Tweety was not
specifically named in the original cartoon, but staff called him
Orson.
Mickey Mouse was originally to be named Mortimer by Walt
Disney until his wife suggested the friendlier-sounding “Mickey.”
Pluto was originally Minnie’s dog Rover. He then became
Pluto a few months after the discovery of Pluto in 1930.
Goofy was originally Dippy Dawg for a few years until 1934,
when he became Goofy.
Elmer Fudd was originally Egghead until the 1940 cartoon
“Elmer’s Candid Camera.”
Mighty Mouse was Super Mouse until another cartoon
character by the same name came out. It was changed to Mighty to
avoid confusion.
Betty Boop was originally called "Nancy Lee" or "Nan
McGrew" in a few episodes. She was also originally a poodle. In
her first official color cartoon, she was actually portrayed as a
redhead. Later she was changed back to black hair and a red dress.
Nov 27, 2015
Alcohol and Calories
Good news for the holidays, a
five-ounce glass of red, white, or rosé has about 100 calories per
glass. Many believe wine is high in sugar because it is made from
grapes, but because the fermentation process in wine-making
converts sugars into alcohol. Only sweet or dessert wines are high
in sugar. Wine is considered a heart healthy drink, especially red
wine, which contains resveratrol, the antioxidant compound linked
to heart health benefits. The American Heart Association
recommends 1-2 four-ounce servings of wine per day.
Hard liquor is higher in calories per-ounce than wine, but not by much since after distillation, spirits such as vodka, whiskey, gin, and rum have nothing left but the alcohol. They contain zero carbs, which makes them a diet-friendly option, plus, the standard 1.5 ounce serving of spirits has 105 calories.
The average 12-ounce serving of beer contains 150 calories and 13g carbs, higher than wine and spirits. Choosing light versions of beer will save about 50 calories per serving and cut carbs in half. Lager and wheat beers are generally lower in both calories and carbs per serving compared to heavier beers such as ales, stouts, and porters. Beers differ in color, flavor, and consistency, and the good news all offer some nutritional value. The brewer’s yeast used to ferment beer contains B vitamins that benefit the nervous system health and reduce homocysteine, a chemical that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Bottoms up!
Hard liquor is higher in calories per-ounce than wine, but not by much since after distillation, spirits such as vodka, whiskey, gin, and rum have nothing left but the alcohol. They contain zero carbs, which makes them a diet-friendly option, plus, the standard 1.5 ounce serving of spirits has 105 calories.
The average 12-ounce serving of beer contains 150 calories and 13g carbs, higher than wine and spirits. Choosing light versions of beer will save about 50 calories per serving and cut carbs in half. Lager and wheat beers are generally lower in both calories and carbs per serving compared to heavier beers such as ales, stouts, and porters. Beers differ in color, flavor, and consistency, and the good news all offer some nutritional value. The brewer’s yeast used to ferment beer contains B vitamins that benefit the nervous system health and reduce homocysteine, a chemical that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Bottoms up!
Germ Fact
More germs are passed by shaking hands than by
kissing. This holiday season, be safe and liberally pass out hugs
and kisses at every opportunity.
Bug Repellant Pill
Nice go outdoors without the threat of
mosquitoes. Mozi-Q is a new bug repellant pill. This revolutionary
pill invented by Erin Bosch has been cleared by the Canadian
Health board as being safe for users as well as quite successful
at keeping the bugs away.
The pill is available online and Bosch claims its effectiveness come from the five types of flowers that it is made from. The pill takes about thirty minutes to take effect after it is ingested. It is a combination of several homeopathic remedies claimed to be up to 90% effective at reducing bites. By changing the body’s susceptibility to being bitten, bugs lose interest in the attack.
The pill is available online and Bosch claims its effectiveness come from the five types of flowers that it is made from. The pill takes about thirty minutes to take effect after it is ingested. It is a combination of several homeopathic remedies claimed to be up to 90% effective at reducing bites. By changing the body’s susceptibility to being bitten, bugs lose interest in the attack.
Turkey Sex
Some turkeys (and chickens) reproduce without
sex. Parthenogenesis is reproduction without benefit of sex. In
other words, asexual reproduction in which the offspring develops
from unfertilized eggs. It occurs spontaneously in a handful of
species, like insects, lizards, snakes, and sharks. Turkeys have a
virgin birth rate in some breeds of up to 40 percent. Virgin birth
can become more frequent in turkeys if the female is exposed to
semen having a low sperm count.
Turkey Terms
A few common labels and what they actually
mean, which is not much. I hope you are enjoying the leftovers
from your premium, young, fresh, free range turkey, with no
hormones added.
- Young: Most commercial turkeys are killed at 16 to 18 weeks, so this is mostly meaningless. The USDA does not define “young” for turkeys and only requires the label of “mature” or “yearling” for turkeys that lived more than a year.
- Fresh: This means the turkey was never frozen.
- No Hormones Added: Mostly meaningless as commercial turkeys, and other poultry are not given growth hormones, per USDA rules.
- Premium: Meaningless as premium has no USDA definition.
- Free range: Often misleading, as it means the animal was given “access to the outdoors.” In most cases, the animal is still raised in standard, crowded cages.
Immortal Lobster Myth
Photos of lobsters can be found at
many sites on the net with captions calling the crustaceans
biologically immortal. A 2007 news story that reported that
lobsters do not show typical signs of senescence, the process of
growing older. The report said that lobsters do not age the way
other living creatures do, because they do not lower their
reproductive ability, slow their metabolism, or decrease in
strength.
It is true that lobsters continue reproducing, and growing until the end. Like most decapod crustaceans, which also include crayfish and shrimp, they have indeterminate growth. That means they do not reach a set size limit in their lifetimes, continuing to grow until they die. Previous research has suggested that the biggest European lobster males in the wild live an average of 31 years, and the females an average of 54 years.
According to the Animal Aging and Longevity Database, other organisms with negligible aging includes: Rougheye rockfish – 205 years, Painted turtle – 61 years, Blanding's turtle – 77 years, Eastern box turtle – 138 years, and Red sea urchin – 200 years, among others.
It is true that lobsters continue reproducing, and growing until the end. Like most decapod crustaceans, which also include crayfish and shrimp, they have indeterminate growth. That means they do not reach a set size limit in their lifetimes, continuing to grow until they die. Previous research has suggested that the biggest European lobster males in the wild live an average of 31 years, and the females an average of 54 years.
According to the Animal Aging and Longevity Database, other organisms with negligible aging includes: Rougheye rockfish – 205 years, Painted turtle – 61 years, Blanding's turtle – 77 years, Eastern box turtle – 138 years, and Red sea urchin – 200 years, among others.
Nov 20, 2015
Happy Friday
If you have only one choice, choose happiness.
I always choose to be happy, especially when celebrating a Happy Friday!
I always choose to be happy, especially when celebrating a Happy Friday!
Whats in a Name
A 16-week-old turkey is
called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a
young roaster. A group of turkeys is
technically called a “rafter”, though they are often incorrectly
referred to as a “gobble” or a “flock.”
Turkeys and Bowling
Late
eighteenth and early nineteenth century prizes given out
during bowling
tournaments were often food items, such as a basket filled
with various grocery items, a large ham, etc. Around
Thanksgiving in the United States, turkeys became common
prizes. At some point, one tournament decided to give away a
turkey to people who managed to bowl three strikes in a row. This practice spread and eventually
embedded itself in common bowling vernacular,
long after giving away actual turkeys stopped.
Back then, bowling three strikes in a row was extremely difficult to do, because they did not have the beautiful lanes we have now. Also, bowling pins were setup by hand and not always uniform, bowling balls were not well balanced, and people running the tournaments would often use tricks to make the pins more difficult to knock down.
Because it is more common to hit three strikes or more in a row today, new names have been developed. Six consecutive strikes is a Wild Turkey and nine consecutive strikes is a Golden Turkey.
Back then, bowling three strikes in a row was extremely difficult to do, because they did not have the beautiful lanes we have now. Also, bowling pins were setup by hand and not always uniform, bowling balls were not well balanced, and people running the tournaments would often use tricks to make the pins more difficult to knock down.
Because it is more common to hit three strikes or more in a row today, new names have been developed. Six consecutive strikes is a Wild Turkey and nine consecutive strikes is a Golden Turkey.
Earliest Thanksgiving Celebrations
Scholars agree that the first Plymouth
Thanksgiving, which lasted for three days, occurred in the fall of
1621 with 90 Native Americans and 50 white settlers in attendance.
It was based on English harvest festivals. The Wampanoag men may
have been trying to negotiate a peace agreement. They brought five
deer to the feast, which probably also included cod, goose, dried
corn, and fruit.
There is no historical record of turkey or pumpkin pie. The first feast was not repeated, so it was not the beginning of a tradition and the colonists did not call the day Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was a religious holiday and they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast, such as dancing, singing secular songs, and playing games would not have been allowed. That feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the colonists minds.
There is no historical record of turkey or pumpkin pie. The first feast was not repeated, so it was not the beginning of a tradition and the colonists did not call the day Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was a religious holiday and they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast, such as dancing, singing secular songs, and playing games would not have been allowed. That feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the colonists minds.
Pilgrims, Colonists, and Puritans
The word pilgrim was
never used by the actual people it describes. It is a myth that
pilgrims wore only black and white clothing and had buckles on
their hats, garments, and shoes.
The Church of England Separatists living in Plymouth during the 1600s were much more colorful than story books portray. Black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions and women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown. Buckles did not come into fashion until late in the seventeenth century.
Colonists (pilgrims and puritans) did not live in log cabins. The log cabin did not appear in America until late in the seventeenth century, when it was introduced by Germans and Swedes. Log cabins were virtually unknown in England at the time the Pilgrims arrived in America. Pilgrims lived in wood clapboard houses made from sawed lumber.
Pilgrims and Puritans were two different groups. The Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower and lived in Plymouth. The Puritans, arrived a decade later, settled in Boston, and came to America strictly in search of religious freedom. They did not welcome dissent.
Puritans considered the Pilgrims incurable utopians. While both shared the belief that the Church of England had become corrupt, only the Pilgrims believed it was beyond redemption. They therefore chose the path of Separatism. Puritans held out the hope the church would reform.
Puritans welcomed laughter and upper class dressed in bright colors, but lower classes dressed in dark clothes. The anti-liquor and anti-sex attitudes usually attributed to the Puritans are a nineteenth-century addition to the views of early settlers in New England.
The Church of England Separatists living in Plymouth during the 1600s were much more colorful than story books portray. Black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions and women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown. Buckles did not come into fashion until late in the seventeenth century.
Colonists (pilgrims and puritans) did not live in log cabins. The log cabin did not appear in America until late in the seventeenth century, when it was introduced by Germans and Swedes. Log cabins were virtually unknown in England at the time the Pilgrims arrived in America. Pilgrims lived in wood clapboard houses made from sawed lumber.
Pilgrims and Puritans were two different groups. The Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower and lived in Plymouth. The Puritans, arrived a decade later, settled in Boston, and came to America strictly in search of religious freedom. They did not welcome dissent.
Puritans considered the Pilgrims incurable utopians. While both shared the belief that the Church of England had become corrupt, only the Pilgrims believed it was beyond redemption. They therefore chose the path of Separatism. Puritans held out the hope the church would reform.
Puritans welcomed laughter and upper class dressed in bright colors, but lower classes dressed in dark clothes. The anti-liquor and anti-sex attitudes usually attributed to the Puritans are a nineteenth-century addition to the views of early settlers in New England.
Annual Turkey Pardon
President Truman received two
turkeys in December 1948 from the poultry industry and began the
tradition of the president receiving turkeys from a business,
rather than random folks. However, Truman did not pardon either of
them. He said the birds would make for a tasty Christmas dinner.
In 1963, John F. Kennedy was presented with a turkey and remarked, "Let's keep him going." A Washington Post article about the comment was first to use the words "reprieve" and "pardon" to describe the fate of the turkey. So, JFK began the modern turkey pardon tradition.
In 1963, John F. Kennedy was presented with a turkey and remarked, "Let's keep him going." A Washington Post article about the comment was first to use the words "reprieve" and "pardon" to describe the fate of the turkey. So, JFK began the modern turkey pardon tradition.
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