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17 pins with feminist messages to totally boost your confidence.

Wildfang wants to give you a confidence boost.

Fashion brand Wildfang wants to fix the self-esteem issues that come from the way women and girls are marketed to.

The fashion industry gets a lot of grief for its contribution to girls' self-esteem issues. Rather than tear women down through guilt- and envy-driven marketing campaigns centered on achieving a heteronormative, cisnormative version of an ideal self, Wildfang's goal is to "liberate menswear," freeing it from gendered boundaries, and catering to tomboy style. It's a fiercely feminist brand with a fun sense of style.

In early August 2016, the company decided to take the self-esteem deficit head-on. Joining with I Am That Girl, another organization dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls, they'd spread a message of self-acceptance, love, and confidence.

Together, they launched the #YouGotThis pin collection.

The #YouGotThis pins are inspired by quotes from 17 inspiring women in the worlds of sports, politics, music, entertainment, and activism.

"We wanted to work with a group of women [who] embodied strength and confidence and who inspired us personally," Wildfang CEO Emma McIlroy wrote in an email.

Photo by Wildfang.

"We asked each influencer to think about a time that they were really nervous or had self-doubt and tell us what helped give them a confidence boost in that moment. Some women told us about a family member, for others it was a song or a quote. We then worked with an amazing artist, Chelsea Snow, to translate their stories into pin designs. Each pin is designed to give you a little confidence boost when you need it most."

With all profits going to I Am That Girl, the pins offer wearers a way to give themselves a bit of a confidence boost while supporting a group helping others do the same.

Below are the 17 pins, along with the quote that inspired each design.

1. Emmanuelle Chriqui: Actress, star of "Entourage"

"Sometimes confidence comes from within and sometimes it comes from people who've had your back since day one. #LoveYouDad"

Photo by Wildfang.

2. Amanda Seyfried: Actress, star of "Mamma Mia!" and "Les Misérables"

"Sometimes you have to turn up the volume to drown out the noises around you, listen to yourself, and learn to shine your own way."

Photo by Wildfang.

3. Evan Rachel Wood: Actress, musician, star of HBO's upcoming "Westworld"

"There is always more than meets the eye — even the sweetest looking things can pack a big punch."

Photo by Wildfang.

4. Kelly Sotherton: British heptathlete, Olympic bronze medalist

"When you're in the middle of competition, sometimes you have to give yourself a little pep-talk reminder that even when it hurts like hell, stay focused and keep your eye on the prize."

Photo by Wildfang.

5. Kelly Sue Deconnick: Comic book writer, co-creator of "Bitch Planet"

"Inspired by the personal mantra 'Glow little shark glow,' we all need the occasional reminder to sharpen our fangs and glow get it."

Photo by Wildfang.

6. Khalida Popal: Athlete, former Afghanistan women's national soccer team captain

"Make noise, ask for what you want, be the voice for voiceless. Remember: No one gives you your rights, you have to stand up and take them."

Photo by Wildfang.

7. Lynn Gunn: Musician, lead singer of Pvris

"Whether it's a sweat sesh or a jam sesh, we all have our 'pre-show' rituals to get us amped up before we hit the stage ... or the court ... or the office."

Photo by Wildfang.

8. Masha Alyokhina: Musician, member of punk rock band Pussy Riot, political activist

"This is a reminder to stand up for what is right and never let your truth be silenced."

Photo by Wildfang.

9. Abby Wambach: Highest all-time U.S. women's national soccer team scorer, two-time Olympic gold medalist

"'Cause failure is just another word for 'I'm gonna come back and crush it next time.'"

Photo by Wildfang.

10. Monique Coleman: Triple threat, star of Disney's "High School Musical," philanthropist

"Toss out that measuring tape and quit comparing yourself to others — it's your uniqueness that makes you rad."

Photo by Wildfang.

11. Sonia O'Sullivan: 5,000-meter runner, former world champion, and Olympic silver medalist

"Magic happens when hard work meets opportunity. Hustle hard and leap when the moment arises because it's now or never."

Photo by Wildfang.

12. Stacy London: Stylist, co-host of "What Not to Wear"

"Whether it's your I-look-fierce-as-hell leather jacket or a bold red lip, we all have our go-to piece of badass-babe armor that makes us feel ready to take on the world."

Photo by Wildfang.

13. Taylor Schilling: Actress, star of "Orange Is the New Black"

"It takes a real tough cookie to know that sometimes you have to risk big to win big."

Photo by Wildfang.

14. Vanessa Torres: Professional skateboarder, first woman to win the X-Games

"Pay homage to the OG babes who paved the way for us. When in doubt, ask yourself: 'What would Grambo do?'"

Photo by Wildfang.

15. Creusa: I Am That Girl ambassador

"Sometimes words just aren't enough. That's why someone invented hugs. Carry a supply with you at all times. #HugLife"

Photo by Wildfang.

16. Niki: I Am That Girl ambassador

"Every great adventure starts by saying yes. Can I get a hell-yeah!?"

Photo by Wildfang.

17. Jolie: I Am That Girl ambassador

"Because speaking up isn't about putting others down. Remember we are all in this crazy thing called life together."

Photo by Wildfang.

These pins might be small, but given how rough society can be on young women, their messages can mean a lot.

A 2012 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that girls ages 12 to 15 are three times more likely to experience a depressive episode than boys. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that 90% of eating disorders involve girls and women age 12 to 25.

Photo by Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images.

Are girls and women simply more naturally predisposed to depression or eating disorders than their male counterparts? Not likely. The reason for such a disparity between young men and women in these categories probably has more to do with societal standards of beauty and other expectations than it does biology.

Man, woman, both, neither, or something else entirely, we could all use a little boost every once in a while. Good on Wildfang and I Am That Girl for bringing a bit more confidence into the world.

Science

MIT’s trillion-frames-per-second camera can capture light as it travels

"There's nothing in the universe that looks fast to this camera."

Photo from YouTube video.

Photographing the path of light.

A new camera developed at MIT can photograph a trillion frames per second.

Compare that with a traditional movie camera which takes a mere 24. This new advancement in photographic technology has given scientists the ability to photograph the movement of the fastest thing in the Universe, light.

The actual event occurred in a nano second, but the camera has the ability to slow it down to twenty seconds.

time, science, frames per second, bounced light

The amazing camera.

Photo from YouTube video.

 For some perspective, according to New York Times writer, John Markoff, "If a bullet were tracked in the same fashion moving through the same fluid, the resulting movie would last three years."


In the video below, you'll see experimental footage of light photons traveling 600-million-miles-per-hour through water.

It's impossible to directly record light so the camera takes millions of scans to recreate each image. The process has been called femto-photography and according to Andrea Velten, a researcher involved with the project, "There's nothing in the universe that looks fast to this camera."

(H/T Curiosity)


This article originally appeared on 09.08.17

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Pop Culture

Woman who moved to Italy lists the most basic human needs Americans now have to pay for

Remember when these things used to be free? They still are in some places.

Representative image from Canva

If you're feeling like everything is just out of reach, you're not alone.

How many times have you, or someone in your circle, made this joke:

“I can’t seem to go outside without spending money!”

But, as with many jokes, there’s some dark truth layered in. Life just feels a little hard right now for many of us when it comes to finances. And one person has hit the nail on the head as to why. Spoiler alert: it probably has nothing to do with anyone being lazy.

Amber Cimiotti, a mom of two and expat living in Italy, begins her video by noting how America has removed naturally occurring activities like “exercise, talking to friends, connecting with people, spending time with our kids,” from everyday life. And so now, Americans only have access to these very necessary things if they are able to pay for them.

For example—let’s talk about exercise. Cimiotti notes how "there's not many places, neighborhoods, and cities where it's super easy to walk everywhere, where you can get a lot of natural exercise, whether it's walking to and from your house or to the grocery stores. This just doesn't exist for most people now, so you have to wake up earlier on your lunch break or after work; you have to go to the gym so you can get in your exercise." Which means someone has to have anywhere between $40 to upwards of $300+ a month to invest in their physical health in this way.

Next up—mental health resources, primarily in the form of real conversations in a supportive community. Cimiotti says “people are meant to share their struggles, their stories, everyday, constantly. And we’re not doing that. And what do you see happening? Nowadays, everybody needs a therapist. Yes, therapy is needed for some things but most people just need to be talking to people way more. And I don’t mean like trolling on the internet.”

Also—child care. "There used to be kids running around neighborhoods all the time. Parents didn't have to pay all this extra money to do activities so their kids can be involved in things; parents didn't have to drive all over the place... But now that doesn't exist. So we do need to pay for activities,” Cimiotti says.

Lastly—food. “Eating healthy food in America is a part-time job, if not a full-time job…it would all be so much easier if we just had healthy food in general.” I don’t think Cimiotti needs to convince anyone here that quality food (food in general, really) is definitely not accessible for many folks, and high prices are at least partially to blame.

“The point is when things don’t happen naturally in your day and you need to take extra energy to achieve basic things like healthy food, exercise, talking to friends, which helps regulate emotions and things like that…when you have to build those into therapy sessions, exercise sessions, hobbies, reading 17 books…of course you’ll be tired,” Cimiotti concludes with a big sigh.

@ciaoamberc #america #culture #family #friends #parenting #society ♬ original sound - Ciao AmberC

Down in the comments, people seemed to really resonate with what Cimiotti had to say.

One reader commented, “I’m totally convinced that a lot of therapy effects could be achieved by processing time with an array of friends in different stages of life. Which isn’t possible to mutually schedule like therapy.”


And while Cimiotti’s video might be sobering, she tells Buzzfeed that her hope is it can lead to more conversations that “help lead to a change.”

Judging by some of the viewer reactions, it seems she’s succeeded, at least in helping people not blame themselves for their challenges. One person shared, “It’s so validating to hear cause I feel like I never have enough time to just live well and not be completely exhausted and have space left to do fun stuff!”

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Education

Expert says there's only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what's being washed

Straight from Patric Richardson, the "Laundry Guy" himself.

Representative image from Canva

Because who can keep up with which laundry settings is for which item, anyway?

Once upon a time, our only option for getting clothes clean was to get out a bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing. Nowadays, we use fancy machines that not only do the labor for us, but give us free reign to choose between endless water temperature, wash duration, and spin speed combinations.

Of course, here’s where the paradox of choice comes in. Suddenly you’re second guessing whether that lace item needs to use the “delicates” cycle, or the “hand wash” one, or what exactly merits a “permanent press” cycle. And now, you’re wishing for that bygone bucket just to take away the mental rigamarole.

Well, you’re in luck. Turns out there’s only one setting you actually need. At least according to one laundry expert.

While appearing on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, Patric Richardson, aka The Laundry Evangelist, said he swears by the “express” cycle, as “it’s long enough to get your clothes clean but it’s short enough not to cause any damage.”

Richardson’s reasoning is founded in research done while writing his book, “Laundry Love,” which showed that even the dirtiest items would be cleaned in the “express” cycle, aka the “quick wash” or “30 minute setting.”


Furthermore the laundry expert, who’s also the host of HGTV’s “Laundry Guy,” warned that longer wash settings only cause more wear and tear, plus use up more water and power, making express wash a much more sustainable choice.

Really, the multiple settings washing machines have more to do with people being creatures of habit, and less to do with efficiency, Richardson explained.

“All of those cycles [on the washing machine] exist because they used to exist,” he told co-hosts Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson. “We didn’t have the technology in the fabric, in the machine, in the detergent [that we do now], and we needed those cycles. In the ’70s, you needed the ‘bulky bedding’ cycle and the ‘sanitary’ cycle ... it was a legit thing. You don’t need them anymore, but too many people want to buy a machine and they’re like, ‘My mom’s machine has “whitest whites.”’ If I could build a washing machine, it would just have one button — you’d just push it, and it’d be warm water and ‘express’ cycle and that’s it.”
washing machine

When was the last time you washed you washing machine? "Never" is a valid answer.

Canva

According to Good Housekeeping, there are some things to keep in mind if you plan to go strictly express from now on.

For one thing, the outlet recommends only filling the machine halfway and using a half dose of liquid, not powder detergent, since express cycles use less water. Second, using the setting regularly can develop a “musty” smell, due to the constant low-temperature water causing a buildup of mold or bacteria. To prevent this, running an empty wash on a hot setting, sans the detergent, is recommended every few weeks, along with regularly scrubbing the detergent drawer and door seal.

Still, even with those additional caveats, it might be worth it just to knock out multiple washes in one day. Cause let’s be honest—a day of laundry and television binging sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

To catch even more of Richardson’s tips, find the full podcast episode here.


This article originally appeared on 2.4.24

community
Policy

Tennessee senator goes viral holding her baby during debate over bill to arm teachers

London Lamar did not hold back.

Tennessee General Assembly

Tennessee state senator gives fiery speech on arming teachers

Every once in a while a state's bill will make a blip on national media that causes people to dig a little deeper into what's happening. One such bill made headlines last year for a brief time before a new bill from another state took it's place.

After a tragic school shooting in the state of Tennessee where six people were killed, including three young students, state politicians began talking about arming the teachers. The idea was if teachers were armed then they would be able to stop school shooters, but the bill was widely unpopular among teachers and many parents. That didn't stop the state legislature from drawing up the bill and putting it up for a vote April 2024.

Many parents showed up to Tennessee State Senate to protest the bill, but it was the fiery speech of State Senator London Lamar that has people talking.

The new mom held her infant son in her arms while she addressed her colleagues who saw fit to laugh after moms protesting the bill were asked to leave. Lamar did not hold back in not only expressing her disappointment in her colleagues behavior but their disregard for very real concerns that she also shares with the people asked to leave.

"We are literally talking about arming educators who took an oath to teach our kids writing and arithmetic and how they can one day contribute to Tennessee's great economy, and we're now turning them into law enforcement agents by arming them with guns. We think this piece of legislation is going to keep kids safe which is probably going to enable the next school shooter, and it's not going to be someone coming in from the outside. It's unfortunately going to be a teacher with this piece of legislation," Lamar declares.

You can watch her passionate speech below:

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Pop Culture

Pet parent recreates Taylor Swift's 'Fortnite' video starring their dog and it's epic

"THIS NEEDS MORE ATTENTION”

@iamcalledlucas/Instagram, used with permission

We need every Lucas version of Taylor's songs.

Sure, Taylor Swift did a great job at writing, performing in and directing her “Fortnite” music video (which has only dropped a couple days ago and already at over 30 million views)…but you know what could make it even better? Having a dog perform all the parts, that’s what!

And that’s exactly the treat we received, thanks to an adorable dachshund named Lucas.

The clip (aptly titled “Fortnight (Lucas’ version)”) recreates the music video’s black-and-white typewriter scene, where the camera alternates between a moody Swift and Post Malone clacking as they lament about how much love is “ruining” their lives. you know, basic tortured poets stuff.

Only this time, Lucas plays both the roles—costumes as all! Major kudos to Lucas’ parent, who clearly has an eye for detail and camera angles. Both the original video and Lucas’ video play simultaneously so you can really see how similar they are.

“I look like @taylorswift in this light, i’m lovin’ it 🤭🤍,” the clip caption says.

Watch below. Spoiler alert: get ready to see little doggy paws in lace gloves.

Down in the comments, people were enthralled.

One person wrote, "THIS NEEDS MORE ATTENTION”

"Magical!!!!!!!" another added.

Though clearly Lucas’s is a whole ‘nother level of Swiftie, is he not the only dog to be a fan. In an experiment produced by WoofWoof, dogs were “visibly more relaxed” by her music than other artists in the study. Her songs got more tail wagging and even more “howls of approval.” That’s right, her music transcends species.

Just like Taylor Swift, Lucas has many, many more music videos where they came from, including “The Archer,” “Hoax” and “You Belong with Me.” And just like Swift, he outdoes himself with every new project.

Check out even more of his content on Instagram and TikTok.

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