In One Ear

Have you ever considered which ear you would rather listen to someone talk into as opposed to which ear you would enjoy hearing music played? I had never given it a thought. The right ear is better at processing speech as it is processed in the left hemisphere of the brain. The left ear is better suited for distinguishing musical sounds. A person is also more likely to respond to a request if spoken into the right ear. The right ear preference is also found in several animals that were observed turning their right ear toward the sound or in some cases lifting their right ear.
With that said,how about closing out the year with a few more misheard song lyrics?
The Beatles from "Eight Days a Week"= "Hey say Louise",from "Day Tripper"="Gay Stripper". Led Zeppelin from Stairway to Heaven, "And as we wind on down the road"= "There's a wino down the road". Robert Palmer from Addicted to Love, "Might as well face it,you're a dick with a glove". Bee Gees from "Stayin' Alive"=Steak and a knife,steak and a knife". Madonna from Like a Virgin "Like a virgin touched for the 31st time". From We Wish You a Merry Christmas,"now bring us some friggin' pudding". I hope I have left you with enough laughs to last you until next year!

Resolution Revolution

Today's blog might seem like it is a day early,but I thought some of you might enjoy some time to digest this idea,plus it will still be timely for those readers in countries a day ahead of us.
44% of Americans make New Year's resolutions,few in that percentage achieve their goal. I discovered this about myself decades ago and quit the whole process. Why set yourself up to fail and ruin a perfectly good New Year  beating yourself up over it? Most resolutions are too complicated to meet with any degree of success to begin with, and just because it is a New Year doesn't mean your habits will be any easier to break. If you feel pressured when asked what your resolutions are, there are many options. I always said I was resolving not to make any resolutions. If you're not comfortable with being that straight forward,go for something easily achieved,or maybe something you routinely do anyway. If none of these sound like they will work for you,offer to open a fix-it shop for all the people who break their resolutions!

Happy New Year...a day early!

True Story

Mary Had a Little Lamb is a 19th century nursery rhyme of American origin,and rather than being based on gossip or rumors it is based on a true story.
Mary Sawyer kept a pet lamb,which she took to school one day at the suggestion of her brother. As in the rhyme it caused a commotion. A young man named John Roulstone visited the school that morning,and was pleased with the lamb incident.
Two theories exist on the authorship of the poem,one is Roulstone wrote the first 4 lines and the final 12 were composed by Sarah Josepha Hale,the second is Hale was the sole author.
Mary Sawyer's house was destroyed by arson in 2007,a statue representing Mary's Little Lamb stands in the town center in Sterling,Massachusetts. The Redstone school was relocated to Sudbury,Massachusetts.

Is it just me,or does the lamb in this picture look a lot more like a goat?

Tails You Win!

Mycology is the science dedicated to the study of fungi,including potential uses for medicinal applications. The most well known fungi derived medicine is penicillin,but there are others waiting in the wings with life saving value.
Renowned mycologist,Paul Stamets,had an experience with his mother and mushrooms saving her life. Stamet's mother had stage IV breast cancer and it had metastasized to her liver. The oncologist predicted she had 3 to 6 months to live,but told them about a new study using Turkey Tail mushrooms to cure cancer. Stamet's mother tried the mushrooms (along with the drug Ariceptin). Seven months later she was declared cancer free.
The Turkey Tail mushrooms have a long history of medicinal use. They have many medicinal and health benefits but are most prized as a natural source of the anti-cancer polysaccharide PSK. PSK fights cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and boosting the immune system,all without the toxicity and side effects common with traditional treatments. The usual dosage is 2 to 3 grams 3 times a day either mixed with food or taken in capsule form.

Flip Side

Not long ago I mentioned all the super caffeinated energy drinks on the market,and wondered how healthy they were. I didn't consider the other end of the spectrum,natural sleep aids. Several years ago L-Tryptophane (the amino acid found in turkey that makes you sleepy) was taken off the market because it was thought to be linked to some deaths,it was brought back to the shelves later on, apparently cleared of the crimes. Melatonin (a hormone) is another natural sleep aid which is usually taken in a pill form. Apparently someone came up the the idea of making brownies with melatonin and calling them Lazy Cakes (also sold as Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies). My first thought when I heard that was," wouldn't the chocolate in the brownies cancel out the affects of the melatonin?" There was trouble down the road for Lazy Cakes. Since children are drawn to brownies it was only a matter of time before the FDA was called in. Children have higher melatonin levels so it is not a recommended supplement for them. Overdose of melatonin is rare,but without any warning on the packaging,and considering the delicious brownie delivery system it was an accident waiting to happen. Melatonin should not be used by pregnant women,women on birth control pills or people with high blood pressure,it also reacts with certain prescription drugs...and since it is a sleep related supplement do they really need to add may cause drowsiness?

Sweet/Hot

There are many types of onions of both the sweet and pungent varieties. What makes a sweet onion mild is due to low sulphur content and high water content. Walla Walla sweet onions are the older of the two most well known brands in the U.S. A French solider that settled in the Walla Walla,WA. area around 1900 planted an onion seed he had brought from the island of Corsica. The onion was developed over the years by selecting and reseeding onions that were sweet,large and round shaped.
The Vidalia onion was first grown in the early 1930s and is a sweet yellow onion. Georgia's legislature passed the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986 which authorized a trademark for "Vidalia Onions" and limits production area to Georgia. The sandy soil and mild climate they are grown in provide the Vidalia with its distinct flavor.


Walla Walla onions

 While sweet onions can be used in many ways one might not ordinarily use onions,I prefer the pungent variety of onion.


Vidalia onions



Going Green

Apparently grass flip flops never caught on,they were introduced summer of 2008 by Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the UK. Free pairs were handed out to London commuters. I can see advantages and drawbacks to this rather unique design...if foot odor was an ongoing problem perhaps the chlorophyll on the grass would be helpful? The flip side of that benefit might be grass stains left on carpeting,furniture,or where ever you were when you removed your sandals,and what about fleas? Fleas love to hang out in the grass,waiting for the opportunity to hitch a ride into your home on the off chance of becoming intimate friends with you or your pets.
The idea was hatched to create a connection to the outdoors for those stuck in urban settings. Each flip flop has 5,000 blades of grass (wonder who counts the blades of grass?) growing from its sole. If tended and watered they will last over 4 months.
Is it just me or does this seem like something Chia Pet should be hawking?

Fractured Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas
Politically Correct

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck…
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!
The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.
No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football…someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere…even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth…"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth."
Notice: This poem is copyright ©1992 by Harvey Ehrlich. It is free to distribute, without changes, as long as this notice remains intact. All follow-ups, requests, comments, questions, distribution rights, etc should be made to mduhan@husc.harvard.edu .

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Boo-Hoo?

Did you know Casper the Friendly Ghost had three uncles called the Ghostly Trio? I didn't remember this but after it simmering on the back burner for a few days I decided maybe I did remember...it was power of suggestion as the Ghostly Trio wasn't introduced until 1995 in the film entitled "Casper".
There is a lot I either never knew or didn't remember about Casper. I never knew there was controversy over him being a dead child,I assumed as much since he was smaller than the other ghosts and only wanted to make friends instead of scare people. To end the debate Harvey Comics provided an answer,Casper was a ghost because his parents were already ghosts when they were married. I also didn't notice he had a New York accent. Initially Casper was depicted as portly with no feet,but was later slimmed down and feet were added. A back story for Casper was constructed in the film as well. Casper was a 12 year old boy living in Whipstaff Manor with his father,inventor J.T. McFadden until he died of pneumonia after playing in the cold until dark.
Another Casper claim to fame was his apearances on "Matty's (Mattel's) Funday Funnies" which introduced the Barbie doll in 1959.

What's Bugging You?

Quite by accident I came across the question"Was the first computer bug a real insect?" The answer is yes and no. The term bug for a problem was in use well before computers. The first example cited in the Oxford English Dictionary is from The Pall Mall Gazette,dated March 11,1889: "Mr. Edison,I was informed,had been up the previous two nights discovering a bug in his phonograph an expression for solving a difficulty,and implying that some imaginary insect had secreted itself inside and is causing all the trouble." The original bug was imaginary,but another story involving an early electromechanical computer reportedly failed because an insect had been smashed between the moving parts of a relay switch causing it to jam. The incident was written up in the logbook and spread from there through the early computer industry. So there was a real bug at one point,but probably not in the case of the first usage of the phrase.

What's in a Name?

According to David Letterman Mr. Peanut's first name is Keith,he also claims that this icon was arrested in New York City for walking down the street chanting "eat me",so take that with a grain of salt (pun intended).
Mr. Peanut's creator,a 14 year old schoolboy name Antonio Gentile called him Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe. Antonio won a contest in 1916 to create a company logo for Planters Peanuts by submitting his drawing of a Peanut Man dressed in top hat,monocle,spats,gloves and a cane.
In 2006,Planters conducted an online contest to determine whether to add to Mr. Peanut's attire. The public voted for no change. The character was often accompanied by an accented narrator in television commercials,Mr. Peanut never spoke. On November 8,2010 Planters announced Mr. Peanut would be given a voice,the voice was supplied by actor Robert Downey Jr. In 2011 Mr. Peanut's stunt double named Peanut Butter Doug was introduced for the Planter's Peanut Butter launch.

Just in Case

I was thinking that with the end of the world coming up tomorrow (according to the Mayan calendar) that perhaps I should offer up some more humor so we can all go with a happy thought. There is good news involved too! No more fretting over that pesky Fiscal Cliff if the world does indeed meet its demise. With all that said I will get on with today's offering.

Simile Smiles

These are supposed to be actual similes and metaphors found by high school English teachers in their students essays. Whether or not they are for real,they are well worth reading if you need a laugh.
Her face was a perfect oval,like a circle that had its two side gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
His thoughts tumbled in his head,making and breaking alliances,like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room temperature Canadian beef.
She had a deep,throaty,genuine laugh,like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
Her vocabulary was as bad as,like,whatever.
He was as tall as a six-foot,three-inch tree.
The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
Doesn't leave a lot of hope for a future generation of authors!

Old News of a Weird Event

Those of us living in the U.S. have heard stories of difficult illegal border crossings. I have always wondered if it was really worth risking your life to get into another country,but not knowing what they may be leaving behind it would be hard to say. Today's blog is about a different kind of attempt at illegal immigration,that will leave you with question to which only those involved would know the answers.
This attempt took place in September of this year in the Spanish enclave of Melilla. Two Moroccan men aged 21 and 23 tried to smuggle a 20 year old Guinean man over the crossing at Beni-Enzar disguised as a Renault's car seat. The foam and insides of the passenger seat had been discarded leaving only the seat frame. The attemptee slid into the frame and one of the other men sat on top of him. Apparently he went unnoticed until the police were examining the seat and touched flesh. You have to give them credit for creativity!

Foiled Again

New York City is an amazing place with so many thing to see and do it could take years if not a lifetime to take it all in. I have been there a couple of times and hope to return.
Most people have heard of "The Dakota" if for no other reason that was where former Beatle,John Lennon lived and was killed in front of on December 8, 1980. His wife Yoko Ono still is in residence as far as I can determine. The exterior is also featured in the movie "Rosemary's Baby",but I digress so on with the rest of the story.
The popular story on the naming of "The Dakota" is that at the time it was built (commissioned by Edward Clark,head of Singer Sewing Machine Company) the Upper West Side of Manhattan was sparsely inhabited and considered as remote as the Dakota Territory. The more likely story is the building was named because of Clark's fondness for the names of the western states and territories. High above the 72nd Street entrance the figure of a Dakota Indian keeps watch.
For some reason I prefer the former story to the latter,not that it matters what I think!

Just for Fun

I thought it would be fun to do a Christmas trivia blog for today. For the regular readers this shouldn't be too surprising as I am a trivia buff. The answers will follow the end of the questions,try not to peek. So with that said,let's get started!
1. What regular Christmas offering costs around $107,000?
2. Which Christmas carol mentions Satan?
3. The Little Drummer Boy kept time. Who accompanied him?
4. Which country is credited with creating eggnog?
5. After leaving Bethlehem,which country did Joseph,Mary,and Jesus travel to?
6. How does Santa get back up the chimney?
7. Of all the popular Christmas songs,which is the best selling single of all time?
8. Red and green are the traditional Christmas colors. Which other two colors are popular at Christmas?
9. What color are the berries on mistletoe?
10. Which country does St. Nicholas originally belong to?

1. The total of the items in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
3. The ox and the lamb.
4. England.
5. Egypt
6. He places a finger on the side of his nose,gives a nod,and up he goes.
7. White Christmas.
8. Gold and silver.
9. Red. (I thought they were white.)
10. Turkey.

Innocence Found

Since October 19th of this year when I did my first nursery rhyme related blog, I have been on a quest to find an innocent nursery rhyme that was really about what it seemed to be about with no hidden meanings. "Three Little Kittens" is the first one I have come across that fits the bill.
"Three Little Kittens" was first published in 1833 in Britain. The rhyme as published today is usually attributed to Eliza Lee Cabot Follen an American poet. The version thought to be her work was introduced in the U.S. in 1843. It is thought that Follen may have refined and polished a rude version of the poem making it her own. The poem avoids the typical moralization in favor of  satirical nonsense and wordplay (which is what most people believe nursery rhymes to be). It is one of the first pieces of children's literature produced for amusement and entertainment.

Not the Plan

Originally I had planned a light-hearted,innocent blog for today,but out of respect for the families involved in the Sandy Hook Connecticut Elementary School shooting that blog is on hold.
What has changed so drastically in the last few decades to drive these young people to go shoot strangers,children,and sometimes family members,then turn the gun on themselves and end their young lives? An expert who was speaking about it said they were seeking their 15 minutes of fame. If that is the case why does the media keep catering to them? Mental illness is not a new disease,so again,what has changed? With all the conveniences at our fingertips have these young adults decided they would rather die than have to face the responsibilities of adulthood?
As late as the 1960s I believe boys still carried their pocketknives to school,now many schools have metal detectors. The 1960s are looked back on as the "peace and love" generation. What will this decades tag line be?
Again,I offer my sympathy.

Getting Fresh

I don't remember this character,but we may not have had a TV yet as we lived a considerable distance from Portland,and when we did get a TV it was only able to pick-up two stations. I do remember watching Zorro but it may have been after this birds time. Some of the pictures are vaguely familiar,but I could have seen them in a store.
Fresh-Up Freddie was created by Disney as an advertising spokesman (or should that be spokesbird?) for 7-Up in 1957. Freddie was created for a 7-Up sponsorship of Disney's prime time Zorro TV series. The Disney studios made the commercials and designed the character. Freddie gave lessons about how to plan successful parties and picnics by having plenty of 7-Up on hand. Freddie was often dressed in human clothes.

Not Very Bright

Charlie Chaplin died on 12/25/1977 in Switzerland at 88 years of age. On 3/2/1978 he was dug up and stolen. His remains were recovered by Swiss police on 5/17/1978. Two Eastern European refugees confessed to the crime. The surviving Chaplins began receiving ransom demands by phone several weeks after the coffin was taken. There were many false calls but one demand was backed up with a photo of the coffin.
Chaplin's widow refused to consider ransom (no duh?) but in order to cooperate with police,they bargained through their lawyer with the robbers over a tapped phone. By the time the demand had dropped from $600,000 to $250,000 the police were able to trace the calls to a pay telephone.
Maybe it is just me,but doesn't this whole scenario seem like a bizarre plan? Why would anyone go to all the trouble of digging up a body thinking they could ransom it to the family? What kind of threats could they make? Killing the deceased is out,as is dismemberment,so that leaves what?...You will never see them again,but wait,you would never see them again anyway! Oh well,just another of those things that makes a person scratch their head.

Sing It Again

This is my something newly learned for the day: Mondegreens are an aural malapropism. Instead of saying the wrong word,you hear the wrong word. Mondegreen generally applies to song lyrics,although it can apply to any misheard phrase. The term was coined by Sylvia Wright who misheard the lyrics of "The Bonny Earl of Murray" as:
Ye Highlands and ye lowlands
Oh where hae you been?
Thou hae slay the Earl of Murray
And Lady Mondegreen.
The actual last line was "slay the Earl of Murray and laid him on the green."
The following are some misheard song lyrics for your amusement: "Dead ants are my friend,they're blowin in the wind." (real lyrics) ("The answer my friend is blowin in the wind.") "Midnight after you're wasted." ("Midnight at the oasis.") "The girl with colitis goes by." ("The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.") "She's got a chicken to ride." ("She's got a ticket to ride.") "Hold me closer Tony Danza." ("Hold me closer tiny dancer.") "Are you going to starve an old friend?" ("Are you going to Scarborough Fair?") "Baking carrot biscuits." ("Taking care of business.") "Donuts make my brown eyes blue." ("Don't it make my brown eyes blue.") "Got a lot of lucky peanuts." ("Got a lot of love between us.") "Just brush my teeth before you leave me,baby." ("Just touch my cheek before you leave me,baby.")
I hope everyone got as many laughs out of these as I did!

Winos Unite! (or is that untie?)

Today's blog is dedicated to my newest follower (not to mention any names,Willa!). All it took was saying "Thank you for your support" and my mind raced off to where that line had come from. As I went about my morning tasks I could almost picture the speaker behind that line,and at first thought it had come from a beer commercial...I was almost right!
From 1985-1991 Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes sat on their front porch and related messages about the delicious alcoholic beverage which bore their names "Bartles & Jaymes Premium Wine Cooler".
Frank (in a fedora) did all the talking while Ed (in a baseball cape) listened quietly to his partner and the reasons people should drink their wine coolers. At the conclusion of each commercial,Frank politely said, "and thank you for your support."
The Frank and Ed spots were created for Gallo Wines. An example of a typical spot: "Hello there. My name is Fred Bartles and this is Ed Jaymes. You know,it occurred to Ed the other day that between his fruit orchard and my premium grade wine vineyard,we could make a truly superior grade wine cooler. It sounded good to me. So Ed took out a second on his house and wrote to Harvard for an MBA,and now we're preparing to enter the wine cooler business. We will try to keep you posted on how it's going. And thank you for your support."
When President Bush's 19 year old twin daughters Jenna and Barbara were cited for underage alcohol offenses,Jay Leno,host of The Tonight Show,dubbed them Bartles& Jaymes,with an "Anheuser" Bush chaser.

Meanings...

The other day I heard the motto for the FBI was Fidelity,Bravery,Integrity. I hadn't given any previous thought to the agency having a motto,but was surprised that the letters of the motto were the same as those of the agency it stood for. The motto dates back to 1935. It is my understanding that until that time the Bureau had yet to have an official motto. It was known by several nicknames: Justice Agents,D.J. Men,Government Men (G-Men),Crime Bureau,Identification Bureau,and Crime Prevention Bureau. The motto was chosen to represent the letters FBI:Fidelity,Bravery,Integrity.
Like most seals the symbols and colors have significance. The dominant blue field of the shield and scales represent justice. The endless circle of 13 stars denotes unity of purpose,as with the 13 original states. The laurel leaf symbolizes academic honors,distinction,and fame. There are 46 leaves in the two branches,which stand for the 46 states at the time of the Bureaus creation. Red traditionally stands for courage,valor,and strength,while the white stands for cleanliness,light,truth and peace,these are seen in the parallel red and white stripes. The peaked and bevelled edge of the seal symbolizes the challenges and ruggedness of the organization,the gold color its value.
Some might argue that it is time for a make-over,but since it would no doubt turn into a cost prohibitive project,I say leave it be!

An Odd Collection

When I first heard about this collection I had to ask myself why would anyone collect air sick bags (unused!)? Niek Vermeulen a 75 year old Dutchman started collection airline sickness bags in the 1970s on a bet with a friend to see who could accumulate the most of any one item and register a world record. He has 6,016 bags from 1,142 different airlines in 160 countries after over 40 years of collecting. His favorite bag is from NASA space shuttle Columbia that spent 16 days in space. He is looking for a successor to take over the collection if anyone is interested.
I have done a fair amount of air travel,but the only bags I have seen are just plain white ones...I must need to expand my horizons!

So You Think You Can Drink?

Today's blog reminds me of a story one of the guys I used to work with told about when he was in the Marines. There was going to be a drinking contest between our troops and New Zealand. In his words,"We sent in our best drunks,but they were no match for the New Zealanders." Anyway this little guy could no doubt put even the New Zealanders to shame. The Malaysian pen-tailed tree shrew subsists on a diet equivalent to 100% beer. It drinks the fermented nectar of the flower buds of the bertam palm plant. The nectar can reach up to 3.8% alcohol content,one of the highest contents recorded in a natural food. Several other animals (humans included) drink alcohol,but not on a continuous basis. These little guys do it around the clock all year long. Here is the part that made me remember the New Zealand drinking story,the shrews don't seem to get drunk. They measured blood alcohol in the animals higher than similar doses in humans,but they showed no signs of intoxication. (I have to wonder exactly how they measured their blood alcohol...did they dress another shrew in a police uniform and have them take a breath-a-lyzer? or perhaps a little shrew in a nurse's uniform drew blood.)
Researchers hope to figure out how these tiny creatures cope with the mass quantities of alcohol in hope of developing medicines for alcohol poisoning.

A Simple Thing

Today we take many things for granted,but some of the simple things have interwoven histories that give them more depth.
The disposable drinking cup now known as Dixie Cup is something no one gives much thought too,but had it not been invented we might all still be sharing communal cups or dippers and the germs of others using the same cup. In 1907 Lawrence Luellen began to see this problem and started working on ideas to solve it. Many designs were tried and failed. By 1916 he had came up with a water vending machine with disposable cups called Health Kups. The flu epidemic after World War I put the cups in higher demand and more companies entered the business. To set the product apart from the competition in 1919 the Health Kup became the Dixie Cup,named after a line of dolls. Business expanded again when it was discovered that the drinking cups were ideal for individual servings of ice cream and Dixie Cup took on another meaning.
I had never connected the two seemingly different Dixie Cups to the same maker,so once again I have learned something new.

Dog Drive

I know,3 days in a row on the subject of dogs,but that is just the way things have unfolded,bear with me I think you will agree it is worth it.
I don't know if automatic transmissions still have a position marked DD or not as I rarely drive an automatic. It doesn't seem like they do, if I recall correctly,they are marked PRNLD & D2 and so on with minor variance. The reason I mention that is back in the mid 1980s a friend and myself both had uncommonly clever dogs and we would tell each other stories about what our dogs could do. The friend's dog would always claim the driver's seat as soon as she left the vehicle (I think they do this to sit in the warm spot or maybe just for the scent?) and she claimed he was teaching himself to drive,that was what the DD position on the shift lever stood for...Dog Drive.
Fast forward to today...in New Zealand a campaign started by the SPCA to clear up misconceptions about adopting older dogs,they have been teaching dogs to drive! They figure by showing the public that an old dog can learn new tricks,will make them more adoptable. They hope that the dogs achievements behind the wheel will show the potential these animals possess for being good pets. So far the dogs have driven only with human (mostly verbal) guidance,however next week one star pupil will try a solo trip.
I am not really too surprised by this,but I can't help but wonder how you would list them on your insurance?
WATCH: New Zealand Dogs Learn How to Drive

Speaking of Dogs

In my quest to learn something new everyday I sometimes page through a giant book of trivia. Yesterday I found an entry that qualified as something I didn't know,but it seemed to be of dubious nature when I tried to verify it. The book stated that Paul Bunyan's dog's name was Fido. My first thought was "Paul Bunyan had a dog?" For you regular readers you will recall that Abe Lincoln's dog's name was Fido,which I thought was an odd coincidence (for those of you with suspicious natures feel free to add,"There are no coincidences.")
Time to get down to the meat of the subject. Babe the Blue Ox was the most mentioned of Paul Bunyan's pets,but he also had a cow named Lucy,an unusual animal in her own right,an male ox named Benny,Elmer the moose terrier (he would fetch a moose on command), and Sport the reversible dog. The story of Sport varies but the agreed outcome is he was accidentally cut in half and quickly sewn back together so that his front legs were in the proper position but the hind legs pointed straight up. Legend says it proved to be an advantage as he would run on one set until he was tired,then flop over and run on the other pair. I found no mention of a dog or any pet of Paul's named Fido,which goes to prove the old adage "Don't believe everything you read"!

Nostalgic Mood

Does anyone remember the Nestle Quik dog,Farfel? I loved that dog and sent in for a Farfel doll. The doll was kind of a spongy brown rubber with wires inside so you could pose him however you wanted. Alas,he was lost in our house fire.
Farfel was created by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson after a patron left a stuffed dog in a nightclub he was working in. Jimmy commissioned a Chicago dummy maker to make the dog. He named the dog Farfel,after the Jewish pasta dish. Farfel was an instant hit.
The commercials,which ran from 1955-1965,had Nelson's human dummy Danny O'Day singing: "N-E-S-T-L-E-S,Nestle's makes the very best...Farfel:Choc-late at the end Farfel's mouth would close with a snap,which is not good ventriloquist technique. The snap happened when Nelson auditioned for the Nestle executives,his hands were sweating from nerves resulting in his finger slipping off the mouth control. The executives liked it so much they insisted Nelson keep it.
The trio were also regular performers on The Ed Sullivan Show (or was that Shoe?) and The Texaco Star Theater.

Just When You Thought

Many people don't think about the old mainstays in horror stories about werewolves,zombies and the like having any basis in real life though most of them do.
Hyperthrichosis aka Werewolf syndrome is a genetic mutation where cells that normally switch off hair growth in unusual areas,like the eyelids and forehead,are left switched on. Removing the hair the standard ways does little good as it grows back rapidly. It is often mistaken with hirsutism which is exclusive to women and children and is linked to excessive male hormones causing chest and back hair. Werewolf syndrome affects less than 100 people worldwide and is known to run in families. Researchers have traced the location of the mutation to an extra gene chunk on a X chromosome,so it is possible a cure will be found.
I am just guessing, but if a cure is found with so few people affected by Hyperthrichosis, it will be cost prohibitive.

Believe It or Not!

Yes,it is already December,I don't know about the rest of you but this year really got away from me. Go ahead and give your 2012 calendar one final flip.
12/1 Eat a Red Apple Day
12/2 National Fritters Day
12/3 National Roof over Your Head Day
12/4 Wear Brown Shoes Day (I hope sandals count!)
12/5 Bathtub Party Day (BYORD)
12/6 Mitten Tree Day
12/7 Letter Writing Day (Anyone remember how?)
12/8 Take it in the Ear Day
12/9 National Pastry Day
12/10 Human Rights Day
12/11 National Noodle Ring Day
12/12 National Ding-a-Ling Day (Chuck Berry!)
12/13 Ice Cream Day
12/14 National Bouillabaisse Day (that's a mouth full)
12/15 National Lemon Cupcake Day...yum
12/16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
12/17 National Maple Syrup Day (wear it or eat it,your choice!)
12/18 National Roast Suckling Pig Day
12/19 Oatmeal Muffin Day
12/20 Do Not Go Caroling if You Can't Sing Day
12/21 Humbug Day (I get behind this one in a big way)
12/22 National Date Nut Bread Day
12/23 Roots Day
12/24 National Egg Nog Day
12/25 National Pumpkin Pie Day
12/26 Boxing Day (UK's answer to Black Friday)
12/27 Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day
12/28 Card Playing Day
12/29 Pepper Pot Day
12/30 National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
12/31 Make Up Your Mind Day

It's a Girl!

After 21 months or pregnancy and 30 hours of labor Rose-Tu (an 18 year old Asian elephant) gave birth to a 300 lb. female calf at 2:17a.m. November 30. The baby is healthy,tall and vigorous. She was very vocal from the moment she was out of the amniotic sac. Mother and baby will not be accepting visitors until they have time to adjust and the calf has had a chance to bond with the rest of the herd.
She really is cute! I wonder what her name will be?

Chili To-Go

I could be the only person on the planet that has never heard of a walking taco,but the first thing that came to mind when I heard Fritos and Chili equaled a walking taco was how on earth would you walk with that combo without ending up looking like the loser in a food fight? So of course I had to know the details. There are many recipes for walking tacos,some go by different names,Frito pie and Frito casserole are a couple examples both with several methods of preparation. The true walking taco uses a small single serving bag of corn chips with chili of taco meat poured over the top. The additions from that humble beginning are as limitless as your imagination,cheese,onions,jalapenos,lettuce,tomatoes and sour cream all come to mind. In different regions they are also known as Frito boats.
The exact origins are unknown,but some credit Frito-Lay's founder Elmer Doolin's mother Daisy Dean Doolin.

Square Pegs/Round Holes

I have been rereading several of my Stephen King books and had forgotten some of the short stories he wrote that were set in the 1920s-30s. The slang terms he uses are ones most people are familiar with,but the one I have been chewing on is when someone get cooled with a heater...talk about a contradictory phrase! That brought me to today's blog,I thought it would be fun to revisit some of the slang of that era.
Abyssinia-means "I'll be seeing you" if you say it really fast that is what you hear.
Horn-telephone
Gat/rod/heater/convincer-gun
Cadillac-an ounce of cocaine or heroin (I wonder how they knew which they were ordering?)
Chicago typewriter/chopper-Thompson machine gun or Tommy gun.
City Juice/Dog Soup-a cup of water
Chicago overcoat-coffin
Abe's Cabe-$5 bill
Ace-$1
Baby Grand-heavily built man
Bimbo-tough guy (this one has done a 360!)

Double or Nothing

Today's blog will not be news to U.K. readers,but I had never heard about the British Royalty that aren't born in the summer months celebrating their birthdays twice. Queen Elizabeth celebrates her actual birthday on April,21 and her official birthday on a Saturday in June. This is done with the hope for good weather for the Birthday Parade,also known as Trooping the Colour.
The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately,but the occasion is marked publicly by gun salutes in four different locations.
Over the course of her reign there have been 12 British Prime Ministers and 12 U.S. Presidents.(maybe we should all look into this double birthday deal?) The Queen joined Facebook in 2010 with a page called British Monarchy which features royal news,photos,videos and speeches. Elizabeth was the first British monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary while reigning.

Staying Power

Resurrection Mary is a ghost story I read about in the past,and happened onto another reference a few days ago. The sightings of this ghost have been going on since the 1930s and all of them describe the same thing. Here is her story for you to ponder.
Mary had spent the evening dancing with a boyfriend at the Oh Henry Ballroom,they had an argument and Mary stormed out. She thought she would rather face a cold walk home than spend another minute with her boyfriend. She hadn't gotten very far when she was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. Her parents found her and were grief stricken. They buried her in Resurrection Cemetery wearing a white dancing dress and matching shoes. Since then she has been sighted at different dances,has gotten into cabs and cars only to disappear when they pass Resurrection Cemetery. There were sightings in 1976,1978,1980, and 1989 where she was struck or nearly struck by cars,but disappears by the time the driver gets out. The sightings began to taper off in the 1990s. All describe the same woman with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a white dancing dress and shoes.

Morbid Fascination

After first discovering the secret life (meaning) of nursery rhymes I am like an addict,I just keep going back to see what evil lurks with the innocence. Some are a bit morbid without knowing the stories behind them,for instance Three Blind Mice. Today I want to present one I wasn't familiar with from childhood,but once you hear its origins I am willing to bet you will not be saying you have goose bumps again!

Goosey Goosey Gander,whether shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs and in my Lady's chamber.
There I met an old man who wouldn't say his prayers,
So I took him by his left leg and threw him down the stairs.

In 16th century Europe people were busy fighting off the plague or killing off Catholics. Protestants were given a reward for executing Catholic priests. A popular method of execution was tying his legs and throwing him down a flight of stairs. You are no doubt mentally asking yourself what Goosey Goosey Gander has to do with this? Goose was an old slang term for "lady of the night". The goose bumps I promised at the start...were slang for the red bumps caused by venereal diseases. It kind of makes me wonder what my mother really meant when she called me a "silly goose".