Seven years ago, the original iPhone was released to the public. Serving as a catalyst for change in the markets of mobile computing, music, and communication, the iPhone essentially single-handedly ushered in the age of the smartphone. On the 29th of this month, we celebrate the birthday of the original Apple iPhone. Hardware The iPhone was launched with a touchscreen … Continue reading
If you’ve ever tried to go on a run in an urban area, you know how hard it can be to go through a crowd of people on the sidewalk. On a bike, you can ring a bell or yell a warning, but it feels a bit more awkward when you’re not zipping past. If there was a more courteous method of warning someone on a shared walkway, what do you think it would look like?
While the Runbell looks like half a set of brass knuckles, it’s actually a bell and striker on top of two joined rings. This will give you one solid tone that will be loud enough for anyone to hear you within your immediate area. Bells are so commonly associated with bikes that people will often quickly snap to attention or move out of the way immediately.
These were made to be too large, and come with inserts so that the rings will fit more snugly. Seeing that most of us don’t run with our fingers spread wide, you shouldn’t have to worry about these flying out of your hand, but it would be far less obnoxious than having it bump around as you run. Should you want to use this in the winter, take out the inserts, and wear it over top of your gloves. This was specifically made out of brass for the sound it produces. If this seems like a more comfortable method of approaching running on busy sidewalks, then it will cost you $25. This is currently on pre-order as it just recently hit a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Available for purchase on shoplocket
[ Runbell will add “bling and ring to your run” copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
The second season of “Orange Is the New Black” premiered weeks ago, and some of us are even in our second round of bingeing the season, but we still can’t get enough.
HuffPost TV spent a day with the cast of the Netflix series at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York City, asking them about everything from Season 2 that we possible could. We learned about everything from characters reveals and what to expect in Season 3 to how they feel about important topics in the LGBT community. Read on to find out all the things the cast shared with us:
1. There will be a big Alex and Piper sex scene in Season 3.
When talking about how comfortable she and Taylor Schilling are together when filming sex scenes, Laura Prepon teased an upcoming sex scene in Season 3. “Season 3, oh man. We’re on episode three and it is, like, so good,” Prepon said. “We have a big scene coming up on Monday and it’s going to be great. We’re both so comfortable.”
2. Samira Wiley and Danielle Brooks prefer Poussey and Taystee as friends.
While talking about Poussey and Taystee’s relationship in Season 2, Samira Wiley said, “I think selfishly, Samira’s own thing, I like them better as friends.” Danielle Brooks chimed in about the kiss scene saying, “At first I was like, ‘This is a little awkward,’ because we’ve known each other for a while.” The two said it might have been hard for the characters to return to a friendship if things went further. “When you bring sex into it, I don’t think it would’ve been the same,” Brooks said.
“At what point does it just become, like, I’m playing a person?”
3. Lorraine Toussaint has no idea about Vee’s fate.
After a very long pause following the question of whether or not Vee is dead — it was a long pause tingling with anticipation — Lorraine Toussaint simply said, “I don’t know.” We think she really doesn’t have any clue since she added, “That’s an interesting question I meant to ask before this [interview].”
4. Matt McGorry hurt himself multiple times when filming Season 2.
McGorry said that when filming the scene where Bennett flips out in the ghetto dorm, “I threw out my shoulder twice. I have bad shoulders anyway.” On that same day of shooting he also hurt himself again. “The scene in the cafeteria where I slam my hand on the table,” McGorry said, “we did enough takes that it was, like, my fingers were swollen.” The poor guy is falling apart on and off screen.
5. Bennett will likely also show his temper again in Season 3.
Talking about the physical strain the show has had on him, McGorry said, “My voice is screwed up from shooting Season 3 the other day, too.” When asked if he was yelling some more, he got really secretive, only responding, “Maybe.”
“I think we need to ask what we could do to make the lives of trans people better in this country.”
6. Selenis Leyva has a very personal connection to Laverne Cox and her role in the trans community.
“I have a transgender sister,” Leyva, the actress who plays Gloria on the show, said. “When I met Laverne I immediately flocked to her and watched her very closely because I knew that this was going to be groundbreaking. I knew that she was going to give a voice to the voiceless.” Leyva began tearing up when talking about her sister, sharing how grateful she is that Cox has given her sister a voice. “Your sister’s always had a voice, it’s just about amplifying that,” Cox chimed in. “Her sister’s lovely, I’ve met her a couple of times,” she added.
7. Uzo Aduba was originally only supposed to play Crazy Eyes for two episodes.
“When I first got the job I was only supposed to do two episodes, possibly a third and a chance of there being a fourth,” Aduba said of her Suzanne, a.k.a. Crazy Eyes. On her last day shooting her second episode of Season 1, a producer told Aduba that they were going to use her in the show more. “I sincerely thought they meant I was gonna get to do the third episode,” she said of her reaction. “I was like, ‘Yes! This is amazing. I’m gonna call my mom, I nailed it!’ No idea that we were going to continue on then for the rest of the season.”
8. The cast pays for Netflix, just like us.
“Shouldn’t we just get it for free, maybe?” Laverne Cox joked. “They take it out of my bank account every month,” she said laughing.
9. Laura Prepon has some serious die-hard fans.
When asked about the crazy amount of fandom Prepon has received since Season 1 premiered, the actress shared how she’s been sent a whole variety of hand-made gifts. “I’m a huge poker player [and] one fan made me poker chips with my name and [Alex’s] glasses on them.” While she said she’s flattered by the gifts (she even knows her fans’ names and where they live), Jason Biggs couldn’t stop saying how creepy he thinks it is. “Have you checked them for Anthrax?” he joked. “I think I’m jealous. I’m not used to having fans, I’m used to having haters.”
10. Laverne Cox wants people to know that her success doesn’t mean the trans community isn’t still in danger.
Talking about her big year since Season 1 premiered, Cox said,”I still feel like that trans woman
walking down the street wondering if someone’s going to call me a man today, if someone’s going to call me a he-she, and actually that still happens. The reality of my life as a trans woman of color is that my life is often in danger simply for being who I am.” Although she said she’s grateful for all the love and support she has gotten, she doesn’t want people to forget about the struggled of the trans community as a whole. “My TIME cover, or one trans woman having a successful moment, should not make us feel that the lives of trans people are still not in peril. I think we need to remember that and ask what we could do to make the lives of trans people better in this country.”
“I was laughing so hard I didn’t know if I’d be able to get through it.”
11. Taryn Manning thinks Tucky’s changes are stemming for a desire for power.
The actress said Pennsatucky’s changes in Season 2 are due less to a possible romantic interest in women, and more to the appeal of power. “She obviously loves men because she’s in there for seven abortions, so she’s familiar with the penis,” Manning said to much laughter. “She’s lost and there’s someone like, ‘Hey, we can be powerful together.’ It’s run by that more. She might be being brainwashed, not quite sure.”
12. Jason Biggs isn’t sure if Larry is actually in love with Polly.
“I do feel like they have some interesting chemistry,” Biggs said of the new relationship between Larry and Polly in Season 2. He said he’s curious about how the two interacted before the show’s timeline and whether or not they were flirty before Peter came along. When asked flat out if it was love, Biggs said, “I don’t know. I think he might think he’s in love with her. He’s really out of sorts and hurt and trying to put up this wall to protect himself.”
13. If Nicky and Lorna continue their relationship, it’ll have to get serious.
“They’re past casual sex now after that stairwell scene,” Lyonne said of their relationship in Season 2. “If they’re going to continue a romantic relationship, at the end of each time they fuck they’re going to have to say, “I love you” whether they like it or not.”
14. Lorraine Toussaint may be scary as Vee, but she throws dinner parties in real life.
While talking about working with Toussaint on set, Uzo Aduba said, “It’s remarkable to watch her be Vee and then go to her house for dinner because she’s invited everyone over and she’s cooked for, like, six hours. You’re just like, ‘You are annoying how awesome you are!'”
15. Natasha Lyonna wishes the media would stop categorizing “gay” shows and characters.
When asked about how she thinks perceptions of LGBT storylines have changed over the years since her film “But I’m a Cheerleader,” Natasha Lyonne said, “It hurts my soul that so many years after that movie we’re still commenting on it.” She went on to say, “It’s important that everybody has a voice, but it does break my heart a bit that that many years later it’s still about, ‘Oh this is a gay show, or this is a gay relationship, or you play a gay character.’ At what point does it just become, like, I’m playing a person?”
16. Red originally wasn’t supposed to have as heavy of an accent.
Kate Mulgrew said that when she first auditioned for Red, there was only a small description of the character. “It was a tiny page and it said at the top, ‘Just a hint of a Russian accent. She’s been in America since she was 2,'” Mulgrew said. “That’s not at all what came into my mind. [In Red’s Russian accent] A real peasant came into my mind.”
“They’re going to have to say, “I love you” whether they like it or not.”
17. Both Uzo Aduba and Danielle Brooks were amazed by the actors who played their younger characters.
Aduba said she met the girl who played the young Crazy Eyes and was blown away by how calming the 12-year-old girl was. “To watch her was just magnificent. I couldn’t believe how much she had borrowed — she didn’t even know she was doing character work.” Although Brooks wasn’t on set with the girl who played the young Taystee, she said how flattered she was to watch her performance. ” I didn’t help her with it at all, she takes all the credit.”
18. Laverne Cox could hardly make it through the vagina anatomy scene.
The one with the visual aid — I’ve never shot anything where I was laughing so hard I didn’t know if I’d be able to get through it,” Cox said. “Adrienne, who plays Black Cindy, was brilliant and funny, Joel [Garland who plays C.O. Scott] in the back was hilarious, and Lea DeLaria was off camera doing what Lea does.” The actress and activist said that the scene was also reflective of real trans women. “Laverne would never go into all this detail about her body, but I know trans women who are very proud of their hoohahs and want to dispense useful information about them.”
19. Matt McGorry doesn’t like when you sneak photos of him on the train.
“I like when people ask me [for a photo], but when people are taking photos on the train and sneaking their phone, I’ll turn away,” McGorry said. “It makes me uncomfortable because I don’t know how many they’re taking, or what the purpose is.” For Dasha Polanco on the other hand, who plays Daya, the new fandom she’s gotten from the show has made her more self-conscious. “I would wake up and go downstairs in sweatpants,” she said. “Now I gotta get myself together and then go outside. But I embrace it.”
When ABC renewed “Extreme Weight Loss” for a fifth season last week, body positivity activists everywhere clenched their fists tight, shook them toward the sky, and bellowed “Why?!?!?”
It should come as no surprise that reality weight loss television is extremely destructive. Major news outlets like The New York Times and past contestants on programs like “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Weight Loss” have already spoken out about the shows’ disastrous medical consequences.
Yet the idea that these programs are anything but bastions of inspiration still has not taken hold in the popular consciousness.
Part of this disconnect comes from the shows themselves, which cling to the narrative that their missions are to improve the health of those that appear onscreen. They enlist fat contestants under the guise that fat itself is unhealthy, and suggest that they are righteously giving these “diseased” bodies a chance at redemption. They use the same rhetoric to contextualize viewers’ experience: Those at home should, they convey, tune in to cheer on others in their quests toward vitality. They should feel inspired watching major TV networks give ordinary people the chance to improve their lives.
But the general perception of reality weight loss television as noble also stems from its existence in a society that regularly demonizes fat people, and normalizes the food-shaming heaped on its citizens of varying sizes. The newest force to take hold in such a landscape (one that also brought fist-shaking from writers on body positivity) is the recently viral Instagram “You Did Not Eat That.” The account, run by an anonymous creator with ties to the fashion industry, posts picture of thin (mostly) women posing with food which, the Instagram intimates, they could not possibly have eaten due to the small sizes of their bodies. As it’s impossible to tell someone’s eating habits from the way he or she looks, the Instagram misses the mark with its “You Did Not Eat That” angle. But it does pick up on trend in American society that helps to contextualize the false justifications behind the insistence that fat people lose weight: the worship of thin women depicted eating foods that we would not traditionally consider nutritious.
The Skinny Girl Eating a Cheeseburger, as I like to refer to such portrayals, is an icon we see not only in the fashion blog images on which the Instagram focuses, but also in our TV shows, movies and commercials. Examples include Lorelai and Rory on “Gilmore Girls,” Mary in “There’s Something about Mary” and Kate Upton in a Carl’s Jr. ad. Pieces have already been written about the figure’s problematic implications for women. In short, it creates an environment in which women are only valued if they are both thin and making no effort toward that goal, leaving those with naturally larger bodies to either get flack for not being thin, or get flack for being thin but only with a constant vigilance. It also creates a space in which the basic process of eating is sexualized for those who do match the traditionally attractive, thin norm.
But we can also look to the Skinny Girl Eating a Cheeseburger to challenge the claims that the policing of larger bodies on shows like “Extreme Weight Loss” And “The Biggest Loser” is out of a societal desire to ensure the best health for all our citizens.
Mounting evidence suggests that lifestyle and nutrition, rather than weight itself, determines a body’s level of fitness. Healthy bodies come in sizes fat and thin, as do unhealthy ones. Therefore, a thin person who never works out and eats junk food, and a fat person who never works out and eats junk food would be of relatively comparable health statuses. If we as a society were invested above all in making sure all of our citizens were as fit as possible, we would inflict pressure upon both these bodies similarly in our quest toward that end.
But as anyone generally familiar with the different ways fat and thin bodies are treated in our society knows, we don’t. A fat person with culturally-considered poor eating habits (and even a fat person with culturally-considered great ones) is labeled “obese,” by a doctor, and enlisted by television networks to try, against nature, to shrink down her body at an incredible speed for public viewership. A thin person with culturally-considered unhealthy eating habits is praised for her carefree, nonchalant attitude toward her diet, and elevated to the status of sex-icon. If a skinny person who never works out and eats cheeseburgers is lauded, and a fat person who does the same is chastised, it’s not the practice of eating the “unhealthy” cheeseburgers that the public feels the need to police. It’s the size of the body that’s doing so.
Once we divorce reality weight loss television programs from their “improving health” narratives, we can see their actual purpose is to shrink fat bodies down to a culturally preferred size, no matter the cost. And in that process, the shows both inflict danger upon their contestants, and promote hatred toward the types of bodies featured onscreen. It is not beneficial, for example, to subject a person to a public, shirtless weigh-in in front of dozens of strangers, as “Extreme Weight Loss,” does at the beginning of each episode, or to exercise a person to the point of vomiting, and then have that person continue her workout, as “The Biggest Loser,” does on a regular basis. These practices only manage to dehumanize fat people to the viewing audience and imply that they do not deserve the basic right of control over their own bodies. Additionally, the shows further existing stereotypes by suggesting those with larger bodies are lazy, have no control over their lives, and are only fat due to pounds put on in the wake of emotional traumas. All of these measures contribute to the show’s overarching misguided philosophy that thinness is both achievable and desirable for all.
Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. But if we as a society can’t get enough of Kate Upton munching on fast food, then we really don’t care about health in the first place. And we well shouldn’t: health is a personal choice that should in no way be culturally monitored. We need to move towards an environment in which all people — male and female, fat and thin — can consume whatever they please, be it carrots or a cheeseburger, without sexualization, castigation, or any input at all from members of the general public. The way the media represents bodies directly influences the way we perceive them in real life. If we’re ever going to move away from a place of rampant size discrimination, we need to challenge the one-note portrayals we see on reality weight loss television shows — or better yet, get them off the air altogether.
The United States passed a major milestone last month, having now regained all 8.7 million of the jobs lost during the Great Recession. But many American families, businesses, and communities are still living with the legacy of the most severe contraction in decades. Wages have stagnated, poverty has increased, social mobility has decreased, and too much human potential is being left untapped.
The good news is that we have the best chance since World War II to align America’s challenges with its opportunities — to harness the positive forces of our interdependence and invest in the kinds of projects that will promote broadly based prosperity. Whether finding new ways to open unserved markets or putting people to work modernizing our nation’s infrastructure, there are many ways to create good jobs by solving some of the biggest problems facing our communities. The key is seeing the opportunities beyond the obstacles.
Earlier this week, I heard from some remarkable people who are doing just that. Hillary, Chelsea, and I joined with nearly 1,000 business, government, and civil society leaders for the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Denver. The gathering demonstrated something I’ve seen time and again in America and across the world: that wherever people are working together to try to achieve positive goals, good things are happening. In an age where creative cooperation is the foundation for any enduring success, we all have a role to play. Savvy businesses are recognizing the value of investing in the people they employ and the communities they serve. Non-governmental organizations are growing increasingly adept at answering the “how” questions, finding ways to solve problems better, faster, and at lower cost. And, creative state and local officials are proving once again that smart government policies can dramatically improve lives and livelihoods, especially when they partner with businesses and community groups.
For example, I visited Stout Street Health Center in Denver on Monday, a new health and residential facility being constructed by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to serve more than 15,000 homeless people each year. About half the cost of this innovative new project is being financed with private funds made available because of the New Markets Tax Credit, which I signed into law with strong bipartisan support in 2000.
The New Markets Credit solves a vexing problem in communities throughout America: how can you convince private investors to finance projects in towns and neighborhoods with unemployment rates above and incomes below the national average? The New Market Tax Credit provides an incentive to invest in those untapped markets. Since its inception, New Markets has been a boon to communities around the country: more than 3,000 projects have utilized the tax credit, and every federal dollar of investment has drawn eight private dollars to underserved communities. Businesses are flourishing, jobs are being created, and entire communities are being lifted up. The Denver project put 75 people to work in construction and when the center opens, it will provide full-time employment for 70 more people.
CGI America has seen many other examples of people working together to make a difference throughout the country. Birmingham, Alabama and its partners made a commitment to renew the community of Collegeville by developing vacant lots into useable green space around Historic Bethel Baptist Church, constructing a pedestrian/vehicular bridge, and creating new affordable housing. This will deliver both environmental and economic benefits to the neighborhood’s residents.
In the Twin Cities, Denver, and three additional cities, the Calvert Foundation has pledged to join with local and national partners to raise $30 million in capital from citizen-investors through a city-branded Community Investment Note. The funds will then be distributed in loans to organizations that target neighborhood revitalization or small business development, with the potential to create 750 new jobs.
While in Denver, I also announced progress on one of the most encouraging projects I’ve seen in years — one that will create tens of thousands of jobs in communities across the nation. At the inaugural CGI America meeting in 2011, the AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions committed to raising $10 billion over five years from members’ pension funds to invest in infrastructure projects and energy-efficient retrofits. Since then, the AFL-CIO has engaged dozens of private and public partners, and has actually exceeded its original goal two years ahead of schedule. So far, just a small percentage of the $10.2 billion that has been allocated has been actively deployed into infrastructure projects, yet they’ve already created over 33,500 good jobs. This is the kind of effort that is crucial to restoring opportunity for working families and to America’s long-term prosperity and competitiveness.
America faces many challenges, but if we can harness the spirit of innovation and cooperation that made our country great in the first place, we can turn each one into an even bigger opportunity for broad-based growth. I’m inspired by the progress and partnerships that came out of CGI America, and I look forward to seeing them in action as we work to build a future of shared prosperity through shared responsibilities.
When was the last time you took a bath? You probably can’t even remember. Well, we are here to remind you that baths are awesome, relaxing and sometimes kind of stressful.
And in case you need some major cleansing inspiration or a reminder, look no further than these adorable animals demonstrating how to best take advantage of bath time. So sit back, run the water, and start taking baths as seriously as these awesome critters do.
So you’re contemplating taking a bath…
Yes, it does feel a little unfamiliar.
And tubs can feel mighty cramped if you’re not, y’know, the size of a toddler.
But then you remember: BUBBLES!
Which are awesome…
… even if you accidentally eat some.
You forgot how much you love bath toys.
And, er, bath mates.
Hey, it’s nice to have someone to wash your back.
And those other hard to reach spots.
There’s no denying it. Baths make you feel so fresh.
And so clean.
Clean.
You’re so relaxed you may fall asleep…
Then you realize you may have stayed in the bath for too long. The water’s cold.
You’ve gotten all pruny.
Wait, you forgot to actually wash yourself.
And yet you don’t… want… to… leave.
Because baths, you’ve been reminded, are the best.
Today the new president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, signed the European Union cooperation agreement that late last year sparked the protests that ended the pro-Russian government of President Yanukovych.
Today Maidan, the center of those protests in Kyiv, is still filled with men and women in paramilitary uniform. In the seven months since the protests began, hundreds of people have been killed either in the Ukraine protests or the wider conflict, Yanukovych has been overthrown, Russia has occupied Crimea, and a strange hybrid war between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces is underway in the east.
A hundred or so military tents still occupy the Maidan area and the place carries an air of continuing defiance with protestors still lingering at the scene of victory, reluctant to leave until they’re sure of real change, or because they’re from regions now too dangerous to return to.
Dozens of men and women in combat fatigues mill about, mingling with shoppers and street traders; as in Cairo’s Revolutionary Tahrir Square, there are stalls selling an assortment of flags and soccer scarves (like in Tahrir, Barcelona seems the most popular brand).
Maidan is still ringed with barbed wire and tyre barricades, as though braced for another onslaught. And unless the protestors voluntarily leave, there will have to be a clearance of some sort.
The red and black flag of the far-right paramilitary group Right Sector is dotted around the camp, flying next to the British, U.S., and other flags. The giant poster of Ukrainian ultranationalist and onetime Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera still dominates part of the square. His reputation has undergone some feverish rehab in recent months with some Ukrainian nationalists, who now insist that Bandera now represents nationalism, not fascism.
But the bipolar context of Russia vs Ukraine doesn’t leave much room for nuance; a senior Putin adviser today called President Poroshenko a Nazi. The Maidan stalls sell badges of Putin with a Hitler moustache and haircut, and toilet paper bearing the face of Yanukovych.
“Bandera as a myth is very powerful,” said a local human rights activist. “Who he really was as a man, what the truth is, doesn’t matter as much as what he represents as Ukrainian pride, which is different things to different people.”
Several extreme-right groups that lionize Bandera won respect among Ukrainians during the fighting at Maidan this winter, but that didn’t translate into votes during May’s presidential elections. Ukraine desperately needs a new politics and a break from endemic corruption. Otherwise Maidan, like Tahrir, is likely to be the center of further upheavals.
Brian Dooley is currently in Ukraine to research extremism and violence following this year’s protests.
The ‘summer porridge’ recipe in Laurie David’s new book The Family Cooks (see below) is so delicious, it’s dangerous. I didn’t realize just how dangerous till a TSA official confiscated the Mason jar containing my latest batch and tossed it in the trash at La Guardia airport last week.
Admittedly, David’s recipe is da bomb; it reinvents a classic hot winter comfort food as a cool summer treat. You mix rolled oats with yogurt, fresh berries, a little honey and grated apple, let it chill overnight, and voila! The next morning, you’ve got a tasty, healthy, good-to-go breakfast to savor or eat on the run.
For the record, I made my porridge with Siggi’s super thick nonfat Icelandic style skyr, not their runny Swedish-style drinkable yogurt, which clearly would have fallen under the TSA’s ban of liquids weighing more than 3.4 oz.
The dumbest thing about this kooky confiscation is that my wholesome homemade breakfast was actually formulated to counter a national security threat. “Poor nutrition is having a crippling impact on our nation’s military preparedness,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) noted earlier this month, adding that “being overweight or obese” is now the primary reason that applicants fail the military’s physical exam. According to Stabenow, the percentage of too-fat-to-serve youths shot up nearly 70% between 1995 and 2008.
Our enemy combatants in this battle are the high calorie/low nutrient convenience foods that bombard us at every turn–including at the airport. Searching for healthfully prepared foods that don’t have all kinds of junk added to them, on the other hand, can feel as quixotic as looking to Rush Limbaugh for insightful commentary. I wouldn’t need to bring my own breakfast to the airport if the food vendors there offered fresh organic fruit and yogurt that didn’t have tons of added sugar. But the big food and beverage companies put that sugar there precisely because they know it triggers cravings.
So what do you do when you’ve got a whole nation whose tastebuds have been corrupted by sugary, fatty, salty processed convenience foods? How do we fight back against the relentless–and shameless–marketing of all that crap to children? David and her recipe guru Kirsten Uhrenholdt offer quick, clever ways to whip up wholesome foods and drinks that are as addictive as the ‘hyper palatable’ processed stuff we’re hooked on, but oh-so-much better for you.
Plus, there are chapters filled with invaluable tips on herbs, spices and more adventurous ingredients, how to cook and shop, how to turn picky eaters into happy campers, and how to plan ahead, just a little, so you can fling a healthy meal together on the fly when you’re tempted to fall back on take-out.
David delivers these recipes and resources in a funny, chatty style that might remind you a bit of her former spouse, Seinfeld co-creator and comedic genius Larry David (minus the mock misanthropy.) The book features the work of another creative genius, stellar photographer Quentin Bacon, whose gorgeous photographs–many taken on the organic farm David shares with her current spouse, a part-time shitake farmer–bring the recipes to earthy, elegant life.
Speaking of Bacon and shitakes, check out the ‘shitake bacon’ on page 96; this recipe alone is worth the price of the book. Those crispy little bits of mushrooms would surely go well with a million different things, but I’ll never find out because they’re so unbelievably bacon-like that I end up eating them all straight off the baking sheet.
Other favorites in our household: roasted sweet potato fries, caramelized broccoli and cauliflower slivers, kale chips, crispy roasted brussels sprouts, the ‘seeds of power’ granola, banana muffins, rainbow salad with carrot miso dressing, and the ingenious ravioli ‘cupcakes.’ The emphasis is on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, poultry, fish, diary and eggs. There’s no red meat, but David and Uhrenholdt aren’t afraid to call for a little butter or sugar if the recipe warrants it. Some ingredients (chia seeds, miso, etc.) aren’t pantry staples in your average American household (yet), but the recipes are refreshingly un-trendy, easily modified, and downright old-fashioned in their simplicity, reflecting David’s “nothing fancy, nothing fake” ethos.
The Family Cooks’ subtitle boldly proclaims its intent to fight fire with fire: “100+ Recipes to Get Your Family Craving Food That’s Simple, Tasty, and Incredibly Good for You.” Can these fearless roasters-of-veggies-with-a-vengeance take back our nation’s tastebuds? Make the summer porridge recipe for yourself, so you can tell those TSA officials they were right; this stuff is Dy-No-Mite:
Fresh, Fruity Summer Porridge
(makes 6 servings)
PREP TIME: 15 minutes CHILL OUT TIME: overnight
Summer porridge? It may sound like an oxymoron, but this hearty mix of raw oats, yogurt, and fresh fruit is cool and tangy. Spoon it into pretty glasses or mason jars, pop them into the fridge, and let chill overnight so the oats soften and all the flavors get to know each other. The next morning, enjoy breakfast in the sun, or just tuck a jar to go into your pocket–or into little hands–if time is tight.
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not “instant”)
3 cups plain yogurt (whole or low-fat) or kefir
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 large apples (not peeled), grated
1 cup mixed fresh fruit, such as sliced kiwi or strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries (save a little extra for garnish)
1. Combine the oats, yogurt, honey, apples, and mixed fruit in a bowl, making sure that the apple is completely folded into the yogurt .
2. Divide the porridge evenly among six 8-ounce glasses or mason jars, cover tightly with wrap or lids, and refrigerate overnight. Have a good night’s sleep.
3. The next morning, as the sun rises, garnish the porridge with more fresh fruit and call the troops to breakfast.
Reprinted from “The Family Cooks” by Laurie David. Copyright (c) 2014 by Hybrid Nation Inc. By permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.
As one of the most famous actors of his generation, Rob Lowe is paid to experience emotion, or at least show it on screen. He was not prepared for his feelings, however, as he brought his son Matthew to college for the first time.
When Lowe joined HuffPost Live on Friday to discuss his work on Genworth’s #LetsTalk Tour, he shared with host Ricky Camilleri how he’s adjusted his professional life to his personal life over the years.
“I was not prepared at all for the level of emotion I was going to feel dropping my first son off at college,” Lowe said. “I knew it would be bittersweet. I had no idea how affected I would be. The irony is I was so emotional over something so good. This is the good news. All the grades, all the homework, all the tutors, all the guidance, and it’s all paid off. Why am I feeling so devastated?”
Lowe, 50, has two sons: Matthew and Johnowen. Lowe spoke glowingly of the pair and added that he thinks it would be a bit of a “waste” if either entered show business, saying they have “so much to offer.”
Check out Lowe’s parenting talk in the clip above, and catch the rest of the HuffPost Live conversation here.
For the first time in a very long time I recently made the decision to engage in unsafe, unprotected sex. Pause…yes you read that correctly and yes the first question that came to mind is “How could I let that happen?” The second, “What from this experience have I learned that can benefit others?”
As an avid advocate in the world of HIV/AIDS, carrying the message about protecting oneself, the link between self-esteem and prevention, being a proponent of testing and treatment in our work through Human Intonation, to testing for HIV on camera and posted it online a little more than a year ago, the decision to engage in unsafe, unprotected sex is one that I did make by choice. Still the reality of the possible consequences of that choice hit me like a ton of bricks.
How Did I Get Here?
My recent experience with engaging in unprotected sex was concurrent with the onset of a newly committed relationship. As I have done in the past the person in my life received all the required questioning about their status regarding HIV and STIs, and they passed the initial lightening rounds of this is who I am and these are the values I stand for… but that was not enough. In the discussion about the possibility of taking such a step in our level of intimacy, I stated that I would require the two of us to get tested for everything together, only then would I feel comfortable relaxing the stance I have consistently held around using protection each and every time without fail since 2008. Yet, I compromised before those test results were in. Why?…
The reality is for those few fleeting moments I lost my sense of worth, the barometer of self-love that I continue to advocate for in women (and in all genders) that guides us toward healthy choices because for us our lives matter. As a result of those few fleeting moments, I spent the next month in a mental torture chamber of “what ifs.” For the first time in a very long time, I was face to face with not knowing my HIV status. My mind worked round the clock in anxiety, guilt, regret, compassion and research. Anxiety, guilt and regret all rolled into one as I thought about the loss of my cousin Wesley to AIDS; feeling that the one obligation I have in life to my cousin and my followers is to remain HIV negative. Compassion stemmed from my now increased ability to empathize with others in similar situations and from receiving support from those persons with whom I shared my concerns. Research was critical to calming my obsession for needing to understand my options. Here is the information I gathered.
Two Tests, Twice the Results?
In understanding that the earlier a person detects their HIV infection and starts treatment the better, I wanted to know of any changes in my HIV status as soon as possible. Being most familiar with the rapid HIV antibody test I knew I would need to wait at least three months to test since the results will come back negative for someone who was infected very recently. This test looks for antibodies produced by the immune system to fight HIV, which can take two months or more to produce.
On the other hand, what I did not know is that the option for an HIV viral load test is now more readily available. The HIV viral load test measures the amount of HIV virus in your blood during the early time period after HIV infection (also known as the acute infection stage), when large amounts of the virus are being produced in the body. We can now test in as little as 11 days after possible infection, however unlike the rapid HIV test where we have grown accustomed to receiving results in 20 minutes, the viral load test throwbacks to testing in the 80s and 90s, requiring 2 vials of blood and 10 to 14 days to get the results. I took the rapid HIV test first as practice to work up my courage, then took the plunge with the viral load test. For two weeks I waited.
So What Did I Learn?
As I anticipated receiving my test results I sat with the gravity of the possibility that my results could be positive:
1. I was reminded of the fact is that I am human too. All that I know and stand for in the world of HIV/AIDS does not make me immune to stumbles and falls. Fortunately, when we fall we have the opportunity to correct our course. Not only has this experience re-awakened my sense of self-worth and my stance on using protection 100 percent of the time, it provided an opportunity to find common ground with my partner as we continue to protect ourselves and each other.
2. Secondly, I found that there is still a great deal of information about HIV/AIDS that I do not readily know, and maintaining a thirst for knowledge around this disease is critical to taking care of oneself. There are more options available to anyone who is concerned that they may have been exposed to HIV. We will continue to gain advancements from prevention with Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) also known as the “HIV Morning After Pill“, to treatment with the consistent use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), that can prevents the HIV virus from multiplying and destroying the immune system.
3. Last but not least, my experience showed me how it is often easier to have compassion for others before myself. While seriously contemplating the question “What if I test positive for HIV?,” I had to acknowledge the level of stigma that I still carry about the virus for myself, that I do not hold against others. I realized to work to break the cycle of stigma that I advocate for, I must begin with myself by journeying toward a new level of self-acceptance, while my supporters have also encouraged me to continue to advocate, educate and empower others about HIV/AIDS no matter my results.
In closing, on this National HIV Testing Day #NHTD I share my recent experience not to excuse my decision making, but to encourage others who may find themselves in a similar situation to take action. Acknowledging that fear over the possible outcome of testing for HIV can be paralyzing, each of us must be empowered to be fearless and to take control of our sexual health. Ending the spread of HIV/AIDS begins with each of us knowing our status, knowing who we are to make the best possible choices for ourselves and understanding the earlier we know our status the earlier one can start treatment and take steps to live the healthiest life possible, for as long as possible. After two weeks, I received the results of my HIV viral load test and today I know my HIV status … Do you know yours?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
