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While we know the secret service protects the president, there’s a lot more that goes into the job. We may have an idea of what they do because of tv shows and movies give them a fictionalized look into their life. Here are 5 interesting things to note about secret service agents. 

Personal Life Can Get Complicated

Agents may be gone for a month or so at a time. It can make it hard to build relationships and even complicate a marriage with kids. 

They Have to Be in Tip Top Shape

They may go through years of training to become an agent, but they have to maintain a good fitness regimen. From physical challenges to different blood, hearing, and vision tests, they need a sound bill of health to pursue this type of career. 

Can Perform “10-Minute Medicine”

Remember that shot and makeshift procedure that James Bond did on himself when he was poisoned in “Casino Royale”? Well, think about how a secret service agent can help save a president’s life long enough to get to a medical professional.

It’s Common to Get Burned Out

Secret service agents do get overworked. While people look at them as machines and “superheroes”, they’re human just like anyone else. It’s a high-stress job with shifts lasting as long as 24 hours. 

Tons of Prep Work Involved 

They go through two years of investigative cases. Also, ex-military and special forces do this type of training to sharpen their skills. 

When it comes to building a strong immune system, it’s important to eat the right foods. There are tons of foods that can help you strengthen your body. Here are 5 foods to boost your immune system. 

Broccoli

This is good food for overall wellness. The antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, E, and potassium makes this a superfood for keeping your body on point. 

Bell Peppers

Not only are these great to cook with and add color to your dishes, but they have good Vitamin C as well. Additionally, they help boost your immune system and eye and skin health. 

Almonds

These have a good source of Vitamin E, which is great for building your immune system especially when you’re older. It’s a good quick snack that has healthy fat and protein as well. 

Leafy Greens

The beta carotene in foods, such as spinach and kale helps you reduce inflammation and fortify your disease-fighting cells. Whether you have it in a smoothie or pair it with a good protein, this is an excellent food choice.

Citrus Fruits

Your daily orange or grapefruit may keep the doctor. These are packed with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can build up a strong immune system. 

This is by far the most iconic holiday film. From kids to adults, this brings a lot of memories and stands the test of time. Here are 5 interesting facts about “A Christmas Story.”

Jack Nicholson As Ralphie’s Dad

The original role for Ralphie’s Dad was supposed to go to Jack Nicholson, but the studio thought he would ask for too much money. 

MGM Film Thought Director Clark Could Churn Out Another Hit Movie

Clark directed “Porky” a year prior, which is why MGM hired him. It was a breakout success, and they thought he could follow suit with “A Christmas Story” despite the film’s obvious differences in the subject matter.

Flick’s Tongue Wasn’t Stuck to a Flagpole

First of all, this was plastic. It was done using a suction tube. This scene actually took over 11 ½ hours to get right. 

There Were 8,000 Actors That Tried Out for Ralphie

While Billingsley was the first to try out and ultimately get the role of Ralphie, there were 8,000 actors who auditioned for the iconic position. 

Most of the Snow Was Artificial

Even though the film was shot in locations that are typically cold in the winter, Toronto and Cleveland, OH, there was no snow. At first, they were getting snow from resorts and other places hundreds of miles away. However, this later became an issue and they had to make their own “snow” from potato flakes, vinyl, and firefighter foam. 

“Men in Black” is such a staple sci-fi movie from the late 90s. Also, it was another blockbuster role for Will Smith as he really started to take over summer movies. Here are 6 interesting things about Men in Black.

D’Onforio Got Sugar High

Remember the scene where the alien drank all of that sugar water. Well, the actor that played him Vincent D’Onforio, literally got sugar high because he had to drink 11-12 glasses of sugar water. 

David Schwimmer Was Originally the Top Choice 

They already secured Tommy Lee Jones, but they were looking at Schwimmer to play the other lead. He was a household name because “Friends” was on fire. However, they saw a young Will Smith who did 6 seasons of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and how he handled “Bad Boys.” They knew he had blockbuster potential even before “Independence Day” dropped. 

John Landis Turned It Down

Landis was up for directing it, but he turned it down because he felt the look with the characters was closely related to “The Blues Brothers.” 

Sonnenfeld Convinced Chris O’Donnell to Turn Down the Role 

Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment joined the production. Spielberg ad one stipulation that Sonnenfeld meets with Chris O’ Donnell. Sonnenfeld already had his heart set on Will Smith, so he said things to O’Donnell like he wasn’t a good director and the film wasn’t going to do well. Anything he did was to convince O’Donnell to back out of it. 

MIB Headquarters

The unique thing is they modeled the headquarters after 1960s airports. 

“The Fifth Element” is one of those 90s movies you can’t help but watch over and over again. It was really a sci-fi flick that was ahead of its time. Here are 6 things you didn’t know about the movie.

Luc Beeson Wrote the Story When He Was a Teen

He was 16 when he wrote this story in France. A lot of it didn’t make sense, but he was certainly onto something big. Veteran screenwriter, Robert Mark Kaman, was brought in to make sense of the story. In the end, they had a 180-page script of something huge. 

Milla Jovovich’s Hair Fell Out

In the early stages of the film, the hairdressers left the heat too long, which led to extreme hair loss. From that point on, her character Leeloo had to have a wig for her flaming orange hair. 

Most Expensive Film Outside the USA

This was at a time that CGI was still very new and super expensive. This film needed a lot of visual effects to pull off that futuristic look. Luckily, the film made twice the cost of production. 

The Cast Thought Bruce Willis Was Going to Be a Nightmare

Everyone in the crew was lectured that Willis had rules. However, he was a delight to work with. Not to mention, he threw the cast a big party after the film shoot was over. 

Based On French Comics

A lot of inspiration came from different comic books, such as “Valérian and Laureline” and “Métal Hurlant.”

Prince and Other Stars Were Originally Supposed to Be in the Movie

Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson were originally meant to star in the film. Also, Prince was supposed to play the role that Chris Tucker ended up playing, Ruby Rhod. However, Prince thought it was too effeminate and he didn’t get off to a good start with the designer, Jean-Paul Gaultier. 

The mid to late 90s were a weird time for Batman movies. These were a bit more comical feeling than the more dark/serious tone of the previous films. Here are 6 weird facts about Batman & Robin. 

The Release Date Was Set Before Filming Began

This is not too uncommon, but the key here was greed. Warner Bros wanted to make more money as quickly as possible because “Batman Forever” was a goldmine. As a result, the quality of the movie suffered because they rushed through a lot of it. 

Val Kilmer Called Out at the Last Second

Kilmer was set to be in this one but called out in the 11th hour because he wanted to film “The Island of Dr. Moreau” once he found out Marlon Brando was supposed to be the lead in it. As a result, George Clooney was called to be Batman at the last minute. He did it as a favor. 

Unwanted Guests Stormed the Set

A lot of guests wanted to take pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which caused a bit of a ruckus. Jon Bon Jovi also stopped by personally give Schwarzenegger some cigars. He liked them so much that he actually smoked one in the film. 

Toy Company Involvement

Apparently, a lot of the major props on the set (even the Batmobile) was created by a toy company. To some people, the movie felt like more of a toy commercial than a film. 

Movie Went Way Over Budget 

First of all, the movie cost $60 million more than “Batman Forever.” A good chunk of that movie was spent on Schwarzenegger’s $25 million salary. He only on set for 25 days. Even star actor, Chris O’Donnell said that the money wasn’t well thought out when spending on unnecessary things. 

Writer Akiva Goldsman Thought the Script Was Awful

Of course, spending was an issue. However, this serious comic book took a cartoony feel. He certainly killed a lot of the essence of what made Batman a great movie translation. 

Street Fighter is the greatest fighting game of all-time. Bar none. In the early 90s, it reached such high popularity in the arcades and home consoles that they wanted to create a movie. Here are 6 bugged out facts about the 90s Street Fighter movie. 

Jean Claude Van Damme Was High as a Kite

Apparently, he not only was coked out of his mind but he was having an affair with Kylie Minogue. He would call out sick so much that Director Stephen de Souza had to film other scenes without him in the script. 

Raul Julia’s Health

He’s probably the saving grace in this film. It kind of sucks that this is the last role he was in before dying. He was dealing with a mean bout of stomach cancer while shooting the film. It was hard for him to gain muscle and fit the role because he kept losing a lot of weight. However, he pulled it off and played an excellent M. Bison. He ended up passing less than a year after he was done shooting the film.

Pyrotechnics Went Haywire

The scene where the temple blows up and the main Street Fighters were outside was a bit extravagant. Apparently, ¼ of it was supposed to blow sky high. However, the whole temple blew up, and it made for a more dynamic scene. 

Kylie Got Cast At the Last Second

When the filming was to transition from Thailand to Australia, de Souza was still trying to decide who would be the female lead. He was reading a magazine with Kylie Minogue in it. Safe to say that the rest is history.

All the Fight Scenes Were Trained in the Same Style

If you’re into Street Fighter, we all know each character has a different background of fighting. Apparently, the main martial arts trainer had no knowledge of this (he should’ve played the game before taking on the job). So, it’s no wonder why the fight scenes for the most part looked very basic. Everything was done at the last minute. 

Jean Claude Van Damme’s English Was Lacking

While Van Damme definitely had the right body to play Guile, he was clearly not American. Van Damme’s Belgian accent was clearly cut and dry in this movie. Not to mention, his “stick-on” American tattoos were obvious. 

When you start traveling the world again, you’re probably going to want to be out and about. You want to be in a place where the weather is absolutely amazing. Here are 7 countries with great weather. 

Australia

Depending on your taste, you have the subtropical climate along the coastlines and the dry desert vibes in the center. 

Italy

This is a nice place to be year-round. If you’re more into summer weather, then the Mediterranean climate kicks off on the coastline. The continental climate is more across the northern and central parts. Be careful because the winters can be a bit harsh at times. 

Greece

The ideal area you want to be is between the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Think about coming to Greece in the summer where it’s a bit more hot and dry if you want to get away from chilly weather. 

Cyprus

Are you a snowbird that just doesn’t like winter weather? This place has some of the warmest winters, period. 

Portugal

Heat is the name of the game. In fact, this country can get up to 3200 hours of sunshine a year. Not to mention, summers can be scorching at 117 degrees Fahrenheit. 

New Zealand

The mild and temperate maritime climate gives you this island kind of vibe. Get ready for a nice tan with the 2,000 hours of sunshine. 

Costa Rica

Simply beautiful. Since this country is near the equator, it gets a tropical element like none other. No wonder people enjoy going to the rainforest here. 

Your best bet right now is to stay put during all of what’s going on in the world. However, when things get open and safer to travel, you should think about trying some fine cuisine from different places. Here are 7 countries with the best food. 

Mexico

There’s nothing like having authentic tacos to wash down with a fine sipping tequila or some margaritas with friends. Not to mention, you can try mezcal with the worm for a unique look into the culture. With rich, wholesome, and spicy foods, you’ll surely get a kick from each dish.

Greek

That unique Mediterranean vibe will certainly increase your palate’s range. A fulfilling gyro with some lamb or beef sounds amazing right about now. 

Italy

For pasta lovers, this is paradise. The filling portions, the fresh ingredients, and impeccable sauces just have your mouth salivating for more. Not to mention, the dessert and wine are off the charts. 

Peru

Just imagine tasting this charbroiled Peruvian chicken. The slight kick of spice with the broiled flavor from the grill is simply impeccable. Wash your food down with a frothy Pisco Sour. 

Jamaica

The curry and jerk of Jamdown send a lasting buzz to your tongue. Get a cream soda and a beef patty before taking a trip to the beach. Maybe you want to relax in the shade with a Jamaican Rum Punch. Be careful with the Wray and Nephew, though.

Bahamas

The mix between British, Spanish, African, and indigenous food is simply amazing. Try some conch fresh from the water. Some gungo peas (pigeon peas) and rice will certainly fill you up. Maybe you’ll want to wash that down with Bahamas Goombay Punch if you like a bit of sweetness. 

El Salvador

The delicious food here has that great Central American flavor. A hearty pupusa is sure to get things rolling. Maybe some nice chicken and platanos fritos con crema on the side will warm your heart. Enjoy an ice-cold horchata to round everything off. 

There are a lot of things we still haven’t discovered about the past. It’s always going to be something eerie that will continue to bend our minds for centuries. Here are 7 of history’s best-kept secrets.

Gold Buddha in Plain Sight

This 9-foot tall buddha stood in plain sight for over 600 years. People bypassed it because of the covering but didn’t realize until it was dropped that it was made entirely out of gold. 

Greek Fire a Mystery

This was the fire that just continued to burn. The Byzantine Empire used this weapon from 670 to 1453. We still haven’t replicated this to today. This could be set on fire and even accelerate in water. The key to taking the fire out was vinegar and sand. 

Who’s the Man Behind the Iron Mask?

For centuries, it’s been debated who was the guy behind that mask. People have said it was a valet. However, that type of punishment still garners a major question of who would even go through that serious of a life. 

King Tut’s Tomb Not His Final Resting Spot

Looters were not able to find tut and his belongings for millennia. Why? Well, apparently his teenage body wasn’t built for it and they buried him elsewhere.

Rome’s Secret Concrete Recipe

There are certain structures like domes and coliseums that we just can’t get right even with our modern technology. Rome hid the secret to building this special concrete. While we can gather they made it out of volcanic ash and salt water, the other ingredients escape us. Crazy how these structures have been there for thousands of years. 

The Location of Genghis Khan’s Tomb 

Over 800 years later and this item still can’t be found. Khan wanted his tomb to be completely hidden. I certainly got his wish. Mongolians consider this blatant disrespect for people who want to search his tomb because they believe he should get his wish even hundreds of years later. 

The Expensive Manhattan Project

Due to the US being afraid that Germany had their own extraordinary weapon hidden, America wanted to get a leg up. They began taking this Manhattan project initiative, which costs billions of dollars. Luckily, they were able to make the atomic bomb out of this $2 billion project.