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…
Did Siberian mushroom shamans invent Santa Claus?
BY: PILGRIM 364 days Santa Claus waits patiently preparing for his big night in the icy seclusion of his frozen Northern estate, until finally, on December 24th, it is time. He descends from his winter fortress, burlap sack slung over…
Sitka Clothing Company protects the planet before profits
BY: VANESSA NIGRO Founded on Canada’s beautiful West Coast in 2002, Sitka Clothing Company promotes a life lived through sustainability and finding balance between industrialization and nature. “We decided to name the company Sitka after the Sitka spruce tree that…
Vertical gardens are the key to self-sufficiency in the city
BY: KATY WILLIS For many, the term “urban living” or “city living” means cramped living environments, no urban gardens, pollution, grim, grey, ugly exteriors, and concrete and glass as far as the eye can see. These people assume – including…
Turns out bee venom could be used to fight cancer
By JACKIE HONG A component in honeybee venom could become the new key in the fight against cancer, a team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced at the 248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San…
The dominatrix under the leather; What is a Domme?
BY: JESSICA BURDE The minute you read the word “dominatrix” you imagine skintight leather, fishnet stockings, a horsewhip and a ruthless attitude. Words like “worm” spill out of her mouth and she survives by feeding on cowardly whimpers and grinding…
The death of the server, the rise of the e-table
By: KATY WILLIS Introducing the e-Table – a touch screen table that negates the need for servers waiting to take your food and drink orders. Customers no longer have to hurry their choice of appetizer, main, or dessert orders while…
I am the Trivago Guy (and so are you)
BY: LUC RINALDI Earlier this month, I was at my parents’ place watching TV when the Trivago ad came on. The spokesperson started doing his thing—talking about hotels, dodging onscreen text, and interacting with virtual graphics—before my dad chimed in…
Why travelling turns you into a decent human being; the benefits of travel
BY: LAURA ROJAS I remember looking up into the Amazonian night – lungs filled with pure air, feet digging into cold earth, seeing the hazy violet dust of the Milky Way. I remember meeting people who knew the curves and…