IT Insights Blog

She's a little bit country, and he's a little bit rock and roll. They're both a little bit beyond that golden No. 50. And way back in 2009, when they first became featured entertainers at the Flamingo Las Vegas resort hotel and casino, the gig was supposed to last for a little bit more than a month — six weeks, to be exact. Here it is 10 years later, and Donny and Marie Osmond are finally winding down and preparing to exit the stage.

If there's one animal that we associate with stubbornness, it would definitely be the, um, male donkey. (Yes, smart guy, there's another word for that.) Some might say "mule," and indeed the word "mulish" is defined as "resembling or likened to a mule in being stubborn." A mule is technically the offspring of a, er, male donkey and a female horse, so donkeys and mules are not really the same thing, but both are legendarily stubborn.

No definitive or comprehensive origin is known for the seven-note musical couplet associated with the phrase "shave and a haircut." The words "shave and a haircut," of course, align only with the first five notes of the couplet, or the section known as the "call." The two-note "response" is typically matched up with the words "six bits" (or sometimes "two bits" — it would seem that inflation is into everything these days).

Here in the United States, TestOut Continuing Education's beloved land of origin, we are creeping up on the first Tuesday in November. That's Nov. 6, to be exact. This is a date of great import in 2018, an opportunity for citizens everywhere to participate in one of the most fulfilling rituals of our proud democracy. On Nov. 6, millions of Americans will head to the nearest microwave oven, or perhaps to Taco Bell or Del Taco, to scarf down a hearty serving of nachos.

A friend and coworker of the IT Insights Blog Squad likes to begin the day with 32 ounces of the finest caffeinated beverage money can buy. Many of you out there might assume this would lead to a discussion of coffee, but you'd be wrong. Then, after thinking it over a bit, you would probably realize, "Ah, so he's a cola guy. Which is it, Coke or Pepsi?" This would also be wrong, and at this point the guessing would likely default to energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull.