My uncle told me that once when he was cutting chickens’ heads off on his farm, one chicken didn’t die, but rather lived headless for two weeks. He told me he put it on display and charged admission to see it. He fed it through the rectum and gave it water from an eyedropper. Evidently he made a great deal of money from this chicken. Is this possible? –Jack Saltzberg, Montreal, Quebec
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Your uncle may well be putting you on, Jack–I certainly maximize the baloney when talking to my nephews–but sure, it’s possible. In fact, a story along these lines appeared in the October 22, 1945, issue of Life magazine. L.A. Olsen, a farmer in Fruita, Colorado, had attempted to decapitate a Wyandotte rooster named Mike for purposes of supper. Perhaps moved by last-minute remorse, or perhaps because he was just uncoordinated, L.A.’s aim was off and he chopped off just the top two-thirds of Mike’s head. This sheared off the frontal lobes, rendering the bird totally incapable of thinking about Immanuel Kant but leaving enough of the brain stem to take care of breathing, blood circulation, and the like.
I thought cholesterol came from animal fat. How can palm oil be as bad for us as I keep reading? –Marcia Wichorek, Coral Gables, Florida
In other words (as I understand it), Americans have an obligation to eat tropical oils to support third-world economies and keep the stuff out of the hands of poor people. Sort of like throwing ourselves on a slow-motion grenade. I’ve heard of liberal guilt, but this is ridiculous.
