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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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?
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Yet, they fall prey to depreciation like few others. While it’s unfortunate for some, for others, it’s their key to owning one of the greatest second-hand cars that money can buy. With the right knowledge, it’s easy to buy a reliable, well-maintained, almost new BMW for a mere fraction of the selling price.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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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.
TOP BABY NAMES FOR 2022: A FEW FUN PREDICTIONS HERE
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.
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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.
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Article found on Nice News.
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Ever have days where you just don’t know what to do, or wake up sluggish or feeling like your brain is drained? Then yeah, you’re definitely bored.
As someone who often has to deal with this, here’s some handy dandy tips to try and combat that:
1, Eat. Having a full stomach can often help with feeling better.
2, Get a new hobby.
3, Find a good book.
4, Find a new video game to play. (if you’re into that sort of thing).
5, Find a new TV show to watch
6, Go for a walk outside
7, Go for a drive
8, Clean
9, Go for a run
10, Make something
If anyone else has any other tips, feel free to say so!
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Article is from Talker
A caregiver surprised the adults she supports by asking them to be her bridesmaids.
Kayrin Callaghan, 30, instantly knew she wanted the adults she supports to be a special part day when her fiancé, Alex Slater-Brown, 25, a hospital care assistant, proposed
The mom-of-two has supported Jamie Kevern, 24, who has Down syndrome, for two years.
Kayrin also helps Daisy, 18, Francesca, 20, and Chloe, 26 – who also have Down syndrome – and stuck up a special bond with them all – enjoying days out to the local swimming pool and cinema together.
She asked the four of them to be her “flowermaids” by getting them to open boxes full of balloons.
All four were ecstatic and are already planning a bachelorette party for bride-to-be Kayrin.
Kayrin, a personal assistant, from Cambourne, Cornwall, UK, said: “They were so happy when I asked them to be my bridesmaids – there were lots of tears.
“They are so special to me. I wanted to give them the chance to walk down the aisle.
“We’re going to have a Disney-inspired Halloween wedding, so they’ll get to wear princess dresses.
“I want them to feel as special as they are to me.”
Kayrin bonded with the adults she cared for as soon as she met them.
“I’m like their big sister,” Kayrin said.
“They can come to me about their boyfriend or friendship troubles. They are ferocious dancers. We always get cheesy chips together after swimming.”
When Kayrin’s fiancé, Alex proposed to her in April 2022 she knew immediately who she wanted as her bridesmaids.
She said: “I had to plan a good way to ask them – so I decided to get some balloons which had the words ‘Will you be my flowermaids?’ on.
“They opened the boxes and Francesca, who is the best at reading, read what it said aloud to everyone.
“Their reaction was amazing, and we had lots of tears. Then they started twerking – which they love to do.”
Kayrin plans to get married in October 2023 and wants a “Nightmare Before Christmas” Disney inspired wedding.
“There isn’t going to be a color scheme as Jamie always loves to wear rainbow colors,” she said.
“They can all wear what they want and dress up in Disney princess dresses.
“We’ll have Mickey Mouse pumpkins on the tables.
“They are all planning the hen now – I think they’ll be lots of WKD involved as Jamie loves that drink.
“I just can’t wait to see their faces on my big day.”
The post Caregiver surprises adults with Down syndrome she supports by asking them to be her bridesmaids appeared first on Talker.
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This is a reprint from Nice News.
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Not many people know this, but CBS’s very popular cop show franchise, NCIS, didn’t just start on it’s own, but rather, it was a spin off of another very popular show: JAG.
The 2 part backdoor pilot, ‘Ice Queen’, aired in 2003, which was during JAG’s 8th Season. That September, NCIS aired it’s 1st episode, ‘Yankee White’.
The show itself didn’t get a lot of love from critics, and it was even low rated in it’s 1st Season. But CBS stuck with it in hopes it would get popular, and overtime, it did! Syndication worldwide gave the show it’s much needed legs for it’s high ratings.
In 2009, the 2 part backdoor pilot titled ‘Legend’, which would later become ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ aired. It would go on to become the franchise’s most popular spinoff. (and would also make the best casting decision of all time with who would be the boss of the team. 😉). It also became the 1st show to get a long running syndication deal before it first aired! Clearly CBS knew that this show would be a big winner from the start.
Up until Spring 2014, the 2 NCIS’s ruled Tuesday nights. Until NCIS LA moved to Mondays at 10 pm. (which is when I first picked up the show, thanks to my mom.). It aired there for 2 Seasons before making Sundays it’s main home.
Also in 2014, the 2 part backdoor pilot for ‘NCIS: New Orleans’ aired on NCIS. This show would last 7 Seasons, but wouldn’t get the same kind of fame and glory that LA got when it came to ratings and syndication success.
In 2021, NCIS moved from it’s long standing slot on Tuesdays at 8pm to Mondays at 9 pm.
Also in 2021, the first NCIS show to premiere without a backdoor pilot, ‘NCIS: Hawaii’ started it’s run airing after NCIS. And sometime next year, the first international show in the franchise, ‘NCIS: Sydney’ is set to premiere in Australia.
One more cool fact: JAG didn’t start off as a CBS show, it started off on NBC! CBS picked it up after NBC nixed it after it’s 1st Season.
Think of that. This whole franchise exists the way it does now, because of a network picking up a cancelled show from another network! That’s what I call really amazing.
I hope this franchise continues to last.
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I’m proud to announce that we have added The Ultimate Fangirl as a Mod, but more importantly a writer for Koda. She was a mainstay at Shelly an friends. I’m sure that she will continue to do the same grat work here. So stop in and say hello.
You can add pictures,songs, gifs, meme’s, etc. Hopefully some of her old friends stop over and enjoy what we do here.
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Vikings are the focus of countless movies, TV shows, video games, sports teams, and comic books today—but that doesn’t mean we always get them right. From the myths surrounding their horned helmets to their not-so-fiery burial customs, here are some common misconceptions about Vikings, adapted from an episode of Misconceptions on YouTube.
In 1876, German theatergoers were abuzz about a hot new ticket in town. Titled Der Ring des Nibelungen, or The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner’s musical drama played out over an astounding 15 hours and portrayed Norse and German legends all vying for a magical ring that could grant them untold power. To make his characters look especially formidable, costume designer Carl Emil Doepler made sure they were wearing horned helmets.
Though the image of Vikings plundering and pillaging while wearing horned helmets has permeated popular fiction ever since, the historical record doesn’t quite line up with it. Viking helmets were typically made of iron or leather, and it’s possible some Vikings went without one altogether, since helmets were an expensive item at the time. In fact, archaeologists have uncovered only one authentic Viking helmet, and it was made of iron and sans horns, which some historians and battle experts believe would have had absolutely no combat benefit whatsoever.
So where did Doepler get the idea for horned helmets from? There were earlier illustrations of Vikings in helmets that were occasionally horned (but more often winged). There were also Norse and Germanic priests who wore horned helmets for ceremonial purposes. This was centuries before Vikings turned up, though. Some historians argue that there is some evidence of ritualistic horned helmets in the Viking Age, but if they existed, they would have been decorative horns that priests wore—not something intended for combat.
Composer Richard Wagner apparently wasn’t pleased with the wardrobe choices; he didn’t want his opera to be mired in cheap tropes or grandiose costumes. Wagner’s wife, Cosima, was also irritated, saying that Doepler’s wardrobe smacked of “provincial tastelessness.”
The look wound up taking hold when Der Ring des Nibelungen went on tour through Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Other artists were then inspired by the direction of the musical and began using horned Viking helmets in their own depictions, including in children’s books. Pretty soon, it was standard Viking dress code.
When tales of Viking action spread throughout Europe, they were sometimes accompanied by ferocious-sounding nicknames like Ásgeirr the Terror of the Norwegians and Hlif the Castrator of Horses. This may have been a handy way to refer to Vikings with reputations for being hardcore at a time when actual surnames were in short supply. If you wanted to separate yourself from others with the same name, you needed a nickname. But plenty of them also had less intimidating labels.
Take, for instance, Ǫlver the Friend of Children. Sweet, right? Actually, Ǫlver got his name because he refused to murder children. Then there was Hálfdan the Generous and the Stingy with Food, who was said to pay his men very generously, but apparently didn’t feed them, leading to this contradictory nickname. Ragnarr Hairy Breeches was said to have donned furry pants when he fought a dragon.
Other unfortunate-but-real Viking names include Ulf the Squint-Eyed, Eirik Ale-Lover, Eystein Foul-Fart, Skagi the Ruler of Shit, and Kolbeinn Butter Penis. While the historical record is vague on how these names came to be, the truth is never going to be as good as whatever it is you’re thinking right now.
When someone like Kolbeinn Butter Penis died, it would only be fitting that they were laid to rest with dignity. And if you know anything about Vikings from pop culture, you know that meant setting them on fire and pushing them out to sea.
But as cool as that visual may be, it’s not exactly accurate. Vikings had funerals similar to pretty much everyone else. When one of them died, they were often buried in the ground. Archaeologists in Norway uncovered one such burial site in 2019, where at least 20 burial mounds were discovered.
The lead archaeologist on the site, Raymond Sauvage of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, told Atlas Obscura that:
“We have no evidence for waterborne Viking funeral pyres in Scandinavia. I honestly do not know where this conception derives from, and it should be regarded as a modern myth. Normal burial practice was that people were buried on land, in burial mounds.”
The flaming ship myth may have come from a combination of two real Viking death practices. Vikings did sometimes entomb their dead in their ships, although the vessels remained on land where they were buried. And they did sometimes have funeral pyres. At some point in the historical record, someone may have combined these two scenarios and imagined that Vikings set ships ablaze before sending them out to sea with their dead still on board.
While it’s true Vikings were violent, they weren’t necessarily the most experienced or talented warriors of their day. In fact, they were mostly normal people who decided plundering would be a great side hustle in the gig economy of Europe.
Historians believe Vikings were made up mostly of farmers, fishermen, and even peasants, rather than burly Conan the Barbarian types. Considering that the coastal villages they attacked probably didn’t put up much resistance, one could be a Viking and not even have to fight all that much. This leads to another common misconception—that Vikings were always swinging swords around. Like helmets, swords were expensive. A day of fighting was more likely to include spears, axes, long knives, or a bow and arrow.
You can blame this fierce warrior rep on the one squad of Vikings that actually fit the bill. Known as berserkers, these particular Vikings worshipped Odin, the god of war and death, and took Odin’s interests to heart. Some berserkers were said to have fought so fiercely that it was as though they had entered a kind of trance. If they were waiting around too long for a fight to start, it was said they might start killing each other.
Most depictions of Vikings would have you believe that they were constantly caked in mud, blood, and other miscellaneous funk. Don’t fall for it. Archaeologists have unearthed a significant amount of personal grooming products over the years that belonged to Vikings, including tweezers, combs, toothpicks, and ear cleaners.
Vikings were also known to have bathed at least once a week, which was a staggeringly hygienic schedule for 11th-century Europe. In fact, Vikings put so much attention on bathing that Saturday was devoted to it. They called it Laugardagur, or bathing day. They even had soap made from animal fat.
Hygiene was only one aspect of their routine. Vikings put time and effort into styling their hair and sometimes even dyed it using lye. Their beards were neatly trimmed, and they were also known to wear eyeliner. All of this preening was said to make Vikings a rather attractive prospect to women in villages they raided, as other men of the era were somewhat reluctant to bathe.
Considering the times, Vikings actually had a fairly progressive approach to gender roles. Women could own property, challenge any kind of marriage arrangement, and even request a divorce if things weren’t working out at home. To do so, at least as one story tells it, they’d have to ask witnesses to come over, stand near her bed, and watch as she declared a separation.
In addition to having a relatively high degree of independence, Viking women were also known to pick up a weapon and bash some heads on occasion. The historical record of a battle in 971 CE says that women had fought and died alongside the men. A woman who donned armor was known as a “shieldmaiden.” According to legend, over 300 shieldmaidens fought in the Battle of Brávellir in the 8th century and successfully kept their enemies at bay.
According to History, one of the most notable shieldmaidens was a warrior named Lathgertha who so impressed a famous Viking named Ragnar Lothbrok—he of the Hairy Breeches—that he became smitten and asked for her hand in marriage.
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You can find this at Nice News.
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Buzz Aldrin Auctions Off Space Memorabilia, Including His Moon Landing Jacket |
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| Almost exactly 53 years after Buzz Aldrin became the second person to ever set foot on the moon, some of the memorabilia from his famed trip is up for the taking. The 92-year-old is auctioning off the jacket he wore during the moon landing as well as a series of other personal items and artifacts from his long career as an astronaut. Sotheby’s, which will host the auction on July 26, called Aldrin’s items “the most important Space Exploration collection to come to market.”
The jacket is estimated to sell for up to $2 million, as is a circuit breaker switch that broke during the moon mission. The switch is being sold alongside the pen that Aldrin used in its place to ignite the engine and get him and fellow explorer Neil Armstrong home safe. “After deep consideration, the time felt right to share these items with the world, which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but for me have always remained personal mementos of a life dedicated to science and exploration,” Aldrin said in a statement, per CNN. “I hope that this collection offers some insight into what it has been like to be Buzz Aldrin.” |
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How Sea Turtles Are Helping Researchers Predict Tropical Cyclones |
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| Dozens of cyclones form each year over the world’s tropical oceans, and according to NASA, such storms pose “one of the biggest threats to life and property.” Unfortunately, they are also hard to predict, especially in the cyclone-prone Indian Ocean, which is why researcher Olivier Bousquet has put sea turtles to work. Bousquet started STORM (Sea Turtles for Ocean Research and Monitoring) with 15 turtles in 2019, and the program has taken off, leading to a wealth of data that will help predict future cyclones.
In the past, scientists have tagged other marine creatures, like seals, to collect data in hard-to-reach ocean ecosystems. After testing out a series of animals, Bousquet landed on sea turtles for several reasons. The turtles are heavy enough to carry the satellite sensors, and they tend to dwell in the area of the ocean — about 25 to 200 meters deep — where the energy for cyclones comes from. This year, STORM released 80 tagged turtles, and Bousquet plans to keep going. He told Hakai Magazine that with “a little bit of luck,” they will be able to time the turtles’ release to retrieve data from the heart of a cyclone. And fear not: the sturdy animals are well-equipped to survive the storms. |
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