BY: SOOPAKORN SRISAKUL There is a third gender, and in Thailand it is called “Kathoey”. It loosely translates as “Ladyboy”, the main difference between transgender women being that although Ladyboys often undergo “feminizing” medical procedures such as breast implants, silicone…
The Tiny House Movement gives a middle finger to consumerism
BY: CONNOR BRIAN The truth is I could not care less about keeping up with the Joneses, and, for the sake of your own happiness, neither should you. Your home represents what you value in life, and many are coming to…
These photos of Africans with mental illness show a disturbing assault on human dignity
BY: ROBIN HAMMOND Locked in tin shacks and chained to rusty hospital beds, Africans with mental illness have been abandoned by their government, neglected by foreign aid advocates, and persecuted by their society. Mental health professionals have fled South Sudan…
Astron 6 converted their used underwear into a TIFF film
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA Being heavily deprived of sleep while filmmaking is a lot like being drunk—everything becomes inexplicably hilarious, and you end waking up confused and naked miles away from where you started. Enter directing/acting duo Matthew Kennedy and Adam…
An interview with Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation: Everyday I’m side hustling
BY: JESSICA BURDE The brainchild of Nick Loper, Side Hustle Nation, is an online community for people who are ‘hustling’ to build side businesses while still grinding away at their suit-and-tie day jobs. Nick got his first corporate job in…
Repurpose This: A beginner’s guide to recycling on steroids
BY: KATY WILLIS Recycling only goes so far. Actually, it can cause environmental harm in its own right as chemical-heavy matter is melted and processed during recycling to form new items. That’s not to say you shouldn’t recycle; recycling is…
Can you have love without monogamy? – More than two
BY: JESSICA BURDE Polyamory is defined as having multiple relationships with “the full knowledge and consent of everyone who is affected.” I recently had a chance to talk with Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert, authors of More Than Two, a…
Hitchhiking isn’t extinct. I took the trip of my lifetime for less than $250
BY: ROB HOFFMAN CO-AUTHORED BY: TYLER FYFE Is hitchhiking dead? Or have we wrapped our spirit in safety foam? Of course, the question immediately draws one’s mind to the horror film “The Hitcher” or the infamous “highway of tears,” a stretch…
I got legally ordained as a priest in 5 minutes
BY: KESTREL After spending five minutes on the website of the Universal Life Church of Modesto, California, I now apparently know enough to officiate weddings and funerals. While waiting for my toast to pop on a Thursday afternoon, I killed…
There is something beautiful about bare skin and the wilderness (PHOTOS)
BY: MARYANNE GOBBLE The photography of Maryanne Gobble reveals humankind’s deepest and overwhelming connection to the earth. Her subjects seem to be shaped by the rugged palms of the South Oregon landscape. Stripped down to bare skin, we return to a…
Mike Wilson was a pro skier by age eleven. Now he is YouTube’s biggest badass
BY: ROB HOFFMAN If you plan on watching Mike Wilson’s videos, you should probably bring a brown paper bag to hyperventilate into. Wilson’s career is basically founded on the ability to be the world’s ultimate badass with a completed section of…
Meditation is the art of floating- meditating in water
BY: JOHNATHAN MOSS The real secret to life is in the art of swimming. We are all drifting in a deep ocean current. The waves roar and split above us. Those that are too conscious of their arms will find that…
The life of a street drummer: The Performers Of Dundas Square
BY: LILITH It’s never really quiet in Dundas Square, and, amid the ocean of sound that is passing cars, music pouring out of restaurants, and snippets of blended conversations, a drum beat occasionally breaks through. There are a few percussionists…
The CNE in slow-motion— Bright lights scar the sky after sunset
BY LILITH I’ve always thought that urban scenes had more character at night. As the sun goes down, the gap widens between shadows and light, bringing out the faces of life hidden in the hours of daylight. Now 135 years…
The battle between art and entertainment
BY: KESTREL Art is in flux these days. There seems to be equal opposing sentiments that art is either intrinsically important or a complete waste of time. When art galleries acquire highly valuable pieces with public money, people jump at…
The truth about job security
BY: JESSICA BURDE What makes a good job offer? In a Tower Watson Global Workforce Study, 32,000 employees were surveyed about what they look for in a job offer. The results of the survey were released in July: Job security…
Hockey and soccer made love. Bubble soccer was born
BY: LILITH Ever think regular soccer games are filled with too many rules and metrosexual underwear models that fall over writhing in “pain” at the slightest touch? Here’s a solution for you: bubble soccer, a creation that turns “The Beautiful…
The 2045 Initiative – Immortality for a price tag
BY: PILGRIM Immortality is no longer a fable of Greek mythology. Dmitry Itskov and a team of Russia’s top scientists have discovered the secret to immortality. If you’re on the Forbes Billionaires list, this means you’ve recently been given the…
The violence of Gonzo Porn makes 2 Girls 1 Cup look tame
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA The camera leers above dead eyes and smeared makeup, as her fake eyelashes barely cling on. She grimaces and resumes a neutral expression while the self-proclaimed “anal king”—and most hated man in the industry—Max Hardcore violently…
Not all charities are created equal
BY SARAH HOWELL There is an unspoken assumption that charities will give away most of their profit. Between fundraisers, worker salaries, fees, and advertising, the true question stands: How much profit is left to support the suffering people who need…