Good Men

If you want something in life, you’re either going to find a way to get the result or you’re going to come up with a reason you don’t have it. Reasons sound fancy. They sound valid. Sometimes they even look like noble sacrifices. But let’s be honest here, reasons are just excuses dressed up in fancier clothes. And excuses don’t paint walls, rip up floors, or fix broken-down cars. Craig and I know this firsthand. For almost a month now, our evenings and weekends have been swallowed whole by our new house. Not just the fun, HGTV version of “new house” either. I’m talking about the gritty, sweaty, paint-in-your-hair, knees-swollen, back-screaming, what-the-hell-were-we-…

By Tim Henderson More cities and states have responded to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s threat to prosecute them over so-called sanctuary policies limiting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement — some by thumbing their noses, at least one by acquiescing. Written responses defending sanctuary policies have been sent to Bondi from cities including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boston; Hoboken, New Jersey; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, along with the states of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington. Many noted that courts so far have upheld their right to limit cooperation with deportations. “Pam Bondi seeks to have Washington…

By Special to El Paso Matters Sign up for essential news about El Paso. Delivered to your inbox — completely free. By David Stout El Paso is a community comprised and shaped by immigrants, rooted in solidarity, and defined by our binational spirit. Every day, people come here to build better lives, and in doing so, they make our community, and our country, stronger. What happens in El Paso often becomes the blueprint for the nation. That is why we must speak strongly against Trump’s mass incarceration of immigrants and the weaponization of our city for profit and fear. The federal government is building the largest migrant detention facility in U.S. history, a 5,000-be…

— I once had a moment that truly moved me. That was my first time attending Opening Day. The streets that day were filled with familiar colors. I walked into the bar, where people were waving their arms and high-fiving each other. I walked into the crowd, watching them wearing jerseys the same color as mine. We didn’t exchange a single word, yet we both broke into knowing smiles at the same time. In fact, there are many unknown details behind a jersey. From design, printing, to fabric selection, every step determines its final texture. If you are interested in making jerseys, you will find that professional fabric suppliers play an indispensable role in it. The fabric d…

— Art is more than just something to look at. Sometimes it stirs something within us. One painting could make you stop, breathe, and experience things you cannot understand. That is the emotional force of any of the world’s greatest paintings. These works are renowned for their beauty and their ability to evoke feelings. They speak without noise. They tell stories that are intimate, moving, and enduring. The emotions that they contain transcend time, language, or geography. And now, people of any age can bring life to these paintings of emotion with their hands through painting by numbers. By recreating them, you become a little closer to the feelings that each brushst…

Ok so I never thought I’d believe in forever. I thought love was messy, temporary, kinda stupid even. But then… someone came along. Not with fireworks or grand stuff. Just small things. Tiny things that made me pause and go hmm. Maybe this is different. But then you meet someone. And it’s not dramatic. No fireworks. No music in the background. Just small, almost boring things that feel different in a way you can’t shake. … 1 — You Don’t Have To Edit Yourself You say the dumb joke. You ramble about something that makes sense only in your head. Usually, people nod politely. But this person? They actually laugh. Or they add to it. And suddenly you’re like, oh…

— What if your old photo could suddenly start talking? Or you could swap faces in videos without spending hours in editing software? Welcome to the future—where AI turns imagination into reality with just a few clicks. In this fast-evolving digital age, tools like Remaker.ai’s AI Talking Photo and Beart.ai’s Free Video Face Swap are pushing creative boundaries like never before. These two free, browser-based tools allow you to animate still images and swap faces in videos, making content creation fun, fast, and shockingly easy. Let’s explore what these tools can do, who they’re for, and how you can start creating instantly—no technical skills required. Turn Any Photo …

By JOHN BOYLE, Asheville Watchdog Man, I would like to get Nathan Pennington’s voice out of my head. Last year, before Tropical Storm Helene hit, I interviewed Pennington, Buncombe County’s planning director and floodplain manager, for a story about how our area’s flood risk will only grow, a result of climate change, more impermeable surfaces — and our penchant for building in risky places. Ten days before Helene pummeled us, Asheville Watchdog published the story, which memorably featured Pennington saying, “We are the United States of Amnesia when it comes to flooding.” We also talked about the 100-year and 500-year flood plains, and how those really are just stati…

— The digital landscape is evolving fast, and AI is at the heart of this transformation. From content creation to keyword optimization, AI SEO tools are reshaping how businesses drive organic growth. With the right tools, marketers can streamline strategies, save time, and gain a competitive edge. In this article, we’ll explore the 9 best AI SEO tools that every marketer should consider in 2025, starting with the innovative Addlly AI. 1. Addlly AI Addlly AI is an advanced AI-powered platform designed to handle marketing tasks like SEO, GEO targeting, social media, and content creation. It uses data-driven insights to automatically generate optimized content, analyze per…

By Kate Denning, Carolina public press Teacher pay has been a long and storied battle in North Carolina, with the state consistently ranking among the lowest teacher salaries in the country. But while educators are often pinching pennies and stretching dollars to make ends meet, a new report from CouponBirds shows North Carolina teachers are spending an average of $1,632 out of their own pockets to supply their classrooms. That’s the second-highest in the country according to the study, just $5 less than Pennsylvania teachers. It’s a 22% increase from the average amount NC teachers spent in 2024 and is well above the report’s national average of $1,021. President of th…

— There’s a kind of stress most families don’t talk about. It’s the flicker of lights during a summer storm, the spike on a utility bill that wasn’t in the budget, the worry when the news says rolling blackouts might be coming. For millions of households, that’s not just an inconvenience. It becomes a life disrupted. The Department of Energy reports that nearly 70 percent of America’s grid infrastructure is more than 25 years old, and outages have more than doubled in the last two decades. And as demand rises, so do costs. Sandra Namukaya has spent her career trying to change that challenge that so many Americans experience. An Infrastructure and Sustainability Economis…

By Shannon Roberts, UMass Amherst and Anuj Kumar Pradhan, UMass Amherst The last few weeks of summer, heading into Labor Day weekend, can sometimes mean vacations and driving more miles on the road for all people, including teens. Traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens, and the crash rate for teen drivers is disproportionately higher than the share of licensed teen drivers. In addition to this grim statistic, summer is the riskiest time for teen drivers. The 100 deadliest days represent the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day when the number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers dramatically increases. A third of each year’s teen driver crashes occ…

— Introduction In today’s competitive digital landscape, e-commerce businesses are constantly looking for ways to streamline processes, improve customer experiences, and boost overall revenue. Magento, one of the most powerful and flexible e-commerce platforms, provides business owners with countless opportunities to grow by integrating with advanced systems, tools, and extensions. From improving user engagement to optimizing backend operations, Magento 2 enables enterprises to run seamlessly while meeting customer expectations. With scalable solutions, customizable storefronts, and integration capabilities, Magento has become the go-to choice for enterprises that want …

By Ben Jodway, Buckeye Flame Ohio’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are beginning to shape the state’s economy as one organization decided to not host a conference in Cleveland that could have pulled thousands of attendees. The Plain Dealer first reported that the International Studies Association, a higher education organization of scholars in the field of international studies, sent a letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Aug. 22 to inform him that, unless Ohio’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are reversed, it will no longer consider Cleveland as an option for a future conference. According to the letter, the annual conference brings 5,000 to 6,500 attendees from around the world. The organization…

— This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide financial advice. Tax season shows up, you open a paycheck or a profit-and-loss report, and questions start piling up. Which number is the one the tax folks actually use? Is it the big one on top, or the smaller one that feels closer to your real life? Nakase Law Firm Inc. often gets a version of the same question from clients staring at pay stubs and invoices: how do gross vs. net income impact tax calculations? Let’s set the table, then keep things practical. The big picture is that both numbers matter, just not in the same way. California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer Inc. ofte…

Why Staying Friends After a Breakup Is a Myth (And a Mistake) The final conversation has happened. The painful, yet necessary, words have been spoken. The relationship is over. In the emotional rubble of that moment, a well-intentioned but often perilous offer is frequently extended: “I hope we can still be friends.” It sounds like the mature, compassionate thing to do. It softens the blow, preserves the connection, and avoids the ugly finality of a true goodbye. We tell ourselves that this person knew us better than almost anyone; to cut them out completely would be to discard a chapter of our lives. But beneath this veneer of emotional intelligence often lies a minefie…

A one-string banjo doesn’t sound happy. Overconfidence in one strength brings leaders down. Visionaries fail when they can’t get stuff done. Relationship builders fail when they don’t have tough conversations. Doers without empathy build disengaged teams. Vision needs execution. Relationships deal with conflict. And “Git-R-Done” types without empathy are taskmasters. Leadership is a three-legged stool, not a one string banjo. 5 Reasons Leaders Fail #1 Neglecting Balance Leadership is a three-legged stool: Vision – direction Relationship – engagement Execution – results Leaders collapse when they neglect any pillar. #2 Ignoring Self-Awareness You damage people uni…

— Gambling may be illegal in your jurisdiction. Please check your local laws before gambling. Listing five Hollywood celebrities in five seconds is an easy task. How about listing five celebrities in the casino niche off the top of your head? In distinct industries worldwide, several people have worked to ensure that their respective industries thrive despite the challenges they may have to face. The casino niche is no different. Since they were newly introduced until now, casinos have had plenty of people who have contributed positively or negatively to their growth. In this article, we’ve identified five of the biggest celebrities in the casino niche and shared their s…

Your Love and Best Friends You know, every guy experiences a true love at least once in his life—the girl who felt like she was meant to be your wife. The one whose smile became your personal mission. And the thing is, she set such high standards in your life that no other girl has been able to match them since. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your ex-girlfriend I’m talking about. It could be her, but it could also be your best friend—the one you never had the courage to confess your feelings to. Or maybe it was the girl with whom everything was going perfectly, but you weren’t ready for commitment, so you let her go. You know what all these situations have in common?…

— There’s a kind of silence couples don’t talk about. It’s the quiet after another negative test, the space between appointments, the pause when someone asks, “So when are you having kids?” For nearly 17% of couples in America, that silence is their reality. And it carries a weight most of us can’t see, emotional, physical, and financial. Dr. Tiao-Virirak Kattygnarath knows that silence well. He’s spent more than 20 years in exam rooms and labs helping families who want nothing more than a child. “Becoming a father changed how I saw everything,” he told me. “I realized this little baby was the most precious part of my life, and I would do anything to protect him.” For h…

By Nerida Spina, Rebecca Spooner-Lane, Elizabeth Briant and Julia Mascadri When it comes to new teachers, there is an expectation that they are “classroom ready” from day one on the job. Yet there is mounting evidence that new teachers are being sent into schools that are short-staffed and where experienced teachers are leaving the profession, feeling high levels of stress and burn out. Clearly, even at the best of times, teaching is a complex profession. Developing proficiency to work in this kind of context requires time, experience, and supported opportunities for feedback and reflection. “Classroom readiness” has become a buzzword in education policy and…

— Managing money is one of the most important parts of running a business. From sending invoices to tracking expenses and staying on top of taxes, it takes time and accuracy. For many companies, having a full-time accounting team costs too much and slows things down. That’s why more businesses now choose Accounting Process Outsourcing (APO). APO is an easy, smart way to handle your accounting. It saves money, gives you access to skilled experts, and lets you focus on growing your business. This blog will explain how APO works, why it’s worth it, and how to choose the right outsourcing partner. What is Accounting Process Outsourcing? Accounting process outsourcing re…

By Washington State The new study in the journal Earth’s Future offers detailed projections of lightning across the Western US for the mid-21st century. The largest change in lightning is expected in parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, with four to 12 more days of lightning per year in some parts of the Rocky Mountains. Researchers also matched those lightning projections with future wildfire risk to calculate the changes in daily risk of lightning-caused fires. Although there is variability across the region in the projections, the trend was clear: a heightened risk of lightning-caused wildfires across 98% of Western lands susceptible to fire. “The Northwest is em…

— The surge in popularity of electric mobility has changed the way people think about commuting, exercise, and sustainable transportation. Electric bikes have become the go-to option for many riders looking for a convenient, eco-friendly, and versatile mode of travel. At the same time, the adult tricycle has gained traction as an alternative, especially for riders who value stability, comfort, and practicality. The discussion of electric trike vs electric bike is more relevant than ever as more people consider which option is better suited for their lifestyle. While both vehicles are powered by electric assistance and designed to reduce dependence on cars, their differen…

By Nicholas Gutteridge, The Texas Tribune, and Atirikta Kumar, The Texas Tribune “ACLU, other groups sue to block Texas’ DEI ban on K-12 public schools” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and a group of LGBTQ+ and student rights organizations are suing to block a new state law that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 p…