BY JAMES K. WHITE | SEPTEMBER 11, 2013
The only divorced man to become president
There are 22 distinct species of albatrosses. However, it is the Wandering Albatross that has recently garnered the attention of flight engineers. These Diomedeidae have mastered the art of dynamic soaring and slope soaring to stay aloft and travel hundreds of miles while exerting very little effort. The clever birds will glide upwards into the wind and then turn to descend rapidly with the wind as they gain speed before leveling off – having never flapped their wings during the entire maneuver.
“Normal” lightning can be spectacular, powerful and deadly. It was not until 1991 that scientists discovered a natural phenomenon that has been dubbed “dark” lightning. Dark lightning frequently occurs during rainstorms and is a burst of gamma rays (a form of high-energy radiation). No known harm results from dark lightning, but theories abound as to the causes and possible effects. One unsubstantiated hypothesis is that dark lightning involves antimatter resulting from electricity being separated into high energy electrons and positrons. Like I understand that. I am considering wearing aluminum foil in my hat (again) – simply as a safeguard.
Daniel Morgan (July 6, 1736 – July 6, 1802) was a loyal civilian mule/horse teamster for the British Army until 1755 when he was assessed 499 lashes with a whip (often a fatal punishment) because he was in a scuffle with a British Military Officer. Daniel took years to recover and openly declared his hatred for England the remainder of his life. Morgan became a skilled tactician and the military leader of Morgan’s Riflemen under George Washington during the American Revolution. His Riflemen specialized in “picking off” British officers and effectively created chaos in numerous skirmishes and three major battles.
There is a statue of Buddha located at Wat Traimit Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. I mention this cast image because it is almost ten feet tall, weighs more than six tons and consists entirely of gold, varying in purity from 10K to 23K. The gold content is currently valued to be just over $250 million. I understand the statue is usually guarded.
Ronald Reagan is the only divorced man to become president of the U.S.
Today, you will likely lose about 10 billion skin cells. Tomorrow, too. Research indicates that babies who wear disposable diapers are approximately 500 percent more likely to experience diaper rash than those who wear cloth diapers. Well, avoid dark lightning whenever possible – and have a great week.
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
