Johnny On The Spot
Hello World,
Happy May! Sunday will be the first day of the new month, and how April has flown right by - and I don't mind saying, with no improvement in the weather - is just astonishing. Of course, Easter was just about as late as it can be (in fact, so late that it coincided with Greek Orthodox Easter this year, rather than them lagging behind as they usually do) and after that, the whole month was just about over and nothing left for the April hold-outs to grab onto. On the other hand, because May starts on a Sunday, it means that Mother's Day would be the earliest that you can have it, next week on the 8th, which I am pointing out as a public service to the general populace who may be considerably under-prepared for Mom's big day, basically right around the corner and will be here way before you know it. Also on the early side, I noticed the jolly faces of violets all over the yard, all dressed up in deep purple, pale lavender or creamy white everywhere you look. Just as the magnolias are starting to fade, you can count on the dogwoods to pop open, and always a sight to behold. Anyone can tell you that it's not too early for dandelions, not by any means, even if your gardeners have eradicated them from your yard, they're still a sunny yellow presence in vacant lots and other neglected areas. Everyone else may not know, but I can tell you that it's also not too early for rampant mutant alien poison ivy, thanks not, which I found out the hard way when I was taking pictures of tulips and daffodils in the flower beds, and realized later that I had gotten a patch of poison ivy on my ankle, that was probably the earliest that's ever happened. I'm thinking this just goes to prove that it's not Greek Orthodox poison ivy, I guess.
Speaking of Easter, we were glad to welcome the Easter Bunny with his baskets full of treats, and he came through with the goods, including jewelry, DVDs, scented candles, candy, personal care items, and some healthy organic items that can be indulged in without guilt. In fact, one of them was actually green-apple-flavored edible Easter grass, from our friends at Galerie in Kentucky, although they tell me that it's actually made in Germany, of all places. (Please feel free to go right ahead and visit their website at http://www.galerieusa.com/ and see for yourself.) It's certainly edible, that much is true, although not much of a treat as edible things go, but a big improvement over regular plastic Easter grass, at least in terms of eating it. My favorite part is that they go to all the trouble to put Nutrition Facts on the package, although all of them are zero except for fiber (1%) but it will set you back 100 calories if you eat the whole package. (I dare you!) It must be said that the weather forecast was less than promising when we left home on the next leg of our Easter adventures, but it soon cleared up and turned into a beautiful day. In fact, they could not have asked for better weather for the 56th Annual Easter Vintage Car Parade in Garden City (and here again, you're invited to visit their website at http://www.gardencitychamber.org/ and see for yourself) presented by the Chamber of Commerce, and well worth the trip. It seemed like hundreds of wonderful vehicles of all types, from the 1890's to the recent past, were all arrayed in the parking lots behind the parade route, so that people could have a chance to see them all and meet the owners before the parade started. They were all so shiny and beautiful, and many decked out in their Easter finery, with bunnies, bonnets, carrots and other decorations on cars and drivers alike. The parade was fun and well-organized, as the pride of automotive excellence took to the streets to thrill the enthusiastic spectators lining both sides. By the time it was over, we were more than ready for lunch at Denny's in Levittown, and since we got there later than we expected, we missed the holiday lunch rush, and pretty much had the place to ourselves. I would say that this was a non-traditional sort of Easter, but after all, they've been having this car parade now for 56 years, so I guess that's as traditional as anything else at this point, by golly.
Other notable events of recent vintage would be both the Knicks and Rangers being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, thanks not, with the Knicks getting the worst of it, by being swept out by the Celtics in lopsided games in spite of Carmelo Anthony - and who probably has no idea of either Ralph Kiner or the legendary Branch Rickey, but it's really true that "we could have done that without you, Ralph." In baseball, the Yankees have improved to 15-9, while the surprising Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies and dratted Phillies are leading their divisions with impressive 18-8 records already. Seattle has finally managed to turn it around, climbing to a respectable 13-15 from a woeful start, while even the Red Sox and hapless Mets have improved to 11-15, which is no mean feat from where they were. Now it's the poor Padres and Twins at 9-17 sharing the worst record in baseball, but I advise the hometown fans against panic because at this point in the season, anything can happen, and usually does.
And while we're on the topic of anything that can happen, we've been notified by the hospital administration that the episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent that was filmed at our facility is to be titled "Cadaver," and showcases our new DaVinci robotic surgery system as part of the plot. It is expected to be the 5th or 6th episode of the new season which begins this week, so please be sure to be on the lookout for that, or even better, have your DVR set up to record it when it airs, and take the worry out of possibly missing some great (local) moments in television history. After all, we wouldn't want the President's secretary to have been unceremoniously tossed out of her own office for nothing.
Alert readers may recall a few weeks ago when I was at a meeting and the term "John Henry" was used to refer to signing a document, making me wonder what that ever-lovin' "steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord" had to do with anyone's signature, compared to, say, John Hancock, who I considered the poster child for that particular reference. Well, as everyone knows, I'm always happy to set the record straight - or perhaps, "muddy the waters" might be the more apt expression in this case - as we have our research maven, Bill, and his quest for pinpoint accuracy, to thank for the following:
============================
WIkipedia's John Henry disambiguation page says this:
"One's 'John Henry' - formal signature referred to in ironic comparison to John Hancock's famously florid and consequential signature"
But if you dig a little deeper, there's this interesting post.
I think "John Henry" as a phrase meaning signature is simply a mistake. People get their Johns mixed up. But I'll check further and see if there's more to it than that.
I stand corrected...
JOHN HENRY/JOHN HANCOCK - "As every schoolboy knows, the biggest, boldest and most defiant signature on the Declaration of Independence was scrawled by John Hancock of Massachusetts. So completely did it overshadow the autographs of the other founding fathers that the term 'John Hancock' has become synonymous with 'signature' and each of us at the one time or another has spoken of "putting his 'John Hancock' " at the bottom of a document. In the West, a half century and more later, the phrase became altered to 'John Henry,' and nobody knows quite why. Suffice it that, in the words of Ramon Adams's excellent collection of cowboy jargon, 'Western Words': "John Henry is what the cowboy calls his signature. He never signs a document, he puts his 'John Henry' to it!" Incidentally, there seems to be no connection between the John Henry of cowboy slang and the fabulous John Henry of railroad lore, who was so powerful that he could outdrive a steam drill with his hammer and steel. This legend has been traced to the drilling of the Chesapeake and Ohio Big Tunnel through West Virginia in the 1870s - substantially later than the first use of John Henry by cowpokes of the Old West." From "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988).
[This final clarification is from our friends across the pond: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/10/messages/147.html ]
============================
And so there you have it, signature fans, and we all (or at least I) stand corrected for casting aspersions on people using a perfectly acceptable alternative to the John Hancock idiom, which obviously has stood the test of time and needs no defense from me. So thanks to Bill and wikipedia and the phrases folks for clearing that up, to the extent that it's possible to clear it up, and we are all better for having learned something new today, I'm sure. Now I see that it's just about time for me to be fixin' to mosey off and punch some cattle afore I ride off into the sunset, so here I'll just put my -
John Henry
Happy May! Sunday will be the first day of the new month, and how April has flown right by - and I don't mind saying, with no improvement in the weather - is just astonishing. Of course, Easter was just about as late as it can be (in fact, so late that it coincided with Greek Orthodox Easter this year, rather than them lagging behind as they usually do) and after that, the whole month was just about over and nothing left for the April hold-outs to grab onto. On the other hand, because May starts on a Sunday, it means that Mother's Day would be the earliest that you can have it, next week on the 8th, which I am pointing out as a public service to the general populace who may be considerably under-prepared for Mom's big day, basically right around the corner and will be here way before you know it. Also on the early side, I noticed the jolly faces of violets all over the yard, all dressed up in deep purple, pale lavender or creamy white everywhere you look. Just as the magnolias are starting to fade, you can count on the dogwoods to pop open, and always a sight to behold. Anyone can tell you that it's not too early for dandelions, not by any means, even if your gardeners have eradicated them from your yard, they're still a sunny yellow presence in vacant lots and other neglected areas. Everyone else may not know, but I can tell you that it's also not too early for rampant mutant alien poison ivy, thanks not, which I found out the hard way when I was taking pictures of tulips and daffodils in the flower beds, and realized later that I had gotten a patch of poison ivy on my ankle, that was probably the earliest that's ever happened. I'm thinking this just goes to prove that it's not Greek Orthodox poison ivy, I guess.
Speaking of Easter, we were glad to welcome the Easter Bunny with his baskets full of treats, and he came through with the goods, including jewelry, DVDs, scented candles, candy, personal care items, and some healthy organic items that can be indulged in without guilt. In fact, one of them was actually green-apple-flavored edible Easter grass, from our friends at Galerie in Kentucky, although they tell me that it's actually made in Germany, of all places. (Please feel free to go right ahead and visit their website at http://www.galerieusa.com/ and see for yourself.) It's certainly edible, that much is true, although not much of a treat as edible things go, but a big improvement over regular plastic Easter grass, at least in terms of eating it. My favorite part is that they go to all the trouble to put Nutrition Facts on the package, although all of them are zero except for fiber (1%) but it will set you back 100 calories if you eat the whole package. (I dare you!) It must be said that the weather forecast was less than promising when we left home on the next leg of our Easter adventures, but it soon cleared up and turned into a beautiful day. In fact, they could not have asked for better weather for the 56th Annual Easter Vintage Car Parade in Garden City (and here again, you're invited to visit their website at http://www.gardencitychamber.org/ and see for yourself) presented by the Chamber of Commerce, and well worth the trip. It seemed like hundreds of wonderful vehicles of all types, from the 1890's to the recent past, were all arrayed in the parking lots behind the parade route, so that people could have a chance to see them all and meet the owners before the parade started. They were all so shiny and beautiful, and many decked out in their Easter finery, with bunnies, bonnets, carrots and other decorations on cars and drivers alike. The parade was fun and well-organized, as the pride of automotive excellence took to the streets to thrill the enthusiastic spectators lining both sides. By the time it was over, we were more than ready for lunch at Denny's in Levittown, and since we got there later than we expected, we missed the holiday lunch rush, and pretty much had the place to ourselves. I would say that this was a non-traditional sort of Easter, but after all, they've been having this car parade now for 56 years, so I guess that's as traditional as anything else at this point, by golly.
Other notable events of recent vintage would be both the Knicks and Rangers being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, thanks not, with the Knicks getting the worst of it, by being swept out by the Celtics in lopsided games in spite of Carmelo Anthony - and who probably has no idea of either Ralph Kiner or the legendary Branch Rickey, but it's really true that "we could have done that without you, Ralph." In baseball, the Yankees have improved to 15-9, while the surprising Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies and dratted Phillies are leading their divisions with impressive 18-8 records already. Seattle has finally managed to turn it around, climbing to a respectable 13-15 from a woeful start, while even the Red Sox and hapless Mets have improved to 11-15, which is no mean feat from where they were. Now it's the poor Padres and Twins at 9-17 sharing the worst record in baseball, but I advise the hometown fans against panic because at this point in the season, anything can happen, and usually does.
And while we're on the topic of anything that can happen, we've been notified by the hospital administration that the episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent that was filmed at our facility is to be titled "Cadaver," and showcases our new DaVinci robotic surgery system as part of the plot. It is expected to be the 5th or 6th episode of the new season which begins this week, so please be sure to be on the lookout for that, or even better, have your DVR set up to record it when it airs, and take the worry out of possibly missing some great (local) moments in television history. After all, we wouldn't want the President's secretary to have been unceremoniously tossed out of her own office for nothing.
Alert readers may recall a few weeks ago when I was at a meeting and the term "John Henry" was used to refer to signing a document, making me wonder what that ever-lovin' "steel-drivin' man, Lord, Lord" had to do with anyone's signature, compared to, say, John Hancock, who I considered the poster child for that particular reference. Well, as everyone knows, I'm always happy to set the record straight - or perhaps, "muddy the waters" might be the more apt expression in this case - as we have our research maven, Bill, and his quest for pinpoint accuracy, to thank for the following:
============================
WIkipedia's John Henry disambiguation page says this:
"One's 'John Henry' - formal signature referred to in ironic comparison to John Hancock's famously florid and consequential signature"
But if you dig a little deeper, there's this interesting post.
I think "John Henry" as a phrase meaning signature is simply a mistake. People get their Johns mixed up. But I'll check further and see if there's more to it than that.
I stand corrected...
JOHN HENRY/JOHN HANCOCK - "As every schoolboy knows, the biggest, boldest and most defiant signature on the Declaration of Independence was scrawled by John Hancock of Massachusetts. So completely did it overshadow the autographs of the other founding fathers that the term 'John Hancock' has become synonymous with 'signature' and each of us at the one time or another has spoken of "putting his 'John Hancock' " at the bottom of a document. In the West, a half century and more later, the phrase became altered to 'John Henry,' and nobody knows quite why. Suffice it that, in the words of Ramon Adams's excellent collection of cowboy jargon, 'Western Words': "John Henry is what the cowboy calls his signature. He never signs a document, he puts his 'John Henry' to it!" Incidentally, there seems to be no connection between the John Henry of cowboy slang and the fabulous John Henry of railroad lore, who was so powerful that he could outdrive a steam drill with his hammer and steel. This legend has been traced to the drilling of the Chesapeake and Ohio Big Tunnel through West Virginia in the 1870s - substantially later than the first use of John Henry by cowpokes of the Old West." From "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988).
[This final clarification is from our friends across the pond: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/10/messages/147.html ]
============================
And so there you have it, signature fans, and we all (or at least I) stand corrected for casting aspersions on people using a perfectly acceptable alternative to the John Hancock idiom, which obviously has stood the test of time and needs no defense from me. So thanks to Bill and wikipedia and the phrases folks for clearing that up, to the extent that it's possible to clear it up, and we are all better for having learned something new today, I'm sure. Now I see that it's just about time for me to be fixin' to mosey off and punch some cattle afore I ride off into the sunset, so here I'll just put my -
John Henry
posted by El Tango Fandango @ 5:58 PM
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