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5 Keys To Accelerate Your Career After College

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There are a lot of us that are patient with our jobs, but we want to know when our next promotion or position will come. It’s perfectly natural to think about advancement in your career, even if you’re fresh out of college. While some can settle into the same position for years, there are plenty that want to make a change within their first few months.

If you find yourself in the latter category, there are some ways in which you can stand out. Here are five keys to accelerate your career after college so that you can land the job that you’ve always wanted.

Network

It’s a known fact at this point that getting ahead in your career is more about who you know compared to what you know. There are countless people who are fantastic at their jobs but don’t like to interact with their coworkers. While this is certainly fine if you want to focus on the life aspect of work-life balance, those who want to get ahead in their careers will need to network as much as they can.

You don’t have to spend all of your post-work hours rubbing elbows with higher-ups at bars, either. You can simply get on social networks like LinkedIn to start networking within your company and making connections that can get you a long way. Shadowing those who are working in jobs that you want someday is also huge for your networking skills.

Continue Education

Employers absolutely love it when you already have a degree, and they love it even more when you’re working on your next one. Some of the biggest and best companies in the world to work for not only encourage you to work toward another degree, but most of them will end up paying for it as long as you’re there. Most of these opportunities are online, too, making things easier.

Depending on your employer, you might even get paid time off to concentrate on school. Some of the highest-rated companies for those looking to advance their education include Ocrulus, DevBridge, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Some stipulations may require you to maintain employment at the company for a few years after graduation, but you won’t be in debt.

Create a Map

Before you get too deep into the company you’re currently with, try to make a roadmap of where you want to be in the next five to 10 years. There could be certain companies that you’ve wanted to work for, certain roles, or even cities that you want to move to. We mentioned Liberty Mutual, and that would be a good destination for those that want to end up living in the Boston area.

Even if you don’t know exactly where you want to go with your career, at least try to brainstorm some ideas. There aren’t many people who want to stay in the job that they landed straight out of college forever. Write down your dream job and the path it’s going to take to get there, no matter how hard or outlandish it might sound.

Let Higher-Ups Know

In companies of pretty much any size, your direct managers and those above them are going to want to know if you want to pursue other opportunities. They don’t want to know because they think you’re going to mail it in on your current job, but because they want to help you land those new positions. At the end of the day, managers look good when their employees are promoted, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Managers will get in touch with those in the same position in different fields or perhaps even higher up on the ladder to see where you might be a good fit. Even if it’s a job that you weren’t trained for initially, you could end up feeling more comfortable while making more money in an entirely new role. However, your managers can’t help you if you don’t let them know.

Focus on the Now

It’s great to plan out your future and think about advancement opportunities, but when it comes down to it, you still have a job to do right now. If you’re too focused on other things, you might not even get that new job or raise because your performance isn’t up to speed. 

Focus most of your energy on the tasks you have to complete now and the rest will fall into place. It’s good to show initiative, but managers from all walks of life want to see how you’ve been performing before any movement is made.

5 Blue Chip Football Recruits Who Landed At Small Schools

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Being a professional football scout is a dream job compared to recruiting for college football. In the pros, you make a list of who you think the best players are coming out of college, and when it’s your turn in the draft, you simply select the best player available and he’s on your team. In college, though, there’s a lot of convincing that you have to do as a recruiter to get a player to come to your school.

For the most part, smaller schools are eliminated from getting any highly-rated high school players due to their lack of resources. However, there have been a handful of instances in which a smaller school outside of the power five (and especially the Southeastern Conference) has landed big names. Here are five of those times when the little guy got the big fish.

Ofa Mohetau (BYU)

When he was coming out of high school in 2002-03, ESPN said that Ofa Mohetau could be the best offensive guard in a decade. That’s why it stunned so many people that Mohetau decided to move from Texas to Utah, signing with BYU. However, his playing career seemed to vanish as soon as he stepped on campus.

Mohetau decided to join Texas Tech after nearly three years at BYU but didn’t get any playing time. He was left off of the 2007 roster without much fanfare and never made it to the NFL. In fact, he stayed off the grid for the most part and moved back to Texas.

Ed Oliver (Houston)

The Houston Cougars became a Power 5 conference team when they joined the Big 12 in 2023, but in the years leading up to that move, they were a G5 team that was part of Conference USA then the American Athletic Conference. During their AAC days, Houston landed their biggest recruit yet when they signed defensive tackle Ed Oliver.

Oliver was one of the 20 highest-rated prospects in the 2016 class, and he definitely lived up to that billing. Oliver was named an All-American in all three of his NCAA seasons and won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017. Oliver wound up becoming a top 10 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

DeAndre Brown (Southern Miss)

There were three receivers ranked ahead of DeAndre Brown in the class of 2008 and they all ended up being amazing (Julio Jones, A.J. Green, DeVier Pose). DeAndre Brown was the other big five-star receiver coming out of high school that year, and he surprised everyone when he decided to enroll at Southern Miss instead of Auburn, Florida, and LSU.

Brown played for three seasons at Southern Miss, collecting 2,207 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in 30 games. Wanting to avoid injury, he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, but was not selected. He spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad but never suited up for an NFL game.

Michael Bush (Louisville)

It doesn’t sound too wild at the moment to think about Louisville grabbing a five-star recruit every now and then. After all, they are in one of the Power 5 conferences (ACC) and have produced some incredible talent including NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. There was a time, though, when Louisville was just a basketball school in Conference USA.

It was at that time when the Cardinals landed one of the highest-rated running backs in high school history, Michael Bush. Louisville didn’t have to go far on the recruiting trail for Bush since he was raised in the city and wanted to stick around for his college years. Bush collected over 2,500 rushing yards at Lousiville and another 3,250 in the NFL.

Travis Hunter (Jackson State)

When former NFL legend Deion Sanders took over the head coaching duties at FCS school Jackson State, there were a lot of highly-recruited high school players who were interested in joining him. The biggest coup that Sanders pulled off at Jackson State (before leaving for Colorado) was landing Travis Hunter, the top-ranked player in his class.

Hunter had been considered a lock to play for Florida State, but changed his mind at the last moment and went to the small HBCU school. Hunter played just one season with Jackson State, though, as he joined Sanders at Colorado. Still, he was able to put up 141 yards of offense with two touchdowns while also recording 15 tackles at Jackson State, and nobody will forget the recruiting trail that Sander’s blazed at Jackson State in 2022.

5 Politicians Who Changed Their Minds On Fundamental Issues – And Why

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One of the most common terms that you’ll hear in the political realm is “flip-flopper,” which became popular during the 2004 presidential election when it was used against Democratic nominee John Kerry for changing certain political views. Kerry is certainly not alone, though, as almost every politician has reversed course on at least one topic throughout their careers.

Democrats, Republicans, independents, and all other parties have their core beliefs, but some members have strayed away from those over the years. Here are five politicians who changed their minds on fundamental issues, and why they did it.

Joe Biden – Gay Marriage

It might be surprising to a lot of younger people, but even during the 1990s and 2000s, there were many members of the Democratic Party who were against gay marriage. Among them was one of the leading members of the party, Joe Biden. It wasn’t until his time as Vice President under Barack Obama that Biden changed his opinion on gay marriage being recognized by the government.

Michael Lombardo, former head of HBO, said that Biden met with him and his husband in 2012, and it helped the eventual President to change his mind. Since then, Biden has been a huge supporter of gay marriage, saying “Things are changing so rapidly, it’s going to become a political liability in the near term for someone to say, ‘I oppose gay marriage.’”

Bob Inglis – Climate Change

Bob Inglis served two terms as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the state of South Carolina from 1993-1999 and from 2005-2011. When climate change was first touted around the political realm, Inglis said that it was a hoax. After doing some research into the topic, though, Inglis changed his mind and it cost him his seat.

Republicans have held firm on their stance about climate change, and Inglis lost all support within his party. He has remained conservative but has spent his years since serving in Washington trying to get his fellow Republicans to accept that climate change is real. He added that because of tribalism, it has been hard to get many to agree with him.

Donald Trump – Abortion

Long before he became the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump was a businessman who identified as a Democrat and was a firm pro-choice believer. In fact, he said so in multiple interviews, including saying “I’m very pro-choice…I hate the concept of abortion, but still, I just believe in choice.”

When he began campaigning for the White House as a Republican, though, Trump changed his tune and became pro-life. When he selected pro-life justices to fill Supreme Court vacancies, Trump said “This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged,” adding that “God made the decision” to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. “This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged,” he said.

Mitch McConnell – Gun Control

There are times when a politician may not really change how they personally feel about a certain topic but want to make sure that they’re appealing to enough voters to keep their jobs. Many feel that that’s the way Republican Congress leader Mitch McConnell was when he changed his stance on gun control in the United States. For many years, McConnell said that he would go against liberal policies on gun control with full force, but then switched gears after Republicans didn’t perform well in the 2022 midterm elections.

Many suburban voters, even those who identify as Republicans, began scaling back their support of the second amendment following the increase in mass shootings in the United States. Dan Eberhart, a major donor to the party, said that “McConnell can read the polls as well as anyone…Republicans are being painted as extremists on every issue because of the MAGA issue. Guns are an issue where they can disprove that narrative.”

Tulsi Gabbard – Entire Democrat Policy

During the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Tulsi Gabbard was one of the leading candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination. The Hawaii congresswoman was seen by the party as someone who could potentially appeal to more moderate Democrats, but overall, Gabbard had many left-leaning policies that included the legalization of drugs. That changed after she didn’t earn the bid, however.

In late 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party (though she was already out of office at that point), and cited multiple reasons. Gabbard said that the party was “stoking anti-white racism” and that they “demonize the police but protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans…And above all, they are dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.” Though she officially said she was becoming independent, she has appeared at many conservative rallies and conferences since the switch.

5 High-Scoring NBA Games That Definitely Hit the Over

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One of the more common bets that you’ll see in basketball is on the totals. While the point spread can be a bit tricky to navigate for novice bettors, the total points scored line is easier as you don’t have to have too much inside knowledge of each team. Most bettors will also say that it’s more fun to bet the ‘over’ on the total, especially as teams start getting hot and baskets are dropping left and right.

There have been a handful of times in basketball history when the over was hit seemingly by halftime. Whether it was multiple overtimes which inflated the score or just two hot teams, these five games saw the most total points in NBA history. Let’s take a look at those extremely rare occasions and how they happened.

318 Points (Twice)

There have been two games that have hit 318 points total, with the first one not even needing overtime to reach new heights. The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs met on January 11, 1984, and the two teams combined for 99 points in just one quarter, setting the new NBA record that hasn’t been touched since then. Kiki Vandeweghe led the way for Denver, scoring 50 points, while George Gervin put up 38 in the Spurs’ losing effort with a final score of 163-155.

The second time that two teams combined for 318 points came on December 7, 2006, as the Phoenix Suns defeated the New Jersey Nets 161-157. This game didn’t need just one overtime to reach the total, but two. Steve Nash led all scorers with 42 points while Shawn Marion added another 33 for the victors. As for the Nets, Jason Kidd (38) and Vince Carter (31) also had solid nights.

320 Points

The November 2, 1990 game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets was perhaps one of the most interesting games in NBA history. Not only was it opening night for the 1990-91 season, but the game set the league record for most points in a game that didn’t go into overtime with 320. Golden State would prevail, defeating the Nuggets 162-158.

The Warriors shot an absurd 57.8 percent from the field, needing only a pair of three-point baskets to hit 162 points. Chris Mullin recorded a team-high 38 points while Tim Hardaway added 32 and Mitch Richmond added 29. Orlando Woolridge (37) and Walter Davis (33) put up fine performances for the Nuggets in the loss.

329 Points

Reaching more than one overtime in the NBA is rarer than you might think, but reaching four overtimes is almost unheard of. When the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks met up on March 1, 2019, at the State Farm Arena in Georgia, they would end up needing all four overtimes to decide a winner, scoring a total of 329 points as the Bulls won 168-161.

Neither team was headed to the playoffs in this late-season matchup, which explains the lack of defense. Zach LaVine put up 47 points for the Bulls while Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen each added 31. Trae Young led all scorers in the game with 49 while no other member of the Hawks reached 25 points, surprisingly.

337 Points

On March 6, 1982, a new standard for scoring was set in an NBA game when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 171-166 in triple overtime. Though the record wouldn’t last for a full two years, it was still far and away the highest-scoring game in NBA history at that point.

The two teams were tied 131-131 after regulation, and the highest scorers for the Bucks didn’t actually start the game. Brian Winters put up 42 points from the bench while Junior Bridgeman added another 31. As for the winning team, Mike Mitchell (45) and George Gervin (50) combined for more than half of the Spurs’ total.

370 Points

In one of the most unbeatable records in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets made history on December 13, 1983, when they combined for 370 points in the Pistons’ 186-184 road win. At 33 points more than any other game in league history, nobody has come close in the several decades which have followed.

The game ended after three overtimes, and was already high-scoring in regulation as the Pistons and Nuggets were tied at 145-145. Isaiah Thomas (47), John Long (41), and Kelly Tripucka (35) all had huge games for the Pistons while Kiki Vandeweghe had his second big game on the list with 51 points. Alex English also added another 47 for Denver.

5 Lowest Seeds to Make the NCAA Final Four

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There was a time in college basketball when the best teams in the country would almost always make the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. However, in the mid-2000s, more upsets started to happen as the talent gap between the top and bottom began to shrink thanks to the best players only sticking around for a year before heading to the NBA.

As a result, there have been some lower seeds to make the Final Four, including a long list of eight seeds that have even reached the championship game. Then there are those who were ranked even lower, stunning the sports world by claiming a Final Four spot as a double-digit seed. Here are those teams that had remarkable runs, but all of which ended just short of a championship.

LSU (1986)

Louisiana State University isn’t some rinky-dink school in the middle of nowhere, but they were ranked like one when they made it into the 1986 NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed. In their first game, LSU pulled off the minor upset over Purdue by defeating the Boilermakers 94-87 in double-overtime. They then pulled off a trio of major upsets, all of which were also incredibly close games.

They defeated third-seeded Memphis in the second round (83-81), second-seeded Georgia Tech in the Sweet 16 (70-64), and top-seeded Kentucky in the Elite 8 (59-57). LSU didn’t fare so well in the Final Four when they met up with western regional-winning Louisville, however. The eventual-champion Cardinals defeated LSU 88-77, then defeated Duke 72-69 to claim their title.

George Mason (2006)

It would be another 20 years before another double-digit seed made it to the Final Four, and it came from the unlikeliest of teams. George Mason was a mid-major, but they didn’t win their conference tournament. Instead, that honor went to UNC Wilmington, but the Patriots were still given a chance by the NCAA Tournament Committee to show what they could do in 2006.

George Mason didn’t disappoint, and they started off by taking down a pair of blue bloods in the first two rounds in the form of Michigan State and North Carolina. After beating upstart Wichita State in the Sweet 16, George Mason pulled off their biggest upset in their tourney run by taking down top seed Connecticut. The run would end in the Final Four, however, as Florida defeated them 73-58, then dispatched UCLA by a nearly identical score in the championship game.

VCU (2011)

Virginia Commonwealth’s story was almost identical to George Mason’s. The team was considered a strong mid-major, but many felt that they should have been left out of the tournament since they didn’t win their conference tournament. VCU was brought in for the new “First Four” which meant they had to play USC to declare who the #11 seed would be in the southwest region.

VCU took down the Trojans to claim the spot then blew out their next two opponents (#6 Georgetown and #3 Purdue). The only real close game that VCU played on their way to the Final Four was against 10th-seeded Florida State, with VCU prevailing 72-71 in overtime. They took down #1 Kansas before losing to eighth-seeded Butler in the Final Four.

Loyola-Chicago (2018)

Nobody will ever forget the story of Sister Jean and the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers of the Missouri Valley Conference. After finishing 28-5 and winning the MVC, Loyola won their first three games in the tournament by a combined four points. The Ramblers took down Miami, Tennessee, and Nevada during that stretch then took on Kansas State in the Elite 8.

Kansas State came in as a nine-seed, so it was going to be a cinderella team in the Final Four, either way. Loyola ran away with the game, defeating the Wildcats 78-62. Many thought they were a team of destiny, but when they reached the Final Four, they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the Michigan Wolverines. The Ramblers’ season came to an end with a 69-57 loss.

UCLA (2021)

When you think of underdogs, you probably don’t think much about the NCAA team that has more championships than anybody else. However, that was the case in 2021 when the UCLA Bruins were given an at-large bid and entered into the First Four against fellow low-seeded blue blood Michigan State.

UCLA prevailed over the Spartans and went on to upset BYU in the first round. They then got an easy opponent in Abilene Christian when they upset Texas. UCLA showed they weren’t a fluke, though, as they toppled the top two seeds (Alabama and Michigan) to make it into the Final Four. UCLA nearly made the championship game, too, but lost to Gonzaga in overtime.

5 Timeless Classics From 50s Hollywood

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Some say that the Golden Age of Hollywood was the best and that the 1950s marked the “Fall of the Studio System.” Life Magazine even called the 1950s the “horrible decade” at the time, which seems silly now that we look back at the era. There were many timeless classics that were released between 1950 and 1959, many of which we still quote to this day. Here are five timeless classics from 1950s Hollywood that, if you haven’t seen, you’ll be sure to love.

Vertigo

Jimmy Stewart was perhaps the biggest name in Hollywood during this era and he starred in many classic films that are still heralded to this day. Among his best work was “Vertigo”, one of his team-ups with director Alfred Hitchcock. The two collaborated on four films together, and most critics are split on whether it was “Vertigo” or “Rear Window” that ended up being the best of the best.

“Vertigo” does have a lot of memorable moments and follows the story of Stewart’s character John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, a police officer who develops a fear of heights after seeing one of his fellow officers fall off of a building. The story taps into the psyche of fear and is played beautifully by Stewart with an ending that won’t soon be forgotten thanks to actress Kim Novak.

Singin’ in the Rain

Musicals are still popular today, but back in the 1950s, they were all the rage. Out of the many musicals from the era, the one that has withstood the test of time more than any other is “Singin’ in the Rain” starring the legendary Gene Kelly. The rest of the cast is amazing, as well, including Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor.

Despite not making as much money as you might think, “Singin’ in the Rain” became a classic over the years thanks to television airings and eventually VHS releases. Many started to memorize the words from the soundtrack, including the titular song as well as “Good Morning”, “Make ‘Em Laugh” and “Moses Supposes”. Almost everyone in real life, too, has had their own little parody of ‘Singin’ in the Rain” when the weather allows it.

12 Angry Men

“12 Angry Men” was originally written for television, but the story ended up being so good that Henry Fonda and Reginald Rose adapted it to the big screen, too. Fonda also stars in the film where a jury is trying to decide the fate of a teenage boy who was charged with murder. If you enjoy intense dramas where the scene doesn’t change, then “12 Angry Men” is the one for you. There are a lot of memorable lines and moments with amazing pacing throughout.

Fonda’s character is the only one at the beginning who votes ‘not guilty’ in the jury and spends almost the entire film convincing everyone else to vote alongside him. Eventually, everyone starts to see things his way as there is a lot of reasonable doubt surrounding the crime. The movie brilliantly captures tha ability of one calm person being able to hold back an entire group of people with a mob mentality.

Sunset Boulevard

Billy Wilder’s 1950 film “Sunset Boulevard” is one of those films that Hollywood loves because it gives a good glimpse into the inner workings of the film industry. What most people will remember about “Sunset Boulevard” is the performance of Gloria Swanson, who plays former silent-film actress Norma Desmond.

Norma is trying to make her return to the big screen after vocals have been introduced to films, and won’t accept that her 15 minutes of fame have expired. She tries to get in touch with famous director Cecil B. DeMille, which helps to create the intensely famous final line from Norma, “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Like musicals, war films were extremely popular during the 1950s, and “The Bridge on the River Kwai” may have been the best of the bunch. Directed by David Lean, this film stars A-lister William Holden alongside Jack Hawkins and Alec Guinness. Guinness, of course, would go on to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original “Star Wars” films.

The three men play prisoners of World War II in the early 1940s and the film shows the helplessness that one can feel during that time. “The Bridge on the River Kwai” was a massive hit when it was first released, costing nearly $3 million to make while pulling in well over $30 million in box office sales. For context, that would be a $30 million budget and $325 million revenue in modern times.

5 Household Items You Didn’t Know Were Deadly

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Some say that there’s danger lurking around every corner, and they aren’t only talking about the outdoors. In your own home, there are a lot of things that aren’t only dangerous, but can also be deadly. Some are deadly in the sense that they can cause a tragic accident instantaneously, while others are dangerous because they cause chronic illnesses.

At some point, you’ve probably thought about the potential dangers that some of the items in your house can bring. We don’t want to cause any alarm as all of these items have their purpose, but you have to be careful when using them. On the other hand, you may want to consider alternatives for a few of these items. Without further adieu, here are five household items that you probably didn’t know could be deadly.

Space Heater

Often used in the dead of winter to warm up a small area inside your home, space heaters are extremely convenient and come in handy on those especially frigid winter days. Well, like any corded appliance, there’s always a risk of an electrical fire when using a space heater. 

That risk is increased when the appliance is producing a lot of heat. Annually, about 45,000 house fires are caused by electrical problems. Always keep your space heater plugged into a functioning wall outlet, with no extension cords. Keep flammable items far from the space heater. Educate yourself on space heater etiquette to keep your home safe. 

Chemical Cleaners

Odds are you’ll find at least a few harsh chemical-based cleaners in any household. Bleach, window cleaner, ammonia, drain cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner all contain harsh ingredients that can irritate your eyes, skin, and lungs, and possibly damage items they come into contact with. 

As if that’s not reason enough to ditch the harsh chemicals, if mixed together the chemicals can create noxious gasses that are dangerous and possibly deliver fatal consequences. Opt for more natural cleansers that are gentle, but still tough on stains and filth. Only use these harsh chemicals when absolutely necessary and never mix them together.  

Nonstick Pots and Pans  

The ease of cooking with nonstick pots and pans almost makes you forget that the nonstick surface itself contains Polytetrafluoroethylene. Not only a mouthful, but a fluoropolymer that has been linked to inferiority, obesity, and certain cancers. 

A rather unappetizing danger most people don’t factor into their meal plans. Do as much research as you can to find pots and pans that are safely nonstick, so you’re not ingesting a deadly surprise with your meals. 

Air Fresheners and Plug-ins

Air fresheners come in all different kinds of vessels. Aerosol cans, aroma beads, wax melts, diffusers, potpourri, candles, incense, and plug-ins, just to name a few. Some hidden dangers to using powerful air fresheners are the asthma and lung issues that can develop, or become irritated by the release of scents and mists. 

It’s best to stick to natural and less irritating scent enhancers that freshen up the room without harming your air quality. One more thing to be aware of is the danger of plug-in air fresheners. Plugging the scented packs into your outlets can cause fires and it’s best to stay away from them completely. 

Extension cords 

A seemingly harmless household helper, the extension cord. They’re convenient as ever but can threaten your safety at home. Most house fires are caused by electrical issues, including poor extension cord usage. Never plug space heaters, or other powerful appliances into extension cords and keep them plugged directly into outlets instead. 

Ensure your extension cords are not overcrowded and only have a small number of items plugged in temporarily. Typically they’re not safe to be used as long-term fixtures for your devices. Keep extension cords in sight and never run them underneath rugs or other flammable objects. 

How Did The Ancients Know The World Wasn’t Flat?

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Despite the efforts of some conspiracy theorists around the globe, we know that the Earth is round. It wasn’t just a theory at one point, though, as it was widely accepted by many that the world was flat in various ancient cultures. It wasn’t until the likes of Plato and Aristotle came around and showed that the Earth was round, and since then has been recognized as scientific fact.

There were varying theories about the Earth’s flatness, with some saying that the Earth floated in the ocean as if it were a log. Others said that the Earth was a circle within a large square that sat completely stationary in space while the Sun revolved around us. It’s strange to think about these theories now, especially as humans have not only looked into but have gone into space, seeing the full scope.

During the 4th century, it became more widely accepted that the Earth was round, but how did these ancient cultures finally accept this? For generations, they believed that the Earth was flat and nobody had been into space. Did they just trust those they felt were the smartest people and ran with the idea? 

For many, they didn’t have to simply trust the scientists as they were able to see it for themselves when they were navigating. The curvature of the Earth is seen point blank when you’re traveling by air, but those in that time were typically traveling by sea and were able to see objects that were once close by disappear over the horizon.

To the naked eye of someone that hasn’t traveled by sea or air, it can be easy to see why the Earth could be considered flat. Your vision can only see so far, and it appears that the world simply ends at one point when looking out to the edge. Over time, we proved that this wasn’t the “edge” of the world, though, but rather your eyes being able to see far enough to process curvature from a distance.

There was one man who was instrumental in proving that the Earth was round. Not only did he do this, but he was able to measure the circumference of the Earth in one of the most impressive scientific processes known to mankind. We’re talking about Eratosthenes, whose experiment showed that the Earth was just over 40,000 kilometers in circumference.

Eratosthenes conducted his experiment using shadows and found that at noon during the summer solstice, there was no shadow on his stick in the city of Syene, Libya. He then measured out the distance between Syene and Alexandria by foot and found that at the same time of day, the shadow appeared at a seven-degree angle in Alexandria.

This allowed Eratosthenes to conclude that the Earth was a 360-degree sphere and that the difference in latitude between the two cities was seven degrees. Though this was pretty concrete evidence of a round Earth, it would still take some more time before it became widely accepted. Eventually, as we worked out way toward the AD, a vast majority of people around the world knew that the Earth was round.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century that there were some people who became more vocal about their belief that the Earth is flat. Much of this had to do with religious beliefs and an increase in extremist views. Religious people were becoming more contentious toward those who followed science, which is something that we still see today, perhaps more than ever.

For many modern scientists, it has been very discouraging to see the increase in people who believe that the Earth is flat. It took centuries to not only discover that it was round but to have people find out for themselves and know that it’s true. It doesn’t help that many prominent celebrities have pushed the flat earth narrative, including basketball star Kyrie Irving and reality television star Tila Tequila.

However, we know (and have known) that the Earth is round. The empirical evidence is all around us, from the changing amount of sunlight that we get on a daily basis, to using airplanes to see multiple sunsets in one day. So why are flat earthers so adamant about their belief? Where’s the advantage? For many, it simply comes down to thinking that the “government” or other “powers that be” are lying to them about everything, and the concept of a flat Earth is the easiest straw to grasp in hopes of being a contrarian.

5 Best Recruits in Oregon Ducks History

Posted on by scatty

Oregon Ducks football has a long history, though it wasn’t until the 2000s that it became a national powerhouse. For decades, Oregon was seen as a regional program that toiled around toward the middle of the Pac 10 Conference at best, but with a larger investment into the athletics programs by Phil Knight, the Ducks are now recruiting around the United States.

As a result, there have been some recruits to make their way to Eugene who are considered to be among the best high school football players in history. Let’s take a look at the five best high school football recruits who signed with Oregon, how they did in their Ducks careers, and how their professional careers fared.

Before we start the list, here are some of the names that just missed the cut: Cameron Colvin, De’Anthony Thomas, Josh Conerly, Arik Armstead, and Canton Kaumatule.

5. Noah Sewell

After his older brother Penei attended Oregon and became a first-round NFL Draft selection, it seemed like a no-brainer for Noah Sewell to head to Eugene, as well. Instead of playing tackle like his brother, though, Noah spent his college days at linebacker and was considered the second-best at the position in his class and 13th overall player in the country.

Sewell’s first year was dragged down by the COVID-19 pandemic but he was still able to see significant playing time. In his second season, Sewell played in all 14 games and picked up four sacks, adding another 56 tackles in his third season. Sewell declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, finishing his Ducks career with 218 tackles and 7.5 sacks over 33 games.

4. Jonathan Stewart

When he was coming out of high school in 2005, Jonathan Stewart was considered the top running back in the country and was the 12th overall recruit in the nation. Stewart didn’t have to wait to show off his skills as Oregon used him quite a bit during his freshman year, rushing for 188 yards and six touchdowns. Things only got better for Stewart, and by his third season, he rushed for 1,722 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding another 145 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Stewart was named an All-American twice during his college days and he won the 2007 Most Valuable Player Award at the Sun Bowl. Stewart then became the 13th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft and had a long career with the Carolina Panthers (and one year with the New York Giants). As a pro, Stewart finished with 7,335 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns.

3. Haloti Ngata

Every college team in the United States was vying for the services of Haloti Ngata, who was ranked as the top defensive tackle in the nation and the second-best player behind only Vince Young in 2002. Ngata played for four seasons with Oregon, finishing his career with 151 tackles, 10 sacks, and an impressive seven blocked kicks.

The Baltimore Ravens made Ngata the 12th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he’d spent much of his career there before playing with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. Ngata was a five-time All-Pro and was named to the Ravens Ring of Honor.

2. Justin Flowe

Oregon has seen an increase in skill at the linebacker position in recent years, and that trend continued in 2020 with the signing of Justin Flowe. Flowe was the sixth-highest-rated player in high school football and the top linebacker in the nation. He chose Oregon over the countless other schools that offered him a scholarship, making him the second-best recruit that the Ducks have ever landed.

Flowe didn’t see much playing time in his first two seasons, appearing in just one game each and amassing 15 total tackles. He saw an expanded role in his third year, collecting 35 tackles over 10 games. Injuries didn’t allow Flowe to live up to the hype he had coming out of high school and he would end up transferring to Arizona to continue his football career.

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux

Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was the second-highest-rated recruit in the nation, and surprised some when he chose Oregon over every other school. Many felt he would have an instant impact, and they were right. Thibodeaux had nine sacks in his freshman season, and he’d add another 10 over his final two seasons.

Thibodeaux was an All-American in 2021 and a two-time First-Team All-Pac-12 selection. He entered the 2021 NFL Draft as one of the favorites to be the top pick but was drafted fifth overall by the New York Giants and impressed right away, becoming a member of the All-Rookie Team.

5 Biggest “Final” Tours in Music History

Posted on by scatty

Whenever a band starts to get fed up with each other or simply wants to go off in their own direction, they call for one final tour. There have been countless incidents of bands or performers who have said that they’re going on one final tour, helping to boost ticket sales, only to go back on tour after one more year.

Then, there have been some cases where a musician truly meant it when they said that the tour was final. Let’s take a look at the biggest tours (in no particular order) which ended up being the true final ones for legendary solo acts and bands, many of which spanned several years before coming to an end.

Genesis

Genesis originally consisted of singer/drummer Phil Collins, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, and keyboardist Tony Banks, but they hadn’t stuck together throughout the entirety of Genesis. After 2007, it seemed that the band was done as an original trio. However, Phil Collins came out of retirement to do one final tour with the original group, and tickets went on sale just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The original dates were all pushed back, but that didn’t seem to be a problem for the band as they were still able to play all but eight of their scheduled shows. On September 20, 2021, in Birmingham, England, The Last Domino Tour kicked off and continued through Europe and North America before coming to an end on March 26, 2022, at London’s O2 Arena.

Slayer

In terms of metal bands, it’s hard to get any bigger than Slayer, who is considered to be among the “Big Four” in the genre. Slayer had been touring for more than 30 years by the time 2018 came around, which was when they started what was officially titled The Final World Tour. On May 10th of that year, Slayer played their opening show at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

The tour hit just about every continent over the course of 18 months. After spending the beginning of Autumn 2019 in South America, they wrapped up their farewell tour in Inglewood, California on November 29, 2019, at The Forum. All in all, the Final World Tour was able to get all 147 scheduled shows in just before the COVID-19 pandemic and giving fans the proper goodbye.

Bob Seger

Rock and roll icon Bob Seger truly meant it when he said the Travelin’ Man Tour starting in 2018 would be his final one. Seger had been dealing with back issues that caused him to feel a lot of pain and wanted to muster up the energy for a brief final run over the course of six months.

Of course, Seger started his final tour in his home state of Michigan and kept his final tour entirely within the United States. Originally scheduled to end in March 2019, Seger added a few more shows, so the official end came at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in October 2019.

Kiss

Kiss has had multiple anniversary and farewell tours over the years to the point where not many people take them seriously when they say they’re wrapping up. At the start of 2019, though, it became clear that they were planning on something big as they were dead-set on retiring after one more tour and thus introduced the End of the Road World Tour.

The band decided to start their farewell tour in Vancouver, playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Rogers Arena. They then made their way through the United States, Europe, and Japan before having to put the tour on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2021, the tour resumed in the United States and continued into 2023 as Gene Simmons celebrated his 70th birthday and scheduled the band’s final show for Tonsberg, Norway.

Elton John

Kiss isn’t the only musical act that has teased retirement over and over, only to come back with another long tour schedule. Elton John had done it multiple times, but after his Wonderful Crazy Night Tour in 2018 wrapped up, he said that the next one would be the last. This one was in the form of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, and it would become the highest-grossing tour ever.

John wanted to go all-out for his final tour, which started in Allentown, Pennsylvania on September 8, 2018. Despite a hiccup due to COVID-19, Elton John continued on with well over 300 shows on the tour. Wanting to wrap things up in Europe, John scheduled his last show for Stockholm, Sweden in a two-night event.