Another day at the office

Dr. Grumpy: "Any major illnesses in your family?"

Mr. Cowboy: "My dad was gored by a bull."

Dr. Grumpy: "Anyone have a stroke, or diabetes?"

Mr. Cowboy: "Same bull gored my brother, too."

Dr. Grumpy: "I hope you stay away from him."

Mr. Cowboy: "I ate him."

December 6, 1917

It was World War I.

Gigantic convoys of ships carrying weapons, food, and troops went constantly to Europe, bringing supplies to the Allies. They left from several major Canadian and American ports.

On this day one of them went horribly wrong. And outside of where it happened, it's mostly forgotten.

A large convoy was gathering in Halifax harbor for the trans-Atlantic journey. One ship was a freighter heavily loaded with explosives, the S.S. Mont-Blanc.

At 8:40 that morning, due to a series of mutual errors, she collided with the freighter S.S. Imo.

The Mont-Blanc immediately caught fire. Her crew tried to put it out, but due to its rapid spread were unable to. Scuttling attempts were unsuccessful, and the crew were forced to abandon ship. Someone rang a fire alarm, and several firefighting teams quickly responded to the docks. But with the ship in the harbor, there was little they could to but watch it burn. None of them knew about its cargo.

At 9:04 a.m. the disaster happened.

The ammunition cargo on the Mont-Blanc exploded with the force of 3 kilotons of TNT (roughly 1/5 the strength of the Hiroshima atomic bomb). To this day it remains the largest accidental explosion in human history. Windows were shattered 10 miles away. Objects fell from shelves 80 miles away. The explosion was heard over 200 miles away.

A mushroom cloud and fireball rose over a mile into the air, and a tsunami wave of water, 60 feet high, was sent surging into Halifax. The steamship Imo was picked up and thrown ashore like a toy. Many people (including the firemen) who'd gathered ashore to watch, or were trying to get to the Mont-Blanc to help, simply vanished.

Fire spread through the city. Since it was winter, many homes had furnaces and heating stoves alight, and the shock wave blew them over, spreading heating oil and coal on the ground. Red hot shards of the ship's metal rained everywhere in the city, starting fires in buildings not directly affected by the explosion. A half-ton section of the Mont-Blanc's anchor was thrown over 2 miles into the city, and is now part of a monument. To this day St. Paul's Church has a piece of wreckage embedded in the building.

The city within 1 mile of the entire explosion (326 acres) was utterly destroyed. Buildings, docks, warehouses, homes, and people- all gone in a few seconds. Large fires swept quickly through many city blocks, fueled by winter stores of coal and heating oil. An inferno grew quickly.

Many of Halifax's rescue workers were injured or killed by the explosion, and so the city's ability to react was already impaired. Firefighters from nearby communities came to help- only to find that fire hose and nozzle sizes weren't standardized, and they couldn't connect to the Halifax hydrants. In spite of this, they and surviving local crews worked valiantly to put out the fires, and began rescue efforts of the many trapped under collapsed buildings.

But it was a northern Winter, and darkness came early, along with bitter cold. Rescue workers struggled through the night, chasing voices and moving frozen debris by hand.

The dawn brought light- and a heavy snowstorm. It became the largest blizzard of that decade, dropping 16 inches of snow on Halifax in a few hours. It put out the last of the fires, but also impaired efforts to reach those who were trapped. Many survivors stuck under debris died from exposure while awaiting rescue.





This view overlooking Halifax harbor was taken after the snowstorm. This had previously been a busy neighborhood and business district. Click to enlarge.


All told, roughly 2,000 people died- 600 of them under 15 years of age. Another 6,000 were seriously injured, with 9,000 total wounded. 31,000 more were either homeless or had only minimal shelter. Many of the wounded were blinded by flying glass, and care for them eventually led to new treatments for eye trauma.

Although there were many heroes that awful day, one man stands out. His name was Vince Coleman, and he was a railway dispatcher ashore. When he learned of the burning ammunition ship, he realized that a loaded passenger train was on it's way to the waterfront depot, and would be there in a few minutes. Instead of saving himself, he ran to the telegraph key and quickly tapped out "Stop trains. Munitions ship on fire. Approaching Pier 6. Goodbye." He was killed a few seconds later in the explosion, and is credited with saving at least 300 lives.

Local hospitals overflowed with the dying and wounded, and anyone with medical training was pressed into work. The overtaxed Canadians were assisted by medical crews from American and British warships that had gathered for the convoy. An old ocean liner was turned into a hospital ship overnight. Other medical responders arrived, sent from all over Nova Scotia to assist.

Word of the disaster reached America in a few hours, and the state of Massachusetts rapidly organized a relief effort. All available trains in Boston were frantically loaded with food, medical supplies, shelter materials, and volunteer rescuers and medical personnel. The first train left Boston the night of the explosion, chugging through the same blizzard that was impairing relief efforts, and arriving roughly 30 hours later. It was followed by many other trains from all over Eastern Canada and America. The supplies and workers they brought are credited with keeping the death toll from going higher.

It's been 93 years since the tragedy, and the American assistance hasn't been forgotten. To this day Nova Scotia annually chooses it's finest Christmas tree and sends it as a gift to the city of Boston. This is the tree that stands in Boston Common every holiday season, remembering assistance in a time of need.

Sunday morning

Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."

Mr. Insulin: "Hi, I'm a diabetic, and my blood sugar has been out-of-control today."

Dr. Grumpy: "I'm your neurologist. Why don't you call your internist?"

Mr. Insulin: "His number is out in my car, and it's too cold to go out and get it."

When I see...

I seen a peanut stand
Heard a rubber band
I seen a needle that winked its eye
But I be done seen 'bout everything
When I see a elephant fly

I seen a front porch swing
Heard a diamond ring
I seen a polka-dot railroad tie
But I be done seen 'bout everything
When I see a elephant fly

I saw a clothes horse, rear up and buck
And they tell me that a man once made a vegetable truck
(I didn't see that, I only heard
But just to be sociable, I'll take your word)

I heard a fireside chat, I saw a baseball bat
And I just laughed till I thought I'd die
But I be done seen 'bout everything
When I see a elephant fly

Happy birthday, Walt Disney!

More gift ideas

It's been another great Christmakuh party. The fireplace is going, you and your loved ones are relaxing after a great meal, there's a game on TV.

What better way to spend time with friends than to throw feces at each other?

Of course, real feces are messy and unsanitary. So those of you who enjoy this popular sport now have another option.

(click to enlarge)




Yes, with Doody-Head you can now throw artificial stool at each other, without having to worry about messy clean up, unpleasant smells, or health code violations. Order yours today!

Friday Afternoon at the Fights

Dr. Grumpy: "Any new issues?"

Mr. Patient: "Nope. I'm doing fine."

Lady Patient: "The hell you are!"

Mr. Patient: "Fine. Then you talk to the doctor."

Lady Patient: "Your driving is terrible!"

Mr. Patient: "My driving is fine."

Lady Patient: "Doctor, he drives too slowly."

Mr. Patient: "At least I know how to drive!"

Lady Patient: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mr. Patient: "You can take it however you want."

Lady Patient: "I'm not the patient here!"

Mr. Patient: "Maybe you should be."

Not helpful

Mr. Corpuscle: "I had some blood tests at the lab last week."

Dr. Grumpy: "Do you know what they showed?"

Mr. Corpuscle: "They haven't called me. It looked red, though."

More Medical Research

War zone.

The phrase immediately brings to mind explosions in the background. Shell holes. Cries of the dying and wounded. The sound of gunfire, off in the distance (I'm getting used to it now).

Definitely not the kind of place where you'd go for a good night sleep.

At least, that's what I think. I mean, given a choice between a war zone and my bedroom here in quiet Grumpyville, I think I'd sleep better here. In a scientific poll (okay, I asked my kids) 100% of respondents agreed you'd likely sleep better at home than in an active military operations area.

Of course, someone had to prove this.

So, in a study involving over 41,000 soldiers, they compared sleeping habits at home to sleeping habits in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They found that soldiers in war zones don't sleep as well as those at home.

In a breakdown of groups, soldiers who'd been directly involved in recent combat situations had more trouble sleeping than non-combatants.

Here's the complete story.

Thank you, NLK!

There goes my office overhead

We generally take the sun for granted. It rises and sets pretty reliably, and is a relatively ordinary star.

But let's face it: We're here because it's there. If it were to burn out tomorrow, AND we had the capacity to use all wood, oil, nuclear fuel, etc. (including what's still underground) we could keep the planet warm enough to support life for maybe 72 hours. Maybe.

But it's always been free. Until now.

Ms. Angeles Duran, of Spain, has registered herself as the owner of the sun. Really.

She claims that while international treaties forbid nations from owning stellar objects, individuals may do so. So she went to a local notary and registered herself as the sole (sol?) owner of a very large furnace, currently located 93,000,000 miles from her.

She says she's going to start charging the rest of us for using her property.

Here's the story.

Thank you, Kayden.

More gift ideas

You've overdone it at the luau. You had WAY too much pineapple, roast pork, poi, rum, and cheap beer.

And the pork was sitting out far too long when you went back for thirds, and now you've got salmonella. With serious gastrointestinal disturbances of the type not portrayed on dinner plates.

So what should you use while spending a few hours in the bathroom? Not just any old toilet paper, but Luau TP!




Yes, for only $2.99/roll you can have festive luau-themed toilet paper to remind you why you're in this situation in the first place.

Good thing they didn't steal cucumbers

4 pairs of boots, 3 pairs of jeans, 1 wallet, several gloves.

Sounds like a decent amount of stuff, huh?

Believe it or not, 2 women who were shoplifting actually stole all that by hiding it in the fat folds of their breasts, bellies, and armpits!

Here's the story.

Thank you, Amanda & Carol, for sending this in.

Great office moments

Dr. Pissy: "You going to pick up your kids?"

Dr. Grumpy: "Yeah, I have to stop at the deli first."

Dr. Pissy: "Why?"

Dr. Grumpy: "It's the first night of Hanukkah, I need to pick up potato pancakes for dinner."

Dr. Pissy: "That sounds good. You bringing any in tomorrow for us?"

Dr. Grumpy: "No."

Dr. Pissy: "That's not very christian of you."

Air traffic control

Mary: "Dr. Grumpy's office, this is Mary."

Mrs. Compass: "Yeah, I have an appointment there at 9:00, and I don't see your name on the directory."

Mary: "What building are you in?"

Mrs. Compass: "Medical #5."

Mary: "Okay, we're in Medical #1, on the 6th floor. If you go out to the parking lot and face east, it's the big white building."

Mrs. Compass: "Okay, I'm on my way." (click)

(3 minutes later)

Mary: "Dr. Grumpy's office. This is Mary."

Mrs. Compass: "Yeah, I can't find your building."

Mary: "Where are you now?"

Mrs. Compass: "In the parking lot, facing west."

Mary: "We're behind you. Turn around. It's the big white building."

Mrs. Compass: "Oh! I see you! On the way." (click)

(3 minutes later)

Mary: "Dr. Grumpy's office, this is Mary."

Mrs. Compass: "Um, I think I got turned around and lost in the parking lot."

Mary: (sigh) "Okay, where are you?"

Mrs. Compass: "Facing your building. It's the reddish colored one."

Mary: "No, that's not our building... Hang on..." (walks to window) "What are you wearing?"

Mrs. Compass: "A red sweater, and a black baseball cap."

Mary: "Can you wave your arms and jump up or down or something... Okay! I see you. Turn to your left. No, I mean your other left. Yes. Now do you see the big white building?"

Mrs. Compass: "Oh! It's right in front of me!"

(at this point Dr. Pissy, the rest of the staff, and I were all standing at the window, in hysterics, while Mary tried not to lose her composure)

Mary: "Great! Just walk straight toward us!"

(Lady in red sweater and baseball cap walks about 10 feet toward us, then turns around and goes back the other way)

Mary: "Stop! Turn around!"

Mrs. Compass: "I thought you said I had to go east?"

Mary: "Yes, but now you're going west."

Mrs. Compass: "Are you sure?"

Mary: "Promise. Just turn around and walk toward the white building."


A few minutes later her flight landed successfully at my office. As she was filling out the paperwork, she said "You know, I started out in this building, too, and noticed your name on the directory. But I was sure you were in building #5, so I figured it was another Dr. Grumpy, and left."

The First Night

The official Grumpy family Christmakuh tree is up, and I want to wish my Jewish readers a very happy Hanukkah!




Last January, trying to get some deals on leftovers, Mrs. Grumpy and I hit a Mikasa outlet store after the holidays.

Mrs. Grumpy: "Do you have any Hanukkah stuff?"

Clerk: "No, we only carry Mikasa."