Category: World Culture

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This Woman Silenced Her Bullies in the Best Possible Way

The world can be so cruel to anyone who seems a little different, and the internet has only made it easier for hateful cowards to hide behind their keyboards as they spew their vitriol everywhere.

That’s what was happening when a young Sikh girl named Balpreet found a snapshot of herself online along with some negative comments about her appearance – particularly her facial hair.

However, her response, thoughtful and affecting, is what ended up garnering attention. Her self-confidence, self-awareness, and grace in the face of ruthless bullying is a thing of beauty. It is something we could all aspire to reach.

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You go, girl. You go.

Source

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America’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge is Set to Open Soon

Still planning on where to take your summer vacation? You might want to consider heading to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where the longest suspension bridge in the United States is set to open soon.

The Gatlinburg SkyBridge is located in that town’s SkyLift Park, and, from photos and videos of it, it looks like it’ll be incredible.

The bridge offers amazing views of the Smoky Mountains, is 680 feet across and 140 feet high.

The SkyLift takes tourists from the center of Gatlinburg to the top of Crockett Mountain and back, where they can enjoy a restaurant, a bar, and a gift shop.

It looks amazing! Unless you’re afraid of heights…

Posted by Gatlinburg SkyLift Park on Thursday, January 10, 2019

Judging by social media posts, it looks like the SkyBridge will open in either April or May. Just in time for tourist season!

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British Schools Are Getting Rid of Analog Clocks Because Kids Can’t Read Them

Remember that slight buzzing sound of those old, industrial clocks on the wall when you were growing up. I sure do, because all I did was stare at them all day waiting to get out of class.

Well, it looks like future generations of students in the United Kingdom will never get the pleasure of staring at those analog clocks because those relics are being removed from classrooms because kids can’t read them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You read that right. School kids in the U.K. can’t read the clocks and are getting majorly stressed out because they don’t know how much time they have left during exams. Of course, this is a sign of the times. With almost everything in our lives leaning towards the digital spectrum, it’s not too hard to believe that kids wouldn’t know how to tell time in 2019.

Malcolm Trobe, the deputy general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders, says, “You don’t want them to put their hand up to ask how much time is left. Schools will inevitably be doing their best to make young children feel as relaxed as the can be. There is actually a big advantage in using digital clocks in exam rooms because it is much less easy to mistake a time on a digital clock when you are working against time.”

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

And this is not the only alarming trend among school kids in regard to technological advances. A pediatric occupational therapist in England named Sally Payne said that young kids are having difficulties holding pens because they are so used to iPads and other digital devices. Payne said, “It’s easier to give a child an iPad than encouraging them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks, cutting and sticking, or pulling toys and ropes. Because of this, they’re not developing the underlying foundation skills they need to grip and hold a pencil.”

Very strange times we live in…

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FDA Warns Parents Not to Let Babies Use Teething Jewelry

As a parent, there’s nothing worse than seeing your little one in pain while you stand by, powerless to stop it. And while cutting teeth is just a painful rite of passage, the popularity of “teething jewelry” at least gave parents the illusion they were doing something to help.

 

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But After the strangulation death of an 18-month-old, the Food and Drug Administration is officially cautioning against it.

“We know that teething necklaces and jewelry products have become increasingly popular among parents and caregivers who want to provide relief for children’s teething pain and sensory stimulation for children with special needs. We’re concerned about the risks we’ve observed with these products and want parents to be aware that teething jewelry puts children, including those with special needs, at risk of serious injury.”

And if you’re sitting there thinking you’d never put your baby to bed wearing a necklace, well, you’re not in the clear – a 7-month-old baby died after choking on a teething bracelet while his parents were in the room with him.

 

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“Choking can happen if the jewelry breaks and a small bead enters the child’s throat or airway,” the report continued. “Strangulation can occur if a necklace is wrapped too tightly around the child’s neck or if the necklace catches on an object such as a crib.”

The FDA also reminds parents that they don’t recommend the use of “teething creams, benzocaine gels, sprays, ointments, solutions, or lozenges for mouth and gum pain” either, and suggests following American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for soothing teething pain.

 

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Those include rubber teething rings (cold is best!) or rubbing the irritated gums with a clean finger.

It’s hard to watch, parents, and even harder to have patience with a constantly irritated infant, but according to the FDA, the risks of using the jewelry to mitigate everyone’s pain is too much.

My advice? Try a large, peeled carrot right out of the fridge. Works like a charm!

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Here are the Largest Religious Groups Across Every County in the America

Do you ever wonder what exactly is the breakdown of religious groups where you live? As I drive around town, I see churches, mosques, and temples, and I ask myself that question all the time.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The Washington Post gathered data from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies to put together the following map, which will answer all of those questions for you. As you can see, certain regions of the country are strongly dominated by one religion, especially the South and the Northeast.

Photo Credit: Mental Floss

Here’s a larger version of the key so you can get a good idea of what’s going on in your community.

Photo Credit: Mental Floss

Here’s what their map of the second-most practiced religions in each state (besides Christianity) looks like.

Photo Credit: U.S. Religion Census

And here’s the county-level map of second-largest religions after Christianity.

Photo Credit: U.S. Religion Census

Pretty interesting, right?

(h/t: Mental Floss)

We know you can choose a lot of sites to read, but we want you to know that we’re thankful you chose Did You Know.

You rock! Thanks for reading!

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These Japanese Manhole Covers Are Undeniable Works of Art

Sometimes when you’re in a country like Japan, your sense can get overwhelmed by all of the fascinating sights. Beauty lurks around every corner, so it’s completely understandable if you don’t happen to look down and take notice of what’s right underneath your feet.

We’re talking about Japan’s gorgeous, intricately designed manhole covers. What began as a public relations campaign for sewers conceived by Japanese civil servant Yasutake Kameda in 1985 has blossomed into a legit cultural phenomenon.

Check out these 16 beautiful manhole covers and wonder, “Why can’t we do this here?!”

1. More cherry blossoms!

Photo Credit: Flickr/Elena

2. I’m not quite sure, but they’re cool!

Photo Credit: Photozu.jp

3. Squids!

Photo Credit: Flickr/Photocapy

4. Puffer fish!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

5. Cherry blossoms!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

6. Did somebody say baseball?

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

7. Colorful balls

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

8. Water bugs!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

9. Land of the rising sun

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

10. The fire department!

Photo Credit: Flickr/Ishikawa Ken

11. Up, up and away!

Photo Credit: Max Pixel

12. Yokohama bridge!

Photo Credit: Pixabay

13. Fruit and birds and pine cones. Ahhh, nature.

Photo Credit: Flickr/generalec

14. Amazing architecture

Photo Credit: Flickr/Daiju Azuma

15. Fun little firefighters!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

16. A gorgeous peek into nature

Photo Credit: Flickr/coniferconifer

Since Japan wouldn’t be Japan unless they totally obsessed over the manhole covers, there are even “manhole festivals” held in Tokyo that feature replica covers, trading cards and much more!

In fact, you can buy those replicas at retailers like Tokyu Hands, located in central Shinjuku.

Photo Credit: Tokyu Hands

Okay, who wants to go to Japan and check out some manhole covers with me?

Any takers?!?

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Group of Engineers Proposed a Wall on the U.S./Mexico Border That’ll Pay for Itself

The US/Mexico border has been the subject of some pretty hotly contested debates recently. However, that debate could potentially be settled by a group of 28 engineers from a dozen universities, who came together to propose a wall that they believe would make those who desire a wall happy while also emphasizing alternative energy.

The plan calls for a 2,000-mile industrial park along the border that would contain natural gas pipelines, solar energy panels, wind turbines, and desalination facilities.

The group believes this could be a win-win situation: “Given that most of the southern border lies in arid or semi-arid regions having high solar irradiation and wind, an energy park along the border is both feasible and desirable.”

The engineers estimate that a solar energy park along the whole border would produce the same amount of energy as a nuclear power plant. The wall would also create scores of jobs and help to assist a positive relationship between the U.S. and Mexico based on mutual interests.

Photo Credit: Pexels

Luciano Castillo of Purdue University, the group leader, said, “Democrats want a Green New Deal. Republicans want border security. Both parties could win. It could be a win–win for the U.S. and Mexico, too. This idea could spark a completely new conversation about the border. And we need that.”

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

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This Invention Makes Going to the Bathroom with a Baby SO Much Easier

File this one under “Stuff You Never Knew You Needed.” Going to the bathroom with a baby in tow is a PITA, but this invention allows you to do so in peace. Lifehacker writer Michelle Woo discovered this contraption during a trip to Tokyo, Japan.

Right next to the toilet, there is a seat for a baby. It’s like a shopping cart seat, but for the bathroom!!! GENIUS.

Photo Credit: Lifehacker

These contraptions have been around in Japan for years, per this Reddit post. While a lot of moms are probably over here wondering when on Earth we’ll get these in the U.S., several Redditors assert that these are actually… a Thing? In certain U.S. cities?

“Saw one last week in a Wal-Mart in Ohio,” one Reddit user wrote.

“See them all of the time in PA,” another said. “Just have to go into the handicap stall.”

Photo Credit: Reddit

Okay, so why are they not in EVERY bathroom? This reminds me of the Great Changing Table Debate. Going out would be a lot easier for families if these simple contraptions were commonplace everywhere.

Apparently, Japan is parent-friendly in many other ways. They have rentable strollers at shopping centers, and feeding rooms at airports (with hot water dispensers for making formula)!

Catch up, America!

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People are Building Bridges for Animals to Safely Cross Freeways

It’s always a terrible sight to see a dead animal on the highway, whether it’s a deer, coyote, dog, cat, armadillo, or whatever. Unfortunately, we’ve built endless ribbons of roads through wilderness (aka, the homes of animals) and that is just part of everyday life. It’s estimated that roads affect one-fifth of the ecology of the entire United States and that vehicle collisions with animals cost $8 BILLION per year.

Of course, you’ve seen the “Deer Xing” signs and other notices for animals that might be in a particular area, but those warnings can only do so much. That is why animal overpasses and underpasses are so important to maintaining animal habitats and saving the lives of all kinds of creatures – not to mention the hoods of our cars.

Photo Credit: Reddit

The trend started in France in the 1950s, and Europe remains a trendsetter for animal bridges. The Netherlands alone has 66 bridges scattered throughout the country to protect their wildlife, like the one you can see above. Below is an example of an animal bridge in Belgium:

Photo Credit: Reddit

The trend has taken hold in the United States and Canada over the past 30 years. The bridges and underpasses come in all shapes and sizes and are specifically designed for each ecosystem. Here is an example from New Jersey.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Here are some other great examples from across the globe. One from Germany.

Photo Credit: Reddit

One from Montana.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Alberta, Canada.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Here’s a video about the animal crossings in Banff National Park in Canada that will give you some more insight into how important this trend really is.

Now this is a trend we can all get behind in a big way.

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Viral Hashtag “#AbledsAreWeird” Shows Just How Much Crap Disabled People Deal With Daily

Disabled people face challenges like lack of access and accommodations on a daily basis, but you might be surprised by how many of those challenges are presented in the form of ignorance or stigma from people who aren’t educated (or don’t care to be) when it comes to interacting with people different than they are.

If you’re interested in learning, Twitter user Imani Barbarin has your back – she created #AbledsAreWeird to give other disabled people a platform to share their stories and encounters with abled people who reacted in…let’s just say not the most optimal way.

#1. First of all, mind your own business.

#2. You definitely can’t have it both ways.

#3. Too many teachers behaving badly on this list.

#4. One more time for the people in the back.

#5. Take a look in a mirror, lady.

#6. I have sympathy rage.

#7. That’s taking “stranger danger” a bit far.

#8. No, you definitely don’t.

#9. That poor kid.

#10. Not an excuse.

#11. Actions speak louder than words.

#12. What is WRONG with people?

#13. Definitely not a friend.

#14. What does that even mean?

#15. You can’t be serious.

#16. This is what middle fingers were made for, I’m pretty sure.

#17. Like a deer in headlights.

The more you know!

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