# More Staff Reports from Moi **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 19, 2001, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559 "2001-03-19T06:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/1 "2001-03-19T06:20:02Z")
I obviously need to finish this stack of staff reports I’m working on. Here are some of the topics: How do flamingos in the zoo retain their pink color? Where do Mexican Jumping beans come from and what are they? Where did the word “Pickaninny” come from and is it a demeaning term? Can a penny on the railroad track derail a train? How old is the sport of surfing? What do the lyrics to “La Cucaracha” mean? Any votes/encouragement for which I should tackle first? I am fighting some paralyzing laziness lately and need a kick in the rear to submit some stuff. - Jill ---
**Author:** ![Xgemina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/b5e925/32.png) [@Xgemina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xgemina)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/2 "2001-03-19T06:34:28Z")
Initially I thought “penny on the railroad tracks” would be the one to do, but that’s probably 'cause I’m a guy and trains and wrecks naturally appeal to my frame of mind. However, I did not realize that pink flamingos can loose their “pinkness,” therefore, I am now conflicted…(of course posting at 12:30 a.m. Monday morning could be a contributing factor) Can I vote for two? ---
**Author:** ![Soda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Soda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soda)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/3 "2001-03-19T11:01:32Z")
I’d say go with the pink flamingos, simply because the answer is simple. They are fed carotene, carrots and such. Well, probably not whole carrots, I don’t know if a flamingo would enjoy that, but it’s probably mixed in their Flamingo Chow. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/4 "2001-03-19T13:47:30Z")
My vote is for the marijuana smoking cockroach. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/5 "2001-03-19T14:05:25Z")
I’d love to know about the penny/train issue. And as **Soda** said, the answer to the flamingos one seems pretty obvious (but that’s not always the case, is it?). ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/6 "2001-03-19T14:12:36Z")
Talking about too much time on one’s hands… Flamingos are filter feeders, if you have ever seen one up close pay attention to their beak, they’re quite the adaptation for straining your lunch from the pond. [http://www.chantec5.co.uk/animaluk/articles/flamingo/flamingo.html](http://www.chantec5.co.uk/animaluk/articles/flamingo/flamingo.html) Pickaninny might be good, one could get into the origins and rascist aspects of the word. What jumping beans are would appeal to the kids and kids at heart, I remember being able to buy them as a kid. [La Cucharacha](http://www.send4fun.com/cucharachap.htm#a) is what happens when one writes songs after too much mezcale. If I keep this up you’ll have to find something else to tackle… ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/7 "2001-03-19T14:24:03Z")
JillGat, There was a recent [GQ Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=60167) on railroad track penny squishing, so maybe you can crib from the Teeming Millions and get that out easily. Bill P.S. How’s life in the post-mod world? ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/8 "2001-03-19T14:26:22Z")
Just checking in, **JillGat** , to vote for pickaninny and to say that after only a few hours of sleep, seeing this subject line made my eyes widen (oooh, it hurts…). I thought I had pulled a Fight Club, going to work at a museum 9-5, then staying up all hours and functioning as a SD staff person, scouring the Web and making appearances at libraries across the country, where the matronly women behind the reference counter all gave me a knowing nod… Nevermind. Caffeine is truly a poor substitute for sleep. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/9 "2001-03-19T14:50:50Z")
But that’s only half the story, Feynn. The question was concerning how flamingos in the zoo keep their pink color. [http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ao/bird/chilflam.htm](http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ao/bird/chilflam.htm) > [@](#): > > The pink coloring comes from their diet which is rich in carotenoids, a red pigment found in shrimp like animals that are an important part of their diet. Without this their feathers would turn a dull buff color. [http://www.sfzoo.com/map.koalas.html](http://www.sfzoo.com/map.koalas.html) > [@](#): > > Coloring varies within a range of white to pink or salmon shades; this color is caused by carotene-rich foods. At the Zoo, the flamingos receive “Flamingo Fare,” a special diet that helps the birds retain their natural pink color (the Chilean species is smaller and paler than its relatives). [http://www.honoluluzoo.org/american\_flamingo.htm](http://www.honoluluzoo.org/american_flamingo.htm) > [@](#): > > The beautiful color of Flamingoes (and a number of other colorful birds) is acquired from their diet. The small crustaceans and algae that the flamingoes eat contain carotinoid and other natural pigments that are processed in the body and deposited in the growing feathers. (Carotene is one of the most common carotinoid pigments and is what makes Carrots and other vegetables orange in color.) Only specific red chemical compounds will color Flamingoes. This means that you can’t turn a Flamingo blue by feeding it blue colored food. At the zoo we add a product called Roxanthin Red to their food. This is what gives Flamingoes their bright “Pink” color. [http://www.zoofood.com/flamingo.shtml](http://www.zoofood.com/flamingo.shtml) > [@](#): > > FLAMINGO - FARE > Balanced diet for Fish-eating and Wading Birds > > including Flamingos, Scarlet Ibis and Roseate Spoonbills > > with Roxanthin Red, Carotene and other color enhancements > THE ANSWER > > TO YOUR FEEDING NEEDS! > > Economical, Precut > > Ready to Feed > Quality and Satisfaction Guaranteed > INGREDIENTS > > Meat By-Products, Poultry Meal, Fish Meal, Shrimp Meal, Dried Bakery Products, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Wheat Germ, Wheat Bran, Dried Kelp, Ground Barley, Wheat Shorts, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Whey, Crushed Roasted Peanuts, Alfalfa Meal, Spirulina, Ground Oyster Shell, Water, Dehydrated Bluegrass, Salt, Concentrated Carotene, Canthaxathin Beadlets (Roxanthin Red 10), Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Propionate, Vitamin A Acetate with D-activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vitamin D-3), Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Choline Chloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), P.Amino benzoic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Sulfur, Iron Carbonate, Manganous Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide, Magnesium Sulfate, P-Aminobenzoic Acid, Folic Acid, Sulfur, Biotin, Natural and Artificial Flavors. I love the Internet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/10 "2001-03-19T14:55:48Z")
I hereby nominate **Duck Duck Goose** to be a Staff Member and perhaps help with **Jill’s** obvious back log! I mean, let’s see. **DDG** likes to do research. She can be thoughtful and thought-provoking. She’s detail oriented… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/11 "2001-03-19T22:37:11Z")
Finish the damn flamingo one! That one’s been hanging around _at least_ five months. (Aside from my _personal_ interest in seeing it come out! :mad: ) I may be able to give you some help on La Cucaracha too, if you want it. _Viva Pancho Villa!_ ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/12 "2001-03-20T00:15:31Z")
I vote for “How old is the sport of surfing?” btw, I could swear that La Cucaracha was tackled in GQ not too long ago, but don’t quote me on that. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/13 "2001-03-20T04:33:09Z")
Pennies on the track (I even have a picture), _la cucaracha_ (with its millions of verses), pickaninny (which wasn’t originally racist) and jumping beans are easy. I just haven’t taken the time to write them up in my charming style. I got all the stuff, though. The flamingo one is actually way more complicated, just because I have dozens of stories I want to add. And stop trying to answer the questions here, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/14 "2001-03-20T19:23:50Z")
Well, just to add something vaguely related to the pink flamingo question (which looks like has been pretty well answered already) – The same thing happens with farm-raised salmon. Wild salmon get their beautiful pink flesh tone from eating crustaceans. Salmon farmers have to add special additives to their fish chow so that their product looks like salmon instead of cod. I’ll leave it to DDG to dig up the actual magic ingredients in Purina True-Color Salmon Chow ™. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/15 "2001-03-21T02:16:16Z")
It’s all carotene. Just ask Colibri. ---
**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/16 "2001-03-21T13:32:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JillGat \* > **Pennies on the track (I even have a picture)** You have a picture of a train being derailed by a penny? Definitely do that one first. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/17 "2001-03-21T14:04:29Z")
Well, not quite. But there’s a picture of a penny on the track. And there’s a picture of a train. The picture of the penny on the track is dubious, though. The shadow of the penny is not visible on the track, which makes it suspect as just as hoax. There never was a penny on the track. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/18 "2001-03-21T14:14:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > **I hereby nominate Duck Duck Goose to be a Staff Member and perhaps help with Jill’s obvious back log!** :eek: My God, Dan, what did I ever do to _you_? Seriously, though, my Nearest and Dearest already think I spend WAAAYYY too much time doing this. “Are you _still_ doing that?” they inquire in exasperation. In vain do I plead the slow loading times. They know better–I’m a Straight Dope addict (“dope”, get it?) Arnold once correctly referred to the SDMB as his “mistress”. I beg to differ–at least a mistress can be discarded when one tires of her, but the SDMB clings like a monkey to one’s back. 😃 **Quercus** , much as I’d love to help out, in the interest of my family’s mental health I’m gonna have to limit myself to posting a WAG–“roxanthin beadlets”–and then forcing myself to walk away. See, here I go… I’m leaving now… really… bye ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/19 "2001-03-21T14:26:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > Seriously, though, my Nearest and Dearest already think I spend WAAAYYY too much time doing this. “Are you _still_ doing that?” they inquire in exasperation. In vain do I plead the slow loading times. They know better–I’m a Straight Dope addict (“dope”, get it?) > > Arnold once correctly referred to the SDMB as his “mistress”. I beg to differ–at least a mistress can be discarded when one tires of her, but the SDMB clings like a monkey to one’s back. 😃 \*\* Well… If there is a question or a debate, I know you never seem to rush in and make a quick statement. Nearly every post I’ve read of yours is full of research and cites. I’d have to think you do more work answering questions and offering opinions than most people on this board (including, but not limited to, myself!), and that’s a commendable quality for a Staff Member. Also, anyone who is not on the Internet on a regular basis will always say something like, “Why are you _still_ on there? Don’t you have other things to do?” They don’t realize this is both educational AND entertaining. A whole lotta entertaining. And finally - “mistress”? You can’t always discard a mistress when you tire of her, for then she sues your ass for neglect. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559/20 "2001-03-22T00:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > There never was a penny on the track. I heard the penny had help, and that there probably was more than one penny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-staff-reports-from-moi/58559.md?page=2)