Stuff You Didn't Know

HEALTH FOOD

My son has been advocating the joys of healthy eating --- cutting back on too much red meat and favoring the veggies. No argument but I also add that it's good to be exposed to germs early on so the body can develop natural antibodies. When I was young I played with dirt all the time. I'd like to think there was a connection to why I rarely got sick and was rarely absent from school or work. I've never had a major operation. Never had any major health issues. Some people have inquired of my health secret.

I recalled a time when I was probably 5 years old. Our family spent a summer in a safe rural mountain that was sparsely populated. One day, my parents were off somewhere and my brother and I were left unattended. By mid afternoon we became extremely hungry but there was no food and no one to ask food from. Then we spotted a flat pan (the size of a family sized pizza) laying on top of the table. On it were brownish balls the size of Pom Pom chocolates. My brother and I looked at each other and said "mmmm ... food!"

It smelled peculiar. It was soft and it crumbled like Play Doh and had a lot of greenish fiber. We took a bite. It didn't taste like regular food but we were too starved to be choosy. And after we got used to the taste, we gobbled the whole plate down. It was the worst meal we ever ate but it filled our empty tummys.

Evening came and Mom saw the empty plate on top of the table: "Was there something on this plate?" she asked. "Yes," we replied. "Where is it? Did you play with it?" "No," we confessed, "we ATE it!" We saw the horror in her face and then the grimace turned to laughter ... the kind of "gagging" laughter. Apparently, she had requested one of the neighbors to bring her some goat dropping so she could fertilize her plants. Yup! That's what we ate!

So you ask if I took any special health pills? Any secret diet? All I can say is:
I had goat poop for lunch!

"I asked the waiter, 'Is this milk fresh?' He said, 'Lady, three hours ago it was grass.'"
--- Phyllis Diller, courtesy of Tom

Wisdom from Naomi of N Hollywood

Stuff You Didn't Know
Contributed by Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

I've shared this before but it's been such a long time some of the new subscribers may not yet have seen this. --- Raoul

1. Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
   
   
2. Coca-Cola was originally green.
   
3. It is impossible to lick your little toe.
   
   
4. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work is Alaska
5. The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
   
6. The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $16,400.
   
   
7. The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour:
   61,000
8. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
   
   
9. The first novel ever written on a typewriter? Tom Sawyer.
   
10. The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
    
    
11. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
    Spades – King David
    Hearts – Charlemagne
    Clubs – Alexander, the Great
    Diamonds – Julius Caesar
    
    
12. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321
    
13. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle.If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes
    
    
14. Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4: John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
    
15. Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
    A. Their birthplace
    
16. Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
    A. Obsession
    
17. Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you
    would find the letter 'A'?
    A. One thousAnd
    
18. Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
    A. All were invented by women.
    
19. Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
    A. Pepperoni
    
20. Q. Before cell phones, which day of the year, are more collect calls made than any other day of the year?
    A. Father's Day
    
21. In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase ...'Goodnight, sleep tight'
    
22. It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his new son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
    
23. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts ... so in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.' ... It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'
    
    
24. Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the
    rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.
    
25. At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their little toe!
    

NOW you're LAUGHING at yourself! Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused!" (Unknown Author)

Algebra
Contributed by Jackie of Alhambra, CA

Quit asking us to find your X. She's not coming back.

And we don't know Y either.

Beatles Trivia
Contributed by Ed of Studio City, CA

Are you really a Beatles fan? Wanna take a quiz? Click here.

Videos of the week: (click on the picture)

The Skillet Whisperer
Contributed by Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

This is a more subdued kind of humor. It might be a little too tame for some of you but I thought it was creatively funny. Hope you like it.

Color Changing Car
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

How would you like a new car color with a simple flick of a switch? This is no joke. This is the new trend in car paints. Even after watching the video I don't yet fully understand how it's done.

USS Pennsylvania
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

This is the largest submarine in the US Navy. Its state of the art technology is enough to scare any enemy to submission. I think they could use this in the Middle East right now --- not to engage but to threaten both sides to cool down.

Tommy Emmanuel's Version of Classical Gas
Contributed by Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

Are you familiar with this old guitar classic? I never heard of Tommy Emmanuel but he's something else. Call him a show-off if you like but this guy's technique is remarkable. And it looks like he was just messing around when the video was taken. Wish I could do that.

Guantanamera
Contributed by Charlie of New York

75 musicians combine their talents to produce a song for change. Not sure what kind of change but it's a fascinating video of musical styles. This is one of the few Spanish songs I can sing.

Feather Counterweight: The Power of Concentration
Contributed by Mike of New York

Shhhh! You don't want to break this woman's focus. It looks simple but you need to be in great physical form to be able to do this. And to think the whole routine started with a feather.

Baby Conductor
Contributed by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

I got an email earlier this week of a young man who is called the next Leonard Bernstein and I wanted to pair it off with this video. Couldn't find it. If you were the one who sent that to me, please resend. This baby conductor might be the next NEXT Leonard Bernstein.

Hi-Tech Wearable Key
Contributed by Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

This is an upcoming technology that eases the authentication process with your smart phone. It's super cool. It's gonna be a hot weekend in Los Angeles. Hope it's cooler where you are! TGIF people!