Did Twain Steal Thanksgiving?

Mark Twain's 70th Birthday party * November 30, 1905

Let me start by saying "How the heck have y'all been?"  I know it's been quite some time since I've been on the writing end of blogging, but, don't think I haven't kept up with my blogmates comings and goings.  I've had a lot going on lately, and seem to need more rest.  But, I'm still here, and I appreciate your friendships more than I can say.  I am behind on some of  your posts, but, I will get to them soon!   

 I couldn't let November just fly by without saying a few words about the weather, and the price of gas, lol!  Gas has gone down quite a bit, hasn't it?  We've had a few days recently, of drizzle and rain...oh, I see Florida has gotten some rain too!  

Soooo...Mark Twain, eh?  He has a birthday coming up, and I was just doing my usual nosing around and found the above photo of him at his 70th Birthday party.  This party was held at Delmonico's restaurant in New York!  Twain was to make a speech that night, and a particular Colonel George Harvey (who was actually Mark Twain's editor) didn't want to miss the event.  It seems that the birthday party was to take place on the same day as Thanksgiving, and Harvey believed that Twain's birthday affair should take precedence over the annual Thanksgiving holiday.  Can you believe the Colonel actually went to the United States President to ask that the holiday be changed to another day, or postponed for another year?  Colonel Harvey's rationale for this request was that nothing significant had occurred during the previous year, and Thanksgiving is just a habit designed to advertise for something to be thankful for-imagine that!

Well, I really have no idea what transpired from this meeting, except Thanksgiving hasn't changed any, and I have no idea whether or not the Colonel got to attend Mark Twain's birthday party!

***

What a lavish menu for this party.  I did find a copy of the menu for this occasion, which, of course is quite antiquated-I'll put it up here for you to see...

* So...what do you think?  What a fun looking menu!

Here is a list of the courses on the menu-they are very interesting!
Oysters-Consommè Souveraine, Green Turtle
note:  the author questions 'green turtle'-he presumes it is soup,
either of green turtles, or just green in color!
* Then we have Saddle of Lamb Colbert, Stuffed Tomatoes, Baltimore Terrapin,
* Quail, Red Head Duck, Fried Hominy and Currant Jelly
* Whew! Timbales Perigourdine, Filets of Kingfish Meunière, Cucumbers
* Salad: Celery Mayonnaise, Fancy ice Cream and assorted Cakes, Bonbons, Coffee
Served with Sherry, Sauterne, Champagne, Mineral Water, and Liqueurs.

Well, it is my understanding that Twain delivered one heck of a speech that night, of his 70th Birthday.  I have listened to just a bit of it as narrated by none other than Val Kilmer!  You can find that speech on www.literarymanhattan.org  Val does a good job!

***

And, did you know there is actually a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor?  I guess it's to recognize artists who have made significant contributions to American comedy.  It was created in 1998 by the Kennedy Center.  Just a few of the recipients include:  Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor, Bob Newhart, and Richard Pryor.  This year's recipient of the award goes to Jay Leno-congratulations Jay for your contributions to fun entertainment!

Having said all of that, I guess it's time to wish my old buddy Mark Twain
a Happy Birthday post Thanksgiving!

~Mark Twain * November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910
"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like,
and let the food fight it out inside."
~Twain

*** Let me say this...I hope all of my gracious readers are having a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday thus far.  Thank you for your friendships and I hope we can stay in touch for many more years!  Please stop and say 'Hello' if you can.  I'm so glad I found such a great picture of Mark Twain, aren't you?  Please be safe, and laugh often!

***

Oh, by the way...our little Scooter got to spend a few days with us earlier in the month, and, we had some Thanksgiving fun...that little Turkey!

* photo by Suzanne * November 15, 2014

Thanks going out to:
yahoo
wikipedia
www.newyorker.com
www.literarymanhattan.org
Thank you Mark Twain

*See You!♥

Left, Right...? Right? Left, Left, Left, Left!

~photos acquired from Yahoo images

 * collage created by Suzanne at KardKorner headquarters

Soooo...here we are in the middle of August,  just about two weeks away from the first day of school!  Hope I'm finding you all in good health, and, in good spirits!

***

What is my subject for the day?  RIGHT YOU ARE!

TODAY IS 'LEFT-HANDERS' DAY, and, I'm here to see that it is properly executed!

And, that means:

1) NO right-handers in the salad bar line!

2)  Hinge the cabinet doors, and, refrigerator doors from the left side of the unit, to be opened from

the left, thus allowing us to reach in from the right or center of the door!

3)  Place the pouring spout on the right side of  ladles and measuring cups to be used with a left hand!  Otherwise we have to pour from the straight side, making a mess! 

5)  Lefties don't have to peel potatoes today!

6)  And, Righties...when using a lefthander's mouse, PLEASE return it to the left of the computer!

These are just a few items that befall us lefties.  And, here are a few former US Presidents who were lefthanded.  I believe there were only 7 or 8.

~our 31st President, Herbert Hoover

~our 38th President, Gerald Ford

~our 33rd President, Harry S Truman

~ our 42nd President, Bill Clinton

~our 43rd President, George H.W. Bush

*** Now, wasn't that fun and interesting?  It seems as though some of the lefthanded claims of Presidents have been disputed.  It's possible that Harry S. Truman and Herbert Hoover were originally lefthanded, and, at some point in time, they converted to being righthanded, or ambidextrous Presidents.  I know that in the earlier years during the 1920's and on into the early to mid 1960's, being a lefthander was not always acceptable.  Lefthandedness (is that a word?) was discouraged and, converting over to the righthand was encouraged!

Often times us lefties were placed at the end of a table so not to bump arms with the other diners!  Hey, I loved sitting at the head of our table-more elbow room! LOL!  And, I got to sit next to my Grandpa when we had dinner at their house...he was lefthanded too!  So, actually, there are some perks to being lefthanded.

AND...if you pick up a box cutter with your left hand, people just back up and stay out of your way, while you attempt to open a taped up box!  What fun it is for a lefthand parent to teach a righthanded child how to tie shoes!  I had my son so confused about the direction of the loops that he had to wear shoes with velcro   for a few years, until he learned how to tie them RIGHT!

I guess we've all heard the old worn out sayings...us lefties have said often enough!

"I'm a lefthander, living in a righthanded world!"

"The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, 

so only left-handed people are in their right minds!"

 I don't use those colloquialisms to justify my being in the minority of only about 17% of the population being left-handed!  I just grin and bear it! 

***

Thanks so much for coming by!  I truly enjoy your visits, right-handed or left-handed, I don't care!  Just say hello if you get the chance...don't be shy-that's my job!  And, come by any time you want!

As usual I want to thank:

Yahoo images

* Please don't take offense if you took any of these photos, and, 

I don't acknowledge you by name, because your name wasn't provided *

Thanks to Google

Thank you Wikipedia

* Please note:  The Presidents I chose for this post do not reflect my political affiliations. These were former Presidents listed as Presidents who are/were left-handed. *

***Until next time, be safe...give love and laughter! ♥

Gumshoe Tails!

Welcome to 'Gumshoe Junction', aka 'KardKornerKrib'!  Just step into my office 'dearies' and have a sit down.
  If I've got an assistant SOMEWHERE, maybe she can scare up a cup of coffee for you! 

OOPS!

...Uh, well, please excuse the mess!  lol!  Anyway, here we are, and I'm glad to see you.   Okay, I know you're aware that I love snooping around, always after a story,  and a cool photo (well, my camera is sort of broken down -I dropped it)!.  And while we're on the subject of snooping, I've had to ask myself, "In the grand scheme of things, just WHERE do I fit in to the snoop scene?  Could I possibly be a detective of sorts?"  I just love crime and detective stories, although, I have yet to solve a crime! 

So, how did  the 'detective' and 'private eye' service get its start?  If you think I went snooping around to find some answers, you're spot on!

I guess it started a long time ago...oh, let's say we just go back to 1833, when a French soldier named Eugène François Vidocq started the first known private detective agency.  This guy hired ex-cons...you see, Eugène was a criminal-turned-cop himself, and, of course Law Enforcement was always looking for reasons to shut him down.

Eugène François Vidocq
1775 ~ 1857

Mr. Vidocq was actually arrested on suspicion of taking money under false pretenses.  He was sentenced to 5 years with a fine, but, subsequently was released.  Since he had solved an embezzlement case, Eugène was pretty sure he had been set up. 

Eventually, Vidocq earned quite a good reputation for himself.  He actually made the first plaster casts for shoe impressions, which aided in investigations, and organized a record-keeping system for ballistics in crime cases.

In 'those days',  private investigators pretty much acted as police in some matters.  Those matters usually consisted of  labor and employee issues, meaning, the workers were beginning to develop their own ideas of how their wants and needs should be exercised.  And, since the wealthy wanted to maintain control over the workers, and keep them quiet, they would leave the police out of it and enlist the aid of some of the early private investigators to keep the workers at bay.

Industrialization after the French Revolution

***

Eugène François Vidocq was so well praised for his successes in catching criminals, that he had become an inspiration for mystery authors as well as other investigators.  He is also credited for being a great humanitarian, claiming never to have informed on anyone who had stolen for a real need. I believe his own life experiences as a criminal and fugitive from the law, gave him the insight to track criminals, and compelled even Charles Dickens to use Vidocq's experiences in his novel, "Great Expectations".  Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville, both American authors, were inspired by Vidocq's antics, their works resulting in 'Murder in the Rue Morgue', and 'Moby Dick' respectfully.

***  In the meantime, in the United States, Allan Pinkerton was spinning his wheels, engaging his agents as he established the Pinkerton national Detective Agency.  Pinkerton had more agents than the army of the USA.
***
And, the tail continues!

Gosh, where DOES the time go?  Somehow I hit on this subject of detective agencies, and it just sent me into 'know-it-all' land!  I only hope you enjoyed our little lesson on the early detectives!

But, that's not all folks!  While we're on the subject, allow me to introduce you to a few of the fictional detectives of all time.  If I left a favorite of yours out, please accept my apologies.  There are so many detectives that have graced our lives!

~Miss Marple from Agatha Christie stories (1927)
Margaret Rutherford (1963)

~Sam Spade from Dashiell Hammett's 1930, The Maltese Falcon
Humphrey Bogart 1941

~Tim Ryan's, Detective Kitty O'Day 1944
Jean Parker 1945

~Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer 1947
Stacy Keach 1984

~Andy Breckman's, Adrian Monk 2002
Tony Shaloub

~We can see you Monk!

~Donald Bellisario and Glen A. Larson's 'Magnum P.I.' 1980
Tom Selleck

'YOWSA!'

~Carolyn Keene via Edward Stratemeyer's Nancy Drew 1930
Bonita Granville

Cindy-This one's for you!
Law and Order,  Criminal Intent's Detective Robert Goren 2001-2009
Vincent D'Onofrio
His sultry demeanor and innocent line of questioning just sends you!  
Check out his 'sheepish snarl'!

And, our all-time favorite detective hero!
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes 1939
Basil Rathbone

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains,
however improbable, must be the truth."

*** I want to take a moment to thank Shady Del Knight from 
http://shadydell.blogspot.com
I think that's the right link!  He has been showering some fellow bloggers with his seeds of friendship via 'Sunflower Blog Award'!  You can see the award on my side bar.
With this award, comes some questions that the award recipient is requested to answer.
Gosh Shady, you ask TOO many questions, but I did pick a few:

1.  "What is your favorite smell?" Easy enough...Gardenia!
2.  "Are you an early riser, or a night owl?"  ...Both, and I'm not kidding!
  I go to bed around 11:30pm and rise in the mornings at 5:30am.
3.  "If you were asked to speak extemporaneously for one hour about anything,
 what topic would you pick?"  ...REALLY?

Okay, that's enough TOM foolery for one post!  Thanks again Shady!

***

This post is running close into the July 4th weekend, and I'm sure you are all planning your picnics and festivities...it is a great celebration of our country's Birthday!

*  And, I know I've mentioned before that my brother was born on the fourth of July.  He and I would sit out back on the patio in the afternoon on the fourth, as kids, and sing old folk songs.  Well, actually my brother liked to sing the Alfred E. Newman songs from MAD magazine, lol!  And, I would sing "Davy Crockett", and Happy Birthday to him.  I have the fondest memories from those times, lighting the black smokey snakes and smoke bombs, and, later, the sparklers and fountain fireworks!  Mmmm...hot dogs, dill pickles, potato salad, and-then, cake and ice cream!

***  My brother passed away in 2007, and, he is missed terribly.  Happy Birthday, Stan!

Have a wonderful July 4th holiday, and practice caution around the fireworks!
No short fuses, you guys!

And, thank you so much for your visit.  Please stop and say hello if you get the chance.  I hope you enjoyed today's 'tail' on 'sleuthing', and, you're right-the neighbor's dog DID take the newspaper!  See?  You're already a skilled sleuther!  lol!  You're hired!

*** Note:  I did borrow the illustrations used in this post from Yahoo Images-thanks!

"A Detective asked me to come to the police station for an interview.
I haven't even applied for a job there yet!"

Till next time, I remain, still, your humble Bloggette!  Hugs to you all! ♥

Incidentally March!

A Walk in the Park * Artist unknown to me
* but, I adore the painting!

  March 30 * Take a Walk in the Park Day!

Hello, my dear readers...looks like we're into March now!  And, we're all anticipating the warm, sunny weather and beautiful greenery, with promises of spring blooms!

Oh, I don't know about all that...we've got sleet in the lone star state today, and what they call 'thunder sleet'!  I heard some thunder earlier, but, I thought it was just normal thunder.  And, then it was mentioned on the weather channel that we have 'thunder sleet'.  So there we are with a new term!

While I'm here today,  I thought we could talk about some spectacular creatures that were brought to my attention last weekend.  And, being March now, we can focus on St. Patrick's day, and, specifically the country of Ireland!  We were watching the PBS station, I think it's called KERA/world, when suddenly a large flock of birds flew over a body of water.  Not having gotten in at the beginning of this program, I wasn't sure what it was all about!  But in taking an interest, I soon found out!

~Ireland

~the River Shannon watercolor

Ah, the beautiful River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, running for about 224 miles, and, presenting itself throughout 11 of Ireland's counties.  The river is named after Sionann, a Celtic goddess.  In hopes of gaining wisdom, and after much warning to stay away, Sionann went to the river.  There, she encountered and ate the Salmon of Wisdom, and became 'Goddess of the River'.  After a well caved in, Sionann was carried out to sea and drowned.  So, a myth of Ireland is the belief that the drowning of a goddess in a river gives life to the land.  Sionann gained her wisdom, and, in turn, dissolved her power into the water, thus, giving it back!
What a sacrifice!

Enter the Shannon Swans!

The Shannon swans, or mute swans, as they are called, arrive in large numbers with other ducks from Northeast Europe, Iceland and Greenland for the winter.  Here they flock together and breed all along the river.  There is hardly a spot along the shallow parts where these beauties won't be seen, feeding on water weeds, as the food is plentiful.

~along the river bank

Some of the yellow beak swans stay over for the summer and mate with the local mute swans.  And, some decide to become permanent residents of the the Shannon.

The river Shannon flows through a large range of marshland, grassland, bog and woodland.  It opens at Shannon Pot, which is a small pool on the slopes of the Cuilcagh Mountain in Cavan county, and, ends at the city of Limerick.  Being undisturbed by human activity, this river serves as an ideal habitat for not only the swans, but, a variety of ducks.

~King John's castle * River Shannon * Ireland

~ Trilight on The River Shannon * Ireland

I really enjoyed this program.  These beautiful swans picked a beautiful river to enjoy their winters, and, bring forth new members of their families.  And, what beautiful countryside!  Ireland is not just a land of green beer drinkers, is it!

*** BUT, you're not getting away that easy!

Thank you so much for coming by.  As I write, we are getting sleet in Fort Worth and the temperature is dropping drastically, UGH!  I don't mind the cold, just the Texas Ice Drivers! 
Someone has to get to the office, and, Karo is always so gracious to drive me in to work, unless it's too, too icy!  

Please stop in, (try not to slide in, lol!) and say hello if you get the chance.  Oh, I have posted my March calendar on 'My Stuff' page.  Click over and take a look...I haven't posted much on there lately.  Too many irons in the fire, I think.

I  am so grateful for your friendships...it's such fun to communicate interests and knowledge, with you all!  I enjoy reading your posts, and hearing your news.  

Thanks to:
Google
Yahoo images
The River Shannon, Ireland
wikipedia

*** A special greeting to my friend and coworker Cindy!
Happy Birthday Cindy * March 17th

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!!!  ♥

* Be safe...share love and laughter wherever you go!

See you next time!

☺

Bad Boy Johnnys...eating my Heart out!

How popular is the name Johnny anyway?  And, where did the name Johnny come from?  Some say the name Johnny is French, some say the name is of Hebrew origin, and, others say Johnny is English...hmmm.  Well,  I studied French, the name Johnny is seen as Jean.  The meaning of the name according to the Hebrew definition is "of Grace or favor", and, "God is Gracious".  As it turns out, the name Johnny is the #2 most common name, with James being the #1 most common name!  The graph above depicts a decline in the popularity of the name Johnny in the late 1940's and 1950's-then, as time goes on, it mellows out for the next, say, 15 years, throughout the 1990's into the millennium.  It 2012, girl babies given the name Johnny ranked at 5 vs. 281 boy babies given the name.

***  But enough of this serious stuff!  You didn't come over for a lesson in baby names, did you?  Let me  chauffeur you through time with film characters named 'Johnny'!

Introducing the BAD BOYS of film named JOHNNY!
(Well, a few of them anyway)

"Hop on the back, Dearies!"

~ Nicholas Cage as 'Johnny Blaze'
'Ghost Rider' * 2007

George Raft

~ Johnny Allegro * 1949

'Johnny Allegro' is a crime drama about a florist, whose shop is in a popular hotel.  Played by George Raft,  (isn't he handsome!) Johnny Allegro meets a gorgeous blonde, who, of course, is married, and gets drawn into a dangerous situation with her and her husband on a secluded island in Florida.  The lady's husband knows that Johnny Allegro is infatuated with his gorgeous wife, and, uses his own goons to hunt Johnny down in an intense chase on foot through the island.  Johnny almost loses his life trying to help the authorities solve a counterfeit crime, as the husband tries to get rid of him and his wife.  Johnny manages to escape, and bring them all to justice.  I really liked this film done in black and white, the scenery and home on this Florida island really added to the suspense of the story.


~Bobby Driscoll and Robert Newton

* Treasure Island * 1950 * Robert Newton as 'Long John Silver'

Long John Silver is a fictional character created by Robert Louis Stevenson in his 1883 novel
'Treasure Island'.  Long John is a 'bad boy' at its best!  Played by Robert Newton, Silver is a one-legged tyrant of a pirate.  He signs on to the ship 'Hispaniola' as a cook, and manages to keep his cover for a time, while the crew is busy hunting for treasure.  Long John just can't keep a lid on it and loses patience in his wait to take over the ship and treasure.  He kidnaps Jim, and takes over the ship.  Jim eventually gets free, wins the ship back, and, sends Long John Silver packing!
(Well, you know there's more to the story, lol!)

~Marlon Brando

* Johnny Strabler * The Wild One * 1953

This story is based on a real-life incident that occurred in a California town in 1947.  The film paves the way for the 'bad boy' stereotype of bikers who exhibit anti-social behavior.  Johnny Strabler, played by Marlon Brando, (hubba, hubba!) is the leader of the 'Black Rebels' bike gang.  The gang rides into town where a motorcycle race is being held, and, because of their unruliness, they are kicked out of the race, and out of town.   On their way out, Johnny steals the trophy for 2nd place (the 1st place trophy is too large to carry on a motorcycle), and the race is literally on!  Sensationalism at its best! LOL!

 ****
I know this may seem grueling, but, please bear with me-just a bit more to go!
  These guys are special!

~Patrick Swayze

* Johnny Castle * Dirty Dancing * 1987

Well, what can I say here...I already have tears in my eyes!  This movie was on while I was writing this post.  What draws us to this Johnny?  Well, he is a 'bad boy' of sorts.  He is desired by most women who encounter him.  His handsome good looks and svelte physique lend to the overall awesomeness of his dancing talent!  AND...he looks good in a white t-shirt and blue jeans (my opinion!)!  How most of us ladies would like to have been in 'Baby's' shoes!
And...oh, that famous line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"
You are sorely missed Patrick Swayze!

And now...on to the ultimate Johnny!

Elvis Presley

~Frankie and Johnny * 1966

Elvis plays a riverboat singer named 'Johnny' with Donna Douglas as his girlfriend, 'Frankie'.  And, what a pair!  Who would have thought to put these two together in a musical production?  What! You say I'm just jealous?  Well, sure I am!  And, Frankie becomes very jealous when she spies Johnny dancing with a beautiful red haired girl.  It turns out that Johnny, although a great performer,  is a sorry gambler in debt, and trying to score a change in his bad luck.  A 'tea reading' fortune teller has told Johnny that he will meet a red haired lady that will change his luck.  So he gets the red haired to touch the dice for him, and, by and large, he starts winning.  Frankie throws all of Johnny's winnings out the window, and later shoots Johnny in a moment of passion, not realizing the gun was holding blanks!  So, of course, Johnny survives.
Well...we couldn't let Elvis die, could we?  LOL!

***  Thank you so much for sticking around to see my favorite 'Johnny's'!  We know there are many more popular 'bad boy' Johnny's, in the film industry, and, in real life!  haha!
I took the liberty of bringing over a great clip from the musical
Frankie and Johnny from 1966, featuring our own Elvis, and his costar
Donna Douglas as Frankie!  
*** This is my own special Valentine to you my gracious readers!

Please enjoy!

****
Looks like we've covered a lot of ground here, my dearest readers.  And, I hope you haven't been disappointed in my choices of Johnny's.  I know there are hundreds more Johnny characters we've seen, but, I believe this group to be of a special breed!

Much Thanks to:
Google
Yahoo
http://www.ourbabynamer.com
www.thinkbabynames.com
www.babycenter.com
http://imdb.com
http://www.filmsite.org
Wikipedia
*** and many more***

*** Thank you Shady Del Knight for the Liebster award!
* here are a couple of questions Shady asked the blogger recipients
of this award, actually it was question #11:

Shady:  If you could time travel, which decade or century would you most like to visit?  Where in the world would you go? Would you stay in that place and time, or return to the present? 
My answer:  Well, I would like to go back to the 1950's, and travel to Europe-France, Venice and England specifically...I would also need to spend some time in California and New York!  And, my happiness would play an important part in my decision to stay-but, I venture to say that I would probably return to my native American soil!  (maybe not in the present tho!)

***a special thanks to Elvis Presley ***

Happy Valentine's Day to you Special Folks!
Stop by and say hello...Love to you all!

Be kind...give love and laughter! ♥