Smart Trees; Coincidences; Michael Phelps; Frank Zappa; Joe Pyne; The Internet; Bill Clinton

Another nice cool Fall day.

Intelligent Vegetation 

 A German forest ranger, Peter Wohlleben has written a book that says that trees can probably speak for themselves, if we would only shut up and listen.  The title: "The Hidden Life of Trees" tells how "trees protect their young, communicate through underground networks and develop sophisticated social communities."

Wohlleben told the Guardian newspaper recently:  "The thing that surprised me most is how social trees are.  I stumbled over an old stump one day and saw that it was still living although it was 400 or 500 years old, without any green leaf.  Every living being needs nutrition.  The only explanation was that it was supported by the neighbor threes via the roots with a sugar solution... Trees are very interested in keeping every member of this community alive.

What are the odds?

Chuck Shepherd mentions a couple of events that seem to me to be amazing coincidences:

Breakfast Time?

A truck hauling ham recently collided with a truck hauling eggs.

Home Run?

Pro baseball player, Brandon Thomas, of St. Louis, Missouri, hit a bases-loaded home run .. over the fence, into the adjacent parking lot, where the ball smashed the windshield... of his own car.

Local Philosopher-Hero

Baltimore's super Olympian, Michael Phelps wisely says:  "I think goals should never be easy.  They should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time."

Local Musician-Philosopher

Readers Digest says that in the 1960's, Joe Pyne began an interview with Baltimore's own Frank Zappa by saying: "So, I guess your long hair makes you a woman."  Zappa responded: "So, I guess your wooden leg makes you a table."

During the 1960's, my late wife, Elaine and I watched the Joe Pyne show every Sunday evening.  Joe was a nasty guy, but he did expose a lot of con men, like the Filipino charlatans taking money for doing phony bloody tumor removals.  I think you can still see some of his programs on YouTube.

The Internet

Jon Winokur compiled some comments in the Funny Paper:

Bill Clinton said:  "When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web.  Now even my cat has its own page."

Jarod Kintz:  "The Internet's a great way to meet people.  You never really know someone until you see their fake profile."

Ruadhan J. McElroy:  "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, police grammar on the Internet."

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