News and views from the The Straight Dope
Robin has just made a new display of weird reference-books-you-didn't-know-we-have. One of his choices was the third book of The Straight Dope series, by Cecil Adams (R031.02AD17r). Adams started literary life as a columnist for the Chicago Reader, a weekly alternative newspaper. Readers submitted questions on off-the-wall topics and Adams answered them, lacing his answers with sarcastic remarks and arcane facts. Here's an example of his style:
I have heard that McDonald's milkshakes contain seaweed. Can this be true?
"Absolutely. But the real shocker is that every McDonald's hamburger contains chopped-up pieces of - brace yourself - dead cow. So let's not get hung up on a little seaweed."
Adams goes on to explain that the milkshakes, along with a lot of other products, contain a thickener called carrageenan, which is a seaweed extract.
The guy seems to know everything. He's kind of an irritation to librarians, though, because he doesn't cite his sources. But he's hard to resist. Where else will you find out that aphids are born pregnant? Why a lieutenant general outranks a major general, while a major outranks a lieutenant? What cow tipping is all about?
I have heard that McDonald's milkshakes contain seaweed. Can this be true?
"Absolutely. But the real shocker is that every McDonald's hamburger contains chopped-up pieces of - brace yourself - dead cow. So let's not get hung up on a little seaweed."
Adams goes on to explain that the milkshakes, along with a lot of other products, contain a thickener called carrageenan, which is a seaweed extract.
The guy seems to know everything. He's kind of an irritation to librarians, though, because he doesn't cite his sources. But he's hard to resist. Where else will you find out that aphids are born pregnant? Why a lieutenant general outranks a major general, while a major outranks a lieutenant? What cow tipping is all about?
6 Comments:
Must...resist...book.
*grins* or maybe not! *is tugged towards book* I want to read!
-Linda
Aphids are born pregnant? How is that POSSIBLE?!
--Subfreshman Jason He
Parthenogenesis and paedogenesis. (Say what?) Virgin birth and pregnancy in the young. (Oh, that clears it right up.) In other words, speed is of the essence. Skip the flowers and perfume and produce those babies before you get eaten!
Interesting stuff there.
Just out of curiousity, since Uni is part of the U of I library network, if I requested that book would it come from Uni?
-J. Lee (Alum)
Theoretically, yes, except that since we've put his books in the Reference section (as did the Undergrad Library), they don't circulate. You'd get a big fat unfriendly error message if you tried it. On the other hand, if you come in person (hopefully with chocolates...), we might be able to work out a deal. :-)
Any circulating book we have can be requested, though if the system has multiple copies, ours may not be the copy that gets selected for delivery.
Very entertaining, really an interesting read___
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