Friday the 13th

Did You Survive Friday the 13th?
Did you survive Friday the 13^th without any mishaps?  Some people get so spooked out by Friday the 13^th, they are afraid to leave their home.  This year there will be 3 Friday the 13^th dates as opposed the last year when there was only one.  Also, this year all of the Friday the 13^th dates will fall 13 weeks apart.  How creepy is that?  Many psycho-analyses agree that the phobias associated with Friday the 13^th   are widespread throughout the western culture.  There are some theories as to how and why Friday the 13^th became to be known as a bad luck day.    Many Christians believe that Judas, (who betrayed Jesus) was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, and that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.   There are also some biblical scholars who are of the belief that Cain slew his brother Abel on a Friday the 13th.

Take the incident when a young lady went to Nassau for 2 weeks of vacation.  Naturally she was excited about the trip because that was her first time taking what some people would consider a lavish vacation.  When she arrived in Nassau, she had to clear customs before she was allowed to go claim her luggage.  But after clearing customs, her luggage was not to be found anywhere.   A prolonged search by the airline never did find her luggage.  She ended up having to spend money in the town’s shops for new clothes and accessories.  Of course they were at a much higher price than what she would have ever paid for them in her own home town.  The vacation was subsequently cut short and she ended up flying back home after only a few days in Nassau.   As a result of her experience, the young lady refuses to fly or have any significant business dealings on a Friday the 13^th.  Does her experience gives her fear of Friday the 13^th any credibility?

This is only one small example of some of the claims made by folks whose superstitious beliefs are magnified on Friday the 13^th.    In fact, there are many more examples that doesn’t have an ounce of facts to back up it’s superstitious reasoning.    According to research done by the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, there is nearly one trillion dollars that goes un-spent in the U.S. whenever there is a Friday the 13^th. The Phobia Institute claims this is because many people refuse to make business deals of anykind, or take plane trips on a day when the 13^th happens to fall on a Friday.  This study rings true when considering the young lady who lost her luggage when she traveled to Nassau.  
There are some theories as to how and why Friday the 13^th became to be known as a bad luck day.    Many Christians believe that Judas, (who betrayed Jesus) was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, and that Jesus was actually crucified on a Friday.   There are also some biblical scholars who are of the belief that Cain slew his brother Abel on a Friday the 13th.

Here are a few significant occurrences that happened on Friday the 13^th in previous years   

1. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926, in the town of Biran, Cuba.
2. Rapper Tupac Shakur died on Friday, Sept. 13, 1996.  He was shot 6 days earlier.  His killer has never been captured or prosecuted.  
3. The Friday the 13th movie series contains a total of 12 films.   Four of the films in the series have debuted on a Friday the 13th.
4. May 13, 1927: On this Friday the 13th the German stock market collapsed.  This helped to drive Germany into a depression.
5.  Dec 13, 1940: Adolf Hitler ordered the invasion of Greece.  It happened to be on a Friday the 13^th.
6.  
   Friday the 13^th 2012

1. The ship Costa Concordia (Owned by Carnival Cruise Lines) sinks outside of Italy, 3 dead, and dozens are still missing.
2. The stock market ran into some bad luck on Friday the 13th. Stocks declined on news of possible credit rating downgrades of European nations by S&P.    
3. Haley Barbour, the retiring Governor of Mississippi, is catching heat for the pardoning of over 200 criminals in Mississippi.  

That does it for Friday the 13^th superstitions.  Of course there are all levels of superstitious beliefs involving Friday the 13^th.  What are your credulous beliefs?    

   

Dealing With Date Rape

The issue of date rape is not exactly the most pleasant topic I can think of to write about.  But I consider it to be a required subject, and a very important one at that.   According to statistics taken from the United States Department of Justice:

·        57% of rapes happen while on dates

·        42% of the victims told no one.

·        38% of the women raped are between the ages of 14 to 17

And finally:

·        75% of the men and women involved in date rape had been drinking before the attack occurred.

As you can see, these statistics are very alarming.  They clearly show that 57% of all rapes occur while the victim is on a date with someone who is already known.  We will probably be right to suspect that there is already a fair amount of trust and respect (although undeserving) given to the attacker by the victim before the actual rape occurred.  So when is it safe to begin to trust the person you are on a date with?

This is a difficult question to answer because it will not be the same answer in every situation.  But I would say the answer is probably never for our young teenagers and young adults.  The risk in some cases is obviously just too high.  So these are some common sense things to do when you go on a date to prevent from being drugged, or waking up unclothed, or in a temporary state of memory loss. 

Here are some precautions to take to help prevent ‘Date rape.’

·        If you go to a party, do not drink out of the punch bowl.

·        Plan to go to a party with someone who you happen to know very well.  Like your best friend, a sister, or a brother.

·        Do not accept a drink from anyone…get your own drink.

·        Don’t leave your drink unattended. Take it with you everywhere you go.

·        If you finish your drink and your glass has been setting for awhile, replace that glass with another one before refreshing your drink.

·        If a drink taste or smells funny, throw it away.

·        Don’t share drinks, or drink alcoholic drinks- Over 80% of date rape cases involved the use of alcohol.

Drugs Used in Date Rape

Another name for date rape is called “Drug facilitated Sexual Attack”- DFSA.

Most people probably associate the drug Rohypnol with the use in date rape.  Rohypnol’s affect is usually about 12 hours but it does not leave the body for 72 hours.  A study of date rape that is documented in Wikipedia suggests that Rohypnol is only used in about 1% of all cases of reported date rape.   This was concluded after a number of urine and lab test were done by El Sohly.  The study further concluded that the drugs Midzolan and Temazepam are the two most commonly used drugs in date rape.  There are other drugs used, but those are the most common ones.   It is now considered a crime to have Rohypnol in your possession.  If a person is caught with Rohypnol in their possession, they will be faced with  a mandatory sentence of up to three years.   The “Drug Induced Rape and Prevention Act” (signed by President Clinton) extends the punishment for people who uses date rape drugs (of any type) up to a mandatory 20 years in prison. 

Conception of Dare Rape

Research reveals that the conception of date rape varies throughout the community.  An individual’s conception usually will depend largely on a person’s level of education, religion and political views.   Also it is noted that it is far easier to prosecute rape in a case where there was no date…this is called “stranger rape”  Date rape has been difficult to prove because it is hard to determine if consent was given or not given.  

Here are some basics to follow if you think you have been the victim of date raped:

·        Get medical help ASAP

·        Tell the doctor or nurse about your suspensions that you have been sexually assaulted.  The doctor will order a blood test for sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS.  If these test are not offered you can always ask for them.   

·        Don’t take a bath or change clothes before going for help

·        Don’t douche

·        Don’t blame yourself.  Most victims tend to blame themselves, but you are not at fault.  Feelings of guilt, humiliation, and fright are common.

·        There is a crisis center where a counselor will be available to talk to 24 hours a day.

·        If you are a teenager and are afraid to tell your parents, the counselor at the crisis center will help you with this.   Call the National Domestic Center Hotline at:  1- 800-799-SAFE / 1-800-799-7233

Thanks for the visit everyone.  If you think this post benefits you, please share it with a friend.

Carolyn Sands

   

Weight Control:  Is it as Hard as we Make it to BE?

 There are all different types of excuses why people can’t seem to keep their weight within a healthy range.  The excuses are generally not knowing how to lose weight the healthy way, and making too many of the wrong choices in food. They scuff down their food within the 30 minutes it takes to get out of the shower, get dressed, take keys in hand, and head for the door.  There seems to never be enough time to sit and enjoy a morning breakfast.  Most times lunch and dinner are just as bad.  There is the quick trip to the drive through window at the fast food restaurant for lunch or dinner; and then there are a lot of comfort foods in between.  When it comes to exercising, it is treated in the same hap hazard way.   Some people’s excuse for not working out at the gym is outright comical sometimes.   Some may say that they think it is too daunting; or they are not strong enough, or they may believe that exercise will not do them any good anyway.

This is the perfect time to start eating healthy and getting on the right track in making smart food choices.  You want to lose weight or have a great looking physic?  There is no better time to start making the change in your life than now.  You want to be more energized and in some cases even look a little younger?  Then I suggest you start a weight lose program a-sap.  Many people start out every year making promises to themselves of how they are going to do things better; but then they blow those promises right out the window.  This year there will be no excuses for failing to focus on health and fitness issues.    Making yourself physically fit should be a top priority goal.  You won’t only live longer, but the quality of your life will be highly improved.      

This year promise that there will not be any procrastinating or finding excuses that will hurt your efforts in becoming physically fit.   Here are a few suggestions to help get you started on the right track. 

1)    Be assertive.  To be assertive, you must be proactive.  Being proactive will help you to keep your focus on your goal and on how you are going to achieve it.  You will be proactive by finding time to exercise at least 3 times a week.  You will be proactive by keeping tabs on your progress every day.

2)    Be consistent.  Work your program every day and with enthusiasm.  Watch some of the shows on TV about health and fitness like Dr Oz, or the biggest loser.  This could help to keep you motivated when you are having down days.  There is no reason why you can’t obtain this goal for yourself.

3)     Trust in yourself.  Go forward every day with a bold plan, but be sure you don’t bite off more than what you can chew.  You want your plan to be workable and achievable.  So try not to over-exercise or to under-eat.  Big grandiose plans may be a set up for failure.

4)    Have a vision.  Keep a vision of your goal in your head.  If possible, post a picture of yourself somewhere in your home when you were younger and slimmer.  You can even post smaller goals you may want to obtain while in the process of going after the larger goal.  For instance, perhaps you want to be 4 dress sizes or 4 pants sizes smaller.  You can modify this by posting a short term goal where you will see it every day, like on the bathroom mirror.  The short term goal may be to lose 1 dress size or 1 pants size by next month.

5)    Have fun.  Enjoy yourself while you are trying to obtain your goal.  Treat yourself like royalty.  Use good plates and silverware and not paper plates. Take a leisurely soak in the tub or take nice long showers.  Be comfortable and buy nice tennis shoes and workout clothes.

6)    Reassess.  You should reassess your goal plan to make sure it is working well for you. Keep what is working and change what is not working.   You should reassess every week or so.

 I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog.  For more goal setting ideas visit:      http://carol3san.hubpages.com/hub/Say-No-to-Ney-Years-Resolutions        

And   http://carol3san.hubpages.com/hub/7-dos-in-Maintaining-weight-loss

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