Virginia Supreme Court rules in favor of teacher who refused to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns

By
Monica Pop
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PE teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross was placed on paid administrative leave after he took a stand during a board meeting back in May and refused to refer to the transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns. Among the rest, Cross said in his speech: “I’m a teacher, but I serve God first, and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it’s against my religion.”

Once he was forbidden to step on the school’s ground, he sued Loudoun County Public Schools for violating his right to free speech and free exercise of religion as granted under the Virginia Constitution.

After Loudoun County Circuit Court ruled in favor of Cross, now the Virginia Supreme Court has done the same.

“Cross was opposing a policy that might burden his freedoms of expression and religion by requiring him to speak and interact with students in a way that affirms gender transition,” the 14-page justices wrote, as reported by The Washington Post. “Although the [Loudoun school] Board may have considered Cross’ speech to be ‘a trifling and annoying instance of individual distasteful abuse of a privilege,’ we believe Cross has a strong claim to the view that his public dissent implicates ‘fundamental societal values’ deeply embedded in our Constitutional Republic.”

Cross is now again able to do his job as a PE teacher as his lawsuit proceeds through county circuit court.

“Good news! The Virginia Supreme Court rejected Loudoun County Public Schools’ appeal, affirming the Circuit Court’s decision to reinstate Leesburg Elementary School teacher Tanner Cross,” Alliance Defending Freedom Vice President Michael Friel tweeted. The ADF is known for getting involved in lawsuits that question the rights of transgender people.

As reported by Fox News, Tyson Langhofer, ADF senior counsel, wrote in a statement that “teachers shouldn’t be forced to promote ideologies that are harmful to their students and that they believe are false, nor should they be silenced for commenting at a public meeting.”

For more on the story go to the video below. You can take a look at Cross’ speech from May this year here.

Parents give daughter hilarious gift for dorm room as she’s heading to college

By
Monica Pop
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A lot of parents have trouble accepting the fact that their children grew up and are no longer their little babies. And occasion when reality hits hard is when the kids are about to leave the family home and go to college where they experience what it feels like to be independent.

David and Whitney Scott of Arkansas made the most of it when their daughter Emma headed to college this year and decided to play around with her and make some incredibly precious memories along the way.

Being professional photographers, David and Whitney knew that Emma’s reaction to their surprise would end up with some cool photos, but what they didn’t know was that those photos will go viral for all the right reasons.

“As Emma heads to Harding University next week to begin her Freshman year, Whitney was looking for something for her dorm room that would convey love, provide reassurance as possibly embarrass her to her core,” David posted on Facebook on August 11. “I think we found it. And yes, she’s thrilled.”

Along with this caption came a hilarious photo of Emma posing next to an enormous blanket with a life-size photo of her parents and a pillow with her brother’s and her dog’s faces printed on it.

Emma probably expected something like this because her parents have always “teased” her, like when they yelled “I love you” at her from the school drop-off line. Of course, she doesn’t get angry at them, on the contrary, she loves their spirits.

“Since before she was born, we have looked forward to the teenage years when we could have a little fun embarrassing her with all our parental love,” Whitney told Fox News.

“It’s done,” David posted on August 18. “Our sweet girl is off on a new adventure at Harding University. It was a long day of travel, unpacking and decorating, but that’s the way we wanted it. Every moment is a blessing. She made it! We made/will make it. Most importantly, that blanket and pillowcase made it!”

Although Emma rolled her eyes at the unusual present, her mom and dad say she secretly loves it.

One thing is certain, this girl is lucky to have David and Whitney as her parents. They rock, don’t they?

Woman known for her incredible fudge leaves famous recipe on her headstone

By
Monica Pop
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Why people engrave epitaphs on their loved ones’ gravestones is because they want to leave words of wisdom, share the most important values of the deceased, or simply summarize their life. We have seen unusual gravestones over the years, but that of a couple named Kathryn “Kay” and Wade Andrews is not only uncommon, but truly beautiful too.

During her life, Kay used to make her special fudge for her family for every occasion, whether it was a celebration of some sort or just a quiet and relaxing day at home.

Source: Tumblr – Peter Morwood

When her husband died in 2000, she and her children decided to engrave images which reflected milestones from his life on the gravestone. That is when Kay decided to share with her family how her gravestone should look like. She asked them to place her famous fudge recipe on it. When she died, her five kids did exactly that.

Now everyone who visits her and Wade’s grave can see the famous recipe.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

In case you wonder what it takes to make the perfect fudge, according to Kay’s gravestone, that’s two squares of chocolate and two tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts on low heat add in a cup of milk and bring it to a boil. Next, add three cups of sugar to the milk and butter, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Then beat the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency.

For the chocolate, cook it to a softball stage and place it onto a marble slab. Next, simply “cool, beat, and eat,” exactly as Kay’s gravestone says.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

Kay and Wade fell in love with each other the moment they laid eyes on one another. At the time, she was studying fashion design in New York and he was serving in the Air Forces. And although they were forced to be at different places, they knew they were meant to be.

When the war ended, they got married and raised five beautiful children together.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

Their legacy will live forever through their gravestone which describes the lives they lead.

For more on the story go to the video below.

Air Force veteran honors fallen troops with 13 empty seats at Texas Roadhouse

By
Monica Pop
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American troops first stepped foot on Afghan soil some 20 years ago. They fought not only for liberty, but for freedom from terror too. The military operation officially ended on August 30, one day earlier than planned. Unfortunately, in an attempt to flee the country, civilians died and many didn’t even manage to take any of the flights that were supposed to take them to better places.

Sadly, 13 American service members were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, just five days before the troops were about to live the country entirely. Among those killed in the attack was a 20-year-old marine who was born when this war started and died when it ended.

According to the official Overseas Contingency Operations report’s casualty summary, since the start of the military operation, 20,727 members of the U.S. military were wounded and a total of 2,475 lost their lives in combat.

The world watched in shock as the Taliban got complete control of Afghanistan.

As anger and grief filled the hearts of every American, one veteran from Port St. Lucie, Florida paid tribute to the 13 soldiers in his own way. Air Force veteran Jordan Vanderflier reserved a table for 14 at Texas Roadhouse. One place at the table was for him, and the rest were for the fallen soldiers.

“The initial reaction was let’s accommodate. So it was immediately all hands on deck, there were four of us scrambling. Pouring beers, getting the table set up,” said Rick Kirk, managing partner at Port St. Lucie’s Texas Roadhouse.

Jordan lost a very good friend in Afghanistan in the past and he could feel the pain of the families of the soldiers killed last week.

“They deserved the true respect and recognition to be able to have something like this, you know, as a reminder of, ‘Hey, you’re at this restaurant right now because these guys are away from their families, you know, risking their lives for us every day,’” he said.

Credit: Twitter

Jordan’s photos went viral and people were thanking him for his act. As a result, the restaurant decided to have the table reserved in the next 13 days.

Rest in peace, soldiers, you died heroes!

Man transforms an old school bus into the ultimate home on wheels

By
Monica Pop
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When it comes to choosing the perfect place to live in, different people have different desires. While some dream of huge houses and mansions and work hard to afford such places, others prefer smaller homes.

Craig Gordinier, 28, served in US Coast Guard for 8 years. However, after he left the service, he had a hard time settling in and finding a job. The pandemic struck and many business closed, so he was left wondering what to do with his life. At the time, Craig was living with his parents who were more than happy to offer him a place to stay. However, he wasn’t happy sleeping on their couch and decided to take things in his own hands.

“March, April, and May was just so difficult. Because of COVID, I knew I wasn’t going to find a job. The way that life was looking, I had everything taken from me,” he told Insider.

Namely, while serving, Craig met a friend who was living in an RV, so he thought that adjusting a huge vehicle to a home was a good idea and now his loft on wheels is gathering the attention of many.

“There was always that one guy who either lived in a van or in an RV who was saving a bunch of money,” he said. “I never really wanted to do it until last year when I started actually planning out my life and I got to the end and I realized how much I actually would like it.”

Finally, after an exhaustive search, Craig wound exactly what he was looking for. “I started looking at sprinter vans and trailer and tiny homes and buses, and I finally found the perfect bus that was in South Dakota. I flew out there, and I bought the bus,” he explained.

With a lot of hard work and creativity, Craig managed to turn the bus into the perfect living space. The first thing he did was push up the roof about 20 inches in his “living room” and deck out the lower storage area in order to make some space for his motorcycle. He also installed solar panels and a roof deck. Inside, he built a nice kitchen with an espresso-bar and a nice bathroom with a shower.

“Just because houses have rooms does not mean that a bus needs to have rooms,” Craig told Insider. “It feels like a mansion on wheels.”

For a tour inside this perfect tiny home on wheels take a look at the video below. We can definitely see ourselves living in this bus.

Jane Fonda’s outfit from the Golden Globes attracted the attention of many

By
Monica Pop
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The name Jane Fonda speaks of success and fame probably more than any other female name in the film industry. Her career spans six decades, time during which she gave her fans many memorable roles.

Some may say that being the daughter of the legendary actor Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda didn’t have to work hard for what she has, but that is certainly not the case with the now 83-year-old actress.

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She was born in New York city on December 21, 1937, and her mother committed suicide when Fonda was only 12 years old. This was something that affected her deeply. She and her dad were close, but he wasn’t a man of many words. Speaking of him, Fonda told Oprah, “My father didn’t verbalize much, but I knew he had regrets, and I don’t want to.

“I want to have people around me who really love me, whom I really love. And I know that you can’t collect those chips unless you’ve earned them during your life. What that said to me was that I had one act left to make sure I didn’t get to the end with regrets.

“What would I regret the most? My big regret would be if I’d never had an intimate relationship. But if you never grew up with intimacy, if you were never with parents who really loved each other, and you never saw that and absorbed it as a kid, it’s hard to know how to do it.”

Known not only for her films and the great number of awards she has received, among which many nominations and two Oscars, for her 1972 movie Klute and the 1979 movie Coming Home, but also for her charity work and her courage to speak her mind, Fonda is loved by many. However, during one occasion, she made people angry after she posed for photos next to an anti-aircraft gun in North Vietnam during the height of the anti-Vietnam War protests.

This year, during the Golden Globes Award Ceremony, Fonda received the Cecil B. DeMille Award given annually to an “individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment.” Among those who were honored with this reward are stars like Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep and Lucille Ball.

According to Page Six, Fonda said she knew her father would be proud of her. In her speech, she addressed the issue about the lack of diversity inside of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which votes on the awards.

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Another thing that attracted the attention of the wide public was Fonda’s choice of outfit. Some years ago, she told Ellen DeGeneres that she would never again buy a new piece of clothing, and she stood by her words. During the recent Golden Globe Ceremony, she was dressed in a white suit that she wore before.

During the 2020 Oscar’s, Fonda was dressed in the same outfit as at the International Cannes Film Festival in 2014.

What we can all agree on is that Fonda looked absolutely stunning and classy.

Chip Gaines donates his hair and raises over $425,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital

By
Monica Pop
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Fixer Upper, the reality show ran by Chip and Joanna Gaines, attracted plenty of fans throughout the five seasons it aired.

However, this couple that we all love so much isn’t only famous for their renovating skills, but for their hearts of gold too. Over the years, they have donated money to charities on many occasions and never miss a chance to ask from the public to do the same.

Back in 2019, following a visit of St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, Chip and Joanna donated $1.5 million.

During the quarantine, Chip changed his style drastically. Namely, he let his hair grow long, but not many liked him that way. And as many criticized him for his looks, he actually had something else in mind when he opted not to have his hair cut for that long.

“The pandemic hit and we just cut that out of our typical routine, probably like most people, and so after it got a little longer and a little longer, I just was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to go for it. I’m going to grow this out,’” he said.

He decided to turn people’s “dislike” of his long hair in his favor and challenged them to donate to St.Jude Children’s Hospital depending on how much they hated his style. “All I’m asking you to do is cut a check. If you hate my hair, $25. If you are repulsed by me and my hair, I’d say that’s 50 bucks,” he wrote on Instagram.

Believe it or not, in no time, $425,000 were raised. Chip and Joanna rounded it up to $500,000 and also contributed an additional $50,000 to Children with Hair Loss, the organization Chip donated his hair to.

When the day for the so much anticipated cut arrived, Chip was accompanied by a teenage boy named Bailey whom he met back in 2017. At the time, Bailey was battling cancer and was receiving treatments at St. Jude.

“Jo and I met Bailey back in 2017, and seeing him now as a healthy young man reminds me why we were drawn to St. Jude,” he wrote on Instagram.

Before it was completely shaved, Chip’s hair was pulled back into ponytails and cut off.

With or without hair, Chip looks as handsome as ever. Way to go Gaines, and thank you for everything you do.

The career and the tragedies in the life of actress and talk show host Ricki Lake

By
Monica Pop
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This is the life story of one of the most inspiring women out there, Ricki Lake. She’s an actress, television presenter and a producer who made a name for herself after she was cast for the lead role in the musical Hairspray.

Her life wasn’t an easy one, as she faced a number of obstacles throughout the years, but she would always end up a winner. When she was pretty young, Lake was sexually violated by one of her father’s employees, and that’s something that stayed with her forever and changed the way she saw her body and perceived her femininity.

“This was the late 1970s and it wasn’t talked about,” she explained. “You pushed everything under the rug.” At one point in her life, she weighted 270 pounds and said it was a result of her insecurities. That all changed, however, when she gave birth to her sons Milo and Owen. “I was able to look at my body and see what it was able to do and embrace it,” Lake told People Magazine in 2009. “Sort of let go of all the body image issues.”

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Lake was married twice. In 1994, she married Rob Sussman, the father of her kids. They divorced in 2005. Lake’s second husband was jewelry designer Christian Evans who suffered from bipolar disorder and took his life in 2017. Lake was left heartbroken and posted a tribute to the man she called her soulmate, writing: “It is with a heavy heart that I share that my beloved soulmate, Christian Evans has passed. The world didn’t understand this man, but I did. He succumbed to his life long struggle with bipolar disorder.”

Lake was always under the spotlight, first, because of her acting career and later for her talk show Ricki Lake which reached to millions of fans and was rated second by the number of views, just after The Oprah Winfrey Show. Lake’s show aired in 1993 and became an instant hit, especially with the young audience. Lake was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1994 and won one in 2013 for Outstanding Talk Show Host after her show which she left in 2004 was reborn.

Youtube/Michaelcooper

Speaking of her role in Hairspray, Lake told Interview Magazine, “I totally did break the mold, and it’s with life experience that I have more reverence for what I was able to achieve. I have to give credit to John Waters for seeing in me the qualities he wanted for that character. And thank god he did, because I don’t know what I would be doing without having had that job as my entry into this business.” This role, of course, wasn’t the only that marked her career in film. In 1990, Lake starred alongside Johnny Depp and music icon Iggy Pop in Cry Baby and was part of a number of other films and projects.

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Recently, our favorite host shared a secret with her fans. She spoke openly of her problem with hair loss and admitted how she was wearing wigs and extensions for the last 30 years, but she felt it was now the time for her to show her true self to the world and serve as an inspiration and support for other women who go through the same.

It has been debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things,” she wrote. “Almost no one in my life knew the level of deep pain and trauma I was experiencing. Not even my therapist/s over the years knew my truth.

Lake shared photos of her with her natural hair and we say she is not only beautiful, but very bold too. She truly is a wonderful person, both inside and out.

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