Laugh Your Head Off #16 - January-February 2014

Laugh Your Head Off
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www.laughyourheadoff.us
Laugh Your Head Off
January/February
Maple Buescher
Issue
Number Sixteen
Sport of the Month:
Ice Skating
The
Detective
is Back
AGAIN!
-------------Read the
mystery
and try to
solve it!
2014
Oakwood
Elementary
Part One
Featured in this year’s Winter Olympics
1901 Janette Ave., Cleveland Hts., Ohio, 44118
Inside:
1. Sport of the Month: Figure Skating by Maple Buescher
2. Oakwood Elementary, Part One by Maple Buescher
3. Birds in Winter: How Do They Survive the Cold? by
David Elsila
4. This Old Man, He Played 1…All 25 Verses by Aurora
Simon, Laurel Buescher, and Maple Buescher
5.
6.
7.
8.
Sochi, Russia by Maple Buescher
The Detective is Back! by Maple Buescher
Mascots Add Fun to the Olympics by Kari Elsila
What I’m Doing In School—Anasazi Report by Maple
Buescher
9. A False Alarm by Katie Elsila, as told to her by Gail Urso
10. Remembering Pete Seeger by David Elsila
11. Jokes, Riddles, Answers, and fun Games! By many readers
Furry Bear, cub, says, “Hi, and welcome to
the January/February 2014 issue! Here’s a fun activity for
you—can you spot me 7 more times? And can you find my mom
twice?”
Sport of the Month: Figure Skating
Please thank the Mini Page® and http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/ice-skating for
valuable information used to write this article. However, none of the text was copied from either
source.
“The Winter Olympics are coming!” It’s true. Pretty soon the torch will be lit
for the 2014 Winter Olympics, the biggest game ceremonies in the world.
And the Winter Olympics, this year held in Sochi, Russia (see Sochi, Russia:
The Olympic Games) mean lots of sports not seen in the Summer Games: skiing,
skating, plus more. (But there aren’t sports like gymnastics or water polo!) But
this month, it’s figure skating that
LYHO is focusing on. So get ready…!
Figure skating involves people
gliding across the ice on skates, shoes
equipped with metal blades on the
bottom. Many people are familiar with
the concept of skating: gliding on
smooth ice, whether outside or on an
artificial rink. Women’s ice skates, like
the ones shown at right, vary from
“hockey” ice skates, which can be
speedier on the ice. During the
Olympics, men’s skates resemble
women’s, only black in color.
A woman’s
figure ice skate
The Olympics’ figure skating is mostly about speed and skill. While some
recreational skaters may just “wander” around the ice, professional skaters may
jump, leap, even be tossed in the air by their partners! One amazing move is the
death spiral, where two partners interact. It’s shown on the next page. All in all
with figure skating moves, it’s pretty amazing!
Now that we know what figure skating is, let’s move on to the history of
this very famous sport.
The sport we know today probably started before the Christian era in
Scandinavia. We think that the first
skates were boots which had animal
bone attached to their bottoms
A death spiral
temporarily. These were designed to
being performed
smoothly travel over ice, much like
in the Olympics
today’s skates do. Some literature
speaks of these Middle Age skating
activities.
The word skate that we use today
came from the Dutch word schaats,
which means leg bone or shark bone, probably because of the bone used as a
blade.
Skating developed more on Scotland lakes and Netherland’s canals. Later
in the 13th and 14th centuries, the bone was gotten rid of and replaced with wood,
to be replaced in 1572 by the first iron blades. The 1572 skates’ blades reduced
the friction on the ice, allowing skaters to push themselves ahead more easily,
and in 1742 the first skate club was founded in Edinburgh. The new metal skates
were introduced to America by Scottish immigrants soon after.
These iron blades still weren’t permanently attached. Skating didn’t
become a competitive and organized sport
until they were. Steel skate blades, which are
what we use today, were connected for good
with boots! These were an improvement
because the iron blades quickly dulled and
had to be replaced or sharpened. Using the
now-improved skates people created ballets
and waltz-like movements to be done on the
ice.
When was it added to the Olympics?
Well, according to Wikipedia it was added in
1908, during the Summer Olympics in
London! This is a reliable fact and it was also
in the 1920 Antwerp games, before officially
being added.
A man’s ice
skate
So the next time you’re out using your schaatsen (plural of schaats),
remember this extremely ineresting Sport of the Month!
Oakwood Elementary: Part One by Maple Buescher
Jonathan gazed out the window of Oakwood Elementary School of Magic
at the surrounding fields and buildings. One building in particular caught his
eye. It was the ESROW School of Elementary and Middle-Grade Magic. The
staff of ESROW said it stood for Edward and Sylvia Row Of the West, but
everyone knew it was worse spelled backwards. It was the worst school of magic
in all of America because, according to rumor, the only books on the textbook
shelves were books like Evil Magic and Its Purposes; The Shady Side of Magic and
How to Use It; and Loopholes in the Law: How to Use Them for Your Advantage.
Real books, all of them, and Jonathan knew at least two of the books were
required for ESROW students. ESROW was part of the AEMS, the
Association of Evil Magical Schools. And, on the list of the best AEMS schools,
ERSOW was first. In fact, ERSOW was so bad that…
“Jonathan Parkingson! Are you focusing on Chapter Eight?”
Jonathan looked up. Lizardlady, his teacher, was standing over him. His
face turned red.
“Are you?” Lizardlady screeched. Of course, you find evil teachers in all
schools, and Lizardlady never missed a chance to punish a student. A good
teacher, yes, the best Magical History one, but evil.
“N—no,” Jonathan was forced to admit.
Lizardlady looked at him. She hissed, not bothering to ask, And what were
you looking at?. Her face—in fact, her whole body—slowly started turning
orange. She began to kneel over and grow…
And within thirty seconds she was a lizard on the floor, taller than the
students, hissing at Jonathan.
“It’s Lizardlady the Lizard!” cried one of the kids.
“It’s a salamander,” corrected Tom, the class’s know-it-all.
“Sure, Lizardlady the Salamander,” laughed Sally Treckingson.
Lizardlady the Salamander or the Lizard or whatever she was advanced
towards Jonathan, and at that moment he honestly didn’t care what she was,
lizard or salamander or bear or jaguar or fish.
He let out a scream and the end-of-class bell rang.
Lizardlady shrank, her skin turned back to light brown, and she stood up.
“Homework—finish Chapter Eight and summarize it in less than a page for me,
class dismissed!”
Jonathan left in a hurry, amazed that she had not said, “Parkingson, stay
after class!”
The hallway was teeming with kids. Yet it didn’t seem to be as full as a
week ago—in fact, about a hundred kids seemed missing!
“Hey, Rick,” said Jonathan, falling in step with his best friend, “do lots of
kids seem missing to you?”
“Yeah,” Rick told him.
“Well, so where do you think they went?”
“Well….” Rick lowered his voice. “Well, we can find out. C’mon, the
computer area’s free for half an hour!”
“The computer lab? Why should we go to the lab?”
“Come! I’ll show you! Learned a really good magic trick yesterday….”
And so Jonathan followed his friend to the lab.
“Tom Apprence,” whispered Rick, naming one of the children who hadn’t
been in school for a week. Instantly Tom’s record popped up.
Tom Apprence
Son of Mrs. Mary Apprence and Mr. Spirits Apprence
Born on January 22, 2004
School: Currently Updating…Please Wait
Jonathan looked at the screen. “Currently updating? Tom’s been at
Oakwood for at least three years!”
Rick glanced at him. “I’m baffled too.”
Jonathan looked back at the screen. The page now read:
School: ESROW (click to find out more)
“ESROW? He’s not a student of ESROW!”
“Click it,” suggested Rick. And his friend did.
ESROW
ESROW, a magical school founded by Edward and Sylvia Row in 1987, is an school of evil magic
known for its textbooks on the school list, such as Loopholes in the Law (click to find out more)
which has been on the required list since 1989.
ESROW’s name is a questionable subject. Staff of the school believe that ESROW is a tribute to
Edward and Sylvia.
“It’s only natural,” says Mrs. Live “Evil” Bachee, “that the school pay tribute to our wonderful
founders. ESROW is Edward and Sylvia Row Of the West. Ed just loved out west, and Sylvie grew up
there.”
However, on the official school document registering ESROW as a school, Edward wrote:
“ESROW is “worse” backwards; it’s only natural that…”
“Oh, just close it!” cried Jonathan, “I’m tired of reading about evil this
and evil that!”
“But what if Tom’s really there? We have to keep going!”
“Okay,” agreed Jonathan, “but can we please skip to Enrollment List?”
Enrollment List, read the heading Rick clicked on, and Jonathan nodded
approvingly.
Although the list is never public, officials have managed to access the New Student’s
Record (click to find out more).
“Should I?” Rick asked.
“Go ahead—we’re really going places—but wait!”
“What?”
“Think back to what Tom said two weeks ago during lunch.”
“What?”
“My parents and I really despise ESROW, he said, and I wouldn’t go for a
million dollars! His parents wouldn’t send him either, doubtful!”
“Keep reading Enrollment List,” urged Rick.
Students have been known to mysteriously disappear from their home school and appear as
enrolled in ESROW. Students have sometimes been taken against their will, and, most importantly—
But they never got to find out what was most important because the bell
rang. And when the bell rings at Oakwood, all the computers turn off, the cell
phone connection is disabled, and if any students aren’t in their dormitory in
ten minutes’ time, then they are in big trouble.
As it happened, Rick’s and Jonathan’s dorm was all the way across the
school, and they ran, panting.
“It was not free for a half hour, silly goose!” laughed Jonathan as they ran
up the flights of stairs to the fifth floor.
“Thought it was,” panted his friend, a few steps ahead. “Bell was early
tonight. Hurry!”
They made it through the black door to Dormitory #7 thirty seconds
before the principal did. But at the back of Jonathan’s head, a nagging thought
was bugging him: Had they really been taken? It seemed unlikely. Oakwood was
the most well-protected school. There must be some other explanation…
He glanced at ESROW, and then did a double take. He stood, just
staring, for in the window of the school stood Tom, his mouth open, obviously
screaming for help. He had been taken against his will, then, and he was
calling for help! It was just that nobody could hear him.
To be continued in the next issue of LYHO
Furry Bear says, “Wow, I can’t wait to see what will happen next!”
BIRDS IN WINTER:
HOW DO THEY SURVIVE THE COLD?
By David Elsila
The blast of Arctic air that turned my neighborhood into a deep-freeze with
temperatures well below zero made me wonder how birds, squirrels, and other
animals survive in such weather.
When I came downstairs into our dining room one morning in early January, I
looked out the window and saw two robins perched in a tree, puffed up and shivering.
The thermometer read seven degrees below zero. Could I do anything to help these
poor birds? Why hadn’t they migrated south with their cousins? It’s just not common
to see red-breasted robins on tree branches in Michigan in winter.
Robin in winter
So, seeking information, I went to my
computer and Googled “robins in winter.” And I
also e-mailed a friend who is a birder and a member
of the Audubon Society for advice.
What I learned from both sources is that birds
can live through winter freezes as long as they have
food and water. They insulate themselves by
growing more down feathers close to their bodies,
which, as one website points out, work like a puffy
down jacket. And the shivering? That’s to help build up their body heat.
Before the cooler weather starts in the fall, robins will usually gorge themselves
on earthworms, and then, as the weather gets colder and snow covers the ground, they
will switch to berries and fruits. Robins, unlike other species, do not like to eat seeds.
They will often stay near lakes and streams in order to have access to open water. My
birder friend told me of heated bird-baths that are available at stores like Wild Wings.
You can set one up in the backyard, thus providing a supply of water that won’t freeze
for birds all winter long.
And why didn’t these two birds go south? They were probably males, I learned,
because the job of males is to find and defend a territory, while the job of females is to
migrate to warmer places where they can find food to maintain their strength. When
the females come back, the males will have found a safe place for them to nest and lay
their eggs.
Despite getting all this reassuring information, I was still worried about those
two robins in the tree outside. So I took some blueberries out of our refrigerator and
scattered them on the ground near the tree where the birds were perched. I also
opened the doors to our garage so that if they needed shelter from the cold wind, they
could fly inside.
Now, a few days later, the temperature has risen to 37 degrees, and the
prediction is for rain. The robins and other birds are flying throughout the
neighborhood, and I feel confident that the warmer weather, the berries, and the water
will make their lives more comfortable.
(Note: For further information, you can go to the website where I obtained
some of this information. It is www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/FAQSWintering,html)
Furry Bear says, “Well, we don’t have to worry about
winter chills! Dave’s next article will hardly be called: ‘Polar Bears in Winter: How
do They Survive the Cold?’!”
This Old Man, He Played One: All
Twenty-Five Verses
by Maple Buescher, Laurel Buescher, and Aurora Simon
Everyone knows this song, right? Well, here are some new made-up versus that
you might NOT know! Join us and sing along with our brand new full song!
This old man, he played one, he played knick-knack on my thumb!
Chorus: With a knick-knack paddy whack, give-a-dog-a-bone, this old
man came rolling home!
This old man, he played two, he played knick-knack on my shoe! Chorus
This old man, he played three, he played knick-knack on my knee! Chorus
He played four, on my door, Chorus,
He played five, on my beehive, Chorus,
He played six, with some sticks, Chorus,
He played seven, up to heaven, Chorus,
He played eight, on my gate, Chorus,
He played nine, he was fine, Chorus,
He played ten, on my hen, Chorus,
He played eleven, with my friend Kevin, Chorus,
He played twelve, on the shelves, Chorus,
He played thirteen, he was mean, Chorus,
He played fourteen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played fifteen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played sixteen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played seventeen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played eighteen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played nineteen, he was still mean, Chorus,
He played twenty, with a penny, Chorus,
He played twenty-one, on the sun, Chorus,
He played twenty-two, on my brother’s shoe, Chorus,
He played twenty-three, on my tree, Chorus,
He played twenty-four, on the floor, Chorus,
He played twenty-five, he was alive (slow down) Chorus
Sochi, Russia
Sochi, Russia, is home to this year’s Olympic Games. Here we have a preview of what Sochi
is like.
Many thanks to TFK (TIME for Kids) for this information.
Getting Ready: Sochi Prepares to Host the Games
For 17 days, the world will be watching Sochi, Russia, where the Winter Olympics
will be held. Russia is the world’s biggest country; what is Sochi doing to prepare?
This isn’t the first time that the Olympic Games will be held in Russia.
Moscow (1980), with a population of 350,000, hosted the games before. But now
people’s eyes are on Sochi.
Preparing for the games isn’t a one-year job. Since 2007, when they were
picked for 2014’s games, they’ve been building, setting things up, wanting to have
a good time in 2014! The Fisht Olympic Stadium, newly built, will house opening
and closing ceremonies. It opens on either end and is named
7 MEDALS
for the Fisht Mountain. That’s a lot of work for 17 days!
Seven gold medals
that contain pieces of
a meteorite will be
awarded! These
special prizes will be
handed out on
February 15, a oneyear anniversary of
the meteor crashing to
Earth.
If the weather is too warm for snow (and snow is crucial
to many games), Olympic helpers have been gathering snow
since last year! Better safe than sorry, because in 2010, it was
so warm that people had to fly in and truck in snow from
nearby mountains! In Sochi, people gathered up sixteen
million cubic feet of snow—approximately how much water
goes over Niagara Falls in four minutes. Sochi also uses many
snow-making machines.
More snow is a priority but so is security. People want to make sure the
games are safe, peaceful, and fun.
Furry Bear says, “Wow! That sounds fun—I hope everything goes as
planned. By the way, did you hear of the Polarbear Olympics? I’m competing in
the Cub Races—the 50 meter dash!”
Sochi’s Numbers: What Amount Does Sochi Have?
Activity World!
Match the number with what it is. The first one is done.
1) 6,700
A. television viewers
2) 85
B. hotel rooms
3) 2,800
C. volunteers
4) 3 billion
D. medal-awarding events
5) 25,000
E. nations
6) 24,000
F. athletes
7) 98
G. photographers/journalists
Furry Bear says, “And how many polar bears
will be there? Actually, some will! See Kari Elsila’s article for more on
Bely Mishka and other animals! (But hint—there’ll be 7 of us in the Cub
Race 50 yard dash!)”
The Detective is Back!
The Missing Backpack
A woman showed up at the detective agency on Tuesday.
“My name is Jennifer,” she said, “and I’m hoping you can help me.”
She sounded quite calm, but was actually very upset, because—
“Someone has stolen my backpack,” she continued.
“Ah,” breathed the Detective. “Where was it?”
“West Road Doctor’s Office,” replied Jennifer. “They have an
Eyeglasses Center, a Dentistry Center, a Physical Therapy Center, and
more.”
“I know West Road,” said the Detective. “It’s big, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes,” said Jennifer.
“Let’s go to West Road Doctor’s Office now,” suggested the
Detective, “and we can speak there.”
Jennifer shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
Minutes later, a police car pulled into the parking lot of West Road
Doctor’s Office and two adults got out.
“Here’s the Eyeglasses Center,” said Jennifer.
The Detective asked, “Where were you?”
“The Dentistry Center; I had to get a tooth pulled. It’s on the other
side of the building,” she replied promptly.
“Let’s go.”
It was a long walk to the other side of the building. They passed
many doors, each with a name: Mary Brooch, Prescriber; Thomas Rockwell,
Lens Crafter. Finally they arrived at a door with Geneva Frickled, Dentist, and
Jennifer stopped. “Geneva—she’s my dentist. I was here Sunday.” She
gestured at a chair. “I put my backpack there and went into Dr. Frickled’s
room.”
“Well, I’m afraid I need more clues,” replied the Detective. “Why
don’t we walk back to the car? We can talk.”
Just as Jennifer and the Detective were exiting the building, a man
walked past with a blue backpack on his shoulder. Jennifer stopped.
“Hey, that’s mine, give it back!” she cried.
“It is not,” snapped the man, “it’s my work pack!”
“Hmm,” said the Detective. “You! Were you anywhere near Geneva
Frickled’s office on Sunday?”
“Geneva Frickled?” asked the man carrying the pack. “Nope, I
needed eyeglasses.”
“Are you sure you weren’t near Dr. Frickled’s office?”
“Of course I’m sure,” barked the man. “I needed eyeglasses, not
braces, so why should I go near her office? I wasn’t ever in the Dentistry
Center.”
“Ah,” said the Detective. “Now would you mind giving Jennifer back
her backpack? You’ve given yourself away.”
How did the Detective know?
Turn to the “Jokes, Riddles, Answers, and Fun Games” section to find out.
Mascots Add Fun to the Olympics
By Kari Elsila
The Olympics not only feature the best athletes from around the world, but they also
feature a loveable mascot.
The first mascot used in the Olympic Games was the cartoon character Schuss the
Skiier in the 1968 Winter Olympics held in Grenoble, France. Since then, every Olympic
Game has had a mascot.
The Olympic mascots are fictional characters who represent the cultural heritage of the
place where the Olympics are taking place. They are frequently depicted as an animal
that is native to the area. The mascots help build excitement for the event and often
appear on pins and toys as well as being turned into a stuffed animal.
Speaking of stuffed animals, I am the proud owner of a vintage Misha mascot from the
1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. Misha is a smiling bear cub that wears a belt with the
five colors of the Olympic rings (blue, black, yellow, green, and red) and a golden buckle
shaped like the five rings. He is one of the most popular Olympic
mascots ever.
Now that the Olympics have returned to Russia, there is a new
group of mascots to carry on Misha’s tradition. The 2014 Winter
Olympic mascots are Bely Mishka (Polar Bear), Zaika the Doe Hare,
and the Snow Leopard. Their pictures are below, and you can read
more about them at http://talisman.sochi2014.com/en/ .
My Misha stuffed
animal from 1980
Bely Mishka
Zaika the Doe Hare
Snow Leopard
Furry Bear Says, “Bely Mishka’s one of my best friends; I’m so glad he got the
job!”
What I’m Doing In School—Anasazi Report Maple Buescher
My mom flicks the switch on my pottery wheel, and I grasp the wet clay in
my hands—shaping the air-dry material into a dish. Later, I paint the bowl with
black and white zigzag patterns. What am I doing, besides having fun? I’m
working on my Native American/Ancient Civilization project.
Besides designing an artifact and an example of
technology, we had to somehow show some other
requirements. My way of displaying these was a mobile.
Housing, read a flap on my mobile, obviously fulfilling the
My replica
category that requested we show our tribe’s housing. Two
bowl
others stated Location and Climate. Yet a third proclaimed
Something Unique or Interesting. And the last told of the artifact (bowl) and the
technology—a “stone” arrowhead I’d made of clay. Each flap opened to reveal
information on the topic. For example, the famous cliff houses, earning the
Anasazi the nickname “Cliff dwellers,” weren’t the first
housing—and something unique was the government—a
loosely organized system of headmen.
A report and outline also had to be written, but the other
relatively fun bit I did was a way to display the arrowhead and
bowl. A large pan was filled with sand and I placed a kitchen
brush near the “pit”. The arrowhead and bowl were covered in
sand. Then, I’d choose an “archaeologist” from class to
excavate, or uncover, the hidden objects.
As I’m writing, I haven’t presented, but I can’t wait! This
was a fun and exciting and informative project, so thank you to
Ms. Hodson (my teacher)!
The mobile I
used to display
information.
Furry Bear says, “Wow, that sounds fun! If I’d done that
project, I’d probably have done the Eskimos; after all, I know them, after seeing
them multiple times in the Arctic!”
A False Alarm
as told to Katie Elsila by Gail Urso
Here's a true story that dog lovers might appreciate. It was told to me by my
friend, the owner of a ten-year-old beagle named Riley. My friend said, "Last
night, Riley suddenly began shaking all over. His ears were back, he stared into
space and then would run frantically. He acted as if he was seeing or hearing
something truly terrifying. I was really scared that something was terribly
wrong with Riley.
“My husband and I decided to call the vet. He
advised us to keep watching Riley and call him if
the situation continued into the night or got worse.
The famous Riley
“As we tried to stay calm, my husband thought he
heard a faint noise coming from the basement. He
went downstairs to investigate and cautiously
followed the noise to its source. Eureka! He
discovered a smoke detector that was beeping
because the battery was low. He changed the
battery, and Riley's alarming symptoms suddenly
disappeared!”
Furry Bear says, “Wow! If only I had been there! Not only can I speak human tongue,
I’m pretty good at dog, too. I could have informed you what was wrong. Listen to my
dog talk: ‘Woof. Bark-back. Woof! Growl—bark—I mean howl!’”
REMEMBERING PETE SEEGER by Dave Elsila
Pete Seeger wrote the following message in many different colors around
the rim of his banjo:
This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender (see photo below).
Pete, who died at the age of 94 in January,
believed that music could make the world a better
place. He felt that getting people to sing together
could be the first step in breaking down barriers of
misunderstanding and hatred. Joining together in
song could help turn strangers into friends.
Pete traveled the world, singing not only in the
U.S., but in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia,
teaching old songs wherever he went, and bringing
home new ones. He sang about freedom and justice,
peace and love, and his hope for a clean and healthy
planet.
I first heard Pete Seeger sing when I was a
teenager growing up in Michigan. I was so impressed
with his music that I arranged for him to come and
sing at an assembly at my high school. In just a few
minutes, he had the 700 students in our auditorium
singing and clapping along. That’s the way it was at all of his concerts. He would
teach the words of his songs to his audience and then encourage them to sing
together in harmony. You can hear his magical ways with his audiences on many
of his records.
Pete Seeger was known for encouraging
the audience to sing along with him.
There were some who felt that Pete was somehow
“dangerous” because he challenged racial prejudices,
discrimination, inequality, and war. For many years, he was banned from radio,
TV, and some concert halls. But he wasn’t discouraged. Just as he came to my
high school during those days, he traveled to schools and colleges around the
country, bringing his message of peace and understanding. He performed at antiwar rallies, and he sang for civil-rights workers registering black voters in the
South.
Eventually, he was honored with
some of America’s highest awards. He
received the Kennedy Center Honor
for lifetime achievement, and he sang
on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
at the Presidential inauguration of
Barack Obama. There was even a
movement to award him the Nobel
Peace Prize.
One of the last times I heard
Pete was the surprise guest at Dave’s retirement party in
1999.
He was accompanied by Dave’s son, Mikael, on piano.
Pete was in New York City, when he
performed at the Symphony Space auditorium. After the concert, around 10:30
p.m., he led hundreds of us on a two-mile walk down Broadway as part of the
Occupy movement, which was calling attention to the wide gap of inequality
between wealthy and poor people in our country. Even though he was 92 years
old at the time, and using a cane, he walked the entire route, singing with his
fellow marchers all along the way.
Today, you can see Pete’s banjo with its famous words at the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. As you look at it, think about his message of
love, peace, freedom, and justice, and listen to his songs on record albums and on
YouTube. Pete Seeger may be physically gone from us, but his message will last
for many years. As his grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson said after his death, “He
got the world to sing. I think he was a role model to his family, to the whole
world.”
LAST MONTH’S CAPTION CONTEST:
WOW! We got NINE entries to this funny photo!
Captions submitted by readers (alphabetical by first name):
Alissa Hallisy:
“See…food is yummy!”
*David Elsila:
“Listen, you little kitty: finish your food so you’ll grow up to be a
strong cat. Think of all those starving kittens in the alley.”
Jack Paris:
“This will teach you to eat out of my bowl!”
Judy Cheng Paris: “Try it, you’ll like it!”
Karen Reinhardt:
“Eat or else!!”
*Laurel Buescher: “Hey, that’s mine!”
Mikael Elsila:
“Hmmm...we seem to have been teleported into cat bodies again.
Well, drink up. You'll need your strength for this mission. Do you
still have the Sonic Mouse?”
Nancy Solak:
“I already told you. No dessert until you eat dinner!”
Sol Elsila:
“Hey...how came mom forced YOU to make ME drink the milk this
time?”
*These readers entered their caption on LYHO’s new blog at www.laughyourheadoff.us; they
went to This Month’s Caption Contest, logged in by entering their e-mail addresses, and
commented! Next month, try using the blog to enter your caption!
This month’s contest:
Uh-oh! It looks like this little boy’s in trouble! Come up with your best
funny caption for this hilarious photo and email it to
maple@mbuescher.com or submit at www.laughyourheadoff.us.
Something to Think About
Opportunities knock every minute;
If they don’t, build a door
Poem by Maple Buescher; Somethi ng to T hin k About was orig inal ly “If a n opportu nity doesn ’t knock, bu ild a door.”
Answer to “The Missing Backpack”:
The Detective asked, “Were you near Geneva Fickled’s office?” He did
not say, “Were you near Geneva Fickled’s, the dentist’s, office?” The fact that
the man knew Geneva was a dentist showed that he had, in fact, been near her
office before, and had read the plaque on her door. So he’d lied when he said,
“I’ve never even been in the Dentistry Center.” If he was telling the truth, he
wouldn’t know that Dr. Fickled was a dentist.
The man returned the pack when faced with the evidence.
Sochi’s Numbers Answer: 1-F, 2-E, 3-G, 4-A, 5-C, 6-B, 7-D
Original Joke by Joey Kubic
A dad and his son live in a circular house. The father went to the store and his son
stayed. When the dad got back, his son was dead when he got home!! He asked the
chef if he killed his son. He said “No, I was making dinner.” He asked the maid if
she killed his son. She said “No, I was cleaning the corners.” He asked the butler if
he did it. He said “No, I was making the beds.” WHO DID IT?
Answer: The maid killed the son; you can’t sweep corners in a circular house!
Joke of the Month:
What happens when a sound is so loud that it’s painful?
The HURTZ HURTS!
Other jokes:
Why could the boy easily lift the bulb?
It was a LIGHT LIGHT!
What clothing does an octopus wear?
A coat of arms!
How does a space astronaut cut his hair?
“Eclipse” it—“he clips” it!
Here’s a favorite song from the LYHO archives:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, I don’t wonder what you are, you’re a flaming
ball of gas, you have lots of weight or mass, twinkle, twinkle, little star, I don’t
wonder what you are!
LAST MONTH’S POP QUIZ:
How well did you pay attention to last month’s LYHO?
1) A young boy created a special menorah. It was…
a. A menurkey (menorah-turkey)
b. A ornanorah (ornament-menorah)
c. An icicleorah (icicle-menorah)
2) In an Egyptian boy’s grave, evidence of ______ was found
a. Bowling
b. tennis
c. hockey d. volleyball
3) Katie wrote a story called An Unusual Guest. The guest was…
a. A small animal she adopted
b. a large animal that barged into her home!
c. a paper figure
d. d. a storybook called Flat Stanley
4) Sally Maroze, a character in Eliza’s poem, is a…
a. Rude girl who eats with her nose
b. dog
c. cat
d. large bear
5) Laurel visited ________ and _______ and wrote a story about the trip
a. the Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty
b. Washington D.C. and the Pennsylvania Statehouse
c. her cousin’s house, the Empire State Building, and the Washington
Monument
d. her cousin’s house, Pennsylvania, Independence Hall, California
e. her cousin’s house, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Pennsylvania
f. a zip-line, the woman’s Liberty Bell, Washington, D.C.
ANSWERS: 1-a, 2-a, 3-c, 4-c, 5-e
Sol Elsila probably likes drawing cartoons, because
he’s very good at it! Below is one he drew for LYHO. Sol
is extremely good at drawing for his age; he’s 8!
Mr. Yougo by Sol Elsila
“ARRGH! It’s a human!”
Lila’s Leads on Good Reads
Lila Bea Wright loves reading, and so she’s decided to review a book in each LYHO issue!
This month, Lila, an eight-year-old girl from Lakewood, Ohio, is reviewing Gertrude
Chandler Warner’s “The Boxcar Children,” book #1.So here it is—nice work, Lila!
The Boxcar Children
Hi! If you are looking for a good book, try The Boxcar Children by
Gertrude Chandler Warner. It is a series but I suggest reading the first
one first to understand the other ones. After that you can read them
in any order. They are about some children that are running away
from their grandfather and how they live. They learn how to live
without any help from grown-ups. The children are (in order of
oldest to youngest): Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. My favorite
character is Violet because she is calm and likes to read and sew but
you might pick someone else. If you like books about children living on
their own you will like this book!
5ive 5un 5acts
1. The shortest sentence in the English language is “Go.” It’s a
complete sentence because it’s usually directed at a
subject.
2. The Library of Congress has 530 MILES of bookshelves!
3. Jupiter’s moon Granymede is the largest moon in the Solar
System.
4. The most common street name in the U.S.A. is Second Street.
5. It takes one week to make a jellybean.
Would you have guessed it’s the most common street in the U.S.A.?
Furry Bear says, “Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you
next month!”
Furry Bear says, “Yeah, and don’t
forget to send in any jokes, stories, poems, or other
submissions for next month’s issue!”
WATCH FOR THE MARCH/APRIL EDITION OF
LYHO!!