Category: History

Bigass Ammonite Fossil is not a Bigass Ammonite Fossil

Ammonite

Yep, that looks like a bigass prehistoric ammonite fossil, and it’s not a snail fossil as the caption states.

Ammonites are perhaps the most widely known fossil, possessing the typically ribbed spiral-form shell as pictured above. These creatures lived in the seas between 240 – 65 million years ago, when they became extinct along with the dinosaurs. The name ‘ammonite’ (usually lower-case) originates from the Greek Ram-horned god called Ammon. Ammonites belong to a group of predators known as cephalopods, which includes their living relatives the octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus [via].

I found the top image (with the erroneous caption) in here, and wondered about the story behind it. Since fossils are typically embedded in rock and I didn’t see any hole or excavation, something seemed off.

Ammonite Replica 2

Ammonite fossils are common, but are rarely larger than about 9 inches in diameter. Sure, some larger species have been found, but why wasn’t this one encased in plaster, crated up and shipped to an archeological museum? How could something so heavy and brittle stay in one piece while being tilted up? How could four guys lift it, let alone one?

A Tineye search brought me to the source –  a 2005 documentary filmed in Lyme Regis, England for the BBC series “Journey of Life.”

“This giant ammonite was actually a replica that we used to show how big ammonites could grow. Made of polystyrene it squeaked as we rolled it down the beach. The look of gob-smack on the faces of Jurassic Coast fossil collectors was priceless!”
Paul Williams, 3 September 2013.

This “fossil” was a prop, and it had a cameo role in Episode 1: Seas of Life.

[Full story with photos here.]

Perhaps you’re wondering why I suddenly found an interest in large fabricated ammonite fossils. It’s because I saw that top picture and wanted to do this with it:

Ammonite Beach Spin

Unperturbed 3×4 Hot Links

They are roughly 3 inches by four inches

The Anacreontic Song as sung by the University of Michigan American Music Institute Chorus, with Scott Van Ornum on harpsichord and soloist Jacob Wright, conducted by Jerry Blackstone.

The complete words to “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

The National Anthem, The Great War & The 7th Inning Stretch. There’s a connection.

Giant bat farts [via].

13 Illinois Toads & Frogs living in squalor and what they sound like. The Green Frog sounds like the intro to Seinfeld, but The Wood Frog is a serious contender for my next ringtone.

Here are some sources in case you ever need one.

Just Googled “Eyelash Peacock Dumpster.” I was not impressed.

Black Napkins is my personal choice for the theme song of the 2016 Presidential Election. If it all goes awry, I’ll replace it with Watermelon In Easter Hay.

[Personal to Weez: Thanks for the phone call.]

[Top image: “They are roughly 3 inches by 4 inches.” Found here.]

Saturday Matinee – NASA 1961, Jason D. Williams, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, & The Yonder Mountain String Band

This magnificent feat was engineered with slide rules, and it amounted to blasting a giant bullet containing a human into the sky, then recovering both it and Alan Shepard intact [via]. Those early astronauts had big brass ones, and the creepy music made it even better. (John Glenn appears at 04:15.)

Speaking of Great Balls of Fire, here’s the next best thing to The Killer. Jason D. Williams pounds the ivories with Sticks McGhee‘s 1947 classic “Drinkin’ Wine Spo-dee-o-dee.”

Spodiodi was street slang for chipping in for a cheap bottle of fortified wine in a brown paper bag and sharing it with your buddies. Urban Dictionary says “Spodiodi” is a glass of wine spiked with bourbon. Nah.

BTW, Sticks McGhee was the brother of Brownie McGhee, who partnered with harmonica player Sonny Terry known for his harmonica whooping. “Key to the Highway” was covered by many, including what’s his name. That famous British guy. You know. That guy.

Here’s some Easy-On-The-Ear-Holes stuff from The Yonder Mountain String Band. They need some authentic whooping in my opinion. Maybe even some eefin.

Have a great weekend, folks, and be glad that you’re not in Turkey.

“The woemen are attired, and pownced.”

Roanoak Indians 1590

Roanoak Indians 1590 Quote

From A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia [Hariot, Thomas (1560-1621). Published in Frankfort Germany 1590.]

[Found here via here. Printed word image from here.  More about Dasamonquepeuc here.]

Independence Day 1906

Independence Day 1906

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Read it in its entirety, and then read it to your children.

 
 
 

#BREXIT

UK-Flag-Wooden

[Image found here.]

1930 Zukunftsphantasien

1930 zukunftsfantasien13_121930 zukunftsfantasien12_41930 zukunftsfantasien13_9

Space Station – Check.
Smart Phones – Check.
Steam Powered Dirigible from Australia via Tehran – Pending.

(Note that die Frauen trinken und Rauchen stumpft in the park next to the airstrip while keeping tabs on die Kinder.)

[Found here via here.]

Saturday Matinee: Dancebot, Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf & Joe Bonamassa

Very cool bot moves. Amazing that the people can replicate their own moves, too.

Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were competitors of sorts during their Sun Studio recording days. Here’s Presley doing Cash.
[Vid found in here.]

That’s Howlin’ Wolf in 1966. The song was a reworking of “Hey Lawdy Mama,” written and performed by Buddy Moss in 1934. Wolf’s version was covered by The Fabulous Thunderbirds and re-titled “Runnin’ Shoes.”

“How Many More Years” as covered by Joe Bonamassa in a tribute concert in 2015. Pretty impressive lineup, too:

Bonamassa’s touring band, dubbed the “Muddy Wolf Band” [and] includes Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (piano, Hammond organ), Lee Thornburg (trumpet, horn arrangements), Ron Dziubla (saxophone), Nick Lane (trombone), Mike Henderson (harmonica), and Kirk Fletcher (guitar) [via].

Have a great weekend folks. We’ll have some more fun tomorrow.

 

D-DAY 6 JUNE 1944

D-DAY 1944 
Many lives were lost
to save the lives of many more.

 
 
 

Here is the church and here is the steeple: Locklear’s & Elliot’s Contribution To The World

Steeple Crash

He meant to do that. Stunt pilots Lt. Ormer “Lock” Locklear and co-pilot Milton “Skeets” Elliot were filming The Skywayman, a silent movie released in 1920, and crashing the church steeple was part of the script.

From Wiki:

Principal photography on The Skywayman began on June 11, 1920, with DeMille Field 2 as the main base of operations. Despite Locklear’s public claim that new stunts “more daring ever filmed” would be involved, the production would rely heavily on models and less on actual stunt flying. Two stunts, a church steeple being toppled by Locklear’s aircraft and an aircraft-to-train transfer were both problematic and nearly ended in disaster.

Their final stunt did end in disaster, a nighttime dive that killed both Locklear and Elliot instantly when they didn’t pull up in time.

[Image found here.]