Nor that O. Henry was a wanted and later convicted embezzler.
I didn’t see that coming.
So, the candy bar wasn’t named for the author!
A surprising fact about a British bird, the Jay. I’ve been caught out by American birds with British names before, so just to be clear the fella I’m talking about is basically a crow in party clothes.
We saw one with an acorn today. I have never really thought about what Jays eat before but - a crow that eats acorns? Really?
Well, as it turns out, very much so.
Acorns are the staple food for Jays during the autumn months and individual birds may travel some distance to find a supply. Birds may be seen collecting the acorns, with three or four carried in an adapted gullet and one more held in the bill. The acorns are usually taken away from the immediate vicinity of the oak to be cached elsewhere, typically in a hole that the Jay has made in the ground with its beak.
A different type of flying squirrel. Who know?
j
The German name for this bird gives it away: it’s called “Eichelhäher”, literally “acorn jay”.
I’ve never tasted an acorn but according to the video below they’re quite bitter due to tannins and they can hurt your stomach. Despite that, members of native tribes used to eat them. The trick: soak them in water to leach out the tannins.
That’s splendid. I suspect this will be one of those facts I take with me to the grave…
j
Acorn consumption is probably more widespread than you think. The Korean dish dotorimuk is delicious.
Definitely more widespread; I figured it was zero. I don’t get into Korean markets often but I’ll keep an eye out for that.
I was out golfing and an acorn fell, hit the path and bounced quite literally right into my hand. Right there was a squirrel. I said, “Here you go Mr. Squirrel.” and hand-fed him the acorn. That’s my only interesting acorn fact.
Last night I learned that Muslims (or anyone who follows a strict no alcohol diet) can’t have baked goods with vanilla extract in it. A couple came in to the bakery looking for a goodie and said they can’t have anything with vanilla extract in it. So we went around reading all of the ingredients for everything till I found them something with no vanilla. They ended up getting a fruit flan and were extremely appreciative that I took their request seriously and helped them.
IIRC, the advice from the Prophet was “if a gallon will intoxicate, then a single drop is forbidden”.
And I knew that humans in some times and places have eaten acorns, but I don’t think it’s ever a staple, usually more like starvation food. Or occasionally a starvation food that became traditional among the survivors.
There’s a difference between ‘strict’ and ‘ritualistic’, and the Muslims I know personally follow the ‘strict’ line, not the ‘ritualistic’ line.
Not quite stumbled since I went to look up my facts deliberately, but it was triggered by stumbling on the post just above mine:
Watching the Classic Albums 'Making of Dark Side of the Moon" and Roger Waters looks and sounds like an older version of Eddie Redmayne.
Ok so it’s not a fact but it is true.
Two iconic British musical compositions were first performed in Dublin, Ireland: The Messiah oratorio, and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
I believe that as much as I believe that the candy bar Baby Ruth wasn’t named after the ball player Babe Ruth, or that Yogi Bear wasn’t named after Yogi Berra. Or that Skippy peanut butter wasn’t named after the comic strip “Skippy”.
Which is to say, not at all.
People will say anything to avoid having to pay royalties.
I mean, “Yogi Bear” wasn’t named after “Yogi Berra”? Really? How many other things sound even close to “Yogi Berra”?
This morning Mrs Trep shouted downstairs to me: The jay’s back!
Me: Where?
Mrs Trep: Outside the back door, to the right.
Me: Oh yes. The German’s Eichelhäher.
Mrs Trep: …What??
Me: The German name for them - Eichelhäher. Means acorn jay.
Mrs Trep: …Uh…right…
I didn’t tell her how I knew. If you ask me, it’s these small moments of mental cruelty that make a marriage work.
j
Glad to have given a modest contribution to the health of your marriage 
. Really, I laugehd 
.