Tag: humor

Is a taco a sandwich?

In the last post we discussed whether a burger is a sandwich. This topic may seem like a trivial issue, and often it is, but the definition of a sandwich was recently debated in an Indiana courtroom where a judge had to rule whether tacos are sandwiches.

There is a zoning policy in Fort Wayne where a shopping center can’t have fast food outlets but it can have sandwich shops. A taco restaurant wanted to open but was told it wasn’t allowed. Apparently the restaurant owner was adamant about getting that location, so he took it to court. The judge ruled that tacos and burritos are “Mexican-style sandwiches”, so the taco place can open there.

So add that to your debate with friends about the definition of a sandwich. There’s legal evidence to support one side. Although personally I would not consider tacos or burritos to be sandwiches.

So let’s look at the official definition of a sandwich, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1a) two or more slices of bread or a split roll have a filling in between.
1b) one slice of bread covered with food.
2) something resembling a sandwich.
especially : composite structural material consisting of layers often of high-strength facings bonded to a low strength central core.

That last definition seems problematic. I figure it’s referring to a generic use of the term for non-food items, but it doesn’t seem like a valid definition to say if something looks like a sandwich then it is. Perhaps they should clarify it as non-food usage. But I’m no etymology expert.

Also, back on topic, the first definition seems legit, but it does not include tacos or burritos, unless you are going to argue that a taco shell or tortilla is bread. I’m not prepared to go that far.

The second definition (1b) doesn’t work for me. If you accept that, then pizza is a sandwich. That’s stretching it too far.

Who knew it was so difficult to decide what a sandwich is? That’s what makes this a potentially fun conversation with your friends.

Is a burger a sandwich?

If you’re with a group of friends and looking for something to discuss, here’s an idea. Also, this works particularly well at a restaurant, since it’s about food. You could start the discussion with the premise of, “I heard something unusual and want to get more opinions on it.” Then ask:

“Is a cheeseburger a sandwich?”

Then just sit back and watch… 🙂

It’s obviously a simple question, but it often provokes debate. One could argue that it’s just meat and cheese and toppings between slices of bread, which is what a sandwich is. The counter argument is that it’s grilled food, so it’s not just a sandwich. Also, it just seems wrong to call it a sandwich. They seem like different categories of food.

Someone may argue that a sandwich is made with sliced meat, deli-style, which seems like a valid point. However, many restaurants sell a chicken sandwich which has fried or grilled chicken. If someone claims the chicken sandwich is mislabeled, then ask if it’s a chicken burger. 🙂

FYI, according to an official definition at Britannica, a burger is a sandwich, but feel free to draw your own conclusions.

If the topic was fun to discuss, follow it up with, “Is a hot dog a sandwich?”

fireworks show gone wrong — two levels of epic fails

July 4th is a day we celebrate America’s independence with grilled food and fireworks. Many people go to community events to watch organized fireworks shows, which is usually a good time. But it’s also fun to shoot your own fireworks. It’s also quite dangerous. It’s easy to take it for granted that no one will get injured, yet kids get to play with little bombs.

A basic safety rule of fireworks is to not have the fireworks-for-later pile near the fireworks-in-use pile. This should be obvious. But obviously it’s not. LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING! (Referencing Fire Marshall Bill here, from the TV show In Living Color. He didn’t make this video, but this is about how it would’ve turned out if he had been there.) Watch this:

That’s an epic fail at a front-yard level — way more epic than anyone should experience. But what if a whole warehouse of fireworks caught fire? It happened just a few days ago in California. This video is a LOT of fireworks going BOOM.

Do dinosaurs taste like chicken?

Let’s continue the last post about having dinosaurs in my backyard. Supposedly all birds are dinosaurs. Even chickens. So you can say that dinosaurs taste like chicken. 🙂

To consider all birds to be dinosaurs seems crazy to me, but what do I know? So I did an internet search about whether birds are dinosaurs. (Are you ready to go down a rabbit hole filled with dinosaurs? Read on!) Check out this answer to whether birds evolved from dinosaurs or reptiles:

The answer is both, but with a crucial clarification: birds evolved from dinosaurs, which themselves are a subgroup of reptiles. Think of it like this: all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Similarly, all birds are dinosaurs (specifically theropod dinosaurs), but not all dinosaurs are birds. And both birds and dinosaurs are within the broader group of reptiles.

So dinosaurs were reptiles, which then became birds. Except not all dinosaurs are birds. And birds are reptiles. Got that?

I’ll admit it’s been a few years since I was in school, but that’s not what I learned. Still, I read on, and saw this on the same page:

The closest living relatives of dinosaurs (excluding birds, which are dinosaurs) are crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, and gharials). They share a more distant common ancestor with dinosaurs than birds do.

So crocodilians are more closely related to dinosaurs than birds, but birds are dinosaurs. I think I’m getting more confused… But I’ll keep reading. Maybe it’ll all make sense soon.

What about the pterodactyls, the flying dinosaurs? Is that where birds draw their lineage?

Pterosaurs, including pterodactyls, were flying reptiles, but they are not directly related to birds.

So there were flying dinosaurs, but they’re not related to birds. Apparently the flying birds came from dinosaurs that didn’t fly. I don’t know if they had useless wings or if they somehow developed wings and learned to fly. Honestly, there’s a lot about the theory of evolution that just doesn’t make sense. I know it’s often taught as fact, but it doesn’t add up and there’s a lot of missing evidence. I suppose you just say “over millions of years” and it’s supposed to be acceptable. Nonetheless, let’s continue this rabbit hole. There’s more weirdness you probably don’t know.

The chicken is currently considered the closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is based on genetic and anatomical evidence.

That’s interesting! So not only does a T-Rex taste like chicken, it WAS a chicken! Or rather, it became a chicken. So the next time you watch the movie Jurassic Park, imagine a giant chicken chasing them in the Jeep. 🙂 Or, we can let AI imagine it…

Now you know a great conversation piece — you know what dinosaurs taste like! You can ask people what they think dinosaurs (or specifically a T.Rex) might taste like, or tell them you ate a dinosaur the other day (if you eat chicken), or that you saw a dinosaur in your back yard.