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Thursday, September 26, 2019

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Just like eating healthy and exercise, adequate sleep is an essential component for a health conscious life style. We are a sleep-deprived society and this is wrecking havoc on individual’s mental and physical health. Lack of sleep can be as dangerous to your health as smoking. Studies have shown that people who slept 7 to 8 hours a night lived significantly longer than those who didn’t.
Lack of sleep affects all areas of your life including:
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~Emotional- you may be more frustrated, irritable, cranky and moody
~Social-you may be difficult to get along with, lack of desire to socialize
~Cognitive-impaired ability to learn, poor memory, decreased problem solving abilities
~Physical- productivity is impaired, fatigue, a compromised immune system which leaves you vulnerable to disease, infection, and colds etc.
~Safety-judgment may be impaired, your less aware and alert which can lead to accidents, hand eye coordination is impaired.

Sleep also restores our physical and mental energy. The body repairs itself while we sleep. It detoxes and heals. Thus, for us individuals living with chronic illness or chronic pain, obtaining adequate sleep is vitally important. We need adequate sleep to help us cope with stress, to relieve pain and fatigue and keep symptoms to a minimum. Lack of sleep in the chronically ill often increases pain and fatigue and exacerbates whatever symptoms they may experience.

Experts used to recommend seven to eight hours of sleep, but it is now believed the average adult needs an average of nine hours sleep. Some need less and some need more. For those living with chronic illness more may be required, or frequent naps will be necessary. Your body will tell you how much sleep you need if you pay attention. Feeling refreshed and well is often not possible for those with chronic illness or pain, but find the amount you need to function as optimally as possible for your situation.

Tips To Improve Your Sleep
~No alcohol or caffeine
~Try and maintain a routine of getting up and going to bed around the same time
~Exercise at least 30 minutes daily
~Take a warm bath or shower just prior to bedtime
~Read or watch TV if these are relaxing for you, if they are stimulating then you would want to avoid ~Avoid conversations on the phone right before bedtime
~If your having difficulty getting to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night, having an orgasm can help you. After having an orgasm, endorphins are released that make you relaxed and sleepy. You must be lying down at the time of the orgasm and then immediately close your eyes and attempt to sleep, before the endorphins wear off.
~Keep your sleeping environment clean and free from toxic chemicals such as perfumes, cleaning supplies, pesticides etc. In addition to toxicity, chemicals can stimulate the brain and keep you awake.
~Use sheets and blankets that are made of natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are a chemical and can stimulate the brain and prevent you from sleeping. Don’t wash your bedding with bleach or scented laundry products for the same reason.
~See a holistic physician for possible nutritional deficiencies or thyroid abnormalities. Both of these can cause sleep difficulties.

*Do not use drugs (prescription or otherwise, to assist you in sleeping) Drugs interfere in stage IV sleep, which only aggravates symptoms and robs you of the benefits you should derive from sleeping. Drug induced sleep is not healthy sleep. If you need assistance, seek a holistic physician that can advice you which supplements and herbs such as melatonin, serotonin, valerian, chamomile etc. can be used to improve your sleep.
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Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is a holistic health counselor specializing in issues of living with chronic illness, chronic pain and disability as well as sexual intimacy. She is also author of the inspirational E-Book “Finding Life Fulfillment when Living with Chronic Illness-A Spiritual Journey”. Services, Ebooks and a FREE Newsletter can be found at her website. http://www.holistichelp.net/

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Odd Driving Laws

Everyone has been in that situation, you are cruising down the road, singing to your favorite song, and then you see it. The cop car. Then you see it in your review mirror with its lights on. Yep. Surely at one point in your life you have gotten some kind of traffic ticket, whether it’s a parking ticket, speeding ticket, or something else. However, as common as those are, there are some strange driving laws out there that if you get a ticket for, well, let’s just say no one will feel sorry for you.
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For those of you in California, or even driving through it, watch out for these few laws because I don’t know what to tell you if you get caught. If no one is driving your vehicle, it cannot go above 60 mph, 50 may be pushing it though. So, tell that ghost to get out of the car and let you drive next time you’re in California. However, ladies do not drive your car while wearing a housecoat, since apparently fashion can be a crime.

I know this is a problem I have encountered several times. In New Jersey, it is illegal to plant trees in the middle of the street. Seriously, it is about time this law has come into play. I hate it when I’m driving and there is a tree in the middle of the road. So, that one may not be a driving lay, but it has to do with roads so why not.

For some people, driving on a sidewalk is the way to go. However, in Oregon, you must yield to pedestrians when you are driving on the sidewalk. Personally, I would think that is a given, but apparently not. Now, in Dunn, North Carolina, it is illegal to drive on a sidewalk period. You also can’t drive through cemeteries in Dunn. Oh, and in Dublin, Georgia, you cannot drive through playgrounds.

People who like to change clothes in their car may need to pay attention to these laws. In Sag Harbor, New York, you cannot disrobe in your car. That is a total bummer. I think the people who are living in their cars will have to figure out somewhere else to change. If you are in Evanston, Illinois though, you can change in your car; you just can’t block the cop’s view of you changing. Yep, that’s right. You can’t change clothes in the car with the curtains draw, unless there is a fire. Because I know during a fire, all I want to do is change my clothes in my car with the curtains drawn.

If you are planning on visiting Youngstown, Ohio, hope you filled up before hand. It is against the law to run out of gas while in Youngstown. Hope Youngstown isn’t too big of a city. Perhaps you don’t want to worry about running out of gas in Youngstown and have never had to put your car in reverse; then Glendale, Arizona is the town for you. It is unlawful for a car to back up in Glendale. However, strange those two are, nothing can beat the law in Crete, Illinois which says that you can’t drive a car through town. That one may take a little bit to figure out.

When it comes to getting pulled over, it really doesn’t matter what kind of traffic ticket you get, it’s never fun. Many people think if they get a parking ticket it will affect their insurance, but that’s not the case. If you don’t pay your tickets off when you are supposed to, that can count against you and raise your rates. You may want to check with your insurance company if you get a ticket for any of the above laws though.
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Leigha Fenster: Car Insurance Quote Types of Auto Insurance Article Source: http://www.upublish.info by Leigha Fenster

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Winter Wonderland Trivia Quiz

Click Here For Solutions

1. Which is NOT a fact about winter in the animal kingdom?
A. Some species of domesticated dog turn white in the winter.
B. Mountain goats with their luxurious 3-inch long winter coats can endure winter temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit and powerful winds up to 100 mph.
C. The male moose sheds its antlers every winter and grows a new set the following year.
D. The weasel and the ermine are the same animal. The only difference is the brown coat of the weasel turns white in the winter when it is known as an ermine.

2. Which flying creature fact is true?
A. The Rufous, a species of Hummingbird, nests in Alaska and migrates miles to Mexico each winter and then back to Alaska in the spring.
B. Many species of butterfly fly south for the winter just like many birds.
C. None
D. Both

3. Ice fog is a winter weather phenomenon. Which fact is NOT related to this event?
A. It frequently occurs in Alaska.
B. It frequently occurs in Maine.
C. It glitters in sunlight and is colorfully known as diamond dust.
D. It contains minute ice particles.
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4. Did you know that human hair grows at different rates for different times of day and year? For example, it speeds up in the morning, slows down in the afternoon, and speeds up again in the evening. What is the rate of growth in the winter?
A. Slower than summer.
B. Faster than summer.
C. The same as in summer.
D. The same all year round because the QuizQueen is making this up.

5. During the winter, winds seem to bite through you with cold. Can you pick out the true windy phenomenon?
A. The Bora is a violent cold north wind in the Adriatic.
B. The Mistral is a strong cold dry north wind that blows during the winter in Rhone Valley, France.
C. The Puna is a cold dry wind that blows in Peru.
D. The Williwaw is a sudden strong cold wind off-shore from mountains in Alaska and Canada.
Click Here For Solutions
6. Can you pick out the FALSE nor’easter fact?
A. This is the coastal warm front storm which typically strikes New England in February when warm moist air picked up from the tropics moves north up the coast and meets a mass of polar air from Eastern Canada and the North Atlantic which is moving south.
B. A nor’easter is created when a mass of warm air hits a mass of cold air somewhere in the vicinity of Cape Cod.
C. The winds of a nor’easter blow so strong and fierce that even when snow falls it does not accumulate.
D. When warm air moves up and over a layer of cold air, a nor’easter is created and snow crystals form and fall. If the storm moves quickly, cold rain or snow will fall for six to eight hours. If the warm air stalls against a high pressure wall, the snowfall may last 12-24 hours or even longer.

7. In 1888, the United States experienced one of the worst recorded blizzards. Which Blizzard of ’88 fact was made up by The QuizQueen?
A. On March 11, 1888, a nor’easter stalled over New York City and dumped 21 inches of snow with 70 mph gusts piling snow into 20-foot drifts which marooned New Yorkers in elevated trains, carriages, and office buildings.
B. The Blizzard of 1888 was completely invented by The QuizQueen and in fact no snow fell that winter in northeast America except in trace amounts.
C. The 1888 blizzard extended from Maine to Washington, D.C., and from New York to Pittsburgh. The storm stalled for a day and a half. In Connecticut and central Massachusetts, between 40 and 50 inches of snow fell. Winds piled it into 40 to 50 foot drifts which buried houses and trains.
D. From Chesapeake Bay to Nantucket, 200 ships were sunk or severely damaged. In 1888, 400 lives were lost, a tragedy that modern weather forecasting has spared us.

8. Do you know why 1816 was called “The Year Without Summer?” Are all these facts true, or is one false?
A. During June and July Connecticut experienced a rare summer blizzard and snow and sleet fell in Danville, Vermont.
B. While unseasonably frigid summer temperatures brought crop failures all over New England, Massachusetts had snow flurries.
C. Savannah, Georgia, had a high temperature of only 46 degrees Fahrenheit on July 4.
D. The eruption of the Tambora volcano in Java the previous year spewed dust and ash into the atmosphere and caused the unusually cold summer of 1816.
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9. Which United States city has the coldest winter temperature on average?
A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
B. Kotzebue, Alaska
C. Helena, Montana
D. Barrow, Alaska

10. On average, one inch of rain is equivalent to how many inches of snow?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 12

11. How much do you know about snow? Which snow fact is true?
A. It must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to snow.
B. It must be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for it to snow.
C. It cannot snow from clear skies.
D. The temperature of snow clouds must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for snow to form.
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12. Test your snowflake knowledge and pick out the incorrect answer.
A. Snowflakes comes in several basic shapes, hexagonal plates, stellar crystals, columns, needles, and graupel.
B. No two snowflakes are exactly alike.
C. Snowfall levels are categorized into flurries, showers, squalls, blowing snow, and blizzards.
D. It can be too cold to snow.

13. How advised are you about winter weather advisories? Is one of these false?
A. A blizzard warning means snow and strong winds will combine to produce blinding snow with near zero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
B. The difference between a winter storm watch and a winter storm warning is that severe winter conditions have begun when a winter storm warning is issued.
C. A winter weather advisory is when weather causes severe conditions that are inconvenient and may be hazardous, especially for motorists.
D. A frost-freeze warning means that temperatures are expected to fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit and may cause significant damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees.

14. The National Weather Service defines “heavy snow” as:
A. Snowfall that accumulates 6 or more inches in 12 hours or 8 or more inches in 24 hours.
B. Wet snow.
C. Thundersnow.
D. None of these answers is right, The QuizQueen must not know.
Click Here For Solutions
15. Which U.S. city has the highest average snowfall?
A. Stampede Pass, Washington
B. Valdez, Alaska
C. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
D. Watertown, New York

16. Which U.S. city has the coldest record temperature?
A. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire
B. Glasgow, Montana
C. Nome, Alaska
D. McGrath, Alaska
Click Here For Solutions
About the Author: Deanna Mascle shares more Fun Trivia in her Fun Trivia Online ezine at http://funtriviaonline.com Source: www.isnare.com
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Saturday, September 14, 2019

Thanksgiving: A Wonderful Day

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. It began when the European pilgrims that migrated to America invited the native American Indians to join them for a meal that celebrated all of the provision that had been bestowed upon them in the past year. Our nation has continued to observe Thanksgiving every year. I wish every country in the world had a Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate.
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There is nothing like enjoying a Thanksgiving day with friends and family. People gather from near and far to spend the holiday weekend together. It is a time filled with good company, good food, and enjoying one another and the gifts of abundance in our lives. What do you remember about Thanksgiving day growing up? I remember walking up lazily and quicklky coming up to the kitchen to find my mom working away at preparing food for our feast and my dad and brother already gone hunting for the morning. I had no real idea how to cook, yet each year on Thanksgiving morning I found myself washing my hands and preparing to help my mom make our family feast.

My mom and I would spend all morning preparing food. My special job was to remove all of the organs from inside the belly of the turkey before we could stuff it with her special Thanksgiving dressing. We prepared mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, green been casserole, salad and pumpkin pie for dessert.

My father and brother would return from hunting and we would gather around the table and partake in our Thanksgiving meal. Sometimes extended family or friends would join us, but other years it would just be us. I loved Thanksgiving no matter who was or wasn't involved.

I remember taking a little time in each year to think about my life and make a long list of the people and things I was grateful for. Thanksgiving for me really was a time of being thankful. I think it is great for people of all ages to celebrate the day with good people, good food, and football, but I hope in the midst of our busy lives we have not forgotten the importance of observing the real reason for the holiday: to give thanksgiving.

After hours of football and game playing our family would often return to the table and make a second meal out of our Thanksgiving meal leftovers. I loved this time because my mom let us eat as much stuffing and as little turkey as we wanted, and this was my favorite way to eat the Thanksgiving food - anything I wanted and just before I went off to bed.

It is amazing that at the end of Thanksgiving day so many Americans, as if quickly forgetting everything they have been blessed with, make plans to get up before dawn the next day and spend hours shopping for the new and latest things. The day after Thanksgiving has been named Black Friday and it is the biggest shopping day in the American year. People race around from store to store to get deals on anything and everything they could possible need or want. They fill bags and carts with items and exhaust themselves to get their lists accomplished. It makes me wonder if people don't forget Thanksgiving day a little too quickly.
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Matthias Reightman has been enjoying Thanksgiving for many years. He has authored several articles about his favorite holiday. There is more to be learned at www.thanksgivinghub.info by Matthias Reightman Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Fall Foliage

You are in for a fantastic Fall Season of Colors this year! Get set for a fall leaf watching trip for the last week of September or make plans for the first week of October. The peak color times vary each year depending on weather and location, but the leaves are usually past their prime by around Thanksgiving. A good rule of thumb is that the leaves usually start changing color in September but hit their peak in the first few weeks of October.
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Around the 2nd to 3rd weeks of October the colors of fall seem to be at their best stage. This does vary greatly from year to year. Over the last few years, we've noticed that many trees are still showing great foliage colors as late as early November. Color change is a gradual process and takes some time to hit its peak. Altitude has an effect on the leaves turning colors and tress at higher elevations change first. If you want to enjoy early season foliage, it is best to head up in the mountains.

Moisture and temperature difference play a role in effecting color changes. The timing of the first frost affects the intensity and timing of the color changes. The amount of moisture the trees have received over the summer has an impact on the fall foliage. Summer drought plays a role in bring on the change earlier in the season and a wet fall tends to drive intense color changes.
What it comes down to is timing! For best results, shoot for the last few weekends in October up North and mid November down South.

Some of the top foliage destinations in the USA are listed below.

Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain has spectacular foliage and a great way to view it is by boat. Quaint historic communities and to the splendor of this trip.

Smoky Mountains National Park Fall Foliage
The best place to catch the North Carolina and Tennessee fall foliage is in the Smokies. An endless forest is abound and a great place to start your trip is at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can’t go wrong with a trip to this hikers paradise.

Maroon Bells
When the Aspens start turning in Colorado the place to see fall foliage is Maroon Bells. A mixture of soaring elevations, creeks and hot springs awaits. This is a fantastic trip and very popular because of its vast beauty.

The Mohawk Trail
Massachusetts is a falls lover’s dream. Take a trip back in time on one of the oldest scenic route our country has to offer. Once a main artery for foot traffic between the colonies is now your pathway to fall foliage splendor.

Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina and Virginia is known to be "Americas Favorite Drive". The Appalachian Mountains explode with color each year and the 400 plus mile roadway is sure to impress. The roadway offers tremendous vistas to view all of the fall splendor.
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At Travel To Go, we hope you have had -- or will have -- a great vacation this year! For more information feel free to visit our website by clicking here or go to www.traveltogo.com. by Samuel Wynn

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Christmas FAQ: Learning More About Christmas

* Why do people put up Christmas trees?
The tradition of the Christmas tree is a remnant of the old pagan tradition of worshipping trees. This paved the way for the popularity of Christmas tree decorations in people's homes during Christmas season.

* Why is Christmas on December 25th?
Many people believe Jesus was born on December 25, but there is no historical evidence for this. In fact, historical evidence points to spring as the time when Jesus was born.
It's most likely that December 25 became Christmas Day by a slick political move. By three or four centuries after Christ, Christians were numerous, and perhaps in an effort to stop religious bickering and unite the Christians with the pagans, the pagan holiday of Saturnalia (approximately December 25) was combined with the biggest Christian celebration of the year: the birthday of Jesus. Presto, a universal holiday!

* When and how did Christmas become an official government holiday?
There are several arguments regarding the declaration of Christmas as an official holiday. But according to many researchers, it was in the year 1870 that U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas an American national holiday. Prior to this declaration, a formal process was conducted that transformed the proposal into an act of Congress.

* Where does the name Christmas come from?
Christmas comes from the Middle English term "Cristis Masse." In literal translation it means Christ's Festival. There are also some accounts that translate it as "mass for Christ."
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* In which gospels was the Christmas story told?
It is in the gospels of Matthew and Luke where you can find most of the Biblical accounts pertaining to the nativity story or Christmas. Matthew discussed the story of Joseph and Mary, the angel Gabriel, and the Three Kings.
The story in Luke starts in the land of Nazareth, and is the one most people are familiar with. Luke does not mention the new star, the wise men, or Herod's slaughter of the innocents, but he does describe the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary laying the newborn Jesus in a manger, and the angels appearing to the shepherds.

* What is the 12th Day of Christmas?
According to Encyclopedia .com: Epiphany "(ipif'ene) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. It commemorates three events-the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1), the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem (Mat. 2), and the miracle at Cana (John 2). In his baptism Jesus' sonship to God was manifested to the world; in the visit of the Wise Men he was manifested as king to the Gentiles; and at the marriage feast at Cana his power to perform miracles (a divine prerogative) was shown. In popular celebration the feast is far more ancient than Christmas. Technically it is more important than Christmas, ranking after Easter and Pentecost. It is a day of gifts in many countries. In the Eastern Church the waters are blessed on this day. The word epiphany means a manifestation, usually of divine power. Thus the actual appearance of God (as in the burning bush) or a moment of divine revelation may be called an epiphany."

* Why do we celebrate Christmas?
It has been a part of the Christian tradition to celebrate Christmas yearly. The bottom line for this is to witness and retell to other people the marvelous story of the Savior of mankind, who is Jesus Christ.
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About the Author: Crissy Yarnell is editor of Christmas Yes!, the online guide to Christmas. She also writes Christmas FAQ's for PrettyGreatAnswers.com. by Crissy Yarnell Source: www.isnare.com

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Halloween Came From Where?

1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
2. SUMMER'S END
3. SPOOKY
4. THE COLD SHOULDER
5. HALLOW'S EVE
6. BOBBING FOR APPLES
7. TRICK
8. OR TREAT
9. JACK O' LANTERN
10.THE GREAT PUMPKIN
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1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Of all the mainstay holidays that populate our year, Halloween is one of the oldest, dating back thousands of years. Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter and even Christmas are youngsters by comparison.

2. SUMMER'S END
Originally starting out as an ancient Celtic holiday, Druidic priests regarded the day as the end of the year and a celebration for the year's harvest. October 31 was the first day of a three-day celebration called Samhain, meaning "the end of summer". It marked the passage from the season of the sun to the season of darkness, but was also a festival for honoring the dead. The Celts believed the laws of space and time were suspended on this night, allowing the spirit world to crossover and intermingle with the living world.

3. SPOOKY
As the story goes, the disembodied spirits of all those who had passed away throughout the preceding year would come back on that night in search of living bodies to possess for the coming year. Apparently, it was their only hope for an afterlife. To protect themselves, the Celtic priests developed spells, charms and ritualistic burning sacrifices to appease the wandering spirits that roamed the night.

4. THE COLD SHOULDER
Of course, being alive you certainly didn't want to get possessed, so on the night of October 31st, people would put out the fires in their fireplaces and furnaces, to make their homes cold and undesirable to the wandering spirits. To complete the ritual, they would then dress in ghoulish costumes, parading around the neighborhoods causing ruckus and destruction in order to scare off the spirits looking for a warm body to inhabit.

5. HALLOW'S EVE
The word Halloween is a concoction. Samhain (pronounced sow-en, the sow rhymes with cow, that "en" part is important to remember) was combined with the November 1st Catholic holiday of "All Hallows Eve", otherwise known as "All Hallows Day "or "All Saints Day". The old English word "Hallow" meant to sanctify. It was the day for honoring the Catholic saints. By the 7th century AD it was adapted as "All Soul's Day" to honor all the dead and not just the saints. Over time, these two celebrations were combined into one mega-fest by the growing populations of Europe. And abracadabra, sow-en and Hallows Eve merged creating Halloween. In Ireland it is sometimes referred to as Hallow E'en and others still spell it, Hallowe'en, further emphasizing the marriage of terms and holidays.

6. BOBBING FOR APPLES
Eventually the traditional Roman celebration on November 1st honoring Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, was absorbed into the Halloween punch bowl. Bringing its own traits with it, Pomona's symbol was an apple, which most likely inspired the party activity of bobbing for apples.

7. TRICK...
Celebration of Halloween came to America with early Irish and Scottish immigrants. The belief in spirit possession had subsided compared to the early days and the act of dressing as ghouls, goblins, ghosts and witches was more like today's ceremonious fun.
However, the anarchy still remained from the early Celtic days. Favorite tricks of the time were knocking over outhouses, especially with someone inside and unhinging fence gates, freeing farm animals and the like.

8. ...OR TREAT
The treat part of trick-or-treating originated with a 9th century European custom called "souling". On "All Souls Day", early Christians would walk door-to-door begging for "soul cakes", little squares of bread made with currants (yummy). You see, at the time, it was believed that the souls of the dead remained in limbo on earth and that prayers would speed the soul's passage to heaven. The more soul cakes the beggars would get, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the givers.

9. JACK O' LANTERN
An Irish folklore tells the tale of a lazy trickster named Jack. In his whole life he never made a single enemy, nor a single friend, never did an honest day's work or performed a single selfless act for anyone. But despite his sloth and constant state of inebriation, he was able to foil the Devil's attempt at taking his soul.

One Halloween Jack's number was up and the Devil arrived to do his deed. Jake was of course having a pint at the pub and asked the Devil for permission to finish his ale. The Devil agreed and Jack struck up a conversation. He asked, "If you really have any power, you could transform yourself into anything, right? Even a shilling." The Devil took it as challenge and transformed himself into a silver coin. Jack snatched up the coin and scratched a cross-shaped scar into the face. The power of the cross, being like kryptonite to Superman, made the Devil powerless and held him captive.
Jack bartered with Satan, he would free him if he would grant Jack another year of life so that he would have time to repent. Having little choice, the Devil made it so. A year passed, Jack being Jack, never got around to getting off his bar stool to repent.

Again it was Halloween, but Satan was a no show. Suddenly Jack knew why, presto-change-o, Jack was dead and standing at the pearly gates. He was getting to go to heaven. Ah, but before admittance he had to get the okay from St. Peter. Checking his records, St. Peter gave Jack the thumbs down, boo-hoo, for Jack had never performed a single selfless act. Off to hell Jack would go.
However, Satan wasn't having any of it either. He was still ticked for getting tricked. Having nowhere else to go, the Devil gave Jack a single burning ember in a hollowed out turnip. With only this simple lantern to light his path, rejected from heaven and hell, poor Jack was doomed to wander in the darkness forever.

The Irish originally used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns". But in America, pumpkins were far easier to come by than turnips. Pumpkins also pulled a double duty, symbolizing the giant full moon of harvest. So, the man-in-the-moon and trickster Jack combined to form the carved face pumpkins of our Jack O' Lanterns.

10. THE GREAT PUMPKIN
There you have it ghouls and goblins, the who's and boos of why Halloween is one of our favorite times of year! Jokes and candy to all ye this Hallow's Eve! After Halloween what is a vampire's favorite holiday? Fangsgiving!
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About the Author: To read more articles by Chad, please visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com. If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com/halloween.htm Source: www.isnare.com by Chad Koch

Sunday, September 1, 2019

A James Bond Villain Quiz: The Villains Make the Hero?

Superman might have larger than life powers to protect the Earth. Daredevil might have superhuman senses to defeat the Kingpin of Crime. Spider-man might be flexible enough to get out of any sticky situation. But then again, when an evil villain is out to cause mayhem on Earth via nuclear bombing or sophisticated biological weapons, only one fictional character sans the superpowers can salvage us from utter destruction: Secret Agent Bond---James Bond.

James Bond, unlike these superheroes, doesn’t have supernatural powers or wasn’t bitten by a genetically enhanced spider of sorts for him to be called a hero. Known to have the strength, wit, intelligence, charms, seamless gadgets, and of course, his natural appeal to women, he is an unstoppable brute. Agent 007, as he is commonly called, is a human weapon, ready to stop any atomic bomb, morally bankrupt villain or some unnamed armaments to save the world.
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The Villain Who Made the Most Movies
The hardest task for the creators of the James Bond franchise must have been the conceptualization nemeses that would be worthy and fit to be up against the most popular secret agent in Hollywood. They must have been in a heated James Bond Villain quiz discussion in order to reincarnate evil at its best to be eradicated by our suave hero in the end.

Ernst Stravo Blofeld is arguably one of the most hated villains to be fought by 007. As an evil mastermind of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), he aims to take over the world and get truckloads of money in the process of doing so. He appears in 7 major James Bond movies and definitely continues to earn a lot of fans for his pure rashness. This bald, cat-totting and murderous villain is never adamant in annihilating James Bond. Blofeld, with his trademark accent and evil deeds, will be a staple character in any James Bond villain quiz no matter how many other villains might be baked in the oven of the screenplay writer’s imagination.

More Villains: A James Bond Villain Quiz
Villains might be abhorred, but no one can deny that we love them for what they do best---being EVIL. Let’s see how well you know James Bond’s nemeses. Take this James Bond Villain quiz and find out.

1. He has a penchant for sharks, crocodiles and killing, among others. This villain appears in Live and Let Die and was portrayed by Yaphet Kotto.
a. Elliot Carver
b. Mr. Big
c. Mr. Bullion

2. He tried to kill Bond by blowing him up with an atomic bomb to no avail. He is famous for the line, “Better than letting a handful of old men in Moscow bargain away our advantage in disarmament talks!”
a. Mr. Big
b. Kamal Khan
c. Octopussy

3. It is Soviet counter-intelligence agency portrayed in the early James Bond novels based on the real-life agency of the same name. In the novels, it was one of 007's greatest nemeses.
a. SPECTRE
b. SMERSH
c. KRYPTONITE

4. He wants to disarm world powers and have world peace by destroying missile silos and military bases around the world using the diamond satellite laser weapon he created. He appears in Diamonds are Forever.
a. Kamal Khan
b. Nick Nack
c. Professor Dr. Metz

5. He attempts to execute Bond in Korea, and drives a Jaguar XKR while chasing him across a flat plain in Iceland. He appeared in Die Another Day.
a. Zao
b. Gustav
c. Kanami
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Answers:
1. b. Mr. Big
2. c. Octopussy
3. b. SMERSH
4. c. Professor Dr. Metz
5. a. Zao

Villains Make Bond, THE James Bond
Villains can give the needed oomph to make someone a hero. In the case of our favorite fictional secret agent, James Bond would have never reached this pinnacle of popularity without these murderous minds out to cause considerable damages to the world. Sure enough, the quality of a James Bond film is contingent upon how evil, downright mean and callous his enemies could get. The more ruthless these villains become the more smashing and appealing James Bond becomes to the box office.

For more information and queries, you may visit James Bond Villain Quiz. by Joe Owens
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info