The Strange Hutchison Effect...!

This effect was caused by trying to follow a Tesla experiment, so you can only imagine how things went.

Hutchison Effect

The Hutchison Effect refers to the number of eerie phenomena that occurred when inventor John Hutchison attempted to replicate a few of inventor Nikola Tesla’s experiments. Some of the strange events witnessed include levitation, fusion of objects completely different in matter (such as wood and metal), and disappearances of some smaller objects. Even stranger is that after his experiment, Hutchison was unable to repeat the project again with the same results. This experiment was so popular it even sparked the interest of NASA and the Military, both whom have failed to produce the Hutchison Effect.

I think the fact that the government was interested enough in the samples to try the experiment for themselves says a lot. I watched a documentary on this experiment some time back, and I'll admit I was fascinated by it. BTW, I found this article on Listverse.

Coffee inside again this morning!

Coincidence Or Karma...?

Sometimes some very strange things seem to happen in just a way or at such a time, we are left asking this question. Here is an article from Listverse showing what I mean.

Strange Coincidence

Not much is known about Vera Czermak. In fact, her life seems to have been defined by one incident that took place some time toward the end of the 1970s. Vera lived in Prague with her husband, but all was not well with the marriage. At some point, she learned that her husband had been unfaithful. Following what seems to be a theme in this list, she felt that suicide was the answer.

So she jumped from her third-floor balcony, but a passerby broke her fall. In effect, he saved her life at the cost of his own, dying instantly when she landed on him. Who was this man? Vera’s unfaithful husband.

I have to wonder if this lady felt any guilt at being the cause of her husband's death? Probably not.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Cold and rainy outside.

Now This Is COLD...!

There are so many strange ways being touted to relieve pain and sore joints, it's a wonder we can keep up with them all. However, this is one I sure won't be trying anytime soon.

The Big Chill

Cryotherapy is a relatively new health craze for the relief of muscle and joint pain. It’s similar to an ice bath except that participants are treated to a 2–3 minute blast of supercooled air inside a cylindrical chamber. (The head stays out.)

While the supposed health benefits are questionable, the practice came under new scrutiny after a freak accident which occurred around Halloween 2015. Chelsea Ake-Salvacion, 24, worked at the Las Vegas spa where the incident took place and decided to do a quick treatment after hours—and alone.

Although the details are unclear, it appears that she lost consciousness and was found dead—frozen completely solid—by her coworkers the next day. According to the county coroner, Chelsea died from asphyxia due to low levels of oxygen.

If it's all the same to you, I'd rather just take a couple of aspirin and lie down for a bit. Besides, I don't care for the cold!

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Temps are supposed to reach the high 60s and Sun is shining!

The Flying Fox Invasion...!

Sounds like the title of a really bad horror flick, doesn't it? Well, I guess in a way it is just that! Definitely not something I want to happen around my neighborhood.

Batemans Bay

New South Wales, Australia

Photo credit: Justin Welbergen

In May 2016, the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales was invaded by 100,000 massive bats that covered nearly every tree and surface in the area. Residents were left prisoners in their own homes because opening doors or windows would cause bats to come flying in.

The culprits were grey-headed flying foxes. They are listed as a vulnerable species, so authorities couldn’t kill them. Soon, different groups bickered about what to do. Authorities wanted to use smoke or noise to try to get the bats to leave while animal rights groups said that the townspeople needed to be patient and wait out the epidemic.

Eventually, the town received $2.5 million to help fund efforts to stop the bats. But as of June 2016, the town remains under siege.

I can only imagine what a nightmare this must have been for the folks living in this town. BTW, I got this article from Listverse.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning.

Loss Of A Friend...

Christmas Day the house across the street from mine caught on fire. It belonged to my dear friend Pat, who was 83 years of age. Here is the story about her passing, but it doesn't begin to tell the whole impact of what her passing will mean to this community.

83-year-old woman dies in Christmas morning house fire

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, or whether the elderly woman was living by herself.

Author: Brandon Scott

Published: 10:35 AM CST December 25, 2018

Updated: 6:18 PM CST December 25, 2018

HOUSTON — An 83-year-old woman is dead after a tragic Christmas morning house fire, the Houston Fire Department confirms.

It happened on Sagerock Drive in southeast Houston around 7:30 a.m.

Firefighters had pulled the woman from the home, where she had been found unconscious at the bottom of the stairs near the kitchen.

An off-duty fire captain was also at the scene trying to help.

She was taken to a hospital, where she died around 8:30 a.m.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, or whether the elderly woman was living by herself.

I know Pat liked to cook and the fire appears to have started in the rear of the house where the kitchen was located. Right now that is only speculation, though. Truly a sad thing to happen on what is supposed to be a day of joy. That's the reason that we should try and live our life as though each day was going to be our last. You just never know when tragedy will strike.

Coffee inside this morning, where I have some home baked cookies to share.

MERRY CHRISTMAS...!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone !

Hot chocolate and coffee in the kitchen!!

Vitrified Forts Mystery...!

Here is something special for Monday Mystery, one provided by nature...or so some folks think.

Vitrified Forts

In 1777, a man named John Williams, who was one of the earliest British geologists, described the phenomenon of vitrified forts. Vitrified forts are the name given to a type of crude stone enclosure or wall that shows signs of being subjected to intense heat. The structures have baffled geologists for centuries because people can’t figure out how the rocks were fused together. There is currently no accepted method for the vitrification of large scale objects. “The temperatures required to vitrify the entire fort structures are equal to those found in an atomic bomb detonation.” Hundreds of vitrified fort structures have been found across Europe and 80 such examples exist in Scotland. Some of the most remarkable include Dun Mac Sniachan, Benderloch, Ord Hill, Dun Creich, Castle Point, and Barra Hill.

The forts range in age from the Neolithic to Roman period. The structures are extremely broad and present the appearance of large embankments. The process used to develop the walls is thought to have involved extreme heat and many structures show signs of fire damage. However, vitrification is usually achieved by rapidly cooling a substance. It occurs when bonding between elementary particles becomes higher than a certain threshold. Thermal fluctuations break the bonds, therefore, the lower the temperature, the higher the degree of connectivity. The process of vitrification made headlines in 2012 when scientists used it to preserve organs and tissues at very low temperatures.

Many historians have argued that vitrified forts were subjected to carefully maintained fires to ensure they were hot enough to turn the rock to glass. In order to do this, the temperatures would have been maintained between 1050 and 1235°C, which would have been extremely difficult to do. It is also uncertain why people would have exposed the structures to such intense heat because when rock is superheated, the solid becomes significantly weaker and brittle. Some scientists have theorized that the vitrified forts were created by massive plasma events (solar flares). A plasma event occurs when ionized gas in the atmosphere takes the form of gigantic electrical outbursts, which can melt and vitrify rocks. During solar storms, the Sun is known to occasionally throw off massive spurts of plasma. As of 2012, vitrified forts remain one of the strangest anomalies on Earth.

Just one more secret being kept from us by Mother Nature, although we really don't need to know. Just enjoy them as a landmark, I would say!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning!

He Caught Himself...!

You know that someone is a great detective when he catches himself committing a crime, even if he doesn't remember it. Not only that, he then turned himself over to the law. How about that?

The Police Detective Who Was So Good He Caught Himself

Samuel Reason | December 21st, 2018

One day Chief Inspector Robert Ledru put his socks on and they were pretty damp which was strange, but he had no time to worry about such trivial things! He had just arrived in Le Havre to work on a new case, had gone to sleep early with his revolver under his pillow. Ledru was in Le Havre as he was tracking down the mysterious disappearance of seamen around this coastal area, but upon arriving at the local police station he was asked if he could change his focus: there had been a brutal murder during the night.

The victim Andre Monet was on holiday, had been visiting the beach. His body had been found at dawn on the beach with a bullet that had gone straight through. The search was on to find the missing bullet and figure out which weapon had taken the man’s life. Ledru was intrigued there appeared to be no motive or interest for killing this man. In fact, there was very little to go on at all and the local police did not have a suspect.

Ledru went to investigate the crime and walked all the beach, in hopes of finding some clues. He found the set of footprints that must have been made by the murderer and ordered that casts be made. He was troubled, the footprints looked eerily familiar. With the casts in hand, he went back to the beach and realized with terror that it was his own footprints.

Once the bullet had been found, shot from a German pistol – like his own Ludger, it only confirmed his fears: he was the killer. He immediately turned himself into the authorities, Ledru was a decorated detective and had played a part in putting numerous criminals behind bars. At first, his superiors could not believe his story: killing someone while sleeping. But they locked Ledru up and kept a pistol in his cell loaded with blanks, low and behold a few weeks later, he rose in his sleep and tried to shoot the guards.

Confirming that the detective was indeed a sleepwalking killer.

Sounds to me as though the detective was almost too honest for his own good. Wonder how many folks today would do the same thing?


Coffee out n the patio this morning. Temps are going up to 75! Can you believe it?

Now This Is Harsh...!

I think that we are all aware that Mother Nature can be harsh at times, but here is a case where she almost outdoes herself.

The female praying mantis has been known to bite the head off her partner during sex – and the male praying mantis has been known to keep right on mating with her, despite having just been decapitated in a violent sex act. Source

I realize the urge to reproduce is very strong, but after all...it's still pretty harsh!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning...OK?

Carrier Pigeon Monument...!

As sad as war can be, it is often even sadder when animals are used as weapons or are placed deliberately in harms way during fighting. Some of the most celebrated of these animals were the famous Carrier Pigeons.

Monument to Carrier Pigeons

This statue honors the thousands of Allied avians that served and died for France during World War I.

In 1936, the Fédération Nationale des Sociétés Colombophiles erected this monument in honor of the 20,000 pigeons who served and died during the Great War. It also commemorates the pigeon fanciers who were executed at the hands of enemy forces for their involvement.

During World War I, the birds swooped through the skies as part of their missions to transmit key intelligence information. Forces on both sides of the war attempted to control these skybound messengers. In German-occupied territories, civilians were ordered to shoot pigeons to reduce the presence of any Allied avians.

One of the most famous French carrier pigeons who served during the Great War was a bird named Valiant. Though he had been badly injured and gassed, he managed to deliver a message from the ill-fated French troops at the Battle of Verdun before later perishing in his dovecot.

Later technological advances eventually rendered the battle-bound birds largely obsolete. However, France’s Nord department still retains its strong pigeon fancier heritage, as professionals and amateurs alike still participate in training the birds.

Like it or not, the truth is that animals have been used for weapons of war for as long as mankind has been fighting amongst ourselves. Sad but true...

Pinkertons Hired The First Female Detective...!

When it came to the Old West, not many names struck fear into the bad guys more than the group known as the Pinkertons. They were the first detective agency of their kind and made many advancements in their field. Here is just one such advancement.

They hired the nation’s first female detective.

In 1856, 23-year-old widow Kate Warne walked into Pinkerton’s Chicago office and requested a job as a detective. Allan Pinkerton was hesitant to hire a female investigator, but he gave in after Warne convinced him that she could “worm out secrets in many places to which it was impossible for male detectives to gain access.” True to her word, Warne proved to be an expert at working undercover, once busting a thief by cozying up to his wife and convincing her to reveal the location of the loot. During another case, she got a suspect to feed her crucial information by disguising herself as a fortune-teller. Pinkerton would later list Warne as one of the best investigators he ever hired. Following her death in 1868, he even had her buried in his family plot.

Sounds to me as though the first female Pinkerton was well thought of and effective. Not bad for a woman of her time, that's for sure.

Coffee out on the patio again this morning.

Some Very Old Toys...!

We tend to think that toy cars and the like are a fairly new invention, but you might be surprised to learn that they can be from long ago...like from 5000 years ago! Does that surprise you? It did me!

The First Toy Car

Photo credit: archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com

A cache of 5,000-year-old children’s toys was unearthed at one of the world’s oldest settlements. It includes the world’s earliest toy “car”—an earthen, four-wheeled chariot.

Researchers discovered the toy carriage inside a complex of tombs in the city of Sogmatar, Turkey, then a necropolis and religious center dedicated to the Moon god, Sin. One of the tombs, likely a child’s grave, featured the wheeled toy and a rattle with a bird motif.

Like the chariot, the rattle is the oldest of its kind. Few could afford such sophisticated toys, so they were probably made for the children of kings or other Bronze Age hotshots.

The good thing about the modern version of these toys is that they are probably a lot more durable than the others. Most are probably cheap enough and common enough that you don't have to be a King's kid or hotshot to afford them.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Temps are supposed to be in the 70s.

Saltman Mummy For Monday Mystery...!

This one isn't really much of a mystery, but more an interesting find. Still, I feel that it's interesting enough for us to be talking about, ya know?

The Salt Men

Photo credit: Nasser-sadeghi

A functioning salt mine in Northwestern Iran has produced six naturally preserved mummies. Chehrabad Salt Mine’s “salt men” range in date from 539 BC to AD 640. Their beards, hair, and even clothing are often nearly perfectly preserved. In some cases, stomachs, colons, and last meals are intact.

The most recent discovery was made in 2007. Experts have identified this mummy as a Roman-era miner killed by falling rocks or an earthquake. The first five salt men discovered were given to scientists for research. However, the newly discovered mummy will remain underground. There is concern about the Iranian government’s lack of equipment and facilities to help preserve the salt man.

A Stanford folklorist believes the salt men might be connected with satyr legends. Their protruding jaws, snub noses, and hair bear uncanny resemblance to depictions of satyrs in ancient accounts, including St. Jerome’s tale of a satyr head on display in Antioch.

I think that finds like this serve as a reminder that the old days were not as safe as we may think sometimes. Mining in those times and even today could be detrimental to your health.

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning. Just in case, ya know?

Want Ketchup With That...?

How often do we forget that many of the foods we take for granted actually started out as something completely different. Some of the foods we eat regularly, we probably would not even recognize in other places. Take ketchup for instance.

Early Versions Did Not Use Tomatoes

Though ketchup today uses tomato as a base, early versions did not. They were made from anchovies, shallots, oysters, lemons, or walnuts.

Perhaps you find walnut ketchup a tough nut to swallow or find shallots and oysters too fishy. Other people from long ago shared similar thoughts, so back then, mushrooms were the most popular type. A typical mushroom-based recipe is found in Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1861. Beeton’s mushroom ketchup calls for a peck of mushrooms, salt, pepper, mace, allspice, and a few drops of brandy.

Don’t want to coat your meals with a condiment made from fungi? Try the Philippines version; it uses bananas, so this ketchup tastes sweeter. If you find the thought of brown or yellow ketchup too strange to stomach, don’t worry. Out of deference to tradition, most products on the market are dyed red.

If ketchup made from bananas doesn’t give you a warm and fuzzy feeling either, there are other fruit or vegetable versions. Try plum, pear, sweet mustard, cranberry, carrot, mango, apple, or horseradish ketchup, for starters.

I found this interesting article over at Listverse, where they have more stories about this wonderful stuff!

Coffee inside the kitchen again today.

Severed Hands For Freaky Friday...!

I know quite a lot of folks out there collect all sorts of things, but I admit that this is a new one on me. I think you'll agree that this article from Listverse is a perfect tale for Freaky Friday.

The Pits Of Severed Hands

Photo credit: Live Science

In a Hyksos palace in Avaris, Egypt, an archaeologist found four places where pits had been dug and filled with severed hands. There were 16 in all, chopped off of their victims before being brought to a palace and buried underground. Every hand was from a different person.

The biggest pit was right in front of the throne room, dug in a place where the hands would be closest to the king. They had been buried there 3,600 years ago when the palace was ruled by King Khayan. It seems he liked to keep a collection of his enemies’ severed hands.

The discovery wasn’t entirely a surprise. Archaeologists had already found pictures across the area that showed soldiers trading the severed hands of their enemies for a package of gold. This, it seems, was how bounties were collected by the Hyksos. The king would reward these killers with gold—and he would keep the hands in his own home.

I may have some strange things around my house, but severed hands certainly isn't one of them...at least, not the last time I looked.

Coffee or hot chocolate in the kitchen this morning!

The Humble Office Chair...!

Today's article may come as a surprise to you. I know it did to me as well. I knew nothing about the history of the typical type of chair that I spend so much of my day sitting on. I found this article over at EasternGraphics.

Office Chair Evolution

Charles Darwin’s Office Chair. Image Source: mcaleers.com

Close your eyes and image you’re Charles Darwin – okay, okay we know that’s a bit of a stretch, but bear with us. You’ve traveled all around the world: observing, learning and collecting. At some point you have to sit down and examine what you’ve found. With specimens laid out across your study, you’re constantly getting up and sitting down, walking from one specimen to the other.

Exhausting, huh? Charles Darwin – being the problem solver that he was – decided to nip the problem in the bud. To help move more quickly without needing to get up and down, Darwin fastened wheels to one of his armchairs, essentially creating the first “office chair” of its kind. We may think of Darwin as the father of evolution, but look back at how your office chair has evolved over time, and you’ll find Darwin at the front of the line.

So, how exactly has our office chair evolved over time? We don’t often think much about it, but the ergonomics, mechanisms and styles have continued to change throughout time. And it’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way from Darwin’s make-shift, portable lounge chair!

No matter who gets the credit for coming up with it...I sure appreciate it! I spend a great deal orf time in mine and boy, is it comfortable.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning Chocolate Chip cookies are available.

Sam Bass For Western Wednesday...!

Sometimes we might wonder just what caused the bad guys of the Old West to become bad in the first place. Often the truth is easy to answer...being law abiding can be a lot of work!

Sam Bass

Sam Bass started out an honest man. He had a simple and modest dream of moving to Texas and becoming a cowboy. Eventually he did just that, but decided after one season he didn’t like it. While transitioning from simple farmer to famed outlaw might be a stretch for some, Bass did it seamlessly. He began robbing banks and stagecoaches, and became rather proficient at it. After his 7th stagecoach robbery, Bass and his gang turned their sights on bigger prizes and decided to rob trains. They eventually robbed the Union Pacific gold train from San Francisco, netting over $60,000, which is to this day the largest single robbery of the Union Pacific. He was wounded by Texas Rangers on the way to rob a small bank in Round Rock, and died two days later on his 27th birthday.

I got this information from a site called Thechive. You might want to check it out!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Biscuits and honey anyone...?

Your Face Tells It All...!

Ever wonder just how some folks can tell when you are telling a fib, or trying to hide an emotion? There is a very good reason...you are telling on yourself in living color! Here is the story from Listverse!

Humans Change Color

Photo credit: The Telegraph

In 2018, researchers proved that idioms such as “green with envy” were not just prose. Depending on the emotion, human faces really do change color. This chameleon habit, which is linked to blood flow, is very subtle. Most of the time, hues are so light that other people only subconsciously pick up on the person’s true emotions.

The affected areas curve around the eyebrows, cheeks, chin, and nose. With the help of a computer program and an understanding of how humans see color, scientists revealed facial rainbows for the first time.

Disgust bloomed as a blue-yellow shadow around the mouth and colored the forehead and the nose with red-green. Happiness infused the cheeks and temples with red but tinted the chin blue. Strangely, “surprise” was close to “happiness,” with a redder forehead and a chin with less blue.

Looking at pictures of a neutral face, volunteers were mostly able to pick the right emotion when its colors were superimposed on the image. Other pictures showed the wrong shades for an expression—for example, happy colors on an angry face. But the volunteers instinctively felt that something was wrong, although they could not say what.

Probably a good thing to work on improving now that the holidays are almost here. You don't want your true feelings to show too much when your better half gives you that ugly hand made sweater...right?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Lemon creme cookies are handy!

Dead Squid For Monday Mysteries...!

Mother Nature works in Her own mysterious way, and some of these mysteries don't seem likely to ever be solved...at least by human research. I guess that's the way it is supposed to be.

Jumbo Squid

In January 2005, thousands of Jumbo squid beached beached themselves on California shores. Very little is known about these squid, as they live at depths of up to 2,300 feet (700m), making it much harder for scientists to ascertain why they would suddenly engage in a mass suicide. Toxic poisoning is one theory, although if the water had been contaminated, more than squid alone should have been affected, and if it was something they ate, it is unlikely that so many would have been involved. A similar event occurred in San Diego in 2002, with toxins being the leading (but unconfirmed) suspect in that case too.

Like I say, maybe we just aren't supposed to know why these types of things happen. I reckon that some things are best left alone, ya know?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Chilly outside...

Don't Mess With The "Hairy Frog"...!

Most of us know better than to mess with Mother Nature. However, for those that insist on learning the hard way, here is one critter you don't want to mess with.

Frog Defense Hack

Photo credit: Gustavocarra

The Trichobatrachus robustus (aka the “hairy frog” due to the hairlike fibers found on the male’s skin) has the gross ability to break its own bones to fight off prey. When under attack, these frogs will quickly contract their muscles, snap the bones in their hind feet, and push the bones out of their skin to create protruding claws.

Due to the formation of collagen in the frog’s toe bones, it is possible for these creatures to break the tips of their toes and not their whole legs. This strange form of defense allows the hairy frogs to both fight off and completely terrify their prey.

It can be used against humans, too. In Cameroon, the frogs are hunted for food by the indigenous people. To avoid getting hurt by these froggy weapons, the hunters have to use long spears to catch these creatures.

I don't think I'll be hunting any "hairy frogs" any time soon. No need to tell me twice!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning!

Wonderful Doctor's Tool...!

Most of us have been to the doctor at least once, some of us have been there more times than that...I know that I have! I often wondered where the stethoscope came from. Here is the story of it's beginning from the folks over at KnowledgeNuts.

The Strange Story Behind the Invention of the Stethoscope

BY ADMIN | OCT 16, 2018

How The Idea for the Stethoscope Was Cultivated

During the Autumn months of 1816, Laennec was scheduled to examine a young woman who had been laboring with heart disease symptoms. Unfortunately, Laennec was running late that day and so he took a shortcut through a courtyard at the Louvre and saw a group of children playing. According to PBS, the children were playing with a narrow wooden beam which one child held up to their ear while another tapped nails against it to transmit the sound through the beam. Although we are unsure of whether this event directly contributed to his invention, Laennec did mention that his invention was inspired by the science of acoustics and in particular how sound is conveyed through solid bodies.

When Laennec finally reached his patient, rather than using the percussion and auscultation techniques to listen to her chest, he asked for a piece of paper. He rolled it up into a cylinder, placed it against the patient’s chest, and was amazed at how well he could hear the action of the heart. According to Laennec, the heart sounds were much more clear and distinct than he had ever been able to hear with the application of his ear to the chest. Upon being amazed at what he could hear, Laennec began experimenting with a series of hollow tubes made out of cedar and ebony wood. Between the years of 1816 and 1819, Laennec would experiment continuously until he arrived at a model that was about one foot in length and 1.5 inches in diameter with a 1/4-inch central channel.

The invention of the stethoscope allowed Rene Laennec to become the first physician to reliably distinguish between lung abscesses, bronchiectasis, emphysema, hemorrhagic pleurisy, pneumothorax, and pulmonary infarcts. He was also able to describe their associated heart sounds and murmurs, widening the understanding between these cardiac maladies. Although the stethoscope went through some major changes to weight, acoustic quality, and design, the basic principle has remained the same since its inception and is now a widely accepted and essential diagnostic tool.

As I said, I got this information from the folks at KnowedgeNuts. You can reads the rest of the story there if you wish.

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning, as the rain is coming back.

A Crime Fighting Gorilla...!

Here in Houston and in other places as well, home invasions are an everyday occurance. It happens in other countries as well, but in some cases the ending is not what you might expect. Here is the story from Knowledgenuts.

The Crime-Fighting Gorilla Named Max

BY M.ADMIN | AUG 31, 2013

In 1997, an armed robber named Isaac Mofokeng was trying to escape police when he ran into the Johannesburg Zoo. While fleeing, he unwittingly jumped into the gorilla enclosure. Max, a 418-pound male gorilla was resting inside, along with his mate, Lisa. Fearing for her life, Max attacked Mofokeng, who shot him twice—once in the shoulder and once in the neck. Unfazed, he grabbed the robber, knocked the gun from his hands, and pinned him against a wall, biting and thrashing Mofokeng.

Police arrived shortly after and tried to free Mofokeng, who was in danger of being killed. Two of the policemen were attacked by Max as well. (He bit one of them on the buttocks to keep anyone from feeling left out.) Authorities subdued the gorilla and took him to a local hospital, where they removed the bullet from his neck (but left the bullet in his should because they felt it would be too dangerous to operate on). After making a full recovery, Max became a national icon for those fed up with the incredibly high crime rates in South Africa.

He was given an honorary bulletproof vest, which was a few sizes too small, by the local police and became a spokes-gorilla for crime prevention and awareness. He was hugely popular at the Johannesburg Zoo, where he lived the rest of his life, until he died peacefully in his sleep in 2004. (Mofokeng ended up being sentenced to 40 years in prison, as he was a lifetime criminal.)

In my opinion the criminal got off easy. Certainly deserved everything he was given by the gorilla.Gotta protect the wife and the homestead, right?

Coffee in the kitchen once again this morning!

Another Woman Of The Wild West...!

Back in the days of the untamed and wild west, women had to learn to be tough and resourceful to survive. That certainly was the case for this next article from Listverse.

Lottie Deno-lottie-deno

Photo credit: gamblingherald.com

Born: Carlotta J. Thompkins
Lived: April 21, 1844–February 9, 1934
Areas: Texas, New Mexico

Born Carlotta J. Thompkins, this wild woman was so skilled at poker that she was eventually given the name “Deno,” which was a shortened version of dinero (“money”). Unlike many women who made names for themselves living on the edge of the law during this time, Carlotta was from a wealthy family and from parents who gave her ample care and affection.

She learned to play cards by spending time with her father, a successful gambler and horse breeder. After he was killed in the Civil War, Lottie began her own career at the poker table.

She quickly added fugitive-companion to her resume when she fell in love with Frank Thurmond, also a professional gambler. He was accused of murder, and the two of them went on the lam, happily using poker to support their lifestyle.

The pair ended up in Fort Griffin, a quintessential cowboy town, and became friends with Doc Holliday. Fearful of being caught, Lottie and Frank hid their relationship until they were married years later. In Fort Griffin, Lottie’s fame grew as a poker player who was not to be challenged. She became the subject of songs, paintings, novels, and numerous short stories.

Lottie and Frank were a couple with their eyes on the big picture. They eventually married in 1880, used their savings to invest in a number of legit businesses, and settled in New Mexico. There, they became leaders in their community. Their later life found Frank as the vice president of a bank and Lottie as the cofounder of a hospital.

Well, I reckon that a person can change...especially given enough time and money. Nice to know they became useful members of their community.

Coffee in the kitchen again today. Sorry about that!

Raining Spiders...!

This post is pretty weird if you go by the title, but scary if it were to happen to my neighborhood. I think I have said before that I don't care for spiders, so I sure don't want to be in a place where it's raining the little buggers!

Spider Rain In Goulburn, Australia

Photo credit: Red Flag News

In 2015, the residents of Goulburn, Australia, experienced a mysterious phenomenon that had them wondering if they were being invaded by spiders. It actually rained spiders. Overnight, many areas of the city got covered in webs and millions of baby spiders. Thankfully, the spiders were harmless.

The mystery didn’t last long, though. Martyn Robinson, a naturalist from the Australian Museum, immediately gave a scientific explanation. According to him, the residents of Goulburn had experienced ballooning, a dispersal technique that spiders use to migrate.

This special ability to harness wind and a streamer of silk is the reason why all continents, even Antarctica, have spiders. However, due to the extreme temperatures of the Frozen Continent, the spiders that end up there eventually die.

I got this article from the scary folks over at Bustle.com. Great stuff to study there.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Winter has come back.

Iron Pillar On Monday Mystery...!

Nature certainly withholds many a mystery from us for a very long time, and that's a fact. Truth is we are only now starting to understand some of these mysteries.

Iron Pillar of Delhi

Iron, the king of metal, is used for just about everything from the skeleton of your house to the chains on your bike. Unfortunately, iron can never escape its destiny to slowly transform into rust – with the exception of this phenomenal structure: meet the Iron Pillar of Delhi! Standing in at 7 meters tall and weighing more than six tons, this iron giant has managed to defeat corrosion for over 1600 years! But how can something that is 98 percent iron withstand decaying for over a millennia? Scientists have found the answer to that question, but how ancient ironsmiths discovered the fact so long before us still amazes archeologists today.

I found this little mystery over on Atlas Obscura. Plenty more mysteries there, in case you want to study on them.

Coffee outside one more day before Winter sets back in.

The Baboon Train Worker...!

Now you may think that doing railroad work is a job that only can be done by humans, but Jack proved to be a very talented helper for his co-worker and friend, Jumper Wide. Here is the story from Listverse.

Jack

Disqualified as a non-ape, Jack was a capable baboon from South Africa, who worked as the personal assistant to a Cape railroad employee named Jumper Wide, who had lost both his legs in a train accident. Working at the station, Jack initially helped with the day-to-day mobility of the crippled Wide, but was subsequently trained by Wide to operate the trains’ switches, essentially to perform all of the duties of a hired, human signalman.

Understandably, many arriving at the station were amazed to see a baboon at the controls, and one woman fainted at the sight. The situation was investigated by the governmental authority, and Jack proved to be extremely proficient and reliable at his post, and was allowed to keep the job. He was even given an employee number and compensation.

The story of Jumper Wide and Jack is a tender tale of human-animal friendship, and Wide was deeply grief-stricken when Jack succumbed to tuberculosis and died, in 1890. Jack’s skull remains on display at the Albany Museum at Rhodes University near Port Elizabeth.

I wonder why we don't try and encourage more teams of workers like this anymore? Seems to be a fairly sensible pairing to me, but then what do I know?

Coffee outside again this morning, where the temps on the patio are going to be around the mid 70s.