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The ‘Thunderstorm’ is the sex position couples are loving and it’ll leave you trembling with pleasure

AS we're sure all those with a thunderstorms phobia will agree, even the slightest amount of rain can leave you feeling faint.

Well if you're looking to tackle your fears once and for all, then you might want to give this steamy sex position a go.

And it's bound to leave you trembling… but in a good way this time.

Aptly named "The Thunderstorm", this move involves the woman leaning over a table while standing on her tip-toes with her legs apart.

Granted, this sex position is much easier for us girls – as the man has to stand behind and lift his leg up onto the table.

While you grip onto the table for support, your partner holds onto your waist while you rock back and forth together.

And trust us, you're guaranteed to forget all about the thunder and lighting outside.

For more ways to spice up things in the bedroom, The Fixer is perfect for make-up sex while the Throwback Thursday is ideal for when you're feeling lazy.

For more relationship stories, this woman caught her boyfriend cheating after spotting unusual ‘physical activity’ on his FitBit at 4am.

From early morning sex to dirty texting – what speeds up or slows down your orgasm.

Plus this furious girlfriend was slammed for ‘tacky’ sign moaning she’s gone 3,058 days without a proposal.

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What the cast of Mean Girls looked like before all the fame

Of the countless coming-of-age comedies, there is no denying that Mean Girls is one that has stood the test of time. The film came out in 2004, and yet it is still referenced and quoted to this day. The movie followed a group of, well… mean girls in high school, and one outsider who tried her hardest to break into the clique. The film was based on the book, Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman, and taught some great lessons about friendship and kindness.

Part of what made the film so iconic, aside from the outfits and many, many great jokes in the movie, were the actors behind the hilarious characters. From Lindsey Lohan to Tina Fey, the cast was splendid, even the lesser known cast members for whom Mean Girls served as a jumpstart for their careers. But what did all those gorgeous actors from Mean Girls look like before the fame? Honestly, looking back at the movie and the actors in it, it’s all totally fetch.

Lindsey Lohan was a child actor

Lindsey Lohan was probably the most well-known actor when Mean Girls premiered, which is probably why Lohan got the lead role of Cady Heron. Sure, Lohan definitely got even more famous after the success of Mean Girls, but with hugely-popular roles in films such as The Parent Trap, and Freaky Friday, Lohan was already well-known. Lohan was the definition of a child actor, and actually appeared in two episodes of Sesame Street in 1995, when she was less than 10 years old.

Of course, it really wasn’t until The Parent Trap that Lohan’s fame took off, on account of what Refinery 29 called her “gleaming, undeniable talent — the kind of talent that indicates, no matter what, a story will follow.” Before then, she was just a young kid, trying to make it in the entertainment industry. And as confused as you probably were as a kid watching The Parent Trap, no, Lohan doesn’t have a twin sister. But back in her child star days, Lohan wasn’t afraid to admit what she wanted out of life. In a 1997 interview with Entertainment Tonight, a young Lohan said she enjoyed acting because “it’s fun and I like the attention.” Hey, she got what she wanted, especially with the success of Mean Girls.

Rachel McAdams was relatively unknown before Mean Girls

These days, just about everyone knows who Rachel McAdams is, and for good reason. The actor has played quite a few iconic roles, and there really isn’t a hair color McAdams can’t rock. But looking back on her career, Mean Girls was a huge jumping-off point. In fact, the movie came out the same year as her other breakout role, The Notebook (McAdams’ audition tape for The Notebook pictured above right). Prior to 2004, McAdams had a few other credits that … let’s just say didn’t involve making out with Ryan Gosling in the rain in one of the most memorable film scenes of all time. But what about before she became the simultaneous envy and enemy of young women everywhere?

According to Hello!, before McAdams was an actor, she actually dabbled in figure skating. But after she went to a theater camp one summer, she realized acting was her passion. “I didn’t deal well with the pressure in skating the way I seem to in acting,” she said, adding, “The nerves got to me, and I’d get paralyzed. Whereas when I’m acting, the nerves propel me into action.” McAdams proved this with her performance as the combative Regina George, as the role definitely pushed her out of her comfort one. “It was hard,” she told Hello! of the breakout gig, adding, “I’m not a big fan of confrontation, and there are a lot of confrontational scenes in Mean Girls.”

Lacey Chabert had a few small roles before the movie

Gretchen Weiners certainly had some of the most iconic lines in Mean Girls, not to mention a totally memorable name. But the actor behind Gretchen Weiners wasn’t all that iconic before Mean Girls came out. Lacey Chabert is now a staple on The Hallmark Channel, but before all the fame, Chabert was just a kid from Purvis, Miss., who happened to have Hollywood dreams.

According to the Clarion Ledger, Chabert’s family apparently supported those dreams from a young age, as the entire clan packed up and moved to New York City when Lacey was 7, so she could pursue Broadway stardom. It all worked out two years later when she landed the role of Cosette in the landmark show Les Misérables, followed by a recurring role on the soap All My Children when she was 10. 

After Mean Girls, Chabert became somewhat of a Christmas-movie queen on Hallmark, which anyone who knew her as a kid probably could have seen coming. In a throwback post on Instagram, Chabert shared a sweet holiday photo of her and her sisters, captioned, “Christmas with my two besties.” In another throwback post, Chabert showed a photo of herself as a baby in front of a Christmas tree (above right). “Obsessed with Christmas since 1983,” she captioned it. Being famous might have changed Chabert’s life, but it clearly hasn’t changed who she is in her heart: a girl who loves family and Christmas.

Mean Girls put Amanda Seyfried 'on the map'

Though some child and teen stars are known throughout the world (think Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Miley Cyrus, or Shirley Temple), most child stars aren’t all that famous, and even teenage actors don’t get to be well-known unless they star in something truly iconic. The same can be said for Amanda Seyfried. According to Biography, the beautiful blonde who played Karen Smith in Mean Girls, had actually been acting since she was 15, appearing on popular daytime soap operas like As The World Turns and All My Children. 

Even Seyfried recognizes that Mean Girls “put [her] on the map” as she described it to Allure (via MTV) in 2009. But that’s not all. The teen comedy also introduced her to the wonderful world of craft services. “Oh my god, I ate everything!” she told Entertainment Tonight of her fondness for the on-set catering, adding, “It was the first movie that I had ever done, so I just ate everything.” Seyfried went on the add that she was so young when she starred in Mean Girls, it was really formative experience for her. “I had the best time,” she explained. “It started [filming] in September, when I had graduated high school, so it was ‘college’ for me.” Clearly, Mean Girls was more than a meal ticket for Seyfried, but from the looks of the adorable throwback photo She posted of herself (above right), food has always been a pretty important part of her life.   

Lizzy Caplan really blossomed after Mean Girls

When you first watched Mean Girls, you might have thought Janis Ian, the alternative artsy girl who befriended Cady Heron, looked familiar. That’s because Lizzy Caplan, the actor who played Janis, had already landed roles on popular shows like Freaks and Geeks and Smallville (shown above right). It’s undeniable, however, that Mean Girls was Caplan’s big break.

But the reason Caplan got started in the entertainment industry is actually pretty bleak. In a 2014 Rolling Stone profile, the mag described her formative years like so: “The childhood of a typical Jewish L.A. kid, a bat mitzvah, a domineering piano teacher, a trip to Israel, and a liberal home.” But Caplan’s “typical” childhood was interrupted when her mom “fell ill and died when Caplan was 13.” Explaining how the tragedy somehow propelled her onto the Hollywood track, Caplan told the outlet, “Strangely, from that age on I thought the only reason why I could even attempt to be an actress was because this horrible thing happened to me.” 

Perhaps even stranger was the fact that Caplan hit it big in comedies after drawing on such a somber motivation for her career. But since Mean Girls, Caplan’s resume expanded into many genres, like horror for HBO’s True Blood and drama for Showtime’s Masters of Sex, the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination in 2014.  

Jonathan Bennett wasn't really famous before Mean Girls

Just like Cady Heron, fans probably had a tough time taking their eyes off of Aaron Samuels, the certified hunk of Northshore High School and object of desire for both Cady and Regina George. Clearly, he had the looks, but Jonathan Bennett was actually just getting his feet wet as an actor when he landed his Mean Girls role. Before the big break, Bennet only had just 7 smaller credits in movies and shows, including Law and Order and All My Children. And while his film career didn’t exactly blow up after Mean Girls, he’s logged steady work ever since, most notably as the host of Food Network’s Cake Wars. 

Regardless of his status, the Ohio-born Bennett was always going to end up in front of a camera, at least, that’s what said during an interview with Resident. “There was never a time that I started acting. I knew when I was three or four that I was going to be an actor,” he told the outlet, which noted his first-ever performance “as a munchkin in a production of The Wizard of Oz.” Then it was on to The Big Apple and a brief stint on All My Children, after which Bennett made the big New York-to-LA move that any actor shooting for Hollywood stardom eventually makes. Along the way, he snagged the best actor honors at the 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival for his role in an independent film, proving that even though he wasn’t well-known yet, he had the goods. 

Tina Fey knew about real-life mean girls firsthand

Part of what makes Mean Girls so iconic and relatable is that it isn’t just the teenagers who get involved in the drama, it’s the adults, too. Tina Fey’s character, Ms. Norbury, has moments when she feels bullied by the mean girls, and shows that teachers have to deal with a lot more than just lesson plans. But even though Fey wrote the screenplay for the movie, and starred in it, Mean Girls was far from her first big role.

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Fey headed to Chicago after graduating with a drama degree from the University of Virginia. The Windy City gave Fey her start in the world of comedy after she earned a spot in Second City’s “Mainstage company as an understudy,” according to her profile with the legendary comedy training organization. By the time Fey penned the screenplay forMean Girls, she was already SNL’s head writer.

Speaking with The New York Times the real-life inspiration behind the film, Fey said, “I revisited high school behaviors of my own — futile, poisonous, bitter behaviors that served no purpose. That thing of someone saying ‘You’re really pretty’ and then, when the other person thanks them, saying, ‘Oh, so you agree? You think you’re pretty?’ That happened in my school. That was a bear trap.” We have to wonder what those real-life mean girls think of Fey now. 

Amy Poehler had been acting long before Mean Girls

Another hilarious character from Mean Girls was Regina George’s mom, played by Amy Poehler. Like her friend and frequent collaborator, Tina Fey, Poehler also honed her comedy chops at Chicago’s Second City before moving on to Saturday Night Live. Prior to all that, according to Biography, Poehler was raised in Burlington, Mass, with two schoolteacher as parents. Shown above right is one of Poehler’s earliest acting gigs from the late 90’s, a recurring role as Stacy, Andy’s little sister on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. But when Poehler was cast in Mean Girls, she somehow still wasn’t well-known enough to garner some basic Hollywood star privilege, despite the fact that she was also already an SNL regular at the time.  

In her book Yes Please (via Boston Magazine), Poehler describes how she and Fey were flying first-class to shoot Mean Girls, and a man was rude to them and told them they didn’t belong in first class. “All of my lower-middle-class Boston issues rose to the surface,” Poehler writes, adding, “I don’t like it when bratty, privileged old white guys speak to me like I am their mouthy niece. I got that amazing feeling you get when you know you are going to lose it in the best, most self-righteous way. I just leaned back and yelled, “F************K YOU.” Then I chased him as he tried to get away from me.” 

Hilarious? Yes. Would her schoolteacher parents approve? Probably also yes. 

Daniel Franzese's Mean Girls character meant a lot to him

One of the most beloved characters from Mean Girls was definitely Damian. Not only was he Janis Ian’s best friend, but he also had some of the best lines (“She asked me how to spell ‘orange'”) in the movie, as well as some of the best facial expressions. While it would seem like the man who made Glen Coco a legend owes his career to Mean Girls, actor Daniel Franzese only partially sees it that way.

In fact, Franzese, who only had only a few years of little-known credits to his name before Mean Girls, told them that he hit “the gay glass ceiling” after his big break. What this mean, essentially, was that Hollywood casting agents were only offering him roles fitting the “gay best friend” trope. Franzese refused those roles to his own detriment. “I turned down a lot of money as my fame was rising,” he told them, adding, “It’s a very weird thing to be famous and not be able to pay your rent.” 

He eventually found roles that better suited his personal values, but the time between that and his breakout was particularly tough for Franzese. Before he started acting, he struggled with his sexuality, and had a hard time coming out. Franzese even wrote a touching letter to his character from Mean Girls for IndieWire, in which he confessed, “I wished I’d had you as a role model when I was younger. I might’ve been easier to be gay growing up.” 

Neil Flynn was 'Joe Dramatic Actor' before Mean Girls

Yes, Cady Heron was the new girl in Mean Girls. And yes, she was film’s the main character. But her father, played by Neil Flynn, was a total scene-stealer. By the time he signed on for the small movie role, the veteran comedic character actor was already a regular on Scrubs, as the iconic and ever-hilarious and sarcastic janitor.

In an interview with AV Club, Flynn explained his accidental start in comedy, as he initially considered himself “Joe Dramatic Actor” when he started out. “Then I came out [to Hollywood] and didn’t find any success for about five or six years, so I moved back to Chicago, more or less starting over,” he explained, adding that he randomly saw “this sign that said ‘ImprovOlympic,'” and signed up. Flynn said, “it was probably the single best professional decision I ever made.”

Over 70 screen credits to his name later, yeah, we tend to agree. 

Ana Gasteyer has always been hilarious

Mrs. Heron, played by Ana Gasteyer, had some great moments in Mean Girls, but looking at her life, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Gasteyer has a lot in common with Tina Fey, as she was also a Saturday Night Live star. Gasteyer even went on to star in other Fey projects, such as Netflix’s Wine Country, another hilarious comedy. 

The gorgeous and funny Gasteyer broke onto the scene in 1996 with her Saturday Night Live debut, but before that, her was still extremely interesting. In fact, she told Us Weekly that she is “legally blind in [her] right eye,” and had to wear “an eye patch for much of [her] early childhood,” which she used to her advantage to land “her first standout role in a play [as] Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker [in middle school].” We swear that’s not an SNL sketch.

While that all sounds kind of rough, Gasteyer also told The Washingtonian how grateful she was for her childhood in Washington, D.C. “It was incredibly diverse and incredibly beautiful in terms of the architecture,” she told the outlet, adding, “My mom was one of the founders of the Eastern Market, and helped renovate that area. She was very active in the community association.” Cleary, before Gasteyer was famous, she was aware of how lucky she is, and that likely remains true today.

Tim Meadows worked hard to make it in comedy

Another Saturday Night Live alumni who graced the screen in Mean Girls was Principal Duvall, played by Tim Meadows. Meadows appeared on Saturday Night Live from 1991 until 2000, so he was already pretty famous before Mean Girls, and in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Meadows explained that he owed a lot of his success to his upbringing. 

“Probably the work ethic that was instilled in me in Detroit,” Meadows said of his childhood, adding “I like working, I work a lot. I feel guilty when I’m not working. It comes from my parents and the way my family was. We were always taught about education and working and living up to your potential and working harder than other people in order to be successful.” Additionally, according to ABC, the Michigan native “studied television and radio broadcasting at Wayne State University before performing improvisational comedy at the Soup Kitchen Saloon.”

Clearly, Meadows put in the work to achieve his stardom, but is it really any wonder that the Ladies Man himself had any trouble wrangling some catfighting high school girls?  

Mean Girls was Rajiv Surendra's last big role

There are few musical numbers in cinematic history more memorable than the rap Kevin Gnapoor (or Kevin G as he’s better known) performs at the Winter Talent Show in Mean Girls. It’s such an impressive moment as the mathlete turns into a total, certified rapper on stage in front of the entire school. But Mean Girls was definitely the biggest moment in actor Rajiv Surendra’s Hollywood career. In fact, he took just one role after Mean Girls in 2005, before handing in his Hollywood card for his current occupation, which actually goes back to his childhood. In addition to being an author, Surendra is also a calligrapher, something he was passionate about before all the fame. 

But the pursuit of that passion was the result of a pretty massive disappointment for the up-and-coming star. In an interview with HuffPost, Surendra explained how he learned about director Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning adaptation of the book Life of Pi while he was on-set for Mean Girls. Instantly gripped by the role, Surendra made it his singular goal to get cast. He even travelled to India to extensively research for the character, but his “dream was over in an instant” when Lee cast someone else. He ended up walking away from the business right then, or as he explained it in an Instagram post plugging his book about the whole experience, “Fate had a greater journey in store for me.”  

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The Nike Air Max Verona has dropped TODAY and here's where to buy it

NIKE have launched their latest must have trainer, the Air Max Verona and we can't wait to get our hands on it.

The new shoe has been designed with women in mind and is available to buy from today – we're expecting it to be everywhere this summer.

Featuring striking colours and imitable seam patterns, Nike have developed the Verona especially for women, giving it a more feminine look.

  • Nike Air Max Verona, from £104.99, Footlocker – buy here

The Air Max Verona is available from footlocker.co.uk now, and will cost you £104.99 and comes in four eye-catching colourways.

Nike say their "new Air Max Verona from Nike makes women's hearts beat faster", and they're not wrong – it's gone straight to the top of our summer wish list.

It's available in sizes 3.5 to 9.5 and comes in four colours, Barely Rose-Stone Mauve-Vachetta Tan, Plum Chalk-Black-Oracle, White-Blue, and White-Red-Purple.

The new feminine design is perfect for gals who love the original Air Max but want a lighter look, and comfort for everyday wear.

The Verona features a material mix of soft leather, and airy textile, with a comfortable fit, with visible air cushioning and a raised foam heel.

We're pairing the Verona with cute summer dresses, and lockdown luxe joggers and cute tops this summer for a sporty, casual and modern look.

The Nike Air Max Verona is available now from Footlocker for £104.99.

Topshop unveiled the new 2020 ‘it’ dress Willow and it’s perfect for effortless summer dressing.

Plus Fearne Cotton launched her Yoga range for Sweaty Betty and it looks amazing.

And cult favourite Vans have launched their Neon Collection – and here’s where you can buy them.

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Penny Lancaster joins the police after loving stint on reality show

Penny Lancaster joins the police: Sir Rod Stewart’s wife signs up as special constable after loving stint in uniform on reality show Famous and Fighting Crime

  • The Loose Women panelist worked with Cambridgeshire Police on TV last year 
  • A drug dealer threatened to stab her in an experience she admits was ‘terrifying’
  • But the former model will join up with City of London Police once lockdown ends 

Penny Lancaster, who joined police on the beat in a TV documentary last year, is now set to become an officer for real.

The Loose Women panelist signed up to become a special constable after taking part in Channel 4’s Famous and Fighting Crime, where she was seen working with officers from Cambridgeshire Police.

In a ‘terrifying’ experience during filming, she was at one point confronted by a drug dealer who threatened to stab her. 

Penny Lancaster, pictured in uniform, trained with the police for Famous and Fighting Crime and is now set to become an officer for real

She was one of five well-known rookies being given the chance to see what it’s like to be in the police

Special Constable Penny (pictured giving comfort to a member of the public) said she ‘never felt more comfortable in a position’

Despite the scare, however, the former model took so much from her stint in uniform that she has now successfully completed the application process for the part-time role.  

Penny, 49, who is married to Sir Rod Stewart, will join the City of London Police after undergoing training once lockdown restrictions are lifted.

She said: ‘I did a show called Famous and Fighting Crime where I was involved with the police.

‘It was terrifying but I never felt more comfortable in a position and I felt like this is where I was supposed to be.

‘I have signed up to be an officer.

‘I had to sit exams, English and maths type of exams, and go for an interview with two officers. And then I did a fitness test which was the bleep test which was pretty tricky so I had to get fit for that and I passed.

‘Then I had to do this massive vetting form going through all personal details of myself, my family, people I know and all that kind of thing.

‘So now I’m waiting for the training to begin so I can serve the community.

‘I’m going to become a police officer for the City Police in London.’

Penny, pictured far right, appeared on the show alongside, left to right, comedian Marcus Brigstocke, Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle, TV presenter Katie Piper and Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing

The mother-of-two, who married Sir Rod in 2007, said the experience made her realise how underfunded the police are.

Both her husband and her parents have admitted concerns about her joining the force, but Penny, speaking on an Instagram Live chat with her former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Ian Waite, is determined to take on the challenge.

She added: ‘My mum and dad are not so keen on the idea but I can’t wait.

‘I feel sorry for the police right now because they really, really have their work cut out for them trying to create social distancing while trying to arrest someone.’

Speaking previously, Sir Rod, 75, said: ‘No one’s ever been able to stop Penny if she’s decided she wants to do something. And I’m always behind her all the way.

‘But am I scared for her? Yes, a little. Did you see that drug addict who threatened to stab her with a needle on the TV show?

‘As long as she’s accompanied at all times by another constable, she’ll be okay.’ 

How Penny helped bring a violent groom to justice on the show 

As part of the show, Penny interviewed a groom, who started an attack at his own wedding reception which left a man with a fractured jaw. 

The victim had been at a comedy club night at the Cresset, in Peterborough, with his partner who was then invited by her friend to the wedding reception of Luke Stone, of Goodwood Road in Bretton, Peterborough.

The victim had entered the function room to the wedding reception, held in the same building, and was stood with his partner when the groom walked over and punched him in the face.

The man was immediately punched for a second time by the groom’s brother Joshua, of Kirkmeadow in Bretton, Peterborough, causing him to fall to the floor unconscious.

Penny Lancaster (centre) interviews Joshua Stone as part of the Channel 4 documentary

Staff at the Cresset Theatre placed the victim in the recovery position while they waited for police and paramedics. Both defendants left the scene before officers arrived.

The victim was taken to hospital with a fractured jaw. The assault was caught on CCTV and the defendants were arrested and interviewed the following day.

In police interview, with DC Sam Delmer and celebrity Penny, Luke Stone claimed he punched the victim because he feared being assaulted by the man himself.

He claimed he wouldn’t wish serious injury on anyone, but added that if he could say anything to the victim he would say ‘don’t gate-crash parties’.

The defendant admitted it was him in the CCTV footage and said in hindsight he should have got a staff member to ask the victim to leave the party.

In his police interview, Joshua Stone said he had been drinking all evening and admitted things had got ‘messy’.

He accepted punching the victim but said he believed it was just a ‘warning jab’ and didn’t mean to hit the man so hard.

The defendant watched the CCTV footage and showed remorse for what he had done. He said he wanted to protect his family and would have resolved the issue in ‘a more civilised manner’ if he hadn’t been drinking.

Luke Stone previously pleaded guilty to common assault, while Joshua Stone previously admitted causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.

Joshua Stone was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to the victim.

Luke Stone was handed a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £500 in compensation.

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'The Bachelorette': Rachel Lindsay Speaks Out About Why 'Silence on Social Media Is Saying A Lot'

The Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay, was on season 13 of the long-running reality TV show on ABC. She found love and is still happily married to Brian Abasolo. Since leaving the show, she has used her platform of almost 1 million followers to tackle tough questions surrounding urban culture, politics, sports, current affairs, and entertainment. 

Following the death of George Floyd, she did not hesitate to speak out about racial injustice. She took it a step further, talking specifically about what silence on social media is saying.

RELATED: ‘The Bachelor’ Fans Feel This 1 Person Is ‘The Best Thing to Ever Happen to Bachelor Nation’

‘Bachelorette’ Rachel Lindsay called out racism in ‘The Bachelor’ franchise

The Bachelor franchise had one African-American lead on the show in its 40 seasons. Rachel Lindsay was the first black Bachelorette on Season 13. Over the many seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, the show has had 40 lead contestants — only one of those was black — Lindsay. 

“The system isn’t working in giving us a Bachelor who is a person of color,” Lindsay told Entertainment Tonight. “So we need to change the system. Something has to be done. Break the rules, step outside the box, give the people what they want!”

RELATED: ‘The Bachelor’ Fans Attack Chris Harrison’s Social Media Post on Blackout Tuesday

The 35-year-old attorney was not quiet when the show producers chose another white man for season 24 of The Bachelor. Although her season was the most diverse than ever before, the show did not continue the trend.

Rachel Lindsay believes that ‘white silence’ on social media is saying a lot

“I’m not saying that you have to speak out and have this, you know, this whole spiel about black lives matter,” Lindsay told CBS News. 

Lindsay understands that you might not have known what to say in the past. However, she believes that now you have to say something. She encourages people to check on their friends to see how they are doing and speak out.

RELATED: ‘The Bachelor’: Did Victoria Fuller Just Confirm She Is Dating Chris Soules in the Sassiest Way?

“You should be so disturbed in the way that we are, that you can’t help but speak out,” Lindsay continued.

She encourages people to use their voices and platforms to take a stand because the silence is “perpetuating these cycles of violence.”

Lindsay encourages private discussions as well as public posts on social media 

“I’m not even necessarily saying that I need you to post,” the former Bachelorette continues. “But at the bare minimum, a friend would reach out to another friend. ‘How are you doing during this time? I’ll admit that I’ve been silent. I’ll admit that I’ve ignored some of the issues that you face as a black person. But I want you to know that I’m your friend and I see you, and I hear you.’ I am paying attention to friends that aren’t doing that.”

RELATED: ‘The Bachelor’: Peter Weber Reveals Why He Is ‘Very Interested’ in Moving to Chicago — It’s More Than Kelley Flanagan

Lindsay also blogs weekly to answer questions from fans ranging from racism and biracial couples to friendship quarrels. She hopes to have a safe space for fans to ask any questions they have.

“The first step is being aware that there is a problem,” she wrote in her June 1, 2020, Honestly Rach blog post. “Register to vote and make your voice heard on your ballots. Don’t continue to allow these injustices to define our society.”

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John Krasinski Shared the Huge Lessons He Learned From George Clooney: 'He Taught Me So Much'

John Krasinski has a number of impressive credits on his resume but back when he was just a TV star starting out with movie roles, he had a lot to learn. Luckily the actor had some amazing mentors to educate him, with George Clooney among one of the biggest A-listers who gave Krasinski advice that clearly stuck with him over the years.

Krasinski learned something huge from Clooney

In a 2016 interview with Sunday TODAY, Krasinski shared the advice that Clooney gave him about directing, something he implemented successfully when he directed the 2016 film The Hollars, A Quiet Place in 2018, and A Quiet Place II in 2020.

Krasinski co-starred with Clooney in the 2008 movie Leatherheads and he found that the legendary actor had plenty of words of wisdom to share with the up-and-comer.

“I’d say the thing I learned from him most was how tomaintain a level of class and respect on a movie set like it would be in aclassroom or in a workplace,” Krasinski said of Clooney. “It’s gottabe that we’re all humans, and we’re all doing something. There is never amoment where we’re not a family.”

RELATED: John Krasinski or Emily Blunt; Who Has the Higher Net Worth in 2019?

Clooney shared directing advice too

In a 2016 interview on Larry King Now, Krasinski shared how much of an impact Clooney had on him when he directed the actor in Leatherheads. “The name of the game there is ‘just steal everything.’ I’ve stolen ideas and thoughts and moves from the directors that I’ve worked with. Certainly, George Clooney taught me so much,” Krasinski noted.

He continued, “One of the things I always remember he told me was — you can make a bad movie out of a good script, but you can never make a good movie out of a bad script, so always choose wisely.”

Clooney also taught Krasinski that making movies is a team effort. “And then the other thing he always told me was, you know, the best idea has to end up on screen,” he explained. “Doesn’t matter who said it. One of your actors or the guy who’s shutting down the studio at night. If it’s going to make the movie better, it has to go on screen. It’s a team sport,” he shared.

Krasinski got some amazing advice from Robin Williams

Krasinski also had the pleasure of working with the legendary Robin Williams on the 2007 film License to Wed and Williams imparted a piece of advice that Krasinski said had a huge impact on him.

“I remember he took me aside one day. And he said, ‘I think you’re gonna be in this business for a while. Don’t ever forget the responsibility you have to be the better person than anybody else on this set,’” Krasinski shared during his Sunday Today interview.

“Meaning, ‘You have a responsibility to be a leader, and to care about this movie and these people for everybody,’” he added.

“And I’ve taken it to heart every single day,” Krasinski said.

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The untold truth of actor and activist Tyler Merritt

Tyler Merritt created a video in 2018 called “Before You Call the Cops” after a series of incidents where people called the police on Black people for no reason, according to HuffPost. While the video was a huge success when it was first released, it has gained even more traction since Jimmy Kimmel shared the clip in full on his late show recently. Kimmel shared Merritt’s video in response to the nation grieving the death of George Floyd.

Merritt’s video is as powerful as it is poignant and he encouraged compassion by sharing simple details about his life. The actor shared funny facts like how he hates spiders and that he’s done goat yoga. But he also goes deep saying, “I hate that anyone at all might possibly be afraid of me. I’d go around the world and back again if I knew that single act might make your day better.”

In light of this remarkable video and so many other things Merritt has done, here’s everything we know about the actor and activist.

Tyler Merritt prays for Donald Trump

Tyler Merritt, actor, musician, and activist, is known for his work on Outer Banks (2020), The Outsider (2020), and Parenthood (2010), according to his IMDb. But we also know a lot about his personal life through the information he gave on the remarkable video, “Before You Call the Cops.”

Merritt’s parents were raised in the south but they raised him in Las Vegas, a city which still has his heart. He’s a vegetarian and a Christian, spending almost every Sunday morning teaching kids in Sunday school. His father is a veteran. Merritt also said, “I don’t hate our president. I pray for him.”

While Merritt is an actor, he’s also a true activist and founded The Tyler Merritt Project, or the TTM Project on Twitter, a place where people can come together to find inspiration.

In May 2020, Merritt joined Joshua Johnson on MSNBC for an interview where he discussed the Tyler Merritt Project as well as his iconic video. However, Merritt was clear in explaining what he didn’t want to do in the video when he said: “I don’t feel the need in this video to have to humanize myself to anybody. But I was hoping I could save lives.”

Merritt also spoke about the significance of walking in his life, a theme which has come up in a new video he made. Keep reading to hear what he has to say.

Tyler Merritt walks for all the Black people who can't

Tyler Merritt currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, which was the backdrop for a more recent video he made called, “The Playlist.” This newest video was dedicated to “all the Black people ‘who never made it home,'” according to HuffPost.

Merritt shared that walking is a huge part of his everyday life. In the interview with MSNBC, Merritt said, “I walk about 3 miles, 4 miles, everyday in Nashville.” He spoke about acknowledging the risk he takes when he walks outside and puts his headphones and hoodie on. Merritt also said, “I’m aware that Floyd could be me.”

This newest video features Merritt walking while listening to his playlist, including Jay Z, Alanis Morissette, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West. He gives commentary in the background and it is charming and funny until it isn’t. Merritt concludes the video with a chilling end and as hard as it is to watch, it is important. Merritt himself acknowledges that the video is difficult to watch and, according to HuffPost, he says it’s “harder to swallow” than his first video.

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The Best Book Club Subscriptions for Kids Make It Easy to Stock Their Library

The power of reading is the ultimate gift you can give to your kids. From learning about social activists who have paved the way for human rights to stories about perseverance and creativity, opening up a book with your child is opening them up to a world of knowledge. It can’t be said enough: We need to share more stories of diverse backgrounds at home so they can learn about and embrace the world around them, and no age is too young to start. While there’s a good chance they’re showered with books during birthdays and holidays, the rest of the year can be a bit sparse when it comes to their at-home book selection. Curating age-appropriate reads is no small task, so the good news is that you can give yourself a break and hand it off to another source to do the heavy lifting for you. Enter book subscription boxes for kids, which will take all the hard work out of curating books for your kiddo every month or however often you need them.

Opting into a book subscription for kids is like having your own book curator, and we don’t know what could be more rad than that. From one-year-olds to your preteen, there are plenty of engaging book subscriptions made for your child’s age. What’s even better is that many include more than just books, so if you need some activities to keep them busy, these will save the day. Some are basically summer camp in box, full of interactive toys that help them apply their learnings from the book in real life. Take Wonder Crate, which offers themed boxes ranging from social activists to influential artists and includes a hands-on activity to get those creative juices flowing. If you just need the basics, yes, Amazon’s got you covered too. There’s a lot to digest in the world of book subscription boxes for kids, so we’ve narrowed down the best that are delivered right to your door. That way, you can keep your child’s bookshelf stocked with informative and fun reads to keep them engaged while decreasing their screen time. It’s a win-win for everyone.

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From top of the world to end of the world, England’s momentum takes a big hit – The Sun

ONE year ago, it was dawning.

The World Cup had just begun and English cricket’s most glorious summer was upon us.

The Summer of Stokes gave us two of the most gripping climaxes ever experienced in any sport.

Ben Stokes — reformed hellraiser, supreme all-rounder — seized centre stage for both.

There was the World Cup final at Lord’s, where England won a ridiculously dramatic contest against New Zealand on a Super Over.

Then there was the dreamland comeback to win the Ashes Test at Headingley thanks to an impossible final-wicket stand with Jack Leach.

Chuck in the brutal Lord’s duel between England’s new fast- bowling sensation Jofra Archer  and Australian run machine Steve Smith and all around us was  compelling evidence that cricket — at its best — is the most thrilling sport  of all.

The hope was that English cricket could carry the feelgood momentum of 2019 into another packed summer of internationals, which would also bring the launch of The  Hundred — a controversial, but potentially attractive short form of the game designed to capture a new audience.

As in all sports, and so many other areas of life, coronavirus has scuppered those best-laid plans. The Hundred has been scrapped until next year.

While Test series against West Indies and Pakistan have been delayed until July and must be played without the packed-out, beered-up crowds which make English cricket the envy of the world.

As for the county game — the  breeding ground for Stokes, Archer, Joe Root and all — well that season has been decimated, with no plans to start until August.

HOWZAT WORK?

JULY 8? That’s ages away. Have cricket chiefs been dragging their feet?

The opposite. The ECB have been planning  for more than two months and Steve Elworthy (director of events) and Nick Peirce (chief medical officer) are among the best in their fields.

But a five-day Test is very different from a 90-minute football match.

Players, staff and officials have to stay in a hotel on-site and remain in a “bio secure” bubble potentially for several weeks.

England will assemble at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on June 23 or 24 for practice and a squad warm-up match. That’s two weeks before the Test.

Only the Ageas Bowl and Old  Trafford have hotels so, currently, the plan is for all 18 of England’s summer matches  to be played on two grounds.

Edgbaston will be used as a training venue. England play West Indies (three Tests), Ireland (three ODIs), Pakistan (three Tests, three T20s) and Australia (three T20s and three ODIs).

The opposition travels from overseas. So the Windies will arrive on a charter flight on June 9 at a cost to the ECB of around £450,000.

The squad will stay in the hotel at Old Trafford and quarantine for two weeks, although they will be permitted to do some training.

Level 4 clearance from the Government is needed to stage international events. That hasn’t been granted yet but should be a  formality, barring a second spike.

How can the players be kept safe?

Everybody will be tested for Covid-19 before entering the bubble and receive temperature tests at least once a day.

Anyone testing positive or suffering symptoms will be isolated.

Covid-19 subs are expected to be allowed.

The venue will split into zones with little interaction between players, officials, broadcasters, media and security.

Test captain Joe Root says: “The work done by the medical team and the ECB to make the environment as safe as possible is incredible.”

Why bother? Sounds a lot of hassle for an event in an empty ground.

Money. The ECB expect to lose £100million anyway  but an international cricket wipe-out would raise that  to £380m — the difference of £280m is the value of the Sky TV deal for one year.

What about county cricket?

Not the priority. Some Championship and T20 Blast games could be played in late summer — possibly even with spectators observing social distancing — but there is a long way for that to become reality.

Sixteen of 18 clubs have furloughed players and, as county cricket does not make money in itself, there is little urgency to get the game back on.

There would be  logistical issues but  these should not be insurmountable — give  cricketers and supporters some cricket and save the Government some cash. Lord knows they need it.

Cricket is a socially-distanced sport, save for two slip fielders going for the same edge, players rarely get within two metres of one another.

And four-day County Championship matches are famously played in front of a few dozen men and a dog, so  spectators could surely attend.

An exhibition match on Guernsey last  weekend was the first game of cricket  to be staged in the British Isles  this summer.

But a match between 22 Channel Islanders you’ve never heard of still attracted 82,000 viewers on YouTube,  an example of the nation’s thirst for its  traditional summer sport.

The ECB are confident they can pack in the entire international season between July and September, behind closed doors, at grounds with hotels  on site, such as Old Trafford and  Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl.

That would mean they recoup, through Sky TV cash, around two-thirds of the £380million which would be lost if the summer was completely wiped out.

Yet while finances have to be a chief motivation for any industry in these unprecedented times, the ECB does not exist primarily to make money but to provide actual cricket.

The recreational game — including all youth cricket — remains on hold, meaning kids captivated by Stokes last summer have precious little chance to hone their skills before April 2021.

It is a huge lost opportunity largely, but not entirely, unavoidable now lockdown is easing and normality gradually returns.

The ECB have done a better job than most sports of publicising their players during lockdown.

Yet they are doing cricket no long-term favours by dragging their heels over a return for anything other than the  international game. Tweet @davekidd_

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The real reason Drew Barrymore will never get plastic surgery

As someone who grew up in the spotlight, Drew Barrymore knows what it’s like to age in front of an audience. Yet, while many Hollywood stars feel the pressure to maintain their youthful appearance by any means possible, Barrymore doesn’t believe her “extremely addictive personality” and plastic surgery would mix well. “I’ve never done heroin and I don’t want to get plastic surgery because I feel like they’re both very slippery slopes,” she told Glamour U.K. in 2019. “I feel if I try either, I’m going to be dead really soon.”

“Not messing with my face or chasing some unnatural beauty is a standard I live by,” Barrymore added. “I have dark circles under my eyes. I was at my dermatologist’s recently who said to me, ‘Can I shoot some Juvederm up there? It will raise the skin and it won’t be so sunken, which is causing the darkness to look worse, because it’s lower than the natural light that is hitting it.’ And I went: ‘No, but I’m gonna go home and start highlighting under my eyes, so thank you for the tip!”

Barrymore, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction, believes that aging is a “privilege” and that one must do so “gracefully, with humor, self-love and a respect for the process.” Now, as the mother of two young girls, the Hollywood A-lister feels that she can “carry out” her natural instincts “in an even more deep and profound way” by empowering the next generation.

Drew Barrymore's beauty routine is only skin deep

As the creator of Flower Beauty, a cosmetics line that specializes in cruelty-free makeup, Drew Barrymore appreciates great skincare products. As the 50 First Dates star told Yahoo!, when it comes to plastic surgery, she doesn’t “want to go there” because she wants “to see what happens naturally” and doesn’t “want to get stuck in a spiral of trying to fix it.” In fact, Barrymore’s beauty routines are only skin deep.

“A little microdermabrasion after a long summer out in the sun — that’s it. I want to do surface s**t. I want to keep it real,” Barrymore explained. “I want to age naturally. I love products. I live for every eye cream and moisturizer. I don’t drive fancy cars or wear designer labels, but I will throw down for a face cream.”

And, while Barrymore admittedly cringes at her wrinkles when she sees herself on screen in high definition, she has no plans to erase those lines. Instead, she wants to teach her kids that there’s beauty in aging. “I’m now determined more than ever to show my daughters that aging is a luxury,” she told NewBeauty in 2019.

She continued, “If we’re lucky, we are all going to age. I just want them to be at peace with who they are and not what they look like. If they are good, cool people; that’s all I care about.” In a world obsessed with youth, we could all use a reminder every now and then!

Drew Barrymore finally learned to love her body

During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2018, Drew Barrymore recalled an instance where a woman mistakenly thought she was pregnant. “I’m walking out of a restaurant with a bunch of my mom friends and we all have kids, so there’s kids running around the restaurant on their way out, and this woman stops me,” she said. “She’s like, ‘God, you have so many kids.’ And I said, ‘Well, not all of them are mine.’ I was like, ‘I just have two.’ And she said, ‘Well, and you’re expecting, obviously.’ And I literally looked at her, and I go, ‘No, I’m just fat right now.'”

While many would be crushed by such an interaction, Barrymore later revealed that her weight has been a roller coaster and she’s loved every minute of the “beautiful ride” because she birthed two miraculous children.

“It is a true miracle I was able to have these two girls. So whatever the aftermath on my body, well bring it on!” Barrymore wrote on Instagram. She admitted that there are days when she hates getting dressed, but she doesn’t want others to compare their post-baby bodies to women on the red carpet. 

“If I looked decent on anything I have done since I had my two kids, I have clawed my way there,” she explained. “It only took 45 years to find myself. Right where I am supposed to be. And it’s not perfect. But it’s me.”

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