After nearly a year of social distancing, quarantines, and working from home, navigating virtual methods for professional meetings and classes has been a challenge to say the least. We've seen our fair share of viral virtual meeting mishaps, from bosses stuck as potatoes, to the infamous 'Zoom dick' incident. Well apparently the technical difficulties have yet to be resolved for some. Just today, Texas lawyer Rod Ponton showed up to the virtual 394th district of Texas as a conspicuously worried kitten and couldn't figure out how to exit the Zoom filter. After some hilariously awkward back-and-forth attempts at troubleshooting the situation, Ponton finally accepted his newfound kitten-form and said, 'I'm prepared to go forward with it.' Respect.
social distancing
Electronic pop group The Chainsmokers are being widely criticized following a "Drive-In" charity concert they performed in the Hamptons on Saturday. The performance was intended to raise money for charities, with tickets prices ranging between $1,250 to $2,500. The hefty cost is no surprise given the New York summer spot's incredibly wealthy reputation.
While organizers of the event said the temperatures of all 3,000 attendees were checked, and that preventative social distancing was enforced, social media footage from the event paints a different story. Video from the concert appears to show a sizable crowd that's clearly ignoring the 6ft rules of safe distance. The footage is so damning that Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted his disapproval late Monday:
"Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations. I am appalled. The Department of Health will conduct an investigation. We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health."
Though organizers of the "Safe and Sound" event claim to have worked with state and local health officials to keep attendees safe, the response from government figures says otherwise. Howard Zucker, the New York State Health Commissioner, sent a perplexed letter to the Town of Southampton expressing his shock that anyone would think this show was a good idea during a deadly pandemic.
As of right now, the event is being investigated by the New York Department of Health - and the Chainsmokers have yet to comment on the situation. But folks on Twitter seem to have a lot to say about the oft-roasted music group's incredibly callous performance. We've put together the best tweets for your entertainment. Now all we can do is hope that the Northeast doesn't get that second wave it's been desperately avoiding.
As part of the world's efforts to fight the global pandemic, many companies around the world are trying to come up with ingenious yet simple and practical products to help people adjust to the new norms of social distancing.
One of the cutest products offered in the market now is a personal "Cat paw" (NEKO no Te, in Japanese) designed to prevent new coronavirus infections through non-contact interactions.
Good Ol' John Krasinski kicks off the 7th Episode with Some (more) Good News, primarily focused on people staying positive, and at home, during these trying times, by keeping busy and in touch with their friends with song and dance. Then things pick up and John Zooms with a couple that recently got engaged with a great surprise for them that includes a zoom dance-reunion of The Office cast and some other really great moments that are not awkward at all.
SPOILER ALERT: Michael Scott still got the moves.
These stray cats were spotted in front of one of the market's stores, proving that cats can follow social distancing protocol better than human beings...
We always knew cats are ahead of us, humans.
When the world tries to heal by reopening public places and restaurants, there are still some concerns about how to keep social distancing between people.
The Maison Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant in Thailand, Found the perfect solution to kill the pandemic blues for those who can't bear to eat alone.
When the restaurant initially reopened, the owner had placed one chair at each table. But then it felt too empty so he placed stuffed panda bears at its tables to promote social distancing in a fun and less lonely atmosphere.
Now, stuffed panda bears can join you for dinner and hear about your day.
As you can probably imagine, the diners are thrilled. Sawit Chaiphuek told Reuters: "I enjoyed the unique company as I dined out for the first time in months. The doll makes me feel less lonely eating by myself".
Story via: Rueters
Unfortunately for service industry employees everywhere, Karens have decided not to take any days off during the pandemic. In fact, it seems that they've even ramped up their antics, according to this amusing Twitter thread written by a guy observing the sheer panic taking place at an Olive Garden in Cranberry, Pennsylvania on Mother's Day. Who knew soup, salad, and breadsticks warranted screaming at minimum-wage restaurant employees!
Each week we bring you a talented female artist who produces incredible quality content and this week, we've picked Casey Drake, a Florida mom who has found a way to spread smiles and positivity amongst her community. She is creating cartoon masterpieces on her sidewalk using chalk showing well-known Disney, Pixar, and other iconic characters safely practicing and coping with social distancing. "Laughter is the best medicine, and we can all use a little bit of humor right now I think," she said in an interview with WKMG. Her messages touch on things we've all felt and can relate to during the pandemic; from Dorothy from The Wizzard of Oz's classic line of "there's no place like home", to Robin getting a little too close to Batman.
Once you've enjoyed a selection of her brilliant creations below, check out last week's female artist of the week in case you missed it.
TGIF, y'all! With many of us cooped up in our houses, celebrating the final day of the slavish workweek involves a whole lot less going and and a whole lot more screen time. These memes are one great way for you to take a load off post-9-5 torture. Sure, there are streaming services. But they cost money. And you've probably seen everything from Tiger King to that Michael Jordan docuseries.
