In this episode, I’m joined by the Common Core Diva Lynne Taylor and Patrick Wood from Technocracy.news and CitizensForFreeSpeech.org and we’ll discuss how Patrick went from being a father and husband to leading the way in exposing technocracy and becoming and expert on the subject to inform people on what is going on. We’ll also …

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John Oliver threw Chuck Schumer under the bus and exposed how he’s been using completely made-up constituents for decades to justify his arguments and policy positions. Until recently, when he claimed these . . .

Self-conscious emotions often get a bad rap. When we think of shame or embarrassment, guilt is not usually far behind. We often assume these types of feelings are negative, but the truth is—they can be excellent indicators that a person has a pretty decent moral compass.In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers sought to determine indicators of trustworthiness. The 2018 paper "Who is trustworthy? Predicting Trustworthy intentions and behavior" makes a huge distinction about their intentions right off the bat: "Existing trust research has disproportionately focused on what makes people more or less trusting, and has largely ignored the question of what makes people more or less trustworthy."Their findings are pretty clear cut: The number one indicator of trustworthiness? Being prone to guilt. "Guilt-proneness predicts trustworthiness better than a variety of other personality measures, and we identify sense of interpersonal responsibility as the underlying mechanism by both measuring it and manipulating it directly. People who are high in guilt-proneness are more likely to be trustworthy than are individuals who are low in guilt-proneness, but they are not universally more generous." See on Instagram Writer Leah Fessler cites the study in her piece, "Who should you trust? Psychologists have a fascinating answer," for Quartz: "Guilt-proneness is not the same as feeling guilty, and this distinction is key to understanding why guilt-proneness is a positive trait, especially as it relates to trustworthiness."It's all about the anticipation of guilt, and one's hope is: this trait might prevent someone from behaving in a negative manner. The line of thinking goes something like this: "If I steal money from Emily, that would really hurt her feelings, so I won't do it."Fessler further explains, "We typically think about guilt as a signal that someone did do something wrong, which is why it’s seen as a character flaw." She references Emma Levine, an assistant psychology professor at University of Chicago. "But feeling guilty about wrongdoing is a good thing," Levine says, "whereas doing something wrong and not feeling guilty would be problematic, as it suggests a lack of remorse and no intention to repair your transgressions." Explanation as to why guilt can be a good thing. www.youtube.com, Anna Akana In the article "The Problem with Guilt" for Psychology Today, authors Tara Ceranic Salinas, Ph.D., and Ed Love, Ph.D., explain simply that "Guilt serves an important purpose in guiding our behavior by causing us to evaluate our moral worth and how we fit in the various communities to which we belong. Along with shame and embarrassment, it is part of the self-conscious emotion family, and these inward-facing emotions motivate ethical behavior. (Note: they don't distinguish between guilt or guilt-prone, but we get the idea.)They acknowledge that "Guilt is tricky. Feeling guilty makes us realize we have messed up–even if we haven’t!" They provide a few tools for processing guilt, such as acknowledgement (owning what they've done), self-reflection (how does it make them feel?), and still having plenty of compassion for yourself after the mistake has been made. None of us are perfect, even those who are trustworthy. A woman looks guilty. Giphy The Reddit post titled "Guilt-prone people are highly skilled at recognising other people’s emotions" has another spin on the matter. The guilt-prone aren't not just more trustworthy. They're more empathetic.A commenter shares, "It's not surprising if you think about the neurobiology of it. Guilt, shame, and empathy come from the same areas in the brain. Psychopaths have less amount of grey matter in the parts of the brain that regulates these traits."Probably safe to assume that "psychopaths" aren't the most trustworthy, so, yes—it totally tracks.

The 40th wedding anniversary is called the "ruby anniversary," and making it to this milestone is a rare feat. According to Bowling State University in 2018, while 41% of marriages in the United States make it to their 25th ('silver') wedding anniversary, only 8% make it to their 50th ('golden') wedding anniversary. So, couples that have remained together 40 years have a lot of marriage advice to offer.At 40 years, you've seen just about everything a relationship can offer, and you've gotten to know your partner in a way that no one else ever will. You've seen the good times, you've seen the bad times, you've been through sickness and health. You've probably raised a few kids and dealt with every problem that can happen in a home.In a Reddit subforum older people sharing life advice, member u/OneTwoThreeFoolFive posed the question: "Elderly who have been *happily* married for more than 4 decades, what tips can you give to people who haven't married yet?"Couples with long, successful marriages joyfully shared their helpful marriage advice with others. These are insightful marriage tips from 20 couples who have been married 40 years or more.Marriage advice from those who've been married 40-plus years up s GIF Giphy "Listening to your partner means thinking about what your partner is saying, not thinking about what you're going to say in response." —Odd_Bodkin"Do not marry someone that you are planning on changing. Marry someone who you can live with their less than ideal qualities." —tmaenadw"Respect, patience, marry someone who makes you laugh because life is silly." — lmb3456 Kacey Musgraves Love GIF by Cuco Giphy "My favorite quote, 'True love is when both people think that they are the lucky one'…. Going strong since 87." — glamourgal1"Ok, so I’m close at 38 years, so here goes. Respect your partner. Every single day. Wake up and tell yourself you love them. Every single day. Thank them every single time they do something you appreciate, like making coffee you share, or taking out the garbage. My hubby thanks me every single time I do the laundry. Every single time. It makes me feel valued and really helped get me through when the kids were small and there was a lot of laundry. Plus, Date Night. It’s really the planning and looking forward to it, not the glitzy or glamorousness of the date itself. Try to talk to each other about yourselves and not the kids for just that couple hours together. Make lots of plans for short trips either as a couple or with the kids. We were poor and our vacations were camping. Our girls loved it because they got their dad to themselves as he wasn’t working on a house project… He taught them how to pack the car, set up the tent, build a FIRE! All fun stuff for kids. Plus, fishing, hiking, and whatever else they could dream up together."— bookishlibrarym"Take a deep breath, walk , then try to forget what stupid thing your spouse just said or did. It’s worked for some 40 years now and very happily married."— Front-Barracuda-9303 Grow Old Together Love GIF by ANTIQUES ROADSHOW | PBS Giphy "Don't get married to keep from being alone or for financial stability. Wait until the right one. If you marry for money, you will pay. If you marry from loneliness, the worst kind of loneliness is being lonely in a marriage." —Ok-Resist7858"Laugh together, but never at each other. Create a safe landing for difficult times; they will happen. Be ready to help them get through and don’t add to the difficulties. Be sympathetic and learn the cues when needed. This is for both the good and the bad times. It’s not always about you, let them have their time and they will let you have yours. Help them shine. This is a partnership that includes finances, parenting, death & illness of loved ones and working both inside and outside the home. Find what motivates them (and you) and agree to not agree when needed. When you love, admire, respect, and cherish your spouse, let them know. This doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a constant work in progress. The returns on these investments will last a lifetime. (Married for 46 years and counting, at ages 16F & 19M)." — Its-Two-Latte"Do not rush into it." — Mrs_Gracie2001 Ice T Reaction GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Giphy "A laugh and a hug is helpful to calm the crazy. We are both 66, have had a long-lived infatuation with each other from the beginning and got married at 17 . I know, infatuations are supposed to be short-lived but the passion is as strong now as it was at 17. We still love being together but the times when one is crazy can be a challenge. And focus on living within your means as money worries can be seriously problematic." — jhoover58"Best advice was from a man who had been married 60 years. Someone asked him the secret of a lasting marriage, and he said 'Well, I’ll tell you…Ignore them when they’re stupid'." — mishymcMarried as teenagers and still married 57 years later. I was lucky to find someone at a young age who was a mature, loyal, even-tempered, hard-working, and intelligent. Life is long and it can be hard, so you need someone you can rely on ... and who can rely on you. We have always had similar goals and were willing to sacrifice and work to achieve them. Working together like that is actually very enjoyable." — Bay_de_Noc Shake It Dancing GIF by Laff Giphy "From a very practical perspective, the three biggest stressors on a marriage are finances, children, and division of labor. If a couple isn’t on the same page, it builds resentment: he won’t save/she won’t have fun, she lets the kids go wild/he’s too strict, he won’t help/she’s a nag. My advice is to marry someone who shares the same values. Despite Hallmark movie themes, opposites don’t do well in the long run." —Silly-Resist8306"A few tips: Remember, your spouse is always well-intentioned. Know that marriage is hard and work through the rough patches. Vacation apart occasionally. It gets better with every year. Learn each other's love languages and respect them." —Critical_Dig799"Have each other's backs. You are your own family unit now. Think of it as concentric circles. You and your partner are the inner circle, your parents etc the next circle. Too many people struggle to understand this and prioritize their parents over their partner. You get to make your own holiday traditions, you both get to combine your family traditions to make your own and that's OK. Make sure you agree on the basics before you get married, like really deep down agree on the basics of children, money, religion, politics. Also make sure you can talk about sex with each other before you get married. That you feel safe being able to articulate your needs and boundaries and that your partner will try to meet them, maybe not perfectly at first but will make the effort until you both figure it out together. This also applies to life outside the bedroom." — wwaxwork I Got You Bff GIF by StickerGiant Giphy "50 years this year. We are so lucky. Learn to fight fair. Pull your punches. Always remember you love this person and you don’t want to knock them to the ground. No bringing up old conflicts into the argument. Let old things go and stay in the present. Keep perspective. Will it matter in 5 years? Some issues are worth a big fight. Some are not worth a tiny fight. We had some really stupid fights and laugh about it today." —curiousinbiguniverse"Take a real close look at the family you are marrying into. The longer you’re married, the more they are involved in your life like it or not. You’ll end taking care of aging parents, loser brother or sister, nieces, nephews." —Outdoor-Snacker"Don't waste a lot of money on a big wedding. Watch the issue of Adam Ruins Everything about marriage and weddings. Treat your partner with respect and as you would like to be treated. 49 years and going strong for us. The payoff is the golden years with lots of funny stories and inside jokes and good companionship." —joekerr9999"So many things. For men: learn to communicate the way she understands (I have found women will hardly ever understand how we communicate). For both: Forgive the little flaws. Do special things for each other regularly. Be willing to give space. Don't use the D word unless you're serious. Don't put your children ahead of your marriage. Don't speak in anger. Accept that you two are different and have different styles. Say 'I love you' daily. Give compliments. Have sex regularly (Don't use it as a weapon)." —JWR-Giraffe-5268"Most of what's been said so far. I'd like to add sleep naked and close. Still after 52 years married." — j00e420

Some misconceptions just won't die. One of the biggest is that retail and fast food jobs don't constitute real "careers," and are temporary dead-ends meant only for teens or seniors. Let's face it: There's a stigma against what are viewed as lower-level jobs, so much so that working fast food is often used as a PR stunt by politicians to show how "normal" they are or a punishment for criminals.It really doesn't have to be this way. Imagine a world where an entry-level retail job could turn into a real career, steadily rewarding loyal employees with more and better pay, strong benefits, and advancement opportunities. Imagine if you could get on-the-job training and new certifications that would help you move up the ladder and earn even more money, all with the support of your company. Shouldn't working hard at a job, any real job, give you the right to a pretty good and comfortable life? Is that so crazy? Season 2 Money GIF by Sony Pictures Television Giphy Well, it's not common, but one woman's story shows us that it is possible.A woman has gone viral on TikTok for sharing exactly how much she earns as a loyal employee at Costco and people can't believe their eyes.The young woman, who goes by Joce on social media, shared a video breaking down how her pay has changed over the years she's worked at the bulk-retail giant.According to the video, she was hired in 2018 at a meager but respectable $14 per hour. In one video she jokes she always said it was "just a summer job."But she stuck around for seven years and counting, and it's not hard to see why. Steady raises each year brought her to a whopping $37.90 in 2025.This number doesn't even account for Costco's twice-a-year bonuses, benefits, and time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, and would put Joce at just under $80,000 per year assuming a full-time schedule. Not bad for a "summer job." @thelifeofjoce loyalty really paid off #costco #paytransparency Nearly 11 million people watched the video. Commenters were in shock that someone could make so much at a so-called dead-end retail job.In particular, people who'd spent a lot of time (and money) on advanced degrees just to be struggling with debt and burnt out in their careers were absolutely shook by the revelation:"just looked at my masters degree and sighed" one user joked."Does Costco need nurses" quipped another."THIS is why I left teaching after 8 years with a masters degree and never looked back" someone said."So getting a college degree is a scam" another person added. People are enthusiastic about working at Costco. Giphy Others shared their own stories from their lives or from people they knew:"True story.. RN working with me full time and keeping her part time work at Costco since she got paid same or maybe little more. eventually she went back fulltime working for Costco.""I had a friend who worked [there] over 20 years, her 401K, was set for life. Costco employees, stay forever. Their pictures on the wall. They treat employees great"While impressive, $37.90 per hour doesn't quite tell the full story. No, the full story is even cooler.Joce breaks down her pay even further in another video, explaining that she's able to make so much at Costco because she moved into the optics department and became a licensed optician. In addition to her base rate of $31.90, Joce gets a premium added to her wages. Certain specialist positions get premium pay and some store locations offer additional premiums as well. She also makes $56.85 per hour on Sundays, making for some pretty beefy paychecks.But lest you think that Joce's optician's license should take away from her success story, think again! In responses to comments on her videos, she explains that Costco helped support her as she worked to get certified as she had no prior experience or training:"It’s all on the job training and they give you time to study while working!" she writes. "They give you 3 months to study for the first exam (ABO), then up to a year or so to pass the second one (NCLE) to get fully licensed" @thelifeofjoce cleared up the confusion and my astigmatism #newglasses #costco #faq From a young age, many of us are fed the belief that we need to spend four years in college and take on crippling debt just so we can get a degree and give ourselves a shot at a proper "grown up" job. You know, like an engineer, doctor, generic business-person. These are the careers you're supposed to aspire to have. But there's no guarantee that achieving that dream is going to make you happy just because it's considered respectable.Over 42 million Americans have student loan debt and the average comes out to just under $40,000. For many, it's impossible to pay off, which can be especially grueling when you find out the career you were chasing isn't as fulfilling or well-paying as you thought it would be. It doesn't have to be this way. People like Joce are proving that there are other paths to success, and she's not alone. More and more of Gen Z is turning to "blue collar" work because it's viewed as more balanced and stable. If more companies would take care of their employees and pay a fair, living wage the way Costco does, people would have a lot more options.

There are people among us who have no idea that a conversation should be a balanced back-and-forth between two or more people. Instead, they monopolize the conversation, going on and on without letting anyone get a word in edgewise. What’s worse is that they often have no idea how to take a hint and miss all of the verbal and nonverbal clues that they should stop.These situations can be incredibly frustrating because you don’t want to be rude and tell them to stop, especially if it's a coworker or someone you have to see every day. But, at the same time, they are being incredibly rude by taking up your time and they're being selfish by not allowing you to contribute to the discussion.A Redditor on the Social Skills subforum was fed up with a coworker who wouldn’t stop talking and asked the posters for some help. “There's this person at work who will corner me in the break room and talk for 20+ minutes about random stuff,” the person wrote. “They're nice enough, but I just want to eat my lunch in peace sometimes. I've tried saying ‘Well, I should get back to work,’ but they just keep talking. What are some polite but firm ways to extract myself from these conversations?”The posters provided numerous verbal and nonverbal cues to get out of conversations with someone who won’t stop talking. Many also reiterated the point that it’s not rude to get up and walk away from someone who won’t shut up, especially if they were being inconsiderate in the first place.Here are 17 ways to end a conversation with someone who talks too much1. Pause, walk away"At the very first semi-break in the monologue (time their breathing if you have to), you say, 'It sounds like you had a really great time (or other filler appropriate to the discussion). I’d love to talk, but I’m on a tight schedule.' AND WALK AWAY WHILE YOU’RE TALKING. It’s the last part that’s crucial. Those people just will not stop.""Just this morning I had to basically do that: 'I really must be going' with a smile and wave, standing up and walking away to a woman still talking."2. Grab their arm"If they don't stop talking long enough for you to say, 'Great talking with you, I gotta run,' then you put a hand on their arm and SAY IT ANYWAY. I know you say they're 'nice,' but those who take up others' time with excessive talking are not being nice. They may think they're nice, but TIME is your most valuable asset! Also, don't spend a lot of time worrying about appearing rude. (since they obviously aren't worried about that!) They are just looking for an audience, ANY audience. People like this don't take hints, and often don't take direct feedback well. They just keep doing it because it's compulsive."3. Slap your knee and go"At conferences and such I say something like 'lovely chatting, you’ve got my phone number let’s stay in touch, I’m going to circulate as there a few more people here I have to talk to before the event is over.' As I’m British, I can also just slap my knees and say 'right' and other people get the message."Further explanation..."While sitting down, literally slap your own knees (well, a little above the knees, really) so it makes a bit of a sound. When English or Australians do this, they say, "Right!" and then stand up, and everyone knows it's time to go." - YouTube youtu.be 4. Walk 'em back"I used to have an employee who would constantly stop working,(shipping department) wandering away to chat and gossip with everyone. Of course, it was a distraction for everyone. She would show up at my office and walk in already talking. So the minute she showed up I would stand and continue the discussion while walking her straight back to her work station. I would then remind her I have work to do and exit the conversation. I would do this multiple times a day."5. Understand they are being rude"The first thing to realize is that the 'monopolizing' offender is being inconsiderate (not caring about you, not thinking about you, not considering your interest level or needs) in the first place. They may be socially oblivious or more likely just so self-centered that they don't think about other people until they are forced to. That means you are perfectly justified if you have to use actions that might normally appear abrupt to protect yourself from them."6. The 'anyway' get awayA good 'anyway' is a goofy way to break things up and move on. If they don't stop talking, you sometimes need to cut them off and move on. It may be rude, but who's wasting whose time in the situation?""Anyway... and get ur ass away from them."7. Close the door"I slowly closed the door while they kept talking. It felt like comedy lol. For me, it seemed rude, but I’m not sure that they registered what happened?""Don’t open the door. They are still talking."8. Slow escalation"These people are used to being told off. You start politely and keep escalating your 'Stop Talking' requests until they do. Each and every time. They’ll get it."9. How to end a chatty meeting"So one day we had this meeting with another company and that started happening, and the owner of the other company said 'good meeting!' And wow, the meeting was just over. And I realized even if I wasn’t the leader, I could do the same thing. Basically, anytime I’m in a meeting and it starts running down, I just say 'good meeting!' And the meeting is always over."10. Try the blunt approach"You don’t need to worry too much about being rude to them because they don’t get social cues anyway. Just say, 'No time for stories today. I need some downtime by myself.' And walk away even if they’re still talking.""Exactly. Placating them by dodging the issue just kicks the discomfort down the road. Sure, it's blunt, but there's nothing wrong with coming right out and honestly saying 'Hey, sorry, I just want to have some quiet time.'"11. Delay the conversation"I had a similar coworker and honestly felt bad because I knew they were just lonely, but I also really need my lunch break to mentally reset. I just asked 'Can we catch up after work?' Then I’d sit down, pop my headphones in, or start eating. It felt weird at first, but they actually respected it once they realized it wasn’t personal, just me needing some space."12. Play the opposite card"'Hey, seems like you decompress by talking, but I decompress by having quiet time to myself. I don't think we're compatible to share break time.'"13. Don't ask questions"It is frustrating because you really can’t ask questions to this type of person. Even if you want to know something, the knowledge that their response will include a hundred more details than you needed makes me keep my mouth shut. Where is the self-awareness? Are they so eager to engage with others because they don’t understand why people tend to distance themselves from them, or because they overwhelm those who are too polite and don't know how to escape until it’s too late?"14. The Uno reverse card"In Ireland, we say 'well I’ll let you go, sure.'"15. Set the conversation timer"Before they start talking or right after, you can say you have only one minute. Around when you think it's been a minute, politely say you have to go or just walk away."16. Compliment them, set rules"I've dealt with this by approaching the person when they're not mid monologue, and going: 'Hey there. I really appreciate how friendly and outgoing you are, you're super genuine to talk to (clarifies it's a problem with the convos themselves, not a personal attack). I have some social anxiety, and I've noticed I have a hard time cutting into the convo around extroverts (neutral framing of core issue). I think we could figure out how to end our chats so that you don't feel like I cut you off, and I don't feel more anxious when I have to go ('we' puts y'all both on the same side to problem solve, not competing).'"17. Act supremely disinterested"If you're in a situation where you do not want to leave the space (ie, in the break room during a break) and they do this, that can be more difficult. In practice, for a coworker that you have to see every day and don't want to burn bridges with, your options outside of avoiding the space may be limited. you can try subtle techniques - ie, don't make eye contact or look up when they start talking at you, say hi softly/tiredly, keep saying, 'what?' repeatedly as tho you're distracted and not paying attention to what they're saying, check your phone a lot - but, some people are so oblivious/feel so entitled to your attention that it may not work."

A committee of support. The post The artists who pulled Patti Smith out of retirement: “I hadn’t performed for over 16 years” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Grocery giant Aldi has dropped some tasty treats over the years, but many shoppers say this limited-time frozen dessert is one of its best offerings ever.

Memphis May Fire will embark on a headline tour this fall on the “Memphis May Fire: The Shapeshifter Tour Leg 2.” “The first leg of the ‘Shapeshifter’ tour was absolutely unforgettable, and we knew we had to keep it going,” shared vocalist Matty Mullins. “We’re beyond excited to announce Leg 2, hitting more cities.” Memphis May Fire  released its latest album, “Shapeshifter,” last March. Memphis May Fire Tour Dates: Ticket Information Nov. 17 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music HallNov. 18 – Chattanooga, TN – The SignalNov. 20 – Greensboro, NC – Piedmont HallNov. 21 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House Of BluesNov. 22 – Richmond, VA – The NationalNov. 23 – Washington DC – The HowardNov. 25 – Hartford, CT – The WebsterNov. 26 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland BallroomNov. 28 – Buffalo, NY – Electric CityNov. 29 – Detroit, MI – MajesticNov. 30 – Chicago, IL – House Of BluesDec. 01 – Madison, WI – SylveeDec. 03 – Boulder, CO – Boulder TheaterDec. 05 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music HallDec. 06 – Missoula, MT – WilmaDec. 07 – Spokane, WA – Knitting FactoryDec. 09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont TheaterDec. 10 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal AuditoriumDec. 11 – Las Vegas, NV – The PortalDec. 12 – Tucson, AZ – EncoreDec. 14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower TheatreDec. 15 – Kansas City, MO – The TrumanDec. 16 – Fayetteville, AR – Ozark Music Hall Memphis May Fire Tour Poster Memphis May Fire: Matty Mullins – Vocals Kellen McGregor – Guitar Cory Elder – Bass  Jake Garland -Drums ### The post Memphis May Fire Tour appeared first on RockinTown.