What'a a 5150?

Search: 5150

Why: In Ryan O'Connell's "Top Ten Celebrity Excuses for Acting Completely Bat Shit Insane" on Thought Catalog (I wasn't exaggerating):

Liar: Mischa Barton

Bullshit Meter: 9

Remember when Mischa Barton was placed under a 51/50 and spent two weeks in a mental hospital last year? Now, she’s telling everyone that it all stemmed from having her wisdom teeth removed. She explains, “I’d had enough (of the pain) and I went to the hospital. I am terrified of needles and they wanted to pump me full of drugs and I said, “No, absolutely not. I don’t want to be here,” and got into a fight with the nurses, and that led to my 5150.’ Okay, Mischa. No one’s going to believe that you’re afraid of needles because you look like Amy Winehouse’s wacky cousin. Also, it’s hard to believe that someone could be placed under a 51/50 for simply arguing with a nurse. Liar, Liar, skinny jeans on fire!

Answer: An involuntary psychiatric hold! Police code for "crazy on the loose"!

CALIFORNIA WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE, SECTION 5150, second paragraph:

"... an application in writing stating the circumstances under which the person's condition was called to the attention of the officer, member of the attending staff, or professional person, and stating that the officer, member of the attending staff, or professional person has probable cause to believe that the person is, as a result of mental disorder, a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled."

Source: Urban Dictionary, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Also the name of the 1986 Van Halen album that featured "Why Can't This Be Love," and also the name of a song on it.

What's the origin of the name "Skid Row"?

Search: skid row

Why: In Ryan O'Connell's "Living and Working in a Very Modern Family" on Thought Catalog, which I've been reading nonstop for the last 2 weeks:

My brother’s success surprised us all. After he barely graduated high school, my parents cut him off in a tough love attempt to foster motivation, and he moved into an apartment in Skid Row with his meager savings and no job prospects. When his money quickly depleted, he decided to start a website that would feature the grossest and most disturbing porn videos. In the first month, he made $2000 by cutting deals with advertisers, and everyone in my family was just like, “What?”

Answer: From the term "skid road"! In the 19th century, loggers in the Pacific Northwest made skid roads of old railroad ties or heavy wooden planks to get felled trees down to the mill. These are tied to the corduroy road:

A type of road made by placing sand-covered logs perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area

Anyway, "skid roads" eventually became associated with the areas where loggers hung out, and everyone knows that lumberjacks are burly men's men who only like booze and hookers. Stay away from Skid Road, ladies.

Source: Yahoo! Answers, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Speaking of things that I have been obsessed with in my lifetime, according to my brother, I watched this movie every day when I was a little child. Here's a relevant song!

Recognize those gals? You saw two of them every Tuesday night on "Martin." They're named after popular doo-wop girl groups of the '60s.

I want to see some Wacky Packages

Search: wacky packages

Why: I have been listening to a book of essays by Michael Chabon called Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son. I don't think I'm exactly the target demographic, but whatever. In one of them, he describes these things he collected - Wacky Packages - that I've never heard of. I don't have the text in front of me, but I guess they are like real packages made to be gross. A picture is worth 1,000 words.

Answer: Here are some. Wacky Packages have been produced by the Topps Company as sticker trading cards since 1967. You can still buy them here!

Source: WackyPackages.org

The More You Know: Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids were both created by Art Spiegelman. You know:

What is a group of stingrays called?

Search: group of stingrays name

Why: I'm still in Florida, y'all. Today, Sadie and Meggan and I went on WaveRunners to look for dolphins. We saw lots of dolphins, and we also saw lots of stingrays. They looked like they were flapping their wings. They were traveling in packs. What are they called? A school? A flock? A fesnyng?

Answer: Who knows! I see these names:

• Draught!
• Drift!
• Scale!
• School!
• Shaol!
• Fever!
  

Source: Yahoo! Answers, Wikipedia,

The More You Know: The word "school" (like 'school of fish') may be a corruption of the word "shoal" - like Mussel Shoals. Or it may have come from somewhere else:

School of fish was borrowed from Middle Dutch schōle, "troop, group." This went back to West Germanic skulo, which may have been derived from the base skel-, skul- "split, divide" (source also of English scale, scalp, shell, etc); if so, it would mean etymologically a ‘division’.

Maybe 'shoal' came from that, too. Who knows.

What type of tie does Colonel Sanders wear?

Search: colonel sanders necktie

Why: This lawyer on "Murder, She Wrote" is wearing one to show that he is from Texas, the Lone Star State. It's crazy!

Answer: Oh, I see so many names for it.

• Colonel tie
  
• String tie
• String bow tie
• Western bow tie
• Plantation tie!!
  

WHAT!

Lookin sharp! Full disclosure: I used to think that was supposed to be a little body, like that weird puppet on "Out of Control."

Here's how to tie it!

Source: Yahoo! Answers, eHow, myNexTie, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Here is where I blogged about Colonel Sanders before, and here is where I blogged about the bolo tie.

What's a knoephla?

Search: knoeplah, knoephla

Why: On this picture of food and states:

North Dakota - Knoeplah

Answer: It's a kind of dumpling! The name (pronounced "neff-la") comes from the German word Knöpfle, "little knob / button." The traditional soup is really thick, made with chicken broth and potatoes - but it can be vegan, too.

Source: Taste of Home, Vegan for the People, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Other what the hells on that list:

Michigan - Pasties

A pasty is a traditional Cornish baked pastry filled with beef and vegetables and folded over. Cornish miners settled in Michigan in the 1860s, and the Finnish settlers there also adopted the practice of making pasties. There is a Pasty Fest in Calumet, MI, each July.

South Carolina - Benne wafers

A Benne Wafer is a thin cookie made of toasted sesame. Benne, the Bantu word for "sesame," was brought from East Africa and planted extensively throughout the South in Colonial times.

South Dakota - Chislic

Chislic (or chislick, from Russian shashlik) is cubed meat that is marinated and grilled or deep fried. In different parts of South Dakota (which is the only place that makes it), the meat may be beef, liver, lamb, or venison and cooked or served with garlic salt, barbecue sauce, Tabasco, or some other family marinade, soda crackers, and beer.

West Virginia - Ramps

The ramp, also called the wild leek, is a member of the lily family related to the scallion. Early English settlers enjoyed cooked ramps in the spring as a welcome change to their winter diets of salted meats and dried vegetables. The Ramp Festivals and Feast of the Ramson are happening next weekend, April 16th, in Richwood, WV. See you there! (They only have dial-up there, so sorry, I can't find any good pictures of this year's Ramp Fest logo or even of last year's Ramp Festival Queen.)

What's the origin of the word "broker"?

Search: broker etymology

Why: Last night, Jessica Fletcher's niece was a real estate broker. The night before, her stockbroker was murdered! As far as I can tell (not very far), a broker is just a go-between or a middle man. In this economy, he's probably even broker than I am. Hey-o!

Answer: It has nothing to do with "break" or the past tense "broke"! Instead, it all started with the pointy tool Frenchmen of yore used to tap their wine kegs. Its history went like this:

• broche - Old French: "pointed tool"
• brochier - "to broach, tap, pierce (a keg)"
• abrokur - Anglo-French: "tapster, retailer of wine"
• "wine dealer"

• brocour - Anglo-Norman "small trader"
• "retailer, middleman, agent"

And in Middle English, of course, the word was contemptuously used to refer to peddlers and pimps. (Read about pimps here [and male mistresses here]).

Source: EtymOnline

The More You Know: "Go for broke" comes from a Hawaiian pidgen phrase for "shoot the works," used by gamblers risking all their money on a single roll of dice. During WWII, the 442th Infantry, a unit composed of mostly second-generation Japanese-Americans, used the phrase in their fight song (1:15):

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team is the most highly decorated unit in American military history for its size and length of service, with 7 major campaigns in Europe, 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Silver Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, and 9,486 Purple Hearts. You can watch this 1951 movie about them online here.

What is Friendship Bread?

Search: friendship bread

Why: On Facebook:

Rachel - Does anybody have a friendship bread starter??? I haven't made it in forever, but I'd really like to make it again...since it's sourdough, I know I can't just start it when I want.
Kim - Well when u do make it, share the love with me! I love friendship bread :-)
Rachel - As soon as I get some I will!
Ashley - Agh.... I just gave my starters away! You might be able to find a starter recipe online. Good luck!
Rachel - I can't, I've tried. If anyone you gave starters to has one, I'd love a heads up! I'd be happy to go to them to get a starter :)
Amber - I've made the starter before, if you want I can start one up?
Rachel - Seriously?!? OMG! I'd love you!!! (This is the friendship bread where you get the starter and then you have like a week of "coaching" it and then when you bake you have a loaf of friendship bread and another starter right?)
Amber - Yes, that is the one. It will take me 10-11 days before I will have a starter for you.
Rachel - You are my favorite person right now!!!!

Answer: It's an Amish thing! Or, at least, the name is - it's called Amish Friendship Bread.

Amish Friendship Bread is not just a delicious and sweet bread, it's also a way to bond friends by sharing countless loaves of bread baked in different kitchens that all began from the same bowl of simple ingredients.

Here's a recipe for a friendship bread starter:

It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

Source: Moms Who Think, Armchair World

The More You Know: And then this:

Day 1 - Make or receive the starter
Day 2 - Stir
3 - Stir
4 - Stir
Day 5 - Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk
6 - Stir
7 - Stir
8 - Stir
9 - Stir
10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for 3 of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread.


via One more Moore

To Bake

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Using a fork, beat by hand until well-blended. You can add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (individual oven temperatures vary). Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

How old is Mike Krzyzewski?

Search: mike krzyzewski

Why: He just won his career 900th game! He is the second winningest coach of all time, behind only Bobby Knight with 902. That means that if Duke wins 3 more games this season - including the championship - Coach K will be #1! Let's all cross our fingers!

Answer: He's 64! WHAT! That's older than my dad! He was born in Chicago in Feb. 1947. He has always looked exactly the same.

1991:

2010:

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Mike Krzyzewski is married to Carol “Mickie” Marsh, originally from Alexandria, VA. Coach and Mrs. K have three daughters, Debbie Savarino, Lindy Frasher, and Jamie Spatola, and five grandchildren, Joey, Michael, Carlyn and Emelia Savarino, and Quin Frasher. I learned how to spell Krzyzewski when I was, like, 8.

What's the origin of the word tournament?

Search: tournament etymology

Why: How are everybody's brackets doing? I am 24-4. Thanks for nothing, Villanova.

Answer: It comes from French! Torneier means "to joust or tilt," and a torneiement was a "contest between knights on horseback." In the 1300s, that word came to mean something about a "medieval martial arts contest," and we started using it how we do now - regarding games of skill - around 1761.

Source: EtymOnline

The More You Know: What's the origin of "seeding" in basketball? First used in tennis (1924), it comes from the idea of spreading certain players or teams apart - like seeds - so they will not meet too early in a tournament. Barry O wants all of the #1 seeds in the Final Four. OK!

What are the words to the Princeton fight song?

Search: princeton fight song

Why: On "30 Rock," Jack says there's nothing gay about the Princeton theme song:

Oh, the merry men of Princeton are charging up the rear
Holding all the balls-

Answer: They go like this!

In Princeton town, we've got a team
that knows the way to play.
With Princeton spirit back of them,
they're sure to win the day.
With cheers and song we'll rally 'round
the cannon as of yore,
And Nassau's walls will echo with
the Princeton Tiger's roar:
(And then we'll)
Crash through that line of blue,
and send the back on 'round the end!
Fight, fight for ev'ry yard,
Princeton's honor to defend.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Rah! Tiger sis boom ah!
And locomotives by the score!
For we'll fight with a vim
that is dead sure to win,
for Old Nassau.

Source: Lyrics on Demand

The More You Know: And sound like this!

What animal is on the side of the U-Haul truck from Illinois?

Search: illinois uhaul

Why: I drove past one this morning, but I didn't have time to read the blurb. It looked like a gummy worm Loch Ness monster.

Answer: The Tully Monster!

“llinois once lay near the equator on the supercontinent of Pangea and was home to unique creatures. How did the strip mining of Illinois’ coal deposits reveal the secret of the Tully Monster?”

And this website has kindly already done my work for me:

The Tully Monster, discovered in 1958 in the Mazon Creek Lagerstaaten and named Tullimonstrum gregarium in 1966, is the state fossil of Illinois. Many have been found, but so far the Tully Monster is unique to Illinois. It dates back about 300 million years. We do not know what phylum it fits into. Its shape recalls the Anomalocaris, but that disappeared 100 million years earlier. Of course, with fossilization of soft-bodied organisms being so rare, perhaps it is a descendant of Anomalocaris!

Source: Science Notes

The More You Know: The anomalocaris ("abnormal shrimp") was a unsettlingly gigantic sea-dwelling predator that I'm really glad isn't around anymore, although I bet it would have been delicious.

How many doors and windows are in the Oval Office?

Search: oval office

Why: I am watching Season 1 of "The West Wing." I realize it is my birthday, but I also happened to have messed up my back really badly last week, so I've been on the couch pretty much ever since (except for like 24 drunken hours this weekend). Anyway, after a trespasser shows up on the White House property:

AGENT - Excuse me, Mr. President. I'm sorry: the building's not secure. Would everyone stay in the room, please?
JOSH - This is happening way too often.
LEO - It's pledge week at the fraternities. The kids hop the fence.
AGENT - Would you mind stepping away from the doors and windows, please?
JOSH - The whole room is doors and windows.

Answer: There are 3 windows and 4 doors! On each side:

• North - fireplace
• Northeast - door opens to office of the president's secretary
  
• East - door opens to Rose Garden
• South - 3 large windows (behind the president's desk)
• West - door to dining room and small private study
• Northwest - door opens to main corridor of the West Wing
  

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Family members in the Oval Office: JFK Jr. and Buddy & Socks:

Who was St. Valentine?

Search: saint valentine

Why: It's coming. Pressure pressure pressure! (aka pizza, cuddling, and a "Veronica Mars" marathon)

Answer: Nobody even knows! How about that. There were a bunch of people named Valentine, but nobody knows what they did or why they were even made saints:

The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed: archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius, marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

According to The Nuremburg Chronicles (1493) - an illustrated Biblical and world history book - one Roman priest named Valentinus was caught marrying Christian couples who were being persecuted by Emperor Claudius.

He was arrested and imprisoned; while in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine." Though Claudius took a liking to him, Valentinus then tried to convert the emperor, who subsequently sentenced him to death. He was beaten and stoned, and then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate around 269 AD.

Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. I love bees.

Source: Catholic.org

The More You Know: Fun facts about V-Day:

• In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
• It may have been invented in an attempt to supersede the pastoral pagan holiday of Lupercalia, observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. The feast honored Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses, and the goddess of women and marriage.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
• Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period.
• Approximately 1 billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas.
• In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
• Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona - where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived - receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
• In the US, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

How much was a dollar worth in 1877?

Search: how much was a dollar worth

Why: We are watching True Grit. They are making deals.

Answer: Here is a guide to currency in the movie:

• $1 in 1877 = $21.10 today (2009)
• $20 then = $423 today
• $50 then = $1060 today
• $100 then = $2110 today
• $200 then = $4230 today
• $300 then = $6340 today
• $320 then = $6760 today
• $325 then = $6870 today
  

That seems steep for ponies and a saddle.

Source: Measuring Worth

The More You Know: Did you know that this is an adaptation of a novel that was published in 1968? And also: that it's the 4th adaptation of this book (kind of)? And also: that John Wayne starred in the first 2 adaptations, in 1969 and its sequel in 1975? (There was also a made-for-TV film sequel in 1978.)

What is the origin of the term "basket case"?

Search: basket case origin

Why: I just called my aunt one, but then I realized I don't even know what that term is supposed to mean. In The Breakfast Club:

You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain and an athlete and a basket case, a princess and a criminal.

She's so off-kilter!

Answer: It comes from the military! After WWI, "basket cases" were those soldiers whose arms-n-legs had been amputated, blown or bayonetted off, leaving them immobile unless carried around by others. Tacky, no? But here is some historical information:

Strangely, the term was never used to describe anyone - only in order to deny that any such servicemen existed. This bulletin was issued by the U.S. Command on Public Information in March 1919, on behalf of Major General M. W. Ireland, the U.S. Surgeon General:

"The Surgeon General of the Army ... denies ... that there is any foundation for the stories that have been circulated ... of the existence of 'basket cases' in our hospitals."

This bulletin was reported on in many U.S. newspapers at the time. Many of them also defined what was meant by 'basket case'. For example, this from the New York paper The Syracuse Herald, March 1919:

"By 'basket case' is meant a soldier who has lost both arms and legs and therefore must be carried in a basket.

Given that the term was originally reserved for incapacitated servicemen, there wasn't much call for it until the next major war of English-speaking peoples - WWII. Again, it comes from the U.S. military and again in the form of a denial from the Surgeon General. In May 1944, in 'Yank', the then Surgeon General said:

"... there is nothing to rumors of so-called 'basket cases' - cases of men with both legs and both arms amputated."

I don't know what he was trying to deny, exactly. Those were both pretty big and violent wars, so there were probably a lot of people who had multiple amputations. What a bizarre lie.

Anyway, now the term refers to someone in a hopeless mental condition, like my aunt, who is a bonafide lunatic.

Source: Phrases.org.uk, American Heritage Dictionary

The More You Know: Do you remember this song from the mid-90s ? I remember it coming on one Saturday morning while I was at gymnastics. The big doors were open because it was sunny and I was wearing a baja over my leotard.

A baja!

Is there really a CDC in Hotlanta?

Search: cdc atlanta walking dead

Why: According to Kylie, who says "walking dead, I think you might've lost me" - or, more accurately, "I think you might've 'LOST' (2004) me":

Answer: Yes! It is actually the base for the whole country, if you can believe it, at 1600 Clifton Road. There is also a Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Sounds like a nice place to host an event.

BUT! The building on "The Walking Dead" was actually the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway in northwest Atlanta. It had its grand opening in September 2007.

Watch scenes from the Hatch, interviews, and the 'splosion here:

So long, CDC. What a poorly underused plot device. I really would have liked to have seen more sad shower scenes up in that piece.

Source: Google Maps, Atlanta Magazine

The More You Know: Ian wrote this article about 6 Types of Zombies on "The Walking Dead" (So Far). Maybe you should read it.

Captain of Industry – A rare breed in the zombie genre, this diligent fellow draws attention to himself because simply moaning and shuffling isn’t good enough for him, oh no. He has to pick up a rock and try to smash a window with it. Every time a zombie uses a tool, a nerd gets a free Mountain Dew out of a pop machine.

What's the origin of the term "bush league"?

Search: bush league

Why: Some comedian has written "BUSH LEAGUE" on a sheet of notebook paper and taped it to the broken ice maker in the breakroom.

Answer: The early days of baseball! As major league baseball became the "national sport," teams popped up in rural communities. These "minor leagues" were good entertainment for people who lived far away from the big cities that had professional teams. They played on crappy fields that were surrounded by bushes. Get it?

Source: WiseGeek

The More You Know: Since the players in the "bush leagues" were amateurs who usually had day jobs - and therefore were not professionals - the quality of their play was viewed as inferior.

This sense of inferiority came to be closely identified with the concept of being bush league in nature, and to this day is used to refer to something that is not quite professional in quality.

Just like our broken ice maker.

What is Smokey Bear up to?

Search: smokey the bear

Why: Caroline is talking about D.A.R.E., which had posters like this:

That mascot looks grrrreat!

Answer: Still preventing wildfires! They're wildfires now, by the way, not just forest fires. They changed the terminology to encompass a more comprehensive threat in 2001.

1944, 48, and 49:

1970, 1985, 2001:

Source: SmokeyBear.com

The More You Know: Smokey came as part of a campaign to prevent forest fires during World War II.

Since most able-bodied men were already serving in the armed forces, none could be spared to fight forest fires on the West Coast. The hope was that local communities, educated about the danger of forest fires, could prevent them from starting in the first place. The Japanese, on the other hand, saw wildfires as a possible weapon.

Before Smokey, the posters were pretty grim:

The real Smokey Bear was a darling little black bear cub who was caught in 1950 in a wildfire that burned 17,000 acres of New Mexico. Over the 26 years that he lived in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., he got so much mail that the USPS gave him his own zip code.

Fun fact: Bears can not read.