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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 14, 2006 Since You Asked I'm going to a wedding and was planning to throw birdseed at the bride and groom because I've heard that you should not throw rice. They say the dry rice expands inside the stomachs of little birds that eat it, and the birds can even pop! Is this true? -- Margaret L., Talent Yes, Margaret. And babies are brought by the stork, and the phoenix rises from the ashes, and four and 20 blackbirds were baked in a pie. But no. The old exploding-birds-on-rice story is an urban myth rather like the one about hummingbirds hitching rides on the back of migrating geese (we'd like to see a typical hummer share with other hummers, let alone a goose). We don't know where the birds/rice story came from, but we know that syndicated columnist Ann Landers was among those guilty of perpetuating it. The executive director of the ugly rumors division at the Since You Asked International Institute of Ornithology says he often drives by the rice fields in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. He has not yet had to turn on the wipers due to the remains of exploding birds raining down. Further, raw rice works much better at weddings than cooked rice, which is messy. That said, we think that bird seed or flower petals or even soap bubbles are nice alternatives. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com