Has the end come? In 1900 this fig tree arrived here from Italy. The Gentleman passed on this three to his grandson. The grandson had this for almost 45 years. Knowing first hand the figs from this tree was delicious.
Well the Ohio State folks told my friend that he no longer needed to bury the roots every winter. Just keep the tree in a heated garage. Well he did that and as of yet there are no leaves or buds on the tree.
He usually has leaves on the tree the first week of May. But so far nothing. Let’s hope that the tree somehow survives and it’s 100 year history continues.
A little bit of everything. Thrifting, curb shopping, and even some Easter pictures. I have to say that for us it’s a lot of luck. We don’t thrift or curb shop for items to sell. If we did, we would have made thousands of dollars. We use most of the furniture and nick knacks in decorating.
The brass you see in the pictures are almost all Baldwin Brass. A few Virginia Metalcrafters. The pewter plates and candlesticks are too numerous to mention.
A recent trip to a Mennonite thrift store where we made a donation.
Of course a few decoration pictures.
Got started on getting the gardens ready.
I’m not embarrassed to say we curb shop. OK I curb shop. But some items are real treasures. So sit back and enjoy.
Some of my curb shopping treasures. One awesome music store. Picked it up from my neighbor who put it out for disposal.
I could not believe that the person who owned these 5 chairs put them out on the curb. Value $4,500. Our cost. $0
OK so We’re not Irish, doesn’t mean we can’t decorate with a Irish look. Sit back and just take in the new additions. First we added some Franciscan Ivy plates, saucer, and some little people.
Next a Leprechaun, some clover, coins, and a pot of gold.
And what a seven dollar and a five dollar table add to a porch door.
Franciscan Made in the USA. Replacement Unlimited Photo
Views: 51
We did the pots and pans, now let’s do the dishes and silverware. We love the classics. Our everyday dishes and silverware are Oneida Colonial Boston and Corning Corelle Bone/Sandstone. Both made in the USA so many years ago.
Our good dishes and silverware are Franciscan Desert Rose. Silverware is Oneida Shell. Again made in the USA.
Over the years we’ve replaced some dishes. And mostly USA. Some of the Franciscan is made in England. Sadly some of the Oneida is Chinese.
(Original Caption) 8/9/1936-Berlin, Germany- With what is obviously the greatest of ease, Cornelius Johnson of the United States, without even doffing his sweatshirt, is clearing the bar at a height which other competitors found difficult to surmount. Johnson placed first; Dave Albrittson and Delos Thurber, also of the United States, captured second and third honors respectively.
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How Olympian Cornelius Johnson’s Legacy Lives on Through an 87-Year-Old Oak Tree.
Cornelius Johnson won gold in the high jump for the United States at the 1936 Olympics, held in Nazi Germany. Along with his medal, he took home an oak sapling and planted it in the yard of his family’s Los Angeles home. Though Johnson died just 10 years later, at age 32, the oak tree still stands tall — a physical representation of his legacy as one of the many Black American athletes who took the podium during those Games and resisted the then-ethos of the country that hosted them.
“Him planting his tree was a way of saying ‘I beat you, we won,’” Susan Anderson, a curator at the California African American Museum, told CBS News. Johnson’s tree is one of about two dozen oaks left standing from the 1936 Olympics, and it has now been designated as a historical monument in LA.
That designation is due in part to the work of Christian Kosmas Mayer, a Vienna-based artist with a particular interest in trees with historical significance. He lobbied to save this one when the land was bought by a developer and, thankfully, he was successful.
“Now it grows in what we call Koreatown in Los Angeles, a very diverse, multiethnic, multi-language area, absolutely the opposite of what the Nazis would have dreamed of as their future,” Mayer told CBS. “So I think it’s a beautiful symbol for how things can turn out much better.”
NEWELL, W.Va. — Dave Springer stands alone in a sea of lids, jars, dishes, cups and bowls. One hand, in a dark blue rubber glove, holds a jar lid, while the other holds the scraper he’s using meticulously to smooth away every mark and imperfection. Then he places the casting on the boards to dry, and picks up another.
Meanwhile, nearby is an oversized bin filled with dishes, cups, jars, lids and saucers that didn’t make the cut.
The clay molds are so moist, I have an overwhelming childlike urge to squeeze the clay between my fingers.
Willie Jones, a second-generation caster, stands beside the bin of castoffs wiping down hundreds of teapots with a damp sponge. Some of them he will add to the bin of misfit pottery.
“Nothing goes to waste here; we just mix all of that together and recast them into new pieces,” Mr. Jones explains.
Mr. Springer says he has been an artisan for the Fiesta Tableware Company for 17 years — before that, he spent 23 years at the former Hall China across the river in East Liverpool. “I’m proud of being a caster, to be able to touch the product — and perfect it — knowing it is going to be used and enjoyed by a family, or admired by a collector or used over and over again in a diner,” he said, looking up from his task with a broad smile.
“I know it is a cliché to say we don’t make things in America anymore, but the truth is we don’t. I like that I am part of a craftsmanship that still does, that still takes pride in making things here knowing they are appreciated, used and enjoyed,” he says. Then he goes back to the task at hand.
Both Mr. Springer and Mr. Jones are working inside the former Homer Laughlin China Company’s cavernous building located along a ridge overlooking the Ohio River. It’s a company that began in 1871 when neighboring East Liverpool’s city council offered $5,000 to anyone who would agree to build a four-kiln factory that produced white ware.
Brothers Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin won that competition and proceeded to build a pottery factory in East Liverpool. While the brothers had worked in the pottery industry — at one time over 300 pottery companies (yes, 300) were in this area — they weren’t naturals at the technical aspects of manufacturing.
But they pressed forward, broke ground and within two years opened for production with two kilns. When their first batch of cups were cooled, all the handles fell off.
Within a year, however, they had over 100 employees; two years later, they earned a medal for the best white ware at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. By 1877, Shakespeare wanted out, and Homer renamed the business “Homer Laughlin China Company.”
At the time, all American china companies — despite being more expensive than the European imports — were seen as inferior to English china, to the point that many American potters would add the word “royal” to their trademark to fool buyers.
Not Homer. He designed a mark that showed the American Eagle on top of the British Lion.
Liz McIlvain, president and CEO of Fiesta Tableware, and daughter Katie Bricker, the general marketing manager, are the great-great- and great-great-great-granddaughters of W.E. Wells, Homer Laughlin’s one-time bookkeeper, who became head of the company in 1896 when Laughlin sold his interest. They are standing near the very office where Wells fell ill in 1931, and later passed away, after running the company for nearly 40 years.
“When Wells took over, they moved operations here to Newell from East Liverpool on the former Newell farm. When they finished this factory, it immediately became the largest pottery plant in the country,” explained Ms. Bricker.
Designer Frederick Hurten Rhead, hired in 1927, made the company iconic: He created the “Fiesta” collection, introducing the colorful dinnerware to the American public in 1936 at the Pittsburgh China & Glass Show.
The American public was enthralled with the colorful, sturdy and inexpensive dinnerware in green, cobalt blue, yellow, red and ivory. Within a year, the company added a sixth color, turquoise, and had sold over a million pieces.
Ms. Bricker said the first line of Fiesta pottery had 34 different pieces that included bowls, plates, pitchers, candle holders, pots and trays. “What made American families want them wasn’t just the simple and sturdy design — they loved the bright colors. Remember America was in the midst of the Great Depression. Those colors made them feel good about themselves,” she said.
Ms. Bricker said uranium dye played a big part in why the colors achieved such brilliance. “Right after World War II began, the Homer Laughlin China Company had to discontinue using the compound because the military needed uranium for the war effort.”
She explains that peak employment here at the factory came in 1948, when over 3,000 workers created pottery in the building that still stands today. Since then, however, American industrial domination has vanished thanks to automation, bad trade deals and lack of investment.
Today there are 370 employees here, in one of the last major American pottery factories.
The people who work here are often second-, third- and fourth-generation craftsmen and artisans who hail from here in Newell and from across the river in East Liverpool, while others live in suburban Pittsburgh, Steubenville and Wheeling. To a person, they all expressed deep pride in their craftsmanship — and concern that what they do will soon be a lost skill.
Springer said he tries to encourage young people to take an interest, “but it’s sad to say, I haven’t had much luck.”
The prolonged staffing issues cause by the pandemic, along with their inability to keep up with inexpensive imports, forced the family in late 2020 to sell their East Liverpool-based Hall China, which made Homer Laughlin and Hall China food service items. Everything is now made under the Fiesta Tableware Company marquee.
To say Fiestaware — old, new and rare — has a cult following would be an understatement. Their tent sales, held several times a year, attract collectors, bargain hunters, fine restaurant owners as well as diner operators from around the world, all sifting through bins stacked with slightly imperfect dishware in dozens of hues.
At the last tent sale I attended — I have been collecting since finding four original green saucers in one of my late grandmother’s boxes of china — I met a Latino restaurateur from Chicago, a diner owner from South Carolina and a collector from England all filling carts with dishware. There are also annual Fiestaware conventions, scores of Fiestaware Facebook fan and collector pages, as well as several non-profits dedicated to the collection and purchase of old, new and rare Fiestaware pieces.
Ms. Bricker said with the exception of the years 1973 through 1985, Fiestaware has been made continuously since 1936. In that time, they have made nearly 600 million pieces, including 3 million last year alone. And Rhead’s original designs haven’t changed: Fiestaware remains immediately identifiable by its Art Deco styling and concentric rings.
One shopper leaving the factory store explained that she had spent the day at local antique stores looking for vintage pieces, then came here for the new Jade. “Here is what I love about Fiestaware: When you find it in the wild, you are holding a piece of American history, and you wonder who used it before you; when you come here, you are buying something made in your own backyard, and you hope that ability never goes away,” she said. “It’s a real national treasure.”
North Side native Salena Zito is a national political reporter for The Washington Examiner, a New York Post columnist and co-author of “The Great Revolt”:
I’m in the mood for what I’ll call my favorites on a Sunday. Playing my favorite rocking tunes. But you can play any type of music that you wish. I want to start with Mott the Hoople featuring Ian Hunter.
Yes, the heavily promoted 3 episode NCIS crossover aired this Monday. It had lots of callbacks, some were to old school LA, friendly sparring (IMO, which made everyone look like middle schoolers), and 1 huge surprise.
The 3rd episode ‘A Long Time Coming’, found a neat way to give fans a reasurring update on 1 particular LA team member who everyone has been waiting on pins and needles to hear more about because it’s been a long time since she’s been seen.
I present to you, the part about this whole crossover that I consider to be a miracle of sorts:
So what pots and pans do you have? OK so it’s called cookware. Our cookware is mostly Calphalon. We also have some ALL-Clad and Old Revere Ware. ALL-Clad is the most expensive and some say the best.
All our Cookware is made in the USA. My favorite are two pans that are not USA made. A line called Green Pan. And also all the Cookware is non stick. Why Green Pan?
Green Pan is very light and inexpensive. Only had the two pans for about three months, but so far they’re scratch resistant. I use the eight inch one everyday. Now my wife likes her Calphalon and Revere Ware. She’s not overly crazy with the ALL Clad. Now we get to price and location.
I ran into a chef friend last week at Kohl’s. His wife was just getting ready to buy a 10 piece Calphalon non stick Cookware set. $249.00. I told her TJ Max had a 10 piece ALL-Clad for the same price. That set MSRP is $400.00. They didn’t even say bye.
TJ Max is the place for cookware deals. All firsts also. Our 10piece Calphalon cost us $130.00.
An Oakdale family is praising their teenage son for helping free his father earlier this month after being trapped underneath the truck they were working on.
Matthew Wilkinson said despite getting home late on what should have been a normal Monday night, he couldn’t put off working on the brakes on his work truck. When his teenage son came out to check on him, he enlisted his help, he said. Working on the vehicle, he said, was something they’d done many times before. This time, however, the rotor was stuck.
“I couldn’t get a good angle, so I slid my body underneath the truck and was hitting it,” he said. “The second it popped off, the truck fell. I know it rolled forward because I saw it roll forward and it fell right on top of me. All I could think about was the breath coming out of me. I was just squished. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t yell.”
The family’s home security camera captured the terrifying moment. The accident left Wilkinson with a punctured lung, broken ribs and a separated shoulder, KCRA reported. But while he was in the hospital, he said he couldn’t figure out how he had managed to free himself.
“All this time in the hospital, I’m trying to figure out how did I get out from under the truck,” he said. It was then, he said, he remembered the surveillance cameras.
“I called my kid and had him look at them look at the surveillance camera and they realized that he had lifted the truck enough for me to roll out,” he said.
At 15, Dalin Wilkinson is a freshman at Oakdale High School. He regularly helps his dad out with work on the vehicle.
“It just dropped right on him. I was scared. I heard him make a noise like his soul was leaving his body. It was crazy,” Dalin Wilkinson said. “I just ran over and tried as hard as I could to get it up enough to get him out.”
It was enough.
“My son is my hero. He saved my life,” said his father.
Well here at the MC home it was time for our Holiday decorations. So we had to take ( actually Mrs. MC ) down all the Harvest decorations.
Side view of the Harvest Decorations
Front view of the Harvest Decorations.
Today starts the second day of putting up the Holiday Decorations. I’ll just give ya a sneak peak. More to come today or tomorrow. Is it to early to say Merry Christmas?
There’s very fascinating science behind understanding the depreciation of cars. When a new car is bought, its tendency, almost always, is to decrease in value over time. This is called depreciation, and different cars depreciate at different rates, depending on any number of factors, things as simple as quality, brand, and model, to things as complex as the economy, the market, how many cars sold, its vogue popularity, how many were made, and so on. There are a lot of variables that go into the depreciation rate of a car. These variables are so vastly different that it’s possible for a car to not only never actually depreciate, but instead escalate in value, sometimes drastically, over the years. These are collectible cars, the kind that age, and can be sold at auction for millions.
Updated June 2022: While some new cars may seem like they offer great features, performance, and overall value for the money, their depreciation rates often tell a much different story. We’ve updated this list with even more models proven to have some of the highest five-year depreciation rates.
It’s a mystery, though, because, on the other hand, some cars will lose almost all their value over the course of many years, then with the flip of a switch they rise in value, becoming collector cars. This is why investment in cars can be a risky game to play, but a very rewarding one as well. Some cars hit a baseline and will hold value at that baseline for decades, but some cars seem to have absolutely no bottom at all, plummeting in value year after year. That subject is what this article is all about. The kinds of cars that won’t hold any value, prices crashing drastically.
Here’s a look at 20 cars that will probably be worthless in 5 years.
20/20 Cadillac ATS
Via: Cadillac
The Cadillac brand of cars, from their SUVs to their sedans to their performance cars and sports cars, are all subject to depreciation, the kind of depreciation that makes these cars worthless after 5 years. Of all the cars on this list, Cadillac is one of the ones that face the steepest depreciation values in regard to American cars. They aren’t bad cars, either, so if you’re looking for a good second-hand car, you’ll be able to find an older Cadillac in good shape at quite a good steal, especially compared to their price new.
19/20 Volkswagen Passat
Via: Volkswagen USA
The Volkswagen Passat is one of the most common and prolific Volkswagen models you can buy. It’s marketed for the average car buyer, family, or single person. Naturally, that lends to its tendency to depreciate a lot – very steeply, actually, even though it’s a great, mid-class sedan. It’s safe, it’s reliable, it’s practical, and it’s reasonably priced, even new. You can buy them second-hand for quite cheap, and they’ll still have a lot of longevity for the price.
18/20 Buick Enclave
Via Buick
The Buick Enclave is a car that you should probably never buy new. It’s not a very good car, to begin with, sold new with any number of price increases to cover not only the cost of manufacturing, but also the costs to cover the other facets of the Buick company and give them profit, plus the costs to cover the dealerships and all the car salesmen who sell them. But as soon as you buy one used, all that is stripped away, leaving you with the actual value of the car. Which isn’t a lot, considering they aren’t good SUVs.
17/20 Chrysler 200
favcars.com
Chrysler, while attempting to be a luxury line of cars, really isn’t quite up to par. The company can’t quite get the gumption to actually build their cars with genuine quality, so while they may have features, and look modern, nice, and luxurious, the fact of the matter is that they aren’t built to last, therefore they don’t hold their value.
They don’t hold it at all, depreciating as fast as drivers are able to pay it down. Buying them used may seem like a steal, but beware of the maintenance costs…
16/20 Volkswagen Jetta
via NetCarShow
The Volkswagen Jetta is basically the twin sister of the Passat. It’s a little smaller and starts at a little lower of a price point than the Passat, but it’s one of VW’s most popular models. This, of course, means that they don’t resell for very much money at all. The depreciation is just as steep as the Passat, so after a few years, you can buy them for a lot less than the selling point new.
15/20 BMW 3-Series
Via BMW
A 3-Series BMW is a great car to buy. It really is. It’s sporty, fast, has a great engine, great handling, it’s also practical, and somewhat of a reliable car, too. So you’ll be safe buying one new because it’s a really solid car. But, due to depreciation, you can buy one aftermarket second-hand for significantly less. Yet, you won’t get significantly less quality, because of how well they’re made, and due to the steep depreciation rates. It just makes sense to buy one of these used.
The great new frontier in the car industry is electric. Governments are trying to eliminate combustion engines entirely, even trying to outlaw them, which means that the era of gasoline is quickly coming to an end. For better or worse. But that means that the electric industry is going to begin advancing in leaps and bounds, leaving behind the pioneers in the dust. Soon enough, Tesla cars will seem like dinosaurs, and they won’t hold any of their value. They will depreciate, and who knows if they’ll even have a floor, but there’s no denying the new Model X Plaid is blisteringly fast!
Almost all cars made and manufactured in Germany are subject to some of the steepest depreciation rates of all cars. The best thing about the German cars, though, is that they are made with integrity, no corners cut, and they aren’t cheaply manufactured, unlike some American models that depreciate only because they immediately become unreliable. So if you want to buy an Audi, it’s pretty easy to find one for less than half its selling value. If you find a well-maintained one, that’s good, but if not, you’ll be paying a lot in repairs.
12/20 BMW 5-Series
Via BMW
Buying a BMW new means that you make a lot of money each year, and can afford a pretty expensive car payment each month, and you only care about having the nicest thing possible, no matter how good of a value it is (or isn’t). Buying a BMW used means that you’re a pretty smart person because you can have a model that’s only a couple of years older, almost the same quality, yet less than half the price of the new one. This means you can have that suave, luxurious, powerful, German-engineered sedan for a lot smaller monthly payment than the new one.
11/20 Fiat 500L
via netcarshow.com
The biggest factor leading to the depreciation rates of the Fiat 500L is more than likely due to the fact that it isn’t desirable. It’s ugly, lumpy, has no track record for being reliable (yet, at least) and it’s a bad sign when it doesn’t sell well new because it’s so ugly. Within the first year, it depreciated significantly. Now, at some point in the far future, we could see this car maybe spiking back up again, being a funky, retro, vintage car. But, then again, it seems like the kind of car that may need to just be forgotten in the annals of time.
10/20 Cadillac CTS
source: favcars
The Cadillac CTS is a car that will plummet in value over the next five years, and it’s almost guaranteed that this car will be worth well below half its selling price very, very soon.
All Cadillacs are subject to very steep depreciation rates, due to the fact that they don’t really have longevity, or much allure once they’re no longer new. A CTS is a pretty fast car, especially the CTS-V, and it’s possible for it to be yours on a budget, as long as you do the shopping right and pick a good one.
9/20 Kia Sedona
Via Carpixel
Minivans never do all that well in the used car market, not when it comes to retaining their value, anyway. The Kia Sedona has been on a trend of pretty steep depreciation for all of its past models, so it’s fairly safe to say that the newest models will be subject to the same thing. The Sedona will however be replaced by the Kia Carnival, and only time will tell if they both face the same demise.
There are just so many different minivans in the market, once they’re second hand they just don’t sell for much. If you’re looking for a minivan, and you’ve got a big family with not-so-big of a budget, second-hand is the way to go.
8/20 Range Rover Evoque
Via: NetCarShow
One aspect that drastically influences a car’s depreciation rate is reliability, and unfortunately, all Land Rover products are prone to break way too often, so it’s no surprise to see the Evoque end up on this list. The Evoque is a compact SUV meant for those who crave parking on sidewalks more than conquering rough terrain – a pavement princess if you will. Buying one of these gorgeous SUVs today isn’t cheap either coming in at a base price of $44,000, and that’s excluding any options.
7/20 Audi A8
Audi
As we move through this list, you’ll see a common pattern start to form: German luxury cars. While they may be exquisite to be the passenger or even the driver, they’re prone to losing value fast over a short period. These large Audi-built limousines are seriously underrated, especially if you have your hands on an S8, but buying a new one is as good as flushing money down the drain. Well, that’s of course assuming you like spending your wisely, but if you’re really rolling in the cash, go ahead and buy this one, we’ll take it off the used lot in a few years
6/20 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Via: Caricos.com
There’s nothing quite like realizing you can have a six-figure car for the price of a Toyota Corolla. It has an electrically satisfying, palpable excitement. Or, it’s the dreaded, twisting, dark knot of anxiety in your stomach knowing that your car is depreciating faster than you can even pay it down. Which, if you buy a Mercedes new, that is a serious concern and worry.
Mercedes sedans will be virtually worthless within five years of their being manufactured, especially compared to their selling price. Unless it’s a unique model, then it might increase in value, like the E63 Wagon.
It’s an unfortunate sight to see such amazing cars as the BMW 7-Series subject to such precipitous depreciation values. These cars are extraordinarily well-made, they are quite reliable, they are luxurious, good to drive, and powerful.
Electric cars have aggressive depreciation values, worse than a lot of gasoline cars on the market right now. The Nissan Leaf is just one of these electric cars, and while it’s one of the most beloved electric car models out there, it doesn’t insulate it from depreciation. The market for second-hand electric vehicles isn’t very high, which means that you’ll find these cheap.
The issues of battery life and battery longevity are really something that becomes a big problem fairly soon after manufacture. Pair that with the soon-to-come advancements in the industry, and you’ve got two nails in the coffin.
3/20 Lincoln MKZ
Via: Lincoln
You’ll find a lot of cars pretty similar to this one in this list. There’s just nothing that really is valuable about a Lincoln MKZ because there’s nothing special about it. Even if it’s made nicely, and even if it’s reliable and safe, that doesn’t mean it’s safe from depreciation. There are a lot of cars like this in the market, and so as soon as they’re not new anymore they lose any scraps of value they had new. Things only get worse if the MKZ proves to be unreliable or poorly made.
2/20 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz, one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, makes and sells some of the greatest, best performing, and most luxurious sedans, sports cars, and SUVs that you can buy, especially if they have an AMG badge. Since they are a luxury brand, they can get away with selling their cars for high prices new. High quality = high price. But they won’t keep that high price for long, as Mercedes by and large falls prey to some of the worst depreciation rates a car can face. If you’re dreaming of a Merc, just wait a couple of years and that dream will be within reach.
1/20 Maserati Quattroporte
via Maserati
To end off this list, we have the worst of the bunch, a superfast, striking, Italian sedan produced by Maserati, the Quattroporte. If you happen to find one of these on the used market with relatively low mileage and clean service history, it might not be a bad idea to pick one up, especially considering it had a screeching Ferrari-derived V8 under its hood. But ownership is where the problems begin as Maserati couldn’t fully figure out what to do with the electronics, and if something were to go wrong with your Ferrari engine… that’d be a costly matter to attend to.
Marnus Moolman is a young aspiring automotive writer from South Africa who is making a name for himself, despite his young age. Currently, he is studying to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting to pursue his lifetime dream of running
Angler catches world's largest goldfish named 'the Carrot'
Views: 1
Andy Hackett catches the Carrot, elusive 30kg leather carp-koi hybrid released into fishing lake 20 years ago
Goldfish are normally big enough to live in a bowl in people’s homes, happily whiling the hours away, scarcely taking up enough room to cause any trouble.
However, angler Andy Hackett managed to catch a much bigger version of the fairground prize favourite when he landed one of the world’s largest weighing more than 30kg (67 pounds, or five stone).
The elusive fish, known as the Carrot after its orange colour, was landed at Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France. It was put into the lake 20 years ago, and has proved to be a slippery customer ever since.
Hackett, from Kidderminster in Worcestershire, spent 25 minutes bringing the fish in, the Daily Mail reported.
It is a hybrid species of a leather carp and koi, and is thought to be the second largest of its type ever caught.
The 42-year-old said: “I always knew the Carrot was in there but never thought I would catch it.
“I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out and I saw that it was orange.
“It was brilliant to catch it but it was also sheer luck.”
He posed for a photos afterwards before releasing it back into the water.
The fishery manager, Jason Cowler, said: “We put the Carrot in about 20 years ago as something different for the customers to fish for. Since then it has grown and grown but it doesn’t often come out. She is very elusive.”
NEW YORK, US - NOVEMBER 6: Over 50,000 athletes and participants ran the 51st edition of the 51st edition of TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6. People laced up their running shoes for the 26.2-mile journey across all five boroughs. The organization, which is one of the biggest marathons in the world, gave New Yorkers great excitement. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Finishing the New York City Marathon is a major feat in and of itself, but finishing it in under four hours as a duo is another level of achievement. On Sunday morning, Steve Bluhm and Bobby Imamura teamed up to complete the iconic race together, and crossed the finish line as the second fastest duo team and in the top fifth of all competitors.
Even more remarkable, Bluhm is 71 years old and is battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, so Imamura pushed him in a wheelchair for all 26.2 miles. “I was a runner for years, but I’ve never done a marathon. It’s incredible that I get to experience the New York City Marathon at age 71,” Bluhm said in a press release shared with Nice News.
“To see Bobby and Steve come together, it’s magical,” added Steve Becvar, the vice president of sports and entertainment for the ALS Association. “They did not know each other prior to making the commitment for the NYC Marathon. However, they bonded right away. It’s as if they did know each other. Both are competitors, ALS is highly personal, and they are determined to impact this disease by completing the world’s largest marathon. It’s truly inspiring.”
A girl, 8, from Bath has become the youngest person in the world to use prosthetic legs with computerised knees.
Harmonie-Rose Allen had all her limbs amputated after she contracted meningitis when she was ten months old.
She was fitted with microprocessor knees three months ago as part a trial at Dorset Orthopaedics. The internal computer, designed by manufacturer Ottobock, can constantly monitor Harmonie-Rose’s movements and makes adjustments to the knee’s resistance.
Harmonie-Rose said: “I love them. On a scale of one to ten – it’s a ten! I’m really enjoying them.”
The new prosthetic legs allow Harmonie-Rose to bend her knee while walking for the first time. It means she has more control when sitting down, can independently stand up from the floor on her own and walk in a more natural way.
Harmonie-Rose’s mum Freya Hall said: “Harmonie trialled them for about a month at home just to see if they were the right thing for her. Basically they changed her life within a week.
“We knew straight away. Harmonie was able to walk along so much more comfortably.”
Staff at Dorset Orthopaedics believe she is the youngest in the world to use this type of technology.
Matt Hughes, who is Managing Director of Dorset Orthopaedic, has been working with Harmonie-Rose since she was three years-old.
Mr Hughes said: “Previously she was wearing legs that had fixed locked knees with really springy carbon fibre feet.
“She was functional in terms of she could get around. But she was not walking in a symmetrical normal fashion because her knees were locked.
“For her to then be able to do simple day to day tasks like sitting and standing was difficult to do and to do safely.”
Mr Hughes adds that by giving her knees which are still constrained but give some control have allowed her to move in a more conventional way.
But Harmonie-Rose says the biggest benefit to her new prosthetic legs is that she can wear knee length socks and tights for the first time, something she says is truly “amazing.”
Freya added: “It’s opened up a lot of opportunities that we take for granted every day.”
Aged 90, Brian Wilson is undoubtedly among the world’s oldest working lorry drivers. And, after more than 70 years on the road, he has no plans to apply the handbrake just yet. BBC News’ Kevin Shoesmith went along to meet him at a Sheffield haulage yard.
Brian Wilson does not bother with a sat nav. He does own a road atlas, although he tells me “it’s about 40 years old” and, in any case, is kept in his car boot.
“I don’t need a sat nav or a map,” says Brian, straightening up, “it’s all up here.” The 90-year-old, sporting a high-vis jacket over an old jumper, grins and taps his temple to reinforce the point.
We are sitting in the cab of Brian’s 1993, ‘L-reg’ lorry. Next to the modern Scania trucks lined up in this haulage yard, on the outskirts of Sheffield, Brian’s lorry stands out.
The gearstick is held together with tape, the upholstery has seen better days and there is a whiff of tobacco. But, like him, it ploughs on.
According to Guinness World Records, the oldest male HGV licence-holder is the UK’s Jack Fisher, at 88 years and four days, as of 27 January 2021.
But Brian has been invited to make his own claim on the record by submitting proof of age and occupation. “I don’t really think about it,” he says. “I just go out to work.”
Whether he is just being modest or matter-of-fact, it is hard to tell.
Image caption,
Brian has been invited by Guinness World Records to submit a bid to be recognised as the world’s oldest HGV driver
A packet of 20 cigarettes, a lighter, a copy of the Daily Mirror and rags occupy the space between our seats.
“I get restless when I’m not working,” he says.
Brian shows me some photographs, as we take a trip down memory lane, from fresh-faced soldier to nonagenarian.
There is an image of him on holiday. He is sitting at a table, studying a newspaper. He does not look like a man on holiday.
“Two or three days of not working, not doing anything, and I’ve had enough,” says Brian. “I have to be doing something. I always want to get back to work.”
In the haulage industry, he is known as “an original”. While others rely on ratchet straps to secure loads, Brian prefers the old fashioned way, using rope and sheeting.
It is a dying art, he tells me.
Image source, Brian Wilson
Image caption,
Brian pictured during his National Service with the Royal Horse Guards
Brian credits his uncle with teaching him to drive aged 16, although his National Service in the 1950s – driving American troop carriers in Germany with the Royal Horse Guards – undoubtedly sharpened his skills.
In the 1960s, following a stint delivering petrol for Esso, Brian joined his father Edward’s haulage company – E. Wilson & Son.
“I used to deliver ten tonnes of sugar,” he says. “You’d be in trouble if it rained and you’d made a mess of your rope and sheeting.”
Brian recalls paying just under two shillings for a gallon of diesel. “I’d do a week’s work on £40 worth of fuel,” he says.
Today, Brian owns the family business, transporting mainly steel springs.
“I mostly go to the Midlands,” he says. “Every Thursday, I am up at four o’clock, ready to leave the house at quarter past five.”
Brian reels off his “drops” for the day. “Leicester, Tamworth, Redditch, Birmingham, Telford…” he says, “I will do about 300 miles.”
Image source, Brian Wilson
Image caption,
Brian and Mavis Wilson on their ruby wedding anniversary
Birmingham’s infamous Spaghetti Junction causes him no problems, he says, but he gives London a miss.
“You end up crawling along in London,” he says, haunching over the steering wheel to labour the point.
Brian is a man of few words, and he makes them count. His demeanour softens when I spot his wedding band.
“We’ve been married 67 years,” he says, smiling. “I was 15 when Mavis and I met at a fairground in Attercliffe.”
He shows me a photograph of the couple taken on their ruby wedding anniversary. “She still looks after us all,” he says.
Senior record holders
The oldest recorded commercial pilot is Jun Takahashi (Japan, b. 8 October 1922), who was still flying towing gliders at Fujikawa Airfield, in Shizuoka, Japan, on 5 March 2014 aged 91.
The longest career as a postal worker was 53 years and 48 days and was achieved by Takashi Miyaoka, who worked at the Shinjuku postal office in Tokyo, Japan, from 9 August 1958 to 26 September 2011.
The oldest practising doctor is Howard Tucker (USA, b. 10 July 1922) who was 98 years 231 days old, as verified in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on 26 February 2021.
The oldest person living is Lucile Randon (France, b. 11 February 1904) who was 118 years and 73 days old, on 25 April 2022. Ms Randon is also the record holder for ‘oldest person living (female)’.
The oldest female racing driver is Jeannie Reiman ( b. New Zealand, 19 April 1913) who competed in the Canadian Vintage Modified’s 10 lap Powder Puff race at Sunset Speedway in Stroud, Ontario, Canada, on 3 August 2003, aged 90 years 106 days.
Source: Guinness World Records
Brian may take after his mother, Gertrude, who lived to the age of 102.
Like his lorry, Brian also requires a full health check each year, with his next due before Christmas.
If he is deemed fit to work by his GP, Brian intends to carry on for at least another year before contemplating retiring.
“It also depends on how my wife is,” he adds.
Image caption,
Haulage company boss Martin Fisher describes Brian as ‘an original’
Other hauliers speak highly of him.
Martin Fisher, owner of Martins Distributions, where Brian parks his lorry, has known him 10 years but calls him “Mr Wilson” – a respectful nod to his seniority.
“I asked him the other day when he thought he was going to retire,” says Martin, chuckling. “He just looked at me funny. He’s a true ‘original’, as we call them. They’re a dying breed.”
Michael Hopley, transport manager at Ember Transport Ltd, has known Brian for 30 years. He says he is “very youthful”. “He’s on and off his wagon like a man 30 years his junior.”
Paul Mummery, from the Road Haulage Association, added: “Seventy years behind the wheel is phenomenal service and shows an amazing dedication to our industry.
“He will have seen a lot of changes over the years as the job has evolved and it’s really heart-warming to see that he still loves driving lorries. He’s an inspiration to us all.”
Back in the cab, Brian acknowledges there will be some who believe, at 90, that he is too old to drive a car let alone a lorry.
“I know, I know,” he says, staring out of the window. “But I’ll know when it’s time.”
“It’s a toss up which will retire first,” he adds, “me or the lorry.”
Hospitalized babies in Illinois participate in adorable Halloween costume contest- FOX News Photo
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Hospitalized newborns at an Illinois neonatal intensive care unit are celebrating their first-ever Halloweens in style.
Advocate Children’s Hospital, located in Chicago’s suburbs, posted pictures of their tiny patients dressed up in Halloween outfits on Wednesday. The infants were dolled up by their parents as part of a contest.
“Parents with babies in our neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across Chicagoland are getting into the Halloween spirit!” the Facebook post read.
“It’s time to VOTE for your favorite in our annual Advocate Children’s Hospital NICU Halloween Costume Bash,” the hospital added, asking Facebook users to vote by liking their favorite pictures.
Advocate Children’s Hospital is holding a Halloween costume contest for their intensive care patients. (Advocate Children’s Hospital via Facebook)
“We think they are ALL winners!” the post concluded.
Pictures show the babies yawning and sleeping in adorable costumes, ranging from superheroes to Disney characters to insects and animals. Many of the miniature costumes appeared hand-knit due to the youngsters’ small statures.
Some of the sleeping infants were dressed as Wonder Woman and Batman, while others were dressed as caterpillars and scuba divers. Some of the captions described the children’s medical conditions and the meaning behind their costumes.
“Alaysia was born at just 23 weeks old. Since day one, she’s been fighting a tough fight in the NICU,” one of the captions read. “It’s fitting that Alaysia’s parents dressed her up as a little boxer/fighter as she truly is ‘Mommy and Daddy’s little fighter’.”
Advocate Children’s Hospital asks Facebook users to vote in the contest by liking their favorite pictures. (Advocate Children’s Hospital via Facebook)
The Illinois hospital, which has two locations in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, will wrap up the costume contest at noon on October 28. The two babies with the most Facebook likes will win a prize.
Well it’s that time of year. So we have a nice Lemon theme. I hope you enjoy this. It’s been done for a month now, but we bought more treasures and of course my wife will change things around till she gets it right. We also have some garden pictures but those will go in the comment section. Enjoy.
As we all prepare to step into a new week and continue on the mindfulness journey we’re taking together, we at Nice News want to create space to ponder what it means to walk through life with gratitude — consistently giving thanks for the beauty and goodness around us. You may have heard that gratitude can have tangible and transformative effects; in fact, there isn’t room enough in this edition to list all the benefits. Studies suggest that gratitude can help you sleep, eat, and feel better, and that the simple act of writing down three things you’re thankful for each day can improve your health. But while it’s easy to acknowledge the advantages, we don’t always take the time to build the habit, especially when we’re experiencing negative emotions. To help you take that step, consider this your extra encouragement to begin regularly practicing gratitude. If you get stuck, here are 492 things to be grateful for, including the warm morning sunshine, the kindness of a stranger, and the breath in our lungs.
Many families have their own lore — oft-shared tales of ancestral kin who led incredible lives. For Julie Klam, those relatives were the four Morris sisters. All self-made millionaires, one sister is known to have advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt while another romanced J.P. Morgan. Or did they? This is the “fascinating and funny true story” about a family history that may be more fiction than fact.
What’s better than watching lion cubs, newborn seals, and toddling young elephants learn the way of the world? Listening to Helena Bonham Carter’s soothing voice narrate the action as you do. Wild Babies is a docuseries, so in addition to heartwarming moments, be prepared for an honest look at some of nature’s harsh realities. That said, the level of cuteness is truly off the charts.
In 1981, David Bowie and Queen combined creative forces to write and record what would become an anthem for the ages: “Under Pressure.” This year, the “biggest rock band on Earth,” Rockin’ 1000, performed an amazing cover of the hit song as part of a two-hour concert in Paris. All 1,000 musicians sang and played together, a moving display of harmony in every sense of the word.
As we mentioned in Wednesday’s edition of Nice News, an exciting lineup of celestial events is in store for stargazers throughout September, and this free digital planetarium can help you make the most of what you see. Enter your location or point your phone at the sky using the app to identify and learn about stars, comets, constellations, planets, and more, all in real time.
These gorgeous notebooks aren’t just easy on the eyes — they’re also eco-friendly, made with 100% post-consumer-waste recycled paper and printed with soy ink. Browse the vast selection of artistic and colorful designs to find your favorite (or favorites, more likely). We think it’s the perfect medium to begin a new gratitude journal.
If you’re a candle fanatic, you’ll love this fun find. Hand-poured and crafted in London, cent.ldn’s unique wax creations are designed for household decor. Choose from incredible representations of real objects, or if you’re feeling extra fanciful, go the bespoke route and bring your own design to life, including a custom scent. Order from the U.K. or check here for a retailer near you.
Have memories of begging for a taste of cookie dough before a batch went in the oven? Doughp, which was featured on Shark Tank, has created flavored cookie doughs that can be eaten raw or baked into warm, gooey treats. Even better, the company is “committed to reducing the stigmas around mental health & addiction,” and a portion of each sale supports a nonprofit recovery charity.
*Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.
Video of the Week
A bustling street in downtown San Antonio, Texas, comes to life in this restored and colorized footage from the 1940s. With multiple camera angles, there’s so much history to soak in. From the cars and buses to the clothing and hairstyles, you’ll be transported back in time — and the added sound design makes for an even more immersive experience. Enjoy poring over the vintage signage and spotting different groups of friends and families going about their days. (Credit: NASS / YouTube)
I recently fractured several vertebrae in my spine and can only walk short distances. On a recent trip from Seattle home to Milwaukee, my wife and 8-year-old granddaughter were pushing my wheelchair and dragging our luggage. It was an unusually long distance to the gate, and they were struggling up a small incline. A woman asked if she could help, and with her help, we made it to the gate. She hurried off to her own gate before we could really thank her for this simple but meaningful act of kindness.
Les B.
Have you witnessed something inspiring? Click here to submit a story.
Challenge
Send a Thank You Note
In addition to taking stock of all you’re grateful for this week, put your appreciation into practice and send (or hand deliver) a thank you note. It could be for something simple, like your local barista making you the perfect pumpkin spice latte each morning, or something more impactful, like a good friend supporting you when you needed it most. For inspiration, check out author Gina Hamadey’s experience writing a daily thank you card in what she dubbed her “year of gratitude.”
Quote of the Day
“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
