Cher Sharing

 It seems like a good time to restore a little faith in humanity since it is in short supply lately. It is particularly heartwarming when a celebrity takes part in things for no personal gain. Cher has been known for her activism on animal cruelty and she didn't hesitate to step up when she heard about Kaavan the 36 year old elephant living a lonely isolated existence in a Pakistan zoo. Cher rallied the troops and coordinated his transfer by plane to a sanctuary in Cambodia where once he has completed quarantine will be able to mingle with the other residents on the 25,000 acres.  Quite an upgrade for Kaavan who has been surviving on 1/2 acre with no companion animals. 

Oh Rats!

 Some people keep rats as pets,having never been around rats it's hard to imagine one as a pet but once again I digress. This variety of rat from the eastern part of Africa isn't very ratlike in looks and even seems like it might be cuddly but let the black and white put you in mind of a skunk except that these guys don't spray people they poison them. The hairs on their flanks are thicker than the rest of their coat and have a honeycomb like texture. The rats chew on branches from the same tree used to make poison darts then lick the poison into the special hair on their flanks. Only about half the rats studied applied the poison and the ones who did were not affected by chewing the twigs,though a dog or person would be rendered either incredibly sick or dead. Now I'm curious if these rats can vomit,since regular rats can't,though I so far haven't found an answer for that question. 

No Fugging Way

 An Austrian village will be changing their name to Fugging in the new year. The residents finally grew weary of Fucking,the village's name since the 11th century. The villagers,known as Fuckingers,have finally had it with all the tourist's bad jokes and sign stealing. I can understand why they would want to change their Fucking name,though it doesn't seem like enough of a change since Fugging is only a more polite way to say Fucking,so all the paperwork and whatnot involved in the name change may not be worth the trouble. 

Virus Protection

 Only a few month ago the first thing most people thought of when they heard virus protection would be computers,oh how things have changed in those months. We've all become used to masks,social distancing, hand washing and are now looking forward to a vaccine. In other parts of the world people are dealing with this virus in more traditional ways. In Cambodia virus scarecrows are thought to keep people safe,the practice has been used for more than a century and oddly enough Cambodia is one of the countries least affected by the virus. They really are pretty ugly so maybe they do scare of evil and disease though I think I'll wait on a vaccine. 

Now I Get It

In a conversation the other day we were trying to figure out why some people won't share their recipes but couldn't make sense of it. This made me start grinding on a friend who died the first part of this year and how I had shared countess recipes and made meals for her but when I asked for her recipe for pico de gallo she told me it was her secret. At first I was mad but over time I've decided that perhaps that was the only thing she had that made her feel worthy or special,how sad is that? Something to consider next time someone refuses to share what is valuable to them,that or I'm entirely full of crap,another distinct possibility. 

Walking on Coals

 Apparently the 15 minutes of fame thing is more important to some people than others. A group of five Florida (maybe that explains it?) women with a group called Wellness Mama set a Guinness World Record for furthest distance walked on Legos.  I could understand it more readily if they were doing it for charity but that wasn't the case. They walked a total of 2.4 miles barefoot on a 32.8 foot track in under an hour with each woman doing 20 laps. No one in the photos had on masks and since it took place in a gym it seems like they aren't taking their name,Wellness Mama, to seriously but who knows maybe they had all been tested before their walk.  

Choking Hazard

 For some reason I've had pop beads on my mind the last few days and I think I figured it out on my walk.  A person can still buy pop beads but I'm guessing they come with a warning and an age recommendation. Why do you suppose that is? When I was a kid you played with whatever was available and didn't have to be warned more that once if you wanted to continue to play with whatever it was,then something happened that turned everything into warning label material. Exactly or even approximately when did we get dumbed down? Do we need to be reminded of the basic danger of things (Tide pods come to mind)? Actually I guess we do when you consider all the people who plan on defying good sense in order to have a big holiday gathering,as for me I will remain responsible for my own safety and those around me as always. End of rant.

Off the Menu

 With most of our minds focusing on a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal it is interesting to realize that very few,if any, of the items were on the table at the first feast. No turkey was served,though it could have been instead there was swan,venison,and most of all shellfish. There was no cranberry sauce,no mashed potatoes,no pumpkin pie and no women. The meal was considered a business affair so the women didn't participate in the meal,all this was documented in a letter from Edward Winslow writing home to friends and various historians who researched the meal. I'm not a huge turkey fan though I usually have it out of a sense of tradition but I could get used to lobster as part of my Thanksgiving. 

Same Difference

 You've got to love those oxymorons,though too much of a good thing also applies as they can be tiresome. The same difference I refer to is how this year is adapting to the glaring difference that is 2020. For instance a candy maker in Hungary is making chocolate Santas as usual,but this year they are wearing masks. Santa candles in Greece are also donning masks,but the oddest Santa of all is the one who went for a dip in the Dead Sea,then put up a Christmas tree in the water,not that that is the weirdest thing to happen in this year of weird but I'm surprised it didn't cause trouble since it could have been construed as a sacrilegious act considering the location. 

Rushing It

 Normally I'm in no hurry for the holidays but this year has been far from normal even pre-pandemic,so without further ado I present weird Christmas gifts as a final (I hope) toast to 2020. 

Santa Beard Face Warmer

Combination Showerhead/ Musical Speaker

Stuffed Plague Doctor

Mega Mouth Lip Reading Game

2020 Candle That Smells Like A Dumpster Fire

Corgi Butt Bottle Opener

Building Bricks Waffle Maker

Pooping Flamingo

Pooping Santa Wine Stopper

If anyone is buying for me I'll take the speaker shower head! 

Pardon Me

 When did the White House tradition of pardoning the turkey(s) begin? Surprisingly it is more recent than one would think. Abe Lincoln was unofficially the first to spare a turkey as his son,Tad wanted it as a pet so instead of becoming dinner the bird became Jack. Somehow Truman is often credited with the pardon tradition,but that is what we would call "fake news" today,as he had his gifted bird for dinner. Both Kennedy and Reagan spared their birds but again,didn't pardon them The first Presidential pardon came in 1989 when George H.W.Bush put the pardon to paper and the birds named May and Flower were flown to Disney World where they were honorary grand marshals for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's anyone's guess what will happen this year.   

Good Advice

 These quotes about advice could be a comedy routine,enjoy! 

Don't do  drugs,don't have unprotected sex,don't be violent. Leave that to me. Eminem 

When you have got an elephant by the hind leg and he is trying to run away,it's best to let him run. Abraham Lincoln 

You better live every day like it's your last day,because one day you're going to be right. Ray Charles

Always be sincere,even if you don't mean it. Harry S. Truman 

Don't smoke too much,drink too much,eat too much or work too much. We're all on the road to the grave,but there's no need to be in the passing lane. Robert Orben 

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes. Henry David Thoreau