Green Eggs and War

What do green eggs, American isolationism and Adolf Hitler all have in common? Obviously they are all subjects in Dr. Seuss' work. While Dr. Seuss was telling Americans what he saw on Mulberry street, he was also using political cartoons to not so subtly urge them to actually fight in the war instead of just watching it. Apparently this side of Dr. Seuss' career is pretty well known, but I guess I am out of the Dr. Seuss loop. Here is a sample of his work...I especially like the last one.








Have you ever wondered why everyone hated the Nazis so much, besides the fact they were intolerant killing machines? I think it is because Disney told them to. Not one to be left out of the action or miss an opportunity to make a little money, Walt Disney churned out wartime propaganda films just to make sure everyone was on the same page in hating the Nazis and supporting the war. After all, Total War means that even cartoon characters have to do their part.

Donald Duck dreams he is a Nazi


The A-list of Disney characters reminds Canada to buy war bonds


How a Nazi is made

Sideburns

Have you ever stopped to wonder where the word sideburn comes from? Chances are, you probably don't care, but I am going to tell you anyways. The very handsome man pictured above is none other than Ambrose Burnside, a Union general in the American Civil War. He was obvioulsy blessed with the ability to grow volumous amounts of hair on the side of his face and as a result, his name was used to label the very distinctive style.

Unfortunatley for good old Ambrose, his contribution to society is limited to his facial hair. It is quite possible that he focused too much of his attention on grooming his hair and not quite enough on leading the army. His strategy at the battle of Fredericksburg went a little something like this:

Soldier: Great job on taking over the town General! We sure showed those Confederate scoundrels whose boss.

Burnside: Thanks soldier, but I would really love to give those dirty southerners another kick in the pants. Why don't we go chase them as they retreat up that hill?

Soldier: Great idea! I am sure they won't be able to mow us down in their advantageous position on top of the hill. It is unlikely that waves of Confederates will rush down the hill and decimate our army.

Burnside's brilliant strategy led to a massive defeat for his army, but maybe it was all for the best. We wouldn't want his military accomplishments outshining his contribution as a style icon.

History can be funny...

Substitute Sister

French braids are difficult to master. I think it may have taken me longer than most girls to learn this fine art since I did not have a sister to practice on while I was growing up. My mom let me practice on her hair for awhile, but then she cut it short and I was relegated to practicing on Totally Long Hair Barbie or any friend who was daring enough to let me attack their hair. Judging by my current skills, these friends were few and far between. I know I have said before that I never really missed not having a sister growing up, but in hindsight, it would have been great for improving my braiding skills. Brothers just don't measure in that department...at least I thought so.

When my brother David came home for Christmas, he came sporting a rather long hairstyle. Being a wonderful brother, David let me experience what I had been missing all these years and I was finally able to braid the hair of one of my siblings. It was a bonding moment, as I assume all sister braiding parties are. Here are the results:





Just so I don't leave you with the wrong impression of David, here he is when he is not letting me pretend he is my sister.



David, you were a great substitute sister, but you are an even better real brother.

Gongshow

If anyone wants to stay informed on the current fiasco in Parliament I would reccomend visiting www.mapleleafweb.com. It is a website run by political science professors at the U of L and it offers a fairly non-partisan overview of all the events as they unfold. I think understanding all the aspects of the issue is the key to developing an informed opinion and this website will help you do that.

For those of you who aren't nerds like me and don't care about politics 99% of the time, I promise you this is exciting stuff. Love it or hate it, you should pay attention. 20 years from now when your children are in university and they take political science because that is what all the cool kids are taking (plus history of course), what is happening right now will still be discussed. History is in the making and you don't want to miss it.

Rest in Pieces

Blue Pontiac Firebird a.k.a F-bomb (1987-2008)
The beastly blue machine passed into junkyard glory on November 22 after many years of suffering. The Firebird, affectionately nicknamed F-bomb, came into the Vanderberg family about eight years ago, winning us over with its sleek style and dazzling blue colour. Especially loved were the T-roof and the CD player...what more could you want? F-bomb was passed down to all four children, trying its best to serve them faithfully, bringing them tree planting,to basketball and volleyball games, and back and forth to school each day. However, signs of trouble began early. F-bomb kept putting its engine light on and would sometimes simply refuse to go, leaving us all stranded at various places and times(Middle of nowhere, highway to Taber, important first date). Over the years, its muffler gradually got louder and louder, subjecting it to the scorn of neighbours and embarassing its owners. Finally, one day its muffler simply fell off and F-bomb took a turn for the worse. It no longer wanted to turn on its headlights, make its windshield wipers work, keep the rain out or keep the seats locked in place. Often it would decide to stop driving in the middle of a busy road and a few pumps of the gas pedal was needed to convince it to keep on moving. However, F-bomb must be credited for its perserverance. After being near death for many years, it would somehow still find a little bit of energy to keep on going, although not always when you needed it to. Resilient to the end, F-bomb was able to make one last journey to its final destination. F-bomb is survived by George, Chris, Brad, Trevor, David and Lindsay. Though it is gone, it will never be forgotten. Being stranded late at night, driving in the pouring rain without windshield wipers, and having to turn on headlights by hand has only made us stronger and more aware of what kind of cars not to buy. F-bomb will forever remain the quintessential trashy car that most people only wish they could drive. Thanks for the memories. You will be missed...kind of.

Hunting

I bet you I spent my Labour Day in a way none of you did, or have, or ever will. I dug out my winter coat, put on my boots, and I went hunting. Now this particular type of hunting does not include killing any Bambis, Thumpers or Bullwinkles. Rather, my elusive prey was the...mushroom. Really, I don't think it should be called mushroom hunting seeing as those fungi don't really put up much of a fight or try to escape, but there was some pretty mad knife skills invovled and well, "mushroom hunting" sounds a lot better than "perusing for mushrooms."

Before you label me a dork, I must point out that this wasn't my idea. At all. Being the wonderful girlfriend that I am, I choose to help Jordan with his new favourite hobby. I carried the mushroom basket (apparently mushrooms can't be stored in plastic...and baskets are way cooler) all around the river bottom and protected the specimen. After a very unsuccessful first half, Jordan found four different kinds of mushrooms. I found a lot of rocks that looked like mushrooms. That is why I carried the bakset.

You are probably wondering how someone gets interested in knowing anything about mushrooms beyond what they taste like. Well it all started in Tofino, BC on our family vacation where there was a mushroom book in our rental house. David and Jordan read it together and then, while treeplanting, David bought his very own mushroom book. Needing someone to share his excitement with, David bought Jordan the very same one. Here is what it looks like.


This book has gone everywhere with Jordan. It came to the Jack Johnson concert, into restaurants, into various bathrooms, and everywhere in between. Now while most mushroom hunters are slightly insane as you can see, I am happy to report that Jordan and David have managed to keep it together. Another bonus is that neither have died or developed any serious illnesses from eating any of their treasures. This guy wasn't so lucky though. So make sure you know what you are doing.

I know mushroom hunting probably isn't your idea of fun, but I wouldn't knock it until you try it. After all, you get to spend time in the great outdoors with someone you care about and it is much more stimulating than watching TV. I had a blast...even if I only carried the basket.