A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
"Dune: Prophecy," set over 10,000 years before the events of "Dune," premieres Nov. 17 on HBO and Max.
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The latest trend on TikTok is, well, a fecal matter. People have discovered that nearly every name you can imagine has a "poop song" — a ditty with their name and the word poop in it — seemingly made by the same guy. So, of course, people are posting their respective poop songs, often going viral if they have a particularly unique name.
That is...pretty much the trend in a nutshell. Granted, the poop songs are funny. They're all sung by an artist named The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop, Puke and Pee. (More on that guy later.)
Each song follows the same general formula: sing the name, sing the word poop, keep the vocals relatively monotone and the music pretty simple.
Here's one for a person named Aoife, an Irish name, which racked up more than 17 million views.
Here's one from a person named Kia, which garnered 14 million views.
Here are TikToks of poop songs for a Gracie, Amelie, and Mason.
You might wonder why these songs exist. And it's a reasonable question because who would take the time and effort to make so many poop songs. The answer to that question is Matt Farley, an internet character of personal fascination for me.
I first discovered Farley years ago in a manner you might expect. I was visiting friends in New Orleans and found it hilarious to play songs about poop over the speakers in their home — I admit my sense of humor is juvenile but it got a laugh.
Farley absolutely floods Spotify and other streaming services with songs that'll turn up in very specific searches. Things like towns, celebrity names, and, yes, toilet humor. In fact, one of his most popular projects is "The Toilet Bowl Cleaners" with such hits as "Butt Cheeks Butt Cheeks Butt Cheeks!" and "The Poop Song." For what it's worth, I find "Butt Cheeks Butt Cheeks Butt Cheeks!" genuinely hilarious — in a surreal, strange way. Some of these tracks have racked up millions of plays, but Farley's playing a volume game.
Farley has been featured in lots of major media, including the Tonight Show and a profile in the New York Times. That article in the Times noted Farley has put out some 24,000 songs in total. Anything you can think to search — birthdays, promposals, and any name pooping — he's there.
"People like to criticize the whole streaming thing, but there’s really a lot of pros to it, Farley told the Times while estimating he made about $200,000 in 2023 off streaming royalties.
So that's where the trend is coming from — one guy dumping songs into the sewers of the internet. And if poop songs keep being a trend on TikTok he might churn out more steaming hot songs this year.
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Julie Bowen, Bruce Campbell, Anna Camp, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia and Kezii Curtis give us the rundown on their 80s-era series about Satanic panic in a small Michigan town.
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One of the best and most surprising shows of 2023 is back for a second season, and it's honestly (and thankfully) like we never left it.
Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking Season 1 hilariously and unabashedly harnessed the everyday pain and absurdity of grief, and left most of its characters in a pretty solid place, emotionally, in the finale. In Season 2, Segel's rule-breaking therapist and widowed father Jimmy is understandably still haunted by the past, but it's different this time — with the sudden arrival of the man responsible for his wife's death (a welcome cast addition in Shrinking writer and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein). How the hell would you react?
The show's brilliant cast all return for a second round, taking the characters through new challenges and delivering the show's very funny, genuinely moving script to perfection. With just two episodes out on Apple TV+, Shrinking picks up where we left off with these now ingrained characters and wisely doesn't reinvent the wheel.
Shrinking's superpower remains its superb cast and sharp writing.
Jessica Williams and Christa Miller. Credit: Apple TV+
Once again a brilliant lead, Segel steps back into the role of Jimmy with relatable finesse, with the actor's signature earnestness and weary sense of optimism being put to the test with the arrival of Goldstein's character this season. Segel is still at his comedic best here, defying the insistence of his revered colleague Paul (an excellent-as-ever Harrison Ford) that he quit it with the "Jimmying" (his tendency to take the therapy sessions out of the office). Some of the outrageous lines that come out of Jimmy's mouth can't be swallowed again ("Speaking of cars…"), despite his attempts. Plus, Segel's awkward banter with the talented Lukita Maxwell as Jimmy's daughter, Alice, really makes the show, with Maxwell giving Alice genuine depth and deadpan hilarity at every turn.
Now a professor, having gained a recommendation from Paul last season, Gaby (the superb Jessica Williams) is struggling with the guilt of sleeping with her dead best friend's husband, while trying to resist their natural chemistry — a chemistry Williams and Segel flawlessly convey, with Williams' speedy retorts one of the show's best elements. But one of the unsung reasons to watch Shrinking is Williams and Christa Miller as Jimmy's neighbour Liz, as the pair craft one of the most satisfying best friendships on TV. They're a duo who say exactly what they think to each other. It's deeply refreshing, and not always the right move, but it's a delight to watch their unpretentious, no-holds-barred connection.
Meanwhile, Paul privately struggles with sharing his deeper feelings for Julie (Wendie Malick) and publicly grumbles through contemporary phrases like "Good news if true" and "I never say beep-boop" with all the open, eloquent disdain we've come to expect from Paul. Thanks to what Paul calls Jimmy's "textbook dual relationship" with his patient-turned-friend Sean (an expertly understated Luke Tennie), Paul takes over Sean's treatment. However, never fear, Segel's Jimmy continues his fine-tuned Holt/Perolta energy with Ford's Paul, hoping for his approval at every turn and finally seeing his house.
As Jimmy's best friend, Brian, Michael Urie is audacious as ever, shining in moments of utter rage — when Brian screams on a hiking trail after hearing some news he wasn't privy to, "Fuck rescue dogs! That's right. Fuck hiking! Fuck that headband! Actually I like that headband … Fuck this whole mountain!" you feel it in your bones.
It's a truly ensemble affair, with this season allowing the characters more room to branch out into anxieties and challenges — with one big one in particular.
Jason Segel's Jimmy is haunted by the past again — but it's different this time.
Harrison Ford and Jason Segel. Credit: Apple TV+
For the entirety of Season 1, Segel navigated Jimmy through the complexities and pain of losing a loved one, with the grief of his wife's death in a car accident the driving force in his and his daughter's growth. Though grief is by no means ever "done," Jimmy found himself on pretty solid footing at the end of the season. However, he's faced with a darker side of the past in Season 2, one that's played by Shrinking writer Brett Goldstein.
Though an accomplished, Emmy-winning comedy actor, Goldstein remained strictly behind the page for Season 1. This season, Goldstein takes on an unenviable role in a cast full of now-beloved characters, showing up as the man responsible for Jimmy's wife's death in a car accident. While the first two episodes don't give us much to go on, Goldstein's few moments on screen have enabled Jimmy's rage to come out, so expect much more here.
Shrinking still gives actually good advice.
Lukita Maxwell and Michael Urie. Credit: Apple TV+
Being a show about therapists, Shrinking often gives some excellent advice (check with your own therapist, of course, before implementing anything you see). Season 1 explored the real "15 minutes of sadness" technique and discussions around compassion fatigue, and this season, Paul leans on a tool called "reversal of desire." In episode 2, Alice's friend Summer suggests she write a letter to the man responsible for her mother's death and not send it, an age-old processing technique. (It's a letter Alice finds difficult to put into words that aren't simply "You ruined my life ... eat my ass.")
Whether its characters are learning to understand their triggers or trying to process their frustrations with one another, Shrinking arms you with a collection of common sense, usable advice for your own complicated stuff. Honestly, it feels great to be reconnected with such flawed, vulnerable, hilarious characters, all of whom are simply trying to figure it out day by day.
Shrinking, one of TV's best-written comedies, returns to cut to the deep shit among the regular shit, without judgment and with a lot of laughs. Consider us prescribed.
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"It's day one. This is your fourth quarter. Everything that happened prior to this? Throw that shit out the window. Three months. That's all it takes. And bro it's going to get cold out. Trust me. You gonna fold? Or are you gonna weather the storm? Lock in, cancel out the noise, and go dark. It's your time. It's always been your time."
This is the exact text from a very real TikTok video with 1.7 million views describing a trend: the winter arc. Winter arc is locking in for three full months. Winter arc is in the gym. Winter arc is alpha male and That Girl. Winter arc is wearing a hoodie. Winter arc is "going dark" and emerging a beautiful butterfly but in a really manly way. Winter arc means New Year's is October 1 now. I am so lost. Please help me.
The rules seem to differ by gender, goal, and vibe, but there is an overarching intention. You must lose fat, gain muscle, and "meet your goals," which always seem to be losing fat and gaining muscle. Here's are some of the actual winter arc rules I've seen from TikTok users:
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Exercise
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Wear an oversized black hoodie and black jogger set
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Break up with your girl
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Wake up at 5:30 a.m.
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Journal twice a day
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Read four books
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Follow a diet
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Create your own daily list
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Walk 10,000 steps daily
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Post on social media twice a day or maybe delete your social media and never post?
I am sensing some issues with the winter arc. For instance, it's actually not winter at all, but very much autumn. The connection between these obsessive self-betterment trends that encourage people to reject community and the male loneliness epidemic seems worth noting. It's evident that this is a tool influencers use to promote their classes or personal training programs. It's basically a rebrand of 75 Hard, a (largely debunked) fitness and wellness trend with incredibly high demands.
Even more insidious yet, this is a prime example of how social media — and the economic system it's built upon — feeds off of your feelings of inferiority.
It's easy to want to follow something when it seems healthy, as some of the pieces of this trend are. Exercise is good for you, journaling and reading can help your mental health, and working towards your goals is not a bad way to spend time. These are effective forms of self-care. But we get into some dark territory when we force ourselves to reach for unattainable goals and replicate the performative aesthetics of creators who promote aspirational lifestyles that are not actually realistic or attainable for many of us.
Trends like this take our focus away from our community and instead places the attention inward, which might make you think this is about you. It is not about you.
Stephanie Alice Baker, a senior lecturer in sociology at the City University of London, told Mashable for a 2022 story about the productivity aesthetic that while these kinds of trends might seem like "individual pursuits," they actually rely on "the broader system in which they're operating," be that capitalism or the patriarchy. Two years later, her words still ring true.
"The technologies change, the technologies evolve, but there is still this underlying impulse towards self-improvement, and it is always self-improvement in relation to the system in which it operates as opposed to an isolated individual trying to be their best self," Baker said.
Society is always looking for ways to encourage people to perfect themselves — not for themselves, but for the system.
Also, it's not winter!!!
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If you find yourself needing an expert witness in a courtroom case, make sure they're not using an AI chatbot for their supposed expertise.
Last week, a New York judge reprimanded an expert witness in a real estate dispute case for using Microsoft's AI chatbot Copilot.
SEE ALSO: Microsoft Copilot can talk now: 3 new features that make it more like ChatGPT and Google Gemini
The expert witness, Charles Ranson, used Copilot in order to generate an assessment for damages that should be awarded to the plaintiff in the case. The case was first reported on by Ars Technica.
Copilot in court – a bad idea
The case at the center of this story involved a dispute over a $485,000 rental property in the Bahamas. The man who owned the real estate had passed away, and the property was included in a trust for the deceased man's son. The deceased man's sister was responsible for executing the trust. However, the sister was being accused of breaching her fiduciary duties by delaying the sale of the property while utilizing the property for her own personal use.
A major part in winning the case for the son was proving that he suffered damages due to his aunt's actions.
Ranson was brought on as an expert witness and tasked with assessing those damages.
While Ranson has a background in trust and estate litigation, according to judge Jonathan Schopf, he had "no relevant real estate expertise." So, Ranson turned to Microsoft's AI chatbot, Copilot.
Ranson apparently revealed his Copilot use in his testimony. When questioned about it, Ranson was unable to recall what prompts he used to assess the damages or what sources Copilot cited to arrive at its estimate. Ranson was also unable to explain how Copilot works.
The court then decided to use Copilot to see if it could arrive at the same estimate that Ranson provided. The court asked Copilot "Can you calculate the value of $250,000 invested in the Vanguard Balanced Index Fund from December 31, 2004 through January 31, 2021?"
Copilot provided a different answer in three different attempts, and each answer was different from Ranson's own Copilot-generated amount.
The court then asked Copilot if it was a reliable source of information, which Copilot replied by saying that its outputs should always be verified by experts.
According to the judge, Ranson was adamant that AI tools like Copilot were standard use in his industry, however he was unable to cite a single source showing this to be true.
Ranson's AI chatbot use wasn't his only mistake. However, the Copilot situation certainly hit the expert witness' credibility. The judge found that the evidence showed that the delay in the sale of the property not only didn't result in a loss, but additional profit for the son, and ruled there was no breach of fiduciary duty from the aunt.
Not the first time, and probably not the last time
Ranson's use of Copilot as some expert source of information is certainly not the first time AI chatbots have been used in the courtroom.
Readers may recall lawyer Steven Schwartz who last year relied on ChatGPT in legal filings for a case involving an airline customer being injured during a flight. Schwartz was reprimanded after submitting filings which cited completely nonexistent cases. Schwartz had used ChatGPT for his research, and the AI chatbot just made up previous cases, which Schwartz then included in his filings.
As a result, Schwartz and another lawyer at the firm he worked for were fined $5,000 by the court for "acting in bad faith."
The same scenario happened again with another lawyer, Jae Lee, who used ChatGPT in her filings earlier this year. Once again ChatGPT hallucinated cases that did not exist.
In the Bahamas real estate case, Judge Schopf made a point not to blame the AI chatbot but the user for citing it. However, AI chatbots continue to proliferate online and major tech companies like Google and Microsoft are ramping up promotion of this technology to users.
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It’s no secret that skincare is trending right now, and a quick glance at social media proves it. Celebrities and influencers alike have hopped on the “skincare as self-care” train, and the resulting swarm of must-have products can be overwhelming to say the least. From the best Korean beauty products to the latest skincare gadgets, there’s a lot to choose from. However, while skincare has (thankfully) come a long way from scrubbing your skin off with microbeads, it hasn’t gotten any easier to decide if a product is nothing but hype or a true holy grail.
Enter Solawave’s advanced skincare wand with red light therapy. Touted as a science-backed, four-in-one skincare tool, this tiny wand is on a mission to be the next must-have in your medicine cabinet. (Since this review originally published, Solawave has released its new Radiant Renewal skincare wand, which is an upgraded version of the original wand.)
So how does it work?
As a novice skincare enthusiast, I was definitely intrigued by the Solawave the first time I saw it on social media. It was cheaper than many of the skincare devices I’d seen in the past, and — with celebrities like Doja Cat, Vanessa Hudgens, and Reese Witherspoon reportedly loving the device — I immediately wanted to know more. The company’s website explains that the tiny device combines four different skincare technologies — red light therapy, microcurrents, facial massage, and therapeutic heat — to provide what the company describes as the “ultimate at-home spa facial.”
I’d heard about all of these techniques in the past. Red light therapy, for example, is touted as a way to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, scars, redness, acne, and more. And microcurrent facials? I’ve heard some people swear that zapping a low-level electrical current through your skin is better than botox.
However, while none of these technologies are new — and the science behind them definitely shows promise — I also have a healthy dose of skepticism around whether or not a tiny pen-sized wand can deliver the same results as professional-grade equipment.
I was skeptical that the skincare benefits Solawave promises could pack into such a tiny device. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable
I put it to the test
Straight out of the box, I was surprised at how tiny the Solawave was in my hand. Just over the size of a pen with a convenient swivel head, the tiny device uses “smart-touch activation” meaning it turns on and off when the ceramic head comes into contact with your skin. After charging the device according to the instructions in the package, it was time to get to work.
While the Solawave turns on immediately when it comes into contact with your skin, the company explains that it works best on hydrated skin. Rather than fuss around with finding the right product, I opted to stick with their recommended Renew Complex Activating Serum. With ingredients like blue tansy oil, hyaluronic acid, and Aloe vera, the serum is designed to help evenly distribute the microcurrent therapy across your skin, so I washed and dried my face, applied a thin layer of the serum, and got started.
How does it feel?
I’m not going to lie, the first few seconds of swiping the Solawave wand across my skin felt odd. I was expecting a stronger sensation due to the microcurrent, but it felt like a gentle tingling sensation spreading out from the smooth ceramic head of the device. The device felt warm against my skin — it gradually increased in temperature the longer I used it — without being hot or uncomfortable.
I started using the wand at the base of my neck, following the instructions in the package to glide it upward and outward as I gradually moved along each side of my face. During my first session, I started small — Solawave recommends starting with a five-minute session, three to five times a week — and I found that I actually enjoyed the process.
It was super relaxing to use the device on my face and neck, and it almost felt like the device was making it easier for my skin to absorb the products I was using, so my skin felt way more hydrated than normal.
The Solawave wand works best when paired with a serum with conductive ingredients. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable
But does it actually work?
Immediately after using the red light therapy wand, I was surprised to find that I noticed a slight improvement in my skin. It wasn’t dramatic or anything — if I hadn’t taken a selfie earlier that evening, I probably wouldn’t have noticed — but there was a visible reduction in puffiness around my eyes, cheeks, and jawline.
Over the next two weeks, I diligently included the Solawave in my skincare routine. I used it both morning and evening, typically right after washing my face and applying a toning essence and the Renew Complex serum, around five or six days a week. Eventually, I started extending my Solawave sessions by a few minutes at a time — adding some focused attention to areas of my face that were holding tension, needed some extra de-puffing, or looked a little dehydrated — and I was surprised by how well it worked.
By the end of my second week, my skin was definitely looking better: A few hormonal acne scars on my chin had faded, the redness in my cheeks went down, and I swore to my partner that a broken capillary on my cheek had completely disappeared. On days when my seasonal allergies had me waking up with puffy bags under my eyes, I was thrilled to discover that the Solawave was a great way to quickly knock them out. While I didn’t notice a huge difference in fine lines or wrinkles (at 32, I only have a few fine lines on my face that are noticeable when I’m dehydrated) I was still shocked by how well the device worked.
I used the red light wand, which is designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, blemishes, and dark spots. But Solawave also offers a three-minute spot treatment device, which uses red and blue light to target acne-causing bacteria, and used to offer a blue light wand (meant to fight against breakouts, boosts the effects of serum topicals, and improve your skin's radiance), which has tragically been discontinued.
The Solawave wand is one of my skincare staples
After months of using the Solawave red light therapy wand, it's officially a staple in my weekly skincare routine. I don't always remember to use it daily — mostly because my work schedule got busy and my skincare routine took a hit — but I use it whenever I need to depuff, prep for an event, or simply need to unwind. I've also discovered that I love using it after applying a face mask — especially when my skin is feeling dry — so I can really pack in any leftover serum on my skin. Since I first started trying the Solawave wand, I've also convinced several friends (and three other Mashable editors and writers) to buy the wand. One friend told me that it helped heal the hyperpigmentation and bumpiness she had after a bad bout of hormonal acne, adding, "I use it after moisturizing almost every evening, and the difference is VERY noticeable."
I've also tried a few other light therapy devices over the last few months, like the celeb-favorite DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, and the Solawave is way more convenient and budget-friendly. It's definitely not as powerful as professional red light therapy treatments at your dermatologist's office — and you definitely need to remember to clean it regularly or risk an acne breakout (having learned that lesson the hard way) — but it's a great tool that has definitely changed my skin for the better.
Is it worth it?
Honestly, I’ve got to say yes, the Solawave is worth it. I’ve seen several at-home skincare devices, including red light therapy masks and microcurrent facial devices, that cost anywhere from $200 to $500. Compared to these, the Solawave advanced skincare wand’s $149 price tag is a breeze. It’s still a little more expensive than the beauty devices you might see on the shelf at Target, but considering how well it worked, it’s definitely worth the splurge.
If you want to save a few bucks, you can also swap out Solawave’s Renew Complex serum with one of your own favorites. At $32 a bottle, it’s a little pricey compared to my favorite serums, and I didn’t notice much of a difference when I started experimenting with a few I already had on hand. Thankfully, the company’s website says it’s totally fine to swap in your own products — especially if they contain conductive ingredients to help make the most of the microcurrent technology — so you can try using it with products that you already know work well with your skin.
If you’re still on the fence? I’d recommend following Solawave on social media or checking out the website. The company frequently offers sales on its products, so you might be able to save a bit of money by snagging a discount code on the website. Plus, since the new Radiant Renewal wand came out, the original Solawave wand is discounted to $89.
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