possibility of learning something

Something is better than nothing right? 
Well in most circumstances it is. Now I’m not suggesting the something that you learn from the Lisleman’s Institute for Better Postings will be of any use to you or your descendants. (actually if you happen to discover any use for anything you learn here, I would love to know)

It’s been many a post ago that I mentioned learning something from my favorite radio show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (here's an old post mentioning the show). She-who-lets-me-tag-along and I have even attended a live taping of this NPR show.

On their last show I learned about an index that uses one of my favorite stops when I’m on a road trip, Waffle House. This odd index came up during the interview of the show’s guest, Craig Fugate, current head of FEMA. (you can play the show over the internet - amazing huh?)

What does Waffle House and FEMA have to do with each other?

The Waffle House Index

Basically if the local Waffle House is open and offering a full menu then the disaster is over or they didn’t find the area that was hit the worst. Closed Waffle House equals a terrible disaster. Now some in my family would say an open Waffle House is a disaster but not me. FEMA will not be able to apply their Waffle House index for any disaster in my hometown. The nearest Waffle House to me is about 4-5 hours south on the expressway. I have looked.

Good coffee and food for a reasonable price. Their scattered smothered and peppered hash brown dish is my favorite. I seldom order their waffles.

good to get pic before you eat

This next story from the same show has a few items of possible knowledge. A lesson on bees and a few British terms.

from Telegraph website

A grandmother had a swarm of thousands of bees clinging to the boot of her car. (first possible new item of knowledge - boot - many Americans know this one. We call it the trunk of the car. Extra points what’s the bonnet?) Apparently while (whilst?) she was shopping a beekeeper was called and collected the bees. She arrived and drove off thinking the problem was over. However the next day she found her car again covered with bees. She had to request help from beekeepers again.

One of the beekeepers involved theorizes that the queen got into the car perhaps more than once.

A line from the story at the U.K. website:

As I drove past I noticed this big brown splodge on the back of a car.

I suspect “splodge” is a British term. I might say splotch or one big freaking pile of bees. Splodge is new term for me.

Another possible lesson - it’s good to know a beekeeper and don’t pickup any queens.

Telegraph story

(Sad disclosure - NO items, not even a cup of coffee were provided by Waffle House for this post. However, if by some chance Waffle House staff would like to offer something I could easily do another post for them. Oh also, I have no first hand knowledge of British bees.)

Non sequitur

My daughter needed to tell me what that meant once when she was showing me the comic of the same name. It's Latin and means "it does not follow".

It occurred to me while commenting about curse/swear words that I should try to curse in Latin. It probably would not bother as many family members that way.



"Non sequitur" is not really swearing but with the right tone of voice and the listener's limited understanding of Latin it might work.

Carpe Diem (scream this when the hammer seizes your thumb)

Do you think anyone tweets in Latin? I don't.

Based a on a recent comment, an idea popped into my head -

sexting for seniors - how low can you go?

or

sexting for seniors - I was picking something off the floor last time I saw that.

or

sexting for seniors - for those that forgot.

Maybe I could visit a nursing home and see if it flies.

Guess it got really cold this winter in the UK.  The Holiday Inn of Manchester  (named after a big chested guy?) is offering human bed warmers.  You don't get to keep them.  It's just a service.

I think it's from a marketing team competing for "a few clowns short of a circus" title.

One potential problem with it - bedbugs.

The warmers will be hopping from bed to bed.  If there is any bedbugs in one of those beds they would  spread them.  Might be an interesting job.

Bedbugs are on the rise.  But the US Congress is ready to take action.

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

HR 2248 IH

Seriously, if you've been bitten please report it.
The Bugbug Registry

I wonder how long before bedbugs are on twitter.

I thought about posting a bedbug picture but I really want return visitors.  If you like I can provide some links to a set of bedbug pictures.  They are on flickr which sounds right.

What about NAKED bedwarmers?   Oh yeah, I remember they are called street walkers or call girls.

short bits of odd news

Did you notice this special google logo on Saturday?


The 25-year anniversary of Tetris was being celebrated. Has anyone older than 20 and maybe younger than 60 NOT played Tetris at least once?

One of the odd titles held by Tetris is "Longest Prison Sentence for Playing a Video Game". A British passenger was jailed for four months for playing Tetris on his cell phone while on a flight to Manchester, England. He refused to stop playing after being repeatedly warned by the cabin staff.

This is interesting to me because of my participation in a FAA study on Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices aboard aircraft. It's too bad the passenger's mobile phone didn't have an "airplane safe" mode switch. I don't know the details of the case but if he was operating the device below cruise altitude (10,000 ft) then he should be punished.

One more related point - Today in 2009 there are two companies providing mobile phone service for a number of non-US airlines. The two companies are OnAir and Aeromobile. They provide special equipment on-board the plane and the phone use is restricted to only cruise altitude phase of flight.

Here's a link to the BBC article about the Tetris crime.

-- Some other bits of news from the Brits --

Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature has answered a question that has long puzzled late-night dorm-room snackers: What, exactly, is a Pringle?

They have ruled that a Pringle is a potato crisp (or chip here in the US). To avoid a tax the maker Procter & Gamble argued they are “savory snacks.” They lost. NY Times story

----
Important street name change -
(update your address books !!)
Butt Hole Road, Conisbrough, is now Archers Way, Conisbrough.

A Doncaster Council spokesman said: "I can confirm that Butt Hole Road was changed to Archers Way on April 22.



Picture from publicenergy

more background info please

Picture from the eternal ephemeron blog


One of the news items on the last "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" show was about longtime UK resident, Joe Weston-Webb.

The Nottinghamshire Police informed him that is chicken dung catapult would be illegal to use as a security device. It's not use of “reasonable force”. It's a large one - 30 ft long.

Ok that itself is a strange humorous news story.

- BUT IT GETS BETTER -

The background story is better than the current headline story.

Why does he happen to have a catapult?

Well Joe of Grumpy Joe’s Flooring had this catapult left over from the days he was trying to throw his wife across the river.

--

Stop - lets listen in as the two converse in the garden:

Mrs. Gumpy - "Joe I told you to get rid of that damn catapult years ago."

Grumpy - "Just come over here and help me load it."

Mrs. Gumpy - "Oh no, you are NOT putting me on that again. What is that awful smell?"

Grumpy - "Oh, shit."

--

Joe of Grumpy Joe’s Flooring was a stuntman in years past. He also has a cannon that can be loaded with a person. Around his place is an exploding coffin (how often would you need one of those?) and a car with wings.

He really needs to write a book. People will want to know.

Telegraph UK
Times Online


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