Snoring became a problem for Obediya Jones-Darrell, a 38-year-old artist and acupuncturist in Vancouver, Canada, in college.

“I would spend long hours on campus studying in the library. I would fall asleep, and then wake up from hearing a loud noise,” he says. “I think other students in the library were waking me up on purpose because I was snoring.”

Jones-Darrell soon noticed that the quality of his sleep was being affected — he didn’t feel rested in the morning and had stopped remembering his dreams — so he sought help from his family doctor and was diagnosed with sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that can obstruct breathing during sleep and cause snoring.

A CPAP machine ― a mask worn at night to help ensure continued breathing ― stopped the snoring, but Jones-Darrell still wasn’t remembering dreams. So he decided to look for a complementary alternative anti-snoring treatment.

To his surprise, his research revealed that many people have reported improvements in snoring after learning to play the didgeridoo, a wooden wind instrument played by indigenous Australians.

“To play this instrument,” Jones-Darrell explains, “you need to learn how to do circular breathing,” which is a technique used by wind instrument-playing musicians to keep a continuous tone and requires the player to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth at the same time.

“I would go to a park close to my house and practice playing the instrument. After 45 minutes of circular breathing, my throat and mind felt very relaxed. I slept much better, and I had vivid dreams again,” he says. “I think the didgeridoo reconnected me with the person I lost when I started using the CPAP,” though he continues to use the two treatments in tandem.

As far-fetched as this may seem to some, experts agree that circular breathing can help ease or even eliminate snoring, and research has found that playing the didgeridoo helps to strengthen throat muscles and reduce snoring.

A 2006 study published by The British Medical Journal found that among a control group — of mostly men around age 50 — playing the didgeridoo for about 25 minutes per day six days per week correlated with a significant reduction in daytime sleepiness. And while the study participants didn’t note much difference in the quality of their sleep, the partners of the didgeridoo players reported far fewer nighttime disruptions (i.e., less snoring).

Dr. Emerson Wickwire, director of the insomnia program and assistant professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says he has seen positive results with snoring patients who learn to play the didgeridoo.

“Singing, tongue and throat exercises, and even the didgeridoo have been shown to reduce snoring,” he says. He cautions, however, that it’s critical to get properly diagnosed and treated by your family doctor or an ear, nose and throat specialist if you’re suffering from snoring.

“Snoring takes place when there is too much air forced through a small airway, causing vibration; this is the same reason that a kazoo or saxophone makes noise,” he explains, but over time, the vibration can lead to swelling and tissue damage in the throat that can, in turn, cause the potentially fatal condition of obstructive sleep apnea. 

In short, says Wickwire, even though the didgeridoo can help, seeking a professional opinion is a critical first step to easing snoring, a symptom of a potentially bigger problem. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but it’s important to get checked out.

Darrell-Jones agrees, noting that what worked for him won’t work for everyone. He says, however, that he’d recommend anyone who’s been prescribed a CPAP machine look into holistic remedies to complement the doctor’s orders.

“I think the medical solution addresses how your body works,” he says. “But a holistic approach is all about your whole body getting the treatment it needs to improve your quality of life.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Growing up in New York, Alexis Michelle aspired to be a Broadway star. As is the case for many aspiring thespians, however, Michelle would make a few detours while pursuing a career on the stage.

What she couldn’t have predicted, however, was that one of those detours would turn out to be her lucky break. The 32-year-old performer landed a coveted spot on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” after eight grueling auditions – and, true to form, is bringing her love of Broadway to the show’s ninth (and current) season.

“A career in theater has always been the end game for me, and doing drag has always been a natural accompaniment,” Michelle, whose real name is Alex Michaels, told HuffPost. “I’ve always considered myself an actor first.”

Of course, Michelle hasn’t been shy about showcasing her theatrical chops on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” At the VH1 show’s March 7 premiere party in New York, she performed “All That Jazz” from “Chicago” with the full Bob Fosse choreography and a host of backup dancers. On May 16 and June 13, Manhattan theatergoers will get a chance to witness Michelle’s Broadway belt for themselves when she takes to the stage of Feinstein’s/54 Below. (Get a sneak peek at the show in the video above.) 

“It Takes A Woman… An Evening with Alexis Michelle,” which opened in January, sees its titular star tackling a bevy of Broadway classics, including songs from “Cabaret,” “La Cage aux Folles” and “Company,” among other musicals. Other highlights of the show, which features musical direction by Brandon James Quinn, include a Barbra Streisand medley and a sultry “Sooner or Later,” which was performed by Madonna in 1990’s “Dick Tracy.”

“To me, the real beauty of theater and Broadway has always been about storytelling – taking people out of their daily lives. I fell in love with theater when I was 5 years old,” Michelle said. When it came to choosing material for “It Takes A Woman,” she added, “Theater has the power and, perhaps more now than ever, a responsibility to tell a story that is relevant to the world right now. I tried to think about things that I’ve been through that are universal.”

Michelle said she enjoys her newfound “RuPaul’s Drag Race” visibility, but her stint almost didn’t happen. After seven unsuccessful auditions for the show, she said she was planning to apply to culinary school in 2016 before she decided to give “Drag Race” one final shot.

“The best I can do – as a gay man, a queer performer and a drag queen – is live my life honestly, openly and authentically, and let that authenticity be reflected in my performances.”

“I was at a real crossroads at this time last year… I came very close to not auditioning again. I just hadn’t seen the kind of returns financially that I needed in order to sustain [drag] as a career,” Michelle recalled. “I said to myself, ‘If this doesn’t really pick up and become your career for real, you need to go to culinary school.”

Her eighth audition, however, turned out to be the charm. “I just took a stance that was more ‘This is me. Take it or leave it. I’ve got nothing to lose,’ rather than trying to say something I thought they wanted to hear,” she said. “I just had to present myself as honestly and as straightforward as I could, and to trust that there was value in that.”

As Michelle gears up for the final two shows of her four-night Feinstein’s/54 Below run, she said she feels “very lucky” to be establishing a career in drag at a time when many queer people are facing an uncertain future. President Donald Trump’s rise to power has left Michelle “very charged up” both personally and professionally. “I’m trying to figure out the best way to make my voice heard for the things I believe in,” she said.

“The best I can do – as a gay man, a queer performer and a drag queen – is live my life honestly, openly and authentically, and let that authenticity be reflected in my performances,” she said. “I really do believe that if we all live authentically, that behavior in and of itself has the power to change the world. It’s something that everybody can do. Right now that’s my plan of attack.”

Alexis Michelle stars in “It Takes A Woman… An Evening with Alexis Michelle” at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York on May 16 and June 13. Head here for details. 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

“Blade Runner” went from box-office bust to sci-fi hallmark. Thirty-five years later, the trailer for the sequel, “Blade Runner 2049,” has descended upon Earth.

Ridley Scott, the director of the 1982 original, began working on a follow-up in 2009, but he eventually handed the reins to Denis Villeneuve, who made “Arrival” and “Prisoners.” Villeneuve cast Ryan Gosling as an LAPD officer who, 30 years after the events of “Blade Runner,” tracks down the long-missing Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford, reprising his role) to investigate a “secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos,” according to Fox’s plot synopsis. The new trailer doesn’t divulge many specifics, but it does introduce Jared Leto and Robin Wright into the fold. 

“Blade Runner 2049” opens Oct. 6.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Milo Yiannopoulos claims he will self-publish his book Dangerous after his comments about pedophilia forced publishing giant Simon & Schuster to drop its deal with the alt-right figure. He announced the news late last month over Facebook.

In a separate message posted Saturday, Yiannopoulos stated he plans to sue the publisher for $10 million to “send a message.”

“We are going to make publishers, professors and journalists who threaten free speech famous ― and ashamed,” he wrote.

The former Breitbart editor said Dangerous will be the first project under his new umbrella, Dangerous Books, an endeavor made for those whose work might otherwise be determined unpublishable. 

(Bear in mind: Even President Donald Trump’s last book, titled Great Again: How to Fix Crippled America, was deemed publishable by a major imprint.)

His original deal with Simon & Schuster was canceled in February. Although Yiannopoulos has a history of controversial comments ― he once equated feminism to “cancer” and led the charge on the racist, troll-fueled harassment of comedian Leslie Jones over Twitter ― it wasn’t until he made a comment seemingly condoning pedophilia that the publisher pulled the plug. 

He lost a major speaking gig, and and his job at Breitbart, the same week. 

“This will not defeat me,” Yiannopoulos said at the time. Shortly after, HuffPost observed that, while his message had been invalidated by trusted outlets, the controversial character would likely self-publish his work anyway. Now, he’s announced just that.

Self-publishing is a popular route for writers who are unable to find a traditional home for their books. But the market is “challenging,” Mark Coker, founder of ebook distributor Smashwords, said in a January interview with Publisher’s Weekly, due to the “flood of titles that have entered the ebook space.”

“I’m going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo.”
Milo Yiannopoulos

Yiannopoulos said he will release Dangerous after touring campuses under Milo, Inc., a new media venture centered on live events. The self-proclaimed supporter of free speech said in a statement that he will focus on “making the lives of journalists, professors, politicians, feminists, Black Lives Matter activists, and other professional victims a living hell.”

The First Amendment, of course, protects the freedom of speech, but also the freedom of the press.

According to Vanity Fair, Yiannopoulos claims to be supported by a $12 million investment from anonymous backers. And, he says he personally has access to “all the funniest, smartest, most interesting young YouTubers.”

“I’m going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo,” he said. “The generation that’s coming up […] They love us. They love me.”

type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related… + articlesList=58ab6c0fe4b0f077b3ed21c4,58ac83fbe4b0e784faa20f26,586fbbc0e4b099cdb0fcc4fe

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

An important and compelling project from Colorado-based photographer Rachael Zimmerman is bringing together lesbian-identifying women from different walks of life in order to demonstrate the vast diversity of the lesbian community.

“Inside The Black Triangle” draws its name from the symbol people demonstrating asocial or atypical behavior were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps ― including lesbians. Zimmerman felt that this project is necessary to contribute to a conversation surrounding “gender hierarchy” in the lesbian community and highlight the variety and diverse array of experiences among lesbian women.

“I hope that the audience can see that a lesbian can look any way, be any nationality, race and believe any religion she pleases,” Zimmerman told HuffPost. “It’s time to break away from stereotypes and start treating each other equally. We must set positive examples for society. It’s truly remarkable how far the community has come to be accepted. The fight is not over; it’s critical to be visible and proud.”

After photographing and interviewing 100 women, Zimmerman plans to turn “Inside The Black Triangle” into a coffee table book. Head here for more information on the project, and check out some of the women who’ve already been featured in the series below.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The 42nd president of the United States is about to add another impressive accolade to his resume: thriller writer.

Next summer, Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and Co. will co-publish a novel called The President is Missing, written by best-selling author James Patterson, and, yes, Bill Clinton.

According to the AP, “it will be informed by insider details that only a president can know […] The publication will be the President’s first novel and the novelist’s first collaboration with a president.”

Clinton’s previous books include Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy and Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. Patterson’s popular series include the “Women’s Murder Club” and “Alex Cross,” as well as “NYPD Red” and “BookShots,” the latter of which is centered on super-short thrillers that are 150 pages or less.

Patterson has also written six nonfiction books, including last year’s Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy.

“Working with President Clinton has been the highlight of my career, and having access to his firsthand experience has uniquely informed the writing of this novel,” Patterson explained in a statement. “I’m a storyteller, and President Clinton’s insight has allowed us to tell a really interesting one. It’s a rare combination — readers will be drawn to the suspense, of course, but they’ll also be given an inside look into what it’s like to be president.”

Clinton added in the same press release, “Working on a book about a sitting president — drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House and the way Washington works — has been a lot of fun. And working with Jim has been terrific. I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time.”

The duo will go on a national book tour together when The President is Missing is released next June. We can’t wait.

type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related… + articlesList=5908c45fe4b05c3976836b19,59023ac2e4b0026db1df91a9,590209e7e4b081a5c0fb7bbf,5907a3f8e4b05c3976819069,58f90908e4b06b9cb914f0cb

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Mother’s Day is drawing near, which means it’s time for brunch, sweet but useless kid crafts, and, if you’re lucky, some much-needed alone time. 

In honor of the holiday, here are 10 comics that sum up the reality of Mother’s Day. 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Ca.) was greeted with a standing ovation when she walked onstage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday.

The congresswoman ― who has drummed up strong support among millennials over the past few months for her activism ― was introduced by actress Tracee Ellis Ross, who took a moment to thank Waters for speaking out against hate in America. 

“Thank you for your work, thank you for your voice and how you use it and thank you for being an extraordinary example for all of us, especially in these times,” Ross said as she stood beside Waters onstage. 

Together, Ross and Waters presented the night’s Best Fight Against the System award, with the politician reminding the audience that everyone has a role in making society better. 

“Artists, actors, singers and citizens have a unique opportunity, the ability to speak out and inspire change,” Waters said.

“Honest and well-told stories lead to important discussions, they lead to understanding and they lead to changed nations,” Ross added.

The two women announced Taraji P. Henson as the winner for her role in the blockbuster film “Hidden Figures.” Henson starred in the movie with Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, bringing widespread recognition to three brilliant black women who worked at NASA and helped put the first American into orbit. 

“No one ever told me that girls couldn’t do math and science, but there was an understanding, right?” Henson said as she accepted her award. “There was an understanding that it was for boys. I remember getting this script [and] being very upset because I felt like a dream was stolen from me, and it became my mission, and everyone’s mission who was involved with this film, to dispel that myth, that another young girl would not grow up thinking that her mind wasn’t capable of grasping math and science.”

Henson left the crowd with one last important thought. 

“The message of the movie is togetherness,” Henson said. “I hate the separateness. I hate that it’s man versus woman, black versus white, gay versus straight. Whatever. We’re all humans, right?” 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

On Monday morning at 5:14 a.m., President Donald Trump tweeted a message that reads: “Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council.” 

Only Trump didn’t really mean council, an assembly or meeting for consultation or discussion. Rather, he meant counsel, a lawyer appointed to advise and represent in legal matters. 

It didn’t take long for everyone’s favorite progressive dictionary, Merriam-Webster, to kindly point out the error. 

Even Merriam-Webster seems to be growing tired of correcting the Trump administration for their various assaults on the English language.

The snarky Twitter account attached to the dictionary has schooled the U.S. president on his misspellings in the past. It’s even checked others in his circle, informing Kellyanne Conway of the definition of “feminism” and illuminating the meaning of “complicit” for Ivanka Trump.

Words matter. Thankfully, Merriam-Webster will speak for language when language cannot speak for itself, one bold tweet at a time. 

type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related… + articlesList=590a0966e4b0bb2d087448d4,59021414e4b081a5c0fb9b77,58077a96e4b0b994d4c2c33f,5899808fe4b09bd304bd52a1,583db89de4b06539a78a864c

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

In April, America celebrates National Poetry Month. From June to August, beach reads occupy long summer days. Nestled nicely between, there’s another seasonal celebration of literature: National Short Story Month.

Short stories ― works of fiction that are smaller than a breadbox, but bigger than a double haiku ― are too often overlooked by book buyers and those responsible for literary awards. But the entire month of May is dedicated to the form, so it’s as good a time as any to dip into the huge body of good work available online.

Below are some of our favorites, from both emerging and established writers.

1. “Three Friends in a Hammock” by April Ayers Lawson

Three women observe a party and reflect on their relationships with one another. This story was later published in her collection Virgin: And Other Stories.

Read it at Granta.

 

2. “The 37” by Mary Miller

Anthologized in Miller’s recent collection Always Happy Hour, this story follows a girl trying to get home to see her mother in Mississippi. 

Read it at Joyland.

 

3. “Mandatory Carry” by Caleb March

Part of Motherboard’s fiction project highlighting inventive takes on near-future scenarios, March’s story, as its title implies, is set in a world where carrying a gun is not only legal ― it’s required. 

Read it at Terraform.

4. “Hall of Small Mammals” by Thomas Pierce

From Pierce’s collection of the same title, “Hall of Small Mammals” follows a man on a trip to the zoo with his girlfriend’s preteen son. 

Read it at LitHub.

 

5. “Sports Night” by Rebecca Schiff

From her collection The Bed Moved, Schiff’s “Sports Night” centers on a teen reporter who’s disenchanted with the performance of ambition the job entails. 

Read it at Catapult.

 

6. “You Are Happy?” by Akhil Sharma

A boy observes his mother’s decent into alcoholism in Shamra’s story, which will appear in his collection out this summer. 

Read it at The New Yorker.

 

7. “Settling” by Jenny Zhang

A girl named Lillian fixates on a childhood classmate who seems ― according to her social media posts, anyway ― to have found an enviable partner. Zhang’s first book of fiction, Sour Heart, is out this summer. 

Read it at Lenny Letter.

 

8. “Jackalope Run” by CJ Hauser

Hauser’s “short short” centers on a woman’s friendship with a restaurant owner in Connecticut. 

Read it at Hobart.

 

9. “You Are Here” by Victoria Lancelotta

A teenage couple flees to a motel equipped with junk food and a hope that they can raise their baby there ― or somewhere else beyond their small town. 

Read it at Gettysburg Review.

10. “A Hundred and Twenty Muscles” by Rachel Heng

In another great work of flash fiction, a young girl plays with her class pet ― a rabbit named Domino ― a little too violently. 

Read it at The Offing.

 

11. “A Bruise the Size and Shape of a Door Handle” by Daisy Johnson

Collected in Johnson’s new book Fen, this story follows a girl, Salma, who moves in with her father after her mother’s death. 

Read it at American Short Fiction.

 

12. “The Drownings” by Brenda Peynado

When a new girl, Rosa, comes to town, it sets off a series of drownings and near-drownings. 

Read it at The Masters Review.

 

13. “Rag” by Maryse Meijer

Maryse Meijer’s first short story collection, Heartbreaker, came out last summer. “Rag,” which isn’t in that collection, is narrated by a weapon a man uses to kill a woman. 

Read it at Paper Darts.

 

14. “We Are Other People Tonight” by T Kira Madden

A couple visits Boca Raton for their anniversary and absurdity unfolds. Madden’s first book ― a memoir ― is coming out in 2019. 

Read it at Midnight Breakfast.

 

15. “The Girl I Hate” by Mona Awad

“The Girl I Hate” is from Awad’s connected stories, “13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl,” and explores jealousy between two women who met at work. 

Read it at Post Road Magazine.

type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related… + articlesList=5900d071e4b0af6d718acee0,58ffc5bae4b00bba16f99d4b,58fe712ae4b018a9ce5ddd7b,58fe3337e4b00fa7de167a54,58f52421e4b0da2ff862749f

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.