Hasta La Gadget!

According to the rumors, Nintendo pushed the Nintendo NX to March 2017 because they were working on integrating virtual reality technology into the console. Given that VR seems to be a big thing with Sony launching PlayStation VR and with Microsoft’s Xbox One to support the technology as well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Nintendo wanted in on it as well.

Now whether or not the NX will launch with VR support remains to be seen, but it seems that the company is indeed looking into the technology. During Nintendo’s General Meeting of Shareholders, company exec Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Nintendo was looking into virtual reality.

This was reported by Japanese user NStyles on Twitter and translated by Cheesemeister. According to the translation, Miyamoto was quoted as saying, “We’re also researching VR, so we have the core technology. Long play sessions are an issue. We want to release something that can be played for long periods, carries value, and is affordable. We want parents to feel at ease.”

Like we said earlier, VR appears to be the next big thing and it would be silly of Nintendo to pass on the technology. However this admission does not actually guarantee that we will see anything from Nintendo. After all there are some who believe that VR is still too much in its infancy to be worth the effort, but this doesn’t mean that they won’t look into it anyway. Either way we suppose you should probably not get your hopes up just yet.

Nintendo Confirms That They Are Looking Into Virtual Reality , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

As Donald Trump’s poll numbers sink and the GOP continues to flounder, more Republicans are leaving the party.

This week in the news it’s George Will, a prominent conservative journalist and commentator, who broke ranks and dropped the Republican ticket for one that’s “unaffiliated.” Will told The Washington Post he registered as unaffiliated several weeks ago, but officially announced his decision to switch at a Federalist Society event Friday.

Several elected officials are now registered as independents or are unaffiliated thanks to Trump’s ascension, including Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse Jr. and Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino in New Jersey; Charleston Mayor Danny Jones in West Virginia; and Iowa state Sen. David Johnson.  

Since his switch earlier this month, Johnson has been anything but quiet about why he left the GOP.

“I will not stand silent if the party of Lincoln and the end of slavery buckles under the racial bias of a bigot,” Johnson told The Des Moines Register when he dropped the party on June 7.

In the past month, Johnson has called for other elected officials to leave the GOP as well.

“It’s not enough to say … ‘I believe that what he said was inappropriate’ or perhaps a stronger condemnations, which they don’t often do,” Johnson told The Huffington Post. “What I’m looking for are elected officials who are willing to change their vote of registration to independent.”

As for the Republican convention in July, Johnson said he is not a delegate and will not be attending.

“I know that we have a couple delegates in Iowa here that are under immense pressure from our establishment to vote for Trump on the first ballot, and they continue to put up a fight,” he said.

Trump’s rhetoric has actually brought in some new Republicans, like Mayor Larry Pennock of Audubon Park in New Jersey. Pennock, along with Audubon Park Councilmember John Carpinelli, switched his ticket from Democrat to Republican and credited Trump for the change.

Pennock told The Philadelphia Enquirer that Trump’s campaign was “the turning point” for him and released a statement aligning himself with the Republican Party, its policies and its values.  

“I can live with myself better because I feel like I’m not deceiving myself when it comes to what I believe in,” he said in the statement.  

Whether or not the party changes will stick is yet to be seen. Johnson said he plans to keep his independent status throughout the convention, but isn’t sure what the next election cycle has in store for him. But he says with the current direction of the Republican Party, it’s likely that he’ll remain an independent.

“Something tells me I’m going to be on this road and probably by myself,” Johnson said. “But if I’m going to continue [being an independent], I’m going to make it mean something.”

Neither Trump’s campaign nor Pennock could be reached for comment.

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.

— 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.

Aminah Sagoe is the Founder and CEO of Emmaus Beauty, a natural skin care line. She began her career as a financial analyst before opening an upscale hair and beauty supply boutique in her home country of Nigeria, where she was able to pursue her true passion. After becoming an expert in skincare products but unsatisfied with the lack of effective, all-natural options, Aminah developed Emmaus Beauty to help find a solution for keratosis pilaris (KP) a common bumpy skin condition which she personally battled with following the birth of her first child. The unique combination of ingredients found in Emmaus Beauty products not only help with KP, but also a variety of other skin conditions including body acne, ingrown hairs, uneven complexions, scaly/dry skin and even mild Eczema and Psoriasis. Now a full-time entrepreneur, Aminah currently lives in the New York City area with her husband and three children.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
Entrepreneurship is in my genes. My parents owned a couple of supermarkets when I was younger and despite my young age, my mother made it her mission to show me the ropes with the business. I regularly went with her on her trips to meet with suppliers; I helped her with the monthly “stock-taking” (which was done manually back then) and I worked as a cashier during the holidays.

The business started to suffer after my father passed away. Two years later, my mother was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed, so she had no choice but to start shutting down the stores – ultimately leaving us with just one.

At the time, I was 15 years old and was glad to have all the training my mother had instilled in me earlier in life. I went to the store every day after school. I did my homework there and then helped out as much as I could. I wore many hats – buyer, cashier, manager, and of course, teenager.
I thoroughly enjoyed helping out with the business, and having that responsibility matured me beyond my years. Watching my mom overcome her difficulties and still keep a business running was inspiring, and the experience has helped me immeasurably now that I am a business owner myself.

How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Emmaus?
In addition to the early years I spent keeping my parents’ store up and running, as an adult I worked at a brokerage firm where I had the opportunity to work across departments – trader’s desk, accounting and treasury. This experience was invaluable, not just because it helped me understand the financial world, which has been a huge help for Emmaus, but also in understanding what I don’t want to do. Sometimes you have to try out a few different careers before you’re able to really follow your passion, which for me was starting Emmaus.

What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Emmaus?
Emmaus is just a year old, and as a new small business, it’s expected to have various challenges, but there are also so many highlights.

I’m very proud of how far the business has come in our short existence. What started off as a dream is now a reality. Emmaus was created as a solution to my own skin problems (keratosis pilaris, aka “chicken skin”), and it gives me so much joy to know that I’m helping myself as well as other sufferers out there. About fifty percent of the population has this condition, and many people don’t know that there are safe, all natural products like Emmaus to help minimize unwanted skin conditions such as KP. Getting positive feedback from people who have used and loved Emmaus is such a reward in itself.

At this stage in the game, the biggest challenge we face is being a small business with a relatively small budget. I’m not able to advertise as much as I’d like to, and it can be difficult to get retailers to notice you.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
It’s very important to do something you love. I know we hear it all the time, but it’s even more important when it is your own business. There will be sleepless nights, worry, multitasking, and even tears (which is okay!), but when you really love what you do, that will propel you forward until the business is established.

For me, I waited until my kids were a bit older and less dependent on me before I could launch Emmaus. Since my family is back home in Africa, I don’t have as strong of a support system in the US, but now that the kids are older, I’m free to devote more time to the business.

While it’s important to do something you love, we as women must ask ourselves if we’re ready to take on the added task of being a business owner. We’re known for being multitaskers, which can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s imperative to do your research, register your business and patent, work on your formulations and cover off on the initial, behind-the-scenes work. This will help prepare you for your business to see the light of day. The more work that is done in advance, the better chance you have for success once launched.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
Patience, patience, and more patience! I’ve also developed a thick skin to the word NO, because NO could simply mean “not now.” I’ve learned not to feel discouraged when I don’t receive replies to my emails. Learning not to take things personally has been a huge benefit to me. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my company wasn’t either, but it’s important to recognize that in order to achieve success, you must continue pushing and striving for excellence.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I’m always on work mode, but since I love what I do, I don’t really consider it as work. You’ll find me responding to emails at midnight and 5 am, but I will take a few hours off each day to focus on my family and their needs.

My husband is extremely supportive and always ready to jump in whenever I need help with anything. This helps me to keep my sanity when the going gets tough! I try to relax on the weekends as much as possible and spend time with my family as well as friends. I know it’s a cliché, but I believe that “laughter is the best medicine,” so I surround myself with laughter because it works for me!

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
I believe the biggest issue for women in the workplace is just that, being a woman. We strive to “have it all” with a great job, perfect family, flawless wardrobe, but I believe that to be truly successful, women cannot have it all….at once. To be a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, student and entrepreneur/career person all at the same time is a massive accomplishment, but in most cases, trying to do it all means that something or someone will suffer, and usually that person is you. We need to understand that women really don’t have to do it all at one time. It’s important to take things slow, focus on our priorities and enjoy ourselves while doing them – eventually, we’ll be able to say we’ve done it all!

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
From basic life lessons like manners and the importance of being grounded with gratitude to the art of hospitality, my mother has always been my mentor. In addition to learning business skills from her, her guidance in everything from manners to the importance of being grounded with gratitude, valuing and nurturing relationships to the art of hospitality has always stayed with me and contributed to my success in so many ways.

When I was growing up, she would say that it doesn’t matter if you’re married to a billionaire, you still have to make your own money, no matter how much or little. Without a doubt, my drive for developing a successful career comes from her too.

She was also a skincare product junkie. I remember going into her bathroom when I was younger and applying every single cream she had onto my face. I also enjoyed reading the labels on the products. While most kids played with dolls, I was playing with my mother’s skincare products. I never thought at the time that that one of my childhood hobbies would materialize into an actual business!

Which other female leaders do you admire, and why?
I’m always intrigued and inspired by women that started from scratch and take philanthropy seriously. Estee Lauder and Oprah Winfrey at the top of my list.

What do you want Emmaus Beauty to accomplish in the next year?
My goal is to see Emmaus continue to expand, both as a product line as well our reach. We plan to introduce a face line and eventually a hair care line as well. My goal in the next year to get in front of some of the top beauty retailers, I would love to see Emmaus in places like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Right now, it is only available in the US, but I want people all over the world to have access to Emmaus and know that it is helping them to reveal their most beautiful skin and increase their confidence as it has done for me.

— 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.

I consider myself a forceful woman — not given to many crutches. No nightlight keeps vigil while I sleep. Spiders don’t make me squeamish. I know where the oil goes in my car. I am a woman of a certain age, but so far, that has never held me back. Still, I do have this one overwhelming Achilles heel (and it’s not from my Christian Louboutins). It’s because of my cats. I love them too much.

So, okay, I admit it: I’m cat codependent. It’s an addiction I’ve struggled with all my life. But happily, these days, I’m not alone. Women (and men) everywhere have caught on to what I’ve known for years: There’s no getting “enough” of cats, which is why an ailurophile like myself will spend hours on Facebook and YouTube pawing over cat videos. That is, when I’m not trolling the net for cat clothing, jewelry, tattoos, or coupons for the latest cat café. Why I’ve even considered plastic surgery to look more like my cat.

Still, it wasn’t always like this. In the days before Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, people thought I was a joke, the infamous cat lady gone over the edge.

“Did you notice her upper lip?” one of my business associates cackled. “She looks like she’s sprouting whiskers.”

“Yeah, and her briefcase stinks of salmon” another answered. “It’s horribly unprofessional.”

“What about those earrings?” yet another associate chimed in. “She makes them from her cats’ fur. Disgusting.”

Yet what did those naysayers know? Back then, the general populace thought a cat was, well, just a cat. They had no idea. It’s only now that cats are getting the respect they deserve. It’s only recently that people have come to see them as the loyal, loving, entertaining creatures they are. It’s only today that the cat reclaims the honored place she had back when pharaohs wore snakes on their heads and people rode to work on chariots.

And talk about being in synch. I’ve never met any human that could ever match my cats. Oh, my husband comes close. But even he has his limitations. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s never once run down the stairs and rubbed against my legs the minute I walk in. Then too, when I’m in the tub, he doesn’t sit quietly alongside like the cats, grooming himself. And if I fall asleep on the couch after a hard day’s work, you won’t catch him perched on my stomach, purring and kneading me, like they do. Oh sure, he has his attributes. It’s just that my cats are infinitely more “simpatico.”

Even in this age of the cat, though, some people still snicker that I go overboard. They don’t realize I’m in recovery, and things take time. However, I am getting better. Litter by litter. Why only last week, I bought scoopable on sale instead of the designer brand I’ve imported in the past. I saved two bucks, but I felt like a cad. True to their self-sacrificing nature, the little darlings took it on the chin. They only did their business twice on the rug.

Truth is I have had to cut back in other ways, too. And it almost broke my heart. It isn’t easy explaining to fur children who’re used to having the air-conditioning and HDTV on all day that they have to sweat and look out the window. But I have put my foot down. I no longer open up tin after tin of cat food to find one they like. I’ve set a limit of nine. And I’ve canceled the cats’ animal enrichment classes with Ulma.

What’s more, no cats eat from our plates anymore. I bought them their own bone china. And I don’t jump up each time they want to leave the room. All the doors, including the powder room, now have cat flaps.

So I’m making some progress. And the fact is, with so many other women (and men) coming out of the bag about their cat codependency these days, I feel much better. I don’t feel so alone … so ostracized.

But for now, I’ll just finish massaging Nolan Nolan’s temples — he gets those awful sinus headaches when he stays out all night. Then, maybe I’ll surprise the kitties with a real treat. I mean how hard can it be to give a cat a French manicure?

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

— 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.

I shouldn’t admit this given that someone in my line of work knows better, but this morning when I came across an organization called the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), the image that immediately came to mind was that of frail and hunched over men and women shuffling mightily and being cheered on by their children, grandchildren and caregivers. It turns out my erroneous and harmful stereotype is quite common among Millennials and the 30-something crowd, as this very well done AARP video makes clear.

In fact, many participants in the NSGA’s 19-sport, biennial competition are far more athletic and fit than me — and most Americans for that matter.

Despite the great strides that have been made combating racism and sexism, ageism in America is rampant. The term “senior” evokes widespread negative images, and maligning or making fun of the frailties associated with getting older is still considered politically acceptable.

Some examples:

A lapse in memory is known as having “a senior moment.” Corporations dismiss experienced workers because they are perceived as being “over the hill.”

Comedian Will Ferrell apparently planned a movie “comedy” about President Ronald Reagan’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Indeed, making jokes about seniors that reinforce negative stereotypes is done with so much abandon that even Next Avenue, PBS’s otherwise excellent website on aging, is guilty of the practice.

Hazel McCallion, who transformed the Toronto suburb of Mississauga into one of Canada’s biggest cities during her long-time tenure as mayor, recently published a noteworthy piece on the harmful effects of stereotypes and sustained prejudices about seniors. She cites a recently released report by senior-living company Revera and the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research that found one in four Canadians admit treating someone differently because of their age. That’s an alarming degree of discrimination, particularly for a country that prides itself on racial diversity tolerance. Unfortunately, I’m doubtful the U.S. is any more tolerant.

McCallion, who is 95 and Revera’s chief elder officer, speaks eloquently about the need to pursue policies that allow older people to retain their independence and pursue vital and meaningful lives.

As Canada’s population ages, we grow more and more concerned about our health-care system’s ability to pay for the escalating costs of caring for older citizens. But have we stopped to consider the cost of our ageist actions? When seniors are not allowed to exercise their independence because of ageist behavior, they become reliant on our help. The more we prevent them from taking care of themselves, the more care they need. It creates a dependent mindset, and studies out of Yale University found that holding ageist views hinders a person’s ability to recover from severe disability and shortens lifespan.

McCallion insightfully concludes:

We’ve made great strides in fighting racism and sexism. Now it’s time for us to agree that ageism is getting old.

I wholeheartedly support McCallion’s message. One of the primary reasons I founded CareLinx was because it would allow me to play a major role in helping keep people in their home throughout their entire life spans with grace, dignity and purpose, thereby allowing them to maintain their pride and independence. While providing affordable caregiving will help achieve this goal, it is more than offset by the constant negative stereotyping of seniors, which is scientifically proven to hurt their wellbeing and recovery rates from illnesses.

To combat ageism, I propose we banish the term “senior” and begin referring to people 50 and over as being “ageless.” Check out the athletes featured on the NSGA’s website and you will see there is considerable legitimacy to the moniker. They range in age from 50 to 96, and none of them fit the stereotypical image of a “senior.”

That’s likely because they refuse to see themselves that way.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

— 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.