The Riptide

We are very excited to announce that the first-ever annual Riptide Recognition Awards (RRA's) will be held later this Fall season. This event has been in the making for months and we're finally ready to declare the nominations and allow you - our readers to be a part of this historic day. The RRA's were designed as a unique way of honoring some remarkable people, movies, and shows in the form of an article. There are over twenty categories that you will be able to vote on. This is the perfect opportunity to show your love and support for some of your favorite things. The voting categories will be released in two groups; the first of which is open for voting now, while the second's release date is still pending. So, be sure to subscribe to this blog and follow our Twitter so you always know what's going on! We have also decided to announce a very special award which will be given to someone of your choosing. The very last question asks for you to nominate ...

Mental health is a huge issue in the United States and continues to grow worse with each passing month. Anxiety disorders (panic disorder, O.C.D., post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias), depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders plague the lives of 1 in every 5 adults in America. Mental health disorders are mainly caused by biological factors (genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry), life experiences, and family history of mental health problems. 1 in 100 (2.4 million) adults lives with schizophrenia. 2.6% (6.1 million) adults live with bipolar disorder. 6.9% (16 million) adults live with major depression. 18.1% (42 million) adults live with a form of an anxiety disorder. Approximately 10.2 million American adults have a re-occurring mental health disorder. Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017 alone 47,173 Americans committed suicide and 1,400,000 attempted to...

Camping can be a very stressful time because you are literally packing up your house and moving outside. Since we know a lot of families will be camping this summer, we decided to go ahead and make a packing list with everything and anything you could possibly need. So sit back and relax! Important Items: Tent (with stakes) Sleeping bags Sleeping pads Pillow Headlamps or flashlights Chairs Table (if a picnic table isn't available) Lantern Optional: Sunshade Hammock Cots Sleeping bag liners Firewood Camp rug Tablecloth and clips Clothesline Tools: Multi-tool Duct tape Tent repair kit Matress repair kit Extra cord Hammer or mallet (for tent stakes) Saw or ax Small broom and dustpan Kitchen: Stove and fuel Matches or lighter Cooking pots and pot holders Frying pan Eating essentials Cooking essentials Bottle/can opener Knife Plates Bowls Mugs Cups Cutting board Cooler Water bottles Ice Camp sink or wash bins Soap ...

(Warning; Some disturbing images) Most people go to a store and buy their meat, never stopping to think about what the animal went through before it was chopped and packaged. I was one of those people, but thanks to some new allegations against the meat industry, I decided to look into it. After spending hours doing extensive research into the topic of abuse in animal slaughterhouses I have been enlightened to some truly disturbing truths surrounding that industry. The ' Humane Methods Of Livestock Slaughter Act ' or simply the ' Humane Slaughter Act ' is a federal law in the United States which was officially approved back on August 27, 1958. The law states that an animal has to be sedated and unable to feel any pain before being killed or cut up. This law specifically puts protection over cattle, horses, sheep, mules, and swine; no form of poultry is mentioned. With that being said, over 9 billion chickens are put to death every year in the United States. In ord...

The Dog Meat Festival in China was created over 4,000 years ago and still takes place today. It is estimated that over 15,000 dogs are consumed over the 9 days this event takes place. In fact, the festival is taking place right at this very moment and will continue until the 30th. These dogs aren't just ate but also skinned, electrocuted, hung, burned alive, beaten, and boiled alive. Besides dogs, cats are also on the menu for these sick people. There have also been rumors surrounding where the animals are even from, with some speculating that they were stolen from families, due to the fact that some of the dogs still wore collars. As you can see, these festivals are inhuman and need to be put behind us once and for all. If people can get incarcerated for hitting their animal than why should this be allowed? It's evil and honestly, disgusting. Sign this petition to help end the Yulin Dog Meat Festival: http://chng.it/trVyqM8S6Y Thank you for your help.

This is a special post featuring an exclusive short story written by a new writer. We'll dive into the message behind the words, but first here's the story.                                                                     Now                                       Written By: Sierra Dixon     The notification buzzed on her phone, causing her to jump with giddy nervousness. It had been close to two days since she had last received a message from him; she knew it didn't sound like a lot, but for them it was. Before, they had been talking constantly, so when he suddenly stopped replying it had sent her jumping to conclusions of all the endless reasons why he might have left her. Now that he was back, tho...

Summer is officially in full swing which means it's only a matter of time before the boredom sets in. Luckily, we've composed a long list detailing 100 fun activities to add to your 2019 Summer Bucket List. 1. Go to the fair 2. Watch fireworks 3. Bubble paint 4. DIY project 5. BBQ 6. Go to a baseball game 7. Water balloons 8. Go to the library 9. See a live concert 10. Find a way to earn some extra money 11. Have a movie marathon 12. Face paint 13. Eat ice cream 14. Say “yes” for a day 15. Karaoke 16. Make a summer playlist 17.  Go to the mall 18. Road trip 19. Sleepover 20. “Unplug” day 21. Go to the zoo 22. PJ day 23. Pull an all-nighter 24. Amusement park 25. Go bowling 26. Build a fort 27. Visit a museum 28. Tie-dye Shirt 29. Go hiking 30. Paint fight 31. Write a book 32. Write poetry 33. Leave a note in a...