The week of February 18, 2017 was all Black people know each other; considering getting married atTaco Bell; Natalie Portman teaches us to talk dirty in Hebrew; and finally, an answer to our question: Why do dogs eat poop?

Mash-Ups in the News:

The Most Innovative Country In The World? California

What was that about being out of control? California is still making all of our dreams come true in terms of innovation. Driverless cars for all!

via Marketwatch

Photoessay: Metalheads In Botswana, NBD

You know we love surprises! We think of heavy metal as a pretty white musical art form so seeing these photos of metalheads in Botswana with their DIY metal gear…well, it’s the dopeness.

via MotherJones

The Gold Standard Of Fried Chicken: Popeyes

“If fried chicken is fine art, Popeyes is Kehinde Wiley. The first bite is always rich in texture. As the chicken moves closer to your face, its buttery aroma fills your nostrils like an intoxicating perfume.” Enough said.

via The Outline

What DJ Khaled Teaches Us About Winning At Life

Our new mantra is “We the best” thanks to DJ Khaled. Because if we don’t say it who will? What a dude. Also the fact that his book is being used for serious life advice brings us joy.

via The Ladders

Asians Of White House Commission Resign In Protest

There has been a White House commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders since 1999. And now it has almost ZERO people on it because 80% of the members resigned at the same time in protest of the Trump Administration’s xenophobia. BTW, Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. Politicians might want their support.

via Colorlines

Don’t Worry, Yellowface Is Still Going Strong

Not again, Satan. Not again. So Vogue has a diversity issue out (Which is awesome! Beautiful Mash-Up faces gracing the cover!), however, it somehow thought it was a great idea to style Karlie Kloss in yellowface as a geisha, and use sumo wrestlers as props. Why? Seriously, why?

via New York Magazine

Milk: It’s What The White Supremacist Wants

Maybe white supremacists are into milk because they know so many non-white people are lactose intolerant…too nuanced? In any case, they have chosen to chug milk as a way of pledging allegiance to each other. Gross. In other news, hate groups are on the rise.

via Mic

When Someone Calls You The Wrong Name It Means They Love You

Our brains hold information in categories of related people, places and things. So when your mom calls you your pet’s name, it’s just because she has you in the section of her brain with other things she loves! This knowledge would have saved us years of therapy, though it doesn’t change the fact that names are everything for Mash-Ups.

via Quartz

Are Immigrants More Likely To Commit Crimes? Nope

Oh facts! You seem so elusive and yet you are right there in front of us. Guess what, immigrants actually are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Why are we even still having this conversation?

via Econofact

Americans Are Warming Up To Religious Groups

Despite the divisiveness of the current political climate, there is hope, Mash-Ups! In just 3 years, from 2014 to 2017, people on both sides of the political spectrum have developed much warmer feelings about religious groups other than their own. It seems that the biggest impact is knowing someone from that other religious group personally.

via Pew

Inspo of the Week:

Nerds Just Saved NASA’s Data

Sometimes it just takes a bunch of computer engineers to download all of the important data that NASA has collected and put it onto a secret server so that the government can’t delete it. Speaking of which, the EPA just published a mirror of their website from the day before inauguration to make sure we can follow what is getting erased and how language and policy are changing. Superheroes come in all shapes and sizes!

via Wired