Category: True Stories

When Cassius fought Sonny (1964)

Images of Cassius Clay (post fight) were clipped from a colorized version of this:

Vukovar, Yugoslavia 1992

Santa Claus with the children during the Croatian War of Independence. Vukovar, 1992.

Vukovar, Yugoslavia in 1992 during the Croatian War of Independence.

The Battle of Vukovar was an 87-day siege of Vukovar in eastern Croatia by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), supported by various paramilitary forces from Serbia, between August and November 1991.
[…]
During the battle, shells and rockets were fired into the town at a rate of up to 12,000 a day. At the time, it was the fiercest and most protracted battle seen in Europe since 1945, and Vukovar was the first major European town to be entirely destroyed since the Second World War.

A 2013 discussion on Reddit includes analyses of this and other photos found in this collection, and suggests that the Santa photo may have been Yugoslav staged propaganda.

[Image found here indicates a date of 1991.]

Radar Station DYE-2 Greenland

Abandoned DYE-2 radar station, Greenland

The dart is still in the dartboard and the beer is still on the counter in the bar. So untouched is DYE-2. Slowly, the weather and wind have encroached and in a few years it will probably be difficult to get in and see this unique, American cold war relic on the ice sheet in 
Greenland.

[Caption and photos from here  Other photos from here and here.]

Marney’s Thanksgiving Letter

I became aware of “The Letter” late last night and initially dismissed it as  satire. I was stunned to find that it is indeed legit, and was posted on Awkward Family Photos on 24 November 2009. If that isn’t enough verification, AFP conducted an interview with Marney (posted below).
Enjoy!

THE INTERVIEW

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Outbursts of Everett True

The Outbursts of Everett True was an American two-panel newspaper comic strip created by A.D. Condo and J. W. Raper that ran from July 22, 1905 to January 13, 1927. It followed this setup:

Panel 1: Someone annoys Everett True.
Panel 2: He yells at and/or physically punishes whoever annoyed him.

Everett True also stood up for those who were being bullied, and often received smiles of approval from nearby observers. His wife never put up with his belligerence, and would hurl pots, pans and sometimes his supper at him if he mouthed off at home.

[Found here, description from here… and there’s more!]

My WebEx Meeting Notes 16 July – 11 August 2023

9am daily. Pen on paper, 8-1/2 x 7-1/2 approx. 2 square inches per each 30 minute teleconference. (Incomplete, WebEx meetings suspended.)

All the Parts: The Tetris Challenge

“When Zurich police published a photo of their mass of equipment laid out next to their patrol car on September 1 [2019] they had no idea that they were starting a viral challenge that would spread around the continent.

But for the past two weeks, police, ambulance and fire services have taken up what is being called the ‘Tetris Challenge’, highlighting the huge amount of equipment that they need to do their jobs – and how it fits into their often relatively small vehicles.”

[Source & story found here, via here.]

Woolson Morse’s Contribution to the World: Mechanical Elephant Head 1891



DIAGRAM OF THE ELEPHANT’S HEAD
A. Wheels for the eyes.
B. Wheels for the trunk.
C. Cord for drawing trunk inward.
D. Cord for drawing trunk outward.
E. Leather thongs for operating wheels.
F. Hook from which head is suspended.

[Full story here.]

Tarrare

Tarrare, a historical figure from late 18th century France, gained notoriety for his unending appetite and peculiar eating habits. He grappled with a rare medical disorder called polyphagia, which compelled him to incessantly hunger for and consume copious amounts of food, including non-edible items. Tarrare garnered public attention by devouring objects like corks, stones, and even live animals, once astonishing onlookers by devouring an entire basket of apples in rapid succession. Despite his astounding consumption abilities, his health rapidly declined, plagued by numerous complications stemming from his condition. The life of Tarrare remains an intriguing medical enigma, leaving numerous questions unanswered regarding the underlying nature and causes of his singular condition.

From ATI:

And the strangest part of all this was that he always looked as though he were starving. The young man barely weighed 100 pounds and he seemed constantly tired and distracted. He was showing every possible sign of undernourishment – except, of course, that he was eating enough to feed a small barracks.

[Top image and first caption found here. Other images found around the internest and may or may not be Tarrare.]

Owl and Pony Show

Posted on Facebook by Eric Lind of Eureka, Illinois on 13 October 2022.

Current situation at my parents house…..the young neighborhood owl has stolen this stick horse and is flying around the neighborhood with it. Hilldale/Forest Park/Ridge lane neighbors…if your child is missing their stick horse, you’ll have to talk to the owl!!

Edit: for those of you questioning if the owl is hurt or “entangled” in the stick horse….we have no reason to believe this is the case as we witnessed the owl moving the horse around and even changing it’s grip on it at one point….this owl is part of a family of owls that have been in the neighborhood for about 6 months now, and this is one of the young owls…if someone sees that the owl is in danger or believes it is hurt, I’m sure the proper authorities would be contacted…

The story was picked up by the UK Daily Mirror [h/t Serafina D.].