Jer Blog

With all of the popular dating and mating sites out there today, it still seems that a good basis for a lot of people is still the old fashioned ’sign compatibility’.

It has been thought that forever, the one main thing determining if a relationship would work, is by taking the two individual’s zodiac signs, and comparing them for compatibility.

Astrological compatibility, also known as Synastry, describes how one particular Zodiac sign is compatible with another. Compatibility between two signs was described in words or rated in numbers to give an idea on how, according to relationship astrology experts, one person is compatible or incompatible with another one, based on their Zodiac signs.

In society today, wether it be using Chinese astrology, Western astrology or Vedic astrology, one thing is strongly common, is that millions of superstitious people still use this ancient formula, to determine if a presumed relationship will possibly succeed.

Well, here in the U.S. it’s that most wonderful time of the year…..federal tax season.

It is always a mixed-bag of emotions, as some people look forward to it, as other people dread it. There are so many different reasons why federal income taxes affect people differently; marriage, children, self employment, high income, low income, investments, college, career fields, mortages etc., all are a determining factor on how one approaches tax time.

No matter where you stand, the one goal we all have in common, is deductions! Deductions are tax breaks given to taxpapyers for numerous reasons, and they are one the most highly overlooked extras every year, which I am pretty sure would have nothing to do with the highly complex and confusing IRS code of income, that takes well educated scholars to decipher ;0)

At any rate, here are a few of the more forgotten tax deductions:

According to a recent authority about dogs, and also from a published listings from vets across the U.S., they have compiled the top ten names people name their dogs. Unlike baby names, which tend to be unique, and at times, downright confusing, dog owners seem to take the more traditional approach when naming their pooches.

Here is the list of the more popular American doggie names that people have chosen:

1. Max
2. Maggie
3. Buddy
4. Bailey
5. Jake
6. Sam or Sammy
7. Molly
8. Nikki
9. Coco
10. Sadie

I was actually disappointed not to see Rusty, Spot, Blacky and Spike on that list, but hey, they may be in the top 20…

The first thing you need to do is set a date and time to devote for gathering up your items that you want to sell. Then decide if you are going it alone, or having other families or family members involved. Also, make sure you have plenty of loose change and one dollar bills on hand. I would recommend at least 5 dollars in nickels, dime and quarters, and at least 20 dollars in one dollar bills. You may want to have a few fives and tens as well.

Now start cleaning out your closets, storage, areas, basements and attics of things you don’t want or need anymore. Don’t throw anything away, as you just don’t know what people may buy. You heard the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”!

Did you know that there is a very special ceremony for retiring a US flag, by burning it?

Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis.

If you have an old flag, do not throw it away! Give it to them and attend the ceremony if you have the chance. It is pretty cool.

A Little U.S. Flag History:

Betsy Ross was a seamstress who made clothes for George Washington. In June, 1776, Washington approached her to make our country’s first flag, and the rest is history…

Francis Scott Key inspired by the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, penned the lyrics to our national anthem as he witnessed the event as British cannonballs whizzed thru the air, as our flag flew in the breeze.

Flag Fact: A person who likes to study flags is called a Vexillologist.

While I was listening to my favorite local radio program this morning, they mentioned a list of weird holidays and/or observances that are coming up in the month of February. Most of these I never have heard of, and I would bet you have not either, so I thought it would be neat to post themhere in the blog just to see how weird our country really has become:

“American Heart” Month

“Bake for Family Fun” Month

“Library Lovers” Month

“Low Vision Awareness” Month

“Marfan Syndrome Awareness” Month

“Marijuana Awareness” Month

National “African American History” Month

National “Bird Feeding” Month

National “Black History” Month

National “Cherry Pie” Month

National “Children’s Dental Health” Month

National “Get To Know and Independent Real Estate Broker” Month

National “Laugh-Friendly” Month

National “Parent Leadership” Month

National “Pet Dental Health” Month

I was reading some interesting stuff about beer and cancer the other day. It seems that the hops in beer is a great anti-cancer fighter. To dig a little deeper, it is actually a substance in the hops, called Xanthohumol which has been shown to be a very active substance against cancer. Xanthohumol is found in hops which all avid beer enthusiasts know, is the main ingredient in beer.

Even though hops are not new, scientists have found something new inside hops: Xanthohumol, or Xan for short, that is a powerful antioxidant. It comes in small sticky beads, which can be found within the hops. Xanthohumol contains a family of enzymes called cytochromes that can deactivate the cancer process. It also helps the body detoxify carcinogens, stopping tumor growth at an early stage. Preliminary studies show that Xan can kill breast, colon, ovarian and even prostate cancers. Xanthohumol contains more powerful antioxidents than the great Vitamin E itself.