Weekend Open Thead
This year’s summer solstice will occur at 10:42 P.M. EST. This is the astronomical beginning of summer. The meteorological beginning of summer began on June 1. Ancients who used monuments to mark the solstices and equinoxes would see the sun set at the summer solstice marker. During the following weeks, sun sets would progressively work their way to the equinox marker… The period in the calendar when they would have to seriously think about harvesting operations. Enjoy your weekend!
Category: Open thread
First!
Johnny on the spot.
A sigh of relief that my today’s FGS post announced abdication of the Throne went to you on being FIRST!, CW. I had some measure of trepidation that The Stoned Hacker would swoop in and lay claim, thus undoing all the work that has been done over the past five (5) weeks to get the place back into shape after his “rain”(sic)(stand closer, Hack, it’s shorter than you think). I believe even our Beloved OAM would not feel uncomfortable using the Ladies’ Facility since it is standing “No Time For Sergeants” Tall. You will notice that the pantry and refreshing beverages ice boxes have been full restocked, fresh linens on the beds, and even the Barracks Room and Guard Shack for your twenty six (26) Leaden Soldiers is as it should be. Full disclosure…all of those throw pillows scattered here and about are the work of the Lovely Lois. You know how they are about them throw pillows. I did dust off all of your Cubbies Memorabilia and re-hang them for you. I do hope that every thing in the Throne Room meets your high expectations. Rule well and prosper, My Friend! You should have some time to work on Book 3. Jus’ Sayin’…
Hey, how about that! I got the coveted, always earned, never given FIRST in the WOT this week! The King of Battle has his most recent ace, but now I’m on the throne. Bestowing upon all, as usual, the finest in victuals and beverages, along with a side dish of trivia! Enjoy.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Did a U.S. Representative propose a Constitutional amendment that would have required a national vote to go to war?
By Commissioner Wretched
didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com
Copyright © 2025
Well, friends, it seems I did it again.
Last week (in the introduction to the column, no less) I mentioned that this Friday is the first day of summer. That part, I got right.
The other part, however, I have been corrected on. You remember, the part where I said the sun rose earliest and set latest?
Turns out, thanks to a note from my good friend John, that it isn’t that way at all. Yes, the first day of summer has the longest sunshine and the shortest darkness. But it’s not the day when the sun rises earliest and sets latest – those are two other days entirely.
I have a policy of correcting any mistakes I make in this column, even if they’re in the introduction. So, I stand corrected, and encourage you to enjoy the rest of the column!
Did you know …
… one of the main characters in Star Wars almost had a regular role on a popular television show? Mark Hamill (born 1951), known to one and all forever as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series of movies, had completed the pilot episode for the series Eight is Enough in 1976. Hamill played the oldest son, David, in the family dramedy program. While waiting for word on whether Eight is Enough would be picked up as a series, Hamill took a role in a little science-fiction film called Star Wars. During the shooting of the movie, the series was picked up by ABC, and Hamill was forced to leave the cast of the show to stay with the movie. The role of David was taken over by actor Grant Goodeve (born 1952). (And the rest, as they say, is history, set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.)
… an amendment was proposed for the Constitution that would have made war impractical? In 1935, Representative Louis Ludlow of Indiana (1873-1950) introduced a Constitutional amendment that would have required all acts of war to be put to a national popular vote. The rationale behind the amendment was to give those who would have to serve and, perhaps, die in those conflicts the chance to have a say in whether the country should be involved. Ludlow’s amendment made only one exception to the vote – if the U.S. was attacked first. Like most proposed Constitutional amendments, it went nowhere. (I think we could’ve avoided a whole lot of unhappy history with this one.)
… two nations on Earth use the word “the” to begin their official names? The Gambia in Africa is one; The Bahamas in the Caribbean Sea is the other. No other nation officially uses “the” at the start of its name. (Nor do they want to.)
… elephants use their ears to regulate their body temperature? Blood flow into the ears carries excess heat from the elephant’s body, and cooler blood re-enters the bloodstream. And flapping their large ears allows elephants to reduce their body temperature by 10˚ or more. (The fact that it makes them look silly is not considered.)
… a well-known actor was supposed to play one of the main characters on a popular 1980s television show, but walked out after being insulted? When the creators of Punky Brewster, a situation comedy about a young girl being raised by a foster parent, were casting the role of the foster father, their first choice was actor Fred Gwynne (1926-1993). Gwynne was deep into discussions regarding the role when a casting director referred to him as “Herman Munster,” a reference to his role in the early 1960s comedy The Munsters. Gwynne had worked diligently over the years to distance himself from that role which had typecast him, and when the casting director called him that, an insulted Gwynne walked out of the meeting and away from the program. The role eventually went to George Gaynes (1917-2016).
… a snail spent several years glued to a card before being discovered to be alive? In 1846, authorities at the British Museum glued what they believed was a dead snail to a card for display. When the snail came unglued some five years later, the staff of the museum was astonished to see it was still alive, and had been the whole time. (Now that’s what I call living. Thanks to Mason for the tip!)
… the symbol of medicine, the caduceus, has snakes on it for a reason? In an ancient Greek legend, snakes were thought to have revealed the practice of medicine to human beings. They are recognized for that on the caduceus. (Trying to make up for that debacle with Adam and Eve, I’d wager.)
Recently learned about the Nehushtan. God commanded Moses to make a metal (Gold?) snake and mount it to a staff. Moses was to walk among the people, who only had to see the Nehushtan, to cure the sicknesses from the snake bites received whilest wandering in the desert.
Also recently learned that the story of the Greek Caduceus origins was … promulgated … by the Muslim rulers, with the enthusiastic blessing of the Catholic Church, beginning in the 8th Century AD in Spain. To distance “healing” from the Jews.
The passage in question is in Numbers, Chapter 21. The Israelites were being punished by a plague of serpents whose venomous bite burned as it poisoned them, hence they were called “firey serpants.”
After they repent and ask Moses to intercede for them before God:
The epithet “Nehushtan” is found in II Kings 18, when Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign and to try to lead the people back to God:
Per Blue Letter Bible:
I’m not sure I accept the account about the Muslims and Catholics promulgating the account to keep Jews from being seen as healers. I’d need to check my resources on that.
There is considerable difference between the Caduceus (the staff of Hermes/Mercury), which had more to do with seeing the deceased to the afterlife (also, waking/sleeping and commerce), and the Rod of Asclepius.
The Rhábdos toû Asklēpioû is the true symbol of medicine and only bears one snake with no wings. C’mon, Commissioner, you’re better than this… unless you’re running for commissioner of the California board of medicine.
… presidents have not always been featured on U.S. currency? There are numerous examples, but one of the most striking is the face of the $20 bill from 1875. It features the image of Pocahontas (1596-1617), a Native American woman best known for assisting the English settlers at Jamestown, Virginia. If that doesn’t strike you odd, try this: in 1855, back when banks were allowed to print their own currency, the Saint Nicholas Bank of New York City printed five-dollar notes which featured a portrait of Santa Claus. (Ho, ho, ho indeed.)
… the first U.S. president to visit a foreign country while in office was Theodore Roosevelt? In November of 1906, Roosevelt (1858-1919) sailed on the USS Louisiana to visit Puerto Rico and Panama. (Many others wanted to, but didn’t.)
… a town in Minnesota has 20 zip codes? Young America Township, in Carver County, Minnesota, has a population of about 700 people. But it is also the home of a major rebate processing center, which requires a lot of different zip codes. The U.S. Postal Service has assigned at least 20 to the town of 34 square miles. The township is about ten miles southwest of Minneapolis. (Both sides of the sign say “City Limits.”)
Now … you know!
Well, at least I’ve got something to be proud about for living in Minnesota. Now I gotta get me to Young America!
As far as exceptions to Presidents on currency, I think Mr. Benjamin Franklin deserves a nod.
CW – very happy for you, and very happy to open the WOT and not need to scroll down for your weekly offering.
Thank you for the kind words, dear lady! Glad you like the silly stuff.
Second!
Closest I’ve ever got.
Was busy watching geico cave man commercials and capital one viking. visage, etc old TV comercials
Hack Stone was on the road to Philadelphia. Looking to expand the market beyond commuters exiting the River Road off ramp of the Capital Beltway. Plenty of breakdown lanes in I-95 in Philadelphia that have people in need of outdated and overpriced Red Hat Software.
Top 10. I’m happy.
50 years ago today, the summer blockbuster Jaws was released. The film grossed over $477,000,000 worldwide, inspired a slew of diminishing sequels, and untold dozens of low budget ripoffs.
Hack Stone was watching The Today Show on NBC this morning. They had a segment on the anniversary of Jaws being released, and mentioned that there were 28 unprovoked shark attacks this year. Not sure if that is in America or worldwide. Regardless, Hack wants to know how many provoked shark attacks have occurred. And how do you provoke a shark? A slew of “Your Mamma” jokes? Stepping on a shark’s shoes? Maybe insult his girlfriend? Inquiring minds want to know.
TOP TWENTY! Yes, I’m present and unaccountable as I award myself yet another Honorary First.
((((OVER))))
Here for the beer.
What’s the protocol when one makes a SFC faint? I mean, what should I have done?
So there I was, I had just got out of my car when I met a whole paperwork of US Army Recruiters. The SFC, all bedecked with CIB, EIB, CAB, et al, and I’m sure just to tease an old man, asked if I was ready to sign up. I told him only if he could promise me infantry. The rest of the paperwork asked, in unison, “WHAT?” I said I wanted to play in the dirt and I told them they should look after their buddy, it didn’t look too soldierly laying passed out on the sidewalk.
My son demanded infantry when he enlisted, 11X. He wanted to be a Ranger.
So did Airborne Son – he wanted to be like his grandfather, a machine gunner in the Infantry in WWII, what we now call the SAW gunner. Not sure what they called them back yonder, although I’m sure the Germans had some choice names for ’em.
OCS Candidate (MI) was asked by a female MI TAC if he was branching MI – he responded ” No ma’am, Infantry!” She asked ” but you’ve been MI for five years, why not branch it?” to which he answered ” because MI officers are wimps, ma’am!” He did a lot of pushups after that..
Not a war story, personally saw it.
0311 and 11B.
And for you radioheads, I read today that Dr. Demento has officially announced his retirement.
We though dementia went away when Daniel Bernath attained -6 feet altitude.
Naw, Gropey Joe was working on his dementia even after the human lawn dart took his final flight.
I didn’t know the crazy old bastid was still kicking!
Present.
Sleeping in the woods at CST25, Wolverine lane. FML.
Present & unaccountable.
After teaching guitar today, went & picked up some new freedom seeds, the hit the gym.
Since there were thunder-bumbers in the AO I skipped the pool and hit the treadmill and free weights. While walking from one part of the gym to another, had a young man ask me whether I’d ever taught at ____ school. When I confessed that I had, he told me that as a younger student there he remembered when (as a reward to my HS students) I let them dye my beard. That was 10-ish years ago.
You never know who’s watching your steps.
All quiet this week in the AO and GB Compound.
Y’all play nicely, bring the Ladies of TAH some chocolate, and kowtow appropriately to CW.
Got room for one more student?
https://x.com/RepHankJohnson/status/1935421617598865653
Jimi weeps.
I tell my students that the main purpose of learning guitar is to enjoy making music.
He may enjoy what he is doing – but he needs to do that at home in private. He has a lot of room for improvement.
Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do it.
FAKE Trump cred – Exposed.
Website OBXLAWMAN (dot com)
This 2025 OBX Outer Banks, North Carolina campaign by
“Teddy Daniels for Dare County Sheriff 2026”
will not end well for Phony Rambo Phony 5 medals Teddy Daniels
Memories of Foley & Jowers.
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?page_id=90114&q=foley+jowers
Shhhh…
It looks like Leroy Foley landed on his feet.
In a trailer.
With other trailers for neighbors.
On an unpaved stone road.
Over 50 miles away from his former police job in Clyde, TX.
“Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) works balls.