ODDS, ENDS & INSPIRATION

STRANGE BUT TRUE

z In 2008, two sisters from Virginia sold their Illinois-shaped corn flake on ebay for $1350.

z One of the first diet books, “The Art of Living Long” by Luigi Comaro, came out in 1558... and is still in print.

z In the movie Psycho’s iconic shower scene, Alfred Hitchcock achieved the sound of stabbings by knifing through a casaba melon. He even had his crew audition multiple varieties of melon to get the perfect tone.

z Folks who enjoy collecting ties are known as grabatologists.

z The mostly unknown second and third verses of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” reveal the song was originally written as a feminist anthem about a woman wanting to go see a baseball game rather than go on a date to a show. z Cinderella’s shoes were made of fur, not glass, in the tale’s original version.

z Overdo it on the garlic or onions and need to freshen your breath? Try roasted coffee beans instead of gum or mints. Israeli scientists have found that coffee can inhibit the bacteria that leads to bad breath, but if you prefer drinking it to chewing, you’ll do best to take it black.

z German chocolate cake was named for an American baker, Samuel German.

z “Scurryfunge” is an old English word meaning to rush around cleaning when you see company is on their way over.

z In the Middle Ages, the “shrew’s fiddle” or “neck violin” was used to punish those who were caught bickering by linking them face-toface, forcing them to talk to each other. They weren’t released until their disagreement was resolved.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

z Need a quick fix for tarnished brass? Look in your fridge. Tomato sauce (ketchup), applied liberally then buffed off, will remove tarnish in a pinch.

z Use a sticky note to clean the cracks in your keyboard. First hold it upside down and shake to remove crumbs. You’d be surprised how much comes out. Then run the sticky strip of the note paper between the keys to pick up dust and any other crumbs.

z “Some people play drinking games with movies and alcohol, but here’s my drinking game: I work at an ‘office’ job (although we are remote now), and every time I get an email notification, I take a sip or slug of water. It’s got me surprisingly hydrated!” – P.J.

z If your marker is nearing the end of its life, you might revive it by setting it tip down in a little bit of rubbing alcohol.

z “Schedule important doctor’s check-ups, like your annual physical and dental cleanings, in the same month each year so you will know when they are coming up. I use my birth month. My mum always has hers done in February.” – E.D.

z Here’s a tip if you use earbuds a lot to listen to music and podcasts – use a cotton swab to clean out the tips of your earbuds!

z “To clean out your coffeemaker, run a cycle of water through it, and then pour out half the water and replace it with white vinegar. Pour that mixture back through the coffeemaker (make sure it’s off) and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then run the vinegar mixture through, then two cycles of fresh, cold water. – A.L.