Mar 31
Robin Williams’ children and his widow have 11 days to settle their war over his personal items … before a judge weighs in on the dispute.
Mar 31
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s government and 16 ethnic armed groups agreed Tuesday on the wording of a draft nationwide cease-fire agreement aimed at ending decades of civil unrest.
Though it was lauded as a significant step — the opposing sides have tussled over words and rights over natural resources for months — the continued fighting between the army and small rebel groups along the northern frontier highlighted the many challenges ahead. “I’m really happy that the two sides have finally agreed on a single draft,” said President Thein Sein, who briefly attended the signing. “This opens the door for political dialogue and also further peace talks.”
Minutes later, representatives from the government and 16 ethnic armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Army, inked the draft accord.
The specifics were not released and it remained unclear when the final cease-fire deal would be signed.
Myanmar stunned the world by opening politically and economically in 2011 following elections that most rights groups say were neither free nor fair. Though Thein Sein started steering the country from a half-century of dictatorship toward democracy, early reforms have either stalled or begun regressing.
That’s upped the stakes of getting cease-fire deals with all ethnic armies, one of the president’s biggest pledges. Many ethnic armies have been fighting since Myanmar gained independence from the British in 1948, and experts say continued civil unrest is slowing development in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries.
The Kachin Independence Army has been one of the most stubborn holdouts, and its agreement to sign was significant.
But fighting that started last month between rebels and the government in the Kokang region of Shan state continues, complicating ongoing talks. Tens of thousands of people have fled across the border to China. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, also in Shan state, was refusing to sign on as well.
Mar 31
I figure it’s been about 40 years since the Easter Bunny hopped through my house with a basket addressed to me. Like Santa Claus, the floppy-eared mammal tends to focus on the 12-and-under set.
But I have a message for this holiday creature, who delivers candy-filled eggs and gifts to my children each year while somehow avoiding the motion detectors in my house that, if tripped, will draw the immediate attention of local law enforcement authorities. At least, that’s what the home security salesperson told me. Thankfully, the system has yet to be activated so I’ll have to take him at his word.
I want a basket, too.
That’s right, Bunny, Rabbit, Sylvilagus (your scientific name) or whatever moniker you answer to. It’s been an especially difficult winter for me — six subzero temperature days, unexpected eye surgery and the realization that, in four months, I will begin paying college tuition for my first born. Let’s hope the numerous offspring you sire (I’m assuming you’re male since I’ve often heard you called “Peter”) don’t decide to seek higher education. So, on the morning I arise to celebrate the religious significance of the day, I’d like a few delicious morsels, too. But I’ve also read enough foodie websites to realize there is some ingredient in every Easter delicacy that will hasten my death unless I seek healthy alternatives. Got that carrot-shaped pen ready? Here goes.
My last cholesterol test came in on the high side, so hard boiled eggs are out. I Googled “egg substitutes” and discovered flaxseed meal and silken tofu make terrific substitutes for those wishing to go egg-free. So leave a box of each in that Easter grass. And make sure the grass is recyclable.
Can we talk chocolate? I love it! Check that, I love it as long as it’s free of high fructose corn syrup, a primary cause of obesity. Of course, another cause of obesity is sitting around your house stuffing your face with candy while the Easter ham cooks in the oven, but let’s not blame ourselves for our weaknesses. Instead, make sure my candy is void of chemically refined sugars, genetically modified organisms, growth hormone and partially hydrogenated oils. Got that?
Now about those shiny jelly beans. You know why they’re shiny, right? It’s something you probably whisper about in the burrow. They’re coated with shellac, the same stuff that’s used to finish wood. If I wanted shellac in my system, I’d skip the candy and just start gnawing on my stairway bannister. Worse, the shellac comes from some bug in Thailand. So everybody who consumes ordinary jelly beans is basically eating insects. And a bowling alley. I demand that my jelly beans be organic. And black.
Let’s talk about marshmallow Peeps. I’m not even going to bother researching those Easter basket staples. Face it, any food item that returns to its original shape after you crush it in your hand must contain something harmful. That’s why nobody eats Silly Putty. And no canary yellow-colored food item can be healthy. I did stumble across one of those mommy blogger websites that explained how to make vegan Peeps. Bunny, do you own any agar powder?
Finally, don’t hide my basket.
My memory is starting to fail me, so I most likely won’t remember where I’ve looked. The basket-locating process needs to be quick, as I don’t feel like sitting in the very first pew at church — the one we all know is reserved for latecomers on Easter Sunday and tardy, slightly inebriated parishioners on Christmas Eve. Furthermore, the eyes haven’t quite returned to normal so I may blindly walk right past whatever you leave.
On that note, how about sharing a few of your favorite treats with me? My vision will certainly benefit from the vitamin A found in carrots,
Even if they are loaded with pesticides. Happy Easter.
2015 GREG SCHWEM. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
Mar 31
Kim Kardashian is the queen of contouring makeup … much like younger sister Kylie is queen of lining those lips.
Mar 31
Starbucks already has enough sweet items on its menu and now it’s adding some savory items.
According to a press release, Starbucks will begin selling new Thai-Style Peanut Chicken wraps and Edamame Hummus wraps on March 31. The Thai-Style Peanut Chicken wraps are made of grilled white chicken, chili lime veggie slaw and ginger cream cheese wrapped in a chili tortilla. They’ll come with a spicy peanut coconut sauce and grapes on the side.
The Edamame Hummus wrap is made of edamame hummus (duh), zucchini, bell peppers, spinach and a garlic-herb cheese spread served in a spinach tortilla and will come with roasted tomato sauce and sesame flax crackers on the side. Both wraps will have less than 500 calories and retail for $5.95 each.
With the new food items comes another venture — a new partnership with Dannon and Evolution Fresh called Evolution Fresh™ Smoothies. The smoothies will come in Sweet Greens, Strawberry and Mango Coconut flavors.
Seemingly playing off popular health trends, Starbucks says the smoothies are “Made from only cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, proprietary Greek nonfat yogurt, a dash of nutmeg and ice, these smoothies are free from added sweeteners, preservatives, colors and flavors.” According to the same statement, customers will also be able to add things like fresh kale, protein powder or extra Greek yogurt into their smoothies, which should come in around 170-230 calories. A 16 oz. smoothie will retail for $5.95.
A Starbucks that serves kale in a smoothie bar? And Thai-style chicken wraps? That’ll take some getting used to. Another shot of espresso, please.
Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
Mar 31
If You Want To Know The Problem With Indiana's ‘Religious Freedom' Law, Just Ask George W. Bush
Posted in: Today's ChiliJust one day after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed a law that’s widely expected to give anti-gay businesses a license to discriminate, two of the state’s top Republicans are already backing away from the law.
Mar 31
Today is the official release date for my book, Injustices: The Supreme Court’s History of Comforting the Comforted and Afflicting the Afflicted.
Mar 31
After getting totally slayed by everyone from Martha Stewart to Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy at his Comedy Central Roast, which aired on Monday night, Justin Bieber took it upon himself to apologize for some of the very behavior that he was being roasted for. At the end of the night, the 21-year-old closed the hilarious (and sometimes brutal) show on a surprisingly sentimental note:
There was really no preparing me for this life. I was thrown into this at 12 years old and didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. There’s been moments I’m really proud of and a lot of moments I look back and I’m pretty disappointed in myself for, but the things that I’ve done really don’t define who I am. I’m a kind-hearted person, who loves people, and through it all I lost some of my best qualities. For that, I’m sorry. But what I can say is I’m looking forward to being someone that you guys can all look at and be proud of.
During an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” earlier this month, Bieber spoke to the talk show host about why he decided to apologize at the end of his roast, which was taped on March 14.
“I was just talking about it being a new chapter for me and saying that I’m sorry for the stuff that I’ve done. It’s not like, I’m not searching for people’s approval, but I just want people to know that that’s not me and I was doing stuff that wasn’t me,” he told DeGeneres.
It appears that Bieber has been on a bit of an apology tour this year, as he addressed his tainted reputation in a Facebook video back in January, assuring fans that he is a good person deep down.
“Just being young and growing up in this business is hard. Just growing up in general is hard. I want people to know how much I care about people. I’m not that person to say, ‘I don’t give a fuck.’ I’m not that kid,” he said. “I’m a person who genuinely cares.”
Mar 31
Amazon is celebrating World Backup Day with great deals on everything you need to keep your data safe. Inside, you’ll find routers, range extenders, powerline adapters, hard drives, and NAS boxes from several manufacturers, most of which are marked down to all-time low prices.
Mar 31
National Geographic’s Your Shots features this spectacular picture of a scuba diver swimming under a massive shoal of fish at Cabo Pulmo, in Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The picture, shot by Californian photographer Jeff Hester, shows a colorful ocean full of life but that wasn’t always the case:
Who's in charge here?
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.