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My Blog
- Number of posts: 18
- Date created: Mar 11, 2006
- Updated: Mar 11, 2006
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Geographic and Demographic Odd Facts
posted: Jun 2, 2006 | comments: 1 | post comment
Recieved this from my cousin today. Did you know?
Alaska:
More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in
Alaska.
----------------------------
Amazon:
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20 percent of the world's
oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic
Ocean that ~ more than one hundred miles at sea, off the mouth of the
river one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in
the Amazon River is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the
world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United
States.
-------------------------------------
Antarctica:
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any
country. 90% of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also
represents 70% of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it
sounds, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly
precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but
0.4 percent of it), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with
an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.
----------------------------
Brazil:
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.
-----------------------------
Canada:
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an
Indian word meaning "Big Village."
---------------------------
Chicago:
Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.
-----------------------------------
Detroit:
Woodward Ave. in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1,
because it was the first paved road anywhere.
---------------------------------
Damascus:
Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome
was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city
in existence.
----------------------------------
Istanbul:
Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two
continents.
---------------------------------
New York City:
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the
1930's who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city.
Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time ~ The Big
Apple. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland,
more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy, and
more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.
---------------------------------
Wilderness:
>
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness 28%. Percentage of North
America that is wilderness 38%.
------------------------------
Ohio:
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is man-made.
---------------------------
Rome:
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome,
Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.
-----------------------------
Siberia:
Siberia contains more than 25 percent of the world's forests.
---------------------------------
SMOM:
The smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta (SMOM). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an
area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20
less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under
international law, as is the Vatican.
----------------------------------
Sahara Desert:
In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not
receive a drop of rain for ten years.
--------------------------
St. Paul:
St. Paul, Minnesota was originally called Pigs Eye after a man named
Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business there
(bootlegging).
--------------------------------------
Roads:
Chances that a road is unpaved in the USA ~ 1 percent Chances that a
road is unpaved in Canada ~ 75 percent.
----------------------------------
United States:
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five
must be straight. These straight sections are meant to be usable as
airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
The Pickle Jar - Do You Have One?
posted: May 16, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
This is a short story that was forwarded to me today from my cousin. It brings back good memories of growing up in a loving family of modest means, but determined to provide a better future for their children. Does it bring back any memories for you?
The Picke Jar
The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.
As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled.
I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank.
Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck.
Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. "Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back."
Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly "These are for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me."
We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestl ed in his palm. "When we get home, we'll start fill ing the jar again." He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. "You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters," he said. "But you'll get there. I'll see to that."
The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed.
A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith.
The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the signific ant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.
No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.
To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. "When you finish college, Son," he told me, his eyes glistening, "You'll never have to eat beans again - unless you want to."
The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the s ofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchil d. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms.
"She probably needs to be changed," she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.
She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. "Look," she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same e motions I felt. Neither one of us could speak.
This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller
- Happy moments, praise God.
- Difficult moments, seek God.
- Quiet moments, worship God.
- Painful moments, trust God.
- Every moment, thank God.
How to Get A Human to Answer the Phone
posted: Apr 17, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Website: www.gethuman.com
What's there: Ways to navigate automated voice systems, a list of the best and worst companies, and often-buried corporate phone numbers. The site covers about 450 businesses.
The site drew a million visitors in February 2006. Paul English, a CTO at a travel search engine put the site up a year ago out of frustration with automated voice services. He was vexed when his bank changed hands and he couldn't reach a live operator.
Now with the help of 16 volunteers, he hopes to encourage companies "to hire some people back to answer phones."
[from USA Weekend, April 14-16, 2006, page 4. usaweekend.com]
Free Directory Assistance
posted: Apr 12, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Received this email today. Haven't tried it yet. Have you?
When you need to use the 411 / information option,
simply dial 1 - 800 - FREE - 411 or 1 800 373 3411
without incurring a charge.
Works on home phone also.
Sand Sculpture -- Jesus on the Beach
posted: Apr 6, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
If you enjoy sand sculptures, you'll want to check out the picture album in the new social group "Jesus on the Beach." The pictures in this group album are from a beach in Maryland. Isn't the artwork awesome? The man creates new ones each day, as the ocean washes them away.
Friendship Lesson -- Nails in the Fence
posted: Apr 6, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
[Email received from a friend in recognition of Friendship Week.]
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day
the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his
temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."
Fish Story -- Catfish Tries to Eat Basketball
posted: Apr 5, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
This was a pretty interesting story from The Sunday Wichita Eagle Newspaper a couple of weeks ago. A resident in the area saw a ball bouncing around kind of strange in a nearby pond and went to investigate. It turned out to be a flathead catfish who had obviously tried to swallow a child's basketball which became stuck in its mouth!!
The fish was totally exhausted from trying to dive, but unable to because the ball would always bring him back up to the surface. The resident tried numerous times to get the ball out, but was unsuccessful. He finally had his wife cut the ball in order to deflate it and release the hungry Catfish.
You probably wouldn't have believed this, if you hadn't seen the picture. More pictures are posted in the group called: "Catfish Eats Basketball." Check it out. It's real!
Recipe -- No-Bake Flax Snacks
posted: Apr 3, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Makes about 24 1" balls
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
3 TB oat flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 TB peanut butter
1/2 cup rice syrup (sold in natural food stores)
powdered sugar (optional)
1. Combine first four ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
2. Add peanut butter and rice syrup, and knead mixture thoroughly by hand.
3. Tear pieces off, and roll them between your hands into 1" balls.
4. Place balls on waxed paper. Dust very lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.
5. Serve immediately, or chill for future use.
Nutrition Info:
Per ball: 50 cal., 1 g protein, 7 g carb, 2 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 8 mg sodium, 4 g flaxseed.
Recipe - Orange Bran Flax Muffins
posted: Apr 3, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Makes 24 muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line 2 12-muffin pans with paper liners, or coat pans with cooking spray.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup flaxseed, ground
1 cup wheat bran
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 oranges, quartered and seeded
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup golden raisins
In a large bowl, combine oat bran, flour, flaxseed, wheat bran, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine oranges, brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and baking soda. Blend well.
Pour orange mixture into dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Stir in raisins.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Info:
Per muffin: 186 cal., 4 g protein, 30 g carb, 8 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 140 mg sodium, 4 g flaxseed.
[Recipe courtesy of Flax Council of Canada and Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission.]
Flax - the next nutritional superstar
posted: Apr 3, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Stocked inside the tiny little flax seed are two impressive compounds -- lignans and alpha-linolenic acid, which appear to help our bodies battle heart attacks, breast and colon cancers, arthritis, severe menstrual cramps, and even depression.
Flaxseed has more of these two compounds than any other food by far!
To get the health benefits, researchers estimate you need from 6 to 25 g a day (about 1 level measuring TB up to 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed.) Sprinkle 1 or more TBs in hot or cold cereal, yogurt, soup or fruit juice. Each TB contains 25 calories, 2.5 g fat. (Refrigerate ground flaxseed and try to use within 6 months.)
Lignans are plant-based compounds that can shrink existing breast and colon cancer tumors and can stop new ones from getting started. (This has been the case in test-tube and animal studies. Tests are underway at the University of Toronto on human breast cancer. 100 women with breast cancer will eat a daily muffin with 25 g of flaxseed to see if it will reduce the growth of their tumors.)
Flaxseed has at least 75 times more lignan than any other plant. You'd have to eat about 60 cups of fresh broccoli or 100 slices of whole wheat bread to get the same levels of lignans that are in just 1/4 cup of flaxseed.
The oil in flaxseed is about 50% alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-version of omega-3 fats. You'd have to eat 25 cups of peanut butter to get the alpha-linolenic acid in just 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed.
Mounting evidence shows that eating more omega-3 fats helps ward off fatal heart attacks, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, severe menstrual cramps, and maybe even depression. Modern diets, even healthy ones, are routinely deficient in omega-3's.
Flax also contains an amazing amount of fiber. Just 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed delivers 6 g of fiber, as much as 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal! Studies prove that when flaxseed is added to the diet, levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the bad cholesterol) drop; while levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the beneficial cholesterol) stay put. Fiber helps reduce the risk of colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
In blind taste tests among 90 college studens, muffins and cookies with ground flaxseed in the recipe won out over plain muffins and cookies for flavor, tenderness, and color!
[from Prevention Supplement, "The Healing Miracle of Flax," OOBY 200176403, Rodale Inc., 2004]
YOUNG MEN IN TUXES [humor from http://www.dailysusan.com/]
posted: Mar 30, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Our daughter was a backup dancer in a talent segment of a beauty contest the other night, and her candidate won “Mr. Congeniality.â€
That’s right: eight senior guys were vying for the title of “Mr. EHS†at Elkhorn High School. They were being judged for swimwear, talent, formalwear and interview. It was a fund-raiser for scholarships, and the winners got cash prizes and NEW CARS!!! Well, they were Matchbox cars – but they were new.
In the talent section, we saw everything from a ukulele player, to a nightclub-style singer, to a Star Wars-style laser gunfight, to a “Lord of the Dance†presentation that was really good. Our daughter’s friend dressed up like Richard Simmons, complete with outrageous wig and fake chest hair, and he and four pretty girls did an aerobics workout with amazing energy.
During the interviews, the boys all looked so smashing in their tuxedoes. They all answered different questions. Here was my favorite answer:
Q. What was your favorite childhood memory?
A. Is this still my childhood?
[from http://www.dailysusan.com/ March 21st Humor Blog.]
SHRIEKS STILL REVERBERATING [humor from http://www.dailysusan.com/]
posted: Mar 29, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
The highlight of Maddy’s Sponge Bob Square Pants extravaganza birthday party on Saturday had nothing to do with Sponge Bob. It was the sight of her encircled by her little friends on the floor of her room, passing around her new guinea pig, Fluffington Van Chocstraw. They were so careful and so gentle with the little thing. It was sweet.
But then, CHAOS ERUPTED AND EAR-PIERCING SHRIEKS BLASTED DOWN THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY!
Older daughter Neely and her friend raced to the scene, expecting to see an ax murderer or at least some blood and gore, based on the volume of those shrieks.
But nooooo. It was just that Fluffington Van Chocstraw had done her thing, twice, there on the carpet . . . and the little girls had instantly shrunk away like the Red Sea of kindergartners parting in shock and awe.
And I stood there and contemplated the irony of it all: they won’t remember the cake, they won’t remember the games, they won’t remember the goodie bags or elaborate decorations or any of the gifts.
It’s tough to be upstaged by a little rat in a wig . . . but I have to say, it WAS funny.
[from http://www.dailysusan.com/ March 20th Humor Blog.]
THIS HOUSEHOLD'S HOPPIN' [humor from http://www.dailysusan.com/]
posted: Mar 28, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Maddy can’t wait for her big sister to come home for Easter and meet her new guinea pig, Fluffy. She was chattering away about how big our family has gotten. I was wondering if she was including boyfriends and extended family.
But noooooo. People are slowly becoming the minority around here. We are now a family of 10: six humans; one yellow Lab on perpetual happy pills; two fat and lazy barn cats, TiGrr and Louie, and now a pudgy, cuddly rodent not likely to do any tricks, but at least she stays put.
One of Maddy’s favorite birthday gifts was a frog habitat from one of her homies, Hunter. She is to send in a card to order a tadpole for it when warmer temperatures are reliable. That’s so that we don’t have a “frogberg†DOA in the mail. So we will have a pet frog soon, too.
Maddy wasn’t satisfied. “We need one more ‘aminal,’†she said. “How about a GRASSHOPPER?â€
Yumpin’ Yiminy! No wonder it seems like a three-ring circus around here. . . .
[from http://www.dailysusan.com/ March 25th Humor Blog.]
Signing Up on MyGoodFriends so others can send you messages
posted: Mar 23, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Did you know that when you sign up on MyGoodFriends.com, if you restrict who can contact you to just members you invite to be in your Friends list, no one can send you a message until you first send them an invitation to join your Friends list? Many new members don't know this, so they think no one wants to be their friend or send them messages. So if you want to interact with other MyGoodFriends members, you need to edit your account to allow all members to contact you. You can always block individual members later, if you need to.
Baby Skin Product Safety
posted: Mar 21, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/search.php?main_cat=BABY+PRODUCTS
A baby's skin is especially sensitive to chemicals. Moms and Dads, take a look at this site to find the skin safety rating for products marketed for use on babies.
Skin Health - What chemicals are you putting on your skin?
posted: Mar 21, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/
Discovered this site where you can enter a brand name or beauty product and see how it is rated for skin safety. Is your skin safe?
According to an article in the Lincoln Journal Star today, "Top 10," page 2D: Most people don't realize the Food And Drug Administration doesn't evaluate cosmetic products for safety before they're sold. Your skin absorbs chemicals like a sponge. The European Union recently banned more than 1200 chemicals from personal-care products, but most of them are still used in the United States.
A single exposure might not be cause for alarm, but the average woman uses 12 personal-care products each day, exposing herself to a total of 168 chemicals, according to a report called "Skin Deep" by the Environmental Working Group.
Wasabi - My "fishy" first trip to a sushi restaurant
posted: Mar 17, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Trying to be the open-minded good sport, I agreed to go to Wasabi, a local sushi restaurant, for lunch today with my director and the editor of the LivinLincoln.com Dining Guide. Being the experienced sushi diners, they enthusiastically checked off multiple items on the sushi menu, including something that had "Spider" in the name. I, on the other hand, being neither an adventurous eater and not liking anything that once lived in the water, sheepishly checked to see if there was anything at all on the menu that didn't include a "fishy" delight. Ahh! Here's something called Edimame (sounds like Ed ee mommy) that's described as cucumbers and rice. I'll take that and the bean paste soup please!
The soup is tasty. It's the first soup I've had that you drink. The service is great. I put an Edimame in my mouth and started chewing. What's this? Tastes very fishy and way too chewy. I removed the fishy wad from my mouth and apologized to my fellow diners. What was that stuff it was wrapped in -- sea weed! Ha! Ha! they laughed. Well, at least you tried it.
Well OK then. The soy bean pods sitting in the bowl in the middle of the table looked pretty harmless. My experienced fellow diners watched with intensity as I put the whole pod in my mouth. No friendly warning that you're suppose to peel it open and squeeze out the beans. Had to try to politely remove that fibrous wad from my mouth too!
So I peeled open the pod and tried to squeeze the beans into my mouth. One of them shot out across the floor. Oh well, bring on the chicken teriyaki! By the way, where's the fork? The gracious waiter took my chop sticks out of their wrapper and put them into a training device for beginning chopstickers. A few awkward attempts and I opted for the fork. I guess I'm just not a sushi, chop-stickin' kind of gal! But for those of you who are, my fellow diners highly recommend Wasabi's.
Chocolate Healing! and Healing Hot Cocoa!
posted: Mar 17, 2006 | comments: 0 | post comment
Source: Prevention Supplement: "Healing with Chocolate," 2004 Rodale Inc., OOEF 200176406.
www.prevention.com
Think "dark" when you think chocolate -- the higher the cocoa content, the better.
Think real cocoa. Pure cocoa powder (not the instant hot chocolate type) has the most antioxidants, followed by dark chocolate, then milk chocolate.
Just 1 ounce of Dove Dark Chocolates (by Mars, Inc.) packs more than twice the healthy antioxidant punch of red wine or other dark chocolates.
Dove Dark contains Cocoapro cocoa, a proprietary, specially processed cocoa that contains super high levels of flavanols -- so high that Dove Dark is used in medical research. "Cocoa is rich in antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols, which include procyanidins, epicatechins, and catechins,†per Dr. Harold Schmitz, director of science at Mars, Inc.
Studies have shown that people with high blood levels of flavonoids have lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes.
good things research shows that Cocoapro cocoa can do:
__Act as an antioxidant
__Keep blood platelets from clumping together
__Increase blood vessel flexibility
Caveat: Don't use chocolate as a stand-in for fat-free fruits and veggies. An ounce of dark chocolate can contain 11 grams of fat. Only eat it in small amounts. Try eating it with nuts or fruits.
HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE:
Fill a mug with 1 cup of 1% milk.
Microwave on medium for about 1 minute.
Add 2 Dove Dark Promises.
Stir gently until melted.
Enjoy!