American Women Suck

From imperial tunics to Soviet aprons to today’s national standards, the uniform has shaped how Russians see equality, order, and tradition in the classroom In Russia, September 1 is more than just the start of a new school year. Known as the Day of Knowledge, it is a national ritual celebrated in every town and city. On this morning, schoolyards turn into small festivals: Girls in crisp blouses with white ribbons in their hair, boys in freshly pressed suits, the air filled with the scent of asters and chrysanthemums brought as gifts for teachers. Parents gather with cameras, loudspeakers crackle with speeches, and the ringing of the first bell marks the beginning of the academic year. At the center of this ritual is the school uniform. Generations of Russians recall its look and feel – from the brown dresses and white aprons of Soviet schoolgirls to the blue jackets of boys with the emblem of an open book stitched on the sleeve. For Russians, the uniform is more than a dress code. It is part of a cultural tradition that conveys discipline, equality, and belonging. And its history, stretching back nearly two centuries, mirrors the broader story of Russian society itself. Origins of the school uniform The story of the school uniform begins not in Russia but in Britain. In the 16th century, Christ’s Hospital, a charitable school for orphans and children from poor families, introduced a distinctive Tudor-style outfit: Long blue coats, pleated skirts for girls, and breeches for boys. In England, uniform was associated with poverty and charity – clothing meant to signal modest means. When the idea crossed into Russia, it was transformed. In 1834, Tsar Nicholas I, a monarch with a passion for order and discipline, approved the ‘Regulations on Civil Uniforms’. From that moment, not only state officials but also students at gymnasiums and lyceums were required to wear prescribed dress. Boys appeared in dark-green tunics with blue collars, gold or silver trim, and matching caps; girls, as female education expanded, wore modest long brown dresses with aprons – black for everyday use, white for festive occasions. The Russian school uniform was modeled on military attire and carried a different symbolism than in Britain. Rather than signaling poverty, it marked status. Only families who were wealthy enough could send their children to gymnasiums, and the uniform became a visible badge of belonging to the educated class. By the late 19th century, green jackets gave way to dark blue, ornate standing collars alternated with simpler turn-down styles, and gymnasium boys were mockingly nicknamed ‘blue beef’ for their dark-blue coats. Girls’ uniforms, though less strictly regulated, also developed traditions: Younger pupils wore darker shades, older ones lighter, a hierarchy of colors preserved at elite institutions like the Smolny Institute. By the 1880s, the student cap with a leather visor and emblem made it possible to tell at a glance which school a boy attended. And although daily wear grew more practical – gymnasts’ tunics or simpler woolen coats – the principle remained unchanged: The uniform was a civic version of the military coat, a lesson in discipline, and a marker of social standing. Revolution, rejection, and return The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 swept away many of the symbols of imperial Russia, and the school uniform was among them. To the new authorities, gymnasium tunics and aprons represented both social inequality and the ‘unfreedom’ of the student – an outward sign of belonging to the privileged classes. There was also a more pragmatic reason: The impoverished state, and no less impoverished parents, simply had no resources to supply children with specially tailored clothing. In the 1920s and 1930s, students came to school in whatever they had, and uniform became a relic of the past. © Wikipedia The first steps toward reintroducing uniforms came not in general schools but in vocational and technical institutions. From the 1940s, craft and railway schools adopted standard dress, complete with insignia on caps and badges on belts. In these cases, uniforms were issued at state expense, which not only reinforced discipline but also encouraged many to continue their education. The decisive turn came after World War II. In 1948, the Soviet authorities formally restored the school uniform in general education, drawing on pre-revolutionary models. Boys wore gray tunics with belts and caps, marked with a distinctive ‘Ш’ – the Cyrillic letter ‘Sh’ for ‘shkola’ (school) – on both the cap badge and belt buckle. Girls appeared in brown dresses with removable white collars and cuffs, black aprons for everyday use, and white aprons for holidays. The symbolism was deliberate. In a country devastated by war and rebuilding from ruins, uniforms embodied the idea of equality, unity, and a hopeful future. Just as factories and housing blocks were standardized, so too was the appearance of the Soviet schoolchild – disciplined, neat, and part of a collective whole. Soviet transformations By the mid-1950s, the gray tunics of postwar boys had already shown their flaws. Ink stains and constant wear made them impractical, and in 1954 the uniform shifted to dark blue. Senior students were gradually released from the obligation to wear full uniform, though badges, red pioneer scarves, and Komsomol pins remained visible symbols of youth organizations. For girls, the brown dress with its black or white apron proved remarkably durable. Worn with removable collars and cuffs, paired with white socks or tights, and accompanied by neatly braided hair tied with ribbons, it became one of the most recognizable images of Soviet childhood. The strict rules forbade jewelry or makeup, and teachers vigilantly enforced these standards. Only in the 1980s did girls’ uniforms undergo significant change, with the introduction of blue three-piece suits – skirt, vest, and jacket – or jumpers for younger pupils. In colder regions, trousers were permitted for the first time. Boys’ wardrobes changed more frequently. In the early 1960s, the military-style tunics gave way to gray flannel suits with single-breasted jackets. A decade later, these were replaced by dark-blue ensembles: Flared trousers and short jackets with shoulder straps and decorative stitching that echoed the popular denim look. On the sleeve appeared a patch with an open book and rising sun, symbolizing the motto ‘learning is light’. By the 1980s, older boys were dressed in sober blue suits, while the red pioneer scarf remained an essential element of school identity. Through each of these transformations, the uniform remained both practical clothing and a tool of education. It embodied discipline, reinforced collective identity, and reflected the optimism of its time – from the space-age dreams of the 1960s to the proud spectacle of the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Abandonment and return The collapse of the Soviet Union brought with it the collapse of the school uniform. By 1991, the factories that produced standardized clothing were shutting down, and by 1994 the legal requirement for uniforms had been formally abolished. For the first time in generations, Russian children were free to dress as they pleased. The 1990s became an era of sartorial chaos in the classroom. Students arrived in jeans, bright sweaters, and T-shirts, often mirroring the subcultures of the time. For some, this freedom was exhilarating; for teachers, it was a challenge. Clothing became another way to signal social status, and disputes over what was appropriate became part of school life. A few institutions experimented with looser ‘business style’ dress codes, but the results were uneven and often unpopular. By the early 2010s, however, the pendulum began to swing back. In 2013, a new federal law on education gave schools the right to require uniforms, though the style and color were left to the discretion of each institution. Gradually, more schools reintroduced formal dress codes, seeing them as a way to restore order, foster equality, and revive tradition. For today’s students, especially in the younger grades, jackets, skirts, and dark trousers are once again the norm, signaling not only the return of discipline to the classroom but also a cultural continuity with Russia’s past. Contemporary debates and the 2025 standard In recent years, discussion about school uniforms in Russia has returned with new intensity. In the summer of 2025, public debate was stirred by reports that a single Soviet-style uniform would once again become mandatory. In reality, the change was far less dramatic. What appeared on the horizon was not a return to the identical brown dresses and blue suits of the past, but the introduction of a new national standard. On September 3, 2025, a new state standard – ‘GOST’ – for school uniforms will come into effect. Developed by Roskachestvo and the Innovation Center for Textile and Light Industry under the Ministry of Trade, it sets out requirements not for style or color, but for quality and safety. Jackets, shirts, skirts, trousers, pinafores, and other items must meet standards for durability, breathability, resistance to wear, and ease of care. As officials explained, the goal is to protect parents and children from poorly made garments and to encourage manufacturers to produce clothing that can withstand daily use. The standard is voluntary, though producers may choose to certify their products against it. Experts describe the measure as a kind of “retro-innovation.” Ivan Ivanov of the Higher School of Economics called it “a return of an old but not outdated tool of education,” while industry officials emphasize that lasting, washable, and comfortable clothing is as much a necessity as it is a tradition. Support for the idea of uniforms remains high: Surveys in 2018 showed that more than 80% of Russians favored their return, compared with two-thirds just five years earlier. For many educators, the question is not whether uniforms are needed, but how flexible they should be. Some, like St. Petersburg school director Konstantin Tkhostov, argue that GOST should be mandatory to guarantee quality and affordability across the country. Others, including Education Ombudsman Amet Volodarsky, stress that schools must retain the freedom to choose models suited to local needs while ensuring that uniforms prevent brand competition and social division among children. What unites all sides of the debate is the recognition that school uniforms in today’s Russia are not a relic. They remain a living part of educational culture – a way to discipline, to equalize, and to give children a sense of belonging. Expert views Supporters of the school uniform point out that its value lies not only in tradition but in its impact on children’s psychology, social life, and even their future careers. Child psychologist and neuropsychologist Natalya Naumova explains that uniforms help children focus on learning rather than appearance. “Uniforms bring students together by making them look alike regardless of their background. “Children are less distracted by who dresses better or worse, and instead can build friendships without social markers. “For teachers, it sets clear expectations and helps create a more serious attitude toward study.” Stylist and parent Lyudmila Bryantseva highlights the role of uniforms in shaping taste and professionalism from an early age. “A dress code organizes and disciplines, but it also teaches neatness and a sense of appropriateness in clothing. “There is even a term in styling – the smart look. It means a person dressed in a restrained, businesslike way already appears intellectual, already strives to live up to that image. A uniform not only unites a class but gives children a sense of collective identity and tradition.” Fashion designer Aleksey Sukharev emphasizes the link between school uniforms and preparation for adult life. “It instills taste from childhood and teaches children that there is a place for certain clothes – some things belong in school, others outside of it. Later, it makes the transition to an adult wardrobe much easier.” For Amet Volodarsky, the national education ombudsman, uniforms are essential not just for discipline but for social equality. “A uniform gives children a sense of belonging and discipline, which is crucial today. At the same time, I believe schools should be free to choose their own designs. “I have seen how brand competition in clothing divides classes and even leads to bullying. A school uniform helps reduce that pressure.” Together, these voices underscore why uniforms remain so central in Russian schools. They discipline and unify, they teach taste and appropriateness, and they shield children from the social divides that free dress can bring. A living tradition Just days before the start of the school year, Moscow’s GUM department store opened an exhibition titled ‘The History of School Uniform, 1900-2025’. Organized by the Bosco di Ciliegi group together with the Ministry of Education, the show guides visitors through more than a century of uniforms: From the ornate dresses and tunics of imperial gymnasiums, to the iconic Soviet brown aprons and blue jackets, to the modern variations worn today. Archival photographs, school accessories, and multimedia displays allow visitors to see how the uniform has changed with the country – and how every button carries its own story. At the opening, Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov noted that schools remain free to set their own styles, but that uniforms play an essential role: “A school uniform carries an important educational function. It disciplines. And in many schools there are good traditions associated with the school uniform.” The school uniform, in other words, is not just a piece of clothing. It is a time machine, carrying the memory of generations – from the pupils of Nicholas I’s gymnasiums, through Soviet classrooms filled with paper airplanes and pioneer scarves, to today’s students preparing for a future shaped by innovation. Across these eras, its meaning has remained constant: Discipline, equality, and a sense of belonging. View the full article

The SCO has a long track record of fostering regional stability and could take on a larger role, the president has said The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) could become the leading vehicle to usher in a more fair system of international relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, adding that he supports China’s initiatives in this regard. Speaking at the extended session of the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, Putin noted that the high attendance of the gathering is proof of a “genuine interest and attention to the multifaceted activities” of the organization. He noted that since its inception in 2001, the SCO has sought to build “an atmosphere of peace and security, trust and cooperation on the common Eurasian continent.” “It seems that the SCO could take a leading role in efforts to form a more just and equitable global governance system,” Putin suggested, adding that it would be based on the primacy of international law and the key provisions of the UN Charter. In light of this, Putin continued, Russia has taken note of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ideas on the matter. The topic, according to Putin, has become “especially relevant in a situation where some countries still do not abandon their pursuit of dominance in international affairs.” The Russian president did not elaborate on this statement, but the comments come against the backdrop of unprecedented Western pressure on Russia. View the full article

DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS Do you want to stand out? Are you doing everything you can to be the best? Are your standards higher than the rest? I think maybe we are reaching for stars and forgetting most people simply need to reach for the light switch to see where they are. EXCEPTION TO THE RULE I’ve always wanted to break away from the pack. I always wanted to be different. Different tone. Different voice. Different way to work. Anything to not be normal. Is this you? Are you looking to rise above what others call mediocre? I was looking for that rise above mediocre. International best-selling author, distinguished graduate, first in my family to gross a million, desire to deploy to war zone, prove my toughness, win a state football champion…but none of it brought me anything other than the exception. No real recognition. No real affirmation. No real applause. Men do you feel the same way? My attitude for ‘different’ continued professionally. I wanted to innovate. I wanted to do things differently. I had creative structures no one ever saw before. Everything was the first time someone ever heard of it. The same thing with my relationships. I wanted it to be the exception to the rule. Inevitably, I became so exceptional that I was exceptional at having no one understand what I was doing. This is probably why my wife has such a hard time soliciting opinions from her friends. It’s probably why the DA has such a hard time believing I’m not a bad person. That my friends, is the lesson. No one understands what I do and people always fear what they do not understand. It’s easy to make assumptions rather than make the effort to learn. EXCEPTION MEANS You simply aren’t like everyone else. That doesn’t mean good. That doesn’t mean bad. It simply means different. Since humans are a social creature we crave community. How can you find a community of exceptional people when the very nature of exception means to be different? Do you see the irony? In my quest to be different — I achieved exactly what I sought out. I am completely different than everyone else. I keep obtaining different results. These results give me the hardships I endure for the same things others do. Is this really a good thing? Sometimes exception is not good. Sometimes it’s just different. Sometimes being normal is better. Sometimes adhering to a pre-determined standard is best. Ever try reading scripture? It’s giving me a whole better standard to live by. I think you should try it too. IN CLOSING Sign up for free to listen free of charge to my chapter in “Many Paths To Profit” to read about how I look at things. My dynamic form of observing and reframing will help you to accomplish things like what we have discussed in today’s article. I have a free podcast called Hustle Kick as well which teaches you how to hustle for free. You can pick up a copy of my international best-selling and award winning book, “I Made It Then I Didn’t” as well for a deeper insight on some of the psychology I use to take me through difficult circumstances. Not every exception is good. Learn to know the difference. To Your Knowledge Success! … Sources 1) The life of Christopher Knight Lopez a Professional Hustler turned International Best Seller and Published Author of “I Made It Then I Didn’t”. 2) As Hyperlinked throughout the article. … Enjoy the read? Reward the writer. Your tip will go to Christopher Lopez through a third-party platform of their choice, letting them know you appreciate their story. Click the link below to tip the author! https://ko-fi.com/chrislopez33885 Sign Up for Medium Today! Gain unlimited access to all my articles and thousands of premium quality articles today. … Not a form of investment advice. Please consult a professional registered to give you advice about your individual circumstance. This is not formal counseling or a form of psychology. Please consult a licensed therapist or psychiatrist for psychological concerns. Please do not email the author about advice on investing or strategies on making investments. This article is for educational purposes and entertainment purposes only. About Christopher: Christopher Knight Lopez is a Professional Hustler turned International Best Seller, Award Winner of the December 2024 prestigious International Impact Book Awards — a premier award program dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the exceptional work of authors around the globe and Published Author of “I Made It Then I Didn’t”. He is also a Co-Author with Kevin “The Shark” Harrington “Many Paths To Profit”. See more at www.christopherklopez.com. — 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 I Thought I Was An Exceptional Man appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The Indian leader has called for the SCO to have a unified approach in the fight against terrorism Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on fellow Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members to oppose “double standards” on terrorism. Speaking at the 25th Council of SCO Heads of State meeting in Tianjin on Monday Modi said there needed to be “unity” in the fight against terror. Referring to the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, he said “many friendly countries” stood by India. “We must clearly and unanimously declare that double standards on terrorism are unacceptable,” Modi added.” We must collectively oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. This is our duty to humanity.” 🇮🇳 #SCO2025: Five Key Takeaways from PM Modi's Address in Tianjin From a crackdown on terror to connectivity, here's what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to say: ❌ No Double Standards on Terrorism: Challenge to ALL Humanity. Terrorism needs to be condemned in every form -… pic.twitter.com/ztKOHoT2Kv — RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 1, 2025 In his speech, the Indian leader made a veiled reference to SCO member Pakistan, who India has blamed for the April terror attack. “It raises a serious question - should a country openly supporting terrorism be acceptable to any of us,” Modi asked. SCO members voiced their support for India and expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded in the Kashmir attack. “The Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stress that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists,” a joint statement on Monday said. In his opening speech on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO member states to “seek common ground while putting aside differences” and pursue “mutual benefit and win-win results” as the bloc charts its path forward. While talking about connectivity between SCO members, Modi called on states to respect territorial sovereignty. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through territory controlled by Islamabad but claimed by New Delhi. CPEC is a part of China’s flagship Belt and Road initiative, a global infrastructure development program. He, however, added that connectivity is a cornerstone of growth and trust. Sharing India’s initiatives in this regard, Modi said India is working on projects like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor. “This will help us improve connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia,” he said. View the full article

MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 — On September 1, RT premieres Imperial Receipts with Dr. Shashi Tharoor, a series hosted by the Chair of the Indian Parliament’s External Affairs Committee. The program tackles a deeply complex and sensitive issue for India: how British colonialism transformed the country and how its effects are still felt today. Across ten episodes, the popular politician, diplomat and author explores his country’s past, dismantling long-standing myths about colonialism. Shashi Tharoor uncovers the real story of British rule in India – the plunder, oppression and devastation of a centuries-old culture and economy in one of the world’s largest nations, reducing one of humanity’s oldest and most distinctive civilizations to a mere supplier of raw materials and cheap labor. Beyond recounting the unvarnished truth of the past, the project also explores how colonialism echoes in today’s political and economic landscape, raising questions about the present and future. Who pays the price for the West’s ambitions, and what is that price? Will the stolen wealth be returned? And why is confronting the legacy of British colonialism essential for an honest dialogue about the global order today? ”For 200 years, somebody else has been deciding what you’re supposed to stand for in the world. The last thing you want to do is to surrender as an independent nation your right to have your own view to anybody else,” emphasizes show host Shashi Tharoor. A special preview episode, filmed in Moscow during Dr. Tharoor’s visit to the Russian capital, aired in mid-August. In it, the politician fielded questions from Russian and international students and foreign policy experts on topics ranging from history and politics to India’s future, globalization and the emerging world order. The Moscow visit, timed ahead of his show’s premiere, garnered extensive coverage in Indian and international media and trended on India’s political X feeds. Imperial Receipts will air weekly starting September 1 at 4:30 p.m. Moscow time (7:00 p.m. in India). RT Projects Other prominent figures hosting shows on RT include prolific Indian actor and best-selling author Anupam Kher, former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, renowned American journalist Rick Sanchez and Kenya’s eminent pan-Africanist and anti-colonialism activist professor P.L.O. Lumumba. Throughout the years, RT has worked with leading international media and public sphere personalities, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond and journalist Max Keiser, dubbed the “most dangerous financial expert” by The Huffington Post. For over seven years, RT aired programs by broadcasting legend Larry King — PoliticKing and Larry King Now. During its coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, RT was joined by renowned coach José Mourinho and football stars Peter Schmeichel and Carlos Valderrama. About RT RT is a global television network operating news channels in English, Arabic, Spanish, German, Serbian and French, along with the documentary channel RTD in Russian and English. RT also runs online platforms in eight languages and includes the global multimedia news agency RUPTLY, which provides exclusive content to broadcasters worldwide. RT is available in Chinese on major social media platforms such as Weibo, Bilibili and Douyin, and in Hindi on local social platforms. The network broadcasts 24/7 to over 900 million viewers across more than 100 countries. RT plans to launch RT India by the end of 2025, broadcasting from a studio complex in New Delhi with news programming and shows tailored for a wide Indian audience. RT English is already carried by India’s largest satellite and cable operators, with a combined potential reach of 626 million viewers. View the full article

Both Moscow and Beijing aim to consolidate the Global South’s achievements, building on Pretoria’s presidency, the Russian leader has said Russia and China support South Africa’s G20 presidency and its efforts to strengthen gains for the Global South, President Vladimir Putin has said. Putin made the remarks in an interview with China’s Xinhua news agency on Saturday, responding to a question on how Moscow and Beijing safeguard their development and security interests, unite the Global South, and promote a fairer world order, by coordinating across multilateral platforms. Close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has positively shaped the work of leading economic forums, including the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Putin noted. “Within the G20, together with like-minded nations, and especially BRICS members, we have redirected the agenda towards issues of real importance to the global majority, strengthened the format by including the African Union, and deepened the synergies between the G20 and BRICS,” Putin stated. South Africa assumed the rotating presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2024, becoming the first African nation to lead the forum and will host group’s upcoming summit in Johannesburg in November under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to use his country’s chairmanship to advance Africa and the Global South’s development priorities, including addressing the impacts of climate change. The government has since launched several initiatives, including a G20 task force to examine global wealth inequality and its impact on developing economies. US President Donald Trump and senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have accused Pretoria of advancing an “anti-American” agenda and said they would boycott the summit. Russia, however, has aligned itself with Pretoria’s priorities, calling South Africa’s chairmanship a milestone for the African continent and a constructive step for multilateralism. In February, ahead of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow, together with BRICS partners and other nations of the Global South and East, had managed to block Western attempts to “Ukrainize” the agenda of South Africa’s presidency and to impose discriminatory decisions on economics, finance, trade, and climate. View the full article

Welcome to Barcelona. A city renowned for its iconic architecture. World famous soccer teams. Sun kissed beaches. Did you know it is also the birthplace of one of my favorite clothing stores This is the fourth video in my Europe series. The last one was all about the French countryside. Specifically the Baj wine region. Feel free to check it out if you have not already … First Impressions Good morning from Barcelona. This place is amazing. People here are outgoing and very sweet. Yesterday we had a nine hour drive from France to get here Today we have a free day. I decide to go out on my own. I want to try more solo travel. I did it in London and love it. I was scared at first. I thought I would get lost or not know where want to go. It turned out to be the best thing I did. Now I want to do it again and again I do not want to rely on anyone right now. I want to take my time. I want to do things on my own terms … A Morning in the City I found a vegan cafe. I had avocado toast. Tofu scramble. Iced coffee. A croissant. I did not get to try one in Paris so I was glad to have one here. They use olive oil instead of butter. It works perfectly for me If you are not subscribed already make sure to do that for more travel vlogs Next I am going to Park Guell. It is a twenty minute walk. The weather is thirty four degrees. I love it. Every corner here is beautiful. Every balcony is unique. I found a sip and paint place. I do not have time for it this trip. I saw another vegan restaurant. Amazing … Solo Travel Tip When you travel alone it can be hard to capture the moment. I either use a self timer or ask someone who looks reliable to take the photo. … Meeting Uma I met Uma. She is also a solo traveler. We planned to visit Park Guell together but the tickets were sold out It is hot today. I am going to Zara to pick up something for the flamenco show tonight. Uma is going to the beach. She is from Copenhagen. She decided on this trip very spontaneously. Six days in Barcelona There is no Apple Pay here. Bring cash … Zara Beaches and a Flamenco Night Zara is amazing here. It was founded in Spain so shopping feels special. I bought a dress Then I went to Barcelona Beach. I only had forty minutes. I swam for ten. Then I rushed back to get ready for the flamenco show. I put a flower in my hair. Barcelona is stealing my heart. It is beautiful. The people are lovely … Sangria and Shared Laughter I tried sangria for the first time. It was a bit strong but had a sweet hint of fruit. We made up our own cheers word and shared it with others The night ended with flamenco dancing. Live music. Applause filled the room … Closing Thoughts Barcelona is a city of colors. A city of flavors. A city of rhythm. From vegan cafes to spontaneous friendships. From beach swims to flamenco nights. It invites you to slow down and enjoy every moment I only had one day here but I made the most of it. I will be back — 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: Dorian D1 on Unsplash The post Falling in Love With Barcelona appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Jobs will be cut across US state-funded broadcasters, an agency chief has confirmed US President Donald Trump has ordered more than 500 jobs to be slashed at state-funded propaganda outlets, in the latest move to cut what his administration views as wasteful or partisan government spending. The US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other state-funded broadcasters, announced the cuts to 532 positions on Friday. Acting chief executive Kari Lake said the move would “help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.” Lake did not detail which divisions would be most affected, but said the agency would “improve its ability to function and provide the truth to people across the world who live under murderous Communist governments and other tyrannical regimes.” In June, USAGM issued layoff notices to more than 600 employees. VOA director Michael Abramowitz was placed on administrative leave and later dismissed. During related litigation, the government disclosed that 486 of the workers targeted under the “reduction-in-forces” plan were VOA staff. Last week, US District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the administration had not followed proper procedure in firing Abramowitz. Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA later became a Cold War propaganda tool under the CIA. Trump has labeled its current incarnation a “leftwing disaster” and “Democrat mouthpiece,” and in June called on Republicans to “kill” the outlet. Russia revoked VOA’s radio license in 2014 and fully banned the broadcaster in 2022, citing biased coverage of the Ukraine conflict. View the full article

By Sophia Kalakailo, City Bureau, Grist This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Chicago residents risk daily lead exposure from toxic lead service lines, the underground pipes that connect buildings to the city’s water supply. The city has the most lead service lines in the country — around 412,000 — and officials don’t plan to finish replacing them all until 2076. With complete lead service line replacement more than 50 years away, here’s what you need to know about lead and how you can protect yourself. What’s the danger of lead? There is no safe level of lead exposure. It’s not healthy for anyone, but children under 6 and pregnant people are particularly vulnerable to the health risks. Even small amounts in the body can cause developmental delays and cognitive problems in children, experts say, and studies link exposure to heart disease in adults. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. Chicago’s drinking water comes from Lake Michigan. City officials say the water treatment plant delivers drinking water with no detectable levels of lead. But the most common source of lead in drinking water are corroding lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. If any of your plumbing infrastructure contains lead, it can flake or dissolve into your drinking water. You’re more likely to have a lead service line if your house was built before 1986, when lead pipes were banned nationwide. You cannot see, smell, or taste lead in drinking water. How do I know if I have a lead service line? You can search your address on Grist, Inside Climate News, and WBEZ’s lookup tool to see if your service line is made of lead. If you can find the pipe that goes into your water meter or shut-off valve from the street, this is how you can check if you have a lead pipe: Scratch it: Use a key or coin to scratch the pipe. Lead is silver-gray and shiny in color when scratched. Hold a magnet to the pipe: If it does not stick, it could be lead (lead is not magnetic). Your internal plumbing and faucets can also contain lead. That’s why it’s important to check all your plumbing fixtures and filter your water. How can I test my drinking water for lead? You can test for lead in your drinking water by doing either of the following: Request a free kit online or call 311. Follow the instructions and schedule a time for a city representative to come pick it up. Request a free water-quality lead inspection by a trained technician from the Chicago Department of Water Management. You should avoid using water six hours before the appointment, and you must be present for the scheduled inspection. Tests like these only provide a snapshot of lead levels in your drinking water at a specific moment in time — a low test result does not necessarily mean your water is safe. It’s important to filter water for drinking and cooking, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. I found lead in my water. What can I do? 1. Filter your water Filtering your water can greatly reduce your risk of exposure, but not all filters work for lead. Look for the “NSF/ANSI Standard 53” mark, which means it meets EPA standards. The product’s label should explicitly state that it is certified to reduce lead levels in water. Find out more from the EPA’s filter guide. Only use cold tap water when filtering water for drinking and cooking. Hot water can increase contamination risks. Boiling water does not remove lead. The city offers free water-filter sets to some residents, which include a water pitcher and six NSF-certified cartridges. You can look up your address here to find out whether you’re eligible. 2. Run your water longer The longer water sits in your pipes, the more lead it may collect. Whenever you haven’t used your water for six hours or more, run it for at least five minutes before using it for cooking and drinking. Pay attention to construction or maintenance on the water mains outside your home. Any disruption to your service line or pipes can release lead. You may need to run your water even longer. 3. Clean your aerator An aerator is the little screen that attaches to the end of your faucet. Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator — clean it regularly. 4. Check if you’re eligible for a free lead service line replacement The city has an online questionnaire to determine which replacement program you may be eligible for. Replacement programs include: An equity lead service line replacement program; homeowners who meet income requirements may be eligible for a completely free full lead service line replacement. Free lead line replacement to licensed daycares in prioritized neighborhoods. A waiver of up to $5,000 in permit fees for homeowners who hire a contractor to remove the lead service line. The city estimates that the cost of a full replacement can be anywhere from $16,000 to $35,000. 5. Talk to your doctor or pediatrician The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend testing blood for lead exposure. The Illinois Department of Public Health emphasizes the importance of blood lead level testing for children under 6 who may be exposed to lead through soil, water, or paint. If you do not have health insurance or aren’t sure where to turn for care, call 211. The free, 24/7 nonemergency service connects Cook County residents to health and social service support. By dialing 211 or texting your ZIP code to 898-211, you can get connected with a trained staff member who can help find resources best suited to your needs. Coming soon: We will continue investigating Chicago’s lead pipe crisis. Sign up to be notified when we publish more reporting. Have you been affected by lead pipes or lead exposure in Chicago? Tell us what happened. This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/health/chicago-lead-pipe-how-to-protect-yourself-test-water/. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org — This Story Was Originally Published by Grist. *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. – Photo Credit: unsplash The post Lead Pipes Are Everywhere in Chicago. Here’s How to Protect Yourself. appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

It’s common to speak of sin as if it were a scarlet stain, something dark that must be washed out, punished, or excised. But what if, beneath every so-called sin, there was not wickedness, but wounding? Not corruption, but confusion? What if the “seven deadly sins” were not verdicts, but voices; each one a skin the soul wears when it is trying, in the only language it knows, to ask for love? Pride Pride is often condemned as the most treacherous, the root from which all other sins unfurl. But look closer: pride is not vanity in bloom, it is invisibility in mourning. The proud one is not intoxicated with their own greatness, but terrified it might never be recognized. Behind every boast is the whisper: Do I matter? Can you see me? Will you please remember I was here? What masquerades as arrogance is often a defense against erasure. This skin of the soul forms when a person has learned painfully that silence means being forgotten. What they truly need is not humiliation, but to be held in honest acknowledgment, to be seen without the need to shout. Envy Envy, too, is not malice but longing poorly dressed. It is not the wish to steal joy but the ache to be permitted one’s own. Envy arises when someone sees, in another, something they deeply wish to become, but they have not yet found the path, or have been told they are unworthy of it. It is a confused reverence, turned bitter by shame. The envious one is not inherently cruel; they are mapless, lost in the forest of comparison, aching for direction back to their own destiny. Envy should not be scorned. It should be translated. What do you desire so deeply that its absence wounds you? And who told you it wasn’t yours to have? Wrath Wrath, that ferocious fire, is not always a declaration of evil, but a confession of pain. Anger is the sound pain makes when it cannot find language. The wrathful are often the wounded, lashing out not because they love harm, but because they were never taught how to be heard without burning something down. Rage erupts where tenderness was once denied. In its rawest form, wrath is the child inside us pounding its fists on the locked door of safety, crying out: See me. Stop hurting me. Let me matter. Instead of recoiling from anger, we must learn to say, “Tell me where it hurts,” and remain long enough to listen. Gluttony Gluttony is not simply the overindulgence of food or drink — it is the desperate reaching for something to fill an emptiness that should never have existed in the first place. The glutton does not want more; they want enough, but enough of what? Often, it is love. Security. Warmth. The deep sigh of being held in a world that feels cold and indifferent. When we consume compulsively, it is rarely because our stomachs are hungry. It is because our hearts are starved. That second helping, that midnight snack, or that numbing drink. These are often placeholders for the touch, the gentleness, the “I’m glad you’re here” that never came. We heal gluttony not with shame, but by feeding the hunger that food and other indulgences can’t reach. Lust Lust has been branded with fire for centuries, as though desire were a disease. But lust, when you strip away the moralism, is simply the pursuit of connection through the body. It is not always lewdness or perversity. It can be a cry for belonging, an attempt to translate loneliness into touch. The lustful are often the unloved. Or rather, they were perhaps loved incorrectly. Sex becomes their grammar for affection, a substitute language when the original one was never taught. They chase intimacy through skin because no one taught them how to receive it through stillness. Lust is not always about conquest. It can be a search for closeness in a world of locked doors. Instead of chastising lust, we should ask: What kind of love do you truly yearn for? And, how have you been told you must earn it? Sloth Sloth, often dismissed as mere laziness, is far more insidious and misunderstood. What appears as apathy is frequently paralysis. The slothful are not as often unwilling as they are afraid. Afraid that if they try, they will fail. That their effort will not be enough. That their value hinges entirely on output. Sloth is the armor worn by the perfectionist too terrified to begin. Beneath the stillness is often a storm of catastrophizing thoughts, a fear of being exposed as inadequate, a dread of being laughed at, or the terror of being dismissed. To heal sloth, we do not need discipline so much as give permission to start small, to be imperfect, to matter even before we succeed. Greed Greed, that relentless appetite for more, is rarely about gold or status in its core. It is about safety. It is about building a fortress against a world that once felt perilously unstable. The greedy are not hoarders of wealth; they are collectors of control. They gather because once, they were empty. They accumulate because they once had nothing. It’s a kind of existential debt, not just materially, but emotionally. Greed is an attempt to feel full in a world that has too often made them feel starved. We don’t cure greed by shaming abundance. We soothe it by addressing the fear that there will never be enough. When someone no longer feels they must fight for their right to exist, their hands loosen. They give because they no longer believe they have to grab. And so, the sins are not poisons in the blood, but bruises on the heart. They are the theologically coded vocabulary of the wounded. These seven disguises, pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed, are not the bullseyes missed on a moral target, but roadmaps to our most vulnerable and intimate longings. They are the unsent letters from our innermost selves, asking not to be exiled, but to be embraced. To meet these sins with compassion is not to excuse harm, but to understand its origin. And in understanding, we offer something far more powerful than punishment: the possibility of healing. The transformation we crave does not begin in fire and brimstone. It begins in the softness of being seen. It begins with the kind of love that says, You are not wicked. You are wounded. Let’s begin there. — 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: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash The post The Theologically Coded Vocabulary of a Wounded Heart appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Kirill Dmitriev has praised the spirit of cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization The defining feature that sets the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) apart from the West is its commitment to genuine cooperation, according to Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide on international economic affairs. The SCO’s 2025 summit opened on Sunday in Tianjin, China, bringing together more than 20 member and partner nations. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Dmitriev said the meeting showcased countries “cooperating between themselves, which contrasts the disjointed Western world.” Within the organization “no one bothers anyone,” he added, and “the entire world sees this spirit of cooperation, even as there are many forces, particularly in Europe, whose aims are against cooperation.” Western governments have been struggling with divisions over major global issues, including international trade practices, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, and the Ukraine conflict – all of which have generated friction between the US and its allies as well as within the European Union. Russia and China have argued that these difficulties stem from US efforts to preserve the unipolar dominance it enjoyed in the 1990s. Both countries promote a multipolar international order they say would be fairer and more democratic. Putin is scheduled for an extensive program in China, culminating in his participation in the September 3 events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. View the full article

By U. Michigan The new silicone patch with star-shaped microneedles, called the ExoPatch, distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice. The patch and test move toward rapid at-home melanoma testing, helping patients catch the most aggressive form of skin cancer early without a biopsy or blood draw. “The star-shaped needles make puncture easier and less painful, but they are so small that they only go through the top-most layer of the skin, the epidermis, and do not draw blood,” says Sunitha Nagrath, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Michigan and co-corresponding author of the study in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. The ExoPatch microneedles, at just 0.6 mm long with a width of less than 100 nanometers (0.0001 mm) at the tip, are coated with a gel that picks up exosomes—tiny packages released by cells—from the interstitial fluid that fills the spaces between cells in the epidermis. Once thought to be trash ejected from cells for cleanup, exosomes actually contain DNA and RNA fragments that cells use to communicate with each other. Cancer cell exosomes can help tumors spread by preparing tissues to accept tumor cells before arrival, and detecting them can catch cancer earlier than past methods. The gel that coats the ExoPatch contains a protein called Annexin V that attracts and sticks exosomes to the microneedles’ surface. Once removed from the skin, placing the patch in an acid dissolves the gel, which releases the exosomes into a solution. After dipping a test strip into the solution, two lines form if the sample contains melanoma exosomes, and one line forms for a negative test—the same way an at-home COVID-19 test strip works. “A fair-skinned person with moles must go to the doctor about every six months to send off a biopsy to see if they’re malignant or benign. With this test, they could instead test at home, get the results right away, and follow up with a dermatologist for a positive result,” Nagrath says. As a first step in the proof-of-concept study, the researchers tested the ExoPatch on a tissue sample of pig skin, which closely resembles human skin in thickness and composition. Using a microscope, they found the microneedles penetrated about 350 to 600 nanometers into the skin. For scale, the epidermis on the human forearm is about 18,300 nanometers thick. To test whether the ExoPatch could capture melanoma exosomes from skin tissue, the research team tested tissue samples of mouse skin—half from healthy mice and half from mice injected with a fragment of a human melanoma tumor. After a 15-minute application, the ExoPatch was placed under a powerful microscope. “When looking at microscopy images, I was happy to see how nicely the exosomes adhered to the microneedles and were within the 30 to 150 nanometer size range we expect,” says Scott Smith, a doctoral student of chemical engineering and co-lead author of the study. After confirming the exosomes stuck to the ExoPatch, the researchers dissolved the gel and ran the sample through the test strips. The test successfully distinguished between melanoma and healthy tissues with a 3.5-fold darker line in melanoma samples. The ExoPatch isolated 11.5 times more exosomal protein from melanoma tissue samples compared to healthy tissue, showing it can specifically target cancerous exosomes. A pilot study in humans followed by a series of clinical trials will be the next steps to move the technology toward use. Beyond melanoma, the ExoPatch gel coating could be modified to detect exosomes released by other cancers with a solid tumor—including lung, breast, colon, prostate, and brain cancer. “This is the first patch designed to capture disease-specific exosomes from fluid under the skin. The potential applications are huge,” says Nagrath. The research is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The device was built in the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility and testing was done in part in the Biomedical Research Core Facilities and Rogel Cancer Center Immunology Core. The team has applied for patent protection with the assistance of U-M Innovation Partnerships. Source: University of Michigan Original Study DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2025.117560 — This post was previously published on FUTURITY.ORG and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock.com The post Patch Could Allow You to Test for Skin Cancer at Home appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The Indian and Russian leaders have held talks on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin The people of India, the most populous country in the world, are “eagerly waiting” for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin on Monday. He is set to travel to India for an annual bilateral summit with Modi in December. The two leaders stressed that the strategic partnership between their nations is expanding across various sectors, including energy trade. ”This year in December, for our 23rd summit, 1.4 billion Indians are eagerly waiting for you,” Modi told Putin. Modi added that Russia and India have walked “shoulder-to-shoulder” in the “most difficult of situations.” Before the bilateral talks with delegations, Putin and Modi reportedly spent about an hour of one-on-one conversation in the Russian leader’s Aurus vehicle. “They communicated both in the car while driving and then continued their discussion inside the car,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS. This is the first meeting between Putin and Modi this year, though they regularly speak by phone. View the full article

Moscow values China and India’s efforts to help settle the Ukraine conflict, the Russian president has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to brief leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi, on the results of his talks in Alaska with US President Donald Trump, which were aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict. Speaking at the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, on Monday, the Russian leader said Moscow appreciates the efforts and proposals of Beijing, New Delhi, and other strategic partners aimed at ending the hostilities. Putin added that he hoped the understandings between Russia and the US reached in Alaska last month “are also moving in this direction, opening the way to peace in Ukraine.” The Russian president told delegates he would “certainly inform colleagues in more detail of the results of the negotiations in Alaska” during bilateral meetings at the summit. Putin said he had already discussed the talks with Xi at a leaders’ banquet. The Russian leader stressed that a potential Ukraine peace agreement would only last if “the root causes of the crisis… [are] eliminated,” adding that “a fair security balance must be restored.” One of the major reasons for the conflict, he added, was Western “attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO, which represent a direct threat to Russia’s security.” The Russia-US summit took place on August 15 in Anchorage, becoming the first in-person meeting between Putin and Trump since the US president began his new term earlier this year. The three-hour talks did not produce a ceasefire or a formal peace deal, but both leaders described the meeting as extremely productive. Following the talks, Trump shifted focus from seeking an immediate ceasefire in the conflict to pushing for a broader peace agreement. He said Ukraine could not expect to join NATO or reclaim Crimea, which joined Russia after a public referendum in 2014. View the full article

‘What do we look like before we are born?’ is a famous Zen-Buddhist koan; an incomprehensible and nonsensical question designed to open our mind to the reality that we are life itself. That is to say, we are as much a part of the process called life as everything there is, and to regard ourselves as outside or above it, only leads to frustration and suffering — as is shown by the following tale: Once upon a time, a little boy was playing in the yard when he saw a grasshopper moving about very slowly. “What is wrong with you?” the boy asked. “A pebble fell out of the sky and onto my leg,” answered the grasshopper, “and because my leg hurts I cannot move very fast.” Thereupon the boy grabbed the grasshopper and began to tear off its leg. “Ouch! Stop, please! Why are you doing that?” “Well, if I take your sore leg off, you won’t feel pain anymore, right?” “But now you are making the pain even worse, and without my leg I can’t walk! Please stop that and put me down!” “No, I really think it’s much better for you if we take your leg off. Now please hold still for a moment and let me do my job.” How would we feel if we were the grasshopper? Most likely we would disagree as much to the boys actions. Yet this is what we tend to do to others, animals, and nature, all of the time. As soon as we have convinced ourselves that we know what’s best for another,[1] we immediately disregard all reason and stuff whatever we deem necessary down their throat. Their needs and wants are from then on completely ignored, just like other potentially detrimental consequences of our actions (e.g. to the climate). How did we get there? What makes us think we’re the biblical God? And what can be done to regain reason and thereby our humanity? Development Of Mind When our mental faculties developed beyond the point of merely acting instinctively, the art of reflection was born. That meant that we, unlike most other animals (and vegetative life), could actually think about our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s like we became apertures through which the universe was looking at itself. This was the birth of mind, with which arose the realms of reflection, intellect, dream, imagination, and fantasy. But instead of developing mind to its fullest capacity, the West became afraid of it when dreams and fantasies turned into nightmares. Subsequently mind got hijacked by exactly the institution designated for its development: religion. For even though in their esotericism Roman Catholicism, Christianity and Islam, resemble the religions of Asia, Africa and the Americas in many remarkable ways, in terms of organizational structure they resemble the hierarchy of a medieval kingdom or current nation state — complete with propaganda, oppression, and punishments for those who won’t play by their rules. They’ve essentially become political organizations with similar goals: power and the biggest chunk of wealth for the top dogs. And that means for the majority of people that they are merely allowed to utilize their minds (and bodies) solely for the benefit of whoever is in charge. People in charge never want a population capable of critical thinking, because as soon as we know that we’re being oppressed and abused like cattle, we would not want to stay in such a situation. Yet the inevitable result of such an attitude is that both the leaders and the populace are locked in a deadly grip of anxiety; for those in charge are always anxious for an uprising and will do anything in their power to keep that from happening, and the rest lives in continuous anxiety of losing their feeling of security by being thrown out of the group and losing their livelihood. This is an accurate image of the current situation in the Western world, where everyone is keeping everyone in a tight anxiety deadlock — a situation which has pretty much existed since the Roman Empire, and accelerated dramatically since the onset of the industrial revolution.[2] Now thinking — intellect — is an important problem solving function of mind and is predominantly engaged with the external world, but it’s far from its only function. Mind regulates all the bodily processes we hardly ever think about, but keep us going none the less. Mind feeds intuition, transcends the physical realm, can heal ourselves and others, and can make us experience oneness with our fellow human beings and the universe at large — and that’s merely a couple of functions that we know about! Yet somewhere in the development of mind we chose to concentrate solely on developing our intellect, with which we could manipulate the world outside of ourselves; but somehow the development of becoming knowledgeable about our internal world practically came to a standstill.[3] In the West we have, in other words, developed technology and industry to unprecedented heights, but spiritually, emotionally & morally, we stopped developing around the age of a toddler. Practically that means that the most sophisticated technological devices and weaponry are being handled by people with an overdeveloped intellect, but with the spiritual, emotional & moral — hence human — skills of a three year old. It’s exactly for this reason why the little boy is convinced he’s doing the right thing by tearing off the grasshoppers leg, and why certain groups and individuals are convinced that everyone else should abide by their rules — no matter the cost or consequences. Because without proper emotional guidance, intellect by itself becomes terribly frightened as soon as it’s being questioned. That usually disguises itself as being decisive, but the more decisive one acts, the more insecure and frightened one usually is. The East, by contrast, went in the opposite direction. Their technological developments could not match those of the West (deliberate past tense!), but their spiritual developments are far more advanced, hence why the widespread emotional anxiety in the West is unheard of in the East. That is because the East understands that peace of mind and acceptance of life as it is in its totality, can only be found within oneself. Generally speaking; Hindus attempt to transcend the earthly valley of tears; Buddhists find the divine in ordinary, everyday life; and Taoists view us equally among all living beings as an integral part of Nature. Yet what they all understand is that we as individuals need to become knowledgeable about our internal world in order to attain our spiritual goals and hence play an active and meaningful part of life as a whole. One of their most important realizations is the fact that everything is in continuous change, and the more we try to resist it, the more we suffer. So if the diagnosis for our inability to think, feel and act reasonably and in a human fashion, lies in the imbalance between an overdeveloped knowledge of our external world (intellectual/material/yang) and underdeveloped knowledge of our internal world (emotional/spiritual/yin), the prescription for treatment seems obvious: relax on obtaining knowledge about our external world, and accelerate on obtaining knowledge about our internal world. We need more Yin and less Yang. Yet nothing of a kind seems to be happening. Technological advancements follow each other in rapid succession. Our systems of education are designed to spew out bank clerks, super-salesmen, industrialists, IT specialists, or diplomats; people who are technically efficient, but who lack an emotional and moral foundation on which to base their conduct, which makes them easy to scare and manipulate. These observations are an adequate indication that the powers that be are only interested in breeding one type of humans: obedient workers.[4] That statement is reinforced by the fact that no single Western state or society has ever provided education for all ages, which would be a true sign of an enlightened society: a place where people would be stimulated to keep developing themselves throughout their lives, instead of merely stimulating them into brainless repetition of technical skills, buying more stuff, or convincing (or forcing) them into waging senseless wars.[5] Nevertheless, every society is ultimately made up of individual people, and simultaneous with the development of mind arose the development of personal choice. That means each and every one of us has the ability to choose to stay in a poisonous situation or step out of it. However, the ability to choose requires a matured spiritual, emotional, and moral development, which is obviously something a toddler lacks. A toddler is by default still completely dependent on its environment, and is therefore incapable of making mature, well informed, and free decisions about anything. Since most of us never passed the toddler stage when it comes to spiritual, emotional, and moral development, we will forever feel a sense of imprisonment in any situation that we find ourselves in as adults. If we’re lucky, it’s a situation that’s both physically and mentally stimulating. Yet the reality for most is to feel trapped either in a numbing workplace, sterile relationships, both, or worse. Rise Of The Philosophical Itch Be all that as it may, there is a good chance that at some point in life many of us actually get the ‘philosophical itch’ by which we begin to wonder: Is this really all there is to life? Am I really happy or am I merely saying I’m happy because that’s what’s expected of me? How do I know if and when I’m using the talents of my particular body and mind? How can I find out what stimulates me and what numbs me? Why does my environment find it difficult when I’m sad or angry? Do I find others difficult when they are sad or angry? How many opinions have I obtained through study or experience and how many were spoon-fed by my environment while growing up? And if there are not many I’ve obtained through study or experience, meaning that most of my opinions are not my own, who’s life am I actually living then? When that philosophical itch gets a hold of us, we can decide to follow up on it by becoming interested in obtaining knowledge about our internal world — our own mind and body. Then questions like, ‘Why do I think what I think, feel what I feel, and do what I do?’ become interesting, and the answers to them can only be found when we begin to thoroughly study ourselves. But how to do that without any experience? Here are a few tips to get started. One of the most revealing and fun sources of information on human thought, feeling (emotions) and behaviour, is to be found in myths, legends and fairy & folk tales. No stuffy psychology textbook provides more information on our deeply hidden motivations, irrational behaviour, and daily acts, than the stories from these realms. That is because through their symbolisms, they circumvent our intellect and speak to us directly on a visceral level, and in that way they lay bare the workings of our own subconscious in a more than recognizable way. For they show both our strengths and weaknesses, our great achievements and shameful secrets, our ability to trust and deceive, our good deeds and our rascalities, in all their human glory. They thereby provide insight into the mystery of our soul in a timeless fashion, for otherwise they wouldn’t have survived as long as they have. And it is by those stories that we see that our ancestors had to deal with the same problems as we do nowadays, and that there is always a way to overcome them. As a tip: the works of mythologist Joseph Campbell are a sure recommendation. Not only was he a great scholar and teacher, but his writings penetrate deep into the meanings of the symbolisms of the myths he researched. His book The Hero With 1000 Faces is a great place to start, because in there he shows that The Hero’s Journey as it is depicted in many myths from around the world, all evolve around the same theme: in order to become liberated from your demons, the only way to do so is to face them head on! The knowledge that many people have done that in the past, are doing it now, and will do that in the future, can bring much solace to those of us who are on the threshold on going on the journey within, but still feel anxiety or apprehensions. Furthermore we can learn from those stories how the characters feel emotionally about different situations, and how they deal with them. From there we can begin to investigate how we ourselves feel when our buttons are pushed, which means learning to locate where in our bodies those feelings emerge, and describing what it is that we feel. Subsequently we can assess how we usually deal with difficult situations, and ask ourselves if that is actually the way we want to deal with them.[6] Naturally there are myriad other ways in order to obtain knowledge about our internal world. Eastern methods like meditation, yoga, qigong, or tai chi, are specifically designed for exploration of our inner worlds (mentally and physically). Participating in music, dance, writing, drawing/painting, or drama, increases our self-knowledge by means of expression. The main function of the arts and literature is predominantly to open our minds to different perspectives by challenging our current ones. If we feel to be in need of talking to someone about our current state, there are countless therapists in the psychological and psychosomatic realm offering their services to help us get started. Naturally, every religion also still promises liberation. However, as soon as religion becomes institutionalized, usually the institution becomes more important than its members or congregation. Therefore, read as many scriptures and commentaries as you like, but if you desire council, be watchful that they have your interest at heart, and not try to ‘wheel you in.’ Whatever manner we choose to gain knowledge and understanding of our inner worlds, it only works if we make that decision completely by ourselves. The path to self-knowledge is not only the most worth-while path to travel, but also the scariest one, which is why coercion will only exacerbate our apprehension, fear, and feeling of separateness. Yet, if we wish to be liberated from our demons and anxieties, and feel in union with our fellow beings and the universe at large, it’s the only path to travel. Moreover, it is by far the most interesting and gratifying path you’ll ever encounter. By stepping on that path, however, there is a chance that loved ones won’t understand our ‘U-turn’ and react negatively. Therefore at first sight this path might appear desolate and lonely, but nothing could be further from the truth. For whereas at the heart of our collective suffering lies a deeply cultivated loathing of ourselves (we were born in sin after all), by putting the spotlight on ourselves we open the door to start making peace within. And when compassion for our self emerges, that is extended by default to compassion for others. Not for nothing is it written in the Tao Te Ching: “Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” That becomes even more apparent when you are going to meet all the amazing people who also decided to step onto the path towards self-awareness. Jolly Exploring! … Notes: [1] ‘Another’ being a person, people, family, company, sports club, school, university, NGO, country, the world, nature, the universe, etc. [2] With very few exceptions when enlightened leaders were at the helm. [3] That is why IQ tests hardly provide any information about a person as a whole, because they only provide information on someone’s problem solving skills, but say nothing about one’s skills in the fields of communication, co-operation, intuition, sensitivity, emotionality, or humanity. [4] As George Carlin already noticed decades ago. [5] Further reading on this: The Sane Society by Erich Fromm. [6] In this blogpost you can find my Five Questions for Self-Examination©, which can be used as a guideline to find patterns in our thinking, feeling and acting when our buttons get pushed. — 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: Jongsun Lee On Unsplash The post Know Thy Self appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

I love tech, but I’m not afraid to call it out when it gets weird. If you’ve scrolled through X or Reddit lately, you’ve probably seen words that made you go, “Wait, what?” Here’s your cheat sheet to the wild world of AI slang. No decoder ring required. AI washing is when companies slap “AI-powered!” on stuff that’s barely smart enough to microwave popcorn. Think of a toothbrush that claims to use AI to “learn your brushing style.” Really? It vibrates. That’s it. Then there’s clanker, basically what happens when you call customer service and an AI clanker answers. It’s from Star Wars, where clankers were the battle droids. Groksucker is what people call die-hard fans of Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot. Like, “That guy rewrote his résumé using Grok and now won’t shut up about it, total groksucker.” It’s part insult, part eye roll. Slop is AI-generated junk floating around online. You’ve seen it: rambling blog posts, spammy eBooks or weirdly generic images on Etsy. “This is pure slop. A real person didn’t write this.” And if you use too much slop? Congrats, you’re a slopper. “She asked ChatGPT to write her wedding vows. Total slopper move.” (Ouch.) If someone calls you a bot-licker, well … let’s just say that’s not a compliment. It’s someone who blindly praises anything AI does. Like, “Sure, AI is cool, but let’s not turn into bot-lickers about it.” Next up, prompstitute, a snarky term for someone who sells or resells AI prompts for money. Think Etsy shops selling “200 ChatGPT prompts to manifest your dream life.” Now meet the prompt goblin, someone who writes hilariously over-the-top, bizarre prompts just to see what chaos the AI spits out. “He made ChatGPT write a sonnet from the POV of a microwave. Classic prompt goblin energy.” And watch out for the clean room crowd. These are the folks building AI models only trained on squeaky-clean, copyright-free data. “You can tell this AI came from a clean room, it writes like it’s scared of getting sued.” People are developing a whole dictionary around how we use (or abuse) AI. You don’t need to memorize this stuff, but knowing it helps you stay ahead of the curve, and maybe dodge a digital insult or two. 🤓 Share this short dictionary with someone in your life because talking about AI over dinner shouldn’t make you sound like you joined a cult. The post 9 AI terms you should know (so you don’t sound like a clanker) appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

OnlyFans: The Vampire Screen That Destroys MenPorn is honest. Playboy, MetArt, Hustler, barely legal—these are upfront about their fantasy. You pay for a polished product, enjoy it, and that’s it. No strings. No promises. No manipulations. OnlyFans is something entirely different: a digital vampire that drains men psychologically, socially, and financially, leaving emptiness where desire and confidence should be. It isn’t porn—it’s a system designed to steal life, brainpower, and self-worth under the guise of intimacy. The Vampire Metaphor: Women Who Drain Without CareOn OnlyFans, the women are vampires. Every subscription, tip, or “personalized” video is a tiny extraction of life force disguised as attention. Men believe they are connecting, flirting, even building relationships—but they are being systematically drained. These women do not know them, care for them, or ever will. Every flirty message or heart emoji is engineered to keep men hooked, financially invested, and emotionally dependent. Unlike professional adult content, where boundaries are clear and fulfillment is straightforward, OnlyFans thrives on manipulation, ambiguity, and false hope. A man can spend tens of thousands chasing these illusions, never meeting a woman in real life, never touching, never speaking beyond the confines of the screen. That’s not fantasy. That’s extraction. And every dollar, hour, and emotional investment reinforces the psychological drain. The Illusion of Intimacy: Digital PoisonThe platform’s genius lies in pretending intimacy exists. Men receive DMs, custom content, and flirty replies, creating a fleeting dopamine hit that mimics human connection. Neuroscience tells us these variable rewards hijack the mesolimbic dopamine system—the same system exploited by gambling and social media. Men learn to associate female attention with payments and screens, not vulnerability, effort, or trust. Over time, real-world intimacy feels insufficient, while OnlyFans’ artificial validation becomes addictive. Psychologists classify these as parasocial relationships, but OnlyFans adds a monetary layer. Emotional dependency is directly tied to financial output: $50 for a “personalized” video, $100 for a tip, $500 a month across multiple creators. Each transaction reinforces the illusion that affection can be bought, rewiring the brain and eroding the prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for impulse control, social reasoning, and empathy. Men stop pursuing real women because the risk-free, instant gratification of a screen feels safer, easier, and more “effective.” Professional Porn vs. OnlyFans: Honesty vs. ExploitationContrast this with professional adult content. Platforms like MetArt, Playboy, and Hustler deliver high-quality erotic experiences without emotional manipulation. You consume, you enjoy, and it ends. There is no pretense of connection. No one tells you a smile, a flirt, or a video is “for you personally.” There is no psychological conditioning, no false hope, no addictive hook. OnlyFans, in contrast, sells mediocrity wrapped in manipulation. Amateur content, poor lighting, repetitive posts, and the constant promise of exclusivity prey on male vulnerability. Men pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, for content that fails to arouse, fails to satisfy, and never delivers real intimacy. Meanwhile, the illusion of a relationship trains the brain to expect validation only in exchange for money, conditioning dependency, and corroding confidence. Sexual and Social DecayThe consequences are brutal. Men addicted to OnlyFans experience: Sexual desensitization: Real women feel inadequate compared to the scripted attention of creators. Erectile dysfunction: Conditioned arousal to digital validation over real touch. Distorted perceptions of women: Real women are subconsciously evaluated as transactional, unattainable, or manipulative. Social atrophy: Hours spent messaging, scrolling, or waiting for posts replace practice in real-world interaction, dating, and confidence-building. Emotional erosion: Self-worth tied to likes, replies, and tips instead of personal achievements or genuine relationships. The platform doesn’t just waste time—it rewires the male psyche, producing dependence, distrust, and cynicism toward real women. Men are trapped in a cycle of seeking approval that will never arrive, hollowed out while OnlyFans thrives on their desperation. Financial Extraction as ConditioningMoney spent on OnlyFans reinforces the psychological decay. Hundreds of dollars a month, sometimes thousands a year, aren’t just payments—they’re conditioning stimuli, linking validation and attention to spending. Men become addicted to the act of paying itself, not the content, reinforcing the brain’s reward circuitry for artificial intimacy. This turns loneliness and desire into a profit center, making emotional manipulation profitable and self-respect optional. The Bottom Line: Men Destroyed for ProfitOnlyFans is not porn. It’s a digital vampire dressed as empowerment. Men lose money, time, confidence, and potential. They lose the ability to form real bonds, appreciate actual women, and experience authentic sexuality. The illusion of intimacy replaces messy but real relationships, conditioning the brain to crave screens and payments over touch, conversation, and mutual respect. Meanwhile, professional porn offers honesty, artistry, and satisfaction. OnlyFans offers nothing but a slow psychological bleed, leaving men poorer, lonelier, socially inept, and sexually dissatisfied. It’s not entertainment—it’s exploitation. Men don’t realize the damage until they are already hooked, their brains rewired, their social circuits atrophied, their desire conditioned to fantasy rather than reality. OnlyFans is a slow-acting toxin, preying on vulnerability, monetizing loneliness, and leaving the male psyche hollowed out. Every click, scroll, tip, and message strengthens the vampire, while real intimacy recedes. OnlyFans is not sex, it is psychological predation.

“Good morning.” That’s the signal. Not a demand. Not a routine. A reaching out. And every time, without fail, I hear him coming down the hall just moments later. The mug clicks gently against the nightstand. His hand finds me, sometimes just a touch, sometimes a sweep. Then he walks away. Leaving me in the dark, with coffee and quiet. He doesn’t know this, but there’s a flicker of surprise every morning when I reach for the cup. For a half-second, I get to wonder which one he picked. Did he choose the mug with the chipped lip? The heavy one with the wide mouth I like when I’m overwhelmed? The ridged green one I always forget I love until I’m holding it again? He decides. And sure, I pre-load the pot the night before. That’s my part. But sometimes I forget. Sometimes I don’t have it in me. He’s never mentioned it. Never made it a thing. That matters more than I can say. Because all day long, I am the answer-finder. The meal-prepper. The email-writer. The therapist. The calendar. The emotional thermostat for everyone around me. And in that small moment..early, quiet, unseen, he becomes the one who thinks for me, in a “I love you and I’ll make this one thing easier” way. We don’t talk about this part of marriage enough. The way it feels when someone meets you in the middle of your ordinary exhaustion and says, “I’ve got this part.” So yes. He brings me coffee. And it’s never just coffee. It’s the reason I can carry everything else. Image generated using AI. Prompt designed by the author. Created with OpenAI’s DALL·E. — 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: eiosti on Unsplash The post I Text Him Two Words appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The raids came after the killing of the group’s prime minister and several of his cabinet members in an Israeli strike The Houthi group has detained at least 11 staff members in Yemen after storming UN offices in the capital, Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, the UN special envoy said on Sunday. The raids came in response to an Israeli airstrike on Thursday that killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, the Yemeni militant group’s prime minister, along with several senior officials. A Yemeni security source told AFP that the Houthis also arrested dozens of others across Sanaa and surrounding areas on suspicion of collaborating with Israel. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the militants forcibly entered World Food Program facilities, seized UN property, and attempted to break into other agency offices. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, condemned “the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel” and demanded they be released “immediately and unconditionally.” “The work of UN personnel is designed and conducted under the principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity,” he said. “These arrests violate the fundamental obligation to respect and protect their safety, dignity, and ability to carry out their essential work in Yemen.” According to Grundberg, the Houthis were already holding 23 UN staff, some since 2021. One died in custody earlier this year. The group previously accused detained aid workers of involvement in “an American-Israeli spy network,” an allegation the UN rejects. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Houthi forces have expanded their operations beyond Yemen, launching drones and missiles at Israel and targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Israel has responded with repeated airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, including last week’s attack on the presidential palace in Sanaa. Following the death of al-Rahawi, the Houthis vowed to escalate their campaign against Israel. The group issued a series of statements warning of a strong retaliation. Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi, the Houthi defense minister, said their armed forces are fully prepared to confront Israel and claimed that “America is targeting civilians in Yemen, just as it is doing in Gaza.” View the full article

By Sharon Kelly on DeSmog Artificial intelligence (AI) use is spreading rapidly among oil drillers and other fossil energy companies — and some are now promoting plans to give “agentic” or autonomous AI key roles in risky real-world operations like drilling for oil and keeping the nation’s power grids up and running. Amid the Trump administration’s push to promote AI development, oil and gas companies are exploring ways AI can boost their profitability, from coaxing more oil from aging wells to finding untapped oil deposits or driving down maintenance costs, according to industry insiders who spoke at an energy conference attended by DeSmog. “We are already seeing the implementation of AI in making a difference in shaping our energy system,” Selda Gunsel, chief technology officer for Shell, told the Reuters Global Energy Transition conference in June. “Today, we have more than 100 AI-based applications and it’s integrated into every line of our business.” While fossil fuel companies tend to highlight AI’s potential to help reduce emissions, the numbers suggest that’s not their primary focus. “I would say about 70 percent of our technology effort is focused on improving the competitiveness of our current businesses, whether it’s in upstream, downstream, renewables or integrated [LNG and natural] gas,” Gunsel told conference attendees. Shell’s current businesses are, of course, heavily weighted towards fossil fuels, with the oil giant’s renewables division reporting a small loss in the company’s adjusted earnings last quarter while its upstream, downstream, and integrated gas divisions drove profits. Already, 44 percent of oil and gas drillers are using AI “in oil and gas exploration,” a May survey of 105 top oil and gas executives by the IBM Institute for Business Value found. “Another 45% plan to do so within three years.” Just 14 percent of oil and gas producers said they use AI for emissions monitoring, leak detection, and other environmental tools, IBM’s survey found. Twice as many (28 percent) reported using AI for oil and gas drilling. And they’re just getting started: 85 percent of producers said they intend to use AI for drilling within a few years — while a similar number (89 percent) said by then they’ll also be using AI to explore for new deposits of oil and gas. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said in 2023 that all investments in finding new fossil fuels needed to end worldwide to avoid “climate catastrophe.” “We have this year come out and said that we expect everybody in Aker BP is using AI in their work,” Paula Doyle, chief digital officer for Aker BP, Europe’s largest independent oil and gas producer, told the Reuters conference. “It’s not acceptable kind of not to be curious about it and see how you can use it in your day to day. We’re using AI in performance reviews and related to salary reviews.” Big Oil’s use of AI is calling into question the technology’s climate impacts — already under fire over the extraordinary energy demand caused by AI data centers. “Tech leaders and governments justify further investment in AI systems by emphasizing it as a tool for sustainability,” over 100 civil society organizations wrote in a joint statement for the AI Action Summit held in Paris earlier this year. “However, AI can never be a ‘climate solution’ if it runs on fossil fuels and is used to extract oil and gas.” The groups called on tech companies to “immediately disclose and end contracts that provide AI to the oil and gas industry especially for the purposes of exploration and drilling.” Shell and Aker BP declined to comment for this article. Aker BP has said AI will play “a central role in how we operate,” and that its AI strategy includes “ensuring AI is implemented ethically and responsibly.” Many of the tech industry’s biggest companies explicitly market their AI products to oil and gas companies worldwide — including launching partnerships with oil companies. Chipmaker NVIDIA, for example, touts “success stories” from Saudi Aramco, Shell and Petrobras on a web page the tech company devotes to oil and gas operations. A Self-Driving Power Grid? One of the newest advances in AI is agentic AI – artificial intelligence tools that don’t just advise or inform people, but are allowed to directly interact with the real world, independently. “We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents join the workforce and materially change the output of companies,” OpenAI founder Sam Altman wrote in January. Last week, Wells Fargo announced the rollout of agentic AI across its global banking business, from investment banking to customer relations. Electrical utilities, meanwhile, have begun exploring ways to incorporate autonomous AI in the nation’s power grid. That’s driven, in part, they say, by the need to handle intermittent generation from renewable energy (a problem many states are handling today in part by adding increased battery storage alongside renewables). “Right now the lowest cost resource is actually solar and batteries,” Jim Taylor, vice president of Energy Solutions for Siemens Smart Infrastructure, told the Reuters Global Energy Transition conference. “As we add more and more solar to the system, the system becomes more and more intermittent, and intermittency right now is managed by a person standing in a control room pushing buttons that trigger things to happen in the field. We call it a ‘man in the middle.’” “Every utility globally has the same thing,” he said. “There’s a man in the middle that’s actually making the decisions of how the grid is going to function. If there’s a change or a modification to the grid, they have to react to it. They have to know what to do and how to respond to that.” “That man in the middle is just not going to work in the future. The intermittency is going to drive that we can’t react fast enough,” he continued. “And so we need to move more towards machine interface or machine learning and AI and things of that nature to build an autonomous control system so that we can manage the grid autonomously — and then the humans are just going to see how the reaction went.” “They won’t be the primary control,” he said. It’s worth bearing in mind that renewables are hardly the only reason utilities are grappling with intermittent power generation. Natural gas production, for example, can dip during winter storms, the Energy Information Administration notes — a major factor in the deadly power blackouts that swept Texas in 2021. “We don’t talk enough about the intermittency problem with fossil fuel and nuclear plants, which need water to cool themselves,” 350.org founder Bill McKibben observed in an August 7 Substack post, citing the effects of heatwaves and extreme weather on coal and nuclear power plants across the EU this summer. AI Drills for Oil Fossil fuel producers are also exploring how they can use agentic AI directly in their own operations. IBM found nearly a third of oil and gas drillers were “piloting agentic AI optimization” for activities like preventing well blowouts. Industry advisors are pushing oil and gas companies to use AI for far more than simply drafting emails or reports. “Leadership must also tolerate — and even encourage — risk-taking with AI,” a note from the Big Four accounting firm EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) for oil and gas companies advises. “It’s easy to green-light AI investments for productivity enhancements such as routine back-office functions, but it can be a much tougher decision to champion AI use in subsurface decisions, where millions of dollars are at stake. That said, the reward is also potentially higher.” How to Handle AI Liability Of course, it’s not simply money at stake when oil and gas drilling is involved. There’s the risk of oil spills, deadly accidents, drinking water contamination, and a host of other perils associated with oil and gas accidents. And that means courts may soon face untested legal theories as they consider how to handle the question of liability for agentic AI’s decision-making. Last week, a federal jury ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in damages for the role the car-maker’s self-driving “Autopilot” feature played in a deadly 2019 car crash. “Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,” Tesla told NBC News in a statement, adding that it plans to appeal. There’s an extremely wide range of ways that companies can use AI, ranging from highly specialized machine-learning tools to consumer-grade AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot. “Our adoption for Copilot, for example, is at 96 percent, which is incredibly high,” Aker BP’s Doyle told the Reuters conference. Of course, novel technology brings with it new risks, and some of the risks associated with AI are only just starting to emerge. Microsoft, for example, revealed this summer that it had fixed a major flaw that could have allowed hackers to access any data CoPilot has access to, including Teams conversations, chat histories, and internal documents, without any user interaction — a flaw cybersecurity experts call a “zero-click” vulnerability. A Microsoft spokesperson told trade publication Cybersecurity Dive that the issue had been fixed “before our customers were impacted.” Hallucination-free AI? CoPilot isn’t alone. Another zero-click vulnerability, this time involving ChatGPT, was revealed at the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas on August 6, according to Wired. There’s also perhaps AI’s most widely-known problem: its tendency to hallucinate. “One of the concerns that our operations guys have around AI is hallucinations,” said Aker BP’s Doyle. She described how the oil company partnered with a company called Cognite, which promises “hallucination-free” AI. She also argued that generative AI has come a long way since 2023. “If you look at the latest benchmarking, I mean, you basically have unlimited access to PhDs,” said Aker BP’s Doyle. “That’s the reality. Yet people still talk about it as like a kind of excited intern.” That said, hallucinations remain a problem for generative AI, prompting concerns about relying on common AI tools in fields like healthcare. A study published in Nature Aug. 2, by the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, for example, warned that AI-generated summaries of patient notes “frequently contain errors that can be hard to detect.” It added that errors contained in user prompts can spur hallucinations, “potentially misleading clinicians, misinforming patients, and harming public health.” The newly rolled-out ChatGPT-5 promises fewer hallucinations, with OpenAI saying the update reduces incorrect answers from 12.9 percent to 9.6 percent. “While that’s definite progress, that also means roughly one in 10 responses from GPT-5 could contain hallucinations,” Mashable notes. Big Oil Still Uneasy About AI Within the fossil fuel industry, there’s apprehension about AI, the oil and gas law firm Oliva Gibbs noted in a March report. “Without a clear grasp of how AI technology reaches its conclusions, a lack of trust accompanies employees’ unease,” attorneys Molly Pella and Isabel Hunstman wrote. “In absence of understanding the ins and outs of how AI works, some are skeptical that AI can properly account for all the what-ifs and review all the information to provide a reliable result.” “This speed of change in this technology — I mean, even though we are a very technical industry, people just don’t believe that,” Victoria Ossadnick, chief operating officer for E.ON, one of Europe’s largest power and gas utilities, told the Reuters conference. “And even if they play with it, even if they do it privately, it’s this thing of, do I really trust that?” She described E.ON’s use of AI in energy market trading, saying that the company ran an experiment by letting an AI system run in parallel to its human energy market counterparts for a year — and found that the AI would have made “significantly more money” for the company. “Now the next step is the grid,” she said. But she argued there’s also a need for speed, meaning there’s little time for similar testing as AI is rolled out in new areas. “You need to prove and prove and actually and that’s my worry,” she said. “We don’t have the time for that. We don’t have time to have one year running stuff in parallel.” “AI is substantially and very deeply changing all our business models. And this is uncomfortable. But this disruption is there,” she told the Reuters conference. “This AI stuff, it’s costing us as societies,” she added. “As companies, it’s costing us a lot of money — so it needs to create much more value.” — Previously Published on desmog *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post Can AI Slash Pollution? Fossil Fuel Industry Is Investing in Boosting Oil Production, Profits Instead appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Lee Rafuse Haines, University of Notre Dame Hours after savoring that perfectly grilled steak on a beautiful summer evening, your body turns traitor, declaring war on the very meal you just enjoyed. You begin to feel excruciating itchiness, pain or even swelling that can escalate to the point of requiring emergency care. The culprit isn’t food poisoning – it’s the fallout from a tick bite you may have gotten months earlier and didn’t even notice. This delayed allergic reaction is called alpha-gal syndrome. While it’s commonly called the “red meat allergy,” that nickname is misleading, because alpha-gal syndrome can cause strong reactions to many products, beyond just red meat. The syndrome is also rapidly spreading in the U.S. and around the globe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as 450,000 people in the U.S. may have it. And it’s carried by many more tick species than most people realize. What is alpha-gal syndrome? Alpha-gal syndrome is actually an allergy to a sugar molecule with a tongue-twisting name: galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, shortened to alpha-gal. The alpha-gal sugar molecule exists in the tissues of most mammals, including cows, pigs, deer and rabbits. But it’s absent in humans. When a big dose of alpha-gal gets into your bloodstream through a tick bite, it can send your immune system into overdrive to generate antibodies against alpha-gal. In later exposure to foods containing alpha-gal, your immune system might then launch an inappropriate allergic response. Often this allergy is triggered by eating red meat. But the allergy also can be set off by exposure to a range of other animal-based products, including dairy products, gelatin (think Jell-O or gummy bears), medications and even some personal care items. The drug heparin, used to prevent blood clotting during surgery, is extracted from pig intestines, and its use has triggered a dangerous reaction in some people with alpha-gal syndrome. Once you have alpha-gal syndrome, it’s possible to get over the allergy if you can modify your diet enough to avoid triggering another reaction for a few years and also avoid more tick bites. But that takes time and careful attention to the less obvious triggers that you might be exposed to. Why more people are being diagnosed As an entomologist who studies bugs and the diseases they transmit, what I find alarming is how rapidly this allergy is spreading around the globe. Several years ago, experts thought alpha-gal syndrome was primarily limited to the southeastern U.S. because it was largely associated with the geographical range of the lone star tick. However, both local and global reports have now identified many different tick species across six continents that are capable of causing alpha-gal syndrome, including the prolific black-legged tick, or deer tick, which also transmits Lyme disease. These ticks lurk in yards and urban parks, as well as forests where they can stealthily grab onto hikers when they touch tick-infested vegetation. As tick populations boom with growing deer and human populations, the number of people with alpha-gal syndrome is escalating. Why ticks are blamed for alpha-gal syndrome There are a few theories on how a tick bite triggers alpha-gal syndrome and why only a small proportion of people bitten develop the allergy. To understand the theories, it helps to understand what happens as a tick starts feeding on you. When a tick finds you, it typically looks for a warm, dark area to hide and attach itself to your body. Then its serrated teeth chew through your skin with rapid sawing motions. As it excavates deeper into your skin, the tick deploys a barbed feeding tube, like a miniature drilling rig, and it secretes a biological cement that anchors its head into its new tunnel. Once secure, the tick activates its pumping station, injecting copious amounts of saliva containing anesthetics, blood thinners and, sometimes, alpha-gal sugars into the wound so it can feed undetected, sometimes for days. One theory about how a tick bite causes alpha-gal syndrome is linked to the enormous quantity of tick saliva released during feeding, which activates the body’s strong immune response. Another suggests how the skin is damaged as the tick feeds and the possible effect of the tick’s regurgitated stomach contents into the bite site are to blame. Or it may be a combination of these and other triggers. Scientists are still investigating the causes. What an allergic reaction feels like The allergy doesn’t begin right away. Typically, one to three months after the sensitizing tick bite, a person with alpha-gal syndrome has their first, disturbing reaction. Alpha-gal syndrome produces symptoms that range from hives or swelling to crushing abdominal pain, violent nausea or even life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The symptoms usually start two to six hours after a person has ingested a meat product containing alpha-gal. Due to a general lack of awareness about the allergy, however, doctors can easily miss the diagnosis. A study in 2022 found that 42% of U.S. health care practitioners had never heard of alpha-gal syndrome. A decade ago, people with alpha-gal syndrome might go years before the cause of their symptoms was accurately diagnosed. Today, the diagnosis is faster in areas where doctors are familiar with the syndrome, but in many parts of the country it can still take time and multiple doctor visits. Unfortunately, with every additional tick bite or exposure to food or products containing alpha-gal, the allergy can increase in severity. If you think you have alpha-gal syndrome If you suspect you may have alpha-gal syndrome, the first step is to discuss the possibility with your doctor and ask them to order a simple blood test to measure whether your immune system is reacting to alpha-gal. If you test positive, the main strategy for managing the allergy is to avoid eating any food product from a mammal, including milk and cheese, as well as other potential triggers, such as more tick bites. Read labels carefully. Some products contain additives such as carrageenan, which is derived from red algae and contains alpha-gal. In extreme cases, people with alpha-gal syndrome may need to carry an EpiPen to prevent anaphylactic shock. Reputable websites, such as the CDC and alphagalinformation.org, can provide more information and advice. Mysteries remain as alpha-gal syndrome spreads Since alpha-gal syndrome was first formally documented in the early 2000s, scientists have made progress in understanding this puzzling condition. Researchers have connected the allergy to specific tick bites and found that people with the allergy can have a higher risk of heart disease, even without allergy symptoms. But important mysteries remain. Scientists are still figuring out exactly how the tick bite tricks the human immune system and why tick saliva is a trigger for only some people. With growing public interest in alpha-gal syndrome, the next decade could bring breakthroughs in preventing, diagnosing and treating this condition. For now, the next time you are strolling in the woods or in long grasses, remember to check for ticks on your body, wear long sleeves, long pants and tick repellent to protect yourself from these bloodthirsty hitchhikers. If you do get bitten by a tick, watch out for odd allergic symptoms to appear a few hours after your next steak or handful of gummy bears. Lee Rafuse Haines, Associate Research Professor of Molecular Parasitology and Medical Entomology, University of Notre Dame This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. — Previously Published on theconversation.com with Creative Commons License *** Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post A Red Meat Allergy From Tick Bites Is Spreading – And the Lone Star Tick Isn’t the Only Alpha-Gal Carrier To Worry About appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

You know them. You follow them. And you’ve probably never questioned why. They’re not written down. No one teaches them. Yet somehow, we all seem to know. Little pieces of social choreography that keep our everyday life moving — quietly, invisibly. Here are a few you’ve probably followed without even noticing. 1. The ‘Don’t Sit Here’ Seat Rule Every bus, train, or waiting room has that seat. No spills, no “Out of Order” sign. It’s just… off-limits. Maybe it’s too close to someone else. Maybe it’s by the squeaky door. We’ll never know — but we all stay away. … 2. The One-Elevator-Button Pact Someone’s already pressed the button. You saw them do it. And yet… your hand still goes up, tapping it again. Not because you don’t trust them, but because this is the way. … 3. The Restaurant Bathroom Map Menus in hand, drinks on the way — and someone always leans in to ask, “Where’s the bathroom?” It’s never urgent, yet it’s always the first mystery that must be solved before the food arrives. … 4. The Door Hold Distance Rule If they’re within the acceptable distance, we’ll hold the door without hesitation. Too far away, and we’ll suddenly find something fascinating to look at, pretending we never noticed them. The math of kindness meets the physics of convenience. 5. The Grocery Store Dance You turn into the aisle at the same time as someone coming from the other side. You both swerve left, then right, then left again — a silent waltz in slow motion. Eventually, you laugh and say, “Go ahead,” as if that makes you both less awkward. … 6. The Universal Phone Face Bus stop. Elevator. Long queue. We’ll pull out our phone and stare at it like it’s revealing state secrets — not because there’s something urgent, but because it’s the perfect invisibility cloak. … We never agreed to these rules. We never sat in a room and learned them. But they exist — tiny, unspoken signals that make the world feel less like a crowd of strangers and more like a community in disguise. Maybe that’s what keeps us connected: not just the big things we share, but the little ones we never have to explain. — 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: Tatiana Rodriguez On Unsplash The post The Unwritten Rules Everyone Follows Without Question appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

We thought we had all the time we could want, we had time — lots of time; we took phone calls in the late hours, stargazed, and stretched it all out into the future. We chose one possibility out of all of our dreams, and tried to make each “someday” moment as real as we could possibly make it, since it felt like we were writing a story combined. But life had other ideas and I’m left with mere shades of memories and our thoughts on a future I’ll never get to witness. What we had was not love, it was everything; sometimes, and it’s true, no matter how great the UNbreakable bond is, life gets in the way. This is a story of love, loss, and realization, that not every “forever” is meant for ever after. The Blueprint We Built Together We weren’t just in love; we were in planning mode. We talked about wedding dates, city skylines we’d live under, and the names of future babies that seemed poetic. Every point in the future had “us” in it. We were the constants in a crazy world. But maybe that was the error — thinking that love was enough to put it all together in a package. This was an emotional foundation, not a rational one. Love isn’t enough to build a house. Life doesn’t invest in romantic promises. Life requires engagement, timing, and waking up after bad dreams. It hurts to settle for less than you thought was possible, and even in a plan that had every detail accounted for, the foundation wasn’t stable. When Life Doesn’t Wait for Love During the time of planning for our forever, life certainly did not stop moving. Careers pulled us in opposite directions, there were family expectations to achieve, and life was not going to stop for our thoughts and feelings. We were bound by deadlines that we did not want to miss, people we did not want to disappoint, and decisions we wanted to and had to make for ourselves. Gradually, the calls lessened. The “I miss you” texts likewise lost their immediacy. There had not been any less love — in fact the love was still there, buried beneath the weight of responsibility. We thought we could hit pause on the world while we got everything under control and return when we found calm. We wish we could, but we likely cannot. Life continued on. And in an effort to preserve each other’s dreams, we also lost the one we had created together. The Quiet Goodbye No big blowup, no final explosion. Just silence. The silence that seeps in slow until it is the only thing left. We kept waiting for some signal, some reason to hold on tighter. But eventually we realized we were holding on to a memory — not a present. Letting go was not wild and crazy. We were heartbroken, of course — but we were peaceful. Two people who loved each other deeply, but just could not choose each other anymore, in a world that kept pulling us apart. Some love stories don’t end with betrayal. They end in silence, in mutual understanding, and quiet tears. Loving Someone Who’s No Longer Yours The hardest part isn’t that I miss you; it’s the fact that you’re still out there, you just just aren’t mine anymore. I see things that remind me of you, and as I do I wonder if you look at something and think of me too. Do certain songs still sting? When you smell a perfume that I used to wear, do you stop? Loving someone who isn’t yours anymore is not something you can “just move on from.” It becomes a piece of your soul. You don’t unlove someone: you learn to live without them, and in many cases, that is the bravest lesson love could teach. … Final Thought I used to think real love was forever but now I get that sometimes, real love means knowing when to let go. It’s not a failure just a different kind of ending. One that doesn’t come with hatred, but quiet respect for what it was. We had planned a life together; even though we didn’t get to live it, I still appreciate the parts we did. If you have let go of someone you still love; you need to know: you are not weak. You are human. Nobody said you would love less if it didn’t end in a relationship. It is always worth loving deeply even if it’s all for nothing. — 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: Edward Cisneros on Unsplash The post We Planned Forever — But Forever Wasn’t Ours appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Eduardo Avila The Kurdish language has faced many challenges in recent history, including being banned at different times in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, with heavy restrictions often placed on Kurdish-language media and education. Efforts to make digital content available in the language have also been hampered by the lack of universally accepted writing standardization. Some varieties of Kurdish, such as Sorani, are written in the Sorani alphabet, an Arabic-derived script, while the Kurmanji variety is written in the Hawar alphabet, a Latin-derived script. This has led to difficulties creating and finding information online for speakers of the Kurdish language. One of the ways that communities working on platforms such as Wikipedia in Kurdish acknowledged these differences has been to split the original Kurdish-language site into two. Now there are two Wikipedias, one for the Sorani dialect and one for the Kurmanji dialect, where each can be used with its respective alphabet. For Mohammed Sardar, one of the co-founders of the Kurdish Wikimedians User Group, the Wikimedia platform has played an essential role in promoting the language online. In addition to his work creating open knowledge in the Kurdish language, he has also been contributing to the Chawg podcast, which is the first Kurdish Sorani-language podcast that focuses on open source technologies and digital culture. In an interview with Global Voices, Sardar spoke about his experience with promoting the Kurdish language, especially with his native Sorani dialect. Global Voices (GV): What is the current status of your language, both online and offline? Mohammed Sardar (MS): Kurdish is the native language of over 40 million Kurds across Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. However, the language has faced significant historical challenges due to decades of bans and restrictions in several countries. This has impacted both the number of fluent speakers and the development of Kurdish-language content, both online and offline. Offline, while Kurdish is used in daily life and local media, its role in formal education varies. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Kurdish is the primary language of instruction and is officially supported, and parts of Syria have also started to include Kurdish in schools. However, in Iran and Turkey, Kurdish still lacks official status in education and public institutions, limiting its development. Online, Kurdish is still considered a low-resourced language. Although the amount of digital content is gradually increasing, thanks to efforts like Kurdish Wikipedia and other community initiatives, there’s still a long way to go. Kurdish lacks support in many mainstream technologies, including search engines, AI tools, and language software. There are some hopeful signs. In Iraqi Kurdistan, organizations like zheen.org and KCAC.org are working hard to collect and preserve Kurdish books, writings, and media. Their efforts are really helping to build a stronger future for the Kurdish language. GV: What personally motivates you to engage in digital activism for your language? MS: In my childhood, I started reading magazines, newspapers, and books in Kurdish, which profoundly shaped my emotional connection to the language. As I grew older and began exploring the internet, I noticed a clear gap: Kurdish-language content was extremely limited compared to other languages like English and Arabic. Yet, there are lots of people who speak only Kurdish and rely on it as their primary language for understanding the world. This means that when information isn’t available in Kurdish, many people miss out on it. This realization motivated me to engage in digital activism. I felt a responsibility to help create and expand Kurdish-language resources online so that Kurdish speakers could access knowledge, culture, and technology in their own language. GV: Can you describe some of the challenges that prevent your language from being fully utilized online? MS: One major challenge limiting the full use of Kurdish online is economic. Many people are unwilling to contribute to open platforms like Wikipedia without financial support. It’s not that Kurds don’t want to contribute to the Kurdish language; it’s just that the tough economic conditions in the countries where most Kurds live make it really hard to volunteer their time. There is also a lack of trained individuals in Kurdish digital content creation and language technology. Moreover, Kurdish is divided into two main dialects, Sorani and Kurmanji, written in different scripts (Arabic and Latin). To ensure inclusivity and reach all Kurdish speakers, content often needs to be produced or adapted in both dialects. This doubles the effort required and demands more time and coordination. GV: What concrete steps do you think can be taken to encourage younger people to begin learning their language or keep using their language? MS: To really get young people interested in learning and using Kurdish, we need support from universities and organizations that care about the future of the Kurdish language. They can help by involving students in projects that create Kurdish content in different subjects — not just literature, but science, tech, and everyday topics, too. We also need more Kurdish content that speaks to young people, things like music, movies, books, and other entertainment. When young people create and contribute content that reflects their own interests, it naturally becomes more engaging and impactful. A long-term annual program that covers workshops, fun competitions, and prizes for creating content in Kurdish can also go a long way in encouraging them to take pride in their language and use it more often. — Previously Published on globalvoices.org with Creative Commons License Photo Credit: unsplash — 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 Two Alphabets, One Struggle: How Kurdish Communities Are Building a Digital Future appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Zucchini rice casserole is a feel-good meal that turns humble ingredients into a crowd-pleasing dish! The mix of grated zucchini, fluffy cooked rice, and sharp cheddar cheese creates a homemade meal that’s surprisingly light yet completely satisfying. Perfect for feeding family and friends during casual dinners or busy weeknights! A Note From Kristen This zucchini bake is one of my go-to recipes for a quick and satisfying meal, especially when there’s leftover rice in the fridge. Just toss everything into a bowl, give it a good mix, and let the oven handle the rest. It’s simple, flavorful, and surprisingly light thanks to the zucchini (even with the cheese!). I often make a double batch so I can enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s that good! I hope you love it too! ~Kristen Ingredient Notes Please keep in mind that this is just a quick overview. Visit the full recipe for amounts and instructions! Cooked White Rice: Forms the base of the zucchini rice casserole, giving the dish its substance and texture. Basmati or jasmine works best. Grated Zucchini: Adds a fresh, mild flavor that helps balance the richness of the cheese. Yellow summer squash works well too! Yellow Onion: Provides a natural sweetness that pairs well with the other savory ingredients in this dish. Use white or red onion if that’s what you have on hand! Garlic: Gives the casserole a savory and aromatic boost. Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Provides a bold, tangy flavor. Once baked, the cheese melts into a creamy layer that helps bind all the ingredients together. You can use dairy-free cheese if preferred! Full-Fat Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt: Imparts creaminess and helps keep the mixture moist as it bakes. You can use vegan sour cream if necessary. Milk: Helps meld the flavors together while also keeping the dish from drying out in the oven. Use unsweetened dairy-free milk if needed. Salt: Brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients, keeping them from tasting bland and flat. Black Pepper: Imparts mild heat and earthiness that enhances the casserole. Dried Italian Seasoning: Boosts the savory flavors of the dish. Smoked Paprika: Adds smokiness and subtle warmth. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Gives the dish a gentle heat that livens up its taste. Butter or Vegan Butter: Helps give the casserole a crisp and golden crust. Breadcrumbs: Act as a topping that gives a crunchy contrast to the creamy, cheesy casserole. You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers as a substitute. Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Melts into the breadcrumbs to give the zucchini rice casserole a flavorful crust. Use rennet-free parmesan for vegetarian, or plant-based parmesan if vegan. How to Make Zucchini Casserole 01 PREHEAT AND COMBINE Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the rice, zucchini, onion, garlic, cheese, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. 02 MIX Mix well! 03 TRANSFER AND SPREAD Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. 04 PREPARE TOPPING In a small bowl, combine melted butter, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan, stirring until evenly coated. 05 TOP IT Evenly scatter the breadcrumb mixture over the casserole. 06 BAKE Bake for 35–40 minutes, until bubbly with a golden-brown topping. 07 COOL Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! Serving Ideas Pair with a light salad like my cilantro salad. Serve with vegetable sides like cabbage steaks, sautéed mushrooms, or roasted golden beets. Pair alongside a comforting soup like my cashew carrot ginger soup. Serve with slices of sourdough or focaccia. Top with lots of fresh chopped herbs like basil, oregano or parsley; toasted nuts, crumbled feta cheese, a drizzle of hot sauce or a dollop of salsa. Expert Tips Squeezing out excess moisture from the grated or shredded zucchini before using it in this recipe will help keep it from being watery both directly after cooking and when reheating leftovers. If possible, use day-old or cooled rice. Unlike freshly cooked rice, day-old rice holds its texture better and won’t turn mushy when baked. If you want even more cheesy goodness, mix the cheddar with mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese. You can include other veggies if you want! Black beans, corn, mushrooms, cauliflower, or chickpeas make for excellent additions to this dish. Zucchini Rice Casserole Recipe This zucchini rice casserole recipe is warm, cheesy, and simple to make! Your weeknight dinner lineup will thank you for this recipe. Naturally vegetarian and egg-free, and can easily be made vegan and gluten-free! Author: Kristen Wood Servings: 8 servings Prep Time: 15minutes minutes Cook Time: 35minutes minutes Total Time: 50minutes minutes Course: Main Course Cuisine: American Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Ingredients 2 cups cooked white rice jasmine or basmati; about 1 cup uncooked 3 medium-sized zucchini grated, about 4 cups, excess moisture squeezed out 1 yellow onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or dairy-free cheese, if preferred 1 cup full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt; use vegan sour cream if necessary 1 cup milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter, melted ½ cup breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs/crushed gluten-free crackers ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese use rennet-free for vegetarian or vegan Parmesan if necessary fresh parsley chopped, optional garnish Instructions Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, grated zucchini, onion, garlic, cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix until everything is evenly combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, gluten-free breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese until crumbs are coated. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 5–10 minutes before serving. Optionally, sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy! Notes Storage and Reheating Store any leftover rice casserole in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Use an airtight container or one that can be covered with foil or plastic wrap. I generally don’t recommend freezing this dish since the rice and zucchini might get soggy when thawed. Reheat in single servings in the microwave or the entire casserole in the oven. If you notice any dryness, stir in some milk or broth to restore moisture and creaminess. Nutrition Serving: 1serving | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 1mg — Previously Published on moonandspoonandyum *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: Kristen Wood The post Easy Baked Zucchini Rice Casserole Recipe appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article