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Hey Guys,

There are certain things one expects to find at a barbershop. Old guys mumbling about baseball, issues of Field and Stream from the previous decade, and, most importantly, a white, blue, and red striped pole out front. The pole is what tells people it’s a barbershop. But, how did that come to be?

I did a little research and discovered that the red, white, and blue pole has a rather interesting back story. Back in the Middle Ages, the barber didn’t just cut hair, he also conducted surgery. A 1981 article explains how the symbolism began. “In addition to cutting hair, he’d (the barber) pull teeth, let blood, use leeches, and lance boils. He’d hang his bandages out to dry, and they’d blow in the wind and twist around red and white together.”

It wasn’t until the 19th century that barbers gave up the more bloody aspects of their job and focused exclusively on giving customers stylish haircuts. However, the red and white poles remained as a symbol. The blue came along a bit later, according to an excellent article from the BBC. Some believe that the red represents blood and the white represents bandages. “Another interpretation is that red and blue respectively stood for arterial and venous blood, and white was – still – for the bandages. A third suggests that the spiral pattern represents a white bandage wrapped around a bloody arm.” Finally, some believe the blue was added as a sign of patriotism, so the barber poles would match the colors of the American flag.

How many of you guys still go to a barber? I try to, but it seems like there aren’t as many as there used to be. Fortunately, thanks to the poles, they’re still easy to spot.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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Hey Guys,

Few fashion trends stand the test of time (the pegged pants fad of 1989 was mercifully brief). However, Chuck Taylor Converse basketball shoes are just as popular now, if not more so, as they were in the 1930s. I see them on everybody from young hipsters to older folks, who couldn’t care less about style. But as beloved as the shoes are, I bet that if you asked any of these people who Chuck Taylor was, they’d likely draw a blank.

Normally, when an athlete has his name emblazoned on a basketball shoe, it’s because they’re one of the great hoops players of all time. Chuck Taylor, while a talented player, wasn’t considered to be one of the greatest ever. But he was one of the first good ones and a dedicated salesperson. And, more importantly, he loved the sport.

Taylor was a star basketball player in high school and played professionally as a young man in the 1920s (this was well before the NBA was established, which started in 1946). According to the Basketball Hall of Fame, a young Taylor “hobbled into a Converse Chicago sales office complaining of sore feet” in 1921 and convinced the shoe company to create a sneaker especially for the sport of basketball. The rest is history.

Well, sort of. A site dedicated to Chuck’s contributions to basketball (and footwear) explain that Chuck was also instrumental in promoting the shoe. He traveled the country, working for Converse, and was even a player/coach for the Converse All-Stars, “the company’s industrial league basketball team.” Several years later, Converse added the name “Chuck Taylor” to the shoe’s ankle patch.

And how did Chuck sell so many shoes? A blog from a classic sneakers site explains, Chuck would make friends with the small town coaches. A former president of Converse recalled, “He would teach basketball and work with the local sporting goods retail, but without encroaching on the coach’s own system. He drove a big car, a Cadillac. And his home was the back of the car.”

It could be argued that nobody did more for the sport, especially when it was first starting, than Chuck Taylor. He may not have had a shot like Bird or hops like Jordan, but nobody worked harder, and nobody loved basketball more. Taylor passed away of a heart attack in 1969. And for the record, he didn’t get a commission on his sales from Converse. I guess he just did it because he believed in the shoes.

The shoe, which has changed surprisingly little since its inception, has sold hundreds of millions of pairs. I think I’m one of the four people in the world who have never owned ‘em. Do you think high-tech athletic shoes actually “do” anything, or would basketball players be just as good in the old fashioned Chucks? They were good enough for NBA great Bill Russell, right?

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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Hey Guys,

Family reunions can be confusing places. There are a lot of people there, but how in the world are they related to you? I couldn’t tell you how your great aunt is related to your step-brother’s cousin, but I can do my best to explain the difference between a “second cousin” and a “cousin once removed.”

A cousin (also known as a first cousin) is, as I hope everyone is aware of, someone in your family who shares the same set of grandparents. They’re the children of your aunts and uncles. Simple, right? Well, enjoy that warm feeling of accomplishment, because it’s about to get more complicated.

Fortunately, I found a page from the experts at Genealogy.com that explains things. A second cousin is somebody who has the same set of great-grandparents as you. However, their grandparents are different. To put it another way, think about your first cousin. For the sake of discussion, let’s call him “Cousin Homer.” If Cousin Homer has a kid named Bart, then Bart will be your child’s second cousin. Make sense?

So, that’s a second cousin, but how does that differ from a “cousin once removed”? Simple. When somebody drops the “once removed” phrase, what they’re really referring to is a difference in generation. For example, your Dad’s first cousin is your first cousin once removed. Your grandmother’s first cousin is your first cousin, twice removed. And so on and so forth.

There is also the question of “step-relatives.” You know, step-father, step-brother, etc. The meaning is well understood, but the origin of the term isn’t. According to World Wide Words, “the prefix (‘step’) was used in Old English to mark someone who had been orphaned.” Back then, being orphaned could refer to the death of either parent, “not necessarily both.” When the surviving parent married, the children became “step-children.”

Got any other questions on what the different family terms mean? Please leave a note in the comments and I’ll do my best to get you answer in time for your next reunion.

Say “Hi” to Aunt Lucille, and thanks for reading,

Mike

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Hey Guys,

Social Security is always in the news for one reason or another. But there’s one question about the government program that I’ve never heard answered: How are Social Security numbers assigned? Is it random? Are they recycled when people die? I went to the official site for the Social Security and found a few answers.

Here’s how it breaks down. A Social Security number is divided into three parts. The first 3-digit section is called an “area number” and it isn’t random. If your number was assigned to you before 1972, then “the area number reflects the state where you applied for your number.” However, if you applied for your number after 1972, the numbers were generated differently, using ZIP codes. The number likely has some relation to the ZIP code in your mailing address.

Moving on to the middle two digits. These suckers, known as the “group number,” are apparently random. “It has no special geographic significance but merely serve to break the number into conveniently sized blocks for orderly issuance.” The last four digits are called the serial number. It’s just a “straight numerical sequence of digits from 0001-9999 within the group.”

So, that explains the how numbers are assigned, but what happens to numbers when people die? Do they get recycled? Surprisingly, they are not. The Social Security Agency does not re-assign numbers after a person passes away. The official site reports, “the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system.”

And, make no mistake, Social Security has been around a while. The first numbers were issued back in November of 1936, and since then, “about 442 million Social Security numbers have been assigned.” Contrary to popular belief, the first number assigned wasn’t the lowest number. It was 055-09-0001, and it was assigned to John D. Sweeney, Jr., of New Rochelle, New York. As for the lowest number, 001-01-0001, it was given to Ms. Grace D. Owen of Concord, New Hampshire. You can read more about Mr. Sweeney and Ms. Owen here.

I didn’t get my Social Security number until I was in elementary school. These days, it’s recommended that mom and dad get their kids a number as soon as they sign the birth certificate. Just one more thing for new parents to remember…

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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Photo by Al_HikesAZ

Mmm…do you prefer an elegant rabbit with hot apple jelly from one of the best restaurants in the world, or a mouth-watering burrito from the hole-in-the-wall place down the street?

If you picked the rabbit, you should know that Restaurant Magazine will announce the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants on Monday, April 26. Each year, the list is compiled by famous chefs, renowned food critics, and leading restaurateurs, and is certain to cause debate. Makes sense that everyone’s experience at a restaurant is different. So as we wait patiently for this year’s list, go ahead and take a look at what made last year’s list of World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

If you picked the burrito, there’s no award for the mom-and-pop place, but we’re sure the great food and reasonable prices are good enough. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants tend to be unique and can be a hidden secret from the rest of the world. So let the community and the team in on the secret! What’s your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant or café? What makes it different?

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