Did you know the words “male” and “female” aren’t actually related to each other? As in, there’s no “male” in “female.” The word male is derived from the Latin word masculus, while the word female comes from the French word femelle. It sounded close enough so we just made them both pronounced like male. Damn, patriarchy.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Norcia in central Italy early this morning, followed by some 40 more aftershocks over the course of three hours. The quakes affected towns throughout the Umbria, Lazio, and Marche regions. Italian wire service ANSA is currently reporting 73 dead.
Melanie Bailey, 44, was a corrections officer at Lancaster County Correctional Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, until 2013, when she left to run her own company full time. The company, AliveLock, sells monitors that track inmate vitals signs, which she says can help reduce the number of unnecessary jail deaths. She talked to The Huffington Post for our ongoing series of stories about deaths in jails across the country.
As told to Jacquie Lee.
“I started working at the county jail in 1995 as a correctional officer ― just your basic entry level position. I became sergeant there, where I supervised staff and an entire shift. And then I took a position called a ‘Correction Specialist One,’ which dealt with mental health issues within the facility. It was our job to interview anyone the correctional staff placed on suicide watch or behavioral watch statuses, and we determined through that process whether they needed to be on suicide watch or not.
You’re taking a person who’s having a huge crisis in their life and you’re stripping them of everything comforting.
When I was doing that it was a position that required no formal mental health education or training. … So I was making decisions every day where I would go in and talk to a person in a very informal way about just basically how they were feeling. But in the mid-2000s, I became incredibly frustrated. People ― myself and other people that were within that agency ― were very concerned and voiced our concerns to our administration, that we felt we weren’t qualified to be making these decisions and that there were a lot of problems with us making those kinds of decisions. I quit that job because I just wasn’t comfortable doing it anymore and went back to being a sergeant.
There’s not enough resources for mental health. Jails and prisons in the U.S. are never designed to become effective mental health facilities. You don’t have the people, but you also don’t have the kind of infrastructure in place. … All these things become a problem if you have somebody who’s suicidal or significantly mentally ill in that environment. When somebody makes a suicide attempt or it is determined that they need to go on some sort of suicide watch they’re ― generally speaking ― strip searched or placed in what is commonly called a ‘suicide smock’ in this industry. [They’re put in] a cell by themselves, in an observation unit, with nothing else.
Jails and prisons in the U.S. are never designed to become effective mental health facilities.
So you’re taking a person who’s having a huge crisis in their life and you’re stripping them of everything comforting, and putting them away from everyone that they could possible talk to and giving them nothing ― not even a book. From the correctional side, it’s about containing them alive and keeping them safe. But the problem that creates is that any inmate with any experience in the system knows that. So it creates this reality of the people who are probably the most at-risk not wanting to tell you, because if they know anything about the process they know that they’re going to end up in that situation. And it’s uncomfortable. It’s cold sometimes. You don’t have clothes. You don’t have underwear. You don’t have basic hygiene products in your cell. You don’t get to shower whenever you want to. You don’t get to see anybody else.
It’s a much bigger problem than what each agency can do. The reality is it’s a breakdown of the entire mental health system in this county. … A significant amount of people that jails are being asked to keep in custody are people who have fallen through the cracks of mental health treatment in each state. They tend to not be incredibly dangerous people. They tend to be people who catch the eye of law enforcement or people in the community and get picked up for petty or nuisance crimes. … And you’re asking jail staff, corrections officers ― who to a large degree are not the best trained to deal with these people ― to watch them and care for people who probably shouldn’t be in jail in the first place.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Don’t play with us, Khal Drogo.
Jason Momoa had “Game of Thrones” fans buzzing over a recent Instagram post showing him “drinking” some Guinness in Belfast, Ireland ― a well-known filming location for the show ― with series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Alas, Momoa is likely not returning to the show and more likely just catching up with some buds over a beer.
Even if he doesn’t make an appearance in Season 7 next summer, he’ll always be the moon of our lives.
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With less than 80 days until election time, a clear and present danger, oops, I mean pattern, has absolutely emerged. The powerful media world of the right-wing proprietors of conspiracies is sick, toxic, and Neanderthal and exposed for what they have been for decades. This is the same consortium of out-of-shape, uncouth, privileged and sexually constipated white-is-right group that Donald Trump subscribes to and has used as moving pieces in his quest to colonize another lease, this one on the White House.
They are the sad mad men, anchored in Foxy “News” and BreitBrat “News,” the gang that loves guns but can’t shoot straight. They are the privileged, surrounded and supported by obscene wealth, an old-boy-network-like-athletes that need adoring gorgeous female cheerleaders-as-fixtures to their male ego, whom they encourage to jump high so as to titillate with a quick sneak peak of what lies beneath, and then as if treating them as objects, spread damaging dirty tales to control and diminish them. This limited liability company, rarely caught and held accountable, with its quid-pro-quo-win-by-crushing others methodology may be terminal. Come November, they may be losers with their tails tucked needing to join the 21st Century sensitivity trained work force.
Meanwhile, even though still loyal to the messaging of conspiracy bull and Trump-like ignoring of facts, the women of Fox “News” have had enough of their allegedly sexual-hostile work environment. The “cheerleaders” smartly are fighting back. Oddly, they are in a similar class-action boat with the fighter for women and children, Hillary Clinton, and ironically, they are turning to the same resources their very own “limited liability company” employers have attacked, belittled and smeared over the years, the Equal Employment Civil Rights Lawyers, alleged foot-soldiers of the left-wing-liberals that kill jobs through trivial lawsuits.
Enough dots are now connected. Donald Trump has issues with equality, as does the limited liability company that he keeps. He has surrounded himself with bullies, some of which have been ousted as alleged sexual bullies. As with his cohort company, Trump offers either an outward lie intended to deceive or a gross exaggeration intended to misrepresent. His way began long ago, from his immigrant family roots born in Germany but through huckster switch and bait was marketed as Swede, a better brand for business in New York. What tale will these types spin for their own aggrandizement? They are not real-estate tycoons but “real-escape” buffoons.
Little else can be said about this company swamp of “Trumpsters,” and can be best summarized by this excerpt from a lawsuit brought by former Fox “News” employee, Andrea Tantaros: “Fox News masquerades as defender of traditional family values, but behind the scenes, it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny.”
Hillary Clinton is far from perfect. Her husband-partner, former President Bill Clinton is far from perfect. Both have stained wardrobe in their closet that lingers after years of dry cleaning. The Clintons keep their own limited liability company, but at this point only they can save us from the larger, more dangerous, and grotesquely twisted Trump circle of bullies that behave as if they have no liability.
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Knowing what your core values are is extremely beneficial, even crucial, to your happiness. The importance and power of explicitly defining values became even clearer to me on a trip to Vegas earlier this week…and no it’s not because I went there and comprised mine (although that would make for a juicy update!). Las Vegas is not really known as the Mecca of enlightenment, but there is a place off the strip where a lot of people are delivering happiness. The place is called Zappos.
I had the opportunity to spend some time with employees at the Zappos office and take the popular headquarters tour with my incredibly informative and entertaining guide, Rocco. By the end of the day I understood why it is rated as one of the best places to work. Everyone there loves working there and really likes each other as well. But they don’t love it because they love selling shoes (and now accessories, clothing, electronics and more). They love it because of what it’s like to work there. Zappos has done an incredible job of creating a culture that brings out the best in all their employees. In a nutshell, they’ve done this by making their ten core values the number one thing that everyone works for and toward. I saw first hand how these values are shared, spoken about and experienced by everyone. And working with these core values as a compass delivers a lot of happiness (and success) on both a personal and professional level. If this is possible on a company wide level, I know it’s possible for you to live a life of value-infused goodness!
My invitation to you today is to take a lesson from the success Zappos has modeled by clarifying your own core values. The importance of knowing our values is taught all over the personal and business development field. However, few of us actually create a specific, clarified and thoughtful list of our core values that govern our thoughts, words, choices, goals, and behaviors. You fit into this category if you are not quickly able to rattle of your most important values without having to give it much thought.
My guess is that getting clear on your core values will be a very valuable experience for you. So take some time right now (what’s the value in waiting?) to clarify your values. When you begin your list, just write down everything that comes to mind – don’t worry about clarifying it to somewhere between five and ten core values immediately. When you feel complete, you’ll start to notice that certain values fit into a larger “big picture” value. For example, some of the qualities on my value list were: compassion, understanding, affection, and kindness. I realized that all of these things are components of my number one core value: LOVE. Values like family, friends, conversation, and laughter fit into another one of my core values: CONNECTION.
When creating your values, remember they are for YOU. Trust your gut and pick words (or phrases) that feel enlivening, comprehensive and meaningful to you rather than things you think “should” be on there. If each value evokes specific pictures, feeling and visions that truly resonate with what is most important to you, then you are spot on! After you have identified your core values display them somewhere, or multiple places, where you can see them. The most flourishing companies display their core values and create teams, visions and goals around them. Why don’t we as individuals do the same so that we can fully flourish in our own lives?
If you are wishy washy with your values or make choices that are out of integrity with them, life can be more difficult. Why? Because if you are not living in sync with what is TRULY most important to you, you are not getting the ultimate value out of your life. On the other hand, the clearer you are with your values, the easier life gets! When you know unequivocally what you value most, it gets easier to know what choices to make and actions to take based upon whether or not they are in alignment your values. And as you make choices and take actions based on your core values, the more your life becomes a reflection of the things that are most important to you. Deliver happiness to yourself by living a life that is governed by your values.
Fondly,
Christine
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One hundred years ago, an idea was formed to protect America’s most beautiful and significant settings from the threatening effects of time, development, and misuse. Today, thanks to a century of conservation and preservation efforts undertaken by the National Park Service, national treasures across this country remain unspoiled. Our modern mission must maintain and grow those efforts so that our national parks endure to benefit future generations.
Spanning more than 400 areas in all 50 states–from Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the recently designated Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico to Lowell National Historical Park and the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts–our national park system has lived up to its longtime label of “America’s greatest idea.”
On August 25, 2016 this idea will have been a reality for 100 years: a dream set in motion by legendary environmental advocates like John Muir, President Teddy Roosevelt, and the first National Park Service Director Stephen Mather.
While the National Park Centennial is a time to celebrate the park system’s cherished legacy, it also provides America with an opportunity to recommit to the novel notion that some places are worth keeping just the way they are. It is a concept that was important to Americans a century ago, and that desire has not waned.
In 2015, the national park system welcomed a record-breaking 300 million visitors. The Find Your Park initiative has helped give voice to visitors’ experiences through social media and other mediums, all while encouraging others to discover these extraordinary venues. President Obama’s Every Kid in a Park program provided 4th graders and their families with free annual passes to national parks, helping spur interest in the newest generation of explorers and conservationists.
A study released in July 2016 by the National Park Foundation found that 95 percent of the American public thinks protecting national parks for future generations is important and 80 percent are willing to pay higher federal taxes to ensure the protection and preservation of the National Park System.
Our national parks and their future wellbeing are clearly important priorities for American families – and rightfully so. The cultural, natural and historical significance of national parks, monuments, and public lands is indisputable. After each trip, visitors return home with a more intimate connection to nature and our nation.
But national parks also have an important community impact.
The numbers demonstrate that national parks are not just an investment in the preservation of our country’s history. They are also an ongoing investment in America’s communities. A recent economic study conducted by the National Park Service showed every federal dollar invested in our parks leads to 10 dollars in economic activity, supporting nearby restaurants, hotels, local outfitters, guides, and more. Nationally, the parks generate $27 billion dollars in economic activity and support 250,000 private sector jobs.
To maintain and grow these benefits, Congress has a role to play. The Democratic version of the National Park Service Centennial Act would generate millions in revenue and allocate an appropriate level of funding to the National Park Service so that they have predictable resources in the coming years to address a burgeoning backlog of maintenance and aging infrastructure projects that swelled after years of shrinking budgets.
This month, the National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday, with celebrations and free entry to stunning vistas atop mountains, on battlefields, in hot springs, and among ancient ruins. The Centennial celebration is a chance for Americans to not only experience these extraordinary pieces of our shared national heritage, but to prove they must be preserved in perpetuity.
Our national parks belong to all Americans, and for more than a century, they have helped tell the story of who we are as a people and as a country. We have a responsibility to protect the places and traditions that define us, so that the story will still be told another hundred years from now.
Niki Tsongas is the U.S. Representative from the Massachusetts Third District and the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands; U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich represents New Mexico and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks.
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Long after her role as the sweet schoolteacher from “Little House on the Prairie” ended, Charlotte Stewart took on a rather unexpected role in her personal life: 75-year-old newlywed.
The actress married Michael Santos just about a year ago and recently shared the story of how they met (and reconnected!) during an interview for “Oprah: Where Are They Now ― Extra,” explaining that she and Michael actually go way back.
“We met, oh gosh, over 30 years ago,” Charlotte says. “His sister married my brother, and we met then.”
Despite the connection, Charlotte and Michael went their separate ways. They each married other people, raised children and focused on their careers, hers in Los Angeles and his in northern California. Then, as life would have it, both Charlotte and Michael’s spouses passed away. The two crossed paths again about a year later, during the holidays.
“We met Christmas Eve, three years ago, when I opened the door and there was an old friend,” Charlotte says. “Michael was standing there and my brain went, ‘Ya-hoo!!’ I think his did the same thing.”
As giddy as she felt, Charlotte says she composed herself, as did Michael. “We were very, you know, calm,” Charlotte says. “We’ve literally been together ever since.”
The couple married on Aug. 30 of last year, and are currently planning their first anniversary.
“We’re going to spend it in France, with a ‘Little House on the Prairie’ reunion,” Charlotte says.
For someone who has been through many of life’s ups and downs, Charlotte is grateful to have her husband by her side and says she’s looking toward the future with an open heart.
“I have fallen into circumstances that were unbelievable ― some of them good, some of them, ‘oh my gosh’ ― but I’m 75 years old today and a newlywed,” Charlotte says. “I have no doubt that the universe has plans for me.”
You can learn more about Charlotte Stewart in her book, Little House in the Hollywood Hills.
Another part of Charlotte’s past:
The actress describes her “buddy with benefits” relationship with Jim Morrison
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If you play on your Xbox One all day and night, then wake up and play some more! Microsoft has something just for you. It’s called the Xbox Onesie, an adult-sized pair of zip-up pajamas with an Xbox-theme. Yes, this really exists.
It has oversized pockets for gamepads and remotes, an arm pouch for your phone and a giant hood that shouldn’t interfere with headphones. Let’s not forget about the “forearm grips to prevent slipping on those ‘edge of your seat’ moments.” If that isn’t enough, you also have the option to have your Gamertag embroidered on it.
Sadly for Xbox fanatics, the Xbox Onesie is an Australia-only item for now, and we don’t know exactly when it goes on sale there.
[via Sunshine Coast Daily via Engadget]
Gamescom is over. The publishers have packed away their booths, and the lingering smell of sweaty, Kölsch-fueled gamers (and sweaty, coffee-fueled journalists) has finally started to dissipate. In the closing hours of our trip to Cologne, German…
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