Crayola Log Cabin

 

In 1889, Édouard Michelin and his brother André Michelin were running a farm implement business in France. One day, a cyclist stopped by with a pneumatic tire that needed repair. The repair took a couple of days, in part because tires in those days were glued to their rims. Édouard came up with a better way – a removable pneumatic tire – which the brothers patented. Before long, they owned rubber plantations in Vietnam and were supplying tires for all sorts of vehicles. In an attempt to get people to wear out their tires faster (and need to buy more) Michelin published guidebooks, providing directions to hotels, gas stations, garages, and especially restaurants. Eventually, they started adding star ratings to their guides. One star meant an eatery was worth a stop; two meant it was worth a detour. Three stars meant the place was worth a separate trip. Michelin invented gastronomic tourism to make us burn more rubber.

Give It a Whirl

 

Here's another elephant story: Tuffi, a female Asian elephant born in 1946, was part of a publicity stunt gone wrong in West Germany in 1950. Franz Althoff, whose enormous circus bore his name, planned to advertise his show by having his young elephant ride the suspended monorail train in Wuppertal. He invited several journalists and photographers, so the ride would be well-documented. But the motion of the carriage was frightening, as were the push and noise of the crowd. Tuffi reacted, broke through the side of the rail car and fell ten meters into the Wupper River. She wasn’t badly hurt, but several journalists were banged up, and one camera destroyed. Somehow, not a single one of the photographers captured a shot of the fall. Even today, three-quarters of a century later, you can buy postcards with a picture that looks like an elephant falling from the suspended train. But it’s merely a photomontage – one image superimposed on another.

Coffin Star

 

“He’s 1,100 pounds of baby fat, eats too much and too often. The only reason he doesn’t eat more is he’s too busy sleeping. He only does what he wants to do, exactly when he wants to do it. He lays against the back of the starting gate like he’s in a hammock in the Caribbean. When he finally does get out of the gate, it takes him forever to find his stride.” – Lucien Laurin, Secretariat's trainer

Secretariat was an unusual horse. His heart was three times the size of an average horse’s heart, giving him a huge advantage. He had a wider stride than most racehorses. He was the ninth winner of the triple crown, and still holds the record for speed in all three races. This year’s Kentucky Derby was all about Secretariat, though he’s been dead thirty-six years. You see, every one of this year’s competitors descended from the world’s greatest racehorse.

Teal String Block

 

“The Lord entrusts today’s bearers of the priesthood of Aaron to do very much the same things they did anciently: to teach and to administer ordinances—all to remind us of His Atonement. When deacons, teachers, and priests help with the sacrament, they receive its blessings just like everyone else: by keeping the covenant they make as they individually partake of the bread and the water. But in the performance of these sacred duties, they also learn more about their priesthood roles and responsibilities. The Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood partly because its ordinances allow them to experience the weight and the joy of being on the Lord’s errand, preparing them for future priesthood service, when they may be called upon to minister in unforeseeable ways—including pronouncing inspired blessings in times when hopes and dreams, and even life and death, hang in precarious balance.” – President Steven J. Lund

Spinning Spools

 

I’m not really a fan of public art. Quite often, it’s only art because the artist says it is. It seldom actually improves the scenery, and often begs to be graffitied. But there are exceptions. November 2, 2020, a Dutch metro train broke through the end of an elevated track in the Netherlands. Instead of crashing to the ground thirty feet below, the train was caught and held aloft by a massive sculpture of a whale’s tail. The tail was one of a pair, installed in 2002 near the De Akkers train station in Spijkenisse, just outside of Rotterdam. Officials weren’t really sure what caused the partial derailment. There was damage to the track, the train and the sculpture, but there were no human casualties. As it happened, the driver was the only person aboard at the time of the accident. The best part of the story? The artist named his piece: “Saved by the Whale’s Tail.” 

Red String Block

 

You've probably heard this before. It may be time to hear it again:

First, they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

 

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

 

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

 

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

 

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

 

-          Adapted from the work of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Thirteen LeMoyne Stars

 

John has a temporary crown for couple of weeks, so soft foods are the order of the day. He’s also trying to limit carbs, so planning meals is tricky. I’ve found a few recipes that should keep us all satisfied.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

5 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

32 ounces chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sherry (I skipped this, and it was fine. If you use cooking sherry, omit the salt.)

 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir in broth, cream, and cheese. Reduce to a low simmer. Add sherry and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until cheese dissolves, about 45 minutes.