FUN TO KNOW

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- OCTOBER 5, 2024

In these trying times it seems like every news report and conversation is dripping with gravitas. To combat all this solemnity, it's fun to know a few things that are not all that important. Lightening a somber mood can be rewarding. 

For instance, it's physically impossible to hum while pinching your nose. “While we might think of humming as a sound that emanates from our mouth and lips, we actually produce this sound by sending air from the voice box to the nasal cavity and out through the nostrils. Thus, when we pinch our noses, there’s nowhere for the air to travel, and the vibration and corresponding sound stops.” Caught you! You're trying it now. (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/you-cant-hum-while-holding-your-nose/)

When you do hum, what tunes are your favorites? History Facts has a nifty list giving the top song from the year you were born. “Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, and it’s easy to spend hours reminiscing about days gone by. It’s especially fun to look back at the music that was popular during our childhood.” When I was born the chart topper was “Heartaches” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo Tanner. 

You can also check out songs from other parts of your life, like the year you graduated from high school. For me it was “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Check the list at: https://historyfacts.com/arts-culture/article/the-most-popular-song-the-year-you-were-born/.

Speaking of nostalgia, while I was growing up a refreshing gulp of Faygo Red Pop was always a treat. This brings a controversy to the fore. Why was it pop and not soda? 

“The issue is so persistent that there are statistical projects and linguistic studies devoted to it, with breakdowns revealing that 'soda' is the preferred nomenclature in California, Hawaii, Florida, the Southwest, most of the Northeast, and a few parts of the Midwest. 'Pop,' meanwhile, is the go-to for pretty much the rest of the upper half of the country, spanning from Ohio in the Midwest to Oregon and Washington on the West Coast. Then there’s 'Coke,' which is what folks in the South call it — even if it isn’t actually Coca-Cola.” (https://wordsmarts.com/soda-pop/)

Sometimes pop and a cookie make a tasty combination. If you like Oreos, you might think twice about reaching into a cookie jar after you read this tidbit. “The Trapdoor Ravine Spider is a fascinating and unusual looking spider that can be easily identified by its flat butt that looks like an oreo cookie. If you were to pick it up the rest of the spider would become visible. They have robust fangs for chomping down on prey.”

Luckily, these beauties are not found in this part of the country. They live in the southeastern United States and are prevalent in Georgia. Even so, now you'll be thinking of these every time you dive into a jar of Oreo cookies. (https://boingboing.net/2024/09/14/trapdoor-ravine-spiders-butt-easily-mistaken-for-oreo-cookie.html)

On the taste front, there's something on the horizon that could be interesting. “M&M's first new flavor innovation since 2022 will be here in December: Peanut Butter & Jelly M&M’s. The new bite-sized candies feature a berry-flavored chocolate treat with a smooth peanut butter center. Combining all three can only mean delicious things.”

A press release notes: “It's officially candy season. It's the glorious time from fall all the way until New Year's when you can eat as many sweets as you like in the name of Halloween, Christmas, and every other holiday in between.” (https://www.allrecipes.com/new-m-and-ms-flavor-september-2024-8714675)

The upcoming holiday season ushers in a change in the weather. When it comes to predicting snowfall, there is good news for Michigan. “Lake-effect snow detection will get better; Michigan is getting three new weather radars. Currently, we only have four weather radars in Michigan. A private company is about to install more radars around Michigan to help fill the gaps.”

“Chris Goode, founder and CEO of Climavision, says three Michigan radars will be added to his radar network. One radar will be located near Toledo, Ohio. A second radar is slated for somewhere around the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland area.”

The third radar location is important for our local area. “The final radar currently slated for Michigan will cover another key hidden lake-effect snow area in northwest Lower Michigan. A radar around the Frankfort area or Leelanau County would give a great view of lake-effect snow from Pentwater, Ludington and Manistee northward to Cadillac, Frankfort, Leelanau County, and the Traverse City area.” (https://www.mlive.com/weather/2024/08/tornado-lake-effect-snow-detection-will-get-better-michigan-getting-3-new-weather-radars.html)

Finally, winter weather means hibernation for bears. To get ready, this is the time of year they are fattening up for their long nap. This is a big deal up in Alaska where they are in the middle for Fat Bear Week. If you want to vote on something that's fun rather than serious, this is your chance. 

“Vote for the fattest bear of the year! Some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Brown bears get fat to survive and Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating their success in preparation for winter hibernation. Matchups are open for voting until October 8 between 12 - 9 PM Eastern.”

The contest is run on the same format as the March Madness college basketball scenario. “This is a single elimination tournament. For each match-up, vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears. The bear with the most votes advances to the next round. Only one will be crowned Fat Bear Week champion.

Meet the bears, fill out your bracket, predict your fat bear winner, and campaign for your candidate.” All the details are at: https://explore.org/fat-bear-week. May the chubbiest bear win!

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.