Scientists are uncovering a terrible new effect that space might have on our bodies

If humanity is ever going to realise its ambitions of travelling to Mars and elsewhere in the Solar System, one of the challenges we're going to have to address is how to stay healthy in space over long periods of time. NASA estimates it's going to take at least 150 days for humans to get to Mars, and that's a long time to be exposed to things like cosmic radiation without the benefits of Earth's protective magnetic field.

Unfortunately, some of the latest research on the effects of spending time in space doesn't have very positive findings. A recent study found that mice flown aboard the space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth with the early signs of liver disease – and the animals were only off the planet for less than a fortnight.

After 13.5 days onboard the shuttle during its final flight in 2011, the mice were studied by a team of scientists including anaesthesiologist and physicist Karen Jonscher from the University of Colorado. The team found that even a short duration of spaceflight appeared to activate specialised liver cells that can induce scarring and cause long-term liver damage.

"Prior to this study we really didn't have much information on the impact of spaceflight on the liver," said Jonscher. "We knew that astronauts often returned with diabetes-like symptoms, but they usually resolved quickly."

Unlike other studies that have analysed the effects of cosmic radiation on mouse brains to see how exposure to space could impact the animals' cognitive abilities, the researchers don't think radiation is what caused the liver damage in this case.

The more likely culprit is the relative lack of gravity in a microgravity environment, which scientists think has a negative influence on the animals' metabolisms.

"We saw the beginning of nascent liver damage in just 13.5 days," said Jonscher. "The mice also lost lean muscle mass. We have seen this same phenomenon in humans on bedrest – muscles atrophy and proteins break down into amino acids. The question is, how does that affect your liver?"

When the space-faring mice were compared with a control group that stayed on Earth, samples taken from the travellers indicated increased fat storage in their livers, along with lower levels of retinol – an animal form of Vitamin A – and changes to the levels of genes that help break down fats.

Taken together, these are all signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and potential early indicators of fibrosis. The most disturbing aspect of the findings, which are reported in PLOS ONE, is the rapid timeframe in which these symptoms developed in the animals.

"It generally takes a long time, months to years, to induce fibrosis in mice, even when eating an unhealthy diet," said Jonscher. "If a mouse is showing nascent signs of fibrosis without a change in diet after 13.5 days, what is happening to the humans?"

While NASA is aware of some of the risks that altered gravity fields can have on the human body – listing it first on a rundown of factors that could impact our health in space – liver damage isn't one of the risks reported, indicating we may still have a lot to learn in this area.

Of course, one of the primary scientific goals of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly's famous 'year in space' was the unique opportunity to see what such a long-haul trip off the planet did to the human body – with Kelly's twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly, serving as an Earth-based control.

The most remarkable and immediate (and temporary) effect seen was Scott Kelly growing an astonishing 5 centimetres (2 inches) taller over the course of the year, due to the reduced gravity environment onboard the International Space Station – but NASA's ongoing research into the pair and their health will be long-lasting.

In the meantime, scientists will need to do a lot more research to gauge the potential of liver damage from space travel, both in mice and humans. And aside from any technological measures we can implement to try to reduce or mitigate the health risks of space, the researchers also acknowledge the situation might not be quite as stark as these early results suggest.

"Whether or not this is a problem is an open question," said Jonscher. "We need to look at mice involved in longer duration space flight to see if there are compensatory mechanisms that come into play that might protect them from serious damage."

Scientists Are Uncovering a Terrible New Effect That Space Might Have on Our Bodies

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Improve Your Home's Wi-Fi Signal in Five Minutes

Wi-Fi is just radio waves, and many things can cause interference. But a strong Wi-Fi signal can give you faster performance and better coverage distance, so it’s important to properly position and configure your router for optimal signal strength. I’ll show you how; it just takes a few minutes.

Routers generally have physical antennas that are adjustable. The antenna often comes pointed horizontally to fit the router inside its box. For maximum signal strength, position your router’s antenna vertically, pointing straight up. If you have two antennas, you won’t get better performance by pointing them in different directions.

Consider where you put your router. If you have a large home or office, place the router close to the center to maximize coverage. If you position the router at one end of the building, you may have poor (or no) signal at the other end.But keep in mind that if you already have your router positioned at one end of your home and the signal strength is just fine on the other side, you don’t need to move it.

For maximum coverage, the router should also be high up. Placing it on the floor is the worst location possible – place it on a high shelf, if possible.

Don’t place the router on or near large metal objects, such as metal shelves or filing cabinets. These can block the signal. Metal or stone walls can also block Wi-Fi, while wood and plaster walls won’t cause any problems.

You might be able to root out other sources of interference. For example: microwave ovens, 2.4 GHz cordless phones, and 2.4 GHz baby monitors all have the potential to interfere with a Wi-Fi signal. I’ve personally experienced a Wi-Fi signal to my laptop dying every time a microwave oven was turned on. The microwave oven was in direct line-of-sight between my laptop and the router. The solution? Move any one of them so that the microwave isn’t in between. If you get interference from a cordless phone, you might want to purchase newer 5.8 GHz cordless phones; these workon a frequency band other than Wi-Fi and don’t cause any interfere.

If you’re in an area with many different Wi-Fi networks — such as an apartment complex or even just a house close to other homes — your neighbors’ Wi-Fi networks are probably interfering with yours.

To minimize this, move your router further away from the other Wi-Fi access points, if you can. For example, if you’re in an apartment and have a router in the corner of your room, your neighbor’s router might be right on the other side of the wall.

But the best thing you can do is switch to a different Wi-Fi channel. You access this option on your router’s settings page — check your router’s instruction manual for instructions on how to do that. (If you don’t have the instruction manual, you can almost certainly find the instructions online.) Locate the Wi-Fi channel option in the router’s web interface and change it to a different channel with less interference.

It might take a little experimentation to find the best one, but you can get help choosing a Wi-Fi channel using the Wi-Fi Analyzer app for Android phones and tablets, which will monitor the Wi-Fi networks near you and recommend the least-cluttered Wi-Fi channel for your network. Unfortunately, similar apps aren’t available for iPhone or iPad due to the limitations Apple places on app developers.

That’s it — all you really have to do is position your router well and choose the ideal Wi-Fi channel to optimize your network. Of course, buying a new router that supports modern, improved Wi-Fi standards may also offer you a signal strength and speed boost.

Improve Your Home’s Wi-Fi Signal in Five Minutes. Wi-Fi is just radio waves, and many things can cause interference. But a strong Wi-Fi signal can give you faster performance and better coverage distance, so it’s important to properly position and configure your router for optimal signal strength. I’ll show you how; it just takes...

Point the antenna up, move the router to the center of your intended coverage area and high up, change the channel to one your neighbors don't use [eHow]

Point the Antenna Up
Position Your Router Properly
Choose the Best Wi-Fi Channel


There's a major problem with the idea that Apple should buy Tesla

It's become predictable. Every time it looks like Tesla is up against failure — as it could be now with its ambitious production targets for its Model 3 mass-market car — calls are renewed for Apple to use some of its massive hoard of cash to buy the $30 billion electric-car maker.

On paper it looks synergistically appealing. Tesla would be freed from its state of perpetual anxiety about its future, and Apple would make a bold move into transportation, now viewed by many in Silicon Valley as the next great disruptive frontier.

Also, there aren't that many companies that could swallow Tesla whole. Apple is one of them.

This all overlooks one huge, critical problem, however, a problem that is pretty much insurmountable: There are no two CEOs on earth who are more different than Elon Musk and Tim Cook.

Cook's genius is in supply-chain management: If it weren't for him, Apple wouldn't have its mountain of cash. As Apple has printed money with the iPhone, it has sucked profits out of its suppliers and the wireless providers.

This is the deal, like it or lump it. But Cook isn't a person who brims with mad visions and wants to take wild risks. If he were, Apple would be selling a TV now instead of an overpriced digital watch.

When Musk started PayPal, he was part of an oddball genius collective that included Max Levchin and Peter Thiel, both offbeat personalities (Levchin was born in the old USSR and his parents fled, while Thiel is among the world's most prominent and wealthiest libertarians).

These guys still don't work for anybody, and probably never will. Musk presides over two companies, Tesla and SpaceX, as CEO and one, Solar City, as chairman. He personally oversees Tesla design and has made himself into a de facto rocket scientist. In a thousand years, his leadership personality would never dovetail with Cook's.

The Great Apple Story — which began with the return of Steve Jobs and reached its apotheosis several years ago when Apple became the most valuable and beloved company in the world — is leveling off. As the iPhone has reached full maturity, it's become harder and harder to figure out what Apple does next. The Apple Watch isn't creating an iPhone-like ecosystem of must-have wearable technology; nobody knows what's really going on with "Project Titan," the Apple-car project; the obvious move into TV doesn't look as if it is ever going to happen; music streaming and other "tech" services are boring and unromantic.

No one should be surprised. Cook isn't an idea guy. And Apple's idea people are largely designers, like Jony Ive, who ruled the day under the post-hippie aesthete and visionary Jobs, but who are now living in a world where the action has shifted to the grinding development of huge platforms that can support advertising. Apple is in the beautiful-things business, as is Tesla, and that's one of the arguments that drives the takeover talk. But Cook doesn't want to be in the position of buying Tesla and seeing Musk turn into the new Jobs.

Tesla is just one piece of Musk's grand vision, which is to accelerate humanity's escape from a dependence on fossil fuels. Tesla's role is to spur the arrival of widespread electrification in the world's fleet of vehicles. Even though Musk now wants Tesla to be delivering 500,000 vehicles by 2020, the goal isn't for Tesla to be the Toyota of EVs. SpaceX's job is to "back up the biosphere," according to Musk, and make the species multiplanetary — in case the earth's environment is rendered uninhabitable for humans.

Musk's companies serve a larger purpose. But if Apple were to buy Tesla, the acquisition would have to make some contribution to Apple's business, preferably a tangible one. I'm not sure that Apple would be satisfied with having the first Genius Bar on Mars.

No CEO of a major tech company has any hope of living a normal life, but Cook seems to exhibit none of Jobs' eccentricities. He likes fitness and appears to live modestly. He's among the prominent gay executives in business, but his sexuality isn't anything that has provoked controversy. He presents Apple's products cheerfully. He has been an excellent steward of what Jobs and his Apple cofounders created.

There are many reasons why. I'll muster a single example: After he sold PayPal, Musk taught himself rocket design by reading old Russian rocket manuals. Maybe another: On earnings calls with analysts, he loves nothing more than to dig down into the technical minutiae of Tesla's vehicles. He lives the life of a tech celebrity: Robert Downey Jr. modeled Tony Stark from "Iron Man" on Musk; he's been married several times; he has six kids; he splits his time between Silicon Valley and Beverly Hills; he sleeps next to his Tesla assembly lines; he oversees SpaceX launches. He is by all accounts a wonderful father and decent person, although demanding to work for, but he's not spending many quiet evenings at home.

So if Apple were to buy Tesla, someone would have to go, and that someone would be Musk. And Musk doesn't want to go.

That said, there's no shortage of auto-industry veterans who think it's time for Musk to give up the big chair. And in the unlikely event that it happens, there would be one obvious plus: Musk could be all-in on SpaceX's race to put people on Mars.

Tim Cook and Elon Musk have different styles of management which seem incompatible. #StopClickBait


The most murderous mammal is probably not what you think it is

(Daniel Reinhardt/European Pressphoto Agency)

Ape shall never kill ape. The primate society in the 1973 film "Battle for the Planet of the Apes," the fifth installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise, was governed by this central rule. It was a pleasant sentiment even when chanted from beneath a rubber mask. But such niceties never seem to last, particularly not in post-apocalyptic fiction.

We hate to rock Dr. Zaius‘s world, but that rule does not exist in real-life mammal societies, either.

As a new study published in the journal Nature demonstrated, not only does ape kill ape, but the mammalian world is full of murder.

Monkeys kill their own kind, as do lions, a few bat species and long-tailed chinchillas. But the bloodiest, most homicidal of more than 1,000 species surveyed is the meerkat.

What Meerkat Murder Tells Us About Human Violence https://t.co/5sQeHM4oqZ (These kind of headlines are why you support public radio.) pic.twitter.com/bDhP90DbL0 — CapRadio News (@CapRadioNews) September 29, 2016

The team of Spanish biologists and geneticists behind the study did not set out to point a bloody paw at the meerkat, however. They were more interested in plumbing the evolutionary history of lethal violence, comparing murder rates for 1,024 different types of mammals. The University of Granada researchers combed scientific studies to create a database of lethal aggression, totaling 4 million mammal-on-mammal deaths.

[18-year-old woman sentenced to 40 years in murder of gamer over a PlayStation 4]

It turned out that, at about 1 in 5 meerkat deaths due to intraspecies slaying, the little African carnivores stood at the head of the violent class. Meerkats off their own young when resources are scarce. Meerkat society is also rigidly hierarchical, and fatally so; as pregnant meerkats will kill a subordinate’s offspring to make room in the clan. (If you know a thing or two about the mongoose species, this might not come as a surprise — they are "baby-killing cannibals," per the Telegraph in 2006.)

That 20 percent of deaths are due to such spats is much higher than the typical mammal. The next most murderous are monkey and lemur species, followed by sea lions. Humans are far from cracking the top 30.

The scientists at the University of Granada measured human violence from "600 human populations and societies spanning from the Palaeolithic to the present," as they wrote in the paper. Using this timeline, they calculated a rough baseline murder rate: 1 in 50, or 2 percent of early Homo sapiens were murdered, they concluded.

[Ohio mass killing: Marijuana-growing operations found at crime scene]

The history of violence was not constant. After spikes as high as 12 percent in the Middle Ages, a peaceful thing happened on the way to modern society. As University of Reading evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel, who did not conduct the study, wrote in a companion article at Nature, "Rates of homicide in modern societies that have police forces, legal systems, prisons and strong cultural attitudes that reject violence are, at less than 1 in 10,000 deaths," or about 0.01 percent.

"From the empirical figure of 2 percent of deaths by lethal violence in primitive hunter-gatherers, different historical times have had different levels of lethal violence," said lead study author José María Gómez, of Spain’s Experimental Station of Arid Zones, to the Guardian.

Within the context of mammals, humans fall in a curious place. Given a lethal aggression rate of 2 percent, we are far more murderous than the overall average mammal (0.3 percent of deaths) but we are less violent than the primate ancestor we share with other apes (2.3 percent).

What’s more, the fact that there is murder in our evolutionary history does not mean we are doomed to oblige. Genetic factors alone might not explain that 2 percent rate, Gómez told the Guardian — "environmental conditions and ecological constraints" matter, too.

Even if murder is in our nature, it is not an impossible influence to stymie. As Pagel noted, the 0.01 percent estimate of murders for modern humans is far less than Gómez’s baseline would suggest.

[Man’s ‘unusual fixation’ with Lebanese neighbors led to killing, Tulsa police say]

Even early humans, with less than 2 percent of deaths caused by homicide, are far from the most murderous mammal.


Another state declares drought emergency

Drought isn't just a California problem, folks. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency on Friday, with snowpack and stream flows dramatically below normal.

"We’re really starting to feel the pain from this snowpack drought," Inslee said at a press conference. "Impacts are already severe in several areas of the state. Difficult decisions are being made about what crops get priority water and how best to save fish. ... We have some tough, challenging months ahead of us. We’re ready to bring support and relief to the hardest hit areas of the state. We’re going to do everything we can to get through this."

The drought in Washington, famous for lush greenery and rainy weather, is less severe than what California has endured since 2011. Data released by the National Drought Mitigation Center on Thursday shows how conditions have worsened in Washington over the last year.

Drought emergencies also have been declared in parts of Oregon and Nevada.

Washington Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon described the drought as "unlike any we've ever experienced," with snowpack in the mountains dropping to just 16 percent of normal, and 78 percent of streams running below normal.

"Rain amounts have been normal, but snow has been scarce," Bellon said. "And we’re watching what little snow we have quickly disappear. ... We've been busy the past few months working with sister agencies, tribes and communities to prepare and respond to this. We’re working hard to help farmers, communities and fish survive this drought."

A press release from Inslee's office warns that the Department of Agriculture predicts the drought will cause $1.2 billion in crop loss this year. Washington's agriculture-rich Yakima Valley is known for its cherries, apples, mint and wine grapes, Northwest Public Radio noted, but farmers in the region with junior water rights anticipate receiving less than 40 percent of their usual supply.

Washington State Declares Drought Emergency

Drought isn't just a California problem , folks. Washington Gov.

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The 3 longest flights in the world are not for the faint of heart

If you really hate layovers, these are the flights for you.

This week, Qantas announced plans to operate what will become one of the longest flights in the world. The airline’s forthcoming nonstop Perth to London route will cover about 9,008 miles in approximately 17 hours, positioning it to become the third-longest flight by distance when it launches in March 2018, according to a Qantas spokesperson. Whoa.

Airlines are constantly outdoing each other for the longest commercial passenger flight in the world, and the lineup changes frequently as carriers announce new routes or change existing ones. In terms of distance, these are the three longest routes currently in operation, according to a Qantas spokesperson:

This fall, Air India changed the route for this flight from Atlantic to Pacific to make it the longest in the world by distance (it was previously second). Though the new Pacific route is 870 miles longer, it saves time and fuel because of tailwinds. Currently, the flight covers about 9,400 miles in approximately 14.5 hours.

This Emirates flight covers about 8,820 miles in just over 17 hours in a Boeing 777 purposefully built for ultra long-haul flights.

Travelers on this Qantas one-way endure an approximately 8,577-mile trip that lasts 16 hours. Now THAT is what we call a redeye.

How long will these rankings last? It isn’t just Qantas that’s set to shake things up again by 2018. Singapore Air, for example, plans to reinstate a nonstop route from Singapore to New York that will travel 10,252 miles in 19 hours. If so, we’ll have a new record longest all over again, and a reshuffled top three.

The 3 Longest Flights In The World Are Not For The Faint Of Heart


There’s an airline people dislike even more than United

America finds one airline less fly than the rest.

Spirit Airlines ranks dead last in customer satisfaction, according to a 2017 travel report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

The airline scored a 61 on a 100-point scale.

Spirit is known for its cheap fares. But their no-frills, a la carte policy means the airline has no free amenities like inflight beverages, and it charges for a carry-on larger than a small purse.

Rounding out the bottom was Frontier with a score of 63, and United with a score of 70.

The report, which was based on roughly 180,000 customer interviews conducted over a 12-month period, ended in March. Therefore, responses didn’t reflect customer dissatisfaction after Delta cancelled thousands of flights earlier this month, or the PR nightmare United experienced after David Dao was violently dragged off an overbooked flight.

David VanAmburg, managing director at ACSI, told CNN Money that he believes one of these airlines will be hit harder than the other next year.

"We expect Delta to be hurt more than United (UAL)," he told the outlet. "If for no other reason than the Delta cancellations impacted thousands of passengers, while United, while obviously a very horrific incident, was with one passenger."

JetBlue and Southwest got the highest scores on the ACSI report, receiving an 82 and 80 respectively.

There’s An Airline People Dislike Even More Than United


What @Oprah no longer worries about now that she's 60

Sixty. I'm turning 60 this month! I'm so glad I've lived long enough to say those words and celebrate their meaning.

I'm turning 60. I'm alive. Healthy. Strong.

I'm turning 60, and—please don't take offense—I no longer have to be concerned about what anyone thinks of me! (You know, the old Am I doing it right? Am I saying it right? Am I being what or who I'm "supposed" to be?) I'm turning 60, and I've earned the right to be just as I am. I'm more secure in being myself than I've ever been.

I have reached the moment Derek Walcott describes in his beautiful poem "Love After Love": "...with elation / you will greet yourself arriving / at your own door, in your own mirror / and each will smile at the other's welcome."

I am in awe of the way my journey here on earth continues to unfold. My life has been marked by miracles for as long as I can recall -- and even before. (My entire existence is the result of a onetime frolic under an oak tree.) My early days speaking in a Mississippi Methodist church -- Baptist leanings, shoutin', and Holy Ghost included -- prepared me for a future of speaking in a public arena I could never have imagined.

And now, at 60, I simply want to share what I've been given. I want to continue to encourage as many people as I can to open their hearts to life, because if I know anything for sure, it's that opening my own heart is what has brought me my greatest success and joy.

My highest achievement: never shutting my heart down. Even in my darkest moments -- through sexual abuse, a pregnancy at 14, lies and betrayals -- I remained faithful, hopeful, and open to seeing the best in people, regardless of whether they were showing me their worst. I stayed open to believing that no matter how hard the climb, there is always a way to let in a sliver of light to illuminate the path forward.

We go through life discovering the truth about who we are and determining who has earned the right to share the personal space within our heart.

This I also know for sure: God -- however you define or refer to Him, Her, or It -- is for us. The forces of nature are for us, offering us life in abundance. We humans narrow what is an open field of wonder and majesty to the myopic reality of our day-to-day experiences. But there is extraordinary in the ordinary. Every day and every breath is magic -- if we can only see it for what it is.

Some days the awareness of the sanctity and sacredness of life brings me to my knees with gratitude. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the little girl from Mississippi who grew up holding her nose in an outhouse now flies on her own plane -- my own plane! -- to Africa to help girls who grew up like her. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

I approach this milestone, the landmark of 60, with humility, supreme thanksgiving, and joy. Knowing for sure grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

Oprah On Turning 60: 'Every Day And Every Breath Is Magic'

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This city is set to pass Chicago as the 3rd largest in the U.S. »

Hidden in the haze of the petrochemical plants and beyond the seemingly endless traffic jams, a Texas city has grown so large that it is poised to pass Chicago as the third biggest in the US in the next decade.

Houston has been one of the fastest-growing US cities for years, fueled by an energy industry that provided the backbone of the economy, low taxes, and prospects of employment that have attracted job seekers.

But Houston also embodies the new, urban Texas, where political views have been drifting to the left, diversity is being embraced, and newer residents are just as likely to drive a hybrid as a pickup truck.

Houston's move is also indicative of demographic shifts unfolding in the US that will increase the population and political clout of the Lone Star State over the next several decades.

Within eight to 10 years, Houston is forecast by demographers in the two states to pass Chicago, which has seen its population decline for years, as the third-largest city.

Houston is projected to have a population of 2.54 million to 2.7 million by 2025, while Chicago will be at 2.5 million, according to official data from both states provided for their health departments. New York and Los Angeles are safe at Nos. 1 and 2 respectively.

Houston has long been associated with the risk takers in the oil industry and more recently as one of the better cities to find a job.

"Texas has a long tradition, and Houston has it in spades, that we are not so much interested in where you are from. We want to know what you can do," Mayor Annise Parker of Houston said in an interview with Reuters.

Chicago officials were not immediately available for comment.

Apart from domestic migration, about one in five Houstonians is foreign born, and more than 90 languages are spoken in the city.

"We have that international mindset that the rest of the United States never saw," said Parker, a former oil executive and city controller who has a collection of urban achievement awards and rodeo belt buckles in her office.

On Houston's fringes are petrochemical plants that fuel the economy, the space agency NASA that attracts aerospace jobs, and a port that handles more foreign tonnage than any other in the US.

In between is a mass of relatively unplanned urban sprawl, strip malls, ethnic enclaves, trendy restaurants, and burgeoning green spaces lying under an umbrella of oppressive heat that lasts more than half the year.

The energy industry, which accounts for about 40% of Houston's economy, has sent the fortunes of the city on a roller-coaster ride for decades.

With oil priced at around $45 a barrel, the brakes have been slammed on job growth, and a slight chill has entered the booming construction sector.

Since 1969, Houston has been one of the most successful major US cities in terms of per-capita personal-income growth. Since about 2003, about 650,000 jobs have been created in the Houston area, according to the University of Houston.

The Houston-area unemployment rate has remained below the national average for years, according to government data, while the Chicago-area has recently been above it.

Houston's growth, however, coming with few zoning restrictions and a loose regulatory system in Texas, has led to persistent problems in air quality and traffic congestion.

Parker, who is leaving office after six years because of term limits, made headlines when she was elected as the first open lesbian to run a major US city. She capitalized on the media attention as a chance to promote the city as a good place to do business, she said.

The city purchases more renewable energy than any other in the US, said Parker, who has launched a $250 million project to put bike and hiking trials along the bayous, or small rivers, that run through the city like veins.

On social issues, residents in one of the most racially diverse US cities are seen as "tolerant traditionalists" who espouse conservative values and open minds when it comes to social issues, according to a poll from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Houston's Rice University.

Residents generally have a positive view of immigrants, favor same-sex marriage, and are more progressive than the state's socially conservative Republican leadership, it said.

The city ranks near the top in the US in terms of resettling refugees from abroad, and when the price of oil picks up again it will see a fresh wave of migration from those seeking employment.

"If you see the way the crowd is going, you might as well jump in front of it and make it a parade," Parker said.

Houston is about to become America's 3rd-largest city


Is this the biggest clue yet about the Nintendo NX?

The Chief Executive of Pokemon has confirmed they will be getting on board with the new Nintendo NX.

No surprises there as Pokemon has always had a home with Nintendo.

But Tsunekazu Ishihara's announcement in the Wall Street Journal did back the rumours that the NX will be something we've not seen before.

"The NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a hand-held device," he said.

Image caption The CEO of Pokemon is the guy on the right - in case you got confused.

Tsunekazu doesn't work for Nintendo, so we can't be completely sure of his claims, but due to the close nature of Nintendo and Pokemon's relationship we can probably assume he has some informed knowledge.

A lot of fans on Twitter are under the impression that we may know more by the end of next week though.

As it stands, everything surrounding the console is speculation but let's see what everyone is saying about it.

Throw back to March 2015 where it was first mentioned

Nintendo's chief executive, Satoru Iwata, quashed rumours that they were solely focusing on the smart phone market when he announced the NX.

"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated games system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept under the development code name NX."

We got a bit more in April 2016 when the said that the NX "will be unveiled later this year" and released in March 2017.

Oval shaped, touch screen, detachable... There are plenty of mock-ups floating about

Game Rant noticed Nintendo have patented an "oval shaped device, mostly made up of a touch screen".

Which could be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.

Whilst various sources speaking to Eurogamer have said that it will be a "portable console with detachable controllers".

And Nintendo Life, who were the people behind the original "hybrid" rumours have come up with a similar design idea.

And Tsunekazu's announcement around the Pokemon games certainly supports the idea that it is a hybrid device of some sort.

But ultimately we will just have to wait to find out what's true.

Oh and do remember - "NX" is just the code name, we don't know that is what it will actually be called.

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Pokémon CEO, who is not a Nintendo employee, says "The NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a hand-held device."


These 6 systems will get rid of Wi-Fi dead spots in your house

As history flows along, we find ways to snuff out conditions that make us miserable. We invented plumbing so we didn’t have to carry water. We invented tractors so we didn’t have to break our backs in the fields. We invented air conditioning so we’re no longer uncomfortable in the summer.

And now, you are alive to see the snuffing out of another source of misery: Wi-Fi dead spots.

For years, we’ve tried to solve this problem with various imperfect solutions like Wi-Fi repeaters/extenders. But they all have downsides, like diminished speed and having to change Wi-Fi network names when you move around the house.

The revolution began a year ago with the introduction of the Eero. After I tested it (my review’s here), I was so exhilarated that I actually bought a set for myself, at the nosebleedy price of $500.

Today, every networking company and its sister now offers a similar system. And man, they are great.

Because a router out in plain sight offers better coverage than one in a closet, they’re all great-looking. Because we’re human beings and not engineers, they all include phone apps that make setup simple. And because many of us have children, most offer either parental controls (to block iffy websites) or a Pause button for specified offspring (so we can have dinner conversation face to face).

This week, I reviewed six of these systems: Eero, Plume, Luma, Google WiFi, Netgear Orbi, LinkSys Velop, and Ubiquiti Amplifi HD.

Each manufacturer touts its routers’ top speed in megabits per second ("867 mbps/sec!", for example). But trust me: You’ll get those speeds only on the moon. In the cluttered airwaves of a community, among the walls and furniture obstacles of a home, your top speed will probably be less than half the advertised maximum. Move 30 feet away, and it drops by half again.

In fact, any of these mesh systems can pass along data faster than your Internet provider passes it into the average American home (54 mbps/sec.). If your concern is transferring files between drives within your home, or if you’re paying for much faster Internet, then consider one of the beefier systems here: The Velop, Orbi, or Amplifi HD.

I tested each system by wandering through my house with a laptop running Netspot, an app that builds a "heat map" of Wi-Fi strength. All of them totally blanketed both floors of the house. (I even spot-checked the attic and basement. They had Wi-Fi, too.)

I also did an internet speed test twice per system: in the room closest to the cable modem, and the room farthest from it. Here’s what I discovered.

The modules are small and good-looking; the terrific app gives you insight into every aspect of your system. All the key features are here, like guest networks (for visitors—they can access the internet, but not your computers) and individual, pause-able profiles for your offspring.

If you have an Amazon (AMZN) Echo, you can even control your Eeros by voice: shutting off certain kids’ internet access, turning the Eeros’ status lights on or off, or finding your phone/tablet/laptop in the house according to its closest Eero.

The Eero’s price has not come down in its year on the market, though. At $500 for a set of three, it’s almost goofily overpriced—$200 more than Google (GOOG, GOOGL) Wi-Fi, for example. I’m glad to own it, but it wouldn’t be my first choice today.

Google’s Eero-like system costs $300 for the set of three.

It, too, is fast, full-featured, and beautifully designed. (For example, there’s no traditional power brick—only a simple cord with USB-C on the router end and standard two-prong plug on the other.)

The app makes it incredibly simple to set the whole thing up. You use your phone to scan a barcode on the bottom of the first pod; after that, one tap is all it takes to set up each additional pod. The app even tests the placement of each unit and lets you know if you’ve chosen wisely.

Features: You can pause individuals or groups, even remotely. You can control the colorful LED ring around the equator of each unit, although they make fantastic night lights. Voice control is coming soon, Google says. Port forwarding, guest networking, device prioritization ("favor the Roku when I’m watching videos!"): all present.

Feels like a cheap Eero knockoff; minor irritations abound. Do I really have to surrender my phone number just to use my new router? The units are hexagons, but unlike the Eeros, they can’t lie flat, because the power cord sticks out of the back. The setup process goes like this.

The app is strong on parental controls and security; for example, you can set up accounts for each kid in your family and specify what kinds of sites they’re allowed to visit (rated PG, R, etc.). And there’s a full list of management features: Alexa commands ("Alexa, tell Luma to pause Casey’s laptop"), gadget prioritization, port forwarding, and guest networks.

But the Lumas’ power is on the weak side; a set of three left fading signal at the fringes of the house.

Netgear’s approach to mesh networking is radical: Only two units to cover an entire big house. Including the front and back yard!

How? First, these are big, honking towers, crammed with antennas and power to drive them. (A ring on the top glows in colors during setup to show its happiness with the current signal strength.)

Second, most routers communicate with your devices on one of two radio bands (2.4 or 5 gigahertz)—but this one uses a third channel exclusively for communications between the two towers. As a result, that channel remains strong enough to drive through ceilings, floors, and walls. Netgear suggests putting one unit right by your cable modem, and the "satellite" tower in the middle of your house, even if that’s upstairs and several rooms away.

It works. (The "Mesh routers" heat map shown near the top of this article is the Orbi’s result.)

By the way, the Orbi also offers MU-MIMO streaming. (That stands for Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output, but it basically means fast—at least when talking to gadgets that also speak MU-MIMO. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and certain other Android phones do; no Apple products do.)

Alas, Netgear’s software engineers aren’t anywhere near as impressive as its hardware designers. The setup instructions are filled with terms like "credentials" and "redirect," and they make no mention of a smartphone app that could make the process easier. You’re supposed to use a web-browser interface to set up your Orbis.

When I contacted the company, they told me that there is a setup app—they just forgot to mention it! In fact, there are three apps, each governing a different aspect of the Orbis (setting up guest network, parental controls, etc.).

For $490, you get three gorgeous, sculptural white towers, with cables that sneak out of a corner cutout, a physical reset button (instead of a paper-clip hole), and packaging that out-elegances Apple’s. The towers deliver fantastic speed and coverage, thanks in part to a three-band system like Netgear’s for better comms between towers.

The Velop (pronounced VELLup) also offers MU-MIMO streaming, if you’re scoring at home.

All the perks are here: parental controls, guest networking, device prioritization, port forwarding, Alexa commands ("Turn the guest network on," "What’s my password?"), and so on. The app is, therefore, more dense than on simpler devices, but it’s not hard to navigate.

My one beef: it takes a long time to recognize each new satellite as you hook it up. Minutes.

If you took the concept of mesh routers—multiple transmitters spaced around the home—to its logical conclusion, you’d wind up with Plume. Here, you buy a bunch of super-cheap, tiny routers—the size of night lights, available in black, silver, or bronze—and plug them directly into power outlets, one per room or hallway! (Once you’re about a room away from the nearest Plume, your signal weakens dramatically.)

Setting them up is insanely easy. You don’t even have to introduce them to the network one at a time, as you must the other systems; you can just plug in all six, or all nine, or whatever, and they just work. (If you want to name them, you can: Just hold your phone very close to one of the plugs until it offers its name for changing. Very cool.)

These pods are so cheap because they don’t contain processors, as their rivals do; all the analysis is done online. As a result, the company says that it takes 24 hours of analysis before the plugs begin to deliver their best speeds. Then, in the coming weeks, they shift bandwidth to the pods that need it most, according to your use patterns.

Here’s the problem, though: Economics. If your home is small enough that you can get by with three Plumes ($180) or even six ($330), you’d save money and complexity by buying a modern, standard, regular router. And if your house is big enough that you need a mesh system, you’ll probably need $600 worth of Plumes—and any of the competitors here would cost a lot less than that.

There are no features to speak of, either: No guest network, device prioritization, or parental controls.

Here’s another fresh take on the mesh system. This time, the three modules aren’t identical and interchangeable. There’s a base module and two satellite antennas.

The base is a cube with a color touch screen; tap it to view various network-info screens. (Most of the time, it just shows the time and date.)

The satellites are very cool: the antenna part connects to the power-outlet part with a magnetic ball joint, meaning that you can adjust the antenna’s angle. Note, though, that it can be tough finding spots to plug these things in where they’re not stymied by a floor, a countertop, or a wall. Baseboard outlets are pretty much it—which limits your positioning options (and attracts small children). They’re not exactly fashion accessories, either.

The app is lovely, and gives you access to all kinds of advanced router settings (port forwarding, DHCP settings, etc.)—but doesn’t offer parental controls.

If money were no object, I’d tell you to buy the LinkSys Velop. These babies look great, they’re absurdly fast, the features are all there, and the software has its act together. A set of three is designed to cover 6,000 square feet of house—far more than the Google WiFi (4,500 square feet), Netgear Orbi (4,000), or Eero or Luma (3,000). (Then again, if your pad is more of a palace, you ‘ll want the Amplifi HD, which says it can cover 20,000 square feet!)

But if money is an object—namely, if you object to a $490 price tag—then you can save $200 by getting the Google WiFi trio. The modules are gorgeous and not so ostentatious, and the app offers a smoother setup.

Unfortunately, the three-pack of Google WiFi is currently sold out everywhere. If you can’t wait, you can save almost as much money, and still get unbelievable coverage, with the Amplifi HD ($350) or the Netgear Orbi ($380).

In any case, if your house’s size or construction stymies any single router you’ve tried, treat yourself. Dead spots are the latest scourge of humanity that we’ve now wiped out.

Instead of one Wi-Fi transmitter too weak to fill your entire home with signal, a mesh system uses a set of them, spaced evenly through your house.  The result is a single "mesh network," a roaming network, that blankets the entire house in good, strong signal.  The revolution began a year ago with the

Eero
Plume
Luma
Google WiFi
Netgear Orbi


This step of Manohar Parrikar is women empowerment in true sense - The Frustrated Indian

Thanks to people like Rahul Gandhi and the hypocrite feminists (Feminazis in popular lingo), women empowerment is more of a joke than a cause to be taken up. They way these two have dealt with the subject is not only deplorable; it is laughable to say the least. However, trust people like Manohar Parrikar to bring back the sanity to this subject.

If sources are to be believed, Manohar Parrikar our defense ministers has proposed an all women’s battalion in all the three forces, for combat purposes.

In a seminar organized by FICCI FLO, the IIT Mumbai (then Bombay) graduate and ex CM of Goa said, "There is a thinking that soldiers will not listen to a Commanding Officer who is a lady because they are not trained to do that. I don’t agree with this as the only restriction today is infrastructure,"

"In combat roles also there can be women. Why not have a complete women team, battalion of women. So the question of women officers leading a men’s team, if there is question of initial resistance to it, can also be taken care of," he said.

This implies that Manohar Parrikar is advocating for a complete women’s battalion, especially in all the armed forces, whether Army, Navy or Air Force. He said that a psychological barrier for the same has been broken by the induction of Bhavana Kanth, Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi into the Indian Air Force as the fighter pilots.

Mooting for an all women’s battalion is nothing new to India. Much before women were officially inducted, our esteemed revolutionary, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, advocated for participation of women in his struggle for independence. True to his words, he also constituted an all women and girls regiment, named the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, comprising future heroines like Chief of Medical Staff, Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan, Lieutenant Manvati Arya, famous teen spy Saraswathi Rajamani among others.

Recently, post the ascent of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India in 2014, women are being gradually, but significantly being allowed more say in the defence sector. 2015 Republic Day Celebrations saw a drastic change, when Wing Commander Pooja Thakur was assigned the command of the Guard of Honor, normally a male only bastion. If that was enough, for the first time, an all women’s contingent from each of the armed forces marched down the Rajpath at the Republic Day Celebrations, with Captain Divya Ajith leading the Army contingent, Lieutenant Commander Sandhya Chauhan leading the Navy contingent and Squadron Leader Sneha Shekhawat leading the Air Force contingent.

Although in the words of Manohar Parrikar, it would happen gradually, but if it becomes the reality, India would become the latest entrant in the select club of nations having an all women’s battalion for combat purposes. Besides, Shri Manohar Parrikar has also proposed the idea of inducting women through the National Defence Academy and Sainik schools.

Ruing that the bureaucratic corruption compelled the file on induction of women to reach him after nearly four months, despite his own personal interest into the same, Shri Parrikar said, "I support women rights, empowerment but I believe changes have to be done in a gradual manner because if you don’t do that there will be problems," he said.

As of now, women are not permanently inducted into the Indian Army, and as per the Short Service Commission, serve the tenure of barely 5 to 15 years. However, in the medical sector, they are allowed for Permanent Commission and pension after retirement. They are eligible to compete only through the Combined Defence Services Exam, and not the NDA one. Shri Parrikar’s interest will break all these barriers, if they turn into the reality.

What Manohar Parrikar is signaling towards is a radical step that will give women a genuine chance to serve the nation. In a country rife with tales of women warriors, from the mythological Kaikeyi, to the brave tribal queen Durgavati, this is nothing short of a cultural victory. Even though it is a tough task ahead, we are proud of Shri Manohar Parrikar, that he is personally interested in this case. Please go ahead, we Indians are with you.

In the words of Manohar Parrikar, it would happen gradually, but if it becomes the reality, India would become the latest entrant

He is advocating for a complete women’s battalion, in all of the three armed forces. #StopClickbait


The 23 greatest ex-boyband member songs of the last 20 years

Yes, Jeff was the one in 98 Degrees with the hot tits. And yes, you have never heard this song before. Keep it that way.

Quasi-Christian rock with a vague "please come home from war" vibe. An acquired taste!

20. "Walking On Air" by Lance Bass, Anise K, and Bella Blue

I don't really have anything to say about the song but *that is* an interesting album cover. Kudos!

19. "Just Hold On" by Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson

Lots of screaming and yelling. Fun song!

Fun fact: JC Chasez co-wrote this song. That's all I got.

15. "When You Say Nothing At All" by Ronan Keating

Full disclosure: I literally just heard this song today. It's fine.

He should have released "Jealous" as his first single but "Chains" is OK.

This song was way better than it should have been. Excited for this album!

His first *real* American single. Also, remember Y2K?

Underrated! A nice bop we can all get behind!

9. "Soundtrack To Your Life" by Ashley Parker Angel

I could rotate between the Ashlee Simpson show theme song and this one for like... an hour.

Boyband he came from: New Kids On The Block

7. "Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake

The music video makes me think of wool beanies.

Hot shot debut! I have a feeling this song will age like a fine wine and not like milk.

The best One Direction person song so far (unless Harry's new song ends up aging like a fine wine instead of milk or almond milk).

Great, positive message from a great, positive song!

3. "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" by JC Chasez

JC's album "Schizophrenic" is a masterpiece. This was a lead single that the world wasn't ready for. Incredibly underrated, sad, and TBQH: depressing!

The turtleneck in the video and the line "Anyone can make you swear, but I, can keep you wet" are iconic!!!!

A song with meaning, dark undertones, and vocals. THIS IS THE BEST SONG, end of story. Also, I never realized that the video was a literal Newlyweds homage. What a way to meet your future wife!

Ranking Every Ex-Boyband Song From The Last 20 Years From Really Awful To Really Great


Guess Which New Title People Really Want To Play On PC By Ryan Winslett It turns out that platform exclusive games still have the ability to rile up folks. One recently announced console game has basically done that overnight, resulting in plenty of outcry on social media and even a petition coming out of the PC camp.

In case you somehow missed the past few days' worth of news, Red Dead Redemption 2 has finally been confirmed. Rockstar Games and Take-Two hinted at the game in the past but, this week, a trio of tweets and images have shown the game (quite literally) marching toward an announcement.

However, as we pointed out following the official announcement yesterday morning, Red Dead Redemption 2 has only thus far been announced as a Fall 2017 game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In other words, if you're gaming on a PC, you might be a lonely cowpoke when this highly anticipated sequel finally rides onto the scene.

As is often the case these days, the result of this revelation has been a petition for a PC version of Red Dead 2. While some might consider this an act of silliness by a gaming community that has become more and more entitled over the years, others would argue that it's simply a group of folks wanting to prove there are enough people interested in Red Dead on PC to warrant the extra work on the part of the developer.

To be fair, the first Red Dead Redemption was never released for PC, but it's not like Rockstar has never ported their games to the platform. Still, it's pretty clear at this point that, for the most part, the developer is simply uninterested in developing on that front.

Our guess is that Rockstar is going to pull a Grand Theft Auto V with this one. Similar to Red Dead, GTAV is a big game full of many, many moving parts. With GTA, the developer nailed things down on the console front and, about a year and a half later, finally launched the game on PC. We can't say we blame them for wanting to target their biggest market first and avoid allocating resources to PC development until they feel that they've got a handle on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of their game.

We understand PC gamers being upset over this, so long as everyone understands that they are ultimately owed nothing. A request for Rockstar to consider adding PC development to their plate is reasonable but, considering how the community has reacted to developers as of late, we doubt that Rockstar is receiving any messages, tweets, etc. that could be considered "polite."

If you feel that signing the petition will be enough to sway Rockstar's mind concerning Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC, then feel free to add your name to the list. There are currently nearly 23,000 names on the petition so, assuming those are legitimate, maybe it'll be enough to bring about a change of heart.

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Top distraction for teens in car crashes may surprise you

Startling new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals the disturbing behaviors behind distracted driving among young drivers.

Usually, AAA refers to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the "summer driving season," but now, it's giving it a much more ominous name - the "100 Deadliest Days."

During the summer months, more teenagers are on the road and the number of deaths from crashes involving teen drivers soars to an average of 10 every day -- 16 percent higher than the rest of the year.

Working with the University of Iowa, AAA studied teen drivers over the past eight years, using dashboard cameras and documenting more than 2,200 moderate to severe collisions. Over that time, they saw a disturbing change in behavior.

"They're more likely to interact with their phones via texting or social media, which is particularly scary because they're actually then looking down, taking their eyes off the road," said Jennifer Ryan of AAA.

According to the study, 60 percent of teen crashes today are caused by distracted driving. But perhaps surprisingly, the study found that cell phones are not the number one problem.

The top distraction for teens is other passengers, accounting for 15 percent of teen driver accidents, compared to 12 percent caused by distracted by texting or talking on a cell phone.

"What we know about teens is that when they add a passenger, they're more likely to be distracted, they're more likely to engage in risky behavior," Ryan said.

Stacy Robinson lost two daughters in a crash in Texas in March. A teenage friend who was driving was looking at her phone moments before hitting an 18-wheeler head on.

"I will miss both of my daughters very much," Robinson said, sobbing.

Now, Toron Woolridge, the brother of the two girls, spreads the word about the dangers of distracted driving.

"The best way that I can honor my sisters, the best way I know possible is to talk to youth and talk to parents and help them to understand what could happen," Woolridge said.

AAA recommends complete bans on wireless devices for drivers under age 18, which is now the law in 30 states.

Top distraction for teen drivers in crashes may surprise you

Startling new AAA research reveals the disturbing behaviors behind distracted driving among young drivers

teen drivers, Traffic Safety, aaa, distracted driving

other passengers, followed by cell phones. (this is disgusting btw)


Taylor Swift's '1989' album just did something that the music business hasn't seen for 14 years »

Taylor Swift's new album has sold 1.287 million copies in its first week.

Nielsen SoundScan announced late Tuesday that "1989" earned the largest sales in a week for an album since Eminem's "The Eminem Show" sold 1.322 million units in 2002.

Swift is the only artist to have three albums push more than 1 million units in its debut week: 2012's "Red" sold 1.208 million and 2010's "Speak Now" sold 1.047 million copies, respectively.

The 24-year-old's fifth album features the smash hit, "Shake It Off." She will launch a world tour next year.

Taylor Swift's '1989' sells 1.M copies in 1st week

Music & Musicians, Music & Musicians, US: News, Media, business news


"Orange Is The New Black" gets a Season 2 premiere date on @Netflix

Netflix announced the premiere date as the credits rolled during the last episode of "House Of Cards" Season 2. Little is known about "Orange Is The New Black" Season 2, but the first season -- based on the book of the same name -- followed Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) through her prison stay for smuggling drug money across international lines for her lover Alex (Laura Prepon). Ten years after her relationship with Alex ended, Piper is now engaged to Larry (Jason Biggs). When she goes to serve her time, she finds herself in prison with Alex and a whole slew of amazing, hilarious and possibly deranged characters.

We know that Laura Prepon will be back as Alex for at least four episodes and that Lori Petty will join the cast. But until June 6, we'll just have to speculate about what happens in Litchfield Penitentiary.

'Orange Is The New Black' Season 2 Gets A Premiere Date

"Orange Is The New Black" Season 2 will premiere June 6 on Netflix!

Netflix announced the premiere date as the

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Experts say all blue-eyed people have one thing in common – here's what it is

While the blond-hair, blue-eyed look is often portrayed as the "ideal" all-American look, blue eyes are actually a genetic mutation. In fact, the majority of people had brown eyes prior to 10,000 years ago, according to BuzzFeed.

. The researchers tracked down the genetic mutation that causes blue eyes to sometime between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, Researchers at the University of Copenhagen discovered that everyone with blue eyes can be tracked back to a single ancestor, according to Science Daily

Scientists believe that all people originally had brown eyes but that a genetic mutation on the OCA2 gene caused the body to produce less pigment, which resulted in blue eyes, according to Science Daily.

Because different eye tones are based on the amount of melanin (pigment) the body produces, scientists concluded that everyone with blue eyes comes from the same ancestral line, "From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor. They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA," Professor Hans Eiberg, of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, told Science Daily.

Scientists say that the "mutation" isn't good or bad, it just is. "It is one of several mutations such as hair colour, baldness, freckles and beauty spots which neither increases nor reduces a human's chance of survival, " according to Science Daily.

Scientists say that all blue-eyed people have more than eye color in common

According to scientists, all blue-eyed people of the world share this one thing in common.

It's a genetic mutation that can likely be traced back to one common ancestor 6,000-10,000 years ago. #StopClickBait


You Won’t Believe What the "Suspect Package" at the Abandoned Man U vs Bournemouth Game Was

Tens of thousands of fans were on Sunday evacuated from the 75,000 capacity Old Trafford stadium following a bomb scare.

The fans of both teams, Manchester United and Bournemouth were gathered for their last game of the Premiership when it was announced over the public address system that a "suspect package" had been found in the north-west quadrant – the corner between the North Stand and Stretford End.

The bomb squad was later invited to carry out a controlled explosion after which they found out what the "suspect package" was.

"Following today’s controlled explosion, we have since found out that the item was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs," said Assistant Chief Constable John O’Hare of the Greater Manchester Police.

According to CNN, O’Hare said "Whilst this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk."

The abandoned game has been shifted to Tuesday night.

Fake bomb used to train dogs that find real bombs.


Here's one thing we never thought would be a canned good

A new company selling wine in a can is counting on millennials to keep their product from falling into the same graveyard as Zima and Miller Clear Beer.

It's called Friends Fun Wine in a Can. The wine is made from "premium French grapes" in southern France, the manufacturer says, but it considers the beverage a "wine drink" or a "wine product" since it has less than half the alcohol content of a normal glass of wine.

Each serving also has half the calories of a regular glass. The wine drink comes in a 8.4-oz. slim can -- the same size as a Red Bull -- that includes two servings, and will be sold for less than $3 per can or less than $6 for a two-pack.

Friends Beverage Group CEO Joe Peleg, originally from Israel and a 1980s graduate of Cornell University, launched the product earlier in 2013. Peleg said in a recent visit to The Huffington Post headquarters that his goal is to make wine more accessible and common for Americans to have with their lunch or dinner.

"We want this to be something light ... something that you enjoy with friends," Peleg said.

HuffPost editors tried Original Red Sangria, Original White Sangria, Rosé Moscato, White Moscato, Strawberry Moscato and Peach Moscato flavors, all 6 percent alcohol by volume. The company also makes Cabernet Merlot, French Melon Wine and Chardonnay Sauvignon flavors, which are 12 percent alcohol by volume.

Reactions from HuffPost editors and writers were mixed. Two staffers who cover food said they were not impressed. "It's like adult Capri Sun," one said. Others with less expertise soured on the Peach and Strawberry versions -- one said it was like "sugar water" -- but thought the White Moscato and Sangria were fine.

"It felt like drinking a wine spritzer and a beer on a summer patio," one HuffPoster said.

Overall, the more experienced the wine drinker, the more likely they were to dislike Friends' wine. But Peleg isn't too concerned with wine connoisseurs; he's targeting millennials and perhaps college students -- who are of age, of course.

Will wine-in-a-can catch on? If wine-in-a-box did, then why not?

As Bloomberg Businessweek notes, boxed wine helped Franzia become the world’s best-selling brand.

One HuffPost staffer who called Friends wine "gross" still conceded, "I see the point and I think it could become popular."

Gallup polling shows there's been a generational shift away from beer in favor of wine and, to a lesser extent, liquor. Part of this, people have theorized, is that Americans today are more health conscious. Even among people drinking beer, light versions are outselling full lagers.

In the next couple weeks, Peleg expects to see his products roll out in CVS stores around New York City. Since Friends is actually a "wine drink" with an alcohol level closer to beer's than normal vino's, it can be sold in convenience stores while brands like Yellowtail and Franzia cannot.

The Friends' moscato flavors are already sold on Spirit Airlines for $7, and the company doesn't think it's out of the question to have wine products sold domestically at fast food chains like McDonald's within a few years. Walmart stores in Texas and Florida also are carrying the product, the company said.

Wine In A Can Company Wants Millennials To Think Outside The Box

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Scientists say men with one intriguing characteristic are more attractive to women

Take a look at a bunch of women's OkCupid profiles and you'll be hard pressed to find one that says, "I'm looking for a guy who makes me laugh, loves trying new foods, and — oh! knows how to spin a mean yarn."

And yet new research suggests that storytelling prowess is a desirable quality in a guy — possibly because it signals that they're high-status. Men, on the other hand, don't seem to be fazed by women's ability to tell a good tale.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and SUNY Buffalo came to these conclusions after conducting a series of studies with hundreds of male and female undergrads as participants.

In one study, undergrads read descriptions of men and women, some of which specified that the man or woman tells great stories. Results showed that women found men who were good storytellers more attractive as long-term partners than men who were only decent storytellers, or men whose bios didn't mention storytelling ability at all.

Men, on the other hand, didn't rate women more attractive when those women were described as good storytellers.

The researchers also asked the participants to indicate whether they thought the man or woman would be popular, admired, and a good leader. Answers to these questions indicated how high-status the person seemed.

Sure enough, men who were supposedly good storytellers were perceived by women as higher status. Again, though, women who were supposedly good storytellers were not perceived by men as more attractive or of higher status.

At this point, it's hard to say for sure why women are drawn to men who can tell a good story. The authors suggest that "storytelling ability reflects a man's ability to gain resources. Good storytellers may be more likely to influence others or to gain positions of authority in society."

Previous research has found that women prefer high-status guys, so this isn't especially surprising — what's new is the idea that storytelling ability is an indicator of status.

Of course, future research is necessary to see if watching and listening to a man tell a story is as appealing as reading a story he's written.

Yet this study adds to a growing body of research on the nonphysical characteristics that can make men attractive to women, like mindfulness and altruism. In some cases, these attributes seem to be even more important than a man's looks.

Bottom line: Women might not explicitly reveal that they're looking for a guy who can tell a good story — in fact, they might not even realize that's what they want. But if you want to impress a woman, consider ditching the pickup lines and starting with "Once upon a time ..." instead.

Take a look at a bunch of women's OkCupid profiles and you'll be hard pressed to find one that...


We have an all-West top five in the NBA Power Rankings. Who is No. 1?

The 76ers -- if that's what we're still calling them these days -- have lost as many games this season as the Grizzlies, Warriors, Rockets, Blazers and Spurs combined.

With the exception of a brief cameo at No. 31 last season, the Sixers have been No. 30 in my rankings for as long as I can remember. They're my surest placement every week. No debate, no second-guesses -- just ironclad certainty. I expect the 76ers to be last like I expect to inhale oxygen when I breathe.

Picking No. 1 is an entirely different matter. Every week I fret over who should lead the rankings, especially this early in the season when a single win or a loss could shift your placement by several slots.

Golden State has made that exercise relatively easy this season -- up until now. The Warriors are on top for the fourth consecutive week, but the hard-charging Grizzlies should probably be No. 1A at a minimum. Memphis has an NBA-best 15 wins and is tied with Golden State for the fewest losses (two) in the league. It has a top-five defense in terms of efficiency and a top-10 offense to boot. It has a perfect record against Western Conference foes and the highest RPI (Relative Percentage Index) of any team in the league. If it weren't for the Warriors, the Grizzlies would be the talk of the league.

Instead, much like Memphis is used to, its overshadowed by its glitzier rival in Golden State, which has won nine straight and remains on top. Let's take a look at where the rest of the 30 teams stand in this week's NBA Power Rankings.

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NBA Power Rankings: Warriors, Grizzlies headline all-West top five

The West takes over the top five this week -- which team is No. 1?

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The workplace wellness issue no one is talking about

As more women remain in the workforce through their menopausal years, many employers may need to do a better job of adopting policies that help ensure working conditions don’t make women’s symptoms worse, recent European guidelines urge.

Employers need to be sensitive to shifts in physical and mental health that women may experience during menopause, according to recommendations from the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) recently published in Maturitas.

Symptoms like hot flashes, for example, may require cooler workplace temperatures, while symptoms like insomnia may require flexible schedules or efforts to reduce job-related stress.

"Very few employers are talking about menopause in relation to their occupational health and safety policies and procedures, and how they might best support women, and those who manage them, with transitioning through menopause," said Gavin Jack of Monash University in Australia, lead author of a separate research review of workplace polices published in Maturitas.

Women go through menopause when they stop menstruating, typically between ages 45 and 55. As the ovaries curb production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in the years leading up to menopause and beyond, women can experience symptoms ranging from irregular periods and vaginal dryness to mood swings and insomnia.

For working women, menopause can also negatively impact job performance because it can impair concentration and memory. Many women are unable or unwilling to request accommodations that might make work easier, Jack and colleagues note in their review.

At the same time, women who are overworked or stressed on the job may experience worse menopause symptoms, the researchers note.

High temperatures, poor ventilation, confined spaces, excessive crowding, and insufficient spaces for rest or bathroom breaks can all contribute to an environment that causes problems for menopausal women, the researchers also note.

While more studies are still needed to determine what specific interventions or policies in the workplace might make remaining on the job easiest for women during menopause, employers in the meantime should move forward with creating a culture that makes women feel comfortable disclosing symptoms or requesting accommodations, the researchers conclude.

In a Maturitas article outlining the EMAS recommendations, Amanda Griffiths of the University of Nottingham Innovation Park in the U.K. and colleagues note that managers might need training in how to support menopausal women and deal with any symptoms in a sympathetic manner.

Among other things, employers can provide desk fans, air conditioning and cold drinking water when women have hot flashes, for example, or offer flexible work schedules for women with insomnia and take steps to reduce stress that can exacerbate symptoms, the recommendations also suggest.

Women may also need access to clean bathrooms and more frequent toilet breaks if they experience particularly heavy menstrual bleeding during the menopause transition or have urinary incontinence.

Even though the specific symptoms may vary from one woman to the next, and the accommodations needed might differ based on the type of work, all employers should make women feel comfortable on the job during menopause, said Sagar Borker, a researcher at KVG Medical College in India who wasn’t involved in the research review or the EMAS recommendations.

"Menopause symptoms can change work performance tremendously," Borker said by email. "If the lady gets symptoms treated then her efficiency improves, but if symptoms are ignored, self-medicated or left untreated then work performance will keep deteriorating."

The Workplace Wellness Issue No One Is Talking About

Employers need to support their female workers during menopause.

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The one thing you should be doing every morning to start your day off right

There are so many myths about how to meditate, what a daily meditation practice means, and what the overall experience of meditation should be. I was happy to see Bhanu Narasimhan from the Art of Living Foundation debunk common meditation myths.

Here's the thing: Meditation is for everyone, and it's different for everyone. There is no right or wrong way of doing it, and meditation can help you increase your focus, reduce stress, and prevent common health ailments. While some people have a meditation practice that is part of a larger religious or spiritual path, it certainly doesn't have to be.

If you're a little skeptical about the benefits of meditation, I love this Lifehacker post, "What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate (And How it Benefits You)," written by a former skeptic of meditation.

In this episode of She Takes on the World TV I want to make meditation super simple for you, with this daily meditation technique I learned in China.

Be sure to downloaded my free daily morning meditation MP3 if you haven't already. It has been a popular download and it's a great companion for this one-minute meditation exercise. Namaste.

Daily Meditation for Success: Do This First Thing Every Morning

There are so many myths about how to meditate, what a daily meditation practice means, and what the overall experience of meditation should be. I was hap...

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If you're flying to America this week, you need to read this

With Storm Stella approaching, BA and Virgin Atlantic have grounded flights to New York, Boston and Philadelphia

The airline says: "We are sorry for the disruption to your travel plans and are doing all we can to minimise the effect the weather forecast will have on our US operations.

"There will still be some flights to/from Washington and Baltimore but there will be some revisions to our schedules."

BA intends to use larger aircraft where possible on Wednesday to carry passengers whose flights are cancelled today. Passengers booked on Wednesday who do not want to accept the risk of possible disruption can move their flight to Thursday or Friday, if space is available.

"This policy also applies to American Airlines, Iberia and Finnair flights on these routes," says BA.

Virgin Atlantic has axed its round-trips from Heathrow to New York, Boston and Washington DC. But its US partner, Delta, hopes to dispatch two Heathrow-JFK flights.

Delta said in a statement that it expects to resume operations from New York with a reduced Tuesday night schedule: "Flights should return to relative normalcy Wednesday, pending facility evaluations and resumption of mass transit services in New York."

Virgin is allowing anyone with booking to, from or through Boston, New York and Washington up to Friday to rebook without penalty for the following week.

United and American Airlines are offering date changes to passengers with imminent bookings to and from the north-east US.

The storm highlights the complicated issue of passenger rights. Travellers with BA, Virgin and other EU airlines who are stranded by the storm in the US are entitled to hotels and meals until the carrier can get them home. Those booked on US airlines must fend for themselves.

Storm Stella: Thousands of US flights delayed or cancelled due to winter snowstorm

Almost all transatlantic flights from the UK to New York, Boston and Philadelphia have been cancelled today because of Winter Storm Stella, the severe snowstorm predicted in the north-east US. British Airways has cancelled all its flights to the two main New York airports, JFK and Newark, as well as Boston and Philadelphia. BA hopes an early-morning Boston-Heathrow flight will operate, but all other eastbound services have been grounded.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Winter Storm Stella, News & Advice, Travel


Chelsea Handler Admits Something Most Women Are Afraid To.

Over the weekend, famed female talk show host Chelsea Handler shared a piece of her private history with the world. In an essay published on Playboy’s website, the comedian best known for her brash, take-no-prisoners tone, shared that at the age of 16, she underwent not one but two abortions:

"I was going through a very bad stage in my life. I hated my parents and I was having unprotected sex with my boyfriend, who was not someone I should’ve been having sex with in the first place, nevermind unprotected sex. I wasn’t really playing with a full deck of cards."

This essay does not mark the first time Handler has opened up about abortion. In a 2012 interview with Rosie O’Donnell, Handler said, "You should do whatever you want with your body and you shouldn't let anyone tell you what to do." But the Playboy essay reveals some startling new information—Handler admitted to a second pregnancy by the same young man, along with a subsequent abortion.

"Getting unintentionally pregnant more than once is irresponsible, but it’s still necessary to make a thoughtful decision. We all make mistakes all the time. I happened to fuck up twice at the age of 16. I’m grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family. I’m 41 now. I don’t ever look back and think, God, I wish I’d had that baby."

Handler’s confession is already inciting ire across the web:

Clearly, Handler has struck a nerve. Yet people seem to be missing what might actually be the heart of Handler’s essay. Near the end of the piece, she makes some pretty bold observations about our political discourse surrounding women and the legislation of their bodies:

"I don’t buy that Roe v. Wade is in danger. We’re too far ahead of the game. Once you go forward in history, you don’t go backward. That would be like the government saying, ‘Okay, we’re taking away your right to vote too.’ You can’t introduce a black person and be like, ‘Oh, I just got a slave!’ That era is over. It’s similar to what’s happening in Mississippi and some other states with gay-marriage discrimination—marriage equality is going to take. You can’t stop that. We’ve already made the decision, and now we’re moving on to transgender rights. And it’s a wrap on men deciding what women can do with their bodies."

The thing is, though, it isn’t a wrap. As Nancy Northup, president and chief executive of the Center for Reproductive Rights, wrote in a 2014 Washington Post opinion piece, "Since 2011, more than half the states in the nation have significantly restricted access to abortions. That’s more restrictions in the past three years than were enacted in the previous decade."

Northup added that the "hollowing" of Roe v. Wade by these restrictive laws was a "new tactic [seeking] legitimate cover for the illegitimate goal of denying significant numbers of American women access to safe, legal, essential reproductive health care."

However, perhaps in small part due to women like Handler opening up about their own reproductive needs and rights, the tides may be changing. While Handler’s view may be a wildly optimistic take on America, politicians, and the constituents they represent, for now, politicians appear to be on women’s side. Just this week, the Supreme Court had to step in to strike down a Texas abortion access law that would have likely shut down most, if not all, of the clinics in the state.

The biggest takeaway here might be that the more women open up about their experiences with abortion, the easier it will be for everyone to accept it as our new normal. Luckily, more women will be sharing their abortion stories starting August 12, when HBO releases its latest documentary, Abortion: Stories Women Tell in select theaters across the country. As the film’s release material describes, Abortion will focus "not on the debate, but rather on the women themselves: those struggling with unplanned pregnancies, and the providers who show up at clinics to give medical care, as well as the activists on both sides of the issue, hoping to sway decisions and lives."

Perhaps by continuing to tell their truthful stories women will win the right to no longer have to discuss their own bodies with the world.

'You should do whatever you want with your body'


Is @LadyGaga a marketing genius or a masochist?

There have been a lot of unflattering things said about Lady Gaga over the years, and the pop star rehashed all of them via Twitter on Sunday -- only in an effort to promote her latest single featuring R. Kelly, "Do What You Want."

The 27-year-old tweeted out to her 40 million followers that she's unfazed by comments about her weight, drug addictions and accusations that she's a "reductive Madonna copy." She doesn't even care about that pesky rumor that she's a hermaphrodite, which made the rounds online a few years back.

Nope, Gaga doesn't care what you have to say about her, because she can use it to promote her latest song. Each tweet was accompanied by the hashtag, "#DoWhatUWantWithMyBody," or "#WriteWhatUWant," which fittingly went with the theme of "Do What You Want."

Lady Gaga Disses Herself In Twitter Rant To Promote New Single With R. Kelly

There have been a lot of unflattering things said about Lady Gaga over the years, and the pop star rehashed all of them via Twitter on Sunday -- only in ...

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You'll never guess what Microsoft has stored on DNA

Remember a few months ago when it emerged that Microsoft wanted to use DNA for storage purposes? Well, apparently work on that front is progressing well, and Redmond has announced it's achieved an important milestone.

Working with the University of Washington, Microsoft has revealed that it's managed to store 200MB of data on DNA – and that's a new record.

And what was that data? Microsoft literally stored, well, a record – or rather an HD music video by OK Go – and a load of literature, the top 100 books taken from Project Gutenberg to be precise, all on DNA.

When encoded onto DNA, that data took up a tiny amount of space – a tiny spot in a test tube which was "much smaller than the tip of a pencil" according to Douglas Carmean, the guy from Microsoft running the project. Not a particularly scientific measurement, but you get the general idea...

This is the crucial bit with DNA storage, with massive space savings promised, and Redmond talking about the masses of information stored in a huge data centre being able to be effectively compressed down to the size of just a few sugar cubes.

That's why people are so excited about the work in this field, particularly given the massively expanding amount of data being generated these days, and the fact that traditional storage media (optical and magnetic) soon won't be enough to keep up. But a single gram of DNA can store almost a trillion gigabytes of data.

However, the researchers warn there's still a long way to go in terms of making DNA storage a commercial reality. That said, the team of computer boffins and molecular biologists reckon they are set to make major advances in swift fashion, with Carmean observing: "It's one of those serendipitous partnerships where a strong understanding of processors and computation married with molecular biology experts has the potential of producing major breakthroughs."

DNA storage isn't just about space savings, but also durability, with the longevity of the medium massively outstripping current storage technologies.

Work on DNA storage is progressing swiftly, with a new record being achieved.


Superstar Rajinikanth Follows Just One Minister On Twitter And He Is...

Rajinikanth, the biggest superstar, has just released his most awaited film ‘Kabali’. The movie as expected came out as a blockbuster and has broken all the release records till now. Rajinikanth, who was initially a bus conductor, became an actor and then there was no looking back. It took no time for him to become a god for his fans.

Have you ever observed Rajinikanth’s Twitter account?

He has almost 3.05 million followers but he follows just 19 people and among those lucky 19 people, 16 are news agencies/channels and the 17th is actor Amitabh Bachchan. The remaining two accounts are of a minister whom Rajinikanth is following.

Also See 14 T-Shirt Quotes Every Geek Would Love To Put On Themselves

He is none other than our PM, Narendra Modi. Modi himself has a whopping 21.5 million fans on Twitter and superstar Rajinikanth is among those that follow him on Twitter.

Rajinikanth, the superstar has a huge fan following on twitter but he is following just 19 people and one of them is our popular minister. Check who is he!

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For seven years, part of Edward Evans's sternum was missing - the bone would normally have protected his lungs and heart.

A single blow to his chest could have killed him.

Now Edward, from the Midlands, has become the first person in the UK to get a 3D-printed titanium replacement.

After seven years with part of his breastbone missing, Edward Evans gets a revolutionary titanium implant.


How much water would it take to extinguish the sun?

How much water would it take to put out the Sun? Your first guess is probably – a shit ton. Like, a LOT of water. Billions of gallons, maybe double that or double that again. That would at least dampen it, right?

Those of us that aren’t overly knowledgeable in chemistry may be surprised to find out that although the Sun may look like it’s on fire, it isn’t the same as the fire you and friends sit around down the beach in the summer, or the type of fire that cuts a swathe across the Australian outback, or cooks your marshmallows when you’re out camping.

The Sun's heat and light is actually a by-product of nuclear fusion, rather than one of combustion. Adding water would actually make the sun's reactions increase in rate – by providing more hydrogen as fuel for nuclear fusion – causing it to burn even brighter. Which is definitely not what the goal was.

How Much Water Would It Take To Extinguish The Sun?


A few years ago, I made plans to fly from Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Bucharest on the day before Thanksgiving. I was going to be gone for four days. (I know crazy, right?)

It had been several years since I had traveled internationally, and this trip had come up sort of last-minute. I found my passport (major victory) and noted that it was good until February.

I packed my carry-on and arranged with a Romanian friend to buy hair conditioner so I wouldn't have to check a bag. (Even over just four days my head requires way more conditioner than I could legally take in a carry-on bag.) Got to the airport three hours early. (It was, after all, the day before Thanksgiving.)

I got through security in one minute, which left me three hours before my flight.

At boarding time, I handed my passport and boarding pass to the agent. Sorry, she said. No good. "Your passport expires in four months," she said.

"Right," I said. "But I'm coming home Sunday."

This is when I found out about the six-month rule: Many countries won't let you in if your passport is within six months of expiring.

The gate agent had a hard time explaining to me why this was so, and at that point I didn't care why. I cared about Romania: What were their rules? Would they let me in?

"If you were staying in Amsterdam," the agent said, clicking through her computer, trying to find the necessary information, "they wouldn't let you off the plane. I think they'll let you change planes, though. If you don't try to leave the airport."

Finally she found the appropriate page. Romania! Ah, lovely Romania. No requirements. Come on down.

So, my advice: Check the expiration date on your passport, and then check the country requirements at tinyurl.com/jmc25up. Happy traveling! By the way, Romania is great this time of year.

If it expires within the next 6 months, some countries will not let you in [Chicago Tribune]


My favourite customers are the older people — they tend to understand that it’s a skilled job, plus they know how to wire a plug because they were taught as kids.

The problem customers are the younger ones, who Google ‘how to disable a burglar alarm’, say.

One guy told me it wouldn’t stop, so he leaned out of a window and just cut the wires. It’s a miracle he isn’t dead.

Another family bought a second-hand TV, tried to fix it, and put it in the children’s room.

It was left on standby and caught fire. Luckily, the kids were at school. That makes me furious.

It’s not illegal to do basic electrical work yourself, but it should be.

Sometimes I’m asked to verify an amateur’s work so they can get a certificate to sell their house, but I won’t do it.

I did a full apprenticeship and it took years for me to set up on my own.

If I thought too much about the life-and-death responsibility of my job, I wouldn’t sleep at night.

But I know the dangers — a dodgy fuse box or circuit board can mean a fire, or electrocution for a customer, so I’m always focused fully on what I’m doing, up to speed with the regulations, and never use ‘reconditioned’ equipment.

A couple of my regulars moan at my prices, but I take no notice.

Confessional: What your electrician REALLY thinks about you (...and the worst customers are the younger ones who Google 'how to disable a burglar alarm')

My favourite customers are the older people — they tend to understand that it’s a skilled job, plus they know how to wire a plug because they were taught as kids, says one anonymous electrician.


4 soft skills you need to work on—and why:

Would you rather have a co-worker or manager who's a leader in your field, a true expert with great amounts of knowledge and experience but isn't much of a people person, and doesn't get along with the team very well? Or would you rather work side by side with an inexperienced colleague or leader who's collaborative, curious, friendly, and pleasant? For most people, the answer is a no-brainer: Give me someone I can work with! The knowledge and skills will come.

The good news is, if you think you fall into the first category (lots of smarts and experience, but a lack of people skills), you can turn that around. We meet these people all the time. And, it's often difficult for them to ask for help regarding their softer skills. Nevertheless, we've found four soft skills you need to make people feel at ease and help them trust you at work and, by the way, you'll be making more friends, boosting your productivity, and innovating in no time.

Listen first, talk later. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. You learn when you listen. If you've heard these or any other of the myriad of quotes about listening, you may grasp the importance of this skill. But, if you're the type of person who finds themselves anxiously planning what you'll say while others speak, you definitely should understand how important it is to just stop and listen. When a co-worker is communicating with you, give them your full attention. Put your phone down. Make eye contact. Respond only after you've heard everything they want to say. When you start making listening a priority, you may just see a lot of previous problems disappear because listening carefully develops your empathy and understanding in any situation.

We've written before about the importance of being a good communicator. As a leader, your communication style sets the tone for the team. It's important to be clear, concise, and respectful when you speak or write emails, but your nonverbal cues are another crucial part of good communication. Facial expressions, posture, gestures, and eye contact all count and they say a lot. Make sure to be positive, polite, and respectful in your face-to-face interactions at work. Because when your body language conflicts with your words, people will believe your nonverbal cues, says Darlene Price, author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. So keep the eye rolling and crossed arms to a minimum, lest you come across as disinterested and rude.

You know the only constant is change so why is it so hard to manage when something suddenly shifts at work? Whether it's a team member leaving or arriving, a change in direction, or even a new office space, change can be tricky to navigate. Our top tips? Keep your head. Ask questions so you understand the situation. Enlist help from friends and colleagues when you feel overwhelmed. And be patient, because adjusting to a new situation will probably take a little time. If you're a leader who needs to navigate change with the team, check out the do's and don'ts of leading through change the next time you're stuck in a transition.

Yes, you've heard this before. Saying thank you really matters. When you reach out to a team member, a colleague, or even your boss (they deserve a thank you, too!) to appreciate their effort or big win, you're projecting more than just professionalism. You're also communicating kindness and team spirit and boosting co-workers' motivation to innovate and make a difference. The team grows stronger, people are happier and more satisfied with their jobs, and the whole company benefits. It's a win-win-win. So if you don't say thank you nearly enough and most people don't, research shows use these best practices to work more appreciation into your work life.

Hard skills might be what get you the job but soft skills are what drive friendship, success and happiness at work. So brush up on these simple but crucial people skills to boost your professional success. And don't be surprised if they help your life outside work either!

4 Soft Skills You Need To Work On, And Why

Here are four soft skills you need to make people feel at ease and help them trust you at work.

Listening
Nonverbal Communication
Dealing With Change
Saying Thank You