The overdue Mindbender
November 22, 2024
On the radio show last week we were talking about the various foods that show up on Thanksgiving tables.
When the subject of mac-and-cheese came up, several listeners texted in to say “Who eats mac-and-cheese for Thanksgiving?”
Now we know the answer: It’s 27% of Americans. Hey, it beat out Brussels sprouts.
You can see a survey’s list of the most popular foods for the day right here.
Let's get on with the countdown.
Along with today's Mindbender you get these bonus stories:
Brown Friday
Movie theater etiquette
Newz For Nerdz
But first, today's Mindbender:
One in eight Americans has not been to (blank) in at least 10 years.
I'll have a clue coming up.
Brown Friday
The busiest day of the year for plumbers is traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, to the point where many call it “Brown Friday.”
To be fair, it’s not just bathroom issues. Plumbers say the holiday is a strain on ALL the pipes, including the kitchen. Careful with that grease, my friend.
Yelp analyzed data to see which cities are notorious for the most plumbing emergencies, and compiled a list of the most clogged-up cities in the country. The top five:
Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Sacramento, and Baltimore.
If you have family or friends in those towns, be sure to give them a bunch of crap about it. Yes, pun intended.
Movie theater etiquette
A couple of big movies are officially released today (Friday): “Wicked” and “Gladiator 2.”
Some are trying to force “Glicked” on us, playing off the “Barbenheimer” mania last year. Let’s not fall for it. We’re better than that.
Now someone has posted a list of movie theater etiquette. It’s the worst things you can do at a theater, including:
- FaceTiming someone. Only 4% think it’s okay. (But who are THOSE people??)
- Leaving trash behind when you leave.
- Taking a phone call
- Revealing a plot point out loud before it happens. Six percent think that’s fine. (??)
Also on the list: Putting your feet up on the seat in front of you. Okay, I may have done that a few times—but in a mostly empty theater. Is that acceptable?
Here's a clue for the Mindbender:
Open wide.
Newz For Nerdz
Fun science stories from this week
Scientists in Switzerland may have finally answered the question: Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
They say a single-celled organism from a billion years ago already had similar characteristics to embryos. So yes, the egg came first.
***
British chemists have created the world’s thinnest spaghetti.
It’s 200 times thinner than a human hair. It’s so thin, you can’t even see it.
Yes, invisible spaghetti.
Why did they do it? Who cares? It’s hilarious.
***
In space news:
We now have the first zoomed-in photo of a star that’s NOT in our galaxy.
It’s pretty fuzzy, but still impressive, considering it’s 160,000 light years away.
Every star you see with the naked eye in the night sky is part of our own Milky Way galaxy.
And side note: Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 23) marks the 100th anniversary of when we learned the universe was bigger than just our own galaxy.
On that day, “The New York Times” published an article describing how Edwin Hubble had realized Andromeda was an entirely separate galaxy from our own.
Today, we know there are billions of other galaxies out there.
And now, the answer to today's Mindbender:
They have not been to WHAT in at least 10 years?
A dentist.
Man, I’d hate to be the first hygienist to have to deal with that.
That'll do it for today's Mindbender. Thank you for being part of The Club.
Enjoy your day!
Dom
Sometimes the spaghetti likes to be alone.
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Could you add Melissa's answer to the newsletter? Also, will you be bringing back boys vs the girls in the new year?
Thanks!
Sue in Broomfield