Category: history

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These 5+ Facts Will Really Make You Think

Hope you’ve got your thinking cap ready, because these 7 facts are going to put that mind of yours to work.

But they’re all extremely solid, so 7 is the perfect number for you. Enjoy.

1. Avert your eyes

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2. A true hero

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3. They blew it

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4. A different take on a classic

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5. Interesting…

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6. Vader plant

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7. This is wonderful

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7 Fascinating Facts About All Kinds of Interesting Things

You look like you could use some more information in that awesome brain of yours!

Get ready to get smart!

1. You must laugh

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2. Are you one of them?

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3. Injured

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4. It never ends

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5. He liked the sauce

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6. Well, that’s just great

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7. Chase the cheese!

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15 of the Biggest Culture Shocks Travelers Have Ever Experienced

Traveling is an exciting opportunity that everyone should get the chance to experience. It puts you outside of your comfort zone and pushes you to try new things.

It’s one thing to go to England or Germany, but quite another to go to places like India or China.

Here, 15 travelers share their stories of when they experienced major culture shock.

1. Time to eat!

“Visiting family in the Czech Republic around Christmastime. Went to use washroom and was utterly astounded to see a giant carp swimming around in their bathtub. Learned it is customary to eat fried carp on Christmas Eve.”

2. It’s all about the quality

“How much quality food there is at Japanese 7-11. Yes you heard me, QUALITY. Obviously here in the US you don’t trust gas station sushi or really any food that comes from them. Honestly a vagabond or tourist can easily survive eating only 7-11 food in Japan, since really it’s cheap and not as processed.”

3. Gross

“When I visited South America it was my first time experiencing that you throw your toilet paper in a trash bin next to the toilet specifically for that rather than flush it and mess up their sewage infrastructure

It’s so weird but not weird at the same time since its just how things work there.”

4. Boston!

“I went into an an ice cream shop in Boston that was staffed by an older lady, we’ll call er her OL, the exchange went like this:

OL: Hi how aw ya?

Me: I’m great, and you?

OL:<no answer>

Me: Do you have blueberry cheesecake ice cream?

OL: Do you see it on the board? If it’s not on the board then we don’t f*cking have it”

5. Different culture

“I grew up in a working class city where passive-aggression wasn’t a thing. If people didn’t like you they made it obvious. Shouting matches and fist-fights were pretty common. Then I get a job at a snooty ivy league university and nobody expresses what they actually think or feel, snide remarks replaced insults, people quietly conspire against you while pretending to be your friend, and you can’t call people out on their bullshit without getting socially shunned because everybody is neck deep swimming in it.”

6. Trash

“I live in a very clean city, so I was shocked When I visited South America and saw how dirty it was and how much people litter.

People there literally do not give a sh*t and will just throw their trash right on the ground… Even if there’s a trash can 10 ft away.

I was on a bus in Colombia and this lady was throwing trash out the window the whole 12 hr bus ride even though there was a garbage bag across the aisle from her.

In Brazil I was on a boat ride on the Amazon and our engine got clogged up. They stop the boat pull the engine up and there’s a black trash bag wrapped around the motor. The driver proceeds to take the bag off and throw it right back in the river before starting the boat and taking off.

I also remember seeing people just chucking huge bags of trash right into the Amazon River…No sh*ts given.

It’s really sad because it’s beautiful in South America. A lot places there just don’t have the money/infastruture to properly take care of their waste.”

7. Rules of the road

“Traffic in Vietnam. Crossing the street by walking slowly, letting the overloaded scooters drive around me, I got used to relatively quick. But the overnight bus from Hanoi to Danang crisscrossing the highway, having near misses with incoming trailers and honking every third second, that was bad.”

8. Welcome to Japan

“First time in Japan, first interaction with anyone outside of the airport:

Get there early in the morning, LOOOONG flight and have a meeting in an hour. Need coffee asap. Go to 7-11 (awesome! they have that here!) before checking into hotel. Guy at the counter greets me. I’m looking around for the coffee. Guy runs around counter, eager to help me in any way. “Cofffee” I say. He takes me to the coffee, points to the different types, gets a cup for me, shows me how to use the machine, practically holding my hand through the process. Get me all set up with a fresh coffee, runs back around counter. shows me the little tray to put my money in, helps me count my money. Runs back around counter, leads me to door, opens it for me and bows with traditional goodbye and arigatou gozaimasu.

WOW, welcome to Japan.”

9. Work experience

“Working in the public sector. I previously worked in hospitality as a restaurant manager. The change to go working into a 9-5 office job was extraordinarily tough. People were so awkward and shy, I used to greet every staff member with a handshake previously but now everyone in my office can’t make eye contact. Public Sector for me is the most ‘be careful what you say’ environment regarding absolutely anything even your plans for the weekend…”

10. Sexism

“As the only American at a company in rural Japan: the sexism.

Everyone wears uniforms, women have to wear skirts.

In the company phone directory there is a special symbol to indicate if someone is a woman.

Women leave the office at 5 or 530. Men all work later.

Women are very unlikely to be promoted. There is only one female manager in the entire company.

When a women gets married 90% of the time they quit the company.

If a married woman’s husband’s parents die the company sends a card and money. If her own parents die they send nothing.

Women must serve tea and clean the office spaces.

Constantly being called “kawaii”, cute, beautiful, and “~chan” by male co-workers.

Etc.”

11. All grown up

“Holidaying in Tokyo and watching 5 year old kids walk themselves home from school and catching public transport…all by themselves.”

12. People everywhere

“I spent 12 weeks backpacking in India. The most intense culture shock was when I returned to the US. There were no people outside! The streets felt deserted. In India every city street is just packed with people. I had a second wave of culture shock was when I went to the grocery store for bread and the aisle was 25 feet long and had dozens of varieties. Lots of stuff I used to take for granted suddenly felt like such a blessing.”

13. Can’t read

“When I went to Egypt, with everything written in Arabic script, I realized what it would be like to be completely illiterate.”

14. Freezing

“The lack of central heat in Japan was a rude wakeup call for me in my first Kansai winter.”

15. What do I say?

“Recently moved to the US (9 months ago), and I am still not used to everyone asking me how I am doing. I am from Norway, and if the cashier ask how you are, you get embarrassed and don’t know how to answer.”

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These 5+ Random Facts Will Get You Through Your Next Dinner Party

Random and amazing facts are a great way to impress your family and friends at dinner parties. So, if you’ve got one coming up, or just want to have some neat facts in your back pocket, then this list is for you.

Here are 6 facts to bust out right after the appetizers come out. Trust me, the night will be YOURS.

1. Grand illusion

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2. First photo

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3. It’s good for the soul

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4. You need this!

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5. That’s a lot of years

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6.

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The Number of Young Adults Living with Their Parents Has Hit a 130-Year High

For the first time in modern history, up to 30% of young adults ages 18-35 are still living at home with their parents.

Of course, it goes without saying that plenty of parents love their children. But after they survive the preteen and high school years, parents are often ready to enjoy some peace and quiet around the house – back to the way things were before they had kids. Not only that, but they want to see their kids blossom into wonderful adults. That’s what they train them for, after all — why they put in the late nights, and read the books, and grit their teeth when their 16-year-old daughter’s mood changes for the fifteenth time in an hour. But it’s all worth it in the end, parents hope, because their kids eventually become confident adults.

Image Credit: Pixabay

I imagine it’s harder to see your children as grown, autonomous adults when they’re still living under your roof. Not to mention the potential arguments and awkwardness that can ensue when adults co-habitate — bills, groceries, cleanliness, romance…everything might end up feeling out of whack.

All of this is obvious, of course, which can only mean that young adults probably wouldn’t choose to stay at home with their parents unless their other options were limited. And we’re talking 24 million people here — so what’s up?

There seem to be several factors involved. Firstly, fewer people are getting married in their twenties, and more and more people are choosing to remain single altogether.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Richard Fry of the Pew Center for Research elaborates, saying:

“Dating back to 1880, the most common living arrangement among young adults has been living with a romantic partner, whether a spouse or a significant other. This type of arrangement peaked around 1960, when 62% of the nation’s 18-34-year-olds were living with a spouse or partner in their own household, and only one-in-five were living with their parents.”

Back then, there was also a lot of shame (mostly for women) attached to remaining single after a certain age. Today, most Americans feel that education and professional achievement outweigh the need to marry or have kids. That said, they could still move out on their own…

Image Credit: Pixabay

Except, unfortunately, young men aren’t earning the same amount of money as they were decades ago. Wages have both been on a downward trend since the 1970s, so financial stress factors into kids deciding when and if they can strike out on their own.

With kids earning less, feeling less enthusiastic about their options after spending hundreds of thousands on a college education, and less inclined to put romance over financial stability, the trend doesn’t seem likely to reverse itself anytime soon.

What does that mean for society? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Can You Believe People Followed These 5+ Crazy Fashion Trends Back in the Day?

Decades ago, people did all sorts of crazy things that we now know to stay away from. I’m talkin’ things like carrying radium around in their pockets! Or going to the dentist and not expecting anesthesia. Heck, they used lead and asbestos when they built their houses!

Fashion seems like it would be a safe spot compared to radium and asbestos, but many antique fashion trends were just as dangerous – if not more so.

Considering how conscious we are of what we put on and in our bodies today, it’s wild to hear about the poisons with which people used to get pretty intimate. Check out some of the harrowing examples below.

#8. Crinoline

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Sure, wearing a giant dress that contained a hoop might seem romantic now, but it was less so to women who didn’t realize how large their gown actually was before they stepped too close to a fireplace…

#7. Toxic dye on fabrics

This beautiful dress, dyed “Paris Green” contains arsenic and copper sulfate — the same combination that was later used to kill mosquitoes and wallpaper people’s houses. Yikes.

#6. Ornate hairstyles

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

You’ve seen the pictures of pre-Revolutionary France — the ones where Marie Antoinette looks like a superhero just because she can hold her dress and her hair up at the same time? Well, the hairstyles were not only heavy and awkward, they could attract bugs and rodents looking to nest.

Women would wear the same style for days, and sleep wearing large metal cages to keep themselves infestation free.

Seriously.

#5. Killer makeup

Image Credit: East News

Think your makeup is bad because it comes from animal byproducts? Well, at least you don’t live in a time when women were expected to have porcelain white skin — even if it meant using lead powder that caused everything from major skin issues to hair loss to intoxication that could lead to death.

Oh, and just for fun, some types of blush contained arsenic.

#4. Corsets weren’t just for wedding dresses

Image Credit: Twitter

The first corsets weren’t made from pretty ribbons. They were metal, then wood, and finally a slightly more comfortable whalebone. They often seriously deformed women’s skeletons, displacing their internal organs. Some women began wearing them in childhood and never stopped, not even during pregnancy.

#3. Foot binding

In China, foot binding was a popular tradition among the wealthy until it was banned in 1911. It resulted in feet shaped like a lotus and women who were so crippled they couldn’t walk without assistance.

There are pictures of this out there, if you want to go looking.

#2. The highest heels

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

High heels are another form of torture that some women still refuse to give up — though the tallest stilettos of today have nothing on the chopines from Italy. They were invented so women wouldn’t have to walk in the muddy streets, but soon spiraled out of control, forcing them to need a servant’s hand if they wanted to walk anywhere.

Easy to fall and split your head? Yes.

#2. The pregnancy girdle.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As someone who is closing in on her eighth month of pregnancy, this one seems totally insane — a tight, restricting girdle worn during pregnancy. These “maternity belts”, designed to hide the pregnancy as much as possible, were heavily boned and zippered, tight to the point of being uncomfortable at best.

I’ll keep my yoga pants and leggings, thank you very much.

#1. Eyes shining…with poison

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The toxic properties of belladonna were well known, but noble European women still dropped a distillation of it into their eyes to cause their pupils to dilate and their eyes to seem “brighter.” Many of them suffered severe eye problems and even blindness because of the practice, but it didn’t stop others from continuing to use the drops.

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These 6 Popular Words and Phrases Actually Came from Television Shows

Words and phrases are easy to take for granted. With the exception of some new slang, the words we use most often have been around since before we were born. But some might not actually be as old as you think.

These 6 common words and phrases prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that television is a part of our culture that can never be erased. While some of these might be obvious, I’m guessing others will be a complete surprise.

Either way, let’s get into it!

#6. “Cowabunga!”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

If you think this comes from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” well…you’re not right. The surfer slang actually hails from the 1950s and a children’s show called Howdy Doody that used it as a (totally inappropriate) fake Native American language.

#5. “Spam.”

Image Credit: Pixabay

How did the name of a canned meat product come to mean unwanted mail? The meat (?) was invented during the Great Depression, but it wasn’t until 40 years later that “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” started singing about it incessantly, and for some unknown reason, computer nerds picked it up in the early 1990s.

#4. “Har-de-har.”

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This classic, sarcastic and totally fake belly laugh is thanks to Jackie Gleason and “The Honeymooners,” also from the 1950s.

#3. “Poindexter.”

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While for some of us, this word is synonymous with “nerd,” it actually comes from a show that was super popular in the late 1950s — “Felix the Cat.” In the show, Poindexter is the cat’s glasses-wearing genius nephew, and was supposedly named for the lawyer of the series creator.

#2. “Sorry about that.”

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You’ve probably used this one more than once, but did you know it was made popular on the 1960s show “Get Smart”? There are also other lines from the show that might sound familiar including “missed it by that much” and “the old so-and-so trick.”

#1. “Five-O.”

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You’ve probably used this phrase to refer to the police at some point in your life, but you’ve likely never stopped to think about why. It comes from “Hawaii Five-O,” because the police force in the show was named in honor of Hawaii being the 50th state.

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Can You Solve 5 Of History’s Best Riddles?

You know a riddle is good when it stands the test of time. People have been scratching their heads over these for years and years. Think you can solve them?

No matter what, just have fun with them, and wipe your brow when you come out the other side.

#5. Gollum’s Riddle.

“Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.”

 

Continue reading for the answer!

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12+ People Reveal the Books They Believe Everyone Should Read

Sometimes it seems like no one reads anymore. With television at peak popularity and social media keeping us glued to our phones, it’s becomming rarer and rarer to see someone with their nose buried in a good book. If you’re interested but don’t know what to pick up next, why not try one of these 15 “must reads”, according to these avid readers?

#15. The Hungry Caterpillar

“The Hungry Caterpillar – it’s a timeless classic and a truly superb view into the hardships faced by those who suffer from eating disorders.”

#14. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

“The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Charming story about a live human boy raised in a graveyard by ghosts and a vampire.”

#13. The Gift of Fear, and…

“The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker – can literally save your life

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman – game changer when it comes to understanding your relationships (of all kinds) and you.”

#12. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

“For everybody- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

You’ve read Interview with the Vampire? Well, this is Interview with the Gorilla. The gorilla has a lot more to say.

Not for everybody, but those who like it will really like it-

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

Two people meant to die untimely deaths live on and ponder mortality and the lack thereof. The Greek god Pan comes into it. And Jazz music. And Beets.”

#11. Hyperion Saga by Dan Simmons

“Hyperion saga by Dan Simmons.

Made a lasting impression on me.”

#10. The Long Walk by Stephen King

“The Long Walk by Stephen King

Dark story but a VERY interesting read. Basically, a bunch of people gather and have to walk at a steady pace without stopping or slowing down. Stopping/slowing down results in warnings, and eventually you’re terminated from the race>! and living!<“

#9. The Little Prince

“The Little Prince is a 100 page illustrated children’s book that conveys deeper philosophy. It also teaches you how to recognize the difference between a picture of a hat and a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. Seriously it’s fabulous, so pick up a copy and spend an evening reading this book.”

#8. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

“I’ve read and enjoyed a decent number of the books recommended here so far, but the best book I’ve ever read is:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. – Historical Fiction set in 12th Century England. The story unfolds over the course of a generation, during the period of English Civil War known as The Anarchy, following the death of Henry I. The story focuses on characters from all walks of life, the nobility, the clergy, and the peasants. It has good guys, it has bad guys, it has intrigue and infighting, it has politics on both the large scale and the small, it has love, and hate, and fear, and anger, and backstabbing, and betrayal, and vengeance, and justice, and redemption, and the building of the greatest Cathedral that England has ever seen.

For audio-book fans, the narration by John Lee is fantastic.”

#7. Animal Farm

“Animal Farm.

Only 100 pages long, so not something you have to really commit too. Excellent book that shows what happens when you give power to people (or animals in this case) and so much more.”

#6. Margaret Atwood

“the oryx and crake series by Margaret Atwood.”

#5. East of Eden

“East of Eden. Such an inspiring book, so
well-written and with a smooth pace, yet filled
with engaging reflexion on great themes of humankind.”

#4. The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

“The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Really good, dark, gritty fantasy, without as much of the crazy complex politics you get from GRRM. A bunch of great characters who are all terrible people.

The Book Thief. Because come on. Just read it. A book about Germany in WWII, told from the perspective of death. Unique storytelling and hella good.”

#3. The Mistborn Series

“The Mistborn series. Actually anything by Brandon Sanderson.”

#2. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys

“Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It’s such a fun, but sad book.”

#1. Worm by Wildbow

“Worm by Wildbow

It’s a freaking awesome web serial about superpowers and stuff. The main character is a teenage girl named Taylor. Her power is to control bugs.”

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You Will LOL at this Wine and Eggs Diet from the 1970s

There are too many weird diets out there in the world…that’s a fact. They didn’t start in the ’70s and they certainly won’t be ending anytime in the near future. I mean, anyone can write a diet and start telling people to follow it. Health often doesn’t have much to do with why people start recommending one thing or another, either. Doctors and nutritionists haven’t changed too much over the past several decades when advising on what sorts of foods humans need and in what quantities, but there’s always some new fad running around that makes people wonder if we’ve all been doing it wrong.

If you love steak, eggs, and wine, then this diet – recommended by Vogue – is going to seem like everything right.

Let’s take a look.

Photo Credit: Twitter,chaeronaea

For breakfast, you get 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 glass of dry white wine, and coffee. So, getting coffee is nice. It could help sober you up from drinking the wine on a mostly empty stomach.

For lunch, you get 2 more hard-boiled eggs, 2 glasses of white wine, and more black coffee. You’re definitely tipsy now, and if you don’t live alone, the smell of the eggs digesting has probably run your partner out of the house.

For dinner, you can include a 5 oz steak and finish off your bottle of wine, plus indulge in more coffee if you want/need it. No way you’re sober, and without any fiber in sight, you’re probably not willing to venture too far from your toilet, anyway.

Which is exactly what most people who replied on Twitter latched onto, with varying degrees of hilarity.

Photo Credit: Twitter,chaeronaea

Photo Credit: Twitter,fartpowder

Photo Credit: Twitter,JasonCross00

Photo Credit: Twitter,red_mercer

Photo Credit:Twitter,JasonCross00

Diane McMartin, a writer at The Kitchn tried the diet (no word on for how long), and was surprised at the (presumably unintended) results:

“Maybe it was the wine, or maybe the lack of food, but I legit felt sad by the end of the day. Weepy, even. Like, as I was sitting in bed reading, waiting until it was acceptable to go to sleep because I was so exhausted, and I could have burst into tears at any moment.”

So, that’s not great. I’m sad enough without having an upset stomach and a fuzzy head by bedtime.

As far as the experts, they have weighed in on this, and I’m sure you’re not surprised they find the whole thing ludicrous. Julie Stefanski, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, went off for the The Daily Meal:

“If an intermittent fasting regiment went on a drinking binge in a henhouse, you’d pretty much have this diet. This random menu (I don’t even want to call it a diet) provides 1103 calories with43% of those calories coming from the alcohol calories in the wine!”

Photo Credit: CBS Television

There are some days when drinking your calories seems like a good idea (and some days when it actually is) but trying to keep up with this for more than twenty-four hours is obviously a disaster in the making. The next time I raise a glass of dry Chablis, I’ll remember the poor women back in the day who gave it a shot because Vogue said so.

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