Falker Satherhood Revisited
June 22, 2009 (Hey, I did say I had my fingers crossed, right?)
Since Falker Satherhood is one Hallmark card away from becoming the new official name of Father's Day, I thought I'd share how some of you Wreckies celebrated it yesterday.
Lindsay B. did the sensible thing and bought a cake:
While Jan B. and her daughter Ginny made Dad a banner:
Since the original Falker Satherhood cake debuted back in May, though, there are some dissenting opinions on when it should be celebrated. For example, the Big Doofus over at The Big Doofus Blog lists a quick, educational, and completely made-up history of the day as follows:
Dancing goats? Heck yeah! When I was a kid we had two miniature goats as pets, and they were awesome. Why, my mom still has the scars on her shins from little Starbuck's* playful maulings. [getting all misty-eyed] They butt with love, those wee lil' goats: they butt...with love.*Yes, his name was Starbuck. This was before the coffee shop was popular, though, so the meaning was more along the lines of he was a star at bucking. Or maybe it had something to do with Battlestar Galactica... we ARE a family of geeks, after all.
Reader Comments (45)
Oh my goodness that is just too funny! *Tears streaming from eyes, snot running from nose* from laughing so hard!
I bet MY pet goat danced better than yours.
Sure the name didn't have to do with Moby Dick? :-) Starbuck was the first mate, IIRC.
Thanks - I needed a history lesson this morning!!! Just came back to your site to bookmark it and noticed you had a new post! And to think I had laughed my head enough this morning...Boy, was I WRONG!
Thanks for the laughs!
~Deanna
I had a goat, too! Her name was Bebe Goak because we made the unfortunate decision to let a 3 year old name her. Alas.
Also, Starbucks probably DID exist then, you just hadn't heard of it. The company has been around for 30-40 years.
And your site is educational too!
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com)
What Denise @5:08 said.
Yeah. Moby Dick predates any coffee chain.
I love ya, Jen!!! I'm battling some depression right now and you are the only one who can make the corners of my mouth turn up at the moment and it not be a snarl. Thanks for the giggle. Again. :o)
My cat's name is Starbuck and I always have to explain that he's named after the character in Moby Dick and not after the coffee....sigh....
Also, I had miniature goats named Wednesday and Pugsly when I was a wee lass. There's no such thing as a bad goat name.
Starbucks junkie here to confirm that the first company store opened in '71.
We had a pet goat, too. Billy. Billy Goat ... aka Billy the Kid. Our family has always been punny.
Don't you mean the goat was awwwwwwwwwwesome? (ok say it with a bleat)
Oh my gosh! Who cares about when Starbucks officially came to be. It wasn't on anyone's radar until the mid 90's...and I grew up in Washington!
Why do people have to nit pick?
Do you all not remember what happened the last time? Two words.
Spaceship. Earth.
I think you are creative and funny Jenn and I love your blog. :))
My Mother opened up a coffeehouse in Lansing, MI called the Dancing Goat Coffeehouse. I don't recall any Falker Satherhoods, but we weren't well versed in all of the customs of the dancing goats.
The video was posted March 21st so I'm going with the 3rd Friday in March.
Oh. My. God. Dancing goats. HAahahaaa!!! Love it so much!!! :-D
I would comment... but I am giggling too hard!!!
WF- butrack. I can't make this stuff up, folks.
Forgive me for sounding like a redneck, but MY pet goat (Ramses... get it?) actually did dance. I trained him with peanuts. He loved peanuts in the shell, even if he would only spit the shell out. He was a weird goat. Did I mention that he also knew how to shake and jump through hoops, and he hated children?
...You can't make this up. Seriously.
That's my little girl! Thanks for posting the pic. :)
Jan M <-- not B
I love goats! More about goats! Goats on a cake? Cake on some goats? Two of my favorite things together!
There's a small chain of coffeehouses here in WA called Dancing Goats espresso, too.
(Also chiming in on Moby Dick reference. Literacy ftw.)
Mikki Black (of Here's What Let's Do) told me about your post today to make sure I didn't miss it.
I'd like to know the Hallmark store that is so huge they carry not just Falker Satherhood cards, but those for one's great aunt AND Falker Satherhood. It must be the Super Walmart of card stores. And I must see it.
Hey Jen, you got a shout out in WIRED magazine! That is awesome, congrats!
Calling a capital of a separate country with a population of over 1 million inhabitants a tiny town and mispronouncing its name at the very same time is also part of the fun.
The blog is outstanding and hilarious. You just never know what you've been missing all your life. Honestly, I love this.
SzélsőFa from Hungary
I had a goat, too! She danced and danced... she danced right up on the roof of my brother-in-law's brand new car. Needless to say, I didn't have a goat very long after that. :*( ...sniff...
BTW - my goat's name was Marigold, although I had wanted to name her Maresedoats, like the song. Alas, she already had a name when we got her.
I'm just far too sad then when you said your goats name was Starbuck I thought "Battlestar Gallactica" instead of "Coffee". Wow this falker satherhood thing is pretty popular. I should probably celebrate it some time, it sounds like fun :) (and it's got a delightful history to it!)
I wish my nephews and nieces were cool enough to give me that card.
Is it just me? Or does the eye of the goat seem to follow you around the room?
WV = aolonga: Aolonga I read this blog, the more I love it!
Falker Satherhood....the Wreckoning!!
I prefer to think it had to do with BSG, but maybe because I wish I was a nugget.
Whoohoo! I love Falker Satherhood! (Actually I love any holiday that pays homage to the most misrepresented and misunderstood of all the farm animal!)
Even though I'm a caffeine junkie and not terribly particular as to where I get it, I too though immediately of Battlestar Galactica upon reading the goats name. Although I also admit that I thought if the new Starbuck, I like her better, is that allowed?
we are now up to 26 200 hits from google when you type in "falker satherhood"
This is really taking off.
Thanks for posting the link to my blog. I didn't realize it until I was looking at my comments and found more than the usual 1-2.
Haha awesome! Jen you rock.
I was making a Father's Day card for my father-in-law, and all i wanted to write was "Happy Falker Satherhood" but I knew he wouldn't get it. I seriously couldn't get the phrase out of my head, I just kept hearing it over and over and over.
You bet your sweet bippy, dancing goats! If I remember correctly, and I think I do, that's involved in the Greek origins of the word *tragedy,* which adds a whole new dimension to the celebration.
Cheers to Moby Dick nerds.
Goats invented coffee, they were the first animals to eat the beans and act all wackadoodle and then Kaldi a goat herder decided to try coffee beans himself. Or so goes the legend.
Yes! that is the legend. The goats found the coffee tree and started frolicking around. The herder found them and tried the coffee cherries, and he started dancing around too. That's where the dancing goats coffee comes from...and that particular image is used in reference to the legend as well!
Pretty funny that you mention having a goat named Starbuck in light of the history behind coffee!
Come to Tacoma and meet my BSG-inspired cat, Starbuck! (No coffee-related shame here, only geekery)
i always thought starbucks coffee smelled goaty
From Jules (9 years old)
I think the cake wreck Falker Satherhood was really funny.
I'll make one for my dad.
Hahaha! That Falker Satherhood legend is great!
I just recently learned researching for a group project about the dissemination of coffee as a global commodity that the dancing-goats-and-coffee relationship comes from the legend of the origins of coffee. Kaldi, an Ethiopian goatherd, one day saw his goats dancing after eating red berries (coffee berries)off a bush. He, of course, decided to try some berries as well: mutual dance ensued.
I think this is just what a holiday should be: a wonderful amalgamation of legends and silliness. :D
Oh my word. My last name is Falk and my kids are always called the Little Falkers. We call my husband the GodFalker. And I have been known to be called Martha Falker by friends. You have no idea the tears I have wiped away watching the video from the first Falker Satherhood and this. Holy. Hannah. The. Best. Ever!