Category: History

"Trench Art" handmade gift of wire sent home from a soldier in WWII trenches

Brodie’s golden heart melts over “trench art”

Published on by Lucas Pam14 Comments

Here comes the heart day…the day we give and receive the loving cards…handmade and bought…here we give and receive flowers and jewelry…and you name it in a box wrapped with a crisp red bow…

Your passion for love and gift giving would appreciate knowing that during World War II, our brave soldiers…given where they were serving in either the European Theatre or the Pacific War often found themselves where “Lack of materials on the battlefront often forced servicemen to use wire, mother-of-pearl, wood and inexpensive metals to fashion gifts. The engraved personalized messages, military insignia, locations and dates on these specific pieces illuminate the bonds between home and abroad”.  The creative hearts…the longing hearts for home…the suffering hearts for a grateful nation…think about these creative gifts and the hands that fashioned them…how they were so much more than just a present…true gifts from the heart…forever treasured.

I love history…it’s golden.

 

The phrase: Heads or Tails?

Brodie barks on the coin toss

Published on by Lucas Pam11 Comments

The Super Bowl…one of the super star icons of the United States of America…a defining day where hard-fought football…played for over 4 months…teams from sea to shining sea faced off and moved up the football madness to this day…Super Bowl 51..

As a golden retriever…I can tell you that this day is a record breaker for food…human food that normally NEVER touches my dog lips…I’m talking pieces of chicken wings…a bit of a hot dog…oh don’t get me started…and then there are the many delicacies prepared with loving football lover hands…I can’t wait for the coin toss.

Speaking of the coin toss…did you know that the physics of the toss has been studied…you know the probability…of course you did..but let me put this in front of you today….you gotta look at this if you care about your team...seems though…the NFL has it down regarding fairness.  Bring on the wings and things!!….and look for a possible golden retriever to show up in one of the million dollar plus commercials.  I’m just saying 🙂

Here are the broad strokes of the physics of going flipping:

  1. If the coin is tossed and caught, it has about a 51% chance of landing on the same face it was launched. (If it starts out as heads, there’s a 51% chance it will end as heads).
  2. If the coin is spun, rather than tossed, it can have a much-larger-than-50% chance of ending with the heavier side down. Spun coins can exhibit “huge bias” (some spun coins will fall tails-up 80% of the time).
  3. If the coin is tossed and allowed to clatter to the floor, this probably adds randomness.
  4. If the coin is tossed and allowed to clatter to the floor where it spins, as will sometimes happen, the above spinning bias probably comes into play.
  5. A coin will land on its edge around 1 in 6000 throws, creating a flipistic singularity.
  6. The same initial coin-flipping conditions produce the same coin flip result. That is, there’s a certain amount of determinism to the coin flip.
  7. A more robust coin toss (more revolutions) decreases the bias.
The invention of Otis Elevator

Golden Brodie rides elevators and finds history

Published on by Lucas Pam12 Comments

I work daily at expanding my golden horizons. Each day my training broadens my possibilities of one day perhaps being a therapy dog…so I’m riding elevators now.  Elevators are just a fact of life that I will need to understand as my world broadens.  Gotta not be thrown by those doors that seemingly suddenly open sideways…acclimate to the up & down feeling in my dog gut when the box stops or takes off going up…gotta walk into that box and sit down…give peeps their space…move to the back…you know all of the etiquette of elevator riding.  Next time you ride one…look for this name OTIS.  I noticed that OTIS is always in those boxes.  Here’s why.

In 1853, the inventor Elisha Otis demonstrated his stellar emergency spring that allowed a platform to stop and suspend itself.  That day people who attended  P.T. Barnum’s Traveling World’s Fair in New York, gasped with disbelief when Elisha stood on a platform raised 40 feet in the air…and with his swift sword slashed the rope that held him & the platform mid-air.  The platform dropped only a foot and stopped… And that my friends was the beginning of  Otis Elevator Co. that lead to safe elevators and the construction of those “skyscrapers” we all admire.

Space age looking elevators in Berlin
Space age looking elevators in Berlin

Just a little info nugget for ya…let’s go ride some elevators.  Pick up those paws!

Official Seal of the Inauguration of President and Vice President 2017

Brodie shares about the “Big Rehearsal”

Published on by Lucas Pam1 Comment

Who knew?  Stand-ins for the President Elect and the coming First Lady…stand-ins for VP Elect and his wife…practice…practice…practice walks down the steps of the US Capitol to the podium… to assigned seats…walking down Pennsylvania Avenue…waves to imaginary crowds…one big, huge dress rehearsal for the nation’s 58th Presidential Inaugural swearing-in and the Inaugural Parade.  This past Sunday was a dry-run… a stunning effort to address this immensely…monumental logistical, security, protocol, media coverage, crowd control quadrennial inaugural event.  As a golden who does not like to miss anything…here’s the schedule of events…Hail to the Chief!

Washington Monument with American Flag lite at night

Uncomplicated thoughts: America

Published on by Lucas Pam8 Comments

So very proud.

The Ellipse at night
The Ellipse at night
Lincoln Memorial at night
Lincoln Memorial at night
Pennsylvania Avenue, the Inaugural Parade Route
Pennsylvania Avenue, the Inaugural Parade Route

Photographs by Facebook friend, Fe Caces.  Thank you Fe for sharing your talent.

 

vintage radio

Brodie digs “Fireside Chats”

Published on by Lucas Pam12 Comments

Ears up!.. how have past presidents of the United States chosen to communicate with their people? It’s an ever-changing process that evolved..Abe Lincoln (16) had an open door…people lined up outside of the White House and he spoke directly to them…there was no radio…no telephone…just face time and letters…a slow way…but yet effective.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32) communicated through weekly “Fireside Chat” broadcasts over home radios..television was coming and not everyone had a home phone… cell phones didn’t exist or e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on.  So, you gotta listen to FDR and one of his radio chats.  Thousands listened weekly each Sunday to FDR’s broadcast. Picture peeps huddled close to their radio…picture the family dog…ok and the family cat…all sitting in due reverence…carefully listening to each word of their president.  Makes me want to build a fire…a golden fire.

 

Crumbling concrete bust of President George Washington

Brodie discovers 43 crumbling busts?

Published on by Lucas Pam4 Comments

I was simply surfing the Internet looking for a golden find…and voila!…yes you need to check out this truly cool man who recycles concrete, lives in the great Commonwealth of Virginia and who could not dispose of 43 president heads…I know..what?  Well, history gives us 44 presidents to date…right?!….but the bust money ran out for making a 44 head…and now here comes 45…that is the next President… Mr. T  is coming up on January 20… 2017 or bust…paws up peeps!

Statue of Freedom

Brodie sniffs out the bronze beauty atop the US Capitol

Published on by Lucas Pam5 Comments

I’m preparing for the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony at the west front of the US Capitol on January 20, 2017. So steeped in tradition, the presidential inaugurations have deviated little in the two centuries since Washington’s inauguration. Think of it…from George to Donald and all the presidents in between.  Our great nation just keeps rolling on…nothing can stop her…nothing.

While preparing for the Inaugural …I’m discovering so much about this baroque city and its beauty.  My golden self enjoys the rich history of the District of Columbia…at every turn in this metropolis there is history hiding…symbolism abounds…take for instance the State of Freedom who sits atop of the Capitol dome.  She’s been there since 1863…many have little or no idea about her.

Capitol Dome topped by the Statue of Freedom
Capitol Dome topped by the Statue of Freedom

The Statue of Freedom took her high place while our country was in the midst of our Civil War……the War between the States.  She continues to symbolically protect our nation’s capitol.  She ignites the history buff in me and I’m so glad.

On your next visit be sure to send an air-kiss up to this bronze (I see her as golden…but that’s just my 4 paws position.) beauty in appreciation for what she represents and how she steadily stands guard over our special city for all people.

Just think for a moment about all she has viewed from on high.  Blows my golden mind.

Kitchen circa 1930's

Brodie learns about food rationing

Published on by Lucas Pam8 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving soon and we are all consumed with the associated thoughts of feasting, family and friendship.  How fortunate I feel.  My peeps will have one familial event recorded on their many cell phones, iPads, 35mm cameras and Skype. Then they’ll post the stuff on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on.  The social aspects roll on.  That’s todays fun and entertainment.

I want to take you back to two periods in our USA history…a time when we were at war, WWI and WWII.  I bring this up because during those difficult years we as a nation buckled down.  Food was scarce.  Food went first to the troops.  People bought limited amounts of certain commodities through rationing…ration stamps. So my golden mind took me to those times, thinking about what Thanksgiving was all about then…

Rationing came into place by our government and families were strongly encouraged to eat simply…meatless meals…and forget about sugar.  What a prized commodity sugar became…and coffee…and flour…yes the very basics.  I’m thinking everyone worked together, helped out and got involved in the war effort…while missing their stuff.

I feel golden sure that on Thanksgiving Day folks were even more grateful for whatever they had as they struggled.  But then…the food was secondary for those who had loved ones serving in the war…those who had lost a loved one…and those who simply felt the unrest of not knowing what the future held.

Our country held together and came out on this side of freedom both times.  This Thanksgiving season I’m going to say a special thanks to those serving our nation and especially to those away from home …and a special moment for those who we have lost…we will remain forever a grateful nation.

So this Thanksgiving, my grateful heart will enjoy watching all of the cell phone action, getting my many pets and walks and giving out my goldeness.   Peace baby and paws Up!

P.S.  Dogs don’t do coffee but…How fortunate that you can have as many Starbuck’s with all of the sugar possible…all of the cream…whenever…

 

Gilbert Stuart Lansdowne painting of George Washingto

Brodie thanks Dolley Madison for saving George

Published on by Lucas Pam12 Comments

It’s time for giving thanks…using a grateful heart…remembering the good…continuing to seek the kindhearted deeds.

So, I’m wanting to reach back into the rich history of our great American struggle and thank Dolley Madison, First Lady to our 4th President of the United States, James Madison.

During the War of 1812, the British invaded Washington DC and set fire to the White House and the Capitol.  President Madison knew of this planned assault, leaving post-haste, to lead his troops…leaving Dolley to evacuate to safety.  She refused to leave without the bold and standing portrait of George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart.  She had the frame busted and broken in order to free the treasured piece of art, rolled the canvas up and at last fled for safety.  Word has it that she left in such haste, that her dinner was still on the dining room table…the British rolled in… ate her food and then burnt down the house.

A heart-felt thanks to Mrs. Madison for preserving this masterpiece for us all.  Go visit this Lansdowne painting that hangs majestically in the National Portrait Galley in Washington, DC.  Be sure to give a golden thank you to Dolley while giving thanks that Great Britain and the United States are true allies and good friends.