BY: SINEAD MULHERN Checking the mailbox and finding tiny samples of dish soap in the mail is a fairly normal occurrence. Finding samples of simulated bitumen oil among the flyers, bills and Christmas cards however, is not. But that was…
Stairbombing will piss you off to the point where you might actually care about disability rights
BY: AL DONATO “OUT OF SERVICE” Those words on an elevator sign mean you are forced to the minor inconvenience of taking the stairs—that is unless you have a disability that makes that broken elevator your only way of accessing…
The world’s first biodegradable drone is made out of fungus and wasp saliva
BY: SINEAD MULHERN A new environmentally friendly drone technology is designed to disintegrate when entering sensitive ecological areas. It’s made out of fungus, coated with wasp saliva and looks a bit like a disposable coffee tray. A group of 15…
This pro mountain biker threw a backflip over a 72-foot canyon. An interview with Kelly McGarry
BY: ROB HOFFMAN Kelly McGarry— a wild Kiwi with a passion for pushing limits and backyard barbeques —is one of mountain biking’s most recognizable figures. With unparalleled intensity and a charismatic riding style, his first person Go Pro videos will have…
This photographer tracks the change of her naked body through the journey of motherhood
BY: POLLY PENROSE Over several years, Polly Penrose created a series of photographs entitled A Body of Work showing the physical journey of her body over time. Each portrait is a reaction of her naked body to its environment and…
Turned on by serial killers, rapists and burglars? Meet-an-inmate.com will help you find love behind bars
BY: PILGRIM From the “sexual menu” of Tinder to the moral disposal of Ashley Madison, the online dating world has brought our generation some unique opportunities. Now is your chance to find that “bad boy/girl” type you’ve always been looking…
This 23-year-old New Yorker hasn’t produced any trash in over 2 years
BY: SINEAD MULHERN Want to ditch all that garbage you’ve been sending to the landfills? That’s what New Yorker Lauren Singer, 23, took on three years ago. Today she lives a trash free life. She has even started a company…
Drag Kings are becoming an endangered species
BY: EMILY CRAIG-EVANS Under pink light, in front of a red-checked curtain, a man about five-and-a-half feet tall is bobbing around to some version of “River of Jordan” inside a box made to look like a killer whale that hangs…
Mysticism, meditation and… videogames? Indie game developer Kara Stone reimagines gaming
BY: MICHAEL LYONS I was marginally involved with Toronto-based feminist game making initiative, Dames Making Games, when a tweet from Kara Stone graced my feed in late May. “WHO WANTS TO PLAY DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS WITH ME? IT’S FOR RESEARCH…
Unschooling is education that throws curriculum to the wind and puts the focus on passion
BY: CHRISTINE CELIS When you meet seven-year old Jacob for the first time, you would be charmed by his politeness and his ability to recognize flags and capitals of various countries in the world. You would expect him to be…
Is this 55-year old homeless fashionista more stylish than you? (PHOTOS)
BY: YURKO DYACHYSHYN Collected from city trash bins and homeless aid centres, Slavik changes his clothes at least once every day. With each shift in wardrobe, Slavik restyles his beard and hair, always remembering to shave his armpits. In this…
74% of men say they’d have an affair if they wouldn’t be caught: this mistress tells all
BY: CHRISTINE CELIS Ashley Madison, an online dating site with the slogan “life is short, have an affair”, is a safe haven for the adulterous and like-minded. The site has attracted 22 million users, is available in over 16 languages…
A newly-constructed Japanese train travels 500km/hr by levitating above the tracks
BY: PILGRIM Japan recently constructed a train that travels at 500km/hr (311mph) by floating above the tracks using magnetic levitation—and it’s about to be opened for public use. The first 100 people ever recently had the opportunity to ride the…
Researchers have developed a process to convert algae into crude oil in under an hour
BY: EMMA MCINTOSH Turning algae into crude oil is a process that is so inexpensive that the fuel could be sold for as low as $2 per gallon, according to a study done by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that…
Science proves that hip-hop cures depression
BY: PILGRIM Hip-hop is a notoriously conceited genre, the musicians constantly boasting about their Lamborghinis, big-butted booty-calls, and magnificent estates. It’s strangely un-relatable content given that the genre’s primary listenership is impoverished youth. Yet from Rick Ross’s gold-chains to R.Kelly’s…
A feminist’s take on what’s wrong with feminism
BY: JESSICA BURDE I am a feminist. It is a label I embrace, and I’m proud of the achievements of the feminist movement. But I’m not blind to the flaws of feminism. From the earliest days of women’s suffrage, feminists…
The Netherlands’ Black Pete tradition is definitely the most racist way to celebrate Christmas
BY: PILGRIM On November 15th, 2014, 90 protesters were arrested for demonstrating against the ‘Black Pete’ festival in Gouda, Netherlands, holding signs and wearing shirts that read, “Black Pete is Racism.” Mass demonstrations against Black Pete have become increasingly prominent…
Imagine waking up paralyzed and trapped in a nightmare: Sleep Paralysis
BY: HANNAH WRIGHT Imagine coming out of a dream, attempting to awaken and rise from your bed, only to find that you are completely unable to move. Aside from this, you sometimes experience a plethora of colourful hallucinations. You lie…
In Nicaragua, Volcano Boarding Is A Real Thing
BY: PILGRIM Cerro Negro (Black Hill) is home to Nicaragua’s most intense boarding sport: Volcano Boarding. Imagine, smoke rising up from the crumbling rocks beneath your make-shift wooden board as you plummet 30 – 60 mph down the face of…
The Scarehouse: Poverty, Heartache & Exhaustion Are The Diet Of Any Good Filmmaker
BY: TED BARNABY Gavin Michael Booth tells me that his film career is all his father’s fault. Growing up, Booth’s father exposed him to a number of classics—if slightly age inappropriate—cult films (Indiana Jones, Return of the Jedi, Highlander etc.)…