Author Archive

On Thor’s Day Anecdote – April 29

On Thor’s Day – April 29, 1913 U.S. Patent 1,060,378 for the “Separable Fastener” also known as the Zipper was granted. Origins of the first zipper can be traced back as far as 1851.

It wasn’t until 1913 that Gideon Sundback a Swedish-American inventor and engineer invented and patented the idea. He called it the “Separable Fastener”, however the name “zipper” wasn’t  created until BF Goodrich used it n a pair of boots.  You never know what anecdote you’ll find next,  here at etaBlog!

On Thor’s Day – An Anecdote for April 8th

Here’s a short baseball anecdote about a sore spot for Mets fans. On Thor’s Day April 8, 1975, the possible beginnings of the Yankees winning yet another World Series commenced. It was the birthday of Timo Pérez, who is infamously known by Mets fans across the nation for jogging into home plate and being tagged out for thinking that Todd Zeile had homered.

I’ll never forget the image of Timo with one finger raised in the air, casually jogging around the bases,  right before he realized he was out. On this day the god’s weren’t paying attention, or maybe they were playing a sick joke on us. The Yankees went on to win Game One in extra innings and eventually win the World Series.

At the age of 34, Timo Pérez has been signed to a minor league contract with the Dodgers this year after a short hiatus from baseball since 2007. Will he be a Major League Player on his 35th birthday?

An Anecdote About A Not So Ordinary Seed

This is a personal anecdote about my new friend, the flax seed. I’ve been trying to increase my overall health. So, the other day I decided to look for heart healthy foods and stumbled upon, flax seeds.

When I asked the store clerk if there was a difference between brown and yellow flax seeds she replied, “there is absolutely no difference between the two.” I found this amusing because upon first glance I actually liked the look of the brown ones better and thought, “How could she say that? The brown ones look so much better!”

I wanted to give them a little home, so I used an old wonton soup container to store them, because if I want to be healthier I won’t need it. Wow they look so cool and healthy in that container. They actually look a little lonely, so I’ve been finding ways to use these little seeds to the fullest. I now sprinkle them on cereal. I dip bananas into them as well.

I’ve grown to like them even though I don’t know if they have any taste. Here’s what I have heard about them. Nutritionists say that flax seeds help lower cholesterol and also are good for people who have diabetes.

Flax is high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which helps people with rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve also heard that if you grind them up they’re better for you, but as for now I’m afraid to crush them in fear that my new little friends, the flax seed, may get mad at me!

Thor’s Day – February 18 – 1979

With all the snow we have seen this year in Washington D.C. I figured this anecdote was somewhat topical and certainly not tropical.  On February 18, 1979 snow fell in the Sahara Desert for the only time in recorded history.

Thor’s Day January 7

January 7th is the first Thor’s Day of the year. Each week you will find a little anecdote about what happened on the date of the corresponding Thursday when our blog posts are published.

On the first Thor’s Day of the year, in 1999, the impeachment trial for President Bill Clinton began.

Since ancient times the Japanese celebrate Nanakusa-no-sekku a custom to eat seven wild herbs on January 7th. This tradition is meant to celebrate good health and longevity.

Bookmark this page for many more little anecdote messages coming up in 2010.

Yule Log

This ancient anecdote is about how a pagan tradition has been borrowed from the Norse Mythos by some Christians. In ancient times people burned logs to appease the gods and to celebrate their conviction to the powers of the gods. During festivals, Norsemen honored the father of the Gods Odin and the god Jólnir. Jólnir was commonly known as the Yule Father.

The original Yule Log burning ceremony started on the winter solstice. At 5:47 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time Monday December 21, in the Northern Hemisphere marked the mid-point of the year. The winter solstice marks the day with the fewest hours of daylight and a Yule Log was ceremonially burned.

Because the burning of the Yule Log took place near Christmas people still practice the tradition today. This practice is one of the many pagan rituals absconded by Christianity as part of the Christmas celebration. Thank god for pagans!