MEMORIAL DAY PRELIMS
THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF
CADILLAC NEWS -- MAY 1, 2026
The Farmer's Almanac tells us that the official meteorological summer begins on June 1. The official summer solstice happens on June 21. Fine, but Memorial Day is on May 25 and although it may be the unofficial start of summer, I say bring it on. If any populace deserves summer, it's the people of northern Michigan.
Right now is a good time to make preliminary plans for the holiday weekend. To that end, here are some things that (sort of) fit into the theme of the day. First on the list are some Statue of Liberty facts.
“Lady Liberty stands a total of 305 feet tall, but the statue itself accounts for less than half of that — at 154 feet, the pedestal is actually slightly taller than the statue (151 feet). It weighs in at 440,000 pounds, including 176,000 pounds of copper.” Be careful if you climb the 192 steps to the top. The Lady gets hit by around 600 lightning bolts every year. (https://historyfacts.com/us-history/fact/the-statue-of-libertys-pedestal-is-taller-than-the-statue-itself/)
Picnics are very popular on Memorial Day. Hot dogs and hamburgers are often served, but some old-time sandwiches will probably not make the menu. One of these is the popcorn sandwich. “Popcorn is a popular snack, so why not pair it with yummy buttered toast? That seems to have been the idea behind the recipe. However, the dish also calls for five boned sardines, a dash of Worcestershire, and enough tomato catsup to form a paste." Five more weird concoctions at: https://historyfacts.com/arts-culture/article/weird-sandwiches-people-used-to-eat/.
Popcorn has been around for a while, but another snack only dates back to WWII – Cheetos. “It’s the military we must thank. Their origin can be traced back to the Natick Soldier Systems Center. One of the items to come out of the research complex was processed and powdered cheese. By the end of the war one of the very first products to use the cheesy powder was the now-ubiquitous Cheetos.” (https://historyfacts.com/world-history/article/foods-that-came-from-the-military/)
Cheetos are made from corn and there's a fun fact about this. “The United States grows more corn than any other country, and it’s a true team effort. Corn is the only crop grown in all 50 states, from the lower 48 to Alaska and Hawaii. Due to its versatility and high yields, corn is also grown on every continent except Antarctica.”
(https://interestingfacts.com/fact/only-one-crop-grows-in-all-50-states/)
To wash down that popcorn sandwich and corn puffs, you will need something to drink. Two uniquely Midwest terms fit the category. One deals with soft drinks – pop. “Though folks in other parts of the U.S. may also say pop, the term is most closely linked to the Midwest. In most regions, people order sodas — except in the South, where folks collectively (and somewhat confusingly) refer to any kind of soft drink as a Coke.”
Another Midwest term refers to an adult beverage – brewski. “This term originally spilled out of frat houses in the Midwest and made its national debut in a 1977 Saturday Night Live sketch.” (https://wordsmarts.com/midwestern-slang/)
Right now, a brewski ad has a Michigan connection. 'Budweiser’s 'Great Delivery' (commercial) has an Uncle Sam beat. Packed into this half minute ad are Route 66, the West, American flags, veterans, and a ticker-tape parade. Backing it all up is 'We’re an American Band' by (Flint super group) Grand Funk Railroad.”
GFR began in the 60s as The Jazzmasters, then joined a Flint DJ to form Terry Knight and the Pack, and ultimately became Grand Funk. In 1971, at New York's Shea Stadium, they broke The Beatles' attendance record by selling out 55,000 tickets in 72 hours. (https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/in-its-summer-campaign-budweiser-waves-the-flag-a-lot/)
Well, to get at that drink you first have to open the can. It was not always easy. A car bumper figures into this. “Inventor Ermal C. Fraze helped create something we all use today: the pull tab that opens drink cans. Before these convenient pop-tops, people typically opened cans with a can opener or through brute force. While on a family picnic in 1959, he managed to open his beer by physically cracking the lid open against his car’s bumper. Fraze began brainstorming an all-in-one solution, devising a way to affix a tab to the top of a can with a rivet. The New York Times said he was first to develop a method of attaching a tab on the can top.” (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/pull-tab-cans-created-when-engineer-opened-beer-with-car-bumper/)
During the holiday period, you might want to sit down and relax. A new trend is perfect for this – floor sitting. “Gurus extol the virtues of sitting on the floor for at least 30 cumulative minutes per day. When practiced regularly, seated positions are actually capable of restoring hip and low back function, stretching out tissue in the hamstrings and calves, and upping one’s movement capacity.”
While you are on the floor, feel free to fidget. “We want you to fidget and change positions while on the floor because it gives you the opportunity to rotate your hips into different end ranges, take pressure off your tissues, and avoid stiffness and pain. Your brain is going to tell you to move around while you’re on the floor, and that’s exactly what we think you should be doing.” (https://www.insidehook.com/wellness/sitting-on-floor-best-way-to-sit)
Oddly, watching TV is a prime floor sitting situation. This Memorial Day, a new series debuting on the History Channel could be a worthwhile experience. “The Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. 'World War II with Tom Hanks' is a landmark documentary event that reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict. 'World War II with Tom Hanks' is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation.” See the video trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL_8bBGbrTo.
Jim Neff I a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at Cadillacnews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.