Crossovers and SUVs continue to be the stars of the auto industry, at least when it comes to sales, so there’s plenty riding on the 2018 BMW X3. Now in its third generation, BMW‘s midsize SUV promises more luxury, more technology, and – for the first time in the X3 line-up – an M Performance version. Compared to the old … Continue reading
This week the folks at Nokia have revealed their plans to release the Nokia 6 in the United States. This device runs Android and is the first device in what’s expected to be along line of similar devices from the brand. These devices – including the Nokia 6 – will bring the brand Nokia back into smartphones in a big … Continue reading
Users that’ve downloaded the app “Magic Browser” at any point in the past should delete the app immediately. This app has been found to contain malware of a simple sort – but terrible nonetheless. This app’s malware is especially dangerous not because of what it can do to an average user’s phone, but because of how crafty it is in … Continue reading
Pandora has had a busy year so far and now, there are rumors circling around co-founder and CEO Tim Westergren. According to Recode, Westergren will be stepping down from his current role. There are currently no candidates to replace him, so he’ll li…
You no longer need an invitation to see whether or not Uptime, the YouTube social viewing app, lives up to the hype. Google incubator Area 120 has made the app accessible to anyone in the US with an iOS device — sorry, there’s still no Android vers…
Today, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate announced the release of a virtual training platform for active shooter incidents. The Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment, or EDGE, is a program that creates a virtu…
My kids don’t like taking pictures, especially my son. They won’t stand close to each other and the only way I can get pictures of them together is to snap the pics with them unawares. Ol’ Jetty McJetface is the same way. That fuzzy little bastard has a sixth sense for when you are taking pictures and he will turn away from you right at the last minute.
For those out there who like to take pictures of your pets when they’re not running away from the camera, the Flexy Paw is just the ticket.
It’s a device that clamps onto the top of your smartphone and has a clip that holds a dog treat. The idea is to get your pooch to stare at the treat while you snap the pictures. I think this might work with teens too, only you would have to put a $20 bill in the clip rather than a Beggin Strip.
The Flexy Paw is raising production funds on Kickstarter now. A pledge of at least $16 will get you a Flexy Paw for your phone. A portion of profits from the project will go to support animal shelters, so you’ll be doing something for a good cause too.
[via Laughing Squid]
“One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.”
Right now I don’t know if it’s worth holding onto. A marriage so broken, so shattered, putting the pieces back together seem nearly impossible. My mind flashes back to when I was younger and I would hear my parents fighting in the room right across from mine. Money, sibling rivalries, lies, and deceit. I remember taking my favorite pink pillow from my bed and bringing it with me into my closet, where I’d bury my head in it and cry. I’d cry for hours, sometimes until I fell asleep. Most times my mother would find me and cradle me in her arms. She’d kiss my forehead and tell me everyone would be alright. She gave me a glimmer of hope I’d grasp onto.
But 15 years later, the same fights, the same arguments, the same screaming, and tears. The difference now is that I understand the full story behind these fights, and instead of being the little girl who hid in her closet crying, I became the one stepping in to stop the fighting with tears streaming down face, but this time without the comfort of my closet walls or my favorite pillow.
My parents are the most amazing parents, and I have been truly blessed in that way. They’ve always provided the best they’ve could for, been there to support me, and have given me more love than I could ever ask for. Their unhappy marriage has definitely taken a toll on me, however, their ability to be great parents and role models has never been compromised.
Growing up, I watched in awe as the heroes swooned the heroines with smooth lines and smiles framing their dimples. And I imagined that one day I would find my true love just like all the heroines did in my favorite Bollywood movies. As I entered my freshman year of high school, I buried my nose into novels by Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts. Each one left me with a longing, a longing to find the one. My soul mate, who I’d be able to spend the rest of my life happily with, who’d love me till death do us part. Looking back, I was a die-hard romantic, but recently that hasn’t been the case. Part of me thinks that I am not meant for love, for marriage, for a soul mate. It’s much easier to imagine a future of just me in it than one with someone else. Up until recently, I was so ready to fall in love. So ready to find my person and settle down. But now I’m not so sure.
Over the years, I’ve seen that falling in love is the easy part. Abiding by that love, that’s the real test. Truthfully I’m scared of being hurt, of being let down and left behind. There’s no guarantee that the person I end up marrying will live by the promises made, and that we will still be just in love as we were when we were first started things. The scariest possibility is realizing that despite loving each other, we are no longer in love with each other. And that fear alone seems to be enough to make me want to build a future alone. The only reason people end up hurting each other or letting the person close enough to hurt them is that they put themselves in such a situation. If it were avoided in the first place, then there would be no hurt. But then I wonder if it is better to have loved than never at all… There are so many questions flooding through my brain, that sometimes it’s easier to say “forget it,” than to face the demons that they come with.
Flipping through my journal, I come across a page dated April 4th,
“My face is always lit up, a smile spread across my face and I can’t stop my insides from jumping. The smile has become part of my face, growing and blossoming at the smallest of things. I can’t explain this feeling. Nothing wonderful has happened, but yet I wake up feeling as if something has. There’s an extra pep in my step. I don’t know how long this will last, it seems just too good to be true. I’ve never felt so elated over nothing. Is this what happiness feels like? Are my days of pretending over? Can I breathe easy, hoping that the worst is finally over…? For the first time in a long time, I feel carefree… I feel happy!”
I want so desperately to feel that again, to know that my happiness should never have to depend on another. For the longest time, I’ve always thought that true happiness would come from the experience of sharing my life with someone else. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized how wrong I am. My happiness has and should always come from unapologetically being myself. It has stemmed from within and it’s the best kind of happiness out there. It’s the kind that doesn’t need anyone. It’s the kind that makes you smile and laugh at the smallest things. Sometimes even nothing at all. It pushes all the good memories you have to your forefront and shows you that the only people who matter in your life, are those who contribute to your happiness, never taking away from it. To be truly happy, you must fall in love with every part of you. Right now I may not believe in love in the romantic sense, but I still do believe in love in every other sense. And most importantly, in the kind of love that stems from within, created from a journey of soul searching. And for that journey, I need nothing but some confidence and myself.
My parents’ crumbling marriage may have discouraged me from believing in the kind of love that lasts forever, but it’s made me appreciate and understand that the most beautiful and fulfilling relationship I’ll have right now, is the one with myself. It’s taught me to truly fall in love myself, in every sense. To love the world I come from, to embrace the pain and joy that it’s given me, and to appreciate every experience that has made me who I am today. Life has a funny way of teaching us things, and each lesson gives us the opportunity to grow. Whether that growth is positive or negative, it’s ultimately up to us to decide. This yearning for happiness I have has nothing to do with someone else, and everything to do with me.
Originally written by Samantha Walisundara on Unwritten
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Justin Trudeau seemed firmly committed to be the dreamiest ― and queer-friendliest ― public leader in the north-western hemisphere on Sunday.
The Canadian Prime Minster began the day at a “Faith And Pride” ceremony at Toronto’s Metropolitan Community Church.
He then marched in the Toronto Pride Parade, along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their children Xavier and Ella-Grace.
Trudeau, who was decked out in Ramadan-themed socks which read “Eid Mubarak” and wore a rainbow maple leaf on his cheek, spoke to reporters before the parade began about his presence at the annual event.
“We celebrate the multiple layers of identities that make Canada extraordinary and strong and today we celebrate with the entire LGBTQ community,” he said.
Trudeau also tweeted out photos from the parade with the caption “Love is love”:
Earlier this month Trudeau celebrated Pride in Canada with a ceremony that included raising the rainbow flag and transgender flag above the country’s parliament building. He also promised to introduce legislation later this year that would “acknowledge and apologise for the historical discrimination” LGBTQ Canadians have faced in the past.
“I believe that it’s essential to make amends for past wrongs, and not to simply gloss over them,” Trudeau said. “Our government believes in equality and equal treatment for all Canadians. We will passionately defend the rights of all our citizens regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
Trudeau’s American counterpart, President Donald Trump, on the other hand, neglected to offer an official proclamation designating June as Pride Month in the United States. This is the first time in eight years that no such proclamation has been offered. Trump did offer six other proclamations for June, including “National Homeownership Month” and ”National Ocean Month.”
This month also marks the first time in over two decades that the White House did not host an iftar dinner, the meal Muslims eat to break their daily fast during Ramadan.
Below, check out more photos of Trudeau looking adorable and affirming at Toronto Pride.
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Another day, another woman being unnecessarily slut-shamed.
Tyler Newman went to his local apartment complex swimming pool last Tuesday with his fiancé, Tori Jenkins, and within three minutes, Jenkins was apparently told that she needed to change ― all because of a pink one-piece bathing suit.
Newman, a 21-year-old waiter from Knoxville, wrote a detailed Facebook post about the experience that same day, explaining what happened, and his further communication with his apartment complex management.
“I have never really witnessed sexual harassment and/or ‘rape culture’ until today with Smoky Crossing Apartments,” he wrote. “Tori was accused of wearing a ‘thong bathing suit’ and told there were complaints about the way she was dressed after roughly 3 minutes tops, of us arriving there.”
Newman attached photos of Tori’s suit to his post (see below), and it’s pretty obvious that what she’s wearing is neither inappropriate nor a “thong bathing suit,” especially considering that Newman and Jenkins were at their pool on a 90-degree day.
Newman explained that Smoky Crossing Apartments management further slut-shamed Tori when the two of them went inside to ask why she was being told to cover up. Apparently a member of the management team said that “a normal bathing suit covers your entire butt,” and, according to Newman, even forced Tori to look in the mirror “at her own body.” This interaction continued with even more appalling comments. Newman wrote:
[Tori] was told I wasn’t allowed to spray tanning lotion on parts of her body that she can’t reach because the consultant insisted that she could reach them herself. She was told that her body, because it’s built more curvy than others is “too inappropriate” for children to be around. She was told “there are a lot of teenage boys in this complex, and you don’t need to excite them.”
Newman called out the Tennessee-based apartment complex management’s actions for exactly what they were: “bullshit.”
Jenkins agrees. The 20-year-old waitres told HuffPost on Monday that she “felt incredibly violated” and “objectified and uncomfortable in [her] own skin.”
“To me, the leasing consultant saying I ‘don’t need to excite teenage boys’ was basically telling me that how a man feels around me is more important than my comfortability,” she said. “I was essentially told that a man’s sexual urges should determine how I dress or feel.”
In a statement to Good Housekeeping, Smoky Crossing Apartments said that “multiple residents” had complained about Jenkins’ suit, and that Newman had dramatized the employee’s words, denying that their employee had said Jenkins’ swimsuit would “excite” young male residents:
Smoky Crossing is a welcoming family community. Multiple residents within our community complained and expressed concerns regarding Ms. Jenkins’ swimwear. In accordance with our pool policies, which are posted near the swimming area, one of our leasing consultants requested Ms. Jenkins wrap a towel around herself when she was walking around the pool. Ms. Jenkins was never asked to leave the pool. In addition, our leasing agent did not state that Ms. Jenkins’ swimwear would ‘excite teenage boys.’ Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Newman are valued members of our community. However, we feel it is inappropriate to equate requesting Ms. Jenkins to cover up with sexual harassment or ‘rape culture.’ Smoky Crossing denounces harassment in all forms.”
Jenkins was not surprised by their comment. “The statement they gave in Good Housekeeping was basically how I expected them to excuse their behavior,” she told HuffPost. She also said that the management team has not contacted them since the incident.
Jenkins also wrote a follow-up Facebook post a couple days after the incident, expressing her gratitude at the flood of support she’s received in the days following, as well as clarifying some information about her swimsuit and her size.
“It hasn’t even been that long since it happened but I can tell you that I’ve felt really shitty about myself since,” she wrote, before explaining why she didn’t just get a bigger swimsuit. “I’m a size medium. The swimsuit is a size medium. I tried on the large in the store and felt little confidence that my boobs wouldn’t show after being hit with one good splash.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if women didn’t have to justify their swimsuit purchases?
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H/T Cosmopolitan
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