The vagina. It has more nicknames than just about any other body part, and when you say it out loud there are some people who will still look at you like you’re insane. I once had a health teacher who made the entire class yell “penis” and “vagina” to break the ice before we started our sex ed unit. Say it with me everybody, vagina!

In the spirit of that teacher, I’ve put together some crazy facts about the vagina. We already brought you ten facts this summer, so here are ten MORE things you probably didn’t know about your special lady parts.

initiating the gallery...

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. When she’s not dancing or writing, she can be found exploring the city, and let’s be honest, spending way too much time on the internet. Follow her @garnethenderson.

Well, their great advice has inspired me to give a little advice of my own. Less about choosing a college, and more about the things you should remember once you get there, about how to bridge that gap between college and the real world, and how to make the most of your opportunities while you still have them.

I mean it’s not all boys, beer, and parties (even though those are important too), so here are a few things I wish I knew when I was a mere freshman.

1. You’ll change your major at least once. Everyone always told me this, but I would just shake my head at them and laugh. Not me, I knew what I wanted to major in. I loved to read and to write. I was going to be an English major. But even I eventually had a moment of doubt. The entire second semester of my freshman year into the summer before my sophomore I was convinced I would be changing my major to information systems. That seemed like a far more practical choice with better options for post-grad jobs. Granted I eventually realized I was not made to be an information systems major and found my way back to English (and later, Philosophy) but I was so concerned with trying to pick a major that I didn’t even realize that…

2. What you get your degree in may not necessarily be the field you work in. It’s the truth. Your major does not necessarily have to dictate what you do with your life so much as it explains what you enjoy and what skill sets you will have post graduation.  Granted, pre-med students more often than not will probably go on to become doctors and psychology majors will probably continue their research in graduate schools, but history majors can become politicians or writers or lawyers. I mean, philosophy majors don’t necessarily become…philosophers, right? No, trust me, they don’t. 

3. The humanities are actually pretty applicable to real life. The humanities (English, Philosophy, History) tend to get a bad reputation these days. Because there’s no set post-college career path humanities majors are accused of being lazy, impractical, and unwilling to grow up. Sure, we spend our time reading and discussing and analyzing and researching about things that have already happened, things that have only happened in books, and thinks that will never happen, but all that reading and discussing, all those skills we develop actually come in handy later on in life. It took me a while, but eventually I learned how to spin the skills of an English and Philosophy major to work for just about any job. I mean, what job description these days doesn’t ask for excellent analytical skills, great communication skills, and the ability to work well with others, right?

4. Your advisor can help you. This one may seem like a no brainer, but not nearly enough people utilize their college advisors, and I certainly didn’t during my first few years. These people are there to do more than tell you what classes you need to take in order to graduate on time. They’re there to help you figure out what you want to do with your life. Have something in mind? Ask for their opinions? If they can’t help you, they’ll probably be able to tell you who can, and tell you what you need to do to make it happen. They have connections, and they want to use them to help you, so let them.

5. Get as many internships as possible. The best way to determine whether or not a certain job is right for you is to do that job, and an internship is the perfect way to try it out while you’re still in college. Internships are great because they give you some real life experience, allow you to put all those skills (directly related or not) to good use, and sometimes (if you’re lucky enough to intern for CollegeCandy) they’re actually a lot of fun. Internships allow you to further develop your skills, build up your resume, and test drive a few post-grad options. So do one, do four, do forty, and make the most of all the options available to you as a college girl.

OK, now it’s your turn: Looking back on your college experience, what are some things you wish you knew way back when?

“Nicholas and Alexandra” is a whopping non-fiction history book, totaling 640 pages (including appendices, so it’s a bit shorter!). If you aren’t interested in history, Nicholas was the last Tsar of Russia. Okay, hopefully that triggered something in your subconscious. You’re thinking of Anastasia? The princess who is rumored to have survived the tragedy? Or perhaps Rasputin, the mystic who essentially dissolved the monarchy? And if this is all sounding Greek, let me back up a bit.

Long story short, Nicholas was the last Tsar and a Romanov. The Romanov’s ruled Russia for around 300 years when Nicholas took the throne. He was married to Alexandra, a princess of Hesse and Rhine. They had 5 children: daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and then finally, a son, Alexis. Because of the Pauline Laws imposed in Russia, only a male could be heir to the throne. This made Alexis essentially the prized possession of not only his family, but all of Russia. If Nicholas and Alexandra had not produced a son, Russia could have fallen into the hands of many greedy countries who believed they had a rightful claim.

However, there was one problem: Alexis was a hemophiliac, meaning that his blood didn’t clot properly, along with a slew of other symptoms.

Nowadays, hemophilia isn’t as life-threatening as it was back in the beginning of the 20th century. Every time Alexis so much as tripped, it could mean death. Empress Alexandra was constantly worried about Alexis, but on one particular occasion that worry was somewhat settled. Alexis had an accident and was basically on the brink of death when Alexandra’s friend, Anna, suggested that she call in a man named Gregory Rasputin. Eventually, Rasputin had such an effect on Alexis that Alexandra believed him to be the only thing keeping her son alive. She truly believed him to be a direct conduit to God.

And that is the beginning of the end for the Romanovs.

Doesn’t that read just like a fiction?! I mean, a mysterious Russian peasant, who has been said to hypnotize people with his eyes, becomes BFF of the Empress and basically brings down an empire that is 3 centuries old?! Seriously, the more I dig into history, the more I am amazed at the crazy stuff that happened. Because of this amazing story, I was hooked from the first page. Massie made history completely come alive and I was just as enthralled as I am when reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (admit it, you were too). One of my favorite chapters was when he traced the prevalence of hemophilia through the royal bloodlines of Europe. There was a lot of marrying cousins and the sort going on back then (to preserve the bloodline), so diseases that were genetic had a tendency to pop up even more often that they would in the general population, which is the case for hemophilia. I was also captivated by basically everything to do with Rasputin. I remember my mom playing the “Ra Ra Rasputin” song by Boney M when I was little (if you’ve not heard it, head straight to Youtube, do not pass Go) and to actually learn about the man behind that song was pretty neat.

As you can tell, I am absolutely smitten with this book. It looks intimidating and the subject matter may appear dry on the surface, but if you have a lazy day this holiday season, get yourself “Nicholas and Alexandra”, some hot chocolate or tea and snuggle up because you won’t be able to pull yourself away!

Got some free time? Need something to read over break? Check out Alex’s other book reviews!

Since you ladies loved our history of the bra so much, our friends from OnlineDating.org went ahead and made a visual representation of the history of the thong. You know, so,  you could have a complete two-piece set. Or at least finally know who to blame for inventing this torture system.

Pay attention – you might be tested on this one day.

I’ve always tried to be a good American. I’ve lived each and every day by the words of the good book: the Declaration of Independence. It guides the deeds I do, the words I write, the kicks I wear.

But every Fourth of July, I get stuck. I got parties to plan! Barbecues, decorations, fine beers, crap beers, fireworks, big cars, big cars full of beer. So much to think about! What do I do? The Declaration never mentioned how we should celebrate its own damn self.

But this year, things are different. Because this year, I found something really special. That’s right: The Declaration of Independence, Part Two. Read it and weep, beleaguered patriot partiers, and may tiny American flags spring up where your tears touch the soil.

On Food

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that not all barbecue foods are created equal, because some of them are really freaking gross. Like frozen hamburger patties, you know, those little red saucers that look like fossilized poop when you cook them. Don’t you have 20 minutes to make some yourself? Or is it too gross to rub raw hamburger all over your hands? That’s how we beat King George, you know. He was the raw hamburger, and we were not afraid to rub our hands all over him. Be like us. Celebrating America means crushing your enemies into tiny patties and grilling them over hot coals.

On Fireworks

… That they should keep among them Standing Armies of Awesome Fireworks. Especially those ones that go “bang” and then “… wwhhbang!” and then kinda “ffzzhh ffzhzhh zhhht.” Those are great. And they should be big, like, really big, like illegal-in-whichever-state-you-happen-to-live-in big, which is another good reason why states shouldn’t have rights. And when you set them off, they should kill and cook next year’s Thanksgiving turkey.

On Music

We, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these colonies, have a lot of trouble picking some appropriate tunes. Unless somebody happens to write something patriotic on a boat somewhere, oh, say, 38 years from now, maybe just make it something funky. Like, “Brick House,” or something.

On Decor

In every stage of these Celebrations we suggest blue, white and red decorations, because those are the national colors of France, our friend and ally which is primarily responsible for our Independence. Did I say Primarily? I meant “completely.” Seriously, before those dudes showed up, we were a bunch of muddy yokels wearing dead animals for hats. The French basically made America everything it is today, and so we are declaring the Fourth of July to be National French Appreciation Day. Revel appropriately.

Well, there you have it. Straight from the Founders’ mouths. Take heart these wise words, and look for me when the 4th rolls around – I’ll be the one with the ten-gallon beret.

You goin’ out tonight? Gonna hit the town and celebrate that final final? You gonna get so drunk that the only thing on your mind at the end of the night is gooey, cheesy and totally bad for you?

Me too!

But before you a make poor decision that involves you and the delivery places you clearly have on speed dial, read on. There are some snacks out there that are just not worth eating, no matter how many Vodka Red Bulls you’ve downed in honor of the end of History 240. Things you will regret more in the morning than last weekend’s romp with the History 240 T.A. Assuming all that fat and grease doesn’t prevent you from making it to the morning…

Domino’s Bread Bowl Pasta.

Not sure why you would want to eat this, as it both looks and sounds nauseating. But in case your taste buds aren’t satisfied with noodles alone and they long for a massive tub of soggy bread to soak up all the caloric goodness, just remember… NOT TO LISTEN TO THEM! No really– stay far, far away from this god-awful, heart-attack inducing concoction. I mean, who really needs to eat the bowl!? The giant serving of cheesy, creamy, fatty pasta isn’t enought?

It’s just gross. End of story.

Pizza Hut’s P’zone Pizza.

Described as: “Over a pound of toppings and cheese baked into a folded pizza crust!” I’m pretty sure that translates to: “Over a pound of extra fat stuffed into a pair of skinny jeans!”

Taco-Bell’s Nachos BellGrande.

Any food item with the word “grande” in it should most likely (as in, most definitely) be avoided. Unless it’s from Starbucks. You may think it’s not so bad – it’s  prepared with reduced fat sour cream! – but don’t be fooled. Low fat toppings or not,with 760 calories and 1300 mg of sodium (60% of your daily value of salt packed into one snack….er….fourthmeal!) this is a baaaad late night choice.

KFC Chicken and Biscuit Bowl.

(I think I just puked). Imagine of the four unhealthiest food items: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cheese, and biscuits. Now pile them on top of one another, smother the stuff in gravy, and whad’ya get? Something you should probably never eat.

Pizza Hut’s Stuffed Crust Pizzas.

If pizza itself isn’t a bad enough choice for curing (or provoking) the munchies, try pizza with extra cheese literally “stuffed” into the crust. The pie is apparently packed with melted cheese in the crust “so that the last bite is as good as the first.” Yea…so the last bite is as good, and fatty, as the first one. Two (of those very small Pizza Hut) slices have 800 calories. And if that wasn’t harmful enough, just imagine those grease burns you’ll get when that sh*t drips down your arms. Probably not the best choice during bikini season. Or ever.

This novel is a quick, easy read, but has a great story. Rose is an accomplished author and is exceptional at description, making you feel as though you are in the story. The beautiful settings of modern and ancient Rome and New York City are so vivid and vibrant, I had no problem envisioning the adventure taking place right before my own eyes. The emotions of the story run high as well and I found myself wrapped up in the story, cheering for the good guys and cringing when the bad guys got ahead.

The historical aspect of the book was also a real treat. Rose did her research about ancient Rome and seamlessly intertwined interesting history into her novel. Even though I am history buff and former history major, I found that I learned some about the Pagan religions of the ancients, and especially enjoyed reading about the Vestal Virgins.

Again, if you’re a fan of “The DaVinci Code” or “Angels and Demons,” “The Reincarnationist” will be right up your alley! Full of adventure, history and intrigue, it’s an enjoyable and satisfying read!

Not so fast, girls. I am here to show you some books that are totes worth reading when the 347 pages of History/English/Psych reading are finished. Books that will make you laugh, cry, and change the way you think. Good books (which I know is hard to believe when you think of the stuff assigned for class). Stick with me and you will spend a lot less time watching Real World reruns, and a lot more time enjoying books again.]

A lot of books aimed at women are chock full of shopping, sex and other things that are stereotypically “feminine.” Not this book. The Red Tent is the most female-empowering piece of writing I have ever found.

If you’re familiar with the Bible or the Broadway musical, you know the story of Joseph and his technicolor dreamcoat. This is the story of Joseph’s sister Dinah, who is only mentioned ONCE in the whole Bible! But even if you’re not religious and have no interest in religious history, this book is still worth your time.

Diamant creates a rich and vivid backstory for Dinah and also reveals the female-worshipping ways of the Old Testament. The history itself is fascinating, and even with the barren backdrop of the desert, this book never gets boring. The writing is perfection, too! Diamant is an accomplished author and has a great hold on the English language. She takes advantage of beautiful metaphors to enhance the story and enthrall the reader.

It sounds cheesy, but reading The Red Tent made me feel like such a woman. A proud woman. Diamant empowers women and makes the reader realize that women were once highly revered. She even makes the process of giving birth sound spectacular. After reading this, I am truly grateful to be a women. It’s a fantastic book and a must-read for ladies everywhere.

Women are making strides, actually not strides, leaps and bounds. It would seem that since women won the right to vote in 1920 there wouldn’t be anything left for us to conquer. I mean, that was almost 90 years ago. By now, women should have done everything and have a presence everywhere.

Women have been the first at a lot of things throughout history. Here are just a few of the big moments:

• 1925 Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman governor
• 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic
• 1934 Lettie Pate Whitehead became the first woman to serve as director of a major corporation
• 1960 Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier
• in 1965 Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first Asian-American to be elected to Congress
• 1972 Sally Jean Priesand was the first woman rabbi in the U.S.
• 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court
• 1985 Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to became the chief of the Cherokee Nation
• 1990 Dr. Antonia Novello becomes the first Hispanic woman and woman to be U.S. Surgeon General
• 1992 Carol Moseley-Braun is the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate….and the list goes on.

However, after almost 90 years since women’s suffrage, is there really that much women haven’t done? Is the glass ceiling still that low? The answer to these questions is, yes. And because the answer is yes, women are still making history and being the first, especially in the past two years.

It was announced today that Ann E. Dunwoody would be the first woman four-star general in the U.S. military. Today, at a ceremony at the Pentagon she will be awarded her fourth star. This is huge! This a huge honor, especially since women weren’t permitted to serve in the military until decades into the twentieth century.

Remember the big story just two years ago that Katie Couric would be the first solo female anchor of a national evening news show, CBS Evening News? I think she is doing great!

Another big event (2007) was when Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is one of the top positions in our political system and we have a woman in control!In 2007, Drew Gilpin Faust became the first woman president of Harvard University in the school’s 371-year history. Wow.

Hillary Clinton has been a lot of firsts, the First Lady, the first First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate, and this year the first woman to win a presidential primary. She was so close to running our country it was unbelievable!

Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, was the first woman to run for Vice President on the Republican ticket.

It is hard to fathom that women haven’t done everything, I mean we are all suppose to be equal! I wonder how long it will be until there is nothing left to be the first at?

Apparently, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper’s great-great-grandfather Cornelius Vanderbuilt was the slave owner of Michelle Obama’s great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson. And what’s more, Anderson’s kin has personally invited Obama to visit her ancestor’s grave at the Georgetown, SC plantation named Friendfield. Not surprisingly, Michelle Obama has yet to respond to the invite.

I’m  going to assume that supporting the final days of her husband’s campaign for President of the United States is taking precedence.

We thought we’d seen it all earlier this election season when news of Bristol (daughter of Sarah) Palin’s teenage pregnancy made headlines. But now we’re talking about celebrities/politicians and slavery. Will the press never end?

Of course not.

UPDATE: The source, Mollygood.com (via the New York Daily News), has updated the story to note that Cornelius Vanderbilt came into ownership of Friendfield after Jim Robinson was enslaved there. To clarify, the Vanderbilts never actually owned Robinson as a slave. My apologies for any confusion.