I've spent the last two hours staring at this blank white text box with absolutely no idea what to write. I've watched an episode of Hoarders and now I'm watching an episode of Kitchen Nightmares with the gayest of gay men. With countless topics to write about and no ideas where to start, I decided to surf the internet. Legend has it that you can find anything on the internet, which I mistakenly did not take very seriously.
Apparently the legend is correct, because tonight I discovered this photo (along with several others) from an Israeli fashion magazine called BelleMode. According to the magazine, the man in the photo is an Ultraorthodox Jewish model.
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I figured you may have needed a moment before you continued reading, though I really have nothing else to say. I just wanted to point out that I gave you a moment to enjoy.
Showing posts with label Abraham Lincoln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abraham Lincoln. Show all posts
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The first book from the 69 Club was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, which was added to the list because Chudzie wanted to read something light and funny, before diving head first into the heavier stuff, quite understandable considering the books on the list. The novel is a 2010 mashup novel, which was released in March 2010.Vampire Hunter combines the history of Abraham Lincoln with vampires. Yes, you read that correctly - vampires. The novel is actually quite historically accurate, as Grahame-Smith fills in the holes and gaps of uncertainty of Lincoln's life with vampires. For example, Lincoln's mother died when he was still a young boy (around 8 years old) from a unknown disease, which the author credits as being poisoned with vampire blood. (According to the novel, by drinking the blood of a vampire you die a horrific death similar to milk poisoning). Other historical tie-ins consisted of slaves being used a food supply for vampires, the death of Willie Lincoln credited to an attack by vampires, and the entire history of the lost colony of Roanoke being caused by the discovery of a vampire among the colonists (who consequently kills everyone in the colony).
I discovered the book while Christmas shopping for Rachel's father, who is a huge fan of President Lincoln. While we were shopping on Amazon for Christmas ideas, I came across the book and thought it was perfect for him, with the only hesitation that the historical parts wouldn't be accurate. Like a giddy school girl, he loved his present after opening it and I'm pretty sure had the book read days after receiving it. When it was released in paperback this past April, I bought it with some extra birthday money from Target. It was well worth the cost of the book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they are a fan of Abraham Lincoln or vampires. Grahame-Smith clearly went the distance to create a plausible melding of vampire mayham and history. The story is well researched and like I've said several times already, the history was on target. As a an avid history lover and horror reader, I really enjoyed this work and I look forward to see what the next project that Seth Grahame-Smith is going to come up with (hopefully he'll continue the saga as hinted to in the novel).
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Lincoln vs. Kennedy
Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were both tragically assassinated during their terms in office. Kennedy and Lincoln were both admired by many but hated by those opposed to their political views. After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, a comparison was made between the life and death of Lincoln and Kennedy. The comparison pointed out some amazing coincidences (and sparked one too many conspiracy theories).
- Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846; Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
- Lincoln was elected President in 1860; Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
- Mary Todd Lincoln and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis both lost a child while living in the White House.
- Lincoln and Kennedy were directly concerned with Civil Rights.
- Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to the theater; Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln who told him not to go to Dallas.
- Lincoln and Kennedy were both shot in the head in the presence of their wives.
- Lincoln was shot in Ford Theater; Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln made by Ford.
- Both Lincoln and Kennedy were shot on a Friday.
- Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was known by three named comprised of fifteen letters. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was also known by three named comprised of fifteen letters.
- Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse, while Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater.
- Booth and Oswald were both killed before being brought to trial.
- Lincoln's successor was Andrew Johnson, born in 1808. Kennedy's successor was Lyndon Johnson, born in 1908.
- There are many conspiracies that Booth and Oswald were part of a greater conspiracy.
Seven Abraham Lincoln Facts
Lincoln Under-Utilized his Pockets
Lincoln's stovepipe top hat severed as more than just fashionable head wear. He used it to store and carry notes, letters, and even bills. Why do they call it a stovepipe hat? Well, the rise is so tall and straight with no flair that it resembles a length of pipe. They're hard to come by nowadays, the traditional tp hat being much more current, but still pretty "retro."
Lincoln has No Living Heirs
Despite the fact that the marriage between Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln yielded 4 sons, there are no living heirs. Three of the four sons died before their 20th birthdays: Edward died at 4 years of age, Willie at 12 years, and Tad at 18. Robert was the only child who lived into adulthood and his last descendant died sometime in the 1980s.
Lincoln's Son was a Death-Magnet
Robert Lincoln was sort of a magnet for tragedy. More specifically, presidential assassination tragedy. While he was not present when his father was killed, he was an eyewitness to Garfield's assassination, and at the same World's Fair where McKinley was assassinated. Another interesting fact about Robert, he was saved from a train accident by Edwin Booth, the brother of his father's killer, John Wilkes Booth.
Lincoln was Kind of Psychic
In the weeks before his death, Lincoln was extremely melancholy. He had seen portents of his own death, and had been dreaming of death as well. On one occasion, he looked in the mirror and saw a double reflection, one image much paler and blurrier than the other. He told his wife that he thought it meant that had survived his first term, but wouldn't survive his second. The week prior to his death, Lincoln had a dream of hearing crying in a distant room of the White House. He sought out the room and found that it had a coffin in it. He asked the weeping person who had died and the person responded that it was the president. In his dream, Lincoln looked into the coffin and saw himself.
Lincoln Dabbled in the Occult
Not only did he get premonitions, he also believed in the occult. Well, if he didn't believe then he was at least willing to go along with it. After loosing Edward and Willie at such young ages, Lincoln and his wife actually held seances in the White House trying to contact their dearly departed. Mrs. Lincoln also attended seances at the homes of famous mediums of the day. Whether or not they made actual contact is unknown.
Lincoln was Spiritual, not Religious
Despite the last two facts, Lincoln said he was still a Christian. He didn't, however, feel it necessary to subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity. Though many different sects try to claim him, Lincoln was 100% non-denominational. He never joined a church, didn't say grace before meals, and spoke on a more spiritual level, rather than religious. He did read the Bible quite often, and did have a highly developed spiritual governance. When asked if he thought the Lord was on the side of the North in the Civil War, Lincoln responded, "I am not concerned about that...But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."
Lincoln had a Way with Words
Not only was Lincoln spiritual and intelligent, he was also a heck of a speech writer. He wrote his own speeches, and it is said that his famous Gettysburg Address wasn't even the best one! Rumor has it that the speech Lincoln made to the Illinois Republican Convention on May 29, 1856 was his best, but it was either so enthralling that nobody remembered to take notes or it was so controversial that nobody was allowed to print them. Either way, no record of it exists.
Lincoln's stovepipe top hat severed as more than just fashionable head wear. He used it to store and carry notes, letters, and even bills. Why do they call it a stovepipe hat? Well, the rise is so tall and straight with no flair that it resembles a length of pipe. They're hard to come by nowadays, the traditional tp hat being much more current, but still pretty "retro."
Lincoln has No Living Heirs
Despite the fact that the marriage between Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln yielded 4 sons, there are no living heirs. Three of the four sons died before their 20th birthdays: Edward died at 4 years of age, Willie at 12 years, and Tad at 18. Robert was the only child who lived into adulthood and his last descendant died sometime in the 1980s.
Lincoln's Son was a Death-Magnet
Robert Lincoln was sort of a magnet for tragedy. More specifically, presidential assassination tragedy. While he was not present when his father was killed, he was an eyewitness to Garfield's assassination, and at the same World's Fair where McKinley was assassinated. Another interesting fact about Robert, he was saved from a train accident by Edwin Booth, the brother of his father's killer, John Wilkes Booth.
Lincoln was Kind of Psychic
In the weeks before his death, Lincoln was extremely melancholy. He had seen portents of his own death, and had been dreaming of death as well. On one occasion, he looked in the mirror and saw a double reflection, one image much paler and blurrier than the other. He told his wife that he thought it meant that had survived his first term, but wouldn't survive his second. The week prior to his death, Lincoln had a dream of hearing crying in a distant room of the White House. He sought out the room and found that it had a coffin in it. He asked the weeping person who had died and the person responded that it was the president. In his dream, Lincoln looked into the coffin and saw himself.
Lincoln Dabbled in the Occult
Not only did he get premonitions, he also believed in the occult. Well, if he didn't believe then he was at least willing to go along with it. After loosing Edward and Willie at such young ages, Lincoln and his wife actually held seances in the White House trying to contact their dearly departed. Mrs. Lincoln also attended seances at the homes of famous mediums of the day. Whether or not they made actual contact is unknown.
Lincoln was Spiritual, not Religious
Despite the last two facts, Lincoln said he was still a Christian. He didn't, however, feel it necessary to subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity. Though many different sects try to claim him, Lincoln was 100% non-denominational. He never joined a church, didn't say grace before meals, and spoke on a more spiritual level, rather than religious. He did read the Bible quite often, and did have a highly developed spiritual governance. When asked if he thought the Lord was on the side of the North in the Civil War, Lincoln responded, "I am not concerned about that...But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."
Lincoln had a Way with Words
Not only was Lincoln spiritual and intelligent, he was also a heck of a speech writer. He wrote his own speeches, and it is said that his famous Gettysburg Address wasn't even the best one! Rumor has it that the speech Lincoln made to the Illinois Republican Convention on May 29, 1856 was his best, but it was either so enthralling that nobody remembered to take notes or it was so controversial that nobody was allowed to print them. Either way, no record of it exists.
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