The Hooverville Hexagon: Travel, Technology, More Goats

 

 

On the Road Again

by Caiman Raptor Elk

 

Confusing Sign

 

Yesterday I came across this sign while cycling through the city of Essen, Germany. They forgot to mention the distance when travelling in that direction. I checked, and it is 6361 km. (Unless they really meant the theatre around the corner).

Caiman

 

Editor: I looked up GOP Essen: it's one of a chain of dinner theatres that started in the Georgspalast in Hannover, which is a historic landmark with a rich history that includes performing music the Nazis didn't like. For some reason 'GOP' is short for 'Georgspalast'. Ask somebody from Hannover.

 

In case anybody from outside the US is interested, 'GOP' as a political designation stands for 'Grand Old Party' and was adopted along with the elephant as branding for the Republican Party. Newspapers picked the abbreviation up because in the Dark Ages of print journalism, ink cost money and headline space was at a premium.

I also noticed an advert for Mövenpick (ice cream, probably). I always assumed the ice cream was called that because that nemesis of everyone in the UK, the seagull (Möwe in German), was forever stealing it. Apparently, the Swiss who named the hotel and restaurant chain was impressed by the birds' ability to catch food in flight. Their ice cream was so popular (think Howard Johnson's, old people in the US) that it became a European favourite.

 

Deprecated Word of the Day

'Journey'

 

You all know someone who has posted online about their personal 'journey'. Their 'writing journey'. Their 'scrapbooking journey'. Even, heaven help us, their 'journaling journey'. Just now I saw John Oliver mimicking a lady whose elaborate nails he admired. He imagined somebody asking her to open a can of soda. Wagging an imaginary manicure, he crooned, 'That isn't my journey.'

 

Caiman doesn't email me about his 'journeying journey'. Thanks, friend.

 

Science History Corner

by DG

 

 

Video of the Day:

Goats and Crows

An important conversation

(DG)

 

I don't know what they said. I don't have a translation app.

 

Picture Puzzle: Answer

by Tavaron

 

These trees are not dead. But what are the markings for? It's the scars from collecting resin from a black fir tree. The bark was removed and the V-shaped grooves are from something like a funnel made from two pieces of wood. A glass or clay 'cup' would hang below to collect the resin, which has many uses.

 

 

cul8ter, Dmitri Gheorgheni, Editor