Category: World Culture

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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.

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Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates in America Are out of Control

Isn’t that a headline you just love to see?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the sexually transmitted disease rate in the United States continues to rise in 2019. The report that the CDC released in October of this year shows historically high rates of chlamydia and the worst rates of gonorrhea and syphilis in almost 30 years – since 1991.

One of the most alarming statistics in the report concerns congenital syphilis, which has seen a 40% rise since 2017. The condition is potentially fatal and is passed from mother to fetus through the placenta.

This marks the fifth year in a row that sexually transmitted infections have been at an all-time high.

In a press release, the CDC addressed the situation:

“Data suggest that multiple factors are contributing to the overall increase in STDs, including:

Drug use, poverty, stigma, and unstable housing, which can reduce access to STD prevention and care.

Decreased condom use among vulnerable groups, including young people and gay and bisexual men.

Cuts to STD programs at the state and local level – in recent years, more than half of local programs have experienced budget cuts, resulting in clinic closures, reduced screening, staff loss, and reduced patient follow-up and linkage to care services.”

The states with the highest rate of chlamydia infection: Alaska (nearly 800 cases per 100,000 people), Louisiana (742), Mississippi (707), New Mexico (651), and South Carolina (649). The states with the lowest rate of infection are West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah, and Maine.

These statistics are pretty frightening, to say the least…

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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.

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The Time Record for Driving Across America Was Just Broken

If you haven’t heard of it, the Cannonball is a race from New York to Los Angeles that racing aficionados are constantly trying to win. There are no official rules or regulations because…well, it’s pretty much illegal; in order to break the record for the fastest cross-country time, you have to break a whole lot of traffic laws.

Just like the movie The Cannonball Run, remember?

But the fact that it’s illegal doesn’t stop people from trying to break that illustrious record all the time. And some guys in a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG just demolished the previous record, in place since 2013, by driving from New York to L.A. in 27 hours and 25 minutes.

The previous record? 28 hours and 50 minutes.

The two drivers, Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt, and their “spotter,” Berkeley Chadwick, left the east side of Manhattan at 12:57 A.M. on November 10 and reached Redondo Beach, California in literal record time.

They drove on I-80 through Nebraska, took I-76 to Denver, I-70 to the middle of Utah, and then took I-15 to Southern California’s interstate system. They drove a grand total of 2,825 miles, and Toman and Tabbutt averaged a very illegal 104 miles per hour during the journey. Incredibly, they managed to spend only 22-and-a-half minutes on fuel stops. I’m assuming they ate and went to the bathroom in the car.

Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

The group was obsessed with beating the previous record, so they outfitted the car with a custom-fabricated fuel cell and all kinds of electronic gadgets. Berkeley Chadwick acted as the spotter using gyro-stabilized binoculars to look out for police.

Here’s a cool video about the newly-broken record.

Let’s see how long this record stands…

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These Are 7 of the Hardest Countries for Americans to Visit

Americans are fortunate to be able to travel most of the globe with minimal restrictions. That said, there are some spots that are less-than-welcoming to people from the States (sometimes, understandably so). Just a warning: you might want to think twice before attempting to stamp your passports in these 7 countries.

7. Iran

The State Department says “There is a very high risk of kidnapping, arrest, and detention of U.S. citizens in Iran.” If you’re dying to visit the Middle East, don’t choose Iraq, either – but Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is totally safe (and has killer authentic Iranian food).

6. Libya

This northern African nation is a hotbed of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict. That’s a trifecta+, so do not go. Nearby Egypt and Morocco are much more popular, but not entirely safe, either.

5. Mali

The State Department says Mali is rife with terrorism, kidnaping, and crime – consider heading to the much safer Senegal, instead.

4. South Sudan

With crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict risks, you should consider the somewhat-safer Ugandan mountain region. Gorillas!

3. Venezuela

Here, you’re looking at the potential for violent crime, like armed robbery, homicide, and carjackings, along with civil unrest, poor healthcare, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. But there are plenty of beautiful South American countries (almost all the others, in fact) waiting to safely welcome you to their shores.

2. Yemen

With a years-long proxy war being waged between Saudi Arabia and Iran here, there is heightened risk of targeted terrorism, civil unrest, disease, kidnapping, and, of course, getting caught in that. armed conflict. Unless you’re with Doctors Without Borders, there’s really no reason to feel pulled to Yemen – it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Oman is also on the Arabian Sea, and it’s supposed to be lovely, though, so consider that!

1. Central African Republic

More crime, more civil unrest, and risk of being kidnapped wait for you in this land-locked African country. And to make matters more dangerous, it’s sandwiched between other countries that come with warning labels.

You can hang out in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, instead – there are gorillas and everything.

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Postal Service Releases New Stamps Benefiting Veterans With PTSD

One thing that our divided nation can all get together to support is helping out our veterans. And even though the task may seem daunting to many of us, one easy way we can all help out is by purchasing these new stamps the United States Postal Service has put out to benefit military veterans suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sales of the stamps (which cost 65 cents and will cover the cost of a piece of first-class mail) will benefit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which oversees the National Center for PTSD.

The photo of the plant sprouting from ground surrounded by dead leaves on the stamp was taken by Mark Laita. The USPS says the image on the stamp is meant to “symbolize the PTSD healing process, growth and hope.”

The USPS explained the motivation behind the stamp:

“With this semipostal stamp, the U.S. Postal Service will raise funds to help treat those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Tens of millions of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetimes. Today, the nation is increasingly dedicated to compassionately treating this mental health issue.

Many kinds of trauma can lead people to experience persistent symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping. Depression, anxiety, and fear can also occur. Though these symptoms may initially interrupt one’s daily life, for most people they typically dissipate over time. However, if these problems continue for more than a month, PTSD may have developed.”

Go to your local post office to pick up these stamps or you can order them online HERE. Your money will go to a great cause.

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Kansas City Is the First U.S. City to Offer Free Public Transit

Imagine being able to ride your city’s bus or train and go anywhere for free. That’s the reality in just one groundbreaking U.S. city.

In Kansas City, Missouri, people will soon be able to ride on any bus or light rail without paying a fare of any kind. The city is the first in the country to approve a plan for free public transportation.

Kansas City’s streetcar has been free for some time, and a plan to eliminate bus fares for 2020 was approved by the city council in December 2019.

City officials estimate that the new plan will cost $8 million, which is about how much the transit system makes off of bus fares and monthly passes each year.

However, it will also likely make residents’ lives a whole lot easier, especially low-income residents.

“When we’re talking about improving people’s lives who are our most vulnerable citizens, I don’t think there’s any question that we need to find that money,” City Councilman Eric Bunch told KSHB.

By making it easier for folks to get around, officials also hope that the plan will ultimately boost economic activity to make up for the lost money.

Photo Credit: iStock

Accessible public transit is a hot-button issue in many cities in the U.S. Many young activists praise mass transit as a possible way to fight the effects of climate change, and many large fossil fuel interests spend liberally to try and prevent the expansion of public transit systems.

However, no city has successfully enacted a plan for free public transit — until Kansas City. On the contrary, larger cities like New York City are famously cracking down on folks who ride the subway without paying (though New York has decades of mismanagement to thank for their current funding woes).

The success or failure of Kansas City’s plan will impact whether other cities follow suit, but it’s impossible to know how it’ll turn out without first trying — so hats off to you, KC!

Hopefully you’re the first of many.

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Here Are the 100 Most Popular Baby Names of the Decade

Baby names come and go, and it’s always interesting to see what sticks and what’s ultimately a flash in the pan. Have you wondered what the most popular names for kids have been the past ten years or so?

The numbers have been crunched from information from the Social Security Administration from 2010 to 2018 to give us the most popular baby names of the past decade.

Did you have any new kiddos in the past ten years? If so, did any of these names make the cut for you?

Tell us all about it in the comments!

1. Emma

Photo Credit: Pixabay

2. Sophia
3. Olivia
4. Noah
5. Isabella

Photo Credit: Pixabay

6. Liam
7. Jacob
8. Mason
9. William
10. Ava

Photo Credit: Pixabay

11. Ethan
12. Michael
13. Alexander
14. James
15. Elijah

Photo Credit: Pixabay

16. Daniel
17. Benjamin
18. Aiden
19. Jayden
20. Mia

Photo Credit: Pixabay

21. Logan
22. Matthew
23. Abigail
24. Emily
25. David

Photo Credit: Pixabay

26. Joseph
27. Lucas
28. Jackson
29. Anthony
30. Joshua

Photo Credit: Pixabay

31. Samuel
32. Andrew
33. Gabriel
34. Christopher
35. John

Photo Credit: Pixabay

36. Madison
37. Charlotte
38. Dylan
39. Carter
40. Isaac

Photo Credit: Pixabay

41. Elizabeth
42. Ryan
43. Luke
44. Oliver
45. Nathan

Photo Credit: Pixabay

46. Henry
47. Owen
48. Amelia
49. Caleb
50. Wyatt
51. Chloe

Photo Credit: Pixabay

52. Christian
53. Ella
54. Sebastian
55. Evelyn
56. Jack

Photo Credit: Pixabay

57. Avery
58. Sofia
59. Harper
60. Jonathan
61. Landon

Photo Credit: Pixabay

62. Julian
63. Isaiah
64. Hunter
65. Levi
66. Grace

Photo Credit: Pixabay

67. Addison
68. Aaron
69. Victoria
70. Eli
71. Charles
72. Natalie

Photo Credit: Pixabay

73. Thomas
74. Connor
75. Lily
76. Brayden
77. Nicholas

Photo Credit: Pixabay

78. Jaxon
79. Jeremiah
80. Aubrey
81. Cameron
82. Evan
83. Adrian
84. Jordan

Photo Credit: Pixabay

85. Lillian
86. Gavin
87. Zoey
88. Hannah
89. Grayson
90. Angel
91. Robert

Photo Credit: Pixabay

92. Layla
93. Tyler
94. Josiah
95. Brooklyn
96. Austin
97. Samantha

Photo Credit: Pixabay

98. Zoe
99. Colton
100. Brandon

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The 2020 Social Justice Kittens Calendar Is Pretty Great

This is what you really need to get 2020 started off on the right foot! These kittens are fighting for social justice, and they’re here to remind you every month next year that they’re not going to stand for society’s BS any longer.

Let’s see what these social justice warrior kittens have to say in this calendar from
Sean Tejaratchi.

1. Those pesky “facts.”

Photo Credit: Amazon

2. Forego free speech…

Photo Credit: Amazon

3. Beware.

Photo Credit: Amazon

4. Forget about your opinion.

Photo Credit: Amazon

5. Time to listen.

Photo Credit: Amazon

6. Always does.

Photo Credit: Amazon

7. Doesn’t feel safe.

Photo Credit: Amazon

8. Are you part of the problem?

Photo Credit: Amazon

9. Love rage.

Photo Credit: Amazon

10. So-called allies.

Photo Credit: Amazon

What do you think? Feel like 2020?

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This Is the Story Behind the Secret Apartment in the Eiffel Tower

There’s more to the Eiffel Tower than meets the eye. Beyond its magnificent beauty, this popular tourist attraction holds something invisible to the naked eye: a secret apartment.

Anyone who has visited the Eiffel Tower can testify to its breathtaking views overlooking the city of Paris. And while it would be a dream come true to live at the top of the tower, the secret apartment was not constructed for livability. In fact, it was a bit of a con.

The tower was originally intended to be a temporary exhibit that would eventually be demolished in 1909. That didn’t sit well with entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, who came up with a savvy solution to convince everyone to let his construction masterpiece remain a permanent part of Paris.

Eiffel contacted world-renowned scientists and allowed them to use the apartment as a laboratory for atmospheric measurements, astronomical observations and physics experiments. Just six years before its demolition date, Captain Gustave Ferrie utilized the tower for the French Army’s wireless telegraphy experiments that allowed the tower to broadcast signals all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to North America.

Once the tower was saved in the name of science, Eiffel had to turn down many offers to rent the secluded space. His guest list was short but did include famous scientist Thomas Edison.

However, in 2016, one vacation rental company made it possible for people to actually stay inside the tower. HomeAway converted a conference space inside the tower into a two-bedroom apartment. Four lucky contest winners got to stay in the space (located 188 feet above ground) in July of that year.

Until I can afford the flight to France, I guess a croissant will just have to do.

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