American Women Suck

By Nitya Dani Dear EarthTalk: Are any police, fire or EMS departments using electric vehicles today? —Patrick James, Reno, NV Electric vehicles, or EVs, are vehicles run partially or entirely on re-chargeable electric power. The fast-emerging EV market spans a diverse range, including battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids, fuel cell electric vehicles, and much more. While Tesla dominates the public attention, a wide array of models, such as those from Ford and Hyundai, are being employed in the public sector. EVs are steadily gaining traction across the U.S., not just with individual buyers, but also through public services sectors such as police, fire and emergency medical services. The adoption of electric vehicles began with smaller testing programs in the early 2010s in cities like Los Angeles and New York City. However, in recent times, the integration of EVs in the public sector has picked up incredible momentum as a result of increasing environmental concerns and improvements in technology. In 2024, the Police Department of South Pasadena City completely replaced its gasoline-powered vehicles with EVs. “This initiative not only ensures the safest vehicles for officers and staff, but also leads to substantial reductions in both fuel and maintenance costs,” said South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky. As more departments consider electrifying their fleets, the advantages of EVs in the emergency sector have become increasingly evident. Key benefits include reduced carbon emissions and lowered fuel and maintenance expenses. For police cruisers, impressive acceleration and speed, along with noise-free driving, become major benefits to achieve enhanced performance while avoiding any disruptions. In the case of ambulances, rapid response time and a quieter operating environment can be beneficial, especially during high-stress medical situations. Lastly, for fire trucks, EVs allow for emission-free firefighting in addition to a quick response time. The adoption of EVs seems to be a shift toward a more disaster-resilient, environmentally sustainable, and economically efficient future. “Our sustainable transportation researchers are driving progress on clean energy solutions for entire sectors,” said Chris Gearhart, the Director at the U.S Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences, referring to a big push towards electrifying major industries. However, this change comes with its setbacks, such as limited range due to frequent charging halts. This challenge further exacerbates during high-stakes situations such as criminal pursuits or medical emergencies. Next, since EVs are solely reliant on the power grid, they become highly vulnerable during power outages or face battery strains during extreme weather conditions. Lastly, the initial cost of establishing an effective and available charging infrastructure, along with transforming entire fleets, places a significant financial burden on emergency departments. While the transition towards EVs in the emergency sector is a promising step toward a cleaner future, it is crucial to address the challenges that come with it. Securing loose ends regarding the infrastructure and grid dependency should be combated with a gradual hybrid transition, allowing emergency departments to adapt slowly while proactively mitigating all potential risks. CONTACTS Electric Cars and the Future of Emergency Services EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine.com. To donate, visit https://earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org. — Previously Published on emagazine *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo: iStock The post Are Emergency Services / First Responders Going EV? appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The attack involved around 15 Israeli warplanes that fired at least ten munitions at a compound used by the Palestinian group Palestinian militant group Hamas has claimed the Israeli attack on its compound in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday was largely unsuccessful and that its top members survived. However, the attack did kill the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s political bureau head, as well as a senior aide, according to Suhail al-Hindi, a senior Hamas member. Three bodyguards of the group’s leader remain unaccounted for after the strikes, he told Al Jazeera. “The blood of the leadership of the movement is like the blood of any Palestinian child,” al-Hindi stated. The “heinous” Israeli attack was an “attempt to kill those discussing ending the war on Gaza,” he added, corroborating earlier reports that the group’s leadership was hit when it had gathered to discuss the latest US proposals on settling the conflict with Israel. According to Israeli media reports, some 15 aircraft were involved in the attack, firing more than ten high-precision munitions into the Hamas compound. Israel has insisted the attack was a unilateral action and that no other party was involved in striking “the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization.” Multiple Israeli media reports, however, suggested that West Jerusalem notified Washington of the impending action ahead of the strike. Moreover, Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing an unnamed official, that US President Donald Trump had given the green light for the attack. The White House described the Israeli attack as an “unfortunate” incident, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stating the strike at the heart of Qatar, a “close ally” of the US, “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” Qatar, which is designated a “major non-NATO ally” of the US, has condemned the “cowardly Israeli attack,” describing the location affected by the strike as “residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of the Hamas movement.” The country’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports it had any prior knowledge of the attack, stating it received no notification either from Israel or US. Later in the day, the Qatari Interior Ministry said at least one security officer had been killed and others injured while responding at the site of the attack. View the full article

The Russian military says it did not conduct strikes in the area claimed and that the crater does not match an aerial bomb impact The latest allegations by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky that a Russian airstrike targeted civilians are completely false, a source with the Ministry of Defense in Moscow told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. Zelensky shared extremely graphic footage from the Ukrainian-controlled village of Yarovaya, in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. He claimed a Russian “guided aerial bomb” killed more than 20 “ordinary people who were collecting their pensions.” The allegation does not hold water, a military source told the news agency, pointing out that the latest strikes in the area – not on the village itself but in its vicinity – were conducted on September 7. The damage shown in the video does not correspond with an aerial bomb strike, the source noted, suggesting the incident was “yet another false flag staged by the Kiev regime.” “The crater shown does not match in shape and size of what would be left by an actual aerial bomb. The most common Russian bomb in the special military operation zone is the FAB-500, which contains about 200 kilograms of explosives,” the source said. The smallest munition used, FAB-250, contains around 100 kg of explosives and also leaves a massive crater on impact, he added. The lack of any reporting on the incident prior to Zelensky’s post, after which the news spread all across “Ukrainian propaganda outlets,” also suggests the affair had been carefully orchestrated, the source pointed out. “The false flag is supposed to demonstrate Kiev’s ‘concern’ for the population of the [Donbass] territories under its control and, simultaneously, to show the ‘cruelty’ of Russia,” the source suggested. The incident appears to be a part of a broader campaign backed by Kiev to derail any potential negotiations to settle the conflict, as well as to justify its refusal to withdraw from the parts of the formerly Ukrainian regions it still controls, the source claimed, apparently referring to the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions. View the full article

By Ricky Rodas Growing up in Southern California in the 90s, Mary Lu experienced firsthand how challenging it was for immigrant families like hers to access therapy and support. “I really wanted to help families like mine increase their access to mental health resources and lower barriers to help and stigmas like financial strain or language access,” Lu said. Now a clinical therapist and program director for Project HOPE, a free youth counseling program run by the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Lu is watching federal policy changes and noticing the impacts on the communities she serves. As the federal government continues Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Southern California and across the country, mental health professionals like Lu are seeing a heightened need for their services, as they work to help clients cope with stress, anxiety and loss of normalcy. The situation is difficult for some immigrant families, as they face the daily possibility that they or their loved ones may be suddenly deported or held in detention, but there are mental health resources available for undocumented Californians that may help, therapists said. Mental health professionals interviewed for this story also said there are ways to help address the anxiety, fear and depression they are seeing because of the raids. President Donald Trump said on inauguration day that he would uphold a campaign promise to deport all undocumented residents. In early July, ICE agents were deployed to the metropolitan Los Angeles area, sparking a week of protests downtown. Since then, the federal government says it has placed over 59,000 migrants in detention facilities as of August, according to NBC News’ deportation tracker. More than 120,000 people were deported nationwide between January and May this year, according to a Marshall Project analysis of ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project. The analysis showed that two-thirds of the people deported had no criminal convictions. Filtering information Cindy Garcia, a program supervisor for Amanecer Community Counseling Service in downtown L.A., said her organization regularly helps clients process anxiety, fear and depression. The nonprofit provides trauma-informed and holistic counseling services to low-income communities around Los Angeles, primarily serving Latinx immigrant households. “In the past few months, there has been an increase in our community expressing fear of deportation, fear of detention,” Garcia said, “and a lot of anxiety associated with what’s happening in the present, but also anxiety and fear with what’s to come.” After the protests and increased ICE presence in downtown L.A., Amanecer staff adapted their services and care model. Clinical therapists are conducting more telehealth sessions and are also informing clients of their legal rights. Marilin Lourokis, director for legal programs at Amanecer, said that they are connecting clients to nonprofit organizations who conduct “know your rights” trainings, and are also developing emergency plans with clients. Amanecer is advising clients to filter the amount of information they’re absorbing about deportations and detainments. “ It is important to be informed,” Lourokis said, “but how much are you exposing yourself to that anxiety-provoking information? We encourage clients to limit exposure and also talk about resources that are available.” The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance has also worked to adapt its services to fit its clients’ needs this year. Clinicians have noticed the impact of the immigration policies. “I had been hearing from my clinicians that clients kind of withdrew from friends from having fun times outside going out of the house,” Lu said. As a result, the nonprofit is offering telehealth services and has red “know your rights” cards available at its main office. Lu said she is also considering her clinical staff’s well-being and taking preventative measures. “A lot of staff are AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander], and the AAPI community was also impacted by the shifts,” Lu said. “ We created a community check-in where staff were able to come in during the workday and process a little bit of what was going on for them.” Both nonprofits offer free or low-cost therapy. Project HOPE’s counseling program is a free option for young people looking for mental health support. The organization has other counseling programs for people of all ages, such as Project RISE, and individual and family counseling. The nonprofit also runs a holistic services program for Vietnamese elders over the age of 60 who are experiencing loneliness and depression. A full list of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance mental health programs is available here.. Amanecer offers a variety of paid services and accepts medical insurance. These services include trauma-informed and holistic counseling, as well as access to a trauma recovery center and a domestic violence clinic. The organization also has a new mobile immigration program which offers free case management and legal support. “These services oftentimes serve as a bridge to formal mental health services,” Garcia, Amanecer’s program supervisor, said. A list of Amanecer programs is available here. Guidance on taking care of mental well-being Clinicians shared several tips on how to process emotions during stressful events such as deportations, raids and detainments. The first step, Lourokis said, is to be open to sharing. Therapists aim to create an environment where people feel relaxed enough to open up. “It is very common for families to avoid discussing the topic of deportation due to a cultural belief that if they bring the subject up, it could bring bad luck and so fear becomes reality,” Lourokis said. “The first thing we do is provide them with peace of mind.” A common strategy for processing anxiety and fear is to practice grounding exercises. These can include deep breathing, tuning into one’s surroundings, deep stretches, repeating positive affirmations and more. Part of why grounding exercises are important, Lu said, is that they can give a sense of comfort to someone who is feeling unsafe. “When people despair, or get anxious, they tend to stop themselves from interacting with others, so we try to help ground them,” Lu said. The next step for a clinical therapist working with a client is devising a safety plan that fits their personal mental health needs. There are online resources like My Safety Plan that provide templates on how to create one. One tip for coping with these uncertain times is practicing what Lu referred to as radical joy. By embracing moments of joy during uncomfortable and discouraging moments, she said people can still have fun while processing other emotions. “This is not a joyful moment — there is a lot to be concerned about — but in some ways, joy is resistance,” Lu said. “And being able to enjoy parts of your life can bring you a lot of comfort, joy and community.” In some cases, overwhelming fear, anxiety and stress can lead to depression. For clients experiencing depression, Lu does recommend grounding exercises but recognizes that “depression is more nuanced,” she said. One step toward addressing depression is identifying the root causes behind those negative feelings. Sometimes, Lu said, it’s normal to feel hopeless depending on the situation. “Sometimes you look at [a person’s case] and say, ‘You’re completely right, I see why you think that way,’” Lu said. “We provide empathy in the moments, validation that it is hard, and then come up with a support plan on how we can get you to the first step, even if the first step is getting you to take off the blanket and get up [out of bed].” Mental Health Resources: Latinx Therapy directory Immigrant Rising’s list of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ mental health directories and hotlines Asian Mental Health Collective therapist directory UndocuHealth mental health directory National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or Text 988. Multiple language services available National Alliance on Mental Health: Call 1 (800) 950-6264 or Text NAMI to 741741 BIPOC Blackline mental health hotline: 1 (800) 604-5841 Immigant Rising’s Mental Health Connector for undocumented students UCLA Labor Center’s Immigrant Justice California Health Resource Guide This article first appeared on California Health Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. — Previously Published on calhealthreport.org with Creative Commons License *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock The post How to Care for Your Mental Health as ICE Raids Continue appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

If you’ve ever had to talk with a person you’ve met for the first time, chances are, you begin with a question. Maybe the question is about how they know your mutual acquaintance, or how they came to the event you both find yourselves. Maybe (if it’s a date) the question is about their adventures in dating so far. If the person is a good storyteller, you may lean in and hang onto their every word. At some point, you hope (maybe) that the person will be interested in your answer too. With any luck, the reciprocal questions, answers, and responses keep flowing, and you may have yourselves (fingers crossed!) good chemistry. Asking questions and listening carefully are social skills. Body language (and the ability to read it) can also tell us if someone is ready to engage. Gathering information like this helps us in our interactions — and the driver behind this interest is curiosity. Unfortunately, we don’t all get to keep, develop or express that strength, depending on our life experiences. And how often we practice curiosity may tell us something about the stress we’re unconsciously feeling. Difficult Interactions and Ships in the Night In my work, I often evaluate the communication style and content that I observe between family members. The concerning cases involve families where communication is one-directional, wholly critical, or completely absent. I live in a conservative, hierarchical society where children’s responses and questions to adults are often seen as “talking back”, being “difficult”, or “making excuses”. This attitude sadly kills children’s natural curiosity as well as their first instinctive attempts to engage others or ask for help. These individuals learn, overtly or covertly, that their voices and questions are unwelcome. They may even be told that they’re being rude or troubling others. These children’s parents may think they’re teaching their children manners, but what many of these children learn instead is to shut down curiosity and protect themselves from other people. When a child’s curiosity and voice are often shushed, mocked, or corrected, what that child may learn is to stop all meaningful communication. Whenever I meet a “ships in the night” family (psychotherapist Patrick Teahan’s moniker for families that barely interact), I can’t help but wonder if parents of such families ever learned to ask questions and have two-way conversations with their children. Patterns of Connection vs Patterns of Protection Humans are social animals and need other people, even if in limited amounts. Unfortunately, some of us may have learned that safety can only be felt when we’re alone (usually after too many negative interactions). But isolation without end also turns out to put your body into survival mode, as described in this Medium piece, Your Body Thinks Loneliness is a Death Sentence, by Kristie Leong, M.D. We need safe social connections for the body to feel safe and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn lets us experience the “rest and digest” state and long-term ease, relaxation, and physical health. Without enough rest and safety, our immune system functions are affected, and as someone who’s lived with autoimmune issues since my teens, I can attest that dealing with that sucks. The current loneliness epidemic has us facing the hard facts: We need social connections for our well-being. But this is hardly easy for those of us who are neurodivergent or who have experienced complex trauma (and the big subset who are both). Our experiences will have taught our nervous systems to prepare for rejection in new social experiences. Unfortunately, self-protective behavior sits opposite connecting behavior. An activated amygdala, triggered by feeling unsafe, can have us (especially those with relational trauma) behaving as if other people are mortal threats. We need a bridge to connect with other people again. I believe curiosity is a good start. The Challenges of Stress, Anxiety, and Survival Mode I occasionally meet parents and partners who express zero curiosity in their loved ones’ favorite things. And sometimes I meet parents who speak disparagingly about their child’s interests. As Gen X, I have trouble grokking Gen A’s attraction to brainrot content, but I’m happy at their enjoyment and that they also know to occasionally touch grass. Showing curiosity and non-judgmental regard does not demand that I have to like the same things. I show curiosity because I really do want to know what makes another person “tick”. In a way, curiosity is a way to get us out of our own heads and into another person’s. This can be hard when stress and anxiety can put us into a state of tunnel vision. This phenomenon has been studied: Our peripheral vision and auditory senses (ie. listening capacity) become constricted due to stress and anxiety. In survival mode, we pay less attention to the environment, and even people, if our sense of danger deems them irrelevant. Shutting off tunnel vision may involve self-regulation exercises such as breathing, but also, as this page suggests: We can also try to activate our conscious mind. Tunnel vision is largely due to the emotional brain taking over, so to unblock the senses sometimes we just have to force ourselves to scan the environment. We must ask ourselves with curiosity, not fear: What am I missing? This will help us expand our visual field. Curiosity gets us to engage our prefrontal cortex again. It is activating the problem-solving, thinking mind. Nurturing Curiosity You’re probably already curious, if you’re reading this story. But you might know people who don’t seem to have a curious bone in their body. What’s going on with them? Do they have tunnel vision all the time? In my practice, I’ve observed that adults (and even a few children) who exhibit the injunction (an unconscious internal command) of “Don’t Be a Child” or “Don’t Look Stupid” learn to kill their own spontaneity and curiosity. Or, to use the Internal Family Systems therapy model, their inner Managers may have learned that inquiry only invites reprimand. Some individuals may go even further and act as if they know everything and thus be above reproach and shame. They are habitually on guard — in self-protection mode. Rekindling curiosity in these individuals may not be easy, but I model curiosity by asking them reflective and reflexive questions. Or, when clients and I hit upon an unfamiliar topic, I may go “Let’s find out right now!” and look things up to deepen our discussion. There’s a joy in discovering new things, or discovering that someone else shares a common interest, or that someone knows a topic well that you’ve been meaning to learn more about. That’s part of connection again. Whatever information turns up, non-judgmental enthusiasm and openness will invite more sharing and inquiry. With or without therapy, re-igniting curiosity may include going down internet rabbit holes, visiting the library, and/or finding online or in-person discussion groups for your interests. Humans are social animals; we learn best from other people. Knowing you’re around “your own kind” and welcomed while you’re still learning just feels good. And extending that grace to others and getting curious about their inner workings without judgment can only bring us better connection. … Janet works as a full-time therapist. She writes and paints in her free time. — 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: Ilyuza Mingazova on Unsplash The post The Overlooked Strength that Builds Better Relationships appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The dialogue included a commitment to sovereign equality, international cooperation, and trust-building The 6th Dialogue of Young Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries has been held in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, bringing together emerging foreign affairs professionals from across the region. The event, which ran over September 3-7 on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, was organized by the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This year’s central theme, “Victory Diplomacy,” guided a series of discussions among representatives of the foreign ministries and embassies of China, India, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, as well as public and youth organizations from Russia, Malaysia, Seychelles, and others. In a welcome message to the participants, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the event as “a valuable platform for dialogue,” noting its contribution to professional development and regional trust-building. He emphasized Russia’s commitment to a multipolar world based on sovereign equality, mutual benefit, and collective security. The Dialogue opened with a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, who outlined Russia’s vision for a balanced multilateral order in Asia. The first session focused on youth cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, with participants exchanging ideas on joint initiatives to strengthen interstate ties and boost mutual trust. A special session on the legacy of World War II addressed efforts to preserve historical truth and honor veterans. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the “legacy of victory” serves as a moral guide for ensuring peace and justice. Other sessions explored the Greater Eurasian Partnership and ASEAN-Russia dialogue, emphasizing cultural, humanitarian, and youth-driven cooperation. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev also joined the event, underlining sport’s role in international youth engagement. The chair of Russia’s Council of Young Diplomats, Ekaterina Akopyan, highlighted the event’s growing reach, with new participation from East Timor and the Seychelles, reflecting the rising importance of youth diplomacy. The event concluded with the induction of new members into the International Association of Young Diplomats, which now includes over 200 diplomats from 40 countries. View the full article

The Singha Durbar Palace in central Kathmandu houses several ministries and administrative offices A massive blaze has engulfed Nepal’s Singha Durbar Palace in central Kathmandu, the country’s main administrative complex, after violent protests swept the Himalayan nation’s capital. Footage circulating online shows the building being consumed by flames. The palace, built in 1908, serves as the seat of Nepal’s government, hosting several ministries, and other key institutions. The demonstrations, led mainly by people in their late teens and early 20s, erupted on Monday after authorities banned major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X. The protests turned violent, with dozens confirmed dead in Kathmandu and about 500 injured, including more than 100 police officers. On Tuesday, demonstrators reportedly broke through the western gates of the Singha Durbar, forcing their way into the restricted area and setting parts of the entrance on fire. Witnesses reported heavy clashes with security forces as the crowd advanced inside, according to several media outlets. Other footage shared online showed Nepal’s parliament building also ablaze, with charred walls, smoke billowing into the sky, and fires still burning as large crowds gathered outside. View the full article

He is burning through prime ministers at a steady pace – not that he’s likely to learn his lesson and stop milking the taxpayers France has gone through so many prime ministers lately that they should just bolt a wind turbine to the revolving door. At least then the political instability could maybe bring down the people’s rising power bills, particularly given that the tax on energy just jumped from 5.5% to 20%. Francois Bayrou is the third handpicked puppet of French President Emmanuel Macron, who’s at around 15% popularity himself, to get turfed within a year, and the fourth over the past two years. He called for a no-confidence vote on himself a couple of weeks ago, effectively begging opposition lawmakers to put him out of his political misery after finding himself in the apparently impossible situation of trying to find €44 billion to cut from the French budget. So Bayrou found himself in front of parliament on Monday, right before the vote, pretending to plead with lawmakers not to shove him off the ledge and into the political abyss from which Macron fished him out in the first place. MPs enthusiastically seized the opportunity to pay tribute to Bayrou, but what they delivered looked more like a highlight reel of slam dunks – with Bayrou as the basketball. They accused him of everything from degrading France’s finances while claiming to be investigating them, to racking up new expenses while hand-wringing over the mounting bills. Bayrou gets to now go back home to the south of France and enjoy a lifetime of gold-plated entitlements for having been a prime minister for all of about ten seconds. It turned out that 364 lawmakers voted against him, with just 194 awarding him their confidence. Read more French government collapses It’s been a long time coming. Bayrou really hasn’t seemed too interested in hanging in there for a while now. Why else would he have proposed, back in mid-July, canceling a couple of paid state holidays every year for French workers as a means of pinching a few pennies? Or clawing back benefits that French workers have paid into their entire lives under the explicit agreement that if they pay massive taxes during their productive life, then the government will guarantee their comfort on the back end or when they need a social safety net. In the run-up to this vote, Bayrou was also riffing on the idea of saving a few more cents by canceling health coverage for things like doctor-prescribed spa trips. Admittedly, I was surprised when first I arrived here a couple of decades ago to learn that French social security pays for people to flop around in spring water up in the Alps, but it’s hard to imagine that’s what broke the bank or tops the list of idiotic big-ticket items. Quick reminder that the French people didn’t actually choose Bayrou. Macron did. And since Bayrou is resigning, it’s back to the drawing board for the French president to try to find another puppet who can make the budget cuts that he and Brussels are demanding, but also appease the opposition enough – notably the anti-establishment right and left populists that can band together for a majority vote – to avoid having to make another trip to the polls. Failing that, it will be back to the voting booth again to test whether the French are finally fed up enough to saddle Macron with polling frontrunner Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party’s control of the government’s purse strings. Despite France’s problems at home, Bayrou distracted himself by lecturing Trump about America’s issues, even as the ground was giving out from under him, whining about Washington’s “bulldozer politics” compared to France’s respect for its citizens – which must be why Bayrou was so keen to take a gig that those same citizens didn’t actually elect him to do. Read more Macron’s government is collapsing. Here’s why Ukraine should worry A few days ahead of this vote, Bayrou’s finance minister, Eric Lombard, was basically trying to keep his job and government in place by scaring up support, floating the ridiculous specter of an International Monetary Fund intervention, before having to backpedal. It’s absurd scaremongering since Italy and Japan have higher debt-to-GDP ratios and France is a long way from ever qualifying for, or needing, IMF help, according to virtually every economic expert. But the vibe is like, ‘You’d better let us do what we want with the budget because otherwise the globalists are gonna lock us in our rooms under a curfew.’ So what’s the plan now, then? This is where yet another scare tactic comes in to grease taxpayers’ wallets, drumming up the need to throw more tax money into the defense sector ‘for Ukraine’, and hoping that does the heavy lifting of boosting the economy. Arms dealing as the path to economic salvation. Then what’s next? Drug dealing? Literal state prostitution? Meanwhile, France remains politically blocked, and faces another round of protests on Wednesday under the battle cry of Block Everything. But the truly revolutionary idea would be to unblock this hot mess. And that doesn’t look set to happen anytime soon. View the full article

He is burning through prime ministers at a steady pace – not that he’s likely to learn his lesson and stop milking the taxpayers France has gone through so many prime ministers lately that they should just bolt a wind turbine to the revolving door. At least then the political instability could maybe bring down the people’s rising power bills, particularly given that the tax on energy just jumped from 5.5% to 20%. Francois Bayrou is the third handpicked puppet of French President Emmanuel Macron, who’s at around 15% popularity himself, to get turfed within a year, and the fourth over the past two years. He called for a no-confidence vote on himself a couple of weeks ago, effectively begging opposition lawmakers to put him out of his political misery after finding himself in the apparently impossible situation of trying to find €44 billion to cut from the French budget. So Bayrou found himself in front of parliament on Monday, right before the vote, pretending to plead with lawmakers not to shove him off the ledge and into the political abyss from which Macron fished him out in the first place. MPs enthusiastically seized the opportunity to pay tribute to Bayrou, but what they delivered looked more like a highlight reel of slam dunks – with Bayrou as the basketball. They accused him of everything from degrading France’s finances while claiming to be investigating them, to racking up new expenses while hand-wringing over the mounting bills. Bayrou gets to now go back home to the south of France and enjoy a lifetime of gold-plated entitlements for having been a prime minister for all of about ten seconds. It turned out that 364 lawmakers voted against him, with just 194 awarding him their confidence. It’s been a long time coming. Bayrou really hasn’t seemed too interested in hanging in there for a while now. Why else would he have proposed, back in mid-July, canceling a couple of paid state holidays every year for French workers as a means of pinching a few pennies? Or clawing back benefits that French workers have paid into their entire lives under the explicit agreement that if they pay massive taxes during their productive life, then the government will guarantee their comfort on the back end or when they need a social safety net. In the run-up to this vote, Bayrou was also riffing on the idea of saving a few more cents by canceling health coverage for things like doctor-prescribed spa trips. Admittedly, I was surprised when first I arrived here a couple of decades ago to learn that French social security pays for people to flop around in spring water up in the Alps, but it’s hard to imagine that’s what broke the bank or tops the list of idiotic big-ticket items. Quick reminder that the French people didn’t actually choose Bayrou. Macron did. And since Bayrou is resigning, it’s back to the drawing board for the French president to try to find another puppet who can make the budget cuts that he and Brussels are demanding, but also appease the opposition enough – notably the anti-establishment right and left populists that can band together for a majority vote – to avoid having to make another trip to the polls. Failing that, it will be back to the voting booth again to test whether the French are finally fed up enough to saddle Macron with polling frontrunner Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party’s control of the government’s purse strings. Despite France’s problems at home, Bayrou distracted himself by lecturing Trump about America’s issues, even as the ground was giving out from under him, whining about Washington’s “bulldozer politics” compared to France’s respect for its citizens – which must be why Bayrou was so keen to take a gig that those same citizens didn’t actually elect him to do. A few days ahead of this vote, Bayrou’s finance minister, Eric Lombard, was basically trying to keep his job and government in place by scaring up support, floating the ridiculous specter of an International Monetary Fund intervention, before having to backpedal. It’s absurd scaremongering since Italy and Japan have higher debt-to-GDP ratios and France is a long way from ever qualifying for, or needing, IMF help, according to virtually every economic expert. But the vibe is like, ‘You’d better let us do what we want with the budget because otherwise the globalists are gonna lock us in our rooms under a curfew.’ So what’s the plan now, then? This is where yet another scare tactic comes in to grease taxpayers’ wallets, drumming up the need to throw more tax money into the defense sector ‘for Ukraine’, and hoping that does the heavy lifting of boosting the economy. Arms dealing as the path to economic salvation. Then what’s next? Drug dealing? Literal state prostitution? Meanwhile, France remains politically blocked, and faces another round of protests on Wednesday under the battle cry of Block Everything. But the truly revolutionary idea would be to unblock this hot mess. And that doesn’t look set to happen anytime soon. View the full article

What does it mean to be a good man in a society where millions of our neighbors don’t know where their next meal will come from? For Ryan Healy, Advocacy Manager for Feeding New York State, it means facing hunger not as a private shame or a charity case, but as a systemic injustice, and then doing the hard, collective work to change it. Hunger, he reminds us, is never about individual failure. It’s about wages, housing, healthcare, and dignity. With a background in politics and economics from Brandeis University, and experience across social enterprises, renewable energy, and political campaigns, Healy has spent the last three and a half years organizing statewide advocacy campaigns with Feeding New York State’s ten affiliated food banks and over 3,000 community partners. His mission is clear: to affirm food as a human right. “Food is a human right. Everyone should have access to it,” Healy says. “Our job is to feed the line and shorten the line at the same time.” This dual responsibility—meeting urgent needs while fighting for systemic change—offers lessons not just for policymakers and nonprofits, but for anyone wrestling with what responsibility looks like in a fractured world. Hunger as a Mirror of Masculinity and Power More than three million New Yorkers struggle to afford food. Tipped workers make subminimum wages. Half of SUNY and CUNY students experience food insecurity. Families are rent-burdened, paying 30% or more of their income just to keep a roof overhead. And while all this unfolds, tons of food rot in landfills. Healy is blunt: hunger is not about scarcity. It’s about systems designed to keep people scrambling. “Labor is not dignified, housing is unaffordable, wages are low relative to the cost of living. Food insecurity is a reflection of these systemic issues.” That reflection is not abstract. For men raising families, for fathers trying to make ends meet, for sons watching their parents skip meals, hunger is intimate. It shapes masculinity, sometimes pushing men toward shame and silence, other times toward courage and care. During the pandemic, universal school meals and the Child Tax Credit cut child poverty in half. That victory, Healy argues, showed what was possible when policy prioritized people. It also modeled something men often overlook: care is not weakness. Care is power. Feeding New York State embodies this ethos through its partnerships with farmers, hunters, processors, and communities. The organization receives more than 50 million pounds of donated produce annually, ensuring healthy food goes where it’s needed while sustaining local economies. Healy insists that good advocacy, like good fathering, means listening first. “Nonprofits would be wise to focus on the expertise of the people they serve. After developing priorities with communities, bring them into the room with policymakers. Community forums at local libraries can be as powerful as massive marches.” Food, Dignity, and the Future Food is more than calories, it’s culture, sovereignty, and dignity. “Most of us go to the store and buy what we want. Imagine not having that sovereignty,” Healy reflects. “Every day, people are choosing between the light bill and dinner.” As he looks to the future, Healy warns of growing threats: a Congress gutting SNAP, the largest anti-hunger program in history; the long shadow of climate change; and economic downturns that could tip millions more into food insecurity. His response is a call to citizenship. “Congress works for us. People did not vote for food assistance to be slashed.” For The Good Men Project community—men exploring what it means to be ethical, responsible, and engaged—Healy’s work offers a reminder: goodness isn’t abstract. It’s built in the choices we make about power, justice, and care. Hunger is solvable. But only if we’re willing to see it as a collective challenge, not an individual flaw. That means raising our voices, mobilizing communities, and standing with organizations like Feeding New York State that prove systemic change is possible. Healy’s vision is clear. By ensuring every New Yorker has access to nutritious food, he and his colleagues are not just feeding bodies. They are nourishing hope, equity, and the possibility of a more just society. And that, perhaps, is one of the clearest measures of what it means to be a good man today. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post Ryan Healy and Feeding New York State: Rethinking Hunger as a Human Right appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Ivan Kokovin and Michael Gloss, the latter the son of a senior CIA official, both died in Donbass in April 2024 A school in the Russian city of Donetsk has been named in honor of a Russian soldier and an American volunteer who died fighting together in Donbass. The ceremony at School No. 115 in the capital of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Tuesday was attended by senior officials. Russian paratrooper Ivan Kokovin and American fighter Michael Gloss, the son of CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina, both served in the 331st Guards Airborne Regiment. The two men were posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, a Russian state honor. Kokovin and Gloss were reportedly killed on April 4, 2024, during an assault on fortified Ukrainian positions near Chasov Yar in Russia’s Donetsk Region. The critical high-ground and logistics hub was liberated by Russian forces in July this year. DPR head Denis Pushilin said at the ceremony on Tuesday that the naming was intended to ensure that the memory of the two men would live on. Russian Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov added that their example showed that “courage knows no nationality.” A memorial plaque has been unveiled at the school, which now bears the names of the two men. Officials announced that a museum dedicated to their service will also be established within the school. Gloss, who was 21, traveled to Russia in 2023 and enlisted under a different name. His father said earlier, citing his death certificate, that he was killed while attempting to assist a wounded comrade under artillery fire. His remains were repatriated to the US last year and he was cremated in his hometown. Last month, CNN reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally handed US envoy Steve Witkoff Gloss’ posthumous Order of Courage, which he then delivered to Gloss’ mother. A CIA spokesperson told the outlet that the agency expressed condolences to Gallina and described the case as a private family matter. View the full article

🎬 Adobe Premiere coming to iPhone: The app includes pro tools like multitrack timelines, frame-by-frame editing, 4K support and more. The catch? You’ll need to pay for AI features or extra storage. Preorder it free on the App Store to get it automatically when it drops later this month. The post Adobe Premiere coming to iPhone appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

Dr. Seuss’s ‘Red Fish Blue Fish’ season 1 Is now on Netflix As a kid it was always fun reading books by Dr. Seuss. Each one told an exciting story and took readers of all ages on a magical journey. Many of these books have been adapted into TV shows and films and most of them have been quite good. When I heard an animated show called Red Fish, Blue Fish was being made I couldn’t wait to watch it. I was able to get screeners for the first season of this show and here is my thoughts on them. (c) Netflix You can read the plot for the first season of this show here: A preschool comedy which follows the adventures of an odd couple of two fish friends as they explore and introduce opposite concepts. (c) Netflix This was a pretty fun show to watch. Each episode had these two friends going on some type of adventure, and usually they learned a lesson along the way. There were times went things went haywire, but together they could find a way to overcome it. Once this season came to a close, it looked liked the adventures might not be done yet. Most kids will enjoy watching this show. Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish season 1 is streaming now on Netflix. The post Dr Seuss’s ‘Red Fish Blue Fish’ Season 1 Is Streaming Now on Netflix appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

What began as a social media ban spiraled into Nepal’s biggest upheaval in years. Russian analysts dissect the roots – and the risks ahead. Nepal has been shaken by its most serious political crisis in years. What began with the government’s abrupt attempt to ban major social media platforms quickly spiraled into mass unrest. Young people poured into the streets, furious not only over the loss of their digital lifeline but also over corruption, unemployment, and a political system they see as exhausted. Protests turned violent: government buildings were torched, the prime minister’s residence set on fire, dozens were killed, and ultimately the prime minister himself was forced to resign. To make sense of these events, RT have gathered the views of Russian experts – political analysts, scholars, and regional specialists – whose commentary sheds light on the crisis. Their voices highlight different facets of the crisis: from the structural problems of Nepal’s political system to the role of Generation Z, the failures of leadership, and the possible influence of outside actors. Together, their insights paint a complex picture of a country at a dangerous crossroads. Boris Volkonsky, Associate Professor at the Institute of Asian and African Studies: At the root of today’s turmoil is the abolition of the monarchy. That was a mistake – replacing it with a communist-led government only opened the door to systemic corruption. The immediate trigger was the decision to shut down social media without offering any alternative. For many Nepalese, that meant cutting off vital communication with relatives working abroad. Once the authorities showed weakness, public frustration snowballed. People began demanding more and more, and eventually the unrest turned into outright rioting. © AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha Elza Shirgazina, Junior Research Fellow at IMEMO RAS, Indo-Pacific Program: Nepal is once again caught in a wave of social unrest that has become a chronic condition. Governments come and go – sometimes it’s a prime minister from the Nepali Congress, other times a communist leader – but the underlying problems remain unchanged. The economy is stagnant, social tensions persist, and deep structural imbalances in society have not gone away. The caste system and widespread discrimination are still very much alive. The government’s attempt to block social media and certain online platforms acted as the spark that ignited this tinderbox. Corruption is another critical factor. It hasn’t just infiltrated Nepal’s system of governance – it has become synonymous with it. These protests are far from the first, but what sets them apart is their intensity. I expect things to calm down somewhat in the short term. I don’t foresee a sharp shift in Nepal’s foreign policy. Domestic problems will likely be suppressed for a while but not resolved. Addressing them would require systemic reforms, and the political elite in Nepal has shown little willingness to undertake such changes. © AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha Ilya Spektor, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State University: If you really believe that in a country where the median age is 25, youth unemployment officially stands at 20% (and in reality is even higher), and GDP per capita is nearly half that of India, young people took to the streets just because YouTube was blocked – then you’ve got a very curious worldview. Yes, shutting down social media was the government’s final, self-inflicted shot in the foot, but Nepal’s political crisis runs far deeper than that. This is clearly the most serious crisis the republic has faced in its 17 years of existence. Protesters have shown equal contempt for those in power and for the parliamentary opposition – which until recently held power itself. Earlier this year, demonstrations featured slogans calling for the return of the monarchy – and that scenario is hardly out of the question. Meanwhile, pro-BJP bloggers in Indian social media are reacting with open sympathy toward the protesters. Then again, it would be strange to expect any fondness from them toward Nepal’s ruling communists. © AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha Political analyst Nikolai Starikov: Here’s all you really need to know about the “Maidan” in Nepal: start by looking at the map. Then read the so-called reasons for the unrest – a ban on social media. The law requiring platforms to register was passed two years ago! Now, remember where Nepal sits – between India and China. Just a week ago, New Delhi and Beijing patched things up and moved closer together. And suddenly, riots break out in Nepal. A full-blown Ukrainian-style uprising. Mobs storm the parliament, police respond with water cannons and rubber bullets. And yet somehow we’re already hearing about a high death toll. The rioters’ slogans? “Against corruption.” Out front you see schoolkids and college students – the familiar “they’re just kids” narrative. I recognize the handiwork of a master. Classic. © AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha Alexey Makarkin, political analyst: The events in Nepal are already being called a “Generation Z Revolution.” The “Zoomers” are those born in the internet era – roughly from the mid-1990s through the early 2010s. For them, life online is second nature, not only as a means of communication but also as a way to make money. Older generations often fail to grasp this, dismissing teenagers and young adults who monetize their social media presence as earning “undeserved income.” Nepal has no shortage of Zoomers – it’s a young country. The population grew from 26.5 million in 2011 to 29 million by the 2021 census, and today it’s estimated at more than 31 million. The youth share of the population is exceptionally high, and with each passing year more and more of them are making their living online. Politically, Nepal has been dominated by three major forces since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008: the Nepali Congress, the Maoist Communists, and the Marxist-Leninist Communists. They have formed shifting coalitions over the years – most recently, the Congress and Marxist-Leninists governed together, while the Maoists sat in opposition. But to the Zoomers, they all look the same: an entrenched elite guilty of inefficiency, backroom deals, and corruption. The street violence that broke out on September 9 has been directed at politicians from all three parties. The discontent had been brewing for some time. In the 2022 elections, the three big parties together still controlled 199 out of 275 seats, but that was down from 237 previously. The newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (National Independence Party), led by popular TV anchor Rabi Lamichhane, surged to nearly 11 percent of the vote. The royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party also made gains, doubling its share to 5.5 percent. © Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images The clearest sign of shifting moods, however, came in Kathmandu’s mayoral race. The winner was Balen Shah, a rapper born in 1990 – better known simply as Balen – who also holds a master’s degree in civil engineering. He ran on bread-and-butter urban issues: trash collection, traffic jams, illegal construction, and poor city planning. Once in office, Balen made a point of streaming council meetings live, demolishing illegal structures, and holding city officials accountable for negligence. Unlike the old party leaders, steeped in inertia and deal-making, he projected the image of a decisive leader – even if some of his moves, like a crackdown on street vendors, sparked controversy. When the traditional parties tried to use that against him, Balen countered that he was simply enforcing the very laws parliament had passed. This year, small royalist demonstrations posed little threat to the establishment. What really worried the ruling elite was the anger among young people. In that climate, Prime Minister Sharma Oli’s September 5 decision to ban major foreign social media platforms acted as a spark to the powder keg. Within days, protests had turned deadly: about 20 people were killed in the early clashes, which quickly radicalized the movement. Protesters began torching government buildings, attacking politicians they caught in the streets, and even burning court files – reminiscent of Russia’s February Revolution, when criminals joined the uprising. Balen threw his support behind the Zoomers, while the army refused to back the government. The commander himself pressed for the prime minister’s resignation. Protesters also freed Rabi Lamichhane from prison, where he had been held since April on charges of embezzling cooperative funds. Now the Zoomers are demanding that Balen take power and that new elections be held. Where things go from here is unclear. What seems likely is that the chaos will eventually fuel a demand for order. But who can deliver it? The old political elite has lost credibility. Which leaves the possibility of a rising demand for a “strong hand.” © Ambir Tolang/NurPhoto via Getty Images Andrey Kortunov, expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club: The immediate trigger for Nepal’s unrest was the hasty decision to ban social media. When protests break out, governments’ first instinct is usually to crack down hard – and that’s exactly what happened. Military force was used; dozens of people were killed and hundreds were wounded. That only radicalized the movement and broadened its demands. What began as anger over social media restrictions quickly grew into grievances about corruption, government incompetence, the lack of social mobility, and widespread youth unemployment. In short, a protest that started with a narrow issue has turned into a broad social revolt against those in power. What’s striking is that Nepal’s opposition – in this case the Communist Party – has also failed to channel the unrest. Protesters didn’t just torch the prime minister’s residence and storm the president’s house; they also set fire to the opposition leader’s home. So far, no one has been able to steer this movement into a clear political direction. Nepal is, after all, a poor country. It’s possible that outside forces, using social media, are trying to inflame discontent and undermine stability. But it’s doubtful they would have succeeded if conditions inside Nepal weren’t already so precarious. © Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images Olga Kharina, Associate Professor and Research Fellow at the School of Asian Studies, HSE University: The restrictions on social media weren’t the only factor behind the protests. For a long time, Nepal’s young people had been voicing their frustration online – skepticism toward the government, anger over rising unemployment and the lack of job opportunities, complaints about corruption, and resentment at seeing unqualified loyalists promoted into key positions. The disconnect between the authorities and the younger generation was already clear. That’s why some experts are now calling what’s happening in Nepal a “Generation Z Revolution.” The discontent was building for years, and the social media ban simply acted as a catalyst. It’s obvious that today’s youth cannot function without social networks. So the outcome was almost inevitable – protests in the streets. Nepali officials now claim that the unrest has not been free of outside influence. Western companies, whose platforms were banned, may well have encouraged young people to take action. Some of these companies openly backed the protests, speaking in the language of free speech and the need to “fight for your rights at any cost.” For young people who are still forming their views, such narratives can be highly persuasive. We’ve seen this pattern before in other revolutions where Western involvement was alleged. Here too, it may have taken the form of “soft power” – the spread of certain narratives. © Ambir Tolang/NurPhoto via Getty Images Even though the government has since lifted the ban on social media, the unrest continues and the death toll keeps climbing. Once a crowd senses its own strength, it’s very difficult to rein it back in. Protesters are no longer afraid to torch government residences. Meanwhile, Nepali politicians are backtracking – repealing restrictions, resigning en masse – a sign that the government never thought through its actions. That, in itself, is a display of weakness. Had the government held its ground, we likely wouldn’t be seeing today’s chaos. At the same time, it’s important to note that the protests still lack leadership. There is no political party or figurehead guiding the movement or calling for the government’s overthrow. Perhaps such forces will emerge spontaneously later, but for now it’s too early to say. One can only hope the unrest will subside. Still, the situation is becoming more volatile, and unless the government regains control, Nepal could slide into a full-blown domestic political crisis. Kirill Kotkov, Orientalist: What we’re seeing in Nepal is essentially a pressure cooker of social and economic contradictions that’s finally boiled over. That’s the underlying cause. The immediate trigger was the government’s decision to block social media. In that sense, I’d argue that we’re witnessing a transformation: what used to be called “color revolutions” are increasingly turning into internet revolutions. © Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images It’s quite possible that future uprisings around the world will often take on this online-driven character. That said, it’s too early to pin down the exact nature of Nepal’s revolution. A new government hasn’t yet been formed, and we don’t know what the protest leaders will actually offer the broader public. View the full article

How does a proposed bill in Congress designed to “keep non-legal immigrants” from voting, hurt so many of us? The Save Act bill, or Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, on its surface, doesn’t appear overly restrictive. It requires voters to submit proof of citizenship. Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong. It hurts women like me. And so many others. What forms of citizenship proof are accepted? What counts as proof of citizenship? Social Security cards, passports, birth certificates. Each accompanied by a REAL ID or driver’s license. Here’s the problem. Your name has to match on all the documents you show. There are many of us whose current IDs, Such as a driver’s license or REAL ID, do not match our birth certificate. Sometimes our current IDs don’t match our social security numbers or our passports. Those of us with these issues aren’t trying to pull a fast one, hide from the government, or vote without being citizens. We simply have different names from our birth certificate, due to marriage, divorce, or a change of name for any other reason, such as being transgender. Both my sisters have legally changed part of their names to names they chose. If they didn’t have passports, and had to use their birth certificates, their current IDs wouldn’t match the birth certificates. I kept my first husband’s name when we divorced. Since we married and divorced young, I have the same name on my Social Security card, passport and driver’s license. What if I couldn’t find my Social Security card, or didn’t have a passport? Then I’d have to use my birth certificate, which doesn’t match my current name. Sorry, Carol. No voting for you. The League of Women Voters is campaigning to stop the bill in the Senate. Here’s who they say will be adversely affected: Military Members: Services members would be required to present documentation every time they move and re-register to vote. Further, they would not be able to use their military ID alone to prove citizenship and would need additional documentation to show their birthplace or naturalization status. Natural Disaster Suvivors: Families impacted by natural disasters often lose important documentation. The SAVE Act would require them to jump through hoops to replace these documents and register to vote while also going through the traumatic process of rebuilding their lives. Women, Trans Voters, and Anyone with a Changed Name: Americans who have changed their name, like married women and members of the trans community, would also be required to secure updated documentation to register to vote. There are an estimated 69 million American women who lack paperwork that reflects their current name. Rural voters, Working Class Voters, Voters of Color, and Older Americans: These voters are less likely to hold a passport or readily available birth certificate. Tribal Citizens: Tribal voters would be unable to register using their Tribal ID alone. The SAVE Act would require Tribal ID to show the holder’s place of birth as the US, but most Tribal IDs do not list a place of birth. That’s an awful lot of people who could and would be turned away at the voting booth. “It’s unquestionably important that only eligible voters cast ballots in our elections — but it’s equally important that eligible voters aren’t hindered from voting because of needless paperwork.” The U.S. has been on a trajectory of ensuring eligible voters can vote for many decades, accompanied by violence, oppression, and demands for voter rights Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. Women were granted the right to vote in the U.S. on August 18, 1920, with passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Those simple declarations don’t tell the whole story. For instance, the number of suffragettes who were jailed, fighting for the rights of women to vote. Women were arrested for trying to vote, and during protests. Many went on hunger strikes in jail and were force fed. Rubber tubes were inserted through the mouth (only occasionally through the nose) and into the stomach, and food poured down; the suffragettes were held down by force while the instruments were inserted into their bodies, which has been likened to rape.[9] Passage of the 15th amendment five years after the end of the Civil War still did not make it easy for Black men to vote. Freed slaves often had not been allowed to learn to read while enslaved. States who didn’t want them to vote, in spite of being legally allowed to, put literacy tests in place, requiring voters to be able to read and write in order to vote. Next were poll taxes, money extracted at the voting site to keep people in poverty from voting. I witnessed this tactic as a child going to the polls with my mother in our small town in Texas. I remember her writing a check in order to be allowed to vote. Jim Crow laws and systemic racism made it difficult for free Black people in the South to make enough money to pay poll taxes. Poor people of any ethnicity had difficulty paying poll taxes. No payment, no vote. In other instances, Black people were turned away and even chased from the voting booth by the KKK and other racists. These intimidation tactics continued until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law. “It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country. There is no issue of states rights or national rights, there is only the struggle for human rights.”– President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965) Many sacrifices were made during the Civil Rights Movement, some equally as violent as the force-feeding of suffragettes, and the beatings of Black people who tried to vote. Senator John Lewis, he who advised creating “Good Trouble”, was savagely beaten as a young man, and the Freedom bus he was riding with other Freedom Riders was set on fire. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama with 55 other peaceful protestors, who had been beaten and manhandled into the cell where they were all crammed in together in a space meant for far fewer people. The Children’s Crusade began shortly after. I had the joy of meeting one of the people who was in the Children’s Crusade when I was in Birmingham on business. He told me they had a preordained time when they all walked out of school and began peaceful protest marches down the streets of Birmingham. They were met with violence. On May 2, 1963, more than one thousand students skipped classes and gathered at 16th Street Baptist Church to march to downtown Birmingham, Alabama. As they approached police lines, hundreds were arrested and carried off to jail in paddy wagons and school buses. When hundreds more young people gathered the following day for another march, white commissioner, Bull Connor, directed the local police and fire departments to use force to halt the demonstration. Images of children being blasted by high-pressure fire hoses, being clubbed by police officers, and being attacked by police dogs appeared on television and in newspapers, and triggered outrage throughout the world. The outrage fueled the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Finally, every citizen in the U.S. was able to vote. Slow, bloody progress had been made. Until now Now Congress is saying the quiet part out loud. They want to pass a law, ostensibly to allow only citizens to vote, while making proving that citizenship difficult for many, many voters. Too many. Just as was done with poll taxes, literacy tests, and outright intimidation at the polls. Congress wants only certain people to vote, and not others, even if they are citizens. Specifically, white men who aren’t elderly, disabled, rural, or in the military. Not women with married names, Trans people, or poor people. Those of us with these issues aren’t trying to pull a fast one, hide from the government, or vote without being citizens. The current President is asking Texas to gerrymander voting districts, in order to weaken the votes of POC and keep the Republicans in the majority in Congress. Texas, Ohio, and Alabama have restricted mail-in voting and eliminated or restricted drive-through and curbside voting. Curbside voting in Texas allowed me to vote in elections while recovering from two broken ankles. Without it, I would have needed a wheelchair and someone to help me in and out of the polling location. Both cumbersome and painful. I would have done it though, to exercise my voting rights. These are the reasons the SAVE Act must not pass in the Senate. Call and write your Senators today. You can use the app and website 5Calls. If it does pass? Let’s get busy helping people get the right documentation. Just in case I need bail, while causing Good Trouble, you can contribute to that fund here. https://ko-fi.com/carolsantafe — This post was previously published on New Choices. *** You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project: White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer What We Talk About When We Talk About Men Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: Unsplash The post The SAVE Act Is a Trick, That Will Keep Women and Millions of Others From Voting appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

There’s a lesson I learned early on in high school as a runner in a race: don’t look back. It’s not going to help you because it’s going to make you nervous to see someone gaining ground on you. You should run your own race and not focus on what other people are doing. It’s sound advice, but difficult to apply. Looking back is a natural instinct, probably as an adaptation for survival. In a race, when placing well matters, you would want to see if people were catching you and gaining on you. I used to look back all the time in races, scared that I was going to be passed, sometimes scared that a teammate was going to pass me. In my early days, I would look back more, especially when I was tired, and it would lead to even more catastrophizing. The more tired I was, the more I looked back. Because I was tired and dying, I responded adversely when I saw someone gaining on me by increasing my pace suddenly and tiring myself out more, leaving nothing for the finish. I see races where professional, elite, and the best runners in the world look back all the time for their competition. At that level, it makes sense — these runners need to secure a place and position. Kenenisa Bekele, one of the best runners in the world, looked back constantly in races where he dominated the competition by 50 to 100 meters. Now, I no longer look back when I run races. I have conditioned myself not to. If someone is going to pass me, they will pass me whether I look back or not. However, there’s another reason I don’t look back: I can tell someone is coming up on me through sound. I can hear the sound of their footsteps or breathing. I can also tell approximately how far behind another runner is by the time between when the crowd cheers for me and when they cheer for someone 50 meters behind me. I normally don’t know who it is, but I’ll find out when they pass me anyway, and I try not to alter my race plan too much based on what other people are doing. While I don’t look back on my running anymore, I look back frequently in the rest of my life. I look back at all the past mistakes I made, ruminate, and reflect on them for too much time. I wish I could apply the same lesson to not look back in other areas of my life as I do in my running, but that’s been a different battle. I have spoken in therapy about how self-critical I am as a person. I have very high standards for myself and struggle when I don’t meet those standards. I have always been conditioned to believe that any grade lower than an A is a bad grade, for example, but that has bled into analogous situations in many professional and personal ambitions. I had a session in therapy where I realized I have shouldered so much of the burden in my life on my own, and that includes learning many of these lessons on my own. I have gained quite a lot of perspective from my introspection and reflective nature, and it has helped me become a better person. To some degree, there is a benefit to it, since the past gives me wisdom for approaching the present. But I also fear making the same mistakes I made when I was younger, especially when it comes to not being a good person. I think back frequently to the last time I was intentionally cruel to someone. It was when I was 12 years old. My friends and I didn’t like a kid from our neighborhood, so we made a Windows Movie Maker video about how much we didn’t like him and posted it on YouTube. We were all called to the assistant principal’s office and were told how disappointed everyone was in us. In the past 16 years, I have come across thoughtless and have hurt people’s feelings many times. But it was never intentional. It might have come from being self-centered or thoughtless, but they are still instances I work on. The point, however, is that it was 16 years ago, and it is one of many mistakes I made that I still think about, and that’s something I don’t necessarily perceive other people do as often as I do. Other areas include other social missteps, mistakes I made in my first year of teaching, and ways I have been thoughtless or inattentive in my marriage. I want to start not looking back like I do in my running. Constant regret and agonizing are only counterproductive after a while. I always got jealous of people who seemed like they could make difficult decisions and have no second thoughts, no hesitation, and no agonizing like I do. I agonize a lot and always weigh the pros and cons a bit more heavily than most, particularly super consequential decisions. I wish I could sometimes be more impulsive. I wish I didn’t have to make things more complicated and difficult, but I do. I think that’s part of what helps me grow, what makes me who I am, and makes me more growth-oriented than many. The fact that I look to the past for guidance so often is sometimes a good thing. On an emotional processing level, there is sometimes a need to feel the pain of the past and process it instead of barreling forward with reckless abandon. But the key is balance, which I struggle with. It took a long time before, in running at least, I broke out of looking back. Besides sound, I also learned to trust some sort of sixth sense. I sometimes call it my gut or instinct, but just this internal feeling I often have. When someone passes me in the middle or later in a race, there’s a good chance they feel better than me, so I should just let them go. However, there are times when I would benefit from running with that person. I have to make a call then and there. Do I go with that person and take the benefit of drafting and running with someone for a while? Do I just let them go? There are times when I physically can do the former without tanking the whole race. There are times when I have to recognize that, compared to that person, I am cooked, and need to just run my own race. Every race I have as a runner comes with dozens of these judgment calls, where I have to rely on my sixth sense to make the right choice. I don’t always know if it’s the right call, but it feels like the right call in that moment. It comes at the first mile, when I feel amazing, but my gut tells me I need to run slower. It comes when I feel like it’s time to push the pace, especially on parts of the course that are more downhill or flat. A lot of this gut feeling simply is how I feel in that moment— whether I am breathing hard or chilling and can maintain a whole conversation, how heavy my legs feel, whether I have any pain that is outside the normal bounds of wear and tear of being a runner. But that gut feeling is also informed by my long experience and 16 years as a runner, knowing what mile of the marathon it will start to get hard, knowing what point during a 5k I need to mentally prepare myself for to not lose focus and fall off pace. It’s not just mental feedback, but sometimes it feels like the muscle memory of knowing exactly what running 5:20 mile pace feels like, or knowing what 6 minute mile pace feels like. I measure not only each mile of the race, but every 10 seconds or so. Until I get to the next lightpost or the next crack in the road, I run the pace I feel like I need to run — not too fast, not too slow. I make sure I don’t put in any big, sudden surges on my run. I make sure I rely on and remind myself of the long-term training and adaptations I have made in my training. It’s not like my execution is always perfect, but it is very responsive to how I feel and the sustainable path forward. I became a much more mature and better runner through my reliance on how I feel, relying on my heart and my gut over my head, my eyes, where I intellectually think I should be. There are times I’m running much slower than the goal pace and feel not great. These are often the days that are hot, humid, windy, where the conditions necessitate slower pace feeling a lot worse. I used to try to force the time I thought I should run and panic if I wasn’t running the pace I was supposed to. Now, I just let it happen — everyone in the field could pass me, but I am running my pace, my race, doing the best I possibly can for the distance, day and effort. Relying on these other senses and that sixth sense has been helpful not just in my running, but now in other parts of my life. This has come during my bar exam preparation as an attorney. The bar exam is a test every lawyer has to take to be authorized to practice law in a certain jurisdiction. I was scoring around 50% on mixed question problem sets on practice bar exam problems. This was not a good score. I had about six weeks until the test, but if my scores continued there, I was going to fail the bar exam. Some problem sets were better, and some were worse, but my average was not where it needed to be. However, trusting myself and my gut, I recognized I was doing the best I could. I recognized it was still early. I recognized that I just needed to keep going and it might just be a slow start — and I was right when my scores suddenly increased. First, I started to reframe how I answered a lot of the questions. In the past week, I improved my scores to around 65% correct every problem set, which is well within the passing range. The difference? I trusted my gut. I approached the bar exam like I trusted myself in my running, not thinking about what I should be doing or what other people were doing, and going with my instinct and intuition over constantly second guessing myself. On a technical level, there were about 10% of questions where I knew the answer was between one of two answer choices that were both very good candidates. I started to read the question again to see if I was missing one slight nuance. However, I started to realize that, more often than not, the reason I got questions wrong was because I changed my answer choice from my first instinct. I changed it because I was overthinking the question, thinking it was a lot more complex than what the question writers were really trying to test, worried I missed something important on my first or second read. Trusting myself, that first instinct, and relying on that sixth sense, has helped me get my scores increased significantly. I know that tough scores during the initial studying process are just part of the process, but I wish I did trust myself more earlier on and did go with my gut more often. The agonizing, I realize, is what makes me do worse on the multiple-choice portion of bar exam practice tests. Not only do I change my first instinct, but on an exam with a lot of time pressure, where I have a designated amount of time to devote to each question, I waste a lot of time. Even if I get the wrong choice, for the overall test, if I make my choice, go with my first instinct, and move on without looking back, I can do better. In real life, going with that sixth sense and gut has made a huge difference, too. It has been a guiding force in what decision to make in a choice when I am at a crossroads, whether I should keep studying or call it quits. It helps me find balance and calibrate instead of looking back, always wondering if I made the wrong decision. Today, when I was getting an oil change, I sat in a chair in the waiting room. Someone else had been sitting there, but she was talking to an attendant outside for a while, so I did not know the seat was previously occupied. As I got up, I accidentally kicked her water bottle that was standing on the ground. It didn’t knock over, didn’t cause any damage, but I debated when she came back whether to tell her or not. No harm had been done, and it was an honest mistake. Plus, she seemed to be busy speaking with the attendant. Ultimately, I realized that I did need to tell her. She could have been a germophobe and wanted to wash her bottle, knowing that someone accidentally kicked it. But I was a lot more torn and conflicted than I should have been. I didn’t know whether she would get upset or offended, so a part of me weighed towards staying silent, and I really had nothing to gain if she did. The ethical and right thing, however, was to tell her, and once she was no longer, I told her, and she thanked me for letting me know and said it was no problem. This is just a small anecdote among many, but there are thousands of these conflicting ethical or moral situations I have encountered throughout my life. The past is valuable in not only intellectually telling me what’s right, but also reminding me of how the right thing to do feels. I was reminded at the oil change shop that sometimes, doing the right thing feels hard and inconvenient, but it will feel gratifying when done. And perhaps that’s all looking back good for — the input it has on my gut and sixth sense in informing the right choice in the moment, the right move in a race while running, the right decision of what I will do in the next hour for long-term success. Besides that, the rumination just comes with guilt and regret. As such, I will continue to limit how much I look back. There is so much more of the race to run. — This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM. — 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 Trusting Myself to Not Look Back appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Check sketchy apps on Android: Before installing something from the Play Store, see what info it collects and shares. Open the app page, scroll down and tap Data Safety. You’ll find whether it gathers personal details, photos, location or financial info, and if your data is encrypted in transit. The post Check sketchy apps on Android appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

The administration of US President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to block the spending of $4.9bn on foreign aid programs The administration of US President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to freeze $4.9 billion in foreign assistance funds approved by Congress. The move follows a ruling last week by Federal District Judge Amir Ali, who said the administration cannot unilaterally withhold billions in foreign aid that Congress has already approved. Under the US Constitution, only Congress can decide how federal money is spent, and the executive branch is legally required to carry out the appropriations unless Congress reverses them. US Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Monday, warning that Ali’s ruling “raises a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers” and forces the executive branch to act against its own judgment. Trump earlier asked Congress to cancel the $4.9 billion, which was appropriated for State Department and US Agency for International Development (USAID) foreign assistance programs. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has made cutting foreign assistance a priority, temporarily freezing new aid and slashing over 90% of USAID programs, arguing that Washington should spend the money at home rather than abroad, including Ukraine. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, the US has sent billions of dollars in assistance to Kiev, most of it through USAID programs. Trump and other US officials have claimed that large portions of this aid were lost to mismanagement or corruption and failed to reach the intended recipients. Trump has since moved to shut down USAID, saying it is run by “radical lunatics” and advances “woke” initiatives that promote wasteful spending and political agendas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed last month that the agency is now in “close out mode,” with remaining functions absorbed by other departments. He said its closure will save “tens of billions of dollars” for US taxpayers. The Supreme Court has not indicated when it will rule on the administration’s emergency request. View the full article

Dutch municipalities have said their shelters are full as arrivals continue Ukrainian immigrants can no longer be housed in Dutch townships as shelters are at capacity and people are being turned away, according to the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). About 4.7 million people have fled Ukraine to other parts of Europe since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev escalated in February 2022. Around 120,000 have gone to the Netherlands, including men who have left the country to avoid mobilization. According to the VNG, “almost” all of the 97,000 municipal shelter spaces in the Netherlands are occupied, while around 300 Ukrainians continue to arrive weekly in the country, the organization added. Municipalities such as Utrecht and Dordrecht have reported that they are no longer able to provide housing to new arrivals. Local officials have pointed to shortages in housing and funding, and have called on the national government to provide a long-term plan. Dutch officials have warned that without additional national support, municipalities will not be able to meet their legal housing obligations. Proposals under discussion include requiring Ukrainians with jobs or sufficient income to contribute towards rent for their accommodation, though no final decision has been taken. Other Western European countries reportedly face similar difficulties. The UK, Ireland, Germany, and Finland have all taken steps in recent months to reduce financial support or benefits for Ukrainians, citing pressure on national budgets and housing supplies. In Poland, anti-Ukrainian sentiment has reportedly been rising. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in March that Poles were increasingly frustrated over “hundreds of thousands, or maybe even over a million young Ukrainians driving the best cars around Europe and spending weekends in five-star hotels.” Last month, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill to prolong benefits for Ukrainians, arguing that the assistance system needs to be reworked. View the full article

I’ve heard quite a bit about the Black Card, particularly in its modern usage as opposed to its original application. The Race Card is often used to dismiss complaints related to race as if they have no merit. This story is about the White Card, which is a means to an end. Every successful Black person I know has used the White Card to some extent, though we never forget its limitations. I’ve used the White Card when seeking employment in corporate America and attempting to reach a wider audience. I never allowed myself to forget that whatever is given can be just as easily taken away. What is the White Card? To appreciate the White Card, you must first understand the Black Card. The Black Card is issued at birth to those who present as Black. The qualifications have changed over time. Early on, the one-drop rule was sufficient for determining membership and was primarily viewed as a negative aspect of the system. It meant there were restrictions placed on Blackness, and having a Black Card was comparable to the Scarlet Letter. White people issued the Black Card of old as a means to exclude, restrict, and convict as needed. Black pride existed, but its practice was limited. In America, public displays of Blackness and even gathering in groups were sufficient for retaliation. Griots passed down the stories of our past so that they wouldn’t be drummed out of our collective memory until a time came when it was acceptable to love our Blackness in public. There were always those who saw the advantages of being white; some imitated whiteness, and some denied their Blackness altogether, passing for white and hoping all the while that one drop wouldn’t be exposed. I never met my grandfather’s brother, Paul, who passed for white in Chicago, though I have seen an early photo. How much did he lose to give up his family to get the advantages associated with whiteness? A community’s journey towards self-love James Brown gave us “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” Various artists, including Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone, sang “Young, Gifted and Black.” Black was finally recognized as beautiful and expressed in fashion with kente cloths and African prints. Black culture was widely disseminated, imitated, and appropriated. Black Cards were still issued at birth, but by Black people who appreciated the accomplishments and beauty of our culture in all its variations. Black people generally embraced their Black cards, though some still preferred the acceptance of the white race, doing their best to deny their Blackness. Having a Black Card means the Black community accepts you and appreciates the commonalities within the culture. Black Cards aren’t taken away but can be lost by those who deny their Blackness in an attempt to seem white. Black access to white spaces When used by Black people, the White Card can allow access to traditionally white spaces. They are issued by white people temporarily based on compliance and appearance. Not every white person gets a card, and entrance isn’t guaranteed in every space. Issuance is often determined by both class and race. White Cards are cognizant of class, education, background, and who you know or are related to. White people’s White Cards get you places where Black Cards can’t, but there are restrictions. When Black people get a White Card, it is always conditioned not only by acting in a white-approved manner but sometimes by serving the needs of the specific people granting the card. Clarence Thomas aspired to receive a White Card. He went to the best schools, including Holy Cross and Yale Law. He’d previously received the White Card, which granted acceptance into those schools, often referred to as affirmative action. He found that a Yale law degree wasn’t the White Card that got him the lucrative offers he craved. Thomas applied himself to serving those with the keys to the kingdom, later receiving an all-access White Card granting him access to the most exclusive white spaces. He remembers his Black Card in times of trouble, like when he thought he was the victim of a “high-tech lynching” or being investigated by the media for accepting hundreds of thousands in gifts from his white friends with special interests. Should he try using his Black Card again, it will likely be declined. White cards are only temporary Temporary White Cards are relatively easily obtainable. For a man, putting on a suit and tie and speaking the King’s English will grant access to many places. But it’s like the difference between debit and credit cards. You can buy groceries with either, but try renting a car without a credit card. I’ve gone into interviews with Procter & Gamble and AT&T, where the goal was to look like every other person interviewing. One white co-worker at Procter & Gamble (I got the job) described the sales force as “corporados,” which was fitting. Depending on the setting, women and men face restrictions on their hair and attire to gain full access. While some settings may be trendy and accepting, the whitest of places make strict demands. Women, especially Black women, often face misogynistic attitudes, and a White Card won’t always relieve. The glass ceiling deserves more attention than this story can give. How they differ from race cards Black and White Cards are different than race cards, the imaginary thing that some people feel Black people present to obtain favorable treatment or avoid responsibility. Few are the times when announcing one’s Blackness produces a favorable result. Black Cards are used for social acceptance, while White Cards are for networking and access that usually translate to financial benefits. The race card is only used as a reason not to discuss a real issue. White Cards are best described as measures of conformity, proving that one can act white in most circumstances. One way of acting white has been described as code-switching, when people of color adopt standard white English to reduce discrimination. Dropping the slang used in an ethnic neighborhood and “talking white” is one way of presenting a White Card. You’ve succeeded when white people refer to you as articulate as Joe Biden and Karl Rove described Barack Obama. The White Card is superficial People present the White Card when dressing in the manner white people expect. Dress codes typically suppress ethnic flair, opting instead for white submission. Considering what to wear to a corporate event often comes down to how I can look most white. It’s something most of us do, choosing not to buck the system and face possible repercussions. Some people of color are pretty successful in obtaining and utilizing their White Cards. Some White Cards are highly exclusive; proper English, fine dress, and the best education only open some doors. It’s essential to recognize that what is given can be taken away. Athletes and entertainers often get Platinum White Cards, yet find they can be snatched after a slip of the tongue or taking white acceptance for granted. Hitching one’s wagon to a politician often provides white access, but that strategy usually involves selling one’s soul and groveling to a point where one’s value is used up and discarded. It’s dangerous to fall for the temptation of a White Card If you are of color and navigate in white spaces, having a few White Cards in your purse or wallet is necessary, pulling them out as needed. Using them sometimes comes with a cost. The cost is generally greater if you don’t use them. Know that they won’t get you everywhere, and consider if you can return to where you came from. White cards are good to carry as long as you know their limitations, and they are temporary at best. Having a Black Card is like having a family that’s got your back. You can wear out your welcome, even with family, but you can usually go back home in a crisis. The Race Card is mostly imagined and should not be taken as a real thing. Those who accuse you of playing it never meant you well anyway. The White Card is tricky; you never know what your credit limit is and whether it will be accepted. Someday, it will no longer be needed; until then, you’ll have greater success using confidence, integrity, and an unapologetic sense of self. — This post was previously published on The Polis. *** You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project: White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box Why I Don’t Want to Talk About Race What We Talk About When We Talk About Men Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post The Dominant Culture Protects Itself With the Illusion of Acceptance appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Latvian authorities have reportedly ordered 841 individuals who refused to take or failed a mandatory language test to leave the country Latvian authorities have ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave the country, citing their failure to take or pass a mandatory language test, state-owned broadcaster LTV has reported. Since independence in 1991, Latvia has refused to grant citizenship to a large section of the minority group, issuing them instead “non-citizen passports.” The latter bar holders from voting or working in certain sensitive jobs. Russian speakers currently comprise approximately 25% of the Baltic country’s total population. Latvia’s Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office announced they had sent notifications to hundreds of Russian citizens residing in the country, according to an LTV report on Sunday. Those notified had not certified their proficiency in the Latvian language within an allotted two-year deadline and these individuals now have until October 13 to voluntarily leave the country, or be forcibly deported. The language proficiency requirement was introduced as part of amendments to Latvia’s immigration law in 2022, with the deadline mandated the following year. According to the broadcaster, the mandatory language test requirement affected over 25,000 Russian citizens, with an immigration official quoted as saying that in most cases “these are people who have lived here for a long time,” and own properties in Latvia. At least ten people have already been deported in connection with their failure to take the language test, with around 60 currently awaiting deportation, LTV reported. Another 2,000 Russian citizens must prove adequate language proficiency by the end of September, or face the same fate, LTV noted. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the Baltic nation has imposed sweeping travel restrictions for Russian nationals, banned multiple Russian-language media outlets and stopped providing education in the language. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the Latvian authorities of “blatant discrimination against Russians” this past April. This summer, Riga prohibited entry to several Russian citizens who own real estate near strategically important sites, citing national security concerns. In 2024, Moscow filed pre-trial claims against Riga for allegedly violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. View the full article

Or, another paradox of healing from narcissistic abuse. In the early days of my healing, I wanted to reject everything, and I mean everything, the narcissist touched in any way. Physically, the thrift shop run by our local animal shelter got every gift he gave me. Mentally, I went through a long and somewhat painful untangling of the lies, nonsense, and ugly things he said while we were together. As my nervous system recovered and my own “snow globe” settled, more and more realizations hit me. For example, about a year after leaving, I recall pondering how on earth he had achieved the professional success he talked about, given his lack of education and training for the roles he was in. And all of a sudden it hit me that all I knew was that he said he did these things but I had no actual proof. I had accepted his stories all along and never questioned if they were true. As I had more of these realizations, I saw that I didn’t have to sign up for his version of reality, and this was liberating. I could and did question everything he believed, from his convoluted personal history to the overly forceful way he insisted on training our dog. And I started to look more critically at some the “wisdom” he imparted, finally seeing it for the shallow, pat, grandiose nonsense it was. Everything having to do with him was now filed in the “the narcissistic ex was an idiot” drawer in my brain. If he said it, did it, advised it, or thought it, it was obviously wrong But lately I have found myself being more willing to allow that there may have been some small — and, dear reader, I do honestly mean small — ways he had valid opinions or insight. For example, he was a big believer in the power of dreams and, while he used a very shallow pool of knowledge to promote himself as a wise and talented healer, he wasn’t totally wrong. I do find that my dreams can sometimes have interesting and useful messages. He was also fascinated by many areas of human development that overlap mine. Ironically, while he would consistently devalue my own focus on neuroscience, he often would end up reading about the topic himself, occasionally bringing up interesting and even useful tidbits. I ended up reading a couple of books based on his recommendations. And so, as I heal, I find I have more room to allow some paradox here. I like the metaphor of a stopped clock being right twice a day, in that the ex doesn’t have to be wrong about every single thing. However — and here is part of the power of the metaphor — the clock may be right occasionally, but it’s not reliable. And neither is a narcissist. —————————- Previously Published on But Now I know Your Name iStock image The post Even a Stopped Clock Is Right Twice a Day appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

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In this episode of Championship Leadership,we are thrilled to have with us Pauline Nguyen,International Speaker, Award Winning Author, Self-Mastery Coach and Spiritual Entrepreneur Accelerator.She will share an interesting story of their family’s survival from Vietnam War, overcoming childhood trauma and her triumphant way of living the life that grows spiritually. Pauline Nguyen will also share her first-hand experience of self-mastery that helped her and her clients heal holistically. With the great desire to leave a remarkable life in this world, Pauline did a good job by demonstrating a life well lived. These and more!! Know more about Pauline Nguyen in this episode!! Tune in!! Conversations with Leaders of Leaders who are Champions in their field and industries. In depth conversations on what Championship Leadership means to them. On the path they took along the way and the Leaders that have shaped and molded them into who they are today. Discussions about the major defining moments in their life where nothing seemed to be going right and how they persevered to be Champions in life. Previously Published on Championship Leadership — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post Pauline Nguyen: The Way of Spiritual Entrepreneur appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

📺 TV shopping 101: Don’t just grab the biggest one. Get 4K, so the picture’s sharp. Confused? OLED gives you deep blacks and vibrant colors but costs more. QLED is brighter, cheaper and better in sunny rooms. Gamers: Look for a 120 Hz refresh rate or higher, so the action doesn’t stutter. We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective. The post TV shopping 101 appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article