You know how sometimes you start thinking that you might be a tad crazy? Well, here is an article that might help to stop that line of thinking.
When you’re thinking to yourself by silently talking or arguing in your head, it’s actually accompanied by tiny muscular movements in your larynx.
So any time you’re mentally talking to yourself, your body is also physically talking a little bit without your knowing it.
See? makes perfect sense to me actually!
Coffee out on the patio while the morning is still cool.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Monday, July 29, 2019
A National Archives Mystery...!
When we think of a place lke the National Archives, we would think that security would be considered an important feature, right? Not so, evidently. Many objects of historical importance have gone missing and some, not all, have even been found. From Listverse, here is a case of some of those missing items.
The National Archives store some of history’s most prized and rarest documents. Security is tight in the most important anthropological storehouses in the world, yet this hasn’t stopped thieves from making off with some of its priceless pieces.
The patent papers that describe in detail Wilbur and Orville Wright’s concept for a flying machine were lifted by an unknown crook without anyone noticing. Not until 2003 did anyone discover that it was missing, and since then, no one has been able to apprehend the culprit.
Thefts at the Archives have become so common that an armed task force has been assigned to track down the missing pieces. The photos taken by astronauts during the Moon landing have been recovered, as have the audio tapes from the Hindenburg crash. But until someone tries to auction off hand-drawn airplane sketches from the early 1900s, we may never know where the patent papers took off to.
It seems to me that a place where so many of our important pieces from history are stored would certainly have more security in place, but evidently the PTB don't place as much importance on these pieces as you would think. That's a shame, really. Don't you agree?
Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Rain chances are good again today!
The Wright Brothers’ Patent
The National Archives store some of history’s most prized and rarest documents. Security is tight in the most important anthropological storehouses in the world, yet this hasn’t stopped thieves from making off with some of its priceless pieces.
The patent papers that describe in detail Wilbur and Orville Wright’s concept for a flying machine were lifted by an unknown crook without anyone noticing. Not until 2003 did anyone discover that it was missing, and since then, no one has been able to apprehend the culprit.
Thefts at the Archives have become so common that an armed task force has been assigned to track down the missing pieces. The photos taken by astronauts during the Moon landing have been recovered, as have the audio tapes from the Hindenburg crash. But until someone tries to auction off hand-drawn airplane sketches from the early 1900s, we may never know where the patent papers took off to.
It seems to me that a place where so many of our important pieces from history are stored would certainly have more security in place, but evidently the PTB don't place as much importance on these pieces as you would think. That's a shame, really. Don't you agree?
Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Rain chances are good again today!
Friday, July 26, 2019
Now This Is Damn Scary...!
I haven't had a snake crawl up my sewer pipe, but I have had a 'possum in my john before. I did a post about it, I think. That was bad enough, believe me!
Humans are at our most vulnerable when we are on the toilet. No sooner do you sit down than the telephone rings, the door buzzer goes off, or a snake bites you on the bottom.
Yes, there are places where it is common to find a snake in your toilet. In Australia, one woman spooked a carpet python in her toilet and got several puncture marks on her buttocks.
That snake may have slithered into the toilet to avoid a heat wave, but there are many cases of snakes emerging from sewers via people’s toilets. Often, they are following rats that have also used the loo as an escape route into people’s homes. When the snake gets into the toilet, it may find it a congenial place to rest—until someone takes a seat.
Don’t think it is just the dangerous proverbial Land Down Under where you might get bitten on your down-under. Reports of snakes in toilets have been made everywhere from Texas to Seattle and South Africa to Southend in the UK. Maybe check under the seat the next time you feel the call of nature.
Guess that in some cases, the toilet is like a favorite snake hang-out similar to the local swimming hole so often visited by young people today. With this weather, I can't say I really blame them, ya know?
Coffee out on the patio this morning, before the hot comes back.
Snakes
Photo credit: menshealth.com
Humans are at our most vulnerable when we are on the toilet. No sooner do you sit down than the telephone rings, the door buzzer goes off, or a snake bites you on the bottom.
Yes, there are places where it is common to find a snake in your toilet. In Australia, one woman spooked a carpet python in her toilet and got several puncture marks on her buttocks.
That snake may have slithered into the toilet to avoid a heat wave, but there are many cases of snakes emerging from sewers via people’s toilets. Often, they are following rats that have also used the loo as an escape route into people’s homes. When the snake gets into the toilet, it may find it a congenial place to rest—until someone takes a seat.
Don’t think it is just the dangerous proverbial Land Down Under where you might get bitten on your down-under. Reports of snakes in toilets have been made everywhere from Texas to Seattle and South Africa to Southend in the UK. Maybe check under the seat the next time you feel the call of nature.
Guess that in some cases, the toilet is like a favorite snake hang-out similar to the local swimming hole so often visited by young people today. With this weather, I can't say I really blame them, ya know?
Coffee out on the patio this morning, before the hot comes back.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
I Want One Of These...!
Can you imagine having a plant growing in your flowerbed that smells like chocolate? I can, and I want one! It says that they grow in Texas, but I've never seen one.
Berlandiera lyrata, also known as the chocolate flower, chocolate daisy, and green-eye lyre leaf, is a blooming perennial that grows to 1–2 feet. This daisy-like flower has yellow petals that surround a deep red center. When the petals are plucked, the delicious smell of chocolate is released.
The chocolatey aroma is also present in the leaves and branches of the plant. The chocolate flower grows in dry, rocky soil in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and central Mexico. The sweet-smelling plant is most pungent on warm days and blooms year-round.
Just imagine having coffee out on the patio with the smell of chocolate floating all around you. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Coffee out on the patio while the morning is still cool enough to be enjoyable.
The Chocolate Flower Smells Like (You Guessed It) Chocolate
Photo credit: Wikimedia
Berlandiera lyrata, also known as the chocolate flower, chocolate daisy, and green-eye lyre leaf, is a blooming perennial that grows to 1–2 feet. This daisy-like flower has yellow petals that surround a deep red center. When the petals are plucked, the delicious smell of chocolate is released.
The chocolatey aroma is also present in the leaves and branches of the plant. The chocolate flower grows in dry, rocky soil in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and central Mexico. The sweet-smelling plant is most pungent on warm days and blooms year-round.
Just imagine having coffee out on the patio with the smell of chocolate floating all around you. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Coffee out on the patio while the morning is still cool enough to be enjoyable.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
A Dangerous Picnic Spot...!
On the best of days, war isn't pleasant. Certainly it shouldn't be considered a spectator sport, one would think. However, here is a report of what happened when a picnic atmosphere turned deadly for folks wanting to see some carnage and destruction.
At the beginning of the US Civil War, the first major battle took place near Centerville, Virginia. The expected outcome was an easy victory for the Union Army and a rapid defeat—and quick end to the war—for the Confederates.
The certainty of this was so believed that a good number of civilians turned out with sandwiches and opera glasses to watch the Civil War begin and end before their eyes. Some of their number even included Senators and Congressmen.
Instead of an easy victory for the Union, the Confederate Army ultimately broke the Union lines and forced many soldiers to flee—right into the picnic. Civilian picnickers and soldiers alike ran from the battle together. Senator Henry Wilson even passed out sandwiches to the fleeing Union soldiers.
This was not a good day to have a picnic close to a battlefield, I would think. Not a good idea at any time, so it would seem.
Coffee inside once again this morning!
A Picnic
Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
At the beginning of the US Civil War, the first major battle took place near Centerville, Virginia. The expected outcome was an easy victory for the Union Army and a rapid defeat—and quick end to the war—for the Confederates.
The certainty of this was so believed that a good number of civilians turned out with sandwiches and opera glasses to watch the Civil War begin and end before their eyes. Some of their number even included Senators and Congressmen.
Instead of an easy victory for the Union, the Confederate Army ultimately broke the Union lines and forced many soldiers to flee—right into the picnic. Civilian picnickers and soldiers alike ran from the battle together. Senator Henry Wilson even passed out sandwiches to the fleeing Union soldiers.
This was not a good day to have a picnic close to a battlefield, I would think. Not a good idea at any time, so it would seem.
Coffee inside once again this morning!
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Strange Tiny Skeleton...!
I'm sure that most of you have seen pictures of this skeleton before somewhere on the Web, but here is a brief explanation on where it actually came from and the history (probable) behind it.
In a case somewhat reversed, a small humanoid body was found in 2003. Its weird looks made many dismiss the creature outright as fake. The skeleton was found buried in a bag behind a church in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Several features made it appear impossible to be anything other than a hoax or, for the believers, a tiny alien. It was barely 15 centimeters (6 in) tall with a cone-shaped skull and a rather mean expression, 10 pairs of ribs (humans have 12 pairs), and the bone structure of a six-year-old child.
In 2018, a battery of genetic tests revealed something remarkable. The naturally mummified body was human. Moreover, it was a little girl. She had the typical DNA of the region, which was a mix of European and Native American.
Nicknamed “Ata,” the analysis showed that she had a host of genetic mutations that had deformed her bones and caused dwarfism. Ata probably died after birth and is officially the smallest baby ever born. Unique as she is, perhaps the most surprising thing is that Ata’s parents could still be alive. Her skeleton is an estimated 40 years old.
Sad to think that the skeleton was actually that of a human child, but even sadder that the parents had to suffer the loss of one so young. If the parents are indeed alive, they have been suffering for a long time now.
Coffee inside once again. Still expecting rain...
The Hand-Sized Skeleton
Photo credit: The Telegraph
In a case somewhat reversed, a small humanoid body was found in 2003. Its weird looks made many dismiss the creature outright as fake. The skeleton was found buried in a bag behind a church in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Several features made it appear impossible to be anything other than a hoax or, for the believers, a tiny alien. It was barely 15 centimeters (6 in) tall with a cone-shaped skull and a rather mean expression, 10 pairs of ribs (humans have 12 pairs), and the bone structure of a six-year-old child.
In 2018, a battery of genetic tests revealed something remarkable. The naturally mummified body was human. Moreover, it was a little girl. She had the typical DNA of the region, which was a mix of European and Native American.
Nicknamed “Ata,” the analysis showed that she had a host of genetic mutations that had deformed her bones and caused dwarfism. Ata probably died after birth and is officially the smallest baby ever born. Unique as she is, perhaps the most surprising thing is that Ata’s parents could still be alive. Her skeleton is an estimated 40 years old.
Sad to think that the skeleton was actually that of a human child, but even sadder that the parents had to suffer the loss of one so young. If the parents are indeed alive, they have been suffering for a long time now.
Coffee inside once again. Still expecting rain...
Monday, July 22, 2019
NEW !! Science Can Be Dangerous...!
No one can imagine that just being good at what you do as a scientist could lead to your murder, right? Not so, it seems. Everything points to a suspicious death in this case reported by Listverse.
When Dr. Don Wiley’s dead body was dragged from the Mississippi River on December 20, 2001, his death was ruled a homicide by both Arkansas and Tennessee police forces. The biophysics expert was last seen over a month earlier on November 15. His seemingly abandoned rental car was found the following day on a bridge in Tennessee. The FBI soon became involved in the case, and they declared his death accidental, stating that he had fallen from the bridge shortly after exiting his vehicle.
Suspicions remained for some, however. Firstly, the bridge in question had a 2-meter (6.5 ft) fence on its sides, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to “fall over.” His death also came in the wake of the Anthrax postings in the United States, with many stating that Dr. Wiley was one of the few people who would have been able to accurately trace exactly where the deadly substance had originated.
First of all, how in the world does someone "accidentally" fall over a fence that is 6.5 feet tall? That alone seems a bit strange to me. As much as I hate to say it, this whole thing just reeks of some kind of cover-up. Call me crazy, but that's the way I see it...sorry!
Just the thing to mark my return to blogging, right? Still don't know if I'm gonna do this everyday or not, but we will see what happens, I reckon. OK? OK!
Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's supposed to rain later, but you know how that goes, don't ya?
Dr. Don Wiley
Photo credit: The Harvard Gazzette
When Dr. Don Wiley’s dead body was dragged from the Mississippi River on December 20, 2001, his death was ruled a homicide by both Arkansas and Tennessee police forces. The biophysics expert was last seen over a month earlier on November 15. His seemingly abandoned rental car was found the following day on a bridge in Tennessee. The FBI soon became involved in the case, and they declared his death accidental, stating that he had fallen from the bridge shortly after exiting his vehicle.
Suspicions remained for some, however. Firstly, the bridge in question had a 2-meter (6.5 ft) fence on its sides, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to “fall over.” His death also came in the wake of the Anthrax postings in the United States, with many stating that Dr. Wiley was one of the few people who would have been able to accurately trace exactly where the deadly substance had originated.
First of all, how in the world does someone "accidentally" fall over a fence that is 6.5 feet tall? That alone seems a bit strange to me. As much as I hate to say it, this whole thing just reeks of some kind of cover-up. Call me crazy, but that's the way I see it...sorry!
Just the thing to mark my return to blogging, right? Still don't know if I'm gonna do this everyday or not, but we will see what happens, I reckon. OK? OK!
Coffee in the kitchen this morning. It's supposed to rain later, but you know how that goes, don't ya?
Monday, July 8, 2019
Missing Man For Monday Mystery...!
We haven't had a good old fashioned missing person case on here for quite some time. Here is one that is pretty much unique from Listverse.
On September 3, 1873, a man named James Worson had accepted a challenge to race, in record time, from the town of Leamington to the town of Coventry, a 20-mile trek. He had been boasting of his foot skills and then was asked to prove them, so, with sporting good spirits, he set about to do just that. Two friends, Hammerson Burns and Barham Wise, followed behind in a horse-drawn gig. Burns brought along his camera. Worson was never out of their sight, and would often turn around while running to exchange some friendly words with the two riders. Running in the middle of the road, Worson suddenly appeared to stumble and pitch forward, having time enough for only one short, piercing scream. Wise later said, “It was the most ghastly sound ether of us had ever heard.” But as Worson pitched forward with that terrible cry, instead of falling to the ground as he appeared to be about to have done, he completely and totally vanished in mid-fall, before ever striking the ground. The road itself told the story and Wise took the pictures to prove it. There, in the soft dirt, were Worson’s footprints.They led down the middle of the road, looked as if the runner stumbled, and there they disappeared. A search was called and the locals scoured the area for James. The bloodhounds used in the search were strangely reluctant to approach the spot where Worson disappeared. He was never seen or heard from again.
Pretty strange, don't you think?
Speaking of missing people, I am going to be missing from posting for a few days. I don't know for sure just how long, but I wanted to let everyone know so no one would worry. I will continue to post if I can, but may have to miss a few days, so don't be alarmed...OK?
James Worson
On September 3, 1873, a man named James Worson had accepted a challenge to race, in record time, from the town of Leamington to the town of Coventry, a 20-mile trek. He had been boasting of his foot skills and then was asked to prove them, so, with sporting good spirits, he set about to do just that. Two friends, Hammerson Burns and Barham Wise, followed behind in a horse-drawn gig. Burns brought along his camera. Worson was never out of their sight, and would often turn around while running to exchange some friendly words with the two riders. Running in the middle of the road, Worson suddenly appeared to stumble and pitch forward, having time enough for only one short, piercing scream. Wise later said, “It was the most ghastly sound ether of us had ever heard.” But as Worson pitched forward with that terrible cry, instead of falling to the ground as he appeared to be about to have done, he completely and totally vanished in mid-fall, before ever striking the ground. The road itself told the story and Wise took the pictures to prove it. There, in the soft dirt, were Worson’s footprints.They led down the middle of the road, looked as if the runner stumbled, and there they disappeared. A search was called and the locals scoured the area for James. The bloodhounds used in the search were strangely reluctant to approach the spot where Worson disappeared. He was never seen or heard from again.
Pretty strange, don't you think?
Speaking of missing people, I am going to be missing from posting for a few days. I don't know for sure just how long, but I wanted to let everyone know so no one would worry. I will continue to post if I can, but may have to miss a few days, so don't be alarmed...OK?
Friday, July 5, 2019
How About Some Laughs...?
Something a little different today and we all need it, I think.
Coffee out on the patio this morning!
Coffee out on the patio this morning!
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
A Bad Frontierswoman...!
Lest we forget that women played a very important part in our early history of the Old West, let's remember Delia Haskett Rawson. From Listverse here is her story.
The old west wouldn't be the same without women like her, I reckon.
Coffee in the kitchen again today!
Delia Haskett Rawson
Stagecoach driving was a tough business back in the 1800s, but that didn’t stop Delia Haskett Rawson from entering the profession at just 14 years old. It was a feat that made her the first and likely youngest female to carry the mail in the state of California. She continued to blaze the trail for nine years between 1876 and 1885.
Delia’s father, Samuel W. Haskett, owned a stagecoach line, which provided her with the opportunity to take the reigns. When it came to horses, Delia had natural talent. In addition to driving the stagecoach, Delia participated in horse races, rodeo events, and beauty pageants, winning awards in all three. She later went on to be a mine owner, an oil baroness, and the only woman to be accepted into the California Pioneer Stage Drivers Association when it was formed in 1934.
The old west wouldn't be the same without women like her, I reckon.
Coffee in the kitchen again today!
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Strange Blue-Eyed Rascal...!
Here is something that you might find interesting. From Listverse, this is an article about a few blue eyed coyotes .
Coyotes look at the world with golden brown eyes. For this reason, it came as a shock when five coyotes in California turned up with piercing blue eyes. When the photographic evidence was shown to experts of eye color in wildlife, nobody had seen anything like it. Two of the animals trotted around in Point Reyes while the rest lived in Santa Cruz and Sacramento.
In wild animals, eye color remains consistent. This drastic change is still unsolved, but at least researchers have ruled out interbreeding with dogs. Domestic dogs sometimes have blue eyes, and they do have puppies with coyotes. However, these crossbreeds have distinctive faces and coat colors but never blue eyes.
A genetic mutation is more likely. The suspicion is that a single coyote was born with blue eyes a few generations ago and the California five could be this animal’s descendants.
Nature is sure filled with wonders, don't you think?
Coffee inside this morning. Rain is coming back. Gingersnaps anyone?
Blue-Eyed Coyotes
Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
Coyotes look at the world with golden brown eyes. For this reason, it came as a shock when five coyotes in California turned up with piercing blue eyes. When the photographic evidence was shown to experts of eye color in wildlife, nobody had seen anything like it. Two of the animals trotted around in Point Reyes while the rest lived in Santa Cruz and Sacramento.
In wild animals, eye color remains consistent. This drastic change is still unsolved, but at least researchers have ruled out interbreeding with dogs. Domestic dogs sometimes have blue eyes, and they do have puppies with coyotes. However, these crossbreeds have distinctive faces and coat colors but never blue eyes.
A genetic mutation is more likely. The suspicion is that a single coyote was born with blue eyes a few generations ago and the California five could be this animal’s descendants.
Nature is sure filled with wonders, don't you think?
Coffee inside this morning. Rain is coming back. Gingersnaps anyone?
Monday, July 1, 2019
Still Unsolved...!
Sometimes we just can't find a way to solve a crime, even using all of the modern tools we have today. Here is one such story from Listverse.
In 1957, an unidentified Caucasian male, probable age 4 to 6 years, whose nude body, wrapped in a cheap flannel blanket, was found lying face up inside a large cardboard carton just a few feet from the edge of Susquehanna Road in Northeast Philadelphia. The body was dry and clean. The boy’s arms were carefully folded across his stomach. The finger and toenails had been recently trimmed short and neat. His hair had been cut recently – very close to the head, in a crude, hurried way, perhaps as a deliberate attempt to conceal the child’s identity. Small clumps of cut hair clung to his entire body, suggesting that someone had groomed him while he was unclothed, probably either shortly before or immediately after death. There were many bruises all over the child’s body; particularly on the head and face. All of the bruises appeared to have been inflicted at the same time. Despite recent DNA investigations in to the crime, it remains unsolved.
Seems to me that many clues were there to at least find out the identity of the poor victim.
Coffee out on the patio this morning!
The Boy in the Box
Seems to me that many clues were there to at least find out the identity of the poor victim.
Coffee out on the patio this morning!