All posts tagged: hold

Hold On A Sec – Why Is Kelly Clarkson Beefing With A Random Magic Shop?

Hold On A Sec – Why Is Kelly Clarkson Beefing With A Random Magic Shop?

Published by Sam Flores

In general, Kelly Clarkson is one of those rare celebrities you’d be hard pressed to find anyone with a bad word to say about. But recently, the usually inoffensive singer has found herself at the centre of some drama. First, there was the backlash she faced a couple of weeks ago, when she came out as a defender of AI, including in the music business. Kelly Clarkson More recently, she has landed herself at the centre of one of 2026’s most unexpected celebrity beefs, when she became embroiled in a public back-and-forth with an independent magic shop in Brooklyn. Here’s a quick guide to the debacle so far… Kelly Clarkson took the first swing after an unsuccessful shopping trip on Saturday Writing on X, the former American Idol claimed over the weekend that she had just driven “all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy”. The Since U Been Gone singer claimed that when she got there she “literally …

If AI becomes conscious, how would we treat it? Animals may hold a clue.

If AI becomes conscious, how would we treat it? Animals may hold a clue.

Published by Jenni Sidey

Consciousness remains the deepest puzzle in human science. Even as we begin to understand how the brain processes information, we remain as far as ever from understanding why any of that processing should feel like anything from the inside. That mystery is what drew me into consciousness research, and over time I came to think the puzzle was as much a moral one as a metaphysical one. Consciousness is what makes things matter. Pains that don’t hurt aren’t pains, and joy that goes unfelt isn’t joy. Without consciousness, paradise and torment may as well be the same thing. This has real implications, most notably in our treatment of animals. As David Foster Wallace famously wondered, when we immerse a live lobster in a pot of boiling water, are its seemingly desperate attempts to escape the reflex movements of an unthinking biological automaton, or is there a sentient being inside spending its last moments in agony?  The underlying hope is that the science of consciousness might drive not just ethical insight but also changes in our …

How megapastor Adam Hamilton could break the GOP’s hold on Kansas

How megapastor Adam Hamilton could break the GOP’s hold on Kansas

Published by Sam Flores

LEAWOOD, Kansas (RNS) — When the Rev. Adam Hamilton returned to Resurrection United Methodist Church last month, the megachurch pastor stood onstage looking almost sheepish. It was his first time preaching there in months, or roughly since he announced he was running for U.S. Senate in Kansas back in April. But as the pastor peered out at the hundreds gathered in one of the church’s three worship spaces, he made a point to thank his congregation for their prayers — whether or not they plan to vote for him. “There are times when you feel pretty lonely doing this thing that I’m doing, that we’re not talking about here at church,” Hamilton said in his light Kansas drawl — a thinly veiled reference to a provision in the U.S. tax code that bars nonprofits, including churches, from endorsing political candidates. The room laughed knowingly. The pastor, 62, then bounded offstage and practically sprinted down the roughly quarter-mile hallway toward the church’s main sanctuary, pausing to shake hands with congregants along the way. Within minutes, he …

Christie’s to Hold Its First Abu Dhabi Fine Art Auction

Christie’s to Hold Its First Abu Dhabi Fine Art Auction

Published by Jenni Sidey

Twenty years after Christie’s became the first international auction house to hold a sale in the United Arab Emirates, the house is marking the anniversary by moving its gavel down the road. On November 1, Christie’s will hold its first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi, offering more than 70 works of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern and North African art at the Abu Dhabi Edition hotel. Titled “MAWASIM: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art,” the sale includes works by Paul Guiragossian, Samia Halaby, Mohamed Melehi, Marwan Kassab-Bachi, Inji Efflatoun, and Nabil Nahas, among others. Source link

Jell-O and Beer May Hold the Keys to Brewing Houses on Mars

Jell-O and Beer May Hold the Keys to Brewing Houses on Mars

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Establishing life on another planet is a multifaceted process with many problems. Housing is one major challenge, but a new study suggests researchers have found a way to build living quarters on Mars using materials already present on the planet, along with a couple of other clever ingredients.  The study, published on Sept. 10 in the journal Chem Circularity, reports that researchers found a way to turn the sand on Mars into what is functionally low-grade concrete using little more than gelatin, yeast, and the natural Martian environment. Combine the three ingredients, and the dry, cold, low-pressure environment of Mars freeze-dries the mixture, turning it into a porous, foam-like material strong enough to build houses on the red planet.  “My inspiration came from freeze-dried fruits that become harder,” senior author Jishen Qiu of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said in a statement. “So, I asked myself if we can take advantage of that and make some materials.” According to Qiu, the concrete produced by this method measures 10 to 12 megapascals (a …

In Nepal, mourners hold symbolic cremation for missing loved ones

In Nepal, mourners hold symbolic cremation for missing loved ones

Published by Sam Flores

The wall of ice, water and rock that tore through Nepal last week has claimed more than 1,200 lives and left more than 4,000 missing, depriving many grieving families of a basic rite: funerals. The scale of the disaster has proved challenging for authorities, with morgues overwhelmed by a large number of unidentified remains. In many cases, bodies have been washed far downstream and rendered unrecognizable, while others still missing are feared to have been buried in the torrent of thick mud. As hopes fade that survivors will be found, a week on from the disaster, family members without the remains of their loved ones have begun to hold symbolic cremations. The ceremonies provide an outlet for the grief and uncertainty that have gripped so many in Nepal, and ensure that a key religious rite is afforded to the dead. Ritesh Shukla / Getty Images At Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple, the most revered Hindu temple in Nepal, mourners gathered Wednesday to mark the loss of missing loved ones. On the banks of the holy Bagmati River, …

Is It Illegal to Hold Your Phone While Driving?

Is It Illegal to Hold Your Phone While Driving?

Published by Sam Flores

If you’ve caught yourself reaching for your phone at a red light lately, you might want to think twice — depending on where you live, that quick grab could cost you. More than 30 states now have some version of a “hands-free” or “no-touch” phone law on the books, making it illegal to hold or manually use a cell phone while driving. The laws vary from state to state — some ban any handheld use altogether, while others allow limited actions like a single tap to answer a call. Regardless, the goal is the same: to keep drivers’ eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. For many, this shift means rethinking driving habits, including the urge to check directions and answer calls while on the go. Keep reading to find out whether your state has a no-touch phone law, what the penalties look like if you’re caught breaking it and to discover a few products that can help you stay hands-free — and compliant — behind the wheel. Want more from NBC Selected? …

We Can Hold the Hard Things and Still Have Fun

We Can Hold the Hard Things and Still Have Fun

Published by Jenni Sidey

A dual truth I think many of us need a reminder of right now is that life can be hard and bumpy and the world may feel genuinely unwell, and there can still be a throughline of joy, play, and merriment running underneath it. Not instead of the hard, but alongside it. We can acknowledge what is sad, scary, and difficult, and still make room for joy, play, laughter, and connection. Experiencing and creating moments of joy doesn’t mean we’re ignoring what’s hard. Sometimes, those moments are what help us carry it. A Place for Play, Fun, and Joy As children, we naturally gravitated towards play, often without any particular goal in mind. We reveled in the simple pleasure of it. Yet somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. As we transition into the world of work and adult responsibilities, we can reluctantly leave play behind, as societal norms and expectations suggest that everything in the “real world” is high-stakes and serious. We trade recess for productivity and tell ourselves this is …

Ava Ryan Reveals the 2016 Trends That Still Hold Up: From Taco Bell Throwbacks to the Snapchat Dog Filter

Ava Ryan Reveals the 2016 Trends That Still Hold Up: From Taco Bell Throwbacks to the Snapchat Dog Filter

Published by Daniella Wilson

Bringing it back! Ava Ryan sat down with ET to dish on the 2016 trends she’s not ready to let go of, from Taco Bell classics to internet fads, and more. The Vine alum partnered with the food chain to celebrate its Decades #TBTB Menu, featuring the return of the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Beefy Crunch Burrito, Meximelt, and Caramel Apple Empanada. “Taco Bell is a staple in my friend group. After all these years, my go-to order is still a Burrito, Nacho Fries, and a Baja Blast. I’m also so excited to try the Caramel Apple Empanada,” Ryan shared. And while her favorite foods have stood the test of time, her appetite for nostalgia goes beyond the menu. “If there’s one thing from 2016, I’d bring back, it’s that feeling of people making things because they genuinely thought they were funny or fun, where they were just being silly and enjoying what they do. There was something really special about being yourself, and being a little weird, and unique,” she notes.   Need proof? Look …

The Cut-the-Line Rule: When to Hold On and When to Let Go

The Cut-the-Line Rule: When to Hold On and When to Let Go

Published by Jenni Sidey

I was wading in a river in Alaska when a man beside me hooked a salmon and a brown bear began moving directly toward him. He had already done the hard part: he had hooked the fish, kept tension on the line, and begun reeling it toward him. Then the bear entered the water. He did not try to reel faster. He did not hold his ground or calculate whether he might still be able to keep the salmon. He cut the line and walked away. The bear got the fish. He got to keep fishing. The entire decision took about four seconds. I have thought about it ever since, because most of the things we struggle to release do not arrive with a brown bear attached to them. They unfold slowly. A project keeps consuming time without gaining traction. A job no longer fits, but still offers enough familiarity to make leaving difficult. A relationship changes, yet both people remain committed to the version of it they once believed was possible. There is no …