Here Is Another "What Is It" For Thursday...

Something like this pillar is seldom found here in the states, especially in a National Forest.

One can only wonder what the original purpose was and who exactly made them. Just gotta love these types of historical mysteries, especially from an area so close at hand.

Mysterious Pillars

Photo credit: The Mountain Voice

Historian Louis Serna spied a ornate stone pillar in a hotel lobby in 2013. Intrigued by the symbols (including a Templar cross) carved on it, Serna tried to find out more about the pillar from the hotel employees. After being told that it was simply a trail marker, Serna realized he would have to get into contact with the original owner of the hotel if he was to get credible information. He was right. After he traced the original owner, the man told him that a rancher discovered the pillar in a New Mexico forest and that it had been on display at the hotel ever since.

Suspecting there was even more to this story, Serna eventually approached the US Forest Service, where he was informed that, in fact, there were two stone pillars found in Carson National Forest and that the second pillar is located among several other stones thought to be grave markers.

Serna remained skeptical about this information, believing that the pillars may have been markers used by ancient explorers during the colonization of the area. Serna also remains hopeful that archaeologists will look into his theory and come up with answers to explain the origin and purpose of the pillars.

I can't help but wonder if the other stones are really grave markers, and if they are something different, then what are they?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Getting to be a habit, isn't it ?

Marias River Massacre For Western Wednesday...!

Sometimes decisions made in the spur of the moment turn out to be monumental and deadly. Such was the case with the massacre at the Marias River.

Marias Massacre

Photo credit: Bozeman Daily Chronicle

The deadliest massacre of Native Americans in Montana’s history was a mistake. Colonel Eugene Baker had been sent by the government to “pacify” a rebellious band of the Blackfeet tribe.

Eventually, Baker’s men tracked the tribe to a village along the Marias River. On January 23, 1870, the men surrounded the village and prepared to attack.But a scout recognized some of the painted designs on the lodges and reported to Baker that this was the wrong band.

Baker replied, “That makes no difference, one band or another of them; they are all [Blackfeet] and we will attack them.”

Most of the Native American men were out hunting, so the majority of the 173 massacred were women, children, and the elderly. When Baker discovered that the survivors had smallpox, he abandoned them in the wilderness without food or shelter, increasing the death toll by 140.

The photo on this post is of Baker's men. I wonder if many of them had trouble sleeping at night after this engagement. Probably not.

Coffee out on the patio once again today.

A Truly Mad Scientist...!

Many times a true , original discovery is made by scientist purely by accident. Often they are searching for something completely different.

It doesn't hurt that many of these experiments are conducted by men considered by most to be a few bricks short of a full load, if you know what I mean. Here's a good example from Listverse.

Hennig Brand

Photo credit: Joseph Wright of Derby

Chemistry is known today as a factual and difficult science, but its early days were filled with decidedly unscientific methods. Before the arrival of proper chemistry, it was the science of alchemy which reigned supreme. Alchemy held the belief that some substances could be transmuted into gold. In 1669, an alchemist named Hennig Brand convinced himself of the possibility of transmuting urine into gold. He quickly gathered the pee of his wife and her friends and began a process of boiling 5,700 liters (1,500 gal) of urine in his basement.

Brand didn’t discover the secret to creating gold, but the boiled urine did have the odd attribute of glowing in the dark. After utilizing an alchemical process which involved letting the cold, glowing urine sit and emit gasses, Brand finally arrived at a white substance which we know today as phosphorus.

See what I mean? Many times it was like the old saying "the porch light is on, but no one is home!" Kids...don't try this at home!

Coffee out on the patio again today. Spring type weather still around.

A Different Monday Mysteries Today...!

Instead of having the same old type of mysteries all the time, I figured we would go to nature once again and borrow some of her's, ya know?





And one more...



I hope no one has a problem with me putting up videos instead of typing out the post. Sure does make it easier for me, and I can still share some neat stuff with my followers.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. I have some fresh peach cobbler I'll share!

Musical Sunday...!

Time again for something a little different. Here are some really unusual instruments and the wonderful sounds they can make. The first one is amazing!



I told ya this would be something different, didn't I?

Coffee out on the patio again today. Seems like Spring wants to return early.

How About A Saturday Treasure Hunt...?

This hunt is a bit different. It's gonna be "find the animals." OK? Just something a bit different for the start of the holiday season, ya know?



Now that wasn't too bad, was it? I hope you found it entertaining.

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning!

What Is It...?

Sometimes the strangest things can be found totally by accident. That's what happened in this next article from Listverse.

When it was found, no one seemed to know what it really was, or where it originated from. It wasn't small either, as is usually the case when unknown objects are found.

The Otradnesnky Fragment

Photo credit: RT

In 2012, a walk in the forest turned strange for locals from Otradnesnky village. They found a metal object bigger than a car. It was cylindrical and U-shaped, with one end tapering into a dome with ridges. The inside was visible, but it was empty. Assuming the 200-kilogram (440 lb) artifact had fallen from space, the villagers dragged it back to Otradnesnky. Local inspectors could not identify it and called the authorities in Moscow.[8] Rumors about the “UFO fragment” thickened when, in the dead of night, unspecified powers removed the object and placed it under armed guard.

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos examined the piece. They declared it was not space technology nor radioactive and was partially made of ultra-strong titanium. NASA’s initial assessment ran along the same lines. Despite agreeing it was probably not part of a spacecraft, NASA made it clear they needed better data and images for a definite identification. Whether Roscosmos provided its American counterpart with more details is hard to say. Media releases beyond the original year and story are rare.

Pretty strange find, I'd say. What's even stranger is the way they showed up in the middle of the night and placed the thing under armed guard. I find that curious, to say the least!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Chilly out on the patio.

Need An After Turkey Nap...?

For years there has been a rumor floating around that turkey makes you sleepy. Sorry, but that's just an urban myth.

Here is a short version of the real reason you might want a nap after the Thanksgiving feast. All ot the other stuff!

Turkey doesn’t have enough tryptophan to make you drowsy. If it did, you’d get tired any time you eat a turkey sandwich. Eggs, cheese, spinach, and bacon all have more tryptophan per serving than turkey, which contains the same amount of tryptophan as chicken does.

Don't believe me? Hey, Snopes even checked out this claim and came to the same conclusion. I kid you not!

Coffee out on the chilly patio this morning. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone !!

Nursing Home Nightmare...!

The idea of being confined to a nursing home or an assisted living facility just doesn't do much for me...at all!

I would much rather have the freedom to wander around my own home, keeping my own counsel, and living by my own rules. I guess that this was brought to mind because yesterday was my birthday and I began to ponder my own mortality a bit. Another reason to avoid places like nursing homes are mentioned in the article from Listverse that I found.

Wildlife

In 2016, a 911 operator in Deltona, Florida, received an unusual call from the Sterling Court Gracious Retirement Living center, with reports of staff and elderly residents being viciously attacked. The assailant in the unprovoked rampage was soon identified as a rambunctious squirrel with a penchant for causing mayhem. After biting a woman outside the nursing home, the furry creature made his way indoors, where the assault continued. “It’s jumping on people and biting them and scratching them,” the 911 caller said. “It’s still in there and people are bleeding.”

After the animal’s thirst for blood was quenched, the suspect fled the premises, leaving two residents and a staff member with “serious squirrel bites.” In the days following the attack, the lives of the traumatized victims began to return to normalcy, only for the squirrel to come back with a vengeance. This time, however, a staffer armed with a BB gun shot and killed the squirrel, bringing an end to the chaos.

Such brutality caused by wildlife pales in comparison to what happened to a resident of Brookdale Senior Living Center in South Carolina, also in 2016. While enjoying the scenery of the local pond, 90-year-old Bonnie Walker was torn apart after being attacked by an alligator. What was left of her remains was removed from the pond after staffers had realized that Walker was missing from the facility. The alligator was removed as well.

Any wildlife around me I would want to be of my choosing. Out of control tree rats, or alligators looking to ambush helpless old folks aren't real high on my list of critters I want around, ya know?

Coffee inside again this morning. I have some cookies I'll share.

The Temple Of Reason...!

Imagine an ancient, hollowed out oak tree with a temple built inside. Wild, huh?

That's the story from Listverse about the Chapel Oak in France . Pretty amazing place, judging from the pictures.

Chene Chapelle

Photo credit: Ancient Origins

Elsewhere in France, there is an ancient church which eschews the use of stone at all. Chene chapelle (“Chapel Oak”) is located in Allouville-Bellefosse in northern France. The whole church is built inside an enormous oak tree.

A spiral staircase surrounds the tree and leads to two separate tiny chapels. Although trees have been used for worship in many places, this tree’s holy use came about in a unique way.

The oak tree is at least 800 years old. According to local legend, however, the tree is as old as the kingdom of France itself and William the Conqueror prayed under its branches before he left for England. In the 17th century, the tree began to be used as a chapel after lightning hit it.

The lightning ignited the wood inside the tree, burning it away. This left a hollow but still-living tree. Taking this as a divine sign, the local abbot and priest had the shell of the tree converted into a chapel.

When atheist revolutionaries threatened to burn down the tree, locals rescued it by renaming it a “temple of reason” to fit with the beliefs of the French Revolution.

Pretty unique church building, I'd say. Wouldn't you?

Coffee inside the kitchen this morning.I'm baking me some birthday cookies, so it smells good!

Ever wonder if many of the unsolved mysteries we experience get solved? It would appear so.

According to Listverse, the oldest unsolved mystery in America has been solved. Better late than never, I reckon.

Solving America’s Oldest Unsolved Murder

In 1607, Jamestown, Virginia, became the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. For the last two decades, it has also been at the forefront of Colonial America archaeology since the Jamestown Rediscovery Project led to the reveal of the ruins of the original James Fort. Originally slated to last only ten years, the venture has been prolonged indefinitely due to the continued discovery of new artifacts and knowledge.

Part of the findings in 1996 included the skeleton of a young man given the designation JR102C. He had been shot in the right leg, and the lead bullet was found alongside the remains. His 400-year-old death became an unsolved murder.It took over 17 years since his rediscovery, but in 2013, forensic archaeologists announced that they had identified not only the victim but also his killer.

They believe JR102C was shot in a duel, as he was hit in the side of the knee, suggesting he was positioned sideways. Based on records and other evidence, researchers named George Harrison as JR102C and a merchant named Richard Stephens as his killer.[10] The two took part in a duel in 1624, in which the latter shot the former in the leg, with Harrison subsequently dying of blood loss.

Well, that's one more unsolved mystery out of the way. Now only a million or so left to solve, right?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. A little chilly out on the patio.

Turkey Day 'Toons...!

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I figured maybe some turkey 'toons would be a good thing.







One more and we are done...



Man! I have to say that these 'toons were some real TURKEYS! Worse 'toons I ever chose, I think. I should apologize to everyone, but what do ya expect for free?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning!

40 Years With No Sleep...!

Now this next story is hard for me to get my head around...maybe because I like to nap.

I found this article over on Listverse.

Thai Ngoc

Photo credit: Oddy Central

Vietnamese farmer Thai Ngoc suffered a fever in 1973, which seemed like nothing much at first. When the fever cleared up, he had developed a bad case of insomnia. Thinking it would go away in a week, he didn’t give it much thought. Now, over 40 years later, he hasn’t slept since the night of the fever. After over 12,000 nights of no sleep, you would think he’d be dead. However, after examinations, the only thing wrong with him were minor liver problems. The only complaint from Ngoc was that he’s a little grumpy from not experiencing sleep for over three decades. He tried countless home remedies and even tried drowning himself in alcohol. Nothing seems to work. So why is his insomnia persisting for so long?

One of the explanations could be a phenomenon called “microsleep.” Micro naps occur when a part of your brain gets tired and decides to quickly take a few seconds to nap. Most everyone has probably experienced these when tired—our brain temporarily shuts off and then goes back on again. Falling asleep while driving is a good example of microsleep. This could be how Ngoc has been getting by for so long.

Now I'm just the opposite here. I get sleepy when I read, when I watch a movie, even when I watch the occasional T.V. program. Doesn't take much to get me to nod off, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Still waiting on the cold front.

Ed Gein For Freaky Friday...!

If ever a person deserved to be classified as creepy, it was Ed Gein.

I won't go into a detailed account of the many ways he acted out his madness, but this article from the History channel touches a small bit of it.

1957

Ed Gein kills final victim Bernice Worden

Infamous killer Edward Gein murders his last victim, Bernice Worden of Plainfield, Wisconsin. His grave robbing, necrophilia, and cannibalism gained national attention, and may have provided inspiration for the characters of Norman Bates in Psycho and serial killer Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

Gein was a quiet farmer who lived in rural Wisconsin with an extremely domineering mother. After she died in 1945, he began studying anatomy, and started stealing women’s corpses from local cemeteries. In 1954, Gein shot and killed saloonkeeper Mary Hogan, piled the body onto a sled, and dragged it home.

On November 16, Gein robbed Worden at the local hardware store she owned and killed her. Her son, a deputy, discovered his mother’s body and became suspicious of Gein, who was believed to be somewhat odd. When authorities searched Gein’s farmhouse, they found an unimaginably grisly scene: organs were in the refrigerator, a heart sat on the stove, and heads had been made into soup bowls. Apparently, Gein had kept various organs from his grave digging and murders as keepsakes and for decoration. He had also used human skin to upholster chairs.

Though it is believed that he killed others during this time, Gein only admitted to the murders of Worden and Hogan. In 1958, Gein was declared insane and sent to the Wisconsin State Hospital in Mendota, where he remained until his death in 1984.

I' read a lt about Gein over the years and I have to admit being completely unnerved at some of the things he did. Crazy doesn't describe the man well enough.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Cold front moving in, but right now it's nice enough.

Something Different Today...!

Instead of havcing another post filled with useless facts or figures, let's look at some videos of strange and unusual animals...OK?





How about one more...?



I hope you enjoyed the videos. Something different for a change never hurts, does it? Thanks to YouTube for making them possible.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Might rain later, but let's take a chance.

Frances Slocum For Westen Wednesday...

What compels someone to stay with people that originally treated you as a slave? Some just didn't want to leave after a while.

Although the lifestyle might have began with rough treatment, soon many of the captives came to look to the Native Americans as their adopted family. That was the case with Francis.

Frances Slocum

Photo credit: Martha Bennett Phelps

In 1835, a trader named George Ewing met an elderly woman of the Miami tribe named Maconaquah. She was in her sixties and a respected woman among the tribe, a widowed grandmother whose husband had been their chief. And so you can imagine his surprise when this old woman told him she had born to white parents.

As a child, he soon found out, Maconaquah’s name had been Frances Slocum, the daughter of a Quaker family who had been stolen away from home by Seneca warriors when she was five years old. A Miami family had bought her for a few pelts, and they’d raised her as their own.

57 years had passed since her capture. She’d grown up among the Miami, gotten married, seen her husband rise to chiefdom, given him four children, and raised them until they had children of their own.

Frances’s brothers hadn’t stopped looking for her since the day she was captured. When word got out that she was still alive, her brother Isaac met with the sister he’d lost decades ago and begged her to come home.

Frances, though, had forgotten how to speak English. Communicating through an interpreter, she told him, “I do not wish to live any better, or anywhere else, and I think the Great Spirit has permitted me to live so long because I have always lived with the Indians.”

True to her word, she stayed with her captors until the day she died—and she was buried next to the man who had been her husband.

Bottom line here is that she just flat out did not want to go anywhere. She had lived with and made her home with the Indians for so long, it was the only life she knew. Can't say I blame her.

Coffee out on the patio again this morning.

No Post Today...!

Sorry, but I'm taking today off. No post...

Why Do We Yawn...?

Today for Monday Mysteries, we have another medical question. It's about yawning...

This is one of those things that we probably don't think about too much. Not only humans do it, but so does most of the animal kingdom. And another strange thing, it seems to be contagious!

Why Do We Yawn?

Everybody yawns. It’s not even just humans who do it—most animals yawn, too. But not matter how universal yawning might be, we have absolutely no idea why we do it.

People have been trying to figure out why we yawn since the fourth century BC. Hippocrates suggested that it might be to get rid of “bad air” and take in “good air.” Today, most people think it decreases carbon dioxide and increases oxygen levels in the blood, which means the same thing but makes you sound a lot smarter.

The problem with this explanation, though, is that it doesn’t really explain why we yawn when we’re tired. The logical explanation is that it has to do with the brain, but yawning doesn’t really seem to change the oxygen levels in the brain.

So why are we doing it? Why don’t we yawn when we really need that extra oxygen? Why don’t we yawn when we exercise?It doesn’t really make any sense, and we don’t really have a clear answer yet. As it turns out, that’s the case for a lot of things. We have our theories, but the truth is that there are a lot of aspects of the universe we just don’t understand

I don't exactly know why we yawn...but I do know that a yawn is just a silent scream for coffee!

Coffee out on the warm patio again this morning!

Slightly Cool Sunday 'Toons...

Even though it really in't cold, it is a little cooler. So, being as how it is Sunday again, let's do some cartoons to pass the time.







And maybe just one more...



OK...that's enough for this morning. Go back to the funny papers now.

Coffee out on the patio again this morning!

Am I Going In Circles...?

Sometimes the seemingly easiest things are not easy at all.

For instance, why can't we walk in a straight line when blindfolded? We do OK when we can see, but cover our eyes and ...BAM! We go in circles. Worst part is, no one knows why.

Why Can’t We Walk In A Straight Line With Our Eyes Closed?

Try this: Go out to a park, put on a blindfold, and try to walk in a straight line. When you take your blindfold off, you’ll discover something strange, other than that your wallet’s now missing. No matter how careful you were, most people will end up spinning around in circles if they don’t have a clear target to walk toward, and nobody knows why.

Scientists have done multiple experiments on this effect, watching how people walk visually and even mapping out how they move with GPS. They’ve learned a few things: We know that the darker the sky is, the more people spin in circles, but we still don’t know why it happens.

There are certainly theories. Some scientists have speculated that it’s because of brain dominance, and others think it’s due to differences in the lengths of our legs—but the only thing experiments have been able to prove for sure is that every theory we’ve ever come up with is definitely wrong.

I pretty much can't walk a straight line at the best of times, even with my eyes wide open. I tend to lean a lot and bump into things. Maybe I'm just clumsy or something...who knows?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. It's chilly, but nothing we can't handle.

Surprising Good News About Coffee...!

Want to do more to help Mother Nature do her thing...like attracting bees? Furnish more coffee!

Actually, I'm referring to the coffee plant and not the finished product. I found an interesting article over on Listverse that talks about how bees are attracted to the caffeine in the coffee plant flower. I mean, who knew?

Coffee Contains Caffeine To Attract Bees

Every other coffee list on the Internet will tell you that coffee was discovered by goat herders, whose goats got a little jolly after munching on coffee berries. But why does coffee contain caffeine to begin with? Well, it’s toxic to slugs and other pests, but it turns out it also has an effect on pollinators such as bees. In fact, scientists think they get—wait for it—a buzz from the caffeine in the flowers of plants.

Scientists found that consuming caffeine helped bees to improve their long-term memories. The caffeine acts on the brain chemistry of bees in a way that makes the flowers more memorable, so the bees are more likely to return to plants of the same type. Though bees and humans are very different, some experts suggest the capacity to be affected by caffeine could be as old as the common ancestors we share, as it impacts our neurological activity on a very fundamental level.

See? Coffee drinkers and bees have more in common that you thought! How cool is that?

Coffee inside again this morning. Still a bit cool out on the patio.

A June Bug Epidemic...?

Most everyone in the South (and probably other parts as well) know what June bugs are.

Here around my house they can be seen in the Spring, climbing on the screens and generally making a pest of themselves...no pun intended. I would say that I can't remember them ever causing an epidemic, though. Here's a case where some folks thought otherwise.

The June Bug Epidemic

Photo credit: Patrick Coin

Here’s an odd one. The June bug epidemic refers to an incident in summer 1962 when a worker in a textile mill in the USA claimed to have been bitten by some sort of dangerous insect. Convinced that the latest batch of fabric that the mill had received from England was infested with creepy critters, the woman refused to go back to work. She complained of headaches, dizziness, and a painful rash. Before long, more than 50 of her colleagues were also insisting that they had been bitten by the elusive “June bug.”

Understandably, the mill was closed down for inspection, and officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta were dispatched to deal with the outbreak. But to their surprise, they could find zero evidence that such a creature even existed. The health inspectors found only two biting insects in the entire plant, neither of which could have caused the symptoms described by the workers.

Despite this dumbfounding discovery, they decided to have the mill sprayed for insects anyway. After all, there was nothing else they could do. But the most incredible part of the story is this: After the mill had been sprayed and reopened, not a single person complained of June bug bites again. Was there really something hiding in the fabric?

Something sounds a little fishy about this story, if you ask me. I've been around June bugs all my life, playing with them, picking them up and such. Never had one bite me that I know of.

Coffee in the kitchen. Kinda cool on the patio and it's misting rain.

Herman Lehmann For Western Wednesday...!

Herman was one of those children that was kidnapped by the Indians, but didn't want to leave and go back home.

He had become so much a part of his adopted tribe, he was made a warrior and minor chief. Wanting to stay with their captors was not all that uncommon. Many refused to leave, or ran away when returned to their true families. Here is Herman's story from Listverse.

Herman Lehmann

Photo credit: Alchetron

Herman Lehmann didn’t see himself as a white boy living among the Apaches. To him, he was an Apache warrior through and through. He was kidnapped at age ten, and it changed him so much that when he was found eight years later, he couldn’t even remember his own name.

By then, Lehman was a respected warrior in his tribe who called himself “En Da.” He’d been made a petty chief for his ability to fight, and he’d joined the Apaches in raids and battles, even leading a charge right into a fort full of Texas Rangers.

All that changed, though, when a medicine man killed his adoptive father, an Apache warrior named Carnoviste. Lehman took his revenge and killed the medicine man. He then had to flee into the wilderness. For a year, he lived alone, hiding from the Apaches and the white men alike, until he finally settled down in a Native American reservation.

When his mother heard there was a white-skinned, blue-eyed boy on the reservation, she came out, praying it was her son. At first, she didn’t recognize him, and Herman was less than friendly. “I was an Indian,” he explained, “and I did not like them because they were palefaces.” But Herman’s sister spotted an old scar only he could have and, overcome with joy, cried out, “It’s Herman!”

The sound of the name puzzled him. Somehow, Herman thought he’d heard it before. It took a long moment, Herman would later recall, before he realized that he was hearing his own name.

No one knows for sure what made the captors stay when given the choice...but it was their choice and should have been allowed.Just my opinion, of course.

Coffee out on the patio this morning, but you better bring a sweater!

A Very Tiny Church Chapel...!

Sometimes, out of nowhere, a simple landmark pops up that totally surprises you. That's the case with this little chapel.

The Wayside Chapel is one of those places that just grabs your attention as you drive by. Here is an article about it.

MONROE, WASHINGTON

Wayside Chapel

The tiny church offers succor to travelers driving by, but only eight at a time.

While driving by on the Stevens Pass Highway, about six miles east of Monroe, Washington, you’ll see a tiny chapel that invites any travelers on the highway to stop and take a little break—but only eight at a time.

“Pause, Rest, Worship” reads the sign outside the miniature structure, and weary travelers from any faith can enter at any time, to look around the one-room, unstaffed church or pray for a few moments before continuing on their way.

Inside, there is a pulpit, four two-person pews, and some flower vases. And that’s about it.

The charming chapel was dedicated in October 1962, when Seattle was hosting the World’s Fair. It has seen some surface changes, but remains much the same as it did then.

It is a favorite with locals, some of whom have even gotten married or renewed their vows in the tiny wayside chapel.

Cute little rest stop, don't you think? Might be just the place to stop and give yourself a bit of time to get the mind calmed down.

Coffee out on the patio this morning...OK?

Somerset Slime For Monday Mystery...!

I've posted about this stuff before, but that was way back when it was called "star jelly!"

The last time the information was old and outdated. Even this information is newer, it isn't much more helpful than what we had before.

Somerset Slime

Photo credit: AOL

Scientists were stumped by the strange jelly-like slime that appeared in a nature reserve in Somerset, England, in 2012. The bizarre substance was found in several locations. Experts were unable to explain its origin, although a few guesses were hazarded. The reserve’s spokesman, Tony Whitehead, suggested the slime might be Nostoc, a form of cyanobacteria.

Other guesses held it might be the regurgitated viscera of amphibians and their spawn. Whitehead said, in past centuries, the substance was “known variously as star jelly, astral jelly or astromyxin,” and folklore associated it with meteors. Other speculations suggested it lacked DNA, although it appeared to be alive. Experts didn’t know what to make of the slime. Visitors to the reserve were warned not to touch the substance, whatever it was.

You don't have to tell me twice to not touch the stuff...I intend to leave it alone! I don't know what it is, where it came from, and what it might do! I flashback to the movie with Steve McQueen called "The Blob", ya know?

Coffee out on the patio again today!

Sunday Means Cartoons...!

Guess maybe I should change things around a bit and not be such a creature of habit. Not today, though.

Today it will be the 'toons like usual. Don't want to disappoint anyone, ya know?







And maybe just one more...



That's all I have today. Hope you enjoyed them.

Coffee out on the patio again. I hope you set your clocks back!

Sad And Creepy Story Of Ruby...!

Dolls have been favorite playthings for many children for a long time and many have become sought after by doll collectors over the years.

However, many dolls have become the center for stories of hauntings and possession and just downright creepiness! Here is one such story about a doll named Ruby.

Ruby

Photo credit: Week in Weird

The story of Ruby is a bit more sad than creepy. It is said that Ruby was the favorite possession of a little girl a long time ago. The little girl got very sick and eventually died with Ruby in her arms.[8] Ruby was then passed on through generations of the little girl’s family, more often than not ending up in a box in a basement because of her less-than-cute appearance. Also, the family members claimed that Ruby walked around, made weird noises, and, much the same as Peggy, caused nausea and headaches.

Ruby eventually ended up in the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and the Occult, where even stranger things started happening. Almost half of all visitors to the museum started taking Ruby in their arms and rocking her and comforting her as you would do with a crying baby. When being made aware of what they were doing, the visitors would be shocked, not having realized their actions. One visitor also found a picture of Ruby on her phone after visiting the museum, and she swears she didn’t take any photos of the doll. It is believed that the little girl who died is still connected to Ruby somehow and is making her presence felt with the help of her favorite doll.

My mother was a doll maker, as you may know, and she left many dolls here when she passed. My sisters, nieces, grandkids and everyone else I could think of was allowed to take any or all of the dolls with them. Very few did, however. I still have about twenty or so dolls here, nearly all with handmade clothes. I reckon that no one plays with dolls, even with porcelain handmade ones.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Almost hot outside today!

Sweet Truth About Candy Corn...!

Since we are gearing up to enter into what I like to call the "food holidays", I figured I would post a little fact I discovered about Candy Corn.

This sweet treat has always been one of my favorites, taking second place only to chocolate. Chocolate will always be my first choice, but Candy Corn is close.

The Real Deal With Candy Corn

Photo credit: Evan-Amos/Wikimedia

Candy corn has been around since the 1880s, and it has always been one of those things that most people claim to hate. Those who do love it probably already know about National Candy Corn Day, which is October 30.

The recipe for candy corn has not changed, and it is still made with fondant, corn syrup, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and sugar. In the early days, when each kernel was handmade, the original name was “Chicken Feed,” and it was first designed to tap into rural America’s most familiar images for a treat that was available year around. Its association with autumn is no coincidence, as it was part of a group of candies (that also included candy turnips, chestnuts, and clovers) that symbolized the fall harvest.

According to the National Confectioners Association, candy corn is the favorite Halloween treat of a whopping 12 percent of the population.

That's all I have for today. Gotta go celebrate with the rest of the town, because of Houston winning something called the "World Series!" for the first time ever...!

Coffee out on the patio this morning.

Nixon Broke The Gavel...!

Who would believe that some of the original tools used in the Senate are 200 years old? I'm talking about the gavels, not the politicians!

The U.S. Senate Has Been Using the Same Ivory Gavels for Over 200 Years
They only got a second one after Nixon broke the first.

BY ERIC GRUNDHAUSER                                       OCTOBER 26, 2017

WHEN THINGS GET UNRULY IN a courtroom, the judge can grab his gavel and start hammering on the podium to get everyone’s attention and restore order. It’s not so terribly different in the United States Senate, where they’ve been using the same ivory gavels in their attempts to bring order for over 200 years.

The U.S. Senate has a number of hidden traditions (we see you, candy desk) and historic artifacts that have been in use for generations, but perhaps none symbolizes the body’s adherence to its own past more than the senate gavels. While the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives generally uses a traditional mallet-style gavel, often comically over-sized and prone to breaking, the leaders of the Senate floor have only ever used one of two hourglass-shaped mauls since the assembly began in the 1700s.

No one is quite sure of the exact origins of the first Senate gavel. “Many of the tools that the Senate uses have long been considered just that. Tools of the legislative process,” says Melinda Smith, current Curator of the United States Senate. “At the time that they were acquired, nobody ever thought that they would be such prized possessions or that there would be such intrigue to them. We haven’t yet found that golden nugget of information. We have a lot of leads, but none of them are on a record.” Smith adds that traditionally it’s believed that the original ivory gavel, or one just like it, has been used since the Senate’s first meeting in 1789.

The original gavel, which measures two-and-a-half inches tall, was used through the 19th century and well into the 20th century. According to the Senate website, the old ivory nub had begun to fall apart by the 1940s, after over a century of use. Then in 1952, the original gavel was reinforced with silver plates affixed to both ends. But even with the extra support, the gavel was in trouble.

Just two years after the silver pieces were added, it finally broke for good. It was during a late-night debate on whether or not to allow the commercial use of nuclear power. Then-Vice President Richard Nixon took hold of the gavel to call the room to order. Slamming it down, a large chunk of the ivory hammer chipped off, although the breakage likely had more to do with wear and age than any over-exuberance on Nixon’s part. “He just happened to be the person who was holding it,” says Smith. “It could have been anybody.”

In an attempt to salvage the historic gavel, the broken chunk was screwed back on, but the gavel was no longer fit for government work, and the hunt for a replacement began. According to a New York Times article from 1982, it was Nixon himself who went searching for a suitable piece of ivory that could replace the one that had broken in his hand. After a few (no doubt unruly) gavel-less months, the Vice President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, presented the assembly with a replacement ivory gavel that looked nearly identical to the original save for a decorative floral collar etched around the pinched middle. He said that he hoped it would lead to debate “with freedom from passion and prejudice.”

Let's hope that the future gavels are only used in common sense debates, and last at least as long as the originals.

Coffee out on the patio where it seems that Spring has come back with temps in the mid 80s.

"Uncle Billy" Bites The Dust...!

Some of the most memorable folks from the era of the old west were the good guys, not always the bad.

Often thought to be one of the most honest and effective lawmen around at the time, he met his end while still upholding the law.

1924

Legendary western lawman is murdered

On this day, William Tilghman is murdered by a corrupt prohibition agent who resented Tilghman’s refusal to ignore local bootlegging operations. Tilghman, one of the famous marshals who brought law and order to the Wild West, was 71 years old.

Known to both friends and enemies as “Uncle Billy,” Tilghman was one of the most honest and effective lawmen of his day. Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1854, Tilghman moved west when he was only 16 years old. Once there, he flirted with a life of crime after falling in with a crowd of disreputable young men who stole horses from Indians. After several narrow escapes with angry Indians, Tilghman decided that rustling was too dangerous and settled in Dodge City, Kansas, where he briefly served as a deputy marshal before opening a saloon. He was arrested twice for alleged train robbery and rustling, but the charges did not stick.

Despite this shaky start, Tilghman gradually built a reputation as an honest and respectable young man in Dodge City. He became the deputy sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, and later, the marshal of Dodge City. Tilghman was one of the first men into the territory when Oklahoma opened to settlement in 1889, and he became a deputy U.S. marshal for the region in 1891. In the late 19th century, lawlessness still plagued Oklahoma, and Tilghman helped restore order by capturing some of the most notorious bandits of the day.

Over the years, Tilghman earned a well-deserved reputation for treating even the worst criminals fairly and protecting the rights of the unjustly accused. Any man in Tilghman’s custody knew he was safe from angry vigilante mobs, because Tilghman had little tolerance for those who took the law into their own hands. In 1898, a wild mob lynched two young Indians who were falsely accused of raping and murdering a white woman. Tilghman arrested and secured prison terms for eight of the mob leaders and captured the real rapist-murderer.

In 1924, after serving a term as an Oklahoma state legislator, making a movie about his frontier days, and serving as the police chief of Oklahoma City, Tilghman might well have been expected to quietly retire. However, the old lawman was unable to hang up his gun, and he accepted a job as city marshal in Cromwell, Oklahoma. Tilghman was shot and killed while trying to arrest a drunken Prohibition agent.

Uncle Billy was around much longer than most in his profession. Sad ending to a good lawman.

Coffee out on the patio this morning!