Random Questions

...arising from a roadtrip.

In this day'n'age, with the Internet always so there, able to be referenced at a moment's notice, you feel its absence when on the road, in a car. (No, I don't have an iPhone/Blackberry/what-have-you to do this on the road...plus we were traveling in areas without service!)

On our last road trip (this last weekend actually, the pictures are here), Metro and I had a number of questions/speculations. This time, we wrote them down. And now, I'm going to share them with you, because perhaps you'll enjoy them too.

Some were generated purely from the geography:

• Anarchist Mountain in BC's Boundary Country...were there really anarchists there? What's the story?
• Boundary Creek Provincial Park in Greenwood. Check it out. Looks nice.
• Why is the town of Salmo called Salmo? Was there a Mr. Salmo? What did he do?

Some were generated from roadside observations:

• No Tresspassing signs -- does putting one up an prerequisite for being able to actually shoo people from your land? If you don't have one up, can you still oust people you don't want?
• Roadside crosses -- there was an anthropological study done on these (at least one). Look it up. What a weird phenomenon. When/Where did the practice start?
• Fudge as a tourist attraction -- This one has always bothered me. Hell's Gate for years had nothing to do once you got over to the other side other than to buy and eat fudge. Is this just a Canadian tourist stop/trap phenomenon, or do other countries subject their tourists to it as well?

Others just arose from the depth of (mostly) Metro's brain:

• Are there such things as grasshopper breeders?
• What is the difference between an alpaca and a llama?
• What is the story behind the zuccamelon again?

More questions came up, but not when we had paper and pen available. C'est la vie!

We've not gotten around to looking any of these up, so feel free to offer up any resources. Or regale us with your own questions that niggle...

Lori

Donkeys

Do a Google search of the word "donkey" and some delightful stuff comes up:

The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada (who knew?)

Guidelines for Using Donkeys as Guard Animals with Sheep (provided by the Gov't of Ontario of all places)

Lately, I've been hearing the word a lot, as my man Metro is playing poker and is picking up the jargon. A donkey is a specific type of player: a bad one.

Today, a friend of a friend, visiting from out of town, started telling me a story out of the blue...about how, when she was a young girl, she saw the most amazing thing: Donkey Baseball. A fundraiser in her little town. All these years later, this memory has stayed with her, vividly.

I smiled to myself, went to my friend's computer and hit Youtube. Two seconds later I called her over to see this:



I love the Internet.

Lori

Iconic Films

Ah, another movie post. Hope no one minds!

Over the long weekend, we had Metro's Mum and Dad visiting -- for the most part, a classic in-law visit: dinner out at the local delicious Greek restaurant, a day trip to see some wineries, huge turkey dinner...and Metro took his Dad out one night for a poker game, leaving Mum and me to our own devices.

We watched a movie -- her choice: Thelma and Louise (1991). She said she was tired of always pretending to have seen it, because it was so iconic.

Is that the definition of an iconic film? It works for me.

Last night, I saw another iconic film for the first time: The Warriors (1979) -- a film so ingrained in movie culture that I feel like I'd already seen it. (The 70s version of 300...)

Off the top of my head, I'd say the most iconic film of the current generation, if we use the definition above ("Oh, right! Yeah...that film!") is Mike Judge's Office Space (1999).

Here's some proof:



And if you've heard people talk about a "TPS report," wondered why red Swingline staplers are so freakin' popular now, or had someone ask you if you have a 'case of the Mondays', and you just don't get it, go out and watch this film:




So, what other iconic films are out there that we all need to see to fully function in today's society?

Fave Words: "Engastration"

Years ago, as a teen, I discovered everyone's favourite odd word: defenestration (to throw someone out a window). I soon discovered engastration (a cooking term, to stuff one bird inside another). Raincoaster, over at her Teeny Manolo gig, has served up a lovely video on the subject, just in time for the holidays:



Note the overwhelming use of Emeril's Essence (a spice concoction with a very eerie name...)

She also mentions in this post, the fine Middle Eastern engastration extravaganza of stuffed camel.

Yum.

Lori

Aaawwww!

From Casa Az, the Random Kitten Generator:


I mean, really. How can anyone resist such cuteness? Is this how cats have come to win the evolutionary lottery? A life of no purpose except play, sleep, eat, shit, and look cute, where they have us trained to look after all of their needs?

Lori