Drawing a Blank

 An artist in Denmark was supposed to recreate a previous work of art which showed banknotes comparing the average annual salaries of an Austrian and a Dane for an exhibition on the future of labor. What happened instead was he took the $76,000 and turned in two blank canvases titled, "Take the Money and Run". Now the museum is suing the artist for breach of contract but he claims the new piece is a better commentary on low wages than his original work. Not to mention that if  he had recreated the original work for the amount he was being paid for it, $1,571, it would have left him in the hole from his expenses. 

Bugging You

 Another imported pest is making its way to a forest/plant near you! The lanternfly is from China and has no predators here to control it, they probably hitched a ride with imports to get into the country and are now slowly hitchhiking their way from the east coast. So far they have been spotted as far west as Illinois. At this point authorities are asking the public to document any sighting with a photo if possible then smash the lanternfly like the invasive pest that it is. The following pictures show how they look from the time they are eggs to adulthood. 

Innocent Game?

 Remember the childhood game that was played while singing about London Bridge? The one where two kids made an arch with their arms and the rest of the kids would run through the arch until the bridge fell down trapping whoever was under the arch. As with most nursery rhymes there is a darker side to the fun and games, in the case of London Bridge it was rumored, though never proven that a child was sacrificed to ensure the bridge would not fall down, but wait there's more! another possible meaning behind the song/rhyme is that women (my fair lady/ladies) were immured (locked up in windowless doorless rooms) and the key thrown away and they were left to die as stated in the "take the key and lock her up" verse. And just like that innocence lost. 

If It Quacks

 Duct tape was never for ducts in fact it was originally called Duck Tape when it was used by troops in WWI due to the waterproof qualities. It was also green like a mallard duck and at that time was backed with duck cloth, then in the 1950s the name morphed into duct tape due to people mistakenly thinking it was made to seal ductworks though the tape reacts poorly to changes in temperature.  Today Duct tape comes in just about every color a person can imagine and many patterns and comes in handy for several uses though not sealing ducts. 

Which Came First?

 A person can't turn around this time of year without bumping into something pumpkin spice flavored which also includes beer and ale. The interesting part is that Pumpkin Spice Latte has taken the lead of the fall line up but it (PSL) has only been around since 2003 where as pumpkin beer/ale has been around longer than the US! Yes, since 1771 colonists were brewing with real pumpkin, not just pumpkin spices or flavoring but real pumpkin. The resourceful pioneers didn't have the luxury of choosing specific grains and crops so they got creative and used what was at hand like corn, apples and pumpkin. Now it seems the process has gone full circle to were people are willing to try what they think are new things that are actually older than our country. 

Bagel in the Oven

 Some of the earliest mentions (17th century) of bagels relate to them being given as gifts to women in labor. Their circular shape was thought to bring good luck, endless blessings, goodness without end and circle of life longevity for the child. Bagels were also gifted to expectant mothers and midwives for good fortune in delivery and to keep evil spirits at bay. Some pregnant women even wore bagels as necklaces for protection and wanted them in the room for the delivery to ensure a safe birth. To complete the bagel's life cycle it was also used as a teething ring once the baby was getting their first teeth in. 

No Brain, No Problem

 Cnidarian organisms like jellyfish and sea anemones operate without brains, instead they use associative learning to feed and navigate through their daily lives. Researchers recently discovered that they can be trained by manipulating their environment. On their own they learn by trial and error, if they bump into something they learn to avoid it by visual cues which researchers duplicated in tanks by having different colored stripes to imitate the mangrove roots where the jellyfish usually find their meals of tiny crustaceans. Of course all this really proves is how they survive without a brain, it's not like they can be trained to do anything that isn't related to their survival, though it does explain how some politicians operate seemingly without brains. 

Bird is the Word

 Researchers in Japan with the help of AI have analyzed the sounds made by chickens and deciphered six distinct emotional states, hunger, fear, anger, contentment, excitement and distress with 80% accuracy. If the study can also be applied to other animals as is the plan it could be a giant step toward making the world a much better place for animals. 

Barbie Burger

 Now that the Barbie binge has calmed down a bit it's time to examine another bizarre marketing ploy. In Brazil Burger King was offering for a limited time the Barbie Combo which consists of a pink burger, Ken fries, and dessert. The pink burger includes a  burger patty, a slice of melted cheddar cheese, incredible smoky pink sauce topped with diced bacon on brioche buns. The dessert, the Barbie donut shake, is a vanilla milk shake with strawberry Nesquik topped with a pink donut. Reviews have been mixed with one customer calling it a "Pepto Bismol burger" while others thought it was delicious. 

Apples to Eggs

 Bobbing for apples wasn't originally a Halloween activity instead it was a courting ritual. Each apple represented a different eligible bachelor and if the woman bit into the apple on the first try, the two would live happily ever after, succeeding on the second attempt meant the couple would be happy for a time but the love would fade, if it took three tries the union was doomed. This brings about the question why apples? The answer is twofold, the game was usually played at harvest time when apples were plentiful plus apples represented fertility which made me think why not use eggs instead? not biting into the egg but being able to get it out of the water with your mouth and of course most of you will think it's only bad eggs that float but that's not exactly true as older eggs float and they aren't necessarily "bad" and eggs are also associated with fertility. Okay, never mind we'll just save the eggs for Easter. 

Toast

The rules of toasting are both vast and various, for instance in Italy it is essential to maintain eye contact, in South Korea one must accept their drink with both hands and contrary to popular belief glasses should not be touched when toasting for obvious reasons. So what about the word "toast" how does that figure in to the whole toasting deal? In the 16th and 17 centuries they actually put dried bread into their wine to soak up bitter or acidic sediment enabling them to consume more of the beverage. With that tidbit of trivia in mind try not to laugh next time someone proposes a toast!  

It's a Start

 Starbucks is beginning the process of phasing out their disposable cups which represent a big part of the company's overall waste and greenhouse gas emissions. They hope that by 2030 they will be using recyclable or reusable exclusively. The practice is already catching on in several locations where they have recycle bins outside their stores where the cups are collected and made into more recycling bins. The reusable cups go through a washer at the stores before being refilled and the customers get $1 off their purchase for bringing in their cup. With any luck this will set a trend so all the coffee shops will start their own programs. 

Fashion Quips

 Time for some quotes! 

A woman's dress should be like a barbed wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view. Sophia Loren 

There are weird rules for girls. We get all the uncomfortable crap. We get all the S&M clothes, like the high heels that make us easier to hunt. Sue Murphy 

I base my fashion tastes on what doesn't itch. Gilda Radner 

I hate clothes. I can't stand every day trying to come up with little outfits for myself. I think fashion won't even exist eventually, because anytime I see a movie or TV show where there's people from another planet, they're all wearing the same thing. Somehow they decided, "This is going to be our outfit: one-piece silver jumpsuit, C-stripe, and boots." Jerry Seinfeld 

Hambone

 Nationwide Insurance has announced the 12 finalists for this years Hambone Awards which were named in honor of a dog who ate an entire ham while trapped in the refrigerator, at least the poor thing didn't starve! The nominees are voted on by people visiting the Hambone Award page which tells the strange situations the little dears found themselves in, for instance: Giles the cat found himself folded into a hide-a-bed, Josie the dog ran into metal bleachers while chasing a ball and Sunny the Labrador shimmied his crate 5 feet across the floor to eat 3 delicious phone charging cords. Voting ends on September 22 and the winner gets a trophy, gift card and donation to their owners favorite pet charities.