I don’t know about you, but there are some things that just really get under my skin. Some of these are misconceptions that people believe to be true, others may be common grammatical errors, and others may be just annoyances in general. Below are ten of these things-with the facts included. You might learn something-or maybe you have some of your own to add to the list! Enjoy.

1. There is no such thing as the “stomach flu.” It irks me when people say someone “has the flu,” just to find out that it’s really a gastrointestinal illness. The flu, or rather, influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness that can lead to fatal complications. Find out more from the CDC here: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm

2. Stop blaming your Thanksgiving sleepiness on the turkey. You’ve probably heard this many times-that the L-tryptophan that is contained in turkey is what makes people sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. Buzz! Wrong answer! The sleepiness is due to the “usual suspects” of food, such as carbohydrates, fats, and overeating in general. But if you like to exist in a state of denial, go ahead and blame the turkey, anyway. http://chemistry.about.com/od/holidaysseasons/a/tiredturkey.htm

3. You do not catch the common cold by exposure to cold or dampness. The common cold is caused by a virus – the rhinovirus. http://www.commoncold.org/

4. Vegetarians do not eat chicken. Eating chicken as your only meat, therefore, does not make you a vegetarian You may be a “Flexitarian” or “Semi-Vegetarian” instead. Vegetarians are classified as lacto-ovo (eat eggs and dairy products), lacto- (eat dairy products but no eggs), or ovo- (eat eggs but no dairy products). No animal products beyond eggs and/or dairy products are consumed.

5. Storm “watches” mean that conditions are favorable for producing that type of storm. They are not something to panic about, but just to be aware and prepared just in case the storm develops. Storm “warnings” mean that there has been that type of storm spotted, and to take appropriate measures for your safety. So please, don’t get your panties in a wad when you hear the term “watch.” Use some common sense.

6. This Book of the Bible – Hosea – is not pronounced HOE-SAY. It is HOE-SAY-UH!! You need to pronounce the “a” at the end. Hosea was not some Hispanic dude, people.

7. You cannot “might could” do something. You “could” do something, but leave the “might” part out. Example: “I might could go to the store” should read, “I could go to the store.” Save yourself the extra word. You might need it for something more appropriate later on.

8. “Vitamin Water” is not a healthy drink. First, the only vitamins it contains are B-complex and C, because they are water soluble (most vitamins are fat soluble). Your daily intake of these vitamins is likely already sufficient. Second, it contains an artificial sugar, crystalline fructose. It’s closer to a soft drink than a health drink. So don’t go waving your “health food” in my face-if you do, the joke’s on you. http://scienceline.org/2007/12/03/ask-intagliata-vitaminwater/ - PS: did you know that Glaceau, the maker of Vitamin Water, is a subsidiary of Coca-Cola? Yep.

9. Southern Illinois is south of Springfield. Chicagoans please note: Kankakee is in Northern Illinois; Peoria is in Central Illinois. When I say I’m from Southern Illinois, please do not insult me by suggesting I am from one of those places. For those who need a map: http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/states/illinois/

10. Always seek the truth. People often spend too much time listening to opinion and speculation, and not enough time separating out the facts. Use critical thinking-don’t let someone else do your thinking for you. Everyone has bias, and some more than others. Turn off the “talking heads,” read a newspaper instead, and underline the FACTS presented. Hopefully what they have stated as fact is just that-but you can’t trust all news sources. So keep an open mind-and remember that all are innocent until proven guilty.

Update:

 Here’s another, courtesy of @sparkyfirepants:

It’s not “butt” naked, it’s buck naked. Chris Rock was wrong.

 

 

 

I am fortunate to have lived substantial parts of my life in both the Chicago area and Southern Illinois. This has allowed me to have perspectives from both sides of state, and to see the “bigger picture” of Illinois. There really isn’t one region that I prefer over the other-both have their pros and cons. Currently, however, I reside in Southern Illinois, after growing tired of the traffic and other headaches associated with living in an urban area.

It never fails to amaze me, though, at how different Chicago is from the rest of the state. Chicago is a world in its own, and because of that, I find that Chicagoans often don’t realize that there is a world outside of their beloved city. Most seem aware of Springfield, but only because that’s where the governor lives (or at least, is supposed to!), but being that it’s three hours away-in another world. It’s not really Illinois-it’s just the second political seat in the state. The first is Chicago.

Then, there is Kankakee-which, according to Chicagoans, is “downstate.” That strikes me as funny, because the city of Kankakee is in northern Illinois-only an hour south of the city. One day I had a conversation with a lady from Chicago about where my parents lived, which was in Southeastern Illinois, about 60 miles north of the Kentucky border. This lady was astonished to find out that not only was there life south of the “downstate” Kankakee, but that Illinois also bordered Kentucky!

I frequently have discussions with Chicagoans about where I live, and I tell them that I live six hours south of Chicago. Most are surprised to learn there is that much driving distance south of Chicago remaining in Illinois. They are even more surprised to learn that it’s actually seven hours to exit the state-there is actually another hour to go between the I-57 exit to my house and the Kentucky state line.

While I could take offense to this, I usually find it humorous. The main drawback, however, is politically. The Chicago “machine” runs the entire state of Illinois, and has little regard for those outside of the metro area. This is a major area of contention for the “Southerners” in Illinois-from their point of view they have no voice, and can in no way compete with Chicago politicians. While there is no easy solution for this, there is something all Chicagoans can do-learn a little bit more about Illinois as a whole.

Before this gets ridiculously long, I’m going to leave it at that. In the coming months I will have posts about Southern Illinois-I hope the Chicago area folks will stay tuned for that.