To All,
Good Sunday Morning August 4. I hope that your weekend is going well. Clear now but supposed to be partly cloudy by noon then then overcast until 6 when it is supposed to clear up. Still getting to 92 today. The beat goes on here with more things needing fixing or replacement. What fun watching the house age around us for the last umpteen years since 88.
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 83 H-Grams
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
August 4
1790 The Revenue Cutter Service is established by Congress, authorizing the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling. The service receives its present name, U.S. Coast Guard, in 1915 under an act of Congress that merges the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.
1846 During the Mexican-American War, Marines and Sailors led by Commodore Robert Stockton from the frigate USS Congress land to capture Santa Barbara, Calif.
1898 During the Spanish-American War, USS Monterey (BM 6) becomes the first monitor to cross the Pacific, reaching Manila Bay, Philippines, from San Francisco, Calif.
1939 USS Yorktown (CV 5) and USS Enterprise (CV 6) use hydraulic flush-deck catapults to launch SBC-3 and O3U-3 aircraft from flight and hangar deck catapults.
1943 Ensign Rosalie Thorne, USNR, becomes the first woman to be awarded the Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal. She scores 211 out of 240 to qualify.
1943 A radar-equipped Catalina PBY carries out predawn bombing of a submarine base and main Japanese camp area on Kiska. The Catalina also drops 92 empty beer bottles (for the disconcerting whistling effect they produce) on those targets. Also on this date, USS Finback (SS 230) sinks Japanese cargo ship Kaisho Maru in the Java Sea off the north coast of Java while USS Seadragon (SS 194) damages Japanese transport Kembu Maru east of Ponape.
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Today in World History: August 4
1265 King Henry III puts down a revolt of English barons lead by Simon de Montfort.
1578 A crusade against the Moors of Morocco is routed at the Battle of Alcazar-el-Kebir. King Sebastian of Portugal and 8,000 of his soldiers are killed.
1717 A friendship treaty is signed between France and Russia.
1789 The Constituent Assembly in France abolishes the privileges of nobility.
1790 The Revenue Cutter service, the parent service of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, is organized.
1864 Federal troops fail to capture Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, one of the Confederate forts defending Mobile Bay.
1875 The first Convention of Colored Newspapermen is held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1879 A law is passed in Germany making Alsace Lorraine a territory of the empire.
1914 Germany invades Belgium causing Great Britain to declare war on Germany.
1942 The British government charges that Mohandas Gandhi and his All-Indian Congress Party favor "appeasement" with Japan.
1944 RAF pilot T. D. Dean becomes the first pilot to destroy a V-1 buzz bomb when he tips the pilotless craft's wing, sending it off course.
1952 Helicopters from the U.S. Air Force Air Rescue Service land in Germany, completing the first transatlantic flight by helicopter in 51 hours and 55 minutes of flight time.
1964 The bodies of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman & James E. Chaney, are discovered in an earthen Mississippi dam. At Meridian….
1964 The U.S.S. Maddox and Turner Joy exchange fire with North Vietnamese patrol boats.
1971 The U.S. launches the first satellite into lunar orbit from a manned spacecraft (Apollo 15).
1972 Arthur Bremer is sentenced to 63 years for shooting Alabama governor George Wallace, later reduced to 53 years.
1979 President Jimmy Carter establishes the Department of Energy. ( I read an article a few years ago that this department has really done nothing but suck our taxes into a giant hole.)
1988 The US Senate votes to give each Japanese-American who was interned during WWII $20,000 compensation and an apology.
2007 NASA launches the Phoenix spacecraft on a mission to Mars.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 29 July 2024 and ending on Sunday, 4 August 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 28 July -1969… Includes the details of a relentless effort to find and return the remains of two Navy warriors lost on the battlefield 55-years ago this week. "Leave no man behind," is the goal. In this case, the search goes on. And two families wait, pray and remember…
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
(Please note the eye-watering ongoing revamp of the RTR website by Webmaster/Author Dan Heller, who has inherited the site from originators RADM Bear Taylor, USN, Retired, and Angie Morse, "Mighty Thunder")…
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and can read what happened each day to the aircraft and its crew. .Micro is the one also that goes into the archives and finds these inputs and sends them to me for incorporation in the List. It is a lot of work and our thanks goes out to him for his effort.
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "for 4 August
4-Aug: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1281
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
From the archives
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War This is very heart felt and emotional. If you ever knew or still know a Helo pilot from Vietnam then these emotions would probably be typical…..We lost a lot of them.
Just received a note from Russ who sent the above list to a friend Just thought I would share this from a hello pilot that made it home. He was a good friend of my cousin in North Dakota. As luck would have it, he also was an instructor of mine in the T-28.
Russ,
Thanks for sending this. Was in Kenmare for the last week and waited to get home to reminisce on this type of information.
Yes, I did know a good number of these Marines who paid the ultimate price.
Many memories of them in flight training, Vietnam prep and then fellow squadron members. One of the names, Jerome J Schlicht from Melrose MN, was a roommate and team mate on the Bison football team.
Definitely miss and think of him. One the names, ED Connelley, was in my OCS class and together through flight school. I had just been in a hot zone and picked up a couple of Marines and was shot up so bad we had to shut down at the medevac
dropoff. He went in to a zone 2 clicks west of my pickup spot. On liftoff
the AC was shot down and all were KIA. Just a few examples.
You have to get hard over there. To much emotion is not good for survival.
And you have an additional 3 in crew to think of. They depend on your skills and decision making. I had a few crew wounded but no loss of life.
Fear is another that has to be controlled if one is to make good decisions and flight maneuvers. I believe good training, accumulated experience and mission focus allowed me to overcome fears or hesitations that I may have had. Amazing things we did.
Flying, communicating with ground forces, communicating with crew, communicating with on site airborne gun ships, orienting ourselves to the hostile positions, determining wind direction, determining the suitable approach, balancing all of these balls while listening to the m60's blazing
and the crew hollering about we are taking hits. Getting in the LZ and
picking up or delivering and then departing through that same mayhem!
Many times over the years I have looked back and thought: "How the hell did I simultaneously perform all of those tasks!"
That is my story and I am sticking to it.
Thanks Russ!
Carl Bergman
Subject: Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War
Hey Carl:
I cogitated about sending this to you but then I thought I probably would appreciate this. You more than likely knew a few of these brothers in the bond. God bless them and their families.
V/R
Russ
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Every Carrier in U.S. Navy History
All of em! CV-1 to CVN-78
Every Aircraft Carrier in US Navy History – Page 2 – 24/7 Wall St. (247wallst.com)
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
For your education and enjoyment this morning
Our lives are full of little mysteries. Why is the week seven days long? Why aren't you supposed to put your elbows on the table? Why does toothpaste make orange juice taste terrible? And then there's every kid's favorite: Why is the sky blue? We've rounded up the answers to some of these quotidian questions, as well as a few weirder head-scratchers, from around the website. Reading the results should arm you with some answers as you go about your day — and help you prepare for the next time you encounter a curious kid.
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Why Are Movie Previews Called "Trailers"?
Movie previews are called "trailers" because they were originally shown after the movie. In the early days of moviegoing, you didn't just buy a ticket for one feature-length film and leave once the credits started rolling. You were instead treated to a mix of shorts, newsreels, cartoons, and, eventually, trailers — which, per their name, played after the movie rather than before — with people coming and going throughout the day. The idea for trailers came from Nils Granlund, who in addition to being a business manager for movie theaters worked as a producer on Broadway, which explains why the first trailer was actually for a play: 1913's The Pleasure Seekers. Today there are production houses that exclusively make trailers and are handsomely rewarded for their efforts, sometimes to the tune of millions of dollars.
2 of 25
Why Does Catnip Make Cats High?
About 70% of cats are susceptible to the intoxicating effects of nepetalactone, the active compound in catnip. One whiff and these kitties are temporarily reduced to drooling, meowing messes, often rolling around in or rubbing their faces on the catnip source. That's because nepetalactone is a volatile organic molecule that binds to receptors in a cat's nose, stimulating neurons that activate the olfactory bulb, amygdala, hypothalamus, and other areas of the brain, causing a euphoric effect. The buzz seems to wear off after 10 to 15 minutes, leaving cats extremely chill thereafter.
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Why Do We Say "the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread"?
In 1928, when inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, first released his bread loaf-slicing invention, the advertisement claimed it was "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped." Riffing on the theme, customers began to compare all later inventions to his, and the modern idiom evolved from there.
4 of 25
Why Do Brides Wear White?
Walk through any bridal shop and it's obvious that white wedding dresses are the norm, but that wasn't always the case. Historically, brides often repurposed their best dress as their wedding gown, and most were not white — specifically because white was exceptionally difficult to keep clean prior to modern washing machines and stain removers. Queen Victoria, who wore a lacy white gown at her 1840 wedding in place of the then-popular red, is often credited for popularizing bridal white (though Mary, Queen of Scots wore white during her 1558 Notre Dame wedding, and many lesser-known royals did before Victoria's reign). Within a decade of Victoria's wedding, dressmakers and etiquette books had run with the idea that white was virginal and pure, with the popular Godey's Lady's Book writing that a white dress was "an emblem of the innocence and purity of girlhood, and the unsullied heart which she now yields to the keeping of the chosen one."
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Why Is a Week Seven Days?
The seven-day week is a timekeeping oddity. Unlike days, months, and years, the week doesn't align with any celestial reality, and it doesn't divide elegantly into existing periods of time. For example, there aren't 52 weeks in an average year — there are 52.1428571429. So how did this happen? Babylonians, the ancient superpower of Mesopotamia, put a lot of stock in the number seven thanks to the seven observable celestial bodies in the night sky — the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. This formed the seven-day week, which was adopted by the Jewish people, who were captives of the Babylonians in the sixth century BCE. Eventually, it spread to ancient Greece and elsewhere thanks to the battle-happy Macedonian Alexander the Great. Efforts have been made throughout history to reform the seven-day week, but this oddball unit of time has become ingrained in many religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, rendering any sort of tweak pretty unlikely.
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Why Is the Sky Blue?
Think about the atmosphere as a prism. In a prism, white light refracts through its polished surfaces and separates into the colors of the rainbow. The sun produces white light, so when its light travels through the atmosphere, it refracts a rainbow of colors. Each color comes from an electromagnetic wave. While red has the longest, slowest wavelength, blue and violet move in quick, short waves. As these colors pass through the atmosphere, they oscillate charged particles in air molecules like oxygen and nitrogen. Blue and violet are scattered in all directions at around 10 times the efficiency of red light, so they get the highest coverage area in our sky. Our eyes are more sensitive to blue than violet, which is why we see the sky as blue.
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Why Is It Considered Rude to Point at Another Person?
When assisting theme park guests, Disney employees are trained to point with two conjoined fingers, index and middle. While the act reportedly doubles as a nod to Walt Disney's smoking, the larger explanation is that standard pointing is considered rude in numerous cultures — especially if aimed at another person. A perception that dates back to Shakespeare's time suggests pointing brings unwanted attention to the recipient, implying that they've committed a wrong. Repeated pointing in Japan can even instigate hostility. And figurative "finger-pointing" is defined as "making explicit and often unfair accusations of blame." In situations where you feel compelled to point, it is kinder to use an open palm, flight attendant-style.
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Is the "Five-Second Rule" Real?
Most people know the "five-second rule": the idea that if food that's fallen on the floor has been there less than five seconds, it's still acceptable to eat. No one knows the origins of this questionable rule — and plenty of people think it's kind of gross — but that hasn't stopped anyone from picking up a dropped Oreo and shouting "five-second rule!" before.
Actual scientists have devoted time and resources to testing the five-second rule. And surprisingly, it's not an entirely bogus theory — depending on the cleanliness of the floor. To be clear, no scientist has gone on record recommending that you eat dropped food. However, a science experiment conducted at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proved that as long as the food was picked up within the five-second time limit, the presence of microorganisms on the dropped food was minimal. However, the experiment was conducted after first sanitizing the flooring, and it only applied to hard flooring like tile and wood, which are less likely to serve as an incubator for pathogens. No testing was conducted on carpeting and other soft surfaces, which can hold moisture and become breeding grounds for bacteria. In any case, it's definitely not recommended to blindly follow the five-second rule. You have no way of knowing which pathogens are on your floor, so unless you regularly disinfect, it's best to play it safe and follow another rule: When in doubt, toss it out.
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Why Is It So Cold on Airplanes?
Passengers often complain about the cold temperature in airplane cabins. Flight staff will provide passengers with a blanket, but they don't ever increase the heat. That's because the temperature on an aircraft has been set in a very intentional way — and it's for your safety.
A study by ATSM International found that people were more likely to faint on an aircraft than on the ground due to a condition called hypoxia. The pressurized environment of an airplane cabin can prevent our body from getting enough oxygen, which causes fainting. The warmer the temperature onboard the aircraft, the more likely this is to happen. To prevent passengers from passing out, airlines intentionally lower the cabin temperature. While this might be slightly uncomfortable, it's much safer for your body.
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Why Is New York Called "the Big Apple"?
Before it was used to refer to the city that never sleeps, "big apple" was an idiom used to mean a very big deal, an object of great desire or big dreams. The first time New York City was referred to as a "big apple" in print may have been in 1909, when American journalist Edward S. Martin wrote in his book The Wayfarer in New York that those in the Midwest are "apt to see in New York a greedy city … it inclines to think that the big apple gets a disproportionate share of the national sap." The phrase doesn't seem to have been intended as a nickname, however.
It was actually a horse-racing column published by the New York Morning Telegraph that popularized the term. "The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York," racing journalist John J. Fitz Gerald wrote in a 1924 column eventually called "Around the Big Apple." However, Fitz Gerald apparently first heard the term from two Black stable hands in New Orleans. As etymologist Michael Quinion explains, "the Big Apple was the New York racetracks … the goal of every aspiring jockey and trainer … for those New Orleans stable hands the New York racing scene was a supreme opportunity, like an attractive big red apple." The expression was later further popularized by jazz musicians in the 1920s and 1930s, then picked up in the 1970s by Charles Gillett, president of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, who began a tourism campaign around the slogan.
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Why Do They Mist Produce at the Grocery Store?
Many grocery stores display produce in open cases fitted with tiny jets to periodically bathe the veggies in a cool mist. (Some supermarkets even pipe in the sound of thundering rain to add to the rainy vibe.) The purpose behind misting is not to keep produce clean or extend its shelf life — it's a clever way for grocers to make the fruits and vegetables look fresher and healthier so consumers purchase more. Water clinging to leafy greens also adds weight, which increases revenue for the store when vegetables are sold by the pound.
Ironically, misting actually shortens produce's shelf life because water allows bacteria and mold to take hold. Misted veggies will likely not last as long in your fridge as those that weren't misted in the produce aisle — which is another, perhaps sneakier, way to get you to buy produce more often.
12 of 25
What's the Difference Between a Couch and a Sofa?
Though usually used interchangeably, these are technically two different pieces of furniture — and the distinction lies in the words themselves. "Couch" comes to us from French, namely coucher — "to lie down" — whereas we have the Arabic word suffah to thank for "sofa." In the most traditional sense, a sofa would be a wooden bench that comes complete with blankets and cushions and is intended for sitting. eBay's selling guide used to distinguish between the two by defining a couch as "a piece of furniture with no arms used for lying." Though it may be a distinction without a difference these days, purists tend to think of sofas as a bit more formal and couches as something you'd take a nap on and let your pets hang out on.
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Why Is Pink Considered a Color for Girls, and Blue for Boys?
Originally, it was actually the other way around. For much of the 19th century, most infants and toddlers wore white dresses. Dresses facilitated diaper-changing, and white cotton could easily be cleaned with bleach. But around 1900, childcare experts began to push for a greater distinction between little girls and boys, amid fears that boys were growing up "weaker" and "lazier" than their fathers had. Many U.S. publications and stores responded in part by recommending pink clothing for boys and blue clothing for girls, although some also recommended the opposite color scheme. According to Dressmaker magazine, "Blue is reserved for girls as it is considered paler, and the more dainty of the two colors, and pink is thought to be stronger (akin to red)."
But around World War II, everything changed. Soon pink was heavily marketed as the preferred color for girls, and blue for boys. It's not entirely clear what led to the switch, and the colors chosen were somewhat arbitrary — the focus was primarily on creating clothes specific for each child in an attempt to curb hand-me-downs, and thus sell more product. Once the 1950s began, hospitals wrapped newborns in pink or blue blankets, based on their sex (today's standard blankets contain pink and blue stripes).
14 of 25
What Does the "QR" in "QR Code" Mean?
QR codes are those pixelated-looking black-and-white squares that you can scan with your phone for more information about something, whether it's an advertisement or a piece of art. They've become ubiquitous, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic popularized contactless menus and payment. However, they're very rarely called by their full name. "QR" actually stands for "quick response," and the codes can be used to share far more than a link. If you wanted to, you could share an entire book with one code. The technology was first developed by a Toyota subsidiary in the mid-'90s as a way to track auto parts, but QR codes found new life as a way to direct smartphone users from a physical space to a digital one. They used to require a special reader, but nowadays, most smartphone camera apps will read QR codes on their own.
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of 25
Why Are You Supposed to Keep Your Elbows Off the Table?
A close-up of a woman's elbows on a table.Credit: Baworn47/ Shutterstock
In the Old Testament, the Book of Ecclesiastes includes the line, "Be ashamed of breaking an oath or a covenant, and of stretching your elbow at dinner." Many have translated this directive as a warning to keep elbows off the table at all times. Table manners were originally introduced to prevent mealtime fights, with the knife and fork establishing each eater's boundary lines. Today, the elbow rule stops people from slouching or accidentally leaning their arms into food dishes. Moreover, when breaking bread with a group, placing your elbows on the table blocks those on either side of you from making eye contact.
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Why Do You Cry When You Cut Onions?
There's no need to cry over spilled milk, but what about chopped onions? You can thank a chemical combination of enzymes and sulfur for the tears that well up while you make dinner. Onions use sulfur to make a mixture of amino acids and enzymes during the growing process. The acids and enzymes are separated and stored in different regions of the onion's cells, which are called vacuoles. While the onion remains whole, the amino acids and enzymes in the onion's cells remain separated. Once you cut into the onion, however, everything mixes together. When the two substances are combined, they form a chemical known as syn-Propanethial-S-oxide, or lachrymatory factor (LF). LF is an irritant that's easily vaporized when it reacts with the air.
LF isn't strong enough to affect tougher parts of your body such as your skin, but it can irritate more sensitive regions. As the vapors waft up toward your face, your eyes will begin to sting. Your body — sensing the irritant — will release a torrent of tears in an attempt to wash the chemicals from your eyes. Luckily, LF can't do any serious damage, even in high quantities.
Producing LF is the onion's way of defending against anything that may want to eat it. As soon as an animal bites into the root, its eyes start to burn and it's reminded to stay away from onions. Unfortunately for onions, humans are persistent.
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Why Is February the Shortest Month of the Year?
February has fewer days because of the superstitions of ancient Rome. In the late eighth century BCE, Romans — including their king Numa Pompilius — held a superstition that even numbers were somehow unlucky. Although he created a version of a 12-month calendar, Pompilius realized there was no mathematical way for every month to have an odd number of days and for the total number of days in the year to also be odd. So while the other months were either 29 or 31 days long, February became the unlucky month to have only 28 days, making Pompilius' calendar the apparently-less-scary number of 355.
In 45 BCE, Caesar — disregarding Pompilius' fear of even numbers — added days to a number of other months, but not February. Some experts believe Caesar didn't want to disrupt the important festivals that took place in that month and so he just let it be. But with the introduction of the Julian calendar, February did receive a consolation prize in the form of an additional day every four years.
18 of 25
What Are the Tallest Beings in the World?
With a narrow range stretching for about 450 miles, from Big Sur to southern Oregon, coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) are the tallest living beings in the world — and one in particular surpasses them all. Named after a titan in Greek mythology and found in California's Redwood National Park, Hyperion stands 380 feet tall. That's 65 feet taller than London's Big Ben and 10 feet taller than the previous record holder, another coast redwood.
19 of 25
Why Do Cats "Make Biscuits"?
A nursing kitten often presses its mom's belly with its front paws; this kneading action stimulates the flow of milk. But many full-grown cats continue the behavior, "making biscuits" on pillows, soft blankets, towels, or their owners. Veterinarians think adult cats knead when they're feeling safe and relaxed and to show affection to humans and other cats. The act of kneading can also calm cats, like a form of feline self-care. Making biscuits may also be a sign that a cat is marking its territory with the scent glands located between its toes.
20 of 25
Are Sweet Potatoes Really Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes and common potatoes share part of a name, but the two are entirely different plants — and sweet potatoes aren't even potatoes. Sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulaceae family, a group of flowering plants that's also called the morning glory family. Potatoes belong to the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, and are cousins to peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. Both species get their name from an Indigenous Caribbean term, batata, which eventually morphed into the English "potato." By the 1740s, "sweet" was added to the orange-fleshed tuber's name to differentiate the two root crops.
Then there are yams. Although they're often served interchangeably with sweet potatoes, this third root crop is biologically unrelated to either sweet potatoes or common potatoes. These tubers belong to the Dioscoreacea family, a group of flowering plants usually cultivated in tropical areas. Luckily, you don't have to know their scientific classification to distinguish between the two non-spuds at the grocery store: Sweet potatoes have tapered ends and relatively smooth skin, while true yams are generally larger with rough bark and a more cylindrical shape. At most U.S. grocery stores, what you're seeing labeled as a yam is probably actually a sweet potato.
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Does the Color Red Really Make Bulls Mad?
No — bulls can't actually see the color. As is the case with other cattle and grazing animals such as sheep and horses, bulls' eyes have two types of color receptor cells (as opposed to the three types that humans have) and are most attuned to yellows, greens, blues, and purples. This condition, a kind of colorblindness known as dichromatism, makes a bullfighter's muleta (red cape) look yellowish-gray to the animals.
So why are bulls enraged by the sight of matadors waving their muletas? The answer is simple: motion. The muleta isn't even brought out until the third and final stage of a bullfight. The reason it's red is a little unsavory — it's actually because the color masks bloodstains. In 2007, the TV show MythBusters even devoted a segment to the idea that bulls are angered by the color red, finding zero evidence that the charging animals care what color is being waved at them and ample evidence that sudden movements are what really aggravate the poor creatures.
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Why Do We Say "Knock on Wood"?
In the United States, we say "knock on wood" (in the .K., it's "touch wood") in a variety of situations, like after mentioning something we hope will happen. It's a means of averting misfortune, making sure we don't "tempt fate." Some explanations for the practice mention a Celtic or otherwise pagan association with tree spirits, the idea being that knocking on wood (particularly once-sacred trees like oak and ash) might awaken these deities and confer their protection. Others note a Christian association with the wood of the cross.
But the origins of this practice are probably much more modern. In A Dictionary of English Folklore, scholars Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud note that the earliest known reference to the practice only dates to 1805. It seems linked to 19th-century children's games like "Tiggy Touchwood" — types of tag in which children were safe from capture if they touched something wooden, like a door or tree. In his book The Lore of the Playground, Roud writes: "Given that the game was concerned with 'protection,' and was well known to adults as well as children, it is almost certainly the origin of our modern superstitious practice of saying, 'Touch wood.' The claim that the latter goes back to when we believed in tree spirits is complete nonsense."
23 of 25
Why Does Toothpaste Make Orange Juice Taste Terrible?
Most of us have endured this unpleasant situation at least once. The culprit is a toothpaste ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which produces the foam that builds during vigorous brushing. Unfortunately, SLS also temporarily blocks the tongue's sweet receptors, while simultaneously destroying the compounds in saliva that suppress our bitter receptors. The result is a double-whammy for our sensitive taste buds, which leaves us to taste only the unsavory citric acid from what would otherwise be a refreshing drink.
24 of 25
Where Did the Phrase "Devil's Advocate" Come From?
The term "devil's advocate" is a familiar label for someone who argues a position they don't agree with just to make a point, but its origins are more literal than you might expect. In 1587, Pope Sixtus V established the position of advocatus diaboli, or "devil's advocate," as part of the process of beatification or canonization — aka becoming a saint. The devil's advocate was the church's skeptic, picking apart stories of reported "miracles" and more to argue against someone's sainthood. The advocate had to be present for any part of the sainthood process to be considered valid. However, the title was primarily a popular moniker — the position's official designation was the "promoter of the faith," or promotor fidei.
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What's the Most Expensive Item Ever Made by Humans?
The most expensive movie ever made is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which cost a whopping $410 million. That's a pretty penny to be sure, but it's less than half a percent of the most expensive human-made object in history: the International Space Station, whose price tag comes in at $100 billion. Launched in 1998 after more than a decade of careful (and often difficult) planning, the ISS is a collaboration between five space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It has been continuously occupied since 2000, with a full-time international crew conducting microgravity experiments and other research.
Hope you enjoyed these Nuggets ……skip
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The Life of a fighter pilot. Battle of Britain 1940.
Thanks to YP ... and Dr. Rich ……. at the risk of a dupe and way behind my IN Box
Killed by the one you did not see.
In many wars, and by things other than airplanes, too.
I have studied BOB all my life. It was a close run thing, Brits against many formations tutored by combat veterans, a good airplane, a better tactical formation (finger four, perfected in Spain). If you've not read "Piece of Cake," you should. The preceding Battle of France was not pretty for the Brits.
Good story, here. Thanks for sending.
It's better to be lucky AND good.
YP
Battle of Britain site
Yesterday at 12:33 AM ·
The Life of a fighter pilot. Battle of Britain 1940.
4 am. Woken with a hand on my shoulder.
Tea Sir! 4 o clock.
Tea is hot, strong and scolds as I try and get ready.
Quick dry shave, quick wash- no warm water yet. Quickly dressing into uniform, Irvin jacket, I pick up gloves, stuff feet into boots, I finish slurping my tea as I walk to get breakfast.
"Morning Adams, says Parky, my Flight Leader. "Another Beautiful day!" he says heavy with irony.
For now I get toast, jam, more tea- The second breakfast usually follows the first early mission when we get egg and bacon, toast and coffee, for those lucky to return. Sometimes you can bag an unclaimed egg!
I quickly glance up and read the orders, the notes, check what time we are due out to Dispersal-"What time Jonesey?"... Oh! It is now!
Off we troop to the waiting lorry, pile in and drive around the perimetre track the quarter mile. Shriek of brakes binding on. Shouts, humorous jokes to the driver-off we jump and walk through the dew glistened, sun bleached grass to the wooden dispersal hut. I go over to my Spit, check everything is set, that the helmet sits on the sight, the straps set ready for a quick strap in, parachute on wingtip, I wipe the dew off before placing it there. Damp parachutes do not open.
I walk back to the musty smelling wood dispersal hut with its dead flies, the smelly Cocker spaniel dog-friend to all, it`s assortment of chairs, fold up camp beds and look over at Jonesy, he is reading yesterdays papers, looking at Jane in a state of undress, yet again.
I fall down into a deck chair, put a newspaper over my face lie back into the warmth of my fleece lined Irvin jacket with its collar up and am soon asleep again.
WHAT? Sounds of running, furniture scraping, chair falling, some rude words aimed at me being lazy! I am up and running to my Spitfire. There she is: "G" is parked further away than my section leader, flight leader and squadron leader`s Spits so I have to run at double speed to catch up, a quick swing of the parachute off the wingtip hits me in the back of the legs, groundcrew help pass straps, click, click, click all in. Up onto wing with its resonate metallic clang sound. "Careful Sir! I slipped on the dew." ighto, thanks errr. I dont know his name yet.
Into the cockpit, helmet on top of gunsight, put it on. push the radio and microphone connection in, oxygen tube plugged in, adjust chin strap, over the shoulder appear my seat straps held by the groundcrew, new bloke this one as Smithy is on a charge-I am told. Out on a date and back late!
Right, to business-fast as others are starting up. Flaps checked UP. Both Fuel Cock levers to ON, Throttle a half inch open. Mixture Control to RICH. Rotol Airscrew Lever to Fully FORWARD. Radiator Shutter-OPEN. Three strokes of Primer today. Call groundcrew. Clear Prop. Switch ON ignition and pull priming handle. Press the Starter button and give one stoke of Primer at the same time. Keep pressed as engine fires, Screw down priming pump, Call Chocks away. Check instruments, temperatures, revs, Mag drop. Okay! Off we go taxying quickly- falling in behind my Section leader who follows the three in front led by the Flt Leader, then the Squadron Leader`s section and A Flight way down the field. Taxying fast, swinging rudder to see each side of the long 8 foot nose, gentle on brakes, sensitive fore and aft the Spit!
Reach end of field, check temps, turn into wind, there they go, 1, 2, 3 then 4, 5, 6, then B flight`s turn, 7, 8, 9, now my Section leader opens up and I am with him with Jonesy on the other side behind. Make this look good. Bouncing, throttle more fed in, off we go, unsticking, climbing, pumping the undercarriage up, jamming elbow into cockpit side to stop porpoising with stick in sympathy. Airfield grows smaller in my mirror.
Climbing, hanging on the prop, desperately trying to get height so that we might be above the escort fighters, usually arriving above the bombers but with 109s coming down upon us. We climb in a spral over base-airfield protection. Leader acknowledges coure change and height, we reach 22000 feet and see the Stukas coming in below us at 16000. Glints above, ignore them, down we go: I see the Spitfires in front gradually turning over on their back and falling rapidly down behind the Stukas I am near the back. I am aware that only Jones is between me and the escort fighters now coming down but yet unseen in the sun. His eyes are glued to me and the ones in front, staying in formation line astern, so I look over my shoulder into the bright sky every 5 seconds.
Spitfire is hit in front of me by the rear gunner of a Stuka out to one side, flame spreading from his engine, he falls away smoking. I fire on him a brief burst as I flash past. I turn, just in time to see a flash behind me where Jones should be and am aware of something coming fast from above and behind me, I jam full left stick and left ridder and fall away in a quick spiral downward then rising into a climbing, spiralling turn, looking for a target-trying not to be a target.
There! I see a 109 has overshot and is going away down in front, I latch onto him. I look behind, Clear, clear in the mirror also. I close slowly I fire when his wings are just inside the sight reflector range indicated and close, firing a two second burst. Something clangs off my wing, something came off him. He suddenly emits smoke and falls away. I turn rapidly to clear my tail and lose sight of him below against the fields. Ah Well, a Damaged, or is it a Probable?
I look around, No one else in sight. I stooge around, climbing in a spiral looking for a mate but see no one so after looking at the coast for stragglers, seeing none, I return to the airfield.
Right. Call up and advise returning. I turn onto the correct compass course, hard to see down there in the darkness of the cockpit after my eyes adjust to the bright glare of the sun. I settle back in my seat, reflecting upon where that Messerschmitt ended up. Letting down slowly. I look around as something casts a shadow in my mirror ...........
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Flight Lieutenant Parks- The B Flight Leader to some ground crew: Sorry, Sgt but P/O Adams and Sgt Jones bought it. You might as well see Chiefy for getting ready two of the newly arrived Spits, they need the guns harmonizing at the butts.
A simple story, I wrote to reflect upon what happened often in the Battle of Britain. Killed by the one you did not see.
Copyright Paul Davies, aviation historian
Paul Davies
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This Day in U S Military History…….4 August
1790 – Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton's proposal to build ten cutters to protect the new nation's revenue (Stat. L. 145, 175). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department. This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard.
1918 – America's second highest-scoring ace, Frank Luke, begins his short but distinguished career. He downs 14 observation balloons and four aircraft in a few weeks. He is forced down behind German lines in late September, and refusing to surrender, will be shot.
1949 – Congress approved Public Law 207, which revised, codified and enacted into law title 14 of the United Stated Code. This set forth for the first time a clear, concise statutory statement of the duties and functions of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Act confirmed that the Coast Guard was a branch of the armed forces of the United States, confirmed it in its general functions of marine safety, maritime law enforcement, and military readiness to operate as a service in the Navy upon declaration of war or when the president directs.
And so it began
1964 – At 8 p.m., the destroyers USS Maddox and USS C. Turner Joy, operating in the Gulf of Tonkin, intercept radio messages from the North Vietnamese that give Captain John Herrick of the Maddox the "impression" that Communist patrol boats are planning an attack against the American ships, prompting him to call for air support from the carrier USS Ticonderoga. Eight Crusader jets soon appeared overhead, but in the darkness, neither the pilots nor the ship crews saw any enemy craft. However, about 10 p.m. sonar operators reported torpedoes approaching. The U.S. destroyers maneuvered to avoid the torpedoes and began to fire at the North Vietnamese patrol boats. When the action ended about two hours later, U.S. officers reported sinking two, or possibly three of the North Vietnamese boats, but no American was sure of ever having seen any enemy boats nor any enemy gunfire. Captain Herrick immediately communicated his doubts to his superiors and urged a "thorough reconnaissance in daylight." Shortly thereafter, he informed Admiral U. S. Grant Sharp, commander of the Pacific Fleet, that the blips on the radar scope were apparently "freak weather effects" while the report of torpedoes in the water were probably due to "overeager" radar operators. Because of the time difference, it was only 9:20 a.m. in Washington when the Pentagon received the initial report of a potential attack on the U.S. destroyers. When a more detailed report was received at 11 a.m. there was still a lot of uncertainty as to just what had transpired. President Johnson, convinced that the second attack had taken place, ordered the Joint Chiefs of Staff to select targets for possible retaliatory air strikes. At a National Security Council meeting, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, recommended to the president that the reprisal strikes be ordered. Johnson was cautious at first, but in a follow-up meeting in the afternoon, he gave the order to execute the reprisal, code-named Pierce Arrow. The President then met with 16 Congressional leaders to inform them of the second unprovoked attack and that he had ordered reprisal attacks. He also told them he planned to ask for a Congressional resolution to support his actions. At 11:20 p.m., McNamara was informed by Admiral Sharp that the aircraft were on their way to the targets and at 11:26, President Johnson appeared on national television and announced that the reprisal raids were underway in response to unprovoked attacks on U.S. warships. He assured the viewing audience that, "We still seek no wider war." However, these incidents proved to be only the opening moves in an escalation that would eventually see more than 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*WILSON, ROBERT LEE
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 24 May 1921, Centralia, Ill. Accredited to: Illinois. Citation For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces at Tinian Island, Marianas Group, on 4 August 1944. As 1 of a group of marines advancing through heavy underbrush to neutralize isolated points of resistance, Pfc. Wilson daringly preceded his companions toward a pile of rocks where Japanese troops were supposed to be hiding. Fully aware of the danger involved, he was moving forward while the remainder of the squad, armed with automatic rifles, closed together in the rear when an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group. Quick to act, Pfc. Wilson cried a warning to the men and unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, heroically sacrificing his own life that the others might live and fulfill their mission. His exceptional valor, his courageous loyalty and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave peril reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. Wilson and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 4 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
4 August
1908: With Thomas S. Baldwin at the controls and Glenn H. Curtiss as the engineer, Signal Corps Airship No. 1 made its first test ascent, a 7-minute flight, above Fort Myer. (24)
1910: Elmo N. Pickerill made the first plane-to-ground-to-plane radiotelegraphic communication in the US while flying a Curtiss pusher from Mineola to Manhattan Beach and back. (21) (24)
1921: Lt John A. Macready, at the request of the entomologist at Cleveland, flew the first aerial insecticide application flight.
1925: The MacMillan polar expedition started with Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd's assistance and Loening amphibians. (24)
1944: Operation APHRODITE. Eighth Air Force launched radio-controlled B-17 drones, carrying 20,000 pounds of TNT, against V-1 rocket sites in Pas de Calais, France. (4) (21)
1950: KOREAN WAR. B-29 attacked key bridges above the 38th parallel to start FEAF "Interdiction Campaign No. 1." (28)
1953: A B-47 Stratojet set a nonstop distance record for jets in making a 4,450-mile flight from Fairford, England, to MacDill AFB, in 9 hours 53 minutes.
1955: China released the crewmen of a Special Operations B-29, "The Stardust 40." They were captured on 13 January 1953 and were held longer than any other prisoners of war in the Korean War. (21)
1960: Pilot Joseph A. Walker flew the X-15 to an unofficial world speed record of 2,196 MPH.
1964: North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. On 7 August, Congress authorized President Johnson to use all measures to assist South Vietnam. That decision led to a buildup of airpower in the region. (See 5 August)
1964: First US air strikes against North Vietnam.
1970: From Vandenberg AFB, the Minuteman Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERCS) completed its first operational test launch. (6) AFRES aircrews airlifted 73 handicapped children from Corpus Christi, Texas, after Hurricane Celia destroyed the Texas Department of Mental Health and Retardation School. (16) (26)
1977: The last T-33 Shooting Star left the AFFTC at Edwards AFB for retirement at Davis-Monthan AFB; however, active USAF units continued to fly the T-33 until the mid-80s. The 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., actively flew the T-33s until the unit inactivated on 1 October 1985. In addition other Air Defense Tactical Air Command units at Minot and McChord continued to fly F-106s and T-33s for a few more years. (16) (26)
1982: The first KC-135R (number 61-0293) with the new CFM-56 engines made its first flight. (1) The NF-16 Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) aircraft made its first flight. (16)
2000: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB completed the GBU-27A/B enhanced guided bomb unit's flight test evaluation for the F-117, just two months after its first captive-carry flight. (3)
2002: The last B-1 departed from the 184th Bomb Wing, Kansas ANG. The unit officially became an air refueling wing on 16 September 2002. (32)
2007: PHOENIX MARS LANDER. NASA launched this lander to study Mars on a Delta II booster from Space Launch Complex 17-A at Cape Canaveral, Fla. After a 422 million-mile journey, the Phoenix spacecraft landed in the arctic region of northern Mars on 25 May 2008. The lander tried to answer questions about the Martian arctic's ability to support life. A 920th Rescue Wing (Air Force Reserves) HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter conducted pre- and post-flight operations to clear the launch path, while the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., provided mission support. (AFNEWS, "Air Force Supports Launch of NASA Mission to Mars," 6 Aug 2007.)
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