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Woman's explanation for being 'standoffish to men in public' brings up an important point about unwanted attention.

This is why talking about women's experiences is so important.

Woman's explanation for being 'standoffish to men in public' brings up an important point about unwanted attention.

This article originally appeared on 07.18.19


When Lily Evans set out to walk her dog, she had no idea the story of that walk would later go viral on the internet.

When she took to Twitter to recount her experience, she opened with a simple question, one that many men have probably wondered for a long time — though women already know the answer.

(Before you click through to the thread itself, note that Lily's Twitter account is expressly for adults and may be NSFW.)



All Twitter images from Lily Evans/Twitter, used with permission. A transcript of the excerpted tweets is available at the end of the story.

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The walk started off normal enough. Until she ran into a seemingly friendly stranger.

A man eating on a nearby bench offered her dog, Echo, a treat.

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He eventually asked her if she lived in the area — which could be considered slightly intrusive — but all in all, it was just small talk.

But then she ran into him again shortly after.

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Evans says his friendly banter — maybe innocent, but more likely not — was making her incredibly uncomfortable.

And yet he continued to linger.

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Then he invaded her physical space with an out-of-nowhere hug.

"I was terrified," she wrote.

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Evans hurried home, petrified the man would follow her.

He didn't. But the experience left her shaken and upset. Worst of all, she says, she has been through this many, many times before.

Her story went viral in a hurry, with over 44,000 retweets, 68,000 likes, and thousands of comments.

"The response from other women has been pretty heartbreaking," Evans writes in a Twitter exchange with Upworthy. "Many, many women have used this as an opportunity to share their stories of harassment, assault, or even just being very frightened."

The replies to Evans' tweet thread is littered with similar stories — seemingly "nice" guys on the street or public transportation who push small talk far past its acceptable boundaries.

Though she's glad her story made other women feel more comfortable coming forward with their own experiences, Evans hopes it also leaves an impression on men who read it.

"I had several guys ask me how they can be more non-threatening, and that's exactly what I was aiming for."

"I got a lot of replies from men saying, 'Oh, I'm so sorry that happened, but we aren't all like that! Some of us are nice guys,'" she says. "And while that's true, my point was that strangers cannot know what your intentions are until it's too late.


She hits on an important point: It's not inherently wrong or creepy to strike up a conversation with a stranger, but women truly never know when a simple "hi" is going to turn into them being followed and harassed.

"I had several guys ask me how they can be more non-threatening, and that's exactly what I was aiming for," she says. "I just want men to be more self-aware and understand that when a woman they don't know is skittish, it's nothing personal. We're just trying to be safe."






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O Organics’ delicious, easy-to-cook homestyle spaghetti recipe helps feed America’s hungry

O Organics is donating a meal for every product purchased at Albertsons stores, up to 28 million meals.

Mei and Kyong and a delicious plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

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When most people think about Korean cooking, they probably imagine the enticing aroma, colors, and flavors of a plate filled with kimchi and bulgogi or a hot bowl of bibimbap. But when cooking influencer Kyong reflects upon his childhood, he has fond memories of his Korean mother cooking him a delicious and easy-to-prepare spaghetti and meatballs recipe.

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Is there any better example of the American melting pot than a hard-working Korean mother cooking an Italian staple for her family?

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No child should have to worry about getting enough food to thrive.

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When you’re a kid, summer means enjoying the fun of the season—plentiful sunshine, free time with friends, splashing in pools and sprinklers. But not every child’s summer is as carefree as it should be.

For some, summer means going hungry. According to Feeding America, food insecurity affects 1 in 8 children in the U.S., largely because families lose the free or reduced-price meals at school that help keep them fed during the school year.

But back-to-school time doesn’t make food insecurity disappear, either. Hunger is a year-round issue, and with the increased cost of groceries, it’s gotten harder for families who were already struggling to put food on the table.

So what can be done—or more specifically, what can the average person do—to help?

The good news is that one simple choice at the grocery store can help ease the burden a bit for those experiencing food insecurity. And the even better news is that it’s also a healthy choice for ourselves, our families and our planet. When we’re out on our regular shopping trips, we can simply look for the O Organics versions of things we would already buy.

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Since 2005, O Organics has helped give health-conscious shoppers more options by making organic food more accessible and affordable. And now, it’s helping those same shoppers take action to fight food insecurity. For every O Organics product you purchase, the company will donate a meal to someone in need through the Albertsons Companies Foundation—for up to a total of 28 million meals.

Look for the O Organics label in every aisle.O Organics

Here’s what that means in real-world terms:

Say you’re throwing an end-of-summer backyard BBQ bash. If you were to buy O Organics ground beef, hamburger buns, ketchup and sea salt potato chips, you’d be donating four meals just by buying those four ingredients. If you added O Organics butter lettuce and O Organics sandwich slice pickles, you’d be donating two more meals, and so on.

And where are those meals going? Albertsons Companies Foundation works with a network of national and local charities fighting hunger, and regional divisions choose organizations to fund locally. So every O Organics product you purchase means a meal on the table for someone in your area who might not otherwise have the nourishment they need.

No kid should have to worry about getting enough food to thrive. We all make conscious choices each time we walk down a grocery store aisle, and by choosing

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All images provided by Kat Chao

A photo of Kat and her mom, and a bowl of her mom's famous curry

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Whether it’s the mac n’ cheese that reminds you of simpler times, or the exotic spiced chicken recipe you acquired from your travels, every meal tells a story.

This rings especially true for people whose families immigrate to different countries to start a new life. Immigrant parents often not only save every penny, but spend most of their time away working in order to build a future for their children. Each comfort meal they manage to provide their kids in the very few spare hours they have tells the story of love and sacrifice.

For Kat Chao, that meal was her mother’s Korean curry.

korean foodA photo of baby Kat and her mom and dad

Growing up, Kat’s mom worked weekends to support her family. But that didn’t stop her from waking up Saturday morning to dice up some beef and fresh veggies and throw them into a large pot so that Kat’s dad could heat it up and serve it with some rice to her and her brothers later.

Curry was a quick, easy and inexpensive way to feed a full house, but it served more than just practical purposes. As Kat would wake up to the enticing aroma, she was reminded that her mom was always taking care of her, even if she couldn’t physically be there.

koran curryYUM

As Kat grew a little older, her attitude towards her mother’s curry shifted. Instead of looking forward to it, she would “roll her eyes at it,” as is customary of the rebellious teen. Those less-than-positive feelings were only exacerbated by the media constantly labeling carbs, therefore rice, as “bad.” As a kid who struggled with weight, her comfort food became a source of discomfort.

But as an adult, and now a mom herself, Kat has reached a full circle moment.

korean recipes, albertsonsKat, all grown up with her own familiy

As she makes her own kids the exact same curry dish (okay, maybe a leaner cut of beef, and organic veggies…but otherwise exactly the same!) Kat finds a whole new appreciation for the recipe, knowing how hard her mom worked to even make it happen.

Kat was lucky to have grown up with a meal to look forward to each night. Other kids aren’t so lucky. 1 in 8 kids currently experience food insecurity in the United States. But there’s an opportunity to decrease those numbers.

For every O Organics product you purchase, the company will donate a meal to someone in need through the Albertsons Companies Foundation—for up to a total of 28 million meals.

Is there a dish from your childhood that you’ve longed to rekindle with? You could do like Kat does and give it an O Organic twist. Luckily, the O Organics brand has a wide array of affordable ingredients, so creating healthy swaps is easier than ever. Plus, you can provide nourishment to another family at the same time.

Just think—the next meal you prepare could make all the difference to someone else. If every meal tells a story, that’s certainly a story worth telling.

Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.

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Avoid the hidden cost of 'cheap' plastic with sustainable school supplies

This School Year, Discover the 100% Recyclable, Zero-Waste Binder Kit from Wisdom Supply Co.—No Plastic, All Purpose!

Every year, as students around the globe gear up for a new academic term, piles of plastic school supplies make their way into classrooms and, inevitably, into our landfills. We're talking pens that run out of ink, broken rulers, empty glue sticks—the list goes on. It's a perpetuating cycle that feeds into the enormous issue of plastic waste that's choking our environment. These seemingly small contributions from our backpacks and pencil cases add up quickly, creating a startling amount of waste, and it's time we start rethinking how we equip our young learners.


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Enter Wisdom Supply Co., a company redefining what back-to-school shopping looks like. They've taken a hard look at the classroom, identified the sources of plastic waste, and come up with a solution that's as innovative as it is eco-friendly. Their mission is simple yet profound: to change our relationship with school supplies by offering sustainable, waste-free alternatives.

Their flagship product, the Zero-Waste Binder Kit, embodies this mission perfectly. It's a product designed not only to serve its purpose in organizing students' notes but also to instigate a shift in the industry—away from single-use, disposable items and toward durable, earth-friendly supplies. With Wisdom Supply Co., going back to school means going forward with sustainability.

The Problem with Traditional School Supplies

What's the big deal with traditional school supplies? First off, think of the sheer volume. There are millions of students, each with a backpack full of notebooks, pens, binders—the common essentials. The majority of these items are plastic-based, designed for a single school year's use, then discarded. But these items don't just disappear. Instead, they end up in landfills, contributing to an already severe environmental waste crisis. It's a system built on convenience, but it’s also unsustainably shortsighted, and our desire for new, shiny supplies overlooks the long-term impact.


The downside of plastic pollution goes beyond overflowing landfills—it's a problem that impacts our health and the overall well-being of our planet. Many plastics contain harmful chemicals, such as phthalates and BPA, which can seep into the soil and water, disrupting ecosystems and making their way into our food chain. The production process for plastic is no angel either—it's a significant contributor to air pollution and global warming.

Our penchant for plastic, driven by convenience and short-term thinking, is coming at a significant cost—one that we pay in environmental degradation, climate change, and health risks. It's a high price for a pack of pens or a binder.

The Zero-Waste Binder Kit

Luckily, there’s the Zero-Waste Binder Kit, an innovative solution from Wisdom Supply Co. This isn't your standard, off-the-shelf school supply. The Binder Kit is a blend of thoughtfulness, sustainability, and practicality. Each kit comes with durable cardboard binders, recycled paper notebooks, and non-toxic, plastic-free dividers and tabs.

All these components can be replaced individually, which means you won't need to buy a whole new binder every year. And each item in the kit is designed to last a full school year and beyond, making it the perfect companion for a student seeking both functionality and sustainability. But most importantly, this Binder Kit is 100% recyclable, entirely plastic-free, and proudly made right here in the United States.


100% Plastic & Vinyl-Free
Wisdom Supply Co. Zero-waste Binder Kit
Zero-waste Binder Kit
$24.00 at Wisdom Supply Co.


By choosing this kit, you're not just opting for a plastic-free solution; you're supporting local manufacturing and reducing the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods from overseas. That's a win-win situation if ever there was one. The Zero-Waste Binder Kit from Wisdom Supply Co. is more than just a product—it's a statement, a commitment to sustainable living, and an investment in our planet's future. Isn't it time we rethought our approach to school supplies?

Wisdom Supply Co.'s Mission

Wisdom Supply Co. was founded by two parents who were fed up with the disposable culture around school supplies. The company arose from the ashes of many broken, discarded plastic binders. Frustrated by the endless cycle of buying, breaking, and trashing, they set out to create a solution that respects the planet and teaches kids about sustainability. Their core philosophy? Quality, reusable school supplies that are built to last and designed to be fixed, not thrown away.

Wisdom Supply Co. is more than a company—it's a call to action. They're on a mission to turn the tide on the plastic waste crisis, one sustainable product at a time. They have big dreams about a world where school supplies contribute to a circular economy rather than an overflowing landfill. Each product they create, including the Zero-Waste Binder Kit, is a step in that direction—designed to be loved, used, repaired, and eventually recycled, never trashed. Every purchase supports this vision and helps make a more sustainable world possible.

The Hidden Costs Of "Cheap" Plastic

The upfront cost of the Zero-Waste Binder Kit is higher than its plastic counterparts. But when products are created with sustainability and longevity in mind, certain costs are associated with that—fair wages for workers, high-quality materials that last longer, and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes all play a role. Also, remember that this binder isn't a single-use item that will end up in a landfill after a few months. It's built to last and be repairable, so you're essentially buying several years' worth of binders all at once.

There's also the invaluable aspect of voting with your wallet. By buying from companies like Wisdom Supply Co., you're supporting a shift away from the disposable culture plaguing our planet. You're encouraging the production of more sustainable, earth-friendly products and sending a message to other manufacturers about the kind of future you want to see. Purchasing the Zero-Waste Binder Kit isn't just a school supply decision—it's a step towards a more sustainable world.

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100% Plastic & Vinyl-Free
Wisdom Supply Co. Zero-waste Binder Kit
Zero-waste Binder Kit
$24.00 at Wisdom Supply Co.


As we approach another school year, remember that every purchase we make is a statement about the world we want to live in. Choosing sustainable over disposable, repairing instead of replacing—these choices matter. They ripple out, impacting our environment and teaching our kids valuable lessons about stewardship and sustainability.

That's why we invite you to take a stand with Wisdom Supply Co. Click here to order their Zero-Waste Binder Kit. Make it part of your back-to-school shopping list. It's more than just a binder—it's a way to support a greener future, a tool for teaching kids about sustainability, and a vote for a world without wastefulness. Let's redefine school supplies. Let's make sustainability the standard. Because the planet deserves better, and so do our kids.

commons.wikimedia.org (Photo by Eric Draper)

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The term “nepo baby” most often refers to the offspring of a successful Hollywood actor, but the term can more generally apply to those whose parents are at the top of other industry ladders.

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