A Different Museum

Have you ever wondered what happens to products that don't make the cut once they are introduced to the public? Some of them may end up in "The Failed Products Museum",the museum is about the size of a mid-size supermarket,complete with shelves filled with products,but instead of 20-30 cans of a single product,there is only one and there are no perishables. The visitors to the museum are actually clients from around the country looking for inspiration on product formulation,packaging,positioning and other factors in producing or improving products. The idea of replacing the old pinch and pull cardboard milk carton with a twist top was born in the museum. Unfortunately the museum isn't open to the general public so if you missed clear Pepsi,Ben-Gay aspirin or Toaster Eggs you are out of luck!

Going Green

Some of you may think that the going green concept is fairly recent,but earlier efforts were made by none other than Henry Ford. Ford was researching alternative fuels as early as 1919,but no one was interested at that time as the US was the leading oil producer and gas was cheap. He also was looking into plants to supply the materials to build car bodies. In the 1930s Ford and his scientists developed a composite of soybean fibers and hemp fibers coated with a plant based resin as a binding agent. The resulting material was said to be 10 times stronger than steel. Only one car is known to have been built from this material,the finished product weighed less than 2,000 lbs. It was known as the soybean car,but as other manufacturing materials were still abundant,it never caught on. An interesting side note,Ford hated waste and the giant piles of oak wood chips made from the shaping of the wooden spokes used for the wheels of the early cars made him crazy. His researchers developed a process where the wood chips were burned then wet and shaped into charcoal. Ford hired a cousin of his by the name of King and formed the Kingsford Charcoal Company.

Jacks

The name Jack appears in more phrases than any other name,kind of a Jack of all trades. As a word Jack can mean: 1. a man or fellow 2. a specified trade like a lumberjack,a sailor 3. a playing card (also called a knave) 4. a game with a set of six pointed metal pieces and a small ball 5. a device used for lifting 6. the male of certain animals like the ass 7. several game fish 8.jumping jacks (an exercise). There are also many songs with the main character named Jack: "Jumping Jack Flash","Jack and Diane","Hit the Road Jack" and "Happy Jack" to name a few.You can have Jack Frost or a Jack-o-Lantern. You can Jack someone up (excite),or get Jacked around,and before you can say Jack Robinson, you remember all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Do you know Jack?

The Hairy Eyeball

Today the phrase "stink eye" has seemingly replaced the once popular "hairy eyeball",but either saying conjures up an unpleasant mental picture. Maybe I am over sensitive about my eyeballs,but even if that is the case I still don't know many people that would sign up to have their eyeballs shaved. The old warning about "be careful,you'll poke your eye out" comes to mind. Though not as popular as it once was eyeball shaving is still practiced in some places in China. It is done by barbers along with shaves and haircuts. The process involves dipping a razor in clean water,holding the eyelid open with one hand and scraping the razor across the inner surface of both eyelids. After that step is completed a thin metal rod with a smooth ball shaped end is moved around beneath the eyelid like a windshield wiper,the entire process takes about 5 minutes. Some of you might be wondering what the object of this procedure is,as you rightly should. Customers claim it makes their eyes feel moist and their vision clearer. Medical professionals warn the public to be cautious of the practice,though it was widely used 60-70 years ago to scrape away ulcers and scar tissue and stimulate the eyes to produces moisture today they fear the risk of infection. I will take a pass on this one,it sounds more like a Medieval torture to me!

Secret Mission

The sad part of this story is I can't imagine anything like it happening in the US,some customer would complain and the harmless joyrides would come to a halt,but not so in the UK. One cat named Casper used to disappear for hours leaving his owner wondering where he was,meanwhile Casper would catch the same bus nearly every day,go to the back of the bus and ride the entire route before getting off in front of his own house. In another part of the UK a mysterious and inscrutable cat the drivers nicknamed Macavity would take the same bus a quarter of a mile several times a week always getting off at the same stop. Some observers speculated he was going to the fish and chips shop near the stop. I think if I had been there I would have been tempted to follow him to see his destination,but apparently they were content to leave Macavity with his secret intact.

Creepier Than Spiders

For those of you who may still be dwelling on spiders,try a tick on for size. Unlike spiders many ticks (100 of the 850 species)carry transmittable diseases. Also unlike spiders they are bloodsucking external parasites,they do not live off insects as most spiders do,they feed on humans,wild and domestic animals,birds and reptiles. Ticks begin feeding by secreting a numbing chemical so their host doesn't feel their hard stabbing mandibles pierce the skin. Their mouth parts are barbed so an animal can't scratch or rub them off. Ticks can be found in wooded areas,brush or tall grass. A female tick can suck up to hundred times its own weight in blood,and lays 100 eggs at a time. Not convinced yet that they are worse than spiders? Along with all the other diseases they carry,they can also transmit malaria and HIV/AIDS. Wouldn't you really prefer a spider?

Wrong on Many Levels

It is hard to decide where to start today's post,there are so many weird layers to the story. The first thing that strikes me is a crazy scheme like this (hopefully) would never get off the ground (pun intended) today due to animal rights,but at the beginning of World War II that wasn't a consideration. A dentist (Lytle Adams) just happened to be visiting Carlsbad Caverns when Pearl Harbor was bombed and had been impressed by the bats that lived in the caves. Around a month later he sent a plan to the White House which involved strapping tiny incendiary bombs to bats and releasing them over Japanese cities. (End of crazy level 1) Adams had previously met Eleanor Roosevelt when he had flown her in his plane to demonstrate another scheme involving not having to land the plane to pick up cargo (is it possible this method is still in use today?) so he managed to be taken seriously despite the nature of his idea. (End of level 2) Bottom line $2 million gets poured into the plan known as Project X-Ray. The Army captured thousands of Mexican free-tail bats and fitted them with tiny bombs. The next step was to put them into hibernation mode in order to transport them. This was done by cooling them in ice cube trays,next they were loaded into a cardboard container that was supposed to open automatically and release the bats. Fortunately (or unfortunately,depending on your point of view) the tests didn't go as planned and the project was eventually canceled...Anyone up for a trip to the dentist?

How Many Times?

It happened again today on Millionaire,the $250,000 question was what was Abraham Lincoln's dog's name,as you long time readers might recall I did a blog around a year ago? on that very subject. I wish I would have thought to keep track of how many times a blog topic of mine turns up as a question on that show,of course I had no idea that it was going to become a fairly common occurrence so I never thought to write the times it did happen down. I think it has been at least 4 times now,possibly 5?
This weekend I was having lunch with a friend and as we were waiting for our orders a man in a kilt walked by,being the same sort of sick and twisted people that we both are,we wondered if he was keeping with the no underwear tradition and my friend even went so far as to hope a gust of wind came up. The real treat came on Sunday when I was out for a walk and saw a man dressed as a pirate,he looked just like Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies,only he had on a light blue overcoat. Since it was too late for him to be celebrating talk like a pirate day, I have no idea why he was dressed like that. It would be fun to see more people dress differently instead of most people trying to look like everyone else...then again maybe I should be careful what I wish for!

Not For the Arachnophobic

First of all I am going to justify why I chose today's topic,though I posted a blog a few days ago containing spiders,it didn't really cover anything about the remarkable creatures. I think even the spider haters among you will agree they are pretty special. Since yesterday's blog was about the unique qualities of camel milk,I will start there. The spiders with hair on them are mammals(not in a technical sense),and like mammals they produce milk (usually cold) by using the same glands that produce the silk threads they use for webs. A single spider egg contains as much DNA as 4 humans. Spiders cannot die of natural causes,if kept safe a spider will continue to live and grow for an unlimited amount of time. In China there is a collection of 'holy' spiders around 2,800 years old. Spiders can sustain atmospheric pressure and work in a vacuum. There is a rare spider in Africa called the Snow Spider,its body is completely white but it spins a black web. Those still reading that find spiders repulsive skip this part,or risk your sanity...your call. The largest spider ever observed was over 8 feet long and weighed 530 lbs. It was immobile as its legs had broken from carrying its own weight.

One Hump or Two?

Camels are one of those animals that most everyone easily recognizes because of their unique appearance,but that isn't their only difference. Camels are firstly known for their reputation as a beast of burden and their ability to survive up to 21 days without water. They have also long been milk producers and at times the sole source of nutrition for their masters when traveling the desert terrain.Unlike other milk producing animals,extreme weather conditions do not interfere with their ability to produce milk,they are also adaptable feeders,able to digest dry matter and a broad range of plants and bushes. If those were the only differences between camels and other animals they would still stand alone,but the properties of their milk is as unique as the animal itself. The first notable thing about camel milk is it doesn't curdle,but that is far from the only difference. The milk contains a protein that is similar to insulin and is still being tested as an alternative,but the list goes on. The lactose intolerant can digest it,it is thought to prevent certain cancers and is being tested on autistic people with good results. Though it isn't readily available in all locations it can be obtained online.

Invisibility

Most people consider at some time in their lives how handy it would be to have the power of invisibility. I'm here to tell you it isn't all that you may have imagined,in fact most of the time it is downright annoying. I have heard throughout my life that women of a certain age become invisible,especially to the male of the species but I have found not only am I invisible to males (mostly younger) I am no longer visible to approximately 90% of the population. It has become so powerful that it is starting to effect my surroundings. Earlier this year I arranged to have my house painted once the weather was suitable but apparently they were unable to find my house again to start the job due to visibility problems? In the last year as my image grows dimmer people fail to see me on the sidewalks,often bumping into me and a couple of times nearly running over me in crosswalks. To drive the point home while I was out for a walk yesterday a gal hit and run my vehicle,when caught and confronted she answered "I thought it was a curb." Maybe this is the beginning of the end? my image will continue to grow dimmer until it ceases to exist at all? But to look on the lighter side,an invisible person no longer needs to concern themselves with their appearance (since they are no longer seen),if you are inclined to do something disgusting in public,like picking your nose...go right ahead! They can't see you anyway! For any of you who doubt my sincerity on this matter,please reference the photo below.

Nosing Around

Let's start today with a few nose idioms: cut off your nose to spite your face,follow your nose,keep your nose out of my business,having your nose out of joint,hard-nosed,no skin off my nose,keep your nose clean,keep your nose to the grindstone,lead by the nose and seeing further than the end of your nose. Now that I have you fixated on noses let me tell you about an unusual animal. The Amazon River dolphin is the only known animal to use their blowhole,which to them is a nostril,for having non-reproductive nasal sex. They will perform this act with either male or female dolphins. Kind of makes a person wonder what dolphins are really chattering about. The moral of the story is...don't look down your nose at other species!

Spiders (Really!!)

As chance would have it after using "Spiders" as a blog title,I find myself actually wanting to write about spiders. A lot of people have a fear of spiders,I am not one of them. I subscribe to the adage,"If you want to live and thrive,let the spider run alive." Since I'm still alive it seems to be working! It makes me wonder about my cat's life though as he considers them big game,but with the nine life thing going on,he should be okay. In my nearly continual quest for unusual facts I came across spiders and other organisms named for famous people. I'm still trying to find out how some of these people (the living ones) feel about this somewhat dubious honor. For example,Aptostechias angelinajolieae,is a rather unattractive specimen named for the attractive Angelina Jolie. David Bowie had Heterpoda davidbowie,Neil Young myrmeklaphilia neilyoungi,Aptostichus stephincolberti for Stephen Colbert,Calponia harrisonfordi Harrison Ford (I think I read he has a big fear of spiders),Pachygnatha zappa,Frank Zappa. The list is quite extensive and personally (in most cases) I didn't notice any resemblances!

Spiders

No silly,spiders are not the topic of today's blog,spiders are the answer to the question posed at the end of yesterday's blog.
Today I want to present an odd fact I found looking for the particulars of yesterday's blog. The zealous Elvis (hey,that rhymes!) fans among us probably already know this information so feel free to take a pass on reading further. Elvis Presley was fascinated with law enforcement,and was made an honorary officer by many police departments. His collection of badges,guns and patches is on display at Graceland. The most notable of these is the badge he received from President Nixon in 1970. Elvis wrote a six page letter to Nixon and made a spur of the moment visit to the White House in pursuit of becoming an honorary Federal Agent-at-Large for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (kind of ironic considering his own personal drug usage). Not only wouldn't a spur of the moment visit to the White House get the green light today,neither would the gifts Elvis presented to the President,family photos and a Colt 45 pistol. How the times have changed!

Nostalgia

I know there must be at least a few of you readers that think I live my life in the past,let me assure you that isn't the case. Many times I quite innocently see or think about things from the past with a new eye,and often this fresh look leaves me with questions. One of the questions is why did 45 RPM records have larger holes than 33 1/3 RPM? (Yes, for those of you wondering I still have both a turntable and some old 45s and several 33s,though they are seldom used). The answer is relatively simple,the larger holes made them easier to use on the jukebox spindles,kind of like having a larger hole in a sewing needle. Here is a bit of bonus trivia for you,outside the US 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs,but they could be punched out if desired. It is also said that it was a competitive issue between RCA and Columbia,they didn't want to share the same formats. Now for the extra points!! Does anyone remember what the inserts that went into the 45s were called? Check back tomorrow for the answer!

Not a Laughing Matter!

I was thinking about people I know that now have to wear diapers or pads and am thankful (for more than one reason) that I am not one of them. What do you suppose people in the past used for adult diapers? I don't recall being aware of the problem when I was a kid,no memory of aunts,or my mother's friends that seemed to have a problem,though it must have existed. As a teen and into my 20s I worked as a nurse's aide,and as to be expected with some of the severe medical conditions many of the patients were incontinent,but very few were mobile enough to use diapers. Still,these were sick or disabled people,not someone you would bump into at the store with adult diapers in their shopping cart! It seems as I am veering off the point,so getting back to it...Was it so top secret,or kept under wraps as it were,that I was never aware of anyone with the problem? or were there stealth diapers? Embarrassing as it must be it is hard to imagine not noticing or even over hearing something about it. Of course the merciless teasing that was common when I was young may have been enough of a deterrent to keep it a life long secret!

Touchy Feely

The phrase "touch and go" came into my mind earlier today,and though most people know it to mean a risky,precarious situation,I couldn't help but wonder how it came into being. I had mostly heard it in relation to medical affairs but it actually dates to stagecoach days. The stagecoach drivers were often competitive and would attempt to pass one another on narrow roads at great risk. If the coaches wheels became entangled,they would both wreck,if they were lucky,the wheels would only touch and the coaches could still go. That scenario puts me in mind of people using the narrow roads in my neighborhood without giving thought to meeting other vehicles...it can get dicey especially on the hills and corners!

Close

The back story for today's blog explains how the topic was selected. In my ongoing desire to become a contestant on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" I joined the masses playing online for one of the expense paid trips to be on the show by beating the current host of the show (Cedric the Entertainer). It was going extremely well until I went for the $1,000,000 question which brings us to our subject for today. What first name was chosen for the "Mr. Clean" icon as a result of the 1962 "Give Mr. Clean a First Name" promotion? I knew the correct answer,but talked myself out of it and chose the more likely "Wink" instead of "Veritably",is it just me or does Wink make more sense for Mr. Clean's first name? Oh well,there is always next time...providing I don't go senile,or worse before there is a next time!

A Debate

Today in Washington,D.C. a group of scientists,humanists and science-fiction authors will debate the longevity of civilization,will technology end humanity or save it? The roster includes a NASA senior scientist,the director of the Office of Scholarly Programs at the Library of Congress and  sci-fi authors who will explore the future in the literary and scientific imagination. In the afternoon scientists and authors will address how technology could affect climate,evolution or prevent future disasters. The event will be concluded with a discussion between panelists and the audience.
I am not a huge fan of sci-fi but I am impressed that they are being brought into this type of conference,as the usual cast seems to lack the necessary imagination to come up with fresh ideas,and as we all know...the clock is ticking!

What...Tangled Webs?

The regular readers among you may recall a blog from a few months back about the way different drugs effected the symmetry of spider webs,complete with pictures to illustrate the effects of the various drugs. Hopefully I have now primed you brain to present this truly bizarre web structure. It was found in the Peruvian Amazon and not even scientists know precisely what it is. It consists of a tiny center spire surrounded by what looks a little like a picket fence. It was first thought to be some sort of aborted moth cocoon,others guessed that eggs were at the base of the center. It is still unknown at this time what made the strange structure,but the world's rain forests still contain millions of new species yet to be discovered. Just another example of fact being stranger than fiction!

Early Bling

I'd never given much thought to why pirates wore earrings until I heard the reason,and now you will know too,like it or not!
It was believed that the ear was a acupuncture point for vision and eyesight would be further improved by wearing precious metals there. Acupuncture of the ear is done for vision problems,but once the piercing is done the scar tissue would block any further benefits. Some other purposes mentioned for piercing was to mark their travels. Young sailors were given earrings to commemorate their first crossing of the equator or when they rounded Cape Horn. Another theory suggests pierced ears would prevent seasickness,while others believed the earring a talisman to prevent drowning. If the earrings were made of silver or gold they were worth enough to pay for the sailors burial. I probably should have saved today's post for the 19th as a compliment to "Talk Like A Pirate Day"!

The Good,the Bad...

There really is a museum for everything,even Bad Art. The MOBA (Museum of Bad Art) was started in 1993 and had its first showing in 1994 with the mission to bring the worst art to the widest of audiences. They are a private institution dedicated to the collection,preservation,exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms. They have three gallery locations,all in the Boston,MA area and a website. Their collection is about 600 pieces but due to limited space only 50-70 are shown at a time.

Speaking of...

I don't want to beat this Barbie thing to death,but in case some of you missed the memo on what her size and shape would be if she were a real person,look no further I am about to tell you! It seems like when I first heard about this her height was supposed to be 7 feet,but I must have remembered that wrong. Barbie would stand 6 feet tall and weigh 100 lbs, with her neck being twice as long and 6 inches thinner than the average woman (her head is also 2 inches larger,22 inches),she would be incapable of lifting her head (a perfect example of a pencil neck!). Her waist at 16 inches (smaller than her 22 inch head) she would only have room for half a liver and a few inches of intestine. Her small wrists would render her incapable of lifting much of anything. Her freakishly long legs (50% longer than her arms,normal is 20% longer) combined with 6 inch ankles and a child's size 3 foot she would be unable to support her top half leaving her to walk on all fours. In conclusion if anyone out there has ever wished for a Barbie figure or any man wished his girlfriend had a Barbie figure...be careful what you wish for!

Life Size

As of May 2013 Florida has the first life size Barbie Dreamhouse, a 10,000 square foot affair containing 350 dolls,an elevator,the dream closet,a bright pink baby grand piano all included behind an Art Deco exterior. A few days later in Berlin and even larger (27,000 sq. ft.) version opened with mixed opinions. A group of activists claiming it represents domesticity and if that role is strengthened in childhood it will be a life long role. I say give me a break,they're just kids, did anyone ever protest Cinderella's Castle in Disneyland? I also wonder if the furnishings are made to accommodate Barbie's rather different proportions? The Dreamhouse in Berlin was scheduled to move to another European city after its 3 month stay in Berlin.

Sleep/Time

I was thinking about how I ended up so tired yesterday and how sleep can be an elusive commodity at times, or maybe I was just  over amped on endorphins? and from there I wanted to "Turn Back Time". Time can be on your side,too much of it on your hands,time can be in a bottle,time after time, and those are just examples of time in songs,I won't even get started on movies about time! Then you have the endless phrases about time,do it later when there is more time,where did the time go? the ever popular time is money,which makes sense  if you think of saving or spending,but  does that work with time? Where do you put time when you save it? Every day has 24 hours and saving time one day doesn't give you more hours the next day. Then there is the big time,a timely manner,timing is everything,hard time,a stitch in time,time is of the essence,all the time in the world,a sucker is born every minute and live for the moment. If none of these work for you maybe a timeshare would be the answer? Until next time!

A Pictorial

I'm feeling one brick short of a load today,so rather than attempting to make sense I am going to post pictures of unusual mailboxes. I wouldn't mind having the lighthouse mailbox.

Stabs in the Dark

I tend to have a cynical view of modern medicine,particularly using medications where it is questionable if the chemicals are doing more harm than good. Are they really hoping to stumble upon cures,or are the big pharmacy companies simply lining their proportionally big pockets? Then a person takes a glance into the past at medical science and it seems apparent that medicine has been founded on the best guess theory. A Nobel prize in medicine was awarded in 1927 for the discovery of using malaria to treat neurosyphillis,which was a fatal disease at the time. My first thought was how did they come up with a disease to cure a disease? As it turns out it is just as reasonable approach as ingesting the chemicals that medicine uses in the treatments today where the long term effects are largely unknown. What they had observed that inspired the malaria "cure" was that some patients who developed high fevers would be cured of syphillis. With that observation came the idea of treating the syphillis by giving the patients malaria to produce the high fever. It might sound a little crazy,but at the time was considered acceptable risk as the malaria could in turn be treated with quinine. I'm not sure which I would prefer if given a choice...modern or old school? and are researchers any closer to having it all sorted out?