Europe is on the verge of a complete redesign.
Not since WWI have we seen the possibility for so many new countries or border changes.
On Sunday, the Spanish region of Catalonia will head to the polls to decide whether or not to break away from Spain. At this very moment, thousands of people are rallying in the streets, but let’s just say the Spanish government isn’t taking this divorce lightly. 4,000 Spanish police have been deployed to the region, polling stations are being forcefully shut down and Catalan politicians are being arrested. The streets are set to erupt.
Catalonia is just another ripple in a coming tidal wave of problems for the European Union.
A number of nations looking to split from the EU, or regions looking to gain independence is staggering. Spain, France, the UK and Italy all have strong independence movements within their countries.
The dominoes are beginning to fall, but what does it all mean? The world is still struggling to recover from the 2008 economic crisis. Europe has been one of the hardest hit. Four of the Five top GDPs in Europe all either have strong regional separatist movements or are looking to leave the EU.
Think about what that will do to the global economy. Spain is the number 14 economy in the world. If Catalonia separates on Sunday, Spain will lose 20 percent of their GDP. France, the UK and Italy are all in the top ten of the world’s GDP. What happens if all this progresses around the same time?
Change is taking place on a massive scale all over the world, and we’re seeing the first steps in a global redesign.
Reality Winner is back in the news.
Workplace stress can drive you to do things you aren’t proud of.
Hiding out in the bathroom.
Wearing headphones that aren’t even attached to anything in order to avoid talking to coworkers.
And leaking classified documents to the media from the NSA.
At least that's what we heard from a 25-year-old woman named Reality Winner (yes that is her actual name).
You may remember that back in June, Reality was arrested on suspicion of leaking an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections to the website “The Intercept.” The report suggested that Russian hackers attacked a U.S. voting software supplier.
Reality is back in the news because a transcript of an interview between her and the authorities was just released in a bid to convince a federal judge that she should not be released from jail pending trial.
That transcript reveals why she leaked the classified document and how.
Reality explained, "I saw the article and was like, I don’t understand why this isn’t a thing,” she said. “It made me very mad . . . I guess it's just been hard at work because . . . I've filed formal complaint about them having Fox News on, you know? Uh, at least, for God's sake, put Al Jazeera on, or a slideshow with people's pets. I've tried anything to get that changed."
So let me get this straight.
Fox News was stressing Reality out so she consciously broke the law and leaked classified documents. Makes perfect sense.
(And just a side note, Al Jazeera America ceased operations before her complaints, so that request could have never have been fulfilled. Although, the pet slideshow could have been honored, I guess.)
But instead of just doing her job, Reality decided to leak the classified information. How? The transcript reveals that she transported the document via her underwear, Sandy Berger style.
Reality said she, "Folded it in half in my pantyhose.”
In addition to her pantyhose confession she also admitted: “Yeah, I screwed up royally."
Smuggling documents in your underwear is apparently an epidemic on the left.
Look, we all get stressed at the little things at our jobs. Breaking the law and potentially putting the country at risk in order to send a political message might not be the best way to address that stress. Next time, hide in the bathroom with your headphones on like everyone else.
Introducing, "Wellness To Go!"
Do you remember when you could get a Coke or a pack of M&M’s from a vending machine?
We already got rid of those evil sugary snacks in schools and state colleges during the Obama years. You remember, Michelle Obama was worried about American kids being too fat. She helped push through a law to replace the Twix with carrot sticks and stuff like that.
Now some state colleges are moving on from obesity to attack new problems like embarrassment and shame. Specifically, the embarrassment college women might feel when they must go to a pharmacy and ask for an expensive morning-after pill, because, you know, they had unprotected sex with someone the night before.
To have to face the judgmental glare of a pharmacist or another customer in line. Unthinkable. I mean, there is no safe space for the consequences of promiscuous sex. It’s an outrage. What’s a caring university to do?
Invent a discreet, convenient, safe space where coeds can skip past all that awkward, judge-y human interaction and access the pregnancy-blocking drugs they so desperately need.
How about a vending machine? We’ll call it “Wellness To Go!” It will sell condoms and morning-after pills. And Advil of course, for the hangovers.
These “Wellness to Go!” vending machines are real. Stanford is the latest of a handful of colleges leading the charge on this effort. A female student at UC Davis said, “A lot of students like the judgment-free space and don’t have to feel the pressure of interacting with people.”
We are trying to accomplish something truly remarkable in human history. We are attempting to eliminate all guilt, uncomfortable feelings, consequence or responsibility for our actions. Trying to make life one never-ending pleasure cruise. Not only is that impossible, it’s dangerous, and it’s literally killing our society.
