Category: politics

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People Discuss What They’ve Learned From Living Through 2020

I know I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I’m ready to get this awful year over with already.

The scary thing is that we still have to live through the 2020 election and its aftermath, so who really knows what’s lurking right around the corner? Let’s hope things go relatively smoothly and we can go into 2021 in a somewhat calm manner.

But one thing’s for sure: this year has taught all of us a whole lot.

Let’s get real about 2020 with AskReddit users.

1. What to do with the time?

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.

I thought that with all the extra time I had I would get so much more done.

Turns out I just need to get a lot better at time management.”

2. It gets worse.

“Your day can feel bad but it can get worse.

Bart: This is the worst day of my life

Homer: This is the worst day of your life…so far.”

3. It’s important.

“How important saving money is.

We had a 6 month emergency fund saved up, and the peace of mind was priceless.

We’ve made sure we stay out of debt as well.”

4. Works for you.

“That I love isolation.

It’s so good for reducing my anxiety.

I would like it if everything was virtual for the rest of my life.”

5. Let’s get back to reason, people.

“People will decide their position on major political issues based simply on which cult they follow rather than any reasoning or logic even in the face of clear evidence.”

6. The way it is.

“I think 2020 shows us the great divide of the haves and have nots.

Some people are really hurting right now. Others are totally fine or are thriving.

You’ll see more of one group than the other depending on your socioeconomic class.”

7. Not a great time.

“Life kinda sucks.

We go to work, half of us hate our jobs, we go home, we do normal, mundane things, to go bed, and repeat. Covid has definitely made me realize there’s a lot more to life than just being a work drone.

And it also taught me that I don’t have many close friends. Quarantine has been very lonely, but it’s forcing me to make more connections with people, which I have needed to do for a while.”

8. It’s up to you.

“The person who will take the best care of me, is me.

People will come to you and you will have a social life without bending over backwards to try to make friends.

And also that some people will only live their own version of the truth even if reality it’s biting them in the *ss.”

9. This is unfortunate.

“That no matter how dangerous something is and how obvious the evidence is, there will be some people who just won’t listen.

Honestly we expect adults to listen to an end of the world scenario when they can’t even do the simple fact of putting on a mask and staying home?

10. Good advice.

“Future is unpredictable so build the skillsets, build hobbies that you can keep for longterm, and work on mental health.

Create a good schedule so you can always create time for things you want to do.”

11. Very true.

“Life is always subject to change.

Get out there and do the things you want to do because one day you may not be able to.”

12. Don’t know a thing.

“That I really don’t understand things as well as I thought.

I really thought I knew what to expect from pretty much everything around me but I was wrong so many times over this year. I thought my marriage was solid- it wasn’t.

I thought that people would come together in times of crisis- they don’t. I thought my family would stick by me- they didn’t.

I’ve realized I don’t know a thing.”

13. Ouch.

“That spending 24/7 with a romantic partner isn’t a good idea.

So many quarantine break ups and I just honestly wonder if my ex was the right woman at the wrong time.”

14. Life can be cruel.

“Life doesn’t care about your plans.

In short, this year would be huge for me, last year i dropped out of college because i hated it, decided to study home for the last 6 months left of 2019, then applied to the course i wanted in university, failed…

2020 starts i am going to a course to prepare for new university exams, basically high school but better in my case, and most important i had to physically take the bus and go there, which was so much better than staying at home and be extra depressed and bored… and then COVID came along.”

Now we’d like to hear from you.

In the comments, tell us what you think you’ve learned from 2020.

Please and thank you!

The post People Discuss What They’ve Learned From Living Through 2020 appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Talk About What the Crazy Year of 2020 Has Taught Them

What else could possibly happen in 2020?

Actually, I don’t even want to say that out loud because if we’ve learned one thing this year, it’s to expect the unexpected…and that’s a pretty scary thought, considering all the things we’ve gone through so far since January 1.

We’ve all learned a lot about ourselves this year, every single one of us.

What has this year taught you?

Here’s what people had to say on AskReddit.

1. Not so much.

“That I’m nowhere as much of a loner as I thought I was.

I may not be the most sociable person of the universe, but spending months holed up in my room with basically no IRL human contact got old fast.”

2. This is huge.

“Not to take travel for granted.

I am trying to learn French as something to keep distracted with, and to feel like I am doing something which will pay off when traveling in the future, but would give anything for a worry-free week abroad right now.

Getting very sick of the inside of my flat.”

3. All of it.

“That there are so many horrible people in the world, oblivious to everything around them and only concerned with themselves.

And also that there are so many kind and loving people in the world that are willing to help anyone.”

4. Hugs.

“Hug your spouse more.

Man on man woman on woman man on woman whatever hug those who are there for you. Wife’s an ER nurse I’m a firefighter working through covid non sense. The forced quarantine after contact with a positive pt has ripped us apart.

It’s hard to cope when your coping mechanism is behind glass out of reach. Hug your peeps.”

5. Keep your fingers crossed.

“That people will genuinely believe bad events will end just because the year is over.

Its overwhelming how many times I hear things like: “omg I cant wait for 2021, everything will be a fresh start” or “2020 can just leave”

Like, what do you really expect? All issues reset every January the 1st? Wtf.”

6. Keep your head up.

“That I can be a lot stronger and confident than I give myself credit for…

Gotta look for the positives, right?!”

7. Not prepared at all.

“That the United States is really REALLY not prepared for real sh*t to happen.

Most of the world is not.

We are held together by threads of a stretched out cloth ready to tear.”

8. Even worse now.

“The rich get richer while the poor get poorer.

It’s already bad enough under normal circumstances but in global crisis situations this applies even more.”

9. The process of weeding out.

“It showed me who my real friends are.

And some stuff about how stupid some people are, even if it is to protect the people who are at risk due to coronavirus.”

10. That is very true!

“People don’t know what Socialism really means.”

11. Hard knock life.

“That life is tragic, cruel, and absurd, to the point where it can completely break you.

But also that no matter how bad it all gets, there is genuine peace and comfort in real, platonic love and my friends are the light of my life. We have each other’s backs and we adore each other.

So in a way, despite having lost nearly everything, I am incredibly lucky. I’m never really alone.”

12. Sad.

“A common hardship won’t bring people together, like in Independence Day or Watchmen.

Rather, it’ll drive them to care only about their own interests.”

13. Big money.

“That big corporations that say they care about their customers don’t give a sh*t. All they care about is money.

When small businesses went bankrupt during the pandemic the big corporations amassed billions in wealth.”

14. Not much different.

“That my family would be fine on a confined spaceship traveling to Mars or somewhere else distant.

The lockdown has had little effect on us.”

15. Here’s the deal.

“Life is short.

There are too many things in this world that are out of your control that can punch you in the guts. So live your life, enjoy your family and friends, enjoy good food, focus on what’s important.

Save for the future but not at the expense of living a meaningful and rewarding life now. Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Also, on the flip side from a cynical point of view, this past year has reaffirmed that the world is full of stupid people.

Opinions do not override scientific facts and the anti science agenda of those in power today takes advantage of the uneducated and those who give into fear mongering too easily.”

Now it’s your turn.

In the comments, tell us what this crazy year has taught YOU.

Please and thank you!

The post People Talk About What the Crazy Year of 2020 Has Taught Them appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Talk About What “Good Guys” From History Were Actually Bad

History is written by the winners.

And, depending on where you grew up, you learn from a young age who are the “good guys” in history and who are the “bad guys.”

But sometimes those stories and legends don’t really jive with reality.

Here’s what folks on AskReddit had to say about historical figures who are not nearly as squeaky-clean as their reputations would have you believe.

1. Wow.

“Alexander Graham Bell pushed for the eugenics of deaf and hard of hearing people and was a major obstacle to fund schools for the deaf, which thankfully did persist despite this guy.”

2. Mr. Ford.

“Henry Ford was so anti-Semitic that Hitler considered him a hero.”

3. Cromwell.

“There’s a statue of Oliver Cromwell in London.

Loads of movies about him and how he was a brave revolutionary.

Nah. He was an evil sociopath who committed genocide on Irish Catholics and turned the UK into a Puritan dictatorship.”

4. Haven’t heard this before.

“Bob Marley.

And there’s a very good story to back this up that also explains how he grew to be no.1 reggae singer of Jamaica.

He had a posse of friends that would intimidate radio networks of Jamaica into playing his music, as well as destroying the alpha discs of other newer artists (idk wtf they’re called but the copy the radio networks were given in order to play on the air.)

He might have been trying to promote feel-good music and peace and all that but he was a thug when it came to getting that music out.”

5. AA.

“Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The guy did great things, and created a program of recovery that has saved millions of lives since it’s inception 85 years ago.

He was also an arrogant *sshole that cheated on his wife even in sobriety.”

6. Imagine that.

“In some aspects to the 60’s and 70’s when the Beatles were icons, (I’m talking about John Lennon) people who use his image and face for “peace” sometimes forget important details.

  • He abused women
  • He was a cheater
  • He abused his children (made one go completely deaf in one ear)
  • Total hypocrite on the “no possessions” when he lived one of the most lavish lifestyles of his time
  • Compulsive liar
  • Had a *exual appetite for his own mother
  • Almost killed a few people (look up Bob Wooler, he was almost punched to death by John. There were others but their stories have either been disputed or unclaimed.)

So whenever I see a bunch of people sing imagine I just shake my head in shame cause so many people don’t even know how bad he was but act like he was a saint.”

7. Not great.

“Sir John A MacDonald.

First prime minister of Canada.

Did a lot for the country in its infancy but treated indigenous people like garbage.”

8. A royal family.

“Joseph P. Kennedy, dad of John, Bobby, and Teddy, had one of his daughters lobotomized.

She was likely autistic but was considered an “embarrassment to the family”.”

9. Napoleon.

“Napoleon.

I’m French and I don’t get why people like him so freaking much here. He re established slavery and tried to conquer a huge part of Europe, leaving literal bloodbaths behind him.

Gosh, even the painting of his coronation reeks of narcissism, he’s putting the crown on his own head for f*ck sake.”

10. An American legend.

“Teddy Roosevelt.

Interesting quote of his, “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are the dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every 10 are””

11. The King.

“Elvis Presley.

He never wrote a song in his life, but his record label made any song writers hand over half of their writing fees, before Elvis would record their songs. He’s credited as a co-writer on the majority of his songs.

That’s why Dolly Parton refused to let him record I Will Always Love You.

She wouldn’t sign away any of the songwriting credit or future profits from her work. She’s a savvy business woman.”

12. Edison.

“Thomas Edison.

Biggest monopolist ever and took credit for other people’s work. He didn’t invent the lightbulb but bought the rights and advanced it. He monopolized the film-projector + most films at the time and it took a very long lawsuit to get that fixed.

He took many creations from his employees and put his name on it. This wasn’t illegal because of the contracts employees signed at the time but it’s not exactly a sign of good will.

I don’t hate the guy but his character is often completely exaggerated.”

13. A real showman.

“Not necessarily a “good guy”, but got lots of positive attention from the release of The Greatest Showman.

Apparently PT Barnum was a terrible person in real life.”

14. A great director, but…

“Hitchcock was SO f*cked up.

He was famous for pulling “pranks” like chaining a dude up over a long night and giving him a bottle of whiskey laced with serious laxatives, so he sh*t himself, painfully, in chains, for twelve hours or so.

He made the actress from Psycho, Janet Leigh, stand in the shower for almost a week; she only takes baths now. The degree to which he abused Tippi Hedrin during that scene from The Birds is… wow.

He literally threw birds at her for five days, eight hours a day, so that they were pissed off and actually attacked her, even after her doctor told him she couldn’t take any more. She still has scars. Not to mention the s*xual assaults and the threats to “ruin her career” if she didn’t comply.

He sent her daughter, Melanie Griffith, a really lifelike doll of her mother, dead in a coffin. She was eight.

Dude was f*cked. Behind the B*stards does a great couple episodes about him, those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head from 2+ hours of it.”

Okay, history buffs, now it’s your turn.

In the comments, tell us who you think is regarded as a “good guy” in history but was actually pretty terrible.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

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Postal Workers Discuss the Craziness That Is Their Jobs Right Now

The United States Postal Service would be a very interesting and a very hectic place to work right now.

The USPS has been under scrutiny this year by certain politicians and things are only going to get more insane as we near the election in November.

Whatever side of the fence you’re on, you have to admit that folks who work at the USPS right now are under the gun and the environment on the job must be pretty intense.

Here’s what folks on AskReddit had to say about what’s going on there.

1. Overwhelmed.

“My mom runs a small office, and I came to visit her and my dad after work last week. I found her crying in their kitchen just slouched into my dad’s arms.

She was sobbing about how she couldn’t keep this up. The mail slowing down at the main hubs just builds up and when it eventually gets to her, she’s dealing with 3 times as much as mail and packages than her busiest time, Christmas (~600 packages when I spoke to her last), and now has to deal with irate customers demanding to know where their stuff is. All by herself.

She’s got bruises up and down her arms from hustling to get the mail processed and out. Add to that the stress of worrying every day if she’s she’s going to lose her job and her benefits.”

2. Slammed.

“I supervise a large station in a major city where the Postmaster runs over 20 post offices.

Last summer this office was a ghost town at 1700, even on Mondays. Tonight my last carrier came in at 1845. Saturday one year ago, parcel volume was a little under 3900. Tonight it was 8751.

Our base hours are 412.53, today we earned 435.36 but probably hit 455. DOIS is only allowing 60 seconds per parcel, but since all these apartment offices are closed due to C19, everything gets run to the door.

Complaints and inquiries are insane, too – mail delays and packages dropped at doors means a lot of angry customers.

All in all, right now I wish I’d stayed a mail handler. Stations are madhouses. But the carriers are toughing it out, generally keep it on an even keel, and everyone has each other’s backs for the most part.

This station has kept its reputation as a big family, so it hasn’t become ugly. Just difficult.”

3. Saving space?

“I am a USPS carrier.

The latest thing that affects us personally is they are reducing our cases (these are tall shelves that have every address on our route in order for the mail that we need to manually sort) from 2 cases to one to “save space”.

The best way that I can explain this is: you have a normal 2 drawer file cabinet, not jam packed full but each drawer is 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Now combine both drawers into 1. I will remind you that you need to fill it up every morning in order, sometimes stuffing things in to fit, then remove it in order to do the rest of your job.

The best part is the second case was also acting like a barrier from covid-19 from coworkers. Now they are going to remove it and replace it with plexiglass.”

4. Frustrated.

“They’ve removed 5 of our letter sorting machines (4 DBCS, 1 DIOSS) as well as a flat sorter (AFSM) and I think an FSS machine but that is not a part of the building I am routinely in.

Before, we would stay at work until all of our mail was finished, if it was 8 hours or 10 or 12, didn’t matter, the mail has to go out. Now, we are being forced to leave behind mail if we can’t finish in time, even if it is first class mail (something that would get us written up easily before).

The mail we push back is ran first the next day, so luckily only a day delay, but still unacceptable IMO. We are taking election mail incredibly seriously though, and any mail marked as political or election related is processed ASAP.

I am extremely serious about protecting the integrity of the mail. It is disappointing and frustrating that our new postmaster general is not.”

5. Broken down.

“I don’t think people realize how old and decrepit most of the delivery vehicles are.

A typical LLV probably has 300-400k miles and any scratches are literally painted with white house paint. Customers love to ask “Does that thing have air conditioning?” and when you tell them that you don’t even have air bags much less AC, they’re actually shocked. But damn are they perfect for the job.

We had a truck’s horn break, so when you turned the wheel it would honk. We could hear the guy driving it coming down the hill to the office… and then he arrived at the traffic circle… omg we were SOBBING with laughter.

But then it took over a month to get fixed properly and there were exposed wires on the wheel which you touched together to use the horn, like you were hot wiring the damn thing.”

6. Madness.

“We currently have over 11 beamers (big metal cages full of packages) full of first class packages including medicine and anything people have tried to send expecting 2 day shipping.

Overtime isn’t approved and we’re getting more and more backed up with first class and priority mail packages.

It’s getting worse every day.

No one is wearing masks to deliver or in the office, we’ve have 3 cases of covid, no sanitization, and people have been asked to work while they wait on their covid tests even if they have symptoms.

A few people are out for fear of covid and using their vacation or sick leave so no one else can get a day off, and we’re calling in workers from other offices to assist, putting their offices into a frenzy making them short handed.

No one is happy. Everyone is complaining, tempers are rising, some are threatening to walk out and quit, but they show up the next day anyway bc its the best paying job with no college degree in this area.

The management sucks, the supervisors are awful. They’re complaining about all of the carriers because we’re falling behind even though package volume has gone up 80% for our office since Covid hit hard in March.

Customers are complaining about us “being late” even though our daily cut off time is 7 pm, but if we’re not at their house at the time they normally expect during non pandemic and new PMG times, we’re “late” to them.

I’m expecting no Christmas tips this year, that’s for sure.”

7. Tense.

“I’m a carrier in a suburb of a large city, and honestly there’s tension.

Our sorting machines at the distribution plant were hauled off recently and quietly, a lot of the older carriers are jumping ship and retiring as quickly as they can, our trucks just aren’t getting maintained anymore, and half the damn town is so convinced that COVID is some kind of conspiracy that nobody will respect social distancing or wear a damn mask.

I’ve been at this for five years. I was lucky enough to land my own route two years ago when some carrier associates wait ten. I have benefits, I have retirement savings building up, I ACTUALLY GET VACATION DAYS.

And now some f*cker decided he wants to cheat to win again, and I’m going to lose my entire career. Every single case of carpal tunnel, every blister on my feet, every fourteen hour long day during the Christmas season, all the mountains of paperwork I did because I wanted to make my route more efficient for the benefit of my customers, and it all means nothing.”

8. Rumors.

“In the district that I work in, they’re removing one of our machines that sorts the letter mail. The PMG has also divided the Postal Service into 3 separate units, Delivery and retail, sorting units, and An analytical branch to help with logistics to make the service more profitable.

Overtime is being cut and parcels are just being delayed. New “temporary” surveys added by the PMG to track the mail volumes. And there are rumors floating around talking about every Area is going to be dismissed.”

9. A veteran.

“20 year carrier here.

They (upper management) are delaying mail like crazy in an effort curb overtime. Local management is as p*ssed as we are, and now overtime is insane.

We always complain about how incompetent management is, but the one main thing that has never changed until now is ‘Everything goes every day’

It’s obvious to us on the inside that this is a deliberate attack on the post office for personal/political gain.”

10. Delays.

“My office is probably among the better run in my area and it’s not all bad.

But the new delaying mail directives and so on has affected all crafts or positions. Let’s start with clerks: trucks have been late frequently say 4 to 5 times a week. Our clerks are in at 3 am for the first truck at 4. sometimes it doesn’t come until the second truck scheduled time (7)and it spills over their sorting when the counter is open at 8.

Basically we the carriers get sent with what we have and get alert when things are ready. Some days I’ve delivered all my packages before I got mail and vice versa. Then go out with what came. Since the directive? We have super light days followed by heavy days where start time moves from 8am to 7 am.

So no OT is BS when we have mostly rural carriers who are paid based on the evaluated route time and usually aren’t paid ot with the package influx. It’s something in their contracts that they have to do XYZ to get to pay outside of Christmas.

City carriers, which we only have a few, are expected to help out rural routes because we are paid hourly. Though it doesn’t always work the way they want because the days we only deliver minimum mail and packages are always followed by days delivering in the dark. Additionally my office is mostly part time employees so we don’t get set days off.

Though my office does try to give us each one day off. Regulars aren’t saved from this either the few we have are working their days off too. Even amazon Sundays. Before covid amazon Sundays we were always done by 3 pm if not before and no regs.

Now? We’re always out until at least 6 pm. Everyone is tired and no one really wants the imbalanced days.”

11. No more OT.

“My stepdad is a USPS employee and they’re cutting everyones overtime despite the fact that mail is just piling up.”

12. About Dad.

“My dad is a carrier and works at an office that has gone through dozens of equally incompetent postmasters over the years.

Recently his coworker whom he shares a desk with tested positive for COVID and they didn’t even notify my dad or the other employees and didn’t bother to sanitize the room.

My dad only found out because he’s friends with the guy.”

13. From the source.

“My office is fairly small and well run, so we are lucky. However, we have several employees (clerks and carriers) who are out with COVID. No one is allowed to do overtime anymore. I am sure you can see the problem with this.

One solution would be to hire more staff, but there are rules about how many employees of each type and subtype is allowed in each office. After a certain amount of hours lost, the office is allowed to hire temporary employees for a limited time. This is after the damage has been done, and employees are already stressed.

Then, a temp employee come in, and has to learn the rules, systems, routes, etc., depending on their position. It takes a month or two for a temp employee to become reasonably competent, and then their contract is up soon after.

I have friends that work in a much larger major hub post office near us, and they are still somehow being forced to work 60+ hours each week. I know of two new PSEs (basically parcel sorting monkeys) that have quit within two weeks of hiring at that big post office because they were not prepared for the crazy hours and the stress of working 1am to 1:30 pm.

It’s bananas.

We get communications from the new Postmaster General fairly regularly. The last one touted our increase in start times for carriers and a decrease in return trips. Sounds good, right?

No, this means carriers are being pushed out the door before they are ready, and that they are not being allowed to come back to pick up another load because of the new overtime rules for most offices. And that’s why your parcel is late.

I love my job (for real, it’s a great job), but DeJoy is making this difficult for all of us.

Who knows, maybe his changes will end up streamlining our business? I’m skeptical, at best.

I hope you all know that most USPS employees want you to get your mail on time, and we are still trying to help you get your stuff on time whenever possible and save you money when we can.”

How about you?

What do you think about this whole post office fiasco that is going on right now?

Talk to us in the comments and share your thoughts with us. Thanks!

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Issues From Third World Countries That People From First World Countries Can’t Comprehend

A lot of times, we get so caught up in our own lives, we can lose sight of the bigger picture. If you’ve only ever lived or spent time in a first world country, you might not understand just how different life can be in a third world country.

AskReddit users offered their real life experiences living in or spending significant time in third world countries.

1. I never thought I’d take a crosswalk for granted:

“I was in Egypt while it was under Mubarak, and I remember trying to contend with traffic in Cairo.

I had to ask the police officer who was standing there if the drivers obey the lights or the road markings.

He told me that those were there to make the roads look nice!”

– IVTD4KDS

2. I’ve gotta remember this one: 

“I walk with my cellphone hidden in my pants because it’s extremely common for you to get robbed.

I’ve been through a violent robbery while dinning, and very few people I know haven’t been through similar experiences, multiple times even.”

– alulugrace

3. And this:

“I learned this trick from a friend: a gang member tried to rob him, he told him to give him his cell phone, so he took out his fake cell phone and threw it as far as he could.

The gang member went after the cell phone and my friend used that moment to run. The gang member realized what was happening, but it was too late.

My friend managed to get to a store with security guards where they helped him and called the police.”

– EpicAlmond

4. Start clipping those coupons:

“Argentinian here.

You just go to the store expecting everything to be 5-10% more than the last time you went.”

– Alzusand

5. This is actually pretty similar to how Midwesterners give directions:

“I’m American but have worked in 70+ countries over the last 12 years. So let’s discuss Nicaragua….

There are no addresses. None.

Trying to get to your hotel? You’ll get a description of the general location using the rising or setting sun, lake shores and other prominent land marks which may or may not exist! Then the distance from that landmark in a unit of measurement that hasn’t been used for centuries. (The vara…which is about 2.5 feet).

It’s truly amazing that anyone gets anywhere in Nicaragua.”

– TinKicker

6. This sounds pretty scary…

“Having a sh*t ton of deterrence mechanisms around your house.

Burglar bars on all the windows, trellis doors on your front door and then probably one in the bedroom hallway.

Keeping your door locked. If you don’t have a fence you’re just asking people to break in and murder you.

South Africa.”

– liam_eras

7. I’m starting to feel the same way:

“I’m Canadian, and I’ve visited my South African in-laws twice now.

One of the biggest culture shocks for me was having to be locked up so tight.

Being able to safely be in an unfenced backyard or take a walk by myself at nearly any time of day is a luxury I no longer take for granted.”

– JByrde76

8. So much for man’s best friend:

“Stray dogs, which some of them are hostile, are everywhere.

It is not possible to roam in the streets around sunrise when they walk in groups or during night, without risking yourself being attacked by dogs.

I moved to Europe now but I am still unreasonably nervous around leashed dogs that people are walking.”

– hardware26

9. The next time you get annoyed while waiting in line to place your order, remember this:

“Having to stand for hours in bread lines, then for hours at the petrol lines, then for hours at the cooking gas lines, then coming back home to find that they shut off the electricity because there’s too much load.”

– DRIZZYLMG

10. Accessibility to medical care is never something to be taken for granted:

“Here in Peru (specially if you are not from the capital) to get a medical appointment you need to wait 3 months. (For surgeries or actual medical treatments it can take over a year.)

So many people I knew got random appointments just in case something happens.

You’d better suffer the hemorrhage that day or you have to pray for the eucalyptus tea to actually work.”

– lStormVR

11. And I thought the broken washing machines in my apartment building were annoying…

“One aspect of living in a first world country is that it’s normal for things to work. In third world countries, it’s the opposite.

Technology, roads, institutions…there is a tacit assumption that none of these things work the way they’re supposed to, and that’s just the way it is.

When you live in the third world, your roads are full of potholes, your lights go out every week (if not every day), everything is on the fritz and politicians are incredibly corrupt (and yes, I know that there’s corruption in Europe and the US as well, but it’s not like our corruption).

– machu_pikacchu

12. At least the bananas are amazing?

“I don’t live there anymore, but I used to live in Guatemala. Here’s a list of some of the differences I remember:

You could pay people to watch your car if you parked it on the street to keep it from being broken into.

The bananas were amazing there though! The open-air market was one of the best things about living there. Bananas in the US where I moved back to taste like wax in comparison. :/”

– AvengerofSquids

I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty privileged to live where I live right now. Listening to the stories of what others are experiencing is a great way to gain perspective. Suddenly that 10-minute wait in line at the drive-through doesn’t seem too bad.

Do you live in a third world country? What issues do you deal with that people in first world countries can’t comprehend?

Let us know in the comments!

The post Issues From Third World Countries That People From First World Countries Can’t Comprehend appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Lying ‘Karen’ Was Called Out in Owner’s Response to a Poor Review

Oh, “Karen.”

If you’ve ever worked in the service industry you know this customer: entitled, rude, and way more of a pain than they’re worth. They expect special treatment then bully the staff and demand to complain to a manager when they don’t get their way.

This particular Karen decided to leave a negative (and clumsily crafted) review for a pub that her large, obnoxious party visited. The owner’s response is absolutely perfect.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

Wow. We already know exactly what kind of customers these are.

The story could have ended here, with this Karen’s nasty review speaking for itself, but of course that’s not what happened.

I doubt this Karen expected the owner of The Cowshed to give her such a thorough and public response.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

Clearly the owner is not here to play games.

They’re going to break it down for this Karen and her party.

Lying about what actually happened is a common theme with most Karens. They’re usually looking to receive a discount/free product.

Another tried and true Karen tactic is to threaten the livelihoods of the employees they’re interacting with by claiming to have received “horrible service.”

Jo’s lies don’t hold up against video footage and actual receipts.

As delicious as 77 pizzas sound, I have a hard time believing only three tables worth of people could purchase so much pizza in just one sitting.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

In her review, Jo claims her party was mistreated, but the owner refutes this claim.

They describe how this Karen and her party demanded special treatment, even though they showed up late, and proceeded to behave like “belligerent, entitled little toddlers.”

As someone who used to work in the food service industry, I can attest to how difficult it can be to accommodate large parties if they don’t show up on time.

Half an hour doesn’t sound like much, but if it’s a popular eating establishment with limited seating and you have guests who show up on time and are ready to pay, you don’t turn them away for a large party that could possibly no-show.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

The party didn’t just show up late. They broke glasses, argued loudly, made a general mess, asked to bring in outside food, and their demands pressured the staff into shuffling around other paying customers.

This behavior displays a clear sense of entitlement with little regard for the staff, restaurant property, or their fellow guests.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

Mistreating someone who works in the food service industry is shameful anytime, but it’s particularly shameful during a pandemic. Life is stressful enough.

Clearly these servers don’t have the benefit of getting to work from home. They’re spending their day serving other people during a global health crisis. Show some compassion.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

Gross. Just…gross.

With behavior like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the owner barred them from ever coming back, right then and there.

This is what our Karen claims happened, but is that really what went down?

Image Credit: Cheezburger

Nobody is perfect, and plenty of us have done things we regret after a night of drinking or a stressful social event, but it turns out this Karen didn’t even attempt an apology before posting her negative review.

She is once again called out for lying and thoroughly reprimanded, but Team Cowshed doesn’t stop there.

Image Credit: Cheezburger

That’s called karma, Karen.

Hopefully this will be the lesson she and her party need to adjust their behavior going forward.

Or at least, hopefully this will prevent them from causing the same trouble for other restaurants in the area.

Team Cowshed ends their reply with a message for all other potential patrons:

Image Credit: Cheezburger

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to visit The Cowshed and buy myself 77 of their most expensive pizzas. I just hope their food is as satisfying as this response.

Do you work in food service? Share your worst customer horror stories (or delicious payback stories) below!

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People Talk About What’s Common in Their Country but Rare in Other Parts of the World

Doesn’t traveling to a far and distant country sound incredible right about now?

Because of this seemingly never-ending pandemic we’re going through, it looks like it might be a while before we can venture to another part of the world…but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it happens sooner than later.

Because traveling exposes us to different cultures, languages, customs, foods, etc. And it’s great to get outside our comfort zones and to learn about different people. So let’s do some more of that!

AskReddit users talked about things that are common in their countries but rare in other parts of the world.

1. Sounds delightful.

“Such cheap olive oil.

And eating incredinly late.

Lunch is more or less at 1-3 pm, and dinner at 9-10 pm.

That is why in Spain we have snacks between foods.”

2. This has to be in Scandinavia.

“Saunas in most apartments or at least apartment buildings, haven’t lived in a building that doesn’t have one.

A lot of great well known (and underground) metal bands.

And a nuclear power plant that is at this point 11 years behind schedule and according to Wikipedia the 3rd most expensive building in the world.”

3. Paradise.

“Bagged milk, legal weed and fermented maple syrup.”

4. Free drinks.

“Milk dispensers at school cafeterias (or restaurants but it’s not as common).

I live in Sweden where food and drinks such as water and milk is provided free for students.

Whenever I tell someone outside of Scandinavia that we have milk dispensers they’re always very surprised.”

5. USA!

“Root beer.

In America this is widely available and basically universally liked, but give it to someone from another country, especially a European country, and they will hate it.”

6. India.

“Cheap Streaming subscriptions.

In my country a pack for Disney+, HBO, Showtime, ABC, Live Sports and a lot more, costs less than 2 dollars a month.

Yes 2 dollars TOTAL.”

7. I need this in my life.

“They look like snowballs in size and shape, but they’re made of potatoes and boiled, with a piece of meat inside for flavoring. You eat it with sausage, fat’n’bacon and kohlrabi/carrot puree.

It’s not as common as it used to be because it’s mainly grandmas that used to make it.

Also known as “komle”. In some places they simply refer to them as “potato balls.””

8. The paranormal.

“In Mexico we experience paranormal stuff very close. Even people like me, who doesn’t believe in it, have parents, siblings, children or grandparents who have experienced ghosts or other entities very close.

Not in the “friend of my friend” kind of way. It is really really common to be in the same room, and someone just says: “I saw my great-grandfather coming out from the well” or stuff like that.

And nobody makes a fuss about it. We just process it and move on. But really, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t experienced a close encounter with something paranormal in one way or another.

And again, I’m an atheist and a skeptic. I haven’t experienced something at first hand. And that makes me an exception. Not the average.”

9. Probably not these days.

“Drinking a hot drink from an hollowed pumpkin through a metal straw and sharing it with others all drinking from the same straw.”

10. Interesting.

“The Swastika.

Although a banned Nazi symbol as assumed by others, a swastika is actually a symbol of divinity and purity so you will see that alot in my country.”

11. Drink up!

“Underage drinking.

I live in Belgium and everyone does it from the moment they’re 14.”

12. Not cheap.

“Expensive fuel.

A liter of gasoline costs like €1.

It might not sound much, but look at the average wage of a working class Romanian.”

13. Corruption.

“Drinking at the age of 12.

And bribing police, politicians, and basically everyone.

Welcome to Greece.”

Do you have any insights about things that are common in your country but not in other parts of the world?

If so, please talk to us in the comments.

We’d love to hear from you!

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Escaped in air balloon

In 1979, two families escaped East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon. They flew for 28 minutes at −8 °C (18 °F) with no shelter as the gondola was just a clothesline railing. They landed just 10km (6.2 mi) from the border. The escape was planned out over 1 and 1/2 years and took […]

The post Escaped in air balloon appeared first on Crazy Facts.

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Here are the ‘Do’s and Don’t’s’ From the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

We’ve been here before as far as pandemics go—exactly 100 years ago. But have we learned anything since then?

From 1918 to early 1920, the world was held captive by a virus known as H1N1, or the Spanish Flu. Like COVID-19, it spread across the globe within a matter of months. When it was all said and done, 500 million people—about a third of the world’s population—had been infected, and approximately 50 million people died.

COVID-19 is a different virus, but the story of its spread is quite similar; people even had the same arguments about wearing masks and social distancing that we have today. The evidence is in this “Do’s and Don’t’s” lists from the 1918 pandemic that appeared on Twitter and immediately went viral.

The most important things on the list—wearing a mask, washing your hands, and avoiding crowds—are things we’re supposed to be doing today. But even 100 years ago, we had to plead with people to heed this advice and listen to scientists.

Most people complied, but a lot didn’t; there were four waves of the disease before the pandemic ended in April 1920.

Had they done what they were supposed to do, there’s no doubt that the infection and death tolls would have been lower, and the pandemic would have ended earlier.

We’re still relatively new to COVID-19, and we can still mitigate the damage. While there’s no way of eradicating COVID-19, we can pay attention to science and keep ourselves and others safe.

You know what they say: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Are you doing all you can to keep yourself and others healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic? Let us know in the comments below!

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