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Quordle today: Here are the answers and hints for November 21

2023-03-19 06:16:13 author:dointy.com
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Quordle today: Here are the answers and hints for November 21

Sunday Quordles are, all things considered, the most relaxing Quordles of all. For most of us, Sunday is when we're furthest from the workweek, and Sunday comes with a rich tradition of lounging around the house, reading the paper slowly and doing puzzles. An extra hard puzzle can be an added bonus, but it can also add frustration to an otherwise enjoyable day.

Quordle today: Here are the answers and hints for November 21(图1)

If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need.

What is Quordle?

Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.

Is Quordle harder than Wordle?

Yes, though not diabolically so.

Where did Quordle come from?

Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30(Opens in a new tab). Meyer's creation was covered in The Guardian(Opens in a new tab) six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue(Opens in a new tab) from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running. 

How is Quordle pronounced?

“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like "curdle.”

Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?

Yes and no.

Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you.

After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle.

What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?

Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can't afford to waste guesses unless you're eliminating as many letters as possible at all times. 

Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn't the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it's a normal part of the player's strategic toolset.

Is there a way to get the answer faster?

In my experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses:

Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We've had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand(Opens in a new tab) suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.”

Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases, you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses.

If strategy isn't helping, and you're still stumped, here are some hints:

Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?

Two words have letters occurring twice.

Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?

No.

What do today’s Quordle words start with?

W, F, C, and B.

What are the answers for today’s Quordle?

Are you sure you want to know?

There’s still time to turn back.

OK, you asked for it. The answers are:

  1. WHOOP

  2. CELLO

  3. FIEND

  4. BULKY

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    Credit: simon & schuster

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    7. Man Up Apparel(Opens in a new tab)

    View this post on Instagram
    (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

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    Credit: St. Martin's Griffin

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    11. Vegard(Opens in a new tab)

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    12. Wizard rock

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    13. The Wizard Tailor(Opens in a new tab)

    @thewizardtailor(Opens in a new tab)

    Get in the car, looser, we’re going to Beauxbatons 🦋 ##tiktokprom(Opens in a new tab)##harrypotter(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrushchallenge(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrush(Opens in a new tab)##beauxbatons(Opens in a new tab)##french(Opens in a new tab)##hp(Opens in a new tab)##hpcosplay(Opens in a new tab)##hpcos(Opens in a new tab)

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    "Hi, remember me???" a friend replied to my Instagram story one Saturday. She had texted me the day before, and I hadn't forgotten to respond. I'd had a truly horrible week and wanted to take the weekend to recover. I had every intention of replying to her non-urgent text on Monday, but because she saw me using Instagram, she felt I should have texted her back already.

    Unless the person you message has read receipts turned on, you likely won't be able to tell when, or if, they've had a chance to read your texts. If you picture someone being too busy to stop and look at their phones — as I'm sure my friend was doing with me — it's easy to rationalize delayed responses. But if a person you've messaged posts to social media before replying to you, their silence in DMs is often taken as a slap in the face.

    The common thought process here is that if someone has the time to casually be online, then they must have time to reply to your text. If they're on social media, they're clearly using technology, so why can't they take a few extra minutes to answer you?

    On the surface, this logic makes sense. But it's not always as simple as someone failing to carve out time. People might be posting to social media during a quick break from work, they could be using social media to distract themselves from daily dread, or they might quickly post something in the presence of other people and not have the time to devote to texting. There's also the chance that they just might have forgotten to reply.

    When my friend called me out for not answering her, I replied honestly. I explained that for me, posting on social media requires much less effort than engaging in a personal conversation. I told her I was taking the weekend to recharge my social batteries, and she was super understanding. We ended up having a really productive conversation about how texting isn't always as easy as it sounds.

    Sometimes self-care means not texting back right away

    Depending on the conversation topic and where you're at in life mentally/emotionally, chatting with people can be challenging.

    Reminding myself that texts like, "How are you?" can demand significantly more detailed responses than than texts like, "Have you watched Better Call Saul yet?" helps me understand and justify delayed responses. And acknowledging that mindlessly scrolling through Twitter or posting photos of food can be easier than talking about your life helped me accept that it's perfectly fine to use social media in between receiving and answering texts.

    How have I been? What a stacked question. Credit: screenshot / nicole gallucci

    Sometimes self-care means not texting back right away, and that became extraordinarily clear to me this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd protests.

    When my mind was racing to grapple with all the new coronavirus social distancing guidelines, medical research, and death tolls, I had trouble replying to texts in a timely manner. I did, however, find some semblance of calm on Instagram, and I continued sharing informative updates on Twitter.

    And after George Floyd died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, I barely texted anyone for days. I took time to watch protests spread around the world; to read books and articles, and to watch films to further educate myself on the history of racism and police brutality. I made an effort to donate to organizations, sign petitions, and support black-owned businesses.

    Though I didn't feel ready to reply to non-urgent texts for a full week, I felt it was imperative that I continue to use my social media platforms to help raise awareness on the issues at hand and share invaluable resources.

    Exceptions to the rule

    If you're not in the right mindset to reply to text messages immediately, you shouldn't. Prioritizing your mental health is important. But you should also choose which texts to leave hanging on a case-by-case basis.

    Always keep a message's content and urgency in mind. If someone's asking a question that requires an immediate response, do your best to respond in a timely fashion. And if someone needs help, you obviously shouldn't ignore them.

    Wait a bit, but don't ghost people forever. Credit: vicky leta / mashable

    If you wait to text back, be sure to acknowledge and apologize for the delay when you do get around to it. You can even be upfront with people and let them know upon receiving their message that you need a day or two to get back to them — that way you can relax without the unanswered text lingering in the back of your mind. Be honest with people if you're too overwhelmed to chat, but please avoid using that viral text reply template.

    And remember, there's definitely a difference between waiting until you feel emotionally ready to text someone back and straight-up ghosting them. Don't ghost people, that's rude as hell.

    Be kind to yourself and others

    Ultimately, it's crucial to keep in mind that you never know exactly what someone is going through when they receive your text messages.

    Cut yourself, and others, some slack, and try not to read too much into text delays — even if you see people posting on social media before they've replied. (If the wait really bothers you, you can always confront them about it. And you might end up having an eye-opening talk like I did with my friend.)

    As someone who's avoided replying to family members and friends I absolutely adore because of sheer emotional exhaustion, I can tell you that delays aren't always ill-intentioned. Sometimes people are just overwhelmed.

  • Now you can identify plants and pooches right in Snapchat

    Now you can identify plants and pooches right in Snapchat

    Have you ever seen a dog so adorable or a plant so lush out in the wild that you had to know what it was right then and there?

    (图1)

    Snap announced new partnerships on Thursday with the apps Dog Scanner(Opens in a new tab) and PlantSnap(Opens in a new tab) that will allow Snapchat users to do just that. Snapchatters can identify dogs or plants they encounter in the real world by scanning them right in Snapchat.

    When you press and hold on the camera screen in Snapchat, lenses that are relevant to what the camera is pointing at are unlocked. For example, if I point and hold the camera on my dog right now, lenses that put sunglasses or heart eyes specifically formatted for the shape face of a dog appear.

    Now, if you point the camera at a particularly Good Boy you see, you can access a lens that tells you what breed the dog is, using the data and A.I. of Dog Scanner, which recognizes nearly 400 dog breeds (my dog would get 100 percent purebred mutt). And if you focus your lens on a tree, bush or bud that catches your eye, you'll be able to identify 90 percent of known plants and trees with the PlantSnap integration.

    Gotta snap that plant!!! Credit: snap

    Snap announced the new features at the Snap Partner Summit, which it held virtually Thursday.

    The ability to identify two of earth's best things — dogs and plants — through your smartphone, of course already exists; Dog Scanner and PlantSnap are standalone apps. But it's helpful that the capability comes within Snapchat itself if you're either someone who uses the app frequently already, or doesn't want to have to download a new app for each object you want your smartphone to help identify.

    Plus, more categories are coming soon. An upcoming integration with the food and cosmetics scanning app Yuka(Opens in a new tab) will let Snapchatters unlock nutrition facts when they point and hold the camera at a food item. Snap already lets you point and hold to identify a song through Shazam, solve math problems with Photomath, and identify (and shop for) products sold on Amazon.

    The dog and plant integrations are the sort of typically playful and fun feature that Snapchat is known for. However, the lens product also holds opportunity for further monetization for the company, as Snap CEO Evan Spiegel pointed out during a Q&A with reporters. For example, Snap unveiled a partnership with Louis Vuitton that allows users to point and hold on the monogram logo, which then takes users to content about their new collection. It's easy to see how — similar to the Amazon integration — this could lead to not just brand content and awareness, but shopping.

    Snap made some other announcements around lenses for both developers and users Thursday. It's making more lens development templates available, such as ways to interact with — wait for it — feet (this could enable experiences like virtually trying on shoes).

    On the user side, pointing and holding in a neighborhood will now unlock "local lenses," which lets users actually decorate buildings and other landmarks in AR. It's kind of like a shared street art experience, in which users build on each other's creations, that anyone in the physical space can access.

    Snapchat's innovation in AR has helped the company keep its creative edge, even as companies like Facebook continually try to copy it. The biggest trouble with Snapchat's AR products is keeping track of all the things the app can do in a sometimes difficult to navigate lens ecosystem. But with a new voice search feature and a souped up Activity Bar, also announced Thursday, Snap's working on that, too.

  • Fox News used doctored images to, uh, report on Seattle protests

    Fox News used doctored images to, uh, report on Seattle protests

    A protest against the police killing of George Floyd and police brutality in Seattle has been mostly characterized by drum circles, speakers(Opens in a new tab) and movie screenings. But if you only tuned into Fox News for coverage of these demonstrations, you might think it was full of burning buildings and armed guards.

    (图1)

    On Friday, Fox News published several digitally altered images of the demonstrations on its website, which the Seattle Times caught(Opens in a new tab). It's not clear who is responsible for tweaking the images.

    One photo, shown on Fox's homepage on Friday, placed a man with a rifle standing in front of a sign that reads "You are now entering Free Cap Hill." The street scene and the man who appears in it come from two different photos, taken more than a week apart.

    The sign in that photo refers to the newly-dubbed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, a stretch of six blocks set up by protesters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood to create "a police-free" independent zone, The Guardian reported(Opens in a new tab). It was established after the Seattle police abandoned a precinct in the neighborhood(Opens in a new tab) and converted the area into a festival-like space.

    The conservative outlet also published a photo of a person running past a fiery building and car to accompany stories on the Seattle protest. The headline read "CRAZY TOWN." The photo is actually from St. Paul, Minn. and was taken on May 30, according to the Seattle Times.

    After the Times reached out to Fox News about the photos, they were removed. But a Fox News spokeswoman also said the following, "We have replaced our photo illustration with the clearly delineated images of a gunman and a shattered storefront, both of which were taken this week in Seattle’s autonomous zone.”

    The Times pushed back on this statement writing in its article that "the gunman photo was taken June 10, while storefront images it was melded with were datelined May 30 by Getty Images."

    Though, as the Times reports, the demonstration has seen armed protesters it is nothing like the scene Fox attempted to purport with its misleading use of images.

    As a photojournalism ethics educator told the Times, "I think it’s disgraceful propaganda and terribly misrepresentative of documentary journalism in times like this, when truth-telling and accountability is so important,” said Kenny Irby. “There is no attribution. There is no acknowledgment of the montage, and it’s terribly misleading.”

    On Saturday, Fox News appended an editor's note to the stories featuring altered images expressing regret for "these errors."

    A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News regrets these errors.

    UPDATE: June 13, 2020, 4:06 p.m. EDT Added the editor's note that's been appended to stories on the Fox News website featuring the misleading images.

  • In honor of Trumps birthday, people tweet praise for Obama

    In honor of Trumps birthday, people tweet praise for Obama

    Donald Trump turned 74 on Sunday. So, naturally, people celebrated the occasion by tweeting about the person who perhaps gets under his skin the most: Barack Obama. (Sunday was also Flag Day, but we feel like that wasn't the impetus here.)

    (图1)

    The former president trended on the platform(Opens in a new tab) for much of the day, frequently under hashtags like #BarackObamaDay, #ObamaDayUSA, and #ObamaDayJune14th. Users tweeted corny praise for the former president alongside statements about Trump's incompetence. Some were oblique: "Smart intelligence leadership. I miss that every day," one person wrote. Others were more pointed: "Best president in my lifetime. Right @realdonaldtrump? You're the worst," wrote another(Opens in a new tab).

    Still others made references to Saturday's ramp fiasco, when Trump stepped gingerly down a ramp after his West Point graduation speech, got made fun of, then lied about it being slippery in a later tweet. One user, for example, tweeted a photo(Opens in a new tab) of Obama walking down a "slippery wet sidewalk."

    SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama to 2020 graduates: 'Finish the work the generations before you have started'

    While not explicitly related to Obama, #AllBirthdaysMatter — a troll-y reference to the dismissive slogan "All lives matter,"(Opens in a new tab) which is often employed in attempts to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement — also trended briefly above Trump's birthday. Of course, the K-pop fans participated.

    Like most Resistance Twitter(Opens in a new tab) trends, the tweets skewed largely corny, were very reductive, and suffered from an overuse of hashtags. But Trump also takes the bait on this kind of thing all the time, so perhaps it genuinely bothered him. In any event, we're sure the Krassenstein brothers(Opens in a new tab) would be proud.

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  • Katie Hopkins is permanently banned from Twitter

    Katie Hopkins is permanently banned from Twitter

    Far right instigator Katie Hopkins is permanently banned from Twitter for violating the company's hateful conduct policy.

    (图1)

    Hopkins, who has been retweeted by Donald Trump several times, is known for her extreme views on immigration and other social issues. She once referred to(Opens in a new tab) refugees fleeing war as "cockroaches." In 2017, Hopkins was fired from a radio show for calling for a "final solution" for Muslims living in the United Kingdom after a terrorist attack in Manchester.

    She was temporarily suspended in January. Twitter affirmed that as of Friday, she was banned from the platform permanently in a statement to CNN(Opens in a new tab).

    SEE ALSO: No, CNN did not stage a protest after the London attack

    "Keeping Twitter safe is a top priority for us — abuse and hateful conduct have no place on our service and we will continue to take down action when our Rules are broken," Twitter stated. "In this case, the account has been permanently suspended for violations of our Hateful Conduct policy."

    While the company wouldn't share the exact tweets that resulted in Hopkins' ban, its Hateful Conduct(Opens in a new tab) policy states that users "may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease."

    Hopkins had roughly a million followers before her ban, BBC(Opens in a new tab) reports.

  • Upgrade your kitchen with handy appliances that are *chefs kiss*

    Upgrade your kitchen with handy appliances that are *chefs kiss*

    You Got This is a series that spotlights the gear you need to improve one area of your life. If you buy something from this post, we may earn an affiliate commission.

    (图1)


    Chances are you’ve gotten more familiar with your kitchen these past few months than you ever thought possible. From trying your hand at breadmaking to whipping up internet favorites like dalgona coffee, your kitchen should be as practical as it is ‘grammable. Check out our picks from eBay’s refurbished kitchen appliances — because we don’t think you should spend a fortune on something that could acquire a grease stain or two.

    Classic mixer

    This classic mixer screams “adulting,” but with fun colors to choose from, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Whip up five dozen cookies in one go with this classic baking tool that won’t hog all the counter space — the Refurbished Artisan® Mini(Opens in a new tab) is 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the original. We're partial to the "hot sauce" color.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Credit: KitchenAid
    Be a mix master for $199.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Ice cream maker

    Attach this gadget(Opens in a new tab) to your KitchenAid stand mixer to make ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet with very little effort. The sky’s the limit on flavor combos, but you can’t go wrong with a classic like chocolate chip.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Credit: KitchenAid
    Make artisanal ice cream for $79.87 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Pour over coffee maker

    Level up your coffee game with this KitchenAid Pour Over Coffee Brewer(Opens in a new tab) that features a sleek futuristic design. It brings the ease of a traditional coffee maker paired with the flavor of good pour-over. Did someone say rocket fuel?

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Program your perfect pour-over for $129.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Air fryer

    If you’re still dragging your feet on buying an air fryer, here’s one(Opens in a new tab) for 72 percent off the original price. Fries are just the starting point for all the foods you can make crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, thanks to some strategically placed hot air.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Fry it up for $69.95 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Air fryer oven

    If you want something with more bells and whistles, try the Wolfgang Puck air fryer/oven, which packs 1700 watts of power. Air fry, bake, broil, warm, toast, or rotisserie with this chrome overachiever. If rotissering a chicken in your studio apartment kitchen isn’t ‘grammable, we don’t know what is.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Cook it all compactly for $129.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Panini maker

    A panini maker is an easy way to break up the WFH lunch monotony. This Cuisinart Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press(Opens in a new tab) is practically calling out for a pesto, mozzarella, and tomato panini.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Make it crispy and golden for $49.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Vertical waffle maker

    Who ever said waffles should be made horizontally? Take yours to new heights with the Cuisinart Vertical Belgian Waffle(Opens in a new tab) maker and avoid spilling batter all over the counter.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Get stacks of perfect waffles for $42.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    Dyson vacuum

    To cook is to clean. Do it hassle-free with a refurbished Dyson V7 Absolute Cordless Vacuum(Opens in a new tab) that is 45 percent off its original price. Crumbs don’t stand a chance.

    (Opens in a new tab)
    Keep your kitchen spotless for $189.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

  • Tinder users still getting banned after showing support for Black Lives Matter

    Tinder users still getting banned after showing support for Black Lives Matter

    A Tinder user in Utah, Jade Goulart, decided recently to use her account to support Black Lives Matter. She added a petition for justice for Breonna Taylor(Opens in a new tab) to her bio and wrote, "Instant response if you sign this petition." Goulart said she also added something like, "You mean to tell me you aren’t out protesting for human rights? Wack."

    (图1)

    A week later, she couldn't sign in. Tinder had banned her.

    "I felt like something was weird about that," Goulart told Mashable over Twitter DM. "So I looked it up and saw that Tinder had come out and said that they originally were banning accounts for promoting BLM because it was against the 'promotional purposes' part of their terms."

    She read BBC's coverage(Opens in a new tab) from early June, in which Tinder explained users were banned for fundraising for Black Lives Matter and related causes because such promotion was against its Community Guidelines(Opens in a new tab).

    The dating app quickly walked that back,(Opens in a new tab) days after people began posting about it on social media(Opens in a new tab), saying it wouldn't ban users for such activity anymore. "We have voiced our support for the Black Lives Matter movement and want our platform to be a place where our members can do the same," a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

    Users claim, however, that Tinder is still punishing them for their support for Black Lives Matter.

    Users claim, however, that Tinder is still punishing them for their support for Black Lives Matter.

    Goulart wasn't banned until June 24, well after Tinder's June 7 expression of support for BLM. After she contacted Tinder multiple times, the support team claimed that it didn't have an account associated with her email address.

    She isn't alone. Across social media — Twitter and Reddit especially — Tinder users are still saying the platform banned them after writing Black Lives Matter and other phrases about racial justice and police abolition in their bios and messages.

    When they contact Tinder they're often left hanging with no explanation of how they violated the app's Terms of Use(Opens in a new tab) or Community Guidelines(Opens in a new tab). While none of the eight users we spoke to can say for certain why they were banned, they made efforts to confirm their suspicions, quickly learning that Tinder doesn't have a customer service phone number or a live chat.

    Katie Holcomb had a similar experience to Goulart's, shortly after paying for a membership. Her Tinder profile stated that she was anti-racist and pro-police-abolition. She was banned on June 30 while she was conversing with two matches, their messages complete with cute dog gifs.

    "We were having a good time," Holcomb wrote Mashable over Twitter DM. "Then the ban screen popped up out of nowhere, and I was locked out of my account completely."

    It's not just in the United States. English user Chantelle Smith's Tinder account met a similar fate. She had the term "ACAB" (all cops are bastards) in her bio and Smith told Mashable that a police officer messaged her, saying, "I hope the ACAB isn't meant for me."

    SEE ALSO: 8 actually good things about dating in 2020, so far

    "I saw that he had pictures in his work uniform so I replied saying 'actually it is acab, quit your job,'" Smith said via Twitter DM. "I proceeded to tell him that all police/cops are corrupt and even if they do not singlehandedly take part in wrongful murder, the 'good' cops are still watching it happen."

    Smith said the man replied saying he was going to unmatch her, and she was banned from the platform a day and a half later. She believes he reported her, which resulted in her getting kicked off.

    Stevie, a Tinder user in Oklahoma, was also banned after putting "ACAB" in her bio:

    Stevie's bio before being banned. Credit: courtesy of stevie
    What Stevie saw on Tinder subsequently. Credit: courtesy of Stevie

    "I can’t think of any other reason it was banned, honestly," Stevie, who opted to share her first name only, told Mashable.

    "I cannot with certainty say why I was banned, because Tinder will not release that information to those banned. I can only make assumptions," added Holcomb. "My profile states that I am anti-racist and that I am for abolishing the police. This seems to be a common factor in stories where women/femmes are banned and cannot pinpoint it to one individual."

    Safety is paramount to everything Tinder does, a Tinder spokesperson told Mashable, and this goes into how users are banned. There are automatic bans for spam behavior (i.e., right swiping on everyone and immediately messaging a Facebook link for matches to 'like'), and user reports that result in bans. When a user is reported, it's flagged in Tinder's systems for human review.

    What's likely happening here is the latter, users reporting each other, resulting in bans. For example, a user who dislikes the Black Lives Matter movement may see someone with "BLM" in the bio and report the profile. If that pattern repeats, the user with "BLM" in their bio could end up banned.

    "Our community guidelines(Opens in a new tab) state that we may remove accounts used for promotional purposes," the Tinder spokesperson told Mashable. "However, we want our platform to be a place where our members can share what they’re passionate about with matches. In these cases, we encourage anyone that believes they were wrongfully removed to email [email protected]."

    This report-and-ban problem isn't new. For years, trans users have spoken out(Opens in a new tab) about getting banned from Tinder due to transphobic users reporting their accounts. Tinder is aware of this issue and, according to its spokesperson, senior moderators look at those cases. They acknowledged that some cases "slip through the cracks" and encouraged users to email if they believe they have been wrongly banned.

    In addition to trans users getting banned, women have reported getting banned from Tinder(Opens in a new tab) after men report their accounts for no real reason they can see other than, as Mel Magazine put it, "the crime of not being into them."

    Holcomb believes that's what happened with her account: A number of men were offended by her profile and decided to report her. "If you are reported enough (I don’t know what "enough" is, as their protocols are not transparent)," said Holcomb, "you are automatically banned."

    For its part, Tinder says it avoids publishing specific information about its methods for kicking users off the platform so as not to help bad actors to game the system.

    Holcomb paid for Tinder Gold about a month before getting banned because it allowed her to see who had already 'liked' her. She noticed that men who didn't share her ideals swiped right (Tinder's version of 'liking' someone), and she wondered why.

    "Sometimes I would screenshot the profiles of cops in uniform or men with confederate flags and send them to my friends for a quick laugh," she said. "My question [was] always, 'why would this guy even want to talk to me? We fundamentally disagree.'"

    She's always left-swiped (disliked) men like this, she said. After being verbally abused on dating apps by people who don't share her beliefs, she no longer purposefully engages with them. "But I do believe men like these, who feel rejected and alienated by women who won’t give them the time of day, seek retribution on women like me for the crime of not being into them," said Holcomb. She believes they report these profiles to get the user banned.

    "Essentially, Tinder’s protocols are anti-women/femme since they give angry, jilted men the power to ban anyone who remotely pisses them off or offends them for not being interested," said Holcomb.

    Credit: vicky leta / mashable

    Tinder looks into the cases of banned users who email and tweet at them, the spokesperson said. If the banned users want to know why they were banned, however, they're out of luck.

    Goulart and her friend Violet, who was also banned, both attempted to contact Tinder. Violet, who opted to be identified by her first name for privacy reasons, had "swipe left if you don’t support Black Lives Matter" in her bio.

    "I was actually the one to look up Tinder’s customer service for us," said Violet. "I never heard back from them and my account is still banned."

    "I never received definitive responses from Tinder about why I was banned," said another Tinder user who chose to remain anonymous, "which is common because their support email is essentially nonexistent as it doesn’t actually help you, just sends an automated message of their terms of service."

    The anonymous user continued, "I had no idea anyone was getting banned over BLM until I started looking around Twitter and Reddit." A screenshot of the generic reply the user received is below.

    Anonymous's email from Tinder Support Credit: Courtesy of anonymous

    A second anonymous user, in Arizona, had a similar experience. The user only received a response from Tinder after posting about it on Twitter, where they say they also received DMs from other people in the same boat. After the user tweeted about the issue, Tinder DMed them and reinstated the account.

    Holcomb said she heard about Tinder's boilerplate responses to other users, so she used Twitter to contact them. She tweeted the official @Tinder account almost daily starting June 30, and it replied to her on July 6; she also said she was billed for her Tinder Gold membership despite being banned for seven days. As of July 7, her account was reinstated(Opens in a new tab) without explanation for the disruption of service. Tinder wouldn't refund the purchase that went through while she was banned, telling her to take it up with Apple.

    Tinder's report-and-ban policy may be helpful in cases of spam or malice, but it's clear regular users are getting swept up in the process. While reports are apparently reviewed by humans instead of bots, wrongful bans that appear to be triggered by spiteful users are still happening. Some, like those Mashable spoke to, did nothing except advocate for human rights. Others, like trans users, apparently did nothing but exist on the app.

    Tinder insists that safety is a priority, but is it safe if the marginalized — and those fighting for them — are booted just because other users don't want them there or dislike their views? Further, is it really a priority for the company if Tinder's way of dealing with the problem is sending everyone to a generic email address?

    Holcomb believes Tinder's model is dangerous. "Tinder must address immediately if they want to be seen as a friendly environment for women/femmes," she said. "Right now, their piss-poor protocols allow angry men to run the show ... infuriating, yes, but painfully predictable for anyone who’s been a woman long enough."

    While men, of course, may not be the only users doing this kind of punitive reporting that results in others getting kicked off the platform, Tinder doesn't release any information on its process, so there's no way to know for sure.

    Of the eight users we spoke to, at publication time, only Holcomb and one other anonymous user had had their accounts reinstated. Both Goulart and Violet want the dating app to make a public statement taking accountability and explaining the bans, as well as reinstating everyone's accounts.

    "We have one voice and should be able to use that freely," said Goulart. "Seeing the true colors about how they [Tinder] feel towards BLM really upsets me especially because it is supposed to be all inclusive and that does not say all inclusive to me."

    Do you have a story about Tinder or another dating app you'd like to share? Email [email protected]

  • Tinder launches Election Center ahead of midterms

    Tinder launches Election Center ahead of midterms

    With the U.S. midterm elections less than a month away, dating app Tinder partnered with voting information organization BallotReady to help their users get out the vote. There's now a new Election Center feature in the app where Tinder users can access information about voter registration, measures on their local ballots, and polling stations.

    (图1)

    In a Tinder survey of over 2,000 adults done last month, 63 percent of participants aged 18-25 said that information on ballots is overwhelming, while 70 percent said the voting process should be easier to figure out. Considering the voting process in the U.S. is indeed esoteric, Tinder is providing easy-to-understand info in an easy-to-find spot — within the app.

    Election Center can now be found in the Explore section of Tinder. It'll have several sections:

    • Register to Vote: Singles can select their state or territory and will be redirected to its registration page.

    • My Actions: A checklist detailing steps to register, request a mail-in ballot, and/or find a polling place.

    • My Stickers: Tinder users can add an "I Voted" sticker to their profile — a smart move as 47 percent of people surveyed by Tinder said finding out their date is a non-voter would be a dealbreaker

    • My Ballot: Information on local ballot measures from BallotReady

    "This new generation of daters wants to be heard," said Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley in a press release. Despite this, however, "many young singles don’t feel properly informed on key issues in these midterm elections, and we want to do something about that."

    Hobley continued, "Tinder’s partnership with BallotReady is a meaningful way for our members to easily get involved, informed and show off their civic pride to potential matches."

    Finally, you can swipe and exercise your civic duty at the same time.

  • The internets British boyfriends, ranked

    The internets British boyfriends, ranked

    If there's one thing you should know about us, it's that we're down bad for the Brits. And, in what could be our journalistic opus, we're here to rank the best of the best.  

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    This is obviously an incomplete list, but if we tried to do this ranking without some limits we might never publish it — there's simply too many boyfriends out there, and y'all are really passionate about some rather obscure men. It's important to note, as well, that we only looked at men from England, Wales, and Scotland, and we tried to acknowledge the celebs that pop up on our feeds the most or are current Hollywood standouts. We also have a bias for the One Direction / Skins / Harry Potter era of British men. So if Tumblr raised you, this list might resonate. 

    Anwar, Posh Kenneth, and Tony hive rise. Credit: Mike Marsland / Getty Images

    We took a scientific approach to this ranking, polling a diverse group of celebrity boyfriend lovers. Common responses to the question, "What makes an ideal internet boyfriend?" include a lack of controversy, an aloof internet presence, and the willingness to feed into fan delusion. Not knowing a lot about their private life was also important.

    Here are the four main criteria we gathered from our research:

    1. Internet reputation

    What's the boyfriend's relationship to social media? Are they active on their personal accounts? Are they cringe? Are they offline in a mysterious way, or are they in on the memes? And how do us normies on the internet talk about them? Most importantly, how did Tumblr feel about them?

    2. Homegrown hotness

    In order to become an internet boyfriend you have to be a particular kind of hot. The kind that feels personal and isn't served to you on a silver platter. For the boyfriends who score high in homegrown hotness, their attractiveness was discovered by fans and not dictated by the media. Nostalgia is also a big aspect here. Were they responsible for your sexual awakening? Did that result in you imprinting on them for eternity? If we've seen them age, and age well, then they're probably higher on the list. 

    3. Freak factor

    This is key to being an internet boyfriend. The best celeb men have a certain je ne sais quoi about them, which we define as the "freak factor." This might present in their personal lives, the roles they choose, or their demeanor in interviews, but no matter what there's something a little bit off about them. In a hot way. 

    4. Longevity

    These are not fleeting crushes. They were hot, they are hot, they will always be hot. It helps if they've got a robust career or are in a franchise that'll help them remain in the internet's consciousness. 

    Enough rambling, scroll on for our list of British standouts.

    18. Kit Harington / Richard Madden

    Defining boyfriend moment: Game of Thrones

    Are you about to cry or just happy to see me? Credit: Jeff Spicer / Getty Images
    The Madden-ification of Marvel. Credit: Samir Hussein / WireImage

    Attention Internet: these are not the same men! But, because of the widespread belief that Harington and Madden both look alike(Opens in a new tab) and have eerily similar careers, we've put them in the same spot. We might be throwing the Game of Thrones people a bone with this one, but these buddies popped up in numerous boyfriend searches. The doppelgängers do rank high on longevity for their ability to sneak into two of the franchises with some of the horniest fanbases. Their internet presence is fine, with Madden often trending for his red carpet outfits and Harington sneaking charm into interviews, but really their fans are doing most of the work. After struggling to differentiate between(Opens in a new tab) these men(Opens in a new tab) in Eternals(Opens in a new tab), we've come to the realization that Richard Madden is a hottie, but a YouTube comment saying Kit Harington looks like he's always on the verge of tears has thrown us. (Opens in a new tab)

    17. Henry Golding

    Defining boyfriend moment: Crazy Rich Asians

    Wait until you see him holding his baby... Credit: RB / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images

    Golding is new on the scene, so we can't give him a high longevity score. His hotness isn't that homegrown either — he knows he's hot, the media knows he's hot, fans know he's hot. But we can't deny how charming his Instagram presence is (ignore the crypto NFT profile pic), and he really had a chokehold on the internet when Crazy Rich Asians dropped. We just wish this extremely beautiful man was a little bit freakier.

    16. Benedict Cumberbatch

    Defining boyfriend moment: Johnlock

    A delicious breakfast isn't complete without some eggs Benedict. Credit: Samir Hussein / WireImage

    Cumberbatch has led fandoms for well over a decade, first capturing the attention of the SuperWhoLock Tumblr contingent in his role as detective Sherlock Holmes on BBC's Sherlock. He was, obviously, shipped with his famed partner John Watson, and you'll still find fan fiction and fan art all over Twitter and Tumblr. His devoted fanbase, called "Cumberbitches(Opens in a new tab)," loved his weird vibe and led his homegrown hotness campaign —however, we're uncertain if it was successful. Without the strength of the actor's devoted fans, Cumberbatch's internet presence isn't as strong as others, but, as an Academy Award nominee and Marvel star, he's definitely sticking around.

    15. Idris Elba

    Defining boyfriend moment:  "We can go drivin' in, on my scooter" (He's been around forever, we can't name just one)

    They say home is where the heart is, but God, we love the English! Credit: RB / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images

    Hello, it's Idris Elba. It feels like he was here before the internet, and he will remain long after. While we've watched Elba work his way up into leading roles for decades, he's always been The Hot Guy on our screens. Luther? The Hot Guy. Heimdall? The Hotter Guy. He was even named People(Opens in a new tab)'s Sexiest Man Alive(Opens in a new tab) in 2018, so he's not a high homegrown hotness scorer. There is something freaky about him, though — maybe it's the fact that he has a side gig as a DJ that landed him a spot at the Royal Wedding(Opens in a new tab) and Coachella(Opens in a new tab)? Elba's also really active online. While this could be a turn off, his internet presence is kind of endearing.

    14. Sam Claflin

    Defining boyfriend moment: Finnick Odair

    And when he sings songs written by Phoebe Bridgers? Then what. Credit: Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic

    Sam Claflin is sticking around, baby! He had his moment in the Hunger Games franchise (RIP), and he continues to have his moment as a leading romance book adaptation man and action star. As a king of the romance genre, we can't exactly call Claflin homegrown. C’mon, his breakout role was the canonically hottest guy in the YA genre, Finnick Odair. Because of this, Claflin is also too hot to be a weirdo, with only a carefully orchestrated freak factor (see his BuzzFeed thirst tweets video(Opens in a new tab)). And Sam's Instagram is both a gem and a horror — the sheer amount of selfies is startling, but he's so hot it doesn't really matter. Like, look at him(Opens in a new tab)

    While you may be thinking that Claflin has fallen off, he's starring in Hulu's adaptation of BookTok's beloved Daisy Jones & the Six(Opens in a new tab), and we know how the girls react to a book adaptation man, so anticipate a new wave of off-the-charts thirst for Claflin. 

    13. Rahul Kohli

    Defining boyfriend moment: The glasses and 'stache(Opens in a new tab) in Bly Manor

    Get him his own talk show, stat! Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

    If you don't know Rahul Kohli, that's a problem. Go pick up a remote or head over to Netflix and fix it. Kohli is a rising star and Netflix darling, who's gathered a devoted fanbase from his roles in iZombie, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass. His homegrown hotness potential is evident, but he hasn't quite broken out yet. He's down to clown on just about every social media platform, and Kohli also scores high on the freak factor, if his robust Twitter presence has anything to say about it — go check out all his memes, thirst traps(Opens in a new tab), and posts about his many hobbies(Opens in a new tab). What really tips the scale in Kohli's favor is how normal and honest(Opens in a new tab) he seems online. Immaculate.

    12. Tom Hiddleston

    Defining boyfriend moment: "I love TS" shirt(Opens in a new tab)

    You were drivin' the getaway car. Credit: Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

    You can't have a list of British internet boyfriends without the reigning fan edit king, Tom Hiddleston — this one's for you, Loki stans. He scores highest in homegrown hotness because the man is not as conventionally attractive as some of the others on this list, but the combination of Loki fan works and Taylor Swift’s approval have somehow managed to make him hot in the internet’s eye. According to Tumblr, this man's freak factor is immense (we saw all of those edits of Loki kneeling in his collar(Opens in a new tab)), but he still has to prove it in his own time. Of course, the internet is madly in love with him, so that helps his reputation score — and he doesn't have the worst personal social media accounts we've seen here.

    11. John Boyega

    Defining boyfriend moment: Finnpoe

    He really did look good in that jacket. *bites lip* Credit: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images

    John Boyega stole our hearts as the number one fan of his own Star Wars ship, Finnpoe, and kept our hearts as he waged his own battle against the industry's racism(Opens in a new tab). His longevity score is lower than others, as Boyega's been battling the repercussions of his outspoken online presence ever since, but we're hoping for some more screen time. He scores really well in homegrown hotness, with fans latching onto his cult-classic characters and thirsting after Finn even when the franchise tried to make us forget the character's potential. He's been on and off social media, but really set the standard with his outspoken activism, although his current posting on Instagram can be a little cringey and loses him some points. 

    10. Aaron Taylor-Johnson

    Defining boyfriend moment: Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

    Hold my hand, you muppet. Credit: Michael Tran / FilmMagic

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a certified Tumblr bae. His resume is pretty stacked, and ATJ-heads have lived through every phase including the awkward, the indie, and the blockbuster. His best role? Robbie, the dreamy boy bander in British teen comedy Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging. If you've seen him with those bangs and you still stan, that's telling. While he's pretty much off of social media, the internet just can't let him go. They love him, and they thirst after him. Amen. He's got decent freak energy, too, which we write as we rewatch his James Corden(Opens in a new tab) bit with Harry Styles(Opens in a new tab). We're absolutely gagging for his role in Bullet Train, and if we were ranking this list based on the number of existing GIF sets for these men, he's a winner. 

    Bonus: Taylor-Johnson also has the true signifier of a British internet boyfriend — he's been fancast as a Marauder, the cast of Harry Potter characters centered around Harry's dad and his Hogwarts friends. Who is Taylor-Johnson, you might ask? Harry's dad himself!

    9. Ben Barnes

    Defining boyfriend moment: Young Sirius Black fancast 

    *faints* Credit: Michael Tran / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    The girls who get it, get it. Ben Barnes is secretly the best boyfriend on this list, and if we were feeling really bold he would be in the top 3 because of his grip on fandoms near and far. That's a role he takes Sirius-ly. Barnes is in the trenches of the fandom shippers. He's out there sharing fan art and being outspoken about knowing he's the people's Sirius Black (ie. Remus Lupin's boyfriend in the internet's Harry Potter headcanon). He's down to clown, and we love him for it! This increases his homegrown hotness score tenfold, and we can't forget watching him as Prince Caspian (talk about sexual awakening). Barnes' career is also way more lustrous than you probably think — he's been in huge properties, including Marvel's Punisher, Westworld, and new YA favorite Shadow and Bone

    A quick scroll through his social pages, and you'll find that Barnes has interacted, or is besties with, nearly every other member of this list (and some other British favorites that didn't even make the cut). That's an impressive feat, and kind of means that he's the boyfriend of the boyfriends? We can't argue with that data. Ben Barnes forever. 

    https://www.tumblr.com/remuslupkin/6472584/every-time-i-open-tumblr(Opens in a new tab)

    8. Nicholas Hoult

    Defining boyfriend moment: Tony from Skins

    We're sorry, but he was kinda hot in Mad Max: Fury Road. Credit: Michael Tran / AFP via Getty Images

    Hoult is an OG internet boyfriend thanks to his role as the resident hottie on the iconic British television show Skins — we were around to witness Hoult's hold on Tumblr in 2007. He's has been in everything from zombie romance Warm Bodies to Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favorite. Lately, Hoult has been slaying as Emperor Peter II in Hulu’s The Great. Needless to say he’s got range and longevity. 

    If you watch him in anything, his freak factor is immediately evident. He takes only the most eccentric roles and acts the shit out of them. Similar to Tom Hiddleston, his hotness has grown from a devoted fan cultivation, which has aged along with him. He practically invented a category of hotness which we can only describe as an "Asa Butterfield-type beat." He's online pretty frequently, but in a non-threatening and non-cringey kind of way. In fact, he's kind of funny? His Instagram is a delightful little treat. 

    There's something innately hot about a person this talented just being a nice weirdo — it helps that he posts surprisingly hot pics now and then and is still best friends with his former Skins co-stars. Check out his virtual scrapbook of Daniel Kaluuya pics on the 'Gram. 

    7. Tom Holland

    Defining boyfriend moment: "Umbrella" lip sync(Opens in a new tab)

    The internet is definitely caught in Tom's web. Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer / WireImage

    He is Zendaya's boyfriend first, the internet’s second. 

    Holland is young but already solidifying a huge movie career — do we even need to list his current IMDB credits? His homegrown hotness comes from being a child actor (boo tomato, tomato, we're throwing tomatoes), but somewhere along the way, baby-faced Holland grew into "a man." We're not sure when it happened (cough Zendaya cough), but audiences sure did feel things in those shirtless Spiderman scenes. His freak factor is painfully low. He’s essentially normie Timothée Chalamet. Instead, Holland exudes a naïve charm, especially in press interviews. This might push him to the number one for some of y'all, but not us. What does get him points is his past as a dancer and acrobat. Do more of those pirouettes, ya little weirdo! 

    Holland is Very Online, which could totally be a turn off. However, he makes it work because he's young. We will never forget the dancing videos he posted with his future girlfriend or the chemically altering photos captured of Zendaya gripping his waist(Opens in a new tab). The way he looks at her is absolutely swoon-worthy. 

    6. Alfred Enoch

    Defining boyfriend moment: Dean Thomas cuteness

    We would absolutely help him get away with murder. Credit: tefanie Keenan / Getty Images for GQ

    The perfect man doesn't exi — 

    Alfie Enoch enters the room.

    Where to begin? This list wouldn't be complete without one Harry Potter alum, and we've chosen the best and the hottest. Enoch will always be relevant. When he's not over in Shondaland, you can find him slaying on the theatrical stage — a career as diverse as they come. 

    You might have been reminded of your love for Dean Thomas(Opens in a new tab) in the recent Harry Potter 20th anniversary reunion special. Enoch absolutely stole the show. His homegrown hotness on full display, Enoch reminded us why we picked him out from the large cast of secondary Harry Potter characters.

    Does he have a freak factor? Who are we to say? That's his personal business, and if he wants to show us then we’re down. His lack of social media presence makes him alluring. All you get are sparse clips, fan meet-cutes on the streets of London (feeding into the y/n delusion left and right), occasional pics of him at protests, and (so many) videos of him speaking Portuguese. Did you know he's also Brazilian?

    5. Daniel Kaluuya 

    Defining boyfriend moment: Chicken Shop Date(Opens in a new tab)

    We wish we were that Oscar... Credit: Chris Pizzello-Pool / Getty Images

    Daniel, Daniel, Daniel… We are on our knees for you. We warned you, reader, that there'd be ample Skins representation! Kaluuya was one of the head staff writers for the show and played Posh Kenneth. Obviously, he's now a recognized, Oscar-winning movie star with the perfect list of film credits that grace many Letterboxd Top 4's. So the man has LONGEVITY. And anyone who was thinking up Skins storylines has a mind we want to dive into. 

    Revisiting his early roles, the "boy next door turned intelligent and charming hottie" energy is present and accounted for. Online, Kaluuya keeps very private and is famous and well-respected without buying into the celebrity of it all, something our initial polls found essential.

    Kaluuya has minimal social engagement himself, but straight-up seduces during an interview, which leads to numerous quotable moments and internet love. He oozes charisma and charm, and we could watch him talk for hours. He's picked for dream cast lists constantly, as the internet patiently waits for his inevitable rom-com debut(Opens in a new tab). We're a little bit nervous about his new life coach and manager(Opens in a new tab) that just popped up on the scene, but didn't we say something about a freak factor? 

    4. Harry Styles

    Defining boyfriend moment: Eating an orange behind Rihanna at the VMAs(Opens in a new tab)

    Baby, we're perfect for you. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images for The Recording Academy

    *DISCLAIMER: We are diehard One Direction / Harry Styles girls and cannot think about him objectively. We don’t know how he ended up number 4, and will be taking no questions at this time. 

    OK, we made it here. So that you can have a clearer picture, we are blushing while writing this. We’ve loved him from the X-Factor video diaries(Opens in a new tab) to tattoo roulette(Opens in a new tab) to the “Lights Up” music video(Opens in a new tab), and now we've got "As It Was" on repeat (don't even get us started on his Coachella set). Having been deeply connected to the man for the last 11 years, and around the same age, we've grown up with him more than any other internet boyfriend. Will he ever stop getting hot? Will we always feel this way upon casting our eyes on those shoulders or the infamous tiger thigh tattoo? He’s broken our hearts and stitched them back together time and time again. How many times will we be crushed by images of this man on a yacht(Opens in a new tab)

    Styles loses some points for his current internet presence and business ventures— most of his social accounts are solely for marketing purposes (we miss the good old days when he would post scrabble boards and personal events like his sister’s graduation(Opens in a new tab)). He's never really in on the bit in the few interviews he does, but he sure does love a rehearsed dad joke. And we just couldn't bring ourselves to put him higher on the list because, as much as he wants to be a freak,(Opens in a new tab) Styles drinks way too much green juice (not to mention his love of golfing and friendship with James Corden). 

    But, where Styles beats out all the other boyfriends, is his presence in real-person fan fiction (RPF if you will). This is not something to be taken lightly. Spanning a decade, the thousands of stories and related One Direction Imagines about him and his green orbs make him an internet icon.

    3. Dev Patel

    Defining boyfriend moment: Lion(Opens in a new tab) press tour(Opens in a new tab)

    Queue a GIF of him looking bashful and pushing his luscious locks back. Credit: Mike Marsland / WireImage

    We love Dev! We love Dev! 

    Another celebrity that we've had the honor of watching grow up and just keep getting better and hotter every year. With his early role as Anwar in Skins, his break into blockbuster movies with Slumdog Millionaire, and his arthouse dive with The Green Knight, if we see his name on the cast list we know we’re going to fall down the Patel rabbit hole afterwards. We don't need to talk about his role as Zuko in the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender film, other than to say he was the only redeeming part. 

    Perhaps his most crush-worthy role was in Modern Love, where he played a lovestruck dating app developer. We’ve watched it an unhealthy amount of times. We also saw him shine on his adorable Lion press tour with young co-star Sunny Panwar. Are you fucking kidding us with that smile?

    Patel has no internet presence other than us fans screaming into the void about how perfect he is, and we don't know much about his personal life, either. Allowing us to let our Patel freak flags fly online. His almost shocking earnestness when he does make a public appearance makes us believe his freak factor score is lower than others, but you never know…

    Charming, handsome, humble, gorgeous, stunning. Universally beloved! We've never met someone who couldn't resist this man's genuine loveliness.

    https://www.tumblr.com/poopinamasonjar/6786606/throwback-to-when-i-made-this-months-ago-because-i(Opens in a new tab)

    2. Andrew Garfield

    Defining boyfriend moment: The Social Network, specifically: "Sorry, I forgot my Prada at the cleaners along with my hoodie and my fuck you flip flops, you pretentious douchebag(Opens in a new tab)."

    We are looking respectfully. Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

    From seducing us with his emotive performance in The Social Network to being the sexy skateboarding Spiderman we had only dreamed of, Garfield has been at the forefront of pop culture moments. The two-time Oscar nominee's career is long and varied, and he's literally a triple threat: singing, dancing, and acting his way across stage and screen.

    Garfield's best sell is that he wears his emotions on his sleeve — it's a quality you don't find that often in Hollywood men. He's not afraid to plant one on whatever Hollywood man(Opens in a new tab) he's crushing on, and he expresses his affection for co-stars and idols alike. Those Spiderman: No Way Home behind-the-scene clips? We were smitten. His (frankly crass) love for Emma Stone is also simultaneously concerning and sexy. He literally handmade her a rocking chair(Opens in a new tab)… 

    Garfield's always thoughtful and somewhat strange in interviews, leading us to bump up his Freak Factor score. He's got a flair for making everything more existential than it needs to be, which designates him the most intellectual baddie on this list. For a taste of this side of him check out his Buzzfeed Thirst Tweets video(Opens in a new tab). In it he reads, "I can’t believe Andrew Garfield invented being sexy." To which he responds “I find it hard to believe, to the point of knowing that it’s not true. Who was it who invented being sexy? Like, when was sexy invented? I guess consciously, it would have to be a human, although I am sure before humans existed in the cosmos and on Earth there were forms of life…” Responding to a fan's date request, Garfield says, “I like hyper-vigilance and specificity of plans." 

    Garfield is a bit of an enigma when it comes to his internet presence. But we get the sense he knows his way around a meme. There's a good chance he's got a burner account, and he's out there stalking all our fancams. It helps both his reputation and his hotness that we really only get to see him when he's doing press tours — we chase after whatever bit of him we can get during a designated Andrew Cycle™. 

    Bonus: Garfield is yet another popular Marauders fancast(Opens in a new tab), filling our every waking moment with thoughts of him as tortured werewolf Remus Lupin.

    1. Robert Pattinson

    Defining moment: His entire existence? Or maybe his GQ(Opens in a new tab) quarantine profile(Opens in a new tab)… we guess.

    You're going to listen to that egg in the prefect's bathroom...without us? Credit: Neil Mockford / GC Images

    Our King of Kings, Boyfriend of all British Boyfriends, freak of all freaks, Robert Pattinson! 

    With a career that makes no sense and yet feels so, so right, Pattinson isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's having yet another well-deserved moment in the spotlight, and for that we are grateful. It also helps that Pattinson has off-the-chart scores in almost every category. 

    His first major role as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire defined a generation from the very first moment he jumped down from that tree branch. And even though it was an ill-fated character, his shaggy hair will live on in infamy. Not to mention the Twilight of it all. That spider monkey line changed the internet forever. He's loved by arthouse directors near and far, and now he's the (canonically) most emo and brooding Batman to ever exist. Give us a break! 

    As the freakiest of the bunch, you never know what Pattinson is going to do or say next. Will he make up another hand modeling backstory(Opens in a new tab) in his next interview? Is he going to shit talk his career-defining franchise(Opens in a new tab) only to endearingly backtrack(Opens in a new tab) 14 years later? Probably, yes. The man loves lying for attention. He’s just like us! Relatable king. At the same time, Pattinson is hilariously candid in his interviews. When talking about his British accent in a WIRED(Opens in a new tab) autocomplete interview(Opens in a new tab), Pattinson answered, "It's a mix of insecurities. Like, trying to disguise the fact that none of the words coming out mean anything." 

    For the uninformed, Pattinson's also a musician (with songs on multiple movie soundtracks, including Twilight), a chair designer(Opens in a new tab) (in the works), inventor of the sugar pasta dish Piccolini Cuscino, and the face of Dior. Drop everything you're doing right now and watch his commercials(Opens in a new tab)

    A British Renaissance man for the modern age. 

    And some potential internet boyfriends, in no particular order, who are still in the talking stage:

    Josh O'Connor: He's a style icon and perhaps the only person capable of making Prince Charles likable. We are personally leading this intellectual hottie's campaign.

    Joe Alwyn: Taylor Swift's boyfriend and star of the upcoming Hulu adaptation of Conversations with Friends is so gorgeous it actually hurts(Opens in a new tab). Anticipate the Paul Mescal effect come May 15.

    Jonathan Bailey: The current Bridgerton stand out is TikTok's new crush. We get it.

    Brett Goldstein: British comic and Ted Lasso hunk, Goldstein is fast on his way to boyfriend status.

    Regé-Jean Page: The internet's original Bridgerton crush and maybe a future(Opens in a new tab) Bond, James Bond?

  • 12 websites all college students should bookmark

    12 websites all college students should bookmark

    College can be scary and overwhelming, and it's hard to know where to get a little help with your academic tasks. Knowing which websites can help you with various aspects of college life, especially when it comes to assignments, can make all the difference.

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    We've collected 12 websites that will help you along the way in your studies — in fact, you might already be using a few. They're all great resources that can assist you with essay writing, organization, and troubleshooting math and science problems.

    1. Canvas or Blackboard

    Canvas(Opens in a new tab) and Blackboard(Opens in a new tab) are the leading learning management systems. Depending on your campus and your individual classes, one of these websites (or a website like it) will be where your professors post announcements, the syllabus, and your grades. It's also where you will submit assignments.

    2. Your school's library website

    We can't emphasize this enough — your school's library website will list all the resources that your school subscribes to and how to access them. Before hitting Google Scholar when starting on a research paper, check out your school's library website because there is probably a guide on how to start research on different topics. There will also be contact info for research librarians — don't hesitate to set up a meeting with one of them because they'll know about resources that may be hard for you to find on your own.

    SEE ALSO: 11 best apps every college student needs to download

    3. Facebook

    Lots of student organizations use Facebook(Opens in a new tab) to communicate and it's a great place to find out about events on campus that you might not otherwise know about. Many student organizations use Facebook Groups to communicate with members and following event organization pages can keep you in the loop about events happening on campus.

    4. Desmos

    Desmos(Opens in a new tab) is an online graphing calculator that's way easier to use than a physical graphing calculator.

    Demos is a free online graphing calculator. Credit: screenshot: desmos

    5. Wolfram Alpha

    Wolfram Alpha(Opens in a new tab) is an answer engine that's way better than Quora. Search your question and it's likely Wolfram Alpha will have a step-by-step solution. Wolfram Alpha is a lifesaver for math and science classes, but can also answer your humanities and life questions. Pop this guy into the search bar "∫ln(4x^3) + 6x δx" and you'll get an answer!

    6. Chegg(Opens in a new tab)

    Chegg is a website with all kinds of student services, from textbook and e-book rentals to flashcards. The most helpful part of Chegg is CheggStudy(Opens in a new tab), which has textbook solutions and expert Q&A. Textbook solutions are the step-by-step answers to questions found in textbooks. If you post a question on Chegg, an expert will post a detailed solution for it. You can also search and see all the questions previously asked and answered through the expert Q&A function. CheggStudy costs $14.95 per month, but you may already know someone who pays for it or has a login. So ask around.

    If you're studying math, CheggStudy is helpful because it has both solutions to textbook problems and expert Q&A to draw answers from. It's likely that — whatever you're studying — your question is from a textbook or someone else has already asked it, or something similar. Chegg is a great problem-solving tool.

    CheggStudy is a lifesaver. Credit: screenshot: chegg

    7. Google Calendar

    Google Calendar(Opens in a new tab) is a great way to organize your busy schedule. Through Google Calendar, you can keep track of your classes, deadlines, and extracurriculars.

    8. Quizlet

    Making flashcards has never been easier. Quizlet(Opens in a new tab) is an online study tool that allows you to find and make flashcards, and quiz yourself on those flashcards in different ways. You can search Quizlet for flashcards and chances are someone has already made a set for the test you're studying for.

    9. Jstor

    Jstor(Opens in a new tab) is an online research database that your school may subscribe to. Jstor has access to 12 million academic journal articles, primary sources, and books. Check your school's library website to see which research database subscriptions it currently has.

    Jstor is a great resource for writing research papers. Credit: screenshot: jstor

    10. Ebsco

    Ebsco(Opens in a new tab) is another online research database that may be a part of your school's current subscription-based resources. It's a good first stop on your research journey for any paper. Your school's library website will tell you if you have access to Ebsco.

    11. Your campus newspaper

    This one should be obvious: Take advantage of your campus' online newspaper and stay up to date on campus politics and events. Your campus newspaper will keep you informed on what's going on around the quad and in your community.

    SEE ALSO: The absolute best free online courses for learning something new

    12. Word Hippo

    No list of websites for college students is complete without a thesaurus. Word Hippo(Opens in a new tab) is an elite thesaurus that will help you make sure your essays aren't too repetitive.

    Use WordHippo to avoid repeating yourself in your papers. Credit: screenshot: word hippo

  • Quordle today: Here are the answers and hints for October 19

    Quordle today: Here are the answers and hints for October 19

    Today's Quordle is not the hardest of all time, but it's not the easiest either. Though your mileage may vary!

    (图1)

    If it's a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need.

    What is Quordle?

    Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.

    Is Quordle harder than Wordle?

    Yes, though not diabolically so.

    Where did Quordle come from?

    Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30(Opens in a new tab). Meyer's creation was covered in The Guardian(Opens in a new tab) six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue(Opens in a new tab) from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running. 

    How is Quordle pronounced?

    “Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like "curdle.”

    Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?

    Yes and no.

    Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you.

    After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle.

    What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?

    Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can't afford to waste guesses unless you're eliminating as many letters as possible at all times. 

    Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn't the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it's a normal part of the player's strategic toolset.

    Is there a way to get the answer faster?

    In my experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses:

    Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We've had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand(Opens in a new tab) suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.”

    Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses.

    If strategy isn't helping, and you're still stumped, here are some hints:

    Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?

    Two of four words contain a letter that occurs twice.

    Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?

    No.

    What do today’s Quordle words start with?

    N, E, C, and M.

    What are the answers for today’s Quordle?

    Are you sure you want to know?

    There’s still time to turn back.

    OK, you asked for it. The answers are:

    1. NIGHT

    2. EVERY

    3. COLON

    4. MANOR

  • In TikTok protest, witches cast spells to hex cops

    In TikTok protest, witches cast spells to hex cops

    Under the light of this week's full moon, a group of witches of TikTok — or WitchTok, if you will — are casting protection spells for protestors and hexes for cops.

    (图1)

    With the U.S. a week into protests against police brutality after the killing of George Floyd, a surprising array of subcultures have stepped up to help. K-pop stans flooded police reporting platforms with fancams so informants couldn't snitch on protestors. Even Mennonites showed up(Opens in a new tab) to protest in Minneapolis. And now covens are redirecting their power to protestors.

    Organizing under the #witchesforblm hashtag, practicing witches are teaching each other how to cast simple spells, draw sigils, and manifest intentions.

    The movement seems to have started with a comment from TikTok user beckydoeslife. This was in response to a TikTok by venxm.exe, in which the practicing witch filmed herself casting a protection spell for protestors rallying against police brutality.

    In just five days, the tag #witchesforblm garnered a collective 10 million views on the app.

    The tag started when a TikTok user suggested using #witchesforblm to organize. Credit: tiktok / venxm.exe
    The tag started when a TikTok user suggested using #witchesforblm to organize. Credit: tiktok / venxm.exe

    WitchTok users aim to protect protestors and hex law enforcement, who have been escalating violence against peaceful protestors nationwide all week.

    In some videos, like this one from rue.the.day, users act out what they predict will happen to cops after WitchTok casts its spells.

    TikTok users are acting out what'll happen to cops after they cast their spells. Credit: tiktok / rue.the.day

    In a video for beginners, jes.tkidding suggests a simple hex: write down the names of police officers and use a black candle to burn that paper, and then let the candle burn all the way through. In a video for more experienced practitioners, sorciereverte demonstrates how to write protection sigils that spell out "PROTESTORS ARE PROTECTED FROM POLICE BRUTALITY" and "BLACK LIVES MATTER TODAY AND ALWAYS."

    A TikTok user demonstrates simple spells beginner witches can cast. Credit: tiktok / jes.tkidding
    A TikTok user demonstrates writing a sigil that says, "PROTESTORS ARE PROTECTED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY." Credit: tiktok / sorciereverte

    Of course, casting spells probably isn't enough to really make change to a historically racist and unjust system. So in addition to recommending meditating, burning candles, and making "moon water," TikTok user earthytiana suggests(Opens in a new tab) using the power of the full moon to sign petitions, donate to the Black Lives Matter movement, and attend protests.

    Happy full moon, witches.

  • 14 Harry Potter things to love that have nothing to do with J.K. Rowling

    14 Harry Potter things to love that have nothing to do with J.K. Rowling

    On Saturday, J.K. Rowling posted her latest string of transphobic tweets, in which she suggested that only women can menstruate and that gender inclusivity erases the female experience. As an ardent Harry Potter fan myself, with a network of friends in the community, I saw my Twitter timeline fill up with exactly one sentiment in response to these tweets:

    (图1)

    Fuck that.

    This isn't the first time Rowling has been transphobic; previous likes and tweets have followed the line of thought demonstrated on Saturday. I personally expressed my disappointment in her December 2019 tweets, but wrote them off. I assumed she was oblivious and disconnected from the right resources due to shoddy PR, her own ignorance, and that bubble away from reality that most of the ultra-rich and famous seem to occupy.

    But again, fuck that.

    Saturday's tweets are further evidence of Rowling's ignorance, but there can be no doubt now that it is willful. Even Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, couldn't remain silent and issued a statement in solidarity with the queer and trans community(Opens in a new tab).

    For a generation that grew up on the Harry Potter values of standing up to power and bigotry, the irony is not lost and the heartbreak is real. It's been a long time coming for some but totally new for others who might not be able to stop loving Potter as easily as they turned on its creator.

    Harry Potter has been around long enough that its influence spreads far beyond a certain writer. Songs have been written, merch designed, organizations launched, and discussions furthered far beyonds the limits of what Rowling could ever have imagined. Those of us who read Harry Potter as children are writers, artists, and activists now, equipped to enjoy the wizarding world without her.

    So now that you've accepted the Death of the Author(Opens in a new tab), here are 14 places to direct your Harry Potter love that have nothing to do with You-Know-Who.

    Note: The author (I mean myself now) knows individuals involved with several items on this list.

    1. The Harry Potter Alliance(Opens in a new tab)

    Launched in 2005, the HPA is a social justice organization that works toward gender equity, LGTBQIA+ equality, racial justice, climate change activism, education, and more. It has partnered with groups like the American Library Association, ACLU, and Hank and John Green's DFTBA. In 2010, the HPA raised enough money through fan campaigns to send five airplanes of medical supplies to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti(Opens in a new tab). They have a handy guide on how to advocate for trans people right here(Opens in a new tab).

    2. Black Girls Create(Opens in a new tab)

    This multifandom resource for black creators encourages fans to recognize that you can love something while still being highly critical of it. They raised $16,000 in a week for organizations helping Black Lives Matter through a Hogwarts house-themed points competition. Through podcasts(Opens in a new tab) like #WizardTeam(Opens in a new tab) and the Doctor Who-themed TARBIS(Opens in a new tab) (Who Watch: Time and Relative Blackness in Space), the BGC community promotes intersectional representation, especially for black women.

    3. Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis(Opens in a new tab)

    This breezy web series what would have happened if 25-year-old Hermione Granger didn't marry Ron and become a cop, but questioned it all and hightailed to California to hang out with former classmate Parvati Patil. Created by Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael and starring Ashley Romans, the series imagines how wizardry looks for millennial adults and how the magical and muggle worlds collide. It's even brave enough to suggest Hermione go to therapy, something that would certainly have helped all the adults in Cursed Child. And speaking of that nonsense...

    4. StarKid(Opens in a new tab)

    Filmed in a 100-seat basement theater at the University of Michigan, A Very Potter Musical became an early viral sensation in 2009. It expertly pokes fun at its source material and expands upon the canon, as with Harry's obvious desire to be the center of attention or Draco's inability to stand still. The cast and characters are more diverse in race and sexuality than any Harry Potter content ever distributed by Warner Bros. or Universal, a statistic that will probably hold up for a very long time.

    AVPM spawned a sequel ("There is literally no way forward from this point") and a threequel, but its creators have created over a dozen non-Potter productions since then, including Holy Musical, [email protected]!, Ani: A Parody, and originals like Firebringer and Black Friday.

    5. The Gayly Prophet(Opens in a new tab)

    Two Harry Potter fans (Jessie Blount and Lark Malakai Grey) host this weekly podcast that examines the books through a queer feminist lens. They were quick to note after Rowling's comments that this person was being openly transphobic during an uprising in a pandemic and that there is truly no weirder or worse flex.

    6. Sorted(Opens in a new tab)

    Credit: simon & schuster

    Jackson Bird(Opens in a new tab)'s 2019 memoir about coming out as trans is inextricably linked to his experiences in the Harry Potter fandom. Bird's writing is thorough and informative yet never overwhelming. He takes you on his journey through childhood and adolescence, weaving in the boy wizard's influence and the community that ultimately helped him accept who he was and offered support when he declared it. The title refers to the Sorting Hat, but especially to Dumbledore's musing in Deathly Hallows that "I sometimes think we sort too soon." Once again, the fans understand Rowling's message more than it seems she ever could.

    7. Man Up Apparel(Opens in a new tab)

    View this post on Instagram
    (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new tab)

    This clothing brand started as a part-time source of cheer apparel and now provides some of the swaggiest HP clothing Warner Bros. could only dream of. The house face hoodies give mascots as much a chance to shine as colors, and the varsity jackets will be the envy of every former high school athlete you meet. Best of all for this Ravenclaw: The Ravenclaw colors of blue and bronze and the house eagle are resplendent, putting that hideous blue-gray raven gear from the movies to shame.

    8. Mark Reads Harry Potter(Opens in a new tab)

    Writer Mark Oshiro(Opens in a new tab) has made a career of watching and reading things(Opens in a new tab) (and is now an author(Opens in a new tab) too) because their voice is so utterly entertaining. They started Harry Potter for the first time in 2010(Opens in a new tab) with little to no prior exposure (the podcast Potterless(Opens in a new tab) started a similar journey in recent years) and there is nothing quite like experiencing the joy of a grown adult becoming obsessed with Rubeus Hagrid for the first time.

    9. Carry On(Opens in a new tab)

    Credit: St. Martin's Griffin

    Rainbow Rowell's YA fantasy novel is a spinoff of her own Fangirl, but the characters are undeniably influenced by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy as they occupy a slightly different magical realm. Simon Snow is his world's Chosen One, guided by "the Mage" and anointed by a prophecy — and as if that's not enough, he finds it harder and harder each day to deny the attraction he feels to his so-called enemy Basilton (a.k.a. Baz). Carry On and sequel Wayward Son (yup) are the Drarry fic you crave on ink and paper, and a beautiful example of how joyous and easy it is to write a queer magical story.

    10. Puffs(Opens in a new tab)

    The now-closed off-Broadway play about "a certain school of magic and magic" tells the story we all know through the eyes of Hufflepuff students — sometimes confused, often endangered, and always nice even in the face of certain danger brought upon them by the Boy Who Lived. It may not be running anymore, but the show lives on digitally(Opens in a new tab).

    11. Vegard(Opens in a new tab)

    This European YouTuber happily declares "Harry Potter (minus JKR)" in their Twitter bio(Opens in a new tab), and has a wonderful time exploring the books, movies, spells, and more in video form regardless. Vegard proves there is no end to answers to the question of how one can manifest one's Harry Potter love, whether it's explaining the story drunk, editing oneself into scenes, talking about it to Siri, and so much more.

    12. Wizard rock

    The musical genre launched in the early 2000s now boasts hundreds of musicians and bands who sing about the series, including to challenge its heteronormativity or ridiculousness wherever they can. The wizard rock community has long been a haven for queer fans, and the growing roster of artists(Opens in a new tab) means more diverse talent joining its ranks every day.

    13. The Wizard Tailor(Opens in a new tab)

    @thewizardtailor(Opens in a new tab)

    Get in the car, looser, we’re going to Beauxbatons 🦋 ##tiktokprom(Opens in a new tab)##harrypotter(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrushchallenge(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrush(Opens in a new tab)##beauxbatons(Opens in a new tab)##french(Opens in a new tab)##hp(Opens in a new tab)##hpcosplay(Opens in a new tab)##hpcos(Opens in a new tab)

    ♬ Theme from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (Potter Waltz) - Movie Sounds Unlimited(Opens in a new tab)

    This TikTok creator and cosplayer known as Michael is doing the ridiculous and yet very important work of recreating popular TikToks with a Harry Potter spin(Opens in a new tab). Apologies in advance to all your friends for the slew of links you're about to send them.

    14. Binge Mode: Harry Potter(Opens in a new tab)

    Though it does occasionally praise the author, The Ringer's Binge Mode podcast hosted by Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion provides exceptional analysis and raucous commentary as they reread the Harry Potter books. No amount of Fantastic Beasts movies (and we hope there are no more) could conceive of anything as brilliant as "McGalleon," a headcanon about McGonagall's aggressive sports betting and how it clouds her objectivity as a teacher. You'll learn to turn down the volume when Jason yells, and you'll love it.

  • How Drew Barrymore’s griddle jazzed up my family brunch

    How Drew Barrymore’s griddle jazzed up my family brunch

    My partner and I are both crazy busy during the week and by the time Sunday morning rolls around, all we want to do is laze around in bed in our pajamas sipping coffee while the rain falls outside our Portland, Oregon home. I’ll leisurely peruse the news while my girlfriend catches up on social media and, once our stomachs start rumbling, I’ll peel one of the dogs off my lap and wander into the kitchen to get started on my famous Sunday breakfast.

    Sunday breakfast has become somewhat of a weekend tradition in our household. I love cooking big meals, but to be perfectly honest, the cleanup has always been a pain. My partner and I eat different types of foods, so I usually have to use one pan for her sunny-side-up eggs and sausage patties, and second and third pans for my scrambled egg whites and veggie links. Plus, I can only make two pancakes at a time in one pan. By the time I make a stack that’s tall enough to feed both of us, the cakes at the bottom of the stack are clammy.  

    It was my partner who suggested we try the extra-large electric griddle from Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful collection(Opens in a new tab), which is exclusive to Walmart. I’m so glad she did because it’s been a game-changer for my big Sunday breakfasts — and every big meal I could ever want to cook.

    A beautiful design, literally

    I was in love with the Beautiful grill right out of the box. It’s classic-looking and matches our modern kitchen appliances perfectly. I love the gold accents and the cursive “B” monogram, and even the removable stainless backsplash that keeps grease splatters off our countertop is shiny and pretty. But perhaps the one design element that really checks the box for me is how storable it is. We don’t have tons of counter space and I don’t like clutter, but this grill slips right into the cabinet we use for cookie sheets and pizza pans. It’s that thin and light. 

    Perfect design, right out of the box. Credit: Michelle Kehm

    Sprawl out on the grill

    Let me just say the Beautiful grill(Opens in a new tab) is big. It’s 12 x 22 inches — that’s almost 2 feet of grilling space. I managed to cook four saucer-sized pancakes on the Beautiful grill, plus two eggs, an egg-white scramble, two sausage patties, and four links all at the same time. Even with all that food on there, I still had room for pupcakes, which our two dogs were pretty stoked about.

    Credit: Michelle Kehm
    Credit: Michelle Kehm

    The entire surface of the grill also heated up quickly and cooked evenly. My eggs turned out perfect, and did I mention how easy it was to flip them on the nonstick surface? No broken yolks, amazing.

    Credit: Michelle Kehm

    The easiest cleanup ever

    (图1)

    After my enormous breakfast was grilled and plated, I was pretty psyched that the entire greasy, batter-splattered mess was contained on just one cooking surface. I waited for the grill to cool off a bit and then I wiped it all down with a wet sponge. Everything came right off the PFOA-free surface(Opens in a new tab) in one easy swipe. I tossed the removable drip tray and backsplash into the dishwasher and clean up was officially done. No more piles of dirty pans to scrub every Sunday! Now I can make a huge breakfast and still have time to crawl back into bed and sleep off my pancake coma with the pups­­­. I can’t wait to use the Beautiful grill for grilled cheese sandwiches and all the fixins’ for fajita night.

    Credit: Michelle Kehm