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Monday, December 7, 2015

Microsoft sets stage for massive Windows 10 upgrade strategy

Microsoft has been preparing Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs for a more aggressive Windows 10 upgrade strategy that the company will kick off shortly, according to the developer of a tool that blocks such upgrades.

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"Over Thanksgiving weekend I started getting reports that the Windows Update 'AllowOSUpgrade' setting was getting flipped back on on a number of peoples' PCs, and it keeps re-setting itself at least once a day if they switch it back off," said Josh Mayfield, the software engineer who created GWX Control Panel. The tool was originally designed to make the "Get Windows 10" (hence GWX) applet go away after Microsoft installed it on consumer and small business Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs starting in March, then activated in June.
"This is new behavior, and it does leave your PC vulnerable to unwanted Windows 10 upgrade behavior," he said.
Mayfield has been tracking Microsoft's various moves since last summer to keep his GWX Control Panel up to date with new features required to block the upgrade from appearing on PCs, and from automatically beginning the install process.
The latest update to GWX Control Panel, which shifted the version number to 1.6, added background monitoring so that users did not have to repeatedly relaunch the app to detect changes in Microsoft's upgrade strategy. Mayfield released GWX Control Panel 1.6 -- which is a free download -- on Nov. 24.
Concurrent with the release of GWX Control Panel 1.6, Mayfield began hearing from users that their PCs were being switched from a "do-not-upgrade-to-Windows-10" status to a "do-upgrade" state, often multiple times daily.
In an interview Friday, Mayfield said that the Windows 10 upgrade setting switcheroo on Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs was apparently due to continued updates that Microsoft has shoved onto the older devices. The Redmond, Wash. company has repeatedly re-served its original GWX app to PCs, often with undocumented changes, even if the machine already had the app, or even if the user had managed to uninstall it previously.
"Microsoft has released this update several times," said Mayfield. "It doesn't change the name of the update, but every version is new, with new binary files."
Also in play, said Mayfield, were updates to the Windows Update client on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs that Microsoft has also pushed to customers: Windows Update was refreshed last week for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
Documentation for the Dec. 1 updates to Windows Update did not spell out all the changes, but did state, "This update enables support for additional upgrade scenarios from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and provides a smoother experience when you have to retry an operating system upgrade because of certain failure conditions. This update also improves the ability of Microsoft to monitor the quality of the upgrade experience."

There's more to those updates than that, Mayfield argued. "They're telling [the PC's] Windows Update client that this computer can be upgraded to Windows 10," Mayfield said. "[The Windows Update client] is constantly checking settings several times an hour. It's fully aware of the Windows 10 upgrade."
The Get GWX updates and the more recent refreshes to Windows Update on Windows 7 and 8.1 are running in tandem, Mayfield said. "They're working together," he argued. "They're laying the groundwork for something."
That "something" is likely the next step in an unprecedented scheme by Microsoft to boost adoption of Windows 10.
In late October, Terry Myerson, the Microsoft executive who runs the Windows and devices teams -- dubbed the "More Personal Computing" group -- outlined how Microsoft would try to convince users of Windows 7 and 8.1 to upgrade to Windows 10. Rather than wait for customers running the older editions to request a copy of the new OS -- the original idea from the summer -- Microsoft will instead begin to automatically send the upgrade to PCs via Windows Update, the default security maintenance service.
The new push will be a two-step process, with the first kicking in this year, the second in early 2016. First, Microsoft will add the Windows 10 upgrade to the Windows Update list on Windows 7 and 8.1 systems as an "optional" item. That list can be examined by users, letting them choose -- or not -- each optional update.
Sometime next year, Microsoft will shift the Windows 10 upgrade from optional to the "recommended" list. Updates on that list are automatically downloaded and installed on most PCs.

While the Windows 10 upgrade delivered as a recommended update will automatically begin the installation process, the user will be able to refuse the OS change early in the process. "Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue," Myerson promised in October.
Microsoft is counting on a large portion of users to allow that upgrade to proceed.
Many Windows users, however, are not yet ready to upgrade to Windows 10, and are tired of being bombarded with the nagging messages to change operating systems. That includes Mayfield, who wants to remain on Windows 7, a desire that prompted him to create GWX Control Panel.
Because he's been closely monitoring how Microsoft force-feeds the upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 devices -- necessary to keep his app in step with Microsoft's changes -- he's become an expert on what the company has been doing, often surreptitiously, to prepare PCs for Windows 10 and execute its "get-Windows-10" game plan.
By monitoring his own test PCs -- eight all told -- and from the reports he's received from GWX Control Panel users, Mayfield has concluded that Microsoft is manipulating Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs with behind-the-scenes changes, part of its effort to ensure Windows 10 ends up on as many devices as possible.
Microsoft's original GWX app, for example, does more than just display an icon in the Windows 7/8.1 taskbar and let customers "reserve" a copy of the Windows 10 upgrade. "It's pushed down three different processes that each had different jobs and were unrelated to the icon," said Mayfield Friday. Currently, his GWX Control Panel monitors 10 different Windows settings that may leave a Windows 7/8.1 PC "potentially vulnerable to unexpected Windows 10 upgrade behavior," Mayfield wrote in a Nov. 26 guide to his app.
Microsoft keeps changing those settings, sometimes adding new ones, without the user knowing, Mayfield said. For example, users have reported that their prior GWX Control Panel settings have been overridden by recent updates from Microsoft. In some cases, even Mayfield has been unable to figure out which components of Windows 7/8.1 were responsible.
It's unknown whether Microsoft has, in fact, begun placing the Windows 10 upgrade on older OS-powered devices as an optional item in Windows Update. Microsoft has declined to provide more information than what Myerson gave out on Oct. 29 about the timetable for the upgrade hitting Windows Update. "We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an 'Optional Update' in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers," Myerson said five weeks ago [emphasis added]. "Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a 'Recommended Update.'"
The lack of reports online, including on Microsoft's own Windows 10 support forums, argues that the company has not yet started adding the upgrade to Windows Update on Windows 7/8.1 PCs.
The first move may happen as soon as Tuesday, Dec. 8, which is the month's already-scheduled "Patch Tuesday," the day Microsoft historically serves up security updates. Microsoft often uses Patch Tuesday to deliver other, non-security updates.
In Mayfield's eyes, the background machinations conducted by Microsoft's GWX app and the recent changes to the Windows Update client on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 systems are clues that the company is preparing for the upgrade reaching the optional list.
The GWX Control Panel app can be downloaded from Mayfield's website. While the app is free, Mayfield does accept donations from appreciative users via PayPal. But he's not getting rich from those donations. "I get a donation from about one in every thousand downloads," he said Friday.
When users allow GXW Control Panel to run in the background, what Mayfield called "Monitor Mode" -- and which debuted in version 1.6 -- the app detects any behind-the-scenes changes Microsoft makes to Windows 7 or 8.1 to grease the wheels for the Windows 10 upgrade. Users can then use GWX to restore the PC's settings to a "do-not-upgrade" state.

GWX control panel with alert — GWX Control Panel detects any changes to a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC that Microsoft has made to enable an upgrade to Windows 10. Version 1.6 now watches in the background for those changes.

Make Your iPhone Run Faster With This Simple Trick

An Apple fan has spotted an ingenious way to speed up any iPhone with one simple trick.

The neat workaround uses just one button press to increase the running speed of the phone, without the the need to reset it.

All iPhone users need to do is make sure their iPhone is unlocked and hold down the power button until ‘Slide To Power Off’ appears on the screen. Then they simply carry on holding the power button down for around five seconds until the apps screen comes back.

The trick speeds up the phone by clearing out the RAM memory shutting down any processes that may be slowing down the handset.

iPhone enthusiast Marc Forrest explained in a blog post: “A few people have asked about the benefit, and from my understanding it clears the unused RAM on the phone.

“I have done a number of tests to see if it works and I can promise it helps speed the phone up, a LOT!”.

Adele Dropped '23' -- And You Didn't Even Know It!

While fans continue to buy up every copy of 25, her first album in four years since the release of 21, they may be surprised to learn that Adele had already kinda, sorta dropped 23.

During her concert special at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, which will air on Monday, Dec. 14 on NBC, the singer revealed that "Skyfall" actually filled the void between albums.

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"I was 23 at the time," Adele says, adding that since Skyfall was the 23rd James Bond film, it made sense for her to write and record the titular theme song that earned her an Oscar for Best Original Song.

The now 27-year-old also reveals she was pregnant with her son, Angelo, when she recorded the track -- changing the register in her voice. "My voice was really low," she says, admitting it's hard for her to perform the song live. Her son was later born on Oct. 19, 2012, just two weeks after the song was officially released.

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In fact, the special was only the third time she ever sang "Skyfall" live following a performance at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013 ("That was a laugh," she jokes about the ceremony) and another during a BBC concert special that aired this past November.

The NBC special also features performances of several new songs, including the mega-hit, "Hello," and her latest single, "When We Were Young," which she says is her favorite that she's ever written.

Adele: Live in New York City airs Monday, Dec. 14 at 10 p.m. on NBC.

The 7 Best And Worst Baked Goods You Can Get At Any Coffee Shop

Most baked goods (even the healthy looking ones made with nuts and seeds) are packed with refined flour and sugar—and completely devoid of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. And the baked goods you get from coffee shops or restaurants are often far worse than homemade efforts, partly because they come in enormous portion sizes, but also because they’re often loaded with additives to improve texture, color, and shelf life.

We get it, though: Sometimes, nothing will suffice but a warm baked good straight out of the glass case. But you can still save hundreds of calories and dozens of grams of sugar by choosing one kind of goodie over another. Here are 7 treats to avoid and the slightly better swaps to make in their place.

By Caroline Praderio

Telenovela Review: Eva Longoria's Soap Spoof Is Dumb-Dumb-Dunnnn

TVLine’s 10 Best Comedy Series of 2015

Don’t get me wrong: The Desperate Housewives vet (who also executive-produces her new series) still possesses the ability to score huge laughs. Unfortunately, those rare moments in Telenovela mostly happen when Longoria has no dialogue, and is instead silently staring down her ex-fiancé or hilariously suppressing her gag reflex as a couple of old-friends-turned-sex-partners share the details of their recent tryst. (The latter, a running gag in Episode 2, serves as a cruel reminder of Longoria’s strength at broad comedy — especially since those muscles rarely get a workout from Telenovela‘s achingly banal scripts.)

The setup is a familiar, albeit not unappealing one: Longoria’s Ana Sofia, the titular star of the long-running Las Leyes de Pasion, is thrown a curveball when the network’s new boss (Chuck‘s Zachary Levi, utilized about as well as a filet mignon at a convention of vegans) casts her ex-husband as her male lead — without so much as a word of warning. Despite support from her costume-designer BFF Mimi (Diana Maria Riva) and insecure gay castmate Gael (Jose Moreno Brooks), Ana Sofia starts spiraling, flashing back to a breakup that left her in a bathtub filled with tissues, listening to “All By Myself,” then eventually throwing a trashcan-overturning tantrum in front of a wall of autograph-seeking fans.

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Trouble is, there’s not a single surprising twist on any of the threadbare inside-showbiz tropes, and even worse, every single zinger feels like it’s from a hastily assembled first draft. “I thought marriage was between a man and a woman,” Ana Sophia says of her failed union, “not between a man, a woman and Shakira.” Longoria and her castmates gamely try to breathe some life into the material, but you can’t inflate a balloon that’s peppered with holes.

Episode 2 of Telenovela introduces the evil twin of Ana Sophia’s co-star Isabella — a woman who returns after years of self-imposed exile with revenge fantasies on the brain. In my mind, I’m hoping that somewhere out in the world, Telenovela has a heretofore unseen twin, too, and that perhaps it’ll emerge from the shadows this time next year, giving Longoria a showcase worthy of her talents.

The TVLine Bottom Line: Telenovela is a holiday-season preview that’s better left unwrapped.

Turkey Sends Troops And Armor Into Iraq Without Approval In Mysterious Move

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Late last week, hundreds of Turkish troops and about 20 tanks made their way across the Iraqi border, and south to the town of Bashiqa, located just a dozen or so miles northeast of ISIS-held Mosul. The Iraqi government was caught seemingly totally off guard by this move. As a result the Iraqis have demanded Turkey pull their forces out within 48 hours or they will take their case to the United Nations.

Khaled al-Obeidi, Iraq’s defense minister, made it very clear that Turkey’s sudden escalation into the ground conflict in Iraq was not invited, planned, nor even announced. He’s quoted in RT.com thusly:

“No matter the size of the force entering Iraq, it is rejected. It was possible to undertake this sort of prior coordination without creating circumstances which contributed to a crisis between the two countries.”

Turkey claims the base near Bashiqa was set up at the request of Mosul’s governor and in coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. They also say it has been operational for years. Some sources state that a small group of Turkish military instructors at the site have been training a group of “Hashid Watani,” also known as the National Mobilization Force, which is made up Sunni ex-police and soldiers. Other sources state that the site is being used to train Kurdish fighters.

Turkey has ongoing relations with Iraqi Kurds and their “Peshmerga” militia, which are based primarily out of nearby Erbil, in northern Iraq. Kurdish PKK in Syria and parts of northwestern Iraq are viewed as terrorists by Turkey and are bitter enemies of the Turkish state. This is the same Kurdish faction that Turkey has been actively bombing in Syria and Iraq after entering the air war against ISIS.
Reuters quoted one Turkish official as saying “our soldiers are already in Iraq. A battalion of soldiers has gone there. Training was already being given in that region for the last two to three years. This (the deployment) is a part of that training.”
Regardless of who is being trained at the complex, the area has been in flux over the last year and a half, with ISIS holding many nearby towns at one time or another. How exactly this fits into Turkey’s claim that the base has been operational for so long is unclear. Even if the base has been in Turkish hands for even just a matter of months, not years, the recent arrival of heavy armor and a massive increase in troop strength at the site is puzzling; for the Iraqis, it is very alarming.

Turkey has responded to Iraq’s claims that their movement of troops by saying they would not send in any more forces. Yes, you read that right: they did not say they would withdraw the forces they just sent into the country, just that they would not augment this already beefed-up garrison at Bashiqa any further.
This obviously isn’t going to go over great with the Iraqi government, nor with the ever more powerful Iranian-backed Shiite militia cohorts also operating in the area (watch this 60 Minutes segment for a quick overview on the Shiite militia situation in Iraq by clicking here). The U.S. supposedly knew of the training operation and of Turkey’s move to build-up its end-strength drastically at the site, although Washington says it had nothing to do with it directly.
Turkey may have decided to add the couple hundred troops and 20 or so tanks to its Iraqi training operation out of concerns that the looming “Mosul offensive,” the long-awaited operation by Iraqi allied forces to take the city back from ISIS once and for all, may push enemy fighters their way. Under such circumstances a heavy force protection posture may be a necessity. (Although one would think ISIS fighters would attempt to run west, toward Syria, not east, deeper into Kurdish dominated territory.)
Like some of Turkey’s other military moves as of late, namely shooting down a Russian attack jet for straying into Turkish airspace for mere seconds, this latest action, at least at face vale makes little sense and leaves many questions unanswered.
Why would Turkey want to get involved at this level with the nasty ground conflict in Iraq, especially without coordination with the Iraqi government? Why is the Turkish training base so close to a massive ISIS stronghold? What does the Kurdish government in Erbil say about all this? Additionally, would it not have been far easier and less politically sensitive to move the relatively small training operation instead of putting so many forces at risk and causing an international incident in the process?
Above all else, Turkey’s little excursion into Iraq is just another reminder of how the whole geopolitical and military situation in the region has become something of a free-for-all. Without a plausible and comprehensive strategy, with clear and incremental goals, put in place by the U.S. to take the fight to ISIS, the situation will only get worse, not better.
As the fight against ISIS in Iraq becomes more complex and the various players become more deeply entrenched and invested in it, it will become harder and harder to have peace should it actually end. In other words, if things don’t change soon, even if ISIS is purged from Iraq, a bloody civil war would likely follow.

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As for President Obama’s Oval Office speech last night (from a lectern in and empty room, in front of an oddly empty Resolute Desk, how strange was that?), we have absolutely nothing new to talk about.
Obama’s “strategy” for defeating ISIS is really just a very expensive shot clock that will turn blood red and buzz loudly in 410 days. The worst part is that for every day that goes by where a clear and plausible strategy is not established, it will be much tougher for the next Commander-in-Chief to do so.

Paedophile Ian Watkins Credited For Taylor Swift Songs

aylor Swift famously removed her music from streaming site Spotify after kicking up a fuss about it preventing fans from purchasing her albums.

Now it looks as though somebody has managed to find a loophole in Spotify’s system - uploading Taylor’s music and giving the copyright to another artist.

Although in a rather sinister turn of events, the artist that they have chosen to credit is convicted paedophile Ian Watkins, who was the frontman of British rock band, Lost Prophets.
Watkins was imprisoned after he was found guilty of twelve sex offences and the attempted rape of a baby, with the rest of Lost Prophets immediately disbanding after they found out what he had done.

Now Taylor’s hit single ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ has been linked back to the criminal, and a spokesperson for Spotify admitted that they would be investigating the case very seriously.
Speaking to The Metro, they explained: “The track in question was delivered to us by a provider, whose responsibility it is to ensure that content delivered to Spotify is fully licensed and in compliance with our Infringement Policy.
“We take the integrity of our catalogue very seriously, and will immediately remove any content that is found to be incorrectly licensed or attributed to the incorrect artist or composer.

“The track was taken down as soon as it was discovered (3 days after it was delivered), and we will be taking the matter further with the provider who delivered this track.”
YouTube user Jared Brown has also uploaded the single to his YouTube account, again crediting the artist as Lost Prophets alongside the tagline: “The last song they ever recorded”.
Taylor Swift has not commented.

6 Healthy Carbs That Will Help You Lose Weight Easily

In this age of healthy living, one does a zillion things to stay in shape. Also, it is not just about being in shape, but living a healthy life too. Most people, who are very conscious about what they eat, know for a fact that carbohydrates (carbs) are both a boon and a bane. While you cannot live without the energy that carbs supply to your body, excess of carbs is always a bad idea. Thus, people have started looking for alternatives for high-calorie (READ: 5 Healthy Food Options), carbs-rich foods. So, if you are looking for healthier food options, here are some carbs that are good for your health.

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#1. Whole Wheat Bread

White bread is extremely delicious. But, it is only refined flour and definitely high on calories if you compare it with whole wheat bread. Make your first lifestyle change by shifting to whole wheat and multigrain bread. Sticking to these breads will also ensure that you stay on the path of weight loss you have always been yearning for.

#2. Fruits

Yes, you read that right! Fruits contain carbohydrates too. But, fruits are on the lower side of fat and contain more of insoluble fibre, so they are healthy substitutes to all the unhealthy things that you gorge on. Some low-calorific, low-carb fruits are citrus ones like apples and oranges. Dates, apricots, blueberries, kiwis are also good. Being high in water content and dietary fibre, fruits also help to kill your desire to binge unnecessarily.

Also read: 7 Powerful Fruits To Lose Weight And Burn Belly Fat Instantly

#3. Vegetables

Just as fruits contain good carbs, vegetables too are loaded with good carbs. On the lesser side of fat, vegetables should be your prime source of energy and nutrients. Have four small meals that involve a lot of cooked and uncooked vegetables for a healthy diet. Veggies like cucumber, beans, leafy vegetables are very healthy.

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#4. Oats

Oats are a healthy substitute for a carbohydrate-full meal, especially breakfast. You could either mix them with fruits and milk, or prepare them as a savoury mini-meal. Have it as you like! Some people also like to mix oats with other ingredients so as to make it a tasty meal. For example, mixing oats with poha adds a little crunch to the meal and also makes it healthier to eat. Oats also help to keep your untimely hunger pangs at bay by making you feel fuller for a longer time.

Do you know oats are a very healthy breakfast option? See the recipe HERE.

#5. Brown Rice

Brown rice is readily available and contains good carbohydrates. You can use them to prepare your regular rice dishes. They have a little different texture, but taste almost the same as white rice. Mix your brown rice with boiled vegetables and a mixture of sauces that you like, to make a healthy yet mouth-watering meal. Brown rice is also good for diabetic patients as it helps to keep your blood sugar in check. (READ: 9 Natural Sugar Substitutes)

#6. Whole Wheat Pasta

Who doesn’t love to indulge in pasta every now and then? Here is an option that will make for guilt-free and healthy indulgence. The best thing is that whole pasta retains all the essential nutrients, fibre, and taste too!

But remember, excess of anything is harmful! Keri Gans, nutritionist and author of The Small Change Diet, says that nutrient-rich carbs are part of a balanced meal, not the entire meal. So, instead of completely shutting the carbs out of your diet, use these healthier options.

8 Tips to Feeling Happily Single at All Ages

Whether you’ve just gone through a break up and are newly single, or are just feeling frustrated by the fact that you’re STILL single, flying solo doesn’t have to equal unhappiness.

Check out these tips to shift this chapter of single-hood into being one of the happiest times of your life:

1. Be OK with where you’re at right now

Many single people spend a lot of their time looking for a partner. While there’s nothing wrong with getting back out there and dating, being able to enjoy where you are at right now in your life can also go a long way toward your happiness. Take advantage of this time; you never know how long it will last.

One of the simplest ways to stay present, boost your happiness, and appreciate your life right now is to cultivate a practice of gratitude. On a daily basis, write down the people and things you’re thankful for that day.

Don’t just stop there — immerse yourself in all the fantastic details of the people and things you are thankful for. What is it specifically that makes you appreciate that person or thing? Go deep with this, and have fun with it!

2. Get to know yourself on a deep level

Many people have a tendency to lose themselves in relationships. They start doing everything their partner does, or they change themselves in order for their partner to like them. Now is your chance to truly get to know yourself — the real you.

Explore your mind. Go to therapy, meditate, unearth the negative thoughts you have about yourself and create new ones. Follow your curiosities — take a dance class, go to that writing workshop, read about astronomy, join that choir, go back to school or start that business you’ve been dreaming of the past five years.

Lose yourself in your passions and find your FLOW. Let your creative self explore, expand, and flourish. Volunteer and help others. Find what makes you angry or sad and go do something about it.

3. Fall in love with yourself FIRST

Our relationship with ourselves is the most important relationship we’ll ever have, so why not make it the best one you’ve got? Treat yourself as you would treat your partner, or how you would want your partner to treat you. You have a lot of love to give, and it’s time to turn that love inward.

Cultivate more self-compassion. This is a beautiful practice that can help you no matter where you’re at with your self-love. My own practice of self-compassion has completely changed the way I view myself and others. I have less shame, more self-acceptance, and a ton more compassion for others in my life.

Cultivate more body love/acceptance. Spend time with your body and find ways to appreciate it. Create rituals for yourself around taking care of your body, whether that is through eating foods that make you feel nourished, moving your body in ways that make you feel vibrant, or nurturing your body with bodywork.

One of my favorite things to do to appreciate my body is spending several minutes putting on my favorite body lotion, taking time with each part of my body and expressing what I love about each area. It feels really sweet and loving to do for myself.

You can also get in touch with your sensual side by turning yourself on. Buy yourself lingerie, explore your body in sensual ways and find new ways to pleasure yourself.

4. Do WHATEVER you want (and no one can tell you not to!)

You know that thing you like to do that your ex was always annoyed by? Or those things your partnered friends complain about not being able to do anymore now that they are in a relationship? Well you, my dear, get to do whatever you want with no one else getting on your case about it!

So go have that ice cream for dinner, leave your clothes on the bathroom floor, or watch that trashy TV show that you shamelessly love.

Sing songs to your cat or dog in that silly voice, and let them sleep in bed with you. Dance around to whatever cheesy music you want, or watch your favorite movie again and again.

Let your freak flag fly and enjoy being able to just be YOU.

5. Get in touch with your wide range of emotions

Let yourself feel ALL the feels. A big part of being in a relationship is dealing with each other’s emotions and moods. This is a beautiful growth opportunity, but it can also be a pain in the ass. When you’re single, you get to feel however you want to feel and no one will be “burdened” by it.

Donald Trump: Who are these Muslim sports heroes that Obama is talking about?

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump seemed puzzled on Sunday night after President Barack Obama referenced “our sports heroes” when talking about Muslim-Americans during his Oval Office address.
“Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who?” Trump tweeted after Obama’s speech.
The Republican presidential front-runner then asked, “Is Obama profiling?”

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Donald Trump, left, accepts his Muhammad Ali award from Ali at Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night.
There are a number of sports legends who have identified as Muslim, including basketball greats Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Trump has feuded with Abdul-Jabbar on the campaign trail.
Additionally, Trump has both accepted from and given awards to boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Trump has shared multiple inspirational quotes from Ali on his Twitter feed and called Ali his “friend” earlier this year. Trump has also touted the campaign endorsement from another famous Muslim boxer, Mike Tyson.
Obama referenced Muslim sports heroes while urging respect for America’s Muslim community amid threats from radical groups like the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
“Muslim-Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our coworkers, our sports heroes — and, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country,” Obama said, according to the White House transcript. “We have to remember that.”

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Girl Voted ‘Ugliest’ at School Strikes Back at Bullies

A teenager who was voted one of the “ugliest girls” at her high school has responded online with a powerful message that is going viral.

Lynelle Cantwell is in 12th grade at Holy Trinity High School in Newfoundland, Canada. Last week she learned of an online poll that was encouraging her fellow students to vote for the “ugliest girls” in the grade. The poll included a list of female students, including Lynelle. After more than 100 anonymous votes, Lynelle landed fourth on the list.

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But while plenty of victims of this kind of cyberbullying would be understandably devastated, perhaps trying to keep a low profile in the wake of such cruelty, Lynelle decided to take a stand. In a Facebook post that has gotten more than 6,200 shares since it was posted on Dec. 1, the 17-year-old wrote, “To the person that made the ‘ugliest girls in grade 12 at HTH’ ask.FM straw poll, I’m sorry that your life is so miserable that you have to try to bring others down. To the 12 people that voted for me to bring me to 4th place, I’m sorry for you too. I’m sorry that you don’t get to know me as a person. I know that I’m not the prettiest thing to look at. I know I have a double chin and I fit in XL clothes. I know I don’t have the perfect smile or the perfect face. But I’m sorry for you. Not myself. I’m sorry that you get amusement out of making people feel like s***. I’m sorry that you’ll never get the chance to know the kind of person I am. I may not look okay on the outside, but I’m funny, nice, kind, down-to-earth, not judgmental, accepting, helpful, and I’m super easy to talk to. That’s the same for every other girl on that list that you all put down. Just because we don’t look perfect on the outside does not mean we are ugly. If that’s your idea of ugly then I feel sorry for you. Like seriously? Get a life.”

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Lynelle admits that while she was hurt by the poll at first, she was mostly angry about it. “It outraged me … all of these girls are hurt because of this one person who has no heart or sympathy for anything,” she told CBC News of the person who started the poll. “I wanted to be the bigger person, and instead of fighting fire with fire, I decided to fight it a different way and make something that was really negative into something really positive.”
Her plan worked, and Facebook commenters have been applauding Lynelle for her bravery at standing up to bullies. Wrote one Facebook user: “Good for you Lynelle for taking a stand against not just bullying but cyberbullying. They have no idea how beautiful you are not just on the outside but inside as well. They also have no idea the wonderful friendship they will miss out on and the most fun-loving and most honest-to-goodness person they just lost. You have a beautiful smile and you are a beautiful person. Stay true to who you are and let no one bring you down. So wish I could have ¼ of your strength and wisdom.” Another added, “I admire your bravery Lynelle! You responded in a mature and positive way. Don’t let these lowlifes bother you. Bullies are the ugliest people.”
Even other girls included on the list thanked Lynelle for standing up for them. “Lynelle what you’ve done with this situation shows true courage. Thank you so much for supporting myself and all the girls on the list,” wrote one of Lynelle’s fellow students.
Lynelle says she’s been surprised by the reaction to her post, but that she’s feeling more confident than ever. “After I saw all of the support I got after I posted that message on Facebook, my confidence was boosted more than before,” she told Today. “I’m overwhelmed with the response. I don’t even have words for it. I’m trying to show people to combat negativity with positivity, and I hope people are getting the message.”
Andrew Hickey, principal of Lynelle’s high school, told Today that the poll was not typical of the Holy Trinity High School student body. “As a school staff, we have addressed this matter with the student population and provided information to parents and guardians,” he said. “District personnel, such as the Senior Education Officer for the school and the Safe and Caring Schools Itinerant, are also providing support to our school and have been meeting with students at the school class-by-class and discussing this topic.”

But Lynelle says that this behavior is more common than it should be. “Cyberbullying happens in every school,” she told Today. “I was taught to take the high road. I think we teens need to encourage and compliment each other more than be mean to each other. It’s also important for teens to think about those who are doing the bullying. They’re obviously not happy with something in their own lives and have to take it out on others.”