Browsing: Society

A Brief History On April 3, 1882, notorious Wild West train and bank robber Jesse James was gunned down in his own house by a new member of his reconstituted gang, Bob Ford. Jesse had survived combat in the Civil War and several shootouts with law enforcement and concerned citizens, only to be killed by “the dirty little coward, that shot at Mr. Howard.” If you hang around with robbers and murderers, it should come as no surprise when one of them turns on you. Today we discuss 10 Bad Guys Killed by Bad Guys. Just goes to show you,…

A Brief History On April 2, 1911, the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted their first ever national census. Most countries conduct some sort of periodic census, and we here in the United States do so every 10 years, a critical process that results in how many representatives to Congress each state gets (and electoral votes) and how Federal funds are distributed. In 2018, the Trump Administration announced the 2020 Census questionnaire would include a question asking if the respondent was a citizen or not, a volatile and contentious issue being debated at this time. Digging Deeper That first Australian census…

A Brief History On April 1, 2018, we have just 2 words for you, April Fools! This time instead of publishing a satirical spoof containing false stories, we will list 10 times real people really got fooled, either as individuals or as a group. Digging Deeper 1. US Public, War of the Worlds. On October 30, 1938, CBS radio in the United States aired a for radio adaptation of the HG Wells 1898 science fiction story, The War of the Worlds, directed and narrated by Orson Welles. In spite of periodic reminders that the program was a work of fiction,…

A Brief History On March 31, 2018, we look back on a month replete with jerks, people that make life for the rest of us harder or less enjoyable. We list the specific reasons why we include jerks on this list, and you are welcome to agree or disagree, detailing your own specific information that confirms or denies our position. (You will note we do not exempt either end of the political spectrum, neither conservative nor liberal from inclusion on the Jerks of the Month list.) Digging Deeper 1. Stephon Clark. A son, brother, father and a convicted criminal. Although…

A Brief History On March 30, 1939, the Heinkel 100 single engine piston powered fighter prototype set a new World Speed Record at 463 mph (745 kph). Incredibly, although then the fastest plane in the world, the He 100 was not put into production! Reasons given for not producing this potential super-fighter plane vary with the source, but the bottom line is that the fortunate Allies did not have to face a German fighter 4 years ahead of other fighter types. Digging Deeper German planners knew that war would be starting soon, and in an effort to streamline wartime weapons…