John Farrier's Blog Posts

Minnesota Funeral Bread

Minnesota's own MinnesotaStan introduces us to "funeral bread" -- a social gathering food from Minnesota and North Dakota. The Star Tribune says that it consists of cinnamon bread coated with a layer of Cheez Whiz and topped with sliced green olives. Some variants use rye or pumpernickel, but these are corruptions of the tradition which is centered around the small town of Roseau close to the Canadian border.

The dish is commonly served at communal gatherings after church or at funerals, hence the name.

The above photo is by from a now-deleted reddit account. I'm at a loss as to why the redditor was forced to purge their account and flee into hiding.


Costco-Brand Whiskey Exists

Part of the success of Costco is that visiting one is not just a shopping trip, but an experience. The food court is famous for its simple but very cheap fare, such as the $1.50 hot dog. Costco insists on being authentic to itself and not raising the price, despite inflation. Customers line up to participate in the slogan "I Got the Dog in Me," a reference to those hot dogs.

Now Costco is offering branded whiskey at a few warehouses in the DC area. Although the hot dog costs $1.50, the bottle of whiskey will set you back $85.99.

-via Aelfred the Great

Idea: Neatorama should offer branded whiskeys. I can suggest some innovative and unexpected flavors.


Thieves Steal 12 Tonnes of KitKat Bars

Hollywood, we now have a great premise for a new heist film! Fox Business reports that a truck containing 413,793 KitKat bars left a factory in Italy and vanished before it could arrive in Poland. Nestlé, the owner of the candy bars, is assuming that they were stolen. That's 12 tonnes* of chocolately goodness in the hands of the wrong people.

In a press release, Nestlé says that normal supply should not be impacted, so there is no immediate danger or cause for panic.

-via Stacey Vanek Smith | Photo: Carl Spencer

*I see reports of both 12 tonnes (12,000 kilograms) and 12 tons (24,000 pounds), but I think tonnes is what Nestlé means.

UPDATE 3/30/2026: We now have a suspect.


15 Musical Recording Mistakes That Stayed in Famous Songs

In his 1972 breakout hit "Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers says, "I know" 26 times in a row. This is because he ran out of lyrics while he was recording the song and realized it only during the session. Then unknown and of limited financial means, Withers kept and worked with that recording. Now it's hard to imagine the song without it.

David Hartley is a music teacher who produces videos about the history of modern popular music. His latest work informs us of 15 songs with mistakes in their recordings. Did you know that Axl Rose's line "Where do we go now?" in "Sweet Child O'Mine" is a question that he was literally asking his colleagues in Guns N' Roses?

-via The Awesomer


Zoo Hires French-Speaking Trainer for Polar Bear Taught in French

The headline is awkward, but I want to be precise in my language. The bear, who is named Yelle, is not French-speaking (to my knowledge), but zoo trainers in Quebec taught him with commands in French. So when the bear was relocated to a zoo in Calgary, a city that speaks mostly English, it was necessary to hire a bear trainer who could speak French until Yelle picks up enough English to get by.

The Francophonic trainer, CTV News reports, is from Yelle's former home in Quebec. He and the Anglophonic trainers are helping Yelle adapt to life in Alberta and living with another polar bear.

-via Tom Antonov | Photo: Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien


This Musical Instrument Sounds Like Unearthly Horrors Breaking into the Human Realm

This rare instrument sounds like human voices
by u/Due-Explanation8155 in Romania_mix

Hans Reichel was an "experimental luthier" from Germany. He adapted and invented various stringed musical instruments, including, in 1987, the daxophone demonstrated above. It's an idiophone--a musical instrument in which sound is caused by vibrations through the entire body of the instrument rather than strings or membranes.

When played, the box produces sounds that resemble a human voice. Or the voice of something that used to be human before...changes took place. I don't know the origins of this specific daxophone, but Daniel Fishcan, a master woodworker, produces many and offers recordings on SoundCloud.

-via David Thompson


Fat Cat Gets Trapped in Couch While Trying to Escape Vet Visit

It was time for this ball of fur to go to the vet.

He disagreed.

Fox 4 News Kansas City reports that the cat in the suburb of Overland Park worked his way into the interior of a recliner and then became stuck. It became necessary for firefighters working with animal control to cut the chair apart to rescue him.

Thankfully, the cat was able to arrive at the veterinarian's office in time for his appointment.

Continue reading

Cat Drives Off Bears

Scooter the cat, the master of a home in Asheville, North Carolina, is completely unafraid of anyone or thing considering intruding into his territory. Human servant Will Jones recorded this video of Scooter standing his ground and driving the two black bears from his territory.

He is an inspiration to cats everywhere.


The Pickle Puffer

The UK division of Kentucky Fried Chicken is promoting pickles with a limited-time menu of pickle-infused foods, including Pepsi with pickle juice and French fries with pickles. KFC thinks that you love pickles (and you know that you do) and would do anything to have more pickles in your life.

FoodBeast reports that the company is now offering a puffer jacket that consists of pockets filled with pickles and pickle juice. There are siphons so that you can drink the pickle juice while on the go as well as refill the reservoir. Now if we can just hook in a pressure washer motor....

-via David Burge


The Future Is Now: Public Restrooms with In-Stall Screens Showing Ads

As always, Japan gets there first. Sora News 24 tells us that public restrooms in the Umeda Station of Osaka will be the site of a new toileting experience. Technicians will install screens that will show video content, including advertisements. Railway passengers will be able to avoid the most awkward aspect of using a public toilet: not having a screen in front of them.

The photo that I selected is not from Japan, a nation with famously clean public restrooms. It's not even Texas's own Buc-ee's, which has a similar reputation. But I want to set realistic expectations for the time when this trend comes to America.

Photo: THe GoOgLeR


Clam Chowder-Filled Donuts

The Vulgar Chef, as you expected, produced this culinary marvel.

On Instagram, he says nothing. He just shares this image of the pastry masterpiece. On Facebook, he describes experiments with donut sorcery, including a shepherd's pie donut.

But he says nothing about how he created this salty, choclately beauty. The Vulgar Chef just lets us imagine it as we salivate hungrily and lick our computer screens.


Portland's "Sidewalk Joy" Program Takes off from Little Free Libraries

The Little Free Library movement has inspired people to create free public activities and opportunities for strangers, such as art galleries, dog stick libraries, and even a bocce court.

You can think of these expansions of the Little Free Library movement as a Sidewalk Joy trend. People feel inspired to bring joy to passersby who need free experiences that help us feel like we're part of communities.

Portland, Oregon goes all out on Sidewalk Joy. You can follow a map to walk through the city and find opportunities to take and share toy cars, jigsaw puzzles, toy dinosaurs, or play miniature golf.

Photo: Free Toy Library


Phoebe Sanders, The Puppeteer/Banjoist

Phoebe Sanders can be called an experimental banjoist as she is constantly pushing the limits of how this classic American instrument can and should be played. In addition to traditional playing of traditional songs such as "Big Rock Candy Mountain," she's played her banjos underwater and built a functional banjo out of trash.

Sanders's performances include playing her favorite instrument while simultaneously controlling marionettes. In the above video, she makes her raccoon dance by pumping pedals that pull the strings of the puppet.


The Sea Border Between Canada and France

Canada and France share a maritime border, despite the ejection of France from North America in the Seven Years' War. Article 6 of the 1763 Treaty of Paris allowed France to retain the tiny islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to facilitate French fishing in the region. France retained control over them despite losing the Napoleonic Wars to Britain and her allies.

During the Twentieth Century, the great powers gained increasing interest in directly controlling the seas from which they were able to extract wealth in the form of oil. So the precise border between these French islands and the now independent Canada was not a matter to ignore.

The two nations concluded arbitration in 1972, leading to the sea borders illustrated above. The map is provided by Sovereign Limits, a website about maritime boundaries. France maintains a sizeable Exclusive Economic Zone dangling inside otherwise Canadian waters.

-via Amazing Maps


Marching Band Performs Metallica's "Master of Puppets"

"Master of Puppets" is among Metallica's most famous songs. Since 1986, it has captivated audiences and been covered by many musical groups (my favorite of which is Apocalyptica's).

In this 2024 cover, the famous Kunst en Genoegen marching band in Leiden, the Netherlands, smoothly marches through the streets performing a perfect "Master of Puppets." The traditional marching band instruments work well for this thrash metal classic.

-via The Awesomer


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Profile for John Farrier

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