Category: World Culture

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This Is How Much Teachers Make in Each State

If there’s one thing most everyone can agree on in these extremely divisive times, it’s this: teachers in America don’t make enough money.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

We’ve recently seen teachers walkout and protest to demand better wages in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North Carolina, and hopefully lawmakers will pay attention and increase pay for educators across the board. A website called howmuch.com compiled the states from coast to coast and made some handy maps detailing how the average salary for teachers in each state for elementary, middle school, and high school teachers.

Photo Credit: How Much

Photo Credit: How Much

Photo Credit: How Much

The national average for teachers across the board is $49,000 annually. Obviously, wages vary depending on the region where a teacher works. New York leads the way in pay, and Alaska, Connecticut, and California round out the top four.

h/t: Mental Floss

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How to Offend Everyone: Create a Map that Compares the Education Level in Each State to a Corresponding Country

We all know Americans like to think they’re number one at just about everything, but the truth is…that’s just not the truth. In fact, perhaps it’s their low education levels that makes them believe such a thing in the first place!

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation, American students rank 28th in math and science scores (for those not good at math, it means there are 27 better countries). The educated people at Home Snacks made a map of the United States comparing each state with a foreign country that is said to have similar education levels, using the United Nations Development Program index. Understanding this map will take knowledge of both United States and world geography, which means you’ll most likely get it if you live in the Northeast.

Photo Credit: HomeSnacks

Here it is zoomed in, if that helps you focus.

Photo Credit: HomeSnacks

The Northeast and Midwest tend to be on a similar track as European countries.

Photo Credit: HomeSnacks

While the Southeast is largely comparable to Central America and Africa.

Photo Credit: HomeSnacks

The Northwest appears to be the most diverse.

Photo Credit: HomeSnacks

Although the Southwest is pretty diverse in its own right.

I guess like everything else in America, there are advantages and disadvantages to living in every nook and cranny of the country – but I’m not placing any bets on people deciding to forgo their home state for better education grounds anytime soon.

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15 Professional Chefs Reveal What the Average Home Cook Is Getting Wrong

There are plenty of us who believe we’re pretty handy in the kitchen, but like with any skill, the more you do it, the better you get. So from people who do it every day, here are some quick tips on ways you can improve your cooking and baking experiences at home.

#15. Meat water.

“Not thoroughly drying their defrosted meat before cooking. So many people don’t understand why their meat wont form that delicious crust before it’s cooked completely through (esp regarding chicken). It’s because you’re steaming it in meat-water instead of frying in fat.”

#14. Makes my skin crawl.

“Not using a knife correctly. Holding it wrong, chopping like a neanderthal instead of slicing, not using a cutting board. You ever seen someone slice a tomato with a steak knife on a dinner plate? Makes my skin crawl.”

#13. No idea!

“Not following the recipe. I made these cookies it I substituted the baking powder for baking soda, cut the sugar in half, used wishes instead of butter and baked them at 700 because I’m in a hurry. I have no idea why they taste terrible!”

#12. Boil no more.

“That the only way to serve vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli is to boil the shit out of them.

For once, try roasting then in the oven for a little instead, if you can’t have them fresh and as is.”

#11. Like, yesterday.

“BUY A GOOD KNIFE. NOW.”

#10. Batches!

“Putting too much into a single pan. If you’re trying to brown, stir fry or sear, don’t pack it full. It saps heat, and often you might end up steaming what you’re trying to cook. This is something I notice a lot when someone makes me stir fry, and shit’s all soggy. Batches!”

#9. Wait the ten minutes.

“I’m a trained pastry chef who now works as a baker, and I cannot begin to describe how much preheating your oven matters. Food cooks unevenly in a cold oven. Meats, roasts and poultry can’t brown in a cold oven. with baking you use yeast, baking soda and baking powder as leavenings, which – surprise! – all work thanks to heat.

If you’re throwing in frozen, precooked chicken tenders, okay, whatever. but don’t ruin your pot roast over forgetting to punch a few buttons and deciding you can’t wait ten minutes.

Also, if your oven seems off (things take way longer to cook than they should, etc) GET AN OVEN THERMOMETER. You can get ones the clip right to the rack and be done with it. it’ll improve your cooking ten fold to have a properly heated oven.”

#8. More salt.

“Your noodle water needs more salt.

Nope still not enough. It has to taste like seawater.”

#7. All that is holy.

“Tossing meats and veggies to cook in the pan in whatever order as you chop them up.
Cutting produce in uneven sizes or tossing a bunch of different produce on a pan for a one-sheet dinner without considering what size the pieces should be to cook at the same time.
Relying on canned or processed items instead of fresh like premade gravy, canned soup, pre-shredded lettuce, or bottled lemon or lime juice ect.
Not layering flavor by doing things like: brining meat, marinating meat, searing meat, adding a splash or acid/citrus/vinegar, roasting or caramelizing veggies, letting sauces reduce down, basting lean meats with fat, warming up bread/buns/tortillas, ect.
Being afraid to use salt and fat for flavor.
Finally, for the love of all that holy, use fresh aromatics. Fresh garlic and ginger are your friends.”

#6. Shocking!

“People don’t salt their meat enough. When I have people over and they see how much salt I put on a steak they are shocked; tell me it’s too much. Some people even tell me they don’t like salt and to not put any on their steak before grilling. No, I will not do that. Universally my steaks are hailed as some of the best they have ever had.”

#5. You’ll ruin your blade.

“Don’t scrape ingredients off your cutting board with the cutting edge of your knife! Use the back of the knife for that.”

#4. The Silk Road.

“Slow and low heat treats most dishes and preparations well. Also, you can achieve incredible meals with a basic spice pallete. No need to explore the Silk Road for something crazy.”

#3. Let it breathe.

“Last time I saw a similar chef advice post, I learned to let steak rest a few minutes after coming off the grill, before eating. Holy crap, what a difference that makes….”

#2. Life changing.

“Boil spaghetti/other pasta types until it’s still this side of al dente. Drain. Add the pasta sauce, finish cooking the pasta and sauce together. Bene!!

–Italian from Naples, Italy taught us all how to cook pasta when we did it American-style: separately served the cooked pasta, then a scoop of pasta sauce on top. She was aghast. Brought us to the kitchen, started from boil oil-salt water, thru the proper procedure. Life changing.”

#1. Don’t be afraid.

“Don’t be afraid to use herbs and spices…but also be sure to use the right kinds and the right timing!

Some people just throw in a bunch of herbs and they completely contrast each other. Some people throw in their herbs way too early and the flavor gets cooked out and diluted over time.

I suggest looking up good pairings online and experimenting with ones you like!”

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15 Americans Share Their Tips for People Visiting the USA for the First Time

Visiting a foreign country for the first time can be intimidating, especially if you come from a totally different culture or practice varied customs. It’s helpful to have someone to guide you, and while some of these pieces of advice won’t apply to everyone traveling, they’re undoubtedly informative and helpful if you’re planning your first trip stateside!

#15. Never been disappointed.

“See the National Parks!

I’ve never been disappointed by one. The U.S. National Park system is one of the best things about the country.

If you’ve never been to one, start with the Grand Canyon, but there are plenty more that are worth seeing. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Sequoia, Glacier….

The U.S. is very, very big and has a lot of beautiful sights to see. In my opinion, just about everything west of the Rocky Mountains is breathtakingly gorgeous.

Don’t forget Alaska and Hawaii! They’re included in that.

You could probably plan twenty separate vacations to the U.S. and still not come close to seeing all of the best stuff.”

#14. Quite friendly.

“Americans are actually quite friendly and it is not weird at all for strangers to make idle chat with you as you’re waiting in line, riding up an elevator, or in some way sharing a common space for a short amount of time. If they catch that you’re from out of town, I can guarantee you’re gonna get questions and interest from them.”

#13. Plan to drive.

“If you’re going outside of New York, DC, or the relatively few other cities that have good public transport, plan to drive. Check the website of the state(s) you’re visiting to see if you need an International Driver’s Permit and budget for a rental car. Public transportation does exist, but isn’t the greatest in most areas.”

#12. Be prepared.

“The US is BIG. Thinking about driving somewhere out of state? Double check your driving time. Tipping is a thing. Be prepared for that.
You can often get unlimited free refills at many restaurants. Live it up while you can. Live life on the edge. Go head, take that right on red. (As long as you come to a full stop first) Eat BBQ, Mexican food, and hamburgers. These are things we do better than pretty much everyone. Enjoy them.
If you like beer, checkout our booming craft beer industry. Over the last decade or so the US has gone through a sort of beer renaissance. Unlike the past, US breweries now produce some of the most sought after beer anywhere in the world.”

#11. Don’t flyover.

“If you have time, take a train ride from the east coast through the Midwest. The US IS HUGE. Seeing it by train is great.”

#10. A horrifying moment.

“DO NOT try and bribe the cops if you get pulled over.

That was a horrifying moment courtesy of a foreign exchange student.”

#9. No details required.

“Hi how are you” , “how’s it going”, and “hey what’s up” are just greetings. Feel free to just say hey in return it doesn’t necessarily warrant a legitimate response.”

#8. Fall in love.

“Try root beer. I’ve heard it’s virtually unheard of outside the US and many foreigners will try it and either fall in love or hate it. For some reason, this is fascinating to me.

Also, barbecue.”

#7. Personal space.

“Pleeeeeeease respect personal space. Americans have a concept of personal space that some countries do not. While some Americans are understanding, most are not, and having someone stand close enough to touch you accidentally is often unnerving.”

#6. Very good advice.

“If someone tries to put their mixtape in your hand, promptly return it and decline.”

#5. Try this.

“If you’re driving and need to fuel up and you’re using presumably a non-US credit card at a pump, try using 00000 or 99999 when it asks for your zip code to confirm the purchase. It doesn’t work at all gas stations, but enough to try it so that you might avoid having to go inside to prepay.”

#4. Be ready.

“Be ready for directness and prolonged eye contact. To Americans traveling abroad, be ready for the opposite.”

#3. Taxes.

“The price you see on an item in a Store is not the real price.

Each city, county, and state have different taxes on different things, and they are tabulated at check out. So (generally) expect the total price to be 3-10% more expensive than the sticker price.

This is because the US does not have a standard VAT tax or a GST, they have a web of Sales Tax, beverage tax, soda tax, gas/petrol tax, luxury tax and other taxes all at different rates.

For example, Delaware has zero sales tax whereas neighbouring Maryland has a 6% sales tax

Pennsylvania also has a 6% sales tax, but Philadelphia has an additional 2% sales tax on top of the State, making their sales tax 8%

So don’t panic, you’re not being ripped off, they just don’t tell you the true price until the end.”

#2. Still massive.

“Portion sizes in restaurants. Born and raised in Oregon and the portions are still massive.”

#1. Bring the cash.

“Travel within the US is pretty expensive compared to Europe. LA to NYC is around $300-500 dollars. LA to SF is around $100. It makes sense since it’s quite a large piece of land. So if you’re gonna vacation here, it’s probably best to focus on certain areas rather than trying to see the whole country.”

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Video of Two Lynx Screaming at Each Other Will Look Familiar to Anyone with Siblings

“Stop touching your brother!”

“I’ll pull this car over right now!”

“What are you even fighting about $(*@(!!)!!!”

Cue descent into madness.

Every parent of more than one child ever has walked into an argument over nothing that sounds like incoherent screaming. Screaming that grabs onto your spine and won’t let go.

And that’s exactly what it sounds like these two lynxes are doing in this video captured by Nicole Lewis near Avery Lake in Ontario, Canada. According to National Geographic, the animals have these confrontations over territorial meltdowns (just like your children!).

But yeah. It totally sounds like they’re just yelling over something they’ve both forgotten about by now. Welcome to parenthood, animal-style.

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Man Sets the Record Straight About the Largest Slave Rebellion in Colonial American History

The largest slave rebellion in North American history – the Stono rebellion – is commemorated by a small signpost in South Carolina and a total of three sentences. But one man took to Twitter to (epically) set the record straight.

So here’s your history lesson for the day all wrapped up in a neat, tidy Twitter thread.

Here’s the original signpost:

Photo Credit: Twitter

And so begins your education:

Photo Credit: Twitter

You’re not the only one just learning about this now.

Photo Credit: Twitter

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12 Lessons Passed down from Child-To-Child Without Help from Adults

Which flavor popsicle tastes the best. Which swing on the playground goes the highest. Where to meet up after dark to go hunting for ghosts. There are certain things that you can only learn before the age of twelve – and certain things you can only learn from other kids while the adults remain adorably clueless.

#12. Break your mother’s back.

“Don’t step on the lines.”

#11. Jingle bells.

“Jingle bells Batman smells”

#10. When I was young.

“How to make one of those origami fortune teller things.

I’m not sure if kids still do it, but when I was young how to fold a single page note into an envelope to give to a friend.”

#9. Eeny meeny.

“Methods to decide who is “it”. Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish.

Eeny meany miney moe. Etc.”

#8. I died laughing.

“As an elementary school kid from 89-96 when talking about our boy parts we refferred to them as “Nards”. I am 14 years older than one of my brothers and when he was in the 3rd grade he was telling a story about how ball hit him in his “Nards”. I died laughing that day as I had totally forgot about calling them that.”

#7. Definitely go ask.

“That if one parent says no, definitely go ask the other parent to see if they’ll say yes.”

#6. Buy me a coke.

“That you yell “Jinx!” when you say something at the same time as someone. May also involve counting to ten and proclaiming that the other person owes you a coke.”

#5. Pea green soup.

“I always knew it as various prompts. You’d prompt someone to repeat the same phrase in response to you. So for example, pea green soup.

“What’d you have for breakfast.”

“Pea green soup”

“What’d you have for lunch?

“pea green soup”

What’d you have for dinner?”

“pea green soup”

“What’d you have for a snack?”

“Pea green soup”

“What’d you do all night?

“Pea green soup”

giggles”

#4. No one was told.

“That when you’re in the car and it’s raining, you watch raindrops run down the windows and pretend they’re racing each other. No one was told to do this. Yet somehow everyone did.”

#3. MASH.

“The MASH (Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House) game to predict our futures haha.”

#2. The right way.

“Waving pencils the right way makes them look rubbery.”

#1. That one thing.

“That thing where you wiggle your middle fingers upside down? Anybody know what I’m talking about? Where you put your hands together and it’s like some Egyptian seeming thing?”

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12+ People Dish on What Temptation Is Totally Not Worth Giving in To

There are a million little things that tempt us every day, and some are easier to resist than others. Case and point, I just ate FIVE homemade chocolate chip cookies in lieu of lunch.

It was totally worth it.

These 15 things may not be, though, so take heed!

#15. Forever wiped out.

“Taking advantage of someone close to you, it could be financially, emotionally (underrated), sexually or any variety. That moment of “gain” can be forever wiped out by the opportunity to have a friend or a family member there for you in a bigger moment of need.”

#14. Are you sure?

“Eating an entire bag of Doritos in one sitting.”

#13. That might change.

“The concept of a “hall pass” when married.

Had a buddy who found that one out the hard way. Your SO might say they are fine with it, but that might change in a damn hurry.”

#12. No changing opinions.

“Arguing politics on reddit. Nobody goes online to have their opinions changed. It doesn’t matter how carefully prepared and eloquent your argument is.”

#11. Worth so much more.

“Avoiding holidays and trips and expensive treats simply because you’re scared of parting with your money.

Saving your money is awesome. Good on you for doing that. But it is SO IMPORTANT to spend a little of that money on yourself. Go away on a road trip. Pay to have your parents fly down to visit for Christmas. Buy yourself some fancy whiskey and drink it whenever you feel like it. Don’t hide it away at parties, hoping for a ‘more special’ occasion to pop up one day. Don’t be afraid to spend that money on yourself sometimes.

Experiences are worth so much more than what you pay for them.

My partner is obsessed with buying a house before we’re too old to pay off a mortgage (his dad lives in self-caused poverty). I am obsessed with travelling and experiencing life before we’re too old to enjoy the more extreme stuff (my parents never did anything or went anywhere). We both know what the shit ends of the spectrum look like, so we’ve met halfway and we are saving so we can do both. We go on roadtrips every year for our anniversary, and we put money aside in our savings for a house too. You gotta find that happy medium.”

#10. On marriage.

“The “told you so” on your spouse. Like 99.9% of the time it’s not worth it. If you have to do it, do it with a look only, trust me on this.”

#9. Full stop.

“Brake testing someone who’s up your ass when you’re going 85 on the motorway.”

#8. Outweighs the rest.

“The feeling of reconnecting with your ex. Those sweet and happy memories.. but s/he is not worth of your time anymore. All those damage and pain s/he brought to you in the past outweighs the rest.”

#7. It catches up to me.

“An unhealthy lifestyle. Sure it might be easy to eat like shit and not exercise regularly, but it catches up to you really fast. It’s also hard to change your lifestyle after you get stuck in that rut.”

#6. Your own problems.

“Blaming other people for your own problems.”

#5. You might not recover.

“When you’re trying to change your lifestyle (changing your diet or activities) and you decide to ‘treat yourself’ to a taste of what you used to do, just to see if it’s still tempting.

It is. And you might not recover from a slip up like that. There’s a good chance that it’ll cement your decision and you’ll grow from it, but there’s also a greater chance that you’ll recede from the progress you’ve made.”

#4. Long story short.

“Calling your boss all the names you fantasize about. It can be so so tempting, but even if it is your last day on the job and you are never going to see them again, they can still impact your career years or even decades down the line. Knew a guy who told his mechanic boss to suck himself sideways on the last day. Well, turns out new boss was old boss’s friend. Didn’t even get to start his first day before he was fired.

Long story short, don’t mess with people who can end your career.”

#3. Last call.

“That “last call” drink. I’ve never woken up from a night out drinking and thought, “wow! I’m so glad I had that tequila shot right before bed!”

#2. Just don’t.

“Scratching at a healing tattoo.”

#1. They thought it was so cool.

“I think for most people it’s smoking. Lots of my friends got into it because they thought it was so cool when they were teenagers.”

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12 People Reveal the One Lesson They Had to Learn the Hard Way

Some lessons, like not touching a hot stove and looking both ways before crossing the street, can be taught and learned with only a brief discussion. Others are best learned on one’s own, no matter how hard the results can be to stomach.

These 12 people reveal the ones they wouldn’t have learned as well any other way.

#12. Doesn’t forget.

“The tax man doesn’t simply forget you exist.”

#11. Once a cheater…

“If she cheats on her ex for you, she’ll cheat on you for someone else.”

#10. Sensitivity.

“Icy Hot is not meant for your sensitive areas.”

#9. Not forever.

“As much as you love someone, and as much as they love you, your relationship can still end.
You can be the wrong people for one another, but still in love.
You can be the right people for each other, but under the wrong circumstances.
And you can be the perfect people for each other, but only for a certain amount of time, not forever.”

#8. Advice for men.

“Wash your hands after eating hot wings before taking a piss.”

#7. Never again.

“I was a little kid and wondered what it would be like to be stung by a hornet. I saw a hornet. Touched its backside.

Never again.”

#6. You can’t change a person.

“That you can’t change a person, they have to want to change themselves.”

#5. A lot harder.

“It’s a lot harder to fix something than it is to avoid breaking it. (Read: it’s a lot easier to be frugal than to get out of debt; it’s a lot easier to develop healthy habits (e.g. eating well, exercise) when you’re young and healthy than to try to change your habits after you’ve developed health problems and your metabolism has slowed; it’s a lot easier to be honest in a relationship than to try to fix a breach of trust. All of those “it’s easier” things are super hard, but the alternatives suck a lot more.)”

#4. Checking temperatures.

“To see if an iron is still hot, hold your hand an inch or two away from it.

6-year-old me put my palm flat against it.”

#3. Just in case.

“Bring an extra pair of glasses (or contacts) with you on vacation in case you lose or break them.”

#2. There are no words.

“Toothpaste isn’t a good lube.”

#1. Questioning everything.

“The intricacies of the female cycle.

I had just moved in with my girlfriend.

I had come from a home where everything was always pristine, we had a housekeeper, everything was always in its place and clean.

My girlfriend did not. She’s messy, but cleans eventually.

Now, as a man I understand the basics of what happens during that time of the month, but I never thought about it at all.

The first weekend we were moved in together, it was that time. What I didn’t know what that when she buys her tampons, she also gets her hair dye, and does it once a month.

Now, all women and most men have probably caught on that she is NOT a natural red head. Now, periods I knew a little about but hair dye? Absolutely nothing.

I walked into our bathroom after what would be the first of many monthly rituals, and I gagged. I looked around horrified, and then threw up.

What I saw: Dark red. Red in the shower, red toilet paper in the garbage, red all over the shower.

What she saw: Me throwing up, doubled over, questioning everything.

“I don’t understand?! The shower…gag…the shower walls?! gag Were you spinning around?! WHY ARE THERE GLOVES?!”

This was followed by her laughing hysterically for…it’s been 13 years now. I still have not lived that down.

TL;DR: Thought my GF became Carrie once a month.”

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