Hi, honey, I'm home.

Seen in a hospital chart:

Just add reindeer!

One of my readers is an OB/GYN who recently had foot surgery, and therefore is (allegedly) non-weight bearing. Like most docs (we're generally terrible patients) she's not going to let that slow her down.

So she's hobbling around the hospital this month using a knee scooter.

Of course this is the Christmas season. So while she was doing a C-Section (without the cart, it's not sterile) her ride was left at a nurses station.

When she returned, she found the staff had aggressively pimped it out:

"The 'eggnog' flask is hidden under the cushion."

I think that's just awesome. All it needs now is some flashing lights.

Thank you, K!

Dr. Grumpy's gift guide

Does your man like looking at gorgeous women? Probably.

Does he also have a SERIOUS carp fetish?

Okay, maybe the 2nd one is a bit... uncommon. But if he's into both, do I have the gift for you!

The German camping supply company Carponizer proudly introduces their 2015 KarpfenKalender!

"I'm wearing less than this inside. A lot less."

No need to get your guy 2 separate calenders (one with women and another with carp) that he'll be forced to alternate looking at. Now he can have the erotic pleasures of Europe's most beautiful woman AND enormous carp IN ONE GREAT COLLECTION! Every month will bring him pictures of sizzlin' babes and smokin' fish in high-resolution color.

Stunning models and scaly osteichthyes... What more could you want?

Not to be outdone, Carponizer's English rival, Top Fishing Gear, has introduced their own "hot chicks and cold fish" themed calender for 2015, featuring, well, similar stuff:

Either calender would be an ideal gift for a man who enjoys using his rod & reel. Order yours today!

Picture quiz

This is from:

A. The 2015 Lady Gaga footwear line

B. Guide to S&M fetishist shoe styles

C. The Human Torch and Friends Visit the Doctor.

D. "But these were not an ordinary pair of black and white pumps; both were left feet, one had a right angle turn with separate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place."

E. An ad for pain medicine.

December 7, 1941

December 7, 1941, was a landmark day in American history, but this post isn't about the story you've heard. The events at Pearl Harbor are well known, but what's virtually forgotten is what happened 142 miles away that same day.

Ni'ihau is the forgotten Hawaiian island. It's an idyllic place, covering 70 square miles, at the western end of the group. Except for a few military staff or privately arranged visitors, it's off-limits to outsiders. The year round population is roughly 150 people, and the primary language used is Hawaiian. Except for it briefly being considered as the location for the United Nations headquarters (really!) in 1944, it's rarely in the news. Today it exists in a fairly unspoiled condition as an environmental sanctuary. It's been privately owned by the Robinson family since 1864.

In 1941 Ni'ihau had no connection to the rest of the world, except for a weekly supply boat that came from Kaua'i on Mondays. There was no radio on the island. The Robinson family had a home there, but the majority of the 136 inhabitants were native Hawaiians who farmed and raised livestock. If there was an emergency, they would build a signal fire and the Kaua'i police would send a boat.

Many details of the events I'm going to tell you about are sketchy, and there are several different variations online. But the overall theme is the same.


December 7, 1941...

Airman 1st Class Shigenori Nishikaichi, IJN

Pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi had left the aircraft carrier Hiryu that morning, part of the second wave to attack Pearl Harbor. During the battle his Zero fighter was damaged by antiaircraft fire, severing lines and putting holes in his fuel tank.

With gas running out and difficulty controlling his plane, he headed in the wrong direction and found himself over tranquil Ni'ihau. Picking out the best landing spot he could find, Nishikaichi bounced across a pasture, through a fence, and into a pile of rocks before coming to a stop near the town of Puuwai.

The unusual event was witnessed by Hawila Kaleohano, who lived nearby. Although unaware of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kaleohano knew from the weekly newspaper delivery that diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Japan were deteriorating. Recognizing the plane as Japanese, he opened the canopy and took Nishikaichi's revolver and papers before the pilot came to his senses, then helped the young aviator out.

By this time the noise had attracted most of the village. Unfortunately, none of them spoke Japanese, and he didn't speak Hawaiian, so communication was minimal. There were only a few on the island who spoke Japanese. One was a housekeeper, Harada, who'd immigrated with his wife from Japan just a year before.

While waiting for Harada, the locals treated Nishikaichi as an unexpected guest, and certainly the Hawaiian Islands are known for their hospitality. So they threw a welcoming party for him. When Harada finally arrived they still weren't able to get much out of the pilot. So, without anything else to do, they decided to wait until Mr. Robinson, the island's owner, came back on the Monday boat the next day.

On Monday the villagers and their reluctant guest waited at Kie Kie Landing for the weekly boat... but it didn't come. This was unusual, though they had no way of knowing how much the world had changed on Sunday. But the boat didn't come Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or Thursday. The Navy had stopped all non-essential boat traffic. Mr. Robinson was trapped on Kaua'i.

By this time it was obvious to the islanders that something was up. The pilot had opened up a bit, admitting there'd been a raid on Pearl Harbor, but tried to downplay it. In fact, he told them he was starting to like the friendly isle of Ni'ihau, and hoped to settle down there when the current crisis was resolved.

On Friday morning, with no boat and no news, the natives decided to build a  signal fire. Nishikaichi was left with a man named Haniki, and the 2 went over to visit Harada and his wife.

While they walked, Haniki suddenly found himself held at gunpoint. Harada, at the pilot's request, had stolen a revolver and hunting rifle from the Robinson house. They locked Haniki in a storage room, and headed for Puuwai. The pilot desperately had to get his papers back, as they contained maps and information he'd been told to keep from the Americans.

Running down the road, they horse-jacked a passing cart and rode off for Hawila Kaleohano's home. He was using the outhouse, saw them coming, and ran into the fields. They frantically searched his place, without success.

By this time the village had been emptied, and so the pair began tearing apart all the houses for the papers. They threatened to kill everyone if they weren't handed over. But the only person they encountered was Mrs. Huluolani, an elderly woman who was reading the Bible. She completely ignored their threats, and they finally left her alone.

Giving up for the moment, they stole some tools, ran back to the wrecked Zero, and pulled off its machine guns. Carrying them back to Puuwai, they threatened to shoot up everything until the papers were handed over. But only Mrs. Huluolani heard them. They tore up Hawila's house a 2nd time. this time finding the pilot's pistol, but the papers were still missing. Finally they gave up and burned Hawila's house down, hoping the papers would be destroyed, too (they were actually with Hawila).

The villagers had been watching the events from hiding places outside the town, but weren't in a position to do much. The 2 Japanese men had all the guns on the island. At a strategy meeting it was decided to send women and children to some caves up on the mountain, and the men would try to capture Harada and the pilot while they slept. This didn't work, but a big sheepherder, Ben Kanahali, managed to steal all the machine gun ammo.

By this time the group building a signal fire decided that smoke wouldn't give enough of the details of what was going on. So six of them jumped into a canoe and began rowing the 17 miles to Kaua'i for help.

It took 16 hours of continuous rowing to get there, finally arriving on the afternoon of Saturday, December 13. They found Mr. Robinson, who immediately called the army. A band of soldiers, Mr. Robinson, and the 6 rowers were soon racing back to Ni'ihau on board a lighthouse boat.

But, by the time they arrived late Saturday afternoon, there wasn't much to do. The Battle of Ni'ihau was over.

Ella & Ben Kanahali

Emboldened by his success with the machine gun ammo, early Saturday morning Ben Kanahali decided to go back and steal the other weapons. His wife, Ella, came with him. Because they weren't particularly stealthy they were quickly captured by the 2 Japanese men and taken inside a house.

There the pilot started over with the demands for Hawila and his papers, but Ben said he was tired of the whole thing by now. He told Harada to take the gun away from Nishikaichi before anyone got hurt, but Harada refused.

Ben had had enough. He'd been up all night, was hungry, and felt things had already gone too far. He leaped out of his chair and jumped on the surprised pilot himself. His wife promptly joined in, followed by Harada. The pile of 4 people clawing, kicking, and slugging each other rolled around on the floor for a minute. Harada pulled Ella off, and it settled down into 2 separate fights.

At some point Nishikaichi got his hand free - with the gun - and shot Kanahali 3 times - groin, stomach, and thigh. This, as it turned out, was a mistake.

The gunshot wounds only made the big Polynesian REALLY mad. He calmly stood up from the floor, picked the pilot up by his neck and one leg (he often did this with runaway sheep), and slammed him head first into a stone wall. Nishikaichi was killed instantly. When Ben turned to deal with Harada (who was still struggling with Mrs. Kanahali ), the housekeeper stopped fighting and shot himself.

Thus ended the first, and strangest, land battle of the Pacific war.

In August, 1945, Ben Kanahali was awarded the Purple Heart and Medal of Merit for his part in the action. His wife, sadly, never received any official recognition. He died in 1962, Ella in 1974.

Nishikaichi's ashes were returned to Japan in 1956, when the identity of the invader was finally established. For this reason many early histories of the event (including Walter Lord's excellent "Day of Infamy") name him only as "the pilot."

Years later, his badly damaged Zero was moved to the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor, where it remains today.

Great online ratings

Thank you, SMOD!

Dieting

Ms. Healthy: "I'm planning on losing weight."

Dr. Grumpy: "Are you going to follow any type of diet?"

Ms. Healthy: "Yeah, a vegan diet, or Atkins, or paleo. Maybe vegetarian, or South Beach, or gluten-free. You know, one of those diet things. Like the Mediterranean diabetics eat."

Dr. Grumpy's gift guide

You fart, we all fart. In college, or on guys night out, it can be a source of pride. But, in a crowded elevator, or board meeting, or parole hearing... it may not be the best thing.

Fear no more!

With this simple patch attached to your undies, you can now make them smell like mint!

"What's that smell? I think someone cut the Life Savers."

Now, instead of filling the elevator with noxious fumes, you can gas others with a refreshing blast of mint. The manufacturer (to date) hasn't released other scents (though I think Root Beer, Spring Breeze, and Gingerbread Spice should be considered).

Head desk

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

Dr. Hospital: "Hi, I was wondering if you got a consult on Mrs. Weirdlastname?"

Dr. Grumpy: "I don't remember, but I got a lot of calls last night. Hang on, let me get my list out."

Dr. Hospital: "I was hoping you could see her soon, because she wants to catch her flight to Calgary later today."

Dr. Grumpy: "Okay, I have my list. How do you spell it?"

Dr. Hospital: "Uh, C-A-L-G-A-R-Y."

Brave New World

Source: "Accountable Care Organizations Aim to Provide Better Health Care" Neurology Reviews, September, 2014.

Dr. Grumpy's gift guide

Yes, as the calendar begins its countdown to Christmakuh, it's once again time for the gift guide. Where Dr. Grumpy will help you pick out the finest in tasteful, fashionable, and useful items.

This year, I'm going to kick things off with a solution to a common problem: What to do with a dead rodent.

You've finally killed that pesky mouse that was terrorizing your kids and less-than-impressive dog or cat... but now what? I mean, it seems like a pretty long walk to take it out to the trash can. And after he was kind enough to jump-start your car you really don't want to toss it into the neighbors yard, either.

So why not make it into a lovely decorative piece?

"Well, it beats the leg lamp you imported from Fragilé."

Yes, for only $47 you can give a loved one the complete Mouse Taxidermy Kit. It includes instructions and materials, you just have to supply imagination, props... and, of course, an ex-mouse.

"Do they sell one in St. Bernard size?"

Start a new pastime with the passed-on. It's sure to be a fine conversation piece for a living room, cubicle, or dashboard.

Black Friday deals

Black Friday reruns

Quartzsite, Arizona is a small town along U.S. Interstate 10, and many just stop there for food and gas on the way to other places.

In the local cemetery is a small pyramid with a copper camel on top, marking the grave of a mostly forgotten man named Hadji Ali.





Very little information about his background is known. He was born in 1828 in what was then called Greater Syria (today that includes Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and Cyprus). His parents were likely Bedouins. He was Muslim.

What is known is that he played a central role in what's now a mostly forgotten (but well worth remembering) episode of American and Canadian history.

The idea was first proposed in 1836, but wasn't taken seriously until 1848. Following the Mexican-American war, the United States found itself in control of a large desert, covering what's now New Mexico & Arizona, along with parts of Texas, California, Nevada, and other states. The U.S. Army needed to establish bases and supply lines in the area, both for the border with Mexico and the continuing wars with Indian tribes.

The railroad system was in it's infancy, and there were no tracks through the region. It's part of the largest desert in North America. The only way across was to use horses. But horses, like humans, are heavily dependent on water. This made the area difficult to cross, and vulnerable to attacking Apaches.

So in 1855 Jefferson Davis, then U.S. Secretary of War (later to become President of the Confederacy), put into action an idea proposed by several officers: buy camels to serve in the desert. Congress appropriated $30,000 for the endeavor, and officials were sent to Turkey to do just that.

Between 1856-1857 the U.S. Army bought roughly 70 camels, transporting them from Smyrna, Turkey to Indianola, Texas. To handle them they brought over 8 camel drivers, with Hadji Ali in charge.

The camels worked remarkably well... To a point.

They were perfect for the environment. The huge southwest desert didn't faze them. They led supply trains all over, from Texas to California. With their low need for water, and bodies specially adapted to arid environments, they easily crossed areas where horses and other pack animals couldn't.*

But there were problems. The Americans had envisioned combined forces of camels and horses, each making up for the deficiencies of the other. But horses and donkeys are frightened of camels, making joint convoys difficult and requiring separate corrals. The army was also unprepared for their intrinsically difficult personalities- camels bite, spit, kick, and are short-tempered. Horses are comparatively easy to handle.

With the start of the American Civil War, the U.S. Army Camel Corps was disbanded. Troops and horses were needed on the east side of the country, while camels weren't. Most of them escaped into the desert, and thrived there for a while. In an attempt to preserve them, the Arizona territory  outlawed camel hunting.

But the camel story didn't end there. One of the soldiers, Frank Laumeister, saw business opportunities in Canada. He bought a herd, and in 1862 took them north to British Columbia. The Cariboo gold rush was in progress, and pack animals were needed.

Canadian prospectors and a friend

The results in Canada were mixed. The camels were strong, and could carry twice as much as mules. But their broad feet, while perfect for the sand and dirt of the desert, were cut up by the rocky terrain of the Pacific Northwest. It became necessary to make special protective shoes for them (given their difficult nature, it's unfortunate that history hasn't recorded how they responded to having shoes put on).

The Canadians, like the Americans, discovered they weren't easy to handle. The same problems of difficult disposition and spooking horses came up. In addition, they found camels would eat anything they found. Hats. Shoes. Clothes that were out drying. Even soap. And so, after a few years, the Canadians gave up on the experiment, too.

But they weren't forgotten. A mountain range in British Columbia is called the Camelsfoot. The town of Lillooet has "The Bridge of the 23 Camels". A geographical basin is called "The Camoo".

Some camels were sold to farms. Others escaped into the wild. One was mistaken for a grizzly bear (WTF?) and shot, ending up briefly on a local bar's menu.

The last reliable sighting of a wild camel in Canada was in British Columbia, in the 1930's. The last sighting in North America was in Douglas, Texas in 1941- 85 years after the first ones had landed.

Two fiction movies have been based on the North American camel experiences: "Southwest Passage" (1954) and "Hawmps!" (1976). There's even a folk song called "Hi Jolly!" about them.

And what became of Hadji Ali?

His American hosts had trouble with his name, and pronounced it as a greeting: Hi Jolly! After the camel business shut down he decided to stay here, becoming a citizen in 1880. He tried his hand at several business, and married a woman named Gertrudis Serna in Tucson. They had 2 children. At some point he changed his name to Philip Tedro, but "Hi Jolly" is the name that stuck with him, and is on his Quartzsite tomb.

Hadji Ali and Gertrudis Serna

He prospected around the southwest U.S., occasionally working for the army. Once, when offended that he hadn't been invited to a friend's party in Los Angeles, he broke it up by repeatedly riding through it in a wagon pulled by 2 of his remaining camels.

He spent the last years of his life in Quartzsite, Arizona, dying in 1902. His adventures had impacted 2 countries and covered 3 continents. It had been 51 years since he'd left his native Middle East in one of the strangest military projects on record.

*Technically, it should be noted that camels are originally from North America. Really. Their ancestors evolved in North America 23-40 million years ago, but left. One group went west into Asia (then down to Africa), several million years ago, over the Bering Strait Land Bridge, evolving into today's camels. The rest migrated to South America 3 million years ago when the Isthmus of Panama formed, and became llamas and alpacas.

Scrolling through Groupon

While I have nothing against vibrators, or Groupon, I did get the giggles over how they're mixed in with more mundane household items.

They were also selling, on DVD, the complete TV series "Highway to Heaven." Regrettably, that pic wasn't next to one of these ads, or it would have been perfect.

Anna and Elsa know what they want for Christmakkuh...