Stuff I've Googled, what I Googled a few minutes ago, what I'm Googling now, why I'm Googling, and other fascinating information.

Friday, December 31, 2010

What's the movie Bridget Fonda is watching in "Singles" (1992)?


Search
: "gonna change my ways" "trading in my bridle" singles jane russell

Why: I watched that film the other night because I'd been thinking about it ever since I started listening to Campbell Scott reading the audiobook of The Shining. In the section labeled "The Hourglass Syndrome," Janet (Bridget Fonda) watches some musical number that features a gal who I'm pretty sure is Jane Russell.

Answer: The French Line (1953)! And the song is called "Any Gal from Texas." Embedding is disabled for the video - which is of terrible quality anyway, but you can watch it here. The part in Singles starts at 3:52.
Ha when I was playing it:
ME: Do you recognize that?
CHANDLER: It's from Singles, isn't it?
ME: Yeah [etc.]
CHANDLER: That's our state song.
Source: IMDb, YouTube

The More You Know: In fact, the film was released on my birthday in 1954. The date was pushed back because because:
  • It featured skimpy costumes designed by producer / aviator / chocolate bars & milk connoisseur Howard Hughes.
  • It was filmed in three strip technicolor and Dual strip polarized 3-D during the 3-D "golden era" of 1952-1954.
  • Jane's ample bosom literally popped out of the screen in 3-D. To stress the point Howard used the tagline "J.R. in 3D. It'll knock both your eyes out!"
  • The costumes were so purposely skimpy that it garnered a condemnation by the Catholic Legion of Decency.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

What is the origin of the slang term "drag" (like drag queen)?


Search
: drag slang origin

Why: Some guy sitting 3 rows behind me has been wheezing like Darth Vader for the last 5 hours, so I can't really concentrate.

Do you remember that scene in A Very Brady Sequel when RuPaul (as guidance counselor Mrs. Cummings) says, "Jan, being a middle child can be a real... drag"? I bet you probably do, but if not, you can borrow my DVD.

Answer: Well, I don't know if I believe either of these. The "dragging" of heavy skirts:

The origin is thought to be from Victorian theatrical usage in reference to the dragging sensation of long skirts on the ground, an unfamiliar sensation to men. The usage is not found in print until the 1870s but must surely be older. Jonathon Green suggests that the gay implications did not arise until the 1920s, and that all the early citations in the Oxford English Dictionary refer to fancy dress.

or a lame acronym:
"Drag queen" appeared in print in 1941. The verb is to "do drag." A folk etymology whose acronym basis reveals the late 20th-century bias, would make "drag" an abbreviation of "dressed as girl" in description of male transvestism.
Source: World Wide Words, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Speaking of transvestites,

What is Jakob Nowell up to?


Search
: jakob nowell

Why: He is the son of Bradley Nowell (the guy from Sublime), born in June of 1995. (Brad died of a heroin overdose May 25, 1996(1996-05-25)). Last time I saw this kid, he looked like this:
Answer: He's in high school in San Diego! And wearing a mohawk! According to the Internet's resident expert on Sublime:
Jake is now 16 or 17 and he plays guitar but has no plans (as far as I know) to start a band & he's not in one as of yet. He and Troy (who has since remarried.) live in San Diego. They usually come up to Brad's headstone on his anniversary so you might be able to catch them there sometime.

For the most part, they just keep a low profile,.... Jake's just going to school and Troy's just doing the "Mom" thing. At one point, she had a little store down there but I think she has since closed it down.

Jake sports a Mohawk, Troy's still got mad style, and they both just want respect for Bradley & for his legacy to be respected as it should be.
Here is a [tacky?] video of Jakob and his mom Troy visiting Brad's grave in 2009:
Source: AllExperts

The More You Know: Sublime was on tour this year! with some guy named Rome Ramirez! calling themselves "Sublime with Rome"! Eh?
Here is how widow and child feel about that:
As far as the whole "sublime with Rome" thing goes,... at first, they were adamantly against it(as well as the Nowell family) because they all didn't want the name that Brad OWNED (and had copyrighted) to be disrespected, however, they all reached an amicable settlement which included the stipulation that they could not go on tour (or sell merchandise)under ONLY the name "sublime"; they had to (and HAVE to) use "Sublime with Rome".

I want to look at the lyrics to "Levon"


Search
: Levon

Why: Elton John and David Furnish are now fathers to a baby boy they've named Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. (Baby was born to a surrogate mother in California on Christmas Day.)

The first time I ever heard "Levon" was when Taylor Hicks sang it on American Idol, so I don't know it so well. It's from 1971 and named after Levon Helm, the drummer for The Band.
Answer: They go like this:
Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town

Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway

He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today

And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan

Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly

And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies
Well, how about that. Christmas Day.

Source: Sing365

The More You Know: More Lydia Deetz:
It is not known who is the father, but Natalie Gamble, a specialist in fertility law at Gamble and Ghevaert LLP, said that one or both men will have provided sperm.

She said that in all Californian cases of which she was aware, prospective parents must provide the sperm, and the egg would come not from the surrogate but a second woman.

They tried to adopt a Ukranian baby last year, but it didn't work out.

Monday, December 27, 2010

I want to see a picture of Benjamin Millepied


Search
: Benjamin Millepied

Why: He knocked up Natalie Portman (and - I assume subsequently - got her to agree to marry him). Will their baby be hot?

Answer: Erm:
He did it with a lady? A human lady?

Here he is closer up with one gal who is not Natalie Portman and two who are.
Undecided.

Also, millipede?

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Re: Who the heck is this joker (because Portman has previously been linked to famous people Gael Garcia Bernal, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jude Law, and Davendra Barnhardt [and also once sat at my brother's table in the dining hall at Harvard]):
In 2009 he served as choreographer for Black Swan, a psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky which stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis as ballet dancers in New York City. A couple of months into filming, Millepied found himself on the other side of the camera playing the part of Kunis and Portman's dance partner. He didn't have very many lines, but when asked about acting he told Details "I really, really got into it...I was blown away—especially by Natalie, who was amazing to watch".
Maybe I will go see that this evening finally.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

What is the Night of the Radishes?


Search
: Night of the Radishes

Why: Sam is talking about it.

Answer: La Noche de Rabanos is a tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrated on Dec. 23rd. That's tonight!
The festival dates from the 19th century that combines art, agriculture, and religion. It is held in the zócalo, or main square, in Oaxaca, Mexico, 300 miles south of Mexico City. The radish made its first appearance here during the Spanish colonial period, and in commemoration Oaxaqueños carve them into elaborate shapes and display them on La Noche de Rabanos.

Extremely large radishes are carved into elaborate scenes and figures and placed on display around the Zócalo, along with scenes of figures in the “flor inmortal” (immortal flower: brightly colored, dried straw flowers) and “totomoxtle” (corn husks).

They carve them into all sorts of things, like conquistadors and village people and scenes with the sweet baby Jesus.

The More You Know: And another thing:
During the festival and throughout the Christmas season, another custom is observed: people buy small pottery bowls filled with sweet fried dough called buñuelos. After they eat the dough, they fling the bowl violently to the ground. The walks become thick with pottery shards.
Irreverent!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Who wrote Demolition Man?


Search
: demolition man

Why: We watched it last night. I hadn't seen it since about 1994, and I was re-expecting it to be a high octane action thrilla. Instead, it was a very silly something. I kind of thought it was great, but Chandler compared it to colossal embarrassment Batman & Robin (1997).
That is preposterous for so many reasons.

Answer: The story and screenplay are from the geniuses behind!:
  • Heathers (1989)!
  • Hudson Hawk (1991)!
  • Batman Returns (1992)!
  • "Hawaii Five-0" (2010)!
  • Son-in-Law (1993)!
  • Jury Duty (1994)!
These guys are Daniel Waters and Peter Lenkov.

Fun fact: I have seen Jury Duty upwards of 2 dozen times. It is one of Stanley Tucci's finest performances.
Anyway, it makes sense. The Demolition Man people sure say "Greetings and salutations" a hell of a lot. I am fined one credit for a violation of the Verbal Morality Statute.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Did you know that Wesley "Willie Mays Hayes" Snipes just started a 3 year federal prison sentence because he didn't file his income tax returns? It's true! and after only 8 days, he's already asking to be let out. Yipes!

And jicydak, the other Wesley Snipes plays that flamboyant Jareth-style all-white showman Castor (Zuse) in Tron: Legacy, which - btw- is not very good.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Why do we say "ring in the new year"?


Search
: ring in the new year

Why: It's coming, y'all. What are you doing? Do you have your celebratory glasses yet? 2011 is causing problems for the novelty industry.
Answer: It's from the 1850 poem "Ring Out, Wild Bells" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson!
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Source: phrases.org.uk

The More You Know: Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1617, Ben Jonson became the first Poet Laureate to be made an official part of the royal household and receive a pension from King James I.

Though I'm pretty sure I had to know things about or by Ben Jonson at some point (probably 12th grade; whocanverify?), I don't remember even one detail, so instead, here is Tennyson's most glorious sonnet, "The Kraken."
Below the thunders of the upper deep,
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
Over Thanksgiving, Chandler sent me a picture of this godly elixir and divine vessel that his aunt & uncle had. I was so jealous that I nearly strapped on my concrete boots and took a long walk off a short pier.
Only 4 shopping days left!

Monday, December 20, 2010

I want to see a picture of Nmachi Ihegboro


Search: Nmachi Ihegboro

Why: In Yahoo! UK & Ireland Year in Review Most Popular Odd Stories:
5. White baby born to black parents
All parents fear a mix-up in the maternity ward. But there was no mix-up for Angela and Ben Ihegbro. The black couple, from Woolwich in south London, were amazed when Angela, 35, gave birth to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white baby.

Nmachi Ihegboro was born at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup, Kent. It’s not unheard-of for mixed-race couples of West Indian origin to have children of significantly different colour – because of white ancestry – but Angela and Ihegbro are of Nigerian origin, and are not aware of any mixed-race family history.

Furthermore, doctors insist that baby Nmachi is not an albino because she has pigmentation in her eyes and hair. Professor Brian Sykes, head of Human Genetics at Oxford University, believes the unusual condition is the result of an undocumented form of genetic mutation.

Nmachi’s, which means “beauty of God” in Nigerian, joins sisters Chisom, four, and Dunebi, two.

Angela Ihegbro told The Sun newspaper: “Nmachi’s colour doesn’t matter. She’s a miracle baby. But still, what on earth happened here?”

That was surely a question that popped into Ben’s head at the moment of birth. But he doesn’t suspect any wrongdoing. “Of course, she’s mine,” he told the newspaper, “my wife is true to me. Even if she hadn’t been, the baby still wouldn’t look like that.

Answer: Here she is!

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: There have been other recent stories about children of mixed couples coming out with a variety of skin colors. Below, Cornel and Carla Nurse with who they call their "Rainbow Children" - Jermaine, who looks, well, mixed; Tanisha, who looks "Afro-Caribbean"; and Jayden, who has blonde hair and blue eyes:

And in 2005, twins born to Kylie Hodgson and Remi Horder - both of whom have white mothers and black fathers - showed up looking like this. Kian is on the left and Remee is on the right:

Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner have had 2 sets of colorful twins: Hayleigh & Lauren in 2001 and Miya & Leah in 2008:

And these guys - Koen and Teun Stuart were born as twins, but they have different fathers:

When Wilma and Willem Stuart married in 1984, they assumed that having children would be the next big step. The couple tried unsuccessfully for six years before turning to invitro fertilization. Wilma learned in April 1993 that she was pregnant, and soon after found out that she was carrying twins. The boys were delivered by emergency C section in Dec of 1993.

It was three days before the Stuarts saw their twin boys side by side and noticed the differences in the way the boys looked. One was small and had light skinned, while the other was dark and much larger. It was at this point in time that the Stuarts began to ask questions, but were told by hospital staff that liver problems might be the reason for darker skin and that it would pass. But by the time the boys were six months old, the Stuarts began to question the paternity of their sons.

When the boys were just over a year old, DNA testing proved that little Koen was indeed fathered by someone other than Willem Stuart. The hospital where the invitro was performed has called the situation “a deeply regrettable mistake” and speculation is that a piece of equipment called a pipette ( like a large eyedropper), had been used twice, causing another man’s sperm to be mixed with Willem's.
Oops!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

What famous people were born February 29th?


Search
: february 29

Why: Because:
Answer: Popes, prime ministers, and politicians... and 2 serial killers! Here are some:
  • 1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549)
  • 1736 – Ann Lee, American founder of Shakers (d. 1784)
  • 1840 – John Philip Holland, Irish inventor of the submarine (d. 1914)
  • 1896 – Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India (d. 1995)
  • 1896 – William A. Wellman, American film director (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Jimmy Dorsey, American bandleader (d. 1957)
  • 1904 – Wolfe+585, Senior, aka Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff, Sr. (Wolfe+585, Senior), aka Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfe­schlegelstein­hausenberger­dorffvoraltern­waren­gewissenhaft­schaferswessen­schafewaren­wohlgepflege­und­sorgfaltigkeit­beschutzen­von­angreifen­durch­ihrraubgierigfeinde­welche­voraltern­zwolftausend­jahres­vorandieerscheinen­wander­ersteer­dem­enschderraumschiff­gebrauchlicht­als­sein­ursprung­von­kraftgestart­sein­lange­fahrt­hinzwischen­sternartigraum­auf­der­suchenach­diestern­welche­gehabt­bewohnbar­planeten­kreise­drehen­sich­und­wohin­der­neurasse­von­verstandigmen­schlichkeit­konnte­fortplanzen­und­sicher­freuen­anlebens­langlich­freude­und­ruhe­mit­nicht­ein­furcht­vor­angreifen­von­anderer­intelligent­geschopfs­von­hinzwischen­sternartigraumen, Senior, German-born American typesetter who has the longest personal name ever used (death year unknown)
  • 1908 – Balthus, French-Polish painter (d. 2001)
  • 1916 - Dinah Shore, American singer and actress (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, President of El Salvador
  • 1928 – Joss Ackland, English actor
  • 1928 – Tempest Storm, American burlesque performer



Source
: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Speaking of leap years, just last week, Eli and I were discussing Christmas and when Jesus was born (March? September?) and December 25th and all that jazz, and we got into the Gregorian calendar, which was implemented because the leap years on the Julian calendar were all screwed up.
At the time of Gregory's edict in 1582, the vernal equinox had moved backward in the calendar, until it was occurring on about 11 March, 10 days earlier.
That means that Christmas would have been drifted all around, too.

BUT THEN! Allie mentioned something about Coptic Christmas, which is currently held on January 7th, in accordance with the old Coptic (Alexandrian) / Julian calendar. It even moves! By the year 2100, Coptic Christmas will be on January 8th.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I want to see a picture of Jacquelyn Kotarac


Search
: Jacquelyn Kotarac

Why: I am reading 7 Creepy Urban Legends That Happy to Be True (Part 4) on Cracked.com. Kotarac was that woman who crawled down her boyfriend's chimney in August of this year, got stuck, and died. She was an internist in Bakersfield, CA, which seems like a pretty distinguished job for someone with such poor judgment. I just want to see if she looks like a crazy person.

Answer: No :( She even has an Ab Rocket.
Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Be careful out there, you guys.

Monday, December 13, 2010

What is the origin of the term "basket case"?


Search
: basket case origin

Why: I just called my aunt one, but then I realized I don't even know what that term is supposed to mean. In The Breakfast Club:
You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain and an athlete and a basket case, a princess and a criminal.
She's so off-kilter!

Answer: It comes from the military! After WWI, "basket cases" were those soldiers whose arms-n-legs had been amputated, blown or bayonetted off, leaving them immobile unless carried around by others. Tacky, no? But here is some historical information:
Strangely, the term was never used to describe anyone - only in order to deny that any such servicemen existed. This bulletin was issued by the U.S. Command on Public Information in March 1919, on behalf of Major General M. W. Ireland, the U.S. Surgeon General:

"The Surgeon General of the Army ... denies ... that there is any foundation for the stories that have been circulated ... of the existence of 'basket cases' in our hospitals."

This bulletin was reported on in many U.S. newspapers at the time. Many of them also defined what was meant by 'basket case'. For example, this from the New York paper The Syracuse Herald, March 1919:

"By 'basket case' is meant a soldier who has lost both arms and legs and therefore must be carried in a basket.

Given that the term was originally reserved for incapacitated servicemen, there wasn't much call for it until the next major war of English-speaking peoples - WWII. Again, it comes from the U.S. military and again in the form of a denial from the Surgeon General. In May 1944, in 'Yank', the then Surgeon General said:

"... there is nothing to rumors of so-called 'basket cases' - cases of men with both legs and both arms amputated."

I don't know what he was trying to deny, exactly. Those were both pretty big and violent wars, so there were probably a lot of people who had multiple amputations. What a bizarre lie.

Anyway, now the term refers to someone in a hopeless mental condition, like my aunt, who is a bonafide lunatic.

Source: Phrases.org.uk, American Heritage Dictionary

The More You Know: Do you remember this song from the mid-90s ? I remember it coming on one Saturday morning while I was at gymnastics. The big doors were open because it was sunny and I was wearing a baja over my leotard.
A baja!

I want to see pictures of Healthy Harold


Search: healthy harold

Why: When we were talking about DARE, Daniel - who is from Gold Coast - said:
We had Healthy Harold. He was an awesome mechanical giraffe that that traveled around in a van. He taught us all about sex and drugs, but not nearly enough about rock 'n' roll.
Answer: Oh man, he looks like he could be the tar out of Geoffrey Giraffe.
Source: Google Images

The More You Know: If you are a member of Harold's Club, you can play some safe, fun, and educational games right here on HealthyHarold.org.au. Watch out for the evil soft drinks!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Who sings the Christmas carols on the Hyundai commercials?


Search
: hyundai christmas carols

Why: They sing "Jingle Bells" (for the Santa Fe), "Up on the Housetop" (for the Sonata), and "Deck the Halls" (for the Genesis). The girl looks kind of familiar. She harmonizes with herself like Mary Ford.
Answer: It's the band Pomplamoose! Those people are Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte.

Source: Answers.com

The More You Know: That is what all their videos look like. Buy their songs on iTunes right here and/or their "videosongs" right here.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Who played Danny in "The Shining"?


Search
: the shining

Why: I am listening to the audiobook, but I have never seen the movie. The kid is supposed to be 5, but I keep picturing him being way older. Sadie is 4 and 5/6ths, and though she runs her mouth quite a bit, I can't really imagine her saying some of this stuff just yet.

Answer: Danny Lloyd! He was born in January 1973, and that film came out in May 1980, so maybe he was a bit older during filming, like 6 or 7.

Oh, he was. On Wikipedia:
He was selected for the role due to his ability to maintain his concentration for extended periods of time. In the DVD commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter, they state that Kubrick was able to film all of Lloyd's scenes without the six-year-old actor realizing he was in a horror movie.
He looked like this:
He only has one other credit, as Young Liddy in Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy (1982).

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: Whoa wait, look who is Lemondrop / TMZ's "All Growed Up" of the day...
Danny Lloyd, now 37 years old, was at the Fright Night Film Fest last year, looking brave.

1021_memba_reveal
Danny is now a science teacher.
What are the odds? Do I have the shining?

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Who sings the song on the Target Christmas commercial?


Search
: "perfect christmas time" "tiny tree" target

Why: I keep seeing it.
Answer: Guster! Remember them from 10th grade? The song is called "Tiny Tree Christmas."

You can download the full version for free here on the Target website. Or listen to it here:
Source: The Blue Walrus

The More You Know: Lyrics go like:
Comes along just once a year
On winter's wings, December's rear (?)
Ah humbug faces come and dear
And then appears at perfect Christmas time
A tiny tree, Christmas
Tinsel, the lights, a star that sings
Top your tiny tree
Maybe "atop." Those lyrics are weird.

What is PM Dawn up to?


Search: pm dawn

Why: Erin just had a(nother) baby. Welcome Simon! Erin came to Destin with us one summer, and she played "I'd Die Without You" several times. (That song came out in 1992, so it was probably the summer I was 9.)
Cool shades!

Answer
: They are theoretically still making hits! I mean, their years active are "1988-present," anyway. Their last album, Fucked Music (2000) is mail-order only (mail order?), but they cover "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.

The 2 original guys (Prince Be and Minutemix) are brothers, btw, and their stepdad George Brown was a founding member of Kool & the Gang.

Here is some bad news:
On 12 February 2009, Prince Be had a second stroke and suffered a gangrenous infection in his right leg. As a result of this infection, his leg had to be amputated below the kneecap in December 2009. He is expected to return to the stage in the summer of 2010
But according to their Myspace:
Since the unfortunate sickness of Prince B, Doc G has decided to keep the fans happy by touring and singing the PM Dawn hits as well as his solo projects.
You can follow his Tweets here.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Erin & PM Dawn also remind me of these little candy seashells - not chocolate-filled - that my dad used to get me when we were in Destin. I had a big bag of them in my closet, and every time that I heard that song on the radio, I went and ate one. The last time I heard that song before today might have been 10 years ago, and they were already long gone. Now they are expensive. Buy them for me.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Is there really a CDC in Hotlanta?


Search
: cdc atlanta walking dead

Why: According to Kylie, who says "walking dead, I think you might've lost me" - or, more accurately, "I think you might've 'LOST' (2004) me":
Answer: Yes! It is actually the base for the whole country, if you can believe it, at 1600 Clifton Road. There is also a Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Sounds like a nice place to host an event.

BUT! The building on "The Walking Dead" was actually the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway in northwest Atlanta. It had its grand opening in September 2007.
Watch scenes from the Hatch, interviews, and the 'splosion here:
So long, CDC. What a poorly underused plot device. I really would have liked to have seen more sad shower scenes up in that piece.

Source
: Google Maps, Atlanta Magazine

The More You Know: Ian wrote this article about 6 Types of Zombies on "The Walking Dead" (So Far). Maybe you should read it.
Captain of Industry – A rare breed in the zombie genre, this diligent fellow draws attention to himself because simply moaning and shuffling isn’t good enough for him, oh no. He has to pick up a rock and try to smash a window with it. Every time a zombie uses a tool, a nerd gets a free Mountain Dew out of a pop machine.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Why do people say "straight from the horse's mouth"?


Search
: straight from the horse's mouth

Why: Joel wants to know.

Answer: It's from betting on horse racing!
In horse racing circles, tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, i.e. stable lads, trainers, etc. The notional "from the horse's mouth" is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, i.e. the horse itself.
Like a horse knows who's going to win. As if.
Source: Phrases.org.uk

The More You Know: Speaking of animals and Joel, look who's famous!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

I want to see the Brain Gremlin talking about The Apple


Search
: brain gremlin

Why: Someone mentioned Gremlins earlier, and I have been thinking about this ever since. I like that part when he goes:
There it is, The Apple. A city so nice, they named it twice. CHECK it out ONE time, WON'T you!
It is in Gremlins 2.

Answer
: Ding ding! Those lines are right at 2:32.
Source: YouTube

The More You Know: In case you are wondering who that voice is, it's Tony Randall. And in case you're wondering who that scientist is, it's Count Dooku.

What is the origin of the word "template"?


Search
: template

Why: Uncle Hal is sending me some templates to work with. Hey, why don't you order some of his awesome name art? It makes a very nice Hanukkah or Christmas gift.
But is the root plate like Fashion Plates? Or temp like "time"? Or something else?
Wait, those make a nice Hanukkah or Christmas gift.

Answer
: It's neither! It comes from a French word templet, "weaver's stretcher," from temple, which means the same thing. Those words are from Latin templum, "plank, rafter" and also "building for worship."

The meaning "pattern or gauge for shaping a piece of work" is first recorded 1819 in this form, earlier temple (1680s); the form was altered 1844, probably influenced by plate, but the pronunciation did not begin to shift until much more recently.
Plate, btw, originally meant "thin piece of metal," like a coin.

Source
: EtymOnline

The More You Know: This has nothing to do with anything, but the guy who sits behind me at work sounds exactly like Peter Sarsgaard, so much so that it is jarring whenever I hear him talk (which is often. Get to work, buddy).

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