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Why The Religion Of 'Positive Thinking' Needs To Be Burned At The Stake

There's "positive thinking" and then there's something else entirely. RSA Animate created this beautiful clip from a talk by journalist, author, and activist Barbara Ehrenreich — and it's golden! Darth Vader shows up at 2:15 to dispel the myth of "The Secret." At 4:10 is one of the key causes of the financial meltdown that led to the Great Recession. At 7:00, she hits on something that keeps us alive — if we're paying attention!

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Workonomics
Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

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Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Community

Inspiring update on man who was recognized by sentencing judge as a childhood friend


He broke down in tears when he recognized her and promised to not let her down.

Inspiring update on man who was recognized by judge in court


There isn't a single person past the age of infancy who has never made a mistake, and the majority of people do something that they're not proud of at least once in their lives. While some mistakes are bigger than others, they're all moments we'd rather keep to ourselves most of the time. For some people those mistakes are poor decisions or lapses in judgment that land them behind bars.

One man found himself facing a judge for sentencing after making poor choices. Arthur Booth had the entire internet weeping after a video of him went viral when the sentencing judge in court recognized him as one of her childhood friends. When Booth recognized the judge, he began to openly sob with embarrassment. He was ultimately sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to a drug rehabilitation center.

People wondered what happened after that fateful day in court, and a couple of years later a short update came, showing him reuniting with the judge after finishing his sentence and rehab. But that was years ago, where is he now?

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Mom shares idea for a Forever 41 for Millennials and people think it's brilliant

90's music, free coffee and awesome clothes that fit. Where do we sign up?

Mom advocates for store called forever 41 for elder Millennials

There's something that happens after you reach a certain age. It's almost like you're back to being stuck in between the aisles of your favorite department store. You no longer feel comfortable in the juniors section of the store but the other side of the aisle can sometimes feel a bit too mature.

If you're not quite ready for fully elastic waisted polyester pants but are way too old to feel comfortable wearing a shirt that's missing random patches of material, then Forever 41 may be the store for you. At least that's if Tara Joon gets her way.


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@drjasonisfresh/TikTok, Representative Image from Canva

Dr. Jason Singh explains the pro and cons of showering at night and in the morning.

Dr. Jason Singh, who has all kinds of medical insights on TikTok, recently weighed in on the topic he joked was “more debatable than pineapple on pizza.

That debate would be whether it’s better to shower in the morning, or at night.

You would think the “right answer” would be largely up to personal preference, much like which way to face while showering and whether or not to snack in the shower…two previous hot button issues online.

But according to Singh, there are definitive pros and cons to each option, which could settle the debate once and for all.

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Pop Culture

Guy gives an Asian spin on classic American foods, and the results are truly delectable

From matcha Twinkies to pork bun Happy Meals, Frankie Gaw's creations are a delicious way to bridge a gap between cultures.

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels, Larry D. moore/Wikipedia

Imagine: Scallion pancake french fires and mochi Twinkies. Mouth watering yet?

We know that food and identity are intricately linked. And when we shame a person’s food choices—especially when the dish is representative of their culture—we are also shaming the individual’s heritage.

Asian-Americans in particular have been on the receiving end of this type of discrimination. It’s such a universal childhood experience that the term “lunchbox moment” was coined to describe having their school lunches being ridiculed.

Fortunately, society is evolving. Diversity, inclusion and blending culture is becoming more the norm. And food, like every art form, follows suit. Hence, delectable fusions that not only delight the taste buds, but cook up a more curious and compassionate world.

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Democracy

11th-century ancient ‘smartphone’ found to have been shared between Muslims and Jews

The Verona astrolabe calculated time, distance, star positions and even casted horoscopes.

An Arabic astrolabe at the Pergamon Museum.

About a year ago, Dr. Federica Gigante, a research associate at Cambridge University, was preparing for a lecture and was looking for a photo of 17th-century Italian nobleman and collector Ludovico Moscardo when she happened upon an image of something exceedingly rare, an ancient Arab astrolabe.

The relic was kept in the same museum as Moscardo's photo.

According to the University of Cambridge, an astrolabe is an ancient instrument akin to the “world’s first smartphone" that has hundreds of uses, including calculating time and distances, plotting the position of the stars and even making predictions about the future by casting a horoscope.

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Pop Culture

Scarlett Johansson recreates Katie Britt's historically weird State of the Union speech

The 'SNL' sketch nailed one of the more truly bizarre moments in modern politics.

CBS News/Youtube, Saturday Night Live/Youtube

Scarjo "auditions for scary mom" with “an original monologue called ‘This Country is Hell."

When Republican Senator Katie Britt made her questionable at best rebuttal to Thursday’s State of the Union, it was pretty much expected to become the subject of a “Saturday Night Live” skit. It was practically a parody in itself, so absurd it didn’t even land well with her own party.

But to everyone’s surprise—and delight— “SNL” nabbed Scarlett Johansson to play Britt (perhaps as a favor to her husband Colin Jost?), and she absolutely nailed the senator’s laughable-yet-borderline-terrifying original delivery during the show’s cold open.
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