Veggie Abuse

Many vegetarians feel it is cruel to eat animals or animal products (I'm not going to split hairs over naming the different beliefs and the variation of their eating habits) but have they considered that many vegetables are alive up to the time they bite into or cook them? True they don't have a central nervous system or consciousness so it is assumed they don't feel pain but many still have  metabolic activity when you bring them home from the store. Fruits and veggies have a body clock just like humans and their defense is weakened when the day/night cycle is interrupted making them produce less of the chemicals to ward off insects. It is still in the research stage but it is believed that their circadian rhythm also dictates the nutritional value to such an extent that your refrigerator may someday have the light come on inside to keep optimal conditions for your produce.

Not a Joke!

While I was preparing yesterday's post my brain suddenly wanted to know if giraffes get sore throats. I haven't a clue what made me think about either giraffes or sore throats as I didn't have either. I wrote myself a note so I wouldn't forget and here we are today with the answer! Yes they do get sore throats as most ungulates are prone to Foot (hoof) and Mouth Disease,and as with most mammals they are susceptible to bacterial infections both of which would indicate a sore throat. Can you imagine having a sore throat if you were a giraffe? We are talking some serious yardage for pain,in fact there are even jokes about giraffes and sore throats,but don't despair,I'm confident that they know just the things to eat to soothe and heal their throats when they do become sore,and hopefully they take a few days off from their normal diet of thorny branches.

Racecar

Today's title is one of the better known examples of a palindrome (a word or sentence that reads the same backwards and forwards). I don't know when I first became aware of palindromes but since that time I have discovered that there are palindrome competitions where the audience judges the worthiness of the offerings by holding up signs that say "wow" or "huh". There is also a magazine called the "Palindromist" dedicated to all things palindromish. Since I am a lover of puzzles I think I will try my hand at creating palindromes,however I'm not sure how a person would go about checking if someone had already used the same words in a palindrome. I will leave you today with a short but clever palindrome. "Lapses? Order red roses,pal." There is also one that is a take on the Mary had a little lamb rhyme,but it would make this post a  little longer than I like them to be,as I strive to keep them short enough to not take up too much of your time.

Put Her on Auto-Brew

Today's post is further proof that at times fact truly is stranger than fiction. An upstate New York woman was pulled over and cited for DUI after blowing 4 times the legal limit,though she claimed to have not been drinking. Her lawyer went to work on her case and had her tested for a rare condition known as auto brewery syndrome where the digestive system makes alcohol out of ordinary foods. In this woman's case she had a high level of yeast in her intestines which combined with carbohydrates to produce alcohol. She was hospitalized and tested for a 24 hour period where she continued to test positive for high alcohol levels. Now for those of you thinking this might help you out of a jam,it only works if you are unaware of the condition. Once you are are diagnosed and put on a special diet you can drive without restrictions. Still it seems odd that she didn't notice that she was drunk,even without having a drink. I mean she had to have felt different...I guess not though if she had literally been walking around drunk for who knows how long?

The Grass Ain't the Only Thing That's Blue

Kentucky's nickname is the bluegrass state but it is also home to a group of people with blue skin. I first heard about this years ago but was unable to get much more information at that time. It all started with the French orphan named Martin Fugate who migrated to the US in the early 1800s in hope of getting a fresh start on life. He was never adopted in France as he had blue skin,but once he settled in eastern Kentucky he  married and started a family. The couple had seven children and all seven inherited the recessive gene for blue skin though only four of the seven had blue skin. They are also known as the Kentucky Smurf Family (I wonder if that is where the idea for Smurfs came from? if so I hope they get royalties.) I am curious what they choose for race when they fill out census forms and any other forms that still require that information? It must give their doctors fits as skin is a common gauge of a patients health.

About the Shoe...

I have no idea why I've been obsessing about Cinderella's stupid shoe today,but I seldom know the reason I get mentally high centered. My first problem with the glass slipper is the comfort issue,seriously glass has no give nor does it breath so you might as well wear a concrete boot. Then there is the thought that most feet  aren't that great to look at and when you combine that with squishing them into a glass high heel it doesn't get any prettier. Never mind without being able to breath your foot would get sweaty which make me think there would be problems getting the thing off...I imagine it would sound something like uncorking a bottle of wine. Next comes the logistics of the glass being durable enough to dance and run in. After poking around for awhile I found differing opinions about whether or not it was possible and so many variables to consider it is enough to give a person a headache. My conclusion is thank god it was only a fairy tale and not a real life situation I was given to work out!

Resolving Resolutions

I hope none of you made resolutions you won't be able to keep,it's a bad way to start a new year. I always make one super easy one and then get it over with right away. This year it was to change the calendar to 2016,including putting important dates on the new calendar,but it is done and I'm good to go for the rest of the year.
1/1 Z Day (If your first or last name begins with Z,this is your day!)
1/2 Happy Mew Years for Cats Day
1/3 National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
1/4 Tom Thumb Day
1/5 Bird Day
1/6 Three Kings Day
1/7 National Bobble-head Day
1/8 National English Toffee Day (Doesn't a Heath bar sound good?)
1/9 National Static Electricity Day
1/10 No Pants Subway Ride Day
1/11 National Clean Off Your Desk Day
1/12 Bean Day
1/13 National Sticker Day
1/14 Organize Your Home Day
1/15 International Fetish Day
1/16 Without a Scalpel Day
1/17 Cable Car Day
1/18 National Crowd Feed Day
1/19 Popcorn Day
1/20 Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day
1/21 Squirrel Appreciation Day
1/22 Celebration of Life Day
1/23 National Handwriting Day
1/24 Belly Laugh Day
1/25 National Irish Coffee Day
1/26 National Peanut Brittle Day
1/27 Thomas Crapper Day
1/28 National Kazoo Day
1/29 National Puzzle Day
1/30 National Seed Swap Day
1/31 Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

Enjoy your month and the new year!