DAILY DIRT: It’s a day to celebrate Gordon Shumway

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, May 14, 2025

“ALF” is the new No. 1 license plate … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,283 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Let your mind drift back to the mid-1980s.

What was your favorite TV program at that time? For those of you just said “ALF” it’s a day to celebrate. The featured character in that NBC sitcom, which ran from 1986-1990, was an alien life form (hence, “ALF”) that crash-landed in the garage of a middle-class suburban family in California.

That furry little alien life form, who was called “ALF” on the show but for some reason preferred the name “Gordon Shumway” (I don’t remember why), was a hilarious character with a penchant for wise cracks. Oh, and he also loved to eat cats, but that’s another story for another day.

Anyway, my heart jumped a beat this week when I spotted an “ALF” license plate in Quincy. That automatically shot to the top of our Great Plate Debate rankings that showcases the top personalized license plates in West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri.

Here’s the new medal stand:

Gold medal: ALF

Silver medal: ITS MINE

Bronze medal: SPOKEN 4

(Dropped out: MILK DUD, which was a solid entry, but ALF is taking no prisoners this week.)

Other top spottings and submissions:

• ITS ZEE 1
• 7 AXSHN
• GHOST 60
• N SHIFT
• PUDJO 2
• STLC 1
• NOT WEAK
•  SUE CHU 1
• JAYSHU 1
• CN CN  1
• OLHPPY 1
• HAVEAGO 1 

2. Did you know (Part 362)

• That the captain and the first officer of most airlines eat different food to avoid an unfortunate situation of both getting food poisoning while flying. 
• That Shirley Temple, then America’s most popular child star, was initially considered to play the role of Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz”,” which was filmed in 1938-39.
• That speaking of the “Wizard of Oz,” comedian W.C. Fields was the original choice to play the Wizard, but wanted $100,000 for the role. MGM counter-offered with $75,000, which Fields turned down.
• That silly string usage is banned on Halloween in Los Angeles. The law went into effect in 2004 due to cleanup costs exceeding $200,000 in 2003.
• That being fat in Japan is not a good idea. Citizens between 45 and 74 must have their waists regularly measured and might be given medical guidance if their waist exceeds a certain measure. Guess I’m never vacationing in Japan. Jus’ sayin’.

3. Those pizza connoisseurs who are regular readers of The Daily Dirt take note.

The following items are on a list of “trending toppings” that are rapidly earning acceptance as key additions for pizzas nationwide: 

• Microgreens: Used as finishing ingredients for a pop of flavor and visual appeal. (Microgreens are young, edible seedlings of various vegetables and herbs, harvested at an early stage of development.)
• Vegan Meats and cheeses: Plant-based versions of pepperoni, sausage and mozzarella are gaining popularity. 
• Berries: Sweet and unique, beyond traditional dessert pizzac
• Pickles: Still a hot topping, especially with Italian beef. 
• Giardiniera: Sweet and hot pickled peppers, often paired with Italian beef. 
• Lemon: Adds a citrusy element, used sliced, wedged, juiced or zested. 
• Cheddar cheese: Blended with mozzarella for richer cheese pizzas.
• Spicy toppings: Garlic-infused chili crisp, Calabrian peppers and other spicy ingredients are also gaining traction. 
• Italian beef: A Chicago favorite, finding its way onto pizzas. 
• Nduja: A spreadable spicy sausage from Calabria, Italy. 

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Concerning thought No. 3, I’ll stick to mushrooms and pepperoni, thank you.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Is anyone surprised that Steve liked “ALF”?