Vermont-based woman born with a condition that caused one of her arms to swell in size says trolls tell her to ‘amputate it’
The 18 year old said her condition has never had a negative effect on her life, and she doesn’t let hate online affect her offline. Pics/Instagram
Olivia Klopchin, 18, from Springfield, Vermont, has been on the receiving end of online hate for a condition she had no hand in. The teenager was diagnosed with a vascular malformation when she was two months old after her family spotted a bruise on the inside of her elbow that had been there since birth. It has now become her online bane.
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Klopchin’s condition is caused by the abnormal development of blood vessels, which can lead to discolouration or protrusions in the affected region. However, they’re still fully functional—something many social media users seem to disregard when they give her unsolicited advice.
Klopchin regularly posts about her life and condition on TikTok, including comments asking her to amputate her swollen arm. Klopchin said she didn’t initially intend to make content revolving around her arm, but it’s moved in that direction.
“I had never seen anyone with a condition similar to mine on the Internet. So when the opportunity presented itself I grabbed it with open swollen arms. I wanted people like myself to be able to go on their phones and say, ‘Hey, that person has what I have’ or ‘Hey, they look like me’,” she said.
Klopchin had mixed reactions from people online—with some telling her how beautiful she is and how much they admire her confidence while others trying to tear her down. “Negativity on the Internet has consumed so many people’s lives, but I choose not to let it consume mine,” she said. “I can’t let some stranger’s comment bother me.”
“Other than pushing through the pain, I was able to do sports. I would hang out with friends,” she explained. “I am truly thankful that my arm hasn’t given me any downsides to life. I could consider the pain a downside but I choose not to,” she said.
Sleep straight-up
Two Japanese companies have teamed up to produce upright ‘nap boxes’ to help solve the country’s overwork problem
To beat Japan’s overwork phenomenon in offices, Tokyo-based furniture specialist Itoki Corporation and Koyoju Gohan have come up with an ingenious idea. The duo wants to produce upright wooden pods that allow people to enter and use them as private spaces to sleep standing up. They have recently signed a licence agreement for the device.
With Japanese workers spending so much time at work, some sleep anywhere they can; in their employers’ bathrooms, on the train during their commute, or even at their desks. The nap pods at least ensure that they are comfortably supported so that they don’t fall over.
“In Japan, a number of people lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while, which I don’t think is healthy. It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location,” Saeko Kawashima, communications director at Itoki, said in a recent interview. “I think a lot of Japanese people tend to work continuously without breaks. We are hoping that companies can use this as a more flexible approach to resting.”
Pink sauce mystery
A TikToker known as Chef Pii has sparked an uproar over her “pink sauce” after large scale issues were found. To gain buzz for the condiment, Pii posted a TikTok video of her making it in her kitchen, which gained 6.4 million views. The sauce’s main ingredient is dragon fruit, which is what gives it its signature pink colour, she said. Users have complained of a lack of consistency with the colour and taste of the sauce, with some comparing it unfavourably to ranch dressing. There has also been an issue with the bottles exploding in their package before delivery.
Stop yelling at tourists, say police
Police in an old Arizona mining town that gets 1 million tourists annually are warning residents to stop yelling at visitors. Jerome, population about 450, was once home to one of Arizona’s largest copper mines and is now a hub for artists. Local residents have taken to yelling at tourists for perceived parking infractions.
Chicken hitches ride
A Vermont family’s chicken is back home after hitching a ride in the undercarriage of their pickup truck and ending up 20 kilometres away in the state’s largest city—a journey that included speeds of 105 kilometres per hour on an interstate. The family changed the chicken’s name from Bug to Amelia, after the famed pilot.
Mosquito helps cops solve case
Authorities in Fuzhou, China managed to track down a burglar after DNA testing the blood they found from a mosquito at the scene of the crime. The squashed bug had left a bloodstain on the wall, which allowed authorities to trace the criminal, who soon confessed to all charges.
Woman sends meme, reverses job rejection
Carly Swanson, a resident of Virginia, claims she applied to a job then received a rejection email from the company. The company reportedly changed its stance and invited Swanson for a job interview after she sent them the popular “y tho” meme, which features the now Internet famous Pope Leon X (after Raphael) painting by Fernando Botero. Swanson turned to TikTok to share the sudden turn of events on Friday, and the video has gone viral with more than 2.2 million views.
My dog! Loves me, loves me not
A study undertaken in Beijing recorded the way dogs met strangers. As the dogs became more familiar with the person, they began wagging their tails more frequently to the right and less to the left. The study found that right-sided wagging was associated with happy emotions and left-sided wagging was connected with sadness. So, if a dog’s tail wags to the left, they may be feeling scared or nervous, but if it wags to the right, it’s likely they feel settled.
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