Category: World Culture

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Take a Look at These Commonly Used Words That Are Actually Acronyms

Did you know there are words in the English language (recognized by Webster) that were once acronyms? I suppose they could still be considered acronyms, but our lexicon has adopted them as pieces of vocabulary in their own right.

Here are a few interesting words that were once abbreviations.

5. L.A.S.E.R

Photo Credit: Pixabay

LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The first laser was invented in 1960, but had a different name: LOSER. The “O” stood for ocsillation, because a laser (light) is technically an optical oscillator not an optical amplifier. But as the acronym rapidly spread, oscillation was later replaced by amplification. For obvious reasons.

4. C.A.R.E. Packages

Photo Credit: Pixabay

CARE packages started in 1945 after the end of World War II. Care stood for the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe, a group that started preparing packages filled with leftover “humanitarian aid to millions starving in post-war Europe.”

History.com explains, “These first ‘CARE Packages’ contained everything from whole-milk powder and liver loaf to margarine and coffee. The contents of CARE Packages soon expanded to include soap, diapers, school supplies, and medicine as well as fabric, thread, and needles to allow recipients to make and mend clothes.”

3. Navy S.E.A.L.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The SEALs are a group of America’s toughest and most elite navy professionals. Their name stands for “SEa, Air, and Land”. This special operations force adopted the name “SEAL” because of their training and duties spanned “all environments (sea, air, and land)”.

2. S.C.U.B.A.

This well-known activity has been around since 1939. It was first used in military applications, but is now widely enjoyed by vacationers for entertainment, biologists for scientific research, and in many other circumstances. But it wasn’t coined “SCUBA” until 1952.

Wikipedia states, “In the U.S. Major Christian J. Lambertsen invented an underwater free-swimming oxygen rebreather in 1939. In 1952 he patented a modification of his apparatus, this time named SCUBA (an acronym for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus“).

1. Z.I.P. Codes

As we all know, this term is used to help the post office designate what township or region a building or home location resides. It means Zone Improvement Plan Code.

The ZIP code “was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address.”

Before ZIP codes’ inception, delivering mail was taxing. Robert Moon, a career postal employee, created the first codes, consisting of only 3 numbers that notated each central mail processing facility. It wasn’t until 1963 that the ZIP codes expanded to five numbers so as to have more combinations available to accurately reflect area.

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15 Funny Photos That Perfectly Sum up Canada

Oh, Canada!

I love Canada! Nice people, beautiful cities, open prairies, and of course, the greatest sport known to man: HOCKEY.

Also, the people are really, really nice. It’s great, eh!

And these pics prove that point, once again.

1. Never see that in the U.S.

Another Canadian thing from pics

2. Don’t worry about it

Meanwhile in Canada… from pics

3. Water fight!

Canadian Police Clash with Citizens from pics

4. Already Great

Found a pretty cool hat at a local store today from pics

5. This is great

Police in Montreal are refusing to wear their work pants as a part of a labor dispute. from funny

6. Thank you!

Canadians are notorious for being kind from pics

7. Honest

Honest Canadian commuters. The workers were missing and the automatic gates were broken. This is the result. from pics

8. Generosity

Everything about this says Canada from pics

9. Please be a nice thief

Canadian victims of theft. from funny

10. Can I come in?

11. Come back later

12. It happens…

Canadian Parking Ticket from funny

13. Canadian graffiti

This bathroom graffiti is positive. from mildlyinteresting

14. All dressed the same

Fashion at my small town Canadian bar. [OC] from funny

15. Shorts?!?! Really?!?!

A guy at my University in Canada walking to class from funny

Oh, Canada, you sure are a gem!

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This Is How Much These Iconic Movie Cars Cost in Real Life

Think about some of the iconic movies featuring cars: Back to the Future, Bullitt, heck, how about Herbie the Love Bug? A lot of times, cars play as big of a role in movies as actors do.

But how much do those bad boys cost in real life? The wait is now over! We have the answers!

Here’s how much 5 iconic movie cars would cost to buy today.

1. 1970 Dodge Charger – The Fast and the Furious

This baby costs a cool $85,000. The Fast and Furious franchise has really catapulted these muscle cars to the forefront. When they came out in 1970, they were only valued at $3,711. My, how times change…

2. 1966 Ford Thunderbird – Thelma & Louise

The actual car from the film sold for $71,500 in 2008. She sure is a beauty, ain’t she?

Just don’t drive it over a cliff, okay?

3. 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 – Back to the Future

Yes! One of the most iconic cars in cinematic history! The DeLorean driven by Marty McFly actually cost $25,000 when it was produced ($69,000 in today’s currency), and today the model is only valued at $32,378, according to recent sales. Kind of surprising, huh?

4. 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback – Bullitt

The streets and hills of San Francisco have never looked cooler than they did in 1968’s Bullitt with Steve McQueen. The film is famous for its car chase scenes throughout the extremely hilly city.

These models originally sold for $3,500 and now can fetch $80,000. Timeless and TOUGH.

5. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Special Edition – Smokey and the Bandit

Burt Reynolds’ finest hour? Perhaps…though he was also pretty amazing in Deliverance, you must admit. But many people remember Reynolds for Smokey and the Bandit. And why not – just look at that Firebird!

The car originally cost $5,456, and they go for around $22,000 today. Not bad, not bad at all!

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The Worst Shark Attack on Record Happened During World War II

When you think of shark attacks, you probably imagine surfers, divers, or other people who choose to be in the water with the giant predators when they’re mistaken for food – but the worst shark attack in history is actually the result of an event far more sinister.

And in this case, the sharks weren’t making mistakes – the humans beings treading water were, in fact, their intended prey.

The USS Indianapolis had delivered components of the atomic bomb that would later level Hiroshima before leaving Guam. It sailed alone toward the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, where it was supposed to meet the USS Idaho and prepare for an invasion of Japan.

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The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy in World War two. The ship was named after the City Indianapolis and was a ship of the Portland-class. The commissioning was on the 15th of November 1932 and had a length of 186m, a width of 20m and a draft of 7m. With her 8×White-Forster boilers, she had a maximum speed of 32.7 knots (60.6 km/h; 37.6 mph) and had a displacement of 10,110 tons. USS Indianapolis had a armament of 3×3-203mm guns, of 8×127mm AA guns, of 16×28mm AA guns, of 24×40mm AA guns, of 14×20mm AA guns and of 2×3-pounder 47mm guns. ======================================= After her commissioning, the ship was under the command of Captain John M. Smeallie and had a lot of training maneuvers, for example off the Chilean coast or in the Guantánamo Bay. She also escorted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on three different cruises, one trip to the Campobello Island, one trip to a naval review and one trip to South America. During the last cruise, President Roosevelt underwent his crossing the line ceremony on the 26 November 1936 with the words: "an intensive initiation lasting two days, but we have all survived and are now full-fledged Shellbacks". After the beginning of World War two, USS Indianapolis operated together with carrier task forces in the South Pacific and supported the New Guinea campaign with the attacking of Lae and Salamaua. Then the ship was transferred in Alaska area and supported the Aleutian Islands campaign with the attacking of Kiska Island and other operations, for example the conquest of Amchitka. In February 1943, she was on a patrol with two destroyers in the near of Attu Island and had sank the Japanese cargo ship Akagane Maru (3,150 t). Later in 1943, USS Indianapolis became the flagship of 5th Fleet and took part in many operations, for example the conquest of the Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas Islands. The ship also took part in a lot of attacks on Japanese positions, for example the bombarding of the Kwajalein Atoll in January 1944 and participated in the Peleliu invasion in September 1944. ??????????????????

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A day later, shortly after midnight, a Japanese torpedo ripped the ship in half.

It sank in under 12 minutes, sending the 900 survivors (of 1196 crew) into the water.

There weren’t enough life rafts to hold everyone but there were life vests to go around, and as the men formed groups and began going through rations and trying to maintain some kind of order, they surely believed rescue would come – and soon.

They were wrong.

Instead, the sharks appeared, likely drawn by the blood and bodies in the water, ready to attack live victims. Their reported aggression leads most historians and experts to believe the sharks in question were oceanic whitetips – a particularly aggressive species that lives and feeds in open water.

The sailors did what they could, pushing the men who died away from the groups to draw sharks and moving away from anyone with an open or bleeding wound. The first person to open a can of SPAM paid the ultimate price, and the rest of the meat rations were tossed after that harrowing spectacle.

Days passed and the Navy did nothing, believing that reports of the ships sinking had been planted in an attempt to draw rescue ships into open water. The survivors dwindled, dying from thirst, heat, drinking seawater and suffering from salt poisoning. Those who were not in their right minds dragged healthy men into the water when they jumped, dooming even more to the depths.

After four-plus days in the water, a Navy pilot spotted the survivors and radioed for help, and when a second plane arrived, it dropped rafts and supplies before landing and attempting to gather the men most at risk – disobeying orders in the process.

Twelve hours later, the USS Doyle arrived and pulled 317 men from the water – nearly 600 had perished in the four days it took the Navy to respond. Not all of them were killed by sharks, with salt poisoning and exposure claiming lives, along with lack of access to clean water, but none of those men would have had to die had the Navy been quick to send rescue teams after the attack.

Lessons learned? Don’t expect that help will be there soon, and don’t mess with the oceanic whitetip shark.

And don’t eat SPAM, but you probably already figured that out on your own.

Also also, Nic Cage starred in a 2016 movie about the disaster called USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.

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15+ Things Europeans Think They Do Better Than Americans (And They’re Not Wrong)

There are many reasons why you should be proud of being an American, but there comes a time when you just have to admit that other countries do it better.

What, exactly, is it? Well, these 17 things are an awfully good start.

17. Seriously this should be a thing everywhere.

Comment from discussion ColdPuffin’s comment from discussion "What are Europeans better at than Americans?".

16. No elaboration needed.

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15. We are a nation of prudes.

Comment from discussion schlootie’s comment from discussion "What are Europeans better at than Americans?".

14. Who has time for lifestyle changes?

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13. Having fun.

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12. Building restroom doors.

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11. Cheese and bread.

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10. This actually makes me want to cry.

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9. You mean there’s more than one?

Comment from discussion SpiderStaaan’s comment from discussion "What are Europeans better at than Americans?".

8. I’ll need to taste test to confirm.

Comment from discussion debate-sucks’s comment from discussion "What are Europeans better at than Americans?".

7. Change starts at home and all that.

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6. Drinking in public.

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5. I was repeatedly advised I was ordering too much food when in Europe.

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4. I mean they’re not wrong.

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3. Being less annoying.

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2. Taking holidays seriously.

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1. Baby stuff.

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Time to do some more traveling!

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A Group of Heartbroken Scientists Wrote a Eulogy to Iceland’s First Disappeared Glacier

Scientists everywhere are in agreement that the climate of the world is changing rapidly, and that the results, should the problem go unchecked, will be disastrous. One of the first casualties are the world’s glaciers, like Iceland’s Okjokull (aka Ok), which officially melted away back in 2014.

Scientists at Rice University will install a plaque containing a eulogy for Ok, which will no doubt serve as a reminder for generations to come that there were those among us who tried very hard to do something.

Cymene Howe produced a 2018 film titled Not Ok that documented the glacier’s demise.

“This will be the first monument to a glacier lost to climate change anywhere in the world. By marking Ok’s passing, we hope to draw attention to what is being lost as Earth’s glaciers expire.”

Image Credit: Rice University

The plaque reads:

“Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier.
In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.
This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done.
Only you know if we did it.”

The plaque will also mark 2019 as the year the world hit 415ppm Co2 levels.

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Not Ok. ⁣ After a rocky climb to the summit of Ok yesterday, I stood amidst a vast field of newly exposed volcanic rock, staring at this icy blue puddle in the central crater. It was hard to fathom that just a few years ago, a glacier named Ok (pronounced ‘awk’) existed right here in the surrounds of this crater. ⁣ ⁣ In 2014, Okjökull was first Icelandic glacier to officially lose its glacial status as a result of human induced climate change, and is now considered only as a mountain. A new memorial plaque will soon be placed at the summit with the following words: ‘In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it’.

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Not Ok‘s co-producer, Dominic Boyer, has high hopes that awareness can still be raised in time to make a difference.

“We wanted to create a lasting memorial to Ok, a small glacier that has a big story to tell. Ok was the first named Icelandic glacier to melt because of how humans have transformed the planet’s atmosphere. Its fate will be shared by all of Iceland’s glaciers unless we act now to radically curtail greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to the research done for the film, all of Iceland’s 400-ish glaciers could face the same fate as early as 2200.

Glaciers are the largest freshwater reserves on Earth and are also invaluable for the insights they provide into Earth’s atmosphere. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the world, and record temperatures are being recorded all over the globe. Wildfires are becoming common from Siberia to Greenland and sea ice is decreases rapidly, putting different animal species in danger.

“One of our Icelandic colleagues put it very wisely when he said, ‘Memorials are not for the dead; they are for the living,” said Howe. “With this memorial, we want to underscore that it is up to us, the living, to collectively respond to the rapid loss of glaciers and the ongoing impacts of climate change. For Ok glacier it is already too late; it is not what scientists call ‘dead ice.’”

Here’s hoping that when people read the plaque 100 years in the future, it marks the beginning of serious, focused action to reverse climate change and not the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.

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Rare Pennies Are Circulating out There Worth up to $200,000

Did you know that Americans throw away about $62 million each year by tossing coins in the trash, and pennies are the most frequently discarded coins of them all? A lot of people just don’t see pennies as valuable, and mostly they’re right. But some specific types of pennies are worth up to $200,000.

Coin collectors are willing to spend many thousands of dollars for coins that are precious in some way or another. For pennies, the value all depends on the coin’s quality and its rarity.

Pennies that are prized enough to fetch $200,000 are rare (obviously), but they’re out there, which means they could be in your pocket or change jar.

The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent, for example, is an extremely rare error coin that is easily worth $150,000 to $200,000 – or even more. Only a handful of these pennies have ever been found, and the most valuable one sold in 2010 for $1.7 million.

The 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is another error coin in which the images and words were mistakenly doubled on the coin. They have sold for $35,000 to $75,000, depending on the condition.

The 1992 Close AM is a bit easier to find. These coins are unique because the A and M in the word “America” are touching, whereas usually there is a space between them. There were likely 250,000 pennies produced with this anomaly, and they can sell for anywhere from $2000 to over $20,000.

Other pennies that are easier to find, and therefore worth less, include the 1972 Doubled Die Obverse ($100-$500), 1995 Doubled Die Obverse (up to $45), the 1999 Wide AM (up to $500), and the 1983 Double Die Reverse (up to $200).

If you think you’ve found one of these pennies, consult a professional to evaluate it and help guide you through the selling process.

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Classical Illustrations Depict What Can Only Be Described as Japanese Fart Battles

If you’ve ever needed proof that potty humor in general has been around for years– fart humor in particular – these images depicting epic flatulence battles should do the trick.

Image Credit: Waseda University

There’s a centuries-old scroll called He-Gassen (“the fart war”) dating to Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868) that depicts men, rear ends bared, spraying powerful gusts of gas toward each other – gas that can break boards and cross wide battlefields to win the day.

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

Though the depictions aren’t entirely unique – Arabian Nights features a story titled “The Historic Fart” and Apocolocyntosis, a satire possibly written by Seneca, references a “shart” (“When he had made a great noise with that end of him which talked easiest, he cried out, ‘Oh dear, oh dear! I think I have made a mess of myself.’”)

And bathroom humor has a long history in European political dissent – this is a woodcut from 1545 entitled “Kissing the Pope’s Feet”:

Image Credit: Public Domain

But back to Japan…

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

In the Japanese art, Westerners in particular were apt to be blown away by the strength and prowess of the Japanese wind, so the scroll pictured also counts (crudely) as a political cartoon.

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

The creators of South Park have nothing on whoever created it, for sure.

If you want more (and of course you do), you can check out the full collection here.

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This Is Why so Many Ancient Statues Are Missing Their Noses

If you’ve ever spent time in a museum, you may have noticed that a lot of ancient sculptures are mysteriously nose-less.

One of the most famous examples of this phenomenon is the Great Sphinx of Ancient Egypt.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

But the Great Sphinx is far from unique. Ancient sculptures from a wide range of cultures, including Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, are also missing their noses.

So what gives?

In some cases, the sculptures have been deliberately vandalized at some point in history. In Ancient Egypt, for example, people would often break off a statue’s nose in order to disable its power. The statues were thought to contain a life force, and removing the nose prevented the statue from breathing, thereby killing it.

But in the majority of cases, the missing noses on ancient statues are not the fault of humans at all. Instead, they’re the result of natural wear and tear.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

These sculptures are thousands and thousands of years old, after all. They’re often damaged in a number of ways, including discoloration, wear, and missing parts — including arms, ears, and other body parts aside from noses.

The parts of sculptures that stick out are usually the first ones to break off, because they’re less securely attached. This includes noses, arms, heads, and other appendages.

For example, the Venus de Milo is an ancient statue from Greece that was sculpted by Alexandros of Antioch around the late second century BC. It’s famous for its lack of arms.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

But that wasn’t a design choice – this sculpture did have arms at one point, they just broke off.

FYI, you can generally tell whether a body part was removed intentionally or not by looking at cut marks on the statue.

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A High School Student Came out in His Valedictorian Speech and Was Greeted with Wild Applause

It takes a lot of courage to simply get up and speak in front of a large crowd of strangers. It really takes a lot of courage to come out as bisexual in a speech – especially in a valedictorian speech at your high school.

Which is exactly what a young man named Mason Bleu did when speaking at his graduation in New York City. During his speech, Bleu told the audience, for a “long time, I have struggled with my sexuality. I’ve dodged it and ignored it because I wasn’t proud of who I am. But today I’m changing that. I’m proud to be a bisexual man.”

In a Twitter post, Bleu said, “So I came out during my valedictorian speech. It was definitely the scariest thing I’ve ever done but the reaction was amazing. Thank you to everyone who supported me!”

The reaction from parents, friends, faculty, and fellow students: a standing ovation. Take a look at the video.

In a follow-up tweet, Bleu said, “The overarching theme of the speech was about being proud (it is pride month) so I decided that I couldn’t tell people to be proud of who they are when I was in hiding for so long. Anyways, I did this not only for me but for anyone else who has struggled being closeted.”

And Bleu followed up his big coming-out party with a trip to the New York City Pride parade.

 

And he offered up a sympathetic ear to anyone who needed to talk.

Good work, Mason! You’ve undoubtedly encouraged many young people to feel comfortable with they are and where they’re headed in the future.

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