A gurn or chuck is a distorted facial expression and a verb to describe the action. A typical gurn involves projecting the lower jaw as far forward and up as possible and covering the upper lip with the lower lip.

The English Dialect Dictionary, compiled by Joseph Wright, defines the word gurn as “to snarl as a dog; to look savage; to distort the countenance,” while the Oxford English Dictionary suggests the derivation may originally be Scottish, related to “grin.” In Northern Ireland, the verb “to gurn” means “to cry,” and crying is often referred to as “gurnin’.” Originally the Scottish dialectical usage refers to a person who is complaining. The term “gurn” may also refer to an involuntary facial muscular contortion experienced as a side-effect of MDMA consumption.

Apparently, this is a big deal and an annual event in the UK.  Enjoy some gurns!

SOURCE: New York Post

Harrison Ford was born today, July 13^th, in 1942 and I thought I’d find some fascinating facts from the Indiana Jones franchise.

From Business Insider:
Tom Selleck nearly played Indiana Jones.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford donning the fedora and cracking the bullwhip, but the role almost went to Tom Selleck instead. The “Magnum P.I.” and “Friends” star was actually one of the first actors to be offered the role, and even did a screen test alongside “Blade Runner” actor Sean Young as Marion Ravenwood. But as Selleck explained in 2017, CBS wouldn’t let him take the role because he’d already shot the “Magnum P.I.” pilot for the network.

There were around 10,000 snakes in the “Well of Souls” scene.

There are plenty of bugs and reptiles in the whole franchise but the Well of Souls scene is arguably the one that makes many fans squirm because of the thousands of snakes that slither on screen to terrify Indy and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). In a behind-the-scenes featurette, Allen recalled that the original plan was to use “mechanical snakes” but they didn’t look realistic enough. And archival footage shows director Steven Spielberg bringing in numerous snake handlers to fill the set with snakes and glass lizards — which look like snakes. 

Harrison Ford even said: “We were working with, I think, around 8, 10,000 snakes.”

The cobra actually spat venom at Harrison Ford.

Although it sounds wild that there were thousands of snakes on the “Raiders” set, the filmmakers didn’t realize how serious the situation could be until one of them actually spat venom at Harrison Ford. Producer Kathleen Kennedy recalled how the cobra reacted to the actor in the scene where Indy comes face-to-face with the snake. Luckily, there was a sheet of glass separating them. She said: “At one point, it hooded and whipped its head off to the side and literally threw venom all over the glass. So that was something that caused everybody to sit up and take notice and recognize that this was not something to play around with.”

Harrison Ford got run over by a plane filming “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

During the scene where Indy and Marion fight Nazis on the runway, Harrison Ford was actually run over by the plane and tore the ACL ligament in his knee. In a behind-the-scenes documentary, the star recalled: “At a certain point I slipped and fell, and the wheels rode up onto my knee, which resulted in me tearing my anterior cruciate ligament in my left leg in the middle of Tunisia. So rather than submit to any local medical care, we just wrapped it up and put ice on it, and I carried on.” 

It wasn’t the only time that Ford got injured on film sets, as he broke his leg years later filming “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens,” and hurt his shoulder rehearsing a fight scene for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

Willie Scott was named after Steven Spielberg’s dog.

While Indiana himself is named after George Lucas’ dog, his “Temple of Doom” love interest, Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), was named after Steven Spielberg’s Cocker Spaniel.  Spielberg explained the name in a behind-the-scenes documentary for the sequel. He said: “Willie was the name of my dog, by the way. ‘Cause, since Indy was named after George’s dog, Indiana, and I had a dog named Willie, and then Short Round was the name of Bill and Gloria’s dog, so Ke was called Short Round. So in that sense, all three characters are named after our house pets.”

Harrison Ford taught Ke Huy Quan how to swim on a day off from filming.

Ke Huy Quan’s career has had a resurgence thanks to “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” but many theatergoers know him for his role as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” One of the big reasons why his character works so well as comedy relief in the darker movie is because of the believable familial dynamic he has with Indy, and that comes from how Quan and Ford hung out together on set when they weren’t filming. The actor told The New York Times that Ford taught him to swim on a day off while they were in Sri Lanka. Quan said: “We were just hanging out at the swimming pool in Sri Lanka in our hotel, and he says, ‘Ke, do you know how to swim?’ I didn’t, so he says, ‘Come on, I’ll teach you.'” 

Kate Capshaw had to be taught how to scream for “Temple of Doom.”

“Temple of Doom” sees nightclub singer Willie Scott get swept along in the adventure after meeting Indy in Shanghai, and because she’s not used to the shenanigans that the archaeologist gets involved in, she’s understandably freaked out by all the action. Kate Capshaw had to be taught how to scream on set, as she explained: “I couldn’t scream, so Steven taught me how to scream. I mean, you know, screaming isn’t as easy as it looks.”

Steven Spielberg cut a scary snake scene for Kate Capshaw.

One of the scenes that didn’t make it off the page in “Temple of Doom” saw a snake descend around Willie Scott, but Kate Capshaw was terrified of the creature while filming in Sri Lanka. Capshaw explained that she was incredibly worried about the scene, and producer Frank Marshall took her to see the snake first to try and ease her into it. Capshaw recalled: “I went over and looked at it, and looking at it, I get tears in my eyes and I’m having a hard time breathing and I’m looking… I can almost work myself up right now. And I went over and I put my hand on the snake, and I lost it.” Spielberg added: “She was shaking and she was all white, and you could see right through her makeup. She had lost all of her color. And I said, ‘I’m not gonna put you through this. Let’s cut it out.’ And I cut the whole scene out of the movie. I think she probably years and years later, married me for that!”

The Nazi uniforms in “The Last Crusade” were apparently genuine.

Costume designer Anthony Powell explained in the “Last Crusade” making-of documentary that the Nazi uniforms worn by the hundreds of extras in the film were genuine. He said: “We had a lot of Nazis in the film. All of those uniforms, I think, were genuine ones that I found in Eastern Europe somewhere. Joanna Johnston worked with me on the two last ‘Indiana Jones’ pictures. I’d give her research pictures and sketches and drawings and things, then she’d go out and find it all.”

2,000 rats were bred for just one sequence in “The Last Crusade.”

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” sees Indy and his father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), hunt for the Holy Grail, and the search takes the hero to Venice with Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody).  Unfortunately, when they end up in the catacombs, Schneider is confronted with thousands of rats. It turns out that the crew bred 2,000 of the little critters just for that sequence.  In the making-of documentary, Spielberg explained: “In order to have rats that aren’t infected with some virus or disease, you have to basically cultivate them from living births. So our animal handlers gave birth to something like 2,000 living rats. And they were everywhere! The set was half-water, it was like an aqueduct. We had rats walking the very narrow lips of the aqueduct and coming out of holes, rats in poor Alison Doody’s hair.” Thankfully, Ford wasn’t as bothered by all the rats, as he admitted to keeping “black hooded rats” as pets when he was a “nature counselor” as a teenager.

Sean Connery and Harrison Ford filmed a scene together without wearing pants.

Yes, you read that right. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford decided not to wear pants during a conversational scene on the zeppelin in “The Last Crusade.” During the documentary, Connery explained: “The passengers were wearing fur coats and hats, it was supposed to be the wintertime, and I played it without my trousers. Harrison said: ‘You’re not gonna play the scene without your trousers?’ I said, ‘If I don’t, I’ll be stopping all the time because I sweat enormously. I sweat very easily.’ Well, he did the same.” Like father, like son.

Cate Blanchett picked her “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” haircut by looking at high school yearbooks from the 1950s.

Fast-forward to 2008, and a new “Indiana Jones” movie reared its (crystal) head with “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” The film sees the adventurer race against Russian villain Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) to find a mythical city in South America. But when it came to Spalko’s intimidating look, Blanchett got inspiration from 1950s high school yearbooks. She explained in the making-of documentary: “I had a look at yearbooks of people’s high school photos in the ’50s, and I found a couple of photos. One of a Russian girl, and one of an American girl with an incredibly short fringe, and I just thought that really emphasized the eyes, so that’s in the end what we went with.”

“Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” carries on the tradition of including a “Star Wars” Easter egg.

When Steven Spielberg and George Lucas made “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the duo couldn’t resist including a sneaky reference to “Star Wars” on the walls of the Well of Souls scene, with a tile showing R2-D2 and C-3PO.  And production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas continued that tradition in the main temple of Akator in the 2008 film’s climax, with R2-D2 and C-3PO being included on a golden tile. He also took it a step further and included the titular alien from Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Shia LaBeouf trained for six weeks to film the bike chase in “Crystal Skull,” but found it hard because Harrison Ford kept moving on the back of it.

Early on in the film, Indy unwittingly meets his long-lost son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), and they wind up having to flee Marshall University when the Soviets show up. Stunt coordinator Gary Powell explained that they started off with a “smaller bike” before giving the actor the Harley Davidson, and then they practiced the chase scene for six weeks. But LaBeouf found it hard because Harrison Ford kept moving while sitting on the back of the bike.  He said: “The bike was tough, only because when you have somebody moving on the back of a bike. It’s very different than just having someone hold you on the bike. But we’re shooting a movie and Harrison has to animate his character! And we’re on a bike through a lot of it, so a lot of it is the movement. All that stuff was pretty tough.”

SOURCE: BUSINESS INSIDER

Eammon Jacobs

Fact: Only a quarter of the Sahara Desert is sandy

Most of it is covered in gravel, though it also contains mountains and oases. And here’s another geography fact that everyone gets wrong: It isn’t the world’s largest desert. Antarctica is.

Fact: Bananas grow upside down

Or technically, we peel them upside down. Naturally, they grow outward from their stems, but that means their bottoms actually face the sky. As they get bigger, the fruits turn toward the sun, forming that distinctive curve.

Fact: There were active volcanoes on the moon when dinosaurs were alive

Most of the volcanoes probably stopped erupting about a billion years ago, but NASA findings have suggested there might still have been active lava flow 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs were still roaming.

Fact: Dogs sniff good smells with their left nostril

Dogs normally start sniffing with their right nostril, then keep it there if the smell could signal danger, but they’ll shift to the left side for something pleasant, like food or a mating partner.

Fact: Avocados were named after reproductive organs

You’ll never look at avocados the same way again. Indigenous people of Mexico and Central America used the Nahuatl word āhuacatl to mean both “testicles” and “avocado.” The fruits were originally marketed as “alligator pears” in the United States until the current name stuck.

Fact: T. S. Eliot wore green makeup

No one is sure why the poet dusted his face with green powder, though some guess he was just trying to look more interesting.

Fact: The word “fizzle” started as a type of fart

In the 1400s, it meant to “break wind quietly,” according to the English Oxford Living Dictionaries.

Fact: Human noses and ears get bigger as we age

It’s pretty common to see the claim that our nose and ears are the only parts of our body that keep growing as we age, but that’s not exactly true. Our nose and ears stop growing along with the rest of our body, but thanks to the weight of gravity, both parts continue to lengthen over time, according to the Discovery Channel.

Fact: No number before 1,000 contains the letter A

But there are plenty of E’s, I’s, O’s, U’s, and Y’s.

Fact: The # symbol isn’t officially called hashtag or pound

Its technical name is octothorpe. The “octo” means “eight” and refers to its points, though reports disagree on where “thorpe” came from. Some claim it was named after Olympian Jim Thorpe, while others argue it was just a nonsense suffix.

Fact: The French have their own name for a French kiss

Something extra interesting about this kissing fact? The word hasn’t been around for long. In 2014, galocher—meaning to kiss with tongues—was added to the Petit Robert French dictionary.

Fact: You can thank the Greeks for calling Christmas “Xmas”

In Greek, the word for “Christ” starts with the letter Chi, which looks like an X in the Roman alphabet.

Fact: Movie trailers originally played after the movie

They “trailed” the feature film—hence, the name. The first trailer appeared in 1912 and was for a Broadway show, not a movie.

Fact: Mercedes invented a car controlled by a joystick

The joystick in the 1966 Mercedes F200 showcase car controlled speed and direction, replacing both the steering wheel and pedals. The car could also sense which side the driver was sitting in, so someone could control it from the passenger seat.

Fact: H&M actually stands for something

This is one of those interesting facts you’ve probably never thought about before. The clothing retail shop was originally called Hennes—Swedish for “hers”—before acquiring the hunting and fishing equipment brand Mauritz Widforss. Eventually, Hennes & Mauritz was shortened to H&M.

Fact: The U.S. government saved every public tweet from 2006 through 2017

Starting in 2018, the Library of Congress decided to only keep tweets on “a very selective basis,” including elections and those dealing with something of national interest, like public policy.

Fact: Theodore Roosevelt had a pet hyena

Its name was Bill, and it was a present from the Ethiopian emperor. Roosevelt was famous for his many pets, including a one-legged rooster, a badger, a pony, and a small bear.

Fact: The CIA headquarters has its own Starbucks, but baristas don’t write names on the cups

Its receipts say “Store Number 1” instead of “Starbucks,” and its workers need an escort to leave their work posts.

Fact: Giraffe tongues can be 20 inches long

Their dark, bluish-black color is probably to prevent sunburn.

Fact: There’s only one U.S. state capital without a McDonald’s

Montpelier, Vermont, doesn’t have any of those Golden Arches. It also happens to have the smallest population of any state capital, with just 7,500 residents.

Fact: Europeans were scared of eating tomatoes when they were introduced

Scholars think Hernán Cortés brought the seeds in 1519 with the intent of the fruits being used ornamentally in gardens. By the 1700s, aristocrats started eating tomatoes, but they were convinced the fruits were poisonous because people would die after eating them. In reality, the acidity from the tomatoes brought out the lead in their pewter plates, and they actually died of lead poisoning.

Fact: Humans aren’t the only animals that dream

Studies have indicated rats dream about getting to food or running through mazes. Most mammals go through REM sleep, the cycle in which dreams occur, so scientists think there’s a good chance they all dream.

Fact: The inventor of the microwave appliance received only $2 for his discovery

Percy Spencer was working as a researcher for American Appliance Company (now Raytheon) when he noticed that a radar set using electromagnetic waves melted the candy bar in his pocket. He had the idea to make a metal box using microwaves to heat food, but the company was the one to file the patent. That was in 1945, and he received a $2 bonus but never any royalties.

Fact: The Eiffel Tower can grow more than six inches during the summer

The high temperatures make the iron expand.

Fact: Glitter may have originated on a ranch

According to local lore, a man by the name of Henry Ruschmann from Bernardsville, New Jersey, invented glitter by accident in 1934 while working on a cattle ranch. The New York Times reports that in the popular origin story, Ruschmann, a machinist, was trying to find a way to dispose of scrap material by crushing it into tiny pieces. Plastic went in, glitter came out, and the rest is commonly accepted as history.

SOURCE: Reader’s Digest: Elizabeth Yuko

I found this quiz about the Declaration of Independence on Quiz-everyday.com. See how well you do!

Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the American colonies’ separation from Great Britain?

A) Benjamin Franklin

B) Thomas Jefferson

C) John Adams

D) George Washington

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on which date?

A) July 2, 1776

B) July 4, 1776

C) July 6, 1776

D) July 8, 1776

Which philosophical concept, derived from the writings of John Locke, is prominently featured in the Declaration of Independence as “unalienable rights”?

A) life, liberty, and property

B) life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

C) freedom, equality, and justice

D) liberty, equality, and fraternity

In the Declaration of Independence, who is specifically blamed for the various grievances listed against Great Britain?

A) Parliament

B) King George III

C) the British people

D) the British military

Which delegate from Massachusetts is famously known for his large, bold signature on the Declaration of Independence?

A) John Hancock

B) Samuel Adams

C) John Adams

D) Paul Revere

In total, how many delegates signed the Declaration of Independence?

A) 50

B) 52

C) 54

D) 56

Which colony did not have a delegate sign the Declaration of Independence?

A) New York

B) New Jersey

C) Virginia

D) Massachusetts

Which influential American founding father edited the draft of the Declaration of Independence and later became the second President of the United States?

A) Benjamin Franklin

B) Thomas Jefferson

C) John Adams

D) James Madison

In which city was the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Second Continental Congress?

A) New York City

B) Boston

C) Philadelphia

D) Charleston

In the Declaration of Independence, what phrase is used to describe the colonies’ new status as an independent nation?

A) free and independent states

B) united and independent states

C) sovereign and independent states

D) united and sovereign states

Which delegate from Virginia presented the resolution for independence to the Second Continental Congress, paving the way for the Declaration of Independence?

A) George Wythe

B) Richard Henry Lee

C) Benjamin Harrison

D) Thomas Nelson Jr.

Who was the president of the Second Continental Congress and the first to sign the Declaration of Independence?

A) John Hancock

B) John Adams

C) Thomas Jefferson

D) Benjamin Franklin

The introduction of the Declaration of Independence, which explains the purpose of the document, is commonly referred to as what?

A) Preamble

B) Prologue

C) Introduction

D) Declaration

Which year was the first time the term “Declaration of Independence” was used to describe the document?

A) 1776

B) 1777

C) 1781

D) 1783

Who was responsible for printing the first copies of the Declaration of Independence that were distributed throughout the colonies?

A) Benjamin Franklin

B) John Dunlap

C) Robert Aitken

D) David C. Claypoole

Want to see how you did? 

Answers:

Thomas Jefferson

July 4, 1776

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

King Geroge III

Jonh Hancock

56

New York

John Adams

Philadelphia

Free and independent states

Richard Henry Lee

John Hancock

Preamble

1776

John Dunlap

SOURCE:
Quiz-everyday.com

ENJOY!

June 20^th is National Ugliest Dog Day and I wanted to find out more about the “holiday”.  I found an article on National Today website that details all sorts of interesting facts about the day.

From their site:

Ugliest Dog Day on June 20 celebrates the pups out there with a face only a mother could love. But when it comes to man’s best friend, is there really any dog that can’t be deemed adorable? We honor the facially challenged ones on June 20, Ugliest Dog Day. What started as a fun contest has grown into an annual celebration of the not-so-handsome dogs amongst us. So grab your favorite pup and give him an extra snuggle today and as you go about your day, say hi to every pup, pretty and not so pretty.

History of Ugliest Dog Day

No matter how they look, the antics of furry animals will always be undeniably cute. There are some really unphotogenic pets out there, but hey, as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is why World’s Ugliest Dog Day is celebrated on June 20 every year. We love to love dogs every day, but dogs with facial deformities or less attractive features are in the spotlight today. Whether they lack fur or adorable faces, those puppy eyes will always get us!

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is an annual contest held in Petaluma, California, as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair, to decide which of the dogs entered in the contest is the ugliest. The winner receives a trophy and the title of ‘The World’s Ugliest Dog,’ and the dog’s owner receives $1,000 in prize money. Since 2017, the prize money has increased to $1,600, along with a free trip to New York City.

Throughout the years, many dogs have participated to claim the esteemed title of ‘The World’s Ugliest Dog,’ with one breed, in particular, winning the most titles; the Chinese Crested. Since the inception of the contest in the 1970s, the most unsightly dog has been from this breed at least 22 times. With a hairless body and bulging eyes, the breed is still beloved and described by the American Kennel Club as an “ultra-affectionate companion dog.”

With social media full of content featuring cute fluffy animals with shares and likes stacked up, Ugliest Dog Days recognizes the not-so-cute lot and makes owners beam with pride for their unattractive pets.

Fun Facts About Dogs

Perpetual Toddler

Your dog is as smart as a 2-year-old

No Deodorant Necessary

Dogs only have sweat glands in their paws

What’d You Say?

Puppies are born deaf; they start hearing around three weeks

Screaming Color

Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not colorblind

Sweet Dreams

According to a poll, about 45% of Americans sleep with their dogs

Why We Love Ugliest Dog Day

It celebrates what’s inside, not outside

Dogs are loving, loyal creatures. They don’t care how their humans look, so why should we care about their perhaps less than perfect features?

It brings awareness to homeless pets

Unfortunately, dogs that may be considered not so cute often have a harder time being adopted. Remember your local pet shelter on Ugliest Dog Day with a donation of money or pet supplies.

It’s a chance to brag about your fabulous dog

Cute and cuddly or unappealing and smelly, dog owners aren’t bothered and truly believe their dog is the best ever. Show-off your dog and give Fido some extra loving today with a special day devoted just to the two of you.

SOURCE: NATIONALTODAY.COM

I went searching for “bad” Father’s Day gifts and found this article about that very thing on the sheknows website.  (This article is from 2018 and I excluded her suggestions on what to get instead–those can be found at her site.)

Not all dads are the beer-loving, tie-wearing, golf-playing football fans so many Father’s Day cards make them out to be. Of course, every dad is unique, and Father’s Day is a time to honor the dads in our lives — in all their special, weird glory. But if you’re afraid your gift this year just won’t measure up, don’t worry. It can’t possibly be as bad as the gifts ahead.

We got eight real dads to spill the beans about the worst Father’s Day gifts they’ve ever received (just don’t tell their kids, OK?). Ahead are their hilarious examples of what not to do when Father’s Day Shopping — plus some fun alternatives.

Sure, we can all get a laugh from an “I love farts” mug or a Bigfoot air freshener once in a while, but let’s try to rise above the stereotypes and get a little more creative this year, shall we?

A Fart Mug

“Between all my children, I probably received over 100 cliché coffee mugs as Father’s Day presents, which I eventually regifted, threw away or sold at garage sales.” — Dan

No matter how tempting it may seem, don’t go inside the crappy gag gift shop at the mall (or on the internet, as the case may be) to get a Father’s Day present. Just don’t do it. 

A Bad & Weirdly Political Drawing

“One of my daughters was pumped to give me a picture she drew (in crayon) of a bald eagle in front of an American flag. My wife had it professionally framed. To this day, it still sits hidden on the floor behind my nightstand because I can’t bring myself to throw it away, but I definitely don’t want to hang it up.” — Tim

OK, kids’ drawings are cute. But that doesn’t mean you should pick the weirdest one, frame it and expect Dad to hang it on the wall for years to come (we’re talking to you, moms). 

A Holiday Arrest

“My son got ‘arrested’ on Father’s Day in sixth grade; we were playing catch when the cops pulled up. He was the kid who liked to play with matches, and a few weeks earlier, he’d started a pretty good grass fire in the woods near our house. When some other kids got caught in trouble doing other dumb stuff, they ratted him out.” — Harry

Please Not Another Tie

“My kids always got me the stereotypical dad gift: a tie. I now have a massive tie collection including several Looney Tunes prints.” — Sanford 

Even if your dad wears ties every day, don’t get him a tie. Or a hat. Or socks for that matter. You can do better.

A Chore-Related Gift

“What I do not want for Father’s Day would be… lawn care equipment.” — Derek

No matter how “handy” dad may or may not be, don’t give him something associated with chores. If he needs tools, rest assured he’ll get them himself.

Swag From the Wrong School

“Toward the end of school last year, [my sons] had a little event in the gym at school where kids could shop for Father’s Day gifts… My older son hands me a tumbler that has the University of Cincinnati logo on it. I attended the rival school in Cincinnati, Xavier University. His quote was, ‘I know how much you hate Cincinnati, so thought you would like this.’ I believe the cup is at the back of the cabinet and has never seen the light of day.” — Bill

This may seem obvious, but don’t get him something representing his rival.

Anything Naked

“After my wife and I got back from a trip to Europe, she gave me an apron from Florence with the body of ‘The David’ statue printed on it and then made me wear it at our family barbeque. It was pretty awkward wearing that in front of my kids. I managed to ‘lose’ it shortly afterwards.” — Bob

A Gift For Yourself

“My daughter gave me a tongue scraper!? She was very into the whole Ayurvedic tongue-scraping, oil pulling, lemon water routine and wanted everyone to do it.” — Pablo

Don’t get Dad something you like just because you like it.

SOURCE: SHEKNOWS.COM

Krystal Rogers-Nelson

True or false? The first modern Father’s Day was rooted in tragedy.

Which state was the first to celebrate Father’s Day?

Sonora Dodd got the idea to start a Father’s Day holiday and wanted it to coincide with her father’s birthday—June 5^th—but that didn’t happen.  What Sunday of the month do we celebrate Father’s Day?

Originally what flower was traditionally given to fathers on Father’s Day?

What holiday sought to supersede Mother’s and Father’s Days?

In what year was Father’s Day officially recognized (by the federal government)?

Father’s Day in Europe (for Catholics) has its roots tied to which saint?

In 1949, in France, a company called Flaminaire created new interest in Father’s Day with their product.  What was it?

Americans spend approximately how many billions of dollars on barbeque accessories, coffee mugs and screwdriver sets for Father’s Day?

Is the figure in question 8 more or less than they spend on Mother’s Day?

Father’s Day is a big day for the greeting card companies—putting it among the top 4 popular reasons for buying or sending a card.  What percentage of Father’s Day cards are humorous?

ANSWERS:

TRUE

The first modern Father’s Day was rooted in tragedy.

On July 5, 1908—the same year that Mother’s Day is credited as beginning—a small church in West Virginia held the first public event meant to specifically honor the fathers of their community. The day was held in remembrance of the 362 men who were killed the previous December in a mining explosion at the Fairmont Coal Company. Though this specific day did not transform into an annual tradition in the town, it did set a precedent of reserving a day for dads everywhere.

Washington

Washington was the first state to celebrate Father’s Day.

In 1909, Spokane resident Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her local church when she had the idea to try and establish a similar day to honor the hard-working fathers of the community. Dodd was the daughter of a widower and Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart, who raised six children on his own after his wife died during childbirth.

She contacted local church groups, government officials, YMCAs, businesses, and other official entities, hoping to gather the community to recognize fathers around the state of Washington. The campaign Dodd embarked upon would eventually culminate in the first statewide Father’s Day celebration in 1910.

Father’s Day takes place on the third Sunday in June.

While Father’s Day always takes place on the third Sunday of June now, that date was actually a compromise after the original turned out to be unrealistic. Dodd’s goal was for the holiday to be observed on June 5 to land on her father’s birthday, but when the mayor of Spokane and local churches asked for more time to prepare for all the festivities involved, it was moved to the third Sunday in June, where it remains today. Officially, the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910.

Roses

Roses were originally a big part of the Father’s Day celebration.

The first Father’s Day included a church service where daughters would hand red roses to their fathers during the mass. The roses were also pinned onto the clothing of children to further honor their fathers—red roses for a still-living father and a white rose for the deceased. Dodd also brought roses and gifts to any father in the community who was unable to make it to the service. This gave birth to the now-nearly-forgotten tradition of roses as the customary flower of Father’s Day.

Parent’s Day

In the 1920s and ’30s, there was a movement to get rid of Mother’s Day and the burgeoning Father’s Day celebrations and instead join the two holidays as a unified Parents’ Day. Robert Spere (also known as Robert Spero), a philanthropist and children’s radio entertainer, saw the holidays as a “division of respect and affection” for parents, especially during a time when Father’s Day hadn’t officially been recognized nationwide.

“We should all have love for dad and mother every day, but Parents’ Day on the second Sunday in May is a reminder that both parents should be loved and respected together,” Spere told The New York Times in 1931. The movement died out in the ’40s, but if it had gone through, we’d all be celebrating Parents’ Day every year with the slogan, “A kiss for mother, a hug for dad.”

1972

It took until 1966 for President Lyndon Johnson to make a nationwide proclamation endorsing Father’s Day across the country. In his proclamation, Johnson wrote that on June 19, 1966, “I invite State and local governments to cooperate in the observance of that day; and I urge all our people to give public and private expression to the love and gratitude which they bear for their fathers.”

Nowhere in Johnson’s proclamation did it say anything about what would happen on Father’s Day the next year, though, and the corresponding Joint Resolution specified “the third Sunday in June of 1966.” It wasn’t until President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 92-278 that Father’s Day was permanently recognized by the federal government.

Saint Joseph.

For Catholics in Europe, the idea of Father’s Day stretches back to feasts established in the Middle Ages to honor Saint Joseph on March 19. The celebration was prevalent in countries like Spain, France, and Italy, and as it focused on Joseph—the foster father of Jesus—it eventually turned into a day to honor the institution of fatherhood in general. Though many European countries have adopted a more secular observance of Father’s Day, some still uphold the tradition of linking it to Saint Joseph’s Day.

Lighters

The traditional feasts and celebrations around Saint Joseph began to fade in 20th-century Europe, especially in the years after World War II, so to reignite consumer interest in spending money on dear ol’ dad, a French lighter company called Flaminaire created a new Father’s Day in 1949 to help sell their products. With the help of an expansive ad campaign, the company drummed up brand awareness in the guise of a holiday, and Father’s Day (called Fête des Pères) has been observed in France ever since.

Americans are expected to spend more than $20 billion on Father’s Day gifts.

All those barbecue accessories, coffee mugs, and screwdriver sets add up: Americans are expected to spend about $20 billion on gifts in 2022 for Father’s Day, with clothing and “special outing” gear making up the bulk of the gifts. 

Less.

Though Father’s Day is big business in the commercial marketplace, it still exists in the shadow of mom. In 2022, the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that Americans spent $31.7 billion on Mother’s Day gifts like flowers, apparel, dinner, and spa days—a $3.6 billion increase from 2021’s spending.

25%

Father’s Day means big business for the greeting card industry. The holiday is the fourth most popular day for exchanging cards, with approximately 72 million flying off shelves annually. Hallmark—which has been producing Father’s Day cards since the early 1920s—boasts more than 800 different designs for dad, with humor cards accounting for 25 percent of the cards sold. The NRF estimates that cards account for 58 percent of all Father’s Day gifts—whether the person honors dad only with a card or includes it with a larger gift. 

SOURCE: MENTAL FLOSS

Tomorrow, June 11, (1982) is the anniversary of the release of E.T. in the United States.  I went searching for some interesting fun facts about the movie and below is what I found on the GeekTyrant.com website.

From GeekTyrant:

Steven Spielberg shot most of the film from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliot and E.T. With the exception of Elliot’s mom, no adults’ faces are shown until the last half of the film.

Most of the full-body puppetry was performed by a 2′ 10 tall stuntman, but the scenes in the kitchen were done using a 10-year old boy who was born without legs but was an expert on walking on his hands.

The filmmakers had requested that M&M’s be used to lure E.T., instead of Reese’s Pieces. The Mars company had denied their request and so Reese’s Pieces were used instead. As a direct result, Reese’s Pieces sales skyrocketed. Because of this, more and more companies began requesting that their products be used in movies. Thus, product placement was born.

ET’s face was modeled after poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog.

The end of the film was one of the most significant musical experiences for composer John Williams. After several attempts were made to match the score to the film, Steven Spielberg took the film off the screen and encouraged Williams to conduct the orchestra the way he would at a concert. He did, and Spielberg slightly re-edited the film to match the music, which is unusual since normally the music would be edited to match the film. The result was Williams winning the 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Score.

According to the film’s novelization, E.T. is over ten million years old. Steven Spielberg also stated in an interview that E.T. was a plant-like creature, and neither male or female.

E.T.’s voice was provided by Pat Welsh, an elderly woman who lived in Marin County, California. Welsh smoked two packets of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator Ben Burtt liked. She spent nine-and-a-half hours recording her part, and was paid $380 by Burtt for her services. Burtt also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create E.T.’s “voice”. These included Spielberg; Debra Winger; Burtt’s sleeping wife, who had a cold; a burp from his USC film professor; as well as raccoons, sea otters and horses.

Steven Spielberg’s original concept was for a much darker movie in which a family was terrorized in their house by aliens. When Spielberg decided to go with a more benevolent alien, the family-in-jeopardy concept was recycled as Poltergeist (1982).

Steven Spielberg worked simultaneously on both this film and Poltergeist (1982) in 1982 (which was directed by Tobe Hooper but produced by Spielberg), and both were made to complement each other. “E.T.” represented suburban dreams, and “Poltergeist” represented suburban nightmares.

Corey Feldman was originally scheduled for a role in E.T., but over the course of a script re-write, his part was eliminated. Steven Spielberg felt bad about the decision and promised Feldman a part in his next planned production which turned out to be Gremlins (1984).

ET’s communicator actually worked, and was constructed by Henry Feinberg, an expert in science and technology interpretation for the public.

Harrison Ford was initially intended to have a cameo role in the film as Elliot’s school headmaster, but the scene was cut.

Steven Spielberg shot the film in chronological order to invoke a real response from the actors (mainly the children) when E.T. departed at the end. All emotional responses from that last scene are real.

Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison came up with the concept of a sequel called “Nocturnal Fears”, where Elliott and his friends are kidnapped by aliens and E.T. would help them out. E.T.’s name would be Zreck, and his species was at war with the other aliens.

At the auditions, Henry Thomas thought about the day his dog died to express sadness. Director Steven Spielberg cried, and hired him on the spot.

SOURCE: GeekTryant

Fact: McDonald’s once made bubblegum-flavored broccoli

This crazy McDonald’s fact will have your taste buds crawling. Unsurprisingly, the attempt to get kids to eat healthier didn’t go over well with the child testers, who were “confused by the taste.”

Fact: Some fungi create zombies, then control their minds

The tropical fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants’ central nervous systems. Once it has been in an insect’s body for nine days, it has complete control over the host’s movements. According to National Geographic, it forces the ant to climb trees, then convulse and fall into the cool, moist soil below, where fungi thrive. Once there, the fungus waits until exactly solar noon to force the ant to bite a leaf and wait for death.

Fact: The first oranges weren’t orange

The original oranges from Southeast Asia were a tangerine-pomelo hybrid, and they were actually green. In fact, oranges in warmer regions, such as Vietnam and Thailand, still stay green through maturity.

Fact: There’s only one letter that doesn’t appear in any U.S. state name

Can you guess the answer to this random fun fact? You’ll find a Z (Arizona), a J (New Jersey), and even two X’s (New Mexico and Texas)—but not a single Q.

Fact: A cow-bison hybrid is called a beefalo

You can even buy its meat in at least 21 states.

Fact: Johnny Appleseed’s fruits weren’t for eating

Yes, there was a real John Chapman who planted thousands of apple trees on U.S. soil. But the apples on those trees were much more bitter than the ones you’d find in the supermarket today. “Johnny Appleseed” didn’t expect his fruits to be eaten whole but rather made into hard apple cider.

Fact: Scotland has 421 words for snow

Yes, 421! Some examples: sneesl (to start raining or snowing); feefle (to swirl); and flinkdrinkin (a light snow).

Fact: Samsung tests phone durability with a butt-shaped robot

People stash their phones in their back pockets all the time, which is why Samsung created a robot shaped like a butt to “sit” on their phones to make sure they can take the pressure. Believe it or not, the robot even wears jeans.

Fact: The Windy City nickname has nothing to do with Chicago’s weather

If you live in Chicago, you might already know this random fact, but we’re betting most other people don’t. Chicago’s nickname was coined by 19th-century journalists who were referring to the fact that its residents were “windbags” and “full of hot air.”

Fact: Peanuts aren’t technically nuts

They’re legumes. According to Merriam-Webster, a nut is only a nut if it’s “a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel.” That means walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios aren’t nuts either. They’re seeds.

Fact: Armadillo shells are bulletproof

In fact, one Texas man was hospitalized when a bullet he shot at an armadillo ricocheted off the animal and hit him in the jaw. That’s a totally true animal tidbit. These animal “facts,” however, are wrong.

Fact: Firefighters use wetting agents to make water wetter

The chemicals reduce the surface tension of plain water so it’s easier to spread and better soaks into objects, which is why it’s known as “wet water.”

Fact: The longest English word is 189,819 letters long

We won’t spell it out here, but the full name for the protein nicknamed titin would take three and a half hours to say out loud. While this is, by far, the longest word in English, the longest word in the Oxford English Dictionary has 45 letters, and the longest made-up word has just 28.

Fact: “Running amok” is a medically recognized mental condition

Considered a culturally bound syndrome, a person “running amok” in Malaysia starts with a period of brooding and then commits a sudden, frenzied mass attack.

Fact: Some octopus species lay 56,000 eggs at a time

On average, a giant Pacific octopus will lay 56,000 eggs at the end of a pregnancy, over the course of about a month, NPR reports. At first, these new babies float through the surrounding water unattached to one another or their mother. But then the mother gathers each egg—which is about the size of a grain of rice—and weaves them into braids, allowing her to keep an eye on everyone at the same time.

Fact: Cats have fewer toes on their back paws

Like most four-legged mammals, cats have five toes on the front, but their back paws only have four toes. Scientists think the four-toed back paws might help them run faster.

Fact: Kleenex tissues were originally intended for gas masks

When there was a cotton shortage during World War I, Kimberly-Clark developed a thin, flat cotton substitute that the army tried to use as a filter in gas masks. The war ended before scientists perfected the material, so the company redeveloped it to be smoother and softer, then marketed Kleenex as facial tissue instead.

Fact: Blue whales eat half a million calories in one mouthful

Just try to wrap your brain around the second part of this animal fact: Those 457,000 calories are more than 240 times the energy the whale uses to scoop those krill into its mouth.

Fact: That tiny pocket in jeans was designed to store pocket watches

The original jeans had only four pockets: that tiny pocket, plus two more on the front and just one in the back.

Fact: Turkeys can blush

When turkeys are scared or excited—like when the males see a female they’re interested in—the pale skin on their head and neck turns bright red, blue, or white. The flap of skin over their beaks, called a snood, also reddens.

Fact: Most Disney characters wear gloves to keep animation simple

Walt Disney might have been the first to put gloves on his characters, as seen in 1929’s The Opry House, starring Mickey Mouse. In addition to being easier to animate, there’s another reason for the gloves: “We didn’t want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human,” Disney told his biographer in 1957.

Fact: The man with the world’s deepest voice can make sounds humans can’t hear

The man, Tim Storms, can’t even hear the note, which is eight octaves below the lowest G on a piano—but elephants can.

Fact: The current American flag was designed by a high school student

It started as a school project for Bob Heft’s junior-year history class in 1958, and it only earned a B-minus. His design had 50 stars, even though Alaska and Hawaii weren’t states yet; Heft figured the two would earn statehood soon and showed the government his design. After President Dwight D. Eisenhower called to say the design was approved, Heft’s teacher changed his grade to an A.

Fact: Cows don’t have upper front teeth

They do have molars on top, in the back of their mouths, but where you’d expect upper incisors, cows, sheep, and goats have a thick layer of tissue called a dental pad. They use that with their bottom teeth to pull out grass.

Fact: Thanks to 3D printing, NASA can basically email tools to astronauts

Getting new equipment to the Space Station used to take months or years, but the new technology means the tools are ready within hours.

SOURCE: Reader’s Digest: Elizabeth Yuko