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7/29/16

From where I stand: Micaele Fernandes

Crossposted from UN Women.


Micaele Fernandes. Photo: UN Women/Gustavo Stephan
Photo: UN Women/Gustavo Stephan


Quote


Gender inequality in my community is an everyday struggle. Women are still expected to be submissive to men in professional and social settings and are judged severely.


I had to present a project on women's issues in my school. I decided to share my experience from the Olympic Villa of Mato Alto in Rio de Janeiro, where I attend the ‘One Win Leads to Another’ programme. I explained how it is empowering girls like me through sport. Playing sport teaches us confidence, how to develop leadership, honour our values and work as a team.


I see many girls who dream about being respected and making something big out of their lives, but sometimes they don’t know how to do it. The programme shows them a path. That's what I like about it most and why I want to tell others about it.


I want all girls to believe in themselves, pursue their goals and not be deterred by what others think about them. Being a winner is fighting for what you believe in and never giving up. After all, trying to be better than you were yesterday already makes you a winner.”




SDG 5: Gender equality

Micaele Fernandes, 16, is a handball player from Rio de Janeiro. She is a participant in ‘One Win Leads to Another’, a programme to empower young women and girls through sport in Brazil by UN Women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Her story relates to Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and ensure equal opportunities for leadership at all levels in political, economic and public life. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development explicitly recognizes sport as an important enabler for development and women’s empowerment.


Read more stories in the “From where I stand...” editorial series.

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Brave Bulldog Tries To Save Girl In Horror Movie From Certain Trouble




Khaleesi the English Bulldog can’t exactly speak, but it’s pretty clear what she’s trying to say here — “Lookout behind you!”


The 4-year-old pup was watching the horror film “Crimson Peak” when she saw a little a little girl in a lot of trouble. Luckily, Khaleesi was ready to jump up and warn the girl by furiously barking at the screen.


Khaleesi didn’t quite save the day, but it’s good to know that she’s ready for any real-life, non-movie danger. 


Also on HuffPost:


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Top Cartoonists Dish On What It's Like To Draw Hillary Clinton



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Delaying Breastfeeding At Birth Increases Risk Of Newborn Death By 80%: UN


NEW YORK, July 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than half of newborn babies are not breastfed within the first hour of life, putting them at heightened risk of disease and death, the United Nations’ children’s agency said on Friday, highlighting sub-Saharan Africa as an area of concern.


Feeding babies within an hour of birth passes on critical nutrients, antibodies and skin contact with their mothers that can protect them, UNICEF said.


Delaying breastfeeding by two to 23 hours after birth increases the risk of a baby dying in its first month by 40 percent and delaying by 24 hours or more increases the risk of death to 80 percent, UNICEF said.


Studies shows newborns account for nearly half of all deaths of children under age 5.



UNICEF, which has been campaigning to promote early breastfeeding, estimates 77 million babies around the world each year are not breastfed within the first hour of their life. It estimates about 130 million babies are born each year.


“Breast milk is a baby’s first vaccine, the first and best protection they have against illness and disease,” France Bégin, UNICEF senior nutrition adviser, said in a statement.


“Making babies wait too long for the first critical contact with their mother outside the womb decreases the newborn’s chances of survival, limits milk supply and reduces the chances of exclusive breastfeeding.”


Efforts to promote early breastfeeding have been slow, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where mortality rates for children under age 5 are high, UNICEF said.



Early breastfeeding rates nudged up to 60 percent in 2015 from 51 percent in 2000 in East and Southern Africa and were unchanged in West and Central Africa, it said.


In South Asia, rates of early breastfeeding tripled from 2000 but 21 million newborns a year are not breastfed in the first hour, UNICEF said.


Among the obstacles, UNICEF said, doctors, nurses and midwives assisting births in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia are less likely to promote early breastfeeding than are unskilled attendants or relatives assisting.


In some countries UNICEF said it is customary to feed a baby infant formula, cow’s milk or sugar water in its first three days.


If all babies were fed nothing but breast milk from birth to six months, more than 800,000 lives could be saved each year, UNICEF said.


Around the world, 43 percent of infants less than 6 months old are fed breast milk exclusively, according to UNICEF. Those who are not breastfed at all are 14 times more likely to die than those fed only breast milk, it said.


The figures were released ahead of World Breastfeeding Week running from August 1 to August 7 in more than 170 nations. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)


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Officer says prosecutors silenced him in Sandra Bland case

DALLAS -- A police officer in the small Texas town where Sandra Bland, a black woman who later died in a jail cell, was pulled over says the county's top prosecutors threatened to end his career if he came forward with what he says is evidence of wrongdoing, an accusation the prosecutors deny.

Among the things Prairie View officer Michael Kelley said this week that he wanted to tell a grand jury: Bland appeared to have marks on her forehead after a confrontation with state trooper Brian Encinia, who pulled her over last July for allegedly failing to signal while changing a lane; Encinia was on the phone with a supervisor after arresting her because he didn't know what charge she should face; and the police report Encinia ultimately submitted left out key details.

Kelley said he was never contacted by special prosecutors handling the case, and the Waller County district attorney's top assistant said there would be repercussions if he spoke to a Bland family attorney. Prosecutors have strongly denied Kelley's allegations.

Bland was found dead three days after the traffic stop in a county jail cell; authorities ruled it a suicide. But her death galvanized the national Black Lives Matter movement and others protesting recent police misconduct, all of whom said she was mistreated and shouldn't have been arrested. Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday with other black women whose children had died in encounters with law enforcement.

Many of Bland's supporters have long questioned whether local authorities would fairly investigate the case. No one from the jail or the sheriff's office has been indicted, even though the county acknowledged jailers did not properly monitor Bland or screen her properly after she mentioned she had a history of mental illness. One jailer has given a deposition admitting he falsified a jail log.

Encinia was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of perjury, which is pending, and was fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Kelley, meanwhile, is suspended from the police department after being captured on video using a Taser on a black city councilman in Prairie View and being indicted for official oppression related to an unlawful arrest. He claims prosecutors sought that indictment as retaliation.

"I didn't become a cop to become shady like a lot of officers," Kelley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I became a cop to do justice and to try to change the community which I work in."

Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis issued a statement implying Kelley is trying to profit from Bland's death.

"I unequivocally state that he never approached me, my first assistant, or any member of my staff with any such information," Mathis said, adding: "I can only imagine this is an attempt to divert attention" from Kelley's case.

Darrell Jordan, a Houston attorney who was one of five special prosecutors handling the Bland case when it went to a grand jury, also said Kelley never approached him or any other prosecutor.

"We walked the campus; we walked the main roads trying to talk to people," Jordan said.

On the day of Bland's traffic stop, video from Encinia's squad car and a microphone on his uniform show the two beginning to argue. Encinia then reaches into the car and tries to drag Bland out of her seat before arresting her.

"Get out of the car!" Encinia is heard saying. "I will light you up! Get out!"

The two struggle outside of the car as Encinia handcuffs her and calls for backup. Kelley said he was one of the first to respond.

Encinia is later captured on audio going through possible charges for Bland, from resisting arrest to assault.

"I kind of lean toward assault versus resist because I mean, technically, she's under arrest when a traffic stop is initiated, as a lawful stop," Encinia is heard saying. He eventually wrote a report accusing Bland of assault on a public servant.

But Kelley said he saw bruises on Bland's forehead and heard Encinia tell his supervisor, "'I don't know what I'm going to charge her with yet.'"

Kelley's allegations are the latest to raise the idea that authorities haven't thoroughly investigated Bland's death.

Earlier this week, the Houston Chronicle reported a jailer admitted under oath to falsifying a notation in a jail log that he had checked on Bland during the hour before her death. Bland family attorney Cannon Lambert said the jailer made the admission during a deposition in the family's federal lawsuit against the county over Bland's death.



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Black Lives Matter condemns arrest of man filming police

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Black Lives Matter activists in New York are protesting the arrest of an anti-violence advocate who was taken into custody while videotaping two officers frisking a handcuffed motorist.

Maurice Crawley was standing across the street from a traffic stop in Syracuse, streaming the video live on his Facebook page Thursday when one of the officers shouted that if he said "one word," he'd be arrested.

When Crawley asked the officer to repeat himself, the officer strode across the street and placed him under arrest while swearing at him.

The 52-year-old activist pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest. His attorney wasn't available for comment.

Police say they're investigating.

A protest outside the jail is underway.

Crawley, the officer and the motorist are all black.



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Police arrest father of 4-month-old found dead

LAKE CHARLES -- Lake Charles police say the father of a 4-month-old infant who died earlier this month has been arrested and faces a charge of second-degree murder.

Police Chief Don Dixon said in a news release 40-year-old Larry Champ was arrested early Friday morning in Sulphur.

Dixon says the infant's mother, 25-year-old Courtney Morris, was arrested Wednesday. She also faces a second-degree murder charge.

Dixon says police received a call July 14 about a dead infant. He said the child had no signs of injuries.

Dixon says the coroner's office did a routine sudden infant death investigation, performed an autopsy and submitted blood samples for analysis. He says the lab report, which came back Wednesday, showed that the baby had alcohol in his system.

Online jail record did not list an attorney for the couple.



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Sandy Hook school opening to public, 4 years after massacre

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- When the public gets its first glimpse Friday of the school built to replace the one where 20 first-graders and six educators were massacred, they'll see a building designed to be attractive, environmentally friendly, conducive to learning and, above all, safe.

The old Sandy Hook Elementary School was torn down after the gunman's rampage in December 2012. The new $50 million, 86,000-square-foot school was built on the same property but not in the old footprint, and is scheduled to open next month. A media tour will precede a public open house on Friday.

Local officials hope that allowing everyone a look at the school this week will give students a "quiet, respectful, and appropriate opening as teachers and students return to the new school year," on Aug. 29, Superintendent Joseph Erardi said.

The new school, funded by a state grant, has safety features such as impact-resistant windows and state-of-the-art video monitoring. Its ground floor is elevated, making it harder to see inside classrooms from the outside. It has been landscaped to ensure anyone approaching the school is visible to those inside and can enter via one of three pedestrian bridges that cross the landscaping.

It has been built to invoke nature, with treehouses and courtyards.

The driveway and parking lots also have been changed, to minimize the emotional impact on students and educators seeing the property for the first time since the shooting.

"Our goal was to create a place of community and learning, a place that would honor those we lost and allow those who were left behind the chance to move forward," First Selectman Pat Llodra said in a statement.

Sandy Hook students have been attending school in neighboring Monroe, which renovated a previously closed elementary school for the Newtown children after the shooting. The new school will serve students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade.

There will be about 390 students enrolled this fall, and 70 of those, all now fourth-graders, were students at the old school when the shooting occurred, Erardi said. About 35 of them were in the building at the time, he said, attending the morning kindergarten session.

None of them witnessed the shootings, which were heard throughout the school, prompting students to hide where they could in their classrooms until the building was cleared by police. The shooting occurred before the afternoon kindergarten session.

Because of retirements and transfers, about 60 percent of the staff members from the original Sandy Hook are still with the school, he said.

The district will provide those students and staff with special resources to help cope with the return, Erardi said.

A three-year, $7.1 million grant to fund added mental health professionals has expired. But grants from charities will cover those costs, he said.

It will not have a prominent memorial to the Sandy Hook victims, and Erardi declined to say whether they will be remembered in some other way.

"I'm going to pass on answering that," he said, "because it involves the conversations I've had with the impacted families and those will always remain confidential.



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Movie Review: Jason Bourne... Born Again!

What's not to love about Jason Bourne. And Matt Damon and of course Robert Ludlum who created the beloved Jason Bourne. Here we have Bourne again on the run and two magnificent chases dominate this plot.

Several years after Bourne's disappearance in The Bourne Ultimatum, he is discovered hiding out in Greece. A new program, Ironhand, now hunts him down. Its sole purpose is to murder Bourne who is still trying to find answers to his past and family.

This is not a new plot twist to the franchise, but it still is enjoyable and over the top entertainment. Watching Jason Bourne run is much of the plot and he is so charismatic. Meanwhile the entire cast is laud worthy and I assure you that you will look forward to the next installment. Paul Greengrass directed this thundering sequel and wrote it with Christopher Rouse.

Telling too much of the plot will spoil the suspense, but Tommy Lee Jones is a sinister addition to the cast while Alicia Vikander is terrific as not only her beauty is to behold, but she has a look in those gorgeous treacherous eyes that signals watch out "I'm not just another cookie to crumble". Her flawless complexion juxtaposed against a craggy Tommy Lee Jones is like an ad for face cream. These two work well together as they plot Bourne's demise. And Jones is so funny at his most evil moments as his timing is impeccable. The soundtrack is its usual fabulous self that keeps the pace fast and beyond furious.

Riz Ahmed is a talented new addition to the cast as a computer wiz and tech specialist at the CIA who is terrorized by Tommy Lee Jones. Ahmed is currently starring in HBO's The Night Of. He is an English actor and rapper and a delight to watch. There is purity to his acting that is magnetic.

Jason Bourne begins in Greece but these shots were actually filmed in the Canary Islands and goes on to Las Vegas with Bourne in a 'post Snowden' world. Vincent Cassel is the assassin after Bourne and is ferocious in his attempts to murder him. See this film if you are a Bourne enthusiast.

But to be brutally honest I do not think this Jason Bourne lives up to the prior films. The pace is f nonstop frenzy without many, moments to reflect. One feels a bit manipulated, chewed up and thrown out by the too fast pace. This exhausts and disguises a groping for plot. The new cast of Cassel and Jones and Vikander and Ahmed work so well together that for a moment I felt this film was up to the quality of the prior films and might surpass, but sadly it does not. The acting is, the pacing is not. The editing is not. The story line is not. But I would surely like to see a Jason Bourne film over any of that animated dreck coming out of the studios, any time. No matter its faults.

Yet to see Matt Damon as Jason Bourne is a joy onto its own. On the Kelly Show he said, "Ever since I got famous, I got credit for everything.:" Then added, "But it is because of you, guys." His fans At 45 he has done 57 films, has four daughter and eats chicken and protein to lose weight, but added, "That's just to prepare for a film. I love to eat. The film crashed 170 cars and in the finale in Vegas he said due to the location and traffic, "We had to go for it."

So go for it. See Jason Bourne if only to see Matt Damon born again!

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An Open Letter to Veterans, Active Military and Law Enforcement: What Do You Believe?

I first want to thank you for your patriotism, heroism and your brave service to America. You do what few others won't, which is to put your own lives on the line to protect ours. You place yourselves at grave risk every single day abroad, nationally and locally. For that we are forever grateful and in your debt.

It's no great secret that many of you, if not a majority, are Republicans. And as Republicans, I must ask you, how can you support Donald Trump? How can you support someone who has such utter disdain for the principles on which our nation was founded, and who has no respect for those courageous individuals like you who's job it is to uphold the law and defend our Constitution and homeland?

When Trump incessantly bellows that we must "make America great again," what he's actually saying is that she is not great now. Is that what you believe? Do you believe that America is not the greatest nation on the planet right now?

When Trump says that we are "losing the war against terror," is that what you believe? Do you believe that the Taliban, al Qaeda, ISIS and other vicious enemies are beating you? That you are losers?

When Trump says that America's military is a "disaster," is that what you believe? Do you believe that our incredible armed forces are in a state of chaos?

When Trump says that crime in America is "out of control and rapidly getting worse," is that what you believe? Do you believe there's lawlessness in our cities and local communities?

Because if you believe all of this gloom and doom you're admitting colossal personal failure. You're letting Trump accuse you of not doing your jobs. With each and every one of these statements he's disrespecting you and everything you stand for and risk your lives for.

When Trump mocks decorated veterans like Sen. John McCain because he was "captured" and is therefore not a "real" war hero, is that what you believe? Do you believe that our soldiers who are captured, tortured and imprisoned for years are not heroes?

How do you feel when you hear Trump threaten not to support our NATO allies (who, for example, valiantly and loyally stood with us post-911), acting instead like some two-bit mobster holding out for protection money? Do you believe we should waiver in our support of our allies and hold an economic gun to their heads?

How do you feel when Trump talks of murdering the families of terrorists, and of torturing prisoners despite clear violations of the Geneva Conventions? Do you believe this is the sort of American exceptionalism you're fighting for? That these actions will make America great again?

How do you feel when Trump arrogantly boasts that he gets his military advice and foreign policy experience from watching tv shows and through hosting the Miss Universe pageant? Do you believe these are qualifications for Leader of the Free World?

How do you feel when you hear Trump compliment brutal dictators like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Saddam Hussein? How do you feel when he unconscionably invites Russia to hack into our State Department because he "hopes" they "find" the missing Clinton emails, a request so bizarre and not just ethically irresponsible and reprehensible but, more so, a grave threat to our national security. Treasonous, in fact, as many believe. How about when he back-peddled the next day and said he was joking and being "sarcastic:" do you think it's funny to suggest that one of our biggest enemies commit espionage against our government and its citizens for Trump's personal political gain?

Trump's claims of catastrophe can only be translated to one thing: If America's not great, if America is a disaster, if crime is out of control, if terrorists are winning, then our military, homeland security, FBI, CIA, police and prosecutors are doing a horrible job. I don't think that's what you believe, do you? Then I ask again, how could you vote for someone who so disrespects the job you do and is calling you a failure? Think about it. It simply doesn't make any sense.

Trump is counting on your support to usher him into the Oval Office. But do you really believe his behavior is worthy of being president of the greatest nation on Earth and commander-in-chief of the world's greatest military?

When you go into that voting booth on November 8th please remember Trump's dark, dystopian, doomsday view of America, and his obvious opinion that your dreadful performance is responsible for it. Also remember that when Trump had a chance to serve side by side with you in Vietnam, he chose instead to hide behind the cashmere coattails of his wealthy daddy, who secured four deferments and an exemption for him through the kind of "personal rewards" afforded the "rich, powerful and well-connected." The kind of elitism which Trump blasted Democrats for on Wednesday.

You are dutifully suiting up and proudly and bravely serving. You're fighting and bleeding on the battlefields of war and on the streets of our cities and small towns. You are heroes and you are selfless. You deserve better than someone who deems America and you, it's protectors, a failure.

We all deserve better than Donald Trump.

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This 'Boy Meets World' Reunion Photo Will Take You Right Back To 1993


All the ‘90s feels right now. 


Disney Channel released a photo on Thursday of the entire “Boy Meets World” cast on the set of the epic ‘90s show’s reboot, “Girl Meets World.” The casts are coming together for the show’s third season finale, including both actresses who played Cory Matthews’ little sister, Morgan. 




“Girl Meets World” has brought back original characters before, but the season finale is set to be the largest reunion the show has seen yet. The episode will be especially emotional for the “Girl Meets World” cast, as the future of the show beyond Season 3 is still undetermined.


The series’ star, Rowan Blanchard, who plays Cory and Topanga’s teenage daughter, tweeted about her own uncertainty regarding Season 4.






The show’s writers also tweeted that the original actors stopped by the writing room to help make a “decision” regarding the show. However, Disney has yet to give away any hints about what this decision entails.






Here’s hoping Mr. Feeny will drop some more epic life-truths to help guide us through adulthood.



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These Brilliant Kids Are Solving The World's Biggest Problems



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'Audit The IRS' - Auditing The People Who Audit You

As an attendee of Freedom Fest this month, I wore a couple of hats.

On the one hand (or should that be head?), I was there to promote my new book, "If You Can Keep It". On the other, I was there as a Communications Advisor at the request of the Tax Revolution Institute (TRI) to launch a remarkable and timely project: the first-ever independent audit of the IRS.

2016-07-26-1469505859-4035227-SelectedforAudit.jpg

It is perhaps remarkable that no one has peered into the operations of the IRS, which has almost unrivaled power to peer into the private lives of others, if only to ensure that neither the agency itself nor the individuals within it are abusing that power.

Surely, there simply must be a body that oversees the IRS. After all, no government agency can operate with no oversight at all, can it?

It can.

And that is a remarkable fact.

Although there is an official body that is responsible for ensuring the propriety of the IRS' operations, called the "IRS Oversight Board", its website states only (and shockingly, given its implications),

The IRS Oversight Board does not currently have enough members confirmed by the U.S. Senate to make up a quorum and as a result has suspended operations.


Meanwhile, many Americans rightly or wrongly feel that the IRS behaves at times as if it is above the law. Its lack of oversight unfortunately ensures that such a feeling is not as far from practical reality as many of us would like to believe.

To get a handle on just how the IRS operates and its real impact on the lives of Americans, the first part of TRI's audit of the agency involves collecting stories from individuals about their personal experiences of the IRS. TRI expects that these stories will reveal patterns that will help to direct TRI's research professionals in conducting their independent audit.

Ultimately, TRI seeks to inform the American public of a myriad of aspects of the IRS, including its treatment of individuals and small businesses, its expectations of its employees, its work culture, its handling of its own finances, the advice given to taxpayers by the agency, and IRS policy and enforcement.

This all reads like a very tall order, because it is.

But what is already clear from working an exhibition table at Freedom Fest as attendees came up to it, keen to voice their support for TRI's efforts, is that the most important information that the audit will bring to light, in some ways, the easiest to collect.

I was nearly brought to tears on more than one occasion by stories by clearly innocent people who had their lives turned upside down not so much because they were audited by the IRS, but because of the way they were audited. What so many personal experiences of the IRS have in common is a threatening intrusion that takes no account of either personal circumstances (such as being in the last week of one's life, utterly incapacitated with cancer) or the obvious lack of the intent of the auditee to cheat.

When TRI launched this historic effort last week, the organization had no idea as to what to expect: were people's experiences broadly positive, neutral or negative; are there even a significant number of tax-payers who have had an experience of the IRS, good or bad, that is worthy of sharing - let alone recording, and so on?

It took only one day to find the answers - in what unfortunately seems to be a rich seam of real pain, experienced by real people, often shedding real tears as their shared their trauma with perhaps the first organization they have encountered that cares not only to listen but also to make the public aware of their pain.

The Tax Revolution Institute's work will be worthless if it is not driven with as much integrity and justice as the organization ultimately seeks to be manifest in the American Tax system. "Audit the IRS" will be worth watching if only to see how this avowedly non-partisan organization stays sufficiently detached to extract objective patterns from deeply subjective accounts.

We should not forget that the only legitimate end of all politics - including government agencies - is human being and their well-being, so an audit that doesn't start there wouldn't be much of an audit at all.

Returning from Freedom Fest, I find myself exercised by one thought, in particular.

In no area of our life - personal or political - do we deem to be acceptable the fact that people who have done nothing wrong remain in a state of fear or anxiety for an extended period but, strangely, we make one exception. When it comes to trying our honest best to comply with a tax code so complex (75,000 pages and growing) that barely any CPA can accurately work with it, we allow ourselves or many perfectly innocent fellow citizens to be frightened year in and year out by its enforcement.

Where I come from, a relationship in which one party is in continual or repeated fear of the other is called abusive. What is it about our nation's most ubiquitous agency that causes regular citizens to see it any differently?

If TRI's Audit of the IRS can answer that question, it will have done very deep work indeed.

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These Funny As Hell Arthur Memes Will Have You Doubled Over Laughing

Everyone’s favorite childhood aardvark has taken over the internet over the past couple of days ― and it isn’t for his impeccable spelling skills.


Black Twitter outdid their own creativity when they took screenshots of different scenes from the show “Arthur” and added their own tongue-in-cheek ― sometimes less than appropriate ― commentary. 






 People have created hundreds of memes depicting prominent characters in the show dealing with real life life issues (like Francine’s mom demanding that the dishes are clean before she comes home), soap opera-esque issues (like D.W.’s infidelity) and everything in between (like Buster jamming to Beyoncé’s “Sorry”). Folks even started a thread of the characters reenacting the love triangle in the Ron Isley song “Contagious.” 


Check some of the funniest “Arthur” memes below.

































































































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6 More State Employees Criminally Charged In Flint Water Crisis


Six more people have been charged with crimes for their role in allowing the water in Flint, Michigan to become tainted with lead, a deadly poison. 


Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, announced the charges against the six state employees on Friday morning. 


“The families of Flint will not be forgotten,” Schuette said at a press conference Friday. “Those who committed crimes will be held accountable.”


Friday’s announcement brings the total number of Flint water crisis criminal charges to nine, plus two civil suits against private companies that consulted on the city’s water situation. 


The people charged Friday are Nancy Peeler, Corrine Miller, Robert Scott, Liane Shekter-Smith, Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal, all current or former employees of either the state Department of Environmental Quality or the Department of Health and Human Services.


The charges stem from the state’s failure to follow proper treatment protocols after switching the city’s water source to the Flint River in 2014. Contrary to federal regulations, state officials failed to add corrosion inhibitors to prevent the river water from leaching lead from the city’s pipes. 


“The result was water was poisoned and children were exposed to extremely high levels of lead which may impede their growth and development for the rest of the their lives,” Schuette said. 


Flint residents knew something was wrong with their water in 2014, but the state insisted it was safe. In July of 2015, Schuette alleges ― and previously released emails have suggested ― Peeler, Scott and Miller became aware of high lead levels in Flint kids’ blood, but convinced themselves seasonal variation accounted for the change. They’ve been charged with conspiracy, willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office.


The charges against Shekter-Smith, Cook and Rosenthal relate to their failure to take corrective action once they knew about Flint’s water problems.


Political observers believe Schuette is positioning himself to run for governor of Michigan. He spoke about the Flint water crisis at the Republican National Convention. 


“Pregnant moms and mothers with newborns still should not drink the water and that’s not right,” Schuette said last week. “But I will make it right, because in Michigan the system is not rigged. In Michigan we have one system of justice which means there are rules for all.”


Hillary Clinton also gave Flint a shoutout when she formally accepted her presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. 


“I sweat the details of policy ― whether we’re talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, the number of mental health facilities in Iowa, or the cost of your prescription drugs,” Clinton said.


Flint’s water still has unsafe levels of lead, meaning water samples from more than 10 percent of homes contained above 15 parts per billion lead in the most recent round of testing. No level of lead exposure is safe ― even at low doses, the heavy metal can cause a range of problems, most notably brain damage in small children. 

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Island Hopping Around The Cyclades, Greece: Part II

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Howdy again - and thanks - to those of you who remembered to return to my tour of the Cyclades. To those of you who read Part I - and to the newcomers - welcome to Part II.
Just a brief recap; my first destination was the island of Serifos. From visiting the main town, Chora, to paying a visit to a few of the numerous beaches, it certainly left an impression. I was also pleased with the research I did prior to leaving Athens, where I live, on choosing great accommodation in Aria Hotels ariahotels.gr/en/. They have various Boutique Hotels, Guest Houses and Villas. While they're presence is mostly around various islands, they also have two Boutique Hotels in Northern Greece as well.
My next destination was Milos, an island that has to be on the list. A few facts before we get started; Milos has one of the largest natural harbours in Mediterranean Sea. From the countless beaches, a spectacular one in particular, to Sulphur Mines, Ancient Sites, Museums, and picturesque sea front villages, the to-do list should no doubt be lengthy. For me though, this visit is just a short one, so I had my work cut out.
Arriving in Milos was easy enough. The convenient aspect of island hopping is the regular ferry services on offer, flying dolphins or catamarans zig-zagging their way around the Cyclades. I rented a car quickly from the main port, Adamas, and made my way to Tripiti, a small village about 15/20 minutes away. This time I was looking forward to my first experience of staying in a windmill. It was situated on a hill and was clearly visible from afar. Quite a few windmills dot the landscape here, but most look abandoned. This one was anything but. As with Serifos, it was comfortable and well located.

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This stop was just for 24hrs, so I got going quickly. My first stop was a no-brainer - the Sarakiniko beach with its famous white stones, which resemble more of a lunar landing site rather than a beach.

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As luck would have it, a couple of friends happened to be in Milos at the same time, so we met up for dinner in another village called Apollonia, the northernmost port, and coincidentally where I'd be getting the ferry the next day to my next destination. We ate at a restaurant called Gialos, which was great. The owner, Christos, was friendly and made sure we were happy.
The next morning was a quick drive to the Catacombs - the site is actually on the edge of Tripiti. Just a short walk from the Catacombs, where you can see the well-known village of Klima on the seafront below, is the Ancient Roman Theatre. The theatre was actually constructed by the inhabitants of Klima.

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I then felt like walking a little, so drove to the edge of Plaka, the main town of the island, which is mostly inaccessible with a car due to its narrow streets.
While I consider I got through a reasonable amount in the short I was there, everything I saw was limited to one part of the island. There is so much more to this island, but I was on the move again - this time to the nearby island of Kimolos; a much smaller island, but equally impressive in terms of history and scenery.
Staying at Aria Hotels again was great - especially as it was an experience staying in a windmill. As with Serifos, it was an enjoyable and comfortable stay and I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store with their hotel in Kimolos.
So don't miss out on the final part of my hat-trick of islands. Back soon.

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The Ingenious Way Pilots Avoid Turbulence On Your Flight




Pilots have a ton of gadgets at their disposal, each programmed to help you get from point A to point B as safely as possible.


In the clip above, Wired checks out some of the tech that pilots use to keep you safe, especially from turbulence (which is estimated to cost airlines $100 million a year in delays, damage and injuries to passengers).


As a matter of fact, turbulence is the greatest cause of all non-life threatening airline injuries, according to NASA. It averages out to about 58 people every year who are hurt across the U.S. from turbulence-related injuries ― and studies show that turbulence is going to get more serious due to climate change.


So it’s crucial that airlines and their pilots use the latest in technology to keep everyone safe. How do they do it? They use tablets and apps. One of the more helpful tools is a weather viewer that provides pilots with a live turbulence forecast, like a “Waze for the skies,” that helps pilots see not speed traps and cops, but pockets of turbulence in the air, and navigate around them.


Check it all out in the video above.

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Daily Meditation: The Practice Of Imagination

We all need help maintaining our personal spiritual practice. We hope that these Daily Meditations, prayers and mindful awareness exercises can be part of bringing spirituality alive in your life.


Today’s meditation features a talk on imagination by British poet David Whyte. Imagination, he says, isn’t just the ability to think up something new. It’s the power to focus the mind and make sense of the world around us.




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Blame it on the Russians

If there is any shock at the level of corruption within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as revealed in recently released emails attributed to Wikileaks and the DNC's automatic response to blame Russia, the fact that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and her staff effectively sabotaged the Bernie Sanders campaign may seem secondary compared with how the Obama Administration has been constructing a false narrative to justify NATO preparations for war with Russia.

While the accusation that Russia is at the root of its email scandal adds titillating fodder for how Clinton defrauded Sanders out of the Democratic nomination, the US continues to pursue every opportunity to identify Russia as the culprit in a myriad of complaints, the US is now using the DNC hacks as part of its geopolitical agenda to discredit Putin.

The potential threat of nuclear conflict in the Baltics may be linked to the DNC's inappropriate behavior as inconsistent with their mission of neutrality since the end result of that partisan political campaign process is the nomination of Hillary Clinton
.
To read that Democrats are placing the hacked emails at the door of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a vehicle to aide Donald Trump's candidacy might be laughable if the Dems were not so transparent in attempting to deflect attention away from their own malfeasance. It is indisputable that members of the DNC staff wrote and sent the offensive emails without any thought of consequence, overstepping their authority or accountability.

The depth of information contained in the 20,000 email pages are yet to be thoroughly vetted by independent investigators. Those investigations may provide interesting details regarding the DNC relationships with big money and corporate donors and its quid pro quo with 'liberal' mainstream media functionaries. As the controversy continues to unfold, the DNC may have reason to be concerned.

Indeed, the DNC and Clinton campaign are spending much valuable time spinning a narrative that the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming rather than focusing on the upcoming race against Donald Trump which promises to be a very tight election. At what point, do the Democrats with egg on their face end up looking foolish, inept and desperate.

In what may be an early sign of a sinking ship as the latest polls show Donald Trump leading Clinton in the Presidential race, Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager told the Washington Post on Sunday that "There's evidence Russian state actors broke into the DNC, stole those emails and there are experts saying they are releasing these emails for the purpose of helping Donald Trump."

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has told CNN of the possibility that 'a lot more material' will be released relevant to the US presidential campaign but refused to confirm the source of the emails citing necessary 'maximum ambiguity' to protect all sources. Assange went on to say that the DNC reaction "raises questions about the natural instincts of Clinton that when confronted with a serious domestic political scandal, she tries to blame the Russians, blame the Chinese, et cetera."

Assange explained that "so called experts the Clinton campaign quote are not analyzing our materials, they are analyzing previous materials published," and further "what we have right now is the Hillary Clinton campaign using speculative allegations about hacks that occurred in the past to try to divert attention from our (current) emails because they are having so much political impact in the United States."

In an NBC interview with Richard Engle, Assange added that "it has not been proven that Wikileaks published the emails" and that "there is no proof whatsoever" that Russian intel services provided the emails. Assange claimed that "DNC servers have been riddled with security holes for years and that many sets of documents from multiple sources are now in public hands."

On Tuesday evening, President Obama commented that "anything's possible" and "I think that Trump's gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia." The President is hopefully aware that 'favorable coverage' in Russia does not translate into votes in the US. In an NBC interview, Obama said, "what we do know ..is that the Russians hack our systems."

The President might have forgotten that the US and Israel were responsible for a joint Stuxnet project, a malicious computer worm hack against Iran in 2013 that, according to cyber security expert Ralph Langer "was far more dangerous than the cyber weapon that is now lodged in the public's imagination" and 'changed global military strategy in the 21st century." In other words, Stuxnet opened a wholly new can of (cyber) worms.

Whether the source of the emails may have learned their hacking skills from the US government or not, the fact is that DNC sleaze that Sanders has been alluding to for months has been confirmed.

While former US secretary of State Madeline Albright, a Clinton supporter who has, in the past, exhibited a disoriented sense of proportion when she told Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes that "the price was worth it" regarding the deaths of half a million Iraqi children due to US sanctions and more recently suggested that women who do not support Mrs. Clinton would 'find a place in hell' suggested on Tuesday "the truth is that a Trump victory in November would be a gift to Vladimir Putin." Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort has labeled Albright's assertions 'crazy'.

Presumably Albright was referring to, among other issues, Trump's questions regarding the future of NATO while Clinton has vowed a tough approach to territorial disputes involving Russia indicating how the candidates might differ on issues of world peace.

For all the fuss and convoluted speculation that Russia was the source of the email link, the DNC appears to be increasingly anxious to deflect attention away from the actual contents of the emails and rather spend considerable effort into creating an enormous spin machine that pins the leak on Putin's government.

CNN continued to report that US officials indicated 'there is strong evidence" that the leaked emails were the result of hackers familiar to US counterintelligence who are working on behalf of Russian intelligence. But 'strong evidence' is no evidence and not admissible in the international court of law; at best, 'strong evidence' is only supposition and circumstantial.

Famed NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has tweeted that "Evidence that could publicly attribute responsibility for the DNC hack certainly exist at NSA. Even if attackers try to obfuscate origin, #XKEYSCORE makes following exfiltrated data easy. I did this personally against Chinese ops."

Another famed whistleblower William Binney, the 36-year NSA veteran widely regarded as a "legend" within the agency who created the agency's mass surveillance program, responded "Snowden is right and the MSM is clueless."

For the US mainstream media, to use every insignificant, irrelevant piece of trivia to destroy Putin's reputation so as to make it easier for the American public to accept future military action against Russia, proves that no amount of obfuscation, no distortion of the facts, nothing is beyond the pale.

Pointing the finger and alleging that Putin is in cahoots with Wikileaks (who never reveal their sources - for obvious reasons), Guccifer 2.0 (who denies any Russian involvement) or some other intel snoop misses the point entirely - the emails are legitimate and factual. And they are confirmation that staff members of the DNC worked overtime In undermining the Sanders campaign.

Watching the Presidential nominating roll call vote on Tuesday afternoon raised the question of how many Democratic delegates had any awareness that the votes they cast for Hillary Clinton were tainted; the product of a flawed and discredited political process.

And so on Tuesday evening, Bernie, being the good soldier, sucked it up and took the DNC's betrayal on the chin and delivered his votes to Clinton. Suppressing whatever was left of his self esteem, he reiterated his support for the very objectionable woman he opposed in the Democratic primaries and who had to have some level of knowledge, some awareness of what the DNC was doing on her behalf. Never answering the question of why he entered the primary in the first place if Hillary Clinton "must become President of the United States," Bernie's performances on Monday and Tuesday evenings, in effect, sanctioned DNC efforts to discredit his candidacy. So much for the 'revolution'.

Putin's efforts as he stepped in at the behest of Pope Francis in 2013 to block US bombing of Syria followed by his response to the US initiated overthrow of Ukraine's democratically elected President has made him a huge target as he has antagonized the pro war neo-cons currently embedded in the Obama Administration and mainstream media - both of whom may be a more significant potential threats to world peace.

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Joe Jonas, A Man Scorned, Plays Shag, Marry, Kill With Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato And Gigi Hadid




Joe Jonas might not be as blond, famous, or hated by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, but he has dated almost as many famous types as ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift. 


Yes, Taylor has been linked to a slew of white dudes with interchangeable one-syllable names (Jake, Tom, John, etc.), but if there was one late-in-life tell-all we’d like to read, it’d be Joe Jonas’. 


The former lover of Swift, Gigi Hadid, Demi Lovato and others told us all how we really feels about his past relationships during a game of “Plead the Fifth” on  “Watch What Happens Live” Thursday. 


Host Andy Cohen asked the former boybander to “shag, marry or kill” his three famous exes.  


Reiterating that the bit was just a “game,” Jonas had no issue saying he’d happily be betrothed to Lovato.


“I’ll marry Demi,” Joe said. “She’s a friend.” 


But when it came time to choose between Swift and Hadid — who, after their breakup, entered into another high profile relationship with Zayn Malik — Jonas hesitated. 


“Um, Shag Taylor, kill Dem— kill Gigi,” he finally sputtered. 


And there you have it. 

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If Pokemon Go Characters Starred In Your Favorite Movies

Monsters have become all the rage this summer, but we’re talking about Pokemon, not Donald Trump.


It seems those Pokemon Go characters are everywhere you look ― except on the silver screen.


But you can get a taste of how your favorite Pokemons might look next to your favorite celebrities, thanks to DesignCrowd.com, a crowdsourcing website for graphic designers.


The site asked designers to place Pokemon stars like Pikachu, Squirtle or Weedle in scenes from classic movies.


Does it work? Put it this way. We’ll never look at Weedle the same way ever again.


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What To Do When You're Depressed... So You Start To Care Again

The first time I remember being clinically depressed, I was 11. My family had abruptly moved halfway across the country. I hated my new school, I hated my new life. We moved again a year later, and I recovered.

Sometimes, depression is triggered by a situation - perhaps one over which we have no control. Someone dies, someone leaves your life, someone fires you, sues you or hates you.

Sometimes, according to doctors, depression is caused by something inside you - chemicals in your brain that screw with your thinking.

It's been my personal experience that one leads to the other which leads to the other until....well, you wake up one day, stare at the wall and think, "I just can't do this again."

Maybe you get out of bed, maybe you don't. Depends on lots of things, mostly whether or not you can afford to stay miserable and whether or not you have responsibilities for other people or even pets.

Let's assume you can relate to what I'm writing so far. You're reading these words and thinking, "Heck yeah! That's me!"

I have to tell you: you've been tricked.

The very fact that you're reading an article on depression on the Huffington Post is some tiny, small voice inside of you saying, "I've had enough! Let's get this over with already!" Gotcha!

Now we've got to stoke your flame.

The first part of that process: Recognize that YOU don't want to be depressed anymore.
Some people secretly enjoy the feeling, especially if it gets them attention. They are like teenage girls who threaten suicide if their parents take away their cell phone or ground them for the weekend. Yawn. It gets old after a while. Evidently, that's not you.

The second part: Fan the flame.There's stuff you can do. You can get a therapist. You can take herbs or vitamins. You can get a prescription to anti-depressants (which may make it easier for you to resolve/heal from the underlying trigger). You can learn about things you can do to get through it faster. (Click here to see my upcoming webinar "Recover From Depression: Feel Better Faster").

The third part: Keep at it.
Don't expect a legitimate clinical depression to disappear in 24 hours! It doesn't work that way, especially if brain chemical imbalance has become involved. It's sort of one step forward,six inches back, nine inches forward, three inches back. One thing that seem to really help is to pick one goal, even if you have to fake that you care about it, and do everything you can to progress toward that goal. It can be anything:

  • Get a new job

  • Get a new girlfriend

  • Clean the kitchen

  • Lose 3 lbs this month

  • Spend more time with my kids


Then, write out what it will look like when you get it - your ideal outcome. And sketch out the very first tiny little step you can take in the right direction. (Yeah, I know that sounds hype-y when you're depressed, but it works for some reason).

The fourth part: Take that tiny step. Whew! Rest up. Reward yourself. Celebrate your progress.

Lao Tzu said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."


And when you're done resting on your laurels, summon up the courage and strength to devise and take the second step.

Depression doesn't have to be a life sentence. Being depressed is not a permanent condition - although I know it feels like it. You don't have to commit to being listless and sad for the rest of your life. There's no point in staying depressed. Since you're still alive, you may as well make the best of it.

To get some more practical, gentle, easy ideas about how to get un-depressed (is that a word?) please consider attending my free webinar on depression recovery. You never know - you might just find it's possible to recover and feel "normal" again - and it can happen faster and easier than you think it will.

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10 Reasons You're Stuck In A Life You Don't Want To Be Living

Everyone says they want to live a great life, have healthy relationships and look and feel their best, but how many are willing to put in the work day-after-day? If you look around your life and listen to all of the whining you'll soon find that most people are situated comfortably in their discomfort. If you are trying to break free but not sure why life isn't moving forward, you may need to do a bit of an assessment.

Read on for 10 reasons you're not happy with your life (and what to do about it).

1 | You complain about the same thing over and over (and over).

Here's a rule: If you have complained about something three times, you need to accept it or change it yourself. Whether it's your frustration with your weight, relationship or the way your colleague treats you, complaining should be taken as more than simply a momentary release of frustration; it's a warning sign than you're rejecting something in your life. Non-acceptance takes up a lot of energy and creates an internal and external toxic environment. If you have shared your unhappiness with someone and they have not worked with you to make things better, it means you need to make decisions that will help you get back to a place of peace. They may not be easy initially, but most of the time, we are not at the mercy of situations or other people unless we choose to be. We all have options.

2 | You tie yourself to people who bring you down.

Loyalty is something all healthy relationships need to have, but it can work against us when we confuse it with being a good person, love or even habit. Being loyal to someone who does not reciprocate, holds you back from progressing or who is participating in situations that go against our value system is truly one of the most self-destructive things we can do. It's OK to assess your relationships and let go of the ones that no longer fit who you are. The idea that every relationship has to last "for life" is a fantasy. Most will not and that is OK.



3 | You get caught up in stupid crap

Getting stuck on the little hooks of life will not only hold you back, it will irritate you and tear you apart. Does it really matter if the friend of a friend didn't "like" your new job status or some acquaintance from college disagrees with your stance on breastfeeding? Do you really care what your neighbor thinks about your not having kids? Remember that you are living your own life and stay focused on what matters most to you. Keep your eyes on your goals, stay true to your own values and don't allow yourself to get sidetracked by trolls and people who care more about being "right" than being decent.



4 | You don't draw a line on the spot.


Back in the day, I was one of those women who believed that biting my tongue when someone insulted, upset or offended me made me "nice" or showed "decorum". The reality was that it made me feel terrible, I was treated as a pushover and there are plenty of ways to stand up for yourself without looking like you belong on a reality show. Once I started saying things like "don't speak to me like that again" or "I am sure you don't realize how you're coming across, but I am finding it very aggressive" or simply staying silent, my life changed. Not only did most people stop, many apologized, and guess what? They knew not to do it again. Yay for no drama and loads of self-respect!



5| You're a martyr.

We live in a world where people love to show off how much they can achieve in a day-and then complain about how exhausted and unappreciated they are. The truth is we have 24 hours in a day and 7-8 need to be for sleep and a few need to be for you. I don't care what is going on in your life, a person who doesn't take a few minutes to connect with themselves and take a few deep breaths is going to be bitter, angry and resentful quite a few moments each day. These small moments will add up and corrode your happiness and seep out in ways you never expected. You are not a superhero or a saint. You're a human being who needs food, shelter, water, spiritual nourishment, mental stimulation, affection and an identity that stems beyond what you do and what other people call you. Only give what you can while still making time to take care of yourself and ask for what you need to make that possible.



6 | You're not willing to do the work.

This is such a big one. If you don't do what you need to do, you'll never get what you want. Even if, by some stretch, you prove me wrong and someone hands it all to you, you won't keep it. While life can throw us curveballs, the truth is most people are not willing to do the work it takes to achieve what they want. We don't always like to hear it, but the reality is that, if you want something, it is your responsibility to do the research, reach out, ask for advice, sharpen your skills and make the effort. Those who work hard and smart tend to find a version of what they are looking for (or something better) whereas those who stand there with their proverbial hand out spewing out wishes and whining they are unlucky are guaranteed to go nowhere.



7 | You're rude.


There are some people who mistake snarky for clever and others who just straight-up hate. They rarely get emails about job opportunities, invites to birthday parties and have loads of drama in their friendships. Guess why? Nobody likes them.

8 | You don't make the effort.


We all have busy lives and things to do, but when you can't be bothered to show up for someone's birthday (every year) and think a text is an appropriate of sharing your condolences to a "dear" friend who has suffered a loss, you send the message that you don't care. Do this enough and your friends will hear the message loud and clear and respond accordingly.

9 | You take more than you give.


Doing things for people we care about is one of the joys in having relationships, but when you're constantly giving to someone without ever being on the receiving end, it gets draining. Worse, if you're more concerned with what you want than what the person in front of you needs, there's a massive issue. Say you're sorry when you need to and let the friend who has just been hit with hard news have a few days before you ask them to do you a favor.

10 | You're afraid.

Here's an undeniable truth: fear is a very real part of life, but unless we learn how to manage it and move through it, we will stay paralyzed in situations we don't want to be in instead of moving forward to something better. To have a full, complete and authentic life, you are going to need to take risks. The risk to speak up and out, to move on, to open your heart, to pack up and move to another country...and the list goes on. The good news is that most of what we worry about happening never does and confidence are built by making small efforts each and every day. One small act of courage can have a massive domino effect. Give it a try!




Brenda Della Casa is the owner of BDC Digital Media and the Founder of Badass + Living. She is also the Author of Cinderella Was a Liar, the former editor-in-chief and Digital Content Strategist at Preston Bailey Designs and a blogger for YourTango and Thrillist. Facebook: BrendaDellaCasa, Twitter: @BrendaDellaCasa, Instagram: @BrendaDellaCasa.

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Bugatti has no plans for a 1,500-hp Chiron roadster

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There are reportedly no current plans for a Veyron Grand Sport replacement.

Continue reading Bugatti has no plans for a 1,500-hp Chiron roadster

Bugatti has no plans for a 1,500-hp Chiron roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fox News had no time for Khizr Khan's amazing speech. Benghazi ads and Katy Perry, though ...

Fox News has done it again. Just as it ran commercials over the Mothers of the Movement during their Tuesday evening appearance, Fox ran commercials while Khizr Khan spoke, Media Matters reports:

While CNN and MSNBC aired the video and Khan’s speech in full, Fox News’ The Kelly File instead continued with its regular commentary featuring Brit Hume, then went to commercial as the speech began, showing slightly more than two minutes of the speech in a small window as commercials -- including a Benghazi attack ad -- overplayed it.

That means Fox blew off one of the most talked-about speeches in the convention. But it’s more than that. Both Khan and the Mothers of the Movement were moments in which the Democratic National Convention insisted that America is and must be more inclusive than Donald Trump wants it to be. And Fox News had no time for them. 

Something Fox did have time for? Katy Perry’s performance.



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Michelle Obama And The New Face Of Family Values

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Co-written with Andrew Klumpp.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

I met my first Democrat when I was 18, on my first day of summer camp. She was a fiery redheaded co-counselor. There she was. There it was. A Democrat. In the flesh.

I knew Democrats existed. I'd just never met one. And I knew they weren't like us hearty rural Iowa farm folk. They were anti-family. I knew that much.

I had reason to believe this. The 1980 Republican Party Platform devoted three straightforward statements to the "traditional family" and offered specific strategies for ways to protect the American ideal. The Democratic Party Platform that same year included a single ambiguous (okay call it what it was: measly) line: "The Democratic Party supports efforts to make federal programs more sensitive to the needs of the family, in all its diverse forms." Federal programs and diverse forms! One lousy line, and the Democrats couldn't even get it right!

Well, I think they may have gotten it right now, at least if Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention is any indication. Michelle Obama cast a vision of the Democratic Party that challenges caricatures about Democrats and family values.

Her infectious vision of a nation defined by deep family values proved gripping to many of us who found ourselves mesmerized by her presence. She spoke clearly. Directly. With skill, ease, and precision, she made the case that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party offer not only the best hope for our nation's children but also the best example for them to follow.

As the First Lady continued, she talked about how she and the President cherished their children. She reminisced about the faces of their daughters being pressed against car windows as she watched them leave for their first day at a new school in Washington, D.C. To many of us, this sounded a lot like our childhoods in the corn fields of rural Iowa or the suburbs of Levittown, New York, or the sweltering streets of Dallas. We boarded bright yellow buses and pressed our faces against their windows rather than a presidential motorcade, but most of us--or at least our parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles--remember that first ride, those first large steps, that first attempt to find the right green or gray vinyl seat--and wave goodbye.

Michelle Obama continued by sharing her family's motto: "When they go low, we go high." Choose the high road. Don't stoop to the level of bullies.

Again and again, the stories she told and the lessons she offered resonated with the family values many of us learned in a dark red corner of Iowa that we call home or the bright blue crevices of Brooklyn. Family values, some of us have learned, don't have colors or political stripes.

We learned that lesson again on the opening night of the DNC, as the First Lady delivered a pro-children and pro-family speech using examples from her own family and appealing to the importance of setting an example for our nation's children.

Sure, she didn't make claims about the positions typically opposed by proponents of family values (abortion, same-sex marriage, etc.).

And, no, she didn't tie family values to government programs, like presidential nominee John Kerry did in his acceptance speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: "And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families. You don't value families by kicking kids out of after school programs and taking cops off our streets, so that Enron can get another tax break. We believe in the family value of caring for our children and protecting the neighborhoods where they walk and play."

She didn't even dip into her husband's playbook by globalizing family values. Republicans may wince (though I don't think they should) at how, in 2014, president Barack Obama used family values to justify an executive order loosening immigration policies: "America's not a nation that should be tolerating the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms. We're a nation that values families, and we should work together to keep them together."

No. No big programs or policy shifts for Michelle Obama.

She didn't even suggest that the Republican Party couldn't celebrate family values. She simply insisted that they couldn't monopolize them.

Michelle Obama suggested that family values are first and foremost about setting an example for our nation's children. To the jubilant crowd, she proclaimed, "With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us."

Red or blue, black or white, rural or urban, rich or poor, straight or gay, US or foreign-born--all of us can agree that, "with every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us."

Can't we?

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Andrew Klumpp, a doctoral student at SMU, and Jack Levison have written "The Bible and Family Values," which will appear on September 22nd in The Bible and Political Debate: What Does It Really Say?
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