“Random Thoughts” for Monday, July 20th, 2020
It’s been so long! I had a busy day on Friday and didn’t have a chance to publish a “Random Thoughts”. The weekends are always so busy as well, so I rarely get a chance to do one on the weekend. Here it is Monday…it’s time to jump back in. Here are my “Random Thoughts” for Monday…
DRESSING UP CHICKENS
I always looked at chickens as barnyard animals. The provided eggs and food to us. I never really considered that someone could, and would, interact with a chicken like a pet.
Now I’m sure that the kids in 4H and similar type programs developed somewhat of a relationship with their animals, but in general I don’t think people look at chickens as pets.
That being said, what is the new fad of dressing up chickens?
Over the last couple of days I’ve seen two ads for items you can buy for your chicken…
The first one was a helmet for your chicken. Why? What do chickens need helmets for? Are there chickens that play football that I wasn’t aware of? The NFL — National Fowl League? (I do remember the piano playing chicken — or was that a duck — at Plank Road Farm growing up. You’d put a quarter into the machine and the fowl animal would play the piano in exchange for some food. These helmets are available at wish.com for anywhere from $4 to $16 in case you need to purchase one.
And if a helmet just isn’t enough to get your chicken all decked out..how about arms for your chicken? Yep, I said “arms”! I bet chickens would actually like extra limbs like arms if they could actually be working arms — but these are not. Someone has created little plastic, muscular arms for these birds. These are available on Etsy for $35. The arms are attached to a metal wire that you put around your chicken to given them these muscular limbs. I’m still not sure why a chicken would need arms, but I will admit, it is funny to see a chicken walking around with them…
And if those two items are not enough to dress up your chicken, Just do a search for “clothes for chickens” and you will find all kinds of things to add to your bird. Those poor chickens!
IT HAS BEEN HOT IN MANY PLACES LATELY
The weather has been on the warm side pretty much everywhere lately. Here in west Michigan temperatures have been hanging around 90, with the heat index nearing 100.
As humans, we can find an air conditioned home or store to hang out in. Some locations have actually set up cooling stations for those who need to cool off just a bit.
But what about the animals? How do they stay refreshed in this heat?
They have to be very creative that’s for sure. Here is a video of a moose in Anchorage, Alaska that found a way to cool off last summer…
VINTAGE ADS
I subscribe to a marketing newsletter called “Marketing Brew”. (You can sign up for the free subscription here.) It’s a free newsletter that has some cool information in it, especially if you like to follow marketing trends and what’s happening in the industry.
From time to time they will find, and publish, a vintage ad from our past. They recently found an ad for a portable TV…
This 1950s ad is for a 32 lb. “portable TV”! Can you imagine that? 32 pounds to lug around and yet they call it “portable”. I did find the illustration of the woman on the left to be pretty funny. She doesn’t seem to be the least bit bothered or fatigued trying to carry this heavy thing.
So how heavy is 32 pounds? A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, so to carry this portable TV would be like trying to carry almost 4 gallons of water…with one hand! I used to buy dog food in 40 pound bags. I can’t imagine trying to carry that around with one arm!
TODAY IS…
Today is Moon Day and Space Exploration Day.
It was on this date in 1969 that Apollo 11’s crew successfully made the first landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. “One small step for man…” Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.
I remember staying up late to watch it on TV with my parents. How cool to be watching images from the moon!
Find out what else has happened on July 20th.
WRAPPING UP
Have a MAGNIFICENT Monday! I will be on the air this afternoon — local and live — from 3-7 pm on 98.7 WFGR!
If you have any comments on the above stories, please leave your remarks below…
