Some General Culture

This blog is dedicated to inform people of random things that could be useful in their lives, varying from simple DIY projects to step-to-step experiments. From social facts to bizarre stories. From learning new phrases in another language to political courses. It's random things, let's be creative

[shityoumustknow]

Te dedique toda mi vida, y ahora que te fuiste, no tengo nada

[spirituallyminded-deactivated20]

“What happens when people open their hearts?“

"They get better.”

~ Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

[lumpbiscuit-deactivated20130327]

my parents aren’t teaching me life lessons.

#i need some adults to TEACH ME SHIT ABOUT LIFE

[flutterjedi-deactivated20140413]

I’m an adult.

[thatsnicebutimmarried]

Some shit about life, from a bonafide adult:

even if you get along great with your family you will get along even better with them after moving out 

generic is almost always just as good as name brand. But there are some things you never buy generic, including: peanut butter, ketchup, liquid NyQuil, Chips-Ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies

just imagine the person on the other end of the phone hates talking on the phone as much as you do. Even a receptionist. I worked as one and I hate talking on the phone

at least once in your life you will go to Wal-mart to buy something under $20 like an ironing board or something and your debit card will get rejected. No one will judge. Everyone at some point in their lives has had $2.98 in their bank account. 

thrift stores

everyone else is too busy panicking about everyone else noticing every tiny thing that could possibly be wrong about them to notice any tiny thing that could possibly be wrong about you

you will screw up. a lot. you live and you learn. and when you start to think too hard about that embarrassing thing that happened and how you wish you could change it, just tell yourself that what’s done is done. There’s no changing it, so just forget it and move on. It’s the only way to stay sane.

do the dishes before the sink grows its own ecosystem

you can’t put Dawn dishsoap in the dishwasher. 

if you are the only one in the aisle at the grocery store, and you need to get from one end to the other without even looking at anything in that aisle, then you should totally cart-surf down the aisle. Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. Hold on to the little things. They make all the difference.

never try to make cake from scratch at 3am. You end up with a topographical map of Middle Earth.

15% tip. 

the best way to get money for food is to tell your grandparents about how you basically live on microwaved mac and cheese. Their horror may result in twenty bucks and orders to go out and get yourself “a real dinner”.

sometimes life sucks, and knowing that it might get better doesn’t always make it suck any less, but you’ll never get to the non-sucky days without enduring the suckiness. 

no seriously, NEVER put Dawn in your dishwasher

[250darkstars]

Do not buy generic brand spaghetti sauce either.

Always check the type of light bulb that goes in lamps. A 60w is not interchangeable with a 40w.

Dollar store batteries work just as well as store brand.

[shrineart]

Reward yourself from time to time when you do things that you needed to get done. It’s a good way to remind yourself to do them. Going out to pay a bill? Get Starbucks or something you don’t get often. Rewards don’t have to be huge, they can be small things like that.

Rice, pasta, flour, sugar, cheese, eggs, milk, a pack of chicken, a pack of frozen veggies and a well stocked spice cabinet go a long way food-wise. Splurge and get the biggest container of rice you can. You don’t have to go back and buy it again anytime soon and it makes a TON of meals in the meantime.

Rice can be cooked on the stove. You don’t need a fancy rice cooker. Two parts water to every one part rice (two cups water for one cup of rice for example). Get your water boiling, add rice, put a plate or lid on it, put it on low for 20 minutes. It should be done.

Keep a calendar on your pc of bill due dates. If your bills are set up at inconvenient times, like all of the services started on the first or something, then call up the company and find out if you can get your billing date switched to something more manageable. A lot of places do try to work with you.

There is no shame in calling a company and asking for an extension on a bill. Let them know what you can pay, pay that amount, and they arrange when the rest of the payment is required. This can stop you from having services shut off man. It shows responsibility on your part.

Take time to eat, even when you don’t feel like eating. Your body needs energy to live.

Wash or rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. It prevents gross caked on junk.

“The Works” is an excellent cheap toilet cleaner.

MAGIC. FUCKING. ERASERS. THEY WORK ON EVERYTHING JUST DON’T SCRUB HARD. I took the ring out of our bathtub with one. Also generic ones work just as well.

Keep some bleach around but if you use it for cleaning? Dillute it. There’s rarely ever a case where you need to pout straight bleach on anything. A cap full or two in a bucket of water works just fine.

DO NOT MIX CLEANERS. Chemical reactions are can be very dangerous. Here’s a good list. (Note that vinegar and baking soda can actually be a good combo for removing smells from things but it’s not very good at actually -cleaning-.)

If you drink? Don’t take meds at the same time it’s just not good.

Make sure you check the dosages on your pill bottles. No one wants to accidentally overdose on cough syrup or ibuprofen.

If you have a uterus make sure you have a heating pad and ibuprofen on hand for the pain. Hot baths also generally help and Ginger Tea is excellent for any nausea.

Buy a first aid kit. It’s worth it in the long run.

You can often do your taxes online at places like TurboTax.

Here’s some good sex ed resources because I had to explain what a yeast infection was recently. 

Petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) is good for chapped lips and you can get a decent sized tube or tub of it (generic brand version) for cheaper/same price as Chapstick.

KEEP TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT IN YOUR HOUSE FOR CUTS AND SCRAPES AND SORES. 

~~Medications~~

Over the counter medications (stuff you can buy right off the shelf no prescription needed) have a name brand and a generic name. ALWAYS buy generic if it’s available it is literally the same thing and way cheaper usually.

Some names to remember when you’re looking for meds!

Acetaminophen = Tylenol

Used to treat pain and reduce fever. Do not take with Ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen = Advil, Midol, Motrin

Used for pain and fever, is an anti-inflammtory. Is good for period cramps because it is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug).

Naproxen = Aleve, Naprosyn

Treats fever, pain, arthritis pain, gout, period cramps, tendinitis, headache, backache, and toothache. Is also an NSAID.

Acetaminophen + Asprin + Caffeine = Excedrin

Usually marketed as “Migraine Relief” as a generic.

Asprin = Bayer

Use for pain, fever, arthritis, and inflammation. Makes you bleed easily so should not be used for periods. Might reduce risk of heart attacks.\

Triple Antibiotic Ointment = Neosporin

Used on cuts, sores, and scrapes to reduce risk of infection and promote healing.

Also a general mutli-vitamin isn’t a bad idea and if you don’t get a lot of fruits or milk/sunshine in your diet you might want to get vitamins C and D specifically for daily use.

[kiokushitakaa]

if you do accidentally lapse and put dawn in your dishwasher, run it empty and put hair conditioner where the detergent goes. that’ll clean it out (tip given to me by dorm custodian when roommate did the thing).

if you live off ramen, add stuff to it! add veggies you like, don’t use the whole flavor packet to cut down on sodium and msg or don’t use it at all and add your own spices.

if you’re making something with potatoes in it (beans, stew) potatoes are done when you can easily stab a fork through them.

you can microwave a hotdog as long as you put it in a microwave safe container of water. microwaves work by making water molecules vibrate. also, when reheating rice leftovers, add a small amount of water, like maybe a spoonfull, so it doesn’t get hard and crunchy.

the rice cooking advice above is for long grain rice. if you’re making short or medium grain rice, a 1:1 ratio (one cup water for one cup rice) is better, so the rice doesn’t come out too mushy.

buy a few cans of chicken. wholesale club stores like sam’s, costco, or bj’s tend to carry multipacks for a good price. they’re incredibly useful for when you forget to defrost meat.

buy meat on sale and put it in the freezer. buy vegetables on sale, and put them in the freezer. frozen veggies are often as flavorful and good as fresh ones, keep longer, and often come in microwaveable bags or with microwave directions.

soak ink stains in milk to help get them out or at least lighten them.

soak blood stains in water as soon as possible, with a bit of detergent or stain remover. scrub at them. use cold water, heat binds proteins to fabric. tbh, there’s no real need to change the washer from cold-cold setting unless the thing you’re washing says to wash in warm water.

acetone, found in most nail polish removers, dissolves super glue.

[cloningmycat]

YOU’RE ALL DOING GOD’S WORK BLESS YOU

[lifelovebooksnshit]

Takes pictures, have prints made and put them in photo albums. Be IN the pictures, have someone take pictures of you and your friends. Get over not looking perfect in thw picture. Someday that friend might be gone and those pictures might be all you’ll have, you will want to be in them. I made that mistake with my best friend, i always felt weird asking for a picture together… he died of cancer January of 2014 and now i have no pictures of us together. Its my only regret in life.

[boasamishipper]

This is really helpful, thank you all!

[batsandhatsinunderland-deactiva]

I’m the newest of new adults but I’m gonna throw these little tips in there. IF YOU HAVE AN OLD CAR: 

-coolant or water if your car overheats (coolant is preferable cause it won’t hurt the engine in the long run but hey i know money is tight) 

-flashlight in case you break down at night and need to check under the hood and your phone is dead

-SPARE TIRE. 

-jumper cables.you will at some point leave your lights on. you just will. 

AAA or any other road side service is never a bad investment i swear. (try to mooch it off your parents as long as you can though) 

[shipperqueen93]

Know how to change a tire. You’re going to need to do it at some point in time and you can’t always rely on someone else to do it for you.

Don’t be afraid to go to your local food bank. They are there for a reason.

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help period. Life is hard, everyone needs help occasionally.

[woodelf68]

You can put a LOWER wattage bulb in a lamp that says it’s for a higher one, but don’t put a HIGHER wattage bulb in. Also, watts refer to the amount of electricity used. LUMENS refers to the amount of light put out, and can vary quite a bit between brands, even though the wattage is the same. Look for the one with the highest lumens unless you actually want a slightly dimmer bulb in a certain location. Those dollar store batteries? Fine if they’re alkaline. “Heavy-duty” batteries, however, won’t last nearly as long. You can microwave a hot dog and bun simply by wrapping them in a toweling for a minute, less if you don’t want them scalding hot.

[blue-pixiedust]

Reblogging to save lives.

[faranae-moved]

Two adulting (kitchen-related) tips from me!

1. Buy a roll of parchment paper from the cooking shit aisle. A big roll will last you for-fucking-ever. Pretty much any time you’re using a baking pan you can line it with that stuff and save yourself A: food sticking to the pan and B: it’s a quick rinse and it’s clean.

2. Bread can get fucking expensive, so make your own. A bigass bag of flour and a bag of active dry yeast (store it in the friiiiidge!!!) works out a FUCK of a lot cheaper than buying bread at the store, and you can do so much more with it. Bread, pizza, rolls, cinnibuns, homemade pizza pockets. It seems intimidating but it’s stupid easy.

Seriously. It’s stupid simple to make, and most of the “3 hours” to make it is sitting around surfing the internet or doing whatever the fuck you want while the dough rises. If you have an afternoon free once a week to sit and play video games or surf the net, you have the time to make your own bread on the cheap. Here’s my simple-as-fuck recipe:

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (You can buy a bag of this stuff CHEAP in bulk stores, the little packets are hella stupid priced) 1 cup warm water (think a hot bath) 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons oil (any kind works for the most part) 2 ¼ cups flour 1 teaspoon salt

1. Stir the yeast, water, sugar, and oil up in a bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will foam up VERY high, this is the yeast getting happy! If it doesn’t get all foamy, the water may have been too hot or not hot enough. Remember, Yeast is alive! Treat it like a nice girlfriend!

2. Mix your flour, salt, and the yeast concoction up in a bowl.

3. Knead that shit for about 5 minutes. It will start sticky as heck, but will come together into a nice dough. If it’s still super sticky, toss in a bit more flour. Here’s how to knead it: 

4. Put your dough in a covered, lightly oiled bowl and leave it someplace warmish for an hour. At that point it will have roughly doubled in size, give it a gentle punch to release the gasses that have built up inside. Cover it again and let it sit for a bit longer.

Boom. You have bread dough. Here are some baking times and uses for ya:

Optional egg-wash: Just crack an egg into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and mix the bejeebus out of it with a fork. Brush (or if you’re like me, goop it on with said fork) that shit thinly on bread before baking for a nice crust.

Pizza: Stretch it on a pan, stab the fucker all over with a fork, add toppings, bake 425*F 15-20 minutes. 

Bread Sticks: Make snake-shapes, let rest on pan 10-ish minutes, bake 400*F 10-20 minutes.

Dinner rolls: Make ball-sized (yes those balls) balls. Place on greased pan, let rest 10-20 minutes to rise. Egg-wash and bake 375*F 25 minutes.

Bread: Lightly score (cut) the top, let sit for 20-ish minutes on/in whatever you’re using to bake it, egg-wash, bake at 375*F for 20-ish minutes. It’s done when it sounds hollow if you knock on the bottom.

You bet your ass you can deep-fry this shit for cheapie yeast doughnuts. Roll that shit in sugar or dip it in whatever, it’s fucking tasty.

Bagels: YES. YOU. CAN. Form bagel-shapes out of the dough and boil them in salty water for about 2 minutes. Egg-wash them and bake them at 400*F for 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls: Roll that shit out into a rectangle. Brush it with a mix of butter, cinnamon, sugar, and a pinch of salt (no exact amounts here, do it to your taste). Roll it up into a log, and cut it into discs. Let them sit 20 minutes in a pan and then bake at 375*F 15-17 minutes.

You can add whatever you want to the dough for some variety, just if it’s dried spices remember you really only need 1-ish tablespoons. I personally like making bread with about 1 tablespoon of dill in the dough. Roll it out flat, sprinkle it with cheddar, roll it into a log, squeeze the ends shut, and bake it like a regular loaf of bread. Cheesy dill bread OMNOMNOM.

*ahem* That got a bit long. But yeah. Bread’s expensive, yo. Save your wallet.

(Also it’s ridiculous amounts of therapeutic to bake, for me anyway)

[tempestcaliban]

Being able to bake your own bread is pretty awesome, if you got the time for it. 

[shityoumustknow]

Ecuador has been a great deal lately on the news, and it's not a surprise that Ecuador's fraternity and good-will keeps moving the country forward. However, resources are missing and there is a lot that is needed, that's where you make a part, you can help Ecuador by donating any quantity you see fit, either way, Ecuador will be growing again thanks to you. For more info about the project, click the link below https://igg.me/at/c0PIsPMZP1E Please share this, that would help a lot

[acidocasualidad]

[myspiritedneighbortotoro]

How Donald Trump comes up with his ideas

[melingua]

Has anyone any experience with learning Arabic on there own? I need some advice and good sources. 😊

[wonderful-language-sounds]

Hi! I am actually self-studying arabic on my own.

Masterposts:

http://wonderful-language-sounds.tumblr.com/post/137502681888/rockinspired-assalamu-alaykum-this-is-my-very

http://wonderful-language-sounds.tumblr.com/post/134877441499/loreleirps-lorelei-makes-a-masterlist

http://wonderful-language-sounds.tumblr.com/post/134587188807/language-resources-arabic

http://wonderful-language-sounds.tumblr.com/post/133590534151/arabic-learning-resources

Free Online Courses:

Arabic for Global Exchange (in the drop down menu)

Arabic Language for Beginners

Arabic Without Walls

Conversational Arabic Made Easy

Intro to Arabic

Lebanese Arabic

Madinah Arabic

Moroccan Arabic

Read Arabic

Self-Studying Advice from baroness-of-languages:

Course books or the internet

What do I need

How do I find the time

How should I study

Study plan

What should I learn

How much should I study

How to learn words

How to learn grammar

5 Mistakes made when self-studying

How to find motivation

I hope these resources helped :) Definitely spend time on the alphabet and don’t get discouraged!! 

[langsandlit]

@sprachtraeume

[sprachtraeume]

Many Dank 😌

[caravaggista]

Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa (1818-1819). Louvre.

On this day in 1816, the French frigate Méduse ran aground. Gericault’s painting illustrates the aftermath of the actions of the ship’s inexperienced and ill-fitted captain, Viscount Hugues Duroy de Chaumereys, who was appointed under the Bourbon government. The Méduse’s lifeboats were filled with the higher-ranking officials, including the captain and Julien-Désiré Schmaltz, the newly appointed governor of Senegal. A crudely constructed raft was made  for the remaining 150 people: soldiers, civil servants, and settlers. 

Helplessly overcrowded, the raft was tied to the lifeboats and was meant to be pulled along with them to safety. When the ocean became too turbulent, the raft was seen as a burden to the lifeboats and on July 5, the captain ordered it to be set adrift. 

“At the first moment we did not really believe that we had been so cruelly abandoned.” - Survivors  J. B. Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard

Chaos ensued.

First, there was mutiny as soldiers, officers, and others on board the raft fought and rioted. In tumultuous waters, people violently scrambled to get to the center of the raft, where it was most stable. Murder and suicide became commonplace.  On the eighth  day adrift, the weakest and the sick were pushed into the ocean and left to die. Once the food supply ran out, those desperate for nourishment resorted to cannibalism. 

The raft was discovered by the Argus on the thirteenth day. There were only fifteen survivors. 

“…. Imagine fifteen unfortunate men, almost naked; their bodies and faces disfigured by the scorching beams of the sun; ten of the fifteen were hardly able to move; our limbs were excoriated, our sufferings were deeply imprinted on our features, our eyes were hollow, and almost wild, and our long beards rendered our appearance still more frightful; we were but the shadows of ourselves.” - Survivors J. B. Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard

The captain of the Medusa was demoted, imprisoned, and disgraced for his actions.

Géricault’s carefully constructed masterpiece was displayed at the Salon of 1819 under a new name, The Shipwreck, so as not to stir up controversy or heated political discussion. But this new name also gave the work an anonymity that made it a universal symbol of suffering. 

“Here was an event that turned upside down the revolutionary and Napoleonic heritage of reason and of the nobility of death, and one that could expose the darkest sides of human suffering.” - Robert Rosenblum, 19th-Century Art (1984).

Read an eyewitness account written by two survivors:  Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816 by J. B. Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard.

[ataxiwardance]

This painting is (somehow) even more striking in person.

[whoknewfacts-deactivated2022100]

If you don’t like eating a particular fruit or vegetable, this science-meets-art mash up is about to blow your mind.

Constructed by MRI technologist Andy Ellison at Boston University Medical School, Inside Insides is a collection of MRI images of foods, veggies and flowers turned into mesmerizing animated pictures, or gifs to be exact.

Keep reading

[shityoumustknow]

Wonderful horse photographs by Wojtek Kwiatowski. A variety of astonishing images for your eyes

[shityoumustknow]

Forensic psychologists identify a cycle that a serial killers goes through when planning and executing a murder. It is generally six phases - 1.) The Aura Phase: This is where the motive to kill begins. A serial killer fed up with the stressors of real life will slowly begin to shift into a fantasy world. Here, the ideas of murder will begin to flourish; fantasies of the impending satisfaction and details of the killing will become an obsession. If the killer drinks or does drugs, use will increase tremendously. 2.) The Trolling Phase: Now the killer will begin to lurk and “troll” around for a potential setting - and potential victims for their crime. They usually seek areas that they are familiar and comfortable with. 3.) The Wooing Phase: Kinda self explanatory. The killer has focused in on his/her potential victim. Now they work on luring the individual in, whether through grooming, charming, or gaining their trust. The wooing phase leads to… 4.) The Capture Phase: Again, self explanatory. After gaining a victim’s confidence, the killer captures them. They are now in almost complete control of the individual. 5.) The Murder and Totem Phase: The killer’s vision is finally fulfilled. They finally indulge in a murder, satisfying themselves in whatever way they see fit - either for sexual, excitement, or financial/material gratification. This provides the ultimate high; a killer feels in control of his/her life in a way that is impossible anyway else. But the high cannot last forever, and that is why many serial killers take an extra step and keep some kind of totem. Whether it’s a photograph of the victim, a piece of clothing, or even a body part, many keep these little charms to try to lengthen out the feeling. 6.) Depression - But even a totem is not enough. Soon the killer snaps out of the delusion. The victim was a brief break from a reality, and depression sets in. We have now come full circle! Because the serial killer will soon grow exhausted and fall back into the Aura Phase, beginning the cycle again.

[fireball-mudflap]

[incognitaco]

what the fuck

[blasianxbri]

LMFAOOOO.

[putabruja]

Always reblog lol

[retailavenger85]

Have you guys never seen the original Starbucks logo? It’s still up at the first store in the Pike Place (which isn’t actually the first store, but shhhh)

[salemkittie]

YEP, THERE YOU HAVE IT

[shityoumustknow]

Ladies and gentlemen, the star bucks origin

[shityoumustknow]

The best quotes of Harvey Specter, Suits Great life-tips that you will surely find them eye-opening and also, an incentive to start a hell of a ride

[shityoumustknow]

The wonderful Tuscany, Florence The birth of the Italian renaissance

[shityoumustknow]

Lock picking has many negative connotations associated with it and it’s understandable why. The very essence of lock picking is to undermine and compromise security, which is commonly associated with criminal activity. But in reality, the high majority of lock pickers are either hobbyists or those who want to understand and better their own security. Regardless of why an individual chooses to learn the craft of lock picking, one thing is certain. To the lock picker, the world is an open door and to the survivalist this can mean everything. Here are a few examples of why this skill is valuable.

[psych2go]

Source: http://buyalex.com/

[logically-devonian-blog]

How the Geneva Drive (the mechanical step that makes the second hand on a clock work by turning constant rotation into intermittent motion) works.

[thelynnfiles]

Oh snap!

[cutlerish]

As an engineer, this makes me happy.

[thefurrynerd]

If only one loop of this gif were equal to one second…

[endoshan]

easy peasy

[aibohphobia]

watching this while listening to a clock ticking is the best decision i have ever made

[fayescarlet]

Man this is rather fascinating.

[iraffiruse]

[tumbling-website]

Reblog for the last one

[inbreadshark-deactivated2016030]

it’s a game show where everyone eats the furniture in a room and tries to see which is made of chocolate

[pemwin]

So basically you’re telling me this is the best fucking game ever created