Mom, if you’re listening, you might want to turn down the radio for the next minute or so. Here are some of those things she always worried about that it turns out aren’t so dangerous after all.

Warning: “Don’t go out without a coat or you’ll get sick!”

Truth: Colds and flu are not caused by catching a chill or by dejectedly walking home from your girlfriend’s in the rain without your rubbers. Nonetheless, this myth persists, largely because most people get sick during winter, when these situations commonly occur.

Warning: “You’re gonna fall and crack your head open!”

Truth: Your skull can split like an egg, but it would require a severe impact, such as falling into the corner of a coffee table. You’re much more likely to fracture your skull.

Warning: “Chewing gum stays in your digestive system for seven years!”

Truth: Gum, or anything else you swallow, will pass typically in a days time. Of course swallowing gum is not considered healthy but it definitely won’t get stuck.

Warning: “Someday your face will freeze like that!”

Truth: No matter how far you stretch the corners of your mouth or how deeply into your nostril you plunge your tongue, facial muscles will never become paralyzed as a result.

Warning: “Don’t watch TV with the lights off. It will hurt your eyes!”

Truth: People will agree without thinking with this statement. And in general you should limit the amount of TV you watch as it can be harmful to your eyes. However, ophthalmologists generally agree that watching TV in the dark doesn’t cause any more harm than watching TV with lots of light.

Warning: “Wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident!”

Truth: When emergency-room personnel cut the clothes off trauma patients, it’s done so quickly that they never pay attention to whether the underwear is stained, dirty, or full of holes.

Warning: “If you don’t wait an hour after eating to get in the swimming pool, you will get a cramp and die!”

Truth: Exactly zero deaths have ever been attributed to entering a pool too quickly after eating. Muscle cramps in the calves, feet, and hands and oxygen-deprivation stomach cramps while swimming are not uncommon but have never been linked to a death.

Warning: “You can’t have any of my coffee. It will stunt your growth!”

Truth: As far as caffeine stunting one’s growth, this is a myth. Scientists have had many concerns about this possible side effect, but there is no compelling evidence that drinking coffee at a young age can stunt growth.

Warning: “Don’t play with that toad, you’ll get warts!”

Truth: The truth is warts are not caused by holding, touching or even kissing a toad. Warts are caused by human papilloma virus. This is a human virus that is not carried or transported by other animals. The odd bumps on the back of a toad are not warts they are to help camouflage them in their natural habitat.

Warning: “You’ll poke someone’s eye out with that!”

Truth: It’s impossible to “poke out” an eyeball with a sharp instrument. What you’ll probably do is pierce or rupture it. To actually pop an eyeball out, you have to get in there with your fingers and pull it out.

Warning: “Don’t cross your eyes. They’ll get stuck!”

Truth: Intentionally crossing the eyes is never a cause of strabismus (crossed eyes); the eyes cannot get “stuck” in a crossed position.

Almost eight out of 10 women say bad breath is their biggest worry before a romantic encounter. Researchers found that 78 percent of women were more likely to fret about their teeth and breath before worrying what their partner thought about their clothes or general appearance.

Beach Bodies….Yeah Hot Bods

Check out the Spring Shorts woooo hoooooooooo

One in 10 mature couples still react to their partner with the same intensity as those in the first stages of romantic love. Researchers scanned the brains of couples who had been together for at least 20 years, and others who had recently met. After being shown a picture of their mate, 10 percent of the older couples displayed the same burst of pleasure-producing dopamine as the new couples did. Previous research suggests that this giddy, can’t-keep-your-hands-off-each-other brain reaction starts to fade after about 15 months.

Breast milk cheese and crackers were on the menu at the launch of a wacky London art exhibit. Mexican artist Raul Ortega Ayala used donated breast milk to create his latest culinary offering to the art world. Entitled Alejandra Ortiz-Reynoso — after the person that donated the milk — the ‘art’ was supposed to “explore our first encounter with food emphasizing its territoriality and boundaries.”

In a poll published Thursday, Frank Sinatra’s My Way was named (by residents in Britain) the most popular song played at funeral services.

Top 5 songs

1. “My Way” – Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey.
2. “Wind Beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler/Celine Dion.
3. “Time To Say Goodbye” – Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli.
4. “Angels” – Robbie Williams.
5. “Over The Rainbow” – Eva Cassidy.

Top 5 hymns:

1. “The Lord Is My Shepherd”.
2. “Abide With Me”.
3. “All Things Bright And Beautiful”.
4. “Old Rugged Cross”.
5. “Amazing Grace”.

Other popular songs (no rankings):

- “Bat Out Of Hell” – Meatloaf.
- “Spirit In The Sky” – Doctor and the Medics.
- ‘Highway To Hell” – AC/DC.

DAMNITOL — Take 2 and the rest of the world can go to H-E-double-toothpicks for up to 8 full hours.

EMPTYNESTROGEN — A pill that eliminates melancholy and loneliness by reminding you of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn’t wait til they moved out.

ST. MOMMA’S WORT — A plant extract that treats mom’s depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to two days.

PEPTOBIMBO — Liquid silicone drink for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and prevents conception.

FLIPITOR — Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.

MENICILLIN — Potent anti-boy-otic for older women. Increases resistance to such lethal lines as, “You make me want to be a better person.”

BUYAGRA — Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency, duration, and credit limit of spending spree.

JACKASSPIRIN — Relieves headache caused by a man who can’t remember your birthday, anniversary, phone number, or to lift the toilet seat.

NAGAMENT — When administered to a boyfriend or husband, provides the same irritation level as nagging him.

unconfirmed reports that Elvis was spotted in Weissport Pennsylvania fisihing the Lehigh River……………..

AOL Money & Finance

Make Public Transportation Free
Americans took more than 10 billion trips on mass transit in 2008, when gasoline prices were sky high. Just imagine how much money a fare holiday would put back in those riders’ pockets. Making transit fares free would not only encourage drivers to leave their cars at home, saving them money on gas, but would also cut down on traffic and pollution.

Eliminate the Sales Tax
Many economists favor the reduction or elimination of sales taxes because they are regressive — they pose a greater burden on the poor. Studies have shown that a cut in the sales tax has historically led to a modest increase in consumer spending. A sales tax holiday would especially benefit makers of automobiles, appliances, and other big-ticket items.

Give a $50K Housing Credit to Active Members of the Military
The most recent economic stimulus package included a tax credit for first-time homebuyers. Why not take the next step and provide every active member of the U.S. military with a homebuyer tax credit? And make it transferable, so other people might be able to use it if the members of the armed forces so desire.

Encourage Businesses to Go to a Four-Day Work Week
The standard workweek has remained essentially unchanged since 1938. Many environmentalists believe it’s time to change that, to use less energy, conserve resources, and reduce pollutants. Given the recession, the struggles of states and companies, and the massive layoffs, a four-day work week may also help the employment crisis.

Legalize Marijuana
You’ve heard all the arguments: huge savings from current law enforcement efforts; revenue from new taxes; new agricultural, manufacturing, distribution, and administrative jobs; lower prescription drug costs; and so much more. Presidents and Olympic gold medal-winners have used it. Is it time to make marijuana legal?

Provide a Federal Payment for Child-Rearing
Benefits to paying one parent per household — a stay-at-home mom or dad — a monthly stipend for parenting work would include increasing per-family wages, helping tide over families that have suffered a layoff, and finally recognizing importance, social worth, and value of child rearing. How’s that for an economic stimulus?

Encourage Immigration of Wealthier, Educated Individuals
Is a protectionist stance on immigration really what we need right now? If government policy encouraged more skilled, educated and entrepreneurial immigrants to come to the U.S., these folks would just as likely create more jobs for Americans as usurp jobs. They almost certainly would buy homes, open bank accounts, and pay taxes — just the kind of stimulus the U.S. could use.

Let People Use Credit Card Interest as Tax Write-Off
While Wall Street laps up the bulk of stimulus funds, people living paycheck-to-paycheck know that paying down credit debt and avoiding foreclosure could go a long way toward keeping the economy afloat. Credit card interest was deductible until 1986. What better way to get cash flowing into the economy than to make it deductible once again?

Subsidize Small Farmers and Remove Subsidies for Large Farms
The government should subsidize farmers who grow organic fruit and vegetables, raise free-range chicken and produce grass-fed beef. There’s increasing demand for organic produce and meats and more farms mean more jobs and healthier diets. Huge, automated farms require fewer workers and use more chemicals, producing crops that contribute to ill health, obesity, and diabetes. Farmers who commit to engaging in agricultural practices that protect the future of our national agricultural resources should get our tax dollars.

The Government Should Hold a Nightly Lottery and Give Away $1M Each to 10 Americans
Imagine this: A blindfolded celebrity picks from an enormous basket full of ping-pong balls, each representing a citizen of the U.S. Ten nightly winners each receive $1 million of stimulus money. At $10 million a day, the government could hold this lottery daily for around 100 years and still only use up about half the total sum of the most recent stimulus package.