Facts About Teenagers You Might Not Know...

Do you have teenaged kids?  The teenage years are tough ones!  You might know some of these facts.  Then again, you might not!

Over 70 percent of girls age 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities, such as attending school, when they feel bad about their looks.

75 percent of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating. This compares to 25 percent of girls with high self-esteem.

About 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood.

 The top wish among all teen girls is for their parents to communicate better with them!

 38 percent of boys in middle school and high school reported using protein supplements and nearly 6 percent admitted to experimenting with steroids.

7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.

A girl’s self-esteem is more strongly related to how she views her own body shape and body weight, than how much she actually weighs.

 More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.

 1 in 9 high school seniors has tried synthetic marijuana.

 Young people who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never drink.

About 64 percent of teens surveyed who have abused pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives.

 In 2012, 15 percent of high school seniors used prescription drugs. However, 35 percent feel regular use is risky.

Around 28 percent of teens know a friend or classmate who has used ecstasy, with 17 percent knowing more than one user.

By the 8th grade, 29.5 percent of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15.5 percent have smoked cigarettes, and 15 percent have used marijuana.

Teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don't. However, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.

 Fewer than 2% of adolescents have had sex by the time they reach their 12th birthday. But adolescence is a time of rapid change. Only 6% of teens have had sex by age 15, compared with one-third of those aged 16, nearly half (48%) of those aged 17, 61% of 18-year-olds and 71% of 19-year-olds. There is little difference by gender in the timing of first sex.

More than half of all teenagers aged 15-19 has engaged in oral sex. 55 percent of boys and 54 percent of girls have given or received oral sex, while 49 percent of boys and 53 percent of girls have had intercourse.

About one in five ninth graders report having oral sex and almost one third said they intend to try it during the next six months, a small study of teens at two California schools report. 

On average, young people have sex for the first time at about age 17.

Approximately 1 million teenagers every year become pregnant. Up to 95 % of those pregnancies were unplanned and unwanted.

Some states are beginning to collect child support from the parents of non-custodial teenagers who produce children prior to becoming an adult.

3 out of 10 teenaged mothers do not complete high school. The ones who do complete high school are less likely to go to college than non-teen mothers 

Teenage pregnancy rates are directly related to the income and education level of the teenager's family. Almost half of the girls living in poverty will become pregnant before becoming an adult.

For every sexually active teenager, one in four will get an STD within one year.

 European teens are more likely than U.S. teens to use contraceptives generally and to use the most effective methods; they therefore have substantially lower pregnancy rates.

 Three percent of males and 8% of females aged 18–19 in 2006–2008 reported their sexual orientation as homosexual or bisexual. During the same period, 12% of females aged 18–19 reported same-sex behaviors (any sexual experience, including oral sex), compared with 4% of males in the same age-group (includes any oral or anal sex).

CDC researchers have found that 2.2 percent of U.S. adults aged 14-39 had Chlamydia. Nearly 1 in 20 women aged 14-19, 4.6 percent, were infected. In 2003, 877,478 cases were reported in the U.S, making it the most commonly reported STD, the CDC said. 

About half of all new STDs in 2000 occurred among youth ages 15 to 24.



source: dosomething.org  www.guttmacher.org

Strange But True Facts About Women

The average height of a woman in the U.S. is approximately 5 feet 4 inches, and the average weight is about 163 pounds.

 In almost every country worldwide, the life expectancy for women is higher than for men.

 There are roughly four million more women than men in the U.S. In the age 85-and-older category, there are more than twice as many women as men currently living in the U.S.

Approximately 95% of all women in the U.S. have been married at least once by the age of 55.

The most common cause of death for American women is heart disease, which causes just over 27% of all deaths in females. Cancer ranks just below, causing 22% of female deaths

Depression is the most common cause of disability in women, and approximately 25% of all women will experience severe depression at some point in their lives.

 Approximately one in five women worldwide reports being sexually abused before the age of 15.

 Over 90% of all cases of eating disorders occur in women, and nearly seven million women in the U.S. currently suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

 Women are nearly twice as likely to be blind or visually impaired as men.

More American women work in the education, health services, and social assistance industries than in any other industry. These three industries employ nearly one-third of all female workers.

The average woman owns more than 25 pairs of shoes.

During her lifetime, the average woman eats between 4.5 and 6.5 pounds of lipstick.

The average woman spends about 120 hours a year looking at herself in the mirror.

The breasts of human women are much larger in proportion than those of other female mammals. The prominent size, while not necessary for milk production, is most likely a result of sexual selection.

 The two highest IQs ever recorded on a standard test both belong to women.

Facts About The St. Louis Cardinals

OK, so you think you're a St Louis Cardinals fan?  How many of these facts did YOU know?

The original name of the St Louis Cardinals was the Brown Stockings.  They were formed in 1882 in the American Association.

 In 1891, the team moved to the National League and changed the team name to the St. Louis Browns. In 1899, the name was changed to the Perfectos, and in 1900, the name was changed to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Later there was an American League team named the St. Louis Browns, from 1902 to 1954.  In 1954 that team moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles.


From 1901 to 1918, The St. Louis Cardinals played at Robison Field, averaging 4,200 fans per game.

 The Cardinals have won more than 9,300 games, 11 World Series Championships, 18 National League Pennants, 3 National League Eastern Division Titles, and 8 National League Central Division Titles.

The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees to win their first world series in 1926.  Since then they have won the World Series in 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006 and 2011.

"Sunny" Jim Bottomley had more than 100 RBIs in 6 consecutive seasons for the Cardinals, from 1924 to 1929.

The Cardinals teams in the 30s were known as The Gashouse Gang. They got the nickname because of the unkept appearance.  According to one version, the nickname stuck when shortstop Leo Durocher said, "they think we're a bunch of gashousers," referring to workers in the plants which produced gas for heating and lighting in cities.  Another version is they got the nickname when Dizzy Dean bought a local gas station in Florida.

 There are more than 40 former Cardinal players and managers enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

In all, the Cardinals have had 20 League MVPs and 3 Cy Young Award Winners.

 Although St. Louisans love their Cardinals, 90% of Cardinals fans come from outside the city of St. Louis!

The Cardinals radio network is the second largest in baseball with 117 stations in nine states (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee) with the potential to reach over 21 million listeners.

Each year at Busch Stadium, Cardinals fans eat more than a half million hotdogs!

Albert "Red" Schoendienst did 3 stints as the Cardinals manager, from 1965 to 1976 (Winning 2 World Series), and in 1980, prior to the hiring of Whitey Herzog and 1990, after the departure of Herzog.

From 1996 to 2012, Tony LaRussa managed the Cardinals to 3 NL Pennants and 2 World Series Championships before retiring as the third winningest manager of all time, behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw.

Cardinal outfielder Lou Brock ranks second all-time in Major League Baseball with 938 stolen bases, leading the league 8 times.

In his first three seasons with the Cardinals, Vince Coleman stole more than 100 bases in each season. In 1985,  Coleman was injured as the automatic tarp at Busch Stadium rolled over his leg!

Cardinals legend Stan "The Man" Musial got his 3,000th hit off the arch rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.  He finished with 3630 hits:  1815 at home and 1815 on the road.

Before signing Jackie Robinson in 1945 and breaking baseball's color barrier, the innovative Branch Rickey managed the Cardinals in the 1920s and was credited with starting the minor league farm system which set the stage for successful Cardinals teams from then on.

The only Cardinal pitcher to win 30 games in a season was Dizzy Dean, who went 30-7 in 1934.  Tony Mullane with a 35-15 record in 1883 did it for the previous incarnation of the Cardinals, the Browns in 1887.

In the 1940s, a Cardinals player won the MVP 5 times: Mort Cooper in 1942, Marty Marion  in 1944, Stan Musial in 1943, 1946 and 1948.

In 1946, Enos Slaughter's "Mad Dash" from 1st base with 2 outs scored the winning run as the Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Slaughter scored exactly 100 runs in 1942, 1946 and 1947.

The Cardinals season home run leader is Mark McGwire, who hit 70 in 1998.  Outside of the "Steroid Era" the Cards Johnny Mize hit 43 in 1940.

 Rogers Hornsby was the first to hit 40 home runs for the Cardinals in 1922.  He also won the Triple Crown that year.  Hornsby won the Triple Crown twice in his career.

Bob Gibson only led the league in strikeouts once, in 1968, when he struck out 268 batters.  In 3 other seasons, he actually had more strikeouts but was beaten out by Sandy Kofax in 1965 and Sam McDowell in 1969 and 1970.  In 1968, Gibson led the league with a 1.12 ERA, which caused Major League Baseball to lower the height of the pitching mound.  Also in 1968, Gibson became the only Cardinal to win the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season.

The Cardinals pitcher with the most no-hitters is Bob Forsch with 2. Bob Gibson and Dizzy Dean had one each.  The first Cardinals pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Jesse Haines in 1924.

Fernando Tatis  hit 2 grand slams in one inning for the Cardinals in 1999, off pitcher Chan Ho Park.  That's also a record for RBIs in one inning (8).  Ironically, Tatis later played for the minor league team in New Orleans, where he was on the same roster as Park.

Mark Whiten became the first Cardinal to hit 4 home runs in a game, in the second game of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.

Jose Oquendo played all nine positions in his major league career with the Cardinals, and even recorded a decision as a pitcher, losing in a 19 inning game to the Atlanta Braves.

Mike Laga was the only player to hit a ball completely out of the old Busch Stadium (it was a foul ball).

Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith played 4 seasons for the San Diego Padres before being traded to the Cardinals. He finished his career with 13 Gold Gloves, and 16 All-Star Game appearances.

Strange But True! Can You Recognize These Beauties?

Can you recognize these beauties?   Some grew up to be beauty queens and glamorous movie stars, and some were glamorous back "in the day" before becoming famous later!

Angela Lansbury, who later went on to star in "Murder She Wrote"

Betty White....yes, Betty White, who went on to star on "Golden Girls"

Elizabeth Taylor

Jayne Mansfield

Jessica Tandy, who went on to star in "Driving Miss Daisy"

Julie Newmar, who went on to star as Catwoman in the Batman TV series

Lucille Ball

Marilyn Monroe

Raquel Welch

Rue McClanahan, who went on to star on "Golden Girls"

Vivian Leigh, who later starred as Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone With The Wind."

Facts About The Rolling Stones

This is the 50th Anniversary of the Rolling Stones!  In honor of their 50th anniversary, here are 50 facts about the Stones.  Many of them are indeed strange but true!

1. Founded by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1962, The Rolling Stones are the longest continuously performing band in the history of Rock n Roll
2. Mick Jagger was actually schooled at the London School of Economics.
3. Early on Jagger and Richards used the the pseudonym  "Nanker Phelge in songwriting.
4. The Stones signed with Decca Records in 1963 and within 6 months of their first release, they were big time.
5. In 1964, the Stones' Brian Jones wrote a jingle for, and the band appeared in a commercial for Kellogg's Rice Krispies, in England.
6. The Stones first toured the USA in 1964. Their first USA hit was "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday."
7. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were actually good friends, although for marketing purposes, the Stones were portrayed as the "bad boys" and the "anti-Beatles"
8. The Stones first worldwide number one hit was in 1965, "Satisfaction."
9. The Stones started out playing exclusively American Blues cover songs, as they were big fans of the genre.  Their name comes from a Muddy Waters song.
10. Original Stones guitarist Brian Jones worked at Whitely's Dept Store in London but was fired for stealing.
11.  Although Jagger and Richards did a lot of drugs, and drugs ultimately killed Brian Jones, Bass player Bill Wyman and Drummer Charlie Watts did not like drugs and for the most part steered clear of them.
12. In 1969, at a free concert to promote the album "Let It Bleed" a fan, Meredith Hunter,  was stabbed to death by a Hell's Angel at Altamont Speedway, California as the band was playing "Under My Thumb."
13. Another fan died during the Alamont show by falling into and drowning in an irrigation ditch. That victim is not identified.
14. The cake featured on the cover of the Stones album "Let It Bleed" was baked by famed television chef Della Smith
15. As a child, Keith Richards dressed in cowboy outfits, complete with holsters and said he wanted to be like Roy Rogers, and play guitar.
16. Guitarist Brian Jones fathered 2 illegitimate children by he time was was 16 years old.
17. Brian Jones, who many attributed to introducing the band to American Blues, left the Stones in 1969 and a few weeks later was found dead in his swimming pool.  The coroner listed the cause of death to "death by misadventure."
18. The Stones' answer to The Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was "Their Satanic Majesties Request."  It was the last album on which Brian Jones would play.
19. At the Beatles premier part for "A Hard Days Night," Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts were not invited, but crashed the party anyway!
20. Jagger made his acting debut in 1970, playing the lead in a film titled, Ned Kelly.  He played an outlaw.
21. Keith Richards named his child after actor Marlon Brando
22. The Stones are the highest earning band in Rock history, with the concerts grossing between 750 million and 1 billion dollars over the years.
23. Bill Wyman owns a restaurant in London, named "Sticky Fingers"
24. The Stones song "Midnight Rambler" is actually based on Albert DeSalvo, AKA The Boston Strangler.
25. Mick Jagger's middle name is Philip
26. The Rolling Stones have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.
27. During a 1965 tour, Wyman coined the phrase "groupie."
28. The "Sticky Fingers" album cover was designed by Andy Warhol
29. The producers of the 1971 film "Clockwork Orange" initially wanted the lead role to be played by Jagger, but later decided upon Malcolm McDowell.
30. The Stones formed their own label, Rolling Stones Records, in 1971, becoming one of the first groups to form their own record label.
31. In 1975, when guitarist Mick Taylor left The Stones, one of the possible replacements named was Peter Frampton, although the Stones eventually went with Wood.
32. The 2002, Texas billionaire David Bonderman hired The Rolling Stones for his 60th birthday party, for 7 million dollars.
33. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page plays guitar on the Stones hit "One Hit To The Body."
34. The famous "tongue" logo was designed by  John Pasche, and inspired by the Hindu Goddess, Kali The Destroyer
35. Guitarist Mick Taylor replaced Brian Jones in The Stones.  Later, he was replaced by Ron Wood.
36. Former bassist Bill Wyman's hobby is metal detecting....
37. On the 1967 Stones song, "We Love You," Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon sang back up.
38. Four different films directed by famed director Martin Scorsese used the Stones song "Gimme Shelter.
39.   Mick Jagger was knigted in 2002.  Richards thought it was hypocritical
40. Upon Bassist Bill Wyman's "retirement," he was replaced by bass player Darryl Jones, a one time bar band veteran in Carbondale, Illinois, the home of Southern Illinois University.  Jones has played with the Stones since 1994 although he is NOT listed as an official band member.
41. Originally, The Stones album "Exile On Main Street" had the working title of "Tropical Disease."
42. The Stones drummer for their first show, Mich Avory, went on to be the drummer for The Kinks.
43. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are also known as the "Glimmer Twins"
44. After a drug bust in Toronto, Keith Richards said, "Drugs were never a problem. Policemen, were a problem."
45. "Get Yer Ya Ya's Out" is the only Stones Album cover featuring drummer Charlie Watts.
46. Almost all Stones songwriting cresits are Jagger/Richards.  This does not sit well with Watts and Wyman
47. One of Creedence Clearwater Revival's biggest hits, "Suzie Q," was actually a cover of a Rolling Stones song. 
48. Mick Jagger has fathered SEVEN children, four with longtime girlfriend Jerry Hall.
49. For the opening leg of the Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" tour, the opening band was Guns n Roses.
50. In 1989, The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

The 10 Most Expensive Guitars Of All Time

Guitars are wonderful instruments and also incredibly personal, with lots of history and sentimental value behind them.  These guitars brought the highest prices ever, either through private sale or auction.

10.   $375,000   Leo Fender's 1949 prototype for the Fender Telecaster

9. $455,550  Eric Clapton's Fender Stratocaster, plated in 23 carat gold to mark the 50th anniversary of Fender in 1996

8. $571,000 George Harrison and John Lennon's 1964 Gibson SG

7. $623,500  Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1965 Fender Stratocaster, nicknamed "Lenny" after his wife, who bought him the guitar.

6. $791,500 Eric Clapton's 1939 Martin Acoustic Guitar, auctioned to raise funds for his Crossroads Benefit

5. $847,500  Eric Clapton's 1964 Gibson 335

4. $959,5000 Eric Clapton's 1970 Fender Stratocaster nicknamed "Blackie"

3. $1.2-2 million estimated.  Bob Marley's Washburn.

2. $2 million.  Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster, bought by Paul Allen of Microsoft in 1998, the guitar was played by Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969

1.  $2.7 Million: The "Reach Out To Asia" Fender Stratocaster auctioned off to raise money for tsunami relief efforts.  It was signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Mark Knopfler, Ray Davis, Liam Gallagher, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, Angus and Malcolm Young, Paul McCartney, Sting, Ritchie Blackmore, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams

Source: The Telegraph

Strange But True Facts About The Beatles

The Beatles may have been the most influential band in the history of rock n roll, even though they had a relatively short tenure together.  Here are some cool facts about the Beatles and their songs you may not know!

The Beatles were formed in 1957 by John Lennon.  The original name of the band was The Blackjacks.  Later they became The Quarrymen, and after that, The Beatles!  Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined the band in 1958.

In 1962, the Beatles single "Love Me Do" reached number 17 on the charts in the UK.  Part of the reason for this may have been their own manager bought 10,000 copies of the single, to move it up the charts!


Astronomer Carl Sagan wanted The Beatles recording "Here Comes The Sun" included on a phonograph record sent into space aboard the Spacecraft Voyager. While the Beatles themselves liked the idea,  EMI, the Beatles label, refused to allow it.

George Harrison was the first Beatle to perform in the United States.....in 1963, he visited his sister, Louise,  in Benton, Illinois! He wound up playing/jamming with a local band, The Four Vests, at the VFW in nearby Eldorado, Illiniois. They played everything from Carl Perkins' "Matchbox." to Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart."  While in Southern Illinois, he also bout a guitar at a Mt. Vernon music store ( a Rickenbacker 425) , and the first Beatle record to ever be played on the radio in United States happened at WRFX-AM, in West Frankfort, Illinois, where Harrison was also interviewed on the air.  The record they played was "She Loves You."  In 1964, The Beatles made their first trip to the USA as a group, appeared on the E Sullivan Show, and the rest is history!

At first, Paul McCartney and John Lennon were disinterested in George Harrison song, "While My Guiar Gently Weeps" for The White Album.  Eric Clapton initially refused to play on it,  saying "No one ever plays on Beatles records." Harrison convinced him to participate.

The Beatles debut album, "Please Please Me" was recorded in only 9 hours.

In the 60s, The Beatles bought a private 80 acre island where they planned to live together, as a sanctuary away from they overly enthusiastic fans, but eventually, they broke up and the island was sold....at a profit.

The original bass player for the Beatles was Stuart Suttcliffe, who left the band in Germany.  He was replaced by Chas Newby.  Newby also left the band to return to school and later became a math teacher.

In the 60s, The Beatles wanted to be in a film directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on "The Lord Of The Rings," but the project never materialized.  Lord of the Rings creator, J.R.R.Tolkien was against the Beatles being involved in the project.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the first Beatles record to be recorded in stereo.

"Yesterday" holds the record for the most "covered" recording of all time. It was been recorded more than 16 hundred times by artist ranging from Elvis, to Frank Sinantra to Boys 2 Men.

The second most covered song is George Harrison's "Something," which Frank Sinatra called "The greatest love song of the last 50 years."

"Ticket To Ride" was the first Beatles song to last more than 3 minutes.

Walt Disney wanted The Beatles to perform in the Disney classic "Jungle Book, but the Beatles themselves shot down the idea, as John Lennon said "There's no way The Beatles are going to sing for Mickey Fu*king Mouse!"

Paul McCartney is left handed although there were rumors he was right handed and simply played left handed.  Ringo Starr is ambidextrous but plays drums right handed.

None of The Beatles could read music. They played "by ear."

Paul McCartney and former Beatles drummer Pete Best were deported from Germany for arson.....for burning condoms.  They were trying to use them for light to see in their van.

British model Pattie Boyd inspired both George Harrison's "Something." and Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." She wound up being the first wife of BOTH!

In 1961, The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records, who told them "guitar groups are on the way out.," and they had no future.  Less than a year later, Beatlemania swept England.

Every 15 seconds, a Beatles song is played, somewhere in the world.

On April 4, 1964, The Beatles held 12 positions on Billboard Magazine's "Hot 100" chart, including ALL of  the top 5 positions.  A feat that has never been matched.  Number one was "Can't But Me Love."

Cher's first song release, under the name Bonnie Jo Mason, was a song titled, "Ringo, I Love You"

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is based on a Salvation Army children's home in Liverpool which John Lennon remembered from his childhood.

The song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is NOT about LSD.  It's about a drawing little Julian Lennon did in nursery school, which he brought home to his dad, John.

In 1964, The Beatles were introduced to marijuana by Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney later confiemd every reference to "high" and "grass" in Beatles songs were related to marijuana.

The Beatles song "She's So Heavy" is more than 8 minutes long, yet the lyrics only contain 14 words.