I was born and grew up in the old Roman city of Bath in England, so I'm familiar with archaeological digs; my father even dug up several Roman coins and shards of pottery in our garden.
So when I saw the AP headline Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Toothbrush, it grabbed my attention. "German archaeologists have unearthed what could be Europe's oldest toothbrush …
"The brush, dug up at the site of a former hospital in the western city of Minden, is at least 250 years old, said the Landscape Association of Westfalen-Lippe, which oversees the excavation.
"While the bristles have rotted away, the brush's 4-inch handle of animal bone is carved at the other end into a tiny spoon believed to be used for cleaning out the owner's ears."
Many of us remember the Tutankhamun tour back in the ?s and the fascination with all things Egyptian: the Nefertitti nipple-rings, Cleopatra's pubic wig, and the solid gold Ramesis II toaster oven with the pornographic hieroglyphics and the CD burner.
The excavation of the city of Machu Picchu in Peru also gave us an incite into the mysteries of the Incas, and how those sun-worshippers used computers, cell phones, and iPods to make the tedious task of growing vegetables a little easier to stomach.
I hear that archaeologists are currently excavating Pres. George W. Bush's mind, and they hope to discover that he is the missing link between a can of Campbell's soup unearthed at Pompeii and a small bottle of yak's mucus discovered near the Great Wall of China.
+++
Congratulations to Mickey Mouse for reaching the age of 75 on Nov. 18, 2003. As all good Mouseketeers know, he was born in the film Steamboat Willie where he wooed Minnie by tapping out tunes on farm animals; they don't make romantic movies like that anymore.
I really think that romance is now officially dead for mice and men. I miss it. I miss dating, taking a guy out for dinner, buying him flowers, kissing him goodnight on the cheek before bending him over the kitchen table and ramming into him until he screamed for his mother, then throwing him out into the street with the words, "You were fabulous darling, now leave."
Those were the days.
+++
I've been trying to work out why I think Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a bad idea for California. Is it because I hated his movies? Is it his lack of political experience? Do I have a bias against movie stars going into politics (Remember Ronald Reagan)?
Is it because I have a full-frontal nude photograph of Mr. Schwarzenegger and, although he's substantial, he's not ALL THAT in the Hung Dept.?
It could be his silly accent, or the fact that he was brought up by a Nazi father. Maybe it's because I have trouble pronouncing his name, and I always have to look it up when I spell it. It might even have something to do with his attitude toward women, and I may be just a little uncomfortable with his whole macho persona.
Maybe it's just too weird; him being a Republican and married to a Kennedy. Maybe the circumstances leading up to his election smacks of sneaking in the back door, and reminds me of the fraudulent Bush election.
Maybe that's the problem; I have plenty of reasons for thinking Schwarzenegger's the wrong man for the job, and not one good reason for thinking he's the right man.
Still, he might just surprise us all.
