Earlier this year, Minecraft players got a The Simpsons skin pack for Minecraft…if they were using an Xbox, that is. We did a mini review of sorts to give a look at the skin pack, and now those on the PlayStation 4 who have been waiting will also be able to get it. The DLC is set to drop this … Continue reading
We’ve seen smart appliances that aim to cut down on the electricity bill, and the latest among them is something called the Ottobox, not to be confused with the Otterbox. The Ottobox is a small smart device that plugs into the wall, and that has a plug of its own for an appliance to be plugged in; there are also … Continue reading
Halo: Combat Evolved may have been one of the first console shooters to hit the competitive gaming circuit but a recent tournament was derailed because almost six months later, The Master Chief Collection is still broken. The official Halo eSports le…
Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus continue their hit parade, building on a massive first quarter of 2015 with a very strong second quarter total of 61.2 million handsets sold. This isn’t an all-time quarterly record, but it’s normal to see a slight decrease quarter-over-quarter coming out of a launch sales period, and this is a huge increase year-over-year compared to the 43.7… Read More
The phrase, “what goes around comes back around”, turns out to be true for T-Mobile, who halted the sales of ZTE ZMAX because of some users forcefully ripping of the “non-removable” battery. In the latest reports, the company has resumed the sales of ZMAX.
After running an investigation on the matter, ZTE realized that it was due to unclear instructions regarding the nature of the battery, which led to many users taking to out forcefully. Moreover, the back panel on ZMAX is also removable that gave fuel to the fire and got users under the conception of the battery being removable. It was also found that not many users attempted such act of applied force.
Apparently, even the small number of complaints resulted in T-Mobile and ZTE to get the device off shelves. Well, all being said, the device has gone back on sale and is available with the T-Mobile now. According to a leaked memo (below), staff at T-Mobile is clearly instructed to impart the information about the battery specifically to the users.
In case you’re planning to buy the device, we advice you to steer clear of its rear. Period.
ZTE ZMAX Returns To T-Mobile With Clear Instructions About Battery , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
Facebook is helping users connect with loved ones affected by the earthquake in Nepal and stretch their donation dollars.
The social networking site announced on Monday that it will match every dollar contributed through its donation widget to the International Medical Corps (IMC), up to $2 million. As of Monday afternoon, more than 4,000 people were killed in the magnitude-7.8 earthquake and IMC is working to bring lifesaving medication and other supplies to people in need.
To prevent waterborne illnesses and other communicable diseases, the aid organization is also distributing hygiene kits and water purification tablets.
Facebook said 100 percent of donations made through its fundraising feature will go directly to the International Medical Corps. The social networking site also said it will donate its matching funds to a number of local relief organizations.
Facebook is also capitalizing on its worldwide reach to help users notify one another of their whereabouts in the affected region.
Inspired by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the “Safety Check” app identifies users based on their location and alerts them if they are in an affected area. Users can then notify their Facebook friends if they are in a secure location.
“During times of crisis, we have seen people turn to Facebook to learn about what’s happening, share their experiences and support one another,” Facebook said in a statement. “By offering tools to help people donate to support those in the affected areas and check on loved ones, we’re hopeful that together we can promote safety and help urgent resources reach those who need them.”
The button below indicates how much has been raised on Crowdrise’s “Nepal Earthquake Relief” page. Click to visit the site and donate.
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In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, from May 4 to May 8, HuffPost Education plans to highlight stories of teachers who are making a positive difference in the lives of children, families and communities. We want to hear about the teachers who made a difference in your life, or the ones you have observed making a difference in the lives of your children or neighbors.
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We spent an hour stuffing his oversized backpack with everything he would need: Mess kit, head lamp, layers of wool. He asked six times if I was sure that the drop-off time for the trip was five o’clock. Four times he reminded me, or himself, that he would not be able to text or call. As I grabbed the car keys, he fastened the last clip on his bag with shaking hands, which he then clumsily stuffed into his front pockets. “Ready?” I said with a smile. He nodded and placed his hat on his head.
In the parking lot, the other Boy Scouts greeted him with smiles and high-fives. He dropped his camping gear in the growing mountain of oversized bags. The pack leader gathered them in and began the prep talk for their camping trek in the caves of upstate New York. Liam glanced over at me and mouthed the word, “Stay,” when he saw me glancing at my watch. When the debriefing was over, they returned to their gear to get their hats and gloves as instructed. But Liam had missed the instructions while he was keeping his eye on me. He nervously asked me under his breath what he was supposed to be doing. “Get your hat and gloves,” I said quietly, “just stop and think for a minute and you’ll remember where we put them.” I could feel a presence behind me. “Mom,” it said, “I’m going to ask you to step back and let Liam handle this himself. He’s got it from here.” I turned and glanced sheepishly at the Scoutmaster as waves of emotions overcame me.
My mama bear instincts started to rare their ugly head and I wanted to say, “Listen, buddy, do you have any idea what this kid has been through in his life? Did you see that bag of medications I handed you? Do you think those are just children’s aspirin? Don’t tell me…” I instead chose to stop the outrage in its tracks, smiled, said OK, and took a step back. But I still thought in my head, do you know?
Do you know that this boy was born a month too soon? Do you know that in the hospital, I watched him through the glass as warming lights and IVs gave him the things that I couldn’t provide? That when he was an infant he cried incessantly and barely slept? That I was the only one who could calm him down?
Do you know that when he was a toddler, it became glaringly obvious to me that his brain worked differently? He had no sense of danger. He ran away in parking lots, stores, the beach. He repeatedly banged his head on walls. He ate crayons and sticks. He went through life like a hurricane and all the recommended parenting strategies fell short in helping him.
Do you know that after years of trying to get help, and after he was kicked out of regular preschool because they “couldn’t meet his needs,” that I waited six long months to see a top specialist? Do you know that when he was 3, I drove for over two hours in a snowstorm with Liam screaming in the back seat to get to that appointment, come hell or high water? Do you know that that was the first day I heard the word “autism” and my child’s name in the same sentence?
Do you know that when he was in elementary school, I received phone calls almost every day detailing his struggles? Liam walked across the lunch table to throw out his trash. Liam locked himself in a bathroom stall. Liam had a meltdown in the school library. Do you know that I have advocated for him in over 30 IEP meetings where a short list of his strengths was followed by a disproportionately larger list of hurdles to overcome? We have spent countless hours and dollars with specialists, therapists and on trying new medications. Endless nights reading every book I could find and scouring the internet for solutions. Not to mention the tears I have cried, the sadness and worry so deep that at times it felt impossible to breathe.
Do you know that in elementary school, he was not invited to one birthday party? NOT ONE. Children laughed at him and called him “weirdo.” He had no friends. At soccer games, his team would sit on the sidelines huddled together, laughing and joking. I watched from across the field as Liam sat several feet away, picking at the grass. Not because he wanted to be, but because they were most likely laughing at him or because he knew that if he tried to join in, suddenly, things wouldn’t be so funny anymore.
Do you know the anxiety this boy has dealt with? Panic attacks at school during which an ambulance was called as I rushed to get there. Debilitating fears. A bald patch on his head from literally pulling his hair out. Medications that made things worse before we found one that made things better.
Do you know how hard we have worked to get him to where he is today? We, his parents, his family, his teachers, his therapists and his doctors. More importantly, do you know how hard Liam has worked? The struggles he has overcome? The demands and experiences placed on him that no child should have to endure? The hours of therapy, social training and extra work he has put in?
Most importantly, do you know that he is, this is, a miracle? If you had told me when he was 3 years old on that snowy day when I first heard the words, “Liam has autism,” that he would be here — leaving for a three-day camping trip on his own at age 14, I would never have believed you. Do you know that the child that for years had a one on one aide accompanying him to the bathroom, packing his things, or helping him stay seated in his desk, is currently registered for all honors classes next year at high school? The boy who needed full support to complete basic routines and tolerate daily life now works as a camp counselor helping younger special needs children to do the same? The child who was never invited to a birthday party has many great friends and is finally being understood and accepted by his peers.
And do you know that when he was 7, he had to leave Cub Scouts because it was too hard for him? And yet, here he is. Years later he has returned as a teenage Boy Scout wearing his uniform proudly, his salute more resolute than any other member, his commitment unwavering.
The truth is that this Scout leader doesn’t know. And neither will many others to come. And that’s OK. Liam deserves to live in the present and be treated as he has worked so hard to be treated — just like everyone else. All of our efforts were done with the small hope that this very moment might be possible. His past and his journey will always be a part of his story, but they should never carry more weight than where he is now, or where he is headed. Pack light, they had told us in preparation for the trip. Take only what you need and what will serve you in the days ahead.
And so instead of feeling anger or embarrassment, I bask in the words. “Mom, I’m going to ask you to step back and let Liam handle this himself. He’s got it from here.”
When I think about it, those are the most beautiful, glorious and miraculous words I have heard in some time.
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How does someone as fat as you have so much confidence? Where do you get your great self-esteem?
Why wouldn’t I be confident? I am a good person.Why is it so shocking to see a fat, confident person? I contribute to the greater good. I love my friends and family. My friends and family love me. I have a good job. I pay my bills. What else does a fat person have to do to “deserve” to have great confidence or great self-esteem?
I have gotten this question a lot in my lifetime. I have been fat since the third grade (well, according to the BMI chart anyway) and I am 47 now. So that is a lot of years in a fat body. I’ve had lots of time to become comfortable with taking up a lot more space than other women in my social circles. And, now I own a plus-size lingerie boutique and the topic of confidence and self-esteem in a fat body comes up at our boutique pretty much seven days a week. Every single day, without fail, this topic comes up. “Chrystal, how can I become confident in my fat body? What is the trick?”
When women who shop at my boutique or the women who are a part of my Curvy Girl Facebook community ask me this question, I find it very sweet in a way. I know they do not mean it in a disrespectful way. They mean it more in the “Where can I find some of that confidence?” kind of way. I relate to their struggles to fit in. I mean, we do get that “thin is beautiful” message crammed into our brains daily. And, thin is beautiful. But so is fat, old, young, athletic, fluffy, varying mobilities and abilities, thick, tall and short! We’re all beautiful and we all deserve to feel beautiful.
So this does beg the question: Where do we get our self-esteem? How does a fat woman get to be so confident? Where did I get my own self-esteem? I have been asking myself and my community that very question a lot recently.
Personally, I feel like my family and the way I was brought up gave me a good base. Unconditional love can do that for a person. I was blessed to have family who did not shame me because of my body. I had a few random, far-removed family members say some mean things to me, when I was prepubescent, that stuck with me my whole life, but my immediate family (the people I give a sh*t about) always made me feel so smart, loved and beautiful. They did it through their words and their actions. So, I got off to a great start by having very loving and supportive parents and aunties, uncle and siblings.
This is going to sound trite, but stick with me. When I was a kid I was a voracious reader. Any magazine, book, newsletter that crossed my path I read. I read a ridiculous article in Cosmopolitan once about how women should find one thing about their body that they liked and focus on that. (It was next to an article about how to measure if your boobs are droopy by trying to hold a pencil underneath them. You have to love Cosmo in the ’80s. I was 14.) But, internally, I started that discipline when I was about 14. I would focus on things like “wow, I have really cute toes.” Yes, at 14. “I love how my skin gets so tan in the sun.” “My green eyes are really pretty,” I would repeat to myself.
Then, when my inner mean girl would occasionally rear her ugly head, I would remember these other things. I think I even made a list in my diary at some point. I got focused on the positive so I could tune out the a-holes in high school and so I could tune out the magazine covers and the commercials on t.v. that perpetuated the myth that we all have to be the same size. Size zero.
I talked with some of my fat friends in my community and asked them what helped them to have great self-esteem. I also polled my Curvy Girl Facebook community and asked them where they find their self-esteem.
Jen McLellan, founder of PlusSizeBirth.org and Plus Size Mommy Memoirs on Facebook shared with me that for her it started with her drama class in high school.
From drama class to years of being a camp counselor, I’ve always been outgoing. While I enjoyed taking center stage I never felt completely confident about my body. That was until, at the age of 30, I became pregnant with my son. As my belly began to grow, so did my love for my body.
The real transformation took place during 16 hours of natural childbirth. For the first time in my life I had to completely trust and believe in my body. I gave birth on my knees and had never felt so powerful in my entire life. My high level of self esteem comes from the knowledge that my fat body is truly magnificent. I only wish I wouldn’t have waited 30 years to realize that.
Jen makes a beautiful point. Our bodies are small miracles and they are capable of so much pleasure and so many amazing things can happen with our bodies, even when we are fat.
My friend Saucye West is an aspiring plus-size model and she calls herself an “extended size” model. That means she is a size 26/28. Saucye is fierce and confident. I asked her where she finds her confidence to get on the catwalk and show off the fashions she is modeling.
As young girls we learn what is beautiful and sexy by the women in our families. They play a great role in how our ideals of beauty are shaped. All I knew was glamor. But with that came emphasis on size. After battling that at a young age I found that I really didn’t have a problem with my body; it was everyone else that did! So from that moment (age 14) I vowed never to let anyone dictate how I was suppose to love myself. My confidence came from within. As a model I have to be convinced and love myself honestly in order for that to read in pictures. Being a plus model drives me to help other women find that unconditional love within themselves. It’s there! You just have to start becoming blind to societal norms and create your own standard of beauty.
Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and to be able to value their own bodies whether they are a size two or a size 32. Knowing your value and your own worth does not need to correlate in any way with the number on the scale. We all are worthy of love and most importantly, loving ourselves.
I want to end with this comment from my friend Rachel Estapa of MoreToLove.com.
I’ve learned that confidence is contagious — when I do something I’m happy about in my life, I make a point to recognize it for myself and then share it. Confidence is taking tiny steps in the direction of where you want to go. It builds and the little things I do get bigger, and more people feel my excitement and then find it easier to go for what they want. And then one day, you look around and realize you’ve got a whole bunch of great things you see in yourself and great people around who support you too.
If you’re still struggling to find your own self-worth, be sure to surround yourself with positive people that lift you up. Get rid of the people who say little rude comments or who share their diet tips when you didn’t ask for them. If you have toxic family members who say snarky things, it’s time to cut way back on the amount of time you spend with them. You can even divorce family members if you have to. And, the one cool thing you can do right away is to remove any kind of negative crap from your social media feeds. Follow other body positive and sex positive people and cut out that other stuff that focuses on diets and get skinny quick pills and surgeries. Do what makes you feel good with the people that make you feel good. You can be 100lbs or 500lbs and have confidence bubbling out of you — if you can just turn off that inner mean voice and tune out the shamers and haters.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — One small-town South Carolina police officer was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison and a second to a year and a day for unnecessarily shocking a mentally disabled woman with a Taser at least eight times.
Franklin Brown received the longer sentence because he shocked 40-year-old Melissa Davis after she had been handcuffed in April 2013. The other Marion police officer, Eric Walters, stopped Davis early one morning to see if she had broken into a home. Neither Walters nor other officers have explained how the incident escalated so quickly.
Davis was in court but began sobbing as Walters apologized, and was ushered out by her family.
Federal Judge Bryan Harwell said the two officers through one bad action ruined the good work of thousands of honest officers.
Brown and Walters pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law in October.
Walters was patrolling in Marion early one morning when he saw Davis walking out of the yard of a home for sale. He asked her what she was doing, thinking she might have broken into the home, then shocked her with his Taser, according to court papers.
After Davis fell to the ground, Walters ordered her to put her hands behind her back, then shocked her four more times before she could respond, prosecutors said.
By the time Brown responded, Walters had determined Davis did nothing wrong and was removing the Taser probes from her back. Brown noticed one of Davis’ hands had slipped from her improperly applied handcuffs and ordered everyone to move away and shocked Davis again, even though she was not trying to fight or escape, according to court papers.
Brown shocked Davis twice more, then offered to let her go if he could shoot her in the forehead one more time with his Taser, prosecutors said.
Brown told the other officers at the scene he shot Davis with the Taser because he “did not want to touch that nasty (obscenity),” according to his plea agreement.
Both officers are white. Court records did not indicate Davis’ race.
Prosecutors said they agreed with federal sentencing guidelines of 12 to 18 months behind bars for Walters and an 18- to 24-month sentence for Brown.
Walters’ lawyer asked for a six-month prison sentence and six months of home detention because he is in poor health after several heart attacks suffered before age 39. The lawyer added that Walters had a good record as an officer before the incident. Brown’s lawyers did not file any motions asking for mercy before the sentencing.
Prosecutors said the officers should have known Davis had a diminished mental state, and a lawsuit filed by her caretaker against the officers and the city of Marion said she was well known around town.
The civil suit said along with the physical pain and suffering from the shocks and their after-effects, Davis also continues to need help dealing with mental anguish from what happened. Her lawsuit is seeking a minimum of nearly $2 million.
The officers originally faced state charges, which were dropped when federal prosecutors took over. At least three officers in South Carolina have been recently charged with shooting unarmed suspects.
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