Hasta La Gadget!

Jesus was angry. Children who wanted to see him were being turned away.

Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

he warned his disciples and then shocked them by adding,

but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

This is not the

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild

as described in the poetry of Charles Wesley. This was Jesus, mad as hell, threatening capital punishment for anyone who caused children to stumble. Interesting word, stumble. Scholars suggest

that causes to stumble

can be understood as

become an obstacle to belief.

In other words Jesus warned his disciples:

When you undermine or weaken or destroy the faith of my children you deserve to die.

Unfortunately, with few exceptions, current leaders of the 2.5 billion Christians worldwide have forgotten the story (even though it’s repeated in Matthew, Mark and Luke). They are the 21st century counterparts of those 1st century disciples yet they don’t seem shocked or personally alarmed by Jesus’ warning. Why is that? Don’t they understand that 2,000 years after Jesus spoke those words that they too are standing in the way of the children who want to see Jesus?
In this case, I’m referring to the young gays and bisexuals (13 to 24) who have just learned that in the past decade their diagnosed HIV infection rate has risen by 132% while all other demographics have seen a 33% decline. Warning! Before we get back to Jesus, millstones and his 21st century disciples let’s guess what those same Christian clergy think when they see that gay and bisexual youth and young adults are the only U.S. population where HIV is on the rise. They’ll say what they said in the 1980s and 90s when the plague was first discovered. “It’s a gay plague,” they said. “We have no reason to feel blame. It’s their unsafe sexual practices that caused the rise.”
It is a mistake to blame “unsafe sexual practices” for the grim statistic but we can’t ignore those sexual practices either. Once again we need to rally our community to confront the problems of

condom fatigue,

(the decreased and irregular use of condoms); of

prevention fatigue

(the growing apathy towards safer sex campaigns); of the increasing acceptability of alcohol, methamphetamine, nitrates and other party drugs that lead to risky sexual behavior; of not being tested for the HIV virus on a regular basis; and of not being treated immediately when the virus is detected.
However, it isn’t enough to help end the unsafe sexual practices. There is another even more important factor to consider, unsafe religious practices. With very few exceptions, clergy and lay leaders representing 2.5 billion Christians worldwide are still defending their tired old beliefs that homosexuality is a sickness and a sin, beliefs based on biblical misuse and scientific ignorance. Those beliefs cause God’s LGBTQ children to stumble. They weaken, undermine and destroy faith and not just faith in God but faith in themselves as well.
The Christian-religion-based misinformation campaign can have equally devastating effects on young gay and bisexual men with no interest in Jesus or in the Christian churches. Religion-based anti-homosexual beliefs poison the well of information about homosexuality and homosexuals from which the entire nation drinks. Here’s the connection between these dangerous Christian beliefs and the rise of diagnosed HIV cases among gay and bisexual youth and young adults.
The Aids Healthcare Foundation (treating 300,000 HIV/AIDS patients in 33 countries) warns us that behind the unsafe sexual practices that lead to the rise of HIV infections is the

high level of stigma youth face in their communities.

The key word here is

stigma.

The young men who practice unsafe sex are victims of unsafe religious practices that stigmatize them for being gay and further stigmatizes the disease that threatens them.
That stigma keeps them from understanding that their sexual orientation or gender identity is a gift from God to be accepted and celebrated and lived with integrity. That stigma keeps them from healthy gay relationships and leads them to sexual practices that are secretive and often destructive. That stigma keeps them from being tested and treated for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. That stigma keeps them from speaking honestly with their sexual partners even when they know they are positive. That stigma leads directly and indirectly to the rise of HIV infection rates and that stigma is without doubt a direct result of the anti-homosexual teachings of Christian leaders in the U.S. and abroad.
Have they forgotten what made Jesus mad as hell? Maybe some entrepreneurial lesbian will find a way to manufacture and market miniature millstones we could place on the desks of clergy to help them remember the consequences of undermining or weakening or destroying the faith of God’s children. They need to be reminded of their direct and indirect responsibility for the alarming rise of HIV infections in God’s gay and bisexual children, especially among African-American and Hispanic teenagers and young adults. Above all they need to be reminded forcefully that they must end the debate that has gone on for five decades and instead of making it just a slogan like the United Methodist Church, they need to actually open their minds, hearts and doors to God’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Questioning children. And if they don’t? Let’s hear Jesus’ words again:

Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

by Nikki Kong

I like to think that there are two types of girls in this world: those who are packed and ready to go weeks before move-in, and those who keep telling themselves they only need three boxes and two days to get everything done. I won’t bore you with the details of which type of girl I am (*cough* the second one) but let’s just say I was missing more than a few things when I moved into the dorms freshmen year. So you can avoid (at least some of) the same mistakes as me, here’s a list of six things you’ll definitely need this year.

Lysol Wipes
I’m going to be real with you: dorms get dirty. Drinks will be spilled, germs will be spread, and ice cream will inevitably be dripped during your first “The Notebook” binge of the year. All of that is totally fine (I mean, who wouldn’t drip some ice cream during that lake scene?) but it’s always nice to have something a little stronger than a damp paper towel from the bathroom to clean up your messes.

Planner
Planners are sooo middle school, right? Um, wrong. If you weren’t already planning on using some kind of planner –- digital or otherwise -– consider investing in one. As much as we’d all like to think we’re the kind of girl who can remember everything without writing it down, we probably can’t. You’re on the quarter system now: with midterms every few weeks, it’s hard to keep all your dates straight. Get a planner with a daily and monthly calendar so you can see what you need to accomplish each day, as well as what you need to accomplish each month. Seriously –- don’t let that economics midterm sneak up on you and force you to cancel beach day with that cute guy from your floor for a day of cramming in the library!

Small Fan/Extra Blankets
More often than not, you and your future roomie are going to have different ideas of what a “comfortable temperature” constitutes. Having a small fan and extra blankets can come in handy with it’s 90 degrees and your (literally) cold-blooded roommate is freezing and refuses to turn on the air conditioner. Even if you and your roommate can agree, some dorms don’t have air conditioning. SLO doesn’t have too many unbearably hot or cold days, but you’ll be grateful if you’re prepared for them when they do happen.

Click here to read the rest of the article on Her Campus.

Vice President Joe Biden seriously stepped his Instagram game up Thursday with his latest #tbt.

Biden posted a photo of himself in his mid-20s to encourage those #Bornin88 to visit healthcare.gov and get covered.

“For all the 26 year-olds → short sleeve button-downs are making a comeback, but health care has never gone out of style. Don’t forget to #GetCovered,” the caption reads.

Biden wasn’t the only one to use Throwback Thursday as a way to spread the message about health care. The vice president’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, posted her own #tbt to Twitter:

#TBT to when I was 26 & starting a family. #BornIn88? Get covered at @HealthCareGov: http://t.co/aRf0KyEWFe -Jill pic.twitter.com/Cphz06bwUo

— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) July 31, 2014

NEW YORK — The Israeli military told The New York Times on Friday to withhold publishing additional information about an Israeli soldier reportedly captured by Palestinian militants until it is first reviewed by a censor.

The Times acknowledged the order in an article Friday on the abrupt collapse of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

After the initial publication of this article, the military’s censor informed The New York Times that further information related to the soldier would have to be submitted for prior review. Journalists for foreign news organizations must agree in writing to the military censorship system to work in Israel. This was the first censorship notification The Times had received in more than two years.

The Times added the new paragraph nearly six hours after first publishing the article, according to Newsdiffs, a site that tracks changes in news stories online.

A Times spokeswoman did not have any immediate comment on the paper’s handling of the censorship notification.

The Israeli government recently issued a media gag order related to the killings of three Israeli teenagers and one Palestinian teenager, violence that helped lead to the current conflict. While the news media faced restrictions, the Times’ Robert Mackey wrote that “a vigorous, at times frightening, public discussion of the killings has continued online based on rumor and leaks used by partisans of both sides to indict their enemies.”

Israeli officials blamed Hamas for abducting the Israeli teenagers, though some intelligence officials have now expressed doubt that Hamas was involved. The resulting war has led to the deaths of nearly 1,500 Palestinians and 56 Israeli soldiers.

In April, the Times acknowledged withholding news that a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist had been arrested because of an Israeli court-imposed gag order. At the time, Jerusalem Bureau Chief Jodi Rudoren told Times’ Public Editor Margaret Sullivan that the paper is “indeed, bound by gag orders.”

Sullivan wrote that Rudoren “said that the situation is analogous to abiding by traffic rules or any other laws of the land, and that two of her predecessors in the bureau chief position affirmed to her this week that the Times has been subject to gag orders in the past.”

Still, some of the paper’s top editors said they didn’t know the Times abided by such restrictions.

Both Dean Baquet, who was then managing editor and has since been promoted to executive editor, and Susan Chira, a former foreign editor and current assistant managing editor, told Sullivan they “were unaware of The Times ever agreeing to abide by gag orders in Israel,” she wrote.

Who says you need to empty your bank account in order to enjoy Europe in style? Hotel search trivago.com, which now offers hostel bookings in cities across Europe, has compiled a list of some of the swankiest and eclectic hostels on the continent. Trust us, these six ultra-trendy and budget-friendly finds in some of the most exciting cities in Europe will make your next vacation one for the scrapbook!

BONUS: Find out which of Europe’s 30 most popular cities is currently the cheapest to visit below.

KEX Hostel – Reykjavik, Iceland

© KEX Hostel

Budget luxury never looked so good! KEX Hostel, a former biscuit factory in Reykjavik, Iceland, seamlessly combines vintage décor, historic ambiance and state-of-the-amenities. Guests can use the fitness center, lounge on the heated terrace, spend a lazy afternoon in the hostel library (pictured above) or visit the on-site Living Art Museum. A prime city center location, spectacular views of the bay and the volcanic Esja mountain range make KEX Hostel a true bargain lover’s paradise.

Långholmen Hostel – Stockholm, Sweden

© Långholmen Hostel

Housed in a former prison on Långholmen Island, guests at this historic hostel spend the night in stylish and modern rooms (pictured above) that were jail cells for more than 250 years. Visitors who want the ultimate prison experience can attempt to an escape from Långholmen as part of a scavenger hunt for the “key to freedom” from the island, which wraps up with a delicious 3-course dinner in the hostel’s celebrated restaurant. Steeped in history, steps from the beach and in the heart of Stockholm, Långholmen Hostel offers guests a once in a lifetime experience on a shoestring budget.

Clink78 Hostel – London, England

© Clink78 Hostel

If sleeping in a jail cell doesn’t sound like you’re cup of tea, head to London’s Clink78 Hostel, which is housed in a 200-year old courthouse that has been transformed into chic accommodation for budget travelers. With everything from an old courtroom converted into a computer lab (complete with disco ball) to an on-site bar that can hold more than 500 music lovers, Clink78 effortlessly combines Victorian architecture, 21st century amenities and good old-fashioned fun at an unbeatable price.

Generator Hostels – Barcelona, Spain

© Generator Hostels

If you’re in search of cheap and trendy accommodation in Barcelona, the funky and fabulous Generator Barcelona hostel is just for you. With rooms ranging from budget dorms to a luxury penthouse apartment with private balcony, there’s something for everyone at Generator, including everything from live music and DJ’s to group flamenco classes and in-house art exhibits in the hostel lounge (pictured above). Want to indulge in Spanish tapas, lounge on the beach or check out Gaudi’s architectural wonders? All are just a short walk or metro ride from this Barcelona gem.

One80º Hostels – Berlin, Germany

© One80º Hostels

Social. Stylish. Affordable. Berlin’s ultra-modern and ultra-hip One80º Hostel more than lives up to its slogan. With an on-site dance club, the One80º offers guests an opportunity to experience Berlin’s infamous nightlife just steps from their room. A free photo booth in the lounge (pictured above), full bar, sleek and modern décor and a prime location next to Alexanderplatz make One80º Hostel the perfect starting point for budget-savvy visitors hoping to experience all Germany’s capital city has to offer.

Rivoli Cinema Hostel – Porto, Portugal

© Rivoli Cinema Hostel

Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick and more are celebrated in style at the Rivoli Cinema Hostel in historic Porto, Portugal. Guests at the movie-themed getaway can choose between 12 rooms inspired by modern cinema classics, including Tim Burton’s animated “Corpse Bride” (pictured above). If guests can pull themselves away from this one-of-a-kind find, a wine cellar tour to sample Porto’s most famous export – port wine – is a must. Thanks to the money saved by staying at Rivoli Cinema Hostel, it’s a splurge that won’t wreck the wallet.

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