You'll recall that, in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks (1958-1962), Mr. Jinks (the feline character) called mice meeces, as in his famous exclamation, "I hate those meeces to pieces!" I'm down with that lingo, so meeces it is. So much for the preliminary setup for today's posting.
August 28 is (wait for it ...) Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day. The folks at Wellcat.com devised the holiday, for whatever reasons only they could tell you. But there it is, on the calendar and staring us directly in the whiskers, so we must make something of it and soon, because, in my time zone, it's an hour till midnight. Not that I'll be changing into a pumpkin or anything, but the holiday will be past, and that doesn't do anybody who's writing a blog about it much good.
Apparently, the Wellcat.com people envisioned computer users racing our computer meeces around the screen icons while we're waiting for something to load from the Internet thingee or Wide World Whatever. Ho-hum, frankly. Been there, done that. Who hasn't? I think we should do racing with actual, living, breathing meeces.
Where's the Dude With the Starter's Pistol?
Apparently, Your (Great) (Grand) Parents Enjoyed the Sport, Too
(Add Parentheticals as Necessary)
I would never have believed it, but racing meeces is apparently a big-money enterprise. It is lauded as an especially effective fundraising technique. For example, Gateway Downs Mouse Racing (est. 1988) bills itself as "the original mouse racing company." Triple Crown Fundraising purports to provide the "finest mouse racing" in St. Louis. So there must be some interest out there.
Cheering on the Winner
The photo above (courtesy of the Southeast Missourian website) shows the first annual meeces racing (2009) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to raise money for multiple sclerosis research and treatment.
Racing Meeces Draws the Big Crowds, It Seems
What will all this meeces racing lead to? As popularity of these events mushrooms, there seems only one predictable consequence.
Racing the Indy Car Meeces Circuit
You know something is a really big deal, if it's included in video games.
Video Game Meeces Racing
Apparently, there is no need for a race starter (using one of those starter's pistols), because meeces are too dumb to understand the significance of the blank shot-in-the-air. Instead of running, they just cower, run frantically for cover, or soil themselves. (I've known some humans who do the same thing under similar circumstances.) Racing meeces requires an entirely different kind of official starter.
On Your Marks, Get Set . . . (Pounce!)
Libraries could use meeces racing as a fundraising event! What do you think, Boss Lady and Broadway Gal? Just be sure to secure a "rodent racing license" first. You think I'm joking, but a Danville, Iowa tavern was fined for illegal rodent racing (as unregulated gambling). Word to the wise. Just saying.
Want to see some meeces racing? Remember, you asked for it.
More Fun to Catch Meeces Than to Race Them,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Fundraising Ideas News Beat
P.S. Speaking of running meeces, here is my Library's book trailer for Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes.
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