Halloween Bats

 

Ben Cooper was born in New York’s lower east side in 1906. He founded a theatrical costume business in 1927. When the Great Depression hit, the theater was one of the first casualties. Ben switched his focus from the stage to Halloween. He obtained a license to produce costumes based on Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Snow White. By the late 1940s, Ben Cooper, Inc. was the one of the largest children’s Halloween costume manufacturers in the U.S. Their costumes were plastic masks with eye holes paired with thin fabric sacks with neck and arm holes. The sacks were silk-screen printed with Halloween figures like skeletons, or television characters like Superman and Davy Crockett. They were inexpensive, one-size-fits-all, and sold literally everywhere. The company took a hit in 1982, when the Tylenol tampering murders all but cancelled Halloween. In 1989 Ben Cooper’s Georgia facility burned to the ground, and their insurance companies refused payment. Ben Cooper, Inc. was dissolved in 1992.

Two Double Four-Patch Blocks

 

The Civil War had raged for over a year; the Union navy blockaded much of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The Confederacy had dug in deep, defending coastal waters. After two weeks of supplying island forts, the C.S.S. Planter had just returned to Charleston. She was due to head out again next morning, so the steamer was armed to the teeth. The ship’s three officers spent the night ashore, leaving eight remaining crewmen – all slaves – on board. In the dead of night, Robert Smalls, the wheelman, slipped the Planter off the dock. He and his skeleton crew picked up family members at a prearranged spot. Disguised as the captain, Robert gave the proper signal codes to pass confederate checkpoints. Once they reached open waters, he hoisted a white flag and surrendered to the Union fleet. The heavily armed Confederate ship was handed over to the North. All aboard were freed, and the crew were (eventually) rewarded.

Six Bats

 

These things seem to come in waves. I actually know a few people dealing with it right now. If you suspect you're a victim of food poisoning, there are some things to keep in mind. First, you shouldn’t head to the medicine cabinet. Your body’s response to a harmful foodborne pathogen is to flush it out. Medicines for diarrhea or upset stomach will only interfere with this effort. Until the worst is over, you’ll want to give your stomach a break from food. Instead, sip clear liquids like water, ginger or mint tea, non-caffeinated soft drinks or chicken broth to keep hydrated while you wait for the storm to pass. Sports drinks with electrolytes are a good idea, too. When you’re ready for more, you can add bland, easily digested foods to your diet, like bananas, egg whites, oatmeal, dry toast, saltines, applesauce, mashed potatoes, gelatin, and rice. Once you’re starting to feel more like yourself again, you’ll want to spend a week or so restoring your intestinal flora with probiotics or natural yogurt.  

Dragon's Head

 

Thoughts on marriage, from Red Skelton:

Twice a week we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship.  She goes on Tuesdays; I go Fridays.

We sleep in separate beds.  Hers is in California and mine is in Texas.

I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary.  "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. I suggested the kitchen.

We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.  I don't like to interrupt her.

The last fight was my fault though.  My wife asked, "What's on the TV?" I said, "Dust!”

I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was 'Always'.

Five Pumpkins

 

Scotties are terriers, bred to keep the area clear of vermin like rats and mice. But ours thinks she’s a herd dog. She frequently tries to keep the grandkids in line, with mixed results. But she’s at her most entertaining when she tries to show the cat who’s boss. That’s right. I have a dog who herds cats. It started on a morning when we were expecting the cleaners to come. I always put all the pets in their kennels while the house is being cleaned, but the cat had anticipated this and was hiding. Lassie found her under the bed and set to barking. When she realized I couldn’t crawl under and grab her, she forced the cat out and into the kennel. She does the same thing when the cat creeps under the deck in the back garden. And every night at bedtime, she trees the cat on the railing atop the staircase. Because she can.

Teddy Bear

 

“Our eternal purpose is to come unto Christ and actively join Him in His great work. And when we do His work together with Him, we come to know and love Him more. We continually seek to draw closer to the Savior through faith, cherished repentance, and keeping the commandments. As we bind ourselves to Him through covenants and ordinances, our lives are filled with confidence, protection, and deep and lasting joy. As we come to Him, we see others through His eyes. Come unto Christ. Come now, but don’t come alone! The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just nice; it is essential for all. There is no other way or means whereby we can be saved, only in and through Christ. We need Jesus Christ! The world needs Jesus Christ. Remember, the best way for you to improve the world is to prepare the world for Christ by inviting all to follow Him.” – Bonnie H. Cordon

Four Pumpkins

 

Twenty-one years ago tomorrow, an unidentified man approached security guards at the Salt Lake City-County Building. He said he was an architecture student, there to take photos from the highest tower. Instead of photography equipment, his duffle bag was full of climbing gear and one large pumpkin. Unseen by the guards, he left his gourd skewered atop Columbia, the topmost statue on the building. The pumpkin stayed there through the fall and most of the winter, until it gradually thawed, rotted and fell. Whoever the prankster was, he may have been inspired by a similar feat at Cornell University in 1997. Cornell made plans to remove the spoiled pumpkin March 13, 1998. But as preparations were underway, a gust of wind knocked the unmanned cherry picker bucket into the tower. The rotten pumpkin dropped twenty feet and splattered on a scaffold. Neither of the culprits were caught. They may even have been the same guy.