Google Glass thief unknowingly live streams his day

When it comes to thieves and technology, the latter usually proves to be their biggest nemesis. Earlier this summer, for example, one thief was caught after logging into his Facebook account at the victim’s home, then forgetting to log back out. The newest dumb criminal? A man who stole a pair of Google Glass and unknowingly broadcasted his day. The … Continue reading

Big Trouble in Big China: Far West Terrorism, Trade Problems With Taiwan and Hong Kong Wants Something Called Democracy

China is having difficulties, west, east and center. The biggest trouble spot is in far northwest Xinjiang, with violent attacks against authorities. China calls the acts terrorism, but because news reporting isn’t allowed, it’s impossible to know whether elements of the local Uighur population are seeking separation from China, protesting against conditions, or are indeed engaged in terrorism. All are likely.

In the latest violence, dozens were reported killed when a police station and other offices in two towns were attacked by what China described as a terrorist mob. Muslim Uighurs say Chinese security forces are causing incidents by cracking down on local activities during Ramadan, the holy month.

Then the body of a controversial government-appointed imam was found outside a mosque in the old Silk Road city of Kashgar in southern Xinjiang, apparently assassinated.

In one apparent response, China charged a Uighur economist at a Beijing university with separatist activity. Ilham Tohti had been held since January.

In all, the violence of July 28 is only the latest in a series of Uighur attacks that date to the 1990s, when China first ordered its “strike hard” campaign. Hundreds have been killed, and the violence has extended to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and to Kunming in southern China, where 29 were killed at a train station in March. And after China’s president Xi Jinping visited Xinjiang, another incident occurred, causing an irate President Xi to vow to crush terrorists like “rats scurrying across the street.”

Xinjiang, more than 2,000 miles west of China’s capital of Beijing, is less than a province, officially an autonomous region. The native Uighur population is outnumbered by Chinese Han, who moved into the region after China’s communist revolution. The Uighurs claim they are being economically marginalized by the imported population, with Chinese officials biased against native cultural and religious practices.

If Xinjiang were China’s only problem, the government’s carrot-and-stick policies might keep order nationally, but Taiwan and Hong Kong also continue to be increasingly disturbing.

Taiwan is China’s nightmare, and much of the tension with the United States and China’s muscling into the East China and South China Seas can be traced to fears over Taiwan. Independence efforts ebb and flow in Taiwan, but the appeal of the separatist Sunflower movement greatly disturbs China.

The movement recently took aim at China’s trade relations with Taiwan, seeing them as one-sided. When China’s senior official for Taiwan relations, Zhang Zhijun, made an unprecedented visit to Taiwan in June, protests forced him to cut short his trip and hurry back to the mainland.

In Hong Kong, unlike Taiwan now fully a part of China, residents have long complained of China’s heavy hand in local rule. Now China has promised fresh elections of leadership for Hong Kong, but with a caveat. China will select the candidates from which Hong Kong voters must choose. In response, Hong Kong residents by the thousands have marched and signed petitions in protest.

None of these problems by themselves, whether caused by the violent Uighurs or the Taiwanese trade protesters or Hong Kong’s democracy-seekers, are sufficient, even collectively, to shake China’s growth and military and economic strength. Just travel around the world and see the hordes of wealthy Chinese touring abroad. They are testimony to the Chinese economic miracle and to the late President Deng Xiaoping’s promise that all Chinese will be rich.

Multi-millions are not rich, however, and many are far below the poverty line, as distance grows between China’s cities and its rural regions, where the poor mostly remain.

Add to this mix the growing reports that China’s real estate bubble could burst and its economy falter. Moreover, outsized defense spending and wild infrastructure projects with rows of empty buildings and highways -to- nowhere are creating boondoggle profits and corruption.

President Xi Jinping has a pick-and-choose policy of fighting corruption, most recently attacking a retired senior official who was a member of the ruling Politboro, causing fears among the elite, including China’s military.

The overriding problem is the Chinese Communist Party’s search for an excuse to stay in power. Communism as an economic tool has long been discarded, replaced by today’s government-controlled capitalism. The Chinese leadership has substituted nationalism as its cry, even going so far as digging up decades-old wartime records to use against Japan and pushing around the Philippines and Vietnam for their properties in the South China Sea.

Historically, these are not the signs of a confident nation. All is not well in Big China.

What Defines You?

Languages and cultural idioms oftentimes teach powerful lessons. For example, Yiddish, a Jewish-spoken dialect that is primarily a blend of Hebrew and German, offers users a few different ways through which to inquire about another’s well-being.

My maternal grandfather, a centenarian and Holocaust survivor who grew up in pre-WWII Romania, told me that it was common practice for people in his community to respond to the question “What do you do?” with a simple “Torah u’mitzvos.” (“I am fulfilling God’s Torah and commandments.”) Regardless of their occupations, these European Jews professed their faith and faithfulness by stating their deeper objectives as religious servants.

One of the most common questions you will hear when making acquaintance is, “So, what do you do?” For the longest time, such questions were responded to with a particular focus on one’s profession. “I’m a doctor.” “I’m in sales.” However, it appears that the focus that we use to frame and define our actions and even ourselves may be changing. And my proof is from Twitter.

While professional social media services such as LinkedIn still retain a certain stodginess (which, for its purposes, is a good thing), Twitter seems to have bridged the gap between personal and professional. Many professionals (me included) use Twitter to share professional, uplifting and informative content. But they do so in a way that keeps in touch with the deeply personal side of their profiles and selves.

Consider the following Twitter bios from my network:

  • “Family-oriented, with a passion for people and service. Focused on maximizing human potential.”
  • “Lifestyle Architect and Motivational Speaker. I help people turn their dreams into a reality.”
  • “Principal / Leadership Consultant. Love God, Wife & Kids!”
  • “I’m the coach that will take you to the gym, not just send you there!”
  • “LOVE office processes & effective leadership… non-profit supporter; coffee & chocolate addict”

To these men and women (and many, many more), life is more than about doing a job and getting paid. It’s about making a difference and following your passions. It’s about connecting deeply to what you believe in, and expressing your values to others.

Of course, many of the same professionals may use more restrained descriptors on the CVs or LinkedIn profiles. But that doesn’t detract from how they view the true purpose of their work.

The next time that someone asks you, “So, what do you do?” feel free to share your position as you have always done. Then go ahead and add a few descriptors, things that you are passionate about and proud of. Things like:

  • Leader of a great team
  • Sharing stories of inspiration and success
  • Delivering goods to others
  • Facilitating communication

A story is told (in many similar variations) of a man who came across three bricklayers busy at work.

He asked the first bricklayer, “What are you doing?” “I’m laying bricks,” came the reply.

He then asked the second bricklayer the same question. “I’m putting up a wall,” he said.

The passerby then asked the question one more time, this time to the third bricklayer. The response: “I’m building a cathedral.”

What you do, in real terms, may be no different from the person seated in the next cubicle or the guy that you meet at the trade show. But what you do as in how you do it, as well as why, is uniquely your choosing.

Work, and life, is about much more than punching a clock and cashing a check. Choose to “eat to live” rather than “live to eat” and you will start to see just how much more fulfilling life can be. And then what you do will no longer be a discussion about your professional practice but rather a description of your very essence and the values that you hold dear.

Naphtali Hoff (@impactfulcoach) served as an educator and school administrator for over 15 years before becoming an executive coach and consultant. Read his blog at impactfulcoaching.com/blog.

'Green News Report' – July 31, 2014

The Green News Report is also available via…

IN TODAY’S RADIO REPORT: 20m gallon water main break, amid worst drought in CA history, exposes threat of decrepit U.S. water infrastructure; Record wildfires depleting firefighting budgets; Republicans fiddle while the West burns; New report finds (again) climate change is really, really expensive; PLUS: Warming oceans bring flesh-eating bacteria to Florida… All that and more in today’s Green News Report!

Listen online here, or Download MP3 (6 mins)…

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Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.

IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (see links below): Huge waves observed for first time in melting Arctic; Federal coal lease sale gets only 1 bidder; EPA kicks of power plant emissions hearings; Religious leaders call carbon pollution ‘an affront to God’; AL utility regulators say curbing coal violates God’s will; ‘Holy Grail’ lithium battery breakthrough; Flywheel energy storage breakthrough; Ris in ‘nuisance flooding’; Toxic, bee-killing pesticides found in US waterways… PLUS: Trees save lives and billions of dollars … and much, MUCH more! …

‘Green News Report’ is heard on many fine radio stations around the country. For additional info on stories we covered today, plus today’s ‘Green News Extra’, please click right here to listen!…

Senators Call On NFL, Baltimore Ravens To Give Ray Rice A Harsher Punishment

A group of senators sent a letter Thursday to National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell calling for a harsher punishment for Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.

Rice was arrested following a Feb. 15 altercation in New Jersey in which he allegedly physically assaulted his then-fiance, Janay Palmer. He was suspended by the NFL for two games, a lesser sentence than other players received after testing positive for marijuana during the offseason.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called for a harsher punishment for Rice, sending letters on the issue to both Goodell and Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. In their request to Goodell, the senators also asked for the NFL to have improve its procedures to ensure that allegations and evidence of domestic violence are addressed appropriately.

“The decision to suspend Mr. Rice for a mere two games sends the inescapable message that the NFL does not take domestic or intimate-partner violence with the seriousness they deserve,” the senators wrote.

“Mr. Rice’s suspension reflects a disturbingly lenient, even cavalier attitude towards violence against women,” the senators continued. “We therefore urge you to take two steps immediately. First, reconsider and revise Mr. Rice’s suspension to more adequately reflect the seriousness of his offense. We are also writing to the Baltimore Ravens to request that they impose additional discipline under their own authority, but it is imperative that the NFL itself makes clear that this conduct is truly unacceptable.”

See the full letter from the senators to Goodell below:

Blumenthal Baldwin Murphy to Goodell

var docstoc_docid=’171996963′; var docstoc_title=’Blumenthal Baldwin Murphy to Goodell’; var docstoc_urltitle=’Blumenthal Baldwin Murphy to Goodell’;

The Critical Question We're Not Asking About The Ebola Outbreak

The ebola outbreak in West Africa has the world on edge: Will the virus spill into new communities? Will it cross more borders? Even oceans? How can caregivers raise the victims’ chances of survival, as well as reduce their own chances of getting sick?

Some experts emphasize the importance of another, generally overlooked question: How can we thwart such deadly outbreaks in the first place?

“For very good reason, the news coverage and activities are subsumed with containing this outbreak and limiting human infections,” said Jonathan Epstein, a wildlife veterinarian with EcoHealth Alliance, a New York-based organization of scientists focused on the dual goals of conservation and public health. “That aside, at some point, hopefully sooner, we need to understand how the outbreak occurred, understand what the risks were and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

At the very end of “Contagion,” a short sequence of clips provides a prequel to the global pandemic that plays out in the film: A bulldozer clears a patch of trees for a new piggery, into which a displaced and diseased bat drops a chunk of banana, which is gobbled by a pig that later lands in the hands of a chef. The chef, who doesn’t wash his hands, infects Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, and a nightmare scenario ensues.

The ebola strain that has so far killed at least 729 people across West Africa does not spread through the air and therefore isn’t as contagious as the fictitious MEV-1 virus in the movie. Still, Hollywood’s story isn’t a stretch, experts say. A similar pandemic is quite possible. Even in the current outbreak, there is no treatment, and transmission is relatively easy through direct contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva and diarrhea. More than half of those infected with the hemorrhagic fever die. And this virus, too, is likely zoonotic — meaning it jumped from animal to human.

In fact, the leading suspect in what is now believed to be the worst ebola outbreak in history is the bat.

Overall, more than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases over the last six decades — from HIV/AIDS to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to chikungunya — have originated in bats, primates and other animals. Of an estimated 1 million animal viruses out there, only about 2,000 have so far been identified.

The connection is sometimes mentioned by public health officials. Stephan Monroe, deputy director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, closed an ebola-related press conference on Monday with a reference to the need for a “better understanding of how this dreadful disease first crosses over from animals to humans so we can prevent this from happening.” But it was the only mention of animals during the press conference.

Making the shift from a reactionary to a proactive, precautionary approach, Epstein and other experts say, goes beyond the purview of public health officials and medical doctors. It requires the work of veterinarians, ecologists, economists, sociologists and politicians, among others. And such holistic efforts don’t happen naturally. Health care, at least in the U.S., is focused primarily on treatment, with pharmaceutical money behind much of the research. Meanwhile, doctors, veterinarians and other professionals have grown increasingly specialized — which is to say they’ve grown apart. So communication across disciplines is rare, making it easy to overlook useful links.

A multidisciplinary approach, so-called one health, seeks to remedy this situation. At its core, the one-health movement aims to raise awareness of the connections between the health of the environment, animals and human beings, and the importance of collaboration across both disciplinary and political borders.

Scientists may work together to study an animal virus and how it spills over into humans. But that is just the first step, according to Epstein. Experts are then needed to figure out why humans are coming into contact with infected wildlife.

Hunger is one obvious factor. In most parts of West Africa, sources of protein aren’t simply purchased at the corner bodega or strip mall supermarket. Desperation, as well as tradition, sends people into the forests to hunt wildlife, including bats. Lack of food for a growing population of people is also among the key drivers of deforestation in the region, as nations make room for more agricultural development.

Whether it begins with people venturing into wildlife habitats for food or development destroying wildlife habitats, the result is animals and humans sharing closer quarters.

“There’s solid scientific evidence pointing to the fact that human activities like agricultural expansion and hunting and deforestation do facilitate spillover and outbreak events and do pose some risks,” said Epstein.

Experts suggest that nearly half of the world’s emerging zoonotic infectious diseases are linked to changes in land use.

Laura Kahn, a research scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, pointed to a Catch-22 situation. “On the one hand, you want livestock to provide meat,” she said. “But how can you do it sustainably without destroying the forest? That leads you to large-scale farming — factory farming — and that has all of its problems.”

“Here in affluent Western countries, it’s easy for us to sit back here and speculate and tell them what they should and shouldn’t do. But we’re not in their situation,” added Kahn, a leader in the one-health movement. “We’re not starving.”

Epstein agreed. Still, he suggested, more can be done to at least educate local people about the health risks involved in how they hunt and butcher wild animals. “There are simple steps, such as hand-washing, that could really reduce the risk of spillover of viruses and prevent infection,” he said.

Of course, not everyone in Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone — the centers of the ebola outbreak — is impoverished and undernourished. Corrupt government leaders, and the funds they strip from health services, environmental protection and public education, could be contributing to the outbreak, some say.

“The faction or fraction that has control of the government at a particular historical juncture uses political power to reap personal economic benefits through the processes of plundering and pillaging the public coffers,” George Klay Kieh Jr. said in Atlanta on Saturday, during a speech honoring Liberia’s Independence Day. Kieh is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of West Georgia, a political scientist, and the son of a Liberian politician.

“In short, the Liberian government became and is still like a buffet service, in which those who control the government and their relations ‘eat all they can eat for free,'” he added, “while the majority of Liberians look through the windows with empty stomachs.”

Kieh Jr. pointed to the heavy investments that Liberian leaders have made in the palm oil industry, with the public reaping none of the financial benefits. Deforestation for palm oil production, meanwhile, raises the risk of another disease outbreak. And outbreaks, as Epstein and his colleagues suggest, can be extremely damaging to the bottom line of a company or a country. The SARS outbreak in 2003 was estimated to have cost anywhere from $15 billion to more than $50 billion globally.

Even well-meaning governments may be missing the mark. In most countries, the department of health has minimal interaction with the department of agriculture, Kahn said. Neither may be looking for sick wildlife or livestock as a warning sign of a coming outbreak in humans. Likewise, doctors may not be looking for an animal-borne disease in a sick person, slowing down diagnosis and potentially spurring greater spread of disease.

“This isn’t just in Africa. It happens in the U.S., too,” said Kahn, who recalled multiple examples of sick families in which a doctor couldn’t make a diagnosis, but a veterinarian friend of the ill was able to immediately identify the zoonotic pathogen.

Tayo Babalobi, a Nigerian veterinary epidemiologist, is helping to lead the one-health charge in his country, where officials fear the ebola outbreak may spread. Nigeria is home to some 170 million people.

“The most important contributory factors [in the spread of disease],” Babalobi said, “are ignorance at high and low levels.”

The Best Facebook Post I've Seen in a Long Time

My favorite posts on Facebook are ones that share something honest and meaningful — an opinion, a thought, a perspective, an experience. Of all my friends, the one who does this most consistently is Milan Chakraborty, an old college buddy who is now a film producer.

While Milan was in Louisville, Ky., this week to promote his film Produce, a heartwarming story about the unique friendship formed between a washed up pro baseball player and a young grocery clerk with Down syndrome, he had an experience at Indian Summer Camp he couldn’t help but share. This is what he wrote on Facebook:

Yesterday was an amazing day. I was asked to go visit a summer camp. The weeklong camp is for kids battling cancer. It was a battle to not cry hearing stories of kids that have come to the camp and passed away. Their names are commemorated on a totem pole so they are never forgotten at the camp. Hearing stories of kids telling counselors that they wanted to be “Robbie” not Robert on the pole when they die and calling out exactly where they want to be put on the pole. Really? I was surprised they so openly talked about death but as a counselor pointed out, they acknowledge it. They do not dwell on it. What an inspirational viewpoint. But while there were moments of sadness, I was filled with the sights of kids (6-18) running, playing, screaming and having the time of their lives because this one week they get to be like every other kid. They deserve that. Met a lot of warriors fighting battles kids should not have to deal with but they are doing it with grace and dignity. I look forward to figuring out a way to help Kids Cancer Alliance. I pray these kids get a chance to live a long healthy life. Great people doing great things for over 32 years.

When I asked Milan if I could share this Facebook post on The Mighty, he said yes but wanted to add one more insight he picked up while at the camp:

“It was disheartening to learn that while so much money is raised for cancer research, only a small percentage is allocated to pediatric cancer. When I asked why, I was told, ‘They don’t believe it’s cost beneficial. There’s not enough customers.’ That made my heart drop.”

2014-07-31-mikeporathedit.jpg

Sharing an experience like this on social media is not always easy, but it resonates like few other things can. Milan’s Facebook post had nearly 200 likes and a wonderful stream of comments that showed that his little story made an impact on a lot of people, including me.

Thanks, Milan. I couldn’t help but share it with others too.

This post originally appeared on TheMighty.com, a website devoted to sharing and telling stories about people facing challenges, whether that be a disability, disease or disorder.

You can like The Mighty on Facebook, here.

What It's Like When You Weigh 380 Pounds and Order a Salad

“Really? Is that all you want to eat?”

That is what the cashier at Panera Bread asked me a few years ago. I was in line, ordering lunch. I was around 380 pounds at the time. I made a promise to myself to lose weight. I’d already lost 40 pounds at the time. Although I was no longer 400 pounds, I still was huge.

I ordered a salad. It was only 410 calories. The people behind me giggled when I placed my order. Maybe they were laughing about something else. I always heard laughter when I went places. I believe a lot of it was because of me.

When I ordered the salad the cashier questioned me. She was not rude or sassy. She was not being sarcastic. She was a teenage girl who really wanted to know if that is all I wanted.

Truth is, I wanted to eat more. I always wanted to eat more. People laugh at me when I tell them that I am a food addict. They tell me that is not a real addiction. Heroin, now that is a real addiction. Alcohol, now that is a real addiction. Food? Come on. I was just lazy. I just put forth no effort into getting healthy.

When I started to eat, I could not stop. There were days when I would eat over 20,000 calories. I never got sick. I never was full. I ate to a point where I was numb. I could not move. I would eat anything. I have dug in the trash to get food. I have eaten food that was not fully cooked. I have eaten So. Much. Food.

There were so many nights at 2 a.m. that I would sit in my car and eat. I would go from fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant and order food. Then I would sit in a dark parking lot and eat. I would get sad when the food was almost gone.

There was never enough food for me.

All I cared about is food. I never saw how much my weight and eating habits hurt my wife. She would never call me fat or tell me I needed to lose weight or she would leave. She would just try to encourage me. She would offer to walk with me or cook for me. She wanted to help her husband. Yet I did not want help.

At 420 pounds I could barely walk. I could not have sex. I could not wipe my ass in the bathroom. Everything in life was taken away from me. I would still eat.

I ate until I finally opened my eyes.

I saw how much it hurt my wife. I saw how much it hurt myself. I did not have many options. I had to lose weight.

Losing weight is not easy but neither was being 420 pounds. Counting calories is not easy but neither is hurting the people I love. Taking brisk walks is not easy but neither is wanting to die every day because you feel worthless.

So when the cashier asked me if I wanted more to eat, I knew what was in my heart…

“No, a salad is fine, thank you.”

I lost over 200 pounds and I have kept most off for over six years. I still struggle every single day. Every day I would rather have more than just a salad.

I also do not want to be over 400 pounds ever again.

I refuse to let my addiction ruin my life.

Originally appeared on The Good Men Project.

4 Ways To Effectively Fix A Toxic Frienship

SPECIAL FROM Next Avenue

By Linda Melone

Hanging out with friends does a person good. But if you’re a woman and your female friends make you feel bad, the positive benefits of the friendship can be diminished. In fact, bad friends can be harmful to your health.

That’s according to a new study. An analysis of data from 1,502 healthy adults over age 50 found that negative social interactions were linked to a 38 percent increase in developing high blood pressure for women. The multiyear research from Carnegie Mellon University found that women between 51 and 64 were more affected than older women. Surprisingly, this same effect was not seen in men.

Researchers were not completely surprised by the results. “Women are more affected and pay more attention to the quality of their relationships than men,” says Rodlescia Sneed, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology involved in the study. “Women’s relationships are more about sharing; men tend to have less intimacy.”

Prior studies done with arguing couples show increases in blood pressure in the short term, but this study found negative relationships could also have long-term physical effects, Sneed says.

Having Friends Should Be Fun

When you share a deeper level of intimacy, conflict exacts a far greater toll, says Irene S. Levine, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, producer of www.TheFriendshipBlog.com and a Next Avenue contributor. “It’s hard to let go of the person who knows all your secrets,” notes Levine.

And while no relationship is ever perfect, friendships are voluntary relationships that add to the pleasure and enjoyment of our lives, says Levine. “If a friendship is consistently draining and there is no way to resolve the conflict or mismatch, it’s time to move on to more satisfying relationships,” she adds.

“Healthy relationships at 50, or any age, should include mutual caring and respect, responsibility and good communication,” says Tina B. Tessina, a psychotherapist and author of “The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty.”

Signs of a toxic relationship include: being demanding, turning every discussion into an argument, threatening the end of the friendship, using tears, rage and/or badgering and gossiping about you behind your back.

How To Fix A Friendship

Handling toxic relationships isn’t easy and takes a little know-how, says Tessina. She has four suggestions:

1. Focus on the positive. First, tell your friend about the things you like that she does. She’ll then be more likely to hear when you say you don’t like something, says Tessina.

2. Use silence. “If you don’t like what she’s doing or saying, don’t respond. She’ll get the message without a word,” Tessina says.

3. Set boundaries and limits. If your friend is habitually late, for example, let her know when the timing is important (you don’t want to miss the first five minutes of a movie) and when time is not an issue. In cases where she needs to be on time, tell her if she’s not ready by X time you’ll leave without her.

“It’s amazing how well that works,” says Tessina. “Although, don’t be too strict about it if she’s late only on occasion or has a good reason.”

4. Try a time out. Become distant and polite when she behaves badly. No joking around or interacting, says Tessina.

“Eventually, she may ask you what’s wrong, and at that point you have an opportunity to tell her what the problem behavior is and why you don’t like it. Learning to put obnoxious friends in time outs right at the beginning of unpleasant behavior can make it unnecessary to use tougher tactics at all,” adds Tessina.

The Green-Eyed Monster

Jealousy often rears its ugly head in a friendship and is particularly toxic. “Most jealousy arises when someone feels insecure or threatened — that someone else (like you) will get the attention she wants,” says Tessina.

People who react with jealousy are often in a lot of emotional pain about their own lives. “Be as understanding as you can and listen to your friend’s feelings, but don’t let her struggles ruin your good feelings about yourself,” says Tessina. Publicly thanking her for the nice things she’s done and giving her special time with you alone may help.

Finally, don’t be afraid to talk to friends about what friendship means to you. Is it acceptable to cancel a date with a girlfriend (or her with you) because you get a better offer from a man? Because of family illness or problems? How much loyalty do you expect in the friendship, and what does that mean?

If you can’t work on the problem, at least limit the time you spend with people who make you feel bad, says Sneed. “Avoid taking on other peoples’ problems, which women tend to do,” she notes.

Next Avenue contributor Linda Melone is a California-based freelance writer specializing in health, fitness and wellness for women over 50.

Read more from Next Avenue:
Two new reverse mortgage rules for couples
What to do about loss of libido
How to heal a rift with your adult child

Couple's Sign Language Singalong Will Put A Smile On Your Face

This puts all those “Frozen” car singalong videos to shame.

Tina Cleveland, an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, and her fiancé, Paul Sirimarco, have a highly entertaining road trip tradition. While most families resign themselves to playing “I Spy,” “20 Questions,” and, in moments of sheer desperation, “Slug Bug,” Tina and Paul are having a blast “singing” along to songs in ASL.

A video of the couple signing along to “You’re The One That I Want” was uploaded to YouTube Thursday and features them dancing along as the “Grease” soundtrack pipes into the background.

In a post on Facebook, Cleveland declared, “Our road trips are anything but normal.”

“Being able to share music through sign language (and dance) is honestly what my little heart lives for,” she added in another post. “Also, hearing people saying they want to learn ASL is sooooo awesome! Do it!!!”

WATCH the couple’s sign-language dance party, above.

h/t Mashable

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