Thursday, July 6, 2017

July 6 - What International Holiday is Today?

So, like many people in the world, I own a smart phone. And like many people, I download random apps out of pure boredom. A long time ago, I downloaded an app that was specific to the "not so traditional" national holidays. Believe me, I understand how silly that sounds, but isn't it fascinating!? Anyway, lets get to the real reason you're actually reading this article, shall we?

As you might have guessed, today is a very interesting day among all the random days.

INTERNATIONAL KISSING DAY

Ahhh, it's Kissing Day. The objective of this very special day, is to appreciate and enjoy a kiss. So, go ahead and swap some spit today. Pucker up and give out a big, juicy wet one to anyone and everyone. Kissing originated thousands, and perhaps millions, of years ago. It is believed to have originated from mouth to mouth feeding of parents to a child. My, it certainly has evolved over the centuries. But, why is that? The answer is simply because it makes us feel good.

There's all sorts of kisses, for all sorts of reasons. There's the peck on the cheek, the full on the mouth kiss, the French Kiss, (the favorite among lovers), and so many more. For example, have you heard of the common Eskimo kiss? It's when two noses rub up against each other and move back and forth by shaking of the head. It’s affectionate and often given from a parent to their child. The Eskimo Kiss is believed to be the romantic option for those who live in cold climates, otherwise there’s risk of lips getting stuck together. But its also a more socially acceptable way to be affectionate with your partner without making others feel uncomfortable. For silly people like myself, I enjoy this type of kiss solely for the ability to make my boyfriend laugh.

Another popular style is the butterfly kiss. There is a plethora of kisses that don't even require lip to lip contact. In this interactions, two people get so close to each others faces while they kiss that their eyelashes connect. This kind of kiss and it’s intimate gesture is for those madly infatuated or in love with each other.

What about the stereotypical Air Kiss? Air Kisses can be seen in old french movies in greetings. It’s done by giving out a “Mwaah” in the air beside someone’s cheek. Sometimes it’s done on both cheeks depending on what country you’re in. It’s popular among celebs and can also be seen within family and friends. It’s a non romantic, friendly gesture. You can also sometimes see it in some of the LGBT community, but not done by all.

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Lets move past the PG rating and into more of a passionate area of expertise. In a seductive kiss, you an enter into an open mouth lip-lock that’s much like a subtle French kiss but with less tongue. This is a kiss to win someone’s heart and seduce them. It will make anyone’s knees weak. So girls watch out and boys practice up!

This is one that research has given me as new. The unheard of "lizard kiss" is where the tongue rapidly goes in and out of the mouth in quick strokes. It’s a passionate kiss for lovers that are hot and heavy into each other. Some would call this a bit aggressive, but often this is a style of kiss that isn't appropriate for brand new lovers, but rather the type of lovers with a good sense of humor.



Did You Know? People are not the only creatures to kiss. Apes, cats, dogs, and dolphins, are among the animals that share a kiss or two.


Did You Know? Okay, you may not want to know this juicy tidbit. Kissing can transmit 80 million microbes of bacteria.

Did You Know? The science of kissing is called philematology?

Did You Know? Kissing at the conclusion of a wedding ceremony can be traced to ancient Roman tradition where a kiss was used to sign a contract.

Did You Know? On July 16, 1439, King Henry VI banned kissing in England to prevent the spread of the plague.


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Kissing Breakdown! Kissing the Anatomy

Many intimate couples will often lay a kiss on different parts of the body, but did you ever wonder what each body part may mean? You could be sending the wrong message and not even know it!



Forehead Kiss-
This kiss is known as the "motherly" kiss or "just friends" kiss but can be a comforting kiss for anyone. Simply brush your lips lightly across their forehead. A comforting kiss that means "I care about you" as a friend.

Eyelid Kiss- Softly kiss your partner's eyelids one at a time. This is a very erotic and arousing kiss. It can also be a very romantic way to wake up your partner. A soft, gentle kiss that means "I want to be with you"

Ear Kiss- While your kissing/or just sitting there with your partner lightly kiss your partners neck move up to his/her ear and lightly suck and lick his ear. DON'T stick your tongue in his ear as that's a big turn off. But keep it light and your partner wont keep their hands off of you.

Earlobe Kiss- Gently kiss and suck their earlobe. Avoid loud sucking noises as the sound will hurt their ears. A sensual kiss meaning "let's get closer".

Cheek Kiss- This kiss is often the preferred kiss for a first date or early on in a new relationship. With your hands on your partner's shoulders, gently brush your lips across their cheek. A friendly kiss saying, "I really like you".

Peck Kiss- Kiss your partner's lips quickly and lightly. This isn't a very intimate kiss, but does mean they're interested in you.

Nose Kiss- Lean forward slowly to their face and softly kiss your their nose. This is a good way to get your partner's attention and it always makes them smile! This kiss literally tells your partner that you want to get silly together.

Lip Nibble Kiss- This kiss can create a very erotic sensation. While kissing your partner, ever so gently nibble on their lips. You must be very careful not to bite too hard causing you to hurt your partner. When done correctly, this kiss ignites wonderful sensations. This gentle, but rough kiss lets your partner know that you're hungry for more!

Lip Tease Kiss- Lightly lick your partner's lips from the outside to the inside. They will react by opening their lips more so you can lick further inside. This kiss leaves a wonderful tingling sensation. A sexy kiss that shows you like to tease.

Jawline Kiss- Start by short kisses right below the jaw and work your way down to the collar bone. Next, blow a little air as you make your way back to the jaw.

Neck Lick Kiss- Slowly lick up the side of their neck to their ear and then follow your path back with gentle kisses giving your partner chills. You're in the mood for love with this sensual kiss.

Neck Nibble Kiss- Gently nibble up and down your partners neck. End with a gentle kiss on the lips.

Shoulder Kiss- This can be a test to see if you are interested in having sex. If you softly moan, lean your head to the side exposing your neck, or lean back against the person kissing your shoulder then it should give the hint that you want to do more.

Collarbone Kiss- Begin kissing your partner's neck, all the way up by the ear, then slowly work your way down their neck to their collarbone. This is very sensual and arousing.

Hand Kiss- Gently raise their hand to your lips and lightly brush your lips across the top of it. Historically, this kiss was performed with a bow to show deference to a lady. A gentle kiss on the hand generally means "I adore you", but also is a sign of respect and kindness.

Fingertip Kiss- While kissing, as he raises his hands to your face, take them, hold them, and slowly ease away from his mouth. Gently kiss and or suck each finger. This feels great and it is very fun to watch.

Belly Kiss- Get down on one knee. Softly lift your partner's shirt revealing a little bit of their belly. Then kiss what is revealed. This kiss can lead to much more. A fun, yet sweet way to see if your partner wants to get more intimate.

Belly Button Kiss- Lightly kiss and blow on their belly button. It should give her the shivers and make her giggle.

Australian Kiss- This kiss is like a French kiss, but down under. Your partner is totally focused on pleasuring you.

Foot Kiss- This can be an erotic and romantic gesture. It may tickle but relax and enjoy it! Gently suck on their toes and then lightly kiss their foot. Massaging the base of their foot at the same time can add a lot to this kiss. A kiss that means you're not afraid to try new things.

Most all kisses will express some sort of love or intimacy between loved ones or partners. If you can't tell so far. Here are a few more!




Did You Know? Diseases that can be transmitted through kissing include Mononucleosis ("kissing disease") and Herpes. Contraction of HIV through kissing is extremely unlikely, though one woman was infected in 1997 when a woman and infected man both had gum disease. Transmission was likely through the man's blood and not his saliva.

Did You Know? A medieval manuscript warns Japanese men against deep kissing during the female orgasm because a woman might accidentally bite off part of her lover's tongue.

Did You Know? "X"'s at the end of a correspondence letter represent the contact of the lips during a kiss.

Did You Know? Our brains have special neurons that help us find each other's lips in the dark.

Did You Know? Lips are like snowflakes or human fingerprints. No two lips impressions are the same.




We may think a passionate kiss is a universal pleasure, but in some cultures, kissing doesn't take place at all.  According to a new research, less than half of all societies use kissing to express sexual desire – and some even find the act repulsive. The study found that out of 168 cultures from around the world, only 46 per cent of them kiss in the romantic sense. 

For instance, data suggests 15 cultures out of 33 studied in North America where kissing is not present. Romantic kissing takes place in all Middle Eastern countries studies, but in Europe, three out of the 10 countries in the survey found kissing in a romantic scenario to be unacceptable. In Asia, 27%, or 10 out of 27 countries, didn't kiss romantically. The new study, which appears in an article in American Anthropologist, focused on romantic kisses between couples.

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Even though I believe you can get over most things in terms of sexual compatibility, it can be really difficult to overcome what a massive turnoff bad kissing is. And I think part of that reason is that when you think about it, kissing is gross— especially when you get tongues involved. Yes, French kissing is sexy and intimate and can be such a turn on when done correctly. It's often the bridge between innocent pecks and proper "let's get this thing going" pre-sex making out. But it's also gross. And if you're not that into kissing this person, the grossness becomes more apparent.

The grossness is no one's fault. Once you add tongues into the mix, you're suddenly dealing with fluids and body parts that have an inherent ick factor to them. And sometimes it's gross because the person just doesn't know what they're doing and makes gross things happen. Either way, yuck.

Now don't get me wrong, Frenching is still totally worth it. In my opinion the hotness it brings definitely outweighs the spit and the bacteria and all of that. Especially when you like the person a lot. It's one of those things— like a lot of sex— that is amazing in the moment, but when you actually pull back and think about you realize is objectively pretty nasty. Oh well, thank god being turned on makes it more difficult to be grossed out, because I'm definitely not going to stop with the tongues anytime soon. Here are seven gross things that happen when you kiss with tongue, because breakfast in bed is great until you find a hunk of toast in their mouth:


1: Bacteria Galore - It's probably no surprise to you, but French kissing is basically a bacteria orgy in your mouth. In just 10 seconds of kissing there are about 80 million bacteria being swapped around there. It's pretty gross, but the lucky part is that the vast majority of these are harmless, so there's no need to panic.


2: Darts and Dead Fish - A lot of people don't like French kissing and I think that it's because quite a few people out there are bad at it. There are people that dart their tongue around your mouth in a really aggressive way, and even grosser there are those people who just leave their tongue chilling in your mouth like a dead fish. Yuck.


3: Hair Mouth - If you're kissing with your mouth closed, you're probably not going to notice if there's a bit of hair in the vicinity. Kissing with tongue is basically asking to choke on a hair. Or if you're two girl who both of a lot of hair, too much Frenching means one of you is going to cough up a hairball at some point. Gah.



4: You Taste (or Feel) Their Last Meal - French kissing is all sweet and intimate until you realize how much you're actually exploring back there with your tongue. We've all gone in for the kiss and found a taste we weren't exactly hoping for. And if breakfast in bed leads to kissing in bed there's a good chance you'll find a little crumb of toast in your oral expedition. Gross.


5: The Saliva High-Wire - Yeah, there's a little spit when it comes to any kissing, but once your tongues are moving into each other's mouths there's a whole lot of spit being transferred. If that isn't enough, there's the great moment when you pull away and a little line of saliva is still running between your two mouths. Who's saliva is it? What do you do with it? How do you make eye contact now? Questions we will never answer.


6: Morning Breath Transfer - Horrible morning breath. We all get it. There is no hope for it. You can brush your teeth and wash out your mouth with grain alcohol, kill every little thing that's in there, but sometimes over night things come back with a vengeance. A few polite pecks when you wake up and you probably can hide the damage, but as things heat up the morning breath will be revealed.


7: Hormone Swap - I saved the best for last because this is gross but also kind of awesome. So apparently scientists think men might like shoving their tongues into women's mouths because unconsciously they're trying to transfer the testosterone in their saliva that increases sex drive.According to Rutgers University anthropologist Helen Fisher: "There is evidence that men like sloppier kisses with more open mouth. That suggests they are unconsciously trying to transfer testosterone to stimulate sex drive in women."


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Now this is the biggest question of them all.  How do you know if you're a good kisser or a bad kisser? Well, the only real way to know is to be told by someone who has experienced your kisses. Ask yourself: Has anyone ever told you that you're a good kisser? That doesn't automatically imply that if no one has that you're terrible at tonsil hockey. But there isn't any shame in asking. I mean, if you're too sensitive for the answer, then maybe you should just get a make-out buddy to help grow your skills. But if you're also a little too embarrassed for that, here are a couple links where you can go to learn a few tips if non of the ones you've read here have been helpful at all.

Women's Health describes in an article, Makout Session 101"Kissing evolved as a way to assess a potential partner's compatibility because it exchanges a host of information about health and hormonal status," says Gordon Gallup, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Albany.  What does this mean to you? Well, I perceive that as saying your skills will attract someone of the same skill level.  But how important is that in your selected mate?

Men's Health also printed an article on How to be a better kisser. This article describes how, Whether it’s your first kiss or your fiftieth, “women, more so than men, use kissing as an assessment device,” says Susan M. Hughes, Ph.D. “Men, however, would forgo kissing as long as they can have sex.”  

It seems rather unanimous between genders that regardless of your skill level, you'll be judged on it and if you can find a mate that levels you out, you're golden.

So get out there, Pucker up, and law a big wet one on the one you care about!


Monday, July 3, 2017

Thinking of Going Back to School? Here's Why You Should!

So you're thinking about go back to school? Or maybe you've finally hit that golden age of legal adulthood and college is your next step? Don't worry. No seriously! If you're an over-thinker, extra planner, break down the details kind of person like me, I promise, you don't need to worry. I know that doesn't really do much to actually calm your worry, I get it. I've been you.  I've been where you are, no matter what place you might be in.

A little back story on me, which I'm sure you care deeply about. (If you don't care about my story, feel free to skip to the next section.)

When I turned 18, after graduation mind you, I knew that going to college was the next step. For a lot of us, its either college or the military. In today's society, if you don't have a plan for your next step your future is not off to a good start. You could hear more judgmental people say things like, "you're going to end up living in the gutter," or, "what will you do with your life?", "How will you survive?". Some people can be so rude. Anyway, these are the things that I got when people would ask me what the next step was. Honestly, at 18, I had no idea. Like I said, I knew that college was next in line, but where? What for? Not the slightest idea. I wasn't ready to leave high school. I knew that from then on out, I was expected to make my own decisions and survive nearly on my own. I didn't feel like high school had prepared me for that. I didn't know about bills, taxes, budgeting, how to change a tire, cooking more than easy mac and ramen, the list could go on and on. So on top of not feeling prepared with knowledge, I was lost in where I wanted my life to go.

What was the most discouraging was that everybody else had already seemed to "know" their calling. They knew exactly what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go. To be fair, some of them were in the know for years longer than just their senior year. I knew that there were things that I liked, and things that I was interested in, but what could I make into a career? This is where my Mom came in.

Logically, like most families, either your parents are paying for your college tuition or you're getting student loans or financial aid. In my case, my parents had a little bit of savings for me to pay for my college. Since it was their money going into my future, they had a little say in the matter of what I did with it. My Mom knew me well enough to know what I liked, so I let her choose my major and my school. Neither were bad decisions. She chose Graphic Design at a nearby community college. The friends I made my first 2 years of college were unforgettable, and we still correspond from time to time even now, but graphic design wasn't for me. I nearly completed my degree when I made this decision, but it wasn't something that I could make a decent career out of. So instead, I focused on finished my general education classes. I knew that I would need some time to figure out what major I would switch to, but I wasn't ready to be done with classes.

After going as a part time student for another year, I decided to go into the Accounting and Bookkeeping program at the same community college. That lasted about a year. At the time I was saving the money that my parents had given me, and I was paying out of pocket from the earnings I was getting from the 3 jobs that I had. Yeah, I said that correctly. I was working 3 jobs, while putting myself though college. Its no fairy-tale story. Getting through college is hard, and trying to do it on your own is even harder.

Fast forward to almost 10 years since I graduated high school and I still have no degree. I've attempted school 3 separate times, never being able to complete a program. But, to be honest, I wouldn't peg it out to be the lack of ambition to finish. Its just that I still haven't found that "thing" that is for me; that niche that I was made for; that things that I'm the most passionate about. And I still haven't. I've had such a long break since my last attempt that its time to go back. Its time to try again. Only this time, I have a new approach.

My plan will take longer than the first few, which seems a bit intimidating, but I'm excited to try.  I'm trying to incorporate some of the things that I love, and some of the things that I've always wanted with my life. But since this is a different type of approach, I'm going about it differently than I have in the past. We'll see how this plays out!!

Before You go back to school, Do These 3 Things

1. FIND OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO STUDY -- One of the biggest things that helped me was an honest to god Venn Diagram. Believe me, I know that sounds really silly but it helps. If you're unfamiliar with what a Venn Diagram looks like Here is the one that I used. You can use any header for the circles
If you're interested in getting the word file, comment below! I can send it to you! =]

2.  CHECK YOUR FINANCES -- How are you going to pay for classes? Savings, loans, financial aid, parents moo-lah, etc. There are plenty of options. Don't be discouraged if you don't have the money to pay for it. If you have a job, a little budgeting and a payment plan can get you through. Financial aid is also an option! It's a form of student loan that is available for people that will struggle to pay for college. FAFSA is one of the most common ones that colleges use. Check the school website that you've chosen, they usually have a section dedicated solely to financial aid. Some of which can go through the school itself instead of going through the government website. You can also apply for student loans through your bank! they often give you better interest rates knowing that its for your education. But there is no harm in asking! There are Scholarships! A quick google search will lead you do hundreds of sites that can take you to different scholarships that are available to you, no matter what your level of intelligence or experience.

And there are many more! You may have to put in some effort, but the big ones are worth it when you're receiving anywhere from $50-$10,000 in college funds! You can get Grants! Unlike loans, grants you will never have to pay back! There are a lot of grants that you get through the school you decide to go to, and some even from cities and states! The more you search, the likelier you are to find one that is perfect for you!

3.  DO YOUR RESEARCH! -- One thing I wish I would have done, was do some research. Find a school program that fits for you! once you have found the program you'd like to study, don't just pick a school at random. believe it or not, some schools are better than others. Depending on your field, some would look much better on a resume when applying for different jobs. If money is a motivator for you, look into accredited community colleges with good transfer programs. This could save you THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! Despite what you may have heard, there is nothing wrong with community colleges. They have many benefits! Usually they're smaller so you'll get more attention from your professors. Most CC programs can get you an AA in your field and move onto your bachelors when you go to your university. There are many more, but don't discount a community college just for being a community college! As long as its an accredited college, and the program is what you're looking for, Go For It!


The Best and Worst Times to start your search

Now. Its plain and simple. The sooner you start, the more informed you are, the more prepared you are, the more self assured you will be. Trust me. Its as simple as that. You may have another year or two before its even feasible, But the more you know, the more prepared you are, the better off you will be! Once you think you know everything, don't stop. Things change over time! Program curriculum may change, tuition can change, important aspects of the job you're searching for may change. Over time, things can change.  Keep up on what is happening with your future.


A New Way to Think About going back to school

Seriously, it can be scary. You're taking on a new challenge, you're pushing yourself for growth. But don't be afraid! Instead of thinking about the new and exciting as scary, think of it as NEW AND EXCITING!! You're about to make tons of new friends. You're about to learn so many new things! You're about to have so many new experiences! And to top it off, you're about to take on the biggest thing to be proud of in your life! (feel free to be indifferent about that)

Finishing School Makes You Look Better

Finishing school not only makes you a better candidate for the jobs you're searching for! you'll automatically be considered for higher positions because finishing alone shows that you're dedicated to completing something. It also shows that you're smart enough to do the jobs that you're looking at. You've been educated and the diploma proves that.



In Conclusion: 

The moral of the story is, if you're thinking about it, do it. Don't let anything hold you back. your fears, your circumstances, your friends, your family. I promise you won't regret it.

Good Luck to you!