Fingerless Barber cuts it close...

December 2006

Strolling down the boardwalk, thinking about barbers. Can somebody be a barber these days? When I was a kid, my grandfather’s brother-in-law was a barber. He had a shop in his basement, with a street entrance and one of those great barber poles – as a kid I was fascinated how the red strip rotated up and down. Who didn’t enjoy Floyd the barber in Mayberry? And surely you knew Charlie Brown’s father had his own shop in “Peanuts” – although we never saw him. Or heard him squawk like teachers did in the cartoons. Nowadays, single shop barbers seem to be going by the wayside, as "salons" or "super" franchises have taken over. A friend of mine/co-worker, who shall remain nameless, still goes to a guy who has his own shop. Leo likes his barber because he feels like he doesn’t have to tip an owner who performs the clip. Not to mention Leo pays just $9.95 for his haircuts. Now, I’m all for economizing as much as the next person, but there’s something else unique about Leo’s guy that would leave me a bit concerned.

His barber has only...eight fingers. That’s right, Leo thinks the price is right because the barber isn’t fully...equipped! Missing the two middle fingers of his cutting hand. Not only that, but Leo is amazed his guy clips with the scissors by holding them with his pointer and pinky! I do have one complaint about the hair cutting profession though. Those of us who are folliclely challenged...how come we have to pay the same full price for a haircut as everyone else, even when we have so much less hair???

MORE FURNITURE FOLLIES

Last month I wrote about the closings of some furniture stores, and wondered if Lazy Boys might have to be bought on street corners. Oddly there was a note in the news a few weeks later, about a Lazy Boy that saved a guy’s life. Really. In California, a husband was enjoying the comfort of his chair, when his wife decided to end the marriage. She fired a gunshot through the back of the Lazy Boy. The recliner stopped the bullet! The husband was obviously surprised. He got up to confront the wife, she pulled the trigger again, but that time the gun jammed. She was arrested on charges of suspicion of attempted murder.

Suspicion? Be kind to your Lazy Boy, your Lazy Boy will be kind to you.

JERSEY FRESH...

Quick now, where was the legendary ice cream, Haagen-Daz, invented? Most would assume some region of Scandinavia. But no. The creamy concoction was born right here in the great state of New Jersey! Brilliant marketing with the unique name. The mother of Haagen-Daz died last month. Rose Mattus, of Cresskill, NJ, worked with husband Reuben in 1959 to develop ice cream with high butter-fat, no fillers, and very little air. When they did, Rose took it to grocery stores and handed out free samples in order to build a fan base. Upon her death, one of her daughters told the Record of Bergen County that Rose loved the Haagen-Daz, in fact couldn’t ever get enough. Even though she suffered from diabetes. Nonetheless, it must have done her some good, she died five days after turning 90. A tip of the cap to Rose, and Reuben. And a tip of the cup to some Rum Raisin!

FUN WITH E- MAIL...

This month’s Fun With E-Mail – stuff that has ended up in my mailbox worthy of passing along, is about anagrams.

That’s where you take the letters of a word or phrase, and rearrange them to come up with something different. And yet, sometimes they show oddly similar meanings...