Nothing New

 Starbucks didn't invent coffee,they also didn't invent pumpkin spice though the amount of publicity would suggest otherwise. The spices associated with the fall beverage have been around nearly as long as Europeans settlers. Faced with how to use the unfamiliar squash they got creative and came up with beer and pumpkin pie,and guess what spices were used in the pie? Nutmeg,ginger,allspice and mace which spice companies eventually started making their own blends of around the same time canned pumpkin hit the market in 1929. Probably the cause of the pumpkin spice frenzy every fall is that they only trot it out for a limited time making everyone feel like they have to get it while they can which is also known as clever marketing. 

It's a Bird,It's a Plane

 A  blast from the past for those who remember the first Superman shows and I wonder out of those who remember how many are inclined to look up when they hear a plane or helicopter? or whether that has anything to do with looking up when you hear a plane. I've been trying to find out more about this behavior with no luck which makes me think maybe I'm the only one? and why look up,it's not like you can see who the passengers are or really even much about the plane providing you can actually locate it. Oddly enough it's a hard habit to break. 

A Side of Sarcasm

 What could a person expect at a place called,"Karen's Diner"? If you guessed rude service you would win the prize! The first Karen's was started in Sydney,Australia as a pop up restaurant but has since expanded to several Australia locations plus the UK. Here's where things get really humorous...even though the diner makes it clear that they are not Disneyland and that rude service is what they are all about people still go on social media to voice their complaints! Seriously what do they expect from a place named Karen's who even has signs warning the faint of heart or easily offended to find their meals elsewhere. Some Karen's just insist on having the last word! Sorry if any Karens felt abused by this post.

Beer Soles

 Heineken has launched sneakers called Heinekicks that feature beer in the soles to give the wearer the feeling of walking on beer. First thing that comes to mind is are they trying to replicate the feeling of walking after slamming a six pack? followed by I wonder if they would make it through TSA at the airport? The shoes match the colors of the Heineken bottle and even include a removable metal bottle opener in the tongue which sounds like it could cause at least some discomfort but hey,life would be good walking on beer? 

Dog Breath

A rude way to tell a person they have bad breath is to say,"your breath smells like $hit"though that is rarely an accurate description. That is until a 51 year old UK woman decided to take a nap with her chihuahua one afternoon complete with her mouth agape. About that time the dog had a violent case of diarrhea which went directly into her sleeping owners mouth...talk about your rude awakening! She got up and ran to the bathroom where she took a selfie before spending the next several hours vomiting. Her daughter took the dog to the vet where she was diagnosed with a stomach bug and put on antibiotics. The woman ended up in the same condition as the dog and was given medication but kept getting worse and  landed in the hospital with dehydration where she had to spend 3 days before getting strong enough to be released. Her doctors said that was a first for an intestinal infection caused by a dog defecating into a humans mouth. Yuck. 

 

An Omen?

 In the 43+ years I've lived in this house I don't remember seeing a grasshopper inside,other various bugs and of course spiders but never a grasshopper until yesterday when I took my sheets out of the dryer and found one I assumed to be cooked,but maybe not since there was another one in the bathroom this morning. I started wondering if there was a meaning to finding grasshoppers in your house and according to what I found I have a prosperous and fruitful year ahead and general good luck. Of course I didn't find anything about what it meant if you accidentally killed one in your dryer,so that may cancel out any luck coming my way. 

Granny's Goal

 A 99 year old grandma's dying wish was to have a giant penis "erected" on her grave as a sign of her love and joy for life,plus she disagreed with the way so many things were kept secret and thought the monument would serve as a reminder of her spirit. The family honored her wishes and commissioned a local engineer who usually made plastic objects like children's play sets but with the help of a crew of 12 people he got the job done in around a month. Even though she meant it as a giving the finger kind of gesture it kind of seems like a sign of oppression if you didn't know her intention. 

Mad Hatters

 Hat makers of today don't have to worry about going mad from the job hazard of mercury but the hats themselves have also evolved. Queen Elizabeth II was one of the last symbols of the hat wearing era,nowadays hats are used more as an occasional statement or for a special event. What about famous hats? The pink pillbox Jackie Kennedy was wearing the day JFK was shot is no where to be found,given the circumstances maybe that's for the best,though the top hat Lincoln was wearing when he was shot is a prized possession at the Smithsonian. Included in the following photos are some other famous hatters or rather hat wearers. 

Cheap Drunks

 It's kind of amusing to find out the lengths people will go to trying to save a few bucks on booze. The latest tip for drinking on the cheap is to pour whatever clear liquor you prefer through a Brita (or any brand of water filter)to take the nasty turpentine like taste out of the vodka,of course while this works to an extent you're still left with an inferior booze made with inferior ingredients plus you'll need a new water filter unless you want your water to taste like cheap vodka,and the cost of the filter would give you at least $5 dollars toward a better quality vodka. On the other hand just slam a shot of the nasty stuff and the rest goes down pretty smooth! 

Day Jobs

 Very few people find their first job to be the job they want to do the rest of their lives,most of us have to reinvent ourselves several times until we find our niche. There are some people though who are so recognized in their current job that it is hard to imagine them doing anything else,for instance,Pope Francis. One would guess that he was always involved with working his way up the pope ladder but in reality he had some pretty regular jobs. He worked as a bouncer in a nightclub,swept floors and worked in a chemical lab which explains his humility and concern for the downtrodden. 

Extreme Sports

Early sports make today's sports look like kindergarten games! Imagine He'e Holua (Hawaiian Lava Sledding) which involved riding sledges measuring 12 ft. long and only 6 inches wide down the side of a volcano. The riders would either stand,kneel or lie face first reaching speeds up to 50 mph while seeing who could go the furthest.

Meanwhile in an even earlier Mexico Purepecha Ball was played which was a lot like field hockey except the puck was on fire which came in handy for those late night games!