Can the Republican Party Ever Recover from Trump?

Will the Republican Party be able to recover from nominating Trump as its 2016 presidential candidate? originally appeared on Quorathe knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answer by Edward Conway, on Quora.

Yes, it is possible for the Republican Party to recover from Trump. Further, drastic and serious defeats are the engine of change and improvement.

It is often overlooked in politics, but defeats are vitally important to political parties, as this is the means by which changes happen: old ideas and positions are rejected, old leaders pushed out. Without defeat, there is no power vacuum at the top, no changes, and thus no renewal. The result of endless victories is inevitably stagnation and decay.

Elections are choices made by the voters as a whole, deciding which person, platform, or party they prefer for a particular position. Losing leads those who lose to either leave politics, which frees up space for newcomers, or change their positions, which leads to improvement and adaptation.

In my view, the best way to understand politics in democracies is through the lens of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution: politicians compete to survive. Those that have adapted to their environment best live on, and their adaptations are adopted by other politicians seeking to survive. But this adaptation is only one piece of the puzzle: for evolution to successfully improve the species as a whole, significant numbers of individuals without the best adaptations need to lose.

Thus, for a party to evolve and grow, there needs to be losses, just as for the herd to be safe, there must be predators to remove the weak. There is pain, and consequences for behavior that is not suited to the environment, whether that environment is political or biological.

Trump, by basing a campaign around hatred, fear, and insulting those who are different, is gathering together those individuals who support these behaviors and putting these behaviors to the test. If he wins, then these behaviors will be judged successful, and other politicians will follow suit. If he loses, then these behaviors will be associated with the losses, and other politicians will shun his views and behavior.

Assuming a loss, the Republican Party will respond by pointing to those who advocated fear and hatred, and saying “You made us lose. Get out of the party.”

Sooner or later, this will happen. Eventually, the desire of the party to win, and the desire of individual politicians to survive, will overpower the few who are committed to behavior that leads to losses.

The bigger Trump’s loss, the quicker this will happen. Electoral losses thin the herd of the weakest members, but the herd remains. In politics and in the animal kingdom, the urge to survive will always lead some to behaviors that lead to their survival. Those that fail to follow this will be wiped out by predators or elections.

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Who Do You Love More? Your Partner Or Your Kids? Is One A Priority?

Women struggle with the question of who comes first. My partner or husband vs. my children? Maybe it isn’t a question of who comes first all the time, but some of the time. This seems to make more sense and become a more realistic question.

When people say that you’re kids will leave home and your husband or partner is forever, it’s a spurious statement because actually you’re a parent forever, even when your kids are adults. And those adults when they are young, often in fact do come home. College students often live at home and commute to their schools and college graduates often live at home when they are in their first jobs. So when do they actually become official adults? (A question for another post.)

When Do Kids Come First?

Do infants come first? Sleepless nights and exhaustion fill the first few months of a mother’s life with her baby. You can’t explain to an infant that your husband or partner feels left out and is frustrated with your absence and readiness to fill his or her needs. You need to co-parent to work out this question because of course, infants come first!

This doesn’t mean you can’t get a babysitter or spend time together when the baby sleeps. It just takes a concerted effort because you’re usually pretty tired those early months of a baby’s life. But short times of togetherness can make all the difference to keep your relationship alive and growing.

As kids get older, let’s say elementary school, there’s a lot of chauffeuring and school involvement that’s essential. If both parents participate, it means things run more smoothly, kids feel close to both parents, and parents end up with more time together.

Even during adolescence, or especially during adolescence, kids need their parents’ open-ended time, so they don’t just talk when there are problems. But it’s good for teens to see their parents enjoy each other. It shows them what loving relationships at an adult level can be all about.

Many ask this question. I’ve read it quite often. But we don’t love people that are close to us more or less. We love them differently. The bonds are complex and dissimilar. Children need us in different ways than our partners, so we love them differently.

Some women joke that their husbands are their “other child” but if this really feels true, then the partnership needs a second look. Parents nurture each other, sometimes one needs more support than the other, but it’s an adult love that’s mutual and reciprocal at best.

Parents nurture children and help them solve their problems. Children express opinions that we should listen to closely and respond to attentively, but we shouldn’t reverse roles and depend on them to help us solve life’s problems.

What if You Do Love Your Child More Than Your Partner?

Sometimes in failing marriages and troubled adult relationships, a parent does love their children more than their partner. This is of course a problem in the adult relationship that needs careful thought, and often professional help as early on as possible. Children don’t want their parent to favor them over their other parent. It makes them anxious. They feel secure when their parents are secure with each other.

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Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. is a psychoanalyst and author of Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Familius and wherever books are sold.

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Rebecca Hall 'Blown Away' By Steven Spielberg's On-Screen Adaptation Of 'The BFG'

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Rebecca Hall has worked with her fair share of well-known directors, including Christopher Nolan, Woody Allen and Ben Affleck, but her recent experience on “The BFG” with Steven Spielberg was one for the books. 

The actress, who plays Mary in the onscreen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel, opened up to The Huffington Post about her “special experience” working with Spielberg during an AOL Build interview on Tuesday. 

“Steven Spielberg was a huge part of my childhood, like everyone’s, I guess,” Hall said, referencing her love of “E.T.” and “Jaws” (which she says she watched when she was “far too young.”) Hall was thrilled to be a part of the whimsical movie, which tells the story of a young orphan, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), who forms a bond with a non-human-eating giant nicknamed the BFG or the Big Friendly Giant, played by Mark Rylance.

“He seems to have a very unique access to what it is to be a child still, and he has all of that wonder and excitement and joy about life,” Hall added of Spielberg. “I think that’s what makes his films for children so brilliant and also what makes him so brilliant to direct children. It was really special to watch him do that and watch him create this world.” 

Hall appears in the live-action part of the film, which takes place in Buckingham Palace as the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and co. meet the BFG. But despite not being involved in any of the green screen, CGI and motion-capture bits, the actress was “blown away” by the special effects and Rylance’s imaginative performance. 

“I’m in the last quarter of the film, so when I watched the film, I was very much like an audience member who had no expectation or understanding of what I was supposed to see for the first hour and 15 minutes. And I saw it for the first time with an audience at the Cannes Film Festival, which was kind of crazy, and I was blown away by it because the effects are unparalleled to anything that I’ve seen. It’s completely magical and it’s completely transportive and fantastical, but it’s also completely real,” she explained. “I acted with Mark Rylance, who plays the BFG, and everything that I saw him do, everything that I saw him act, is the same in the animation. Exactly. I could see his performance.”

The BFG” hits theaters on Friday. 

 

Watch Rebecca Hall’s full AOL Build interview below: 

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Sous Vide: Old Method New Cooking Craze

Food. It’s the center of many conversations. We talk about its appearance, its texture. We compliment or criticize whether it has too much of this seasoning or not enough of that seasoning.  We obsess over ingredients. We are amazed at invention. We launch fads based on a newness or obsess or something that defies tradition.

As a child, I spent time with my mom, watching Julia Child cook French food. French chefs set the bar high and introduced many new cooking techniques and flavors that our western palates and kitchen skills lacked.

I recently attended a dinner hosted by my French friend and found the French cuisine tantalizes with its distinct character. It was bold and pushed my taste beyond what I expected.

There is a new cooking method that seems to be taking the world by surprise. It’s a method for those who have serious lust for life and want to play on a larger stage. It’s called Sous-vide.

For those who didn’t study French, its name means “under vacuum” and it is a method of cooking where food is sealed in airtight plastic bags, placed in a water bath for longer than your average cooking times — 95 hours or more. The temperature is controlled and much lower than normally used for cooking. Sous-vide cooks food evenly, ensuring a properly cooked middle without overcooking the outside, creating a moist, succulent end product to enjoy!

This method uses popular immersion circulators as well as the fully self-contained suvee cookers. In 2009 the first home sous vide machine was launched at a cost of around $450. It was a substantial drop in price from the $1,000+ commercial machines but still, steep for most home chefs. As the popularity of Sous-vide has increased, the cost has become more affordable with a quality machine costing less than $200, making it comparable in price to other fad items like the InstantPot.

Glazed Carrots Sous Vide Glazed Carrots Sous Vide

Sous-vide makes cooking for the busiest individual easy.  There are minimal learning curves and plenty of sous-vide recipes available, making it about adding seasonings to your prepared portions, placing in a food bag and then cooking sous vide at the right temperature for the recommended time. From vegetables to seafood and steaks, there’s plenty of options for sous-vide.

Delicious-Tender-New-York-Strip-680x350 Delicious tender New York strip sous vide

Sous Vide cooking is a radical old way of bringing new life into cooking.  For those bored with the skillet and pan, making the jump from the frying pan into the water bath will be a refreshing change of pace.

The major benefit from sous vide is that it is a very gentle form of cooking. It doesn’t denature proteins as harshly as direct heat methods, so the meat stays much more tender than the same cut cooked over direct heat.

Sous vide can also produce results that traditional higher temperature cooking can not, since the cell walls contained within the meat do not break down and release the fat. This fact dictates the optimal sous vide temperature for each meat type since each has a different fat cell wall melting point at which you must stay below to enjoy the desired results.

Many high-end restaurants use sous vide cooking as it is the best way to provide the quality and quantity required by reducing preparation time.

Amtrak has been using the sous vide method very successfully since 1995 in the dining cars of its long distance trains. Sous vide was also the cooking method in the movie Burnt.

If you love food and are looking to try something new, discover the flavor and taste of the French cooking method known as Sous-Vide.

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Find out more about Julee Morrison on Facebook
©2016 Julee Morrison, as first published on Mommy’s Memorandum

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Man Fails To Check If He Has Milk Before Pouring Cereal Into Bowl

The day began like any other for 52-year-old Larry O’Hara. He grabbed the box of Corn Flakes from his kitchen cabinet and poured it in a bowl. He then got a spoon from the drawer and headed for the refrigerator.

“That was my first mistake,” said Larry. “I should have gone to the fridge first.” That’s because upon opening the refrigerator, Larry realized he was out of milk. “It’s the kind of the thing that can happen to anybody,” Larry explained. “You know in the age of globalization, social media, and the 24 hour news cycle, it’s easy to get distracted and forget about the bigger picture,” he said without elaborating any further.

And to make matter worse, Larry says he couldn’t simply put the cereal back in the box as he had already thrown it away in the trashcan and it “had made contact” with the remains of his wife’s potato salad.

Out of storage options and almost out of time before his morning meal grew stale, Larry decided he’d attempt to eat his cereal dry. “I told myself I was lucky to have food in front of me and I should just suck it up and chow down.” Unfortunately, the self pep-talk didn’t generate much inspiration for Larry, as he could only bear to eat just two flakes before calling it quits and settling for a heavily brown-spotted banana.

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12 Essential Beauty Products Every Woman Needs When Traveling

After a flight, do you ever feel as though your skin is dry and you’re covered in germs? Or maybe you’re flying to a meeting and you worry your lipstick or foundation won’t hold up.

As a woman who travels a lot (100,000 air miles this year), I’ve learned a thing or two about what you need to look and feel your best when you step off a plane. From the airplane to the beach, and camping to business meetings, you’ll love my list of 12 essentials you need to feel as beautiful as ever while traveling.

1- Theraworx – Now this is a noteworthy travel hack. Theraworx 2 oz. Foam and Spray was made for hospitals to aid with infections. Just like hospitals, planes and trains are covered in germs – from the tray tables to the smelly bathrooms. Unless you plan to travel wearing a face mask and latex gloves, you’ll want to take advantage of Theraworx’s antimicrobial properties. I use it on my hands and face pre and post flight, and, knock on wood, I have not been sick in over a year of traveling. I’ve also used it in a pinch to remove a coffee stain from a white shirt — it worked like a charm. It’s a must-have for battling unwanted travel germs.

A photo posted by allmandy (@allmandy) on Feb 23, 2015 at 3:37pm PST


2- EyeLuminator
– Have you ever watched people exit planes? They look tired, and their eyes often look terrible. As a woman, I am worried about looking gross after a flight. Say goodbye to your dark circles and appearance of wrinkles with EyeLuminator. Make the skin under your eyes bright and ready to go. A natural product by SeneGence, I recommend it because it works like a charm on my droopy eyes. It is a staple in my purse for a quick revitalization. Secretly, you could get away with a swipe of the Luminator under each eye, mascara, and a great moisturizer if your makeup bag was inaccessible.

3- Colgate Wisps – Everyone feels better when they know their breath is on point. After a long day of traveling, likely coupled with unhealthy snacks, you’re left with something far worse than morning breath. Carry a couple of Colgate wisps with you to use at any time. You will feel more confident in a meeting, on a plane, or during a conversation with someone you meet. It’s the little things that make us feel better about ourselves.

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4- Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract – Traveling with all the daily beauty products we use can be daunting, especially when we have to pack liquids that often spill even inside their Ziploc bag! I use a travel-size Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towels to remove my makeup. It is awesome for traveling because it won’t leak and can be tucked into corners or even carried on — and the bonus … it smells good too!

5- SeneGence Climate Control – This is a must, especially if you are flying. This hydrating mist made by SeneGence will make your skin feel alive with moisture. Use before putting on your makeup or before stepping off a plane. It’s packed with essential oils and natural ingredients to give your skin the most benefit. I use it after every flight. It nourishes my face and makes me feel alive and ready to greet whoever is waiting at my destination.

A photo posted by allmandy (@allmandy) on Aug 13, 2013 at 5:09am PDT

6- LipSense – Let’s talk lipstick. I’ve tried various types and colors, and I’ve found a favorite that does not kiss off or come off mid-flight. An all natural product that lasts all day and night for that matter is the perfect pairing for a conference, long flight, or all-day tour. Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a color to match. My favorite three? Bombshell, Plumeria, and Sand Gloss. I use a makeup concierge who picked my lip colors for a recent photo. She matches my skin tone and highlighted hair color I am sporting in that moment to send me the perfect color.

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7- The “Wet” Brush – We’ve all been there, tangled hair and no brush in the suitcase. The Wet Brush will take all tangles out in a matter of seconds, and it’s good for thick, curly, or straight hair. If you plan to go to the beach, this brush is a must. The brush is affordable and works better than any regular brush. I can’t explain it; it just does. Your luscious locks will love you forever!

8 – Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer – The tweezer of the century! Have you ever used a pair of tweezers that would not grab a stubborn hair? Consuming your thoughts that someone was looking at the out-of-place hair on your eyebrow? Well, Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer will have you wondering where they’ve been all of your life. This is a must-have beauty essential in your travel bag, saving the day from stubborn hairs or slivers.

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9 – Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray – Love the way your hair looks at the beach? You’ll love the natural wave spray from Bumble & Bumble to nourish your locks with the look of beach-kissed hair. It’s a perfect way to take advantage of the humidity in the air while visiting exotic beach locations, and it gives your hair a fresh and easy look. Spray on wet or damp hair, and let the natural beach wave look make everyone do a double take.

10 – L’occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil with Almond Oil – Nothing’s better than a warm shower to rinse off a long travel or play day, and nothing’s more perfect than pairing it with a cleanser enriched with oil to help hydrate the skin. The L’occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil is my go-to shower staple.

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11- Kate Spade Walk on Water Mini Roll-on Perfume – For a soft, quick, and portable scent that will smell good on anyone, Kate Spade Walk on Water is perfect. It is a light and refreshing scent carrying a softness to not overpower but help you feel ready to go.

12- Diorshow Waterproof Mascara – Waterproof Mascara is a must, and Diorshow is one of my favorites. Mascara is a tough one because most women have a brand they are committed to, or they spend years trying to find the perfect one. Diorshow won’t let you down while traveling, and it’s my go-to for my traveling makeup bag.

So what are you waiting for? Get your makeup bag packed with beauty essentials that will keep you feeling beautiful while you travel.

You deserve it!

Miranda Allfrey is a freelance travel & lifestyle writer, marketing mastermind and cancer survivor. Her captivating story-telling adds magic to descriptions of destinations, cuisine, experiences, and products. And her passion for writing is as contagious as her passion for life and cloud surfing (aka flying). To learn how she can help your company surf to the top, click here: Work with Miranda.

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$29 off $100 at Fandango, $70 Fitbit Charge HR, and More in eBay's Flash Sale

From now until 3PM PT (6PM ET), eBay is taking $15 off any $75 order (with a few exclusions) when you check out with Paypal and use code CRUISEN2SUMMER at checkout. That includes gift cards (other than eBay gift cards), so there’s really no reason not to take advantage.

Read more…

The Ozone Hole Is Finally Healing

Nearly thirty years after an international treaty banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons, the Antarctic ozone hole is finally starting to heal. By mid to late century, it should be fully recovered.

Read more…

Review: ExoLens iPhone Lens System with ZEISS Optics

These days, smartphones can take some pretty great photos all on their own, but the biggest limitations of their cameras is the size of the lens and the size of their image sensors. Built-in lenses are usually set to a middle-of-the road field of view, so they’re usually best for general purpose usage, and not optimized for super wide angle shots, super close-ups or long shots.

Optical expert ZEISS recently partnered up with Fellowes to release an add-on lens system for the latest series of iPhones, which aims to solve some of these limitations. The first ZEISS-backed ExoLens to hit the market is a 0.6x wide-angle aspherical model, which provides professional quality results from your smartphone.

zeiss_exolens_wide_angle_iphone_lens_1zoom in

The ExoLens consists of two main components – a mounting bracket, and a screw-mount lens. The bracket is made of durable machined aluminum, and includes both a standard tripod mounting hole, as well as a standard accessory mount that can hold an external light.

zeiss_exolens_wide_angle_iphone_lens_2zoom in

The kit includes rubber gaskets for both the 6 and 6S iPhone variants to ensure a snug fit, as well as a lens hood, and lens caps for both the front and rear of the lens.

zeiss_exolens_wide_angle_iphone_lens_3zoom in

Unlike cheap add-on lenses, the ZEISS lens provides a crystal clear image with virtually no edge distortion. It’s really like adding a pro wide-angle lens to your iPhone. For comparison’s sake, I included shots from my Sony a6000, which rocks an $800 ZEISS Touit 12mm lens. While the iPhone’s sharpness and color rendition will never live up to a dedicated mirrorless or DSLR, the 0.6x ZEISS ExoLens wide angle definitely offers a comparable field of view, and retains the iPhone’s native imaging characteristics.

Stock iPhone 6 Plus lens:
(click to see original, full resolution images)

iphone_6_plus_lens_collectibleszoom in

ExoLens ZEISS 0.6x lens on iPhone 6 Plus:

zeiss_exolens_wide_angle_collectibleszoom in

Sony a6000 w/ZEISS Touit f2.8 12mm lens:

zeiss_touit_12mm_collectibleszoom in

iPhone 6 Plus Stock Lens
iPhone 6 Plus ExoLens ZEISS 0.6x Zoom Lens
Sony a6000 w/ ZEISS 12mm Lens
iPhone 6 Plus Stock Lens
iPhone 6 Plus ExoLens ZEISS 0.6x Zoom Lens
Sony a6000 w/ ZEISS 12mm Lens
iPhone 6 Plus Stock Lens
iPhone 6 Plus ExoLens ZEISS 0.6x Zoom Lens
Sony a6000 w/ ZEISS 12mm Lens

You can see from the shots above that the ExoLens wide-angle does a great job expanding the field of view, without adding distortion or artifacts as many cheap add-on lenses do. Looking at an un-zoomed crop of the actual pixels captured by my iPhone 6 Plus reveals that the wider lens retains detail and fidelity, even though items appear smaller:

zeiss_exolens_detail_comparisonzoom in

Overall, the ExoLens lives up to its claims about image quality, and delivers excellent wide-angle images from your iPhone. If you’re looking to increase the capabilities of your iPhone, and don’t mind carrying around an external lens, it’s a great purchase. It’s not exactly cheap, but like any camera lens, you get what you pay for; and when you buy ZEISS, you get the best.

zeiss_exolens_wide_angle_iphone_lens_4zoom in

In addition to the wide angle lens, ZEISS will soon be releasing 2x telephoto and macro lenses for the ExoLens mount. ExoLens also offers a less expensive series which doesn’t use ZEISS glass. However, I haven’t had an opportunity to test those models, so I can’t speak to their image quality.

zeiss_exolens_lenseszoom in

The ExoLens set including both the 0.6x wide-angle ZEISS lens, mounting bracket, lens covers, and carrying pouches is available now for $199.95(USD) for both the iPhone 6/6S and 6 Plus/6S Plus. Pricing for the macro and telephoto lenses hasn’t been announced yet.

 

 

Game of Thrones Xbox One Giveaway: Winning Is Coming

Check out this beautiful Xbox One. This isn’t your typical boring game console that sits in your entertainment center ignored, except to turn it on and play your games. This is a console worth waging war over. It’s the Iron Throne of game systems. Behold the Game of Thrones Xbox One.

game_of_thrones_xbox_one_1zoom in

The intricate design was inspired by the opening credit sequence of the HBO hit series, and it really is stunning. Microsoft France is giving away three of these Xbox Ones to some very lucky gamers. You can get a better look at the console in the video. It sure is lovely.

If you live in France, check out the Xbox Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages to enter. One console will be given away on each social media account. Good luck.

[via Geek via Nerd Approved]