Interesting Facts About Birthdays

My birthday was yesterday April 17th, so I decided I would write a blog on interesting facts about birthdays. I ended up having a really good birthday. My Granny gave me this huge shopping spree and then $100, and my mom bought me a couch set for my apartment. I really had a great birthday. A lot of people remembered which I always think is a big deal because it’s easy to forget other people’s birthdays. One girl that I graduated with even texted me to say happy birthday, and I haven’t talked to her in about a year. Jay is giving me his gifts tonight I think. I’m not sure what his present will be, but I’m sure it will be good. Anyways, back to the topic of interesting facts. I hope you enjoy these. 1) Your actual birthday occurs only once every seven years. Not counting leaping years, the date you were born on moves each year to the following day of the week. For example, if you were born on Saturday March 15th, the following year, March 15th will fall on a Sunday, the year after on a Monday, and so on. This means your annual celebration is actually for your birth date- not your birthday- and in truth your birth day (the actual day you were born on) occurs only every 7 years! 2) In Ireland the birthday child is lifted by hands and feet, and “bumped” on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps given is the age of the child, plus one for luck. 3) No one is exactly sure why we have the birthday cake, but these are a few explanations. One possible reason is because the ancient Greeks used to take cakes (round to represent the full moon) to the temple of their goddess of the moon, Artemis. The Greeks are said to have placed candles on the cake to make it look as if it was glowing like the moon. Another explanation is the birthday cake started in Germany. Geburtstagorten was a type of cake that is said to have been used to celebrate birthdays. 4) Once again, no one is completely sure why candles are used when celebrating birthdays, but here are a few possible explanations. One reason is because (what I said earlier) when the Greeks took cakes to the goddess of the moon, Artemis. The Greeks are said to have placed candles on the cake to make it look as if it was glowing like the moon. The Germans also were known to have been skilled candlemakers and may have put small candles on their cakes, possibly for religious reasons. 5) The tradition of sending birthday cards started in England about 100 years ago. Originally cards were often sent as an “apology” when a person couldn’t visit somebody in person. Today we often sent birthday cards even if we can. 6) The earliest birthday parties in history were held because people thought that evil spirits would visit them on their birthdays. They stayed closed to their family and friends for protection. Later parties became social gatherings where friends and family would bring gifts or flowers to the person having their birthday. Today birthday parties are held just for fun. 7) In Japan, until quite recently, most Japanese children used to celebrate their birthdays on January 1st, regardless of which day of the year they were actually born on. Today however, most Japanese children celebrate on their actual birthdays. 8) In Russia, instead of a birthday cake, many Russian children are given a birthday pie. Instead of using icing to spell a message, Russian birthday pies have the message carved into the pie crust.

Pollen's In the Air

Well spring is finally here which means many people’s allergies are back in action. I have been blessed to not have allergies like most people. So many people suffer from allergies every year, and they spend tons of money and time trying to prevent their allergies. I decided to write a blog to help those of you with allergies. If you use these steps but still have problems, then you need to see a doctor. Hopefully some of these options will help ease your allergy problem. Good luck! First, you should use over-the-counter antihistamines for relief. For some people, these drugs are very effective at reducing the classic symptoms of seasonal allergies, including sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and scratchy throat. Be aware that some older-generation antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can cause sleepiness and the impairment of thinking and driving. More recent formulations tend to cause no drowsiness (Claritin, for example) or less drowsiness (Zyrtec). Second, you should keep your home's doors and windows closed. You can't completely seal off your home, but keeping doors and windows closed can help prevent pollens and outdoor molds from entering. As the weather turns nicer, use the air conditioner rather than opening a window to bring in "fresh" air. Third, limit outdoor activity, particularly in the morning. Avoid being outdoors, especially to exercise, when pollen counts are high, or on windy days when pollen and molds are being blown about. In general, pollen counts are highest from about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. When traveling by car, keep the windows up. Again, this helps keep out pollens, dust and mold. Fourth, take a shower and change clothes. Pollen can collect on clothes and in your hair, so when you've been outside for any significant amount of time, shower and change into fresh clothes as soon as you get home.Most of these sound very simple, but you should all try these and hopefully they will help with your allergies.

My New New Job

Well as most of you know, I recently got a job at J. Alexander’s. I have been there somewhere around three months or so. I decided I wanted to start tanning again, so I will look halfway decent for the summer, so I decided to get a job at Elite Beach in Millington. I am really overwhelming myself here at the end of the semester. Right now it’s finals time, and I am working two jobs and coaching a softball team. I guess I should have thought this out a little more, but oh well. I am really excited about this job, mainly because I get free tanning. My plan is to join this 24 hour fitness in Millington and start working out again. I have really gained a lot of weight this year, so I am ready to go back to the way I looked about a year ago. This job is actually really hard though. I got this job one for the free tanning but two because it would be a little easy job to just make some extra money. Boy was I wrong. Man, I worked on Wednesday night, and I came home with every bone in my body hurting. I tore a few ligaments in my ankle a few years ago playing softball, and my ankle bothered me for a long time after it was healed. I haven’t had the ankle pain in probably almost a year (that I can remember). But Wednesday night, the pain came back. It hurt so bad, and all I kept thinking was I thought this was over. When I first hurt my ankle, everyone said you’re going to wish you had broken it because the pain goes away. If you tear something, you will always feel it. Man, were they right! I tore it when I was a sophomore, so I guess it has been three years. I am still having the pain though. That is so crazy! Anyways, I kind of got sidetracked there. I really respect the girls that work at the tanning salons now because it’s not just some easy job. Believe me, I thought it was too, but now that I’m experiencing it, I feel bad for thinking it was so easy. I guess that’s how everything is though before you experience it. Before I became a server, I knew that being a server was hard, but it was nothing compared to how bad it really is. I also didn’t tip anywhere near what I do now. You know I am really enjoying changing jobs a lot one because I learn many different trades, but two because I learn to respect other people and to not look down on them because I have no idea what all they may have to do.

Bye Bye Rose

So Rose is leaving Memphis to go to the draft. I can’t say I blame him. I mean if anyone offered me $1,000,000 I would do it, and he’s getting a lot more than that. I mean look at LeBron James. He was drafted right out of high school, and look at how much money he’s making. It makes me so jealous. I know I shouldn’t be jealous, but it would be really nice to have enough money that you would never have to worry. I mean I’m working two jobs just so I can make enough money to live. I’m going to school, so I will make enough money for my family to live. It’s a never ending circle. I think it’s pretty exciting though that someone from the University of Memphis will be playing in professional basketball next year. That really is impressive. I have to say I’m proud of Rose, and all of the players for this season. They all worked really hard, and I am proud of all of them. Also, on Tuesday I saw Joey Dorsey! It was so cool! I felt like I was meeting a celebrity. Is that not crazy? I felt like such a geek! We were walking across the street together from the parking lot. He is huge. I would say I probably come to the middle of his back. I told everyone that I saw him, and they thought it was as cool as I did. That made me feel a little less geeky. My softball team had a game on Tuesday, and I told one of the girls, and she said “He looks so scary. I would be afraid to be near him.” That made me laugh because I didn’t think he looked at all intimidating. He was wearing a blue adidas warm up and matching blue shoes. No offense but when you are matching that perfectly, you just don’t seem very intimidating. Back to Rose. I hope he does well and makes a ton of money. I can’t wait to see him in a few years on cribs with his three cars and gigantic house. One day, I will look back and say “I went to school with him!”

Mean Girls

I read an article from the Oprah Winfrey show that Dr. Smith said about mean girls in school. I’m sure most of you have dealt with some form of these “mean girls.” I know I sure did. My bad experience happened in eighth grade. I am still traumatized by it. I talk about it all the time, and I think that one year really messed me up. I’ll take you back in time to give you some background. In eighth grade, I finally lost most of my elementary kid (chubby weight), and I started to look a lot better. I got contacts, and I started dressing better and really caring about how I looked. Not long after, boys came into the picture. I had began my love affair with boys in seventh grade, but the actual dating and boyfriends stuff came in eighth grade. When the boys began to like me, the “popular girls” started to like me too. There was this group of about five girls. They were the it girls. The leaders were Maddie and Kelly. This group adopted me in around the beginning of the school year. I dropped all of my previous friends to be one of the “it” girls. I turned into them. I became one of those evil girls that picks on everyone and brings everyone down for the way they are. I have never been like that. I have always tried to be as nice as possible to people that are nice to me. I never felt I could be as mean as Maddie and Kelly though. They were just down right evil! I became really good friends with this one girl on my basketball team, and she asked me to go to her church camp. While we were there, I met a boy. ( I used to be a huge flirt, but I never did anything. I just liked to be a tease.) I knew nothing about him except the fact that he was adorable. He flirted with me like crazy, and he always wanted to hang out with me. Towards the end of the week, I found out he had a girlfriend. Ugh oh! We never kissed or anything, just harmless flirting. The big ugh oh was that this boy’s girlfriend was Kelly’s best friend. Big Big ugh oh! Needless to say, that was when the “mean girls” came together and forced me out. It was none of Kelly’s business, but she came into my life and just destroyed it. She turned the whole group against me. I swear I fought with them for a year about the dumbest stuff. I hated going to school because I was scared of what was going to happen. I would plan out arguments in my head to make sure I had good comebacks. It was horrible. After everything happened, I found a group of friends that were nice to me. They weren’t the most popular people, but they were good friends and people to talk to. Ever since eighth grade, I haven’t had very many close friends because I was so messed up from this whole experience. Those girls were so evil to me. They went out of their way to make my life HELL!! Over the years some of them left. The ones that stayed ended up hating each other and the whole group eventually broke up. They all turned out to be fat and ugly, and they were all huge sluts. Well except for Maddie because no one would date her. (Probably because she was so evil.) This article was talking about why these girls act so mean. It said they usually have problems at home that make them bring other people down so they will feel better. This is so true. Maddie, for example, had an older sister that got pregnant at seventeen. She had two younger brothers. He parents got a divorce. Her mom was an alcoholic. Her dad had an affair with a much younger woman. Etc., etc. She had a pretty tough life, and now that I look back I know that’s why she was so evil. Most of the other girls have somewhat of the same story as Maddie. It’s sad that people have to make other people feel bad to make themselves feel better.

How to Live Longer

I found a website that gave twelve quick tips to lengthen your life. I know everyone wants to live a long and healthy life, so here are some ways to do it. 1. oHoweTea off in the morning- Hot tea can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15%. Try pu-erh tea, which is better than green or black tea at preventing DNA damage. 2. Sleep smarter- too much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A British study found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night. 3. Pop in your lenses post-shower- Soaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers. 4. Drink wine, stay lean- Polyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption, an Israeli study found, Red-wine marinades work, too. 5. Lost the lint- Taking two seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the U.S. 6. Check your neck- An American Journal of Medicine study found that a mildly underactive thyroid can boost your heart-disease risk by 65 percent. A quick blood test can assess your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). 7. Lean Back- Parking your torso at a 90 degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-z-boy treatment and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical. 8. Scent your air safetly- Some air fresheners contain phthalates, compounds that may disrupt hormone processes, Natural Resources Defense Council testing reveals. Stick with Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects. 9. Boost your defenses- An Archives of Internal Medicine review reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7%. 10. Skip the spray- Using household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76%, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead. 11. Steam your broccoli- Italian researchers discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30%. Boiling actually lowers the levels. 12. Stretch it out- Genes in your body linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can be “turned on” if you sit for hours on end, reports a study in Diabetes. Hit the “off” button by taking hourly laps during TV, book, and Web sessions.

Ice Ice Baby

Well Vanilla Ice was arrested for a battery charge. This article on msn’s entertainment part talked about the arrest, but it finished with saying “He sold 15 million copies of the single “Ice Ice Baby” in 1990.” I cannot believe this. After all the talk about him being arrested, they still have to throw in the fact that he is a celebrity. I’m sorry but just because he sold 15 million records in 1990 does not make his crime disappear. Why do people like celebrities and politicians get away with things like this. What made them so much more special than the rest of us? I understand when you’re a celebrity you can do whatever you want, but I really think it’s stupid. So what if Vanilla Ice sold 15 million records, he’s still at fault. I hate that when celebrities or people in power do something wrong, they hardly have to pay for it. Think about Paris Hilton. When she went to jail, everyone was like “Oh My God!!!” I wanted say why are you saying that because she will be out in like two days. Just because Paris Hilton is a huge slut, and she maybe knows what 2+2 equals, she gets a get out of jail free card. There is something really wrong with this system here in our country. I wish I was in some kind of power, so I could change some of these stupid things. This blog also goes with my jail blog because our jail system is flat out screwed up. Not only are regular prisoners being rewarded for murdering people, but celebrities and people in power are made more popular by going to jail. Once again, another flaw in this horrible law system we have.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

I was reading an article about prisoners, and it got me thinking. It really upsets me that people are still complaining about the treatment of prisoners. I mean these people are murders, rapists, etc. They should not be treated fairly or with respect. They should not be given comfortable beds, cable, good food, etc. That is ridiculous to me. Some of these prisons are nicer than my own home. I mean I thought the point of prison was to be punished. Apparently, people want that to change because they want prisoners to have better good, comfortable beds, good food, respect, etc. I mean do these people just completely look past the fact that they, for instance, killed someone. I bet you if the person they killed was someone from their family, they would be acting completely different. I just don’t understand how people can rationalize what these people have done. I mean who wouldn’t want someone that killed your family member to suffer. No one would say “Please take good care of them, and give them good food and a comfortable bed.” I mean are you kidding me. All these people that think we should improve prison conditions make me so angry because it’s called prison for a reason. It’s not supposed to be a good thing. You are supposed to regret what you did while you are in prison. It is not supposed to be an enjoyable experience. This crap gets on my nerves, and I hope people will think about what they are doing. There are much bigger problems than fixing the living conditions for prisoners.

A City of Blue

Recently, I have been watching the news about this Memphis team. Unforunately, we lost the championship game against Kansas, but we did so much more than that. Not only did we have the most won games in a single season, but it was also the first time that all number one seeds were in the final four. Those are some pretty amazing statistics. They are definetely something to be proud of. The most important thing this team has done is unite our city with one color, BLUE. Everywhere you would go, there would be so many people wearing their blue and grey in support of such an influential team. This team brought a change in Memphis that no other person has ever done. They made people unify under one race of blue. There was no race when they played. They brought about a common love in that everyone wanted to see this team win the championship. They brought everyone together without even trying. All this team did was play the game they love, but look at how much of a change they made. You could see on tv all races cheering for the same thing. People have tried for years to unify the races, but nothing has ever worked. Now, a team from a so-called "bad" school plays their hearts out for the sport they love, and they bring about peace in a community for a little while. Honestly, it's sad that something like a sporting event can bring the races together. Why not everything else? I respect this team a lot for what they have done. I respect them for overcoming all of the people who said they would never make it. I have grown to love this school over the last year, and I thanks to this team a lot of other people have grown to love it too. I will forever bleed blue and grey!

Interesting Facts About Candles

Well of course I had to have at least one interesting facts blog, so I decided I would make one about candles. I was looking around my den, and I have seventeen candles in that one room! Can you believe that? I sure don't. I love candles, but apparently, I love them too much. I decided I would find interesting facts about them, and some of these really are interesting. Hope you enjoy! 1. The candle industry is growing mainly because of our society's stressful lives and everyone's quest for relief. 2. Candles are used in 7 out of 10 U.S. households. The majority of consumers also burn candles between 1-3 times per week, with half of these consumers burning 1-2 candles at a time. 3. Candle industry research findings indicate that the most important factor affecting candle sales is Fragrance, with color and shape taking a distant second, in the consumer selection of a candle for the home. 4. Overall candle sales are growing faster than the United States economy as a whole. 5. Consumers say they typically burn candles for just under 3 hours. 9 out of 10 candle users say they use candles to make a room feel comfortable and cozy. 6. Candle users say they most frequently burn candles in the living room (42%), by the kitchen (18%), and the bedroom (13%). 7. Candle purchasers view candles as an appropriate gift for the holidays (76%), house-warming gifts (74%), a hostess/dinner party gift (66%), a thank you gift (61%), adult birthday gift (58%). 8. U.S. retail sales of candles are estimated at approximately $2 billion annually, excluding the sale of candle accessories. 9. There are more than 350 commercial, religious and industrial manufacturers of candles in the U.S., as well as scores of small craft producers for local, non-commercial use. 10. Candle manufacturers' surveys show that 96% of all candles purchased are bought by women. Two thirds of candle purchasers say they use candles once a week or more often. Women are more frequent users than men, and younger people tend to use candles more often than older adults. I hope you enjoyed these. I thought they were very interesting. Oh and feel free to give me any candles! I love the smell of vanilla!

Interesting Facts

It has been a while since I did an interesting facts blog, so I decided I would write one on just some interesting facts about animals. If you can't tell by now, I love animals. I wanted to be a vet for years. They are all just so sweet and loving. If I could, I would have hundreds of animals. I hope you enjoy some of these. I thought they were really neat. 1) The five most common dog names for males are Jake, Buddy, Bailey, and Sam. For females, they are Maggie, Molly, Lady, Sadie, and Lucy. 2) The ten most popular dogs in order are Labrador Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Boxer, Dachshund, Poodle, Shih Tzu, and Bulldog. 3) A famou Beagle you might have heard about is Snoopy. He has been in the newspaper since 1950. 4) Dalmatian puppies are pure white when they are born, and they develop their spots as they mature. 5) A dog's temperature is between 100.2-102.8 degrees Fahreneheit. 6) The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 different kinds of purebred dogs 7) Irish Wolfhounds are the tallest dogs amond all breeds. 8) Dogs were the first animals domesticated by people. 9) Dogs have been wearing collars ever since Egyptian times. 10) To keep themselves warm in the winter, dogs sometimes curl up with their tail covering their nose. 11) In many cities, there are close to 50,000 pets each year that have no homes and no one to take care of them. 12) Lassie was the first animal named to the Animal Hall of Fame in 1969. 13) Dogs have three eyelids. They have an upper and lower eyelid and a third one inside of the other two. It helps protect the eye from dirt and dust. It is also called a "haw".

Proud To Be A Tiger

In honor of our Tigers, I wanted to write a blog about them. I am so excited we are going to San Antonio. I hope we win the whole thing!! This team is really making me happy that I decided to go to Memphis instead of Mississippi State. I had decided in August to stay in Memphis, and I have never regreted it, but the basketball team is really making me proud to be at Memphis. Everyone always looks down on Memphis because they think it's a crappy college compared to Christian Brothers and Rhodes, but I don't care what other people think. I know I went to a college preparatory school, but I think Memphis' classes are hard. I mean I am making pretty good grades, but I am working a lot harder than I expected. I know a lot of people hate the people that are fans only when the team is winning, but I still appreciate all the support. A lot of people looked down on me when I moved out and went to Memphis instead of Mississippi State, but now I want to say screw all of you because my school is in the final four. Mississippi State isn't in the final four, and they are just some country school. If I had gone there, all I would of done is become an alcoholic because that's the only thing to do in Starkville, MS. I don't like to drink, and some of you may think I'm crazy, but I just don't get into it. It always makes my stomach hurt, and it takes me forever to get drunk because I can't keep drinking. It's too much work I guess. Anyway I just want to say that I am very proud to be a tiger, and I appreciate the team for making all of these people supporters. We showed all of those people that thought Memphis was some crappy school. Now look at us. We might be national champs in a few days.

3:10 to Yuma

I mentioned the other day in class the western movie 3:10 to Yuma. I know this is a horrible blog, but I really want to encourage all of you to see this movie. It's amazing. The guy from Batman and Russell Crow are the main characters. That should tell you something. Russell Crow plays an outlaw that can't figure out if he wants to be bad or good. The guy from Batman plays a poor farmer that is willing to do whatever it takes to provide for his family. Russell Crow gets arrested, and the movie is about the journey these men take to get Russell Crow on the 3:10 to Yuma (the prison train). Now that does not do the movie justice. I don't want to ruin the movie for you, but I am telling you that it is worth going to see. I really did not want to see this movie because my dad is in love with westerns, and I have been forced to watch them my whole life. He loves John Wayne. If he ever had a boy that would have been his name. So I really didn't want to see another western, but it is not like the usual westerns. This movie had a lot of good action, not the normal cheezy action. It had a good story line, and the acting is incredible. It's a great movie for anyone. I really want everyone to go see it because it is so good. I know this doesn't tell you a whole lot about the movie, but I don't want to ruin it for you. Just go see it!! I promise you'll love it!

Great Thursday Class

I just wanted to talk about how much I enjoyed class on Thursday. It was really a lot of fun! I was a little nervous when I got the email to come prepared to argue about race because it is such a touchy issue. I had sort of already argued my opinion on the issue in one of my previous blogs, but it was nice to hear someone else's opinion. It was interesting to hear what everyone said. Some people said things I was completely not expecting. I was also happy that everyone was very respectful, and it never got rude and mean. That's really what I was worried about. I had a lot of fun arguing and debating. It was like one person would say something and then someone else would have to put their opinion in, but it was never like fighting. It was really fun! It was like we had this huge intellectual argument about race without name calling and just being down right mean. If only the world could do what we did in class? The world really might be a different place if everyone could talk openly about their issues. Instead, everyone keeps their problems bottled up inside which causes ugly racism. The same thing happens with friends, wives, husbands, etc. When you keep all your problems inside, you can't help but grow hate. Problems are meant to be talked about, but they are not meant to be faught about. I think many people confuse this. I know I often fight out problems instead of talking them out, but it really does no good. I just go right back where I started. I really hope one day we can talk about race comfortably, but really it would be nice if we didn't have to talk about race. I mean who made it illegal for white people to talk about black people and vice versa. If we are all equal, why should we talk about race? Something to think about. Anyway, I just wanted to share how much I loved our class on Thursday. I hope some of you felt the same.