Thursday, January 13, 2011

Welcome!

So, I have this really cool sister who started a blog about 2 years ago. At first I couldn't understand what the point was and why everyone thought it was so cool - but now it is one of those web pages I visit everyday to see if she has added anything! One of her main themes is being thankful for everything in her day, and it is awesome to see what little thing she picks up on to make her day just a little bit better.


I have a different idea for myself though. I love school - but it hasn't always been that way. When I was younger I hated the question "what did you learn today?" -and if I said nothing, certain members of my family would tell me "okay, now you have to tell me FIVE things you learned today!"
Needless to say, I ended up pulling a couple things off of the top of my head to satisfy the person asking, but this started to change what I thought about school. In the last few years, I have driven many of my friends and family crazy with me coming home and just telling them EVERYTHING I have learned in a certain class that day. (When studying for my AP European History test, I told my mom the entire story of the Thirty Years War... I still feel bad, after the first twenty years she stood up and said "sorry, I'm going to bed." I then followed her around the house, finishing up the war!)


So I figured, I need a better outlet! (As well as something to do besides surf Facebook after class!!) As a (late) new years resolution, I plan to use this blog to tell the world 5 really cool facts I have learned for the last few days from class, research, or just life in general. This way I can share my knowledge, and I'll probably make my mom's day with another cool blog to read. :]
Because I am late in my new years resolution, here is my first ten interesting things I have learned so far this year!


1) Johannes Gutenburg, the inventor of the movable type (well, after the Koreans, that is) published the Gutenburg Bible - but the way he made bank? He published pornography.
2) David Hume is considered one of the best English philosophers, but almost none of his work was published while alive. Because he was an atheist/agnostic, universities would not hire him. This resulted in him acting as a historian and art critic his entire life.
3) George Washington did not have wooden teeth. According to a research done on Washington's dentures, they included gold, hippopotamus ivory, lead, and human and animal teeth (including horse and donkey teeth).
Can you even imagine?
4) The depiction of pilgrams wearing black with steeple hats and buckles is a false illustration, and was created by artists to show the idea of quaintness. This is the same reason Santa Claus is usually depicted with buckles.


5) Many people believe that food items cooked with liquor will be non-alcoholic, because alcohol's low boiling point causes it to evaporate. However, a study found that much of the alcohol remains: 25% after 1 hour of baking or simmering, and 10% after 2 hours.
6) Lightning strikes the Empire State building an average of 100 times per year.
7) In the old days of pre-Renaissance Europe, the devil was depicted as a blue man with a hooked nose. Blue because he was the farthest from God's warmth, and a hooked nose because of the propaganda against the Jews for being "anti-Christian".
8) Aristotle has shaped much of what the West has known for over 2,000 years. His field work in biology was still being studied in the 19th century in Europe's universities.
9) Atheists are the largest minority group in America, yet the least represented.
10) In Finland, women can have up to 5 years maternity leave - paid. The government, realizing this didn't help their gender gap in the work force, also made the law require that the husband should take off one year of paid maternity leave as well. (Not surprisingly, Finland also has the best education, the lowest juvenile delinquency rates, some of the highest literacy, closer families... could this all be related?)


That is what I have learned in the past couple days! I'll be back soon :] 
Remember, embrace your inner geek.


10 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to reading this!

    - Jessalee

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  2. says New York Times editor Ron Johnson,
    "Both personal and historical, this is sure to be a great read for young and old alike. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for more! Two thumbs way up!"

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  3. You amaze me--can't wait for the next fun facts!!

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  4. Awesome, Kay! I like the premise of the geeky things you learned - very fun. And wow - I wonder who the cool sister is with the blog!? ;)

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  5. I can't believe you didn't share the Beer Cheese story! It's a fond memory of mine to be honest. I learned a lot that Christmas!

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  6. Great minds think alike... i thought, "no wonder she cried over the beer cheese!" :)

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  7. Oh Oh---see what happens when the whole family gets invoved!!!!

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  8. HA! That was my first thought, too... ;) I'm thankful for that story! (I'll reference it on my blog tomorrow... LOL)

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  9. While I love looking at Megan's blog on ways to be grateful and realize how its the "simple things" in life that make a difference in one's outlook on life, NOW I have a blog that gets down to what's REALLY important - ways to beat mom in Trivial Pursuit!

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