An Ounce - For Your Consideration

Ever been bothered by the emerging problems in society. You know, that latest stupid fad, the ridiculous clothes some choose to wear - or the way they wear them, or the behavior that was once considered rude that is now commonplace – or the once polite gesture now considered rude. Or, sometimes it’s just keeping things around town cleaned up a little.  You might think to yourself, ‘somebody needs...

Over two and a half centuries ago, when the early settlers had just begun building their lives in the wilds of Windham, Connecticut, a highly discordant event took place. It all started on a summer's night, in June 1754.  Most of the 250 or so residents of the little hamlet had retired for the night. The worries of raising crops, keeping food on the table, and staying safe from the Indians we...

George Spencer Millet was a young man with promise.  This blond-haired boy with ruddy cheeks turned the girls heads, even at the tender age of 15.  George was a bright boy, a little quiet, but active and ambitious. George was involved with his church. He had even secured employment as an office boy at the Metropolitan Life building, and was “adopted” by the young ladies in the stenography pool, wh...

There are a lot of reasonable things one might get angry about, even a little riled up – but, rioting over a straw hat?  Sounds like this something that took place at a county fair someplace? Somewhere they imbibe in a bit of moon-shine perhaps?  Nope –  This happened in a place where they take fashion seriously. It happened in September 1922 – In one of the great centers of civilization - New Yor...

 Have you ever watched one of those old Sci-Fi Movies? Like the one where the ants become gigantic because of nuclear radiation, or the one where aliens’ invade. Or how ‘bout this one – The Blob, with Steve McQueen, where a green gelatinous blob from outer space arrives and grows bigger as it devours everything – and then everything changes and the crisis passes – and life goes on in spite of the...

 Have you ever heard the name Joseph Figlock? There is an amazing story to tell here, as he was a babe magnet like no other.  Not even Giacomo Casanova can rival the remarkable story of Joseph Figlock.  Mr. Figlock live in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1930s. He did not seem to be especially remarkable. At the time he came to this man was noticed he was a Middle-aged man, who wore glasses, whose h...

 Sometimes there are things that occur in our world that just leave you – well – kind of flabbergasted. One of those happenings was the Great Kentucky Meat Shower of 1876.  According to reports in the press at the time, this is what happened. The 3rd of March 1876 was a perfectly clear, sun filled day. Just before noon, Mrs. Crouch was outside her home, cooking up a stink. She was involved in a ne...

 Coincidence – Two or more random incidents happening in a manner that bring about a seemingly coordinated, or synchronized and connected result.  Some folks say there are no coincidences. Nothing really ever happens by accident. They believe everything overseen by the divine, and that there is purpose and coordination to the whole.  What do you think?  As odd coincidences go, 1908 was an interest...

 What would you want to find in a new job? The perfect job?  Great benefits?  Flexible hours?  Doing something that matters?  A chance for growth and advancement?  A positive and supportive corporate environment?  The ability to work from home – or the office – or where ever you choose?  Bonuses - Perks – A company car?    Well, here’s a job announcement you might absolutely love. Allow me to read...

 On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the civil war were fired as confederate forces opened up on Fort Sumter, South Carolina.  It was a battle without casualties. At least, at the moment that the Union Surrendered to Confederate General Beauregard, no one had died.  As the Stars and Stripes were lowered, a one-hundred-gun salute was given by the northern forces. That’s when it happened. A canon...

 Have you ever heard a determined person say, “I’m gonna’ do it, or die trying”.  I have. And I might have even said it a time or to. Gratefully, death didn’t actually need to be a part of the equation.  There was a man by the name of Frank Hayes who might have uttered this same phrase a few times. Frank was a jockey. He rode in Steeple Chase.  Frank was well known around the track. He started as...

 When I was about 7 or 8 years old my family used to have some fun traditions. One of which occurred with regularity on Thursday evenings.  Mom would make homemade French fries from fresh cut potatoes. And, there were hamburgers with all the fixings, and if we were lucky maybe even some root beer.  As I remember it - The whole family, Dad, mom, my sisters and brother, would watch Star Trek (The or...

 He was kind of an unusual guy. From his youth, folks noticed he was not the typical inner-city Jersey Boy. He was spontaneous and quirky, but at the same time thoughtful and kind.  Two days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, on Dec 9, 1941, he joined the marine corps. His country meant something to him – it deserved to be defended. He would have signed up sooner, but he had to convince his m...

 This is a rather strange tale from history, and the military industrial complex. A story that illustrates that when there is a will, there is a way, and sometimes that creates some rather odd results.  The story begins in 1959 when, then Vice President Nixon, and Soviet Premier Nikita – pound the shoe on the table while saying “we will crush you” – Khrushchev, met in Moscow, about two years after...

 During the opening days of British involvement in World War 2 there was a great threat in the seas. This threat was embodied by the German battleship – the Bismarck. The enormous and powerful 41,700-ton Nazi battle wagon was lurking around the shipping lanes and had the potential to easily cut off shipping to the English isles, starving it of needed supplies.  In May 1941 the British Navy launch...

 The World’s Olympic Games. An amazing showcase of athletic ability and sportsmanship. People can train for years to perform and compete for a few moments. Every event showcases the best of the best for all over the world. But, sometimes, things just don’t go ... well … as well as expected.  For example, in 1904, in St. Louis. The Olympic Games were paired with the world’s fair. And for the first...

Back in the days before sanitary conditions and anesthesia were a thing, priorities in preforming surgery were valued a bit differently than they are today. One of the greatest priorities to improve patent survival was speed.  The longer a patient was on the table, the more blood they would lose, the more pain they would feel, the more likely there were to have some kind of infection, or die of sh...

 Here is a twisted tale of how pirates raiding a ship in the Caribbean in Sea caused hundreds of years of ongoing disorder in world trade.  In the 1793 a man named Joseph Dombey was crossing the Atlantic with a rather small set of objects. These were carefully packed and protected within a sturdy 3-inch by 3-inch copper cylinder, with a little copper carrying handle on top. This man, and his littl...

Recorded live on February 14, 2023, during the Virtual Linguists, Toastmasters International, online meeting. Ever wondered, “Have I been Jinxed”?  Have you had things pile up on you, events occur, trouble seem to follow you? I guess it might be possible to be cursed, vexed, or jinxed. Though we may have our suspicions, in the long view of things we may well find that it’s just not so. That dark c...

An interview with Brent Averett, with a story about how quality matters. Brent talks about how a principle of quality applies to a good knife, and to life. Yes, it may mean you have to pay more, work harder, and do better to enjoy the benefits of quality. But the return is worth the sacrifice. You can find Brent online at www.mrknifeguy.com, or: Mr. KnifeGuy® is located at: 1127 W Sunset Blvd St,...

 With everything we know about our planet, with satellite imagery, GPS systems, and so much more, there isn’t much of our planet that hasn’t been seen. But there are still some incredibly remote places on earth. The kinds of places people don’t get to very often.  On the list of those remote locations are places where people aren’t very comfortable. Places where extremes in the environment make it...

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, a friend of the family dropped in to visit. I don’t remember his name, but I do remember, he brought a dog with him.  The dog was less than a year old, and very well-trained. He was a black medium poodle, with a great disposition, who loved to play.  I am not sure what the negotiations were like. All I know is when the friend of the family left later that day, Jo...

There was wisdom in the destruction.  At the time, there was a real possibility that if the Japanese attacked Hawaii again, they could defeat the US military there and occupy the Islands.  And, if they did, they would likely do the same thing they had done before in other locations. Confiscate all the money, and use the cash to bankroll their military.  Then somebody came up with a brilliant idea...

It was January 1835, and King Richard was in Washington, DC. As he approached his target, his hand slipped inside his coat, and he drew out a pistol… and shot it at Andrew Jackson, the Sitting President of the United States. The pistol misfired, so he dropped it and withdrew a second, and pulled the trigger, but the second pistol misfired as well. The determined king had failed to kill the Preside...

Did your parents or grandparents ever tell you one of ‘those’ stories. You know the ones – “Back in my day we used to walk 7 miles to school. It was uphill both ways. It was always raining, the snow was at least chest deep, and you were lucky if you didn’t get heat stroke.”  IT’s kinda’ fun to hear them tell their stories, but O. k. old timer – we get it – things were harder ‘back in the day’.  Sp...