A caricature is generally a drawing that shows the features of its subject in a distorted or humorous way and the practice has existed for hundreds of years. But what likely began merely as a personal amusement quickly evolved, in many cases, into political commentary; and some even argued for it’s artistic value in its […]
Make Your Own Candy Bars For Halloween
During my recent trip to the Supermarket, bags and bags of fun sized, mini-bars and combo packs of Halloween candy greeted me. The do-it-yourselfer in me wondered would it be possible to skip all the added artificial ingredients and fillers. Could I make candy bars at home? The geniuses at Chowhound to the rescue. They […]
Didn’t They Used To Be?
The name you first use for your business may not be the one that sticks. From trial and error, many of the leading names you know right now started with a different name. Here’s a quick roll call of successful businesses who adopted a new pseudonym and prospered as a result: Original Name Present Name […]
Onomatopoeia – Things Sound As They Are
on·o·mat·o·poe·ia – ˌänəˌmadəˈpēə,ˌänəˌmädəˈpēə/ noun. the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named. Examples are words such as cuckoo, sizzle. To make sure you fully grasp the concept, we invoke a song from Todd Rundgren’s 1978 Hermit of Mink Hollow album. It’s not everyone who can make a love song out of this concept, but Todd […]
There is NO PUMPKIN in pumpkin pie spice.
There is no pumpkin in pumpkin pie spice. While the term brings up fond memories of Thanksgiving, the truth is that this concoction is the five spices that are added to pumpkin and other ingredients to make the pie. The five spices found in Pumpkin Pie Spice are: Cinnamon Ginger Nutmeg or Mace Cloves Allspice […]
BOTTOM LINE: What’s the smallest thing ever photographed?
What’s the smallest item ever photographed? An Australian University research team was been able to photograph the shadow of a single atom. Professor Dave Kielpinski, from Griffith University’s Centre for Quantum Dynamics, said his research team was curious what they could investigate with visible light. “We wanted to investigate how few atoms are required to cast […]
What does the movie Sideways have in common with Major League Baseball?
One of the most versatile and talented actors in motion pictures today is Paul Giamatti. His roll call of credits is vast and varied, including Straight Outta Compton, Private Parts, Saving Private Ryan, John Adams, Big Fat Liar, Cinderella Man and many others. He is a prolific chameleon who segues from comedy to drama with […]
How do you tell the difference between a Baby Boomer and a Millennial?
How do you tell the difference between a Baby Boomer and a Millennial? We’d like to settle it once and for all … but we can’t. While many people have an idea of what era is what, researchers like to use standardized generational cohorts to explain behaviors and perceptions of generations. Even between researchers, there […]
Back To School Shopping List – Circa 1990
Before the era of smartphones, tablets, laptops; each fall brought with it the extensive list of items to travel to the local office supply store, discount department store and grocery store to buy. The La Douceur Family looked at their electronics and came up with the following list of items that one would have to […]
How To Skin A Watermelon
Here’s a way to make a real positive impression on any holiday guests this Labor Day weekend. Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer, will demonstrate that you can magically skin a watermelon and promises it will take you about 10 minutes.