The Lone Ranger Was a Real Person

Do you remember the Lone Ranger TV show? I came across this information while "flying" through the web.

"Hi-yo, Silver" 

Theme song is the part near the end of the William Tell Overture.

Biography:

Take care,

John

Is the Earth Finding a Way to Heal Itself?

 Maybe nature will help counteract human damage. Maybe it's working in other areas. I hope. This video explains what is happening.

Saturnia Cruise Ship Around the 1940"s

I dabble in my ancestry from time to time. Some of the photographs in my collection are a mystery. My parents passed away some time ago so I have no one to ask.. Now I have to do detective work to figure out what was going on and identify some of the people. It can be enjoyable but also frustrating. 

My mother is the 4th woman from the left. She's the pretty one with a smile, white shoes and socks.  I have no idea who the other women are.

The Saturnia had a twin sister ship called the Vulcania. The life preserver indicates the ship they were on.

They were Italian built luxury liners. I don't know how my mother could afford it. I'm not sure if the ship was coming to America or returning to Italy. She came each way.

Here are some videos I found on the web:

Luxury Interior

The Engine compartment

Here are some luxurious rooms:

Dining

Dining

Ballroom 

Interesting, isn't it? 

Names for Things I Did Not Know

 I found an article on Quora that you might enjoy.

Gaia

 

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Lived in Exeter, Devon, UK (2015–2018)Mon

DID YOU KNOW THESE THINGS HAD NAMES?

• 1. The space between your eyebrows is called a glabella.
• 2. The way it smells after the rain is called petrichor.
• 3. The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet.
• 4. The rumbling of the stomach is actually called a wamble.
• 5. The cry of a newborn baby is called a vagitus.
• 6. The prongs on a fork are called tines.
• 7. The sheen or light that you see when you close your eyes and press your hands on them is called phosphenes.
• 8. The tiny plastic table placed in the middle of a pizza box is called a box tent.
• 9. The day after tomorrow is called overmorrow.
• 10. Your tiny toe or finger is called minimus.
• 11. The wired cage that holds the cork in a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe.
• 12. The 'na na na' and 'la la la', which don't really have any meaning in the lyrics of any song, are called vocables.
• 13. When you combine an exclamation mark with a question mark (like this ?!), it is referred to as an interrobang.
• 14. The space between your nostrils is called columella nasi.
• 15. The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn, is called armscye.
• 16. The condition of finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning is called dysania.
• 17. Illegible handwriting is called griffonage.
• 18. The dot over an "i" or a "j" is called tittle.
• 19. That utterly sick feeling you get after eating or drinking too much is called crapulence.
• 20. The metallic device used to measure your feet at the shoe store is called Bannock device.

How many did you know?

I like:

• 3. The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet.
• 4. The rumbling of the stomach is actually called a Wamble.
• 9. The day after tomorrow is called overmorrow.
• 12. The 'na na na' and 'la la la', which don't really have any meaning in the lyrics of any song, are called vocables.
• 13. When you combine an exclamation mark with a question mark (like this ?!), it is referred to as an interrobang.
• 18. The dot over an "i" or a "j" is called tittle.
• 19. That utterly sick feeling you get after eating or drinking too much is called crapulence.

There must be other meanings for these words. I couldn't find definitions for some of them on the web. 

A Mom Drank 3 Gallons Water In 2 Hours. This is What Happened to Her Brain.

I want to share the medical videos of Dr. Chubbyemu. He shows unusual medical conditions mostly caused accidentally. Here are two of those videos. They are around 15 minuets long but very entertaining.

Dr. Chubbyemu.

A Mom Drank 3 Gallons Water In 2 Hours. This is What Happened to Her Brain.

A Grandma Ate 1 Pound Chocolate In 6 Hours. This Is What Happened To Her Brain.

Take care,

    John

Found This

I found this photo a while ago in my collection of old family items. 

Not sure if we are related or how. 

It was in worse condition than this 

but I improved it with some difficult editing. 

I plan to take it to a professional someday.

Lap Harp or Zither or Psaltery...

 

 

I really don't know much about playing music. I can't read the notes and I'm not sure if  my hands are agile enough. But when I came across the lap harp while I was looking through Amazon, it seemed easy enough to try.

You don't have to know how to read the music sheets and anyone can play it right away. It's sometimes advertised for use by children but I found some videos on Youtube where it was played very well by adults.

Anyway, it might encourage me to move on to other easy instruments.

Above are photos of my lap harp. As you can see I only have to pick at the notes on the inserted music sheet, easy enough for kids.

It's not me playing but here's my skill level:

Expert musicians seem to be playing without sheet music:

Lamento Di Tristano - 14th century Italian

Renaissance tune

The man in this video must love the instrument:

Right now I'm trying to get my harp in tune. There's a free tuner for the iphone called "Plusadd lite" I had to search a bit and try not to press on any apps I did not want. Maybe the ones for sale are better. I don't know.

Radioactive Cosmetics

The other day while browsing through the web, surfing for an interesting item, I came across this image of a beautiful woman. It's a French ad for cosmetics. 

 I knew about how the radioactive element Radon was thought to be healthy at one time. But these images brought this misconception to life for me.

The sad thing is how lighthearted some of these videos seem to take such a painful way to die.

“If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you” George Parker

When I found this picture of a can of "Dehydrated Water" it reminded  me of the old phrase about selling the Brooklyn bridge. 

I wonder if this could have inspired the sale of bottled water that's so popular.

HERE'S AN INTERESTING ARTICLE

Ever since I was a young person, I have used the phrase, “If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you”.  The phrase originated because for over a century people have fallen for the con that New York City is selling the Brooklyn Bridge.

George C. Parker (1860-1936), a native New Yorker, was responsible for originating the phrase.  Parker, of whose life we know became famous for selling New York City landmarks of all kinds ranging from Madison Square Garden to the Statue of Liberty.  He also sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art and even Grant’s tomb as the general’s grandson!

He would set up fake sales offices and forge documents to support his cons. One of his most popular places for spotting rubes or victims was Ellis Island where some of the immigrants came with money to invest in new enterprises.   Out-time out-of-town tourists on their first visit to New York comprised another favorite target.

His greatest con was selling the Brooklyn Bridge.  Legend claimed that he sold it at least twice a week.  He did sell it several times including at least once for $50,000!  The new owner would be discovered he was the victim of a con when the New York police officers would stop the “new owners” from setting up toll booths in the middle of the bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge had been a toll bridge that pedestrians had to pay a penny to cross when it opened for business in 1883.  Tens of thousands crossed the bridge every day on the way to work from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  When the Brooklyn Bridge first opened, it cost a penny to cross by foot, 5 cents for a horse and rider and 10 cents for a horse and wagon. Farm animals were allowed at a price of 5 cents per cow and 2 cents per sheep or hog. Under pressure from civic groups and commuters, the pedestrian toll was repealed in 1891.  The roadway tolls were then rescinded on July 19, 1911 with the support of New York Mayor William J. Gaynor, who declared, “I see no more reason for toll gates on the bridges than for toll gates on Fifth Avenue or Broadway.” On Columbus Day, 1892 a quarter of a million people walked across the bridge in celebration of the quadrennial.

They Believed It At One Time!

 

How Can Anyone Eat This?

Saint Agatha's Breasts

The story behind this is that a young woman rejected a Roman governor's advances and was punished by having her breasts cut off!  There are paintings of the saint holding her breasts on a platter!

 Cream filled breasts. I guess if I don't think about the story behind these breast treats, I'd love to try one. They look delicious.

Here's the article:

What’s the first thing you think of when looking at these delectable pastries? Your mind isn’t in the gutter—it’s spot on. Nuns around the ancient port city of Catania, located on Sicily’s east coast, paid tribute to their patron saint by baking pastries shaped like her breasts. Today, bakers around the city carry on the tradition.

According to the story, not only did 15-year-old Saint Agatha of Sicily refuse to abandon her faith, she also rejected a Roman governor’s advances. As such, she was punished by having her breasts amputated, then died of her wounds in prison on February 5, 251 A.D. Frescoes of the mutilated martyr are easily recognizable. She’s often depicted holding her breasts on a platter.

Known as minne di Sant’ Agata in Italian, these sweet cheese and marzipan desserts are an edible reminder of Saint Agatha’s suffering. Bakers craft the perfectly round confections using a base of shortcrust pastry topped with ricotta. After adding in chocolate or a piece of boozy spongecake to accompany the filling, they blanket everything in pistachio marzipan and a thick, creamy glaze. A candied cherry on top completes the anatomically-correct aesthetic.

Each February, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Catania to honor Saint Agatha in a three-day celebration. The centuries-old festival features an all-night procession and delicious replicas of saintly, amputated breasts at every pastry shop.

Need to Know

Some bakeries around Sicily make Saint Agatha's Breasts year-round, but every bakery offers the pastry for Saint Agatha's festival during the first week of February.

Tempest Prognosticator ( I call it the Leech Weather Gadget)

My daughter bought me a Storm Glass last Christmas and while I was browsing the internet I came across a very strange weather predictor from the same time period called the Tempest Prognosticator. Both are from about the 1860's.

First let me show you the Storm Glass (Fitzroy Storm Glass) my daughter gave me.

It's more decorative than practical but it looks great on my desktop.  Mine always stays in the same formation as the Warming image above.

See my earlier post:  REFLECTIONS: Search results for storm glass

I have a theory that it may not work very well because the liquid is in a sealed glass vessel.  It can react to the temperature of the room; maybe even some sort of magnetic or static force if that is possible. But it can't react to atmospheric pressure like a barometer. Now I've seen some old photos of storm glasses sealed on top with a cork instead of being completely sealed in glass. The cork is soft and should allow some changes in atmospheric pressure to affect the pressure inside the vessel.

Here's a photo of what must be a more recent homemade version with a cork stopper. 

Someday I want to maybe make a storm glass with a cork stopper to see what would happen.

Here's the recipe:

Now here's how the Tempest Prognosticator works:

At this time I'm not able to download the video but here's the link:

Predict the weather with leeches! Device explained - YouTube

I also wanted to insert more photos but it's not working; hope they fix it soon.

Never Knew This About Tumbleweed

Just have to share this video I found on the Miss Cellania Weblog.  

Link: Miss Cellania

My Daughter Gave Me a Fitzroy Storm Glass for Christmas

I copied this GIF from the web. It's been sped up. 

The actual speed is much slower, too slow to detect.

My Fitzroy Storm Glass is beautiful.  It's perfect for the desktop, sitting by my Sterling Engine.

From Wikipedia:
FitzRoy was a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate daily weather predictions... He achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage.

Internal and external troubles at the Meteorological Office, financial concerns as well as failing health, and his struggle with depression took their toll.

On 30 April 1865, Vice-Admiral FitzRoy died by suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. FitzRoy died having exhausted his entire fortune on public expenditure.

How he said the storm glass works:
"if fixed, undisturbed, in free air, not exposed to radiation, fire, or sun, but in the ordinary light of a well-ventilated room or outer air, the chemical mixture in a so-called storm-glass varies in character with the direction of the wind, not its force, specially (though it may so vary in appearance only) from another cause, electrical tension."

-Wikipedia

It's great to watch the crystals form and change.

I Bought a Crookes Radiometer

I found this radiometer  GIF on the internet. 

I've had a radiometer for decades, fascinated by the way it spins in the light.  It works with sunlight or an incandescent light bulb.
I finally decided to order a new one after mine stopped working.

Here's a photo from the internet that looks just like mine.

Sir William Crroke invented the radiometer.

Below are explanations about how it works. 

It's not so simple!

====================================

"The radiometer is made from a glass bulb from which much of the air has been removed to form a partial vacuum. Inside the bulb, on a low friction spindle, is a rotor with several (usually four) vertical lightweight vanes spaced equally around the axis. The vanes are polished or white on one side and black on the other.

When exposed to sunlight, artificial light, or infrared radiation (even the heat of a hand nearby can be enough), the vanes turn with no apparent motive power, the dark sides retreating from the radiation source and the light sides advancing.

Cooling the radiometer causes rotation in the opposite direction."

(From Wikipedia)

=============================

Continuing from Wikipedia, I found an explanation which is difficult to follow.

Crookes incorrectly suggested that the force was due to the pressure of light.[6] 

Another incorrect theory was that the heat on the dark side was causing the material to outgas, which pushed the radiometer around

A partial explanation is that gas molecules hitting the warmer side of the vane will pick up some of the heat, bouncing off the vane with increased speed.       Albert Einstein showed that the two pressures do not cancel out exactly at the edges of the vanes because of the temperature difference there. The force predicted by Einstein would be enough to move the vanes, but not fast enough.[9]  

The final piece of the puzzle, thermal transpiration, was theorized by Osborne Reynolds[10] ; in an unpublished paper of 1879.

A lighthearted video explaining how it works in easier terms:

Some History About Halloween

I learned a lot with this video.  Enjoy!

Use full screen for a better experience.

National Drive-Thru Day, July 24th

From:
 Celebrate Every Day | National Day Calendar

I never used to use the drive through until I started having trouble with my health.  Now I can appreciate it.  It beats walking into the restaurant with my walker except its hard to eat the meal in my car, so I bring it home. Half the time I still go inside and kind people help me.  But I'd rather be independent.

Text From:

NATIONAL DRIVE-THRU DAY

"National Drive-Thru Day on July 24th recognizes an innovation conveniently going strong today. The drive-thru reached its iconic zenith in the 1950s but stayed strong through the 60s, 70s and beyond.  People have enjoyed this service since the 1930s.

The ease of dropping off or picking up an item without getting out of the car may be something we take for granted. Of course, many studies point to the benefits and drawbacks associated with using the drive-thru.

The first and most obvious that comes to mind is the ease of dropping off or picking up and item. Whether its the mail, a prescription or the dry cleaning, pulling up to a window or a slot and passing the article through is eminently easier than even finding a parking spot. Then, if we have children, we collect our children, our item and wait in line. After waiting, we usually search for our parking spot while juggling children and once again pile them back into the car. When multiple stops are involved, repeat the previous steps. Check the ease of use box.

Secondly, many people think the drive-thru is faster. While that might be true at some locations, it will depend on the type of service, time of day, and where you are located. For example, a long line in the drive-thru at the bank may mean no waiting inside. The same may also be true at your favorite fast-food restaurant. However, if you only need to drop off a letter at the post office, use the drive-up option.

Finally, accuracy tops the list of some drive-thru specialists. Again, this criteria is hit or miss. Depending on the type of business, time of day and location, accuracy varies. Interestingly, in 2018, Chic-fil-A mastered this arena with 97.3% accuracy.

Did you know:

• There are more than 211,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States.
• The drive-thru format was pioneered in the United States for banking services.
• Hamburgers sold for just 18 cents at some of the first drive-thru restaurants.
• Restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, pharmacies, and many more services utilize drive-thrus for quick service.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy the day by uses all the drive-thrus available to you.  Post on social media using #NationalDriveThruDay to encourage others to celebrate the day with you.

HISTORY

America’s first drive-thru burger chain, Jack in the Box, created National Drive-Thru Day to celebrate America’s love of convenience by car."

History of G, J, U, W, Y

I came across this video about our alphabet that

 I want to share with you. It's very interesting.

Haven't posted as much as I'd like lately because of some health problems with myself and Lynette.  But visiting your blogs is a very enjoyable distraction. I'll try to post more.   

I Like Dandelions

If the dandelion was difficult to grow it would be desired for its beauty.

I found this interesting video about the history of the dandelion

while I was wandering on the the internet.     

So Many Ways to Make Coffee

Today there's cold brew coffee and Keurig coffee cups and who knows what else will come up.  I'm using a Keurig coffeemaker right now and drink about two cups a day.  I like it because there is very little preparation or cleanup.  The price of the coffee cups is high when compared to regular coffee but the ease of use is great.  The plastic empty coffee cups cluttering the land fills is a problem.  

Here's a fun video about some ways coffee is prepared.

Reminds me of how I feel when I drink too much coffee.