Podcasts have come a long way from the days when they represented a novel way to fill up your iPod. There are now shows with seasons (like Serial), teasers and other trappings that you’d normally expect from TV. Simply speaking, podcast apps need to…
We all spend a great amount of time calling bullsh*t on each other. We talk a lot about how we don’t like lying or lame excuses from other people and that we expect people to say what they mean and do what they say.
But what about ourselves? How much time in a day do you or I spend calling ourselves out on the lies we tell to others and to ourselves?
How many times a day do you say you’re going to do something and you just put it off? How often do you complain about your life, job, or relationships but do absolutely nothing about your situation or mindset to change it?
Aren’t these the very same things we say we won’t tolerate about others?
I’ve started to learn how to call bullsh*t on myself much more often and to tell you the truth, it’s helping me judge others less and motivate myself more.
Is it anyone else’s fault that I didn’t get up super early this morning to work out? Nope. How about that lie I tell myself that if other people didn’t stress me out so much my life would be more peaceful? Um, no. Both of these issues are completely within my own control.
You can spend your entire life blaming other people for your troubles or using them as emotional scapegoats but, in the end, it’s ultimately ourselves as individuals who have to deal with the consequences of our own choices and reactions to life.
This goes for romantic relationships as well. If you’re continually picking people who let you down, perhaps you should either take a break from dating altogether or reconfigure your selection process.
Most of us run on reaction. We spend all day reacting. We react to the flat tire we got on the way to work, the temper tantrum our kid threw on the way to school, the grumpy attitude of our boss, or that inconsiderate thing we think our partner did to us.
We expend so much energy reacting to the things other people do and say that we rarely stop and reset to where we should be — which is somewhere between knowing our limits and setting boundaries.
If we don’t take the time to evaluate how much of our mental and emotional fuel is spent reacting versus being sincerely engaged then we’re bound to end up drained or irritated.
It’s uncomfortable to say no to people. It can lead to awkwardness. Many of us would rather lie or make up an excuse than actually say, “No, I don’t want to spend my time doing that.” In fact, we probably use more energy covering up our true feelings or avoiding situations rather than just saying what we really mean.
You don’t have to be rude or arrogant to be honest. You can get to the point and use kind words while being respectful. In the long run, you’ll save yourself so much time, angst, and stress if you just come clean with what you really want and don’t want.
When you run around making random commitments or plans with people without fully wanting to be committed, you’re essentially lying not only to them but to yourself. You may do it because you say you’re a “people pleaser” but that’s just bullsh*t. The truth is that you just don’t want to deal with the concept of saying no.
Saying no to others doesn’t have to be a negative experience. It can actually teach you and the people around you that your time and energy are valuable.
So, the next time you find yourself being stretched thin and highly irritated at yourself or at others — stop and reset. Is what you’re doing useful to you or anyone else? Are you lying to yourself or those around you to avoid confrontation?
Don’t be afraid call bullsh*t on yourself. It may improve your life in ways you never thought possible.
More from Michelle: 5 Ways You’re Sabotaging You’re Relationships (And What To Do About It)
Visit Michelle at The Pondering Nook for blogs on life, love, marriage, divorce, parenting, step-parenting, body image & more! Also Catch Michelle co-hosting at The Broad’s Way Podcast on similar topics.
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Hate marches that took place across the U.S. drew violence between white supremacists and counterprotesters on Saturday, leading to several arrests.
The “March Against Sharia” took place in cities including St. Paul, Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, and New York City. The marches attracted Islamophobic hate group members, neo-Nazis and white supremacists ― all to rally against the completely nonexistent threat of Sharia law in the U.S.
The rallies were spearheaded by Act for America, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-Muslim hate group. It was organized by neo-Nazi Billy Roper.
In Seattle, fights broke out between hate group members and anti-fascists ― or Antifa ― supporters.
Seattle police deployed pepper spray on both parties and made several arrests.
In St. Paul, police arrested seven people after clashes occurred between anti-Muslim demonstrators and counterprotesters outside the state Capitol. No injuries were reported, but two of seven arrested face assault charges, the Minnesota State Patrol told HuffPost in a statement.
In New York City, anti-Muslim protesters were outnumbered by counterprotesters who used air horns and cowbells to drown out the other side, the New York Daily news reported.
“We’re making so much noise to drown out the fact that they are furthering hate speech,” Eric Josephson, 66, told the publication. “I do not believe they have a right to a platform. They are planning murder and mayhem.”
Lead speaker for NYC’s hate march was Gavin McInnes, founder of VICE who in the past has downplayed white terrorism and blamed women for domestic violence.
Rallies were scheduled for 28 cities in 21 states across the country.
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When I spoke to Electronic Arts Executive Vice President Patrick Soderlund last week, Kotaku’s report about why Mass Effect: Andromeda turned out so poorly hadn’t been published yet. Nonetheless, when I asked him about the flawed game’s development c…
EA’s E3 2017 press conference is underway, and though we’re seeing a lot of what we expected (sports games, mostly), there was at least one surprise during the show. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons director Josef Fares took the stage to introduce us to his new studio and that studio’s first game, A Way Out. A Way Out seems … Continue reading
Perhaps the biggest game shown during EA’s E3 press conference today was Star Wars Battlefront II. The first game in this Battlefront revival showed a lot of promise, but was ultimately criticized for its lack of content. EA is looking to address those criticisms with Battlefront II, announcing today that it will finally feature a single-player campaign. In fact, EA … Continue reading
I moved to the United States from India when I was 5 years old. My parents were older and more set in their ways due to their Indian upbringing. On the other hand, my childhood, teenage years, and now adult years have been a constant balancing act between my Indian and American identities. This is not to say I do not know who I am, but rather I have struggled with generational gaps. At times, these generational gaps in thought and actions can lead to heated discussions and misunderstandings.
Generational gaps exist between immigrant parents and their children in many forms. This is a byproduct of external forces of assimilation and culture change on both sides. Immigrant parents have been brought up in the motherland and entrenched with their native morals and values, while their children have learned the same morals and values in addition to the ones within their own society. This causes gaps to form as immigrant children start to mature and take on their own identities. Though this is true for all, the identities of immigrant children are shaped more by the balancing of two distinct cultures surrounding them.
A prime example of these differing generational viewpoints is my religious upbringing. Before entering college, I did not put too much thought into my faith. I was brought up in a Hindu household, and that was the religion I practiced. As I went through college, however, my personal viewpoints changed regarding my faith. I still do not know if I follow the doctrine of Hinduism or if I simply do not believe in anything more than a higher power, but explaining this to my family is quite the obstacle. My parents’ faith in their religion has never wavered, however mine has as I have evolved and grown.
Unfortunately, my parents view this wavering and questioning as a personal attack. Their view is that their own son can no longer understand why people believe in religion. I think it’s okay for them to be angry, because their anger comes from a place of misunderstanding rather than malice. This anger and befuddlement is simply a lack of understanding of how religion is not always black and white, especially regarding simply buying into the idea of religion. By this, I mean, a slight wavering in your religion is seen as not believing in it at all, rather than simple exploration. This school of thought for immigrant parents comes from their upbringing in a culture where you either believed or did not believe in the religion with no space for exploration.
This type of generational discrepancy is difficult for my family to come to terms with. My parents cannot imagine not believing in Hinduism, as they’ve been entrenched in it since their birth since Hinduism was much more prominent throughout their daily lives in India than it is here in the United States. On the other hand, for me, religion is a conversation and exploration of my Indian identity, with some American crossover.
Religion does reveal a large generational gap for immigrant parents and their kids, however it is not the only generational gap. Another key example that has been present throughout my life is that immigrant parents tend to be harsh and judgmental when it comes to their children’s grades and success throughout their academic careers. Sometimes it is difficult to explain how grades tend to be skewed in college as professors often grade subjectively. Immigrant parents can have a tough time comprehending how a professor can subjectively score a paper, even if the paper is sound objectively. However, for me and many other students, this is commonplace. For example, I wrote a paper for one of my international political theory classes discussing the connection between India and the Cold War. My paper contained all the facts and figures necessary to support my argument, but the professor did not think so. I ended up getting a grade lower than I thought I should’ve. Explaining this to my parents, on the other hand, was much more difficult and painstaking as they did not see how a professor could give a lower grade when all the material was present. Thus, this generational gap, though a small one, causes misunderstandings to occur frequently between immigrant parents and their children as they navigate their way through school.
Though immigrant parents and their children may not see eye to eye on all things, these generational gaps can serve as a significant learning experience for both sides. Simply put, generational gaps between immigrant parents and their children help to foster a deeper cultural understanding. For me, the generational gaps between my parents and me have helped me to retain more knowledge and appreciate for my Indian heritage, as I’m not constantly surrounded by it in the States. I cannot say for sure, but I do think if I grew up in India, I would not be as curious about my heritage as I am right now.
I am a proud immigrant and child of immigrant parents, but with most of my life shaped by two distinct cultures, I am at a crossroads in my own life as I start to fully form my identity. These generational differences serve to remind me that an immigrant family carries various faces within their households and communities. Without the lessons from the intersecting cultures that I experience every day, I would not have the audacity to stand up for my beliefs in a community that is diverse in race, thought, income, age and much more.
Some generational gaps can be closed as newer generations enter this world. These newer generations will be able to utilize the experiences of older generations to better understand how to balance their identities. However, it is important to remember that there will always be generational gaps, because thought and philosophies change as time continues to move forward. Without these generational gaps, there would be no space for growth within immigrant societies.
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The U.S. Navy on Saturday commissioned a warship named for former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), making it the third Navy ship ever to be named after a living woman.
Giffords resigned her House seat in 2012 after surviving an assassination attempt at a grocery story in Tucson, Arizona. Then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus contacted Giffords that day to tell her that a warship would be named in her honor. The 418-foot littoral combat ship was built in Mobile, Alabama, and christened by Dr. Jill Biden in 2015.
Democratic heavyweights, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attended the commissioning. Clinton, Pelosi and Biden honored the former representative for her service in the House, her heroism following the assassination attempt and her dedicated activism since then.
“Indeed throughout the world, and throughout America, there isn’t a name more universally loved, more admired, more respected than the name of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords,” Pelosi said.
The top Democrat commended Giffords for her dedication to active service members and veterans through her work on the House Armed Services Committee. Giffords’ husband, Captain Mark Kelly, was on active duty at the time of her service in the House. He retired from the Navy and NASA shortly after the shooting incident.
“The patriotism and the heroism of Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly embody the highest ideals of our nation,” Pelosi said.
Clinton heralded Giffords as “a truly great American,” saying the former representative came out of the assassination attempt “with grace and faith that is almost hard to imagine.”
“Instead of saying what might be expected and asking the question, ‘why me?’ she said, how can she make the most out of the life, the miracle, that she represented,” Clinton said. “And time and time again she has stood up ready to keep moving forward, to persevere with her trademark humor, kindness and relentless optimism.”
“It’s designed to be agile, quick to adapt, able to swiftly maneuver in the roughest of waters,” Clinton said of the ship. “Every moment of every day that the sailors who man this ship are given the great privilege of defending our country, they only have to look toward this ship’s namesake.”
Giffords called the commissioning “an incredible honor,” and thanked members of the military for their service.
“The U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords is strong and tough, just like her crew,” she said. “I thought of you in my darkest days. We ask so much of you. Despite danger, you say yes. You make me proud, you make America proud. I will never forget this day or the crew of the U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords.”
Her remarks were met with rousing applause.
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Americans largely believe that former FBI director James Comey is more trustworthy than President Donald Trump, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds, although his testimony did little to change minds about the seriousness of the relationship between the White House and Russia.
In a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, Comey directly questioned the president’s candor in explaining why he kept detailed records of their conversations. “I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” Comey said, “so I thought it important to document.”
By a 20-point margin, 46 percent to 26 percent, Americans say Comey is more honest and trustworthy than Trump, with the remainder unsure.
Similar shares of the public hold favorable views of both men: 38 percent for Trump, and 35 percent for Comey. But Trump’s unfavorables, at 53 percent percent, are significantly higher than Comey’s, at just 33 percent.
Americans also put relatively more faith in Comey’s recollection of events. Half believe that Trump asked Comey to pledge loyalty to him, as Comey testified on Thursday, with just 15 percent believing Trump’s disavowal of having done so. Among those who believe that Trump did ask for Comey’s loyalty, 71 percent call the question inappropriate.
A smaller plurality, 42 percent, believes another facet of Comey’s testimony ― that Trump attempted to order him to drop the FBI investigation into former Trump adviser Michael Flynn. Twenty-eight percent don’t believe that Trump did so.
Views are deeply divided along political lines, although Trump’s doubters are notably more unified than his defenders. Seventy percent of Trump voters say they trust the president’s honesty more than Comey’s, while 89 percent of voters who supported Hillary Clinton put more faith in the former FBI director. The remainder of the public, made up of non-voters and third-party voters, have little faith in Trump, with just 15 percent saying he is the more honest. But only 44 percent have outright faith in Comey’s trustworthiness either, with nearly as many saying they’re uncertain.
Even Trump voters are more likely than not to say that Trump asked Comey to pledge his loyalty, although a majority of those who do say that the question was appropriate.
The public’s view of Trump’s decision to fire Comey has soured since it was first announced. By a 17-point margin, 45 percent to 28 percent, Americans say that Trump made the wrong decision in firing Comey as the director of the FBI. In a poll taken last month, that margin was just 1 point.
About half now say that Comey was fired at least in part to disrupt the Russia investigation, with just 29 percent calling it unrelated. That’s similar to last month, when 47 percent believed the firing was related to Russia, and 26 percent that it was unrelated.
Comey himself conveyed that he believed his dismissal was related to the probe, saying, “I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation.”
While the Comey hearings dominated cable news and transfixed much of Washington, most Americans didn’t tune in live. About 35 percent of the public say they watched some or all of the hearing, with another 33 percent saying they followed news stories about it. (Because poll respondents tend to be more politically active than the average American, those numbers may be slightly high.) Another 31 percent said they hadn’t heard anything about the testimony.
Among those who had heard anything about Comey’s testimony, just 18 percent said it improved their view of the Trump administration. Thirty-nine percent said it worsened their view of the White House, and a plurality, 43 percent, that it didn’t change their minds.
Americans’ overall views about the Trump administration’s dealings with Russia haven’t budged much in response to recent events including Comey’s firing and reports that Trump revealed classified material to Russian officials.
The latest HuffPost/YouGov survey finds that, whatever impact the Comey testimony may have had, it also failed to move the needle much on broader views about the Russia story, which remain unfavorable ― but not yet overwhelmingly so ― toward the White House.
Americans say, 44 percent to 31 percent, that the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia is a legitimate issue, with the remaining quarter unsure. Thirty-six percent consider that relationship a very serious problem, with 14 percent considering it somewhat serious, 11 percent not very serious, and 22 percent saying it’s not a problem at all.
Both sets of numbers show little discernible difference from surveys taken last month, although the share of the public who considers the problem very important has risen since the start of the year.
The story also remains relatively opaque to many Americans. Only a quarter of the public says they feel they understand the issues relating to the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia very well, although most feel they understand it at least fairly well. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those without set views on the topic are the most likely to express confusion. Just a fifth of those who aren’t sure if the Russia connections are a legitimate issue say they understand the issue even fairly well.
Meanwhile, the share of the public who do have opinions remain deeply polarized. Trump’s base is still largely unconcerned, even as they acknowledge that not all GOP officials are similarly sanguine. More than half of Trump voters acknowledge that some Republican politicians have raised concerns about the Comey firing, with just 27 percent saying that most officials have been supportive of Trump’s decision to fire Comey. But just 11 percent of Trump voters themselves consider the president’s Russia connection to be a legitimate issue.
Few Americans rate the story as a top worry. Just 12 percent of Americans picked President Trump’s relationship with Russia as one of the two issues they find most important, ranking it far behind topics such as health care (45 percent) and the economy (39 percent), as well as immigration and the environment.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted June 8-9 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls.You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. Data from all HuffPost/YouGov polls can be found here. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some, but not all, potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample, rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate. Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error.
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It’s a sight that’s not for the faint hearted.
Video shows a tiny spider crawling out of a woman’s ear after she sought help for an extreme headache in southern India, according to SWNS TV, which uploaded to the footage to YouTube Friday.
The creepy crawly was revealed during an inspection at Columbia Asia Hospital in Hebbal, the news service reports.
The woman, identified only as Lekshmi L by local media, said she was taking a nap on her veranda in Karnataka when she woke up with an overwhelming pain in her head and a tingling sensation in her ear.
Her husband drove her to hospital, The Indian Express reports. Doctors looked inside her ear and confirmed a spider had made itself at home there.
“I was terrified as I could feel the movement of a creature in my ear,” the woman said, according to The Sun. “I couldn’t think of anything and was petrified when the doctor confirmed the presence of a spider in my ear.”
Dr. Santosh Shivaswamy at Columbia Asia Hospital stressed that it’s one thing to remove a foreign object from an ear canal and another to remove a living creature ― especially when the patient knows exactly what it is.
”When a living insect makes its way inside a human ear, the patient’s anxiety makes it difficult to continue the procedure,” she said, according to The Mirror.
Fortunately, the eight-legged squatter calmly left her ear on its own, as the video shows.
In other instances, the victim wasn’t as lucky.
In 2015, a spider was found weaving a web inside of a woman’s ear cavity in China. When doctors tried to remove it, the insect responded aggressively, causing her even more pain.
Then in 2014, writer Annie Stoltie wrote of how a beetle climbed into her ear while camping in the Adirondack Mountains with family.
The pain the insect caused her was described as “a full-body shock from my toes to my temples,” he wrote. “With every stab I saw a flash of light.”
H/T Mashable
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