Hasta La Gadget!

One of my all-time favorite video games is Civilization V. The ability to build an empire and take it from the stone ages up to space flight is incredibly fun. I had high hopes for Civilization: Beyond Earth but that game turned out to be pretty crappy. I was absolutely bummed when I realized that Civ V won’t run correctly on Windows 10 either.

Now that Civilization VI is in the works, some tidbits about the game are flowing out. One of the latest bits of news is that the cities in this game will be nothing like cities in the old game. Cities are no longer constricted to a single tile and will take up multiple tiles on the game map.

The new mechanic is called the “district system,” and to build new buildings you will need to expand the city by building districts on neighboring tiles. You’ll have options like market districts, religious districts, theater districts, and more. Check out the video walkthrough from E3 for more details.

I am looking forward to this game more than any other launching this year.

[via Kotaku]

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While humans are still a long way away from going canyoneering on the moons of Pluto, we can at least start scoping out the terrain. In images shot last summer by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, we can see one immense and interesting feature of Charo…

After the EU referendum, the United Kingdom is less united than ever, the idea of a united Europe is more wounded than ever, and the global economy faces disaster, once more. Is this an exaggerated assessment? Let’s take a closer look.

The referendum divided Great Britain. The young population voted differently than the older population. The Welsh and the English voted differently than the Scots and the Irish. The results that came out of London and the big metropolitan cities were vastly different from those coming out of rural England.

The two major parties have proven that they have shallow influence. Perhaps there was a patriotic-nostalgic-xenophobic motivation to Brexit. It could have also been a plebeian uprising by those who suffered in the shadows of globalization, as the city’s elite continued to profit. In all cases, it is definitely a result that divides Britain and calls its cohesion into question.

There is no doubt that Europe was defeated in the British referendum. In fact, this is its worst defeat since March of 1975, when the six states founded the EEC. But which Europe was defeated? Was it the Europe of Brussels, which — led by the well-fed and affluent — issues regulations on the length of cod’s fins or the thickness of toilet paper? Or was it the sullen, Protestant Europe, which seeks to punish the sinners with austerity? I fear that the Europe that has been defeated is actually the Europe that was a safe haven for freedoms, rights, tolerance and solidarity.

Athens can not afford to remain inactive or rest. It must react as vigorously as it can, and speak out in favor of those who champion democracy.

As for the economic turmoil, it remains to be seen if it will last as long as the current shock, or if it will prove to be a fatal blow to an already-fragile environment. Western economies are still struggling to recover, and the progress by the emerging economies of the BRICS has halted.

For Athens, this situation is troubling. On one hand, there is the fear that the referendum results would open a can of worms, and that Nigel Farage’s friends would come to the fore, and that we would soon find ourselves in a world that is ruled by the likes of Boris Johnson Donald Trump, Le Pen, Orban, Grillo, Putin and Erdogan. On the other hand, there is the fear that, in order to recover from Brexit, Europe will need to shrink and return to the borders of Charlemagne’s Europe — a rigorous holy empire of economic orthodoxy.

With either of these two scenarios — which are clearly intertwined — the future is predicted to be dry and anhydrous. Athens can not afford to remain inactive or rest. It must react as vigorously as it can, and speak out in favor of those who champion democracy — those who would like the British referendum to be a clarion call and not the sound of mournful cemetery bells.

This post first appeared on HuffPost Greece. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

If you are in the early stages of divorce there are two vital steps that you must take to prepare for this challenging transition.

Educate Yourself

The Legal Process:
We experience so many changes and have to make many decisions during divorce, it is essential to learn all that we can about the process. One of the most important facts to know is that divorce court does not judge us or our spouse. Barring serious abuse or physical danger, divorce court does not determine who is right or wrong, good or bad. If you are looking for justice, you will not find it in divorce court. A legal divorce is basically the business of deciding custody and allocating finances.

Your Finances
Custody aside, divorce is about the money. Understanding our finances requires that we gather information on all our assets, debts and income streams as well as the laws regarding maintenance and child support. If we are not the person in charge of our finances, this can feel overwhelming.

On our site, we have checklists available for you to begin the process. We will need to find and copy documents, make inquiries, and most important, enlist the support of a professional. The are financial planners, financial advisors, and Divorce Certified Financial Advisors. The key is finding the right professional that is not only an expert in their field but also has the personality style that enables us to feel comfortable and trust them.

The Children
The issue of child support is one of the most straightforward. There is a calculation based on gross income and the number of children. In some states, there are additional criteria in calculating support. It is best to ask a matrimonial attorney to clarify the support laws in our state.

There are so many details when considering custody. If our children are young, it is easy to get caught in negotiating from the perspective of parenting young children. Keep in mind that they grow into teenagers and will often choose who if anyone they want to spend time with and then they are off to college. A good custody schedule balances the support the children need when young and the flexibility that they will want (and demand) as they grow older.

The details of when, where and how are better ironed out in the agreement so that we don’t emerge with different interpretations of what the agreement means. As well, things like purchasing cars, car insurance, additional tutoring support in college if not listed in the agreements are not the responsibility of the non-custodial parent. Even if our children are young, it is important to think through their future needs and include them in our agreement. The more thought we give our agreement; talking to other divorced parents who can share what they forgot to add or the challenges they faced will better equipped us to create a solid agreement and cooperative co-parenting relationship.

Enlist Support

If we were to visit a foreign country, we would equip ourselves with a guide to translate, an itinerary, and a map. Embarking on divorce requires the same support. There are three key support people that will enable us to move through your divorce effectively, efficiently and affordably. It may feel counterintuitive to hire all these people as a way to save money. However, attorneys are not schooled in either finances or emotional support and their fees are the highest. When we rely on our attorney to be all things, often we spend significantly more, and post-divorce find ourselves still immersed in pain, anger, fear and uncertainty and unsure of our financial future.

Hiring A Coach
Divorce is an emotional roller coaster. There is a lot to process which requires we talk through fears, regrets, worries, uncertainties, etc. It is easy to get stuck in chaos and confusion. Speaking to a coach enables us to get clear on what our priorities are, create a strategic plan to stay on track moving forward and get gentle non-judgemental support in the way of a sounding board and accountability.

Finding A Financial Expert
Financial advisors and planners can help us to understand what we have and what we will need to maintain our lifestyle in the future. If we need to cut back, they can show us where and how. If we will be responsible for investing our assets for the first time, they can guide us in best practices. If we need assistance creating our ‘networth’ document (the main financial document upon which your settlement is negotiated) for our attorney, they can guide us in that. Financial experts are schooled in finances, lawyers are not. Finding one that we trust EARLY ON in the process and having their support throughout the process will minimize our fear and anxiety around our future financial security.

Choosing An Attorney
There are different type of divorces…mediation, collaboration and litigation. Then within each of these, there are many different personalities. All to often I have seen clients hire their soon-to-be-ex’s personality in their matrimonial attorney and then feel intimidated, abused and unempowered throughout the process. Interview at least three attorneys. Bring a friend as it is overwhelming. Decide what is important. Besides someone who is capable of ‘standing up’ to our spouse, what do we need? Someone who is patient and explains things to us? Someone who responds to us when we reach out? Someone who is gentle when we are struggling?

Put together a list and remember, we are INTERVIEWING the attorney. Make sure it is a good fit as this is our most important relationship during the transition of divorce.

Search Journeybeyonddivorce.com for articles on learning how to budget, financial support, divorce court, and any other issue or emotion you want to read more about.

Reach out and ask us for a referral if you are looking for a professional and don’t know where to turn.

Request a complimentary coaching session and begin to receive the support and create the strategies that will enable you to emerge stronger, clearer and more excited about your future.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.