Category: Society & Laws

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911 Operators Share Behind-the-Scenes Secrets

There are a lot of jobs in this world that possess some kind of mystery, but most of us don’t spend too much time thinking about what 911 operators handle on a daily basis.

This, despite the fact that around 240 million of us call 911 every year – that’s between 300 and 500 calls per operator per day.

Yeah.

So I think it’s fair to say they’ve probably got their fair share of secrets – and these 10, shared by those with years of experience, are pretty cool.

10. Kid calls are the worst.

Image Credit: iStock

Emergencies involving children will get to even the most experienced operators – like retired dispatcher Rachel Herron.

“Everyone hates a baby call.

If you get a call that a baby isn’t breathing, the whole room gets really, really quiet and all the dispatchers pull for the person giving CPR instructions.

I’ve had a couple that have gone badly and those are hard to let go.”

Truly heartbreaking.

9. They don’t know what happens after they hang up.

Image Credit: iStock

One of the hardest things about their jobs is hanging up and moving onto the next call without knowing the outcome of the one they’re on. Once first responders are on the scene, though, they have to do just that.

Jill, a 14-year-veteran, confirms.

“It is the worst part.

You have this intense moment with this person, it could be the most horrible moment of their life and you’re the first one to help them, and you never find out what happens.”

I wonder how many people get PTSD because of that?

8. There are “regulars.”

Image Credit: iStock

Billy Blume, a long-time dispatcher, says,

“We call them frequent flyers. You kind of develop a relationship with them. You remember them and know how that conversation is gonna go.

It may be someone prone to alcoholism or who has a history of mental illness and you know certain things that work on other calls just aren’t gonna work there.”

Would you have thought this happens?

7. Sports fans are likely to wait too long to call.

Image Credit: iStock

The centers are quiet during major sporting events…but only because fans don’t want to interrupt the game, says dispatcher Amanda.

“You get no calls when the game is on. None. It’s bizarre.

As soon as the game is over, you’ll have 20 guys having a heart attack because they weren’t willing to call during the game.

It’s true every single year.”

No game is THAT important. You can always watch the highlights.

6. Creatives are drawn to the job.

Image Credit: iStock

A lot of dispatchers are there for a paycheck until their other career – author, musician, dancer – takes off.

“You rarely see someone come into a job as a dispatcher where that is their career goal,” says Blume, who is himself an author.

If you’re thinking about signing on for supplemental income of your own, though, think twice – Blume estimates only about 1/3 of new hires make it.

5. They’re very superstitious.

Image Credit: iStock

They never acknowledge a quiet or slow shift, because that’s the best way to get an onslaught of calls.

Shhhhhhhhh!

4. They find ways to keep their hands busy.

Image Credit: iStock

Dispatchers are all good multi-taskers and thrive on those adrenaline-filled moments, but when things are slow, many are browsing social media or knitting to pass the time.

Nikki, a long-time dispatcher, has been doing it so long she can browse Pinterest while she walks someone through how to do CPR.

Yeah.

3. They never ask ‘why’ – and they don’t care.

Image Credit: iStock

They only care about the what and where or your emergency; the why has no bearing on the things they need to accomplish.

Nor should it!

2. They know if you’re lying.

Image Credit: iStock

Callers lie for all kinds of reasons, like saying there have been shots fired in an attempt to get police to come sooner, or an abuser who took the phone from a victim saying everything is fine.

Dispatchers are listening for cues all the time says Blume.

“Usually you can read into tone. A red flag is if, when I call back, they say the call was a mistake, that’s a big difference than if they say it was an accident.

If they say it was a mistake that gives me the impression they were trying to call on purpose and clearly there was a reason why they did it.

You have to be suspicious.”

Very interesting! They’re almost a human lie detector.

1. They suffer trauma.

Image Credit: iStock

A 2012 study found that 911 dispatchers are at risk for PTSD because of the high volume of stressful calls they receive every shift.

Things like this, says dispatcher Jill, are hard to shake off.

“I heard a gentleman take his last breath after being stabbed.

That one bothers me today and it happened seven years ago.

I have a thick skin but not around my heart.”

Dispatchers are likely to suffer insomnia, paranoia, and grief even when they’re not manning the phones – walking around their town’s streets can be reminders of where people suffered and died.

Many of them cope by remembering that most of the time, their involvement is able to make things better for the person on the other end of the line.

I don’t think this is the job for me, y’all, but props to those who do it!

If you’ve done this work, share some stories with us in the comments!

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Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Iconic Collars Were So Special

You may have thought that Justice Ginsburg was just a stylish lady, and enjoyed standing out from her mostly-male coworkers on the bench with her bright white, decorative collars.

Or maybe you assumed she had her reasons, figured they had nothing to do with vanity, but have never remembered to sit and Google the meaning behind them when you got home.

Now that she’s passed, let’s spend a little time just ruminating on her unique brilliance though, shall we?

In her early days, Ginsburg wore traditional lace jabots, but as her career progressed, so did her choices in neckwear. Town and Country magazine says RBG “jazzed up her black robes with some truly dazzling neckwear” for years, and it may not just have been about fashion – it was likely more of a political statement, from time to time.

Harper’s Bazaar reported that Ginsburg “has worn the same sparkling Banana Republic bib necklace as a sartorial way to express her disapproval” since 2012. If you watch closely, you can see her pull it out whenever she disagreed with a Supreme Court decision – perhaps most famously, she wore it the day after Donald Trump was elected as President.

She once told Katie Couric that it “looked fitting for dissents.”

In 2019, Banana Republic reissued the original collar and donated half of the proceeds to the ACLU Women’s Rights Project in honor of Ginsburg’s life work.

“The Notorious Necklace is a re-issue of Banana Republic’s original design from 2012,” said Banana Republic in an email. “As a brand co-founded by a woman, empowerment has always been a part of our DNA and it was a great opportunity to benefit the advancement of women’s right as a continuation of our brand commitment to champion equality.”

Ginsburg also had other “dissent collars” in her collection, though, as well as a “majority opinion collar” – a shiny yellow and rose floral design – a replica of Placido Domingo’s black and white “Stiffelio” collar, and a lacy white piece purchased in Cape Town, South Africa.

In her first official portrait with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, RBG wore a Stella & Dot necklace that Town and Country called “a cross between a feathered wing and spiky armor,” which seemed to state her disapproval of the new justice’s confirmation.

When she first joined the court, Ginsburg told The Washington Post that “the standard robe is made for a man because it has a place for the shirt to show, and the tie. So Sandra Day O’Connor and I thought it would be appropriate if we included as part of our robe something typical of a woman. So, I have many, many collars.”

Image Credit: Steve Petteway

Collars that clearly meant something to RBG, but also, could mean something to anyone else looking up to her for advice, guidance, or hope in the direction of the court in the future.

If I know one thing for sure, Ruth Bader Ginsburg memory – and her choice in dissenting fashion – will continue to bless this nation for a long time.

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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!

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Many People Don’t Realize These Things Are Anti-Poor

People who have never been poor in their lives sometimes don’t realize how people who are poor live in a whole different world from the rest of us. It can be easy to close your eyes to it, ignore it, think the government is taking care of people, when you and the people you love aren’t living inside the experience day-to-day.

When you start to delve into the truth, though, it can make your head (and heart) hurt – so if you’re ready to educate yourself on the reality of being poor in the developed world, here are 13 things you might not realize hurt more than they help.

13. Amen and preach.

The inability to bankrupt student loan debt.

The bankruptcy system was created to encourage economic innovation and growth by providing a safety net to entrepreneurs who take a risk and fail.

So why is higher education — a calculated risk that you’ll become a more productive higher-earning taxpaying citizen — not considered as honorable a pursuit as entrepreneurship?

Today we also have ‘consumer bankruptcy’ that goes beyond helping risk-takers, and allows people to spend indiscriminately and get a bailout.

If we permit consumer bankruptcy (there are valid reasons for it) then loan debt deserves to be even higher on the list of priorities for a society. Instead, we take young adults at the peak of their working career and imprison them at the bottom of the economy, mired in debt. From a purely business/economic standpoint it’s foolish that we allow this; never mind the moral problems with it.

12. This should not be a thing.

When, and IF, you find a REAL grocery store (not some bodega) try and figure out how easy it is to get to that store without a car.

This right here! I grew up in one of these areas, the nearest real grocery store was a 30 min freeway drive or nearly an hour or more on the bus.

These Carnecias (butcher shop) and Bodegas were all over the neighborhoods. A lot of what they sold was either from Costco or other grocery stores and at a high price no less.

It sucked going to them since we didn’t have a car and they were the only option. There were lots of liquor stores as well, it was a food desert and the last time I drove through my old neighborhood it hasn’t gotten any better.

11. All opportunities are not created equal.

The GRE and other standardized tests.

The GRE is like 130-150$ to take… I had to borrow money from my folks to take it.

10. That’s not so good.

‘Charity’ clothes bins.

Contents get sold in bulk to poor countries for a very low price so they can be sold locally.

Things is, local traders that make clothes can’t compete with the volume and low price and get wiped out.

9. Our justice system is nothing of the sort.

The greatest injustice isn’t that the rich have access to good legal representation. It is that the poor do not.

The Common Law legal system is adversarial by design. If you show up under-equipped, then you are going to have a bad time.

In theory, the duty of the prosecution is to merely present evidence that supports each and element of the offense(s) laid out against the accused. This also includes providing evidence that does not support any element of the offense(s) laid out against the accused.

The criminal justice system, again by design, is meant to give the benefit of the doubt and the advantage to the defendant. Because the power of a state is so overwhelming against any private individual (even people like Jeff Bezos can instantly be brought down by the sheer might of the SEC), and the consequences of loss of liberty so dire, the system is designed that each and every element of an offense must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; that, is, a fact finder must be sure. A defendant rarely has the burden of proof and it will almost be to a lower standard of balance of probabilities (or preponderance of the evidence), meaning more likely than not.

The problem with the American criminal justice system is that your prosecution authority is elected. In theory, it sounds great to have the prosecution represent the concerns of the people and be accountable to them. In practice it means you have a prosecution service whose entire mandate is based on convictions to satisfy the public, not justice. Justice isn’t about public opinion.

8. A great injustice.

Requiring references and experience for every entry level job. essentially you need to have had enough money to do an unpaid internship at some point for connections etc.

This is one of the greatest injustices. You could be the “model” poor kid, working hard and getting good grades trying to work your way up. Only to hit this barrier. Heck, I had those internships and the entry level jobs still wanted “5 years of experience”. I was 21, so they expected me to be working in a corporate environment when I was 16?

Also, the obsession with college degrees. Convinced an old co-worker of mine to interview a kid for tier 1 tech support. She wasn’t going to, even though his tech knowledge seemed solid on his resume. Just because he didn’t have a college degree. I pointed out we weren’t paying well enough for a college degree anyway.

He ended up nailing the interview and was hired. To this day one of the best guys I have ever worked with. Getting the job at our company allowed him to afford Junior College and then get a degree from our local state university. So now he has the degree that was originally going to hold him back.

7. And also the bail bond system.

what’s really sad is how it used to make convictions. You spend 30 days in jail unable to make bail and waiting for a trial, then the prosecutor offers you a guilty plea for 30 days of time already served. Whether or not you’ve committed the crime, it’s a no-brainer to take the deal and go home, rather than stay in jail fighting and risking a much heavier sentence.

So you take the deal, and now you have a conviction on your record. Well, what happens the next time you have a run-in with the law? Now you’re treated as someone with priors.

It’s all self reinforcing in a way that enables constant harassment and incarceration of poor/minority communities.

6. That should not be a thing.

Requiring full time availability, but only offering part time hours.

5. Thank goodness for libraries.

Having everything online at a click of a button is a wonderful convenience for many of us, myself included. For others, it’s an insurmountable barrier. The is a huge, huge population out there slipping through the gaps of the system simply because they don’t have regular access to internet and mobile phones.

Public libraries have been holding it together by a thread for years as the only point of online contact for millions, and now they’re been cut way back. Budgets are slashed, libraries closed, equipment outdated – and even if they are able to access a computer, a lot of people don’t have the first idea how to use one.

It’s not just “clueless old fogies” either, it’s including impoverished people of literally all ages and backgrounds, especially in rural areas. Book online, apply online, register online, learn more online, contact us online – so many businesses, services, utilities, news sources, job opportunities, etc are now 100% digital, and it’s simply not accessible.

It’s also one of the many, many reasons it’s an astonishingly a$sholish and tone-deaf thing to judge people living in poverty who have “fancy” smartphones. It’s almost impossible in this day and age to live without some kind of internet connection unless you’re already established/comfortable.

4. They’re not for teenagers, that’s why.

Saying that minimum wage jobs are for students. If they’re for students then why do they hire adults in the first place?

3. That’s awful.

Well a lot of benches in cities are designed to stop homeless people sleeping on them so they are forced to sleep on the floor.

Also there’s a lot more anti homeless architecture just look around your city and you’ll see some of it.

2. It’s getting harder and harder.

The push to be cash-less.

1. They should be free.

Anything that’s required by the government and entails a fee. Things like IDs should be free to get, then a small fee if you lose it before it’s time to renew it or you need rush processing.

Along those lines, laws that aim to eliminate something by making it more expensive. Sin taxes and “Saturday night special” laws are a good example.

Learn something new every day – and when you know better, do better.

Tell me what you’re doing these days to broaden your educational horizon. I want to hear about it in the comments!

The post Many People Don’t Realize These Things Are Anti-Poor appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Discuss What They Think Folks Will Be Nostalgic for in the Year 2060

It’s hard to believe that people will be nostalgic for ANYTHING that’s going on in the world right now, but you never know…

I’m sure people in 1980 thought the world was going to Hell in a handbasket, but 40 years later, 1980 probably looks pretty decent to some people…

But what will people be nostalgic for in the year 2060?

Here’s what people had to say on AskReddit.

1. Privacy.

“Privacy and the ability to go somewhere without seeing 75 cameras all the time.

Went to the beach today and no one was in the water except for me and my friend. Everyone else was waiting for “golden hour” in their dry beachwear.”

2. In-person.

“Playing physical games with friends.

Going to friends’ houses to play basketball/soccer and a few video games, and then have a sleep over.

Socializing to the extent even the youngest here have experienced.”

3. Remember when…

“The short period of time in 2020 when most of us got to spend some time at home with our families, traffic was bearable, people in the supermarkets were asked to keep distance.

As an introvert, I’m gonna miss it for sure.

As a doctor, not so much.”

4. Hang on to it!

“Physical media so you don’t have to micropay for every movie you feel like watching.

When the DVDs and Blu-Rays are no longer in the stores, there will be no reason for streaming services to charge a flat rate.”

5. That’s depressing.

“Driving.

Cars will be 100% automated and it will be illegal to drive your own car on roadways unless you have a special license, because it’s so dangerous.

There will be amusement parks where you can drive a car all by yourself.”

6. Show me the money.

“Paper and metal currency.

Virtual money, wire transfers, alternative finance models, blockchain money will be a norm I anticipate.

It is coming faster than we think.”

7. I really hope not.

“The golden days before covid-25 when you just had to wear a mask instead of a full hazmat suit…”

8. Scary stuff ahead?

“Contemporary weather patterns and jet streams.

Lack of mass migration and climate change refugees.

Clean beaches. Peace in India.”

9. Off the grid no more.

“Being able to go “off the grid” for a weekend.

I may have been the only student my senior year of high school and first few weeks of college not to have a cell phone (Out 200+ person freshman engineering 101 intro class, 5 of us didn’t have a cell phone, and the other 4 were from mainland China.

I was the only one who had the access to phones that would work on American cell phone networks but simply didn’t own one) and then had a pay-as-you-go phone mostly for emergencies for the next two years.

It wasn’t until the summer between my sophomore and junior year that I got a phone on a plan, and that was bc I needed it for a job with “on-call” shifts. Even now, I’m on one of the smaller carriers, so when I go camping for a weekend, I’m frequently out of cell phone range when I’m not on the interstate.”

10. Scary to think about.

“Cashiers.

They were already slowly being replaced by self checkouts, and now covid has put a rush on it.”

11. Not much faith…

“Large animals.

Rhinos, elephants, orangutans, giraffes. I have little faith that we won’t destroy the world.

Looking at the old onesies from our kids pajamas that we packed in a box showing safari animals will become as extinct as dinosaurs, but more painful…”

12. Bleak.

“Jobs.

Most people fail to realize what is happening in industry. They are blaming other people and countries, but the truth is, along aside the technical revolution of phones has been the technical revolution of industry.

Industrial level stepper motors and servos have become so cheap, along side multi core 64 bit control boards, which are so cheap they are essentially disposable, that entire swaths of the labor pool have already been replaced by computers.

The issue here is these incredible control boards are continuing to get better and cheaper, and the software is getting better. Every day the march of technology continues, the closer it comes to replacing Jobs we traditionally think as irreplaceable.

Computers don’t need a break, they rarely make a mistake, and they are cheaper than your labor. We are <10yr from massive disruption in some of the largest employment vectors, like transportation, that is going to put a lot of people out of work.”

13. No!

“Barnes and Noble.

They’re the last major chain bookstore, and they’re not doing well. The one where I am is going out of business after 20 years.

There will not be a bookstore in my city. (I’m in a suburb to LA, so not the middle of nowhere.).”

14. You’re being watched…

“Someone already said privacy, so I’m gonna go for freedom, it’s basically the same but it’s the effect of the lack of privacy.

People change when they know they are being watched.

This is already happening and will only get worse with time and technological improvement.”

15. Look into the sky.

“The night sky.

By that time, Musk, Bezos, and god knows who else, will have hundreds of thousands of satellites in orbit.

Our cities will have doubled in size, and urban sprawl will cause further light pollution. Stargazing will be something future generations will only hear stories about…”

Now we want to hear from all the readers out there.

In the comments, tell us what you think people will be nostalgic for in 40 years.

Please and thank you!

The post People Discuss What They Think Folks Will Be Nostalgic for in the Year 2060 appeared first on UberFacts.

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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!

The post People Talk About What’s Common in Their Country but Rare in Other Parts of the World appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Scotch Whiskey Was Salvaged From an 80-Year-Old Shipwreck and Then Went up for Auction

I bet you didn’t know there’s a whole category of booze known as “sunken scotch,” and it’s all been recovered from the cargo holds of wrecked ships.

Pretty cool, you have to admit, and the prices these casks and flasks fetch at auction is no joke.

The latest find, which was dredged up from the wreck of the S.S. Politician – an infamous, WWII-era vessel that ran aground on its way to Jamaica – was carrying around 28,000 cases of whiskey.

The wreckage was discovered along the rocky Outer Hebrides, and once official salvage attempts had ceased, islanders descended on the bones looking for prizes among the carnage.

The practice is technically illegal in the U.K., but I mean…most of us would consider it more criminal to leave whiskey languishing, no one to enjoy it forever.

The “rescue” of said whiskey, and the subsequent hijinks to evade paying taxes on it, has even been immortalized in books and film (Whisky Galore, 1947), with a recent remake making headlines at the Edinburgh Film Festival, as well.

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Whisky Galore! Two surviving bottles from the shipwrecked SS Politician which ran aground off Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides in 1941. Thousands of bottles were 'recovered' by Islanders who's whisky supplies had dried up due to war time rationing and the story of which was turned into a book by Compton Mackenzie and later, a cult Ealing Studio comedy. Great story, great film! ? . . . . #whiskygalore #whisky #whiskylover #lovewhisky #singlemalt #lovescotland #eriskay #outerhebrides #sspolitician #visitouterhebrides #scottishculture #hebrides #visitscotland #whiskyphotography #productphotography #nikonphotography #nikonpro #commercialphotography #thisisscotland #advertisingphotography #elexiroflife #angelsshare #cultfilm #scottishfilm

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The latest bottle up for sale at the Grand Whisky Auction was recovered by George Currie, a deep sea repairman who was working, at the time, on a subsea cable off the Hebridean coast. He and a team of divers recovered a VAT69, Ballentine’s, and four bottles of a brand that no longer exists, Gibbey’s.

Two bottles of similarly aged bottles from the SS Politician fetched over 12,000 pounds at auction in 2013.

Remember, though, that whiskey ages in barrels, not bottles, so it’s not as if bottled scotch on the bottom of the sea is any older, essentially, than another bottle of booze aged a decade or so in a barrel.

Basically, however it tasted 80 years ago is pretty much how it will taste today.

The offering does come with a diving helmet, bricks from the ship, and an original movie poster from the 2016 remake of Whisky Galore.

Just something to consider, if you’re thinking of taking a secondhand plunge.

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Funny Memes for All the True Crime Lovers Out There

I am a true crime FANATIC.

I love true crime books, movies, TV show, you name it. And it’s been a thing for me since I was a little kid and found a book that my older brother left on the coffee table about different serial killers. I actually still have the book and I flip through it sometimes to remember the good old days…

So, yes, the way I turned out is definitely his fault.

But I’m not alone! You’re here, so you’re obviously just as deranged as I am!

And to celebrate our morbid interests, let’s enjoy these true crime memes together!

1. I’m in!

I mean, can I get in on this conversation?

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

2. Now, isn’t that interesting?

A good way to pass the time.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

3. Do you think it worked?

She might’ve just fallen in love with you.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

4. Winning people over with that knowledge.

At least…well…maybe…?

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

5. Sleep tight.

The fake stuff scares you more, for some reason.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

6. Bring joy into my life!

That’s more like it!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

7. Sorry, we can’t be friends.

We gave it a shot, though.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

8. This is what “busy” means.

Gotta get those crime programs in.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

9. I know what’s going on here.

And so do you!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

10. I find that very disturbing.

And maybe we should question our friendship.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

11. You’re not gonna sleep tonight.

And you know it!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

12. Uh oh!

That’s Jeffrey Dahmer, by the way.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

13. Ahhhh. Isn’t this nice?

Goodnight, Jason Voorhees.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

14. Sounds like someone I know.

Don’t say that out loud!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

Are you a big true crime fan?

If so, tell us about your favorite creepy TV shows, movies, book, etc. in the comments!

We can’t wait to hear from you!

The post Funny Memes for All the True Crime Lovers Out There appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Share What They Think Constitutes Toxic Femininity

I’m not very familiar with the concept of toxic femininity at all. But one article describes it like this: “feminine behaviors, used to manipulate other people and negatively impact the world around the toxic individuals.”

So, based on that, I guess I’d have to admit that’s it a pretty big deal and it happens all over the place.

AskReddit users shared their thoughts about what they think are examples of toxic femininity. Let’s take a look.

1. Here’s the deal.

“To me it would mean women who bag on other women for womaning differently than they do.

This becomes really toxic after child birth. Some women will feel nothing about letting you know how you are parenting wrong by using this product or letting you child do this particular thing.

Women who are able to stay at home will be made to feel guilty for not helping to provide; and women who work are made to feel guilty for abandoning their child.

I wish women were more understanding about dealing with differences and letting things slide a bit more. You should never feel higher after putting someone else down.

That being said, I don’t know how we did it, but I found the worlds greatest group of moms when my son was a year and a half old. We came from all walks of life and supported the ever loving hell out of each other.

This was in Phoenix late 90’s and we were completely tight until I moved away when my son was 5. I miss all of em.”

2. Ugghhh.

“A girl in the grade below me (I’m a senior in high school at this point) passed away unexpectedly due to sepsis. Our whole city was in shock as the girl was in the school just days before her passing.

I remember I met up with my gf at the time & she asked, “Why do so many people care about her dying? It’s not like she was pretty anyways.”

This was the type of girl that says, “What??!! I am SOOO nice.”

Safe to say, the lord blessed me with a brain and I GTFO’D that relationship.

To this day, she is still in contact with me & recently she complained that guys use her & she can’t figure out why nobody will be with her.

Well honey, I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out.”

3. Etc., etc.

“Breast is best” “Women who have C-sections aren’t real mothers” “Real women have curves” “I’m not like other girls” Etc.”

4. This is shocking.

“I will never understand the amount of hate I’ve gotten for having an emergency C-section.

Women often act like I scheduled it ahead of time out of vanity. Like I didn’t want to hurt myself birthing my baby so I deliberately chose the “easy” way. They act like I scheduled it with a tummy tuck and a round of Botox.

Then, the horror when they find out that, because she was born early, there were complications beast feeding. I did everything I could, I even took drugs that made me sh*t myself TWICE to nurse her for four debilitating months, but I’m a monster who didn’t want to mess up her breasts so I selfishly bottle fed after four months.

And I’m also quite thin and my best girlfriend just told me the other day I look “too skinny.”. No. I don’t. I look perfectly healthy, I’m just thin and you’re not and because you feel self conscious you want to project that on to me.

Didn’t say that, cause I love her and that’s mean, but are you f*cking serious?

I’ve experienced ALL of these.

5. Truth!

“As someone who likes most stereotyped housewife activities, I really don’t like people who think humans are so this or that.

I like homemaking, I like taking care of people and sewing/baking. There are some women who just want to be housewives or homemakers.

They can still be empowered and non-submissive.”

6. At school.

“There are the stereotypes about women not being able to do STEM subjects. There is a big push to get girls into that at school.

My sister is TERRIBLE at math and science, it’s not because she was raised in a sexist manner or didn’t have any role models (my mother has a degree in computer science and my grandmother was an organic chemist), it’s just that my sister isn’t good at math.

Where as, I, a guy, am very good at math and science (I’ll soon be going to university of computer science). I have many friends of both genders that are good at STEM subjects and friends from both genders that are bad at them.

I do not think any less of any of my friends for their abilities, or lack there of, in STEM. Some people are just good at those subjects and some people are just bad at them.

What’s important is that they go on to have satisfying careers and lives.”

7. Doesn’t matter.

“The idea that a woman should be let off for hurting her spouse since ‘men are stronger’.

As if the definition of abuse changes depending on your gender.”

8. Your cheating heart.

“Women who get mad at other women for warning them that their man is cheating on them.

Also, Women who get mad at only the other woman instead of both the other woman and their man.”

9. Interesting…

“I recently learned about “Gold Star” lesbians, who’ve never had s*xual contact with men, and discriminate against other lesbians who have.

Ain’t that some sh*t?

Like, I’m sure many people who now identify as gay/lesbian went through a lot of experimentation before they figured out who they were.

That’s not something to berate people over.”

10. Weird.

“Women judging other women for using different types of menstrual products.

Some women who use tampons often sh*t on women who prefer pads.”

11. Don’t share that.

“My ex would complain that I would never send her sweet or heartfelt messages.

I used to try but she constantly screenshots and shares everything with her friends.

It’s very hard to open up and be intimate and vulnerable with someone who shares everything with everyone.”

12. A bad situation.

“Getting pregnant in order to entrap a guy, then alienating the kids from him when the inevitable breakdown of the relationship occurs.

Happening to a friend of mine right now. He hasn’t been able to see his kid since March because he was at risk and my friend was still working.

Yet,the mum has had friends around for parties and today even took him on a local holiday in a town about six hours away. Meanwhile, my friend can’t even see his own son from a short distance.

Hes mentioned how He used to pay for the house and gifts etc and I just utterly broken right now. I know it takes two to tango but this woman seems to really hurt him on purpose.”

13. Not good.

“Women who defend their abusive exes.

‘What do you mean he needs a good women to fix him?! What I wasn’t a good woman so I deserved it?!’”

How about you?

Have you ever had to deal with toxic femininity?

If so, please tell us about it in the comments. Thanks!

The post People Share What They Think Constitutes Toxic Femininity appeared first on UberFacts.