6 Normal Things That Are Banned in the Bible

View fullsize

This list is only a few of the many banned acts that can be found in the book of Leviticus in the Christian Bible.

They are all fairly normal, mundane or common things that occur regularly, but in the Bible, most of the following acts are punishable by death.

1. Mixing fabrics in clothing (19:19)

Damn you cotton-lycra underpants! 

2. Eating fruit from a tree within four years of planting it (19:23)

So... what if you move somewhere new and you don't know how long ago your apple tree was planted? 

3. Trimming your beard (19:27)

All you men with professional jobs are screwed! 

4. Getting tattoos (19:28)

Uh... Oh... 

5. Mistreating foreigners – “the foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born” (19:33-34) 

I think we have all (sadly) violated this one at one time or another...  

6. Using dishonest weights and scales (19:35-36)

If we are talking about scales that I might use to weigh myself, then I'm in BIG trouble... 

Related Posts

• 6 Things to Know About Nelson Mandela

• 6 Things to Know About Hanukkah

• 6 Things to Know About Kwanzaa

• 6 Things to Know About The Amish

• 6 Things to Know About The Inuit

---

In The News: Israel Bans Too-Skinny Models

In an attempt to curb the alarming increase of eating disorders among young women in their country, Israel passed a controversial law banning too-skinny models.

View fullsize

The government has banned any woman who has a BMI (body mass index) of less than 18.5 — or 119 pounds for a height of 5'8'' — from being in photo shoots, in ad campaigns, and on the runway.

Taking it a step further, they have also set legislation that requires models to present a medical record, no older than three months, that states that they are NOT malnourished by World Health Organization Standards. Even more impressive, ALL publications are now required to disclose when any images in their pages are altered to make the male or female models appear skinnier then they are in real life.

Though this is not the first time minimal weights for models have been set (Milan Fashion Week, Vogue, and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have done the same), it is the first time that an entire country has taken such a huge step, and set down legislation, for such a far-reaching ban.

According to the Jerusalem Post, "every year some 1,500 teenagers develop an eating disorder and 5% of those suffering from anorexia die each year." 

This ban seems like a huge step in the right direction, and it will be interesting to see if other countries follow suit. 

---

6 Things To Know About Kwanzaa

View fullsize

1. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first African-American holiday. It is observed throughout the USA, Canada, and in parts of Brazil. 

2. It is a week-long celebration that runs from December 26 – January 1.

3. Kwanzaa does not replace other seasonal holidays, and many celebrate it alongside Christmas and New Years.

4. The point of the holiday is to celebrate African history, culture, and unity which is done through lighting candles, decorating the home with traditional art, wearing traditional clothing, performance, and feasting with family and friends.

5. There are 7 Principles of African Heritage that are meditated on during the week. They include; unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

6. People commonly greet each other with "Joyous Kwanzaa!"

Related Posts

• 6 Things to Know About Nelson Mandela

• 6 Things to Know About Hanukkah

• 6 Normal Things That Are Banned in The Bible

• 6 Things to Know About The Amish

• 6 Things to Know About The Inuit

---

The Difference Between Complete and Finished

No dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between the words complete and finished. However, at a linguistic conference attended by some of the best linguists in the world, a single man changed that.

View fullsize

The director of the conference issued this challenge: "Some say there is no difference between the words complete and finished. Please explain the difference between complete and finished in a way that is easy to understand."

This was the man's astute answer: "When you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. But, when you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!"

His answer was received with a standing ovation lasting over five minutes!

This story — taken from an e-mail that I received from a colleague — makes a very important point: Sometimes language can not be defined, explained or translated in a way that makes academic sense. Sometimes you understand the meaning only by the context of a word or the way that it is said.

Some of the most beautiful poems lose their beauty when translated, and texts translated from a different tongue to English lose their meaning.

Language transmits culture as much as a dance, music, or art does. And like these other mediums, trying to define, or understand often causes meaning to be lost. Or, the general public has moved on to a new word, painting, or instrument leaving what scholars were trying to define obsolete.

Related Posts

• Idioms: They're A Piece of Cake

• Why Learning (and Teaching) English as a Second Language Isn't As Easy As You Think

• The Crazy English Words That Make Our Language So Hard to Learn

• Travel Tips: Words You Should Know in The Local Lingo

• Common Gestures That Are Insults in Other Cultures

---

---

6 Things To Know About Life In Frozen Climates

View fullsize

1. You will have to plug your car in... like a toaster

Yup, it’s true! It gets SO cold that if you do not plug your block heater into an electrical source so that it keeps your anti-freeze warm, your engine will not start. Most outdoor parking lots have electrical outlets. 

2. People who live in cities that are located far to the north (or south depending on the time of year) get SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a medically diagnosed condition for the 'winter blues' that many people get because of how short the days become. The lack of exposure to sunlight can result in a deep depression. Don't worry though! There are solar lights that you can buy to sit under that are sure to cheer you up! 

3. You will need to learn how to layer!

Just because it’s cold doesn't mean that people stay inside. It just means that you will have to wear long underwear, sweaters, snow pants, a neck-warmer, toque, mittens, wool socks, a jacket, winter boots... you get the idea.

4. If you are going to be walking around outside, leave your expensive, stylish, or trendy shoes at home

Because of ice, the sidewalks get covered in sand and salt so that pedestrians don't slip. This can seriously damage leather or suede shoes. Need another reason? It's freaking cold! You need socks and good grip on the bottom of your shoes to keep safe and warm! 

5. Wind-chill plays a HUGE part in how cold it feels like outside

It may be –25 degrees Celsius (–13 degrees Fahrenheit), but with the wind-chill it could feel like –40 (–40 degrees Fahrenheit). When the temperature is forecasted, meteorologists will usually tell you how long it will take for exposed skin to get frostbitten so you know how covered you need to be to walk safely outside.

TIP: If you are doing any sport or activities in this chilly weather, cover exposed skin — like cheeks or your forehead — with Vaseline to keep a protective barrier between it and the wind. 

6. We don't all live in igloos

Though ice is celebrated through ice sculpture competitions and festivals, nobody actually makes an igloo their permanent home anymore. Houses are extremely well insulated, however, and have to be built a certain way to ensure that any pipe with water running through it will not freeze, burst, and cause flooding. 

Pin Me!

Related Posts

• 7 Things That Can Kill You In Canada

• Ancient Art: The History of The North American Totem Pole

• 6 Things to Know About The Inuit

• Why Maligne Canyon in Canada Will Make You Want to Head North For The Winter

• 5 Reasons Why You Should Travel in The Off-Season

---

6 Things To Know About The Amish

View fullsize

1. There are about 8 subgroups of Amish who are themselves a subgroup of the Mennonite Christian faith.

2. The most traditional descendants speak Pennsylvania German (also known as Pennsylvania Dutch).

3. They live by a strict set of rules that include limiting the use of electricity and telephones, not driving automobiles, wearing plain (homemade) clothing, and never accepting help from government programs like Social Security.

4. Children only attend school until grade eight.

5. Rumspringa, or “running around” (recently made into an overdramatized TLC series called Breaking Amish) begins around the ages of 14-16, and is a time when young adults can break all of the rules and see what life outside their communities is like. During this time, those on rumspringa can wear “English” — aka modern — clothing, drink, use technology, and live in urban cities with NO penalty. This gives these young adults a chance to make an informed decision about whether they want to commit themselves to the church or not.

6. Baptism does not occur until around the ages of 16 and 25 (after rumspringa) which joins the individual with the church and community for life. Marriage can not occur until baptism does, and the Amish may ONLY marry individuals that are a part of their congregation. 

Related Posts

• 6 Things to Know About Nelson Mandela

• 6 Things to Know About Hanukkah

• 6 Things to Know About Kwanzaa

• 6 Normal Things That Are Banned in The Bible

• 6 Things to Know About The Inuit

---

Reads For The Road: Starbucked by Taylor Clark

View fullsize

Written by Taylor Clark — a guy who has NOTHING to do with the company itself — Starbucked tells the tale of how Starbucks began.

If you are a supporter of the mom-and-pop, unique cafe around the corner, and make it your life’s goal to avoid the seven Starbucks store that exist in one city block, you might be surprised that Starbucks was started by a few guys who were doing the same thing.

These guys were living in an era before major coffee chains, and when “American Coffee” would have taken paint off the wall. Not only that, the idea of the “cafe” where you could read, study, or visit with friends didn’t even exist. 

Fascinated by a specialty coffee shop that popped up where they were living, they started asking questions, doing some research and developing (what was at the time) a very ambitious business.

Combining his own investigations with witty observation, Clark tells the story of how the coffeehouse culture changed everyday life in North America and — as much as we hate to admit it — Starbucks led the way.

Give it a read, you might look at the green mermaid a bit differently if you do! 

---

---