Smuggling Silkworms...!

Often in ancient times, monopolies were held by certain countries in the growing and trading of many things, such as spices. One of the monopolies was, of all things, silkworms. Here is the story from Listverse.

Monks Smuggled Silkworms Across Asia In Hollowed-Out Walking Canes

Before the sixth century, the production and trading of silk was controlled by two monopolies. One was held by China, who possessed the only way of breeding the silkworms necessary to manufacture the silk. The other was held by Persia, who controlled the only trade route that passed through Asia to Europe.

In A.D. 552, two monks volunteered to travel to China and smuggle back silkworm eggs and larvae to Justinian I, the Byzantine Emperor. However, as silkworms are extremely fragile creatures which needed to be kept at a constant low temperature, the monks had to smuggle the silkworms back inside hollowed-out walking canes which also allowed them to escape with the creatures unhindered. Additionally, in order to feed the silkworms, the monks also had to carry potted mulberry shrubs with them, which they would have had to water with their own drinking water if required.

This adventure took two years, after which the Byzantines were able to create production bases around the country, which broke the previously lucrative monopolies of China and Persia.

It seems to me that if someone has a monopoly on a product, be it nutmeg or silkworms, there will always be folks who will find a way to smuggle the product out and break the monopoly. It may not be fair, but not much about business monopolies ever is.

Coffee out on the patio again this morning!

Donnie Decker For Monday Mysteries...!

Sometimes in this life, there are such strange things that happen around us we just can't explain! Such is the case with little Donnie Decker.

Donnie Decker

Dubbed the Rain Boy in 1983, Donnie Decker was visiting his friend’s house when he abruptly went into a trance-like state. Immediately after, the ceiling began to drip water and a mist filled the room. His friends immediately called on the landlord who was alarmed by what he was seeing. Some time later, Donnie was at a restaurant with other companions when rain started pouring down their heads. The restaurant owner immediately forced him out. Years later, due to a petty crime, Donnie was put into jail where he caused chaos when rain started to pour down in his cell. After angry inmates complained, Donnie explained that he could make it rain when he wanted to, and proved his point by dumping rain on the jailor on duty. Eventually, he was released from jail and found a job as a cook at a local restaurant. His present whereabouts is unknown – as is the cause of the mysterious rain.

There are so many things in this ol' world that we will likely never know the truth about. Maybe we should stop looking for the answers and just enjoy the mystery, ya reckon?

Coffee out on the patio once again. Our fickle February weather has turned back to Spring!

Sunday's Food For Thought...!

Here are some things for us to ponder this morning. I figured you and I could use them, ya know?







Now just one more, I think.



I reckon the last one is my personal favorite!

Coffee inside one more time. How about some fresh gingerbread?

Irony Of The Fiery Star...

Certain events in maritime history can only be classified as irony, or maybe just Karma. You decide...

Fiery Star

Photo via Wikimedia

The name Fiery Star is irony at its best, considering that the ship met its end in a fury of fire. Having left Brisbane for London, the Fiery Star sailed for nearly two weeks without incident until April 20, 1865, when it inexplicably caught fire roughly 640 kilometers (400 mi) from land. Seeing that flames were quickly gaining ground, 80 passengers—including the captain—took to the four lifeboats onboard. Regrettably, 17 passengers remained on the burning ship, as there was no room for them on the boats.

As the captain and 79 others sailed away, those left behind controlled the flames for 22 days until it was apparent that their efforts were futile. In what would have been the crew’s final hours on Earth, the Dauntless appeared in the distance and ultimately rescued all 17 onboard. Hours later, the Fiery Star sank to the bottom of the ocean. As for the 80 passengers who were thought to have escaped death in the lifeboats weeks earlier, they were never heard from again.

Like I said, maybe irony was the right word in this case. It would have been a well earned case of Karma otherwise, don't you think?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Cooler weather moving back end, but I have some fresh peach pie to share!

The Many Faces Of Listerine...

Some well known products got started as something totally different than intended. Take Listerine for instance.

Listerine

Listerine is a well-known mouthwash brand, but it didn’t begin life as such. Listerine was originally a surgical disinfectant. It was made by the Johnson brothers, who were looking for a way to make surgeries safer and were inspired by English surgeon Sir Joseph Lister. In 1879, they came up with an antiseptic liquid which they called Listerine after Sir Lister. Listerine was advertised and sold as a surgical disinfectant that could also be used to treat wounds, dandruff, athlete’s foot, and even insect bites. In one instance, it was even sold as a deodorant.

The Johnson brothers later teamed up with pharmacist Jordan Wheat Lambert and began selling Listerine to dentists for use as an oral antiseptic. Lambert’s children are responsible for making Listerine into the mouthwash we know today after they asked the company’s chemist to tell them all the things Listerine could be used for. The chemist included bad breath (also called halitosis), and the company began advertising it as such.

I reckon that somethings are worth more than they appear at first. From medicine to mouthwash, Listerine has had a long and colorful run so far. More power to them!

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

Smart Phone Zombies...!

It's hard to believe that so many people just turn off their common sense when it comes to having a smart phone glued to your face. Simple things like walking can become dangerous if you don't pay attention to whats going on around you.

Dutch Pavement Lights

Photo credit: theverge.com

In February 2016, a Dutch town announced the introduction of pavement lights at pedestrian crossings to guide “smartphone zombies” safely across. The lights have been installed on a trial basis in Bodegraven at a busy intersection near a school.

The light strips are designed to be seen by people who have their eyes glued to devices. The colors correspond to traffic signals—green for go, red for stop. Town council member Kees Oskam revealed that smartphone distraction has come “at the expense of attention to traffic.” Something needed to be done.

VVN, a Dutch traffic safety group, thinks that installing these lights “rewards bad behavior.” Spokesman Jose de Jong warned, “People must always look around them to check if cars are actually stopping at the red signals.”

The company that developed the “smartphone zombie” lights hopes that a successful trial run in Bodegraven will bring in new orders. With similar lights being introduced elsewhere, this is likely.

I'd like to say that I'm surprised at the steps being taken to protect folks from themselves, but this type of behaviour seems to be world wide. Like the old saying goes..."you can't fix stupid!"

Coffee out on the patio again. Please...no "smart phone zombies", OK?

Billy Brooks For Western Wednesday...!

Often in the old west, it wasn't unusual to find an outlaw or gunfighter switching sides and becoming a lawman. However, Mr. Brooks got it backwards. Here is his story.

Billy Brooks

Gunfighters were a unique Western frontier product and a breed of their own—neither outlaw nor lawman but often either or both during their lifetime. This photo of Billy Brooks depicts a typical gunfighter of the 1870s, and he fit the mold: he was a lawman in Newton and Ellsworth, Kansas, a gunfighter in Dodge City—before any of those towns became “cowtowns”—and he died at the end of a rope in 1874 as a horse thief. This photo was probably taken circa 1872.

Guess moving from lawman to gunfighter to horse thief wasn't such a good career move. Brooks should have stopped while he was ahead!

Coffee back out on the patio, where the temps are going back to the 80s.