These Shoes Are Changing The Lives Of Single Mothers And Seniors In Colombia

Soles for Change knows the right pair of shoes can help someone go far.

The artisanal shoe company’s main mission is to benefit the Colombian artisans, mostly single mothers and seniors, who handcraft the colorful espadrilles it sells online.

Laura Viveros co-founded the company in March 2016 after traveling to her native Colombia for a family Christmas trip. During their visit to the small, picturesque town of Curiti, in the department of Santander, the financial advisor tried on some of the local artisans’ espadrille flats in the hopes of giving her sore feet some relief.

The 33-year-old says her feet immediately felt better in the handmade shoes and she began to wear them everywhere. Viveros raved about the shoes to her cousins and friends.

She and her husband, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, then began brainstorming ideas with her brother Juan Camilo Viveros and his wife, Carolina Gutierrez, about how to help the artisans’ business in a sustainable way. 

“I want[ed] to support these artisans because what they do is such an art,” Viveros told HuffPost. “They needed someone who believed in them. They needed someone who could show the world what they proudly do with their own hands while incorporating ancient weaving techniques.” 

That’s when the foursome decided to start Soles for Change.

“Their work is truly amazing,” she added, in reference to the artisans. “Given the social inequality in my country, they had no one who was capable of helping them out and show[ing] their products in the international markets. I met them and they have truly changed my life.”

The artisans craft each shoe from the natural fibers that come from the fique plant in Colombia. They produce the raw material, treat it, dye it and then weave it into the espadrilles. The shoes are sent to the Colombian capital, Bogotá, for quality control and then Soles for Change ships it to a U.S. distribution center in Miami Beach, Florida, or Queens, New York. 

The handmade espadrilles are sold on the Soles for Change website or at pop-up shops from $37 to $45 a pair, and 25 percent of the profits are “re-invested” in the artisans and their day-to-day life.

“We strive to contribute to the improvement of their quality of life,” Viveros told HuffPost. “We want to buy them new machines for faster production as well as [facilitate] better education in the art of shoe making. Also, every year we fulfill a dream. This year our plan is to take them all to see the ocean for the first time.”

Last year, the artisans voted to travel outside their small town, many for the first time, and Soles for Change paid for a trip to the thermal hot springs in Paipa, Colombia.

“This company is about them,” Viveros said. “It makes me so proud to see them work representing our brand. Giving us ideas about new materials and new designs. They know now this project is for them and by them.”

Viveros says Soles for Change has been life changing for many of the artisans simply because it provides them with a steady income.

“Before they had to rely only on the local market to sell their shoes and bring food to the table,” she said. “With Soles for Change they know they have a more stable source of income as we will purchase their production no matter what.”

Both Viveros and her husband have careers apart from Soles for Change. She works as a vice president investment counsellor for HSBC Private Bank USA while Rodriguez is a project director for Emovis Technologies. Both moved to New York City last year after many years living in Miami, where they first launched the shoe retail brand.

Despite their other responsibilities, the couple and their business partners hope to expand Soles for Change.

“We have had thousands of emails from people like us who want to make a difference in their countries and want to make a program similar to ours,” Viveros said. “We started in Colombia but our plan is to replicate this model all around Latin America.”

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ABC Cast A Guy Who Thinks The NAACP Is ‘Racist’ To Date First Black Bachelorette

Lee Garrett is a 30-year-old singer/songwriter from Nashville, one of 31 men cast to date Rachel Lindsay, the current star of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” (and the first black lead the franchise has ever featured). He admires Matthew McConaughey, has a horseshoe tattoo on his left arm, and loves “Gone with the Wind.” Oh… and he once tweeted that the only difference between the NAACP and KKK is that “one has the sense of shame to cover their racist ass faces.”

A simple scan of Garrett’s Twitter feed suggests that he has some strong and predominantly negative feelings about women (”Guys… When is the last time YOU actually saw a pretty feminist?”), black-led organizations (”Thousands sign petition to recognize as terrorist group after Dallas”), Islam (”I don’t hate Muslims, I do hate Islam”) and the LBTQ community (”After all this ‘gay community’ talk, all these rainbow flags instead of American flags”). He has also expressed a fervent support for President Trump.

Below is a sampling of tweets from Garrett’s feed, none of which have been deleted as of Wednesday morning:

This begs the question: Why would ABC cast a man who does not seem to think highly of women or people of color to date a beloved lead who is both? Did the casting people simply not look at his Twitter feed? Or did they want to use Garrett’s racial biases to drum up drama among the most racially diverse cast in “Bachelorette” history

HuffPost reached out to ABC, but the network declined to comment. 

The choice to cast a white contestant to date a black lead, when said contestant seems to harbor some racist resentment towards black people, eerily mirrors a plotline in “UnREAL” ― a show co-created by a former producer of “The Bachelor” that fictionalizes the behind-the-scenes drama of a very “Bachelor”-like dating show.

The Lifetime show’s second season, which aired last summer, followed the casting of the first black male lead (called a suitor) of “UnREAL’s” dating show within a show, “Everlasting.” On night one, one of the contestants, Alabama girl Beth Ann, shows up in her own Confederate flag bikini ― at the urging of producers, naturally. The goal is to provoke a “catfight” between the racist white contestant and the black contestants.

On “UnREAL,” Beth Ann functions as a naive pawn rather than being actively malicious, with producers pitting her ignorant embrace of so-called “Southern pride” against the just horror of the suitor, Darius, and the black women cast to date him. The showrunners sought out and played up a racial conflict in order to gin up drama, at the expense of their cast ― particularly Darius, who is then pressured to keep Beth Ann on the show.

Casting Garrett looks to be a move from the same playbook, but instead of a fragile-seeming young moron, they’ve cast a 30-year-old man who unapologetically details his racist opinions on social media.

Without access to the men’s backgrounds, or a computer to Google them, “Bachelorette” leads rely on the producers to background check and winnow the dating field for them. It’s understood that some clowns will be included for TV’s sake, but casting a man who openly professes bigoted views toward the lead’s race and gender falls into a different category: It sets the Bachelorette up for humiliation, heartbreak, and a deep sense of betrayal when the truth comes to light. And that’s just the best-case scenario.

For more on “The Bachelorette,” check out HuffPost’s Here To Make Friends podcast.

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Game-Changing Architect Zaha Hadid Gets The Google Doodle She Deserves

”My work is not within the accepted box,” the late architect Zaha Hadid previously told HuffPost. “Maybe because I am a woman. Also an Arab. There was a certain prejudice about these things.”

Today, that same outsider is being honored with a Google Doodle, one that celebrates her status as a game-changing designer of the contemporary world.

Throughout her life, Hadid spoke openly about the misogyny and racism she encountered as a woman of color working in the world of architecture. As a student at the Architectural Association School in the 1970s, women made up just 6 percent of her field, fellow architect Yasmin Shariff estimated. When Hadid died of a sudden heart attack in 2016, that percentage had jumped to a still-paltry 24 percent. Still, she forged ahead.

Surrounded by men, Hadid’s tenacity was often interpreted as egotism, her drive to be heard seen as a symptom of bad manners. “Who needed a mouthy diva in a world where men got by perfectly nicely, talking politely and shaking hands on the golf course?” The Guardian’s Simon Hattenstone asked, facetiously. This was the unnerving reality faced by a woman who graduated with a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut.

“They’re not used to an opinionated woman,” Hadid has said of men in Britain in particular. “They’re scared of women.”

Despite the obstacles, Hadid, born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1950, rose swiftly to fame. Her professor, the celebrated architect Rem Koolhaas, once described her as “a planet in her own inimitable orbit,” and she’d prove the adage correct. She opened her own architectural firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, in London in 1980. She went on to design a number of recognizable buildings throughout her career: the Guangzhou Opera House, Rome’s MAXXI National Museum of the 21st Century Arts and the London Olympic Aquatic Centre. Her neofuturistic style, heavy on smooth curves and concave shapes, earned her more accolades than most. In 2004, she became the first woman, as well as the first Muslim, to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize, dubbed the “Nobel Prize of architecture.”

“Zaha Hadid was widely regarded to be the greatest female architect in the world,” a representative for her company told HuffPost on the day she died, March 31, 2016, at age 65.

You can explore Hadid’s work more thoroughly over at Google Arts & Culture. In the meantime, check out a few of her notable designs below.

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Map Of ‘America’s Most Misspelled Words’ Will Have You Shaking Your Head

Need help spelling Wisconsin? Maybe don’t ask someone who actually lives there.

A new spelling map released by Google this week shows each U.S. state’s most Googled word for its spelling, and yes, Wisconsin’s word is Wisconsin.

The map was released in honor of the 90th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, which began on Tuesday.

According to the map, which is based on data collected between January and April of this year, “Beautiful” is the most commonly misspelled word across a number of states, frequently searched in California, Minnesota, Ohio and New York. 

Maine and Washington appeared to struggle with “pneumonia,” while Arkansas and South Carolina pondered over “Chihuahua,” Indiana and Delaware over “hallelujah,” and Connecticut and West Virginia over “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, online reactions to the map involved a hefty amount of disbelief.

Fortunately, there were some Twitter users who were happy to offer tips on how to spell words like “banana” and “beautiful.” Others pitched words that they were surprised didn’t make the list.

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2017 Is So Ridiculous, Real Words Can’t Describe It Anymore

The past year in language has been closely tied to the speech patterns of the current president. If Donald Trump lambastes “bad hombres” or describes something as “bigly,” people rush in droves to look up the words or mock his vocabulary on Twitter. Other language kerfuffles have surrounded his eccentric use of punctuation and his haphazard spelling, which Merriam-Webster patiently continues to correct for him.

On Tuesday night, Trump took to Twitter, but this time he had no ordinary misspelling in store. “Despite the constant negative press covfefe,” he wrote in a now-deleted tweet that remained up for several hours and sparked an almost giddy reaction from Twitter users. 

Observers have previously commented on the president’s relatively limited working vocabulary; he often resorts to favorite modifiers, like “bigly” (or “big league”) and all-purpose insults. He calls terrorists and political opponents alike “losers.” His preferred terms have been carefully observed, defined and discussed for the nation over the past year.

Despite that, he’s managed to make news once again for his diction ― and this time, it was likely just a typo. 

Trump himself embraced the furor (likely a welcome distraction from reports that he plans to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord):

Merriam-Webster, for once, took a pass on the assignment:

The cool thing about language is its plasticity. Groups of people are quick to assign meaning to new words or to expand what a word signifies. All that is to say that “covfefe” already has an Urban Dictionary entry, and it’s pretty on point:

Not sure that’s what President Trump had in mind. Unlike his previous boast that he invented “prime the pump,” he did, in a way, coin the term “covfefe.” It’s a far cry from the neologisms created by William Shakespeare, John Milton and other creative linguists, to be clear ― they created intentionally, typically using building blocks from existing language to craft meaningful new terms. Given Trump’s later tweet, it seems clear that he did not tweet “covfefe” on purpose and has no idea what it should mean.

Now that it’s happened, this epic typo seems like an inevitable step in this presidency’s effect on language. First we’re gripped by the simplicity of his language, then his frequent inability to spell it, and now we dedicate hours to finding a use for a nonsense cluster of letters.

Language matters ― in politics, in diplomacy, and, of course, in all interpersonal relations. In a time when it seems many long-established norms of how we operate politically, how we ensure international peace and cooperation, and how we treat other people no longer apply, it’s little wonder that a carelessly made-up word, with no long-established meaning, becomes a touchstone. Real words don’t seem to matter anymore either, or not in a way that makes sense.

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These Stunning Photos Capture The Loneliness Of Insomnia

Insomnia can be a debilitating, lonely experience. Need proof? Look no further than haunting photos from artist Michael Massaia.

The 39-year-old New Jersey photographer, who has been dealing with the condition since he was 13, often operates on only a few hours of sleep every few days. As a teen, he used to frequently hope sleep would come just so he didn’t feel bored.

“It was a bit maddening trying to fill up all the hours,” Massaia told HuffPost. “My desire to sleep wasn’t to try and get rest, it was to simply help pass the time.”

Now Massaia resigns to the fact that the chronic sleep disorder is something he will always need to manage. And when rest eludes him, he puts that time to use through his artwork.

His most recent results are a series of photos taken in Central Park at night, which aim to capture the loneliness of insomnia. The images are a stark contrast from how the park normally is during the daylight hours ― bustling and filled with wide-awake people.

While the nighttime project wasn’t recommended by a doctor (and treatment varies depending on the person), Massaia says it allows him to turn the disorder into something positive. He also hopes the photos inspire other people with health conditions.

“I hope people take away from the project a kind of compelling isolation, or perhaps something as simple as being able to turn a defect into something useful,” Massaia said.

An estimated 60 million Americans deal with insomnia in a given year. The condition causes severe fatigue, low energy, mood issues and more. Doctors are increasingly working to find effective treatments, some of which include over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Massaia stressed that anyone dealing with a disorder like insomnia isn’t alone, even though it may feel that way sometimes. He also said it helps to embrace the condition and transform it into something productive and positive.

“I guess what I tell myself regarding any deficiency ― including insomnia ― is that sometimes you’re just not made to live a ‘normal’ life,” he said. “Abnormalities force you to see and approach the world differently, if you can bring something tangible back with you from that perspective, then I think you’re onto something.”

We have to agree.

Take a look at the rest of Massaia’s photos below:

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12-Year-Old Ventriloquist Blows Away ‘America’s Got Talent’

Before performing on Tuesday’s “America’s Got Talent,” a nervous and giggly Darci Lynne Farmer told the judges that she “would really like to keep ventriloquism alive because it’s not common, you know?”

The 12-year-old from Oklahoma City then did her part in a big way. As Farmer provided the skillfully hidden vocals, her puppet rabbit Petunia belted out a dazzling “Summertime.” The duo earned wows from the panelists and host Tyra Banks (making her “AGT” debut) before Mel B. pushed the Golden Buzzer to vault Farmer into the live show round.

A well-deserved happy ending.

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Squatty Potty Dumps Kathy Griffin Over Beheaded Donald Trump Picture

Squatty Potty has pulled commercials featuring Kathy Griffin after a backlash over a snap of the comedian posing with a bloody mask depicting President Donald Trump’s decapitated head.

CEO Bobby Edwards confirmed Wednesday that the Utah toilet company had suspended its ad campaign in which Griffin starred.

We were shocked and disappointed to learn about the image Ms. Griffin shared today, it was deeply inappropriate and runs contrary to the core values our company stands for,” Edwards said in a press release.

“In response, Squatty Potty has suspended its ad campaign featuring Ms. Griffin,” added Edwards, whose foot stool product allows users to elevate themselves while on the toilet.

It appeared on “Shark Tank” in 2014. The company has also gained fame through its unicorn rainbow commercial.

“We have acted swiftly and decisively to demonstrate our commitment to a culture of decency, civility, and tolerance,” Edwards said.

Griffin has since apologized for the photograph, which celebrity photographer Tyler Shields snapped and released Tuesday.

In a video she posted to Twitter, Griffin said she “went way too far” and acknowledged that the image was “too disturbing.”

“I understand how it offends people. It wasn’t funny. I get it,” she added.

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Being Convinced We’re Always Right Is Our Next National Emergency

It’s no secret that we’ve reached the apex of the the age of entitlement. Social media and political polarization have pushed people on either side of the spectrum to dig in their heels and refuse the other side. We’ve come to value being right more than being humble. It’s not about the pursuit of knowledge anymore. No, it’s the pursuit of self-validation.

There have already been numerous articles on how self-fulfilling bubbles eventually lead to a crisis in knowledge. These bubbles emerge as a result of people filtering their social media of any information that disagrees with their values. Instead of consuming a healthy diet of opposing viewpoints, we become an ouroboros consuming our own tail just to feel better about ourselves.

American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes this confirmation bias on the internet is our next national emergency. In this new video from The RSA, Haidt cautions that this influx of self-fulfilling information can only be combatted by teaching humility and acceptance in grade schools. By creating a more organic understanding and consumption of information on both sides we become a more tolerant and accepting society that can push forward into the future.

Or, you know, we don’t and we’re all doomed to die thinking we’re right.

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Former ‘Bachelorette’ Contestant Michael Nance Dead At 31

Michael Nance, a former contestant on “The Bachelorette,” has died. He was 31. 

A representative for the Austin Police Department confirmed the news to TMZ, telling the outlet they received a call around 2 a.m. on Monday. Nance was unresponsive when police arrived at the scene. He was pronounced dead shortly after. 

A cause of death has not been released, People reports, though the outlet notes it does not seem to be the result of foul play. A spokes An autopsy was performed Tuesday but it may take weeks to get results from toxicology reports.

In his “Bachelorette” introduction video, Nance, who was a musician, revealed he struggled with an addiction to prescription pain meds in the past. 

Nance appeared on Season 8 of “The Bachelorette,” which featured Emily Maynard. Upon hearing the news, Maynard took to Twitter to express her condolences. 

Other members of “Bachelor” Nation, such as Sean Lowe and Chris Bukowski, also expressed their grief on Twitter. 

ABC has yet to release a statement addressing the sad news, but we have reached out and will update this post accordingly. 

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