Picture this: It’s a brisk November day. I have a Starbucks red cup in my hand, I’m wrapped in my giant blanket scarf, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (the SuperFestive version, of course) is ringing through my ears. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Well...brace yourself, because this might be the worst news you hear all day.  According to clinical psychologist and author Linda Blair, listening to too much Christmas music could be bad for your mental health.

I know what you’re thinking: What happened to the Grinch and why is Linda Blair taking over his role? But it turns out Blair’s just looking out for us, and she has some solid points. Basically, Christmas music is to get you into the holiday spirit, right? To retail stores, the “holiday spirit” equates to customers spending money, so these stores have every incentive to overplay Christmas music as much as possible.

As Blair told Sky News, “Christmas music is likely to irritate people if it's played too loudly and too early. It might make us feel that we're trapped —it's a reminder that we have to buy presents, cater for people, organize celebrations. Some people will react to that by making impulse purchases, which the retailer likes. Others might just walk out of the shop. It's a risk."

The mental health issue really comes into play when you’re the one working in the store, because then you can’t just walk out.

“People working in the shops at Christmas have to [tune out] Christmas music, because if they don’t, it really does stop you from being able to focus on anything else," Blair said. "You’re simply spending all of your energy trying not to hear what you’re hearing.”

It totally makes sense that when certain songs are played over and over all day at work, they would stop sounding like "holiday cheer" and start sounding like consumerism and stress.

Basically, Christmas music is fine in moderation, but there is such thing as too much of it — especially when you associate it with the stress of the holiday season. So don’t be afraid to jam to some “Under the Mistletoe” if you’re feeling the spirit, but remember that the Christmas season is a marathon, not a sprint.

As a longtime fan of Grey’s Anatomy, I’ve come to expect some pretty crazy cases cropping up out of the woodwork each season. As a younger viewer, I’d often be left with my jaw gaping, wondering how anything like that could ever happen, but now I’m always intrigued, shifting closer to the screen as I try to guess what’s going on before it’s revealed. Little shocks me anymore, but on last week’s “Come on Down to My Boat, Baby,” a woman hid a gun—yes, an entire, L-shaped hunk of metal—in her a vagina. I’ll wait a moment for those of you that don’t watch anymore to process that. It took me a moment, too.

When she was brought into the ER in crippling abdominal pain, I thought, Oh, maybe she’s got an ectopic pregnancy, or maybe uterine cysts or an intestinal tear. Maybe something that seems, I don’t know, possible? I mean, can you imagine fitting a whole gun up there? Because ouch. 

When the gun went off, shooting a bullet from the inside out of her and into another patient, I definitely shrieked—a full-on ohmygod. I can’t recall the last case that left me with that sort of reaction, but I can say with certainty that this is probably not the craziest thing that’s ever happened. It’s a truly tough call to put together a definitive list, but, in honor of this upcoming week’s 300th episode (how???), here are some of the more memorable, but definitely insane, cases we’ve seen over the years.

When this guy had a tree growing in his lung

Like, a literal tree, rooted in lung tissue and growing strong. Just look at his face: "I'm sorry, I have what in my lung???"

When a spider crawled out of this guy's warts

Because he had an extreme form of HPV that had gone untreated for who knows how long, and when Bailey removed a section of the tree bark-like warts in surgery, out came a spider and scared the shit out of us all.

When a man had to donate his poop to his wife

Because she was a hypochondriac and destroyed all of her healthy gut bacteria, and someone needed to reintroduce it. But he wouldn't give her his poop until she admitted that she was wrong. 

When a couple of guys built a homemade bazooka and one accidentally shot a bomb into his torso

And Meredith’s dumb, heartbroken ass stuck her hand inside to hold it steady after Christina Ricci's dumbass took off running, and then Dylan the bomb squad guy blew TF up, breaking hearts everywhere.

When this guy was internally decapitated

He arrived DOA, then came back to life as he was being unloaded from the ambulance. If that wasn’t crazy enough, then he woke up during surgery, and Cristina had to keep him from moving. 

When Demi Lovato tried to claw her eyes out

A tiny hole in her inner ear had her hearing every little rattle, hiss and pump in her body, and it almost drove her as crazy as her parents thought she was.

When a man chainsawed his own foot off in the ER

Because his pains were phantom and the surgical team refused to amputate a perfectly good foot, so he brought his lil chainsaw to the ER and sliced it right off himself. At least he made his transport for surgery easy?

When a woman’s blood poisoned the surgical team

Because her herbal supplements reacted with her chemotherapy, and so the team had to go in on shifts of 20 seconds after their oxygen ran out to finish the surgery. 20. Seconds. For surgery. By the time you say, “Bohkee, 10-blade,” your time is up.

When Bailey gave all her patients MRSA

After a supply switch-up at the hospital in which the rubber gloves were replaced, Bailey’s post-op patients started dying of staph infections. It turns out that she was a carrier and she’d been spreading the disease through microscopic tears in the new gloves.

When a fish swam up a man’s penis

Because he peed in the Amazon, which attracted the fish, leading to swollen testicles and a whole lot of WTF.  

When a woman found out she had two babies in two uteruses

A woman came in with pregnancy problems because one baby was significantly smaller than the other, only to discover that one baby had been conceived significantly later than the other due to a second uterus. Worse news? It wasn't her fiancé's. #awkward

When Susan Grey died of the hiccups

Because… the hiccups?

Man, I'm reeling just thinking about these cases. That’s all I’ve got for now, but I'm sure six months down the road we'll have another bunch to add! And if your fave didn’t make the list, tell me about it.

Picture this: You’re on a dinner date with your boyfriend at your favorite restaurant. You just sat down at the table, you’re discussing which fried Italian appetizer you’re going to split and you can’t help but notice that he’s glued to his phone.

You try to shake it off and engage him in an exciting conversation about the game coming up or his Fantasy Football league. Still, despite your best efforts, he seems more preoccupied with what’s happening on his iPhone than he does with you. You can’t help but wonder who he’s talking to, or what he’s talking about.

When dinner’s over, you head back to his place to watch Netflix.  He gets up to go to the bathroom, leaving his phone on the couch. You try to ignore it, but it keeps lighting up with Snapchat and text notifications. Now’s your chance to see who he’s been talking to all night.

Do you check it?

With so many social media networks, it can be tempting to want to know what your SO is up to at all times, who he/she is talking to, and if they’re being loyal to your relationship.

For some girls, “snooping” is just an indirect way of keeping up with his day-to-day. Nicole, a junior at Temple University, feels that there should be no boundaries between two people in love and that checking up is totally fine.

“I don't think it’s unhealthy to want to snoop on your boyfriend,” she says. “I have been in a relationship for three years and I still look in his inbox, not because I don't trust him - because I do. It’s just natural to want to know what they are up to and who they are talking to. I think I would snoop less if I was scared I was going to find something.”

Sarah*, a sophomore at Temple University, learned the hard way that social media can have a negative impact on a relationship. She began noticing that her boyfriend was constantly Snapchatting other people but never responding to her own snaps. She later discovered that he was Snapchatting multiple girls from his past while she was dating him, after asking to see his phone. Still, Sarah believes that privacy in a relationship is important, but if you suspect something is up, it’s fine to ask your partner about it.

“I’m not saying look at each other’s phones on the daily, because privacy is also a key factor in a relationship, but if something pops up that bothers you, it should be okay to ask questions and find out what is going on with your significant other or the person you’re worried about,” she says. Trust is key in any relationship.

The facts

In a study published by The Telegraph in 2013, it was discovered that guys are actually twice as likely to snoop than girls. The study also found that 31 percent of those surveyed said that if they discovered their partner snooping, they would end the relationship entirely.

Is snooping worth jeopardizing the relationship?

Mae, a junior at Temple University, feels that if there’s trust in the relationship, there’s no real reason to snoop.

“In the past, I had my ex-boyfriend’s password for Facebook and I never needed to go on it until he decided to end things with me,” she says. A week later, he goes out with some other girl! I still had his password, and boom, I found out he'd been talking to her for a while. My recent ex always had his phone on hand, and wouldn't let me look at it or anything. One day this girl Snapchatted him in the morning, and he was sleeping and I knew his password too and decided to look."

So, what do you do?

According to relationship expert and college speaker Sheryl Kurland, snooping is not the answer. “Snooping is wrong, wrong, wrong,” she says. “You may not find evidence of what you’re suspicious of, but I guarantee you'll find something that raises a red flag. This creates more problems. Additionally, reading what someone wrote can be interpreted many different ways, all of which are probably inaccurate.”

While snooping may give you reassurance, there are definitely some repercussions, especially if you find something you don’t like.

Related: 5 Ways Social Media is Hurting Your Relationship

Invasion of privacy

When it comes to snooping, it may be best to practice the Golden Rule. Would you be comfortable with your boyfriend/girlfriend going through your phone? If yes, then you should be comfortable asking your SO about anything that’s on your mind, especially if you suspect that something may be going on. If they find out, they may have difficulties trusting you in the future and feel that they have to hide things from you even more, perpetuating the issue.

“It all boils down to trust,” Kurland says. “If you can’t trust your significant other, you shouldn’t be in a relationship with him or her.”

We're creatures of habit

If you snoop once, you may want to continue snooping. Depending on what you find, you may feel like you can always get away with it without him/her realizing. In a way, it might be a bit thrilling. Chances are, if you start, it will be very difficult to stop, especially once you start knowing every little thing going on in their life.

It may represent a larger issue

If you really feel inclined to snoop, there may be something more serious going on with you two than just being on the phone too much. This can mean a number of things, ranging from your own insecurity or to having little faith in the relationship.

*Name has been changed

By now, it’s been made incredibly clear that America has an issue with guns and mass shootings. Yet again, a group of innocent people has been murdered by a man with a gun he should have never been able to own.

Devin Kelley was a 26-year-old man who never should have been able to purchase a gun—either morally or legally. Despite this, he attacked the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church on November 5, armed with a semi-automatic rifle and two pistols, and killed 26 people. 

One of the most salient parts of this mass shooting is the fact that he was a known domestic abuser. Kelley had a history of violence and, regardless of gun control politics, he never should've been given access to guns, let alone semi-automatic weapons. Ever. 

A former member of the Air Force, Kelley was released and given a discharge for "bad conduct" in 2014 because he assaulted his ex-wife and stepson in 2012, reportedly breaking his step son's skull. He  was sentenced a month’s confinement and a demotion in rank and, that same year, he escaped a mental health clinic and tried to smuggle weapons onto the military base in order to “carry out death threats” he had made.

However, as it was later reported, the Air Force never added his domestic violence offense to the National Criminal Information Center database. This massive oversight on their part is believed to be what allowed him to purchase a gun (as people convicted of domestic abuse are prohibited from buying guns following the 1996 Lautenberg Amendment, but there are often loopholes that allow offenders to slip through the cracks).

In the US, over half of all mass shootings involved an abuser killing an intimate partner or family members. Kelley’s mother-in-law attended the church he targeted, and before the shooting, he reportedly sent her threatening messages via text and it's speculated that he was hoping she would be present in the church when he attacked.

Domestic abusers should not have guns in their possession, and Kelley is no exception. He pled guilty to the charges of domestic violence, and that in and of itself should have kept him from owning a gun. However, as Think Progress noted in 2014 there are often still loopholes (on the state and federal level) that allow abusers to access firearms.

According to research from Everytown For Gun Safety, a sensible gun-control non-profit that researches gun violence, women in domestic violence situations are 5 times as likely to be killed if there is a gun involved than if not. Women in the US are 16 times as likely to be killed by a gun than women in other developed countries; when it comes to gun violence against women, the USA is the most dangerous place for a woman to live in the developed world.

Massshootingtracker.org currently shows that 378 mass shootings have occurred in the US in 2017, defining a mass shooting as one in which four or more people were shot. This means that there have been more mass shootings in the past 10 months and a few days than there have been days. That’s more than one mass shooting per day.

Considering 54 percent of all mass shootings reportedly involve domestic abusers, imagine the impact we'd see on that deeply unsettling number if there was a more thoughtful, lasting commitment to keeping these dangerous weapons away from dangerous, abusive people. 

By now, it’s unacceptable to call tragedies like this unavoidable, because they’re not unavoidable. They are absolutely avoidable and Americans can no longer afford to be complicit in these crimes by doing nothing. Refusing to do anything means that nothing will change, and people will continue dying.

Particularly following the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, it's time for Americans to think critically about the overlap of histories of domestic violence and mass shootings and to consider solutions that actively address the intersections of those problems. Thorough background checks need to occur, domestic violence charges need to keep guns out of the hands of abusers and the national databases need to be updated regularly and implemented effectively. Lives clearly depend on that.

This article has been syndicated from Figuring out My Ever After, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.

If you’ve made it to adulthood, chances are you’ve had to take a Myer’s Brigg Personality Test. My personality type is INFJ meaning I’m an introvert, intuitive, feeling and judging. With that being said as an introvert and with a touch of social anxiety it can be hard to really push myself to get out there and engage with others. If it isn’t that then a busy schedule inhibits any type of socializing I would like to do. So how do I keep my friends while trying to #adult?

This past Sunday I headed up to upstate New York with a few friends to pick some apples, drink some wine and cider and enjoy the outdoors. While autumn may have arrived, so did a heat wave and it was BEYOND scorching hot outside. That didn’t stop us from enjoying the orchard though.

So what does this have to do with keeping friends?

Schedule Out Dates

As you get older, responsibilities tend to pile up and one day leads into the next. It’s easy for months to go by without seeing anyone aside from your coworkers, partner and family members. I know that once I graduated from school I kind of fell off of the wagon and didn’t hang out with anyone. I was getting invited to things, I just wasn’t managing my time well enough to really make it out to events. By scheduling it the way I schedule my other obligations and appointments it felt like more of an official comittment than something I can brush to the side. Put it in your Google calendar. Whatever it is that keeps you accountable, use it.

Keep Up to (Skype) Date

So let’s say you can’t see each other weekly, that doesn’t mean that you can’t “see”  each other. Skyping totally counts as hanging out with each other in my humble opinion. Let’s be real we have to multi-task sometimes and do the laundry, meal prep for the week and get our girl talk in. I wouldn’t rely heavily on this but Skype, FaceTime and Snapchat have helped me feel close to those I haven’t seen in awhile.

Quality over Quantity

Let’s face it, it isn’t high school or college where you’re a dorm or short bike ride away. Chances are you and your friend group have moved on to different cities, states or even countries. So instead of trying to squeeze in many short lunches or dinners. Try to make it a block of time that really allows you to take a breath and reconnect. Mark off a whole day or afternoon. There’s only so much you can say over brunch, but a couch session? Man, that is priceless.

Read the full post here. 

In a country plagued with hatred and discrimination, Tuesday’s elections served as a beacon of hope. Danica Roem, who will be the first openly transgender person seated in a U.S. state legislature, beat Robert G. Marshall (a seasoned politician who has called himself Virginia’s “chief homophobe” ) for a seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates by almost nine percentage points.

The U.S. still has a long way to go when it comes to fostering a culture of love and inclusion in which transgender people feel safe and comfortable — but government representation is the first step in the right direction. As Roem said when her margin of victory became clear: “Discrimination is a disqualifier.”How cool would it be to know that we live in a country where politicians know that if they're hateful or discriminatory, nobody will vote for them? We’re getting there, guys. We’re getting there.

A little bit about Roem? She's a career journalist who worked for years as a reporter for the Gainesville Times and is an accomplished lead vocalist for Cab Ride Home, a thrash metal band.  

Then there's this iconic moment: After her victory on Tuesday, when she was asked about Marshall, she responded, “I don’t attack my constituents. Bob is my constituent now.” (Shade.) 

She also stated, “We can’t get lost in discrimination. We can’t get lost in B.S. We can’t get lost tearing each other down...When you champion inclusion, when you champion equality, and you focus on the issues that unite us, like building up our infrastructure, taking care of our roads, making sure our teacher pay isn’t the lowest in Northern Virginia ... that’s the sort of stuff, those are the issues that you’ve got to focus on as a delegate, that you’ve got to focus on as a candidate. Because that’s what impacts everyone’s life, every single day.”

Roem also acknowledged what her win means for discrimination in the United States. She dedicated it to “every person who’s ever been singled out, who’s ever been stigmatized, who’s ever been the misfit, who’s ever been the kid in the corner, who’s ever needed someone to stand up for them when they didn’t have a voice of their own. This one is for you.”

Robert G. Marshall's name may be familiar to you for a number of reasons. He’s served on Virginia’s House of Delegates for thirteen terms, and in that time helped to author a “bathroom bill”, which would “restrict access to multi-user restrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-segregated facilities on the basis of a definition of sex or gender consistent with sex assigned at birth,” according to National Conference of State Legislatures. Though, notably Marshall’s bathroom bill died in committee.

He also advocated for banning gay people from the Virginia National Guard (because “it’s a distraction...and I’m worried about this guy who’s got eyes on me”). Finally, he was the primary sponsor of Virginia’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It seems to be the textbook example of poetic justice that Marshall would eventually lose to Virginia’s first transgender lawmaker.

Regardless of your political ideology, Roem’s election is a win for all of us. Transphobia is still a major problem in our country, as is evidenced by Marshall’s campaign strategies against Roem. Throughout the entire race, Marshall refused to debate Roem, appear at the same campaign forums as her and refer to her by her desired pronouns. Right before election day, the Virginia Republican Party paid for campaign fliers reading, “Danica Roem, born male, has made a campaign issue out of transitioning to female.”

Obviously it’s disturbing that anyone would treat his opponent with that little respect, but what’s even more disturbing is that Marshall’s treatment of Roem seems to be largely representative of how much of our country mistreats transgender people. Discrimination against transgender people is heartbreakingly common and people who have been discriminated against have a much higher rate of suicide.

Ultimately, the United States is still an unsafe and scary place for transgender people. That’s why Roem’s win is so important—it’s not just a win for Roem per se, but it looks at all of the trans community and says "we see you, and no matter what our political ideology is, we respect you and believe you should be represented in our government.”

On Monday night, in a Facebook post, actress Kristina Cohen shared her story of how Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick allegedly raped her. Despite Cohen’s harrowing, and quite frankly horrifying, account, Westwick, in his own social media post Tuesday morning, claimed that he was innocent. “I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape,” he wrote.

On Tuesday afternoon, Cohen filed a police report with the LAPD. A copy of the report that was shared with The Hollywood Reporter said the LAPD is looking into Cohen’s claims that the “suspect forced victim to have sexual intercourse inside his residence…three years ago.”

Cohen claims that she went to Westwick's home three years ago with a producer she was dating at the time. After Westwick allegedly suggested "We should all fuck," Cohen says she went to a guest room to lie down, and when she awoke, Westwick was on top of her. "I fought him off as hard as I could but he grabbed my face in his hands, shaking me, telling me he wanted to fuck me," Cohen wrote on Facebook. "I was paralyzed, terrified. I couldn’t speak, I could no longer move. He held me down and raped me."

While Westwick has not been officially charged by the police, the fact that they are opening an investigation is a huge step. So many people never report their rapes or sexual assaults to the police, for fear that the authorities will do nothing. It is good to see that the LAPD is taking Cohen’s allegations seriously. 

If you aren’t up on your Kardashian-Jenner news, you might have missed that Kylie Jenner is reportedly pregnant. JK, who could've missed that? Anyway, between people looking for her baby bump and trying to decode every single post on her social media accounts, fans have been driving themselves crazy wondering if Kylie has subtly confirmed her pregnancy.

Now people are questioning whether Kylie is even pregnant at all. The starlet recently shared a snap of her road trip essentials. Among the assorted snacks was an item that sparked a lot discussion: a box of tampons.

Now, if Kylie is in fact pregnant, she wouldn't need to buy tampons. So why is she buying them? Maybe one of her fellow road-trippers needed them? That theory holds up, except for the fact that the only other person seen in the store with Kylie was her sister Khloé Kardashian, who is also reportedly pregnant! Maybe they were buying them for a third unseen friend or sister? Or maybe they have some other use for tampons? Or what if Kylie just wants to throw us off?

Who knows? All I can say is a girl can get whiplash trying to keep up with all of these KarJenner pregnancy rumors. We’ll just have to wait and see what kind of clue the next social media post gives us.  

Now that the weather is getting colder and your trendy denim jackets just can’t withstand the challenge, your closet needs a change that will keep you warm for more than just one season. Picking an investment coat can be super scary; it requires a bit more money than needed for a casual jacket, it has to be able to keep you warm and dry according to your local climate, and it needs to match your style! Luckily, once you know what exactly you’re looking for, finding the perfect coat for you is easy and fun.

Know your climate

If you live in a place that experiences heavy snow and rain in the winter months, finding a coat that is waterproof is essential. And they don’t have to be super bulky or extra insulated! Nordstrom, Everlane, and L.L. Bean all carry high-quality and stylish waterproof coats, but you can even find something durable enough at H&M for half the price! It's all about knowing the kinds of weather this coat needs to deflect. Windier climate? Go for something knee-length. Expecting freezing snow? Go for something insulated or lined with your favorite material.

Know your style

Just because you’re picking a coat that is function-first, fashion-second, you don’t have to give up on getting yourself something trendy that fits your style! Color, pattern, silhouette, features, and more are all under your control so you can ensure that you will fall in love with this coat every year you take it out of storage. First, take a look at your current wardrobe; you don't want to invest in something that won't fit your look or something that will fall out of fashion. Are you missing a classic print, something like plaid that never goes out of style? Are you an all-black, all-the-time kind of girl? Are you falling for fall plums and olives this season? Do you want to experiment with an eye-catching pattern? Do you want extra pockets? A hood? Detachable lining? You’ll have this coat for a while, so have fun picking it out and don’t sacrifice style for functionality!

Know your price point

This is a tough one, because not everyone has $100-300 lying around for a brand new coat. But we’re talking about an item of clothing that will keep you safe and last you a lifetime. If you're trying to save money this season, browse the clearance and sales sections of your favorite retailers – or shop during the summer when prices drop! If you're ready to invest, read some reviews and go for it! Trust me — I’m the most frugal person I know and I rarely spend over $30 on any single article of clothing, but I honestly look forward to taking out the winter coat I splurged on back in 2015 every year. It seemed like a lot of money at the time, but I haven’t had to worry about safely commuting in the winter for three years! Remember – most often (but not always!) you get what you pay for. There is an appropriate winter coat for you at every price point, but don’t be afraid to spend the extra dollar.

Know your retailer

This is my biggest piece of advice: shop local. Sometimes the best way to know if you’re getting a coat that will meet your needs is by shopping for coats made in your own city. My winter coat is the Moto Fishtail Parka from Brooklyn Industries (no longer in production.) I remember falling in love with the color, the fit, the silhouette, and the features, but feeling nervous about its level of protection. When I brought this up to my sales representative, she assured me that all BI clothing is made in Brooklyn and meant to hold their own against New York City's unpredictable winters. I was sold, and she was right. Look up retailers in your city and have a visit! You’ll know that the product you’re buying is supporting a local business and will give you the exact levels of protection you’re looking for. Stay warm!

Fall semester skincare can feel like such a struggle, especially with the back-to-school grind and long days spent in the cold weather. Practices like taking care of your skin typically fall on the back burner, but there’s no reason to have to cut radiant skin from your beauty routine!

Clarisonic is here to save the day and help you achieve your most radiant complexion for fall-ready skin instantly. With effective regular cleansing of the skin, your expensive skincare products can absorb better and work that much harder in those cold weather months.  In addition, with a clean canvas your makeup stays on longer and looks smoother. Enter below for the chance to win these amazing gifts––because yes, all Clarisonic devices can now blend your makeup AND take it off too!

Cleanse:

• Mia FIT– a compact, on-the-go device that’s essential for removing impurities
• Mia 2– compatible with all skin types, this device is a great gift to share with friends and family
• Radiance, Acne and Deep Pore Brush Heads– customize your cleanse with these three versatile brush heads
• Gentle Radiance Foaming Milk Cleanser– a holy grail product for acne-prone skin

Blend:

• Sonic Foundation Brush– get an airbrushed glow with this brush perfect for liquid or cream foundation, contour, blush and highlighter

Happy cleansing and blending! Enter to win the giveaway here!

Clarisonic Blend + Cleanse Giveaway

A former Boston news anchor has accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting her son in 2016 in Nantucket, Entertainment Weekly reports. Former WCVB anchor Heather Unruh said that Spacey put his hands down her then 18-year-old son's pants at a restaurant on the Massachusetts island. 

"I want to see Kevin Spacey go to jail," Unruh said in a press conference on Wednesday. "I want to see Kevin Spacey have the hand of justice come down on him, not just for my son but for the many others who have yet to speak their truth."

In a tweet from nearly a month ago, Unruh hinted at her connection to Spacey, writing, "I was a Kevin Spacey fan until he assaulted a loved one. [It's] time the dominoes fell."

The post preceded actor Anthony Rapp coming forward on Oct. 29 with the first sexual abuse allegation made against Spacey. Since then, at least 13 men have publicly shared their own inappropriate experiences with the (possibly former) House of Cards star. 

According to The Boston Globe, Unruh's son's encounter with Spacey began with the actor plying him with alcohol. An unknown woman reportedly saw the teenager after Spacey touched him and when Spacey was using the bathroom, she told Unruh's son to "run away." The boy fled to his grandmother's house nearby.

"I don't know how much she saw," Unruh said of the intervening woman. "I don't know who she is. She saw Kevin Spacey put his hand in my son's pants. What I do know was that she saw my son was very shaken and I would guess that she probably knew he was underage. He didn't look 21, and I know that she...was disturbed enough by what she had seen to approach this young man who's almost six feet tall and ask if he's okay."

Appearing alongside her lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, who was fictionalized in the film Spotlight for his work with victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, Unruh also claimed that other victims of Spacey have contacted her. "They feel a connection to me and my family because I came forward and spoke and a lot of them feel like they haven't been able to speak," she said. "Some of them want to but there are some who have been suffering for decades and haven't told anybody until they told me...I think what this did was open up a wound and a lot of people are feeling it."

Unruh also revealed that she believes Spacey has "at least" one other victim from Nantucket. Her son reportedly filed a report with Nantucket police, who cannot confirm or deny the report's existence. 

Grey's Anatomy is celebrating its 300th episode this week, and while there have been hints that homages to the show's original cast will be included, there's now the slightest chance that one of our OG faves could return beyond this milestone episode. Here's a clue: she's Meredith's person. Although the chances seemed slim before, we may see a return of Sandra Oh's Cristina Yang someday.

We have Kevin McKidd, aka Cristina's ex Owen Hunt, to thank for this insight into the beloved character's possible appearance. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, McKidd said of their characters' romance, "They were such a complex couple and really loved each other and were passionate. They really struggled through a lot."

If McKidd shipping this brilliant couple wasn't cute enough, he revealed that in his frequent talks with Oh, she comes across as a little envious of Owen's new love interests. "When my character got married to Amelia, she got kind of jealous and was like, 'No, that's not right!'" McKidd said.

The star spilled that Oh's response to possibly returning is always "maybe, maybe.""I think [her returning] would be so much," he said. "It would open up so much again in the story and mix everything up. Owen, wherever he is in his life, would have incredible stories. She's just such an amazing actor. I still miss her to this day."

Whether or not Oh finds herself in scrubs again, McKidd obviously loves and support her like a great costar should. Fingers crossed that we see Cristina again in a full story arc, though. 

A high school science teacher in Georgia is now on paid administrative leave after he was apparently filmed in class betting that one of his students would be shot in the head, The New York Times says. Physics teacher Paul Hagan was caught in a 26-second video clip telling a student at Rockdale Career Academy, "Don't smile at me, man, okay? That's how people like you get shot."

Hagan, who is white, said to the black student, "I got a bet. I bet by the time you're 21, someone's going to put a bullet right through your head, okay? And it might be me, the one that does it." 

The male student's mother, April Carr, discovered the video when her daughter brought it to her attention late last week. "The one thing that I never wanted for [my son] was to feel any type of racism where he felt like he was being targeted simply because he's an African-American male," Carr said to the Times.

Carr revealed that the incident emerged out of her son and his friends laughing during Hagan's lesson. Although he spoke out of great frustration, Carr confirmed that Hagan did apologize to her son. "I believe that he did like his teacher, and he believed that his teacher liked him," she said.

Carr has filed a report with the Rockdale County Sheriff's Department, and the Rockdale County school district is analyzing the situation after placing Hagan on paid administrative leave. Carr understandably isn't on board with Hagan only being put on leave, writing on Facebook, "I am outraged...I will not stop until he is removed from teaching and held accountable."

"I hate that my son had to be the example," she said to the Times.. "But this is about awareness and fairness. We don't send our kids to school to be threatened. We send them to be educated and protected." 

Have you ever wondered which Grey's Anatomy doctor is just like you? Well prepare yourself, because you’re about to find out.

Aries: Callie Torres

Like Callie, you’re an independent go-getter. A courageous woman who isn’t afraid to get what she wants. But you have a bad tendency to be moody, impatient and short-tempered.

Taurus: April Kepner

You’re traditional, reliable and super ambitious, but can be stubborn at times. Sudden changes, complications and insecurity of any kind are not your friend. Like April, you love working with your hands and romance.

Gemini: Derek Shepherd

You got Derek Shepherd! Like McDreamy, you’re adaptable, curious and affectionate. Gemini’s dual personality can go from being warm and fun one second to cold and detached the next. 

Cancer: Miranda Bailey

Cancers, like Dr. Bailey, are highly empathetic, persuasive and manipulative. But despite what others think of you, you are a loyal and emotional person who is loved by all those around you.

Leo: Izzie Stevens

As a Leo, you are extremely hard to resist. You have a big heart that makes you passionate about what do you. You hate being ignored and facing a difficult reality.

Virgo: Addison Montgomery

Virgos are always paying attention to the smallest details—a total Addison trait. You are hardworking and practical. Some of your likes include books, nature and cleanliness.

Libra: Meredith Grey

You’re a peacekeeper. But also know how to hold a grudge. When faced with an issue, you know to look at it from all different angles. Like Meredith, you hate being alone but know how to deal with it.  

Scorpio: Jackson Avery

Like Avery, you are naturally intelligent and a trustworthy person, but can be stubborn like a Scorpio. You are determined, decisive and a great leader.

Sagittarius: Mark Sloan

You’re big-hearted. A curious, energetic and optimistic person. An extroverted adventurer who doesn’t fear change. You speak the truth and mean what you say.

Capricorn: Cristina Yang

As an Capricorn, you possess independence, and like Christina Yang, you value professionalism and self-control, and have the potential to be a great leader. However, people look at you as a know-it-all, and you tend to be a bit unforgiving.

Aquarius: Alex Karev

Karev is your perfect match! You’re both eccentric and energetic, and march to the beat of your own drum. You do, however, have a weakness of being temperamental and sometimes aloof.  

Pisces: George O’Malley

Kind, selfless and loving. You sacrifice and help others without hoping to get anything in return. You truly are a great friend.

Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

A Combination of Tylenol & Advil Works Just as Well as Opioids in Pain Relief​

According to a randomized trial, a combination of Tylenol and Advil worked just as well as opioids while serving as pain relief in the emergency room. 416 men and women in the E.R. with "moderate to severe" pain in arms or legs due to sprains, strains or fractures were either given oral doses of Tylenol with Advil or the opioids oxycodone, hydrocodone or codeine. The difference between people's pain levels after they took the varied medication wasn't very notable, which means there could be a tiny but helpful solution to the nationwide opioid problem.

Barack Obama Returns to Chicago for Jury Duty

He's really just like us. Former President Barack Obama reported for jury duty in Chicago's Cook County on Wednesday, with members of the public appearing at the courthouse in hopes of snapping a quick photo of Obama. Obviously, his arrival caused quite the buzz on what was probably a normal day otherwise. Obama was ultimately sent home without being called to a case, but his appearance alone emphasizes that any citizen should pay his or her dues and participate in the jury process when summoned.

You Can Make the Simplest Christmas Gift Ever With This Oreo Milkshake Set

If you struggle with finding gifts for people, Walmart might have your go-to Christmas present for this year. Instagram user Candyhunting found the Oreo Milkshake Gift Set at Walmart recently and shared a picture of the set's ice cream scooper, straws and ceramic cups—all covered with the Oreo logo, of course. Although it does come with a whopping four Oreo cookies, I think you could steal the set's concept as inspiration and make a homemade milkshake gift for the cookie lovers in your life.

What to look out for...

Nov. 9 is known as World Freedom Day, which commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall on this date in 1989. Created in 2001 by President George W. Bush, the day is meant to honor those separated by the fall's construction and existence and the power of resolutions. 

If there's one thing we love most about college, it's being surrounded by fearless females on a daily basis. Club founders, campus leaders, outspoken classmates, STEMinists and more are creating their legacy all around us, inciting a total female revolution. College women just like you are doing good, beautiful things around the world, and Alba Botanica® wants to give a little bit of that love back. 

In honor of the #DoGoodDoBeautiful campaign centered around celebrating and supporting extraordinary young women, Alba Botanica® is giving two lucky winners a $250 prize pack filled with their Earth-friendly products. Yes, please!

Each prize pack includes over 30 products, but here are just a few highlights: 

• Acnedote™ Face and Body Scrub
• Very Emollient™ Body Lotion Coconut Rescue
• Hawaiian Facial Scrub Pineapple Enzyme
• Fast Fix™ for Puffy Eyes
• Hawaiian Detox Renewing Lotion
• Body in the Buff Scrub Grapefruit and Walnut Shell
• plus, so much more!

Enter here for your chance to win!

Win a Semester's Worth of Beauty Products from Alba Botanica®!

We’ve all heard it, six of the most heartbreaking words in the world: “The ice cream machine is broken.”

It seems like every McDonalds is always suffering from a broken ice cream machine, tragically separating you from your next McFlurry. Does a McDonalds with a working ice cream machine actually exist? And if it does, how on earth are you supposed to find it when there’s a McDonalds on every street corner?

Thankfully, Raina McLeod has been plagued by these same questions, and came up with a solution that you can download onto your phone. Appropriately named Ice Check, the app picks up your location and points you toward the nearest McDonalds. If the icon is pink, head there immediately, because that means the ice cream machine is up and running and there is a McFlurry in your future. If the icon is gray the ice cream machine is not working and you should avoid that location all together because you don’t need that negativity in your life.

Finally, if you show up to a McDonalds and they say the machine is broken you can click the location in the app and switch the status to off, therefore keeping others from making the same tragic mistake.

Creator Raina McLeod has suffered the same fate as many of us, leading her to create the app.

“I came up with the idea for the app around a year ago, after a late night Oreo McFlurry craving went unfulfilled due to the ice cream machine being down,” McLeod told BuzzFeed.

And thank god she felt that way. You can download Ice Check from the app store now. Go forth and live a McFlurry-filled life. 

Kassandra Braun, a 20-year-old college student, reportedly died on Tuesday after suffering severe injuries from a fall she took while visiting Myanmar during her study abroad trip.

Braun, a junior at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, (and a native of Fishers, Indiana) was partaking in the college study abroad program called Semester at Sea, a program that gives students the chance to travel around the world for a semester, receiving college credits while taking classes aboard a ship and experiencing new places and cultures. She was visiting the ancient religious city of Bagan on independent travel. 

The Semester at Sea program released a statement on November 7 addressing Braun’s death: “We are deeply saddened to share the new of the loss of a member of our shipboard community,” the statement reads. “This afternoon (November 7, 2017) at approximately 1600 local time in Myanmar, Kassandra (Kassie) Braun, a student from St. Edward’s University, fell while on independent travel in Bagan. She was severely injured and passed away in the ambulance on the way to Mandalay General Hospital.”

Braun’s family also released a statement via the Semester at Sea program: “The family is absolutely devastated by the tragic death of their daughter and sister, Kassandra “Kassie” Braun. They are still waiting for further details about what happened but would like everyone to know that Kassie was having the time of her life on Semester at Sea and was living her dream. "

"She was so full of life and love, gave so much to so many,” her parents, Chalene and Dave Braun wrote. “She lived life the Holy Cross way hoping to someday give back as was given to her. Kassie’s family greatly appreciates the outpouring of love and support they have received and requests privacy as they mourn their loss and make arrangements for Kassie’s repatriation.”

St. Edward’s University published a statement via its campus ministry Facebook page detailing Braun’s involvement in the St. Edward’s community and offering prayers for Braun’s family. "Kassie and her family, especially her brother Kavan, a St. Edward's freshmen, will be remembered in prayer at a memorial Mass in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel on Wednesday, November 8 at 5:15 pm. Members of the St. Edward's community are welcome to attend and to join together to pray and support one another."

After actress Kristina Cohen claimed that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick raped her, another woman has come forward with assault allegations. Former actress Aurélie Wynn, who formerly went by the stage name Aurelie Marie Cao, shared her story on Facebook Wednesday, saying Westwick assaulted her in July 2014.

Wynn claims Westwick got her an Uber to come to his home when he was living with a Glee cast member, who was dating one of her friends. They allegedly all hung out until sunrise and decided to go inside to sleep for a few hours. At this point, Wynn's story begins to sound very similar to Cohen's. "And like Kristina, I said no and he pushed me face down and was powerless under his weight," Wynn wrote. "I was wearing a one piece bathing suit that he ripped, I was in complete shock, I am also very tiny."

Wynn says she tried to tell her boyfriend at the time, Mark Salling, also an actor on Glee. "I told the guy I was seeing that I got raped, Mark Salling, and when he found out by who he pretended not to know him, then blamed me for it and broke it off with me. My other friends and people around me told me it was best not to say anything, to not be 'that girl' and that no one would believe me and think I was just out trying to get my 10 seconds of fame." Wynn stayed silent until she saw Cohen's story about Westwick.

Wynn ended her post by thanking Cohen and saying she believes her story. "I am so incredibly thankful all of this is finally coming to light and that there is justice in the world. I believe you Kristina Cohen and thank you for speaking up so eloquently and really encompassing what young female actresses have to go through at the hands of men like Ed Westwick. Without you I would not have had the strength to speak up publicly about my ordeal. #metoo."

Westwick responded to Cohen's allegations Tuesday via Instagram and Twitter with a note that read, "I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape." The actor has yet to comment on Wynn's allegations. 

UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, Ed Westwick has responded to Aurélie Wynn's allegations. In a statement on Twitter, he wrote, "It is disheartening and sad to me that as a result of two unverified and provably untrue social media claims, there are some in this environment who could ever conclude I have had anything to do with such vile and horrific conduct. I have absolutely not, and I am cooperating with the authorities so that they can clear my name as soon as possible."

Let’s be real for a moment; education is expensive af. When you’re still struggling to pay off your loans from undergrad, the last thing that you want to think about is how to pay for your advanced degree. Of course, scholarships, grants and other incentives exist to make your degree more affordable, but what if it wasn’t just affordable? What if you were able to get it for next to nothing? Here are five ways you can go back to school with little to no (monetary) costs to you.

1. Combine scholarships and grants

It might be difficult to find one scholarship or grant that is going to cover the entirety of your tuition and other fees, but it’s not unfeasible that you could earn multiple aid offers that could combine to cover your costs!

Elizabeth Bacharach, a graduate of Northwestern University, utilized multiple financial aid sources to cover her costs. “My journalism program offered me, and the majority of my class, financial aid, as well as other resources and outlets to apply for different scholarships to cover my costs.”

Talia Soto, a graduate student, is in a program that offers donor-based scholarships after her first year. “They’re not usually full, but some of them are as big as $10,000, which would cover a good chunk of my tuition,” she says. “There are work study and teaching assistant positions to take while in school, though those are usually more to help your cost of living.”

If you take the time to do your research, you could find any number of aid options that can combine to cover your furthering education. Checking your potential school/program’s aid options, searching sites like scholarships.com and searching for fellowships are all great places to start.

Related: 7 Steps to a Stellar Grad School Application

2. See if your company has a tuition assistance or incentive program

Not all employers will offer an option like this, but many out there will pay towards, if not all, your tuition if it is relevant to your position. Sometimes you get hired in and are under-qualified, or you’re promoted from within and need further certifications, and the company will credit you towards certain institutions for your education. This is often for online institutions, but a degree is a degree. Talk to your manager and see if there are options like this available to you!

3. Work for the college or university

Most universities offer a number of jobs that could qualify you to take classes for free if you’re full-time. Don’t plan on this being an easy ride, though! There are generally stipulations you must meet before you’re eligible to get your education for free, and you’ll have to make sure you’re taking care of all of the responsibilities your position requires in addition to your educational duties!

One option is becoming a residence director. Most RDs get housing and meal plans included with their contract, but you’ve usually got a whole building, at least, of RAs and students under your watch, not to mention administrative duties and weekly periods where you’re on watch!

Em, an RD in upstate New York, says her institution allows her to take six credits a semester for free. “I still had to apply to my program, and wasn’t able to start taking classes until I’d been there for six months, and I’ll have to continue working there for a certain amount of time after my degree has been completed.” She also suggests becoming a graduate assistant as an option, but for that position at her school you have to be registered and paying for at least one course, first.

Don’t burn yourself out, though. “Working full time and doing grad classes at night can be a lot of stress, so make sure you’re finding ways to unwind and take care of yourself, so you can accomplish it and do it well,” Em warns. Free school isn’t worth much if you’re not passing!

Check out your school or program’s site, or contact a full-time employee there to see what options and benefits are available to you as a potential full-time employee, or to see if they offer work-study for graduate students.

4. Join the military

This is one of the most serious decisions you could make, and it should not be done without taking time to discuss it with recruiters and experienced military personnel, and without giving yourself a chance to think it over. Joining the military is not a snap decision; you can’t just turn around and say, “You know what? Maybe this isn’t for me, after all.” Once you’re in, you’re in until your contract is up, barring serious consequences to your health or a breach of contract on your end, which is not something you want to do.

The military offers a number of different options for funding your education. Some partially cover your costs; some cover most, if not all of them. Each branch has its own requirements for service requirements and eligibility for the tuition assistance program (which you can begin get an idea about here), but each branch has the ability to cover up to all of your tuition costs. There are also two different GI Bills that can help you go back to school: the Post 9/11 and the Montgomery GI Bills.

The educational benefits of joining the military are amazing, but you shouldn’t do it just for a free degree. If you do, you run the risk of disrespecting those who joined to make a difference and of getting yourself into something you were completely unprepared for.

5. Find a fully funded program

This may not be possible depending on your field of study, but it’s definitely worth the research to see what kinds of programs you may be able to get into fully-funded, and how you can apply to them. Medical or law degrees are not likely to offer you free options (unless someone else is paying for them), but many Ph.D. programs, as well as some MA or MFA programs, might pay you to join them!

Related:What to Do If You Change Your Mind About Grad School

If you decide you’re going to apply to graduate programs, many of them may seem unattainable after the thousands upon thousands of dollars you spent on your bachelor’s degree. They don’t have to be, though. If you play your cards right, do your research and manage your finances, you could get that advanced degree without sending yourself spiraling into (further) debt.