The mother-son pair looked mighty sharp in their coordinating black designs (Atelier Versace for Jolie and a wicked-cool velvet tux for Pax). Not a bad night for the 14-year-old, who Jolie adopted from Vietnam and once described as her "wild child." She spoke fondly of Pax to Anderson Cooper in a 2011 interview. "[Pax is] like those punk rockers... when you really get to know them and they are just pussycats. But at the same time, he is going to get into some kind of trouble."
No trouble was had at the Globes, however, where Pax stayed near his mom and seemed "very protective" of her according to another attendee. Jolie's film, First They Killed My Father, was nominated for a Globe in the category of Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language.
Jolie and ex Brad Pitt share six kids: Maddox, 16; Pax; Zahara, 13; Shiloh, 11; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 9. The couple went their separate ways in September 2016 after 12 very public years together (including two years of marriage and 17,000 magazine articles about Jennifer Aniston's broken heart).
While Pax was enjoying the glam life at the Globes, his little sister Shiloh was out of commission, recovering from a broken arm due to a snowboarding accident. Shiloh was spotted sporting an arm sling while out with little brother Knox on the weekend. A source told People Shiloh is just fine and Angelina Jolie "was very grateful to the team who helped her."
Never a dull moment with the Jolie-Pitt clan. We can't imagine what their shared family calendar must look like. But hey, despite their differences, Jolie and Pitt seem to be pulling off their co-parenting duties with aplomb.
Updated Jan. 9, 2017, 10:30 a.m. PT: We're just over a month away from the premiere of Bachelor: Winter Games, and that means one thing: It's promo time!
The first promo for the new Bachelor franchise spinoff is here, and it looks absolutely ridiculous, fam.
"The Bachelor has always been hot," says a dramatic voice over a montage of shirtless men and make-out seshes. "But on Feb. 13, it gets cold." Cue the gasping, shocked face of Winter Games contestant Ashley Iaconetti (because of course she's coming back for this). This is all so extra, and I am so here for it.
Then there's a montage of contestants trying to do winter sports with predictably disastrous results. One woman takes a particularly nasty-looking fall on skis. Chris Harrison, can you please tell us if she's OK?
Bachelor winter games promo
Bachelor winter games promo
Then, we see a montage of women, all of them in tears. We see flashes of crying woman after crying woman until the promo lands on Iaconetti with her signature ugly-crying face on.
"I don’t understand why I’m always friend-zoned," Iaconetti sobs in typical Iaconetti fashion. “I’m just so confused."
We’ve been a little confused about how this show, which welcomes contestants who are already in relationships plus international contestants from Canada, China, Switzerland, Japan and Australia, will work in the finding-love aspect. But this promo shows it’s going to happen somehow, and it’s going to be (wait for it) the most dramatic Bachelor spinoff ever.
Original story, published Dec. 7, 2017: Filming for the latest Bachelor franchise spinoff, Bachelor: Winter Games, is officially underway, Bachelor Nation! We still don't know the exact format of the show, but we do know that it'll include athletic challenges and a lot of competition and that it's open to all past members of Bachelor Nation — even international stars. Chris Harrison will still host (obvs), and somehow, the cast is open to more than just singles. We're willing to bet that means people will be both breaking up and falling in love while they participate in weird snow sports. This is The Bachelor, after all, and the drama will come.
While ABC officials and those who are working on the show are staying tight-lipped, they can't keep every bit of gossip from leaking. Here's everything we know so far about the show.
ESPN is on board
Mike Fleiss, the creator of the Bachelor franchise, tweeted Wednesday that ESPN reporter Hannah Storm will be involved with the show. We don't know exactly how she's involved, but we're going to guess she's some sort of commentator.
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 1
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 1
Storm later retweeted Fleiss, adding, "A competition unlike any other..Fun being part of the fam!"
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 2
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 2
Storm also Instagrammed this sweet shot of Harrison, which might provide some insight into the costume choices for the new series, which is being filmed in Vermont.
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 3
ESPN's Hannah Storm joins Bachelor: Winter Games 3
And what's that we see in the comment section of Storm's pic? Someone wrote, "I’m so sad I didn’t get to meet you all in Manchester, VT as I was 20 mins away... my friends were happy to be apart of the parade! Hope you all liked Vermont!"
A parade, you say? Funny you should mention that, dear Instagram commenter, because that actually brings us to our next piece of juicy intel.
Locals already know at least part of the cast, & and they're ready to share
There was a welcome parade held this week in Manchester, Vermont, where Bachelor: Winter Games is being filmed, and that parade included at least a big chunk of the cast. Luckily for us, this is the age of social media, so obviously people filmed and photographed and shared this wealth of knowledge online for fans who aren't lucky enough to live in Vermont.
Bachelor Winter Games cast so far
Bachelor Winter Games cast so far
As we can see, there are a lot of familiar faces here. From the left, we have Ashley Iaconetti, Dean Unglert, Eric Bigger, Bibiana Julian, Lesley Anne Murphy, Josiah Graham, Jasmine Goode, Michael Garofola, Clare Crawley and Luke Pell. Sources also say Ben Higgins is in the photo, hiding behind Bigger. And this is just the Bachelor U.S. team. We still don't know who the international contestants will be. Can you say dream team?
Unfortunately, there was no sign of Peter Kraus at the parade even though Fleiss previously revealed he would be in the cast. Did he just miss this event? Or has he pulled out altogether? We don't have that info just yet.
There will be a few other blasts from the past
None other than Ryan Sutter posted a rather cryptic photo to Instagram on Wednesday. In it, he poses with Chris Harrison and Hannah Storm. There's a parade happening in the background. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on here.
Ryan Sutter at Bachelor Winter Games
Ryan Sutter at Bachelor Winter Games
Sutter captioned the photo, "Took a trip to Vermont and ran into two of my favorite people! @chrisbharrison and @espnhannahstorm... #topsecretmission #cantsaywhy."
Clearly, he thinks he's being sneaky, but it's obvious he was there for filming. What we still don't know is whether he's competing in the Winter Games or just commentating. Oh, and Storm also posted that photo and mentioned in her caption that his wife, Trista, was there too.
Bachelor: Winter Games doesn't have a set premiere date yet, but it's been rumored that it'll coincide with the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. This might be the most excited some Bachelor fans have ever been for sports (*author raises hand*).
The caption: "Weeeee are very skeptical of slides right now." You know who else is apparently skeptical of slides right now? Teigen's commenters, whose responses to the photo are a delight (not) to peruse. If you have low blood pressure and want to kick it up a notch, spend a little time on Teigen's feed, and voila: You'll be rarin' to go. Here's just a sampling of the doomsday heralders' ominous portents:
"Just a heads up that this can break your little one's leg! I have three friends who have had this happen!"
"Adults shouldn't slide with a child in their lap. Their legs can get twisted and break. OUCH!"
"OMG this makes me cringe after seeing a friend go down the slide like this with their baby and seeing the baby's leg break!"
For the love of God, let's all take a deep breath and reexamine the photo.
Teigen's legs are as long as the slide. In other words: That is not a very big slide, people.
Teigen is wearing a skirt, which telegraphs to us that she is likely not planning a vigorous cardiovascular playground workout using Luna as a landing mat.
The sweet outdoor bonding happening in this photo way beats wrapping a toddler in Bubble Wrap and duct tape and keeping them indoors until they are 18.
Look, we're not saying nobody gets injured on playground slides — for sure, it happens, as detailed in this article about the potential danger of sliding with your kid — but there is no scary violent high-velocity sliding going on here. The only high-velocity impact? Teigen's comeback to all the unsolicited parenting advice.
"Wish you guys would have told me about the leg thing earlier. They broke. Both of them. And everyone else's in the park broke too just from watching it happen. There are so many broken legs here (heads up photos are a one second in time, I was lifting her onto my lap)."
Fortunately, a lot of Teigen's fans share her sense of humor. Best commenter response to the slide pic? "One time I didn’t go down the slide when I went to the park, so it chased me. When it caught me, it broke my legs." Yas, you win, commenter person!
Teigen and Luna can playdate with us any time. We love Teigen's irreverence and her commitment to keeping it real. After all, motherhood is not a spectator sport, right? So let's just assume we're all doing the best we can, OK? And maybe stop with the dire warnings unless there's a really good reason? In the immortal words of one of Teigen's commenters, "Geez my parents pegged me to the clothesline and spun it around when I was a toddler, I am pretty confident @chrissyteigen is putting safety first."
You may think you're a Game of Thrones fan, but are you even on Brad Pitt's level? Probably not. Pitt was fully ready to throw down $120,000 to be able to watch an episode of the HBO series with its stars, Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, until he got outbid by some even bigger fan.
This all happened during a star-studded silent auction held at Sean Penn's annual gala to raise money for charitable efforts in Haiti. Clarke originally offered up the chance to watch the episode with just her, but Harington, who was also at the event, agreed to make an appearance once bidding started to take off.
Bidding started at $20,000, but that amount reportedly grew quickly. Pitt entered the bidding at $80,000, then offered up $90,000. That's when Harington, who had been on a bathroom break, reentered the gala and offered to join the viewing party, causing Pitt to up his bid to $120,000.
Pitt didn't win, though — an unnamed participant in the auction put up $160,000, which means he or she will be enjoying the company of Clarke and Harington sometime during Game of Thrones' final season.
That's a pretty big sum of cash going to the J/P HRO and Disaster Relief Organizations, who benefit from Penn's yearly event. This year's guest list included Jeff Bezos, Lena Dunham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Segel, Connie Britton, Patricia Arquette, Mark Burnett, Roma Downey and Leonardo DiCaprio, who was honored for his work combating climate change worldwide. DiCaprio also got outbid during the auction — he offered $80,000 for a painting, but was actually outbid by Clarke, who took it home for $90,000.
Among the various forms of birth control, perhaps the one that ranks lowest on the totem pole when it comes to safety, but arguably one of the highest when it comes to popularity, is the pullout method.
It's not difficult to understand why this contraceptive technique — also known as the withdrawal method and coitus interruptus — would be a popular one despite also being the riskier option. For those who don't know, Planned Parenthood defines the pullout method as "pulling the penis out of the vagina before ejaculation." Simple enough, right?
Pulling out requires no condom to be used by the man and no contraception to be used by the woman. However, there are still some major considerations to be taken. Chiefly, you and your partner need to have a lot of trust in the capability of the male partner and hope he knows himself well enough to know when he needs to pull out. Also, pulling out requires each of you to be totally honest about your sexual health. Not using a condom means both partners increase their risk of contracting an STI from the other — that's not something to be taken lightly.
So, considering the high-risk nature of this method of birth control, who exactly qualifies when it comes to considering it? Believe it or not, there are some factors you need to consider in order to know if your chances of becoming pregnant from the pullout method are greater.
are highly motivated and able to use this method effectively
have religious or philosophical reasons for not using other methods of contraception
need contraception immediately and have entered into a sexual act without alternative methods available
need a temporary method while awaiting the start of another method
have intercourse infrequently
Interestingly, the CDC also notes that pulling out "does not affect breastfeeding" while also reiterating something important: "coitus interruptus involves no economic cost or use of chemicals and has no directly associated health risks."
This last fact, which you may have guessed to be true anyway by mere virtue of knowing what the pullout method is, might be contributing to its increased popularity over the last 15 years. According to a study released in August 2017 by the National Center for Health Statistics, between 2011 and 2015, 18.8 percent of men chose the pullout method as their primary form of contraception. As Inverse notes in their follow-up report on this study, that's a massive increase from the reported 9.8 percent in 2002 and 14.5 percent between 2006 and 2010.
But just because there is an increased popularity in using the pullout method, it doesn't mean there aren't serious risks of failure. In fact, a February 2017 report released by the Guttmacher Institute cites the most recent percentages of failure rates for commonly used forms of contraception. And folks, the stats aren't working in favor of the pullout method.
Within the first 12 months of typical use, long-acting reversible contraceptives (the IUD and implant) have the lowest failure rates of all methods (1 percent).
The failure rate for a condom is 13 percent (but this is still a significant decline from 18 percent in 1995)
The failure rate for pulling out, also referred to as withdrawal, is 20 percent
Additionally, Aparna Sundaram of the Guttmacher Institute conducted a study wherein she found that contraceptive failure could also be linked to certain demographic groups. For instance, the study found that the contraceptive failure rate was much lower among child-free users of any method with no children (5 percent) than among those with one child (14 percent) or with two or more children (15 percent). Overall, women of color fared the worst, with black and Hispanic women having higher probabilities of method failure than white women for all methods combined. Lastly, the research found that women of lower socioeconomic status had significantly higher failure rates than women whose incomes were at least twice the poverty level.
So, if after all this, you are still seriously considering using the pullout method (and I'm not saying you shouldn't or that it's completely off the table!), at least consider Planned Parenthood's advice to use the pullout method in conjunction with another form of contraception, like the pill or an IUD. It's better to have extra protection than no protection at all, right?
Remember a few months ago after the mass shootings in Texas and Las Vegas when lines to donate blood wrapped around the block? There was such enthusiasm for giving blood to those affected by the tragedies that the Red Cross had to go as far as to request that people consider donating at a later date instead. Well, that later date is now, and after an unbelievably cold and snowy start to 2018, the organization says it's experiencing a blood shortage.
Although all blood types are currently in short supply, the need for platelets and Type O-Negative and B-Negative blood donations are particularly urgent.
The recent winter weather and below-freezing temperatures meant that more than 150 blood drives had to be canceled, causing more than 5,500 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. On top of that, donating blood typically isn't at the top of people's priority list during the hectic holidays, and there has been an especially active cold and flu season — all of which contributed to there being more than 28,000 fewer donations than what was needed in November and December according to the Red Cross.
“Last week’s massive winter storm had a significant impact on our blood supply with blood drives cancelled from South Carolina to Maine,” Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Blood Services, said in a statement. “The Red Cross is doing everything we can to ensure blood products are available for hospital patients during these difficult winter months, but we need help from our regular donors — as well as those who are willing to donate for the first time — to give as soon as possible.”
And if you needed another reason, January is National Blood Donor Month, held at this time of year to coincide with the traditional drop in donations.
If you are eligible to donate blood, the Red Cross asks that you schedule a blood or platelet donation today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can help even more people by inviting a family member, friend or coworker to donate too.
The trend of holding men accountable for their behavior apparently didn't end with 2017. It's a new year, and we have our first new allegations. This time, it concerns James Franco, the recent Golden Globe winner whose old behaviors are coming back to bite him in the butt — and hard.
Franco has faced scrutiny in the past, most notably the time when he admitted to texting a 17-year-old girl to try to get her to go to his hotel room. She posted screenshots of the exchange on Instagram, and Franco didn't deny he had sent those texts (for the record, 17 is the age of consent in New York, where the girl in question lived at the time of the incident).
Now, Franco is facing more allegations of misconduct, and those who are accusing him have hinted at even more to come. In a series of tweets, actor Violet Paley called Franco out for wearing a Time's Up pin at the Golden Globes before accusing him of attempting to sexually assault her in his car.
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 1
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 1
"Cute #TIMESUP pin James Franco. Remember the time you pushed my head down in a car towards your exposed penis & that other time you told my friend to come to your hotel when she was 17? After you had already been caught doing that to a different 17 year old?" she wrote.
Paley also admitted it had taken her some time to come forward with this because she also had a consensual sexual relationship with Franco at one point.
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 2
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 2
She also implied there may be more allegations coming, writing, "There are a lot more details that will be out soon. Working with people to do it in the best, safest way." It is not clear at time of reporting just how these details, if any, would come out to the public.
Soon after Paley tweeted her story, actor Sarah Tither-Kaplan tweeted an allegation of her own. She alleges Franco had her do full nudity in two of her movies for only $100 a day, telling her that pay "wasn't exploitative."
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 3
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 3
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 4
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 4
In later tweets, Tither-Kaplan explained that she went along with what Franco was asking because, as someone trying to break into an acting career, she "doesn't have the luxury of turning down jobs."
She continued on, saying Franco knew he had power over her as someone who could launch her career and that he abused that power.
"I rely on powerful people to help me, because I don't have access to opportunities without them," she wrote. "If they choose to abuse their power and take advantage of my need to work, that isn't my fault. It's the fault of the abuser."
Earlier today, Paley again took to Twitter to say that James Franco had offered her and other women apologies over the phone. She claimed he was "annoyed" as he apologized.
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 5
Sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco 5
If 2017 and Sunday night's Golden Globes ceremony have made anything clear, it's that time is up on this kind of behavior, especially from men with the kind of power James Franco has.
It's no secret Betty White is one of the original queens of television. Now, the entertainment icon, who will turn 97 on Jan. 17, has shared her secret to what has kept her around for so long.
Speaking to Parade, White divulges that indulging in her favorite beverage and food — vodka and hot dogs, "probably in that order" — is something she still enjoys as a nonagenarian.
She has another tip for being healthy and happy. “Enjoy life,” she tells the magazine. “Accentuate the positive, not the negative. It sounds so trite, but a lot of people will pick out something to complain about, rather than say, ‘Hey, that was great!’ It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look.”
White's unflappable optimism and positive outlook has also helped. “I know it sounds corny, but I try to see the funny side and the upside, not the downside," she says in the interview. "I get bored with people who complain about this or that. It’s such a waste of time.”
White, who played the beloved character Rose Nylund on the hit NBC sitcom The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, also spends a lot of time with her animal friends, which could be a factor in her well-being. A longtime supporter of animal rights, she currently has a golden retriever named Pontiac and continues to be involved in animal welfare causes, including serving for more than four decades as a trustee and on the board of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
Whatever she's doing is clearly working. White has been in the entertainment industry for the past 75 years, including having the longest television career of any female entertainer — ever. We wish her the happiest birthday and many more years of health and happiness.
Oh, we are sinister here at SheKnows. Don't believe me? As part of Hatch, our initiative to empower kids to use media and technology to create cool, responsible content representing their very unique perspectives on life, we devised a social experiment. We got permission from the parents of a dozen preteens to take away their kids' phones for a week — and see how they would respond. And then, we dropped the news on the kids. Cue evil laughter. Yeah, we're awful like that.
At the onset of the group interview, the kids were more than happy to rave about their plugged-in lives. "I do a lot of things with my phone each day," said Reed. That's putting it mildly. Most of the kids we interviewed cited a ton of apps they use on the daily, from Snapchat to YouTube to Netflix to Instagram — and they're also checking texts, of course. Lots and lots of texts.
Hatch Kids #digital detox video
Hatch Kids #digital detox video
"I use my phone a lot as a stress relief because there are a lot of things I have going on in my life," Henry explained.
"I feel like I wouldn't have any friends if I didn't have my phone," Sabine laughed.
When asked how much social media they're consuming on their phones or laptops, the kids offered up answers that ranged from an hour and 45 minutes to a whopping five hours a day. Gulp. (Not that we adults are any better. Don't look all high and mighty there. We see you scrolling.)
"How many [of you] think you could go without your phone for one day?" our producer asked the group. Most kids raised their hands, though with some hesitation.
"For one week?" the producer continued. A few more hands dropped and looks of consternation crossed the faces of the group.
"For one month?" Now the worried looks are in full force, poor things — although a few die-hards still kept their hands raised.
Then we dropped the bomb: "We're going to ask you to give up everything for one whole week." That's all social media.
"Nooooo!" Jojo shrieked.
"I'm crying," howled Henry.
"I don't like this," one boy said, looking genuinely traumatized.
A few kids wanted to be clear on parameters. "Like, can we group text, like, two people?" Lily asked. Uh-uh. Nope.
Bad news No. 2: "Your parents have signed off on this. How does that make you feel?" our producer asked. "Betrayed," "stressed," and "nervous" were just a few of the responses. In the end, only 10 out of the 12 kids assembled agreed to the experiment. Who would make it through the week?
And so the experiment began. By Day 3, the very creative (and hilariously dramatic) Reed was so desperate, she scribbled "death note" on her face and constructed a fake phone. "I need it, I need it, I need it... It only has one app... the app is Grey's Anatomy," she said, showing a "scene" she had drawn on the faux device.
Henry was nearly in tears. "Why are you upset?" the producer asked. "Because I logged into my YouTube," he said. The Force is strong; we get it.
Hatch kids dig detox
Hatch kids dig detox
Other Day 3 responses showed technology's clear perks and pitfalls. "I think the hardest thing about it is not being able to text my friends when I see something funny," and "Just doing this digital detox is showing me how much I use social media." So maybe that's a good thing?
By Day 6 of the #DigitalDetoxChallenge, the kids seemed more adjusted — or resigned — to their fate.
"I feel like the only real problem is Netflix... but I've gotten used to not being able to watch it," said Jack.
"I haven't cheated this whole week," Julia claimed proudly. "As the week goes on, it's been easier for me," said Sabine, looking pretty chill about the whole thing.
Sure, there were some slip-ups. Instagram, Snapchat and a few errant texts were named as cheat moments. But a few kids said they were seeing real benefits to the experiment. "It's actually much nicer because when we're hanging out, we're not on our phones as much," Lily explained. Ta-da!
"I usually just sit at home on my phone all day, but I actually went outside," Evan said, looking surprised. Henry added that he used the mandatory digital-free time for "playing basketball" and "playing tennis." Wow. Blatant replacement of screen-time with active-time is kind of... even better than we hoped for.
When the group reconvened for a sit-down wrap up of the experiment, the producer asked, "Do you think your mom or dad could handle this challenge?" A resounding, "Nooooo," erupted from the room.
Would they like to see us try? Oh, hell yeah. Reed said with glee, "I would nominate my mom... so she stops stalking my friends on Instagram." Valid, kid.
Try not to laugh too hard. We might be coming for your phone next.
A version of this article was originally published in November 2017.
You might be committed to your company, and you might think you’re an ethical employer, but just because you genuinely care about your work and your staff doesn’t mean you always lead that staff in the best possible way.
If you want your employees focusing on their work instead of worrying about you, it’s important to recognize when you’re being a toxic boss. Here are 10 signs.
A toxic boss doesn’t spend time establishing rapport with those they manage. Gaining trust is crucial for your employees to feel comfortable voicing both career goals and concerns with you.
2. You don’t give constructive criticism
Studies show women are less likely to receive valuable feedback on annual performance reviews than men. Be sure you’re giving all your employees clear, constructive feedback; likewise, set expectations and measurable goals.
3. You micromanage
If you’re too overbearing, your staff won’t be able to accomplish anything efficiently. Remember it’s not always necessary to know the play-by-play of every meeting, email exchange and phone call, so long as your employees are getting their work done on time and they’re doing well.
4. You don’t respect privacy
If there’s an issue you need to discuss with an employee, it’s best to secure a private conference room or closed office space to have the conversation. It’s demoralizing, humiliating and unfair to have these talks in front of colleagues or via email chains with multiple staff members CC’ed. Moreover, it's unprofessional on your behalf.
Offering performance incentives is a smart way to keep employees motivated and boost workplace morale. But ranking team members based on their performances in comparison to one another turns colleagues into competitors, and it’ll turn your office into a breading ground for systemic gender biases.
6. You don’t give credit where credit is due
Acknowledging work well done is oftentimes just as important as acknowledging room for improvement. By touting an employee’s efforts, you’re encouraging them to continue their hard work in that way.
7. You don’t welcome feedback
Shakespeare once said something along the lines of, “A good boss thinks her- or himself to be wise, but a wise boss knows her- or himself to be a fool.” Well, not quite like that. Your employees are working at the forefront of your company — they’re on the ground handling your clients, engaging with one another; they may have insight into areas from which you’re a little more detached. It could be wise to hear them out.
8. You don’t lead by example
A leader is someone who influences the behaviors, attitudes and thoughts of others — a leader leads. And the best way to cultivate a company culture that’s trusting, progressive and productive is by leading by example.
9. You don’t value employees’ time off
Vacation time is a benefit and one that is it critical to the health, morale and productivity of your staff. Despite any inclinations to email or phone employees while they’re off the clock, their time off is to be respected. Moreover, it should be encouraged.
10. You don’t offer support or warranted sponsorships
Women in particular struggle to gain the support of authority figures — especially if they work under male bosses, who are evermore weary of engaging one-on-one with them as sexual harassment claims sweep the nation. They’ve fewer sponsors in their careers for that reason. That said, at some point, all employees will need support. A good boss will manage their teams; a great boss will not only manage, but they’ll also challenge, support and sponsor (when warranted).
In theory, brownies are the perfect food. They're chocolaty, and they keep well, fit easily in a bag or a lunch box and offer an excellent pick-me-up. In reality, brownies can be kind of a pain to make and can be super carb-heavy when you're not in the mood for it.
This quick skillet recipe is super-easy to whip up and will satisfy all your chocolate cravings without a ton of carbs. Now if we could just find a way to DIY our own ice cream without sacrificing an afternoon, life would be perfect.
Isn't it fun to dream about who your kid will grow up to be? You as a parent likely have visions of their many future accomplishments — excelling as an engineer, becoming the first female president, you name it. But how can you help them get there? Well, one solid stepping-stone to success is education. And although college isn't for everyone, if you and your kid are aiming in that direction, you may not quite be prepared for the cold, hard (and expensive) truth: College requires planning. Like, way in advance. And not just a vague plan to keep up grades; we're talking some serious financial resources too. If you aim to cover some or all of the expense of college, it’s important to have a manageable strategy in place.
We spoke with experts to get some smart solutions for setting those kids (and your bank account) up for college success. And perhaps even more crucial, we rounded up the most common mistakes many parents and caregivers make when saving for postsecondary education.
Since you’re definitely not the only parent to try to save up for your kid's school, you’ve likely had plenty of chats with others about the best methods. But while there are countless ways to go about this process, Dr. Robert Skiff Jr., an admissions and financial aid consultant at Hollenbeck College, says the best option is the 529 plan. This tactic is exempt from federal and state taxes, so it allows you to use the fund as a family educational account with multiple beneficiaries depending on how many kids you have. “There is no limit to how much can be placed in a 529 plan, so it can serve as a multigenerational educational fund if handled correctly. There are all kinds of financial institutions that manage these types of accounts,” he explains.
They invest in a college fund instead of a retirement fund
Industrial-organizational psychology practitioner Dr. Amy Cooper Hakim reminds parents: You can get a loan for school, but not one for retirement. While prioritizing the needs of children is the knee-jerk reaction of most parents, if you have to choose between investing in your retirement or saving for college, it’s more important to put money toward your golden years.
Though it might seem like a selfish move, it’s one that could eventually relieve additional stress on your children, who may end up needing to care for you as you age. “It's actually a tremendously generous gift to our children. When we sacrifice our retirement or our emergency fund, we can put our family in precarious financial situations that our children will eventually inherit or have to take responsibility for. There are many financing options for college. There aren't very many options for financing our retirements or an emergency expense,” explains personal finance and money coach Ashley Feinstein Gerstley.
Skiff says there are immeasurable benefits to beginning your college-savings action plan when those kiddos are still in diapers. “The earlier you start saving for college, the easier it is. College is costly, and by using the power of time and compounded interest, a substantial nest egg can be created. Putting even $100 a month in a 529 plan when your child starts elementary school helps dramatically,” he explains.
If the idea of trying to store up cash for more than a decade seems overwhelming, you’re not alone, according to Gerstley. But don't psych yourself out; just get started ASAP. “With such a large goal, it can feel futile or pointless to put what little money we can aside,” she says. “Creating the space for a college fund is a huge accomplishment in itself, and then transferring a little bit each month builds momentum and sets the stage for saving larger amounts in the future.”
They don’t invest consistently each month
Consider the bills that arrive in your inbox or mailbox every month: internet, cable, electricity, water, Netflix, Hulu… the list goes on. Hakim says it’s essential for parents to treat the goal of saving for college like any other expense that automatically comes out of your paycheck. Even a small monthly contribution increases the benefits of compound interest in a savings account, which matures with money and time.
They don’t use a consultant
Late at night when the whole house is asleep, are you crunching numbers and stressing yourself out over every last dollar? Don’t get caught up in the chaos. If you can afford it (and after all, your time is money, so perhaps you can), utilize the expertise of someone who can navigate the jargon for you. Skiff says far too many parents attempt to plan out the process on their own instead of using a college and financial aid consultant who can take care of the details, answer questions and steer you in the right direction.
A consultant can also help you determine whether college is even necessary. "Not all career paths require an undergraduate degree costing over $100,000," Skiff explains. "A private college admissions consultant and your financial planner can work together to ensure that you make the best decision in this area, when sometimes, public and private school college counselors lack the expertise to guide you through this process,” he explains.
Bottom line? Get started now — and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Saving for your kid’s future is definitely doable, but it requires practice, practice and above all, planning.
Welp, I guess now's as a good a time as any to say so long and farewell to Meghan Markle's social media presence, because as of Jan. 9, 2018, it officially is no more.
The royal (by marriage)-to-be deleted all traces of her social media accounts on Tuesday, and it feels like a breakup we sort of saw coming but never really expected to happen. According to E! News, Markle has ditched her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts seemingly without warning, and there has been no comment from any royal authority as to why this happened.
Then again, it's not difficult to understand why this had to happen.
Many will likely see this as a move toward Markle becoming more integrated into royal life and protocol rather than her shunning a connection with society. She is — with the help of those around her — likely transitioning into a public-facing role that will have her better balancing the demands of life as a royal with the commitments she has to serving the people. So it's probably not too surprising this blackout has happened just months before her royal wedding on May 18. Gotta build the excitement, curiosity and intrigue about Markle's next chapter, you know what I'm sayin'?
Take it one step further: Have you ever seen a member of the immediate royal family with their own social media account? Heck no; that's what Twitter accounts like Kensington Palace and Clarence House are for: to act as the conduits for delivering news of official royal business to the world. As such, that means we are regularly deprived of the personal thoughts on various matters from the likes of Princes William and Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge and even Queen Elizabeth II. The need to appear neutral and at the service of the people is a well-established royal habit. To have Markle continuing to post on social media right up until her wedding day might be too risky (even though we know she herself isn't prone to risky posts).
It's certainly sad to see Markle go off social media, but this just means we're one step closer to Markle as a royal, and that, my friends, is a wonderful thing indeed.
Urban Dictionary may have originally started as a joke, but the online authority of all things slang is now a legitimate source on what popular sayings mean — and a ton of the words published in their pages are commonly accepted vernacular.
As raunchy as it can be at times, Urban Dictionary has gone mainstream — I mean, it's even used in some courtrooms to define culturally acceptable slang terms. Doesn't get much more legit than that. Of course, being the crowdsourced slang resource that it is, none of the words were actually invented by Urban Dictionary. However, many (including some of the words below) have since been added to more traditional dictionaries — and others may have been in old-school dictionaries first, but the peeps at Urban Dictionary just defined them better.
In honor of our ever-changing English language, here are the big pop culture words we think everyone needs to know.
Warning: Some strong language ahead (NSFW)
1. A crapella — singing (badly) while listening to music through headphones
2. Ann Curry-ed — being fired unexpectedly and/or without cause
3. Askhole — an individual who asks ridiculous, obnoxious or irrelevant questions (this is often chronic behavior)
4. Awesome sauce — something that is more awesome than awesome (awesome topped with awesome sauce)
5. Baby bump — the protruding abdominal region of a woman when she starts to become noticeably pregnant (often creates speculation a woman is pregnant even when it's the result of bloating or the way clothes fall)
6. Badassery — actions or behavior that are amazing or unbelievable; the act of being a badass
7. Beer me — please, get me a beer (can also be used figuratively to ask for anything to be passed or retrieved for the speaker)
8. Bitchy resting face — the state of a face while not emoting in which the individual looks hostile or judgmental
9. Bitcoin — electronic currency that can be transferred securely without the need of a third party (such as a bank or PayPal)
10. Blamestorming — usually in a business setting, the act of attempting to identify who was to blame for a failure or problem, rather than trying to brainstorm a solution
11. Boomerang child — a child who moves out to start his or her own life, then returns home to live (often as a result of the economy, but possibly due to irresponsibility of some kind)
12. Bromance — 1) as a noun or adjective, two heterosexual males with such a close relationship they appear to be romantically involved; 2) as a verb, the act of attempting to become closer to a fellow heterosexual male (usually through acts similar to romancing a woman, such as flattery, gifts and spending alone time)
13. Bropocalypse — a large gathering of adult males with the sole mission of getting drunk (such as at a fraternity party)
14. Bye Felicia — exclamation used when a person announces they are exiting, but other people in the area don't care; adapted from 2005 film Friday starring Chris Tucker and Ice Cube
15. C-note — a $100 bill (where C stands for centum, the Latin word for 100)
16. Cock block — 1) referring to a slang term for male genitalia, the act of preventing a man from getting somewhere (getting to know, getting a date or having sexual relations) with a man or woman he is interested in; action may be committed by a male or female; 2) in traffic, to cut someone off
17. Cougar — an older woman who prefers the romantic company of much-younger men
18. Crackberry — a slang term for a mobile phone brand (BlackBerry) that implies its user is addicted to the device
19. Crunk — 1) a replacement for foul curse words (popularized by a joke on Conan O'Brien); 2) a combination of crazy and drunk, meaning crazy drunk (may also refer to people who are high); 3) a style of rap music popular in the South; 4) something at a high level (e.g., volume) or something awesome; 5) to have a good time
20. Cyberslacking — using one's employer's Internet and email for personal activities during work
A version of this article was originally published in January 2014.
{pageBreak}
21. Designated drunk — the individual who drinks all offers of free drinks sent to the designated driver
22. Driving the Bronco — in reference to A.C. Cowlings driving the Bronco in which O.J. Simpson was attempting to evade police, an accomplice or accessory to an illegal or unethical act
23. Duck face — a face made by pursing and pouting one's lips in an attempt to make them appear fuller or to make the cheekbones appear more prominent (frequently utilized by young women in selfies or other photos in an attempt to look flirty or more model-esque)
24. Dude — similar to a pronoun and commonly used (especially by skaters, surfers and stoners) to address one another or as an adjective to express emphasis, amazement or awe
25. Dweet — to tweet while drunk (also drunk tweet)
26. Earjacking — 1) eavesdropping on a conversation you have no business hearing; 2) forcing your friends to listen to (bad) music they don't want to hear
27. Earmuffs — an exclamation used to inform another they should cover their ears to avoid hearing what's about to be said, as in profanity or a secret
28. Ego surfing — using a search engine to look for references about yourself
29. Extra — over-the-top, excessive behavior
30. Fanboi/fangirl — refers to a devotee of a particular product/company/person (i.e., Apple fanboi, Adam Levine fangirl)
31. Fauxpology — an insincere apology
32. Finesse — the ability to smooth-talk, persuade, or maneuver something to your advantage
33. Frak — a fictional swear popularized by the TV show Battlestar Gallatica and frequently used by people (usually nerds) who'd like to curse but keep it clean
34. Frankenfood — genetically modified or otherwise processed food that isn't found in nature
35. Freak flag — a particular characteristic, mannerism or method of dress/appearance, either subtle or overt, that acts as a "red flag" of a person's unique, eccentric, creative, adventurous or unconventional behavior or thinking
36. Friend zone — the status of being stuck as a person's friend after attempting to woo (or being too nice hoping to woo) him or her
37. Froyo — frozen yogurt (a trademark, but also often used colloquially to refer to any frozen yogurt)
38. Gaydar — similar to sonar in dolphins, the innate ability to detect homosexuality in other people
39. Girl crush — (a girl) having great admiration and adoration for another girl that is completely platonic (see SheKnows Girl Crush)
40. Grrrl — a young woman who is independent and strong or aggressive, especially in her attitude toward men, sexuality or the like
41. Hangry — a state of mind and behavior characterized by being angry as a result of hunger (hungry + angry)
42. Helicopter parent — a parent who meddles constantly in a child's life, often into adulthood, to the point of attempting to control every aspect of the child's life and the actions of those he or she interacts with
43. Hipster — an individual who attempts (often with too much effort) to avoid being a member of the mainstream; the term may be complimentary or pejorative (depending on context), but in general, hipsters tend to listen to indie or local musicians that no one else has heard of, dress alternatively (often wearing thrift store or vintage clothing as a rejection of consumerism) and have edgy or androgynous hairstyles [Note: in extreme cases, hipsters may regard those who don't align with their values smugly]
44. Hot mess — a situation, behavior or appearance in a disastrous state; often refers to an individual who's attractive but doesn't have it together
45. Humblebrag — a boastful statement couched in false humility (may be used as a hashtag to draw attention to it before others do)
47. Jailbait — an attractive female under the age of consent with whom an older man would like to have sex but risks jail time if he does so (thus creating the need for men of a certain age to card unknown conquests)
48. Karaoke filibuster — the act of preventing others from participating in karaoke by choosing an extraordinarily long song
49. Kicks — shoes
50. Knosh — as a verb, to eat; as a noun, the food being consumed
51. Legendary — a state of extreme awesomeness, popularized by Neil Patrick Harris' character "Barney Stinson" on How I Met Your Mother (often, the syllables are drawn out as in the case of said character, as in "Legen... wait for it... dary!")
52. Lit — previously meant drunk, more recently means awesome, excellent, turned up
53. LOL — laugh out loud (usually used to express amusement online or in text)
54. Ludwigvanquixote — someone who is fanatical, especially someone with delusions of grandeur or Chicken Little-type paranoia (you may also substitute another name or noun in place of Quixote to change the type of fanaticism)
55. Make it rain — 1) to throw large quantities of paper money in the air (often in the context of a strip club) to pay service providers, usually as a display of wealth; 2) (lesser used) when any debris is thrown or thrust in the air (as in an explosion), the resulting effect is that of raining; 3) Explicit: We're not prudes, but this one was too much for us; please see Urban Dictionary for details.
56. Man boobs — refers to gynecomastia, a medical condition caused by obesity or a hormonal imbalance in which mean appear to have female-like breasts (see also: moobs)
57. Man cave — a room or other space set aside for a man where he can decorate and behave (with or without his friends) as he sees fit — these spaces often include locations for TV, gaming, drinking (including a bar or keg), a recliner and/or cozy couch and provocative imagery (perhaps including porn)
58. Meat sweats — to begin to perspire as the result of consuming large quantities of meat (the medical term for this very real phenomenon is protein-induced thermogenesis)
59. MILF — (initials for "mother I'd like to fuck") a woman with children with whom one would like to have sexual intercourse with
60. Nasty woman — an intelligent female who is adept at putting ignorant men in their place
61. Netflix and chill — code for having sex with Netflix on in the background
62. Ninja sex — silent sexual intercourse in order to avoid awaking a sleeping roommate
63. Nom — eating (or nom, nom, nom or om, nom, nom... mimics the sound someone makes while enjoying something) [Note: can also be used humorously to refer to things you aren't really eating]
64. Nontroversy — a scandal or controversy that doesn't exist until it's created, as by a politician
65. NSFW — initials for "not safe for work" — intended to warn the recipient of an email or other unanticipated communication that may be inappropriate for the workplace (i.e., contains cursing, nudity, etc.; may be context-specific to the recipient's workplace)
66. OM(F)G! — initials for "oh my (fucking) God!" (the addition of the expletive implies greater reaction; those who prefer a less-coarse or blasphemous version may drop the F and assume the G stands for "goldfish"); used to express shock (positive or negative), dismay or horror, often in text or social media, though some do speak the initials aloud (those who speak the initials aloud are most frequently teenage girls)
67. On a boat — 1) the act of watching "I'm on a Boat" by The Lonely Island featuring T-Pain; 2) on a roll; so good you can't be touched
68. One-upper — an individual who responds to hearing someone else's story by telling a similar story that's more fantastic (generally these stories are considered to be false)
69. Party foul — an action that's socially unacceptable at a social gathering, especially a party
70. Phat — 1) initials for "pretty hot and tempting" (usually relating to a woman with ample assets); 2) awesome; cool [Note: currently considered out of style and only used by "wannabes"]
71. Please advise — [Note: while this is a common phrase, the humor is in the redefinition] corporate-speak implying exasperation with a colleague's lack of follow-through (it would most likely appear at the bottom of an email in which the sender is asking for something he or she should have received some time ago)
72. Pregret — knowing you shouldn't do something or you'll regret it, but doing it anyway
73. Pwned — to own (as in to defeat an opponent badly)
74. Quantum physics — the ultimate mind-screw (e.g., the reason one sock disappears when you do your laundry)
75. Ratchet — a diva, especially one from an urban area or of lower socioeconomic status, who incorrectly believes she is every man's dream
76. Rendezbooze — a designated time and place to drink with a group of friends (e.g., MacLaren's Pub in How I Met Your Mother)
77. Rickroll — a prank involving sending a video with a promising or salacious title that turns out to be a video of Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up"
78. Said no one ever — an expression used to convey the absurdity of a statement, usually with a significant pause before the word "ever" (e.g., when referring to a shirt the speaker thinks is hideous, "What an awesome shirt! Said no one... ever.")
79. Salmon — a man who likes to date younger women (i.e., swims upstream)
80. Salty — mad, upset
81. Savage — someone who has acted ruthlessly (can also be used as a compliment)
82. Selfie — a picture one takes of herself or himself, usually with a camera phone, and often with the purpose of uploading it to social media sites
83. Sext — to send suggestive text messages or photos
84. Shook — incredibly shocked or surprised, shaken to your core
85. Side boob — the side portion of the female breast visible when a woman wears skimpy or ill-fitting clothing
86. Skrill — money or capital
87. Snail mail — the use of the regular postal service rather than email (the implication often being that it will take longer to get it and could have been sent via email)
88. Sniff test — an olfactory exam of a previously worn (dirty) item of clothing to determine whether it's acceptable to wear again
89. Swag — from swagger, a term used to refer positively to the manner in which someone presents himself or herself (individuals with swag are generally considered confident and/or cool)
90. Sweet — an intensive that expresses satisfaction or indicates awesomeness (usually with a prolonged vowel sound)
91. That's what she said — A one-liner response to indicate what the individual just said to you could have a sexual connotation (also, that's what he said)
92. Trout — a man who likes to date younger women (i.e., swims downstream)
93. Twerk — a rhythmic dance featuring the gyration of the hips, often creating a rippling effect in the buttocks, with the intent of eliciting sexual arousal or amusement from the audience (for examples, please search "Miley Cyrus")
94. Turnt — dual meanings, though related: one is drunk, the other is excited or hyped, particularly for a party
95. Typeractive — someone who's overly talkative in emails or text
96. Upskirt — a video or photograph taken up a girl's skirt, with or without undies (photo may be taken by the woman or another individual)
97. Virgin ears — a term used to call attention to someone's naiveté (specifically someone who hasn't been exposed to talk about sex, drugs, profanity, etc.)
98. W00t! — a term of excitement believed to be short for "woo loot," as in winning a lot of money in gaming (also woot!)
99. Woke — being aware, knowing what's going on in the community
100. Word out — marks the departure of the speaking individual from a conversation (also name out, similar to television personality and popular radio DJ Ryan Seacrest's sign-off, "Seacrest out"
101. WTF — initials for "what the fuck," often used in informal typewritten communications (e.g., texts, Twitter) or pronounced as initials in situations in which dropping the F-bomb would be inappropriate
102. X-factor — possessing an indescribable quality that makes one desirable or interesting; je ne sais quoi (also the name of a reality singing competition)
103. YOLO — (you only live once) an initialism used to express a carpe diem (seize the day) sentiment in relation to a silly, stupid or irresponsible act (e.g., I'm wearing two different colored socks because YOLO)
104. Zombie ad — a political advertisement that continues to appear after the election is over
A version of this article was originally published in January 2014.
Dunkin' Donuts fans, do you want the good news or the bad news first?
It's freezing in most places in the U.S. — and most of us are suffering from an appalling lack of vitamin D — so let's start with the good news, shall we? Major coffee chain and doughnut stop Dunkin' Donuts decided we needed a little extra hop in our step, so the company's added two brand-new coffee flavors to its lineup. Yes, as you might have guessed, these flavors are a limited-time-only deal, but hey, like you have anything better to do right now than skulk around in massive sweaters and damp boots.
The specialty flavors definitely sound yummy: Buttery Toffee Nut and Winter White Chocolate (although we probably could have done without yet another mention of this wretched season of perpetually cold toes). You can try the new flavors in hot or iced coffees — iced if you're a winter masochist — or in macchiatos, lattes and (again, what even?) Frozen Dunkin' Coffee.
There's a little more good news from DD too: Dunkin' has added a decaf breakfast tea to its lineup in honor of National Hot Tea Month. Which exists, we guess. A Dunkin' press release says the tea is "a blend of premium black teas from around the world, delivering full-bodied, bold flavor in every cup." Well, OK then, tea lovers. There you go. Live it up, kids, but get to bed by 8.
Now for the bad news: Dunkin' Donuts customers might not be thrilled with the chain's plans to chop 10 food items from its menu — nationwide — by March. We're a little surprised by the massive menu slash, we have to say. Here's what's going bye-bye:
Strawberry-banana and tropical mango smoothies
Peach, caramel, and mocha unsweetened flavor shots
Turkey cheddar-bacon sandwich
Ham and cheddar sandwich
Tuna salad sandwich
Chicken salad sandwich
Big N' Toasted breakfast sandwich
Angus steak and egg breakfast sandwich
Flatbread
Some muffin, bagel and cream cheese selections
Oof! This is bad news slathered on top of bad, really, as two months ago, Dunkin' eviscerated fully half of its doughnut choices from multiple unfortunate locations across the U.S. Why? Why, Dunkin' Donuts? Well, the company insists this menu overhaul will mean "faster, more accurate service and a more consistent consumer experience from store to store" as they keep attempting to rebrand.
We disagree. We say this menu overhaul will mean longer drive-thru lines as people break down weeping in their cars after hearing their beloved go-to sandwich or fave doughnut is, alas, no more. But we're cynics like that.
Unless you’re opting out of the recommended immunization schedule (please don't), your kid is getting shots. Lots of shots. Shots that probably hurt you to watch almost as much as they hurt your child to get. Well, OK, maybe not quite. But there's good news: As parents, we've got an arsenal of tools to help our littles handle the pain. The latest (and most surprising)? Letting them mirror our own way of dealing with the experience.
New research from York University’s Ouch Cohort at the Faculty of Health in Toronto found that “the amount of distress and pain felt by a preschooler during a vaccination is strongly related to how their parents help them cope before and during an appointment" according to a news release about the research, which looked at data from nearly 550 children who were examined during infant and preschool vaccinations. The findings were published in the journal Pain last fall.
Interestingly, the kids who expressed the most pain as preschoolers weren’t the ones who also expressed the most discomfort as babies. “We actually found that the strongest predictors of pain were the parents and what the parents were doing,” coauthor, Ouch lab director and certified psychological associate Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell tells SheKnows. “We could look at how a parent was soothing their baby at 12 months of age and predict how much pain the child would express at preschool vaccinations four years later.”
So, what exactly is the takeaway for moms and dads who just want to make it all better? Pillai Riddell lays it out: “You can’t just do good things; you have to avoid doing distress-promoting things as well,” she tells us.
It turns out there’s power in that specific combination. So:
Do acknowledge that needles are painful. “You don't want to lie to your child and say that needles are not painful because that doesn't help the situation,” Pillai Riddell says. Try saying something like, “Yes, this will hurt a little bit, but it will be over soon.”
Do hold them close. “You want to be in close proximity to your child; that's a really basic need we have when we're distressed,” Pillai Riddell says. “We want to be close to those who make us feel secure and safe.”
Do breastfeed if you can. “Breastfeeding is a fantastic way to reduce pain," explains Pillai Riddell.
Do distract them — at the right time. Distraction works well, says Pillai Riddell, but it must be timed right, and surprisingly, that’s not right during the time the needle goes in. (That’s “peak distress” time, when your kiddo’s eyes will likely be squeezed shut.) “That’s when you hold them close and stay calm,” Pillai Riddell explains. “But once their eyes start opening, that's when you put in the distraction.” That could be anything from getting out your iPad to try to make them laugh to looking out the window together.
Don't reassure them too much. It’s counterintuitive, but post-shot, don’t repeatedly reassure your child by saying, "It's OK. It's OK. It's OK." That actually leads to more stress according to Pillai Riddell. “Saying it once is fine, but when things are really OK, you don't need to say it over and over again.”
Don't criticize your child. Avoid critical phrases like, "Big girls don't cry," "Your big brother didn't cry as much,” or “Come on, you can be better than that." These exacerbate distress after a needle, Pillai Riddell says.
And aside from managing your own behavior, you can also talk to your child’s health care provider about topical anesthetics, Pillai Riddell says. A numbing cream, applied to the area of vaccination about 45 minutes prior to the shot, can definitely help.
But possibly the most important — and most difficult — tip for avoiding those doctor's office meltdowns is to avoid expressing your own anxiety in front of your child. Sorry, needle-phobic parents: It's crucial you keep your own fears in check. Your kid can pick up on that anxiety — especially if she feels your heart racing while you’re holding her close. Of course, calming yourself is easier said than done, but just take a few deep breaths and do your best; it will make the experience easier for you and your child.
Corey Feldman is still continuing on his quest to expose Hollywood's dark underbelly, most notably in relation to allegations of pedophilia and child abuse spurred on by the sexual assault he allegedly experienced as a child actor. Now, he's looking for allies who may help to further his message.
In an interview with E! News, Feldman said he'd be open to working with others who have opened up about being sexually harassed and assaulted while working in Hollywood, but he particularly wants to partner with Terry Crews. Crews revealed in October he was once groped by an unnamed Hollywood executive.
"I thought about [reaching out to Terry], but I've been pretty overwhelmed with everything that I'm doing, but here's an open invitation," Feldman said. "Terry, if you're listening, I'm more than happy to join forces with you and work together. I'm willing to work with anybody. Can I just put that out there?"
He added, "I'm willing to work with anybody that wants to aid in this fight. If you want to help me get this film made, to tell the truth, please help me... If you want to help me get the statutes changed, please help me. If you want to help me get your story out, I will help you. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I'm here to be a soldier. I'm not in it for me. I'm in it for all of us. Let's work together, please."
Feldman launched a plan last year to raise $10 million to make a movie exposing organized, systemic sexual abuse of child actors in Hollywood. He says the movie is not a documentary, but is based on his own experiences as a child star, as well as those of his late friend Corey Haim, who died in 2010. He has publicly accused former actor Jon Grissom of molesting him as a child. Grissom has not publicly acknowledged the accusations.
It’s pretty incredible that in just over a century, humans went from dreaming of the possibility of being airborne to having an average of over 100,000 commercial flights darting through the air every day. But it’s hard to keep the miraculousness of that progress in mind when you’re sandwiched between two people on a long-haul flight, trying to eat the worst microwave dinner you’ve ever tasted without elbowing somebody’s drink over. If you’ve had the chance to fly in an economy seat, you’ve probably thought, "There has to be a better way."
And the truth? There is. It just comes with a seriously hefty price tag. The wealthy among us have been traveling in style for quite some time — and these luxury flying options prove it.
Singapore Airlines A380
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 1
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 1
In the suites class of Singapore Airlines, you can get your own private area, freshen up with free cologne and lotions, eat a five-course in-flight meal and wear complimentary pajamas while you sleep in a double bed on the way to your destination.
The signature feature of Emirates first class is their shower spa with heated floors (with temperature control) and an abundance of shower products. You can also meet other passengers at the lounge bar or enjoy a minibar and snack basket at your seat, plus enjoy complimentary slippers and pajamas or dine from an extensive list of menu options.
Round-trip tickets cost around $19,000.
Qantas 380
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 3
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 3
Pajamas and slippers, à la carte menus, massage chairs and amenity bags with face treatments are part of what make the first-class Qantas experience so luxurious.
Each passenger has several places to store personal items like jackets, shoes and handbags. The lighting reflects the time of day, so you’re less likely to be hit with a case of jet lag, and you’ll be provided with aromatherapy potions and noise-canceling headphones.
Round-trip tickets start at $10,000
Etihad Airways
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 5
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 5
Get cozy at a vanity with all the amenities you could ask for, including essential oils. There are also remote-controlled window blinds and sliding privacy doors. You can eat meals whenever you get hungry, and there's a lounge where first-class and business passengers can socialize over drinks.
Round-trip tickets cost around $8,000.
Not swanky enough? For $20,000, one passenger can have an entire apartment's worth of space on the airline in an area they call "The Residence."
If you really want to take a peek at how the 1 percent live, it’s the private charter jets that will show you the true meaning of luxury. Here are just a few options to consider if you ever come into a vast sum of money.
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 6
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 6
Holds: 26 passengers
Price: $41,520
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 7
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 7
Holds: 12 passengers
Price: $15,250
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 8
World's Most Luxurious Plane Cabins 8
Holds: 19 passengers
Price: Unknown
Anyway, hope you’re remembering your last economy-class flight fondly!
When a dozen former colleagues and costars accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assaulting and harassing them, the retribution against him was swift. Spacey's Netflix series House of Cards was almost immediately canceled. He all but disappeared from the public sphere. But almost no move seemed in better faith and more supportive of Spacey's victims than director Ridley Scott's decision to remove Spacey from his nearly finished film, All the Money in the World, and reshoot all of Spacey's scenes with actor Christopher Plummer. Now, we learn that Scott's gesture was empty.
Scott reshot Spacey's scenes at major cost to the cast and crew, and many of them agreed to return to work for almost no pay as a way of showing support Spacey's victims in any way possible. One of those people was actor Michelle Williams, who received an $80 per diem for the 10 days she spent back on set, meaning her pay was under $1,000 for all the scenes she had to reshoot.
Meanwhile, her costar, Mark Wahlberg, was paid $1.5 million for reshooting his scenes. Go ahead and scream. You know you want to.
Williams had previously spoken about her decision to return for reshoots for almost no pay, saying, "I said I’d be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me. And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort."
So much for that effort. It looks like Williams' and Wahlberg's workloads, while the same in their demands and scheduling requirements, are not valued in the same way, and that, folks, it just a load of malarkey.
Confession: I'm a big ol' nerd for The X-Files. On top of my undying love for all things Harry Potter and Star Trek, I have an eternal soft spot for the show that (within the world of the show) tries to convince us "the truth is out there." While a great portion of my love for The X-Files has to do with the supernatural and sci-fi elements that recall other great sci-fi TV like The Twilight Zone, I am also a big fan of the show because of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. Then again, ask any X-Files fan about why they love the show, and Scully and Mulder will likely come up at some point in the conversation. It's unavoidable.
Part of the reason is that Scully and Mulder have a uniquely great working relationship. While the first seasons of The X-Files embedded an unspoken "will they or won't they?" between Scully and Mulder as they embarked on solving various cases of otherworldly origins, The X-Files leaned into that friendship-turned-romance even harder — to the point that, at the time of Season 11's premiere in early 2018, we know that Scully and Mulder have a son (well, technically they don't, but that's better saved for another day) and that they have gone through various romantic periods.
And while some would have cheered for this relationship to be fulfilled, I can't help but be entirely not OK with it. As much as I love these characters individually and within the confines of their friendship, it feels like Scully and Mulder in full-on couple mode is a betrayal of who they are as characters, the nature of their working relationship and the very real argument (which I'd like to throw out there) that Scully is just way too good for Mulder.
I'll work backward to help show why I am so not OK with this X-Files relationship. As friends, Scully and Mulder complement each other perfectly. Scully is the skeptic, Mulder is the believer. Given the nature of their work (which often involves supernatural or extraterrestrial beings), it's good to have these two kinds of minds working together to keep one another grounded.
But Scully has been and always will be a woman dedicated to her work and to bettering her life through her career. One look at her résumé as of Season 11, and it's clear that Scully has done some major things. She's worked with the FBI, worked as a forensics investigations instructor and worked as a doctor of internal medicine. Oh, and in between all of these credits, she's also taken some serious hits in the field while working on various cases with Mulder. This woman is tough and determined and focused on what she wants.
And she lets herself get derailed by the rakish, irksomely charming Mulder, who is prone to pie-in-the-sky ideas. More annoyingly, she lets herself get derailed by him and her feelings for him multiple times over the course the X-Files' 10 seasons (we'll have to see how Season 11 pans out). Granted, it's relatively harmless within the confines of the show, and I can see why it would eventually happen during The X-Files' run. I mean, given the nature of their work, only Scully and Mulder can connect in a very real way and get to know each other to the point that they would develop deeper, more meaningful feelings for each other.
But really? Really? This is the best Scully can do? Be drawn back to Mulder time and time again when she has bigger, more otherworldly fish to fry? No thanks.
Scully and Mulder are excellent as partners in the field together. It's not too much of a surprise, given that they've been working together for more than 20 years. You're bound to know someone pretty well and in a variety of intimate and meaningful ways after so many years of working with them. However, Scully deserves better than Mulder as her endgame (regardless of the son they share) because she is too driven and too smart. Frankly, she should know better by now than to hitch her wagon to his. He's too much of a wild card, even all these years later.
