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Femi Oke

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A gorgeous woman shakes her body on stage ... and the crowd goes wild.

Maysoon Zayid is a disabled Arab-American comedian. I had no idea who she was when I first met her at a Washington gala. She was beautiful and stood with her hand on her hip thrust sexily to one side. When I complimented her on the pose, she said, "I'm not posing. I have cerebral palsy — I have to stand like this." My response? "I don't care! You still look hot!" We both laughed, then I went home to google her. Let me save you the trouble though, as nobody tells Maysoon's story better than she does in this taboo-tastic TED talk.

If for some bizarre reason you're so busy that you don't want to be thoroughly entertained for the next 14 minutes, check out a 20-second guide to cerebral palsy at 0:54. At 6:24, marvel at the audacity of casting agents who still think it's OK for able-bodied actors to play disabled characters. One last piece of instant gratification is at 10:48, when Maysoon is heartbreakingly honest about online trolls.


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The Classy Way To Take On People Who Hate You

I LOVE these guys. Check out what they did in New York to make people feel more comfortable about their faith.  I have to warn you though, there’s a shocking dose of reality at the end. If you’re watching at work, be sure to put on headphones at 2:44.


Heroes

Watch: An Astrophysicist Explode Live On Stage

Arizona State University, I salute you for hosting a science debate as electrifying as a rock concert.  ASU’s recent Storytelling of Science event unleashed on stage some of the biggest names from the world of science. The idea was simple — to discuss important scientific ideas with the public and whip them into a frenzy of excitement.  We join the event just when the subject of politics and space exploration came up. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson promised not to dominate the conversation, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Jerry Springer would be proud.


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This Man Is Already Homeless. Now Some Idiot Has Made Him Even More Miserable.

Meet Ronald Davis, who lives rough on the streets of Chicago. What he has to say about the way people treat him is a lesson to all of us. You may never look at a homeless person the same way again.