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This Might Be Jon Stewart's Best Rant Ever. Because Ferguson.

By now, some of you are thinking, "Man, I'm so tired of hearing about Ferguson." I see it in my comments all the time. But rather than explain to you why I think that's not the best thing to say, I'm gonna let Jon Stewart do it. He's way more eloquent than me. And he smashes pretty much every argument you might have about why we need to keep talking in an eloquent manner.

This Might Be Jon Stewart's Best Rant Ever. Because Ferguson.


UPDATE:
This is from August 26th, 2014. Since that time, Darren Wilson was officially not charged for the shooting. And so the cycle continues.


If, after watching this, you are still thinking to yourself, "Being black can't be that much harder," here are some questions for you. Then, as a favor to me, I'd love it if you shared this. I'd owe you one.

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The average American produces nearly 5 pounds of waste material—cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans, and junk mail—each day. The United States creates significantly more garbage than the rest of the world (roughly 3 times more!), and we're running out of places to put it.

Most people are aware that recycling is important, but knowing exactly what and how to recycle properly can be confusing. Let's face it: we are, as a nation, stretched pretty thin in this particular moment; now we have one more thing to worry about? In a word, yes.

Don't worry though, because whether you're new to recycling or have been doing it for years, there is always something more to learn and endless ways you can help. To make saving the planet a little bit simpler, we compiled a list of small things you can do that will make a huge impact.

Acknowledgment. Most of us go about our day without thinking about the garbage we're producing, so simply tuning in to the choices we make is a big step forward. For example, online shopping increased dramatically in 2020, translating into a lot more cardboard boxes, plastic shopping bags, and Styrofoam takeout containers finding their way into households. That is a lot of trash!

Awareness. Buy from brands with a proven track record of environmental responsibility. Select foods in recyclable containers. Take the time to educate yourself on the best eco-friendly grocery stores in your area, and then... actually shop there.

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The day after the 2016 election, I started rewatching The West Wing on Netflix. I guess I wanted to keep a sane, if somewhat idealized, version of the presidency and the White House within my vision. Martin Sheen as the down-to-earth yet dignified and devout President Jed Bartlett has comforted me since the series first aired, and the cast of characters serving in his cabinet almost feel like familiar old friends.

So when a friend shared a fanfic-style 2020 West Wing scene, I was intrigued. By the time I finished it, I was highly impressed and thoroughly delighted.

Los Angeles-based TV writer Jelena Woehr posted the script in a Twitter thread last week, the day Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. The scene opens with former President Bartlett obviously just reading the news of the diagnosis and telling his wife Abby about it. The phone conversations that ensue are remarkably true to the show's writing and characters—like, you can actually hear their voices as you read it. Woehr nails the show so thoroughly it's almost spooky.

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Photo courtesy of Lily Read
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Now more than ever, teachers are America's unsung heroes. They are taking on the overwhelming task of not only educating our children but finding creative and effective ways to do it in an unpredictable virtual learning environment.

Lily Read and Justin Bernard, two Massachusetts educators from one of the most diverse public high schools in the U.S. (over 25 different languages are spoken in the student body!), feel ready to meet the challenges of this unprecedented school year. Their goal: find ways to make virtual education "as joyful as possible" to help support teenagers during quarantine.

"Our school is very economically, racially, and linguistically diverse," said Read, "which means meeting the needs for all those students is incredibly complex." That wide range of diversity means that they spend a lot of time in professional development, preparing to meet students where they are. This summer, educators in their district spent weeks learning everything from how to provide emotional and social support via virtual platforms, to meeting 504 plans and Individual Educational Plans for disabled students virtually, to mastering the various online programs necessary for instruction.

Bernard, now in his fifth year of teaching, also coaches the high school football team. Prior to the pandemic, there were clear expectations for student athletes, with clear goals and incentives to keep their grades up. Now, Bernard is concerned that student athletes will begin to fall through the cracks without the structure of physically going to school each day, and he is on a mission to do everything he can to keep that from happening.

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Actor Mandy Patinkin has one of the best voices in the acting world. (Seriously, if you only know him from "Homeland" or "The Princess Bride" and haven't heard him sing, you're missing out.) And thanks to the delightful family videos he shares on Twitter, many of us have also gotten to know his wife Kathryn's voice as well. The couple, who have been married for 40 years, are hilarious together.

Now they are putting their voices and humor to good use, encouraging Americans to get out the vote. And they're doing it with a campaign video that millions of Americans will find totally relatable, as they alternate between doom and gloom, trying to remain calm and reasonable, and letting the outrage and frustration fly freely.

Even those of us who tend to remain calm and reasonable under most circumstances have been tested by the past few years, and by this election cycle in particular. While elections have always mattered, it's never felt like our democracy was literally unraveling before our eyes at the hands of one unqualified, unhinged, unscrupulous, and untethered-from-reality person.

Mandy and Kathryn's video nails all of those feelings. Wait for the end, when Kathryn channels the frustration of more than half the nation into one fabulously delivered line.

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Ever since Donald J. Trump won the Republican primary in 2016, I've had so many questions. Four years later, most of them still remain unanswered.

For example how does a man who has had so many failed businesses convince people he's a great businessman? How does a man who was fined $2 million for using misusing charitable donations for his own political gain convince people he's charitable? How does a man who paid a $25 million settlement to students he defrauded with his fake "university" convince people he'll be trustworthy with the highest office in the land? How does a man who the entire country heard say he "tried to f*ck" a married woman and grabs women "by the p*ssy" get any women to vote for him? How could a man who cheated on all three of his wives, paid hush money to a porn star, spends his Sunday mornings golfing instead of going to church, and dodges questions about the Bible gain the adoration of evangelical Christians?

It's that last question that has perhaps been the most baffling one to me. Especially considering the super devout Christian beliefs of his vice president and running mate, Mike Pence. Like, how does that even work?

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