Back in October I celebrated the Bloggy 500, in recognition of posting my 500th blog entry. Now I have the pleasure of introducing the Bloggy 100,000, in celebration of surpassing 100,000 visits to my blog since I added this most recent counter just last year. To mark the occasion – just as I did last October – here is a smattering of random facts having to do with the grand number of 100,000:

– In 1999, it was estimated that Croatia, Nigeria, Iran, and Kuwait each had 100,000 internet users.

– For every 100,000 people in the United States, there are 17 people who are 100 years old.

– According to the Commonwealth of Virginia, you will get 100,000 results if you search for “tax shelter” in an unspecified search engine. (No guarantees this is still accurate, the site looked ancient.)

– Speaking of ancientness, the Neanderthals ( sapiens neandertalensis) began occupying parts of Europe and the Middle East roughly 100,000 years ago.

– 100,000 years ago, Europe was in the midst of the Middle Paleolithic period.

– The modern facial characteristics of man are 100,000 years old.

– The average human scalp has 100,000 hairs. (But how is this number affected by the likes of my dear friend Patrick? Answer me that, why don’t you!)

– A greyhound dog produces around 100Kcals or 100,000 watts of waste heat energy during a 30 second race, sufficient to bring 600mL of tap water to the boil in around 2 minutes.

– Rolls-Royce Motor Cars use two imitation wooden heels to test the durability of their Wilton carpets. The heels rub backwards and forwards 100,000 times over 4 inches of the carpet.

– Due to their rare ability to see polarized light and four colors of ultraviolet light, Mantis Shrimps can distinguish 100,000 colors, as compared to the 10,000 seen by human beings. Therefore, I put forth my argument that Mantis Shrimps must be far better designers than the likes of Steve Madden, Kia on Trading Spaces, and that horrible Oliver Heath crackpot on Changing Rooms. Come on, chairs on walls? Hook-eye screws on a bedhead? Absolute insanity.

– They Might Be Giants’ self-titled first album sold 100,000 copies in its first year of release. This was a rare feat for a band on an independant label, but really, what isn’t rare about the two Johns?

– People magazine paid just under $100,000 thousand for Ben and Jen’s first photographed kiss. Gag me with a spoon, I can think of a 100,000 better uses for that $100,000, such as…

– $100,000 is the amount of money I would appreciate having donated to Prophet Incorporated. Or, you can just give me the money for putting all this research into the Bloggy 100,000, and I promise I’ll put it to good use. 🙂

So there you have it. Three cheers for 100,000! If you have any interesting facts containing that number or in some way relating to it, please post a comment and share it with us. After all, Bloggy events are always about sharing pointless information, just like this blog! 🙂

To further commemorate this occasion, I did what was naturally expected of me on a day such as this: I got root beer. 🙂 I went out to Sweetwater Tavern this evening for some ozzie rolls, a cheeseburger, and a big tall pint of root beer. Okay, I lied. Two pints. Seriously, it’s a really good thing I don’t drink actual beer, I can chug those pints too quickly.

Anyway. Sweetwater was absolutely fantastic this evening. The ozzies were perfect, the burger couldn’t have been better, my fries were piping hot, and oooh, the root beer… I swear, that stuff’s a miracle cure for everything. I went into Sweetwater with a headache, and instead left with a smile. Of course, the headache did come back a few hours later and it’s still wreaking havoc on my brain at the moment, but at least I hate a few hours respite. That headache is the reason why I’m posting this entry so late – can’t sleep. Big surprise. Nothing new there.

I am happy to report, however, that I haven’t had any nightmares for the past two nights. I’ve been staying up late, occupying myself with cheerful thoughts and activities, and that seems to be doing the trick. Of course, that means I’m not getting as much sleep technically, but I’m waking up feeling better than I did after a night full of nightmares, so that’s something at least.

Also, I realized that in my pudding state the other night I failed to report on the events surrounding my first orientation meeting as a volunteer for the National World War II Memorial Dedication on Monday. It was an absolutely amazing, awe-inspiring event. I’d write about it now, but right about now there’s no way I could possibly do it justice. There are just so many things to tell and I don’t want to miss anything. Suffice it to say, I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this memorial dedication. It’s a way to thank a generation that so humbly gave up everything they possibly could, including their own futures, so that I can enjoy the freedom I have today. Sadly, that freedom is so often taken for granted, its roots forgotten and left unthanked. I’ve been prone to that in my own life, and this is a chance to make good on a debt I owe to the millions of people who fought for my freedom. I met several veterans that night, I befriended a man who fought in the battle of the bulge, and I believe I’m a better woman and American because of it. The coming weeks will be a life-changing experience for me, and I’m thrilled beyond belief. I was moved to tears so many times that night, listening to veterans address the crowd of 700 volunteers, meeting veterans and hearing their stories. That generation’s humility, honor, courage, pride, generosity, charity, selflessness, and goodwill saved millions of lives and improved our lives for the better. And they did all of this without making a fuss, without vying for gratitude or special treatment. They were just doing their duty, and they did it with honor. If you can, please come to Washington, DC this Memorial Day weekend and take part in this dedication. Or, if you can’t come, be sure to participate from your hometown. There are events taking place all across the country to mark the occasion and to take the time to thank an entire generation that changed our world for the better. Also, the dedication ceremony will be aired on CSPAN and the History channel on May 29th. For more information, visit www.WWIIMemorial.com. The memorial is beautiful, and everyone involved has gone to such great lengths to make this dedication a wonderful and lasting tribute. It will be the largest ticketed, seated event in the entire history of Washington, DC. It will truly be unforgettable.