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How I Decided to Hike the Pacific Crest Trail
The first time I had ever experienced camping, I was six years old. I was with my family and we stayed at a state park somewhere below Houston, Texas. We played football, climbed trees, made s'mores, and slept in a gigantic seven person tent. In the mornings, I would steal Pop Tarts out of the trunk and drink cold Gatorade from an ice cooler. If we had to use the bathroom, no worries! The fully air-conditioned bathroom of the service center was a car ride away. That was what camping was to me, in the summer of my sixth year of existence.
By Niche Veraldi7 years ago in Wander
Trending Things on Amazon Every Dog Owner Should Own
When it comes to pet ownership, few animals offer as much accessorizing opportunities as man's best friend. Dogs allow you to give them cool outfits, interesting toys, specialized training classes and even have dog-related vacations for you and your favorite pet.
By Emily McCay7 years ago in Petlife
Responding to "Gamer Shaming"
Well, it's been a few years, so "Gamer Gate" has kind of blown over by now. But that's precisely why I feel a pressing need to talk about it. Because, in the thick of it, it was hard to even say "Gamer Gate" without getting tongue-lashed or even censored. Now, hopefully, since "time heals all wounds" we can sit down like reasonable adults and have a reasonable discussion about it. It's worth discussing. We shouldn't try to pretend it didn't happen just because it was ugly and tantrum-y. Both sides raised important arguments and made interesting statements about what they think the "gamer" identity is and should be. These days, to move forward as gamers, we should address the concerns of the critics of the video gaming community. I think we should do this with rational arguments, which were lost to the firebombs of virulent hostility on both sides I witnessed a few years ago.
By Tron Kurosawa7 years ago in Gamers
All Hail The Robot Overlords
Elon Musk thinks that we are on the brink of a Robopocalypse. With machine learning making leaps and bounds, it is easy to understand his fear. We’ve had warnings enough since Asimov’s day that as artificial intelligence outpaces our own ability to learn, it will become increasingly hard for us to control it. In the same way that our motivations are foreign and incomprehensible to the dogs and cats that we keep as pets, an artificial intelligence would desire things that we cannot begin to understand.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy7 years ago in Futurism
My Carnivore and I
Being vegan can be a struggle. Never mind buying and preparing food for yourself, what about your beloved, carnivorous, significant other? I witnessed this battle between my brother and sister-in-law; he ate bacon everyday (livin' the dream) and she was vegan. She would cook his meals and then prepare her own. Now, she is nearing the end of a 6 year battle as my brother has almost completely transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. I am at the beginning of my own battle. I have no desire to change my boyfriend's ways, he can do that on his own if he so chooses, but what is he open to eating? How do I afford it? How do I manage my time? Is the only option to buy double the food and spend double the time? No one has time for that. I've developed skills in feeding my carnivore, and hopefully, they can help you feed yours!
By Lynne Schabhetl7 years ago in Feast
Daughter Lost
When I found out I was pregnant with my now 12 year old daughter Hannah I was overjoyed. Her father and I didn't have a lot of money and were concerned about how we would care for her. I also already had another child from a previous relationship.
By Stephanie Norman7 years ago in Psyche
Lenses For Your Smartphone
With technology advancing and the 21st Century being known as the Social Media Era, it’s no surprise that smartphones are being equipped with cameras that take phenomenal photos. But is using just the phone’s camera enough? Maybe…depending on what type of smartphone you have. This is why I’m glad that companies like Olloclip, Lenzii, and Aukey have developed and came out with a smartphone’s best companion—portable lenses.
By Yvette Cordova7 years ago in 01
The Story of a "Prison Wife"
In the photo above, what do you see? Some would see it as a couple overcoming a task together. Perhaps she couldn't quite make the climb on the rock so she's looking to her partner for support. She has his support as he pulls her up but, if she slips, she could land up bringing them both down. This, like anything in life that involves 2 people requires trust, especially in a relationship. But what if your relationship isn't like anyone else's? Say, for instance, your significant other is incarcerated?
By Sarah Toto7 years ago in Humans
If You Experience Excessive Sweating, You May Suffer from Hyperhidrosis
What is normal sweating? Under normal conditions, the human body sweats between 0.8 to 1.4 litres per hour during a good exercise or strenuous work. Sweat does more than a few good things for our body.
By Andrea Dawson7 years ago in Longevity
Traffic Tips for the Meek
So you made it to work today. You are alive and in one piece. You should be proud. Bonus points for not getting a scratch which would have ruined that second coat of wax the detailer charged you an extra twenty dollars for; you can't see it but apparently others will and isn't that what counts the most?
By Tom Szostak7 years ago in Wheel
Every Single Day...
I see them every single day. They come from all forms of life, from the business suit to the city workers on lunch. They walk into the business next door to my office. I can always tell when they have placed an ad in the local online classifieds because the flow is much heavier. On an average day, they come in every 30 minutes to an hour in almost a uniform fashion. Not once have I ever seen a female walk in the door, not once in the last six months.
By Shae Lynn Sanders7 years ago in Filthy
Movie Review: Blue Velvet (1986)
This is essentially what we all worry suburban America will be like to visit, even now; slightly odd, over-the-top and addictive. The narrative is staunch and absurd, but regardless to our pre-conceptions and hearsay about this famous flick, it only reinforces the opinion that Lynch is a master of film.
By GrandMovTarkin .7 years ago in Geeks
Tips for Staying Afloat in the Saturated Ecommerce Market
According to an eMarketer report, e-commerce sales are expected to grow to $4.058 trillion in 2020. This indicates enormous potential of this market, and it is obvious that everyone will want a piece of the cake. Will you?
By Carolin Petterson7 years ago in Journal
For Those Who "Don't See Color"
Welcome to your alternate universe, where up is down and down is hate. It would be ignorant of me to not touch on this particular subject, especially considering what's happening in the United States. From "building a wall" to the immigration ban, it seems that the theme for 2017 is white power. Where Democracy once reigned, some countries like Greece or Hungary are now reveling in what they call "nationalism" but we all know it by its old name: fascism. It is now seen as freedom of expression to be outwardly hateful to other human beings based solely on the fact that some people cannot accept the fact that the landscape of the world is now changing. Welcome to 2017, where the need for a Martin Luther King or Gandhi has never felt more needed than now...
By Claire Beauvoir7 years ago in The Swamp
Women in the Edwardian and Interwar Era
The Edwardian era began with the death of Queen Victoria on January 21st, 1901 and the accession of her son, Edward VII in 1902. Victoria reigned for 64 years, most of the nineteenth century which was a period of great social reform. Industrialization had created vast wealth, which was in the hands of a small minority of the population. Though the middle class was growing in industrialized countries, a significant portion of the population, those who worked in the factories which made the rich wealthy and gave the middle class the comforts they enjoyed, lived in extreme poverty. Poverty leads to many other social problems. The reform movements which sought to solve these problems often had women playing large roles. These reform movements paved the way for the social change of the twentieth century, which allowed for the emergence of some of the most remarkable, and notorious, women in history.
By Rachel Lesch7 years ago in Viva
Women's Health Organizations You Need to Know
Women's health has been under attack for the past decade, and it's really beginning to show in more ways than one. Unfortunately, many women are finding it harder and harder to actually get the healthcare they need.
By Stephanie Gladwell7 years ago in Viva
Best Books about Overlooked Women in History
Rosa Parks. Amelia Earhart. Cleopatra. Jackie Kennedy. Joan of Arc. These are just a few names on the long list of women who have unequivocally changed the course of history through their work, talent, beauty, or courage. And yet, this long list of names is immeasurably shorter than its male-centric counterpart. Over time society has been and continues to work toward gender equality; still, there are too many stories of feminine fierceness untold. While the world was busy lauding history's great men, there were women reaching equally laudable achievements, but the world wasn't ready to listen. It's time to give the long overdue recognition to some of the many women overlooked by history.
By Rachel G. David7 years ago in Viva
How to Stop the Red Pill Phenomenon from Spreading
Among feminists, there is a strong call to stop the Red Pill phenomenon from spreading. If you don't know what the Red Pill is, it's an internet community known for misogyny and telling men to emotionally abuse women to bed them. It has been linked with advocating for rape under the guise that "all women have rape fantasies."
By Chelsea Kendrick7 years ago in Viva