Is Drake really Jewish?

Search: drake

Why: Joel from 2Pz posted this thing from NYMag:

Drake Is a Really Awesome Jew, Says Drake

TMZ has a video up in which Drake gamely banters with one of their cameramen, who asks, "Who do you think's a better Jew, you or Harvey Levin?" Drake's response: "I don't know. I'm one of the best Jews ever to do it." Any protests there, 3,000 years of beautiful tradition?

I have no idea who this person is, but he looks like this:

which doesn't really mean anything, but his answer kind of sounds like, well, what the hell is he talking about.

Answer: Yes! And from Memphis, kind of!

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario. He is the son of Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sandi Graham, an educator. Graham's father is an African American from Memphis, Tennessee, and Graham's mother is a white Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighbourhood. He spent most summers with his father in Memphis. Graham stated that his parents' divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying, “I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother.

How about it! Also, read about Jerry Lee Lewis's 6 crazy marriages when you get a chance.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: In case you don't know who this half-Jewish half-Memphian is either, here is his song "Best I Ever Had," which got to #2 on the regular US charts in 2009 and was nominated for 2 Grammys. I'm not familiar:

What is the song "Black Velvet" about?

Search: black velvet

Why: I don't remember why we were singing it (something about fat kids and red velvet cake), but we weren't sure if it had racial (or mixed-race) undertones.

Black velvet and that little boy's smile

Answer: It's about Elvis! I had no idea!

Black Velvet refers to the soulful black sound of Elvis' voice and the many African American recording artists and singers he emulated to create his special brand of rock n' roll.

Stuff in the lyrics:

The first verse is about Elvis as a child and youngstar:

Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high

The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything

Verse 2 is about the height of his career:

Up in Memphis, the music's like a heatwave

"Love Me Tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true

The bridge is about him dyin:

Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?

Source: Wikipedia, Digital Dream Door

The More You Know: He would still be alive today, right? He would be younger than my grandmother, who is 86 today (Happy birthday, Nana!!). Look at this neat home movie of Elvis getting his tractor stuck in the mud. It's from 1957, when he was 22:

I want to watch the MGMT video for "Congratulations"

Search: mgmt congratulations

Why: Mary posted a Pitchfork article, "MGMT Respond to Piss Attack Allegations." Then I started clicking around, and turns out I missed a video in August, but the one linked on Pitchfork has been removed.

Answer: Here it go:

Source: WhoIsMGMT

The More You Know: Well, that made me kind of sad. It reminded me of when my grandmother's cockatiel Pete died. Legend has it that his beak fell off.

Maybe these pictures will cheer you up. This is what we used to do sometimes in 7th period Newspaper.

What are the biggest city parks in the US?

Search: parks in city limits; central park; urban parks

Why: I don't know who planted this seed in my head, but for some reason, I thought Shelby Farms in Memphis was #2, right after Central Park. But I already cheated and read this:

At a size of 4,500 acres (18 km²), it covers more than five times the area of Central Park in New York City with 843 acres (3.41 km²).

So beautiful.

Answer: Here are some:

1. El Paso, TX - Franklin Mountains State Park (23,909 acres / 96.76 km²)
2. New Orleans, LA - Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge (22,770 acres / 92.1 km²)
3. Phoenix, AZ - State Mountain Park (16,094 acres / 65.13 km²)
4. Scottsdale, AZ - McDowell Sonoran Preserve (11, 250 acres / 45.5 km²)
5. Houston, TX - Cullen Park (9,270 acres / 37. 5 km²)
6. Los Angeles, CA - Topanga State Park (8,960 acres / 36.3 km²)
7. Jacksonville, FL - Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (7,870 acres)
8. Houston, TX - George Bush Park (7,800 acres / 32 km²)
9. Phoenix, AZ - North Mountain Preserve (7,500 acres / 30 km²)
10. New York, NY - Gateway National Recreation Area (7,138 acres / 28.89 km²)
11. San Jose, CA - Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (6,800 / 28 km²)
12. Louisville, KY - Jefferson Memorial Forest (6,011 acres / 24.33 km²)
13. Eufaula, AL - Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (6,000 acres / 24 km²)
14. San Diego, CA - Mission Trails Regional Park (5,840 acres / 23.6 km²)
15. Raleigh, NC - William B. Umstead State Park (5,579 acres / 22.58 km²)
16. Honolulu, HI - Ahupua'a O Kahana State Park (5,229 acres / 21.16 km²)
17. Portland, OR - Forest Park (5,157 acres / 20.87 km²)
18. Indianapolis, IN - Eagle Creek Park and Golf Course (4,766 acres / 19.29 km²)
19. Memphis, TN - Shelby Farms (4,500 acres / 18 km²)
20. Anchorage, AK - Far North Bicentennial Park (4,500 acres / 18 km²)
21. Los Angeles, CA - Griffith Park (4,217 acres / 17.07 km²)

Should a "state park" really count? A "wildlife refuge"? A "preserve"? I don't know if Wikipedia and I are thinking of the same thing.

But 1/10th of New Orleans (907 km²) is taken up by a wildlife refuge. FYI!

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Maybe it's time to take your kids to see the buffalo.

What movies were filmed in Austin, TX?

Search: whip it

Why: Dan is thinking of moving there to make films, even though Hollywood is in Southern California (and so is Disneyland).

Answer: Lots! Among them:

• Friday the 13th (2009)
• Whip It (2009)
• Death Proof (2007)
• Grindhouse (2007)
• Planet Terror (2007)
• Capote (2005)
  
• Sin City (2005)
• Friday Night Lights (2004)
• Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
• Miss Congeniality (2000)
  
• Road Trip (2000)
• Boys Don't Cry (1999)
• Varsity Blues (1999)
• Office Space (1999)
• The Faculty (1998)
• From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
• Michael (1996)
• Waiting for Guffman (1996)
• Mortal Combat (1995)
  
• Dazed and Confused (1993)
• What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
• Blood Simple (1984)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: What movies were filmed in Memphis, you ask?

• Soul Men (2008)
  
• My Blueberry Nights (2007)
• Black Snake Moan (2006)
• Hustle & Flow (2005)
  
• Walk the Line (2005)
  
• 21 Grams (2003)
• Cast Away (2000)
  
• Road Trip (2000)
• The Rainmaker (1997)
• The People vs. Larry Flynt (1995)
• The Client (1994)
  
• The Firm (1993)
  
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

and episodes of these TV series:

• Cops
• Man vs. Food
  
• Route 66 ("Give the Old Cat a Tender Mouse")
  
• True Life ("I'm in an Interracial Relationship")
• Unsolved Mysteries ("Martin Luther King")
  
• WWF RAW is War

[emoticon with the shifty eyes]

What happened tonight at the Grizzlies game?

Search: grizzlies

Why:

No, Julie, I didn't!!

Answer: They beat the Clippers 104-102:

The Grizzlies overcame Baron Davis' triple-double, an 18-point deficit and a 36-minute delay caused by a water line break in the fire sprinkler system at FedExForum for their sixth straight home win.

I guess the game also got evacuated for a while, too.

"30 years in the NBA and I've never seen them evacuate an arena in the middle of a game." Ctm.

Source: CBS News

The More You Know: I'm really glad football season is almost over. Holy boring.

I want to see the packaging for the Snuggie for Dogs

Search: pet snuggie

Why: Katrina's pug Tai, omg:

And she adds:

For the record, the only reason I have it is because Lindsay got one at work, and that's the one and only time I've ever put it on him. It's completely ridiculous. But the box is funny - on the back it has pictures of dogs playing backgammon and holding remote controls. Just think of all the things they can get done with their paws free!

Answer: Omg again:

Source: SnuggieSightings

The More You Know: When I was in Memphis over Thanksgiving, we witnessed a Snuggie Pub Crawl. It was ridiculous. Pics here.

I'm no expert, but aren't they wearing them backwards?

How much weight can a train pull?

Search: how much weight can a train pull

Why: A train track runs right through the middle of Memphis, which is kind of annoying. A train drove by me and Joel the other night.

Answer: A shitton:

Since gravity and horsepower are constants, there is a simple formula used to calculate how much horsepower will be needed to move a given amount of tonnage up a grade, called the "Rolling Train Resistance Formula". It is as follows: take the horsepower per ton (HPT), multiply by twelve, divide by the percentage of the grade, and that will tell you the speed you will make. Expressed another way, HPT x 12 / %G = S.

The locomotives are indeed putting out a lot of horsepower. On US railroads a typical diesel-electric road locomotive develops between 3,000 and 6,000 horsepower each. But this applies to the diesel engine itself, or prime mover, which powers the main alternator, companion alternator and auxilliary generator.

The main alternator supplies electricity for the axle hung traction motors, which are what does the actual pulling. "Tractive Effort", or torque, is the name of the game, and the electric motor is king in this realm. A simple rule of thumb is that the locomotive will convert approximately 25% of its weight into tractive effort. Again, most locos in the US are in the neighborhood of 410,000 lbs., they produce about 105,000 ft/lbs of torque. To compare, the production model of the 429 Hemi, gasoline powered automobile engine, was the highest producer of torque at 405 ft/lbs.

As far as getting the power to the rail, the weight of the locomotive is where it gets its traction. When 200+ tons occupies twelve points on the rail, each not much bigger than a silver dollar, it "hooks up" pretty good. In instances where extra traction is needed, such as at starting or on wet rail, sand is applied in front of the drive wheels for extra grip.

Source: A retired locomotive engineer on Yahoo! Answers

The More You Know: Thomas the Tank Engine first appeared in 1946 in the book Thomas the Tank Engine as a station pilot, whose job was to shunt coaches for the bigger engines. He longed for more important jobs such as pulling the express train like Gordon, but his inexperience prevented this. Eventually he was responsible for rescuing James the Red Engine after an accident, and the Fat Controller (then known as the Fat Director) decided that he was a Really Useful Engine, and ready for his own branch line. He has remained in charge of this line ever since.

What is a doyenne?

Search: doyenne

Why: In the scathing Dallas Observer review, "The Blind Side: What Would Black People Do Without Nice White Folks?" that Kate posted:

An officious caretaker, Leigh Anne clears out the guest bedroom for Michael, earning the nervous praise of the Tennessee doyennes with whom she regularly lunches. Though they congratulate their friend's altruism, they're convinced Leigh Anne's new charge will either rob her Memphis McMansion or violate her daughter.

Answer: n. (Fr.) A woman who is the senior member of a group; an elder; a person who is older than you are.

The feminine version of doyen:

1 a : the senior member of a body or group b : a person considered to be knowledgeable or uniquely skilled as a result of long experience in some field of endeavor
2 : the oldest example of a category

Source: The Free Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

The More You Know: On Wikipedia (though uncited):

Oher stated he was unhappy with the portrayal of young Michael Oher in the film, as one that didn't have much football acumen; which he states wasn't true. He stated that he always had a high football IQ, even before he played organized football.

Who is "The Blind Side" about?

Search: the blindside

Why: The trailers make me sad, though I suspect this story is meant to be uplifting.

Answer: Michael Oher, who currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens, but grew up in Memphis! Here is the bit about his personal life, which is all that really interests me (because football is boring). Possible movie spoiler alert:

Oher's father, murdered while Oher was a junior in high school, was not involved in his upbringing. His mother was addicted to crack cocaine. As a result, he received little constructive attention during his formative years. He repeated both first grade and second grade, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He also alternated between time spent in various foster homes and periods with no fixed address until he was sixteen years old.

That year, Oher applied for admission to a private school, Briarcrest Christian School, at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, with whom he was staying temporarily. Henderson was sending his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and he decided that Oher might as well come along. Although the school's football coach was interested in Oher, school administrators did not feel that he was capable of handling the school's academic workload due to his scant educational background; however, he was admitted after he attempted to qualify for admission through a home-study program that removed him from the public education system.

A couple with a daughter at the school, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, allowed Oher to move in with them and began taking care of his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult personal circumstances. They also connected him with a tutor, who worked with him for twenty hours a week. He eventually brought his 0.9 grade point average up to 2.65, by replacing Ds and Fs earned in school classes such as English with As earned in a series of 10-day-long internet-based "character education" courses from Brigham Young University. Later, the Tuohy family adopted him.

Here's a story about him from CBS, including interviews with Oher and his adoptive family:

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Briarcrest has a campus in Eads? Who knew?

Is it catty-cornered or kitty-cornered?

Search: catty-corner origin

Why: People where I grew up say "catty-cornered," but in college, Leah (from Wisconsin) said "kitty-cornered."

In case you are all, "WTF?" a catty-corner is a diagonal. Like in this artwork, the lamppost is catty-cornered from the Sizzlin' Chicken:

Answer: Neither! The correct spelling is actually "cater-cornered." The word cater comes from the French catre / quatre, "four." An obsolete word cater meant "a four-spot of dice."

Source: Phrases.org.uk

The More You Know: Guess what other awesome word has the same origin? Cattywampus! Go South!

Where can I buy Firefly Vodka in California?

Search: firefly vodka

Why: Their new Sweet Tea Vodka is like candy in a bottle... sweet, delicious, alcoholic candy. I've only had it at friends' houses before, but I saw it last night at the Blue Monkey.

(Drink me.)

Answer: BevMo! And some other places, I'm sure. Contact the distributor Young's Market Company for suppliers near you!

Source: Firefly Vodka

The More You Know: They also make Raspberry Tea Vodka, Mint Tea Vodka, Peach Tea Vodka, Lemon Tea Vodka, boring Straight Vodka, and Muscadine Wine Vodka, but the Sweet Tea is the one you want. Be careful.

What is the origin of the word "campus"?

Search: campus

Why: 2Pz team Joel & Kylie failed at finding Icees anywhere between Manhattan and Raiford's, including the Graceland campus.

Answer: The word itself means "field," but the note also says:

• probably prop. "an expanse surrounded" (by woods, higher ground, etc.)
• from PIE kampos "a corner, cove"
• from base kamp- "to bend"
• Lith[unanian?] kampus "corner"
  
• Pol[ish?] kepa "island in a river"
• First used in college sense at Princeton.

So if hippo- means "horse," and campus means "field," apparently hippocampus means "horse field." (But it doesn't - really it is hippo- plus kampos, which means "sea monster," aka "seahorse"... which is just as strange, really.)

Source: EtymOnline

The More You Know: Apparently they found Icees on the way back to Nashville! I hope they stopped at Casey Jones Village!

What color is a chestnut?

Search: chestnut

Why: In the Sept. 14 New Yorker portrait "Lady of the House," Dana Goodyear (who inspired this blog) describes Kelly Wearstler:

She is forty-two, petite and beautiful, with lynxlike green eyes and long chestnut-colored hair, and an outré fashion sense that accommodates the wearing of crinolines, beehive hairdos, and fingerless gloves.

Answer: Brown:

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: You want to see what Kelly Wearstler looks like now, don't you.

I also just learned that my childhood friend Lana did the painting she's sitting in front of in this picture:

What are the odds?

What does an osprey look like?

Search: osprey

Why: Daniel pointed out an osprey nest this weekend at Pickwick.

Answer: Like this!


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Some osprey facts!

• A female osprey will choose her mating partner based on the quality and location of the male's nest.
• Osprey nests have been known to contain hula hoops, rag dolls, and toy boat.
• Ospreys generally pair for life, but if mating is unsuccessful, will sometimes "divorce."

What does Don Mattingly look like?

Search: don mattingly

Why: I was him for Halloween in 1989. It must have been my dad's doing.

Answer: Like this. Twins!


Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Looks like my brother was Bo Jackson. He had a huge poster of "Bo Knows" in his bedroom.

What bad thing happened to the baby elephant in Memphis?

Search: memphis elephant

Why: This:


Answer: She died :(

The Memphis Zoo's baby elephant died this morning after she stumbled in her exhibit.

Her mother, Asali, tried to help the baby back up, and her tusk injured the calf. The injury happened at around 10 a.m. Zoo keepers worked immediately to separate Asali from her calf. They performed first aid and transported her to the zoo hospital. The injuries were too severe, and the calf expired at around 11:10 a.m. Zoo veterinarians and keepers are caring for Asali. She will remain off exhibit until a later date.

"Everyone here at the Memphis Zoo is deeply saddened by this turn of events," said Dr. Chuck Brady, the Memphis Zoo's president. "We mourn this loss alongside Asali."

The pregnancy was a result of the zoo's continued participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) plans to grow the captive population of elephants. This plan, known as the Species Survival Plan, outlines the management and development of healthy elephant herds in U.S.

Source: The Commercial Appeal

The More You Know: The baby was only 2 days old, :(

How tall is Hasheem Thabeet?

Search: hasheem thabeet

Why: He may be going to the Grizzlies. He looks like this:


Answer: 7'3. He was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Source: ESPN

The More You Know: This poor 13 year-old kid in Washington is also 7'3.

Where was the first rollercoaster?

Search: first roller coaster

Why: I watched this video of Space Mountain with the lights on. The Zippin Pippin in Memphis first opened in 1912.

Answer: In the mid-1600s, Russians built tall slides covered with sheets of ice several inches thick. Riders climbed stairs and slide down the ice at 50° angles. Catherine the Great supposedly loved this entertainment "fit for royalty" and even had structures built on her own property.

The earliest wheeled roller coaster may have been at the Gardens of Orienbaum in St. Petersburg. Built in 1784, it had carriages that rolled in grooved tracks.

In 1817, 2 coasters were built in France called Les Montagues Russes a Belleville (The Russian Mountains of Belleville) and Promenades Aeriennes (The Aerial Walk). The Belleville was the first to use the modern technology that has each car's axle fit into a groove carved in the track.

The first looping roller was located in Frascati Gardens in Paris in 1846. The hill was 43 ft tall and the loop was 13 ft wide.

Source: Ultimate Rollercoaster

The More You Know: Lisa and I went on our first upside-down rollercoasters the same day, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg between 4th and 5th grade. We went on 3 upside-downers that day. On the way home, in her parents' minivan, Lisa puked all over me.

I want to see a video of Snowglobe singing "Nothing I Can Do"

Search: snowglobe nothing i can do

Why: It was in "Five Dollar Cover." It's a pretty good song.

Answer: Here she go:

Snowglobe - New Music - More Music Videos

Source: MTV.com

The More You Know: Snowglobe lead singer Brad Postlethwaite is in his 3rd year of med school.