Did you know that people have really laughed themselves to death?

The ever entertaining Wikipedia listed these.

Historical deaths attributed to laughter

—In the third century B.C., the Greek stoic philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after giving his donkey wine, then seeing it attempt to feed on figs.

—In 1660, the Scottish aristocrat, polymath and first translator of Rabelais into English Thomas Urquhart, is said to have died laughing upon hearing that Charles II had taken the throne.

Modern deaths attributed to laughter

—On 24 March 1975, Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, England, died laughing while watching the “Kung Fu Kapers” episode of The Goodies, featuring a kilt-clad Scotsman with his bagpipes battling a master of Lancastrian martial art “Ecky Thump”, who was armed with a black pudding . After twenty-five minutes of continuous laughter, Mitchell finally slumped on the sofa and died from heart failure. His widow later sent The Goodies a letter thanking them for making Mitchell’s final moments of life so pleasant.

—In 1989, a Danish audiologist, Ole Bentzen, died laughing while watching A Fish Called Wanda. His heart was estimated to have beaten at between 250 and 500 beats per minute, before he succumbed to cardiac arrest.

—In 2003, Damnoen Saen-um, a Thai ice cream salesman, is reported to have died while laughing in his sleep at the age of 52. His wife was unable to wake him, and he stopped breathing after two minutes of continuous laughter. He is believed to have died of either heart failure or asphyxiation.

Completely crazy. huh?

Since A Fish Called Wanda got mentioned, I have to play this.

Here is a quick and different kind of dinner that you won’t have to apologize for.

Cauliflower covered in cheese is so good. I really liked the addition of the cubed cheese/breadcrumbs on top. It was crisp and yummy.

Cheesy Cauliflower With A Side Of Fries

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
7 oz smoked ham, sliced into strips
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
2 Tbs grainy mustard
2 oz fresh breadcrumbs
5 oz cubed cheddar
French fries, to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃.

2. Steam cauliflower for about 5 minutes. You can do this in the microwave. Transfer to an oven safe dish or several individual sized baking dishes. Sprinkle with the ham slices.

3. Fry the leeks for about 5 minutes in 1 Tbs olive oil.

4. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and seasonings. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Cook for 5 minutes longer; add shredded cheese. Stir until smooth and well blended.

5. Pour cheese sauce over the cauliflower.

6. Mix breadcrumbs with cubed cheddar and sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower.

7. Bake for 15 minutes and serve with a side of fries.

Serves 4

Recipe from Woman At Home Magazine

Aunt Martha was one of the bands that played at the Nor’Easter Festival this past Sunday.

I’m still not sure what I think of the band’s name.

What I am sure of is that I thought they were a remarkably good band.

Lead singer Tim Noyes has a captivating stage presence. The songs were richly layered, often building up into a satisfying punch. The songs with violin were especially good.

I wanted to buy the cd at the festival, but it was not for sale. I did get a photo of my son with Tim, though. Really nice guy.

This morning I went to Aunt Martha’s Website so that I could buy some music. They had a free download, which I thought was a song. Turns out they are offering their whole new album for free.

I’ve listened to ‘Norway, ME’ a few times this morning and it is very good, indeed. I highly recommend you check it out.

Here is the opening track.
Aunt Martha-Starter

How adorable are these guys?

Cheers!