American Women Suck

By Stephanie Lam Along International Boulevard in Oakland, a metal fence surrounds a sealed off block. There’s the typical signs of ongoing construction: skeleton frames, workers and trucks full of supplies rolling in and out of the area. Come next year, however, the dilapidated site will transform into affordable housing units and a dental clinic. The future five-story building, named Flicker, will have 32,500 square-feet of space. The ground floor will feature a cultural community center and a dental clinic with 20 patient rooms. Above, 76 brand new apartments will be built for local families in need. The completed project is expected to bring more than 50 long-term jobs to the community. It’s an initiative spearheaded by the Native American Health Center (NAHC) in collaboration with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, a Berkeley-based affordable housing developer. Housing advocates say Flicker’s arrival provides much-needed relief to Oaklanders as the city, and wider Bay Area, grapples with rising income inequality among residents and skyrocketing housing prices. Chirag Patel, NAHC’s director of planning and development, says many of NAHC’s members who need affordable health care also struggle to find a stable place to live. Oakland is especially in need of more affordable housing options, he says. “As an Oakland resident, you see tent cities, and all these [housing concerns] happening in the community,” he says. “I see the need out there growing and compounding year after year.” The NAHC is a nonprofit that serves the Bay Area’s Native population and other underserved communities. The region’s population of Indigenous people native to the Bay Area is currently around 18,500, and is projected to grow over the next few decades, according to U.S Census data. The center provides a mix of health, vision, behavioral and dental care for 15,000 members annually across its 17 facilities in Alameda, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties. In the past few years, the Bay Area has seen real estate prices rise due to high market demands but limited housing options. Residents say they are struggling to afford even the simplest apartments and rental spaces. In Oakland, for instance, city data reveals almost half of all rental households are rent-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30 percent of their annual income on rent. In Alameda County, which Oakland is a part of, renters need to earn $49.66 per hour — three times the city’s minimum wage — in order to afford the average monthly asking rent of $2,582. In Oakland, a family of four needs to make roughly $120,800 or less to be considered low-income, according to California’s Department of Housing and Development. The new housing project is already revealing how great the need is for affordable housing, according to Nicole Guzman, a project manager for Satellite Affordable Housing Associates. The nonprofit is overseeing Flicker’s housing applications, which opened and closed in July. For the 76 spaces available, there are more than 1,470 applicants, Guzman says. The building contains one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and rents will range from 20 to 60 percent of the area’s median income. In Alameda County, that range is between roughly $31,140 to 93,420 for a family of four. “We are aiming to start moving in by the end of the year,” Guzman says. The apartments themselves are called Flicker Bird Homes. NAHC chose the name to honor California’s Native people, who use feathers from the Northern Flicker bird in traditional regalia and headdresses. “These feathers are deeply meaningful, representing strength, continuity and spiritual connection,” according to the center. The development, which began construction in 2024, will cost about $90 million. Funding for the building comes from NAHC funds, community donations, and state and federal dollars; Patel says one of the biggest federal sources was $8 million in Community Project Funding requested by former State Sen. Nancy Skinner. Flicker is the NAHC’s largest housing and health center. The center collaborated with other affordable housing developers to open a similar model — Seven Directions Apartment, also along International Boulevard in Fruitvale — in 2008. The first and second floors of the complex are a health clinic while the upper floors have 36 housing units. “We’re seeing this model as something that’s innovative and new and exciting and clearly speaks to multiple community needs at once,” Patel says. He says the Seven Directions project has received positive feedback from community members. Many said they appreciated the convenience of having dental and medical clinics so close to their homes. In addition to housing, Flicker will welcome 20 new dental treatment rooms. These facilities will help serve 10,000 new NAHC members. The NAHC noticed that dental services especially were in high demand, according to Patel. The surrounding clinics currently don’t have the capacity to meet the community’s dental needs, with some NAHC members waiting six months to a year for an appointment. To help grow the number of Native American cultural spaces in the Bay Area, a community center will also be built at Flicker that can fit up to 300 people. The site will be a welcoming place for critical services, cultural events, community gatherings and educational workshops, Patel says. Patel says the overall sentiment for Flicker, especially for the cultural center, has been a mix of “curiosity, excitement and gratitude.” “It’s a big need in the Oakland community to have a safe space for folks to gather of that size,” he says. Lorena Rivera, executive director for the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland, says she is excited to have these cultural and housing resources available to the city. This past year, the organization hosted a community information session with NAHC for members to learn more about the building and housing application process. Intertribal is an organization that provides different Native American tribes in the Bay Area with cultural programs and spaces. The organization has around 8,000 people participating in our programs each year, from more than 100 different tribes. “Anytime we can acquire more space for the community is a win,” Rivera says. “I’m excited for that too.” This story was co-published with Next City, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on solutions for equitable and just cities. 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: unsplash The post A Native American Health Center Is Building Housing in the Bay Area. Here’s Why appeared first on The Good Men Project. 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— Understanding the basics of contact lenses Before diving into specific tips, it’s essential to understand what contact lenses are and how they work. Contact lenses are thin, curved lenses placed on the surface of the eye to correct vision. They can address issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Made from materials that allow oxygen to reach the eye, these lenses ensure comfort and maintain eye health. Understanding these basics is crucial for anyone considering or currently using contact lenses. Check the basics here: https://www.contactlenses4us.com/. Different types of contact lenses are available, including soft lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, and extended wear lenses. Soft lenses, made from flexible plastics, are popular due to their comfort and ease of use. Rigid gas-permeable lenses are more durable and offer sharper vision for certain eye conditions. Extended wear lenses allow for overnight use, but they require careful monitoring to prevent complications. Knowing these options can help you choose the right lenses for your lifestyle. Proper hygiene practices Maintaining proper hygiene is vital when handling contact lenses. Clean hands are the first line of defense against infections. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your lenses. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel to avoid transferring any particles to your eyes. This simple practice can prevent various eye infections and complications. When it comes to cleaning and storing contact lenses, it’s crucial to follow the instructions provided by your eye care professional. Use the recommended cleaning solution to disinfect your lenses, and never substitute it with water or saliva. Rinsing your lenses with the correct solution removes deposits and bacteria, keeping your eyes safe. Additionally, replace your contact lens case regularly, at least every three months, to avoid contamination. This routine ensures your lenses remain clean and safe to wear. Ensuring comfortable wear Comfort is a priority for contact lens wearers. To achieve this, ensure that your lenses fit properly. Ill-fitting lenses can cause discomfort and even damage your eyes. Visit your eye care professional regularly to check the fit and prescription of your lenses. They can make necessary adjustments to improve comfort and vision. Hydration is another key factor in ensuring comfort. Dry eyes can be a common issue for contact lens users. To combat this, use lubricating eye drops designed for contact lenses. These drops help maintain moisture and reduce irritation. Also, try to blink frequently, especially when using digital devices, to keep your eyes hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can also support eye moisture, contributing to overall comfort. — This content is brought to you by contactlenses4us.com Photo provided by the author. The post Tips for Comfortable and Safe Contact Lens Wear appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Change minds by understanding how people think. It’s not about your ideas. It’s about their way of seeing the world. Get out of your head and into the heart of others to learn how to change minds. 1. Change Minds by Connecting with Their Reality You can’t lead people to a new perspective until they feel seen in their current one. When someone is upset, don’t tell them to calm down. Validate their emotion. Say, “That’s frustrating!” or “I’d be mad, too.” Match their emotional state first. Then guide the shift. 2. Change Minds by Getting Curious, Not Critical Don’t assume someone’s beliefs are irrational. Ask yourself, How are they making sense of this? Find the reasons behind beliefs. Get to the point you can argue for someone’s position, even if it isn’t yours. 3. Influence by Shifting from “Should” to “Could” “Should” creates resistance. Asking what they could do opens possibility. Explore options together. Ask, “What needs to be true for you to consider this alternative?” 4. Influence by Crafting Solutions Together People adopt ideas they help shape. Ask questions that guide reflection: “What would success look like for you?” “What’s the risk if nothing changes?” Create ownership by letting others do the work. The ideas in this post are inspired by the new book The Difference that Makes a Difference by, Josh Davis, PhD, and Greg Prosmushkin. 5. Change Minds by Co-Creating a Desirable Future Help people define what they want, not what they want to avoid. Change is easier when the path forward is energizing, specific, and attainable. Bottom line: Changing minds starts with understanding people. Influence grows not through pressure, but through empathy, clarity, and partnership. Which idea in this post can you apply to your leadership? What is essential to influencing the way people think? How to Change People 3 Creative Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Connection — Previously Published on leadershipfreak with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. On Substack? Connect with us there. — Photo credit: unsplash The post How to Change Minds (Without Losing Yours) appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The Democrats published a note featuring a drawing of a woman’s body and allegedly signed by the US president The Trump administration has reacted to the release of a note that Democrats claim was written by President Donald Trump for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, dismissing it as “fake news” designed to fuel a political hoax. The note, published Monday as part of congressional documents, included typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, ending with the words: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” It appeared to be signed “Donald” below the waistline of the drawing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the letter was not authentic and reiterated that Trump’s legal team is pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. “The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false. As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it,” she wrote on X. Leavitt also accused the Journal of deliberately timing its reporting to prevent the White House from responding. “No one is falling for this BS,” Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on X, accusing the Democrats of exploiting Epstein’s victims to smear Trump. “The Democrats don’t care about Epstein. They don’t even care about his victims. That’s why they were silent about it for years.” The Democrats don't care about Epstein. They don’t even care about his victims. That's why they were silent about it for years. The only thing they care about is concocting another fake scandal like Russiagate to smear President Trump with lies. No one is falling for this BS. https://t.co/u3pHgBtQDf — JD Vance (@JDVance) September 8, 2025 Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published the alleged note on social media, asking what “secret” Trump was hiding and demanding the release of additional files. Republican committee chairman James Comer accused Democrats of “cherry-picking documents” from the Epstein estate and pledged to run a comprehensive investigation. The disputed note was included in a professionally bound “birthday book” compiled for Epstein by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The album contained contributions from dozens of acquaintances, including prominent businessmen and politicians, some of which featured sexual jokes and explicit imagery. Trump has previously dismissed the allegations as a hoax and sued Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch for libel, seeking $10 billion in damages. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was found dead in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His long association with wealthy and influential figures continues to fuel controversy in Washington, where both parties have accused each other of using the case for political gain. View the full article

My to-do list was a monument to my own importance. I prided myself on juggling multiple projects, saying “yes” to every request, and thriving under pressure. I was productive, efficient, and utterly exhausted. My calendar was a mosaic of colored blocks, but my life felt monochrome. I was achieving a lot, but none of it felt significant. The breakthrough came during a forced slowdown, a period of burnout that left me no choice but to stop. In that silence, a revolutionary thought occurred to me: What if the path to more isn’t doing more, but doing less of what doesn’t matter? This wasn’t about laziness. It was about strategic subtraction. It was the deliberate practice of removing the trivial to make space for the essential. And it led to more meaningful success than I had ever experienced. Here’s how doing less helped me achieve more. … I Swapped “Busy” for “Intentional” I was stuck on a hamster wheel of activity, mistaking motion for progress. I was busy, but I wasn’t moving toward anything that truly mattered to me. The Shift: I started using the 80/20 Principle as my guide. I identified 20% of my activities that were generating 80% of my desired results and my personal satisfaction. I then ruthlessly eliminated, automated, or delegated the other 80%. The Result: I freed up hours each week. This created space for deep, focused work on high-impact projects. By doing less overall, I accomplished more that was actually important. … I Embraced Strategic Neglect I used to believe a good employee or leader had to be across every detail. This led to constant context-switching and shallow work. The Shift: I learned the power of conscious neglect. I permitted myself to not know every piece of information, to not be in every meeting, and to not have an opinion on every minor issue. I focused only on the areas where my input was critical. The Result: My mental energy was no longer diluted across a hundred tiny concerns. I could pour my full focus into the one or two tasks that would truly move the needle. The quality of my work — and my innovative ideas skyrocketed. … I Protected My Energy, Not Just My Time Time management is a myth. You can’t manage time; you can only manage your energy within it. I was scheduling every minute, but was constantly drained. The Shift: I started scheduling breaks and protected them as fiercely as important meetings. I identified the activities that drained me (like unnecessary conference calls) and those that energized me (like strategic thinking walks). I deliberately designed my days to include more of the latter. The Result: My creativity and problem-solving abilities increased dramatically. I was no longer running on empty. By doing less draining work, I had more energy for the work that required my best thinking, leading to better outcomes with less effort. … I Learned the Power of “No” My desire to be helpful had made my calendar a public park for other people’s priorities. My own goals were constantly being postponed. The Shift: I adopted a simple but powerful mantra: “If it’s not a ‘hell yes,’ it’s a ‘no.’” I became intentional with my commitments. Every “yes” to one thing is a “no” to something else, often my own priorities. The Result: My time became my own again. By saying “no” to good opportunities, I was able to say “yes” to the great ones that truly aligned with my goals. This selectivity accelerated my progress in the directions I cared about most. … The Paradox of Less Doing less isn’t about emptiness; it’s about creating space. Space for focus, for energy, for strategic thought, and for a life that isn’t just full, but fulfilling. I achieved more not by adding more tasks, but by removing the wrong ones. I found success not by moving faster, but by having the clarity to know exactly where to go. The world will always encourage you to do more. The real power lies in having the courage to do less. It’s in the space you create that your greatest work and your best life finally have room to grow. — 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: Eilis Garvey on Unsplash The post Why Doing Less Made Me Achieve More appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— Introduction to Siding Contractors Near Me When it comes to protecting your home and enhancing curb appeal, siding plays a crucial role. From keeping your house insulated to providing a fresh, modern look, siding is more than just an exterior cover—it’s your home’s first line of defense. That’s why many homeowners search for siding contractors near me when planning repairs or replacements. A trusted siding company can ensure quality installation, durability, and long-lasting beauty. Why Hiring a Professional Siding Company Matters While DIY projects may seem appealing, siding installation is not something to take lightly. Hiring a professional siding company comes with benefits such as: Expertise– Professionals know how to handle different siding materials. Proper Tools & Equipment– Installation requires precision, which is hard to achieve with basic tools. Warranty & Guarantee– Reputable siding contractors offer warranties on both materials and labor. Time & Cost Savings– A siding company can finish the job faster and prevent costly mistakes. In short, investing in a skilled contractor ensures your siding not only looks great but also performs its protective role effectively. Types of Siding Materials Offered by Contractors One of the most important decisions when working with siding contractors is choosing the right material. A reliable siding company will offer multiple options to fit your budget and style. Vinyl Siding Affordable & Durable Low maintenance and available in many colors Resistant to moisture and insects Fiber Cement Siding Long-lasting & Stylish Mimics the look of wood but requires less maintenance Resistant to fire, rot, and pests Wood Siding Classic & Natural Look Offers warmth and timeless beauty Requires regular upkeep to prevent rot and insect damage Metal & Other Options Steel or Aluminum sidingoffers high durability Resistant to fire and extreme weather Great for modern and industrial-style homes How to Choose the Best Siding Contractors Near Me Finding the right contractor can feel overwhelming, but focusing on a few key factors helps: Check Online Reviews– Look for feedback on Google, Yelp, or the company’s website. Ask for References– A professional siding company should provide past project details. Verify Licenses & Insurance– Always ensure contractors are properly licensed and insured. Get Multiple Quotes– Compare services and pricing before making a decision. Look at Experience– Contractors with years of experience usually provide better results. Top Benefits of Hiring a Local Siding Company Choosing local siding contractors near me provides additional benefits: Quick Response– Local companies are easier to reach for inspections and repairs. Knowledge of Local Climate– They understand how weather affects siding materials in your region. Community Trust– Local siding companies rely on reputation, so they often deliver better service. Support for Local Business– Hiring locally helps strengthen your community’s economy. Cost Factors: What to Expect from Siding Services The cost of siding installation or replacement varies depending on several factors: Factor Impact on Cost Material Type Vinyl is usually the cheapest, while fiber cement and wood are more expensive. Home Size Larger homes require more materials and labor. Labor Charges Experienced siding contractors may charge higher fees but deliver quality work. Repairs & Prep Work Removing old siding or repairing damage increases costs. On average, homeowners spend between $5,000 and $15,000 on siding installation, depending on material and home size. Always ask your siding company for a clear estimate before starting the project. Signs You Need Siding Repair or Replacement Not sure if it’s time to call siding contractors? Look out for these warning signs: Cracks or Gaps in the siding panels Warping or Buckling from water damage or poor installation Fading or Peeling Paint that affects curb appeal Mold, Mildew, or Rot around the siding edges Rising Energy Bills due to poor insulation If you notice these issues, it may be time to hire a siding company for inspection and repair. Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Siding Contractor Before signing a contract, be sure to ask: What siding materials do you specialize in? Do you provide a written estimate? How long will the project take? What warranties do you offer on labor and materials? Can I see photos of your previous work? Asking these questions ensures transparency and helps you choose the right siding company. Why Tino’s Inc. is a Trusted Siding Company Near You If you’re searching for siding contractors near me, Tino’s Inc. stands out as a trusted choice. Here’s why: Expert Installation– Skilled professionals with years of experience Variety of Materials– From vinyl to fiber cement, offering flexible options Affordable Pricing– Competitive rates with transparent quotes Local Reputation– Known in the community for reliable siding services Customer Satisfaction– Many homeowners trust Tino’s Inc. for long-lasting results Whether you need siding repair, replacement, or a full installation, Tino’s Inc. ensures your home stays protected and stylish. Conclusion: Finding the Right Siding Contractors Near Me Your home’s siding is more than just a design element—it’s essential for protection, insulation, and value. By hiring a reliable siding company, you ensure quality work, durable materials, and peace of mind. If you’re searching for siding contractors near me, don’t settle for less—choose a trusted name like Tino’s Inc. and give your home the protection it deserves. — This content is brought to you by Mala Khan iStockPhoto The post Top Siding Contractors Near Me: Trusted Siding Company Services for Your Home appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The US president’s son has accused social media activists of hypocrisy Donald Trump Jr. has criticized social media users who display the Ukrainian flag in their online profiles but have remained silent about the recent killing of a young Ukrainian woman in North Carolina. Irina Zarutskaya, who fled Ukraine after the escalation of the conflict in 2022, was fatally stabbed on August 22 while riding a Charlotte light rail train. Surveillance footage released by authorities over the weekend shows her being ambushed and brutally attacked from behind. “Strangely, all the clowns with Ukraine flags in their bio are also all silent on this one,” Trump Jr. wrote on X on Monday. Strangely, all the clowns with Ukraine flags 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 in their bio are also all silent on this one. https://t.co/IxqKINziU8 — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 8, 2025 His post came in response to conservative podcast host Liz Wheeler, who shared a screenshot of a New York Times search for the victim’s name. The search showed no results related to the 23-year-old’s murder, in contrast with thousands of articles the outlet published on George Floyd, whose 2020 death in police custody triggered nationwide unrest. President Donald Trump also addressed the killing in a statement on Truth Social, calling the video “horrific” and blaming Democratic leaders for enabling repeat offenders to remain on the streets through policies such as cashless bail. “Now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,” he wrote, also questioning why the mainstream media has been “silent” on the case. Both Trump and his son have framed the incident as an example of selective outrage and double standards in US politics and media coverage, particularly in cases involving victims who do not fit prevailing political narratives. Police arrested 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, a man with a long criminal history, and charged him with first-degree murder. He is being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bond, pending further psychiatric evaluation. View the full article

. Here is a summary of the transcript from YouTube, slightly edited with AI. Did You Miss It? What a lot of us are afraid of when we say sorry is that we will get eaten. Yes. Like if I show weakness and admit fault, I can’t trust the other person not to take full advantage of the fact that I’m admitting some fault. Hey, you seem to have perked up. He’s been really miserable all day. He has been a bit sheepish, hasn’t he? Yeah. Down. Oh, I was absolutely gutted, Steve. I’ve been beside myself. Why is that, Matt? Well, you remember the Dating Made Simple event I did on the 20th? The one attended by over 10,000 people. Lovely day. I missed it. Do you mean you missed it? I missed it. I was so busy doing the event, I wasn’t able to see it, and I wanted to see how I did. Ah, that makes sense. Well, you do know you can just go online and watch the whole event again right now? You are a liar and a cheat and a deceptionist. No, it’s just a fact. If you go to lovelifereplay.com, you can watch the whole event in its full glory. Here you go. I pulled it up on my phone. Oh, I suppose there it is right there. Sorry about the whole deceptionist thing. No, it’s fine. Well, it does say here that you can only watch this until the 30th of May. That’s right. So if you want to see it, and I will be watching it right now after this podcast, go to lovelifereplay.com—but only until the 30th of May. Unpacking the Red Flag of Defensiveness Defensiveness is self-protection in the form of denying responsibility, making excuses, or flipping blame to someone else. You’re never really taking accountability. You might say, “Oh, it’s not my fault we’re late—you always take forever.” This is one of the ultimate red flags that makes relationships really hard, because if someone can’t take ownership and can’t say sorry, then they can’t grow. They can’t improve. A psychologist once told me that narcissism is often associated with incompetence. The reason is that narcissists have an almost impossible time admitting fault. And if you can’t admit fault, you can’t learn. If you can’t learn, you can’t improve. So you remain incompetent. This happens in relationships all the time. Even if someone does improve, they often do it quietly, away from you, without humility. It’s not about, “I’ve heard you, and I’m going to improve this for us.” Instead, it becomes a solitary journey. That’s why being in a relationship with someone who can never apologize and who only gets defensive is such a lonely experience. In my opinion, it’s one of the biggest red flags. And the blaming always comes with it. If you can’t take responsibility, you shift it to the other person. “You’re crazy.” “You’re overreacting.” “You’re too much.” All of those things. Why Stonewalling Feels Like a Betrayal Stonewalling means withdrawing from interaction to avoid conflict. Shutting down. Going silent. Walking away without resolution. The problem is that it makes your partner feel abandoned and disconnected. You don’t solve things together. They’re left to just “move on” because you won’t engage. That can feel incredibly lonely and activating for someone—almost like a betrayal. I liken it to a child left alone to cry. At first, there’s fear and survival panic. But eventually, because it’s too painful to stay in that state, the child goes numb. They dissociate. The same thing happens in relationships when someone stonewalls: we’re left ruminating until we either dissociate or distract ourselves, but we lose a deep sense of safety. It’s like: “I can’t trust you with my emotions. I don’t trust you not to hold me hostage.” That breaks something in the relationship. It feels like a loss of innocence, because you realize you’re not playing by the same rules. If I saw you hurting, I’d want to comfort you. But when I was hurting, you froze me out and then came back acting as if nothing happened. I can’t trust you with my feelings anymore—and I resent you for it. “Keeping Score” So much of this comes down to the idea of keeping score. Many of us were raised to believe relationships are power struggles—that someone always loves more, that there’s always a seesaw of who’s on top. Often, people with wounds from childhood try to control their way into feeling safe. On the extreme end, that becomes narcissism. But on the less toxic side, it’s simply people who aren’t emotionally mature enough to see they’re putting their partner on the back foot to feel in control. The truth is, a relationship can only thrive if it’s a partnership of equals. Two people coming to the table willing to be wrong, willing to apologize, willing to work on themselves. Relationships that succeed are built on humility, not power games. In Order to Admit Fault, We Have to Feel Safe A lot of us are afraid that if we say sorry, we’ll get eaten alive. That our admission of fault will be the only truth of the situation and we’ll lose all our power. This usually comes from past dynamics where being wrong was shameful or unsafe. We felt we couldn’t admit fault without being punished for it. And so, we stop feeling safe enough to admit when we’re wrong. But to admit fault, we have to feel safe. Audrey, you’ve been a healing presence for me in this. Even though I’m generally good at taking ownership in life, I carried a fear in romantic relationships about admitting fault. It felt too vulnerable. But you were always willing to approach it with generosity toward my character, reminding me of the good in me, even when I messed up. That created safety. And you also modeled it. Even when I was the one who owed the apology, you were still willing to say, “I know I didn’t approach that very well.” That healed something in me, because I realized arguments don’t have to be about one person being “the bad one.” How to Show Up in Arguments If you’re arguing, you should both be sorry. Unless one person is literally doing nothing wrong and being yelled at, arguments usually involve two people contributing to the conflict. There’s almost always something both can own. The way you show up matters. It’s about strength—expecting people to own their mistakes. But it’s also about humility—being willing to own your part. And it’s about generosity of spirit—acknowledging the best in someone even while they’re apologizing. Strength, humility, and generosity together are incredibly powerful. They solve so many of the issues we’ve been talking about: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling. That combination creates a truly great relationship. Restore Your Hope If you want to restore your hope in love and the ability to find something real, go to lovelifereplay.com. You can watch the replay of the live online event I did on May 20th, attended by thousands of people, where I shared a plan for finding enduring love in today’s chaotic dating world. If you’re tired of situationships, casual flings, or people who never invest, and you want something real, watch the replay before it goes away on May 30th. Once it’s retired, it won’t be available anymore. Don’t miss it: lovelifereplay.com. — This post was previously published on YouTube. Blog → https://www.howtogettheguy.com/blog/ Facebook → https://facebook.com/CoachMatthewHussey Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thematthewh… Twitter → https://twitter.com/matthewhussey ▼ Connect with Stephen ▼ Youtube → https://bit.ly/StephenHusseyYoutube Instagram → http://bit.ly/StephenHusseyIG *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. — Photo credit: unsplash The post The Subtle Habits That Kill Relationships (Without You Realizing) appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— In an era of on-demand digital experiences, the evolution of streaming platforms has drastically reshaped how audiences consume content. As technology continues to shift, businesses are rapidly adapting to stay ahead in the competitive OTT (Over-the-Top) market. From smart TVs to connected devices, consumers demand immersive, intuitive, and consistent experiences across platforms — and companies like Oxagile are helping bring those visions to life through custom media and entertainment solutions. The Growing Demand for Cross-Platform Streaming With the global OTT market projected to reach $316 billion by 2027, media companies are prioritizing innovation to deliver high-performance, scalable, and personalized content streaming platforms. Viewers now expect: Seamless cross-device synchronization High-quality video delivery AI-driven content recommendations Real-time analytics for viewer behavior Delivering such complex requirements requires robust engineering, architectural foresight, and expertise across platforms — including Roku, one of the most widely used streaming ecosystems in the U.S. Why Roku Remains a Powerful Force in OTT Ecosystems Roku commands a significant portion of the U.S. streaming device market, with over 80 million active accounts as of 2025. Its simplicity, affordability, and expansive channel ecosystem make it a preferred choice for content publishers and viewers alike. However, building apps for Roku requires deep understanding of its proprietary development environment (SceneGraph and BrightScript), performance constraints, and unique UI/UX demands. This is where roku application development services become critical for businesses seeking to launch high-impact channels tailored for the platform. Oxagile’s Expertise in OTT and Roku Solutions Oxagile has established itself as a trusted technology partner for media brands, broadcasters, and content aggregators looking to unlock digital potential. With a strong focus on custom video delivery platforms, the company provides end-to-end OTT engineering services — from video CMS and backend architecture to cross-platform app development and monetization integrations. In the context of roku application development, Oxagile offers: 1. Custom Roku Channel Development Oxagile’s Roku engineers craft bespoke channels with native BrightScript coding and SceneGraph frameworks. Their development services span VOD (Video on Demand), live streaming, hybrid monetization models (AVOD/SVOD), and enhanced features like: Continue watching In-app purchases DRM integration Roku Pay enablement 2. Design and UX Optimization Roku users often navigate via remote control, not touch screens. Oxagile optimizes navigation flows, menu structures, and content grids to ensure frictionless user journeys that align with Roku’s visual and technical standards. 3. Analytics and Monetization Integration By integrating third-party analytics tools (e.g., Roku Analytics, Google Analytics for Roku) and monetization SDKs, Oxagile enables clients to track KPIs like ad impressions, viewer retention, and conversion rates — fueling data-backed decisions. 4. Cross-Platform Media Ecosystem Support For brands operating across multiple platforms (Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Web, Mobile), Oxagile ensures synchronized backend management and consistent brand experiences across all devices — with Roku as a core component. Real-World Impact: Future-Ready OTT Applications Whether it’s launching a niche streaming service for a targeted audience or scaling an enterprise-grade media solution, businesses need a partner that understands the nuances of video delivery, compliance, and scalability. Oxagile’s ability to merge AI-powered personalization, microservices architecture, and Roku app expertise gives clients a competitive edge in the market. Some notable success areas include: AI-driven recommendation engines Real-time audience analytics dashboards Secure DRM workflows for premium content Serverless backends for cost-effective scalability Final Thoughts As OTT platforms become the new norm for media consumption, companies cannot afford to rely on generic streaming templates. Custom development — especially on high-impact platforms like Roku — enables deeper engagement, revenue growth, and long-term user retention. With its holistic approach and proven track record, Oxagile stands at the forefront of the streaming revolution — helping clients not just build apps, but shape future-ready digital experiences that captivate and convert. Whether you’re a broadcaster, sports league, education provider, or media startup, Oxagile’s roku application development services can turn your content vision into a fully immersive, scalable streaming platform. — This content is brought to you by Hassan Javed iStockPhoto The post Embracing Innovation: The Rise of Custom Media Platforms and the Future of Roku Application Development appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Beata Mostafavi Transitioning from diapers to the toilet is a major step for young children — and their parents. Now a report shines a light on just how bumpy that journey can be. One in five parents say their child had potty anxiety during toilet training and another one in five say the process was harder than they expected, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “Learning to use the toilet is a major step in a young child’s development and requires time, patience, and consistency,” said Mott Poll Co-Director and Mott pediatrician Susan Woolford, M.D. “Our report demonstrates that parents are approaching potty training thoughtfully but for many families and their kids, the process often includes setbacks, frustrations, and moments of uncertainty.” The nationally representative report – based on 820 responses from parents of children ages one to six – found that more than half of parents started potty training around age two. However, 21% began earlier, and another 22% waited until age three. Most felt they chose the right time, though a small number said they may have started too early or too late. Timing isn’t everything Parents factored in a variety of reasons before starting potty training. Some needed their child to be out of diapers to enter daycare or preschool. Others were motivated by the cost of diapers — with one in five saying this financial burden played a role in the decision. “Waiting until a child is truly ready can make the process smoother for everyone,” Woolford said. “Pushing it too soon often leads to frustration and delays. But some families don’t have the flexibility to wait.” Readiness signs can include staying dry for longer periods, showing interest in the bathroom, following simple instructions, and being able to help dress or undress themselves. Some children may also hide when they need to go or start mimicking adult bathroom behavior. Common struggles, from regression to resistance Among parents who reported difficulty, the most common challenges included a child’s refusal to cooperate, busy family schedules, coordination between home and daycare, and household disruptions. Children may resist for a range of reasons, Woolford notes, from fear of flushing noises to discomfort with adult-sized toilets. Some may struggle with this type of change. Even once progress is made, regression is common: about a third said their child seemed trained but then took a step back. Eight percent reported issues with constipation or encopresis. “Potty training isn’t always a straight path,” Woolford said. “Understanding that it’s a gradual process can help parents stay patient. Setbacks are normal, particularly when there are stressful events in the child’s life such as a new sibling or a move to a new home.” Routines and a calm approach work best Parents reported using a variety of strategies to support their child during potty training. The most common ones included taking their child to the toilet regularly, offering small rewards, letting their child go diaper-free during the day, or turning the process into a game or something fun. Another 16% tried the “three-day potty training” method, which can work well when time is short but may feel too intense or stressful for some families, Woolford says. For children with high potty anxiety, Woolford recommends turning the bathroom into a pressure-free space where they can read books or play songs that help them feel more relaxed. Simple tools like sticker charts, potty-only toys, and consistent routines can also go a long way as well as using a child-sized potty to help kids feel more secure. “Regardless of the method, the most important things are consistency, encouragement, and keeping the experience as low-pressure and supportive as possible,” Woolford said. “If a child continues to struggle, especially if there’s pain, withholding, or ongoing anxiety, parents should talk to their pediatrician for guidance and support.” Sign up for Health Lab newsletters today. Get medical tips from top experts and learn about new scientific discoveries every week. Sign up for the Health Lab Podcast. Add us wherever you listen to your favorite shows. — Previously Published on michiganmedicine.org with Creative Commons License *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock The post Potty Pressure: 1 in 5 Parents Report Struggles With Toilet Training appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Alex Orellana for Instacart While we’re still in the thick of summer, many are already looking forward to what they consider the best time of year: pumpkin spice season. This iconic fall flavor often makes its debut while it’s still technically summer, which inspired Instacart to explore how popular pumpkin spice products are nationwide and when they’re showing up in carts.Pumpkin Spice Seasonality If it feels like pumpkin spice season creeps up earlier every year, you’re not imagining it. In 2024, the seasonal peak for orders containing pumpkin spice items occurred on September 17, a full 10 days earlier than in 2023. But this early surge came with a faster cooldown, with demand taking a dip by the end of the month. There’s also a reliable second spike in late November, likely driven by Thanksgiving’s fondness for all things squash and spice. Flavor Explosion: Fastest-Growing Pumpkin Spice Items In addition to the usual suspects, pumpkin spice is finding its way into new corners of the pantry and beyond! Check out the top 10 growing product categories for pumpkin spice in 2024: Pumpkin Spice is a clear seasonal favorite, and it’s also evident that people are looking for new ways to incorporate this flavor into their meals and homes. From starting your day with a dose of protein in Greek and Icelandic Yogurt, to filling your home with the scent of pumpkin spice, this trend shows there is no one way to enjoy it. Cream of the Crop: What’s Stirring in Coffee This Fall Coffee creamer is one of the easiest ways to transform a plain cup of coffee into a seasonal treat, delivering that perfect blend of spice and sweetness. While longtime favorites like Coffee mate and International Delight remain go-to picks for pumpkin spice lovers, health-forward options like nutpods and Laird Superfood are fan favorites in their own right. Pumpkin spice flavored creamers are up 1,459%* during the fall compared to the rest of the year, which brings up the other flavors people are buying to jazz up their morning cup of joe. Here’s what Instacart found: *Methodology: Instacart calculated the share of grocery orders on the Instacart platform that contained Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee creamer in September-November 2024 and calculated the percentage difference from the rest of 2024. And while there are nationwide favorites, it’s evident that there are also regional preferences when it comes to coffee creamers, and Americans have diverse taste when it comes to their ideal creamer: Nuts for Coconut: States like Oregon, Arizona, Hawai‘i, and Alaska crowned coconut as their top creamer. Sweet on Sweet Cream: The Carolinas and Virginia love a smooth, sweet finish to their morning brew. Massachusetts’ Pick? Coffee Cake: Why just have it on the side when you can sip it too? Who is the Pumpkin Spiciest? Drumroll, please…West Virginia tops the pumpkin spice leaderboard, ordering 91% more pumpkin spice products than the national average. Pennsylvania (+56%) and Oklahoma (+52%) round out the top three. On the flip side, Hawai‘i takes the title for the least pumpkin-spicy state, ordering 63% less than average. From lattes to waffles, yogurt, air fresheners, and baby food, pumpkin spice has become a true seasonal staple. This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. — Previously Published on hub.stacker Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post Falling for Pumpkin Spice: A Fan Favorite Returns to Aisles Early This Season appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The US president has accused the Democrats of letting “a mentally deranged lunatic” roam the streets President Donald Trump has condemned the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, describing the incident as a “horrific” act committed by a “mentally deranged lunatic,” according to a statement posted Monday on Truth Social. The victim, Irina Zarutskaya, left Ukraine after the escalation of the conflict in 2022 and was killed on August 22 while riding the city’s Lynx Blue Line. Surveillance video released by authorities over the weekend shows Zarutskaya being ambushed from behind and stabbed multiple times in the neck by a man later identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown. Trump referenced the footage in both his social media post and during a public speech in Washington, D.C., saying the suspect had been arrested and released 14 times on cashless bail and should not have been free at the time of the killing. “What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP,” Trump wrote. “The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper,” he added. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have charged Brown with first-degree murder. Officials say he had a long criminal history, including armed robbery, and had previously served more than six years in prison. A judge ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation earlier this year, but the assessment was not completed. Trump also criticized the media’s response to the killing, asking, “Where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy?” During his remarks at the Museum of the Bible, Trump said, “We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people. We have to confront that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country.” Authorities confirmed that Zarutskaya died at the scene. The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the attack and is currently being held pending further psychiatric evaluation. View the full article

… I want to sacrifice for something… Something true. Something that feels real. Something that helps me affirm that all of this nonsense I’m forcing myself to comply with, just because the world I live in today makes it seem important, is actually completely unnecessary. No, not just unnecessary… But…threatening to the thing that calls me. It’s something old. Ancestral. Something that demands answers. Something more than just transactions and work and fitting in. Something that doesn’t feel like a searing, heavy chain holding down a lively, fantastical soul. … Here’s the thing about sacrifice though: It doesn’t play for any team. It exists regardless of what we want, and even more so when we act. And I think that’s something we don’t understand when we’re trying to choose. There is no such thing as no sacrifice. The flaw of any human brain that dreams, is that it convinces us, we convince ourselves, that we can have it all. And even if we get the “all”, wealth, the job, the vacations, the partner and two kids…we had to sacrifice to get these too. In process, we have to sacrifice time, indulgence, money, our own ego, our rest, our time with friends, our hobbies. We have to sacrifice all other paths, even when we decide, with complete unapologetic satisfaction, in what we want. … So, what’s the lesson? What question must we answer? I think, it’s that we must fall fully into one path. It’s unavoidable. We must gather the few most important things to us and give every part of our being to them. Or else, the worst thing that could come from a life happens: Mediocrity. Because we can’t choose to give up having every option. Can you really imagine FOMO being the thing that steals your life? When we can’t choose to sacrifice, we sacrifice all the amazing experiences we can’t even see that lie on the chosen path. Things that would take steps in directions we didn’t expect that would lead us to the unfathomable. When we can’t choose to sacrifice, we lose our growth, our strength, our social attractiveness, our lust for life. And we end up cycling ourselves into a fear that makes us feel like someone we can’t stand to be, and without even knowing why. We find ourselves as the indecisive, the dull and unattractive, the bitter. The body and mind used as pawn with no power but forward, flailing movement through mortality, waiting for time or enemy to end us. … So, what do we do? Trusting ourselves to be our greatest ally. Trusting and executing on the sacrificial fires. Burning off the parts of us that have never fit. And more importantly, bringing everything we love into our lives that we fear, because only the exposure can prove to us what is real for us, and what is false and burn-worthy. Finding out what we would do anything for and sacrifice all other things for, and not talking ourselves out of it. And if it’s right… If it truly is for you, and not something to make you just feel important or to do right by others, the release of all other things should feel like freedom. Maybe not at first. Opinions of you might change. Others may be confused, hurt, or aggressive toward you. But what matters more? Filling your life with intentional direction? Or a constant anxiousness about which path to choose and never choosing because of what you might lose? WHEN YOU CHOOSE ONE LIFE, ALL OTHERS MUST DIE. Truth and Love, Reader. If you like my writing and the things I question, you might(I mean…probably) also like my newsletter. If not, you can still get all my stories here on Medium! Substack is where you can subscribe to my newsletter and get not just my medium stories, but chat with me directly, have access to all of my content in one place, and have access to The Art of Questioning audio. Only at https://zackaryhenson.substack.com There are so many great stories on Medium! If you want to have access to some of the best writing by thousands of creators, start your membership with the link below, which will also support my writing. Remember…question everything! https://zackaryhenson.medium.com/subscribe — 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: Ryan Carpenter On Unsplash The post What Should We Sacrifice? appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The US has reportedly terminated Biden-era agreements to jointly police “disinformation” The United States has withdrawn from a series of international agreements aimed at countering alleged foreign “disinformation,” effectively ending joint efforts with EU governments to police online content, the Financial Times has reported, citing unnamed European officials. The US State Department notified participating nations last week that it would terminate memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed under the Biden administration, according to the report published on Monday. The agreements with some 22 countries, mainly in Europe and Africa, were part of a broader initiative led by the now-defunct Global Engagement Center (GEC). The GEC was formally disbanded in April after congressional Republicans blocked a funding renewal in December. Originally established in 2011 to fight online terrorist propaganda, the center’s mandate was later expanded to cover alleged foreign state-backed “disinformation.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously characterized the GEC as a taxpayer-funded tool for political suppression, alleging it was used by the Biden administration to target conservative voices under the guise of combating propaganda. “Under the previous administration, this office... spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving,” Rubio said in April. The move marks another step in a broader campaign by President Donald Trump to dismantle “ineffective” institutions perceived as vehicles for political censorship. Since taking office, Trump has also defunded the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the Cold War-era broadcasters Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), widely regarded as Western propaganda outlets. Washington has also pushed back against the EU’s Digital Services Act, which mandates the removal of content deemed illegal or harmful. US diplomats were reportedly ordered in August to lobby against the legislation, calling it a threat to free expression and a burden on American tech firms. Critics of the EU law have argued that it institutionalizes censorship across the bloc and unfairly targets non-EU media and platforms. The EU imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian media after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. Outlets like RT, Sputnik, and RIA Novosti have all been banned across the bloc, while their personnel have been targeted with sanctions. Moscow described the crackdown as “global censorship and a regime of zero tolerance for dissenting opinions.” View the full article

By Evan Lerner – U. Utah Nearly a quarter of people over the age of 40 experience painful osteoarthritis, making it a leading cause of disability in adults. Osteoarthritis degrades joint-cushioning cartilage, and there is currently no way of reversing this damage: the only option is to manage pain with medication, and eventually, joint replacement. Researchers are now demonstrating the potential for another option: gait retraining. By making a small adjustment to the angle of their foot while walking, participants in a year-long randomized control trial experienced pain relief equivalent to medication. Critically, those participants also showed less knee cartilage degradation over that period as compared to a group that received a placebo treatment. Published in The Lancet Rheumatology and co-led by Scott Uhlrich of the University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, these findings come from the first placebo-controlled study to demonstrate the effectiveness of a biomechanical intervention for osteoarthritis. “We’ve known that for people with osteoarthritis, higher loads in their knee accelerate progression, and that changing the foot angle can reduce knee load,” says Uhlrich, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “So the idea of a biomechanical intervention is not new, but there have not been randomized, placebo-controlled studies to show that they’re effective.” With support from the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, the researchers were specifically looking at patients with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis in the medial compartment of the knee—on the inside of the leg—which tends to bear more weight than the lateral, outside, compartment. This form of osteoarthritis is the most common, but the ideal foot angle for reducing load in the medial side of the knee differs from person to person, depending on their natural gait and how it changes when they adopt the new walking pattern. “Previous trials prescribed the same intervention to all individuals, resulting in some individuals not reducing, or even increasing, their joint loading,” Uhlrich says. “We used a personalized approach to selecting each individual’s new walking pattern, which improved how much individuals could offload their knee and likely contributed to the positive effect on pain and cartilage that we saw.” In their first two visits, participants received a baseline MRI and practiced walking on a pressure-sensitive treadmill while motion-capture cameras recorded the mechanics of their gait. This allowed the researchers to determine whether turning the patient’s toe inward or outward would reduce load more, and whether a 5-degree or 10-degree adjustment would be ideal. This personalized analysis also screened out potential participants who could not benefit from the intervention in instances where none of the foot-angle changes could decrease loading in their knees. These participants were included in previous studies, which may have contributed to those studies’ inconclusive pain results. Moreover, after their initial intake sessions, half of the 68 participants were assigned to a sham treatment group to control for the placebo effect. These participants were prescribed foot angles that were actually identical to their natural gait. Conversely, participants in the intervention group were prescribed the change in foot angle that maximally reduced their knee loading. Participants from both groups returned to the lab for six weekly training sessions, where they received biofeedback—vibrations from a device worn on the shin—that helped them maintain the prescribed foot angle while walking on the lab’s treadmill. After the six-week training period, participants were encouraged to practice their new gait for at least 20 minutes a day, to the point where it became natural. Periodic check-in visits showed that participants were adhering to their prescribed foot angle within a degree on average. After a year, all participants self-reported their experience of knee pain and had a second MRI to quantitatively assess the damage to their knee cartilage. “The reported decrease in pain over the placebo group was somewhere between what you’d expect from an over-the-counter medication, like ibuprofen, and a narcotic, like oxycontin,” Uhlrich says. “With the MRIs, we also saw slower degradation of a marker of cartilage health in the intervention group, which was quite exciting.” Beyond the quantitative measures of effectiveness, participants in the study expressed enthusiasm for both the approach and the results. One participant said, “I don’t have to take a drug or wear a device… it’s just a part of my body now that will be with me for the rest of my days, so that I’m thrilled with.” Participants’ ability to adhere to the intervention over long periods of time is one of its potential advantages. “Especially for people in their 30s, 40s, or 50s, osteoarthritis could mean decades of pain management before they’re recommended for a joint replacement,” Uhrlich says. “This intervention could help fill that large treatment gap.” Before this intervention can be clinically deployed, the gait retraining process will need to be streamlined. The motion-capture technique used to make the original foot-angle prescription is expensive and time-consuming; the researchers envision this intervention to eventually be prescribed in a physical therapy clinic and retraining can happen while people go for a walk around their neighborhood. “We and others have developed technology that could be used to both personalize and deliver this intervention in a clinical setting using mobile sensors, like smartphone video and a ‘smart shoe,’” Uhlrich says. Future studies of this approach are needed before the intervention can be made widely available to the public. Additional researchers from the University of Utah, New York University, and Stanford University contributed to the work. Support for the research came from federal research grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation. Source: University of Utah Original Study DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(25)00151-1 — This post was previously published on FUTURITY.ORG and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock.com The post New Approach May Relieve Arthritic Knees Without Drugs or Surgery appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Zhaoyin Feng, Hasya Nindita This article was submitted as part of the Global Voices Climate Justice fellowship, which pairs journalists from Sinophone and Global Majority countries to investigate the effects of Chinese development projects abroad. Find more stories here. For much of the last 50 years, high-income countries have consumed massive amounts of plastic and trash and given little thought to what would become of it. This was largely because it was out of sight, out of mind, as much of that trash ended up being shipped overseas, first to China, and then recently to Southeast Asia and other Global South countries. But this model could be coming to an end as some of the top waste-importing countries in Southeast Asia have started to ban foreign waste imports this year. Thailand and Indonesia both announced they would stop importing plastic waste in January 2025, in an effort to combat toxic pollution. Malaysia prohibited the import of plastic scrap on July 1, 2025. Vietnam has announced that a ban on plastic waste imports will go into effect sometime this year. In announcing the decision, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq said in a statement: Translation Original Quote We already have enough trash, we’ve had enough of it. Colonizing us by sending trash to Indonesia is enough, whatever the reason. For the last decade, Southeast Asia countries have grown into a hotspot for foreign waste dumping, with the majority of waste coming from the European Union, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Economists call this model “cold economics.” With lower labor costs and a weaker exchange rate to the dollar in Southeast Asia, it is more affordable for Western countries to export their waste to the region, rather than managing it domestically. For countries in Southeast Asia, agreeing to import waste means economic incentives. Traditionally, proponents have argued that managing imported waste could create jobs and boost local economies. The global plastic waste management market, valued at around USD 37 billion in 2023, is projected to grow to roughly USD 44 billion by 2027. However, Southeast Asia only became a dumping ground several years ago; before then, most of the waste ended up in China. China: The world’s former largest waste importer China started to import foreign waste in the 1980s during its initial stages of rapid industrialization. During that period, the fast-expanding manufacturing and construction sectors had a high demand for plastics, metals, paper, and other raw materials. China then decided to import cheap “foreign garbage” to obtain these raw materials. Since 1992, China has taken nearly half of the world’s plastic waste. Li Ganjie, then China’s Minister of Environmental Protection, said on March 17, 2018: Translation Original Quote About 20 years ago, our total import volume (solid waste) was only 4 million to 4.5 million tons. In 20 years, the import volume of solid waste increased to 45 million tons, which is a rapid growth. However, these imports often consist of low-value waste streams, ranging from untreated organic matter and household trash to medical waste, industrial residues and liquids, and even certain types of used electronics or components. While some of these materials may offer limited recycling potential, most fall short of environmental safety standards. Their processing can release toxic heavy metals, harmful organic chemicals, or even radioactive substances, resulting in both resource depletion and environmental contamination, which has raised concerns among people regarding ecological and environmental damage. Toxic and hazardous solid waste brought in from abroad creates a shadowy chain of disposal. Incineration releases gases that contaminate the air and endanger human health, while acid leaching and water-washing processes pollute rivers, lakes, and soil. When dumped directly or sent to landfills, the waste further adds to the strain on the environment. Fu Shihe, a professor at the School of Economics of Xiamen University, argued in the Chinese state-funded news outlet, People’s Daily: Translation Original Quote To reduce environmental pollution, the government needs to carry out environmental control. China then started to implement a ban in 2017, restricting the importation of 24 types of solid waste. With the gradual implementation of the ban, China successfully reduced 82 percent of total solid waste imports in 2020 from 2016. In 2021, China decided to prohibit all solid waste imports altogether. China’s decision led to a surge of imported waste to Southeast Asia and India. According to the statistics of the Southeast Asia Branch of Greenpeace, the Southeast Asian Association (ASEAN) ‘s imports of waste plastics in 2018 increased by 171 percent compared with 2016, and the total amount increased from 837,000 tons to 2,266,000 tons. What is “waste colonialism”? The term “waste colonialism” was first introduced in 1989 during the United Nations Environment Program Basel Convention, describing the dumping of waste from higher-income countries into low-income countries. This practice, environmentalists argue, is a form of “environmental racism” and a “historical environmental and social injustice” which not only causes waste pollution, but also climate change. From 2017 to 2021, Southeast Asian countries received approximately 17 percent of global plastic waste imports, according to UN reports. Furthermore, between 2021 and 2023, Malaysia imported an average of 1.4 billion kilograms of plastic waste each year, Vietnam received around 1 billion kilograms, and Indonesia received nearly 600 million. Waste volume in Southeast Asia has been increasing rapidly since 2000, reaching about 150 million tons in 2016 and projected to be more than double that by 2030. As a result, Southeast Asian countries now face problems similar to those in China in 2017. The people and environment are suffering from the pollution caused by imported waste, especially because the imports are often poorly sorted and mishandled. For plastic waste, many in the region still burn the waste instead of recycling it. When waste is burned, the toxic fumes are released into the air, increasing the rates of respiratory issues like asthma and breathing difficulties, as well as skin conditions, cancers, and other chronic illnesses. Overcapacity in landfills also leads to hazardous chemicals leaching into groundwater and soil, posing other health threats to nearby communities. Waste is also polluting bodies of water. Seven of the world’s ten most plastic-polluted rivers are in the Philippines, which accounts for about 36 percent of global river-borne plastic pollution. The Mekong Delta, one of Southeast Asia’s most critical ecosystems, is also threatened by plastic waste and environmental degradation worsened by the importation of waste. “Other countries in Southeast Asia are likewise being harmed by foreign plastic waste daily. We sincerely hope that exporting countries will help us put a stop to waste dumping and trafficking,” says Wong Pui Yi, BAN researcher from Kuala Lumpur, to Recycling Today. A pile of waste in Bantargebang, Indonesia. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 How to tackle this problem? For years, environmental activists have been calling for stricter regulations to overcome this issue. They have also argued that a global treaty on waste is crucial to reduce plastic production and improve frameworks for waste management and recycling on a global level. At the regional level, an action plan on waste policy in Southeast Asia could strengthen the commitment to tackle this problem. To address the waste export issue, the European Union announced that, starting mid-2026, it will ban plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries to safeguard the environment and public health. The OECD is an economic and development organization of 38 mostly high-income nations. Investing in better waste management through technology could be part of the solution. Waste to Technology (WTE), which converts non-recyclable waste into energy, has started being constructed in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. To support this, the Global North must be responsible for investing in waste management infrastructure in the Global South, Greenpeace insisted. — This post was previously published on globalvoices.org under a Creative Commons License. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: iStock.com The post Tracing ‘Waste Colonialism’ in Southeast Asia appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— Success in the restaurant industry depends on more than preparing quality dishes. Guests expect authenticity, variety, and convenience, while operators face rising costs and strong competition. Thriving in this environment requires fresh thinking, where smart business choices blend with memorable dining moments. Every element, from menus to service flow, contributes to an experience that keeps patrons returning with anticipation. Progress comes less from sweeping overhauls and more from purposeful refinements that build momentum. Adjustments to menu offerings, adoption of innovative tools, and thoughtful staffing practices all open opportunities for lasting growth. Restaurants willing to experiment strategically gain resilience, strengthen guest loyalty, and stay relevant in a market that rewards originality, consistency, and experiences worth sharing long after the meal. Guest Experience With Automatic Beverage Systems A self-pour wall instantly turns ordering into an interactive moment that guests remember. With an automatic beer machine, diners can explore at their own pace, sampling smaller pours without waiting for staff. The experience feels personal, reducing delays and errors while allowing employees to focus on genuine table interaction instead of repetitive tasks. Tracking ounces poured not only reduces waste but also creates natural opportunities for add-ons. Offering curated tasting flights with set pour sizes invites exploration while keeping choices manageable. Placed in a visible spot, these systems spark curiosity, encourage conversation, and add a sense of novelty that pairs efficiency with delight. Expanding Revenue With Strategic Menu Diversification A diverse menu signals attention to every diner, fostering inclusivity without diluting creativity. Offering artisanal sodas, house kombucha, or refined zero-proof cocktails improves nonalcoholic options, making them feel intentional rather than secondary. Seasonal features and themed dishes add freshness that draws attention, while thoughtfully paired beverages amplify the sense of discovery with each visit. Menu strategy becomes even more powerful when designed around exploration. Bundled items encourage trial without excess, guiding guests toward balanced choices. Personalized suggestions from staff feel collaborative, deepening trust while raising average spend. Regular tracking of results reshapes the menu into a dynamic tool, balancing creativity with agility that drives steady financial growth. Building Lasting Loyalty Through Personalized Engagement An individual’s order history reveals reliable cues like visit days, favorite plates, spend patterns and preferred heat levels. Use simple POS queries to segment frequent diners, lapsed guests and big spenders so offers match actual behavior. Recommendations shown in the app or as server prompts convert best when they tie to past choices and current menu items. Points for social shares, milestone spending and referrals create varied paths to rewards; awards tied to behavior beat blanket coupons. Priority reservations, menu-preview nights and behind-the-scenes tastings map cleanly to spend tiers and tend to raise average checks. Monthly chef’s-table previews for top-tier members create memorable rewards that nudge repeat bookings. Optimizing Operations With Smarter Labor Management Balancing labor efficiency with a warm guest experience requires precision. Modern scheduling software draws on real-time sales and reservation data to anticipate demand more accurately, allowing managers to cover peak periods without overstaffing. Predictive shift structures and flexible pools reduce idle hours while protecting attentive service, creating a floor that feels smooth and prepared. Cross-training expands versatility, enabling servers, bartenders, and hosts to support each other during rushes. This adaptability not only prevents bottlenecks but also fosters teamwork, reducing stress and overtime costs. Freed from operational firefighting, managers can focus on coaching meaningful guest interactions, enhancing both service quality and employee satisfaction. Amplifying Reach Through Community and Digital Visibility Collaborations with local producers strengthen credibility while creating unique dining experiences. Hosting a pop-up with a nearby farm or featuring an artisan baker on the menu highlights authenticity and sparks guest curiosity. Subtle touches, like descriptive menu notes and visually appealing plating, encourage diners to share their experience online, blending community pride with organic digital promotion. Consistent visibility requires structured upkeep. Updating photos, syncing menus across apps, and engaging with reviews maintain a polished presence. Co-branded events with local partners extend reach beyond the dining room, while steady online activity reinforces discovery. Together, these practices build a reputation that feels both rooted locally and visible broadly. Sustainable success in restaurants comes from consistent improvements that feel both practical and meaningful. Thoughtful menu additions, smarter tools, and flexible staffing build momentum that strengthens operations day by day. Loyalty grows when guests sense genuine care in every interaction, and community ties deepen when collaboration feels authentic. Technology, visibility, and creativity provide leverage, but it is the combination of small, deliberate steps that creates lasting impact. Each effort adds to a foundation that supports both profitability and guest connection. In the end, restaurants thrive when progress feels intentional, memorable, and grounded in experiences guests want to revisit. — This content is brought to you by Mala Khan iStockPhoto The post Innovative Ways to Take Your Restaurant Business to New Heights appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Tallarines verdes is a beloved Peruvian dish that blends Italian influence with local flavors. Light yet satisfying, its vibrant green sauce makes it a standout whether served as a main or alongside your favorite proteins. A Note From Kristen I love exploring dishes from all over the world, and during my time living in Peru I fell in love with this one. Today, I’m excited to share one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes, tallarines verdes. It’s like pesto sauce but with a uniquely Peruvian twist that adds creaminess and a slightly sweeter taste. The combination of spinach and basil gives it a distinct flavor that’s hard to resist. If you’ve never experienced Peruvian cuisine before, this is a perfect place to start. Enjoy! ~Kristen How to Make Peruvian Green Spaghetti PREPARE Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente; reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft. ADD GREENS Add spinach and cook for 1 minute until just wilted. COMBINE In a blender or food processor, blend the spinach mixture with basil, evaporated milk, queso fresco (or feta), Parmesan, and walnuts. BLEND Blend until smooth. ADD Pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat, then add the pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen. TOSS Toss until coated and glossy, then season with salt and pepper to taste. SERVE Serve and enjoy! Tallarines Verdes Recipe Creamy and full of flavor, this Tallarines Verdes recipe makes Peruvian green spaghetti with a rich sauce that’s easy and delicious. Author: Kristen Wood Servings: 6 servings Prep Time: 10minutes minutes Cook Time: 15minutes minutes Total Time: 25minutes minutes Course: Main Course Cuisine: Peruvian, South American Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian Ingredients 1 lb spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti if necessary 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion chopped 2 garlic cloves minced 1 cup evaporated milk use evaporated coconut milk if vegan or dairy-free 2 cups fresh spinach leaves packed 1 cup fresh basil leaves loosely packed ¼ cup queso fresco or feta cheese crumbled, or vegan feta ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese rennet-free if vegetarian, plant-based Parmesan if vegan 2 tablespoons raw walnuts salt to taste ground black pepper to taste Instructions Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente; reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. In a blender or food processor, combine the spinach mixture with the basil, evaporated milk, queso fresco (or feta), Parmesan, and walnuts. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked pasta and a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen. Toss until glossy and coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with more cheese or a fried egg. Enjoy! Notes Storage and Reheating. Store any pasta leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, keep the sauce and spaghetti separated to preserve the former’s color and texture. You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing the noodles as they get mushy. Reheat the sauce on the stove over low heat. To restore creaminess, add a splash of milk or vegetable broth. Nutrition Serving: 1serving | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1327IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 2mg — Previously Published on moonandspoonandyum *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: Kristen Wood The post Tallarines Verdes Recipe (Peruvian Green Spaghetti) appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Mark Keierleber, The 74 This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox. School (in)Security is our biweekly briefing on the latest school safety news, vetted by Mark Keierleber. Subscribe here. As students across the country return to school, a mass school shooting in Minneapolis has again reignited debates about the proliferation of guns in the U.S., campus security — and youth embrace of violent online extremism. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz this week announced plans to convene a special legislative session to consider tougher gun laws in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting that took place while students attended an annual Mass to kick off the new academic year. Two children were killed and 21 people, 18 of them students, were injured. Vice President JD Vance and his wife went to the church Wednesday, met with the parents of the two slain children and visited one of the hospitalized young survivors. The injured girl’s father, Harry Kaiser, questioned Vance on whether he would “earnestly support the study of what is wrong with our culture, that we are the country that has the worst mass shooter problem?” As has happened in shooting after shooting, attention quickly turned to the assailant’s online presence as people sought to understand what could motivate such a heinous act. On social media, unfounded claims about the shooter’s motives — from anti-Christian hate to the radicalization of transgender people — reached millions of eyeballs. The 23-year-old perpetrator died by suicide after the rampage. Like other shooters, the Minneapolis attacker left a paper trail indicating mental health struggles, suicidal ideation and, perhaps most importantly, a deep fascination with mass killers. The attacker “appeared to hate all of us,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a briefing. “More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children.” In the news A ‘catastrophic’ hack: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against education technology giant PowerSchool, which fell victim to a massive cyberattack last year that compromised the sensitive data of some 60 million students and 10 million educators globally. The state alleges the breach, which affected some 880,000 Texas teachers and students, occurred because PowerSchool “failed to implement even the most basic security features.” | The Texan The move is the latest in a slew of lawsuits from parents, students and school districts adversely affected by the massive hack. | The 74 Matthew Lane, a 19-year-old from Massachusetts, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court next week after pleading guilty to the extortion scheme over the summer. | MassLive As Texas and other Republican-controlled states seek to erode the separation of church and state by endorsing Protestant Christianity over other faiths, Paxton has urged students to use a new law allowing prayer time in public schools to practice the Lord’s Prayer “as taught by Jesus Christ.” | The Texas Tribune Victims speak out: Haley Robson, who was 16 when she was first sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein, recounted on Wednesday how she was forced to recruit young victims from her high school. | BBC Florida’s surgeon general announced plans to end state vaccine mandates for children attending public schools, while officials in California, Oregon and Washington joined forces to preserve access to the life-saving shots. | The Washington Post The Los Angeles school district has settled a lawsuit filed by parents who allege the pandemic-era remote learning policies of the country’s second-largest K-12 public education system discriminated against students of color, English learners and those with disabilities. | CalMatters Sign-up for the School (in)Security newsletter. Get the most critical news and information about students’ rights, safety and well-being delivered straight to your inbox. Submit The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over alleged children’s privacy violations after the entertainment behemoth improperly uploaded kid-focused videos to YouTube and enabled targeted advertising. | Axios Meanwhile, the FTC announced a settlement with a Chinese robot toy manufacturer accused of illegally collecting U.S. children’s location data. | CyberScoop Stainless steel water bottles made by Stanley and Yeti are all the rage. But this New York district says they’re a no-go on campus — claiming they pose safety risks. | News 12 Trump vs. trans kids: As the administration seeks to clamp down on districts that don’t inform parents when their children identify as transgender at school, the Education Department revived an obscure 12-year-old privacy case to access district emails. | The 74 Two Northern Virginia school districts have sued the Trump administration challenging the federal government’s assertion that policies allowing transgender students to use restrooms and locker facilities violate anti-discrimination laws. | Politico The legal dispute has been fodder in the state’s gubernatorial race, in which Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears has placed anti-trans bathroom policies among her top campaign issues. | The 74 In South Carolina, state officials filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court after an appeals court blocked enforcement of a new law denying trans youth access to facilities that align with their gender identity. | Politico The Trump administration warned officials in 40 states they could lose federal funding unless they scrap lessons from sexual education materials that focus on LGBTQ+ issues. | The Associated Press An online group that calls itself Purgatory has claimed responsibility for a string of swatting calls that drew massive law enforcement responses to college campuses at the start of the new academic year. | The New York Times In a middle-of-the-night operation, the Trump administration scooped up 76 unaccompanied minors as they slept at federal shelters, in a deportation bid that was then temporarily blocked by a federal judge. | NPR A new Florida law will require educators to get parents’ permission before spanking students as a form of school discipline. | Florida Phoenix Student activists lobbied for the law after an investigation by The 74 revealed that Florida educators most often used corporal punishment to address minor infractions like “excessive talking,” “insubordination” and “horseplay.” | The 74 ICYMI @The74 Confusion as Kids Head Back to School and RFK Jr. Calls the Shots on Vaccines ‘We’ve Been Successful at Protecting Our Kids’: Los Angeles Unified Claims Safety From ICE So Far Kids Shouldn’t Access Social Media Until They’re Old Enough to Drive, Book Says Emotional Support Sinead ponders summer’s end while boating over Labor Day weekend. : Kathy Moore — This story was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America. *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: unsplash The post Another School Year, Another School Shooting appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Language models have been conditioned to hazard wild guesses instead of admitting ignorance, a study has found The company behind ChatGPT has addressed the persistent problem of Artificial Intelligence models’ generating plausible but false statements that it calls “hallucinations”. In a statement on Friday, OpenAI explained that models are typically encouraged to hazard a guess, however improbable, as opposed to acknowledging that they cannot answer a question. The issue is attributable to the core principles underlying “standard training and evaluation procedures,” the company added. OpenAI has revealed that the instances where language models “confidently generate an answer that isn’t true” have continued to plague even newer, more advanced iterations, including its latest flagship GPT‑5 system. According to the findings of a recent study, the problem is rooted in the way language models’ performance is usually evaluated at present, with the guessing model ranked higher than a careful one that admits uncertainty. Under the standard protocols, AI systems learn that failure to generate an answer is a surefire way to get zero points on a test, while an unsubstantiated guess may just prove to be correct. “Fixing scoreboards can broaden adoption of hallucination-reduction techniques,” the statement concluded, acknowledging, however, that “accuracy will never reach 100% because, regardless of model size, search and reasoning capabilities, some real-world questions are inherently unanswerable.” View the full article

The bloc could impose punitive measures on Beijing for buying oil and gas from Moscow if Washington backs the move, the newspaper has claimed The European Union is considering secondary sanctions on China over its continued purchases of Russian oil and gas, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources. The British newspaper reported that EU officials began discussing the matter on Sunday. A source said that the talks are still at a “very early stage.” Before committing to any punitive measures against Beijing, Brussels reportedly wants to have the “full backing of the US and co-ordination with Washington,” according to the FT. To ensure this, EU officials travelled to the US on Monday, while US Energy Secretary Chris Wright will head to Brussels later in the week, the paper wrote. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, China emerged as the top importer of Russian oil. Earlier this year, the EU sanctioned several Chinese firms over their alleged support for industries that aid Russia’s military. Beijing slammed the move as “unreasonable” and accused the bloc of “double standards.” It emphasized that China strictly regulates dual-use goods and insisted it has not supplied any lethal weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine conflict. On Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the US and EU could impose more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil. Beijing earlier vowed to “ensure its energy supply” in ways that protect its interests, and cautioned that “tariff wars have no winners.” Last month, US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50% citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. Indian officials denounced the move as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last week that India will continue to buy Russian crude, stressing that the nation’s oil purchases are driven by its economic priorities and not external pressure. Last week, during his four-day visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West against talking to such global economic powerhouses as China and India in an “unacceptable” tone. He argued that pressure on Beijing and New Delhi is intended to slow their economic rise. View the full article

Recently, my son experienced a difficult breakup, and as a mother, I wanted to help. This breakup shattered his heart and caused him to reflect on what makes relationships work, and if he was willing to open his heart again. This was his first love, and as you know, the first love is the hardest. They had been together for 2.5 years and had been living together for 6 months until the horrible breakup. As they shared a home and life, his girlfriend noticed a discontentment lurking beneath her external joy. She genuinely cherished the moments with my son. Yet, there was a clear source of internal discontent within her. She told my son she was bored. She didn’t like adulting. She wanted to travel, have fun, and be young! Photo by Alfonso Escalante: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photo-of-volkswagen-kombi-2533092/ She asked my son to go with her on her travels. She believed traveling the world would heal her discontentment with life. With a renewed sense of excitement, she approached him with an invitation to join her on this adventure. She believed that exploring the world together could be a chance for them to heal and rediscover what truly matters. Now, my son is still in college and has a good job; he didn’t want to drop everything and become a nomad to travel. My son was very supportive. He didn’t want to stop her from experiencing new adventures, so he encouraged her to travel. She wanted him to go with her on these grand adventures, and she made it clear she wouldn’t go without him. They were at a standstill! Sadly, in the end, they decided to break up. This breakup was excruciating for both of them. My son watched her go down a deep spiral. She believed that traveling and exploring the world would alleviate her internal sadness stemming from childhood wounds. She went into a deep depression and never ended up traveling after all. As she continued down this rabbit hole, she discovered she ended the relationship because she was scared of truly being unconditionally loved. She didn’t feel safe growing up, and she never knew her father. All her childhood wounds and fears were bubbling up from this relationship with my son. She came to an awareness; she believed that traveling would save her from her sadness. She discovered she had ruined a beautiful relationship with my son in an attempt to escape her pain and fears. So she asked him if they could rekindle the relationship. Now my son is questioning whether he should get back together with her. He said, “Mom, she shattered my heart once; do I dare do it again?” Here was my advice. Guiding our children through life’s ups and downs is never easy, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Here are some words of wisdom that I’ve gathered over the years that I hope will help. LOVE RUNS DEEP I encouraged him to communicate openly about his feelings because he still loved her deeply. He felt a strong connection with her, and his heart wasn’t ready to let go. Trust needs to be rebuilt slowly and thoughtfully, so I reminded him to be patient with himself and with her. BELIEF IN CHANGE People can change if they want to. I told my son to ask her if she is willing to explore travel in other ways  —  and that he shouldn’t squash her dreams. They should try and work together to find a compromise. Relationships are not only about fun but also about work. If she is willing to adult, and not just wanting to travel, then the relationship is worth exploring. PATIENCE WITH HER HEALING Childhood scars don’t vanish overnight. If you are considering getting back together, ask yourself: Are you ready for the work? Her childhood wounds won’t heal overnight. Be prepared, this may happen again. Ask yourself if you can do this? Be honest with yourself. Allow her to continue to heal with an open and loving heart. ENCOURAGE MUTUAL GROWTH Honest communication is the foundation of any lasting relationship. Be willing to share your vulnerabilities, set boundaries, and build together. Honest communication can clear up small issues before they grow into large ones. Sharing your real thoughts and emotions helps both partners learn to adapt and to support each other. SHARED HOPE FOR THE FUTURE True love means respecting each other’s goals and finding happiness within yourself first. Do not believe the other person is responsible for your happiness. If you go down this road, the relationship is destined for failure. This journey requires open communication, patience, and commitment, as both partners work towards a balanced life that supports personal and shared dreams. Remember, a successful relationship thrives on mutual respect and a shared vision for the future. Keep believing in each other and in the power of unity — it’s the key to achieving true fulfillment together. Conclusion: A Hopeful Love Story My son and his ex-girlfriend are slowly getting back together. They are going on dates once a week and having deep, honest conversations. In truth, the reasons why his girlfriend was depressed, she wasn’t being honest in sharing her deepest, darkest feelings. She is now being vulnerable with her childhood wounds and fears. My son is allowing and respecting her vulnerabilities. In many ways, I told my son that your girlfriend reminds me of myself when I was young. With all my childhood wounds, your father was lovely in honoring me while I was healing. He saw that I was still a wonderful person underneath my scars. “When you love someone, you have to offer that person the best you have. The best thing we can offer another person is our true presence.” (Thich Nhat Hanh) — Featured image: Photo by Fernando Cabral: https://www.pexels.com/photo/nature-man-love-people-3554376/ The post She Shattered Your Heart — Now What? appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Anya Petrone Slepyan https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hxxU1q8cXiTA72JGQrFwL?si=8ce3273cd56c48fa Recently, I traveled around 6,000 miles from my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico to visit friends in Finland. Under their guidance I ate reindeer, drank vodka, marveled at public infrastructure, and spent hours in the sauna. I also had lots of conversations with Finns about politics, cultural differences, and of course, aliens. In part, that’s because I was doing research for Crop Circle Cinema, our new podcast about rural alien movies. But the topic came up organically, too. I was an ocean away from the southwestern high desert, but in our world of globalized mass media, New Mexico’s reputation preceded me. Many people brought up the hit TV show “Breaking Bad.” The rest wanted to talk about Roswell. Roswell is the county seat of rural Chaves County in southeastern New Mexico. It’s an easy day trip from three different national parks, and just a few hours away from the historic Trinity Site, where the first nuclear bomb was tested. But these attractions are secondary for most people who visit the town. Roswell gained infamy in 1947 when mysterious debris was found in a rancher’s field, and the staff of the Roswell Army Air Field issued a statement identifying the debris as part of a “flying disc.” That statement was quickly retracted, but it did little to squash the alien-based theories springing up around the event. The result, nearly 80 years later, is that Roswell has become synonymous with extraterrestrial encounters. And the town, with its official motto of “We Believe,” is more than happy to encourage that connection. A multitude of Roswell-based movies and TV shows, as well as curated tourism destinations like the International UFO Museum and annual UFO Festival, have created a feedback loop that continues to build the town’s reputation as the place to go for all things alien. Local stores and global chains put UFOs and little green men (or in some cases, giant green men!) in storefronts and on signs. It’s also the setting for my favorite teen-soap of all time, ‘Roswell’ (1999) in which four royal aliens (it’s a long story) go to high school and deal with lots of other teenage stuff while trying to save multiple planets. One of them even works at the UFO museum! But while Roswell is the most famous ‘alien’ town in the country, it’s far from the only one. Dozens of small towns around the United States host alien festivals, while others like Green Bank, West Virginia, home of the world’s largest radio telescope, have more scientific connections to outer space. This relationship between real rural communities and alien-based media, tourism, and local identities is the focus of the fourth episode of Crop Circle Cinema. In our final episode, we explore how tales of UFOs and abductions have been transformed into modern-day folklore, and how rural communities from Roswell to Spruce Pine, North Carolina have been shaped by associations with extraterrestrial life. This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. — Previously Published on dailyyonder.com with Creative Commons License *** – The world is changing fast. We help you keep up. We’ll send you 1 post, 3x per week. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo: unsplash The post Roswell, New Mexico: The Town Where “We Believe” appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

An Instagram post declaring that the slogan ‘Never Again’ must apply to all people reportedly upset Jewish groups A Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles has deleted a social media post featuring a slogan long associated with the Holocaust after some people claimed it alluded to the war in Gaza. The message, shared with the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles’ 24,000 Instagram followers over the weekend, showed a graphic of hands and forearms of different skin tones – including one with a Holocaust tattoo – linked in a circle. Its caption read “‘Never Again’ can’t only mean never again for Jews.” While some initially praised the post as an acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering, it quickly drew backlash from Jewish groups, prompting its removal. The museum later said the post was part of a pre-planned campaign “intended to promote inclusivity and community,” not “a political statement reflecting the ongoing situation in the Middle East.” The LA Holocaust Museum posted on Instagram, “Never again can't only mean never again for Jews.” They later deleted the post and issued a clarification. Taking it down was disappointing—there was nothing wrong with that message. pic.twitter.com/mbJvRLUXZM — Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) September 7, 2025 Although the post did not mention Gaza, some pro-Israel commentators urged donors to cut the institution’s funding. The removal of the post, in turn, led pro-Palestinian voices to accuse the museum of backtracking on a universal anti-genocide principle. The LA museum, founded in 1961 by Holocaust survivors, is currently closed for renovation until June 2026. It has pledged to “do better” and ensure that posts in the future are “more thoughtfully designed.” The controversy comes as Israel presses its military campaign in Gaza, which was launched after Hamas’s deadly October 2023 incursion that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. About 50 are still believed to be in captivity. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes have since killed over 64,000 people and wounded over 163,000 since the operation began. UN agencies have reported “mounting evidence” of famine in Gaza and there has been growing international criticism of Israel’s campaign as genocidal. Several Western nations announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state and scale back military or trade cooperation with Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Gaza’s population could have been wiped out within hours if genocide had been the goal. View the full article

By Jim Hightower In a 2006 documentary, I assailed Texas Republican lawmakers for ramming a brutish gerrymandering scheme into law, doing my report from a street sign in central Austin. That sign was the exact location the GOP had used as the pin point for slicing up the city’s one congressional district into four pieces like a pizza. Each slice radiated far out of town, merging into Republican suburbs in distant cities — thus suppressing Austin’s progressive voice in Congress. Now here they come again, assaulting progressive voters throughout the state with gerrymandering. At the command of Donald Trump, our so-called “representatives” are submissively shoving millions of Texans into jerry-rigged Trump enclaves, solely to serve his political desires. Far from being just another corrupt hyper-partisan political manipulation, this GOP ploy is stripping away America’s fundamental principle of representative democracy. Instead of grassroots communities sorting out their differences and choosing their own governing representatives in local elections, political hacks in Washington and the state capital are cynically relocating people’s political “locality” (with no participation at all by the people). Instead of constituents choosing their members of Congress, gerrymandering lets members choose their constituents. So “your” representative doesn’t need to know you, much less serve you. Thus, the issues that Congress considers don’t percolate up from local communities. They’re chosen by national and state political operatives and multimillion-dollar campaign donors. It’s the nationalization of local elections, ignoring the real needs of hometown people. Why shouldn’t you have a representative who’s at least from your community, maybe even knows your name — and cares about something more constructive than Trump’s anti-democratic, plutocratic agenda. — Previously Published on otherwords.org with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post With Gerrymandering, Your Local Rep. Isn’t Local — And Isn’t Yours appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article