That’s Odd

MARCH 2021

OUT OF PRISON, WITHOUT ASKANIM!

ey are a wonderful family; special parents, exceptional children. But one son was somewhat different. His problems began in his younger years, with his difficulties in yeshivah. In time, he fell in with the wrong crowd and was lured further away from Yiddishkeit. His parents were beside themselves.

en, one day, they got a real shake up. e parents found out that their son had been arrested and was put in prison. He was all alone in a cold building somewhere.

e pain. It was too heavy to bear. e boy’s father felt his heart shatter into even tinier shards.

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. A ray of hope split through the despair: Tehillim Kollel!

In the wee hours of the very next morning, the minyan of exceptional talmidei chachamim were already davening for the fresh name on their list. In the merit of David Hamelech, and in the merit of the tear-soaked pages of the sefer Tehillim, they implored for the vulnerable teen to make his way back home – with no physical or emotional scars.

at day, something fascinating happened. e justice officials decided that this arrestee did not have to sit after all. Just like that. He would be set free. Several hours later, the boy was already back home – back to his delighted parents, back to a tranquil, ehrliche lifestyle as part of the family.

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Peanut Butter Party

If you’re a peanut butter lover, this confection is for you.

The Hershey Company recently announced a new addition to the Reese’s line-up that’s very peanut-buttery. In fact, that’s all these candies will have – there is no chocolate is sight.

The chocolate company said it will be celebrating National Peanut Butter Day with the release of a new, all peanut butter cup. According to a press release, the new product will be called the Reese’s Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cup and will only be available for a limited time only.

The new candy is similar to an item Reese’s released for limited runs in 2019 and 2020, the Peanut Butter Lovers Cup, which had an extra layer of peanut butter on top of the cup’s candy shell. This time, however, the cup’s entire candy shell is made out of peanut butter and also filled with peanut butter.

“While launching a Reese’s Cup with absolutely no chocolate might come as a shock, we’re giving the truest peanut butter fans something to go wild about,” saidMargo McIlvaine, Reese’s Brand Manager. “The frenzy that comes with changing an icon like the Reese’s Cup is real – but you can still enjoy the classic plus get more peanut butter flavor with a new option that’s every peanut butter lover’s dream!”

The Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cups will be available starting in April of 2021.

Get ready to party.

Meant to Be

Courtney Mahnken and Nick Monguso are engaged – but they’ve known each other all their lives. In fact, they started out life together.

The couple recently discovered that they were born side-by-side in the same New Jersey hospital 26 years ago.

When Courtney’s mom met Nick’s mom a few years ago, the moms felt that they looked so familiar.

“The first thing she [Nick’s mom] says to his mom is ‘Oh my G-d, you look so familiar! Where did you give birth?’” Courtney recalled.

“Well, come to realize, they gave birth next to each other.”

Courtney explained, “My boyfriend and I are less than 24 hours apart, and my last name starts with ‘Ma,’ his starts with ‘Mo,’ so not only that, we were next to each other in the baby room.

“My mom remembered them because he was the ‘big fat baby.’”

Courtney adds, “Now he’s 6’5, I’m 5’2, and 12 years later, we’re engaged!” she exclaimed.

Nick proposed to Courtney in November 2020. They plan to marry in June 2022.

It’s just meant to be.

Such a Potato Head

Cancel culture is going after toy vegetables now.

Mr. Potato Head – you know, the toy that looks like a potato and comes with facial features with which to decorate – will now be known as Potato Head.

Hasbro says its Mr. Potato Head brand, which includes all kinds of toy tubers, is being changed simply to “Potato Head” in order to “better reflect the full line.”

It clarified, “While we’re renaming the Mr. Potato Head brand to Potato Head to better reflect the full line, the iconic Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head characters aren’t going anywhere and will remain Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.”

Kimberly Boyd, the senior vice president of global brands and general manager at Hasbro, said.

“Culture has evolved. Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists – with the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ — is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure.”

The toy that would eventually become Mr. Potato Head was originally conceived in the early 1940s by Brooklyn-born inventor George Lerner, who initially only planned to market the push-pin-style face pieces and body parts. (Consumers would provide their own vegetables to jab the pieces into.) He first sold the idea to a cereal company, which planned to use the pieces as prizes, before the Hassenfeld Brothers learned of Lerner’s idea and purchased it back.

The toy soon went into production and debuted in 1952 under its official new name: Mr. Potato Head.

The world is turning on its (potato) head.