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Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Kira here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr

Today’s top stories are about: bizarre life hacks that might actually work, an Airbnb host who found a man hiding under his bed, a deep dive into the Spider-Man meme, and TikTok’s new uncanny valley makeup trend.

After that, Mikael’s got an explosive “One Dumb Conspiracy” column for you. 

Until next time,

— K.D


⚡ Today’s top stories

🔨 HACKS
Life hacks that might sound too good to be true, but are worth your consideration

Some of these sound a little out there … but you might just be surprised.

 READ MORE

🛏️ WTF
‘New fear unlocked’: Airbnb host finds man hiding under bed when cleaning his rental

An Airbnb host called the police after finding a man hiding under a bed on his property. Viewers are conflicted on how they would have handled the situation.

 READ MORE

🕷️ MEMES
The Spider-Man meme, a versatile classic

What began as a humorous cartoon confrontation transformed into a universal symbol for highlighting resemblances.

 READ MORE

💄 VIRAL
‘This looks terrifying but so good at the same time’: TikTok’s uncanny valley makeup trend, explained

TikTok makeup tutorials are typically fun and informative. But the uncanny valley makeup trend is something else entirely.

 READ MORE


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🔍 One Dumb Conspiracy

By Mikael Thalen
Staff Reporter

Houston chemical plant conspiracy theories

Another chemical plant explosion, another conspiracy theory

In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.


🕸️ Crawling the web

Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.

🍬 A woman has shared her therapist’s weird hack for stopping a panic attack before it can begin—using sour Warheads candy.

🍸 Bartenders have to deal with a lot of strange requests from customers. Like this one, where someone tried to order a “non-alcoholic dry martini.” 

💸 This Gen Z worker is going viral for asking every generation how much they paid for rent in their first apartment

🎃 Since Halloween is over, seasonal costume retailers like Spirit Halloween are trying to get rid of their merchandise before shutting their doors for yet another year. One person found brand-new costumes in a dumpster behind one store. 

🪀 Busy hands soothe an active mind. Relax your mind and reduce stress with these viral fidget toys.* 

🖱️ Did you know there are hidden corners of Costco’s website

🥐 This Texas Roadhouse customer is getting a lot of attention for sharing her family’s Thanksgiving hack: Getting rolls from the restaurant prior to their big feast. 

💳 People are warning Instacart shoppers not to buy gift cards for customers after one worker’s account was deactivated and flagged as fraudulent for doing just that.

⚰️ From the Daily Dot archive: Here are the real-life stakes of faking your death online.

*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.


📝 Question of the Day

Everyone’s got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered. 

HAVE YOU HAD A  PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE YET THIS FALL?

To answer questions like this in the future, sign up for web_crawlr here.


👋 Before you go

When you leave for an extended vacation, there are several things that can slip the mind beforehand, like unplugging electronics or putting your mail on hold. Also: turning off the ice maker.

A couple who forgot to turn off the ice maker in their Samsung fridge before leaving for a four-month vacation was welcomed home by an icy surprise.

In a TikTok, one user shows the video that her parents sent to her when they returned home from an extended vacation.

Parents accidentally leave ice maker running for four months

🎶 Now Playing: “I’m Gonna Miss Her Bad” by Brad Paisley 🎶 

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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/news/daily-dot-newsletter-web-crawlr-11-13-2023/