DAILY DIRT: From pieces of moist bread to Hyman Lipman, we are grateful

Daily Dirt for Friday, June 9, 2023

And on another subject, Dead Heads can celebrate — see thought No. 2 about this one … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 631 of The Daily Dirt.

1. It’s funny how we can take certain things for granted, something as simple and accepted as the eraser atop your mechanical or old-school pencil.

Did you ever stop and wonder where the heck those erasers came from, how they originated, etc.? Those very thoughts crossed my mind the other day when I was correcting a mistake … so I started investigating, and here’s what I found:

Prior to the 1770s, balled-up wads of moist bread were used to correct written errors. Fortunately for those who would rather eat bread than use it as a tool, that method was rendered obsolete long before modern schooling began.

In 1770, scientist Joseph Priestly (yes, the same guy who “discovered” oxygen — not the Priestley who starred in “Beverly Hills 90210”) noticed the erasing properties of a substance he initially called “India gum,” but later titled “rubber” due to the rubbing action required by the user. The same year, British engineer Edward Nairne also stumbled upon rubber’s erasing abilities — allegedly when he accidentally reached for some rubber instead of breadcrumbs. 

Nairne went on to develop and market the first popular, practical erasers in Europe. 

In 1839, erasers became more commonplace after chemist and engineer Charles Goodyear discovered a method for curing natural rubber to prevent rotting. He called this “vulcanization” — named after the Roman god of fire — and patented the process in 1844. A Philadelphia stationer named Hymen Lipman took the development of erasers one step further in 1858 by attaching one  to the end of a pencil, forever simplifying the ability to correct one’s mistakes.

So, be grateful to all of these guys the next time you have a mistake to correct.

2. Dead Heads, those who idolize the original “The Walking Dead” TV series and all of its spinoffs, are again celebrating.

The newest entry, “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” makes its network debut on AMC at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 18. It’s a six-episode event.

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will be the centerpieces of this particular launch, and the trailers look extremely promising. Zeljko Ivanek, who plays “The Croat,” appears to have a sizable role, too. Those who were fans of “Madam Secretary” will remember him as Russell Jackson.

3. There has been no major turnover like there was a week ago in season 2 of The Daily Dirt’s Great Plate Debate.

The medal winners remain intact, but here are a handful of the top license-plate submissions from readers over the past seven days:

• KU ALUM
• HAPPY 45
• 2 WALK
• DOG PAH 1
• ROLL 1
• CINDY 10

The current medal standings:

• Gold medal: U LIED.
• Silver medal: STINK.
• Bronze medal:1 ELVIS.
• Aluminum medal: BATLADY.
• Cardboard medal: ITS FINE

Steve Thought O’ The Day — This comment is for “Walking Dead” followers. Do you think Negan will turn heel — again — or remain a good guy?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He favors pens over pencils.