In 1901, when the tiny bulb was first screwed into place inside a so-called hose cart house, it cast its light on a simpler era.Back then, horse-pulled carts carried water to fires. The bulb burned day and night, hanging at eye level from a 20-foot cord. Its job: to break the darkness so firefighters responding to calls wouldn't have to fumble to light the wicks of their kerosene lanterns. Manufactured by the Shelby Electric Co. of Shelby, Ohio, the bulb soon outlived its maker, which closed in 1914.
Later, in the main firehouse, it illuminated more modern rigs as horses were replaced by gas-fed engines.
It didn't always receive kid-glove treatment.
Climbing atop their engines, firefighters returning from World War II and Korea often would give the bulb a playful swat for good luck. The next generation -- the Vietnam veterans and the younger kids -- used it as a target for Nerf basketball practice.
Then, in 1972, a local reporter checked records and interviewed old-timers to trace its history. Firefighters suddenly realized they had a treasure.
"The good-luck slaps and target practice stopped," Bramell recalls. "We figured, 'Wow, maybe we should take care of this bulb.' "
Friday, May 9, 2008
Lightbulb that's burned for 107 years
Happy Mother's Day: Woman pregnant with 18th child
It's a happy Mother's Day for an Arkansas woman - she's pregnant with her 18th child. Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year's Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.
"We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us," she said, laughing.
The Duggars' oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.
The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children - whose names start with the letter J - are home-schooled.
Duggar has been been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life, and the family is in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health.
The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores - or "jurisdictions" - are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a "jurisdiction swap," where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said.
"The girls swapped jurisdictions, changing tires, working in the garages, mowing the grass," she said. "The boys got to cook supper from start to finish, clean the bathrooms," among other chores.
Duggar said she's six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they'll keep having children as long as God wills it.
"The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," Jim Bob Duggar said. "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen."
The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jennifer, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; and Johannah, 2.
*****
They know what causes pregnancy now, don't they?
Think Gas is expensive ...
All these examples do NOT imply that gasoline is cheap; it just illustrates how outrageous some prices are...
You will be really shocked by the last one! (At least, I was...)
Compared with Gasoline...
Think a gallon of gas is expensive?
This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective.
Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19... $9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59... $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25... $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85... $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99... $84.48 per gallon
And this is the REAL KICKER...
Evian water 9 oz $1.49... $21.19 per gallon! $21.19 for WATER and the buyers don't even know the source.
(Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)
Ever wonder why printers are so cheap?
So they have you hooked for the ink. Someone calculated the cost of the ink at... (you won't believe it... but it is true)… $5,200 a gallon (five thousand two hundred dollars).
So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, Whiteout, Pepto Bismol, Nyquil or God forbid, Printer Ink!
Just a little humor to help ease the pain of your next trip to the pump...
And - If you don't pass this along to at least one person, your muffler will fall off!!
Okay, your muffler won't really fall off... but, you might run out of toilet paper.
Tornado knocks vehicles around in NC
Authorities began combing through the wreckage Friday caused by a reported tornado that killed one person and injured three others in central North Carolina.
A possible tornado touched down on the outskirts of Greensboro late Thursday as severe storms swept across the Southeast, damaging homes and businesses in at least three other states.
Earlier in the day, an apparent tornado also wrecked a shopping area in Mississippi and strong winds flipped a mobile home in Alabama. In south-central Tennessee, at least four homes and a few barns were damaged.
In North Carolina, a person in a small truck was killed after the vehicle was overturned in a parking lot west of Greensboro, said Alan Perdue, emergency services director for Guilford County. He did not have other details.
The storm also knocked down a wall at a distributing business, sending one person to the hospital, Perdue said. Two other people were hurt while in vehicles, but details were not immediately available, Perdue said. None of the injuries was considered life threatening.
The storm left numerous trees and power lines down, some on top of homes, in its wake. Authorities were also combing through wreckage in a mostly industrial area outside of Greensboro, and getting a better look at the damage as daylight broke.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the storm blew several tractor-trailers off Interstate 40 but could not confirm the number.
*****
Yep last night's storm was a doozey!
Classified Ads
Read the Classifieds!
Here are but a few examples of actual Classified Ads found in newspapers and newsletters:
•Free puppies: 1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.
•Free puppies...mother, AKC German Shepherd, father, super dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.
•Found dirty white dog. Looks like a rat. Been out a while. Better be a big reward.
•Nordic Track: $300, hardly used, call Chubby.
•Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer, $300.
•Wedding dress for sale, worn once by mistake. Call Stephanie.
•For sale. Three canaries of undermined sex. Great Dames for sale.
•Have several very old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition.
•Tired of cleaning yourself. Let me do it.
•Vacation special: have your home exterminated. Get rid of aunts. Zap does the job in 24 hours.
•Toaster: a gift that every member of the family appreciates. Automatically burns toast.
•For rent: six-room hated apartment.
•Man, honest. Will take anything.
•Used cars. Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first.
•Christmas tag-sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person.
•Wanted: Hair cutter. Excellent growth potential.
•Wanted. Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
•Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.
•Wanted: Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
•And now, the superstore-unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience.
•We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $1.
•Illustrate? Write today for free help.
•Auto repair service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again.
•Our experienced mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals and smacks included.
•Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.
•Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
•Stock up and save. Limit: one.
•Semi-annual after Christmas sale.
•Three-year-old teacher needed for preschool. Experience preferred.
•Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.
•Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.
•Dinner special — turkey, $2.35; chicken or beef, $2.25; children, $2.
•For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
•Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.
•We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
