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What this photographer did after the election to make sure women are seen and heard.

"Everyone I spoke to said something about moving forward. More than ever I saw the resilience of women.”

On the day after the election, New York photographer Dorie Hagler set up her camera in a busy location and got to work.

Hagler has made a project of taking photos of women on days that are significant to them, like Mother's Day, Equal Pay Day, and International Women's Day. She calls it "Me & Eve." The day after an election in which Donald Trump, a man who has harassed, demeaned, disrespected, and demonized women, became the president-elect of the United States felt just that: significant.

So Hagler picked a bustling, public place — in this case, Grand Central Station in New York — and set up her camera, laptop, and small printer. Usually, she photographs average women to give them the opportunity to be seen and heard. After she takes their picture and gives them a copy of it for free, she asks each woman to share something memorable that happened in her life that wouldn't have happened if she wasn't a woman.

On this day, however, she asked a more election-related question: "What now?"

The responses she got, Hagler says, were "surprisingly hopeful."

"Everyone I spoke to said something about moving forward. More than ever, I saw the resilience of women."

1. Like this woman, who called for people to "rise up in the face of racism, fascism, and misogyny."

“I think first we need to do a lot of reflection and some collective critique. We have to rise up and unite. It’s been the case with movements that they can’t unite internally. You have to unite around priorities: health, safety, equality. We need to rise up in the face of racism, fascism, and misogyny. Turn the tears to positive rage and passion. You can’t just be depressed and wait four more years. Even Obama’s movement didn’t stay together, didn’t support him with his policies. No we are stuck with a white supremacist.” — Eva Golinger

2. And this woman, who wished she was old enough to vote.

“I wish I could have voted. If younger people could have voted, the outcome would have been different. In my High School we had a mock trial and Hillary won. Our generation is next to vote and we have hope. After the next four or eight years, we will have a chance to change and fix things. We are more progressive and we are more hopeful.” — Arianna O’Hara

3. This woman shared a conversation she had with her sons.

“I spoke with my sons this morning. They are sad about the outcome of the election and they also always pick up what we are feeling. I really believe that change starts close to home. Now is the time for acts of kindness and introspection and finding ways to lift ourselves and everyone else up. We need to open our hearts more, even if we really don’t feel like doing it today, we need to.” — Andi Schreiber

4. And this woman shared her frustration with negative stereotypes about women.

“We have to stay positive, keep moving forward and keep trying. The issue that bothers me the most is that women don’t get paid the same as men. It is based on a stereotype that women don’t perform in their job as well as men. But that just isn’t true.” — Lea Adams

5. This woman had a message of resilience and resistance.

“I hope there is a difference between what Donald Trump says and what he does. I hope he was just talking. Women should be strong and not accept this as a loss. Do your thing and don’t let him stop you. I was just traveling in Iceland and the women there protested the 14% wage gap by walking out of their jobs 14% early.  Then the next day, they took to the streets with pots and pans. Don’t give up.” — Danielle Schäfer

6. And this woman had a message of hope.

“Hopefully everyone else in Congress can keep him in control and not let him start a violent war. I will do the best I can do to be the best I can be and not let Donald Trump negatively affect me.” — Samantha Galente

7. This woman expressed what a lot of people are feeling right now — a fear of the unknown.

“I’m looking for the silver lining. People are so polarized right now that maybe the outcome of the election will help us come together. It is the unknowns that scare me, but I hope I am surprised in a good way. Let’s not feel like something has been taken away from us.” — Michelle Medina

There is no simple answer to "what now?" but one thing is clear: We are not powerless.

Hagler's intent with this project is to let everyday women be seen and heard. If there's one thing we've learned from this election, it's that women should to be seen and women should be heard. A woman who was, arguably, the most qualified presidential candidate in recent history lost the election to a man who was the walking talking epitome of sexism — and while there's no one factor that led to her defeat, it's clear that sexism and misogyny played a part in it.

So, what now? Now, more than ever, we need to normalize the idea of women in power. Now, more than ever, we need to call out sexism when we see it. Now, more than ever, we need to implement hiring practices that give women equal opportunity to men. Now, more than ever, we need to question our subconscious biases. Now, more than ever, we need to let little girls and little boys know that women can be great leaders.

Not all women voted for Hillary Clinton, but roughly 54% did — and she won the popular vote by more than a million votes. People were ready for her to bust through that glass ceiling. By vehemently opposing sexism and misogyny when we see it now, maybe the next time a woman runs for the highest office in the country, she won't have to do it while jumping through twice as many hoops as her male counterparts and being held to an impossible standard.

President-elect Donald Trump is the hand we've been dealt for now. We can hope for the best, but we also can't stop trying to make progress on our own. For the next four years, women should be seen and heard from those walking to work in Grand Central, to those in the oval office. Make it happen, America.

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Ocean Wise
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Planet

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Modern Families

Fed up parents explain why they 'never want to bring the kids over' to visit

Can't you guys come to us for once?

Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash

It's a good news/bad news situation for parents of young kids. The good news? Everyone wants to spend time with the kids! Grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends. They all want a relationship and lots of special moments with the little ones.

The bad news? One phrase: "When are you bringing them over?" Parents have been frustrated by the expectations of orchestrating stressful visits for generations — loading the kids in a car or on an airplane only to spend hours chasing them around in an un-baby-proofed environment and watching routines go to hell.

Now they're sounding off on social media and airing their grievances.

Why visiting grandparents and other relatives is so challenging for parents

A mom recently took to Reddit to vent about everyone in her life wanting her to "bring the kids to them."

"My parents live 30 mins away and always bug me about not coming to visit them," she writes. They constantly ask, "Why don't you bring our granddaughter to come see us?"

The fascinating discussion highlights a few things that make arranging visits with young kids a potential nightmare for parents.

Grandparents' houses are rarely childproofed

Grandparents love their breakable decor! Ceramic doo-dads, glass vases everywhere. They can't get enough. And while they should be able to decorate their house however they see fit (they've earned the right!) that doesn't make it a good environment for toddlers and babies.

Ceramic bowlsThe breakable decor found in every grandparents' houseozalee.fr/Flickr

"Last week was the last straw, I took my daughter to my parents and of course she went EVERYWHERE! flooded their toilet, broke a vase, and tried multiple times to climb their furniture," the Reddit mom writes.

Parents in a foreign environment are on constant safety duty and can rarely sit down

Let's be honest. Sometimes these "visits" are hardly worth the effort. After all, it's hard to get much catch up time when you're dutifully chasing your kid around.

"They don’t understand that my 3 yo ... is absolutely wild," writes another user in the thread. "She has no self preservation and nothing we do works. She doesn’t listen, she throws, she bites, she refuses to use the potty. It’s exhausting and then ... they expect us to entertain them, when I’m trying to just keep my kid from jumping off the stairs and into an ER visit."

Even just putting the kids in the car for a 20-minute drive is more work than it seems

Taking the kids out of the house requires packing a bag, bringing extra clothes, loading up on snacks, etc.

It seems easy to "pop over" but it actually absorbs the majority of the day between prep, visit, and aftermath.

Naps and routines go to hell

Parents with babies and toddlers know all too well — there is a price to pay for taking the kids out of the house for too long.

Chances are, the baby won't nap in a strange environment and then you're stuck with a cranky kid the rest of the night.

Kids with special needs require even more consistency

Kids with autism or ADHD can really struggle outside of their zone of safety. They might become severely dysregulated, have meltdowns, or engage in dangerous behaviors.

Explaining and mediating the generational divide

man in gray sweater sitting beside woman in black and white floral long sleeve shirt Photo by Tim Kilby on Unsplash

Why is this a conflict almost all parents can relate to?

Is this a Boomer vs Millennials thing?

Some experts think that generational values and traditions might play a role.

"Many Boomers were accustomed to more traditional, hierarchical family dynamics, where visiting grandparents was a way for the younger generation to show respect," says Caitlin Slavens, a family psychologist.

But that's not to say this is a new problem. I can remember my own parents driving me and my brothers over an hour to visit my grandparents seemingly every other weekend, but very few occasions where they came to visit us. It must have driven my parents nuts back then!

Plus, it's easy to forget that it's hard for older people to travel, too. They may have their own issues and discomforts when it comes to being away from their home.

"But for today’s parents, balancing careers, kids’ routines, and the demands of modern parenting is a much bigger undertaking. Grandparents might not always see how childproofing their space or making the trip themselves could make a huge difference, especially considering how travel and disruption can impact younger kids' moods and routines," Slavens says.

"So yes, this divide often comes down to different expectations and life experiences, with older generations potentially not seeing the daily demands modern families face."

Is there any hope for parents and grandparents coming to a better understanding, or a compromise?

"First, open conversations help bridge the divide—explain how much of a difference it makes when the kids stay in a familiar space, especially when they’re very young," suggests Slavens.

"Share practical details about the challenges, like childproofing concerns or travel expenses, to help grandparents see it from a parent’s perspective. You might even work together to figure out solutions, like making adjustments to create a more child-friendly space in their home or agreeing on a shared travel plan."

Ultimately, it's a good thing when grandparents, friends, and other relatives want to see the kids.

We all have the same goal.

"It’s helpful to approach the topic with empathy, focusing on everyone’s goal: more quality time together that’s enjoyable and low-stress for everyone involved. For parents, it’s about setting boundaries that work, and for grandparents, it’s about recognizing that flexibility can really show the parents that you are ... willing to make adjustments for their children and grandchildren."

Enjoyable, low-stress quality time — that's something everyone can get behind.

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Love Stories

Heartbroken Argentine farmer planted a 7,000-tree 'guitar forest' in his late wife's memory

It came from an idea she'd had before she died suddenly in 1977 at age 25.

Photos from Google Maps by Santiago gomez Gomez and Aaraon C. I. Comba

The "guitar forest" in the farmlands near Laboulaye, Argentina, is visible from the air.

Losing a spouse is never easy, but the way Pedro Martin Ureta lost his wife, Graciela is particularly heart-wrenching. Graciela was 25 years old and pregnant when she died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 1977. The Argentinian farmer was left widowed with four children and utterly devastated over losing the love of his life.

But a few years later, Ureta began what would become a decades-long project in tribute to his late wife on his farm near the town of Laboulaye in central Argentina. One day, earlier in their marriage, Graciela had seen a farm that looked like a milking pail from the air while flying over the fields. Inspired, she asked Ureta if they could plant something similar on their own land, but in the shape of a guitar, an instrument she greatly loved. He told her that they would talk about it later—but of course, later never came.

So two years after her death, Ureta and the children set out to create what Graciela had envisioned, as a living monument to her memory. Over four decades, they cultivated some 7,000 trees to create a massive guitar forest. According to Conde Nast Traveler, landscaping professionals thought he was crazy, so he and the field hands on his ranch took the work on themselves. Rather than plan out the rows of trees with conventional surveying methods, Ureta would line up the children in rows to determine where to plant.

Ureta planted mostly cypress trees for the body and blue eucalyptus trees for the neck, creating a colorful guitar shape 2/3 of a mile (nearly 1 km) long. In the early years, he battled pests that threatened the saplings, but eventually he was able to grow a thriving forest that honored Graciela's memory.

guitar forestThe fields around the guitar change color in different seasons.Photo from Google Maps by VIPUL CHAUDHARY

Due to a fear of flying, Ureta may have never seen the guitar forest from above in person, but it is visible on Google Maps. NASA has even documented the land art on its Earth Observatory website, saying "it has become a wonder for pilots and passengers flying over the region." In fact, the site has over 100 reviews on Google Maps, despite being a fly-over location, and people's tributes to his tribute are truly heartwarming.

"This is a guitar made of trees dedicated to his lost love as it was her wish to make this in their field. This is the best example of men in love can do anything. Hats off to the dedication of the husband who built this guitar shaped field over the decade to show his true love towards his wife who is no more. She must be smiling from the heaven seeing this!"

"Without words... This man deserves the gold medal for the most romantic... May God give him lots of life and be with him always..."

"Men just being men for the women they love. 🩷"

"Guitar hero for real!"

"Pure love."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The pain of losing a loved one can take a long time to heal from, and healing can take many forms. Planting trees, even if it's not nearly as elaborate of an undertaking as Ureta's, is a beautiful way to honor someone's memory—a tribute that lives on in their name, contributes to the health of our planet, and may even provide a home for other living creatures. It also makes a lovely sensory place to visit, where loved ones can sit in the shade, listen to the rustle of the leaves, smell and feel the bark and revisit memories of the person it was planted for.

We may not all be able to create a gigantic memorial forest, but we can certainly appreciate the love that compelled Ureta and his children to do so and how heartening it must be for them to imagine people thinking of Graciela every time they fly over it.


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Community

Man notices a single mom's fence falling down so he stopped to build her a new one for free

"Plus I'm sure if they could afford to get it done, it would've been did by now."

Photo credit: Canva

Man sees neighbor's fence falling down so he builds a new one

It's not unheard of for people to do nice things for their neighbors. Borrowing a bag of rice to finish dinner or collecting the neighbor's mail while they're on vacation. All of these scenarios are within the realm of normalcy of kind neighborly interactions and while some neighbors may even come over to assist with a weekend project, most don't take on huge projects without prompting.

A man that goes by the name Uncle Jhon has made it his mission to go above and beyond for his neighbors. That's why when he was driving through his neighborhood and noticed a neighbor's fence laying on the ground, he decided to get out of his truck and help. But not just help, no. Jhon took the entire fence down, cut it up and built a new one that wouldn't require replacing for many years to come.

"So today I was riding down the street and that's when I noticed my neighbor's fence laying on the ground, so I decided to replace it completely for free. Just because I' retired y'all and I ain't got nothing better to do. Plus I'm sure if they could afford to get it done, it would've been did by now," the friendly neighbor says in the video he uploaded to social media.

Farm Life Building GIF by WIESEMANN 1893Giphy

Jhon quickly clarifies, "Now I didn't just jump out of my truck with a saw and start cutting these people's fence up. I actually knocked on their door to see if this was something they actually wanted me to do and they was more than excited to tell me yeah when I told them I was going to do it for free."

The woman that owns the home is a single mom who lives with her own mother who was recently involved in a car accident that left the car totaled. While the family are having a small rough patch, they have been attempting to get the fence replaced for several years but the cost is too much. The removal and installation of a new six foot privacy fence can run anywhere from $4,000 to well over $10,000 depending on the size of the yard, type of gates, and style of privacy fence being installed.

Guy Tearing Down Fence Takes A Tumble GIF by ViralHogGiphy

Jhon explains that the family had been quoted over $6,000 by multiple contractors in order to the fence replaced, "and we all know with the state the world in right now, $6,000? You might as well say that's a million dollars."

It took the man just under three hours to complete the new fence and cost him a total of $2,173.89. He explains that he has big plans for his neighborhood by doing his part to make it look more desirable. Jhon uses the money he makes off of TikTok to purchase materials for the free projects he does. The handy neighbor also has a website that has free blueprints of DIY projects like raised garden beds, sheds, mailboxes and more.


@unclejhonn Level 2025: Rebuilding the Community… #unclejhonn #diy #diyfence ♬ original sound - Uncle Jhonn

People can't stop praising the man's action and dedication to his neighborhood with one person writing, "This is what we need more of neighbors helping neighbors!

"That fence looks amazing!!! You can tell that you didn’t take shortcuts either. Built it like it was for yourself!!! Good on ya," another writes.

"As a single mom thank you I know that family are so grateful and appreciate you," someone else shares.

"You are such a good human. My mom was a single parent for many years and an older gentleman rebuilt our front and back porch because he was worried my Nana would get hurt. My mom was so grateful," one person reminisces.

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Men's Health

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes says his 'dad bod' may be the key to his incredible success

This inspired other dudes to jump in with their own epic dad bod tales.

www.flickr.com
Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes - Indianapolis Colts Ja… | Flickr

"That Dad Bod, man," Patrick Mahomes reportedly joked after he barreled his way into the end zone in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. According to an article by Rustin Dodd for The Athletic (owned by The New York Times), this is just one of many references to Mahomes's less-than-traditional athletic physique.

In the same article, Rams quarterback Matt Stafford's wife, Kelly, is quoted as having posted on Instagram, "Dad bod is a requirement to be an NFL QB. Show me a shredded QB, and I’ll show you a not very good QB.”

Patrick Mahomes Showtime GIF by Kansas City ChiefsGiphy

Clearly, Patrick and Matt are far from the only NFL superstar athletes without washboard abs—and this really is nothing new. From Peyton Manning to tight end Travis Kelce, the list is endless. Caleb Jones, an offensive tackle for the Patriots, weighs in at 370 pounds. Aaron Gibson, who once played OT for the Lions, Cowboys, Bears (oh my!) at one point weighed 410 pounds. (He's now retired and lost over 100 pounds to get healthier.)

But that's just football, where one could argue that a little more padding provides protection. Just recently, NBA player Luka Dončić got traded to the Lakers, despite his openly "unhealthy" lifestyle and being considered "overweight" by professional standards. Would he be a better player if he lost weight and stopped smoking? Not necessarily. Basketball stars through the years have often notoriously had "everyman" bodies and yet displayed amazing athleticism. And don't even get me started on baseball players.

Season 3 Baseball GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy

But some doctors warn that the dad bod (which is often used to describe men with a little extra weight in their midsections) can actually be a sign of poor health. Beer belly or just middle age, Dr. David Brill, in an article posted for the Cleveland Clinic, shares that a dad bod "left unchecked can lead to the three horsemen of the apocalypse: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar."

Ours de la fête des pères avec de la biè Photo stock libre ...www.publicdomainpictures.net

In any case, this growing (pun intended) trend of a little extra teddy-bear fat in our jocks is inspiring all kinds of dudes on TikTok. Like Chill Guy 1, who posed sadly for the camera writing, "Strangers on the internet have commented on my weight gain." Only to cut to a guttural scream, while shirtless. There he proudly states, "F the haters! Love yourself always."


@chillary_chilton

Never let someone elses opinion determine how you feel about your body #fitness #wegojim #gym #dadbod #bodypositivity #selflove

And Supdaily, who exclaims, "I love food" while patting his round stomach.


@supdaily

Dad bod check #suchascientist #gummygame #foryoupage #fyp #dadbod #dadbodchallenge #dadbodcheck

Don't forget Logan Pete, who uses his dad bod as merely the vessel to share this inspiring message: "Oh hey, just some dad advice for anyone who needs it. You are a good person. You're trying your hardest. Your brain is just a jerk that plays tricks on you and tells you things that aren't true. And you probably deserve a cookie."

@logan_pete_

You got this kiddo! #dad #dadsoftiktok #dadbod #dadjokes #daddy

Dad bod squads are all the rage, and it doesn't seem to matter if you're just a person on TikTok or Taylor Swift's boyfriend's bestie. Dr. Brill added, “A chiseled body doesn’t have to be the goal. But there’s a sweet spot to be found. You don’t have to be ripped to be healthy."

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Television

Wheel of Fortune fans slam show after contestant was 'robbed' over minor mispronunciation

It cost her $40,000

Van Nam Vlog/Youtube

That wasn't sa-FAIR-i.

Should Wheel of Fortune contestants be disqualified over mispronounced words? This has been a topic of debate since the game show first aired back in 1975, more or less. It becomes an especially tricky conversation when factoring in a player’s accent, which many folks say shouldn’t cause them to lose their winnings if indeed their guess was correct on a puzzle solve.

This conundrum recently reared its ugly head for the show’s February 3rd episode, during which Arzice Salonga, a single mom from Medina, Ohio, (keep this in mind for later) buzzed in to solve the opening $1,000 Tossup puzzle—a two-word “Event” which read: “A F _ I _ _ N / _ A _ A _ _” on the board.

Salonga correctly guessed “African Safari,” however, pronounced it “Sa-FAIR-ee,” which was deemed incorrect. Fellow contestant Brian Nelson then swooped in with the correct pronunciation and nabbed the $1,000 prize.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

“Yes, safari is the way you have to say that,” host Ryan Seacrest said to a shocked Salonga. “I just checked with our judges to make sure.”

Online, fans quickly came to Salonga’s defense. Especially on Reddit, where one person said “That was cheap. I didn’t think they were so fussy on pronunciation.”

Another added, “She was robbed IMO.”


Still another wrote, ““100 percent bull**** on that puzzle. She got screwed. I know pronunciations matter but, like…there’s been way worse.”

And here’s where the accent issue came up. A few surmised that the mispronunciation was actually more of a dialect thing, and shouldn’t be counted against her.

“I think it was such a mistake by the show. It sounds to me like she has a slight accent of some sort, which shouldn’t be a determining factor. If she had spelled it, it would have been right,” wrote one person.

“I thought her pronunciation was just a regional dialect,” echoed another.

Ohio does, in fact, have three distinct regional accents. The Midland one in particular, which is the most common regional accent, pronounces words like "merry", "Mary", and "marry" the same way. Meaning that it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for someone from this area to pronounce a word like “safari” as “sa-fair-ee.”

Still, a few felt the show was in the right for the disqualification. One person said, “I’m gonna go against the grain. Wheel is a show about words. You should pronounce the words correctly to win.”

Of course, there have been other times when Wheel of Fortune’s stringent rules have cost contestants their prize money, including one infamous episode where a contestant lost his chance at the $1 million prize due to mispronouncing “Mythological Hero Achilles.” But this strict mandate seems to only really come into question when the pronunciation is due to an accent, as when one contestant's Southern accent caused her to say “Seven swans a-swimmin'!" rather than “Seven swans a-swimming.” Or another contestant named Neetu whose accent made it sound like he said “In A Moment's Notice” rather than “At A Moment's Notice.”

Unlike a puzzle on the show, maybe there’s not one right answer to solve this dilemma, and we should make room for some nuance. At the same time, what’s a game without rules? Thankfully most of us don’t need to worry about it. But if you do plan on trying to win big, maybe do a quick review of proper pronunciations before spinning that wheel, just to be safe.

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