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Christian Bale shares why white men should step aside in favor of diverse voices.

Christian Bale — aka Batman and one of America's most notable "psychos" — just said what we're all thinking when it comes to white men of privilege.

While doing press for his latest movie, "Hostiles," Bale and the film's costars dropped into the AOL series "Build" for an in-depth interview.

During the 30-minute conversation, the topic turned to the political state of the U.S. Bale doesn't see our divisiveness rooted in "red state/blue state" conflicts, but rather our lack of diverse voices, specifically in leadership.


“Our culture will be so much richer the day that we stop saying, ‘Hey, it’s all white dudes who are running things,’” Bale said.

"Whether that be Hollywood, whether that be Washington, you know. We’re going to get, in Hollywood, so much better films and so much more interesting stories being told and America will become the America that the rest of the world sees it as, that makes it unique."

Bale's belief that America can and will be better is rooted in love for his adopted country. The Englishman described the United States as "beautiful" and "brilliant."

"It's the reason I moved here. It's the reason my kids have American accents," he said. "It's a country of inclusion, of invitation."

Or at least, it can be.

(Fast forward to 19:20 for Bale's take.)

Why is Bale spot-on? Privileged white dudes stole this country from Native Americans and built it on the backs of black and brown labor, while setting themselves and their descendants up to benefit.

White dudes gave us the Three-Fifths Compromise, the Trail of Tears, the Great Depression, internment camps, the War on Drugs, the NRA, "Dilbert" and Uber.

Sure, they gave us some good things too (looking in your direction, "Home Alone"). But after more than 241 years of running the country and almost every industry in it, perhaps it's best to let women and people of color take the reins for a while.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Paul Ryan (R-WI) while Vice President Pence stands between them awkwardly. Photo by Bill Clark-Pool/Getty Images.

And while Christian Bale may seem like a surprising man to applaud, given previous allegations of misconduct, in this case and at this moment in time, he's right.

I'm not proposing anyone build a statue in his honor — or even forgive his past behavior.

But more white men of privilege should speak out with the conviction and honesty he did and work to make this country a better place for everyone, especially people too often left out out of the conversation. (Looking at you, Matt Damon.)

[rebelmouse-image 19533412 dam="1" original_size="750x499" caption="Photo by WOCinTech Chat/Flickr." expand=1]Photo by WOCinTech Chat/Flickr.

What we need more is new ideas and fresh voices.

More women. More people of color. More LGBTQ people. More people with disabilities. More people living below the poverty line. More immigrants. More of everyone who makes this country so unique and beautiful.

And please — at least for a while — fewer white men making decisions for the rest of us.

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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Education

3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

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Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

“ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don't believe me? Let me walk you through it."

Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

But best selling author, blogger, and mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, has kicked that stereotype to the curb with a pointed thread on reducing unwanted pregnancies. And her sights are set directly at men.

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Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

He tries making himself so small in the kennel until he realizes he's safe.

Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

Kanaka immediately wanted to help him adjust so he would feel comfortable enough to eat and eventually get adopted. The dog appeared scared of his new location and had actually rubbed his nose raw from anxiety, but everything changed when Kanaka came along.

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She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


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Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

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Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

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Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

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