The Russian novel We (1920-21)…

The Russian novel We (1920-21) by Yevgeny Zamyatin is considered one of the grandfathers of the dystopian genre and influenced George Orwell’s 1984. “Zamyatin’s influence on Orwell is beyond dispute…1984 shares so many features with We that there can be no doubt about its general debt to it.”

Carl Sagan’s team wanted to include…

Carl Sagan’s team wanted to include the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” on the Voyager Golden Records (discs containing greetings in 60 languages, music and sounds from Earth aboard both Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977), but the record company EMI, which held the copyrights, declined.

People Share Why Atheism Is Right for Them

Some people don’t believe in God. Or any god, for that matter.

If you want to understand why they feel this is the right thing for them, in their bones, then opening your ears is a must – and these 14 people are ready to explain why they have no regrets about their lack of faith.

14. It’s not about hatred.

This is usually my simple answer too.

My biggest annoyance is that religious people often equate atheism with hating religion. I don’t really care if people are religious and want to believe something. If someone finds that fulfilling, they can do whatever they want. I find some of the moral tenets in some religions inspiring and I also sometimes envy people who truly believe in an afterlife.

That said, I can’t stand people who hate simply because of differing views. It could be because of religion, race, nationality, sexual preference, etc. To me, religion is just another thing that can be used to divide us. To me, it seems to bring more hate and sorrow to the world than hope and inspiration. I have many friends and family who are religious and are not this way, so I know that the hate comes mostly from overzealous people and does not represent the majority, but still these religions do cause hate and discord.

If it was ever proven that there is a god or creator, I would be all on board with worshipping them or at least acknowledging their existence. Until then, religion isn’t really something I think about at all in my daily life until questions like these are asked.

13. Evidence and proof are in short supply.

Zero proof and the fact that religious people rely on the word “faith” as their only defense when they try to push their shit.

12. There aren’t enough answers to all of the ‘whys.’

At first I believed in God, mainly because my parents said that. But then I began to wonder why this is so, and not so? Why is this greatest being not coming down to us, it should help us, but it does not. Many believers impose their faith, and say that God will take revenge on atheists (I am from Russia, this is why this attitude is not uncommon). This greatest being has nothing to do but punish the atheists? I began to try to delve into science, learned about the theory of evolution, and how, for me, even if the transformation of a monkey into a person seems implausible, the transformation of a piece of clay into a complex human organ system sounds even less realistic.

11. There’s no substitute for science.

Because I have no reason to. Just like I don’t believe in elves, goblins, ghosts, demons, bigfoot, chupacabra, the loch ness monster, santa claus, the tooth fairy, wishing on shooting stars, or any other superstition/fairy tail nonsense.

I don’t make a habit of “believing” in anything. I am presented evidence of something and from then on accept its existence; I don’t do anything on faith alone.

10. I’ve honestly never considered that before now…

Because a god that hides it’s identity makes zero sense. If it wanted our obedience, it could expose itself in a big way and get it.

9. Because women are just as important as men.

It was also used as a tool of control on me for a long time, as well as other women. It enabled the men at church to be lazy and entitled while guilt tripping women for never being able to do enough. Women who had enough of the “serving” bullshit (planning everything, taking care of everything, all domestic chores whether or not they worked full time, free childcare, expected to stop everything at the whim of others) and left church were branded as nasty feminists and everybody prayed for them. Fuck church forever

8. It’s not a natural law.

If you delete all mathematical equations discovered in the past 100 years, all of it will be re-discovered eventually, you can’t delete natural facts and order forever.

if you do the same with all religions, none of it will be ever seen again, ever. Religion and god are made up things passed down further by parents and society.

1+1 will always be 2 regardless if you live in the US or China. But Allah will be not the same god as Zeus regardless where you at.

EDIT: thanks for the awards and fruitful discussion guys!

7. Comfortable with your mortality.

There’s no evidence (and lack of evidence is not the same as evidence)
but mainly,
I’m perfectly comfortable with my mortality, and the universe just being there. I don’t need to create or believe in something greater than it to get on with my daily life. It’s a vast and crazy and unbelievable and beautiful and random and infinite thing. Why does it have to be created by something? Can’t we just admire it for what it is?

6. When you actually do the reading…

Actually read the bible. Was always skeptical as a child but actually reading the book, was the nail in the coffin for me.

5. It doesn’t look much like love.

If god loves all then why make millions of people depressed, tortured, murdered, hated, starving and ill? Why create famine or mass genocide and not happiness for all those you “love”?

4. Concise and interesting.

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”

Stephen Roberts
Edit; Thanks for the silver, kind stranger!

3. No good deity, anyway.

It’s a book written a couple thousand years ago, translated and retranslated a couple hundred times and rewritten to fit other people’s agendas.No one can verify anything that happened and plus no diety would let their name be perverted and used to kill people in their name even if they said they gave us free will.

2. Why is he worthy of worship?

Because God is a fucking tyrant, well the concept of God. He supposedly watches from the heavens as millions of people die from hunger, disease, murder, war, sexual abuse and so on. Religion makes you fear him so you don’t go to hell, where you burn for eternity if you don’t follow his commandments and obey the rules of his con stricting rule. People die tragically everyday, and people have the nerve to say God took them because he felt it was time. So I guess die a fucked up way because God wanted you to? Plus there’s no evidence and people have been waiting for his sons return for 2000 years and nothing. He watched the natives get slaughtered of the Americas because they needed to be converted, watched the Jews die in concentration camps and did nothing about it. He let racism and slavery exist which is super fucked up. I thought we were all suppose to be his children and exist in harmony. Why would a God who is supposedly so loving do that? He let’s the two major religions of the world, in Christianity and Islam fight a religious war that is pointless, which innocent people suffer from their evil doing. Is God just an evil being that we are supposed to fear and obey? It sure seems like it. Everyone who is religious is so bent on making it to heaven, and they forget to enjoy the short existence we have on this little rock, which circles our little star of a sea of billions that revolve around the center of our galaxy, which freefalls into the blackness and nothingness of space. We are insignificant compared to the universe, but yet, here we are pointing weapons at each other that could end our entire existence. Fuck we suck as humans.

1. We’ve done it for millennia.

In my opinion, God is just the name that we’ve collectively used to explain things that we cannot explain with science yet. There’s some things that can never be explained with science (like why does time exist, how did the first atom exist etc.) that’s simpler to think about by assuming there’s an entity behind all the unexplainable things.

I love hearing people talk about what’s formed them, what they think, and how it’s similar or different from my own upbringing and set of rules.

Do you believe in god? Are you an atheist? We’d love to hear your own reasons for your choices in the comments!

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Some People Believe Corona Beer Has Something to Do with the Coronavirus

Yes, that’s right, the Mexican-style beer Corona. With a lime or without, I couldn’t say, but I can promise you here and now that alcohol makes viruses and other icky junk disappear, not the other way around.

In general, I mean, not as a treatment protocol – don’t drink beer if you feel sick.

The coronavirus in the news is a new respiratory-type illness that started in Wuhan, China. It’s now infected around 40,000 people, mostly in China, and the death toll is nearly at 1000 (also mostly in China).

People are scared, because this is a new illness without a treatment protocol, but the truth is that 80,000 people died from the regular flu in the United States in 2017. So that’s just something to keep this all in perspective.

Right now, scientists aren’t sure how the coronavirus outbreak began, but they’re reasonably sure that the virus jumped from an animal species into humans, probably at one of the open-air bushmeat markets so popular in China.

We can say for sure, though, that it’s not caused by drinking Corona beer.

A lot of people seemed determined to prove the movie Idiocracy (and Aldous Huxley) right by believing that they’re safe if they don’t drink Corona beer, though.

Search engines are getting tons of requests for “beer virus,” “corona beer virus,” and the like – so many people were searching, in fact, that Corona issued an official statement denying any involvement.

Really.

The internet is largely having fun at these people’s expense, and I’m not really mad about it – I just don’t know how we got to this place as a species, or how to go back.

Because this way lies madness and monsters, and for sure the end of the world.

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Women Share the Weirdest and Craziest Texts That Men Have Ever Sent Them

Guys…you all need to chill out a little bit.

You’re being way too overbearing, and you’re coming off like total psychopaths.

Well, maybe not all men, but these guys for sure…

Study these text exchanges carefully and whatever you do, don’t make these same mistakes.

1. Let us begin.

2. Take that back!

3. Okay, this is weird.

4. Seems fair.

5. “Accidentally”, huh?

6. Still managed to message you.

7. Merry Christmas!

8. BRB in a few months.

9. What a guy.

10. If you change your mind…

11. I put a spell on you.

12. Creeper to the extreme.


Wow…guys…let’s take it down a notch, okay?

Ladies, has this happened to you at all in your personal life?

If so, let us know how it all went down in the comments!

The post Women Share the Weirdest and Craziest Texts That Men Have Ever Sent Them appeared first on UberFacts.

Great Ways You Can Reuse Those Little Silica Gel Packets

This is pretty cool.

You know all those little packets of moisture absorbing silica gel that falls out of new boxes of shoes, electronics, big bags of rice…really all kinds of stuff? These little packets that tell you 1) not to eat them and 2) to throw them away?

Well, definitely don’t eat them, but don’t throw them away either – they can be repurposed and used for all kinds of things. Those packets are practically gold!

Here are some ways you can save these tiny dehumidifiers from the landfill and improve your own quality of life.

1. Keep your gym bag free from odor.

Throw a few packs in your gym bag with your stinky clothes and gear. They will absorb odor so you won’t recoil in disgust when you open it later.

Photo Credit: Flickr

2. Keep your razors from rusting.

No matter how thoroughly you think you dry your razors, you’re bound to miss some moisture. Store them with a silica gel packet to absorb water droplets.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

3. Keep rust off your tools.

Live in Arizona? No? Your garage is practically a rainforest then, and if that’s where you keep your tools, you’ll need some packs to stop them from rusting.

Photo Credit: Flickr

4. Keep your pantry fresher.

Tuck some packs into your pantry or cupboard where you keep your spices, flour and potatoes.

Photo Credit: Flickr

5. Keep your expensive headphones from getting smelly.

Prevent your audio investment – before storing, go ahead and tuck packs into each “ear” of your over-the-ear headphones. It helps after they’ve spent a few hours near the warm, moist heat of your body.

Photo Credit: Flickr

6. In wet weather, use to protect chargers and cords.

If your staring down the barrel of a big storm and you need to keep electronic accessories dry, zip them away in a waterproof bag with a few packets for extra insurance.

Photo Credit: Pxhere

7. Protect photos

Remember printed photos? Remember your old box of printed photos? Whoopsie. Find that box and throw in some packets to keep them free from moisture damage.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

8. Get the musty smell out of your old books.

Old book smell is delicious. Musty, moldy smells? Not so much. If one of your books gets too much of a good thing, zip it in a bag with a few packets and wait a month. The offending smell should be gone.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

9. Use for storing seeds.

Gather seeds from your annuals and store them in a jar with a packet. Come spring, you’ll be ready to garden.

Photo Credit: Pixnio

10. Protect your silver jewelry from tarnish.

After wearing, clean your silver pieces and store it in your jewelry box with a couple of packets to keep them shiny and ready for next time.

Photo Credit: Pxfuel

See? Those little packets of silica gel are miracle workers. And if they don’t seem to be working, stick them in the oven on a cookie sheet on low heat for an hour or two or put them outside on a sunny afternoon. The moisture will get baked out, and they’ll be good as new and ready to reuse again!

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The National Bonsai Museum in Washington D.C. Looks Pretty Awesome

In Washington D.C., an extraordinary museum has some mighty special trees. These trees aren’t giant oaks or flowered with cherry blossoms, though. The National Bonsai Museum, rather, is home to 150 species of trees pruned and cared for in the manner of bonsai – a traditional Japanese cultivation technique that produces trees in miniature.

National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
The museum opened in 1976 to exhibit a gift from Japan of 53 bonsai trees commemorating the U.S. bicentennial and presented to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Their botanical gift joins the 3,000 cherry trees, given by Japan in 1912, that famously still grow today around D.C.’s National Mall.

National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
The exceptional display of bonsai trees can be found in the Department of Agriculture’s National Arboretum. Over the years, the collection has grown to include various species, including beeches, maples and pines, among others.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

As the Japanese style of bonsai varies, there are several design types to see at the museum. Look for Chokkan style, characterized by a straight tapered trunk with thick branches coming from the middle of the trunk and finer sproutings at the top for a formal tree shape.

You can also see the dramatic kengai trees, which appear to “cascade” down mountains. Others on display are “root-over-rock,” where the tree’s roots reach around a stone base before disappearing into earth, and “forest” style, that have several trees, usually an odd number, arranged in a single container.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

The absolute can’t-miss specimen of the entire exhibit is a Japanese white pine. The tree was started in 1625 and tended by five generations of the Yamaki family until it was donated to the U.S. It’s also called the Hiroshima Survivor because it emerged unharmed from the atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima in 1945.

Bonsai gives both the viewer and the cultivator the opportunity for quiet contemplation. In a busy city that represents a country as dynamic as the U.S., this museum is an excellent place to root your soul.

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People Share Things That Sounded Like Good Ideas at the Time…but They Weren’t

Hmmmmm…

“Hey, that sounds like a great idea!” How many times have you said that in your life and then it turned out to be anything BUT a great idea?

Well, there’s a lot of that going around and these tweets prove it.

Let’s take a look.

1. Just stay in.

2. Fill ‘er up.

3. Oh no!

4. Never a good idea.

5. The problems with binge watching.

6. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, FLOOR.

7. Snoozin’ the day away.

8. Time to suck it up.

9. A real loner.

10. Feel the burn.

11. Didn’t work out, apparently.

12. Always bring a bottle.

13. Famous last words.

14. Living the single life.

15. When generosity backfires.


Remember to think over those “great ideas” before you act on them, okay?

Have you had any experiences like this lately?

Tell us about them in the comments! Let’s see what you got!

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Epic Tweets People Shared About Having Really Bad Teachers

Some teachers are kind of apathetic and just go along for the ride, and then there are legitimately bad teachers who probably shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a classroom.

The teachers people talked about in these tweets definitely belong in the latter category.

Let’s relive our school days with some tales of bad teachers!

1. You’re doing it all wrong.

2. That sure backfired.

3. No talking…ever.

4. That’s really bad.

5. Sounds like a gem.

6. Harsh as hell.

7. The last laugh.

8. We get graded on that?

9. You’re going to HELL.

10. That’s pretty creepy.

11. Still didn’t get fired.

12. That’s a strange threat.

13. Teacher of the Year?


Yikes…I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with any of these teachers during my school days.

Do you remember your worst teacher? Or maybe it was multiple teachers?

Tell us all about them in the comments below. Go ahead and put them on blast!

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A Tricky New Scam Poses as a Text Message with Your Package’s Tracking Information

Be alert!

It seems like thieves and n’er-do-wells are always out there looking for the next best way to swindle you out of your hard earned cash…and that’s because they kind of are.

With all of the technology we use, their attempts are getting more diverse, more widespread, and harder to spot – even for the savvy among us. And given that many of us have more than one package en route to us on any given day (thanks, Amazon), this scam text acting like it’s a tracking update is pretty stinking clever.

The scam is described by online technology magazine ‘How-To-Geek’ as a SMS text being sent out that seem to be confirming shipping or delivery on a package, and asking you to click for more information.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The fine print admits that by agreeing to pay the fee, you’re signing up for a 14-day trial, followed by a $98.95 monthly fee for a supply of scam products.

Image Credit: Pixabay

I assume that you’re not notified of the monthly charge in any way, so it could be a while before some people notice the recurring debit on their statement.

So be vigilant. Read everything with a squinted eye, as though there are people out there whose entire job it is to trick you into handing over your information.

Because there definitely are.

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