NICKNAMES

Anybody out there have a nickname?  Nicknames are crazy.  What makes them stick?  Baseball is known for nicknames.  It is part of what makes baseball fun and magical. Following is a fun article by Matthew Kory, a writer at Sports On Earth.

The Best Names in the Game

In college I knew three guys named Paul. Since they were all friends, the likelihood of calling a Paul and getting the right one was small, so nicknames were devised. I'd love to tell you we planned it all out, discussed, wrote down ideas, conferenced, maybe focus-grouped a few possibilities before settling on nicknames, but we didn't. We went with what came naturally. That is how we ended up with Small Paul, Tall Paul, and Across-the-Hall Paul.

The moral of the story is: Don't name your kid Paul, because there are no more good nicknames. The other moral of the story is: Sometimes the best nicknames arrive organically.

This is true of baseball players, too, even the game's greats. Recently I penned a piece for this very website that required me to look at each Hall of Famer's Baseball Reference page. In the top corner, by their name, the site lists any and all nicknames they had during their career. For example, Hank Aaron's page lists him as The Hammer, Hammer'n Hank and Bad Henry. The Hammer is a good one. One imagines a giant hammer coming to bat, wagging its face back and forth through the strike zone pre-pitch. How does it stand? Nobody knows! It's a funny image, but it's not the best Hall of Famer nickname. In fact, it's not even close.
I've listed the best below, and to help you visualize them, I've enlisted the help of artist Craig Robinson of Flip Flop Fly Ball. The drawings are his, the words are mine, and the best Hall of Famer nicknames are below.

 

Slug

Refers to: Harry Heilmann, first baseman and rightfielder for the Tigers and Reds in the late teens and '20s.

Origin story: One evening in the minor leagues, Heilmann was out with a lady friend when a man came up and started hitting on her. Heilmann was furious and was about to slug the guy when he looked down and saw an actual slug crawling up the bar. Shocked, Heilmann forgot his anger and pointed out the slug to the man who, it turned out, was none other than world-famous scientist and expert in slug-studies, Dr. Herbert Van Philistine. Philistine correctly identified the slug as a variety of Banana Slug. Then he punched Heilmann in the face and left with the lady.

Actual origin story: According to Baseball Nicknames: A Dictionary of Origins and Meanings by James K. Skipper Jr. (where all the origin information from this article is taken), Heilmann was painfully slow, so the name was a reference to his foot speed or lack thereof.

Why it's a great nickname: There are few less complimentary animals to be named after; maybe a leech, or possibly the naked mole rat. "Now, coming to bat, catcher, No. 28, Tommy 'The Naked Mole Rat' Johnson!"

 

Old Tomato Face

Refers to: Gabby Hartnett, catcher for the Cubs and New York Giants in the 1920s and '30s.

Origin story: Hartnett lived through the Great Depression and the toughness of the economy made a big impression on him. Thus it was that Hartnett decided he would grow tomatoes on his face. This would save money on water and soap, and provide food for his family as well. The tomatoes grew in well, so well in fact that he was able to can them and sell them as Gabby's Famous Face Tomatoes. Slogan: Nothing makes a tomato grow like oil from a human face!

Actual origin story: Hartnett laughed a lot and when he laughed his face turned bright red, like a tomato.

Why it's a Great Nickname: It's probably the most bizarre of the Hall of Fame nicknames. It sounds like a random nickname generator on the internet created it.
[Enter: age]
[Enter: noun]
[Enter: body part]
Congratulations, you are now and forever known as "Middle-Aged Boat Nipples!"

Bucketfoot Al

Refers to: Al Simmons, power-hitting outfielder who played most of his career for the Philadelphia A's.

Origin story: Simmons once saved a little boy from a well by riding down on a small bucket, grabbing the boy and hoisting himself and the child to safety. Upon getting out of the well, Simmons' foot became lodged in the bucket and the townsfolk, fickle and organized in a Simpsons-like way, stopped chanting "Hero, hero!" and started yelling "Bucketfoot! Bucketfoot!"

Actual origin story: Simmons' batting stance featured his front leg stepping toward the dugout during his stride, a movement that is commonly referred to as "stepping into the bucket." That and his first name was Al.

Why it's a great nickname: It's so negative. Simmons hit .334 with more than 300 homers in his Hall of Fame career, so what do they base his nickname on? The odd way his foot moves before he swings. This is like calling Joe Montana Super Bowl Bucket of Barf Joe or, farther afield, dubbing Abe Lincoln the Great Paper Crumpler. Poor Bucketfoot.

The Crab

Refers to: Johnny Evers, second baseman with the Cubs just after the turn of the century.

Origin story: Evers' father was a crab. His parents had met when his mother had traveled to the beach with some friends. The marriage was a stormy one, as things like washing the dishes and cuddling were difficult for Evers' dad, what with his claws and all. Shortly after Evers was born, his father went outside to molt and never returned. His mom told him his dad was eaten by seagulls but Evers could have sworn he saw his dad coming out of the dry cleaners one morning, arm in claw with another woman. Once kids at school got wind of Evers' family history, well, the nickname was a given.

Actual origin story: Baseball writer Charles Dryden coined the nickname because, according to Dryden, Evers used a crab-like way to grip the ball.

Why it's a great nickname: It harkens back to the age when baseball writers could give players derogatory nicknames. Sadly that era appears to be behind us. Imagine if I started calling Mike Trout the Squid because he has as many talents as a squid has tentacles, or Dustin Pedroia the Sand Flea because he's small and makes people itch.

Big Poison/Little Poison

Refers to: Paul and Lloyd Waner, brothers who played outfield for the Pirates in the 1930s.

Origin story: When Paul was a little boy, he accidentally ingested a lot of poison. His brother came running to his side and said, "If you took poison, then so will I" and grabbed the bottle but just took a very small sip. Asked later why he didn't drink as much poison as his brother, Lloyd said, "Are you kidding? That stuff will kill ya!"

Actual origin story: The nicknames supposedly came from the way New York fans pronunced "big person" and "little person."

Why it's a great nickname: These players, according to their nicknames, were so good at baseball that they would actually kill the other team, or if proper medical attention were administered in time, just make them vomit. When the best-case scenario is the other team vomits at the mere sight of you, that's the cornerstone of a great nickname.

The Man Nobody Knows

Refers to: Bill Dickey, catcher, perennial All-Star and MVP candidate with the New York Yankees in the 1930s and '40s.

Origin story: Dickey worked part time at the fledgling Daily Planet newspaper and frequently left the clubhouse wearing a cape and hiding his face. Also nobody knew him.

Actual origin story: It should not surprise you that nobody knows the origin story for The Man Nobody Knows. I guess we're stuck with the whole "nobody knows him" thing.

Why it's a great nickname: It's just bizarre. Nicknames often come from a place of endearment, but this is the 1940's equivalent of calling someone "that dude." If a guy isn't around enough for people to know him, you'd think he wouldn't be around enough to receive a formal nickname, let alone one as involved as The Man Nobody Knows. Also, did people really call him that?
"Hey The Man Nobody Knows, can you pass the salt?"
"Oh, sure, well [points] you see The Man Nobody Knows? You walk past him and the restroom is right there on your left."
"You listen here, The Man Nobody Knows, I ain't throwing no fastball. I'm throwing a curveball and that's all there is to … hey, where'd you go?"

The Mechanical Man

Refers to: Charlie Gehringer, a second baseman with the Tigers during the 1920s and '30s.

Origin story: Gehringer was five years old when he lost is tongue, left pinky and right ear to a merry-go-round accident. The doctors at the time were experimenting with, as it turned out later, faulty robot technology and operated on Gehringer, replacing his pinky with a pocket watch, his ear with a primitive decibel meter and his tongue with another pocket watch.

Actual origin story: It came from a teammate of Gehringer's who supposedly said, "All you have to do is wind him up on Opening Day and he runs on and on -- doing everything right."

Why it's a great nickname: It's so old-timey. He's not the Digital Man, or the Outer Space Man or the Electronic Man. He's a superhero, but one that needs winding occasionally.
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So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... bond with friends and family this summer through baseball, barbeques or nicknames.  Whatever it takes.  Build and savor memories.

Enjoy life!

QUOTE

Sometimes the best way to get your mind right is a good quote...

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"Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world.  What you see reflects your thinking.  And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see."

From A Course in Miracles

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We often discuss on this blog that life is about the choices we each make.  Some situations are more difficult than others, but in the end, the life we end up with is usually a product of the choices we make.  Choose to be happy.  Choose to be positive.  Choose to serve others.  Choose to...

enjoy life!

MORNING DRINK

If you are looking for a drink to jump start your morning try this one:

1 Large Fresh Orange

1 Cup of Grapefruit from Costco

1 Cup of 100% Tangerine Juice

Peal the orange and lightly mix the three ingredients in a blender.  Don't mix so much that the pulp is too fine.  If you want it colder add a bit of ice before mixing but not so much that the drink is "watered down."

I haven't tried this yet, but in the near future I am going to make this drink and blend in a scoop of vanilla protein powder.  This could become a 100% natural and healthy Orange Julius.

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... fresh and natural.  That is what we are going for.  If you do this your body will thank you over and over.  I am busting my tail in the gym six days per week in preparation for the first baseball tournament of the 2014 season in early March.  Having the proper fuel for these workouts is critical.  Whether it be lifting weights or any other activity, our bodies need the proper fuel!

Enjoy life!

SALAD DRESSING

A lot of us are eating more salads, but most salad dressings leave much to be desired.  The salad dressings that taste good often are loaded up with calories, additives, etc.  Recently I came across this salad dressing recipe and I suggest that you give it a try...

1 large avocado

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

3/4 teaspoon salt

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN.... the best stuff doesn't usually come in a pre-packaged bottle.  Notice how fresh and natural the ingredients in this recipe are.  Plus, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from gathering ingredients and making things yourself.  Another benefit is that this salad dressing will likely cost less than what you buy in a bottle.  You can do this and this success will lead you to find other things that you can do yourself.

Enjoy life!

CHERRY PROTEIN SHAKE

Yum, a little taste of summer.  As you may recall, last June I bragged and gushed excessively about the production of our cherry tree.  Well, because the tree was so prolific we couldn't eat or give away the abundance of produce before it started to spoil.  Then the thought occurred to me that I should pit the cherries and put them in small freezer bags for use in the winter.  Winter is now upon us and in the morning I add these wonderful frozen cherries to my protein shake.  It is so good and so simple.  Here is what I enjoyed this morning:

Crushed Ice

Frozen Cherries

Walnuts

Protein Powder

1 Cup Cold Water

I mixed these ingredients to perfection in the Magic Bullet blender and man oh man was it good.  So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... in order to enjoy life to the max, a bit of planning is usually involved.  In my experience, the more you plan the less you have to react to circumstances.  So think ahead about your nutrition and your fun.  Being spontaneous has its place, but planning ahead can produce some tasty and rewarding results.

Enjoy life.

CANCER UPDATE

During past posts I have discussed how we can make our bodies hostile to cancer through diet and exercise.  I even recommended the reading of a book called the China Study.  Below is a link to an article that probes this subject in great detail and offers specifics as to how we can make our bodies hostile to cancer.  Please click on the link and read the article.  Following the article is a statement from a medical doctor that I have personally met that offers his support of the information contained in the article.

http://premaseem.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/how-to-avoid-cancer/

"In my medical training and current practice and personal journey to health and fitness (including getting a nutritional counselors degree four years ago) I find every point in this article to be true. Please read and share with others. I am exploring different ways to boost health and ward off disease by strengthening the body so it can heal itself. Stay tuned..."  Dr. Lee
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Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... please, make your body a hostile environment to cancer.  We need our health to enjoy life to its fullest.  Begin making these choices a little at a time until you have made the necessary lifestyle choices that are sustainable and easy for you to follow.  This may not happen for you overnight but first make the resolve to change and then work toward making the functional changes that are required.  You will need to learn where to find the correct foods and ingredients in your store or perhaps you will need to find new places to shop.  Next you will need to learn how to prepare meals that comply with your goals.  Lastly, it will take some thought and planning when eating away from home.  Let's face it, most food manufacturers and restaurants are more interested in profit than our health so finding the meals we need to eat may take effort but it will be well worth this effort if you have made the resolve to do so.  Let's do this for ourselves and for those we love.

Enjoy life!

QUOTES - GOALS / RESOLUTIONS

 

At the beginning of a new year it is trendy to make some new resolutions then to quickly break them and go back to doing things the same old way.  People love to make jokes about this topic.  I hear it all the time at the gym this time of year - guys predicting that they will fizzle out in a week or so.  And by the drop in numbers by the end of January, you know, they were right.  Self fulfilling prophesy.

To me, setting and keeping goals if absolutely critical if you want to improve and elevate yourself.  Following are a few of my favorite quotes from outstanding leaders regarding setting goals and keeping resolutions:

"Try a little harder to be a little better."

           Gordon B. Hinckley

"It’s in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled."

          Thomas S. Monson

"To avoid some of the deepest regrets of life, it would be wise to make some resolutions today."

          Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"You are doing better than you think you are. But we can be better."

          Julie B. Beck

"You can set your goals to make you reach and strain.  Growth comes from setting your goals high and reaching for the stars."

          Spencer W. Kimball

"We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals."

          M. Russell Ballard

"Where performance is measured, performance improves. Where performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates."

          Thomas S. Monson

"When change is thought through carefully, it can produce the most rewarding and profound experiences in life."

          Marvin J. Ashton

"Mediocrity will never do. You are capable of something better."

          Gordon B. Hinckley

"There is room for improvement in every life. Regardless of our occupations, regardless of our circumstances, we can improve ourselves and while so doing have an effect on the lives of those about us."

          Gordon B. Hinckley

"We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can."

          Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Act now, so that a thousand years from now, when you look back at this moment, you can say this was a moment that mattered — this was a day of determination."

           Neal A. Maxwell

"To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done."

          Richard G. Scott

 

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead."

          Jeffrey R. Holland

Well there you go.  If that doesn't get you fired up to make your life better or to help someone else I don't know what will.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... set some goals.  Be realistic but stretch yourself.  Set goals that you can control.  Set goals that you can measure.  Tell someone else about your goals and ask them to check up on you.  Here is a simple example of a goal that you can accomplish:

GOAL: Run a 10K over Memorial Day weekend (almost 5 months from now)

Here are the steps for success:

1) Find a race and pay the registration fee.  You are now officially invested.

2) Find a friend to run the race with you and make sure that they register and pay the fee.

3) Tell everyone you know that you are going to run the 10K.  Positive peer pressure!

4) Begin a training regimen now - today - immediately.  Start slow and build up over time.  Don't overdo it in the beginning and get too sore or worse injure yourself and quit.  Build up your body and your confidence so that when the day of the race comes you are chomping to get going and not wondering if you are ready.  Train with the friend that is going to run the 10K with you whenever possible.

5) Invest a little bit in the right equipment.  Proper shoes and socks for sure.  Also, get some clothes appropriate for working out / training.  You must like how you look.  It builds confidence and helps you feel like you belong, that this is you and what you do.  If you are in a cold climate, get some gear so that you won't be cold when training outside.  If you think you are going to be cold, that may be all the excuse you need not to train that day.

6) When race day comes, have a great time!  Enjoy running with your friend.  Run the race for a time or run just for fun.  You decide.  Have family or friends at the finish line to cheer for you!  Celebrate this accomplishment.

7) Repeat.  You have officially made a lifestyle change.

This method works just as well in any area of life that you would like to improve... relationships, volunteering, employment, spirituality... everything.  2014 and beyond will be the best of times for you and for me!

Enjoy life.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

The common thought is that during the Holidays that weight gain is just part of the deal.  People are conditioned to believe that with all of the yummy foods that are offered that if you want to have a good time that you have very little chance of getting through the Holidays without adding a few pounds.  I choose to disagree...

There are so many food choices that fit within the TIPS FROM A MAN lifestyle.  Feast your eyes on the photo above.  A portion of King and Snow crab.  A serving of pasta salad also featuring crab.  A serving of beet salad.  A squeeze of lemon.  And the splurge is a little bit of butter for the crab.  This meal was so festive and so amazingly tasty.  It was filling.  The good thing about cracking the shells of the crab is that it makes you eat more slowly so that you feel full.  To confess, I did take a second portion of the beets.

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... don't think that you have to sacrifice fun or taste to enjoy this or any other holiday throughout the year.  With a little planning and a little self control you do not have to give back any of what you have worked to accomplish.

Enjoy life!

C S LEWIS CHRISTMAS QUOTES

Clive Staples Lewis, commonly called C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, and Christian apologist. 

Many of us have had the good fortune to have studied and enjoyed the writings of C. S. Lewis.  If you haven't read his works, I strongly encourage you to do so.  Following are ten quotes or poems with a Christmas theme which are attributed to Mr. C. S. Lewis:

Look for Christ and you will find Him.
And with Him, everything else.

Among the oxen
(like an ox I'm slow)
I see a glory in the stable grow
Which, with the ox's dullness
might at length
Give me an ox's strength

Among the asses
(stubborn I as they)
I see my Savior
where I looked for hay;
So may my beast like folly
learn at least
The patience of a beast

Among the sheep
(I like a sheep have strayed)
I watch the manger
where my Lord is laid;
Oh that my baa-ing nature
would win thence
Some woolly innocence!

The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal.

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."

"Exmas and Crissmas are not the same. The pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story..."

"Always winter and never Christmas;
think of that!"
"How awful!" said Lucy.

"Can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers?"

"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
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Here is wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season surrounded by loving family and friends.  And, take it easy on the fruit cake and egg nog (I just couldn't help myself).

Enjoy life!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR - EATING IN THE AMAZON JUNGLE

Today we have a guest contributor to the TIPS FROM A MAN blog.  The content for this post comes from my son who is serving as a full time volunteer missionary in the Amazon jungle region of Peru.  He completes his two years of missionary service in early 2014.  It is very interesting to see how people adapt to their particular circumstances as they search to find the proper nutrition to fuel their minds and bodies so they can perform at a high level.

 

Tips from a Zone Leader.  How to get energy in the Amazon: Healthy, cheap and consistently.

Quinoa instant oatmeal. (Quinoa Inca oat - Super Awesome)

Dried Quinoa cereal. (you always need fiber in a jungle diet because you need to lose bacteria that might be in your system daily)

Regular instant oats

Jungle ¨manzana¨ bananas (potassium for the achy muscles)

Jungle honey bee honey for sweetness.

Whole grain toast with Philadelphia cream cheese (cream cheese in the jungle is kinda expensive)

Whole grain toast with jungle peanut peanut butter and jungle honey bee honey (you must buy locally or it's way too expensive)

Whole milk - Everyone usually uses powdered or evaporated cause its cheaper but you can imagine how that tastes.

Multi Vitamin - Because there is no balanced diet in the jungle.

Eat this if you are on a mission budget and you are in a place that is more than 90 degrees daily.  You will have energy to do the Lord's work with less complications.

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So there you have it.  Quinoa, bananas, natural sweeteners.  These are items that we have posted about previously on the TIPS FROM A MAN blog, but now we learn that missionaries in Peru have discovered the same benefits.  In the heat and humidity when you are pushing your body for 12 - 16 hours a day you must have proper fuel.  Youth will only take you so far.  Thanks for sharing the content for this post.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you serve the Lord and the people of Peru.

Enjoy life!

FLASH MOB

This little girl drops a coin in a musicians hat and gets far more than she was expecting.

Has this ever happened to you?  Have you ever received far more than you were expecting?  On the other hand, have you ever delivered more than was expected?  Have you ever given more than was expected to a charity, employer, team, church, friend, family member or stranger?  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... let's try to think of how we can provide a 100 piece orchestra when someone is only expecting a soloist or perhaps is not expecting anything at all.  It is winter in many places around the world and also the Holidays are fast approaching.  Maybe we can shovel a walk for a neighbor.  Maybe we can take an unexpected gift of cookies or fruit to a widow.  Maybe we can assist an elderly gentleman in crossing an icy street.  These simple acts of kindness may as well be a 100 piece orchestra to them because they probably aren't expecting anything from anyone so a simple act of kindness will infinitely exceed their expectations.  This is something we can do.

Enjoy life!

DUCK DYNASTY - FAMILY VALUES

We all dig Duck Dynasty, right?  These guys are so very funny.  You know who likes these guys best in my house?  My wife that's who.  She cannot stop laughing.  They just crack her up.  

When I first started following Duck Dynasty I got caught up in the zany sibling interactions and simple quandaries they found themselves always getting into.  As time went by, I started to recognize what I was really seeing. Values.  Simple, honest family values.  Unlike pretty much every other show on TV, here is what you won't see on Duck Dynasty: Profanity.  Drinking.  Smoking.  Drug use.  Infidelity.  What you will see is an occasional guy getting put in a head lock or duck taped to a column in the warehouse and a family working together, praying together and eating dinner together.

What was the hot Halloween costume this year?  That's right. Duck Dynasty beards and camo clothing.  What is the number one downloaded game app?  You only get one guess.  Battle of the Beards - Duck Dynasty.  How do I know this?  My nephew built the app.  Now that's pretty sweet.  Oh, and what was the birthday card that my wife sent to her father this year?  That's right, it was a Duck Dynasty card.  The message on the card?  Happy!  Happy!  Happy!

Please view the following interview:

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... let's place family values at the top of our list of priorities.  Let's learn to be genuinely happy regardless of material possessions or wealth.  To be a huge hit we don't have to shock the world and sing almost naked like Miley Cyrus.  We can just work hard and love our families.  Perhaps this is the new cool.

Enjoy life!

INTERESTING TIDBITS

In everyday life we hear a variety of sayings or phrases and I know I often wonder just what do they mean and where did they come from?  Here is a list that explains some common expressions.  Don’t know how true these little stories are, but they are interesting tidbits nonetheless.

Early aircraft's throttles had a ball on the end of it,  in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence "balls to the wall" for going very fast. And now you know, the rest of the story.

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During WWII , U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say, I gave them the whole nine yards, meaning they used up all of their ammunition.
  
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Did you know the saying "God willing and the creek don't rise" was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington . In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Because he capitalized the word "Creek" it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body
of water.

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In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)

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As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May  and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term 'big wig'. Today we often use the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
  
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In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one  sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board.'

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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression 'losing face.'

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Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied lace.

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Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace of Spades.'  To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full deck.'

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Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars.  They were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times.  'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term gossip.'

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At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence the phrase 'minding your 'P's and Q's'.

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And one more...
 
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.  Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

Today there is no TIP FROM A MAN.  Just thought you would find this interesting and I wish for you a great weekend! 

Enjoy life!

WISE FATHER

When we or someone we love comes under fire or is attacked, how do we respond?  In the world we live in today, attacks can come is numerous ways.  Following is a story about a Dad who responded to an attack on his daughter in a most remarkable way.

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By Viviane Vo-Duc, Deseret News

When an anonymous cyberbully attacked Adam Vail's daughter, he admits he was angry.
But he decided to respond in a different way — with kindness.
Sunday night, Vail’s 15-year-old daughter, Taylor Vail, received a nasty message on Twitter.
“She had received a tweet from someone who doesn’t use their name or their picture,” he said. “I don’t remember the exact tweet, something along the lines of: 'There’s this girl in school that no one likes. She’s really annoying,' and tagged my daughter in it and hashtagged some offensive things.”
Taylor admitted that the tweet upset her, but she decided not to let it get to her.
“Usually, when people say stuff like that, it’s because they want to feel better,” she said. “They just need that love in their life.”
But the next day, she got another tweet that said something like: “Not only is she tall and skinny, no body shape. Another hashtag that was offensive,” her father said.
That tweet, he said, really hit her hard. As a parent, Vail's first emotion and first reaction was anger.
“You want to do something,” he said. “You want to take matters into your own hands.”
He has a Twitter account and thought about tweeting something back to the cyberbully. “But then I realized the only way to really fight negativity is with positivity,” he said.
Vail, who works at Utah State University, emailed friends and co-workers telling them what happened to his daughter. He never told them what account the tweets came from because he didn’t want any backlash toward the bully or to have anyone say anything rude to her or him.
He told his friends he didn’t care about the bully, but he was concerned about how his daughter was feeling. He asked them to tweet positive and kind things to his daughter and to use the hashtags #TaylorVail and #bepositive.
“Whether you know her or not, what will matter is what kind of an impact this will have on her when we blow up her Twitter account with positive and kind things,” he told his friends.
People quickly started tweeting his daughter. He knew many of the people, but there were tweets from many more people whom he doesn't know. Within two hours, she received about 56 tweets.
Taylor, a volleyball player for Logan High School, was on her way to a game when the tweets started popping up.
“All of a sudden my phone kept vibrating,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh goodness, what is going on?’”
She looked at her phone and saw the first tweet, which came from one of her dad’s friends.
“Then when I come back from my game, my phone just kind of like blew up with tweets. And all the love that I got from people — people I didn’t even know — it was amazing.”
“I was so overwhelmed,” she added. “I broke down and started crying. I felt so loved.”
Vail said it’s amazing what a small action, such as sending a kind tweet, can do and how far it can go. His plan worked, he said. His daughter has a smile on her face and has a positive attitude.
"When she got home last night, she probably came home at about 8 or 8:30, and she was beaming," he said Wednesday. "She was completely happy, and every time a new tweet came in, she was like, 'Check this one out!'"
She has since received more than 100 tweets and they are still coming in.
Seeing the extreme kindness people showed toward his daughter brought a tear to Vail's eye.
Bullies, Taylor said, are just people who want to be loved and noticed.
"The amount of love I’ve been shown, and people keep showing me, it’s amazing," she said, getting very emotional. "It just feels so good, and I really wish that girl who said those things about me can feel that love, too. I really just want her to feel it like I have."
If she ever learns who sent her the mean tweets, Taylor said she plans to thank them.
“She made me feel better about myself, even though that wasn’t her goal,” she said. “She made me feel so loved. I would want to show it back to her.”
Contributing: Peter Samore, Alex Cabrero
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Wow.  I am so impressed by this dad and the response from his circle of friends and others who love this young lady or who chose to take a stand against the cyberbullying.  What restraint.  Lashing out would have probably been the typical reaction.  What a lesson this man has taught his family and now all of us.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... when something happens that bothers us, let's not only do the old "count to 10" thing but let's search to see if there is a way to respond that is positive and impactful.  A way to lift and elevate all involved.  There just may be.

Enjoy life!

EMPIRE APPLE

 

We all love a good apple.  But there are so many varieties.  Which variety do you like best?  For me and my family this is easy.  We crave the Empire apple.  Empire apples are red, juicy, firm, crunchy and sweet. They ripen during September and October, and will keep until January.  Sometimes Empire apples are hard to find.  But keep trying as they are worth the effort.

This past week for breakfast I enjoyed the following creation:
Oatmeal
Walnuts
Raspberries
Sliced banana
An entire sliced Empire apple
Agave Nectar
Skim Milk

My oh my, this was one of the best TIPS FROM A MAN breakfasts ever.  You can eat right, all the while making it fun, interesting and tasty.  Hopefully you live where you can find the Empire apple.  You will be so happy that you made the effort.

Enjoy life.

THE GOOD FIGHT

Natalie Reed 1957 - 2013

In early 2013 I posted about an event I called Outpouring of Love.  My cousin, a renowned musician and teacher who I love dearly had been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.  Within just a few days of this discovery a huge fundraiser featuring famous musicians was organized and attended to capacity with the proceeds going to help Natalie receive treatment.

Well a couple of weeks ago, Natalie lost her battle with cancer after putting up The Good Fight.  So much was learned over these past months.  Natalie taught us how to be graceful when faced with adversity.  Her frequent Facebook posts were remarkable.  So filled with hope and cheer.  In the midst of tremendous pain and suffering, she found a way to reach out and lift others.  On the other hand, Natalie was reminded what unconditional love means.  My oh my how she was served.  Numerous people came forward with open arms to love her without expecting anything in return.  Truly the human spirit at its best.  This generosity and these unsolicited acts of kindness profoundly touched Natalie.

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... give love away unconditionally.  Don't wait.  Don't hold back.  Don't over think it.  Embrace those around you.  Speak kind words.  Provide a meal or a listening ear.  Be aware of the needs of others.  I truly believe that we are happiest when we lose ourselves in the service of others.  Not exactly the message the world shouts at us, but again, we march to our own drum, now don't we?

Enjoy life!

ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP

Brew Crew 2013 League Champions

Well we did it again.  The Brew Crew riding high on a twelve game winning streak, swept our way through the playoffs winning the final game 8 - 2 to capture the championship of the 18+ division of the Utah Adult Baseball League.  This one was not easy.  At the beginning of the season we had to send texts late into the night just to be sure that we would have the required nine players for the game.  We had a couple of key guys pull out because of work/school/family conflicts.  Understandable.  However, by the middle of the season our core group was secure and we found top notch talent as fill in players when needed.  And here we go - another CHAMPIONSHIP!

I wasn't sure that this season was actually going to happen for me.  I was so happy when my knee came around and I was able to again do what I've done for so many seasons.  Remember, there is no way I am going to hold any team back.  So here in this photo are my guys.  All great men.  Hunter, Goose, Kyle, Craig, CJ, Adam, CJ and Neil (yes we had two CJ's).  Missing from the photo are great guys who are also great players such as Brian, Brock, Chris, Jace, Brett, Jacob, Seth, Aaron and Craig.  So many guys play a role in winning a championship.

We were able to arrange for the championship game to be played at the Utah Valley University Ball Park used by the Division I Wolverines and shared by the Orem Owlz, a minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  It gave the final game a sense of importance.  It gave the family and friends who came to watch a great venue on an amazing sun drenched fall day.  

So what's next?  I am headed to Phoenix at the end of the month to play in a tournament.  This year I am playing in the 35+ wood bat division.  Should be very competitive baseball and a lot of fun.  A great way to end a season that began in Las Vegas way back in March.  Then, back to the gym to prepare for next season.  If I can avoid the injuries I should be able to keep going strong.

Here is a restated TIP FROM A MAN... what is your baseball?  What keeps you young?  What keeps you focused?  What challenges you?  What are you passionate about?  Whatever it is, keep doing it, or find it and do it.  Baseball is what keeps me working out and watching what I eat.  How can you lift weights all winter without a goal?  These young guys show no mercy on the ball field.  The pitchers come in with the heat high tight then come right back with a nasty curve or slide piece.  You've got to run the bases and field your position.  Here are your choices, hold your own or find another sand box to play in.  Well, I'm not quite ready to go look for another sand box.  Hopefully you aren't either.  

Oh, and rest assured, the Brew Crew will be back next season, hungry for another championship.

Enjoy life!

THANK YOU COACH

Many stories we hear today are about coaches that bend the rules or look the other way in order to win.  Also, we hear about parents who go off on coaches, teachers and administrators because little Johnny can do no wrong.  Here is a story of a coach, school administration and parents who see the bigger picture and who have come together with the common purpose of shaping 80 boys into responsible men.

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ROOSEVELT — Matt Labrum believes football helps create great men.

And it is that belief and his passion for the game that led the Union High School head football coach and his staff to suspend all 80 players from the team because of off-field problems ranging from cyberbullying to skipping classes.

“We felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going,” said Labrum, an alumnus of the program he’s coached for the past two years. “We felt like we needed to make a stand.”

So the coach and his staff gathered the team together after Friday night's loss to Judge Memorial Catholic High School and told them he was concerned about some of the players' actions and behavior off the field. He then instructed them all to turn in their jerseys and their equipment. There would be no football until they earned the privilege to play.

Jenn Rook, whose son Karter is a sophomore on the team, was waiting outside the school that night.  "They were in the locker room for a really long time,” she said. “They came out, and there were tears. Those boys were wrecked. My son got in the car really upset and (said), ‘First of all, there is no football team. It’s been disbanded.’”

Junior Jordan Gurr said he, too, was shocked.  “When they said we’re going to turn our jerseys in, I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve never been cut.’ I figured we’d just been cut. There were no more games. I was sad,” he said.  The coaches told them there would be a 7 a.m. meeting the next day where they would have an opportunity to re-earn a spot on the team.

“We looked at it as a chance to say, ‘Hey, we need to focus on some other things that are more important than winning a football game,” Labrum said. “We got an emotional response from the boys. I think it really meant something to them, which was nice to see that it does mean something. There was none of them that fought us on it.”

Cyberbullying
One incident in particular moved the coaches to action. A few days before, guidance counselors informed the coaches about a student who believed he was being harassed and bullied by football players on an anonymous online chat program called ask.fm — something Labrum and his staff had never heard of before last week. Because the social media website allows users to hurl insults from behind a screen name, there was no way for coaches or counselors to know who was harassing the young man, who is not a member of the football team.

“We said, ‘We’ve got to make a change,’” said Labrum, who met with the student who was bullied on Monday to offer an apology. “We were pretty open with (the players) about what we’d heard. We don’t want that represented in our program. … Whoever it is (doing the bullying), we want to help get them back on the right path.”

But there were other issues that concerned the coaches, including failing and skipping classes and showing disrespect to teachers.

“It had gotten to a new level,” said Labrum. “We felt like we weren’t respecting the teachers, what they were trying to do inside the school, other people’s time. Overall, our program wasn’t going where we wanted it to go. We weren’t reaching the young men like we wanted to reach them.”  So they stopped playing football and started discussing character.

Union character
“I think football molds character,” Labrum said. “We want to help our parents raise their sons. We want to be a positive influence. We want to be an asset.”

During Saturday's team meeting, Labrum gave the suspended players a letter titled "Union Football Character," explaining exactly what the boys would need to do if they wanted to earn their jerseys back.  "The lack of character we are showing off the field is outshining what we are achieving on the field," the letter said. "It is a privilege to play this wonderful game! We must earn the opportunity to have the honor to put on our high school jerseys each Thursday and Friday night!"

Instead of practicing during the days leading up to a homecoming game against Emery High this Friday, they were told to perform community service, and attend study hall and a class on character development. They were also required to perform service for their own families and write a report about their actions.  The players were told they also need to show up on time and attend all of their classes. And those with bad grades were told they must show improvement if they wanted to play.

School administrators who learned of the decision to suspend the team the day before it happened, said they supported the move and saw it as more of an opportunity than punishment.

"As I thought about it, I've got 100 percent confidence in our (coaching) staff," said Principal Rick Nielsen. "They are just excellent men. Sometimes we do think we're bigger than the game."

Parental support
No parent complained about the decision to the administration. Most expressed support and gratitude.
Jenn Rook admits that her first reaction to the suspensions was to hurry off to find a coach to corner, but then her son told her about what led to the decision.

“OK, that’s not so bad then,” Rook said. “I do support it. These boys are not going to be hurt by this. It’s a good life lesson. … It’s not a punishment. I see it as an opportunity to do some good in the community.”
Like Rook, Jeremy Libberton was initially concerned when his son Jaden, a junior, told him what happened.
“I thought, ‘Why is this a team-type issue when there should be individuals that should be held accountable?” Libberton said. “But then I talked to several other parents, and there is really not a way to track this to specific people. I wish we could in this case.”  He talked with Labrum Saturday.

“After I met with him, he’s got my support,” said Libberton. “I’m encouraging my boy to stand strong, to stand with the team and get through it. … If there is not unity with me and the coach, then I become part of the problem.”

Better people
Of the seven team captains elected at the beginning of the season, only two were re-elected after Saturday’s team meeting. Gurr was one of them. He said he is a naturally quiet person, but now understands the need to speak up when he sees questionable behavior.

“I’m a pretty silent person, so I didn’t really say much,” he said, acknowledging that it's difficult to confront your friends when they're out of line. “We’d talk to them after practice sometimes; we’d run. It didn’t work out very well.”

He sees his role as team captain much differently this week than he did during the first two months of the season.  “It gives me a second chance,” Gurr said.

Junior quarterback Tye Winterton said he believes the break from football will make them better players — and better people.  “I definitely didn’t want to turn in my jersey,” said Winterton, who is an honors student. “I love playing. But I trust the coaches and believe in what they’re doing.”

Football to most of the young men is the one thing they look forward to all day.

“It’s probably one of my most favorite things to do,” said Winterton, who also plays soccer and basketball for Union. “I was aware of some things that were going on. … I’d never heard of (ask.fm) until coaches said it.”

Senior running back Gavin Nielsen said he had an ask.fm account but shut it down because he decided it was a waste of time. He also noticed that some of his teammates were skipping classes and struggling in school, but he didn’t always say something.

“One of my weaknesses that I wrote down,” he said, referring to an exercise the players engaged in during Monday's character class, “was that I wasn’t holding people accountable on the field and off the field. As a leader, on the field and off I have to hold people accountable.”

His passion for football hasn’t diminished, but Nielsen said he does have a new perspective on what it means to wear the Union High uniform.

“I still have the love for it and everything,” he said Monday while leaning on a shovel he was using to remove weeds as part of his community service. “But it helped me realize, it’s not all about football.”

By Amy Donaldson, Deseret News

Published: Tuesday, Sept. 24 2013 4:30 p.m. MDT

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Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... stand up and be counted.  Let's focus on the collective good not just our own special interests.  The world needs strong moral leadership.  This is a great example of that.

Enjoy life!