American Women Suck

In April, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order revoking federal recognition of any medical schools in the country “engaging in unlawful discrimination” through diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In May, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) removed its diversity programs and partnerships standard for accreditation to comply with this order. For Canadian physicians, this news – if it registered at all – likely was received as one more example of the assault on the profession south of the border. What they might not know is that the accreditation of Canada’s 18 (soon to be 20) medical schools only became fully separate from the U.S. as of July 2025. Here’s how the body responsible for Canadian accreditation, which includes members of the medical profession and the public appointed by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), has been working toward a sovereign undergraduate medical school accreditation process – and how standards differ from the U.S. What does the accreditation of medical schools mean for students and medical faculty? Accreditation is a voluntary process to ensure MD programs meet 12 prescribed standards for quality assurance and continuous improvement of medical education. Standards touch on curricula, student selection and support, faculty productivity and preparation, conflict of interest policies and school resources from IT to call rooms. Currently, all 18 medical schools in Canada are accredited. Graduates of accredited medical education programs have an advantage over others when getting residency positions. Who decides whether a medical school in Canada meets the accreditation standard? Accreditation is determined by peer review. Medical school students, faculty, practising physicians and members of the public are all represented in the process. Canadian medical schools were accredited solely by the LCME until 1979, when a home-grown oversight body was established. But even then, the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) accredited programs jointly with the LCME according to standards set in the U.S. Before 2013, the CACMS and LCME standards were identical. But that year, CACMS introduced social accountability as a new standard for accreditation. And as of July 1, 2025, accreditation in Canada will be completely independent from the U.S. Why is Canadian accreditation of medical schools being “decoupled” from the U.S.? The separation has been in the works for a while. Since the introduction of a new standard for social accountability in 2013, there has been a gradual move to go separate ways. The decision to do a full “decoupling” was made in 2021, but it was building for years before the ultimate decision to separate. “It became more evident there were differences in the Canadian approach to medical education,” says Lisa Graves, CACMS secretary, adding that “expectations of the Canadian public have shifted [too].” The social accountability standard, for example, is defined by CACMS as a commitment by every accredited medical school to “address the priority health concerns of the populations it has a responsibility to serve.” Schools fulfill this standard through everything from admissions to curricula to “types and locations of educational experiences.” Graves says developing standards appropriate for 18 Canadian medical schools is also easier than moving 160 American medical schools in the same direction. “There’s a lot of practicality to this in terms of being able to be more responsive.” What is the CMA’s role in the accreditation of medical schools? The CMA has been a co-sponsor of CACMS for more than 45 years, appointing half of its voting members, including six professionals and one from the public. CMA’s participation in CACMS ensures ongoing grassroots input of practicing physicians into the undergraduate medical education system. Its participation also aligns with the CMA’s advocacy for the profession at a national level, including advancing cultural safety in health care for medical learners, practitioners and patients, and supporting physician wellbeing. Reposted with permission from the Canadian Medical Association. This piece was originally published on June 26, 2025. — Previously Published on healthydebate.ca with Creative Commons License *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock The post Why It’s Important Canada Accredits Its Own Medical Schools appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Minority Africa For Jewel, falling in love isn’t about chemistry. It’s about children. She meets someone, they connect, and they dream out loud together. But once the conversation turns to the future, children, family, and domesticity, the air shifts. Jewel doesn’t want children. Not now. Not ever. It’s not a temporary phase or the residue of heartbreak; it’s a conscious decision. And in Nigeria, where motherhood is still widely regarded as a woman’s ultimate calling, that decision is radical. “I just decided to be free,” she says. And by free, she means childfree. For Jewel, 30, the decision is deeply personal, yet not accidental. As the first daughter in a large family, she practically raised her siblings, nephews, and nieces. That early, prolonged immersion in childcare taught her something important: she loved children, just not enough to become a mother herself. “I love being a doting aunty,” she says. “That’s where it ends for me.” But endings are rarely accepted when they defy social scripts, and in Nigeria, that script is rigidly linked to marriage, motherhood, and sacrifice. She explains that her decision to be childfree does not stem from pain but from clarity: Most men think it’s because you’ve been heartbroken or are still healing from some trauma. That clarity, however, rarely shields her from condescension or outright hostility. She’s been called a “bitter feminist,” told she’ll die alone, and been accused of hating men. In romantic relationships, the backlash is even more acute. She explains: Two of my most serious relationships ended because the men were convinced I’d change my mind. One of them was married within six months after we broke up. These encounters speak to a broader tension in Nigerian society: a growing cohort of women is redefining fulfilment, without children, and the persistent pronatalist ideologies that resist change. In Nigeria, the cultural expectation for women to bear children remains nearly absolute. Motherhood is intertwined with ideas of maturity, morality, and even patriotic duty. A woman who chooses otherwise is not just subverting tradition; to many, she is incomprehensible, yet history complicates this narrative. Before colonialism, motherhood in many Nigerian communities wasn’t just a private affair; it was also a public institution. Historian Lorelle Semley writes of “public motherhood” in Indigenous societies, where maternal roles extended into the political and economic realms. Women held significant power not only as biological mothers but as community leaders, traders, and spiritual authorities. That power was systematically eroded under colonial rule. Victorian gender norms, introduced through missionaries and colonial bureaucracy, confined women to domesticity. As Ifi Amadiume outlines in her book “Male Daughters, Female Husbands,” colonialism didn’t just rewrite gender; it redefined womanhood through Christian ideals of submission and self-sacrifice, enforced by church, school, and state. Today’s childfree women, like Jewel, exist in the long shadow of those historical shifts. But they are also part of a growing countermovement. According to scholar R. Makama, urbanization, rising education levels, and access to digital platforms have given women new scripts. A life without parenthood, once unthinkable, is quietly gaining momentum. “I am not barren. I just don’t want to have children.” Oluchi, 26, came to the decision differently. For years, she believed she was simply “not like other girls.” It wasn’t until she discovered online childfree communities that her feelings finally found language. She notes: There’s a big difference between being barren and being childfree. I am not barren; I just don’t want to have children like [many] women; when I think of my future, they don’t feature in it. The pushback from her family has been intense, sometimes even cruel. Her mother once told her she hoped for an unplanned pregnancy, “thinking I will change my mind.” “I keep reiterating to her not to stress me or ask me for a child,” Oluchi says, undeterred. She has grown adept at protecting her peace. “I try to educate when I can, but most times, I just ignore it.” For Oluchi, this choice is inseparable from feminism. “It gave me the language and the audacity,” she says, emphasising that there’s a direct link where feminism teaches you to question why you want the things you’ve been conditioned to want. That online support system, mostly on TikTok and X, is informal but invaluable. There’s no Nigeria-specific childfree group, she notes, just a loose but loyal collective of women sharing stories, trading memes, and reminding each other that their choices are valid. Jewel’s feminism, too, is foundational to her worldview. She grew up reading, questioning, and deciding early on that motherhood was not inevitable. She says: I knew from the age of eight. And yes, it felt strange at first; being a girl, helping raise siblings. But even then, I knew: this isn’t what I want. It isn’t a compulsory choice, but I have made my choice and stuck with it. That clarity helped her have honest conversations with her parents. She explains: My parents grew to respect my decisions because they have lived their lives and have made choices to be parents based on what they wanted for themselves. Unlike many women, she doesn’t face pressure from her family to get married or bear children, and instead notes, “It’s the men who know your age and shame you for not having a man or child.” One man she dated claimed to share her ideology, and although she was initially excited, she quickly realized that he had his own selfish agenda. “He didn’t even like women,” she says, revealing that he was a closeted misogynist and incel. Jewel quickly adds that the decision to be childfree can also be difficult for a man. Speaking of one of her male friends who wants to be childfree, “they aren’t firm in their decisions like women because of societal expectations.” Now, she dates for companionship, not commitment. Jewel notes: Marriage, however, isn’t my priority, and I have made peace with whether or not I get married. I have siblings, friends and colleagues who are married with two to three children. I am always very happy and supportive [of them]. “When my friends get married, I don’t go around telling women not to have children,” she adds, wishing that she got the same support and respect from people around her. For Ayanfe, a 25-year-old non-binary Nigerian, the decision to remain childfree came at age 12. The backlash, predictably, came from their family. My family thinks I am a freak, especially my mom, who still offers prayers each time I tell her I don’t want children. Jewel’s, Oluchi, and Ayanfe reflect a rising consciousness among Nigerian women and gender-diverse people. For Jewel, this consciousness is linked to reclaiming autonomy and imagining a future where a woman’s worth isn’t tethered to her womb. Oluchi says: I think childfree people often have the most respect for children. We know they deserve love and stability…and we refuse to bring them into a life where we can’t promise that. Jewel agrees. “Every woman has a choice,” she says, reiterating that in a society where womanhood is still defined by marriage and maternity, choosing to be childfree might be the most revolutionary thing a woman can do. “Don’t think [motherhood] is the only path or only way to live your life; there are multiple ways to do so. You own your life and body.” — Previously Published on globalvoices.org with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo Credit: unsplash The post A Growing Number of Nigerian Women Are Upending Traditional Gender Roles and Forgoing Parenthood appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Jessica Shuran Yu, The Texas Tribune “Texas sued over its lab-grown meat ban” 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. Two cultivated meat companies have filed a lawsuit against officials in Texas over the law that bans the sales of lab-grown meat in the state for two years. California-based companies UPSIDE Foods, which makes cultivated chicken, and Wildtype, which makes cultivated salmon are suing Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services, and Travis County, accusing them of government overreach. “This law has nothing to do with protecting public health and safety and everything to do with protecting conventional agriculture from innovative out-of-state competition,” said Paul Sherman, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that is representing UPSIDE Foods and Wildtype. “That is not a legitimate use of government power.” The background In June, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 261, which bans the sale of lab-grown meat in Texas for two years. Lab-grown meat, also known as cell cultivated meat or cultured meat, is made from taking animal cells and growing them in an incubator or bioreactor until they form an edible product. Lawmakers expressed concerns during the Senate committee hearing on the bill that cultured meat will disrupt traditional family farms in Texas, as well as concerns over product labelling and safety. The ban went into effect on Monday. Before the ban, there was only one restaurant in Texas selling cultured protein. In the last month and a half, OTOKO, a high-end sushi restaurant in Austin, included Wildtype salmon into the omakase menu. Why cultured meat companies are suing Cultured meat company founders and their lawyers held a press conference Wednesday morning to announce a lawsuit over SB 261, saying the ban is “unconstitutional” and “un-American.” “We do believe that Americans should have the freedom to choose what to eat,” said Justin Kolbeck, a co-founder of Wildtype. “We think even if you hate the idea of cultivated seafood, we hope you agree that we’re on a slippery slope if we’re handing over intensely personal choices like what to feed ourselves and our families to the government.” Sherman, the lead counsel on the case, added that the federal government has approved cultivated meat as safe for consumers. In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval for two companies, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat, to sell cell-cultivated chicken and a year later, the U.S. Department for Agriculture (USDA) approved the label of “cell-cultivated chicken” for the products. As of July, four companies have received regulatory clearance to sell cultured meat in the United States, according to the Good Food Institute. Texas lawmakers and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, who testified in favor of SB 261 before it was passed, said that they are concerned about the safety of cultured meat products. “The USDA and The FDA have agreed that these products are safe,” Sherman said. “If that’s not good enough for some consumers, there’s a simple solution, don’t eat it.” Kolbeck added that Wildtype salmon doesn’t have the contaminants that are commonly found in traditional seafood, such as heavy metals, antibiotics, microplastics, and other pollutants. “Making America healthy requires innovation,” Kolbeck said. What cattle raisers and lawmakers are saying The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment but previously, Carl Ray Polk Jr., the president of the association, said in an interview that SB 261 isn’t about banning competition. “We’re not pushing back on these products because we have a concern about competition,” Polk said, adding that the cattle industry has welcomed competition with poultry, fish, and plant-based proteins. Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, the author of the bill, said that there are “concerns over the transparency and labeling, risk of contamination, and long term health impacts of consuming cell culture products” when he presented the bill during a March Senate committee hearing. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, asked the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association if they see the lab-grown meat companies as part of the Make America Healthy Again Movement or against it. “I would see the lab grown meat as against it,” said Dan Gattis, a rancher and lawyer from Georgetown. Broader impact Texas is the seventh state to ban lab-grown meat and this is the second lawsuit in the nation over such bans. Last year, the Institute for Justice also filed a similar lawsuit in Florida. If Texas’s ban on cultured meat sales is lifted, Wildtype said in the lawsuit that they would immediately resume selling their cultivated salmon at OTOKO and reach out to other chefs in Texas to pursue partnerships. However, the state may not immediately see a surge in the sales of cultured proteins. Cultured meat scientists and experts agree that the industry is not ready to sell their products at a large scale yet. Disclosure: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 13–15! This year’s lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of “CNN NewsNight”; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/03/texas-cultivated-meat-lab-grown-ban-lawsuit/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. — The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo: Roy Mills checks on the cattle at J&R Mills Family Farms in Nacogdoches County on Feb, 26, 2025. Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune The post Texas Sued Over Its Lab-Grown Meat Ban appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Donald Heflin, Tufts University A hastily arranged summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is set for Aug. 15, 2025, in Alaska, where the two leaders will discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not attend, barring a last-minute change. The Conversation’s politics editor Naomi Schalit interviewed longtime diplomat Donald Heflin, now teaching at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, to get his perspective on the unconventional meeting and why it’s likely to produce, as he says, a photograph and a statement, but not a peace deal. How do wars end? Wars end for three reasons. One is that both sides get exhausted and decide to make peace. The second, which is more common: One side gets exhausted and raises its hand and says, “Yeah, we’re ready to come to the peace table.” And then the third is – we’ve seen this happen in the Mideast – outside forces like the U.S. or Europe come in and say, “That’s enough. We’re imposing our will from the outside. You guys stop this.” What we’ve seen in the Russia-Ukraine situation is neither side has shown a real willingness to go to the conference table and give up territory. So the fighting continues. And the role that Trump and his administration are playing right now is that third possibility, an outside power comes in and says, “Enough.” Now you have to look at Russia. Russia is maybe a former superpower, but a power, and it’s got nuclear arms and it’s got a big army. This is not some small, Middle Eastern country that the United States can completely dominate. They’re nearly a peer. So can you really impose your will on them and get them to come to the conference table in seriousness if they don’t want to? I kind of doubt it. How does this upcoming Trump-Putin meeting fit into the history of peace negotiations? The analogy a lot of people are using is the Munich Conference in 1938, where Great Britain met with Hitler’s Germany. I don’t like to make comparisons to Nazism or Hitler’s Germany. Those guys started World War II and perpetrated the Holocaust and killed 30 or 40 million people. It’s hard to compare anything to that. But in diplomatic terms, we go back to 1938. Germany said, “Listen, we have all these German citizens living in this new country of Czechoslovakia. They’re not being treated right. We want them to become part of Germany.” And they were poised to invade. The prime minister of Great Britain, Neville Chamberlain, went and met with Hitler in Munich and came up with an agreement by which the German parts of Czechoslovakia would become part of Germany. And that would be it. That would be all that Germany would ask for, and the West gave some kind of light security guarantees. Czechoslovakia wasn’t there. This was a peace imposed on them. And sure enough, you know, within a year or two, Germany was saying, “No, we want all of Czechoslovakia. And, P.S., we want Poland.” And thus World War II started. Can you spell out the comparisons further? Czechoslovakia wasn’t at the table. Ukraine’s not at the table. Again, I’m not sure I want to compare Putin to Hitler, but he is a strongman authoritarian president with a big military. Security guarantees were given to Czechoslavakia and not honored. The West gave Ukraine security guarantees when that country gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994. We told them, “If you’re going to be brave and give up your nuclear weapons, we’ll make sure you’re never invaded.” And they’ve been invaded twice since then, in 2014 and 2022. The West didn’t step up. So history would tell us that the possibilities for a lasting peace coming out of this summit are pretty low. What kind of expertise is required in negotiating a peace deal? Here’s what usually happens in most countries that have a big foreign policy or national security establishment, and even in some smaller countries. The political leaders come up with their policy goal, what they want to achieve. And then they tell the career civil servants and foreign service officers and military people, “This is what we want to get at the negotiating table. How do we do that?” And then the experts say, “Oh, we do this and we do that, and we’ll assign staff to work it out. We’ll work with our Russian counterparts and try to narrow the issues down, and we’ll come up with numbers and maps.” With all the replacement of personnel since the inauguration, the U.S. not only has a new group of political appointees – including some, like Marco Rubio, who, generally speaking, know what they’re doing in terms of national security – but also many who don’t know what they’re doing. They’ve also fired the senior level of civil servants and foreign service officers, and a lot of the mid-levels are leaving, so that expertise isn’t there. That’s a real problem. The U.S. national security establishment is increasingly being run by the B team – at best. How will this be a problem when Trump meets Putin? You have two leaders of two big countries like this, they usually don’t meet on a few days’ notice. It would have to be a real crisis. This meeting could happen two or three weeks from now as easily as it could this week. And if that happened, you would have a chance to prepare. You’d have a chance to get all kinds of documents in front of the American participants. You would meet with your Russian counterparts. You’d meet with Ukrainian counterparts, maybe some of the Western European countries. And when the two sides sat down at the table, it would be very professional. They would have very similar briefing papers in front of them. The issues would be narrowed down. None of that’s going to happen in Alaska. It’s going to be two political leaders meeting and deciding things, often driven by political considerations, but without any real idea of whether they can really be implemented or how they could be implemented. Could a peace deal possibly be enforced? Again, the situation is kind of haunted by the West never enforcing security guarantees promised in 1994. So I’m not sure how well this could be enforced. Historically, Russia and Ukraine were always linked up, and that’s the problem. What’s Putin’s bottom line? Would he give up Crimea? No. Would he give up the part of eastern Ukraine that de facto had been taken over by Russia before this war even started? Probably not. Would he give up what they’ve gained since then? OK, maybe. Then let’s put ourselves in Ukraine’s shoes. Will they want to give up Crimea? They say, “No.” Do they want to give up any of the eastern part of the country? They say, “No.” I’m curious what your colleagues in the diplomatic world are saying about this upcoming meeting. People who understand the process of diplomacy think that this is very amateurish and is unlikely to yield real results that are enforceable. It will yield some kind of statement and a photo of Trump and Putin shaking hands. There will be people who believe that this will solve the problem. It won’t. Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. — Previously Published on theconversation.com with Creative Commons License *** Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post This Isn’t How Wars Are Ended − a Veteran Diplomat Explains How Trump-Putin Summit Is Amateurish and Politically Driven appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— If you plan to list a home in Oklahoma City or Tulsa, stone choices can move the needle on buyer interest, photos, and final offers. Kitchens and baths sell houses, and the counter surface sits front and center in every showing and listing photo. Pick the right material and color, and buyers picture an easy move-in. Pick a high-maintenance or polarizing look, and they hesitate. Use this guide to choose granite, quartzite, marble, or quartz that fits your neighborhood, your timeline, and your budget. What buyers expect in OKC and Tulsa right now Open layouts, large islands, simple upkeep, and neutral palettes lead most shortlists. Families want surfaces that stand up to weeknight cooking and weekend gatherings. Empty nesters want a clean look that doesn’t demand sealing every few months. Across price points, buyers notice three things first: color tone, seam quality, and how the stone pairs with cabinets and floors. Safe palette targets: soft whites, warm greige, pale taupe, charcoal, and gentle veining. Vibrant stone can look amazing, but go bold only when the home’s style supports it. Match the stone to neighborhood style Oklahoma neighborhoods carry their own character. Let that guide your picks. Historic districts (OKC’s Mesta Park, Heritage Hills; Tulsa’s Maple Ridge, Swan Lake): These homes love classic materials. Honed marble on a baking station or as a powder bath vanity looks right at home. For the kitchen, keep the period charm but reduce upkeep: choose a light quartz with restrained veining on perimeters, then bring character with a small slab of marble on a pastry zone or a quartzite island with soft movement. Stick with eased or small-radius edges to mimic older millwork. Newer luxury pockets (Nichols Hills in OKC, South Tulsa gated communities): Buyers expect statement islands and seamless details. Quartzite shines here. Long, flowing veins create that high-end feel without the upkeep of marble. Consider a waterfall edge on one end of the island and a full-height stone backsplash behind the range. If the kitchen skews modern, a warm white quartz with faint, linear veining looks crisp under recessed and under-cabinet lights. Family-friendly suburbs (Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Moore; Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Broken Arrow): Durability wins. Mid-tone granites hide crumbs and fingerprints, and many quartzites shrug off heat and daily wear. If you want simple cleaning, quartz in a soft white, cream, or light gray keeps the room bright and photographs beautifully. Avoid stark, blue-cold whites if your floors and trim run warm. Urban condos and townhomes (Bricktown, Midtown OKC; Downtown Tulsa): Tighter spaces benefit from reflection and continuous lines. Polished quartz or a tight-grained granite in a consistent pattern makes rooms feel larger. Choose an eased edge and thin profile for a modern look, or use a mitered apron for visual weight without extra seams. Granite, quartzite, marble, or quartz: how to choose for resale Granite Choose granite when you want natural pattern, high heat tolerance, and broad appeal. Dense, tight-grained granites in charcoal, coffee, or warm gray feel current and resist stains with basic sealing. Speckled patterns hide daily life, which buyers with kids appreciate. Avoid overly busy slabs if your backsplash or floor already carries strong pattern. Quartzite Pick quartzite when you want the drama of veining with the strength of a very hard natural stone. Subtle, long waves in cream, gray, and whisper-green look luxurious in photos and in person. Seal it on schedule, and it handles daily cooking well. Use quartzite for waterfall islands, full-height backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, and shower walls when you want a single, cohesive look. Marble Reach for marble in spots where you want instant charm and brightness: powder baths, primary bath vanities, and baking stations. Honed marble hides micro-scratches and reduces glare under vanity lights. In kitchens, you can still use marble if you stage it thoughtfully and explain care, but for resale you’ll usually place marble in smaller doses and lean on quartz or quartzite for main worktops. Quartz Choose quartz for low maintenance and consistent color. Soft white, cream, and pale gray sell well across the metro. Subtle veining pairs with shaker cabinets and modern slab doors alike. Remind your installer to protect against direct high heat near the range and to plan seams where they vanish under light. For resale, quartz often delivers the easiest “move-in ready” message. Color moves that pair with Oklahoma finishes Many Oklahoma homes feature warm maple, oak, or knotty alder cabinets, red or buff brick, and hand-scraped floors. Keep stone choices in sync: Warm woods + brick: cream-based quartz, cocoa-fleck granite, or quartzite with beige undertones. Painted shaker in white or greige: light quartz with faint gray veining or a quiet white-and-gray quartzite. Modern flat-panel cabinets: charcoal quartz, leathered dark granite, or a feather-vein quartzite for contrast. Historic trim and vintage hardware: honed marble in baths; on kitchen perimeters, a soft-vein quartz that reads classic. Finishes, edges, and thickness that help listings pop Finish: Polished reflects light and photographs bright; honed looks calm and hides touch marks; leathered adds texture and depth on dark stones. Edges: Eased or small radius works everywhere; a mitered waterfall reads high-end on an island; ogee belongs in period baths, not on a modern island. Thickness: A 3 cm profile looks substantial and signals quality. If you prefer a thinner modern profile, use a clean miter to fake thickness at the apron while keeping a sleek plane. Backsplashes that boost perceived value Tile backsplashes look great, but stone to the uppers often reads as “custom.” In luxury pockets, carry the island quartzite up the wall. In busy family kitchens, run a matching quartz splash behind the range for easy cleaning. If you love tile, keep pattern low-contrast when the stone has movement; let one element lead. Bathrooms that brighten small spaces Small Tulsa and OKC baths turn into showpieces with the right stone. A honed marble vanity with a simple backsplash bounces light without glare. In kids’ baths, choose quartz in a soft white so toothpaste and soaps clean off quickly. For a primary suite, quartzite gives spa-like calm with minimal upkeep. Carry the vanity stone onto a shower bench or curb for a tailored, model-home finish. Fireplaces and feature walls that sell the room If you plan one “wow” moment, book-match a quartzite slab on a fireplace or create a full-height range wall. The mirror-image veins pull buyers across the room during showings and create hero photos for the listing. Keep nearby finishes quiet so the stone leads. Good-better-best plans that fit a presale timeline You don’t need a total gut to win buyers. Align your plan with your timeline: Good (fast refresh): Quartz in a popular soft white on the kitchen perimeter, a matching stone splash behind the range, new cabinet hardware, and updated lighting. Better (2–4 weeks): Quartzite or mid-tone granite island with a simple waterfall, quartz perimeters, new sink and faucet, and a stone-capped niche or floating shelf. Best (strategic wow): Cohesive quartzite across island, perimeter, and a range wall, plus a marble powder bath vanity and a quartz primary bath vanity for balance. Work with your fabricator early Line up details before you order: sink type and size, faucet holes, cooktop cutout, seam placement, and edge profile. Ask for vein-match planning on L-shaped runs and waterfall corners. If you plan a full-height splash, confirm outlet placements and hood dimensions so cuts land clean and symmetrical. Photo-ready staging that helps you sell After install, wipe stones with a pH-neutral cleaner, then remove streaks with a dry microfiber. Add under-cabinet lighting to show subtle veining. Stage islands with wood boards and a neutral runner so the stone reads warm and livable. Clear counters on listing day; let the material carry the frame. Quick room-by-room cheat sheet Kitchen (family suburbs): quartz perimeter in warm white + leathered mid-tone granite island. Kitchen (luxury pockets): soft-vein quartzite across island and splash; simple eased edges. Powder bath (historic districts): honed marble top + unlacquered hardware for period charm. Primary bath: quartzite or quiet quartz, full-height mirror, soft wall color. Fireplace: book-matched quartzite in rooms with tall ceilings. Pick stones that tell one consistent story: durable, calm, light-reflective, and easy to live with. Buyers see that story in photos first and confirm it during showings. When every surface looks intentional and low-maintenance, offers arrive with fewer objections and stronger numbers. — This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building iStockPhoto The post Renovating Before You Sell: Stones that Boost Resale in Key Oklahoma Neighborhoods appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The building near Independence Square has caught fire, Vitaly Klitschko said The seat of the Ukrainian government in Kiev has been struck by a Russian drone, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on Sunday. Ukrainian media reported strikes in different parts of the capital. Klitschko wrote on Telegram that “a government building caught fire following the apparent shootdown of a drone.” Ukrainian news agency UNIAN shared a video showing smoke rising from a building near Independence Square. DETAILS TO FOLLOW View the full article

Hi A, how are you? (It was wild and I loved it)! And just like this, 9 days later, he had resuscitated from the world of the dead. It was great, J, just great, I thought. Years ago a friend of mine shared a wise thought: those who don’t die, return. In my 38 years of experience, this quote has proven to be very accurate. What can you do next? I’ll be honest, I wanted to make my therapist proud and actually take the situation into my own hands. Take accountability for the behavior shown. I wanted to prove I know my self worth. After a couple of kind and a little bit colder texts back, playfully, I said: Just to be clear, what are we doing — like getting to know each other more or more like online sexy flirtation? Because I asked ChatGpt the other night now to send a disappearing photo but that for me was a first. Just talking to you turns me on So the other night? I’m having fun, what’s your mood? I kind of felt like a one night stand the other night not sure it’s very me I respect that It’s just not me. This is the end? I don’t know I guess it was so fun the other night that you kind of seem like an idiot if you’re jsut trying to sleep with me virtually as opposed to actually meeting me? Hahahaha Hahahaha You are delicious He video called me immediately laughing out loud. We laughed together. He explained he’s in a moment in life in which he’s focusing on his work and is seeing multiple people. That he hates lies and that he wanted to be up front about it. I explained how I’m actually stable and looking for something happy and real. We had an hour long conversation in full honesty and transparency. Just as the first call had gone, it was all quite perfect. We agreed it must end there. 15 minutes later… My phone rings again. He’s laughing on video. We just broke up — I joke. Yes I know but I was thinking I’d still like to know you, even as a person, you are so interesting. I get that but we can’t otherwise what’s the point of this? Yes, you’re right, I understand. We laugh a little and hang up. I must admit, I was a bit sad to let him go. He is also just — delicious- as he would put it. 10 minutes later… My phone rings again. Okay it’s not just sex. Right? No I know it’s not, do you know that? Laughter on both sides. I can’t talk now- I say. Okay just a minute in silence don’t hang up. I have to hang up now! We message good night. The next day I wake up wondering how he’s going to be and instead of the usual silence he is super sweet right from the morning. In the evening he calls and we spend 3 hours on a video call where he asks me about my life, about past relationships and all sorts. We talk, we laugh, we go to bed at the same time. It feels practically like we have moved in. Then Friday, silence, little moment of panic (due to previous trauma not to him) and Saturday again texting and all well. We end up spending many more hours on video call to the point where we are waking up and going to bed at the same time on video. We shower together, we brush our teeth, we prepare morning coffee, we share stories and insecurities and learnings of life. I wanted to go this weekend to Porto but we decided it wasn’t right just yet. He is covered in work and he wants to be fully free and available for me when I come. I don’t know if this is ever going to happen, but the truth is that at the moment I feel blessed. I feel blessed that he is honest, that he is transparent, that he put things out in the open. He has shared that we are in two completely different moments of life and perhaps that means it cannot work — I’m at the best ever moment in my career whereas he is just figuring out his. I am ready for a family and he is still building. Perhaps I’m just hyper compensating for my loneliness by attaching to a stranger who has become a virtual but real boyfriend though we are just friends and have never met. I am not sure what it is. However, I do think that he is a lovely human being, sunny on the inside and out, sensitive, emotionally intelligent, direct, real and respectful. I understand it’s not what I was looking for, that he’s too far away and that he is just not ready for me right now, however out of millions of people I could have met I didn’t meet a ghost, on the contrary, I met a wonderful man. Lessons from my therapist: perhaps I’m further than I think from finding real love. I thought I had taken a huge step forward by addressing the situation with him head on. Years ago I wouldn’t have been able to say how I felt. I would have been scared to ask whether he wanted something serious or not in fear of putting him off. I asked, I tried to close when he said he wasn’t ready. However, credit to my therapist for calling me out on the fact that I am still there, I’m still holding space for this man who ultimately cannot give me what I want and deserve right now. Perhaps I got a little lost in his gorgeous smile, or perhaps, as my therapist hypothesized, I am still lacking an appreciation for who I am as a woman and I am taking crumbs instead of standing up for the love I fully deserve. A part of me, a younger part, still feels like she doesn’t deserve that big love. Maybe, somewhere along the way I lost sight of the fact that love is possible. I think I lost my belief. And I so want to believe, my friends. Recently, whether you’re a Swiftie or not, an old video of Taylor Swift resurfaced with her sharing that she would find the right man for her no matter what she was going through. She did. My therapist says that to find love, we need to believe. Our thoughts shape our reality and we cannot let those thoughts design a reality we do not fit in. So here I am, sitting in my beautiful London flat, trying hard to focus on work whilst my mind is immersed in J, hoping I have the strength not to believe J can give me what he clearly said he cannot, yet have the power to believe in love. To be honest, I must admit that I am struggling to find that blind believe once again but I will try my very hardest to hold my heart tighter, to get back up and to try again. They say those who don’t die, return. But maybe the real secret is knowing when to let them go — so we can finally open the door for someone who wants to stay. — This post was previously published on medium.com. Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox. Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice. Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there! Hello, Love (relationships) Change Becomes You (Advice) A Parent is Born (Parenting) Equality Includes You (Social Justice) Greener Together (Environment) Shelter Me (Wellness) Modern Identities (Gender, etc.) Co-Existence (World) *** – Photo credit: Elise Wilcox On Unsplash The post Those Who Don’t Die, Return. appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The US vice president has dismissed accusations of war crimes US Vice President J.D. Vance has bluntly rejected accusations that a missile strike on a boat carrying alleged Venezuela-linked cartel members amounted to a war crime. On Tuesday, the US destroyed what President Donald Trump described as a “drug-carrying boat” in international waters in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 people on board. Trump claimed the vessel was tied to the Tren de Aragua cartel, which he has designated as a terrorist organization. Venezuelan officials dismissed the footage as fabricated, calling it “cartoonish.” In a post on X on Saturday, Vance praised the strike, saying that “killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” Social media influencer and frequent Trump critic Brian Krassenstein challenged the attack’s legality, arguing that “killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime.” “I don’t give a s**t what you call it,” Vance replied. While many Trump supporters backed the vice president, Senator Rand Paul condemned his remarks as “despicable and thoughtless.” The strike followed the deployment of a US naval armada in the western Caribbean last month as part of Trump’s crackdown on drug trafficking. In 2020, a US court indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on charges of leading the Cartel de los Soles, an allegation he denounced as a plot to topple him. CNN reported on Friday that Trump is considering strikes against cartels inside Venezuela. The president has denied regime change plans but described the country’s 2024 election as “very strange.” View the full article

Shyness is like having an overzealous internal security guard stationed in our brains, patrolling for threats that do not exist, and insisting we present our passport, emotional background check, and a notarized statement of good intentions before we dare speak to another human being. We tell ourselves that we are simply “careful” or “reserved,” but in reality, many of us are just one unreturned smile away from retreating to our emotional fallout shelter with a tub of ice cream and a Netflix queue full of comfort shows. The root of shyness is rarely about lacking conversation skills or needing a list of “fun icebreakers” from the internet. Shyness, more often, is the deep suspicion that if we let someone see us fully, they will make the same grimace we make when we accidentally open the front-facing camera on our phones. We have learned, sometimes through early rejection or betrayal, that keeping our cards close to the chest is safer. We may even convince ourselves that the other person should make all the moves, because if they were truly interested, they would storm our fortress with dramatic declarations of affection and perhaps a trained falcon carrying a handwritten note. Unfortunately, a genuine connection does not work like that. Connection is a mutual crossing of bridges, and in our case, the bridge is often rickety, fog-covered, and guarded by our own Javert-like inner critic who keeps shouting “They will never love you” in a French accent. The critic, of course, is just our fear in a fancier coat, trying to keep things orderly by preventing us from doing anything unpredictable, like revealing our feelings. Overcoming shyness begins with hitting our own version of “bottom.” Not necessarily a dramatic, Les Misérables-level crisis, but perhaps a quieter realization that our lives are becoming a museum of missed opportunities. We grow tired of watching the people we like dance away into the arms of those who had the audacity to simply ask them out. We see that our fear of embarrassment has begun to embarrass us more than embarrassment itself. And so, we decide, sometimes with trembling hands and a queasy stomach, that it is worth trading the comfort of avoidance for the chaos of possibility. Of course, we do not go from anxious wallflower to flirtatious social butterfly in one grand transformation montage. We start small. We risk saying hello first. We let a pause in the conversation stretch for one uncomfortable second instead of rushing to fill it with facts about the weather. We make one genuine compliment without mentally rehearsing it for twenty minutes beforehand. We stop Googling “signs they like me” and start paying attention to how we actually feel when we are around them. Examples of bravery for the shy among us can be deceptively ordinary. It might be bringing someone a coffee without overthinking whether they will think it is “too much.” It could be revealing that we also love the obscure band they just mentioned, without worrying that they will test us on their discography. It might be resisting the urge to apologize for existing every time we take up conversational space. In fact, recognizing and being extraordinarily kind to those attempting that kind of bravery is the brand of a hero. Should we witness that kind of grace, we are in the company of an uncommon soul. The truth is, shyness is not a moral failing, and we do not need to bulldoze our temperament into oblivion. It is a signal of where our safety lies, and sometimes, we need to walk a little outside the safety zone to find joy. Love, after all, is not built on perfect confidence or cinematic charm, but on the gradual courage to let ourselves be seen, awkwardness and all. And while the inner critic will always mutter, it is possible, over time, to turn his volume down until his warnings sound less like prophecy and more like the faint hum of a distant refrigerator. In the end, the shy person’s guide to love is less about becoming bold in the grand sense and more about becoming willing in the small sense. Willing to risk a strange look. Willing to endure a beat of silence. Willing to be known, even in our nervous, overthinking, underconfident glory. Because the truth is, somewhere out there, another shy person is also rehearsing their lines, wondering if we might be the one who finally walks across the bridge. And wouldn’t it be a shame if both of us stayed at our respective ends, waving politely across the void? — This post was previously published on medium.com. Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox. Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice. Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there! Hello, Love (relationships) Change Becomes You (Advice) A Parent is Born (Parenting) Equality Includes You (Social Justice) Greener Together (Environment) Shelter Me (Wellness) Modern Identities (Gender, etc.) Co-Existence (World) *** – Photo credit: Peter Werkman on Unsplash The post Former Docent at the Museum of Missed Opportunities appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The older I get, the dumber I feel—and it’s freeing. Getting dumb might be the smartest move you make. 7 Joys of Getting Dumb: #1. Respect for the smarts of others. “Knowing” makes it easy to look down on others. Getting dumber frees you to let others be right. “I neither know nor think that I know.” – Socrates #2. Enthusiasm for learning. People who “know” have nothing to learn. Dumb people stay hungry. They ask, listen, and learn. The joy of getting dumb is staying curious. #3. Less need to impress people. Being the “expert” is draining. Life is more relaxed when you’re not trying to prove how smart you are. Dumb people laugh at themselves. #4. Openness to learn from failure. Dumb people are surprised by success—and they don’t steal the credit. They see failure as normal, not fatal. #5. Freedom to be wrong. Get dumb in a smart way. Replace defensiveness with curiosity. You seek feedback without flinching. You change your mind without shame. “He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” – Confucius #6. Deeper connections. Openness invites connection. Pretending to know pushes people away. Admitting you don’t know invites conversation. Learning together unites people. #7. Freedom from perfectionism. Perfectionists are procrastinators. Getting dumb means aiming for better, not perfect. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki Power tip: Think of the best questions you’ve heard. Did they come from someone trying to impress? How could you practice getting dumber today? How to be Smart about being Dumb The Art of Being Stupid — This post was previously published on LEADERSHIPFREAK.BLOG and is republished with Creative Commons license. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock.com The post 7 Joys of Getting Dumb appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— A Childhood Shaped by the Sea Mark Andrew Kozlowski grew up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a small fishing town with a strong maritime heritage. His father, a marine biologist, and his mother, a coastal geologist, raised him with a deep respect for the ocean. By the age of 10, Mark was already sailing small boats with his dad and learning navigation skills. At 12, he was exploring tide pools and experimenting with underwater robots made from salvaged parts. “The ocean was my playground,” he recalls. “I didn’t just want to watch it—I wanted to understand how it worked.” That mix of curiosity and technical tinkering carried into his teenage years. He built model ships, coded simple wave simulations, and joined friends in “The Cove Crew,” a group of local kids who spent summers kayaking and camping along the coast. From Dalhousie to Innovation Mark Andrew Kozlowski attended Dalhousie University, where he earned a degree in Offshore Engineering with minors in Environmental Science and Marine Geospatial Technologies. He quickly became a campus leader. He was president of the Marine Robotics Club, co-founder of Oceans@Dal—a student think tank focused on sustainability—and a member of the varsity sailing team. His thesis on AI-driven wave prediction won him the Dalhousie Ocean Innovator Award, and he graduated with the Governor General’s Academic Medal. Reflecting on those years, Mark says: “University gave me the tools. But more importantly, it showed me that technology and sustainability don’t have to compete. They can reinforce each other.” Early Career at Sea After graduation, Mark began his professional journey as a Marine Systems Engineer at OceanEdge Dynamics. There, he worked on offshore turbines, integrating smart sensors that improved energy output while reducing environmental impact. He later joined the UN Global Compact Oceans Program as an Environmental Innovation Fellow. That role exposed him to international policy debates and gave him a global perspective on the Blue Economy—the idea that sustainable use of ocean resources can drive long-term growth. “It was clear to me,” Mark says, “that the future of our economy and the health of our oceans were tied together. We can’t separate them.” Founding Blue Horizon Technologies In 2017, Mark launched Blue Horizon Technologies with a simple mission: merge artificial intelligence with ocean conservation. The company began with real-time ocean monitoring tools and quickly expanded to include offshore wind and tidal energy projects, AI-driven marine data analytics, and sustainable fisheries management systems. By 2024, Blue Horizon had grown to five international hubs in Canada, Norway, Japan, Kenya, and Chile. “We wanted to make ocean data practical,” he explains. “When policymakers, fishermen, and energy companies have better information, they make better decisions.” Global Recognition and Leadership Mark’s work has not gone unnoticed. He received the Global Marine Innovation Prize in 2022, was named a World Economic Forum Ocean Leader in 2023, and later earned the Order of Nova Scotia for his contributions to environmental technology. He also serves on the boards of Ocean Supercluster Canada, the Global BlueTech Coalition, and chairs the Atlantic Marine Innovation Network. These roles keep him at the center of conversations on ocean sustainability and emerging marine technologies. A Belief in Education and Community While Mark spends much of his time leading Blue Horizon, he is equally dedicated to education and outreach. He founded the Kozlowski Foundation for Ocean Literacy, which funds coastal education programs in underserved communities. Blue Horizon donates 5% of its profits to shoreline restoration projects. Every week, Mark also mentors students in STEM programs. “Young people need to see the ocean not just as scenery, but as a system that shapes their future,” he says. Balancing Work and Life on the Water Despite his global responsibilities, Mark remains grounded in Nova Scotia with his wife, documentary filmmaker Leila Hassan, and their twin sons, Ari and Kai. In his free time, he free dives along the rugged coastline, cooks traditional Mi’kmaq and Acadian seafood dishes, and keeps a reef tank featuring native Canadian species. He also writes poetry about the sea, with a small collection titled Tidal Echoes. “I try to live what I preach,” Mark says. “Our home is carbon-neutral, built from recycled marine materials. If we ask the world to change, we have to lead by example.” Looking Ahead Today, Mark continues to push for innovation that balances economic opportunity with ecological responsibility. He sees promise in nature-based solutions like living shorelines and in using advanced data tools to guide smarter ocean policy. “The question isn’t whether we can keep exploiting the ocean,” he says. “The real question is whether we can learn to work with it instead of against it. That’s where the future lies.” — This content is brought to you by Hassan Javed iStockPhoto The post Mark Andrew Kozlowski: Building a Smarter Future for Our Oceans appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The suspect had cast ballots in her pet’s name twice, the prosecutors say A California woman has been charged with registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in her pet’s name in two elections, the Orange County Attorney General’s Office said on Friday. Prosecutors said Laura Lee Yourex “self-reported” her actions in 2024 and now faces five felony counts. If convicted on all charges, she could serve up to six years in prison. According to the statement, Yourex submitted a mail-in ballot under the name of her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, which was counted. She attempted to do so again in the 2022 primary election, but that ballot was rejected. In 2022, Yourex reportedly posted a photo of Maya wearing an “I voted” sticker on social media. Two years later, she shared another post showing the dog’s tag alongside a ballot with the caption “maya is still getting her ballot,” even though the pet had already died, prosecutors said. California does not require residents to present identification to register or vote in state elections, though ID is required for first-time voters in federal contests. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that mail-in voting enables election fraud and has vowed to ban the practice before the 2026 midterms. California is among 19 states suing to block his executive order aimed at tightening identification rules and restricting the counting of mail-in ballots. View the full article

By Friedel Marquardt Changing the way we think — and appreciating new perspectives — can be a complex and vulnerable process. Drawing from her research into social media as a space for sharing marginalised narratives, Friedel Marquardt presents the online ‘grace space’ to safely foster transformative conversations around new ideas Transformation needs space and safety. Is social media the answer? Democratic transformation involves moving from one state of being to another, often through engagement with others. My research focuses on the transformation of ideas and mindsets; that is, learning and growing through the understanding of a new perspective. This can be a long, involved and vulnerable process, sparked by a range of factors. Regardless of its cause, this kind of transformation usually involves considering ideas and engaging in conversations to make sense of those ideas, especially in democratic contexts. In the past, the public sphere has been the place for transformative democratic conversations. But the public sphere is also exclusive, and this makes it difficult for transformation to occur, particularly in favour of marginalised groups. Newer public spaces, like social media, can be exclusive, too. Yet social media offers accessibility in a way that traditional public spaces do not. Here, nearly anyone can engage with a conversation online if they have the tools to do so. Social media as place for storytelling My research examines social media as a space for storytelling, especially for groups whose voices have historically been excluded. On social media platforms, previously silenced voices have agency over the stories they present and how they present them, along with some control over who sees their content. You can share perspectives, tell different sides to a story and, potentially, challenge mainstream or dominant ideas. You can support causes, and further your message’s reach. This can be powerful and transformative, particularly for those who have lacked opportunity to speak through traditional media. Sharing online can even lead to movements that influence legislation, as with #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. This resonates with our Democratic Transformations series. Taina Meriluoto argues that social media allows users to curate their online presence, empowering them to explore new sides of their identities. And as Alfred Moore writes, people can take on anonymous forms to explore an identity they may not otherwise be able to. With improved moderation, could we tap into social media’s accessibility to nurture democratic conversation and transformation? These new democratic transformations are dependent upon platform design. As Jennifer Forestal points out, physical and digital spaces affect how much or little a person engages, which identities they reveal, and which stories they share. Yet, platform design can also have detrimental effects. It could result in negatively targeted messaging and the spread of mis- and disinformation, and it could perpetuate harmful narratives. How far users can participate in detrimental social media engagement depends on platform regulations. Lax or poorly enforced regulations can hinder a person’s willingness to engage with new ideas in these spaces, lest they become targets of online abuse. With improved moderation and the safety of a closed group, could we tap into social media’s accessibility to nurture democratic conversation and transformation? Could such platforms become ‘grace spaces’ where people explore and test new ideas? What is a ‘grace space’? I imagine a grace space as an accessible online platform for personal transformation that welcomes the messiness of the process. Grace spaces are conversational platforms that invite the questions people may otherwise hesitate to ask. They also offer space to openly respond to those questions, and allow people learning to make mistakes as they engage with new concepts. There are, at present, only limited online spaces that invite people to have vulnerable conversations without the risk of trolling or hateful interactions. However, there are spaces online that allude to this kind of conversation. The subreddit r/IAmA provides a space for a ‘crowdsourced interview’, which Reddit calls an ‘ask me anything’. Here, redditors can ask questions in response to someone’s description of themselves and what they do. The subreddit is moderated, with rules around what questions users can ask, and how moderators expect redditors to interact. Topics are diverse, from learning about surrogacy, to immigration law, to celebrities and much more. Online grace spaces allow people to ask the questions they may not be brave enough to ask elsewhere. They welcome the ‘messiness’ of personal transformation r/IAmA is certainly a space for more honest information sharing. But it provides a predominantly unidirectional response to questions. Redditors may comment on the OP’s (original poster’s) response to their question, but the OP does not usually respond to that comment again. The grace space I am proposing is conversational. It is deliberative in nature and would benefit from many of the traits found in citizens’ assemblies, but specifically, mutual understanding and respect. We might even think of it as the r/IAmA subreddit with democratic facilitation, optional anonymity, and in closed-group form. Listening and empathy are key factors in this conversation, because they help create a caring environment that welcomes people and their stories. A space to assist transformative journeys As in online forums, conversations in a grace space have a purpose: participating in democratic discussion about an issue to enhance understanding. In such spaces, people are not condemned or ‘cancelled‘ because of their group identity or affiliation, or because they make mistakes in responding to ideas. They may be corrected if their interactions have a negative impact on others, or even removed from the online space if they are continually disruptive. However, everyone involved enters the space with the understanding that people are there to make sense of what ideas mean for themselves and their identities. All users enter a ‘grace space’ with the understanding that people are there to make sense of what ideas mean for themselves and their identities The grace space is there to help people make sense of their own identity in response to others’ stories and ideas, and to foster conversation among participants throughout the process. It is there to support people’s transformative journeys. No.19 in our Democratic Transformations series This article was originally published at The Loop and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post 🎭 How Social Media Can Support Transformative Conversations appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— The dating world is getting tough out there in 2025, and for single men, it’s important to remember just how essential first impressions are—and how far they truly go. First impressions no longer just apply to superficial things like clothes and initial conversations, because your home will ultimately say a lot about you when you bring a woman back to your place for the first time. This means that the way you maintain and design your home décor can either impress your love interest or instantly turn them off. And the tough truth is that too many single guys are turning women off by their shabby apartments and décor themes these days! So, if you’re a single guy and you’re hoping to make your home more welcoming to lady visitors, it could be time to make absolutely certain that your place doesn’t come off as anything close to a bachelor pad stereotype. Check out the below sections to learn more about 5 common home décor mistakes that single men make—as well as how to fix them for good! 1. Mismatched or Old Furniture If you’re still using hand-me-down furniture or pretty much have a completely random assortment of furniture pieces in your living room, the odds are that your décor looks unplanned and chaotic. And trust us, women will quickly notice if things like your dining chairs don’t match or your couch looks saggy! The solution for this décor mistake isn’t necessarily that you need to buy everything brand new for expensive prices, but you should instead be focusing on creating a cohesive aesthetic. This means committing to one décor style (rustic, modern, minimalist, etc.) and sticking with it throughout your entire home. Don’t put off investing in a comfortable, sturdy sofa any longer—and the same thing goes for coffee tables and dining chairs. After all, it’s 2025, and your home now needs to feel grown-up and intentional! 2. Poor Household Lighting Another common décor mistake that single guys unknowingly make is relying on overhead lightbulbs, or even worse, fluorescent lighting. Not only is fluorescent lighting very unflattering from a dating perspective, but it also creates a sterile vibe in your home that makes it feel more like a Wal-Mart or hospital. It’s just flat-out not relaxing, which won’t do you any favors on your date nights. The solution for this mistake is layering your home’s lighting by adding table lamps, floor lamps, and soft LED bulbs that enhance overall ambience. Dimmer switches are another affordable way to improve your space’s atmosphere, and warm lighting will always go a long way to make your place feel less like a college dorm and more like the home of a professional man that women can trust and get to know better! 3. Bare Floors With No Warmth When you walk into a room that has nothing but bare tile, hardwood or worn carpeting, it inevitably makes the entire space feel uninviting and unfinished. Bare floors also give off a temporary space impression, which a lot of women psychologically associate with their first apartments and college dorm rooms. This is absolutely not how you want your home to come off during a first impression, which is why it’s so important to be on the lookout for high-quality area rugs. And even though it’s partially true that rugs can be expensive, the actual truth is that finding high-quality modern area rugs online has become much easier in recent years. Rugs will instantly add style, comfort and warmth to any room in your home. They’ll also reduce echoes and define specific zones, which will subtly show how you pay attention to life’s finer details! 4. Empty Walls White, blank walls give off a horrible first impression to women—and it’s something that single guys fall for way too often. When you don’t have any art on your walls, it comes off as though you either just moved in recently or you simply don’t care about your personal surroundings and creative expression. Empty walls make homes feel impersonal and sterile, which is an easy way to make a woman feel less comfortable and simply ready to leave… The fix for this décor wreck is to hang framed photos, artwork, or shelves of décor pieces and books. And just remember that you don’t need to spend a ton of money to fill up your walls properly, because there are plenty of affordable options online that’ll reflect your personality and give your home the much-needed character that it deserves! 5. Neglected or Cluttered Bathrooms You better believe that women will thoroughly judge your home’s bathroom. This means that they’ll instantly get turned off by things like missing towels, old toiletries and questionable cleanliness. The solution for this issue is to keep your bathrooms clean, simple and fully functional. Be sure to invest in some fresh towels and a matching bath mat—and never, ever let your shower curtain get dirty! Organizing your cabinets and toiletries will also go a long way to make you come off as an organized dude who has his life together, and bathrooms should always smell extra fresh when you’re expecting visitors. Details Matter For A Single Guy’s Home Décor! You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a welcoming, attractive home that single women will appreciate—because it’s really all about showing thoughtfulness and effort. Women will surely notice when your home feels comfortable, intentional and stylish. And by fixing the above home décor mistakes that guys make way too often, you’ll help guarantee that your home is giving off a positive first impression for that special someone in your life! — This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building iStockPhoto The post 5 Home Décor Mistakes That Turn Women Off—And How To Fix Them! appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest, Investigate Midwest After the Civil War, the U.S. government promised 40 acres, either from abandoned plantations or unused land, to formerly enslaved Black people. But then President Andrew Johnson intervened. He pardoned Confederates, returning their land. It became a common theme. In the following decades, some Black farmers gained land through deals with white landowners: After being tenant operators, they could buy acreage, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. But as Jim Crow laws proliferated in the early 19th century, more and more Black farmers were subject to oppressive farming contracts. In 1920, there were more than 900,000 Black-owned farms in the U.S., many in the South. It wouldn’t last. In the following decades, the number of Black-owned farms nosedived, according to Census of Agriculture data. As of 2022, only about 28,000 farms were owned by Black operators. While the total number of farms has also decreased over the past hundred years, Black farmers have suffered disproportionately. In 1920, Black-owned farms made up about 15% of all operations. In 2022, the figure was 1.5%. Much of the decline has been attributed to the USDA, which used to have the nickname “The Last Plantation.” One Black farmer told Mother Jones the USDA was a “machine that eats up Black farmland.” The National Black Farmers Association has documented the important events. In 1965, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found the department, when providing financial assistance, discriminated against Black farmers. Twenty-five years later, a Congressional committee had similar conclusions. In 1997, the landmark Pigford lawsuit was filed, resulting in $1 billion in restitution payments two years later to Black farmers. But Johnson’s decision to return land to whites that the government had provided to Black farmers has had long-lasting consequences, according to reporting by Mother Jones, Reveal and The Center for Public Integrity. For instance, about 1,000 freed people received tracts of land on Skidaway Island, just off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Now, it’s a tony white enclave. Cut off from resources such as land, Black farmers have struggled to obtain funding from the USDA to this day. According to data obtained by NPR, Black farmers are much more likely to be denied loans than their white counterparts. Notes on the data: Census of Agriculture data can be difficult to compare across time. The USDA has added different categories over the decades to more accurately reflect the make-up of America’s farmers. For instance, the USDA used to only record one operator per farm, which could mask the role of women, according to the study, “How the USDA Changed the Way Women Farmers are Counted in the Census of Agriculture.” Now, multiple operators can be counted. The recording of farmers’ race was also inconsistent. The number of Black operators was not recorded in the 1935 and 1945 censuses, for example. Until relatively recently, farmers who were not white or Black were lumped together as “other.” This makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the presence of farmers of different backgrounds. This article first appeared on Investigate Midwest and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. — Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: investigatemidwest The post Number of Black-Owned Farms Has Decreased Drastically Since 1900 appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— Enterprise scalability has become one of the most pressing challenges facing modern organizations as they navigate digital transformation while managing explosive growth, evolving market demands, and increasingly complex operational requirements. Mobile applications have emerged as critical tools for addressing these scalability challenges, enabling enterprises to streamline operations, enhance employee productivity, and deliver superior customer experiences without proportional increases in overhead costs. The traditional approach to enterprise scaling—adding more staff, expanding physical infrastructure, and replicating existing processes—has proven inadequate for today’s dynamic business environment. Forward-thinking organizations are leveraging mobile app development services to create scalable solutions that automate workflows, optimize resource allocation, and provide real-time visibility into operations across global enterprises. The key lies in understanding how strategic mobile development can transform scalability from a cost burden into a competitive advantage. Understanding Enterprise Scalability Challenges Modern enterprises face scalability obstacles that didn’t exist even a decade ago. The convergence of remote work, global operations, regulatory complexity, and customer experience expectations has created scalability challenges that require sophisticated technological solutions rather than simple resource multiplication. Operational Complexity Growth increases exponentially rather than linearly as enterprises expand. Adding new locations, products, or market segments creates interconnected complexities that traditional management approaches cannot handle effectively. Mobile applications provide centralized control systems that manage distributed operations while maintaining consistency and visibility across all business units. Resource Allocation Inefficiencies emerge when enterprises rely on manual processes and legacy systems that cannot adapt quickly to changing demands. Mobile apps enable dynamic resource allocation by providing real-time data about capacity utilization, demand patterns, and performance metrics that guide intelligent decision-making at scale. Communication and Coordination Barriers multiply as organizations grow, creating information silos and coordination delays that impede scalability. Mobile platforms break down these barriers by providing unified communication channels, collaborative workflows, and shared data access that enables seamless coordination across large, distributed teams. Customer Service Scalability Limits become apparent when traditional support models cannot handle growing customer bases without proportional cost increases. Mobile applications enable self-service capabilities, automated support processes, and efficient case management that scale customer service without linear staff increases. Strategic Mobile Solutions for Enterprise Scaling Effective enterprise mobile applications address scalability challenges through strategic approaches that leverage automation, data intelligence, and workflow optimization to enable growth without proportional resource increases. Process Automation and Workflow Optimization represent the most direct approach to scalability, enabling enterprises to handle increased volume without adding staff. Mobile applications automate routine tasks, standardize processes across locations, and provide workflow management capabilities that ensure consistent execution regardless of scale. These automated processes reduce human error while enabling teams to focus on high-value activities that drive growth. Real-Time Data Integration and Analytics provide the visibility necessary for effective scaling by connecting mobile applications with enterprise systems to deliver actionable insights. Mobile dashboards aggregate data from multiple sources, provide predictive analytics, and enable data-driven decision making that optimizes resource allocation and identifies scaling opportunities before they become critical bottlenecks. Self-Service and Employee Empowerment solutions reduce administrative overhead by enabling employees to access information, complete tasks, and resolve issues independently through mobile interfaces. These self-service capabilities scale automatically with workforce growth while reducing the burden on support teams and management hierarchies. Customer Experience Scaling through mobile applications enables enterprises to serve growing customer bases with personalized experiences that don’t require proportional increases in support staff. Mobile apps provide automated onboarding, self-service support, and personalized interactions that maintain service quality while accommodating exponential customer growth. Architecture Considerations for Scalable Mobile Applications Building mobile applications that truly address enterprise scalability requires architectural approaches that anticipate growth while maintaining performance, security, and maintainability as usage scales exponentially. Cloud-Native Architecture provides the foundation for scalable mobile applications by leveraging cloud computing resources that can expand dynamically based on demand. Cloud-native mobile apps benefit from automatic scaling, global distribution, and managed services that eliminate infrastructure bottlenecks while providing enterprise-grade reliability and performance. Microservices Integration enables mobile applications to connect with enterprise systems through modular, scalable service architectures. This approach allows different application components to scale independently based on usage patterns while maintaining overall system stability and enabling rapid feature development. API-First Development creates flexible mobile applications that can integrate with existing enterprise systems while adapting to future technology changes. API-driven architectures enable mobile apps to serve as unified interfaces for complex backend systems while providing the flexibility to modify or replace underlying services without affecting user experiences. Offline Capability and Data Synchronization ensure that mobile applications remain functional even when network connectivity is limited, which becomes increasingly important as enterprises scale across diverse geographic regions with varying infrastructure quality. Robust offline capabilities prevent scaling bottlenecks caused by connectivity dependencies. Industry-Specific Scalability Solutions Different industries face unique scalability challenges that require tailored mobile development approaches. Understanding these industry-specific requirements enables more effective mobile solutions that address actual scaling obstacles rather than generic productivity improvements. Manufacturing and Supply Chain scalability challenges include inventory management, quality control, and coordination across multiple facilities and suppliers. Mobile applications address these challenges through real-time inventory tracking, mobile quality inspections, digital work instructions, and supplier coordination platforms that scale operations without proportional administrative increases. Healthcare and Life Sciences organizations face scalability challenges related to patient care, regulatory compliance, and clinical research coordination. Mobile solutions include patient engagement platforms, clinical data collection systems, compliance monitoring tools, and telemedicine applications that scale healthcare delivery while maintaining quality and regulatory adherence. Financial Services scalability requires mobile applications that handle growing transaction volumes, regulatory reporting, and customer service demands. Mobile banking platforms, automated compliance monitoring, customer onboarding systems, and advisory tools enable financial institutions to scale services while managing risk and regulatory requirements effectively. Retail and E-commerce scaling challenges include inventory management, customer service, and omnichannel coordination. Mobile solutions provide staff productivity tools, customer engagement platforms, inventory optimization systems, and unified commerce capabilities that support growth without operational complexity increases. Performance Optimization for Enterprise Scale Enterprise mobile applications must maintain exceptional performance as user bases grow from hundreds to thousands or millions of users. Performance optimization requires proactive approaches that anticipate scaling challenges rather than reacting to performance degradation. Load Balancing and Traffic Management distribute user requests across multiple servers and geographic regions to prevent performance bottlenecks as usage scales. Advanced load balancing includes intelligent routing based on user location, device capabilities, and current system load to optimize response times globally. Caching and Data Management strategies reduce server load while improving response times through intelligent data storage and retrieval. Multi-layer caching approaches include device-level caching, content delivery networks, and database optimization that maintain performance as data volumes and user bases expand exponentially. Database Scaling and Optimization ensures that mobile applications can access and update enterprise data efficiently regardless of database size or query complexity. Modern database scaling includes horizontal partitioning, read replicas, and query optimization that maintain response times as data volumes grow. Monitoring and Performance Analytics provide early warning of scaling issues while identifying optimization opportunities. Comprehensive monitoring tracks user experience metrics, system performance indicators, and business impact measures that guide scaling decisions and performance improvements. Security and Compliance at Scale Enterprise mobile applications must maintain security and compliance standards even as they scale to serve larger user bases and handle more sensitive data. Scalable security requires architectural approaches that strengthen rather than weaken as applications grow. Identity and Access Management becomes more complex as enterprises scale, requiring mobile applications to integrate with sophisticated authentication and authorization systems. Scalable identity management includes single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access controls that maintain security while enabling productivity at scale. Data Protection and Privacy requirements intensify as mobile applications handle increasing volumes of sensitive enterprise and customer data. Scalable data protection includes encryption, data loss prevention, and privacy controls that adapt to growing data volumes and expanding regulatory requirements. Audit and Compliance Monitoring capabilities must scale alongside application usage to ensure ongoing regulatory adherence. Automated compliance monitoring, audit trail generation, and reporting capabilities provide oversight without manual overhead that would limit scalability. Threat Detection and Response systems protect enterprise mobile applications from increasingly sophisticated security threats. Scalable security monitoring includes behavioral analytics, automated threat response, and security orchestration that provides protection without limiting application performance or user experience. Integration with Enterprise Systems Scalable mobile applications must integrate seamlessly with existing enterprise systems while accommodating future technology changes and business expansion. Effective integration strategies enable mobile apps to serve as unified interfaces for complex enterprise ecosystems. Enterprise Resource Planning Integration connects mobile applications with core business systems to provide real-time access to financial, operational, and customer data. ERP integration enables mobile apps to support business processes at scale while maintaining data consistency and accuracy across all systems. Customer Relationship Management integration provides mobile access to customer data, sales processes, and service histories that enable personalized interactions at scale. CRM integration supports sales team productivity, customer service efficiency, and marketing campaign effectiveness as customer bases expand. Business Intelligence and Analytics integration provides mobile access to enterprise analytics and reporting capabilities. Mobile BI enables data-driven decision making at all organizational levels while providing the insights necessary for effective scaling and resource optimization. Legacy System Modernization through mobile interfaces enables enterprises to leverage existing technology investments while providing modern user experiences. Mobile applications can serve as contemporary interfaces for legacy systems, extending their useful life while improving user productivity. Development Partnership Strategies Enterprise mobile development for scalability requires expertise that most organizations don’t maintain internally. Strategic development partnerships provide access to specialized knowledge while enabling focus on core business objectives. Enterprise Mobile Development Expertise provides deep understanding of scalability challenges, architectural best practices, and integration requirements specific to enterprise environments. Experienced development teams understand the unique requirements of enterprise scaling and can implement solutions that address actual business needs rather than theoretical capabilities. Technology Partnership and Integration capabilities ensure that mobile applications can leverage best-of-breed enterprise technologies while maintaining cohesive user experiences. Development partners with established technology relationships can implement more effective integrations while reducing implementation risks and timelines. Ongoing Support and Evolution services ensure that mobile applications continue supporting enterprise scaling as business requirements change and technology platforms evolve. Professional development partners provide maintenance, updates, and enhancement services that extend application lifecycles while maintaining scalability benefits. Working with a custom mobile app development company that specializes in enterprise solutions provides access to proven methodologies, scalable architectures, and integration expertise that accelerates development while ensuring long-term scalability success. Measuring Scalability Success Effective enterprise mobile development requires ongoing measurement of scalability benefits to ensure that applications continue delivering value as organizations grow. Success measurement guides optimization decisions while demonstrating return on development investments. Operational Efficiency Metrics track how mobile applications impact productivity, process efficiency, and resource utilization as organizations scale. Key metrics include task completion times, error rates, resource utilization improvements, and automation effectiveness that demonstrate operational scalability benefits. User Adoption and Satisfaction indicators reveal whether mobile applications successfully address enterprise scaling challenges from user perspectives. Adoption metrics include usage patterns, feature utilization, user feedback, and productivity improvements that indicate application effectiveness. Business Impact Measurement connects mobile application performance to business outcomes like revenue growth, cost reduction, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning. These connections demonstrate the strategic value of mobile development investments while guiding future enhancement priorities. Scalability Performance Indicators track how well mobile applications maintain performance and functionality as user bases and data volumes increase. Performance indicators include response times, system availability, error rates, and capacity utilization that ensure applications continue supporting growth effectively. Companies like Devsinc excel at building enterprise mobile solutions that address real scalability challenges while providing measurable business value, combining technical expertise with strategic understanding of enterprise growth requirements to create applications that enable rather than constrain organizational scaling. Enterprise scalability through mobile app development represents a strategic approach to growth that leverages technology to overcome traditional scaling limitations. Success requires understanding specific scalability challenges, implementing appropriate architectural solutions, and partnering with experienced development teams who can deliver applications that truly enable enterprise growth. Organizations that approach mobile development strategically create competitive advantages that compound over time, while those that treat mobile apps as simple productivity tools often miss the transformative potential that effective mobile solutions provide for enterprise scaling challenges. — This content is brought to you by Ava Sinclair iStockPhoto The post Mobile App Development Services for Solving Enterprise Scalability Challenges appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Long-distance relationships (LDRs) are often described as tests of love, patience, and character. For Ajit in India and Marissa in Australia, these tests stretched over five years, spanning continents, cultures, faiths, and laws. Their story stands in contrast to that of Lara and Bhanu, who also lived in India and Australia respectively, but found the distance and differences too much to overcome. Through the lens of these two couples, both known to me personally (I am the aunt), and whose journey I followed, we can unravel what helps love to thrive across borders and what, sadly, can make it unravel (with permission). The Story of Ajit and Marissa: Five Years Apart, Together in Spirit Ajit and Marissa’s relationship began like many others, but circumstances; visa delays, religious backgrounds, and vastly different cultures, meant they would live oceans apart. For half a decade, they maintained not just affection, but also a sense of partnership, proving that distance can be measured in miles but also bridged by intent. Their experience can be distilled into several principles: Trust — The Absolute Must: The foundation of their relationship rested on trust. Doubt rarely entered their conversations, and neither tried to control the other’s friendships or activities. Insecure possessiveness has destroyed many relationships, but Ajit and Marissa learned early that confidence in each other was crucial. Embracing Friendship Across Genders: Both maintained friendships with people of all genders. They did not shy away from or fear friendships with the opposite sex, believing that comfort around all people reduced curiosity and temptation. This openness was key to their comfort and security. Constant but Meaningful Communication: Mobile phones and messaging apps kept them connected, but they were selective about how and when they shared. Not every moment needed to be broadcasted, and some stories were saved for dedicated time together, making those conversations special and focused. Spontaneity and Playfulness: Despite the distance, they kept things light; singing songs, video chatting, sending goofy pictures, writing poems, and exchanging homemade cards. These small acts of affection kept excitement alive and made the relationship feel less routine. Integration with Each Other’s Friends: Feeling included in each other’s lives was paramount. By befriending each other’s social circles, Ajit and Marissa reduced feelings of isolation and even collaborated on surprise gestures. Creating Shared Traditions: The couple kept a ‘long-distance book’: a physical keepsake filled with photos, poems, and letters. This tangible reminder of their bond offered comfort during difficult times and became a journal of cherished memories. Resolving Fights Quickly: LDRs can make conflict resolution challenging, but Ajit and Marissa made it a point never to let disagreements fester. Most disputes were settled before the next day dawned, preventing resentment from building up in the void left by physical distance. Hope and Future Planning: They didn’t shy away from talking about the future, whether that meant planning a holiday together or discussing bigger life decisions. These conversations provided hope and a sense of momentum, vital for enduring separation. Ajit and Marissa’s success came not from luck but from daily investment in trust, communication, and inclusion, as well as a refusal to let differences, be they national, religious, or cultural, become obstacles. Lara and Bhanu: When Distance and Doubt Win Lara and Bhanu’s relationship followed a similar path at first. Lara was living in Australia, Bhanu in India. Like Ajit and Marissa, they faced the same barriers of culture, religion, and endless paperwork. But their story diverged, and their relationship ultimately ended. Why? Trust Issues: Unlike Ajit and Marissa, Lara and Bhanu struggled with doubt. Jealousy crept in, particularly regarding new friends and social lives abroad. Restrictions were placed; both subtle and overt on who each could socialize with, which quickly led to frustration, secrecy, and eroding trust. Narrow Social Circles: Both were hesitant for each other to form close friendships with the opposite gender, fearing this would lead to emotional or romantic entanglements. Instead of feeling secure, this created a sense of limitation, making outside friendships seem more alluring and fraught with suspicion. Over-communication and Under-communication: Lara felt pressured to report every detail of her day, while Bhanu sometimes withdrew entirely. This imbalance meant that neither felt truly heard or understood, and both felt at times either suffocated or abandoned. Lack of Spontaneity: Their conversations became routine, focused on logistics and worries rather than joy and playfulness. The relationship, instead of being a respite from daily struggles, became another source of stress. No Shared Community: They didn’t make efforts to befriend each other’s friends, leaving each feeling disconnected from the other’s daily life. It was easy for misunderstandings to grow in these gaps. No Tangible Reminders: Without shared rituals: no “long-distance book,” no exchanged letters or poems, their memories became more digital and momentary. When times were hard, they had little to look back on together. Lingering Fights: Arguments dragged on, sometimes for days, with no easy way to reconcile. The pain of unresolved conflict was magnified by the inability to offer a quick hug or apology in person. Uncertain Future: Unlike Ajit and Marissa, Lara and Bhanu avoided talking seriously about the future. The uncertainty became overwhelming, and the absence of shared plans made hope difficult to sustain. While Ajit and Marissa managed to overcome the classic pitfalls of LDRs, Lara and Bhanu showed how the same challenges, when left unaddressed, can drive a wedge between partners. Ajit and Marissa’s relationship survived, not in spite of the distance, but because they chose every day to trust, to communicate honestly, and to remain present in each other’s lives. Lara and Bhanu remind us that the absence of these qualities can turn distance from a challenge into a chasm. … I was fortunate enough to witness the fruits of this devotion firsthand: I attended Ajit and Marissa’s wedding ceremonies, both Hindu and Christian, where their commitment was celebrated with joy, colour, and the embrace of two families and traditions. Today, they share a life that is as vibrant and harmonious as the vows they exchanged. As for Lara, I remember hugging her tightly during one of those difficult evenings, assuring her that the lessons of this chapter would serve her well, whether in a future long-distance relationship or in one woven from the fabric of everyday, face-to-face moments. I told her, with genuine faith, that her true-life partner was still out there, and that the resilience she’d gained would help her recognise and nurture the love she deserved. If you, or someone close to you, are navigating the complexities of a long-distance relationship, may these stories offer both inspiration and gentle caution: love can span oceans and continents, but only when it is continually nurtured with trust, honesty, inclusion, and the daily, shared decision to hope together. What do you think? Have you had a long-distance relationship? … Thanks for reading dear friends and lovers ღ. © Stephanie Roberts — This post was previously published on medium.com. Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox. Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice. Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there! Hello, Love (relationships) Change Becomes You (Advice) A Parent is Born (Parenting) Equality Includes You (Social Justice) Greener Together (Environment) Shelter Me (Wellness) Modern Identities (Gender, etc.) Co-Existence (World) *** – Photo credit: Look Studio On Unsplash The post Are Long-Distance Relationships Destined to Fail, Doomed From the Start? appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— In September 2025, the Berlin International Electronics Show (IFA), a premier global stage for consumer electronics, hosted a highly anticipated product launch. Midea Group chose this world-renowned exhibition to unveil its revolutionary Intrinity Fan series, highlighting the brand’s strong confidence in its innovation capabilities and its determination to penetrate the global high-end market. IFA has long been regarded as the launchpad for flagship innovations, where the products introduced often shape industry conversations for the year ahead. For Midea, debuting the Intrinity Fan Series at such a high-profile venue reflected a clear global strategy: moving beyond its established dominance in home appliances and positioning itself as a leader in the evolution of smart home air management. This launch marked a decisive milestone for the brand, laying the foundation for a new chapter in the global fan industry. The Intrinity Fan embodies a convergence of Midea’s most advanced engineering achievements. Its hallmark is the proprietary Möbius strip blade design, a world-first technology that transforms airflow into an infinite, stable stream. Coupled with an intelligent environmental adaptation system, the series achieves significant gains in both energy efficiency and acoustic performance. Beyond its silent and powerful airflow, the design incorporates eco-friendly materials and recyclable elements, underscoring Midea’s commitment to sustainability and the broader movement toward greener, smarter living. Observers at IFA were quick to point out the strategic value of this product. In an era where consumers increasingly demand home appliances that are both energy-conscious and technologically sophisticated, Midea’s launch met the moment with precision. The brand’s presentation demonstrated not only its prowess in innovation but also its ability to align engineering breakthroughs with real-world consumer needs. By debuting at IFA, Midea effectively elevated the Intrinity Fan Series from a product release to a global statement of intent. The appearance in Berlin serves as the beginning of a broader international rollout. While official market release plans and promotional campaigns are expected to follow through Midea’s global channels, the IFA launch provided the initial spark to capture international awareness and anticipation. For Midea, this was not merely a product introduction but a carefully calculated step in strengthening its influence in the global consumer electronics sector. When Midea launched the Intrinity Fan Series, it made a significant impact on attendees and industry experts alike. The fan’s airflow technology combined quiet operation, powerful performance, and efficiency, making it more than just a seasonal product. We’re excited to see more sustainable approaches to everyday appliances, which reintroduces fans, often overlooked in the smart home conversation, back into the spotlight. — This content is brought to you by Chris Reyes Photos provided by the author. The post Live IFA Report: Midea Intrinity Fan Earns ‘Best Smart Home Appliance’ Nomination on Debut Day appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Kristine Sabillo Three conservation trusts have together purchased an area of a severely threatened vegetation type found in the Overberg region of South Africa’s Western Cape province. Known as the renosterveld, this unique habitat characterized by shrubs and grasses is also a breeding ground for endangered black harriers, the three groups announced in a joint press release. The Overberg Renosterveld Trust (ORT) partnered with the U.K.-based World Land Trust (WLT) and the Mapula Trust to buy the 270-hectare (667-acre) property called Goereesoe. The site is part of the Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld, an ecosystem considered to be critically endangered. The renosterveld used to cover a large part of the Overberg region, but now only 5% remains, due to land conversion for agriculture, ORT said. “This is a significant win for renosterveld and the Black Harrier,” Odette Curtis-Scott, CEO of the Overberg Renosterveld Trust, said in the release. “By securing this land, we are protecting critical habitat and species whose futures are teetering on a knife edge.” The black harrier (Circus maurus), found mostly in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, has fewer than 500 breeding pairs left in the wild. Goereesoe, along with the neighboring Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve and another property called Plaatjieskraal — all managed by the ORT and known collectively as the Haarwegskloof Cluster — together support around 30 pairs of breeding black harriers, or 6% of the global population, ORT said. ORT added that securing Goereesoe will help researchers track movements of black harriers, which have been impacted by wind turbines, as previously reported by Mongabay. Curtis-Scott said the Haarwegskloof Cluster, the largest connected stretch of renosterveld left on Earth, has now grown to more than 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres), after adding Plaatjieskraal and Goereesoe. ORT said it hopes both properties will receive nature reserve status soon, and is working with neighboring farms to grow a conservation corridor. “It means that wildlife, especially our precious pollinators and invertebrates, can move freely and safely across this natural remnant patches in this highly transformed landscape,” Curtis-Scott said. The renosterveld ecosystem features unique vegetation, including shrubs like the renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis) and very rare flowering bulbs like Hesperantha kiaratayloriae and Lachenalia barberae, that grow over fertile, clay- and shale-based soils and outcrops of white quartz. Renosterveld, Afrikaans for “rhinoceros field,” was possibly named for the gray renosterbos bushes resembling rhino hide, or refers to black rhinos that historically roamed the area before being killed off by European settlers. “Protecting this site means safeguarding one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, and the species that depend on it,” said Catherine Barnard, CEO of World Land Trust. The acquisition of Goereesoe was made possible through WLT’s Buy An Acre program, which allows people to directly help purchase and protect threatened habitats. — Previously Published on news.mongabay with Creative Commons Attribution *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. On Substack? Connect with us there. — Photo credit: unsplash The post To Save a Rare South African Ecosystem, Conservationists Bought the Land appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— The immigration landscape is evolving, and a quiet revolution is taking place in English proficiency testing. While most candidates continue to struggle with traditional assessments, a new pathway has emerged that’s changing the game entirely. Australia’s recent acceptance of the CELPIP test, combined with Canada’s established reliance on this assessment, has created an unprecedented opportunity for skilled professionals seeking permanent residency or citizenship. Yet here’s the uncomfortable truth: most test preparation approaches are fundamentally flawed, leaving qualified candidates trapped in cycles of repeated failures and mounting costs. Guaranteed Improvement via HZad Education CELPIP: https://hzadeducation.com/product/classes-celpip/ The Hidden Crisis in English Proficiency Testing Traditional English proficiency tests have dominated the immigration process for decades, creating artificial barriers that often reflect test-taking ability rather than genuine communication competence. These assessments frequently emphasize academic scenarios that bear little resemblance to the practical English skills needed for workplace success or daily life in Australia or Canada. The statistics tell a sobering story. Research indicates that capable English speakers often require multiple attempts to achieve required scores, not because they lack proficiency, but because they haven’t mastered the specific frameworks and strategies these tests demand. The financial and emotional toll is staggering, candidates typically spend over $1,200 in registration fees alone across multiple attempts, not including preparation costs and lost time. This systemic problem has created a market flooded with generic preparation courses that treat all English tests as interchangeable. The result? Thousands of qualified professionals remain stuck in preparation limbo, their immigration dreams delayed by inadequate training methods. Enter CELPIP: A More Practical Assessment Philosophy The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program represents a fundamental shift in how English competency is evaluated. Unlike traditional academic-focused assessments, CELPIP prioritizes real-world communication scenarios that mirror actual workplace and social interactions in English-speaking countries. This practical orientation makes CELPIP particularly relevant for immigration candidates. The test evaluates how effectively you can participate in workplace meetings, handle customer service situations, engage in community discussions, and navigate professional correspondence, precisely the skills that predict success in Canadian and Australian environments. For Australia, the acceptance of CELPIP creates a strategic advantage for early adopters. While most candidates continue competing within the saturated traditional testing landscape, those who embrace CELPIP can access less crowded testing schedules and demonstrate their English proficiency through an assessment that better reflects real-world demands. The Methodology Gap: Why Generic Preparation Fails The emergence of CELPIP in new markets has exposed a critical gap in preparation methodology. Many training providers are hastily rebranding their general English courses as “CELPIP training,” fundamentally misunderstanding what effective preparation requires. Generic English improvement focuses on grammar rules, vocabulary expansion, and general communication skills. While these elements matter, they represent only the foundation. CELPIP success demands mastery of specific response frameworks, strategic time management, and understanding of unique scoring criteria that differ significantly from other assessments. Consider the speaking component: traditional preparation might focus on pronunciation and fluency, but CELPIP requires structured responses that demonstrate specific organizational patterns, appropriate register shifts, and strategic use of complex sentence structures within strict time constraints. These are learnable skills, but they require specialized training that addresses CELPIP’s unique demands. The HZad Education Advantage: Proven Excellence in CELPIP Training https://hzadeducation.com/product/classes-celpip/ While CELPIP may be new to Australia, it has a well-established track record in Canada, where HZad Education has emerged as the undisputed leader in CELPIP test preparation. With over 47,000 YouTube subscribers and the most comprehensive collection of verified student success stories in the industry, HZad Education has systematically solved the preparation challenges that trap most candidates. Sean Zaidi, the founder of HZad Education, didn’t just create another test prep course—he engineered a systematic approach that addresses the specific cognitive and strategic demands of CELPIP. His methodology emerged from analyzing thousands of student attempts, identifying the precise factors that separate high scorers from repeat test-takers. Revolutionary Hybrid Learning Model HZad Education’s CELPIP online course represents the first successful integration of artificial intelligence with expert human evaluation. This hybrid approach delivers the speed and consistency of AI-powered mock tests while maintaining the nuanced feedback that only experienced educators can provide. The AI component simulates the actual CELPIP exam interface, delivering instant scoring across all four modules. Students receive immediate performance data, allowing them to identify weaknesses and track improvement in real-time. This technological foundation ensures that practice sessions closely mirror the actual testing experience. However, technology alone cannot replicate the sophisticated evaluation that CELPIP demands. HZad Education’s human feedback component provides the critical edge that distinguishes their program. Expert instructors deliver examiner-style evaluations that focus on the subtle elements that separate competent responses from exceptional ones, tone appropriateness, task response accuracy, and structural sophistication. Systematic Strategy Development Unlike generic preparation courses that focus on content review, HZad Education prioritizes strategic mastery. Their approach recognizes that CELPIP success requires specific frameworks for each task type, not just improved English skills. For CELPIP speaking and writing feedback, students learn proven templates that can be adapted across multiple question types. These aren’t rigid formulas, but flexible structures that ensure complete task response while allowing for individual expression. The program includes over 800 CELPIP-specific vocabulary items and phrases, strategically selected for their effectiveness in achieving CLB 9+ results. The reading and listening components receive equally systematic treatment. Students master keyword identification techniques, learn to anticipate question types, and develop strategic approaches to time management that maximize accuracy within strict time constraints. Comprehensive Support Ecosystem HZad Education’s CELPIP classes extend beyond traditional instruction to create a complete support ecosystem. Students gain access to five complete mock tests that challenge them with question types more difficult than the actual exam, ensuring they enter the testing center over-prepared rather than surprised by exam difficulty. The program includes lifetime access to ongoing resources, ensuring that students can review materials and access new strategies as they become available. This long-term support recognizes that immigration preparation extends beyond a single test attempt. Strategic Implications for Australian Immigration Candidates Australia’s acceptance of CELPIP creates immediate strategic opportunities for informed candidates. Early adoption provides access to less saturated testing schedules and positions candidates ahead of the inevitable surge in CELPIP popularity as awareness grows. More importantly, CELPIP’s practical focus aligns closely with Australian immigration priorities. The test’s emphasis on workplace communication and real-world scenarios demonstrates exactly the skills that Australian employers and communities value. Candidates who excel at CELPIP prove their readiness for immediate contribution to Australian society. The window for early-adopter advantages is finite. As CELPIP gains recognition in Australia, testing slots will become more competitive, and the relative advantage of choosing this pathway will diminish. Candidates who act now can capitalize on both the strategic benefits and the superior preparation resources available through established providers like HZad Education. The Technology Integration Advantage HZad Education’s integration of AI technology with expert instruction creates preparation experiences that traditional methods cannot match. Their AI-powered CELPIP practice tests provide unlimited simulation opportunities, allowing students to build familiarity with the testing interface while developing the cognitive stamina required for optimal performance. The AI system tracks performance patterns across multiple practice sessions, identifying subtle weaknesses that might escape notice in traditional review. This data-driven approach ensures that preparation time focuses on areas with the highest potential for score improvement. Simultaneously, the human feedback component addresses the sophisticated elements that AI cannot evaluate, cultural appropriateness, nuanced meaning, and strategic response choices that distinguish exceptional performance from merely adequate responses. Beyond Test Preparation: Building Immigration Success HZad Education’s approach recognizes that effective CELPIP test help for PR and immigration extends beyond achieving required scores. Their comprehensive methodology develops communication skills that serve students throughout their immigration journey and subsequent career development. Students emerge from the program with enhanced professional communication abilities, greater confidence in formal and informal interactions, and systematic approaches to learning that benefit ongoing skill development. These advantages compound over time, contributing to both immediate immigration success and long-term professional achievement. The program’s focus on practical communication scenarios ensures that students develop skills directly applicable to Canadian and Australian workplace environments. This preparation reduces the adjustment period typically required for new immigrants, facilitating faster integration and career advancement. Making the Strategic Choice The decision to pursue CELPIP training represents more than selecting a test preparation method, it’s choosing to leverage a fundamental shift in how English proficiency is assessed and valued. For candidates serious about achieving their immigration goals efficiently, the choice is clear. HZad Education’s proven methodology, comprehensive resources, and track record of student success provide the foundation for confident CELPIP preparation. Their 100% money-back guarantee reflects genuine confidence in their system’s effectiveness, while their systematic approach ensures that preparation time translates directly into score improvement. The convergence of Australia’s CELPIP acceptance, Canada’s continued reliance on this assessment, and HZad Education’s specialized expertise creates an unprecedented opportunity for strategic candidates. Those who recognize and act on this opportunity position themselves for immigration success while others continue struggling with outdated preparation approaches. — This content is brought to you by Sabrina Suleiman iStockPhoto The post Meet HZad Education: Revolutionizing CELPIP Test Preparation for Australia and Canada appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By U. Rochester-URMC Making a smoothie, going for an evening walk, or having empathy for a loved one are all examples of executive functions that are controlled by the brain’s frontal cortex. This area of the brain goes through profound change throughout adolescence, and it is during this time that abnormalities in maturing circuits can set the stage for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and ADHD. Now, researchers have discovered that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, play a key role in how the brain adapts to the changes in this area during adolescence, which may transform how neurodevelopmental disorders are treated during this window and, possibly, into adulthood. “A better understanding of the ways we can drive changes in these circuits offers new targets for disease treatment,” says Rianne Stowell, research assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and first author of the study in Nature Communications. “This area is also susceptible to change, both good and bad, during adolescence. Previous work in our lab has found that both direct activation of frontal dopamine circuits and rewarding behavior drive plasticity of dopaminergic connections to the frontal cortex during adolescence, but not adulthood.” The dopaminergic circuits in the brain are made up of networks of neurons that use dopamine to send information. These circuits are critical for regulating brain functions, including movement, motivation, and cognition. Exercise, or wheel running for mice, is a natural, rewarding experience that activates the frontal dopamine circuit. Using this model and optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control genetically targeted neurons, researchers observed that microglia in the living brain are recruited to the frontal dopaminergic circuit in adolescent mice. The microglia responded to dopaminergic activation by making contact with the axons, the long part of the neuron that acts like a cable relaying signals, and then new boutons formed along those axons. Boutons are the parts of the neuron that transmit signals to other cells. According to Stowell, this shows that microglia have a direct impact on increased dopaminergic circuit connectivity. Basically, the brain’s immune cells appear to play a key role in strengthening the brain’s communication network. “We were surprised to see that the microglial contact with the axon happens before the formation of new boutons,” Stowell says. “This research suggests that microglia are very sensitive to changes in dopamine activity, and there is a compelling connection between microglial contact and structural changes at the axon.” Research in the Wang lab showed that administering a dopamine D2 receptor agonist, quinpirole, blocked plasticity in adolescence. Conversely, administering a D2 antagonist, eticlopride—an antipsychotic drug—to adult mice reinstated microglia recruitment to axons and promoted the formation of new boutons. Stowell says that future research will explore if combining pharmacological therapies with dopamine stimulation, such as through exercise, could help treat psychiatric disorders impacted by deficits in this area of the brain. “We now want to determine, at the molecular level, what exactly microglia are doing within the circuit. For example, how they are influencing the growth of boutons,” Stowell says. “We will be using pharmacological manipulations of specific microglial signaling systems as well as single-cell sequencing to dig into what makes this circuit malleable during adolescence but not adulthood.” Support for this research came from the National Institutes of Health and a pilot grant from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. Source: University of Rochester Original Study DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63314-4 — Previously Published on futurity.org with Creative Commons License *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post Immune Cells Are Key to Teen Brain Wiring appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Around 300 South Korean nationals were swept up in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, Seoul said South Korea has lodged a protest after US immigration authorities detained hundreds of workers at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing complex in Georgia. The raid took place Thursday at the construction site of a battery plant in Bryan County near Savannah, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution that employs about 1,200 people. US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said the operation was part of an inquiry into unlawful employment practices. The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reported that 450 “unlawful aliens” were taken into custody. Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6 — ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) September 4, 2025 South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said around 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, including employees of partner firms visiting on business trips. Many had reportedly entered the US on short-term business visas or under the Visa Waiver Program, but immigration authorities concluded their activities at the site did not match the purpose of their stay. “The economic activities of our investment firms and the rights of our citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, according to local media. “We have also conveyed our concerns and regret through the US Embassy in Seoul, urging them to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are fully protected.” The ministry added that President Lee Jae-myung had ordered “an all-out response” to resolve the issue, with Seoul considering “trips to the US by high-level officials.” US President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central focus of his administration, vowing to carry out the largest deportation of criminal aliens in the country’s history. View the full article

— In today’s visually driven world, images matter more than ever. Whether you’re a professional photographer, a business owner, or someone who simply enjoys capturing memories on your phone, there’s always that one issue — unwanted objects sneaking into your perfect shot. That’s where Magic Eraser comes in. This powerful tool is changing the way we edit photos, making it easier than ever to remove distractions, refine compositions, and create scroll-stopping visuals. In this guide, we’ll explore how Magic Eraser works, its benefits, practical use cases, and tips to get the most out of it. What Is Magic Eraser? At its core, Magic Eraser is an AI-powered photo editing feature that allows you to remove unwanted objects, people, or blemishes from your images with just a few taps. Instead of spending hours on complex editing software, you can instantly clean up your photos and make them look professional. It’s like having a personal photo retoucher in your pocket — simple, quick, and surprisingly accurate. Why Magic Eraser Has Become So Popular There’s a reason Magic Eraser has quickly gained traction among casual users and professionals alike. Here’s why: Time-saving: No need to learn complicated software like Photoshop. User-friendly: Most Magic Eraser tools are designed with simplicity in mind. AI precision: Advanced algorithms fill in the background naturally, making edits seamless. Versatility: Works on everything from selfies to landscape photography. For anyone who wants stunning photos without diving into technical editing, it’s a game-changer. How Magic Eraser Works Behind the scenes, Magic Eraser uses AI and machine learning to analyze your image. When you highlight the object you want removed, the algorithm predicts what should replace it, then blends the background so the edit looks natural. For example, if you erase a stranger walking behind you in a beach photo, Magic Eraser will intelligently extend the sand, water, or sky to fill that spot. The result is a polished, distraction-free picture. Practical Examples of Magic Eraser in Action Still wondering how this tool fits into your workflow? Let’s look at a few real-world scenarios: 1. Travel Photography You’ve finally snapped that picture-perfect shot of the Eiffel Tower — only to notice a crowd of tourists in the background. With Magic Eraser, you can instantly clear them out and spotlight the landmark. 2. Business and Product Photos Small business owners often struggle to create clean product images without professional equipment. By using Magic Eraser, you can remove unwanted reflections, props, or clutter from your photos, making your products look high-end. 3. Personal Memories Maybe you took a great family photo, but your cousin blinked, or there’s a random trash can in the corner. Magic Eraser helps polish those once-in-a-lifetime memories. Tips for Getting the Best Results with Magic Eraser While the technology is powerful, a few simple tips can ensure flawless edits: Work on high-resolution images– The clearer your photo, the better the AI can replicate textures. Remove small objects first– Erasing huge areas at once may distort the background. Zoom in for precision– Carefully highlight only what you want removed. Use natural backgrounds– Repeating patterns like sand, grass, or sky work best. Experiment with different apps– Tools like Nano Banana Photo Editor combine Magic Eraser with other AI editing features, giving you even more flexibility. Magic Eraser vs. Traditional Editing Traditional editing software like Photoshop has long been the go-to for object removal. However, it often requires advanced skills, countless tutorials, and hours of effort. Magic Eraser simplifies that process by using AI to do the heavy lifting. Speed: Magic Eraser edits take seconds, not hours. Accessibility: No design experience required. Cost-effectiveness: Many Magic Eraser tools are free or much cheaper than professional editing software. That said, professionals may still prefer manual editing for extremely detailed or commercial projects. But for everyday users, Magic Eraser strikes the perfect balance between quality and convenience. Who Should Use Magic Eraser? The beauty of Magic Eraser is that it’s not just for photographers. Anyone who takes photos can benefit, including: Influencers & content creators– Create cleaner, more engaging visuals for social media. Business owners– Showcase products and services professionally. Travelers– Capture beautiful destinations without photobombers. Families– Preserve personal memories without distractions. The Future of AI-Powered Editing Magic Eraser is just the beginning. As AI continues to evolve, we’re likely to see even smarter photo editing tools that can automatically suggest edits, adjust lighting, and enhance composition. Imagine an app that not only removes distractions but also improves colors, balances shadows, and creates professional-quality edits instantly. In fact, platforms like Nano Banana Photo Editor are already moving in this direction, blending multiple AI tools into one seamless experience. Conclusion In a world where visuals speak louder than words, tools like Magic Eraser empower anyone to create stunning, distraction-free photos. Whether you’re documenting travels, running a business, or just snapping memories, this AI-driven technology can save you time while elevating your images. With just a few taps, you can transform ordinary photos into professional-grade visuals. And when combined with advanced tools like Nano Banana Photo Editor, the possibilities for creativity are endless. So next time you’re about to delete a photo because of an unwanted object, remember — Magic Eraser can save the shot. — This content is brought to you by Hussain Ali Photo provided by the author. The post The Ultimate Guide to Using Magic Eraser for Flawless Photos appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Mark Baxter, The 74 This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox. Teaching has a retention problem, especially for educators from diverse backgrounds — and the problem could grow even worse. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education withheld funding to states for preparing, training and recruiting teachers, and though it released the funds after facing significant backlash, there is now tremendous uncertainty about the commitment to the quality of educators at the federal level. It is up to states and districts to redouble their efforts to address shortage and retention issues that have impacted schools for far too long. In my home state of Delaware, 30% of teachers overall and 37% of nonwhite teachers leave public education within five years, and the numbers are similar in other states. It’s a big reason why teacher shortages remain such a persistent challenge, particularly in special education and STEM classrooms and in poor and predominantly Black communities. These trends are not new, but the nationwide decline in reading and math achievement over the last 10 years makes addressing them more urgent than ever. The administration’s recent actions have only made that work harder. Even in this fractured political environment, though, there’s continued bipartisan support for career pathway programs that can address these issues by helping young people develop skills that lead to good-paying jobs. Classrooms are filled with talented young people with the potential to become great teachers who understand, through firsthand experience, their communities’ needs. Instead of making them wait until after college to choose teaching as a career, the path to the profession should start in high school. Efforts to connect high school and educator preparation already exist, through organizations like Educators Rising and the Center for Black Educator Development. But school, district and state leaders should seize the opportunity to expand these models much more widely. Here are the first three steps that could make it happen. First, states should use federal policy and strategic funding to address low starting pay and the high cost of training, which are both barriers for aspiring teachers. For example, Delaware has found innovative ways to boost starting salaries for both new teachers and aspiring educators participating in residency programs, in which they spend a year in classrooms observing and learning from veterans. Districts in Delaware have combined state and local funding to increase stipends for teacher residents from $20,000 to over $40,000 in some districts by using strategic staffing models to shift unused budget allocations into funding for these programs. Additionally, the state recently introduced new Grow Your Own grant programs, which help districts or charter schools establish their own teacher pathways. It also registered teaching as an apprenticeship to help lower the upfront costs of certification by placing aspiring teachers in paid positions in schools while they’re completing their training. Second, districts should look to career and technical (CTE) programs as pathways into teaching. CTE leaders, teacher recruitment teams and district career counselors must work together, meeting regularly to identify high school students with potential to become strong teachers and encouraging them to take advantage of education pathways programs. They should also monitor the progress of pathways participants, troubleshoot any issues and brainstorm ways to make programming more relevant and meaningful. These can include offering hands-on learning opportunities, such as tutoring and job-shadowing educators at neighboring schools, that allow students to earn college credit. This, in turn, would help colleges recruit high-achieving students into their education programs to take the next step toward teacher certification. Third, schools must recruit passionate educators to support aspiring teachers of all backgrounds. Students need teachers who reflect their identities and experiences. It’s not news that the U.S. has a teacher diversity problem — nationally, only about 20% of educators at public schools are people of color. But districts and states can work toward staffing high school teacher pathway courses with educators who can build culturally affirming environments that inspire the next generation of teachers. Through its year-long high school CTE course for students interested in teaching, the Center for Black Educator Development has shown that this strategy works. The program, which includes high school students in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Michigan, provides a culturally affirming curriculum and pairs students with passionate educators as mentors. Students who completed the program showed an increased interest in teaching — and, specifically, in teaching Black students. Schools can nurture the next generation of education changemakers — teachers who will reflect the diversity of their future students — even before they graduate. If education leaders and policymakers are serious about solving the teacher recruitment, retention and diversity challenges that have bedeviled schools for generations, they must move beyond isolated initiatives and build a cohesive, systemic approach that starts in high school. By fully integrating teacher pathway programs into high schools, they can ignite a passion for teaching among students, create seamless transitions into the profession and ensure more classrooms are led by educators who reflect and understand the communities they serve. The pieces of the puzzle already exist — education leaders just need the collective will to see the big picture and put them together. — This story was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America. *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post To Tackle the Teacher Shortage, Start the Path to the Profession in High School appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Abhinash Das India is renowned for its diverse range of affordable and flavourful street foods, found everywhere from bustling metro cities to remote villages and everywhere in between. Among these, pani puri stands out as one of the most loved and easily available quick snacks. Its widespread appeal is evident from the fact that it is popular not only in India but also in other South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. A crunchy savoury snack Pani puri is one of India’s most iconic street foods, which is a bite-sized explosion of flavour packed inside a crispy, hollow shell. These deep-fried, golden spheres, called ‘Puri’, are typically stuffed with a mix of spiced potatoes, chickpeas, raw onions, and an array of tangy spices. The spheres are then dunked into a flavoured watery dip that makes every mouthful burst with zest. While the exact origin of this beloved snack remains subject to debate, with many legends surrounding it, a more credible source suggests it originates from the ancient Magadha kingdom (544–322 BCE), located in today’s north-eastern Indian State of Bihar. One popular tale from the epic story Mahabharata says that Draupadi (one of the epic’s heroines), tasked with feeding the five Pandava brothers with limited resources, invented the snack to ensure an equal portion for each. Food historians believe that its earliest version, known as phulki, first emerged in Magadha. These were small, hollow puris filled with spiced water, a simple yet ingenious idea that, over centuries, evolved into the beloved pani puri enjoyed today. From the busy streets of urban spaces to the quiet corners of rural India, pani puri is enjoyed under many names, such as golgappa, phuchka, and gupchup — each carrying its own regional twist. But no matter what one calls it, the joy of that first, delightfully crunchy bite is followed by a rush of spicy, tangy water that lingers long after, is undeniable. The snack varies widely in its preparation and ingredients across different regions of India. In the eastern states, such as West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, it is commonly known as Phuchka. The primary filling for Phuchka is “Ghugni”, a mixture of black chickpeas or spiced peas, which gives it a distinct regional flavour. In northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, pani puri is referred to as Gol Gappa. This variation typically features a filling of mashed potatoes and is served with zesty tamarind liquid. In contrast, in western states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, the classic version of pani puri is more prevalent. It includes fillings of green or white peas, accompanied by mint-coriander spicy water and a sweet tamarind-jaggery water, offering a delightful balance of flavours. On Facebook, Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor posted a recipe for pani puri, illustrating how phuchka preparation differs from region to region, yet the taste and flavour are delicious regardless of locale. Pani puri’s worldwide reach The reach and popularity of pani puri are not confined to India. In recent years, this iconic street food has gained international acclaim. Non-Resident Indian (NRI) communities in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, and Australia enjoy Panipuri at local Indian restaurants and proudly showcase it at food festivals, introducing its vibrant and irresistible flavours to a global audience. In April 2025, a group of students at a university in Budapest, Hungary, tried pani puri for the first time and enthusiastically praised its delightful taste and unique flavours. Similarly, in June 2024, Curry Corner, an Indian-owned restaurant in Minneapolis, USA, offered free Pani puris to the public and shared a video of the event on Instagram. The video quickly went viral, amassing 3.9 million views and significantly boosting the dish’s popularity. Curry Corner posted a video on Instagram showcasing people’s reactions to pani puri: In March 2023, former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tasted pani puri during his visit to India, delighting in its vibrant flavours. In the same year, Japan’s Ambassador to India, Hiroshi Suzuki, enjoyed Indian street food, including pani puri, in Varanasi, and praised its exceptional culinary appeal. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared this moment on X, highlighting the growing global appreciation for India’s street food culture: As pani puri’s popularity goes global, so too does its evolution. The snack has become a canvas for creative fusions, blending its traditional crunch with international flavours. One popular Mexican-Indian fusion version replaces the classic potato filling with spiced beans and tangy salsa. Similarly, an Italian-style pani puri also exists, showcasing the dish’s remarkable versatility and ability to adapt to new tastes. In 2023, Google celebrated July 12 as “Pani Puri Day” with an interactive Google Doodle to honour a remarkable world record. On this date in 2015, Indori Zyaka, a restaurant based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, set a world record by serving an astonishing 51 unique flavours of Pani Puri, showcasing the dish’s versatility and widespread appeal. Stereotypes around Pani Puri Despite its widespread popularity, Pani puri is not free from gender biases and stereotypes in India. Many perceive it as “a girl’s snack”, often observing more women than men at Pani puri stalls. An article published by The Wire attributes this stereotype to societal norms, cultural expectations, and women’s limited access to public spaces. However, countless men also express their love for pani puri, highlighting its universal appeal and establishing it as a gender-neutral snack enjoyed by all. A common stereotype about pani puri is that street vendor preparations are often unhygienic. However, regulated stalls and homemade versions prioritise safety by using filtered water and fresh ingredients, effectively debunking contamination concerns. Moreover, in recent years, many street vendors have adopted improved hygiene practices, such as wearing gloves and using clean utensils, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience for customers. Popular South Korean YouTuber Mhyochi, aka Hyojeong Park, posted on X about her first panipuri experience while visiting India. Pani puri transcends borders, seamlessly blending tradition with global appeal. More than just a snack, it embodies cultural heritage, evokes fond memories of tangy evening treats with friends, and sparks lively discussions. Over time, it has woven itself into popular culture, with people expressing their love for pani puri through videos capturing their first experiences, as well as memes and songs that celebrate its charm. Pani puri’s appeal goes far beyond its ingredients, serving as a powerful symbol of joy and shared memories for many Indians. — Previously Published on globalvoices.org with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo Credit: iStock The post Why the Pani Puri Platter Remains India’s Favourite Snack appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article