Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
mardi 12 décembre 2017
Tech, Sex, and Mrs. Fletcher: A Conversation With Tom Perrotta
Tom Perrotta has perfected the art of transforming the everyday into something spectacular. Nobody is able to make a mundane argument or festering secret into a page-turner quite like him, and his books speak to the larger societal issues of the day while retaining a focus on protagonists who feel like our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends. As a result, Perrotta's portrayal of life's lessons are often uncomfortable, are always intricate, and frequently bring the reader back to their own successes and shortcomings. And it should come as no surprise that his works have served as source material for some of the most critically acclaimed adaptations, films such as Election and Little Children as well as The Leftovers, which ended its run on HBO earlier this Summer.
For his latest novel, Mrs. Fletcher, Perrotta hones in on two specific characters: Eve, a recent empty-nester and divorcée who is experiencing a sexual revolution as a result of technological advances, and Brendan, her son, who's just begun college and is forced to reconcile his feelings of entitlement with the cold, hard reality of life in 2017. While other voices are heard throughout, it's these two individuals who take us through what it means to be mother and son in an era where anything is possible but nothing comes without consequences. And as we follow their journey through that first separated year, Brendan and Eve attempt to understand from two unique generational perspectives the most difficult issues out there - from autism to sexual assault on campus to transgender rights to internet porn - and, as to be expected, neither one emerges unscathed.
Perrotta spoke with POPSUGAR by phone on Aug. 14, and below is a lightly edited transcript of the wide-ranging conversation.
POPSUGAR: What was the inspiration behind the book?
Tom Perrotta: My kids have gone to college recently - I have a daughter who's 23, and a son who's 20 - and in bringing them back to college, I had this flashback to my own college days. I was also just pondering what this time of life means; when you're effectively done raising your kids, and the possibilities that are opened up by that - and somehow the two things came together. I'm sort of jealous of my kids in college, and I imagine that Mrs. Fletcher, too, is feeling like, "Where's the fun for me?"
PS: What made you hone in on technology and how it affects culture in such a big way throughout the book?
TP: I was just thinking about the world that was right in front of me. And certainly when people my age think about the sex lives of their kids, or their kids' peers - they're always imagining they're filming themselves with their phones, or sending dirty pictures or, you know, swiping right. And that's the big difference between then and now, and the real question is whether that's a superficial difference or a profound one.
PS: And what did you ultimately think the answer was, after working on the book?
TP: For Mrs. Fletcher, it was highly profound. Part of the fun of the book is that she becomes a college student, to some effect. She takes a class, she starts meeting all these people - but she also has a kind of erotic life that's mediated by her laptop, and it's her phone that gets her in touch with her sexuality in a way that she might not have been in touch with it before. Human longing is a constant, but the way that we're able to deal with it is really contingent on the time that we live in, and with the technology available to us.
PS: For the most part, I felt like Eve was liberated by technology whereas Brendan felt baffled by it. Do you think that these are the two binary effects, which two generations feel in different ways, or was it a product of the characters themselves?
"I feel the same way about technology that I do about capitalism, or cars. It's such a big phenomenon that it's almost impossible to put a single judgment on it."
TP: I feel the same way about technology that I do about capitalism, or cars. It's such a big phenomenon that it's almost impossible to put a single judgment on it. For some people, capitalism works great. For lots of other people, it works terribly. And for some people, pornography is liberating - for others, it limits them and gives them a wrong-headed idea about what sex is. As a writer, I'm more interested in trying to fairly observe the effects on different characters, rather than trying to come up with it with a single judgment on the subject.
PS: On the subject of different characters: I know you've written novels with multiple narrators in the past; what made you decide to do that again with Mrs. Fletcher?
TP: That was an accident, really. I wanted to write a very short novel about Eve, a woman who goes into this erotic reverie when her kid leaves for college and she's alone for the first time. A porn-fueled reverie, where her fantasy takes over her reality. It's still in the book, but the second I wrote that I was like, actually, I'm really interested in her son - and they are both involved in the same story. They're both trying to create new lives, and they're both encountering new people, and they both have an identity that's in flux. And those two stories just started to speak to each other.
As a writer, when important characters enter the story and they're going to affect my main characters . . . I want to get to know them too. So every now and then I'm like, "Oh man, that Amanda girl, what's she up to?" From there I decide I'm going to spend some time on Amanda, or Amber, or Margot. It's just the way my stories seem to build themselves.
Image Source: Getty / FilmMagic
PS: Did you notice any difference when tackling the same events from both a male and female perspective?
TP: What I was so conscious of - and it's one of the reasons I used first person for Brendan and third person for Eve - was just how different their worlds were. Even though they're mother and son and they should know each other really well, in the book it feels like their worlds barely intersect. They just exist in entirely different realities. And I think that goes into gender, as well as age. So the short answer is yes.
PS: On the subject of age: it seemed like person-to-person conversations were much easier for Eve after she found the internet, whereas it made it so that Brendan couldn't really interact with people face to face without things falling apart. Do you think the same is true for people of different ages in real life?
"If you ask people my age, what they find super shocking is that when there's a group of kids at a table, they all seem more interested in their phones than the people right in front of them."
TP: If you ask people my age, what they find super shocking is that when there's a group of kids at a table, they all seem more interested in their phones than the people right in front of them. I know that I've started to do that, too, and I feel terrible about it. I'll be looking at my laptop and people in my family will be talking to me, and I'll be half here and half there. So I don't know that it's an age thing, but maybe people that are the same age as my kids take things for granted and don't feel guilty about it, whereas I at least feel guilty about it.
PS: Do you think that the characters ultimately benefit from having this rabbit hole of information on the internet, or do you think that they're stunted because they're finding this on the internet as opposed to finding it in real life?
TP: I think that the internet has evolved the way it has because, at least superficially, it meets a lot of our needs. So the problem may be that it meets our needs so successfully that it's kind of expanded to take over the space that used to be given to other people. I also wonder if we're just in a transitional phase, and ultimately we'll figure out how to not be completely absorbed by our technology. Right now, I do feel like it's taking up huge parts of our mental energy, and it's a little scary. But in terms of getting people connected, it's kind of amazing. It's just such a huge phenomenon that I don't know if it's good or bad - I see some effects that are good, and some that are bad. It also feels transformative, like people are just becoming different, and society is becoming different.
PS: You touch on a lot of really hot-button issues in society right now, from autism to sexual assault to internet porn and shaming. Which one was the most difficult to tackle when writing the book?
TP: When you talk about shaming, and call-out walls, and sexual assault . . . there's a cluster of issues there that are just so powerful. There have been attempts to create a more just system, to have people take responsibility of their sexual behavior, and to punish sexual assault - especially because so many rapes and assaults go unreported and unpunished. And there can also sometimes be a rush to judgment, or an unfair accusation - it's just this really complicated, messy situation right now and I was trying to write about it and do justice to as much of it as I could.
I definitely felt that when I was writing, like, boy, this is a territory that is just filled with landmines. It should just be a very simple morality, that no means no, and people should be held responsible for their sexual misdeeds. But on the other hand, hookup culture is so complicated and often it's the story of two people who are both really drunk, and in writing about it I felt sort of in the mess - in the way that college students feel that they're in the mess.
I was just so interested in trying to look at that night [in the book] that it happens between them. When they go to a documentary about social injustice, and then they go to a party where they're in their underwear, and then Brendan has this weird encounter with his roommate - it was a really complicated section to write, you know, because it all seems to be happening in some weird gray area.
PS: It's often hard to swallow Brendan's sense of self-entitlement, but I think there's also this sweet, misguided kid under all of that. I'm curious as to what you were trying to achieve with his character.
TP: I think a lot of the debate around sexual assault ultimately does involve guys like Brendan. And they're easy to vilify, because they often do behave badly. But I'm just curious as to who these guys are, because our society seems to produce them at a very high volume. And weirdly, they're often the sons of moms like Eve who consider themselves feminists and want their sons to be decent and be respectful of women. And it is sort of a question of "Where do they come from?" and "Why do they think this way?" and "Why do they think they can get away with the stuff they get away with?" Guys like that are often written off as a type; if you say he's a "frat boy" or "bro," we all think we know who they are. But the fiction writer in me is like, wait a minute, it's got to be more complicated than that, they're individuals.
The other part of it is that we're seeing him through his mother's eyes. It's harder to write him off when we're looking at him through Eve's eyes - she wants him to grow up and be a decent man, she wants him to be happy, and she wants him to succeed. So we have a stake in him through her.
PS: As a writer, what was the most interesting or enlightening thing you learned when doing your research for writing this book?
"One of the inspirations for the book was the explosion of consciousness about transgender people during the past five years."
TP: One of the inspirations for the book was the explosion of consciousness about transgender people during the past five years. Obviously, transgender people and gender studies have been around for a long time, but what had once been an academic subject has entered more into the mainstream. I felt a lot of responsibility when writing Margot's character; describing her class, trying to understand who she was, where she came from, what her life was like to the best of my ability.
PS: I was also fascinated by the relationship between Brendan, Eve, and Margot, the transgender professor in the book. What were you thinking with that dynamic?
TP: Eve is having the college experience she wishes her son could have. She's got this amazing teacher who is presenting her with new ideas and new ways of thinking, and she's meeting cool people in the class , she's going out and having fun with them, and it's transforming her sense of her own sexuality in some interesting way. What Brendan has is Amber, and she's trying to be the same for him - but he's just not ready somehow. He's not ready for all of it, but she does at least expose him to things, and make him think about things, and as a result the guy he is when he leaves college is a slightly deeper person than the one who first went there. But he's not a willing student in the way that Eve is a willing student.
PS: So, to switch topics a bit: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about the ending of The Leftovers. How does it feel now that the show has come to an end?
TP: I'm just so proud of the show. It was a difficult show to make, because it wasn't really like anything else and we had to figure out what it was on the fly. Anybody who watches it can see that at the beginning we're not completely sure what the show is. But then we slowly start to pinpoint, "Oh, this is the tone," or "This show can be funny," or "This character is important," or even "This is a Leftovers moment." That's what we would often say in the writer's room, "This is a Leftovers moment, this is so Leftovers." It was obvious to us in the beginning, but by the end of it we were were really sort of fully in it, and I just love the way it ended. It felt just right. It was an intense and wonderful creative experience for me.
The 13 Best AR Apps and Games You Need to Download Right Now
Augmented reality – or AR, as it's more commonly known – is one of those things that lots of people talk about, but very few actually understand. Aside from being the phrase that was (loosely) used to denote the real-life component of Pokémon Go, or used to describe the 3D bitmoji that now live in Snapchat, it's the underlying technology that allows you to mash up real life and the imaginary by simply pointing your phone's camera lens at the world around you. And with the release of Apple's iOS 11, the ability to use it comes standard on every Apple device – and it's high time we all start using the rad new technology we've got at our fingertips more often.
To help you out a bit, we've tested a whole lot of the app offerings in the App Store in to come up with the very best in AR apps and games that are available to download right now. Ahead, click through 13 of these delightfully future-forward apps – all of which will help you get cracking on being the first of your friends to master the latest in ubercool tech.
Wet n Wild Is Making History With an Albino Model in Its New Campaign
Thanks to Wet n Wild, your drugstore beauty aisle just got more diverse. The brand rolled out its "Breaking Beauty" campaign, which celebrates inclusivity by casting five gorgeous, nontraditional models as its faces. Wet n Wild is also making history - one of the women is Diandra Forrest, who has albinism. This is the first time a model with albinism is repping a major beauty launch.
You may have seen Diandra walk in New York Fashion Week or grace the cover of Ebony back in 2015. Now, she's joined by four other women to promote Wet n Wild's new launches, which are mostly vegan and ultra-affordable (the brand told POPSUGAR that its $9 Cushion Compact will be the cheapest of its kind on the market).
The other faces of Breaking Beauty are Michelle Zauner, an Asian-American musician; Briana Marquez, an Olympic weightlifter turned model; Mama Caxx, an amputee-rights advocate; and Valentijn de Hingh, a Dutch transgender model. As Diandra told Refinery29, being cast in a major beauty campaign fulfills her lifelong dream "to normalize what albinism is being depicted as."
That alone is enough to get us very excited, but don't forget that with a campaign comes new beauty products! Eight items are being dropped, including two foundations (one liquid and the aforementioned cushion option). Diandra said that Wet n Wild's 20-shade foundation range is exactly what she looks for as an albino woman: "When I showed up on set, I felt so comfortable . . . [the foundation] made me feel so beautiful."
Once you're done doing the happy dance over this win for beauty diversity, read on to see this newness for yourself. These products have launched on Wet n Wild's website and will expand to drugstores in January 2018.
40+ Life-Changing Books to Read This Year
Knowledge is king. The first step to creating change in your life is to know what you're doing wrong or why you need to change. We've picked out 41 books that will better your life in a dramatic way. Whether it's figuring out how to get out of debt, learning how to be happier, or trying to find ways to get a job, reading just one of these books this year is guaranteed to change your life for good.
We Found 17 Unique Gifts For Everyone on Your List - All in 1 Place
On a mission to find the perfect present for every family member, coworker, and friend? Yeah, it's exhausting - unless you can find them all in one convenient place. Enter Nordstrom's collaboration with the MOMA design store, which features a cool crop of kids' toys, novelty gifts, home innovations, and more - you know, the kind of gift picks so thoughtful and cool that you leave the receiver dumbfounded. "How did you ever find this?" they'll wonder, awed by your shopping savvy. In short, these 17 gifts are sure to bring smiles to everyone's faces - especially yours, since all you have to do is click to buy from the collaboration right here, no mall visits required.
SNL Alum Says Working With "Moron" Host Donald Trump Was "Not Fun"
Way back when Donald Trump was a presidential hopeful in 2015, he hosted Saturday Night Live - exactly one year before Election Day. Taran Killam, who once impersonated Trump and later joined him on stage when he hosted, was stunningly candid about the now president in a recent interview with Brooklyn magazine.
Killam responded to a host of questions about his post-SNL career and joining the cast of Hamilton right after Mike Pence famously attended the show (and heard a compassionate message from the cast). President Trump was especially incensed by the incident, to which Killam replied with the utmost honesty. "Yeah, well the president is a moron," Killam told the magazine.
Later in the interview, Killam elaborated on what it was like to work with Trump on the show, and you might not be surprised by how difficult he said it was. "It was not fun, and most of the cast and writers were not excited to have him there," Killam said. "I didn't get the feeling that he was excited to be there, and it felt like a move for ratings from both sides."
Perhaps most unsurprising of all, Killam revealed how the president . . . struggled to read his lines. "What you see is what you get with him, really. I mean, there was no big reveal," Killam added. "He struggled to read at the table read, which did not give many of us great confidence. Didn't get the jokes, really. He's just a man who seems to be powered by bluster."
We're pretty sure Trump would write off Killam's account of his time on the show as "fake news."
Is Gold-Leaf Hair Worth It? We Put the Trend to the Test
Would you put gold leaf in your hair? After seeing this hair trend all over Instagram, we felt compelled to give the look a go for ourselves. And while it's a fa-la-la-worthy way to show off your holiday cheer, we have to admit it's not for the impatient.
The trick to keeping the gold leaf in place is to use gel. Paint the gel where you'd like to apply the gold leaf, then use tweezers to adhere the gold leaf itself. And try different metallic shades, depending on your hair color; bronze, copper, and silver look gorgeous as well.
Truth be told, it can err on the side of aluminum foil, so be sure you're not using pieces with jagged edges. The good news is that if this style isn't for you, all you have to do is brush it out and grab a metallic hair accessory.
On Kirbie: Reformation Delancey dress. Lips: ColourPop Lippie Stix in Jonesing.
11 Things You Need to Throw Away
The first step to taking care of yourself and de-stressing is to make sure that your environment is in order. Seeing your house full of clutter can affect your mood negatively and make your personal space seem like a place you want to escape from, rather than something to look forward to coming home to. Organize a "throwing out" day every month to make sure that you don't have clutter building up. Here are some things you should consider purging from your home, and download our printable to help you get rid of items you don't need!
1. Old magazines
Get rid of old magazines you have lying around because chances are, you aren't going to read them again. Find places where you can donate your magazines to such as child care centers, doctor's offices, nail salons, nursing homes, and libraries. If there's an article that really speaks to you, scan a digital image of it and keep it in your computer. Or keep a folder of magazine clippings if you like saving magazine articles.
2. Receipts, bills, and documents
Throw away receipts for items that you aren't planning on returning, and ones that you won't need to use come tax time. If you're wary of throwing away receipts, you can make a digital copy of them with a basic scanner, a pricey specialized receipt scanner ($180), or a smartphone app ($5). See here for a full list of documents you should keep forever or temporarily.
3. Clothes
Use the two-year-rule for clothes - get rid of apparel that you haven't worn in two years. Sell them to a thrift store (find a thrift store at thethriftshopper.com) or donate them to the needy.
4. Books
Go through your bookshelf and gather together books you haven't touched in months and ones that you aren't planning on rereading. Be realistic and make sure you're ruthless. If you haven't touched it in a year, you're most likely not going to read it again. Sell the books on Amazon, Craigslist, or eBay. You can even trade them for something else on swap.com. You can always donate them as well!
5. Medicine and vitamins
Take a look at your medicine closet and clear out drugs that have expired, medicine that has sat on your shelf for too long, or ones that you no longer use. First, check to see what the proper disposal methods are for the medication, and if you can't find any, check to see if your community has a drug take-back program. If there isn't a program near you, then the FDA advises mixing medicine with "used coffee grounds or kitty litter" in a container or sealable bag before throwing it away to make the drugs less appealing.
6. Makeup and perfume
Go through your beauty cabinet and get rid of makeup that's too old or that you don't use. There are programs out there that let you recycle your makeup, such as MAC, which has a program that lets you exchange six empty containers for a new eyeshadow, lip gloss, or lipstick. Kiehl's also has a program that gives you products in exchange for Kiehl's containers. POPSUGAR Beauty has a neat list of when to throw away cosmetics.
7. Jewelry
Go through your jewelry and dispose of the broken costume jewelry and make plans to sell ones that you don't wear. For fine jewelry, look up appraisers from the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. Once you have a quoted price, shop around at auction houses, estate buyers, pawnshops, and jewelers to see if you can find a better deal.
8. Food
Go through your pantry and fridge and clear out items that need to be thrown out - the old, unused, and rotting. Do this weekly instead of monthly, just to make sure you don't have any unpleasant surprises!
9. Some memorabilia
Many organizing experts advise to be ruthless and throw away memorabilia like cards and gifts you don't use. I agree, but I think you can keep some of them by perhaps creating some sort of poster with old cards or designating a small shoe box for memorabilia. Resolve to throw away anything that can't fit into the box.
10. Notebooks
I don't know about you, but I have a ton of notebooks lying around. Take a look at them and throw out the ones that you no longer need. My notebooks are filled with notes from classes I take and notes from meetings.
11. Old or unused electronics
Have an electric piano you don't use? Or maybe you just never got around to getting rid of your old laptop or cell phone. Sell your electronics on Gazelle.com and Nextworth.com. These sites are great because they'll quote you a price for the item you wish to sell. You can also sell it on sites such as Craigslist and eBay.
What Can the "B*tch Map" Reveal About Hate Speech and Misogyny in America?
"B*tch" is a complicated word. While it's a term that's often reclaimed as empowering, friendly, or celebratory, "b*tch" is, at its modern roots, a slur against women that's still commonly weaponized. In 2016, "b*tch" was everywhere - particularly in relationship to Hillary Clinton, the nation's first female presidential candidate. The word inspired think pieces and offensive political products and chants so rude that they horrified people.
Hate speech - including words like "b*tch" - has become a problem so big on Twitter that the company was forced to address the issue after facing boycotts by users who said the platform was enabling harassment. The situation begs many questions, among them: how often is "b*tch" used in such a defamatory way? Who is using the word? And where are people tossing the word around? That's what Dr. Monica Stephens wants to know.
Stephens is an assistant professor at University at Buffalo's Department of Geography. She works to understand the relationship between online speech patterns and how they manifest offline, in real-world communities. After her 2013 project Hate Map explored geotagged homophobic, racist, and ableist slurs on Twitter, Stephens turned her attention to "b*tch." The project has proven to be a difficult one despite support from the Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, as well as Scott Hale and Mark Graham from the Oxford Internet Institute and the Alan Turing Institute.
"There were definitely, definitely enough Tweets that use the word 'b*tch' . . . The problem was I couldn't afford to pay somebody to read all of them."
In some ways, the "B*tch Map" is a reaction to critiques of Stephen's 2013 work. "When I first did the Hate Map, lots of people contacted me," Stephens tells POPSUGAR. From marginalized communities like Jewish groups to the nonmarginalized like white men, people were displeased they weren't represented on the map. (Stephens says there simply weren't enough logged slurs on Twitter against Jewish people to form any significant conclusions.) "Women were commenting, saying how misogynist I was," Stephens says.
Ironically, another major problem was also that the use of the word "b*tch" is so very pervasive compared to uses of other hateful words. Stephens logged use of the word "queer" approximately 26,000 times, including by LGBTQ+ people or in posts about LGBTQ+ pride. She also logged use of the n-word approximately 33,000 times, including some used as a term of endearment within the black community. When it comes to the word "b*tch," though, Stephens says there are millions of occurrences annually. "There were definitely, definitely enough Tweets that use the word 'b*tch' . . . The problem was I couldn't afford to pay somebody to read all of them."
This is Stephens's current charge: trying to figure out who is using a term like "b*tch" negatively, parsing slang - "What's up, b*tch?" - and colloquialisms - "stitch-'n-b*tch" - from the hateful. "The number of geotagged Tweets for the word 'b*tch' is overwhelming," Stephens says. "I'm not clear on how often it's used in a positive light or negative light."
Stephens hopes to analyze these Tweets via "sentiment analysis" - algorithms that can discern negative uses of language from positive to a certain degree.
Stephens has come to some early conclusions. First, most usages of "b*tch" came from urban areas, a fact that can be attributed to more people Tweeting in cities in general. Second, users who geotag Tweets do not break down equally by gender.
"When it comes to social media, men geotag at a much higher rate," she says. "Women are very willing to socially tag. They're willing to tag that they're with so-and-so in this image - but they weren't as willing to tag where they were." Stephens says she spoke with both men and women on why they geotag, and, while both men and women are concerned about privacy, women didn't geotag for fear of being targeted while men went ahead and tagged anyway.
Stephens links this to women being more aware that what they say online can be used against them. The result of this tagging by men and not women has led to a very patriarchal internet, one where Siri can find you escort services and Viagra, but not abortion providers. "Believe it or not, women aren't the ones constructing information, and women aren't reviewing the information that men are constructing online," Stephens says. "That filters into what features appear on maps."
From here, the issue hits a gross intersection: using the word "b*tch" online connects with language associated with the alt-right, a hate group known for its virulent racism and distinctly antiwoman ideology. Stephens says the alt-right merges "feeling excluded and marginalized from a sexual position in society" with political positionality. Stephens saw this clearly in the violence in Charlottesville, VA, where the alt-right was the culprit as those who identified as part of the group flying in from various parts of the country to terrorize a community. The relationship to their use of "b*tch" highlights how misogynist language used online can become a rallying point where using this specific word can lead someone to extremist thinkers and groups.
"What I'm looking at is more the way that using these internet communication technologies has changed the scope of hate," Stephens says. "My question is: are the networks people form online supplementing for a lack of population in the material community? Just like support groups for a rare health condition, they don't have enough people who have that particular health problem in their local community, so people turn online for support and develop connections with like individuals. Hate groups are taking the same shape as these networks, and it is something that policymakers need to be aware of."
Stephens's projects is very much in its nascent stages but, in mapping the word and exploring her previous Hate Map, it's easy to see how this new effort could expose how geographically pervasive this toxic speech really is. In these mappings, Stephens is seeking to highlight how hate speech is everywhere and that "certain demographic factors" enable "reproducing hate" offline. As we've seen in 2016 and 2017, the internet allows hateful individuals to come together. Stephens's maps add a geographic face to the problem.
"You always see people on the news saying, 'That's not what our community is like. We're a small town: we have family values,' or whatever," she says. "But there's an awareness as you tweet, as you look at the geography and the distribution of hate speech that it is coming out of small towns, it's coming out of what we assume to be the liberal hotbeds of Austin, TX, and Berkeley, CA . . . . It's coming out of everywhere."
Decorate Your Coffee Table With These Gorgeous Beauty Books
If you're looking for the perfect way to inspire a book-lover in your life, these beauty volumes should be on your shopping list. They're good for so much more than keeping glass stains off the coffee table. Each page is packed with hair, makeup, and nail tips from celebrities and industry insiders. Whether you like a good self-help book, prefer a historical drama, or salivate over amazing photography, there is an option in this roundup. Keep reading to kick-start your friend's romance with all things beauty.
Netflix Gives Jessica Jones an Official Season 2 Release Date
Try not to get in the way. http://pic.twitter.com/ABVluVN7El
- Jessica Jones (@JessicaJones) December 9, 2017
Ever since it was announced that Jessica Jones had been renewed for season two back in January 2016, we've been desperate for more details about Netflix's superhero show. Sure, we can pore over the clever season one Easter eggs for the hundredth time or check out star Krysten Ritter's debut novel, but it just isn't the same as watching our favorite foul-mouthed P.I. do her thing. Fortunately, the second season has just been given an official premiere date by the streaming giant via Twitter.
Jessica Jones will set out to handle some unfinished business in the award-winning series starting on March 8, 2018. The season will have 13 episodes, as per usual with Netflix's Marvel shows, and will focus on Jessica attempting to recover from her interactions with Killgrave (David Tennant) in season one while also kicking a ton of ass. The brief trailer also hints at a deeper dive into her friendship with Trish (Rachael Taylor) and a smokin' hot new love interest (sorry, Luke Cage). Sign us all the way up.
What Can the "B*tch Map" Reveal About Hate Speech and Misogyny in America?
"B*tch" is a complicated word. While it's a term that's often reclaimed as empowering, friendly, or celebratory, "b*tch" is, at its modern roots, a slur against women that's still commonly weaponized. In 2016, "b*tch" was everywhere - particularly in relationship to Hillary Clinton, the nation's first female presidential candidate. The word inspired think pieces and offensive political products and chants so rude that they horrified people.
Hate speech - including words like "b*tch" - has become a problem so big on Twitter that the company was forced to address the issue after facing boycotts by users who said the platform was enabling harassment. The situation begs many questions, among them: how often is "b*tch" used in such a defamatory way? Who is using the word? And where are people tossing the word around? That's what Dr. Monica Stephens wants to know.
Stephens is an assistant professor at University at Buffalo's Department of Geography. She works to understand the relationship between online speech patterns and how they manifest offline, in real-world communities. After her 2013 project Hate Map explored geotagged homophobic, racist, and ableist slurs on Twitter, Stephens turned her attention to "b*tch." The project has proven to be a difficult one despite support from the Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, as well as Scott Hale and Mark Graham from the Oxford Internet Institute and the Alan Turing Institute.
"There were definitely, definitely enough Tweets that use the word 'b*tch' . . . The problem was I couldn't afford to pay somebody to read all of them."
In some ways, the "B*tch Map" is a reaction to critiques of Stephen's 2013 work. "When I first did the Hate Map, lots of people contacted me," Stephens tells POPSUGAR. From marginalized communities like Jewish groups to the nonmarginalized like white men, people were displeased they weren't represented on the map. (Stephens says there simply weren't enough logged slurs on Twitter against Jewish people to form any significant conclusions.) "Women were commenting, saying how misogynist I was," Stephens says.
Ironically, another major problem was also that the use of the word "b*tch" is so very pervasive compared to uses of other hateful words. Stephens logged use of the word "queer" approximately 26,000 times, including by LGBTQ+ people or in posts about LGBTQ+ pride. She also logged use of the n-word approximately 33,000 times, including some used as a term of endearment within the black community. When it comes to the word "b*tch," though, Stephens says there are millions of occurrences annually. "There were definitely, definitely enough Tweets that use the word 'b*tch' . . . The problem was I couldn't afford to pay somebody to read all of them."
This is Stephens's current charge: trying to figure out who is using a term like "b*tch" negatively, parsing slang - "What's up, b*tch?" - and colloquialisms - "stitch-'n-b*tch" - from the hateful. "The number of geotagged Tweets for the word 'b*tch' is overwhelming," Stephens says. "I'm not clear on how often it's used in a positive light or negative light."
Stephens hopes to analyze these Tweets via "sentiment analysis" - algorithms that can discern negative uses of language from positive to a certain degree.
Stephens has come to some early conclusions. First, most usages of "b*tch" came from urban areas, a fact that can be attributed to more people Tweeting in cities in general. Second, users who geotag Tweets do not break down equally by gender.
"When it comes to social media, men geotag at a much higher rate," she says. "Women are very willing to socially tag. They're willing to tag that they're with so-and-so in this image - but they weren't as willing to tag where they were." Stephens says she spoke with both men and women on why they geotag, and, while both men and women are concerned about privacy, women didn't geotag for fear of being targeted while men went ahead and tagged anyway.
Stephens links this to women being more aware that what they say online can be used against them. The result of this tagging by men and not women has led to a very patriarchal internet, one where Siri can find you escort services and Viagra, but not abortion providers. "Believe it or not, women aren't the ones constructing information, and women aren't reviewing the information that men are constructing online," Stephens says. "That filters into what features appear on maps."
From here, the issue hits a gross intersection: using the word "b*tch" online connects with language associated with the alt-right, a hate group known for its virulent racism and distinctly antiwoman ideology. Stephens says the alt-right merges "feeling excluded and marginalized from a sexual position in society" with political positionality. Stephens saw this clearly in the violence in Charlottesville, VA, where the alt-right was the culprit as those who identified as part of the group flying in from various parts of the country to terrorize a community. The relationship to their use of "b*tch" highlights how misogynist language used online can become a rallying point where using this specific word can lead someone to extremist thinkers and groups.
"What I'm looking at is more the way that using these internet communication technologies has changed the scope of hate," Stephens says. "My question is: are the networks people form online supplementing for a lack of population in the material community? Just like support groups for a rare health condition, they don't have enough people who have that particular health problem in their local community, so people turn online for support and develop connections with like individuals. Hate groups are taking the same shape as these networks, and it is something that policymakers need to be aware of."
Stephens's projects is very much in its nascent stages but, in mapping the word and exploring her previous Hate Map, it's easy to see how this new effort could expose how geographically pervasive this toxic speech really is. In these mappings, Stephens is seeking to highlight how hate speech is everywhere and that "certain demographic factors" enable "reproducing hate" offline. As we've seen in 2016 and 2017, the internet allows hateful individuals to come together. Stephens's maps add a geographic face to the problem.
"You always see people on the news saying, 'That's not what our community is like. We're a small town: we have family values,' or whatever," she says. "But there's an awareness as you tweet, as you look at the geography and the distribution of hate speech that it is coming out of small towns, it's coming out of what we assume to be the liberal hotbeds of Austin, TX, and Berkeley, CA . . . . It's coming out of everywhere."
The Opioid Epidemic's Biggest Culprit Isn't Heroin Anymore - It's Something Deadlier
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Andrew*, an HVAC engineer, looks better than your average 37-year-old, college-educated man from Canton, OH. Clean-shaven, wearing a fitted maroon polo shirt and black dress pants. Athletic. Energetic. Flirtatious.
He sits on the patio of a local restaurant, sipping his cocktail, skimming the menu at the kind of place you take your kids to after soccer practice.
"Yesterday I had one glass of wine, today I had two. Tomorrow, I don't know," Andrew says, both hands cupped around a sweaty vodka-soda with lime. "But it's not heroin."
But it wasn't heroin two weeks earlier, either, when the husband and father of three woke up on the floor of his sober-living house to six men shaking him. They told him it took two doses of Narcan, an opioid blocker, to revive him after he overdosed on carfentanil for the sixth time this year.
It wasn't heroin, because if you ask drug users, people in recovery, medical personnel, and law enforcement, they'll tell you that drug has all but dried up in the state of Ohio, a state leading the country in fatal opioid overdoses, according to the Centers For Disease Control.
If it were heroin, it would've been made from morphine, which is derived from naturally occurring opium.
Andrew, 37, looks out from the patio at a restaurant in Canton, OH, on Aug. 18. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
Carfentanil - a synthetic form of fentanyl - is generally used to sedate very large animals, like elephants, and it's 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It's the new drug of choice for those manufacturing and selling illicit drugs in the Buckeye State, which was home to a record-setting 4,149 accidental deaths due to fatal overdoses in 2016.
Fentanyl itself is another popular option. The drug is "50 to 100 times more potent" than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Oftentimes, drug users don't realize they aren't getting quite what they bargained for until it's too late.
Andrew noticed the switch about six months ago, when he started "falling out" - or losing consciousness - after doses he had previously considered normal.
"I was shooting up all day, every day," he said, as he stretched out his arms to show dark bruises where his veins had collapsed under his skin. And then finally, one day, he overdosed.
The casual observer probably would never know that Andrew was battling opioid addiction at this very moment, but the crisis that's hit America hard doesn't discriminate.
Drug overdose deaths have now become the leading cause of accidental deaths in the US with 52,404 fatalities in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine; 33,091 of those deaths, which equates to more than six out of 10, involved an opioid.
And it's getting worse. While official numbers aren't in yet, a New York Times preliminary report has the total number of drug overdose deaths for 2016 at more than 59,000, which it described as "the largest annual jump ever recorded in the United States."
Addiction started for Andrew in 2009, when he started taking his mother's oxycodone, which she had been prescribed after a medical procedure - he says because he "didn't want her taking all of that." He also had a longstanding Adderall prescription added to the mix.
His opioid and Adderall abuse went undetected by his wife until the Summer of 2016, when she noticed he was running out of the ADHD drug before the end of the month. After she made a call to his doctor, his prescription was revoked, and Andrew turned to cocaine. The way he tells it, his wife got fed up, took their kids, and left him, and one week later, he was shooting up heroin.
What Can We Do to Stop the Epidemic?
It's not that uncommon of a story, and it can happen to anybody. President Donald Trump addressed that issue in his press briefing from New Jersey on Aug. 8.
"Nobody is safe from this epidemic that threatens young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural communities," he said. "Everybody is threatened."
But what's debatable is Trump's view that amping up incarceration is the answer to the problem. In the same briefing, he pledged to increase federal drug prosecutions and implied he'd fight to lengthen sentences for convicted federal drug offenders. This is in stark contrast to the Obama administration's approach to dealing with drug users.
Two days later, Trump told reporters in New Jersey, "The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I'm saying officially, right now, it is an emergency. We're going to draw it up and we're going to make it a national emergency. It is a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had."
What methods the Trump administration will ultimately employ to combat the epidemic aren't exactly certain at this time.
What we do know is that his comments about "upping federal prosecutions" were made despite a preliminary report issued on July 31 by his Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The report almost exclusively recommended addressing shortcomings in access to treatment for addicts, along with prescription drug reform and stopping the influx of synthetic opioids (like fentanyl and carfentanil) from other countries, like China.
That approach is more in line with what people who are living in the throes of the epidemic think would be helpful.
Incarceration Doesn't Work For Everyone
One of those people is Tugg Massa, 42, from Akron, OH. He's a recovering addict and founder of Akron Say No to Dope, a nonprofit organization that serves Summit County, where as many as 250 people died last year from drug overdoses. Those deaths were largely attributed to the introduction of carfentanil in the area in June and July of 2016, according to Ohio.com.
Both fentanyl and carfentanil are a whole lot cheaper on the street than morphine and heroin, he explained, which is why they're being cut with anything and everything people use to get high - usually unbeknownst to the drug user.
"It's not like it was when I was growing up," Tugg said. "Not to glorify drug use of any kind, but it's a lot more dangerous now. It's not heroin. Heroin won't even get the people out there using drugs high anymore because this fentanyl and carfentanil are so strong."
He knows what he's talking about, as someone who used drugs for 27 years. Tugg's been sober since Oct. 10, 2012, the day he was arrested for illegal manufacturing of methamphetamines.
Tugg Massa, 42, checks the call log for Akron Say No to Dope's 24/7 helpline from his organization's thrift store and boutique in Akron, OH, on Aug. 14. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
When Tugg got caught, he was making meth to support his own opioid habit. He spent two years in prison for that charge, where, despite his surroundings, he got clean and earned his GED.
"It was difficult," he said of his time there. "There's a lot of drugs in prison. I had a drug dealer on one side of my cell and a drug dealer in the other cell next to me."
Although he successfully overcame his addiction while incarcerated, he feels strongly that being locked up is not for everyone. Instead, Tugg is a major advocate for drug court, where people get the option of undergoing treatment in lieu of conviction. That means if they make it through a 12-month program, their convictions are dropped.
Treatment Is Crucial - When the Timing Is Right
Sheriff Steve Leahy of Clermont County, OH, generally agrees with Tugg about the need for more access to treatment, but also says it needs to be worked hand in hand with the judicial system.
"You can't throw everybody's ass in jail," he said. "But what you also can't do is hug your way out of it."
Sheriff Leahy speaks from experience as both a member of law enforcement and someone who has witnessed firsthand a loved one's battle against opioid addiction. His ex-wife's struggles gave him valuable insight into what might work in his community.
He points out that some people simply aren't responsive to treatment, possibly because they're not ready for it at that point in their addiction.
"I think there are just some people who do need to be in jail or incarcerated. Maybe because they're selling as a pusher or they are committing crimes and burglaries and other felonies," he said. "You have to protect the community at large. Also, with the same breath, sometimes the only way to protect an individual from themselves is by having them locked up until you can get them to a point of treatment."
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Whatever they're doing in Clermont County seems to be working. The death toll skyrocketed to 94 in 2015, placing Clermont at the top of the state for accidental overdose deaths, according to Leeann Watson, associate director of Clermont County's Mental Health Recovery Board. That figure was up from 68 in 2014 and 56 in 2013, said Watson, who is also cochair of the opiate task force. But in 2016, the number dropped slightly to 82 deaths.
One tool that Leahy believes in is his county's community alternative sentencing program, which people can choose to participate in while they are incarcerated.
The program is administered in a wing of the county jail dedicated exclusively to those who have volunteered for treatment. It's an opportunity for convicted drug offenders who are ready to tackle sobriety to make the best use of their time.
"You have to have the buy-in of the court system, which includes the probation department and other mental health and addiction specialists," Leahy said. "It's kind of a multipronged attack."
Court Programs Can't Help When Drugs Don't Show Up on Tests
Andrew, who was placed on probation in January after officers found a needle in his car when he got pulled over for speeding, hasn't had to face a choice like those convicted in Sheriff Leahy's jurisdiction yet.
Not after trying out replacement drug therapy with Suboxone and methadone; not after attending treatment facilities in both Mexico and Florida; not after witnessing two people die from opioid overdoses in his own home on two separate occasions. And not even after his own latest overdose.
When his sober-living housemates revived him just two weeks ago, the police were called and he was taken to the hospital.
If he had tested positive for drugs at the hospital, he would've been kicked out of the sober-living house and sent to jail for violating probation.
The crazy thing is, his drug test came back negative.
"I've been given a lot of grace," he says.
"Grace" for Andrew, this time, came in the form of a standard urine test that didn't detect the particular concoction of street opioids that shut down his system.
Yes, you read that right. The standard drug tests administered at many hospitals that treat overdose victims don't pick up carfentanil and the street versions of fentanyl that are killing people in record numbers.
Even after six near-death experiences and witnessing two fatal overdoses in his own home from opioid use in the past year, Andrew says he still can't promise he won't ever use opioids again. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
"You have to know what you're looking for," said Dr. Barry Sample, senior director of Science and Technology at Quest Diagnostics.
Dr. Allison Chambliss, assistant professor of Clinical Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, elaborated, "Fentanyl and carfentanil are structurally distinct from the other major opioids, and so do not get detected up by the routine urine opioid drug screens out there that are designed to pick up morphine, codeine, and heroin."
Even if you might have an idea what you're looking for, oftentimes the proper tests simply aren't run - either because they're too expensive or the facility where the victim is being treated doesn't have the proper equipment.
Usually it's only large reference and specialty toxicology labs that have the tools required to carry out these kinds of tests, even though they could be run on urine or blood samples, just like more general opioid tests, Chambliss said.
In Andrew's case, the standard test was apparently run, and it came back negative for opioids. He was released from the hospital and was able to go back to the sober-living facility with no probation violation recorded.
Even after that close of a call, where he narrowly escaped losing his liberty - and his life - he admits, "I still can't promise I'll never use opioids again. It's too good."
"Ready" and "Rock Bottom" Look Different For Everyone
Tugg pointed out that in his ministry of recovering addicts, "They have to come to me. I can't go chasing people down."
He shared Sheriff Leahy's sentiment that drug users have to be ready on their own, which many addicts describe as their "rock bottom" moment. For him, it was a letter from his daughter while he was in prison, asking him, "Who do you think you are?"
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Rock bottom for Jessica*, 26, from Los Angeles looked very different.
Having used drugs since the age of 13, Jessica became addicted to opioids at 16 after trading away cocaine for "tar" and not realizing that it was, in fact, heroin.
At one of her worst moments, she was homeless, on the street, doing whatever was necessary to score drugs. At another, an obsessed partner held her against her will for half a year.
Jessica says her captor forbid her from speaking to anyone else, eating, showering, or even using the bathroom outside of his presence. She finally convinced this man that her going to treatment would be better for their relationship, which is how she escaped that situation.
"When I got to treatment, I had to learn how to form sentences again. I couldn't speak. I didn't know how to raise my head and look somebody in the eye," she said. "Even just eating was a big thing. I didn't know how to do that anymore. I had to learn how to stop asking permission for things, which was really hard. That's something that I still struggle with today."
But even being held against her will wasn't what brought her to the realization that she needed to get clean.
Her epiphany came in 2012 at the age of 21, when she had "everything" in every materialistic sense of the word. She was living with a wealthy man - who supported her $400-a-day heroin habit - in a beautiful home in Southern California. She said it was hitting an emotional bottom that finally did her drug use in over a period of four months when she was trying to overdose every single day.
"It was a feeling of desperation that was something I hadn't felt before," she said. "That true desperation of, 'I have everything in the world, but I am nothing,' that's what was different this time than all the other times. I finally realized that I as a person had no self-worth."
"I would be looking in the mirror at myself, because I was an IV user, and I would shoot in my neck, so I would have to be in front of a mirror. I'd be standing in front of a mirror, looking myself in the eyes as I'm injecting my neck with heroin trying to die," she said. "Praying that you don't wake up this time, that is the scariest feeling in the whole world," she said.
Today, she's five years sober and has been working for the last two and half years at a sober treatment facility in Texas, which she credits with helping to maintain her sobriety.
The Street View of How to Fight the Opioid Crisis
Signs advertise free Narcan class outside New Beginnings, the thrift store and boutique Tugg runs in Akron, OH, in support of Akron Say No to Dope. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
It's unclear exactly what will happen to the wide-scale handling of this epidemic nationwide, if and when the opioid crisis is officially declared a national emergency, but Jessica and the other people we interviewed for this story have a wish list.
Sheriff Leahy, Jessica, and Tugg all agree that more in-house treatment facilities are crucial in this fight.
"When someone is ready to get off of drugs, we need to address that right then," Tugg said. "We need more beds. No wait time."
Jessica noted that in addition to more beds, facilities need more time.
"Long-term treatment is what's working. The 30-day treatment centers are not long enough. You can't work through all the trauma that you've caused to yourself as an addict. Your first week, you're detoxing. Your second, third week, you might be going to groups and start having emotions again, and your fourth and fifth week, you're planning your discharge already. So you've really only gotten a week of actual treatment," she said.
"Starting to form new habits takes a long time. You can't learn that in 30 days, which is why I stayed in treatment for a year and a half," Jessica said. "A lot of treatment centers are only 30 days, which is why they're always full because people, they'll go in, 30 days, get out, relapse, and go back in. The long-term places are getting people and holding them and really turning them back out to be productive members of society."
From a law enforcement perspective, Leahy would also like to see funds available for "one or two more" directed patrol officers, meaning members of law enforcement who are assigned a specific task for a particular purpose. In his community, that purpose would be to have more of a presence to help stop the flow of drugs across jurisdictional lines.
"And maybe a reinstitution of D.A.R.E. or something similar to that," Leahy said. "We can do whatever we're doing now, but we've got to get to the young people."
At the federal level, Trump alluded during his press briefing to the fact that he's talking with China about "certain forms of man-made drugs that come in."
That prospect got Tugg excited.
"We need to put sanctions on China. If they're not going to regulate what they're sending over here, then there should be sanctions against them," he said. "The fentanyl and carfentanil that's going around, they can get it right through the mail from China and get it dropped off right at their house."
Andrew says he got his last batch of opioids from his housemate, who is connected with one of the major drug cartels in Mexico. He won't say how it arrived in Ohio.
We asked what advice he would give - after everything he's experienced - to someone who was considering trying opioids for the first time today.
"I would say, 'Pull out your phone and look up epitaph, because you're gonna want to know what that word means,'" he says. "And then tell everyone you love that you love them. And then flip a quarter. Because there's a 50/50 chance you're gonna die."
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of these sources.
If you or someone you know is in need of drug-related treatment or counseling, you can reach the Substance and Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on its Treatment Referral Routing Service helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
If you're in the Summit County, OH, area, you can call Akron Say No to Dope's 24/7 hotline at 855-246-LIVE (5483).
32 Fun Disney Facts From a Former Cast Member
Despite the fact that the Disney company employs thousands of people, there really aren't that many who can say they worked at one of its amazing theme parks. And if you're lucky enough to be one of those people, you know how closely guarded Disney's secrets are and how little you are actually allowed to share. I was fortunate enough (yes, I say fortunate because I loved working for the intense company that is Disney) to work at Walt Disney World for a few years while I lived in Florida, and I'm here to share just a few of the things I learned about the company, the parks, and being a cast member, but I have to do it quietly so the mouse doesn't track me down.
12 Things You Should Know Before Traveling Across the Country on Amtrak
I have always fantasized about traveling across the country by train, so when my boyfriend suggested that we take Amtrak from San Francisco to New York City, I was all in. There have been many conversations around the web about what it's really like to take Amtrak for long trips, so I want to give you the most accurate and true depiction.
We decided to get a roomette for the first and longest leg of our travel on the California Zephyr. We had the small room from Emeryville (the Amtrak station right outside of San Francisco) to Chicago for two days and two nights. After a seven-hour stop in Chicago, we rode the remaining 17 hours of our journey to NYC in coach seats. In total, our tickets for two people came out to $772. Not bad considering we were traveling for three and a half days and our meals were included with the roomette.
To get all the details on what it's like to sleep, eat, and basically live in an Amtrak train while chugging across America, keep reading. There are lots of interesting details that will take you by surprise.
The Tarte Palette of Your Dreams + 23 More Holiday 2017 Beauty Launches
September and October are when the key players in the beauty industry start breaking out some of their biggest, baddest, and quickest-to-sell-out products, and because we quite literally couldn't contain ourselves, we've convinced some of our favorite brands to give us a sneak peek at all the glory that's to come. From that Tarte palette we foreshadowed (yes, it's that wonderful) to the Jo Malone set representing all of your beauty #housegoals, and plenty of snowflake and snowman-clad, limited-edition goodies in between, read on for 24 items we'll be adding to our holiday lists. The good news: some of it's already hitting stores. Merry Autumn!
The Internet Is Having a Field Day With Melania Trump's First Lady Portrait
The White House released Melania Trump's official portrait as first lady on April 3 and a flurry of hilarious reactions on Twitter ensued because, well, that's what Twitter is for.
Take a gander at some Twitter reactions to the shot below.
Digging this new White House literacy campaign. http://pic.twitter.com/FOTeIWCH0w
- Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) April 3, 2017
@molly_knight @sahilkapur @FLOTUS a bold and unconventional portrait tbh molly http://pic.twitter.com/OoyhGtj9qR
- darth™ (@darth) April 3, 2017
Congrats to Melania on her official portrait http://pic.twitter.com/SuTfebTtTI
- Luke O'Neil (@lukeoneil47) April 3, 2017
How they FaceTune an official White House portrait? Bye https://t.co/QPysRywVsQ
- @MADBLACKTHOT (@MADBLACKTHOT) April 3, 2017
@nycjim Oh. My. God. It's a Revlon ad.
- Jessica Craven (@Craven7Jessica) April 3, 2017
@TheCut five instagram filters and the liquefy tool in photoshop?
- Kim Cavill (@sexposparenting) April 3, 2017
@thehill Official portrait? More like a Missing Person poster.
- Kimberly Sheinwald (@kimberlyybarra) April 3, 2017
The White House did not reveal the name of the photographer who took Trump's portrait. However, the first lady did offer a comment on her duties in a statement. "I am honored to serve in the role of First Lady, and look forward to working on behalf of the American people over the coming years," she said.
25 Awesome Costco Shopping Secrets That Go Way Beyond Free Samples
If you're a savvy shopper, you probably have a Costco membership. The warehouse store offers massive discounts on bulk foods, household goods, and even gasoline - but the savings don't stop there! Prepare to save more money than ever before by getting educated about the inner workings of Costco's price schemes, in-store deals, and policies . . . it might just change your life.
5 Unexpected Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide
If you're like most people, the only reason you pull out your brown bottle of three-percent hydrogen peroxide is to clean a cut. It is a much less painful way to sanitize your wound than, let's say, alcohol (OUCH!). But did you know that hydrogen peroxide has a lot of other everyday uses as well? Keep reading to find out how to clean your kitchen, your toothbrushes, and even your feet.
lundi 11 décembre 2017
The White House Is Infested With Rodents and Insects, Because Nature Can Be So Wise
The White House has a rat problem - literally. NBC News 4 recently obtained hundreds of work orders and maintenance requests handled by the US General Services Administration. Apart from the usual redecorating requests or air-conditioning issues, the documents revealed that the White House is dealing with a pretty notable and recurring rodent and insect infestation.
Over the past two years, several mice sightings, cockroach infestations, and ant colonies have been reported. These complaints aren't contained to the usual, expected areas, however, like the kitchen or the landscape shop. One work order addresses the issue of ants congregating around Chief of Staff John Kelly's office. In October, a work order for the Situation Room simply said, in all-caps, "RODENT PROBLEM."
"They are old buildings," said Brian Miller, the former GSA inspector general. "Any of us who have old houses know old houses need a lot of work." If you can recall, Donald Trump was caught slamming the White House earlier this year in a conversation on the golf course. As reported by Golf Magazine, Trump said he was out playing so much golf because "that White House is a real dump."
Lime Crime Is Making It Possible For Brunettes to Rock Purple Hair
This Fall, it looks like the unicorn hair phenomenon has reached its goth phase - at least, according to Lime Crime. The brand just announced that it's adding four more shades to its Unicorn Hair Collection, but this time, it's gone way darker. Whereas the first rollout of shades were bright as can be, these four new hues are deliciously dramatic.
The colors in question are Chestnut, a deep maroon; Squid, a spooky purple; Charcoal, a dusty gray; and Sea Witch, an (evil) mermaid's tail green. These shades are all full-coverage, and the decision to release such intense colors was not an accident.
In an Instagram post, the brand said that these dyes are all meant for brunette or darker-haired girls who want to rep Team Unicorn.
See each shade ahead, before anything is released on Lime Crime's website on Oct. 24. (Dark) magic awaits!
8 Zumba Workouts to Shakira's Music That'll Have You on Your Feet in Seconds
You probably already can't help but stand up and dance every time a Shakira song comes on - if you can manage to stay seated through "Chantaje" or "Waka Waka," tell us, how do you do it? So you might as well sneak in a little workout every time you play your favorite tune by the Colombian singer on repeat. That's exactly what learning these Zumba choreographies to some of Shakira's biggest hits will help you do. Put on your leggings, grab a towel, and scroll ahead.
The Perfect Cocktail For Your Zodiac Sign
Ever feel like there's that one cocktail that just speaks to you? It just might be your perfect zodiac match. And, hey, even if you don't read your horoscope every day, it doesn't hurt to find a new go-to cocktail recipe for every occasion. We've tapped cocktail expert Kat Odell, author of the recently published cookbook Day Drinking: 50 Cocktails For a Mellow Buzz ($11), for her advice on all things cocktail-related astrology. Read on to discover which cocktail you should stir up based on your zodiac sign, and learn why it's the best match, according to Kat herself. And, yes, as the name of her book implies, you have permission to drink it any time of day!
5 Lifesaving Habits of a Real-Life Professional Organizer
It's no wonder the cofounder of Done & Done NYC, a professional organizing, de-cluttering, and staging business, is just as organized in her personal life as her professional life. Abby Löfberg has the scoop on how Kate Pawlowski's daily routine stays on track.
Our cofounder Kate Pawlowski is 28 years old and the most high-functioning person I know. (Read her bio here). What's great about her is that she gives advice that someone like me (who doesn't "run a home" and is not naturally organized) can actually follow and implement.
I grilled her about her entire day, and gleaned a couple of great habits that she does unconsciously and without thinking. She says that these are so easy, they don't feel overwhelming - they become ingrained into your habits, and you end up looking forward to the feeling of relief you get after such little effort, like brushing your teeth in the morning.
1. Morning
When she wakes up, Kate fills her kettle and turns it on. During the three minutes it takes to boil for her morning tea, she unloads the dishwasher, so she never has to keep dishes in the sink and just pops them straight in the dishwasher all day. Imagine never having to have a terrifying sink full of dirty dishes! (I actually do this too. It works!)
2. Showering
She keeps a magic eraser in her shower and wipes down the walls right after she shuts the water off to keep it clean and mildew-free. This prevents slime and grime from building up in the grout, and she never has to do a deep shower clean other than during her seasonable deep cleaning sprees.
3. Getting dressed
She is all about stylish basics that work for multiple purposes - especially with her underwear. When Kate buys her undies, she makes sure they match a few of her existing bras, so she can quickly pull out a pair and be in a matching set. When she takes off her clothes at night, her bra and undies go right into the mesh delicates bag she has hanging on her closet door, so they're ready to pop in the wash once a week. (She actually has a bunch of these bags in different sizes and washes most of her clothes this way to take care of them). This way, she never runs out of underwear and has to do a last-minute wash while wearing granny panties.
4. Evening
She spends seven to 10 minutes every night tidying her desk, her coffee table, folding throw blankets, and starting the dishwasher so she can wake up fresh in the morning and get right to coffee and work.
5. Shopping
Living in an organized way is not just about where you put your things - it starts with what you let into your house in the first place. Kate is vigilant about her shopping habits - she does research on clothes and reads reviews before she buys them. She knows what cuts work for her and which materials she is most comfortable wearing. She also takes care of her clothes really well by washing everything on a delicate cold-cold cycle. This way, her clothes stay in top condition and she doesn't have to buy as much. This is part of a philosophy we at Done & Done NYC call Owning Well - in other words, how to own less things that work perfectly for you is a more efficient and less expensive way to have an organized space.
8 Brilliant Ways to Hang Stockings Without a Fireplace
Most of us can make do without having a fireplace for the majority of the year; you probably don't need one at all in the Summer, and in Winter, there are lots of alternatives for staying warm. Having a fireplace is somewhat of a luxury - that is until we come around to the holiday season and find ourselves without a mantle to hang our stockings on. But fear not! It's nothing that a bit of creativity can't solve! If you're missing a festive fireplace this year, try some of these great alternatives for hanging your stockings without missing out on all the holiday cheer.
Pin This: The 5-Step Side Braid
This sideswept braid is something of a cross between a waterfall braid and the french braid Katniss Everdeen wore in The Hunger Games. Not only is it a chic way to keep hair out of your face, but it also looks elegant on a night out. See step-by-step photos, along with instructions on how you can re-create this side french braid yourself, when you keep reading.
There's a Scientific Reason 1 of Your Eyebrows Is Better Than the Other
Even if your brows are on fleek, it's a fact of life: one is always slightly better than the other, and there are many hilarious memes documenting this truth. Maybe all the hairs are easily tamed and grow in the same direction on your "good brow," or the tail is robust and full. Michelle Phan once told me that arches are supposed to be like "sisters, not twins," but if you're as obsessed with beauty perfection as I am, incongruity between brows is unacceptable.
According to expert Tonya Crooks, who has defined the majestic arches of Megan Fox, Eva Mendes, and Fergie, there's a scientific reason for this. "Each brow has different muscle movement," she explained. "Sometimes this is caused by what side [of your face] you're sleeping on, [which can make] the muscles on one side weaker than the other. Sometimes it is due to how you naturally show expression."
This makes complete sense. Think about it - many women have seen a loss in elasticity on the half of their face that is more frequently mushed into their pillows. This also translates to brows, making the arch appear more slack instead of lifted.
There's logic to this theory in regard to facial expressions, too. Those who can raise an eyebrow are often only able to do this with one, leaving the other muscle weaker. Though I can arch both brows individually, I favor my right - which is also my "good" brow.
Despite this inherent brow bias, Crooks says that with extra attention and care, you can make yours look even. "The first thing I try to do with my clients is, like scales, balance the brows by giving a little to one and taking a little from the other over time to create a more symmetrical effect," she told me.
There's no need to drastically change how you fill in your arches with makeup. Just take a step back from the mirror after every few pencil strokes. "You have to look at your face and adjust the steps slightly per brow," Crooks insisted. One might need a bit more color at the front, while the other needs a darker tail.
Overall, though, there's no reason to despair if you can't conquer the asymmetry between your brows. One of your feet (or one of your breasts!) is likely larger than the other, and it's just another one of those little imperfections that make you uniquely beautiful. Embrace your "bad brow" - it's still on fleek as it is.
The 58 Australian Beauty Brands We Swear By
In our job, we try a lot (and we mean a lot) of products. That's a whole lot of beauty reviews, product testing, jar opening, and general face real estate that we take on. There's always a space in our hearts (and on our skin) for our beloved all-Aussie brands.
So in homage to our favorite Australian brands, we've rounded up the ones we think are worthy of cult-product status. But prepare yourself - this list got really big, really quickly!
Scroll to shop the all-Aussie products we'll always have space for in our beauty drawers.
Meghan Markle's Nails Already Have the Royal Stamp of Approval
There's a lot of protocol that needs to be followed by members of the royal family, which is set to include Meghan Markle following the announcement of her engagement to Prince Harry. Becoming part of the royal family is a full-time role that comes with plenty of rules, including, allegedly, what color of nail polish is considered acceptable. We recently learned that the Duchess of Cambridge only ever wears a natural nail color, and we also know that Queen Elizabeth II has been wearing the same pale pink Essie natural shade for 29 years!
Now Meghan seems to be following suit, as she was seen showing off her gorgeous engagement ring (which Harry adorably designed himself!) with a manicure that featured a light pink polish and a short nail length. The soft hue let the ring take the spotlight, complementing her skin tone and sophisticated outfit. Take a closer look, and then shop some of your own royal-approved hues.
The 15 Best Mindfulness Gifts to Give This Year
If you know someone who's been practicing self-cafe this year and doing everything they can to live in the moment, your best bet is to buy them something this gift-giving season that will help fuel their dedication to mindfulness. We found 15 gifts that anyone looking to improve in the new year would love. Check them out.
Some Genius Created the Pizza Planet Truck From Toy Story in Real Life
As a millennial, I can say with confidence that my peers and I daydreamed about ordering delivery from Pizza Planet at a very young age. The fictional pizza brand, made famous by Disney-Pixar films like Toy Story, was delivered in a late-'80s model pickup truck adorned with a rocket ship. Considering the iconic nature of Pizza Planet, it makes sense that a hardcore Disney-Pixar fan would create their own version of the pizza truck . . . and the real-life version is even better than I envisioned in my childhood.
If you're lucky, you might spot the Pizza Planet truck at Disney fan events (like D23) or conventions. In the meantime, peep these photos of the ultimate fan-made tribute!
My Parenting Style: Survivalist
A helicopter mom, I am not. And I'm not a tiger or a dragon either. I don't practice attachment parenting, and I believe free range is better for chickens than children. So what kind of mom am I? I am a survivalist. To me, the definition is simple. While most of the time I try to raise my kids in a nurturing, educationally rich, nutritiously sound environment, sometimes, the s*@# just hits the fan (or, more likely, my most expensive rug). And when temper tantrums, fevers, or general fussiness is the order of the day, all bets are off . . . and the cartoons come on. And I am totally, 100 percent OK with that. So how do you become a survivalist mom? Here's my handy guide to my "whatever gets you through the day" philosophy.
- Feed them healthy foods, at least half of the time. The days you get in all five food groups, give yourself a pat on the back. But the ones that are filled with chicken nuggets, ice cream cones, lollipops, and nary a vegetable? Those will happen, too, and your kids will survive. While scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, and fresh strawberries would be a great breakfast, the frozen, maple-syrup-topped, pumpkin-spice waffles and SpongeBob-wrapped yogurt tube my daughter ate this morning? That's perfectly acceptable, too.
- Get them to sleep, by whatever means necessary. I coslept with my kids for the first couple months of their lives, then kicked them out of my bed for good, and they've been perfect sleepers ever since. And if you believe that, you're as delusional as I was about the ease of sleep training. These days, my 3-year-old only naps in the car and my 8-month-old prefers to nap with a boob in his mouth. So I spend part of my afternoons driving around aimlessly and another big chunk topless. Nighttime is slightly better for me . . . mostly because my husband is in charge of putting my daughter to bed. Last night, he snuck out after 20 minutes, content that her snoring meant she was totally out. Ten minutes later, she was schooling him on where he was supposed to be sleeping. "What were you thinking, daddy?" was her ultra-accusatory intro. After being thoroughly reamed about his disappointing behavior, my six-foot-three-inch husband apologized and climbed back into her pink-sheeted, stuffed-animal-occupied bed for another hour. When it comes to sleep, we know who's boss.
- As long as their clothing won't make them freeze or sweat to death, we're good. This was a hard one for me because I've always been a bit obsessed with style, and my daughter has a closet full of lovely little dresses, tops, and jackets, all designed to turn her into the Crewcuts model I know she could be. But for the last month, pretty much every day, she's been wearing a cheap-o Target t-shirt, a pair of Gap leggings two sizes too small, and a pink tutu that also doubles as her preferred sleepwear. And honestly, I just can't muster the energy to fight the good fashion fight anymore. She thinks she looks beautiful, and that's all that matters. Well, that and the fact that when it's a choice between the sequin-covered Hello Kitty ballet shoes she wants and the hip and practical Superga sneakers I want, I know I'll never win.
- Let the screen calm the beast. Sometimes I think that I should really feel guilty that my daughter knows every Disney Junior character's name and sometimes recites show plotlines like they happened to her in real life. "Mommy, remember when Princess Sofia turned into a cat today? That was so funny." But, in truth, I'm just glad she prefers Doc McStuffins and Daniel Tiger to Dora and Caillou (I just can't take those voices!), and I'm grateful for TV's ability to give me a few minutes of peace during even our most stressful days. There are times when our screen time is perfectly limited to a quick show in the morning and one before bed, but there are others, when she's sick or just in her most crazy-diva mood, when we've watched Shrek on repeat. On those days, I tell myself that tomorrow will be better. And if not, I have three new Little Einsteins episodes on my DVR.
Bath & Body Works Already Released Its Holiday Candles - Nice Knowin' Ya, Paycheck
No, this is not a drill, and no, you're not dreaming: Bath & Body Works has already started selling its holiday candles before we could even carve our freakin' pumpkins or decide on a Halloween costume. Because who cares about sticking to the seasons, am I right?
Bath & Body Works already made our nostrils do a happy dance by launching tons of new Fall candles back in August, and it has truly wasted no time with jumping headfirst into the upcoming Winter season. As soon as we realized that its holiday-scented candles were already available on store shelves and online, we (and various other candle addicts out there) could only muster up one reaction: full-on freaking out. (Well, and checking our bank accounts, too.)
Y'all, bath and body works has some of their Christmas candles out😍
- pumpkin pie ♡ (@Pumpkin_Prncess) October 9, 2017
Nothing makes me happier than buying holiday candles at Bath and Body Works!!!!
- Dani Travis (@DaniTraviss) October 6, 2017
christmas. candles. are. out. at. bath. and. body. works.
- meghan thomas (@meghanthomas_) October 9, 2017
The wintry three-wick candles include both new scents (like Campfire Donut, OMG) and tried-and-true fan favorites (like Frosted Cranberry and Fresh Balsam). Of course, each cozy candle is designed with supercute labels that make them the perfect desk or table decor. Plus, they all cost less than $25 each, so it's totally acceptable to snag three - or, let's be real, like four or five - of these in one trip.
It's truly never too early to get in the Christmas spirit, so read ahead to scope out your new favorite holiday scent. Can scratch-and-sniff computer screens just be a thing already?
Stop Your Stressin' With 30 Minutes of Chill Yoga
If you're stressing out, it's time to calm down and center yourself with this relaxing yoga series from Yoga With Adriene. Keep your chill attitude going in 2018 with Yoga With Adriene's new series. TRUE: A 30-Day Yoga Journey will be released on Jan. 1 at https.http://ift.tt/1f20D2J.
Credits: On Anna: Under Armour top and Noli Yoga tights; On Adriene: Adidas outfit; Manduka mats
Grab Some Hot Cocoa, Because Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas Schedule Is Here
Are you ready for Freeform's annual Christmas extravaganza? Just like its festive 13 Nights of Halloween lineup, the network is taking charge of the holidays with a 25-day selection of movies that will give you plenty of reasons to stay inside on your couch where it's warm all December long. From Elf to The Nightmare Before Christmas (which is technically a Halloween movie, but whatever), check out everything that's coming to Freeform below.
Zendaya, Hero, Fixed a Reporter's Messy Hair Mid-Interview
As far as celebrity beauty junkies go, few are as obsessive as Zendaya. The actress regularly updates her namesake app with products she's loving (usually drugstore!) and often does her own makeup for the red carpet. As we've seen, she's also quite the hair aficionado and has experimented with everything from an Afro to pixie cuts to platinum blonde. She's also the kind of beauty-lover who wants everyone to look their best . . . and will fix you up if she has to.
During a press junket promoting her latest movie, The Greatest Showman, Zendaya stopped mid-interview to fix the reporter's hair. "Hold on, really quick. I don't want to be weird," she said, getting out of her seat and slicking down the guy's wayward strand. "This is going to bother me. You have one piece of hair . . . I got you. I was like, 'He's going to be mad about it when he sees it later!'" Isn't she the best?
Consider this reason number 1,523,600 we love Zendaya.
This Is the Biggest Mistake You're Making With Your Clarisonic
While I'd like to think that there are quite a few characteristics Oprah and I have in common, one in particular is that we both love the Clarisonic! I've been a devotee of the cleansing brush since it first appeared on the market in 2004. (Granted, I was unable to get one until after I graduated college - as I tell everyone considering the device, it is a skin care investment.)
I've seen Clarisonic evolve from what could have been a gimmicky tool to an absolute necessity for a clear, radiant complexion. I am actually shocked when I talk to friends, co-workers, or even complete strangers who do not own one - how has their skin survived without it?
In all seriousness, it's clear that I love the product - I feel cleaner when I use it. My skin glows. I don't have to spend 10 minutes removing my makeup with a wipe, then a face wash, then another wipe, only to find foundation on the towel. It's a convenience and a luxury wrapped into one tool. Because I'm such a fan, many of my friends consult me about which model to purchase. That's when I realized how confusing it can be: the brand offers seven models, as well as a variety of brush heads to choose from!
Recently, I visited Clarisonic headquarters in Seattle to learn about their new launch, the Mia Fit ($189) While there, I chatted with Dr. Robb Akridge (lovingly known to beauty editors and his colleagues as "Dr. Robb"), one of the inventors of the device. He clarified which device and brush head you should start with based on your needs. Read on to learn which one you should grab first . . . or, if you're as addicted as I am, pick up next!
These Stunning Eylure x Vegas Nay Brow Palettes Are Coming to Ulta Soon! (Exclusive)
Beauty influencer Vegas Nay is giving you a chance to take a break from 2017's unicorn-inspired beauty trend. The influencer (who has 7.8m followers!) is expanding her faux eyelashes partnership with Eylure to now include to gorgeous neutral-hued palettes. It feels refreshingly basic - in the best way possible - in a time when other makeup artists and vloggers are outdoing each other with holographic pigments, glitter masks, and oil slick finishes.
The Eylure x Vegas Nay Brow Powder Palette ($20) and Highlighting Palette ($15) have the taupe, brown, and metallic (gold, rose gold, etc.) shades you need to get those bold "Instagram brows" - the kind of sculpted arch Vegas is known to promote.
"It's always fun and exciting when playing with colors and unicorn shades, but I feel those work best when translating through editorial projects," Vegas told POPSUGAR via email. She also noted that she originally choose to focus on brows since they "complete the look" - whether you're creating a "high arched brow, soft natural brow, a realistic brow (using an intensified brush hairlike stroke), or even a dramatized thick brow."
What is so unique about these two palettes is that once Vegas was done, she realized they could both be used beyond just brows.
"My inner artist/stylist influenced the creative process in these palettes," she said. "I decided to add a beautiful maroon color to the range as that truly describes my fun and playful side. In reality, makeup is art, which is made to be fun and exciting to help you find your unique style."
She went on, "When I added the maroon color, I had a wow moment. This color alone intensified and added such exquisite drama to the other colors in the palette. It inspired the idea that these two palettes alone can virtually be used as eye shadows and highlighters. If you were to travel the world, you could effectively create any eye-shadow style - from a soft natural eye-shadow look to the most alluring smoky eyes."
In essence, feel free to go HAM on your eyelids with these palettes. Plus, the highlighters can live all over your face.
"These silky highlighters were initially created to highlight the brow bone and to properly achieve the smooth line under the brow," Vegas explained. "When I started playing around with these sleek finishes, I instantly realized that you can illuminate your face with these striking highlighters, from a soft natural radiance to a beautiful glamorous glow."
And, yes, Vegas was truly hands-on when it came to executing this project. "The best part of this collaboration with Eylure was that I was given full creative control, and together as a close team, we selected the very best quality of textures, pigments, shades and tones," she noted.
Part of that was making sure she had colors for diverse skin tones. "The colors were inspired to cater toward all skin tones, from cool to warm and the lightest to deepest pigments," Vegas said.
Since Vegas is so damn skilled at applying makeup, we had to ask her application tips for using these products. "Work in soft layers and slowly building up to what look you favor," she advised. "For brows, use a precise slanted brush and lightly add soft strokes that mimic those of your natural brow hairs. For more drama, add a deeper pigment on the outer part of the brows. When using the highlighter, use a matte finish for a clean lower brow line and a hint of shimmer on the highest part of the brow bone. You can also use the highlight on the tear duct of textured eyes for an added pop!"
Snag these two palettes when they drop at Ulta stores and online on Dec. 15.
"PB & J Hair" Is the Newest Color Trend Taking Over Instagram (and Your Lunchbox)
There doesn't need to be a cafeteria food fight for your favorite nostalgic snack to jump out of your lunchbox and onto your hair . . . just ask the folks rocking the new color trend, "peanut butter and jelly hair."
Maryland-based stylist and rainbow hair enthusiast Megan Schipani coined the phrase after a look fashioned with berry-purple hues and caramel balayage highlights, and we're absolutely obsessed. The multidimensional hairstyle is equal parts elevated and nostalgic, allowing the wearer to have fun with pops of color without going full-blown rainbow unicorn.
"It is always a huge help for a stylist to have visuals since we are pretty visual to begin with," the stylist told Allure of her hair color creation. But don't just bring in a photo of your favorite lunch ingredients - we've rounded up several examples of PB&J hair to inspire your next hairstyle.
12 Drugstore Lip Balms That'll Get You Through Winter Chap Free
Lip balm is one of those skin care and makeup essentials that you can easily find at the drugstore. The problem is there are often too many varieties from which to choose at the drugstore. Whether it's for hydration, serious skin repair, or a touch of color, hands down there's a tube out there made for you. Read on for a list of 10 top lip balm picks, each one under $10.
Eggnog-Flavored "Dessert Hummus" Is Just About as Festive (and Healthy!) as It Gets
Image Source: The Hummus & Pita Co.
Step aside, sugar cookies and pecan pies - there's a trendy new holiday dessert in town, and it's actually superhealthy. Before we could even finish obsessing over the life-changing culinary creation that is dessert hummus, we've just learned that eggnog-flavored dessert hummus exists now. Guys, this is truly a holiday miracle.
The Hummus & Pita Co. is the original source of this glorious holiday-ready treat, as the New York-based Mediterranean restaurant just added eggnog hummus to its menu through the end of the year. The pita joint also offers other dessert-approved hummus flavors like vanilla cake batter and chocolate chip cookie dough, all of which can be paired with the store's homemade cinnamon pita chips, strawberries, or bananas (though TBH, we'd gladly eat this stuff by the spoonful). Each dessert hummus option is made with a chickpea base and is gluten-free, protein-packed, and high in antioxidants. Heck yes!
Unfortunately, The Hummus & Pita Co. currently only has locations in New York City (though it is expanding to Colorado, Connecticut, and New Jersey next year). We got the inside scoop on how to make this holiday-ready treat for all you eggnog-lovers who don't live in the Big Apple, so get out those recipe books, and listen up. The Hummus & Pita Co. starts by making its own homemade eggnog with eggs, honey, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, although a store-bought version would suffice as well. Then they blend it together with cooked chickpeas, almond butter, oatmeal, and baking soda. It's as easy as that!
On the other hand, if you do live in or near New York, the glorious folks over at The Hummus & Pita Co. can infuse your eggnog hummus with rum if you stop by one of the stores. Does it get much more holly jolly than that?
Image Source: CBS
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