Politics

A frenzied faction of Tory activists would this week have us believe that the Conservative party is falling apart. That David Cameron's support of gay marriage, and proposal to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU is the last straw for right-thinking people of Britain, leaving us no other choice but to run into the welcoming arms of Ukip. This would perhaps be an appropriate conclusion if we were a nation of bigots. But Cameron's policies are progressive and necessary, while UKIP remains little more than a very bad joke. A collection of backward-thinking, nostalgic cheerleaders for values that do not, and should not, command any sway in a modern nation.What is sad, and a tad frightening, are the undeniable gains that Ukip has recently made in membership and in elections - 25% of the vote in wards where they stood this May. This is a trend that cannot be ignored. Because, despite the party's claims to want to protect Britain, what UKIP represents is not the deeply ingrained British values of liberty and equality, but actually, everything opposite to that.More...

In theory, vacations are supposed to be a fun, stress-free break from every day life. But if you're part of a blended family, summer vacations get a bit more complicated. What could be more stressful than scheduling conflicts with exes, a car full of kids, and two flustered parents trying to referee from the front seat?Knowing how stressful trips can be for stepfamilies can be, we reached out to a few blended family experts for their best advice on planning a vacation. Click through the slideshow below to read their advice, then email or tweet @HuffPostDivorce the three things you think parents in blended families need to know about planning a summer trip.More...

We spend more time at work than anyplace else. When we join an organization, we enter a new community with expectations to make a difference, to contribute, and to be part of something greater than we can accomplish on our own. We instinctively want to do well, to contribute, and to be included on the winning team.Yet many organizations often become harvesters of politics, power, control, arrogance, and egos that fill them with invisible signs saying, "don't go there," "you can't do this," "you don't know that," "save face," "blame," and "protect."More...

Before Jennifer Aniston co-hosted the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday, the "Friends" alumna stopped by Matthew Perry's place for some advice and found out he was sleeping with Courteney Cox as well as the talk show host and her wife Portia de Rossi.It might not have been the "Friends" reunion fans hoped for in April, when rumors of a Thanksgiving 2014 gathering had fans of the NBC sitcom in a frenzy, but the sketch featuring the actors best known as Rachel Green, Chandler Bing and Monica Gellar made waves on the Internet.More...

A contract is more than a financial agreement between two people or parties. It's a sign of trust and a commitment. When negotiating an agreement, you are not just setting financial terms but also establishing a bond that will serve as the foundation for the relationship moving forward.At the moment, not a single city union has a contract with the city. The situation has not only left the city's public employees in financial limbo, but also created an atmosphere of distrust around the mayor and his agency heads.More...

Much is written about social entrepreneurship. While lots of great information is available, there are also many myths about being a social entrepreneur.In 2008, we started our own social enterprise, UBELONG. We were two college friends in a basement studio in Washington, D.C. We had little money and no rich uncles -- but we had a dream. It's been the ride of a lifetime. Ups and downs, twists and turns. Little has been as expected and nothing has been free. But there's nothing else we'd rather be doing.More...

With each step toward equality this month comes a setback: Days after the 12th state signed marriage equality into law, a gay man was targeted and shot to death in New York. After France legalized same-sex marriage over the weekend, a Georgian mob pelted activists with rocks. And this week, in a paradox that has mounted all year, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America will vote to recommend including gay scouts while excluding gay adult leaders.The BSA's idea of progress is undermined by the organization's insistence on revoking a gay scout's membership on his 18th birthday. It suggests that he will prey on children the moment he enters adulthood. The ban on gay leaders, however, is not up for discussion at the council's annual meeting. Still, when the BSA mailed more than a million surveys to scouting families earlier this year, most young parents and teens disagreed with the policy.More...

It seems that on almost a daily basis, I see or hear the words "leader" and "manager" used interchangeably. (In fact, I sometimes catch myself using them interchangeably, too.)But, when we look closely, it becomes clear that "leader" and "manager" are not necessarily synonymous. Having a management position is not required to be a leader. And, there are many people in management positions that are certainly not leaders.More...

I recently had the honor and privilege of ordaining, along with my colleagues, a new cohort of rabbis from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University. I'd like to share the invocation I delivered, a cherished opportunity to invite God into our sacred moment."Me, I will always side with hope -- and never cease to adorn you with praise. My mouth strives to speak of your justness, of the constant potential you provide for redemption, though surely my words will always be incomplete." (Psalm 71:14-15)More...

You know a place is worth checking out when a Supreme Court justice and a crew of skateboarders both list it as a favorite restaurant.DCist's feature about the Alley Bar skate crew has lots to recommend it -- the part about their nerdier pursuits (accounting, for example) caught our interest. We also enjoyed this video of the 16 D.C.-based skaters doing tricks, taking tumbles and pretending to assault one another with baseball bats.More...