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Watching an interview The Economist did recently with Jamie Dimon, the CEO of America’s largest bank JP Morgan Chase, got us to thinking about Bigfoot and some other semi-mythical things. But wait - please don’t misunderstand. We’re not comparing Jamie Dimon, a man who helped lead the recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis and a person with some profound ideas on leadership and the world in general, with Bigfoot. No, no, not at all. To paraphrase the unofficial campaign slogan of a former US President, “It was all about the economy stupid!” And you probably noticed we used the term “semi-mythical”. Now remember, we’re not here to judge so we use this term to refer to something or some place that possesses characteristics or qualities associated with myths, legends, or folklore, but whose existence or historical accuracy is not entirely confirmed or documented. A status that lies between reality and the realm of the mythical or legendary. These are things that remain shrouded in uncertainty or ambiguity. Their stories are often passed down through generations, capturing our imagination with their elusive nature and becoming part of our cultural traditions and folklore. These entities often have a blend of real historical elements and embellished or exaggerated narratives, making it challenging to determine the full extent of their factual basis. Not unlike, we think, the global financial system and our unending pursuit of wealth. Because, for the average person the world of finance, like the realm of mythical creatures and fabled places, thrives in a place of uncertainty and ambiguity. Somewhere between finance & folklore. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Did you know that there’s a Bigfoot Museum in Hastings, Nebraska in the United States? Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch to his close friends, is a legendary and elusive cryptid believed to inhabit remote wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. (A cryptid, by the way, is an animal that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science.) The term “Bigfoot” was coined in the 1950’s. Bigfoot is typically described as a tall and robust creature, standing between 7 to 10 feet (2.1 to 3 meters) tall, covered in dark or reddish-brown fur. It’s supposed to have a distinctive strong and unpleasant odor. Those wanting to expand their cryptozoological knowledge can find what they’re looking for at the Nebraska Bigfoot Crossroads of America Museum. The museum is the brainchild of Harriet McFeely (aka the Bigfoot Lady), a local resident who has spent her life following the trail of this legendary cryptid. McFeely has traveled around the world collecting stories and ephemera from Bigfoot communities worldwide. The museum is a place for Bigfoot believers and skeptics alike to dive into the mystery and serves as the site for the state’s annual Bigfoot Conference. And her dedication to the museum and its mysterious namesake have earned Patty and her story a spot in the U.S. Library of Congress Archives. El Chupacabra, or the "goat-sucker," was first seen in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s but has been reported as far north as Maine, in the United States, and as far south as Chile in South America. Descriptions vary, but it's said to be from 3 to 5 feet tall, have a row of spikes down its back, reptilian with alien-like eyes, and roughly the size of a small bear. It is also a vampire, supposedly sucking the blood out of its prey (mostly goats, sheep, and small animals). It is said to have either come from outer space or be the product of secret government genetics experiments. Farmers cower in fear as their herds dwindle, attributing the loss to this vampiric beast. Despite a lack of tangible proof, the Chupacabra thrives as a symbol of scapegoating. The Loch Ness Monster, also affectionately known as “Nessie”, is a leviathan of Scottish lore. Countless eyewitness accounts, the earliest dating back to the sixth century AD, depict a serpentine creature gliding through the murky depths of the loch. The modern legend of “the monster” was born on April 1933 when a couple claimed to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” Nessie then became a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Loch Ness and a circus offering a 20,000-pound sterling reward for capture of the beast. Sonar expeditions were launched of the loch in the 1960’s, 80’s and 90’s all of which resulted in inconclusive readings. Nevertheless, seekers of truth and fortune continue to flock to its shores, armed with cameras and faith. Yet the loch’s secrets remain steadfastly guarded, leaving only ripples of speculation. Moving on we encounter the Mothman, a creature of winged mystery lurking within the annals of urban legend. This cryptid gained fame in the 1960’s, particularly around the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, USA, which hosts an annual Mothman Festival - https://www.mothmanfestival.com/ . Eyewitnesses described the Mothman as a humanoid figure with large wings and red, glowing eyes. Some accounts described it as being around seven feet tall, while others estimated it to be much larger. Its presence was often associated with strange occurrences, including UFO sightings, strange lights in the sky, and eerie noises. John Keel, an investigative journalist, popularized the Mothman legend with his 1975 book, “The Mothman Prophecies,” which explored the sightings and mysterious events in Point Pleasant. The book was later adapted into a movie. Over the years, the Mothman legend has become a part of American folklore, its shadowy figure haunting the fringes of consciousness, an omen of impending disaster. Cryptic sightings precede tragic events, fueling conspiracy theories and supernatural superstitions. Our penultimate enigma is The Jersey Devil, a mythical harbinger of terror said to inhabit the vast Pine Barren wilderness of New Jersey, USA. The legend of the Devil traces its origins to the 18th century when a woman named Leeds became pregnant for the 13th time and frustrated, she allegedly cursed the unborn child, declaring it would be the devil. As the story goes, when the child was born, it transformed into a monstrous creature with bat-like wings, hooves, a horse-like head, and a forked tail. It flew up the chimney and disappeared into the dark Pine Barrens. The Devil is said to emit blood-curdling screams and terrorize the local communities. In 1909, a series of sightings and encounters with strange tracks in the snow led to a widespread panic known as the “Jersey Devil hysteria.” People across New Jersey and neighboring states reported seeing the creature, and schools closed as a precaution. The hysteria eventually subsided, and no concrete evidence of the Jersey Devil was ever found. And while its existence remains firmly in the realm of mythology and folklore, its legend continues to captivate the imagination of locals and enthusiasts. “Over the Mountains of the Moon, down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride….if you seek for El Dorado,” wrote Edgar Allen Poe in his 1849 poem “El Dorado”. Which brings us, finally, to one of the most enduring myths in history. One that has captivated the imaginations of explorers, adventurers, and treasure hunters for centuries - the legendary lost city of El Dorado. El Dorado, which translates to “the gilded one” or “the golden man,” was believed to be a city made entirely of gold, hidden deep within the uncharted jungles of South America. And like all enduring legends, the tale of El Dorado contains some scraps of truth. The Musica people, an indigenous group living in what is now Colombia, had a ritual that would take place when a new king came to power. The king, known as the “zipa”, would cover himself with gold dust and precious jewels and then perform a ceremonial dive into Lake Guatavita. This event symbolized the king’s connection to the divine as well as an appeasement to a god that lived underwater. European explorers and conquistadors who heard about this ritual misinterpreted it as a description of a city full of gold. And the hunt was on! We’ve never really stopped seeking the fabled El Dorado. Over time, it evolved from a specific city to a generalized symbol of unattainable riches and the eternal pursuit of wealth. The legend of El Dorado remains elusive, shrouded in myth and deception, but it endures - because we want it to be true. As our journey through this curious menagerie of fantastical creatures and unobtainable places comes to an end, we arrive at our allegory’s doorstep – the economy. A realm shrouded in just as much mystery, its workings governed by a delicate balance of fact and fiction. Bigfoot, that lumbering titan of folklore, casts a long, somewhat frightening shadow of unknown power. Not unlike the titans of industry and massive conglomerates that tower over the business world, wielding a power that few comprehend but many fear. Both evoke awe and trepidation. In our description of the Chupacabra we said that it thrives as a symbol of scapegoating by farmers who’ve mysteriously lost cattle. In the realm of economics, it mirrors the fervor with which we deflect responsibility and point fingers at external forces, blaming them for our financial woes. But perhaps, just perhaps, the true predators lurk closer to home. In our economic allegory, the Loch Ness Monster, that slippery fellow hiding in the lake, emerges as a metaphor for elusive prosperity – a hidden promise veiled beneath the surface, just beyond our reach. We chase phantom growth, perpetually pursuing a mirage in a world of smoke and mirrors. The Mothman, with its foreboding presence, reflects our obsession with prediction and premonition, echoing the realm of economic forecasting. We grasp at straws, consulting oracles and so-called-experts, entranced by their forecasts, desperate for a glimpse of the future only to discover that future economic predictions remain as elusive as the creature itself. From an economic perspective, the Jersey Devil serves as a cautionary allegory that society births its own grotesque abominations. A reminder that, through the corrosive forces of greed and corruption that plague our economic systems, the Jersey Devil represents the offspring of our failings. Our economies birth their own monstrous abominations when integrity and ethics are forsaken. And finally, in El Dorado we see the tantalizing allure of infinite riches. A perpetual promise of prosperity that entices us, despite its insubstantiality. We pursue an illusory golden age, blinded by avarice and consumed by a feverish chase. In a world teeming with unverified wonders, where rationality falters and skepticism crumbles, the enigmatic allure of the unknown or the unattainable captivates the human imagination. In this landscape, Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, and El Dorado stand as symbols of our longing, our fear, our desire, and our fallibility. They reflect the mirages, scapegoats, and elusive promises that pervade our financial systems. In this fragile dance between belief and evidence, myth and money, we must always question and challenge prevailing beliefs. We must navigate with both skepticism and wonder, for it is in the delicate balance between these two realms that we can find the rarest of treasures – truth. You can watch The Economist’s interview with Jamie Dimon below for those who are interested. Edifying and very worth a listen! #myth #legends #bigfoot #mothman #lochness #lochnessmonster #nessie #chupacabra #jerseydevil #eldorado #jamiedimon #bank #chase #jpmorgan #financial #economy #economics #theeconomist #newjersey #nebraska #columbia #edgarallenpoe #bloomberg #anyhigh

In this day and age, the diverse array of products on supermarket shelves is often taken for granted. In an era overflowing with convenience and a cornucopia of choices, it’s easy to forget that our ancestors didn’t have the luxury of sliced bread (introduced in 1928), or peanut butter (invented in its modern form in the late 19th century). Eel Pie and roast beaver tail, on the other hand, were often consumed by early American colonists. Travel back even further in time and it becomes difficult to imagine what the ancient Romans and Egyptians may have eaten. But archaeological findings have given us some idea of what was served for dinner hundreds and even thousands of years ago—and perhaps surprisingly, some of the foods aren't all that different from what we eat today. And while we all know that wine tastes better with age, not everything we consume benefits from the relentless march of time. We're big fans of good food and today we’ve uncovered a delectable assortment of the oldest once-edible items ever discovered. Edible relics that offer a fascinating glimpse into the tastes and flavors that stood the test of time, defying decay and offering a taste of the past. So, fasten your seatbelts and loosen your belts, as we embark on an epicurean odyssey through time. The World’s Oldest Edible Ham: Originally cured in 1902 by the Gwaltney Foods meat company, it was lost in storage before being rediscovered two decades later by Pembroke D. Gwaltney Jr. Junior made the piece of pork his “pet ham.” He put a brass collar on it and paraded it around various expositions to prove to customers his meat could be kept without being refrigerated. The ham is housed in a climate-controlled display case with two other hams in the Isle of Wight County Museum in Smithfield, Virginia. A nonstop, live-streamed “ham cam” allows anyone to keep up to date with the preserved pork, and of course, the ham has its own Twitter account. The World’s Oldest Peanut: Housed in the same museum as the world’s oldest ham you will find the world’s oldest peanut on display as well! And just so you don’t think we’re making this up, both the ham and the peanut have been certified by Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Mummy Cheese: No, not something to be served at your next Halloween party, this is cheese that was found inside a 3,300 year-old tomb in Saqqara, Egypt. The cheese was a “powdery, whitish mass likely made from a mixture of cow milk and goat milk,” researchers said. And though the pharaohs may not curse you for consuming the ancient cheese, you would probably wind up with something pretty unpleasant since strains of bacteria were found on the cheese residue. So, please do not eat the mummy cheese. Bog Butter: In Ireland 3000 years ago, you had limited options for storing your barrels of butter. Archeologists were grateful that some ancient residents chose to sink theirs into a County Kildare peat bog—and then forgot about it—when they discovered a container of “bog butter” in 2009. Mostly intact, the oak barrel was still full of butter, though it had lost its creamy richness in the interceding millennia, having turned into a fatty white substance called adipocere. Housed in The National Museum of Ireland, it’s considered a national treasure. So, if you plan to visit the museum, please leave your toast at home. Jurassic Jerky: We all know that jerky travels well, so it makes sense that 2,000 years ago, someone from Wanli, China would bring it into a tomb. Archeologists weren’t sure what it was since, over the millennia, it turned into a less than appetizing shade of dark green due to the carbonization, but it hadn’t shrunk at all which proved it had been dried before being placed in the tomb. Ancient Honey: Ceramic jars containing the world’s oldest known honey – about 5,500 years old – were discovered in the tomb of a noblewoman near Tbilisi, Georgia. Now they say that honey never expires, but we’re guessing that even Winnie the Pooh would want nothing to do with this batch. The Primal Noodle: Thanks to a discovery at the Lajia archeological site on China’s Yellow River, the debate over where noodles originated may be over. No other historic pasta has even come close in age to Lajia’s 4,000-year-old cache. At that time in history, an ancient earthquake suddenly flooded the Yellow River valley, and one unfortunate diner left a bowl of millet noodles overturned in their haste to escape. According to the archeologist, it was this unique combination of factors that created a vacuum or empty space between the top of the sediment cone and the bottom of this bowl that allowed the noodles to be preserved. Shipwrecked Salad Dressing: The contents of a jar recovered from an ancient shipwreck in the Aegean Sea wouldn’t seem out of place in a modern Mediterranean recipe. Discovered off the coast of the Greek island Chios, the sunken ship dates back to 350 BC. The contents of the ship were recovered and analyzed the following year, at which time archaeologists learned that one of the amphoras (a type of jar used by ancient Greeks and Romans) contained olive oil mixed with oregano. Indeed, it’s a recipe designed to stand the test of time. Petrified Pita: In 2018, archaeologists unearthed the oldest piece of bread ever discovered from a stone fireplace in Jordan’s Black Desert. The 14,400-year-old flatbread looked a bit like a pita, except it was made from wild cereals similar to barley and oats. Tubers from an aquatic plant were another key ingredient, reportedly lending the bread a gritty texture and salty taste. Prehistoric Bison Stew: Beef aging is quite common, sometimes spanning fifteen years to get the meat just right. Like aged Scotch, you’ll pay good money for a good piece of aged meat. And sometimes the best culinary delights are the ones we just happen upon. Well, from an aging perspective, nothing compares to the culinary adventures of R. Dale Guthrie and his team after they found a 36,000-year-old bison in the ice of Alaska. After uncovering the completely frozen bison, Guthrie and his team had the chance to try a piece of the meat and they took it. Cutting off a piece of meat from the neck, they put it into a stew of (fresh) vegetables which they paired with a, not so old, bottle of wine. We’re told that the meat had a strong aroma and was “earthy” but delicious. Nobody, it seems, asked for seconds. In case any of our readers would be interested in trying their own bison stew, here’s a link to a recipe that you might want to try. (We suggest using fresh bison, not the 30,000+ year old kind…) https://www.mashed.com/464899/crock-pot-bison-chili-recipe/ Tell us about your favorite experiences with aged meat or wine or anything else for that matter in the comments below. Or better yet, head over to the Food or Beverage sections of our Forums. And remember to check those expiration dates in your refrigerator! #food #gastronomy #history #archaeology #meat #ham #pie #peanut #wine #bread #twitter #cheese #butter #pita #honey #noodles #salad #beef #stew #alaska #egypt #romans #jordan #greece #china #georgia #ireland #anyhigh

As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of the 21st century, where we’ve been taught to “smell a rat” with every news cycle and where the strange has become the norm, we thought that we might delve a bit into the world of smells and what goes into some of those smells. Today, we’re going to immerse ourselves amidst a tapestry of peculiar candle scents and the oddest perfume ingredients that serve as intriguing reflections of the peculiarities and current events of our time. So, hold your nose and let’s dive right in beginning with some of the more unusual candle scents we’ve come across because, as you’ll see, even candle enthusiasts have embraced the notion that strange can be sublime. Gwyneth Paltrow’s lovingly named creation seemed like a most appropriate place to start. With “…notes of geranium, cedar, and ambrette seed…” we’re betting it smells pretty damn good! (Goop) For those who love the aroma of a home cooked meal, but don’t like cooking, this could be for you. The candle, we’re told, “…delivers a realistic, savory aroma of beef and carrots, accented by onion and spices….” (Dio) A review of this one reads, “…able to capture and convey the scents of lemon, butter, cream, black peppercorn, and the scent that can only be described as ‘noodle’...”. We’re guessing it’s an acquired taste. (Yankee Candle) We’re told that the aroma is “a nutty blend of walnuts & pecans enhanced with butter and French vanilla”. Nuff said. (Lufray) Toto, we’re not in the suburbs anymore with this one which is described as having “..top notes of electricity & panic grass, heart notes of summer rain & ozone, and base notes of concrete & steam…” (DS&D Urga) Cocktail lovers will want to snag this drink-inspired fragrance, which boasts “…notes of leather, rye whiskey, bitters, and burned cedar…” (Snowe) Because we’re so proud of our maturity, we threw this one in both for the name of the candle as well as the name of the company producing it! The description says it’s infused with clary sage and lavender and “…made of all things fucking magical…” (Spiritual Shenanigans) And, whoever said that perfume is all about flowers frankly has absolutely no idea what is actually happening under the perfumer’s nose. Here’s a few ingredients we came across that caused us to catch our breath. Castoreum Vanilla is a common, beloved ingredient in many top-selling fragrances. But did you know that the anal secretions of beavers can also produce a pleasing vanilla aroma? Well, we’re told it’s true. Smell it for yourself with Cuir de Russie by Chanel. Caviar With perfume’s long history of noble use, it’s no surprise that caviar would find its way into perfumes and cologne. While it doesn’t have a distinct scent, perfume makers use it to give the product more body and substance. Try Diesel’s Bad cologne to find out. Just don’t use it on crackers! Goat Hair One really has to wonder how a perfume nose stumbled upon goat hair and thought that it should be one of the main notes in Anya McCoy’s perfume called Anya’s Garden. We mean, yes of course goats do linger in the garden. But do we really need to smell like them? Skatole A foul smelling chemical found in feces and coal tar, skatole is the essence of waste. Even when diluted, skatole smells repulsive. Yet, strangely, small traces of skatole are found in many flowers, like jasmine and orange blossom. It’s also been shown to act similarly to serotonin, which contributes to pleasure and happiness in humans. Maurice Schaller’s Nuit de Chine is a famous perfume that features skatole. Civet Droppings Ever wonder why Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Men or Guerlain’s Shalimar are so alluring? Perhaps because they’re both made from the droppings of this small, catlike mammal from tropical Asia and Africa. The droppings themselves are pretty smelly (not in a good way), but when diluted with alcohol it gains a floral scent. So, the next time you smell sex in the air, thank your local civet! Gunpowder Gunpowder is a chemical compound consisting of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate and it’s exploded into the fragrance industry with its boldly peppery and smoky scent. Although it sounds very manly, it’s found in fragrances like Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. Cactus Ever tried smelling a cactus? Probably not. A popular succulent, native to the America’s, its blooming petals emit a grassy, green scent that helps to liven unisex perfumes. Can check it out in Givenchy’s Xeryus Rouge or Prickly Pear by Demeter. Only your wallet will get stuck. We hope you’ve found our journey through the world of scents breathtaking. Because in a world brimming with eccentricity and surprising twists, even the simplest elements of our lives can provide us with an amazing bouquet. From the captivating scents wafting through our homes to the enchanting fragrances we might adorn ourselves with, the realm of olfactory experiences has hardly ever been more diverse. In this peculiar symphony of scents and ingredients, we discover, once again, that the boundaries of creativity are ever-expanding. The world around us serves as both a muse and a canvas for artisans to capture the essence of our time. With every inhale, we are reminded that even the strangest aromas can evoke a sense of familiarity or provoke a second look. In a world where the strange becomes sublime, our noses are constantly being treated to an olfactory feast of the unconventional. So, as the saying goes, “follow your nose”, and who knows where it might lead you. Whether it’s to the back end of a beaver or a dinner that will never be served, breathe deeply, and enjoy the ride! #perfume #scent #candles #gwynethpaltrow #goop #dio #yankeecandle #lufray #ds&durga #snowe #spiritualshenanigans #chanel #diesel #guerlain #calvinklein #givenchy #civet #beaver #cactus #caviar #goat #smell #odor #aroma #stinky #anyhigh

We recently attended the third day of a three-day jazz festival. There were simultaneous performances happening on 10 separate stages from 3pm til midnight each day. Some of the performers were well-known; some not so much – not yet anyway. Some were standing-ovation worthy; some were more of an acquired taste. But regardless of who was onstage, the audience was buzzing with excitement, and the melodies, both familiar and unknown, led everyone on a happy trip that was at once exhilarating and exploratory. And since music is one of the primary categories in our forums, we thought this was a good excuse to devote today’s blog to a brief look at jazz, some of its great artists, and its impact – implicit or otherwise. Because, in the realm of artistic expression, we think that few genres possess the inherent complexity and improvisational brilliance of jazz. The swinging rhythms, daring melodies, and soul-stirring harmonies of jazz have long captivated audiences and musicians alike. Yet, beneath its musical allure, might there be an analogy to the tapestry of society itself? Like the ebb and flow of human interactions, jazz embodies the interplay of individuality and collective collaboration, offering, perhaps, a harmonious reflection for the chaos and brilliance of the human experience. So, grab your metaphorical saxophone and let’s see what we can discover. Introduction: In the realm of jazz, one encounters an unbridled cacophony of virtuosity, improvisation, and creativity. Like the ever-evolving symphony of society, jazz encompasses a vast array of voices, each contributing their unique essence to the collective symphony. Just as a jazz band harmonizes disparate melodies into a swinging masterpiece, society thrives on the interplay of diverse cultures, opinions, and perspectives, creating a kaleidoscopic landscape that enchants and challenges us in equal measure. Jazz emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily in African American communities in the southern United States. Its roots can be traced back to the fusion of African musical traditions with elements of ragtime, a syncopated piano style epitomized by the great Scott Joplin. Early forms of jazz also drew inspiration from spirituals, blues, and marching band music. New Orleans, Louisiana, played a pivotal role in the development of jazz. There, musicians started combining different musical styles, improvising, and experimenting with new techniques. This led to the birth of early jazz, also known as Dixieland jazz, characterized by collective improvisation and brass band instrumentation. Verse 1: Improvisation, the Essence of Jazz Just as society thrives on the collective improvisation of its citizens, jazz relies on the magic of spontaneous creation. Each musician, armed with their instrument, becomes an agent of expression, weaving their unique ideas into the collective tapestry. It is in the embrace of individuality that jazz flourishes, celebrating the diverse voices that harmonize to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Society, too, finds its strength in the vibrant interplay of individuality and the ability to adapt, harmonize, and innovate. As jazz gained popularity, it spread to other cities like Chicago and New York. The 1920’s, in addition to being known as the “Roaring Twenties” were also nicknamed the “Jazz Age”, as big band jazz became a prominent fixture in dancehalls and speakeasies. Jazz icons like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington came onto the scene. The 30’s and 40’s saw the emergence of swing, a style marked by energetic rhythms and large ensembles. Swing bands, such as those led by Benny Goodman and Count Basie dominated the music stage. Chorus: Syncopation, the Rhythm of Life Syncopation, the pulsating heart of jazz, can serve as a metaphor for the intricate dance of society. Just as syncopation disrupts the expected beat, challenging the listener to reorient their perception, society too confronts us with unexpected rhythms and discordant notes. It is within this interplay of harmony and discord that societal progress unfolds. From the arab spring movements that challenged the status quo to the scientific breakthroughs that shattered conventional thinking, society thrives on the disruptive beauty of syncopation. In the 1940’s, Bebop, a new style characterized by complex harmonies, fast tempos, and intricate improvisations, emerged. Musicians like Charlie Parker- Dizzy Gillespie- and Thelonious Monk- were central figures in this movement. Their offbeat rhythms and dissonant harmonies challenged the very foundations of jazz. From the 1950’s onwards, jazz witnessed further experimentation and diversification. Subgenres like cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and free jazz emerged, each pushing the boundaries of the genre. It was around this time that jazz musicians began incorporating elements from Latin American, African, and Asian music. Verse 2: Call & Response, Echoes of Collaboration The jazz tradition of call and response mirrors the interconnectedness of society itself. In the musical conversation between musicians, an idea is thrown into the air, eagerly seized upon by others who add their own unique perspective. This interplay reflects the vital essence of collaboration and the intricate dance of ideas that propel society forward. It is through dialogue, respectful listening, and the ability to build upon each other’s contributions that meaningful progress is achieved. In the late 1960’s and 70’s, jazz fusion gained popularity, combining jazz with elements of rock, funk, and electronic music. Artists like legendary trumpet virtuoso Miles Davis - known for his velvety tones and innovative spirit, Herbie Hancock - a pioneer in the use of synthesizers and electronic instruments in jazz, and the groundbreaking jazz fusion band Weather Report - embraced this fusion approach. Bridge: The Solos of Life’s Mavericks Just a jazz allows for breathtaking solos that take center stage, society is enriched by its mavericks – the visionaries, rebels, and innovators who dare to challenge conventions. From Louis Armstrong’s soaring trumpet solos, to the bold assertions of civil rights leaders, these solos punctuate the narrative of society, pushing boundaries, and reshaping our collective consciousness. These trailblazers remind us of the power of individual agency and the potential for transformative change. Conclusion: Jazz, with its rich tapestry of improvisation, syncopation, call and response, and dazzling solos, resonates, we think, as an elegant analogy for society. For, like society, jazz continues to evolve, absorbing influences from various genres and cultures. It remains a vibrant and diverse genre, with artists exploring innovative approaches while paying homage to its rich history, ensuring its relevance in the modern musical landscape. Jazz captures the essence of our human experience, reflecting the interplay of individuality and collective collaboration, the rhythms of harmony and discord, and the power of disruptive innovation. So, when you have some time, take a moment and listen to a little jazz. Maybe start with listening to the links we've provided in this blog post. But be warned, because if you listen really hard, you might just find in the melodies the resonance of our shared humanity. Who is your favorite jazz musician? Tell us about it in our Forum section under The Arts then click Music. Encore! #music #jazz #festival #harmony #ragtime #bebop #swing #fusion #rock #funk #dixieland #jazzage #roaringtwenties #speakeasy #neworleans #chicago #newyork #louisarmstrong #dukeellington #scottjoplin #countbasie #bennygoodman #herbiehancock #milesdavis #weatherreport #charlieparker #theloniousmonk #dizzygillespie #anyhigh

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) was a beloved children’s author and cartoonist. Known the world over, his work includes some of the most popular children’s books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages. Throughout his prolific career Geisel (from here on known as Dr. Seuss) published over 60 books which spawned 11 television specials, five feature films, a Broadway musical, and four television series. His imaginative and whimsical tales, including “The Cat In The Hat”, "Green Eggs and Ham”, and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” were characterized by their rhyming patterns and vibrant illustrations and captured the hearts of children and adults alike. Now, imagine stepping into a world where reality bends, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the bizarre takes center stage. Because this week we’re going to take a brief look at some of the strangest amusement parks in the world that we’ve come across. Beyond the realms of typical roller coasters and fairy tale castles lie some hidden gems that redefine our understanding of amusement parks. And we thought, who better to help to narrate our days adventures than Dr. Seuss himself! So, hang on tight and prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride through the extraordinary. “You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!” Dr. Seuss - Oh the Places You’ll Go! Mukluk Land – Alaska, USA: Billed as “Alaska’s most unique destination,” Mukluk Land, in the remote town of Tok, is an eclectic little park run by local journalists who also publish the town paper. Attractions in this former junkyard include mini golf, Skee-Ball, an unusually large cabbage, “the world’s largest mosquito”, rusty snowmobiles and plenty of other odds and ends. Be sure to stop for a photo with the giant mukluk boot at the entrance. “From there to here, From here to there, Funny things are everywhere!” Dr. Seuss - One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Patriot Park - Stavropol, Russia: This self-proclaimed “Military Disneyland” pays tribute to the brute strength of Mother Russia and acts as a showground for international arms dealers. Opened in 2015, this is where you take the family for a fun-filled day of climbing on massive tanks, inspecting sophisticated rocket launchers, and watching elaborate military drills. The kids can even get their hands on some massive rifles, munch on military rations at the canteen, or engage in a wholesome simulation of urban warfare at the tactical-games center. Be sure to pick up a souvenir Stalin fridge magnet in the gift shop on your way home. “Unless someone like you Cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss - The Lorax The Rig, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is already planning its pivot away from being so dependent on oil, but that hasn’t stopped it from using its petroleum industry as inspiration for a brand new tourist attraction. It’s announced plans to convert an oil rig in the Persian Gulf into a 150,000 square meter “extreme park”. The Rig is described as the “world’s first tourism destination inspired by offshore oil platforms.” There are plans for three hotels, 11 restaurants, roller coasters, bungee jumping, and sky diving. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, Any direction you choose.” Dr. Seuss – Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Diggerland – United Kingdom & New Jersey, USA: Imagine a theme park where the rides are not roller coasters or merry-go-rounds, but instead, gigantic, roaring excavators and earth-moving machines. Yes, it’s the stuff of a 2-year-old’s dreams. Kids get the chance to operate diggers and other machines themselves, scooping massive piles of dirt to their hearts content. Test your skills with “Hook-a-Duck” where you’ll operate a mechanical grabber in a quest for floating rubber ducks. Or try out “Stack Attack,” where you’ll stack enormous, oversized tires using a telehandler. Like Jenga, but with heavy machinery. “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.” Dr. Seuss – Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Jeju Loveland – Jeju Island, South Korea: Might want to leave the kids at Diggerland when you visit Jeju Loveland since this is an erotic sculpture park featuring pieces depicting various sexual acts. You’ll be greeted by an army of phallic statues standing tall. And you won’t want to miss the “Oh My! I Can’t Believe My Eyes!” statue or the “Hug Me Tight and Never Let Go” monument. According to their website, the park provides a “proper approach to sex culture and it is decorated with a lot of beautiful artworks.” In addition to wooden penis sculptures and cartoon mascots, there are hands on (pun intended) exhibits, films about sex, and an impressive collection of adult toys. “You’ll miss the best things If you keep your eyes closed.” Dr. Seuss BonBon-Land – Holmegaard, Denmark: Maybe the closest thing to a real-life, upside-down Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, BonBon-Land is a confection-filled dream for kids and very immature adults. If you can’t cope with a fart joke, the scratch “the most fun amusement park in Denmark” off your list. Seagull droppings, ear wax, and dog farts are among the sweet treats you can snack on in-between rides such as “The Water Rat” and the “Dog Fart Switchback Rollercoaster”, where you’ll be treated to a statue of a giant pooping dog who provides you with flatulent sound effects while you zoom around the track. And be sure to have your picture taken next to the statues of the vomiting rodents and the urinating ants. No, we’re not kidding. “Why fit it, When you were born to stand out?” Dr. Seuss (WHY) Kingdom of the Little People – Kunming, China: Lots of amusement parks have a height requirement, and this Kingdom is no exception, but in reverse: every employee at this controversial theme park must be no taller than 4 feet 3 inches (under 130 centimeters). The entire park is staffed by dwarfs, who serve as singers, acrobats, dancers, vendors, and guards. There’s even a dwarf king, who gives a special speech for visitors each day. “Don’t give up! I believe in you all. A person’s a person, No matter how small!” Dr. Seuss – Horton Hears a Who! Isgyvenimo Drama - Vilnius, Lithuania: If you’re longing for days of gas masks and military interrogations in Soviet occupied Lithuania, then “Survival Drama” is the place for you. Visitors gather in a genuine bunker. There they are relieved of their phones, wallets, and cameras, given thin Soviet-style coats, made to listen to the Soviet anthem and yelled at, interrogated KGB-style. The whole experience lasts about three hours, and to participate you must first sign a waiver, since disobedience may result in physical or psychological punishment. This sure ain’t Disneyland, but you will be treated to a shot of vodka after it’s all over. (Leave the kids at home). “Being crazy isn’t enough.” Dr. Seuss We’re thinking that it’s now about time to shut down the rides and turn out the lights. Why did we venture into these peculiar playgrounds, you might be asking yourself? Well, these unusual theme parks offer a refreshing departure from the ordinary, awakening our curiosity and challenging our perception of what constitutes entertainment. They remind us that, as we so often like to remind ourselves, the human imagination knows no bounds. That even the strangest of ideas can manifest into captivating experiences. And we’re grateful to Dr. Seuss for joining us and for helping narrate our journey today. Dr. Seuss’s legacy as an imaginative storyteller and advocate for literacy remains unparalleled. His dedication to social issues and his ability to engage readers, through playful yet thought-provoking stories, have left an indelible mark in both literature and the realm of political cartoons. His iconic characters and inspirational stories continue to captivate and educate readers of all ages, reminding us of the power of imagination and the importance of embracing our unique selves. Tell us about your favorite Dr. Seuss story in our Books forum. And tell us about an interesting day you spent at a theme park in our Outdoor Activities forum. “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss #drseuss #doctorseuss #theodorgeisel #humor #themeparks #amusementparks #rides #alaska #usa #russia #saudiarabia #china #unitedkingdom #newjersey #denmark #southkorea #lithuania #anyhigh

In last week’s edge-of-your-seat blogpost, “Sweets, Lies & Classic Desserts”, we mentioned “blue laws” that, at one time plagued certain U.S. states by, among other things, prohibiting the sale of ice cream sodas on Sunday’s. We thought the ridiculousness of that might warrant another look. Which is what we’re doing in this week’s post. Taking a deeper dive into some of the strange, outdated, or just plain ludicrous laws – blue or otherwise – that are still on the books in various states across the United States. It is almost universally accepted that laws are essential to provide structure, order, security, and safety for society. America prides itself on being a nation of laws, and most legislation on the books is based on precedent, logic, and common sense. However, some measures are head-scratchers and beg the question as to how they became laws in the first place, why they haven’t been repealed, and humanity’s collective sanity. “Blue laws”, also known as “Sunday laws”, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on Sundays to promote the observance of a day of rest. The leading theory for the origin of the term “blue Laws” came from the fact that the word “blue” was 18th-century slang for someone who was prudish. Blue Laws came to America with the first colonists, and they restricted almost every activity on Sunday. They outlawed everything from hunting to selling any type of goods, to displays of affection. Some colonies prohibited dancing and even laughing too loud. They also made attending church mandatory. Because nothing says “holy devotion” quite like the government forcing you to pray. While blue laws became less restrictive in the 20th century, there are still 30 states that have some blue laws on the books. Most have to do with the sale of alcohol in one form or another. But oddly, there are 11 states that ban the sale of vehicles on Sundays. Apparently, they equate car salesmen with dangerous bootleggers. But hey, we’re not here to judge. Of course, not all the blue laws were about alcohol. In Pennsylvania, for example, it was illegal to play professional sports on a Sunday into the 1930’s. And in Texas, it was illegal to sell housewares like pots and pans on a Sunday until 1985! Religious ill-tolerance aside, we found there are plenty of preposterous, silly laws still on the books around the country. The origins of many of these laws are a mystery. Several of them involve animals. Many were obviously passed with the best of intentions to protect our non-human friends. For instance, public-spirited citizens in Arizona saved a donkey from drowning after it fell asleep in an abandoned bathtub, and then passed a law prohibiting donkey’s from sleeping in bathtubs in the hopes of keeping that from ever happening again. But do we really need a law to stop us from tossing a live moose out of a plane? Because in Alaska it’s illegal to do so. (It doesn’t, however, say you can’t push a dead one out.) So, in an effort to promote good-citizenry and, hopefully by way of this blog post, to keep our readers from winding up on the wrong side of the law, we offer you, in no particular order, some of the craziest laws we’ve come across and where to avoid breaking them. Because, although most would probably never be enforced, they are still legally valid because no one has bothered to repeal them. In Missouri you are not permitted to drive down the highway with an uncaged bear in your car. Which begs the question, why would you want to drive down the highway with a caged bear in your car?? In North Dakota it’s against the law to serve pretzels and beer at the same time. In Hartford, Connecticut it’s against the law to educate your dog. If you're a woman living in Michigan, you might want to check with your husband before heading to the hair stylist. According to state law, your hair belongs to your spouse, and you'll need his permission before you can alter it. Sometimes these laws seem to have been made up by legislatures with a bizarre sense of humor. The wording of a law in Texas reads, “When two railroad trains meet at a crossing, each shall stop and neither shall proceed until the other has passed.” You can’t make this stuff up! And we’re guessing it was the same Texas representative who wrote an anticrime law that requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours’ notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed. In Pennsylvania, it’s illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors. We’re guessing it’s just good sense to not sleep on top of the refrigerator if it’s indoors either. In Rhode Island, any marriage in which one of the parties is and idiot or a lunatic is considered null and void. Guess that means there’s no need for divorce lawyers in the state. It’s also illegal to keep a flock of chickens in your motorhome - but only if you live in a trailer park. Magicians are apparently unwelcome in Hawaii because it’s illegal to hide a coin behind your ear in the aloha state. Actually, this one has a bit of historical reference. After the United States annexed Hawaii at the end of the 19th century, the native population was ordered to destroy Hawaiian coins, so people took to hiding them behind their ears to get around the ban. In Ohio is against the law to get fish drunk. We assume this goes for any day of the week, not just on Sundays. In Connecticut, a pickle is not a pickle unless it bounces. You can be fined if you’re found to be selling pickles that don’t bounce from a foot off the ground. Parking meters are no laughing matter in Florida because there’s a law there that says if you tie an elephant, goat or alligator to a parking meter, you must pay for it as if it were a vehicle. (How do you parallel park an elephant?) We’re guessing Indiana is a pretty clean-shaven state. Because they allow “no habitual kissing of others if you have a mustache.” In Raleigh, North Carolina, before a man asks for a woman's hand in marriage, he must be "inspected by all the barnyard animals on the young woman's family's property, to ensure a harmonious farm life." In Arcadia, California you can be fined if you cut off a peacock in traffic. Why? Because peacocks have the right of way on any street or intersection there. If you’re planning on going fishing in Tennessee, be careful because there’s a law against catching fish with a lasso. Now, we’ve heard about shooting fish in a barrel, but the idea of someone being able to throw a lariat around one is just mind-bending. In Massachusetts you’re going to find yourself in court if you eat more than three sandwiches at a wake. While we doubt that law enforcement is checking up on such events, it’s probably best to eat beforehand. Fish seem to be a big focus of lawmakers. In New Jersey it’s against the law for men to knit during fishing season. Apparently, woman can knit whenever they damn well please. And in Pennsylvania you may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth. (We can only hope they’re referring to the fish and not the fisherman…) If your visiting Oklahoma, better mind your own business. It’s against the law to eavesdrop there. The law states “every person guilty of secretly loitering about any building, with intent to overhear discourse therein, and to repeat or publish the same to vex, annoy, or injure others, is guilty of a misdemeanor.” Horse lovers best take note, because in South Carolina it’s illegal to keep a horse in the bathtub. In Baltimore, Maryland it is not permitted to take a lion to the movies. (No seriously, it is). However, there’s no mention of the rest of the state. Flamingoes are not allowed in barber shops in Alaska. Now….really? In New York City you can be fined if you’re caught wearing slippers after 10pm. In California, women are not allowed to drive legally if they’re wearing a housecoat. There is no law that we could find, however, against men driving in robes or polyester jumpsuits. And speaking of driving, please be aware that it’s illegal to drive a car while blindfolded in Alabama or while asleep in Tennessee. Better be careful of the wildlife if you’re traveling to Alaska because this is our third animal-related Alaska law. It’s illegal to drive with a dog tethered to your car there. We can only say, thank goodness! You’d better be sure you know where the coffee shop is and who’s buying if you’re in Virginia because it’s illegal to flip a coin in a restaurant to see who pays for a coffee. And it’s also illegal to leave home without knowing where you are going. Apparently, spontaneity is not a virtue in Virginia. In Oregon, it’s against the law to juggle without a license, whistle underwater or box with a kangaroo. Oh, and you also can’t get married in a skating rink. Now, granted many states around the US have some pretty weird laws on their books. But we found a couple from other countries that stand out as well. In Milan, Italy it’s a legal requirement to smile at all times. It’s prescribed by a city regulation from the Austro-Hungarian era that was never repealed. Exemptions include funeral goers, hospital workers or those at the bedside of an ill family member. For everybody else there is no excuse for being glum because the alternative is a fine. Dog owners in Turin, Italy will be fined up to $500 if they don’t walk their pets at least three times a day, under a law from the city’s council. To enforce the law, Turin police would need to rely largely on the help of tipsters spotting cruel treatment by neighbors. If you find yourself in Scotland and need to use the loo, you’re in luck. You can knock on anyone’s door and ask to use their bathroom, and, by law, they cannot deny you. If you have success at this, please let us know. Also, please be aware that, if you’ve been sipping too much Scottish whiskey, keep your feet on the ground because you can get a ticket if you are riding a cow while drunk. (In actuality, the only reason we can think of for riding a cow is if you’re drunk). You will get more than the silent treatment if you forget your wife’s birthday in Samoa, because it’s against the law. It’s unclear how long your sentence would be (the first offence may only constitute a warning), but maybe some time apart for you to think about how to make it up to her wouldn’t be too bad. In Sarpourenx, France an edict was issued forbidding people from dying within the city limits unless they had previously purchased a burial plot in a local parish cemetery. People who broke this by dying without a plot would be “severely punished.” Exactly what kind of punishment you give the dead is somewhat unclear. Leave your Winnie the Pooh shirts at home if you’re traveling to Poland. Because the cuddly little bear does not wear pants, Poland issued a ban on Winnie the Pooh around playgrounds and schools, finding the character a bit too risqué for impressionable children. On your next trip to London, please leave your armor at home, because it’s illegal to wear a suit of armor in the British Parliament. There’s a law dating back to 1313 that prohibits it. Sorry ladies (and some of you gents) but it’s illegal to wear lacy undies in Russia. A 2014 law in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan states undergarments must be made with a minimum of six percent cotton. This takes the concept of “search and seizure” to an entirely different level. And finally, because we’re not sure how to top this, in China, it’s illegal for Tibetan Buddhist monks to reincarnate after they die without permission from the government. Again, we’re really not sure how they go about enforcing this, but China is known for having some strict laws. So, there you have it. We find ourselves in a world where bizarre laws and antiquated notions still hold sway. One can easily conclude that some of these silly laws were simply designed to get a laugh or to alleviate the boredom of local legislators. But as for the rest, they obviously reflected the public standards of the time. If you want to study how public values have changed over the years, there is no better place to start than with your state and local statutes. Not only will you glean some insight into our past prejudices, but also our best intentions. After all, who but a well-intentioned public official would make it a crime to molest butterflies in California? And if you ever find yourself face-to-face with a mind-boggling law, or a donkey in a bathtub, take a moment to appreciate the comedy in the chaos. We’d love to hear what crazy crimes and misdemeanors you may have been cited for in our Way Out There forum. Or in the comments below. #laws #america #unitedstates #booze #pennsylvania #texas #arizona #alaska #missouri #northdakota #michigan #ohio #hawaii #rhodeisland #connecticut #florida #california #tennessee #northcarolina #indiana #newjersey #oklahoma #massachusetts #southcarolina #maryland #newyork #alabama #virginia #oregon #italy #scotland #london #samoa #france #poland #china #russia #belarus #kazakhstan #mickeymouse #winniethepooh #anyhigh

Recently, we found ourselves enveloped in the soft, warm, sticky middle of…a delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie. Reveling in its understated sweetness, the thought crossed our mind of where this actually came from. Meaning not what store did we buy it from, but where did the chocolate chip cookie – the original chocolate chip cookie – come from? Who was the Adam or Eve that gave birth to that first gooey marvel? In today’s blog post we are delving into the murky world of the origins of some famous sweets and desserts. Because we figured that, just like most politicians, behind every great dessert there likely lies a trail of deceit, manipulation, and even stolen credit. So fair warning: if you’re expecting heartwarming stories of culinary genius in the kitchen, some parts of today’s story may leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth. But we hope you’ll join us as we sift through the crumbs of history to uncover the dark truths that lurk behind some of our most favorite, sweet delicacies. It turns out that it was an “Eve”, by the name of Ruth Wakefield, that’s credited with creating the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Wakefield was the owner of the Toll House Inn, a popular restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts and, according to the story, in 1938 she was making her famous Butter Drop Do cookies when she realized she was out of baker’s chocolate. In a moment of inspired desperation, she substituted broken pieces of semi-sweet Nestle chocolate into the cookie dough. Instead of melting, as she’d hoped, the chocolate retained its shape, and the first-ever batch of chocolate chip cookies was brought, hot and piping, into the world. An instant hit at the Toll House Inn, the cookies gained a reputation far beyond the local area and were even featured on Betty Crocker’s radio program. Pretty soon, Nestle, the company that manufactured the chocolate used in the cookies took notice and on March 20th, 1939, in a bargain that rivals Peter Minuit’s purchase of Manhattan, Wakefield agreed to let Nestle print her recipe on their chocolate packaging – for $1 USD! Sales of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate skyrocketed, and the chocolate chip cookie soon became a staple in American households. Baked Alaska is a classic dessert that consists of ice cream inside a layer of cake covered in meringue, which is then quickly baked in a hot oven to create a browned, toasted exterior while keeping the ice cream inside frozen. Most often it’s served flambe with flaming rum poured over it at the table. There are a few different stories surrounding the origin of this amazing dessert, but the most popular is that it was created at the famous Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City in the late 1800’s by a French chef by the name of Charles Ranhofer. He supposedly created it to commemorate the United States’ acquisition of Alaska from Russia in 1867. The dessert was said to resemble a snow-covered mountain, symbolizing the icy Alaskan landscape. Ironically there was supposedly an extreme heatwave hitting New York at the time, and the kitchen staff was well and royally pissed off about Ranhofer’s decision to turn up the oven heat on high to bake ice cream. Lucky for us he did! Custard has been around for, seemingly ever, and its exact origins are not attributed to a single individual. It was, we’re told, the ancient Romans who first discovered that eggs could bind with other ingredients and the basic concept of custard is combining milk or cream with eggs and sweetening agents. However, it’s generally accepted that it was during the Middle Ages that the sweet, creamy-textured custard we know today was created. A notable figure associated with popularizing and refining custard was Francois Massialot, a French chef and author who, in the late 17th century, published an influential cookbook that featured numerous recipes for custard and other desserts. What’s the first thing you think of when it starts to snow? Skiing? Snowball fights? Sledding? Mixing it with some fruit juice and eating it? No? Well lemme tell ya, as far back as 3000 B.C., ancient civilizations began flavoring crushed ice, or Sorbet as we know it today. Alexander the Great enjoyed eating snow with honey, and the Roman Emperor Nero had runners who would fetch snow to mix with fruits and juices so that he could enjoy the frozen treat. Introduced to Europe through the Arab conquests and the trade routes of the Middle Ages, Sorbet became particularly popular in Italy, where it evolved into the gelato we know today. Its name comes from the Italian word “sorbetto”, which is derived from the Arabic word “sharbat”. “Sharbat” refers to a sweet beverage made from fruit juices mixed with water and sugar. Pavlova is a dessert named for a famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, after a tour she made to Australia and New Zealand. The title of the inventor of this meringue based cake with a crisp crust and soft, marshmallow-like inside is still being fought over by Australia and New Zealand. The Australians claim to have created it at a Perth hotel in 1926. When a guest commented that it was “as light as Pavlova”, the chef decided to name it after the famous ballerina. However, this Pavlova was actually a layered gelatin dessert. In 1929 a New Zealand chef created a meringue dessert with cream and kiwi fruit that was, supposedly inspired by Pavlova’s tutu, which led to New Zealand’s claim of ownership. New York. Berry. Chocolate. Red Velvet. Baked. Refrigerated…..The list of Cheesecakes today is never ending. Originally made of wheat, flour, honey, and cheese and then baked, today’s recipes are a bit more complicated than those since its invention in ancient Greece. It is thought that the first cheesecake was born on the Greek island of Samos. Considered by the Greeks to be a source of energy, cheesecake was eaten by athletes at the first Olympic Games. In the 5th century B.C. the Greek physician Aegimus is said to have written the first known recipe for a cheesecake. Cream cheese was introduced to cheesecake in 1872 when William Lawrence accidentally discovered a process that resulted in cream cheese while trying to recreate a French cheese called Neufchatel. Distributed in foil packaging, this became known as Philadelphia Cream Cheese. A bit of bad news for Americans, but the saying “As American as Apple Pie” doesn’t exactly tie up with the origin of apple pie. The first recorded apple pie recipe dates back to 1381 in England, where the recipe called for apples to be combined with other fruits such as raisins, figs, and pears, as well as saffron. Early pie shells were called “coffins” and were actually inedible. Sort of like a disposable baking dish made from pastry. It wasn’t until the 1500’s that recipes started improving for the pastry shells, and the whole pie became a tasty treat. Also known as the Mille-Feuille (“thousand layers” in French) one could say that the history of the Napoleon Cake is itself quite layered. Made with multiple layers of cake and cream, one story says that the Napoleon Cake was invented somewhere in 18th century France by a collaboration of French pastry chefs who wanted to showcase their culinary skills and impress the nobility. Another story says that it was introduced in 1912 in Russia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the defeat of Napoleon. It’s a New Year’s Eve staple in many Russian households and, while it may be similar to the French emperor in fame, it certainly isn’t in stature, for the cake stands tall with at least eight tiers, and sometimes as many as 20. American’s have always had a knack for getting around laws that interfered with their enjoyment of the simple things in life (take Prohibition, for example). Well, believe it or not, the Ice Cream Sundae was most likely created as a way to get around doing something illegal as well. Blue laws are religious laws in the United States that restrict activities that could be considered “sinful” (we may look a little deeper at some of these in a future blog post….). In the late 1800’s, there was a Blue Law on the books in some states that made it illegal to sell ice cream sodas on Sunday. Some religious groups were against what they called “sucking sodas” and insisted that they be banned on the Sabbath (We can only imagine what they must think of Cherries Jubilee). This ban on Sunday soda sales was a big problem for those deviant aficionados of root beer floats or other ice cream sodas. Ithaca, New York and Two Rivers, Wisconsin have engaged in a decades long feud over which one first invented the ice cream sundae when a customer came into a store on a Sunday looking for the cool relief of an ice cream soda but, to get around the Blue Laws, the soda was replaced with chocolate sauce. In 2006, the Two Rivers City Council enacted a formal resolution which states: The City of Ithaca is hereby directed to cease and desist from its continued claims of being the ‘Birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae.’ Lest the City of Two Rivers be forced to take further action to set the historical record straight. (The most expensive ice cream sundae can be ordered at Serendipity 3 in New York City for a mere $1,000. USD) Most of us will/are, unknowingly, be forever grateful to an 11-year old boy by the name of Frank Epperson who, in 1905, accidentally created the Popsicle on a cold winter night in San Francisco, California. Frank had mixed a powdered fruit-flavored drink with water and left it outside overnight with the stirring stick still in the cup. The temperature dropped and the mixture froze solid. He found it a deliciously refreshing treat on a stick and named it the “Epsicle”. In 1923 he applied for a patent for his creation, changing the name at the urging of his children to “Popsicle” (get it? Pop’s Sicle). In 1925 he sold the rights to the Joe Lowe Company which then began mass-producing and marketing those frozen sticks of joy. And, while it’s not a sweet nor technically even a dessert, we’re including one more snack that is something that we can never eat just one of – the mighty Potato Chip. It is believed that the potato chip was first created in the 1853 by George Crum, a chef working at Moon’s Lake House, a resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. Evidently a customer at the resort, who was known for being very particular about his food, ordered a plate of fried potatoes. The customer kept sending them back, claiming they were too soggy and thick. This frustrated George Crum, who decided to teach the customer a lesson. In an act of defiance, Crum sliced the potatoes paper-thin, fried them until they were crisp, and then heavily salted them. To his surprise (and our great happiness), the customer loved the thin, crispy potato slices – and potato chips were born! Now we’ve come to the end of our delectably bizarre journey through the murky annals of dessert history. As we peeled back the layers of sugar-coated nostalgia, it’s pretty apparent that the origins of these beloved treats are as convoluted as a tangled ball of licorice. From the Olympian beginnings of the Cheesecake to the historically significant Napoleon Cake which, while bearing no resemblance to the emperor has a terrifying ability to conquer our taste buds, we find ourselves marveling at the haphazard evolution of these sugary delights. And isn’t that the beauty of it all? In this world of gastronomic chaos, where desserts can be born from chance encounters, misunderstood instructions, or simply a stroke of culinary madness, we’re reminded that, even in the sweetest of moments, life has a way of deliciously surprising us. So, let’s raise our spoons to the unsung heroes of the dessert world, those who accidentally stumbled upon greatness and left a delectable legacy in their wake. And the next time you sink your teeth into a sumptuous piece of cake or savor a spoonful of custard, take a moment to appreciate the quirkiness, whimsy, and even sarcasm that brought that dessert to your plate. After all, there’s nothing quite like a little sugar-coated eccentricity to sweeten our world. #dessert #sweet #desserts #sweets #cooking #baking #cookies #cakes #pastries #pastry #custard #icecream #sorbet #potatochips #cheese #cheesecake #popsicles #pie #pavlova #russia #france #newyork #alaska #wisconsin #baked #baking #bake #bettycrocker #cookbook #nestle #anyhigh

We were playing one of our favorite video games the other day, Grand Theft Auto (GTA), so real in its depiction of the streets of Los Angeles. With the emerging landscape of virtual reality gaming and its potential to create new worlds, not to mention new ways of looking at our own, it got us to thinking about video games in general – and the strangest ones out there in particular. I mean, let’s face it, there are some pretty damn weird games out there. Super Mario Bros. is about an apparently deranged plumber who runs around a psychedelic mushroom kingdom bashing his head on blocks. Sonic the Hedgehog is about a bright blue hedgehog with a serious amphetamine problem who bounces around like a pinball, collecting gold rings. Video games have always been a platform for innovation and creativity, allowing developers to transport players to unimaginable worlds and experiences. Worlds where the craziest things go and the normal rules of space, time, and even basic human interactions don’t necessarily apply. While many games follow familiar genres and storylines, some take a different path, venturing into the realm of the bizarre and the eccentric. And there’s no shortage of video games that are just flat out weird. In Silent Hill 2, for example, there was a secret ending that revealed a dog was controlling the events of the entire game. Although some games have a weird or funny scene, it takes a special kind of developer to make a video game truly bizarre, from start to finish. In this blog post, we will delve into the realm of some of the strangest video games ever created, where the line between imagination and reality becomes delightfully, and sometimes frightfully, blurred. Desert Bus (2005): In this game, you drive a bus that goes from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada. What’s so bizarre about it? It requires eight hours real time of driving to make the trip one way. There are no bathroom breaks either as the game cannot be paused. This is either a fantastic test of human endurance, or a fascinating test to see how many people are bored enough to give up eight uninterrupted hours of their life to win this pointless game. Hatoful Boyfriend (2011): Weird and sometimes wonderful dating simulators are a well-established genre in Japan but a pigeon dating simulator is probably about as weird as it gets. The player takes on the role of a high school girl who goes to a school full of birds. The objective is to romance one of the birds by the end of the year. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any weirder, there’s a secret ending that turns the game into a psychological horror. The Houchi Play (2012): In this Xbox 360 indie game you play as a creepy, apparently middle-aged stalker who sneaks up on women dressed up as little school girls. The premise in and of itself is, to put it mildly, unsettling and even worrying. How do you “win” at this game? By creeping up close enough without the girls ever spotting you. If you do particularly well, the anime girl at the end will be sitting in nothing but her underwear. Punchline (2019): And speaking of underwear, Punch Line is a game about an up-skirting ghost named Yuta who gets over-excited whenever he sees ladies’ underpants. At first glance this excitement gives him superpowers, however, if he gazes upon the underpants for a second time and for too long, his excitement level is pushed to the limits and a meteorite will destroy the earth. This, as you know, is well-established scientific fact. After a bus accident Yuta’s soul is separated from his body and he becomes a Yo Kai (a sort of Japanese ghost). He teams up with another Yo Kai, a talking cat, (because, why wouldn’t ya?) and together they work to reunite Yuta’s soul with his physical body. Katamari Damacy (2004): In this cult classic game, as the prince of the cosmos your challenge is to roll a small sticky ball around various environments, picking up objects to make it grow bigger. The objective? To make the ball grow big enough so that the king of the cosmos can turn it into a star. The things you roll start small, like an eraser or thumbtacks but soon you’re rolling up cows, people, buildings and even entire islands. With its whimsical art style and catchy soundtrack, Katamari Damacy is a delightful and eccentric experience. Goat Simulator (2014): Ever wondered what it’s like to be a goat wreaking havoc in a suburban neighborhood? Well, wonder no more! “Goat Simulator” embraces absurdity and glitches to deliver a hilarious and unconventional gaming experience. Players control a goat with a long tongue, able to perform all sorts of outrageous stunts and cause chaos in its wake. This intentionally buggy game revels in its own strangeness, providing endless hours of unexpected amusement. Typing of the Dead (1999): You’re under attack. There are hordes of zombies coming right towards you, but luckily you brought your most powerful weapon: your keyboard. That’s right, this is a horror learn-to-type game. “Typing of the Dead” is an on-rails shooter where you must type the words on the screen quickly and correctly in order to kill the zombies. To keep things interesting (as if they weren’t interesting enough already) the zombies are all wielding keyboards as well. Sentences you must type out include “I like peas” and “All your bases belong to us”. Persona 4 Golden (2012): The game starts with you moving to a town in rural Japan, then shortly after a dense fog settles over everything and people begin showing up dead. In spite of this, you start making friends at your new school and your new social group consists of the class misfits, including a retired teen pop idol and a tough biker who enjoys sewing and eating animal crackers. One afternoon you are hanging out at the local department store when you fall into a television set, literally through the glass like Alice down the rabbit hole. Inside the television is a mysterious and frightening world which is inhabited by “shadows” (the psychedelic ghosts of people’s subconscious) and also a colourful fuzzy bear named Teddie. You befriend Teddie and he fights the shadows alongside you in the television world. Then later, he joins your social group in the real world and transforms into a human teenage boy with a fondness for cross dressing (when he is not dressed as a giant plush bear). Seaman (1999): If you’ve ever wanted to have a conversation with a bizarre half-fish, half-human creature, then “Seaman” is the game for you. This virtual pet simulator allows players to raise and interact with these unusual beings. What made the game truly unique was its use of voice recognition technology to communicate with the Seaman via a plug-in microphone. The human-faced fish talks back to you via the voice of Leonard Nimoy. The conversations you could have with your virtual pet were inevitably bizarre – he always wants to know more about your life and later, progressing to full blown psycholanalysis… The Stanley Parable (2013): Prepare to question the nature of choice and free will in this mind-bending narrative adventure. “The Stanley Project” places players in the shoes of Stanley, a seemingly ordinary office worker, as they navigate a series of surreal and metafictional scenarios. With a narrator who guides (or misguides) your every move, the game challenges players’ expectations and explores the very nature of storytelling in the video game medium. Sneak King (2006): How many games can you think of that combine stealth with fast food? For the unfamiliar, in some parts of the world Burger King has a mascot, a creepy looking character with a massive grinning head called “The King” (no, not that King). You play the King and must sneak up on people to give them a delicious Burger King burger before they succumb to their hunger and collapse. Why the King must sneak up on people rather than just giving them the food is beyond anyone’s guess, but it is weird and a bit creepy. Japan World Cup 3 (2016): This is a horse race betting game that does not only include horses, but walruses and yetis as well. The horses themselves aren’t even normal. They run on their hind legs swinging their arms in the air while other horses are not even real horses. In the game, there are Trojan horses and horses that look like a mix between a wiener dog and a horse. Catherine (2011): You are Vincent Brooks, a man who has found himself torn between two women. The first, his long-term girlfriend, Katherine, who wants to settle down. The second, a girl he is having an affair with named Catherine whom, in contrast, seems young and carefree. Vincent spends most of his time in a bar called The Stray Sheep, but whenever he falls asleep, he finds himself trapped in a nightmare world with large sheep horns attached to his head. To escape, he must navigate his way around giant boxes while also avoiding deadly spikes and monsters (his inner demons). NPCs also inhabit this world, but they all take the form of anthropomorphic sheep. As the game progresses Vincent’s reality begins to blur with his nightmares, and he must ultimately choose between Katherine and Catherine. (We think the developers of this game must be fans of Haruki Murakami’s “A Wild Sheep Chase”) LSD Dream Emulator (1998): Maybe one of the most surreal games in the history of gaming, LSD Dream Emulator is exactly what its title suggests. Based on a dream journal by Hiroko Nishikawa, there are no objectives set out for you and the purpose of the game is to explore the world and fill in the map you are given. Each area of the game varies vastly from the next. Players are only given 10 minutes to explore before being sent to the start screen where they must make a choice to keep playing. Octodad (2014): You are “Octodad”, an octopus in human clothing who is trying to hide his true identity from his wife and children. You must try to control Octodad as he attempts to blend into the human world, completing every-day, mundane tasks such as walking across a room, going shopping or cooking a meal on the BBQ. To complicate matters, there’s a deranged sushi chef who knows Octodad’s true identity and wants to eat him. Straightforward enough. Doki Doki Literature Club (2017): On the surface, “Doki Doki Literature Club” appears to be a lighthearted visual novel about joining a high school literature club. However, this game quickly takes a dark and unexpected turn, delving into themes of mental health, obsession, and existential horror. Breaking the fourth wall and blurring the line between fiction and reality, this game subverts expectations and leaves players questioning their own perceptions. Mr. Mosquito (2001): Ever wondered what it would be like to be a mosquito? Well, in this one you play as Mr. Mosquito, a male mosquito where your main goal is to suck the blood of a family without being spotted. Now, while that in itself is a somewhat strange concept for a game, it gets a bit creepier. Players have the chance to suck the blood of a woman while she’s taking a bath. If the mosquito is caught, you engage in battle mode. In order to calm down your pursuer, you have to hit the sensitive point of her body to make her relax and forget about your presence so you can go back to sucking her blood. On that one we felt it was time to wrap this up for today. But does all this mean anything? These strange video games, some of which have left us scratching our heads in bewilderment, offer valuable insights into the limitless creativity of the human imagination. These games matter because they challenge our expectations, push the boundaries of storytelling, and remind us that gaming is not solely about conforming to established conventions but also about embracing the unconventional, as life should be we think. Video games have the power to transport us to extraordinary worlds and challenge our preconceived notions. The strangest video games ever created push the boundaries of convention, presenting players with experiences that are delightfully bizarre, surreal, and thought-provoking. They serve as a stark reminder that, sometimes we just need a good laugh or a bewildering experience to escape the mundane realities of life. From rolling up the world in a sticky ball to conversing with human-faced fish creatures, these games embrace the weird and invite us to explore the untamed realms of the imagination. They encourage us to question our assumptions and explore new ways of interacting with the digital worlds. Which, it’s sounding more and more, like we need to learn pretty quickly if we’re to stay one-step ahead of the oncoming AI onslaught. So, if you’re looking for a refreshing break from the ordinary, take a walk on the wild side and embark on a journey into the strange world of these unforgettable video games. What weird, strange, and maybe wonderful video games did we miss? Let us know in the comments below. Or, better yet, post about your favorites in our Forums Activities section. #videogames #activities #losangeles #GTA #grandtheftauto #strange #bizarre #wonderful #unique #burgerking #anyhigh

We had a request, from one of our loyal readers, to write a blog post about Meinertzhagen’s Haversack. Now, we must admit, we had no idea what that even meant. But after doing a bit of research, found that it was a pretty fascinating story – both for the person involved (Richard Meintertzhagen) and for the deception it created. Which brings us to this week’s blog post, a journey through the wacky and wonderfully bizarre world of historical deceptions. Tales of cunning trickery, audacious lies, mind-boggling historical hoodwinks, and the uncanny ability of some individuals to bamboozle entire generations. We kick this off with enigmatic story of Meinertzhagen’s Haversack. Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967) was a British intelligence officer who was also one of Ian Fleming’s models for James Bond. In October 1917, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, he arranged for a courier to “lose” a haversack containing secret British battle plans in the Sinai Desert so they could be captured by the Ottoman Army. In reality, the documents in the haversack were fake, however this led to a British victory in the Battle of Beersheba and Gaza. (A haversack, by the way, is a small cloth bag on a strap worn over the shoulder and, originally referred to a bag of oats carried as horse fodder). As impressive as this ruse was, it seems the deception was a bit deeper than imagined. Because it turns out that Meinertzhagen neither planned nor executed it. In his book The Meinertzhagen Mystery, author Brian Garfield proved that the idea was actually that of a Lieutenant Colonel J.D. Belgrave, and the rider who dropped the haversack was one Arthur Neate. Because Neate was an active military intelligence officer when a Times article was printed in 1927 describing the Haversack Ruse and Meinertzhagen's (fraudulent) role in it, he could not publicly refute the false claims without violating security protocol, though he did finally correct the record in 1956. The true author of the ruse, Lt Col Belgrave, had never contradicted Meinertzhagen's account because he was killed in action on June 13th, 1918. So, Meinertzhagen’s deception within a deception led us to look back at some other audacious deceptions throughout history. Some humorous, some not so much. Some you’ve probably heard of before, some maybe not. And where better to start with than the BBC?! The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest: On April 1st, 1957, the BBC aired a three-minute hoax report on their current affairs program Panorama about a fictional Swiss spaghetti harvest, showing farmers harvesting spaghetti from “spaghetti trees”. To quote from the broadcast – “Spaghetti cultivation here in Switzerland is not, of course, carried out on anything like the tremendous scale of the Italian industry. Many of you, I am sure, will have seen pictures of the vast spaghetti plantations in the Po valley. For the Swiss, however, it tends to be more of a family affair”. The year’s bumper crop was credited in large part to the “virtual disappearance of the spaghetti weevil”. The segment fooled many viewers who called in asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees. Piltdown Man: This paleoanthropological hoax truly deserves its place on the list of biggest deceptions in the whole of human history. The fossilized bones of a supposedly unknown early species of man were revealed as having been found in a gravel pit at Piltdown, East Sussex, England in 1912 by archaeologist Charles Dawson - and were named as Eoanthropus dawsoni ("Dawson's dawn-man"). For the next 40 years it was believed that this was an early species of man who had yet to be discovered. However, in 1953, it emerged that Piltdown Man was actually a huge fraud - he was in fact a fully-developed, modern human, believed to have died 600 years previously, whose lower jawbone had been replaced with that of an orangutan. It’s unclear who actually made the forgery. Dawson himself remains high up the list of suspects, although it appears a young museum volunteer Martin Hinton - whose box contained fossils stained in exactly the same way as the Piltdown Man - may have been the most likely. The Central Park Zoo Escape: In the 1870's the New-York Herald was one of the most widely read and influential papers in the world. It had recently won international acclaim when it financed Henry Stanley's successful quest to find Dr. David Livingstone in the interior of Africa. But it followed up this success with a stunt that was almost as widely denounced. On November 9, 1874, the Herald published a front-page article claiming that the animals had escaped from their cages in the Central Park Zoo and were rampaging through the city. A lion had been seen inside a church. A rhinoceros had fallen into a sewer. The police and national guard were heroically battling the beasts, but already forty-nine people were dead and two hundred injured. Panicked citizens took to the streets searching for the non-existent animals, causing chaos and confusion, even though the end of the article said that everything in it was not true. The authors later said they wanted to make people aware of weak safety precautions at the zoo and were surprised at the strong reaction to their story. You can read the full text of the Herald’s zoo-escape article here. Pharaoh Ramesses’ Heroic “Victory”: At the great temple in Abu Simbel in Egypt there remains, carved into the walls, a reminder of one of the greatest military lies ever told. Ramesses the Great - often regarded as the most powerful pharaoh to have ruled the ancient Egyptian Empire - embarrassingly led his men into a trap at the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire in 1274 BC. Forced to sign the first-ever non-aggression treaty in history instead of having his entire army wiped out, Ramesses saw his imperial expansion to the north halted in one fell swoop. However, the pharaoh - who his subjects saw as a god - lied to his populous and painted the embarrassing loss at Kadesh as a brilliant victory for the Egyptian Empire. So, naturally, Ramesses II - while building the great temple - had his imagined outcome of the battle depicted in indelible sunken relief around the inner walls. Ramesses is shown to be leading his army into battle himself in the stone carvings in Abu Simbel - as well as in further depictions at Luxor and Abydos - and scoring a brilliant victory. This lie remains, etched in stone, some 3,300 years after the event. The Trojan Horse: Possibly the most famous case of deception in human history - the legend of the Trojan Horse is an actual event which almost certainly occurred (in some capacity at least) to allow the Greeks to enter the city of Troy and end the siege of the city. In Homer's book "Odyssey", the tale of the Trojan Horse is told. In 1184 BC the Greeks, anxious to end the 10-year long Trojan War, pretended to sail away on their ships from Troy. However, a select force of Greek soldiers stayed behind, hidden inside a huge hollow wooden horse. In celebration at their "victory", the Trojans pulled the horse into the city, unaware of the occupants inside. As the city of Troy slept that night, the covert Greek soldiers jumped from the horse, opened the gates to the city and allowed the returning army to flood in and destroy the inhabitants - finally ending the war. In Ponzi We Trust: Italian Charles Ponzi was such a successful con-artist in the 1920s that he has even had a fraud scheme named after him. "The Ponzi Scheme" derives from his business dealings in North America, where he would promise clients a 50% profit within 45 days and 100% within 90 days - by pretending he was buying discounted postal-reply coupons in foreign nations and then redeeming them at face value in the US. In actual fact, Ponzi was simply paying earlier investors with the money given to him by his new clients. He managed to carry on the scheme for more than a year before the whole thing collapsed, forcing his clients to lose approximately $20million – over $300 million in today’s equivalency. Ponzi spent three-and-a-half years in a federal prison before serving seven years locked up at state level in Massachusetts. He was eventually deported to Italy in 1934. The Great Moon Hoax: In 1835 the New York Sun Newspaper published a series of six articles about the supposed discovery of life and a civilization on the Moon. The discoveries were falsely attributed to Sir John Herschel, one of the best-known astronomers of that time, and a fictitious associate. The articles described animals on the moon including bison, goats, unicorns, bipedal tail-less beavers, and bat like winged humanoids (“Vespertilio-homo”) who built temples. The discoveries were supposedly made with “an immense telescope of an entirely new principle” (James Webb Telescope, eat your heart out!). The authors ended the six-part series by announcing that observations had been terminated due to the destruction of the telescope, by means of the sun causing the lens to act as a “burning glass”, setting the observatory on fire. According to legend, The Sun's circulation increased dramatically because of the hoax and remained permanently greater than before, thereby establishing The Sun as a successful paper. The Cottingley Fairies: This is the case of a photographic hoax that even Sherlock Holmes would struggle to crack. Especially since it managed to dupe Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. In 1917, a series of five photographs were taken by two cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, aged 16 and 9, in Cottingley, England. Published in 1919, the pictures purportedly showed the girls playing with dancing fairies. A leader in the Theosophical Society, whose central belief is that humanity is undergoing a cycle of evolution towards increasing perfection, stated, “the fact that two young girls had not only been able to see fairies, which others had done, but had actually for the first time ever been able to materialize them at a density sufficient for their images to be recorded on a photographic plate, meant that it was possible that the next cycle of evolution was underway”. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a spiritualist, saw the pictures and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of psychic phenomena. In 1983, the cousins admitted that the photographs had been faked, using cardboard figures and supporting them with hairpins. The Fake Martian Invasion: On Halloween Eve, 1938, many people across the United States thought that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were in the process of destroying the east coast of the United States. In one of the most famous, or infamous, radio broadcasts of all time, Orson Welles presented an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds on his program The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Performed live over the CBS Radio Network, the episode is famous for inciting mass panic, though the extent of the panic is disputed. The first half of the program was presented in a “breaking news” style of storytelling, ending with a lone ham radio operator asking, “Is there anyone on the air? Isn’t there….anyone?” with no response. While the second half shifted to a conventional radio drama format narrated by a survivor of the carnage, played by Welles. The broadcast ends with Welles breaking the fourth wall, coming out of character to say that the show had been comparable to “dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying ‘boo’!” The following morning, the 23-year-old Welles’s face and name were on front pages of newspapers from coast-to-coast along with headlines about the mass panic his broadcast had allegedly inspired. “If I’d planned to wreck my career,” he told friends at the time, “I couldn’t have gone about it better.” Of course, the exact opposite was true, and Welles is stilled hailed to this day as one of the most innovative, creative geniuses of 20th century film. From phony news from Pharoah’s to fraudulent photos of fairies, from haversacks filled with fake plans to wooden horses filled with real live soldiers, how are we to make sense of all this, or anything for that matter? It’s astounding how easily we can suspend our disbelief when confronted with the extraordinary. These are cautionary tales for those who blindly trust what their eyes behold and reminders that truth is often a delicate concept, easily manipulated and distorted by those seeking power, wealth, or simply a grand spectacle. While some historical deceptions leave us in awe of the sheer audacity displayed by their perpetrators, they also shed light on the fallibility of our collective understanding and the importance of critical thinking. By unraveling these complex webs of deceit, we not only uncover hidden truths, but also gain a deeper appreciation for the intricate tapestry that is the human experience. It is through questioning, investigating, and unmasking that we can better discern fact from fiction, ultimately deepening our comprehension of the world around us. These tales of trickery serve to remind us to remain ever vigilant in the face of deception in our modern era. By learning from the audacious lies of the past, we can arm ourselves with the tools needed to navigate the treacherous landscape of information and, in turn, safeguard the integrity of historical knowledge for generations to come. We look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments below. And if you have ideas for future blog posts, let us know that as well. #meinertzhagenshaversack #WWI #siliconvalley #zachwoods #bbc #spaghetti #centralpark #zoo #animals #newyork #africa #egypt #pharaoh #trojanhorse #greece #homer #troy #ponzischeme #moon #newspaper #jameswebbtelescope #jwt #sherlockholmes #arthurconandoyle #mars #martians #orsonwelles #mercurytheater #cbs #truth #lies #anyhigh

Following our tradition of keeping everyone informed about important national days that may have been inadvertently overlooked, we discovered there are two this week that are probably the most important holidays of the year for those who enjoy gluttony and poetic wit, respectively. May 11th is National Eat What You Want Day and May 12th is National Limerick Day. We thought we’d take a somewhat skewed look at what each of these holidays stand for and how they came about. So, working our way through the two chronologically…… National Eat What You Want Day was created by Thomas & Ruth Roy to help people break away from the frustrating health and diet trends of our times. To just let go and enjoy life a little, if only for one day. We think this is a great thing (and, speaking honestly, is a holiday we celebrate numerous days every week….). In today’s tech/media-savvy world where people are focused on staying fit, getting a size zero figure, cutting carbs, yada yada yada, too many have forgotten to give importance to their taste buds and choice of food. So, this is a day to take a break and relish (pun intended) the food and treat your taste buds to a day of joy without feeling bad about it. This holiday of gluttony seemed a good way to take a quick look at the history of dieting: · In the beginning: Since cavemen left no written record, it’s impossible to tell exactly when the first cavewoman asked the first caveman, “Does this loincloth make my butt look big?” · 400 BC: Ancient Greeks were way into fitness, spending hours a day at the gymnasium (usually naked). To stay fit, Hippocrates recommended a strict diet, exercise, and vomit. · 600-1000 AD: Early Christians sometimes starved themselves to the point of hallucinating to be holy. · 1066: William the Conqueror was so fat he couldn’t mount his horse, so he gave up food and only consumed alcohol. (The diet didn’t work) · 1550: The world’s first diet book was written by an obese Italian, Luigi Cornaro. He recommended 12 ounces of food and 14 ounces of wine a day. · 1727: Thomas Short thought that overweight people lived near swamps, so his “Avoiding Swamps Diet” recommended moving away from swamps. · 1820: Lord Byron struggled to stay thin and often alternated between starving himself and binge eating. He invented a vinegar diet. (Don’t try this at home!). · 1830: The first diet retreat was started by Sylvester Graham, inventor of the graham cracker. He preached vegetarianism. · 1962: Weight Watchers is born in Queens, New York and Overeaters Anonymous was formed. Unlike National Limerick Day (begun in 1984 to celebrate the birthday of English author and poet, Edward Lear) the origin of the limerick is unknown, but it’s believed that the name derives from the chorus of an 18th-century Irish soldiers’ song, “Will You Come Up To Limerick?” A form of verse that’s usually humorous and frequently rude, the limerick is a rhyme scheme in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, while the third and fourth lines are shorter and share a different rhyme: · The limerick packs laughs anatomical Into space that is quite economical But the good ones we’ve seen So seldom are clean And the clean ones so seldom are comical · Let’s be real, limericks are basically the drunk uncle of the poetry world. But having a drunk uncle who makes us laugh? No complaints! Since it’s all about the rhyme, the word “Nantucket” is held dear by many a limerist (not a real word, but it fits nicely here). There once was a man from Nantucket Who kept all his cash in a bucket But his daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man And, as for the bucket, Nantucket It’s actually the “tucket” the makes it such a popularly used limerick word. Pa followed the pair to Pawtucket, The man and the girl with the bucket And he said to the man He was welcome to Nan But as for the bucket, Pawtucket · In honor of the two holidays celebrated here today: · There once was a woman name Mimi She never would wear a bikini When she was asked why She didn’t blink an eye Said, “I’ve eaten too much linguini!” · Limericks can be educational, like this one to teach science: An amoeba named Max and his brother Were sharing a drink with each other In the midst of their quaffing They split themselves laughing And each of them now is a mother · Or this one to teach math: A dozen, a gross, and a score Plus three times the square root of four Divided by seven Plus five times eleven Is nine squared and not a bit more And, without trying to dive too deeply into the bottom of our drunk uncle’s bottle, we leave you with these bits of….wisdom?? There once was a fellow O’Doole Who found little red spots on his tool His doctor, a cynic Said “Get out of me clinic,” “And wipe off that lipstick you fool!” · On a maiden, a man once begat Bouncing triplets named Nat, Tat and Pat Twas fun in the breeding But hell in the feeding She hadn’t a spare tit for Tat! · There was a young maid from Madras Who had a magnificent ass Not rounded and pink As you probably think It was gray, had long ears, and ate grass · There once was a fellow McSweeny Who spilled some gin on his weenie Just to be couth He added vermouth Then slipped his girlfriend a martini Seems a good time to wrap up this weeks’ blog post. While some may see National Eat Anything You Want Day and National Limerick Day as frivolous holidays, that’s exactly why we like them. They serve an important purpose – to remind us to let loose and have a little fun every now and then. So go ahead and write a silly poem, eat that second helping of cake. Because life’s too short to be serious all the time. After all, we’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time! What will you be eating on National Eat What You Want Day? And we want to hear your favorite, maybe self-written, limerick in the comments below. #eatwhatyouwantday #limerickday #poetry #funny #holidays #food #diet #anyhigh

We recently read an article about the history of chess and how the pieces got their names. Chess originated in India in the 7th century AD as “chaturanga” and had four main pieces: the king, the chariot, the elephant, and the foot soldier. As the game spread to other parts of the world, the pieces took on new names and forms. In Persia, the chariot become the rook, derived from the Persian word “rukh” meaning chariot. The elephant was transformed into the bishop. In Europe, the foot soldier evolved into the pawn, a term derived from the French word “pion” which means foot soldier. Anyway, this rather dry article got us to thinking about the origins of some words. Which got us to thinking about how some cities and towns got their names. Which brings us to today’s blog post – What’s in a Name? Whether named after a local landmark, a famous person, or just a bizarre accident, we thought you might enjoy learning a bit about some of the strangest, most ridiculously named places we’ve found around the world. And, just so you don’t think we’re making any of these up, we’re including links so that you can make your own travel plans to visit each. Nameless, Tennessee, USA: This seemed like a good place to start. Apparently when the residents decided to apply for a post office, the place of the name was inadvertently left blank. So, the U.S. Post Office Department returned the approved application with the name of Nameless. https://goo.gl/maps/aH359R6CLeTziGnZ9 Boring, Oregon, USA: Named after William H. Boring, a Union soldier who settled in the area after the American Civil War. We love the fact that the town has a sister-city partner with the Scottish town of Dull. https://goo.gl/maps/RUdMoZn3MmBUXqtW6 Imalone, Wisconsin, USA: Whether you’re at a party or an arena sporting event, if you live in this place, you will always say “Imalone in Wisconsin”. https://goo.gl/maps/A84ZeUcCETxTkvxJ9 Intercourse, Pennsylvania, USA: Situated in the unlikely location of the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country, this town was the setting for the Harrison Ford movie Witness. Travelers be warned, however, as Intercourse is less than ten miles away from Blue Balls, Pennsylvania. So, if you set your GPS wrongly, you could be in for a very disappointing weekend getaway. https://goo.gl/maps/wSNC3swxwdwhQWDu9 Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch, Wales: This small village in Wales, whose name translates to (we kid you not) “St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool of Llandysilio of the red cave”, has nearly more letters in its name than residents. Instead of providing a map, we thought you’d enjoy more hearing how it’s actually pronounced. Middelfart, Denmark: This unfortunately named city seemed a good way to enter into the more juvenile portion of our listing (reader beware). Middlefart was a whaling hub up until the end of the 19th century. Middlefarters take pride in being home to the Nordic region’s largest museum of ceramics, the CLAY. https://goo.gl/maps/kdS57dSerXQGRiJe6 Titty Hill, England: This enticingly named hamlet is located in the West Sussex area of England. It’s a great place to base yourself for day trips to nearby Wetwang and Shitterton. (seriously, we can’t make this stuff up!). https://goo.gl/maps/tzr8Dd4YTob7dSka7 Muff, Ireland: A village in County Donegal, Ireland near the mouth of the River Foyle, where you can become a member of the Muff Diving Club. You can also attend the Bilingual Historical Walk and brush up on your best Gaelic pick-up lines to try out on the Muff Queen during the – wait for it – annual Muff Festival in August. https://goo.gl/maps/8ovmF1eV3znzMnB29 Shagnasty Island, South Orkney Islands: While we’re pretty sure there’s a porno named after this island, it actually got its name from the unpleasant state of the island due to a large colony of blue-eyed shags that call the island home. https://goo.gl/maps/pBL4i2cNeDSSccEn7 Whiskey Dick Mountain, Washington, USA: Nuff said about that. https://goo.gl/maps/pqe3fZakWMU59hhg8 Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, USA: A rural area just outside of Punxsutawney, home of the famous weather-predicting groundhog Phil (see our blog post from Feb 2nd, 2023) this tantalizingly named place supposedly got its name because it was once home to large groups of turkeys. https://goo.gl/maps/j1sWgeAhX4Q4qNyHA Dildo, Newfoundland, Canada: Located just 2 km south of Spread Eagle Bay, this town got its name from the “phallus-shaped wooden pin stuck in the edging of a row boat to act as a pivot for the oar.” Mmmmhmmm, sure Canadians, whatever you say. In a serendipitous coincidence, just last week, this phallus shaped ice berg floated past the town of Dildo (Google it if you don't believe us!) Nicknamed the “dickie berg” by local residents, it sadly lacked staying power and collapsed the day after the money shot was taken (sorry, just couldn’t resist). In addition to the map link https://goo.gl/maps/ZfSysMiMyKqNRvmFA here’s the TripAdvisor link as well. Worth a click just for the heading! https://shorturl.at/moyR3 Useless Inlet, Australia: The French explorers Nicolas Thomas Baudin and Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet, were clearly pissed off at the sand bank that blocked them from mooring their ship when naming this speck of land. https://goo.gl/maps/XTaxQPwD8sLqNdEV9 Toad Suck, Arkansas, USA: Toad Suck sits along the banks of the Arkansas River. Legend has it that, during the era of the steamboat, its tavern was a frequent stop for boatmen who were said to “suck on the bottle until they swelled up like toads.” The name stuck, and Toad Suck, Arkansas was born. https://goo.gl/maps/qd85AfujqmBFB9GP7 Disappointment Islands, French Polynesia: This small group of sparsely populated coral islands include the island of Tepoto and the atoll of Napuka. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan first called them the “Unfortunate Islands” because his sailors couldn’t find any drinkable water. In 1765, British explorer John Byron named them “Disappointment Islands” because he found the natives hostile. https://goo.gl/maps/tMWNoVtJUPcqtUQJ9 Fucking, Austria: After nearly 1,000 years, the residents of Fucking, Austria voted in 2021 to change the name to Fugging. Apparently the locals had grown frustrated by thefts of the town signs by tourists. No news has yet emerged about possible name changes to the nearby hamlets of Oberfucking and Unterfucking. We would hate to have headed up the tourism bureau here prior to the name change! https://goo.gl/maps/qPDkCm3DHVsMa97A6 Hell, Michigan, USA: Name-wise, this seemed like an ideal placement following the previous town on the list. We just love Wikipedia’s description of the place, “As an unincorporated community in Livingston County, Michigan, Hell has no defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.” True on many levels we guess. And, judging from the photo, apparently it really can freeze over. https://goo.gl/maps/wQC371bou9Xf5GNh9 Nowhere Else, Tasmania, Australia: A rural community of about 40 people, Nowhere Else supposedly got its name when a group of surveyors, in the early 19th century, were mapping the region. When they got to this particular area, they found it difficult to pinpoint their exact location. One of them is said to have remarked that they were “nowhere else but Nowhere Else”. And the name stuck. https://goo.gl/maps/WSYgWfWokb2sWD5Y6 Bumpass, Virginia, USA: Named after Jack Bumpass, the scion of the Bumpass family, this northeast corner of Virginia has become an oddity-traveler’s mecca. AND the first American President, George Washington, slept here in 1791! https://goo.gl/maps/ZaTznFgmsqip1ErNA Zzyzx, California, USA: This unincorporated community, formerly known as Soda Springs, is a flyspeck of a town in the Mojave Desert on the road from “Vegas to nowhere” (shout out to one of our favorite Indie movies “Baghdad Café”). https://goo.gl/maps/qCW8n5wicekrrjST8 This concludes our quick trip around the world. While some town and city names may seem completely absurd, they often have fascinating backstories and/or historical significance. From puns and inside jokes to references to local landmarks and cultural traditions, each name reflects the unique character and identity of the community it’s come to represent. Whether you’re a traveler looking to explore offbeat destinations or simply curious about the quirks and oddities of the world around you, why not take a road trip and discover what hidden gems like Intercourse, Pennsylvania or Dildo, Newfoundland or Boring, Oregon have to offer? You never know what you might learn! Have you been to any of these places? Or to someplace that should have been included on this list? Tell us about it in the comments or post some pics in our Forums section. #travel #india #persia #usa #austria #australia #frenchpolynesia #ireland #england #britain #canada #oregon #pennsylvania #california #virginia #michigan #arkansas #washington #wisconsin #tennessee #chess #baghdadcafe #anyhigh

Picture this: you’re harnessed into a contraption that’s attached to a rope and you’re standing at the top of a tall platform, ready to fling yourself into the abyss. You take a deep breath and step (or maybe get a helpful push) off the edge. The wind rushes past and your heart races. You soar through the air like a superhero, careening through the trees abs over the rooftops below. YOU'RE ON A ZIPLINE! Also known as a Flying Fox, Aerial Rope Slide, Tyrolean Crossing or our particular favorite: Death Slide. The ZipLine has become one of the most popular adventure activities in the world, but did you know that its origins are somewhat murky? Since we gave it a go recently, we thought, this week, we’d take a brief flight through the history of the zipline. Legend has it that the first zipline was created by a group of drunken pirates who were looking for a way to transport their stolen booty from their ship to a nearby island. They rigged up a series of ropes and pulleys between the two locations, then took turns sliding down the line, whooping and hollering all the way. This first high-wire act is all just speculation. The truth is, no one knows exactly where or when the first zipline was invented. Some historians believe that ancient tribes in the mountains of China and India used ropes and baskets to transport goods across treacherous terrain, and that this eventually evolved into a form of transportation for people as well. Others point to the invention of the cable car as a precursor to the zipline. The first cable car was built in the early 1800’s to transport mining equipment and workers up and down the steep mountainsides of Europe. It wasn’t long before thrill-seekers started using the cable cars for recreation, and the idea of using a cable to ride through the air was born. The first recorded use of the zipline as a form of entertainment was possibly in 1739 when Robert Cadman, a British steeplejack and tight rope walker, died while descending from Shrewsbury’s St. Mary’s Church when his rope snapped. Fast forward to the 20th century and the zipline, as we know it today, began to take shape. The first commercial zip line was built in Costa Rica in the 1970’s as a way for biologists to study the rainforest canopy. Soon, adventure-seekers caught on to the thrill of gliding through the treetops, and ziplines began popping up all over the world. At first, zip lines were fairly basic affairs. They consisted of a single cable strung between two points, with a simple harness or seat attached to the cable. Riders would sit or lie down on the harness, hang on tight, and zip down the line. It was a bit like a low-budget amusement park ride, but with a serious adrenaline rush. As the technology and popularity of zip-lining grew, so did the complexity of the lines. Multiple cables were strung together, creating longer and more intricate courses that snaked through the forest canopy. Specialized harnesses were designed to provide maximum comfort and safety, and braking systems were added to slow riders down as they approached the end of the line. Today, zip-lining is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with millions of people around the world trying it out every year. It’s no longer just an activity for hardcore adventurers. Zipline operators go to great lengths to create unique and exciting experiences. The current world’s longest zipline is the “Jebel Jais Flight” in the United Arab Emirates with a single unbroken span of 2,831 meters (9,290 ft.). The steepest zipline in the world is the ZipFlyer in Nepal with a maximum incline of 56% and a vertical drop of 610 meters (2,000 ft.). On his 106th birthday in 2018, British great-grandfather, Jack Reynolds, became the oldest person to ride a zipline. So, from drunken pirates to modern day thrill seekers, the evolution of this high-flying activity is as wild and unpredictable as the rides themselves. But whatever you believe about the invention and history of zip-lining, one thing’s for sure – it’s here to stay and we highly recommend you give it a try! And if you happen to find yourself screaming like a banshee while you’re soaring through the air, dangling by a thread, well that’s just part of the fun! Here’s links to a couple zipline operators around the world you might want to drop in on: Sky Trek – Monteverde, Costa Rica: https://skyadventures.travel/monteverde/skytrek/ The Umauma Zipline – Hawaii, USA: https://umaumaexperience.com/tours/zipline-tour/ XLine – Dubai, United Arab Emirates: https://www.xdubai.com/en/xline/experience Waiheke Island, New Zealand: https://www.ecozipadventures.co.nz/ Flying Ravana – Ella, Sri Lanka: https://www.flyingravana.com/ Comment below or better yet, head over to our Activities Forum and tell us all about the exciting zipline adventures you've had! #zipline #adventure #pirates #superhero #fun #england #costarica #srilanka #unitedarabemirates #nepal #newzealand #hawaii #anyhigh