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A Room Full Of Feminists Just Applauded A Guy Who Attacked Feminists. Wait For It…

At first I was like, "Where is this feminist vs. Taliban analogy going?" But then I was all like, "Oh, I see what you did there!" It takes a special kind of dude (like Joss Whedon, noted writer/director/creator of feminist characters) to hate on the word "feminist" in a way that doesn’t make me immediately want to light him on fire. You should watch his whole speech because it’s very well crafted. But if you're short on time — at 8:16 and 9:20, he says two things that are irresistibly quotable, at 9:54 he comes up with my new favorite hashtag, at 10:53 he pitches a new word, and at 12:39 he brings the house down with a pep talk that is both humbling and totally invigorating.


What’s strange about this speech is that he's identifying a problem that a lot of women, especially women of color, have been talking about for years. He acknowledges that himself at 10:36, but of course, coming from a straight white male, suddenly this all sounds groundbreaking and has everyone talking. Huh. Wonder why that is… It’s almost like sexism and racism are inherent in media coverage of sexism and racism or something. WEIRD.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with labeling yourself a feminist. It's a label I apply to myself, after all. And it's not a dirty word. But not everyone is comfortable labeling themselves as such for a lot of different reasons. A new word to explain what it is we, as feminists or not-feminists, are trying to move past is actually not a bad idea. Whether you agree or disagree with his speech overall it's, at the very least, good food for thought.


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






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Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, is being hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help.

The delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

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via PixaBay

Being an adult is tough.

Nothing can ever fully prepare you for being an adult. Once you leave childhood behind, the responsibilities, let-downs and setbacks come at you fast. It’s tiring and expensive, and there's no easy-to-follow roadmap for happiness and success.

A Reddit user named u/Frequent-Pilot5243 asked the online forum, “What’s an adult problem nobody prepared you for?” and there were a lot of profound answers that get to the heart of the disappointing side of being an adult.

One theme that ran through many responses is the feeling of being set adrift. When you’re a kid, the world is laid out as a series of accomplishments. You learn to walk, you figure out how to use the bathroom, you start school, you finish school, maybe you go to college, and so on.

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Pop Culture

Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

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Modern Families

A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

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Health

Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

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