Brendan I. Koerner's Blog, page 71

The Myth of the Mickey Slim

Last week, the long discussion spurred by this post led one of our most trusted readers to offer this startling factoid:

Bizarre note: there was a cocktail in the 40s and 50s called the Mickey Slim that was made with gin and a pinch of DDT.

Sure enough, The Tubes abound with mentions of this lethal-sounding tipple. The ostensible recipe is here, along with a caveat to try replacing the DDT component with absinthe in case you value your life.

The Mickey Slim sounds like such a mixological...

Now That's an Exit

Some Wired research recently familiarized us with the career of Keeve M. Siegel, a well-known champion of both holography and controlled nuclear fusion. Siegel's involvement in the latter technology earned him a 1975 invite to Congress, where he was supposed to make the case for additional government funding. But, tragically, he never got the chance to wrap up his testimony. The March 19, 1975 edition of The Washington Post gave a brief account of what transpired:

Last week, as he was...

When Bread-and-Circuses Backfires

While researching a post about the ever-popular sport of wild cow milking, we came across a paper on the history of Native Canadian cowboys. A healthy chunk of the work is dedicated to the development of rodeo culture among Canada's First Nations, who were often encouraged to engage in calf roping and bronco riding in lieu of participating in traditional pastimes. Yet on at least one occasion, the Canadian government seems to have forgotten that in order to be effective, bread-and-circuses...

The Oaxacan Example

Continuing on with our promised examination of DDT's usefulness in the War on Malaria, we're gonna turn our gaze southward this morning. As carefully detailed here, Mexico was a longtime heavy user of DDT, sloshing out 70,000 tons of the controversial chemical between 1959 and 1999. Then the nation resolved to phase out DDT entirely, and instead employ other means of combating malaria. Chief among these new tactics was a focus on eliminating mosquito breeding grounds—something that was much m...

"Here Comes That Guy Again"

We're off to deal with the federal government, so we'll outro with one of the greatest stunts in cinematic history: the crocodile jump from Live and Let Die. As amply shown above, no fancy CGI or other tricks were used in the making of this scene—croc farm owner (nee Heilman) actually jumped from snout to snout to snout a grand total of five times. (That third try looks especially perilous.) Sadly, Kanaga passed away while spearfishing just a few years after the film's release...

The DDT Equation

Yesterday's post about temperance medals somehow got the Microkhan community meditating upon whether DDT deserves to have its reputation rehabilitated, at least as a malaria fighter. The revisionist stance these days is that the chemical should be used to combat the disease "when no other effective, safe and affordable alternatives are locally available." That doesn't mean that DDT is safe, but rather that the risks it poses are less harmful than allowing malaria to run rampant. And so you...

When Our Heart First Rose Up

We were totally unplugged during our Northern Michigan trip, so we just learned of Gary Coleman's tragic passing a few hours ago. Given our relatively advanced age, it should go without saying that his work played a major part in our cultural formation—we certainly feel a small nostalgic thrill whenever someone quotes Diff'rent Strokes. But the memory of Coleman that looms largest in our mind is his turn as Lester, the homeless horse-picking genius from On the Right Track. The movie stays...

Back from Whitefish Bay

Though there were moments during our vacation when we were tempted to chuck it all and reboot our lives as laborers on the Soo Locks, we finally managed to make it back to world headquarters yesterday. It might take us a day or two to shake off the mental dust, but Microkhan should be back in full effect shortly. Thanks for your forbearance, which shall be rewarded with a summer chock full of the most incredible polymathism imaginable.

We're gonna start by directing your attention to one of...

Decompression, Cont'd

We're still enjoying the best that northern Michigan has to offer. Back as soon as we're able to pick up Microkhan's Jr. from Detroit and bundle him onto the plane. But if we're not posting anew by, say, week's end, just assume that we decided to chuck it all and become professional taxidermists in Ontonagon.

Krinklebein's Poor Russian

We're still in northern Michigan with the Grand Empress, and you're hopefully prepping for a raucous three-day weekend. As you pack or purchase beer, enjoy the sonic stylings of a talking fish and his feline arch-nemesis—one of Microkhan Jr.'s favorites. It really is a fine piece of animation, save for the fact that Mr. Krinklebein's Russian leaves much to be desired. We have it on good authority that his phrase means "Hat in the Hat," rather than "Cat in the Hat." But thumbs up for making...