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Steve from 'Blue's Clues' wells up after a reunion with a Make-a-Wish kid from 22 years ago

He survived stage 4 cancer.

make-a-wish, blue's clues, steve burns
via Nick Jr. / Twitter

Steve Burns from "Blue's Clues"with a heartfelt message.

Former “Blue’s Clues” host and Millennial icon, Steve Burns, 49, made an appearance at Steel City Con in Monroeville, Pennsylvania earlier this month and he had no idea the surprise he was going to get. According to TMZ, Brandon Ragland, 25, stopped by his booth and showed him a photo that brought both men to tears.

It was a shot of Ragland taken in 2000 when he was just 4 years old, hanging out with Burns, who was his favorite TV personality. At the time, Ragland had stage 4 cancer in his kidneys and lungs so he was able to meet Burns through the Make-a-Wish program. The Make-a-Wish experience also included a shopping spree at Toys “R” Us and tickets to see "Blue's Clues Live."

After seeing the photo, Burns’ eyes lit up and he said, "I remember this and you!" Burns then told Ragland he remembers he was a bit of a wild child that ran all around the New York City restaurant where they met.

The two then took a reunion photo and both burst into tears. "This made my entire year and I'm so glad you're here,” Burns told Ragland.

“I could hear his voice crack and get choked up, so I instantly just started to do the same,” Ragland wrote on Facebook. “I thanked him for not only being there today, but meeting me all those years ago.”

“One of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure to meet,” Ragland continued. “I think he might have been more moved than I was over the whole ordeal.”

The great news is that Ragland has been cancer-free and in remission for 23 years.

Burns left “Blue’s Clues” in 2002 for a career in music and voiceover acting. As a musician he's worked with Steven Drozd from The Flaming Lips and composed the theme song to “Young Sheldon.” He also remained part of the “Blue’s Clues” family, working as a mentor to the show’s current host, Joshua Dela Cruz. He even appears on the show from time to time.

Most of Burns’ post “Blue’s Clues” work has been behind the camera, leaving many who loved him as a child to wonder what happened to him. He addressed his sudden departure from the show in September 2021 by appearing in his “Blue’s Clues” outfit on Nick Jr.’s Twitter account.

"You remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue and find clues and talk to Mr. Salt and freak out about the mail and do all the fun stuff?" he asked on the video. "And then one day, I was like, 'Oh hey, guess what? Big news, I’m leaving. Here’s my brother Joe, he’s your new best friend,' and then I got on a bus and I left and we didn’t see each other for like a really long time?"

Burns then gave a heartfelt “thank you” that brought countless Millenials to tears.

"I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you. Ever. And I'm super glad we’re still friends," he said.

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Planet

Enter this giveaway for a free, fun date! 🌊 💗

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Joy

Single woman shares the hilarious 'deal breaker' she uses when she doesn't want a second date

Jo Brundza has mastered the art of painlessly getting out of a second date by making them reject her.

via JBrundz/TikTok and Frank Cone/Pexels

How Jo Brundza gets out of a date.

It's uncomfortable for people to tell someone they met for a first date that they aren’t interested in a second one because nobody enjoys hurting another person’s feelings. TikToker Jo Brundza has mastered the art of painlessly getting out of a second date by making them reject her.

How does she do it? Once she realizes she doesn’t want to see them again, she rants about the moon.

“From that realization and on, I spend the rest of the date trying to convince the other person that I don’t think the moon is real,” she says. Now, many folks out there incorrectly believe that the moon landing was faked, but she goes a step further by saying the massive celestial object doesn’t exist at all.

“They’re typically too stunned to argue back,” she says.

@jbrundz

They’re typically too stunned to argue back #fyp #dating #funny #bits

In a follow-up video, Brundza outlines the three arguments she uses to prove that the moon isn’t real:

1. If you know, you know

"I just think it's ridiculous that all these billionaires are going up into space. I mean, when they get up there, what do they expect to be there, or not be up there?"

2. False evidence

"Look, I'm just saying that if you look at the science of how light refraction works when it enters the atmosphere, it would bend it in a way that to the naked eye would look like solid mass, but it's not. Also, at the end of the day, do you know anyone who has actually been to the moon?"

3. Blame Greenland

"Eighty percent of the island is covered in ice and uninhabitable. You're really gonna tell me that's not where the projectors are? Actually, now that I think about it, do you personally know anyone who's ever been to Greenland?"

@jbrundz

Replying to @TySpice Bonus points if you can somehow work in that the sun is fake too #fyp #funny #bits

Works like a charm.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Proud mama ferret wants her human to pet babies and isn't taking no for an answer

How could anyone resist?

Photo by Alfred Kenneally on Unsplash

Proud mama ferret shows human her babies.

Sometimes you come across a video that's just too cute not to share. That's the case with this one of a mama ferret that has recently given birth and wants nothing more than her owner to cuddle with her babies. At first it looks like she's coming over to her owner's hand for some pets, but she soon starts gently trying to get her human's fingers in her mouth to pull them. After a few tries, the ferret is successful and tugs the hand over to her box where tiny cries can be heard.

It's full of tiny babies! The person does a quick pat and removes their hand but the ferret is having none of it. She is proud of her babies and is determined for her human to get a good look at them. I've always heard that ferrets are smart creatures. I just had no idea they were also so persistent when it comes to things they want. This mama ferret marched herself right back to her human as if to say, "Excuse me, we aren't done here." It doesn't take much convincing for the person to give the babies another look.

But even after the human picks up one of the babies and gives it a gentle pat before placing it back with its siblings, the mama ferret didn't feel like that was sufficient. She came right back again and again to guide the person's hand to her little box of babies.

It's safe to say she's proud of the work she's done. The babies are adorable and I'm sure she's a great mama.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Popular

The laughably worst haircuts that have perfectly defined 6 different generations

History is great. But sometimes hairstyles tell us everything.

Photo by Michael DeMoya on Unsplash

Each generation has a top and bottom cut. Let's see 'em.

When actress Sash Striga (@sashstriga on TikTok) went in for a "cool girl chic" tweak to a haircut she had gotten five days earlier, things did not go as planned. "Very flirty, very flowy," she told the stylist as they discussed making her already short hair a bit "shorter in the back" and "less wide on the sides."

"I can do that," he confidently answered. But after a long while of snipping (and then clipping!), Sash took to TikTok to describe the moment she saw him turn ghostly pale, possibly realizing he'd made a few mistakes.

In her video, she recounts the story while wearing a grey beanie. When she finally removes it, she reveals what can only be described as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl Manic Pixie Dream Girl gone horribly wrong. But her pure joy in the awfulness of it all is delightful to watch, and a good reminder that it will always grow back.

@sashstriga

I’m more mad at myself than anything tbh 🫠 #badhairday #badhaircut #toronto #torontolife #fyp #hairstyle #hair #badhaircutcheck

While all of these unfortunate trends have or will be recycled through different generations, take a look at what might arguably be the worst hair trends since the '40s!


The Silent Generation: The Bouffant

marge simpson pulling atbouffant her hairfrustrated marge simpson GIFGiphy

If you were born in the later part of this generation (say, 1943), you'd be just the right age to wear this wacky hairdo to a high school dance. There couldn’t possibly be enough hairspray or teasing combs for this up-do to reach the heavens. And yet, that never stopped anyone from trying.


Baby Boomers: The Shag

woman with shag haircutGIF by SliceGiphy

A Baby Boomer born smack-dab in the middle of their generation might have started caring about their hairstyle around 1970. This was the BEST time for hair and the Shag had it all: the bouncy middle part, the sexy curtain bangs—everything. Even the edgier cuts like The Shag were kinda hot. But even hot haircuts can turn cold with the wrong scissors.


Gen X: The Mullet

a man with a mullet fist pumping Happy Seann William Scott GIFGiphy

This "business in the front, party in the back" hairstyle is nothing new. In fact, it has been stated by historian Suetonius that "the Roman emperor Tiberius 'wore his hair rather long at the back, so much so as even to cover the nape of his neck,' and that this was a tradition of his family, the Claudians."

Technically, Boomers also bear responsibility for the mullet, but it was the Xers who really made it sing.

The '80s had so many outrageous hair choices that this category gets two entries:


Also Gen X: The Rattail

gif of men with rattails square pegs 80s GIF by absurdnoiseGiphy

Something strange emerged in the '80s. Well, a lot of strange things came about, but somewhere, some hairdresser woke up and said, "Yes, we will leave a piece of hair hanging, and sometimes, we might even braid it."


Millennials: The Bowl Cut

man shaking out his bowl cutHappy Haircut GIF by Australian Ninja WarriorGiphy

We saw the odd The Three Stooges"Moe" cut on Sash, who is technically a young millennial, just missing the cusp of a Gen Z-er by two years. At least it was a nice update to the traditionally awful "bowl cut." But it was the millennials who brought this unfortunate look back in the early '90s.


Gen Z: The Broccoli Cut (aka the Zoomer Perm)

The Broccoli Cut is..,something Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Imagine thinking this is a good idea: "We'll cut the sides real short, and leave it long on top. Sure, that works. But wait! Then we'll PERM the top and let it just sit there." For some reason, in the UK, this was renamed the "Meet me at McDonald's haircut," and it's so disturbing that some schools have even banned it. Many Zoomers disagree, though, and it's still quite a popular look on TikTok.

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Culture

Holy moly, these handmade miniature film and TV sets are incredible

Instagram

Looks real, doesn't it?

There truly is no limit to the amount of creative brilliance in the world. And sometimes seeing the works of talented humans is all you need to have your faith restored, or at least to brighten your day a bit.

Los Angeles based artist Bridget McCarty creates incredibly tiny, lifelike rooms with remarkable craftsmanship.

Her Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are chock-full of these intricate, elaborate mini-masterpieces, and even some amazing how-to videos that can help get your own creative juices flowing.

Taking a look at these creations, it’s easy to forget that these models are in fact only inches tall.

@bridgetmccartyminis

A work year at a glance. #january #december #diy


…that is, until you notice a “giant” hand in the frame.

The amount of serenity I received from seeing this tiny sushi restaurant cannot be expressed by mere words.

@bridgetmccartyminis

One of my top selling tiktok shop products for those of you that want to try and build something cute. 💙 #sushi

McCarty also takes iconic sets from well-known movies and televisions shows, and recreates them—with exact detail—as miniature models.

When I say exact detail, I mean it.

Seinfeld, but make it small. Like, really small.

@bridgetmccartyminis

Making Seinfeld’s apartment in miniature. #seinfeld #tiny #sitcom #fyp #diy #crafts

In this recreation of Jerry’s apartment from Seinfeld, McCarty offers a little hack for making teeny tiny potato chips…by using bell pepper seeds! How genius is that?

The not so "Big Bang Theory."

@bridgetmccartyminis

I think all I’m missing is the side table on the left where the keys go? #bigbangtheory

I think even cynical Sheldon would approve of this recreation of his apartment.

Enter a fun-sized "Friends."

@bridgetmccartyminis

Replying to @aesthetic..christmas.22 Monica’s apartment in miniature. #friends #friendsreunion

Behold, a 1:12 scale model of Monica’s kitchen. Could this BE any cooler?

Harry Potter and the magical miniscule model.

@bridgetmccartyminis

Making my own #floatingcandles effect from #harrypotter #greathall #candlehack #fyp

Looking at McCarty’s handcrafted Great Hall in Hogwarts is making me wish I got my letter even more.

Joyce Byers living room from Stranger Things...a tiny Demogorgon is just as threatening!

@bridgetmccartyminis

Celebrating #strangerthingsday #strangerthings #fyp @Netflix

Everything down to the Eggos.

@bridgetmccartyminis Who has been baking in my kitchen?! #ShowYourGlow #36SecondsOfLightWork #fyp #halloween #baking #wow #amazing #lol #foryoupage ♬ Who Ya Gonna Call (From "Ghostbusters") - Karaoke Version - Urock Karaoke

And I mean, who you gonna call when you need some compact Ghostbusters nostalgia? McCarty, clearly.

If Coraline's doll had a doll, she could live here.

@bridgetmccartyminis

My Hamster goes to Coralines house. #fyp #cute #mouse #coraline #fantasy

McCarty’s designs might be small, but they’re certainly making a big splash on social media. On TikTok alone, she has 1.3 million followers. Yeah, you read that right. Her art is already so clever and creative, but seeing someone authentically live their passion makes it all the more inspiring.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Friendship

Woman reconnects with her high school bully and finds out people aren't always who they once seemed

Almost everyone has been bullied. Not even gets to have a surprising reunion.

Photo by Obie Fernandez on Unsplash
girl in blue sleeveless dress

Bullies. So many of us had them. Whether it was the subtle "Mean Girls" digs or full-on being shoved into a locker, there was usually that ONE (or three) person in your younger years who made your stomach drop the moment you saw them. They seemed to live to make your life miserable, and all too often, they succeeded.


i know right mean girls GIFGiphy

A woman took to Reddit and asked, "Who got bullied in school/college? Where are your bullies now?"

Great question. As someone who Insta-stalks every single crush I've had since kindergarten, it never occurred to me to look up the people who hadn’t always been so pleasant.

After the OP posed the question, she told her own story. "There was a group of girls, particularly one girl who'd pick on me. Basically, her boyfriend had broken up with her because he had started to like me. So yeah, she'd bully me a lot, and I never had a good relationship with her in school."

But things took a surprising turn somewhat recently! She adds, "…until a year ago, our best friends from school basically cheated on us with each other. (I don't have a better way to explain this, but yeah, we both got abandoned by our best friends.) This left us dealing with a lot of mental issues. During this time, we both connected with each other online and became each other's emotional support."

It gets even better. "She apologized to me for everything she'd done, and I genuinely forgave her. We've become really, really close now, and it makes me happy to think that things turned out this way."

Many Reddit users chimed in to tell their own tales of bullying and updates on their whereabouts. Said bullies' lives reportedly ranged from fabulous and successful (one runs a Fortune 500 company) to not-so-great and possibly current cult members. One person adds a funny observation about hypocrisy: "A lot of them are now 'life coaches' and 'influencers' who talk about loving yourself and being kind. F-ing irony."

woman in pink tank top and blue denim jeans sitting on yellow chair Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Instead of befriending their bullies, many on the thread have learned to take their power back by simply ignoring them. One shares, "I get repeated follow requests on Instagram from one of them. He passively stalks me. Two years ago, he DM'd me, and I just saw it and screenshot it. Later, he would proceed to like my Instagram stories and photos, and as usual, I kept ignoring him. LMAO."

Looking Good Social Media GIF by TravisGiphy

She says it didn't even occur to her that this was some sort of victory: "I was so much into my own world that it took me a while to realize how some people can perceive this as a victorious/ 'revenge' moment."

And lastly, there's the perspective that comes with age. A Redditor shares that after attending her 25th high school reunion, she saw this group for what they really were:
"It was glaringly obvious. Once they ascertained my station in life, they grudgingly offered some polite greetings, but they couldn't hide their disdain on their faces. From time to time, they checked if they could get away with laughing at something about me. When they couldn't get any reaction, they looked disappointed."

romy and micheles high school reunion GIFGiphy

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