– One crook used what might be called the NATO (Not Altogether Thought Out) method: Mr. C. Edwards of Maryland thought it an ideal time to loot an upper class residence shortly after a storm knocked out power to thousands of area homes. As the culprit was busily attending to his criminal pursuits, he noticed that the house he was plundering still had electrical service. The opportunistic Edwards plugged in his cell phone, which was in need of a recharge. However, he left his phone when he absconded. The device did recharge. It was filled with information that led to his arrest. C. Edwards had unwittingly provided photo documentation of other burglaries that he had committed. DOH!
– I want to share some good news with my fellow cancer patients. A new medical procedure has been shown to be amazingly effective in treating various malignancies. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to two research physicians working out of MD Anderson Hospital (Houston) and Kyoto University (Japan). Their work has led to the development of a new class of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors. I am living proof that the medications sometime yield astonishing results while requiring minimally invasive chemo/radiation therapies
– Any unusual traditions celebrated in your neighborhood? I offer for consideration Cooper’s Hill Cheese-rolling and Wake. On the last Monday of each May, Brockworth (England) hosts race participants that compete traversing down an inclined (sloping as much as 68 degrees) cliff that natives call a hill. Since 1826, the annual event has involved about 100 enthusiasts that chase an eight pound wheel of cheese as it tumbles approximately 215 yards to the foot of the “hill.” One grand prize is awarded – the cheese wheel. The second place finisher wins ten pounds (money, not cheese) and the third place contestant earns £5. No matter the weather — rain or shine, cold or warm, windy or calm — the race goes on. It has been estimated by “mostly sober” officials that the cheese wheel attains speeds nearing 70 mph. I might add that the Great Cooper’s Hill race was held during both World Wars when cheese was sometimes scarce. Oh, those plucky English.
– The earliest confirmed photographic image (a daguerreotype) of Abraham Lincoln was taken in 1846. There exist no photographs of George Washington as he died in 1799, decades before photography “developed.”
– Abe Lincoln had no middle name. Neither did George Washington. However, it is rumored that Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a middle name, sort of. It depends on one’s opinion of “Delano”. Well, avoid “NATO” acts … and have a great day.
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
