possibility of learning something

Something is better than nothing right? 
Well in most circumstances it is. Now I’m not suggesting the something that you learn from the Lisleman’s Institute for Better Postings will be of any use to you or your descendants. (actually if you happen to discover any use for anything you learn here, I would love to know)

It’s been many a post ago that I mentioned learning something from my favorite radio show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (here's an old post mentioning the show). She-who-lets-me-tag-along and I have even attended a live taping of this NPR show.

On their last show I learned about an index that uses one of my favorite stops when I’m on a road trip, Waffle House. This odd index came up during the interview of the show’s guest, Craig Fugate, current head of FEMA. (you can play the show over the internet - amazing huh?)

What does Waffle House and FEMA have to do with each other?

The Waffle House Index

Basically if the local Waffle House is open and offering a full menu then the disaster is over or they didn’t find the area that was hit the worst. Closed Waffle House equals a terrible disaster. Now some in my family would say an open Waffle House is a disaster but not me. FEMA will not be able to apply their Waffle House index for any disaster in my hometown. The nearest Waffle House to me is about 4-5 hours south on the expressway. I have looked.

Good coffee and food for a reasonable price. Their scattered smothered and peppered hash brown dish is my favorite. I seldom order their waffles.

good to get pic before you eat

This next story from the same show has a few items of possible knowledge. A lesson on bees and a few British terms.

from Telegraph website

A grandmother had a swarm of thousands of bees clinging to the boot of her car. (first possible new item of knowledge - boot - many Americans know this one. We call it the trunk of the car. Extra points what’s the bonnet?) Apparently while (whilst?) she was shopping a beekeeper was called and collected the bees. She arrived and drove off thinking the problem was over. However the next day she found her car again covered with bees. She had to request help from beekeepers again.

One of the beekeepers involved theorizes that the queen got into the car perhaps more than once.

A line from the story at the U.K. website:

As I drove past I noticed this big brown splodge on the back of a car.

I suspect “splodge” is a British term. I might say splotch or one big freaking pile of bees. Splodge is new term for me.

Another possible lesson - it’s good to know a beekeeper and don’t pickup any queens.

Telegraph story

(Sad disclosure - NO items, not even a cup of coffee were provided by Waffle House for this post. However, if by some chance Waffle House staff would like to offer something I could easily do another post for them. Oh also, I have no first hand knowledge of British bees.)

breaker breaker what’s your 20

Blogging - will it become the next CB radio?

If you drove the US highways much in the 1970’s you probably had a CB radio or at least knew about them.  I remember borrowing one once for a road trip.

Similar to blogging, some people got deep into it and others just dabbled with it a bit.  CB radio even shared the broadcast feature of twitter but with a much more limited range.

I suspect twitter, Facebook, and Google+ has reduced and will keep reducing the blog traffic.  While thinking about this, I did a little searching of CB radio and found a long list of CB slang on wikipedia. 

CB radio has more terms than blogging.  Here’s a few “good” ones:

• "Zipper" –  painted dashed line dividing lanes
• "Steak on the Grill" / "Put a steak on the grill" – to hit a cow.
• "Seat Cover" – an attractive female passenger in a vehicle.
• "How many candles are you burning?" – Asking how old someone is.
• "Four Wheel Phone Booth" – Someone using a cell phone while driving.
• "Alice in Wonderland" – Someone who is lost or seeking directions

Any of you using CB radio?


Alice in Wonderland just put a steak on the grill.

another circus 

wait wait

 

Another spin cycle - this one covers routines or as I would say, creatures of habit. 

We all have routines at home and at work. I don't know how many times or how often you need to repeat something for it to be a routine. I have a Saturday routine that a few years ago was slightly different. So can a routine change and still be a routine? Depends I guess. 

Anyway back to Saturdays - I became a fan of a public radio show called "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". Any long time reader of this blog may remember past posts that were based on stories from this show. 

So with my fresh cup of coffee I sit down and listen to this hour long radio quiz show. I don't even take phone calls during the show. The show creates games based mostly on the funny/odd parts of the news. They typically can get some interesting guest to play their 'not my job' game. Their guests have ranged from old rock stars to Supreme Court justices. Back in 05, they had Obama on the show (then Senator Obama). 

But our routines often need to change because the world around us changes. A few years ago I had a daughter studying in Cairo (actually my blog routine can be traced back to that) and it became routine for me to call her over an internet phone (VOIP we used Gizmo but now most people refer to it as Skype). It was great to be able to talk and update each other. After a year she returned and that routine changed (now I can just go up to her room and yell at her - just kidding) 

Another changing force is technology. The show is podcasted (MP3 file) so I have listened to a few missed shows though my computer. This would allow me to completely change my Saturday routine but I resist without really knowing why.