Cabin In The Woods was a perfect example of satirical horror done right, and here are 10 similar films for viewers hungry for more.

The Cabin In The Woodsis a criminally underrated masterpiece of modern horror. In his directorial debut, Drew Goddard managed to create a film that merged moments of brilliant comedy, with an underpinning layer of satireleveled against the entire film/horror industry. At the same time, he kept things truly terrifying and delivered a twist that will go down in history.

RELATED: 5 Great Horror Movie Endings (& 5 That Are Just Awful)

It'd be difficultand probably misguidedto make a sequel toThe Cabin In The Woods, so we've put together a list of films that should tide over fans who have been looking for something similar to watch since 2012.

Evil Dead IIis a double-whammy in its connectionThe Cabin In The Woods.On the surface, it is similar satire where the central characters spend their time secluded in a forest full of creepy goings-on. It also brings a distinct tone of humor and over-the-top melodrama to proceedings, allowing parody and satire to mix into a well-crafted script that remains, on occasion, genuinely scary.

Funny Gamesisn't a particularly well-known film, but it absolutely delivers on creepiness and self-awareness. The general plot follows a family who are tortured by a duo of Clockwork Orange-esque maniacs. It's an intense journey, but moments of fourth-wall-breakingat one point, Ann manages to kill Peter, before Paul simply picks up the TV remote and 'rewinds' the real-life eventsand satire connect it beautifully toThe Cabin In The Woods.

Get Outwas Jordan Peele's chance to impress with directorial talent that he had yet to show off. He proved his point. The 2017 horror was as hilarious as it was terrifying and managed to make an important political point without it overshadowing the great story at the heart of the film. It's a thought-provoking masterpiece that continuedThe Cabin In The Woods' mission to turn the horror landscape of the 2010s on its head.

Zombielandmight be more of a straight-up comedy thanThe Cabin In The Woodsthere isn't really anything within that could genuinely scare a viewerbut there is certainly a connection between the presentation of the two films. In the same way thatThe Cabin In The Woodswants its viewers to remember that this is nothing more than a film, the voice-over and dramatic editing of the 'rules' inZombielandmake sure the audience never takes anything too seriously.

Miseryis arguably the ultimate "cabin in the woods" style film.The filmrarely leaves the seclusion of thehousePaul Sheldon is confined to, filling viewers with claustrophobia and dread.

RELATED:The 10 Scariest Monsters In The Cabin In The Woods, Ranked

The Stephen King adaptation is a lot more serious in its presentation thatThe Cabin In The Woods, but, if it's a sense of creepy, desperate seclusion you're after, then this film could be the perfect follow-up.

Gremlinsis the ultimate satirical horror.Written by Chris Columbus, directed by Joe Dante and executive produced by Steven Speilberg, the film was star-studded. The sequel took things to a new level, replacing the black comedy of the original with a manically over-the-top sense ofsatire that anarchicallyreassessed the concept of horror films and sequels in general. Theapproach in this film undoubtedly inspired many elements ofThe Cabin In The Woods.

Bad Times At The El Royaleis just the second film ever made by Drew Goddard, made seven years afterThe Cabin In The Woods.It leaves horror-comedy behind, instead providing audiences with a unique take on the neo-noir thriller genre.

RELATED: The 10 Best 'Cabin In The Woods' Movies, Ranked (According To IMDb)

It was a disappointment at the box office and reviews were mixed, but there are definitely moments that can be picked up on that connect to the filmmaking style found inThe Cabin In The Woods.

TheScreamfranchise is often mixed up with the far more comedicScary Movieseries thanks to the presence of the Ghostface killer. However,Screamitself is remembered for its perfectly used satire of horror film tropes.When watchingThe Cabin In The Woods, the audience issupposed to know about horror tropes in order to get the most out of the film; inScream, the characters themselves are aware of the cliches they are being exposed to.

American Psychodoesn't come close to the level of horror created inThe Cabin In The Woods, but it does have a powerful sense of satire that melts into every line of dialogue, pushed forward by one of Christian Bale's best-ever performances. The risky ending makes itclear that pretty much everything the audience saw throughout the film was not as it seemed.

Scooby-Dooas a franchise is like the children's version ofThe Cabin In The Woods, with the live-action sequel arguably providing the biggest parallels. At its core, we have a group of stereotypical teensthe leader, the stoner, the nerd, and the confusedbut the two films also share the idea of bringing a variety of unconnected monsters into the same story with something deeper going on behind it all.

NEXT: 10 Crazy Facts Behind The Making Of Cabin In The Woods

Next 10 Sci-Fi Movie Universes That Make No Sense

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10 Things To Watch If You Like The Cabin In The Woods - Screen Rant

As the U.S. and Chinese governments battle over the fate of TikTok, with tech giants including Microsoft vying to acquire the popular social media app, advertising guru Gary Vaynerchuk says small business owners also have a big TikTok opportunity to exploit.

"It's really hard to go on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook right now and have organic business growth, just set up an account and put stuff out," Vaynerchuk said at the CNBC Small Business Playbook: The Path Forward virtual event on Wednesday. "You have to be exceptionally talented in your creative or your personality to break through and you'll probably need six months to a year for it to happen," the CEO of VaynerMedia told CNBC's Julia Boorstin.

TikTok and LinkedIn which already is owned by Microsoft have the most organic reach, he said. "Those are two places you can post and not spend ad money and get customers. The other platforms become a question of, whom do I want to reach?"

Vaynerchuk said while the hyper-growth of TikTok has attracted the most attention, it is both LinkedIn and TikTok where "you can literally go on and be stunned by how many people see your stuff randomly. ... There's a lot of attention, and not as many ads or content creators on there right now."

TikTok logo displayed on a phone screen.

Nicolas Economou | NurPhoto | Getty Images

But, the current opportunity to grow organically without a glut of content competitors won't last long.

"Quickly, that's changing on both platforms, especially TikTok," Vaynerchuk said.

As the platform gets more crowded, advertising on TikTok does make sense. "I'm a huge proponent of running ads on these platforms, because in comparison to direct mail, TV commercials, print ads, banners, you know, flying over a beach or outdoor media, or anything else one can do with money, I find them to be more efficient for their dollar, more localized, which matters to most of the small businesses right now," Vaynerchuk said.

The decision on where to advertise for a small business has to come back to knowing your customer, Vaynerchuk said. Every business needs to start by "reverse-engineering your customer, or the customer you're trying to get."

If you're selling to 55-year-old B2B decision makers, LinkedIn becomes the No. 1 social media platform for which a business needs to know how to create content and media. If you're trying to acquire 15 -to 25-year-olds, TikTok and Instagram matter a lot more.

"Step one is figure out who you're trying to target.And if it's stay-at-home moms, all of a sudden, Pinterest, all of a sudden Instagram ads, not just posting," he said.

Vaynerchuk said that his belief in the value offered by TikTok and LinkedIn does not imply Facebook's importance has diminished. In fact, he said Facebook and Instagramare offering advertisers rare value right now because of the boycott by large brands.

"Their media product or ad product is incredible and has the broadest collective reach. So if you're a big company within the small business space, that's always going to be a place you're going to want to be," he said. "The biggest opportunity for everybody right now, and it's kind of going to go away here pretty quickly, because Facebook is too important to the big businesses, but some of the prices went down ... because a lot of brands pulled out dollars and so I see hyper-under-priced opportunity on Facebook and Instagram."

Vaynerchuk described Roku and Hulu as also having "somewhat under-priced products."

The advertising that continues to be overpriced is in traditional markets.

"I spoke to my outdoor guy, who I know really well, and he's like, 'the prices are like discount by 10%,' and I'm like, 'there's nobody on the road.' Newspapers, I was curious, I reached out just to be educated in case a question like this was asked. No heavy discount. It fascinates me how the traditional landscape doesn't adjust to the reality of the marketplace. This is why digital continues to eat up market share," Vaynerchuk said.

The social media expert said making content work on Facebook requires a lot more work than just paying for ads. He said too many small business owners say Facebook doesn't work after running a few ads.

"Facebook ads work. The question is: Are you good at it? And I think that people blame platforms for their inability to be good at targeting ads or doing good creative. The No. 1 mistake I see is people giving up on a platform because they did not have a successful campaign and that was their fault. It was not the opportunity," Vaynerchuk said. "You have to practice. I am blown away by how many people refuse to put in the 10 hours of learning to save their business. ... You know it. It's your business, you're trying to save it."

He explained that Facebook is about zip codes and targeting: "If you're a pizza shop owner, and you want to rev up your deliveries, or if you have a dog grooming business, or if you cut hair and you're willing to go to people's homes or want them to come in, you basically target the one-, five-, 10 mile-radius of your location."

Vaynerchuk said it's always a good time to spend more wisely, and that of course includes during an economic crisis that is forcing business owners to rethink their existing approach to the market. Business owners should not overspend on a single video, but they also should not give up too soon if they don't see immediate results from the investment.

"Spend only $25 ins ad, $100 in ads, against a single video, and if you don't like what you are seeing, then you go and make some more. Sometimes people give up too early. Change up the copy that supports the video, or picture. Its test and learn, test and learn, test and learn, test and learn. You have to get good at it," Vaynerchuk said.

He added that self-awareness knowing if you are the one who should be on camera, if you are comfortable with it is key to creating content that will resonate, and while video will perform better than pictures, video won't perform well if the personality is not comfortable in the format.

Too many people are selling, selling, selling, and it's an infomercial, not a piece of content that inspires somebody to consider you.

Gary Vaynerchuk

VaynerMedia CEO

Vaynerchuk said one of the advantages of online advertising is the ability to test multiple concepts and learn which work.

"Everybody here right now probably thinks there's eight reasons people should do business with their business. Well, make eight different ads ... and then see which one gets the best comments. And see which one gets the most phone calls. You can literally run an ad on Facebook that has a phone number and people press the number and call you and you're like, 'Oh, I'm getting the most calls from this one.' You can run an ad focused on better prices one week and better service the next. It's truly revolutionary. You're not wasting money if you're good at what you do, and if you really learn this craft," he said.

He said small businesses should not overthink their ads, either. Ads should be compassionate at a moment in time when the U.S. is dealing with Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. Ads should never be planned too far in advance because news events could quickly make the ads insensitive without any intention. And ads should never try to trick people. What's appropriate is to explain to customers what your business does: "'We cut hair, we sell pizza, we can take care of your dog, we can distract your child for four hours with our live sessions or consulting,' whatever it may be."

If you're good at your business, you've probably heard what people want. You know the truth about your business, your strengths, or your category like pizza shops. See what people are talking about, making it contextual and relevant. You know, make it about them, not you. Too many people are selling, selling, selling, and it's an infomercial, not a piece of content that inspires somebody to consider you. ... The question is, do you know how to make a good piece of video or picture to get somebody to be compelled to do business with you?"

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Gary Vaynerchuk: TikTok has one big advantage over Facebook that you can exploit - CNBC

J. Balvin has been battling coronavirus.

The 'Mi Gente' singer has been through a "bad" period of ill health after contracting the virus and has only just started to feel better.

Speaking in Spanish in a video acceptance speech during the 2020 Premios Juventud event on Thursday (14.08.20), he said: "At this moment, I'm just getting better from COVID-19. These have been very difficult days, very complicated. Sometimes we won't think that we'll get it, but I got it and I got it bad."

And the 35-year-old star - who is currently in Colombia - has urged his fans to take the pandemic more seriously and take precautions to protect their health.

He added: "My message to those that follow me, young fans and people in general is to take care. This isn't a joke. The virus is real and it's dangerous."

The singer recently spoke about how meditation has helped to ease his battle with anxiety and depression and credits the practice as vital to his recovery.

He revealed: "There are many ways that I have dealt with my mental health. I have gone to see doctors. I have taken medication. These things are essential.

"But one other method that has meant everything to me - and is the reason I'm writing this - is meditation.

"Meditation, to me, can be one of the key first steps in achieving mental and spiritual well-being.

"Why? Because in many ways it is the most natural step. Meditation is about opening your mind to self awareness.

"It's about understanding that your mind isn't just an idea - it's a living, breathing thing, something that needs to be cared for and looked after. Meditation is the act of mental hygiene."

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J Balvin had 'bad' coronavirus - Yahoo New Zealand News

Toward the end of the 1983 comedy The Man with Two Brains, Steve Martin, as Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr, is blasted with a drumfire of ethnic slurs.

Learning that his sadistic wife, Dolores (Kathleen Turner), withheld the news of his grandmothers death, he reaches his breaking point and fights with her for the first time. During the screaming match, Dolores calls him, in a single breath, a string of epithets referring to Black people, Jews and Italians before he heaves her into a mud puddle. Its a ridiculous moment, even for a film about a neurosurgeon who falls in love with a disembodied brain, because none of those epithets apply to Martin or his character. Thats what makes the joke work, and what makes Martin who co-wrote the film with director Carl Reiner and George Gipe such a unique voice.

When Martin, who turns 75 on August 14, hit the comedy scene in the late 1960s as a writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the atmosphere of TV comedy had acquired a fresh whiff of the old establishment. To speak more plainly: After years of domination by the likes of the Jewish, Bronx-born Sid Caesar and his cadre of coreligionist writers, the marquee names were WASPs. Acts like the Smotherses gained traction; on the East Coast, Johnny Carson drew eyes as the host of The Late Show, often booking Martin as a guest.

Yet as his career progressed, Martin, prematurely gray and Wonder-Bread-handsome, would find unprecedented inroads with TVs old Jewish guard, who had by then mostly flocked to film. His talent for ironic, earnest and borderline anti-comedic comedy offered something fresh to the old Borscht Belt-derived formula of the Chosen people. Martin, in a three-piece suit and bunny ears, was a Christian who wasnt the least bit ethnic, but also didnt play the straight man. His persona was of a fearless yet harmless lunatic shielded from self-awareness by dint of his backgrounds exalted place in America.

In the mid-1970s, Martin would prance around as an albino King Tut on Lorne Michaels newly-minted S.N.L. between stints as one half of the Festrunk Brothers Wild and Crazy Guys. After he put out a couple of hit comedy records and the odd novelty single, Carl Reiner seeing Martin as a combination of Dick Van Dykes profile and Mel Brooks mania gave him his first star turn in a feature film, directing a script from Martin that could only succeed with someone like Martin in the lead.

The Jerk (1979) has a premise that would raise eyebrows today. Navin R. Johnson (Martin), was born a poor Black child to a sharecropping family. On his birthday we dont know which, but its too late in life for what comes next he digs into his favorite meal of TaB, tuna fish salad on white bread with mayonnaise and two Twinkies in the presence of his loving Black family. After an emotional exchange of gifts, Navin, who is, of course, white, learns that he was adopted. It shakes him to his core.

Navin leaves home to find himself, an effort that turns out to not be a huge cultural journey, as Twinkies and mayo are positioned as the full extent of white culture. While hes working at a gas station, a crazed gunman, who picks his name from the phone book as his next random victim bastard starts shooting at Navin as he minds the pumps. Somehow, the madman appears to know Navins origins, calling him a half-breed before firing in his direction one of the most bizarre instances of a hate crime in the history of film. Navin, never suspecting hes being targeted (remember, hes white) believes the shooter is trying to take out a row of oil cans.

He hates these cans! Navin screams in a show of white obliviousness while he runs through the filling station.

It goes without saying that this joke would not be nearly as funny if played by, say, Mel Brooks or Gene Wilder. It takes someone whose presence is not just tolerated, but accepted as foundational to America a WASPy-looking dude who was actually Baptist for the sequence to click. A white, presumably Christian guy hunting another white Christian guy while calling him milkface is patently bonkers.

The scene might scan as somewhat offensive, or just a classic gag in a movie full of them. But it was emblematic of the clarity with which Martin, who wrote The Jerk with Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias, understood his place in American culture and what he had to offer to comedy. With his clean-cut establishment image, he burst on the scene doing awkward kiddy magic with the haughty presentation of a master who deserves applause. His mission, as a man whose pedigree was considered the default, was deconstructing that identitys comfort and surety by adopting a persona that seemed like it was always failing upward.

In Navin R. Johnson, he did that by creating a naif who glides with outstanding ease from fortune to failure and, ultimately, fortune once more. As the brash grifter Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) he played a boorish American abroad humbled by a British mentor who degrades his unfounded confidence by making him play a series of demeaning parts. Playing scamming film producer Bobby Bowfinger in Bowfinger (1999), he skewered a particular kind of Hollywood wannabe of the Ed Wood variety a kind that succeeds by blind optimism, empty promises and a deluded belief in their so-called vision. In each, he bumbles, playing up his characters lack of understanding of his own absurdity and entitlement.

In the 90s, following Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyers epiphany that he would be the perfect man for the titular role in Father of the Bride, Martin started writing plays. His best-known effort, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, was an imagined meeting of the minds between Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in the early 20th century. (A less-famous one-act, WASP, a florid evisceration of the repressed domestic life of Americas erstwhile ruling class, brought Martins derision for the mundane and the monocultural full circle.)

Through it all, Martin knew where he came from. Even as his career led to more commercial fare the Cheaper by the Dozen franchise or the Pink Panther reboot his genius for self-understanding never waned. Recently, hes cultivated his reputation as a polymath who does a little bit of everything, from bluegrass albums to Tony-nominated musicals. Our acceptance of all his roles, from the bonkers to the banal, speaks to the message hes been communicating all along: Any idiot can do whatever they want so long as hes the right kind of idiot. Luckily for us, unlike his characters, Martins the smart kind.

PJ Grisar is the Forwards culture reporter. He can be reached at grisar@forward.com

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Steve Martins greatest accomplishment? Making WASPs funny. - Forward

Delaware County Community College will host a virtual spoken word performance, followed by a question-and-answer session, by

Joseph Green

, an award-winning poet, motivational speaker, workshop facilitator, professional storyteller and person in long-term recovery.

Beacon of Hope is the title of Greens spoken word virtual performance, which is open to the public and will be held at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, August 27 on Zoom. Visit dccc.edu/joseph-green to register and receive instructions on how to attend. To participate, please register by no later than August 26.

With a background in theatre, performance poetry and social justice education, Green seamlessly intertwines storytelling and spoken word poetry into his presentations and workshops. He inspires his audiences to join him on a journey, which uplifts the core principles of self-care, self-awareness, diversity and inclusion. He also urges audiences to pay their blessings forward to make the world a better place for everyone; and he believes in the innate ability of story to connect people to their higher purpose and to one another.

Over the past 15 years, Green has created and facilitated thousands of workshops with youth, educators, health care professionals, realtors and nonprofit organizations. His workshops focus on implementing effective youth development strategies, diversity and inclusion, creative mindfulness, and personal and professional burnout prevention.

Greens life story and work have been featured in Youth Today, an internationally distributed digital media publication read by professionals in the youth services field; UpWorthy, a website devoted to positive storytelling; and PBS NewsHour. He has been keynote speaker and/or presenter at: the University of Baltimore; the 2017 American Society of Addiction Medicine; Talks at Google, an internal talks series, hosted by Google in which authors, scientists, actors and notable others discuss their work; the 2016 and 2018 California Statewide Conference on Substance Use Disorder; the 2017 Utah Fall Substance Abuse Conference; and the Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Rally for Recovery.

After co-founding the nonprofit, Poetry NOW, an after-school poetry program in Virginia, Green merged his organization with Split This Rock, a Washington, D.C.-based poetry and social justice organization, where, for three years, Green served as director of youth programs. In 2017, he started LMSvoice, an organization dedicated to helping people and socially conscious organizations discover and share the transformative power of story (See http://www.LMSvoice.com).

Greens spoken word performance at Delaware County Community College is made possible by a grant from the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, which helps the College create a variety of initiatives to educate, inform and support students, faculty, staff and the community about how to address the U.S. opioid epidemic.

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DCCC to host virtual spoken word performance: Beacon of Hope - The Times of Chester County

The new 45-minute show, coming to Disney+ on November 17, 2020, is aptly titled The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. But this special bears only a surface resemblance to the Wookie-tastic Life Day extravaganza that CBS unleashed upon the world in 1978.

According to Disney+, while the special will involve Chewbacca and the Wookie planet, Kashyyyk, the story itself will take place "directly following the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." The story will focus on Rey in as she and BB-8 prepare for Life Day. Said preparations will find them traveling to a Jedi Temple where time-travel shenanigans abound, causing Rey to come "into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films."

"We wanted to give a wink and a nod to the original," executive producer Josh Rimes told USA Today,adding that the special would be inspired by a host of holiday classics, including It's a Wonderful Life, National Lampoon'sChristmas Vacation, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles

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Star Wars is getting an awesome Disney+ holiday special this year - Looper

Through ups and downs of abortion access during COVID-19, there continues to be little awareness of the existence of abortion pillslet alone that they can be used for safe and effective self-managed abortions. (VAlaSiurua, licensed underCC BY-SA 4.0)

In September 2019, when Anna Reed and Antonia Piccone decided to create apodcastaboutself-managed abortions, they had no idea just how timely their project would be.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hasintensified barriers to abortion care in the United States. Anti-abortion elected officials havetaken advantageby deeming abortions non-essential, limiting options and delaying care for people who do not want to be pregnant. Pregnant people areworriedabout risking exposure to the virus while seeking abortion care at a clinic. And while other medical services moved to telehealth, in many states, abortion care waspreventedfrom following suit.

This led to increased public criticism of theunnecessary restrictionsplaced on abortion pills in the United States. Then, in mid-July, a federal judge in Marylandruledthat the FDA must suspend guidance that forced patients to obtain mifepristone, the abortion pill, in-person. This means that patients may nowreceivemifepristone from their providers through the mail.

Despite the ups and downs of abortion access during COVID-19, there continues to be little awareness of the existence of abortion pills, let alone that they can be used forsafe and effectiveself-managed care. And yet, this is exactly the knowledge that people need and deserve during the pandemicand always!

As theAmbassadors of Informationprogram manager withPlan Can organization that works in education and research related to self-managed abortions with pillsI am constantly looking for the best ways to educate the public on abortion pills and how they can be accessed.

Then, one day in May, I received an email from one of our ambassadors of information, Antonia Piccone. She, along with Anna Reed, had createdSelf-Managed: An Abortion Story in Eight Parts: a podcast that centers real peoples stories in an effort to demystify the practice of self-managed abortion, they say.

And it truly succeeds in this effort.

I had the opportunity to sit down (over a video call) with Reed and Piccone to discussSelf-Managedwhat led them to create it and what they have learned since releasing it.

This information has been gatekept and it shouldnt be, said Piccone, a doula. How can we make information about our bodies and this process public, accessible and free?

The answer to this question was to create a podcast, as audio provides a more intimate quality to the content. It felt like the medium for the subject, Reed added, nodding.

Reed, a sex educator and youth advocate, went on to explain that information about self-managed abortions tends to be dark, intense and institutional.

The goal ofSelf-Managedwas to, instead, lightheartedly share frameworks for mutual aid, community-building and self-care.

There is more curiosity for self- and community-care, Piccone noted, particularly in light of the most recentuprisingsforracial justice. We are witnessing a global reckoningas people grapple with the ways in which COVID-19 and institutionalized racism have disproportionately thwarted Black peoples right to bodily autonomy.

Here atMs., our team is continuing to report throughthis global health crisisdoing what we can to keep you informed andup-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of thispandemic.Weask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, uniquereportingwe cant do it without you. Support our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

Theysituate their podcast in this broader context and acknowledge alongside their interviewees the recent criminal prosecutions of people who have ended their own pregnancies have consistently come down on poor people and people of color. This must be held central in education and activism on self-managed care.

Reed and Piccone make it clear that they do not see themselves as experts in self-managed careinstead, they say, theyre learning alongside listeners.

How cool that we can make our learning process available to others! Reed exclaimed. The main inquiry was, How can we learn? Which took us to Who is doing this work? Who are the helpers?

I think there is a Mr. Rogers quote about that! I responded.

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

ThroughSelf-Managed: An Abortion Story in Eight Parts, Reed and Piccone have shown us the helpersfromSusan Yanow, a long-time activist for self-managed access, to people who arehelping themselves, by self-managing their abortion care.

As the ups and downs of abortion access during COVID-19 continue, we cannot stop educating ourselves and others about the option of self-managed abortions with pills.

Reed and Piccone have provided us with a timely, rich and approachable way to gain the knowledge that we need and deserve.

Self-Managed: An Abortion Story in Eight Partsand accompanying resources can be found in both Spanish and English onsmapodcast.org, as well as onApple PodcastsandSpotify. For more information about this podcast, please contact Reed and Piccone atselfmanaged.podcast@gmail.comorsmapodcast@protonmail.com.

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Podcast on Self-Managed Abortions: This Information Has Been Gatekept and It Shouldn't Be - Ms. Magazine

Thanksgiving is going to be ugly this year. Theres a real chance the public wont know who won the White House weeks after Election Day, and rather than feeling grateful, leaders in both parties are peddling grievances nonstop. Before the voting has begun, Americans have been told not to trust the outcome.

And the worst offenders are the people who think they believe in the process just as they prepare to tear the country apart if they lose.

A bipartisan group of 100 or so left-wing luminaries, institutional graybeards and never-Trumpers came together to work on what they named the Transition Integrity Project, their response to their conviction that President Donald Trump will contest the result by both legal and extra-legal means.

The group claims to take no position on how Americans should vote as if the word transition isnt a giveaway. Self-awareness is not a requirement with this group. And integrity is optional.

The group released a report with a game plan on how the presidential campaigns, a compliant media and government officials could react to four likely election scenarios.

Of course, one of the outcomes was a 2016 repeatwith Trump winning the electoral college and former Vice President Joe Biden winning the popular vote.

And this is what the folks who ostensibly care about the country suggested: Team Biden could push key blue states to threaten to secede from the nation unless congressional Republicans agree to make Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico states, divide California into five states, require Supreme Court justices to retire at 70 and eliminate the Electoral Collegebecause the U.S. Constitution is toilet paper to them.

The 22-page report informed readers that the concept of election night is no longer accurate and indeed is dangerous.

To the authors violence on the streets is a problem. Not because antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters have enabled anarchists to torch American cities. The report warns that Trumps people have every incentive to try to turn peaceful pro-Biden (or anti-Trump) protests violent in order to generate evidence that a Democratic victory is tantamount to mob rule.

The report is so big on peaceful protesters that it calls for specialized training on de-escalation and nonviolent techniqueswhich youd think peaceful protesters wouldnt need.

As the election looms, the report warns of the authoritarian Trumps ability to launch investigations into opponents; and his ability to use Department of Justice and/or the intelligence agencies to cast doubt on election results or discredit his opponents. Also, the Trump administration also could leak classified documents and fuel manufactured rumors.

Which sounds an awful lot like the Russian probe, with salacious gossip in a so-called dossier, launched under President Barack Obama. How do they not see that?

I wont name the Transition Integrity Projects participants, though their names have been made public. Suffice it to say that youve seen them lecturing Americans on cable TV against Trumps reckless rhetoric and his inability to see that the White House belongs not to him but to the people.

The groups report notes that Trump told Fox News Chris Wallace that he might not accept the results of the election and that voting by mail is going to rig the election. That July interview was used as justification for their June matrix games on what to do when the election results are in. They fear that Trump will be a poor loser as they contend they can wring concessions if he wins.

They also fear Team Trump will provoke Team Biden into subverting norms.

But really, its pretty clear that to get Team Biden to subvert norms, all Trump has to do is win.

(Creators Syndicate)

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Spouting radical ideas in 2020 | Keizertimes | You think you know. To be sure, read Keizertimes. - Keizertimes

Schools unfairly get

blame for discipline

Re: June 28 article, "Austin schools suspend Black students nearly 5 times as often as white students."

I read with sadness the article regarding minority students being suspended at higher rates than white students from public schools in Austin and the nation.

The proactive steps being taken by school districts include professional development on cultural proficiency, inclusivity, and implicit bias and use of restorative justice. As a retired teacher, I can attest to the fact that most teachers use positive reinforcement, redirection, student conferences, and parent phone calls and conferences before they write a discipline referral.

The article focuses on the numbers, implying that disproportionate numbers mean that minority students are unfairly targeted and not engaging in disruptive behavior warranting suspension. The article implies that school staff are to blame rather than the students' behavior. It is disheartening to read yet another article blaming the school for what is really a breakdown in the family and lack of respect for authority in society.

Cathy Medina, Austin

City incentive was like

tossing money away

Re: June 24 article, "Round Rock City Council OKs $125K in incentives for lighting manufacturer."

The Round Rock City Council just can't get enough of wasting the taxpayers' money on corporate welfare.

Does the council really think that if it didn't provide a lousy $125,000 from the taxpayers to Hubbell Lighting that the company would not have moved its facility from Austin to Round Rock?

If the city has so much money that it can throw 125 grand away like that, then I certainly don't want to hear any whining from the council at budget time about reducing services because revenues have declined.

Bill Lewis, Round Rock

Bush ignores Trumps

offensive language

Hopefully, the chuckling has just begun in answer to the brave editorial by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Bush took exception to the executive director of Empower Texans pretending to be shocked by the "profane, obscene and offensive language" some members of the organization used to attack Gov. Abbott and the lies directed solely at fellow Republicans.

He then goes on about how Joe Biden is "the wrong choice for the country." Without one bit of self-awareness, he selectively ignores all of the profane, obscene, offensive language and lying displayed on a daily basis by President Donald J. Trump, the very same man who insulted and denigrated every member of Bush's family.

I do not care that Commissioner Bush can pathetically ignore the obvious parallels between Empower Texans and President Trump. I do care that he believes the rest of us are too stupid to notice.

Zeph McKee, Austin

This is about equality

regardless of color

We live in a time more divided then ever. You would think that the unlawful killing of George Floyd and the revolution that it started would bring society closer together to mourn over a fellow humans wrongful death. Sadly, that was not the outcome. People are fighting against police reform and the cultural wave of equality.

I am a strong believer in listening and talking to others opinions and complaints. Even if you fundamentally disagree, strive to understand. Somehow Georges death made this country even more divided. I did not predict that response because this revolution is about equality and how we are all citizens of this planet, no matter the color of our skin, political agenda or where we are from.

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally. Police should protect and enforce those rights, not defy them.

Ryan York, Austin

Excerpt from:
Letters to the editor: July 2, 2020 - Austin American-Statesman

While tuition cost shouldnt necessarily be a deterrent from a career as a physician, the reality that the majority of medical students anticipate they will graduate with upwards of $150,000 in student-loan debtaccording to an AMA Insurance surveyis a daunting one.

Many students look for ways to lessen the tuition burden. Though not as widely available as they are for undergraduate study, medical school scholarships are available. It also can help save to stay in your state of residence for medical school and attend a public institution.

Paying public school tuitioneven for students who are not residents, in some casesis going to yield significant savings when compared with tuition costs at a private medical school.

A 2017 study based on tuition data gathered between 2006-16 found that the median cost of attendance for students paying in-state tuitionacross all statesover four years was $232,800. That figure compares favorably to the $306,200 four-year median cost of attendance for medical students attending private institutions over that time frame. Students attending public schools paying in-state tuition saved $73,400, according to the data.

That study also found that students paying in-state tuition had medical school debt loads that were about $20,000 lower than those attending private schools.

In-state tuition costs are always lower for residents, but the amount will vary. Based on data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the most affordable medical school in the nation is Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. For in-state medical students the current cost of tuition, student fees and health insurance is about $19,000 per year. For out-of-state students that number is around $32,000. That 40% tuition increase for out-of-state attendees is a fair baseline for how most states charge studentsthough there are some very notable exceptions.

That math was a factor for Avani Patel, MD, when she decided to attend the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. Im someone who doesnt like the idea of debt, said Dr. Patel who will begin her residency training in the psychiatry program at Mississippi in July. If youre getting a very similar education, why would you pay more unless you want to pay more for the name or prestige?

Selecting a medical school requires a student to have some idea of what they envision their training experience to be. Dr. Patel valued hands-on clinical experience above other factors such as research opportunities, which made Mississippi a fit.

When I was researching medical schools, I knew affordability was important, so was being close to family and also feeling Id be very clinically strong, she said. I didnt want to go somewhere where I wouldnt have a ton of hands-on experience. Sometimes that doesnt happen at larger more prestigious institutions because they have to work down the hierarchy ladder [of other trainees]. They have fellows and residents to factor in, so you are going to be the last one to get any hands-on experience.

As far as factoring tuition cost into your decision, Dr. Patel views it as a something that is personal.

I always say self-awareness is key, Dr. Patel said. This is a choice that you have to make when youre very young but try to understand when youre researching [medical schools] what you are taking in terms of potential debt.

If youre interested in primary care and know you most likely [will] pursue primary care in your career it might make sense to go for a more affordable option. Its going to be less of a debt load, and youre going to get a great education. If youre looking to be the top neurosurgeon in the country and you need the top-notch research, for you it might be worth taking on a much higher debt load if it means going to an institution with the prestige and the resources that might be able to provide the opportunities you are looking for.

Medicine can be a career that is both challenging and highly rewarding, but figuring out a medical schools prerequisites and navigating the application process can be a challenge into itself. TheAMA premed glossary guidehas the answers to frequently asked questions about medical school, the application process, the MCAT and more.

Have peace of mind andget everything you need to start med school off strongwith the AMA.

Go here to see the original:
How much can you save by staying in-state for medical school? - American Medical Association