President Trump says his impeachment would ‘crash’ the economy

news image

WASHINGTON – Raising the specter of removal from office, President Donald Trump says that impeachment would “crash” the stock market and the economy because he is doing such a good job.

“I think everybody would be very poor,” Trump said in an interview that aired Thursday with Fox & Friends.

Without his kind of “thinking,” Trump said as he pointed to his head, “you would see numbers that you wouldn’t believe in reverse.”

Some congressional Democrats have raised impeachment after Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, implicated Trump this week in a felony: a scheme to pay hush money to women who claim to have had affairs with Trump, and to prevent them from going public during the 2016 presidential election.

More: Michael Cohen’s plea deal exposes President Trump to legal, political trouble

More: Scandal: Cohen charge against Trump recalls Nixon and Watergate, Clinton and Lewinsky

Trump is also part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election by hacking Democrats.

Additionally, the president is under investigation over allegations that he tried to obstruct the Russia probe through actions like firing FBI Director James Comey.

During his Fox News interview, Trump denied wrongdoing and said the claims against him don’t amount to “high crimes” necessary for impeachment.

“I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job,” Trump said.

Asked to grade his presidency, Trump said he would give himself an “A-plus,” and that the only thing he is doing badly is “the press doesn’t cover me fairly.”

 

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2w8r8DV

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2w6M8Lj
via IFTTT

Catch a discounted ride to the polls

news image

Lyft wants to get people to the polls.
Lyft wants to get people to the polls.

Image: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Lyft is getting out the vote. 

The ride-hailing app is offering free and discounted rides to get voters to the polls for the midterm elections coming up in November.

Promo codes for 50 percent off rides through organizations like When We All Vote and Vote.org will hopefully get greater numbers of voters to their polling places at a more affordable, accessible price. Free rides will be available through Voto Latino to make it easier for underserved communities to get to voting locations. 

Mike Masserman, head of social impact at Lyft, said in a phone call that transportation has come up as a reason that especially young and poorer voters don’t vote. “We want to be able to get to as many people as possible,” he said.

Showing up at the polls is just one part of Lyft’s midterm effort. The ride-sharing platform is also reminding passengers about voter registration deadlines (National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 25) on its app and social channels, and giving out registration info to drivers at Lyft’s Hub locations across the country. “We want to make sure our driver community is registered to vote,” Masserman said.

For the 2016 presidential election, Lyft and Uber both stepped up with in-app awareness campaigns and tools to find polling places. Lyft offered discounted rides on Election Day in select markets. Voter turnout for that election was 61 percent of eligible U.S. citizens.

Your next inevitable driver-passenger conversation can be about rocking the vote.

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fvideo uploaders%2fdistribution thumb%2fimage%2f85967%2f5ac3511e 3588 47d0 817e 3d170500d683

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2Llifvl
via IFTTT

‘I used to talk about politics on Facebook, but now it’s scary’

news image

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Samoeurth Seavmeng sits at a conference table wearing black horn-rimmed glasses.

Meng – as she’s known online and to friends – glances at her smartphone and begins to speak to 10 other young Cambodians gathered at Politikoffee, a weekly forum held in a leafy diplomatic enclave of the capital Phnom Penh.

“It’s very hard to talk about social media. Sometimes people post fake news on Facebook and sometimes people post true news, so it has advantages and disadvantages,” the 22-year-old activist said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen often alleges “fake news” to discredit criticism of his ruling Cambodia People’s Party online. He has even threatened that authorities have the technology to track and arrest a Facebook user within six minutes of a post.

This has sent a wave of fear and intimidation through Cambodia’s public sphere, where once critical voices have begun to self-censor.

Politikoffee is an offline space where Cambodians feel free to debate and voice dissenting views without fear of arrest. 

“Before, I used to share and talk a lot about political and social issues on Facebook, but now it’s a little bit scary to talk about these sensitive issues because I’m afraid I’m going to get in trouble,” Meng said.

Internet censorship

Cambodia’s government monitors social media.

Last May, Cambodia’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Information, issued a regulation to monitor Facebook.

The government stated that it wants to control information that is deemed to “threaten the defence and security of the nation, relations with other countries, the economy, public order, and discriminates against the country’s customs and traditions.”

The Cambodia Center for Independent Media stated in its 2017 report that seven Facebook users were either arrested or sought by authorities for sharing information and opinions on the social media platform.

In 2018, an election year, the number is unknown.

“The directive was actually released after they were already identifying, monitoring, charging and imprisoning people,” said Naly Pilorge, director at LICADHO, a human rights monitoring group in Cambodia.

During the election in July, 17 news websites – including RFA, VOA and Cambodia Daily (already closed down in 2017) – were ordered offline for 48 hours.

Critics believe internet censorship is intended to stop outlawed Cambodia National Rescue Party supporters inside the country from sharing, liking or commenting on election boycott campaigns.

“The directive came afterwards to legalise what they were doing in practice already. And it changed the habits of the average [social media] user,” Pilorge added. “The people online that we interact with, we see that there are differences. Definitely people are afraid, hesitant, paralysed. Ourselves included. We’re cautious.”

In the lead-up to this year’s election, all independent media was shut down. The main opposition leader was jailed for alleged treason. Two former Radio Free Asia reporters and an Australian filmmaker were jailed for alleged espionage.

Several human rights and political activists languish inside Cambodia’s prisons – guilty until proven innocent according to LICADHO.

“What you’ve seen over the past year and a half is, for example, a minister or the prime minister decides a post is critical or is unacceptable and will immediately denounce a Facebook post,” Pilorge said. “Within 48 hours this individual is being arrested, charged, imprisoned in pre-trial detention and sometimes convicted.”

Increasing regulation 

Though the election is over, censorship online is prevalent. Prime Minister Hun Sen was re-elected last month in a vote criticised by the UN as fundamentally flawed.

“If the situation for freedom of expression worsens, maybe we will have something that we can do together in order to inform [Cambodians] which tool or application they can use without getting into any trouble,” Meng said.

Cambodian digital security trainer Moses Ngeth teaches journalists, activists and human rights campaigners how to secure accounts, and protect data online. 

“I train them how to do very basic device security for smartphones, password protection. I tell them to be careful when posting something to social media and not to share any personal information,” he said. 

Ngeth believes this new mandate will give the ruling CPP legitimacy to pass its much-anticipated draft cybercrime law.

“People cannot talk on the radio, or on television. It leaves only Facebook. That’s why they increased regulation of social media,” Ngeth said.

Cambodians can still be arrested, charged, jailed or fined for Facebook posts under criminal defamation, royal defamation laws, or incitement.

“I think it’s natural to have fear, but when I see someone is arrested for saying something on social media I don’t feel comfortable. I think that people should feel free to express themselves,” said Kounila Keo, a Cambodian blogger and communications consultant.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has amassed over 10 million followers on Facebook.

Sam Rainsy, the exiled former CNRP leader who ran in the 2013 elections, claims that many are not even Cambodian and may be fake online profiles generated abroad – an accusation the prime minister refutes.

“What [the prime minister] said … ‘When you post, I can know the location’ – it’s one of the funniest things I’ve heard from him,” Ngeth said. “Using Facebook to know the location, it’s not possible,” Ngeth said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and members of the CPP are using Facebook to bypass traditional news media such as newspapers, radio and television, viewed as hostile to the government, to reach Cambodians directly with their messages.

“The prime minister and other public figures campaign on Facebook,” said Ngeth.

We’re not doing anything to harm society. We’re doing it to make society a better place, especially for youth to be able to share ideas and contribute.

Samoeurth Seavmeng, known as Meng, activist 

Back at the Politikoffee debate, the upcoming cybercrime law is considered for discussion in a future forum.

Meng wants members to be able to communicate online without being punished for spreading “fake news” for commenting on the draft law.

“Now we’re thinking about [developing] a new tool, or a new kind of app, that we can be sure will be safe for us to talk about any issue because we mostly discuss politics,” Meng said.

“We’re not doing anything to harm society. We’re doing it to make society a better place, especially [for] youth to be able to share ideas and contribute.”

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2w77b07
via IFTTT

England v India: James Vince recalled for fourth Test at Southampton

news image

England v India, fourth Specsavers Test
Venue: Ageas Bowl, Southampton Date: Thursday, 30 August
Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW, online, tablets, mobiles and BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

England have recalled batsman James Vince for the fourth Test against India at Southampton starting on 30 August.

The 27-year-old – dropped after the tour of New Zealand in April – will provide cover for Jonny Bairstow, who broke a finger in this week’s 203-run defeat at Trent Bridge.

If wicketkeeper Bairstow is passed fit, he will play as a specialist batsman, with Jos Buttler likely to keep wicket.

England lead 2-1 in the five-match series.

Hampshire’s Vince averages 24.90 in 13 Tests, but is the second highest run-scorer in County Championship Division One this season, with 847 – including three centuries – at an average of 56.46.

He made 74 and 147 in Hampshire’s win over Nottinghamshire at Southampton this week.

“James returns to the England set-up in confident form and scoring runs. He has been in excellent form for Hampshire,” said national selector Ed Smith.

Seamer Jamie Porter, who has been included in England’s squad for the first three Tests without making the XI, has not been selected to allow him to play for Essex in the next round of Championship matches.

“He will return to the squad in the event of an injury to a seam bowler,” said Smith.

England squad for fourth Test

Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2LjO8o8
via IFTTT

Mike Pence, ‘Christian supremacist’: 6 key takeaways from a new book

news image

CLOSE

The “Pence rule,” which says men shouldn’t travel or dine in private with women who aren’t their spouse, can be a barrier for women. Here’s why.
Dwight Adams, dwight.adams@indystar.com

WASHINGTON – Democrats may not like President Donald Trump, but do they want the alternative?

“That is probably what we hear most from Democrats,” said Kevin Mack, lead strategist for the “Need to Impeach” President Donald Trump campaign. ” ‘Well, if we get rid of Trump, then we end up with (Mike) Pence.’ “

As Trump’s presidency became more endangered this week with the conviction or guilty plea of two of his former aides, a new book about the vice president will stoke concerns about Pence.

1. Is he a ‘Christian supremacist’?

In “The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence,” on sale Tuesday, authors Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner cast Pence’s background – congressman, Indiana governor, Trump VP – in a harsh light, arguing that “the most successful Christian supremacist in American history” is already functioning as a “kind of replacement president” and is preparing to “fashion a nation more pleasing to his god and corporate sponsors.”

A flattering preview of the book by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni – that ran under the headline “Mike Pence, Holy Terror” – already has religious leaders and other Pence supporters accusing Bruni and the book’s authors of religious bigotry. Saying he’d “never heard such hatred poured out against such a good man,” evangelist Franklin Graham urged supporters to pray that God will put a “hedge of protection” around Pence and his family.

More: Here’s why powerful women don’t use the ‘Mike Pence rule.’ Spoiler alert: They can’t.

2. It’s not the first Pence warning

The authors are not the first to raise alarms about who is waiting in the wings should Trump leave office – voluntarily or involuntarily.

Arguing Pence has taken advantage of the chaos of the Trump administration to amass “enormous power” under the radar, the Human Rights Campaign launched a campaign earlier this year to highlight Pence’s record on issues important to the LGBTQ community.

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman writes in her new memoir that Pence is biding his time until Trump resigns or is impeached.

“As bad as you think Trump is, you should be worried about Pence,” she said on “Celebrity Big Brother” in February after leaving the White House. “He thinks Jesus tells him to say things.”

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

3. ‘Weaponized’ niceness

Authors D’Antonio and Eisner are no fans of Pence.

While Pence may have cited convicted Watergate conspirator Charles Colson as a “dear friend and mentor” because of the religious conversion Colson underwent in prison, the authors assert – without substantiation – that it’s “just as likely that Pence was drawn to Colson’s lingering aggressive tendencies.”

They comment on Pence’s favorite movie by noting that he loved “The Wizard of Oz” “despite the feminist power of its main characters.”

And Pence’s trademark “extreme niceness” is not benign in the authors’ eyes. Instead, Pence has “weaponized” his niceness as “a tool of persuasion and deflection.”

4. What is Pence deflecting?

While Trump is who he said he was, the authors write, Pence’s “pious and cautious exterior hid a desire for power equal to Trump’s.”

The book asserts that many of Pence’s evangelical friends believed his ultimate purpose is to establish a government based on biblical law, what they called “Christian Dominionism.”

But some of the examples of how religion has guided Pence as a policymaker leave out important details. For example, while the authors suggest religion is behind Pence’s rejection of policies to address climate change, they don’t factor in Indiana’s reliance on coal-fired power plants, a reason even some Democrats in Indiana opposed the Obama administration’s efforts to restrict greenhouse gas emissions.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

5. President in the shadows

The authors paint a conflicting portrait of Pence’s abilities. They say he was the least qualified vice president since Sarah Palin and Spiro Agnew, with his background as an “inept” legislator in Congress and a “middling” governor who didn’t like to work hard and was more interested in the status of the job than the job itself. (Pence, they write, was the first governor to order up a collection of custom-embroidered clothes decorated with his name and the words “Governor of Indiana.”)

Yet despite that lackluster background, the authors say Pence has been functioning as a kind of shadow president, “taking on so many domestic, foreign and partisan political assignments that he seemed more engaged in serious matters than the TV-addicted president himself.”

More: Donald Trump will work mostly Senate races; Pence will focus mostly on the House, aide says

More: 10 takeaways from a new biography of Mike Pence

6. Pushback on ‘religious bigotry’

There is one area where the authors and Pence’s supporters may agree. The book asserts that white conservative Christians, despite their “vast numbers and influence,” see themselves as victims. They cheer when Pence asserts, “No people of faith today face greater hostility or hatred than followers of Christ.”

In fact, in reacting to the book as it was portrayed in Bruni’s column, former Pence spokesman Marc Lotter told the Christian Broadcasting Network that the column is indicative of the “never-ending attack on Christianity.”

Conservative columnist Rebecca Hagelin wrote that the media is trying to discredit Pence “simply because he is a committed Christian.”

Meanwhile, Mack of Need to Impeach has his answer ready for why those worried about a Pence presidency should still push to get rid of Trump.

“It’s kind of like saying, ‘I have terminal cancer but I don’t want to deal with it because I might get diabetes,’ ” he said. “You have to deal with the first problem, and then we’ll deal with the second problem.”

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

 

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2BDZUdt

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2w8KUz3
via IFTTT

Pink stopped her concert to comfort a grieving fan and it was heartwarming

news image

Pink has always been really good at coming through for her fans. 

And she just did it again during her Beautiful Trauma World Tour at her show in Brisbane, Australia, where she stopped her show to comfort a young member of the audience.

The 14-year old fan, Leah Murphy, held up a sign for Pink to see, telling the singer that her mum had passed away and that she really could use a hug from her idol.

According to the Brisbane newspaper The Courier-Mail, the fan’s sign read “My name is Leah — I’m 14 years old. I lost my beautiful mum last month. I would LOVE a hug… Please!”

Sure enough, Pink stopped her show to give the young fan the hug she wanted. 

Several other audience members captured the moment on video:

“It’s going to be ok,” Pink told the crying fan.

Later, Murphy, posted this selfie to Instagram.

Murphy told The Courier-Mail that getting the hug from Pink was “a dream come true.”

What a touching gesture.

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fvideo uploaders%2fdistribution thumb%2fimage%2f86487%2f3fa6323c 6860 4d17 90cf 3aa330c118ce

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2Lk3dWE
via IFTTT

South Africa calls Trump ‘misinformed’ over land policy

news image

South Africa rejected a tweet by Donald Trump about the country’s land reform policy and the “large-scale killing” of farmers saying the US president was “misinformed”.

Trump said on Wednesday he directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures”.

“The presidency has noted Trump’s tweet, which is misinformed in our view,” President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s spokeswoman Khusela Diko said on Thursday.

“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception, which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past,” a tweet by the president’s office said. 

“South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform in a careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation.”

Diko said South Africa’s foreign minister will ask the US ambassador for clarification.

Large-scale killing?

Trump’s tweet appeared to be a response to a Fox News report that focused on South Africa’s land issue and murders of white farmers.

Ramaphosa on August 1 announced the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is forging ahead with plans to change the Constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation.

The plan aims to address racial disparities, as whites still own most of South Africa’s land more than two decades after the end of apartheid.

Ramaphosa has said the government’s land reform policy will be undertaken in a way that does not threaten food security or economic growth.

South Africa’s state-owned Land Bank, however, said on Monday the plan to seize land without compensation could trigger defaults that could cost the government 41 billion rand ($2.8bn), if its rights as a creditor are not protected.

Critics of the land policy say instead of seizing farmland from whites, such households should be given title deeds, turning millions into property owners. They point to the case of neighbouring Zimbabwe, where the economy collapsed after land reform was carried out.

Agriculture accounts for less than three percent of national output but employs about 850,000 people, or five percent of South African’s workforce. 

The South African government says the expropriation of land will address racial disparities [Reuters]

Land disputes

South Africa has a long history of colonial conquest and dispossession that pushed the black majority into crowded urban townships and rural reserves.

The 1913 Native Lands Act made it illegal for Africans to acquire land outside of these reserves, which became known as “homelands”.

The 17 million people who reside there, a third of the population, are mostly subsistence farmers working tiny plots on communal land.

While blacks account for 80 percent of South Africa’s population, the homelands comprise just 13 percent of its land. They are largely controlled by tribal authorities, rather than ordinary residents and farmers.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC has followed a “willing-seller, willing-buyer” model, under which the government buys white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks.

SOURCE: Reuters news agency

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2w7U8fb
via IFTTT

One killed, 2 wounded in Paris knife attack; Islamic State claims responsibility

news image

Share This Story!

Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about

One killed, 2 wounded in Paris knife attack; Islamic State claims responsibility

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack on its Aamaq news agency. The claim couldn’t immediately be independently verified.

Loading…Post to Facebook

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

One person has been killed and two others seriously wounded when a man attacked pedestrians with a knife in Paris, French authorities said Thursday. The attacker was killed by police.                       

BFM-TV reported that the attacker carried  out the stabbings in Trappes, a suburb in western Paris, and sheltered in a house before he was shot by police.

Reuters reported that police “neutralized” the attacker, citing a police source.

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack on its Aamaq news agency. The claim couldn’t immediately be verified.

There have been a number of high-profile terror attacks in Paris and other locations in France in recent years, many of them claimed by ISIS.                        

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2o3lPB8

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2Ptvw8J
via IFTTT

Your comprehensive guide to dick pics (both solicited and unsolicited)

news image

In a strange way, dick pics have defined this weird, at times beautiful, but mostly horrifying place we call the world wide web.

I mean is there any online experience more universal than encountering a penis you never expected nor wanted to see? It’s perhaps only surpassed in its pervasiveness by trolling.

A 2017 market research survey by YouGov, an online polling company, found that 53 percent of millennial women have received one. (The online survey was weighted to represent U.S. adults over 18.) Dick pics are such an embedded aspect of our online experience, in fact, that there’s even a blockchain for that

Dick pics weren’t even a possibility before widespread internet and cellphone access. Sure, really committed folks could snail mail penis photos. But the distinct experience of suddenly receiving digital schlong in the palm of your hand is pretty much exclusive to the smartphone age.

You don’t even have to be a heterosexual woman, a gay man, bi, or romantically interested or involved with someone who owns male genitalia in order to encounter dick pics. Spend any amount of time on services like Chatroulette or OKCupid, and there they are: dicks. Everywhere.

We’re in the golden age of penis portraiture.

We’re in the golden age of penis portraiture. But unfortunately, we only get to talk about the negative side of it, when dick pic culture can actually be very intricate, multilayered, sex-positive, and feminist (more on that later).

So, we’ve helpfully put together a complete guide to getting a handle on dick pics, both of the solicited and unsolicited variety. Without further ado, some rules:

1. No, it is never OK to send an unsolicited dick pic

Let’s get this one out of the way. There is never ANY reason to send an unsolicited dick pic. We don’t care if you’re just doing it for laughs. It doesn’t matter if you think you can reasonably assume the other person is willing.

Even if it’s with someone who’s already given prior consent or has expressed interest in receiving a dick pic, you still can’t know where in the world they are at the moment you decide to surprise them with some unrequested wang.

Remember: You’re inherently dealing with a digital interaction when it comes to dick pics. That means consent is even harder to establish without an explicit and enthusiastic, “Yes!” Lots of communication can be lost without visual body language cues, and tone is easily misinterpreted. 

Always make sure your schlong shot is desired before proceeding. And for parties who want the D pic: Don’t be afraid to respectfully ask (as long as you’re clear that “no” is absolutely an OK response.)

2. When it’s OK to send a dick pic it can be fantastic

Now that we’ve established the basic concept of consent, let’s dig into the less talked about phenomenon: Lots of people (yes, including lots of women) actually love receiving solicited dick pics! 

Don’t believe us? Well, Bustle recently wrote an article about the growing phenomenon of dick appreciation threads. One redditor from r/LadyBoner, Kate, explained that, “I don’t like porn because I have to see the men’s stupid faces, whereas with a dick pic, I can imagine whatever I want or even find a dick pic that looks like my boyfriend’s.” 

“I don’t like porn because I have to see the men’s stupid faces.”

For her, it’s even empowering. It feels like a reclamation, she said. “It’s an act of choice and agency, unlike when unsolicited dick pics are sent to me … Dicks are fantastic when I’ve consented to interact with them.”

Here’s why dick pics can be an awesomely sex positive and feminist experience: In a world where sending nudes via Snapchat is practically considered a formal “next step” in a millennial relationship, it can feel really weird if it’s only one-sided. Uneven distribution of exposure between the two parties can lead to a sense of uneven vulnerability.

Nudes should be a mutually agreed upon, enjoyable, and equal experience. It’s an opportunity to appreciate and explore each other from a distance (if you protect yourself properly, which we’ll get into later). If you’re sexting with visual aids, dick pics are integral to that balance.

There's an art to a good dick pic.

There’s an art to a good dick pic.

Image: vicky leta / mashable

However, not all dick pics are created equally. Which brings us to …

3. There’s definitely an art to taking a great dick pic

I’m not gonna lie: Having never possessed a dick myself, there’s a limit to my advice on the mechanics of taking a good dick pic. For that, check out this great guide from the creator of the blog Critique My Dick Pic (NSFW, obvs), Madeleine Holden. To summarize: Stop freaking out about size, no “log shots,” and setting/production value is important.

However, as a receiver of many D pics (both solicited and unsolicited), I do consider myself something of a connoisseur of the art form. Here’s what to know about creating a masterpiece:

  • One of the sexiest aspects of a dick pic is the sheer thrill of receiving one. It’s a naughty digital secret you now share together. Like the appeal of getting your own private striptease or sexting, it’s personal, just for you, and a pretty high level of intimacy for a bunch of pixels on a screen. Really makes a lady feel special, you know?

  • Confidence in your dick pic is super sexy — but arrogance makes us want to gag (and, no, not like the porn stars). Do not use dick pics as a platform to boast and showboat. Which goes hand-in-hand with …

  • When it comes to pics, size truly doesn’t matter. For one, you can’t even accurately judge in a photo. And if you’re throwing in an object for scale in a dick pic (like a banana — yes, I swear to god men do this), you’re already failing.

  • What matters is making your dick pic personal. No two dicks are alike, and your partner asked to see yours for a reason. It’s because they already like you, which means they probably already like your dick.

  • That segues perfectly into our next hot tip: NEVER REPURPOSE A DICK PIC YOU ALREADY SENT SOMEONE ELSE. It is painfully obvious when you’re using a stock photo equivalent of a dick pic. Don’t think we won’t notice, either. Like, damn, Easter’s coming up but there’s a Christmas tree in your photo … 🤔🤔🤔

  • I know the phrase “dick pic” rolls off the tongue (get it?!), but if you’re comfortable, you might want to try a dick vid. That invites all sorts of new possibilities for creativity and intimacy, that you should always discuss with your partner first.

  • Have fun. Sending nudes should be about making each other feel wanted, so only dick pic when both of you feel great about what’s happening.

  • There’s a lot of trust that goes into sending a nude. And don’t underestimate the need to protect yourself, your data, and your schlong. Check out these safety tips.

4. How to clap back at an unsolicited dick pic

It’s hard to describe just how violating it feels to get an unsolicited dick pic. You can’t ignore the negative aspects of non-consensual dick pics, and the disturbed psychology of individuals who do it.

It’s ludicrous that, while we have laws prohibiting flashers IRL, virtually assaulting people on the internet has no real consequence (besides perhaps getting kicked off a platform). So we recommend shaking off the heebie jeebies of this experience by reclaiming that unwanted penis.

There’s lots of different forms of revenge. One woman threatened to send any dick pics she received on Tinder to the perpetrator’s mom (and actually followed through with it). Others choose witty retorts. There’s even an app to help you do just that.

Artist and activist Whitney Bell reclaimed the experience of receiving unsolicited dick pics by turning them into an art gallery called I Didn’t Ask for This: A Lifetime of Dick Pics, and calling attention to harassment in the digital space. “Professional penis photographer” Soraya Doolbaz took a different artistic approach, with her high-end dicture gallery advocating for better solicited dick pics, while also stripping this symbol of patriarchal power through humor.

So do whatever feels cathartic and right for you, and grab that horrifying unwanted dick by the literal balls. Go wild. Get MS Paint involved. Photoshop a “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” t-shirt onto it, and send it right back.

Because some fool just sent you their genitals. Abuse the hell outta that power.

5. But most importantly: Protect yourself first

We’ve had some fun, but the hard truth (no pun intended this time), is that clapping back can lead to even more harassment. That’s a risk you don’t have to take if you don’t want to. And there’s other, safer forms of recourse. 

Like we said, there’s little to no legal consequences for it in America (though officials are trying to change that in places like Australia, Canada, and Britain). 

But the best options is to block the person immediately: Whether barring a phone number, Instagram or Snapchat account, un-matching on Tinder, disabling open DMs on Twitter, or changing your Airdrop settings to “Contacts Only.”

On most platforms, you can and should report them too (though the results are not always stellar.) Many dating websites even removed the ability to exchange photos altogether to fix the issue. But the following apps explicitly classify harassment like unsolicited dick pics as a reportable offense: Twitter, Facebook, Tinder, Instagram, Reddit, and Snapchat.

So when it comes to dick pics, practice safe sexting. And above all, make sure your virtual junk is only sliding into those DMs who want them. 

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fvideo uploaders%2fdistribution thumb%2fimage%2f84869%2fec1b2886 5eb4 4700 a421 8b5a08fe5dda

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2wnN4tW
via IFTTT

Popular Ugandan opposition MP charged with treason

news image

Military prosecutors in Uganda withdrew weapons charges against jailed government critic Robert Kyagulanyi, a pop star turned opposition parliamentarian who goes by the stage name Bobi Wine.

After the weapons charges were dropped, however, he was quickly re-arrested by police on Thursday and now faces potentially more serious charges of treason in a civilian court.

Kyagulanyi, 36, appeared before a military court in the capital Kampala after his arrest last week prompted large protests and clashes with the police.

His appearance was the first time the legislator had been seen in public since his detention and there were allegations that he had been beaten while in custody. He clenched his fists and greeted supporters and walked with a limp.

Uganda pop star-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine to face court

“The bogus charges have been dropped,” attorney Medard Sseggona told local broadcaster NBS. “They claim they prefer charging him with the more serious offense of treason.”

The popular musician has emerged as an influential critic of President Yoweri Museveni after winning a seat in parliament last year. 

The lawmaker had been arrested with four other opposition lawmakers, three of whom face treason charges. A fifth legislator has been hospitalised with injures allegedly sustained during detention.

“All along people knew he was going to appear in a military court here in Kampala but lawyers of Bobi Wine and his family were just told by the military last night that the hearing is actually going to be in Gulu,” Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi in Kampala reported.

Dozens of other Ugandans have been charged with treason and illegal possession of firearms over their alleged role in the stoning of the president’s convoy after a local election rally.

In recent days, Uganda’s government has faced pressure to free Kyagulanyi, with dozens of musicians around the world speaking out against his alleged beating in detention.

#FreeBobiWine

In a statement late Wednesday, Museveni accused “unprincipled politicians” of luring youth into rioting.

Responding to calls on social media to #FreeBobiWine, the president said he had no power to do so. “Let us therefore wait for the courts and see what they decide.”

Museveni took power by force in 1986 and has since been elected five times. Although he has campaigned on his record of establishing peace and stability, some worry those gains are being eroded the longer he stays in power.

The 74-year-old Museveni is now able to seek re-election in 2021 because parliament passed legislation last year removing a clause in the constitution that had prevented anyone over 75 from holding the presidency.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Read More

from Trendy News Day https://ift.tt/2PyCwB8
via IFTTT

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started