Something I don't know, (Now I know)

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3kg (6.6 lb).

The average man's penis is two times the length of his thumb.

Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

Our body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.


If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will be finished now.

Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

When you listen to old records; it's just the same as meeting old friends and the first thing you do is recount all the past times that you went through together.
I am a true-bloodied Beatlemaniac. I was 7 years old when I heard the first beatle song "I Saw Her Standing There" in 1965.

A Little Bit About The Beatles

BLACK AND WHITE

Are the Beatles still relevant these days? After decades of varying music, does the fab four still wield influence and power? True modern music has taken many forms that didn't readily exist when the Beatles were in their prime, but it doesn't take much to look at today's indie rock scene to seen where their mark has remained strong. Take in obvious Beatle-influenced acts like Blur or Oasis or even listen to the garage revved sounds of bands like The Hives, The Strokes, Elastica, The White Stripes and the Darkness and then revisit the White Album and you may be surprised at how little things have really changed.

MAINSTAY

Of all time, the Beatles place third in top album sales with a total combination of 39 gold and platinum albums. By comparison, Barbara Streisand has 46 and Elvis was way out in front with 80.

MARKET SHARE

While Elvis may have had more albums go platinum or gold, it still doesn't mean he sold more albums than the Beatles. For example, in recent history, The Beatles '1' album has sold around 23 million copies, while 'Elvis 30 #1 Hits' has only garnered 9 million sales. Norah Jones did about that much with her 'Come Away with Me' album. It just goes to show you that the Beatles have a fanbase with staying power. Their music has withstood the test of time better than any other band in history.

CALL/RESPONSE

Asides for solid musical talent and song writing, the Beatles stellar success can be attributed to the band possessing three very strong voices. This fact allowed them to build strong harmonies, often with call/response and alternating viewpoints.

THE QUIET BEATLE

George Harrison has often been referred to as the "quiet Beatle", but he was the first to leave his mark after the Beatles disbanded. He released a hit single in 1970 called, "My Sweet Lord" which went to Number One. However the success was overshadowed six years later when a court ruling found Harrison guilty of "subconscious plagiarism". The song in question was the Chiffons' song, "He's So Fine".


ELEANOR RIGBY

A truly sad and lonely song, the song Eleanor Rigby relates the tale of a woman who cleans a church and Father Mackenzie who gives sermons there. Fittingly so, the story conveys Eleanor's tale as she cleans up after a wedding, a ceremony she could only wish to be a participant in. Each night she gets dressed but has no place to go. She longs for the embrace of the man she spends her days with, Father Mackenzie. He meanwhile suffers the plight that no one is moved by his words, despite is status. Even though they share a special unifying bond, Eleanor and Father Mackenzie are locked away from each other due to convention and formality. The institution of their situation which binds them simultaneously and eternally keeps them apart. Somberly, Eleanor's tale ends with her death and she is laid to rest 'with her name' in the church. She dies alone, leaving no lineage behind her.

STRAWBERRY FIELD FOREVER

"Strawberry Fields" was named for a real place, Strawberry Field, a children's home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool, in John Lennon's childhood neighborhood. The original Victorian building was demolished in the late 60's, but the site is still a Salvation Army Children's Home and still carries the name Strawberry Field. John sent a large donation to them before his death and in return there is a building there called "Lennon Hall". Yoko Ono continues to send them donations.

The famed Strawberry Fields in New York's Central Park was given that name in 1981, following John Lennon's untimely death. The 2.5 acre section of park is sited at 72nd street, directly across Central Park West from the Dakota Building where John and Yoko lived. John Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman, a man who had lingered for days around Lennon's apartment. Chapman had just hours earlier asked Lennon for his autograph and confessed he heard voices in his head telling him to kill the beloved musician. John Lennon was 40 years old when he died on the night of December 8th, 1980.

Note: I still have my Jingle Beatles Songbook I bought in 1977. So here are the list of Albums (LP)
PLEASE, PLEASE ME
THE BEATLES
BEATLES FOR SALE
A HARD DAYS NIGHT
HELP!
RUBBER SOUL
SERGEANT PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
YELLOW SUBMARINE
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
WHITE ALBUM
ABBEY ROAD
THE BEATLES AGAIN (HEY JUDE)
LET IT BE

retro 70's (last part)

Those were the Days my friends, na wala pang cellphone, Ipod, MP3, DVD, internet.. kuntento na kaming mga mga bagets noon sa radio cassete, betamax, penpal, fans club, gang's war, at talamak na rin nuon ang mga addict dahil kasikatan ng marijuana, LSD atbp.. pero walang naman "war freak" dahil sa sikat na slogan "Make Love, Not War" at "Peace Man!" Ako pabanda-banda na rin, kaya hindi kami nawawalan ng Jingle music magazine. Check this out baka maka-relate ka dito..


SHOWBIZ ICONS:
Vilma Santos, Nora Aunor, Edgar Mortiz, Tirso Cruz, III, Manny de Leon, Victor “Cocoy” Laurel, Geraldine, Perla Adea, Esperanza Fabon, Romy Mallari, Rudy Fernandez, Romano Castelvi, Bernard Bonnin, Bernard Belleza, Jean Lopez, Helen Gamboa, Sajid Khan, Jay Ilagan, Walter Navarro, Ed Finland, Mildred Ortega, Hilda Koronel, Ariel Ureta, Revilla’s Sister (Cristina & Maritess) Bobby Ledesma, Eddie Ilarde, Coney Reyes, Helen Vela, Chiqui Hollman (Student Canteen) Arnold Gmboa, Maribel Aunor, (Apat na Sikat, oops, I forgot the other two) Maria Leonora Theresa (the famous doll of Guy & Pip) Inday Carvajal (Ate Inday) Ike Lozada, German Moreno, Bold Films stars like Merle Fernandez, Scarlet Revilla, Ricky Rogers, George Estregan and Yvonne.

TV’s:
Foreign: Brian’s Song, The Carol Burnet;s Show, All in the Family, Sesame Street, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, America, The Julie Andrew’s Hour, The Mary Tyler Show, M*A*S*H*, Kojak, The Doctors, Upstairs, Downstairs, Police Story, The Waltons, Richman, Poor man, The Rockford Files, Six Million Dollar man, The Bionic Woman, All In the family, Days of our Lives, Soap, Bob Hope’s Christmas Show, Super Bowl VII,Love Story, Airport, Roots, Herculoids, Might Tor, Wacky Races, Loony Tunes, Road Runners, Rat Patrol, Tarzan, Wheels of Fortune
Local: Super laffin, Tawag ng Tanghalan, seeing star w/ Joe Quirino, The Sensation , Superstar , Gulong ng Palad, An Evening w/ Pilita, Student Canteen, Kwarta O Kahon, Si Tatang Kasi,

FILMS:
Oscar’s Best Pictures (1970-1979) Patton, The French Connection, The Godfather, The Sting, The Godfather, Part II, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer) BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES; Let it Be, Women In Love, Ryan’s daughter, Airport, Lover’s and other Strangers, M*A*S*H, The Last Picture Show, The Hospital, Fiddler On the Roof, Nicholas and Alexandra, Summer of ’42, Cabaret, The Poseidon Adventure, Save The Tiger, The Excorcist, A Touch of Class, The Great Gatsby, The Towering Inferno, The Sunshine Boys, The Hindenburg, Network, Jaws, All The President’s men, King-Kong, Logan’s Run, Julia, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, You Light Up My Life, Coming Home, Apocalypse Now, Superman, Midnight Express, The Buddy Holly Story, All That Jazz, The Black Stallion, Paper Chase, Love Story, Mahogany, Enter The Dragon, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon.

FASHIONS:
Gaano ka ka-fashionista nuon? Bang-Bang jeans, Jordache and Sasson jeans, Bata rubber shoes, Botak running shoes, Ace flexible comb, Ace clutchbag, Carrera shades, Ray-Ban Photochromic and Ambermatic shades, tie-dye Shirts and pants, double-knit pants, hot pants, gabardine suits, Sergio Valente, Vidal Sassoon, Fiorucci, Staynit Shirt, Ye-ye Vonnel shirts, Nik-Nik, Faded Glory, Jazzie, Adidas Vienna, Adidas Rome, Adidas Superstar, Puma Topfit, Tiger Onitsuka, Happy Feet, clogs, wet-look shoes and bags, Candies shoes, Pierre Cardin, Jovan musk oil, Aramis, Drakkar, Paco Rabanne, Yves St. Laurent, Flexible Mongol ball pens, Bic ball pens, puka shell necklaces, platform shoes with bell-bottom pants and wide-buckled belts, mood rings.

CARS:
Meron na rin SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) tulad ng Toyota Land Cruiser (w/out aircon) at Land Rover. The other cars are; Matorco, Isuzu Gemini, Opel Rekord and Manta, Ford Cortina, Holden Premier, Dune Buggy, Dodge Colt, Ford Fiera, Mitsubishi Celeste, Jiffy Kit, Torana, Minica, Toyota Toyopet, VW Brasilia and Beetle, Renault, Austin Mini, Pinoy, Tamaraw, Harabas, Honda Mini-trail, MRM Taxi, DM, UBL Bus Line, California Bus Line, Mapalad Liner, Love Bus, JD Transit,(lawanit-walled with lawanit windows), an Easy Rider bike, any bike by Patria, motocross bikes, those long pedal go-karts, scooters.

FOODS & DRINKS::
It was the 70’s when these foods become popular; Chicharon, Chicharon bulaklak, Barbecue (chicken and pork), Giniling sandwich, Pandesal sandwiches (corned beef, scrambled eggs and sauted sardines), Siopao asado & bola-bola, Halo-halo, Native merienda at kakanin such as kalamay, biko, sapin-sapin, Turon w/ langka, Mixed ginataan, ginataan mais, ginataan mongo, maruya, Ice –Buko, Gulaman at Sago, Ice mongo, Fried lumpia, fresh lumpia, Chinese lumpia w/grated peanuts, Burger at hotdog sandwich, longanisa, tocino, Hopia (baboy/mongo) at Chinese bakery on Echague st. (where you can find also the original Chinese ham) Tropical Hut (and its original hamburger) Bibingka – Ferinos, Pritil, Tondo, Shrimp sandwich - La Perla, restaurant, Bustillos, Mami/siopao at Ma Mun Lok - Quiapo, Fried Chicken – Max Restaurant (Dewey Blvd), Ho to tay soup – Hen Wa restaurant (Rizal Avenue), Comida China – Panciteria Moderna (Sta. Cruz) Sweet spaghetti at Makati Supermart Coffee shop.

Early 70’s was my elementary days, the standard baon at that time is pandesal w/ matamis na bao or a condensed milk, (public school at that time has supply of wheat flour and milk coming from USA, our canteen administrator used to makes some bread, cookies, pulburon and served us w/ milk during our recess. Oh, here are some products that time (some are still existing until now); Fress Gusto, Sunta, RC Cola, Yes Cola, Teem, Mirinda, Darigold Evap, Liberty Condensada, Toddy-O, Choco Vim, Sunkist Orange (in triangular prism packs), Magnolia Chocolait, Sunny Orange, Sunquick, Klim, Jack ‘n Jill Barbecue Curls, Jack ‘n Jill, Shrimp Curls, Honey Pretzels, Plaza Pizza, Big 20, Hamburgers, Pana Pizza, Tweet and Jiggs Candies (by Mr. Krieger), Jojo Candies, Sugus Candies, Serg’s Chocolate, Dubble Bubble, Chewing-a-Bon, Blenda Margarine, Magnolia Ice Cream Sandwich, Magnolia Popsicles in Orange and Langka flavors.

PLACES:
Wala pang SM, Robinson at Trinoma but these are the famous Markets/Malls: Farmers Market, Makati Supermarket, Cash & Carry, South Supermarket, Glori’s Supermart, CVC Supermarket, Fairmart, Good Earth Emporium, Montemart, Harrison Plaza, Fiesta Carnival, Syvel’s, Assandas, Arcegas at Maranaw Arcade, COD (especially for the Christmas display!), Funhouse at Bricktown, Erehwon Bookstore, Alemars Bookstore. Bookmark, Botica Boie, The Pierre (all in a row!), Rizal Theater, Magallanes Theater, ABC Theater, Greenhills Theater, Virra Mall , the original A&W along UN Avenue in Manila, Italian Village, Café Valenzuela, Bonanza Restaurant and the many steakhouses, the Makati Automat, the Plaza, Jade Garden Restaurant, Luau, Sulo Restaurant (in Makati), Makati Fastfood Center (the first ever), Bulwagang Pilipino Restaurant (in Magallanes), Au Bon Vivant, Salambao Restaurant, the elegant dining room of the old Army & Navy Club, Magnolia Ice Cream Parlor at the old Quad, Mariposa Ice Cream Parlor at Shoppesville, Harrison Plaza, Jack’s Restaurant in Monumento Circle, Caloocan City, Congressional Bowling Lanes (in Munoz , QC) Queue Disco, Where Else?, Altitude 49, Delirium (in Greenbelt). Velvet Slum, Coco Banana, Manila Hotel’s Jungle Bar, Stargazer, Romvlvs. Swing, The Hustle, and 12-Step were the “in” dances. The Regent of manila, Hpotel Aurelio, Manila Hilton (where Dusit Hotel now stands) , Villa Pansol – Laguna, Lido beach – Cavite,

EVENTS:
1976 Amendment of the Constitution , Unctad 5, Miss Universe Pageant, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was born, Typhoon Yoling, Batasang Pambansa Election,
Here’s more: dollar-peso exchange rate was 1:7. “Walang Tindigan” buses charged a flat rate of P1, Love Bus fare was P1.50. DLSU was De La Salle College, Poveda was Teresiana, Adamson campus was St. Theresa’s campus. Petron was Esso. You knew all the Bagong Lipunan songs. PLDT telephone numbers were six digits. Cursillo, (with the famous De Colores song) Quadrophonic stereos. Pelota. Game of the Generals, Game & Watch by Nintendo, GI Joe action figures as tall as Barbie Dolls. Gigantor the Space Age Robot, Matchbox cars (in metal, not plastic). Eight-track tapes.

(Notes: Thanks to sidewinderx and Rolly Tampa for some additional info)

THAT 70's SHOW

The seventies were a time when a new generation of youthful people were exposed to new media and hence newer ideas in almost every field. TV and motion picture brought to varied audiences images, lifestyles and music from diverse regions and peoples. This led to the emergence of a new vocabulary and experimentation in music. This later influenced both art rock and progressive rock as well as the punk rock and New Wave genres. The main exponents of progressive rock include Genesis, Yes, Gen Giant, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Supertramp, Pink Floyd and Premiata Forneria Marconi. Also the start of Hard rock in many forms began with the British bands Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. One of the first events of the 70s was the breakup of the Beatles in 1970.

However, the seventies were also when many legendary rock bands started, or hit their peak, including Black Sabbath, Queen, Kansas, Boston, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Electric Light Orchestra, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Blondie, Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo, Family, Free, Aerosmith, Badfinger, the Eagles, Kiss, Heart, Rush, The Who, The Doors, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, and Van Halen, to name a few.
The commercial cinemas around the world tended to imitate nuances of disco beats in their movies to present their movies as western and upbeat. These included the increasingly popular Kung-fu movies in far East Asia and Bollywood movies from India. One of the most successful European groups of the decade was the quartet ABBA. The Swedish group, who are still the most successful group from their country, first found fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. They became one of the most widely known European groups ever, and were the decade's biggest sellers. "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen" are two of ABBA's most popular songs.

To many people, the Seventies will be most remembered for the rise in disco music. First creeping into dance clubs in the mid-seventies (with such hits as "The Hustle" by Van McCoy), songstresses like Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Dalida and Anita Ward popularized the genre and were described in subsequent decades as the "disco divas." The Village People scored a Top Ten hit with "Y.M.C.A" and the Bee Gees had a string of #1s following their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

As quickly as disco's popularity came, however, it fell out of favor with the new decade, due to a religious revival and the rise of conservatism. Disco came to be associated with gays and minorities. Conservatives such as Steve Dahl spoke out against disco and held demonstrations against it. Due to this tremendous backlash, disco effectively died in 1981.

The 1970s saw a rise in Funk music which spawned the genre Disco. Artists such as James Brown, The Meters ,Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly And The Family Stone pionered the genre. It then spawned commercial artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Brothers Johnson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Tower of Power, Ohio Players, The Commodores, War, Kool & the Gang, Confunkshun, Slave, Cameo, the Bar-Kays, Zapp, and many more.

Towards the end of the decade, Jamaican reggae music, already popular in the Caribbean and Africa since the early 1970s, became very popular in the U.S. and in Europe, mostly because of reggae superstar and legend Bob Marley as well as his band, The Wailers his former bandmate Peter Tosh and other artists like Burning Spear and Jimmy Cliff. The late 70s saw the beginning of hip hop music with the song Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang.

Country music remained very popular in the U.S. In 1977 it became more mainstream after Kenny Rogers became a solo singer and scored many hits on both the country and pop charts. He achieved the biggest crossover success ever for the genre (although he would later be replaced by Garth Brooks).Waylon Jennings was very big and Willie Nelson released Red Headed Stranger.

retro 70's (part 3)

Here are some of the batch 70's artist. Since they were so many hit songs popularized at that era, I decided not to include those songs. Most of this singers are familiar but can you recall their song?


Pinoy Artist;

Ambivalent Crowd
Anthony Castelo
Apo Hiking Society
Armida Seguion Reyna
Asin
Backdoor Band
Basil Valdez
Carmen Patena
Celeste Legaspi
Cenon Lagman
Chona Cruz
Cinderella
Circus band
Dale Adriatico
Didith Reyes
Eddie Mesa
Eddie Peregrina
Edgar Mortiz
Elektros
Filipinas Singers
Flipper
Florence Aguilar
Fred Panopio
Freddie Aguilar
Geraldine
Gigi Galon
Gloria Sevilla
Hagibis
Helen Gamboa
Ike Lozada
Jesus Garcia, Jr.
Joe Cruz & the Cruzette
Jojit Paredes
Jonathan Potenciano
Jose mari Chan
Juan dela Cruz Band
Larry Miranda
Marco Sison
Merci Molina
NailClippers
Neddie Decena
Nina de Rosa
Nora Aunor
Norma Ledesma
Pabs Dadivas
Paul Toledo
Perla Adea
Pilita Corrales
Rainmakers
Reycards
Ric Manrique, Jr.
Rico J. Puno
Romeo Miranda
Rudy Genasky
Soul Jugglers
Susan Salcedo
Sylvia la Torre
Tirso Cruz III
Tony Maiquez
Victor Wood
Vilma santos
Wally Gonzales
Yolanda
Yolly Samson

THIS BLOG TELLS SOMETHING ABOUT VALENTINES

"I will greet this day with love in my heart. For this is the greatest secret of all success in all ventures. Only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain love, my greatest weapon."

Was there really a Saint Valentine?
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (1908), at least three different Saints Valentine, all of them martyrs and all quite obscure, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of February 14: a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was buried on the Via Flaminia; a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) also suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than the priest; a martyr in North Africa, about whom little else is known.

What about Valentinius?
The influential Gnostic teacher Valentinius was a candidate for Bishop of Rome in 143. In his teachings, the marriage bed assumed a central place in his version of Christian love, an emphasis sharply in contrast with the asceticism of mainstream Christianity. Stephan A. Hoeller assesses Valentinius on the subject : "In addition to baptism, anointing, eucharist, the initiation of priests and the rites of the dying, the Valentinian Gnosis mentions prominently two great and mysterious sacraments called "redemption" (apolytrosis) and "bridal chamber" respectively"

Did the Romans celebrate February 14th?
Not exactly -- In Ancient Rome, the day of February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility, who was represented as half-naked and dressed in goat skins. As part of the purification ritual, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats to the god, and after drinking wine, they would run through the streets of Rome holding pieces of the goat skin above their heads, touching anyone they met. Young women especially would come forth voluntarily for the occasion, in the belief that being so touched would render them fruitful and bring easy childbirth.

When did Valentine's Day begin to be celebrated?
The first recorded association of St. Valentine's Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where February 14 was traditionally the day on which birds paired off to mate. This belief is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules (1381). It was common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on this day and to call each other their "Valentines"

Who sent the first valentine?
Historians claim that the first valentine was a poem sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the time. In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine's cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800's and now the date is very commercialized. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14.

When did the day make its way to the U.S?
Valentine's Day was probably imported into North America in the 19th century with settlers from Britain. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received.



NOT SO SERIOUS ABOUT LOVE....

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
"Love is a beautiful thing. It's a shame people have to get married and spoil it."
"It is better to love and lost, than never have lost at all."
"Is there anything wrong with falling in love? None, only you're still single."
"If you love me, as I love...then shame on us!"
" Courtship is a ridiculous game, by winning her you lose."
"Falling in love is the deadliest stage of our life , because when you fall in love , you give your heart away."

TRIVIA BITS:

The longest single kiss on record was between two Brazilians who caused a traffic jam in 1964 when, during a quick embrace in their car, their dental braces became intertwined.

THIS BLOGS TELLS SOME CHRISTMAS FACTS

Rumor has it that Santa's red-and-white suit was an invention of the Coca-Cola Company to promote the colors of its popular soft-drink label. In 1931 the company did hire an artist to create depictions of Santa drinking Coke, and those images became very popular--so much so that Coca-Cola takes credit for inventing Santa as we know him today. However, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, including a holiday greeting card dating back to 1885 with an image of a jolly, bearded, red-suited Santa; and a 1927 description from The New York Times:"A standardized Santa Claus appears to New York children. Height, weight, stature are almost exactly standardized, as are the red garments, the hood and the white whiskers. The pack full of toys, ruddy cheeks and nose, bushy eyebrows and a jolly, paunchy effect are also inevitable parts of the requisite make-up."

Thanksgiving is not the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States. Yes, many people flock to malls and big-box stores on "Black Friday" to take advantage of deep discounts and get a start on their holiday shopping. But while many stores report record numbers of shoppers on that day, those numbers aren't necessarily reflected in the sales figures. The rankings vary from year to year, but the day after Thanksgiving generally ranks no higher than fifth, after the two Saturdays and Sundays preceding Christmas. The biggest shopping day of the year is usually either the Saturday before Christmas or, if Christmas falls on a Saturday, December 23.

The date of Jesus' birth is not mentioned in the Bible. In fact, the context of the story of the birth of Jesus indicates that it occurred in the springtime. There are many theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25, the most common of which holds that the date was chosen by Christians to overshadow a pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice. Learn more about the origins of Christmas.

In addition to providing missile warnings and air defense for the United States and Canada, NORAD has been tracking Santa's progress for 50 years. It all started when a Colorado department store printed the wrong phone number for a "Santa hotline" on a promotional flyer, and CONAD (NORAD's predecessor) was flooded with calls from children eager to talk to Santa. Rather than disappoint them, the staff took it upon themselves to track Santa on their radar and keep the kids informed of his whereabouts. Nowadays, kids can also keep tabs on Santa on NORAD's Web site: http://www.noradsanta.org/

The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created as a holiday promotion for a department store. In 1939, the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward department store asked one of its copywriters to create a children's Christmas story that could be used as a promotional giveaway during the holiday shopping season. Inspired by The Ugly Duckling, he came up with the story of Rudolph, a reindeer who was teased for his glowing red nose, but ends up saving Christmas. The story evolved over the years into a song recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 and a 1964 TV special that has since become the longest-running holiday special in television history.

Abbreviating Christmas as Xmas doesn't really "take the Christ out of Christmas." The X in "Xmas" stands for the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter in Christos, the Greek word for "Christ," and a commonly used symbol to represent the name of Christ in religious writings.

The rumor that poinsettias are poisonous was started in 1919 when the 2-year-old child of an Army officer died, and ingestion of poinsettia leaves was assumed to be the cause. This was never proven, and no deaths from poinsettias have been reported since.A study by Ohio State University and the American Society of Florists fed rats high doses of pulverized poinsettia leaves, which failed to kill them or even cause any side effects. A 50-pound child would have to ingest more than 500 poinsettia leaves to exceed the doses given to the rats. Considering that the leaves have a bitter, unpleasant taste, it's unlikely a small child or pet would eat more than one bite. While it's still not a good idea to eat poinsettias--or any other houseplants, for that matter--the worst that could happen to your child or pet is an upset stomach.

It was once against the law to publicly celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts. The Puritans of New England followed a strict interpretation of the Bible, and since there is no mention of the exact date of the birth of Christ, they believed it was inappropriate to observe it on December 25. They also frowned upon the drinking, feasting, and other carousing associated with the holiday. In 1659 a law was passed making it a criminal offense, punishable by a 5-shilling fine, to publicly observe Christmas in Massachusetts. The law was revoked in 1681, but it wasn't until the mid-1800s that Christmas celebrations came back into favor. Learn more about the history of Christmas celebrations.

President Theodore Roosevelt was an ardent conservationist and did not approve of cutting down trees for Christmas. Hoping to set an example as president, he banned Christmas trees from the White House ... but his children smuggled one in anyway. Roosevelt asked Gifford Pinchot, head of the Division of Foresty (now the Forest Service), to explain to them why cutting down Christmas trees threatened the nation's forests. To his surprise, Pinchot said that if properly done, thinning the forests actually helped to maintain their health. After that, Roosevelt did allow a small tree in the White House.

Saint Nicholas was born around 280 AD near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He is said to have given away all of his wealth and devoted his life to helping the poor often by anonymously leaving small gifts for those in need. Admired for his kindness and piety, he became known as the patron saint of children and sailors (among many others). The legend of St. Nicholas spread, and by the Renaissance, he was the most popular saint in Europe. In Holland, where he was called "Sint Nikolaas" or "Sinter Klaas," he developed into a Christmas gift-giver. Dutch immigrants brought the tradition to America, where his name eventually became the familiar "Santa Claus."

THIS BLOG TELLS SOME PUZZLES AND RIDDLES

NUMBERS
Answer these three simple questions. You can't take your time, you have to answer really quickly. okay?
1..You are participating in a race. You overtake the second. What position do you arrive in?
2. If you overtake the last, what place do you arrive as?
3.(This riddle must be done in your head only without the use of paper and a pen)
Take 1,000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1,000. Then add 30. Add another 1,000. Now add 20. Then add another 1,000. Now add 10. What is the total.

Answer:
1. If you answered that you arrived first, you are absolutely wrong! 'Cause if you overtake the second, you take his place so you arrive second.
2. If you answered that you arrived second to the last then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST? The question is wrong!
3. Did you get 5,000? The correct answer is actually 4,100. You don't believe it? Check with your calculator.


MAGIC NUMBERS
Work this out as you read - it only takes 30 seconds. Make sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have sex.(Try more than once)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5. (for Sunday)
4. Multiply it by 50. (okay you may use a calculator!)
5. If you've already had your birthday this year add 1750. If you haven't add 1749.
6. Now subtract the four-digit year that you were born. (Hey stop cheating and put in the correct number!)

Answer:
You should now have a three-digit number. (Do you?) The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have sex each week). The second two digits are your age and it shows.


CHECK YOUR LOGIC
Don't look at the answer ! Try first and write down your answers.
1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Every day, he takes the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel halfway up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining Why?

2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital, where the surgeon says, " I can't operate on this boy, he is my son!" How can this be?

3. A man is wearing black. He had black shoes, socks, trousers, jumpers, gloves, and Balaclava. He is walking down the black streets with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with it's light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

4. One day Dada celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Dodo, celebrated his birthday. How?

5. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square one?

6. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the puch died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

7. A man died and went to heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as if they died at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognized. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?

8. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

9. A man walks into a bar and ask the bartender for a glass of water. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at the man. Tha man says, "Thank you," and walks out

Answer:
1. The man is very short and can only reach reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However, if it is raining, then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it. .

2. The surgeon was his mother.

3. It was daytime.

4. At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was traveling by boat. The older twin, Dodo, was born early on March 1st.The boat then crossed a time zone and Dada, the younger twin, was born on February 28th. Therefore the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother during a leap year.

5. A square manhole can be turned and dropped diagonally down the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So, for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

6. The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted , poisoning the punch.

7. He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. because they were not born of women, they never had never umbilical cords, and therefore , they never had navels. This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments.

8. They were two sets of triplets (or quadruplets, etc.) This puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?

9. The man had hiccups. The bartender recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a scare. It worked and cured the hiccups so the man no longer needed tha water.

PUZZLING RIDDLES
1. Five hundred begins in it, five hundred ends it, Five in the middle is seen;
First of all the figures, the first of all letters, take up their situations between.
Join all together , and then you will bring, Before you the name of an eminent king.

2. I build castles. I tear down mountains.
I make some men blind, I help others to see
What am I?

3. What does man love more than life
Fear more than death or mortal strife
What the poor have, the rich require,
and what contented men desire,
What the miser spends and the spend thriftsaves
And all men carry to their graves?

4. Whoever makes it, tells it not.
Whoever takes it, knows it not.
Whoever knows it want it not.

5. Whoever makes it, wants it not
Whoever buys it, uses it not.
And whoever uses it, knows it not.

6. Two words, my answer is only two words.
To keep me, you must give me.

7. When young, I am sweet in the sun.
When middle-aged, I make you gay.
When old, I am valued more than ever.

8. I go round in circles
But always straight ahead.
Never complain
No matter where I am led.

9. Lighter than what I am made of,
More of me is hidden, Than is seen.

10. At the sound of me, men may dream Or stomp their feet
At the sound of me, women may laugh, Or sometimes weep.
Answer:
1. DAVID (in Roman numerals).
2. Sand
3. Nothing
4. Counterfeit money
5. Nothing
6. Your word
7. Wine
8. Wagon wheels or tire.
9. Iceberg
10. Music

Assigment: ( I give the answer next blog, try to research it now)
THE WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ (OR IS IT?)
1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?
2) Which country makes the Panama hats?
3) From which animal do we get catgut?
4) In which month do Russian celebrate the October revolution?
5) What is camel's hairbrush made of?
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
7) What color is a purple finch?
8) Where are Chinese gooseberries come?
9) Where was India ink invented?
10) How long did the thirty Years War last?

Smile of the Day:
Why is life like a riddle?
Because you must give up.