Monthly Archives: July 2020

KodyBrown and his four wives once claimed they signed up for reality TV so theworld could better understand polygamy. Meri Brown, Christine Brown, JanelleBrown, and Robyn Brown all once claimed that they wanted people to realize thattheir alternative lifestyle was a happy one. Throughout several seasons of Sister Wives, fanshave learned that the Brown family is anything but happy together. The Brownshave effectively taught their viewers that polygamy is more about sacrificethan collaborative living, insistfans.

Kody has beenmarried to his first three wives for 30, 27, and 26 years, respectively. Hemarried his fourth wife, Robyn, in 2010. Meri, Janelle, and Christine, inparticular, should have had a lot of practice when it came to plural living,but both Christine and Meri seemed to struggle mightily withfeelings of jealousy. Robyn has seemingly struggled with the same emotion.

RELATED: SisterWives: Janelle Drops A Bombshell Statement During Tell-All That Leaves FansFeeling Sad

Janelle and Robynhave both suggested polygamy is all about sacrifice, and Janelle admitted, in atell-all episode, that the first 20 years of her marriage were not particularlyhappy ones. If the Brown family was hoping to show viewers that their union wascollaborative and comfortable, they managed to do the exact opposite.

The Browns onceinsisted that all decisions must be made as a family, but in the last twoseasons of the show, fans have noticed that the Browns might not operate thatway. Thefamilys move from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona, and all that has transpiredsince the move, appears to highlight a severe imbalance of power.

Fans strongly believeKody bullied at least two of his wives into making a move to appease his fourth,and now legal wife. Flagstaff, where the family currently resides, fits inperfectly with Robyns plans for her eldest child, Dayton Brown, but seemed to impactthe others negatively. Why did they move then? Seemingly, because Kody wantedto.

RELATED: SisterWives: Fans Think Robyn is the Reason the Family Moved to Flagstaff

Kristyn Decker, whois directly related to Christine, has spoken out against polygamy, stating thatthe entire practice is rife with abuse and is built on a complete imbalance ofpower. Decker, herself, left polygamy. She has now spent years speaking outagainst the practice and has dropped some tidbits about the Brown family, inspecific, to RadarOnline.

During the firstseason of Sister Wives, the Browns repeatedly stated that theyworked as one, large, happy family. The wives even suggested that theirfriendship with one another was just as important as their individualrelationships with their shared husband. Many seasons later, and its clearthat is not the case.

The familys book, BecomingSister Wives, even highlightedthe tension that exists within the family. Janelle and Meri could barely standto be in the same room together, and Christine has suggested Meri makes heruncomfortable. Christine and Robyn also appeared to start off with a frosty relationship,and little has been done to strengthen that friendship. The idea of sharing alarge house again almost sent Christine into an epic meltdown.

RELATED: SisterWives: Were Christine, Meri, Janelle, and Robyn Brown Ever Friends?

Decker hassuggested that the Brown wives were never actually friends, and friendship betweensister wives is incredibly uncommon within sects that practice plural marriage.At best, it seems some of the wives have a lukewarm understanding. At worst,they cant stand each other.

Continue reading here:

'Sister Wives': The One Thing The Brown Family Has Taught Fans About Polygamy - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who attends Zoom Sunday School every week in my best T-shirt. I am also a human being who marches against police brutality and for black lives.

Right now, these two sides of myself dont get along.

As Elder Johnston, I spent two years shaking hands and loving people who spoke Spanish and English in Louisiana. Black people, brown people and white people lived in segregated neighborhoods of varying quality and inspired me by how they would serve others in church callings or outside of the church entirely. But the systemic nature of what Black and Hispanic people suffer in Louisiana is part-and-parcel of what they face all over the country.

My recent attempts to express this sentiment in church have generated plenty of resistance. Variations of Well, Im not a racist, and, Those people need to stop burning their own neighborhoods, come up like clockwork.

I am not even a member of the Black community, and therefore dont know the weight of systemic racisms anvil on my back day after day for years, but I tremble with frustration when people in the church repeatedly tell me not to bring politics into Sunday School. To my fellow Latter-day Saints I say: Its already here.

We belong to a church with leaders who helped bring us the truth of eternal families and also called the Priesthood ban doctrine. This is true not just of Brigham Young, but also of David O. McKay and George Albert Smith. Even Spencer W. Kimball condemned racial mixing. Apostle LeGrand Richards agreed in August 1978 that President Kimballs Proclamation on the Priesthood came in part because Brazilian members of mixed racial ancestry financed a temple they could never attend. The same Book of Mormon that preaches of Christ loving those who are black and white, bond and free says 20 chapters earlier that the Lamanites curse was their skin of blackness.

This is not anti-Mormon literature, it is our past. And this checkered past continues to affect our present, precisely because we largely refuse to acknowledge it ever happened.

I have always had a testimony of Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ, and I would be lying to deny I have felt the Holy Ghost in meetings and ordinances. But I know there is a problem when the NFL says Black lives matter before The Church of Jesus Christ does.

As Latter-day Saints, we can start to improve by ending our double-talk about race. No more denouncing the officer who kneeled on George Floyds neck while also justifying the priesthood ban. No more Instagram videos about how were all different when the systems status quo is literally killing black people. No more pretending the church isnt inherently political when our neutrality on the Black Lives Matter movement is implicitly equivalent to saying all lives matter.

I have real hope that the church can change since it has done so many times before. The Relief Society was established after female members suggested such a society to Joseph Smith. Polygamy was abolished after the federal government issued a slew of anti-polygamy laws. Revelation about the status of black members in the church came after pressure from the Civil Rights Movement and the faith of Brazilian saints.

I am loath to consider leaving the church family that I love the one that taught me I mattered from a young age. But a question mark lingers next to my level of activity the more I realize my welcoming was and is in part contingent on the color of my skin.

I dont have the answer, and I doubt the church will change overnight. But if the best time to address the LDS churchs systemic racism was 190 years ago, the next best time is today.

Peter Johnston is a senior at the University of Utah studying political science and Spanish. He is the host of a podcast called The Platform with Peter Johnston, which is dedicated to elevating diverse and interesting voices. His best T-shirt is red and has a big U on the front.

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Peter Johnston: Getting to 'Black Lives Matter' in the LDS Church - Salt Lake Tribune

SISTER Wives Meri Brown revealed she "tries to do better" but "blows it 10 times out of 12" as marriage to her husband crumbles.

Kody Brown's first wife has been hinting for a while that their marriage is over.

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Meri, 49, took to Instagram to share yet another cryptic quote by Maya Angelou on her Instagram story that hinted at her separation.

"Every day I try to do better. See better. Say better. Talk better. Be better. I do my best," she shared.

"And I blow it 10 times out of 12. I ask forgiveness of anyone whose feelings I may have hurt.

"I ask forgiveness of God. I forgive myself. And then I start again."

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In recent weeks, Meri hasfocused on working out, and haschanged her appearance with a new haircut and makeup.

Fans have even said the Sister Wives star is glowing.

Asourcepreviously told The Sun: To take a wedding ring off is big in polygamy. Its Meris way of saying, 'Im done.

The insider added of how her new look is a hint shes planning to leave polygamy: Her weight loss and hair cut is a good sign! Thats, Okay time for me!

Having her own life, doing fun things, finding friends is the best thing she can be doing for herself. Shes finding herself, what she wants and believes. I hope Meri wakes up and ditches this insanity.

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Kody, 51, and Meri have been open about the demise of their marriageonSister Wives, as she admitted their relationship has been pretty rocky for a while.

Kody, who is also married toJanelle, 50, andChristine, 48, andRobyn, 41, added that he regretted their union.

Their marriage seemed to begin to fall apart when Kody divorced her in 2014 to legally marry fourth and favorite wife Robyn so he could adopt her children from a previous relationship.

Who is Meri Brown from Sister Wives?

MERI Brown is one of the stars of the reality show Sister Wives - and one of Kody Brown's four wives.

She and Kody were legally married in 1990, even though they did later divorce "on paper."

At one point Meri was involved in a catfish scandal where she fell in love with another man over the Internet who ended up being a woman.

It appears that their relationship is coming to an end.

SU-ITS YOUSusanna Reid sends fans wild on Gogglebox debut in revealing leopardprint dress

LOCKDOWN DEATH?EastEnders fans spot clue Chantelle has been murdered by husband Gray

ROSS HIS NAME?Celebrity Gogglebox fans stunned as Rylans mum calls him by his real name

WHERE'S IZZY?Corrie fans confused as Izzy disappears from soap - and no-one mentions it

SOAP AND GLORYEastEnders' Shona McGarty and Louisa Lytton return to filming

S-S-SO LONGLove Island fans desperate for 'snake' Cassidy to be dumped as faces eviction

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She was then involved in a catfish scandal and fell in love with another man, who ended up being a woman.

Meri hasnt posted photos with her husband in over a year.

She evensnubbed their milestone 30th wedding anniversaryin April.

See the original post here:

Sister Wives Meri Brown says she tries to do better but blows it 10 times out of 12 as marriage to Kody c - The Sun

Escaping Polygamy is a docuseries on Lifetime which follows the work of three sisters, who were able to break free from the polygamous Kingston Clan, known as the Order. The sisters were born into the Salt Lake City-based group and since they didnt choose the lifestyle, they decided to escape. Since then, they have helped friends, relatives, or anyone looking to break free from such groups. Since the series started airing, the women have all come a long way. So, where are they at present?

Vanna Barlow broke away with her sister, Ariel, from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Their escape went off without a hitch, but Ariel soon revealed that she was pregnant. This was back in 2017, so what is Vanna doing now? Well, she is a mother as well. Vanna has a daughter and she cannot stop doting on the little girl, as you can see from her post below.

She also remains quite close to her sister, which is evident in the post below.

Finally, we know that Vanna enjoyed the beauty of Arizona a while back. You can see her post about it below.

She is moving on in life, trying to be happy with her sister and child.

Jennifer escaped from the Order by jumping out of a three-story high window. She stated it was better than being controlled by her mother and father. However, the heart wants what the heart wants, and the latest reports about Jennifer suggest that shes dating her first cousin, who is 12 years older than she is. Naturally, the unconventional relationship has raised some eyebrows, but Jennifer maintains a pretty low profile for her to be caught in the spotlight.

Jessica Christensen was engaged to her 42-year-old uncle when she was 14. Jessica was on her way to becoming his third wife but escaped with the help of her aunt. Jessica continues to fight against polygamy and highlights the abuse she faced as a child, as well as her experiences with the lifestyle. Shes now married and has three children. You can check out a family photo below.

She has a masters in social work and is quite a big foodie and fitness freak. Here a post about Vietnamese food from Jessica.

Andrea Brewer managed to escape the polygamous life and was placed in foster care thanks to her aunt. She found her role models while in school, and decided to pursue a career in law. After graduating from the Pacific Lutheran University, Andrea went on to study law at the University of Washington. She is a practicing attorney now and helps others facing the same situation. Andrea believes that she did not make it on her own, and those escaping polygamous settings need the resources to readjust to society. With that in mind, she is one of the co-founders of Hope After Polygamy. It is a non-profit seeking to provide all the opportunities that a polygamous setting cannot.

seeking mental health after leaving polygamy, in the beginning, is often in the form of our own research through "self-help" books that help us process our traumatic pasts. Click the link to see some of the books that helped us https://t.co/0MJ1aJQEqT #NationalLibraryWeek pic.twitter.com/5xtDcS78NK

Hope After Polygamy (@HopeAftPolygamy) April 11, 2019

Most recently, Brewer seems as concerned as everybody else about the coronavirus pandemic and has exercised caution as you can see from this tweet below.

Not surprised the employees and shoppers at the Orders grocery store dont wear masks even though theyve ALREADY had COVID-19 deaths. Imagine the spread as the husbands go to their wives different houses everyday https://t.co/sUAvpZKgtj

Andrea Brewer (@BrewerA_2012) June 26, 2020

Kollene Snow is not one of the original ladies on the show, but it would be remiss not to mention her. She married her second cousin when she was 16 but her husband later wanted more wives. Kollene wanted out, and she even tried to get her husband along with her. However, he chose religion over her, and since then, Kollene has become a fantastic makeup artist and esthetician. She also helps others escape polygamist families. You can check out Kollenes skills as a makeup artist below.

She seems happy in her life and is trying new things. Check out her post below.

In conclusion, all the women we see in Escaping Polygamy have found their place in life. Naturally, they cannot completely get over what happened to them, but they band together and try to help others find their footing in society. While some members have gone under the radar to an extent, others have built new careers for themselves.

Read More: Where Are Real Housewives of Miami Now?

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Escaping Polygamy: Where are They Now? Escaping Polygamy Cast Update 2020 - The Cinemaholic

SISTER Wives star Meri Brown revealed worrying doesnt get you anywhere, as she moves forward with her new life without her husband Kody.

Meri, 49, has been fueling split rumors from Kody, 51, in recent months, as she has been posting cryptic quotes and posting without her wedding ring.

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Her most recent quote posted on Thursday read: Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesnt get you anywhere.

Meri has also been posting videos of her new life on her TikTok page.

In one video, Meri revealed she is in her happy place as she paints on a canvas.

In another, she revealed she was working on some personal goal setting.

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She has also posted from her lonely walks in Flagstaff, Arizona, where the Brown family lives.

In recent weeks, Meri has focused on working out, and has changed her appearance with a new haircut and makeup.

Fans have even said the Sister Wives star is glowing.

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Asourcepreviously told The Sun: To take a wedding ring off is big in polygamy. Its Meris way of saying, 'Im done.

The insider added of how her new look is a hint shes planning to leave polygamy: Her weight loss and hair cut is a good sign! Thats, Okay time for me!

Having her own life, doing fun things, finding friends is the best thing she can be doing for herself. Shes finding herself, what she wants and believes. I hope Meri wakes up and ditches this insanity.

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Kody and Meri have been open about the demise of their marriage on Sister Wives, as she admitted their relationship has been pretty rocky for a while.

Kody, who is also married to Janelle, 50, and Christine, 48, and Robyn, 41, added that he regretted their union.

Their marriage seemed to begin to fall apart when Kody divorced her in 2014 to legally marry fourth and favorite wife Robyn so he could adopt her children from a previous relationship.

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Who is Meri Brown from Sister Wives?

MERI Brown is one of the stars of the reality show Sister Wives - and one of Kody Brown's four wives.

She and Kody were legally married in 1990, even though they did later divorce "on paper."

At one point Meri was involved in a catfish scandal where she fell in love with another man over the Internet who ended up being a woman.

It appears that their relationship is coming to an end.

SU-ITS YOUSusanna Reid sends fans wild on Gogglebox debut in revealing leopardprint dress

LOCKDOWN DEATH?EastEnders fans spot clue Chantelle has been murdered by husband Gray

ROSS HIS NAME?Celebrity Gogglebox fans stunned as Rylans mum calls him by his real name

WHERE'S IZZY?Corrie fans confused as Izzy disappears from soap - and no-one mentions it

SOAP AND GLORYEastEnders' Shona McGarty and Louisa Lytton return to filming

S-S-SO LONGLove Island fans desperate for 'snake' Cassidy to be dumped as faces eviction

She was then involved in a catfish scandal and fell in love with another man, who ended up being a woman.

Meri hasnt posted photos with her husband in over a year.

She even snubbed their milestone 30th wedding anniversary in April.

Read more:

Sister Wives Meri Brown says worrying doesnt get you anywhere as she starts new life without husband Kody - The Sun

SISTER Wives star Meri Brown continued to shade her husband, Kody, amid their suspected split following years of marital issues.

Meri, 49, has been fueling split rumors by posting without her wedding ring and by seemingly shading her husband of 30 years.

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On Tuesday, Meri posted on her Instagram Story: To make a difference in someones life, you do not have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect.

You just have to CARE.

Earlier this week, Meri posted another cryptic quote that read:"I am here. I have the courage to believe that matters.

"I have the strength to make a difference... to be different. Even with an empty hand, I have the means to give. I am free to become... to fail... to learn. I have the advantage of hope. I have the opportunity to be love... to be loved.

"I have the wisdom to know it is all a gift... all. When I make my decision on how I am going to live this day, and it is a decision, I joyfully, responsibly, gratefully, face the world and say, 'I am here.

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Meris weight loss and makeover with a new hair style has also added to the split speculation.

Asourcepreviously told The Sun: To take a wedding ring off is big in polygamy. Its Meris way of saying, 'Im done.

The insider added of how her new look is a hint shes planning to leave polygamy: Her weight loss and hair cut is a good sign! Thats, Okay time for me!

Having her own life, doing fun things, finding friends is the best thing she can be doing for herself. Shes finding herself, what she wants and believes. I hope Meri wakes up and ditches this insanity.

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Kody, 51, and Meris marriage has been on the rocks in recent years, as the two have shown less affection towards each other on the TLC series.

In 2014, Kody divorced her to marry fourth and "favorite" wife Robyn, 41, which Meri cried over on the most recent season.

She was involved in a catfish scandal and fell in love with another man, who ended up being a woman.

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During a therapy session on the recent Sister Wives episode, the couple addressed just how bad their relationship was.

Meriadmitted theirmarriage has been pretty rocky for a while."

As for Kody, he admitted that he "regretted" their union.

Kody explained on an episode: I feel like I was deceived into a relationship that was very different than what I expected.

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SU-ITS YOUSusanna Reid sends fans wild on Gogglebox debut in revealing leopardprint dress

LOCKDOWN DEATH?EastEnders fans spot clue Chantelle has been murdered by husband Gray

ROSS HIS NAME?Celebrity Gogglebox fans stunned as Rylans mum calls him by his real name

WHERE'S IZZY?Corrie fans confused as Izzy disappears from soap - and no-one mentions it

SOAP AND GLORYEastEnders' Shona McGarty and Louisa Lytton return to filming

S-S-SO LONGLove Island fans desperate for 'snake' Cassidy to be dumped as faces eviction

"Meri and I had a fast courtship with a lot of expectations and a lot of not communicating.

Meri added: The relationship he and I had, its dead, its gone, its over.

Kody is also married to Janelle, 50, and Christine, 48.

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Sister Wives Meri Brown shades husband Kody again by posting you just have to care after suspected split - The Sun

Oumou Sangar is fearless. At 52, the Malian artist has confronted kings and defied her countrys restrictive standards for women. Born in Bamako, Malis capital, shes the voice of Africa, one of the continents most venerated international stars. Her songs, which tackle polygamy and child marriage while celebrating female empowerment, were radical in the Eighties and remain so now. This Grammy-winning artist is also a powerful business leader, with dealings in the hotel industry and her own car company. For her, though, music will always come first.

I fear that my faltering French and poor phone signal might irk her, but she turns out to be unfailingly patient, even with a three-month-old baby (her granddaughter, who was born in New York) stealing her attention. Sangar and members of her family have been stuck there since lockdown measures were enforced, and she is understandably keen to get home. Yet there have been wonderful moments she enjoys cooking for the children, and listening to them play. It has been a pleasure to reconnect with this family cocoon, she says, as the baby gurgles away on her lap (see, shes introducing herself to you). Its been a decade since Ive had such a break. I think this pandemic has enabled us to bring people closer, to put solidarity back at the core of society and think more collectively.

Sangars voice has earnt her the title of Songbird of Wassoulou, after the historical region where some of Malis most important musical traditions were born. She found herself in demand when she began singing with her mother at traditional weddings and baptisms, aged five. After her debut album, 1989s Moussolou (women) was released, she signed to a record label, World Circuit, and achieved national recognition, aged 21. Melding traditional Wassoulou instruments the kamal ngoni harp, the djembe drum, the karinyan metal scraper, the calabash (percussion) with funk guitar, strings, and electronic elements, she successfully honours her heritage while sounding entirely modern.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Her new album, Acoustic, offers beautiful, stripped-down versions of the songs that appeared on her 2017 album, Mogoya (roughly translating to people today). Its as intricate an album as you could hope for; without the synths introduced by French production team ALBERT (Vincent Taurelle, Ludovic Bruni and Vincent Taeger), you realise how Sangar succeeds in celebrating tradition while embracing the modern. On dynamic opener Kamelemba, she warns against womanisers over the sharp pluck and twang of the kamele ngoni. Yere Faga, a song about suicide, takes on a more serious tone in comparison to the original and ludicrously danceable version, which featured the late Nigerian drumming legend Tony Allen.

Sangar found that the mood of the songs, and her own interpretation of them, changed dramatically by recording them in live conditions no amplification, and no headphones. We were between ourselves like a family, in our own bubble playing in front of a small audience, she says, explaining how the unplugged versions allowed more space for her voice, and for each musician. It brought something very intimate, spontaneous and natural it was all about letting go. Its raw!

Sangar performs with her band at La Cigalle, Paris, in 2018(Rex)

Sangar is still a vocal anti-polygamy campaigner, and famously once performed one of her songs about the issue in front of Mswati III, the king of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and his then-16 wives. She laughs at the memory, although she is stern when she speaks of the men themselves. Each year they [Mswati and his late father] would take a new wife, so for me this was really the right occasion to speak out about it. In 2002, Mswati III caused uproar and condemnation from Amnesty International when Zena Mahlangu, a then-18-year-old high school girl, was forced to become another of his wives. It is the worst thing you can do to a woman treat her like an object or an animal, instead of a human being, Sangar says. If the woman consents, she clarifies, she has no issue, but if the woman doesnt want to be treated this way, it isnt normal.

She feels fortunate that people have always paid attention to what she has to say its a huge privilege. Even at the beginning of her career, when she sang on the streets of Bamako about her mothers hard life, she recalls moving her audience to tears. It reflects their own living conditions, and they identify with my stories, she says. Sangar was just two years old when her father abandoned her mother, Aminata Diakit, for a second wife and emigrated to the Cte dIvoire. It was Diakit pregnant and already trying to raise Sangar and her siblings who taught Sangar how to sing, and from whom she inherited her resilient spirit. Her song, Minata Waraba (Aminata the Lioness), pays tribute to her mothers courage. My mother always gives me advice when I write my songs, she says.

Through her campaigning for womens rights, Sangar realised how music can influence change. Proudly, she lists some of the titles recognising her international work in politics and social issues: FAO Goodwill Ambassador, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France and most importantly, Malian people are still supporting me and listening to my music. She counts Bob Marley and Mama Africa herself, Miriam Makeba, among her early influences; artists who inspired her with their outspokenness and their triumph through struggle. As [Makeba] also used the Bambara language, I understood her struggle from a young age, she says. Another brave woman who continuously fought to change an unjust world.

If its emotional, people understand it, and if its rhythmic and makes you dance, people understand that too (Benoit Peverelli)

Anyone who has witnessed Sangars performances, for which she dresses in flowing, traditional robes and towering high heels, will know what a charismatic and majestic presence she is. Her voice has a transcendent quality, capable of conveying a depth of emotion a soulfulness that moves the spirit. To her, singing in those supple belts and calls comes as naturally as breathing, and its why her music connects with so many people around the world. When someone sees you play, they dont need to speak your language to understand what youre trying to say, she says. If its emotional, people understand it, and if its rhythmic and makes you dance, people understand that too. Thats the beauty of music. I sense shes keen to return to her family so I wrap things up, apologising profusely for my nervous French. Bravo, she insists, laughing away my insecurity with her warm, rich voice. Bravo.

Acoustic is out now via N Frmat

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Oumou Sangar: People dont need to speak your language to understand what youre trying to say - The Independent

In spring, they say, a young mans fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

Summer, however, is another story, especially for a kid growing up in the 60s. Especially around the Fourth of July.

Because at that time the efforts of me and my juvenile cohorts were directed towards the acquisition and detonation of firecrackers (what used to be labeled Class C fireworks) when we could get them, or crummy dime-store novelties when we couldnt.

Now Class C fireworks like polygamy, a Republican-controlled legislature and (until recently) recreational marijuana have always been illegal in Illinois. Enterprising downstate 10-year-olds like myself had to make do with the sad trinity of S fireworks novelties smoke bombs, sparklers and that most disappointing of all novelties, snakes.

That is, unless you had a connection. My connection was the uncle of a couple of my friends, who saw nothing wrong with supplying his younger kin with the occasional packet of Black Cats and bottle rockets on the down low.

Flashlight firecrackers like Black Cats, Thunder Bombs and Lady Fingers packs came anywhere from several hundred to 16 to a pack, all linked in two rows by a common fuse. Our black market connection limited us to maybe a couple 16-packs at a time, which we judiciously spent like misers in a recession.

Early on we learned how to unthread the main fuse, freeing up the individual firecrackers for solitary use. Care had to be taken lest you pull a fuse from an individual firecracker. Once removed, they were hard to put back in, and even when you could, half the time they still wouldnt work.

Even then, a small percentage of the firecrackers might not work. Youd take a firecracker, maybe stick it in a newly assembled plastic airplane model, or shove it an ant nest or prepare to throw it behind your little brother, light it and nothing happens. A dud.

This is a problem for your typical 10-year-old. Should he pick it up and chance it going off in his hand? That would be bad, because Mom would find out. But then again, you cant just leave it lying there. Because, for Gods sake, you dont want to waste it.

The remedy: step on it. And then pick it up.

Igniting duds presented another challenge. Sometimes they had a very short piece of fuse left, so short that it would probably go off before you could throw it, and then youre stuck with Mom again.

Sometimes you could expose a more fuse by pulling it out a little, but in all likelihood that still wouldnt work, and then youd be left with a fuseless, twice-stepped-on dud.

Sometimes the duds had no fuses left. You could maybe use a piece of the leftover main fuse if you hadnt already lit it and thrown it at your buddy. But even if you saved a piece, it was always too flimsy to shove back in.

Quite a quandary. The solution, of course, was taping it to another firecracker and attempting to set it off that way. Either that, or dousing with gasoline or lighter fluid which were apparently pretty easy for children to acquire back then and then lighting it.

Or you could take the gutless approach: break the dud in half and turn it into a flare.

The biggest challenge actually turned out to be the ignition source. Disposable lighters didnt exist back then, nor did long barbecue-style lighters. And getting caught with the old mans Ronson was probably an imprisonable offense.

No, we were stuck with paper matches, which could burn your fingers just as easy as sparking fuse. They were easy enough to get your hands on back then, when there was a law in America requiring adults to smoke.

Still, if you ever ran out of matches before you ran out of firecrackers, you were in big trouble.

Listening to the continuous detonation of quartersticks (or are those gunshots?) around Joliet this time of year always brings back fond memories, though I havent set off fireworks on my own now for many years.

Mostly because the noise terrifies the dog.

Plus, what would I do if one turned out to be a dud?

Bill Wimbiscus is a former editor and reporter at The Herald-News.

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Explosives training was de rigueur for children in the '60s - The Herald-News

SISTER Wives' Meri Brown has the "opportunity to be loved" after her alleged "split" from her husband of 30 years, Kody Brown.

The mother of one has been giving hints about her potential break-up from Kody and this is just the latest.

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Meri, 49, took to Instagram to post a cryptic message on her Stories which could hint at her and Kody being done for good.

In black letters, she posted a quote by Jodi Hills: "I am here. I have the courage to believe that matters.

"I have the strength to make a difference ... to be different. Even with an empty hand, I have the means to give.

"I am free to become ... to fail ... to learn. I have the advantage of hope. I have the opportunity to be love ... to be loved.

"I have the wisdom to know it is all a gift ... all.

"When I make my decision on how I am going to live this day, and it is a decision, I joyfully, responsibly, gratefully, face the world and say, 'I am here.'"

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Meri has been on a road to feeling better about herself following her possible split from Kody.

Most recently, she dazzled her fans by showing off her weight loss while promoting her clothing brand.

Followers complimentedKodys first wife after months of working out.

One follower wrote: Meri You just look like you are living your best life.

'Happy, radiant and glowing. Whatever you are doing keep doing you!

'BTW this dress looks amazing on you.

Another said: You look breathtaking!

A third fan wrote: Good on you Meri, looking so pretty and most of all happy!!!!

A fourth said: Absolutely beautiful Meri! You are glowing!

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Meri has been showing off her weight loss andmakeover in recent weeks, as she cut her hair and has been wearing more makeup.

The transformation comes after fans suspected she has left her husband and sister wivesJanelle, 50,Christine, 48, andRobyn, 41.

Meri, who shares one daughter with Kody, sparked split rumors byposting a photo without her wedding ringand sharing cryptic quotes.

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Asourcepreviously told The Sun: To take a wedding ring off is big in polygamy. Its Meris way of saying, 'Im done.

The insider added of how her new look is a hint shes planning to leave polygamy: Her weight loss and hair cut is a good sign! Thats, Okay time for me!

Having her own life, doing fun things, finding friends is the best thing she can be doing for herself. Shes finding herself, what she wants and believes. I hope Meri wakes up and ditches this insanity."

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Kody, 51, and Meris marriage has been on the rocks for years, as she has contemplated several time leaving the family on the TLC series.

In 2014, Kody divorced her to marry fourth and "favorite" wife, Robyn, which Meri cried over on the most recent season.

To add to the stress, Meri was involved in a catfish scandal and fell in love with another man, who ended up being a woman.

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On the most recentSister Wivesseason,Meriadmitted theirmarriage has been pretty rocky for a while."

Kody added that he "regretted" their union.

Most recently, the twoignored theirmilestone 30th wedding anniversary in April.

Continue reading here:

Sister Wives star Meri Brown says she has the opportunity to be loved after split from husband Kody - The Sun

A New York "throuple" have been blessed with their second baby in just three months.

The new dad of two babies, 33-year-old fuel truck driver Billy Perez is partnered up with two baby mamas, Michelle Verges, 27, and Jessica Colon, 32.

The group from Rochester in New York have been happily living together for the past six years.

But mum Michelle says their lives include tiffs over bills and household chores and people shouldn't "automatically assume every day is a sex party".

The new babies born into the throuple will have three siblings from their parents' previous relationships, according to the New York Post.

Mum Michelle, who gave birth to her baby Billy Joe in November, said her and Jessica had aimed to fall pregnant at the same time and co-ordinate a twins-like scenario.

"In an ideal world we would have fell pregnant at the same time; then the babies would be kind of like twins," she said.

Michelle, Billy and Jessica.

Jessica, Billy and Michelle have welcome two new babies in three months.

"But they still look alike and they'll be in the same year at school."

Michelle said the pair also made all their prenatal care appointments together - despite it drawing some attention in their obstetricians office.

"We went to all our appointments together, even though (Jessica) was a little bit behind my pregnancy," said Michelle.

"We want the kids to know that they're all of ours.

"They will call both of us Mum and Billy is obviously their father."

Jessica gave birth to her baby Reina on January 28, three months after Michelle.

While Michelle works as a machine operator, Jessica works for the US Postal Service.

Michelle is quick to point out being in a throuple still comes with the same grinding day to day monotony of every long term relationship.

"People automatically assume every day is a sex party," she said. "We bought a house together (and) we are just like any other couple."

Michelle, Billy and Jessica.

"We argue about bills and household chores."

Michelle said they've never argued over getting married - because polygamy is illegal in the United States.

"It's illegal for us to get married, but we would if we could!"

Michelle said she started her relationship with Billy and Jessica as friends and said she wasn't looking to join a throuple. She added she now loves it.

She warned it wasn't an arrangement for the weak hearted.

"You have to drop some of your morals by allowing another person in."

But she said Billy is a "funny, smart man" with a "good head on his shoulders".

"You have to be a king to take on two women and five kids!"

Originally published as 'Throuple' have two babies in months

Link:

Throuple have two babies in months | Chronicle - Chronicle