Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
Creative Copywriting in a Sea of Tech
Have you ever stepped into a boat and sailed out into the sea? The experience can be both exhilarating and terrifying. There are so many beautiful sights to see, but also many unknowns. What if you get lost or capsize? Can you really survive in these unknown waters? Stepping into the FinTech industry, a newly minted copywriter, was like paddling out to sea in a rowboat held together with duct tape.
Natasha CouohPublished 3 years ago in JournalLurlyne and the Amazing Technicolor Quilt Coat
My jaw hit the floor the first time I saw a quilt coat. A friend, and fellow crafter, sent me a photo of a bright and beautiful patchwork quilt made into a knee length coat. I was enraputred. How cool! How retro! How could I have lived this long without my own?!
Pamela BullockPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesGramma Lives On
When I think back on my life, and my childhood, it seems that crocheting has always been a part of it. One of my grandmother’s was a knitter, and the other a crochetter, and I remember being quite young when I was drawn to that single hook. Now, I am not so sure if it was the actual art of crocheting that enticed me, or time spent with my Gramma –side by side on the couch as she showed me how to start. I was only 9-years-old when I first felt the cool touch of that stainless steel hook; and although I spent many years making long chains, or the odd dish cloth, my skills have grown exponentially since then.
Maeple FourestPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesThe Seals of La Jolla
When I was a kid, my family used to take yearly vacations. Most of the time, we went to California. Where else would two little girls want their parents to take them? California has Disneyland and Disneyland is where all of our favorite people live. So, from the time I was three until I hit high school the four of us (eventually five of us) hit the road to the most magical place on Earth. While we were in California, we always went to San Diego for some beach time and to go to Sea World. My mom's favorite part of our trips was always going to seal beach in La Jolla just north of Sand Diego. Really it's La Jolla Cove, but it's always been seal beach to us. I'll admit, as a kid it wasn't as exciting to me. Playing in the ocean and ordering room service seemed like a much more fun time than standing around looking at seals from afar. On my most recent trip to San Diego, however, I finally got it.
Shae MorenoPublished 3 years ago in WanderWhat my Two Incomplete University Degrees Say About Me as a Person
I didn't go to university (uni) straight after I finished high school. I didn't even apply. I was one of those "gifted" kids loaded with "potential" who inevitably disappointed all of my teachers because, at 17, I didn't have a clear idea of what career I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life. Shock, right?
Jessie WaddellPublished 3 years ago in EducationWhat, Me Volunteer?
😜 I've been told that there are 135 good reasons to give blood, but for the life of me, when the tech approached me with that big-bore, suck-your-liver-out needle, humming the Flight of the Valkyrie, I couldn't think of a single one.
Paul PencePublished 8 months ago in HumorWhat My Mother Taught Me
"Ping - Ping - Ping", with a heavy baby sledge hammer in hand, my mother beats the cherry-red horseshoe into the correct shape and size until it loses its glow. "Chich" is the sound of the shoe being thrust back into the glowing coal embers of the forge, heating it up to a warm glow, for another round of hammering. Once my mother is satisfied with her customization of the horseshoe, she plunges it into a metal pail at her feet that is filled with water: "Sssssss" the metal violently hisses as a thick blanket of steam quickly rises up, engulfing my mother, to where I can barely make out the image of her wearing jeans, a worn out T-Shirt, and heavy leather apron; from my vantage point just a few feet away, as I play with one of the farm's numerous dogs.
Meko KaprelianPublished 3 years ago in Viva- Supported By: Lull
I Didn’t Know I Was Sleep Deprived Until I Tried Lull
For the past few months, I’ve been feeling completely out of sorts but couldn’t put my finger on the exact reason. The red flags were there; brain fog, grogginess, anxiety. It wasn’t until my watch-style sleep tracker spelled it out for me that I realized: I wasn’t getting enough shut-eye. On top of that, the quality of sleep I was getting ranked in the low, low digits. I know I’m not alone in the struggle to get great sleep. Sleep deprivation takes a toll on your health, happiness, and overall energy levels. In a constant virtual and homebound lifestyle, restfulness often takes a backseat to productivity. So, in an effort to upgrade my personal wellbeing and my sleep, I began the hunt for a new mattress. I was determined to get the best mattress to get the best night’s sleep possible, so I did the research and read all the reviews on the best-rated mattress options out there. All of my research kept leading me back to one brand: Lull. After reading their raving reviews and hearing about how easy the buying process was, I upgraded to an Original Lull Mattress and couldn’t be happier with my decision. Once I started sleeping on my new mattress, I knew with certainty that I was sleep deprived on my old mattress. Here’s how my experience with Lull went.
Mariam MakatsariaPublished 3 years ago in Lifehack Brooklyn or Bust: Best 5 Bars in the Borough
My Love Letter to Bed-Stuy and Down-to-Earth Dives Bedford-Stuyvesant: My neighborhood since 2019. In my short time going out here, I've found something I've never been able to fully grasp and hold onto unlike anywhere else: community and dive bars within walking distance.
Heather WhitesidePublished 3 years ago in Proof- Supported By: Lull
The Ultimate Guide to Better Sleep
Do you remember the quote that was passed around on t-shirts, plaques, and mugs that said, “You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé”? No judgment if you owned or still own an item with this quote on it. This is “hustle culture” at its finest. Although I never bought the mug, I always applied way too much pressure on myself to be busy and have some type of project brewing at all times. Over the last year, however, I’ve been challenged to rethink “the hustle” mindset and part of this process has included changing my mentality about sleep. I’ve gone from someone who used to pride themselves on not needing a lot of sleep, to now fully valuing the need for quality rest and allowing myself to be indulgent in it. It wasn’t until I upgraded to Lull that I realized what I’ve been missing out on all these years! Since sleeping on a Lull Mattress, I’ve become obsessed with getting the best sleep ever. Lucky for you, I’ve done the research to curate the ultimate guide to better sleep! Here are some tips that I practice that may help lead you on the path to healthier and more gratifying sleep habits.
Mikki HernandezPublished 3 years ago in Lifehack Hey Mumma
Hey Mumma, it's me. Feelin' a little lost, are ya, honey? Thinkin' you're gonna take off then honey? But Mumma, you know. That I'll always be okay, and that I'll come back to you one day. Chase your dreams, Mumma, that's what you say. A lesson you taught me, taught me to get me where I am today.
Belinda LongPublished 3 years ago in PoetsThe First Gay Pride Parade
At 1:20 am on June 28th, 1969, when police riots on gay bars were commonplace, the most notable uprising for LGBT rights occurred in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Undercover of night, the Stonewall Inn was stormed by police, and employees were arrested and dragged from the establishment.
No More Rain, Only Rainbows!
In December of 2018 I was diagnosed with HIV - this news changed my whole life and the trajectory of my career. I relocated to NYC because I was sacred , embarrassed and afraid of my family, friends and those who where apart of my church community finding out about my status. NYC welcomed me with open arms, immediately providing me with medication, housing, food stamps and a biweekly cash benefit to help me with personal items. I was truly overwhelmed with the support, love and care that I received and currently receiving. NYC saved my life, I was depressed, lonely, isolated from friends and family but NYC, the bronx my neighborhood and community became my family in just a short period of time.
william kellyPublished 3 years ago in PrideQueer Life vs Queer Lite
“demi- prefix 1: half 2: one that partly belongs to (a specified type or class)” (Merriam-Webster definition of demi-)
Leif Conti-GroomePublished 3 years ago in PrideBeing Gay in Ancient Greece and Rome
The Ancient Greeks and Romans had very different ideas of sexuality and gender than we do today. Bisexuality was considered the natural state for men in the Ancient World, and male homosexuality was also accepted. Unfortunately, we know very little about queer women in Ancient Greece and Rome—female queerness was mostly ignored by Greco-Roman society, except in Lesbos and Sparta. As for gender, the Greeks and Romans had some concept of a third sex and transgender priestesses were common in certain cults such as that of Cybele. However, unfortunately, just as with lesbians, we have few examples of real life trans people in Ancient Greece and Rome. Our ancient texts are awash with prominent bisexual and gay men, but unfortunately very few queer women or trans people. But here is a very incomplete list of 10 Ancient Greek and Roman LGBTQIA+ figures you need to know about.
A. Walter CoxPublished 3 years ago in PrideTo the Parents of Queer Children
PFLAG is the United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+). While it once stood for Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays, the name is now just PFLAG, to be more inclusive, and to better reflect the broader community supporting LGBTQ+ individuals (friends, extended families, teachers, clergy, etc.)
To All The Young Trans People Out There
The original letter was a local trans woman’s life story; the editor picked it because the woman was her neighbor, and she thought it interesting and meaningful. The letter detailed vast amounts of shame the writer still holds; she called herself disgusting, disfigured, in need of correction.
Searching for Sappho in Real Life
“Sweet mother, I cannot weave – slender Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl.” —Sappho Sometimes I think you’d know me if you just met eyes with me in a park. Maybe you’d be walking your dog—at least, I think you had a dog—and I’d be sitting on a park bench, mind lost to my phone, till I looked up and met your true gaze. I don’t know your eyes' color—you never told me—but maybe we’d recognize each other across the distance. Something magnetic, something that makes the stars sing at night, might join us in fate’s fine thread.
Jillian SpiridonPublished 3 years ago in Pride4 Things Consistency Kills
I'm not the best person to talk about consistency but I am the best person to talk about consistency at this time. I coupled consistency and discipline together because I hate what they both require, but love the results they produce. Consistency has long been a thorn in my heel and I had to make up my mind to rock with it no matter what was going on in my life. Here is a list of the 4 things that being consistent killed for me.
LATANYA N CHATFIELDPublished 3 years ago in Lifehack5 Lessons Everyone Could Learn from RuPaul's Drag Race
I still remember the very first time I stumbled onto an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Right before my eyes, I saw men transform into women, then lip-sync better than Ashley Simpson pre-SNL. The energy, the excitement, the pure passion was indescribable. My jaw hit the floor and this show changed my life forever. As a graduate student studying feminist literature, I wondered, “How can these men perform the female gender so well?” Needless to say, I was hooked—but I had no idea how hooked I would become.
Jules FortmanPublished 3 years ago in Pride