INTERESTING STUFF – 5 September 2020
Saturday, 05 September 2020
THE MEANING OF “AMERICAN PIE”
There are people who dislike this song from 49 years ago. Others love it. I'm agnostic but I wish I could figure out why I know the complete lyric by heart.
We were talking about what Don McLean's most famous song means back in the day and some people still do. Here's one explanation from a few years ago found on YouTube.
IS WEATHER REALLY BECOMING MORE EXTREME?
Most of us know the difference between weather and climate but this video goes further than that to show us what is changing.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN IS 175 YEARS OLD
Scientific American is 175 years old this year, the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States.
Poynter reporter, Rick Edmonds, took a look at the magazine then and now as shown in its anniversary issue:
“One piece considers whether a hundred years of successes of drugs and vaccines bred complacency about controlling infectious diseases.
“Among the greatest-hits offerings was a tale of the 19th-century Scientific American editor who designed and built a demo of an air-driven subway — only to have it scuttled for political reasons by New York City’s Boss Tweed.”
You can read more about this venerable publication here.
HOW HIGH CAN BISQUIT GO?
Given the limits of life in a pandemic world, pretty much all of us are looking for ways to entertain ourselves. Here is what the grandchildren of TGB reader Ruth Johnson have been up to.
WHAT THE HECK IS MARIKO AOKI PHENOMENON
Leave it to the Mental Floss website to once again come up with something stranger than I could ever think of:
”In the mid-1980s, a woman named Mariko Aoki sent a letter to Japan’s Hon no Zasshi, or Book Magazine, explaining a puzzling condition: whenever Aoki entered a bookstore, her bowels suddenly seemed to leap to life.
“The magazine printed the letter in its February 1985 issue, and it soon became clear that Aoki wasn’t alone. Other readers mailed in letters detailing similar experiences...”
No one knows what causes this but there are many theories. There is even a lengthy Wikipedia page about the “Mariko Aoki phenomenon”.
The short version is at Mental Floss.
OTTER ESCAPES ORCA JUST IN TIME
The Youtube page explains,
”This is the dramatic moment a genius otter being chased by a killer whale hops onto a boat for safety with just seconds to spare. In the incredible footage, captured in Halibut Cove, Alaska, on Sunday July 26, [2020] the otter is first seen roughly 200 yds away from John Dornellas’ boat, swimming frantically as the orca follows.”
Take a look:
There is more information on the Youtube page.
SOME CREATIVE, EXTRA-CLEVER LIFE HACKS
Most lists of life hacks are pretty much the same but this collection really caught my eye. Here are three examples:
There are plenty more at Bored Panda.
BOUBOU PAINTS WITH WHATEVER HE GETS HIS HANDS ON
TGB reader Mary Evans Young sent this story about Senegalese artist BouBou Niang. Here is a short overview of his work.
As Deepak Mehla explains at awesomebyte.com,
”What tools does an artist use? Brushes and palettes, you’d say. But, do you know that Boubou Niang, who uses the sobriquet of Boubou Design, can paint with whatever he can lay his hands on & Not only this, but he can also draw with his eyes closed or standing behind the canvas!”
You can read more about BouBou at awesomebyte where there are half a dozen more short videos of him at work, and additional examples of his paintings on his Instagram page.
TAGGING BEARS IN CANADIAN WINTER
TGB reader Joan McMullen sent this video of Canadian comedian and satirist Rick Mercer tagging along on a winter bear-tagging trip.
This is a load of fun.
Interesting Stuff is a weekly listing of short takes and links to web items that have caught my attention; some related to aging and some not, some useful and others just for fun.
You are all encouraged to submit items for inclusion. Just click “Contact” at the top of any Time Goes By page to send them. I'm sorry that I won't have time to acknowledge receipt and there is no guarantee of publication. But when I do
include them, you will be credited and I will link to your blog.
I don’t know why this is, but nothing says weekend to me like hearing ‘American Pie’ on the radio... why is that. Anyway, that was a great video—I always assumed it was about the death of Buddy Holly, and “the whole Fifties genre” as well.
Loved the Bisquit video, it made me laugh out loud—I didn’t want it to end! I am now off to learn more about BouBou, I mean c’mon—the man paints upside down! He honestly made my jaw drop.
Another interesting Saturday morning, thanks dear Ronni.
Posted by: Doug M | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 06:44 AM
An astonishing collection this week, Ronni! I was on the edge of my seat about the otter (and a bit worried about the people on the boat, too!) Bisquit is amazing and lucky to live with such a fun family. I'm going to try to find Rick Mercer on YouTube - very funny, nice guy. Those bears were more than adorable. I'm saving the changing weather and Scientific American articles for later this weekend. Thanks!
Posted by: Nina | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 08:28 AM
My husband has been reading your blog for years and loves it. Today was my first reading. Perfect, I was in a trump funk and now I’m smiling. Thank you. I’m off to the archives.
Posted by: Rebecca | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 09:30 AM
Thanks for American Pie! Loved it.
Posted by: Barbara | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 10:19 AM
"American Pie." Oh, the memories!! Wonderful to hear it again. (The "Holley" spelling on the tombstone sent me running off to Wikipedia.) Biscuit and the grandkids -- kids are so creative. And the otter. Lucky little guy. So glad he escaped.
Posted by: Susan R | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 10:23 AM
You outdid yourself today, Ronni! Loved the orca and otter video, American Pie, and others. I nice respite.
Posted by: Nana Royer | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 10:50 AM
Thanks for "American Pie." Brought back a lot of memories, I know it by heart too. The Orca and Otter video brought back memories of sea kayaking on Puget Sound. Seals and otters were a nuisance, cute but the seals liked to bump into your boat. I never got over being scared of the Orcas though. :-)
Posted by: Celia Andrews | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 12:13 PM
I'm in love with Biscuit's eagerness!
Posted by: janinsanfran | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 12:49 PM
Biscuit got through! Go Biscuit!
Posted by: Charlotte Dahl | Saturday, 05 September 2020 at 02:16 PM
It's been a good rainy Sunday morning catching up with Saturday's Interesting Stuff. Now on to Peter Tibble's music selection. Thank you to both of you Ronni and Peter (and other TGB readers/contributors like Ruth Johnson --great video of Biscuit and your grandkids! for the time and effort put into creating enjoyable weekends for everyone here.
I remember the first time I heard American Pie on the radio. I was late to a college class because I could not get out of the car until I had heard the whole thing. It never became a big favorite of mine, but it was just so different and spoke so clearly about a specific point in time that it was mesmerizing.
Posted by: Cathy J. | Sunday, 06 September 2020 at 06:38 AM
American Pie, otter, bears, you can't beat the selection this week.
Posted by: Heidi | Sunday, 06 September 2020 at 10:00 AM