Rest today and work tomorrow,

What is Labor Day?

In the United States, today is an official state and federal holiday. This is the day our country commemorates the contributions of workers to the growth and success of modern society. When initiated in 1882 and moved to the first Monday in September in 1884, worker unions were an emerging and forming force in the American dynamic of life and labor. They are less so in this age. As a result, the holiday itself has changed in its recognition, appreciation and observance.

Originally, there were downtown parades and public picnics. In the paper this morning, I saw no mention of a parade or a picnic. There was a small side-bar stating the following: “Today is Labor Day. On this day, our nation salutes the millions of men and women who make up America’s workforce.”

The malls are open, and this is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Most retail workers will labor longer hours today. This is also the unofficial end of summer. In the blog post of April 28, 2012, I noted that the U.S. holidays of Memorial and Labor Day bracket and define our summertime period. Traditionally, schools started the day after Labor Day. Our schools started last Monday, so this transitional marker has largely disappeared. College football play started this weekend. My alma mater played yesterday and won by 1 point. (Whew, that was a close one.) I love the start of the Fall football statistics. And, this used to be the last day to wear white and seersucker. Anymore, folks pretty much wear white all year round, and many of us don’t wear seersucker at all. (Seersucker is a crinkly blue and white striped cotton material for suits, pants and shorts that breathes well for hot weather and looks like you are near the water so you seem to feel cooler.)

Much still happens near and around Labor Day. Certainly, the long holiday weekend is a well-spaced and welcome time of rest and relaxation between the Fourth of July (our National Holiday) and Thanksgiving (Our National Turkey Day). It is a nice marker between the lingering hot of summer and the approaching cool of autumn. But, the day really doesn’t have much to do with labor or remembering the worker – anymore.

My sons were born on Memorial and Labor Day. Today is the youngest’s birthday. They are both hard workers. I am very proud of each of them, and I am so very grateful for their young families and my grandchildren.

As the times have changed, our work has changed greatly. This is a natural and exciting process. Change is vital to a healthy and working world. What shouldn’t change is remembering the worker. We are all workers — laborers, inventors, innovators, owners — we are all workers. We need the encouragement and support of each other. Working, working together and appreciating the work of each other are what make us different, make us homo sapiens, and make this planet our home. We are the keys to the success and preservation of our working environment and our way of life.

I think I’ll give my sons a call and thank them for the work they are doing to make this a better place for us to live.

Enjoy your work and encourage those who work with you,

Grandpa Jim

I welcome you to Saturday and a new Uncle Joe story introducing his two nephews Adam and Aaron,

This is the 4th in the Uncle Joe Story line of stories, and it is entitled “Adam & Aaron and the Giant Tusker.” There are a great many feral hogs in Texas but only a very few truly giant tuskers. The big pigs are smart. It is smarter not to bother a boar of that size and lineage or any of his close relatives. As you know, though, on the farm unexpected things happen. These are the stuff of stories.

Enjoy this one. Mary and I are heading down to the country to see how Uncle Joe and the boys are doing. Both Adam and Aaron just had beautiful new baby girls. We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of those little beauties. With more girls, more of those fancy boxers may be in store for the brothers. As you will discover, it never hurts to have a pair of those lucky shorts — just in case.

Have a great read and share a story with someone close,

Grandpa Jim

It is Friday – time to leave the nest and fly into the weekend,

If you were a bird and could leave the nest early, what would you be called?

“Precocial,” because precocial birds are on-the-go birds who start doing as soon as they hatch. Precocial has the same root as “precocious,” indicating early maturity. I mean these birds are out of the nest in a flash. They are not only precocial, they are “nidifugous,” from the Latin nidu for “nest” and fugere for “to flee.” To say it well and impress your friends, “All nidifugous birds are precocial.” Many of the smaller birds are precocial, as well as birds that nest on the ground, like chickens, ducks and geese.

On the other perch, we see the nest with the young “altricial” birds. Those baby birds are not even perching yet, because they take more time getting used to things. They need a little more attention from mom and dad – a swallow of this, a peck on the back, a lullaby warble and other baby bird stuff to help them nurture and develop. Altricial derives from the Latin alere which means “to nurse and nourish.”  Many of the larger birds, like eagles, hawks and herons, are atricial.

These terms are not reserved for birds. Mammals are also precocial and altricial. Which do you think you were when you were a baby?

When birds do jump out of that nest, they fly into the sky and through the clouds. Those clouds are “evanescent.” A thing is “evanescent” if it tends to disappear quickly, to dissipate and be of relatively short duration. Clouds are like that – in the sky one moment and gone the next. Someone can be evanescent if he or she fades away and passes from our sight, like a bird flying in the sky who turns toward the horizon and vanishes into another realm. I wonder if that bird was altricial or precocial when it was young. It certainly was evanescent now.

Keep a quick watch – you never know what you might glimpse, or what might glimpse you,

Grandpa Jim

PS: A new Uncle Joe story is scheduled to be here Saturday morning. Do you think someone in that story could be evanescent, or at least hoped by others there to soon be? Hurry over and figure out what just blurred by.

What a day to open our eyes and see the sights about us,

What color are your eyes?

Brown: The majority of the people in the world have brown eyes. In some areas, it is almost the only eye color. Brown eyes are most common in Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas. I have brown eyes.

Green: The least common eye color is green. Green eyes are most often glimpsed in northern and central Europe, but they can pop open just about any time and where. Ms. Mary has pretty green eyes.

Blue: Blue eyes are those most often watching you in northern Europe and the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea. In Germany, you may see blue in the eyes of some 75% of the populace, and in Estonia, 99% of the eyes are blue. Blue eyes are becoming less common in the US, with only 1 in 6 (around 17%) so colored. On our whole planet, about 2% of the people (150 million of about 7 billion current inhabitants) have blue eyes. Amazingly, a few far-sighted scientists say all those blue-eyed folks are descended from a single ancestor with the original set of blues who lived about 6,000 years ago. How on earth did they figure that out? I have a blue-eyed son and granddaughter, and it looks like my newest 33-day old grandson will be blue-eyed. It takes a while for a baby’s eyes to color up and shine out at you, but it’s worth the wait to see.

Hazel: Hazel eyes can have brown, gold, yellow and green in an interesting and difficult-to-put-your-finger-on – which you never want to do with an eye – eye color. I have a son with this fascinating coloration. Examining the hazel eye, you begin to reflect that many, if not most, eyes do not have a single color. They are mixes of blue and gray, green and brown, and other color combinations. Seen in different lights or during different mood swings, the colors in a person’s eyes can change and glow into something new. Hazel is such a hue.

Gray: I have seen it said that there is true gray and light blue gray. Gray is most common in northern and eastern Europe, where we have also seen many a blue-eyed resident. The granddaughter with blue can shift to gray and back again to blue, as I watch in hypnotic fascination, listening to the words, “You will do anything I command, You will open the candy drawer,” if you see where this is going.

Those are the eyes I have spied the most. There are some other reported colors, like amber and violet. I view amber as a golden hazel and violet as a deep blue. Others may differ, and I welcome their insights.

When it comes to eyes, an old rule of order applies: “The Eyes Have It.” What more can I say? The eyes do have it. They are amazing personalized jewels. A person’s eyes are unique. No one else has, had or will ever have your eyes. They are your own specially made and individually initialized 3-D glasses to view the cinema of life.

Keep your eyes open and treasure the colors and sights you see around you,

Grandpa Jim

PS: I am sure Uncle Joe is keeping a close eye on all that is happening down on the farm. He’s waiting to share some of what he has seen with you. Be sure to stop back Saturday morning. Your eyes may widen as you gasp in amazement. Oh, and by the way, Ms. Mary says that Uncle Joe’s eyes are blue-green.

Take a good look and what do you see?

A zebra.

A zebra is a wild horse with black and white stripes who lives only in Africa. Interestingly, the zebra is a black horse with white stripes, not a white horse with black stripes, but you can’t really tell from looking.

Zebras are not quite as fast as other horses, but they have great stamina and can generally outlast anyone chasing them. Plus, they are the best at zig-zagging, which may help to explain the “Z” in their name. It is not easy to catch a zebra.

A zebra resists domestication. It does not like to be ridden and is a very good bucker. If you try – and many have – you will pay a price in bumps, bruises and a dusted pride. It has been done, but most agree it is better not.

Zebras go back a long way. They are perhaps the oldest of the horses, and they have been around people the longest. They know us and we know them.

It has been said that, “The way to know who you are is to meet someone you’re not.”

Let’s try that in a poem about a . . .

Zebra

Black & White

A Zebra

Ran By Me

Black & White

I Ran It Down

Jumped On

&

Waited Patiently

Black & White

I Flew & Hit

The Ground

A Bruise On Me

Black & Blue

To Me

That  Zebra

Ran

A Snicker & Laugh

He Stopped &

Waited Free

For Me

To Try

& Fly

Again

The End

Some are meant only to be free.

Others to always try and fly.

Both know who they be.

And enjoy the other.

May you know who your are and enjoy those others,

Grandpa Jim

PS: Will Uncle Joe try to ride a zebra on Saturday in his new story, or will the race be a different one from here to fun? It will be an event. So keep on track for Saturday at 9 AM CST and arrive early for a good seat to watch and see.

An active, curious and fulfilling day to you and all those around you,

Where did that hamburger come from?

The hamburger is the ubiquitous American comfort food. Composed of a ground beef patty (fried or grilled), often with a piece of melted cheese atop (to make it a cheeseburger, my favorite), placed between the two halves of a sliced bun (grilled and buttered is my preferred), decorated with whatever sliced, diced or shredded vegetables you like (tomatoes, lettuce, onions and, in Texas, jalapenos for the stout of heart and hearty of appetite), slathered with the condiments of your choice (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and the more the merrier some might say) and for finish and flare a dash of salt and pepper. It is a delicious, descrumptious and delightful meal in a bun. So, munch a burger today and be content and fulfilled.

But, where did it come from and why that name, hamburger?

Well, over there, where many of our ancestors come from, is a country called Germany. In that country, is a city with the name Hamburg, the second largest city in the country of Germany. After their arrival in the New World, some Germans and those of their descent opened restaurants. On the menus of those restaurants were listed dishes like the Hamburg Plate (I bet there was some sauerkraut and spaetzle on that one), Hamburg Schnitzel (it is hard to beat a good schnitzel) and perhaps a dish called the Hamburg Steak (not an hamburger yet, but you begin to see a connection). People like and enjoy good food and good meat dishes, and restaurant-goers began to associate good meat dishes and good steak dishes (America was becoming the land of beef) with the name Hamburg. Can you begin to see the mind of a good marketer beginning to work here?

At this point, two asides may be appropriate. First, meat has been ground forever. So, ground balls and patties were out there and in use. Second, in Germany, the Burgher was in olden times a high-ranking city official or member of the nobility. So, a Burgher was a very good thing to be, a superlative, like a king. I can see the marketing types in the audience thinking more.

Fast forward to the St. Louis World’s Fair in the year 1904. (You may remember this Fair as the place where the ice cream cone was invented to serve ice cream — see the Blog Post of June 22, 2012.) At the Fair was a couple from Athens, Texas – I like that they were from a town named for a place in Greece known for new ideas. Fletcher Davis and his wife Ciddy ran a sandwich stand on what was called the Pike, a mile-long walk of amusements and concessions that was one of the great draws and marvels of the St. Louis World’s Fair. From old photos, the name above Ciddy and Fletcher’s concession stand (Fletcher was called Dave because of his last name), the name on the sign was “Old Dave’s Hamburger Stand.”

It had happened! The hamburger had been born!

The fair-goers loved it. They bellied right up for a hamburger composed of a fried ground beef patty with mustard and Bermuda onion between two slices of bread with a pickle on the side. Folks, they still serve ’em with mustard and onion in Texas. The New York Tribune attributed the innovation of the hamburger to a stand on the Pike. Many people believe that stand was “Old Dave’s Hamburger Stand,” serving the sandwich Ciddy and Fletcher had been serving at their lunch counter in Athens, Texas since the 1880’s.

You know what I think happened? I think that Old Dave was a good salesman. He looked down that Pike with all the most amazing things in the world on display from every country in the world, and he saw a Hamburg steak on the menu in a fancy German restaurant near a real castle (there was one there on the Pike, built just for the Fair) with a poster of a regal Burger inviting folks to enjoy the food. He knew he had a great sandwich. He just needed a great name. There it was, the hamburger. He rushed back, told Ciddy, pulled down the old sign and put up the new one.

As the say, the rest is history. And, what a rich, tasty and downright enjoyable history it is.

Although historians agree that the hamburger was first created in America somewhere around 1890, there are a number of other people who claim to have invented it. A ground meat patty and bread are as old as ground meat and bread. Most of the claimants did just that — put meat to bread. With due deference to the competing claims, to make and eat a sandwich that resembles a hamburger is not to invent and present the hamburger.

Almost 20 million individuals attended the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, which was the formal name of the St. Louis World’s Fair. In 1904, the year of the Fair, the US population was about 80 million. There were people from all over the world, but if they had all been from the US, 1 in 4 citizens would have attended. That is a tremendous turnout, an astounding audience and an event that changed the world. The Fair brought us the ice cream cone and the hamburger. Though others may claim to have been the first to bite some bread with a burger between, Old Dave and Ciddy were there at the Event of the Age, and they named their sandwich the hamburger and marketed that hamburger on one of the greatest stages man had known. As an attention getter, they got it, and many believe they deserve the credit for the now world-famous hamburger.

Consider a hamburger today and remember Old Dave and Ciddy,

Grandpa Jim

PS: And, remember Uncle Joe. On Saturday morning, he will present his latest adventure. I hope it keeps you on the edge of your seat. After you settle down, go somewhere to talk and get something to eat. A burger and fries may be just the thing to relax and comfort those nerves.

Happy First Day of School in Texas!

I just received the text-messaged pictures of my granddaughters in front of their 2nd and 6th grade school buildings. With new clothes and big smiles, the first school day is always an exciting and memorable event. I still remember my new outfit for the first day of second grade.

Hopefully, it won’t rain on their first-day parade. It did yesterday, a deluge of a downpour about noon after church, holding people in the entries to run with papers over their heads for their cars and the umbrellas they left safely behind in their sunny exit an hour earlier. Perhaps, the warned-of El Niño is starting to have its effects.

El Niño is something of a mystery. Scientists don’t seem to know what exactly it is or what for certain causes it. What has been observed over the past 300 years is that at regular intervals, say 3 to 7 years, waters in the Pacific Ocean warm or cool in places and to extents they are not expected to warm or cool, and the trade winds above the waters shift and change in strength. When the waters warm, this is called an El Niño. When the water cool, it is called a La Niña. When these variations occur, they can last from 7 months to 2 years.

What does this mean for Texas and the planned school wardrobes? During an El Niño, significantly wetter winter weather has been experienced in the Southwestern United States including Texas, which means I hope the girls have new raincoats and shiny colorful rain boots. Other parts of North America can expect drier and warmer winter weather. Other parts of the world can expect up-and-down effects in the amounts of their precipitation and the patterns of their temperatures. None of this clear or predictable. It is mystifying. To paraphrase Mr. Dylan, “The weathers they are a-changin’.” We just don’t know when, how or to what extent, but we’re pretty sure they’re a-changin’.

The most recent El Niño started in September 2006 and lasted until early 2007. From June 2007 to early 2008, there was a moderate El Niña event. So, the timing is right for another.

These extreme weather fluctuations have possible secondary effects. The El Niño cycle has been associated with increased risks of some mosquito-transmitted diseases. Could the West Nile viral epidemic occurring in Texas right now have been triggered in some way by the approaching El Niño? We may never know, but it is suspected that El Niño may have been a factor in the demise of the pre-Colombian Moche culture in Peru, and a strong El Niño effect may have caused poor crop yields in Europe from 1789 to 1793 which helped spark the French Revolution. We are not far from our weather, and it greatly effects us where we’re at and what we do.

In 1892, it is reported that Peruvian sailors noticed an unusually warm northerly current. It was Christmas. The Spanish-speaking sailors thought of the small child that day commemorates and named the current.  “El Niño” means “the little boy.” On this first day of school, let us trust the little boy to watch over our children and keep them dry and safe.

May a child’s smile brighten your day,

Grandpa Jim

A Fiddling Riddling Friday High-Fives Its Way To The Welcome And Waiting Weekend,

Today is another first, the first Fiddle-A-Riddle Friday. Get ready to tease your brain and be bewildered and mystified. Unless, of course, you know all the answers and are already a guessing genius. Still, it never hurts to give the old noggin a turn. So, figure for fun and take a run at these.

If you were an elephant, what would be the favorite part of your car?

The trunk, because you can use it carry things. Pachyderms love to lift, show and pack things in their trunks and the trunks of their cars. So, an elephant with its trunk in his or her car with its very useful carry-all trunk presents us with a homonym homophone with the large mammal’s flexible proboscis (trunk) in the front and the storage compartment of its vehicle (trunk) in the back. See the blog post of July 23, 2012, to learn more about these pesky homophones and which is a homonym and which is a heterograph and keep reading below to see them at riddling work.

If you were a skunk, what would be your favorite coin?

The penny, because it is the only coin that has a cent and the skunk values a scent most. Cent and scent are heterographic (different spellings) homophones (words with same sound but different meanings). You begin to suspect that riddles often rely on homophones. So, if you want to make up a riddle, find a couple homophones and have a try.

What weather does a fair like most?

Fair weather, because sunny blue skies are perfect festival weather. See, it works. I just picked two homophones (words with the same sound but different meanings) with the same spelling (homonyms), fair (for outdoor celebration) and fair (for pleasant weather), and made a riddle.

If you were a rhinoceros, what would be your favorite way to pay for your purchases?

Charge it, of course, because a rhinoceros loves to charge things. The rhinoceros puts its heads down, points its long tusk (its pen for confirming purchases), runs directly at the hunting party and picks up the goods from the fleeing porters. It works every time, if you’re a rhinoceros. If you are a human, please do not try this method to charge your payment. It is reserved exclusively for rhinoceroses.

If you were a fish, what would be your favorite country to visit?

Finland, because it is a land that is friendly to Fins. The golf courses all have Fin-handed clubs, and the fun parks all allow and encourage Fins to ride. It is truly the “Land of the Fin.” What fish with its fins wouldn’t love a fin-named land with its Fins?

And, finally, because there does appear to be a great amount of cornball in this land of homophonic riddles,

If you were a tree, what would be your favorite place to settle back on a clear night?

Hollywood, because of all the stars. You could plant your roots at Hollywood and Vine under the twinkling stars in the night sky above and shift your branches, lean back and turn your head to gaze below at the more than 2,400 terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks commemorating the brightest stars of film and cinema. If you’re lucky, a few of those stars may just walk by. Now, that would be a star-studded night sight for a tree to see.

Sometimes, the most amazing things are just a word or two away.

Shift your gaze just a little and who knows what you may see,

Grandpa Jim

Thursday’s Trivia Testing Turns To Face Friday’s Fascinated Face,

Welcome to the first ever Trivia Thursday. The subject is U.S. States who have or sure think they have the most of something. Be the first to quiz your friends, neighbors, co-workers, schoolmates and family with these state stumpers.

Which US State has the most people?

California is #1 and Texas is #2, followed by New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina, in that order.

Which State in the United States is the biggest by land?

Alaska has the most land mass followed by Texas at #2. That Texas is just too much, two times over and to the point. Sorry, I forgot I was to remain impartial and not cheer for the Lone Star State.

Which State has the highest percentage of water within its boundaries?

Michigan has the greatest proportionate percentage of water within its boundaries at 41.27% water, followed closely by Hawaii at 41.24% — be careful where you step in these two states, you may sink. Within the geographic boundaries of the State of Michigan are located parts of four of the five Great Lakes – Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Only Lake Ontario does not have a Michigan connection. By the way, the Great Lakes are the largest group of fresh water lakes on the Earth. At this point, I have to admit that this is something of a trick question. Although Michigan has the highest percentage of water, it is not the State with the most surface water as measured by square miles or kilometers. That distinction goes to the State of Alaska, with Michigan #2.

Of all the States, which one grows the most corn?

Iowa, where I was born, grows more corn than anyone else, followed by Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Let’s hear it for the Tall Corn State and all of its 99 Counties.

Which State has the most lakes?

Sorry, Minnesota, you may be the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” and that sure is a catchy state phrase, but Alaska is the state with the most lakes with more than 3 million. As an aside, when the first Spanish and French explorers arrived in Texas, I have read that there was not a single lake in the State. There were many rivers but not a single lake. The lakes in Texas are all man-made.

When it comes to sunshine, which State has the most?

Florida, I know your nickname is the “Sunshine State” and you may have the most oranges and the strongest sunshine, because the angle of incidence on your long peninsula receives the most UV radiation, but Arizona is the State with the highest incidence of measured sunshine, followed by California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

In what State do the residents eat the most candy and consume the most chocolate?

They’re not the same state. Utah has the highest reported candy consumption. Pennsylvania, home of Hersey’s Chocolate, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America, has the highest consumption of chocolate. This answer was particularly difficult to document. There is a real concern that the researchers compiling the statistics were themselves indulging in the study materials and possibly skewering the results. HMMMMM, who could resist just one sample?

And, the one you have all been waiting for .  . .

Which State in the United States has the unofficial but world recognized motto, “Everything is bigger in ________?”

You got it. TEXAS. So, kick the dirt with your boots, raise your cowboy hat into the air and let out a big “Yippee Ki Yi Yay!” You’re almost home now.

Keep asking and answering and have a tantalizing time with your Trivia Thursday thought teasers,

Grandpa Jim

Wednesday Wonders What Thursday Will Teach and Tell,

It looks like High Summer is over for Dallas and perhaps for most of Texas. My definition of “High Summer” for Texas Heat is that Summer period within which lows stay above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) at night and the highs hit 100 F (38 C) or more during the day.

Yesterday, the morning low at 7 AM CST for Dallas was 69 F (close to 20 C), and the high was only 78 F (about 25 C) — an official non-High Summer day. Ladies and Gentlemen, that high matched the record low high for the date set way back in 1919. It looks very much like Dallas is finished with triple-digit heat for 2012, and August 14 will have been our last 100-degree day. This is somewhat unbelievable for North Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth area, especially since Summer does not officially end until September 21, with the arrival of the Fall Equinox dividing night and day into equal portions.

Even with the current cooling, Dallas has had a disproportionate number of hot days this Summer. In total, there were 27 days over 100 compared to the average of 17 days besting the 100-degree mark. However, earlier rains and the hot dry weather have helped to bring in the crops. I believe all the milo and corn have been harvested by Uncle Joe down at the farm. The cotton has been defoliated, is drying in the fields and will be ready for harvesting soon. For the cotton, the weather forecast may signal a problem.

The Meteorologists are saying the recent rainy cold spell will continue into Autumn because an El Nino pattern is developing in the Pacific Ocean. For us in Texas, El Nino usually means rain and cooler temperatures, which we are starting to experience. Rain is not good for harvesting cotton, because the cotton needs to be dry to cut, clean and pack into huge blocks of raw white cotton that is transported to the gin for processing.

Mosquitoes do not like cooler temperatures, but they do use standing water to breed, and more rain means more standing water and potentially more mosquitoes. The planes have been spraying since last week, but the aerial attack is over for now. Unfortunately, the West Nile virus is still active. Two more deaths from the virus were confirmed yesterday. This brings the total confirmed deaths for the Dallas/Fort Worth area to 18, 11 in the area closest to our house. There is a 14-day incubation period before individuals stung by the carrier mosquitoes begin to exhibit symptoms. Everyone is hoping and praying that in about two weeks the number of confirmed cases will start to track downward and there will be no more deaths. Drier weather would help, but so does cooler weather. So, the forecasts present a mixed blessing.

As often is the case, weather has both favorable and unfavorable effects. Its manner can be unpredictable, its occurrence surprising and its results mixed and uncertain. Nature seems to have the upper hand. Hopefully, it will be a helping hand.

Watch your weather, take precautions for your locations, and keep us in your prayers,

Grandpa Jim