for being a**holes. We would make so much money. People are garbage," one wrote. Fortunately, the poster soon realised the mishap and clarified in the comments: "My wife and I went to a restaurant for her birthday and we both had cocktails. I completely forgot the name of the cocktail by the time the receipt came but its name was 'You’re an A**hole, Mr. Burton' lmao it definitely caught me by surprise". Reddit - Dive into anything from pics Attention soon turned to the "fried chicken tit" listed as one of the couple's orders. "'I'm intrigued by the fried chicken tit," one person wrote, while another reiterated: "I am more interested in seeing a picture of the Fried Chicken Tit." According to the diner, it's simply the name of Westgate Bourbon Bar and Tap House's "fried chicken sandwich." Their menu describes the meal as: "Breaded and fried DD chicken breast, havarti, lettuce, tomato, basil, mustard aioli, on a grilled ciabatta bun. yes. we said tit. ..from a chicken. go ahead. pretend you’re offended. I’m offended you’re offended." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Sir Keir Starmer is being mocked for his strange pose on the cover of Labour’s annual conference programme. The political party’s annual conference is taking place in Liverpool on 8 - 11 October 2023 and brochures have been released ahead of time to promote the event. Pictures of the programme shared on X/Twitter have got people talking, as they feature a large picture of the Labour leader Starmer on the front cover. Starmer is pictured in a side profile against a grey background, prompting some severe mockery poking fun at his perceived reputation for having “no personality”. Others pointed out that it resembles an album cover for a musician more than a conference programme. One person on X/Twitter mocked: “‘Keir Starmer, former session musician with The Moody Blues, announces his debut solo album, Annual Conference. A melange of soft rock, mellow jazz and blue eyed soul, this has been given 5 stars in Q Magazine’.” Another wrote: “Cult of no personality.” Someone else added: “Keir Starmer: “For the Me, not the You.” “This is objectively hilarious. Imagine the meeting to discuss the various design options,” wrote another. One person joked: “If you’ve always wanted a soft focus portrait of Keir Starmer for your wall, you’re in luck with the #lab23 conference programme.” “Labour drops its new conference brochure/Keir Starmer greatest hits album cover,” wrote a Tory Twitter account. According to Labour’s website, the annual conference will host “inspiring speeches, invaluable training and an events timetable that makes the most of every minute, it’s a real opportunity to be a part of democracy in action”. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

An extraordinary recreation of what a baby can hear in the womb has got people "tearing up" across social media. The creator Dimitris Chronis Animus Mentis Productions shared the heartwarming simulation on YouTube, where it racked up thousands of views. It shows a baby in the mother's womb surrounded by amniotic fluid during the last trimester of pregnancy. The external sounds are muffled, but the creator noted that "babies become increasingly capable of hearing a range of musical tones, and studies confirm that babies react — in the womb — to the sounds they hear." He went on to suggest that if a song is replayed, the late-term foetus may recognise it as a newborn. "I came up with the idea to simulate the above situation using spatial sound. I managed to put an ambisonic recorder in an enclosed basket filled with water and recorded the sound of an African lullaby coming through an outside Bluetooth speaker," he wrote, before advising listeners to use headphones while playing. What can babies hear inside the womb| (ambisonic simulation) www.youtube.com The clip was soon inundated with comments from emotional listeners. "It is nice to know what my niece used to listen to, and I may say it is calming even for a grown-up to hear," one person wrote, while another added: "Amazing beyond time and space, beautiful light." A third commented on how catchy it was, writing: "Now I’m gonna have THIS in my head all night…" Meanwhile, one person wrote: "This is adorable I started tearing up." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

When getting an x-ray, the key thing to getting the perfect image is to stay perfectly still - but that's pretty difficult if you're a child or an animal. Therefore, medics have to come up with creative ways to keep the animals in place and this includes our prickly hedgehog friends. A viral Twitter post originally posted in 2021 has resurfaced showing how hedgehogs remain still for an x-ray if needed. Dr. Longissiumust tweeted: "In case anyone wondered what a hedgehog getting an X-ray looked like." The radiologist also included a photo of a hedgehog that had its limbs secured down with tape to ensure it wouldn't scuttle off. The post provoked some brilliant reactions, here are some of the best of them: The photo also went viral on Reddit where people continued to share their amusement at the hedgehog. One person said: "I don’t know why I laughed that they didn’t have to use any stronger tape than that paper tape." "I thought someone was having a weird Christmas dinner," another person replied. Someone else added: "I’m a vet tech and in our radiology department there are posters with how to position each animal for all different types of x-rays with rough anatomical drawings of each animal. "One shows you how to x-ray a fish and it is literally a cartoon fish in a baggie (the kind you take them home from the pet store in) plopped on the table. Idk why but every time I see that poster it cracks me up way more than it should." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A Polish TV show has sparked outrage online for featuring contestants dressed in blackface as Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Your Face Sounds Familiar (Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo) includes eight celebrities performing as artists in a bid to win money for their chosen charity. The show is a popular franchise across Europe, especially in Spain and Bulgaria – but Poland's franchise has recently caused a stir for its problematic nature. In a recent episode, Polish singer Kuba Szmajkowski dressed in blackface to impersonate Lamar with a performance of 'HUMBLE'. The clip soon spread on social media, with one writing: "You can appreciate the culture or the art without being offensive or doing blackface." Another added: "Kendrick needs to file the nastiest copyright suit of all time. I’m talking not even able to say his name no more on some Voldemort sht". Kuba Szmajkowski jako Kendrick Lamar - Hip-hopowe brzmienie w „Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo”! www.youtube.com This isn't the first time the show has caused backlash. In a 2021 episode, white actor Tomasz Ciachorowski covered 'Stronger' by Kanye West – which has since resurfaced on TikTok: @zzzsfgxhs Bro Performed Weaker 💀#kanyewest #fypシ #twojatwarzbrzmiznajomo #kanye In an Instagram post on their official account, the show said they were "very surprised" by the backlash. "Dear Viewers, we are very surprised with the number of negative comments regarding to the [sic] tv show Your Face Sounds Familiar," they wrote. "The Polish edition of the show, seen as exemplary abroad, always tries to show great performances, which strive to be as close to the original as possible. Incredibly important for us, as well as for the artists taking part in the show, is the charity aspect of the programme." They continued: "The producers and contestants of all previous series of the show, had always one thing in mind – to recreate most accurately (vocally, movement-wise and visually) the big music stars of Polish or foreign origin – which are selected for them randomly. "A team of professionals watches over this process and they prepare the artist for their performance." They went on to note celebrities who performed as black singers, adding: "The intention of each star performing on the show, as well as of the whole production team, is to recreate the original performance in the most precise manner, while honouring the original artist. The artist, who is of the utmost importance for all of us, who love music." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman made her other half sleep in a different bed after they clashed about vomit, of all things. Posting on Reddit, the woman explained her husband got so drunk after a BBQ he ended up vomiting in their bathroom sink. To make matters worse, he refused to clean it up because he claimed he didn't know how to. She added that while she in general deals "with all domestic house duties" and is "happy to do it" she felt that what he was doing showed "straight up disrespect". So, she banished him to their spare room. "I was super upset after him feeding me excuses of why he can clean up his own vomit, he smelt horribly of liquor and was starting to raise his voice at me when he was explaining he couldn’t clean it because he 'had to go to work to pay for all the things we want', she said. "To be clear, we have our own individual bank accounts and he doesn’t pay for any of my personal bills or recreational purchases," she added. "After his exudes of why not to clean it up, I didn’t engage or continue with the argument because when you’re sober there’s no reasoning with a drunk person, so, I had asked him to sleep on the spare room." Responding to her story, people thought she had been reasonable. "How do you live that long and not know how to clean up your own puke?" one said. "I can't stand people who drink irresponsibly," another said. "He threw up and he gets to clean it up. Not you." And a third said: "He got drunk and threw up not you. He should clean it up. Some serious red flags with this dude." What do you think? Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.