After having their 11th child, an Alabama couple decided that was enough, as they
could not afford a larger bed. So the husband went to his veterinarian and told
him that he and his cousin didn't want to have any more children.
The doctor told him that there was a procedure called a vasectomy that could
fix the problem but that it was expensive. A less costly alternative, said the
doctor, was to go home, get a cherry bomb (fireworks are legal in Alabama),
light it, put it in a beer can, then hold the can up to his ear and count to
10.
The Alabamian said to the doctor, "I may not be the smartest man in the
world, but I don't see how putting a cherry bomb in a beer can next to my ear
is going to help me".
"Trust me," said the doctor.
So the man went home, lit a cherry bomb and put it in a beer can. He held the
can up to his ear and began to count:
"1"
"2"
"3"
"4"
"5"
At which point he paused, placed the beer can between his legs, an resumed
counting on his other hand.
This procedure also works in Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia.