Category: History

The Callanish Stones

The Callanish Stones were erected during the Monolithic Era between 2900 and 2600 BC. They are near the village of Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

The Callanish Stones consist of a stone circle of thirteen stones with a diameter of 37.4 feet. The center stone (which is a little off center) is 15.7 feet tall. There are five rows of standing stones that connect to the circle (see the drawing included here from Stonesofwonder.com). Also, within the circle is a chambered tomb which was added at a later date. All the stones are from the same rock type, Lewisian gneiss. There have been lots of pottery pieces found, in the circle, dating 2000-1700 BC. It seems that the site was completely abandoned around 800 BC. It has been suggested that the stones were a prehistoric lunar observatory.

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Giordano Bruno

Giordano Bruno was born in Italy in 1548 and was burned at the stake in 1600. He was educated in Naples, tutored privately at the Augustinian Monastery. At age 17 he entered the Dominican Order, finished his studies, and became an ordained priest at age 24. Bruno supported the opinion of Copernicus, that the earth went round and the heavens stood still. The earth rotated on its axis and circled the sun once a year.

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SS Edmund Fitzgerald

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was owned by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and was registerd in the Port of Milwaukee. She first launched in 1958, built by Great Lakes Engineering Works.

She was a lake freighter 729 feet in length, 75 feet wide, and carried taconite ore pellets from mines near Duluth, Minnesota to ports in Detroit, Toledo and others. She was the largest ship to haul iron ore on the Great Lakes.

On her final voyage the Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin (Nov 9, 1975) with a full load (25,400 tons). With a seasoned crew and Captain (Ernest M. McSorley) on board, they were joined by a second freighter, SS Arthur M. Anderson. The weather turned bad the next day.

The Arthur M. Anderson received two messages from the Edmund Fitzgerald. The first  “I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I’ve ever been in.” and the second, and last, was “We are holding our own.”

Only two empty lifeboats were found and no crew. A U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft found the sunken ship 4 days later. The Edmund Fitzgerald was broken in half and some have recently speculated that the front was on a giant wave and the rear on another tearing the hull in half.

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The DEW Line

The Distant Early Warning Line

When watching the 1950s movie “The Deadly Mantis” they based the origin of the creature on the ice above the DEW line. A nice explanation was given in the movie and piqued my interest. The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands 0f Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland.

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The Varsity



I’ve been eating at The Varsity since I was born.  Daddy worked at Automobile Glass back then,  which wad located in the parking lot of the downtown location of The Varsity.  When we would go on school trips to Atlanta,  they would stop at The Varsity for lunch.  Mother loved Hastings, a lawn and garden place,  located across the the street from  The Varsity Jr., Lindbergh and Cheshire Bridge Road. We would eat at The Varsity in Athens when going to Georgia events.  I don’t know how many times we went to the downtown Varsity after a concert!. The Varsity has always been one of my favorites.
[From TheVarsity.com] “What’ll ya have… What’ll ya have?” There’s no friendlier greeting than the one you’ll receive when you step up to the counter at The Varsity. And that’s just the beginning of what makes The Varsity so special. There’s not a faster, fresher, or more fun-filled dining experience like it anywhere! Gordy family-owned and operated since 1928, The Varsity is a downtown Atlanta institution, and The World’s Largest Drive-in Restaurant.
Visiting The Varsity before a big game, or anytime for a quick, delicious meal is more than just dining out, it’s experiencing an iconic part of Atlanta’s culture. Now, with six locations and growing, The Varsity is the nearly ninety year-old fun place to eat that keeps getting better with age.

Varsity Timeline

Skinwalker Ranch

[From Wikipedia] Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is a property located on approximately 512 acres (207,2 ha) southeast of Ballard, Utah that is reputed to be the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities.[1] Its name is taken from the skin-walker of Navajo legend concerning vengeful Shaman.

UFO reports in the Uintah Basin were publicized during the 1970s.[2] Claims about the ranch first appeared in 1996 in the Salt Lake City, Utah Deseret News,[3] and later in the alternative weekly Las Vegas Mercury as a series of articles by investigative journalist George Knapp. These early stories detailed the claims of a family that allegedly experienced inexplicable and frightening events after they purchased and occupied the property.

Oak Island



[From Wikipedia] Oak Island is a 57-hectare (140-acre) privately owned island in Lunenburg County on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. The tree-covered island is one of about 360 small islands in Mahone Bay and rises to a maximum of 11 metres (36 feet) above sea level. The island is located 200 metres (660 feet) from shore and connected to the mainland by a causeway and gate. The nearest community is the rural community of Western Shore which faces the island, while the nearest village is Chester. The island is best known for various theories about possible buried treasure or historical artifacts, and the associated exploration.

Oak Island has been a subject for treasure hunters ever since the late 1700s, with rumours that Captain Kidd‘s treasure was buried there. While there is little evidence to support what went on during the early excavations, stories began to be published and documented as early as 1856. Since that time there have been many theories that extend beyond that of Captain Kidd which include among others religious artifacts, manuscripts, and Marie Antoinette‘s jewels. The “treasure” has also been prone to criticism by those who have dismissed search areas as natural phenomena.[21] Areas of interest on the island with regard to treasure hunters include a location known as the “Money Pit”, which is allegedly the original searchers’ spot. There is also a formation of boulders called “Nolan’s Cross”, named after a former treasure hunter with a theory on it, and a triangle-shaped swamp. Lastly, there has been searcher activity on a beach at a place called “Smith’s Cove”. Various objects including non-native coconut fibre have been found there.[14] More recent archaeological discoveries in the ‘Smith’s Cove” area have included an allegedly pre-15th century lead cross and various wooden earthworks.[22][23]

More than fifty books have been published recounting the island’s history and exploring competing theories.[24] Several works of fiction have also been based upon the Money Pit, including The Money Pit Mystery, Riptide, The Hand of Robin Squires, and Betrayed: The Legend of Oak Island. In January 2014, the History Channel began airing a reality TV show called The Curse of Oak Island about a group of modern treasure hunters. These hunters include brothers Rick and Marty Lagina of the “Michigan Group”.[25][26][27] The series has documented finds such as centuries-old coins, an antique brooch, and a lead cross that was allegedly made between 1200 and 1600 A.D.[28]