It wasn’t easy to get a woman to be the face of the new £10 note – it was only after a fierce campaign by feminists that Jane Austen was chosen. But despite that victory, there’s another reason to be annoyed at the Bank of England.
Historians and campaigners have criticised the bank’s decision to use an “airbrushed” portrait of the author, rather than a more realistic portrait drawn during her lifetime, reported The Sunday Times.
The portrait of Austen chosen for the new £10 polymer note, which will be unveiled on the 200th anniversary of her death on the 18th July, was painted after she died and depicts her looking calm, with a plump and stereotypically “pretty” face.
However, campaigners say the bank should have used a sketch of Austen by her sister Cassandra, drawn while she was alive, which shows her with a more assertive expression, thinner lips, a pointed chin, and bags under her eyes. The sketch is on display in London’s National Portrait Gallery.
Novelist Jane Austen was born #onthisday in 1775. This frank portrait sketch is by her sister and closest confidante Cassandra. pic.twitter.com/9EduwGsFpI
Lucy Worsley, the TV presenter and historian, said it’s “deeply ironic” that the image chosen for the new note isn’t really Austen. “It's an author publicity portrait after she died in which she's been given the Georgian equivalent of an airbrushing,” she told The Sunday Times.
“Jane had a much sharper face — some might call it sour. And she was a sharp person. I think of her as being like a bracing martini,” added Worsley.
“Someone who actually knew Jane called the banknote portrait a ‘pleasing, sweet face’, but then added that it’s really not ‘much like the original’. It’s the National Portrait Gallery’s sketch that we think really is Jane — a sketch done by her sister Cassandra.”
The more recent “retouched” portrait was based on Cassandra’s original sketch, according to Austen biographer Paula Byrne. She told The Sunday Times: “They presumably said to the artist, make it look prettier . . . It is like doctoring a selfie by a celebrity. It is such a shame because that demure image is just not Austen.”
More than 35,000 people signed the petition calling for the new £10 note to feature a woman, after the Bank of England decided to phase out the paper fivers with prison reformer Elizabeth Fry's face.
The bank reportedly started printing the new Austen notes last October and they'll be introduced this September. While it's great we've got a woman on the notes, it's just a shame they feature an unrealistic portrayal.
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Are you one of those people who considers antibacterial hand gel a handbag essential? No? Well, you might want to consider becoming one if you use London’s transport network regularly.
A recent study found 121 different bacteria and mould strains on public transport across the capital – including nine bacteria of the world’s most dangerous superbugs, the Evening Standard reported. The data, collected by microbiologists from London Metropolitan University, was taken via swabs from handrails, seats and walls, across Underground lines, buses and taxis.
The Tube was the dirtiest mode of transport, with 95 bacteria recorded, followed by taxis with around 40. Perhaps surprisingly, buses were found to be the cleanest, with 37 varieties of bacteria found.
If you’re a clean freak, you might want to avoid the Victoria line – the dirtiest on the Underground, which boasted 22 different types of bacteria on board, including four of the world’s most threatening.
The dirtiest Tube lines revealed
1. Victoria line (22 kinds of bacteria) 2. Circle line (20) 3. Piccadilly line (20) 4. Jubilee line (18) 5. Northern line (18) 6. District line (17) 7. Waterloo and City line (16) 8. Central line (16) 9. Hammersmith and City line (14) 10. Bakerloo line (13) 11. Metropolitan line (11)
Swabs taken on the Victoria line contained Staphylococcus Aureus, a known cause of toxic shock syndrome in women who wear tampons for too long, E.coli and the dangerous antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae, which killed 16 patients in a UK hospital in 2014 and left 62 with serious blood poisoning, Wired reported. Klebsiella Pneumoniae was also found inside a private hire taxi.
The Circle and Piccadilly lines were close behind in the dirtiness ranking, with both home to 20 bacteria. At the other end of the spectrum was the Metropolitan line, with just 11 bacteria.
Dr. Paul Matewele, who led the study, said he was shocked by the variety of bacteria he uncovered. "[Surprise] is an understatement. We were totally confounded. The diversity of bacteria growing on the media was quite a shock," he told Wired.
"Not only did we find potentially life-threatening bacteria which behaved like superbugs when tested against antibiotics, but other forms of mould and bacteria that can be harmful to human health were discovered as part of this research," he said.
Healthy people need not worry though, he said. The bacteria are mainly problematic if they’re transmitted between sick patients in hospitals and those with weakened immune systems.
But proper hygiene is a must if you want to avoid picking up urinary tract infections, pneumonia, septicaemia, meningitis, and diarrhoea on your commute, Matewele added.
In light of the findings, Jill Collis, director of health, safety and environment for Transport for London (TfL), sought to reassure the public by reiterating that the Tube is "extremely safe" and that trains and stations are “professionally cleaned throughout the day and night".
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If you don't think beauty can be a political act — may we remind you that red lipstick united the suffragettes? Or that £320 million of the world's AIDS research traces back to a cosmetics company? And let's not forget about all the Muslim women, trans models and others who are finding their voice in massive, international makeup campaigns.
Today, Olivia Wilde is taking a political stand through beauty as well — by partnering with a True Botanicals, a relatively under-the-radar indie brand that's committed to challenging the unregulated cosmetics industry in the U.S. It's a bold move, especially by a woman who has long been the face of massive beauty and fashion campaigns.
"I wasn't finding the thing that was effective and non-toxic and sustainable. And I thought I was going to have to create my own," Wilde told a group of editors at the brand's launch party. "So I started learning a lot more about the beauty industry and about ingredients, thinking that this was something I was going to have to do and felt kind of daunted by it. And because I was always asking people for recommendations in that space, people would often send me things they really liked. Then a few different people told me about True Botanicals."
We talked to Wilde to find out why she chose to partner with this specific brand and what it means to her on a larger scale. Check out our conversation with the actress, below.
You went from using a few products to becoming the new Chief Brand Activist for the company. How did that happen?
"I got to meet [the founders Hillary and Christina]... and it become an emotional connection as well. I thought this is a movement and these are leaders of the movement I've been passionate about for a long time and they're actually doing it. I wanted to be a part of it."
Were you attracted to the fact that this is a women-owned company?
"It probably tipped [the decision] over the edge when I found out it was two women running this company. And it felt like everybody was doing it for the right reasons, for personal reasons, like Hillary's history with cancer and how that brought her to the natural product world and wanting something smarter and better for her family. That really affected me. My mother is a cancer survivor, so many of my friends are affected by cancer. It's something you really have to take seriously. I don't accept that we should just accept we're all going to get cancer. What is that? That's insane.
"It's not [someone's] fault that they trust that the government is protecting them. It's not their fault that they trust that if something is on a shelf that [means] it doesn't have poison in it. That's just not the case. In the [European Union] they have more than 1,300 banned ingredients. Here, we have less than 20. What the fuck is up with that?"
What made you step away from some of your bigger cosmetics campaigns and work with a smaller brand?
"I increasingly understood the power of my voice and started being really thoughtful about how I used it. I wanted, in the beauty world, to represent something that was going to move forward. I wanted to be apart of something new and innovative and my belief is that when people understand they have the ability to choose something that's a lot healthier for themselves, the environment, and that also works, that they won't go back. Then people will demand higher standards and the larger companies will have to respond to that.
Yes, I want to go testify before Congress. I want to beat the drum on this.
"It always goes back to politics. Your dollar is your vote. Our [state] representatives work for us and these large companies work for us. I always remind teenage girls that these companies are all working for you. They want to know what you want. If you demand something different, [companies] have to respond. Demand better. In order to know you can demand better, it takes companies proving that it's possible. That's what I think is so revolutionary about True Botanicals."
What will your role entail?
"There are no limits. I'm interested in being an activist in terms of just communicating information, arming consumers with the information they deserve to make better choices. That's just story-telling. That's telling my own experience through social media... even telling the makeup artists I know. Yes, I want to go testify before Congress. I want to beat the drum on this. And I think being an activist is about being honest... stepping forward and using your voice and being consistent with it."
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Reports have since confirmed that Grande was not injured.
Investigators are still searching for answers, according to CNN. “We can confirm there was an incident as people were leaving the Ariana Grande concert last night,” police tweeted. “The incident took place outside the venue in a public space. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims."
The heartbreaking event has shaken the world. Among the concerned are a number of celebrities, including Grande’s friends, Lorde, Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift, Khloe Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Hailee Steinfeld.
every musician feels sick & responsible tonight—shows should be safe for you. truly a worst nightmare. sending love to manchester & ari
"Every musician feels sick and responsible tonight — shows should be safe for you," Lorde tweeted. "Truly a worst nightmare. Sending love to Manchester and Ari."
what happened in Manchester tonight is absolutely horrible. sending my love and prayers to those affected. 💔
"My heart hurts for my sister, Ariana & every family affected by this tragic event in the U.K.," Minaj tweeted. "Innocent lives lost. I'm so sorry to hear this."
I'm at a loss for words.
My heart goes out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy in Manchester.
— Hailee Steinfeld (@HaileeSteinfeld) May 23, 2017
"I'm at a loss for words," Steinfeld wrote. "My heart goes out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy in Manchester."
A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on
Drake said he had feared a similar attack might happen during his recent tour in Europe. "My condolences to all of the families affected and we will be praying for all of Manchester. Also I am praying on peace of mind for Ariana."
I'm heartbroken over what happened in Manchester tonight. Sending love to everyone involved. H
"Wishing I could give my friend @arianagrande a great big hug right now... love love love you .... so sorry you had to be apart of such a tragic event!," wrote Cyrus. "My most sincere condolences to anyone and everyone affected by this horrific attack! all I can do is send as much HOPE & PEACE your way! This MUST end! No more war .... no more innocent lives taken .... L-O-V-E."
"To all in Manchester... my heart and my soul is broken for every single victim and their families and friends," wrote Smith. "Hold each other close today and everyday. Love is the only answer to something this hateful."
MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO PPL OF MANCHESTER…HAD SPECIAL TIMES THERE FROM YOUTH & BEYOND
It's official — Airbnb has posted its most unique (and enticing) listing ever. What could possibly be so special about one home, you ask? Well, it's not "one" home at all — the entire country of Sweden is listed on Airbnb. (Yes, really.)
This week, Sweden listed itself on the home-sharing website and, after one look at the photos, we predict you'll immediately begin searching for affordable flights to the beautiful Scandinavian nation. The listing directs travellers to nine separate areas of the country, explaining that it's meant to promote the experience of "allemansrätten," aka the freedom to roam.
"Allemansrätten... is a principle protected by Swedish law that gives all people the right to be free in Swedish nature. In other words, Swedish nature isn’t just a piece of land with trees and lakes and cliffs – it’s a home with all the necessities and amenities that any great home should have," the listing reads. "It’s a place where you can eat berries from the ground, sleep under the stars, swim in the lakes and roam freely. To make this home available for everyone, Sweden has listed the entire country on Airbnb."
Tomas Sereda/Getty Images
If you have the travel bug and the urge to roam, something tells us you won't be disappointed by this one-of-a-kind Airbnb experience. Wanderers can explore the countryside, observe the wildlife at Sarek National Park, or head to Rönne å for some hiking, canoeing, and fishing. In short, this sounds like the Airbnb vacation of dreams.
So, how exactly does the Airbnb aspect work? It's not that different from your typical Airbnb experience. Each listing for "Sweden" includes detailed info about the amenities, the space itself, and how to get there.
If anyone needs us, we'll be browsing Sweden's Airbnb page and searching for flights to the country. After all, who can resist the promise of allemansrätten?
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When our baby was born, my wife and I were clear that we didn’t want nannies to raise him. At the time she was in charge of a fledgling business, which she couldn’t exactly abandon. Given that her work had the greater earning potential and that I could do mine from home on a freelance basis, we made the logical decision that when, three months after the birth, she gradually began to go back to work, I would stay home with the baby.
Assuming you have a choice, here are some things for both men and their partners to consider before going down the same route.
Be prepared to become a domestic goddess
The nature of a stay-at-home dad’s role means it’s difficult to stipulate that the scope of your duties extends only to childcare and certain ancillary tasks but no further. Believe me, I’ve tried. If your wife goes out to work all day it’s unfair to expect her to come home, relieve you of the baby and cook and clean while you open a beer and watch Celebrity Masterchef. You’ll have to accept that if you’re the one in the house, you’ll likely be the one doing the housework.
Sometimes I catch sight of myself in the living-room mirror, baby on hip as I whip around with the hoover in the 15 minutes I have before the shepherd’s pie starts to burn, fretting over whether I should have used a fabric softener in that last batch of washing. It’s certainly a surreal experience — hardly the future me I had imagined as a rap-loving teenager, university “football lad” and flash corporate lawyer – but it’s something you have to embrace. You’re being a good team player.
Your career may suffer
Turns out women weren’t being entirely dishonest all this time: taking time out to care for a child may indeed hamper your career. For many that’s a sacrifice worth making — in fact, terming it a sacrifice feels wrong in a lot of ways, since there are millions of people who long to spend more time with their kids — but for those attached to getting out there and earning their crust, it can take some getting used to. Many times I’ve had work come through from a client, or felt particularly inspired to do a piece of writing but have had to push it aside or refuse it completely because I was all-hands-on-deck with the baby.
There are ways around it; I often get up at 5 or 6am and do my work before the baby wakes up. I’m typing this right now in a dangerously unergonomic position with the baby asleep in his carrier on my chest, but it’s difficult to get any kind of flow going when I know that any minute he might wake up and stuff his thumb up my nose. You’ll have to get comfortable with the fact that you have new priorities now, and that your daily efforts (unless you have a particularly generous baby) are not going to be rewarded with cash in your pocket.
You may struggle for a sense of achievement
In the modern working world, particularly if you’re a reasonably high flyer, you become accustomed to achieving. You become almost addicted to being productive. Now, in my new role, there’ll be days when I bath the baby, take the baby for a walk with the dogs, play with said baby, cook him a meal, wash a few nappies… and that’s it; that’s the extent of everything I’ve achieved that day. For the first week it can feel nice and refreshing, but after a month you can begin to feel almost useless.
A bit of respect from your peers might help, but you may not find it in large supply. The phrase “sitting at home” seems to be an infuriatingly common way people find for describing what you do. The fact is, most people think you’ve got it easy, so don’t expect much sympathy. You might just have to get used to reminding yourself that what you’re doing — your new work, as it were — has value and is valued. Indeed, it may well be the most important job you ever do.
You may feel less attractive
I can only speak as a male here, but being a certified domestic goddess doesn't make you feel particularly sexy. While presenting your homecoming wife with a sparkling kitchen and a lovely pasta bake can indeed be met with a warm reception, its strength really lies in its novelty. In general, society and the vast majority of womankind, presumably conditioned by thousands of years of history, seem to admire a man who goes out and works.
In the old days my wife might have missed me if I had to work a long night in the office. Nowadays the poor thing can’t get away from me; she opens the door and there I am in my pinny, pathetic gratitude plastered all over my porridge-stained face. I used to buy her surprise presents, whisk her away on impulsive nights out — if I wanted to do that today I’d have to get her permission to use the joint account first, perhaps ask for an idea of how much I’m allowed to spend.
Be aware that by becoming a stay-at-home dad you are giving away much of what traditionally makes you a man, and therefore potentially much of not only what your partner likes about you but what you like about you. Being caring and considerate and great with kids are good assets, but when they suddenly become all you have to offer, it doesn’t exactly set pulses racing. You might not expect it to have an impact on your relationship — after all, you are doing it for the good of your relationship! — but your partner may well feel something when she opens social media and sees that Steve has just jetted Debbie off to Mauritius again, meanwhile you’re ringing her because the baby just did a poo that looks like Jesus, again.
It doesn’t have to be a major problem, but be prepared that you might feel a bit worthless at times, and that as a couple you will have to work to stay focused on the big picture.
You might even feel guilty
Sometimes, particularly if it’s breastfed, the baby just wants its mum. I sometimes catch him looking at me as if he’s just screamed for an electrician and a bloody plumber’s shown up. I feel guilty, like I’m depriving him of his mother.
Equally, there are times when the mum just wants her baby. When she’s had a bad day at work she’ll say it should be her at home looking after the kid and me going out to earn the money, and when I’ve had a bad day with the kid I’ll say the same, even though we both know there’s no realistic alternative. Again, I feel guilty; like I’m obstructing her natural mothering instincts.
Worse, as my personal income has suffered by virtue of devoting most of my time to the baby, my wife has found herself in the position of primary breadwinner, with all the added pressures and strains that entails. I don’t want that for her. I don’t want to see her dragging herself out of the door while me and the baby prepare for another day of walks and cuddles. If someone has to carry the weight of putting food on the table, I want it to be me. And yet at the same time I don’t want to put my working life before hers. I don’t want her to have to give up the business she always dreamed of having.
Sometimes as a stay-at-home dad you can feel completely helpless; you can feel you’re continually putting yourself second, doing everything to make other people happy, and yet still you’re doing more harm than good.
The key to it all is to stay positive. Focus on the benefits to you as a couple of being able to raise your own child, and remember those people who are forced to send babies off to daycare without really wanting to. But discuss the arrangement thoroughly first and don’t go into it blindly. If both parties know what to expect then there shouldn’t be too many problems. Time with your child is a privilege, and the positives far outweigh the negatives. I know that my baby feels loved and secure. He’s growing up so fast, and it’s great to have the time to actually take him in. And the first name he said was still “Mama”, which is exactly how I’d hoped it would be.
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Take a moment to glance at your true crime-obsessed colleagues today: there’s a strong chance they’ll be looking a little square-eyed. This weekend saw the launch of Netflix’s latest murder-centric docu-series, The Keepers, and it’s just as compelling as anticipated. Delivered in seven one-hour episodes, it is a chilling investigation into the events surrounding the unsolved slaying of 26-year-old nun, Sister Cathy Cesnik, in Baltimore in 1969.
Cesnik was an English teacher at Archbishop Keough High School, where she garnered a devoted following among her all-female pupils for her kindness, intelligence and passion for her subject. When on 7th November 1969, she disappeared, after making the brief trip from her apartment to the local mall to buy an engagement present for her sister, the girls were devastated, their shock compounded by the discovery of her frozen body in a field some weeks later.
Joseph Maskell and Neil MagnusPhoto: Courtesy of Netflix
Things took an even darker turn in the '90s, when an anonymous former Keough student, going by the pseudonym Jane Doe, came forward to reveal the horrendous sexual abuse she had suffered as a teen at the hands of the school chaplain and counsellor Father Joseph Maskell. Thereafter, dozens more of Maskell’s victims were emboldened to speak out, a number revealing that they had confided in Sister Cathy shortly before her death. And yet, in spite of this, owing to a startling and expansive cover-up by both the Catholic church and the Baltimore police, justice for Sister Cathy – and for those it seems increasingly certain she died trying to protect – has never been achieved. It is this that The Keepers sets out to rectify, while giving a voice to those who have been hitherto silenced.
Sister Catherine Cesnik and Joseph CesnikPhoto: Courtesy of Netflix
We enter the story through the eyes of spirited Keough alumni Gemma Hoskins (dubbed “the bulldog”) and Abbie Schaub (“the intellectual”), a former teacher and nurse, who have spent the past 10 years of their retirement leading a grassroots investigation into the cold case. Through a website and Facebook group, the duo have succeeded in shedding important new light on the mystery – digging up fresh clues, attracting new witnesses, and homing in on potential perpetrators – as well as uniting the brave survivors ensnared within its web. The Keepers documents three pivotal years of their mission, beginning in 2014.
Director Ryan White is a largely silent presence in the series: “I’ve always loved listening,” he tells us over the phone from the US. “My favourite part of my job is being able to collaborate with those who have lived these stories and to help them relay their experiences to the world.” Indeed, The Keepers is propelled by the extraordinarily candid, often devastating, interviews that White elicits, a testament to both his tact as a listener and the immense strength of the interviewees (Jean Wehner aka Jane Doe being perhaps the most notable example). And it is this important “examination of victimhood”, as White terms it, that really sets The Keepers apart, underpinned by the twist and turn-filled mystery at its heart, which pulls you in and keeps you glued to your screen from start to finish. Here, we catch up with White to find out more about his surprising personal connection to the project, its challenging realisation and the remarkable women he met along the way.
How did you come to discover Sister Cathy’s story? My aunt actually went to Archbishop Keough in the late '60s and Sister Cathy was her favourite teacher. She was also friends with, and in the same class as, “Jane Doe”. But although she knew Jean very well, she only found out that she was the person behind this mystery figure a few years ago. Quite soon after, she connected me with Jean, and Jean and I began a process, off-camera, of meeting with each other and deciding if she thought that this would be the next best step for her – to be putting her face on Jane Doe in such a public way. Thankfully she decided it was, and we began production in October of 2014.
Abbie Schaub and Gemma HoskinsPhoto: Courtesy of Netflix
How did you come to meet Gemma and Abbie? The Facebook group already existed by the time I first went out to Baltimore. My aunt told us about it, and then I found Gemma and she took a tour of Baltimore, showing us all of the major places of interest. I fell in love with Gemma right away and knew that she would be a wonderful character – a very fresh, unique way of taking an audience into one of these types of mysteries.
What’s it like working on such an intense, long-term project like this? Do you become completely engulfed by it? Oh god, that would be an understatement [laughs]. We spent half of every month in Baltimore with these people for the past three years. So yes, I’ve been engulfed in it and it’s obviously a very dark, horrific story, which it has been impossible not to feel the effects of, but it’s also about some great, courageous people whose truth, I felt very strongly, needed to be brought to life. So it was also a very redeeming three years in terms of getting to know them.
Is it tough interviewing such amazingly brave people about such painful subjects? The interviews with Jean, for example, are so heartbreaking… I can only speak to the bravery that it must have taken for these women to bear their souls on camera. I’ve made a lot of documentaries about exciting moments in people’s lifetimes, where I’ve asked them about some of their most fun and vivid memories. But here I was asking them to share the very worst parts of their lives, not only with me at a dining room table, but also with the Netflix audience – a lot of people. These women are so incredible for taking that leap of faith, and exposing their pain and their heart, in the hope that something like this never happens again – because I know that’s their shared goal.
Jean WehnerPhoto: Courtesy of Netflix
Did you ever find yourself fearing for your safety during the making of the series? We knew we were rooting around and trying to dig up something that had been deliberately buried, and we felt that tension. I have never worked on something that was so investigative or so dark. I won’t lie and say that there weren’t times that we were a little fearful, as filmmakers, for our own safety or felt like we might be taking something a bit too far but we knew that we didn’t have to live this in the way that the victims did, so we felt that the least we could do was put our nose to the grindstone, to put ourselves in some uncomfortable situations, to bring the truth to light.
What do you make of the burgeoning ‘true crime’ phenomenon? And where do you see your series within that? I think if you look at the common denominators in all of these stories that have gained some level of popularity in recent years, there is a murder at the centre, of course, but there are also incidences of extreme injustice. I think audiences get really invested in stories where accountability, for whatever reason, hasn’t been taken – it angers them, and it should. While I was making The Keepers, I found myself angry all the time, as did my crew: angry at the injustice, at the lack of accountability, at the pain inflicted, at the lack of protection for these children by our state. So I hope we can use the long format to convey that feeling; I will be a happy storyteller if people leave The Keepers angry, and maybe, in an ideal world, that might lead to some systemic changes.
The Keepers is available on Netflix now
Gerry KoobPhoto: Courtesy of Netflix
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Postnatal body positivity is a loaded topic. Every day we’re presented with images of beautiful women who’ve “snapped back into shape” just days after giving birth and yet, spend too much time worrying about what you look like after having a baby, or how your fitness levels are, and you’re at risk of being labelled “self-absorbed".
How are you meant to catch a break?
Shakira Akabusi, personal trainer, athlete, mum, founder of the #StrongLikeMum campaign (and yes, daughter of Kriss), knows a thing or two about this. She gave birth to her son Rio two years ago and, since then, has trained loads of new mums, helping them to reach their fitness goals. “You’re almost made to feel guilty for thinking about yourself in that situation,” she says exasperatedly. “Everything is catered around how to make this baby comfortable and safe and that is your priority but it is important also that women feel like it’s okay to think about themselves at times.”
“When I first started blogging about this," she continues, "I had people messaging me saying, ‘Why don’t you spend more time looking after your baby than you do on fitness?’ Or they’d say, ‘Gosh you’re so self-obsessed.’ But they’re missing the point. I do think happy mum makes happy baby.”
For Shakira, using exercise as a way to recover after giving birth wasn’t about dropping a dress size. She always loved being active and, before having a baby, fitness was a key part of her identity. Regaining it was important to her.
However, it wasn't just the physical aspects of fitness that helped. As everyone now knows, exercise plays a huge role in maintaining good mental health and having a baby is a notorious trigger for messing with your head. Shakira herself suffered from postnatal OCD. “If my son was not well I’d exaggerate it," she says. "I'd check his temperature five times in the night, it would be like, 'Does this mean this or this or this…?'”
New mothers don’t have time for the gym. By the time you’ve packed your gym bag, your baby’s pooed the nappy, then they have a nap, then they’re waking up.
Postnatal mental health issues come in many different guises. “Everyone talks about postnatal depression,” says Shakira. “But there’s so many different things that can happen and it’s sort of accepted, like, ‘Oh you’re going to go through baby blues and you’re going to feel a bit rubbish’ and sometimes it’s a little bit more serious and some women just suffer in silence.”
“For me," Shakira says, "exercise was and still is a massive way to destress and evaluate. If I get out and go for a run or do a 20-minute workout in the garden when he’s having his nap, it’s a massive benefit.”
Starting exercise at any time can be daunting – especially for women who have never tried it. Back in 2014, This Girl Can found that 75% of women would like to exercise more but don’t, many for fear of being judged. When you’re a new mum, the obstacles between you and exercise multiply tenfold. These range from self-confidence issues to myths and rumours about what’s safe and what’s not (Shakira says the number one question she gets asked is how exercise is going to affect breastfeeding – for the record, the short answer is, “It's not”), to how the hell new mums are expected even to fit exercising in?!
“New mothers don’t have time for the gym,” Shakira says firmly. “By the time you’ve packed your gym bag, your baby’s pooed the nappy, then they have a nap, then they’re waking up, if you’re breastfeeding your baby is constantly there…”
Exhausting, right? So what’s the alternative?
“Get creative!” she says. “For the first four or five months I used everyday objects and made my house a gym. I use my washing basket and fill it with tin cans, shoes, wine bottles and use it to do squats or lunges. I use our heavy cooking pots for shoulder presses.” If that sounds too much, think smaller. “You can start with just pelvic floor exercises! You can do those as soon as you’re ready.”
For many women, postnatal exercise is their very first foray into exercise. Which is fine. Everyone needs a catalyst. But knowing where to start can be tough. Luckily, this is 2017, and everything from YouTube to Instagram, Reddit to Facebook is packed with free tutorials, videos and tips for exercising at home. “I know social media has its pitfalls,” says Shakira. “But everyone knows that having an exercise buddy is one of the best ways to stay motivated and social media allows that on a broader scale. You might have to sift through airbrushed accounts of rubbish but if you can find the right people they can motivate you every day.”
Proceed with caution, though. We all know that social media can be a trap of its own making. From airbrushed celebrities to influencers with great posing skills, delve too deep and it can do more harm than good. Especially problematic if you’re postnatal, feeling unsure about your body, your mental health and the brand-spanking new feather to your bow labelled "mother". So choose wisely who you look to, and ditch anyone making you feel bad.
"I think we're looking for more organic, realistic information and you can't trust everything that you see on social media... it's not realistic for the everyday woman." One thing she has noticed, though, especially in the fitness community, is the growing trend of women (whisper it) supporting each other on social media. "Women are feeling more empowered as a community," she says. "There's less competition against each other and more 'Let's empower each other to do stuff.'"
Because at the end of the day, coming to a place where you understand your body – and your mind – after giving birth is the shared experience of millions of women the world over. Could fitness, with its mental and physical benefits, finally make this a more easily attainable goal?
“It's SO much more than dropping a dress size,” says Shakira. “There’s nothing wrong with thinking that but there’s so much more that comes with it, whether it’s teaching your child to be healthy and active, having that stress relief, it’s about taking some time for yourself and doing something amazing for you.”
"I want to encourage people to view postnatal women as strong, powerful and confident," she continues. "You can be a mum and still be just as active and confident as any woman. I want kids to grow up and think, 'I can be strong like Mum' – not purely physically but mentally, spiritually, emotionally, strong in the complete sense."
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The power of Instagram has undoubtedly changed the face of tattooing in recent years. Like with most things the internet has produced, this has its pros and cons. Perhaps the ideal place to showcase your aesthetic, the social media platform can draw clients and a cult following from around the world. However, stylistic trends are more prominent thanks to the spread of imagery online – meaning what you choose may not be the most original and personal – and the democratic nature of Instagram means anyone and their aunt can call themselves a tattoo artist, to the detriment of trained professionals.
One thing that’s changed for the better, though, is that more women than ever before are tattooing. So what is it like being a woman in the tattoo industry? Of course, every experience is multifaceted and unique. From those who refuse to qualify their work as ‘female’, to the change of pace that comes with becoming a mother, to having customers question your proficiency, there’s no one way for women to navigate this typically male-dominated profession.
We spoke to five talented artists currently owning the field about how their style has changed over time, the impact of Instagram on their career, sexism in the industry, and what they wish you knew about being a tattoo artist.
When and how did you first get into the world of tattoos? Growing up on the West Coast, I was always exposed to tattoos and tattooing. I'd give and receive them in my younger years, but it wasn't until I met my husband (tattoo artist Maxime) that I became really submerged in the culture.
What is it like being a tattoo artist and a woman in the industry? Being a woman who is so involved in the tattoo industry without being a tattooist is a unique role that I probably only share with a handful of other people in the world. I own two tattoo studios, publish our tattoo magazine TTTism, and co-curate our Instagram pages. I'm constantly meeting new interesting and talented individuals who are often open-minded and offer a great deal of insight and inspiration. I doubt I'd find this rare combination as easily in another work environment.
Have you ever experienced sexism or discrimination in the tattoo world? I wouldn't say I've faced any open discrimination, but instead deal with a great deal of assumptions and ignorance. I'm addressed in male pronouns online, and when meeting someone new in person, often mistaken for any male standing next to me. People are consistently surprised to learn my roles.
What would you change about the industry? I'm lucky enough to be enacting all the changes I'd like to see by carefully curating our publishing choices to reflect the world in which I want to live. I find that the way women have been – and continue to be – portrayed in the world of tattooing is almost always as a hyper-sexualised tattooed object to sell magazines, convention tickets, or gain Instagram likes on a tattoo fan page.
Perhaps that's why more women didn't take up tattooing in the past, maybe they read these visual cues as direction for how women can fit into the world of tattooing and rejected the industry entirely. I see many female tattooers trying to work this dilemma out. Some use their sexuality, some completely refrain from posting images of themselves, and some have no idea what to really do about it. When a female tattooer shows herself on social media it becomes much more complicated than a male doing the same thing.
What's up next for you? We have the second issue of TTTism coming out in autumn, as well as a photography book with Maxime Ballesteros, and the seventh issue of Sang Bleu shortly thereafter.
Tati Compton
Have you always illustrated? Yes, I've been drawing since I was a little girl. I wanted to be a fashion designer and drew girls every day.
When and how did you first get into tattooing? When I was 21 I got and gave my first stick 'n' poke. My friends used to do them often and it was pretty common among everyone I knew in San Francisco at the time.
Tell me about the best tattoo you've ever given and why... Probably an upper back piece on my friend Justin, because it's the biggest one and a little more loose, like the ones I used to do at houses with friends. He has another one that I free-handed of a woman's backside with weed leaves in her hair that might also be my favourite. Brooke Candy has a lot of my favourites too, because she always chooses the best ones and is open to anything that I just draw on.
Do you feel like tattooing is a male-dominated industry? I feel like the society that we live in is a male-structured and -dominated system – but I don't really pay much attention to it.
What is it like being a tattoo artist and a woman in the industry? I never cared to be in an industry nor do I care to differentiate myself by being a woman – I regard it as having a great job with likeminded friends.
How has Instagram played a part in your personal brand? Do you like it as a platform? Instagram started taking off just as I started to make a career of tattooing so it has been helpful. I like it fine but would be completely happy and fulfilled if the internet died.
Hannah 'Pixie' Snowdon
When and how did you first get into tattooing? Aged 15 I was hired to start a traditional apprenticeship in the small town where I went to college. My closest friends and colleagues then went on to open up their own studio which I worked at with them for a few years, called Holy Mountain Tattoo.
Have you always tattooed in the same style, or has it developed over time? Bold, black, feminine. It's developed over time and constantly shifts and develops still, I'd like to believe. I'd hope it would continue to.
What is it like being a tattoo artist and a woman in the industry? Honestly, it's however you spin it. I see and use it to my advantage. I'm a very emotional and sensitive person, I'd like to think I'm in the right kind of job. I have a degree of empathy for the people I'm tattooing and I think it can be important to use and acknowledge feminine energy just as much as the powerful male energy that's necessary when you're tattooing someone. I really take pleasure in creating an experience for someone. With that comes a balance of being supportive and nurturing as well as doing everything in your power to deliver the best tattoo you can for someone.
You have 905k Instagram followers. What do you think of it as a platform? I do like it as a platform, and I'm grateful for all the people who read my shit because it means that it could be one more person willing to get tattooed by me or be willing to contribute to a worthwhile cause I stumble across and may be rallying for – but honestly in this day and age it's hard not to be somewhat flabbergasted by the attitudes of people on the internet.
I swear, in my day-to-day life I never meet people who so openly project such fear onto others. It's like because it's the internet it's a different set of rules. Everyone passing judgement on everyone else, in a virtual world, instead of spending their time taking real action to support some real positive change. I have the capability right now to do something good for a group of people who are really deserving of it, using my large number of followers – so I may as well give it a go!
What's up next for you? We're off to Nepal later this year to donate the funds raised from our charity project, Love Shakthi Om, to Raksha Nepal, a humanitarian organisation that works with sexually exploited girls, women and their children.
Sarah Carter Schor
When and how did you first start tattooing? I started learning in 2006. I approached the owner of the shop initially to do a collaborative art project, and got blindsided by my unexpected interest in tattooing once I started hanging out there. I eventually got the assistant job at this shop and became the apprentice soon after. Less than a year later, I was tattooing full-time.
How has your style developed over time? I’ve been tattooing for over 10 years, so naturally it's progressed in that time. When I started apprenticing, I just wanted to absorb traditional Western and Japanese imagery like a sponge. I also did a lot of walk-ins which helped my tattooing immensely. When I began, I was way more conscious of refining my basic drawing and tattoo execution than I was about pushing my own style. I worked predominantly in colour with a bold traditional line which is what I was surrounded by. Naturally, you start with what's on your own doorstep. I found my own aesthetic interests crept in little by little, to the point where I find myself today.
Now I tend to work mainly in black and grey with a lot of Latin/LA and religious influence. The visual arsenal I’ve acquired through my artwork outside of tattooing definitely adds a more surreal element, too. My parents were both scientists so I grew up around a lot of medical imagery, hence the cells that crop up in my work.
Is there a tattoo you're particularly proud of? I don't feel I have a 'best tattoo'. However, I can say the tattoos that fulfil me the most are the ones which I feel have come from a more personal place. A marriage between the craft and aesthetic of tattooing, and all the weird shit from inside my head.
What is it like being a tattoo artist and a woman in the industry? I can only speak from my own experience, but when I began tattooing I didn't notice any differences. I feel I got involved once the fight had already been won and the men I was surrounded by were generally enlightened and progressive. I actually always rejected participating in anything 'female only' such as interviews, art exhibitions or conventions. I didn't want my work to be seen as 'female'; I just wanted it to be seen as my 'work'.
While I still agree with a lot of the sentiments I held back then, I do feel my view has changed since getting married and having a child. I find myself realising there are differences and I have to now adapt and fight if I want to 'keep up'. We're told we can have it all, yet the general family dynamic still includes the mother taking the dominant role at home and therefore the career taking at least a temporary knock. This is a massive subject and one which interests me greatly. I’m actually in the process of gathering interviews with other creative women out there in similar positions, as I feel a lot of us who don't particularly have a very 'feminist' background suddenly find ourselves with something to say but lack the language, the outlet or platform.
Ruby Quilter
When and how did you first get into tattooing? I've always painted, mostly in oils. I studied fine art at school and continued to draw in my spare time until taking it into a career with tattooing. I've been getting tattooed since I was 15, and knew a lot about different tattooers. There wasn't Instagram at that time, so I would visit shop websites to look at different artists and different styles. I had toyed with the idea of tattooing for a while as it's a massive commitment to make, and finally I went ahead and found an apprenticeship. Luckily a great shop took me on, and I began tattooing there about four years ago.
Describe your style in three words... Detailed, fine, beautiful.
Tell me about the most memorable tattoo you've ever given. In terms of the experience, then I would say some of my older customers have been a lot of fun. I tattooed a 74-year-old lady a couple of years ago. She was lovely and sat great. We stopped for lunch midway and she had brought me some homemade sandwiches – the best!
Have you ever experienced sexism or discrimination in the tattoo industry? Once by a guy who I used to work with – he would make comments about people only wanting to get tattooed by me because I was a younger girl. And in that same shop a customer asked me if I was sure I could actually tattoo! But now I work in a more serious shop, never. I actually find being a woman in tattooing an amazing thing. People want to get tattooed by you because you do nice tattoos, usually they don't care about who or what you are. I work with some lovely women and lovely men, no one is bothered about what you look like, just as long as you're good to be around and do your job well!
What do you wish people knew about being a tattoo artist? That it's not something you can just dip in and out of – it's hard work, mentally mostly. You always want to get better and put more time into it, so it's very hard to switch off. I wish people knew about the history of tattooing, that it's an incredible industry with a rich and fascinating past. People think it's about Instagram followers or tattooing celebrities, but it's about belonging to a family of people who all love one thing.
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Violence, hate speech, and racism are all issues that Facebook has been contending with in recent years. While the social media platform has been fairly vocal about its efforts to combat these problems (including the recent announcement of its plans to hire an additional 3,000 moderators), there's been little insight into how it's fighting back. Until now.
Yesterday, The Guardian published a scathing exposé, “Facebook Files,” which includes leaked guidelines for those moderators, the people who monitor live video and written posts, and decide what stays up and what gets taken down.
Instead of a consistent and thorough handbook, the guidelines are confusing and, oftentimes, disturbing. In one slide published by The Guardian, moderators are advised to take down violent posts which involve protected categories, such as the president, for example, “someone shoot Trump." Yet, it's okay to post threats against women and children, like “to snap a bitch’s neck, make sure to apply your pressure to the middle of her throat,” and “let’s beat up fat kids.” Further, these guidelines fail to define the distinction between “credible” violent posts and non-credible ones.
It’s also okay for someone to post photos of animal abuse (only “extremely disturbing” images should be “marked as disturbing”) and livestreams of self-harm, because the site “doesn’t want to censor or punish people in distress.”
The Guardian smartly sums up the guidelines in a quiz called “Ignore or delete: could you be a Facebook moderator?” The quiz asks readers which action they would take when looking at various photos, including swastikas, machine guns, and one particularly disturbing image of a furious wrestler with the words: “When you find out your daughter likes black guys.” For the majority of the images, the answer was “ignore.”
In the past year, Facebook has come under increasing scrutiny for how it handles sensitive content. Earlier this month, Mark Zuckerberg was forced to address the slew of violent videos showing up on site, including one of a man who live streamed himself hanging his daughter. Facebook said that over the next year it would add additional moderators to police content, and once again emphasised the importance of fostering a safe community.
When policing sexual content and revenge porn, Facebook has an admittedly monstrous task. It's one that the social network seems to address fairly well — according to the report thousands of violating accounts are deactivated every month. Still, The Guardian reports that the phrase "Hello ladies, wanna suck my cock?" is permitted, while "How about I fuck you in the ass girl?” is not. Where is the line drawn there?
According to The Guardian, Monika Bickert, Facebook's head of Global Policy Management, said that there will always be “some grey areas” when moderating content. There are also issues of how to address free speech, which have troubled other social media platforms such as Twitter.
But the issues that Facebook seems to regard as grey areas — bullying, violence, and animal abuse, among them — are issues they've previously taken strong stances on. Facebook proudly touts its partnerships with groups directly involved with those issues, including anti-bullying groups such as Bullying Intervention Experts and the Family Online Safety Institute. How can these partnerships exist, if Facebook is not clear in how it moderates bullying on-site?
In a statement offered via email to Refinery29, Monika Bickert, Facebook's head of Global Policy Management, said:
“Keeping people on Facebook safe is the most important thing we do. We work hard to make Facebook as safe as possible while enabling free speech. This requires a lot of thought into detailed and often difficult questions, and getting it right is something we take very seriously. Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that over the next year, we'll be adding 3,000 people to our community operations team around the world — on top of the 4,500 we have today — to review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly. In addition to investing in more people, we're also building better tools to keep our community safe. We’re going to make it simpler to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which posts violate our standards and easier for them to contact law enforcement if someone needs help.”
The safe community that Bickert references relates back to this past January, when Zuckerberg posted an extensive manifesto. He said that in order to move Facebook forward, the social network will not only focus on “connecting friends and families” but also on developing a sense of community. He explained how Facebook will implement changes geared toward a safer, more inclusive community. The response seemed spurred by the prevalence of fake news that plagued Facebook throughout the election cycle.
It’s easy to drink the Facebook Kool-Aid, especially when you see Zuckerberg’s well-meaning posts about his visits to juvenile justice centres and talks with recovering heroin addicts. The visits are part of his 2017 resolution to visit states where he hasn't spent much time, to “learn about people's hopes and challenges, and how they're thinking about their work and communities.” But all of this messaging is inconsistent in the face of the internal documents uncovered by The Guardian.
Editor's note: This post has been edited and updated.
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Last night’s tragic terrorist attack in Manchester has devastated the world. 22 people have so far been pronounced dead and 59 hurt in the suicide bombing, and relatives are still looking for missing loved ones.
Musicians have expressed their shock and condolences, including Ariana Grande, who had just finished playing a concert at Manchester Arena, where the bomb went off.
British politicians have agreed to suspend campaigning for the general election until further notice. Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the “appalling terrorist attack” and in a brief statement said: “We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack,” reported The Sun. “All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.”
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, praised the emergency services and asked people to join him for a vigil at 6pm in Manchester tonight.
My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones, my admiration to our brave emergency services. A terrible night for our great city
London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted to say, "London stands with Manchester" and retweeted a tweet by the London Met Police that said more police officers will be found around the capital today.
London stands with Manchester - our thoughts are with all those killed and injured tonight and our brave emergency services. https://t.co/0al1LzXvXE
Leaders outside the UK have also reacted to the tragedy. Donald Trump said "evil losers" were behind the attack. “We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom,” said the US president. “So many young beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives murdered by evil losers in life."
Trump went on to say: "This wicked ideology must be obliterated – and I mean completely obliterated – and the innocent life must be protected. All civilised nations must join together to protect human life and the sacred right our citizens to live in safety and in peace.”
President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, sent his condolences. "My heart is in Manchester this night. Our thoughts are with the victims."
My heart is in Manchester this night. Our thoughts are with the victims.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her “sorrow and horror”, adding: “This suspected terrorist attack will only strengthen our resolve to work with our British friends against those who plan and execute such inhuman acts. I assure the people in Britain: Germany stands by your side,” Reuters reported.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians were shocked by the news and pleaded for people to keep the victims and the victims' families in their hearts.
Canadians are shocked by the news of the horrific attack in Manchester tonight. Please keep the victims & their families in your thoughts.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said: “We strongly condemn this cynical, inhuman crime, and hope that those who ordered it will receive their deserved punishment," reported The Guardian. He also reiterated the country's willingness to cooperate with Britain on anti-terror measures.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, reportedly sent a message of solidarity to the Queen before a spokeswoman from the Chinese foreign ministry released a statement. It read: “The Chinese government feels shocked and is filled with sorrow over the explosion that has occurred in Manchester. We express our deepest condolences to the victims and extend our sincere sympathies to those who were injured and the bereaved families.”
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Danielle Brooks has never been one to shy away from challenging material. As the Orange Is The New Black star explained in a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, “I’m proud to be a part of the show that is not just entertaining but really educating people on the issues that are going on—the Say Her Name, Black Lives Matter, the I Can’t Breathe movements; trans issues; immigration issues; prison reform. We’re telling a lot of stories that are really important, and they’re really true to the world that we live in.” Meanwhile, in her Tony-nominated role in The Colour Purple, she explored the collision of racial oppression and family dynamics in the 1930s South — a storyline that feels even more relevant today.
Offscreen, Brooks has been just as ambitious, positioning herself as an outspoken leader in the body positivity movement with her hashtag, #voiceofthecurves, a Lane Bryant modeling gig, and her role as a spokesperson for Refinery29's 67% Project, which focuses on representation of plus-size women in mainstream media. Now, just in time for Take Back The Beach, Refinery29's annual celebration of beach bodies of all sizes, Brooks is sharing some advice she wish she'd been given as a teenager. Do yourself a favour, and read on. Most of these life lessons — even the bit about cheerleading uniforms — are surprisingly applicable over a decade after prom.
Dear 15-year-old Danie,
I must say, you are one fearless chick! A lot of blessings and disappointments will come your way this year, and in the years to come, but I want you to continue to practice patience. Let God write your story. It will always be brighter than you could ever dream of — so trust her.
Because creating lists is so much a part of your DNA, here’s a list of things to remember as you go through the next 10 to 15 years of your life.
1. Keep journaling. You don't know this yet, but one day you will write a book. The writing will be so much easier because you took a little extra time out of your day to journal. And when you get older, you’ll laugh at how boy-crazy you were and how many times you threatened to run away from home.
2. Mom isn’t always right, but she was right about one thing: You do not have to wear your shorts so short.
3. You really quit cheerleading because of how you felt you looked in your skirt? Okay! Never quit anything again because you're scared of what others might think of you — unless you become a stripper, only exception. But even then, quit because you want to.
4. I know sometimes we think youthfulness will last forever, but girl, it doesn’t. Stretch. A lot. And trade that orange soda in for water. Trust me, it’ll keep those arms and thighs remaining as flawless as ever, honey. Also, adult acne is real. With all the makeup you’ll have to wear, it’s just bound to happen. So, invest in your moneymaker. One day you’ll meet an amazing dermatologist, and he’ll get you on the right track.
5. Love your stretch marks Danie. They are the roadmap of your strength.
6. Spoiler alert: You won't be asked out to the prom. One day that boy you had a crush on, you’ll run into him at the grocery store and discover he has three baby mamas and works at Verizon. Not even as a manager. And the other dude, you’ll realise he doesn’t even have enough courage to pursue his dreams. How would he ever be able to handle yours? Again, be patient. One day you will bring all the boys to the yard. They will be sliding in those DMs girl. That phrase will make more sense in 2017.
Stretch marks are the roadmaps of your strength.
7. Shopping gets better, I promise. I know you’re starting to develop and trendy clothes are hard to find. I mean the only places that carry your jean size are Walmart and Catos, for God’s-sake. But trust, it gets better. One day you will shock yourself by how many women you inspire through your fashion and your willingness to be open about your journey with your body. Continue to show people how to live unapologetically in their magic.
8. You are different, Danielle. You are not an ordinary 15 year old, and that is okay. That doesn’t make you better or less than anyone. But what you must not do is dim your light. You have a lot of love to give and believe it or not, it is not as easily accessible for others to give the same. People have a lot of hang ups that will make them guarded, but continue to operate out of love. It will always win.
9. This year will emotionally take a toll on you. But just breathe and cry as much as you want. Your grandmother and godmother will both turn into your angels that will protect you, give you wisdom, and remind you to love as purely as you can.
10. Keep up with your family. Pick up the phone as much as you can. Reach out as much as you can. They will be the only people that will consistently love you and be there through the good and the bad. Never stop praying for them.
11. One last thing, follow this mantra until your final year:
Stay fearless and keep swimming.
And never forget your inside joke with your best friend who you’ll meet in two years and nickname Bernie Mac, “I’m living (deep breath) I’m breathing (another deep breath).”
I love you Sunshine,
Danielle Brooks
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It turns out that today has been dubbed new Story day. Just an hour after Snapchat dropped its new custom Story update, Instagram has announced two new types of Stories of its own. Granted, the timing isn't so surprising when you consider how competitive the two platforms are with each other. But this time, Instagram's update is different from Snapchat's addition.
Starting today, you'll be able to see location-based Stories and, in the coming weeks, hashtag Stories on Instagram. The basic gist is this: Add a hashtag or location sticker to an individual Story post, and it may be randomly selected to be part of a larger Story that anyone on Instagram can view. (Note: If your account is private, your post won't be chosen.)
When you click the hashtag or location sticker in someone else's Story, you'll be taken to a page full of posts from the same location or with the same hashtag. From there, you can access the larger Story (and fall further and further down the Instagram rabbit hole).
Both hashtag and location Stories are an extension of Instagram's Explore tab, which makes it easy to see what users beyond your immediate group of friends are posting on the same topics or at the same places. Location Stories, in particular, will be a major asset for travellers. Want an inside peek at city's offerings before going? Just search for the city to see and find out where locals and other tourists are eating, shopping, and staying.
Click through to see how to create each new type of Story, and how to find out when yours gets included in a larger Story. A warning before diving in: It's going to be way easier to waste hours on Instagram.
When crafting a Story post, start to type a hashtag as you usually would. Above the keyboard, you'll see trending hashtags show up in the same way that they do when you're writing a caption for a regular Instagram post.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
Once your Story is live, anyone can click on the now hyperlinked hashtag.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
Clicking on the hashtag link will take you to a page of posts that used the same hashtag. You can click the hashtag circle that appears at the top of that page see a random selection of up to 20 recent Stories with that hashtag, potentially including your own!
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
The same logic applies to creating a Location Story. Select the location sticker from the sticker folder, and choose either a broad city location, such as New York, New York, or something more specific, such as the restaurant where you're eating brunch or the museum you're visiting.
Photo: Madeline Buxton.
When someone clicks on the hyperlinked location sticker, they'll arrive on the location page, showing photos with that location tag. Click the Story ring surrounding the location at the top of the page to see up to 20 recent Stories that were tagged for that spot. When you've finished viewing those 20, Instagram will refresh with 20 new posts to click through.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
You'll also see a new city Story in the Stories tray along the top of Instagram's Explore page. This will always pertain to where you are at that moment. So, if you're visiting Madrid, you'll see a Story that combines recent Stories tagged for Madrid.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
When clicking through a Location Story, you'll see the name of the user who posted each photo in the upper left-hand corner, just below the main Story name. You can tap the username to go to that person's profile.
Want to know if your tagged post made it into the larger Story and, if it did, how many views it got? Simply go to your post, and swipe upwards.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
After swiping upwards, you'll see individual followers who viewed the post per usual, as well as the larger city Story icon with thenumber of viewers.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
If your account is public, but you don't want your Story post appearing in the larger location or hashtag Story, simply tap the "x" along the right-hand side of the screen and choose the hide option. If you change your mind after the fact, you can always tap it again to make your post available.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram.
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After last night's horrific attacks at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, U.K., ordinary people rushed to help in whatever way they could, extending kindness to strangers amid the confusion and grief of the aftermath.
The death toll rose to 22, The Guardian reported, including children, and another 59 people were injured. The police are investigating the attack as a suicide bombing, and say that the alleged lone bomber died after detonating an "improvised explosive device."
Here's how the citizens of Manchester have united in kindness.
They gave up their homes to strangers.
When thousands were stranded after the blast, people started offering rooms on social media using the hashtag #RoomForManchester, reportedThe Independent. A Holiday Inn near the concert venue, for example, donated rooms.
Sikh temples are offering accommodation and food for all.
People are lining up to donate blood, the BBC reported. The National Health Service (NHS) currently has enough, but it is encouraging people to register for future donations.
In Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens, buskers played songs to cheer up passerby, like "All You Need Is Love."
Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens packed with workers on lunch as a busker plays "All You Need Is Love" and "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" pic.twitter.com/GH1xp9d4IC
There are a handful of phrases that women unfortunately know all too well: "smile," "asking for it," "your biological clock is ticking." These small but grating moments add up and, if you could, you'd see them weighing on every woman as she tries to live her daily life — actually, in Ella Vos' new music video "You Don't Know About Me," you can. Premiering exclusively on Refinery29, "You Don't Know About Me" projects these words and phrases directly onto the bare skin of women who have heard them, underneath lyrics that perfectly articulate the frustration of this struggle.
"The song itself I wrote about a combination of different experiences and stories," Vos told Refinery29. "My own experiences and stories that I’ve heard from other people just about how women are perceived in our societies, from men to women and even women to women."
The phrases in the video include things like "calm down," "you're too young to have a baby,"and "your body is distracting." To come up with these words, Vos made a list of phrases that were familiar to her, and then asked around. When it was time to shoot, even the women in the video — most of whom were friends — contributed their own personal gripes. Because of this, there's not a woman around who won't find something to relate to in these shots, which is exactly why Ella Vos wanted to make the video in the first place.
"I’ve had a lot of experience where people make these judgments about another person without even really considering their position," she explained. "So my goal is to bring that to the surface so that it’s something we can talk about."
While sexism spans a range of issues, women's sexuality in particular was something Vos was keen to focus on in the video. The women on screen are partially clothed, and the words call physical attention to how society polices their bodies.
"The words like 'slut' and 'prude' are on these beautiful parts of our body that we shouldn't feel ashamed for," she said. "I feel like that’s something that happens so often, this negativity towards women’s sexuality. I want to bring that to light in a more positive way and embrace it."
This is just one of many causes that's important to the singer, who is also using the popularity of the new video to raise money for the ACLU. A line of "You Don't Know About Me" merch just dropped along with the video, and all money made from sales goes straight to the organisation.
Next, Ella Vos is taking her music on tour. Starting in June you can catch the singer at Bonnaroo, then in DC, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, San Fransisco, and LA. Until then, we'll be watching "You Don't Know About Me" any time we need some extra confidence before heading out the door into our daily lives — and maybe donning a shirt or hat to keep it going throughout the day.
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Fans of HBO's Game of Thrones have grown accustomed to death. With characters dying left and right, audiences have almost come to expect it. But it's different when the deaths happen while the cameras aren't rolling. Today, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin posted a tribute to Ghost, Jon Snow's loyal direwolf, who passed away earlier this week.
"In loving memory of the real life Ghost from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary," Martin wrote this morning alongside a photo of the beloved white wolf. "He passed this week & he will be missed. R.I.P."
In loving memory of the real life Ghost from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. He passed this week & he will be missed. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/FHGRpagEiC
Like all the direwolves on the show, Ghost (a real-life albino arctic wolf) lived at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico. That's right, when they're not filming in the freezing snow, the wolves are basking in the desert sun. Visitors are encouraged to check out the sanctuary to get an up-close look. Martin supports the sanctuary personally and the four-legged stars all live together on the grounds as a pack. According to the Mirror, northern Inuit dogs played the direwolf puppies — actress Sophie Turner actually adopted the dog that plays Lady — and the wolf that played Ghost, who stood out with his all-white fur and red eyes, has been in the role for several seasons.
Ghost was one of two surviving Stark direwolves. He was a stalwart at the wall alongside his master, though fans fell hard for the fluffy guy from day one. Nymeria, the other wolf, has been missing since the show's debut season, though rumors surrounding her return have been circulating.
Twitter is already filling with tributes to Ghost and many fans are retweeting a particularly moving GIF from Game of Thrones ' first season showing his very first appearance.
Update 10:00 am, 25 May 2017: The police investigating the attack have stopped sharing information with the US after details were leaked to the US media. The bomber's name was leaked just hours after the attack, leading Home Secretary Amber Rudd to say she was "irritated" and that "it should not happen again". The New York Times also published photos of debris from the scene. Greater Manchester Police said it wants to resume a two-way flow of information soon, the BBC reported.
The names of more victims have also become clear: Eilidh MacLeod, 14, Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, young couple Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19, Michelle Kiss, Elaine McIver and Wendy Fawell, 50.
Update 15:15 pm, 24 May 2017: Police are investigating a "network" of people responsible for the attack and are carrying out "extensive searches" across Manchester, the BBC reported. Four people have now been arrested, including the bomber's 23-year-old older brother.
More victims have also been named, including Nell Jones, 14, Alison Howe, 45, Lisa Lees, 47, Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, and Martyn Hett, 29.
Update 7:00 am, 24 May 2017: British Prime Minister Theresa May said UK officials believe another terror attack is imminent, so the country is increasing the threat level from severe to critical. This means armed soldiers could potentially be deployed and substitute police officers at public events.
May also believes Salman Abadi, the 22-year-old man identified as the suspected suicide bomber by the authorities, may have belonged to a bigger network.
More victims have also been named, the BBC reported. These include Olivia Campbell, 15, Kelly Brewster, 32, and Marcin and Angelika Klis.
Update 17:45 pm, 23 May 2017: Police have named the suspected suicide bomber as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. The BBC reported that he was born in Manchester and from a family of Libyan origin. A third victim has been named as 28-year-old John Atkinson.
Update 14:00 pm, 23 May 2017: So-called Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack via IS channels on the messaging app Telegram, the BBC reported. A second victim has been named as eight-year-old Saffie Roussos.
Update 12:02 pm, 23 May 2017: A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attack, Greater Manchester Police said. He was arrested in Chorlton, a suburban of Manchester, near a Morrisons store by armed police, reported the BBC. More arrests and raids are predicted to follow.
With regards to last night’s incident at the Manchester arena, we can confirm we have arrested a 23-year-old man in South Manchester.
The first victim has been named as Georgina Callander, 18, a student at Runshaw College in Lancashire, the BBC reported.
Update 7:20 am, 23 May 2017:
It is being reported by the BBC that 22 people have been killed as well as 59 injured in the suspected terror attack at Manchester Arena. Manchester Police say the male attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated.
Original Story follows.
At least 20 people are dead following reports of explosions at a concert featuring singer Ariana Grande in northern England, law enforcement officials told NBC News.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene after the blasts, which were first reported about 10:40 p.m., NBC News reported. It was not immediately clear what kind of explosions occurred, and sources stressed to NBC News that “information was preliminary and subject to change.”
A video on social media from inside the arena shows attendees screaming while fleeing the concert.
“Ariana Grande had just gone behind the curtain and the lights came up when there was this massive bang and a big cloud of smoke,” a concert-goer told The Guardian.
Another concert-goer told The Manchester Evening News there was a blast at the back of the arena after the final song. “We saw young girls with blood on them, everyone was screaming and people were running,” Sasina Akhtar said.
Police advised people to avoid places around the Manchester Arena Monday night.
Grande, 23, is currently on an international tour supporting her 2016 album, Dangerous Woman. The tour was scheduled to continue on Thursday at the O2 Arena in London.
No further details were immediately available.
Check back for updates this breaking news story.
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Fans and followers of Ariana Grande are probably familiar with the tall, black latex bunny ears that have become part of the artist's look since the release of her 2016 album, Dangerous Woman. Now, in the wake of the explosion at Grande's concert in Manchester last night, some fans have started to change their social media profile pictures to an image of those ears fused with an awareness ribbon, similar the pink ones used to symbolise breast cancer awareness.
This graphic is meant to express sympathy for victims of the bombing and anyone affected, including Grande.
I stand with the people who appreciate the ears because it lets people know that the people killed were innocent @ArianaGrande fans pic.twitter.com/p2NeZS8R6O
Other people, however, are questioning how appropriate it is to use a symbol that's associated with a celebrity in remembrance of people who lost their lives.
"Is the meme using #Ariana's trademark bunny ears really the way to commemorate the many dead in the #ManchesterBombing? Seems star-centric," wrote poet and critic Todd Swift.
Is the meme using #Ariana 's trademark bunny ears really the way to commemorate the many dead in #ManchesterBombing ? Seems star-centric.
Some are also questioning whether such a symbol, while meant to memorialise the victims, ends up inadvertently boiling their lives down to a concert. Blogger Abra Belke wrote, "Astoundingly tacky that the #PrayForManchester logo is @ArianaGrande bunny ears. Should victims lives/deaths be defined by one concert?"
Astoundingly tacky that the #prayformanchester logo is @ArianaGrande bunny ears. Should the victims lives/deaths be defined by one concert?
It's fair to question the tone such image, which could come across as "tacky" or opportunistic to some. It's also understandable that finding the right thing to say, in light of an event that could leave anyone speechless, is extremely hard. Grande (who does not seem to be behind the creation of the ribbon), has expressed just that herself.
broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.
The Trump administration's budget proposal for 2018 aims to prevent any organisation that provides abortions from receiving federal funding. Considering almost half of Planned Parenthood's annual revenue comes from government grants and reimbursements, the plan would have detrimental effects if approved by Congress.
Hidden in the appendix of President Trump's proposed budget is a clause stating that no federal funds will go to entities that perform abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life. The Hyde Amendment already prevents government money from paying for abortion procedures. If a health clinic offers abortion services or gives any money to other organisations that perform abortions, Trump's budget plan goes much further to withhold funds that would otherwise pay for low-income men and women's birth control, STD testing, and cancer screenings.
Many of the women who rely on Planned Parenthood's services don't have anywhere else to go, said Kevin Griffis, Planned Parenthood's vice president of communication.
"The heartbreaking truth is that if this budget were enacted, the results would be catastrophic for countless women and their families — cancers and diseases going undetected, higher maternal mortality and more unintended pregnancies," Griffis said in a statement to Refinery29.
Because such a large percentage of Planned Parenthood patients rely on government assistance to pay for health care, 43% of its revenue in the 2014-2015 fiscal year was from health services grants and reimbursements. The 2014-2015 annual report also says the organisation's total revenue for the year was almost $1.3 billion (£1.04 billion) , meaning the loss of Medicaid and Title X patients could amount to Planned Parenthood losing about $559 million (£447 million) a year.
Roughly 2.5 million Americans go to Planned Parenthood clinics each year, 60% of whom have their health services covered by Medicaid or Title X family planning money, according to the organisation's website. Essentially, if the budget proposal is approved, about 1.5 million Planned Parenthood patients will have to go somewhere else for care if its clinics no longer receive federal funds.
Planned Parenthood Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens called the budget proposal "the worst budget for women and women’s health in a generation" in a statement on Monday.
After Trump was elected president, donations to Planned Parenthood spiked (some satirically given in Mike Pence's name), but this proposed change couldn't be totally rectified by private donations. Of course, financially supporting organisations you believe in is never a bad idea, but raising $559 million would not be easy. And it would need to happen every year.
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Just how bad could daily drinking be? Well, according to one of the report’s lead authors, Dr. Anne McTiernan, it’s higher than she would have liked to see. In an interview with CNN, McTiernan said that the research found the risk for premenopausal women who have one drink, say, an 8-oz. beer, per day increases by 5%. The risk is even higher for postmenopausal women, whose daily glass of wine can heighten their chances of getting cancer by 9%.
"I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at just one drink a day, on average," McTiernan, who researches cancer prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, told CNN. "The increase with one drink a day was small…but, the risk goes up from there. So, that’s why AICR recommends no more than one alcohol drink a day for women to reduce risk for cancer."
What is it about alcohol that seems to spur breast cancer?
Researcher Chin-Yo Lin from University of Houston's Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, told CNN that it could have a lot to do with oestrogen.
"Alcohol consumption is also associated with elevated levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen," Lin said. "Excessive cumulative exposure to oestrogen is a major risk factor in breast cancer. A number of studies have shown that alcohol can enhance the actions of oestrogen in breast cancer cells."
Before you dump all your bubbly down the drain, Lin told CNN that "light drinking appears to protect against heart disease" and that "those beneficial effects should be weighed against the slight increase in breast cancer."
