5UX - Human Interest https://5ux.com/category/human-interest en Dennis Kucinich Files Ballot Access Petitions for US House Run as an Independent https://5ux.com/news/dennis-kucinich-files-ballot-access-petitions-us-house-run-independent <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>In January, Dennis Kucinch began his campaign as an independent candidate to return to the United State House of Representatives, seeking to represent an Ohio district that overlaps with the area he represented as a Democrat in the House from 1997 to 2013.</p> <p>As an independent candidate, Kucinich bypasses the primary and instead is required to submit petition signatures to participate in the November general election. Last week, Kucinich filed petitions signed by over six thousand individuals in order to secure his place on the ballot.</p> <p>Upon filing the petitions, Kucinich presented a speech that outlined actions he aspires to take as a representative should he win the election. It will come as no surprise to followers of the political activities of Kucinich, who is member of the Advisory Board for the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, that Kucinich stressed in his speech his commitment to advancing respect for freedom in America and pursuing peace. You can watch or read Kucinich’s speech here.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://ronpaulinstitute.org/dennis-kucinich-files-ballot-access-petitions-for-us-house-run-as-an-independent/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/politics">Politics</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-continent-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/america">America</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-politicalevent-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/primary-0">the primary</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/general-election">general election</a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 28 Mar 2024 19:11:25 +0000 Guest 63467 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/dennis-kucinich-files-ballot-access-petitions-us-house-run-independent#comments Visualized: The Most Followed People on Instagram in 2024 https://5ux.com/news/visualized-most-followed-people-instagram-2024 <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><img src="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/voronoi-icon-transparent.png" /></p> <p> See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.</p> <p><img src="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Most-Followed-on-IG_02.jpg" /></p> <p>Visualized: The Most Followed People on Instagram in 2024</p> <p><em>This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.</em></p> <p>Scrolling through Instagram reels, stories, and posts has become a significant part of our lives—so much so that the most-followed people on Instagram are able to reach hundreds of millions.</p> <p>So who are top celebrities influencing millions through this platform? Using data tracked by Social Blade as of March 13, 2024, this graphic shows the top 10 most-followed people on Instagram, not including corporate accounts.</p> <p>2024’s Most Followed Instagram Personalities</p> <p>Portuguese footballer <strong>Cristiano Ronaldo</strong> became the first person to cross 600 million followers in August 2023, and stands as the most-followed person on Instagram in 2024 with 624 million followers. </p> <p>For comparison, that’s more than the population of the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined. Here are the entire top 10, rounded to the nearest million followers:</p> <table id="tablepress-4079" class="tablepress tablepress-id-4079"><thead><tr class="row-1 odd"><th class="column-1">Person</th> <th class="column-2">Instagram Followers (March 2024)</th> </tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover"><tr class="row-2 even"><td class="column-1">Cristiano Ronaldo</td> <td class="column-2">624M</td> </tr><tr class="row-3 odd"><td class="column-1">Lionel Messi</td> <td class="column-2">501M</td> </tr><tr class="row-4 even"><td class="column-1">Selena Gomez</td> <td class="column-2">430M</td> </tr><tr class="row-5 odd"><td class="column-1">Kylie Jenner</td> <td class="column-2">400M</td> </tr><tr class="row-6 even"><td class="column-1">Dwayne Johnson</td> <td class="column-2">398M</td> </tr><tr class="row-7 odd"><td class="column-1">Ariana Grande</td> <td class="column-2">380M</td> </tr><tr class="row-8 even"><td class="column-1">Kim Kardashian</td> <td class="column-2">364M</td> </tr><tr class="row-9 odd"><td class="column-1">Beyoncé</td> <td class="column-2">320M</td> </tr><tr class="row-10 even"><td class="column-1">Khloé Kardashian</td> <td class="column-2">311M</td> </tr><tr class="row-11 odd"><td class="column-1">Kendall Jenner</td> <td class="column-2">295M</td> </tr></tbody></table><p>In second is the only other major athlete to feature in the top 10, <strong>Lionel Messi</strong> with 501 million followers. Messi and Ronaldo are also the only people with more than 500 million followers on the entire platform.</p> <p>Making up the rest of the top 10 is a mix of pop stars, actors, and celebrity personalities, including <strong>Selena Gomez</strong> at 430 million followers, and four members of the Kardashian–Jenner family, with Kylie Jenner having the most followers in the family with 400 million. </p> <p>Interestingly, while these are the most followed <em>people</em> on Instagram, the number one most followed <em>account</em> belongs to Instagram itself. The account, which has over 7,000 posts, has over 670 million followers to date. </p> <p>After that, the most followed corporate account is Nike, which has 306 million followers.</p> <p>The post Visualized: The Most Followed People on Instagram in 2024 appeared first on Visual Capitalist.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-followed-people-instagram/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/religion">Religion</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even odd even"><a href="/category/entertainment">Entertainment</a></div> </div> </div> Sun, 24 Mar 2024 13:54:54 +0000 Guest 63448 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/visualized-most-followed-people-instagram-2024#comments Two Speeches Aspirational for Peace and Critical of War by President Dwight D. Eisenhower https://5ux.com/news/two-speeches-aspirational-peace-and-critical-war-president-dwight-d-eisenhower <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>Aside from being president of the United States for two terms spanning from January of 1953 through January of 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower is likely best known in America and around the world for his activities as a US Army general during and after World War II.</p> <p>Earlier this month, John J. Duncan, Jr., in his always interesting Knoxville Focus column, suggested something else for which Eisenhower should be more well known than he is: two speeches Eisenhower presented that were aspirational for peace and critical of war. One is the first major speech of his presidency, and the other is the last. Duncan wrote:</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Most of our wars have been more about money and power than any great threats.If you doubt this, read the first major speech President Eisenhower gave after assuming the presidency. It was a speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors on April 18, 1953. It is probably the most anti-war speech ever given by a U.S. President.Then read Eisenhower’s much better-known farewell address given on Jan. 17, 1961, where he warned us about the evils of military-industrial complexes.And these were words given by a man who spent almost all of his career in the military.</p> </blockquote> <p>If you have not already done so, or if it has been quite a while since you have, consider taking time to follow Duncan’s advice. Text of both speeches may be found at the website of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. Read the April of 1953 speech, sometimes referred to as either the Chance for Peace speech or the Cross of Iron speech, here. Read the January of 1961 farewell address here. You may also listen to Eisenhower’s delivery of both speeches here.</p> <p>A key point made by Eisenhower in his Chance for Peace speech is that spending money on war and preparation for war means forgoing wealth that would otherwise be created. For example, Eisenhower described the cost of a fighter plane as a half million bushels of wheat and the cost of a destroyer as new homes to house more than 8,000 people. Then, in his farewell speech, Eisenhower warned about the “military-industrial complex” — a term he coined — that threatened to “endanger our liberties or democratic processes.”</p> <p>Eisenhower was not a noninterventionist. This is clear from these two speeches as well as from various actions he took as president. Still, his expressed warnings and aspirations in these two speeches are important for supporters of a noninterventionist foreign policy to consider. They also are in stark contrast to the extreme militarism repeatedly espoused by President Joe Biden, as well as Biden’s refusal to admit that there are any tradeoffs and risks in regard to pursuing foreign intervention.</p> <p>Duncan, who is an Advisory Board member for the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity (RPI) and was a member of the US House of Representatives with RPI Chairman Ron Paul, mentioned in the conclusion of his column that these two speeches by Eisenhower are why Duncan sometimes refers to himself as “an Eisenhower Republican.” It would do America good if more Republicans, and Democrats and others too, read and ponder these two speeches.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://ronpaulinstitute.org/two-speeches-aspirational-for-peace-and-critical-of-war-by-president-dwight-d-eisenhower/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/politics">Politics</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-continent-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/america">America</a></div> </div> </div> Sat, 16 Mar 2024 23:23:47 +0000 Guest 63423 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/two-speeches-aspirational-peace-and-critical-war-president-dwight-d-eisenhower#comments Animated: Best Picture Oscar Winners vs. Box Office Hits https://5ux.com/news/animated-best-picture-oscar-winners-vs-box-office-hits <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>http://player.vimeo.com/video/922558689<br /> Best Picture Oscar Winners vs. Box Office Hits</p> <p>When <strong><em>Oppenheimer</em></strong> won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2024 ceremony, it joined a list of Best Picture Oscar winners as a box office behemoth, having earned $958.7 million at the 2023 box office.</p> <p>But as this data-driven exploration from <strong>Vizzu</strong> shows, the movie’s success is not par for the course. Over the past 30 years, there has been a complex relationship between Oscar accolades and box office performance. </p> <p>Comparing Oscar Winners and Box Office Hits (1993–2023)</p> <p>Using annual worldwide box office hauls from Box Office Mojo, Vizzu compared the earnings of Best Picture Oscar winners with those of the highest grossing movie of each year. </p> <p>At last year’s event, <em>Everything Everywhere All at Once</em> won six Oscars (including Best Picture) and earned $143.4 million globally. That’s a decent haul, but pales in comparison with <em>Avatar: The Way of Water</em>, which grossed more than $2.3 billion. </p> <p>As this table shows, more often than not, this divide between critical darling and commercial juggernaut has been the norm over since 1993:</p> <table id="tablepress-4017" class="tablepress tablepress-id-4017"><thead><tr class="row-1 odd"><th class="column-1">Film Year</th> <th class="column-2">Best Picture Winner</th> <th class="column-3">Box Office<br /> (Worldwide)</th> <th class="column-4">Box Office<br /> (Highest Grossing)</th> </tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover"><tr class="row-2 even"><td class="column-1">2023</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Oppenheimer</em></td> <td class="column-3">$958.7M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,445.6M</td> </tr><tr class="row-3 odd"><td class="column-1">2022</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Everything Everywhere All at Once</em></td> <td class="column-3">$143.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$2,320.2M</td> </tr><tr class="row-4 even"><td class="column-1">2021</td> <td class="column-2"><em>CODA</em></td> <td class="column-3">$1.9M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,912.2M</td> </tr><tr class="row-5 odd"><td class="column-1">2020</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Nomadland</em></td> <td class="column-3">$39.5M</td> <td class="column-4">$461.0M</td> </tr><tr class="row-6 even"><td class="column-1">2019</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Parasite</em></td> <td class="column-3">$262.0M</td> <td class="column-4">$2,799.4M</td> </tr><tr class="row-7 odd"><td class="column-1">2018</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Green Book</em></td> <td class="column-3">$321.8M</td> <td class="column-4">$2,048.4M</td> </tr><tr class="row-8 even"><td class="column-1">2017</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The Shape of Water</em></td> <td class="column-3">$195.2M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,332.5M</td> </tr><tr class="row-9 odd"><td class="column-1">2016</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Moonlight</em></td> <td class="column-3">$65.2M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,153.3M</td> </tr><tr class="row-10 even"><td class="column-1">2015</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Spotlight</em></td> <td class="column-3">$98.7M</td> <td class="column-4">$2,068.2M</td> </tr><tr class="row-11 odd"><td class="column-1">2014</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)</em></td> <td class="column-3">$103.2M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,104.1M</td> </tr><tr class="row-12 even"><td class="column-1">2013</td> <td class="column-2"><em>12 Years a Slave</em></td> <td class="column-3">$187.7M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,280.8M</td> </tr><tr class="row-13 odd"><td class="column-1">2012</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Argo</em></td> <td class="column-3">$232.3M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,518.8M</td> </tr><tr class="row-14 even"><td class="column-1">2011</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The Artist</em></td> <td class="column-3">$133.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,341.5M</td> </tr><tr class="row-15 odd"><td class="column-1">2010</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The King's Speech</em></td> <td class="column-3">$427.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,067.0M</td> </tr><tr class="row-16 even"><td class="column-1">2009</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The Hurt Locker</em></td> <td class="column-3">$49.3M</td> <td class="column-4">$2,743.6M</td> </tr><tr class="row-17 odd"><td class="column-1">2008</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Slumdog Millionaire</em></td> <td class="column-3">$378.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,003.8M</td> </tr><tr class="row-18 even"><td class="column-1">2007</td> <td class="column-2"><em>No Country for Old Men</em></td> <td class="column-3">$171.6M</td> <td class="column-4">$961.7M</td> </tr><tr class="row-19 odd"><td class="column-1">2006</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The Departed</em></td> <td class="column-3">$291.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,066.2M</td> </tr><tr class="row-20 even"><td class="column-1">2005</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Crash</em></td> <td class="column-3">$98.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$895.9M</td> </tr><tr class="row-21 odd"><td class="column-1">2004</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Million Dollar Baby</em></td> <td class="column-3">$216.8M</td> <td class="column-4">$929.0M</td> </tr><tr class="row-22 even"><td class="column-1">2003</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</em></td> <td class="column-3">$1,140.7M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,140.7M</td> </tr><tr class="row-23 odd"><td class="column-1">2002</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Chicago</em></td> <td class="column-3">$306.8M</td> <td class="column-4">$936.7M</td> </tr><tr class="row-24 even"><td class="column-1">2001</td> <td class="column-2"><em>A Beautiful Mind</em></td> <td class="column-3">$316.8M</td> <td class="column-4">$974.8M</td> </tr><tr class="row-25 odd"><td class="column-1">2000</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Gladiator</em></td> <td class="column-3">$460.6M</td> <td class="column-4">$546.4M</td> </tr><tr class="row-26 even"><td class="column-1">1999</td> <td class="column-2"><em>American Beauty</em></td> <td class="column-3">$356.3M</td> <td class="column-4">$924.3M</td> </tr><tr class="row-27 odd"><td class="column-1">1998</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Shakespeare in Love</em></td> <td class="column-3">$289.3M</td> <td class="column-4">$553.7M</td> </tr><tr class="row-28 even"><td class="column-1">1997</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Titanic</em></td> <td class="column-3">$1,843.4M</td> <td class="column-4">$1,843.4M</td> </tr><tr class="row-29 odd"><td class="column-1">1996</td> <td class="column-2"><em>The English Patient</em></td> <td class="column-3">$232.0M</td> <td class="column-4">$817.4M</td> </tr><tr class="row-30 even"><td class="column-1">1995</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Braveheart</em></td> <td class="column-3">$213.2M</td> <td class="column-4">$366.1M</td> </tr><tr class="row-31 odd"><td class="column-1">1994</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Forrest Gump</em></td> <td class="column-3">$677.9M</td> <td class="column-4">$763.5M</td> </tr><tr class="row-32 even"><td class="column-1">1993</td> <td class="column-2"><em>Schindler's List</em></td> <td class="column-3">$322.2M</td> <td class="column-4">$978.2M</td> </tr></tbody></table><p>Only two films won Best Picture while topping the box office in their release year: <em><strong>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</strong></em> in 2003 and <em><strong>Titanic</strong></em> in 1997. </p> <p>Just seven more films won major Oscars—including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor/ Actress, Best Original/Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor/Actress—while earning at least half as much as the top grossers of their release years:</p> <ul><li>2023: <em>Oppenheimer</em></li> <li>2013: <em>Gravity</em></li> <li>2008: <em>The Dark Knight</em></li> <li>2000: <em>Gladiator</em></li> <li>1998: <em>Shakespeare in Love</em> and <em>Saving Private Ryan</em></li> <li>1995: <em>Braveheart</em></li> <li>1994: <em>Forrest Gump</em></li> </ul><p>This challenges the notion that blockbuster success and Oscar glory go hand-in-hand, but perhaps the success of <em>Oppenheimer</em> can help the box office kings reclaim their Oscar crowns.</p> <p>The post Animated: Best Picture Oscar Winners vs. Box Office Hits appeared first on Visual Capitalist.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/best-picture-oscar-winners-vs-box-office/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/entertainment">Entertainment</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:57:32 +0000 Guest 63409 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/animated-best-picture-oscar-winners-vs-box-office-hits#comments NEW: Download the Raw Data Behind Our 2024 Global Forecast https://5ux.com/news/new-download-raw-data-behind-our-2024-global-forecast <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><img src="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/gfs-video-2-site-1.png" /></p><p>The backbone of the 2024 Global Forecast Series is a massive database created by the VC team, featuring 700+ expert predictions.</p> <p>We’ve never done this before but after several requests, we’ve now decided to make the full database of predictions available to <strong>VC+</strong> members.</p> <p>Now is your chance to dig into all of the predictions for the year ahead via Google Sheets (which you can also export as an Excel file)—at no additional cost!</p> <p>To access the Predictions Database via the VC+ Archive along with the visual insights from our 2024 Global Forecast Series, become a member today.</p> <p>Sign Up for VC+ </p> <p>Introducing the 2024 Predictions Database</p> <p><em><strong>Complete List of 700+ Predictions</strong></em></p> <p>Each year in preparation for our Global Forecast Series, the VC team compiles a massive database of expert predictions from reports, articles, videos, podcasts, social posts, and more. VC+ members now have the freedom to explore all 700+ predictions, rather than just the 100 quoted in our comprehensive report. </p> <p><em><strong>Tailor Your Forecast Exploration</strong></em></p> <p>Whether you’re a seasoned analyst or curious enthusiast, the Predictions Database allows VC+ members to dissect and interpret data for themselves. To gain valuable insight on a particular matter, the VC team has categorized every expert forecast across multiple variables including sentiment, topic, analyst and more. </p> <p><em><strong>Trusted Sources Available</strong></em></p> <p>Visual Capitalist believes that data should come from trustworthy, verifiable sources and the Predictions Database is no exception. For the very first time, VC+ members now get direct access to the links and sources used for the 2024 Global Forecast Report–along with extended notes from the team’s research. </p> <p>Explore Database Now </p> <p>What is the 2024 Global Forecast Series?</p> <p>Unlock the game-changing predictions that will shape our world this year, exclusively on VC+. The ultimate cheatsheet for 2024 includes:</p> <p>+ A recap of how expert predictions for 2023 panned out this year<br /> + The 2024 Global Forecast Report<br /> + An exclusive video unpacking key insights from the report<br /> + The full database with 700+ expert predictions <strong>[NEW]</strong></p> <p>Access the Series and More </p> <p>The post NEW: Download the Raw Data Behind Our 2024 Global Forecast appeared first on Visual Capitalist.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/new-download-the-raw-data-behind-our-2024-global-forecast/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/technology">Technology</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-product-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/global-forecast-series">Global Forecast Series</a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 25 Jan 2024 21:33:29 +0000 Guest 63251 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/new-download-raw-data-behind-our-2024-global-forecast#comments Why Are So Many Celebrities Suddenly Becoming Christians? https://5ux.com/news/why-are-so-many-celebrities-suddenly-becoming-christians <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><img src="https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Choose-Christ-Pixabay-560x373.jpg" /></p><p>In recent months, a number of high profile individuals have made headlines by deciding to give their lives to Christ.  So exactly what in the world is going on here?  Is this the beginning of a new trend?  Ultimately, I believe that these high profile conversions to Christianity are just a very small portion of a much larger picture.  All over the world, the great battle between good and evil that has been raging for thousands of years is reaching a grand crescendo, and people are feeling compelled to pick a side.  We live in a day and age when it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay on the fence.  Darkness is rapidly growing all around us, and those that do not want to be part of that darkness are reaching out for the light.</p> <p>This week, Daddy Yankee absolutely shocked millions of his fans when he announced that he will be devoting his life to Jesus from this point forward…</p> <blockquote><p>Daddy Yankee is officially retiring from reggaeton to devote his life to his religious faith, the rapper said after ending his farewell tour, La Meta (The Goal), Sunday night in his homeland Puerto Rico.</p> <p>The 46-year-old singer made the announcement in a lengthy speech following a larger-than-life performance of his global hit “Gasolina,” a song that marked the beginning of the globalization of reggaeton and catapulted him into mainstream success back in 2004.</p> <p>“My people, this day for me is the most important day of my life. And I want to share it with you because living a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose,” the artist, who also popularized the 2017 megahit “Despacito” with Luis Fonsi, said in Spanish.</p> </blockquote> <p>You may not be familiar with Daddy Yankee, but he is a really big deal in the Spanish-speaking world…</p> <blockquote><p>In the Spanish-speaking music world, this qualifies as a bombshell. For context, Daddy Yankee has 48.9 million followers on the popular social media platform Instagram.</p> <p>The music superstar used that platform to post a clip of his live, heartfelt message to fans. That post already has more than 1.7 million likes as of Tuesday morning.</p> </blockquote> <p>I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have 48.9 million followers on a social media platform.</p> <p>Can you imagine the impact for God that he is going to have?</p> <p>During his final show, Daddy Yankee actually quoted the words of Jesus to explain his decision…</p> <blockquote><p>“What good will it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” he said at the final show of his farewell tour at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, quoting Mark 8:36. “That is why, tonight, I recognize, and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world, that Jesus lives in me and that I will live for Him.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Very well said.</p> <p>May God greatly bless the efforts of Daddy Yankee as he shines a light in a world that desperately needs it.</p> <p>His announcement reminded me of the recent baptism of Kat Von D…</p> <blockquote><p>Kat Von D is tattooing her soul with some fresh spiritual ink.</p> <p>The celebrity tattoo artist and “LA Ink” star shared a video of her recent baptism in an Instagram video Tuesday. In the clip, set to angelic choral music, Von D can be seen enjoying the baptism church service before being dunked into a baptismal pool by the pastor performing the ceremony.</p> <p>“Katherine von Drachenberg, upon your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in obedience to his divine command, I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” the pastor said.</p> </blockquote> <p>She has renounced witchcraft and has decided to return to the faith of her youth.</p> <p>Needless to say, she has been viciously attacked from many directions for making this decision, but I am really hoping that she will end up being a tremendous success story.</p> <p>Many social media influencers have been turning to Christ as well.</p> <p>In fact, JiDion completely shocked his followers when he deleted almost all of his prank videos after making a decision to give his life to Christ…</p> <blockquote><p>JiDion is one of the most famous streamers and content creators on the internet. He gained a massive following for his many prank videos, one of which got him banned from all NBA-related events.</p> <p>Earlier this year on September 22, JiDion decided to make a change and declared to his audience, “I’m turning my life to Christ” in a YouTube video that has since garnered 1.3 million views. At the time, his fans were concerned that he would stop making content.</p> <p>Their worst fears have been realized, and then some. JiDion has deleted nearly all of the content from his multiple YouTube channels. He has since uploaded a video titled ‘Why I Deleted All My Videos…’ to explain the decision.</p> </blockquote> <p>We should rejoice when a big name chooses Christ, because such an individual has the potential to reach vast numbers of people with the good news.</p> <p>So that is why we should be praying for the biggest celebrities of all to get saved.</p> <p>For example, this week Taylor Swift was chosen as the Person of the Year by Time Magazine…</p> <blockquote><p>Part of Swift’s stunning year was her “Eras Tour,” which grossed about $2.2 billion in North American ticket sales alone, according to research firm QuestionPro. Also on Wednesday, StubHub released its 2023 “Year in Live Experiences” report revealing that the “Eras Tour” was StubHub’s biggest tour in the website’s history.</p> <p>Swift has dominated not only Super Bowl-sized arenas, but local movie theaters as well.</p> <p>In its opening weekend, the pop singer’s concert film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” raked in about $96 million in the box office in the United States and Canada, making it the highest-grossing concert film domestically for an opening weekend, according to AMC.</p> <p>Among all of that, Swift broke her own Spotify record by becoming the most-streamed artist in a single day in the streamer’s history, while “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year.</p> </blockquote> <p>Can you imagine the kind of impact that she would have if she decided to use her fame and influence for good?</p> <p>We live in a period of history when everyone is going to be picking a side.</p> <p>These truly are apocalyptic times, and our world will soon descend into a state of complete and utter chaos.</p> <p>Some are preparing for what is ahead by storing food and building bunkers…</p> <blockquote><p>A doomsday community is in search of residents to live in its 575 bunkers which can reportedly fit up to 10,000 people.</p> <p>In the Black Hills mountain range in South Dakota, a former army base which stored munitions has been repurposed into bunkers.</p> <p>The base has since been transformed into liveable bunkers aimed at providing an ‘epic humanitarian survival project’ – not just for the top 1%.</p> </blockquote> <p>I certainly believe in getting prepared for the cataclysmic events that are coming too.</p> <p>But if you don’t have Jesus, none of those things will matter much in the long run.</p> <p>If you have Jesus, you have hope.</p> <p>If you don’t have Jesus, you don’t have hope.</p> <p>So I would very much encourage all of you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.</p> <p><strong>Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.</strong></p> <p>[image]https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Snip20231106_6-560x894.png[/image]</p> <p><strong>About the Author</strong>: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.</p> <p>The post Why Are So Many Celebrities Suddenly Becoming Christians? appeared first on The Economic Collapse.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/why-are-so-many-celebrities-suddenly-becoming-christians/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/entertainment">Entertainment</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/religion">Religion</a></div> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even odd even"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-continent-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/america">America</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-product-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/kindle">Kindle</a></div> </div> </div> Wed, 06 Dec 2023 22:33:24 +0000 Guest 63073 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/why-are-so-many-celebrities-suddenly-becoming-christians#comments Ranked: The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of 2023 https://5ux.com/news/ranked-most-popular-halloween-costumes-2023 <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><img src="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Halloween-2023_04.jpg" /></p> <p>The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of 2023</p> <p>Wearing costumes on Halloween goes far beyond trick or treating. Adults, teachers, and even pets get dressed up for the season, showing off at work, parties, charity drives, and of course to join in with candy-collecting kids.</p> <p>But with different movies, television shows, albums, and other cultural touchstones changing year-to-year, the most popular Halloween costumes also get switched up regularly. </p> <p>With the help of Google Trends data through their Frightgeist series, we visualized the top 27 most searched Halloween costumes in the United States.</p> <p>What Are the Most Popular Halloween Costumes This Year?</p> <p>As with last year, the impact of popular movies, shows, and games is clearly visible in the <strong>top 27</strong> most popular Halloween costumes in the U.S. in 2023:</p> <table id="tablepress-3633" class="tablepress tablepress-id-3633"><thead><tr class="row-1 odd"><th class="column-1">Rank (2023)</th> <th class="column-2">Costume Name</th> </tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover"><tr class="row-2 even"><td class="column-1">1</td> <td class="column-2">Barbie</td> </tr><tr class="row-3 odd"><td class="column-1">2</td> <td class="column-2">Princess</td> </tr><tr class="row-4 even"><td class="column-1">3</td> <td class="column-2">Spider-Man</td> </tr><tr class="row-5 odd"><td class="column-1">4</td> <td class="column-2">Witch</td> </tr><tr class="row-6 even"><td class="column-1">5</td> <td class="column-2">Fairy</td> </tr><tr class="row-7 odd"><td class="column-1">6</td> <td class="column-2">Wednesday Addams</td> </tr><tr class="row-8 even"><td class="column-1">7</td> <td class="column-2">Dinosaur</td> </tr><tr class="row-9 odd"><td class="column-1">8</td> <td class="column-2">Cowboy</td> </tr><tr class="row-10 even"><td class="column-1">9</td> <td class="column-2">Ninja</td> </tr><tr class="row-11 odd"><td class="column-1">10</td> <td class="column-2">Bunny</td> </tr><tr class="row-12 even"><td class="column-1">11</td> <td class="column-2">Rabbit</td> </tr><tr class="row-13 odd"><td class="column-1">12</td> <td class="column-2">Pirate</td> </tr><tr class="row-14 even"><td class="column-1">13</td> <td class="column-2">Princess Peach</td> </tr><tr class="row-15 odd"><td class="column-1">14</td> <td class="column-2">Clown</td> </tr><tr class="row-16 even"><td class="column-1">15</td> <td class="column-2">Pumpkin</td> </tr><tr class="row-17 odd"><td class="column-1">16</td> <td class="column-2">Batman</td> </tr><tr class="row-18 even"><td class="column-1">17</td> <td class="column-2">Mermaid</td> </tr><tr class="row-19 odd"><td class="column-1">18</td> <td class="column-2">Cheerleader</td> </tr><tr class="row-20 even"><td class="column-1">19</td> <td class="column-2">Ghost</td> </tr><tr class="row-21 odd"><td class="column-1">20</td> <td class="column-2">Bear</td> </tr><tr class="row-22 even"><td class="column-1">21</td> <td class="column-2">Vampire</td> </tr><tr class="row-23 odd"><td class="column-1">22</td> <td class="column-2">Taylor Swift</td> </tr><tr class="row-24 even"><td class="column-1">23</td> <td class="column-2">Harley Quinn</td> </tr><tr class="row-25 odd"><td class="column-1">24</td> <td class="column-2">Doll</td> </tr><tr class="row-26 even"><td class="column-1">25</td> <td class="column-2">1980s</td> </tr><tr class="row-27 odd"><td class="column-1">26</td> <td class="column-2">Cowgirl</td> </tr><tr class="row-28 even"><td class="column-1">27</td> <td class="column-2">Toy Story</td> </tr></tbody></table><p>Reigning supreme is toy-turned-movie icon <strong><em>Barbie</em></strong>, after the eponymous movie released this year. The summer blockbuster has so far topped the 2023 box office at $1.44 billion earned globally, and also was responsible for the most popular couple’s costume: Barbie and Ken.</p> <p>#3 <strong>Spider-Man</strong> and #13 <strong>Princess Peach</strong> also reflect on the cultural power of the box office and video games. Both were in popular movies this year—with the <em>The Super Mario Bros. Movie</em> earning $1.36 billion and <em>Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</em> earning $690 million at the global box office—and both had major game releases in October for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.</p> <p>Netflix also saw cultural “success” in this year’s most popular Halloween costumes, with #6 <strong>Wednesday Addams</strong> coming from their Addams Family series <em>Wednesday</em>. Though the show released in November of 2022, it quickly became the most watched English-language show on the platform and a perfect fit for Halloween costume ideas.</p> <p>This year also had one celebrity make the top 25, <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> at #22. The singer-songwriter released two re-recorded albums following an ownership dispute with her former record label, and is currently in the midst of a record-breaking concert tour.</p> <p>The post Ranked: The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of 2023 appeared first on Visual Capitalist.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-popular-halloween-costumes-2023/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/entertainment">Entertainment</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-opencalais-product-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/addams">Addams</a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 24 Oct 2023 18:37:50 +0000 Guest 62944 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/ranked-most-popular-halloween-costumes-2023#comments Ron Paul Has a New Book!!! https://5ux.com/news/ron-paul-has-new-book <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>Here's the amazing news: Ron Paul has a new book! As you know, Dr. Paul is a <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and has written numerous books including "End the Fed," "Liberty Defined," "Swords into Plowshares," and many more. Paul's brand new "The Great Surreptitious Coup: Who Stole Western Civilization?" zeroes in on our acute social, political, economic, and moral crisis and goes back through history to explain what is happening, who is responsible, and how we can right a ship that has drifted seriously off-course. From ancient Sumeria to the Enlightenment to the dawn of the Progressive era to the assassinations in the 1960s to the emergence of "woke" and Cultural Marxism to our current predicament, this book packs a mighty amount into a small package!Published by Dr. Paul's Institute for Peace and Prosperity, the book is available for a <strong><em>limited time</em></strong> and in <strong><em>limited quantities</em></strong> as a "thank you" gift for your tax-deductible donation to the Institute. You will <em>not find this book anywhere else</em>...and you most definitely will want to read it!How to get your copy of "The Great Surreptitious Coup"? There are three levels of support that will get you a copy of this book. For a donation of $50 or more we will send you a soft-bound copy of the book. For $100 or more Dr. Paul will hand-sign a soft-bound copy for you. And for a tax-deductible donation to the Ron Paul Institute of 150 or more, Dr. Paul will sign a HARD-BOUND "forever" copy of his latest book for you.Looking for that perfect Christmas gift that you won't find at the corner store...or even the bookstore? Help out a great cause and get your hands on this collector's edition of some of Ron Paul's best work.Here's the easy part: after you make your donation you don't have to do anything! Our staff will look at each day's contribution list and automatically mail you a copy of the book according to your level of support. The only thing we will ask is that you make sure your donation address is your mailing address. If not, drop us a line and we'll fix it for you.Help the Ron Paul Institute continue making the case for peace and prosperity and enjoy Ron Paul's terrific new book! What's not to like? And thank you!</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/peace-and-prosperity/2023/september/19/ron-paul-has-a-new-book/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/hospitality">Hospitality</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:42:11 +0000 Guest 62850 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/ron-paul-has-new-book#comments Tucker In Hungary Highlights US Diplomatic Failures https://5ux.com/news/tucker-hungary-highlights-us-diplomatic-failures <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>Tucker Carlson gave a speech in Hungary this week where he apologized to the audience for just how undiplomatic and plain horrible is Biden's Ambassador in Budapest. The Ambassador, David Pressman, views his job not as a diplomat, but rather more like the Soviet Commissars in the days of old. Also today: Push-back against mask-mandates meets with success! Today on the Liberty Report:http://rumble.com/embed/v3add60/</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/peace-and-prosperity/2023/august/29/tucker-in-hungary-highlights-us-diplomatic-failures/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:44:50 +0000 Guest 62790 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/tucker-hungary-highlights-us-diplomatic-failures#comments The Rise of State/Corporate Censorship https://5ux.com/news/rise-statecorporate-censorship <div class="clearfix body field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p>How did it all get started? RPI Director Daniel McAdams addresses this year's Houston Conference on the origins of the evil anti-speech public private partnerships. Watch today's Liberty Report:http://rumble.com/embed/v361sr3/</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-source field-type-link-field field-label-hidden field-wrapper"><a href="http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/peace-and-prosperity/2023/august/18/the-rise-of-statecorporate-censorship/">Source</a></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-calaisdocumentc-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden field-wrapper"> <div class="field-items" class="comma-separated field-items"> <div class="field-item even" class="field-item even"><a href="/category/human-interest">Human Interest</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" class="field-item even odd"><a href="/category/business">Business</a></div> </div> </div> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 17:03:46 +0000 Guest 62766 at https://5ux.com https://5ux.com/news/rise-statecorporate-censorship#comments