Friday, November 15, 2024

Easing our way back into the swing of things as America eases its way out of representative democracy, Wolmania is reluctantly back with some stuff to read and look at that may distract you for a few precious minutes. Let's start with candy.

Item 1: a link

Have you ever wondered about the curious history of gummi worms? snack stack (which is not on substack!) has:

Clearly, whimsy has always been a part of the gummi candy appeal. With their bright colors and fruit flavors and, you know, sugar, they have an innate appeal for kids and other snackers, and the original bear form built on that sensibility. By mid-1960s, Haribo and other German manufacturers were making gummies in the shape of many kinds of zoo animals.

But, friends, worms are not zoo animals, or at least standard earthworms are not, so there’s a bit more to unpack when it comes to understanding this specific product. What gummi worms offered to American consumers of the 1980s was not whimsy but delight by way of low-risk disgust.

You want to talk about low-risk disgust? Let's talk about "a... mit ohren". Actually I think I'll make you click through for that.

Item 2: a list

Teeth, ranked:

1. Canines
2. Molars
3. Incisors
4. Premolars

Item 3: a media recommendation

Item 4: word of the week

Undinal

The children jumped and splashed around the tidepool, gamboling wildly through the brackish puddles. Their undinal frolicking woke the dog.

Item 5: a photograph

See ya!

Thank you for your attention. I'll be back with more next week.