Stuff You Didn't Know


My son has been advocating the joys of healthy eating --- cutting back on too much red meat and favoring the veggies. No argument but I also add that it's good to be exposed to germs early on so the body can develop natural antibodies. When I was young I played with dirt all the time. I'd like to think there was a connection to why I rarely got sick and was rarely absent from school or work. I've never had a major operation. Never had any major health issues. Some people have inquired of my health secret.

I recalled a time when I was probably 5 years old. Our family spent a summer in a safe rural mountain that was sparsely populated. One day, my parents were off somewhere and my brother and I were left unattended. By mid afternoon we became extremely hungry but there was no food and no one to ask food from. Then we spotted a flat pan (the size of a family sized pizza) laying on top of the table. On it were brownish balls the size of Pom Pom chocolates. My brother and I looked at each other and said "mmmm ... food!"

It smelled peculiar. It was soft and it crumbled like Play Doh and had a lot of greenish fiber. We took a bite. It didn't taste like regular food but we were too starved to be choosy. And after we got used to the taste, we gobbled the whole plate down. It was the worst meal we ever ate but it filled our empty tummys.

Evening came and Mom saw the empty plate on top of the table: "Was there something on this plate?" she asked. "Yes," we replied. "Where is it? Did you play with it?" "No," we confessed, "we ATE it!" We saw the horror in her face and then the grimace turned to laughter ... the kind of "gagging" laughter. Apparently, she had requested one of the neighbors to bring her some goat dropping so she could fertilize her plants. Yup! That's what we ate!

So you ask if I took any special health pills? Any secret diet? All I can say is:
I had goat poop for lunch!

--- Phyllis Diller
, courtesy of Tom

Wisdom from Naomi of N Hollywood
Words of Wisdom

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older,
it will avoid you!

Thanks to this week's winners:
Tom of Pasadena; Debbie of Moreno Valley; Don of Kelowna; Mike and Charlie of New York; Ed of Studio City, Jackie of Alhambra; and Peter Paul of South Pasadena.

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Quick Comment: Like many of you, I am deeply concerned with the development in the Middle East. Please keep the warring camps in your prayers. Let's pray for cooperation, humility, and understanding. Let's pray for peace.

Stuff You Didn't Know
Contributed by Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

I've shared this before but it's been such a long time some of the new subscribers may not yet have seen this. --- Raoul

  1. Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

  2. Coca-Cola was originally green.
  3. It is impossible to lick your little toe.

  4. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work is Alaska
  6. The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $16,400.

  7. The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour:
  8. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

  9. The first novel ever written on a typewriter? Tom Sawyer.
  10. The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

  11. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
    Spades  King David
    Hearts  Charlemagne
    Clubs  Alexander, the Great
    Diamonds  Julius Caesar

  12. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321
  13. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle.If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes

  15. Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
    A. Their birthplace
  16. Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
    A. Obsession
  17. Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you
    would find the letter 'A'?
    A. One thousAnd
  18. Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
    A. All were invented by women.
  19. Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
    A. Pepperoni
  20. Q. Before cell phones, which day of the year, are more collect calls made than any other day of the year?
    A. Father's Day
  23. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts ... so in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.' ... It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'

  24. Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the
  25. At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their little toe!

NOW you're LAUGHING at yourself! Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused!" (Unknown Author)

Contributed by Jackie of Alhambra, CA

Quit asking us to find your X. She's not coming back.

And we don't know Y either.

Beatles Trivia
Contributed by Ed of Studio City, CA

Are you really a Beatles fan? Wanna take a quiz? Click here.

Videos of the week: (click on the picture)

The Skillet Whisperer
Contributed by Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

Skillet Whisperer

This is a more subdued kind of humor. It might be a little too tame for some of you but I thought it was creatively funny. Hope you like it.

Color Changing Car
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Color Changing Car

How would you like a new car color with a simple flick of a switch? This is no joke. This is the new trend in car paints. Even after watching the video I don't yet fully understand how it's done.

USS Pennsylvania
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

nuclear submarine

This is the largest submarine in the US Navy. Its state of the art technology is enough to scare any enemy to submission. I think they could use this in the Middle East right now --- not to engage but to threaten both sides to cool down.

Tommy Emmanuel's Version of Classical Gas
Contributed by Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

Classical Gas

Are you familiar with this old guitar classic? I never heard of Tommy Emmanuel but he's something else. Call him a show-off if you like but this guy's technique is remarkable. And it looks like he was just messing around when the video was taken. Wish I could do that.

Contributed by Charlie of New York


75 musicians combine their talents to produce a song for change. Not sure what kind of change but it's a fascinating video of musical styles. This is one of the few Spanish songs I can sing.

Feather Counterweight: The Power of Concentration
Contributed by Mike of New York

Incredible Power of Concentration

Shhhh! You don't want to break this woman's focus. It looks simple but you need to be in great physical form to be able to do this. And to think the whole routine started with a feather.

Baby Conductor
Contributed by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Baby Conductor

I got an email earlier this week of a young man who is called the next Leonard Bernstein and I wanted to pair it off with this video. Couldn't find it. If you were the one who sent that to me, please resend. This baby conductor might be the next NEXT Leonard Bernstein.

Hi-Tech Wearable Key
Contributed by Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

No limbs

This is an upcoming technology that eases the authentication process with your smart phone. It's super cool.

It's gonna be a hot weekend in Los Angeles. Hope it's cooler where you are! TGIF people!

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