When The Government Banned Superman...!

You would not think that the character of Superman posed any threat to our government, but evidently he did.

In a case of fiction catching up to truth, Superman comics was found guilty in the eyes of the government more than once.

The U.S. government censored Superman during World War II.

During World War II, with the top-secret Manhattan Project in full swing, any mention of nuclear weapons in the popular press drew the government’s ire. DC found this out when it developed a comic book in which Superman’s archenemy, Lex Luthor, launches an attack with what he calls an “atomic bomb.” Though Luthor’s “atomic bomb” in no way resembled an actual atomic bomb, the U.S. War Department demanded that publication be delayed. The War Department likewise censored another comic book, written after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in which Superman films an atom bomb test for the Army, along with a Superman newspaper strip featuring a cyclotron particle accelerator, also known as an “atom smasher.”

In the words of Mr. White, editor of the Daily Planet, "great caesar's ghost!" Who would have ever thought such a thing was possible?

Coffee out on the patio this morning, where the sun is still shining!

Mysterious Water Bearer...!

For today's mystery, we have to go to Haiti. The mystery comes after a survivor from an earthquake was found there.

Haiti Earthquake

Evan Muncie survived 27 days trapped in a huge mound of rubble after a massive earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. After being rescued, doctors were amazed that he was still alive, seeing how emaciated he was after having no food or water for a month. But the story that Muncie told amazed them even more. Muncie insisted that he only survived because a figure in a white coat brought him water on a couple of occasions.

While the greater majority of people have dismissed his claims as hallucinations, it remains a mystery how he could have survived if someone had not in fact brought him water. There was certainly no evidence of another person being able to squeeze into the same space where Muncie was found. Muncie had no major injuries other than wounds on his feet, and he made a full recovery.

So what do you think ? Hallucination? Temporary madness from hunger? Or maybe it was a little divine help that kept this man alive ! Guess it is one of those things that you have to take on faith, ya know ?

Coffee outside on the patio. It's chilly, but the sun is shining...

How About Some Roadrunner...?

We haven't seen this guy for a while, so let's pay him a visit !





Just one more...



Now that wasn't too bad, was it? Naw...!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. I'll make some gingerbread!

Let's Talk About Symbols A Bit...

Ever wonder just how some of the symbols we see nearly every day came about? Well, I'm gonna tell ya about a few, OK?



Now, wasn't that informative? It was for me, I'll admit!

Coffee inside this morning. Still chilly outside!

The Ship Is Sinking, So You're Fired...!

I can only imagine what the families of the passengers and crew of the Titanic must have felt when denied any benefits from their deaths.

The Titanic

They Billed The Families Of The Victims

Photo credit: updatehunt.com

The White Star Line was nothing if not frugal. Due to a clause worked into their contracts, every employee aboard the ship was fired the second that the Titanic began to sink. The company would not, after all, pay wages for employees who were wasting their time drowning.

Afterward, the families of the dead were informed that they would have to pay the freight cost if they wanted their loved ones’ bodies. Most couldn’t afford it, of course, and so today, many of those who died have memorials instead of graves.

Things were far worse for the musicians. The band who heroically played on while the ship sank were completely abandoned. They were registered as independent contractors, which meant that White Star Line legally didn’t have to do anything for them. The other crew members’ families got survivor benefits, but the families of the band didn’t get a penny.

That doesn’t mean they got nothing, though. The families of the band were sent one memento: a bill for the cost of the uniforms.

Can you imagine what an insult that must have been? It boggles the mind, I think!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's cold out on the patio!

Still Want Some Honey...?

One of my favorite sweet things in life, and I have more than a few, is honey.

As a topping with fresh bread, a sweetener for my coffee, or just by itself honey is a very delicious food and, in my opinion, it's hard to beat! It remains that way even after I read this article from Listverse.

Honey

Photo credit: Wikimedia

Bees have two stomachs, one of which is completely dedicated to storing the nectar they collect from flowers. When full, this stomach can weigh as much as the bee itself. These honeybees return to the hive after visiting upward of 1,500 flowers. Once there, they pass off the nectar to worker bees by vomiting it up out of their second stomach and into the worker bees’ waiting mouths. This regurgitation process is repeated until the partially digested nectar is finally prepared and then deposited into a honeycomb. From there, the water is fanned out of the nectar, which reduces the substance into the syrupy bug vomit we all know and love.

Another good feature about honey is that it doesn't spoil...ever! It hardens from time to time (crystallizes), but can be brought back to liquid form easily enough.Good stuff !

Coffee out on the patio this morning, where it.s nice and cool but dry!

General Burnside Busted...!

As far back as any one can remember, the military has had to contend with a lot of politics. Don't believe me ? Take a look at what happened to a couple of generals under Abraham Lincoln.

1863

Burnside relieved of command

On this day in 1863,Union General Ambrose Burnside is removed as commander of the Army of the Potomac after serving in the role for two months.

Burnside assumed command of the army after President Abraham Lincoln removed General George B. McClellan from command in November 1862. Lincoln had a difficult relationship with McClellan, who built the army admirably but was a sluggish and overly cautious field commander.

Lincoln wanted an attack on the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, which was commanded by Robert E. Lee. Burnside drafted a plan to move south towards Richmond, Virginia. The plan was sound, but delays in its execution alerted Lee to the danger. Lee headed Burnside off at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13. Burnside attacked repeatedly against entrenched Confederates along Marye’s Heights above Fredericksburg with tragic results for the Union. More than 13,000 Yankees fell; Lee lost just 5,000 troops. Northern morale sunk in the winter of 1862-1863.

Lincoln allowed Burnside one more chance. In January 1863, Burnside attempted another campaign against Lee. Four days of rain turned the Union offensive into the ignominious “Mud March,” during which the Yankees floundered on mud roads while Lee’s men jeered at them from across the Rappahannock River. Lincoln had seen enough–General Joseph Hooker took over command of the army from Burnside.

Even back then, politics had a way of getting into nearly everything. I wonder how badly politics will be involved under the new administration...good or bad ?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's raining outside once again.

Strange Mummy Found...!

The police and emergency personnel never know what they will find when they go to answer a call. This shows how strange some of the cases can be.

Trash, Rats, And 300 Bottles Of Urine

Photo credit: sfgate.com

In 2015, firefighters exhumed the mummified remains of an elderly woman from her San Francisco home. The residence was infested with rats and filled floor to ceiling with trash—including over 300 bottles of urine. The door was blocked with refuse, and respirator-wearing workers had to enter via a window.

It took days to remove enough filth to find the mummified corpse of Anna Ragin, 90. Investigators believe Ragin had been dead for about five years. The cause of death remains unknown. No foul play is suspected.

Anna’s 65-year-old daughter, Carolyn, had been living in the residence for years with the body. According to neighbors, the daughter was delusional, ignoring any attempts at interaction.

The secret of the San Francisco house came to light when the daughter mentioned her mother’s corpse in passing to a tax consultant. Carolyn has been hospitalized at least once for extreme hoarding.

I hope something like this never happens to me. I don't want to be dead for five years before someone pays attention, ya know ?

Coffee out on the patio once again. C'mon Sunshine !!

Monday Mystery Video...!

Today we are going to do the video version of some mysteries that, to this day, remain unsolved.

By showing these videos, we can cover more than just one mystery at the time. I don't type very fast, so this is a good way to cover a lot of information all at once. Truth be told, I'm getting old and lazy!



That wasn't too bad, was it? Thisw way you can watch and don't have to read anything.

Coffee out on the patio this morning, if you can find a dry spot!

Very Old Medical Book...!

Here is an amazing fact. Some ancient medicinal formulas are useful today in combating certain conditions.

Anglo-Saxon Eye Salve

Photo credit: Wikimedia

In 2015, scientists recreated a ninth-century Anglo-Saxon treatment for eye infections. Composed of onion, garlic, wine, and cow bile, the ancient salve flabbergasted researchers by effectively combating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—or MRSA. Discovered in an ancient medicinal text called Bald’s Leechbook, the salve could be the key in combating antibiotic-resistant super-bugs. Researchers discovered that the ancient salve killed 90 percent of MRSA bacteria cultures. They do not believe one ingredient is the key but rather the entire concoction’s antibiotic properties.

Bald’s Leechbook is one of the earliest examples of a medical textbook. Researchers believe the Anglo-Saxons practiced something similar to the scientific method with an emphasis on observation and experimentation. Scientists were blown away to discover that people were carrying on detailed studies of infection centuries before the discovery of microbes. Researchers believe there are many other ancient texts with treatments for what appear to be bacterial infections.

Maybe we should look a bit closer at some f these old books and see if perhaps the knowledge in them could be harvested for use today. Might have to alter some of the ingredients a bit.

Coffee inside again Rain and really high winds (30 to 40 mph) are predicted with gust up to 50 mph!

Smart Birds...!

I've mentioned before about crows being one of my favorite birds because they seem to be so smart. Here's more proof for ya.

Higher Intelligence In Birds And Primates

Photo credit: Mdf/Wikimedia

Several bird species, notably crows, are considered to be among the most intelligent animals on the planet. They display uncommon ingenuity in nature, and city-dwelling birds have been seen to adapt easily to human behaviors such as waiting for traffic to stop before venturing into the street.

In a 2004 meta-analysis, two Cambridge University professors observed that despite having completely different brain structures, crows and primates use a remarkably similar set of mental tools absent in nearly every other species—anticipation and natural reasoning—to solve problems. Most primates and other intelligent animals (such as dolphins) that share these qualities are social, like crows, and have large brains, again like crows, which have enormous brains for their size, about the same size as that of a chimpanzee brain.

Crows are also among the only animals other than primates to make tools, like hooks for catching prey. Crows from different regions will construct different tools for the same purpose. Another large-brained bird, the Western scrub jay, is able to remember and apply context to social interactions, such as remembering the bird that stole their food and not allowing that individual bird to see where their food is stored in the future.

Gotta keep an eye on those scrub jays as well. A vindictive bird with a sharp beak isn't one to mess with!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Rain and high winds call for it!

Ghost Story For Freaky Friday...!

Nothing likely to get the ol' juices flowing like a good ghostly tale, right?

This one comes all the way from Scotland. The old country has more than it's fair share of ghost tales and the like. This is just one of many!

Lawers

Scotland

Photo credit: John Clegg & Co via Mother Nature Network

Although only ruins remain of the village of Lawers in Scotland, the site has been put up for sale. However, the offer comes with a warning: The village has allegedly been cursed by the Lady of Lawers.

The Lady, who was a soothsayer from the 17th century, reportedly cursed an ash tree. She was also buried next to the tree after her death. A farmer by the name of John Campbell cut down the cursed tree in 1895 and was gored by his own bull soon afterward. He died from his injuries, and a neighbor who tried to help him later went insane and was taken to a mental institution. A horse that was used to drag the tree away also died without apparent cause.

Sightings of a female ghost continue at the site, and a lot of visitors are convinced it is the Lady herself haunting the ruins.

Despite having a bad reputation and history, the place looks very peaceful to me. Not saying I'd spend the night there or anything, ya understand.

Coffee inside this morning. The flooding rains might be back!

Unlucky Chevy Malibu...!

Imagine sitting in your living room, watching television, and suddenly hearing a loud crash. It would cause a bit of concern, don't you think?

1992

Meteorite crashes into Chevy Malibu

On this day in 1992, 18-year-old Michelle Knapp is watching television in her parents’ living room in Peekskill, New York when she hears a thunderous crash in the driveway. Alarmed, Knapp ran outside to investigate. What she found was startling, to say the least: a sizeable hole in the rear end of her car, an orange 1980 Chevy Malibu; a matching hole in the gravel driveway underneath the car; and in the hole, the culprit: what looked like an ordinary, bowling-ball–sized rock. It was extremely heavy for its size (it weighed about 28 pounds), shaped like a football and warm to the touch; also, it smelled vaguely of rotten eggs. The next day, a curator from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City confirmed that the object was a genuine meteorite.

Scientists estimate that the Earth is bombarded with about 100 pounds of meteoric material every day. Meteorites are pieces of asteroids and other debris made of rock, iron and nickel that have been orbiting in space for billions of years. Some are as tiny as dust particles and others are as huge as 10 miles across; most, however, are about the size of a baseball. Astronomers and other people who pay attention to the night sky can easily see them: When a meteorite enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it blazes across the sky like a fireball. (What most people call “shooting stars” are actually meteorites.) Thousands of people in the eastern United States saw the greenish Peekskill meteorite as it streaked toward Knapp’s Malibu and many heard it too: one witness said that it crackled like a very loud sparkler. Scientists have determined that it came from the inner edge of the main asteroid belt in space, between Jupiter and Mars.

While meteorites are fairly common, a meteorite hitting a car is not: A car is, after all, a very small object on a very large planet. In fact, as far as scientists know it has only happened twice before–once in Illinois during the 1930s and once in St. Louis. Eventually, the famous Knapp meteorite was sold to a collector and two fossil dealers, who broke it into smaller chunks and sold those to a handful of other collectors and museums. The car, meanwhile, sold for $10,000 to Lang’s Fossils and Meteorites in Cranford, New Jersey. It has been on display in New York, Paris, Munich and Tokyo.

I would imagine that the owner of that 1980 Chevy Malibu was more than happy to accept the $10,000. It certainly was a good deal, especially considering what the body work would have cost to fix the car, ya know ?

Coffee out on the still wet patio this morning.

Long Lasting Texas Family Feud...!

Normally you think of family fueds as something that happened long ago, but a few lasted longer than you would expect!

Boyce-Sneed Feud

In 1911, a Texas woman, Lena Snyder Sneed, told her husband, John Beal Sneed, she planned to leave him for another man, Al Boyce Jr. After hearing his wife’s confession, Beal Sneed had her committed to a sanitarium. With the Boyce’s help, Lena soon escaped the institution and the pair fled to Canada, where they were arrested. Lena eventually was sent back to her husband, while Boyce’s father, Albert Sr., a former manager of the massive XIT Ranch, helped to get the kidnapping charges against his son dropped. In January 1912, Beal Sneed shot and killed Boyce’s father in a Ft. Worth hotel lobby. The high-profile court case ended in a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked in favor of acquittal. That March, Beal Sneed’s father was gunned down, and Beal Sneed believed the killer was linked to the Boyces. In September, Beal Sneed fatally shot Al Boyce Jr. outside a church in Amarillo. Sneed went on to be acquitted in the slayings of both Boyces. (Asked by the press why Beal Sneed was acquitted of killing Albert Jr., a juror said, “because this is Texas” where a man is allowed to “safeguard the honor of his home.”) In 1922, Beal Sneed was sentenced to two years in prison for bribing a juror in a lawsuit. When he got out, he shot a man who had killed his son-in-law. Beal Sneed’s victim survived, and later tried to murder Beal Sneed (who went on to be acquitted of shooting the man). Beal Sneed and Lena remained married, and in the Lone Star State, until his death in 1960.

I'm thinking this ol' boy must have had some strong influence down the line, ya know ?

Coffee out on the patio. Still wet from the morning rain, but we don't mind...right ?

A Tuesday Morning Treasure Hunt...!

We haven't done a treasure story for a while, so I figured we would do so this morning! We all love a good story about buried treasure, right?

Mosby’s Treasure

John Singleton Mosby

In early March 1863, the Confederate ranger Colonel John Singleton Mosby and his band of guerrilla raiders surprised more than 40 Union troops at the Fairfax Courthouse and overcame them without firing a shot. From the lodgings of Union General Edwin Stoughton, Mosby reportedly took a burlap sack stuffed with more than $350,000 worth in gold, silver, jewelry, candlesticks and other family heirlooms, all of them taken from the homes of wealthy Virginia planters. While Mosby was transporting Stoughton and the other prisoners back to the Confederate line, his scouts warned him of a large detachment of Union soldiers nearby. In case of a battle, Mosby told his men to bury the sack of treasure between two large pine trees, which he marked with his knife. Mosby’s raiders avoided the clash and got back behind Confederate lines, but when he sent back seven of his men to retrieve the riches, they were caught and hanged as accused guerrillas. Mosby never returned to get the treasure, and never told anyone else its exact location—as far as we know, it remains buried in the woods of Fairfax County, Virginia, today.

There are many tales from the Civil War Era about lost or hidden gold or treasure. Some of them might actually have a grain of truth to them, ya recon?

Coffee inside this morning. Fresh baked bread with honey is available, OK?

Monday Mysteries On YouTube Video...!

For today's mysteries, let's do it a little differently. Just a small change of pace, OK?

Instewad of having to read all about a single mystery, I'm gonna show you a video that has a number of unsoled mysteries on it. See how I'm watching out for you?



I realize that this is a little longer than my regular post, I was thinking that something a little different might be welcome, ya know?

Coffee inside again this morning. I have some fresh gingerbread I'll share!

Some Silly Sunday Stuff...!

I found these animated short films for kids over on YouTube and thought I'd share them with you .

Even though we aren't kids any more, doesn't hurt to act like it no and then, right?







And one more...



Now those were interesting, wouldn't you say? Little more entertaining than the same ol' cartoons we have today!

Coffee inside thisw morning. It's supposed to rain today.

Lincoln The Inventor...!

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was actually an inventor as well?

This happened before he became president, but he actually filed for and received a patent for one of his inventions.

Abraham Lincoln

Thomas Jefferson usually gets credited as America’s inventor-in-chief, but Abraham Lincoln is the only president to hold a U.S. patent. In 1849, shortly after the end of his lone term as a U.S. congressman, the Great Emancipator was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,469 for a device for “Buoying Vessels Over Shoals.” Lincoln had come up with the idea a year earlier after watching crewmen try to free a steamboat that had run aground on the Detroit River. Upon returning home to Illinois, he drew up plans for a pair of buoyant air chambers that could be attached to the sides of a boat and used to lift the vessel over shallow sections of river. Lincoln spent several weeks writing a description of the device and even built a scale wooden model, but while he received his patent, the invention was never put to use.

It's very exciting to find out that the list of famous people who did double duty as inventors is a fairly large one. Many of them never got the credit they were due, while others (like Harry Houdini) gave them away. Houdini's invention of a diving suit was given to the U.S. Navy.

Coffee out on the patio this morning, where the temps are supposed to be in thew 80s.

Need To Rent An Airbnb...?

Seems as though the BandB business is booming all over the place. More become available every day.

Here's a thought for ya...why not rent a room in a haunted BnB, just for the fun of it. If nothing else, it would make for some good stories, don't you think?

Laura’s Ghost Cottage, Savannah, GA

haunted places airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

An 18th-century cottage outfitted with exposed pine and breezy linens, Laura’s cottage is located in Savannah’s Historic District. Not only is it a stop on local ghost tours, it’s also the setting for Robert Redford’s film The Conspirator. Oh, and “Laura” is not the Airbnb host–she’s the woman who lived there for 50 years and now makes frequent visits … from beyond the grave.

Here is a few more haunted Airbnb you can check out, if you want. I reckon I'll pass on this one, thanks all the same!

Coffee out on the patio, but you already guessed that...right?

Another Mysterious Coded Message...!

For those that want to work at a puzzle, here is a real coded message that to this day has not been cracked.

Every once in a while, there is a coded message found that has never been cracked or decoded. Imagine what a feather in your cap it would be if you could crack both the code and possibly the case in one fell swoop.

The YOG’TZE Case

Photo credit: motherboard.vice.com

Before his death in 1984, Gunther Stoll told his wife that he was being stalked by an unspecified “they” and that his life was in jeopardy. She feared he was losing his mind.

On the day he died, he cried out, “I’ve got it!” He wrote “YOG’TZE” on a piece of paper and rushed out of his home.

That night, Stoll was found dead in a car that had crashed into a ditch. Naked, he was at the wheel with only the paper that read “YOG’TZE” on him. At first, police figured that he had just gotten drunk and crashed.

But the autopsy revealed that he wasn’t the driver. Stoll had been run over by a car and placed naked inside of it by the person who killed him.

Nobody knows what “YOG’TZE” means. His mysterious death, though, makes it seem possible that someone really was stalking him. “YOG’TZE” might just hold the key to the identity of this person.

Yep, I'd say that there was a good old fashioned mystery here. Might be fun for someone to try and figure the whole thing out.

Coffee out on the patio once again. Record high temps of 80 are expected today!

Grand Canyon Becomes Official...!

It's hard to try and imagine what the first people to lay eyes on the Grand Canyon must have felt. Wonder, awe, amazement and so much more.

I personally have not been there, but it is on my bucket list. I can only guess at my reaction, but you can bet it will be something that mere words can't express.

1908

Grand Canyon National Monument is created

Declaring that “The ages had been at work on it, and man can only mar it,” President Theodore Roosevelt designates the mighty Grand Canyon a national monument.

Home to Native Americans for centuries, the first European to see the vast brightly colored spectacle of the Grand Canyon was Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, who traveled through northern Arizona in 1540 with the Spanish explorer Coronado. Subsequent explorers also marveled at the amazing view from the rim, but few dared to attempt the treacherous descent into the 5,000-foot-deep canyon and explore the miles of maze-like twists and turns.

Even as late as the 1860s, the Grand Canyon remained terra incognita to most non-natives. In 1869, though, the geologist John Wesley Powell made his first daring journey through the canyon via the Colorado River. Powell and nine men floated down Wyoming’s Green River in small wooden boats to its confluence with the Colorado River (now in Canyonlands National Park), and then into the “Great Unknown” of the Grand Canyon. Astonishingly, Powell and his men managed to guide their fragile wooden boats through a punishing series of rapids, whirlpools, and rocks. They emerged humbled but alive at the end of the canyon in late August. No one died on the river, though Indians killed three men who had abandoned the expedition and attempted to walk back to civilization, convinced their chances were better in the desert than on the treacherous Colorado.

By the late 19th century, the growing American fascination with nature and wilderness made the canyon an increasingly popular tourist destination. Entrepreneurs threw up several shoddily constructed hotels on the south rim in order to profit from the stunning view. The arrival of a spur line of the Santa Fe railroad in 1901 provided a far quicker and more comfortable means of reaching the canyon than the previous stagecoach route. By 1915, more than 100,000 visitors were arriving every year.

Convinced it should be forever preserved for the benefit of the people, the conservation-minded President Theodore Roosevelt designated a large part of the canyon a national monument in 1908. Congress increased the protection of the canyon in 1932 by making it a national park, ensuring that private development would never despoil the Grand Canyon. Visitors today see a vista little changed from the one Lopez de Cardenas saw nearly 500 years ago.

Teddy Roosevelt probably did more for creating our park system than just about any other president. For that we owe him a great big "Thank You", don't you agree?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Temps are on the climb again!

Taking The Day Off...

I have an appointment at the V.A. today, so I am taking the day off.

To tell the truth, I haven't really felt just right for a while now. Probably nothing to worry about, but better safe than sorry, ya know ? Anyway, I'll likely be back tomorrow with a decent post.

You all know where the coffee is, right ?

What Happened To The Boat...?

Here is a mystery that has to do with a lifeboat, even though it isn't a true mystery of the sea. It does make for some interesting reading, though.

The Bouvet Island Lifeboat

Lying deep in the South Atlantic, Bouvet Island has been described as among the most isolated places on Earth. The nearest land mass is Antarctica, more than 1,700 kilometers (1,100 mi) further south. No has ever inhabited the island and since plant life is unsustainable there, it is likely that no one ever will. Yet when a British expedition arrived from South Africa in 1964, they discovered an abandoned lifeboat in a lagoon on the island. Not far from the boat were oars, wood, a drum, and a copper tank. The boat was in a good condition, but the expedition party could find no trace of any passengers. The boat had no identifiable marks on it and therefore could not be traced back to any nation or shipping company.

Even more strangely, when another expedition was sent to Bouvet Island two years later, the lifeboat had vanished. All of the other objects found near it had also disappeared. To date no one knows how the boat got there—or what happened to the people that were in it.

One thing we have learned over the years is that the sea doesn't let go of her secrets very easily...if ever!

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning!

Sunday Art Class...!

Instead of showing you more cartoons, today I wanted to introduce you to something I've just recently discovered. Beautiful pieces of art done with spray paint ! That's right...sprat paint right out of the can!

Now you may have already seen some folks doing this, but it was new to me and I was totally blown away by it. Very creative and talented people had to come up with this, and the end results are just too good not to share.



Pretty good, huh? Over on YouTube there are many artist, especially street artists, doing paintings in this fashion. Man, I may have to try it myself someday!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's way too cold to go outside!

Concept Cars Of The Past...

All the way back to the 40s, 50s, and 60s for these concept cars. Cool to look at, that's for sure!



Now wasn't that fun? Nice looking cars that were never built, but I kinda wish they were!

Coffee in the warm kitchen this chilly morning!

Senior Citizen Humor...!

Here is a little something sent to me by Baby Sis, who just had a birthday, BTW.

THERE IS NO SENIOR DISCOUNT FOR READING THIS!!!

LYING AROUND, PONDERING THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD, I REALIZED THAT AT MY AGE I DON'T REALLY GIVE A RAT'S ASS ANYMORE.

IF WALKING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH, THE POSTMAN WOULD BE IMMORTAL.

A WHALE SWIMS ALL DAY, ONLY EATS FISH, AND DRINKS WATER, BUT IS STILL FAT.

A RABBIT RUNS AND HOPS AND ONLY LIVES 15 YEARS, WHILE A TORTOISE DOESN'T RUN AND DOES MOSTLY NOTHING, YET IT LIVES FOR 150 YEARS. AND THEY TELL US TO EXERCISE? I DON'T THINK SO.

NOW THAT I'M OLDER, HERE'S WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED:

1. I STARTED OUT WITH NOTHING, AND I STILL HAVE MOST OF IT.

2. MY WILD OATS ARE MOSTLY ENJOYED WITH PRUNES AND ALL-BRAN.

3. FUNNY, I DON'T REMEMBER BEING ABSENT-MINDED.

4. FUNNY, I DON'T REMEMBER BEING ABSENT-MINDED.

5. IF ALL IS NOT LOST, THEN WHERE THE HECK IS IT?

6. IT WAS A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO GET OLDER THAN IT WAS TO GET WISER.

7. SOME DAYS, YOU'RE THE TOP DOG, SOME DAYS YOU'RE THE HYDRANT.

8. I WISH THE BUCK REALLY DID STOP HERE, I SURE COULD USE A FEW OF THEM.

9. KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT CAUSE ACCIDENTS.

10. ACCIDENTS IN THE BACK SEAT CAUSE KIDS.

11. IT IS HARD TO MAKE A COMEBACK WHEN YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE.

12. THE WORLD ONLY BEATS A PATH TO YOUR DOOR WHEN YOU'RE IN THE BATHROOM.

13. IF GOD WANTED ME TO TOUCH MY TOES, HE'D HAVE PUT THEM ON MY KNEES.

14. WHEN I'M FINALLY HOLDING ALL THE RIGHT CARDS, EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY CHESS.

15. IT IS NOT HARD TO MEET EXPENSES...THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.

16. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RUT AND A GRAVE IS THE DEPTH.

17. THESE DAYS, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THE HEREAFTER. . .

17A. I GO SOMEWHERE TO GET SOMETHING, AND THEN WONDER WHAT I'M "HERE AFTER".

18. FUNNY, I DON'T REMEMBER BEING ABSENT-MINDED.

19. IT IS A LOT BETTER TO BE SEEN THAN VIEWED.

20. HAVE I SENT THIS MESSAGE TO YOU BEFORE???...OR DID I GET IT FROM YOU?

Now this may not apply to some of you, but I can relate to nearly everything here, know what I mean ?

Coffee in the cozy kitchen this morning!

Divorce In The Colonies...!

According to an article from history.com, the first divorce was granted way back in 1643.

Not generally something you would read about in the history books, but never-the-less...it happened. Here is the short history behind it.

1643

First divorce in the colonies

In the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke, by the Quarter Court of Boston, Massachusetts. In a signed and sealed affidavit presented to John Winthrop Jr., the son of the colony’s founder, Denis Clarke admitted to abandoning his wife, with whom he had two children, for another woman, with whom he had another two children. He also stated his refusal to return to his original wife, thus giving the Puritan court no option but to punish Clarke and grant a divorce to his wife, Anne.

The Quarter Court’s final decision read: “Anne Clarke, beeing deserted by Denis Clarke hir husband, and hee refusing to accompany with hir, she is graunted to bee divorced.”

Now I don't know if they had such a thing as child support back then, but one could only hope that the man in question be held to provide some kind of aid to his original children. I reckon that with his history, that would be a pretty slim chance, though.

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning. Still cold out on the patio.

Colt Revolvers For Western Wednesday...

Very few tools made such an impression in the wild west as the Colt revolver did. For good or evil, the revolver was a very handy tool for self defence in a sometimes rowdy landscape.

1847

 Colt sells his first revolvers to the U.S. government

Samuel Colt rescues the future of his faltering gun company by winning a contract to provide the U.S. government with 1,000 of his .44 caliber revolvers.

Before Colt began mass-producing his popular revolvers in 1847, handguns had not played a significant role in the history of either the American West or the nation as a whole. Expensive and inaccurate, short-barreled handguns were impractical for the majority of Americans, though a handful of elite still insisted on using dueling pistols to solve disputes in highly formalized combat. When choosing a practical weapon for self-defense and close-quarter fighting, most Americans preferred knives, and western pioneers especially favored the deadly and versatile Bowie knife.

That began to change when Samuel Colt patented his percussion-repeating revolver in 1836. The heart of Colt’s invention was a mechanism that combined a single rifled barrel with a revolving chamber that held five or six shots. When the weapon was cocked for firing, the chamber revolved automatically to bring the next shot into line with the barrel.

Though still far less accurate than a well-made hunting rifle, the Colt revolver could be aimed with reasonable precision at a short distance (30 to 40 yards in the hands of an expert), because the interior bore was “rifled”–cut with a series of grooves spiraling down its length. The spiral grooves caused the slug to spin rapidly as it left the bbarrel, giving it gyroscopic stability. The five or six-shoot capacity also made accuracy less important, since a missed shot could quickly be followed with others.

Yet most cowboys, gamblers, and gunslingers could never have afforded such a revolver if not for the de facto subsidy the federal government provided to Colt by purchasing his revolvers in such great quantities. After the first batch of revolvers proved popular with soldiers, the federal government became one of Colt’s biggest customers, providing him with the much-needed capital to improve his production facilities. With the help of Eli Whitney and other inventors, Colt developed a system of mass production and interchangeable parts for his pistols that greatly lowered their cost.

Though never cheap, by the early 1850s, Colt revolvers were inexpensive enough to be a favorite with Americans headed westward during the California Gold Rush. Between 1850 and 1860, Colt sold 170,000 of his “pocket” revolvers and 98,000 “belt” revolvers, mostly to civilians looking for a powerful and effective means of self-defense in the Wild West.

Thanks to inventors like Colt, it became easier to defend yourself if necessary using something other than a knife. I'm sure this came in handy more than a few times back then.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Winter has come back, it seems.

Great Female Spy...!

One of the most successful spies during the Civil War was a woman...and she was quite the character, let me tell ya! Here is a little history about her and her operation that you may not have known.

Elizabeth Van Lew

Elizabeth Van Lew, the earliest spy on this list, worked for the Union side during the American Civil War. Living in Richmond, Virginia, she was a widowed mother who vehemently opposed slavery. She not only freed her own slaves, but used her $10,000 inheritance to purchase and free their family members. For nearly four years, she supplied information to Union officers, and gave assistance to prisoners of war. Some have called her “the most successful Federal spy of the war.” Her first “treacherous” act was becoming a nurse at the infamous Libby Prison, a choice which brought her a lot of scorn and hatred from her fellow Southerners.

Using the freed slaves that made up her household staff as couriers, Van Lew began sending messages to the Union in hollowed-out shoes and eggs. Eventually she had to resort to more covert methods of communicating with the prisoners, as the guards forbade her from talking to the prisoners. She switched to using books and a personally designed cipher. She began faking a mental disorder, talking to herself and dressing shabbily in order to throw off suspicion, and was given the nickname “Crazy Bet” by her neighbors. Her spy network continued to grow until the end of the war, resulting in some of the best Union information gathered anywhere. After the war, she was basically ostracized in Richmond, where she lived until her death.

All through our history, women have sometimes played a major part. Unfortunately they often don't get the credit that they should. This woman was willing to put her reputation, her wealth, and her life on the line for something she believed in. Takes a brave person to do that, I believe.I got this article from Listverse, where you can find some other female spies to read about !

Coffee out on the patio today, OK?

Confederate Gold For Monday Mystery...

Over the years we have all heard of treasure pf jewels and gold buried or hidden all over the place. In some cases, you could even buy a map showing just where to find all the hidden stuff...after letting go of a little gold of your own, of course.

Now, history does support the fact that a rather large amount of treasure has not yet been found, at least not as far as anyone knows. Here are the fact as we know them.

The Confederate Treasury

The year was 1865, and the American Civil War was drawing to a close. As the Union army marched the final path to victory, however, Confederate Secretary of the Treasury George Trenholm made one last effort to preserve the South’s assets: he liquidated them. While a veritable fortune in gold, silver, and jewels had been carried by President Jefferson Davis and his men when they abandoned Richmond, Virginia, when they were captured, it was all gone. All of it, save a few confederate banknotes. And the most improbable part of all was the staggering 4,000 kilograms of Mexican silver dollars that seemed to simply have vanished. Dozens of theories have been proposed to explain the mystery behind the missing treasure. Some maintain that the gold was distributed among plantation owners and buried, waiting for a day when the South will rise again. Many believe that the silver was buried in Danville, Virginia, where it still resides today. Others have claimed that the funds were entrusted with a secret society called the Knights of the Golden circle, so that they could finance a second civil war in the future. But the truth is, the real fate of the Confederate treasury still remains a mystery to this day.

So what do ya think ? Are you ready to head out on a treasure hunt, or should everyone just remain calm and take a deep breath. At least we won't have to buy a map that way.

Coffee out on the patio this morning.

Happy New Year...!!!

Well, it's time to kiss the old year goodbye and to welcome in 2017 ! Can you believe it ?

Not really much I can say, except to thank everyone for being out there for me all this time. I hope you stick around for the next year or so as well.

Welcoming in the New Year with Guy Lombardo and his big band. For many years Guy was a fixture on New Years, so it only seems fitting somehow !



Coffee out on the patio this morning...and once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR !