Entertainment

Humans love to find new ways to settle down and relax. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of cuddling? We cuddle our kids, our loved ones, and our pets. But what about going to a farm and cuddling up with a giant farm animal? In particular, getting all cozy next to a cow? Well, some are saying that cow cuddling is the latest and hottest health trend sweeping the nation.

Of course, some of the ‘science’ is established We love animals and being around safe animals, like cows, can actually reduce our stress. You might think this is strange or awkward, but it’s not the strangest of all the different therapies that have come out. Like goat and cat yoga. Who can remember back to that phenomenon?

You might not be able to get a 1,000-pound cow to do some yoga, but they’re saying cuddling the beast might help your mental health. One particular place that allows for cow cuddling is in upstate New York. It’s called Mountain Horse Farm and part of their package is called “The Horse and Cow Experience” which allows people to spend quality time with large animals.

It’s more than just cuddling, as spending some quiet time take care of animals can relieve stress as well. You can pet the animals, brush their air. But the website for Mountain Horse Farm shares more information about cow cuddling you might not have known. They are warmer and have a slower heartbeat than we do, which is what makes cuddling them so relaxing.

The “Science” Behind Cow Cuddling

Bonding with nature is a good, proven way of reducing stress. Being around animals, enjoying the shade under a tree, it all works to our advantage! Mountain Horse Farms says that they believe cows and horses have a special ability to communicate with humans. They understand our feelings of happiness, anxiety, and sadness and can help us relax.

Sort of like how your dog or cat will know if you’re down and will try to comfort you. They say the same is true for cows and horses. They are well-loved animals and if we come with a cool, calm attitude, they will respond in kind. But not everyone thinks this is a good idea. Cows and horses weren’t bred or designed to cuddle with humans.

While it might bring a relaxing, calm state to our mood and help us mentally, it’s not necessarily a good idea. These are massive beasts we’re talking about and if they suddenly get spooked, it can be dangerous. Mario Becker is an animal behavior expert. He says cows are escape animals and don’t like to be cuddled.

Either way, you can try this new experience for yourself to see if you like it. The 90-minute Horse and Cow Experience package at Mountain Horse Farms is $300 and includes the whole package of activities. But, if you’re just down to cuddle a cow for about an hour, you’ll pay around $75 for the experience.

If you’re an Amazon-loving veteran, we have some good news for you! Amazon is looking to thank you for your service by creating a new promotion just for you. As we approach Veterans Day, the company wants to offer you a big discount on your Prime subscription. This includes all active duty, reserve, and veterans.

The discount is $40 off your first year of your subscription to Amazon Prime. That’s a bit less half off! If you’re already a Prime subscriber, there’s no reason to worry! They’ll offer you the same discount for your next year of use. That way you can extend the membership you have at the discounted price.

Amazon recently raised its price for Prime from $99 to $119. So, getting $40 off will make it even cheaper than it was before they raised their prices. You’d essentially pay $79 for the full year membership. There are a few things to note about this deal. It cannot be combined with other discounts you might already have.

For example, if you have a student discount, you can’t then also use the veterans discount. You also can’t use other partner rewards. Many companies will offer Prime at a discount for using their service. You can’t use more than one discount at a time. So, if you’ve always wanted to have a Prime subscription, here’s your chance!

Is Amazon Prime Worth the Money?

It really depends on how often you use Amazon. If you buy products from there throughout the year, then it’s definitely worth it. You get free one- and two-day shipping on all your orders. That right there is worth the cost and pays for itself over time. If you love entertainment, Prime comes with access to thousands of movies, TV shows, and streaming music for free.

The movies and shows you can find on there are pretty good. It’s like having a Netflix subscription with a little bit less content, all rolled in. So, if you’re an avid online shopper and love entertainment, then Prime is more than worth it. If you only use it once or twice per year, then it might not be for you.

If you’re a fan of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), then you know they just finished up their Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. The company has an 8-year deal with the country to hold two live events each year. While this deal is profitable for both sides, it’s not without regular controversy. This time around, there was plenty of chaos for everyone.

First, the controversy. Many WWE fans know the company prides itself on its women’s division. They changed the division from bra and panties matches and DIVA championships to really allowing the women to change the industry. They became just as important as the men to their shows. This might be why many of the wrestlers hate wrestling in Saudi Arabia.

The country, for the most part, has banned women wrestlers from their country. Saudi Arabia is a highly conservative country compared to U.S. standards. At this particular show, history was made and a single women’s match was allowed. Yet, that’s not where the controversy ends. The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, didn’t pay the WWE for their broadcast.

The country owed the WWE $60 million according to reports. The WWE decided to yank the show right in the middle of the broadcast. To retaliate, Salman detained 175 wrestlers set to fly home for a live Smackdown show the next night. The WWE had to scramble to find extra talent for their live event.

WWE Inks New Deal with Saudi Arabia

After the delay, WWE’s stock was hit with a 5% loss. The trouble with Saudi Arabia wasn’t a good look for investors. It wasn’t long afterward that the payment was made and the two sides came to a new agreement. The country will see new live events, effectively expanding their original agreement. This sent WWE’s stock jumping 6.3%.

It now seems as if we will see the WWE competing in Saudi Arabia for many more years to come. Hopefully they will continue to turn a corner and allow more women’s matches.

It hasn’t been a good few weeks for Paramount. First, Will Smith’s movie “Gemini Men” fails to draw interest. Now, the latest in the Terminator series draws a scant $28 million. Despite good ratings and a 69% Rotten Tomato score, the movie failed to draw attention to moviegoers. There may be a few reasons for this.

Perhaps, being Halloween weekend, it wasn’t a good time to go to the movies. Another reason might be that “Joker” is still fairly dominate. Terminator did take the #1 spot, but “Joker” was a close second after leading the way since its opening. This shows that if such a dismal opening can take the #1 spot, then not many people planned on going to the movies.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, “Harriet”, and “The Adams Family” rounded out the top five for the weekend. All of these movies are below average for their expectations. It just wasn’t a good week for the box office as a whole. Netflix might’ve had something to do with that. With the calendar switching over to November, there were several new shows and movies added to their catalog.

Terminator Keeps Cranking Them Out

Terminator has had several sequel releases since the original two featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. James Cameron also was involved in those first two. Terminator: Dark Fate was the first time they’ve reunited since 1991. Both Hamilton and Schwarzenegger reprised their roles of Sarah Connor and the T-800 Terminator.

In this day and age, it seems as if Hollywood is out of ideas. Rather than creating fresh ideas, they seem stuck in a pattern. This pattern is bringing back 80’s and 90’s icons and throwing a ton of cash at them. It cost Paramount $185 million to make this movie. If it slinks away and fails, the studio could record a $120 million loss.

There still may be hope for this movie. Again, it did get good ratings. Better than other previous sequels other than Terminator 2: Judgement Day. By reuniting all the people who made the first two movies great, this one has a shot. It was most likely just a bad weekend for going out and spending money. With no other major releases upcoming for several weeks, who knows. It can recoup at least some of the loss and might even turn a profit.

As SpaceX continues to improve their rockets and technology, becoming a private astronaut is becoming more of a reality. It’s not just Elon Musk and SpaceX. There’s also Richard Brandon and several other companies working to make it happen. Rather than just astronauts going into space, individual citizens want to as well. This may indeed be a precursor to colonies on the moon and even Mars.

At some point in the near future, you will be able to purchase a ticket into space. Of course, it’s not going to be cheap. This may only be something the rich get to experience. Eventually, technology may make it so such trips are more cost effective. It might require they pack as many paying customers onto a rocket as possible.

Still, the science behind it is fascinating. Something we would’ve never fathomed 50-100 years ago is finally within our grasp. Going where no man has gone before may one day be full of people living, traveling, and enjoying each other’s company. Instead of Disney, a trip to space may be what some families get to experience.

This idea is becoming so popular that even NASA is looking to jump in. For the right bidders, they want to take private astronauts to the Space Station for a short duration flight. They will be working with SpaceX and Boeing to make it happen. Of course, the cost will not be pretty. We’re looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions.

Obstacles of Going into Space

Let’s be honest here. The way the earth’s atmosphere and gravity work make it extremely different to leave the planet. We’re in an enclosed system. Overcoming our gravity alone to push a rocket into space requires a lot of fuel and propulsion. It costs NASA around $3,000 per kilogram of cargo.

The cost to launch typical cargo into space for NASA is about $3,000 per kilogram, and that doesn’t recover most of the space agency’s costs,” said Stephanie Schierholz. “From that, one can certainly infer that it is expensive to launch anything to space from Earth is largely a result of the ‘gravity well’ of Earth. Our gravity and the atmosphere that protects the planet also makes it challenging to leave it.”

Virgin Galactic is currently projecting a single space-flight ticket will cost around $250,000 per individual. The costs may climb higher as we get to the point of the first launch. There are a lot of other issues and prices to be worked out. The prices may also get cheaper as new technologies are developed.

NASA has different pricing. For a single day stay on the International Space Station, it will cost about $35,000 per day. That’s just for the stay. To get to the ISS would cost $52 million. That’s a large chunk of change. Just for access to the toilet, you’re looking at $11,250 per day, per person. Food and air would cost $22,500. $50 per gig of data if you want to use the internet.

We’re less than a week away from Halloween. Most kids are excited and ready to dress up in a costume to go trick-or-treating. The real trick, though, is apparently the majority of parents who steal their kid’s candy. Hey, it’s only fair, right? They drag you along from house-to-house, so it’s not stealing if you’re owed that sweet relief.

WalletHub conducted a survey to find out what other hijinks parents and kids are up to on the spookiest night of the year. 72% of parents admit to stealing their kids’ candy. Usually it’s after they go to bed. Parents don’t really let their kids keep all the candy anymore. Instead, it’s put in a central location where they can “monitor” it. If only the kids knew what was happening late at night!

83% of parents say they routinely check their children’s candy to make sure there isn’t anything dangerous going on. There are always rumors of razorblades or needles in the candy. It’s estimated that 41 million kids will hit the street on October 31^st this year. Only 29% of parents said they planned on taking their kids out. Usually parents might leave their kid with a group of friends or let them go out on their own.

36% of parents believe the older kids, around 12 or 13, can go trick-or-treating on their own. With that, only 35% of parents say they discuss Halloween safety with their kids. This is dismaying, as two times as many kids are killed than pedestrians each Halloween. That means it’s a good idea to add reflective tape to your child’s costume. Make sure they’re bright and visible.

Other Halloween Stats

Americans like to go all-out for Halloween. In 2019 alone, it’s expected that we will spend nearly $9 billion. $3.2 billion of that is on costumes. $2.6 billion will be spent on candy and sales to haunted houses could push past $300 million. There are a lot of other numbers to consider for this holiday.

76% of us will spend less than $50 on Halloween. 68% celebrates in some way, whether big or small. A little less than half, 49%, will decorate their homes. It’s interesting to see how many people do celebrate Halloween. Many people spend thousands of dollars turning their home into a haunted playground. It’s always a great time of year to decorate and enjoy the fall season.

It’s been another amazing year for the man known as “The Rock”. The professional wrestler turned movie star has made more money than any other actor in Hollywood this year. From June 1^st, 2018 to June 1^st, 2019, Johnson earned an astounding $89.4 million. Last year, he was the #2 paid actor in the world, only behind George Clooney. This year, he topped the list.

To find out how The Rock is making his dough, we have to take a look at all the different projects and endorsements he earns. The man is a beast in all things, waking up at 4 and 5 in the morning to work out and keep up his amazing physique. He shoots whatever film he’s working on and takes the time to stay grounded.

Recently, Johnson went back to his childhood home. It was an emotional video. He talked about the time he got arrested and seemed to be on a bad track. It was family and wrestling that changed his life. At one time, Johnson only had $7 in his pocket. This is why he named his production company “Seven Dollars Productions.”

From troubled teen to one of the most famous wrestlers of all time, Johnson started making movies and his acting career shot upward like a rocket. His charm, hard work, and charisma took him to the top in only a few short years. Now, he’s making tens of millions of dollars every year. He has officially topped the mark as the world’s highest paid actor.

The Rock and 2019 Movies

Johnson starred in two of the biggest movies of the year, from “Hobbs and Shaw” to “Jumanji”. Each one worth 8-figure checks and other royalties that are tied in with ticket sales. That’s as much as 15% of the film’s take. There’s a third Jumanji film in the works and he’s set to take in $24.5 million up-front from that movie. That price doesn’t include royalties.

TV Shows

Johnson hasn’t just starred in blockbuster movies. He’s on TV as well! If you’ve ever watched the show “Ballers” on HBO, then you can get a good look at his amazing talent and strength as an actor. He carries the whole show and it’s fantastic, earning him a whopping $700,000 per episode. At 10 episodes per season, that’s $7 million per season. He also hosts “Titan Games” on NBC, which is a Gladiator-like gameshow.

Endorsements

As any ripped athlete like The Rock would do, he also has an endorsement deal. He recently signed a contract with the apparel giant Under Armour. His deal includes selling clothes, shoes, and even headphones under his “Project Rock”. This deal earns him at least 7-figures in royalties alone. This is the highest paying endorsement deal out there today according to Spotted.

Halloween is one of those holidays that you either celebrate or you don’t. Decorating can be fun. So is dressing up in costumes and going out with friends. Even adults get into the spooky spirit, even if it’s just to sit around and watch scary movies. The problem is, not everyone’s budget can afford to enjoy the season. Especially this time of year when all the holidays seem to come fast and furiously.

So, how can you enjoy Halloween while saving money? The last thing you want to do is drain your bank account, but there might be expectations. Do you usually throw the Halloween party? Maybe you’ve always had the best costume, but things are a bit tight right now. You don’t have to sacrifice your fun to appease the bank account. Let’s look at a few ways to celebrate while cutting back.

1) Cheap Halloween Decorations

You probably already know you can make your own Halloween decorations cheaper than you can buying them. It’s really easy to do, and if you have kids, it’s a fun thing to involve them in. Make DIY spiders you can put on your front door by getting those cheap spider rings. Cut off the ring part and glue a tiny magnet strip to the bottom. Buy some black construction paper and cut out paper bats for your walls.

You also can save money by not buying any pumpkins. Instead, getting a bunch of milk jugs. You can leave them white to be ghosts, or paint them orange to be pumpkins. Color faces on the jugs and put lights in them and they’ll glow. You don’t have to go all out and spend a ton of money on expensive decorations. Instead, let your creative side take over.

2) Cheap Costumes

Just like with decorations, you can do costumes on the cheap as well. Makeup doesn’t have to be too expensive. You can find props at the dollar store. Go to Goodwill to find cheap clothing you can turn into a costume. You have a lot of options! Once again, you will have to be creative. Do a Google search for cheap costume ideas.

3) Throwing a Cheap Party

Throwing a Halloween party is a great way to bond with family and friends. You know the people you would invite over really well. You don’t know a full-on monster bash to have a good time. Decorate with a few of the cheap ideas listed above (or found online). Lay out bowls of candy (which you can find cheap this time of year), popcorn, and put a scary movie marathon on Netflix.

If you’re a fan of the WWE, then you know it was only back in 1999 when the XFL made its first debut. It didn’t turn out that great at the time, and then ended up disintegrating after its first season. It was interesting to find out over the past year that Vince McMahon, founder of the WWE and XFL, wanted to bring the football league back.

When something fails, you often don’t try to do it again. But this time around, McMahon vowed to learn from his mistakes and create a new league that fans will actually enjoy. So, if you’re someone who really misses football during the long summer months, maybe this new rendition of the XFL will be for you.

Today, Vince McMahon is set to show off the logos in the team names of its eight new franchises. These will be the eight franchises that kickoff the new league in February right after the NFL finishes up. The unveiling will take place at an event that will not only reveal the new teams, but introduce the new XFL commissioner Oliver Luck.

This event is set to be shown on ESPN.com, XFL.com, and FOXSports.com. These are streaming options that didn’t exist back in 1999. They might allow the XFL to be more successful in its return. Ratings won’t matter as much and people who are interested in watching the games can download the XFL app.

XFL Cities

The XFL will start with eight teams from Houston, L.A., St. Louis, Tampa Bay, New York, Dallas, and Washington. The first player signed by the XFL was a former Steelers QB and a star at Oklahoma, Landry Jones. More players will be announced as we get closer to the start of the new season in February. After the NFL finishes with its training camp process, hundreds of players across the league to get cut.

The teams include: Tampa Bay Vipers, Seattle Dragons, L.A. Wildcats, Houston Roughnecks, St. Louis Battlehawks, New York Guardians, D.C. Defenders, and the Dallas Renegades.

The XFL season will kick off on February 8^th and will air on throughout the Disney and Fox family of channels, including FS1, ESPN, and ABC. In order to bring the XFL back, McMahon sold off millions of dollars’ worth of WWE stock. The first attempt of the league had a lot of fanfare and hype, but its ratings were weak and it was deemed a financial loss.

The company hopes to put out a better product than the first time around. They’re seizing on the current ratings slump seen in the NFL. Politics and controversy have marred the NFL in the past few years. McMahon has vowed there will be no politics when the XFL returns. They hope to create a better, faster, safer, and more entertaining league. They hope to work with the NFL rather than compete against it.

It’s been six years since PlayStation 4 made its way into the market. That model was extremely popular and brought us into a new era of gaming. The graphics were extremely advanced for a time. As everyone else caught up, it appears as if customers are ready for the next generation of gaming consoles. Fans are looking for a new and immersive experience. PlayStation 5 hopes to corner the market once again.

Sony is looking at a holiday season 2020 release for the PlayStation 5 console. That would be the best time of year to release a new, probably very expensive machine. Every kid is going to want one, so parents should be saving up now. In the meantime, we get to read about all the amazing improvements and updates for the new system.

One of the biggest improvements is the updated and completely redesigned controller. Sony wanted gamers to have a better feel in their hands for the world they’re entering. They call it ‘haptic feedback’, which is improved tactile sensations when holding the controller. The PlayStation 4 controllers have minimal shaking and rumbling at times. This time, they’ve updated the experience big time.

“With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field. You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud,” Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games.”

PlayStation 5 Finally Arriving

Of course, it’s not just the improved controller fans are after. It’s exciting to see how much better the graphics, audio, and processing power the new PlayStation 5 will have. Also, how well will it do against the Next Gen Xbox? Microsoft also has plans to release their console at the same time: holiday season 2020.

Currently, there are only three major brands providing game consoles, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Nintendo is on its own schedule. Out of the three, Sony is outperforming the others in sales. By the end of 2019, it’s estimated they would have sold 100 million PlayStation 4 systems compared to Microsoft’s 52 million units sold.

Google may also be looking to jump into the video game world. They plan on released Stadia during the same time period. Will they be able to enter the market and compete with the PlayStation 5? It all depends on how well the marketing campaigns run over the next year. Either way, which system will you choose?