Virtual Speed Bump

Here is something I've never seen before: A virtual speedbump

Note that there were no crossroads anywhere near these two stop signs pointing in opposite directions, on a Long Island residential neighborhood....  This was more effective on me than a real speedbump.

The Roaring 20s....

After two decades that I could barely name (the zeros and tens?  the "aughts"?  No one understands when I try to refer to the last two decades), we finally are back in the "roaring 20s"....

I had to celebrate with a "roaring 20s" party.

It turns out finger foods and gelatin were big back in the 20s, both were featured heavily in the menu.

Here are some homeade agar orange slices:

We featured a bunch of 20s inspired tunes, including "Postmodern Jukebox", who perform modern songs in an older style:

Everyone seemed to love this song:

Christmas Wonderland: Dyker Heights

If you live near New York, definitely make a trip during the holiday season to see the lights in Dyker Heights (South Brooklyn)....  

I grew up in Connecticut, and I don't think anyone there even knows what Dyker Heights is....  The holiday decorations are all put up by individual home owners, and viewing is free to see.

Prisencolinensinainciusol

Here's a weirdAwesome song....
Prisencolinensinainciusol, released 1972 by Adriano Celentano.

The guy doesn't speak English, but just sang gibberish in mock English for his local Italian audience.

Imagine reciting fake words with a French-like accent, and then calling that French.... 
Imagine the Swedish Chef from The Muppets.... 
Think of Andy Kaufman on Taxi speaking I-don't-know-what.

I actually *speak* English, and I am kind of amazed at how convincing the accent is....

Seedless Water?

"Seedless Watermelon" flavored water?

Marketers are silly....

I am glad I didn't accidentally grab a pitcher of the the "seeded watermelon" ....

Haagan Dazs Pistachio

Back in '86, I worked at the as an ice cream scooper at Haagan Dazs in the Danbury Fair Mall.  Back then, Haagan Dazs didn't have pistachio, and people always asked for it....

I don't know if it was company policy, or just something crazy our local manager told us to say, but the official response we were to give was "sorry, we don't make pistachio and never will, because Haagan Dazs doesn't use green food coloring".  Despite uttering this to customers multiple times myself, it always seemed a bit bat-crazy.  I mean, didn't anyone think to make pistachio ice cream *without the green food coloring*?

Here in 2017, I was amused to see the pistchio being offered at a local convenient store.  Of course I had to buy it, and wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see that it is, in fact, white.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House

I don't know what is weirder: that someone actually built a "Library/Opera House", that it is directly on top of the Canadian/USA border, or that it has the same name as my favorite computer programming language... *Whatever*, I like weird, so we had to visit.

Inside, the Vermont and Quebec line is clearly demarcated, severing the whole building.

Hmm, should I be offended that the toilet is on American soil??

Even odder is the flower-pot-international-border right outside the building:

Here you have it, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House: