Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
Men and Mental Health
We often hear stories and statistics about women suffering from mental illnesses. But oftentimes, men are sidelined in this conversation. The stigma around mental health often hurts the chances of people suffering from mental illness to get help. This may make an even larger impact in the lives of men who are stereotyped as "strong" or "independent." They are often shamed or seen as "unmanly" when seeking for help. Mental health impacts everyone.
By Lorraine Woiak7 years ago in Psyche
Ex Military Vets - True Stories
I have been working with ex military vets who have kindly shared their horrific war stories with me. As Soldiers... We soldier on. This was a repeated phrase used by many of our heroes. I have been connecting with soldiers and turning their stories into monologues working with a company called Iconic enterprise. With the stories, I have written them into performance pieces for our event to bring awareness to these outstanding people. I have shared three of my monologues below to help bring awareness of the pain and suffering our soldiers are put through, many suffering from PTSD.
By Rachel Warren7 years ago in Serve
11 Things You Didn’t Know About Women’s Hygiene. Created with: INTIMINA.
Menstrual Hygiene Day brings to light the importance of feminine hygiene, and therefore brings attention to all the women around the world who may not have access to the hygiene products they need to be healthy and comfortable. As a woman living in America, I often think about how privileged I am in many ways, but I don’t think often enough about those women who don’t have these basic necessities. I hardly ever think about the fact that I am so privileged to be able to have my choice of what kind of hygiene product I will use, while some women do not have any options at all, let alone enough to get them through their cycle. Many girls in developing countries do not even have access to accurate information regarding feminine hygiene. There are brands out there who are on a mission of good, brands like Intimina who will educate people on women’s hygiene products and even donate proceeds and products to someone who needs it.
By Jules Fortman7 years ago in Viva
Sci-Fi Movies with Philosophical Themes
All great movies, much like art, are made to stir the imagination of the viewer. Skilled directors even have an adept understanding about how genre, setting, characters, and plot can make an audience feel specific emotion. The greatest science fiction movies entice the audience to engage in self reflection both from a larger societal and personal perspective. They do this through the powerful technique of metaphors, getting us to hold the mirror to ourselves and ask the difficult questions.
By Blake O'Connor3 years ago in Futurism
'Booksmart': Why Olivia Wilde's Directorial Debut Is Empowering for Female Sexuality
Booksmart follows Molly and Amy, two overachieving high-school seniors who are about to graduate. They realise on the night before their graduation that they have been focusing so hard on studying and getting good grades that they have missed out on all the fun of high school, so they decide to let loose and attend the craziest party of the year.
By Dee Simone7 years ago in Viva
I Will Always Be Trans Before I Am Bi
Judging by the title, I wouldn't blame you for thinking this is going to be a rage piece—a rant against cis LGB people. It's not. I've come to terms with the fact that, as a trans person, I have to be cautious of every single cis person I meet, regardless of whether they are also LGB. I want to explain what I mean by that, because there is every chance that there is a cis LGB person reading this and thinking, "but why? we're in the same community," and you wouldn't be wrong, but for trans people it's not that simple.
By Nathaniel Corns7 years ago in Humans
Kicking Pennies in the Rain
The Corps probably has—it probably had long before I’d gotten there, too—I don’t know what punishments the cadets inflict upon themselves today, but in 2002 the approved method of masochism were area tours, colloquially referred to as “walking hours.” An Area Tour was the most common punishment for both minor and major infractions; the severity of punishment rose in accordance with the egregiousness of the crime. The punishment was to spend time, reflecting on your misdeeds, walking back and forth across the center of the campus. You hefted your rifle upon your shoulder, walked about one hundred paces, switched shoulders, faced about, and repeated the exercise for as many hours as your sins warranted. Being late to class garnered you five hours or so, or missing formation ten, or something like that (it seemed arbitrary to me at the time).
By Tim Brooks7 years ago in Serve
Glima: The Martial Art Created by the Vikings
When the Norsemen sailed out of Scandinavia, they quickly cultivated a bloody and fearsome reputation. Brutal warriors and vicious raiders, they were also skilled sailors and navigators, and they established trade networks from the British Isles all the way to Constantinople (where many Norsemen joined the Varangian Guard, acting as the personal bodyguards to the Eastern Roman emperors).
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Unbalanced
To Cannes and Cannes Not
The Cannes Film Festival of 2019 is in full swing, with the usual scandals, beautiful people, paparazzi, wannabees, con men, and hucksters filling the joints, the clubs and the bars, hotels and clubs all. It is sometimes vulgar and usually crass—but also a place of unexpected Magic. I know because I got to go there in 2014 with my first film and I got to be part of that Circus. Marcello Mastroianni, the great Italian actor, was the first familiar face I saw. His image loomed above the Palais along on the infamous Le Croisette and seemed to beam down with a special magnanimity towards me. “Hello, old friend,” I said.
By Karen Goldfarb7 years ago in Geeks
Marvel vs DC: Superhero Showdown
In comic books, heroes and villains clash all the time, and there is a constant struggle between good and evil. From Batman vs Joker, to Captain America vs. Red Skull, both Marvel and DC have penned some amazing rivalries that have spanned decades. On some occasions we also see some hero vs. hero action, such as in the upcoming Captain America 3: Civil War. However that is Marvel vs Marvel, but what if we saw a Marvel hero, and a DC hero come to blows.
By Johnnie McArdle7 years ago in Geeks
Become a Founding Member of Vocal+
We launched Vocal on November 30th, 2016 to help creators easily share their stories, get discovered, and earn. Since then, over 400,000 creators have joined the Vocal community and shared stories that have inspired millions of people around the world. We’re proud of the creative community we’ve built, the lessons we’ve learned, and the improvements we’ve made.
By Justin @ Vocal7 years ago in Resources
The 3 Worst Endings in TV History
Well, the verdict is in. Game of Thrones has dug its own grave. After years of brilliant character development, complex plotlines, and stunning CGI, the show's writers have destroyed any last bit of hope we had for a satisfying conclusion—burning it alight like the massacre at King's Landing. What was once the greatest series in TV history has fallen from grace at a rate parallel to the downfall of some of its most iconic characters: last week's particularly notable victims being Daenerys Targaryen and Jaime Lannister. So what do we do now? We must accept our fate—and prepare ourselves for the inevitable tragedy that is tonight's final offering. Before that though, we might find some solace in revisiting other series that almost made it, before famously falling at the final hurdle. How did their fans cope? Did these endings fade away into history, or tarnish the entire show's memory forever?Naturally, we must begin at the very worst. The most notorious of all, and in most people's eyes, the long-time occupier of the Iron Throne of bad endings...
By Laura Holliday7 years ago in Geeks
"California"
"California" is about living in a small town that you dream of escaping. I wrote this song when I was in a time in my life where certain friends had completely changed and became people I did not want to associate with anymore. The line “they try to lie, they try to tie, their sh*t right back to me” really captures exactly how I was feeling at the time.
By Skye Reearna Webley7 years ago in Beat
The Beginner's Guide to the No-Makeup Look
Ladies, let's be honest. There are days when we don't have time to put on a full face of makeup. Some days we just don't feel like doing all that. So I have gathered every possible tip and trick to create The Beginner's Guide to The No Makeup Look. Let's jump right into it.
By bxtchmandz7 years ago in Blush
'Game of Thrones' Is Failing Its Female Characters - Here’s How
The story of Game of Thrones has been created with influences from fantasy, sci-fi, and medieval history. Although the world is completely made up, the gender roles closely mirror medieval times. Men in this world are always the first in line for inheritance and are considered strong, whereas women are seen as weak, and are often used by men for their gain, thus making those who do not follow this trope very interesting characters.
By Meghan McKenna7 years ago in Geeks
5 Ways to Hemp Your Life (and Why)
Hemp is inarguably one of the most versatile and useful plants on the planet. In fact, it was so important to our economy that farmers in the colonial days were once required to grow hemp for use of the fibers to produce commodities like paper, ropes, and fuel. The declaration of independence was drafted on hemp paper, George Washington and John Adams farmed hemp, and President Abraham Lincoln used hemp oil to fuel his lamps.
By GLAUX CHEM®7 years ago in Potent
