Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 60

12 February 2021 - THE BEAUTY OF TULIPS

 

THE BEAUTY 

OF TULIPS

G'day folks,

There are many beautiful flowers in the world, but few have ever competed with the abundance and pure beauty that the tulip represents. This gorgeous and colorful flower has many festivals in its honor held around the world. Because it can be grown in so many bright colors, it makes for some beautiful celebrations.

Colorful fields of tulips as far as the eye can see. These were shot in British Columbia, Canada. Many places around the world celebrate tulip festivals. These fragrant and beautiful flowers used to be so popular that a phrase was coined: "Tulip Mania".

In 17th century Holland, tulips were so important that you could measure someone's social status by the exotic tulips they cultivated. At the peak of this 'tulip mania', individual exotic tulips would be sold for more than ten times the annual salary of a skilled worker.

Purple and red, green and pink. A celebration of colors. Not all tulips are fragrant, but all of them can be eaten, and indeed during WWII and the 1944 Dutch famine, people survived by eating tulips and sugar beets.

At one point, the tulip was the most expensive flower in the world. At one point during the height of Europe’s tulip mania, a single Viceroy tulip bulb was purchased for two lasts of wheat, four lasts of rye, four fat oxen, eight fat swine, 12 fat sheep, two hogsheads of wine, four casks of beer, two tons of butter, a complete bed, a suit of clothes and a silver drinking cup!

The Canadian Tulip Festival, which claims to be the world’s largest tulip festival, is a major event held annually each May in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. During World War II, the Dutch Royal Family took refuge in Canada. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born at Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1943, and the Canadian government declared the land to be extraterritorial. This was done to ensure that the princess would have Dutch citizenship. Every year since, Queen Juliana and the royal family after her death have sent tulip bulbs for the festival.

Clancy's comment: Magnificent colours.

I'm ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 January 2021 - A COLLECTION OF STUNNING SAND CASTLES

 

A COLLECTION OF 

STUNNING SAND CASTLES

G'day folks,

I just love going to the beach! The sun, the sea & the sand! Some people, though, turn a fun day at the beach into a method of expression, using the sand and their imagination! These are the most astounding sandcastles I have ever seen. 












Clancy's comment: Magnificent work, eh?
I'm ... 

11 February 2021 - WEALTHY FRENCH APARTMENT DISCOVERED AFTER 78 YEARS

 

WEALTHY FRENCH APARTMENT

 DISCOVERED AFTER 78 YEARS

G'day folks,

Madame de Florian was a French socialite and actress who fled to the south of France during World War II. She kept her apartment in Paris on the Right Bank near the Opéra Garnier though, in case she ever wanted to return.

However, she never was able to make it back to her apartment after the war. Since 1942, the apartment had been sitting untouched, until recently when an auctioneer entered her apartment. What he found was a time capsule full of treasures.

The apartment was covered in dust, perfectly preserved from the day she left it behind. Stepping into this apartment is like stepping into history. The abandoned apartment was untouched because Madame de Florian continued paying the rent until her death in 2010 at the age of 91. Despite paying the rent, she never once returned.

Stepping into this apartment is like stepping into a time capsule. Can you imagine stumbling across such a perfectly preserved apartment? I expected things to be a lot worse until I saw these pictures. I can only dream of finding a treasure like this.

 

 The items inside the abandoned apartment were sold, which included a painting that sold for 2.1 million Euros.

 

Clancy's comment: One painting worth 2.1 million! Imagine what else was there?

I'm ...

 

10 February 2021 - DISASTER FOR THE QUEBEC BRIDGE

 

  DISASTER FOR THE QUEBEC BRIDGE G'day folks,  Spanning the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City, the massive Quebec Bridge has a history of tragedy.  At the time, it was the largest cantilever structure attempted. Unfortunately, the bridge which was supposed to be an engineering triumph collapsed twice, first in 1907 and then in 1916.

 The first sudden collapse happened during construction, in August 1907. In just 15 seconds, the south anchor arm, the cantilever arm, and the partially completed suspended span fell 150 feet (45 m) into the St. Lawrence River. 75 of the 86 workers on site were killed, and the remaining 11 suffered injuries.

 Despite the disaster, the Canadian government decided that the project must be completed in order to establish the rail link for the railway system. Construction began again in 1913, and by 1916, the bridge was nearly completed. On the morning of September 11, the workmen faced a difficult task in moving the span upstream, and all went well with that part of the job. However, around midday, something went terribly wrong. One corner of the span tore away and sagged. A few seconds later, the other ends pulled off their supports and the whole span came loose and disappeared into the river. Thirteen men lost their lives, and several others were injured.

Clancy's comment: Mm ... it seems to have been cursed.

I'm ...

 

 

 

 

15 February 2021 - RARE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE PAST

 

RARE PHOTOGRAPHS 

FROM THE PAST

G'day folks,

Welcome to some rare photographs. Some of these include famous people. 

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... some notable faces here.

I'm ...

 

 

 

20 January 2021 - SAMPLES OF MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

 

SAMPLES OF MACRO

 PHOTOGRAPHY

G'day folks,

As a keen photographer, I'm always looking at brilliant work done by others. Here are some examples of their work.

 

Clancy's comment: Brilliant. Thank you to the photographers for sharing their work. Let's hope 2021 is a lot happier for the world.

I'm ...

 

17 February 2021 - THE BIRTH OF THE BEATLES - McCartney and Lennon

 

THE BIRTH OF THE BEATLES 

- McCartney and Lennon -

G'day folks,

Welcome to some facts about the birth of a famous band.

On July 6, 1957, in the midst of a heavy heatwave then gripping Northern England (and all of Europe), 15-year-old Paul McCartney decided to attend the annual Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete. It wasn’t because he was an especially active church member, but rather in the hopes to meet girls at the event. He may have not met any girls, but he did happen to hear a high school band named The Quarrymen performing.  McCartney was immediately impressed by their sound, and after the show, he asked a mutual friend to introduce him to the band’s lead singer, John Lennon. You might think the two Liverpool teenagers would have probably met on some other occasion. But as much as they had in common, the two boys lived in different neighborhoods, went to different schools, and were nearly two years apart in age. McCartney also happened to have his guitar with him at the fair, and he managed to impress 17-year-old Lennon greatly with his skills. The latter invited him to join the band, and half of the Beatles was born.  Clancy's comment: What a great quartet.
I'm ...


      
 

9 FEBRUARY 2021 - HOW F. SCOTT AND ZELDA FITZGERALD MET

 

 HOW F. SCOTT AND

 ZELDA FITZGERALD MET

G'day folks,

We have all heard about them, and read their work, but how did they meet?

You’d think the couple that pretty much embodies the roaring 20s would meet in a more typical fashion, like being introduced by some famous author friends. But the truth is that F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Syre met in a much more ordinary and coincidental way - at a dance. In fact, it was a dance F. Scott Fitzgerald wasn’t even supposed to attend. In July 1918, the aspiring author was stationed at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama, awaiting orders to fight overseas in World War I.

To pass the time and blow off some steam he decided to attend a nearby country club dance. At 18, Zelda Syre was already a prominent figure in Montgomery's social circles. She completely charmed Fitzgerald at the dance, but despite his claim that he was on the verge of literary fame, Zelda doubted his financial prospects and rejected him at first. Still, Fitzgerald pursued her fiercely for two years, and she finally agreed to marry him in 1920 after his first novel 'This Side of Paradise' was picked up by a major publishing house.

Although their marriage is notorious for being tumultuous, the two greatly inspired each other’s literary careers. The famous line 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,' said by Daisy Buchanan in 'The Great Gatsby', was actually taken from Zelda’s personal diary.

Clancy's comment: There ya go. Now, you know.

I'm ...

 

 

 

8 February 2021 - ENGLISH WORDS THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED

 

ENGLISH WORDS 

THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED

G'day folks,

Here are some weird and wonderful English words that have disappeared from use.

aretaloger

n

1623 -1656

braggart; one who boasts about his own accomplishments

While he seemed nice at first, he turned out to be a loudmouthed aretaloger. 

 

artigrapher

n

1753 -1753

writer or composer of a grammar; a grammarian

Today's prescriptivists are no better than the artigraphers of the Renaissance. 

 

ascoliasm

n

1706 -1753

boys' game of beating each other with gloves or leather while hopping

If you think bullies are bad today, look at brutal games of the past like ascoliasm. 

 

assectation

n

1656 -1656

act of following after something else

She stood in the on-deck circle, her assectation virtually guaranteed. 

 

austerulous

adj

1731 -1731

somewhat or slightly harsh

The austerulous monks were rarely lenient with their pupils. 

 

autexousious

adj

1678 -1678

exercising or possessing free will

If we are truly autexousious, then why do we so often feel powerless? 

 

auturgy

n

1651 -1656

self-action; independent activity

The film director's legendary auturgy frustrated editors and producers alike. 

 

avunculize

v

1662 -1662

to act as an uncle; to behave like an uncle

I often avunculize to my younger friends, which no doubt annoys them. 

 

bajulate

v

1613 -1662

to bear a heavy burden

Their Sherpa aides were vexed by the demand that they bajulate as well as guide. 

 

bimarian

adj

1731 -1731

pertaining to two seas

Some think that America needs to improve its bimarian naval defenses. 

 

binoternary

adj

1817 -1817

combining binary and trinary aspects

The dots on the '6' face of a die are arranged in a binoternary fashion. 

 

blateration

n

1656 -1864

chatter; babbling

I've had just about enough of your garrulous blateration, you clod! 

 

bonifate

adj

1656 -1656

lucky; fortunate

The gambler was too bonifate, and attracted the casino manager's attention. 

 

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... what a shame, eh? Our former prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, had a great way of whipping these types of words into a conversation.

I'm ...

 

7 February 2021 - BRILLIANT MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

 

BRILLIANT MACRO

 PHOTOGRAPHY

G'day folks,

Welcome to some great examples of macro photography.

 

Clancy's comment: This is a great form of photography. It's exciting to be up close and personal with life.

I'm ...