The Evil-Eye Caption Contest

This is our world-famous 278th Caption Contest!

Here’s the pic:

About the pic: A candid shot of Meghan Markle staring at her sister-in-law Princess Catherine, taken sometime during Markle’s 72 days as a working member of the British Royal Family.

You know the drill:

  • Enter the contest by submitting your caption as a comment on this thread (scroll down until you see the “LEAVE A REPLY” box).
  • Body and Soul‘s writers will vote for the winner.
  • Any captions proffered by our writers, no matter how brilliant (ha ha), will not be considered. :(

This contest will be closed at the end of Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

‘To get the contest going, here’s my caption:

If looks can kill….

P.S. By the way, envy can kill. Recall that it was envy that led to Cain killing his brother Abel, the first murder of a human.

For the winner of our last Caption Contest, go here.

~E

Crow named Russell bonds with young boy & his family

Amazing to watch an animal choose to befriend certain people!

DCG

Bidenomics in action: Family Dollar to close nearly 1,000 stores

Thanks to demorat’s (and RINOs) out-of-control spending, the U.S. Economy is not that great. Inflation remains high as well as interest rates, US credit card debt is at a new high, and unemployment has hit a tw0-year high. In combination with other progressive policies, stores are closing across the country.

You can now add Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores to the list (via CNN):

“Family Dollar, the struggling discount chain that caters to low-income customers predominantly in cities, said Wednesday it will close nearly 1,000 stores.

Persistent inflation and reduced government benefits continue to pressure the lower-income consumers that comprise a sizable portion of Family Dollar’s” customer base, CEO Rick Dreiling said Wednesday on a call with analysts.

Family Dollar will close 600 locations this year and 370 stores over the next several years as store leases expire. Family Dollar has around 8,000 US stores. Dollar Tree also said it will close 30 stores as leases expire.

The closures will improve the company’s profitability. But they are likely to leave a void for Americans with already limited shopping choices. Family Dollar stores are often in areas with few supermarkets, big box stores and other retail options.”

Read the whole story here.

Vote wisely in November, folks. Remember:

DCG

Hollyweird libtard partners with brand that promotes transgenders because she’s now concerned about “age-appropriate” products

More like her agent garnered her a fat paycheck to repeat their messaging…

Drew Barrymore kneeling before Dylan Mulvaney, a man living as a “transwoman.”

Hollyweird actress Drew Barrymore got into some hot water last year when she had transboy Dylan Mulvaney on her talk show. Drew received much criticism with a conservative noting, “Women are now getting on their hands and knees to show solidarity with a man who has lived as a woman for less than a year. Truly the sneakiest trick the patriarchy ever pulled.” 

Drew has now partnered with Dove (owned by Unilever) to raise awareness of anti-aging skincare being marketed toward tweens.

Unilever has promoted transgenderism via many campaigns:

  • In 2017 Dover promoted #RealMoms by featuring a mom (aka man) who is transgender
  • In 2021 Unilever “took action” to focus on cities (as recommended by the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipality Equality Index) to, in part, create a more inclusive world
  • In 2022, as part of their “United We Stand” campaign, Unilever announced their fourth year of  “promoting systemic change” to fight anti-trans legislation

Photo from Unilever’s “United We Stand” campaign

Now Dove (Unilever) has partnered with Drew Barrymore to “raise awareness of the anti-aging skincare trend that can foster premature appearance anxiety in young girls.”

Nevermind the message that men can become women; I guess that’s not confusing enough to give young girls anxiety. Behold the new messaging:

From People Magazine:

“Like many moms of tween and teens, Barrymore tells PEOPLE she’s having conversations about skincare at home with daughters Frankie, 9, and Olive, 11.

“They’re really into skincare because that’s really a lot of what they see and what their friends are into. So I’m just always trying to keep track of what products are age-appropriate and not too active for their skin,” Barrymore shares.

From her perspective, Barrymore is very conscious of “the mental gym and what’s inside our heads.”

“That, to me, is more important than what’s in our beauty routine. I think the things we tell ourselves inside our minds should remind us that beauty is for everyone. We can make sure the ingredients are age-appropriate, and the messages are really about the joy of it rather than worrying about anti-aging.”

“For me, beauty has always been about positive messaging at any age. I’m such a Dove girl, and they’re so ahead of the curve on talking about how we see ourselves versus how we think we should be seen, and the cause and effect of that. I think that’s a great responsibility that companies have, and I think Dove does it in a way that’s just so much more impactful.”

“…positive messaging and emotional and mental empowerment are so crucial. The messages always have to be about loving who you are, working with what you’ve got and having fun with it. It’s about being joyful and not in a scramble to be something different than who you are.”

Read the whole story here.

I’m sure Drew does not see the irony in partnering with Dove to promote “healthy messaging” to young girls while Dove’s partner company is promoting the mental gymnastics of gender dysphoria.

Way to teach young girls that “mental empowerment” is working with what you’ve got. Until you want to transition and never understand the cause and effect of having a mental disorder.

DCG

Biden promotes abortion up to birth in SOTU

LifeNews.com reports, March 7, 2024 [red color emphasis supplied]:

During his State of the Union address today, Joe Biden promised he would sign legislation to kill babies in abortions up to birth if Democrats win complete control of Congress this November.

“In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court majority wrote ‘Women are not without electoral or political power.’ No kidding. Clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America,” Biden said.

“But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again in 2024. If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again,” Biden said.

Over 65.5 million babies have been killed in abortions since the Supreme Court handed down that infamous decision in 1973. However, apparently, that’s not enough abortions for Biden, so he announced plans yesterday to expand both surgical and chemical abortions at a time when states already allow abortions up to birth.

Biden is going to continue his desperate attempt to exploit a federal law, the that guarantees “emergency medical treatment,” and twist it to try to force emergency rooms across the country to do abortions. Never mind that federal courts have already rebuked his attempt to turn ER doctors into abortionists.

Biden claimed during the speech that pro-life states deny pregnant women legitimate health care or lifesaving medical treatment.

This of course is totally false, as every single pro-life law in America fully allows pregnant women to get medical care — including for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

Ingrid Skop, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., a board-certified OB-GYN who serves as vice president and director of medical affairs at Charlotte Lozier Institute, told LifeNews earlier this year that no pro-life laws preent pregnant women from accessing medical care.

“The overwhelming majority of OB-GYNs recognize both mother and baby as our patients and so does federal law,” she said….

Biden’s views are not shared by most Americans. A new national poll conducted by Marist University finds that two-thirds of Americans support pro-life laws that place limits on abortions.

The 2024 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll results reveal that 66% of Americans support placing legal limits on abortion, and that nearly 6 in 10 support limiting abortions to the first three months of pregnancy.

This survey, conducted by the Marist Poll also found that 83% of Americans support pregnancy resource centers, which offer support to mothers both during their pregnancy and after their baby is born.

Additionally, the poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe healthcare professionals with religious objections to abortions should not be legally required to perform them, while 86% of respondents believe that laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.

~E

Saturday animal funnies!

Cat reacts to self image in mirror

Deer brings entire family into store for treats

~E

Plants are good for our mental health

From Almanac, Nov. 16, 2023:

Filling your space with greenery can have many beneficial effects on your brain: Houseplants can help reduce stress, increase happiness, improve concentration, and even make you feel less anxious. Think of them as your own personal (and natural!) wellness committee.

A lot (and we do mean a LOT) of research has been done on the link between plants and well-being. 

Houseplants Can Help You Destress

In a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, researchers divided subjects into two groups who took turns transplanting indoor plants and doing computer work. They found that the subjects felt more comfortable and relaxed when working with the plants (wouldn’t you?).

What’s more, many other studies have found that simply spending time in green spaces—indoors or out—can relieve stress as well.

Houseplants Can Make You Feel Happier

Researchers from the National Chin-Yi University of Technology in Taiwan reviewed 50 studies focused on the psychological benefits of indoor plants and found that the most significant effect they had on study participants was that they made them feel happier.

Wondering which kind of plant to choose? One of the studies was specific, noting that small plants with green foliage and a light fragrance—think lavender—had the most noticeable effect. Learn more about the fantastic health benefits of lavender as well.

Houseplants Can Make it Easier to Concentrate

Another study, this time by Korean researchers, looked at the effects of live indoor plants on elementary students and discovered that looking at the plants actually altered their brain waves, helping the kids pay more attention and concentrate better….

Houseplants Can Help You Feel Less Anxious

A study published in the journal Environmental Research probed the effects of plants on folks stuck indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that being surrounded by houseplants helped reduce anxiety. Thankfully, we’ve (mostly) moved on from those difficult times, but tricky winter weather and even remote work can keep people housebound for long periods, so it’s not too far of a stretch to think the effects might still apply.

It all comes down to this: Houseplants are so much more than leafy decor. In many ways, they’re a gateway to a healthier, happier mind and a simple path to elevating your spirits and increasing your mental well-being. And if you ask us, that’s something worth cultivating.

Think of the person you know who always seems happy and upbeat, who stays cool in stressful situations, and has an enviable ability to tune out distractions and focus on what needs to be done. We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest there’s a pretty good chance they have more than a few houseplants in their life.

 

Alabama Supreme Court: Embryos are children

This is really significant, and has already sent the Left into apoplexy.

The Hill reports, Feb. 19, 2024 [red color emphasis supplied]:

Alabama’s Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos are children under state law and subject to legislation dealing with the wrongful death of a minor, stating that it “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.”

The court issued this majority decision in a lawsuit brought forth by a group of in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients whose frozen embryos were destroyed in December 2020 when a patient removed the embryos from a cryogenic storage unit and dropped them on the ground.

The plaintiffs subsequently filed two lawsuits against the facility, the Center for Reproductive Medicine, alleging that the clinic had violated Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, which applies to unborn children….

The defendant’s motion to dismiss the lawsuits were granted by a trial court that found a frozen embryo did not fall within the “definition of a ‘person’ or ‘child.’” ….

“The relevant statutory text is clear: the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies on its face to all unborn children, without limitation,” the court’s decision stated.

The court found that there is no unwritten exception, as the defendants have argued, to the law that applies to “unborn children who are not physically located ‘in utero’ — that is, inside a biological uterus — at the time they are killed.”

The defendants had also argued that considering frozen embryos as children would result in numerous consequences, including making IVF substantially more expensive and preserving embryos more “onerous.” ….

The ruling was issued by Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell, with seven of the other eight justices concurring. Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook issued a dissenting opinion.

Cook argued in his opinion that it was not within the role of the court to “expand the reach of a statute and ‘breathe life’ into it by updating or amending it.” He argued the law that was written in 1872 would not have taken into account the status of frozen embryos and to argue that the law does would require an explicit amendment from the state Legislature.

Nearly 3 weeks later, the Iowa State House passed a fetal personhood bill, H.B. 2575, which increases the penalty for the nonconsensual ending of a pregnancy, making it a felony and increasing jail time.

Opponents are taking issue because the bill changes the current language from “terminating a human pregnancy” to the “death of or serious injury to an unborn person.” They argue it is another attack on abortion since Roe v. Wade was struck down.

According to the bill, an unborn person is considered “an individual organism the species homo sapiens from fertilization to live birth.”

Under Iowa law, a class A felony is punishable by up to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. A person who causes the death of an unborn person “without the consent of the pregnant person” would be guilty of a class A felony.

~E

Another one bites the dust: The North-Face closing hometown San Francisco store

San Francisco is failing. Due to progressive policies (soft-on-crime DAs, open-air drug use, Defund the Police movement, Prop 47, etc.) many businesses have shutdown their stores in San Francisco.

Now goes another:

The North Face is closing its only store in its hometown of San Francisco that’s situated in dying downtown area

From Daily Mail:

“San Francisco shoppers receive another shocking blow as another major retailer is all set to move away from the crime and drug ridden city. 

The North Face officials have announced that they will be closing the doors of their Union Square store on March 31.  Although the rock climbing and camping supply company was founded back in 1964 in this city, the Union Square store is the only location to exist. 

Hailey Albright, a spokesperson for the company said in a statement: ‘The North Face was born in San Francisco, and we have cherished the time spent here, building roots and creating lasting memories.’

The retailer has not provided a clear reason for the closure of the 180 Post Street store.”

Read the whole story here.

No “clear reason” is required on behalf of The North Face.

Earlier this week voters in San Francisco passed two ballot measures to take steps to curb homelessness, drug addiction and crime. The initiatives require drug screening for welfare recipients and give police more surveillance power and less oversight

But it may be too little, too late. After 60 years of democrat rule, it will probably take DECADES to undue the damage progressive polices have created for that city. Y’all learn too late:

DCG

We have a winner!

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR OUR 277TH CAPTION CONTEST!

This was a very competitive contest with only 2 points separating the winner from the runner-up and 3rd place.

But our writers dutifully voted for their #1 and #2 captions. Each #1 vote is worth 4 points; each #2 vote us worth 2 points.

And the winner, with one #1 and three #2 votes, totaling 10 points, is:

Mistears Mom!

Here is her caption:

Behold-the feminists banshee mating call.

Captain America is in 2nd place, with two #1 votes and 8 points:

When “Mars Attacks” that oughta explode their heads.

Both of GregB‘s captions are in 3rd place, each with one #1 and one #2 votes, totaling 6 points each:

It was a, “powerful performance” as every coyote for miles around began howling back.

Screaming Banshees now need sheet music to “sing” their “lyrics.”

WELL DONE, EVERYONE!

Congratulations, Mistears Mom!

For all the other caption submissions, go here.

Be here later today for our next caption contest!

~E