Ah, the elusive achoo—there's much mystery surrounding our sternutation reflex, a.k.a. the sneeze.

Sneezing protects our nasal passageways from foreign particles by forcing a 100 mph whoosh of air from the lungs, but the reflex demands more movement than that. When stimulated, the brain stem’s sneeze center orders muscle contraction from esophagus to sphincter. That includes the muscles controlling your eyelids. Some sneezers even shed a few tears.

No one knows why. It's possible the body has grown to associate protecting the nasal passageways with protecting the eye, or it may just be a result of our body’s wiring. Nor do scientists know why some people sneeze at bright lights, or why the reflex is pleasurable to some but not others. Whatever its workings, the sneeze has the distinction of being the only reflex that warrants a "bless you" from total strangers.

Fever occurs usually when a virus or bacteria invades the body. The immune system produces chemicals called pyrogens, which trick the brain's hypothalamus (where the body's thermostat resides) into sensing an artificially cool body temperature.

The brain responds like any good warm-blooded animals would, by knocking the thermostat up a few notches. Blood rushes to the body's core, heating the body overall but cooling the surface—hence the chills. The body's metabolic rate goes up and muscles contract.

The immune system's goal: to encourage chemical reactions that will increase production of disease-fighting antibodies, stimulate activity of white blood cells and even inhibit the invading microbe's growth.

•In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.

•The purple in the U.S. military Purple Heart award represents courage. The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the United States armed forces who have been wounded in action.

•In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.

•A man with the rank of Roman Emperor was referred to as "The Purple" -- a name that came from the color of the robe he wore.

•In Japan, the color purple signifies wealth and position.
•Purple was the royal color of the Caesars.

•In pysanky, the traditional Ukrainian form of egg dying, purple speaks of fasting, faith, patience, and trust.

•Purple denotes virtue and faith in Egypt.

•In Tudor Britain, violet was the color of mourning, as well as the color of religious fervor.

•Traditionally, in Iran, purple is a color of what is to come. A sun or moon that looks purple during an eclipse is an omen of bloodshed within the year.

•Purple was the color of the first dye made by man. It was called "Mauveine" and was made out of coal tar. The recipe was discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856.

•Purple represents the planet Jupiter.

•February is the month associated with the color purple and the birthstone for those born is February is amethyst.

•Purple Stones: Amethyst, Ametrine, Sugilite, Lavender Jade, Sugilite, Selenite, Iolite, Lavender Quartz, Lepidolite

•The Byzantine emperor signed edicts in purple ink.

•Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases ten times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.

•In 1999, formal Moral Majority spokesman Reverend Jerry Farwell came out publicly against the children's show Teletubbies. He believed that its character "Tinky-Winky" was gay, stating that he was purple - the color of gay pride - and that his antennae was a triangle - the symbol of gay pride.

•The poem "Warning" by English poet Jenny Joseph begins with the line "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple..." The poem and its famous purple line has become a tongue-in-cheek reference to a woman's struggle with aging.

•Purple is the color of Madison Square Garden and seating for VIP's was once covered in purple.

•Purple is the color of the highest denomination poker chip = $5,000

•During the Silver Age of comic books, those with purple on their covers sold better.

•In stained glass, the color purple or violet is seen as uniting the "wisdom" of blue and the "love" of red and symbolizes justice and royalty.

•The "Purple Orchid Three" is a sweet potato grown by its Hainan developers from seeds taken into space in 2005 on China's "Shenzhou VI" rocket.

Source: Sensational Color

Have you ever wondered how your girl would feel when you surprise her with an engagement ring? A moment like this should never be taken for granted especially when you believe that she is "the one" you're going to spend forever with.

People say that "Big things come in small packages." No wonder a diamond ring is placed in a simple box so when your girl opens that tiny compartment, she will only utter the sweetest, "Yes".

Small things are not always cheap, just like an expensive ring symbolizing your love for your lovely lady. Just apply for a cash advance and you'll never know how far a simple loan can go.

In the face of true love, the absence of a ring will never replace the presence of your love for one another. Fast cash payday loans can do for a simple candlelight dinner. She will still say, "I do," with your heartfelt love.

An allergy is any condition in which a person reacts in a hyper- sensitive or unusual manner to any substance or agent. The range of allergies is very broad and people may react to various foods, drugs, dusts, pollens, fabrics, plants, bacteria, animals, heat, sunlight and many other things. If a person develops asthma, it is usually the result of an allergy.

Whenever a foreign material invades the tissues, the body reacts to fight against it. The body produces certain materials called antibodies which combine with the foreign material and render it harmless. But should it enter the body a second time, the antibodies are torn away from the body tissues to attack the substance. This causes a chemical substance called histamine to be released, which in turn produce the disorders which are symptoms of an allergy.

Asthma is not a disease but a symptom of some other condition. When a person suffers from asthma, he finds it hard to breathe because there is an obstruction to the flow of air in and out of the lungs.

What causes asthma?

The cause may be an allergy, an emotional disturbance, or atmospheric conditions. If a person develops asthma before he is 30 years old, it is usually the result of an allergy. He may be sensitive to pollens,dust, animals, or certain foods or medicines.

Children, especially tend to develop asthma from food allergies. These are often caused by eggs, milk, or wheat products. People who have asthma are often put on special diets to eliminate or minimize contact with these food products.

Everybody has strange experiences with sleep. Sometimes we can't wait to go to sleep and other times we just can't seem to get to sleep. What is actually wake us up is something that scientists find hard to and seeing and feeling and carrying on mental activities of all sorts, we use up a lot of energy. So the brain and other nerve centers need a rest.

Sleep clears away our tiredness and when we wake up we feel rested. The most probable reason is that while we are asleep our body still feels hungry, cold or even damp, or we may experience an emotion such as fear. These feelings stimulate our brain and cause us to wake up. Of course we may wake up simply because we have had enough sleep!