Like a Baseball in the Sky

Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand.

~ Wes Westrum

Next week is the first week of the dragon boat season and to kick it off, the club held a fundraising mixer at a local sports bar. I caught up with a few ladies I know from the team, as well as dodgeball, who were very interested in the sports being broadcast on all the TV screens around the place. We were able to watch the last period of the hockey play offs (go Bruins!) and then a bit of the baseball, and then began discussing team names. The general consensus is that teams that are named after natural disasters and ferocious animals are aptly named, as their names would evoke fear in their opponents. Oddly, Toronto's Major League Baseball team is called The Toronto Blue Jays - which are just loud and obnoxious birds that are rather harmless - however there are two other teams named after birds, The St. Louis Cardinals and The Baltimore Orioles. Today's question is: why are baseball teams named after birds?

A:

I love a truly random question - a big thanks to Anne Mather, who posed this on Friday night!

St. Louis joined the major leagues in 1891 originally called the Perfectos, it’s said a sportswriter overheard a woman in the stands say the uniforms were a “lovely shade of Cardinal” in 1899. The scribe took it and ran, and within a year, the name was made official.

In 1954, Baltimore acquired a team called the St. Louis Browns. With new ownership, came a new name, which was the Baltimore Orioles after Maryland's state bird.

Torontonians were asked for input in naming the city's baseball team. One of the suggestions was “Blue Jays”, and the team owners — Labatt Breweries — chose the name to coincide with their best-selling beer, Labatt’s Blue. it’s believed they hoped the team would be referred to as the “Blues,” but that backfired, as the “Jays” are the preferred shortened name for the franchise.

Sources:

Baseball Almanac

How Major League Baseball Teams got their Names

JD for ND

Tonight, Wine Wednesday has been substituted with Whiskey Wednesday to commemorate the life a friend who lost her battle with cancer three years ago. Her husband had requested that on her birthday, July 9, that her friends celebrate with Jack n' Chops - but the unconventional broad that I am, remembers her with a bit of JD and Coke on the day of her passing. I have mentioned this numerous times, both in person and on this blog, Tash was a very influential person in my life, although I don't know that I would have considered us close. I often think about her watching me omnisciently and wonder what she would have thought about my divorce or some of the choices I've made in my life - sadly, I think that she would be very disappointed. In any case, I raise a glass of Jack Daniels today to say "Cheers to Natasha Dean" and ask: what is the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon?

A:

Both Tennessee whiskey and bourbon are made from 51% single grain mash - which is often corn - and they have to be aged in casks for two years before being bottled. The main difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon has to do with the filtration process - Tennessee whiskey is filtered through charcoal, where most other whiskeys are filtered through carbon. Also, most obviously, Tennessee whiskey has to be produced in the state of Tennessee (doy!).

I've never told anybody this, but years ago Tash sent me a text message with her and Mark's address at Gulliver's Wharf in London and I could never bring myself to delete it - I even locked it to ensure that I wouldn't erase it by mistake. I kept it for ages until my phone died in 2009 and I was so upset; I could replace all of my contacts, but I would never be able to replace that message.

Also, as a related aside, the photo is of "The Memory Wall" at the run site of CIBC's Run for the Cure. Each year, I participate in this charitable run to raise money for cancer - this year it is being held on October 2 - please donate here - but in the event that you ignore my request, I will find you and shake you down for money. ;)

Sources:

Answers.com: Tennessee Whiskey

Requenes.com: The difference between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey

The Whisky Guide

Drisophila Melanogaster

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

~ Groucho Marx

I don't know where they have come from, but I am overrun by fruit flies! Those little buggers are spread throughout my entire flat and I can't for the life of me figure out where they are breeding. Each spring, those tiny pests make a dazzling appearance in kitchens around the province, but I've heard of homemade traps that rid you of these pesky little sugar addicts. So, today's question is: how would one create a fruit fly trap with household items?

A:

One of the main points in preventing a fruit fly infestation is to keep your house clean and throw away rotting fruit - which are good starting points - however I diligently eat my fruit and I clean my kitchen every night, so unless something has fallen behind my microwave these are not issues for me.

It is advised that a dirty drain may encourage fruit flies to breed; if the flies are fornicating in your sink, it's best to pour boiling water down the drain daily. Poor little buggers are trying to get hot and heavy only to be interrupted by something hot and heavy!


The most common homemade trap is one made with apple cider vinegar, water and dish soap. Place this mixture in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap secured with an elastic band, then poke a small hole in the top of the cling film. Fruit flies are attracted to the fermented vinegar, become trapped in the bowl and eventually drown.


Note to self: buy some apple cider vinegar tonight... it will do double duty for ridding my home of fruit flies and ridding my body of bone spurs (see Cowgirl Spurs posting).



Sources:
TipNut.com: How to get rid of fruit flies
WikiHow: How to get rid of fruit flies

Guilty Pleasure

Medieval gardeners believed that the perfume of flowers was God's breath on earth.

~ A Garden of Fragrance

by Suzy Bales

Since moving into my new flat, I have developed a new guilty pleasure - I buy fresh flowers every week. Flowers are obviously not a necessity, but there is something about coming home to a vase full of colourful and fragrant florals that lifts my spirits. It doesn't matter whether I had a bad day, whether my apartment is a wreck, or whether my back is aching, when I walk through the door to see a bouquet in my front hall I have no choice but to smile. Today's question is: can flowers improve mood?

A:

A study conducted in 2005 by Rutgers University showed receiving flowers almost immediately has a positive effect on mood. Researchers found that 100% of women who received flowers smiled with sincerity - confirmed using the Duchenne theory, where specific muscles in the corner of the mouth and eyes are engaged, suggesting genuine emotion. The study also found that the scent of flowers can improve symptoms of depression, anxiety and reduce stress. For many years, various cultures have used flower essences to enhance mood. In 2006, Harvard University conducted a study which demonstrated that individuals with fresh flowers in the home felt less worried and more considerate of others. Additionally, those positive feelings were transferred into the workplace, where they performed more energetically and enthusiastically.

There you have it, I'm not alone when it comes to improving my mood with some flora!

*Note: I took the photos used in this post to document my guilty pleasure.

Sources:

Associated Content: Use Fresh Flowers to Improve Your Mood

eHow: Types of Flowers That Affect People's Mood & Smell

Natural Medicine: Pretty, Scented Flowers Improve a Bad Mood and Promote Wellness