We got kicked out of a @Delta airplane because I spoke Arabic to my mom on the phone and with my friend slim... WTFFFFFFFF please spread pic.twitter.com/P5dQCE0qos
According to several videos posted on Twitter by a man named Adam Saleh, he and his friend were forcibly removed from a Delta Airlines flight before takeoff when some white passengers claimed they were "uncomfortable" because Saleh spoke in Arabic on the phone to his mother.
Saleh can be heard asking that his videos be shared on social media to get the word out, and soon afterward, the hashtag "#boycottDelta" started gaining traction on Twitter.
Imagine if @emirates escorted a white man off the plane because he spoke English 😂#BoycottDelta
It's important to mention that this is the same guy who, just days ago, was busted for a false claim that the managed to travel from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia IN A SUITCASE. That is completely not true, and not possible, and the airline (not Delta) shut him down hard.
But in this case, his claim might very well be true. And if it is, good lord Delta, get your shit together already. It is almost 2017 and people speak other languages besides English. It's unfortunate that that makes some passengers uncomfortable, but that's their problem. Taking people off planes because their languages and skin colors are upsetting to some folks is not the answer. We'll of course update this post if we learn anything else relevant to the story.
delta airlines kicked us out for speaking Arabic to my mom on a plane https://t.co/ZLyIT4ORdY
For many, it doesn't feel so "lovely" to be a woman in 2016. From the disappointing results of the Brock Turner rape case to electing an admitted pussy-grabber-in-Chief, no one can really claim that this year has been stellar for females. That's why singer Missy Modell decided to parody the song "How Lovely to be a Woman" from the musical Bye Bye Birdie with some painfully-relevant rewritten lyrics, because let's be honest, 2016 feels a lot more like 1958 these days.
Should I laugh? Should I cry? I'll do both just to make sure all my bases are covered. Sorry for being so emotional—I am a WOMAN, after all.
Sorry for being so emotional—I am a WOMAN, after all.
Modell told Teen Vogue that although she had wanted to make this video for a while, the timing felt very right once Donald Trump was elected president. "In light of the recent election and general threats towards women's reproductive rights, I felt so frustrated and helpless that I needed to propel these feelings into some tangible action," said Modell. Later in the interview she went on to say, "I feel that I have an even bigger obligation as a woman to stand up for what I feel is right and empower others to do the same. It won’t be easy but it’s up to us to do it."
Another place it isn't always "lovely" to be a woman is online—especially when being outspoken about things like the pay gap, sexual assault and the patriarchy. Luckily, it seems that Modell's parody video has been warmly received so far.
At the end of the musical number, Modell urges people to donate to Planned Parenthood. You can even do so in Mike Pence's name, while looking at and stroking a picture on Mike Pence—but that last part isn't totally necessary.
In August, two hardcore teens managed to have an epic slumber party at one of IKEA's many stores, after hiding in a wardrobe for three hours through closing time.
It turns out that the easiest IKEA product to assemble is an illegal sleepover.
The kids' video got over 1.7 million views, and is inspiring copycats around the globe. The BBC reports that two 14-year-old girls were caught after spending the night at the branch in Jonkoping, Sweden.
It's somehow cooler and less twee than the 500 Days of Summer version.
Ikea does have some chill, and decided not to formally charge the 14-year-olds because of their young age.
But now they're telling youths to stop it. A UK spokesperson told the BBC:
"We appreciate that people are interested in Ikea and want to create fun experiences, however the safety and security of our co-workers and customers is our highest priority and that's why we do not allow sleepovers in our stores."
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are definitely feeling the Christmas spirit, and they took time out of their very busy famous people schedules to spread joy to some sick kids.
The couple paid a visit to Children's Hospital Los Angeles... dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom visit the kids at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
We're glad to see Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were able to bring some holiday cheer to these sick kids and make their stay at the hospital a little less sucky.
A pregnant college student is warding off student debt by selling her positive pregnancy tests on Craigslist, harnessing the strangeness of the internet for her own benefit.
"Very self explanatory," wrote the woman on her Craigslist ad, titled "pregnancy tests/urine - $30."
The post has since been deleted.
A local Jacksonville TV station met up with the six-months-pregnant woman under the pretense of buying her $30 tests.
"I saw from other women and their experiences that it's very easy," the anonymous woman told the station, WJAX. So why not make "$200 in a day off something I have to do no matter what."
"Me being in college working on a bachelor's and needing all this money to pay for a degree, this was a no brainer."
So, you're wondering, why is there a market for this? Well, the woman speculated herself in the Craigslist post.
Whether you are using it for your own amusement as a prank, or to blackmail the CEO of Apple who you are having an affair with, I DON'T CARE AT ALL. This is an absolutely no questions asked type of deal.
Still, whether prank or blackmail, it's tough to stick to that "no questions asked" mantra. According a law expert at WJAX, "Fraud is the first thing that comes to my mind."
Although elaborating that it's not illegal to sell urine, the expert says that because the buyers are likely doing something illegal, "this is the kind of thing that makes legislators go 'we need to pass a law that says you can't do this.'"
And while this woman's making really good money, she's not quite making the same amount of cash as the women who sell their dirty underwear on the same website. If you thought people don't use Craigslist anymore, you're just not into the right (wrong?) stuff.
Here is further proof that cats are actually evil alien overlords sent to Earth to eventually control and enslave humankind. According to a recent study in The Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, a parasite found in cat's brains transmitted to humans through their feces make people "aroused by their own fear, danger, and sexual submission." Yeah, your cat's poop could turn you on to BDSM.
Kinky.
Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, is linked to sexual arousal by fear, danger and submission. Researchers discovered that those with toxoplasmosis are generally more into bondage and violence. Men infected with the parasite are more likely to be attracted to masochism and raping.
Bad kitty! Freaky kitty.
Surprisingly, about 1/3 of the population is said to be infected with the parasite. Toxoplasmosis can be discovered through a simple blood test, but it often goes undetected because there are no symptoms correlated with the disease.
That's something to think about while cleaning the litter box.
Pandas don't have a reputation for being aggressive animals. Mostly they lay around chomping on bamboo, right? We're rethinking everything we thought we knew, however, after watching this video of a panda at the Toronto Zoo absolutely destroy a snowman built for him by zookeepers.
The panda's name is Da Mao and he arrived in the snowy wilds of Canada from China back in 2013. As the Toronto Zoo's website warns us, don't be fooled by the pandas' cuddly demeanor: the bears have giant paws, big teeth, and strong jaws from munching on that bamboo all day. All the better to destroy a snowman with, I guess.
If you want to watch more of these vicious beasts (without the kazzo), you can also check out the zoo's live Panda Cam from 9a.m. to 6:30p.m. EST.
Roman Fedortsov is a deep sea fisherman in Murmansk, Russia, dedicated to discovering creepy reatures that are even more terrifying than anything Tim Burton or a frat bro on an acid trip could dream of.
The Moscow Timesdiscovered the discoveries, which are the stuff on nightmares, and a disturbed third grader's drawings.
There comes a time in every Christmas-celebrating kid's life where they discover that Santa is not real. Every kid handles the news differently— some are heartbroken. Others feel betrayed. Sometimes a kid will sit there in contemplative silence reflecting at the years of deception and wonder if he or she should have seen this one coming.
However, these particularly Grinchy parents decided to deliver this potentially world-shattering news to their kids while being recorded, because like Santa, discretion is also not real.
Many of these kids seem to go through the entire grief cycle right before your eyes— denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Some try to play it cool like they knew it all along (they didn't). Others, however, just outright denied the facts and insisted that Santa is real. Of course, their parents pile on the evidence in an effort to convince them, but some kids still don't budge even after the gift-grift is exposed. But Isn't that what Santa is all about, anyway? Believing that a fat dude can circumnavigate the globe toted by flying reindeer in one night despite knowing that it is deeply implausible? So yes, Santa is real kids! Don't let some stinky adults tell you otherwise.
Why should they trust those lying childhood ruiners, anyway?
Photographer John Cessna's Christmas cards aren't like the ones you're used to seeing every year—those never-ending pictures of wholesome, happy families in holiday sweaters posing with puppies and toddlers in front of cheery fireplaces. Instead, Cessna's hilarious Christmas cards reflect his own take on the holidays, which are slightly less wholesome (NSFW) and probably not everyone's cup of tea (or mug of Irish coffee).
According to his post on Reddit, John Cessna's mother advised him in 2008 that he ought to "sober up" and start sending his own Christmas cards. What being sober and sending Christmas cards have to do with each other is anyone's guess, but that's okay, because Cessna seems to have ignored the first part of his mother's advice altogether.
2008
Cessna told us (via email) that while his family says he's "twisted" (a compliment, imho), everyone seems to love the annual cards. Each year Cessna pitches about 20 to 30 ideas to his photographer and comedian friends, who help him narrow it down to the theme he eventually goes with. And, in case you're wondering, the photographers are way better than the comedians at nixing the ones that might be a little (or a lot) over the line. Somehow not surprising, right?
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We feel you, buddy. Already looking forward to next year's.
Most of us have had at least one teacher that really mentored us and changed our lives in a positive way. Something tells me Marian Sims was probably that teacher for a lot of people.
Mrs. Sims is a retired teacher from Lexington, Kentucky. She loves all of her former students (46 years worth of students, to be exact) so much, that she purchased a literal billboard with her face on it, to put up in her hometown, just to make sure her students know she loves them.
The billboard reads:
Mrs. Sims still loves you & prays for you!
You & your families have all blessed my life in so many ways. Be safe & continue to bless this planet.
Thank You & God Bless You
Rembember... "Love Love & Hate Hate"
Mrs. Sims said she decided to put her giant thank you billboard up close to the holidays so more of her former students would see it. "I put it up close to Christmas time when a lot of people are coming from far away," she told WKYT.
As she nears her 70th birthday, Ms. Sims said she felt that she needed a way to thank each one of her former students.
"This is helping them understand that they have created joy in my life, my whole life. For 46 years, it has shaped who I am and what I'm about," she told WKYT, getting emotional. "They changed my life."
I have a hunch that Mrs. Sims might've changed a few lives herself.
Of all the wonderful things that come with understanding multiple languages, knowing when someone is talking crap about you behind your back has got to be the best. Here are seven stories from people on Quora who had the incredible satisfaction of catching sh*t-talkers in the act.
1. Tre Critelli taught some students that nowhere is safe to talk crap, not even Iowa.
It was 1993 and I had just returned from living in Japan and was back in Iowa, browsing the shelves in a local bookstore when I happened to overhear two Japanese students commenting to each other about the other customers. Basically two teenagers presuming they were safe because who in Des Moines, Iowa--especially in 1993--could understand them? Well, me, it turned out.
I waited a few minutes, listening to them as they made their comments. My Japanese wasn’t good enough to understand everything they were saying, but I got the gist of it as they talked about how fat one person was and how ugly another was. They referred to their targets as “gaijin” which is Japanese for a foreigner or an “outside person.” Quora has debated whether or not it is a derogatory term, but suffice to say that “alien” would have a similar connotation in English.
Then it came to me. I waited until after they had made another comment about a “gaijin” and then I said somewhat loudly in Japanese, “Don’t forget that in this country, YOU are the gaijin.” There was instant silence from their side of the aisle. I am sure that the two of them were freaked out that someone had not only overheard them, but had also understood what they were saying. Moments later they left the store in a hurry. That was more than 20 years ago and I still laugh every time I think of it!
2. Justin Na was happy to help a few insulting tourists.
I was visiting Turkey in 2014. To be more precise, I was touring the Great Theatre of Ephesus .
I was taking a picture for my brother, who loves to post indie pictures on his Instagram. The idea of the picture was for him to sit far up on the stands, and I would take a picture of him looking into the distance. Here’s the picture if you want to see the masterpiece.
"He’s at the center of the shot, trying to look cool nonchalantly as possible."
While trying to take the picture from multiple angles, I got in the background of a group’s selfie. The three women cussed me out quite loudly for ruining their perfect shot. They thought they were being sneaky by talking in Korean, but unknown to them, I was understanding all of their remarks. They called me rude, careless, without style, and lots of other horrible things people would say after someone ruins their selfie. The group probably didn’t think I spoke their language because I wasn’t dressed like a Korean. Native Koreans dress very nicely, and I was not dressed nicely at all.
But it gets better.
A few mins later, they needed a group photo taken by someone else. And guess who they asked? Yours truly.
They tried to ask me to take their photo, using key phrases like “take photo please,” “you can take photo?” They weren’t great English speakers, but they tried their best, and I wasn’t clueless so I got their gist.
I answered in Korean, “Nae, uh tukk hae kkic aw de lil ga yo?” (Yes, how would you like me to take it?)
Their faces were priceless. The mix of embarrassment, surprise, and confusion was hilarious.
After I took their pictures, they thanked me and apologized for their previous remarks, since they knew they talked loudly enough for me to hear them.
This experience has motivated me to learn more languages so I can reply if someone talks about me in another language!
3. Adrian Stone's father can stand up for himself in any language.
My father used to be a tie manufacturer’s salesman .One of his regular clients was an nice, old Italian tailor, Mr Pappaleo.
Mr P was ready to retire, liked my father a lot, and made an offer that my father couldn't refuse: to purchase his tailor + menswear store in the heart of Melbourne's Italian district, Lygon Street.
The transaction was done, and my father took the store over, modernised it and made it into an, at the time, iconic menswear store that was frequented by men of all ages.
Now, I should mention that my father was not Italian; but, he was Romanian, so he had dark hair and olive skin (I don't have either).
But, this true story did not happen in Italian, it happened in German. It just so happens that my father was fluent in German, and three or four other languages, as well.
One day an old couple came into his store. They spoke German amongst themselves (not having any reason to suspect that my father understood):
Husband: “I like these socks”
Wife: “How much are they?”
Husband: “$6”
Wife: “Give the stupid man behind the counter $4. He will take it.”
With his wife's approval, the husband took the pair of socks that he liked best off the rack and brought it to my father, who was still standing behind the counter:
My Father (in English): “How can I help you?”
Husband (in English): “Would you take $4 for these socks?”
My Father (switching to perfect German): “Those fine socks are $6 for the pair, and this stupid man will not be taking anything less. Would you like them wrapped, Sir?“
With a big smile and a knowing look (his head turned slightly, so that his wife could not see), the man gave my father the $6, collected his socks, and quietly left the store … now-silenced wife in tow.
Delhi, I was travelling with a group of people, mixed ethnicity from different parts of world.
It was very hot and we were sweating profusely and we could not do anything about that.
We entered metro and there was a Telugu Girl and her mother .
They might have assumed no one would understand telugu and were talking loudly .
Conversation:-
Mom , damn these people, they have surrounded us.
They are all stinky and we have to bear them now , sighs.
Mom:- come and stand this side , look they are sweating badly .
Followed by Some scoldings and weird comments on these foreigners with a smiling face and acting innocently.
I was standing right behind them, they were asked to get down and get in again because they were blocking entrance.
I whispered, in Telugu " don't get down , you won't be able to come in again"
Both of them were flabbergasted
In shocking state, she held her mother tightly and put her palm on her opened mouth and gasping for air, her mother started laughing .
I gave a wicked smile and walked out of the metro. Both of them put their heads down laughing at each other :P
5. Ankur Mehra had some wise words for arrogant Americans.
Happened with me at Castle Hill, Nice (France). So I was standing at one of the famous photo-stop at castle hill over looking beach to click some pictures. It was summer time and place was a bit crowded with people patiently waiting for their turn to click pictures. Here comes a group of young European students speaking in English. Somehow, one of the funny guy thought that I (who look like an Indian obviously) wouldn’t know English. He came up and asked his friends to click his picture and to ensure that the guy next to him (that’s me) doesn’t come in the picture. I overheard it, and moved a bit. Then he further said, I hope he doesn’t understand English. Then I couldn’t resist and replied to him saying that unluckily I do understand English and English should be the last language in the world to assume that the other person wouldn’t know. It was a fun moment and he was thoroughly embarrassed in front of his friends. :D
6. Benjamin Davis's prowess with languages made him very, very lucky.
I am fluent in English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and German. In the past 4 years, I had to travel quite a lot due to my work . Last year, I went to Atlanta, Georgia and stayed at a very nice hotel. Of course that I use English in the US (and Spanish in southern states, if need be). So haven’t spoke a word of anything else other than English, it would be difficult for someone to know what languages I speak.
Now comes the funny part. The room-service girl was always the same. She was a petite, shy and pretty girl like this one:
I actually asked her something, but her English was so bad she couldn’t answer. She simply pointed to the phone (probably suggesting me to call the front desk). It wasn’t important, I didn’t care. A few moments later, another girl (clearly from the same country) comes about, and they start talking. Now, the interesting stuff. Somehow, I could understand them!!! I later found out they where from Cape Verde, these tiny islands in the African West coast:
The thing is that they speak “Crioulo” which is a modified version of Portuguese. Turns out there are many words I can understand directly. After talking about the rooms yet to clean and what not, the original girl told the other girl that she was lucky because I was so sexy. They talked for a while more and after I gained some confidence I came to them and said I was pleased she found me sexy, in Portuguese. We exchanged numbers and we met the following day. No word about what happened :)
7. And finally, Omar Patel has an incredible story of living it up on an elevator.
I pressed the button in the elevator for the 21st floor of the hotel. There were two other Emirati men (let's call them Ahmed and Abdo) in the elevator with me, talking in their usual loud, expressive, who-gives-a-crap-if-someone-else-is-in-the-elevator voice.
As we went up, the elevator stopped on the third floor and in walked a stunning Philippino woman - she was dressed in a shirt and tight fitting leggings that showed off quite an attractive back-side.
I was surprised though - almost all Philippino women in Dubai were either housekeepers or working for the hotel, yet she was dressed like neither of those.
As the elevator doors closed, I looked at the Arab men and they had mischievous expressions on their faces. Oh boy, I thought.
Ahmed: Ya khrabbaytak! Unthur lahaa teezak! (On my house! Look at her ass!)
Abdo: Ha wallah, urid laha litanzif almirhad alkhass bi. (Yeah I swear, I want to her to come clean my toilet)
My face quickly turned red with anger. These two fools were guffawing and staring like a couple of perverts while she was facing the elevator door, and they continued to insult her, the jokes becoming more and more indecent as the floors climbed higher.
Then the elevator dinged, the door opened, and a tall Arab man in a suit walked in. He saw the Philippino woman and looked surprised.
Tall Arab man: Hello Madame. How are you?
The Philippino woman smiled softly at him.
Woman: I'm doing fine Yasir. How's my hotel?
The anger flushed out of my face as my jaw dropped to the floor. I turned to the two Emirati men - their eyes were as wide as beach balls and their mouths were suddenly clammed shut.
Tall Arab man: It's doing very well Madame. The guests are enjoying themselves and all the rooms are booked.
Woman: Wonderful.
The two Emirati men stood there with looks of incredulity plastered on their faces.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The Philippino woman walked out - but then turned back to the Tall Arab man.
Woman: Oh, and Yasir? Can you send someone up to these gentlemen's room, it seems as though their toilet might need some cleaning.
The two Emiratis' faces morphed into horror and all the life seemed to drain out of their eyes.
Then the woman turned to them and said in impeccable Arabic:
Istamta'at Eqamatik. (Enjoy your stay).
And she walked out.
Emirati men are very rarely at a loss for words.
I will remember those next 30 seconds of silence for the rest of my life.
Breakups are tough, but there's nothing like a guilt-mongering Hail Mary attempt at reconciliation that can bring a couple back together. Redditor mrclc posted the texts their friend got from her ex-boyfriend, with the accompanying stellar clapback.
How did the ex think it would work? For her to reply, "Come over, let me fondle your balls, I know how to diagnose testicular cancer?"
Or perhaps, "Wow, the chance of cancer makes up for any problems in our relationship, because one of the side effects changes your personality and compensates for any past wrongdoings?"
Tom Hanks: actor, American treasure, everyone's favorite pen pal? Apparently. One fan recently sent Hanks a letter and a selfie, and was surprised when she quickly received a letter and a selfie in return.
The fan's friend posted photos to Reddit of the Polaroid selfie and typewritten letter she received in the mail from none other than Tom Hanks.
Note how Hanks is holding the fan's selfie in his selfie. Selfie-ception.
In the letter, Hanks talks about Toronto and asks the fan if she's ready for Christmas. He also admits that he often finds himself humming the music from That Thing You Do, like the fan does.
"This Polaroid has been developing as I've been typing. The things is scary," Hanks writes in closing.
When University of Wisconsin college student Trevor Keeney got pulled over by a cop for speeding last month, he probably did not expect to leave the interaction with, essentially, a new dad.
Instead of getting slapped with a speeding ticket, he got a lesson in tying neck ties from a very understanding and fatherly cop. I rarely go "aww!" over a story involving cops, so this is refreshing.
Turns out, Keeney was speeding because he was trying to find a friend to help him tie his necktie before an important presentation. The cop who pulled him over, officer Martin Folcyzk from the Menomonie Police Department, came to his rescue: he tied his necktie for him, made sure his license and registration checked out, and then sent him on his way with a warning.
What a mensch!
You can watch the whole interaction here:
Keeney told ABC News that he went on to get a 92 on his presentation. And that's not all: the Menomonie police chief apparently invited him to the station for a lesson in the "art" of tying a necktie.
"I went back and met with him for about 30 minutes and he taught me! It was cool," Keeney told ABC News.
