Hey, here are some people who really, really should not run for president

March 2017 is probably far too early to start considering the next presidential election, and who the Democrats might send into the breach to take on Donald Trump (assuming he runs for re-election, of course). That said, there’s already an awful lot of rumor and sigh in the news transom about people having sudden-onset political stirrings, including those setting their sights on a 2020 presidential run.

Some of them are the last vestiges of the Clinton network, still high on that old Third Way supply, banking on the belief that the country isn’t yet done with late-1990s nostalgia. But a new group of would-be candidates is on the rise ― extravagantly wealthy wannabes stirred both by the Clinton-era Democratic Party embrace of meritocratic elites and the success of Trump’s outsider run. And if they all have something in common, it’s that they are all the worst possible people for the Democrats to run for office, if you consider the lessons of the 2016 election.

What were those lessons? Well, for one thing, 2016 was the year that the Democratic Party’s obsessions with the professional class finally caught up with it. Amid roaring calls for solutions to widely felt economic inequities, Hillary Clinton ran a campaign largely based on social niceties and boardroom diversification, with some incremental crumbs thrown the way of middle- and working-class strivers.

None of it added up to a compelling enough case against the GOP’s con-man class-traitor to win the election. (And tellingly, some taken-for-granted Democratic strongholds fell to Trump at the exact moment Democrats needed them most.) But if there’s one thing both political parties share, it’s that they are slow to learn their lessons. The fear that the Democrats might stay the course, despite Clinton’s failings, suffused the atmosphere in the recent Democratic National Committee election ― and those who wanted a decisive change are still not sure they’re getting one with the election of former Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez. That some of the Clinton family’s most dedicated hangers-on feel like they are the person to run for office in the Trump era likely won’t soothe their ravaged souls, either.

And then there are the unfortunate side effects of Trump’s win itself, which has apparently touched off a whole new round of thinking as to whether it would be a good idea to examine this moment in history ― in which a brash billionaire-celebrity outsider has ascended to the highest political office in the world ― and consider whether the time is right to have more brash billionaire-celebrity outsiders try to run for president.

That every single day of the Trump presidency has been a scintillating demonstration of the Peter Principle seems to not deter anybody. Instead, the event of a complete and utter billionaire buffoon with no political experience has suggested to a slew of other buffoons that, hey, why not me?

A century or two of yawning inequality has left us with no shortage of such buffoons. Hundreds of these folks have ascended to the dizzying heights of our American oligarchy ― or were born there ― and now gaze downward, gripped with the firm conviction that they should run all that they see below. "Stay in your lane," once the byword of America’s true and most successful innovators, is advice too easily chucked aside by today’s captains of industry. And so, "meritocracy" has become something of a dirty word.

Nowadays, those who have found success in one area are just as likely not to think that their success is translatable to other endeavors. When this turns out not to be the case, comical hijinks ensue. Perhaps the apotheosis of this rich-people folly came when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg thought it would be a good idea to appoint his friend, Hearst executive Cathleen Black, to the position of New York City schools chancellor ― despite the fact that her relevant experience could best be summed up as "not any."

It was a huge disaster, but did anyone learn a damn thing from this experience? (Hmmm, let me check: Oh, yeah, Betsy DeVos is the U.S. secretary of education. So, no, nobody did.)

Still it’s one thing for Republicans to consider running the play ― they’ve obviously managed to make it work, at least in the narrow electoral sense. And their billionaire was no obscure figure. Entering the election with 100-percent name identification, and a years-long run in American living rooms as a fictional, all-knowing business leader, gave Trump legs up that your random billionaire lacks.

Replicating either side of the last presidential election is a losing move for Democrats. But it’s a very tempting one: It’s a notion that allows the easy-breezy fantasy that a massive party overhaul isn’t necessary, and that all of their problems can be ameliorated by either billionaires with quick fixes and cash on-hand, or Clinton 2016-redux candidates with better data and marketing.

With that in mind, here are a bunch of people whose political ambitions should be extinguished with all deliberate haste.

Bob Iger: Who, pray tell, is Bob Iger? Well, for a while, he was a member of Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, a collection of CEO heavyweights who were going to help Trump #MAGA, for which Iger was well suited as the chief executive of Walt Disney. SInce then, it’s been reported that he is mulling making a run for the White House in 2020. Hmmm, maybe he hasn’t thought through this whole politics thing? Apparently not, considering that his inspiration to maybe run for president stems from the fact that he says "a lot of people ― a lot ― have urged me to seek political office." I mean, maybe set your sights a little lower, first time out?

J.B. Pritzker: Having endeavored mightily to paint the past two Republican presidential nominees as out-of-touch wealthy elites ― and having failed to distinguish their own last presidential nominee as something different ― are Democrats stupid enough to make an about-face and run their own billionaire?No, J.B. Pritzker wouldn’t make it out of Iowa without a negative vote total. But even though he’s recently been sniffing around the possibility of running in the Illinois gubernatorial election, that hasn’t stopped him from floating to friends that he’s considering making a run for the White House as well ― or so we’re told by one recipient of such a flatulent flotation. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, had designs on being commerce secretary under Hillary Clinton, just as his sister Penny Pritzker was under Obama. Just stop.

Sheryl Sandberg: According to some election-year rumors, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg was in the running to serve as Hillary Clinton’s treasury secretary. Since then, she’s been rumored to be considering a White House run, amid occasional denials. At the same time, she has recently been more open to Trump’s overtures. She was one of those Silicon Valley leaders who met with Trump prior to the inauguration. As Slate’s Helaine Olen notes, Sandberg made no public mention of the Women’s March that took place afterwards, a curious move for the "Lean In" maven ― at least until you consider the fact that "Lean In" is a disingenuous brand-washing scheme, and that Sandberg is especially unwilling to criticize her C-suite peers for crimes against women in the workforce.

Howard Schultz: The Starbucks CEO has said "never say never" to a presidential run. Indeed, Schultz would be the fever-dream candidate of the No Labels set: his political "brand," insofar as he has one, is essentially based around his core belief that everyone in politics should be a lot nicer to each other. This worldview most famously manifested itself in the short-lived March 2015 "Race Together" campaign, in which Schultz ― after having mostly eliminated manual espresso machines in Starbucks stores ― tasked baristas with bridging America’s racial divide. If you want a president who believes that all of America’s problems can be solved by constantly throwing corporate culture at them, he’s your guy.

Mark Zuckerberg: Hey, let’s see: Do we really want the founder and CEO of Facebook ― a business that depends on learning as much about your private life as possible, more and more every single day, always probing and collecting, never ceasing in its sleepless drive to know everything about you, better than you could possibly know yourself, until the very idea of "privacy" becomes an obsolete concept and individual autonomy is subordinated to a set of bloodless algorithms and advertisers are straight-up living inside your dreams ― to be our president? I dunno, man. As Big Brother might say, that sounds doubleplusungood!

Chelsea Clinton: Anyone else notice how after the election, Chelsea Clinton has been slowly creeping into our lives? There’s been this gradual ramping up of Total Chelsea Clinton Awareness, and along with it, the gradual ramping up of yet another Clinton’s political career ― even though, up until now, Chelsea Clinton has essentially been nothing more than a lodestar for other people’s money to find their way into Clinton bank accounts. (I read here that she was paid $600,000 to do journalism? Holy cats, how long did it take Jimmy Breslin to make $600,000?) Anyway, she’s been tweeting lately ― tweets that feel a little too clever, but not enough to be thought of as "edgy" ― the sort of social media output that makes you want to look for hidden wires. Hillary Clinton got a lot of stick ― unfairly so ― for lacking authenticity, but her daughter’s recent re-emergence feels like a ghost in the shell being willed into existence by a team of P.R. firms. We don’t suspect we have to fear a run in 2020 from Chelsea. But let’s please add every year in the future, ever, to that safe space.

Terry McAuliffe: The biggest beneficiary of the Clinton family to not have actual Clinton family DNA (probably, anyway!), McAuliffe revived his political career by winning the 2013 gubernatorial election in Virginia. It was close. Too close, considering he was running against a throwback Christian conservative ideologue in the form of Ken Cuccinelli. During the 2016 campaign, McAuliffe distinguished himself by telling reporters at the Democratic National Convention that Hillary Clinton was definitely going to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal after the election. The TPP, if you recall, was the thing convention-goers booed and jeered more lustily than Donald Trump. McAuliffe and his spin-team later tried to walk this back, saying that it was just McAuliffe who supported the TPP, which ― is still not good? Anyway, he is basically kooky, has a lot of funny-money connections, and suffers from the fact that Virginia has a one-term term limit for governor, leaving him with an itch that has to be scratched, probably with a huge pile of donor money that could be put to any number of more productive purposes.

Andrew Cuomo: The Clintons and Cuomos have never been particularly warm to each other, but the two political dynasties, eternally orbiting one another, have managed to seamlessly apply the transactional-slash-triangulating political style they share in common to their interpersonal relationships. Now, as rumors mount that Cuomo is considering a White House bid, he’s welcoming former Clinton campaign staff into his fold, where they’ll likely discover similarities to their natural habitat. Liberals have, in recent months, thrilled to Cuomo’s stance on fracking and his defense of immigrants, but they’re setting themselves up for huge disappointments. Cuomo, who is astonishingly petty and mean-minded, has done more to dampen the fortunes of New York’s Democratic Party than New York Republicans have. And he’s corrupt as all get-out to boot ― his most notable accomplishment as governor was to shut down the Moreland Commission anti-corruption inquiry as soon as the probe starting sniffing around targets with ties to the governor ― and getting away with it.

That, right there, is a murderer’s row of the exact wrong candidates for the Democratic Party, who’d be better advised to begin the hard work of rebuilding their party’s foundations and restoring a deep bench of new policymakers with fresh ideas. This is not the moment to try to lock arms with a gaggle of dilettante 1-percenters, promising to do what Trump pulled off. And it’s certainly not the time to try to revive the fortunes of their political cousins ― the broken remnants of the Clinton machine.

Drown these candidacies in the bathtub, right now.

Hey, Here Are Some People Who Really, Really Should Not Run For President

Or any public office. Under any circumstances.

Donald Trump,U.S. News,Hillary Clinton,Republican Politics,u.s. presidential elections,political science,Democratic Politics,Democratic Party,Political Commentary,Clinton,Chelsea Clinton,2020 election

Bob Iger
J.B. Pritzker
Sheryl Sandberg
Howard Schultz
Mark Zuckerberg


Gun control protest sparks chaos in US Congress

1/10 House Speaker Paul Ryan stands at the podium as he brings the House into session in Washington House Television via AP

2/10 Democrat members of Congress, including Rep John Lewis, longtime civil rights leader, leading a Democratic sit-in on the House floor over gun control Rex

3/10 Democrat members of Congress, including Rep. John Lewis, middle, and Rep. Joe Courtney, left, participate in sit-down protest seeking a a vote on gun control measures Rep. John Yarmuth via AP

4/10 House Speaker Paul Ryan gavels the House into session House Television via AP

5/10 Members of Congress during the sit-in protest AFP/Getty Images

6/10 Protesters chant on East Front of the Capitol to show solidarity with House Democrats' sit-in on the floor calling on Republicans to allow votes on gun violence legislation Rex

7/10 Democrat members of Congress, including, front row, from left, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., participate in sit-down protest seeking a a vote on gun control measures Rep. Chellie Pingree via AP

8/10 Charles Bolden, staff assistant of Rep. Robin Kelly, holds a poster with pictures of gun violence victims from Chicago as he walks towards the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington Alex Wong/Getty Images

9/10 Rep. Joe Kennedy III applauds supporters of House Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House Chamber outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington Pete Marovich/Getty Images

10/10 Supporters of House Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House Chamber shout encouragement from outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington Pete Marovich/Getty Images

The transmissions, broadcast by the C-Span network, technically break House rules, but one Democrat representative, Scott Peters, who provided a feed via the Periscope app, said the sit-in was breaking rules anyway.

Protest: Democrats sit down in Congress during the demonstration (AP)

The sit-in was into its 10th hour when Democrats began camping out on the house floor with sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and doughnuts that were shipped in.

When Mr Ryan stepped to the podium to take back control and hold votes on routine business, angry Democrats shouted and waved pieces of paper with the names of gun victims.

Mr Ryan attempted to ignore the outbursts and announce the business of the day, pounding down his gavel over shouting, "shame, shame, shame".

Democrats shouted back before singing "We Shall Overcome," still holding up the names of gun victims.

Even after the House adjourned around 3.15am local time, Democrats stayed on the House floor. Representative Maxine Waters of California said she was ready to stay "until Hell freezes over."

6/49 Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera Facebook/Reuters

9/49 Mercedez Marisol Flores Facebook/AP

10/49 Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 Facebook

11/49 Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez Facebook/AP

12/49 Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez Facebook/AP

14/49 Angel L. Candelario-Padro Facebook/AP

16/49 Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega Facebook/AP

20/49 Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon Facebook/AP

22/49 Jason Benjamin Josaphat Facebook/AP

24/49 Oscar A Aracena-Montero Facebook/AP

25/49 Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosad Facebook/AP

27/49 Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez Facebook/AP

29/49 Christopher Andrew Leinonen Facebook/AP

33/49 Juan P. Rivera Velazquez Facebook/AP

35/49 Miguel Angel Honorato Jose Honorato/AP

36/49 Brenda Lee Marquez McCool Facebook

37/49 Anthony Luis Laureano Disla Anthony Laureano/Reuters

38/49 Deonka Drayton worked at Pulse Facebook

42/49 Alejandro Barrios Martinez Facebook

44/49 Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan Facebook/AP

47/49 Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz Facebook

49/49 Composite of Orlando shooting victims. AP

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said: "Just because they cut and run in the dark of night, just because they have left doesn’t mean we are taking no for an answer.

In the upper house Senators are pushing for a compromise with new legislation that would stop gun sales to a limited number of people who are on some terrorism watch lists.

Mr Ryan has said he will not bring a gun control vote in the House of Representatives.

"They know that we will not bring a bill that takes away a person’s constitutionally guaranteed rights without...due process."

There were chaotic scenes in the lower house of the US Congress today as Democrats staged an extraordinary round-the-clock sit-in to demand a vote on gun control bills. As Republican Speaker Paul Ryan tried to regain control he was met with chants of "no bill, no break". The protest comes in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shootings - the worst terror attack in the US since 9/11. As unruly scenes played out, the Republicans switched off the House TV cameras but Democrats continued to feed live pictures via their phones.

A bunch of people sat in a room for a while and talked about gun control


These North Carolina Businesses Are Giving Brilliant Clapbacks to Governor Pat McCrory

One company makes beer and the other makes sandwiches — but they both have a similar message for North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory: They're not fans of anti-transgender legislation like House Bill 2.

There's been no shortage of transgender activists and cisgender allies willing to speak out against North Carolina's controversial HB2, which requires people to use the bathroom that matches their gender assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. Two local North Carolina businesses have joined the group of dissenters.

Wedge Brewing Company, based in Asheville, revealed via its Instagram that they'd left a hidden message for those who flip their beer cans over to look at the can's silver bottom.

Twitter and Instagram users love the cans, with a few detractors here and .

Can we all agree @WedgeBrewingCo wins the internet today? (Love their beer, too!) #hb2 #northcarolinapic.twitter.com/OsGtg2MqvJ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiIQYuqXIAY2iXD.jpg:large

@WedgeBrewingCo I just might start drinking beer again. #Pricelesspic.twitter.com/6wVpYO12vJ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiYhm3iUkAE4xO-.jpg:large

Might have to take a visit to Asheville to support @WedgeBrewingCohttps://twitter.com/LGBT_Activist/status/731135855046299648 ...

Looks like I'll stay away from @WedgeBrewingCo products.

We've reached out to Wedge Brewing Company for comment but have not yet received a response. This article will be updated with any further communication.

Common Market Deli in Charlotte also lampooned Gov. McCrory with several eponymous sandwiches, including: "Pat McCrory Is Erasing the Future of Our Children!" and "Pat McCrory Is a Weiner!"

"We've done a [sandwich specials] making fun of Bernie Sanders, and we had a 'Shillary' one and we have plans to do something for Donald Trump," owner Blake Barnes told the Daily Dot. "It's funny that this one would be the one that causes all the fuss."

Barnes said he had someone call and force him to "say out loud that I love queers."

To which he responded: "I love all of God's children — it's just their gods that I sometimes have trouble with."

Blake's deli reported on their Facebook page that protesters have begun picketing outside the restaurant.

However, that won't stop Common Market Deli. "No amount of controversy is going to stop us," Barnes told the Daily Dot.

As if we didn't love beer and sandwiches enough.

North Carolina, HB2, McCrory, beer, Identities

The bottom of the cans are printed with F*CK HB2 #StopClickBait

Wedge Brewing Company
Common Market Deli


You probably won’t be able to guess what Michael Douglas’s son has tattooed on his abdomen:

Michael Douglas’s son Cameron was recently released after spending almost seven years in prison on drug charges, and he’s been celebrating his newfound freedom by posting pictures of what Us Weekly appropriately calls his "buff, post-prison bod" to Instagram. One recent shot spotlighted by the tabloid reveals an interesting pair of tattoos. Can you guess, reader, what Cameron Douglas has tattooed on his stomach?

Yes, that’s right: Besides sort of having Michael Douglas’s face on his own face, Cameron Douglas also has Michael Douglas’s face on his right abdomen. (The image of Michael appears to come from Wall Street.) The tattoo is accompanied by an image of Cameron’s 99-year-old grandfather, screen legend Kirk Douglas, on the left. This is the second time Michael Douglas’s middle-aged face has shown up in a surprising place, after Ant-Man.

You Probably Won’t Be Able to Guess What Michael Douglas’s Son Has Tattooed on His Abdomen

Michael Douglas's face on his right ab and Kirk Douglas’s face on his left


Senate confirms first Native American ambassador

The Senate confirmed Keith Harper as ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council Tuesday, making him the first Native American to ever become a U.S. ambassador.

Harper is an attorney who was one of the lawyers behind a landmark class action lawsuit brought by Native Americans against the federal government. President Barack Obama first nominated him in June 2013.

"I’m pleased that my colleagues have voted to appoint another historic first for Indian Country," said Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in a statement. "As a longtime advocate for the civil rights of Native Americans, Keith will be a great Ambassador for our country."

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Harper helped represent around 500,000 Native Americans who brought a class-action suit -- Cobell v. Salazar -- against the United States in the 1990s over alleged federal mismanagement of revenue from mines and oil wells owned by Native Americans.

Senate Republicans objected to his confirmation due to his involvement in the Cobell case and his role as a bundler for Obama's campaign.

"Mr. Harper is just another example of a campaign bundler wholly ill-suited to serve in the diplomatic post for which he's been nominated," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday.

McCain argued that Harper and his colleagues had taken an inappropriately large cut of the settlement in the case in the form of attorneys' fees. He also questioned whether Harper was involved in the distribution of an email to his Cobell clients listing the personal information of four individuals who had appealed the settlement, concerned that it could be harassment. The Indian Country Today Media Network also reported that some Native American lawyers had alleged that Harper used intimidation tactics against other attorneys during the case.

"People like Mr. Harper can't be a party or complicit with a letter attempting to harass Native Americans for exercising their rights, and then expect to obtain the Senate's imprimatur to serve as our nation's ambassador on human rights," McCain said.

Harper's confirmation was approved by a party-line vote of 52-42 and was hailed by Native American groups as a positive step forward.

"Keith’s confirmation is of great accomplishment for all of Indian Country," said Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly in a statement.

One group, the National Congress of American Indians, also called for more nominees to federal posts in the wake of Harper's confirmation.

"Indian Country is full of qualified, talented people who are able and willing to serve," the group said in a statement. "We eagerly anticipate many more nominations of Native people to important offices."

Last month, the Senate also confirmed Diane Humetewa, the first Native American woman to serve on the federal bench.

Clarification: Harper is the first member of a federally recognized Native American tribe to be confirmed as an ambassador for the United States. However, Christopher Stevens — the Ambassador to Libya who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi — was an enrolled citizen of the Chinook Indian Nation and 1/16 Chinook. That tribe is not federally recognized.

Senate Confirms First Native American Ambassador

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Keith Harper to the UN Human Rights Council


Mom Sprays Baby With A Garden Hose. When She Turns Around, He’s COVERED In Blisters

A mom in Arizona is warning other parents about the dangers of letting children play with a garden hose after her toddler was scalded by one. Keep reading for more details!

According to KNXV, Dominique Woodger was filling up a small wading pool for her 9-month-old son on Tuesday when he started crying uncontrollably.

Because Woodger had sprayed the baby boy, she assumed he just didn’t like the water hitting his face.

"I thought he was crying because he was mad ... he hates when he gets sprayed in the face," she said. "I didn’t think that it was burning him."

Then Woodger noticed that her son’s skin was red and already starting to blister and peel.

"All of it was peeling. He had blisters all over the right side," she told KNXV.

According to the station, temperatures reached 115 degrees on Tuesday, meaning the water inside Woodger’s garden hose may have been as hot as 150 degrees.

"At those temperatures, something as short as a 10 or 30-second exposure can result in a second-degree burn," said Capt. Larry Subervi with the Phoenix Fire Department.

Although Woodger’s baby suffered second-degree burns on roughly 30 percent of his tiny body, he’s expected to be OK.

After what happened to her son, Woodger hopes her story can serve as a warning for other families in the area.

"Just be careful. Touch it before you let your kids near it," she said.

An Arizona mom is warning other parents to always check the temperature of their hose before letting their kids play with it after her baby boy was severely burned. According to KNXV, Dominique Woodger was filling up a small wading pool for her 9-month-old son on Tuesday when he started crying uncon


These are 7 guilt-free purchases for your home that are definitely worth the extra cost

When it comes to shopping for the home, there are very few things that I absolutely hate. Buyer's remorse is one of them. As I've become more experienced in making purchases for clients and my own home, I've learned that the quality of certain items shouldn't be compromised due to lack of research or the inability to delay gratification. Delving into a products' specifications, reading product reviews or coming across the right Houzz ideabook can help us feel more equipped to make a decision on high-ticket items for the house. I've always appreciated the saying Buy once, buy right. In other words, purchase the best quality you can afford. Here are seven guilt-free purchases to allow yourself — plus budget-friendly alternatives should you come up a few dollars short.

Often it appears that your options are endless when it comes to window coverings. However, window placement, frame construction and other external factors help narrow your choices.

It's best to seek professional advice when you are confused about which option is best for your home. There's generally no way around custom window treatments when there are unusually tall windows or odd placements. Remain conservative in your choice and they will be a good investment in your home when it's time to sell.

An alternative: Take ready-made curtains to a professional seamstress to have them hemmed and/or add special trimmings that tie into your existing decor.

Consider anything that touches your bare skin an investment in comfort. Bed linens and towels with a high thread count are softer, durable and long lasting.

An alternative: Educate yourself on luxury brands and shop local home discount stores known for carrying famous brands.

Purchasing a quality sofa or other piece of upholstered furniture that stands up to the demands of your lifestyle is always a good idea. Cotton blends that have a high percentage of polyester provide optimal stain resistance and long-term wear.

An alternative: Shop local secondhand stores for pieces with solid wood construction and have them reupholstered in an upholstery-grade fabric of your choice. This can give you a high-quality item for the cost of a lower-quality new piece.

It can take months to find the perfect rug, and when you do, it usually isn't cheap. Costs vary depending on the age, weaving technique, fiber content and dye method. Hand-loomed rugs wear well and have added character and charm. Minor repairs do not affect the value of the rug as long as they have been done well.

An alternative: Until you purchase your dream rug, arrange two smaller rugs side by side to emulate the look of a larger rug. When it's time to replace them with the new rug, the former rugs become available to use in other spaces.

Good health is one of your biggest assets, and a good night's sleep is essential to your well-being. Experts recommend buying what's comfortable for you; there is no one size that fits all. Take your time when shopping for a mattress and select one that provides optimal support when you're sleeping on your side with hips and knees slightly flexed.

An alternative: Purchase a mattress topper as a temporary fix for a mattress that is too firm. It molds to a body's contours, providing pressure relief and eliminating pain in the back, shoulders and hips.

A one-of-a-kind piece by its nature has special value. In addition to adding beauty and interest to the home, fine art gains extrinsic value as time passes.

The alternative: Seek out emerging artists and purchase pieces you love from them. Their work is likely to cost less than that of established artists, and you are still likely to see your investment grow in value over time.

When a homeowner contacted Houzz for advice on kitchen upgrades, fellow contributor Rebekah Zaveloff responded with helpful advice. In regard to replacing the homeowner's old laminate countertops with classic honed granite counters, Zaveloff advised,Black and white never goes out of style. If you want a classic black and white kitchen, go ahead and change out those countertops!

An alternative: If granite isn't in the cards, budget-wise, Zaveloff continued, consider an alternative charcoal gray color called Medea from Corian.

When it comes to shopping for the home, there are very few things that I absolutely hate. Buyer's remorse is one of them. As I've become more experienced in making purchases for clients and my own home, I've learned that the quality of certain items shouldn't be compromised due to lack [...]

Lifestyle,Places & Spaces,Style and Design,Style & Design,architecture,backyard,budget,design,ecofriendly,furniture,green living,Home and Garden,home office,home project,investment,remodeling,renovations,Seattle

1. Window Coverings
2. Linens and Towels
3. Upholstery
4. Room-Size Rug
5. Mattress


Son of alleged mugger returns stolen money to victim gets an AWESOME surprise

After his dad allegedly mugged a woman visiting her husband's gravesite in Moore, Okla., Christian Lunsford made sure to make amends.

The 15-year-old asked to meet with the victim, Tona Herndon, so he could give her the $250 he'd recently received from his dad, News 9 reported.

Shane Lunsford, 39, had been arrested on Friday, after allegedly trying to use one of Herndon's credit cards. He remains in custody, according to Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office records.

"When I found out this whole situation, I didn't know if [the money] was hers or his or how," Lunsford told the station. "I just knew I needed to give the money to her."

But when the families met at a local church on Sunday, Herndon had her own surprise -- she immediately returned the cash to Lunsford.

"He gave and I received, and I gave and he received," she told News 9. "So it worked out."

Christian Lunsford, Son Of Alleged Mugger, Returns Stolen Money To Victim, Gets A Nice Surprise (VIDEO)

"Like father, like son" does not apply at all to this kindhearted teen.

After his dad allegedly mugged a woman visiting her husband's graves...

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Europeans do this so much better than us...

We often talk about the amazing homes in America that just take our breath away thanks to their unique architecture, cool features and perfect locations. But we should remember that our friends in Europe also know how to live it up and this Corfu, Greece beach home is proof of that.

According to Savills realty, the 6,888-square-foot abode has five bedrooms, an outdoor kitchen and Naxos pure white marble flooring. With the end of summer nearing, we can't seem to get our eyes off the super enticing pool area that overlooks the Corfu Channel.

If you're feeling like you could use a European getaway house, we can't imagine a better choice. And for only $8.9 million dollars, this property could be all yours. Head over to Savills for more information. H/T the Wall Street Journal.

Corfu, Greece Beach Home Is A European Dream Come True (PHOTOS)

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Article's about one beach home in Corfu Greece


Elite Dangerous: Horizons Xbox One Release Date Announced

Frontier Developments has made some big announcements about Elite: Dangerous: Horizons. First, the studio confirmed today that the expansion to the space adventure game will launch for Xbox One on June 3.

The base game launched on Xbox One in April.

The Xbox One edition of Horizons will include the base game and two expansions: Planetary Landings and The Engineers. These add-ons include things like additional missions, new crafting possibilities, and a new vehicle in the form of the Surface Recon Vehicle.

Frontier also confirmed today that The Engineers expansion comes to PC on May 26. Launching alongside that will be Elite Dangerous' "biggest ever" free update for all players on all platforms.

"A new mission system, collectable loot, and hundreds of gameplay additions and tweaks. Xbox One players will further benefit from the addition of Private Group play and fully customizable controls."

Going forward, Frontier mentioned that PC and Xbox One players can expect further expansions, while updates to the game will arrive simultaneously across both platforms. Here is a breakdown of what's to come:

Multicrew, allowing teams of players to assume roles aboard the same ship.

Commander Creation, giving a unique appearance to players' in-game avatars.

Ship-Launched Fighters, allowing larger spacecraft to carry their own short-range fighter craft for attack and defense.

Lastly, Frontier announced that, beginning today, Horizons is available as an upgrade to Elite Dangerous for the lower price of $30. You can also get the game on PC in the Commander Deluxe edition for $60.

On Xbox One, Horizons will launch on June 3 as an upgrade to Elite Dangerous for $30, while the Commander Deluxe edition will also be offered on console for the same price.

Elite Dangerous was one of the first titles in the Xbox One's Early Access-style Game Preview program. The game is also coming to PlayStation 4, but a release date has not been announced.

Plus, "The Engineers" expansion comes to PC on May 26.


Apple Makes Big iPhone Announcement And It's Bad News For Rivals

The Apple vs. Android battle has been raging on for years now, and it doesn’t look like it will end any time soon.

Apple boss Tim Cook made an astonishing announcement at the tech giant’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, earlier today.

Believe it or not, in the past nine years, Apple has sold... wait for it... one BILLION iPhones. We’re not shitting you.

To put that into perspective how huge of an achievement that is, until about 200 years ago there was only around one billion people on the whole of the planet.

The fact that they’ve sold that many in just nine years is just staggering. And the news is bound to piss off all of their nearest rivals.

Tim Cook announced at an employee meeting:

iPhone has become one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history. It’s become more than a constant companion. iPhone is truly an essential part of our daily life and enables much of what we do throughout the day. Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone.

We never set out to make the most, but we’ve always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day.

Just imagine it. One billion people all walking into the sea trying to catch a Gyarados. Technology has taken over.

Apple Makes Big iPhone Announcement And It’s Bad News For Rivals

1 billion units sold till date. No new development.
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Marnie Simpson brought WHAT into the Celebrity Big Brother house?

Geordie Shore's Marnie Simpson hasn't been in the Celebrity Big Brother house long - but she's already grossing-out her fellow housemates.

In the CBB video (at about 31 minutes in), the reality TV star is seen having a chat with new buddies James Whale, Chloe Khan and Saira Khan when she announces she's brought a vibrator into the house - and reveals it's shaped like an ice cream.

After asking poor Saira if she's going to have sex during her time on CBB, the Loose Women panellist succinctly responds: "I'm married."

Saira is already looking properly freaked out, before Marnie asks her if she's brought a vibrator into the house and proclaims: "Mine's the best one you could ever want, mine's an ice cream."

Not literally, we hope - it'd be pretty useless.

James gets scared off and cleverly removes himself from the chat after Marnie declares: "It's like putting an ice cream in your fanny." Although Saira does tell him that he might learn something.

However, it's all pretty tongue-in-cheek until things get actually awkward.

When Saira asks Marnie if she's worried what her mum would think of her openly discussing sexual matters on TV, Marnie responds by asking Saira if she's ever masturbated.

At this point Saira genuinely appears to think Marnie's last question is too much and is visibly shocked, quietly asking: "Excuse me?"

Marnie, 24, was previously engaged to ex-TOWIE star Ricky Rayment, and recently announced her split from her on-off boyfriend and co-star Aaron Chalmers. She came out as bisexual not long ago and became sure of her sexuality following an "encounter with a girl" after a night out.

Having gotten into her fair share of house wars on Geordie Shore, Marnie hopes to avoid "judgemental or condescending people" on Celebrity Big Brother.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Big Brother wasted no time in kicking off a race row this year - all thanks to James and Saira.

A vibrator shaped like a cone of ice cream.


First comes Tinder. Then comes marriage?

For some of us, the dating app Tinder suggests a slot machine for sex, a game for singles featuring one too many bathroom selfies.

For Casey Napolitano, a real estate agent in Los Angeles, Tinder is synonymous with love.

Ms. Napolitano met her husband, John Napolitano, on the app during her first and only Tinder date. She "swiped right" on a photo of John in a tuxedo giving a speech at a wedding. "It just really turned me on," she said. Six months later, they bought a house together; a few months later, they were engaged. They have been married for two years now and have a 14-month-old. "Our baby girl is perfect," the proud new father said.

The Napolitanos’ love story isn’t isolated. According to Jessica Carbino, Tinder’s on-site sociologist who pores over Tinder’s data, more people than ever are committing to relationships thanks to the app, which will have its fifth anniversary in September.

In a report released this week, Tinder conducted two surveys comparing its users with offline daters. (The offline daters fell into three groups: people who have never dated online, people who had dated online in the past but no longer did, and people who had never used online dating but were open to the possibility.)

According to Ms. Carbino, the findings indicate that Tinder users are more likely to be looking for a committed relationship than are offline daters. She said that the surveys revealed that Tinder users were doing a better job than offline daters of signaling "investment in prospective daters" by asking them questions when originally contacting them, and that they are 5 percent more likely to say "I love you" to their partners in the first year of dating.

The survey also reveals that while 30 percent of men who are not dating online say it is "challenging to commit," only 9 percent of male Tinder users say they find it difficult to maintain a committed relationship. The results were roughly similar for women.

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"When you are dating online, you actually have a very clear idea of what the marketplace is like," Ms. Carbino said. "You are able to have a visual idea of the pool in front of you, whereas the people who aren’t dating online are simply speculating as to what the pool may be like."

The report looked at a survey administered via the app to 7,072 Tinder users, ages 18 to 36, and a second survey of 2,502 offline daters, ages 18 to 35, conducted by Morar Consulting.

While the surveys were commissioned by Tinder, Ms. Carbino said her position as a social scientist was to provide a valid and realistic view of the world. "The realistic view might not provide what the company wants," she said, "however it’s my responsibility to do so and provide data that is accurate."

It is unclear whether the surveys sampled similar and representative demographics, a fact that Jennifer Lundquist, a sociologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst who researches online dating, said indicated that more studies were needed to determine if Tinder’s surveys were accurate.

"One issue with the non-online dating comparison group is that given how normalized and destigmatized online dating has become for this age group, it’s unusual not to participate in online dating," Professor Lundquist said. As a result, she said, the offline daters "may be a weirdly skewed group, or as sociologists would say negatively select."

Professor Lundquist also questioned the motivations for the survey, pointing to the anecdotal belief among many daters that Tinder’s picture-based feature leads it to be a "hookup" app rather than a mechanism for finding long-term partners. "It seems like Tinder is trying to work on their image with this survey," she said.

But despite Tinder’s aims, and researchers’ varying methods, the app’s conclusions about the desire of online daters to commit may not be unfounded. In a 2012 report on a study by the sociologists Michael Rosenfeld and Reuben J. Thomas published in the American Sociological Review, the researchers found that couples who meet online are no more likely to break up than couples who meet offline. Mr. Rosenfeld’s continuing research at Stanford University concludes that couples who meet online transition to marriage more quickly than those who meet offline. (The cohort of couples he studied met in 2009, before Tinder was founded; he is currently gathering data that include users of the app.)

Still, it is unclear whether Tinder’s surveys, even bolstered by larger trends in online dating, will shift the public’s perception of the app. It does not help that in a recent article in The California Sunday Magazine, Tinder’s founder and chairman, Sean Rad, admitted to sexting with Snapchat users. But perhaps Ms. Carbino, who scours Tinder daily, sees what others can’t: humans trying their best to connect. She is single and said she had found, and lost, love on Tinder.

An earlier version of this article misstated Sean Rad’s role at Tinder. He is the company’s founder and chairman, not the chief executive.

First Comes Tinder. Then Comes Marriage?

A new study reveals that the app’s users are more likely than offline daters to be looking for committed relationships. And they say "I love you" more often.

Online Dating,Dating and Relationships,Tinder (Mobile App)


By Charlotte McDonald Radio 4, More or Less

It's commonly believed that women who live together eventually experience the syncing of their monthly periods. But could it just be chance?

The theory behind the syncing of menstrual cycles is that women's pheromones interact when they are in close proximity, causing them to have their period at the same time. Many females buy into it.

"I definitely think its true," says Emma. "It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise."

Emma, 24, lived with five girls at university. She says that within a few months they all had their period at the same time.

They were all buying tampons at the same time, they were moody at the same time - and their one male housemate really noticed it.

"It's a popular belief," says Alexandra Alvergne, associate professor in biocultural anthropology at the University of Oxford.

"As humans we always like exciting stories. We want to explain what we observe by something that is meaningful. And the idea that what we observe is due to chance or randomness is just not as interesting."

More or Less is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service - catch up on BBC iPlayer Radio

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Alvergne has tried to review the evidence for this phenomenon . She says the idea started with research findings published in Nature , a scientific journal, in 1971. A researcher called Martha McClintock studied the menstrual cycles of 135 women in an American college.

"[McClintock] found that the onset of the date of menstruation was more similar among friends and roommates than among random pairings of women," says Alvergne.

Dr McClintock hypothesised that this was because the women who were spending time together had the chance for their pheromones to affect each other.

And why would this happen? The most prevalent theory was that it was an evolved strategy among females to co-operate with each other - to stop becoming a kind of harem for a single dominant man.

The idea is that if women had synchronised cycles, they would all be fertile at the same time - so one man would not be able to reproduce with them all.

"He can't manipulate all the females at the same time so that's why it was believed to be a form of co-operation between females," says Alvergne.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Did the idea of synchronised menstruation reflect the emergence of the feminist movement in the 1970s?

In the 1970s when this paper came out, feminism was emerging as an important movement. Alvergne thinks this may be one of the reasons the idea became so popular.

"I find that sometimes 'society values' are hiding in hypothesis. And from a feminist point of view, the idea that females would co-operate in the face of male domination is attractive."

Other studies, some in humans and some in other primates, seemed to show similar results.

But, there were also studies that didn't find evidence of periods syncing. And people started to pick holes in the earlier research - critics identified problems in the people chosen for the study. The definition of when they were syncing was quite loose.

Perhaps most importantly, critics pointed to the fact that in McClintock's 1971 findings she didn't account for chance to explain why women's cycles were in sync.

This seems to go against what many women feel they experience.

Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption That syncing feeling - but it's probably just a feeling

"If I spend any period of time with a woman who is menstruating, I will start my period," says Inez, 26. "My womb is a huge team player. It just wants to be one of the girls."

Not only that but, Inez, thinks some women have wombs that prefer to play a leadership role.

"I've got a classic beta womb. My friend Suzanne has an alpha womb. She will bring anyone on within a 10-mile radius. She walks in menstruating, everyone is reaching for the tampons."

But the problem comes when the theory seems to break down. Inez says she has never synced with her flatmate.

A period is the part of the menstrual cycle when a woman bleeds from her vagina for a few days

For most women this happens every 28 days or so, but it's common for periods to start sooner or later than this, ranging from day 24 to day 35

Periods can last between three and eight days, but will usually last for about five days

"I have known her since I was 12 and I think she is quite offended that I don't sync with her."

Alvergne is not surprised that women observe overlap in their menstrual cycle with their friends.

"The question is - does it happen by chance or not? By chance you would expect it to happen at least half of the time."

Some academics recently decided to find out if the findings of synchronicity of periods could be put down to chance . They looked at six years' worth of data of the menstrual cycles of our close cousins, baboons.

"They proposed two models," says Alvergne. "One was the model with the exciting hypothesis" also known as the "evolved strategy" in which women sync as a defence against dominant males.

"And the other model was the boring model. Where the patterns are explained by chance."

The researchers compared how much each model would account for the data being observed. They found that the model assuming that patterns would appear by chance was the best model by far.

More research could be carried out in the future that does reveal evidence that women's periods sync. But currently many researchers are sceptical.

"Maybe actually, what we observe is nothing more than randomness," says Alvergne.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Cassin

Is it true that periods synchronise when women live together? - BBC N...

There are many who believe that women's periods sync together when they live in close proximity. But could it just be down to chance?

No, any perceived synchronisation is just random chance


Has George Lucas Seen the 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer?

Over 100 million people across the world have watched the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer over the past week and a half. The 88-second tease is on track to be the movie viewed movie trailer in the history of the Internet and for good reason. It’s arguably one of the most anticipated and talked about sequels of all time.

Maybe you made your mom watch the trailer, or your grandma, uncle, hell, every family member. But one person who hasn’t seen it is series creator George Lucas. Lucas sold his company and rights to Star Wars in October 2012 to Disney for $4 billion but was rumored to be a peripheral creative consultant on The Force Awakens. Whether that’s true or not, he hasn’t watched the trailer yet. Read his reasoning below.

Lucas was talking to the New York Post’s Page Six and was asked if he’d seen the trailer:

I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t seen it yet.

Because it’s not in the movie theater. I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released.

The question is does he mean he wants to see the trailer in the theater or the full movie? I’m thinking the latter. And if that’s true, it’s funny because Lucas sounds like he’s being spoilerphobic. (Or, probably more likely, he just doesn’t care about what J.J. Abrams is doing with his baby and will find out at the premiere.) I definitely know a few people (COUGHJeffCannataCOUGH) who are avoiding seeing anything from the film until December 18, 2015. Which, I have to admit, is an admirable, even herculean task. And if they can manage it, more power to them. I just don’t have the willpower, and enjoy reveling in rumors, speculation and spoilers leading up to the release.

Do you believe Lucas when he says he hasn’t seen the trailer? Do you think you could wholly avoid anything about a movie you were excited about? And do you think Lucas will be happy with the film once its released?

George Lucas Star Wars 7 Trailer: Has The Creator Seen it?

Has the man who created Star Wars seen the Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer? You'd be surprised. Read the George Lucas Star Wars 7 quote here.


The one word you need to stop saying at work

If someone asked how your day was going, what would be your knee-jerk reaction? If you're a member of the American workforce, there's a good chance your immediate response would be a single word: "Busy!" But in many cases, these lamentations about our jam-packed schedules amount to little more than a humblebrag about how important we are (so many things to do and people to see!). And according to comedian Mindy Kaling a conversation about how busy and stressed we are isn't really conversation at all.

"No one ever wants to hear how stressed out anyone else is, because most of the time everyone is stressed out," Kaling writes in "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" "Going on and on in detail about how stressed out I am isn’t conversation. It’ll never lead anywhere. No one is going to say, 'Wow, Mindy, you really have it especially bad. I have heard some stories of stress, but this just takes the cake.'"

Busyness has become something of a badge of honor -- a way to hint at our own relevance and superior productivity without saying it in so many words -- but in reality, constant busyness may be a sign of just the opposite. There's plenty of evidence to suggest that if you're busy all the time (and not giving yourself a chance to rest and recharge), you're very likely doing something wrong.

Here five reasons to try to let go of excessive busyness -- or at least stop telling people how busy you are.

Too much busyness can easily prevent you from actually getting things done. When we fill our days up with one task after another and frequently multitask -- rarely giving our full focus to the task at hand -- it can keep us from doing any one thing to our best ability. In other words, quantity takes precedence over quality.

Working unceasingly and without substantial breaks has been shown to be an ineffective way to master a task. Studies in Berlin in the 1990s on young violin players -- looking at the daily practice habits of elite players (those who were likely to become professionals one day) as compared to average players -- yielded some surprising data. The elite players weren't more successful because they practiced more. Both groups on average spent the same amount of time practicing each week. And whereas the average players spread their practice out through the day, the elite players worked in two intense periods of deliberate activity each day, followed by down time. The elite players were not only more relaxed, but they slept an extra hour each night, writer Cal Newport notes.

It could hinder your communication and connection with others.

According to Nell Minow, co-founder of The Corporate Library, the word "busy" can be "profoundly toxic" to both our careers and our personal lives. When someone asks how we're doing and we answer "Busy," Minow argues, it's a statement of our own self-importance and the relative lack of importance of the person we're talking to, which automatically precludes the possibility of authentic interaction.

"I promise that if you eliminate this word from your life, you will instantly, permanently and powerfully be more conscious about your choices and more effective in your communication with others," Minow wrote in a recent Huffington Post blog, "How 'Busy' Became A Toxic Word."

You might be suffering from a bad case of Time Deficit Disorder.

Do you feel busy and frantic all day? Get anxious just looking at all the blocked-out slots on your Gmail calendar? You might have a case of the unofficial but all-too-real Time Deficit Disorder (also known as "time famine"). If you're feeling constantly pressed for time, the best remedy may be the most unlikely one: Giving more of your time away to others. A 2012 study from Yale and Harvard researchers found that those who are more eager to devote some of their time to helping others are less likely to feel that time was their "scarcest resource."

Another solution? Schedule time into your schedule to do nothing -- a strategy LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner calls the "single most important productivity tool" he uses. Weiner says creating meeting-free "buffers" in his day affords him the time he needs to think strategically about the company's big picture.

It could be a veil for underlying laziness.

We tend to think of being busy as the opposite of being lazy, but the two qualities may be more connected than we'd like to think. If you're constantly busy, there's a good chance that you're expending a great deal of energy on tasks that may feel urgent -- but aren't actually all that important. Viewing busyness as a virtue actually keeps us from doing meaningful work, according to iDoneThis COO Janet Choi, and in this sense, busyness is a form of laziness.

"It’s easy, even enticing, to neglect the importance of filling our time with meaning, thinking instead that we’ll be content with merely filling our time," Choi told Fast Company. "We self-impose these measures of self-worth by looking at quantity instead of quality of activity."

You may not be managing your energy well.

Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project and author of "The Way We're Working Isn't Working," knows better than anyone that excessive busyness can be a destructive force in our work and lives. We've been taught that "more, bigger, faster" is always better. But this "volume is God" mentality, Schwartz explains, presumes that we have unlimited resources -- which, of course, we don't.

Renewal is actually a way to increase our capacity to be more effective, Schwartz explains, allowing us to get more out of the time we put into a task. The time spent on a task is not the same as the energy spent on a task, and taking time to rest and recharge can help you to get more done by allowing you to be more intentional with your energy -- so when you're relaxing, you're really relaxing, and when you're working, you're fully engaged with work.

"Renewal is not for slackers," Schwartz said in June at The Huffington Post's conference, "Redefining Success: The Third Metric." "Renewal is a way in which to increase your capacity to be more effective."

The One Word To Never Ever Say Again At Work

If someone asked how your day was going, what would be your knee-jerk reaction? If you're a member of the American workforce, there's a good chance your ...

stress,video,work stress,time management,tony schwartz,Third Metric,productivity tips,busyness,redefining success,cal newport,busy,productivity


Kim Jong-un has threatened the US with a 'super-mighty preemptive strike' and warned America: 'Don't mess with us'.

State controlled media claimed North Korea could 'immediately wipe out the US mainland' and reduce its enemies 'to ashes'.

The latest threat from Pyongyang comes amid mounting tensions between North Korea and America and after China moved 150,000 troops to its border with the secretive state.

This morning it emerged that Vladimir Putin is also reinforcing his border with North Korea by relocating troops and equipment.

Video purports to show one of three trains loaded with military equipment moving towards the 11 mile-long land frontier between Russia and the repressive state in Russia's far south east.

Another clip highlights military helicopter movements towards the North Korean border and manoeuvres across rough terrain by army combat vehicles. Other reports suggest there have been military moves by road as well.

There have been concerns that if a conflict breaks out Russia could face a humanitarian exodus from North Korea.

But Putin has been warned, too, that in the event of a US strike on Kim Jong-un's nuclear facilities, contamination could swiftly reach Russia.

'Railway trains loaded with military equipment moving towards Primorsky region via Khabarovsk have been noticed by locals,' reported primemedia.ru in the Russian far East - linking the development to the North Korean crisis.

'The movement of military equipment by different means of transport to southern areas is being observed across Primorsky region over the past week,' said military veteran Stanislva Sinitsyn.

'Many relate this to the situation in the Korean peninsula.

'The video shows artillery systems that either support troops in assault or meet the aggressor.'

He said: 'The movement of military equipment means that authorities of our country are keeping up with the situation - and take appropriate measures.'

The movements were 'a preventive but necessary' measure.

'If the situation worsens, especially related to military events, the armed forces of all the neighbouring countries obviously monitor it more closely, and we are no exception.

'It is not the first time that North Korea has broken the peace in the region, that's why this situation deserves attention.'

Russian military spokesman Alexander Gordeyev declined to give the exact reasons for the troop and equipment movements but said exercises had recently ended in the TransBaikal region of Siberia.

However, a number of local sources appear to believe the movements are linked to the Korean crisis.

The naval port of Vladivostok - where Russia has huge military forces - is less than 100 miles from North Korea.

Expert on the repressive state, Konstantin Asmolov, said: 'Should the US strike with missiles at North Korea's nuclear facilities, a radioactive cloud will reach Vladivostok within two hours.'

Asmolov, from the Russian Far Eastern Institute, warned that in the event of full-scale war 'hungry asylum seekers will flood into Russia.'

Russia on Wednesday blocked UN Security Council condemnation of Pyongyang's latest missile test - even though China, which has a major frontier with North Korea had backed the strongly-worded statement put forward by the United States.

The proposed statement would have demanded that North Korea 'conduct no further nuclear tests' and halt missile launches .

Pyongyang carried out a failed test on Sunday.

Russia wanted to include language contained in a previous statement stressing the need to achieve a solution through dialogue, according to council diplomats.

Moscow's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said: 'Unfortunately, we have to admit that the risk of a serious conflict in this region has substantially increased.'

He called for a 'demonstration of responsibility' from all sides to avoid escalation.

U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has taken a hard line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from sole major ally China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

There has been some confusion over the whereabouts of a U.S. aircraft carrier group after Trump said last week he had sent an 'armada' as a warning to North Korea, even as the ships were still far from Korean waters.

The U.S. military's Pacific Command explained that the USS Carl Vinson strike group first had to complete a shorter-than-planned period of training with Australia. It was now heading for the Western Pacific as ordered, it said.

China's influential Global Times newspaper, which is published by the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official paper, wondered whether the confusion was deliberate.

'The truth seems to be that the U.S. military and president jointly created fake news and it is without doubt a rare scandal in U.S. history, which will be bound to cripple Trump's and U.S. dignity,' it said.

North Korea did not refer to the mix-up but said the United States and its allies 'should not mess with us'.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, did not mince its words.

'In the case of our super-mighty preemptive strike being launched, it will completely and immediately wipe out not only U.S. imperialists' invasion forces in South Korea and its surrounding areas but the U.S. mainland and reduce them to ashes,' it said.

Yesterday, footage emerged of Kim Jong-un smiling and waving as cheering crowds watched a simulation of a US city being wiped out by a nuclear attack.

North Korea put on a musical show to mark the birthday of founding father Kim Il Sung which ended with a mock-up of rockets engulfing America in flames.

The choral performance was attended by dictator Kim Jong-un, the elder of Kim's grandson, on Sunday, after a massive military parade in the capital.

The singing was followed by footage of its test-firing of a missile in February which, in the video, was joined by other missiles shooting into sky, passing over the Pacific and exploding in giant balls of flames in the United States.

The video ended with a picture of the American flag in flames, overlapping row after row of white crosses in a cemetery.

'When the performance was over, all the performers and participants in the military parade broke into enthusiastic cheers of 'hurrah!',' state run KCNA news agency said.

State TV footage showed leader Kim smiling and waving in return.

'The Dear Supreme Leader waved back to them and congratulated the artistes on their successful performance,' KCNA said.

North Korea said in February that it had successfully tested a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-2, propelled by a solid-fuel engine.

During Saturday's military parade it displayed what appeared to be new intercontinental ballistic missiles.

And a day later it conducted a failed missile test, which drew international condemnation.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States and amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula, it has escalated a war of words, warning of full-out nuclear war if Washington takes military action against it.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, on a trip to Asia, has repeatedly warned that the 'era of strategic patience' with North Korea is over and on Wednesday said it would meet any attack with an 'overwhelming response'.

'Don't mess with us': Kim Jong-un threatens US with a 'super-mighty preemptive strike' as Putin reinforces Russia's border with North Korea to stop refugees flooding in if Trump attacks

State controlled media in Pyongyang warned North Korea could 'immediately wipe out the US mainland' and reduce its enemies 'to ashes'.


Old Navy Under Fire For 'Offensive' Father's Day T-Shirt

The retail clothing chain Old Navy recently found itself in hot water over its 2016 Father’s Day campaign.

The store produced a T-shirt for the holiday that reads "It’s Father’s Day," but the words "It’s Her Day" appear in bold white letters with the word "really" placed directly above the "her."

The shirt angered many on social media and Old Navy appears to have pulled the ad in response to all the backlash. Sadly, this is hardly the first time a major company’s marketing campaign has degraded fathers.

Just last year, the toilet paper brand Angel Soft released a YouTube video titled "Happy Father’s Day, Mom," that featured tear-filled stories about how wonderful mothers are.

Of course, no one is doubting the greatness of moms, but wouldn’t that ad have been better suited for Mother’s Day?

The online retail giant Amazon came under fire last year for its parent-focused program, Amazon Mom. The online membership program was referred to Amazon Family the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Austria, France, and Japan.

Fortunately, Amazon, Old Navy and Angel Soft are outliers. Throughout popular culture, dads are being portrayed as more involved and emotionally engaged than ever before.

That’s how fathers should be depicted, because it mirrors reality. Research from the Pew Research Center shows fathers are taking more active roles in caring for their children and more dads see parenting as central to their identity.

As dads are becoming progressively more involved, researchers are learning more about the value those interactions have when it comes to children’s development. Fatherhood research, after being brushed aside for decades, is a rapidly growing and evolving field that is uncovering insights into the unique manner in which dads interact with their kids and how that contributes to their upbringing.

This Father’s Day weekend, families across the country will take time to celebrate those crucial contributions that dads make throughout the year. This day is a joyous one for most fathers, but the holiday can conjure much different emotions for dads who have recently gone through a divorce.

Although fathers are gradually gaining more rights, gender stereotypes still pervade the family court system, which unfairly tend to negate dads to secondary parent status.

It’s so important to keep in mind that divorced dads are still dads and it is crucial for them to remain heavily involved in their kids’ lives.

That’s easier said than done if you’re a dad forced to spend Father’s Day apart from his children. However, regardless of whatever circumstance you find yourself in this year, keep in mind that the love and commitment you show your kids every day throughout the year does make an enormous difference.

"(Father’s Day) is just a day," said author and speaker Laura Petherbridge. "It’s a day on the calendar that was probably created by somebody from Hallmark. Don’t let that determine your worth or your identity. You’re still a great dad even if you don’t spend Father’s Day with your kids. ... Don’t let that be your identity that you’re a bad dad.

"Just step up to the plate on those other days. If you have to do it on Monday rather than on Sunday, just make sure you’re child knows you love them and you desire to spend time with them. That will speak volumes more than if you were able to spend time with them on Father’s Day or not."

Shawn Garrison is an Online Editor for Lexicon, focusing on subjects related to the legal services of customers, Cordell & Cordell and Cordell & Cordell UK. He has written countless pieces dealing with the unique child custody and divorce issues that men and fathers face. Through his work on CordellCordell.com, CordellCordell.co.uk, and DadsDivorce.com, Mr. Garrison has become an authority on the complexities of the legal experience and was a content creator for the YouTube series "Dad’s Divorce Live" and additional videos on both the Dad’s Divorce and Cordell & Cordell YouTube channels. Mr. Garrison has managed the sites of these customers, and fostered the creation of several of their features, including the Cordell & Cordell attorney and office pages, the Dad’s Divorce Newsletter, and the Cordell & Cordell newsletter.

Old Navy Father’s Day Campaign Misses Mark

The clothing store released a t-shirt that tried to be funny but failed miserably.

father's day,old navy,old navy t-shirt,offensive t-shirts

Shirt reads "It's Father's Day" but certain letters are highlighted to make it read "It's Her Day"


How despicable Knicks pretend Linsanity never happened

If I were a rich man ...

I don’t think I’d want to own a ball club. Writing fat checks to fellas who feel it beneath them to run to first or to catch with both hands — no matter how many easy outs they have dropped — and to sportsmen such as Draymond Green and Pacman Jones who would commit any incivility it takes to lose playoff games, doesn’t strike me as money well worn or well spent.

But if I did own a team, I know what I would want — insist upon — from my TV and radio announcers. I would demand what all the other team owners, for some senseless reason, disallow: unvarnished honesty.

There is no better public reflection on a team owner than treating his or her team’s fans, customers and even casual viewers and listeners with respect, especially those in the audience who would know they’re being treated as saps. And if I, the team owner, deserve a shot, fire away!

There is no downside to attaching your team to honest broadcasts. Who wouldn’t want to be known for providing candid TV and radio coverage? Heck, that one owner would stand out like the one light in the dark. How does such a smart approach escape the wisdom of fabulously wealthy team owners?

Since riches-inherited James Dolan first touched down in The Garden — 1995, the year after the Rangers won the Cup and the Knicks made the finals — MSG Network has been converted from a highly credible stop to an often-preposterous and frequently insulting propaganda mill.

Last week, on both MSG Network and MSG’s website, appeared "MSG Countdown," this one providing a timeline of exciting, memorable — even if forgotten — successful achievements by Knicks in the 21st century.

Included are big scoring nights from Carmelo Anthony, the night the Knicks, still long-range-reliant, hit 20 3-point shots, and the time Kurt Thomas played with a broken foot.

However, the singularly most unexpected, extraordinarily exciting and successful 21st-century Knicks happenstance was omitted: Those three weeks when an undrafted scrub who was about to be cut, Jeremy Lin, took an injury- and star-depleted team and turned the Knicks and New York City and its environs into Holy Mackerel Land, those three weeks when "Linsanity" erupted with an all-in, run-and-pass offense that led to countless uncontested layups and an 8-15 team winning seven straight and eight-of-nine — including wins against the far more talented Lakers, Jazz and Mavericks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iWWFk6TX18

From Feb. 4 through Feb. 29 (2012 was a leap year), New York City went Linsane. And while it’s impossible to forget what by far was the most exciting, successful thing about this century’s Knicks, it didn’t make MSG Network’s cut.

The night when Tim Hardaway scored 29? That was deemed a keeper. Lin’s 38 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals against the Lakers? Nope, not included. And that’s sad, sick and insulting.

It was no coincidence that the Linsanity outbreak was due to Anthony’s absence. The Dolan Knicks had thrown in with Anthony’s style — give him the money, then the ball, let him shoot, everyone else just loiter off to the sides — which was antithetical to what Lin’s style brought for three fantastic weeks.

So not only did Lin and five-man-go basketball have to go, Dolan’s MSG Network has made him disappear in the hope that we’ll forget and continue to regard Anthony as savior-in-still-waiting.

Surely, such blatant, dishonestly twisted revisionist history carries the mark of Dolan, or at least of MSG Network employees avoiding the risk of his wrath. Jeremy Lin? Linsanity? It never happened. Got that, stupid? Never.
Van Gundy forcing himself into a corner
ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy brings to mind the gag about the bum who knocks on the old woman’s back door. "Lady, I haven’t had a bite to eat in two days," he tells her. "Well, force yourself!" she says.

Too often Van Gundy speaks as if he wants to make a splash, come across as bold, thus he forces himself.

In the first half of Game 5, LeBron James, driving toward the hoop, lowered his shoulder and shoved the Warriors’ Anderson Varejao backwards and eventually to the ground. The ball was deflected out of bounds, no call, although Varejao mimed James’ act as worthy of an offensive foul. As a replay began, Van Gundy:

"I think it was [an offensive foul]. But if I’m the referee, I agree. I can’t, I gotta know that he’s not tricking me. And no, he’s falling backwards. Stand up and play!"

Bold stuff!

So Van Gundy very clearly saw it both ways. It was an offensive foul, but the fact that Varejao, after the contact, fell, made it what? Not an offensive foul?

By the way, for those snoring at home, the fourth quarter of Game 5 began on a Monday night at 11:17. That, and the fact that Mike Francesa authoritatively gave the underdog Cavaliers no chance to win on the road made further watching unnecessary.
Stats not the way to do it
Of the two Ken Singletons, I prefer the one who looks at the games, not at the stats.

Tuesday on YES, when Rockies left fielder Gerardo Parra was injured after colliding with shortstop Trevor Story on a fly ball, Singleton smartly reasoned that Colorado’s infielders aggressively pursue such flies because the outfielders at home run haven Coors Field play so deep.

The next day, Singleton went into a dissertation on Yankees starter Ivan Nova’s great statistical success versus NL teams as opposed to Rockies starter Chad Bettis, who had been blasted by AL teams. Singleton spoke as if they normally pitch in two different worlds.

Yet both teams’ lineups included batters who had played for a long time in the other league. Colorado had Mark Reynolds (Indians, Yankees, Orioles) and Ryan Raburn (Tigers, Indians); the Yankees played Starlin Castro (Cubs) and Chase Headley (Padres). Even the umpires are now homogenized.

Singleton’s AL versus NL emphasis gave importance to team names and logos appearing on uniforms rather than how well one pitches. And on this day, despite their previous "other league" experiences, Bettis, the winning pitcher, pitched better than Nova.

Any stat, any time. During Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, NBC posted this graphic: "PIT: 6-1 record following a loss in 2016 playoffs."

Not only did such info stand to reason — the Penguins, after all, didn’t make it this far on losing streaks — what NBC chose for a national audience’s illumination wouldn’t be shared by hockey fans with other hockey fans, because the speakers would be looked upon as idiots.

They dropped him from the "MSG Countdown" of most exciting Knicks moments


Why The Apple Watch Will Succeed (Even If It Fails)

Two important, distinct watches bookended my youth. In one corner: the Texas Instruments LED watch, the first digital watch of its kind. In the other: Swatch, the Swiss watch brand that turned the fusty art of time-keeping into a fun, youthful style statement. The TI watch was a feat of technological novelty, but it was neither beautiful nor practical; the LEDs ate up so much battery life that you had to press a button on the side of the band to make time show up. Swatch, on the other hand, worked exquisitely and had a rakish look for everyone under the sun. But the watches were never paragons of technological sophistication.

As Apple prepares to debut its long awaited smart watch, it's worth revisiting the tension that has plagued watch innovation for years: The history of watch design is the history of tradeoffs between functional novelty and personal expression. If the Apple Watch succeeds, it will succeed because the company has attended to both ends of the spectrum well enough—and can make up for the rest with its outsize consumer base and loyal development partners.

And if it doesn't succeed in those ways? Apple could still win the wearable tech wars.

Looking back, the TI watches were scary ugly. But when my older brother got one—I was 10 years old at the time—he and I spent hours pushing the button just to watch those numbers magically appear. It was attractive, not because of its aesthetic, but because it was so new. That's functional novelty. Put a conventional analog watch in the same clothing, and it would have been passed over as cheap and undesirable, even then. It's little surprise that the TI watch, despite all its shortcomings, sold millions.

Watch technology has been settled for a long, long time. There have been minor variations in the underlying mechanisms, and TI's LED innovation was an important breakthrough. But for the most part, the technology has been ubiquitous for over a century, and unimpressive for longer.

Over the same period, watches have become statements of personal expression, and they have proliferated around this dimension. Swatch took this proliferation to the extreme. (For me, as a teenager, it was the go-to birthday, Christmas and graduation gift.) There are 1.2 billion watches produced around the world today representing perhaps hundreds of thousands of different styles. The only things that distinguish one watch style from the next are fashion features (and price points); you rarely see any kind of functional novelty.

To date, wearable technology has found its center on the "functional novelty" end of the spectrum. Call it the left end. It’s Silicon Valley, not New York City. Tech not fashion. Fitbit, Withings, Jawbone—they have all operated from the urge to deliver new use cases to their customers. Just look at their sites; they're all about data. Learn more about yourself so that you can be a better human.

It's not that these companies totally disregard the importance of personal expression. The days are over when you could launch a product without paying heed to its design. But the kind of design you see today does not say, "I’m wearing this thing because I love how it makes me look." It’s more about announcing that you belong to a particular club. Take Fitbit. Fitbit devices owe much of their aesthetic to the rubber, yellow Livestrong bands that became popular a decade ago. Users wear them to announce their membership in a league of people who care about pushing themselves physically to be better. The design expresses the personal choices of a very slim (in both meanings of the word) set of the overall population.

Apple is in the rare position to deliver a product that is both functionally novel and chameleon-like in its powers of personal expression. For starters, Apple has invested tremendous energy into making the watch customizable. The watch's core is a chicklet able to take on a variety of personalities like no other wearable to date (unless you count Swatch): Two case sizes, four case finishes, and something like a dozen band styles and colors (I lost count while digging through Apple's site) offer more than 100 possible combinations out of the gate. And there is already at least one third-party company building a custom case and band (Epik). Surely others will follow.

The Apple Watch isn't a product, it's a platform.

On the technological side, Apple may be better poised than any other wearable maker to deliver novel functionality because the company isn't locked into any particular functionality. In contrast to Fitbit, the watch isn’t merely a data collector. It’s a wearable, networked computer that can be programmed for thousands of functions. It’s not a product. It’s a platform that will really come alive when the substantial developer community imagines and builds a dizzying array of apps tailored to the little screen.

The perfect analogy here is the iPad. When it launched, many of us knew we wanted one, but we didn’t know exactly what for. Time and endless experimentation has proven that the iPad is a great place to play Angry Birds, among other things. In a similar fashion, the Apple Watch will prove its usefulness once some ingenious app maker reveals to us what we can't live without.

It's possible that the developer community never produces the Apple Watch equivalent of Angry Birds. It's also possible that Watch's style options miss the mark and fail to gain critical mass. (Not likely, given Apple's loyal fan base, but possible.) Even then, Apple could still win the wearables war.

The big deal in wearable tech is not at all about which particular watch will win the battle for users' wrists. It’s about who will come out on top as the owner of a compelling platform that sits at the center of an entire ecosystem of sensors, software and services just like Apple did for music over a decade ago when they brought the music industry to our fingertips with the iPod and iTunes. In five years, will we talk about how Apple’s Healthkit—the company's software platform that aggregates data from all your health and fitness apps—became the de facto dashboard for our bodies? Or will it be some offering from Google?

Right now, Google is leveraging its acquisition of smart-home products company, Nest, to become that platform leader in the world of home automation. Late last year, Google launched Works with Nest, a partnership program that connects devices together so that, for instance, your Mercedes Benz can tell your Nest thermostat that you’re on your way home. Will they extend this to our bodies, too? I know that I want my home colder right after my workout.

For now, Apple may have built the best beta product that will help us figure out what we really want from our wearables. The winning formula: an easily customizable accessory plus a blank-canvas for new functionality plus a hungry audience and a huge development community poised for experimentation.

Why The Apple Watch Could Succeed (Even If It Fails)

Wearable tech is not about which watch wins the battle for users' wrists. It's about who has the best platform.

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Why So Many Employers Are Getting Rid of Sick Days

Are sick days a thing of the past? | iStock.com/IPGGutenbergUKLtd

We’ve all had the weekday morning roll around when the night before is all too fresh in our minds — or perhaps a hazy mess. Or that morning when you wake up and just simply can’t deal with facing your boss, and that We’ve all had the weekday morning roll around when the night before is all too fresh in our minds — or perhaps a hazy mess. Or that morning when you wake up and just simply can’t deal with facing your boss, and that nasty co-worker who is always making your life miserable. Or perhaps you simply need a day away from the spreadsheets, the customers, and the mind-numbing routine you call work.

In most companies, your only way out involves pulling a modern-day Ferris Bueller, running a thermometer under hot water (or whatever makes you feel slightly better about your subterfuge), and then calling your boss — hoping he buys the sniffles you’re conjuring up. Taking a much-needed personal day turns into a mini saga reminiscent of the soap operas your mom used to watch, and you spend half your day wondering if they’ll believe you the next time you really are sick.

Thankfully, a more flexible approach to work in a number of facets also means that companies are making paid time off more flexible, too. Not only can you avoid the cloak-and-dagger approach to taking a personal day, but companies are seeing a more malleable PTO schedule pay dividends as well, in terms of employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Sick days give employees the urge to lie about their health, but there are better ways to give time off while promoting engagement at work.

Because everyone lies about being sick anyway, so let's just merge sick days and vacation days and let employees admit they're taking personal days.


Ask This One Question to Get Past Awkward Small Talk and Make a Real Connection

Making small talk is one of those things that no one likes, but everyone has to do. Kalina Silverman decided to ditch the tradition and dive straight into a big question instead. It’s one of the most effective ways to Making small talk is one of those things that no one likes, but everyone has to do. Kalina Silverman decided to ditch the tradition and dive straight into a big question instead. It’s one of the most effective ways to get over the discomfort of small talk

Instead of talking about the weather, Silverman framed one question that everyone has an answer to:

Yes, it takes you Yes, it takes you out of your comfort zone , but that’s the whole point. Small talk is uncomfortable because it’s uncomfortable for both parties. Instead, asking a big question that actually requires a thoughtful response breaks the ice and the conversation gets more real.

Making small talk is one of those things that no one likes, but everyone has to do. Kalina Silverman decided to ditch the tradition and dive straight into a big question instead. It’s one of the most effective ways to get over the discomfort of small talk.

social gps, Social, Communication, Parties, videos, small talk, conversation, Lifehacker

"What’s the one thing you want to do before you die?"


Can't sleep? The best color for a restful and relaxing room is...

The hues you choose for your decor have a great effect on the mind and body. So, while comfortable bedding, dim lighting and soft music are some ways to make a bedroom restful and de-stressing, one feature that will have a big impact on how you feel in a space is COLOR. Read below for the most relaxing option.

Ever hear of a blue power suit? There's truth to wearing this color to evoke authority, trust and a sense of calm. But blue is also a very soothing color that, according to Shape, will help calm your mind and reduce tension. It also is know to slow down your body's metabolism. That's why it’s particularly great for bedrooms because it will help you relax and fall asleep with ease. And it's also found in meeting and conference rooms to keep people calm and focused.

"There's something in the color blue that triggers a relaxation response. It makes me feel as if I'm floating in a boat, looking up at the sky. Everything about it speaks of a gentle, tranquil, Zen state of mind, "Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone told House Beautiful.

When choosing the right blue for your interiors, you'll want to pick one that's soft and soothing, and grey-based, rather than bright in value.

Before you begin painting, read these stress-free tips below:

1 of 9 Don't Stress About Color Don't let finding the right paint color cause you stress. Jordan tells us, "there are plenty of tools to help you choose the right color for your space and I recommend using them for every step of the design process." Tools like Chip It allow you to pull a palette from any inspirational image, and online apps let you add color to photos of your own space so you can visualize the result before you start.

The Best Color For A Restful, Relaxing Room Is A Cool Blue (PHOTOS)

The hues you choose for your decor have a great effect on the mind and body. So, while comfortable bedding, dim lighting and soft music are some ways...

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The Real Reason We Don't Hear About Jon Heder Anymore

Jon Heder shot to fame with the 2004 indie hit Napoleon Dynamite. Just a few years later, he'd pretty much disappeared from the spotlight, and these days, it seems like movie studios want nothing to do with him. Why isn't Jon Heder welcome in Tinseltown anymore?

This isn't to say that Jon Heder is a bad actor. He's made some enjoyable films. It's just that no matter what he does, he's never going to shake Napoleon Dynamite. In School for Scoundrels, he attempted to play a romantic lead. In Blades of Glory, he played an eccentric, disgraced figure skater. Yet whenever audiences hear or see his name, they expect to see the curly-haired, bespectacled nerd who danced his way into movie watchers' hearts.

Again, Heder has made some good flicks. His more prominent movies, such as Just Like Heaven and Monster House, met with financial success, critical praise, or some combination of the two. But if you look at his filmography, those are the exceptions to the rule. Most of his films, like Mama's Boy or Bling, were greeted with critical wrath or outright indifference. Even worse, the majority have made very little money. Whether or not that's Heder's fault, his name's attached to those projects.

Take away the hair, the glasses, and the "Vote for Pedro" T-shirt, and Heder looks nothing like the awkward, dweeby heroic nerd fans took him for in Napoleon Dynamite. In real life, Heder resembles a classic, rugged leading man with a five o'clock shadow, square chin, and sharp jawline. Perhaps when the geek masses saw the true Heder, they felt betrayed and turned their backs on him—and suddenly there was no one left to buy tickets to his flicks.

Even though we haven't seen that much of Jon Heder, it doesn't mean he's out of the picture. In fact, he's been behind it. Beginning with 2005's Monster House, Heder booked a lot of voice work for video games, animated films, and cartoons, which includes an animated series/quasi-sequel to Napoleon Dynamite. As of this writing, he's completed almost 20 projects of this ilk, and the work seems to be ramping up. It's not surprising, considering his, let's say, distinctive voice. So it could be a matter of him not wanting to bother with Hollywood anymore, just like his other venture…

His prolific voiceover career keeps him busy, but Heder hasn't stayed completely behind the scenes. Like many creative professionals, he's gone to work for himself by taking his talents to the internet. Since 2009, Heder's appeared in several web projects, like the zom-com Woke Up Dead. With these successful ventures, and the sans-studio freedom it affords him, there's no reason for him to bother with Hollywood productions. He's already got all the opportunity he needs.

Jon Heder leads a fairly innocent life. The reason movie watchers are attracted to some celebs—like, say, Lindsay Lohan—is that they're human trainwrecks. Or film fans clamor for a star who's overcome a serious, debilitating problem, like Robert Downey, Jr. Either way, studios love this—after all, there's no such thing as bad publicity. Heder's never had any problems like this. Nothing sensational ever occurred in his life. In fact, he's even made sure to stay away from potential projects because he believed they'd attract the wrong kind of attention, and conflicted with his Mormon faith. He might be so squeaky clean that there's nothing for ticket buyers to stick to.

If he wants, Jon Heder could revive his career easily, and he doesn't have to compromise his values at all. As a father of three, it should be a piece of cake for this indie star to develop a project that appeals to audiences of all ages without being cringe-inducingly corny. And seeing as how he's worked in multiple platforms, it's pretty much up to him how he gets his productions to the people. Or, if nothing like that pans out, he could always take after Kip and train to become a cage fighter.

He's gone from Napoleon Dynamite to persona non grata. Why isn't Jon Heder welcome in Tinseltown anymore?

Jon Heder whatever happened, Jon Heder now, Napoleon Dynamite guy

Napoleon Dynamite made him rich, he lives a normal life doing other work now.

He's kind of a one-hit wonder
A string of flops
He's not really a nerd
He'd rather do voice work
And web series work