Alan’s Finds 2013
Welcome back, Alan, for another year!
Editor’s note: Alan just
happens to be a retired Navy Chief – and yes – they ARE quite unique in all the
world! DebV
Updated 08/25/13
The
Legends Of Kilroy
– You’ve got to love history!
Honda Hands – Very entertaining video!
A few years ago a
group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago .. They had
assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday
night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these
salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.
Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to
reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding...
ALL BUT ONE!!! He
paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a
twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.
He told his buddies
to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when
they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.
Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal
floor.
He was glad he did.
The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running
down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her
spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to
care for her plight.
The salesman knelt
on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and
helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had
become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had
finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please
take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her
tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too
badly."
As the salesman
started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him,
"Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.
She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in
mid-stride .... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am
nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have
bumped into your display in the first place.
"The girl
gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather
the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who
will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."
Then slowly he made
his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about
in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"
Do people mistake
you for Jesus?
That's our destiny,
is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as
we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know
Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply
quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life
unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of
His eye even though you, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He
was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full
for our damaged fruit.
Please share this,
{IF you feel led to do so}.
Sometimes we just
take things for granted, when we really need to be sharing what we
know....Thanks.
"Being happy
doesn't mean everything is perfect.
It means you've
decided to see beyond the imperfections."
The nicest place to
be is in someone's thoughts,
the safest place to
be is in someone's prayers,
and the very best
place to be is ........
in the hands of God
It's interesting that
there is no Nevada mentioned.
HOPE YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING....I DID.
STATES AND WHAT THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR (DID YOU EVER IMAGINE)
ALABAMA ..... Was the first state to have 9-1-1, started 1968.
ALASKA ........ One out of every 64 people has a pilot's license.
ARIZONA... Is the only state in the continental U.S. that does not follow
Daylight Savings Time.
ARKANSAS ....... Has the only active diamond mine in the U.S.
CALIFORNIA ..... Its economy is so large that if it were a country, it would
rank seventh in the entire world.
COLORADO ..... In 1976 it became the only state to turn down the Olympics.
CONNECTICUT ...... The Frisbee was invented here at Yale University
DELAWARE .....Has more scientists and engineers than any other state.
FLORIDA ...... At 874.3 square miles, Jacksonville is the largest city in the
U.S.
GEORGIA..... It was here, in 1886, that pharmacist John Pemberton made the
first vat of Coca-Cola....interesting!
HAWAII.... Hawaiians live, on average, five years longer than residents of any
other state.
IDAHO ....TV was invented in Rigby, Idaho, in 1922.
ILLINOIS ..... Has a Governor in jail, one pending jail, and is the most
corrupt state in the union!
INDIANA .....Home to Santa Claus, Indiana, which gets a half million letters
for Santa every year.
IOWA .... Winnebago R.V.s get their name from Winnebago County ... Also, it is
the only state name that begins with 2 vowels.
KANSAS ....Liberal, Kansas has an exact replica of the house in "The
Wizard of Oz".
KENTUCKY ..... Has more than $6 billion in gold underneath Fort Knox.
LOUISIANA ........ Has parishes instead of counties because they were
originally Spanish church units.
MAINE ......It is so large that it covers as many square miles as the other
five New England states combined.
MARYLAND .......The Ouija board was created in Baltimore in 1892....... Bet you
didn't know that!
MASSACHUSETTS ....... The Fig Newton is named after Newton, Massachusetts.
MICHIGAN ....... Fremont, home to Gerber, is the baby food capital of the
world.
MINNESOTA ....Bloomington's Mall of America is so big, that if you spent 10
minutes in each store, you'd be there almost four days.
MISSISSIPPI ......President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear here...
that's how the teddy bear got its name.
MISSOURI .....Is the birthplace of the ice cream cone.
MONTANA ........ A sapphire from Montana is in the Crown Jewels of England .
NEBRASKA ....More triplets are born here than in any other state.
NEW HAMPSHIRE ... Birthplace of Tupperware, invented in 1938 by Earl Tupper.
NEW JERSEY ......Has the most shopping malls in one area in the world.
NEW MEXICO ..... Smokey the Bear was rescued from a 1950 forest fire here.
NEW YORK ....... Is home to the nation's oldest cattle ranch, started in 1747
in Montauk ......Surprised?
NORTH CAROLINA .....Home of the first Krispy Kreme doughnut.
NORTH DAKOTA ..... Rigby, North Dakota, is the exact geographic center of North
America.
OHIO ......The hot dog was invented here in 1900.
OKLAHOMA...The grounds of the state capital are covered by operating oil wells.
OREGON ......Has the most ghost towns in the country.
PENNSYLVANIA ......The smiley : ) was first used in 1980 by computer scientists
at Carnegie Mellon University.
RHODE ISLAND ......... The nation's oldest bar, the White Horse Tavern, opened
here in 1673.
SOUTH CAROLINA ....Sumter County is home to the world's largest gingko farm.
SOUTH DAKOTA .... Is the only state that's never had an earthquake.
TENNESSEE ...Nashville 's Grand Ole Opry is the longest running live radio show
in the world.
TEXAS .....Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. The hamburger was invented
in Arlington in 1906.
UTAH ......The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened here in 1952.
VERMONT .....Montpelier is the only state capital without a McDonald's.
VIRGINIA ........ Home of the world's largest office building, The Pentagon.
WASHINGTON ....... Seattle has twice as many college graduates as any other
state.
WASHINGTON D.C. .... Is the first planned capital in the world.
WEST VIRGINIA ..... Had the world's first brick paved street, Summers Street,
laid in Charleston in 1870.
WISCONSIN ..... The ice cream sundae was invented here in 1881 to get around
Blue Laws prohibiting ice cream from being sold on Sunday. Also the American Water Spaniel was created
there and is the state dog.
WYOMING ......... Was the first state to allow women to vote.
I hope you enjoyed this. I found it interesting!!
Saw my first Hillary For President bumper sticker today…
It Wasn't About Trayvon
– the absolute facts of the matter. Bob
Lonsberry
What a Car Show!
– Very good video about the annual car show in Minnesota – hint: the cars are
great!!!
Matchbox
Fleet – Interesting - 79-year-old Phil Warren from the UK spent 62 years to build this
incredible fleet of 432 ships. All vessels are built entirely of matchsticks
and boxes of wooden matches. The collection includes nearly 370 American and 60
British ships.
Septic Truck
Signs – Funny!
This Is So Great
– Do yourself a favor and watch this quick little video! This is how they handle auctions in Italy I guess.
Something to ponder:
· The United States is 3rd in murders
throughout the world.
· But if you take out Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC and New Orleans, the
United States is 4th from the bottom for murders.
· These 4 cities also have the toughest gun control laws in the United States.
· Does this tell you anything?
Original Song of GOD bless America
Do you remember Kate Smith?
Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best
singer of her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard
her sing "God Bless America" on the radio, they all pretended to have
dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two.
Here are the facts...
The link at the bottom will take you to a video
showing the very first public singing of "GOD BLESS AMERICA".
But before you watch it, you should also know the story behind the first public
showing of the song.
The time was 1940. America was still in a
terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid
we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most
Americans.
This was the era just before TV, when radio
shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings,
listening to their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was
bigger than Kate Smith.
Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say,
and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, "It ain't
over till the fat lady sings". Kate Smith might not have made it big in the
age of TV, but with her voice coming over the radio, she was the biggest star
of her time.
Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to
see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had
hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something
to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American song-writer, Irving Berlin
(who also wrote "White Christmas") and asked him to write a song that
would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she
described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her.
He went to his files and found a song that he
had written, but never published, 22 years before - way back in 1917. He gave
it to and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving
Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both
agreed they would not take any profits from God Bless America. Any profits
would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have
received millions of dollars in royalties from this song.
This video starts out with Kate Smith coming
into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the
new song for the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple
verses, with her voice in the background still singing, scenes are shown from
the 1940 movie, "You're In The Army Now." At the 4:20 mark of
the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a
paper; it's Ronald Reagan.
To this day, God Bless America stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry..... and for many generations of Americans to follow. Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you'll enjoy it and treasure it even more.
Many people don't know there's a lead in to the
song since it usually starts with "God Bless America....." So here's
the entire song as originally sung.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnQDW-NMaRs
From a Marine Corps
Colonel in Afghanistan......"So with all the kindness I can muster,
I give this one piece of advice to the next pop star who is asked to sing the
national anthem at a sporting event: save the vocal gymnastics and the physical
gyrations for your concerts. Just sing this song the way you were taught
to sing it in kindergarten - straight up, no styling. Sing it with the
constant awareness that there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines
watching you from bases and outposts all over the world. Don't make
them cringe with your self-centered ego gratification. Sing it as if you
are standing before a row of 86-year-old WWII vets wearing their Purple Hearts,
Silver Stars and flag pins on their cardigans and you want them to be proud of
you for honoring them and the country they love - not because you want them to
think you are a superstar musician. They could see that from your
costume, makeup and your entourage. Sing 'The Star Spangled Banner' with
the courtesy and humility that tells the audience that it is about America, not
you. And please remember, not everything has to be sung as a Black gospel
spiritual. We're getting a little weary of that. Francis Scott Key
does not need any help."
Video by Scott
McKinley Productions, Produced for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for Ad campaign.
Licensed music by Kenny G.. This short video won Grand Prize - Best of Show at
International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula Montana! The majority was shot
on location in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and The
National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Click
Int'l Wildlife
THINK BEFORE YOU
DONATE
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
BEFORE YOU MAKE CONTRIBUTION
As you open your
pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep the
following facts in mind:
----------------------------
|
The
American Red Cross salary
for the year was $651,957 plus expenses |
MARCH
OF DIMES only
a dime for every 1 dollar is given to the needy. |
The
United Way receives
a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits. |
UNICEF $1,200,000
per year (100k permonth) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE. Less
than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause. |
GOODWILL You
donate to his business and then he sells the items for PROFIT. |
Instead, give it to
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
GO "GREEN"
AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:
|
The
Salvation Army $13,000
per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96
percent of donated dollars go to the cause. |
The
American Legion |
The
Veterans of Foreign Wars Your
donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
The
Disabled American Veterans |
The
Military Order of Purple Hearts |
|
The
Vietnam Veterans Association Your
donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth! |
Make
a Wish:For children's last wishes. 100%
goes to funding trips or special wishes for a dying child. |
St.
Jude Research Hospital 100%
goes towards funding and helping Children with Cancer who have no insurance
and can not afford to pay. |
Ronald
McDonald Houses All
monies go to running the houses for parents who have critical Children in the
hospital. 100%
goes to housing, and feeding the families. |
Lions
Club International 100%
OF DONATIONS GO TO HELP THE BLIND,BUY HEARING AIDES, SUPPORT MEDICAL MISSIONS
AROUND THE WORLD. THEIR LATEST UNDERTAKING IS
MEASLES VACCINATIONS (ONLY $1.00 PER SHOT). |
Please share this with everyone you can.
These photos are
truly very interesting ... we've probably not ever thought of these events ...
or at least not in a long time!
<http://i.imgur.com/YLQskw8.jpg> The Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln in 1861
<http://i.imgur.com/fYNtUlp.jpg> Hippo cart in 1924. The hippo belonged to a
circus and apparently enjoyed pulling the cart as a trick
<http://i.imgur.com/O5I9Rni.jpg> Charlie Chaplin in 1916 at the age of 27
<http://i.imgur.com/w2DPJtO.jpg> Suntan vending machine, 1949
<http://i.imgur.com/9r51Ajq.jpg> Annie Edison Taylor (1838-1921), the first
person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She did it in 1901
because she needed money, and after doing it said she wouldn't recommend it to
anyone!
<http://i.imgur.com/xF25Dcq.jpg> Only known authenticated photo of Billy the
Kid, ca. 1879
<http://i.imgur.com/pO5sofA.jpg> Sharing bananas with a goat during the
Battle of Saipan, ca. 1944
<http://i.imgur.com/eEqQzmm.jpg> Jesse James, approximately 16 years old
<http://i.imgur.com/m54a5n9.jpg> Advertisement for Atabrine, an anti-malaria
drug. Sign was put up at the 363rd station hospital in Papua, New Guinea during
WWII
<http://i.imgur.com/EapWqzl.jpg> How could parents ensure that their children
were getting sunlight and fresh air when living in apartment buildings? The
baby cage, ca. 1937
<http://i.imgur.com/cd2j0Iq.jpg> Hotel owner pouring acid in the water when
black people swam in his pool, ca. 1964
<http://i.imgur.com/qAjiMuf.jpg> Bookstore ruined by an air raid, London 1940
<http://i.imgur.com/TUCTkQN.jpg> Unknown soldier in Vietnam, 1965
<http://i.imgur.com/nfDavPE.jpg> Little girl comforting her doll in the ruins
of her bomb damaged home, London, 1940
<http://i.imgur.com/2jKswih.jpg> Animals being used as a part of medical
therapy in 1956
<http://i.imgur.com/sqZ3iXP.jpg> Artificial legs, United Kingdom, ca. 1890
<http://i.imgur.com/1tyynx6.jpg> 1920's lifeguard
<http://i.imgur.com/HeatUgz.jpg> 1928 fashion show at the beach
<http://i.imgur.com/9ErZn4S.jpg> Former slave showing whipping scars
<http://i.imgur.com/OOa6hYD.jpg> Measuring bathing suits in the early 1920s.
If they were too short, the women would be fined
<http://i.imgur.com/gBYsGWf.jpg> A space chimp poses for the camera after a
successful mission to space in 1961
<http://i.imgur.com/OhcCF3B.jpg> Testing new bulletproof vests, 1923
<http://i.imgur.com/yHO2FtW.jpg> A mom and her son watch the mushroom cloud
after an atomic test 75 miles away, Las Vegas, 1953
<http://i.imgur.com/lka74m0.jpg> Walter Yeo, one of the first people to
undergo advanced plastic surgery. His eyelids were damaged in World War I, and
he got a skin transplant to replace them.
<http://i.imgur.com/3VPSyJL.jpg> Illegal alcohol being poured out during
Prohibition, Detroit 1929
<http://i.imgur.com/i1DBQPH.jpg> Austrian boy receives new shoes during WWII
<http://i.imgur.com/r4Beb0v.jpg> The Ford Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated
<http://i.imgur.com/uzADvMK.jpg> Children eating their Christmas dinner
during the Great Depression: turnips and cabbage
<http://i.imgur.com/hdDdNhV.jpg> Annette Kellerman promoted women's right to
wear a fitted one-piece bathing suit, 1907… She was arrested for indecency.
<http://i.imgur.com/pNZ7Tf5.jpg> Princeton students after a freshman vs.
sophomores snowball fight in 1893
<http://i.imgur.com/dbCQ1iv.jpg> Construction of the Manhattan Bridge, 1908
<http://i.imgur.com/2vFOZCb.jpg> Martin Luther King Jr. with his son by his
side removing a burnt cross from his front yard, 1960
<http://i.imgur.com/rblEQ2H.jpg> The original Ronald clown of McDonald's in 1963
<http://i.imgur.com/gx6Ytjm.jpg> Apollo I crew members rehearsing their water
landing in 1966
<http://i.imgur.com/aGqBeOo.jpg> President Richard Nixon trying to use
chopsticks while visiting China in 1972
<http://i.imgur.com/6qQ6xB7.jpg> Construction of the Berlin wall, 1961
<http://i.imgur.com/g3y5sSn.jpg> Hitler's officers and cadets celebrating
Christmas, 1941
<http://i.imgur.com/MTpAYcp.jpg> Abraham Lincoln's hearse, 1865
<http://i.imgur.com/cW4X9Bk.jpg>
Frozen Niagara Falls, 1911
<http://i.imgur.com/huEAPey.jpg> Last prisoners of Alcatraz leaving, 1963
<http://i.imgur.com/gY5r2VE.jpg> A penniless mother hides her face in shame
after putting her children up for sale, Chicago, 1948
<http://i.imgur.com/7G8mAES.jpg> Putting on a crinoline (skirt support), 1855
<http://i.imgur.com/zYiWtc1.jpg> Recovering bodies after the Titanic
disaster, April 1912
. <http://i.imgur.com/tz5ATzY.jpg> A most beautiful suicide - 23 year old
Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from an observation deck (83rd floor) of the
Empire State Building, May 1, 1947. She
landed on a United Nations limousine…
<http://i.imgur.com/Ef4XpWN.jpg> The real Winnie the Pooh and Christopher
Robin, ca. 1927
<http://i.imgur.com/MRsebDJ.jpg> Melted and damaged mannequins after a fire
at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum in London, 1930
<http://i.imgur.com/XpPOHrT.jpg> New York City fire station, ca. 1912
<http://i.imgur.com/oAVGYXa.jpg> Operation Babylift: Vietnamese orphans
transported by airplanes to America in 1975
<http://i.imgur.com/aqyPaQ0.jpg> Polish children examined by German officers
to see if they qualify as Aryan, and would be allowed to live
<http://i.imgur.com/OazRRQo.jpg> Santa Claus in New York, ca. 1900
<http://i.imgur.com/bBquDyX.jpg> Smallpox victim, New York, 1881
<http://i.imgur.com/EWqeLvn.jpg> 5:00 P.M., September 3rd, 1967 Sweden
changed from driving on the left side to driving on the right - this was the
result
<http://i.imgur.com/zKPJMxY.jpg> Unpacking the Head of the Statue of Liberty
delivered June 17, 1885
Amazing
Fish Trick
– This is really amazing!
Virtual
Wall
- This really is an amazing web site.
Someone spent a lot of time and effort to create it. I hope that everyone who receives this appreciates what those who
served in Vietnam sacrificed for our country.
Those who remember that time frame, or perhaps lost friends or family
can look them up on this site for the bios of these heroes.
Early aircraft's throttles had a ball on the
end of it, in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all
the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence "Balls
to the wall" for going very fast. And now you know, the rest of the
story.
Here’s one other trivia story:
During WWII, U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets, which they would
shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into
the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27
feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets.
Often times, the pilots would return from their
missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They
would say, “I gave them the whole nine yards,” meaning they used up all of
their ammunition. And now you know the origin of the term.
HISTORICAL TRIVIA
Did you know the saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise" was in
reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the
late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south,
Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. In
his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise."
Because he capitalized the word "Creek" it is deduced that he was
referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of
water.
*********************************
In George Washington's days, there were no
cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George
Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while
others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not
based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be
painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the
buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.'
(Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)
******************************
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took
baths only twice a year (May and October). Women kept their hair covered, while
men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men
could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean
them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake
it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term
'big wig. ' Today we often use the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because someone
appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
*********************************
In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a
large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from
the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in
the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest,
who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To
sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one
sitting in
the chair the 'chair
man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman
of the Board.'
*********************************
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement..
As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The
women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their
complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare
at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the
woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition,
when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the
expression 'losing face.'
*********************************
Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the
front. A proper and dignified woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied
lace.
*********************************
Common entertainment included playing cards.
However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only
applicable to the 'Ace of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax, people would
purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people
were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full
deck.'
********************************
Early politicians required feedback from the
public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no
telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns,
pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some Ale and
listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were
dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The
two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion
and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'
**********************************
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank
from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on
the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and
remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence
the phrase 'minding your 'P's and Q's'.
**********************************
One more:
Bet you didn't know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships
and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon
balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a
square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine,
which rested on
sixteen. Thus, a
supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the
cannon. There was only one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from
sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called
a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of
iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting
problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that brass
contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped
too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs
would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to
freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you thought that was an
improper expression, didn't you.)
"Guam's War Dog Cemetery"
It's been fixed up a lot since I was stationed
there in the early 60's.
Note: This memorial statue was dedicated 21
July 1994. A sign that things are not
being forgotten as one always hears.
Memorial Day (formerly Decoration Day) has been a day of remembrance
since the Civil War. This year the designated "Day Of Remembrance"
is
Monday, 27 MAY 2013, it may be that we all have
people to remember and be grateful to for their gifts to us for our
future.
Things
You Don't See Very Often
– Great pictures!
The
Africa You've Never Seen
– Interesting!
Never Wash Your Hands – Short video of amazing artist.
A true story about 19 marines killed on an
island (defending against the Japanese). They had to retreat, so asked the
islanders to please bury them for us. Years later, they checked and found a man
who had been a teenager then and remembered where they were buried. They sent a
C130 and an honor guard over there and found all 19 had been buried with their
helmets on, their rifles in their hands, in perfect condition. The islanders
had really done a wonderful job.
As they were loading the bodies, a voice from
out of nowhere started singing The Marine Hymn"..........gave everyone
goose bumps. Turns out, the voice was from a man who spoke no English but
remembered a song the Marines taught him when they landed. Very touching. They
got all 19 and their photos are at the end. This of course was WW2!
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS - BE SURE YOU'RE SITTING DOWN. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE
GESTURES FOR WHICH THERE ARE NO WORDS.
Click here for
beautiful video
National
Veteran's Art Museum
– Amazing!
Ultimate
Extravagance –
but really fun!
THE TRUE HISTORY OF GRITS - Wink-Wink!
What
Are Grits? Nobody knows. Some folks believe Grits are grown on bushes
and are harvested by midgets by shaking the bushes after spreading sheets
around them. Many people feel that
Grits are made from ground up bits of white corn. These are obviously lies spread by Communists and terrorists.
Nothing
as good as Grits can be made from corn. The most recent research suggests that
the mysterious "Manna" that God rained down upon the Israelites
during their time in the Sinai Desert was most likely Grits. Critics disagree, stating that there is no
record of biscuits, butter, salt, and red eye gravy raining down from the sky,
and that God would not punish his people by forcing them to eat Grits without
these key ingredients.
How
Grits are Formed
Grits
are formed deep underground under intense heat and pressure. It takes over 1000
years to form a single Grit. Most of the world's grit mines are in the South,
and are guarded day and night by armed guards and pit bull dogs. Harvesting the Grit is a dangerous
occupation, and many Grit miners lose their lives each year so that Grits can
continue to be served morning after morning for breakfast (not that having
Grits for lunch and dinner is out of the question).
Yankees
have attempted to create synthetic Grits.
They call it 'Cream of Wheat'.
As far as we can tell, the key ingredients of 'Cream of Wheat' are Elmer's
Glue and shredded Styrofoam. These
synthetic grits have also been shown to cause nausea, and may leave you unable
to have children.
Historical
Grits
As
we mentioned earlier, the first known mention of Grits was by the Ancient Israelites
in the Sinai Desert. After that, Grits were not heard from for another 1000
years. Experts feel that Grits were
used during this time only during secret religious ceremonies, and were kept
from the public due to their rarity.
The
next mention of Grits was found amidst the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii
in a woman's personal diary. The
woman's name was Herculaneum Jemimaneus
(Aunt Jemima to her friends.)
The
10 Commandments of Grits
I.
Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
II.
Thou shalt not eat thy Grits with a spoon or knife.
III.
Thou shalt not eat 'Cream of Wheat' and call it Grits, for this is blasphemy.
IV.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's Grits.
V.
Thou shalt use only salt, butter, and red-eye gravy as toppings for thy Grits.
VI.
Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits.
VII.
Thou shalt not put ketchup on thy Grits.
VIII.
Thou shalt not put margarine on thy Grits.
IX.
Thou shalt not eat toast with thy Grits, only biscuits made from scratch.
X.
Thou shalt eat Grits on the Sabbath for this is manna from heaven.
How
to Cook Grits
For
one serving of Grits:
Boil
1.5 cups of water with salt and a little butter. (Use milk and they are creamier!)
Add
5 Tbsps. of Grits.
Reduce
to a simmer and allow the Grits to soak up all the water.
When
a pencil stuck into the grits stands alone, it is done.
That's
all there is to cooking Grits.
How
to make red eye gravy
Fry
salt cured country ham in cast iron pan. Remove the ham when done and add coffee
to the gravy and simmer for several minutes.
Great on Grits and biscuits.
How
to Eat Grits
Immediately
after removing your Grits from the stove top, add a generous portion of butter
or red eye gravy (WARNING: Do NOT use low-fat butter.) The butter should cause the Grits to turn a
wondrous shade of yellow. (Hold a
banana or a yellow rain slicker next to your Grits; if the colors match, you
have the correct amount of butter.)
In
lieu of butter, pour a generous helping of red eye gravy on your grits. Be sure
to pour enough to have some left for sopping up with your biscuits. Never, ever substitute canned or store
bought biscuits for the real thing because they caused cancer, rotten teeth and
impotence.
Next,
add salt. (NOTICE: The correct ration of Grit to Salt is 10:1 Therefore, for
every 10 grits, you should have 1 grain of salt.)
Now
begin eating your Grits. Always use a
fork, never a spoon, to eat Grits. Your grits should be thick enough so they do
not run through the tines of the fork.
The correct beverage to serve with Grits is black coffee. (DO NOT use
cream or, heaven forbid, Skim Milk.)
Your grits should never be eaten in a bowl because Yankees will think
its Cream of Wheat.
Ways
to Eat Leftover Grits:
(Leftover
grits are extremely rare)
Spread
them in the bottom of a casserole dish, cover and place them in the
refrigerator overnight. The Grits will
congeal into a gelatinous mass. Next
morning, slice the Grits into squares and fry them in 1/2" of cooking oil
and butter until they turn a golden brown.
Many people are tempted to pour syrup onto Grits served this way. This
is, of course, unacceptable.
BLESSING
BEFORE EATING GRITS
May
the Lord bless these Grits.
May
no Yankee ever get the recipe,
May
I eat Grits every day while living,
And
may I die while eating Grits.
AMEN
How
Did He do That?
– Amazing stuff!
Short Pure Fun – Great!
Pure
Talent
– Beautiful!
Cute Animals – Awwwww!
Very Good Practical
Ingenuity
– with beautiful furniture.
Amazing
Show
– Worth the watch!
A great editorial...IN ONE SENTENCE....
This one sentence editorial appeared in the Peoria Journal Star....speaks
volumes.
"A pen in the hand of this president is far more dangerous than a gun in
the hands of 200 million law-abiding citizens."
Boudreaux, the smoothest-talking Cajun in the
Louisiana National Guard, got called up to active duty.
Boudreaux's first assignment was in a military
induction center. Because he was a good talker, they assigned him the duty of
advising new recruits about government benefits, especially the GI insurance to
which they were entitled.
The officer in charge soon noticed that
Boudreaux was getting a 99% sign-up rate for the more expensive supplemental
form of GI insurance. This was remarkable, because it cost these low-income
recruits $30.00 per month for the higher coverage, compared to what the
government was already providing at no charge.
The officer decided he'd sit in the back of the
room at the next briefing and observe Boudreaux's sales pitch.
Boudreaux stood up before the latest group of
inductees and said, "If you has da normal GI insurans an' you goes to
Afghanistan an' gets youself killed, da govment' pays you benefishery
$20,000. If you takes out da suppmental
insurans, which cost you only t'irty dollars a munt, den da governmen' gots ta
pay you benefishery $400,000!
"Now," Boudreaux concluded, “which
bunch you tink dey gonna send ta Afghanistan first?”
Memory
Lane Experience
– For sure!
Used to lay on the Floor and listen to the
radio programs
with all the lights out except for the green
station centering bulb, it was a Zenith or Philco radio.
This could keep you entertained for hours!!!!
Old Time Radio(memories)
A lot of you would be too young to even know that there used to be shows like this on the radio! After TV came out, all the old radio shows went away and radio was just a place to listen to music and then finally a few talk shows started. When I was just a kid, the normal routine was to sit around the radio after dinner and listen to the shows that were on! I know, sounds boring to most of you reading this, but believe me, it was a real treat to be entertained by the big, family radio that everyone had in their living rooms!!! Pick a few out and give them a listen....you might be in for a surprise! Oh, you have to use your imagination while listening and you will be able to see what you are listening to in your mind!
Blue Angels (New)
This is really good. Did you know that the pilot on the right of the formation
is always a Marine!
This is one of the best Blue Angel videos you'll see!! Great perspective with
much of it filmed from the cockpit. You see the formation then see it from the
pilot or camera view. It is in HD;
Hope your computer can handle it.
This was recorded in FL. And El Centro, CA
Click Here
You
Had One Job
– Too funny collection of photos!
See how good you are with a Russian pistol. All
text is in Russian.
When the pistol appears, click on the trigger, aim, and fire. It’s really
self-explanatory.
You have 3 shots in 30 seconds to hit the target and get your score. It’s
addictive.
Pistol Range How Good Are You?
Our
Troops Still Have a Sense Of Humor – These are great!
ROGUE SEAL Team Takes Over US Navy Ballistic
Missile Submarine
A team of SEALs recently took over USS ‘NEVADA’
(SSBN 733) a TRIDENT missile submarine, while she was tied up to the pier at
the Trident Submarine Base in Bremerton, Washington.
THIS WAS NOT A PLANNED TRAINING EXERCISE
According to Navy officials, the takeover
didn't last long. The SEALs were quickly driven off the ship by members of the
ship's crew. A picture of the team was taken as they made their escape back
into the water, leaving from the ship's bow. None could actually be identified,
as they were in their SEAL-issued wet suits and underwater gear.
What did you think you’d see?
Over the years I have seen lots of WWII
photographs. Most of these I have never seen. The captions explaining time and
circumstance are also worth reading.
Just in case you didn’t know the difference!
Naval Aviator
On a carrier, the Naval Aviator looks over at
the Catapult Officer ("Shooter") who gives the run up engines signal by
rotating his finger above his head. The pilot pushes the throttle forward,
verifies all flight controls are operational, checks all gauges, and gives the
Cat officer a brisk salute, continuing the Navy/Marine tradition of asking
permission to leave the ship. The Cat officer drops to one knee while swooping
his arm forward and pointing down deck, granting that permission. The pilot is
immediately catapulted and becomes airborne.
Army Aviator
If you've ever seen an Army helicopter pilot preparing for takeoff, you will
note that the pilot gives the ground guy a thumbs up before he is given hover
and takeoff signals. There are two theories about the origin of this gesture.
One is that it is to show that the pilot has identified which of his fingers is
the thumb so that he will be able to properly operate his controls. The most
compelling theory says that this is to show the ground crewman that the pilot
indeed, knows which direction is up.
Air Force Pilot
We've all seen Air Force pilots at the air force base look up just before
taxiing for takeoff and the ground crew waits until the pilot's thumb is
sticking straight up. The crew chief then confirms that he sees the thumb,
salutes, and the Air Force pilot then takes off. This time-tested tradition is
the last link in the Air Force safety net to confirm that the pilot does not
have his thumb up his ass.
Watch the German one first!
German Automatic Parking
System
Advanced Spanish Parking
System
Ya gotta love those Europeans!
Great History
Lesson On the Model-T Ford
Survivors
Return To Their Ship
– Very interesting ceremonies at Pearl Harbor.
God Bless!
Great commercial filmed in Manning Park, BC.
Winter Vs People – The latest in winter funny.
How
to Properly Stack Firewood – And these are just a few!
Owls In Camouflage – Awesome!
Think I *MIGHT* just have found the next
Television for the house ...
Just 'click' the link, watch, and start wanting
one, too:
http://www.cseed.tv/design/movie.html
OK Senior Citizens you all drove or rode in one
of these, your parents had one, or somewhere in your family someone did. How
many of them can you remember what they were? For the younger ones in the group
these are the beginning of the muscle cars when it was fun to drive check your
memory.
How's this for a brain teaser!
All right let's see how you do. Be honest with
yourself. See how you do.
The average score is 73%
This will really rattle the cobwebs in the 'ol
brain.
Car Show Game - 1950s -
American Torque .com
Amazing
Paper Sculpture
– From Calvin Nichols.
Tools as explained by a retiree - very accurate
DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out
of your hands
so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room,
denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner
where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with
the speed of light.
Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the
time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh --'
SKIL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER:
An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into
major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It
transforms human energy into a crooked,
unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the
more dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else
is available,
they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your
hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on
fire.
Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want
to remove a bearing race..
TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for
testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new
brake shoes,
trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum
sheet into smaller pieces
that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line
instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to
disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style
paper-and-tin oil cans
and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as
the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws
into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to
remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind
of divining rod
to locate the most expensive parts adjacent to the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to
your front door;
works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in
plastic bottles, collector magazines,
refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work
clothes, but only while in use.
Son of a b*tch TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of
a b*tch' at the top of your lungs.
It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.
Senior Chiefs Are Honorable
One day, while a Senior Chief was cutting a
branch of a tree above a river,
his axe fell into the river. When he cried out,
the Lord appeared and asked,
"Why are you crying?" The Senior
Chief replied that his axe had fallen into
the water, and he needed the axe to make his
living. The Lord went down into
the water and reappeared with a golden axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord
asked. The Senior Chief replied,
"No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a
silver axe. "Is this your axe?"
the lord asked. Again the Senior Chief replied,
"No." The Lord went down
again and came up with an iron axe. "Is
this your axe?" the Lord asked. The
Senior Chief replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the Senior Chief's
honesty and gave him all three
axes to keep, and the Senior Chief went back to
the ship happy.
Sometime later the Senior Chief was walking
with his wife along the
riverbank, and his wife fell into the river.
When he cried out, the Lord
again appeared and asked him, "Why are you
crying?" "Oh Lord, my wife has
fallen into the water!" The Lord went down
into the water and came up with
Angelina Jolie. "Is this your wife?"
the Lord asked. "Yes," cried the Senior
Chief.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is
an untruth!" The Senior Chief
replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a
misunderstanding. You see, if I
had said 'no' to Angelina Jolie, you would have
come up with Cameron Diaz.
Then if I said 'no' to her, you would have come
up with my wife. Had I then
said 'yes' you would have given me all three.
Lord, I am poor old seagoing
Senior Chief, and am not able to take care of
all three wives in a way that
they should be, so that's why I said yes to Angelina Jolie."
The moral of this story is: Whenever a Navy
Senior Chief lies, it is for a
good and honorable reason, and for the benefit
of others. That's my story,
and I'm sticking to it.
Cute Song With
Video
– Are you old yet?