Month: October 2019

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The Guy from the ‘Blinking White Guy’ Meme Is Using His Stardom to Fight Multiple Sclerosis

Some people these days are instantly recognizable because they’ve become the subject of memes that blow up worldwide.

Like the “blinking white guy meme.”

You’ve seen this meme a million times, and you’ve seen it used in a million different ways.

You know the one:

Here’s another one.

Well, as with every meme that hits the big time, there’s a real person behind the magic, and this one’s name is Drew Scanlon. And he’s using his meme stardom to fight for a good cause.

Scanlon is asking for donations to help fund multiple sclerosis research. He’s raising money by participating in a national bicycle ride called Bike MS. And since he has a slightly wider than normal reach, he put out this call:

Scanlon wrote on his Bike MS page, “I’m not usually one to toot my own meme horn but in this case I’ll make an exception. You see, two close friends of mine and members of their families suffer from MS, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system that interrupts communication between the brain and the body. If a fraction of those who have seen my goofy face donated to MS research, I have a feeling we could kick this thing in no time!”

He even provided his Twitter followers with some videos from the road during his big bicycle adventure.

Scanlon’s bicycle ride ended on September 22, but he will be accepting donations until November.  As of this writing, he has raised more than $32,000 for his cause. Click HERE to make a donation and help end MS once and for all!

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Ireland Plans on Planting 440 Million Trees to Help Fight Climate Change

Climate change is altering the world. Some of these changes we can anticipate, but others we are learning about in real time. And even though everyone who’s examined the evidence knows that climate change is occurring and that it is bad, some nations are sitting idly by and acting like their hands are tied.

Others are fighting for the future.

That is exactly what the country of Ireland is trying to do. Over the next 22 years, Ireland has committed to planting 22 million trees each year, totaling to 440 million trees by the year 2040.

Many believe that “revegetating” the natural environment can help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The tree-planting initiative is part of the Irish government’s overall plan to combat climate change, which involves getting to carbon neutral by 2050.

The plan calls for farmers to plant trees, and they will be incentivized for doing so. It’s a bit tricky: some argue that farmers should not be required to plant trees on their own land because it will take away property from their economic crops and cattle. Others have suggested that farmers let land revegetate on its own, so forests can develop naturally.

While there would be greater species diversity if a forest naturally revegetated, it would also take longer for trees to mature that way.

It’s estimated that there are about 3 trillion trees on Earth and that roughly 15 billion are cut down every year by humans.

The action plan from the Irish government says:

“Taking decisive action to confront climate disruption will be a major challenge to every dimension of our society, but the benefits are huge – warmer homes, cleaner air, a sustainable use of the world’s scarce resources, more connected communities, authentic values, and quality jobs in enterprises which can compete in a decarbonised world. This is everyone’s journey. From Government to businesses, communities to householders, climate action is collective action. The Climate Action Plan sets out the Government agenda; see what you can do to play your part.”

If Ireland can do it, it seems like the United States could manage the same, don’t you think?

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A Fisherman Caught a Strange, Alien-Like Fish off the Coast of Norway

A young man named Oscar Lundahl was working on a fishing boat recently when he got the catch—and the surprise—of a lifetime. He was reeling in his catch when he noticed something very unusual on the end of his line: an alien-like fish with bulbous eyes that looked like something from a science-fiction movie.

The weird creature is actually called a ratfish. It is a 300-million-year-old relative of the shark that lives in very deep water and is rarely ever caught. Their eyes are so enormous to help them see in the dark, deep depths where they roam.

Lundahl, who is 19 years old and works for Nordic Sea Angling in Sweden, was fishing for halibut off the island of Andoya in northern Norway when he reeled in the ratfish in 2,600-feet deep waters.

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A day at work!

A post shared by Oscar Lundahl (@oscarlundahl) on

The young fisherman described his experience:

“We were looking for blue halibut which is a rare species about five miles (8km) off shore. I had four hooks on one line and felt something quite big on the end of it. It took me about 30 minutes to reel it in because it was 800 metres deep. There were two halibut on two of the hooks and I was really happy about that and then I saw there was something else. It was pretty amazing. I have never seen anything like it before. It just looked weird, a bit dinosaur-like. I didn’t know what it was but my colleague did.”

Lundahl ended up eating the ratfish because the creature did not survive the pressure change when it was reeled in. He said, “It is a bit like cod but tastier.”

I’ll take his word for it.

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A Law Firm Hired a Stray Cat After People Complained About It Wandering Around the Office

There’s only one course of action if a stray cat or dog is wandering around your office. Well, you adopt them, of course! And that’s exactly what a law firm in Brasília, Brazil did with a little fella who goes by the name of Leon.

Leon was just one of the many stray cats wandering the streets of Brasília when he somehow snuck into the Order of Attorneys of Brazil office building. Leon hung around the reception area for a while, but when some people started to complain about the frisky feline, the company found a unique way to keep Leon around: they hired him as a lawyer.

Per the Facebook post they wrote:

“After a heavy rain, this little guy here seeking shelter from the storm went inside the OAB building (the Brazilian equivalent of American Bar Association) and decided to stay. Unfortunately some people started to file some complaints about the fact that at the reception desk there was a stray cat hanging around and trying to make friends with the newcomers. In order to avoid some new complaints the board gave the solution: Hire the cat as an employee.”

Dr. Leon now has his own ID card, his own Instagram page, and he’s grown quite a bit since he first wandered into the office. Leon’s become such a hit that the Order of Attorneys of Brazil decided to launch their own animal rights institute called Instituto Dr. Leon.

I love this story!

And I think Dr. Leon needs his own reality TV show ASAP.

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15 People Share the Things They Believe Have Not Aged Well

Some pieces of technology and pop culture are as (or even more) applicable today as they were the day the made their way into the world.

Others, well…not so much.

For me, one of the most glaring examples of a television show from my youth that is pretty cringe inducing now is Friends. I can hardly watch it (though the younger generation doesn’t seem to have a problem with it).

Below are 15 more things that people on Reddit say should stay forgotten in the past – where they seem to be stuck.

15. This is actually kind of meta, in hindsight, so still funny?

Comment from discussion thecryptidmusic’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

14. This is pretty eerie and not at all cool.

Comment from discussion Sans-CuThot’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

13. So awkward.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

12. Just everything about her, really.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

11. People on my timeline still do this.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

10. Yeah, that’s definitely problematic.

Comment from discussion bitingmyownteeth’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

9. This is just awful. But honestly? Not a fan of the entire film. #sorrynotsorry

Comment from discussion [account deleted]’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

8. This one just made me laugh. Sorry, 3rd grade teacher!

Comment from discussion Nulovka’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

7. That’s tough luck, my friend.

Comment from discussion tzip34’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

6. As long as kids are telling their parents to take them to the movie, it doesn’t have to be good.

Comment from discussion TheBadHalfOfAFandom’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

5. Talk about cringe-inducing.

Comment from discussion Lord_mush’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

4. It’s creepy AND icky.

Comment from discussion MrEmoRemo’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

3. I mean anything Cosby is pretty much cancelled.

Comment from discussion imersial’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

2. No backsies on baby names.

Comment from discussion Phtm’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

1. This guy. Ugh.

Comment from discussion IcePickMan’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

Some of these sure are a blast from the past!

Do you agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Sound off in the comments!

The post 15 People Share the Things They Believe Have Not Aged Well appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Map Shows the Cost of a Date Night in Every State

Maybe you can put a price on love…

Have you been on any dates lately? The money can really add up.

Recently, I took a girl out for a nice meal (Sonic Drive-In) and then to a free Bingo Extravaganza at the local Knights of Columbus Hall. I wonder why I haven’t heard back from her yet…

Anyway, the point is that dating in this day and age is EXPENSIVE. Obviously, taking a date out for a night on the town varies from state to state because of the cost of living, but across the board, it’s pretty pricey.

Match.com crunched the numbers, and in some places, a date is gonna hit you in the wallet harder than others.

A lot harder.

The top five most expensive states for a date night are:

New York, $297.27

New Jersey, $259.60

Hawaii, $239.95

Connecticut, $230.34

California, $226.35

It’s probably no surprise that the tri-state area around New York has three of the top-five most expensive entries. Although…$200??

The two least expensive states for date night? South Dakota and North Dakota, at $38.27 and $42.43, respectively. Those cold and snowy Dakotas aren’t looking that bad right now, are they?

Of course, the amount of money people spend on dates is going to vary wildly. Some folks prefer to be big spenders and wine and dine a guy or gal and drop hundreds of dollars. Others prefer to take a walk along the beach or go on a long bicycle ride together.

And, let’s face it: if you’re with the right person, getting stuck in an elevator can turn out to be a good time. Good luck out there in the dating world!

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A Scientist Proposed Eating Human Flesh to Combat Climate Change — and It’s Not a Joke

Let’s get the good news first: scientists are coming up with creative ways to battle the effects of climate change. The bad news is that one of them involves cannibalism.

The NY Post reports that a Swedish scientist suggested eating human flesh to combat climate change at a recent summit in Stockholm.

Magnus Soderlund of the Stockholm School of Economics believes that people should consider eating meat derived from already-dead human bodies. Indeed, he presented an entire panel on the topic called “Can You Imagine Eating Human Flesh?”

In the talk, Magnus asserted that “conservative” taboos against cannibalism could change if people simply tried it. He also questioned whether humans are too selfish to “live sustainably” and claimed that cannibalism is the solution to sustainability.

As for himself, Magnus said he’d consider eating human flesh.

“I feel somewhat hesitant but to not appear overly conservative … I’d have to say … I’d be open to at least tasting it,” he told Sweden’s TV4.

Cannibalism is a risky proposal, however. It’s not like history isn’t FULL of examples of people resorting to eating each other, and scientists know that the practice is a health hazard. It can, and has, led to the spread of scary infectious diseases.

In other words, there’s a very good reason why cannibalism is taboo in most societies.

And there’s a very good reason why this scientist’s proposal is now being clowned on Twitter. Thankfully, he did have some more reasonable solutions in mind, such as eating insects.

Yum.

The post A Scientist Proposed Eating Human Flesh to Combat Climate Change — and It’s Not a Joke appeared first on UberFacts.

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These Pictures of Endangered Animals Have as Many Pixels as There Are Remaining Members of the Species

We’re seeing a mass extinction of animals and plants from the face of the earth at a frightening pace. It’s strange to think that our children or grandchildren will live in a world where giraffes or white rhinos could cease to exist in the wild – could, perhaps, vanish altogether.

Every Pixels is one animal. The more pixelated the image, the closer it is to extinction.

The World Wildlife Fund wanted to shine a spotlight on the often-forgotten but still looming tragedy, so they worked with creative designers Nami Hoshino, Yoshiyuki Mikami, and Kazuhiro Mochizuki at Hakuhodo C&D in Tokyo to create the concept of population pixelation.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Recently, Imgur user JJSmooth44 made a followup to the project then posted it on Imgur and Reddit, and people seem just as taken.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

The results, as you can see, are stark and sad.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Sadder still? These population declines are all driven by humans.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Will we do something to turn the tide in time?

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

That remains to be seen.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

But as long as there are a few pixels left, there’s still hope.

The post These Pictures of Endangered Animals Have as Many Pixels as There Are Remaining Members of the Species appeared first on UberFacts.

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Your Daily Cup of Tea Might Contain Billions of Microplastics

Let’s start off by saying this: there is no science, as of today, that proves (or disproves) that microplastics are harmful to human beings.

As of today is a pretty big qualifier here, though, and most people believe that inhaling, touching, and/or ingesting tiny plastics all day every day can’t be the best thing in the world.

So your tea? It might be trouble, my friends.

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PLASTIC FREE TEA ANYONE? ?‍♀️?‍♂️? . For any tea lovers, we always recommend to have your tea loose and brewed with stainless steel (or other food-grade metals), glass, or ceramic strainer. . Why? Because most of the tea bags sold in the stores are made of plastics and they are releasing billions of micro & nano plastics when came in contact with hot water. Afterall, all we want is a nice cup of tea, not a cup of microplastic brew, don't we? . Both loose tea (with many variants!) and stainless steel tea strainer are available in our stores. You can pop by to see our selections or simply visit our web to have yours delivered right to your doors with our #refillservice! Ps. Keep an eye out on tomorrow #igstories as I will be heading to one of our organic tea garden supplier ? . ? @easyecotips . #zerowastebali #zerowastefacts #plasticfacts #plasticteabags #breakfreefromplastic #balibulkfood #loosetea #naturaltea #plasticfree #teaaddict #tealover

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Recently, many tea manufacturers have begun replacing paper teabags with plastic (silken) ones that are both terrible for the environment and, it turns out, capable of releasing loads of microplastics.

Microplastic particles are around 100 nanometers to 5 millimeters in size, and when they get into your teach, you eat them.

The report was published in Environmental Science & Technology by researchers from McGill University in Montreal, and their findings came from examining 4 different types plastic teabags. They heated the bags in water around 200 degrees F (after emptying the bags of tea) and then used electron microscopes to analyze the contents of the water.

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Tea drinkers beware!! Coincidently after drinking this tea last night (a single bag in my tea collection), and article came out today about how some tea bags are made with plastic, and that at a brewing temperature of 95 degrees releases 11.6 billion microplastics into a single cup. ?While the #worldhealthorganization says there is no evidence of microplastic having health risks for humans?a research team from McGill University in Montreal ??believes more research has to be done. (We agree!!!) Just because there is no ‘evidence’ – we’ve seen the effects on marine life…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine this certainly can’t be a good thing!! I’m going to stay away from plastic tea bags (#Teavana, #Tazo) and check for compostable tea bags – thankfully my normal brands(#traditionalmedicinals, #numitea, #yogitea, #stashtea and others, check packaging!!) or use loose leaf in a metal infuser…?just in case?Full article : https://www.newscientist.com/article/2217483-plastic-tea-bags-shed-billions-of-microplastic-particles-into-the-cup/ #beachrelief #tea #plasticteabags #compostableteabags #teatime #cupofplastic #cupoftea

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An average of 11.6 billon microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics were in the water.

The bags are made of a blend of nylon and polyethylene, a form of plastic that’s also found in water bottles.

Like I said up front, the potential effects on human health aren’t known, and the WHO has said that microplastics in drinking water probably won’t harm our bodies…at least not “based on the limited information we have.”

“To date, the health effects of consuming micro- and nanoplastics to humans are still unknown, while the sublethal effects observed in the present study and in other animals (e.g. algae, zooplankton, fish, mice) give an early warning of both environmental risk and possible human health risk,” say the researchers.

That said, scientists around the world have concerns.

“One of the main potential human exposure pathways of micro- and nanoplastics is likely via ingestion, and particle uptake may occur in the digestive tract. Once inside the digestive tract, cellular uptake and subcellular translocation or localization of the ingested particles may occur.”

If you want to try avoiding microplastics just in case, well, good luck. They’re everywhere, from rainwater to snow, in your food, your water, the soil, and so on.

A 2019 study found that the average American consumes over 74,000 of the particles every year.

Which I guess wasn’t accounting for any cups of tea consumed.

I guess we’ll find out eventually whether they’re harmful or not. Hopefully not in the worst way possible.

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People Are Surprised About Where Cashews Really Come from

Prepare to be deeply confused and a little scared about where cashews come from. The truth is so weird that people on Twitter can’t stop talking about it.

First of all, these delicious nuts grow on trees. That in itself is not so surprising, as many types of nuts grow on trees—but it’s not the weirdest part by far.

Nope, that would be the fact that they grow from these things.

Excuse me, is that a nut or a monster?! I don’t know anymore.

That apple-looking thing is apparently called a “cashew apple,” which grows from the branches of the cashew tree. The shell below the apple contains the actual cashew.

To get to the nut, you have to pick the entire thing, cashew apple included, from the branch. Then you pull off the shelled nut, dry it, steam it, freeze it, and boil it to remove the shell. The shell is filled with caustic acid, so this is no joke—in fact, the extracting the nut is so grueling and dangerous that picking cashews is sometimes used as penal work in south- and southeast Asia where they grow.

Cashews are delicious and healthy, but are they really worth all this effort? Whose idea was this, anyway?

People on Twitter are understandably freaking out about the news.

“Who knew cashews look like angry, old men yelling at you to get off their lawn as they grow?” one user wrote.

Others pointed out that the middle cashew in this photo looks like it has a face.

FYI, you can eat cashew apples, too. The flesh is quite bitter, though, so it’s best to process it for jam or juice.

Now, excuse me while I go have nightmares about cashews for the rest of my life.

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