Fun Halloween Facts for Kids

With Halloween fast approaching, Time Home Entertainment, Inc. and the editors of TIME For Kids bring you a selection of Halloween-related facts straight from their two new books, That’s Awesome ($19.95, Ages 8 and up) and The BIG Book of Why ($19.95, Ages 8 and up). Both books are available in-stores now and feature the vivid illustrations and comprehensive reporting for which TIME For Kids is famous.


The Big Book of Why - The BIG Book of Why answers the biggest questions kids commonly ask and adults can rarely answer. With 1,001 facts, the 192-page hardcover book, it goes beyond just answering the questions, but dips into the science or history to further explain the answer in an easy to follow, straightforward and fun way.

Why do vampire bats drink blood? (page 8) - There are many different type of bats, but there’s only one type that drinks blood – the vampire bat. They are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood. A special enzyme in the saliva of a vampire bat keeps the blood of animals from clotting, making the blood easier to drink. Scientists say the first vampire bats that emerged were related to bats that gorged themselves on parasites of prehistoric beasts. Vampire bats slowly evolved into drinking the blood of animals.

Why do spiders spin webs? (page 15) - Spider-Man spins his web to swing from building to building and to catch villains. Real spiders spin webs for the same reasons – sort of. Spiders release a sticky type of silk from their abdomens when they spin a web. Spiders use webs to climb from place to place. Spiders also spin webs to trap their next meal and to make egg sacs to hold their eggs.

Why do I get goose bumps? (page 64) - You’re watching a scary movie. Just before the zombie pokes its head out of the closet, you get goose bumps on your arms. Goose bumps, or chicken skin, are short-lived changes in your skin caused by cold or fear. Small muscles are attached to the tiny hairs in your skin. When you are cold or scared, the muscles contract, pulling the hair upright and causing goose bumps.

Why can eating chocolate candy make people hyper? (page 130) - Chocolate candy and many soft drinks contain sugar and caffeine. It’s the caffeine, not the sugar, that can make a person jumpy or hyper. Some parents blame sugar for their children’s hyperactivity. But most researchers now say that sugar does not make most children “bounce off the wall.” Some studies show that artificial, or human-made, food dyes are responsible for increased hyperactivity in kids.

That’s Awesome - That’s Awesome brings kids awesome facts guaranteed to impress and remain with the reader long after they are finished with the book. The book is written in an authoritative, age-appropriate and clear style, while incorporating fascinating photos and diagrams.

The Sweetest Job of All (page 150) - Does your sweet tooth rule your life? Think about being a professional chocolate taster, like Rose Potts who works for a chocolate maker in Pennsylvania. Each morning Potts prepares product samples to taste with a group of co-workers. They look at the color of the chocolate, smell it, and feel how it melts in the mouth. They listen to the sound it makes sand decide if it’s fruity or nutty or spicy. When they’re done, they decide if each piece of chocolate tastes right – or if it has to be changed to make it taste better.

Gumming Up the Works (page 153) - Stepping on cast-off chewing gum is really annoying. Luckily, in some cities there are squads of workers who, armed with machines called GumBusters, go forth to remove the sticky wads. With the GumBusters, it takes about five seconds to unstick a piece of gum from the sidewalk.

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? (page 190) - Or is it a UFO – an unidentified flying object? UFOs are exactly that: objects we see in the sky but can’t quite recognize. That doesn’t stop millions of people around the globe from believing that every UFO is a spaceship carrying aliens from another planet or galaxy.

Three Ways to Make the Most of Women's Intuition

Three Ways to Make the Most of Women's Intuition


By Sherrie Dillard,

Author of Love and Intuition: A Psychic's Guide to Creating Lasting Love

For generations the term "women's intuition" has been used to describe the unexplainable, non-logical, sometimes quirky wisdom that women often possess. No one quite knows how or why intuition works. But it does.



Intuition has been defined as simply knowing something without any reasonable and logical way of knowing it. Associated with the right side of the brain, intuition resides in the elusive realm of emotions, creativity and imagination, the domain of the feminine.



Everyday in ways that normally go unnoticed, our intuition is at work. We intuit the unspoken feelings and emotions of our partner, co-workers, children and even the check out girl at the grocery store. We know when a loved one in the other part of the house or even miles away is struggling or having difficulties and we can sense the honesty or dishonesty of our children's excuses and the car mechanic's estimate with surprising ease.



Although we don't always know how we know these things, when we listen to our inner voice and follow through with our gut feelings we are almost always right.



There are many ways that you can employ your intuition to make your life easier and frankly more fun.



Try these:



Intuitive Listening



Your intuition is telling you that there is something that your partner, who is slumped in his chair, needs to talk about. When you ask him he tells you there is nothing wrong. Although this is frustrating it may be that he is unable to put into words what he is feeling. Give him the benefit of the doubt. He may not be intentionally withholding information.



Instead of pushing him to talk, take a seat near him and sit quietly. Take a long deep breath and relax. Come into an open hearted receptive state and listen within. When you feel moved to talk, express from the heart what you are receiving. Do not lecture, push or tell him how he feels, instead use "I" statements and talk about what you are experiencing.



This simple practice will help your partner to relax, open up and communicate.



Open hearted intuitive listening is also affective with your children, other family members, friends and even co-workers. It creates a calm intuitive environment of safety and love.



Intuitive Eating



It's been a long day. You finally have a few minutes to relax. Before making your way to the couch or bed, you scan the refrigerator and cabinets for a special treat. A little chocolate, a piece of left over fried chicken, and some popcorn never hurt anyone, right?



Before you grab the bag of tortilla chips, sit down, take a deep breath and listen within. Imagine that your body can intuitively communicate with you.



Ask within if you are hungry? If the answer is no, ask your body to reveal to you what is prompting the desire to eat.



There is a message behind the hunger, listen to it. You might find that emotions like loneliness, frustration or stress surface. You may be bored or want to fill an inner feeling of emptiness.



Instead of eating to dull the feelings, spend some time in inner listening.



Eating is a way to nurture ourselves, but there are other more affective ways. What is the best way to nurture and take care of you?



Listen to your intuition and commit to those actions that will empower you with self care. Often times just listening within and acknowledging how you feel will help you to release the feelings and dissipate the gnawing hunger. Acknowledge all that you accomplished during the day and have loving compassion for you.



Intuitive Career Decisions



Something feels off at work. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you feel restless and find yourself scanning job boards for other employment possibilities. You talk to your manager and he tries to assure you that your job is secure. As much as you would like to believe this, that little inner voice keeps telling you to start looking.



At this point you have a choice. You can convince yourself that this is just your insecurity and caution speaking or you can without any outside evidence, listen and act on your intuitive impressions.



In these kinds of situations, I often advise people to pay attention to outer synchronicities that may reinforce your intuition. Synchronicity is the random occurrence of unlikely coincidence and a form of intuition. In this situation, you might for instance receive a call from a friend who randomly lets you know that the company she works for is hiring. While exercising at the gym you overhear a couple of people discussing a new division about to open in an exciting and innovative company. You have dreams of being in interesting places involved in new activity and wake feeling more sure and ready to pursue other career options. I have a friend who woke up at 2:00 in the morning, spontaneously went to her computer and looked at the job postings of a company that she had always wanted to work for. There was a job listed that was perfect for her. Two weeks later she was hired.



Your intuition is like a muscle that must be exercised. Be creative and explore the many ways throughout the day that your intuition can guide you. As you do this you will become more adept at recognizing and confidently following through with intuitive messages. You will more often than not be glad that you did.



© 2010 Sherrie Dillard, author of Love and Intuition: A Psychic's Guide to Creating Lasting Love





Author Bio

Author of the bestselling Discover Your Psychic Type, Sherrie Dillard has been a New Thought pastoral counselor, professional psychic, medium, and teacher for over twenty years. She has taught classes and workshops, both nationally and internationally, on the life-enhancing aspects of intuition development. Her writing has also appeared in New Age Journal and on Wellness.com and HitchedMag.com.





For more information please visit www.SherrieDillard.com and follow the author on Facebook.

Here's a fun article, A Certain "Je Ne SAIS Quoi"

Here's a fun article that I was sent and thought that I would share with you guys. It's full of random information, which I LOVE! Hope you guys enjoy the article and have a great day!

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi"

By Chloe Rhodes,

Author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English

Picture this scenario: You're having a tête-à-tête with an old friend from your alma mater, who is a wine aficionado. So you pick an al fresco table at a chic little café, and order from the a la carte menu. However, your companion won't stop exchanging double entendres with the woman in the sarong at the next table. So you're stuck listening to the klutz of a waiter droning on ad nauseam about the soup du jour. At that point, you're ready to say hasta la vista -- but you don't want to seem like a diva.

Try to say all that in "English." You probably wouldn't change a single word. How else would you describe such a scene if it weren't for the thousands of foreign words and phrases we've snuck into our conversations over the years? We all use them without a second thought. But how much do you really know about the origins of the borrowed words and phrases you use every day?

Did you know, for example, that when you place an order for apple pie a la mode, that you are using a phrase that dates back to the days of King Louis XIV? His court became such a standard of good taste that the British aristocracy wanted to do more than dress in French fashion; they wanted to use their phrase for it, too. In the seventeenth century the term was anglicized to become alamode -- a light silk used to make scarves. And at some point in small-town America, the combined flavors of cooked apple, sweet pastry, and cool, creamy vanilla represented the very latest in fashionable, cutting-edge gastronomy, giving the term its modern meaning of "with ice cream."

And there's hundreds of other examples from France: laissez faire, joie de vivre, fait accompli, faux pas, I could go on but you'd only become blasé. And with good reason; English speakers have been word collectors since the fifth century, when the dialects of Anglo-Saxon settlers, Celts, and Norse invaders were cobbled together to create Old English. When the Norman conquerors arrived in 1066 it must have seemed natural to steal some of their vocabulary, too. By the end of the thirteenth century, more than 10,000 French words were absorbed into English -- and we still use 75 percent of them today.

But we've done more than add a French lilt to our lingo. Those Normans also introduced us to Latin. In medicine, we have words like post-mortem and placebo, while in legal language, Latin phrases such as in camera and quid pro quo are still bounced around the courtroom. And others have crossed over into broader use; an agreement or contract signed in good faith is said to be bona fide. However, in everyday use, the phrase has become interchangeable with the word genuine and usually describes someone or something whose authenticity can be trusted.

More foreign phrases joined the fray during the marauding, seafaring days of our English-speaking ancestors, who filled their boats with strange Asian spices, exotic fabrics, and loads of new words for all the animals, garments and foods they had discovered.

Even ketchup, that favorite sidekick of French fries, is an import, starting life as a spicy pickled fish sauce in seventeenth-century China. The word is a Westernized version of the Malay word kichap, which came from koechiap, meaning fish brine. The sweet red version we love with began to take shape when American sailors added tomatoes, which are excellent for preventing scurvy. In 1876 John Heinz launched his infamous tomato ketchup and the rest, as they say, is history.

And there are stowaway words in your wardrobe as well as your pantry; your pajamas, dungarees, and even your bandanna have their origins on foreign shores. Bandanna comes from the Sanskrit word bandhana, meaning to tie, from the tie-dying technique used to decorate scarves and handkerchiefs in India. The anglicized "bandanna" was incorporated into the English language during the days of the British Raj, though they're now more popular with wrestlers and cowboys who want to give their look a certain panache.

And while the Brits went abroad to gather additions for their dictionary, in seventeenth-century North America, words were coming to the English language by the boatload. Soon words from Italy, Poland, German, and Eastern Europe were leaping off immigrant ships and landing in the American English lexicon. To uncover the backstory on some of these, from alter ego to zeitgeist, explore the pages of A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi -- The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes, published by Reader's Digest, and voilá! Soon you'll easily be able to schmooze with everyone at the next cocktail party without making a single faux pas.

© 2010 Chloe Rhodes, author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English

Author Bio

Chloe Rhodes, author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English, is a freelance journalist who has worked for The Telegraph, Guardian and The Times as well as numerous other respected publications. She lives in North London with her husband.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day Review and Giveaway

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François

I received a copy of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes for review. It's a great book that features 100 different recipes that are all gluten-free. The recipes are very easy to follow and include techniques that are easily explained so you'll have no problems following them. Before I read this book I had no idea that it could be so easy to make myself. The recipes would make it easy to make delicious artisan breads to use as gifts too. Below I have included a easy to follow recipe to give you an idea of what to expect from the book.

Pumpkin Pie Brioche

"In the autumn I bake pies using freshly roasted sugar pumpkins. My kids love the flavors and I love that pumpkin is full of vitamins. It struck me that the same amazing flavors could be used in a sweet and spiced brioche. The pumpkin makes wonderfully moist dough and the bread is so fragrant and tender. It is great with butter and cinnamon-sugar or cream cheese icing."--Zoë

Makes enough dough for at least two 2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved. Use any leftover dough to make muffins, crescent rolls, or pinwheels.

3 cups white whole wheat flour
4½ cups unbleached all- purpose flour
1½ tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets
1 tablespoon kosher salt (increase or decrease to taste)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1¼ cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
½ cup honey
¾ cup neutral-flavored oil, or unsalted butter, melted, or zero trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil margarine, melted
One large pie (or "sugar") pumpkin to yield 1¾ cups pumpkin puree, or use one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) for brushing on the top crust
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

1. If making your own fresh pumpkin puree: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Split the pumpkin in half, starting at the stem, and place it cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet or one lined with a silicone mat. Bake for about 45 minutes. The pumpkin should be very soft all the way through when poked with a knife. Cool slightly before scooping out the seeds.

2. Scoop out the roasted flesh of the pumpkin and puree it in the food processor. Set aside 1¾ cups for the dough and use any leftover in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

3. Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, and spices in a 5- quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

4. Combine the liquid ingredients with the pumpkin puree and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you're not using a machine.

5. The dough will be loose, but it will firm up when chilled. Don't try to use it without chilling for at least 2 hours. You may notice lumps in the dough, but they will disappear in your finished products.

6. Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

7. Refrigerate the dough in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond that, the dough stores well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Freeze it in 2-pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use, then allow the usual rest/rise times.

8. On baking day, grease a brioche pan or an 8½× 4½-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece of dough. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball. Place the ball in the prepared pan and allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour 45 minutes.

9. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. If you're not using a stone in the oven, a 5-minute preheat is adequate.

10. Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the loaf's top with egg wash, and then sprinkle with raw sugar.

11. Bake near the center of the oven for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust. The loaf is done when it is medium brown and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.

12. Remove the brioche from the pan (see page 50) and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.

The above is an excerpt from the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François, authors of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

Author Bios

Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is a physician with twenty years of experience in health care as a practitioner, consultant, and faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. His interest in baking and preventive health sparked a quest to adapt the techniques of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for healthier ingredients.

Zoë François, coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is passionate about food that is real, healthy, and always delicious. She is a pastry chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to teaching baking and pastry courses nationally, she consults to the food industry and is the creator of the recipe blog www.zoebakes.com. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two sons.

The authors answer bread questions at their Web site: http://www.healthy%20breadinfive.com/

I have one copy of this book to giveaway. Leave me a comment below telling me why you want this book. For additional entries you can complete one or all of the options below. This giveaway is for the US only and ends on Jan.14.

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Women are Crazy, Men are Stupid!

Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid

The Simple Truth to a Complicated Relationship

By Howard J. Morris & Jenny Lee

Published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment

September 2009; $22.99US/$29.99CAN; 978-1-4165-9505-2

Which came first, the crazy or the stupid?

It's the million-dollar question we all want the answer to. Are women crazy because men are stupid? Or are men stupid because women are crazy? Not surprisingly, the way we answer these two questions divides us quite neatly along gender lines. Because, let's face it, we all have a lot invested in the answer. Women maintain that over the course of their lives they are driven slowly and methodically crazy by stupid men. And men maintain that it's impossible for any man to act smartly with a women who's out of her freaking mind. If we can just prove one came first, the other side will have blaming rights for all eternity.

--From Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid

The revealing, rip-roaringly funny guide to making every relationship smarter, saner, and happier.

Since the dawn of time, when the first smitten caveboy tried to woo the object of his affections by shoving her into the mud, men have demonstrated that when it comes to women, they are profoundly stupid. And when it comes to men, women -- no matter how intelligent or mature -- are completely crazy.

Based on the simple yet groundbreaking insight, comedy writers and real-life couple Howard J. Morris and Jenny Lee have devised a relationship guide that is refreshingly honest, completely hilarious, and surprisingly practical. Using their own crazy/stupid romance as an example of these forces in action, they set out to explain why women ask questions that they absolutely do not want answered -- and why men persist in answering them. What are men really thinking -- or crucially, not thinking? Why do women view even the most mundane events through an emotional prism? Why do guys suck at being romantic? And why does every conversation with a woman lead back to whether or not she's fat?

Using wit, hard-earned wisdom, and a highly entertaining he said/she said format, the authors explore the surprising method to his dumbness and the valid reasons behind her insanity, while providing real solutions to perennial relationship problems. By teaching men how and why they're stupid around women and showing women how to "control the crazy" for everybody's sake, Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid helps couples to reach the place where giving isn't giving in, needing isn't needy, and where the sexes can break the dysfunctional patterns and find a way to live lovingly, happily ever after.


Author Bios

Howard J. Morris, coauthor of Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid: The Simple Truth to a Complicated Relationship, began his career in television, writing for the revolutionary HBO series Dream On, and then on the Emmy-nominated Home Improvement. He created the series Holding the Baby and In Case of Emergency. He's also written on My Wife and Kids,According to Jim, and most recently, The Starter Wife.

Jenny Lee, coauthor of Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid: The Simple Truth to a Complicated Relationship, was a writer on the hit comedy series Samantha Who?, starring Christina Applegate, and a writer on the Nickelodeon show The Troop. She is also the author of three books of humor essays: Skinny Bitching, What Wendell Wants, and I Do. I Did. Now What?!: Life After the Wedding Dress. They live together in Los Angeles.

Please visit http://www.simonandschuster.com/

Reviews

"What I love most about this hilarious battle of the sexes book is that while you're laughing it morphs into a great love story."
--Debra Messing

"You'd be crazy not to buy this book for the man in your life. And if he won't read it, serve it with bacon."
--Tim Allen

"Morris and Lee are stupid and crazy so you don't have to be. The chapter on romance is a classic!"
--Gigi Levangie Grazer

"This book is laugh-out-loud funny. And I don't just mean that 'lol' stuff. I actually laughed out loud. The surprise is that a book this funny is also so wise. It's bursting with real insights and universal truths. At the same time, it's deeply personal. Howard and Jenny spare us no intimate details of their relationship. You're reading it thinking, Should they be telling us this? We don't know them that well. But ultimately, you realize they're telling us about our crazy/stupid selves."
--David Crane, cocreator of Friends

This is just a quick introduction to the latest book that I will be reviewing. I was so excited about this one and I really think that you guys are going to love it!

12 Facts for This Holiday Season that You Probably Forgot from School

12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season

By Caroline Taggart

Author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Ever catch yourself saying I Used to Know That?

Each holiday season brings another round of cocktail parties, family get-togethers, and corporate gatherings -- and invariably, lots of small talk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when discussing politics, literature, and other intellectual "stuff," especially when what is thought to be general knowledge is often long-forgotten. Enter I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. From English and Literature to Math and Science, from History and Geography to Religion and Other-Worldly Topics, this book leaves you equipped to handle any topic of conversation.

Here we've cherry-picked twelve fun facts for the holiday season -- one for every day of Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer!) Quiz yourself to see how much "stuff" you need to brush up on before hobnobbing with the boss or office crush.

1. On building sentences: Just what is a "clause"? (Not to be confused with Santa Claus.)

Answer: A clause contains a subject and a verb and may stand alone as a sentence or as part of a sentence (when it is often called a subordinate clause): Santa Claus loves cookies but can't eat them without milk.

2. How many bones is the spine made up of?

Answer: 26 small bones called vertebrae (Be careful lifting all those heavy holiday boxes.)

3. Acclaimed author Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote which Christmas classic?

Answer: A Christmas Carol. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to ignore Christmas and is haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who show him the error of his ways.

4. The fist chapter of this famous book opens with "Call me Ishmael." Name the book and author. (Hint: it makes a whale of a gift!)

Answer: Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Melville is also the author of Pierre and the unfinished Billy Budd.

5. There's a name for the process of watering your Christmas tree? Who knew?

Answer: Grab the kids and give them this science factoid as they nurture the family tree: Osmosis is a form of diffusion that is specific to the movement of water. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane (that is, one that lets some types of molecules through but not others) from a place where there is a higher concentration of water to one where it is lower.

6. Can you name all 6 wives of Henry VIII, father of the Church of England?

Answer: (Listed in order) Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine. They are often remembered as divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Sure makes you think twice when complaining about bad relatives.

7. Who was the 16th President of the United States?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln (R, 1861-65) and yes -- he really was born in a log cabin on a winter's day. Notably famous for many reasons including his Gettysburg Address: "Four Score and Seven Years ago our fathers brought fourth upon this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty . . . "

8. 'Tis the season to be jolly giving! Don’t forget to tip well this season -- etiquette coaches will tell you that means no less than 18%. So just how much should you tip on a bill of $50?

Answer: Percent means by a hundred, so anything expressed as a percentage is a fraction (or part, if you prefer) of 100. So 18% is 18 parts of 100, or 18/100 or .18. If your bill is $50, multiply 50 by .18 to get your tip total of $9. If you're feeling generous, a 20% tip would require you to multiply 50 by .20, for a total of $10.00

50.00 x .18 = 9.00

50.00 x .20 = 10.00

Percentages can also be holiday-relevant when it comes to figuring out in-store sales. In this case, you want to multiply by the inverse of the percentage listed. So if you have a $50 sweater that's on sale for 25% off, multiply 50 by .75 for your total of $37.50. That same $50 sweater on sale for 40% off would equate to $30, or $50 multiplied by .60.

50.00 x .75 = 37.50

50.00 x .60 = 30.00

9. Brr, it's cold outside. But just how cold does it have to be to get some snow around here?

Answer: Did you know that the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Keep an eye on the temperature and watch your footing for ice on the ground. (See previous fact about those treasured vertebrae!)

10. Everyone knows Santa and his elves live in the North Pole. But what about the South Pole (aka Antarctica)?

Answer: The South Pole was discovered by Roald Amundsen (1872-1928, Norwegian), who was also the first to sail though the Northwest passage, the sea route from Pacific to Atlantic along the north coast of North America. Antarctica is the only continent that contains no countries -- instead, it is a stateless territory protected from exploitation by an international treaty. A good place for the elves to protest low wages?

11. Which Ocean is bigger: the Pacific or the Atlantic?

Answer: The Pacific Ocean is larger at 69,374 square miles -- that's almost double the Atlantic, which comes in at 35,665 square miles. Making it evenmore astonishing that St. Nick can cross the globe in just one night.

12. Remember the reason for the Season! Can you name a few things that both Judaism and Christianity have in common?

Answer: Both are monotheistic religions that share the first five books of the Christian Old Testament. Both religions view Jerusalem as a sacred site, the former for the Wailing Wall (contains the remains of the temple that was thought to be the place where God resides on earth) and the latter for Christ's burial and resurrection site.

Happy Holidays to all!

©2009 Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Author Bio

Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer's Market UK 2009. For more information please visit http://www.amazon.com/.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. I had to post it when I received it because of the random facts - it fits me so well. For some reason, I've always remembered facts and things that other people forget or really just don't care about. My friends and family have always called me, "The Random Facts Girl," so this post was just meant to be on my blog. I'm going to be reviewing this book very soon and I also have one copy to giveaway so look for it to be posted soon.

Your Astrology Guide 2010, Tips for the Year

I check my horoscope everyday, I have always done this since I was a teenager and it seems to always be right! I'm such a believer. I'm a capricorn, with out a doubt, I'm stubborn, hard headed and ALWAYS reaching for the top. I found this excerpt from the book, Your Astrology Guide 2010 very interesting so I thought that I'd share it. Just look down the list for your sign  and see what's in store for you in 2010.

Your Astrology Guide 2010: Rick and Jeff's Tips for the Year

by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer, Authors of Your Astrology Guide 2010

ARIES
March 21-April 19

Conscious Self-Restraint
It's imperative that you cut back your activities, for effective pruning allows new growth to flourish. But you may bump into deeply rooted resistances as you attempt to play a larger role on the stage of life. The contradiction now is that you are at your most brilliant and nothing can hold you back, yet paradoxically the walls of reality continue to close in. You cannot get away with shooting from the hip, even if you're confident of your aim. The full enterprising power of Aries is yours when you accept the limits of society that require more precision this year. Whether you like it or not, you must slow down to get what you want.

TAURUS
April 20-May 20

Look Outside the Box
Your potential to transform your life is incredible this year -- but your resistance to change is equally great. You don't have to tear apart what's working well or take crazy risks that are likely to fail. All you need to do is stretch your boundaries and allow alternative perspectives to hang around for a while to see if one might eventually fit. It's as if a strange visitor has arrived at your door -- so strange you'd prefer him to leave as soon as he arrives. But thanks to your kind heart, you let him stay the night . . . and end up discovering a close friend. Similarly, you will find happiness this year as long as you remain open to surprises.

GEMINI
May 21-June 20

Fear Not the Darkness
You can no longer be the champion of avoidance, Gemini, and that means you're playing in a whole new ball game. If others accuse you of being shallow, it's just because they don't understand how fast your mind works and how it jumps from one thought to the next. Now, However, something has changed, and it may at first seem scary. Instead of planning your escape routes, you are content, even eager, to search for hidden metaphysical wealth that was previously obscured from the light of consciousness. Overcoming your own resistance to fully feeling your emotions enables you to uncover buried treasure that can enrich your life for many years to come.

CANCER
June 21-July 22

Aim for the Top
It's better to be ambitious this year and struggle in the pursuit of your goals than to passively respond to whatever life brings you. Even if you run into obstacles, meet them on a course of your own choosing. Taking charge and pushing forward -- sometimes awkwardly and sometimes with grace and confidence -- are the next steps to assuming a leadership role. Your power and passion grow when you have strong allies and adversaries. Seek out those with talents you admire so that you can learn from the best. Step outside your comfort zone; you'll discover that it's not foolish to take risks. There are enormous rewards when you invest in your own excellence.

LEO
July 23-August 22

Ask for Help
You expect great things from yourself, Leo, and you can work quite hard once you make a sincere commitment. This is why you must now think carefully about any promises you make -- to yourself or anyone else. There are powerful forces at play that can lure you into believing that anything is possible. It's true that this year brings great potential, but exhausting yourself trying to achieve the impossible dream is not a sensible strategy. Heed the counsel of wise friends and seasoned professionals before making any life-changing decisions.

VIRGO
August 23-September 22

Fearless Warrior
Challenges to the core truths you cling to can be a source of irritation and a cause of physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. The battles you face, though, are not with outside forces but within yourself. It's time to reexamine the ideas that have kept your life in order for years, but may be holding you back. What worked in the past won't necessarily be effective now. The desire to return to familiar places in your mind is understandable, but it's not likely to be productive. Certainly, you need times to retreat and take refuge in comfortable concepts. Catch your breath when you can, yet remember: You'll grow much stronger by moving ahead than by turning back.

LIBRA
September 23-October 22

Rise to the Challenge
Although relationships can offer you a newfound sense of freedom this year, they can also distract you from the discipline you need to organize your life. The decisions you must make this year are not easy ones. You may have to be ruthless when evaluating what and who should be cut out of your life, but pruning is absolutely required to ensure maximum growth. Your overall success during the coming years will be based on your ability to pay careful attention to your long-term goals rather than short-term successes.

SCORPIO
October 23-November 21

Innocent Expression
Looking foolish is not your idea of a good time, but giving yourself permission to express yourself freely can be extremely rewarding now. Surrendering some self-control to reveal your emotion can feel risky, of course, but it's a great way to open your heart and enhance your creativity. Making mistakes is not the road to failure but the laboratory of invention. You can surprise yourself by discovering new talents when you put away the heavy hammer of self-criticism. Being honest while also being kind is a gift to yourself and those around you. If your explorations veer off course and threaten your stability, seek wise counsel. There are angels around you who look like ordinary people, yet will gently guide you back on track.

SAGITTARIUS
November 22-December 21

Be Here Now
There is so much work ahead as you strive to make the most of your future. Running out on previous commitments won't bring you happiness; delivering on your promises will. Try not to seek adventure in the same old dreams of world travel. This year, you can take an incredible journey of the mind without leaving home. Open yourself to new philosophies, learn about new technologies, and re-create your future by being more conscious in the present moment.

CAPRICORN
December 22-January 19

Field of Dreams
Your journey this year could be one of extremes as the most visionary planets -- Jupiter and Uranus -- light up your life with exciting new perceptions while the most conservative ones -- Saturn and Pluto -- keep stepping in to turn down the volume of your enthusiasm. You can avoid bouncing from high hopes to deep disappointment by giving yourself time to assimilate and consider your dreams. Slowly roll them over in your mind, do some research, and talk to those you trust to help you find ways to shape them into reality. Then commit to work with patience and persistence. Remember, conceiving a brilliant idea happens in an instant, but giving birth to success takes a lot longer.

AQUARIUS
January 20-February 18

The Joy of Sharing
The emotional heights will be higher this year and the descents lower, yet you must fully experience these peaks and valleys if you hope to find a middle ground between the opposing forces pushing and pulling on you. Although you cannot avoid the changes that continue to unfold, you're also blessed with an open mind that eagerly looks beyond the current difficulties. Don't waste too much energy resisting the inevitable. Instead, focus on the exhilaration you'll feel once you've overcome the obstacles and your life is heading in a new direction.

PISCES
February 19-March 20

Go the Distance
The highs and lows you experience this year accentuate the contrast between your greatest hopes and darkest fears. Expansive Jupiter in your sign makes your life seem so big that even the smallest act can appear to take on enormous importance. You may be exhilarated by this wild ride at times, but in the end it can be exhausting and confusing to rise so quickly and fall so fast only to rise again. Moderating your reactions with a bit of philosophical detachment reminds you that the current drama is just one moment in a life rich with experiences that you've encountered before and will likely meet again.

The above is an excerpt from the book Your Astrology Guide 2010 by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer, authors of Your Astrology Guide 2010, (Sterling, July 2009).

 Purchase the book now at Barnes&Noble.com or Amazon.com.

Author Bios

Highly-respected astrologers, sought-after consultants, and frequent lecturers, Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer have each written countless magazine articles, authored several books, and have been featured on radio and TV programs throughout the United States and Europe.

Rick Levine, co-author of Your Astrology Guide 2010, writes Tarot.com's daily horoscopes, which can be seen on AOL.com and many other Web sites. He is the founding trustee of the Kepler College for Astrological Arts and Sciences, a four-year educational institution in Seattle, WA, where he lives.

Jeff Jawer, co-author of Your Astrology Guide 2010, writes weekly romance horoscopes for Tarot.com and AOL.com and was a longtime columnist for cosmogirl.com. He is a co-founder of the Association for Astrological Networking and the United Astrology Congress. He lives in Redmond, WA.

For more information, please visit stariq.com.

Feelin' the Vibe Book Tour

FEELIN' THE VIBE

By Candice Dow
Devin and Clark find out if true love really does conquer all.

Clark Winston nearly had a nervous breakdown after her dream man, Devin Patterson, married the other woman. The untimely death of her best friend--the mother of her niece and nephew--only added to her mental instability. Given sole custody of her ten-year-old niece, Clark knew she had to go on and did so with her therapist Dr. Kenneth Winston.


Now ten years later, Clark is the director of a Baltimore group home for girls. By stroke of luck she and Devin are brought back together through their career choices and suddenly find themselves in an affair just as intense as their early relationship. Can they make love work? Or will they decide to try again at their failing marriages?

 
Read an excerpt from the book
About the Author:

Candice Dow is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Johns Hopkins University. She resides in Maryland with her son and loves to travel. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Candice is the author of six novels and is currently hard at work on her next.

For more information visit http://www.candicedow.com/

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER NOW AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.

I have five copies of Feelin' the Vibe by Candace Dow to giveaway.  For the first, mandatory entry simply leave me a comment telling me what your favorite book is. After that you can receive editional entries by doing one or all of the options below. This giveaway ends on Oct. 25.

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Fierce Style by Christian Siriano Book Review

Okay trannies! This fabulously, fierce  and flawless book by Christian Siriano is for sure on-point and definetly not tickity-tack. Trust! It will have you flaunting you Ferocia Coutura straight out of Transylvania so that you no longer look like a tic-tac-toe, hot tranny mess. You can follow Christians advice to avoid being expired and stay gorg while you work it lady!

If you know who Christian Siriano is then you can probably make since of all of that. I have to say that I LOVED this book. I already loved Christian from Project Runway but this book was just fabulous! I am by no means a fashionista and I'm guilty of going out in public in my sweat pants and a t-shirt but I still totally understood the book and got plenty of helpful advice out of it. I got so many great ideas about how to dress and what to buy that I've been wanting to go shopping everyday since I've been reading the book.

There are four sections in the book: Lady, You Look Fabulous!!!!, Finding Your Inner Ferocia, Everyday is a Runway...Work It and Inspire Me!!! Each section is written just like you'd expect Christian to say it. He really speaks from his heart and inspires you to look your best, whatever that is for you no matter what other people might say or think. It was a really inspirational book for me.

It comes complete with a little dictionary of all of Christians words he uses at the back of the book. If you didn't know who he was you would for sure need it to understand the book so you might want to read it first. I doubt anyone would know what a hot tranny mess was if they hadn't heard Christian use the term before or what Trannsylvania has to do with anything.

I am definitely recommending this book to everyone, even if you're not interested in fashion or you don't know who Christian Siriano is. It will inspire you to dress better and have a better attitude about just being you. Trust!

Remember to enter the giveaway too, I have one copy to give away. CLICK HERE to enter.