Weekend Open Thread
Many among the left are frustrated that the right, especially “MAGA”, refuse to see the “reality” and “wisdom” that is so “obvious” to the former. Obvious things like equal outcomes, equity, multiple genders, etc., don’t seem to gain traction. The right’s refusal to abandon reality earns them unflattering labels. Enjoy your weekend!
Category: Open thread
First!
CW WOOT!!!! Top 5…..early PE for TAH!!!
First?
Not … quite. Great try!
First! Ho Lee Chit!
Dammit! It was clear when I posted
Hey there, folks! I got the throne back! Good work on the part of SFC D, who almost beat me into the seat. Now, though, I shall lord it over everyone for the next week, but benevolently. In fact, I’m so benevolent I’ll start with the trivia! Here you go …
DID YOU KNOW…?
Did a billionaire’s stinginess cause his kidnapped nephew to become injured?
By Commissioner Wretched
didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com
Copyright © 2026
Let’s just get into the trivia this week, shall we? I’ve already pontificated about spring, showers, flowers, and baseball … and there isn’t much else to go on and on about.
If I’m going to go on and on, I should do it with the trivia. So on and on we go!
Enjoy!
Did you know …
… the original vampire novel has never been out of print? Dracula, written in 1897 by Irish author Bram Stoker (1847-1912), ties together the vampire bats of the New World with the actual story of Transyvanian prince Vlad III Tepes (1431-1476), known as Vlad the Impaler. Scholars are divided on the true meaning of the work – some say it is a clear allegory of Christianity, while others say it is a lampooning of Victorian-era mores in the United Kingdom. Whichever (or both), the book has never been out of print since it was first released. (I wish I could say that about my books.)
… a common condiment was once thought of as a medicine? Ketchup, the humble condiment that makes hamburgers and other dishes taste better, was at one time prescribed as a medicine for rheumatism, jaundice and other ailments. In the 1830s it was sold in a pill form by Dr. John Cook Bennett (1804-1867). Competitors soon followed, but some were not quite honest – they used laxatives instead of tomatoes in their “medicine.” (Well, they also used to think tomatoes were poisonous, so …)
… one of the most famous pieces of Star Trek lore came from a Jewish ritual? The Vulcan salute, made by holding up the hand with the middle and ring fingers split in a “V” shape, was created by actor Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015). Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock on the classic series, had observed his rabbi using the hand symbol in a benediction while a boy and never forgot it. The hand symbol is made to represent the Hebrew letter shin, the first letter of the Hebrew word “shalom,” which means peace. (Nimoy wasn’t supposed to look, but he peeked.)
… a dentist was forced to legally change his name because of his advertising? Dr. Edgar R.R. Parker (1872-1952) was a rather flamboyant dentist in his home town of Philadelphia, but following his graduation from Philadelphia Dental College he went six weeks without seeing a patient. So, he decided to advertise. Parker billed his dentistry as “painless,” but his patients said he was lying. To avoid charges of false advertising which could have put him out of business, Parker legally changed his first name to Painless. (Clever, very clever!)
… the first embroidery pattern book was published in the 16th Century? The Modelbuch, published in Germany in 1524, contained 29 pages of designs for embroidery and lace. As far as knitting patterns, the earliest pattern books combining knitting and embroidery came out in the 17th Century, with the first devoted exclusively to knitting printed in 1761. (They just made up their own patterns prior to that.)
… a billionaire’s alleged stinginess caused his grandson to suffer? On July 10, 1973, John Paul Getty III (1956-2011), 16-year-old grandson of the then-richest man in the world, was kidnapped from the Piazza Farnese in Rome. The kidnappers demanded $17 million in ransom, but the young man’s grandfather – billionaire J. Paul Getty (1892-1976) – refused. The elder Getty’s reasoning, apparently, was that if he paid, his other grandchildren could become kidnapping victims as well. The younger Getty was held by the kidnappers for five months, and the only movement in the case came in November of 1973, when a package containing a lock of Getty’s hair and his severed ear arrived at a newspaper. The note threatened to mutilate the young man even further if a ransom of $3.2 million was not paid. Even in the face of the injury done to his grandson, J. Paul maintained his parsimonious ways – he only agreed to provide $2.2 million, because that was the most that was tax deductible, and loaned another $800,000 to his son, John Paul Getty, Jr. (1932-2006), the victim’s father, on condition that it be paid back at four percent interest. Nine of the kidnappers were apprehended, but only two received prison terms. Additional trivia note: When the younger Getty was finally released in December, he telephoned his grandfather to thank him for paying the ransom. The elder Getty refused to come to the phone.
… you probably can’t afford the world’s most expensive tea? I certainly can’t. Called Da-Hong Pao Tea and only available in China, the most expensive tea in the world will run you $1.2 million for one kilogram. This rare form of tea is grown only in the Wuyi mountain region of China’s Fujian province, from a kind of tree of which only six exist. (One cup, please.)
… only one pitcher has ever appeared in all seven games of the same World Series? In 1973, Darold Knowles (born 1941) was pitching for the Oakland A’s in the World Series against the New York Mets. Knowles appeared in all seven games of the Series as a relief pitcher, and in his 6 1/3 innings of work through the games he did not give up a run. He was credited with the save in games one and seven of the Series, which went to the A’s.
… a famous musician tried to broker peace between two Los Angeles street gangs in one of his videos? Michael Jackson (1958-2009) cast about 80 members of the rival street gangs Crips and Bloods in the video for his hit song “Beat It.” Jackson was hoping to foster peace between the two groups. He also wanted the video to be as realistic as possible, and it was. As far as building peace, the video didn’t work. (Well, he tried, anyway.)
Now … you know!
BTW…at my desk present and accounted for….before this weekend’s Heat wave….
And here’s more of that Democrat sh*t:
https://x.com/GrageDustin/status/2055130876040589703
Present! Just swinging through to hand the Scepter off to CW and get back to work. Cong Rats, Commish!
Hey, everybody! Some updates on my situation: Still prepping for the our move to Indiana on 31st. That is locked in. Gonna be selling a majority of our stuff prior. But we’re trucking along.
Also, found a bit of obscure history that is obscure for anyone not from Tennessee or the surrounding states: The Battle of Athens, Tennessee. 1946.
Favorite new saying: To deprive the enemy of nice things.
Also, good boys: Sgt. Stubby and Chips.
Hack Stone just got off the plane from China. We were supposed to fly on Air Force One with all the other business leaders, but the Secret Service would not allow Psul of The Ballsack on the plane because he was “hygienically challenged”. So we ended up flying there on Spirit Airlines.