Category: Worldwide

Megan Thee Stallion shined on last night’s (October 15) episode of Saturday Night Live, where she pulled in double duty as the show’s host and musical guest. During the episode, Megan, along with the SNL cast, shared a music video for “We Got Brought,” a skit hilariously detailing the social anxiety that comes with being somebody’s plus one at an outing.

In the video, Megan goes for a night out, playing the sister of SNL actress Punkie Johnson.

“I don’t love strangers, but I do love to drink,” Megan raps.

She is joined by Bowen Yang, who is the guest of his besty, Heidi Gardner. Ego Nwodim plays the girlfriend of Devon Walker. Walker, Johnson, and Gardner’s characters all know each other because they grew up together, and the three head to the bar to get shots, leaving Megan, Nwodim, and Yang at the table to hold their seats.

“It’s hell on earth, but we’re trying to push through,” raps Megan, “I ask where are y’all from.”

Nwodim jumps in, asking, “And what do you do?”

Megan later hilariously makes her escape by saying she’s going to the bathroom, but then activates an emergency exit alarm.

Check out the video above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The idea that watching “The Shining” or “Psycho” or “The Invisible Man” could make you less anxious might sound backward. Anxiety is basically fear, after all—how could making yourself afraid on purpose by watching a horror movie possibly help? Scare yourself to be less scared? Doesn’t make sense.

Or does it?

One of the first things my daughter’s therapist said when she started phobia treatment was that anxiety thrives on avoidance. The more you try to avoid what scares you, the stronger the anxiety over it becomes.

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That concept forms the basis of exposure therapy, which can be an effective way of overcoming clinical fears. Instead of avoiding things that make you anxious, exposure therapy involves approaching what scares you step by step, little by little and processing your fear at each step. Eventually, your tolerance builds up and those fears become greatly diminished.

Watching horror films as an anxiety management tool isn’t for everyone, but for those it helps, it can function as a form of exposure therapy. Basically, by putting yourself in a scary situation—but one that isn’t truly dangerous and that has a defined time frame—you give yourself a place to practice managing your fear.

Jocelyn McDonnell, a therapist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, told HuffPost that horror films can be a useful tool for therapists to help clients learn to tolerate and manage the physical sensations of anxiety, such as a racing heart, sweating and heavy breathing.

“A client could see that even though their heart is racing, and their muscles are tight during the movie, they really aren’t in any danger,” McDonnell said. “This realization could help them in future situations in which physical sensations of anxiety are present, because they could remember that even though their bodies are preparing for possible danger, it is likely just a false alarm.”

Kurt Oaklee, MA, MFT, founder of Oaklee Psychotherapy in San Francisco, explained to Healthline how watching horror can help us learn to cope with stress.

“[Horror] can actually teach us how to handle real-world stress better,” Oaklee said. “During a stressful film, we are intentionally exposing ourselves to anxiety producing stimuli. We usually don’t engage in the same unhealthy coping mechanisms that we utilize in real life. We learn how to manage the stress in the moment. This practice can translate to helping us manage everyday stressors and fears.”

(On a related note, a study published in January 2021 found that horror fans exhibited greater resilience during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps the exposure to stress in scary movies helped prepare them for the horror of a once-in-a-century global viral outbreak.)

There are other theories on why watching horror can provide relief from anxiety for some people, such as the post-adrenaline letdown that leads to relaxation, the sense of control a person has over the scary movie and even the realization that whatever the person is afraid of in real life isn’t as terrifying as what’s in the film.

Some people, of course, do not find any relief from horror movies and may actually find them more anxiety-producing. While some people with anxiety find horror helpful, people with anxiety are more likely than the general population to respond negatively to horror films, so it’s wise to do what feels right for you and discuss the idea with a therapist if you’re unsure.

Therapists may not be regularly assigning horror flicks to their clients as direct treatment at this point, but there has been an increase in research and exploration of horror’s potentially therapeutic applications in the mental health world. The weekly podcast “Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast,” co-hosted by a licensed therapist, looks at mental health through the lens of horror. There’s even a full-length documentary on this subject, “Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary,” that’s currently in production. And there are many books and articles that delve into how horror can help people with certain mental health conditions.

Scary movies may not be for everyone, but they surprisingly might be right for people who already do daily battle with their own fears.

Adulting is just plain hard sometimes and quite honestly it’s a little excessive to be expected to wake up and be an adult every day. Who thought this up? Because I’d like to speak to the manager. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way and all I had to do was mosey on over to Reddit to find a great thread full of people who agree that adulting should be optional, at least when it comes to cooking. A Reddit user, likely looking for new super easy food ideas, asked the question, “What is your go-to ‘I don’t want to cook meal?'”

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Not going to lie, the comments were the chef’s kiss of lazy meals that should be in everyone’s back pocket because I simply refuse to believe that even the adultiest adult doesn’t have days where they’re just over it. If you’re looking for recipes, you’ll probably have to use the old Google, but if you’re looking for something quick to throw together that gives your stomach the cue to stop yelling at you, write these down. But fair warning, these meals are not for people that believe they’re too good for ramen noodles or paper plates.

The “throw some sh*t in a tortilla” comment had many variations. The comment thread is like if Forrest Gump were telling you all about the random things you could throw in a tortilla and shove into your face-hole. Tortillas with chicken patties. Tortillas with leftover beef and broccoli noodles. Tortillas with spinach and cheese. Tortillas filled with rotisserie chicken and a bag of salad. If you have tortillas, the possibilities are endless. Run out of bread, put your kid’s PB&J on a tortilla, roll that son-of-a-gun up then slice it and bam, you’ve got PB&J spirals that make you look like you have your life together.

If you’ve got tomato soup, gnocchi and spinach you’re in for a tasty fast dinner, and this commenter says it only takes a mere six to eight minutes before it’s ready to eat. I mean, you could serve this meal to guests and they’d think you were one of the fancy ones, not knowing you haven’t just gone to the grocery store so you just used what was at your disposal.

Keeping with the soupy situation, a couple of chili enthusiasts had a recipe so easy an elementary student could do it. It’s rather complicated so you may want to make yourself a voice memo on this one. According to the first commenter, what you’ll need is a can of chili warmed up and a box of mac and cheese. Easy Mac if you’re trying to make it even easier. Throw them in a pot together and stir. The second chili commenter’s recipe is even more complicated. Grab yourself a can of chili, sprinkle some cheese on top and warm it up before dipping tortilla chips and eating until your belly tells you to stop.

Did you think the chili saga was over? Nope. Someone else slid in right at the buzzer to say heating up a 90-second bag of Uncle Ben’s rice and topping it with chili is a must-try for a lazy day. Of course, there are always the tried and true with sandwiches, pizza or a nostalgic can of SpaghettiOs, but not everyone wants these quick fixes and they get old fast. Help some folks out who just want to give up on adulting today and tell people what your go-to too lazy to cook meal is.

While we can’t all swim the deepest depths of the ocean or glide across the Amazon’s highest canopies, art and technology has a way of bringing the Earth’s natural splendors directly to us in breathtaking ways.

Since 1965, the Natural History Museum of London’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest has showcased the very best of what nature photography has to offer. This year, the competition attracted more than 38,000 entries from nearly 100 countries celebrating all that is strange and beautiful within the animal kingdom. Images included insects performing bizarre mating rituals, carnivorous snakes snapping up bats midair and flamingos that appear to be walking on clouds.

Out of those 38,000 entries, judges whittled down 19 finalists based on “originality, narrative, technical excellence and ethical practice.” Then a top prize was awarded in two different age categories.

Though the museum displays the winning images in exhibitions across the globe, you can take a virtual peek at them below, along with some other honorable mentions.

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Adult Grand Title Winner: “The Big Buzz” by Karine Aigner

South Texas, U.S.A.

For these bees, nothing says “romance” quite like the hot sands of a Texas ranch in May. Female bees know that love is in the air once the surrounding cacti begin to bloom in springtime. Here we see a close-up shot of a fuzzy, whirling ball of bumbles getting down to buzzzzzzness.

The grand prize winning photo, taken by photographer Karine Aigner is not only visually stunning, but helps shine a light on one of the world’s smallest, yet most important creatures that are in need of our help and attention.

Aigner is one of very few women to take home the grand prize in more than five decades. Following her win, she told NPR, “This one’s for every girl out there who, in a male-dominated field, thought she couldn’t do it. Because you can do it. You can attain it. You just have to do it.”

Aigner is also part of Girls Who Click, a nonprofit that helps girls pursue their passion in nature photography.

Young Grand Title Winner: “The Beauty of Baleen” by Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn

Thailand

Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn’s award-winning image was the result of patience and an extremely steady hand. Once a nearby Bryde’s whale was spotted, Wuttichaitanakorn quickly turned off the engine of his tour boat and caught the image as the boat continued to rock in the swell.

The shot gets up close and personal with baleen, keratin fibers used to filter small prey like plankton.

“I love how the youngster has gone off the beaten track to show a whale in a totally different composition, while capturing behavior like filter feeding. And this, coming from a young photographer, gives me hope that they are not just seeing, but observing the very minute details, learning much along the way,” said wildlife filmmaker and judge Sugandhi Gadadhar.

“Polar Frame” by Dmitry Kokh

Russia

Bears are notoriously curious with little regard for boundary issues when scavenging. Plus with more challenges keeping them from hunting in their natural habitats, bears have been pushed further into human settlements, like this weather station that was closed in the early ’90s

Photographer Dmitry Kokh was “astonished” to find more than 20 polars bears living in the abandoned town. Luckily he snapped a photo and lived to tell the tale.

“The Magical Morels” by Agorastos Papatsanis

Greece

Photographer Agorastos Papatsanis brought the magical scene to life waiting for just the right amount of sunlight through the trees and using a wide angle lens and flashes to highlight all the morels’ details.

“Heavenly Flamingos” by Junji Takasago

Japan

Japanese photographer Junji Takasago apparently had to fight back altitude sickness as he captured a group of Chilean flamingos preening high up in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt pan, also known as the “mirror in the sky” for its high-definition reflections.

Takasago snapped at just the right angle to create this surreal illusion.

“Shooting Star” by Tony Wu

U.S.A./Japan

Is it a celestial creature beaming down from outer space? No, it’s a starfish dancing in his own sperm. But it’s beautiful.

“The Beauty of the Familiar” by Mateusz Piesiak

Poland

It took photographer Mateusz Piesiak several attempts to “nail the focus” to bring an intimate glimpse of a young gull’s high-speed dive right at the moment of impact with the water. But the results were worth it.

“Ndakasi’s Passing” by Brent Stirton

South Africa

Gorilla Ndakasi was only 2 months old when she became the only surviving member of her family. She was taken in by caregiver Andre Bauma, with whom she spent 13 peaceful years. The photo, taken by Brent Stirton, shows Ndakasi in Bauma’s arms as she passes.

“It was Ndakasi’s sweet nature and intelligence that helped me to understand the connection between humans and [other] great apes and why we should do everything in our power to protect them,” Bauma recalled.

“New Life for the Tohorā” by Richard Robinson

New Zealand

Known by the Māori as tohorā, the New Zealand population of southern right whales was hunted to near extinction in the 1800s. Since every new calf makes a difference, this image of … let’s say, courtship … between a male and female tohorā offers new hope.

“Jelly From the Dark Side” by Laurent Ballesta

France

Exposure to direct sunlight is lethal for a helmet jellyfish, forcing it to stay in darkness well beneath thick sheets of ice. Photographer Laurent Ballesta and his team had to seep in light from safe distances to capture this bioluminescent creature.

“The Dying Lake” by Daniel Núñez

Guatemala

This drone-captured image by Daniel Núñez shows toxic cyanobacteria flourishing on Lake Amatitlán, so much so that it competes with the forest alongside it.

Currently the lake receives around 75,000 tons of waste from Guatemala City each year, devastating the habitat for plants and fish.

Jen Guyton, photojournalist and judge noted, “What really makes this image work is the element of surprise. On first glance, the right-hand side of the image looks like a grassy field. But when you realize that it’s water, you immediately understand that something is sorely wrong with this picture – it’s a damaged ecosystem, and something must be done to fix it.”

This article originally appeared on 03.05.20

When you are a child who has been abused by people who are supposed to protect you, how do you feel safe?

That question is the heart of Bikers Against Child Abuse International (B.A.C.A.), an organization dedicated to creating “a safer environment for abused children.” With specific training and extensive security checks, the frequently big and burly members of B.A.C.A. serve as protectors of chid abuse survivors, giving vulnerable children people to call on when they feel scared, and even showing up in court when a child asks them to.

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In short, they become an abused child’s “biker family,” and they let the child—and everyone else—know that no one messes with their family.

As the B.A.C.A. mission statement says:

“We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, we stand ready to be that obstacle.”

B.A.C.A. members do whatever they can to make abused kids feel safe, which is huge for children who have been hurt, especially by the adults who are supposed to love and protect them.

First, they set up an initial ride to welcome a child into the biker family. Kids are offered a vest and a patch, which they have the option of accepting or not—there’s never pressure put on a child. They take a photograph with the child, which the child keeps to remind them that they have family to call on whenever they feel afraid. They serve as escorts when kids feel frightened to go somewhere. They show up at court hearings to help kids feel less intimidated. They come to kids’ houses when called to help support the family or serve as a deterrent for further abuse.

Though B.A.C.A. absolutely does not physically confront perpetrators, simply their presence provides the message that a child has a band of protectors behind them. Watch these bikers in action:

Bikers Against Child Abuse International

2019 Bikers Against Child Abuse International informational video. Visit www.bacaworld.org or find us on Facebook – Bikers Against Child Abuse International

And check out the B.A.C.A creed to see how dedicated these folks are to this work:

“I am a Member of Bikers Against Child Abuse. The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past has prepared me, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by the faith in my works, and lean on the strength of my brothers and sisters. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with power.

My fate is set, my gait is fast, my goal is the ultimate safety of children. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are tried and true, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and showed up for all wounded children. I must go until I drop, ride until I give out, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, for He will see my B.A.C.A. backpatch and know that I am one of His. I am a Member of Bikers Against Child Abuse, and this is my creed.”

This article originally appeared on 03.06.20

Fear is a finicky beast.

When my oldest daughter was in the deepest throes of a clinical phobia, her fear overtook everything. She practically became a hermit at 16, afraid to go anywhere. Thankfully, we found an excellent therapist who taught her how to tame her fear, to gently manage it, to approach it in such a way that allowed it to dissipate instead of continuing to dominate her every thought.

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People who struggle with anxiety or fear, whether it stems from trauma or wonky brain wiring, understand how overwhelming it can be. Fear and anxiety can feel incapacitating at times, making you want to run far away or curl into the tiniest ball and disappear. But neither of those things actually helps. In fact, the first thing my daughter’s therapist told her is that avoidance always make anxiety worse.

Instead, she taught my daughter to approach that fearful voice in her head. After all, that voice was hers, and it desperately wanted to be heard and understood. Ignoring it, avoiding it, trying to distract it way simply made it yell louder. “Maybe you’re right,” she would say to that voice, even though it terrified her to do so. “Maybe you’re right, and maybe you’re wrong. Let’s just wait and see what happens”—that became her mantra to her own brain, and as counterintuitive as it seemed, it worked.

I could explain the science of the amygdala—the fight-or-flight center of the brain that acts on instinct—and why the “Maybe you’re right” approach helped retrain it not to overreact. But an artist has created a visual series that describes it in different terms that may resonate more with people who have experienced embracing fear.

Cécile Carre posted her series of paintings about fear on Facebook and they’ve been shared more than 12,000 times. As with any art, interpretations will naturally vary, but judging from the comments, people dealing with anxiety, fear, or unhealed trauma may find some truth in it.

The first image shows a girl curled in a fetal position with her back to a big, scary monster bearing down on her, with a word painted beneath it.

“Everyday…”

As the girl turns and faces the monster, it immediately looks less scary. Still big, still towering over her, but not terrifying.

“…Trying…”

As the girl walks toward the monster, she starts looking bigger. The monster transforms into a mirror image of herself, the terror of it literally melting away.

“…to watch…”

And then it becomes a child looking for comfort rushing into her arms. Even its color begins to blend with her own.

“…and embrace…”

And then a baby, purely in need of nurturing, wrapped lovingly in her arms.

“…my fear…”

And then…nothing. Just a simple, calm little diamond where the girl was.

“…until it disappears completely…”

The work of turning toward what you fear is not simple or easy, and it may take therapy, medication, or other methods to treat mental illness effectively. But this series of paintings shows what many experience when they stop avoiding and start approaching the roaring voice that tells them to be afraid. Though it’s thoroughly terrifying to make that initial turn—I saw it in my own daughter, and it took a lot of effort—seeing the beast shrink down and eventually disappear is an incredible gift.

Thank you, Cécile Carre, for illustrating that so beautifully. You can order her prints here.

This article originally appeared on 03.05.20

Everyone’s childhood is different. But there are common objects, sights, sounds, smells, and memories from elementary school that most Gen Xers and Millenials share.

Personally, when i think back to being in elementary school in the ’80s, I remember the taste of the chocolate ship cookie we got on Fridays (with the pizza). The humiliation of getting nailed in the back during nation ball. And the grumbling, grinding sound that happened when you slipped a disk into the drive on an Apple IIe computer.

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Nowadays, in a world where most kids would have no idea how to even turn on an Apple IIe or have never felt the sting of a rubber nation ball hitting them square between the shoulders, I get a bittersweet feeling when I think back to my elementary school days.

Mel Madara stirred the nostalgia pot on Twitter this week when she posted a series of photos of things she remembers from elementary school that anyone from 50 to 25 probably recollect, too.

via Daniel Bagel / Flickr

She started up with a series of objects and experiences you may have forgotten that were a daily part of elementary school life.

She inspired countless followers to share the things they remember from elementary school in the ’80s and ’90s.

Heads-up 7-up!

Can you remember the anxiety as someone walked slowly though the room and you hoped and prayed they touched your thumb?

That clock you can wind up from behind.

Do you remember dying on Oregon trail repeatedly?

Four square!

Was that a state-mandated fitness exam or a test for scoliosis?

M.A.S.H.! Did you wind up in a mansion, apartment, shack or a house? What kind of job did you get? Who did you marry? What kind of car do you drive?

Before Michelle Obama it was acceptable to feed a kid a taquito filled with pizza.

Tether ball was fun until one of those rock hard balls hit you in the face.

The stool that helped you grab that Judy Blume book just out of reach. It aw also a rgeat place to sit and read if the tables were filled up or you just wanted some privacy.

Is the VCR bolted down? Check! TV strapped in? Check. It’s time for a rainy day movie.

… or if you’re older, you got “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” or some other Disney nature film on 16mm film in the school cafeteria.

My skin is peeling off!

This brutal contraption isn’t a Medieval torture device but a way to sarpen your pencil.

Finally, if more of us listened to this guy, the country would be in a much better place.

This article originally appeared on 03.06.20

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people’s personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world’s population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

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It would be easy to assume that these numbers are skewed by countries where women are blatantly oppressed, and that is somewhat true. However, a majority was found to hold no gender biases in just six of the 75 countries studied—and no, the U.S. was not among them. Nope, not Canada either.

Andorra, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden were the only countries where a majority of people showed no clear gender bias. (Andorra came out on way on top, with 73% of its population showing no bias—the only country to top 70%. Go Andorra.)

Where did the U.S. and Canada stand? According to the study, 43% of Americans hold no gender bias while Canada clocks in at 48%. Basically, if you’re sitting in a stadium full of people as a woman in North America, half of the people you’re looking at likely harbor some kind of clear bias against you. Same goes if you’re a woman competing in a sport, giving a talk at a conference, or—ahem—running for public office.

Perhaps the most unnerving stats from the report are these:

– About 50% people—both men and women—think men make better political leaders than women

– About 40% of people think men make better business leaders than women

– Close to 50% of men believe that men have more right to a job than women

– About 30% believe that it’s justifiable for a man to beat his intimate partner

Ummm, that last one? Holy moly.

What’s just as concerning is that despite decades of progress on women’s rights, bias against women is increasing in some countries among both men and women. And this is the case even among some countries that scored well on the index—bias in top-six Sweden, for example, actually increased over the nine years the study covered.

“The share of both women and men worldwide with moderate to intense gender biases grew from 57 percent to 60 percent for women and from 70 percent to 71 percent for men,” the report states, adding: “Surveys have shown that younger men may be even less committed to equality than their elders.”

That last part is worth repeating. Evidence points to young men being less committed to gender equality than older generations. That is not good news for the future, folks.

Of course, we have made big strides across the globe in terms of increasing access to education, improving healthcare for women, and other areas. But women still don’t have a place at most of the decision-making tables, and we obviously still have social norm hurdles to overcome to achieve true gender equality.

“We have come a long way in recent decades to ensure that women have the same access to life’s basic needs as men,” said Pedro Conceição, head of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office. “We have reached parity in primary school enrollment and reduced maternal mortality by 45 percent since the year 1990. But gender gaps are still all too obvious in other areas, particularly those that challenge power relations and are most influential in actually achieving true equality. Today. the fight about gender equality is a story of bias and prejudices.”

Results of the study indicate a backlash to the push for gender equality, the report states. Indeed, change is uncomfortable for many people and progress is often a two steps forward, one step back process. For sure, social norms are more complex and challenging to change than laws.

“Policymakers often focus on the tangible—on laws, policies, spending commitments, public statements and so on,” the report states. “This is driven partly by the desire to measure impact and by sheer impatience with the slow pace of change. Yet neglecting the invisible power of norms would miss a deeper understanding of social change.”

Social norms also directly impact progress made in all areas. Currently, no country in the world is on track to meet the gender equality goals by Sustainable Development Goal target of 2030. With stats like these, that’s not shocking.

Clearly, something to keep in mind as we advocate for gender equality is how to effectively address people’s core beliefs about women and equality in general. Legal progress without social progress is shaky at best, and true gender equality won’t become reality unless people believe that it should.

It appears we have some serious work ahead of us on that front.

This article originally appeared on 12.15.14

Images via GooBingDetroit.

Yup. These images were taken only two years apart. And what you’re seeing was not an accident.

When the economy crashed in 2008, it was because of shady financial practices like predatory lending and speculative investing, which is basically gambling, only the entire economy was at stake.

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When the recession hit, it literally hit home for millions of people. And Detroit was right in the middle of it.

I spoke with Alex Alsup, who works with a Detroit-based tech company that’s mapping the city’s foreclosed homes to help city officials see the bigger picture and find solutions. He also runs the Tumblr GooBingDetroit, where he uses Google Street View’s time machine to document the transformation of Detroit’s neighborhoods over the last few years.

“There’s a common sentiment that Detroit’s looked the way it does for decades, but it’s just not true,” Alsup said.

It’s astonishing to see how quickly so many homes went from seemingly delightful to wholly unlivable.

When the recession went into full force, home values took a nosedive. But the city expected homeowners to pay property taxes as if they hadn’t.

Not only does the situation defy logic, but it’s like a brass-knuckled face punch to the people the city is supposed to be looking out for. Alsup explains:

“You had houses — tens of thousands of them — that were worth only $20,000 or so, yet owed $4,000 a year in taxes, for which very few city services were delivered (e.g. police, fire, roads, schools). Who would pay that?”

Indeed.

A local group calls what happened to Detroit a “hurricane without water.”

And like a real hurricane, homeowners aren’t the ones to blame. They’re even calling for what is essentially a federal disaster response.

Here are the three strategies they want to see in action — and they can work for basically anywhere in the country that’s struggling with a housing crisis.

1. Stop kicking people out of their homes.

They want the city to end foreclosures and evictions from owner-occupied homes. Many people aren’t just losing their homes — they’ve lost jobs, pensions, and services because of budget cuts. Putting them on the street is like a kick in the teeth when they’re down.

2. If a home is worth less on the market than what the homeowner owes on their loan, reduce what they owe.

Those are called underwater mortgages. Banks caused this mess, and governments ignored it. It’s only fair that people’s mortgages be adjusted based the current value of their home.

3. Sell repossessed homes at fair prices to people who actually want to live in them.

Selling to banks and investors only encourages what led to the financial crisis in the first place. Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell to people who are going to live in them and have a genuine interest in rebuilding the community?

Housing is a human right. And an economy based on financial markets doesn’t care about human rights. Maybe it’s time for a new economy?

Click play below for a silent cruise down a once lovely residential block in Detroit.

If someone ever decides to give Herschel Walker a key to their city, be forewarned that he very well may try to use it to open the doors to people’s home — or at the very least, whip it out at a debate to prove that he “owns” said city. That’s the big takeaway we got from Walker’s Friday night debate against Georgia senator Raphael Warnock, the Democratic incumbent the former football player is desperately attempting to oust.

At one point in the evening, Warnock brought up what he described as Walker’s “problem with the truth,” noting that, “One thing I have not done: I’ve never pretended to be a police officer, and I’ve never threatened a shootout with police.” As Forbes reports, Walker claimed to have “FBI clearance” during a 2017 speech and stated that he was an “FBI agent” in 2019. While he apparently did take part in a program at the FBI Academy back in 1989, there is no evidence to support any of his claims that he is a member of law enforcement — except for a toy badge he pulled from his jacket pocket while on stage — a move that got his promptly admonished by one of the debate’s moderators, who pointed to the event’s “no props allowed” rule.

Walker put up a pretty compelling defense when he stated that the badge was not a prop (it was) and that “I am work with many police officers.” Surprisingly, that wasn’t enough to call it case closed. And while it’s now been more than 24 hours since the unintentional hilarity ensued (yes, people in the audience were loudly laughing — and who can blame them?), the internet is still making jokes about the surreal bit of political theater.

The New York Times reported that the badge Walker flashed “was given to him in recognition of community service work he had done with the Cobb County sheriff’s department, according to his campaign spokesman, Will Kiley. Mr. Walker also has an honorary badge from the sheriff’s department in Johnson County in East Georgia, which includes his hometown, Wrightsville. Representatives for the sheriff’s departments in both counties were unavailable for comment.”

While handing celebrities honorary badges, degrees, etc. is nothing new, that the commendation would be bestowed on Walker — who has a history of alleged domestic abuse and once held a gun to his wife’s head — did not sit well with everyone.

Walker did, however, find at least one supporter: