FROM THE VAULT

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Yesterday I posted some items about Mary and her lamb, in the context of cloning.  It gave the story of the first animal cloned from adult cells, Dolly the sheep.

It reminded me that some years ago I had posted more about Mary and Lamb, which is worth re-posting . . .

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Bytes

Friday, May 25, 2012

Mary and Her Lamb

(Risque content)

In 1820, 14 year old Mary Sawyer of Sterling, Massachusetts took pity on a lamb that had been rejected by its mother. She looked after it and, as is common with animals had fed and reared by humans from birth, the lamb fixated on her. It followed her wherever she went. At the urging of her brother, she let the lamb follow her to school, the Redstone School, which had been built in 1798. When it was Mary’s turn to recite something at the front of the class, her lamb followed her as she made her way forward. This caused mirth and commotion with the other students. Sound familiar?

Years later Mary recalled the incident:

Visiting school that morning was a young man by the name of John Roulstone, a nephew of the Reverend Lemuel Capen, who was then settled in Sterling. It was the custom then for students to prepare for college with ministers, and for this purpose Mr. Roulstone was studying with his uncle. The young man was very much pleased with the incident of the lamb; and the next day he rode across the fields on horseback to the little old schoolhouse and handed me a slip of paper which had written upon it the three original stanzas of the poem...

Those stanzas were as follows:

MARY'S LAMB.

Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow,

And everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go;

He followed her to school one day

That was against the rule,

It made the children laugh and play,

To see a lamb at school.

And so the Teacher turned him out,

But still he lingered near,

And waited patiently about,

Till Mary did appear;

And then he ran to her, and laid

His head upon her arm,

As if he said ' I 'm not afraid

You '11 keep me from all harm.'

'What makes the lamb love Mary so?'

The eager children cry,

‘Mary loves the lamb, you know,'

The Teacher did reply;

‘And you each gentle animal

In confidence may bind,

And make them follow at your call,

If you are always kind.’

 

Sarah Josepha Hale

Although John Roulstone presented Mary with the poem, he wrote only the first four lines at most. The next 12 lines, which are more moralistic and less childlike than the first four, were composed by Sarah Josepha Hale. Many believe that Sarah Josepha Hale was responsible for writing the entire poem, based on what John Roulstone told her from his observation of the incident.

The poem was published as an original poem by Sarah Hale in 1830.

Mary Sawyer married in 1835 but never had children. She died in Somerville in 1889.

Mary Sawyer's house, located in Sterling, known as the “Mary Had a Little Lamb House”, was destroyed by arson in 2007.

A statue representing Mary's Little Lamb stands in the town centre.

The Redstone School

The Redstone School was purchased by Henry Ford and relocated to a churchyard on the property of Longfellows Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

William Wallace Denslow’s lllustrations for Mary had a little lamb, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose

There have been many parodies of the first verse of the nursery rhyme, many too bawdy to print here.

Some parodies of this song have been going around since at least 1886, when the following was published in a magazine:

Mary had a little lamb

with coat as black as soot

and into Mary's cup of milk

it put its dirty foot

Now Mary, a straightforward girl

hated any sham

rapped out a naughty little word

that rhymed with Mary's lamb!

(For those not inclined to work out the meaning of the above, Mary said “Damn!”)

Some others. . .

Mary had a little lamb.

She tied it to a pylon.

10,000 volts went up its arse,

And turned its wool to nylon.

Mary had a little lamb

She also had a bear.

I've often seen her little lamb

but never seen her bare

Mary had a little lamb

you've heard this tale before

did you know she passed the plate

and had a little more?

Mary had a little lamb

She also had a duck

She put them on the windowsill

To see if they would fall off.

Mary had a little sheep

And with this sheep did Mary sleep.

The sheep turned out to be a ram

And Mary had a little lamb.

Mary had a little lamb

Her father shot it dead

Now Mary takes that lamb to school

Between two hunks of bread

Mary had a little skirt

That was slit in half

And every step that Mary took

The boys could see her calf.

Mary had another skirt

That was slit in front

And every step the Mary took

WAS VERY CAREFUL!

Some people say all fleas are black

But I know it isn't so

'Coz Mary had a little lamb

And its fleas was white as snow.

Mary had a little watch,

She swallowed it one day.

And so she took some castor oil

To pass the time away.

But even with the castor oil

The time refused to pass

So if you want to know the time

Just look up Mary's arse!

A disease blight in England also saw a number of parodies:

Mary had a little lamb

She called it baby Abby

They burned it in a great big pit

Cos its mouth and feet were scabby

Mary had a little lamb,

She called him Little Ralph,

But now he's burning in a field

Because of foot and mouth.

Mary's pigs had foot and mouth

This crisis', cried she, 'Needs tackling."

Now all she's got is one black field

And fourteen tons of crackling...

Mary had a little lamb,

She called him little Ed,

Now he's lying in a field,

With a pick axe through his head!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

SHEEP, CLONES, LAMBS AND MARY

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Dolly (taxidermied)

Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was a female Finnish Dorset sheep and the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. She was cloned by associates of the Roslin Institute in Scotland, using the process of nuclear transfer from a cell taken from a mammary gland. Her cloning proved that a cloned organism could be produced from a mature cell from a specific body part.

Dolly was important because she was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Her birth proved that specialised cells could be used to create an exact copy of the animal they came from. This knowledge changed what scientists thought was possible and opened up a lot of possibilities in biology and medicine, including the development of personalised stem cells known as iPS cells.

However, Dolly was not the first ever cloned mammal. That honour belongs to another sheep which was cloned from an embryo cell and born in 1984 in Cambridge, UK. Two other sheep, Megan and Morag, had also been cloned from embryonic cells grown in the lab at The Roslin Institute in 1995 and six other sheep, cloned from embryonic and foetal cells, were born at Roslin at the same time as Dolly. What made Dolly so special was that she had been made from an adult cell, which no-one at the time thought was possible.

Dolly lived at the Roslin Institute throughout her life and produced several lambs. She was euthanised at the age of six years due to a progressive lung disease. No cause which linked the disease to her cloning was found.

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Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was slightly gray

It didn’t have a father, just some borrowed DNA.

It sort of had a mother, though the ovum was on loan,

It was not so much a lambkin as a little lamby clone.

And soon it had a fellow clone, and soon it had some more,

They followed her to school one day, all cramming through the door.

It made the children laugh and sing, the teachers found it droll,

There were too many lamby clones, for Mary to control.

No other could control the sheep, since the programs didn’t vary,

So the scientists resolved it all, by simply cloning Mary.

But now they feel quite sheepish, those scientists unwary,

One problem solved but what to do, with Mary, Mary, Mary.

- Author unknown

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Mary had a little lamb, but she really wanted two,

And thanks to genetic research, she knew just what to do !

Scientists took the DNA from Mary's lamb and said,

We'll make a carbon copy, and a lamb clone will be bred !

So, a brand new lamb was born, and people called it Dolly.

Mammal cloning's first big star, or mankind's biggest folly ?

For if we start to clone ourselves, aren't we playing God ?

Creating some master race, with perfect face and bod ?

If today we clone a lamb, how long will it be

'Til someone decides to clone himself, and not clone you and me ?

So the next time Mary's little lamb comes walking down the way,

Admire its fleece, as white a snow, and not its DNA.

Author unknown

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QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

Bonus tree quote:

EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR. PART 2

__________

6

Name of tree: Kippford Leaning Tree

Species: Hawthorn

Age: 60 years

Country: UK (Scotland)

Votes: 30,761

The tree’s story:

A defiant lone hawthorn guarding the Scottish coastline.

The tree on the coast of Dumfries & Galloway is a fine example of a mature hawthorn tree. While not spectacular in size, it cuts a striking presence as the only tree on the windswept cockle shell beach. The hawthorn has been enjoyed by three generations of one local Dalbeattie family. It’s been climbed on, battered by the winds and even bumped into by cars turning. Yet still it survives and stands strong and proud on the edge of the beach.

__________

5

Name of tree: Umbrella from High Tatras

Species: Weeping European Beech

Age: 70 years

Country: Slovakia

Votes: 37,872

The tree’s story:

Symbol of Starý Smokovec

Now it's impossible to find out who planted the tree - it was probably planted in the 1950s by students from the Horticultural School in Lednice in Moravia during the "Great Cleaning". Since the unusual sloping building of the Mountain Rescue Service grew up in the centre of Starý Smokovec, the tree has found itself under the protective wings of all of the members who even saved it from being cut down. Although it is the most common tree in Europe, it is unique in the High Tatras. And there is definitely only one that looks like this.

__________

4

Name of tree: Chestnut of the Hundred Horses

Species: Sweet Chestnut

Age: 3000 years

Country: Italy

Votes: 46,275

The tree’s story:

This chestnut is thought to be over 3,000 years old. It is composed of three large stems that perhaps use the same root system. If so, it would also be the largest tree in the world. Legend has it that Queen Joan of Aragon took shelter with all her knights under the branches of this huge tree following a storm. Since then the chestnut, also visited by Goethe and many other writers and artists, has been called "The chestnut of 100 horses".

__________

3

Name of tree: The Big Cork Oak

Species: Cork Oak

Age: 250 years

Country: Portugal

Votes: 70,563

The tree’s story:

Vale do Pereiro, in the municipality of Arraiolos, is a small village whose surrounding area corresponds to the typical Alentejo landscape. Among its paths stands “The Big Cork Oak” which, due to its size, harbours life, awakens feelings and surprises us with the diameter of the canopy and the way it is loved, esteemed and known by the community. In the summer, under its shade, shelters men and animals, harbouring the workers field lunch and giving way to the herds.

__________

2

Name of tree: Oak of Conxo's Banquet Forest

Species: English Oak

Age: 250 years

Country: Spain

Votes: 168,284

The tree’s story:

The Tree of Liberty

This historic oak was born at the time of Enlightenment. He was a witness in 1856 of the Democratic Banquet of Conxo, a revolutionary act that vindicated the ideals of the new Europe: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. It was defended by Rosalía de Castro in a pioneering ecological protest in Spain. And the forest that welcomes it, at the foot of the Portuguese Pilgrimage Trail, is today a whole botanical treasure chest, open to the public in 2018 (with a great popular festival) after remaining inaccessible for more than a century.

__________

1

Name of tree: Oak Dunin

Species: English Oak

Age: 400 years

Country: Poland

Votes: 179,317

The tree’s story:

Guardian of the Białowieża Primeval Forest

The oak tree is growing at the edge of the Białowieża Primeval Forest, one of the most known lowland forests, not only in Poland but also in Europe. It has been particularly respected and admired by local people as well as tourists visiting this area of Poland, called the European Region of Wisent. It is an inspiration for many artists. It amazes in every season – during full vegetation but also when it is showing its leafless, mysteriously curved branches.

__________

By the way, does anyone else think that the trunk looks like a pair of elephant’s legs and feet? –

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR, 2022, PART 1

__________

The European Tree of the Year contest originated in 2011. It was inspired by the popular Tree of the Year contest, which has been organised in the Czech Republic by the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation for many years.

The purpose of the European Tree of the Year is to highlight the significance of old trees in the natural and cultural heritage that deserve care and protection. Unlike other contests, the European Tree of the Year doesn't focus on beauty, size or age but rather on the tree's story and its connection to people, trees that have become a part of the wider community.

__________

Following are the 15 finalists, counting down to the winner, placing being determined by votes received . . .

__________

15

Name of tree: I Am Tilia

Species: Large-leaved Lime

Age: 150 years

Country: The Netherlands

Votes: 24,201

The tree’s story (this commentaries are the words of the persons nominating each tree, not my words):

I am Tilia, a vibrant, modern woman in the bloom of my life, only 150 years young. Rooted in my local community, I reach out to the world, being the first tree in history with an Instagram account. Over 3.000 followers from London to Teheran view my journey through the seasons, one picture at a time. Planted at the beginning of the carbon emission age, I have a deep concern for climate change: I don’t eat meat, I don’t fly, I even absorb CO2. I am climate proof and great for biodiversity. I live and breathe for generations to come.

__________

14

Name of tree: Grandpa Kolyo's tree

Species: English Oak

Age: 350 years

Country: Bulgaria

Votes: 24,431

The tree’s story:

The oak is named after the owner of the field where it grows – Nikola Angelov, known as Grandpa Kolyo. After hard work he would rest under its thick shade. Legend has it that the tree was part of a dense forest, located where the village lies today. Because of the forest and the river, its first residents settled there and founded the village. They were Bulgarians, hiding from the Turkish forays. This old oak is a symbol of Studena and a pillar of the Bulgarian spirit and faith of its residents.

__________

13

Name of tree: The King’s Pine

Species: Scots Pine

Age: 380 years

Country: Estonia

Votes: 25,346

The tree’s story:

The majestic King's Pine grows in Järvselja, Southern Estonia. It sprouted at the same time that King Gustavus Adolphus II of Sweden founded the University of Tartu, about 380 years ago. Hundreds of Estonian biologists, foresters and students of other specialties, whose academic education has typically included internships in Järvselja research forests, recognize the tree well. It is a symbolic tree, the powerful sturdy trunk of which is a monument to Estonian forestry and nature education.

__________

12

Name of tree: The Giant Sequoia of the Collège Notre Dame de Bonlieu

Species: Giant Sequoia

Age: More than 200 years

Country: Belgium

Votes: 25,724

The tree’s story:

The redwood is the emblematic tree of the Collège Notre-Dame du Bonlieu. It sits in the honorary entrance of the College, where it has welcomed and still welcomes thousands of students. Many group photos have been taken at the foot of this majestic tree. He was depicted in a comic strip by an iconic Belgian author. This redwood is an important tree for the city of Virton, the school and its students, because it is an important part of the wooded heritage, and thanks to the biodiversity it hosts.

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11

Name of tree: The giant sequoia from Slatina

Species: Giant Sequoia

Age: Approximately 130 years

Country: Croatia

Votes: 26,225

The tree’s story:

The giant sequoia tree in Slatina is the only protected specimen of it's kind in Croatia. It is among the oldest in Europe and is protected as a natural monument in Croatia. One of the most aristocratic European families, the Schaumbug-Lippes, folllowed the 19th century horticultural trends by planting this sequoia. The oldest redwoods were also planted at this time in England, outside their natural habitat. The giant redwood tree is part of the EPIcentar Sequoia Slatina which is a new tourist oasis in Slatina's town centre.

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10

Name of tree: The weeping sophoras of the Csokonai Theatre in Debrecen

Species: Hanging Japanese Acacia

Age: 100 years

Country: Hungary

Votes: 26,347

The tree’s story:

The Csokonai Theatre in Debrecen was opened on 7 October, 1865. The trees in front of the building are 100 years old and they have a huge vaulted crown canopy. They often looked through the windows of the theatre, and every night they had something to talk about. They looked behind the scenes, saw thousands of successes and failures, experienced periods of need and glittering years. Our trees are curiosities in Hungary as well, they are under local protection, the people in Debrecen love and protect them.

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9

Name of tree: Age Grand Oak

Species: English Oak

Age: 250 years

Country: Latvia

Votes: 27,098

The tree’s story:

After the Soviet occupation our family regained our grandfather’s farmlands. We found a mighty oak standing firm on the bank of river Aģe. We cleared it of bushes and named it Aģe Grand Oak. It inspired us to realise that Latvia has the second largest density of grand trees in Europe. Now the oak is the starting point of the Poweroak hike and it has inspired us to plant a new Poweroak grove. Aģe Grand Oak has become a popular tree in the Limbaži region. With the awakening of the Latvian nation, this oak tree has opened up to the world to celebrate, educate and inspire! - Ivars Smits caregiver of Age Grand oak

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8

Name of tree: The Multisecular Sweet Chestnut of Audran Square

Species: Sweet Chestnut

Age: 330 years

Country: France

Votes: 28,119

The tree’s story:

Remembrance of vast woods and pastures, the most famous Chestnut Tree of the city of La Celle Saint-Cloud is not very high, because its branches used to be cut to make vineyard stakes. But over three centuries, it has spread its amazing wide silhouette and twisted its trunk's bark, making it a real sculpture today. He was a lonely tree in the middle of his meadow, but the city has grown all around! The country tree has become a very popular urban tree, today the central piece of a square, redeveloped especially to showcase this little treasure.

__________

7

Name of tree: The Singing Lime

Species: Large-leaved Lime

Age: 700 years

Country: Czech Republic

Votes: 28,649

The tree’s story:

The Singing (or the Lukas) Lime is one of the oldest and biggest trees in the Czech Republic. Legend has it that at the end of 17th century an old, hard of hearing man was hiding inside the hollow trunk, singing loudly while transcribing forbidden psalms. Passersby thought the tree itself was singing. People draw its energy or look for the inspiration which the tree has become to many artists. They repay it through their care, for instance, when it was damaged by wood-decay fungus or struck by lightning. Today its descendants grow not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad.

__________

More to come.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

FUNNY FRIDAY

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And a cheery hello from waterlogged Sydney, still, most of us are not as badly off as those who have lost homes and treasured possessions. Also the farmers who have been battling and are now hit by floods; the food establishments, hospitality industry workers, travel businesses, all knocked by Covid and now by rain such that no one is venturing out. Sympathies to them all.

For the rest of us complaining about the rain, here are some moments of humour to brighten the day.

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SOME HUMOUR:

A man asked his daughter to give him the newspaper. "Newspapers are old" she said, and gave him her ipad instead. The fly never knew what hit him.

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My girlfriend just dumped me.

She said in a teary tirade:

“I can’t take your shit any more. You’re such a pedant. Everything I do is wrong. I loved you so much, but it’ll never be enough for you. I’m leaving now. Me and Gary are driving up north through the night and then you’ll never hear from me again”

She was about to close the door when I yelled “No, no….waaait”

She turned back, tears in her eyes, a glimmer of hope still remained.

That was when I uttered those three magic words.

“Gary and I”

-----oOo-----

I was having dinner with my boss and his wife said, “How many potatoes would you like?”

I said “I’ll just have the one please”

She said “It’s OK, you don’t have to be polite”

“Alright” I said, “I’ll just have one then, you stupid bitch.”

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Man says to his friend Mike “I'm sleeping with the minister's wife. Can you keep him busy in church for an hour after service for me?”

Mike doesn't like it but, being a friend, he agrees. After the service, Mike asks the minister all sorts of stupid questions, just to keep him occupied.

Finally the minister gets annoyed and asks Mike what he's really up to. Mike, feeling guilty, finally confesses, "My friend is sleeping with your wife right now, and he asked me to keep you occupied."

The minister thinks for a minute, smiles, puts a fatherly hand on Mike's shoulder and says, "You should hurry home now. My wife died a year ago."

-----oOo-----

 

A blonde calls Emergency and says "Help, help, my house is on fire" ...operator says "Stay calm ma'am, we'll send the fire department. How do we get to your house?"

Blonde: "duh...big red truck"

                        

-----oOo-----

A woman walks into a shop, picks up a can of fly spray and asks 'Is this any good for flies?'

'Not really' says the assistant 'It kills them'

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A disheveled man is busking on the side of the street in London with a sign that says “Falklands War Veteran”.

A well-dressed man notices this and feels bad, having himself been a veteran of the British Army. He pities the busker and tells him, “It must be a pity to serve your country and then come home to this. I served in the army, in fact, so I know what it’s like. Maybe this will help you out.” He then gives the man a rather large stack of cash.

The busker is overjoyed, and as the well-dressed man walks away, he tells him, “Muchas gracias, señor!”

 

-----oOo-----

  

A variation that predates the Falklands War:

Back in the 1970s a middle-aged man got upset with his neighbour and spilled a flowerpot full of water out his window onto her. She got very upset and pressed charges against him. So the man had to go and get a lawyer to represent him, and the lawyer asked the judge for leniency, arguing that the man was an Army veteran and had never been in any trouble with the law.

The judge, having heard the lawyer’s submissions, granted leniency and dismissed the charge.

Aware of the man's age, the judge thought to ask him, "Did you serve during World War II?"

"Yes, your honour," he said.

"Did you see any action?"

"Yes, I fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and I even saw General Patton once!"

"And did you kill many of the enemy?"

"Oh yes, your honour, dozens of them!"

"I fought in the Bulge too," the judge said. "Tell me, what unit were you with?"

The man drew himself up and said very proudly, "The Fifth Panzer, your honour!"

-------☹😊☹-------

LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:

For Steve and Diane, who have a boisterous new puppy . . .

There once was a fiesty young terrier

Who liked to bite girls on the derriere.

He'd yip and he'd yap,

Then leap up and snap;

And the fairer the derriere the merrier.

-------☹😊☹-------

GALLERY:

From friend John P, thanks John . . .

-------☹😊☹-------

CORN CORNER:

I don't understand why people don't like lazy people.

They didn't do anything.

I always wanted to be a millionaire just like my dad.

He wasn't a millionaire, he just wanted to be one.

My friend Joe recently went on the Dolly Parton diet... It made Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe lean

What's the difference between a hippo and a Zippo?

A hippo is pretty heavy, a Zippo is a little lighter.

Hey, there was a pirate selling corn down at the farmers market.

‘Twas a buck-an-ear!

-------☹😊☹-------

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

MORE FACTS

-----oOo-----

Friend Steve M sent me an email with a list of facts, prefacing those facts with the following caution:

Don’t know how much of this true, Otto, or worth Byting – some interesting bits n pieces though.

I did factcheck some of the items and the first two are correct, as are the items about saluting and shaking hands, but I am not sure about the allegation that the Swine Flu vaccine caused more deaths and illness in 1976 than the Swine Flu itself. I have not been able to find definitive comparable figures or statistics but most of the literature does suggest there was a rush to vaccinate when the substance and the research were not ready, resulting in deaths and vaccinated people having higher rates of contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome.

I therefore cannot vouch for all so read for interest, don’t accept is gospel and check for yourself if you want to follow it up.

Also, I have amplified Steve’s list from that sent to me in that I came across another version that had more items.

Thanks, Steve.

-----oOo-----

Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!

Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.

Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.

If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.

Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals.

Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.

Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent. Drinking a glass of water before you eat may help digestion and curb appetite.

Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450F.

The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.

Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.

The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.

Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.

The University of Alaska spans four time zones.

The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.

In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

A comet’s tail always points away from the sun.

The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent.

Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.

The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armour raised their visors to reveal their identity.

If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.

When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.

In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.

Strawberries and cashews are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.

Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.

The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.

The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.

Due to earth’s gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.

Mickey Mouse is known as “Topolino” in Italy.

Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.

Everything weighs one percent less at the equator.

For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off.

The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements.

-----oOo-----

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

POETRY SPOT: BRIAN BILSTON

Mystery poet Brian Bilston has been called the “Poet Laureate of Twitter” and the Banksy of the poetry world.

Read about him at the following links:

https://brianbilston.com/about-brian-bilston/

https://www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/literary/brian-bilston-interview

Here is one of his poems . . .

Refugees

by Brian Bilston

They have no need of our help

So do not tell me

These haggard faces could belong to you or me

Should life have dealt a different hand

We need to see them for who they really are

Chancers and scroungers

Layabouts and loungers

With bombs up their sleeves

Cut-throats and thieves

They are not

Welcome here

We should make them

Go back to where they came from

They cannot

Share our food

Share our homes

Share our countries

Instead let us

Build a wall to keep them out

It is not okay to say

These are people just like us

A place should only belong to those who are born there

Do not be so stupid to think that

The world can be looked at another way

(now read from bottom to top)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

REVENGE TALES

-----oOo-----

The following item was sent to me by friend John P, thanks John . . .

-----oOo-----

I know I shouldn’t have done this but,

I am 83 years old and I was in the McDonald’s drive-through this morning and the young lady behind me leaned on her horn and started mouthing something because I was taking too long to place my order.

So when I got to the first window I paid for her order along with my own.

The cashier must have told her what I'd done, because as we moved up she leaned out her window and waved to me and mouthed "Thank you.", obviously embarrassed that I had repaid her rudeness with kindness.

When I got to the second window I showed them both receipts and took her food too.

Now she has to go back to the end of the queue and start all over again,

Don't blow your horn at old people, they have been around a long time.

-----oOo-----

I have become aware that this story has been published on various sites and that it generally engenders various outlooks and points of view:

1. The 83 year old was justified in repaying the initial rudeness and lack of courtesy.

2. It is better to repay rudeness with kindness.

3. The taking of the food perpetuates rudeness and unkindness – as Gandhi put it, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

4. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Back to you to consider.

-----oOo-----

I will, however, re-post a Burgher King revenge story that does not necessarily have any similar questionable morality issues . . .

-----oOo-----

ACTIONS can speak louder than words.

A man was in a queue at a Burger King fast food restaurant in the US, when a mother and child lined up behind him.

“I hadn’t had the greatest of days and I had a headache coming on. It was a very long line and I was at the end of it, waiting patiently, when behind me comes this woman yapping on her cellphone with a little monster of a child. This kid was out of control, screaming, punching his mother throwing around a Gameboy whenever something didn’t go right in the game,” the man posted on reddit.

The mother allegedly did not pay the boy any attention as his tantrum got worse, yelling out: “I want a fucking pie”.

“After about 5 minutes of the line with these people behind me, I had gone from a headache to a full on migraine, but nothing was going to stop me from getting those burgers. I calmly turn and ask her nicely if she can please calm or quiet her child down. Immediately she gets up in my face telling me I can’t tell her nothing about raising her child and to mind my own business,” the man continued.

With his head pounding the man decided he could tell the woman something about raising her child and teach them a lesson.

“I then decide to ruin their day. I order every pie they have left in addition to my burgers,” the man continued.

“Turned out to be 23 pies in total, I take my order and walk towards the exit.

Moments later I hear the woman yelling "What do you mean you don’t have any pies left, who bought them all?”

The man concludes: “I turn around and see the cashier pointing me out with the woman shooting me a death glare. I stand there and pull out a pie and slowly start eating as I stare back at her. She starts running towards me but can’t get to me because of other line-ups in the food court. I turn and slowly walk away.”

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/burger-king-customer-buys-all-apple-pies-as-child-screams-and-punches-his-mum-behind-him/story-fnixwvgh-1227020820758

-----oOo-----

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

FACTS AND TRIVIA: FOURTH OF JULY

For you, Ron, Barb, Joe and Acacia . . .

July 4th is America's most patriotic holiday, here are interesting items about that date and day . . .

John Adams predicted that Independence Day would be a huge celebration for many generations to come. In a letter he wrote to his wife, Abigail Adams, he declared that the day should be filled with games, sports, parades, and laughter.

Independence Day was once celebrated on July 5th. The holiday fell on a Sunday in 1779, so Americans celebrated on Monday, the fifth of July.

Three U.S. presidents have died on the 4th of July. James Monroe, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson all died on the patriotic day. (Adams and Jefferson passed in 1826, and Monroe passed five years later in 1831.)

There are some copies of the Declaration of Independence with a woman’s signature on it. Mary Katharine Goddard wasn't one of the official signers in 1776, but the printer and publisher added her name to the Declaration of Independence after she was hired by Congress to print copies.

The 50th star was added to the American flag on July 4, 1960. It symbolized Hawaii's admission as the U.S.'s 50th state.

John Adams thought Independence Day should be celebrated on July 2. He had a point, given that the Continental Congress did declare its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. However, an official document explaining this move to the public wasn't published until two days later, on July 4, 1776.

Americans consume about 150 million on July 4th. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Los Angeles residents alone consume about 30 million pounds of hot dogs on July 4th. A holiday favorite!

The Nathan's Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest began over a century ago. According to the company itself, the first unofficial contest took place on July 4th, 1916. The contest, which began with four immigrants competing to determine who was the most patriotic, ended up becoming one of the most widely known July 4th traditions in America.

Only two men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, John Hancock and Charles Thompson. The rest of the delegates signed within the weeks that followed.

There are approximately 16,000 Independence Day fireworks displays that take place each year. According to History.com, the custom dates back to 1777.

Americans spend over $1 billion on fireworks every 4th of July.

July 4th wasn't an official holiday until almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. It wasn't common to celebrate this patriotic event for the first few decades of America's independence. When it was established as an official holiday in 1870, it became one of the most popular nonreligious celebrations in the United States.

There were only about 2.5 million people living in the United States in 1776. That number is drastically different from the approximately 332 million people that live in the US today.

Hospitals receive a surplus of patients on July 4th due to fireworks-related injuries. In 2020, an estimated 15,600 people were hospitalized with injuries related to fireworks. Learning proper firework handling protocol can help prevent these mishaps.

The US national anthem wasn't 'The Star-Spangled Banner' until 1931. It took 117 years for the words written in 1814 by Francis Key Scott to gain federal recognition.

The One World Trade Center (which replaced the Twin Towers) in New York was designed to be 1,776 feet tall. Its height represents the year America declared independence from Great Britain.

The Liberty Bell hasn't been rung since 1846. Every year on July 4, children who are descendants of the Declaration signers tap the Liberty Bell 13 times. It's a sentimental tradition to help honour the original 13 colonies. The last time the bell rang was on Washington's birthday in February 1846, when a major crack appeared on the bell.

The first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence was the Pennsylvania Evening Post in the paper's Saturday issue, on July 6, 1776. It was soon published in other newspapers throughout the colonies, with even a German translation of it printed in the Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote, which was a newspaper that catered to Pennsylvania's large German population.

George Washington celebrated the 4th of July in 1778 even though he was at war, treating U.S. soldiers to a double ration of rum and a cannon salute.

It was once considered disrespectful to keep your business open on the 4th of July. Before the Civil War, people who kept their businesses open during the holiday were deemed unpatriotic. However, it became more acceptable after the war when storeowners started holding "patriotic" Fourth of July sales.

It's a tradition in New England to eat salmon and peas on the 4th of July, a tradition dating back centuries. Many swear by the recipe, and have made it a staple for the American holiday.

There are other countries that celebrate America's independence on the Fourth of July.

Countries like Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden all take part in hosting commemorations for the holiday. This is in part to honour their many citizens who emigrated to the U.S., but also as a move to attract tourists.

There is one U.S. president who was born on the 4th of July. America's 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, was born on July 4, 1872.

A time capsule was buried by Paul Revere and Sam Adams on July 4, 1795 under the Massachusetts State House in Boston. It was discovered more than two centuries later by workers fixing a leak. When state officials opened it, they discovered a pine tree shilling coin, a copper medal engraved with an image of George Washington, several newspapers, and a silver plate thought to be engraved by Paul Revere.

There are 31 towns in the U.S. that contain the word 'liberty.' The largest town is Liberty, Missouri, with a population of 32,865.

(Ron, Barb, Joe and Acacia live in Kansas City, Missouri).