March 2, 2009
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This morning, while doing the crossword, there were two clues where I had mini-flashbacks to how I learned that particular piece of trivia, if that makes any sense, which I’m not sure it does.
39 Down is “Poet Nash”, which was clearly Ogden. My elementary school music teacher insisted that our class learn his poem “Winter Morning,” and I can remember being a fourth grader, sitting on the stage facing our cafeteria and reciting the poem before we played a rousing rendition of Jingle Bells on the recorder for our parents. I feel for the ears of any music teacher whenever there are recorders involved.
49 Across was “__ Cannonball,” which I knew was Wabash because of an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle – Snidely Whiplash and his fellow fur smugglers, disguised as musicians, try to escape from Canada with stolen loot. The tuba player is on the 33rd chorus of Wabash Cannonball when furs are expelled from his giant instrument. Whoops.
Do you ever have those moments where you know exactly how you learned a certain thing or idea?
edit: i have not seen slumdog yet. apparently this has something to do with this post. IDK!!!!!!!!!11
Comments (19)
Yes… And actually, this post reminds me of how I learned the mind processes learning new things and how I can better store things in my long-term memory. I learned this in my Psychology class.
Hmmm, I’m sure there is – nothing pops out at this moment. And I will never understand the appeal of recorders.
Wow…
That’s also how I learned Wabash Cannonball.
I cannot think of anything which comes to me on this subject at the moment.
slumdog millionaire called and they want their thought process back.
@owbert - o rly? i still haven’t seen that movie
@Natalia - great, the purpose of my comment and its reference is nulled. thank you, wet blanket.
p/s.: i recommend that you have the movie queued on your netflix… or blockbuster, ew.
I was going to say the same thing that owbert wrote. But i’m too late.
yes,which is quite amazing for me
i love those moments. i feel like I just trapped lightning in a bottle, not with regard to frequency but the sheer awesomeness of the event.
haha… soprano recorder. so awesome. you and dwight shrute should play a duet.
lastly, what percentage of the crossword puzzle you work on can you actually complete? 100% 50% 33% I wanna know!
Funny thing — an Ogden Nash poem about pelicans has been running through my mind lately (actually not Nash’s, but much the same style). I used to play alto recorder — they can sound lovely if played well and in nice harmonious groups.
I have those moments fairly frequently. And I had no idea who those people were. Interesting how our knowledge doesn’t overlap there.
Lolwut.
I still haven’t seen Slumdog either. I need to!
This is a bit of a loserish story, but I learned the word “enemy” in third grade through this convo:
Mimi: Julie, Au-Co’s our enemy, so we can’t be her friend.
Julie: Ok.
Later, I ask my mom what “enemy” meant. We were watching an old western movie and she said, “Well, the Indians are the cowboy’s enemies. It’s someone you don’t like.”
Yeah, sad, eh? I never really forgave Mimi. I mean, that hurt. Whoever said sticks and stones….chyea, they were way on crack.
I’m too modern; never heard of either of those things.
I like history better than the present.
haha I remember all the time! That’s MY problem.
In Slumdog Millionaire, the main character knows the answer to seemingly hard (and easy) questions because of unique life experiences. You knew the poet’s name because you had to memorize one of the poems. It’s kinda like in the movie when he knew the person who wrote a certain song because he was forced to sing the song while begging for money.