Red Hearts' News

By Carey Dunne, 23, reporting from Brooklyn, NY, on how to help International Bird Rescue on the anniversary of the BP spill

I first learned of International Bird Rescue while writing about People for Pelicans, a gorgeous new line of intricately illustrated silk scarves, totes, and pouches from downtown New York’s activist fashion label nakedheel.

Until September 19—the third anniversary of the day the well was finally sealed in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that began in April 2010—People for Pelicans designer Katrin Wiens is donating 10 percent of her proceeds to this organization. (Wiens co-founded the late Pepper+Pistol, which has a special place in our RED Hearts.)

It’s the mission of International Bird Rescue to swoop in and save avian casualties, including those in the Gulf of Mexico, where the once endangered brown pelican population was devastated by BP hemorrhaging 170 gallons of black oil into their habitat. IBR’s small army of wildlife veterinarians rehabilitates spill victims in a delicate process involving spa nozzles, Dawn soap and therapy pools.

This summer, as the birds still struggle, why not participate in International Bird Rescue’s Adoption project? For $25, you can adopt an orphan duckling (the most tragically adorable pairing of words). Or, if you like birds that sound like creatures from The Jabberwocky, adopt a loon, grebe or murre for $50 to $75. These elegant black-and-white diving birds took a terrible hit during the spill. You get a certificate saying that the bird is being helped in your name. It’s a perfect gift for a wildlife lover, or just a way to get involved.

For a strangely transfixing procrastination outlet, check out International Bird Rescue’s Birdcam, a live video feed of behind-the-scenes orphaned duckling activity. There’s even a chat feature, if you’re feeling lonely. The Birdcam once featured what is arguably the Harry Potter of water birds, the Duckling Who Lived: After a pregnant mallard was killed by a car, IBR removed and incubated her egg. The hatchling made headlines 26 days later.

By Zoe Mendelson, 22, reporting from New York City on easy, organic remedies to get you through the sick season

I am not the kind of person who refuses to take an aspirin for a headache. "No, no, I don't like taking drugs…" I'm all for organic and and the politics of food, including working to launch this journal. But the no-compromise, pharmaceuticals-are-evil people drive me crazy. Medicine has its place. Take the aspirin, dude, your head will almost certainly stop hurting.

I think though, especially in this country, most of us fall on the other end of the spectrum. When we have colds and flus, we think it's normal to pump ourselves full of symptom-masking drugs that often do us more harm than good. Medicines designed to fight congestion dehydrate you. And that mucus is your friend—it's your body's natural way of getting the bad germs out of your system. Interrupting the process may not be the best route to getting better. What is? Besides TONS of SLEEP and WATER, here are some of my favorite natural cold and flu remedies:

1. Fresh Ginger Tea. Get some whole ginger, slice it into thin strips, and boil it in water for about a half hour. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and soothes nausea/stomach discomfort, too. I like to add lemon—the vitamin C is good for you, and the citrusy touch feels good on the throat. I scoop out almost an entire lemon. I love the pulp. I also add a little bit of apple cider vinegar, because I love the flavor (but not everyone does). Drink hot with lots of honey.

2. Reishi Mushrooms. The Reishi mushroom—a tree fungus that can be used to make medicinal tea—is one of those things that the Chinese have known about for a few thousand years and Western science is just beginning to catch onto. These mushrooms are amazing for your immune system and almost every other system in your body. They balance bacteria levels and are even good for alleviating stress. Check out www.reishi.com if you want to read the studies. Finding the cure-all fungi may take some hunting down in your nearest Chinatown, but I swear by them. Worth the effort and more.

3. Steam Tent. Put a big pot on the stovetop with about three inches of water in it. If you have eucalyptus oil, add a few drops. Boil the water and then turn off the flame. You've cooked yourself some serious relief. Take a towel and put it over your head. Lean over the pot, make a tent with the towel. Insta-steam room. It will make you cough your head off, but it can really clear your head and feels amazing in the end.

By Amy Goldwasser, editor of RED, reporting from New York City, on the season's coolest no-cook combos

July is about fruit for me. Berries definitely come to mind before fireworks, and if the packaging were more convenient, I’d carry a watermelon with me at all times —right there with the cardigan that fights over-air conditioning.

What’s special about this July and fruit, though, is that I’ve discovered a way to make its juicy, summer sweetness even better: adding something savory. A drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette or a dose of fresh black pepper really brings the flavor of the fruit out in delicious contrast.

My summer 2012 favorite in this category, simple perfection with a little bit of surprise, is a watermelon, basil and balsamic vinaigrette salad. I like Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing—which, oooh, I now see they also recommend over pears. Good idea, Newmans. Ideally, the basil is homegrown (this is the easiest plant to keep happy, just a bit of sunshine and a windowsill will do), and the watermelon from a farmer’s market, but you can’t go wrong here. Just put it together to taste. You can also add cheese. Fresh mozzarella works well, as does feta. (I'm prone to taking the feta rec from this blogger who confesses, “I may or may not have eaten watermelon for dinner three nights in a row.”) If you're into fancying it up, or wielding a melon baller, or geometry—cubes are always cute—here's a classy amuse bouche version.

Berries, too, are instant balsamic BFFs. Just pour some over the top of strawberries, with or without a shake of black pepper. Or bring it into the dessert course: A scoop of vanilla gelato with blueberries and strawberries and balsamic will end any meal on the grill in style—kind of the elegant, grownup version of the old red-white-and-blue Firecracker Popsicle.

By Maya-Catherine Popa, 23, reporting from New York City on feminism and a new book that reinvigorates the f-word for a new generation

“Are you having a boy or an abortion?” asks clumsy Admiral General Aladeen, Sasha Baron Cohen's character in the summer flick The Dictator. The whole theater erupts in laugher. While I usually enjoy Cohen's brand of boldly roasting contemporary figures, trends, and controversies, I am struck silent. His success lies precisely in his ability to expose real examples of bigotry. So why I should I be laughing?

We know that women, and young girls especially, are the target of human rights violations worldwide. In our own country, we have a 2012 presidential candidate who would like to see Roe v. Wade repealed. Yet I have sat in a classroom full of female students who, when asked if they considered themselves feminists, only gingerly raised their hands or altogether refused to identify with the term.

Julie Zeilinger, 19 -- a fellow Barnard student who’s witnessed an unsettling aversion to that f-word in these very classrooms -- is making huge strides to ensure the re-appropriation of feminism for our generation. Since founding the feminist blog TheFBomb.org in 2009, Zeilinger has been one of the Internet’s most influential voices on the issue, and her book, A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism is Not a Dirty Word comes out this week.

While second-wave giants like Bella Abzug (the Bella we should be reading about), Germaine Greer, and Gloria Steinem fought for our public and private voices, it often feels as though Americans in their teens and twenties have become complacent and apathetic, not willing to keep the movement in motion. Under the name of progress, we’re reluctant to argue against anyone who claims “Women are equal now, so what's the problem?”

Between anti-heroines in books, reality television portraying the shallowest, most Snooki- or bachelorette-skewed examples of feminine conduct, and longstanding cartoony depictions of bra-burners, the feminist movement for my generation has been ridiculed and tainted. It’s all too easy for the media to parody women -- and for women in turn to make fun of one another to prove that they can take a joke.

If girls and women our age can't seem to piece apart feminism's meaning from its slandered connotations, then how can we expect anyone else to? This includes policy makers and the people, women and men, we surround ourselves with every day. How do we reclaim the f-word? Women's rights are human rights -- isn't it about time the jokes stopped?

By Zoe Mendelson, 21, reporting from New York City on an easy way to bank better and support your community

Bank Transfer Day is coming up—this Saturday, November 5. Now you may not think of your personal savings, or lack thereof, as having a big impact on the global financial system. But they do.

Here's the idea behind it: Big, corporate-level banks profit with your every transaction, moreso as they keep increasing fees that target those with less than $20,000 in their accounts. (Perhaps you know someone who fits this description?) Small, local-level credit unions are not-for-profit and spread the wealth close to home, in your neighborhood.

BTD—founded by 27-year-old Los Angeles art gallery owner Kristen Christian, who was just fed up with the fees and lack of control of her own money—is a call for consumers to take their savings out of the big banks and put it into credit unions.

If everyone who's already signed up to participate on Saturday does so, and remains credit union members for a year, they will have saved a combined $5 million as consumers.

Because big banks exist to profit, they tend to put their money—your money—where it is most likely to earn them more money. These days that often means investing in mountaintop coal removal, fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline, companies that make weapons sold to the government to be used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, private prisons, and multinational agribusiness corporations.

Big banks also see it as too risky to give loans to people who don't earn enough money or have poor credit by their terms, making it hard for anyone working class to get a start, at buying a first home or paying for their children's education or launching a small business.

It's worth considering if these are causes or practices you would choose to back. I won't even get into how big banks also caused the recession here… That's a talk for another day. But same bottom line: When all that matters is profit, decisions made do not usually benefit the general public.

Credit unions, on the other hand, are owned and run by the people who keep money in them. They usually focus on a specific geographic area and concentrate on helping build up that local economy. They work with clients to re-build their credit and offer low-interest loans. By providing capital, they support small businesses and create sustainable local communities.

Plus, with a credit union, you still earn interest and have a debit card the same way you do with the big institutions. And your money is just as safe; it's federally insured.

If any of this information has moved you to move your money this Saturday, look for the credit union closest to you, open an account, and step outside the mo' money, mo' problems cycle created by the banking giants in this country.

By Charlotte Steinway, 23, reporting from New York City on the T.Mom tricks and treats

Two years ago I went as Lady Gaga for Halloween. Last year I was Ke$ha. This year I'll be going as Taylor Momsen. Let's just say I like channeling pop-star blondes wearing little to no pants? For those of you who don't know, Ms. Momsen—of the raccoon eyes and X-rated antics—followed a similar good-girl-gone-bad transition as her Gossip Girl character, Jenny Humphrey a.k.a. Lil' J. Once a wide-eyed cutie-pie playing Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (yep, that was her, look it up), Momsen is now the platinum-locked lead singer of a "band" called The Pretty Reckless.

To dress up as T.Mom this year, I plan to channel the look of a sickly stripper with a serious dependency on kohl. For the same smoky-eyed effect that she achieves on tour, I'll be using this L'Oreal Eyeliner because, well, it's aggressive. Paired with a vampy dark red lipstick like this one, my beauty routine will be set. Now only if my hair would grow a foot in the next 11 days…

When it comes to Momsen fashion, I'm contemplating purchasing the closest thing I can find to the Lucite heels she stomps around in on-stage. These have dice and poker chips on view, while hers have the word "Tips" and a dollar bill inside. Add some fishnet stockings, a garter, and a lace slip like this one, and all I'll need is a leather biker jacket to represent Momsen's concerted efforts to achieve rocker-chic toughness—and my only semblance of modesty.

By Cindy Morand, 22, interviewing inspirational author Lori Hope, from New York City

As Seth Rogan's and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's characters so spot-on remind us in 50/50, cancer touches young people's lives, too—whether it's a friend, a parent, a teacher, an aunt or uncle, a neighbor, a grandparent with the disease. (Will Reiser, Rogan's best friend, wrote the "cancer comedy" based on his own diagnosis at age 24.) But sometimes we don't exactly know how to really be there for someone we love who's ill. It's new territory and can seem so scary, so easy to say or do the wrong thing.

Fortunately, the writer, documentary filmmaker and two-time cancer survivor Lori Hope has just revised and expanded her book, Help Me Live: 20 things people with cancer want you to know, an invaluable guide for pretty much any human being. Odds are much better than 50/50—I'd say 100-percent—that her advice can move anyone out there to be a better friend, in sickness and in health. We interviewed the inspiring author.

Cindy Morand: So what are those things we should never say to someone with cancer? (We want to know!)
Lori Hope: Never say "You poor thing!" (We want compassion, not pity. Pity implies an upper-lower status thing, like the healthy person is looking down.) Never say "My aunt/teacher's mother/coach's sister/etc. died of lung/breast/colon/your kind of cancer." (We want success stories, not horror stories!) And don't go the "Just think positively and everything will be OK" route. (It can be impossible to think positively sometimes, and when people say that, we may superstitiously believe—in our vulnerable and sensitive state—that we are making our cancer worse by feeling sad and hopeless. Sad and hopeless is to be expected at times.)

CM: Noted. We will never. What should we say?
LH: Always say "I'm here for you, and I'm here to go through this with you." (NOTE: Make sure you ARE there when you promise to be!) Say "I will run errands/provide meals/take you to a funny movie." (Be specific when you offer to help.) Say "I love you." This is the number-one thing people with cancer in my survey of more than 600 survivors say they wanted to hear.

CM: Other than thinking before we speak, what are some ways that girls and young women can help?
LH: One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Benjamin Franklin: "The greatest question in life is, 'What good will I do with it?'" On a societal level, you can help by participating in cancer-support walks and other fundraisers. I recommend the Lung Cancer Alliance's Shine A Light on Lung Cancer events. Lung cancer kills more women than any other cancer—more than breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer combined. But more important is what you can do on a personal level, by being there for friends and loved ones who are ill. This includes teens and young adults whose parents or grandparents have cancer. When one person has cancer, the whole family has it.

CM: What lessons have you learned that you think young women can take away from your experience?
LH: From cancer I have learned (once again) that there is almost no greater satisfaction than knowing you have truly helped a friend. What young women—what anyone—can learn is to seek that satisfaction, and to listen to what your gut tells you about your friends. If someone doesn't seem to want to be around you when times are really tough, think about that, and know that you can choose people more willing to accept you even when you're not at your best.

CM: How do we go about changing the way society treats people who are ill (or old, or otherwise "different")?
LH: I would like society to find its heart again, to return to the "I am my brother's/sister's keeper" belief system. I want people to take the time and energy to realize that those who are suffering—be it from cancer, depression, MS, eating disorders, anything—need and deserve support and compassion. That means time. Open ears. Open hearts. Open minds.

CM: Speaking of…what are you "hearting" these days?
LH: 50/50, see it! The Onion television (especially GOMF); my terrier mix Bean and chihuahua mix Penny Too; and my stepmom, Jude, who's one of my best friends.

By Jordyn Turney, 21, interviewing Odd Girl Out author Rachel Simmons, from San Diego, CA

I've been recommending Rachel Simmons' incredible Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls since I first read it years ago. This is a book that I can honestly say has changed my life—and it's just been revised and updated with a 2011 edition. Getting the chance to interview its author was crazy exciting for me.

Jordyn Turney: What made you want to focus on "girl bullying?"
Rachel Simmons: When I was eitght years old, my friend "Abby" made my friends run away from me. I never forgot how painful it was to come to school and feel so alone. In college, I heard a lot of people talking about similar heartbreaks they'd suffered at the hands of girls. When I went looking for research on the topic, there was almost nothing! Crazy, right? Because there are, well, a LOT of mean girls out there. So I decided to start doing interview myself, and everyone had a story to tell.

JT: What's the key to having healthy female friendships?
RS: I think there are three things every girl should aspire to in order to have great relationships. First, stay connected to your feelings and thoughts. If you find yourself saying "I don't know" a lot, you might be disconnecting from the things you feel strongest about. If you're the kind of girl who tends to go with the flow and do what other people want, you might end up getting taken advantage of by other people.

Second, practice honesty in your relationships. That doesn't mean saying every little thing that comes into your mind, but being able to be real with a friend when something's up and you need to share. It takes practice to get good at speaking your truth well—so go easy on yourself, and don't expect to be perfect at it the first time. But don't give up, either!

Third, make sure you know your own boundaries in a relationship—the point at which you're not cool with something, or where you really feel uncomfortable with how someone acts or treats you. No matter how much you love someone, there are limits to what anyone can fairly tolerate.

JT: What advice do you have for anyone who's gone through female bullying experiences?
RS: The most important thing is never to give up on other girls and women. I've met so many people who say, "I don't trust girls. My only friends are guys." I think that is a tragedy. Women and girls make amazing friends, and their companionship gives us something that no one else can. Have a little faith. You are not some freak who can't connect with girls, I swear. You just haven't met the right ones yet.

JT: Because this is I Heart Daily, we want to know—what things are you "hearting" right now?
RS: Yay, hearting! Music-wise I love Pandora like crazy, and specifically Meg Hutchinson, Adele, and The xx right now. In books, A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. I'm not super-fashion-y, but I did just buy a very cute blood orange down-to-my-toes dress by DVF that I can't wait to wear. And I hearted working all summer at Girls Leadership Institute Summer Camp with nearly 200 incredible teen girls!