Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
mercredi 3 janvier 2018
Did You Catch the REAL Fate of the Force Texts in Star Wars: The Last Jedi?
The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
While I was watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi in a packed theater on opening day, there was one moment that caused the stranger next to me to utter, "Oh, sh*t." It wasn't any character's death or even Kylo Ren's gratuitous shirtless scene that earned the vocal reaction - rather, it was the moment when Master Yoda ignites the first Jedi Temple on the island planet of Ahch-To, sending the history of the religion (and presumably its ancient, sacred texts) up in flames while leaning back and giggling at his own cleverness.
The Jedi texts, which contain the founding tenets of the entire religion, are a powerful piece of the light side, offering guidance for training in and adhering to the moral code of the Jedi. While Luke grapples with their worth, even considering burning them with the temple, we see their power through Rey; while she is on the island with Luke, the temple (and the ancient texts within) call to Rey, pulling her to them in a magnetic fashion.
Ultimately, Luke doesn't want to burn the texts, shouting at Yoda when the wizened Jedi master sets the temple on fire. But Yoda comforts his former pupil, telling him that Rey has everything she needs to know . . . little does Luke know, Yoda means it literally. In a split-second moment at the film's end, while Finn is rifling around in a locker drawer in the Millennium Falcon, we see that Rey has taken the Force texts from the island. The ancient books are safe in her possession, not burned in the temple as Luke believes - which means that the Jedi Order will not die with him.
This reveal is made shortly after Luke tells Kylo Ren that he is not the last Jedi and there will be more to come after he is gone. Luke believes in Rey, and in the power of the light side of the Force, to prevail. Despite the fact that they're a boring read, Rey possessing the texts will presumably help her make wise choices, even without a Jedi master there to train her - though we're sure that Luke will make appearances from the other side.
Yes, It's OK to Ship THAT Couple in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
WARNING: Spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi follow.
The romances of the Star Wars franchise have long been fraught: Luke and Leia kiss, only to find out they're brother and sister; Leia and Han fall for each other, but we barely get to see them as a couple; the one couple who we do really see fall in love on screen - Padmé and Anakin - is a wretched bore to watch (and ill-fated, of course). So let's just say that we didn't have high hopes for this series to deliver a romantic relationship that's worth watching. Until now.
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we find love in a hopeless place. No, not because Finn's crush on Rey becomes something more or because Rose plants a heat-free kiss on Finn's lips. In fact, the couple I found myself inexplicably rooting for is one that I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to: Rey and Kylo Ren.
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, their initial contact with each other is cut and dried: she's good, he's bad. They're enemies. Postviewing, though, we had a long time to think about their strange relationship: Why did they seem to share some strange connection? Could they be related?
In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren - ahem, Ben - and Rey's relationship is at the forefront. The first time their thoughts are bridged, they're as bewildered as we are. Why is this happening to them? Then, as it happens more, they seem to relish it, find comfort in it. Sure, Snoke is the one who bridges them, but he doesn't control their communication or what they end up feeling. Their easy identification as enemies falls away, and something else crackles into place: chemistry. Listen, I don't know if director Rian Johnson meant for this to happen, or if electric sparks were written into The Last Jedi script, but, people, they're there. Maybe there was a little something in The Force Awakens too, but we were too preoccupied to notice it.
If the audience is supposed to infer a romantic connection, then I say: I'm into it.
All I know is that I desperately wanted Rey to take Kylo Ren's hand after they defeat Snoke together and rule a whole new world together. Go gray, baby! And that part where he breaks her heart to tell her her parents were no one special, but she is, to him? What else are we supposed to make of that? There's no other reason for Kylo Ren to be causally hanging out shirtless, making Rey all flustered. If the audience is supposed to infer a romantic connection, then I say: I'm into it. I'm shipping it into Episode IX. I'm making my #KyloRey shirts.
And if I wasn't supposed to sense this disruption in the Force? Then I'd say you need to tell stars Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver to maybe stop vibing off each other so hard (if that's possible). It's totally believable that Rey is just fighting her pull to the dark side and she needed to have a stronger link to it in the form of another, charismatic character. Maybe I'm supposed to be cheering her on for resisting the dark. But now that I know what Rey knows - that there is goodness fighting its way out in Kylo Ren - I can't look away.
Stick to Your Paleo Diet With 20 Easy, Breezy Meal-Prep Ideas
If you think the Paleo diet has been trending for a while, you would be right. While people are continuing to get on board with this lifestyle, many would agree that it requires pretty serious dedication and planning, especially when it comes to cooking new Paleo recipes. Add weekday meal prep to the mix and you've got a whole new challenge. Luckily, we've got you covered with 19 easy-to-transport options to keep your meals fresh and interesting while you stay committed.
Naloxone nasal spray began as a remedy for binge eating, CEO says
Roger Crystal's company Opiant Pharmaceuticals was struggling to find new uses for an old drug that reverses overdoses. Then the North American opioid epidemic hit.
Dogs overdosing on marijuana, veterinarian warns
With legalized marijuana on the horizon, a Nova Scotia vet says he's seeing an increase in dogs overdosing on pot, even as interest grows in treating pets with cannabis oil.
National plan looks to slash antibiotic use in livestock in Canada
Starting Dec. 1, 2018, hundreds of over-the-counter antibiotics will require a prescription from a veterinarian.
Smokers fume at new cigarette ban on hospital property
After a two year build-up, smoking on hospital property in Ontario is now illegal.
mardi 2 janvier 2018
10 Healthy Breakfast Sandwich Recipes to Jump-Start Your Day
For many of us, breakfast is easily the most anticipated meal of the day - especially if there's something delicious and satisfying involved. Everyone loves a good breakfast sandwich, even though they don't always have a reputation for being healthy. Luckily, there are many ways to make one so. Here are 10 healthy breakfast sandwich options, from open-faced avocado toast to lightened-up egg wraps.
My Hypothetical Daughter Propelled Me Into Next-Level Fitness
Image source: Pexels / Josh Willink
This year, just after reaching my annual dating quota of emotionally unavailable men, I suddenly wanted to get in shape for the daughter I haven't even birthed yet. Let me be even more transparent when I say that I'm also single right now, so the probability of nuclear family procreation is currently slim. But there was something about opening SHAKTIBARRE - the New York yoga-barre empowerment hub in Brooklyn (and soon in Harlem) - that made me feel like a mom already . . . and envision a few hypothetical children in the future, as well as the day I'll be a fit mom.
One fitness strategy I learned through creating SHAKTIBARRE that will inevitably benefit my future daughter was strength training. Let's start by saying that SHAKTIBARRE used to be an NYC family's garage that wasn't even on the market yet. In the time it took to renovate the space, I carried countless pieces of delivered furniture with my bare hands from my apartment a mile away - not to mention how many boxes I broke down and carried to the trash truck, how many shelves I scaled ladders for and lifted overhead, and how much dirt-moving, hammering, and rigorous cleaning it took to turn nearly 2,000 square feet of ceiling-less hazards into a beautiful and welcoming studio.
A month after opening my nephew was born, and I got to put my muscle gains into action by carrying 10 million (small exaggeration) bags of baby supplies to the studio and back every Friday, as I offered my only free day to babysit. Then came the "hold the baby for long enough in the most awkward pose ever just so he falls asleep" moments and a plethora of stroller hauling. Meanwhile, I was teaching anywhere between six and 12 classes per week. Needless to say, getting fit for the sake of an impending family of my own started becoming more and more real.
Image source: Corinne Wainer
Mindful eating was the second strategy for fitness that SHAKTIBARRE taught me, meaning I could no longer isolate myself and binge (with a side of exercise addiction) when I had to lead and manage a team of 30. Our teachers, though close in age to me, became daughters in a way. Whether it was training them, helping them find subs, guiding them in their outside professional advancements, lending an ear during their sick times or family challenges, or other sacred shares, I felt a more profound reason to be healthy than ever before. I realized that though fit, I could be in even better mental shape, too. I was able to see how my work family and all the ways I needed to show up healthy and strong inspired even deeper yearnings to have a daughter of my own someday.
Image source: Corinne Wainer
The third fitness strategy I learned was flexibility. As a former four-sport athlete (soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, and equestrian), I never had time to stretch. In other words: my yoga life was virtually nonexistent until about 10 years back. Once my fellow SHAKTIBARRE cofounder, Shauny Lamba, took me to my first yoga class, I realized not only how tight and unforgiving my body was but also how my mind was cycling through the same unproductive patterns and habits.
Fortunately, doing just as much "brain yoga" as I now do actual vinyasa motivated me to change my approach to dating as well. Now when I date, I'm thinking, "Can this person be a reliable, adventurous, special, and memorable leader? Can this person occupy less of my energy in a negative way and more in a manner that encourages me to make healthy time for my next level of fitness? Can we and our maybe baby go on epic hikes together - strong, snacking mindfully along the way, and able to stretch both our muscles and perspectives on the regular?"
It's not to say I need a husband and daughter to be my fittest self: my fitness inspiration is a higher purpose. SHAKTIBARRE and my nephew have been the best things I've witnessed in this lifetime, showing me the power of a bigger goal than being fit. Ironically, that more monumental aspiration of #daughtergoals makes me want to be even more fit. I've begun to focus on exercises that continually raise the bar for my strength and flexibility. While that "all the single ladies" necessity of being fit for yourself is what I'm 100 percent into, I must say envisioning the end of an Iron Man finish line, where I run with sweaty, outstretched arms toward a kid of my own, gives me all the feels and lets me know it's time to pause here so I can go train.
Listen Up! These 5 Things Might Be Making Your Period Cramps Even Worse
Do you tend to want curl up on the couch with Netflix during that time of the month? If so, you're certainly not alone. Unfortunately, while you might feel extra tired and a bit crampy, you know that life still goes on when you're on your period and you've got to make the best of it. While you might not be able to completely avoid all the less-than-pleasant symptoms that come with having your period, there are certain things you can avoid to possibly feel a bit better. Here are five things that can sometimes cause menstrual pain and some potential solutions.
Certain exercises
According to Rachel High, D.O., an OB-GYN and fellow at Baylor Scott & White Health in Central Texas, current research indicates that light exercise such as easy-paced running on a treadmill or low-impact exercises like yoga and Pilates can improve unpleasant menstrual symptoms such as pain and emotional changes. "Even if you might not feel up to doing your usual hour-long run or high-intensity Spin class, doing a different activity and taking it easy are still more likely to help than to hurt," she said.
Alcohol and sweets
It can be tempting to reach for chocolate during that time of the month, but it turns out it can sometimes worsen your symptoms. "It is recommended to limit alcohol and sweets or desserts because they can cause blood sugar spikes, bloating, and more fatigue," said Starla Garcia, M.Ed, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian in Houston.
Caffeine
"Caffeine has been shown to have some diuretic activity, which could predispose women to dehydration," High said. "While it is also a stimulant, which can potentially irritate the uterus and increase cramping, avoiding caffeine hasn't been proven to improve to decrease menstrual pain." So if your morning cup of coffee is a typical part of your routine and keeps you sane more than it bothers you, you may find that you're better off sticking with it, she said. However, if you have an iffy relationship with caffeine as it is, avoiding it while on your period may be a good idea.
Stress
While stress doesn't necessarily worsen menstrual pain, it can worsen mood changes. Most people can't completely avoid stress, but they can add something that calms them to their day, such as going on a walk with good conversation, doing yoga, taking a warm bath, or playing with their pets, High said.
Not eating at least three meals a day
While the standard recommendation is to eat three meals a day, if you feel nauseated, you should try to have several smaller, more frequent meals, Garcia said. "You just don't want to end up going very long periods of time without anything in your stomach, because it can lead to stomach acidity and nausea," she said. "Eating frequent meals can also help you keep consistent energy levels up and from blood sugars dropping that leave you feel weak, tired, moody, and irritable."
12 Hilarious, Touching, Way Too Relatable Tweets About What, Exactly, Gay Culture Is
On Sept. 1, a Twitter user known as introvertgay posted a sad but salient tweet: "Gay culture is being a teenager when you're 30 because your teenage years were not yours to live." The message nails how so many members of the LGBTQ+ community stay in the closet during their formative years. While the tweet is pretty striking in and of itself, the couple of weeks since have turned "gay culture" into a trending topic.
Some contributions are heartbreaking, like the original tweet, while others are pretty hilariously specific. After all, the LGBTQ+ internet community is the same space that embraced the gay Babadook, celebrated a very gay boat, and exposed gay Twitter catfish Parks Denton. So, without further ado, allow us to present some rather succinct definitions of "gay culture."
18 Ultrastylish Gifts For Your Athleisure-Obsessed Friend
Do you have a friend who is obsessed with stylish sneakers and lives in impossibly cool activewear? Don't let their style intimidate you when you're shopping for the perfect gift and use this guide as your starting point! From the new sneaker darling APLs to NikeLab street style and plenty of mesh insets and luster leggings, these picks will please even the pickiest of fitness fashionistas. There are plenty of gym-ready kicks to add to their collection, plus all the coolest active pieces to wear with them.
If You Fear Having a Panic Attack From Smoking Weed, Read This Before Lighting Up
While some of us may think of weed as a way to mellow out, some have had an opposite reaction. Sometimes, for some people, panic attacks can happen.
"Street marijuana will not cause panic attacks if it has low levels of THC," said addiction specialist Dr. Cali Estes. "However, if they're dabbing or have a high THC content, such as one of the higher strains of marijuana, it will likely cause panic attacks because it acts more like LSD," Dr. Estes said. Some strains of marijuana help users relax, while others may cause paranoia and anxiousness.
However, it strongly depends on how much you take. For example, if you take an edible with high levels THC - think 10mg or higher - which is the active ingredient in weed that gets you high, you're far more likely to feel extremely anxious. "For users who have built a tolerance over time, ingesting an edible with similar THC content is more likely to make the user feel sleepy. So it just depends on the individual and how much they take, in addition to which strain they take," Dr. Estes said.
But how common is this anxiety, and is it anything to worry about? "Some cannabis users can experience anxiety from certain strains - but it's important to note that certain cannabinoids will affect each person differently," said Athena Taylor, budtender at The Herbal Connection in Eugene, OR.
Too much THC can cause some patients nervousness, restlessness, and inability to focus, whereas other patients find a calm from high levels of THC. And for those unfamiliar with sativa and indica, sativa is the strain of weed that generally has a higher THC content and gives you that high feeling. Indica has a lower THC content but higher CBD level. Ultimately though, you should look at the THC/CBD levels of the specific strain you're buying. "Anxiety from weed is not connected to just sativa strains, but also can be cause by some indica strains. High levels of the cannabinoid THC can cause anxiety to those patients sensitive to THC's psychoactive effects," Taylor said.
A good way to avoid anxiety from marijuana use is to know your cannabinoids and know your needs. "THC is the most widely advertised and known cannabinoid, but not the only one," Taylor said. "For those people that get high anxiety from the Mary Jane, I strongly recommend they switch from strains high in THC to those strains containing a higher percent of CBD (like indica types). CBD functions as antianxiety and anti-inflammatory cannabinoid, providing stress relief, a state of calmness, and body buzz," Taylor said. When smoked, CBD provides great relief from headaches and nausea without the psychoactive effects of getting high.
CBN is another cannabinoid found in marijuana that works as a relaxer for the mind and body. "I always encourage people to go online and read about all the wonderful healing cannabinoids found in weed," Taylor said.
Other factors that can cause anxiety are lack of hydration, using on an empty stomach, and current stress levels. "When going into a dispensary to buy marijuana products, make your budtender aware of what effect you want from a strain/product and any past experiences with anxiety," Taylor said.
Exclusive: How Americans Rang In the New Year, According to Uber
The 365 eternally long days of 2017 are finally over, leaving us with newly blank slates and boundless optimism as we embrace the first couple days of a new year. But how, exactly, did we get here? Outside of the sheer force of will and strength that Americans naturally possess, there's loads of technology and progress to thank - not least of which should be bestowed on the many Uber drivers across the country and the world that have made our lives infinitely easier on a day-to-day basis. Holidays, rainy days, surge days - yep, we had a whole hell of a lot of those in 2017 and even more as the year came to a close.
So, in order to get a better sense of just how it is we celebrated the final day of the year, we partnered with the ride-sharing platform to give POPSUGAR readers an exclusive look at what Uber users did on New Year's Eve. From the most popular destinations to the most rides taken by one single individual, find seven amazingly insightful data points ahead that help unpack just how it is that Americans rang in 2018.
Yes, TSA Has Its Own App and You Need to Download It ASAP
If you don't have the MyTSA app (available for iOS and Android) downloaded onto your phone, you need to do it now. Most travelers have no idea that all the resources they need to make their airport experiences as smooth as possible are right in the palm of their hand.
With MyTSA, you can see estimated wait times for security checkpoints (yes, just like the Disneyland park app!) to get an idea of how early you should arrive, search which items are allowed/prohibited, and more.
Here are some other features you'll find helpful:
- See how busy your airport will be during a specific day and time based on historical data.
- Check delay information and current weather conditions.
- Learn how to get through security quickly with the TSA Guide.
- Find out which airports offer TSA PreCheck and learn how you can sign up.
- Live chat with TSA for any security-related questions.
What It's Like Being Asian-American and Feeling Left Out of the Race Conversation
During my junior year of high school, my friend Anna invited me on a student trip to New York City. The trip would be focused on a United Nations summit on globalization and peace, organized through a nonprofit foundation called Eracism. "What a clever name," I thought, before agreeing to go. However, what transpired on the trip did not erase racism; instead, it managed to erase any remaining shred of confidence I had in my own racial identity.
Revelers celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year on February 19, 2015, in New York City.
A few days into the trip - during which we visited the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side and met with various religious groups - our group found itself in Chinatown, on the famous Canal Street. While we were waiting to go to our destination, I heard one member of the Eracism group say to another, not in a hushed voice, "Don't tell anyone this, but I don't like Chinese people." The recipient of this indisputably racist statement was an Indian kid, who responded with, "But you like Indian people, right?" "Yeah, I don't mind Indian people." "OK, cool."
This was quite literally the most ironic statement anyone could ever utter on a trip for Eracism, whose very mission was to raise awareness about prejudiced attitudes like this.
To say I was sent reeling into an out-of-body experience is an understatement. After years of enduring countless instances of racism, including physical assault, this exchange on the Eracism trip was the final blow to my self-confidence and self-identity, and it would take years for me to recover. To this day, my chest still feels heavy when I think of that instance.
The Invisible Race
Given the egregious lack of awareness of being racist against Asians on a trip aimed at fighting racism, it's no wonder that many scholars and Asian-American identity experts have referred to Asian-Americans as "the invisible race." David Haekwon Kim, associate professor of philosophy and the director of the Global Humanities initiative at the University of San Francisco, told The New York Times: "I believe the invisibility of Asian-Americans in our culture has been so deep and enduring that Asian-Americans themselves are often ambivalent about how they would like to see themselves portrayed and perhaps even uncomfortable about being portrayed at all."
It seems Asian-Americans just want to stay above the fray. Being a minority already poses its challenges, but what's particularly disheartening is that oftentimes, Asian-Americans are made to feel like an other among the other, and sometimes among ourselves. I first realized this on that unforgettable trip to New York.
I was born in Wuhan, China, and moved to the US when I was 5. At that age, I had barely formed any sense of my own personality, let alone my racial identity in the context of an increasingly globalized world. My entire existence revolved around my favorite time of day, when Journey to the West came on TV after dinner, and my most loathed activity, nap time. I was never old enough to become cognizant of the privilege of belonging to the majority race. For my entire life, I have only been aware of being other.
"They're fine. They're doctors and engineers. What do they have to worry about?" That would be a gross reduction of the Asian-American experience.
Before we go any further, let's examine our country's current social climate around race issues. A tall order, I know, but an increasingly urgent one, as the 2016 election cycle hurtles potentially toward a new chapter of unprecedented bigotry, and as one particular racial group remains palpably absent from the conversation.
As both history and current events illustrate, the black community continues to face widespread racism in the US. Whether it's the shootings by law enforcement, examples of which are both steady and steadily disturbing, or institutional discrimination in jobs as varied as fast-food worker and airline pilot, these incidents reflect a deep-seated prejudice that continues to tarnish this country's integrity.
However, something positive has risen out of this relentless demoralization and plundering of the human spirit. The Black Lives Matter movement has reinvigorated a campaign for change that had quieted in preceding decades but never waned. Now Black Lives Matter is starting to gel into more than just a hashtag-backed movement; it's evolving into a political platform aiming to enact change through lobbying Congress.
At the same time, Muslim-Americans face increasing discrimination driven by Islamophobia, which stems from fear of the Islamic religion but which many scholars consider to be a form of racism. It's a hateful sentiment that flares up each time divisive figures like Donald Trump react to tragic acts of terrorism with incendiary rhetoric. Most notably, Trump has proposed a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US, which a poll from March found that 50 percent of Americans supported.
Muslim-Americans aren't the only group in Trump's crosshairs. The very utterance of Trump's name conjures an expansive, hulking wall across the country's southern border. Astoundingly, when the Republican nominee reduced all Mexicans - and later, all Latinos and Middle Easterners - to criminals and "rapists" during his candidacy announcement last June, the crowd did not boo him off stage, nor did the country react by squashing any real chance of a campaign. Instead, much of America cheered his blatant bigotry, allowing Trump's remarks to set the tone for what has become a campaign fueled by hate and divisiveness.
The society we live in today is largely defined by its racial progress. While it's alarming to see the effects of systemic racism in certain communities and Trump's new brand of accepted bigotry take shape, it's also heartening to see Americans fighting with unprecedented rigor to stand with the black community, to stand with Muslim-Americans, to stand with the Latino population . . .
But wait a minute: what about Asian-Americans?
According to the United States Census Bureau, there were just under 21 million Asian-Americans in the US as of July 2015. That's roughly 6.5 percent of the US population, making us the country's third-largest minority group behind Hispanic Americans (17.6 percent) and black Americans (13.3 percent). In fact, Asian-Americans have been the fastest-growing minority group in the US for more than a decade, increasing in population size by 56 percent between 2000 and 2013.
But where are the movements advocating for Asian-American rights? Is it because Asian-Americans don't face discrimination, individually or systemically? Similar to the way that prejudice against black citizens has ties to our country's history of slavery and segregation, racism against Asian-Americans also has a long history in the US, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (which restricted immigration) and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War 2. But judging by our socioeconomic standing as a whole, which has led to Asian-Americans being dubbed the "model minority," one would be inclined to shrug and say, "They're fine. They're doctors and engineers. What do they have to worry about?" That would be a gross reduction of the Asian-American experience.
The Inherent Prejudice Against Asian-Americans
Like many teens, regardless of race, my high school years were challenging at times. Bullies have many reasons and motivations for tormenting others. One widely recognized psychological explanation is that they're insecure themselves and therefore they lash out at others to compensate for inner demons. But not all of my bullies fit into this neat explanation. Many of them were average kids - well-rounded, popular, even. These were the types of kids who would volunteer for Habitat For Humanity and help an old lady across the street. Aside from their encounters with me, many of these kids weren't bullies at all; they tormented me because of an inherent prejudice they thought was normal.
The author as a child, with her mom.
"I don't want my kids to look Chinese!" A boy yelled loudly in biology lab when we were conducting an experiment on genes and traits. His lab partner giggled. They knew I could hear them. I was working in the row in front of them.
"Chinese people can't cry; their eyes aren't big enough," another boy stated matter-of-factly in social studies class while we were watching a film on Chinese culture. I don't remember why the people on screen were crying, but knowing those educational films, it was probably a segment on something harrowing, something that would normally evoke sympathy.
Sometimes the prejudice became physical. I was sitting in the auditorium of our high school theater during rehearsal for My Fair Lady when I heard a voice in the row behind me whisper, "Not only does she have white hair, but she's also Chinese." Another voice giggled. Then, in an act that left me in pure disbelief, one of them tugged and pulled out one of my white hairs. (I've had white hairs since I was 14, which is not abnormal for Asians.) They laughed. I sat there, trying to pretend like what was happening was not happening. Then, they did it again. This time, I turned around and asked, "Did you just pull my hair out?" They just laughed. My friend, who had been sitting next to me the whole time, said and did nothing.
That wasn't the worst physical encounter. Pulling someone's hair out, one strand at a time, is upsetting, sure, but does it constitute assault? Maybe not. But what happened in the lunchroom definitely does.
I was sitting with friends, eating my sandwich and minding my own business, when one boy who particularly liked to pick on me started his usual routine of making noises that sounded like mock Chinese within earshot. Then, out of nowhere, he threw an aluminum lid at my head - or tried to. It whizzed past me and hit the floor, but had it struck me, I would have probably sustained a gash. What did I do? Nothing. I was terrified. My friends called him an assh*le but didn't dare face him either - how could you blame them? I didn't realize at the time, but our collective inaction, mine especially, was a microcosm of the imbalance in society's fight against racism.
I remember feeling hopeful when witnessing my fellow classmates react with outrage at the horrors of American slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the violence that they bred. Surely, these same kids would stand up against someone hurling a racial slur at me from across the room, right? Nope.
It was this same wishful thinking that I carried with me on the Eracism trip. This was a trip specifically aimed at raising awareness of racism. It should have, by all means, opened my eyes to the strength of unity among young people. It should have inspired me, instilled new hope in me that for every racist kid, there were dozens more who wanted to put that kid in his place. I couldn't have been more wrong.
As shockingly appalling as my experience on the Eracism trip was, my Indian peer's complacency and desire to stay out of the conflict was the most alarming part. Years later, I realize that this complacency is what keeps the Asian-American struggle out of the public discourse, that perpetuates the harmful "model minority" stereotype, which has been used by white Americans to pit one minority group against another. The mentality essentially boils down to this: "If Asians can succeed in America without causing trouble, why can't you?" But exhibiting outward complacency does not necessarily equate inner peace. Even if one does not react to prejudice, simply enduring it can cause acute psychological effects.
Hair pulling and lid throwing aside, there were countless instances in between, which were perhaps imperceptible to anyone who was not Asian. For example, a boy nonchalantly saying, "This old chink lady . . ." while walking right behind me down the hall or the persistent chorus of mock Chinese that followed me from classroom to classroom, to the mall and grocery store, and even on sidewalks. I was constantly anxious that someone near me was going to make fun of me and my race. As a result, I've developed a superpower: my ears can pick out the words "Chinese" in even the densest crowds.
Besides being a human sensor for nearby prejudice, experiencing racism on a regular basis during my formative years manifested in another way. I had never recognized this condition before my friend, who is half Korean, half Caucasian, put it into very simple and straightforward terms: "Every single person I meet, I have to wonder beforehand, 'But what if they're racist?'" Huh. Yeah. I guess that's a thing I do too, I thought. At least that was the case all through college, before I moved to New York City and its diverse population slowly dismantled the suspicious scope through which I met every single human. I had yet to even hear the term "white privilege" at the time, but I already fully understood what it meant.
Clint Smith writes about this subconscious - or sometimes conscious - anxiety in the black community in his piece "Racism, Stress, and Black Death" for The New Yorker. Of course, the context he describes is far more grave than my adolescence. As a result of this country's long history of racial profiling, which has led to dozens upon dozens of fatal police shootings, black men and women have developed "profound psychological implications" that endure and linger after an incident of profiling is over, Smith writes: "Simply perceiving or anticipating discrimination contributes to chronic stress that can cause an increase in blood-pressure problems, coronary-artery disease, cognitive impairment, and infant mortality."
Although I have experienced the same anticipation of discrimination, my anxiety pales in comparison to the perpetual fear that one's life may be in jeopardy that the black community feels all too often. The psychological ramifications I was left with were far less harmful, ranging from a blanket distrust when meeting new people to a naive acceptance of Asian fetishism, because compared to the anti-Asian sentiment I had experienced, any kind of appreciation was a welcome change.
The Start of a Movement
Make no mistake: I have been fortunate in my encounters with racism. I have yet to experience real violence or institutional discrimination, but that does not mean that either does not exist. While there may be far fewer hashtags advocating for Asian-American rights, there is indeed a cause for them.
On Oct. 9, New York Times editor Michael Luo published an open letter to an anonymous woman who had yelled at him to "Go back to China!" In recounting his personal story, he opened up a dialogue with a national audience, and soon his story started trending. In the days that followed, the Times published several follow-up pieces, including a video of Asian-Americans recounting their own instances with racism using the hashtag #thisis2016. This is exactly the kind of dialogue that needs to be started in order for Asian-Americans to join the overall conversation on race.
In June of this year, 17-year-old Michael Tarui launched a hashtag, #BeingAsian, that has been used hundreds of times to describe what it's like, well, being Asian, whether that's being met by strangers with "ni hao" because they automatically assume you're Chinese or being perceived as "not Asian" enough if you're multiracial.
In May, a group of Asian-American cultural leaders, including comedian Margaret Cho, YA author Ellen Oh, and The Nerds of Color founder Keith Chow, launched the hashtag #whitewashedOUT to raise awareness of Hollywood's tendency to whitewash Asian characters. One tweet in particular, posted by comedian Hari Kondabolu, cited financial motivation as a major factor: "Capitalism fuels Racism. Whites are cast over Minorities, not out of hatred, but because of the assumption of higher profit.#whitewashedOUT."
This assessment extends beyond Hollywood. A former colleague of mine experienced this profit-driven discrimination at a media company. The site's "Identity" category on the homepage listed black, Hispanic, and even "white privilege" as topics. But according to her, when she asked her manager why there was no Asian or Asian-American subcategory, he responded, "Asian doesn't sell."
This is mild on the spectrum of anti-Asian discrimination. While the vast majority of hate crimes are directed against African-Americans, Asian-Americans are far from exempt. According to an NBC News report from February, members of New York's congressional delegation urged the NYPD to investigate a recent spike in crimes against Asian-Americans in the city. In a letter, they pointed out that between 2008 and 2014, "Asian/Pacific Islander" was the only group for which the percentage of victims rose for every type of crime. One month later, leaders in NYC's Asian-American community met with police officials to address their concerns that these crimes were not being labeled hate crimes, even though they believed the victims were targeted because of their ethnicity.
As heinous as these crimes are, they don't fit neatly into the law enforcement and frayed community narrative and therefore struggle to fit into the collective conversation on race. However, as this 2014 Time piece points out, there have been plenty of cases of police violence against Asian-Americans in recent history. Perhaps the fact these incidents make up a small fraction of police brutality cases overall explains why no movement to advocate for Asian-American rights has ever solidified to gain national attention.
So where does that leave Asian-Americans in the fight for racial justice and equality? I don't pretend to have the answers, but if my experience is any indication, then I think it all comes down to not staying silent. We must join the conversation, like Luo did.
Asian-Americans must remember that, despite the different circumstances, they need to stand united with other minority movements like Black Lives Matter, because justice for one group is a precedent for justice for all. And those who would unabashedly support Black Lives Matter should not hesitate to stand up to discrimination against their Asian-American peers - this is something I hopelessly wished for in high school. Take inspiration from the many Asian-Americans who actively support the Black Lives Matter movement and use your voice; use your vote. For other minority groups and for your own. This is precisely the type of social awareness that needs to be created and championed in order to give Asian-Americans a seat at the racial justice table. It starts with us, because we owe it to ourselves to enact change.
If I've learned anything at all from 28 years of living as a minority in America, it's that the ongoing fight to end racism should not be a segregated effort. Though there are different nuances that plague the Muslim community vs. the black community and there are prejudices in the Latino community that Asian-Americans will never understand, we all have one common thing uniting us: we all want to be treated equally. And, at the very least, that includes not being discriminated against on student field trips to end discrimination.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story contained a lead photo featuring actress Constance Wu, which mistakenly implied that she participated in the story. Wu was not involved in the writing of this story, nor was she a source. POPSUGAR apologizes for the error.
As a Biracial Woman and Former Evangelical, Trump's Racism Is All Too Familiar
I used to be an evangelical Christian. I helped lead people in worship, or "ushered them into the presence of God," as we used to say. I traveled the world crooning out the message of the gospel at conferences hosted by my church, a mostly white evangelical megachurch in the suburbs of Chicago. On the weekends I sang for as many as 16,000 people. It was a lofty thing to be part of, a "calling" I believed in wholeheartedly. During the years that I served in this congregation, before I walked away from the religion I'd grown up with and embraced even more intensely in college, racial reconciliation as a ministry focus became more prevalent in my church. This term - "racial reconciliation" - may be most familiar to those in religious communities. Back then, I understood it to be a kind of evangelical model for tackling racism in the church, one that emphasized diversity, relationships, and the need to address systemic causes fueling racism in society. However, these same ideals and goals are also embodied in more widely known terms like racial justice and social justice.
When the leadership team decided to do a series of services focused on this topic, I was drafted to tell a piece of my story. As a biracial woman - and usually the only woman of color singing on stage - it seemed my time had come. I wrote a brief account, summarizing in one minute a personal experience with racism. The memory I chose to relate involved a family in that church, though I didn't reveal that detail. I told the congregation about how a former white boyfriend's parents, particularly his mother, persuaded him to end our relationship because they were uncomfortable with my blackness. I said the fact that they were all Christians undermined my confidence in God's love for me; it made me wonder if He loved white Christians more than black ones. I sang a song about love and unity and building bridges.
People came up to me afterwards, some weeping, apologizing for random things. Looking for absolution that I could not give. Seeing in me - at least for a moment - the entire black community, because for better or worse, we are never singular, always plural. I soaked it up. In that era of my life, I wanted to believe I was like Esther and had been called "'for such a time as this' (NIV, Esther 4:14)." I was inspired and hopeful. Maybe the church could help bridge that space between black and white. Maybe because I'd come from both places, I was uniquely equipped to be part of that healing. I love my family - black and white. But there had been a rift long ago, and I'd grown up occupying the expanse between them. It was lonely and I was sick of it. I wanted healing for myself and, on a larger scale, for all of us.
That was in 2001. By the time Barack Obama was elected to his first term in 2008, I no longer wanted to be part of any church environment. Disillusionment festered over that 7 year period as I witnessed a hyper-image-conscious handling of ministries and the people in them, a theological certainty among fellow congregants I couldn't relate to, and culminated in a manipulative and misleading interview process for a ministry job in the church. Ultimately, the thread of racism running through my time there put me over the edge. Indeed, in the years that followed the experience with my ex's family, I racked up more than a few racially charged confrontations with white Christian friends and acquaintances from the church. There were comments about darker black skin looking like an ape's; there was an email I received warning me that Barack Obama was not a citizen. All these moments left me with a nagging skepticism about the efficacy of racial reconciliation as a ministry in the church. Did the white evangelicals who subscribed to it in theory really want to help? Did they really want justice? Maybe a better question is were they able to see something in themselves that needed to change to bring any of this to fruition? Or were they in denial?
The 2016 election of Donald Trump and its aftermath incited that skepticism about racial justice in me once again. In fact, on a recent Sunday, as the banal melodies of contemporary worship music wafted up through my dining room windows from a nearby nondenominational church, my thoughts began revisiting the past. I recalled that moment on stage at the megachurch, talking about my ex's family. I thought about what it had been like for me as a biracial woman in a mostly white evangelical congregation. Why white evangelicals voted for a man like Mr. Trump and why I'd experienced the racism I did while among them seemed like twin inquiries comingling in my mind as I got my daughter's breakfast ready that morning. Two spoonfuls of cottage cheese and one poached egg later, I puzzled over one simple fact: Trump spoke in the language of racists and xenophobes and it seemed to be of minimal concern at best or resonate with them at worst. It was certainly not enough to dissuade them from casting their votes in his favor.
Even now, it appears they continue to stand by him: even after Charlottesville; even after chastising black athletes for peaceful protests against police brutality, suggesting they are ungrateful, calling them disrespectful "sons of b*tches." Even after Trump's tepid response to Puerto Rico's suffering following Hurricane Maria, his "blame the victim" stance, and his thinly veiled threats to remove aid, he is rewarded with their loyalty. In fact, it seems as if the "conversation" happening now only includes them while the rest of us watch and listen on the sidelines.
It is not my intention to paint all of evangelicalism with a broad brush. I know there is a contingency within this branch of Christianity that is sincere about racial justice. They are inspired by people like Reverend Jim Wallis and Reverend Dr. William Barber. They are comprised of mostly blacks, Hispanics, and Asian and Pacific Islanders, but also a large number of whites. They did not vote for Donald Trump. (I don't personally see how anyone that truly cares about such things could.) But they were not - and seemingly are not - the majority. I can only speak to what I was exposed to while active in a predominantly white evangelical subculture. Perhaps all of these scenarios I've related were unique to the church I once attended. But I suspect it is symptomatic of a bigger problem in the church at large.
For a good portion of my life, I have been timid when faced with racist comments or behaviors demonstrated by white people. I default to the social survival instincts born out of a childhood spent in racial isolation. Giving the "benefit of the doubt" has typically been my modus operandi. It often translates to silence or the most palatable, watered-down version of what I really want to express. On those infrequent occasions when I've called out a white friend or family member's propensity for racial bias and/or racist thinking, they are not able to own it for long, if at all. The deflection and defensiveness that often follows comes in various forms of "you should be grateful," "what aboutisms," and other false equivalences or excuses.
This was the way with my ex-boyfriend's mother. Not long after I spoke during the racial-reconciliation-themed services at my old church, she called to apologize "for the way we treated you," she said. There had been a pang of conscience. Maybe she'd heard me speak or someone close to her had. I could hear anxiety in her voice, a rushing through sentences and marginal regret. She couldn't commit to it, though, and quickly began defending her actions. She objected to us as a couple "out of concern for what her son would face." She had students who were biracial and saw "how hard it was for them, caught in the middle." It's a twisted logic that masquerades as caring but seems to suggest I, and others like me, would be be better off not existing. She lectured me, a biracial woman, as if I had no clue what my hypothetical children would face. I wanted to say, "It's people who think like you that make it difficult." Instead, I listened and thanked her for calling. She was afraid and embraced a response to that fear which she knew was inappropriate. Nevertheless, her discomfort with interracial marriage and biracial children rated above doing the right thing. In the end, she let herself off the hook. And to my regret, so did I.
While I was part of the megachurch, I often observed this same troubling attitude around race, typically in moments when I did not strive to be palatable but was more straightforward, less "sugar coated." It articulates itself with an air of kindly smugness, in which the righteousness of an evangelical Christian is sacrosanct. It can not be challenged with charges of racism. They have, after all, been remade in Christ's image and imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit. How can they be guilty of racism? They don't use the "N" word and they may even have black friends. They don't engage in lynchings or burn crosses or march with neo Nazis and white supremacists. They denounce these things publicly, so isn't that proof they are blameless? They are good, Christian people. And yet, they have empowered and continue to support a man who repeatedly demonstrates that he does not value the lives of black and brown people as much as white ones. He has put me and my family in harm's way with his inability or unwillingness to definitively and authentically disavow white supremacy. Like my ex-boyfriend's mother, white evangelicals are so thoroughly convinced by and invested in a sense of their own righteousness and moral high ground, they have undone the work of reconciliation.
That Sunday morning in church all those years ago, I did not share what were, for me, profoundly more intense details of the relationship with my ex-boyfriend's family. Granted, I was one of many people on the stage that day. I had to be brief. But I often wish I hadn't tried so hard to make what I needed to say easier for the church to hear. I still remember the shame and bewildered frustration in my ex's voice as he repeated his mother's words to me over the phone: "If the two of you date, that's fine . . . but if you got married and had children . . . I'm not sure I could love them as much as I love your sister's kids." Such words took my breath away then and still have the power to suffocate, especially now that I do have a child who is biracial. I wish I'd told the congregation about those remarks and that they'd been made by a woman among their own ranks. As long as white evangelicals believe this mindset is only wreaking havoc in other places, they are absolved from having to address it among themselves.
Even though I no longer see myself as a part of that community, I still carry a certain amount of love for it and residual pain from it. There is some piece of me that still hopes the church has something valuable to contribute to the cause of racial justice. It's probably why I feel the need to, in my own way, hold white evangelicals accountable. I want them to do better.
But when I consider the very real danger of war as Trump threatens North Korea, angers our allies, and alarms even those close to him enough to speak out about it, I can see that opposing ideologies and differences aside, we are all of us bound together in our shared vulnerability against a true existential crisis. This awakens my compassion, my desire to find common ground, and a willingness to have those hard conversations. My past with the evangelical church is akin to being wounded, soul-deep, by a family member or close friend: you may want to make peace with them somehow, but you do so with the knowledge that you might never be as close as you once were. A price has to be paid, and truth is the currency.
Why Travel Is Extremely Important in This Political Climate
For a while, it seemed almost hopeless when I scrolled through Facebook only to find that another tragedy had happened. It's almost like we've become numb to these incidents. Each time something happens, it becomes more and more difficult for people to feel that anywhere in the world is safe. It's frustrating and disheartening to think of joyous things to do, but now with the worry that at any moment your life could be taken from you by some terrible person.
So many things have happened in the world lately that give the impression to foreigners that it's not safe to be where these events have occurred. But this isn't true. Yes, things happen and it does seem that it's concentrated in certain places right now, but that's not what daily life is really like there. The world seems very messed up, due in large part to the fact that we have the internet to show us what's happening 24/7. But we shouldn't let this taint our world view.
Despite - or maybe because of - this rapidly changing world and the political climate, now may the time to buy that plane ticket anyway.
Travel educates you in a way that "book learning" never can.
While it seems as if there is no obvious solution to the problem of violence in the world, one of the only things you can do to contribute to the passing on of information between cultures and countries is to rid yourself of the ignorance that can sometimes be embedded into us by news and other sources. Some grew up thinking Africa was a homogenous country, not a continent with over 50 countries, each thriving in their own way. Others were told the Middle East was not even a place to add to our bucket lists. What they forgot to tell us is that the history there is rich and beautiful, and the people are kind and welcoming.
The more someone travels, the more their eyes are opened to all in the world rather than just the Westernized version many grow up being exposed to. One important type of activism you can be a part of is to dare to put yourself in a position that makes you think or changes your perception. Travel is something that can do that time and time again. It educates you in a way that "book learning" never can.
Social media has given us a stronger, more amplified view into the xenophobic minds of politicians who seem to have a goal of making their citizens fearful of anything different. But different is good. Diversity is beautiful. This is the same reason people escape their hometowns to seek enlightenment in a new city. Those who want to know the wonderful things the world really has to offer should seek it by getting stamps in their passport.
And even if half of the awful stuff being said to us is true and we are doomed, then doesn't it make sense to experience as much of our planet as soon as you can? "Now or never" seems to be the motto of this current political climate when it comes to worrying about borders being shut at any moment or bans being put in place for no logical reason. With leaders who wish to keep us in and everyone else out, maybe that trip you were afraid to take for so long should start looking more attractive to you, like the bad boy in a leather jacket your parents told you to stay away from, but under the facade, there lies heart of gold just waiting to be explored.
Net Neutrality Was Just Repealed - Here's What That Means For You
Net neutrality - or the right to a free, open internet - took a massive hit on Dec. 14 when federal regulators voted to repeal the Obama-era rules that prohibited telecommunications companies from commodifying the web into "fast" and "slow" lanes and from blocking access to certain websites and applications. With a 3-2 majority among the voting commissioners, Republicans took home a victory for the Trump administration's war on regulation. But just because it's on the Trump agenda doesn't mean that it's an issue that the GOP felt strongly about repealing. Instead, the vast majority of Americans - including four out of every five Republicans - were very much against this sort of repeal on the basis that it does far, far more harm than good. Ultimately, the driving motivation for those tasked with the decision was not making the internet better for consumers but increasing revenue for companies like Comcast and Verizon.
But what does this decision mean for us, as people who use the internet?
Firstly, it's important to note that we likely won't start feeling the brunt of the repeal in the next few weeks, or even months - at the end of the day, we're still talking about bureaucracy, and a decision of this magnitude doesn't appear on paper overnight. But once the decision has been fully entered into the federal register, internet service providers will then be able to carve out restrictions around the way we access, consume, and use the internet. At that point, companies will be able to take anticompetitive actions (slower speeds, fees for access) against platforms like Netflix and Hulu in order to drive consumers back to having monthly cable services and bundles, and, even more frighteningly, they'll be able to dictate the speed at which we can access certain parts of the web without having to explain themselves for it. That means that in a worst-case scenario, socially driven movements could have their online presence silenced (or, at the very least, slowed down) if their interests do not align with those of the cable providers, and there would be no repercussions for it.
Not all is lost just yet, though. We're now facing down what's sure to be a messy, widespread battle being fought not only in courtrooms across the country but on the floor of Congress as well. Ultimately, this means that now more than ever, it's crucial that we draw as much attention to this issue as possible - through calling representatives, staging protests, and taking action through the myriad organizations that will soon spring up to fight this - because the only way to ensure that this does not get pulled off as is is to make sure that it does not leave the news. There are a number of different lawsuits that are expected to be filed, and Congress has already started receiving bills to backtrack the action. But unless constant pressure is being put on those decision makers who have the power to change net neutrality's fate, it could be pushed aside for other pressing issues or used as an inappropriate bargaining chip in an already-gridlocked Congress.
For now, make your voice heard - and don't accept the fate of a blocked, gridlocked internet. We've come way too far to let this be decided by three individuals in a hearing, and as things develop, we will be sure to provide you with any and all actions you can take to ensure that we're able to keep the internet that we all deserve.
10 Insider Tips For Upping Your Candy Crush Game
Candy Crush is celebrating its fifth birthday this year, and if you're anything like me, you're still just as addicted to crushin' that candy as you were back in 2012. Here's the thing: as with any game, the further along you get - and for most of us, that's pretty damn far - the harder it can be to progress, and the more often you find yourself scraping the internet for every last hot tip you can find to ease yourself along to the next oh-so-sweet level.
So to make things just a tiny bit easier for all the like-minded individuals out there, I went straight to the source: below, you'll find 10 insider tips from Rasmus Eriksson, senior level designer for Candy Crush Saga. Here's to five more years of our favorite candy-colored mobile game - and to always reaching "delicious" status on the very first try.
- Try to make Special Candies when you can; they are extremely useful for getting you out of a sticky situation. In order to create a Striped Candy, all you need to do is match four regular Candies in a row. To activate it, match it with two Candies of the same color to create a line blast. Matching it with another Striped Candy will create a double line blast, which is even better!
- To make a Wrapped Candy, you'll have to match four Candies in either a T or L formation. To activate it, match it with two or more Candies of the same color. The result of this combination is quite powerful. The Wrapped Candy will explode (twice!), clearing all Candies in its blast radius - nine square tiles.
- If you're playing a level that requires you to collect a certain number of points, make as many Wrapped Candies as you can - you'll not only clear Blockers and unwanted Candies, but you'll also receive a ton of points, which can be especially helpful.
- The Color Bomb is definitely my favorite Special Candy! Activating a Color Bomb will clear every Candy on the game board of any one color, so if you match your Color Bomb with a red Candy, all the red Candies on the game board will be destroyed!
- When you encounter levels involving the creamy Frosting blocker, it helps to activate line blasts or double line blasts with the Special Candy combinations to clear the board.
- When you hit a level where you need to clear the Jelly on the board, it helps if you can activate a Swedish Fish booster to generate three swimming Swedish Fish that will remove three random Clear Jelly tiles.
- On the collection mode levels, try to match a Color Bomb with a Candy that you don't need to collect - its removal from the game board will cause cascades that will assist you in the task of collecting Candies you need.
- If there isn't much movement on the game board, try to make matches at the bottom of the board - it will cause cascades and help you beat those tricky levels!
- If you get stuck on a Chocolate Fountain level, try to hold off on clearing the Frosting above the Chocolate Fountain for as long as you can to avoid the game board being filled with Chocolate!
- Keep an eye on the Chocolate - it can easily grow out of control. This is where those Special Candies can come in handy.
Michelle Obama, Queen of Subtle Shade, Takes Jab at Trump's Twitter Habits
Michelle Obama's latest public appearance has us wishing she were back in the White House more than ever before. The former first lady recently took the stage at The Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago to discuss all things social media and appeared to make a subtle jab at Donald Trump's infamously unprofessional Twitter habits. But she did it in the classiest, most artful way possible: without even uttering his name.
During a sit-down chat with poet Elizabeth Alexander, Obama touched on the importance of using social media platforms in a cautious and educated manner. "This whole 'tell it like it is' business, that's nonsense," she explained.
And then came the true zinger. "You just don't say what's on your mind. You don't tweet every thought," she said. "Most of your first initial thoughts are not worthy of the light of day." Although the former FLOTUS was quick to clarify that she wasn't "talking about anybody in particular," the crowd's reaction certainly said it all, as many let out audible chuckles and rounds of applause, surmising that she was referring to the current POTUS. On top of that, Alexander semi-sarcastically added, "Hah, we are so not talking about anybody in particular."
Obama went on to make one last social-media-related suggestion to the crowd: "You need to think and spell it right and have good grammar too." Though she insisted her comments were aimed at all social media users, we can only assume they were a thinly veiled dig at Trump, a man whose vocabulary includes made-up terms like "covfefe." Watch the video clip below to see what else the newly crowned Queen of Subtle Shade had to say at the Summit.
Michelle Obama is totally not shading Donald Trump's tweeting habits. Nope, not at all. http://pic.twitter.com/KunTJZgw4K
- Mashable News (@MashableNews) November 1, 2017
Um, the White House's World AIDS Day Proclamation Seems to Be Missing Something
On Nov. 30, the White House released an official proclamation about World AIDS Day. While the release presents some scant statistics, attempts to bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and commemorates the 35 million lives lost in the decades since discovery, there seems to be a rather glaring omission. There's not a single mention of LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, or other demographics that are the most at risk when it comes to contracting the virus.
World AIDS Day, which was founded in 1988, is the first-ever global health day. According to the official website, it is "an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness."
As a point of comparison, more than a few high-risk groups were mentioned in last year's proclamation, signed by former President Barack Obama. "Gay and bisexual men, transgender people, youth, black and Latino Americans, people living in the Southern United States, and people who inject drugs are at a disproportionate risk," the 2016 proclamation read. "People living with HIV can face stigma and discrimination, creating barriers to prevention and treatment services."
There's no debate as to whether or not the LGBTQ+ community faces the greatest risk in the context of HIV. The National Institutes of Health's fact sheet for the disease lists children and adolescents, women, gay and bisexual men, older adults, and drug and alcohol users as the specific populations that are more affected. What's more, the site says that "in the United States, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are the population most affected by HIV." This fact in and of itself explains why the lack of specificity in the 2017 proclamation seems particularly egregious.
The omission is unfortunately not the first instance of LGBTQ+ erasure in the White House. In January, the "LGBT rights" page disappeared from the official White House website. In June, President Donald Trump failed to recognize LGBTQ+ Pride Month. In another same-but-different move, the White House also excluded any mention of Jewish people when commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Suffice it to say, omissions like this may just become business as usual.
Dictionary.com's Word of the Year Is a Not-So-Subtle Dig at Ivanka Trump
Dictionary.com sure as hell isn't afraid to put the Trumps on blast. Just one year after calling out Donald Trump's apparent desire to keep non-Americans out of the country by naming "xenophobia" as 2016's Word of the Year, the shade-throwing online dictionary is back at it again by granting "complicit" the Word of the Year designation for 2017. The choice may seem random at first, but boy is it relevant - and, for what it's worth, it not-so-subtly calls out Ivanka Trump in the most glorious way.
"Complicit means 'choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having partnership or involvement in wrongdoing.' Or, put simply, it means being, at some level, responsible for something . . . even if indirectly," Dictionary.com explained in an official announcement about 2017's Word of the Year.
Searches for the word's meaning have spiked various times throughout the year, with the first of said spikes occurring in March after Saturday Night Live debuted a skit with Scarlett Johansson posing as Ivanka Trump to advertise her new fragrance called "Complicit." In the satirical ad, the product was marketed as: "The fragrance for the woman who could stop all this, but won't." Yet another spike in searches came the following month after Ivanka sat down with Gayle King and admitted she doesn't know what it means to be complicit. "If being complicit is wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact then I'm complicit," she said during the interview on CBS This Morning. Aaand *cue the facepalm*.
Dictionary.com, therefore, is totally calling out Ivanka's claim that the word can be used in a positive manner. "As many of you know from looking up the definition of complicit, there's nothing positive or good about it. In fact, being complicit is decidedly negative," the online dictionary explained in its 2017 Word of the Year announcement, referring to Ivanka's tendency to keep quiet about her father's disturbing rhetoric while still touting herself as a feminist and advocate for women's rights.
But calling out Ivanka isn't the real reason the dictionary chose complicit as this year's winner - it runs deeper than that. "It's a word that reminds us that even inaction is a type of action," it explained. "The silent acceptance of wrongdoing is how we've gotten to this point. We must not let this continue to be the norm. If we do, then we are all complicit." We couldn't agree more.
Of course, Dictionary.com couldn't resist stoking the fire a bit and added yet another hilarious jab at the Trumps while breaking the news on Twitter. The dictionary's account joked that our POTUS's beloved made-up word, covfefe, was the Word of the Year.
We're so excited to announce that the Word of the Year is covfefe!
JUST KIDDING! But it is complicit. https://t.co/duT1xbaA5D#Complicit #WordOftheYear #ScaredYouDidntWe http://pic.twitter.com/P8fIL5LKOk- Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) November 27, 2017
Needless to say, people were beyond here for the shade.
I had to search and see this tweet for myself, daaaaaaaamn http://pic.twitter.com/eQSY74gTZF
- Novalinnhe Rowe (@novalinnhe) November 27, 2017
cc: @IvankaTrump
- ___📎___ (@ThinSkinTrump) November 27, 2017
🤓Y'all are #wildAF . 🤣 http://pic.twitter.com/CXf5zaowla
- Mom of All Capes (@MomOfAllCapes) November 27, 2017
Whoever runs this feed, you're my best friend. #shadyassdictionary #❤️
- swayllo (@swayllo) November 27, 2017
Lets hope word of the year for 2018 is Indictments or Impeachment.
- VeniceForHillary (@VeniceForHRC) November 27, 2017
Joe Biden Telling Meghan McCain to Have Hope While Her Dad Battles Brain Cancer Will Leave You in Tears
Joe Biden stopped by The View as a guest cohost, and little did we know that his segment would leave us in actual tears. It all started when Meghan McCain asked him about his book Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose, in which he wrote extensively about his late son Beau's battle with the same cancer John McCain was just diagnosed with six months ago. McCain started crying almost immediately, and just like the amazing human being that he is, Biden got up and walked over to sit next to her and held her hand the entire time.
"This is the hard part, bear with me, OK," she said as she started crying. "I couldn't get through your book, I tried. Your son Beau had the same cancer that my father was diagnosed with six months ago. I think about Beau almost every day and I was told that this doesn't get easier."
Watch the whole clip above, and get ready to have tissues on hand - because the way McCain breaks down while talking about her dad combined with the compassion Biden shows for her will absolutely break your heart.
Seeing These Aussies Celebrate the Same-Sex Marriage Win Will Make Your Heart Sing
On Dec. 7, same-sex marriage was officially legalized in Australia. Following a momentous "yes" vote in a countrywide postal survey, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would change the legal definition of marriage in the country.
Following the bill's passing, Parliament broke out into song and many Aussies reveled in celebrations of their own. It was a historic moment not just for same-sex couples, but the country as a whole. Take a look at some of the best celebratory pictures ahead!
Are Donald Trump's Teeth Real? An Investigation
On Dec. 6, President Donald Trump took to his favorite medium outside of Twitter - television - to announce that Jerusalem would be recognized as Israel's capital. The decision will result in the relocation of the US embassy to the city, a controversial move that could violate international law.
Yet one of the biggest takeaways from Trump's speech wasn't actually related to what was said but how he said it: he slurred his way through his final thoughts. Many tweeted their thoughts on Trump's vocal issue, inspiring #DentureDonald and the new name of our country, "Unanasighs."
"God bless the Unanasighs." http://pic.twitter.com/KHwppBsKVq
- bobby finger (@bobbyfinger) December 6, 2017
What happened? Given Trump's age and diet, many factors appear to be at play. At 71, Trump is at risk for many vocal-affecting ailments from Parkinson's disease to dysarthria, a speech disorder resulting from weakened facial muscles as a result of brain damage caused by stroke, tumors, or chronic diseases like ALS or muscular dystrophy. Another factor is diet; an inflamed tongue - or glossitis - can sometimes cause slurring and can be attributed to "nutritional deficiencies" from a lack of iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Given Trump's penchant for fast food, "nutritional deficiencies" that can inflame the tongue wouldn't be surprising. Another factor could be alcohol but, alas, Trump is a noted nondrinker.
Trump trying to keep his awful teeth in his mouth is whatever the opposite of ASMR is. http://pic.twitter.com/UcYp9H3g5b
- chris person (@Papapishu) December 6, 2017
The most probable reason is that his teeth just aren't real. As CNN found from speaking with speech language pathologist Michael de Riesthal, failing dentures were likely the culprit: de Riesthal noted the president's "working hard to speak" as the result of "having a denture fall or some other alternative explanation" related to a dental device or procedure acting out at an inopportune time.
Because this is a very pressing matter, White House spokesperson Raj Shah has spoken out on the matter in a conversation with the Los Angeles Times: Shah attributed the problem to a dry-mouth episode before noting that "the President is perfectly healthy." Take note, Trump teeth truthers.
This CNN Anchor Was Not Having It When Her Guest Went on a Rant About His Love of "Boobs"
Wow I think Fox Sports Clay Travis is some Stern wanna be. What a total jackass! @BrookeBCNN #cnn #brookebaldwin #claytravis #foxsports http://pic.twitter.com/1sKNnNJC3f
- Alive In Philly (@AliveInPhilly) September 15, 2017
A CNN segment went fully off the rails on Sept. 15 when Fox Sports radio host Clay Travis made a comment so randomly offensive that it stopped host Brooke Baldwin dead in her tracks.
Travis was on air with Baldwin and journalist Keith Reed to discuss ESPN's response to Jemele Hill's comments calling Donald Trump a white supremacist, which she has since apologized for sharing publicly. Both Trump and White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders have called for Hill to be fired in the wake of her comments, raising an important debate about the First Amendment, ethics, censorship, and race. Ostensibly, those were the topics Baldwin intended to discuss during her show, but Travis had other designs.
Travis first attempted to argue that while he didn't really think Hill should be fired, ESPN had a duty to let Hill go because of a precedent they set when they axed former host Curt Schilling following a transphobic Facebook post he shared. Travis's argument was already on shaky logical ground, and then he chose to completely torpedo any shred of credibility he may have had, making a statement more befitting of one of the fourth graders on South Park than a professional sportscaster.
"I believe in only two things completely: the First Amendment and boobs," Travis said.
Baldwin, who was understandably flabbergasted, had to ask him to repeat himself. "Hold on, hold on. I just want to make sure I heard you correctly and as a woman anchoring the show," Baldwin jumped in. "What did you just say? You believe in the First Amendment and b-double o-b-s?"
"Boobs. Two things that have only never let me down in this entire country's history. The First Amendment and boobs."
Baldwin and Reed - who also happens to be a friend of Hill's - were both incensed, and rightfully so:
Don't watch Clay Travis say sexist crap. Watch Brooke Baldwin shut it down. http://pic.twitter.com/mNoodf7NqV
- Eric Morrow (@ericmorrow11) September 15, 2017
While it might be easy to write off Travis's comments as immature and buffoonish - which they certainly were - they also displayed a total disrespect for Hill, the gravity of her situation, the seriousness it deserves, and for the female host of the show and human women everywhere. Both Baldwin and Reed took to social media after the segment was cut short to further share their distaste for what went down.
Now, we'll just have to wait and see if Fox Sports follows Travis's recommendation that ESPN fire its controversial staffers by handing him a pink slip all his own.
Does Donald Trump Have a Dog? No - and That’s Not Even the Craziest Part
Presidents tend to have a lot in common. They are married to spouses who work to carry on American values, with whom they live in the same house and with whom they assumedly sleep in the same bed. They raise largely successful children who don't work for them and who they've never mentioned wanting to sleep with. They are hardworking and smart, available at all hours to fight for America. They rarely take time off for leisure save for brief reprieves with literature. And they have a dog - or two.
Much of the same cannot be said of our current president, Donald Trump. In fact, Trump is the first president in more than 100 years to be dogless. This gaping hole in Americanness shouldn't be that shocking given Mr. Trump's contrarian, "Drain the swamp!" style.
Several presidents have gone dogless, but the last president to be without a dog was William McKinley, who was commander in chief from 1897-1901. However, according to the Presidential Pet Museum, McKinley did have pets: he had a parrot, two angora kittens, and roosters. Does Trump have any pets? The Presidential Pet Museum believes not.
Also of note before McKinley is Andrew Johnson. He didn't have a dog, was impeached in 1868 and apparently "left flour out at night for a family of white mice playing in his room" amidst the political drama. Pet food for thought.
One fluffy, silver lining is that Trump has reportedly attempted to get a dog in recent months, specifically a goldendoodle named Patton. As the New York Post reported in January, Trump was set to adopt the pup from friend Lois Pope, but Pope kept the dog after forming a connection with it herself. Pope claims Trump listed his constant traveling as a reason why he'd be a poor owner. Hmm.
Further proof that Trump seems to be anticanine? He loves insulting people by saying they failed or choked "like a dog" on Twitter.
Mitt Romney had his chance to beat a failed president but he choked like a dog. Now he calls me racist-but I am least racist person there is
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2016
.@EWErickson got fired like a dog from RedState
and now he is the one leading opposition against me.- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2016
Wow was Ted Cruz disloyal to his very capable director of communication. He used him as a scape goat-fired like a dog! Ted panicked.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 23, 2016
Union Leader refuses to comment as to why they were kicked out of the ABC News debate like a dog. For starters, try getting a new publisher!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2016
.@GlennBeck got fired like a dog by #Fox. The Blaze is failing and he wanted to have me on his show. I said no - because he is irrelevant.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2015
I hear that sleepy eyes @chucktodd will be fired like a dog from ratings starved Meet The Press? I can't imagine what is taking so long!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2015
Obama called Reverend Wright his friend, counselor & great leader--then dumped him like a dog!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2012
Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again--just watch. He can do much better!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2012
Egypt is a total mess. We should have backed Mubarak instead of dropping him like a dog.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2012
We're anxious to know what will become of Trump's presidential pet ownership, but we do know one thing: getting a dog might help solve his failing disapproval ratings. As the Washington Post observes, a presidential dog offers good publicity and bipartisan relatability. They also provide personal benefits like stress reduction and loyalty.
Might not want to let that sleeping dog lie, President Trump.
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