American Women Suck

Love can feel complicated… But occasionally, it’s really quite simple. You don’t necessarily have to have grand gestures or over-the-top confessions to be sure if someone is entirely in love with you. Actually, psychology teaches us that it is often the small, persistent behaviors that reveal the extent of someone’s feelings. As Dr. John Gottman, a renowned relationship psychologist, once stated: “Successful long-term relationships are created through small words, small gestures, and small acts.” So, how do you know whether your partner is deeply in love with you? Let’s dissect three strong, real-life indications. … 1. They Put Your Happiness Above Their Own When someone loves you deeply, your joy becomes their joy. It doesn’t imply that they give themselves up totally — that’s not healthy. But you’ll see they make little choices for you: picking a place to eat you adore, leaving you the last piece of pizza, or getting up and sitting up late with you when you’ve had a terrible day. A friend once said to me, “I knew he loved me when he spent three hours watching a Bollywood film — with subtitles — because it was my favorite.” That is the magic of love: it flexes comfort zones. Psychologists refer to this as compassionate love — when your partner enjoys taking care of you, without resentment. The takeaway: If you notice them light up when you smile, that is a good indication of genuine love. … 2. They Can’t Stop Including You in Their Future True love is not only about the present; it’s about incorporating someone into your future. When someone is head over heels in love with you, you’ll catch them saying these small things like: “Next summer, we should…” “When we have a bigger place…” “I wish you could come and meet my cousins at Christmas…” See how casual those words sound? There is no second-guessing. Their plans for the future instantly include you in them. According to a study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, couples who use “we-talk” more often than “I” and “me” express greater satisfaction and commitment. That is, if your boyfriend is speaking in “we,” it’s not only adorable — it’s psychological evidence that he is head over heels in love. Takeaway: If they’re dreaming about it with you as part of it, they’re already thinking forever. … 3. They Never Get Tired of Showing You Affection Affection isn’t always physical — it’s emotional, verbal, and sometimes even goofy. It may be the hasty good morning message, the manner in which they squeeze your hand in a crowd, or the way they boast about you to their friends. These little gestures are love deposits that keep the relationship bank in balance. I recall a couple I know who’ve been together for more than 20 years. Each night, religiously, he prepares her a cup of tea. Nothing elaborate. No grand details. Simply a daily routine that softly says, “I still choose you.” Psychologists tell us that affection builds “emotional safety” — the type of connection where you never doubt you’re loved, even on bad days. The takeaway: If your partner continues to discover ways, small or large, of reminding you how much you mean to them, they’re not only in love — they’re committed. … Final Thought Love doesn’t always scream; sometimes it whispers. It’s in the sacrifices, the mutual dreams, and the loving habits that never get old. If your partner is doing these three, odds are, they’re head over heels in love with you — not in a Hollywood-style, whirlwind romance kind of way, but in the constant, life-grounding type of love we all yearn for. And be aware of the small things. Because in love, the small things are the big things. … If this resonated with you, follow me — I post weekly musings on love, relationships, and the psychology of human connection. What is one tiny sign that made you feel like someone genuinely loved you? Let me know in the comments — I’d love your story. — 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: Jennifer Marquez On Unsplash The post 3 Things People Do When They’re Deeply in Love (Without Even Realizing It) appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The first time I canceled my own plans to wait by the phone, I told myself this was what love required. The second time I muted my favorite music because he called it “annoying,” I called it a compromise. By the third time I found myself anxiously rehearsing conversations to avoid disappointing him, I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror. I had become a satellite orbiting someone else’s sun, and the darkness where my own light had been was beginning to terrify me. This wasn’t love, it was self-erasure disguised as devotion. … The Slow Fade of Self We often enter relationships with the unconscious belief that love means merger. We trim our edges to fit together more seamlessly, mistake enmeshment for intimacy, and call disappearing an act of love. This pattern often stems from attachment adaptations formed in childhood, the belief that we must make ourselves smaller to be loved. Neurologically, this self-abandonment triggers dopamine withdrawal in our own reward systems. We literally become less satisfied with ourselves as we transfer the power of validation to our partner. The very structures meant to support connection instead become cages. … The Systems of Self-Preservation Loving without losing yourself requires building intentional architecture: The Non-Negotiable List: Identify three core activities or values you will never compromise (e.g., Sunday hikes, creative writing time, spiritual practice). These become your anchors. The Solitude Schedule: Protect regular time alone not as leftover space after relationship demands, but as sacred, non-negotiable appointments with yourself. The Voice Audit: Notice when you say “we” instead of “I.” Practice speaking your preferences clearly without appending “if that’s okay with you.” The Friendship Fortress: Maintain connections that existed before the relationship. They remember who you were and reflect who you still are. … The Boundaries That Feel Like Love Many fear boundaries will create distance, but they actually create the safety for true intimacy. A boundary isn’t a wall; it’s a gate that says, “This is where I end and you begin.” Examples that changed everything: “I need to finish my chapter before watching a movie.” “I value our time together, and I also need time with my friends.” “I feel best when I honor my commitments to myself.” These statements aren’t rejections; they’re revelations of character. They allow your partner to love the real you, not a performance. … The Return to Yourself The journey back to yourself begins with small reclamations: Reconnect with abandoned hobbies Spend time in places that remind you of your essence Notice where you’ve adopted your partner’s preferences without question Practice making decisions alone again This isn’t about building separateness but about maintaining sovereignty. The most attractive version of you isn’t the one who fits perfectly into someone’s life; it’s the one who lives fully in their own. … The Paradox of Authentic Connection Here’s the secret they don’t tell you: the more fully you inhabit yourself, the more capacity you have for real love. When you stop pouring from an empty cup, you actually have more to give. When you stop fearing abandonment, you can finally choose connection from fullness rather than need. The greatest gift you can give your relationship is your whole, undiminished self. Anything less is just two people using each other to hide from themselves. … Follow my profile for more on building relationships that honor both connection and individuality. — 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: Annie Spratt on Unsplash The post How to Love Without Losing Yourself appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The Russian leader continues his four-day visit to China Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday. Putin arrived at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, where he is also scheduled to meet with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. Moscow and Beijing describe each other as strategic partners and have pledged to deepen cooperation across multiple fields, including security and science. China remains Russia’s largest trade partner. During his four-day trip, Putin voiced support for Xi’s proposed reform of global governance. Both countries stress their shared goal of creating a fairer international system free from US dominance, while condemning what they call Washington’s “unilateral” sanctions and the weaponization of trade. View the full article

— Are you looking for a perfect web series that offers endless entertainment, full of comedy and emotion? Be sure to check out one of the most popular web series, i.e., Bakaiti, on ZEE5 now. Bakaiti is an amazing Hindi original series that makes the audience feel ike home. The series takes the audience to a beautiful small household in Ghaziabad where the family is going through strict financial situations. The movie brings the essence of sibling fights, their dreams, struggles of a middle-class family and much more. The series not only offers unlimited laughter but also the emotions, realistic struggles and the heartfelt bonds of a family. The movie has gained consistent praise from critics and the audience and has carved a unique place among one of the best and most popular web series on ZEE5. Why Bakaiti on ZEE5 Isn’t Just Another Popular Web Series Bakaiti needs to be at the top of popular web series on ZEE5, not just because of the hype but due to the entertainment and emotions it brings up for the audience. The series brings up an absolute drama that is based on the struggles of a real middle-class family, the competition and fights between the siblings, parental sacrifices and much more. The series brings up emotions slowly and leads to heartfelt confessions. The writers of the series have taken care of the small daily details, and that makes it more relatable and connected. A Story That Starts With Gossip and Builds Emotional Twists Bakaiti on ZEE5 brings a beautiful story of a middle-class family, i.e. the Kataria family. We will see Sanjay Kataria (Rajesh Tailang) as a soft-spoken father, Sushma (Sheeba Chaddha) as the emotional backbone of the family and their children Naina (Tanya Sharma) and Bharat (Aditya Shukla), whose playful fights bring emotions and comedy to the story. The movie brings up a perfect depiction of a middle-class family where we can see a series of dialogue along with late-night cricket matches in the corridors of the apartments, pranks among the siblings and humorous arguments. The series takes on a serious twist when Naina makes a decision and disappears from her home. And that change further pushes everyone thinking about her dreams, financial sacrifices and sibling equations. Performances That Melt Everyone The cast of the Bakaiti web series on ZEE5 brings up absolute nuance to the story. Rajesh Tailang’s character is quite powerful and silent, and his sadness and loneliness can be witnessed through different scenes. Sheeba Chaddha adds strength, emotions and softness to the series as a mother who we can see balancing the reality with the expectations. Tanya Sharma perfectly shows the irritations, frustration, emotions, ambitions and expectations of a teenager, whereas Aditya Shukla, with Tanya, brings sarcasm to the story and brings up a perfect sibling duo that adds refreshing authenticity to the series. Perfect Writing Writers Tatsat Panday, Gunjan Saxena, and Sheeta Kapoor have done a tremendous job and have brought up a beautiful story that humorously presents the small truths where a kid dreams of cricket fame, parents worrying about rent and a teenager thinking of his future career. The series brings up absolute suspense for the audience, where we can easily witness the ordinary moments, and that makes it quite entertaining and relatable. The dialogues of the series have also been placed perfectly and beautifully, reminding one of those that are happening in real life. If we talk about the screenplay, it is quite amazing and builds the emotional arc slowly. Layered Conflicts Rooted in Comedy in Emotional Truth Where the first half of the series brings up perfect family comedy, the second half of the series brings up emotional beats for the audience. The denial of Nania’s scholarship and sudden choice escalates the story. Moreover, her disappearance from her house also triggers guilt, anger and realisation of the family about her lost dreams. The nuanced conflicts and emotions not only make the show comedy but also make it engaging and connective as well. The series beautifully presents the conversations about the cost of higher education, disappointed parental expectations as a raw. Moreover, the fine acting and clean dialogue delivery also add more to the overall story of the series. The series perfectly reflects the different small sacrifices an Indian middle-class family makes in their daily life. Bakaiti on ZEE5 is one of the most popular web series, not just about comedy, but also evoking strong emotions through everyday household scenes of a middle-class family. The movie is a perfect watch for people of all age groups. It is a movie that brings up the spirit of a normal household family and keeps the audience connected throughout. The movie brings up the fine performances of the cast along with refreshingly clean direction, excellent writing, making it a must-watch. — This content is brought to you by Rana Adnan Photo provided by the author. The post More Than Just Comedy: Bakaiti Blends Heart and Humour Like No Other Popular Web Series on ZEE5 appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The crew in the treatment bay of the Life Flight helicopter saved my life. I sought them out on the one-year anniversary of my accident (11/20/2011). I asked the pilot how he dealt with the trauma behind him. He talked about ignoring stuff. Curt said, “I turn away when they load accident victims in the back. If I looked, the medical team would probably have another patient. I don’t want to know what’s going on back there. I can hear it when things are getting dicey, but I try to ignore it.” Curt is a pro at ignoring stuff because he cares. He tunes out so he can do his job. What happens in the treatment bay is irrelevant. Paying attention to everything will drive you nuts. How to Become a Pro at Ignoring Stuff: #1 Don’t worry about occasional failures in others. Let people learn on their own. Pay attention to patterns, not isolated incidents. #2 Forget offenses. People won’t always understand. They may insult your sincerity. #3 Ignore guilt feelings. Take responsibility, learn and move forward. Don’t waste energy beating yourself down. The worst failure is letting failure grip you. #4 Ignore counsel from advisors that don’t ask questions. #5 Plug your ears to those who never see good. #6 Disregard feedback that comes from people who don’t understand your role or values. #7 Turn from coddlers. Too much compassion weakens potential. Choose challengers who support progress. #8 Limit approval seeking. Approval from the right people matters. Needing it drains you. #9 Let go of overthinking. Lean into ‘learn as you go.’ Don’t perfect first. #10 End distraction. Meaningful work requires focus. Turn off notifications and skip the urge to fix trivialities, for example. Warning: Ignoring the wrong things can be dangerous. What should leaders ignore? How might leaders practice ignoring stuff? 20 Useful Ways to Create Focus Today 4 Strategies for Overcoming Distraction — Previously Published on leadershipfreak 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! *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * 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. On Substack? Connect with us there. — Photo credit: iStock The post Become a Pro at Ignoring Stuff appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Personal injury cases occur when someone gets hurt because of another person’s careless or wrongful actions. These claims cover many situations, from car crashes to unsafe workplaces. With guidance from skilled personal injury legal advocates, injured people can better understand their rights. These professionals help victims pursue fair compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and emotional suffering. Below are the most common categories explained in simple terms. Motor Vehicle Accidents Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are among the leading causes of personal injury claims. Distracted driving, speeding, and impaired driving are common reasons behind crashes. Victims can seek compensation for injuries ranging from minor sprains to severe brain or spinal injuries. Slip and Fall Accidents Slip and fall cases happen when someone is injured on another person’s property. This usually involves unsafe conditions like wet floors, poor lighting, or uneven walkways. Property owners have a responsibility to keep their spaces safe for visitors. Medical Malpractice Medical malpractice arises when a healthcare professional provides care that falls below accepted standards, causing harm to a patient. This may involve misdiagnosis, surgical mistakes, or medication errors. These cases are often complex and require expert testimony to prove negligence. Workplace Accidents Workplaces, especially construction sites and factories, can be dangerous environments. Employees injured on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation. In some cases, third-party claims may also apply if defective equipment or outside contractors were involved. Product Liability Defective or dangerous products can cause serious injuries to consumers. When this occurs, manufacturers, suppliers, or sellers may be held responsible. Common examples include faulty electronics, unsafe children’s toys, or contaminated food items. Dog Bites Animal attacks, especially dog bites, are a frequent source of personal injury cases. Laws vary by state, but many hold pet owners accountable if their animal injures someone. Victims may suffer not just physical wounds but also emotional trauma. Wrongful Death Wrongful death cases arise when negligence or intentional actions result in someone’s death. Surviving family members can file a claim to recover damages for funeral expenses, lost income, and emotional suffering. These cases often involve car crashes, medical errors, or workplace accidents. Less Common but Notable Cases Nursing Home Abuse Physical, emotional, or financial harm to elderly residents Staff neglect, poor hygiene, or unsafe conditions Legal action ensures accountability and patient safety Assault and Battery Unlike accidents, these involve intentional harm Victims may pursue both criminal charges and civil claims Compensation can cover medical costs and emotional distress Premises Liability Beyond Slips Injuries from falling objects or poor security Harm in amusement parks, shopping centers, or private homes Property owners must prevent foreseeable dangers Final Word Personal injury cases cover a wide range of scenarios, but the goal in every case is the same: to help injured people recover fair compensation. Knowing the common types of claims can make it easier to understand your legal options if you or someone you know gets hurt. Whether it’s a car crash, a workplace injury, or a defective product, personal injury law exists to protect victims and hold the responsible parties accountable. — This content is brought to you by Hassan Javed iStockPhoto The post Common Types of Personal Injury Cases Explained appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Global Voices Brazil In four days, a video published by a Brazilian influencer at the beginning of August reached over 26 million views, became a topic of discussion online and offline, and brought a new angle to the discussion on the regulation of tech platforms in the country. The subject: children emulating adult behavior online, and who profits from it. “Felca,” as Felipe Bressanim is known on the internet, has 17.9 million followers on Instagram, 6.8 million on TikTok and 6.2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. The video “adultização” opens with a trigger warning for content such as child sexual abuse, pedophilia, and early sexualization. As TV channel Globo News defined, the term is used to describe when children and teenagers are prematurely exposed to adult behavior, responsibilities and expectations. In the video, the influencer presents cases of individuals who often feature underage people in their posts. One of them is from a mother who sold graphic videos and pictures of her teenage daughter, on Telegram, after followers asked for more content of her, he says. Another one is Hytalo Santos, an influencer who had over 18 million followers on Instagram, known for frequently recording content with children and teens. One of the girls who became famous on his profile first appeared there when she was 12 years old, according to Felca. He claims the more the audience engaged with her, the more often she would show up in Santos’s videos, in situations such as dancing, sleeping with her underage boyfriend or after her breast implant surgery. Now 17, she grew up in front of a camera and the internet. Both she and Santos, who was already under investigation by the public prosecutor in the state of Paraíba, had their accounts suspended by Instagram after Felca’s video. Santos was also arrested on accusations of human trafficking and exploiting minors. Parents of teens and children who authorized their appearances are under investigation. The test To test and show how social media algorithms help predators search for content related to pedophilia, Felca created a new account on Instagram. He searched for keywords that he felt were likely used by these types of individuals, and liked random content that appeared and seemed, in his words, “suggestive.” Scrolling down his feed after that, he was delivered a curation of videos featuring children performing common everyday activities, such as jumping into a pool or dancing, and comments sections flooded with users saying “link in bio,” “trade in Telegram” — usually posted as GIFs, instead of typed sentences. [The feed] fell into the fabric of the P algorithm [ed: a term Felca uses to refer to how platforms’ algorithms might be conditioned to promote content featuring children], and was directed to all these pedophiles who have a similar algorithm. It’s terrifying, because they take content that seems innocent enough and turn it into an exchange spot. You can see that all the comments are like that. As Felca showed, once you visit these profiles, you find links in their bios leading to Telegram groups that share content featuring children and teenagers: All under an open sky, under our noses. Is it so difficult for platforms to search for this content, to understand what is happening, to punish these people who are posting “link in bio?” Isn’t there any way of making sure these accounts cease to exist? It looks easy enough to me to make this change. To regulate or not regulate is the question The video burst a bubble at a time when regulation for big techs and their responsibility for the content shared by users have been a polarizing topic in Brazil. It is one that generally divides left and right, and is among the demands presented by US President Donald Trump in the tariff wars he’s waging, mashed up with increasing tariffs between the two countries, amnesty for former president Jair Bolsonaro (currently under investigation for allegedly attempting a coup d’état), and the interests of Big Tech. The video also seems to have created momentum. On August 11, less than a week after it was first published, federal deputies presented 17 bill proposals in the national congress to tackle issues raised by the influencer. On August 20, following the public backlash around the video, the Deputies Chamber voted and approved the bill 2628/2022, which creates rules to protect children and teens regarding apps, electronic games, social media and computer programs, according to the Chamber’s website. The proposal, which returned to the Senate to be analyzed, foresees obligations for servers and parents in controlling access by minors. Last year, the Alana Institute, an organization focused on children’s rights, published a note supporting the bill, “considering the hyper vulnerability of children and teenagers facing the commercial exploitation practiced by providers and servers of tech information in the digital environment.” In June, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF), the top court in the country, voted in favor of social media platforms being held accountable for illegal posts made by their users. The justices determined that Article 19 from the internet’s Marco Civil, which is part of the “bill of rights” for Brazilian internet legislation and addresses the accountability of platforms for content created by third parties, is only partially constitutional. The court is also a subject of political polarization now, under fire by Trump’s government. One of its justices, Alexandre de Moraes, was deemed a human rights violator and sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act for the investigations into the coup attempt led by Bolsonaro’s supporters. Among Moraes’s orders in past years were the suspension of accounts that spread disinformation, hate speech, and even of X itself for not complying with legal orders in the country. To some people more aligned with the right of the political spectrum, regulation is synonymous with censorship. Profiles on X have been questioning Felca’s video, suspecting there is a pro-regulation intent hidden behind it. On a podcast, the influencer said he had the idea a year ago, and it took him a while to prepare the 49-minute video. He also said that he currently rides in an armored car with security personnel because of threats after he published another video criticizing betting companies and the influencers sponsored by them in Brazil. With this latest viral video, he said there are already threats of suing him. It’s likely, and we count on it, that we will have some lawsuits. But it’s the side of truth. If no one talks about it, no one will talk about it. — Previously Published on globalvoices.org with Creative Commons License Photo Credit: iStock — 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. The post A Brazilian Influencer Warns How Social Media Algorithms May Help Predators Target Children appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— All couples wish to make their wedding memorable, and many more Americans are discovering their dream destination on the other side of the Atlantic: Mallorca. This Mediterranean Spanish island, bathed in sunshine, has quietly become one of the most romantic wedding locations in Europe, offering charm, elegance, and excellent value, thereby competing with even the most sought-after wedding locations in the US. Mallorca has everything to win over brides and grooms seeking the exotic backdrop to their wedding, including its dramatic coastline and rugged Spanish fincas. This is why the island is becoming the perfect wedding destination for US couples willing to get married abroad. The Allure of Mallorca for American Couples Mallorca is not only beautiful, but it is like entering into a Mediterranean Postcard. Imagine white-sand beaches with palm trees, terracotta-roofed villages in the slopes of mountains, and as many golden sunsets as possible. For American couples who do not want to have a traditional ballroom or hotel wedding at home, Mallorca offers a variety of options and authenticity. Every part of the island has a story, from the paved streets of Valldemossa to the high-end boats of Palma in the harbor. Most importantly, weddings in this place are imbued with a certain romanticism. The Spanish culture, combined with the island’s natural beauty and lifestyle, makes the place both romantic and sentimental for a wedding. Easier Flights Than You Think Travel is one of the reasons why many US couples hesitate to have a European wedding; however, Mallorca is not as far as many people can imagine. Direct Flights: During the high-season wedding time (summer months), airlines present direct flights between New York and Miami and Palma de Mallorca. One-Stop Connections: Guests may have this connectivity to Palma through Madrid or Barcelona, and onward flights (less than an hour) in the off-season (not during summer). The Flight Times: East Coast couples are considering 9-10 hours of total travel, which is not much more than a vacation to Hawaii. This availability eliminates the concern for couples about whether guests will travel to the area. To most people, the invitation to a wedding in Mallorca will be the best opportunity to convert the occasion into a European holiday. Cost Comparison: Mallorca vs. a US Wedding The cost is one of the biggest surprises that US couples face when considering Mallorca weddings. In the United States, the average wedding costs between $30,000 and $35,000. Expenses are substantial in cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Miami, where a venue rental can cost over $50,000. The image is different in Mallorca: Venues: Couples will be able to rent rustic fincas or seaside villas at much lower prices than the US high-end hotels. Food and Catering: Spanish cuisine, featuring seafood, tapas, and paella, is served at a fraction of the cost of US catering, but with excellent quality and presentation. Total Savings: On average, couples complain of saving 20-30 percent of what they would have spent on a US wedding and yet have a much more exotic and luxurious wedding ceremony. Mallorca offers enormous value to couples who wish to stretch their budget without compromising on elegance. The Best Wedding Venues in Mallorca The venues available in Mallorca are as varied as the landscape. A couple dreams of a barefoot beach wedding or a fancy party in a grand mansion, the island will offer something that suits any style. Rustic Fincas in the Countryside They are one of the most popular wedding options, surrounded by olive groves and traditional stone estates. They are genuine, cozy, and classic – perfect for couples who want to experience a slow, Mediterranean-style living. Luxury Hotels and Resorts Five-star resorts, such as those in Palma or Deià, can be found, along with spectacular scenery and flawless services. They make an acceptable option among couples who desire a full-service, hassle-free wedding. Beach and Cliffside Venues Mallorca also boasts hundreds of miles of coastline, and many of these provide an excellent location for a ceremony. Just think of exchanging vows with the waves below and the sunset coloring the sky. Historic Villas and Monasteries To add a sense of grandeur, old castles, monasteries, and villas in Mallorca bring an element of old-world charm to contemporary weddings. Such locations not only create beautiful backdrops but also enable the couples to make their marriages truly personal and unlike the home backdrops. Adding Local Flair to the Celebration Another great thing about getting married abroad is the opportunity to experience the local customs. Spain and the Mediterranean can be seamlessly integrated into a couple’s wedding in Mallorca. Serve tapas and cava during cocktail hour. Host a paella dinner under the stars. Book a flamenco guitarist or Spanish folk band for entertainment. Gift guests with local olive oil or handmade ceramics. These touches add depth and cultural richness to the event, making it more than just a wedding; it is an experience. You will also benefit from involving local experts. Whether it’s catering, musicians, or wedding photographers based in Mallorca , the locals know the island and its intricacies down to the smallest detail and, with their large network, can be a great help in planning your wedding. There is no language barrier here; all service providers in the wedding industry are geared towards guests from abroad. What is Going to be Loved by Guests in Mallorca? For American guests visiting, a Mallorca wedding is not so much a necessity as a dream vacation. Palma de Mallorca: The guests have an opportunity to visit the Gothic cathedral, walk through beautiful streets, or visit local markets. Beaches: Mallorca has family-friendly beaches and secret stretches of sand, the likes of which hold their own in the Caribbean. Tramuntana Mountains: UNESCO World Heritage Site: the best place to ride a bicycle, hike, or have a glimpse of the location. Food and Wine: Mallorca local wineries and Mediterranean cuisine provide post-wedding memories that will be remembered in years to come. To put it in brief, a wedding in Mallorca is more about travelling and adventure than it is about love. The Best Times to get Married in Mallorca Everything is a matter of timing when it comes to planning a wedding overseas. The wedding season in Mallorca typically lasts from May to October, with July and August being the hottest and busiest months. Spring (May-June): Ideal weather, flowers in bloom, fewer people. Summer (July–August): Sunny and vibrant, though hotter and busier. Fall (September–October): Warm, relaxed, and ideal for romantic ceremonies. Couples who are willing to spend less should consider the so-called shoulder season (end of October or April), as it is cheaper to rent a venue and a place to stay, and the weather is generally reasonable. Planning a Mallorca Wedding from the US A wedding in a foreign country can be a daunting experience, but Mallorca makes it a relatively easy task. Other English-speaking planners have specialized in dealing with international couples. Legal or Symbolic Ceremony: US couples usually do the legal paperwork at home and the symbolic in Mallorca, making the logistics easier. Vendor Network: Starting with florists and caterers, the professionals on the island know well how to make destination weddings a reality for Americans. With the assistance of the appropriate local people, couples can easily and without fear organize the wedding of their dreams. Why Mallorca Is Worth the Journey Then, how come American couples are increasingly turning to Mallorca as a wedding destination? The causes are obvious but strong: It is cheaper than a lot of weddings in the US. The island provides once-in-a-lifetime scenery and venues. Visitors have an opportunity to have a wedding and vacation. Local suppliers–planners to photographers–ensure that there is no hustle and bustle. In Mallorca, every wedding feels like an experience, not just an event. — This content is brought to you by Saara Rafique Photo provided by the author. The post Why US Couples Are Choosing Mallorca for Their Weddings appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Pradeep Singh A new op-ed argues that the case for deep-sea mining is weak and also that the facts used by its proponents don’t add up, but rather cloud their judgment. The divergence between scientific understanding of likely ecological harms and prevailing narratives — like the touted economic benefits, which could actually be costs — came into sharp focus at the recent annual meeting of the International Seabed Authority, which governs the development of this industry. “Given the high costs and severe environmental risks, why then pursue deep-sea mining? This activity threatens unique deep-sea ecosystems and could irrevocably alter ocean health, impacting life on land,” the author writes. This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. See All Key Ideas The deep sea, the planet’s most expansive and least understood ecosystem, remains largely unexplored. Yet while the deep sea may seem a dark and distant space, events underwater directly impact our lives, from essential services like climate regulation to fisheries and the marine food web. While scientific understanding of this realm is nascent, a new industry is rapidly emerging driven by the demand for rare metals essential for batteries, microchips and AI: deep-sea mining. In the past three years, more than 38 nations have voiced support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, a rapid pace by the standards of multilateral lawmaking, and the equivalent of one new country signing on per month. This progress marks a major shift from just a few years ago, when states were either supportive of mining, reluctant to take a position, or were simply uninformed. The triggering of a treaty provision known as the “two-year rule” by the nation of Nauru in 2021, intended to accelerate deep-sea mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction, brought increased attention and scrutiny to the activity. Nevertheless, some private actors are pushing for the granting of applications for commercial deep-sea mining of minerals like copper, nickel and cobalt, despite significant concerns from global leaders, the scientific community and the public at large. This divergence between scientific understanding and prevailing narratives came into sharp focus at the recent annual meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). There, nations gathered to discuss matters profoundly consequential for the future of the deep ocean. However, there also seemed to be a broad understanding that a strong regulatory framework based on science, equity and precaution must be in place before an informed decision can be taken, and that no mining activities should commence in the meantime. Moving forward, it’s imperative that we actively counter misinformation, significantly invest in scientific research, and, in the interim, take concrete measures to ensure that deep-sea mining activities do not commence in the absence of clear science, robust regulations, sufficient safeguards, and equity. Here are the three main myths about deep-sea mining: ‘Deep-sea mining will provide an economic boom and promote global peace and security’ The primary justification for exploiting the seabed rests on a dubious economic premise: that mining’s financial gains will somehow outweigh its environmental costs. Yet, the economic case for deep-sea mining is tenuous at best, and expert indications suggest the burdens will far outstrip any tangible benefits. Deep-sea mining is an inherently capital-intensive endeavor, demanding massive amounts of upfront investment to take part in a high-risk, burgeoning industry. Developing and deploying specialized machinery capable of operating thousands of meters below the surface, under immense pressure and in corrosive conditions, presents unprecedented engineering challenges. The costs associated with exploration, environmental impact assessments, research and development, and then the actual extraction, processing and transport of minerals from such remote and hostile environments are projected to be staggering. Some argue that deep-sea mining could bolster supply chain security for critical sectors such as defense, transportation, construction and energy. Given the vital importance of these industries to national security, the seabed’s mineral resources become intrinsically linked to the economic futures of nations like the U.S., which view them as a means to diversify mineral access: the majority of such mineral extraction occurs in regions like Africa, South America, Indonesia and Australia, and the supply chains for many of these critical minerals are currently dominated by geopolitical rivals like China, further intensifying the scramble to mine the deep. However, it is naïve to think that deep-sea mining would address or alleviate global geopolitical tensions. If anything, the pursuit of unilateral deep-sea mining seems more likely to exacerbate fraught international relations, with the consequences spilling over to the global legal order more broadly. Countries should instead consider investing in a more circular economy, responsible sourcing and refining, encouraging innovation to be less metal-dependent, and developing multilateral frameworks to promote responsible and equitable international cooperation for critical metals and minerals. ‘Deep-sea mining will reduce or alleviate the environmental impact of terrestrial mining’ Another justification is that we will be able to move away from many of the environmental and social ills of terrestrial mining. While it is true that terrestrial mining has caused massive deforestation and led to severe human rights abuses in areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo, the idea that shifting mining activity to the sea will ease the pressure on land-based operations is misguided. As deep-sea competitors arise to challenge the establishment of terrestrial mining, the increased competition will only serve to expand the global footprint of resource extraction and encourage operators to cut corners to stay competitive. When mining activity accelerates, the environmental and social harms produced are likely to follow, leading to an increasingly untenable situation where biodiversity is wiped out and the planet’s capacity to provide ecosystem services depleted. In this scenario, it is local communities and Indigenous groups in the Global South who will suffer most as they become dispossessed of the resources needed for survival, like forests for fuel and fish for food. While the recovery and restoration of former terrestrial mining sites is possible, with governments increasingly mandating multiyear rejuvenation and rehabilitation projects, the situation in the deep sea is vastly different. Deep-sea recovery is limited and extremely slow on human timescales. Moreover, current scientific knowledge indicates that any restoration effort there would be difficult and cost-prohibitive, if not impossible. Moreover, the environmental footprint of deep-sea mining activities, particularly for polymetallic nodule extraction — where a single mining project will involve extraction over a very large spatial area spanning thousands of square kilometers — will far exceed the footprint of terrestrial mining, which usually involves a very small and targeted area. If deep-sea mining were to alleviate or replace terrestrial mining, there would need to be multiple of such extraction projects — which would be disastrous for the marine environment and the planet. The ISA is currently debating how to factor environmental externalities into contractor payments, as harm to these common heritage resources shouldn’t burden society. The requirement to compensate developing countries with large terrestrial mining industries for lost earnings, funded by ISA revenues, suggests the entire exercise could result in a net negative benefit. See related: U.S. federal agency clears the way for deep-sea mining & and companies are lining up ‘Deep-sea mining is necessary for the energy transition’ The need for metals to power the energy transition is largely overstated by deep-sea mining advocates. Their arguments often cite expanding demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy, both cornerstones of the energy transition that currently require large supplies of rare-earth metals and minerals to craft the infrastructure needed to generate and store renewable power. For these advocates, deep-sea mining is presented as the sole means to access adequate supplies of crucial transition minerals. However, these arguments are built on the false premise that demand for transition metals will continuously rise alongside our demand for energy. Advances in battery chemistry are already helping to reduce demand for cobalt, and circular solutions like recycling can further reduce our reliance on virgin metals obtained through mining, thereby challenging narratives that we are facing an unavoidable mineral deficit unless we turn to the deep seabed. So, given the high costs and severe environmental risks, why then pursue deep-sea mining? This activity threatens unique deep-sea ecosystems and could irrevocably alter ocean health, impacting life on land. Scientists warn of irreversible damage from sediment plumes, habitat destruction and noise pollution to ecosystems formed over millions of years. Without sufficient baseline data, predicting or mitigating these risks is impossible, mandating caution under the precautionary principle. Finally, the numbers also do not add up, which means financing deep-sea mining is akin to investing in a financial scam. If we are serious about tackling the unprecedented and existential threats that we are now facing, destructive activities like deep-sea mining surely cannot form part of the equation. It is therefore heartening to see many global leaders and governments voicing their concerns and calling for a pause or moratorium on deep-sea mining. Pradeep Singh is an ocean governance expert at the Oceano Azul Foundation and holds degrees from the University of Malaya, the University of Edinburgh, and Harvard Law School. Banner image: Equipment being tested for use in deep-sea mining. Photo by Richard Baron/The Metals Company. See related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Dr. Diva Amon discusses what we do and don’t know about the deep seas, her explorations of such zones, and the risks posed by mining proposals: — Previously Published on news.mongabay with Creative Commons Attribution — 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 Deep-Sea Mining Is a False Solution to Our Challenges (Commentary) appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

This story was originally published by Michigan News and written by Kim North Shine. Medications proven to effectively treat opioid addiction are rarely given after emergency department visits for overdose, and who gets them varies, sometimes greatly, depending on race, ethnicity or geography, University of Michigan researchers say. In their study analyzing 100% of Medicaid claims from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., between 2016-2020, the researchers found that a mere 6% of patients being treated for overdoses, or about 1 in 16, started treatment with any of the three medications for opioid use disorder, or MOUD, within 30 days of leaving the hospital. “The emergency department offers a critical window of time to initiate MOUD. It’s critical because we know that patients who are discharged from the ED after a nonfatal opioid overdose are at increased risk of experiencing a fatal overdose within the next twelve months,” said Thuy Nguyen, assistant professor of health management and policy at the U-M School of Public Health and founder and director of the Michigan-Substance Use Policy and Economic Research Network. According to the study published in Health Affairs, the most stark difference in treatment was seen in race with 7.3% of white patients receiving medication to begin treatment for opioid use disorder compared to 4.3% of Black patients, 5.2% of Asian patients, 5.4% of American Indian and Alaska Native patients and 4.9% of Hispanic patients. The study was based on a sample of 249,735 emergency department visits involving 214,101 patients ages 15-64 years old. The study also broke down differences in which specific drugs were prescribed, buprenorphine, methadone or extended-release naltrexone, within 30 days of discharge from emergency department visits for overdose and also sorted patient demographics by geography and race/ethnicity. Among the 249,735 visits used in the study, 69% were for white patients, 17.7% were for Black patients, 10% were for Hispanic patients, 2.1% were for American Indian and Alaska Native patients, 0.6% were for Asian patients and 0.5% were for patients of another race. Of the visits, 4.7% were associated with claims for buprenorphine, 1% with methadone claims and 0.8% of claims for extended-release naltrexone. “The gap between Black and white patients got even wider during the study period,” Nguyen said. “This is especially worrying because overdose deaths and emergency visits involving opioids have been rising faster among Black patients.” Opioid overdoses, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, took approximately 81,000 lives in the United States in 2023, a decrease of about 2,000 deaths from the prior year and the first downturn in all drug overdoses since 2018, according to provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Still, overdose deaths and opioid addiction remain a major public health concern that harms families and friends and also negatively impacts communities and economies by taxing social services, law enforcement agencies and health care systems. Medicaid is the largest payer of substance use disorder treatment in the U.S., covering about 38% of nonelderly adults with opioid use disorder as of 2019. “There are many reasons for the low rate of initiating MOUD in the ED, including stigma toward opioid addiction, lack of clinician education on the management of this condition, and lack of time,” Nguyen said. “It is possible that race and ethnicity are proxies for some of these factors, leading to the differences in MOUD initiation rates that we report in this study.” Geographically, the U.S. Northeast had the most patients who had been treated for overdose at 8.6%. In the Midwest, the rate was 6.5% compared to 5.5% in the South and 5% in the West, where the disparity in treatment between Black and white patients was lowest. When looking at rural vs. urban patients, the differences were not substantial. Nguyen and colleagues urge health care providers to use the study to tailor care around the needs and disparities that affect different patients. Increasing the initiation of opioid addiction medications in the emergency department could also benefit hospitals by preventing patients, many of whom have no primary care doctor, from returning to the ED for another overdose, thus reducing the strain on an already overwhelmed system. “Intervening at the time of the overdose emergency is beneficial for everyone, in many ways,” Nguyen said. “It’s also important to note the patient role, adherence and other barriers to MOUD access after discharge.” Additional authors: Yang (Amy) Jiao, Stephanie Lee, Pooja Lagisetty, Amy Bohnert, Keith Kocher, Kao-Ping Chua. Study cited: “Medicaid Patients With ED Visits For Overdose: Disparities In Initiation Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder,” Health Affairs. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00984 — Previously Published on michiganmedicine.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 Lifesaving Opioid Addiction Meds Rarely Started After Emergency Visits for Overdose appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. One second, your kid is walking across the store aisle, chasing a snack or just tagging along. The next? They’re on the ground. Crying. Shaken. Maybe even bleeding. A spill that wasn’t cleaned. A loose tile. A cracked sidewalk. Whatever the hazard, your child just suffered what most businesses dismiss as a “minor incident.” But there’s nothing minor about it when it’s your child. In Pahrump, as in the rest of Nevada, families have legal protections when unsafe property conditions lead to injuries. If your child’s fall wasn’t just a clumsy moment—but the result of someone else’s negligence—then it’s time to understand your rights. That’s where a seasoned slip and fall lawyer Pahrump can make all the difference. Kids Fall All the Time… But Not Every Fall Is ‘Just Being a Kid’ Let’s get this out of the way: yes, kids are wobbly. They trip. They run when they shouldn’t. But that doesn’t give businesses a free pass to ignore safety. When a child slips on a wet floor with no sign, tumbles down poorly maintained stairs, or trips over a frayed carpet in a public place—that’s not “kids being kids.” That’s negligence. And under Nevada law, property owners (including stores, parks, schools, and apartment complexes) have a duty of care to keep their premises reasonably safe. When they fail? They can be held accountable. Common Places Kids Get Hurt in Pahrump Pahrump might not be Vegas, but it still has its fair share of high-traffic areas where slip and fall injuries happen regularly. These include: Grocery stores and retail chains Public parks and playgrounds School campuses Apartment complexes Parking lots and sidewalks Fast food restaurants and family diners These spaces are legally required to maintain safe conditions. If they don’t, and your child gets hurt, it’s not just unfortunate—it’s potentially actionable. What to Do After a Slip and Fall Injury Involving a Child When your child is hurt, your first instinct is comfort—not legal strategy. Totally normal. But once the immediate panic fades, here’s what you need to do: Seek medical attention. Even if your child seems “fine,” some injuries—like concussions, internal bruising, or sprains—take time to show up. A medical record will also be vital to your case. Report the incident. If the fall occurred in a store or public place, notify management. Ask for a written report and keep a copy. Take photos. Document the scene. Wet floors, cracked pavement, broken handrails—anything that may have caused the fall. Gather witness info. If someone saw the incident, politely ask for their contact info. Witnesses help validate your story. Call a local expert. Contact a trusted slip and fall attorney Pahrump Nevada who understands both the legal and emotional complexity of cases involving children. Who Pays for the Injury? If a property owner or business failed to take reasonable steps to prevent hazards, they (or their insurance provider) may be liable for damages, including: Medical bills Physical therapy Emotional trauma Pain and suffering Long-term care, if necessary In some cases, compensation may also include future damages—especially if the injury leads to developmental delays, permanent scarring, or mobility issues. Does the Law Treat Kids Differently Than Adults? Actually, yes—and in your favor. Under Nevada law, children are held to a different standard when it comes to fault. A business can’t argue that a child should’ve been “more careful” in the same way they might with an adult. The law recognizes that kids are more vulnerable—and that’s why property owners are expected to be even more vigilant when children are present. Why Local Matters: The Pahrump Legal Advantage Pahrump may be small, but the legal landscape here has its own pace and its own players. A Vegas firm might not understand the nuances of Nye County courts, local businesses, or how to negotiate with insurance adjusters who know the area. That’s why working with a slip and fall lawyer Pahrump—someone who actually lives and works in this community—gives you an edge. They’re not just checking legal boxes; they’re advocating with insight that outsiders don’t have. Final Thought: Your Child Deserves More Than a “Sorry” No one wants to sue over a fall. But when your child gets hurt because someone failed to do their job, saying “sorry” isn’t enough. You deserve answers. Accountability. And support. The right slip and fall attorney Pahrump Nevada will help you understand your rights, build your case, and—most importantly—fight to make sure your child’s future isn’t defined by someone else’s negligence. — This content is brought to you by Chris Reyes iStockPhoto The post What Every Parent in Pahrump Needs to Know About Slip and Fall Accidents with Kids appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Love is not only dual in nature but can also be confusing and overwhelming. If you are in a serious relationship that you find satisfying yet exhausting, you are not alone. This guide examines how love has this ability to lift us as well as bring us down. We will discuss how in a relationship devotion can be excessive, the unseen issues of loving too much, and how to implement the means towards turning these weaknesses into allies of relationships. … The Dual Nature Of Deep Love A. Identifying The Paradox Of Extreme Emotional Relationships I have discovered that it is wonderful loving so intensely, fire in my hands — the lovely, burning fire. The thing is that it has already occurred on numerous occasions when I became amazed by the fact that the same relationship that uplifts me is capable of depressing me. This is a paradox that I could not solve until I found out that meaningful relationships are not supposed to be easy. B. How Love Transforms From Pure Joy To Complex Emotions That is when I fell in love, the first time. Pure bliss! However, as time progressed, I developed beyond the early butterfly feelings. Today I am in a land where my partner is constantly present in my heart and at times surpasses my feelings. Their hurt is my hurt, and their fight is against my serenity — but I would not give up this soul encounter in exchange. … When Devotion Becomes Overwhelming A. Signs That Your Love Has Become Emotionally Taxing I see that I kept checking yesterday to see whether they are fine. I think I will also change according to my friends — this month I have already cancelled plans thrice just so I can be available. But I feel tired and cannot explain why. I cannot sleep as I reflect on dialogues, trying to see whether I did the right thing. B. The Thin Line Between Caring Deeply And Carrying Too Much Yesterday I found myself solving their work problem instead of finishing my deadline. I care so much it hurts sometimes. I am their emergency when they are in a bad mood and their happiness when they are in a good mood. I even began concealing my own problems so I do not pile on their misery. When did loving them become so heavy? … The Weight Of Responsibility In Love A. How Caring For Someone Creates Natural Burdens I did one of their work problems yesterday instead of completing my deadline. I love to such an extent that it pains sometimes. The fact that they are in a bad mood turns into my emergency; that they are happy turns into my responsibility. I have begun concealing my own problems because I do not want to burden them. When did it get so heavy to love them? B. Balancing Your Partner’s Happiness With Your Own There are occasions when I get too caught up in ensuring that my partner is contented, so much so that I neglect myself. I have gone sleepless planning surprises or problem-solving their issues and still left my needs aside. I am finding out that love is more operable when my cup has been filled, and it is not being selfish but must be done so that I can give the other person love. … Finding Balance In Intense Relationships A. Creating Healthy Boundaries Without Diminishing Connection I already know that boundaries cannot be established by creating walls because boundaries are defined where I stop and my partner starts. Once I began saying to my husband upon arrival home that I needed an hour to decompress after work, our evenings actually became more intimate, as I was much more present. B. Communicating Feelings Without Causing Hurt I find it excellent to sandwich ugly realities with appreciation. He does not hysterically yell at her something like, “You never listen!” I’ll say, “I love our talks. Sometimes I need you to just hear me out before offering solutions. Your advice means so much to me.” … Transforming Burden Into Shared Strength A. Reframing Challenges As Opportunities For Growth I have been finding out that when love hurts the heaviest, there is usually some lesson there that I need to take to my heart. Those moments when I felt crushed under relationship weight? They are in fact invitations to develop. Rather than perceiving the problems as a weight?I would pose myself this question: What strength am I earning with this challenge? B. Emotional Support Techniques With One Another My partner and I work on a very simple system termed by us as the weather reports, that is, a brief inquiry on their emotional status. When one of us feels broken, we do not attempt to repair the other. We just listen. The trick has been that at times being a spaceholder is as effective as fixing solutions. Conclusion To love fully is to love in the sunshine and shadows. Intense bonds are going to bring unspeakable happiness, but they can be overwhelming, as we have discovered. With constant devotion, there is the risk of it being overwhelming and becoming a burden of accountability, and this manifests as conflicting with the causes of selfless care and a sense of self-limits. However, this duality does not make love any less appreciable; on the contrary, this fact indicates its enormous imminence in our lives. The way ahead is the middle way. We can do that by talking freely, setting appropriate boundaries, and being gentle with ourselves, and what used to seem like a burden becomes collective strength. Keep in mind that such complexity of love is its value. Once we can acknowledge these challenges as well as invitations to our possible greatness, which is to say, once we can see the gift in the challenge when we see the challenge as a gift, then we can build alliances that sustain us rather than deplete us and that move our vulnerability not as a liability but as the foundation of something magnificent. … Thank you for reading! If you liked this story, hit the , leave your thoughts, and follow me on Medium for more honest, engaging content every day. Thanks for reading! — 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: Elham Abdi On Unsplash The post When Love Feels Like Both a Blessing and a Burden appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— Astrochat.com connects you instantly with verified astrologers who decode your birth chart, tarot spread, or numerology grid in real time. In a single session, you receive actionable advice on relationships, career moves, and life choices at zero cost for the first consultation. Let’s find out more about how it can offer you the desired guidance in life! What Exactly Is Free Chat with an Astrologer Online? Think of it as an on-demand cosmic helpline. You type your question into a chat window – “Should I change jobs?” “Is this relationship long-term?”, and within seconds, an expert responds with insights drawn from Vedic astrology, tarot, or other divination systems. Key perks at a glance: Zero-cost first session: Risk-free exploration. 24/7 access: Ask at 2 a.m. if any worry keeps you up. Secure, anonymous chat: Share only what you’re comfortable with. Love & Relationships: Why Real-Time Guidance Matters When emotions run high, waiting days for an email feels unbearable. That’s not the case with AstroChat.com. Free astro chat online lets you: Identify compatibility hotspots: An astrologer checks and compares birthcharts to reveal chemistry, conflict zones, and communication tips. Time-critical conversations: The astrologer also picks auspicious dates for “the talk,” proposals, or even a peaceful breakup. Handle red-flag transits: If Saturn squares your Moon next month, you’ll be warned about emotional distance and given remedies (e.g., chanting “Om Som Somaya Namah” on Mondays). Well, the result is that you approach love decisions with clarity instead of guesswork. Career & Money: From Cubicle to Corner Office Feeling stuck at work? Free astro chat online can spotlight hidden opportunities: Planetary strengths: A strong Sun in the 10th-house can signal leadership; an astrologer may advise managerial roles. Transit alerts: Jupiter entering your 2nd house could mark a raise window – perfect time to negotiate during appraisals. Remedy road-map: Simple actions (wearing an Emerald for Mercury or placing a Citrine on your desk) can enhance focus and cash flow. Vastu tweaks: Adjust desk direction or add a metal object in the north zone to amplify career growth. Because the guidance is live, you can iterate fast: “I got the interview email – what does the chart say about Friday at 3 p.m.?” Your advisor checks the muhurta and suggests the most auspicious slot. Life Path, Health & Spiritual Growth Beyond love and work, free astro chat online acts as your cosmic GPS: Health signals: An afflicted 6th-house Mars might warn of inflammatory issues; you’ll receive dietary tips and yoga recommendations. Relocation insights: Astro-cartography maps the best cities for success or serenity. Spiritual timing: Know when a Saturn return demands a meditation retreat versus a career sprint. Each chat session ends with tangible to-dos, turning abstract thoughts into daily habits. Why Choose Astrochat.com? Astrochat.com differentiates itself in a crowded universe of apps and portals: 250+ verified experts: Every astrologer passes multiple tests before going live. First chat free: Test everything without spending a rupee. Round-the-clock availability: Problems don’t see hours, and neither does astrochat.com to offer their solutions User ratings & reviews: Choose advisors based on real feedback. Secure platform: Your birth details and chats stay confidential. What Details Should You Keep Ready? Date, time, and place of birth for astrology; specific concerns for tarot or numerology. Your data is safe as Astrochat.com uses end-to-end encryption and never shares personal information. You can ask multiple questions in one free session, as well. Love, career, and health – cover them all within your initial chat window. Final Takeaway Whether you’re going through a messy breakup, eyeing a promotion, or craving a life reboot, free astro chat online turns ancient wisdom into actionable strategies instantly. One zero-cost conversation on Astrochat.com could replace weeks of overthinking and endless browsing on Google. Ready to let the stars talk? Your personal astrologer is just a chat away. — This content is brought to you by Md Badshah Ansari Photo provided by the author. The post How Astrochat.com Can Guide You in Love, Career, and Life appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Activists have temporarily blocked EU chief’s car outside a weapons factory Right-wing activists heckled European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and briefly blocked her car during a visit to a weapons factory in Bulgaria on Sunday. Members of the Revival and Greatness parties waved the national flag and shouted “Nazi criminal” as they rallied outside the Vazov Machine Engineering Plant (VMZ) in Sopot, the country’s largest state-owned arms producer. “The time of the failed Brussels elite, along with its local servants, is running out,” Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov declared, adding that the protest showed “Bulgaria is not for sale.” “Ursula von der Leyen, who is under investigation for corruption and conflict of interest at the European level, is deeply disliked in Bulgaria. We do not want her in our country!” he wrote later on Facebook. 🇧🇬 In Sopot werd Ursula von der Leyen ontvangen met kreten van “Nazi!”. Haar bezoek aan een wapenfabriek werd geblokkeerd door aanhangers van partij Revival, ondanks dat de autoriteiten de tijd geheim probeerden te houden. pic.twitter.com/apHOF5dd2T — Symphony (@Symphony_res) September 1, 2025 Germany’s defense company Rheinmetall plans to build a gunpowder plant and a 155mm artillery factory on VMZ grounds. “This is exactly the kind of project we want to see … Up to 1,000 new jobs will come here to Sopot,” von der Leyen told reporters after touring the site with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. She also noted that “one third of the weapons used in Ukraine was coming from Bulgaria.” Zhelyazkov said Bulgaria would continue contributing to mine-clearing operations in the Black Sea and provide “airport infrastructure” for EU security needs. View the full article

By Duncan Mboya [NAIROBI, SciDev.Net] Despite Africa’s growing digital footprint, the continent’s science and technology remains underrepresented on Wikipedia, one of the world’s most visited sources of information. While Africa accounts for around 10 per cent of Wikipedia articles, less than one per cent cover science and technology, Anusha Alikhan, chief communications officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, told SciDev.Net. “Only two per cent of Wikipedia editors are from Africa, which complicates the issue, given that the platform receives 50 billion contributions monthly and is read by 15 billion people globally,” said Alikhan. We must become contributors, otherwise the next generation will find us absent from the digital archive of human history. Eugene Agbor Egbe, Cameroonian engineer, Wikipedia editor Between January and June 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa generated 178 million monthly page views on Wikipedia, but this consumption has not translated into African-led content creation, she added. Why it matters Wikipedia has become a global reference point, widely used by students and journalists and increasingly by artificial intelligence (AI) systems training on its vast datasets. For African science, being absent from this repository risks invisibility in emerging technologies such as AI. Keep Science Journalism Alive SciDev.Net provides award-winning science news coverage free of charge. We rely on donations from readers like you to keep going. Donate to SciDev.Net today Processing ... Donate now Stripe Payments requires Javascript to be supported by the browser in order to operate. Cameroonian engineer and long-time Wikipedia editor Eugene Agbor Egbe told SciDev.Net: “If our data and contributions are missing, Africa will not only be invisible but also dependent on narratives shaped elsewhere.” The roots of Africa’s underrepresentation lie deep in the continent’s research systems, says Job Mwaura, research associate in cultural anthropology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. “Western knowledge has dominated Africa through foreign-owned journals that do not favour knowledge from the continent,” he said. Mwaura believes the failure of many governments and universities to fund research adequately has weakened African voices in global knowledge. “South Africa is one of the few countries that consistently supports research,” he added. He says the lack of investment, coupled with earlier scepticism about Wikipedia’s credibility, has discouraged African scientists from contributing. 1,000 engineers trained Egbe, who was recently named Technology Contributor of the Year 2025 by Wikipedia, has been working to change that. He has trained more than 1,000 engineers from five African countries to contribute articles highlighting African innovators and scientific breakthroughs. “I have trained people to write about unsung heroes, groundbreaking research, and innovative projects in Africa’s science and technology sector,” he said. Egbe argues that Africa’s contribution to Wikipedia is not just about representation, but survival in the AI age. “The rise of artificial intelligence depends on large datasets. If Africa is absent, then AI will replicate those absences and Africa will be left behind,” he explained. SciDev.Net team member Davis Weddi reading Wikipedia’s Africa page. Wikipedia has become a global reference point, widely used by students and journalists. Photo Courtesy of Davis Weddi / SciDev.Net Africa’s diversity offers an opportunity to democratise knowledge through local languages. Wikipedia already hosts 18 African-language editions, with Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Somali, and Zulu among the largest. Alikhan says African researchers could harness these editions to reach local communities. Wikipedia’s Kiwix software allows offline access in areas without reliable internet, expanding reach to rural communities. “Contrary to what many people think, Wikipedia is a secondary source that references primary materials,” Alikhan said. “Scientists should use it to make their work accessible to both local readers and global audiences.” Wikipedia’s credibility Wikipedia’s credibility has often been questioned, especially by academics concerned about the quality of open-source editing. “Earlier attempts to portray Wikipedia as lacking credibility affected its image, hence leading to low contributions,” acknowledged Mwaura. But he believes the trend has shifted. “Communities and even renowned scientists are now contributing credible, referenced material,” he said. “The platform has become part of the global knowledge infrastructure.” For Egbe, the need for other African scientists to contribute to the platform is urgent. “Africa cannot afford to sit back and consume knowledge created elsewhere,” he said. “We must become contributors, otherwise the next generation will find us absent from the digital archive of human history.” This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk. You might also like [related-articles] This article was originally published on SciDev.Net. Read the original article. — Previously Published on scidev.net 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. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo: unsplash The post African Science and Tech ‘Missing’ from Wikipedia appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— There are plenty of methods for energy conservation in today’s world. However, it can be challenging to discern what is right from what is wrong at times. If you’re surfing the internet for the right ways to save energy, please be aware of misconceptions. In the worst-case scenario, you follow such tips and end up raising your costs. Ensure you conduct thorough research so that your efforts are not wasted. To help you do exactly that, here are some common home energy myths to watch out for. 1. Energy Efficiency is the same as Energy Conservation Energy efficiency and energy conservation are often used interchangeably. Do they mean the same? No! Energy conservation focuses on implementing methods that eventually lead to less energy. This could include something as simple as turning off lights or unplugging your computer system when not in use. Energy efficiency is tied to technological innovations in home energy management systems, promoting a more sustainable and effective use of energy. For example, you can choose LED bulbs over incandescent ones. Having said that, both energy conservation and energy efficiency aim to reduce consumption. 2. Turning Lights On and Off Consumes More Electricity Are you really saving costs every time you turn on the lights? Switching lights (other than LED ones) on and off frequently reduces their operating life. Eventually, the cost of new bulbs might be higher than the money you save on the electric bills. So if you are confused about when to turn off your lights, better not to make that decision, thinking of increasing your energy bill. That being said, remember to turn your lights off when you leave the room! 3. Leaving Appliances on Sleep Mode is Better If you have read energy-saving appliance hacks, then you are well aware that energy-efficient appliances are home favourites. But what you may not know is that setting them in sleep mode doesn’t save more energy. Myth busted! Most appliances like computers, refrigerators, TVs, AC, and washing machines consume high energy. Gadgets on stand-by use phantom power, aka ghost power. They secretly draw energy. Hence, the only way to prevent this from happening is by switching them off completely. 4. Closing Vents Reduces Energy Usage Closing vents in unoccupied or unused rooms for the purpose of reducing energy usage is common in all households. Sadly, this is a widespread misconception. This is not just a myth, but a damaging one as well. When you close HVAC circulation into rooms, it leads to an inefficient heating and cooling system due to pressure buildup. This, in turn, damages the ducts. Doing this can adversely affect the balance created by the HVAC system based on the size and layout of your building. For efficient airflow throughout your home, make sure that the vents remain clean and open. 5. High Thermostat Level is More EFFECTIVE Never fall for this energy-efficiency myth that thermostats set at high temperatures will warm rooms quickly. This only wastes more energy by making the entire system run for a prolonged period. So always set the temperature at a desired level! If you still feel confused about how to run a thermostat, we recommend installing a setback thermostat. This ensures automatic adjustment of the temperature at pre-set times. 6. Solar Panels are Expensive The cost of solar panels is a hot topic when it comes to buying or building a new home. What most people don’t know is that they are pretty budget-friendly. In the past decade, the prices of solar panels have come down sharply. At the same time, solar power for the home has become a basic necessity. Technological innovations have also helped lower installation costs. To make solar panels more affordable to the public, governments across the world have introduced varying support policies. Solar panels are not an expensive investment. They save energy in the long run. Conclusion Energy efficiency myths like these can lead you on the wrong path. Being aware of them helps you make the right choices. In turn, it will maximise your energy savings. — This content is brought to you by Luke Peters iStockPhoto The post 6 Home Energy Myths Debunked appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

– By Arin Schultz for Naturepedic Does your teen always seem exhausted, irritable, or struggling to stay awake in class? You’re not alone. We’re facing what experts have called a sleep deprivation epidemic among American teens. The numbers are worrisome. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the percentage of high schoolers getting inadequate sleep went from 69% in 2009 to 77% in 2021.Quality sleep isn’t just about counting hours. It’s about creating the right environment and habits for quality, restorative rest. Naturepedic explores why teens are so tired and, more importantly, how to help them sleep better. Understanding the Teen Sleep Crisis Before you blame late-night social media sessions or procrastination, let’s understand what’s happening in teenage bodies. During adolescence, your teen’s biology is going through major changes. Their internal clock, or circadian rhythm, naturally shifts later. This makes them feel more alert in the evening and drowsier later in the morning. A “sleep phase delay” means many teens naturally won’t feel tired until around 11 p.m., yet still need eight to 10 hours of sleep for healthy development. The Impact of Sleep Deprivation Among Teens When teens don’t get enough sleep, the consequences go far beyond morning grumpiness. Poor sleep can lead to: Difficulty concentrating and declining grades Increased anxiety and depression Higher risk of drowsy driving Compromised decision-making abilities Weakened immune system These effects underscore the critical need for prioritizing healthy sleep during adolescence to support overall well-being and future success. Why Are Teens Losing Sleep? So what’s keeping teens from getting the sleep they need? Let’s look at three major factors affecting teen sleep today. 1. Too Much Screen Time A 2022 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that about 93% of Gen Z adults admitted to staying up late for social media. The average U.S. teen spends nearly five hours daily on these platforms, according to a 2023 Gallup survey. These numbers paint a concerning picture of just how much screen time is affecting teens’ sleep habits. Unfortunately, screen time leads to poor sleep hygiene. Blue light from screens disrupts natural sleep hormones, making it harder to wind down. 2. Pressure to Succeed Between AP classes, sports, extracurriculars, part-time jobs and college applications, today’s teens are under lots of pressure. In high-achieving students, this may translate into overwhelming stress that follows them to bed. This constant pressure can lead to racing thoughts at bedtime and difficulty falling asleep, creating a frustrating cycle of stress and sleeplessness. 3. Early School Start Time Remember teens’ natural biological sleep patterns? Most high schools start before 8:30 a.m., forcing teens to wake up when their bodies are still in sleep mode. This misalignment between school schedules and natural sleep patterns creates a constant state of jet lag. Building Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits Between FOMO, academic pressure and their natural tendency to stay up late, establishing good sleep hygiene for teens can feel like an uphill battle. However, small changes can make a big difference, and it all starts with understanding what actually works. Create a Consistent Sleep Schedule Setting a consistent sleep schedule is the foundation for better rest. Think of it as training the body’s internal clock — when you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day (yes, even on weekends!), your body learns to naturally wind down and wake up at the right times. Build a Wind-Down Routine About 30-60 minutes before bed, start dimming the lights and have your teen engage in calming activities. Maybe it’s reading a favorite book, listening to soft music or practicing some gentle stretches. The key is finding what helps them unwind and making it a consistent part of their bedtime routine. Perfect Your Teen’s Sleep Environment Your sleep environment matters more than you might think. A cool, dark, quiet room sets the stage for quality rest. A comfortable mattress and bedding can transform your sleep experience. When your teen isn’t tossing and turning on an uncomfortable mattress, their body can truly relax and restore itself. Exercise Physical activity during the day can significantly improve sleep quality at night. However, timing is important — your teen should try to finish any vigorous exercise at least four hours before bedtime. Morning physical education or afternoon sports can help them regulate their sleep-wake cycle. Mind Their Eating Habits What you eat and drink plays a big role in sleep quality, too. Those afternoon energy drinks might help them power through soccer practice, but they can wreak havoc on sleep quality. Your teen should try to avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. and be mindful of heavy meals close to bedtime. If they’re hungry in the evening, opt for a light, healthy snack instead. Manage Stress Every teen processes stress differently, and that’s perfectly okay. Some might find peace in writing down their thoughts before bed. Others simply need someone to talk to who can help them unpack the day’s challenges. The key is helping your teen find their personal stress-relief strategy before bedtime. Remember, teens are navigating a world that often feels like it’s moving at lightning speed. When to Seek Help for Your Teen While some sleep struggles are normal, watch for signs that professional help might be needed. These may include: Persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep Loud snoring or breathing issues during sleep Significant mood changes or depression Declining grades despite good study habits Creating Change, One Night at a Time Breaking the cycle of teen sleep deprivation starts with understanding the “why” and implementing small, consistent changes.By combining good sleep hygiene with the right sleep environment, you can help adolescents get the rest they need to thrive. This story was produced by Naturepedic and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. — Previously Published on hub.stacker 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 How to Break the Cycle of Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Teens appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

I was scrolling through Facebook the other night, and I saw something that stopped me cold. A woman in a private parenting group posted, “I just couldn’t imagine raising a boy. I terminated my pregnancy. I’ll try again for a girl.” And the comments? Heart emojis. Congratulations. Women cheering her on like she had just won a prize. I just sat there staring at my screen, thinking, What the hell is happening to us? This isn’t the abortion debates we used to know. Remember when the big question was, “At what stage is it morally right to abort?” Those debates were hard enough. But at least the argument was rooted in fear, survival, or unplanned circumstances. Now it’s almost casual. A baby is no longer a baby. It’s an option. A choice in the same way you choose the color of your car. And here’s the part that makes me sick: if that baby is a boy, in some circles, that’s reason enough to get rid of him. It’s called sex-selective abortion. I think it’s cynical. At first, I thought it was a wild conspiracy theory — until I read that Slate article. Parents doing IVF not to fix infertility, not to avoid genetic disorders, but purely because they only want daughters. And it’s not just the articles. It’s the quiet confessions in hidden corners of the internet — Reddit threads, closed Facebook groups, even casual comments under TikToks. “Boys are too hard.” “Girls are sweeter.” “I didn’t want to risk raising another man in this society.” These aren’t isolated incidents. Even biology gets dragged into the conversation. Some scientists argue that female bodies naturally terminate weaker male fetuses. Churches whisper that societies “function better” with fewer men. I can’t help but wonder: are we just dressing up our prejudices in science and spirituality so we can sleep at night? Every time I read those stories, my stomach twists. I think of my nephew, the little boy who brings me flowers from the backyard and tells me I’m his favorite person. I think of my friend’s son, who built her a Lego house because she was sad. I think… how many little boys like them will never get the chance to exist — because someone somewhere decided they weren’t good enough, simply for being who they are? So tell me, are women really declaring war on men? Or have we just found a polite, socially acceptable way to erase them? If you’re sitting there wondering, what the heck is going on — trust me, I’m right there with you. Because for me, it has never been about whether the baby growing inside a woman is a boy or a girl. What matters — what has always mattered — is whether that woman actually wants to be pregnant. Whether she wants to carry that child for nine months, endure the pain of delivery, and face the lifelong commitment that follows. In a world where safe, legal abortion exists, forcing someone to carry a child they do not want is brutality. But no — women are not erasing the male gender. That’s not what this is. Even the 1967 Abortion Act recognized this nuance. Sex selection wasn’t just some radical whim; it was legal in places where being born the “wrong gender” could literally cost you your life. Places where a dowry system could bankrupt a family. Where a father, denied a male heir, might turn his rage on his wife — or worse, on the baby girl she delivered. So when you think about that, no one can say those women were wrong? Faced with violence, poverty, and shame, they weren’t being cruel. They were being rational. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter. My mom prayed day and night — not for a healthy baby, not for an easy delivery, but for a girl. She was terrified that if my baby was a boy, he’d be branded for life. “An illegitimate son,” she whispered, “will never be accepted here. They’ll call him cursed. They’ll call you cursed.” And she was right. I’d seen it with my own eyes. Boys born outside marriage marked as outcasts — ridiculed, humiliated, treated as if they didn’t even belong to this world. But girls had a chance to escape the shame if they married, to disappear quietly into a new life where no one asked questions. That’s what people don’t understand when they talk about sex-selective abortion like it’s some cold, clinical choice. It’s not. It’s fear. It’s survival. It’s a desperate attempt to shield your child — and yourself — from a world that can be vicious and unforgiving. Sex selection isn’t new, though. For most of human history, parents prayed for sons. In China, during the one-child policy era, baby girls were aborted, abandoned, or killed in the quiet of the night. In some villages, newborn girls were left in baskets by the roadside, tiny pink bundles waiting for someone — anyone — to take pity. In other cultures, even today, infanticide is still a reality, mostly aimed at girls. If we resurrected every human who has ever lived and told them that, in modern America, parents are disappointed about having boys, they’d think we’d lost our minds. But here we are. However, the reason is complicated — tangled up in the very ideals of progress and gender equality that we claim to celebrate, while holding onto some benevolent sexism. You see, when boys are no longer valued as heirs to the family name, or as strong backs for the farm, or as future providers, then… what’s special about them? We praise our daughters openly — “girls can do anything,” “girls run the world” — and yes, that’s a beautiful thing. But when was the last time you heard someone celebrate a boy without apology, without a nervous laugh, without adding “but, you know, not in a toxic way”? Even as an unapologetic liberal, I can admit it. This is creating something dark. Something toxic. We’ve built this quiet narrative that boys are trouble. Or, at the very least, ticking time bombs — susceptible to violence, failure, misogyny. And the numbers? Oh gush, the numbers only feed that fear! Everywhere you look, the crisis of masculinity is being reported. Boys are less likely to finish high school. Less likely to graduate from college. Less likely to marry, to start families, to build stable lives. One study even found that 60% of young men are single, compared to 30% of young women, many of whom are increasingly choosing queer relationships over heterosexual ones. So what do we tell these boys? That they’re unwanted? That their existence is a mistake? Sometimes, that’s exactly what it feels like when I’m scrolling through Twitter or TikTok. I saw a viral post last week, “The world would honestly be a better place with fewer men.” Thousands of likes. Thousands of comments in agreement. I just sat there, staring at my phone, thinking — How did we get here? Because if society has decided that girls are precious, full of potential, and worthy of protection… but boys are expendable? That’s not progress. That’s just a new kind of cruelty, disguised as wokeness. For a lot of people, going through all the trouble to make sure they have a girl feels almost… virtuous. Like they’re doing the world a favor. I’ve seen the conversations. I’ve been in the threads. They say things like, “If everyone had daughters, the world would be safer.” Or, “Oldest children are more successful — if we all had girls first, we could literally squash inequality.” It’s wild. This idea that engineering the perfect family somehow makes you morally superior. And then there’s this other belief — the one that really makes my blood boil. This quiet assumption that girls can do anything, while boys… can’t. Boys, apparently, can’t do their own laundry. Can’t be trusted to call their moms. Can’t express empathy. Can’t even really belong in the family once they hit a certain age. So what’s the safer bet? Raise a daughter. She’s far less likely to grow up and idolize Andrew Tate. Far less likely to commit a mass shooting. And here’s the kicker — when a man works himself to the bone chasing money, we call it toxic, capitalist, greedy. But when a woman does it? She’s a girlboss. She’s celebrated. She’s inspirational. She’s proof of progress in a world where only 23% of technical roles are filled by women. This is why to some parents, a daughter feels like the ultimate win. All the achievements. None of the baggage. But I get it. I do. Who doesn’t want to believe they’re raising someone the world will celebrate instead of scrutinize? Still, I can’t shake this gnawing thought — what are we teaching our sons when the unspoken message is that they’re disposable, dangerous, or destined to disappoint? Even so, I can’t get behind the idea that sex selection is somehow “progressive.” If anything, it’s still sexist at its core. You can’t predict who your child will be. You can’t foresee how they’ll express their gender, or what qualities they’ll grow into as a human being. Yet, sex selection asks you to make an irreversible decision based on… what? Stereotypes. It’s unfair — cruel, even — to bring a child into the world with the expectation that she will fulfill some gendered obligation, however positive it might seem. A daughter to share secrets with. A future best friend. Someone who will call home every Sunday and never forget your birthday. What happens when she doesn’t? When she grows up to be fiercely independent, distant, or uninterested in the roles you quietly assigned her before she ever drew her first breath? Sex selection reinforces the same old trap — the belief that certain traits — nurturing, closeness, empathy — are tied to gender. The same belief that, for generations, limited women, boxed them in, and told them what they could or couldn’t be. And now, selecting for girls flips that prejudice on its head — but doesn’t erase it. It just creates a new wound. It quietly tells boys, you are the problem. You are the risk. You are less worthy of love. If you think you can build a deeper emotional bond with a daughter, fine. But maybe the better question is: why not cultivate that bond with a son? Why not raise boys who are tender, empathetic, present — because you believed in them from the start? Because until we start making that turn, I don’t think we’re moving closer to equality. I think we’re just repainting the walls of the same broken house. — 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: Vitaly Gariev On Unsplash The post Why Men Think Women Are Openly Declaring War on Them appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Alvin Powell | Harvard Staff Writer | Harvard Gazette Financial-incentive programs for prospective parents don’t work as a way to reverse falling birth rates, Harvard health experts said on Tuesday about a policy option that has been in the news in recent months. Instead, they said, a more effective approach would be to target issues that make parenting difficult: the high cost of living, a lack of affordable childcare, and better options for older parents who still want to see their families grow. The discussion, held at The Studio at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, came in the wake of a July report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that showed that the U.S. fertility rate was down 22 percent since the last peak in 2007. Ana Langer, professor of the practice of public health, emerita, said the causes of fertility decline are numerous, complex, and difficult to reverse. Surveys investigating why people might not want children cite things such as the cost of living, negative medical experiences from previous pregnancies, and wariness about major global issues such as climate change. In fact, she said, many survey respondents are surprised that declining fertility is even a problem and say they’re more concerned about overpopulation and its impacts on the planet. The landscape is complicated by the fact that U.S. society has changed significantly since the 1960s, when expectations were that virtually everyone wanted to raise a family. Today, she said, people feel free to focus on careers rather than families, and there is far greater acceptance of those who decide never to have children. Margaret Anne McConnell, the Chan School’s Bruce A. Beal, Robert L. Beal and Alexander S. Beal Professor of Global Health Economics, said some of the factors that have contributed to the declining birth rate reflect positive cultural shifts. Fertility rates are falling fastest, for example, in the youngest demographic, girls age 15 to 20. Teen pregnancy has been long considered a societal ill and is associated with difficult pregnancies, poor infant health, interrupted education, and poor job prospects. Other factors include the widespread availability of birth control, which gives women more reproductive choice, as well as the increasing share of women in higher education and the workforce. McConnell said some stop short of having the number of children they desire, due to fertility, medical, and other issues. One way to address declining fertility, she said, would be to find ways to enable those parents to have the number of children they wish. Today people feel free to focus on careers rather than families, and there is far greater acceptance of those who decide never to have children. –Margaret Anne McConnell “Any time we see people being able to make fertility choices that suit their family, I think that’s a success,” McConnell said. “I think people choosing to have children later in life is also a success. …To the extent that we can make it possible for people to reach whatever their desired family size is, I think that that would be a societal priority.” The event, “America’s declining birth rate: A public health perspective,” brought together Langer, McConnell, and Henning Tiemeier, the Chan School’s Sumner and Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal and Child Health. Addressing the declining birth rate has become a focus of the current administration — President Trump has floated the idea of a $5,000 “baby bonus” and $1,000 “Trump Accounts” that were part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” approved this summer. Panelists at the virtual event pointed out that a declining birth rate is not just a problem in the U.S. It has been declining in many countries around the world, and for many of the same reasons. As people — particularly women — become better educated and wealthier, they tend to choose smaller families than their parents and grandparents. Tiemeier said that changing societies and cultures have altered the very nature of relationships between men and women. He added sex education to the list of key changes that have fueled the birth-rate decline, particularly for teen pregnancies. The question of whether declining fertility is a problem is too simple for such a complex issue, he said. In a country with a growing population, where women have, on average, three children, the birth rate falling to 2½, slightly over the replacement value, would be beneficial economically, ensuring more workers to support the population as it ages. Countries with a birth rate below 1, whose population is already contracting, risk too few workers to fuel their economy, not to mention the social and societal impacts of a lack of young people. Tiemeier and McConnell said that other countries have tried simply paying people to have more children, and it doesn’t work. Even if the declining birth rate was considered a catastrophe, McConnell said, governments haven’t yet found levers that can bring it back up. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things government can do to help parents navigate a difficult and expensive time in life. Programs to lower the cost of childcare have been instituted in some cities and states, and more can be done. Tiemeier said both Republicans and Democrats are interested in supporting families, though their approaches may be different. So this may be a rare issue on which they could find common ground. Other areas of associatedneed include maternal health — a significant part of the population lives in healthcare “deserts” far from medical care. Programs designed to reach those areas, as well as a national parental-leave policy, would help young families navigate that time. “Any measure that we take will have a modest effect, because there are so many things contributing to this,” Tiemeier said. “To say that we are waiting and looking for a measure that has a big effect is an illusion. There are no big effects in this discussion.” — This story is reprinted with permission from The Harvard Gazette. *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * 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 to Reverse Nation’s Declining Birth Rate appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Ex-Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis attacked during parliamentary election campaign Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis was briefly hospitalized after being hit in the head with a walking stick during a campaign event on Monday. The incident took place in the village of Dobra in the eastern part of the country, where the leader of the right-wing ANO party was meeting supporters ahead of the October parliamentary election. According to ANO spokesman Martin Vodicka, an assailant struck Babis in the head from behind with a “metal object.” ANO MP Zuzana Ozanova, however, told the website iDENS.cz that the politician was hit with a walking stick. Police said the attacker, who has not been identified, was detained at the scene. His motives remain unclear. Babis was taken to a hospital for tests and later discharged. “Thank you all for your support. I hope I’ll be fine. Tomorrow I’ll be waiting for further assessment of the examination results, but for now the doctors have recommended that I rest,” he wrote on X. He canceled a similar trip planned for Tuesday. 🚨 Předseda hnutí ANO Andrej Babiš byl dnes napaden berlí do zad. Stalo se to tak na setkání s voliči v Dobré u Frýdku-Místku. Incident podle na místě řešila policie. Babiše podle informací ošetřují v místní nemocnici. pic.twitter.com/r8ARb50xnh — blesk (@blesk_cz) September 1, 2025 ANO deputy leader Alena Schillerova blamed the attack on “hatred spread by the ruling parties on billboards and social media.” “This is a direct consequence of their campaign based on fear and division,” she wrote on X. Babis, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, has opposed sending weapons to Ukraine and argued that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev should be resolved through diplomacy. He has denied accusations of spreading “Russian narratives.” View the full article

In Aikido practice, we trained with the jo (wooden staff) against the bokuto (wooden sword) attack. As I practiced, Ishibashi Sensei said, “You have to move backwards.” I got it. I had to move backwards to draw the attacker in, invite the attack. Instead, I moved forward with the jo. As I move backward, I strike the attacker 5 times. Sensei demonstrated before I strike that I profile and draw back my jo with my back hand. I wait it out. I strike the attacker as they attack. Draw back and wait. Strike straight to the head. Draw back and wait. Strike down to the head. Draw back and wait. Strike up to the head. Draw back and wait. Strike the leg. Draw back and wait. Strike to the side of the attacker’s head with the jo in my right hand. I practiced that over, and over, and over again. Draw back. Wait it out. Strike. Now I know. Years ago, I would think, “I’m no good! I suck!” I was unkind to myself. I had zero space for failure. Since, I’ve learned to love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. I’m good with where I am. I can always be better, the better person, the better man. The late Mizukami Sensei said, “Just train.” It’s not like I have to be somewhere or be someone else. I have nothing to prove. I work on myself, not on others. I always have something to work on, to improve, to refine. Now I know. Billionaire music superstar Taylor Swift made her podcast debut on boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce’s New Heights. That New Heights episode had over 20 million views. Taylor Swift literally broke the Internet. Taylor asked Jason, “How is the wax growing in?” Jason lost a bet and had to rock his speedo at a public event. He got the European Bikini Wax for that. Taylor asked, “How are we managing it?” Jason said, “I’m managing it by not managing it.” His hair slowly grew back. Taylor asked, “So are you going to do it again?” Jason admitted, “I don’t think so.” Taylor said, “Because now you know.” She confessed, “I always say that after I make an unfortunate judgement call. Well, now I know.” Although I feared inside that I was not good enough, I said to someone, “I love you.” I entered what I feared most. Didn’t defend against what I feared. No, she didn’t love me. She stayed with me until she could find the man she could love. What we all want in life. Although I have nothing to do with what goes on inside someone else, I have a say with what goes on inside me. My fear was truth. I can be quiet inside. Well, now I knew. In the samurai proverb: Nana korobi ya oki. Fall down 7 times, get up eight. When I fall, when I fail, I get back up. I move forward. Maybe someday, like Travis Kelce, I’ll find my Taylor Swift. I’ll say, “I love you.” Maybe, she loves me. Maybe, she doesn’t. Now I know. When I’m afraid inside, I open up. I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough over, and over, and over again. I free myself. Let the chips fall where they may. Whether the sword strikes, getting a bikini wax, or saying, “I love you.” Now I know. I can live with that. I can live with myself, too. — Photo by José León on Unsplash The post Now I Know appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

I first reached out to Lindsay Cray for insights on Rochester’s Lower Falls Gorge while working on an article for The Conservationist. What began as a conversation about geology and ecology quickly deepened into something more profound. Cray’s relationship to the gorge, and to the land itself, isn’t just observational. It’s alive. Reciprocal. “If you’re feeling any kind of way,” she told me, “you can go to the gorge and let it hold you. That water is ancient. It carries big energy—the kind that can transform the heaviness we all carry sometimes. The gorge isn’t just a landscape; it’s a living force.” Cray, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist, helps others tune into that force, not as a romantic escape from life’s challenges but as a partner in healing. For decades she has worked at the intersection of mental health, community building, and ecological restoration, weaving them into a single philosophy: reconnection. “People need to reconnect—with the land, with themselves, and with each other.” But Cray’s insights run deeper than any credential. They reflect an understanding that what she teaches, agency, balance, relationality, is ancient wisdom practiced by Indigenous cultures for centuries. Quoting her colleague, author and Two-Spirit advocate Shawn Kalanv (Raven), she reflects: “Long before Western intellectuals coined ‘humanism,’ Indigenous nations were embodying it. Women chose whether to be warriors or wives. They selected partners, evaluated cohabitation, and could end a marriage simply by placing a man’s belongings outside. That’s agency. That’s balance. That’s leadership.” “These weren’t radical ideas,” she says, echoing Kalanv’s words. “They were ways of being. Colonial systems erased that wisdom and then repackaged it as progress. Even now, modern humanist movements rarely acknowledge the Indigenous roots of relational, communal, and egalitarian values. If we want to lead with integrity, we have to tell the whole truth.” Cray honors those truths in her work, both subtly and directly. At retreats like Wild Woman (coming September 2025), participants engage in immersive experiences that blend traditional ecological knowledge, feminine psychotherapy, and ecopsychology. “It’s about reconnecting with the wild within you—the part of you that remembers your worth.” Her passion for environmental education is not about transferring knowledge so much as sparking transformation. “I love blowing people’s minds,” she says with a smile. “Watching them try new things and realize what they’re capable of, that’s why I teach.” At wilderness survival classes she once taught across Rochester—from RIT to Rochester Brainery—students learned to build fires, find food, and navigate home. But they also learned resilience, mindfulness, and patience through their relationship with the land. “By the end, people are lit up with excitement. They’ve discovered not just survival skills but something about themselves.” These moments, she explains, are less about survival than stepping beyond comfort zones and growing. “Nature is the perfect partner for that. It asks us to show up, to stay present, and it rewards us with perspective.” Cray’s understanding of healing has been shaped as much by her travels as her practice. “It’s hard to pick a favorite place,” she admits. “I lived in Puerto Rico for six years, and it felt like home. I learned the language, met people who became family. The island is called the Island of Enchantment for a reason.” Her global journeys only deepened her sense of wonder. “In Colombia, I met some of the kindest people you’ll ever find. Spain—it’s the culture and architecture. Italy has this raw passion. Australia has a wildness that’s electric. Every place is unique.” Before returning to Rochester, she and her husband, Nick Brown, spent a year in California’s Central Valley working for a land trust. She served as education and volunteer director; he stewarded 15,000 acres. Together they launched programs, most notably one for adjudicated youth that paired hands-on environmental work with deep inquiry. “That program is still going,” she says. “Leaving was hard, but my husband’s health couldn’t handle the pollution. We realized once we got back to Rochester, no one would hire us to do this kind of work. So we decided to create it ourselves.” Thus, Earthworks Institute was born—a first-of-its-kind nonprofit in Rochester, built on outdoor experiential learning. Over two decades, Cray has pioneered progressive nature-based therapies, including Trybe Ecotherapy in 2020, a county-funded pilot that helps military veterans heal trauma by restoring balance across cognitive, emotional, and physical states. Her early career included a National Science Foundation fellowship and participation in the 2009 UN Climate Conference. Today, as a consultant and counselor, she bridges disciplines, psychotherapy, environmental education, and nonprofit leadership, to help individuals and communities heal. Born and raised in Rochester, Cray remembers roaming woods off Empire Boulevard as a child. Coming back years later, she sees both progress and loss. “We sit on the southern shores of Lake Ontario—one of the world’s largest freshwater bodies. There’s huge potential for eco-tourism here. But fences and signs won’t protect these places. If we want to preserve them, we need people to feel a sense of stewardship, not just management.” Fluent in Spanish, trained as a Wilderness First Responder, and experienced in grant writing and nonprofit leadership, Cray moves fluidly across worlds. Her vision is ambitious but clear: a Rochester where neighborhoods see the land as part of their identity. “Healing ourselves and healing the earth aren’t two separate tasks,” she says. “They’re the same work.” — 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 “The Wild Knows the Way”: Lindsay Cray on Healing Land, People, and Stories appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The EU earlier accused Moscow of “blatant interference” and of subjecting the aircraft to electronic jamming Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 has refuted allegations made by several media outlets and EU officials that the plane of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was subjected to GPS signal jamming. The aircraft that carried the EU Commission chief to Bulgaria on Sunday showed good GPS signal quality along its entire route, the monitoring service wrote on X on Monday. The flight arrived only nine minutes later than scheduled, the service said, noting that some media reports erroneously claimed that “the aircraft was in a holding pattern for 1 hour.” “The aircraft’s transponder reported good GPS signal quality from take-off to landing,” it added. The alleged GPS issues were first reported by the Financial Times, which cited unnamed sources who claimed the pilots experienced signal blackouts so severe that they had to use “paper maps” for landing. The sources also suggested Russia was to blame for the alleged incident. Reached for comment by the FT, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reported allegations were untrue. The claims were made official on Monday. Both the EU and Bulgarian authorities pointed the finger at Moscow. “We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria. We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” EU Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta told a press conference in Brussels. The Bulgarian government also appeared to corroborate the claims the pilots had to rely on alternate navigation tools while landing at Plovdiv International Airport. “During the flight carrying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Plovdiv, the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane’s GPS navigation system was neutralized,” the government said in a statement. “To ensure the flight’s safety, air control services immediately offered an alternative landing method using terrestrial navigation tools,” it added. View the full article

— I had a conversation last week with an old lover — you know how those conversations go. They start out innocently enough, catching up with some small talk. You discuss work, which leads you to talk about life, which invariably becomes an open dialog about the failure of your relationship. “We will work out as a relationship the day you realize that romance is about inconveniencing yourself,” I said to him. I’ve said this before, but it never hit me as clearly as it did at that moment. I thought about all of the things I’ve done in the name of romance. Love surely is the most inconvenient thing in the world. It blazes through plans, it reschedules meetings indiscriminately, and it turns priorities on their heads. I’m weary of compromising the big things, the things that make you who you are. But at the same time — have you ever boarded a flight just to sit next to someone for five hours? Nevermind that you have no idea what you’re going to do once you reach the destination, but who cares? Just to spend those five hours beside someone, and take however many kisses you can steal between lift-off and landing — that’s all that matters. That’s enough. That’s romance. Yes, I imagine we could schedule our interactions for conferences where our schedules overlap — love is patient, love is kind, love waits its turn, right? Whatever. I don’t want a measured love, where we mind each other’s schedules. I don’t want to meet you somewhere convenient for me. I want to go out of my way, and I expect the same from you. I want to fight the burden of reality for this incredible thing that we’re experiencing, this blossoming thing that sweeps across our field of vision and patinates every aspect of our existence so everything is brighter and more textured. I don’t want to mind the constraints of space and build a relationship however it may fit into my life. I want to take a wrecking ball to my existing world and rebuild an existence where our relationship has a proper, sprawling space. I want a Taj Majal in the middle of an otherwise crowded urban landscape. I don’t want to mind the constraints of space and build a relationship however it may fit into my life. I want to take a wrecking ball to my existing world and rebuild an existence where our relationship has a proper, sprawling space. I want a Taj Majal in the middle of an otherwise crowded urban landscape. That’s romance. ◊ Once upon a time, a dear friend of mine thought he might hook me up with a friend of his. He thought we’d get on famously. He was recently divorced, I was recently divorced; he’s a writer, and I’m a writer. It seemed like a no-brainer. So the friend — let’s call him Hank — and I started to text. I am not one to expect offerings of any sort during courtship. They can be wonderful when they occur, but they’re a risky proposition when you don’t know someone well enough. But Hank wanted to give me a gift. He asked me what my favorite flower was. I told him it wasn’t necessary, but when he insisted, I told him I loved orchids. He then made a critical error — he asked me if I could find out where he could get these for cheap in Los Angeles, because all the places he had researched online were really overpriced. *** I’m not saying I think he should have shelled out for flowers if he didn’t have the means. Romance may be about inconvenience, but it’s not about bankruptcy. Of course, romance isn’t finding deals for your suitor, either. More interesting than a trunk wrapped in exotic orchids that sets you back a few thousand is a heart-felt letter. Or some origami flowers. My father used to sneak into my mother’s office, always careful that she never saw him, just to leave candies on her desk. I like this because of how simple it is — nothing extravagant, just candies. But he took time out of his day to creep around her office building and leave the little candies just so she could find them at some point and know he’d come by. Simple, I know. But it ties into the inconvenient aspect of romance. He could have used those two hours to have lunch, but instead, he spent those hours making these little deliveries. When people say “it’s the thought that counts,” that’s what I think about: how much thought someone puts into something. It’s not an excuse or justification. It’s a vital component of what the gift should be, a reminder that someone is thinking about you and hitting pause on their busy day just to let you know. The best gifts, without a doubt, occur when one least expects them. I was reminded of this recently when my friend Jason gave me a book of equations. He saw it while he was at a bookstore, thought of me immediately and bought it because he felt I had to have it. That’s the best gift. Not the sort that happens on a birthday or a holiday because it must, but rather, because someone happened to think of you at a completely unrelated moment. That kind of thing says, unequivocally: you’re on my mind. ◊ A few months ago, a dear writer friend of mine, Rita Arens, e-mailed about a new piece she was working on about the power of the written word, which prompted me to dig up love letters that I had written over the course of a decade. I shared some of them with her, commenting how curious it was that most of these letters dealt with longing — meaning they’d been written during periods of separation. It reminded me of another conversation I’d recently had with another former lover about how his need to discuss everything in our relationship didn’t extend to any of the positive things in our interaction — only the negative things. For example, he had once mentioned he felt objectified by me. The comment was so shocking and horrifying — it had been said one evening that I was trying to seduce him away from his work — that it had caused me to become intolerably self-conscious of any form of sexual expression toward him. During our recent conversation, he apologized, saying my openness with regard to my sexuality was one of the things about me that he had appreciated most — surprising because I’d never heard any feedback to this effect while we were dating. I wondered, as I looked over these love letters, most of which were odes of desperate want, whether they were similar to conversations about only negative aspects of a relationship. What if instead of crying out because a lover wasn’t available, I praised him when he was right beside me? How about a love letter on a pillow with no reason other than to remind him that I’m happy he’s sleeping beside me? ◊ Being a creature of the Web, I immediately opened a new tab in my browser and, after a brief pause, I logged in to Tumblr, a platform that allows you to make a digital scrapbook with images, video and audio, and I began composing what I like to call my interactive love letter. This monument to romance is populated with memories, with images that remind me of things or inspire my desire, with songs, with quotes from other people who freely explore their desires, and in so doing inspire me to find my own bliss, however different. It’s both things that turn me on and warm my heart. What I find most compelling about the interactive love letter is that one can invite contributors. A couple can literally post to the same scrapbook from different accounts. Imagine that. Imagine an ode you write together, for no reason other than to share adoration — one you can access from anywhere you happen to be and take it with you in your pocket via your choice mobile device. Oh, but that’s a bit time-consuming, isn’t it? Why, yes. Yes, it is. The inconvenience of stopping your day just to catch that thought about someone and put it to words, or copy that image or upload that song that reminds you of him or her -– that’s the stuff of lovers. Do it. Take a chance. Inconvenience yourself. ** *** 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. What Now? Participate. Take Action. Join The Good Men Project Community. The $50 Platinum Level is an ALL-ACCESS PASS—join as many groups and classes as you want for the entire year. 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The post Romance, How (Extraordinarily, Delightfully) Inconvenient appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The authorities in Kiev framed a “random man” as the murderer of MP Andrey Parubiy, Artyom Dmitruk has claimed Vladimir Zelensky’s government is behind the assassination of prominent Ukrainian far-right politician Andrey Parubiy, exiled Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk has claimed. The former parliamentary speaker was gunned down in the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine on Saturday. Less than 48 hours later, Zelensky announced that the suspected killer had been apprehended. In a series of posts on X on Monday, Dmitruk questioned the official version, claiming that the “trail of this crime leads directly to Bankova Street,” referring to where the Ukrainian presidential administration in Kiev is located. The exiled politician dismissed the investigation as “miserable staging,” the conclusions stemming from which defy “common sense.” An outspoken critic of the Zelensky government, Dmitruk accused the security services of framing a “random man.” Dmitruk fled Ukraine in August 2024, alleging that he had received death threats from the country’s security services over his opposition to Zelensky’s persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. His assessment appears to be in line with that of Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik, who claimed that Parubiy was assassinated to “wipe the field clean” ahead of a potential settlement of the Ukraine conflict, which could mark a return of political competition in the country. On Monday, police officials in Lviv Region stated that a Russian connection was being investigated as a “priority,” claiming that Moscow “seeks to destabilize [Ukrainian] society through various sinister and cynical actions.” Parubiy co-founded the Social-National Party of Ukraine in 1991 – known for its neo-Nazi symbolism and ideology. The far-right politician went on to play a central role in the 2014 Maidan coup, coordinating paramilitary protest groups in Kiev. After the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich, he was appointed secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, and oversaw early military operations against the secessionist militias in Donbass. Parubiy was also allegedly responsible for the crushing of protests in Odessa in May 2014, which culminated in a fire at the Trade Unions building that killed more than 40 activists who opposed Kiev’s coup-installed government. View the full article