Category: Contributions to the World

Ross Eugene Long’s Contribution to The World

On 26 March 2002 awesome happened. Ross Eugene Long III of Oakland California was awarded U.S. Patent 6360393. He invented the stick.

Abstract: An apparatus for use as a toy by an animal, for example a dog, to either fetch carry or chew includes a main section with at least one protrusion extending therefrom that resembles a branch in appearance. The toy is formed of any of a number of materials including rubber, plastic, or wood including wood composites and is solid. It is either rigid or flexible. A flavoring (scent) is added, if desired. The toy is adapted to float by including a material therein that is lighter than water or it is adapted to glow in the dark, as desired, by the addition of a fluorescent material that is either included in the material from which the toy is made or the flourescent material is applied thereto as a coating. The toy may be segmented (i.e., notched) so as to break off into smaller segments, as is useful for smaller animals or, alternatively, to extend the life of the toy. Various textured surfaces including camouflage colorings are anticipated as are straight or curved main sections. The toy may be formed of any desired material, as described, so as to be edible by the animal.

Not only did Eugene Long III invent the stick, he attached 20 claims to it based upon different materials and options that might be used to manufacture it. Pure brilliance, that.
[Full text of Patent here. Story discovered here. Additional info on the history of the Patent here. More awesome Contributions to The World here.]

Thanksgiving 1621

Only two descriptions of the Thanksgiving of 1621 are known to exist. (Image of reconstructed settlement from here, quotes below are from here.)

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others.  And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want,  that we often wish you partakers of our plentie.”

Edward Winslow, Mourt’s Relation.
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“They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; fFor as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want.  And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees).  And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion.  Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in England, which were not fained,  but true reports.”

William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation.

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In Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford lists the Mayflower passengers and also tells us who died during the first winter of 1620/1621 and spring of 1621.  No other ships arrived in Plymouth until after the “First Thanksgiving” celebration.  The [53] Pilgrims at the “First Thanksgiving” are all the Mayflower survivors.

Armistice Day / Veterans Day / Remembrance Day


“One of the guns of Battery D, 105th Field Artillery, showing American flag which was hoisted after the last shot had been fired when the armistice took effect. Etraye, France., 11/11/1918”.
Sergeant First Class Morris Fineberg, Photographer.

My grand-uncle was stationed in France in the U.S. Signal Corps in WWI, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew some of the men in the photo above. On 10 November 1918, he sent this letter home:

“Mom and Dad. Well, nothing much new, only today we got the news of the peace plenipotentiaries arriving for a conference with General Foch. It sounds good to me. There is something here now that I would like to tell you but can’t, so when I return you mustn’t forget to ask me about the civilian refugees in the church. It will be some story. Not much excitement lately. We had our balloon burned by a boche plane with American insignia on it.”

Then on 14 November, this:

Dear Mom and Dad:

Well, of all the wonderful things that could ever happen. The war is “won”. As the French say, “Fini la Guerre.” Every Frenchman we meet hollers, “Fini la Guere, Merci! Beaucoup.” It means – The war is over, thank you many times. We are sure some glad bunch. I sure will have a lot of stuff to tell you when I return. And that won’t be long. We are now away from the front for the first time. I just got rid of a bunch of cooties yesterday. I hope that they will be the last, too. They are sure the cause of one hell of a feeling.

Well, this is all for the present. So long and hoping to see you soon.

Soldier Bill

May God Bless All Veterans, both past and present.

[Image from here. Related posts here and here.]

A ±90 Foot Drop – Full Version

“Waves are not measured in feet and inches, they are measured in increments of fear.” Buzzy Trent

Surfing is nothing but controlled falling in moving water, but this is a jaw dropper. Garrett McNamara is a professional big wave surfer who travels a world wide circuit, and on this particular outing off the shores of Portugal, he caught a rogue wave, estimated to be 90 feet tall at the crest. Here’s another take:

Garrett McNamara caught a monstrous wave Tuesday off Nazaré in Portugal, but did the wave face measure anywhere close to 90 feet, as a witness in the surfer’s group implied and as news reports suggested? Is it the largest wave ever ridden, as stated in the headline of a news release issued after the epic tow-surfing session?

Both points are debatable based on footage provided by McNamara to GrindTv.com, for its Tuesday afternoon post on the surfer’s incredible ride.

It was, without doubt, an amazing performance by the big-wave surfing icon from Hawaii. The wave face, however, does not appear to measure 90 feet. It’s worth noting, though, that footage captured from up high or far away, as was mostly the case here (there is some helmet-cam footage), can be misleading.

According to the folks who were there:

McNamara, a big-wave surfing icon from Hawaii, was riding large waves with Andrew Cotton and Al Mennie when three gigantic waves appeared on the outside. Cotton used a personal watercraft to tow McNamara onto the massive shoulder of one of those rogue waves. Mennie was siting in the channel on another vessel, acting as lifeguard, and described the event: “Everything seemed to be perfect, the weather, the waves. Both Cotty and I rode two big ones in the 60-foot-plus range and then when Garrett got on the rope a wave, maybe 30 feet bigger, came out of the canyon.

A fifteen-foot tall wall of water intimidates many surfers, but the guys who get the most credit are those running the towing operation on huge offshore breaks. They time the swells, estimate the breaks, and after dropping their cargo of brass balls off of a multi-story tower of water, manage to escape with their lives.

Fortunately, most of us don’t deal with that kind of awe-inspiring death-defying thrill-seeking bravado because we can be internet dare-devils instead.

[Crossposted here.]

Leviathan

An installation art work entitled “Leviathanation” by Huang Yongping features a giant fish head made from fiberglass, stuffed animals and a train is displayed at a gallery in Beijing, China.

[Found in here.]

Triple Shot of My Baby’s Love

A revolver made in Spain probably as a single piece because none of my friends and I remember ever seeing one, nor did I find something in the literature. To adapt the 6.35 pistol cartridge the cylinder has two connected rings in which one can insert the cartridges and closing the second ring, the cartridges are safely stored – similar today’s speed-loader. On the back of the strap is a switch, center position will hit the inner circle, left position six hits skipping one in the outer circle and after pushing to the right the firing pin will hit the remaining six cartridges. Under the switch is additional a safety blocking the hammer. It is a tip-down or break-open system similar the Smith & Wesson models. The 3″ barrel has a fixed front sight.

Eighteen 6.35mm cartridges, 3 synchronized firing pins, 3 barrels, 6 x 3 shots. I think that’ll do. [Found here. More accurate story here.]

1937 – The Year of Cow Pants


From Popular Science for October, 1937.

[Found here.]

Saturday Matinee – Country Dick Montana Tribute, The Blasters, Levi & The Rockats, The Reverend Horton Heat, Johnny Carroll & His Hot Rocks

Nice tribute to the late Country Dick Montana at The Belly Up in Solana Beach, CA, November 2010. From the Utoobage:

Dave Alvin sings the song “Beat Generation“, and is joined by members of the Beat Farmers, Candy Kane, Peter Case, Mojo Nixon, Cindy Lee Berryhill, and others…

Here’s Dave Alvin & The Blasters with “Marie Marie.” I saw them at the Whiskey in 1980.

Another band from the punkabilly scene: Levi  & The Rockats on the Mike Douglas Show, 1979. (That hepcat on bass is hilarious.)

Reverend Horton Heat’s “Psychobilly Freakout.” [Don’t watch if you’re epileptic…]

Johnny Carroll & His Hot Rocks “Rockin’ Maybelle” is the real deal from about 1957.

Too hot to handle and too cold to hold. Those should keep you jumpin’  jivin’ and wailin’ for a while. See you back here tomorrow.

WTF is a Fire Duck?

Yep. That’s a WTF Duck Sled for sure, and it’s a bonafide Babe Magnet. I want a fleet of ’em. [More photos here.]

Saturday Matinee – The Starwars Zone, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Johnny Johnson, Silvan Zingg & Johnny Winter

[Found here.]

Poor Keith. Just couldn’t follow directions. Johnny Johnson‘s blank stares are great.

Here’s Johnny Johnson’s version of Meade Lux Lewis‘ “Honky Tonk Train Blues.”

Here I was thinking that Pinetop Smith wrote HTTB, and the wiki proved me wrong just in time. Unfortunately there are no videos of Pinetop Smith in action, but Silvan Zingg is awesome. From Switzerland, here’s “Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie.”

Now how to wrap this up…

Yep, Johnny Winter‘s “Mojo Boogie” does it. Have a great weekend, folks and be back here for more fun tomorrow.