My wife puts all our family business on social media. Hax readers give advice.
Dear Carolyn: My wife is one of those people whose entire life is put on display on social media. Every single thing she experiences or knows about, good or bad, is immediately posted.
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Funniest Posts From Parents This Week (July 26-Aug. 1)
Kids may say the darndest things, but parentspost about them in the funniest ways. Every week, we round up the most hilarious quips from parents across social media platforms, like X, Threads and Bluesky, to spread the joy. Scroll down to read the latest batch. oneawkwardmom/Threads rachelbeachywrites/Threads jennyvazqueznewsum/Threads nyenrose/Threads jimmyohkay/Threads gaetkegram/Threads My children went to Chiefs training camp this morning and then spent all afternoon at the pool and now my 4yo is crying because his dad 'won't let him do anything fun today.'— Jennifer Parker (@Mrs_JParker) July 28, 2025 "> My children went to Chiefs training camp this morning and then spent all afternoon at the pool and now my 4yo is crying because his dad 'won't let him do anything fun today.' No one tells you the stuff your daughter needs for her first dorm room costs eleventy billion dollars.— Simon Holland (@simoncholland) July 29, 2025 "> No one tells you the stuff your daughter needs for her first dorm room costs eleventy billion dollars. Well, I tried to tell the courts multiple times I can't do jury duty cuz I'm pregnant and the full time care taker to our one year old, and they seem to not care, so me and the kiddo are pulling up to jury duty tomorrow, I literally told them MULTIPLE TIMES I don't have child…— mom (@thecavemommy) July 27, 2025 "> Well, I tried to tell the courts multiple times I can't do jury duty cuz I'm pregnant and the full time care taker to our one year old, and they seem to not care, so me and the kiddo are pulling up to jury duty tomorrow, I literally told them MULTIPLE TIMES I don't have child… My son has been having the lacrosse team over all summer to swim, and they've generally been chill, with normal teen boy stuff. This time, for the first time, someone brought his girlfriend and it is amazing to witness the vibe shift. Like someone injected speed into them.— Sean T at RCP (@SeanTrende) July 29, 2025 "> My son has been having the lacrosse team over all summer to swim, and they've generally been chill, with normal teen boy stuff. This time, for the first time, someone brought his girlfriend and it is amazing to witness the vibe shift. Like someone injected speed into them. helloblessedmama/Threads melodygodfred/Threads valenlore87/Threads shesnotarealpoet/Threads My kid just downloaded google slides, so I know there's some kind of presentation headed my way— meghan (@deloisivete) July 31, 2025 "> My kid just downloaded google slides, so I know there's some kind of presentation headed my way Whenever my toddler is about to do something he's not supposed to he says 'don't look at me,' and that's how I know he's not cut out for a life of crime.— One Awkward Mom (@oneawkwardmom) July 28, 2025 "> Whenever my toddler is about to do something he's not supposed to he says 'don't look at me,' and that's how I know he's not cut out for a life of crime. The Apocalypse, but it's just what my kids call it when I take away all the screens and tell them to go play outside.— Hollie Harris (@allholls) July 29, 2025 "> The Apocalypse, but it's just what my kids call it when I take away all the screens and tell them to go play outside. Parenting is tough. Letting your kids fail isn't easy, but it provides them with opportunities to grow. As tempting as it is to intervene, hardships can prove to be a gift, but you've got to make those calls. For example, my son just picked up a glue stick he thinks is chapstick.— Henpecked Hal (@HenpeckedHal) July 27, 2025 "> Parenting is tough. Letting your kids fail isn't easy, but it provides them with opportunities to grow. As tempting as it is to intervene, hardships can prove to be a gift, but you've got to make those calls. For example, my son just picked up a glue stick he thinks is chapstick. meantomyself/Bluesky ishikawa_sachi/Threads michimama.7.5/Threads jessicagustafsonauthor/Threads sarcastic_mommy/Threads Related... The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Everyone is listening to secular praise music. Yes, even you.
Artists like Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Alex Warren have tapped into a genre of music that sounds religious, but isn't. It's working. 'They say, 'The holy water's watered down, and this town's lost its faith,'' a man sings soulfully. This is not a religious condemnation of the terrible things that have happened on Earth. It's a tune that follows you as it plays on car radios, blasts from the grimy speakers in dive bars and rears its head in countless Spotify playlists. You can't escape it — the deep-voiced crooning of a former TikToker who finally cracked mass virality with a hit that sounds religious but isn't. Those words are the opening lyrics to 'Ordinary,' Alex Warren's 2025 breakout hit, which has now spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's just a love song. And it's everywhere. If its sheer ubiquity hasn't given it away, there's a strong chance 'Ordinary' could become 2025's song of summer, according to Billboard's annual chart. Even when the speed and mood of the song pick up, it stays borderline religious. Warren sings about 'the angels up in the clouds,' the 'hopeless hallelujah on this side of Heaven's gate' and 'at your altar, I will pray, you're the sculptor, I'm the clay.' He references the Bible frequently, but he's talking about his real-life, present-day wife. It sounds religious, but 'Ordinary' is part of a growing genre of secular praise music. 'Close their eyes, lift their hands and transcend the moment' As someone who grew up playing music in church, Americana artist Nate Currin has seen the way religious music gets a physical reaction in its audiences. There's something 'inherently emotional about praise and worship music,' he tells Yahoo, that 'invites people to close their eyes, lift their hands and transcend the moment.' Secular praise music takes that feeling and emotion, harnesses those elements and markets it to both religious and nonreligious audiences. It's a trend now, but it's been around forever. 'Artists have long wrestled with themes of God, heaven, mystery and meaning. Some call it 'Christian' or 'worship,' but to me, it's simply a poetic exploration of the universe and what might lie beyond,' Currin says, citing U2 as an example. 'The continued connection people feel to this kind of music reveals something deeply human — a curiosity, a longing, a hope — that maybe there's more to all of this than what we can see.' So, how do you know if a song is secular praise music? For starters, it sounds like something that might be performed by a band in a church, when the congregation is asked to stand and sing along as they worship God. It's a common occurrence for many Americans — 62% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians, according to the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study from Pew Research Center. Those who go to church are listening to many of the same songs — ones that are trending among other members of their denominations and timeless classics — but the sound of worship music has pervaded even nonreligious airwaves. There are at least four other songs like 'Ordinary' on the Billboard Hot 100 right now, including 'Lose Control' by Teddy Swims (No. 9), 'Beautiful Things' by Benson Boone (No. 16), 'Good News' by Shaboozey (No. 24) and 'Backup Plan' by Bailey Zimmerman featuring Luke Combs (No. 44). Take me to church Secular praise songs like these include poetic verses that build to a striking, emotional chorus that singers belt at the top of their lungs. The lyrics appeal to members of a community or to someone powerful — a woman, a family member or the concept of a better time — and when they mention God, it's usually as part of a familiar phrase rather than an actual appeal to a spiritual being. Elements of stomping and clapping in the background — or even the addition of a backing choir — only add to the praise song vibe. Tero Potila, a music producer and composer, tells Yahoo that streaming has shaped this format, because now, 'songs must grab the listener's attention quickly and deliver a strong emotional payoff to keep them engaged.' 'From a producer's perspective, the use of reverb, gospel-like chord progressions and dynamic builds all help create a church-like experience — something that uplifts and draws listeners in,' he says. 'Artists like U2 and Coldplay have done this for years, but what's different now is how emotionally raw and direct this style has become.' Take 'Ordinary,' for instance. Mentions of angels and altars distract from the fact Warren is clearly singing about his wife, who's featured in the song's music video. 'You got me kissin' thе ground of your sanctuary. Shatter me with your touch, oh, Lord, return mе to dust,' he sings. His passion borders on sexually suggestive without going explicit. That means it's fine for the radio. One of the biggest radio hits of all time, Teddy Swims's 'Lose Control' has been on the Billboard charts for a whopping 100 weeks — the first song to crack that milestone. It came out in 2023, when Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' and Morgan Wallen's 'Last Night' were ruling the airwaves, and it's still unavoidable. He sings about his desire for the presence of a woman he loves, saying 'I lose control when you're not next to me,' after crooning that 'the devil's knockin' at my door' when he's left alone. He admonishes himself for acting like an 'addict' and giving into 'bad habits' — admitting his flaws and begging for forgiveness — two common elements in worship songs, sung in that context to God rather than a nameless woman. The religious elements of these two songs make them sound vaguely like they could be played in church. They aren't overtly explicit, so you could play them on a loudspeaker in mixed company. They're slow with repetitive choruses that are easy to memorize, led by smooth, easily digestible voices. All those elements make it easy for them to become radio hits. And once a song is in a radio station's rotation, it's hard for it to get out — just look at 'Lose Control' and Benson Boone's 'Beautiful Things,' which has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 77 weeks and is still No. 16. That makes it a mainstay on the chart and feeds into its streaming success. These are artists that the music industry sees as culture-making budding superstars — it's no coincidence that Teddy Swims, Benson Boone and Shaboozey were all Best New Artist nominees at the 2025 Grammys. 'Big, cathartic hooks' Though secular praise music is clearly a huge trend at the moment, it's not a new phenomenon. In addition to Coldplay and U2's use of praise music sound in rock, alternative artists like Florence + The Machine, Hozier and Mumford & Sons ushered us into a secular praise music era 10 years ago, music consultant and founder of the artistic development program Music Industry Mentor Atlanta Cobb tells Yahoo. 'This trend in big anthemic production and layered choir-like vocals that sounds like it was made from the church is simply coming back around again 10 years later,' she says. 'What's different now is how listeners use music.' Cobb believes that secular praise songs are still the soundtracks of people's big life moments, and we see that a lot with influencers and content creators. They'll record and upload videos of breakups, breakthroughs and gym sessions and edit them down to mini-cinematic masterpieces, backed by songs like 'Ordinary' and 'Beautiful Things.' The millions of viewers who watch those videos feel particularly emotional with those powerful songs in the background. 'And worship-style production works perfectly for these apps that need music with strong builds, releases and certain lyrical hooks, which work for social media usage,' she says. 'It also performs well on streaming. Slower intros give you space to lean in. Big, cathartic hooks get replayed. It's a clever style of writing.' There are a number of bona fide religious songs on the Hot 100 right now, including 'Your Way's Better' by Christian artist Forrest Frank and 'Hard Fought Hallelujah' by Jelly Roll and pastor/singer Brandon Lake, though they haven't found the same success as secular artists emulating religious songs. However, they are appealing to an untapped market for religious bro music and crafting a new genre which musicologist Kelsey McGinnis calls 'barstool conversion rock.' Those songs include heavy doses of masculinity, faith and party culture, though they're undeniably religious. They're borrowing elements from mainstream songs to elevate Christian messages, whereas secular praise music is borrowing elements from Christian music. Crossing over benefits both sides of the aisle. 'Labels are so desperate for community' There's a reason mainstream artists might want to emulate what church bands and Christian artists are doing. Chad Gerber, a Christian musician who first started playing in church bands when he was 6, has a hunch that members of the mainstream music industry may have noticed how religious artists have maintained audiences. 'Churches do not have to chase listeners because their audiences are already part of the community,' he says. 'Labels no longer get that kind of reliable connection from clubs or festivals because everything else is oversaturated and constantly competing with new forms of media.' He explains that praise music has always been functional — it's written to aid worship rather than to simply be listened to. 'Labels are desperate for community because selling community is the only way they make money now,' Gerber says. 'They see the community, the emotional connection and the numbers, so they copy the sound, the feeling and sometimes even the overall aesthetic.' Praise music is meant to be simple so that 'weekend musicians,' or people who play music as a hobby, can easily pick up the songs and perform them for large congregations without extensive rehearsal. 'The formula now is to simplify the song, repeat the chorus to help people engage in worship and repeat that pattern,' he says. 'The congregations respond most to this, so worship pastors give them more of it.' 'Deeply personal, massively shared' With secular praise music, we're going through that same phase. 'Lose Control' and 'Beautiful Things' haven't fallen off the charts as most songs naturally do, which helps to elevate newer, similar-sounding songs like 'Ordinary.' Though these songs walk the line between pop and rock, it's happening in country music as well, as Shaboozey's 'Good News' and Bailey Zimmerman's 'Backup Plan' also hold firm. Unlike their pop-rock counterparts, they're less about women and more about overcoming bad behavior and bad circumstances to achieve something more in life. Keith Urban tells my colleague Taryn Ryder that it's understandable that country songs have become part of the secular praise trend. 'So much of country music is the existence between a hellacious Saturday night and a redemptive Sunday morning pew,' says the country star, who's currently on his High and Alive tour, says. 'That's so much of where country resides is in those dualities of the human experience.' Secular praise music genres transcend country too, according to Amani Roberts, a music professor at Cal State Fullerton who also works as a DJ. She tells Yahoo that in the 1970s, the Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire weren't technically gospel artists, but they were spiritual. R&B groups in the 1990s like Boyz II Men ('A Song for Mama'), Jodeci ('Forever My Lady') and En Vogue ('Don't Let Go (Love)') used 'gospel-rooted vocals and lyrical arcs of devotion and redemption.' 'These were secular love songs that hit like sermons,' she says. 'What's different now is how genre-blending and streaming culture have made these songs feel both deeply personal and massively shared. We're in a moment where vulnerability isn't just accepted, it's expected.' So, releasing songs with vague religious elements, as well as memorable, anthemic choruses and family-friendly lyrics can unite listeners across the country despite how we're fractured in other ways by algorithms and political tension. 'Musical tastes are cyclical, and this format is resonating right now because people are craving emotional release,' Roberts says. 'We're living in a time where everything feels loud — digitally, socially, politically. These songs slow things down, pull you in gently and then give you that euphoric burst in the chorus. It's a structure that mimics the arc of a personal breakthrough.' Amen. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"It's An Actual Scam At This Point": People Are Sharing Things That Used To Be Free Back In The Day, But Now Cost Money
There was a time, not too terribly long ago, when companies tried to excite new customers and hang on to their loyal ones by offering lots of freebies. These days, it seems like it's impossible to get anything for free, much less without paying some kind of upcharge. Recently, we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share some of their favorite formerly free things that now cost money. Here are 27 of their most-missed, long-lost perks: 1."Accessories that used to come with your phone. They claim it's to cut costs and be more environmentally friendly, but the phone is actually MORE expensive now, and I need to buy battery-powered headphones." "And then they don't include a power supply anymore, so I need to buy one that is USB-C, so all of the older ones I've been collecting are obsolete or sitting in a drawer at home. And I need a new USB-C cord to charge in the car." —jrmart91 "iPhone headphones and charger! Phones used to have headphones, a charger, and accessories in the box. Now, it's just the phone, and you need to buy everything separately." —Anonymous, 21, Macedonia 2."Camping. It used to be free to get into most state parks." —pizzamanhoxie 3."Driving on the highway." —OminousSC "Tolls piss me off so bad. It's not about the money; it's about having to stop and count out change, plus a lot of that money is likely just paying for the person manning the booth. Why not just raise the gas tax a couple of pennies? So much more efficient." —jmcdon00 4."Buying tickets. 'Convenience fee: $9001.'" —ReferencesCartoons "Print them off yourself — convenience fee. Pick them up at the box office — convenience fee. Get them mailed to your house — convenience fee." —SultanOfBrownEye "Seriously. I just ordered $5 tickets to a concert, but had to pay $20 to print them to actually use the tickets." —zack6511 "Pearl Jam was right 20 years ago; it's an absolute slap in the face. The last company I used contacted me after I gave them a 2-star rating for their service. They literally couldn't understand why I was unhappy with their fee being 30% of the ticket prices added on. AND I had to download another app, not theirs, to use the ticket. I paid over $100 to click a few buttons on their website. It's an actual scam at this point." —Anonymous, Chris, MA 5."I used to be able to get extra garlic sauce cups for free any time I got pizza from Papa John's. Now, they charge $1 per extra cup." —TheRedditPaperclip 6."Plastic grocery bags (they're 5 cents in Washington, DC)." —TheAustr0naut 7."Airplane food. I remember complete meals for free, and they were pretty decent too." —None 8."Air for your tires. When I first started driving, I could walk up to any gas station and fill my tires for nothing. Not anymore. It's 'only' $1.25, but it used to be free." —Anonymous, 33 Colorado "California and Connecticut are the only states by law that can't charge for air at gas stations." —UrsaPater 9."Everything on the internet, especially news articles and even most original content." —VincentGrayson "Also, academic articles. A few weeks ago, I read a paper about the viscoelastic something or other of mayonnaise and ketchup. They basically just squeezed out drops and watched how they fell, and they expected me to pay $35.99 for that shit. Nope, not happening. So glad I pirated it." —brickmack 10."Parking. Of course, it wasn't free everywhere all the time, but it used to be you could usually go a couple of blocks farther to free parking or get validation from a restaurant or just some kind of deal/way out of paying. At large fairground-type events or amusement parks, parking was free or was next to nothing. Now, parking seems to be a major fraction of the site's revenue. " —BrainBurrito 11."Banks used to give a toaster (or similar) to open a checking account, and those accounts had no fees. Today, there are no gifts, and fees start the minute the account is open." —Ray Rocks, Yahoo "This one kills me. They are charging you to hold your money for you, which they use to loan out to other people and make money off of the interest. You're already basically financing the bank's loans, why do they have to charge you on top of that?" —wuroh7 12."Checking up to two bags when flying by plane. It was included in the cost of the ticket." —NDaveT 13."The internet. Dial-up was free, then cable internet was $30 for a while. Now, it's $60 a month." —Crotch_Snorkel 14."Hulu used to be free (with ads). Now, you have to pay to watch, and some tiers still have ads. " —Anonymous, 35, Atlanta, GA "Hulu used to be partially free. You could watch new episodes online without having to pay money. I used to watch Law & Order all the time on the website for free. " —Anonymous "Hulu. It took a while before Hulu Plus appeared. Hell, there were absolutely NO commercials when Hulu first started. I remember how sweet that was. Then, little 10-15-second ads started appearing. And now, I think there are two minutes or more of ads during each commercial break." —ILoveYouBBW 15."Content in games. Maps, extra levels, weapon packs, and the like were available as updates, not DLC [downloadable content] that you have to pay for." —ErrantRose 16."McDonald's sauce packets." —blake_cq "BBQ sauce at McDonald's." —isaac9092 17."Paying bills online. It used to be a convenience, but now there's a fee to talk to a rep to pay a bill, and then if you do it online, there's a processing fee?" —jrmart91 18."One that really burns me is Disneyland's FastPass. Pre-COVID, everyone who paid the price of entry was treated equitably and had an equal chance of getting on at least a few rides quickly. It was a brilliant idea and allowed all paying guests the same perk." "Since COVID, Disney has doubled the cost of an entry ticket, even more on busy days, and has gotten rid of the FastPass so they can exploit the lines by charging for the same perk. We are already paying twice as much for a ticket, so why isn't that extra $80+ per person enough to cover it for everyone? Maybe the wealthy can afford to tack on another $150 for a family per day without feeling it, but there are those who can ill afford it and feel pressure to pony up in order to maximize their visit. Adding insult to injury, both tickets and Genie Plus have gone up even further this year. It's money-grabbing, exploitive, elitist, and in no way 'magical.' It's shrinkflation at its saddest." —bubblyghost664 19."YouTube without a headache-inducing amount of ads." —redman004 "YouTube. Sure, there might have been a floating ad at the bottom of the video, but you could click it away and go on with your life. And if you had an ad blocker, then life was grand. Now, it's four ad breaks in a 10-minute video." —justchillman 20."Pizza delivery. Directly from the restaurant, not one of the delivery services." —markh63 21."'Kids eat free.' I remember going to restaurants with siblings and their kids as a teenager-early 20s, and there were often deals at many restaurants that had a kids' free meal or a discount with every adult." "Now, as a mother of two toddlers, I only know of one restaurant in my area that has something free for kids. It makes taking a family of four out to eat a near impossibility for my budget. Not a major loss as I enjoy cooking, but I do feel a little sad that this is an experience my kids won't have memories of." —Anonymous, 37, Colorado 22."Birthday desserts at most restaurants. I celebrated a birthday in May and booked reservations for brunch and dinner on my birthday, noting it was my birthday in the reservation, and neither restaurant gave a free dessert or food item." —Anonymous, 33, California 23."Car charging. Everyone had them to lure in customers. Now, they have all been replaced by expensive chargers." —Anonymous 24."If you were a member of Victoria's Secret, you used to get a coupon for a free panties every couple of months. Now, you have to spend $10 just to use the coupon." —Anonymous, 36, EauClaire 25."I remember back in the day how the department stores would hand out good quality gift boxes like they were nothing. They were so sturdy you could store your Christmas decorations in them, which my mom did for years." —Thomas, Yahoo selection on an airplane. I remember the first time I saw this; I hadn't flown in a while, so I was confused with all of the different prices on exit rows, front rows, and the first few rows. I was like, 'Didn't I already buy my ticket? I just want to sit on an airplane and go to my destination.' I feel like such an old man, but I'm only 40." —Bill, Yahoo "Exit aisle seating on airplanes." —necrokitty finally, "Mini bottles of shampoo at hotels. My family used to take the bottles even when we didn't take a shower that night, just so room service would supply another one. Now, they have a big, huge bottle that is basically nailed to the shower." —Geralt, Yahoo Now, I want to know: are there even more former perks and freebies you remember that now cost money? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
