MOOSE LICKS AND ODDITIES

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Thanksgiving is the harbinger of another holiday season. The Neff Zone tradition has always been to focus on only fun things during this period and this year will be no different. If some smiles are generated along the way then all the better. 

To get the snowball rolling, I begin with some good advice: “Do not let a moose lick your car." There is a reason moose will do this. "They're obsessed with salt, it's one of the things they need for the minerals in their body. They usually get it from salt licks , but now they realized they can also get road salt that splashes onto cars."

Although moose licks are not much of a problem in northern Michigan, Canada is another story. “Officials in Jasper, Alberta have put up signs asking motorists to avoid allowing moose to lick the salt off their cars. “That poses a risk to both the animals and the drivers who can accidentally crash into them.” No word if this could be a hazard for reindeer too. (https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/11/23/Canadian-town-posts-signs-reading-Do-not-let-moose-lick-your-car/6971606161616/)

Avoiding moose by staying in your car is easy compared to trying to avoid bears that have invaded your neighborhood. Luckily, though, a Japanese town has found a solution – fearsome robot wolves. “Officials in Takikawa purchased two Monster Wolves, robotic guard canines created by machinery firm Ohta Seiki in partnership with a local university.” (https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201105/p2a/00m/0na/018000c)

These things are pretty impressive. “The Monster Wolves, which are made of metal and covered in fake fur to make them appear real to other animals, are outfitted with motion detectors that cause them to activate. The wolves then flash red lights in their eyes, move their heads back and forth and emit a series of howling and screeching noises.” Reports say the bears don't like these. Neither does every cat in the town. See a Monster Wolf in action at: https://youtu.be/t-eZ6eAi-zY.

Once you sashay past the moose and robot wolves, perhaps some Christmas shopping might be in order. How would you like a free bike for a starter? I know where you can get one. Not only that, along with the free bike you get $10,000. The good news is that this is legitimate offer. The only proviso is you have to move to Arkansas to cash in.

“An economic development organization in Northwest Arkansas is seeking to lure new residents. The Northwest Arkansas Council's Life Works Here Initiative announced it is offering aspiring residents a payment of $10,000 to relocate, as well as a street or mountain bike for enjoying the area's 162 miles of paved trails and 322 miles of mountain biking trails.”

This fits in with the November 14th Neff Zone column about Zoom towns. “We are seizing the opportunity to capture attention at this time when many employers have extended work from home opportunities and employees -- knowing they can work from anywhere -- are reconsidering where they are living and what they are prioritizing." (https://findingnwa.com/incentive/)

Okay, so you may not want to move to Arkansas. How about earning $2500 for just watching movies? The website Reviews.org is looking for a “Chief Holiday Cheermeister” to help find the best holiday movie of all time.

Here's the skinny. “Not only do you get to watch lots of movies, you’re going to get paid for it! The Chief Holiday Cheermeister will receive $2,500 and yearlong subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max and Apple TV+. The person will be required to watch 25 pre-selected holiday classics. The Cheermeister will then be required to complete a questionnaire about each film, and at the end will select the best of the bunch.”

Does this sound like your kind of job? Throw your stocking cap in the ring. “Applications are being accepted on the website through December 4 and the winner will be announced December 7.” Go to: https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/holiday-movie-dream-job/.

Some of those classic Christmas movies have to do with the relationship between children and Santa Claus. One thing Santa supposedly does is to constantly watch for who is naughty or who is nice. Well, I don't know about Santa, but there may be someone (or something) “out there” watching all of us. 

A recent event brought this possibility to mind. “On November 18, 2020, the Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau was working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to conduct a count of big horn sheep in a portion of southeastern Utah. While on this mission, they spotted an unusual object and landed nearby to investigate further. The crew members found a metal monolith installed in the ground in a remote area of red rock. The crew said there was no obvious indication of who might have put the monolith there.”

The remote location is being kept a secret. The monolith is huge. It appears to be manmade. One theory is that it's some sort of artwork. On the other hand, there's speculation that it was installed by aliens. Where's Rod Serling when you need him? Amazing photos are on the Department's website at: https://dpsnews.utah.gov/dps-aero-bureau-encounters-monolith-in-red-rock-country/. 

Finally, another holidays tradition is the Neff Zone Holidays Page: https://www.neffzone.com/holidays/. On this page are all sorts of crafts, games puzzles, recipes, jokes, and things to see and do. The page is mainly for the kidlings, but adults might find some things of interest too. For instance, how much do you know about the Charlie Brown Christmas Special? Take the test and find out. 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews. 

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