Things Could Always Be Worse

 

People today are always complaining about how bad they have it even though they don't know how good they do. They say things like "I'm out of work, I lost my house, my wife left me to become a man." That's why we've compiled a list of real things that happened to other unfortunate souls to remind you that no matter how bad you have it- things could be worse! If you're feeling blue about your dead dog and your pregnant teenage girlfriend, then read this!

18 Years at The Airport

Mehran Karimi Nasseri is an Iranian man who landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France seeking refugee status from Iran in 1988.. and after his briefcase was stolen with his passport and paperwork, he was NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE AIRPORT FOR 18 YEARS. He couldn't return to Iran and he couldn't enter any European country. So he had to sit in the airport Terminal in limbo.

You may think this story sounds familiar; that's because the Tom Hanks' romantic comedy The Terminal was inspired by his story. However, Mehran's outcome wasn't so romantic; in 2006 he was finally allowed to leave the airport and was admitted to a hospital for an unspecified ailment. He now lives in a shelter. So no matter how much you hate your boss and going into work each day to that God awful "prison," or how much you hate Delta for making you wait on the tarmac for twenty minutes,  just think of the plight of poor Mehran listening constantly to the roar of jets and the loud PA system announcements for "flights now boarding" that he would never, ever get on and meditate on sitting in the airport for 18 years.

Woman Loses Arms and Legs After Giving Birth

Katy Hayes of Texas gave birth to a healthy daughter and was doing fine until as a result of the pregnancy she contracted a rare flesh eating disease. In an effort to save her life doctors were forced to REMOVE ALL HER ARMS AND LEGS making her a quadruple amputee.

(This could be you.)

She woke up in the hospital after slipping in and out of a coma with no limbs and has three children including the newborn to care for. So the next time you complain about how far you have to walk while carrying your groceries from the car to your crappy third floor apartment without an elevator, watch this video and meditate on living without arms and legs.

Austrian Woman Trapped in Basement and Forced to have Her Father's Babies for 24 Years

At age 18, Elizabeth Fritzl was drugged and trapped in an underground dungeon her own father, Joseph Fritzl had constructed under his apartment complex. She spent the next 24 years imprisoned there while her father forced her to have his incestuous offspring, resulting in seven children, three of whom lived their entire lives in the basement dungeon until the eldest was taken to the hospital for medical attention in 2008.

(This isn't your father!)

Authorities uncovered the heinous story, Joe Fritzl is locked up, and the "family" now lives in seclusion, with sensitivity to natural light from their years of imprisonment. So the next time you complain about what a crappy job your parents did with your upbringing just think that at least your father/grandfather didn't rape your mom and imprison you for the first two decades of your life in a secrete basement dungeon where you NEVER went outside. Meditate on the above picture of Joseph Fritzl – he's not your dad!

Farmer Gets The "Tree Man" Syndrome

A Romanian farmer named Ion Toader contracted Epidermodysplasia verruciformis, otherwise known as The Tree Man Syndrome. This debilitating disease leaves its victims with scaly, wooden like warts and growths all over the skin and body. Unlike the tree people in The Wizard of Oz and The Lord of The Rings, the reality of being a tree person isn't very enchanting or magical. Essentially it makes the hands unusable and as a farmer Toader was left unable to use his tractor. Treatments for the condition can be tough and there is currently none that is one hundred percent effective. One Tree Man patient was given radiation therapy resulting in cancer. So the next time you complain about the mole on your cheek or how you hate your new fingernail polish, just meditate on the plight of poor Ion who has tree trunks for hands.

 

Movie Theater Snacks from Around the World

Check out 10 international treats that make popcorn seem boring

 

 

In the U.S., moviegoers snack on typical vendor fare like nachos, chocolate-covered candy and popcorn. But what's served in America isn't necessarily the norm around the world. Whether it's V.I.P. audiences in Russia feasting on caviar, or Norwegians enjoying dried reindeer meat, check out all the favorite munchies of international filmgoers.

Japan: Iwashi Senbei

At first glance, these brown crispy flakes look like bacon strips. However, they're actually bags of sardine (iwashi) rice crackers (senbei). To capture the notorious sweet-savory umami flavor of Japanese cuisine, the mini-fish (including their mini-skeletons) are baked in sugar and soy sauce and usually sold prepackaged.

Korea: Dried Cuttlefish

In Korea, prepackaged cuttlefish (similar to squid but with a meaty texture and briny-sweet flavor) is served dried and shredded. But the delicacy is not served in place of popcorn—it's served with it, as the two snacks' opposing textures (chewy and crunchy) go well together. Photo: Thinkstock

Russia: Beluga Caviar

Muscovites' love of the finer things in life is apparent even at the movies. At theaters in Russia's largest city, amenities now include this luxurious black roe, which is served by waitstaff (not bought at concession) to patrons who pay extra to sit in V.I.P. seats. Photo: iStockphoto

India: Samosas, Chaat and Vada Pav

For Bollywood fans, Indian fare like samosas (potato-stuffed pastries), chaat (fried dough with potato, bread or chickpeas and tangy spices with yogurt garnish) and vada (a spiced potato sandwich) are the movie snacks of choice. Psst: You can also get them at cinemas in the U.S., like Columbia Park Stadium 12 in North Bergen, New Jersey. Photo: Thinkstock / Lisa Linder

Barbados: Fish Cakes and Banks Beer

Commonly sold by restaurants, street vendors and theaters, fish cakes—made from salted fish (think cod), flour, baking powder and herbs (thyme, parsley and marjoram)—are a hit. They don't taste too salty, are typically served with some type of hot sauce and are washed down with Banks beer, a local brew. Photo: iStockphoto

Lithuania: Kvas or Kvaas

This fermented beer-like beverage is made by pouring hot water over cubes of stale black or rye bread, fermenting it in a wooden tub and seasoning with mint. One Lithuanian tells MSNBC, "We used to buy it outside the cinema from a lady dressed in a white doctor's coat, serving it from a large rusting cylinder drum with a little tap at the side." Photo: iStockphoto

Greece: Souvlaki

During the dry summer season between May and June, open-air movie theaters unlock their doors all around Greece. Moviegoers can snack on typical theater treats like soda and nachos, but some venues also serve an array of authentic Greek fare, like souvlaki (skewered meat and veggies). Photo: iStockphoto

United Kingdom: Sugared Popcorn

Most theaters in the United Kingdom (along with many parts of Asia) serve sugared popcorn, which is popped in a standard kettle and sprinkled with the sweet stuff in lieu of salt. Not to everyone's liking, though, so salted and buttered popcorn is usually available, too. Photo: Radius Images/Getty Images

Norway: Dried Reindeer Meet

We're not sure which is better: The drive-in theater for snowmobiles or the highly nutritious, lowfat reindeer meat served there. Located in Kautokeino, Norway (450 km north of the Arctic Circle), the theater is entirely made of snow, including the screen. Photo: Björn Palovaara /Flickr

Spain: Calimocho

In Spain, specifically in Madrid, a red wine and cola cocktail has been the street refreshment of choice—especially for kids, who like to smuggle it in since the drink isn't sold at theaters. Sprite or Limonada Fresca can be substituted for cola, too!