Latest news with #KermittheFrog
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Feel-Good Photos: 19 Images That Spark Pure Joy
There's a lot of "bad" on the internet. But you know what? There's a lot of "good," too! If you don't believe me, just take a look at the photos in this post, and enjoy your little dose of joy. Want more funny, weird, wholesome, or just plain interesting internet content? Subscribe to the Only Good Internet newsletter to get all of the scrolling with none of the doom. Here's Kermit the Frog giving the commencement speech at the University of Maryland: This guy told his girlfriend that he would need to poop when he got home, so she set this out for him: And this is why sex work is work: This pit bull who was raised by cats, so now he folds his paws like one: Here's a short list of wonderful sounds that you might be taking for granted: This letter from a very grateful eBay buyer: This elephant who went into a grocery store in Thailand to grab snacks: Kiwi and his goth GF (and their babies): The little story that this photo tells: Richie knows what he's doing: This club goer woke up at the bouncer's apartment with this note on the bedside table: Surprise chihuahua! Ha, sucker! VICTORY! She's so dang proud: And so is this squirrel who got to the delivery bag before the bag's owner did: 😎😎😎 FREE HIM: And finally, you can never go wrong with mac and cheese: Want more funny, weird, wholesome, or just plain interesting internet content like what you just read? Subscribe to the Only Good Internet newsletter to get all of the scrolling with none of the doom. No politics, no celeb drama, just Good Content.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Find Your People: Commencement Wisdom For The Rest Of Us
Jane Fonda, USC's Annenberg School, 2025: "Grow yourself a deep, solid community of people who share ... More your values, have each other's backs, check up on each other regularly." The graduating class of 2025 has faced unprecedented isolation. In the latest Harvard Youth Poll, only 17% reported a deep sense of belonging to a community. One in every three young adults aged 18-25 reports feeling anxious or lonely. These feelings of isolation have draconian outcomes: a 33% increase in depression and a 16-fold increase in the risk of death by suicide. In a season that many describe as the start of life's journey, this pervasive loneliness is heavy baggage. Northwestern graduate Claire Throckmorton gave voice (and hope) to this class' unique experience: "We started out more physically separate than any other first-year class, but that distance didn't keep us apart. In fact, if anything, it showed that we're better off when we're all connecting... the most important thing we learned was that we are better together than we are alone." Being connected is a lifeline in a highly fragmented world. Many of this year's commencement speakers understood this. Rather than offering generic advice about following dreams or working hard, they focused on something more fundamental: the urgent need to find and build authentic human connection. Six different speakers offered profound insights about finding your people and building the connections that sustain us. At the University of Maryland, Kermit the Frog reminded the assembled crowd that we are the company we keep. An unorthodox speaker for this event (his creator, the late Jim Henson, was a Maryland alum), his message hit the mark. "Look around," he said, "These are friends you will have for your whole life, and there will be many others to collect along the way." The most important connections aren't always obvious—to recognize them requires intention and genuine curiosity. But Kermit's message was about more than just making friends. It was about how we collaborate to ensure a future that makes space for all of us. "Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side, because life is better when we leap together." Staying open to the wisdom and friendship of others paves the way for new insights and opportunities where you least expect them. Even from a frog. Kermit the Frog, University of Maryland, May 22, 2025. At USC's Annenberg School School of Communication, actress Jane Fonda confronted the cultural forces that impede community. "In these uncertain times, we need to strengthen our ties to our colleagues, our friends and family, because we're going to need this support for safety, for love, for help, for fun—let's not forget fun—and for survival." Since the 1980s, society has shifted to a toxic adulation of individualism, a focus on 'me and mine.' It's 'no accident,' she explained. 'It's being driven by people who want us disempowered. The myth of the rugged individual who needs no one is just that: a myth created by stories through culture." Her call to action was direct and urgent: as future storytellers, graduates must rewrite the narrative. 'Don't let anxiety, depression or hopelessness cause you to isolate…Grow yourself a deep, solid community of people who share your values, have each other's backs, check up on each other regularly.' At Temple University, tech journalist and Wired editor Steven Levy tackled AI head on: "As amazing as AI might become, by definition it cannot be human, and therefore the human connection we homo sapiens forge with each other is unique—and gives us an edge." Investors are spending billions of dollars to 'make their models think like accomplished humans,' Levy said. But, he reminded the assembled class, 'You have just spent four years learning to think as accomplished humans. The difference is immeasurable" For all of AI's abilities, he added, it can't replace the interpersonal connection that is our human superpower. "AI is going to have a huge impact on the labor market.' But, 'there are countless roles AI can never fill because the technology can't replicate true human connection…you will thrive by putting your heart into your own work. AI has no such heart to employ.' Right now, the world needs human qualities: empathy, consciousness, authentic connection. His final words in a speech that affirmed the importance of humanity? 'I. Am. Human.' At Bucknell University, Y Combinator co-founder Jessica Livingston offered graduates concrete advice about choosing a path for the future: 'Find the interesting people." Livingston expressed what often goes unsaid. After years of following clearly prescribed paths from elementary school through college, graduates now face unlimited paths and a lot less guidance. "You can go in any direction now," she told them, but navigating that freedom requires intentional relationship building. Interesting people aren't just sources of inspiration—they're sources of information, opportunity, and direction. By finding the people who are doing the work you find interesting, you'll not only work harder, you'll enjoy it. So ask questions, listen for clues, be curious and open your mind. When you find your people, you'll find your calling. At Yale, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern challenged graduates to embrace what many see as weaknesses in leadership: doubt, vulnerability, and sensitivity. "We need the power of your imposter syndrome," she told the graduates, "because it's also your curiosity and your humility. We need your sensitivity, because it's also your kindness and your empathy." Ardern explained the Māori concept of "rangatira"—a leader who weaves people together rather than commanding from above. Her message was both personal and political: the very traits that make you question yourself, that nagging feeling that you don't belong, are actually superpowers for weaving authentic connections. In a culture of individual achievement and confident leadership, Ardern urged graduates to shift perspectives: 'It's not just about you,' she said. 'It's about us.' At Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy delivered an important prescription: human connection isn't just nice, it's essential medicine. Murthy has spent years researching and documenting the damage social disconnection does to our physical and mental health. It's as dangerous as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Despite his policy expertise, Murthy's speech was personal, relating the lowest points in his career and the power of a small group of friends to shift his mindset and repair his spirit. Overcoming loneliness, he explained, isn't about the number of people around you but about the quality of those relationships. A few caring friends can change the course of your life. Murthy's message reminds us that the cure for our isolation epidemic isn't found in therapy or medication, but in the simple act of showing up for each other. Commencement speeches may be designed for graduates, but their wisdom is a mirror that reflects the current moment. This year's messages offered powerful reminders of the power and responsibility of our humanity, for all of us. Connection isn't just personal. It's professional, creative, even existential. And like everything in life that matters, finding your people isn't a one-time event, it's an ongoing and intentional practice of reaching out, staying curious, and rejecting the cultural narratives that tell us we can go it alone. This year's speeches exhorted us to embrace a life-changing mission: build the communities that sustain us all.
CNBC
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNBC
The No. 1 business book to read in June: 'Hope for Cynics' on a surprising mindset shift that can boost your success and income
As Kermit the Frog recently told University of Maryland grads during his much anticipated commencement speech, "Life is not a solo act. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you are with your people." After all, "life is better when we leap together." With that excellent advice in mind, CNBC Make It is launching a book club! Because books are better when we digest them together. Every month, we'll choose a book that aims to help aspirational professionals be smarter and more successful with their work, money and lives. We'll plan to discuss it in our private LinkedIn group the last Wednesday of each month. Here are our picks for the summer: Our first book, which we'll discuss on Wednesday, June 25, is "Hope for Cynics" by award-winning Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki. It feels like the perfect pick for these complicated times, in which many Americans feel divided and distrustful of institutions — and of each other. The book's central question: Is it foolish to believe that people remain fundamentally decent? No, declares Zaki. In fact, he makes clear, the more optimistic view is borne out by the science — and holding that more optimistic view is actually better for you, too, in the long run. A mindset shift towards "hopeful skepticism" actually aligns with better outcomes, he writes. And that's a way of thinking that "anyone can learn." Zaki got a bachelor's degree in neuroscience at Boston University before going on to study psychology at Columbia University and Harvard. He now runs the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, where he researches human connection. Many people believe that the more intelligent and successful you are, the more jaded you must be. Zaki admits he's made that mistake too. Diving into the research at his lab, though, he discovered that "cynics end up sicker, sadder, poorer, and more wrong." You might assume a more suspicious attitude towards the world could protect you from various kinds of disappointment and harm. Yet "cynics are more likely to suffer heartbreak — and heart disease," he writes. The impact of that mindset on health, happiness, and longevity can be profound, he finds: "Dozens of studies demonstrate that cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money, and even die younger than non-cynics." By contrast, more hopeful people tend to be both happier and healthier, as well as more financially successful, as "non-cynics earn steadily more money over their careers." In other words, putting in the effort to adjust your mindset can pay real dividends, Zaki argues. So how do you shift your mindset from cynicism to "hopeful skepticism"? That's what we plan to find out by reading and discussing "Hope for Cynics" in June. Request to join the LinkedIn group, and check back on Wednesday, June 25, for our first-ever CNBC Make It Book Club discussion. Any questions for the author? Email them to us at askmakeit@ ,
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Baltimore weather: Memorial Day weekend forecast is mostly sunny
May 24—Mostly sunny conditions are in the forecast for the Memorial Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, with the temperature reaching around 72 and winds blowing 8 to 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Saturday evening should be clear, with a low around 53. [Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News] Related Articles — Artscape 2025: Here's what to know about Baltimore arts festival — Transcript: Read Kermit the Frog's University of Maryland commencement speech — Liberatore's restaurant to open in Ocean City, and Lib's Grill in Towson and Sykesville — Maryland Democratic lawmakers describe communications breakdown with Gov. Wes Moore The sun should continue to shine into Sunday with a high near 75. Sunday night is expected to be mostly cloudy with a low around 57. Memorial Day on Monday is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high near 77 and an overnight low around 59. Rain could move into the area early Tuesday, with showers starting around 2 a.m. and continuing in the forecast through at least Thursday.
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
Kermit the Frog shares words of wisdom for Class of 2025
Class of 2025, Kermit the Frog has some sage advice for you all! Everyone's favorite frog delivered a special "Ker-mencement" address at the University of Maryland in College Park on Thursday and shared some pearls of wisdom for graduating students. It was in some respects a full-circle moment, as the university is Muppets creator Jim Henson's alma mater. "I am honored to share some words of wisdom about three things that are close to my heart: finding your people, taking the leap and making connections," Kermit said in his speech. "As you prepare to take this big leap into real life, here's a little advice, if you're willing to listen to a frog," he continued. "Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side, because life is better when we leap together." The beloved Muppet also revisited his own past and hearkened back to Henson's time at the university. "Jim and his wife Jane were proud students right here at UMD when the food at the [Adele H. Stamp Student Union] was good," he joked. At the heart of his speech, Kermit emphasized friendship, harmony and celebrating everyone's special traits. "The show must go on, and if you're with your people, then you won't have to do it alone, because life is not a solo act," he said. "No, it's not. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people." Kermit ended his memorable address with a "Rainbow Connection" sing-along, joined by the crowd of students.
