Just a little off the top...

Day 53.1

Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be an art and is a form of living sculpture. The word derives from the Latin word for an ornamental landscape gardener, topiarius, creator of topia or "places", a Greek word that Romans applied also to fictive indoor landscapes executed in fresco. No doubt the use of a Greek word betokens the art's origins in the Hellenistic world that was influenced by Persia, for neither Classical Greece nor Republican Rome developed any sophisticated tradition of artful pleasure grounds.

The plants used in topiary are evergreen, mostly woody, have small leaves or needles, produce dense foliage, and have compact and/or columnar (e.g. fastigiate) growth habits. Common species choices used in topiary include cultivars of European box (Buxus sempervirens), arborvitae (Thuja spp.), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), holly (Ilex spp.), myrtle (Eugenia or Myrtus species), yew (Taxus species), and privet (Ligustrum species.). Shaped wire cages are sometimes employed in modern topiary to guide untutored shears, but traditional topiary depends on patience and a steady hand; small-leaved ivy can be used to cover a cage and give the look of topiary in a few months. The hedge is a simple form of topiary used to create boundaries, walls or screens.

Even the most unconventional or amateur gardener can enjoy creating a unique topiary. 

Pass the soy sauce...

Day 53

Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked vinegared rice which is commonly topped with other ingredients, such as fish or other seafood or put into rolls. Sliced raw fish by itself is called sashimi, as distinct from sushi. Sushi that is served rolled inside or around nori, dried and pressed sheets of seaweed, is makizushi. Toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu are inarizushi. A bowl of sushi rice with toppings scattered over it is called chirashizushi.

The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in variations typically found in North America and Europe, but rarely in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls has evolved since. Traditionally, sushi is served on minimalist Japanese-style, geometric, mono- or duo-tone wood or lacquer plates, in keeping with the aesthetic qualities of this cuisine.

Due to the fast pace Western lifestyle, a new hybrid fish has been developed in Japan that allows Sushi lovers to raise and make their own Sushi with little or no culinary training.  

Well, you know my name is Simon...and I like to make drawings.

Day 45

Simon is an electronic game of memory skill. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and became an immediate success. It became a pop culture symbol of the 1980s. The device has four colored buttons, each producing a particular tone when it is pressed or activated by the device. A round in the game consists of the device lighting up one or more buttons in a random order, after which the player must reproduce that order by pressing the buttons. As the game progresses, the number of buttons to be pressed increases.

Simon is named for the simple children's game of Simon says, but the game play is based on Atari's unpopular Touch Me arcade game from 1974. Simon differs from Touch Me in that the Touch Me buttons were all the same color (black) and the sounds it produced were harsh and grating. Simon's tones, on the other hand, were designed to always be harmonic.

To play, simply press...

I do...do you?

Day 44

A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception (or in parts of England, at a wedding breakfast) after a wedding. In modern Western culture, it is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, usually over a layer of marzipan or fondant. Achieving a dense, strong cake that can support the decorations while remaining edible can be considered the epitome of the baker's art and skill.

Wedding cake toppers are small models that sit on top of the cake, normally a representation of a bride and groom in formal wedding attire. This custom was dominant in US wedding in the 1950s where it represented the concept of togetherness. Wedding toppers today are often figures that indicate shared hobbies or other passions.

Current trends, especially in the United States, are to have the wedding ceremony actually on the wedding cake. While this allows for all events to occur at the reception (ceremony, dinner, etc.), the cake can cost a staggering amount.  The necessity for a baker to hire a carpenter to complete the structure is currently under scrutiny, due to several accidents blamed on poor craftsmanship and cheep labor.

Currently, the case of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson vs. Love My Muffins Bakery is being heard by the New Jersey Supreme Court. In this case, Jack and Jill Thompson allege that their cake began to collapse during the ceremony, wherein, Jack did fall down; breaking his crown and Jill later tumbled after. They are seeking 4 million dollars in damages. 

Anyone seen Tink lately? Anyone?

Day 43

The legend of the tooth fairy is that of a fairy that gives a child money and/or gifts in exchange for a baby tooth (also know as deciduous or milk tooth) that has fallen out. Children typically place the tooth under their pillow at night. The fairy is said to take the tooth from under the pillow and replace it with money once they have fallen asleep.

Fairy collecting is the collection of fairies for hobby, scientific study or profit. Historically fairy collecting has been widespread and a very popular educational hobby. Fairy collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs. The practice is still widespread in Japan, especially amongst the youth demographic. 


Since most types of fairies have hard exoskeletons that retain their appearance after the fairy dies, it is easy and practical to form a collection. With many thousands of colorful and attractive species known, a collection may become quite large. The collecting of tooth fairies is perhaps most popular, with pixies in second place.

Nowadays some collectors practice their hobby also by rearing some breeds of fairies, or fairy ova, to adulthood. When done well, this procreates more adults than in nature. Some of the adults are released back in the wild, thus minding the numbers of individuals in natural populations. This method has also been used in some conservation programs.

Methods of collecting vary, however most collectors use a humane, responsible method including trapping and other non harmful methods. The plucking off of wings is strongly discouraged.

Your lucky numbers are....

Day 41.1

A fortune cookie is a crisp cookie usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil with a "fortune" wrapped inside. A "fortune" is a piece of paper with words of faux wisdom or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers, some of which have become actual winner numbers.

Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States and some other countries, but are absent in China. The exact provenance of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century, basing their recipe on a traditional Japanese cracker. Fortune cookies have been summarized as being "introduced by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, but ultimately they are consumed by Americans."

Although many people do not take the message in a fortune cookie as a serious oracular device, many of them consider it part of the game that the entire cookie must be consumed in order for the fortune to come true. Variations on this idea include not eating the cookie if a fortune seems unlucky, eating the entire cookie as well as the fortune, eating the entire cookie before reading the fortune, or reading the fortune before any of the cookie is eaten. While some people believe the fortune will not come true if it is read aloud, or read at all, other people follow rules involving how the cookie is selected—including selecting a cookie with closed eyes, passing a cookie to another person at the table, or choosing the cookie that seems to be pointing directly at you. Some people believe that there should be at least one extra cookie so that every person has a choice to make.

Regardless of your interpretation, some fortunes have had disastrous results...

Look...up in the sky!

Day 41
The Bat-Signal is a fictional distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman mythos. It is a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat attached to the light so that it projects a large Bat emblem on the sky or buildings of Gotham City. In the stories, the signal is used by the Gotham City Police Department as a method of contacting and summoning Batman to their assistance in the event of a serious crisis and as a weapon of psychological intimidation to the numerous villains of Gotham City.

Keep your helmut clean.

Day 40

Body hygiene pertains to hygiene practices performed by an individual to care for one's bodily health and well being, through cleanliness. Motivations for personal hygiene practice include reduction of personal illness, healing from personal illness, optimal health and sense of well being, social acceptance and prevention of spread of illness to others.

Personal hygiene practices include: seeing a doctor, seeing a dentist, regular washing/bathing, and healthy eating. Personal grooming extends personal hygiene as it pertains to the maintenance of a good personal and public appearance, which need not necessarily be hygienic.

Body hygiene is achieved by using personal body hygiene products including: soap, hair shampoo, toothbrushes, tooth paste, cotton swabs, antiperspirant, facial tissue, mouthwash, nail files, skin cleansers, toilet paper, and other such products.

Eat or be eaten.

Day 39

So you've destroyed the brains of your first zombie. Congrats! But now what? What do you do with the festering, rotting body? It was just this question that plagued (get it?) us at Zombie Defense HQ. We thought about mailing them to someone we didn't like, but that was just too costly (and he had already been zombified, anyways). After a lot of discussion, we decided the only sensible thing to do with the re-dead undead was to eat them. A few experiments later, we discovered the only safe way to eat zombie corpses was to turn them into Zombie Jerky!

Zombie Jerky is a delicious way of dealing with the undead. Seriously, though, Zombie Jerky is really just tasty chunks of zombie - accented with green stuff. Packaged in a neato specimen pouch, Zombie Jerky will prove to everyone that you'll eat anything (and also earn you lots of grossed out looks). And all the while, you'll know it's not really infected... Or is it?!? Hey, zombies have been eating us for years - it's time for us to return the favor with Zombie Jerky.

Watch out for that pickle!

Day 38

A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made to harm or damage others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food throwing. Food fights may be impromptu examples of rebellion or violence; however, they can also be planned events. For example, La Tomatina is a regularly-held, organized Spanish food fight in which participants pelt each other with tomatoes. In organized food fights, the food "weapons" are usually all of one kind, or of a limited variety. An impromptu food fight will use whatever food is on hand.

Food fights are a common element in slapstick comedy, with the pie in the face gag being especially prominent. Food fights are frequently featured in children's television and books, usually as an example of destructive or reckless behavior. Though usually associated with juvenile settings such as schools, there are notable incidents that take place in more official locations, such as the food fight at a lunch meeting of the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan. In Europe, some food fights evolved into traditional celebrations rooted either in the recent past such as the Spanish Tomatina or in long-gone centuries such as the Battaglia delle arance during the Carnival of Ivrea in Italy.

Some would argue that the best food fights are when participants actually dress as food and begin to battle each other. Though often prohibited in schools or official locations, this practice has a large following at sporting events, state fairs, carnivals, and weddings. Weaponry is optional, though ground rules are usually set prior to a costume food fight.

Denise: I'm sorry, Rod. What were you going to ask me?
Rod Kimble: Um, I was gonna ask you who you think would win in a fight between... a grilled cheese sandwich and a taco.
Denise: Is that what you were really going to ask me?
Rod Kimble: Of course.
Denise: Well, I think the grilled cheese sandwich - in a fair fight. But if it was prison rules, I'd put my money on the taco.
Rod Kimble: Wow, that's pretty racist but correct. I'll see you later.

Hot Rod (2007)

Really? This Alan Jackson song? Really?

Day 37.1

Daddy won a radio
Tuned it to a country show
I was rocking in the cradle to the crying of a steel guitar
Mama used to sing to me
She taught me that sweet harmony
Now she worries 'cause she never thought
I'd ever really take it this far
Singing in the bars and

Chasin' the neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream
'Cause all I've ever wanted
Is too pick this guitar and sing
Just trying to be somebody
Just wanna be heard and seen
Chasin' that neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream

An atlas and a coffe cup
Five pickers in an old Dodge truck
Heading down to Houston for a show on Saturday night
This overhead is killing me
Half the time I sing for free
But when the crowd's into it
Lord it makes this thing I doing seem right
Standing in the spotlight

Chasin' the neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream
'Cause all I've ever wanted
Is too pick this guitar and sing
Just trying to be somebody
Just wanna be heard and seen
Chasin' that neon rainbow

Livin' that honky tonk dream

Daddy's got a radio
He won it thrity years ago
He said 'Son I just now we're gonna hear you singing on it someday' I
made it up to Music Row Lordy don't the wheels turn slow But I wouldn't
trade a minute I wouldn't have it any other way Just show me to the stage

I'm chasin' the neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream
'Cause all I've ever wanted
Is too pick this guitar and sing
Just trying to be somebody
Just wanna be heard and seen
Chasin' that neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream
I'm chasin' the neon rainbow
Livin' that honky tonk dream

Pass the gravy please.

Day 37

Potato mashers are used to mash a variety of foods, but most often potatoes, hence the name. They are normally used in a home kitchen, but also may be used in commercial kitchens. Commercial mashers are often of larger design (up to 32 inches in base width). Other common uses include mashing pumpkins and rutabagas for soup, making hummus, chili, baking mix, egg salad, or even purées (depending on the fineness of the ridges). The potato masher consists of an upright or sideways handle connected to a mashing head. The head is most often a large-gauge wire in a rounded zig-zag shape, or a plate with holes or slits. Basic designs made from a single piece of wood were used in Victorian times, before the more complex modern designs which are now used. The original design was patented by Lee Copeman in 1847. The idea resulted from his love of smooth, lump-free mashed potatoes.

As a murder weapon, the potato masher is hardly a wise choice. However, depending on the victim...

Pass the ketchup...

Day 36.1
The ingredients comprising cheeseburgers follow the same pattern as found in the regional variations of hamburgers. Regionally popular toppings can include bacon, avocado or guacamole, sliced sautéed mushrooms or onions, cheese sauce and/or chili. Somewhat less common ingredients include egg, feta cheese, salsa, Jalapenos and other kinds of chile peppers, anchovies, slices of ham or bologna, horseradish, sauerkraut, pastrami or teriyaki-seasoned beef, tartar sauce, french fries, onion rings, potato chips, a pat of butter, pineapple and tofu among others.

A cheeseburger may have more than one hamburger patty and more than one slice of cheese. A stack of two is a double cheeseburger; a triple has three; and a quadruple has four. The ultimate cheeseburger is made entirely or cheese. The most common combination includes swiss, cheddar, gruyere, and colby-jack.  Variations can include creamcheese, brousse, crocciu, ricotta, urda, geitost, mozzarella, havarti, munster, jarlsberg, cheshire, glouchester, edam, gouda, roquefort, feta, brie, camembert, canned and cheeze wiz.

Giddyup....

Day 36

The “rocking horse” is a child's toy, usually shaped like a horse and mounted on rockers similar to a rocking chair.Predecessors of the rocking horse may be seen in the rocking cradle, the tilting seats used during the Middle Ages for jousting practice as well as the wheeled hobby horse. The toy in its current form did not appear before the 17th century, though some conflicting sources note medieval manuscripts including references to carved rocking horses, presumably of the toy kind.

From the 19th century onward rocking horses became more commonly considered as child's toy. Mostly built by hobby woodcrafters, and ranging from relatively crude to finely ornamented, it was not until the late 19th century that the production became industrialized.

What is often unknown is the “rocking horse” was modeled after the “Equus Rubusto”  or “wooden horse”, that roamed wild in northern Europe and became extinct around 1500 A.D. Named for its rough, oak like exterior, and ability to camouflage with surrounding trees, the animal, though small in size, numbered in the hundreds of thousands before it became popular as a child’s pet. Overgrazing by sheep and cattle, along with the unmonitored capture and sale of these animals led to their extinction.

The Lone Ranger and Raji.

Day 35.1

Cowboys and Indians is a very old childhood game, with roots extending further back than even the romanticized historical period from which it springs. Its formal use has declined over the years, as sensitivity has increased regarding the historic treatment of Native Americans, but the basic tropes can be found through dozens of different variations (cops and robbers being the most obvious). Through the use of such pretend, children learn to interact with their environment and each other, as well as taking on the roles of adults in a safe and non-threatening manner.

How to play:

• Choose sides. One group of children serves as the cowboys and the other group serves as the Indians. In some cases, the sides can wear bits of costume differentiating one from the other, but it isn't necessary.
• Divide up the territory where the game is being played. It can be a backyard, a park, or anywhere that makes running around easy and fun. It represents the wild frontier, which the cowboys are trying to settle and explore, and the Indians are trying to protect from interlopers. Half the team starts out on one side of the territory, half the team on the other. Alternately, choose one part of the territory--such as a large rock or a jungle gym--for one team to "defend" while the other team "attacks." If the cowboys are the defenders, the spot can be a wagon train or a remote homestead. If the Indians are the defenders, it's their native village coming under attack.
• Try to stay hidden from the other team until you get close enough to take a "shot" at them. The object is to use the territory to your best advantage: keeping rocks, bushes and similar pieces of cover between you and them.
• If you see someone from the other team, start "shooting" at them. Cowboys should point their fingers like guns and make "bang-bang" noises, while Indians should mimic firing bows and arrows.
• Play dead if someone "shoots" at you and you're not behind cover. Make your death appropriately dramatic; arms flying up in the air, body writhing on the ground, etc. No getting back up after you're "dead."
• Continue playing until one side or the other is "dead," then get up and start the game all over again.

Warning:

• The one inviolable rule in cowboys and Indians: no touching. You can pretend to shoot someone all you want--or even engage in hand-to-hand combat with a knife or invisible rope--but the action has got to stay pretend. Supervising parents should make that clear from the get-go.
• Rules for cowboys and Indians are flexible in the extreme, and needn't be adhered to if everyone is having fun. The ubiquitous "You're dead!" "No I'm not" arguments practically go with the territory. Parents may be troubled by the violent overtones of cowboys and Indians, but it's usually quite harmless. The main concern is labeling one side or the other "bad guys," which is no longer considered appropriate (unlike cops and robbers, which has very similar dynamics, but a much more clear-cut sense of morality).

Due to increased sensitivity regarding the historic treatment of Native Americans, and a movement to emphasize historical accuracy, the role of the “Indian” has been altered to reflect a more accurate description of the word. Indians are native peoples of  India, not native peoples of North or South America, as first described by early assumptions  and misnomers of European explorers during the 15^th and 16^th century. The game of Cowboys and Indians is forever changed now favoring a standard “Cowboy” and an accurate “Indian”.

Autobots....FORE!

Day 35

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, a faction of heroic Transformers from the planet Cybertron who wage their battles to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons. He is depicted as a heroic, brave, wise and compassionate character that puts all his talent to use to improve the universe around him. Optimus has a strong sense of justice and righteousness, and has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth; he will battle his foes with unyielding resolve. Recent allegations of misuse of Autobot property, including sales of small parts on E-Bay, Embezzlement of government funding and inappropriate use of cybernetic cleaning equipment, have tarnished the once, brilliant reputation of this valiant Autobot commander. Pending further investigation and following standard protocol in compliance with Cybertronian law, Optimus Prime has been demoted in rank, now serving as Autobot fry-cook, and liaison to earth golf tournaments. His ability to transform has been changed from diesel truck to golf cart. He will be known now as Minimus Prime. Trial has been set for late March. If proven innocent, Prime’s rank former designations will be restored.

Leggo my lego...

Day 34.1

Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, mini figures and various other parts. Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects. The toys were originally designed in the 1940s in Europe and have achieved an international appeal, with an extensive subculture that supports Lego movies, games, video games, competitions, and four Lego themed amusement parks.

Lego pieces of all varieties are part of a universal system. Despite variation in the design and purpose of individual pieces over the years, each remains compatible in some way with existing pieces. Lego bricks from 1958 still interlock with those made in the current time, and Lego sets for young children are compatible with those made for teenagers. Bricks, beams, axles, gears, mini figures, and all other parts in the Lego system are manufactured to an exacting degree of precision. When snapped together, pieces must have just the right amount of strength and flexibility mixed together to stick together. They must stay together until pulled apart. They cannot be too easily pulled apart, or the resulting constructions would be unstable; they also cannot be too difficult to pull apart, since the disassembly of one creation in order to build another is part of the Lego appeal.

Testing and quality control are paramount concerns in the construction and manufacturing of Lego products. Bricks, beams, axles, mini figures that to not meet testing standards are recycled, melted again, and formed into new legos.

He slimed me!

Day 34

After losing their jobs at Columbia University, a trio of misfit parapsychologists—Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, and Egon Spengler — establish their own paranormal exterminator service, "Ghostbusters." The business, operating out of a retired fire station (located at 14 N. Moore St. in TriBeCa), gets off to a slow start, and they run out of money. Fortunately, their secretary Janine Melnitz gives them the news that they have been contacted by the upscale Sedgewick Hotel to investigate a haunting. At the hotel, they successfully (albeit chaotically) capture their first ghost and deposit it into a "containment unit" of their own design located in the basement of their office.

Paranormal activity soon begins to increase across the city, and business skyrockets for the Ghostbusters, who become local celebrities in the process. As their workload continues to rise, the group is forced to hire a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore, to keep up with the demand for their services.

One day the Ghostbusters office is visited by Walter Peck of the EPA, who arrests the team for supposedly housing dangerous chemicals in their basement (though in reality Peck is a sceptic who believes the Ghostbusters are dangerous frauds), and orders their ghost containment grid shut down, unleashing hundreds of ghosts onto New York City.

The containment unit in question, albeit useful for multiple purposes, was never designed to contain rogue spirits and plasma based entities. A new, nuclear based method of containment is currently under construction by Mr. Spengler. 

My....precious.....

Day 33


Onion rings are a type of fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a small or big ring of onion (whose ring-like structure lends itself well to this mode of preparation) dipped in batter or breading and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste. Whole onion rings make for better presentation through a variety of sizes, while those made from a paste offer quantity through consistent size. Consumers of whole onion rings run the risk of pulling the onion out of the batter if they fail to cut it all the way through with their teeth, while onion rings made of onion paste break apart easily but oil absorbency diminishes the onion taste.

The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy novel written by philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit (1937), but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in stages between 1937 and 1949, much of it during World War II. The title of the novel refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth.

The Ring seemed simply to be made of gold, but was impervious to damage. It could be destroyed only by throwing it into the pit of the volcanic Mount Doom where it had originally been forged. Unlike other rings, the One Ring was not susceptible to dragon fire. Like some lesser rings forged by the Elves as "essays in the craft" – but unlike the other Rings of Power – it bore no gem, but its identity could be determined by a simple (though little-known) test: when placed in a fire, it displayed a fiery Tengwar inscription in the Black Speech of Mordor, with lines from a rhyme of lore describing the Rings:

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Now, remember that next time you order French Fries and a single onion ring finds itself on your tray....

P.S. If you do find the one ring, please, save everyone the trouble. Instead of going through the epic journey that cost thousands of lives, just fly on the back of the giant eagle and drop the damn ring into the volcano. Thank you.

Jabba the Hutt one....Jabba the Hutt two...Hike!

Day 31.1

Hello and welcome to Super Bowl XVIILMXCCMX! With the storm troopers of Galactic Empire taking on the pilots of the Rebel Alliance! Today’s game will be broadcast throughout the known universe on every channel, as per Emperor Palpatine’s decree.

This is the 32^nd appearance by the Troopers, having the reputation of “terminating” their rivals should they loose. We all remember the defeat of the Wookies from Kashyyyk last year, with the score; Troopers 93 Wookies 7, after the controversial use of blasters by the Troopers in the second half.

This year should be a more exciting game as it is rumored that several rogue Jedi have joined the Rebel Alliance. Their undefeated record this year gives a glimmer of hope that this might be the year the Troopers are defeated.

Today’s halftime show will feature John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra!

So, get ready, grab your blue milk and let’s get this game started!

Take out your stick and wack it!

Day 31

Piñatas are believed to have originated among the Aztecs, Mayans, and other native peoples of Mexico, who made clay pots in the shape of their gods. The pots were meant to be broken forcefully with poles and sticks, so the contents spilled to signify abundance or favors from the gods. Historians tell us that during the birthday celebration of the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli, priests hung a clay pot on a pole in the temple. The pot was adorned with colorful feathers and filled with small treasures like bead ornaments, colorful or painted stones, berries, or nuts. When the pot was broken with a stick the little treasures spilled on the feet of the god as an offering. The Mayans played a game where the central player’s eyes were covered with a cloth while he tried to hit the pot that was suspended by a string.

Nowadays, piñatas have been adopted in many parts of the world and have become a more common sight at parties and celebrations, especially in México, Central America and the Southern United States, mostly due to the close influence from Mexican culture.

Piñatas are traditionally present at children’s birthday parties. They are usually made of cardboard, colorfully decorated to match the birthday party theme (superhero, princess, or any other creative design) and filled with candy, chocolates, small toys and confetti.

Piñatas have, in recent years, become harder to collect than usual, their population having dwindled in Mexico, Central and South America, due to overgrazing and inadequate medical practice. Large herds of piñatas are often seen roaming the countryside, having become wild and in some cases, untamable. Piñatas have become a “cash cow” in the black market, some going for thousands of dollars in foreign countries.  Government officials ignore the problem, as piñatas are, technically, just paper and candy. A growing movement to save the wild piñata is underway with dozens of members of PETP (People for the Ethical Treatment of Piñatas) forcefully breaking up countryside piñata parties. Their efforts are often futile as evidence (typically tissue paper, candy wrappers, rope and sticks) are still found throughout the region.

There are reports of some piñatas retaliating against their would-be oppressors. Apparently, if left alone, piñatas can grow enormous in size, and due to their now untamed nature, have begun to fight back.

Do you hear a gurgle?

Day 30.1

Throughout history, scientists have relied on a number of instruments to measure, map, and observe the ocean's depths. One of the first instruments used to examine the seafloor was the sounding weight. Ancient Viking sailors took measurements of sea depth and sampled seafloor sediments with this instrument, which consisted of a lead weight with a hollow bottom attached to a line. Once the weight reached the sea bottom and collected a sample of the seabed, the line was hauled back on board ship and measured.

Deep-sea exploration advanced considerably in the 1900s thanks to a series of technological inventions, ranging from sonar system to detect the presence of objects underwater through the use of sound to manned deep-diving submersibles such as DSV Alvin. Alvin is designed to carry a crew of three people to depths of 4,000 meters (13,124 ft). The submarine is equipped with lights, cameras, computers, and highly maneuverable robotic arms for collecting samples in the darkness of the ocean's depths.

A startling discovery made in the late 1970’s has recently been made public after years of private, military and international research collaborations. Speculation as to its placement (100 miles NE of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean) and use, range from extraterrestrial influence, ancient plumbing solutions and the supernatural. Carbon dating thus far, has been inconclusive. 

It should be noted that the current release of James Cameron’s 3-D movie, Down We Go  is merely based on speculation and influenced by the finding, and in no way reflects intentions of the world’s governments or scientific community.

I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys 'R' Us kid...

Day 30

First sold in 1979 as one of the first molded-plastic toy cars sold in the United States, the Cozy Coupe is a red and yellow toy car manufactured and distributed by Little Tikes. It was called the "world's best-selling car for much of this decade" by The New York Times in 1998, outselling the Honda Accord and Ford Taurus. As of 1991, the Cozy Coupe was selling 500,000 units per year, making it the top-selling model in the United States, outselling the 399,000 Accords and 299,000 Taurus vehicles sold that year. By 1997, its sales of 313,000 units in the US and another 100,000 sold in the United Kingdom in 1997, would have made it the fifth-best-selling car in the US among real vehicles.


In recent years in the United States, some models often on lists of most frequently stolen vehicles include Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Acura Integra, Jeep Cherokee, Cadillac Escalade and , of course, the Cozy Coupe. Police departments use various methods of recovering stolen vehicles, such as random checks (ANPR) of vehicles that come in front of a patrol unit, checks of all vehicles parked along a street or within a parking lot using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) or keeping a watchlist  of all the vehicles reported stolen by their owners. Police departments also receive tips on the location of stolen vehicles. Recovery rates for stolen vehicles vary, depending on the effort a jurisdiction's police department puts into recovery, and devices a vehicle has installed to assist in the process.

Lately, the molded plastic wheels used on the Cozy Coupe have been used as an aphrodisiac in several South American countries.  It is currently unknown how or why this particular wheel is used, but countless children in the United States have been left without a means of transportation, relying now on bicycles, skateboards and Big Wheels. 

Next on UHF channel 52....Wheel...of...Fish!

Day 29.2

My reception is off. That may sound funny to most of you, but some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. The question is...what is showing on your T.V.? You know, the T.V. that floats over your head, not the one in your living room or bedroom.  I guess it’s not really a T.V., rather a flat 2D screen that plays images, shows and movies consistently. Normally, I don’t mind. During meetings or when someone is yammering about their weekend or why Pringles should come in single size packages, I just tune to an episode of Family Guy or replay Star Wars for the thousandth time.

Anyway, back to my reception. Lately, I wake to a scary movie. Not “Friday the Elm Street on Halloween” kind of scary, but the long hotel hallway with twins a the end, staring me down kind of scary, or the Oompa Loompa  chasing me with a funnel yelling, “Time to PACK the Fudge!” kind of scary. Normally, I just stop my movie, imagine myself with a lightsaber, cue John Williams and start to kick some intergalactic butt. But lately, I’m wake up running down my hallway in my tightie- whities asking the cat where the giant chicken went.

So, the other night I asked my lovely wife, “Hon, what’s playing on your T.V.?”

“Forensic Files”

“No, I mean...YOUR T.V.”

“MY T.V...?!?”

“The one that floats over your head...”

The look she gave me was one that I will remember forever.  The look of concern, mixed with amusement, bewilderment and a touch of gas, when she finally answered...“You’re not getting any.”

Needless to say, I decided to drop the topic, though I began to wonder....am I the only one that has a T.V. floating over their head? So, I pose this question to you....what is showing on your T.V.?

Adjust that antenna would you? I'm getting "Po" reception....

Day 29.1

Teletubbies was a BBC children's television series, primarily aimed at pre-school viewers, produced from 1997 to 2001. The program first aired on 31 March 1997, was syndicated in the United States on the PBS network on 6 April 1998 and aired until June 19, 2005. In 2001 production was canceled and it was announced that no new episodes would be produced, with the last episode being aired on 5 January 2001.

The program revolves around the adventures of Teletubbies, Tinky Winky, who is purple; Dipsy, who is green; Laa-Laa, who is yellow; and Po, who is red. Each Teletubbie also has a geometric antenna on top of their head. In the show, the four colourful Teletubbies play in the cheerful and fun Teletubbyland. They do things that little children like to do, such as rolling on the ground, laughing, running about, and watching real children on the televisions on their bellies. 

Once Teletubbies was canceled, the four Teletubbies were set loose to roam the countryside, free from the burden of adult life and responsibility. Due to the uniqueness of their species, international recognition and specific diet of “Tubby Custard”; no one country opted to claim, legalized their residency, nor label Teletubbies within a genus, species or phylum.  As a result the Teletubbies lost their work visas in the US, UK and most of Europe. 

Big game hunters became aware of the “rogue” status of the Teletubbies in late 2007, sparking a craze to obtain and use the antenna possessed by each Teletubby to gain crystal-clear reception, view all satellite signals (including extra-terrestrial transmissions) and universal compatibility with every electronic device known to man.

The current whereabouts of the Teletubbies are unknown.

...To the laaaand of the loooooooossstttt.

Day 29
The simplest hand puppets are those with few or no moving parts. They can be stiff, made of plastic, but are more often flexible, made from fabric, possibly with some stuffing and attached decorations for eyes, nose, and so on. The mouth may be a mere decoration that does not open and close, or the thumb may enter a separate pocket from the rest of the fabric and so simulate a mandible, allowing the puppet to talk.

Hand puppets are a diverse group of animals that were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (about 65 million years ago). The extinction of most puppet species occurred during the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event. The fossil record indicates that finger puppets evolved within theropod puppets during the Jurassic period. Some of them survived the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, including the ancestors of all modern stick puppets. Consequently, in modern classification systems, marionettes are considered a type of string puppet— one of the few groups that has survived to the present day.


Since the first puppet fossils were recognized in the early nineteenth century, mounted puppet skeletons have been major attractions at museums around the world, and puppets have become a part of world culture. They have been featured in best-selling books and films such as Jurassic Puppet, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media. In informal speech, the word "Puppet" is used to describe things that are impractically large, slow-moving, obsolete, or bound for extinction, reflecting the outdated view that puppets were maladapted monsters of the ancient world.

I'm frightened, Auntie Em! I'm frightened!

Day 28.2

[Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man watch as the Wicked Witch of the West vanishes into a fireball]
Scarecrow: I'm not afraid of her! I'll see you get safely to the Wizard now, whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me. Ha!
Tin Woodsman: I'll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get a heart or not. Beehive, bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me!
[snaps]

Dorothy: Oh, you're the best friends anybody ever had. And it's funny, but I feel as if I'd known you all the time, but I couldn't have, could I?
Scarecrow: I don't see how. You weren't around when I was stuffed and sewn together, were you? [Scarecrow begins licking his lips as he stares at Dorothy’s head]
Tin Woodsman: And I was standing over there, rusting for the longest time.
Dorothy: Still, I wish I could remember, but I guess it doesn't matter anyway. We know each other now, don't we?
Scarecrow: That's right. [Drool begins to drip from the corner of Scarecrow’s mouth]
Tin Woodsman: We do.
Scarecrow: To Oz?
Tin Woodsman: To Oz.

Scarecrow: Brains.
Tin Woodsman: What?
Scarecrow: I’m hungry?

Dorothy: Hungry? Here [hands Scarecrow an apple] have one of these

Scarecrow: Come along, Dorothy. You don't want any of *those* apples.
Apple Tree: Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?
Scarecrow: Oh, no. It's just that she doesn't like little green worms! Besides, I like brains!

Tin Woodsman, Dorothy: WHAT?!?

Scarecrow: Brains, yum! Tasty, tasty brains..... [Glancing at the awe struck Tin Woodsman and Dorothy] Um..I mean, silly me, I need a brain. I haven't got a brain... only straw.
Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

[The trio continues their journey down the yellow brick road when suddenly]

Tin Woodsman: Where did the Cowardly Lion go?

Dorothy: Why, he was just here a moment ago.

Scarecrow: I’m sure he’s just fine. The lion and Toto ran into the forest just before the witch came...[Scarecrow, hiding a hint of a sneer, gazes over his shoulder at the tracks left by the fleeing dog and lion] ...they’ll be just fine.

*[meanwhile]*

[After a narrow escape from a rather menacing, horrifying, surprisingly vicious attack by the Scarecrow; the Cowardly Lion and Toto cower together... shivering.]

Cowardly Lion: I *do* believe in spooks, I *do* believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I *do* believe in spooks, I *do* believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I *do*!

Toto :*Whimper*

Don't fear the reaper.

Day 28.1

The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood.

In some cases, the Grim Reaper is able to actually cause the victim's death, leading to tales that he can be bribed, tricked, or outwitted in order to retain one's life, such as in the case of Sisyphus (but that’s another story for another time).

Other beliefs hold that the specter of Death is only a psychopomp (read your Greek), serving to sever the last ties between the soul and the body and to guide the deceased to the next world without having any control over the fact of the victim's death.

A personified character of Death has recurred many times in popular fiction. Having been identified as the “Ghost of Christmas yet to come”, “Thanatos” or the “Forth Horseman of the Apocalypse”, Death has got to keep up on current trends and modern views.  Keeping up appearances has got to be quite a task. Imagine having to appear almost everywhere, at anytime, changing appearance to support various beliefs and faiths. Whew...what a job!

Death can’t even enjoy a beer or some buffalo wings without interruptions, (Crap, sorry guys, I got to get to India. A yogi just fell on his bed of nails, and I’ve got a 1:30 at the sky-diving show in New Brunswick). So, I say, let’s give Death a break, if he should come knocking on your door, don’t answer, I’m sure he’d like the break.

That mawashi has gotta hurt.

Day 28

Sumo ,is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from the days when sumo was used in the Shinto religion. Life as a rikishi is highly regimented, with rules laid down by the Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal "sumo training stables" known in Japanese as heya where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dictated by strict tradition.

During recent years, participation in additional sporting events has been encouraged by the Sumo Association, allowing rikishi to enjoy additional individual and team events. Because of the average size of a single wrestler, basketball and baseball are often ignored; football is an option, though chance for injury is greater. Surprisingly spry and agile, most rikishi participate in track and field events including shot-put, hammer throw, long jump, high jump and track events.