Monday, 31 August 2015
Sad story but true
@Leagueofblogger Newborn baby dies in dad's arms while parents waited 2 hours for a midwife President Buhari has sacked the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu (pictured above) and announced Yahaya Gusau as his replacement.
A statement from the director of press and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Marcshall Gundu, Mr Gusau's appointment takes effect from August 18th with a term of four years renewable for another 4 years. The reason for Mr Okogu being fired was not stated in the statement.
Until his appointment, Mr Gusau who hails from Zamfara state was the director, fiscal policy, budget monitoring and evaluation and acting director- general, Budget Office of the Federation at the exit of the former Director-General, Dr Bright Okogu. August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months.August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months.August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months.August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months.August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months.August 20, 2015 – Mercy Johnson Pregnant Again: Nollywood Actress Expecting 3rd Child, Flaunts Baby Bump On Eviction Day Movie Set
Kogi Born Actress Conceived 6 Months After Delivery, Baby Number 3 On The Way
Less than a year after she delivered her second child, Henry Okojie in Maryland, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has caught another belle flu from her “Superman”, Prince Odianosen Okojie.
Few days ago, Mercy Johnson stormed the set of Eviction Day, a movie produced by Vitus Nnebue with a growing baby bump.
Because of her condition, colleagues reportedly pampered her accordingly.
A Nollywood insider said Mercy Johnson’s new pregnancy is close to 4 months. #leagueofblogger
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Congrats @mialouisa1 You have been nominated to participate in this week's contests. Get as many likes as you can. #outfitoftheweek2 #simdif Goodluck
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Congrats @kitkat_pastel You have been nominated to participate in this week's contests. Get as many likes as you can. #outfitoftheweek2 #simdif Goodluck
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Congrats @favy_ose. You have been nominated to participate in this week's contests. Get as many likes as you can. #outfitoftheweek2 #simdif Goodluck
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Congrats @call_me_andre. You have been nominated to participate in this week's contests. Get as many likes as you can. #outfitoftheweek2 #simdif Goodluck
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Hehe @_dee_flexx the winner of #outfitoftheweek. Looking forward to seeing the winner of #outfitoftheweek2 goodluck guys! Tag your life out
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Saturday, 29 August 2015
Keep tagging. #outfitoftheweek2 starts tomorrow! #simdif
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Tuesday, 25 August 2015
Bank Manager Arrested For Ordering The Demolition Of Her Husband’s Factory
Twelve suspected thugs have been arrested and charged before Isolo Magistrates’ court for their alleged involvement in the demolition of a furniture factory in Ajao Estate, Lagos State, western Nigeria.
The police at Ajao Estate division have also arrested a bank manager, Mrs Blessing Okpoko in connection with the pulling down of the factory owned by her husband, Ifeanyi Okpoko.
We gathered that the couple had been at loggerheads and had gone to a Lagos High Court seeking for the dissolution of their 13-year-old marriage that produced three daughters
The couple also seek the sharing of their properties.
The couple in their petition are accusing each other of infidelity and constant quarreling which resulted in the divorce suit at the court.
The suit was still pending at the court when the thugs invaded the factory kown as Multicraft Interior located at 14, Alhaji Lukeman Atobajeun Street, Ajao Estate and pulled down the structure.
Items worth millions of naira were also destroyed during the demolition exercise.
While the demolition was going on, Ifeanyi contacted the DPO, CSP Ade Adedeji who mobilised his men and arrested the thugs.
The police also recovered a bus and instruments allegedly used in cutting the iron rods used in building the factory.
Narrating what happened, Ifeanyi said he was in the house when his workers phoned and informed him that three Air Force officers with arms and thugs invaded the factory and chased them away and started demolishing the structure.
He said he contacted the DPO who sent his men there, adding that before they got there, they had destroyed the structure and damaged his machines.
He said the Air Force officers escaped while the suspects were arrested and detained at Ajao Station.
He said the property was subject of litigation at the high court and the court was yet to decide the matter before the demolition.
Ifeanyi said he was not given any prior notice of demolition from any quarters or court.
At the station, Blessing told our correspondent that she contracted those who went to demolish the place because the land was not in dispute and as such belonged to her.
She said she went to Alausa and obtained the necessary documents for the demolition and she has documents which showed she owns the land. She said she was surprised when she went to the station and saw that those who went to the place to demolish it were suspected thugs which was contrary to the agreement with those she gave the contract to demolish the place.
She also said there was no court order to demolish the place except the one she obtained from Alausa.
However, the court documents obtained by our reporter indicated that the land was listed among other properties to be determined by the court in the divorce suit.
The suspected thugs have been charged to court while Blessing was yet to charged to court pending the conclusion of further investigation.
Monday, 24 August 2015
A Sustainable City Would Continue to Keep Cars out of Times Square
One of the signature programs of Mike Bloomberg's time as New York City's mayor was an effort to take street space from motor vehicles and give it over to other uses: sitting, biking and walking. Unfortunately, some of those uses in Times Square have come to include aggressive Elmos and painted semi-nude women. Recently, Police Commissioner Bratton suggested that the Square should be re-opened to traffic or, as he said, "just dig the whole damn thing up!" Mayor de Blasio then agreed that binging cars back might be a good idea, and appointed a city task force to study the issue.
It's a good idea to figure out a way to make Times Square's public space a more positive and family-friendly environment. It's a good idea to look at the design and make it a more attractive space. It's a bad idea to force pedestrians back into traffic as they were in the bad old days before Times Square banned motor vehicles. Commissioner Bratton is a great police commissioner but a lousy sustainability planner. I can't figure out what is happening to Mayor de Blasio; his Vision Zero traffic safety program is having a profound and positive impact on New Yorker's driving habits and is improving pedestrian safety, but now he has suggested literally throwing pedestrians under the bus, truck and car in Times Square. Let's remember, the purpose of the Times Square Plaza was to provide pedestrian safety, speed north-south traffic, and create a new and attractive public space.
Times Square is jammed with people. People pour out of hotels, theatres, chain restaurants and retail establishments night and day. The plaza absorbs some of that human traffic and provides space to sit and relax. On the nearby streets that permit motor vehicles, pedestrian traffic is heavy and difficult to navigate. Unless we want to give up on the economic powerhouse that we've created in Times Square, we need to cope with and learn to regulate our experiments with new forms of public space--not give up on them.
One of the most important goals in New York City's sustainability plan is to improve and increase the amount of the city's parklands. Turning the pedestrian plazas in Times Square into a city park would increase the city's ability to regulate behavior and make clear that the changes in land use are now permanent. The issue of free speech is far from trivial, but those issues remain if motor vehicles are present or are absent, and continue if the plaza is declared a park or retained as a pedestrian mall.
Like many New Yorkers, I avoid Times Square when I can, but if you go to the theater or have business in midtown, it is hard to avoid. I try to stay away because it is crowded and moving around is difficult. In other parts of town, pedestrians are walking to get somewhere; in Times Square tourists are ambling, talking and gawking. However, it was more difficult to navigate before the plaza then it is today. The sheer volume of pedestrian traffic forced people to walk in the street. Bringing cars back would only increase congestion and increase danger.
One of the goals of the Times Square plaza was to help address traffic gridlock. The issue was the impact of Broadway on the Manhattan street grid. North of 14th street in Manhattan, most of the island's streets are laid out in a north-south, east-west grid. Broadway, the city's original north-south thoroughfare, is different; it cuts a diagonal path from southeast to northwest. In Greenwich Village, Broadway is on the East Side; in Morningside Heights it is on the West Side. Each time Broadway crosses a major north-south street, it creates a traffic jam. We see that on the Upper West Side when Broadway crosses Columbus Avenue at 64th and 65th street and when it crosses Amsterdam Avenue at 71st street. By limiting Broadway's use as a north-south thoroughfare in midtown, the hope was that traffic would be diverted to other north-south streets that could better handle the load. Another hope when the Times Square plaza was created was that more people would use mass transit to get to Times Square.
Even if the Plaza does not speed traffic, we still need beautiful and plentiful public spaces. The trade-off between regulating public behavior and free speech can be difficult, but must be taken on if we are to have public space in sustainable cities. Since we need more of these public spaces rather than fewer spaces, the behavior in Times Square is a challenge of governance that must be taken on by our mayor, city council, courts and police commissioner. The commissioner knows that even though demonstrations can be annoying and expensive to police, it is the job of his department to allow them and to keep them peaceful and safe. Additional and new forms of public space will be invented in the coming decades: parks like the High Line, plazas like Times Square, floating parks on the waterfront, rooftop parks, and who knows what else we might see? We can also expect new forms of mass behavior brought together by the internet. The NYPD has shown the ability to meet new challenges from terrorism to flash mobs. We need an effective strategy and set of rules for Times Square, not a retreat from public space because the people who use them can be obnoxious.
It would be tragic to abandon rather than improve the public amenity that has been created in Times Square. Over the past decade, New York City has been gaining population and it is likely that within the next decade we will be a city of nine million people. That will be a more congested and less pleasant place unless we are able to improve mass transit and build new and more creative public spaces. In the competition for global business and population, a city needs to be safe and orderly, but dynamic and exciting as well. When I was growing up in Brooklyn, my father could drive us to mid-town Manhattan and park on the street. There were fewer people back then and many fewer cars, but that is the city of the past and unless catastrophe strikes, it is not coming back. Let's not turn back the clock. The Times Square plaza is part of the city of the future.
It is good that Mayor de Blasio has formed a task force to deal with the behavioral, free speech and design issues generated by the Times Square plaza. However, the option of re-opening the plaza to vehicular traffic should be taken off the table. Moreover, the development of additional public spaces should become a higher priority in all five of the city's boroughs. Aggressive panhandling should be regulated and banned if possible, and performance art should be regulated and managed as well. Public space is a necessity--not a luxury--in the more densely settled sustainable cities of the 21st century. These parks should be safe and pleasant shared spaces that create a positive experience and impression. Many cities in the developing world lack these public spaces and the absence of such spaces places them at a competitive disadvantage. New York City has a large public park system that should be seen as a civic and economic asset worthy of care and greater investment.
One part of that investment is ensuring the fact and perception of safety in New York's public spaces. New York City's police department is arguably the most capable police department in the world. It has learned how to police parades, demonstrations and all types of odd people and groups that are attracted to the "city that never sleeps." The policing rarely requires force, but often requires strategy, information and technology. The NYPD's success at crowd control is obvious and well known. Moreover, the police force that has learned to deal with the ever-present threat of global terrorism can certainly handle Cookie Monster, the Joker and a little public nudity. We cannot afford to close or surrender public spaces because they are difficult to police.
It's a good idea to figure out a way to make Times Square's public space a more positive and family-friendly environment. It's a good idea to look at the design and make it a more attractive space. It's a bad idea to force pedestrians back into traffic as they were in the bad old days before Times Square banned motor vehicles. Commissioner Bratton is a great police commissioner but a lousy sustainability planner. I can't figure out what is happening to Mayor de Blasio; his Vision Zero traffic safety program is having a profound and positive impact on New Yorker's driving habits and is improving pedestrian safety, but now he has suggested literally throwing pedestrians under the bus, truck and car in Times Square. Let's remember, the purpose of the Times Square Plaza was to provide pedestrian safety, speed north-south traffic, and create a new and attractive public space.
Times Square is jammed with people. People pour out of hotels, theatres, chain restaurants and retail establishments night and day. The plaza absorbs some of that human traffic and provides space to sit and relax. On the nearby streets that permit motor vehicles, pedestrian traffic is heavy and difficult to navigate. Unless we want to give up on the economic powerhouse that we've created in Times Square, we need to cope with and learn to regulate our experiments with new forms of public space--not give up on them.
One of the most important goals in New York City's sustainability plan is to improve and increase the amount of the city's parklands. Turning the pedestrian plazas in Times Square into a city park would increase the city's ability to regulate behavior and make clear that the changes in land use are now permanent. The issue of free speech is far from trivial, but those issues remain if motor vehicles are present or are absent, and continue if the plaza is declared a park or retained as a pedestrian mall.
Like many New Yorkers, I avoid Times Square when I can, but if you go to the theater or have business in midtown, it is hard to avoid. I try to stay away because it is crowded and moving around is difficult. In other parts of town, pedestrians are walking to get somewhere; in Times Square tourists are ambling, talking and gawking. However, it was more difficult to navigate before the plaza then it is today. The sheer volume of pedestrian traffic forced people to walk in the street. Bringing cars back would only increase congestion and increase danger.
One of the goals of the Times Square plaza was to help address traffic gridlock. The issue was the impact of Broadway on the Manhattan street grid. North of 14th street in Manhattan, most of the island's streets are laid out in a north-south, east-west grid. Broadway, the city's original north-south thoroughfare, is different; it cuts a diagonal path from southeast to northwest. In Greenwich Village, Broadway is on the East Side; in Morningside Heights it is on the West Side. Each time Broadway crosses a major north-south street, it creates a traffic jam. We see that on the Upper West Side when Broadway crosses Columbus Avenue at 64th and 65th street and when it crosses Amsterdam Avenue at 71st street. By limiting Broadway's use as a north-south thoroughfare in midtown, the hope was that traffic would be diverted to other north-south streets that could better handle the load. Another hope when the Times Square plaza was created was that more people would use mass transit to get to Times Square.
Even if the Plaza does not speed traffic, we still need beautiful and plentiful public spaces. The trade-off between regulating public behavior and free speech can be difficult, but must be taken on if we are to have public space in sustainable cities. Since we need more of these public spaces rather than fewer spaces, the behavior in Times Square is a challenge of governance that must be taken on by our mayor, city council, courts and police commissioner. The commissioner knows that even though demonstrations can be annoying and expensive to police, it is the job of his department to allow them and to keep them peaceful and safe. Additional and new forms of public space will be invented in the coming decades: parks like the High Line, plazas like Times Square, floating parks on the waterfront, rooftop parks, and who knows what else we might see? We can also expect new forms of mass behavior brought together by the internet. The NYPD has shown the ability to meet new challenges from terrorism to flash mobs. We need an effective strategy and set of rules for Times Square, not a retreat from public space because the people who use them can be obnoxious.
It would be tragic to abandon rather than improve the public amenity that has been created in Times Square. Over the past decade, New York City has been gaining population and it is likely that within the next decade we will be a city of nine million people. That will be a more congested and less pleasant place unless we are able to improve mass transit and build new and more creative public spaces. In the competition for global business and population, a city needs to be safe and orderly, but dynamic and exciting as well. When I was growing up in Brooklyn, my father could drive us to mid-town Manhattan and park on the street. There were fewer people back then and many fewer cars, but that is the city of the past and unless catastrophe strikes, it is not coming back. Let's not turn back the clock. The Times Square plaza is part of the city of the future.
It is good that Mayor de Blasio has formed a task force to deal with the behavioral, free speech and design issues generated by the Times Square plaza. However, the option of re-opening the plaza to vehicular traffic should be taken off the table. Moreover, the development of additional public spaces should become a higher priority in all five of the city's boroughs. Aggressive panhandling should be regulated and banned if possible, and performance art should be regulated and managed as well. Public space is a necessity--not a luxury--in the more densely settled sustainable cities of the 21st century. These parks should be safe and pleasant shared spaces that create a positive experience and impression. Many cities in the developing world lack these public spaces and the absence of such spaces places them at a competitive disadvantage. New York City has a large public park system that should be seen as a civic and economic asset worthy of care and greater investment.
One part of that investment is ensuring the fact and perception of safety in New York's public spaces. New York City's police department is arguably the most capable police department in the world. It has learned how to police parades, demonstrations and all types of odd people and groups that are attracted to the "city that never sleeps." The policing rarely requires force, but often requires strategy, information and technology. The NYPD's success at crowd control is obvious and well known. Moreover, the police force that has learned to deal with the ever-present threat of global terrorism can certainly handle Cookie Monster, the Joker and a little public nudity. We cannot afford to close or surrender public spaces because they are difficult to police.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Why The Press Can't Figure Out Trump
Read, or better yet, talk to a political reporter or Republican operative about the Donald and you find a pattern. Left, Middle and most of the Right there is contempt, head-shaking and bad, predictable jokes. He's spoken of as stupid, unqualified, bombastic, out-of-touch and inexplicable. There's no deep understanding of the reasons for his surge among Republican primary voters. We have a chattering class and a political class that doesn't understand what's going on.
Let's take the conventional adjectives and examine them one at a time.
STUPID - No. He's made his way in the worlds of business and entertainment with enough success so that it's not luck. He is certainly unfamiliar with lots of what government and Presidents have to understand and decide (Imagine the Oval Office conversation around developing federal policy on the Western drought or end-of-life care. Yikes). But the family genes (sister a Federal appellate judge, father a start-from-scratch developer) and a careful review of what he says shows that he's not stupid.
UNQUALIFIED - Depends. The same thing was said about a movie actor, a Missouri Senator/Vice-President, and a community organizer, all of whom have done reasonably well. Deep experience in the government gave us George Bush. Deep policy thinking gave us Bill Clinton. Engineering school gave us Jimmy Carter. Part of a President's job is to bond with the country, and to give voice to the electorate at least that part of it that votes for him or her. There he's qualified.
BOMBASTIC - Oh yeah. So was Teddy Roosevelt and he's up on Mt. Rushmore. It does give one pause about what the conversations with Putin or Queen Elizabeth will be like, but there's no intrinsic reason to prefer elegant mumbling to a big-mouth.
OUT-OF-TOUCH - With who? With reporters, pundits and editorial boards? Absolutely. With a third of the Republican primary electorate? Boy is he in touch. There is a problem here for Trump and it may be insoluble. Americans expect their President to have a decent and humane empathy for all of God's children. Trump's idiosyncratic outbursts are most remarkable for their lack of kindness and concern for many, many people. At some point, this will trouble a lot of voters, other than the tribe of angry right-wingers who have congealed around the Donald. He will need a broader base than what he now has. An empathetic Trump may bring him more support, but it could cost him dearly as well.
INEXPLICABLE - Not really, if you're willing to think about it. Trump has hit a nerve, mainly as a consequence of the transformation of the Republican Party. A solid fourth of Rep voters hate the government, hate incumbents and hate the political system. They bring social attitudes about gender, race, sexual orientation, poverty, guns and more that are deeply felt in the white South and seem old fashioned elsewhere. It's not the Party of Lincoln, Teddy R. or even Nixon and Reagan. It's the home for millions of George Wallace, "legitimate-rape", Sage Brush Rebellion, Charlton Heston, Fox News Americans. And they get to vote like everyone else.
The Republican establishment has lost control. Wall Street, the Koch Brothers, the Chamber of Commerce are as aghast and perplexed as liberal journalists. They're hoping that Dorothy throws a pail of water on the Donald and he melts. For now the GOP is in an insoluble bind. For as long as his poll numbers remain strong, Trump will define the issues, the tone, and the events that will lead to the nomination. That will be entertaining, but it will define the Republican Party in ways the general electorate will reject.
Free advice: Be Like John. Take Trump seriously. Try to understand him. Ignore his shtick. Don't get dragged to the right. Conduct oneself with dignity and calmness. Be patient and become the "anti-Trump"inheriting a lot of voters who don't want the Donald to define their party or the election. Only John Kasich seems to have figured this out.
Let's take the conventional adjectives and examine them one at a time.
STUPID - No. He's made his way in the worlds of business and entertainment with enough success so that it's not luck. He is certainly unfamiliar with lots of what government and Presidents have to understand and decide (Imagine the Oval Office conversation around developing federal policy on the Western drought or end-of-life care. Yikes). But the family genes (sister a Federal appellate judge, father a start-from-scratch developer) and a careful review of what he says shows that he's not stupid.
UNQUALIFIED - Depends. The same thing was said about a movie actor, a Missouri Senator/Vice-President, and a community organizer, all of whom have done reasonably well. Deep experience in the government gave us George Bush. Deep policy thinking gave us Bill Clinton. Engineering school gave us Jimmy Carter. Part of a President's job is to bond with the country, and to give voice to the electorate at least that part of it that votes for him or her. There he's qualified.
BOMBASTIC - Oh yeah. So was Teddy Roosevelt and he's up on Mt. Rushmore. It does give one pause about what the conversations with Putin or Queen Elizabeth will be like, but there's no intrinsic reason to prefer elegant mumbling to a big-mouth.
OUT-OF-TOUCH - With who? With reporters, pundits and editorial boards? Absolutely. With a third of the Republican primary electorate? Boy is he in touch. There is a problem here for Trump and it may be insoluble. Americans expect their President to have a decent and humane empathy for all of God's children. Trump's idiosyncratic outbursts are most remarkable for their lack of kindness and concern for many, many people. At some point, this will trouble a lot of voters, other than the tribe of angry right-wingers who have congealed around the Donald. He will need a broader base than what he now has. An empathetic Trump may bring him more support, but it could cost him dearly as well.
INEXPLICABLE - Not really, if you're willing to think about it. Trump has hit a nerve, mainly as a consequence of the transformation of the Republican Party. A solid fourth of Rep voters hate the government, hate incumbents and hate the political system. They bring social attitudes about gender, race, sexual orientation, poverty, guns and more that are deeply felt in the white South and seem old fashioned elsewhere. It's not the Party of Lincoln, Teddy R. or even Nixon and Reagan. It's the home for millions of George Wallace, "legitimate-rape", Sage Brush Rebellion, Charlton Heston, Fox News Americans. And they get to vote like everyone else.
The Republican establishment has lost control. Wall Street, the Koch Brothers, the Chamber of Commerce are as aghast and perplexed as liberal journalists. They're hoping that Dorothy throws a pail of water on the Donald and he melts. For now the GOP is in an insoluble bind. For as long as his poll numbers remain strong, Trump will define the issues, the tone, and the events that will lead to the nomination. That will be entertaining, but it will define the Republican Party in ways the general electorate will reject.
Free advice: Be Like John. Take Trump seriously. Try to understand him. Ignore his shtick. Don't get dragged to the right. Conduct oneself with dignity and calmness. Be patient and become the "anti-Trump"inheriting a lot of voters who don't want the Donald to define their party or the election. Only John Kasich seems to have figured this out.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
A 5-Minute Exercise That Will Boost Your Mood
On left: Positive emotions, On right: Negative emotions
Look over the emotional states above and on a separate piece of paper write down any you've felt in the past 24 hours. If you felt some really strongly -- or for an extended period of time, not just a fleeting moment -- feel free to add one, two, three, four or even five check marks. Then tally the number of words and checks for positive emotions (your PE total) and negative emotions (your NE total). Divide your PE by your NE to calculate your positive emotion ratio. If, for example, you have 12 checks for positive emotions and six for negative emotions, your ratio would be 12/6, or 2.
Your PE ratio is a good gauge of how resilient you are in times of stress, according to research conducted by Barbara Fredrickson, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The higher your proportion of positive to negative, the better able you are to rebound from setbacks, and the more likely you are to achieve your goals.
Boost Your Score
To increase your positivity number, you need what I call power-ups. In video games, they are the bonuses you collect to make you stronger (like the power pellets in Pac-Man that help you devour the ghosts). Real-life power-ups are anything that creates a quick moment of pleasure, strength, courage or connection: a song that makes you feel powerful, a food that gives you energy, a five-minute activity that brings you peace. Try to collect and activate at least three power-ups every day. As you implement the right strategies, your ratio -- and resilience -- will rise. (For more power-ups, visit SuperBetter.com.)
If your score is higher than 3...
Way to go! With a number this high, you're likely to be adept at mental power-ups, which may be more difficult for those who are less resilient. Use these when you hit trouble spots:
Press reset: Having a bad morning? Close your eyes for one minute. When you open them, imagine your day is starting over.
Look to the future: For a quick jolt of optimism, think of something you're looking forward to in the next 24 hours and a month from now.
If your score is between 1 and 3...
Try physical power-ups. Research has found that you can have success with boosts that make you feel better physically. A couple of joy-inducing ideas:
Get some sun: Go outside and stand in the sunlight, even if you have only five minutes to spare.
Give yourself a hug: Show your body a little self-love by telling it what a great job it's doing -- just the way it is.
If your score is lower than 1...
Get started with social power-ups that bring you closer to others. Positive social connections have been shown to improve a person's PE ratio and are useful for those with low scores. Two ways to upgrade your relationships:
Cheer someone on: Think of a friend who is struggling right now, and send her a few words of encouragement. It'll boost your mood, too.
Create a friends and family playlist: Ask each person in your inner circle to choose one inspiring song you should download.
Also on HuffPost:
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Taylor Swift Reveals Sneak Preview Of 'Wildest Dreams' Video
Good news, Swifties, the video for "Wildest Dreams" is almost here.
On Sunday night, Taylor Swift teased fans with a 15-second clip of her latest video on Twitter. She added the caption, "Wildest Dreams music video preview. Full video debuts VMA night. Get ready. #WildestDreamsMusicVideo."
In the clip, we see a close-up shot of someone's eye (probably Swift's), a dazzle of zebras (yes, that is the proper collective term) running on an open field, some type of bird in the sky and Swift and a man in a passionate embrace. If the pop star and Darren Aronofsky had a love child, it would be this video.
The full version will debut at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, but you can check out the preview clip.
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The Mall Doesn't Have to Suck
When I first met my wife she said I was an unusually patient man. The word unusually really stood out, as if there was something wrong with me. She assured me there wasn't, it had just surprised her. We talked a bit about past relationships and our family (daring first date topics), and concluded my patience came from growing up with two older sisters. I'd spent most of my childhood waiting for them to get off the phone or free up the TV. Rarely did I get my turn at either, that's why I'm still awkward when making calls and can effortlessly quote Cocktail. Whenever our family went out, I'd quietly wait at the door, decked-out in my sassy hand-me-down Strawberry Shortcake shirt and tapered mom jeans, while my sisters endlessly shouted from the bathroom that they'd be "Just a minute!" I actually believed them.
I recently went to the mall with my wife, and as we entered Forever 21 I plopped down on that one random seat they reserve for sad men and pulled out my iPhone, only to discover that it was down to 1% battery. Two tweets later I gazed upon the black screen of death -- my entire world fell apart and I felt like I'd been taken hostage at the mall. I realized I'd lost my patience long ago, I just hadn't noticed as I'd been so busy suckling on my iPhone's teat. I had no choice but to self-entertain and I soon discovered that there's actually plenty of excitement to be had. Trip by trip, I cultivated and honed these creative life hacks. They've bettered our life and we hope they better yours.
The Parking Lot Is Not The Enemy
First off, be a proper gentlemen and drop the lady off at the entrance. Then you're free to park wherever makes you happy.
Once that's sorted, it's time to have some fun as you make your way inside. Be sure to carry a quality reusable store bag, because both our planet and this prop are very important. This bag will also serve well elsewhere, but more on that later. You must now channel your inner Kanye West, because confidence is crucial. Bag in one hand, keys in the other, hustle towards a parked car that's right near the entrance, because that's where people are most likely to be desperately circling. In seconds you'll be spotted, and cars will hunt you like a wounded deer -- He's going to his car, we have a spot, finally!
Don't look back! Just enjoy the vehicles tracking your every step until you stop behind a random SUV and a thumb through your keys. When you feel the glow of an amber signal light, you've landed your first point. Bathe in the glory until the cars queue up, you'll get your second point when someone hits their horn. When this happens, react as if you're complying by rushing for the door of your pretend car like you're about to interrupt a Grammy Award winner's acceptance speech. Only you must continue past it and into the next aisle as if you had the wrong car. Honest mistake! They'll never know. This is evil, but that's also why it's such a glorious bit of joy en route.
D*ckhead Pics
Forget d*ck pics, those are gross. Seriously, stop it! What I propose are d*ckhead pics. The goal here is to go into a clothing store and find the worst outfit possible, hit the change room and take a selfie. This is a d*ckhead pic. You will then text it her way for a guaranteed laugh. I achieved the attached photo in H&M, which is in my opinion the easiest store to pull this off, since most of their men's clothes are absolutely f****** ridiculous.
Get a Job!
Ever wanted to work at Abercrombie & Fitch? Probably not, but it's dark, loud and smells like poisonous synthetic cologne, so they're not likely to stumble across a rotting corpse, let alone a new employee. Make a game out of this. How long can you pose before you get caught? I like to go around and tell people about door crasher sales. Tip: If said game lasts more than 15 minutes it's best that you quit before you become a naturalized employee. Working somewhere for a few minutes vs. pulling an actual shift are very different things.
The Food Court
After that intense fake A&F workload, you're going to need a well-deserved break and to ingest something horrible. Seeing as you're already at the counter, ask for a job application while ordering combo number three. This is a truly fantastic opportunity to fill in the details of a high school bully or that creepy in-law. Be sure to list qualifications that reflect the requirements of said business so they will have no choice but to get the lucky applicant in for an interview ASAP! Bonus points if you specify to call before eight am.
Think Like a Meth Cook
Now, if you really can't handle the mall, then this is my extreme but fantastic advice. To shorten the duration of your trip, I advise a wardrobe choice that will maximize your impact on the viewing public. What I'm about to suggest may cause you great pain, but I'm confident that it will be worth it. In order to cut down on your shopping time you're going to have to do some shopping yourself. Fortunately this portion can be achieved on the Internet. First things first -- you need to buy a pair of Crocs. I recommend the classic ones, not the new line that are just Crocs disguised as almost acceptable shoes a sane person would wear. NO! I am talking these bad boys.
Now hit the web for a Nickelback shirt. I'm sorry, but remember, this is to help you. I recommend getting one with a band shot across it -- you know, where they're posing as if they can make decent music. I couldn't find one at the time of writing, but the shirt I did get is equally loud. To reduce the pain of purchasing said clothing, I would advise getting an unlicensed one, because why give the band more money?
When these shameful tools arrive, throw in an old beanie and hide them in your reusable store bag -- yes, the one I mentioned earlier for the parking lot. You see, this bag is actually your version of Walter White's go bag in Breaking Bad. Walter didn't always need the bag, and neither should you, but if the mall gets to be too much, you just take your go bag to the washroom and change. Soon you'll be standing in the corner of Forever 21 and calling out, "No rush, bae!"
I've never seen her shop so fast. Total mall duration: 15 minutes.
Some will suggest that you should simply kill time by going to see a movie; these people are clearly not in a relationship and haven't been in one for years. If you are in the mall you are on call, and need to be ready to give an opinion at any moment.
If you take just one thing away from this, please let it be the d*ckhead pics. Because more often than not, she may be having a rough time in the mall as well, and this will at least soften the blow of her feeling that, "Nothing f****** fits anymore."
Thanks for reading,
Tommy Campbell
Follow @MrTommyCampbell
I recently went to the mall with my wife, and as we entered Forever 21 I plopped down on that one random seat they reserve for sad men and pulled out my iPhone, only to discover that it was down to 1% battery. Two tweets later I gazed upon the black screen of death -- my entire world fell apart and I felt like I'd been taken hostage at the mall. I realized I'd lost my patience long ago, I just hadn't noticed as I'd been so busy suckling on my iPhone's teat. I had no choice but to self-entertain and I soon discovered that there's actually plenty of excitement to be had. Trip by trip, I cultivated and honed these creative life hacks. They've bettered our life and we hope they better yours.
The Parking Lot Is Not The Enemy
First off, be a proper gentlemen and drop the lady off at the entrance. Then you're free to park wherever makes you happy.
Once that's sorted, it's time to have some fun as you make your way inside. Be sure to carry a quality reusable store bag, because both our planet and this prop are very important. This bag will also serve well elsewhere, but more on that later. You must now channel your inner Kanye West, because confidence is crucial. Bag in one hand, keys in the other, hustle towards a parked car that's right near the entrance, because that's where people are most likely to be desperately circling. In seconds you'll be spotted, and cars will hunt you like a wounded deer -- He's going to his car, we have a spot, finally!
Don't look back! Just enjoy the vehicles tracking your every step until you stop behind a random SUV and a thumb through your keys. When you feel the glow of an amber signal light, you've landed your first point. Bathe in the glory until the cars queue up, you'll get your second point when someone hits their horn. When this happens, react as if you're complying by rushing for the door of your pretend car like you're about to interrupt a Grammy Award winner's acceptance speech. Only you must continue past it and into the next aisle as if you had the wrong car. Honest mistake! They'll never know. This is evil, but that's also why it's such a glorious bit of joy en route.
D*ckhead Pics
Forget d*ck pics, those are gross. Seriously, stop it! What I propose are d*ckhead pics. The goal here is to go into a clothing store and find the worst outfit possible, hit the change room and take a selfie. This is a d*ckhead pic. You will then text it her way for a guaranteed laugh. I achieved the attached photo in H&M, which is in my opinion the easiest store to pull this off, since most of their men's clothes are absolutely f****** ridiculous.
Get a Job!
Ever wanted to work at Abercrombie & Fitch? Probably not, but it's dark, loud and smells like poisonous synthetic cologne, so they're not likely to stumble across a rotting corpse, let alone a new employee. Make a game out of this. How long can you pose before you get caught? I like to go around and tell people about door crasher sales. Tip: If said game lasts more than 15 minutes it's best that you quit before you become a naturalized employee. Working somewhere for a few minutes vs. pulling an actual shift are very different things.
The Food Court
After that intense fake A&F workload, you're going to need a well-deserved break and to ingest something horrible. Seeing as you're already at the counter, ask for a job application while ordering combo number three. This is a truly fantastic opportunity to fill in the details of a high school bully or that creepy in-law. Be sure to list qualifications that reflect the requirements of said business so they will have no choice but to get the lucky applicant in for an interview ASAP! Bonus points if you specify to call before eight am.
Think Like a Meth Cook
Now, if you really can't handle the mall, then this is my extreme but fantastic advice. To shorten the duration of your trip, I advise a wardrobe choice that will maximize your impact on the viewing public. What I'm about to suggest may cause you great pain, but I'm confident that it will be worth it. In order to cut down on your shopping time you're going to have to do some shopping yourself. Fortunately this portion can be achieved on the Internet. First things first -- you need to buy a pair of Crocs. I recommend the classic ones, not the new line that are just Crocs disguised as almost acceptable shoes a sane person would wear. NO! I am talking these bad boys.
Now hit the web for a Nickelback shirt. I'm sorry, but remember, this is to help you. I recommend getting one with a band shot across it -- you know, where they're posing as if they can make decent music. I couldn't find one at the time of writing, but the shirt I did get is equally loud. To reduce the pain of purchasing said clothing, I would advise getting an unlicensed one, because why give the band more money?
When these shameful tools arrive, throw in an old beanie and hide them in your reusable store bag -- yes, the one I mentioned earlier for the parking lot. You see, this bag is actually your version of Walter White's go bag in Breaking Bad. Walter didn't always need the bag, and neither should you, but if the mall gets to be too much, you just take your go bag to the washroom and change. Soon you'll be standing in the corner of Forever 21 and calling out, "No rush, bae!"
I've never seen her shop so fast. Total mall duration: 15 minutes.
Some will suggest that you should simply kill time by going to see a movie; these people are clearly not in a relationship and haven't been in one for years. If you are in the mall you are on call, and need to be ready to give an opinion at any moment.
If you take just one thing away from this, please let it be the d*ckhead pics. Because more often than not, she may be having a rough time in the mall as well, and this will at least soften the blow of her feeling that, "Nothing f****** fits anymore."
Thanks for reading,
Tommy Campbell
Follow @MrTommyCampbell
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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