A noodle is a noodle is a noodle—right? No way, dude. Though the ingredients are few, the process to make ramen is nuanced. It can (obviously) be done by hand, but Sun Noodle HQ has the help of a long machine that mixes dough into balls, flattens it into sheets, rolls it like toilet paper, and cuts it into all different wavy and straight portion sizes.
Sorry, that’s not a 3D-printed ice cream cone, Mr. President.
Sure, those 3D printers that can output confectionery creations in sugar, chocolate and other edible substances are great, but a trio of MIT students have upped the awesome. Using a…
Journalists in the US and UK may be safe from the government’s wrath when they report on surveillance leaks from the likes of Edward Snowden, but the Australian press may have to tread carefully before too long. Attorney General George Brandis has…
Tonight at approximately 11PM PST, we’ll begin seeing keys sent out for the Public Beta for Destiny. This game will be playable starting tonight by the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, while the Xbox One and Xbox 360 will have to wait until the 23rd of this month. Destiny Beta for the Xbox One will come in at around 12.63GB … Continue reading
Later this year, Dodge will have “the Most Powerful and Fastest Muscle Car ever”. That might sound like verbose grandeur, but it’s not — not this time. when the new Dodge Challenger comes to pass, you might not see it. With up to 707 horsepower, the 2015 Challenger will blow past anything on the road. That massive horsepower comes by … Continue reading
In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. King argued that the “spiritual and moral lag” in modern man was due to what he later referred to as the “triple evils” of society: capitalism, militarism and racism. For King, the genocide that took place in Vietnam, combined with the ongoing racism and extreme poverty, especially in the black community, only solidified the idea that the three were inextricably linked and part of the same fight for universal human rights.
Of course King was not alone. Indeed, Malcolm X maintained that the United States’ economic system would have to be completely destroyed to truly end racism in our country. He often connected the struggle for black equality in the United States with those fighting for independence in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In short, Malcolm X, like King and so many before them, firmly believed the goal was not civil rights, but human rights. They believed the black freedom movement in America was part of an overall liberation struggle for all non-white people around the world.
One could not help but be reminded of King and Malcolm’s words with the one-year anniversary of George Zimmerman’s acquittal, the death and destruction taking place in Gaza, and the humanitarian crisis on the southern border. In each area, one can certainly see the “triple evils” of poverty, war and racism at work and how these issues are all connected.
For many of us, this week brought back the painful memory that George Zimmerman was blinded by racism and only saw Trayvon Martin as a thug or something less than human. Of course, this is not new and Zimmerman is not alone. Viewing and treating non-white people as something “other” than human dates back centuries as a justification for slavery and our economic system.
Clearly, one can see the connection when examining those who have been detained on the southern border. Citizens, politicians, pundits and journalists continue to use words like “illegals” or “aliens,” rather than calling them what they are — children. But make them less than human or an “other” and it is easier to call for their immediate deportation, suggest sending them to Gitmo, or call for violence against them.
Indeed, it is much more comfortable to defend Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, if one does not see the victims as mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. Instead we are shown the most bombastic images of Palestinians and told those killed were terrorists or Hamas sympathizers. The sad reality is that for many, nonwhite children regardless of where they are from in the world are still not viewed as fully human.
Read about the violence in Chicago or Central America and count how many times the words “gangs” or “drugs” are used. However, rarely does anyone ask how the guns and drugs got into the black community in the first place. How many journalists have examined the effects of NAFTA and CAFTA on the poor in Central America? How many have seriously analyzed how our history of overthrowing democratically elected governments, fueling and funding right-wing dictators, and creating “banana republics” in Central America has played a role in this crisis?
In the 1960s, black activists saw the connections between the assassinations of Patrice Lumumba, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, and Malcolm X. They linked the extreme poverty in the black community to the amount of money spent to wage war on non-white people in Southeast Asia. These activists knew that black and brown had to unite, especially in the United States. For them, “an injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere,” was not simply a slogan.
Fifty years later a new generation is heeding the call. When Trayvon Martin died, the Dream Defenders arose. When undocumented students came out of the shadows, United We Dream emerged. Now these young activists have joined together with other nonwhite leaders, under the banner of Freedom Side. Look closely at these men and women and you cannot help but think of Cesar Chavez, Fred Hampton, or Fannie Lou Hamer. These activists see the power in their unity and how they are all part of the same fight. For they know that even if “Stand-Your-Ground” is repealed and immigration reform is passed, not until all children of color, regardless of where they are in the world, have the same opportunity to grow up, live in peace, and achieve their dreams, will they ever truly be free.
With my 40th birthday party only days away, I find myself calm. Surprisingly calm. I had more anxiety saying goodbye to my 20s than I do to my 30s. Perhaps I’m ok with it because I keep being told I don’t look my age. To borrow from Gloria Steinem, “This is what 40 looks like.” Whenever I’m asked my secret I coquettishly lean in and whisper, “Drink heavily until you’re about 35.” In truth, I would only have my parents’ wonderful genes to thank, but as the big 4-0 juggernaut comes hurtling towards me I realise there are five major things you stop doing that make this milestone an oh-so-welcome one.
1. You stop trying to be cool.
Somewhere along your 30s you become a fully fledged adult, it kind of sneaks up on you. You stop looking ahead to a grown-up Future You and you realize, hang on, that this is pretty much it. It doesn’t get any more grown-up than 40. But I found that, with this realization, my shoulders noticeably dropped. I don’t have to try so hard to be in the know. In my 20s I believed I was devastatingly cool, working in London at a national youth radio station, remembering the name of every band that formed that week. My love of music remains, but there’s less desperate cramming to stay knowledgeable. Instead of painstakingly trying to find a reason to love the pathos, I’m okay with not enjoying Lana Del Ray’s Glastonbury performance for being a bit depressing. Equally I’m okay with voicing my disapproval of her smoking a cigarette on stage. There’s a freedom in becoming a bit of an old fart.
2. You stop engaging in drama.
I’ve developed the ability to sniff out dramatic people and steer clear. As I get older, I’m becoming more private. I find myself recoiling from those who want to live out their every heightened emotion. I don’t have the energy. If people complain about situations they find themselves in time and time again, they enjoy the drama. It’s a form of narcissism to want to remain in the center of crises, and it smacks of immaturity. I never considered myself a particularly dramatic person in my 20s, until I went back and found an old email exchange with a friend, the contents of which had me panicking over an illicit kiss behind a boyfriend’s back. It wreaked of paranoia and apocalyptic drama. It was a kiss. And it was a boyfriend I wasn’t in love with. Drama over. How it filled a dozen lengthy emails, I have no idea. At this age, it’s tiring enough to type the explanation of that scenario, let alone live it.
3. You stop worrying about speaking your mind.
To be fair, anyone who knows me will think that turning 40 has nothing to do with this, I’ve always been a little forthright. But in my youth it was more flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants mouthiness than steady self-assuredness in what I was saying. Today, experience has given me the wisdom to be honest in a more constructive way. Friends can come to me when they want the truth, and I’m okay with giving it to them because it comes from a genuine place of concern and desire to stop the drama (see point 2). To add a certain sageness to proceedings I’ve started peppering conversations with old adages like “Empty vessels make the most noise,” “It’s always darkest before the dawn” and “Barking dogs carry no bricks.” I have no idea if it’s because I’m trying to retain my Britishness living in New York, or if I’m turning into my dad. Either way, I’m enjoying it.
4. You can stop feeling obliged to go out.
Nothing makes me more content than avoiding a night out. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a night out with my friends, if only it could happen between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. That would be perfect. I’ve tried starting the saying, “Afternoons are the new nights,” but no one’s buying it. These days, you’re more likely to find me accompanying my daughter on her playdates. That’s not to say I don’t go to bars, I’m just thankful not to be the permanent fixture I felt I once had to be to be liked. Nothing highlights your age like being a 40-year-old surrounded by 20-somethings. Unless you’re Leonardo DiCaprio. But you’re not Leo, and neither am I, and he’s going to get away with it for many years to come. Like Christian Slater before him, he’s slowly turning into Jack Nicholson.
5. You can stop worrying about how you look.
Okay, this isn’t strictly true at all times. You do notice the deepening of lines and the loosening of necks, but overall there’s a liberating acceptance of one’s appearance. After all, who’s really looking that hard? No one scrutinizes us the way we do. As a teenager, I hated my shapeless, lacking-in-calf-muscle legs, but over time I got used to them and found I couldn’t get very far without them. So I don’t mind revealing my legs in the way that I was too self-conscious to once do. And becoming a mother 11 months ago, I’ve found that in order to make room for the knowledge necessary to look after and dress my daughter, I’ve pushed out a vast amount of knowledge in how to dress myself. My outfits are thrown together in a way that you might if you found yourself suddenly naked in Westfield. Whatever first comes to hand and if it works, it’s a happy accident. I know it’s just a matter of time before I look at a pair of elasticated jeans and think “Oh, they look comfy.”
When I think about turning 40, I’m reminded of my dad. I remember his 40th birthday party in October 1982. In Britain in the 80s, it was de rigueur that there be a humorous nude element to the party, so Mum hired a Boob-a-Gram. My brother and I were already tucked up in bed by the time a lady knocked on the door, joined the party and took her top off. Somewhere in my parents’ garage, a photo remains of this well-endowed, half-naked woman sitting on Dad’s knee, Mum next to him, surrounded by their friends. Broad smiles all round.
That party was free, fun-loving and uninhibited. I hope mine will be the same. Minus the stranger’s boobs.
Our jobs present plenty of opportunities for stress. But add in a boss who’s a poor communicator — especially when it comes to how he or she judges your performance — and your stress and job insecurity can increase exponentially.
Dr. Kenneth Siegel, an organizational psychologist, joined HuffPost Live host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani to discuss some of the inadvertent signs your boss might be sending.
“When you find your name no longer is on the email distribution list that it used to be on or you’re not invited to strategic meetings,” Siegel said, “that would be an indicator to you that you are no longer central to the enterprise.”
Siegel goes on to describe other ways some bosses distance themselves, from becoming less available for social engagements to assigning you to an unimportant fragment of a project.
Siegel added, “all of these kinds of messages that bosses are trying to give you are indirect ways that they are expressing a level of dissatisfaction with what you’re doing and they’re feeling very awkward about communicating this directly to you. So many bosses, almost unconsciously, pursue some less conscious and inadvertent ways to communicate this to you.”
Our advice? Talk to your boss directly, because as Siegel explains, “What’s really happening with all of these [signs] is your boss is trying to transfer their responsibility to talk to you with you.”
To hear more of the conversation, watch the full HuffPost Live clip in the video above.
Recently, I was in line at a grocery store reading my e-mail when another bored shopper, tired of looking at the tabloids for sale, looked over my shoulder and saw “Say Yes to Amendment 2” at the top of a letter from United for Care on my iPhone
“Why the hell should I vote or even care about legal marijuana in Florida?” she asked. “We have enough problems with rampant DUIs and pain pills sold like candy in this damn state. Why should I want to add to the problem?”
“I’m glad you asked,” I smiled.
“Are you one of those potheads like in Colorado?” she asked.
“No, I’m just one of those people who care,” I replied, and I told her my story and a few others.
I am one of those people who care, in part because I have “skin in the game.”
I have a mother who has stage 4 breast cancer, who is not a candidate for chemo or surgery. But that is not stopping her doctors from prescribing a plethora of medications that are making her life possibly more miserable than if she had no treatment at all. She is currently in ICU with a bleeding ulcer and getting transfusions and treatments for helicobacter (a bacteria that causes ulcers). She had been vomiting blood and unable to eat for days before she was brought to the ER. Meanwhile, the cancer spreads.
I have a good friend who has battled prostate cancer but cannot tolerate anesthesia. In the past he went to Asia to get treatment that worked better than anything offered to him in this country. He was in remission for a good long while, but it is back. He is a brilliant man. He knows that there is a treatment in this country that could work, but not in our state.
I have a wife with severe glaucoma. It has already taken a vast majority of her eyesight, and it hits with a severity that makes her grab her head and double over in pain. All the meds that have been offered to her have not been effective, but she knows that there is a treatment out there that does not raise her blood pressure to dangerous levels or have any of the other side effects of what she has been offered.
I have a daughter who has severe migraines that have segued into seizures. The meds she has been given have only slightly decreased her pain, and the anti-seizure meds have given her auditory hallucinations, causing her to take anti-psychotics that reduce her frontal lobe activity, making it impossible for her to work. She can’t pay her student loans or cover her rent due to all of the sick time she has had to take off. She knows that there is a treatment that works, that would alleviate her pain and allow her to be the brilliant person she is, clear-headed and able to do great things. But it isn’t available here and now.
None of these people that I care about are looking for a buzz. None of them are potheads. They are people in need of a treatment that is older than the oldest currently operating medical institutions in the world.
But not in Florida. Not yet.
John Morgan of the Morgan & Morgan law firm has been accused of promoting the amendment for many things, including trying to get Charlie Crist back in the Governor’s Mansion to wanting to make millions growing and selling medical marijuana. The truth is that he saw firsthand how it eased the suffering of his father who was dying of cancer. His brother Tim suffered a crippling accident as a young man that made him a paraplegic with ongoing severely painful muscle spasms. He knows that a cannabinoid extract will ease his brother’s unbearable pain and reduce the spasms.
The federal government is still sticking to the 1971 ruling that made marijuana a Schedule 1 drug, which not only makes it illegal, but also prevents research and makes the claim that it has no medicinal value.
The states can use a “compassionate use” clause that allows them to enact laws to get their citizens the medicine they need. These are meds that have already been proven to work on pain, seizures, glaucoma, and MS. They’ve even been proven to shrink cancerous tumors and have an estimated 70 percent success rate with those in stage 4 cancer.
And that is what Amendment 2 is all about and that is why we should not only care but also vote in favor of its passage.
The Charlotte’s Web bill passed this year in the Florida Legislature opened the door a crack to those children with intractable epilepsy, but it won’t help anyone else. Darryl Rousson, D-Pinellas, said it on the floor of the Florida House: “We need to send a clear message. A message that we CARE!”
That’s why.
Gary Stein, MPH, a native Detroiter, worked for the Centers for Disease Control, landed in the Tampa Bay area to work for the State Tobacco program and is now a health advocate and activist and blogger for the Huffington Post. Column courtesy of Context Florida. It has also been reprinted in a new Florida Blog about all things related to medical marijuana, Politics of Pot
Drones have possessed several names: remotely piloted vehicles, unmanned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles. Only recently have they been called “drones.” The military uses “unmanned aircraft systems” (uas) in recognition of the components required to fly an aircraft without an onboard pilot. uas aircraft can be flown remotely or pre-programmed to fly autonomously and re-programmed from the ground while airborne.
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.
