...I Suffer From Malapropism.

Malapropism is when you use a word incorrectly in place of a similar sounding word. It isn't "you're" instead of "your" or "they're" instead of "their", that's just bad grammar. Its saying "Self-depreciating" when its "Self-deprecating". They're meant to have a humourous outcome as any late night comic/TV show displayed for us constantly a few years ago. Remember this guy:

Malapropism Accomplished

He used them all the time, and not on purpose. It seemed like every speech he made he flubbed. "If the terriers and bariffs are torn down, this economy will grow." or "Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results." Dan Quayle ("Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.") and Yogi Berra ("Texas has a lot of electrical votes") are two other people who unintentionally made them. Shakespeare used them on purpose for various literary devices such as foreshadowing.

I was using malaproisms before they were cool.

My family also suffers from it. The best example I can come up with was during a game of Monopoly with the family. It was down to my grandparents, and my grandma had landed on a square with a hotel. She was done for, but her stubbornness wouldn't allow her to admit defeat. She had sole and mortgaged everything but still kept trying to find a way to not lose. My grandpa had had enough and asked 'Well, do you conceive?" We had a good laugh at that. I can think of two that most people use very often: 'Do you take interact?" instead of 'Interac' and when people say 'for all intensive purposes' instead of 'for all intents and purposes'.

You're screwed.

And that is what I learned today.

Bonus Fact:
-A Mondegreen is when something is misheard instead of being missaid. Elton John's 'Bennie and the Jets' is a good example. No one knows the lyrics to that....

...Some Australian Slang.

I watched the Australian series Wilfred the other day. Not all of it in one day mind you, but over the period of a few. Its about a guy (Adam) who moves in with his girlfriend and her dog. Everyone except Adam and the audience sees the dog as a regular dog, but we see a man dressed in a dog suit. It sounds ridiculous, and it is, but it's also pretty good. You might know it since they also made a American version of it with Elijah Wood.

Not that Wilfred. 

The dog, Wilfred, smokes and drinks and will have sex with pretty much everything (he is a dog after all). After a while I started to notice that he used the word 'root' as a verb. It took me a little while longer to realize that it was a euphemism for 'fuck'. In all senses of the word. Wilfred kept saying 'he was in the mood for a root' or 'give her a root' and I thought he literally meant a root. From a tree or something. Dogs like to dig stuff up don't they?

Doesn't look sexual at all.

Some other slang I came across that I enjoy:
Back of Bourke : a very long way away
Banana bender : a person from Queensland
Billy : teapot. Container for boiling water.
Bush telly : campfire
Dunny : outside lavatory
Jumbuck : sheep
Lunch, who opened their? : OK, who farted?
Snag : a sausage
Tinny : can of beer
Wog : flu or trivial illness
There were a lot of short forms too:
Ambo : ambulance, ambulance driver
Avos : avocados
Bizzo : business ("mind your own bizzo")
Compo : Workers' Compensation pay
Doco : documentary
Garbo : municipal garbage collector
Kero : kerosene
Polly : politician
Rellie or relo : family relative
Vejjo : vegetarian

And that is what I learned today.

More things about vinegar.

...Other Names for the 7 Dwarfs.

Nifty, Snappy, Awful, Sniffy, Woeful, Dizzy, and Baldy. Those could have been the 7 brave dwarfs that helped a poor white girl hide from her ultamite doom. These were some of the names that Disney executives came up with in 1937 for their new moving picture show Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Oh! The woe-manity!

What's funny to me is that these professional gentlemen all sat around at a meeting table, smoking cigarettes, and discussed each name and their merits, how easy they'd be to draw (not sure what Doleful looks like), and how easy they roll off the tounge. Some of my favourites: Biggo-Ego, Burpy, Hickey, Jaunty, Neurtsy, Shorty, Sneezy-Wheezy, Strutty, and Wistful. You can see the whole list here.

All those for 'Juanty' say aye...

Snow White was popularized by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. It wasn't until 100 years later when adaptd for Broadway did the dwarfs get any names. They were: Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick, and Quee. Disney's version was the very first full length animated feature ever produced and gave the dwarfs the names we are familiar with. It was also Disney's first full length movie and is the only traditional animated movie to be on the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies of All Time list at #34 (Toy Story is the only other animated film at #99).

Not the Snow White I remember

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-Wellington Wheat beer tastes like crap.

...Who Dr. Who's Next Companion Will Be.

Its her.

Who?

Jenna-Louise Coleman will accompany the doctor on his new adventures starting Christmas. I know its a long way away, but the BBC is currently filming the newest season of Dr. Who and she wasn't cast by the time all the writing was done. What I find curious is that the Doctor's current companion makes her exit in episode 5 (of a 13 episode season). So I'm not sure what will happen. The Doctor needs a companion (more on that later) so maybe he'll get a dog or something.

Oh....wait....

I've said it before and I know when I say it this time it won't make a difference, but watch the show. It's science fiction at its purist so I know a lot of people won't like it. One of the best single episodes of TV I've seen was from this show and it was a great stand alone episode to boot. Meaning they didn't go into the big story line the season follows or in depth into the Doctor's history. A simple, witty, and terrifying episode ('Blink'-S3E10 staring Carey Mulligan).

Sally Sparrow - Scary shit.

Skip this part if you aren't interested anymore:

The Doctor is the last survivor of an advanced race called The Time Lords. A long time ago they were involved in a war with the Daleks and he set off the last time bomb that destroyed both races. He travels in what's known as a TARDIS which can take him to any point in time or space. It's broken, which is why it looks like a police box. Normally it blends in to it's current surroundings and was shaped as the police box when it broke, so its stuck. He travels with a companion and a new one is picked every few years or so. Having spent thousands of years in isolation he went a bit mad. The human companion keeps him grounded and prevents him from getting too dangerous. He always finds trouble where ever he goes and ends up saving planets and lives by using his wits. He has 13 lives, and each time he dies he regenerates into a totally new Doctor. He has all his memories still but his looks and personality changes. This was just a clever trick producers used when an actor wouldn't commit to another season and they had to explain the switch in actors.

It could happen...

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-I REALLY HATE PRINTERS
-A lot can change in a year.

...Ants Weigh as Much as Humans.

Well, not directly. If you were to take the weight of all the ants on earth, it would weigh the same as all of the humans on earth. Pretty crazy, I think. If I were to make a top ten list of the most fascinating animals, Ants would be on it.

That shit still makes me cry.

Easiest way to do this is to list off a bunch of facts:
-They evolved from wasps and bees a very long time ago. 130 million years or so.
-They are social insects and each ant has a set and specific role to play in the colony.
-They operate as a superorganism. Each ant operating to better the colony as a whole not its own self-interests.
-Studies have shown some species have rudimentary forms of agriculture.
-They are found practically everywhere! Except for Antarctica and a few very remote islands.
-They don't have lungs (like many insects I just discovered) and oxygen passes through their exoskeleton.
-Their pheromones are incredible. They leave scent trails to food sources. When one dies  by being crushed it emits an 'emergency' scent that tells other ants danger is close. They also inform other ants what their job is (drone, warrior, defender, etc.)
-There are an estimated 22,000 species of ant with only a little over half that have been identified. There are about 10,000 trillion of them. Bonus: There are about 27x as many termites on earth. Meaning all the termites weigh much more than all the humans. They are the largest single contributer to CO2 levels in our atmoshpere.

In short they are pretty cool. If you have time watch this.

Or this



But if you are only going to watch one, make it this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gIx7LXcQM&feature=related

Can't get video to embed.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-My spelling and grammar might be coming out weird on this thing. Sorry, I'm usually pretty good. But considering the site www.blogger.com says 'blog' isn't a word, the spell check hasn't been reliable.

...I Hate Printers.

I often make a joke to any guests I talk to about computers or electronics. When the debit machine goes down or the wireless is on the fritz, to lighten the mood I say: 'These are supposed to make life easier'. I get a polite laugh, as I often do with most of my jokes, but it is a joke. Computers have made life easier and changed the way we do many things.......except for printers.......the Devil's device.

He's a real thing...

I never really liked them before but today I learned I hate them. I have to use them for my job (like most of us) to print reports and spreadsheets and letters and other things of that nature. At the front desk we have 5 at our disposal. 2 don't work, one clogs if you try and print more than 3 pages, and one isn't connected to the LAN for the hotel. Having broken equipment around isn't new to any company but this leaves us with one, good working printer. And we use it A LOT, so it stands to reason that with so much wear and tear it'll break soon enough. And its starting to.....

Prick.

I had to take the thing apart twice. And I mean a-part. To the point where I wasn't sure if I'd be able to put it back together. But the Luck Gods were on my side and its back together for now. I heard the new boss at Apple wants to revolutionize printers the same way they did everything else we use. I'm all for it. It's the one piece of hardware I think has gotten worse over the years. With the old Dot Matrix model you had feeder holes on the side (to prevent jamming), cheap ink (the cost is insane today), and in someways they're were smaller and easier to use.

I finally understand it.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-Photosynthesis. That's a lie.....I didn't learn about it. I tried to but it was so complex that I couldn't wrap my head around it. How a plant cell operates is staggering.

...People Tried To Make English Easier.

What I mean is that there was a movement to try and make reading and writing the english language easier. I've often heard that english is the hardest language to learn. Can't find anything that says this is true or not, but I bet it's up there. Most of us have taken french and I took a few years of spanish, and one thing I can tell you that makes them easier to learn is the set rules it has. In spanish a letter is pronounced the same no matter what. The letter 'c' is always said like "coo", always. Where in english it could be "coo" or "caa", paired with an 'h' its "kri" (christ) or "chur" (church).

Good one! LOL

As far back as 1768, Benjamin Franklin went to work on making it easier. He wrote a phonetic Alfabet where he took out the c, j, q, w, x and added 6 new consonants. The new letters were to replace consonant combinations, like the 'ch' listed above. Melville Dewey (of decimal system fame) also tried it along with Mark Twain. George Bernard Shaw left money in his will as a prize for whoever could make it work. His famous example is the word 'ghoti'. With our current understanding its pronounced 'fish', can you figure it out? The 'gh' as in 'rough', 'o' as in 'women', and 'ti' as in mention'. Although I think that is stretching it a bit too phar.

Stick to electricity Ben.

These attempts did make some progress. It's why the Americans no longer put the 'u' in 'colour' or 'odour', 'ph' has been changed to 'f' (sulfur, not sulphur), and a 'z' instead of an 's' (realize not realise). We Canadians of course are caught in the middle, going back and forth between the two. The reforms, if implemented, would help and make sense but we've been used to the way things are for too long now. Like the QWERTY keyboard. It's actually terribly inefficient. Originally it was layout different, it worked so well that typists kept jamming up the typebars. The layout was rearranged to slow it down, but at this point we are so used to it that changing it would suck.

Y'all betta read dis here book.

Bonus Fact: The rule 'i before e, except after c' isn't taught anymore. There are more instances where the rule doesn't apply as opposed to where it does.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-19th century uses for vinegar
-When you think a show is going to be boring, sometimes it isn't. 

...About the Battle of Alesia

I posted something about Julius Caesar just the other day and I probably will again. Ancient Rome is my favourite period in history and I can't get enough of the stuff. So further reading about Caesar led to a battle he once led that essentially gave him all of Europe. The Battle of Alesia was fought in Gaul (modern day France) against the many celtic tribes that lived in the area. When Caesar first entered Gaul he defeated any opposition with ease. The tribes of Gaul were scattered and had no military discipline or tactics to speak of. At one point they realized that if they banded together under one commander, their superior numbers would defeat the Romans.

If we were friends I'd call him Julie

A man called Vercingetorix led the tribes and successfully harassed the Roman army making progress in his campaign. The Romans persisted though and managed to push the tribes back to the hold of Alesia. As Vercingetorix retreated he burned everything he came across, aka a Scorched Earth policy. Farms, lands, forests, and animals didn't stand a chance. His plan was that once he reached Alesia he could stay inside its walls and eat the food saved on the inside while the Romans starved outside. He didn't destroy everything though, and the Romans managed to find food, however scarce. Alesia stood atop a large hill, and to either side of it ran two river valleys. To take it meant crossing at least one river, climbing the hill, then scaling the walls, all with horses and equipment weighing you down. It was clear the wait was on.

Easy peasy

To bide the time, Caesar ordered his troops to surround the hill with an 8 foot high, 18 km around, wall complete with guard towers every 80 meters. During construction, Vercingetorix would periodically send his cavalry to attack the Romans building the wall. But it kept going up. On top of the wall, the Roman also built two ditches which were 20 feet across and 20 feet deep. He used the river to flood them and added caltrops and wooded spikes on the bottom for good measure. In a last ditch effort before the wall was finished Mr. V sent some troops for help. Caesar then built another wall to keep the oncoming help away. So....to sum up.....The Romans were now between two giant walls keeping their enemy in one and out of the other.

Between a rock and a French place.

At last Vercingetorix's help came. As they attacked the outmost wall, Vercingetorix open up the gates and had his men attack the inner wall. The Romans were outnumbered 4 to 1 and morale was low. To rally the troops, Caesar donned his great red cloak and led the men himself to battle. The wall did its job, but had just one flaw. The Romans couldn't close the wall where it met the river and the Gauls tried to get in that way. And like a scene from 300 they all funnelled in to their slaughter. The Romans would win and Vercingetorix would surrender. Apparently the only reasons why the Romans accepted a surrender was because the men were too exhausted from killing to kill.

My bad, bro.

The last major obsticle had been taken away. Julius Caesar was free to conquor the continent. What's funny is that Rome would not grant Julius his victory parade through Rome for his achievment. He was so pissed that he marched back to Rome and started a civil war (which he won) and his continued lust for power led to his death. Some of the conspiritors of his murder actually fought with him at Alesia and so did Marc Antony.

Their names aren't even spelled the same. C'mon Google...

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED
-18th century uses for vinegar
-An iPod can hold about $8 billion worth of illegal downloads.
-Where the term 'Luck of the Irish' came from

...What Harems are Used For.

It's not what you think. When we hear the word 'harem' we tend to think it was a place where all sorts of sins took place. Everyone got high and had sex and ate and drank and just partied hard. Harems were about one thing and one thing only. Making babies.

Who's ready for some Sultan lovin'?

Harem is a Turkish word, changed slightly from the arabic words haram and/or haraam. All words essentially mean the same thing: "forbidden" and "holy site". Using the harem for sexual purposes was mainly a Turkish Islamic thing and as I said it was more about procreation than recreation. Heirs were very important to Sultans and they needed to make sure they had one. The best chance for this was to be polygamous and have many concubines. It was even used as a nursery and most male children lived there until 16 or so. Wives and kids were tended to by slaves or eunuch servants.

Nice digs.

It is debated amongst scholars, but it seems the heir wasn't depended on being first born and that all male heirs of a ruling family had equal claim to rule. This includes brothers and uncles. The heir was selected based on favour, in other words, who ever was the favourite among the ruling family. It was common practice for heirs to then kill or imprison all of their male relatives in order to have sole claim. Those imprisoned either went mad or became fat, lazy drunks. There's a story about one relative being locked away since birth to about 20 years of age. The ruling Sultan died and the seat then passed to this sheltered Sultan. He went mental, literally. To give a man nothing and then everything is not a good idea. This practice is one factor that contributed to the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Mmmm.....fraternicide.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-What American cheese is.

...About the Ides of March

We hear it at least once a year and depending on your high school English curriculum you might even know a little bit more about it. The Ides of March. I sorta knew a little bit about it mainly through indirect sources. I knew it meant the middle of the month and Julius Caesar was killed on that day. Turns out the "Ides" means a bit more than that.

You knew it was coming.

Julius Caesar shouldn't need much of an introduction. He was a Roman dictator and military tactician who conquered most of Europe. He was popular with many and hated by many. At the time of his death Rome had temporarily suspended the Republic for a Dictatorship. Caesar wanted the dictatorship permanent and keep the power all to himself. Some agreed, but most didn't. 60 roman senators led by Brutus planned his killing and did so in 44 BC. Ironically all the usurping led to the dictatorship lasting longer and causing more strife. "Beware the Ides of March" is a line from the play Julius Caesar by Bill Shakespeare. It was a warning to Julius who promptly dismissed it as hogwash.

You should have listened to that crazy guy.

Why is it called "Ides"? The Latin root for the word means 'divide', hence the middle of the month. At the time the Roman calendar was used and the Ides fell on the 15th of March, May, July, and October (all having 31 days). It fell on the 13th of the month the rest of the time (all having 30 days). The Ides usually was when any debts were due. Any loan payments or bill had to be paid. I have no clue if the murder taking place on the Ides was on purpose or not.

Nothing like a calm Roman funeral

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-I forget. it was a couple of days ago.

...How to Tie My Shoe.

I found a new (new to me anyway) website/web series called Put This On. The tag line is "A web series about dressing like a grownup", and I can't explain it any other way. I like fashion and I consider myself a fashionable guy. I don't have a machine that prints 50 dolla bills, so I make due with the cheap stuff I find at H&M or Winners. There are some good finds there and as long as you can buy stuff that fits and match colours it doesn't really matter where you shop. But I still look for pointers and try to figure out the latest trends.

Need a dickie?

As I was watching the episode on shoes a guy pops out of no where and says we've been tying our shoes wrong our whole life. And you know what....? He's right. Skip to the 8:15 mark if you're impatient.

I have no idea why I wasn't taught this as a kid. It makes you want to come up with a great quote like "God is in the details" or "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". Hell, maybe Da Vinci said that after figuring this out for himself. He's a pretty smart fellow.

Where are the laces?

Anyway, I was impressed by it. I even found a TED talk on it, so you know its legit.

Tying these laces might be a little tougher

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-The Bruins have lost 3 in a row, something they haven't done since October. Pundits are saying they'll be lucky if they make the playoffs.......ok......sure.....
-There's such a thing as a grapefruit spoon.

...The Encyclopedia Britanica is No More.

Another sad day for print. I'm pretty old fashioned when it comes to print. There's something about reading an actual book, magazine, newspaper, or comic book. Maybe it's the smell a new book has or the specific smell a National Geographic holds (I'm serious about that one. A friend told me NG has a certain smell to it than any other magazine, and its true), or the sound of newspaper being folded, or the feeling of turning a page when things get exciting and almost ripping the page in the process. Running your finger across a touch screen just doesn't have the same feel.

Mmmmm......paper.......

So it saddens me to say that I learned the 2010 edition of the Encyclopedia Britanica will be the last printed edition. From now on it will only be available on disc or online. But I get it. I haven't looked inside a volume, I haven't ever purchased a set, and/or used one in the library since computers started showing up in classrooms. In fact, I'm a little surprised the print version has lasted this long. And I'm sure we all know why its ending.

Damn you!

A new edition of The Encyclopedia Britanica is published every two years or so. The company has no difficulty finding contributors. People are knocking down the door for a chance wanting to put their exerience on their resume. They dominated the encyclopedia market for a little over 100 years. Sales peaked at $650 million during the early 90s and slowly declined since. In the mid-80s a new compnay called Microsoft wanted to partner with Britanica to produce a CD-ROM version of their text. Britanica balked saying the idea of a CD-Rom was a children's toy and their sales people would stand for selling them. Microsoft moved down the ranks of other encyclopedia companies and found a partner wth a nearly bankrupt Funk & Wagnalls (I think I had an edition of theirs as a kid). They released Encarta soon after and it became a hit.

So rad!

Britanica, realizing a CD-ROM might have a place in the market after all, decided to produce their own CD. They offered it for free along with a purchase of the print version, but if you only wanted the CD-ROM by itself, it only set you back a mere $1200. There were problems with the Britanica's sales force as well. The sales reps were trained in how to use the CD-ROM but when they showed up to the customer's house, they didn't know how to operate their computers. Once the internet came along, both Encarta and Britanica were defeated.

R.I.P.

Did Britanica make any mistakes? I'd argue no. The cancelation of their print edition was inevitable. It would have happened regardless. Upon hearing the news I chceked into buying a 2010 set. I'm afraid I don't have the $1400 ($1330 CAD.....boo yah!) for a set. No one even has a set on eBay yet, but I have a feeling prices for it just skyrocketed.

Looks like its just you and me kid.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-The Iditarod race has only been run for 40 years (thought it was more)
-Why chocolate is bad for dogs

...That my Schooling is Important.

Is that correct....Schooling? I also recognize the irony. Anyway, you know what I mean.

Most of you know that I work at a hotel here in Hamilton. If you didn't, I work in a hotel here in Hamilton. I like the hospitality business. I started working in restaurants and I really loved it, but I can't say I had a passion for it. But hotels I do. Not sure why yet, but its fun and I have yet to have a bad day working in one.

No, not that kind of bad day.

I just finished a 4 (.5) year course and now have a degree for business with a focus on Hospitality Operations Management with George Brown College. I've had some issues with the college over the past year or so, and lets face it, most of us did. But all in all I really enjoyed my time there. Met some amazing people, gained some wonderful experiences, and had some fantastic good times. The course is designed to look at all aspects of the industry. I took courses in marketing, economics, finance, stats, and accounting. I also had wine tasting, cooking, hospitality law, research methods, spanish, and best management practices. Essentially, when you're the top dog of a major player in the biz you'll know what everyone is talking about. During my first job at a hotel I found I was able to follow along in conversations my bosses were having. I'll be better able to understand your pencil pushers, sales reps, and housekeepers.

No me gusta.

I also had no illusions, despite what the recruiters kept saying, that once I graduate I'd go straight into a management position even with my limited experience. I knew going into the program all those years ago that I would start at the bottom. Why go to school then? With the schooling (still not sure if that's right...) I'd be able to work my way up the ladder quicker. When it comes time for a promotion my degree might give me the extra edge I need on top of my charm and good looks. And while room for advancement isn't great where I work I am finding that my education is starting to pay off. 

What have I done......?

I won't bore you with the many details, but in a way, the front desk is treated the same way as a cashier. The day is broken down into shifts (there are four) and at the end of each shift we count our till and deposit any money taken in during the shift. The issue arose when I closed my shift and the computer told me to deposit $67 when I didn't take any money in.

My computer actually looks like this.

I've been trying to figure out how to tell you what happens next, but I already write too much on this thing. Let's just say I understood what happened, how to fix it, and I knew what had to be done. It was because of school.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-Hula Hoops are banned in Las Vegas
-How to better untie a knot from a bag.

...About the Little Ice Age.

I sometimes watch an old BBC series called Connections. It's hosted by James Burke (the Jay Ingram of 1970s England) and he essentially shows how one idea/concept/event leads to another, then to another, and so on. For instance, in one episode he showed how the invention of the sewing machine led to the modern day computer. It's like 20 degrees of separation with inventions. One thing I find remarkable is he often talks about things that are very important today years before anyone would think it was an issue. He warns of climate change, resource depletion, and how technology has changed our lives (the fax machine was revolutionary back then). Bear with me for the next little bit.....

VS

In one episode he spoke of the Little Ice Age (LIA) and how it changed everything. It occured during the 1300s when temperatures dropped (not by huge amounts, but enough) around the globe. Oceans chilled and glaciers expanded. Ever wonder why Greenland is called Greenland when its covered in ice? The LIA is why. While it was never a lush garden full of pomegranates and pineapples it was much greener when it was originally named, before the glaciers made they're advance. The LIA came after the Medievel Warm Period (MWP) meaning the most of the people in northern Europe had not known what it was like to be cold or live through a winter. The LIA was most likely casued by a series of volcanic eruptions during the mid 1200s.

Of all the ice ages you're the cutest.

So, how did the LIA impact the lives of people during the 1300s and in what ways has it led to some of the things we have today? Pre-LIA most people lived in small huts and kept their fire pits outside. With the new cold weather people now had to spend more time indoors to keep warm. This led to fire places being put into rooms of homes. The chimney then allowed for fires to be lit in two different rooms, each fire using the same chute (usually the Lords and Ladies on one side, the servants on the other). You could also build more rooms on top of existing ones and still use the same chimney. Multi-level houses were born as were steps. People also found out how to use the rising hot air to turn turbines in the chimney and attached them to spits for roasting pigs. Food was cooked more evenly, and properly, and kept more of their nutrients leading to better health and longer lives. In certain Northern European areas grapes could no longer grow for wine so they turned to beer (Wine was made in parts of the UK at one time).

Where's the bear skin?

Staying indoors meant people needed to entertain themselves and an increase in reading, writing, and painting (there are a very very very few paintings depicting winter before the LIA but many after) happened. A new hobby called 'sewing' became popular now that they needed more clothes and tapestrys on the walls to keep out the cold air. Furnitute was now more functional and decorative. Population soared due to other 'hobbies' taking place. By this time glass windows became common since they kept the cold out and let light in. Glass makers needed tons of wood to keep up with the demand and the market was already under pressure due to all the new fire places. So they looked for wood elsewhere.....namely North America.

Got wood?

Wood was eventually seen as ineffiecient and they turned to coal for energy. Which led to better smelting techniques, which led to steam engines, and trains, and further exploration. Ironically all this lead to another climate disaster and you can probably figure out the rest.

And that is what I learned today.

OTHER THINGS I LEARNED:
-Malaria is Italian for 'bad air'. Doctors believeing it was an airborne sickness.
-The cuckoo clock was invented in Germany, in the Black Forest area. Some say because it was too dark to see the clock so they had to hear it instead.
-Its 'bear with me' not 'bare with me'
-OK Go is a really really good band.

...What a Melton Mowbray Is.

One 'theme' you'll be rading about here is how much I enjoy Hamilton. Every time I say it to someone I get a sneer and no one can believe I could say such a thing. Most people think the entire city of Hamilton is located within the steel mill you see while going over the bridge towards Niagara. But Hamilton is pretty great. They people are quite friendly, there is a great art scene, wonderful restaurants, and an impressive farmers market. This is where I inquired about the Melton Mowbray.

Also home to the Bird Egg Washing Festival

One of the few good things about doing the late shift is that I'm up in the morning. I'm kinda a morning person so it works well. I get to have brunch for dinner, get my favourite muffins (the Southwest Muffin from Mulberry St. Cafe. Its a corn bread muffin with jalepeno, sundried tomato, broccoli, corn, and cheddar cheese on top) warm from the oven, hit the stores before they get busy, and the LCBO opens at 9:30. I've been craving some Spanakopita for quite some time but haven't been able to find any here. I follow a blog called This Must Be The Place (if you want to see how cool Hamilton is check it out) and sent the author a Tweet where I could find some and she suggested the market.

I went to the Farmers Market at Jackson Square after my shift. It was probably odd that there was a man in a shirt and tie walking around at 8:30 in the morning, but considering how I look in it I'm sure no one minded. You know those people who wander around slowly and don't pay attention to their surroundings and annoy the hell out of you? That was me at the market this morning. Its a great market with all sorts of foreign foods, fresh meat, eggs, bread, and cheese. The prices are amazing and I'll now do most of my shopping there. I found, and bought, my Spanakopita after some time searching. I also purchased two empanadas and two chicken and mushroom pot pies. It all cost less than $15 but untold expense to my waistline.

Beware the pastry.....

I bought the pies at a british pie booth, as you might imagine, and that is where I noticed I could also purchase a Melton Mowbray. I had no idea what was in it, but it was another small pie and I asked the man what was in it. This is how he described it after asking what it is: "Well, the answer to that leads to a question. Have you ever eaten aspic (me: no.....)?  Well, its in head cheese if you've had that. But its pork fat, essentially. A pork pie is made then the fat is poured into the pie surrounding the filling. Its named after a town in England" It's typically served cold. How can you tell its a genuine Melton Mowbray? According to the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association it is usually cooked free standing, use fresh chopped pork (giving the meat a grey colour. Other pork pies use minced cured pork.), and must be well jellied.

The hard white bits of fat are my favourite

There it is. A Melton Mowbray. Interestingly enough, it has Protected Geographical Status. Its a legal status that protects regional food names due to their uniqueness. Much like the way Champagne and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are called such and have other names when produced outside their original territory (Sparkling Wine and Italian Hard Cheese respectively).

French fries don't count.

And that is what I learned today.

NEW FEATURE
Its been harder than I thought picking topics each day. There are things I learned yesterday I would have like to share, but I can only pick one. And I can't use something yesterday for today because that sorta defeats the purpose. So I'm going to jot down some other things I learned but won't explain them. Although I can provide one if asked.

Other things I learned:
-Babys have accents when they cry.
-A perfect hug is 3 seconds long.
-The phrase 'painting the town red' was originated in Melton Mowbray.   
-OK Go are pretty good.