Category: Society & Laws

Posted on

The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land

By now, you’ve heard about the awful and massive fires burning their way through huge swaths of Australia. On top of the terrible damage to the land, it’s estimated that 1 BILLION animals have died in the blazes. People from all over Australia and the world are pitching in to help in any way they can – including some that are pretty unorthodox. In one small Aboriginal community, a group all-female, all-indigenous firefighters are leading the charge to protect their town and their sacred lands.

The town is Lake Tyers in eastern Victoria, home to about 200 indigenous Australians. The town lies on a small, isolated peninsula and has just one access road in and out. The Lake Tyers Fire Brigade is led by Charmaine Sellings and the group is fighting hard against the blazes. Sellings said, “Just one crack of lightning on a stormy day could be disastrous. Things are pretty desperate. We are in extreme conditions, our dams are empty and it’s not a good situation. The crew will work around the clock. We hope for a quiet summer but we fear the worst.”

The fire brigade led by Sellings is the first of its kind in Australia and is made up of mothers and grandmothers in Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, a self-governing community. The remote town is surrounding by thick bush on one side and a system of lakes on the other side.

Sellings said, “We are the lifeline if anything goes wrong, so we have an important role to play, and I think people are generally very grateful for what we do. There was a sense of helplessness before we came along but we feel empowered that we can look after ourselves and our people whatever the situation. The community is proud of us and they value us.”

About 20 years ago, a series of arson fires threatened the land of Lake Tyers and the nearest fire brigade was 45 minutes away. In response, Charmaine Sellings and her friends Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor decided to form their own firefighting squad with other local women.

The women are not only saving lives and structures but also “scatters,” or clusters of historical artifacts that are scattered throughout the bush around Lake Tyers. Today, the fire crew consists of four women, with a few other volunteers who pitch in when they can.

Keep up the great work!

The post The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Who Were Obsessed With a City or Country Share How They Felt About It After Moving There

Have you ever been totally obsessed with a place, but you had never been there? Like you had some totally romantic and idealized version of what it would be like even though you’d never been there?

I felt this way about New York City when I was growing up. I finally went for the first time when I was 21, and I did – and still do – love it, so no big letdown there for me.

But for some folks, the places they’ve fetishized in their minds don’t turn out to be so wonderful.

In this AskReddit thread, people discuss how they feel about the places they were obsessed with that they actually moved to. If you’ve ever done this, tell us about your experience in the comments.

1. At least the summer is nice.

“Into the Wild was my introduction to Alaska. I’m from the tropics.

Met an Alaskan man.

Visited in the summer. Loved it!

Married the Alaskan man.

Moved in the summer after.

Finally found out what an interior Alaskan winter was like.

Hated it, but husband will not move.

Became a reverse Persephone, my cold-weathered husband sends me back to the land of hot weather for a month of the year.

Still completely in love with the Alaskan summer.”

2. A mixed bag.

“Paris, France. I studied French for a long time and eventually moved here to do my master’s degree. I do love the city itself – always something to do, amazing museums/art/culture/architecture – and even though like all cities it can be crowded/dirty sometimes, I still enjoy it. The thing that gets me is how hard it is to get to know and become friends with the French (Parisians in particular).

They are perfectly polite but if I didn’t have a strong foreign student friend community here it would be much more difficult. There are always exceptions of course – I have a handful of good French friends – but a big factor in why I don’t think I can stay in Paris in the long term to settle down (maybe somewhere else in France would be better) is that the coldness can really wear you down. That, and also the bureaucracy. It’s unreal.”

3. Living the dream.

“I dreamed of living in NYC as a teen. I was drawn to the theater, the fashion, the excitement. Now I’ve been living in NYC for about 13 years, basically my entire adult life, and I still love it but my appreciation has changed. A lot of the things that initially attracted me require lots of money, but I’ve discovered so many new things and met so many wonderful people that I don’t miss the loss of that fantasy. I still feel a thrill when I go running over one of the bridges and see the skyline.

I love not driving, and being able to find practically any food or specialty shop I want. I am very plugged into the arts here and love to go to live music, readings, lectures, art shows, and performances, so many of which can be enjoyed for little or no money!

I definitely see how city life doesn’t appeal to many people but whenever I think of leaving I can’t imagine anywhere I might like better.”

4. The good and the bad.

“I’m a small town Midwesterner who really romanticized California (particularly coastal California.) I had the opportunity to move there right after college and it was probably one of the best decisions I’d ever made.

Things I liked: the weather was always perfect (even on rainy days, the temperature was still mild.) There was always something to do. There were so many different beaches and I never got tired of seeing the ocean. I did more hiking in the first year I lived there than I’d ever done in my home state. Lots of good shows and music around the Santa Cruz and SF area. SO MANY GOOD RESTAURANTS. Plus, it felt good to go back to my tiny ass town and tell people I moved to California.

Things I disliked: It’s expensive. The traffic is as bad as they say. There also seems to be an air of ignorance with (not all, but some) people native to the area. For instance, when I told people I was from Iowa, someone asked if we had electricity and running water, another person chimed in that they had a cousin who lived in Montana (which is no where even close to Iowa,) and most people had no idea where to even find Iowa on a map. When you’re from a fly over state, you automatically learn which are the “superior” states because they get a lot of coverage in media and entertainment.”

5. Won’t live there again.

“I’m an American, was a serious Irish dancer my whole childhood. I also play music. I wanted to move to Ireland and go to university there — and I did. Overall, it was a great experience especially in terms of local music / dancing and opportunities to learn more. But also I hated my degree program and ended up studying abroad and then transferring to a school in Canada, where I’m much better settled. I still pinch my pennies to go back to Ireland and visit my friends and stuff, but I’d never ever live there long term again.

Also, I hate cold rainy weather and have asthmatic reactions to mold, so Ireland’s climate was actively trying to kill me the entire time I was there. Good times. No regrets, but also wouldn’t repeat.”

6. The Big Easy.

“New Orleans is deeper and broader than I imagined. 20 years later I have no regrets, only memories that I reflect upon and smile. When I tell stories I have to leave things out, because the reality is unbelievable.”

7. Not in love with London.

“Moved to London with stars in my eyes. A year later, all I think now is how is no one speaks to each other and there’s pigeons everywhere.”

8. Seoul.

“Seoul, South Korea!

It’s my first experience in a big city, and I’m not disappointed! Public transportation is great, food is amazing… i eat a lot of Japanese food here tbh. Depending on where you are in the city, night life is crazy. And i find the older parts of the city to be absolutely beautiful. I know for those born and raised in the system it’s a whole different story, but for a 20 year old foreign student, i can say it’s not half bad.

As far as the negatives go however, the lack of nature can be hugely depressing, i pay $400 a month for a 50 sq ft room, dining alone can be difficult, and there’s always trash everywhere in the streets. Honestly though I think i had a decent grip on reality before coming here. People expect these places to be like an instagram-esque dream world. But at the end of the day, it’s just another place you wake up, do your groceries and pay your bills in. All that fun real life stuff.”

9. Finland = Paradise.

“It was Finland for me. Rather weird country to obsess about, but I started learning the language in high school and fell in love with the culture. Went there for an exchange and was shocked at how close to paradise it was! Beautiful nature, friendly and helpful people, good-quality food and more humane pace of life. It helped that I lived with a wonderful host family in a small town – the people you meet are a huge part of your experience in a place. Best part was getting to learn more Finnish!”

10. Spoiled it…

“Hawai’i. It is absolutely gorgeous. Had land there and spent time there during the downturn.

The tourist thing wears off though, and although it is still an absolutely gorgeous place, the cost of living, the corruption in government, and seemingly like every contractor is trying to rip you off spoiled it for me as a long term relocation.”

11. The old country.

“Not as popular but Greece. My maternal grandparents are Greek. It’s a big loud friendly group and had been my entire life. I had a several month long gap before grad school and a great aunt willing to house me so I moved to Patras. The first few weeks were wonderful I did all the tourist things then I realized how forced all of it was. You can’t just ever have a friend over it has to be a major production.

The food was wonderful but every contractor or small business I interacted with took it at a point of pride to tack on added fees or try to scam me. I was stolen from multiple times. The older people particularly the men had no personal boundaries at all and their wives would hand wave off anything. Everything public that wasn’t intended for tourists was falling to pieces. It was just very sad considering how proud I had been of my Greek roots until then.”

12. Everything they wanted it to be.

“Seattle WA. Spent my first 30 years living up and down the eastern seaboard from PA to GA. I was in grad school in SC and inexplicably Seattle just popped in my head one day – no trigger or anything. For the last 6 months of school (2003) it just consumed me – sight unseen I needed to be there. So that’s what I did. Got my degree, packed up my car with no job, place to live or contacts and drove to Seattle.

It could very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy but it was everything I wanted it to be. The city has changed quite a bit with the Amazon explosion but I’m glad I got to live some “old Seattle”. There’s still plenty of treasure to be mined. Sure the luster is gone but I have a family now and still love to explore the city with my daughter. All my old haunts are gone but the fun now is finding new haunts! It’s what we make of it.”

13. Chicago is a great city!

“Probably not a city that people dream about moving to but for me, Chicago. I loved Chicago from age 6 (saw Ferris Bueller), visited a couple times, loved it even more and then moved here three years ago. It feels like home, I absolutely love it here. Sure the winters can suck but I appreciate the nicer days so much more.”

14. New Zealand is A-OK!

“I wanted to go to New Zealand since I was ten and my best friend moved there, I finally went when I was 25 and got a 1-year working visa. It was awesome, I met my husband there, and saw my old friend again.

It’s still great, I would live there if they’d have me!”

15. Doh!

“Tampa, FL. I’m from the Midwest and we ALWAYS associate Florida with spring break and the beach and happy fun times…

Turns out I live an hour from the beach, traffic is the WORST (largest US city without a commuter rail), and the humidity is always 110% and about to kill me. You can’t really be outside and it sucks.

Edit: because first of all I came back after work to a billion notifications, who knew Tampa would get this much conversation started?

AND SECOND OF ALL because someone remind me about THE DRIVING and I just have to add that to this comment that the driving is the wwwwoooorrrrssttt maybe even worse than humidity, read my comment below for passionate rage about pulling over for emergency vehicles (or the lack thereof I suppose).”

The post People Who Were Obsessed With a City or Country Share How They Felt About It After Moving There appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Students Clean Their Own Classrooms and Toilets in Japan

It’s actually common for Japanese people to take responsibility for cleaning public spaces they utilize.

Photo Credit: Needpix

After a recent win over the Colombian football team during the World Cup, the fans naturally wanted to celebrate. But not until they all pitched in to clean the stadium.

This Japanese drive to maintain cleanliness is a concept introduced during their early school years. According to Bright Vibes, the o-soji (cleaning), as it is called, is tradition in Japanese schools.

【News: Japanese-Style Education “Special Activities” /Tokubetsukatsudo(Tokkatsu) Spreads to Egyptian Elementary…

Posted by JICA – Japan International Cooperation Agency on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Making the children clean their schoolrooms and restrooms has nothing to do with lack of manpower. Even though people – called yomushuji, often shortened to shuji – are hired for non-teaching roles like cleaning and maintaining school grounds, children are still taught to clean. The idea is to instill the values of discipline, responsibility and the joint care of spaces into children. It’s a value they go on to hold throughout their lives.

Starting each day (except Wednesdays and Saturdays) after lunch, the students clean for approximately 20 minutes. They start with their own classrooms, then rotate as groups to clean other spaces like the playground, library and common areas. Then, they get recess.

The school gets a longer cleaning on the last day of each semester. The children also get an o-soji song or something else to get them pumped while they clean. Older kids also help teach the little ones what to do, which bonds the kids like siblings.

Once they reach the third grade, children start participating in chiiki seiso – a full neighborhood clean-up.

If you ask me, this Japanese tradition is onto something. If everyone was taught to clean up after themselves starting in early childhood, the world would be a much cleaner place.

What do you think about the practice? Let us know in the comments.

The post Students Clean Their Own Classrooms and Toilets in Japan appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

15 People Share Their Small Town’s Most Recent Scandals

I lived in a small town until I was 10 years old when my family moved away, and I remember that everyone there seemed to know everyone else’s business.

Because that’s how it works in small towns. A lot of gossip, a lot of drama – and when a scandal hits, everyone knows about it.

Here are the latest small town scandals according to AskReddit users.

1. A criminal from the big city.

“A few days ago, Amber Alert sent out an emergency message about a fellow in a green car who had stabbed his girlfriend and stolen their baby out of San Jose, which is 3 hours north of us. Lo and behold, the guy was caught right at our own downtown gas station when the kidnapper accidently locked the baby and his keys in his car, which drew attention to him.

A good samaritan from an entirely different town, (a tourist), put the puzzle together, and put the guy in a headlock until the authorities arrived.”

2. On the loose.

“My small town includes a pretty large zoo and a tapir has recently escaped and is still at large.”

3. Holy sh*t.

“The school gym teacher was fired after being caught masturbating in the equipment room (he was caught by two students). A few days later he killed himself. Everyone is a bit shaken up about it.”

4. He seems really smart.

“A substitute teacher at the high school started smoking a joint in class in front of students.”

5. An epidemic.

“Terrible heroin epidemic. Brother’s best friend who was fairly close to our family overdosed a few days ago. My brother only has maybe 2 childhood friends left because of this.”

6. Damn kids…

“We don’t know who but someone has been going around egging random cars and throwing full water bottles at people’s windshields…”

7. That’s pretty bad.

“Our newly elected mayor (who is a school teacher as well) caused a head-on car crash injuring 2 small children in the other car. She was found to be drunk and it was 330 pm on a weekday. The kicker: she wasn’t charged with a crime (as of yet) but she did resign after “considerable thought.””

8. Meth lab?

“A vacant house exploded and no one is sure what caused it.”

9. Naked bandits.

“My grandparents small town has had a recent outbreak of teenagers riding horses through the middle of downtown, while wearing nothing but facemasks. It has happened a total of three times now, always different kids, always different horses.”

10. This is amazing.

“I left my small town years ago but I was home over thanksgiving and got an earful.

The local grocery store was renovated/expanded after 30 years and now “everything’s moved and you can’t find nothing”.

I was home for four days and literally every new social interaction with people in town involved the goddam grocery store and how awful it is now.

Spoiler: it actually looks quite nice and they hang signs over the aisles telling you where things are. You know, like a grocery store.”

11. Banned!

“The guy thats been trolling our town’s community Facebook page finally got banned. LOL.”

12. Oh My God.

“Not really recent, but the owner of the petting zoo turned out to be a serial murderer and buried 2 corpses under the goat enclosure. A lot of kids volunteer there and walked over them unknowingly. He murdered the couple, and used their house, car and money.”

13. Always the same.

“The scandal in my town is always the same… Someone is sleeping with someone else’s husband… Or the 50 year old dating the 18 year old…”

14. Kissin’ cousins.

“Two cousins just got married. The families all knew when they started dating and didn’t say a word until they were in a committed relationship. They went ahead with it. Wasn’t even very distant.”

15. Not a big fan.

“A married resource officer (aka cop that’s at the school all day) messed around with a married teacher. Both had kids, the teacher was fired, and the cop was pulled off of that duty. Nothing that interesting in its own, but it’s been the talk of the town for about a month.

This is the same town where everyone stares at you if they don’t recognize you. Dealt with that the first 2-3 years I lived here, just constant fucking staredowns lol. Population is less than 700.

I hate small towns.”

The post 15 People Share Their Small Town’s Most Recent Scandals appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Illinois Sold More Than $3 Million Worth of Marijuana on the First Day of Legalization

As a former Chicagoan, all I can say is…why the hell didn’t this happen when I lived in Illinois? I know, I know, things are moving along and more and more places are legalizing marijuana, but it sure would’ve been nice…

And now I live in North Carolina, and I really don’t think legalization is coming anywhere near this state anytime soon…

The Cannabis Joint

But back to the story. Though it was passed into law in 2019, it became officially legal to purchase marijuana for recreational use in Illinois on January 1, 2020.

And apparently, people were pretty fired up about it (who could have expected?).

On January 1st, the first day of legal sales, the state sold nearly $3.2 million of weed. The exact numbers were 77,128 transactions totaling $3,176,256.71. Not bad for a one-day haul, huh?

If you’re curious, the state hasn’t yet released figures for how much tax revenue that will work out to.

Toi Hutchinson, senior advisor to the governor for cannabis control, said:

“As we start a new decade, Illinois has achieved a monumental milestone, launching the legalization of cannabis in a way that includes communities left behind for far too long, creates good jobs and expunges thousands of records for those who have lost out on opportunities and ends prohibition.”

Illinois became the eleventh U.S. state to legalize weed, joining Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Weed

You have to be 21 years old and have a government-issued ID to buy weed in Illinois. Non-residents of the state can also buy marijuana but in smaller quantities. And keep in mind that all purchases must be made in cash, because cash is king baby!

And also because weed is still illegal at the federal level, and banks are wary about working with an industry that is both illegal and legal at the same time.

Time for a road trip?

The post Illinois Sold More Than $3 Million Worth of Marijuana on the First Day of Legalization appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A New Law in Wisconsin Punishes Parents in Bullying Cases

From cities to workplaces to schools and other educational institutions, leaders are looking for better ways to punish bullies. There are initiatives from the White House all the way down to small communities, but on a big scale, nothing really seems to be moving the needle.

So Shawano, Wisconsin, is trying something new – they’re going to make the parents of minor bullies culpable by law, and see if that makes a difference.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by allontheboard (@allontheboard) on


The law applies to online and in-person bullying, and it includes a grace period after the first infraction is met with a warning. The idea is that once parents are aware of the situation, they should have an opportunity (a 90-day period) to deal with the situation themselves before further action is taken.

If the child does not improve after the 90 days and gets caught bullying again, the parents will be fined $366.

Another infraction results in a second fine of $681.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bullyproofing (@bully.proofing) on

Not chump change, especially for families who aren’t well-off to begin with.

Police are hoping that the new law can help them combat both bullying and cyberbullying in the area, says Police Chief Mark Kohl.

“We feel without getting the parent involved, just giving a ticket of fining someone out of this isn’t the answer. This isn’t generated toward the kids being kids, some playground banter. This is the person that is meticulously using social media or saying things that are vulgar in an attempt to hurt, discredit, and really demean a person.”

I’m waiting for follow-up statistics on how this ends up working before making any final judgements on the idea itself, but I applaud their out of the box thinking – and their attempt to get the parents involved in combatting an issue that typically starts at home.

What do you think?

The post A New Law in Wisconsin Punishes Parents in Bullying Cases appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A 62-Year-Old Man Is Currently 38 Years Into a Life Sentence He Received After Stealing $9

A man’s story of spending 38 years in prison is the perfect illustration of just how unfair the U.S. criminal justice system can be sometimes.

Willie Simmons of Enterprise, Alabama, was sentenced to life without parole in 1982 — for stealing $9. He had three prior convictions at the time, so he was prosecuted under Alabama’s Habitual Offender Act, passed in 1977 to crack down on repeat criminals. The prison population has skyrocketed by 840 percent since that law was passed, from 3,455 to over 30,000 prisoners.

Willie was only 25 at the time of his life-changing arrest. Why did he take the money? He was high on drugs and “trying to get me a quick fix.” His trial lasted all of 25 minutes, with no witnesses called and no plea deal offered.

He’s now at Holman, one of the most notoriously violent prisons in the country. Incredibly, he got sober 18 years ago, despite the prison being absolutely filled with drugs and drug use.

Investigative journalist Beth Shelburne shared Willie’s story on Twitter recently.

“Mr. Simmons was 25 when the state said he should die in prison,” Beth wrote. “Today he’s 62. When I asked his age he paused &  laughed. ‘Been so long since somebody asked me that,’ he said. He hasn’t had a visitor since 2005 after his sister died. ‘Haven’t heard from nobody since then.’”

Beth added that Willie is studying for his GED. He “tries to stay away from the wild bunch,” he says. He hasn’t gotten a disciplinary citation in 10 years.

“My hope is to get out of here, settle down with a woman and do God’s will,” he told Beth. “I’d like to tell people about how bad drugs are.”

But after filing appeal after appeal, Willie still has no end in sight. With no lawyer, every one of his appeals has been denied. And in 2014, Beth says, lawmakers removed the last avenue of appeal for “habitual offenders” like Willie. Still, he says: “I ain’t giving up.”

Beth shared the story to demonstrate why Alabama’s habitual offender law “needs to go.”

What do you think? Does it need to go?

The post A 62-Year-Old Man Is Currently 38 Years Into a Life Sentence He Received After Stealing $9 appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

For Some, Public Speaking Is Literally Scarier Than Death—Here’s Why

Many people have a fear of public speaking, but some people definitely have it worse than others. For some, public speaking is literally scarier than death.

In surveys about human fears, public speaking is commonly ranked at the top of the list. In some cases, it’s ranked above dying.

According to Psychology Today, this is because humans evolved to be social animals. Our community-oriented lifestyle helped us survive threats by cooperating with others — helping each other survive, fending off predators together, keeping each other alert, and so on.

When you depend on other humans to survive, social isolation is basically a death sentence. Avoiding isolation is baked into our instincts.

Photo Credit: iStock

“Ostracism appears to occur in all social animals that have been observed in nature,” Kip Williams, professor of psychological sciences at Purdue, told Psychology Today. “To my knowledge, in the animal kingdom, ostracism is not only a form of social death, it also results in death. The animal is unable to protect itself against predators, cannot garner enough food, etc., and usually dies within a short period of time.”

That’s why public speaking is so terrifying — it carries the risk of social rejection, and our bodies react accordingly. Your fight-or-flight response is triggered, and then come the sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, and inability to speak.

Photo Credit: iStock

Overcoming stage fright is all about teaching your body that public speaking can’t actually kill you, which can only happen through experience. The more times you get through it without disaster, the less scary it will be.

So get out there!

The post For Some, Public Speaking Is Literally Scarier Than Death—Here’s Why appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Here Are 10 Banned Baby Names From Around the World

We all have that one friend who named their baby something ridiculous (not naming any names here, but yikes), but if you’re like me, you probably just shrug it off. After all, people have the right to name their baby what they’d like (as long as they’re saving an appropriate amount of cash for therapy).

Actually, we would be wrong, my friends, because there are some names that are genuinely off-limits – at least, depending where on you are.

Here are 10 that might (or might not) surprise you!

10. Ikea (Australia)

Image Credit: Pixabay

Australia’s rules on naming boil down to the name not being “obscene or offensive or contrary to the public interest,” nor can they be “established by repute or usage.”

The last bit prohibited an Aussie couple from naming their daughter Ikea (which you also can’t do in Sweden).

9. Messiah (USA)

The States have very lenient naming laws, with only some states legally preventing people from naming their children obscenities or numbers. However a judge did rule in 2013 that a Tennessee couple couldn’t name their baby “Messiah.”

8. @ (China)

Image Credit: Pixabay

You can’t name your kid after a computer keyboard symbol, says China, not even if you try to say it’s short for ai-ta (love him) in Chinese.

7. Nutella (France)

A French judge ruled that the name – chosen because they hoped their daughter would be sweet and popular – was “contrary to the child’s interest,” and would “only lead to mockery and disobliging remarks.”

She’s called Ella instead, at the insistence of the court.

6. . (New Zealand)

Image Credit: Pixabay

No, not even if you plan to call him “Full Stop.”

5. Robocop (Mexico)

Sonora, a northwestern states, keeps a long and ever-changing list of forbidden names in the hopes that their diligence might “protect children from being bullied because of their name.”

And because the names on the list come straight from recent registries of newborns, we can assume some poor kiddo out there is running around named after a fictional cyborg police officer.

Bless.

4. Monkey (Denmark)

Image Credit: Pixabay

Denmark has a list of 7000 approved baby names, and if you want to choose something that’s not on it, you’re required to seek approval before naming your kiddo.

Sadly for the Danish parents, Monkey doesn’t make the cut.

3. Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii (New Zealand)

I have to agree with the judge who, in 2008, ruled the ridiculous name was basically child abuse and removed the girl from her parents’ custody. At 9, she was going by an initial at school to avoid teasing.

2. Sarah (Morocco)

Image Credit: Pixabay

In Morocco, names must reflect the national identity, and Sarah with an ‘H’ is the Hebrew spelling of the name.

You can choose Sara, the Arabic spelling, no problem.

1. Cyanide (England)

The judge who ruled that the name was out of bounds noted that in England, the court would only step in “in only the most extreme circumstances.”

It sounds like a name for one of James Bonds’ girls

 

Weird, right?

I guess if you wanted to live by yourself on a homestead or in the Canadian tundra or somewhere you could do what you’d like – but I say, just choose a better name.

Sorry.

The post Here Are 10 Banned Baby Names From Around the World appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Woman Who Wore a “Hail Satan” T-Shirt Onto a Plane Was Forced to Change It or Get Thrown Off

I would probably never wear a shirt like this, but we live in a free society where people can wear whatever they want, wherever they want…actually, never mind, this shirt is pretty cool and I admit it that I would probably wear it in public.

A woman named Swati Runi Goyal was recently flying from Florida to Nevada, and, not thinking of potential consequences, she donned a t-shirt that said “Hail Satan. Est. 666” for the trip. The shirt also featured an upside-down cross (for good measure).

But when Goyal boarded her flight, she was told by an American Airlines crew member that she had to change her shirt or she would be removed from the plane.

Goyal is a member of The Satanic Temple, and she bought the shirt to support the organization. Despite the name, the Temple is known for activism on such issues as the separation of church and state, religious freedom, and free speech. Goyal said, “It’s an ironic shirt. People usually laugh at it, or they give me a thumbs-up because they understand the meaning behind it.”

Goyal said about the incident, a crew-member “said, ‘Our crew has found your shirt to be offensive.’ We initially just thought it was a joke. But he repeated the directive, and there was another female crew member who was behind him with her arms crossed looking very angry.”

Goyal and her husband refused to get off the plane. She continued, “The man said, ‘Your shirt is offensive. Do you know what that means?’” I said, ‘I’m a foreign-born minority woman, I understand ‘offensive,’ and this shirt is not offensive.’”

A standoff ensued and the flight crew brought on a customer service agent to tell Goyal she would not be able to fly while wearing the shirt. Eventually, Goyal’s husband gave her a layer of the clothing he was wearing, and she reluctantly agreed to cover up the language on her shirt so the flight could take off.

Goyal said she was humiliated over the incident. “I’m just an ordinary-looking person.I’m not goth. I don’t have piercings. I wasn’t wearing a shirt that had a goat being beheaded on it. [I was] wearing L.L.Bean hiking pants and vegan sneakers. I mean, I couldn’t look like more of a nerd.”

After the flight, Goyal complained to American Airlines. The airline initially refused to apologize and sent an email that read in part that they “have policies in place to ensure that no passengers are subjected to objectionable situations while on board. Our flight attendants have a responsibility to all passengers in our care, and we must sometimes make difficult decisions associated with the application of our policies.”

After Goyal tweeted about her experience and the story went viral, the company said “Discrimination has no place at American Airlines” on Twitter. A spokesperson for the airline said, “We apologize to Ms. Goyal for her experience, and we are reaching out to her to understand what occurred.”

What do you think about this story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

The post Woman Who Wore a “Hail Satan” T-Shirt Onto a Plane Was Forced to Change It or Get Thrown Off appeared first on UberFacts.