Houdini Raisin Day!

...kind of. Today's Houdini's 137th birthday, along with Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day. Neither of which I have ever seen in real life, I don't think. Though Houdini was cool. Apparently (according to a graphic novel I read of his life, and who knows how accurate graphic novels are) he was about to do one of his daring escape tricks, involving jumping off a bridge into some river or other without anything except pocketless swim trunks, while being tied up and knotted up and chained up and all this random crap. You know how it is with magicians. Anyway, he was getting really worried, because he didn't want to jump off the bridge until he could kiss his wife goodbye (I mean, what if he didn't escape and he drowned, right?), but there were all these people watching. Finally, his wife shows up. She had to elbow her way through the crowd and get past the guards. Apparently there had already been three women wanting to get to Houdini up close, claiming they were his wife. She glares at the guard and pulls her marriage license out of her purse.

So, yeah, that worked. She went up to him and gave him the all-important kiss goodbye--all-important because she transferred the key to his chains into his mouth from hers when they kissed, thus enabling him (somehow) to free himself. Although I'm pretty sure that even if I had the key, I couldn't unchain myself while sinking rapidly underwater. Especially since I can't see underwater. But anyway. I thought that was pretty cool.

Plus also I know how he died. It wasn't in a daring escape attempt or anything...I read a picture book about Houdini once (hopefully more accurate than even the graphic novel) and apparently, he had a trick where he would allow anyone to punch him in the gut (first he would tighten his abdominal muscles and whatnot) and it wouldn't hurt him. So this one guy (I have no idea who) comes into Houdini's dressing room one night before the show and asks if he'll really bet anyone to punch him in the stomach, and Houdini says yeah (as I recall, he was lying on a couch) but doesn't get the chance to tighten up his muscles and prepare for the blow, as the guy just punches him right there where he's lying on the couch, as hard as he can, and leaves. So, as you can imagine, that hurt Houdini pretty bad, but you know, the show must go on (oh yeah, he had a performance that night). So he went on with the show, in spite of blazing abdominal pain...and then died of an appendix problem that resulted from that guy's punch in the gut. So that's real nice. Anyway, that was my non-intentional brain-vomit on Houdini. I know you care. :)

Anyway, today's (non-vanishing, non-chocolate-covered) Words are from the category of Say What? My comments are in italics! Enjoy! :)

"Shakespeare's a nonexistent penguin, okay?" Pretty hard to argue with that one...

"They're heat-seeking potatoes." But of course. I mean--oh noes! Quick! Get in the fridge!

"Like maximum drooling. Like he'd probably be dead from drooling." That's pretty intense. X-TREME DROOLING. It's not a sport, it's a way of LIFE.

Person 1: "Run, Mitch!"
Person 2: "Run like the wind!"
Person 1: "Be like a flying...majestic...water-goose." As opposed to a fire-goose.


...I would actually really love to see a fire-goose.