1. Cinco de Mayo IS NOT Mexico’s Independence Day. Most Americans confuse this holiday with Mexico's Independence Day, but that date is Sept. 16.

2. Cinco de Mayo IS a celebration of the Battle of Puebla. The holiday commemorates the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

3. Cinco de Mayo IS a celebrations of underdogs. Why make such a big deal over one victory? The win at Puebla was a huge deal for Mexico because the Mexican Army went into the battle as underdogs. They had no training and no equipment and were vastly outnumbered against the well-armed, well-disciplined and well-funded French, who up until that point had defeated them at every turn. Yet, they prevailed.

4. Cinco de Mayo IS NOT really a big deal in Mexico. With all of the fuss around May 5th here in the U.S., you would think it was the biggest holiday in Mexico — but that's not the case. That honor goes to Mexican Independence Day. Still, Mexicans do celebrate the day with family get-togethers, fireworks, dancing and lots of yummy food.

5. Cinco de Mayo IS a holiday for everyone to celebrate. Many towns around the U.S. have festivals, fiestas, dances, fireworks, food and music in honor of the holiday. It's a great time to teach your kids about the culture, people and history of Mexico — or even learn a little yourself.

Last week, the Federal Reserve released images of the new $100 bill, which comes out in October and has more features to prevent counterfeiting . . . including gold all over the front and back.

That's not to say paper money doesn't ALREADY have a ton of security features though.  And if you know what you're looking for, it's not that hard to spot a fake.  Check out the seven easiest ways you can tell.

1.  The Portrait Doesn't Look Right.  Unless they're terrible counterfeiters, it'll probably be the CORRECT portrait.  But according to the Secret Service, the ink on fake bills tends to bleed, which makes the portraits look more lifeless and flat.

2.  The Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals Look Messed Up.  They're on the front of the bill, and they're about the size of a dime.  On REAL currency, they look perfect, but they sometimes look distorted on a counterfeit.

Also, the color of the green treasury seal and the green serial number should be exactly the same.

3.  The Outside Border Is Blurry.  Counterfeits use a slightly different printing method than the U.S. Treasury does, which can cause the ink to bleed around the border, or pretty much anywhere else.

4.  The Spacing Between the Serial Numbers Is Off.  Even on a real bill, the letters on each SIDE of the serial number are slightly offset.  But the spacing between the actual digits should be consistent.

5.  The Paper Doesn't Have Red and Blue Fibers In It.  Counterfeiters have tried to replicate them by either adding red and blue ink lines, or by rubbing the bills down with CAT HAIR that's been dyed.

But on a real bill, the hairs are embedded in the paper and won't rub off.

6.  The Bill Has No Texture.  Real bills have a "raised texture" because of the type of printing press that's used.  As opposed to fake bills, which are often made digitally.  So it's just a flat piece of paper.

7.  It Doesn't Have a Watermark.  This one's tough to see unless you hold it directly in front of a light, but every bill made after 1999 . . . except $1 and $2 bills . . . has a watermark to the right of the portrait.

On $5 bills, it's the number "5."  On tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds, it's a faded copy of the portrait. 

(247WallSt.com)

One Shot This game, also known as “Knock Three Bottles Off,” seems relatively simple at first glance. The player has to knock three bottles or cans off of a table with one shot. The hidden trick behind the game is that the bottles are all weighted differently and usually weigh more than you will ever be able to knock over with one toss. Your best tactic is to ask the carnie running the game to stack them in a pyramid formation for you. You could possible knock them all over that way, by aiming towards the middle and hoping you hit all three, but even the best case scenario in this game has you losing a lot of money.

Water Gun Horse Races This game, in which you spray a target to move a horse around a racetrack, is really about who wants it more. By “who wants it more” we mean, “who is willing to take down all the players in order to win.” The best strategy, according to an avid carnival gamer, who wishes to remain anonymous: spray the other players first, starting with the one you think will be most distracted by getting a face full of water. With any carnival game, the element of surprise will usually work in your favor. For the record, we don’t advise making enemies at the fair by spraying people in the face. The best way to win any game is to be on your best behavior and play by the rules.

Machine Gun The classic refrain, “you’ll shoot your eye out,” loses its meaning when it comes to strapping on a BB gun and trying to hit a paper target in this carnival game. The whole point of the game is to enjoy shooting a BB gun, so don’t get caught up in the fact that it is almost impossible to win. The goal is usually to shoot out an entire target; sometimes it’s a star, other times a clown face. If there’s even the slightest bit left on the target, you lose. The carnival rifles are designed to have less precision than a normal BB gun, so even if you’re an excellent marksman, odds are you won’t hit the target. One trick that may help in taking down the whole target is to aim for the area around the target, not the target itself. You may be able to shoot a ring around it, which will punch out the entire target.

Balloon Pop Another carnival classic is the old “throw the dart at the balloon” game. This game seems super simple, just toss a dart at a balloon. Think again. A balloon is only easy to pop when it is fully inflated. If the balloons are not completely filled with air, this game is next to impossible to win. A tip: only aim for the fullest balloons, even if they are far away or at odd angles.

Basketball Free Throw This game, of all carnival games, would seem the less likely to be rigged. Many people play basketball and if you know how to make a free throw, you’ll be able to sink a few in this game. Think again. If you take a closer look at the set up you’ll realize that the sizes are all off. The ball is smaller and so is the hoop. The backboard is angled in such a way that it actually makes it harder to sink a shot if you try to bounce it off the backboard. Our advice, shoot underhand. You will most definitely look stupid while you are shooting, but once you’ve won yourself a giant pink teddy bear, well, you may still look stupid, but you’ll be a winner nonetheless.

Funnel Cakes Yes, we know, it’s not a game. But let’s be serious, after losing all your savings to some carnie, the one thing you’ll want to do is drown your sorrows in a funnel cake. This is by far the best “game” at the carnival, because everyone feels like a winner with a fist full of fried dough and a face coated in powdered sugar. So our final words of wisdom: play the only game you can win, funnel cakes.

Eating at night doesn't always make you fat. In fact, new research shows there are benefits, including bigger muscles and a faster up metabolism.

1. More Muscle--Scientists found that consuming casein (the dominating protein in milk) after an evening workout and 30 minutes before sleep increased protein synthesis in men. 2. Faster Metabolism--A study found that when fit men eat a 150-calorie nighttime snack consisting of protein or carbohydrates, they have a higher resting metabolic rate in the morning than when they don't eat anything before bed.

3. Less Hunger--Having a snack before bed can leave you less hungry in the morning and between meals the next day. The type of food didn't matter, but emphasizing protein is smart because it helps you build muscle.

4. Lower Weight--Having cereal can be a great way to end the day. People who ate cereal before bed lost 2 pounds in 4 weeks, while people who didn't have the cereal lost about a half pound.

Tourists aren't known for their fashion style.  So, according to a survey by a website called PromotionalCodes.org.uk, here are six fashion mistakes you should avoid when you go on vacation this summer:  

1.  Showing too much skin.

2.  Socks with sandals. 

3.  Getting your hair braided by one of those guys on a Caribbean beach. 

4.  Loud Hawaiian shirts or shorts.

5.  Matching outfits with your significant other.

6.  Buying a souvenir t-shirt from wherever you're visiting, then wearing it there.

(Female First)

Forget the face lift and the tummy tuck, the next best thing in plastic surgery is the arm lift.

Called brachioplasties, the procedure has absolutely soared in demand over the past few years. The procedure can be done in a single day and removes extra skin from armpit to elbow.

So why the sudden interest in the arm?

Not only are toned arms fashionable at the moment, many people who lose a large amount of weight still tend to have skin stretched out on their arm that can be seen as unsightly.

We heard last week that CLINT EASTWOOD'S wife DINA was entering rehab to be treated for anxiety and depression.  And now TMZ says her troubles were caused by the fact that there's trouble in the marriage . . . and it may be OVER. 

Clint was even photographed             without his wedding ring this weekend.  (Here's a picture . . . along with a photo from last year of him wearing it.) 

 (TMZ)

Jason Aldean and his wife have separated. A source tells US Weekly, “There were obvious problems before the bar kiss, but he finally left earlier this year.''

Jason's rep says, ”I can confirm that Jason and his wife are having problems, but there is nothing more to share at this time. It’s a private family matter, and we hope everyone will respect that he would like to keep it that way.”

- UPDATE -

Jason Aldean filed divorce papers late last week in Williamson County, Tennessee.

The papers cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split from Jessica Ussery, his wife of 12-years. The filing comes after word last week that the high school sweethearts were separating.

Last year, when Jason was photographed kissing an American Idol contestant after a gig, he issued a public apology, and it appeared that he and Jessica were working out their problems. But suspicions began to surface when he showed up at the recent ACM Awards alone.