angelm's Blog

Mother's Day History

The history of Mother's Day is centuries old and goes back to the times of ancient Greeks, who held festivities to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. The early Christians celebrated the Mother's festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Interestingly, later on a religious order stretched the holiday to include all mothers, and named it as the Mothering Sunday. The English colonists settled in America discontinued the tradition of Mothering Sunday because of lack of time. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe organized a day for mothers dedicated to peace. It is a landmark in the history of Mother's Day.

In 1907, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia schoolteacher, began a movement to set up a national Mother's Day in honor of her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. She solicited the help of hundreds of legislators and prominent businessmen to create a special day to honor mothers. The first Mother's Day observance was a church service honoring Anna's mother. Anna handed out her mother's favorite flowers, the white incarnations, on the occasion as they represent sweetness, purity, and patience. Anna's hard work finally paid off in the year 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

Texas teens tell police they converted skull into bong
HOUSTON � Three teenagers were arrested after two of them told police they dug up a secluded grave north of Houston, removed the skull from the coffin and converted it into a marijuana bong.

Police found a grave in the city of Humble that had been disturbed, but were still investigating the rest of the teens' story, Houston police Sgt. John Chomiak said.

Kevin Wade Jones, 17, and Matthew Richard Gonzalez, 17, both of Kingwood, were arrested Wednesday night and were being held on misdemeanor charges of abuse of a corpse, Chomiak said. The juvenile was referred to the Harris County juvenile justice system.

A woman who answered the phone at Gonzalez's home declined comment. A telephone number for Jones could not immediately be found, and it wasn't clear from court records if either had an attorney.

Police were interviewing Jones about the use of a stolen debit card when he told them about the grave theft, which purportedly occurred around March 15, according to court documents. Asked why Jones would volunteer such a story, Chomiak said, "We can only speculate and guess to what goes on in the criminal mind."

Gonzalez confirmed the story to investigators in a follow-up interview. Police were led to a heavily wooded site in Humble where they found a knocked-over headstone and water-filled hole more than 4 feet deep. At the time, the muddy water did not allow police to see if the coffin had been disturbed.

"They dug into this gravesite and that was enough to warrant the abuse of corpse charge," Chomiak said. "There has to be further investigation into the actual gravesite."

Police believe the grave is that of an 11-year-old boy who died in 1921. Preliminary reports indicate it was part of a 19th-century veterans cemetery, Chomiak said. While residents in the area knew of the cemetery's existence, it did not appear to be maintained.

Happy Mothers Day

Mom you are a shining star though the world doesn't know your name.
You have no fancy title like Baroness or Dame.
Mom you really are a star, my mother mentor and friend.
A Nobel Prize for motherhood is what I'd recommend.
And if I won the lottery I'd share my win with you
I'd take you Mom on a spending spree each day the whole year through!
You may not be famous, as your face is known to few.
But Mom I think you are wonderful and I'm so proud of you!
---Happy Mothers Day To All You Moms---

Top 10 worst work habits
Be aware of the following annoying bad habits and if you're guilty of any of them be sure to change them for the sake of your career and your co-workers' sanity.

If you're guilty of one (or more), it's time to get them under control!

1. Not being punctual.
You think your time is more important than everybody else's. Stick to the schedule. Everyone in your office would like to sleep in a little or leave early, but they don't because people rely on them to be on time.

2. Hello, HELLO?
Keep your voice down when you are talking on your mobile phone or landline and set the tone to vibrate - the sound of Crazy Frog going off will be annoying to others.

3. Anyone for germs.
Stay at home if you have a cold or illness. Offices are breeding grounds for bacteria & not matter how much you think you are ok it isn't going to stop others from getting sick off you.

4. Excuse me - you smell
Poor personal hygiene or overpowering fragrances can negatively affect those around you, especially in confined work spaces. Avoid being talked about for the wrong reasons and be considerate of your colleagues: use a deodorant, shower everyday, brush your teeth and use mints when you need to. Avoid eating tuna or onions in the office and, if you smoke, be sure you don't make everyone else suffer.

5. Constantly whinging or complaining will only brand you the office whinge & make colleagues avoid you. Give it up! It's ok to grumble about work once in a while but if you constantly moan when you're asked to do anything people will not only get annoyed and wonder why you don't just quit (or wish you will).

6. Gossiping
Everybody gossips at times, but it shouldn't be your livelihood. Eventually you'll gain a reputation for not keeping anything confidential - whether it's a personal matter or work-related.

7. You're unprepared
Showing up for meetings without the information you need demonstrates a disrespect to your colleagues. Get off on the right foot and be prepared.

8. Going to work with a hangover
We're all guilty of it. Try and avoid booze sessions on school nights or keep to a minimum so you aren't known to be always hungover on the job or not awake till noon.

9. Checking your e-mail, playing games, shopping.
Keep the fun stuff to a minimum. It's important to have a work/life balance but make sure you have done your work to a high standard before you lag off. You're paid to work, not play.

10. Burning bridges.
Don't burn your bridges. As much as you dream of telling your boss or co-workers where to go after you've resigned, restrain yourself. Someone you dissed in the past may end up being your boss down the road.

Internet connected at new house so I am back online now!Will post numbers soon!

Need to finish moving today and wouldn't you know it is pouring!I am so sore from painting yesterday I don't feel like getting up.Well I hope you all enjoy your Sat!!

Well we finally bought a house and if I don't post it is because they haven't connected internet at new place yet.I dread the move but I will enjoy putting my touches on the place.I hope to get everything moved over the weekend.I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Businessman On His Deathbed

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A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated."

"And what," his friend asked, "do you want me to do with your ashes?"

The businessman thought about it a moment and said, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service and write on the envelope, �Now you have everything.�"

Top 10 'Dirtiest Foods'
Unexpected Items Make List

Food borne illnesses kill 5,000 people every year and make 200,000 more sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but 10 items in particular are reportedly most likely to cause illness.

Men's Health magazine recently published a list of what it refers to as the "10 Dirtiest Foods." While some are no surprise, others are not the usual suspects.

Aside from chicken, ground beef and ground turkey, which top the list, other items include pre-packaged lettuce and fruits with inedible skins.

Here's the full list:

Chicken
Ground beef
Ground turkey
Raw Oysters
Eggs
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Pre-packaged lettuce
Cold Cuts
Scallions

Topping the list, chicken, ground beef and ground turkey can all pick up germs when they're processed. They should be safe if you cook them thoroughly, according to experts.

Unless cooked, raw oysters could contain salmonella and e-coli. The same goes for eggs.

You might expect the above foods to be potentially dangerous, but what about cantaloupe, which is at No. 6 on the list?

According to Megan Hunter, a registered dietician at Baylor University Medical Center, the fruit could still make you sick, even though you don't eat the outside skin.

"We wouldn't think about washing them because we're not eating them, but [bacteria] can contaminate the actual fruit," Hunter said. "It's on your knife. It's on the inside when you cut it. It's disgusting."

To prevent that from happening, wash every kind of melon with soapy water before you slice it. The same goes for bananas.

At No. 7 on the list, peaches can also be dangerous. Growers use a lot of pesticides to get them perfect, so wash them thoroughly before eating.

A popular time-saver ranks No. 8 on the list -- pre-packaged lettuce. While it is advertised as pre-washed, E.coli on pre-packaged lettuce made dozens of people sick on the West Coast last year. Wash it yourself to be sure it's clean.

The next item on the list is located at the deli counter. At No. 9, cold cuts can be teaming with bacteria.

Hunter said that cold cuts can actually carry a bacteria called listeria. Be choosy about deli products -- where you buy them and how long you store them.

Rounding out the top 10 is scallions. The tasty green garnish caused a deadly hepatitis outbreak in Pennsylvania last fall.

"Those are really hard to clean," Hunter said. "The insides are very difficult to clean."

However, despite the potential dangers, experts are not urging you to give up the 10 foods on the list. In fact, if you clean and cook them properly, you can enjoy the items with a very low risk of getting sick.

"You really do need to pay attention because a lot of times, we don't even know we have a food borne illness. We think we just have the flu," Hunter said.

Gas prices top economic worries About 44% of survey participants say that the pinch at the pump is a 'serious problem.'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives.

About 44% of survey participants said paying for gasoline was a "serious problem" for them. Across all income levels, the cost of gas was the most frequently cited economic concern. The price of gas nationally averaged $3.60 a gallon on Monday, according to the Energy Department.

More than a quarter of households earning more than $75,000 a year described paying for gasoline as a serious problem. For those with incomes of less than $30,000, about 63% felt that way.

In a distant second and third place among participants' economic concerns were: getting a good-paying job or raise, 29%; and paying for health care and health insurance, 28%.

Following in fourth place was difficulty paying rent or mortgage, 19%.

Many participants in the survey, nearly three in 10, said they put off or postponed getting health care they needed in the past year. Nearly a quarter of participants skipped a recommended test or treatment. Nearly the same number didn't fill a prescription.

The survey of 2,003 adults was conducted April 3-13 on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducts health research. The survey's margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

As Food Prices Soar, Some Shortages Appear
Some Stores Even Rationing Staples Such As Rice; Grocers Blame Corn Diverted For Ethanol

As fears grow over worldwide food shortages, stores limit some items to customers who are already feeling the pinch from rising prices.

(CBS) A growing global shortage of food staples such as rice has led the head of the World Food Program to say a "silent tsunami" of hunger is sweeping through some of the world's poorest nations.

What's more, "Global food stocks for basic commodities like rice, wheat, other basic commodities have fallen so low that we're actually starting to see shortages here in the U.S.," Scott Faber of the Grocery Manufacturers Association observed to Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Monday. "This is a significant problem not just here, but especially in parts of the world where people are living on less than $1 a day."

CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano reports actual and feared shortages, which accompany skyrocketing prices, have led some stores to start rationing the hardest-hit staples.

In a warehouse store in Mountain View, Calif., manager Stephanie Gordon told CBS News she's "been with Costco for 21 years and I haven't seen it like this before," with many consumers stocking up on staples such as rice out of growing concern over availability. It's limiting amounts shoppers can scoop up.

The hottest seller at that Costco at the moment? Fifty-pound bags of jasmine rice -- even though rice's price has gone through the roof. A 20 pound bag that sold for $9 just two months ago now goes for $16.

Other groceries are also way up over this time last year: flour by 13 percent, milk by 10 percent and eggs by 30 percent.

The short supplies contribute to rising prices of food, along with zooming costs of the fuel to transport it.

1. The Worst Food in America
Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing

2,900 calories
182 g fat
240 g carbs

This weapon of mass construction is the caloric equivalent of eating 14 Krispy Kreme doughnuts, before your dinner arrives. Even if you split this "starter" with 3 friends, you'll have downed a meal's worth of calories.

Tax stimulus to start arriving Monday
Treasury Department says it will deposit the first 800,000 checks - five days earlier than expected - in effort to boost economy.

Who gets a rebate
$600 to singles making less than $75,000
$1,200 to couples making less than $150,000
$300 rebates per child
Photos

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The federal government, eager to boost the flagging economy, will start distributing special tax stimulus checks Monday - four days earlier than expected.

"Beginning Monday, the effects of the stimulus will begin to reach households," President Bush said Friday. "This money is going to help Americans offset the high prices we're seeing at the gas pump and at the grocery store."

The department announced the early arrival of the checks Thursday after saying last month that it would begin giving rebates on May 2.

As of next week, 800,000 tax filers daily will begin to have their checks directly deposited on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. No checks will be distributed on Thursday, and 5 million payments will be made Friday.

The payments will go out ahead of schedule because of a new computer program that updates records daily - faster than an older program that updates weekly, according to Andrew DeSouza, a Treasury spokesman.

Overall, the Treasury will distribute more than $110 billion to 130 million taxpayers by July and hopes to get the first $50 billion out by the end of May, DeSouza said.

The checks are the centerpiece of an economic stimulus program signed into law by President Bush in February. The aim is to boost consumer spending and help mitigate problems caused by the slowing economy.

Checks are being distributed to people who file 2007 tax returns. Those who opt for direct deposit with the Internal Revenue Service will start getting rebates before those who use the mail.

The program calls for rebates of up to $600 for single filers making less than $75,000. Couples making less than $150,000 would receive rebates of up to $1,200. In addition, parents would receive $300 rebates per child. Tax filers who do not owe income taxes but have at least $3,000 in income would get a $300 rebate.

Rebates to taxpayers slated to get paper checks will start to go out on May 9 - one week earlier than originally planned.

The order in which tax filers will receive their rebates will be based on the last two digits of their Social Security numbers.

Issue #1 - America's Money: All this week at noon ET, CNN explains how the weakening economy affects you. Full coverage.

Under the government's economic stimulus plan, 130 million people will receive tax rebate checks for $300 and up, starting Monday. What do you plan to do with your check? How do you think the stimulus plan will affect the economy? Send us your photos and videos, or email us and tell us what you think. 

First Published: April 24, 2008: 5:44 PM EDT

Penis theft panic hits city... By Joe Bavier
Thu Apr 24, 9:48 AM ET

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft.

Reports of so-called penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa, where belief in traditional religions and witchcraft remains widespread, and where ritual killings to obtain blood or body parts still occur.

Rumors of penis theft began circulating last week in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo's sprawling capital of some 8 million inhabitants. They quickly dominated radio call-in shows, with listeners advised to beware of fellow passengers in communal taxis wearing gold rings.

Purported victims, 14 of whom were also detained by police, claimed that sorcerers simply touched them to make their genitals shrink or disappear, in what some residents said was an attempt to extort cash with the promise of a cure.

"You just have to be accused of that, and people come after you. We've had a number of attempted lynchings. ... You see them covered in marks after being beaten," Kinshasa's police chief, Jean-Dieudonne Oleko, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Police arrested the accused sorcerers and their victims in an effort to avoid the sort of bloodshed seen in Ghana a decade ago, when 12 suspected penis snatchers were beaten to death by angry mobs. The 27 men have since been released.

"I'm tempted to say it's one huge joke," Oleko said.

"But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it's become tiny or that they've become impotent. To that I tell them, 'How do you know if you haven't gone home and tried it'," he said.

Some Kinshasa residents accuse a separatist sect from nearby Bas-Congo province of being behind the witchcraft in revenge for a recent government crackdown on its members.

Scientist: Forget Global Warming, Prepare for New Ice Age
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

An iceberg floats near Greenland.
Sunspot activity has not resumed up after hitting an 11-year low in March last year, raising fears that � far from warming � the globe is about to return to an Ice Age, says an Australian-American scientist.

Physicist Phil Chapman, the first native-born Australian to become an astronaut with NASA [he became an American citizen to join up, though he never went into space], said pictures from the U.S. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) showed no spots on the sun.

He said the world cooled quickly between January last year and January this year, by about 0.7 degrees Centigrade.

"This is the fastest temperature change in the instrumental record, and it puts us back to where we were in 1930," Chapman wrote in The Australian Wednesday. "If the temperature does not soon recover, we will have to conclude that global warming is over."

�[Critics quickly pointed out that Chapman may have been "cherry-picking" the data. A strong La Nina formation in the Pacific pushed down January temperatures over much of the Northern Hemisphere from where they had been a year earlier, but average global temperatures are still much higher than the 20th-century average, and the NOAA said last week that last month was the warmest March on record.]