#i am a dedicated summer hater but this is next level

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i love soup as much as the next terminally online (fandom edition) tumblr addict but that doesn't mean i want to feel like i'm walking through it every time i step outside

[opedguy]

Sha’Carri Richardson Suspended from Olympics

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), July 3, 2021.--Winning the women’s Olympic Trials in the 100 meters June 19 at Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon, it didn’t take long for a United States Anti-doping Agency [USADA] blood test to disqualify 21-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson due to the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood, the active ingredient in medical or recreational cannabis AKA marijuana.  Considered one of the premier events in the Summer Olympics, the 100-meter champion claims the title of the world’s fastest women.  On the men’s side, the winner claims the title of world’s fastest human.  Poised to possibly win a gold medal in Toyko, Sha’Carri was disqualified under a 30-day suspension that will prevent her from competing at the 100-meters in Tokyo.  Because of scheduling differences with the women’s 4x100 relay, Richardson will be permitted to compete in Toyko 30-days after her June 28 suspension.    

         USADA subscribes to rules governed by the international body, the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA], concerned about keeping performance enhancing drugs out of amateur athletic competitions like the Olympic games or Olympic trials. Reactions to Sha’Carri’s suspension drew condemnations from all over the sports word prompting White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to say the White House had no plans to intervene on Sha’Carri’s behalf.  But fair is fair.  Cannabis, like alcohol, is not a performance-enhancing drug, in fact, just the opposite, likely to detract from any performance.  Richardson told the press she used some weed in Oregon, where it’s legal for recreational use, to help her cope with the loss of her biological mother. ”It sent me into a state of emotional panic,” Sha’Carri said.  “I didn’t know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time.”  

           But whether Sha’Carri chose to use recreational weed or not, it’s a banned substance at WADA and USADA, because its on a banned list of substances that doesn’t include alcohol.  Hollywood cctor Seth Rogan said the USADA suspension was racist because it discriminates against African Americans, where cannabis isn’t seen as different from alcohol.  “I greatly apologize if I let you guys down, and I did,” Richardson said, devastated by the reality that she’s been disqualified by USA Track & Field, giving her first place finish to the second place, bailing out the fourth place finisher Jenna Prandini, now part of the U.S. women’s Olympic 100-meters team. Due to the automatic 30-day suspension, Richardson is eligible for reinstatements July 30, in time to run the 4x100m relay but not the 100m dash.  Unless there’s some intervention, Sha’Carri won’t run in the glamorous 100 meters.       

        Richardson’s suspension for using a substance the equivalent of alcohol is long overdue when it comes to revising the WADA and USADA rules.  Whether an obsolete rule exists or not, the overwhelming consensus among amateur and professional athletes is that cannabis should not be grounds for suspension from any sport.  While Psaki said Biden has no intent to intervene for Sha-Carri, there’s no reason he can’t call close U.S. ally Polish President Andrzej Duda to talk with 36-year-old former Polish Olympian Witol Banka, formerly Minister of Tourism, now President of WADA.  Calling Duda could potentially change the obsolete rule when it applies to cannabis, making Sha-Carri’s suspension a moot point.  As long a cannabis was legal in Oregon, there’s no reason Banka can’t change the rule related to cannabis as banned substance for the purposes of WADA.     

        Richardson made an honest admission, mea culpa and plea after the USADA lowered the boom on her for an obsolete WADA rule.  “I just say, don’t judge me and I am human—I’m you.  I just happen to run a little faster,” asking WADA and the USADA to intervene to allow her to run in the 100 meters.  “They don’t necessarily understand and I wouldn’t ever call they haters.”  Sha-Carri could be excluded for the 4x100m relay because technically the U.S. Olympic Committee must take six athletes, but give the spots to the top four finishers in the Olympic Trials.  Technically, Richardson could still be excluded from participation, because he first-place finish was already vacated by U.S. Track and Field, the national governing body.  “While we are heartbroken, the USOPC is steadfast in its commitment to clean competition and it support the anti-doping code,” said tthe USOPC.   

USOPC must clean up its language and accept that alcohol or cannabis are not performance enhancing drugs, and, under no one’s definition can fit the mission of WADA or USADA to keep athletes on a level playing field.  If athletes throw back some cold ones, that doesn’t affect their performance in amateur athletic competition any more that using medical or recreational cannabis.  “A positive test for any banned substance comes with consequences and we are working with the USATF to determine the appropriate next steps.  We are dedicated to providing Sha’Carri the support services she needs during this difficult time.”  USATF knows that the ban against cannabis is obsolete, having nothing to do with doping any more than alcohol.  If the USTAF wants to support Sha-Carri they will immediately work with WADA to reverse the obsolete ban on cannabis in amateur athletes. 

About the Author 

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.          

[ellynore-moonwood]

Ellynore’s 2017 Summary

This year has been a wild ride for me in so many ways, and I figured now would be a good time to sum up how I’ve felt about 2017 as a whole while it’s about to come to a close at the end of this weekend. I’ll try to keep it brief and concise, but if it ends up becoming a lengthier read, I do apologise. ^^;           I’ll also clarify that I don’t want to seem pretentious or anything of the sort. This is just an honest summary of how I’m looking back on the year in my own perspective and how things have gone with me. 2017 has had it’s ups and downs, but like every upcoming year, we all hope it turns out better than the last in some way or other. 

January - Not a lot of things happening, except getting a brand new laptop and searching for new material to use for voice acting as I spent most of it doing some writing on the side and browsing Tumblr looking for audio posts that could give me new ideas. I had a couple projects that were in-progress but not a lot of progress was being made, unfortunately. That didn’t stop me, though, since I continued contributing my voice to some YouTube videos made by @bettinalevyisdetermined as the awesome Undertale fish spearwoman Undyne. 

February - Vine died, I spent the first half of the month revising my relationship status and goals, as well as “A Date with Markiplier” fangirling all throughout the second half of the month. After a month of supporting @distortional I got to meet them and learn about them as a person, and eventually was inspired and motivated to try voicing out Darkiplier. If you haven’t heard it, you can listen to it here. I’ll warn you, it was my very first time and it does sound a bit cringy, but I’ll let you guys be the judge of that. 

March - The founding of @theglitchedsystem came to be and I got straight into work while also battling some stress but later overcoming it with some help and guidance from the other VAs who took part in the project. Definitely had a lot of fun being a part of this sub-community in a major way throughout this whole year. 

April - I turned 24 and upgraded my Samson Go microphone to a Blue Yeti Blackout! 

May - Further progression with voice acting and making new friends along the way. I also managed to properly master how to voice Darkiplier and became more confident with improv voice acting. 

June - Facing new challenges and preparing for Winter. Spoiler alert, felt more like an extended Autumn, instead, most likely due to the fact that most Aussie Winters have a lot of sunshine, and when there’s a lot of that, it gets really warm. Fun fact: at this time of year, it’s not uncommon to see people walking outside wearing summer clothes when it gets around 15 degress Celsius or higher. You’re welcome.  [EDIT] - I had forgotten to add that I was at a pop culture convention on that month and met my voice acting idol Jennifer Hale in person! I got a heartwarming signature and message from her, a hug, and even requested a short audio of her voicing one of my favourite voices she did for a game I played. Meeting her ignited a new spark in me to further pursue my dream in becoming a voice actor and I felt so happy that day. 

July - Met more new friends and followers throughout my voice acting career while also facing some minor networking issues like followers not getting along with each other. Seriously, a community is about making friends and being with great, like-minded people. If there’s any drama happening, take it outside, no questions asked. Less people get caught in the crossfire that way. On a lighter note, “Darkiplier vs. Antisepticeye” was the talk of the town even after the end of that month. 

August - Friendships have strengthened, especially with the “Kill Jacksepticeye” video which made an escalated return of Antisepticeye. If you have friends who are as hyped about something as you are, stick with them. You won’t have to deal with the shock alone and the experience is better when shared with friends. On a sad note, my grandmother had passed away which affected me and my whole family since she was my last grandparent and I’ll never forget her. Rest in peace, Nanna. <3

September - Continued voice acting as usual while also taking up a couple more responsibilities that I picked up from August and carried it further as a way of helping followers whenever they’re feeling down or facing a tough situation where they need some advice. I learned a lot about some people in particular and I wish them nothing but happiness. 

October - Preparing for the Halloween season which felt a little bit underwhelming compared to last year. Let’s hope next year will be better. I will say, I did get to watch a bunch of horror movies and cartoon specials and those were a lot of fun and were a great way of relieving stress. Got to collaborate with @melissatreglia for the very first time with the event she hosted called “Darktober” where I helped with audio editing as well as manage a HUGE voice acting project titled “The Hostage.” 

November - This month in particular was spent trying to get voice acting excerpts done and ready to post before going on a week-long holiday away with my family at the end of the month while also tackling with job searching in bulk. It got a bit emotional and stressful for me leading up to the last few days, but I finally got a chance to relax and spend time with my family while not having to worry about voice acting. It was a good break away from home.

And here comes the final month of 2017, which includes venting. 

December - Compared to every other month, December was absolute hell and filled with truckloads of (pardon my language) bullshit. While there were some upsides like going to my first midnight theatre screening to see “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and having a fun and enjoyable Christmas break, everything else was nothing but chaos and drama which left me in a mental state of shock and anxiety at extreme levels. I’m not going to sugarcoat it as it was a huge deal and some parts of it are still fresh in my mind.           In short, four people who were formerly part of the TGS (The Glitched System) sub-community went to war against my friend and leader, Distortional, as well as aiming pitchforks at anyone who didn’t side with the bad guys. It was at that point where I was engulfed with rage and wanted to fight back for the sake of my friends because I felt that they were wronged. If it wasn’t for the fact that I heard about it late at night, I would have been punching a lot of things around my room, I was that angry. But, that backfired as the fingers were soon pointed at me for three days straight. Needless to say, I didn’t take the bashlash very well. A first for everything, I suppose. Luckily, several other witnesses who also got hurt were incredibly supportive, they gave me the full story about what really happened, and I soon learned who my true friends are. Looking back at my lackluster performance with the aftermath of the whole debacle, it took me a week after finally blocking those abusive, immature people to clear my head and recover from the shock and emotional abuse*. The witnesses I spoke of have already moved on but let’s pray that those responsible will look back and rethink their actions for next time. This ordeal has allowed me to retain the experience I had that I will use to, hopefully in the future, better deal with manipulative people and call them out if they end up going around backstabbing people.             In other words (again, pardon my language), anyone who fucks with me and my friends will be remembered but not in a good way. If you can’t be friends with other people and don’t enjoy being part of a certain community, the most responsible thing you can do is just leave quietly and move along. And by quietly, I seriously mean quietly. My blog and community are a drama-free zone 24/7. Respect it. 

TL;DR, When drama hits and your friends are hurt, you feel inclined to stand by them till the bitter end, even if it ends up with you biting the bullet. That’s loyalty. Plus, and this is a bit pessimistic even for me, not everyone is going to like you, but haters gonna hate and the people who really want to stick around for you are your true supporters. 

* [Note: Please don’t confuse it for PTSD as it happened in the present time, not as a flashback to a past event.]

And that’s 2017 for me. 

As for what I’m going to do for 2018, I have plans on doing more voice acting but hoping to go bigger and better by taking on roles I’ve done previously and adding new ones in the mix for variety purposes. 

I’m also going to dedicate more focus on my YouTube channel where I do more videos on voice acting in video games. I am continuing “Night in the Woods,” though future episodes are bound to be longer than twenty minutes as it is considered a more relaxing game with a lot of in-game dialogue. I just need to find opportunities when I can record with no unnecessary noise in the background as well as voice out more louder characters when I come across them. 

If you guys want to suggest something to me for 2018 to work on, whether it’s audios here or videos on my channel, my ask and submission boxes are always open. I hope you guys had a good 2017 and wish you guys nothing but the best for 2018. Stay safe, keep your chin up and having a pleasant New Year’s! :D

- Ellynore Moonwood

[muachronicle]

Female Founded: Tech & Tools

Welcome to Part IV (the finale) of the Female Founded Series!

We’ve now taken you into the lives of haircare, skincare, and makeup companies that were founded and are run by women. I am so excited to share the last installment of this series with you but I am also sad it’s over! Perhaps I’ll revisit the series when there are more female moguls in the beauty space!

The last post of the series is dedicated to the women who created beauty tools, whether hair, skin, or otherwise.

Immediately, it’s noticeable that this list has slightly less products and content than the others in this series, which I must say is disappointing to me. While makeup and skincare is highly personal and may not apply to everyone, beauty tools are universal. Whether it is a face roller to improve skin elasticity or an eyeshadow brush, everyone can find a way to incorporate beauty tools and tech into their lives. The price points of these products are also going to vary much more than the posts prior. The reason for this is that, just like a pen versus a computer, a moisturizer versus an LED device is going to have a different price point.

I have combed (pun intended) through the tools on the market to handpick those that stand on their integrity. So while they may be pricey, just know that they will give you results for years and it’s an investment that might be worth making. That being said, there are products in this post that are under $20!

Here is a highlight of female beauty tech and tool founders, their journeys, their brands, and their product darlings.

This list is by no means inflexible or exhaustive - companies are always changing leadership or new brands are being founded. If there’s a female-founded brand you love that hasn’t been mentioned, comment below!

* product photos courtesy of respective brands.

Dermaflash

Founded by: Dara Levy

Women have been shaving their faces for centuries as a form of exfoliation and a way to take off their peach fuzz. Before Dermaflash there were two options: a surgical grade blade (a scalpel) or some cheap disposable straight razors. Then came Dara Levy and now women can invest in dermatologist level results in their own home. Let’s dispel something right now - the hair on your face is vellus hair, which will not grow back thicker or darker, and the hair on your head and body is terminal hair, which will.

Dara knows this more than anyone, having started Dermaflash as the name of the dermaplaning treatment she was doing in her medspa in Chicago. She became locally know for the results she could deliver from this exfoliation treatment. When she was thinking of what her skincare line would include she realized that Dermaflash was what needed to be accessible, not another lotion or potion in an over-saturated market. She knew that she could deliver medspa levels of results in dermaplaning to everyone at home through an easy to use device.

Upon launching in the late summer of 2016, Dermaflash crushed its sales on QVC - selling 30,000 in less than 24 hours. Dara isn’t just riding the wave of her success, she is consistently reinventing her product and introducing new versions. This is the primary difference between the models - the amount of speeds that the blades utilize and the option to choose which speed you want when.

NuFace

Founded by: Carol Cole, Tera Peterson, Kim Morales

Carol was an aethetician in the Golden Door Spa in California when she kept hearing the same concerns of skin feeling saggy and tired. She began utilizing micro-current therapy in her treatments and traveling to Los Angeles to provide her services in Hollywood. In 2005 she launched the NuFace system with her daughters Tera (also an aesthetician) and Kim. The goal was to deliver the firming and revitalizing results of micro-currents to people’s homes so they could achieve these results on their own time and their own dime (aka no more derm or spa visits).

NuFace started as a device to massage the face for a more firm and lifted look to the skin. It’s the closest you can get to a facelift without the scalpels and the price tag. The brand has since expanded to a travel version, a body version, and a targeted device to attack crow’s feet and marionette lines. The brand is manufactured by the Carol Cole Company - talk about mega-boss. Tera is the currently CEO and works with her mother, sister, and ever expanding team to continue to propel NuFace into the future.

On a personal note: when I worked at Bloomingdales, the Space NK fixture on the floor got NuFace products in to sell. My friends at the counter gave me a demo with the device and the results were NO joke. I immediately saw my face lift and brighten. The price tag is a bit up there for some but if you can invest in one skincare product, this is the one I recommend. I am saving up to get it for myself.

Drybar

Founded by: Alli Webb

Alli is the only founder to appear on the list twice. She was in featured in the hair founder post but I thought it was important to feature her in the tools post, as well. That’s because she didn’t introduce a hair product to her hair tool line or a tool into her haircare line just to diversify. She created a product line that was as saturated with tools as it was with product. Her goal is to give you the complete Drybar results for you to achieve at home.

While you don’t have to use the products together with the tools, Drybar makes it easy to achieve their professional results at home. Each style in the menu allows you to book an appointment for the style, shop the products for the look, and check out tutorial videos for how to use the products and tools. Check it out here. So if you live in a city where Drybar hasn’t expanded its locations to, you can follow these guides to achieve a similar sleek or glam look whenever you need it.

While most of the products in this line are pretty special, the straightening hairbrush it the real MVP. You can use it on all different hair types for a smooth and sleek look.

Beauty Blender

Founded by: Rea Ann Silva

You may know this famous hot pink product from all of the YouTubers bouncing it on their faces regularly but Rea Ann’s story is more than just a social sensation. The Los Angeles native and Latina mogul thought she would work in fashion until a job at a makeup counter changed her trajectory. She became a TV makeup artist and was the department head on the show Girlfriends (my favorite show growing up). It was her time on sets that taught her the hacks of makeup application leading to the invention of the beautyblender.

The makeup artists on set would cut makeup sponges into little egg shapes and set the makeup with a light spritz of water. This not only gave the skin a natural looking finish (even after prosthetics) but it was easy for the artists on set to carry around and touch up the actors between takes. No muss, no fuss. Rea Ann took it to the next level by manufacturing these sponges in an already produced shape - the first of its kind on the market. By manipulating the shape slightly, she was then able to expand the range to the beautyblender Pro and Nude.

As a single mom and set makeup artist, she self-funded her business and saw the payoff from it when social media and influencer culture took the reins. It’s the philosophy of always betting on herself, regardless of haters, that has allows her brand to continue to succeed in the beauty tools arena and even expand into cosmetics (the brand launched its first foundation in 2018 and currently has 40 shades).

Real Techniques

Founded by: Samantha Chapman and Nicola Chapman

I don’t know about you but I’ve been a major fan of Sam and Nic Chapman for years. The two British makeup artists (and sisters) have been in the beauty industry for decades, working with celebrities and major players in the editorial game. Then YouTube was invented and the two sisters became the first adopters to become makeup tutorial goddesses and monetize their success. That’s why, when they were approached by a beauty brand to create a makeup brush line, they knew they had to bring their professional expertise to the beauty tool industry.

Nic was pregnant for the first round of Real Techniques brushes to be tested and created so she stepped aside to focus on self-care. She rejoined Sam to help synthesize later versions and collections in the brand. Both sisters have been very vulnerable with their mental and physical health and their family lives on their social media, bringing us behind the curtain of their brand to show us what being a founder is like.

Something that Sam and Nic were adamant about was to make professional grade beauty tools accessible to all. That’s why they are sold at retailers like Target, Ulta, Kohls, and (in the UK) Boots. You can even find their heavy hitters on Amazon for you Prime babes. Prices range from $6 (beauty sponge) to $30 (a set of three brushes and a sponge).

Nurse Jamie

Founded by: Jamie Sherrill

Jamie has been a medspa expert for over two decades in two of the most glamorous cities in the world. She is the owner of Beauty Park Medical Spa in Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi. She is the go to for injectables and treatments to so many celebrities. She was featured on Huda Boss Season 1 for her expertise as a beauty founder as well as other TV programming (ahem - The Simple Life). If you aren’t able to get into one of her medspas or you are unsure about treatments that include needles, Nurse Jamie has given you a whole product range to get lifted and firm skin at home.

Her goal is always to educate and help people feel like their best selves - she’s the one that will tell you when enough filler really is enough. That’s why her products are meant to help with a variety of concerns when it comes to keeping skin firm and elastic. While skincare products may need to be tailored per person, skincare tools can pay off for everyone. This product line can transform your bathroom into a medspa.

Something to note is that some of these products will feel awkward to use at first. The oddly shaped Beauty Bear pillow is unlike anything on the market. It will take some getting used to but its purpose is to help you sleep in positions that won’t cause prolonged wrinkling to your skin. This pillow is designed for both the sleeping beauty and the toss-and-turn type sleeper with it’s multiple edges to keep your face rested in any position. Check out more info on how to use it here.

The Beachwaver

Founded by: Sarah Potempa, Emily Potempa, and Erin Potempa Wall

I’m not saying that the Potempa sisters are solely responsible for the effortless cool girl waves that have become a signature hairstyle for millions of women but I will say their brand revolutionized how we think about achieving that style.

The brand launched in 2010. Their first product was a rotating waving iron that launched in 2012. Essentially the original Beachwaver took the arm twirling out of the equation so that you could curl your hair and not your biceps. We’ve all gotten halfway through doing our hair and had to rest our weak limbs right? Just me? Well since then, the sisters have introduced various sizes of the tool and added hair accessories and products to their range.

This summer the brand has expanded their line to include six new hair products and one fragrance. Above all, The Beachwaver founders want to build a brand that’s conscientious and transparent. That’s why their products are vegan and feature phthalate-free, curbside recyclable bottles to promote and practice sustainability in the beauty industry. They are also advocates for equal pay. The Beachwaver Co. is a sponsor for the last leg of the World Surf League, who announced that starting in the 2019 season, they’ll award equal prize money in men’s and women’s competitions. With this, they have become the first United States-based global sport to make this change.

If you need any more reasons to love them, just know that these tools were responsible for the Angel waves at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for two straight years.

Thanks for tuning in to the Female Founded series!

Let me know what other content you’d like to see.

Cover photo by Content Pixie.