Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 61

6 February 2021 - A POWERFUL CHANCE ENCOUNTER

 

A POWERFUL 

CHANCE ENCOUNTER

G'day folks,

Often we wonder, ‘What would happen if...’ What would happen if your family never moved to a different state in your childhood? What if you ended up choosing a different career? We have all made decisions that lead to events and encounters that eventually shaped our lives. And naturally, so do famous figures. Their chance encounters, however, ended up not only changing their personal lives but the entire course of history.

The suffrage movement would have looked a lot different had Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony not meet on a street corner in 1851. Each woman was involved in activism on her own right before their meeting, but together they became an unstoppable force, Anthony as an on-the-ground organizer, and Stanton as a writer, thinker, and commentator. The meeting occurred when Anthony traveled to Seneca Falls, New York, to attend an antislavery meeting, where Stanton had organized the first national woman’s rights convention in 1848, as a reaction to being denied a seat at the World’s Anti Slavery Convention because of her gender. Interestingly, Anthony also turned her sight towards suffrage after being unable to speak at a temperance convention.

Despite their similarities, the two women met completely by accident. Anthony traveled to Seneca Falls with Amelia Bloomer, a mutual friend, and she introduced her to Stanton when they ran into her on the street. Stanton and Anthony immediately took a liking to each other and formed a lifelong friendship. Because Stanton was a busy wife and mother, she needed someone to be the voice of the suffrage movement and to deliver her speeches on the road. Anthony was perfect for the role. Together, the duo launched a suffrage newspaper called The Revolution, founded the National American Women Suffrage Association, and more, all thanks to that fateful street. corner meeting.

Clancy's comment: Yep, that's what happens sometimes.

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5 January 2021 - ABANDONED UNIVERSITY IN BELGIUM

 

ABANDONED UNIVERSITY

 IN BELGIUM

G'day folks,

This enormous campus site, Val-Benoît, is more than 9 hectares in size and located at the city gates of Liège.

 It’s located next to the river Maas and was an extraordinary exploration opportunity. The entire university is abandoned since 2006, countless classrooms, hallways, auditoriums, and labs are left to decay.

 

 

In 1937 this complex opened its doors for its first students. On this campus future scientists, architects, and engineers were educated.

 

The university that was built in the 30s has the typical modernist architecture from that time. The architect that realized this beautiful project was Joseph Moutschen. Nowadays the buildings are getting renovated and will soon accommodate houses, flats, and businesses.

 

Clancy's comment: Yet, another extraordinary place abandoned. Amazing, eh?

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3 February 2021 - ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN - AKA 'ABE THE JUST' - GANGSTER

 

ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN 

- AKA 'ABE THE JUST' - GANGSTER -

G'day folks,

Throughout history, there have been renegades and rebels that seek to increase their wealth and earn respect through madness and chaos. Here is one of them.

 Born in 1882 as the son of an affluent and righteous Jewish businessman known by the nickname “Abe the Just”, Arnold Rothstein decided at a very young age not to follow in his father’s footsteps. He inherited his father’s intelligence and none of his conscience, taking to gambling as a child like a fish to water. All the scoldings in the world couldn’t stop him from rolling the dice - in fact, they often spurred him on!

Rothstein’s intelligence was off the charts, earning him the nickname “The Brain”. By the time he was 28, he had already established his own casino in New York and was heavily invested in a horse racing track, where his reputation for fixing outcomes first sprouted. He spent the next few years carefully building a network of spies, informants, and enforcers, making a fortune and reaching millionaire status by the age of 30. He was among the first to exploit Prohibition for profit through bootlegging and black liquor sales. 

Despite a few brushes with the law on match-fixing charges among many other things, Rothstein never saw the inside of a jail cell (after witnesses and evidence always mysteriously disappeared). By the time of his death in 1928, Rothstein had amassed the largest criminal organization in the country, filled with other notable gangsters like Lucky Luciano and Dutch Shultz. He died of a gunshot wound after a poker game went fatally wrong.

Clancy's comment: I'm always curious to learn how some of these crooks died. 

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2 February 2021 - INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NELSON MANDELA

 

INTERESTING FACTS 

ABOUT NELSON MANDELA 

G'day folks,

One of the most undisputed heroes of recent history is Nelson Mandela. Most of us are aware of his imprisonment and anti-Apartheid work, which he continued to do even behind bars. He was also, of course, elected to be South Africa’s first black president in 1994. 

 

As incredible as those accomplishments are, they are far from the totality of why he was such a celebrated leader. These facts shed light on some lesser-known aspects of Nelson Mandela’s life and add detail to his unbelievable story.

Mandela’s birth name was Rolihlahla. In the Xhosa tribe’s language, the name means ‘pulling the branch of a tree’ or troublemaker. The name Nelson was given to him by his elementary school teacher, as she wasn’t able to pronounce Rolihlahla. It isn’t clear why she chose that particular name, but some speculate it was after the British admiral Horatio Nelson.

Mandela began his long road to a college degree in 1939, at the University College of Fort Hare. However, he was expelled for participating in a protest against the university’s policies. Mandela finally received his law degree in 1989 from the University of South Africa, during the last months of his imprisonment. But at 22, after being expelled, Mandela faced a complicated situation; the king of his village intended to arrange a marriage for him. To escape that fate, he and his cousin ran away to Johannesburg.

Mandela did end up marrying for love in 1941, to Evelyn Mase, but their relationship was soon marred by tragedy. Their second son, Makaziwe died at infancy. Sadly, the couple lost two other children: Madiba Thembekile (Thembi), who died in a car crash while Mandela was in prison in 1969, and Makgatho Lewanika, who died of AIDS in 2005. Mandela had two other children with his second wife Winnie, 20 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Before being arrested and sentenced to 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid, Mandela eluded the authorities for a long time. He disguised himself in various ways and was dubbed the Black Pimpernel by the press for his legendary ability to escape capture. He had disguised himself as a chef, a fieldworker, and a chauffeur. He was dressed in the chauffeur’s outfit when he was arrested in 1962.

During his trial, Mandela gave his now-famous courtroom speech 'I Am Prepared to Die’. He chose to make a speech from the dock instead of testifying and held the court spellbound for four hours. He ended it with the words “It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die,” in reference to his wish for a democratic and free society, where everyone is equal. The speech received international attention and was published in various media outlets. Ironically, expressing the willingness to die is probably what spared Mandela of the death penalty.

Nelson Mandela could have been granted his freedom 5 years earlier than he did, in 1985. The president of South Africa at the time offered to release him if he renounced his armed struggle. He refused, saying, “What freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.”

Clancy's comment: What an interesting life.

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1 February 2021 - VINCENT BAL'S AWESOME SHADOW DRAWINGS

 

VINCENT BAL'S AWESOME 

SHADOW DRAWINGS 

G'day folks,

 

Vincent Bal is a Belgian filmmaker and illustrator with a knack for creating art within the confines of long shadows. He uses everyday objects resting in the sunlight, then lets his imagination run free. For instance, the shadow of a film canister can turn into a forbidding tower, or a light bulb's filaments can turn into a backdrop for a daring escape. Take a look at this artist's amazing work:

Clancy's comment: Very clever.

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5 February 2021 - STUNNING SAND ART

 

STUNNING SAND ART 

G'day folks,

If you love both nature and art, then you've sure come to the right place! This is because you're about to discover a brilliant collection of sand art, brought to you by the talented artist, Tim Hoekstra. The time and effort put into each piece of artwork is staggering, but the end result is simply marvelous! 






Clancy's comment: Wow. Amazing art.
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25 January 2021 - A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT FOLKS COLLECT

 

A VARIETY OF THINGS 

THAT FOLKS COLLECT

G'day folks,

Some of us enjoy bowling or going to the beach. It’s safe to say most of us have visited a hotel room a few times throughout life. But do we have actual proof of it? This might sound like a strange question, but you’ll soon understand what I’m getting at. The photo collection below depicts some of the most impressive, unique, and even random collections people keep. From a pyramid of bowling balls to a neatly arranged collection of hotel room keys, it’s all there. And those are not even the most surprising ones. Take a look, it might even inspire you to start your own collection.

Clancy's comment: I used to collect t-shirts from around the world. Now, I wear them. Just sayin' ...

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26 January 2021- VINTAGE ITEMS FOUND BY CHANCE

 

VINTAGE ITEMS

 FOUND BY CHANCE

G'day folks,

I often watch a show on television which involves pickers; people who scout the country seeking old stuff. It's a fascinating show, and often the pickers come across buildings loaded with items from the past.  
Seeing artifacts or photos of outstanding or extraordinary moments in history is exciting and interesting, but there is a distinct fascination in finding ordinary items of the past. In a way, it makes the people who used them seem more real, and similar to us. Even more so when these items are found accidentally. This photo collection consists of exactly such objects, seemingly regular everyday bits that are real time capsules found by chance.  









Clancy's comment: Some of the above items might be worth a small fortune. The comments on the World Trade Centre are quite haunting.

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11 January 2021 - AMAZING ABANDONED BUILDINGS IN EUROPE

 AMAZING ABANDONED 

BUILDINGS IN EUROPE

G'day folks,

 There is a surprisingly large number of abandoned buildings around the world, some of which are left almost completely untouched. Just imagine - luxurious mansions, ancient castles, churches, unfinished hotels, and opulent theaters all left to the elements for years and years, slowly being taken over by nature. Certainly, there is a special, eerie kind of allure in these buildings, one that makes us realize just how fleeting and temporary life really is.

These photos were taken by Belgian photographer Christophe Van De Walle and his wife, Isabelle, who travel through Europe and photograph rare, untouched abandoned buildings. It takes extensive research to find buildings like these, and the couple makes sure not to disclose the locations to protect their integrity.

 

Clancy's comment: Whenever I see any of these I try to imagine who lived there, and what happened within their walls.

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31 January 2021 - ENGLISH WORDS THAT HAVE FALLEN OFF THE RADAR

 

ENGLISH WORDS THAT 

HAVE FALLEN OFF THE RADAR

G'day folks,

Welcome to some more of those rare words that have disappeared from use.

 airgonaut

n

1784 -1784

one who journeys through the air

Balloonists, skydivers and other airgonauts are all a little mad, if you ask me. 

 

alabandical

adj

1656 -1775

barbarous; stupefied from drink

His behaviour after the party was positively alabandical. 

 

albedineity

n

1652 -1652

whiteness

The monotonous albedineity of the snow-covered field was blinding. 

 

alogotrophy

n

1753 -1853

excessive nutrition of part of body resulting in deformity

Was he born with that huge head, or is it the result of alogotrophy? 

 

amandation

n

1656 -1755

act of sending away or dismissing

His rude amandation of his guests earned him a reputation for curtness. 

 

amarulence

n

1731 -1755

bitterness; spite

After losing her job to a less qualified man, she was full of amarulence. 

 

amorevolous

adj

1670 -1670

affectionate; loving

Our father, though amorevolous, could be a strict taskmaster at times. 

 

antipelargy

n

1656 -1731

reciprocal or mutual kindness; love and care of children for their parents

Having never received any antipelargy, they wrote their daughter out of the will. 

 

apanthropinization

n

1880 -1880

withdrawal from human concerns or the human world

His life as a hermit in the woods was characterized by apanthropinization. 

 

aporrhoea

n

1646 -1880

a bodily emanation; an effluvium

The evening's revelries were followed by an unfortunate episode of aporrhoea. 

 

aquabib

n

1731 -1883

water-drinker

I was never much of an aquabib, and always preferred harder libations. 

 

archigrapher

n

1656 -1656

principal or head secretary or clerk

The archigrapher efficiently designated transcription duties to her underlings. 

 

archiloquy

n

1656- 1656

first part of a speech

We stopped paying attention during his talk due to his monotonous archiloquy. 

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... I'm speechless. The last word would be very applicable to most politicians. Just sayin' ...

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