I like a deep-thinking gecko.

ajh

Canada, 75 years ago: The Nazis invade Winnipeg.

Those crazy northerners!

ajh

Should I care about this? I didn’t think so.

Enter the Unicode Consortium . . .

Welcome to Nerd Heaven.

ajh

Carbonated swamp juice? Why not?

I’d never heard of it until now. It’s called Spezi, pronounced SHPET-see, a drink that’s a mix of cola and citrus sodas enjoyed by many Germans.

The name — Spezi — is the word — in the Bavarian dialect — for buddy, presumably learned from American soldiers during World War II.

In 2016, however, one 21st century American wasn’t impressed when offered a glass.

“It looks like carbonated swamp juice.”

One marketer isn’t worried, though.

“It’s not an appetizing color when people are not used to it. It looks a bit strange, but we don’t care—it’s part of our strategy.”

An American from Indiana who lives near Frankfurt thinks it looks “like the Calumet River,” a heavily polluted waterway in his home state.

I will have to try it some time.

ajh