Fun Facts Friday ~ Friday the 13th

 

Whether you think it’s unlucky or not, cross your fingers and check out these 13 fun facts about Friday the 13th and our collective aversion to the number 13.

1. From the cradle to the grave

Celebrities born on Friday the 13th include Taylor Swift, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Steve Buscemi, Max Weinberg, and Peter Tork. Tupac Shakur died on Friday, September 13, 1996.

2. Mildly superstitious

Mark Twain was allegedly once invited to be the 13th guest at a dinner party. As the story goes, he went to the dinner despite a superstitious friend’s warning. Twain reportedly said, “It was bad luck. They only had food for 12.”

3. Very superstitious

In his No. 1 hit song “Superstition,” Stevie Wonder sings: “Thirteen-month-old baby, broke the lookin’ glass. Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past. When you believe in things that you don’t understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain’t the way.”

4. Frighteningly Surprising

Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

5. Heavy, dude

The band Black Sabbath released its debut album on Friday, February 13, 1970.

6. Bad things can happen

The movie “Alive” is based on the true story of a plane crash in South America on Friday, October 13, 1972. Fourteen survivors were found in the mountains more than two months after the plane went down.

7. Even outer space isn’t safe

On Friday the 13th, 2029, a large asteroid will fly close enough to the Earth to be visible without a telescope in Africa, Europe, and Asia, according to NASA.

8. It’s not complete

The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number — 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

9. What could go wrong?

The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel offers special zombie, vampire and “Rocky Horror”-themed ceremonies on Friday the 13th.

10. Hell on wheels

In Ontario, Canada, motorcyclists gather every Friday the 13th for rallies that draw thousands of participants. The tradition dates back to 1981.

11. Spellbound by fear

The word for fear of Friday the 13th is “paraskavedekatriaphobia.” The word for fear of the number 13 is “triskaidekaphobia.” Located near Philadelphia is the Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center, an organization that hosts parties centered on confronting common phobias like walking under a ladder and opening an umbrella indoors.

12. Tuesday is also terrifying

In some Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday (Martes) the 13th is considered bad luck. Tuesday is feared because it is the day of the week associated with the Roman god of war, Mars. There is a cautionary saying: “On Tuesdays, don’t get married, don’t take a trip and don’t leave your home.”

13. Throwing caution to the wind

Founded in 1882 by Capt. William Fowler, The Thirteen Club of New York was a group of skeptics who defied superstitions by hosting dinner parties on Friday the 13th. At the first dinner, the 13 members performed such unlucky feats as passing under a ladder. They dined on 13 courses, the first by the light of 13 candles. The devil-may-care group tipped over salt containers on the table but were forbidden from tossing any of the spilled granules over their shoulders. The small club evolved into a national organization that boasted such members Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt, according to the New York Historical Society.

 

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Fun Facts Credit: WGNO TV and Live Science

Photo credit: eve.com.mt

Fun Facts Friday ~ Dragonfly

 

Fun Facts About Dragonflies

• Dragonflies don’t sting and generally don’t bite people.
• They have been around for 300 million years. Prehistoric dragonflies were much larger and could have a wingspan of 2 ½ feet!
• When first hatched, the larva or nymphs live in the water for around a year. Once they leave the water and begin to fly, they only live for around a month.
• People in Indonesia like to eat them for a snack.
• Having a dragonfly land on your head is considered good luck.
• They are not really related to common flies.
• Groups of dragonflies are called swarms.
• Watching dragonflies, similar to bird watching, is called oding which comes from the order classification odonata.
• Predators that eat dragonflies include fish, ducks, birds, and water beetles.
• They need to warm up in the sun during the morning before taking off and flying for most of the day.

 

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Lots more to read on this amazing creature at Ducksters.

Fun Facts Friday ~ The Brain

• The brain receives 20% of the body’s oxygen and 25% of total body glucose utilization, despite it accounting for only 2% of a person’s weight (about 1.4 kilograms).

 

• The human brain is very soft, having a consistency similar to soft gelatin or firm tofu.

 

• The human brain doesn’t stop developing until about 25 years old.

 

• The human brain uses approximately as much energy as a 10 watt light bulb.

 

• The adult human brain weighs about 3 pounds (1,300-1,400 g).

 

• After age 30, the brain begins to lose about 50,000 neurons per day – shrinking the brain .25% each year.

 

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Dr. Beth Risser

 

 

Facts Credit Fun Factz

Photo Credit Ideal Spine

Your Body’s Reunion

Each adjustment is a reunion between your brain & nerve system.  Don’t allow your body to weaken its communication with each part by missing your regular chiropractic adjustments!

 

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Dr Beth Risser

Fun Facts Friday ~ National Roller Coaster Day

NATIONAL ROLLER COASTER DAY

Each year National Roller Coaster Day on August 16th people flock to amusement parks for a thrill and a few excited screams, too! Take a ride on a roller coaster near you.

The day commemorates the first verticle loop roller coaster which was patented by Edwin Prescott on this day in 1898. A roller coaster consists of one or multiple cars on a track. While they are similar to railroad systems in design, the inclines and vertical loops incorporated in the structures aren’t for transportation. These elements boost the thrills rollercoaster enthusiast seek!

The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called “Russian Mountains.”  Built-in the 17th century, these specially constructed hills of ice located near Saint Petersburg, Russia rose between 70 and 80 feet in height. Passengers faced 50-degree drops. Wooden supports supplied reinforcement.

Roller coaster designs existed since at least 1872 when J.G. Taylor received one of the earliest patents. He called his creation an inclined railway. Another patent granted for an inclined-plane railway was granted to Richard Knudsen in 1878.

For years, history has believed the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island on June 16, 1884. However, tracing J.G. Taylor’s patent and newspaper articles tells us a different story. According to the Providence Evening Press dated June 1872, Taylor’s elevated railway at Rocky Point, Rhode Island extended 400 feet and gave nine passengers a ride. It all started with a shove and allowing gravity to do the rest.

While Prescott’s patent detailed ways to improve upon structures such as J.G. Taylor’s and that built at Coney Island, it was Prescott’s designs that led to the roller coasters we know today. His design gave riders a reason to scream and keep coming back for the rush of excitement.

 

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There’s more to read: National Day Calendar

Photo Credit: Stephen Hateley

FAST & FRESH GAZPACHO

Here is a fast & fresh meal for those crazy busy & hot last days of summer.

 

Crisp veggies, chopped garlic, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar whiz together in a food processor or blender, and the result is a creamy, cool, no-cook meal perfect for dishing into big bowls or serving as appetizer-sized shooters.

The gazpacho tastes best if it’s given a few hours (or even overnight) to chill out in the fridge so all of the flavors join forces and really intensify over time.

 

Fast and Fresh Gazpacho INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Roma tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped

1 medium red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

1 medium Anaheim or banana  pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

1 medium cucumber, roughly chopped

1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Chopped hardboiled egg, avocado or bacon, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper, Anaheim pepper, cucumber, red onion and garlic to a large food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed with a spatula.

While the food processor is running, drizzle in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and continue blending until smooth.

Taste and season the gazpacho with salt and pepper. Serve immediately at room temp or transfer it to a container and refrigerate it, covered, until ready to serve topped with chopped hard-boiled egg, avocado or bacon (optional).

 

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Recipe & Photo Credit: Just a Taste

Fun Facts Friday ~ Starfish

The Starfish – or Sea Star – may be one of the most beautiful creatures in the ocean.

They’re fascinating beings to only be a little larger than a teacup. Let’s check out some facts about the starfish you may not know.

1. They have no brain and no blood.

Starfish use filtered seawater to pump nutrients through their nervous system.

2. They can be really heavy.

At least for something of their small size, sea stars can weigh up to 11 pounds.

3. They have a lot of birthdays!

The average lifespan of a sea star is 35 years.

4. A Starfish is not a fish.

They’re actually related to sand dollars and sea urchins.

5. There are around 2,000 species of the sea star.

They live in cold and warm climates all over the world.

6. They usually have five arms.

There is a group of less common species that have more than five!

7. They cannot survive in freshwater.

All salt. All the time.

8. They can regenerate.

But it takes a while. It can take up to a year for a lost limb to grow back.

9. They eat inside out.

When they capture prey, they have tiny suction cups to grab ahold of their food. Then their stomach exits their mouth to digest the food, and reenters the body when they’re done eating.

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Dr Beth Risser

 

 

Article Credit: Awesome Ocean

Photo Credit: Pedro Lastra (Unsplash)

Gentleness

Tibetan-born Sherpa Nawang Gombu and American Jim Whittaker reached the top of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963.  As they approached the peak, each considered the honor of being the first of the two to step to the summit.  Whittaker motioned for Gombu to move ahead, but Gombu declined with a smile, saying, “you first, Big Jim!” Finally, they decided to step to the summit at the same time.

Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to demonstrate this kind of humility.  He said, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others” (Philippian. 2:4 NKJV).  Selfishness and superiority can divide people, but humility unites us since it is the quality of “being one in spirit and of one mind” (Phil. 2:2).

When quarrels and disagreements occur, we can often diffuse them by giving up our right to be right.  Humility calls us to show grace and gentleness when we would rather insist on our own way.  “In humility value others above yourselves” (Phil. 2:3).

In what ways do you practice Gentleness?

 

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Fun Facts Friday ~ Opossum

That is only a few of the things I will eat! There is so much more to learn about me. Be sure I really am your friend and mean you know harm.  You can check me out here.

 

 

 

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Struggles Develop Strengths

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

 

Moral of the story:

Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

 

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Article Credit : The Wealthy Gorilla

Photo Credit: ZME Science