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Issue 820
WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY? SNIPPETZ INVESTIGATES ORIGINS OF POPULAR PHRASES by Lindsey Harrison “Every two weeks, a language dies. The world is diminished when it loses its human sayings, just as when it loses its diversity of plants and beasts.” – Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan journalist As a magazine, naturally Snippetz couldn’t agree more with Mr. Galeano’s statement. Words are at the core of everything we do, but they’re also the building blocks of something greater: our society. Not only are they useful in communications in general (there’s always body language, but that can only get you so far), they peel back the veil between the present and the past, allowing us a glimpse at the lives lived before we showed up. Imagine if the only phrases we had to work with were the ones that are being created today. “YOLO,” which stands for “you only live once,” would be more than just a ridiculous acronym that sort of had a semblance of significance. Yikes. Yes, it’s much better to use the phrases we have had at our disposal for hundreds of years. They’re far superior. But who knows? Maybe in another century or so, people will think our phrases are the best and will use them all the time. Whichever way things go, we at Snippetz still believe in the importance of language, phrases and words. Why not make sure we know where they all come from, right? So, read on and you’ll probably learn a thing or two about the origins of some popular phrases! Can’t hold a candle to – this phrase has come to mean that something or someone is inferior in comparison to something or someone else. It originates from the times when a more experienced craftsman tasked his apprentice to hold a candle to illuminate whatever the craftsman was working on. The candleholder was obviously considered inferior in skill. The phrase first appeared in print in the context with which we are familiar in 1641. Cameo role – a cameo role is best described as a small part in a production such as a movie or play. The phrase originated from the similarity of that small role to the small (but no less beautiful) cameo jewelry pieces that were popular in previous times. Read the riot act – this phrase means to warn and rebuke someone about their actions and originated in the days of King George I of England. Back in 1716, the king decided to issue a royal decree that stated any time 12 or more people gathered to protest, the king’s officials would read the decree to them and make them disperse. We can’t really make people disperse when we “read the riot act” to them now, but the general sentiment behind our phrase and its origin is pretty darn similar. Getting your ducks in a row – it’s pretty common to hear people talk now about trying to get their ducks in a row, which means to get everything organized and set. The phrase originated from the days of early America, when settlers played a game similar to bowling, call “ten pins.” The pins, as you may have guessed, were painted like ducks and getting them set into rows was required before each frame was played. Gung ho – in today’s context, we use the phrase “gung ho” to describe someone who is willing to do something, perhaps even enthusiastic about it. The phrase originated in China as an expression to synchronize the movements of the men working on large projects. When Europeans visited China and took note of the phrase, they related it to the enthusiasm it seemed to create in the workers, and incorporated it into their language as such. Go haywire – we often use this phrase to describe something that isn’t working properly, like perhaps our computer or even our toaster, and its origins come from a situation just like that. In 1828, Moses Bliss patented a hay-baling machine that bound bales of hay together with wire. Unfortunately, the machine experienced malfunctions quite frequently, which resulted in workers and horses becoming entangled in the wire. Make ends meet – this phrase is probably pretty well-known to most people. We use it today to express difficulty in paying for things or how we stretch our paychecks out to the end of each month. It originated with sailors back in the day when some of the sails had ropes affixed to them that must be joined together when the ropes snapped in order to keep the ship moving. As you may imagine, it’s not so easy to “make ends meet” after they’ve snapped because each rope gets a bit smaller with every break. Thus, “making ends meet” has come to be synonymous with a difficult task. Cut of your jib – here’s another example of a sailing phrase that has withstood the test of time. We use it now to mean that we like the way a person works, his or her personality, that type of thing. The original phrase became common in about 1824 and refers to the triangular sail on a sailing ship, called the jib. Each country had its own style of jib which signified to other ships where each came from. Stool pigeons – definitely one of the less obvious phrases we came across, a stool pigeon today means someone who has betrayed someone else. The phrase originated with the practice of hunters using tame or even decoy birds tied to a stool with the hope of luring other birds to it, allowing for a better shot. In the end, the stool pigeon kind of betrayed their avian compatriots. Once you know the origin, it seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – speaking of birds, this phrase has come to mean that something you already have, like a bird in your hand, is worth more than the chance of something perhaps better but that isn’t a sure thing. You might have tried to guess where the phrase originated, as this author did, and you might be surprised to find out you were wrong. The origin comes from medieval times when falconry was a common sport. The falcon, the bird in the hand, was worth more than the birds upon which it preyed as per the sport. Those birds were the “two in the bush.” Gun barrel – most of us have probably never considered why guns are said to have barrels. In fact, the term comes from medieval times as well, when cannon tubes were held together with metal staves, like the ones you find wrapped around barrels. Get it? Basket case – in today’s context we considered someone a basket case if they are a bit crazy or unhinged. The term originally came into use by the United States military after World War I and referred to a soldier who had lost his arms and legs, and needed to be carried, much like how a basket must be carried. Fly off the handle – this phrase means to kind of lose your mind. Like, if your kids are driving you nuts, you might fly off the handle and yell at them. Not that any of us has ever done that. Anyway, the phrase originated with writer Thomas C Haliburton and refers to the way the head of an axe will fly off its handle if it isn’t properly secured. Issue 821
SNIPPETZ SIZES UP DIFFERENT CASTLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD by Lindsey Harrison “Suddenly, I became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the sky.” – Bram Stoker, Irish writer Sights like the one described above by Bram Stoker just aren’t terribly likely to happen to any of us in the United States. Admittedly, while we are a fantastic country, we simply don’t have the abundance of impressive and intimidating castles that other countries have. That doesn’t make them any less appealing, though. In fact, it probably makes them more appealing to us westerners because we don’t have access to castles on the regular. But as anyone who has been to Europe or Asia can tell you, castles, while they may be more numerous, are far from common. Each was built with a certain purpose and style, making them unique and interesting, which is why we at Snippetz felt it was time we took a look at some of the most intriguing and beautiful castles from around the world. Come along with us on our journey! BRAN CASTLE – BRAN, ROMANIA Since we already mentioned Bram Stoker, the author of “Dracula,” we might as well start our journey with the castle that has been associated with the legends of the vampire count – Bran Castle in Bran, Romania. What makes this castle so interesting? Well, for starters, the castle was actually the real home of the infamous Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler, who inspired Stoker to create the Dracula character. Granted, Tepes only spent about two months in the castle itself; but he regularly used the nearby Bran Gorge in his travels. Completed in 1382, Bran Castle sits on the border of historic Transylvania and Wallachia and was intended to provide a defensive stronghold against invading enemies, including the Ottoman Empire. It changed hands many times since its construction and most recently was converted into a museum. With winding staircases and more than 60 rooms, Bran Castle is a maze of tunnels and passages, many of which are underground, lending to the mysterious nature of the place. The last queen consort of Romania, Queen Marie, spent much time living in the castle and thus, many of the decorations and furnishings that remain in Bran Castle to this day belonged to her. Given Queen Marie’s love of the place, it’s only fitting that a memorial tomb was carved into the mountain on which the castle is situated. “So what?” you might say. Well, inside the tomb is the queen’s heart, forever a part of the castle she loved so much. Neat! NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE – SCHWANGAU, GERMANY Although you may not have ever been to Neuschwanstein Castle, it still might look somewhat familiar. That’s because it was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. It was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a place to get away from the stresses of being the king. His father, Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria, rebuilt the ruined Schwanstein castle and on a nearby mountain ridge, Ludwig followed in his father’s footsteps and reconstructed the ruins of two small castles to create his ideal palace. However, while Ludwig’s taste ran towards the gothic medieval castle design, that particular style was not what the mid-1800s castles looked like anymore. But what the king wanted, the king got. So, a decidedly difficult and technically challenging castle constructed in the gothic style but with all the most modern luxuries available, was finally built. The first foundation stone of the castle was laid in 1869 and the workers toiled, sometimes day and night, to complete the castle by 1880, although Ludwig didn’t move in until 1884. As you might imagine, such a beautiful castle has resulted in more than a few interested tourists and photographers stopping by. In fact, it is the most photographed building in Germany. Knowing that, it’s easy to understand why Bavaria spends more than 14.5 million Euros each year to maintain it. Apparently, they’ve done a good job since the castle was one of the finalists in the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World. ALNWICK CASTLE – NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND Another example of a castle that may seem familiar is Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. Anyone who’s seen the “Harry Potter” movie series will likely recall seeing this castle portrayed as the Hogwarts school. But if wizardry movies aren’t up your alley, you still may have seen Alnwick Castle in other productions including: “Ivanhoe,” “Elizabeth,” “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” and several episodes of “Downton Abbey.” Alnwick Castle was built in 1096, according to historical documents and served to control the border between Scotland and England, considering its proximity to said border. Because it was built to protect the English from Scottish invasions, some walls of the castle are up to 2.5 meters – or just over 8 feet – thick. This construction tactic proved useful when William the Lion, King of Scotland, attacked the castle in 1172 and 1174. Both attacks failed. Said to be “The Windsor of the North,” Alnwick Castle is the second-largest inhabited castle in England after, you guessed it, Windsor Castle! It comes in first place however, as the largest medieval castle in England that still serves as a residence. And let’s not forget the massive garden, which covers more than 26 acres around Alnwick Castle. Why is that unique? Well, it includes a poison garden which was established in 2004 by the Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy, and features various deadly plants. Supposedly, the duchess wanted to offer visitors a place to learn about the dangerous side of plants. A poison garden surely fits that bill! CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBORD – CHAMBORD, LOIR-ET-CHER, FRANCE Located in the Noire Valley of France, the Château de Chambord is the perfect example of Renaissance architecture. Perhaps that’s why so many French kings chose to tuck themselves away there after it was completed in 1547, following 28 years of construction. King Francis I of France had the castle built as a hunting lodge but it served other purposes over the years, including as a safehouse for works of art from the Louvre during World War II. Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the castle is the double spiral staircase. Spiral staircases are not uncommon, but a double spiral staircase, especially one rumored to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci certainly stands out. Here’s how it works: two different sets of staircases ascend three floors of the castle via the same space without ever meeting. Although the double spiral staircase may seem ostentatious by our standards, it served an important purpose, at least to the royal residents at the time. The purpose was to keep the king from crossing paths or even seeing his servants while he used the staircase; everyone else just used the other staircase! Beautiful though it may be, Château de Chambord wasn’t exactly practical for permanent residence in the north-central region of France. This fact is clearly evidenced by the 365 fireplaces throughout the castle, which were intended to keep the 440 rooms warm, which proved to be a lot of work. Apparently, not everything in Château de Chambord was as well-conceived as the double spiral staircase! Issue 822
WE ACCIDENTALLY FOUND MORE ACCIDENTAL INVENTIONS... BY ACCIDENT! by Lindsey Harrison 
“There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.”
– Napoleon Bonaparte, French leader When Snippetz brought you the first installment of our Accidental Inventions set of articles on March 27, there was no way for us to know just how many things were invented accidentally. It kinda makes you feel better, doesn’t it? Like, it literally doesn’t take a genius to invent something spectacular and useful. And all this time, we thought these inventors were hanging out in their laboratories, reading the encyclopedia or doing long quadratic equations in between their “Eureka!” moments, when many of them were ordinary people just like us. Now, don’t get us wrong. These inventions, whether accidental or otherwise, are still important. But maybe now that young aspiring inventor out there who happens to read this article won’t give up on their dreams just yet. Stick it out, we say! You never know when you’ll be the next accidental inventor! Until then, read this “Accidental Inventions – The Sequel” article and let inspiration happen. IMPLANTABLE PACEMAKER For some of us, this may not seem like a really major invention. But for those of us who have a loved one that needed this life-saving device, it means the world. And since this writer just so happens to have a loved one who is part robot, thanks to an implantable pacemaker (and that is said with the utmost love and respect!), we felt it necessary to include this invention on our list. So, here’s what happened: back in the 1950s, Wilson Greatbatch, an engineer and professor at the University at Buffalo, was tinkering in his garage as he frequently did. He was working on the construction of a recording device that could record the rhythm of a heart for the Chronic Disease Research Institute at the university. The story goes the Greatbatch accidentally grabbed the wrong size circuit while rooting through a box of parts. The circuit, although the wrong size for his initial machine, worked perfectly as an intermittent pulse emitter. Greatbatch was immediately reminded of the pulse of a human heart and dove in to his new project: creating a pacemaker that could be implanted, and thus, always with the patient who needed it. On behalf of pacemaker patients everywhere (and their loved ones who couldn’t imagine life without them), we thank you, Mr. Greatbatch! MICROWAVE This next invention certainly ranks right up there with implantable pacemakers in many people’s worlds. And truly, where would we all be without a microwave? Not happy, that’s where. Anyway, the story of the microwave starts with a man named Perry Spencer who worked for the Raytheon Corporation back in 1945. Spencer was conducting experiments with a new type of vacuum tube called a magnetron. Supposedly, one such experiment involved corn kernels. When Spencer’s experiment caused the kernels to explode, resulting in popcorn, the scientist realized he might be on to something. Two years later, the Raytheon Corporation built the Radarange, the world’s first microwave oven. The monstrosity weighed in at 750 pounds, was over 5 feet tall and cost roughly $5,000. Considering the size was a bit large and the price was a bit cost-prohibitive, the Radarange didn’t exactly take homes across the world by storm when it first hit the market in the early 1950s. By the time the late 60s rolled around, a smaller 100-volt countertop version came out, costing about $495, a far cry from the price of the Radarange. And to this day, people around the world enjoy the ease of the microwave oven without even realizing how lucky they are that a smaller, home-friendly version was created! How awful would it be to have to take out a loan just to buy a microwave that took up as much space as a refrigerator? X-RAY IMAGES Yet another life-changing invention was discovered – accidentally of course – by a German physics professor named Wilhelm Röntgen on Nov. 8, 1895. Röntgen was working with a Crookes tube, which is basically a glass electrical discharge tube. It consists of a partially evacuated glass bulb with two metal electrodes (called the cathode and the anode) at either end. When a high voltage electrical charge is applied between the electrodes, cathode rays are projected in straight lines from the cathode. Now, if that doesn’t make much sense, don’t worry. You just need to know that he was using these special tubes to study the resulting cathode rays with the use of a fluorescent screen painted with a substance called barium platinocyanide. Having wrapped the Crookes tube with black cardboard so the visible light from the tube wouldn’t interfere with his observations, Röntgen noticed the screen was emitting a faint green glow. His conclusion was that some invisible rays were coming from the tube, passing through the cardboard and causing the screen to glow. As any good scientist will do, Röntgen decided to see if these rays could pass through other things besides the cardboard. He tried a book, papers from his desk and eventually his own wife’s hand. That image became the first photograph of a human body part using x-rays. While we can now appreciate the importance of the discovery, Röntgen’s wife wasn’t as thrilled and when she saw the photograph, she commented, “I have seen my death.” Well, isn’t that a bit dramatic? POST-IT NOTES While this particular invention may not seem all that important, consider how frequently these products are used. And consider that there has really been nothing invented since then that could replace them. Of course, we’re talking about the vital piece of stationary called the Post-It Note. Here’s what happened: in 1968, a scientist working for the 3M company named Spencer Silver was trying to develop a super strong adhesive. Makes sense, right? After all, what’s the point of making something sticky if it doesn’t . . . well, stick? But Silver came up a bit short and ended up inventing a very weak adhesive that could be removed from any surface without leaving a residue behind. It’s unclear if Silver felt his discovery was (Post-It) noteworthy – get it? – but another scientist named Art Fry certainly did. He realized that, when the adhesive was applied to a piece of paper, the whole shebang could be used as a bookmark for his church songs. The adhesive didn’t leave behind a sticky residue and the paper could be peeled off and moved to another page very easily. THE SLINKY This last one is just for fun, really because let’s be honest: who doesn’t love a Slinky? This wonderful invention was discovered by Richard Jones, a naval engineer who was trying to make a meter that could monitor power on naval ships. While working with tension springs, Jones accidentally dropped one and a crazy thing happened. It kept bouncing around after it hit the ground the first time. “Everyone loves a Slinky, you gotta get a Slinky, Slinky, Slinky, go Slinky go!” If you haven’t seen the movie “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” you won’t get that last song reference and you most definitely should set down this paper right now and go get it. Anyway, even though it isn’t exactly a history-changing invention, it certainly MADE history and that’s all that counts, right? Issue 823
SNIPPETZ SAYS THERE'S STILL TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP BEFORE SUMMER IS OVER by Lindsey Harrison “What draws me in is that a trip is a leap in the dark. It’s like a metaphor for life. You set off from home, and in the classic travel book, you go to an unknown place. You discover a different world and you discover yourself.” – Paul Theroux, American novelist Even though our kids are heading back to school soon (assuming they haven’t already gone back), there’s still time for one more last summer hurrah. For some people, the idea of climbing onto a flying coffin, er, airplane with a bunch of strangers after standing in various lines for hours on end just isn’t that appealing. But that doesn’t mean traveling is completely out of the question. Can you say, “Road Trip?” That’s right, a good old-fashioned road trip is the perfect way to get away from your everyday life and explore this beautiful nation we call our own! Hang on a minute, though. There are a few things you need to do before you jump into your vehicle and hit the road. You aren’t sure what they are, you say? That’s OK. Snippetz, as always has you covered. Here are some of the best tips we could compile so you can set off on your road trip adventure with the confidence that you are prepared to handle whatever life on the road throws your way. Enjoy! BEFORE YOU GO . . . As with any major undertaking, it’s wise to start off with some sort of plan about where you’re going and what you may need along the way. That’s not to say you need to have a down-to-the-minute schedule made up. But it’s certainly wise to plot out your route prior to leaving, if for no other reason than to make sure you can afford the gas it’ll take to get you back home! Additionally, unless you plan to sleep in your vehicle or you happen to be lucky enough to own an RV of some sort, you’ll want to have a good idea of what hotels/motels are along your route. As fun as it can be to pull up to a random hotel in the middle of the night, you might want to know that it’s not some trashy pay-by-the-hour dive that will inevitably earn your family a nasty bed bug infestation. OK, you’ve mapped out your route and now you’re ready to get in the car and set off. Well, almost. Aside from making sure you have enough gas in your tank to last until your first pit stop, consider taking a few minutes to clean out your vehicle, and commit to doing so along the way. Hours on end spent in a car can lead to piles of wrappers and bottles from snacks and drinks and there’s nothing worse than climbing through a mountain of trash as you try to enter/exit your vehicle. Check the air in your tires, check the fluids in your engine and while you’re at it, make sure you have jumper cables, extra oil and extra washer fluid. Check your spare tire as well, because a flat spare tire is a useless spare tire. In fact, why not just get your whole car tuned prior to your trip? Surely now it’s time to head out, right? Nope. Make sure all your documents (i.e. insurance, registration) are up to date. The last thing you need is to be pulled over in another state with an out-of-date insurance card. Aside from the clothes you need, some snacks, some good tunes to jam to along the way, and your wallet, you’re pretty much set to go now! ALONG THE WAY . . . We mentioned before about making sure you gas tank is filled up prior to leaving and there’s a good reason for that; locally, you’re going to have a pretty good idea where to find your best price on gas. In another state? Well, who knows. So, what can you do when you’re out on the open road to keep from busting the bank on gas? For starters, how about you don’t pack every single book from your personal library? Instead, download some onto a Kindle or your smartphone; extra weight in your vehicle can eat up gas at a faster rate and that means more money in the long run. Also, when you do have to fill up, find an exit that has multiple gas stations around. This allows you to price shop a bit and find the best rate. While having a decent route mapped out is ideal, sometimes those “ideal” situations just don’t work out. Knowing an alternative route could save you tons of time and headache, and being willing to take less-traveled roads (safely, of course) might just take you to an unexpected and wonderful place. That said, don’t jump off a major highway on a whim unless you’re confident you can get back on track safely and within a good timeframe. The last thing you want is to end up on some creepy back-country road in the middle of the night. That’s practically asking for some “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” stuff to happen to you. Speaking of staying safe, how about not driving tired? Yep, that’s a biggie for sure. The best bet is to not only know your own personal limits and switch off with another licensed driver if the situation requires, but also be willing to make the call to pull over and rest. It may not be an ideal rest stop and it might seem like it’ll detract from your adventure but the most important thing is to make sure you conclude your road trip safely. And that just might mean skipping the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker, Kansas in favor of taking an extra nap or opting for that late checkout at the hotel. Obviously, one of the most valuable pieces of equipment you can have with you is your smartphone. Not only can you use it to call a roadside assistance company if you do happen to find yourself in a tight spot, but you can use it as your GPS to help keep you going on the correct route. It won’t do you any good, however if it dies so consider getting a portable charger than you can get from just about any convenience store or at least bringing along a charger that can plug into your car’s cigarette lighter. ROAD TRIP SNIPPETZ For most vehicles, it takes less fuel to drive at 55 miles per hour than 70 miles per hour. Keeping your tires properly inflated ensures that your vehicle doesn’t have to work harder, ultimately using more fuel. Using your air-conditioning is better at higher speeds than riding with the windows down, which creates drag and makes your vehicle gas mileage worse. Using cruise control saves fuel, especially on long flat stretches of road. It prevents you from unconsciously slowing down and speeding back up, which wastes fuel. Keep all luggage stowed in your trunk to prevent thieves from taking advantage of you! Your essential items should be packed into bags or totes you can take with you if you leave your vehicle. Rule of thumb: assume someone wants to rob you and act accordingly! Issue 824
TRADITIONAL SONGS NEED SNIPPETZ TO REVEAL THEIR TRUE ORIGINS by Lindsey Harrison “Everything was a song. Every conversation, every personal hurt, every observance of people in stress, happiness and love . . . if you could feel it, I could feel it. And I could write a song about it.” – Curtis Mayfield, American musician You’ll agree that there is a ton, like a TON, of music out there these days. We’ve got country, rap, rock and roll, blues, jazz, and that’s just to name a few. Since the beginning of time (we think; we can’t really say for sure because we weren’t there), mankind has found a way to bring music and songs into our everyday lives. There may even be a particular writer who has a few hundred songs downloaded on her computer that she can listen to whenever she’s working; that’s how essential music can be in someone’s life. In some instances, the words of the song might be what hooks you, while in other songs, it’s the melody or beat. Regardless of the reason, songs have a way of sticking with us. And that phenomenon got us thinking: what’s the story behind those traditional songs we all know and love? So, we did some digging and the answer may surprise you. It sure surprised us! Go grab that second cup of coffee, clear your mind and let Snippetz take you on a trip through the origins of some of those traditional songs. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG Considering the Happy Birthday song is the most recognized song in the entire English language, it only seems fair that we start here. Every year, at least once, we all hear this song, but it’s likely that none of us really gave it a second thought. And that’s because most of us have way more important things to occupy our precious brain space. But luckily, this is the type of thing that we at Snippetz live for so we did some researching and found out that the song was written by two sisters: Mildred and Patty Hill. Originally, the song was called “Good Morning To All,” and was intended as a morning greeting that Patty would sing to her kindergarten class in 1893. But what would a song like that be without a little bit of scandal? Of course, the scandal involved the rights to the song because when we humans see a good thing, we want to get our names attached to it and start making money off it as soon as possible. Well, not all of us; but that’s what happened in this instance. In 1988, Warner/Chappell Music bought the company that had acquired the rights to the song previously and until 2016, the company charged $5,000 for every other entity that wanted to use the song in a public forum, like a movie or play. United States District Court Judge George King ruled that the song was a public domain, ending the copyright held by Warner/Chappell. Now you don’t have to worry about getting sued for singing Happy Birthday to your niece! Hooray! RING AROUND THE ROSIE Alright, this one might spark a bit of controversy but hear us out. If you took European history in high school, you likely heard the theory that the song “Ring Around the Rosie” was a song about the bubonic plague. The “ring around the rosie” refers to the red circular wound caused by the bite of a flea infected with the plague. The “pocket full of posies” was a reference to the posies (or other flowers) people carried in their pockets to mask the stench of the dead who were literally scattered all around them. The “ashes, ashes” is said to reference either the fact that a plague victim turned the color of ash as they died or that their falling down dead sounded like ashes falling. And you can probably figure out what “we all fall down” means. So, here’s where things get a bit sticky: there is plenty of evidence to support the idea that the song had nothing to do with the plague when it was written and over the several hundred years it’s been around, people have attached a deeper, more sinister meaning to it. For instance, the first reference to the song being about the plague was mentioned in 1961 by James Leasor. Seems strange that no one prior to him picked up on those references, especially during the years following the actual plague outbreak in Europe. The first outbreak in western Europe was in 1347 but the first rendition of the song (plague reference or not) didn’t appear until the late 1800s. So, for 500+ years, the song was never once written down although children everywhere were singing it? And what about those other renditions? There are at least four other renditions of the song, none of which even remotely appear to be about the plague. Make the decision yourself about the true nature of the song but we feel the above evidence is pretty compelling. LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN You may have assumed, as many of us did, that the song refers to London Bridge falling down. Seems pretty obvious, right? Well, actually the song isn’t about London Bridge but something far more insidious. The song refers to the practice of entombing someone within the walls of structure (called immurement), which eventually led to their death from starvation and dehydration. Don’t believe us? Well, let’s not forget the way the game was played when we sang this song: two people held hands to form an arch and the others took turns running underneath it; but when the right part of the song came around, the person who was underneath the arch became trapped inside. Immurement was frequently used in the belief that a sacrifice of this nature would ensure the stability of the structure that entombed them. Seems pretty obvious now that you think about it, huh? HERE WE GO ‘ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH While the initial part of the song talks about going around the mulberry bush, the next stanzas mostly refer to various chores or methods of personal hygiene. The theme, then, is more about a way to make doing said chores a happier occasion than about running around a mulberry bush. Well then, how in the world did we get the reference to a mulberry bush? One very compelling theory claims the song referred to the life of a prisoner at the Wakefield prison in England. In the 18th and 19th centuries conditions in the prison were deplorable. Unsanitary practices were the norm and outbreaks of cholera and typhoid were not uncommon. Now add to that the fact that convicted mothers and their children were added to the general population and it makes sense that there would be a song to make chores and personal hygiene fun; us moms are always trying to make our kids’ lives better, even in prison. Anyway, at this particular prison, there also happens to be a mulberry bush in the prison yard. It makes sense, then that a mulberry tree would be mentioned since it was frequently used as a landmark around which the women and children would run to get their exercise during their time in the yard. Oh, and maybe we should mention that the theory of the song’s origins was posited by the former Wakefield prison warden, R.S. Duncan. He probably knew what he was talking about, don’t you think? Issue 825 - 8/21/2017
SNIPPETZ INVESTIGATES THE GOLDEN AGE OF DETECTIVE MOVIES: PART 2 by Lindsey Harrison 
“Every man at the bottom of his heart believes that he is a born detective.”
– John Buchan, Scottish politician Admit it: at one point in time, you toyed with the idea of being a police officer; more specifically that awesome detective who solves all the crimes and looks incredibly cool while doing it. There’s just something about the idea of being able to catch the bad guys and dole out justice that seems to appeal to nearly everyone. Perhaps that’s why there are so many books and movies featuring detectives of one sort or another. Back in March of this year, we brought you our first installment of amazing detective movies from the 1930s and 1940s. Given that we only touched on two such movies, we at Snippetz felt it was incredibly important to highlight some of the other movies we didn’t get around to. Buckle up, folks because we’re taking another ride back to the Golden Age of detective movies to see what we missed last time! THINK FAST, MR. MOTO (1937) “Think Fast, Mr. Moto” is the first movie in an eight-film series starring the Japanese detective, Mr. Kentaro Moto. The movie is based on the novel, “Your Turn, Mr. Moto” by John P. Marquand and features Peter Lorre as the title character. What makes this movie stand out from the other detective movies of its time is that it gave Lorre a chance to play the hero in a film. Prior to accepting the Mr. Moto role, Lorre played the villain in two other films: “Crack-Up” and “Nancy Steele Is Missing.” Obviously, this movie was filmed long before the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, two notorious Asian actors who built their careers on the back of their physical abilities. But it’s pretty easy to see the parallel between Lee’s and Chan’s characters with Lorre’s Mr. Moto; the unassuming lethality and physical abilities of all three provide an air of mystery and intrigue to each of their films. So, what’s this intriguing movie all about, you ask? That’s the fun part. The mild-mannered Mr. Moto appears to be part of a gang of international smugglers at the start of the film. However, it is soon revealed that he is a detective who is working to take down a major smuggling ring. Moto boards a ship from San Francisco to Shanghai in an attempt to find the ringleader and along the way, runs into several other spies who are working for various smugglers, each hiding his or her true identity. As you can imagine, Moto manages to “crack” the case, although not before the bad guys are arrested or killed, at which point he is outed as a special agent of the International Police. Aptly enough, Mr. Moto says the following line, which applies to our world today just as much as it did back in 1937: “Half the world spends its time laughing at the other half and both are fools.” CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON (1931) Speaking of Asian detectives, we would be completely remiss if we didn’t include the great Charlie Chan character. As with the Mr. Moto series, Charlie Chan is based on a character from a novel series, this time by Earl Derr Biggers. Although the film series began in 1926, we are going to skip ahead to the Golden Age of detective films, which you may recall was during the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, we wanted to start with Warner Oland (see photo above), the first actor to portray Chan in the way that he would be portrayed essentially from then on. Oland first appeared in the 1931 film “Charlie Chan Carries On,” which is categorized as one of the four “lost” Charlie Chan films. Appearing in 16 Charlie Chan films total, Oland’s performances proved to be some of the Fox Film Corporations most successful films of the time, even contributing to the corporation’s ability to stay afloat during the Great Depression. The movie’s title comes from a line in the film following an attack on Chan’s friend, Inspector Duff from Scotland Yard, played by Peter Gawthorne. Duff is shot in the back while visiting Chan in Honolulu, who promises to find Duff’s assailant. Chan tells his chief to let Duff know, “Charlie Chan carries on,” and then leaves for San Francisco where he plans to follow up on Duff’s investigation into the death of the wealthy Hugh Morris Drake. Naturally, Chan solves the murder mystery, although in a very atypical way. The suspects are all from an around-the-world tour, conducted by Dr. Lofton, played by John T. Murray. Each male member of the tour finds a note in his cabin left by Chan. The note indicates that Chan plans to arrest the recipient once the ship docks in San Francisco. Using a dummy to trick the tour members into thinking the figure is him, Chan manages to draw out the killer, who shoots at the dummy in an attempt to avoid capture. The killer, a lumberman named John Ross, asks Chan how he knew he, Ross, was the killer. Chan replies that he didn’t and admits to leaving the same note for each man with the plan of drawing out the real killer. Sneaky, Chan. Very sneaky! Oland died in 1938 and was replaced with Sidney Toler, who starred in 22 Charlie Chan films. In the meantime, the movie “Charlie Chan at the Ringside,” which was meant to star Oland, was rewritten as “Mr. Moto’s Gamble,” which tied into the Mr. Moto series, as you may have guessed. THE ARSENAL STADIUM MYSTERY (1939) All you sports fans out there might find this detective movie particularly interesting since it takes place at the Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, London, where the real-life Arsenal Football Club played. Although the title may seem a bit mundane, the movie is far from it! Aside from bringing in all sorts of real people, including the legendary Arsenal manager, George Allison, and several Arsenal team members, the movie portrays the murder of a player that takes place in the stadium (duh) in front of thousands of screaming fans. If that doesn’t pique your interest, we don’t know what will. The Scotland Yard inspector called in to investigate the murder is Inspector Anthony Slade, played by Leslie Banks. Now, you may think that a murder committed in front of thousands of people would be easy to solve, but this movie proves otherwise. In fact, since the victim, a member of the opposing team called the Trojans, was poisoned, suspicion turns not only to the victim’s teammates, but also to his former mistress. Apart from the obvious appeal of having a major English football team at the center of the plot, “The Arsenal Stadium Mystery,” which was adapted from the novel written by Leonard Gribble, features witty banter that keeps the movie interesting. Most viewers agreed that Banks’s portrayal of Inspector Slade stole the show. However, perhaps a more interesting Snippet(z) is that the film featured actual footage of the last game played between the Arsenal and Brentford at the Arsenal Stadium before World War II broke out. The Brentford players were portrayed as the Trojans in the film, but the footage is no less important due to that fact. Issue 826
FAME IS FOR THE BIRDS... AND DOGS, AND CATS, AND HORSES, AND... by Lindsey Harrison 
“Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”
– Alfred A. Montapert, American author Every day, someone somewhere in the world is hoping that they will finally hit the big times and become the next famous actor or singer or painter or even President of the United States. And every day, someone achieves that goal. But it’s way more impressive when an animal, completely unassuming, just wandering around being an animal, achieves a level of fame similar to that of a human. Why? Because they aren’t out looking to be famous. They’re just doing their thing. And that’s probably the best thing about any animal is that they don’t have ulterior motives; they just are. They don’t care about the fame. They don’t care how many followers they have on Instagram or Twitter. Nonetheless, some animals have reached the level of fame where we refer to them simply by their first names and everyone knows who we’re talking about. Pretty awesome, right? Snippetz certainly thinks so and that’s why we decided to wrangle some information about some of the most famous animals. Sit! Stay! Ooops, sorry. Just keep reading. MR. ED We truly could not go any further with our story if we didn’t mention Mr. Ed. The TV series called “Mr. Ed” was on air from 1958 to 1966 and was named for the equine star of the show, a horse called Mr. Ed. Of course, that wasn’t the horses real name; at least not at first. The golden palomino that played Mr. Ed was actually named Bamboo Harvester, but it was later changed to Mr. Ed. The show’s premise was that Mr. Ed could talk but he only spoke to Wilbur Post because Wilbur “just seemed like the sort of guy a horse would talk to,” according to comedian George Burns. It was Burns’ company that first financed the “Mr. Ed” TV series. The Mr. Ed character was originally part of a magazine series in Liberty magazine and that horse not only talked, but also managed to imbibe to excess from time to time. That didn’t fly with the late 1950s TV crowd so they took out that little detail when they began taping the show. But Mr. Ed maintained his vocal abilities, complements of Allan Lane, although that little Snippet(z) was kept secret as long as possible. He may have been able to talk like a human, but Mr. Ed was still very much a horse. His trainer, Les Hilton, had to be on set at all times or the horse wouldn’t respond to anything his costars did or said. And when he got tired, Mr. Ed simply walked off the set. As for how the crew got Mr. Ed to talk, well, rumor has it they put peanut butter in his mouth to make it appear as if he was talking. But the reality is that they put a piece of nylon thread in his mouth which the horse would try to remove and in doing so, his lips moved in a very “talkative” way. THE TACO BELL DOG Let’s move on to something a bit more recent. Remember the line: “Yo quiero Taco Bell?” That’s right, we’re talking about that wonderful little Chihuahua, affectionately called The Taco Bell Dog. His real name was Gidget and he rose to fame in 1997 when the fast food franchise Taco Bell used him in one of their ad campaigns. Actually, Gidget was the second Taco Bell dog. The first, Dinky, only made it through his first commercial shoot before he was overcome with the stresses of stardom and retired . . . at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. There really isn’t much known about Dinky after he left show biz. Maybe he took his massive paycheck to the bank and retired in Cabo San Lucas. Anyway, Gidget used Dinky’s initial fame to launch his own successful career in Taco Bell commercials, on t-shirts, billboards and even as a stuffed animal! Now that’s fame. As soon as one of those Kardashian sisters gets their own stuffed animal, you can bet this author will be all over it (just kidding, no way). While the craze surrounding Gidget seemed legitimate, the sales proved otherwise. In fact, from the first airing of a “Taco Bell Dog” commercial through 2000, sales at the fast food chain slipped. The slip in sales might be the reason the limelight moved on to the next big thing in 2000; or perhaps it was because a lobby group claimed the dog represented a racist stereotype. “Racist” and “stereotype” are two words that don’t bode well for advertisements. But The Taco Bell Dog will be forever in our hearts. PUNXSATAWNEY PHIL Named after the town of Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania, Punxsatawney Phil is the wonderful groundhog that is rumored to have the ability to forecast how much longer the winter season will stick around. Supposedly, if he comes out of his hole and sees his shadow, he’ll run back into his hole and that signifies six more weeks of winter. However, if he doesn’t see his shadow or run back into his hole, Punxsatawney Phil is indicating that an early spring is on the way. What better way to predict the seasons? Science ain’t got nothing on Punxsatawney Phil. The tradition of allowing that loveable little rodent to have his own day in the sun (or not, depending on the weather, right?) has been around since 1887, so obviously there has been more than one Punxsatawney Phil over the years. But we’ve all come to accept that truth and still we wake up on February 2 of every year wondering what the following weeks will have in store for us, weather-wise. Yep, he’s got his very own day: Groundhog Day. And let’s not forget that he also inspired the 1993 movie starring Bill Murray called (gasp) “Groundhog Day.” As awesome as having your own holiday and movie inspired by you is, what’s more awesome is that Punxsatawney Phil is probably the only famous animal to have had the death penalty threatened against him. Here’s what happened: in 2013, Michael Gmoser, a prosecutor in Ohio issued an indictment against Punxsatawney Phil for “misrepresentation of early spring, an Unclassified Felony, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.” Gmoser called for the groundhog to be put to death. His reason? Punxsatawney Phil called for an early spring but the day Gmoser issued the indictment, temperatures in the region hit nearly record lows, with snow to boot, and the forecast for the following days wasn’t supposed to be much better. Interestingly enough, the president of the Punxsatawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, Bill Deeley, managed to get the groundhog a pardon. Apparently, as the president, Deeley is tasked with translating Punxsatawney Phil’s prediction from “groundhog-ese” to English and he claimed he translated said prediction incorrectly. But that’s not all! Punxsatawney Phil had an arrest warrant issued for him on Feb. 11, 2015 by the Merrimack Police Department of New Hampshire for failing to disclose the unexpectedly large amount of snow that fell following Groundhog Day. Perhaps Punxsatawney Phil is more infamous than famous. Issue 827
SNIPPETZ SAYS IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE by Lindsey Harrison “If it doesn’t work out, there will never be any doubt that the pleasure was worth all the pain.” – Jimmy Buffett, American musician Very rarely does a person come along that has a massively positive effect on millions of people. Sure, we all can name a few like Jesus or Gandhi or the guy who invented Jelly Beans. But, you really can’t deny that same influence by someone who literally sings about drinking a margarita on an island with your feet in the sand and in general promotes an attitude of laid-back happiness. In case you don’t know whom we’re talking about yet, it’s the incomparable Jimmy Buffett. His distinct musical style and down-to-earth approach to song-writing can transport you to a tropical island (metaphorically, of course) even while you’re sitting in the middle of a Colorado blizzard. Now that takes skill. With summer winding down, we at Snippetz felt it was time to take a break from reality for a bit and head on down to Margaritaville with Jimmy Buffett. Grab your sandals and sunglasses and come along with us! EARLY YEARS Jimmy Buffett, born James William Buffett, is one of those unlucky people who was born on Christmas Day. They’re unlucky because they typically get presents from friends and family that are meant to be both birthday and Christmas gifts, or so we’re told. Anyway, Jimmy was born on Christmas Day in 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi to Mary Lorraine and James Delaney Buffett, Jr. He spent much of his life in the south, specifically Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama and then Auburn, Alabama. During his grade school years, Jimmy played the trombone but picked up the guitar during his first year at Auburn University. As college students often do, Jimmy relocated from Auburn University to Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi, then transferred one last time to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Jimmy graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in history and spent the time right after college working as a correspondent for Billboard magazine in Nashville, Tennessee. A SAILOR’S LIFE FOR ME Throughout his life, Jimmy spent lots of time on the water. His grandfather was a sailor and took young Jimmy on various trips. As he grew older, he translated the experiences he had with his grandfather into a job working as First Mate on a yacht called the Petticoat III in Key West, Florida, in 1971. The yacht was owned by Foster Talge, owner of the Rival Manufacturing Company, the maker of Seal-a-Meal and Crock-Pot among other things. Aside from a paycheck, which any young man living in the Keys surely requires, Jimmy got all the fresh fish he could eat. Nice perks! BACK TO THE MUSIC As we mentioned before, Jimmy showed an interest in music from a relatively early age. His musical career began in Nashville in the late 1960s and, as you might have guessed from the location, his focus was country music. His first album, “Down to Earth” was released in 1970 and it was after this that he met up with Jerry Jeff Walker, another country music singer, who decided to bring the budding young artist along with him to Key West. Apparently, Jimmy loved it there and from the sounds of his time on the Petticoat III, it’s easy to see why. He moved to Key West and began cultivating his beach-bum laid-back persona that is still his trademark to this day. While in Key West, Jimmy began to merge several musical genres, namely country, folk, pop and rock with the sound themes he found prevalent along the coast. He referred to his new style of music as “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll.” Awesome. Later, he began calling it “gulf and western,” playing off the description of the more familiar “country and western” genre. MODERN-DAY RENAISSANCE MAN In total, Jimmy has released more than 30 albums. Eight of his albums have gone Gold and nine have hit Platinum or Multi-Platinum. That’s pretty good, but if you’re concerned that Jimmy Buffett just might be a one-trick pony, you’re so very wrong indeed! He has actually written three No. 1 best-sellers: “Tales from Margaritaville,” “Where Is Joe Merchant?” and “A Pirate Looks at Fifty.” The first two are works of fiction while the third is nonfiction, making Jimmy one of just eight authors on The New York Times Best Seller list for both fiction and nonfiction. In 2004, he released a novel called “A Salty Piece of Land,” which became a New York Times best-seller and in 2008, he released “Swine Not?” Aside from his best-sellers, Jimmy has also co-written two children’s books, “The Jolly Mon” and “Trouble Dolls” with his eldest daughter, Savannah Jane Buffett. Jimmy has also had a hand in various film and television ventures, including tracks for movies like 1980’s “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta, 1982’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” and 1985’s “Summer Rental” starring John Candy. Occasionally, he’s opted to accept a cameo role or two, including in the movies “Hook” and “Congo.” Most recently, though, Jimmy had a cameo in the 2015 movie “Jurassic World.” He can be seen holding two margaritas when the dinosaurs get loose and wreak havoc on the island park. As another avenue into the music world, Jimmy launched his own music production company called Margaritaville Records in 1993, which received distribution through MCA Records. In 1998, he took his company to Island Records to produce “Don’t Stop the Carnival” and “Beach House on the Moon.” In 1999, Jimmy launched Mailboat Records through which he released various live albums. Later, he teamed up with RCA Records for distribution of the albums “License to Chill” and “Take the Weather With You.” WASTING AWAY IN MARGARITAVILLE Taking a line from one of Jimmy’s most popular songs, “Margaritaville” we have now reached the part that truly separates Jimmy Buffett from other musicians: his Margaritaville empire. The name can be found on more than 30 restaurant locations, hotels, casinos, resorts and various products. And if you happen to be landlocked with no prospects of heading someplace tropical, you can still visit a Margaritaville Restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma or even Pigeon Forge or Nashville, Tennessee. If you think that’s impressive, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Latitude Margaritaville, the concept for a new active-adult housing community, has announced the plans for two locations; one in Daytona Beach, Florida, and one in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Both locations have plans to open in early 2018, although if you’re feeling the need to escape sooner than that, the Daytona Beach location’s sales center should be open any day now! JIMMY BUFFETT SNIPPETZ
Issue 828
SNIPPETZ REMEMBERS 9/11 AND VOWS, WE WILL NEVER FORGET by Lindsey Harrison “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.” – George W. Bush, American president Most of us have a few times in our lives that we will never forget. We remember where we were, what we were wearing, who we were with and what we were doing. Perhaps the first time you found out you were going to be a parent is one of them. Or even when you got engaged. But for any American who was at least a few years old on September 11, 2001, that day unfortunately, is one of those days. In the blink of an eye, our country changed forever. More than 3,000 people lost their lives in the three locations that were attacked, including those brave men and women who led the charge to save others. The silhouette of the New York skyline will never look the same and thousands of families will never again be complete. In general, Snippetz tries to find humor to keep our readers entertained and engaged, but with a subject like 9/11, there’s absolutely no way to make that appropriate. Instead, we’ve decided to look back on the past 16 years and highlight how that infamous day has been commemorated. There are so many important and heartfelt events that have taken place in remembrance of 9/11 making it literally impossible to list them all here. That said, we have opted to highlight a sampling of the commemoration events since September 11, 2001. The exclusion of any events does not lessen the importance of those efforts to remember 9/11 but rather an attempt to show the various ways the country (and world) has commemorated the date. Join us on our journey. 2002 Marking the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the commemoration events of 2002 feature candlelight vigils held in each of the five boroughs in New York, in which people gather to reflect on and remember that fateful day. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was elected to office a few weeks after 9/11 and is present for the commemoration ceremony at Battery park where he lights an eternal flame in memory of the all the victims, representing 91 countries from around the world. A 16-acre concrete pit, forming the foundation of where the World Trade Center used to stand, serves as the gathering place for many mourners who place wreaths, flowers and American flags to honor those who lost their lives. At 8:46 a.m., the exact time at which the first airplane crashed into the WTC’s north tower, Bloomberg calls for a moment of silence. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani begins reading the names of the 2,801 victims just before 9:00 a.m. At 9:03 a.m., the reading stops and bells chime to mark the time when the second airplane struck the WTC’s south tower. Bells chime again at 9:59 a.m. to mark the time when the south tower collapsed and then at 10:29 a.m. to mark the collapse of the north tower. 2003 Families gather at Ground Zero to read the names of the loved ones they lost and give a personal tribute about each. The “Tribute in Light” is officially launched on this anniversary and includes 88 searchlights installed next to the site where the Twin Towers stood, creating two vertical columns that represent each of the towers. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Bloomberg christen a boat at the police memorial in North Cove marina in Battery Park City. The boat is named “23 Heroes” after the 23 police officers who died responding to the 9/11 attacks. The design for the 9/11 Memorial is chosen from a design contest that received 5,201 submissions from 63 nations. Michael Arad and Peter Walker win the contest and subsequently designed the memorial. 2005 Thousands gather outside the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia to sing “God Bless America.” Thousands more join in a demonstration called the “America Supports You Freedom Walk” which serves both as a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks and a call to honor the members of the armed forces. 2008 The New York Buddhist Church holds the “9/11 WTC Memorial Interfaith Floating Lanterns Ceremony” at dusk on Pier 40 of the Hudson River. Participants write the names of their loved ones or messages of hope and peace on the lanterns which are released onto the river, just north of Ground Zero. 2009 Bloomberg commends the newly-designated September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, as commissioned by then-president Barack Obama. 2010 The “Survivior Tree,” a Callery pear tree that was found damaged but alive at Ground Zero in October 2001, was rehabilitated and is returned to the 9/11 Memorial. New limbs grow from the battered and beaten stump as a reminder of the tree’s past and present. 2011 Thousands gather at the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and observe a moment of silence at 10:03 a.m. The passengers and crewmembers lost their fight to take back control of the airplane from the hijackers and are remembered for their courage to “fight back.” 2012 A ceremony at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial remembers the people who died in the Pentagon, on Flight 93 and in the 1993 WTC bombing with unveiling of 184 metal benches – 59 for the crew and passengers of Flight 93 and 125 for those killed in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck it. 2013 Starting this year, the 9/11 Memorial and its partners Bartlett Tree Expert Company and John Bowne High School, give three communities seedlings from the Survivor Tree which are planted and cared for as a symbol of resiliency and hope. 2014 The National 9/11 Memorial Museum in Lower Manhattan is open for the anniversary. 2016 An artist from Staten Island recreates the Twin Towers using thousands of lights strung together in an installation called “3,000 raindrops.” The installation represents the victims of the attacks and remains lit until Sept. 25, 2016. Firefighters and government leaders from the United Kingdom observe a moment of silence at the time when the first tower was struck. GROUND ZERO TODAY Two large reflecting pools and waterfalls – officially the two largest manmade waterfalls in North America – now stand on the 16-acre site where the Twin Towers stood. Each Memorial pool itself is about 1 acre in size and is set within the footprint of the original towers. Inscribed into the bronze panels that run the perimeter of the Memorial pools are the names of each person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks. More than 400 trees from within a 500-mile radius of the Twin Towers site were harvested and planted around the reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial. Some others were gathered from Pennsylvania and Maryland, the two sites of the other attacks on that day. The trees are swamp white oaks, which were specifically chosen for their durability and leaf color. Issue 829
SNIPPETZ INVESTIGATES ZOO ESCAPES PART 2 by Lindsey Harrison “I love to go to the zoo. But not on Sunday. I don’t like to see the people making fun of the animals when it should be the other way around.” – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist If you consider yourself a true animal lover, it’s likely that you agree with the legendary Mr. Hemingway’s statement. After all, humans are the ones who invented the mullet hairstyle and felt it necessary to develop hats with mullets attached for those of us who are challenged in the hair follicle arena. Yep, we did that. You don’t see too many animals walking around with ridiculous hairstyles or useless inventions just lying about. But there’s one part about Hemingway’s statement that gave us pause: he said the animals should be the ones laughing at us. Snippetz says we think they already are laughing at us. The best way to tell is by how creative animals get when they decide to fly the coop, or escape their zoo enclosures if you will. It’s incredibly surprising that no one has testified to have heard the distinct sound of animal laughter on the behalf of their captors at times like these. And if you recall our last installment of zoo escapes in April, you’ll remember that there are LOTS of zoo escapes. So, without further ado, we bring you Zoo Escapes – Part II! MONKEY BUSINESS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS Many times, we find the absconders involved in a zoo breakout are of the primate persuasion. No surprise there, since they’re incredibly smart and ingenious. But most of the time, zookeepers can rest assured that their superior intelligence prevents such escapes. Not always, as you’ll soon find out. For instance, in 2012 a zoo in Brazil was shocked to realize that a group of eight Capuchin monkeys had managed to escape their enclosure using the same tools they frequently use in the wild to open nuts and seeds, namely rocks. You might assume that the rocks available to these adorable little monkeys wouldn’t be nearly strong enough to do much damage to the equipment used to house them and you would be wrong. The monkeys simply smashed the lock with said rocks and took off. Now, if that were to happen here, like at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, there wouldn’t be a suitable environment for them to survive, at least not close by. In Brazil, the monkeys disappeared into the jungle and only four were ever recaptured. In the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Zoo saw a rash of animal breakouts, including that of a gorilla named Evelyn. Her daring escapes (yes, she got out multiple times) earned her a reputation, especially considering their ingenuity. One time, she recruited another gorilla to act as her own personal ladder and hopped over the wall; she also made use of some overgrown vines to pull herself up and out. During her times outside her enclosure, she wandered the zoo while a news helicopter documented her comings and goings. In 2014, the Kansas City Zoo had their own little disappearing act to contend with in their chimpanzee exhibit. Seven members of the troop managed to build a ladder out of a tree branch and climbed their way to freedom. That is certainly a smart troop of chimpanzees, no doubt about it. But the primate zoo escape that tops them all occurred in the summer of 1985 and it involved an orangutan named Ken Allen. With a super smart-sounding name like that, no one should have been surprised when the ape repeatedly broke out of the San Diego Zoo over the first part of that decade. He was moved from enclosure to enclosure and each time, the zookeepers felt confident they had finally found an inescapable place for Ken Allen to live. But what’s even more impressive is that he freed himself three times in that summer of ’85 and wandered around the zoo, checking out the sights. Top that off with the fact that he began to show other orangutans how to escape using tree branches like crowbars to pry open the gates of their enclosures and you have yourself one seriously smart ape! Who’s laughing now, right Ken Allen? SNAKES ON A PLANE . . . OR JUST ROAMING FREELY IN A ZOO In 2013, the Bronx Zoo in New York confirmed the fears of everyone suffering from ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes) when they announced they had lost an Egyptian cobra. The best part was probably how they “announced” the missing snake in the first place. They simply posted signs at their World of Reptiles exhibit stating: “Staff observed an adolescent Egyptian cobra missing.” If the goal was not to freak anyone out, they failed. In fact, fear spread beyond the walls of the zoo as people across New York City considered the ramifications of a highly-venomous snake on the loose. Of course, the zoo tried to do damage control by explaining that the snake was less than 2 feet long and probably hiding someplace inside the World of Reptiles facility. That probably didn’t help the ophidiophobes in New York, but that’s the best they could do. PENGUIN DECIDES TO CHILL WITH THE LIONS In 2011, a sweet little penguin known as No. 459 decided to take a walk on the wild side and waddled her way out of her enclosure at the Münster Zoo in Germany. She must have been feeling rather daring because she ended up in the lion’s den. Now, you may be concerned that this story does not end well, and if the lions hadn’t been asleep, that might be the case. However, they were and No. 459 (now known as Leona) was enticed by a trail of herring to leave the enclosure and head back home. See? Happy ending. WORST ZOO DAY EVER! With so many zoo escapes on record, we’ll concede that it probably isn’t as easy to keep wild animals locked away as it would seem. They’re crafty and cunning and often very motivated to get out of Dodge. Naturally, any time an animal escapes, it becomes a bit of a “to do.” But what happens when multiple animals escape over the course of a single day? Well, to find out, you could simply go back in time to 1964 and ask Carey Baldwin, the director of the Fleishhacker Zoo (now called the San Francisco Zoo). One fateful July day, Baldwin found himself putting out several fires, starting with the escape of 13 buffalo. He was informed of the disappearance by the local police; he didn’t know they were missing prior to the call! As if that isn’t bad enough, just five hours later, Baldwin received another call about an escapee. A 300-pound pygmy hippopotamus had somehow gotten out and was wandering down a road near the zoo. Now, you may think that Baldwin had just about as bad a day for a zoo director as possible. Unfortunately, his day wasn’t over yet. Shortly after hearing about the wayward hippo, Baldwin got another call, this time about a South American agouti, a type of large rodent. Apparently, it took off and sent the zoo staff on a rather epic chase before finally being rounded up and put back into its enclosure. Any normal (and sane) person would probably walk away from that job after a day like that but Baldwin simply told the Associated Press that he planned to review the zoo’s security, and went back to work. Kudos to you, Baldwin! |
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