I Never Knew That

Silly String Was Invented for Broken Bones

There’s nothing silly about a broken bone, but if laughter is the best medicine, then the creators of Silly String may well have helped more people than they ever envisioned. In the 1960s, inventor Leonard A. Fish and chemist Robert P. Cox set about producing a mixture that would rapidly harden after delivery via a spray can, providing a near-instant cast for anyone unfortunate enough to sustain a broken limb. They came up with a sticky concoction that set quickly and held, then tested some 500 nozzles in search of the best application from a pressurized can. When one nozzle propelled a stream 30 feet across the room, Fish and Cox had another idea — maybe this stringy goo would work better as a plaything.

After tweaking their recipe, the duo arranged a meeting with an executive at Wham-O, the company behind such popular toys as the Frisbee and Hula Hoop. At first, a business relationship seemed unlikely; overeager to demonstrate, Fish and Cox all but decorated the office with loads of colorful string, and were unceremoniously shown the door. Fortunately, the company’s owners later spotted some leftover gunk and were intrigued enough to seek a larger sample. The next day, Fish and Cox received a telegram from Wham-O requesting 24 cans of the stuff for a market test. By 1972, when a patent was granted for this “foamable resinous composition,” Silly String had clearly moved on from its roots as a tool for healing and was well on the way to its destiny as a mess-making accoutrement for partygoers of all ages.

Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Art by Hart

Oscar and Merriwether were soul brothers—or was it sole brothers?

It was Grace’s idea to put WITE-OUT on her grey hair and crows' feet

Lizzie was unwilling to pay full fare for the apparitions

Hullman had been trying to meet someone on Spring break since 1986

The inchworm tea was supposed to be good for Dora’s ankles

Art and photos by Jane Hart

A Day of Song

Friday, February 21, was a day to stretch those vocal cords and relive the folks songs we all knew by heart back in the day. Donna Nye and her guitar led the standing-room-only Bistro Lounge song fest.

Photo by Martin Smolin

But wait (as the late-night advertisers used to say), that’s not all! Quick on after the sing-along, Sip and Snackers reveled in love songs—in honor of Valentine’s Day, a week past—led by Linda Mahoney, Donn Williams, and Ginny Bender, with special guests stars Emily (Linda’s talented daughter) and Fred Coppola (who knew he had such pipes?).

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

And for those who missed the day, a short clip of Fred leading On the Street Where You Live (make sure your volume is up):

It's the Weekly Kendal’s Low-Stakes Poker Report!

February 19’s Grand Winner: Norman Sissman with $9! [Insert uproarious cheers and applause]

The aim is fun, not financial windfall. Fear not any Atlantic City high-rollers joining in. All skill sets are welcome. Stakes are 25-50 cents.

Want to join the fun? Call or text John Vacher: (404) 556-0557. He’ll even come and provide a short tutorial so you’ll fit in seamlessly your very first Wednesday night.

There Are Glaciers in the Tropics

Icy glaciers probably don’t spring to mind when you think about the tropics. But whether it’s Indonesia, Colombia, Kenya, or elsewhere, glaciers do exist in these warm climates. Of course, these huge chunks of ice aren’t sipping mai tais beachside, but are instead perched high up in mountain ranges. These frigid formations are the result of snow that’s been compressed into massive, slow-moving bodies of ice over the course of centuries.

But although these glaciers have taken ages to form, their disappearing act will be much more swift. In all, 50% of mountain glaciers (both tropical and nontropical) will disappear by the end of this century due to climate change. Glaciers can serve as vital water reserves during drought, so their disappearance can have dire consequences in hot regions. In Indonesia, the Eternity Glaciers currently rest in the Jayawijaya mountains, but continuous dry seasons mean they’ll likely disappear forever in 2026. The ​​Conejeras glacier in the Colombian Andes will perform the same vanishing act on a similar timeline. Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa also sport glaciers on their peaks, though both mountains are steadily losing ice mass due to changes in ocean patterns caused by our warming world. Sadly, this is just the latest glacial batch facing evaporation. In 2009, ​​the Chacaltaya glacier in Bolivia disappeared completely, and the country has lost around half of its glaciers in the past 50 years. Glaciers will continue to exist in the colder reaches of the world for centuries, but the age of tropical glaciers is quickly coming to an end.

 Source: Interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Made in NYC: 123 Brands, Trends, and Inventions That Began in the Big Apple

A National Holiday

New York City—Grand Demonstration of Workingmen, September 5th—The Procession Passing the Reviewing-Stand at Union Square

September 5, 1882, saw speeches, picnics, concerts, and a parade from City Hall to Union Square. It marked the first observation of what would become a nationwide affair just a few years later. Origins are murky—Matthew Maguire, a machinist and secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York proposed a parade, as did Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, that same year. Either way, you can thank New York City for your long weekend kicking off September.

Devil Dogs and Ring Dings

The Drake’s brand began as The N.E. Drake Baking Company in Harlem in 1896 (see below). It went on to become the first baker to deliver large quantities of baked goods to grocery stores. Devil Dogs and Ring Dings are among the household-name treats it sells (it’s still in business today, back to being a family-run business after changing hands several times).

West Harlem beginnings. Image via Drake’s.

A Favorite Kid’s Snack

Major manufacturers jumped on this product in 1980, knocking off the Brooklyn original Joray fruit rollup and filling grocery shelves across the nation. It was the first fruit rollup, and it’s still made today in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. The fourth generation of the family is still manufacturing the product, following in the footsteps of patriarch George Shalhoub, who followed his American Dream starting in 1886.

Source: “Made in NYC,” City Guide, March 20, 2024

Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann

Art by Hart

The spin cycle was noisy, but fun

The new high-rise petting zoo was an instant success

After 93 miles of Dobbin singing, “A horse is a horse, of course, of course,” Millie was ready for silence

Ogden and Antsy enjoyed their morning dip in the Milky Way

Members of the Seasonal Allergen Society could hardly wait until spring

Art and photos by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

Sunrise from a Kendal Balcony

Photo by Amanda Slattery

A New Alp?

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Winter Woodland

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Happy February Birthdays!

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

Sweeping South

Photo by Philip Monteleoni

How It Got Its Name

Rock and Wood, Photo by Edward Kasinec

Another Refresh-Type Project Needed?

Here at Kendal, we’re all aware of the behind-Phelps structure known as the James House. But few of us have been up-close-and-personal. Recently Marianne Bloomfeld took a stroll to have a look at both front and back of the once-impressive structure, but reports that it has seen better days.

We don’t often see the Hudson-facing front

The back has its own problems

Photos by Marianne Bloomfeld

Kendal's Weekly Poker Report

It’s Poker Night! Wednesday’s the night 7 - 9 pm, the time The Gathering Room, the place.

The aim is fun; fear not the high rollers from Atlantic City coming aboard. All skill-sets are invited. Stakes are 25-50 cents. 

And now announcing the Grand Winners of February 12 [Insert Dramatic Drum Roll] Hubert Herring John Vacher Tying with $4 each! [Insert uproarious cheers and applause]

Want to be part of the fun? Call or text John Vacher at (404) 556-0557. He will even come and give you a short tutorial so you’ll fit in seamlessly.

I Never Knew That

Why Australia Gave Email Addresses to 70,000 Trees

It began as a bit of creative problem-solving. Some trees in Melbourne, Australia, had dangerous branches that needed to be trimmed and other issues, prompting city officials in 2013 to give 70,000 of them ID numbers and email addresses where people could report problems. As an “unintended but positive consequence” of the program, according to Councilor Arron Wood of Melbourne’s Environment Portfolio, people began writing their favorite trees whimsical letters. “I have exams coming up and I should be busy studying,” one reads. “You do not have exams because you are a tree. I don’t think that there is much more to talk about as we don’t have a lot in common, you being a tree and such. But I’m glad we’re in this together.”

That one, addressed to Green Leaf Elm, Tree ID 1022165, even received a response: “I hope you do well in your exams. Research has shown that nature can influence the way people learn in a positive way, so I hope I inspire your learning.” The initiative’s website (the program is still going strong) features a map of every tree as well as links to their email addresses, should you feel like writing a love letter of your own. The responses are actually crafted by employees at the City of Melbourne—and as of 2018, the trees had received more than 4,000 emails from all over the world.

Contributed by Jane Hart

Observations of a Certain Age . . .

As I get older I realize:

1. I talk to myself, because sometimes I need expert advice.

2. Sometimes I roll my eyes outloud.

3. I don’t need anger management; I need people to stop pissing me off.

4. My people skills are just fine. It’s my tolerance of idiots that needs work.

5. The biggest lie I tell myself is: “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”

6. When I was a child, I thought naptime was punishment. Now it’s like a mini-vacation.

7. The day the world runs out of wine is just too terrible to think about.

8. Even duct tape can’t fix stupid—but it can muffle the sound.

9. Wouldn’t it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for 10 minutes—come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller?

10. “Getting Lucky” means walking into a room and remembering why I’m there

Contributed by Mimi Abramovitz

Made in NYC: 123 Brands, Trends, and Inventions That Began in the Big Apple

The Hot Dog

As American food choices go, it’s hard to get more ubiquitous than the hot dog. But before we ate them in the billions, somebody had to invent them. That man was German-American baker Charles Feltman, whose boardwalk cart on Coney Island launched an American classic.

Charles Feldman, Hot Dog Genius

A Brunch Staple: Eggs Benedict

Charles Ranhofer on the flyleaf of his book of The Epicurian (1894).

Eggs Benedict is a New York City original. Chef Charles Ranhofer published a recipe for it in his 1894 cookbook, some three decades after they first appeared at Lower Manhattan’s Delmonico’s restaurant. Although others claim credit, the cookbook citation for Ranhofer’s Eggs à la Benedick makes the most convincing case.

An Entire Dessert Category: Frozen Custard

James Loesch/Flickr.

Frozen custard debuted on Coney Island in 1919. The Kohr Brothers had already created a smoother, lighter version of ice cream (it had less fat and less sugar). To keep the product from melting too quickly in the warm salt air, they added eggs to the recipe. The result was light and fluffy and the world’s first frozen custard. You can still buy it, from the same family, at boardwalks all along the mid-Atlantic.

Source: “Made in NYC,” City Guide, March 20, 2024

Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann

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Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.