Hasta La Gadget!

If you want to study the mind-body connection, the way the former influences the latter, look no further than the stress individuals and couples face when planning for retirement. For this anxiety, which is as physically real as it is empirically true (that most people are not in a position to retire with any degree of financial security), demands greater clarity and understanding.

According to this report from The Wall Street Journal, the 70 percent rule about retirement– that you should aim to retain that percentage of your current income– does not prepare the majority of soon-to-be retirees for the economic reality that awaits them.The author of the study says:

“Most people focus on the 70 percent they will keep, not the spending they will give up. They aren’t prepared for the changes that will be required in their lifestyles. When they eventually are confronted by the specifics they have to cut, they are unhappy. In short, the 70 percent rule makes the future seem secure and comfortable, even when it’s not.”

No doubt this finding is an unpleasant truth, but it is also a possible contributing factor to far greater problems. That is, the correlation between economic hardship and emotional pain exacts a heavy toll.

It is hardly a secret that stress affects physical health, as well, notably if short-term stress becomes chronic or long-term. Scores of references attest to this. Symptoms including sleep deprivation, obesity (linked to type 2 diabetes), depression, alcoholism, drug abuse and suicidal thoughts are frequently mentioned.

None of these are welcomed at any age, but for retirees, the vast majority of which are seniors, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Do we really need to add the stress induced by retirement planning (or an underfunded retirement) to the mix?

Too bad that you can’t always rely on the experts, according to this article with the rather sobering title “Financial Advisors Giving Wrong Advice About Retirement Savings.” Here’s a great pull excerpt:

“Those seniors with income in the top 20 percent are in the top because of earnings. That likely means they continue to work or they own a business. Financial advisors earn more if you save more (and invest in the stuff they want you to buy) but they don’t seem to advise you to keep working. Yet, it is common sense that earnings will far over-shadow any savings you can do.”

According to Larry Klein of RetirementIncome.net:

“There is too much conflicting advice about planning for retirement, much of it from individuals who should either know better or refrain from complicating an already challenging series of issues. The result is an increase in personal stress and a spike in our collective uncertainty about retirement. Accurate information is the best antidote to this dilemma.”

And, his website is chock full of useful, actionable information. Check out this recent article entitled “Harvard MBA Reveals the Best Tool for Stock Market Forecasts.” Another wonderful quote:

“The public is a sucker for stock market forecasts and predictions. Without the public’s propensity to value stock market forecasts and predictions, Wall Street fat cats would not be so fat. They get fat based on people buying and selling. So the more stock market forecasts and predictions they can get into the press, magazines, on TV, published on the web and into your head, the more money they earn. And you’re the chump.”

Wow. A contrarian approach to remove stress from what is supposed to be your golden years. Or, as one wag put it: We must not retire… from getting the facts about planning for retirement.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

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Back to school can mean hectic mornings, but don’t let breakfast stress you out. From Homemade Granola to Easy Cinnamon Buns, all of these grab-and-go recipes will have your family out the door with happy faces.

1. Homemade Granola

This recipe was inspired by the homemade granola served The Inn at Occidental in Sonoma County, CA. With clusters of oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, toasted coconut, and wheat germ, it’s as good for you as it is good tasting. GET THE RECIPE

2. Doughnut Muffins

Sweet and scented with cinnamon and nutmeg, these muffins taste remarkably like cake doughnuts. Kids love them because they’re deliciously plain, and adults love them because they’re just plain delicious. GET THE RECIPE

3. Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

If your family goes through a lot of granola bars, it makes sense to make them from scratch. These bars put all those expensive store-bought granola bars to shame. Plus, they’re no-bake and take only ten minutes to make. GET THE RECIPE

4. Best-Ever Blueberry Muffins

Bursting with fresh blueberries with a tender crumb and sparkling sugar crust, these really are wonderful blueberry muffins. GET THE RECIPE

5. Blueberry Maple Bran Muffins

For a healthier blueberry muffin option, try these bran muffins. They’re lower in fat and sugar than most muffins, and also enriched with wheat bran and whole wheat flour. GET THE RECIPE

6. Chocolate Chip Scones

Tender and buttery with morsels of melted chocolate within — children (and let’s not forget husbands) absolutely love these scones. GET THE RECIPE

7. Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Glaze

These are everything you’d hope for in a cinnamon bun: light and tender inside, golden and slightly caramelized outside, and, best of all, easy to make. GET THE RECIPE

8. Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins are made with a little bit of everything — whole wheat flour, carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts, orange juice, coconut and wheat germ — and, true to their name, they’re a glorious way to start the day. GET THE RECIPE

9. Perfectly Plain Banana Bread

With a tender crumb and deliciously crisp crust, this is my go-to banana bread recipe. It’s phenomenal right out of the oven, and delicious all over again when you toast it for breakfast the next day. GET THE RECIPE

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The task facing the next United Nations Secretary-General will not be an easy one. The world seems to be teetering on the edge of multiple, interconnected crises including conflict in Syria, tensions around Ukraine, and disputes over water and land resource issues. All of this at a time when we are seeing the biggest movement of people since World War II.

In the public debates the candidates for the next UN Secretary-General have participated in, they’ve shown that they can list what will be in their in-tray, but few have acknowledged the common thread running through many of these crises and challenges: the impact of a changing climate. Any analysis that fails to acknowledge this as one of the key drivers to current and future global instability is a flawed one.

The evidence of this impact is becoming increasingly apparent. Whilst very few are saying that climate change is a direct cause of conflict, it is certainly increasing the likelihood. Last month research published by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found climate disasters increase the chance of armed conflict, particularly in ethnically-divided nations. Climate change is already contributing to social upheaval and even violent conflict by making bad situations worse. In 2015, the National Academy of Sciences linked a prolonged drought in Syria in 2011 to climate change, and suggested the drought may have contributed to the start of the conflict and subsequent migrant crisis: The 2006-2011 drought was particularly severe and led to widespread crop failures, which in turn forced people to move within Syria into cities in search of work, increasing the tension and chance of conflict in urban areas. As always, there will be alternative views and whilst other analysis suggests the link may not be so straightforward, the new additions have certainly added momentum to the debate.

Unlike her fellow candidates, Christiana Figueres — a Costa Rican diplomat and former head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — not only recognises that climate change is increasingly one of the biggest threats that we face, she also understands that the security implications need to be addressed along with all the other threats to global stability and prosperity, rather than in isolation. She knows that without such an approach climate change promises to make many of our most complex crises — from migration to conflict, food shortages to terrorism — much harder to solve.

A Secretary-General prepared to integrate a response to the risk posed by climate change across the UN will have the best chance at delivering peace during these turbulent times. International security today is dependent on understanding the effects of climate change on people’s prosperity within states and relations between states.

Figueres has demonstrated that she is a shrewd diplomat and coalition builder at the top of her game. She picked up a broken UN climate talks after the failure of the Copenhagen Summit in 2009, and proved she could help states work together to achieve the Paris Agreement, the first of its kind to commit all countries to reduce their carbon emissions and transition to economies based on renewable energy. States that once saw little to agree on have, through her skill and dedication, found common ground and agreed a deal which was previously seen as impossible.

What’s more, as was often repeated at the World Humanitarian Summit in May, the scale and frequency of the crises that are hitting home have stretched the UN and the humanitarian apparatus to the breaking point. The UN needs reform. It needs to treat these crises holistically and not remain beholden to a siloed approach that gives rise to internal demarcation disputes. The UN has shown it can deliver multilateral deals — not just on climate but also the Sustainable Development Agenda, and the Sendai Risk Reduction Framework.

The 21st century is proving extremely challenging, with many threats to our global prosperity and well-being. Under the new Secretary-General, the UN will have to adapt to meet these challenges and the candidate the members of the Security Council choose to recommend to the General Assembly must be capable of delivering; Christiana Figueres is that candidate.

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Is it black magic? Or just a harmless prank against the boys in blue?

Police in Tybee Island, Georgia, are investigating the dumping of a beheaded voodoo doll and dismembered lizard carcass outside their station.

Lieutenant Emory Randolph discovered the bizarre offering at around 6 a.m. Friday.

”I definitely think there is a pretty dark message involved that somebody is trying to direct at the police department,” Randolph told local ABC-affiliate TV station WJCL. “To have the head pulled off the doll, it’s obviously not a sign of a friendly gesture.”

Police posted photographs of the items to Facebook. “Despite the overwhelming support that we receive on a daily basis, there is the occasional reminder that not everyone likes the police.” the department wrote. The images are now going viral.

Surveillance cameras captured an unknown man depositing the items on the ground, Police Chief Bob Bryson told the Savannah Morning News. The culprit may face littering charges if he can be identified. Police also want to know the motive behind the stunt.

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Ice Cube told the world exactly what he thinks of Donald Trump on Saturday.

The rapper-turned-actor made his views on the GOP presidential nominee crystal clear after an old Bloomberg Politics interview, in which he appeared to praise the former reality TV personality, was circulated online by Trump supporters.

“I will never endorse a mothafucka like Donald Trump! EVER!!!” Ice Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson, posted on Twitter. His tweet immediately viral, and by early Sunday had garnered more than 15,000 likes and 9,000 retweets.

A representative for the former N.W.A. star told the New York Daily News that his post was a direct response to this tweet:

The tweet, from an account that posts pro-Trump news links, claimed the 47-year-old star was endorsing the Republican candidate in this November’s election.

It pointed to the April interview, in which he said Trump “looks like a boss to everybody and Americans love to have a boss,” as proof. With his explicit tweet, however, Ice Cube has proved that truly isn’t the case.

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.

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