Political circles chattered all weekend about the possibility of Chris Matthews, the verbose host of MSNBC’s Hardball, challenging for a a seat in the U.S. Senate, representing his home state of Pennsylvania. Matthews has not declared his intention to run; he has, however, been in contact with top Democratic officials in the state. FiveThirtyEight.com, known more for its poll analysis than its punditry, said Friday that the cable news talking head was already “hiring staff,” based on reports from various Democratic operatives; Matthews quickly issued a denial.Regardless of his ultimate decision, the media is having a field day with the idea of Matthews running. The gaggle on Fox & Friends laughed off the idea of the “alleged journalist” taking a shot at the seat currently held by Republican Arlen Specter, who has been in the Senate for more than 27 years. The Minneapolis alt-weekly City Pages offers advice learned from its coverage of Al Franken’s Minnesota Senate run: “Celebrities and political pundits should not run for office.”Phil Singer, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign earlier this year, called for Matthews’ resignation from the Hardball chair, if he intends to run. “One of the reasons millions of people rely on NBC as a news source is that it’s objective,” he wrote yesterday. “When one of the network’s most visible anchors is reported to be exploring a run for elected office, the network has an obligation to remove that person from its airwaves.” (Singer penned this just as The Daily Show was preparing a bit comparing the lack of objectivity on both MSNBC and FOX News.)I personally think that Matthews (the candidate) comes with the pre-made attack ads of Hardball quips-gone-bad. In addition, despite his encyclopedic knowledge of politics an Ameican history, his catty demeanor may not play well with the electorate. Also, his insecurities are well known to anyone who read the New York Times magazine cover story from this spring.A preliminary Quinnipiac poll has him down double-digits to Specter if the race happened today. What do you guys think of his chances?(Photo from Flickr user chetlyzarko)
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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