Throughout the years, environmentally friendly and eco-conscious trends have made their way into the mainstream. However, a new trend has arrived: bird-proofing trees.

Bristol residents have caused an uproar by bird-proofing their trees to prevent birds from pooping on their expensive cars. According to Independent.co.uk, the wealthy residents have attached anti-bird spikes to their trees. The trees are located in a front garden of privately owned flats, in the Clifton area in which the local Green Party counselor described as “literally unhabitable to birds.”

It is understandable that one may not want bird poop on their fancy car, however, bird poop does have some ranging benefits. According to The Cut, it was discovered that some bird poop contains enzymes that are said to break down dead skin cells, and it also contains guanine, which supposedly shines the skin as well.

The bird-proofers are large spikes embedded into the branches to prevent birds from landing and nesting.

“We have reached a new low. Appalling!" Donna Rainey, a conservationist from Ireland, told the Telegraph. Despite all of the controversy, residents are still not budging and will go to all lengths to protect their Mercedes & BMW’s.

“There is a big problem with bird droppings around here. They can really make a mess of cars, and for some reason, the birds do seem to congregate around this area.” said an anonymous resident. “We did try other methods to scare off the birds. I think we had a wooden bird of prey in the branches, but that didn't seem to do anything.”

A baby was born last month from the oldest frozen embryo — which was frozen for 24 years.

This year has been an exceptional year for scientific innovations and women’s health, and Emma Wren Gibson’s birth is nothing less than revolutionary. According to CNN, Tina Gibson was able to give birth to her healthy daughter on Nov. 25. And honestly, it should be a national holiday now, because Emma's birth came from the oldest frozen human embryo to date.

Prior to her birth, Emma was a donated embryo that was frozen for 24 years. Emma was initially conceived and fertilized back in 1992 and was frozen instead of being implanted immediately.

The Daily Mail explains that on the day of the embryo transfer, Tina finally found out how long the embryo was frozen.

The only thing more noteworthy than Emma’s birth is that Tina is only a year older than the embryo that was implanted in her. “Do you realize that I’m 25 years old? If the baby was born when it was supposed to be born, we could have been best friends,” Tina told  WBIR, a NBC News Affiliate.

While Tina and husband Ben weren’t always set on “embryo adoption,” it’s clear that Tina and Ben are ecstatic to see their family grow.  

Beyond Emma’s miraculous birth, her story is a breakthrough in IVF and related treatments, and it gives prospective mothers new found hope that they can also conceive. After all, fertility is a privilege that some of us don’t have, and becoming an egg donor is an outstanding opportunity to help other families like Tina and Ben.

On Tuesday, Variety announced that Nick Cannon has plans to direct a movie called She Ball, an indie film about women's street basketball that will star multiple IRL female athletes from the WNBA, Ball Up, and the Basketball Beauties League — which is all well and good, except for the fact that Chris Brown has also reportedly been cast in the movie.

As a quick refresher, Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to domestic assault charges filed by his then-girlfriend Rihanna. As recently as this year, another one of Brown's ex-girlfriends, Karrueche Tran, was granted a five year restraining order against him to protect her safety after she felt threatened by Brown's response to their breakup.

Considering this history, people are (understandably) wondering what made Cannon think it was remotely a good idea to cast Brown in a movie about female empowerment and women being successful in a male-dominated sport.

Others are confused as to how you create a movie about women's basketball with exactly zero female directors:

TBH, in the era of #MeToo, I'm not really sure how they didn't see the backlash coming in the first place, but that's a heated discussion for a different time.

For the first time since the 1960s, American life expectancy has dropped for 2 consecutive years. People in the United States should now expect to live about 78.6 years, as opposed to last year’s 78.7 years. 

The last time we experienced life expectancy dips for two years in a row was during the rise of tobacco combined with a bout of the flu throughout the nation. 

Robert Anderson, the chief of mortality statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics, told The Guardian:  “We do occasionally see a one-year dip, even that doesn’t happen that often, but two years in a row is quite striking, and the key driver of that is the increase in drug overdose mortality.” 

Anderson went on to say that it doesn’t look like it will get any better in upcoming years.

He suspects that the increase in opioid deaths and the fact that cardiovascular mortality has stopped improving will hurt life expectancy for years to come. 

According to The New York Times, drug overdoses killed over 64,000 people in 2016. President Trump even declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in late October. 

(Photo Credit: Cover)

With Christmas approaching in a matter of days, it's only appropriate that the roles for the NBC Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert were announced for its 2018 airing. Among those cast members is John Legend, who will be playing Jesus himself. 

After an exciting announcement on Twitter from the "All of Me" singer, he received a very pressing question from his wife, Chrissy Teigen. 

I mean, it is a logical question. How will he fit in the manger? 

Thankfully, John had a reply for his wife's concern and it may require a John look-alike in baby form.

If you're wondering where they're going to find a baby that looks like John Legend, all they need to do is look through the replies to their tweets. There are a few babies that may make the cut. For example: 

But, if they want to cut the search short, they might as well put Luna in the manger. She looks like John, why not?

I mean, look at the two of them! A perfect pair.

We don't have the official answer to Chrissy's important question just yet, but I'm sure NBC has it all under control. I can't wait to see what other roles are cast and I'm sure we'll hear soon. Until then, I'll be laughing at Chrissy's Twitter account. It's pure gold. 

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry have been in an ongoing feud for what seems like an eternity. But, some recent clues point to an end to the longtime feud between the female singers. According to E!, it's a possibility that Perry will appear in Swift's music video for her song "End Game" off of her new album Reputation, which is hopefully a sign that they're done being angry at each other. 

No, nothing is confirmed just yet, but some recent photos and a video surfaced of what is clearly a music video shoot in Miami, where Swift is seen dancing in front of some back-up dancers. Another image showed her with Future, revealing the music video has to be for "End Game," where he's featured.

The video of the dancers has caused fans to ask questions about whether one of the background dancers was Katy, who happened to be in Miami shooting a cameo around that time, a source told E!. If you watch the leaked video, one of the dancers *does* look like Katy — but who knows, it could also be anybody. 

If the speculation is true and Katy is one of the dancers in the video, does this mean they're burying the hatchet? I sure hope so, because like Perry sings, the two singers are hot and cold when it comes to how they feel about each other. To look back on this year alone, Perry was especially wishy-washy with her feelings about Swift. In May, Katy wanted Taylor to "finish it"when their feud was brought up. Then, a couple months later, she said she forgives Swift for everything. What does she want? An all-out fight until there's a winner, or a peaceful end to the war?

When you look at Swift, she's all revenge and has stayed mostly silent, aside from all the Easter eggs in her newest album Reputation, which may point fingers at Katy. Though her album takes some serious digs, Taylor has yet to verify if any of her lyrics are directed at anyone in particular. Who knows, maybe she wants to end the war too and having Katy in her video is the way to show she's moving forward.

We'll never know until the music video drops and one of the singers talks about it all, but I hope it's the end of an era. The feud has been so drawn out and petty — can't we all just love one another?

If you say that you haven’t contemplated trying to sneak a puppy into your dorm or apartment, you’re probably lying. With all of the adorable animal videos that pop up on your Instagram feed on a daily basis, the temptation to get a little creature of your own is oh so real. And although it’s tempting to run out to the first pet store or animal shelter that you can find and buy the pet that your parents never let you have, there are some very real things to take into consideration. In college, it can sometimes be hard to take care of ourselves – let alone a pet. You might be perfectly fine existing on a diet plan that consists mostly of ramen noodles and living under a mountain of dirty clothes, but your pet probably won’t be. Before taking on an additional, furrier roommate, here are seven things you should consider.

1. Are you even allowed to have a pet?

First of all, it’s pretty important to figure out if your building lets you have a pet. Most college dorms don’t even allow students to have pets and if they do allow them, there are usually pretty strict restrictions on the kind or size of pet that you can have. If you live in an apartment, you should probably check with your landlord just to guarantee that there aren’t any additional fees that come with having a pet. While you might think that you have the expertise to sneak a pet past your landlord, it’s really not worth it. If your landlord does notice, you’re still going to have a pet, but you’re not going to have a place to live—which might be slightly problematic. Pets can be very cute, but they probably aren’t worth losing your lease over.

2. What kind of pet would you get?

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually a pretty valid question. First, you have to decide on the kind of pet that you want and the “cute kind” isn’t really an answer (sorry, not sorry). Can you handle a big pet or should you opt for a smaller one? Are you going to be able to deal with a pet that sheds or do you need to look for a more low-maintenance animal? It’s important that you don’t just buy the first pet that gives you puppy dog eyes (literally!). The decision of what kind of pet to get is nearly as important as deciding whether you should even get one in the first place.

3. How much time would you have to take care of it?

Regardless of the type of pet that you get, it will more than likely need a decent amount of attention and some require more of a time commitment than others. When you have a dog or a cat, you have to find time to take them outside, play with them, take them to vet appointments, give them a bath—and the list goes on. If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands but still want a pet in your life, consider buying a fish or a turtle. Not only will they be super low-maintenance, but they also won’t take up a bunch of your space.

If you are super involved on-campus, have a part-time job or just a packed schedule, it might be difficult to balance everything you have to do and make sure that your pet is getting the quality time that it needs and deserves.

“My dogs need to be let out to the bathroom every few hours and having a busy schedule makes that difficult sometimes,” says Heather Wicker, a senior at the University of North Texas. “I can’t stay out late anymore unless I find someone to take care of them, and I can’t just up and take road trips like I used to because I have two more lives to think about.”

Pets have to be one of the first things that you think about when you plan your day. You might even have to go home in between classes sometimes to make sure they're okay. The amount of time that you have to devote to a pet is definitely a major aspect of the decision process.

Related: Schools with the Most Pet Love 

4. Do you have enough space for a pet?

In college it’s easy to get accustomed to fitting everything you own, plus one or two things that your BFF or SO owns, into a very small amount of space. Just because your apartment or dorm is “pet-friendly,” doesn’t mean that it’s automatically the ideal place to have certain pets. Some dog breeds are way too big to comfortably fit inside of a small apartment. Even some cats might not have enough space to move about freely. 

"It's not fair to your pet if you aren't able to walk them as much as they deserve or if you don't have enough space in your apartment or house," says Cailin Johnson, a junior at Virgina Tech University. "Be sure that you can walk your dog at least two or three times a day and that you won't have to crate your dog every time you leave your house."

If you’re set on getting a pet but don’t have that much space, you should set your sights on pets that can live comfortably in a cage or a bowl.

5. Are your roommates okay with you having a pet?

While your roommates might seem totally cool with you getting a pet at first, their opinions might change when they are woken up to the sound of your dog barking at 3 a.m. because it wants to go outside. Be sure to check with your roommates beforehand to make sure that they are okay with having a pet in your shared home. More than likely, the time will come when you will need them to help you out with your pet.

“Be upfront with your roommates about your pet and let them know if they are going to bark a lot or be messy,” says Jessica Floyd, a senior at the University of Georgia. “Also, be respectful and don’t let your pet in their room unless they’re allowed to be.”

Also, at some point your pet might pee on, chew up or somehow destroy something belonging to your roommates. Being able to remind them that they were on board from the beginning is essential. (It wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a little extra around the house just to stay on everyone’s good side.)

6. Do you have the money to support the pet?

College life usually requires living on a budget– a budget that is probably already tight enough without having to factor in taking care of a pet. Before you vow to cut back on your daily Starbucks consumption to raise funds, take the time to consider all of the potential costs that come with having a pet: vet bills, food and a pet deposit on your lease – just to name a few. These things add up – and don’t even get us started on emergencies that lead to unexpected expenses!

“Unexpected vet bills can arise at any given moment, and because we would do anything for our pets, we pay whatever,” says Heather. “Not to mention pet deposits are outrageously expensive at most places. Pet food is a necessity, and obviously we need treats to give our cute friends. They'll need toys and bath supplies and grooming tools and whatever else we see that reminds us of the animals we love.”

Pets get sick and accidents happen. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you have to choose between paying your rent and taking care of your pet.

7. Where will the pet go during breaks?

For collegiettes, school breaks are a time for de-stressing and leaving behind some of your daily responsibilities. However, owning a pet might make it a little bit more difficult to achieve your desired level of freedom during breaks. It’s a minor detail that you might not even think about until it’s the day before winter break and you have absolutely no idea what you’re going to do with your pet.

“If you plan to travel with your pet, then it might be wise to get a small dog,” says Lisa R., a senior at the University of Central Florida. “I chose to have a smaller dog because I drive home fairly often, and three hours with a big dog in Toyota Camry just wouldn't be comfortable for them or me.”

If you live close enough to school and plan on driving home, you can probably take your pet with you. Otherwise, you’re more than likely going to need to make other arrangements. If you don't think you can find a temporary pet-sitter or pet-sitting service, it might not be realistic for you to get a pet. 

If you consider all of these things, and you feel confident about your decision to get a pet – congrats! Even if you’re stuck with some early morning wake-ups and a bit more mess to clean up than usual, having a live-in cuddle buddy that will love you forever is never a bad thing.

This article has been syndicated from That Fangirling Filmmaker, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.

The holidays are usually hard. You have grandparents asking if you’re in a relationship and various aunts and uncles trying to set you up with their butcher’s cousin’s kid. Sometimes those holidays are even harder after you lose a loved one.

I remember my first holiday after I lost my mother. She has passed away at the beginning of December, so my dad, brother and I had to try and get through one of the jolliest holidays without becoming Grinches. Christmas that year was hard.

No one tells you what your first holiday without them is going to be like. More often than not there’s laughter that turns into tears as you share stories of years past, traditions that are hard to do and sometimes, the entire magic of the holiday is just gone.

Now, I realize people deal with things in their own ways, but I’ve come up with some things that can help you get through that first holiday.

Spend time with friends and family.

I realize that sometimes you just want to be alone, but you have others going through it with you, and during the holidays it’s especially hard. Sure, you’re bound to get those looks of sadness or pity, but those are kinda expected. The people in your life want nothing more than for you to be okay. Spend some time with them, and use it for coping and remembering the good times.

Don’t let go of your traditions.

This is one of the things I regret the most. Don’t lose those traditions you have. It’s tempting to just bypass them, but in the end you’ll be glad you kept them going because they are another of those memories for you to hold onto.

Read the full post here. 

Two long-lost brothers just got the best gift of a lifetime. The two young men, who were separated as children, recently reconnected, and discovered that they live a mere 15 minutes from each other, attend the same university and have the same major and minor, ABC News reports.

Kieron Graham, 20, was adopted, and always wondered about his biological family. During an interview on Thursday morning with ABC’s Good Morning America, Graham said that his adoptive parents had always been open about his adoption, and that his mother, Sarah Graham, bought him a DNA test kit from Ancestry.com so he could find and reconnect with his biological family.

According to NBC News, the test results came back a week ago, and it identified Vincent Ghant, 29, as being a highly likely match.

Graham said that he recognized the name and looked up Ghant on Facebook, and after discovering that they had the same birth mother, realized that they were in fact brothers.

“Growing up, my parents were always very open with my adoption so a few weeks ago, my adopted mom bought me a DNA test kit from Ancestry and last Tuesday I got the results and I was looking through and I recognized his name and I looked him up on Facebook and there he was. And I was just like, 'Wow,' finally after 20 years of thinking about it, there he was. It was amazing,” Graham said on Good Morning America.

But the crazy thing of it all is that, according to their interview on Good Morning America, it actually turns out the Graham and Ghant are both students at Kennesaw State University, and are both majoring in political science and minoring in legal studies. What are the odds?

During the interview, Ghant also talked about his memories of Graham since Ghant was already nine years old when Graham was born.

“My most vivid memory is seeing a baby smile for the first time and it was his smile, my brother,” Ghant said. “More memories that I had was helping my mom take care of him because she was a single parent at the time and we didn’t have much support. I remember helping my mom change the diapers and playing with him a lot. It was a great experience.”

Graham’s biological mother, Shawn Ghant, gave him up for adoption when he was only three months old, NBC News reports.

“At the time I felt like I could not give him what he needed,” Ghant said.

The two brothers described the moment they reconnected in person as “surreal” and “supris[ing],” with lots of “emotions running through [their] head[s].” But for now they are enjoying their time together, especially watching the Atlanta Falcons.

In talking about what they are most looking forward to now that they are reconnected, Ghant said on Good Morning America, “Creating a strong bond and taking this relationship to the next level. Just letting it blossom into something bigger. Our families have become huge because of this now. Since last week we’ve been inseparable. I’ve seen him nearly every day.”

Known for his tendency to crack up during interviews (and skits, when he was a regular on SNL), Jimmy Fallon could barely keep a straight face when he interviewed artist Cardi B on The Tonight Show Wednesday night. 

The rapper hilariously answered questions in her own signature way, leaving Fallon awkwardly attempting to work his way through the interview smoothly, a difficult task especially with her spontaneous trademark sound effects thrown in for good measure. 

Not one to let the spotlight shift from her bubbly, unique persona, Cardi B made the 5-minute segment ridiculously entertaining, while Fallon clearly had no idea how to handle her method of basically directing her own interview any way she pleased. 

When asked where her name came from, she answered, “You know what, my sister name is Hennessy, so everybody used to call me Bacardi,” Cardi B explained. “Then it was my Instagram name, Bacardi, Bacardi B, but for some reason, my Instagram kept getting deleted, and you know what I think it was Bacardi that had something to do with it. So I just changed it to Cardi B.” 

After discussing her engagement with rapper Offset and her incredibly expensive ring, she referenced a tweet she posted in early December about not buying adults Christmas gifts this year. She talked about how her fame and money suddenly made people more interested in her saying, "I got new godkids outta nowhere, once you start making money, everybody want you to be their kid’s godmother."

After Fallon listed off several of Cardi B's accomplishments over the past year, she sweetly responded with "I'm so proud of myself."

It's safe to say that she made the interview memorable with her endless charm, and her hard work has clearly paid off with her success. You can watch the entire interview below:

After a slew of controversial posters were spotted around Los Angeles last week, the "artist" behind them has come forward. The posters featured Meryl Streep beside Harvey Weinstein with a red band across her eyes that said, "She Knew."

These posters were intended as a direct insinuation that Streep was aware of the sexual assault accusations that have followed Weinstein for over twenty years. The man responsible for the posters is a 49-year-old former U.S. marine who calls himself Sabo, who has been active with LA's street art scene for over a decade. A self-proclaimed Donald Trump supporter, the right wing artist used the posters as revenge against Streep for her criticisms of the current president. 

After using her latest film, The Post, to take jabs at Trump, Sabo stated, "She’s swiping at us so we’re swiping back."

The posters were put up just a day after the acclaimed actress stated that she was unaware of Weinstein's sexual misconduct and the numerous allegations that have come out against him over the past few months. 

In her statement, Streep said, "I did not know about Weinstein’s crimes, not in the '90s when he attacked [Rose McGowan], or through subsequent decades when he proceeded to attack others. I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know. I don’t tacitly approve of rape. I didn’t know. I don’t like young women being assaulted. I didn’t know this was happening."

Though he cannot conclusively prove that Streep was aware of Weinstein's crimes, Sabo told The Guardian, "I wasn't sitting in a room with her. I can’t say 100 percent. But I’d say anyone in the industry had a pretty good idea. I think she knew. Maybe she was providing Weinstein with the fresh meat."

With the help of an assistant, Sabo erected the posters overnight and left them unsigned. He has previously targeted other notable leftwing figures as well, including Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton. 

An important piece of criticism surrounding his work was noted by Heidi Stevens in an article for the Chicago Tribune, "Women aren’t responsible for men’s bad behavior." 

This poorly executed stunt may have a name behind it now, but the reasoning for it is anything but surprising. 

By Renee Collett

I’ve always seen my friends go through serious heartbreak over people they’ve dated. I've seen how sad they feel and how hard it is for them to stop reminiscing about the “good times” they had with their partner. I’ve seen all of it—just never experienced it. The “relationship,” that is. Have I been heartbroken? Oh, yes. But heartbroken over a guy I barely dated rejecting me.

Complaining to my friends about it seemed embarrassing to me. I'd never even dated this kid officially, so why should I feel sad? But as much as I told myself not to feel sad, I continued to feel like I’d been slapped in the face. It felt like a legitimate heartbreak, or what I imagined that should feel like.

Feeling sad when a guy you barely dated rejects you is completely valid, in my opinion. Just like a break-up, you begin to wonder if you’re the problem. And since you never even got the chance to officially “date,” you think that you’re an even bigger problem. For me, I kept dwelling over the what could’ve been, which made my thoughts spiral into a self-deprecating and saddening cycle.

My infatuation with the idea of dating this guy was so incredibly strong that when things didn’t work out, it felt so real to me. The short time we’d been talking, I had felt my best, like I was hanging out with someone who was probably my soulmate. But I should’ve realized that after months of talking, and him never officially asking me out, that he was perhaps just not right for me.

Despite this, the sadness ensued. And like I said, it was valid. But something that I reminded myself often was that if it were meant to be, it would happen. And since it didn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be. I allowed myself to dwell on the what-ifs and experience my fake heartbreak for quite some time. Who cares if it wasn’t official between us?! It felt real to me, so why should I deny myself own feelings?

You are allowed to feel bad. But remember if he rejects you, he clearly isn’t for you. It's not easy to deal with, but it's better to not hide your feelings.

Everyone has those nights where they’re not in the mood to go out. You’ve had a long day and the thought of rallying for a socially-trying night out isn’t on your agenda. Totally fine! But what if you never want to go out? Meet new people at a tailgate? Hang out with your friends’ other friends? Maybe you’re not simply an introvert. Maybe you have social anxiety.

"Social anxiety is uncomfortable and distressing for the person experiencing it while shyness is not distressing and is simply reflective of an introverted interpersonal style," says Dr. Ramani Durvasula, clinical psychologist and author of the book Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist. The varying degrees of social anxiety affect people differently. You might enjoy hanging out with close friends, but then panic at large social gatherings; or maybe you have trouble making friends, and prefer to be alone most of the time. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it’s important to understand your mental health so you can make sure you live your happiest, healthiest life. While you should always consult with a doctor to get an actual diagnosis, here are a few signs to look out for that can help you evaluate if you have social anxiety. 

1. Meeting new people makes you nervous

If you’re a people-person, you probably enjoy getting to know new people. This can be the opposite for those on the shyer side. But there’s a difference between not liking to meet new people and having an uncontrollable mental reaction to the prospect of chatting with someone new, whether it be a classmate or a salesperson at Target. Dr. Ramani says "going to outings where they will have to meet with and interact with new people" might be uncomfortable for someone who's socially anxious. 

2. You hate being the center of the attention…for anything

Socially anxious people "may withhold opinions, agree with the crowd, ask for reassurance, or be very quiet and reticent," Dr. Ramani says. Some people aren’t built for the spotlight, which is fine. There are plenty of extroverts out there fighting over it anyway. But sometimes being the center of attention is unavoidable. If you’re making a presentation, asked a question in class or being interviewed for a job, naturally everyone’s looking at you. If you find yourself freaking out in situations like these, you may be socially anxious. 

3. Making phone calls can be a daunting task

You need to call the dean’s office to make an appointment, but you never get around to it. You also let all of your calls in general go to voicemail, even when you’re available to talk. Avoiding talking on the phone, which is pretty much essential for functioning in society, could suggest a bigger problem with social anxiety.

4. You avoid hanging out with people you like

Someone might be dealing with social anxiety "if a person is avoiding [social interaction] because they are anxious about being evaluated or looking foolish rather than not being social just because they want some time to themselves," Dr. Ramani says. "In other words, if a person wants to be with other people but is avoiding it out of anxiety then that is an issue."

Despite the paranoia socially anxious people might feel, odds are people do want to hang out with you. So if you’re saying no to a friend/crush/family member/whoever, you’re setting yourself up for even more loneliness and isolation. It’s normal to not be in the mood to hang out every once in a while, but if you’re saying no to people you genuinely like, that’s a sign something is holding you back. Relationships take work, and if you have trouble putting in your fair share, getting help might be a good idea.

5. You have to drink to feel comfortable around people

Drinking is a totally normal part of college and nearly everyone tends to be more social when they’re drunk. However, the latter shouldn't be your go-to. "Lots of people with social anxiety drink to help manage the anxiety in social situations and it makes it easier for them," Dr. Ramani says. "But this is a risky and problematic pattern because then they 'need' the alcohol to socialize and they may feel they cannot socialize without it and drink more than they want more often than they intend." Don't rely on alcohol to be yourself.

6. You have a physical reaction to social situations

Being shy is one thing, but generally your body doesn't physically react just because you're around people when you don't necessarily want to be. "The person is concerned about looking foolish, feels awkward, and is uncomfortable anxious in such situations and may experience physiological symptoms of anxiety (racing heart, sweating, dizziness and even panic)," Dr. Ramani says. "As such their tendency is to avoid such situations or endure them with tremendous discomfort." 

A lot of people are introverted. Being shy is not a mental health issue. That being said, if your shyness feels overbearing and like it’s starting to take away from really living, think about seeing someone. No one’s asking you to be a social butterfly, but you could be a social you, however social that may be. 

Remember when Sprint tried to convince us that it stole the "can you hear me now?" guy from Verizon? The change was a significant one when it comes to TV commercials, and we may have another major upset coming our way soon. The New York Times reports that pizza franchise Papa John's will see its chief executive John Schnatter (who appears in the chain's commercials) step down this month after blaming the store's struggling sales on the NFL's handling of its #TakeAKnee controversy.  

Schnatter, who first sold pizzas in 1984, found himself in hot water after criticizing the NFL, which has a sponsorship deal with Papa John's, in November. "The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players' and owners' satisfaction," Schnatter said in a Nov. 1 conference call with investors. "NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders."

His comments led to white supremacists unofficially dubbing Papa John's pizza as the pie of the alt-right. Peter Collins, the senior director of Papa John's public relations, was informed of white supremacists' support by journalists at HuffPost. Writing to the publication in an official statement, he said, "We condemn racism in all forms and any and all hate groups that support it. We do not want these individuals or groups to buy our pizza."

Although it isn't clear if Schnatter's comments about the NFL contributed to his demotion, Collins believes that it's the right time for change in the company's leaders. Schnatter will become a chairman of the Papa John's board, while the president and chief operating officer Steve Ritchie will replace him as chief executive.

With that loss in Papa John's commercial marketing, do you think Domino's will pretend to have a "Papa Dom" now? 

ICYMI, the 2008 classic Mamma Mia! has a planned sequel for this upcoming summer, and on Thursday, the long-awaited trailer hit the internet. While fans caught sight of Amanda Seyfried's Sophie and her three "dads" in the trailer, as well as mother Donna's two best friends, one character was suspiciously absent from sequel footage. Meryl Streep, who plays Donna, only seemed to appear in parts recycled from the first film, and Sophie kept commenting on Donna's absence very vaguely. This caused many viewers to suspect the worst and assume that Donna is dead in the sequel. Come on, guys, is killing off Meryl Streep really a good idea? 

Cosmopolitan reports that after the Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again trailer was released, fans were quick to express their fears on Twitter about a (albeit, cinematic) world without Streep. 

Based on the trailer, the majority of the story seems to focus on a young Donna (played by Lily James) moving to Greece, meeting the three men who were Sophie's possible fathers and rocking out with her girl band, The Dynamos. The flashbacks parallel with the current day, in which Sophie is newly pregnant and dealing with the absence (death?!) of her mother. 

While the film will definitely miss a certain element of fun if Streep isn't making a new appearance in it, this sequel still looks like it'll be a perfectly campy summer flick. Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again is in theaters on July 20, 2018. Check out the trailer below!

Facing a Friday deadline for approval of its spending, the Senate approved a short-term funding plan on Thursday in order for the government to stay open through Jan. 19, CNN reports. The decision prevented a government shutdown and was also approved by the House with a 231-188 vote. 

The short-term plan mainly covers government funding for almost a month, but also extends the funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (aka CHIP, the program Jimmy Kimmel has been promoting in honor of his infant son) through March 2018. The approved measure also allows for a three-week extension of a government surveillance program.

According to the New York Times, the extension of funding basically saves Republicans from a major embarrassment, especially after the passing of the GOP tax bill. While a shutdown has been delayed for now, the decision only highlights how tense discussions about funding will be after the holidays. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a No. 2 Senate Republican, even told the Times, "It seems like Groundhog Day. We get up and do the same thing over and over and over again. It's maddening."

The funding extension also doesn't cover potential bills protecting young immigrants and strengthening military and health insurance plans. Democrats were reportedly concerned about Congress not spending enough time on each major issue, and many were reportedly encouraged to vote 'no' because of a party desire to add an extension of DACA to the bill.

"We shouldn't be funding the government week to week, month to month, but yet my Republican friends have ended up doing that," Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern told the Times. "They can't seem to get their act together."

President Donald Trump addressed the funding extension on Twitter, insisting that Democrats in the House wanted a shutdown "to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts."

When Democratic Rep. Alcee L. Hastings read the tweet aloud at a House committee meeting, he said that he knew of no Democrat or Republican that wanted to shut down the government.

Dyeing your hair for the first time can be exciting and nerve-wracking. You’re finally making your dream of going from Jackie O to Marilyn Monroe a reality. And although knowing what color you want is the fist step, it's definitely not the only step. So keep these tips in mind before following your tin foil bliss.

1. Choosing a colorist is just as important as choosing a color

Before you jump right into dyeing your hair, spend some time finding the right stylist and salon for you. It can be worth it to look around and check out multiple options. Celebrity hair stylist and salon owner Angelo David knows exactly how to pair a stylist with a client. “Find the right fit for yourself when it comes to a salon,” David says. “We offer consultations for people just to come in and talk.” The best part about going for a consultation is the lack of commitment! You can talk with different stylists and figure out who you will work best with. David suggests finding out who’s the best person in that salon to work on the color you want, because going to the highlight specialist isn’t going to be in your favor if you want to go for a darker color.

2. Before picking a color, keep your lifestyle in mind

You’re used to a standard cut, dry, blow out, and maybe you’ve branched out and done a keratin treatment or two. But color is a different ball game. This stuff won’t wash out in a week. With that being said, before you pick your color you need to think about lifestyle. It all depends on who you want to be. “You have to ask yourself, do you want to be in the salon every 2 -3 weeks,” David says. That jet-black color might be what you want in theory, but in reality, it might not be something you can keep up with financially and time-wise. Kayla Graniero, a recent graduate of Pace University, suggests not rushing the process. “Don’t be scared to change your mind,” she says. “It’s okay to just take a few months to think about it.”

3. Go in with realistic expectations

With so much color inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram, deciding on a color is the most fun part of dyeing your hair. You'll probably have a pretty clear vision of what you want your locks to look like. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and your color may not be finished in one sitting. According to David, the most common mistake people make when coloring their hair for the first time is having unrealistic expectations.

“Don’t push the envelope,” he says. “Let the professional do their job properly; you can’t just feel you want to go platinum blonde in one sitting.” This goes back to the idea of lifestyle – do you have the time, money, and patience to keep up with the process? Instead of getting overwhelmed, Graniero suggests testing out hair colors with an app or even wigs to decide what you really want. David supplies wigs and hair extensions at his salon for those who decide they want a change without committing to dye.

4. Questions help you and your stylist

Both you and your stylist need to ask each other questions. David’s favorite question to ask is, "what's the worst thing that has ever happened to your hair?" If you have any anxieties about coloring your hair, you need to get specific with your stylist. Is your biggest fear going to dark? Going too light? Even though you’re a newbie, you should update your stylist on how you care for your hair. Do you straighten it often? Have you ever done a Keratin or Japanese straightening treatment? Any chemical processes or damage you've done to your hair can affect the dye. If your stylist knows your hair history, she will be better equipped to give your hair the love it deserves. 

Related: I Dyed My Hair Platinum & Here's How it Went Down

If only hair could be colored like nail polish, but sadly, time, thought, and money go into dyeing your hair. Yes, coloring your hair for the first time might seem a little intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! All you have to do is prepare by finding the right colorist, thinking about color maintenance, and telling your stylist your hair history. 

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.)

Apple Admits That It Slows Down Older Phones

You probably had to reopen the Safari window on your iPhone 5 before this article loaded, and now you may have a legit reason to blame for your phone's slowness. Apple has admitted that when it applies software updates to products, the updates are also used to limit older iPhones'  performance capabilities, specifically if they have had battery issues. To defend the company, Apple claimed that upgrades made for the most recent iPhone models are designed to "smooth out" the phones' power and battery lifespans. However, as we've all seen, these changes often slow down the phones more. 

Teenage Girl Sentenced to 25 Years in Mental Hospital After Stabbing Girl 19 Times

BuzzFeed News reports that after trying to kill her friend to appease the fictional character Slender Man, a teenage girl is now sentenced to 25 years in a psychiatric hospital. 16-year-old Anissa Weier pleaded guilty in August to attempted second-degree homicide due to mental illness or defect. In 2014, when Weier and her friend were only 12 years old, the two girls stabbed another 12-year-old girl 19 times in the woods, inspired by the fictional, faceless bogeyman Slender Man. The victim survived, while Weier's friend, now 15, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in October.

At her sentencing hearing on Thursday, Weier said, "I want everybody involved to know that I deeply regret everything that happened that day."

Sesame Workshop Will Develop Childhood Development Programs for Syrian Refugees

The MacArthur Foundation has awarded $100 million to the Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee to create early childhood development programs for Syrian refugees, the New York Times reports. The five-year grant will be used to create a localized version of Sesame Street for displaced children in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. New Muppets that speak Arabic and Iraqi Kurdish will star in the educational content. 

"If we're not giving them the tools to overcome toxic stress, that trauma in those early years, the research shows the repercussions are lifelong," said Sherrie Westin, Sesame's executive vice president for global impact.

What to look out for...

Start preparing early for your favorite TV holiday, Festivus, on Dec. 23. If the commercialization of Christmas is getting to you, airing your grievances about the season is meant to happen this Saturday.  

When the city of Memphis wants a Confederate statue to be removed, you can be damn sure they'll find a way to do it. And such was the case when not one, but two Confederate statues were removed from parks in Memphis, Tennessee Wednesday night when the City Council found a loophole in the state law that prevented their removal, The Washington Post reports. 

The hasty removal was accomplished before the city could honor Martin Luther King this upcoming spring, who was assassinated in the city of Memphis almost 50 years ago on April 4th, 1968. The first statue removed was of Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader involved in the foundation of the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Post. The second statue removed was of Jefferson Davis, who was president of the Confederacy. 

Mayor Jim Strickland released a statement regarding the removal of the statues, explaining the reasoning behind their decision.

"It’s important to know why we’re here," wrote Strickland. "The Forrest statue was placed in 1904, as Jim Crow segregation laws were enacted. The Davis statue was placed in 1964, as the Civil Rights Movement changed our country. The statues no longer represent who we are as a modern, diverse city with momentum. As I told the Tennessee Historical Commission in October, our community wants to reserve places of reverence for those we honor." Memphis had been denied a waiver back in October that would have allowed the removal of the statues.

Khloe Kardashian just confirmed all the rumors with her pregnancy announcement on Instagram on Wednesday, causing the Internet to go wild with excitement for the reality star and her boyfriend Tristan Thompson.

Though the news is nothing short of amazing, there's one little detail in the photo she posted that's raising a ton of questions: Is Khloe engaged too? Fans ran with this theory too, taking to Twitter to ask if it's true.

If you look at the photo and where the ring is placed, they could be onto something. Maybe it's hint for everyone on her and Tristan's relationship status.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's an engagement ring. According to HelloGiggles, the rings are eternity bands. Jeweler, George Khalife explained the rings to Hello Giggles. "They look to be Asscher cut eternity bands,” he said. “One looks larger than the other, the smaller one seems to be about 8 to 10 carats retailing around $100K and up. The largest band looks around 12 to 15 carats retailing as much as $200K. Larger diamond bands like these can get pricey because you must perfectly match the diamonds. Inclusions can be very noticeable in cuts such Asscher and emerald so easy to spot imperfections." Well, those rings sound pretty dang important. 

Khloe and Tristan have not announced their engagement, but maybe this is their way of showing what's to come. They're starting a family together, so maybe getting married is the next step. I can only take so many adorable posts at a time, so maybe it's good Khloe holds off and leaves us with another mystery.