I am feeling better

They were right, it was roughly a 24 hour thing. I took a long hot bath last night to fix my sore neck and shoulders and then put a hot pack on it. Its mostly better, but still a little sore.

That doesn't stop me from doing my favorite thing ever: researching facts about plants and herbs. Today's topic from my favorite website: chocolate!

Interesting fact #1: "A study reported by the BBC indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended."

So guys, when you get her a box of chocolates on that special day, and she kisses you... she's not really excited about you. She's excited about the high she's going to get from the chocolate you gave her.

Interesting fact #2: (Explanation- carob is a commonly used chocolate substitute.) "The term 'carat', the unit by which diamond weight is measured, is also derived from the Greek word kerátiōn (κεράτιων), alluding to an ancient practice of people in the Middle East weighing gold and gemstones against the seeds of the carob tree. The system was eventually standardized and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams. In late Roman and early Byzantine times the pure gold coin known as the solidus weighed 24 carat seeds (about 4.5 grams). As a result, the carat also became a measure of purity for gold. Thus 24 carat gold means 100% pure, 12 carat gold means the alloy contains 50% gold, etc."

So guys, when you get her jewelry, just remember you can't do it without the carob tree!

(Incidentally, the seeds of the carob tree are also called locust beans. It is sometimes thought that the references in the Bible to John the Baptist eating locusts and honey are actually referring to locust beans and honey, which seems more palatable to me.)

And speaking of the Bible, I found an awesome article at cracked.com Just beware of language, for all you sensitive people. I would rate this PG-13.