Igor Stravinsky 20th Century Composer Was Not Tall

I am an inventor of music.
~Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky, a Russian composer born in St Petersburg in 1882 was advised by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov to study music. Stravinsky studied with Rimsky-Korsakov until 1908 (when Rimsky died). Stravinsky composed The Firebird in 1910.

Stravinsky Conducts Firebird:


The Works of Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Note: Igor Stravinsky was 5'2".

Something else I learned: The Firebird = AWESOME! 

Funniest Joke in the World (Scientifically Proven!)

A couple of guys are out hunting in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator, in a calm soothing voice says: “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?”

According to the LaughLab in collaboration with the British Science Association, that is the funniest joke in the world. It is very funny. According to the LaughLab this joke works across many different countries, appeals to men and women, and young and old. Many jokes submitted to the LaughLab for this study received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this joke had universal appeal. Jokes are funny for different reasons – they can make us feel superior, reduce emotional impact of anxiety-provoking events, or surprise us. The two hunters joke does all three.



Note: The 2nd funniest joke: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are out camping. They pitch their tent and go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night Holmes wakes Watson up and says: "Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce ." Watson replies: "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes says: "And what do you deduce from that?" Watson replies: "Well, if there are millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it’s quite likely there are some planets like Earth out there. And if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life." Holmes says: "Watson, you idiot, someone stole our tent."

Videogames Can Change A Person's Brain (for the Better!)

Playing videogames is good for you. Lengthy sessions of intense game play can lead to effective multitasking, quicker and more accurate decision making, creativity, and can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Learn more...




Note: Video games account for a huge amount of consumer entertainment dollars spent (over $25 billion in 2010). It's about time they start looking for the upside! 

Something else I learned: WoW players collectively have spent as much time playing the game-  about 50 billion hours - as humanity spent evolving as a species.

Chinook Pidgin -Tsinuk Wawa - Trade Language on the West Coast

konoway tillicums klatawa kunamokst klaska mamook okoke huloima chee illahie" - Chinook pidgin meaning "everyone was thrown together to make this strange new country."
~from the poem Rain Language

Chinook, a pidgin language used for trade along the Washington state coast was derived from the language of the Native American tribe of the same name. History has it that the pidgin form of the language developed because the Chinook were too arrogant to teach it to anyone else. Chinook pidgin (or jargon) became widely used once Europeans arrived in the area. The Chinook language died out early in the 20th century, but there are still remnants of Chinook pidgin in American vocabulary.

Chinook pidgin which flourished from 1858 to 1900, was a combination of English, French, Chinook and Nootka (another Native American tribe of the Northwestern coast) and other Salishan languages (the collective languages of Northwestern coast tribes). It was necessitated and facilitated by the fur trade.

Tyee Lake in Concrete, Washington:


Tyee is the Chinook Pidgin word for Chief. And that is a beautiful lake!

Note: Learn more about Chinook pidgin - including numerous examples and translations.

Something else I learned: "Mucky-muck," a word I've used to describe bosses and other important people (usually derisively) is actually from a Chinook pidgin phrase: hayo makamak, literally meaning "plenty to eat."