HAPPY V'DAY!!

My dad called me today to wish me Happy Valentines Day..... Happy Valentines day to al of you as well... I have always asked, is it something to really celebrate about? A celebration of love... doesn't sounds bad at all.... a marketing gimmick so companies can sell tons of gift items & make money on anything & everything they can. However, if you have true love in your life.. everyday is a VALENTINE DAY.... Here are some weird/interesting/fun facts about V'Day:

• The average American will spend $119.67 on Valentine’s Day this year, up from $100.89 last year. (economy is growing as you can see, we are OUT of recession!!)
• Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine’s Day as women do. This year, the average man will spend $156, while the average woman will only spend $85. (I bet... doesn't it sucks to be a MAN, LOL)
• More than one-third of men would prefer not receiving a gift. Less than 20 percent of women feel the same way. (Well, I know they are not talking about ME here...)
• Around this season, a dozen long-stemmed roses can cost an average of $75, or about 30% more than the normal price of $58. (That's why I don't buy roses, they look more beautiful on trees/plants, or wherever they grow... like in botanical gardens etc)
• More than nine million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine's Day. (damn.. doesnt it sucks to be human sometimes?? who's running the world???)
• 15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. (Awwwwwwww... aren't there some desperate ladies out there... Awwwwwww)
• Teachers receive the most valentines, followed by kids, mothers, wives and sweethearts. (Well, not my teacher... rest, ummmm... I would say yes!!)
• Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday. (I didnt purchase any cards... may be I should sell some!!)
• The oldest surviving valentine dates from 1415. It is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (What better can you write while being held in captivity... crazy mind does crazy things.... you b%$#@&d)
• One billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making it the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. (Good job ladies.. about time you start making that money yourself & then spend it... no???)
• Hallmark produced its first valentine in 1913. (& have been ripping us off since then)
• Today, Hallmark employs an 80-person research staff to analyze the sales pattern of previous valentines. That analysis, combined with more than 100,000 annual customer interviews, focus groups and in-store observations, will help create roughly 2,000 cards in Hallmark's core Valentine's Day line. (I hope they know there are kids startving in third world nations across the planet, global warming, recession & many other issues in this beautiful planet of ours)
• In Japan, women are expected to give chocolate and other gifts to men on Valentine's Day. This tradition was started as a marketing campaign by Japanese chocolate companies. Men are not off the hook, unfortunately. They are expected to return the favor on March 14th, commonly known as White Day. ( Jap-Boys.. it seems you only have 27 days to celebrate!!)
• BBC reports that Shiv Sena, a nationalist political party in India, has spoken out against Valentine's day, calling it "nothing but a Western onslaught on India's culture to attract youth for commercial purposes." (Well.. what else a bunch of girlfriend-less dudes do... poor boys!!!)
• The Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate. In 2001, the U.S. State Department reported child slavery on many cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast. A 2002 report from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture estimated there were 284,000 children working on cocoa farms in hazardous conditions. (Don't they say love is hard, it costs a lot, it's painful, it hurts..... now you know why!!!!)
• "I love you" in German is "Ich liebe dich." & in Hindi is "Main tumse pyaar karta hun"!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!